governing and over ruling their inclinations and actions and that both good and evil Under this head I shall first shew how the Providence of God is exercised upon the good inclinations and actions of men and Secondly How 't is exercised about sin and evil For the First of these observe these Rules 1. God assists and co-operates with men in the doing of all good * Aristotle doth in his Ethicks acknowlâ—dge that for a man to have a Soul virtuously inclin'd is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gift of God Tuâ—ly in his Second Book De Natura deorum sayes Nemo vir magnus sine aliquo afflatu divino unquam suit And the Learned among Christians say Orsus bonae voluntatis sunt Deo Voluntas tum libera est quando per gratiam est liberata he works in him both to will and to do that which is good Phil. 2.13 'T is from God that men have any heart or will or power to do any thing pleasing in his sight But Gods co-operating with and assisting man in the doing of good is not in any thing more remarkable then in the coversion of a sinner He savingly inlightens the mind he freely bowes and inclines the will he circumcises the heart as we find Deut. 30.6 he gives a new heart as 't is Jer. 24.7 He takes away the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh he puts a new Spirit with them as 't is Ezek. 11.29 2. As to sin and evil God neither is nor possibly can be the Author or Approver of it Yet his Providence is exercised about it as may appear by these particulars 1. He permits sin Without his permission and sufferance it could not be in the World God is so good that he would never permit sin but that being Omnipotent he knows how to bring good out of it Now he may be said to permit sin in these respects First By way of Negation not giving grace to prevent it which he is not bound to do being a Debtor to no man or by not giving a People softning means or by denying his blessing on the means Deut. 29.4 Moses says of the hardned Israelites Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day God is said to harden says Austin when he saftens not and to blind when he enlightns not He doth it not by imparting evil or wickedness but by not imparting grace 2. By way of privation by withdrawing upon provocation the restraining grace before given Time was when Pharaoh had a restraint upon him and while that lasted there were no violent hands laid upon Moses or Aaron by whose ministry all the Plagues were brought upon him But this is no sooner withdrawn from him but his cruelