being Members of Christ's Church In a word so Honourable to God so Perfective of our own Natures and so Beneficial to Mankind are the Laws of Christ and so well is our Obedience secur'd to 'em by those Principles he has taught us that this very Thing does speak our exceeding Great Priviledge in being Members of Christ and under his Conduct and Government as our supreme Head and Law-giver But especially this Advantage will appear to be very Great Another Branch of this first part of a a Christian's Priviledge are most edifying and comfortable Institutions and Ordinances if we consider How that together with those most excellent Laws that he has given us he has also appointed us most Edifying and comfortable Ordinances to Conduct us to Heaven Now by Divine Institutions and Ordinances I do mean those positive Appointments and Observations which he has given his Church and all the Members thereof for their Improvement in the Knowledge and Practice of his Holy Religion and Laws And that which our Great Law-giver has done of this Nature is this He has Ordain'd solemn and set Days viz. The Christian Sabbaths for his own Service He has Order'd that Publick Assemblies of all Christians should be held upon those Days he has Authoriz'd and Commanded the Publication and Preaching of his Laws at those Publick Assemblies He has appointed that Common-Prayers Supplications and Thanksgivings for Divine Grace and Assistance to enable us to perform these Laws then Preacht and for other Mercies should be jointly put up to him by all Christians on those solemn Days and publick Assemblies and Lastly he has Enjoin'd therein the use of Sacraments as means of Conveying such Grace and Assistance and also as Oaths and Obligations upon us to be Obedient to those Laws All which are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Visible Church And if we compare 'em with what others want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members thereof and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to And consider'd in themselves they are most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws and in order to a Holy and Good Life I. Publick Ordinances the Priviledge of every Member of Christs Church First I say All these fore-mentioned Priviledges do belong to the Members of Christ's Church to such as have been Baptized and profess themselves to be Christians To understand which Rights and Priviledges the better you must know that as there are Two sorts of Members in the visible Church so there are Two kinds of Priviledges that belong to each sort as One rightly states this Matter each having those Priviledges which are proper and peculiar to 'em according to the relation they bear to the Head and their Fellow-Members First There are Members only by Foederal or Covenant Holiness such are only Born of Water when by Baptism they are United to Christ and the Church and take upon them the Profession and Practice of the Christian Religion Now the Priviledges that do belong to these are of the same make with their Church-Membership Outward and consist only in outward and publick Communion with the Church in Word and Ordinances Secondly There are Members by Real and Inherent Holiness such as are not only Born of Water but of the Spirit also when by the inward Operation of the Holy Ghost their Souls are Renew'd after the Image of God and made Partakers of a Divine Nature And the Priviledges that do belong to these are not only the foremention'd Ones but together with them others that are suitable to their more spiritual Relations Inward and such as consist in the special and particular Care and Protection of God and in the more plentiful Measures of his Grace and in the more sensible Comforts of his Holy Spirit according to that of our Saviour Mat. 25.29 Vnto every One that hath or Improveth those Talents of Grace he has received shall be given and he shall have abundance So that these latter and more peculiar Priviledges indeed do not belong to every Member of the visible Church but to those only who are sincere in their Profession of Christianity and who by their more than ordinary Piety are become Dear to God But then as to Outward Priviledges it is not only the Duty but it is the Priviledge which of Right belongs to Every Member of Christ's Church to Observe the Lord's Day to be Present in the Publick Assemblies to Join in the Common-Prayers and even to Partake when of Age of the Lord's Supper So we find Acts 2.41 42. That the whole Three Thousand Souls who received the Word and were Baptized continued stedfastly in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers True it is such as that more than ordinary Regard Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper that the Church of Christ has for the Lord's Supper that most solemn Ordinance in the Christian Religion that when any Member becomes Scandalous for any Sin he is to be Suspended from Communion in that till he amends So it is order'd in the Rubrick before the Communion-Service that if any be an open and notorious Evil-Liver so that the Congregation be thereby offended The Curate having Knowledge thereof shall Call him and Advertise him that in any-wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly Repented and Amended his former Naughty Life that the Congregation may thereby be satisfy'd which before were Offended And the same Order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth Malice and Hatred to reign not suffering them to be Partakers at the Lord's Table till he Knows them to be Reconciled But otherwise till a Member become Notorious and Scandalous for his Evil Principles or Practices he may claim the Right to be admitted to the Lord's Supper for even Judas himself before he Betray'd our Saviour did Partake with him at the first Institution of the Supper as you will find Matth. 26.25 26. So that as to the Outward Institutions and Ordinances of Christ they are Priviledges you see that do belong to all the Members of Christ's Church to all such as have been Baptized and Profess themselves to be Christians And now Secondly I. Christian Ordinances are a singular favour which Aliens and Vnbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy If we compare but these outward Priviledges of God's Holy Ordinances with what others do want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members of Christ's Church and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to For alas The Infidel Part of the World whether Jews Turks or Pagans have none of these Divine Ordinances amongst ' em They neither Know the Lord's Day nor Hold any Assemblies thereon for the Instruction in his Laws
as there are Men on Earth to be Tempted by him And as his Methods of Temptation are very many and very subtle and it does infinitely concern us Lest Satan should get an Advantage of us that we should not be Ignorant of his Devices For these Reasons I do think it may be profitable to you if I make that great Work of his his Tempting us to Sin the Subject of some particular Discourses by themselves in order to a more full and distinct State of that matter as indeed it is very requisite you should be throughly Inform'd if possible of the Temptations of Satan what they are And therefore leaving that Part for the present I shall proceed to finish this Lecture with shewing you Thirdly What it is to Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin To Renounce a Word of various Importance according to the Renounced already spoken of and how necessary it is we should absolutely and entirely do so To Renounce is a Word that is apply'd in our Baptismal Vow to several things even all our Spiritual Enemies that would draw us into Sin The Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh they must all of them be Renounced by us And as the Word Renounce does carry in it a great deal of Meaning and is of various Significations according to the Nature of the things to be Renounced So what it does particularly signify with Reference to each of them will best be understood by considering its Importance as apply'd to every One of those things To Renounce the Devil in the sence of the Ancient Church was to disclaime his Vsurped Dominion Authority over Mankind And agreeably therefore to the Explication now given of the Devil To Renounce the Devil is no doubt to Disclaim his Usurpt Dominion and Authority or to leave off having any Communication or Agreement with him or having any Hand in his base and ungrateful Rebellion against God This was no doubt what the Primitive Church understood by Renouncing the Devil for they are Words of a very ancient Use in the Church of God The Devil at the first Rise of Christianity especially had obtain'd a Visible Kingdom and in a manner an Universal Monarchy over the World Hence he is call'd The Prince of this World Joh. 14.30 He had also his Temples and his Altars and his Sacrifices The things which the Gentiles Sacrifice they Sacrifice unto Devils and not unto God 1 Cor. 10.20 As also many lewd and bloody Plays and pompous Processions were made in Honour of him and he was therefore in Effect The God of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 And now when any were Converted from Paganism to Christianity the Primitive Christians did expresly require from all that were admitted into that Kingdom of God the Church of Christ a publick and open Renunciation or Abjuration of him or an utter Disowning and Abandoning the Devil's Authority and the Paying any Homage Service or Obedience to him by Worshiping of him or his wicked Angels or by going to those Plays and Processions Instituted in Honour of him Thus does Tertullian an ancient Father inform us in his Book De Corona wherein reciting the ancient Customs of the Church he tells us That just before any were Baptized into the Christian Religion Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquanto prius in Ecclesia sub Antistitis manu contestamur nos Renuntiare Diabolo Pompae Angelis ejus Tertul. de Corona they made a solemn Profession at their Entrance into the Water as also they had done a little before when under the Bishop's Hands in the Church That they did Renounce the Devil his wicked Angels and Pomps that is those solemn Processions of the Heathen Gods and those Lewd and Cruel Plays us'd amongst the Pagans which were the Ceremonies of State as it were in Satan's Kingdom All subjection to the Devil and all usage of those Rights of his Kingdom they did utterly abandon and forsake And this was what was meant in the Primitive Times by Renouncing of the Devil To Renounce his Works of Sin was in their Sence to Abandon and Forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil And to Renounce his works of Sin must accordingly signify in their Sence to disclaim abandon or forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil and in the real Meaning of it no less than a throwing off God's Authority and a disowning his Power For if you will read over Rom. 1. you will find that People upon their forsaking of the True God to serve other Gods which were many of 'em at least no other than Devils did thereupon fall into all manner of Sin and Wickedness as you will see largely describ'd in that Chapter And if you will also look into the Sixth Chapter to the Romans ver 11. you will see that Christians by being Baptized Were to reckon themselves to be dead unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that in the Original and first meaning of the Words as to Renounce the Devil was to abjure and disclaim the Power and Dominion of Satan and to leave off having any Communication or Agreement with him and any Hand in his base and ungrateful Rebellion against God so to Renounce his Works of Sin was to Disclaim Abandon or Forsake all and every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil and in the real Meaning of it no less than a throwing off God's Authority and a dis-owning of his Power This I say was the first Meaning of the Words in the first Ages of the Church Nor are they to be Interpreted in a much different Sence at this Day For Satan has his Kingdom still in the World The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still Obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of that his Kingdom are Obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind The barbarous Nations amongst the Pagans do directly serve him at this Day and it is many a Christian's Lot who is cast amongst 'em to be forc'd either to Join with 'em in such Impious Service or to suffer Death with Torments for refusing And even in the Christian Pale tho' his Power is much weaken'd here since the Coming of our Saviour to what it was before yet still as Christ has his Church so Satan has his Synagogue amongst us and too many there are within the Limits of Christendom who do openly and avowedly Obey no other than the Laws of his Kingdom All your Atheists and Deists who Blaspheme God and the Christian Religion and all your Profane Swearers and Cursers whom you shall hear every Hour in the Day to Dare God as
fought a good fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth says the Apostle and so may every good Christian say the same there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but to all them who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Such is the Christian's Priviledge above a Pagan's in being made an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven in that being his Inheritance he may assure himself of it tho' his imperfect Vertues consider'd in themselves could never Entitle him to such an eternal and exceeding weight of Glory In short It is Jesus Christ alone who hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And as he only has brought it to light that is made a clear Revelation of that Life and immortal Happiness laid up for Righteous Men in Heaven which was not before so plainly Reveal'd so it is only through him and by Believing and Embracing and Coming into his Covenant the Gospel that Salvation must now be hop'd for by any for thus we are assur'd Acts 4.12 that There is no other Name under Heaven given among Men but Jesus only whereby we must be saved so that this Invaluable Priviledge this exceeding great Advantage of being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven is made over and certainly Ensur'd to such only who are in the Covenant of Grace and is the Third and Last of those excellent Priviledges and Advantages contain'd and held forth therein And to a sincere Christian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain But then the Kingdom of Heaven is the certain Inheritance of the sincere Christian who in the Exercise of Mercy Meekness Piety and all other Christian Vertues which he has Covenanted with God to perform does faithfully discharge his Part of the Covenant as is most solemnly declar'd Matth. 25.31 32 33 34.46 with which I shall conclude this Point Says our Blessed Saviour there When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand to his Charitable and Pious and Faithful Servants Come ye Blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World And as the Wicked shall go into everlasting Punishment so the Righteous into Life Eternal And now to summ up those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on Uod's Part in the Covenant of Grace A summ of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace hereby we are made First Members of Christ that is are made Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head viz. The Church and so have together with a most excellent Body of Religion and Laws all necessary Grace and Assistance Convey'd and Communicated to us Members from Him the Head to Enliven Support and Enable us to go through all our Task of Religious Duties and Christian Performances requir'd at our Hands The Second Priviledge is That we are also hereby made Children of God that is having Embrac'd Christianity and being Incorporated into the Church of Christ we are thereby Adopted and Chosen out of the rest of the World by God to enjoy this grand Priviledge of Sons to have Pardon granted us when with the Prodigal Son we return Home to Him our Offended but Gracious Father by Repentance And we shall find him not over-severe in respect of our lesser Failings and the unavoidable Infirmities of our Nature but shall always have him ready to hear our Prayers for Mercy both in respect of our greater and lesser Transgressions And Lastly The Third Priviledge you have been now told is this that to compleat All We are made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven that is have secur'd to us a Right and Title to the unspeakable Joys and Glories of Heaven A Priviledge which consider'd in it self is exceeding Great and as all the rest if compar'd with what Others enjoy is a very singular One These now are the inestimable Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace Priviledges which as they are of infinite Advantage to us so we shall never fail of obtaining 'em if we will but take care to perform the Conditions requir'd on our Parts and so First Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Lives Which Conditions and what they Import I come next to declare unto you THE Ninth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked world and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh I Have already Expounded those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace having shewed you what it is to be a Member of Christ what it is to be a Child of God and lastly what to be an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven as also what are the vast Benefits contain'd in those several Articles I am now come to Explain to you likewise the Conditions of the Covenant those Conditions without the Performance of which those Mercies will not be Confer'd on us For this we must seriously consider that the Benefits now mention'd to be made over to us as they are in themselves exceeding great so as almost to equal us with the Blessed Angels and as they were purchas'd for us at no less a Rate than the precious Blood of the Son of God so we must not expect that Benefits so infinitely great and dearly purchas'd should be Confer'd upon us without any thing to be done on our Parts to express our Value of them much less if we continue in Rebellion against God and instead of him serve under his Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil or will be Infidels and Unbelievers and will remain Disobedient to all his most Just and Righteous Commands No it is not to be imagin'd that God will be so Easy so fond of Sinners as would reflect upon the Wisdom and Discretion of a meer Man But as he does propose to us Invaluable Blessings so he does require from us a Reasonable Service and the Performance of most Equitable Conditions amongst which this is the First
Abel And when afterwards Recruited in the Family of Seth yet he Reduc'd it again by the bloody Posterity of Cain to Eight Persons in the days of Noah to slay whom he Instigated his own Brother Cain that Cursed Servant of Hell And tho' God in the Person and Family of Seth did recruit the Church of Christ yet the Posterity of Cain being a Barbarous and Bloody sort of Men did so far prevail and bear down all before 'em that the True Servants of God were reduc'd to the Number of Eight Persons and were drove into a very narrow Corner even into the Compass of the Ark. Thus he prevail'd over the Church of God so as almost to Extinguish it before the Flood Nor did his Fury burn less fiercely against it after For when God giving a Bill of Divorce to all the Nations of the Earth When after the Flood God chose Abraham and his Posterity to be a special People unto himself Satan endeavour'd utterly to have extinguisht that People by his Servant Pharaoh who had so Vilely play'd the Harlot in serving of Idols that is Devils did choose Abraham and his Posterity to be a Special People unto himself above all the People that were upon the face of the Earth Deut. 7.6 Tho' One would have thought that Satan might have been contented with such large spoils as all the Kingdoms of the World besides and that as he had little reason to Envy the Maker of all Things the faithful Allegiance of such a handful of Men as were the People of the Jews in comparison of the rest of the World So he would let God alone with ' em Yet so it was that from the first Infancy of the Jewish Church when by Pharaoh he endeavour'd utterly to have extinguisht that People causing all their Male-Children to be slain by the Order of that Bloody Tyrant till the time of our Saviour's coming into the Flesh we find it to have been his continual Exercise to stir up the Potentates of the Earth against it And in all Periods till our Saviour's coming he stir'd up the Idolatrous Nations their Neighbours especially the Four Monarchies to harrass them And there is hardly a Period of Time to be found but either he stir'd up the Neighbouring Nations especially the Four Monarchies of the World mention'd Dan. 2. to Molest Harrass and to Captivate 'em or Instigated their own Kings to Persecute and destroy those that would remain the Worshipers of the One True God But above all did Satan then Exert his Malice soon after that our Saviour came amongst us and that Christianity began to take Footing in the World when as God's Goodness to Mankind did most wonderfully appear in this their Deliverance so did Satan's Envy and Fury burn so much the fiercer against both God and Man To his infinite sorrow he found himself dispossest of a great Part of Mankind But soon after that Christ appeared in the World did he most Vigorously exert his Malice against it over which he had born before so absolute a sway He saw his Altars thrown down his Superstitious Mysteries derided his Magical Arts discover'd and the Kingdom of Light shining thro' his Kingdom of Darkness and Exposing it to the publick View and Scorn of the World and this was a Hell to him as bad as that to which he is to be for ever Chain'd and he call'd it a Tormenting of him before his time Matth. 8.29 No sooner therefore did God out of Pity to the whole Race of Man whom he beheld holden in miserable Bondage to Satan send his own Son To preach Deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the Blind to set at liberty them that are Bruised to preach the acceptable Year of the Lord as it is Luk. 4.18 19. No sooner was Satan aware of this but he endeavours to stifle the naked Infant of Christianity in the Cradle as it were So that for the first 300 Years we hear of nothing but of bloody Persecutions And for the first Three Hundred Years we hear of nothing but of bloody Slaughters of poor innocent Christians who were hal'd to the Devil's Altars and were Tempted either to Blaspheme God and Christ and to burn Incense to the Cursed Idol or were most miserably Tortur'd were tore Limb from Limb thrown into Flames of Fire expos'd to the Fury of wild Beasts and forc'd to undergo the most study'd Torments that the Devil and cruel Men could invent True it is The Bloody-minded Emperors of Rome The Emperors of Rome the Instruments but Satan the Instigator and the Governors of Provinces were the immediate Instruments of inflicting those Sufferings upon the poor Christians but the Devil it was that did Instigate and set them on work and accordingly throughout the Revelations we find the Warfare describ'd as betwixt the Saints and the Dragon which in the Language of that Author signifies the Devil so that he is to be lookt upon as Chief in the Temptation And elsewhere to this Day no sooner shall any Pious Persons And wheresoever any Attempt is made to Convert a Country from Paganism he does Instigate the Princes and People thereof to Persecute Destroy the Preachers of the Gospel who are Zealous to propagate Christianity enter into any Country in order to Convert it by Preaching the Gospel unto them but he immediately raises up his Militia against 'em and by Instigating the Princes and People of those Countries to Persecute and Destroy 'em he endeavours to beat 'em off from his Quarters Insomuch that scarcely any Church has been yet Planted in any Part of the World but the Blood of Martyrs has been its Seed Such has been ever and is to this Day the Violence of Satan in Opposing and Hindring the Gospel from once Entring his Vsurpt Dominions Nor is he on the other side less Industrious in driving Christianity out of those Countries which it had once Possest and that he has done with such great Success that many Kingdoms which were once Christian are since Revolted either to Paganism And he is no less Industrious to drive Christianity out of those Countries whereof it had once possession or Idolatry again or to another Religion of Satan's Invention I mean Mahometism insomuch that if you divide the Earth into Thirty equal Parts Paganism does at this Day possess Nineteen Mahometism Six Whilst the Christian's Share is but Five Parts as those who are best skill'd in Geography and History do inform us And moreover as a Politick Prince will above all Endeavour to Bribe to his Interests a Party of Men within his Enemies Dominions the more effectually to Promote his own Kingdom And he has an Anti Christian Party within the Bowels of Christendom most sadly weakening Christ's and most effectually promoteing the Interests of his own Kingdom and to Extend his Monarchy In like manner has Satan in all Ages of the Church had his Anti-Christ in the
of a fleshly Appetite with such Meats and Drinks as are Unlawful in respect of their Quality It does infinitely become Christians utterly to Renounce that sinful Epicurism which seems to study nothing so much as by new invented Dishes to Fare deliciously every Day Christians should relish better things than these and are not therefore thus to make Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Nor Secondly II. As they desire 'em in Immoderate Measures must we Christians gratify the Cravings of our Appetites in Eating and Drinking but we must indeed take heed to our selves least at any time our Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and so the Day come upon us unawares Luk. 21.34 But above all Lastly It behoves Christians to Renounce those which are peculiarly call'd the Lusts of the Flesh whether it be 1. The Lusting after strange Women the Neighing after the Neighbour's Wife as the Prophet expresses it Or 2. Even that Immoderation practiced by many in the Married State there being a Chastity and Modesty which ought to be preserv'd even in Wedlock it self which the Carnal part of Mankind may perhaps but little think of And indeed this Renouncing of these Fleshly Lusts of Concupiscence is perhaps what the Composers of our Catechism as taking the Form of Renunciation from the Ancient Baptismal Vow did particularly intend for as the Gentiles did scarcely make any account of Fornication nor think it an Irregularity and Vice so the Scripture and the first Christians did particularly lay it upon all that should take upon 'em the Christian Name and Profession to Renounce those kind of Sinful Lusts But Fornication and all Vncleanness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints for this know you that no Whoremonger nor Vnclean Person hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Eph. 5.4 5. And thus I have fully considered these several Faculties and Powers both of Soul and Body as they are so many Sinful Lusts of the Flesh moving downwards from God and Heavenly Things Immoderately towards the Creature II. And now I come to consider some of 'em viz. The Affections Lastly The Inferiour and Bodily Powers viz. The Affections Lusts and Appetites to be Renounc'd as they Rebel against Right Reason Lusts and Appetites as so many Sinful Lusts of the Flesh under another Notion and that is as they do disorderly Rebel against the Superior Faculty of the Vnderstanding and Reason and do carry the Will into Slavery to 'em and to shew how they must be Renounc'd upon that account also What the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature originally was and how it is now broken I have already shew'd you as also how that instead of the Harmonious Subordination of the Inferiour Faculties to the Superiour that the Affections Lusts and Appetites do absolutely Reign and that Reason and Conscience are in the Unregenerate drag'd into miserable Slavery And now I am only to shew you that it is the proper Business and Employment of Religion to Reduce Man as far as is possible in this State of Weakness and Infirmity to his Primitive State of Innocence and Integrity The Business of Religion is to reduce Man as near as possible to his primitive State of Innocence and Integrity to rescue him out of Slavery to restore him to himself to put Right Reason and Religion again into the Throne and to subject his Affections and Passions his Lusts and Appetites and every inordinate Inclination within him to the Dictates and Laws thereof refusing to Gratify any of those in any thing that is Sinful and Unlawful This is to wrestle against Flesh and Blood And thus we must wrestle till we overcome and bring it under into an Entire Subjection to Right Reason as ever we expect to be Friends of God or ever hope to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven There is nothing more plain in Scripture than the utter Inconsistency of a carnal Temper and Disposition to a State of Grace and Reconciliation with God The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so that to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Rom. 8.6 7. and therefore let me add with the same Apostle ver 12 13 14. Brethren we are Debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if you through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and so Heirs of Eternal Life so necessary it is as ever we expect the Favour of God and future Happiness to subdue the Flesh and all its Lusts and Appetites its Passions and Affections all our fond and foolish Imaginations and false Prejudices and whatever else within us which savours of Carnality to the Power and Conduct of Right Reason enlightned by the Word and Spirit of God To this purpose of keeping under our fleshly Lusts it was that our Reason was given us And to this purpose it is that our Reason was given us That Excellent and Divine Faculty was not certainly bestowed upon us to such Vile and Base Purposes as to purvey for a filthy Carcass which shall consume e're long in Stench and Rottenness but to nobler and better Purposes you may be sure viz. to Govern and Manage the Animal part of us our Flesh and to render it serviceable and useful to Reason and Religion The best Philosophers amongst the Heathens the Platonists do call the Mind that Divine Part of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Charióteer and compare it to a Rider and the Body or Flesh and all its Troop of Affections or Passions of Lusts and Appetites they compare to so many rude and wild Horses that must be Manag'd and Tam'd and kept in good order and render'd Serviceable and Useful to the Mind and Reason Now so it is as a Well-order'd and Manag'd Horse may sometimes stumble and start aside tho' his Rider keep a very strait Rein and a wary hand upon him So in this corrupt and depraved State of our Natures our Fleshly Lusts will sometimes at least-wise even in the most Regenerate have some small Tendencies some imperfect Velleities and Wouldings towards Evil Things But if we shall take due care to keep so watchful an Eye and wary an Hand over 'em as presently so soon as we perceive any evil Motion and Tendency to curb and restrain it and not willingly nor wilfully to indulge any Evil Inclination we shall by the Gracious Acceptance and Favour of God be accounted good Managers of that hard Province the Renouncing or Subduing of our Fleshly Lusts If in the general course of our Lives we act like Men endow'd with Reason and Grace we shall be pardon'd all our Unwilling and Unavoidable Infirmities III.
and Hereticks when alas they are much less the Favourites of God themselves and it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the Day of Judgment than for wicked Christians Matth. 11.24 I do confess indeed as to that part of Prayer which we call Thanksgiving the most wicked and impenitent Sinners may bless God for their Creation Preservation and all the Blessings of this Life For he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Vnjust Matth. 5.45 and there 's nothing hinders but they should praise him for it But with what shew of Sincerity can they be thought to bless him above all for his inestimable Love in his Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and for the hopes of Glory when so long as they continue in their Sins they can expect no benefit from Christ's Redemption and can have no hopes of Glory True it is there have been observ'd in the World That there are praying Hypocrites is by virtue of Antinomian Principles both in our Saviour's Time and of latter days a sort of Impious and Prophane Wretches that have been greatly given to Pray and yet have been most notorious Lyars and Slanderers Proud and Censorious and above all most cruel and unmerciful Exactors and Oppressors but it is plain they were either Hypocrites and Atheists in the bottom and for a pretence and colour only made long Prayers that they might more easily devour Widows Houses Matth. 23.14 and so by the Opinion of their Sanctity delude unwary People to trust 'em till having 'em within their Power they might grind 'em to Powder Or they owe this to some other Wicked and Heretical Principles as our Modern Antinomians who do found their favour with God in his Arbitrary Election of their Persons without any respect had to their Virtues and Graces as acceptable through the Mediation of Christ and will therefore pretend to pray to him nay and in their Prayers presume to talk with him as familiarly as one Friend does to another But alas the Scripture gives none the least grounds for such Confidence and Presumption but does indeed let us know it is a fearful thing to presume to pray to God and at the same time to continue in Sin Sacrifices amongst the Jews were a kind of sensible and visible Prayers and Prayers did usually accompany them but whilst that People were notoriously wicked see how God does express his detestation of such their Sacrifices and Prayers Isai 66.3 He that killeth an Oxe is as if he slew a Man he that Sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs Neck he that Offereth an Oblation as if he offered Swines Blood he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol So that there is a great necessity of Resolving to forsake Sin and of being faithful in our Covenant if we will pray to God but if Men will go on wilfully in sinful Courses they had e'en as good not pray at all Heaven and Hell Light and Darkness may be joyn'd together and Reconcil'd as well as Prayer and Impenitence 3. As it will certainly procure the Divine Assistance 3. And especially Prayer duly qualify'd will be a most effectual Means to enable you to discharge your Covenant as it procures for you the Grace and Assistance of God without which you cannot perform it as has already been shew'd you I say if duly Qualify'd if put up with Faith and Sincerity for as appears from the last Particular the Prayers of such as are resolvedly Wicked will avail nothing but to their greater Damnation But otherwise Prayer doubtless is the most prevalent thing in the World with God to derive down his Blessings Favours and Graces of all sorts upon us Prayer saith the Learned and Pious Bishop Taylor hath saved Cities and Kingdoms from Ruine Prayer hath raised Dead Men to Life hath stopped the violence of Fire and shut the Mouths of wild Beasts It hath alter'd the course of Nature hath caused Rain in Aegypt and Drought in the Sea It made the Sun to go back from West to East and the Moon to stand still and Rocks and Mountains to walk and it cures Diseases without Physick and makes Physick to do the work of Nature and in a word does many Miracles But of all the Miracles that Prayer doth there is none so valuable if any so great as to Sanctify our Natures and to enable us to perform our Covenant with God which Prayer is a most effectual means to enable us to do I say That Prayer will most effectually procure for us the Graces of the Holy Spirit to enable us to perform our Covenant with God of which we have a most full and pregnant Proof Luke 11 9 10 11 12 13. our blessed Saviour in the foregoing Verses having given his Disciples a Prayer to learn to enforce upon 'em the constant and devout Exercise of this most Heavenly Duty tells 'em by way of Parable how prevalent an Importunate Prayer will be even with an Ill-natur'd Man to incline him to grant the Desires of him that Petitions him And then he proceeds to tell 'em That much more will Constancy and Earnestness in Prayer prevail upon God who is more tender to us and more forward of himself to do us good than our very Parents And I say unto you Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be open'd unto you for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened If a Son shall ask Breaâ— of any of you that is a Father will he give him a Stone or if he ask a Fish will he for a Fish give him a Serpent or if he shall ask an Egg will he offer him a Scorpion If ye then being Evil know how to give good Gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Which is as if he should say There is no fear that God should deny such Petitions or give his Children any hurtful thing when they ask that which is good for them And tho' many things which Men ask be not good yet his Spirit and the Assistances of it are so undoubtedly such that they will never be deny'd to them that ask them of the Father This is so full a proof of the prevalency of Prayer to procure of God the Grace of his Holy Spirit to sanctifie our Natures and to enable us to perform the Conditions of our Covenant that it would be e'en lost labour to multiply any more Texts to this purpose What then remains but that we therefore most earnestly and constantly Pray unto God that he would Sanctifie our Natures that he would grant unto us according to the Riches of his Grace to be strengthen'd with Might by his Spirit in the inward Man Particularly Let us therefore
that the Person admitted into the Society of Christians should at leastwise be Instructed and Admonish'd and be Engag'd solemnly to profess what belongs to him to do as a Member of that Body So far it is requisite Security should be given before he is admitted a Member of Christ's Church if it be not farther necessary it should be given for his living according to the Obligations of the Covenant Indeed so far is it from being unreasonable to require Security that he should be Instructed and Admonish'd what are his Obligations that if we closely consider the Matter it may not seem so unreasonable as some do imagine to exact Security of the Person Baptized even that he shall live up to the Obligations laid upon him in his Covenant We see it daily practic'd This is what Societies whose Honour and Interest is of infinite less consequence do daily require and it is allow'd a reasonable and prudent Caution in all Societies of Men to exact Security from those who are not responsible themselves that they shall Answer the Ends and Interests of that Society whereinto they desire to be admitted before they will take 'em in amongst ' em This is the common practice you know in all Corporations and Companies And even in our Parish concerns no Man shall be admitted into either from whom they apprehend any Danger without giving Security against all Disadvantages that may accrue by his Admission And may not the Church of Christ upon as good Grounds require good Security from Children who cannot Answer nor Engage for themselves and who considering the inbred Corruption of Nature are in danger enough without a great deal of Care of proving very pernicious Members Shall not She I say as well as other Societies whose Interests are infinitely less exact of all that are admitted into her Body that they will never depart from or contemn her Laws nor Act contrary to the Honour and Interest of her and her Lord and Saviour Is not the Church of Christ a Society yea the chief of all Societies Are not her and her great Masters Honour and Interest the most considerable of all others in the World And does it not then infinitely concern her that none of her Members turn Rebels to the Laws of God that they do not become Profane and Wicked Livers the greatest Injury that can be done to God and her self I sure I think it does for there is nothing tends more to the dishonour of her Saviour and of Religion and of her self than that any of her Members should become Profane and Wicked The III Lives of her Children make her a Sport to the vile Atheist a Scorn and Reproach to Turks and Infidels It extreamly hinders the Gospels prevailing upon Infidels abroad and is hugely Offensive to all her Pious Sons at home Blame her not therefore for taking such Prudent Care as to admit none into her Society without having first Security given of their good Behaviour That of Parents not sufficient without Collateral Security And indeed so far is she from deserving Blame therein that we are to reckon her moderate in her Demands when she requires no more than Security that the New Member shall be well Principl'd and Educated and duly Admonish'd Things that may be easily in our Power to take care of Nor is it sufficient Security to the Church that the Parents are bound to take this Care of their Children The Natural Parents it is confess'd are oblig'd both by the Light of Nature and the express Laws of God to bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord But this is not enough in so grand a Concern Parents possibly may not live to Educate their Children and how many of those that do live are wofully careless in the Principling of them with a due Knowledge and Sense of the Goodness of God to them and those great Duties they owe to him What through Earthly-mindedness in some who care for nothing but to Train 'em up in all the Arts and Cunning how to Live and grow Rich in the World and what through the Fondness of others whose fatal Indulgence will not suffer 'em to put their Children much upon any thing ungrateful to 'em as Religion indeed is to Flesh and Blood these things consider'd it is more than requisite that besides the Obligations of the Natural Parent there should be moreover some Collateral Security given by such Persons as are likely to use all convenient Industry upon the Parents neglect which is too usual to provide 'em good Education as far as Reading at least to instil good Principles into 'em by Catechising and to give 'em good Admonitions by way of Reproof or Exhortations as there shall be occasion The requiring of this as reasonable now as in the Primitive Times Nor is the giving such Security for their Religious Education less necessary now than it was in the Primitive Times It is well known that then all Infants had their Sponsors or Sureties that engag'd at the Font for their Christian Education and Faithfulness in their Covenant And that for this amongst other Reasons lest in those Persecuting Times the Parents being took off by their Persecutors their Infants and Children shou'd remain expos'd to the danger of being Train'd up in Paganish Idolatry for want of some Persons particularly Engag'd to take care of ' em The Church true it is is not now so often shak'd with violent Persecutions as in those Days Tho' sometimes it has its cruel Enemies in the very Bowels of it full as furious as ever were the Heathens in their bloody Slaughters and as zealous to ravish from the Orthodox their Children to train 'em up in their wicked Idolatry But however This Charge no unreasonable Imposition at any time being little more than what is requir'd from one Christian to another in common Charity at all times besides this it ought to be consider'd that our Covenant with God is not broke only by Apostatizing back from the Service of the true God to the Worship of the Devil or Evil Spirits but by living in Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and therefore that equal Care ought to be taken as then that the Child shou'd Renounce the Devil and all his Works and believe in God so now that he shall Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the Days of his Life And God and his Church is as much Dishonour'd aâ—d the Soul as much endanger'd by the lewd and vitious Lives of Christians now as by the Apostacy of Christians to Paganism or Idolatry it was then and therefore there is as much reason that the Church should now take all possible Security against the one as then it did against the other sort of scandalous and dangerous Violations of its Covenant especially if it be farther considere'd that Prosperity and Peace being infinitely more apt to corrupt the Lives and Manners of Men than Sufferings are
should be dignify'd with the Title of the Kingdom of Heaven viz. Because it so directly tends to render Men so exactly like the Blessed Saints the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven 78 This is not the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Catechism Secondly the Kingdom of Heaven signifies the Kingdom of Glory This a most noble and glorious State as being dignify'd with so honourable and glorious a Title as the Kingdom of Heaven 79 Hence all those things in this World wherein we conceive the highest Glory and Happiness are used as Emblems to set off our future Glory All which things come short of expressing it An Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven what An Heir is one who has a legal Right and Title to a Possession made over to him Such who have entred into the Covenant of Grace are in like manner Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven as Children are Heirs 80 It is through Christ alone not owing to the Merit of our Obedience that we are Intitled to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven The vastness of a Christian's Priviledge in being made an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven First it is in it self a very great Priviledge to have the invaluable Possessions of Heaven so setled and ensur'd as to have a legal Claim and Title thereto made over to one 81 Secondly if compar'd with what others enjoy it is a singular Priviledge The best amongst the moral Heathens could have but faint Hopes built upon uncertain Conjectures of a future Happiness And their Hopes being faint they could not in the strength thereof overcome great Temptations But the Christian's Hopes are sure and stedfast being founded upon the express Promises and Covenant of the God of Truth And being such there is no Temptation so alluring nor Suffering so great which he may not overcome 82 And whatever Certainty an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Uncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fall vastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by Embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And to a sincere Christian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain 83 Asumm of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace 84 LECT IX Whereof the First is to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh 85 The Devil his Names and their Importance He was once one of the highest Angels and is now that Arch-Rebel againsts God He with many Legions of Inferiour Angels whom he drew into the same Conspiracy is Banisht Heaven 86 Being acted with a Spirit of Revenge against God he afterwards withdrew Mankind to join with him in his Rebellion And prevailed so far till God's Authority was almost utterly Banished from amongst Men. Which occasion'd the Son of God's coming into the World to recover Mankind The Works of the Devil in general are First Sin By Sin God's Authority is thrown off which is the Devil 's constant work 87 Whoever therefore does wilfully sin does strike at God's Authority For which Reason no Sin ought to be the Subject of any Man's Mirth Some Sins more particularly the works of the Devil First Such as are directly level'd against God's Authority viz. Idolatry Sorcery Charming Witch-craft and Conjuring as also Resorting to such as use those unlawful Arts. 88 Secondly Such as express more of the Devil's Temper than others viz. Pride Envy 89 Malice Thirdly Such as are more the Practice of Satan himself than other Sins viz. Murder Apostacy Lying and especially Calumniating and Evil-speaking 90 To Renounce a Word of various Importance according to the Renounced 91 To Renounce the Devil in the sence of the Ancient Church was to disclaim his Usurp'd Dominion and Authority over Mankind To Renounce his Works of Sin was in their sence to abandon and forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil 92 The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind This Renunciation for the most part the same with Repentance 93 The Devil and all his Works of Sin must be absolutely and entirely Renounced because There is nothing but Evil proceeds from Satan And Sin whether we consider it in its original Cause and Nature or in its sad Effects and Consequents is the utmost Evil. Therefore no one Sin nor any thing the least of Sin must willingly be comply'd with 94 And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace 95 LECT X. To Tempt is to make a tryal of a Person To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof To Tempt a Person in order to prove his Vertue or discover his Corruption consistent with the Justice Wisdom and Goodness of a Governour and thus God does Tempt Men. 97 First Thus he tempted Abraham to try his Faith and to reward him for it Secondly Hezekiah to discover his Hypocrisy and to humble him in the sight thereof These Temptations of God are therefore in no sence to be Renounced but to be Rejoyced in because for our Good 98 A Temptation to ensnare a Person into some Sin that so God's Anger may be kindled against him And the Person punished for this Transgression is wicked and malicious and so the Devil together with the World and the Flesh do tempt us The vast Concernment it is to us to know his Temptations The several Heads of Satan's Temptations 99 By what Methods he first tempted our first Parents and still does continue to tempt us First By insinuating into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill Opinion of their Maker and Governour particularly with respect to his Justice and Mercy 100 And by Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy do Men generally Encourage themselves in Sin at this Day But all such Conceits of God are to be utterly renounced and cast out of our Thoughts as Diabolical Suggestions most destructive to our Souls Secondly By Corrupting the Understanding and Reason of Man by putting him upon curious Enquiries after useless Matters and upon making a sinful Experiment of the differences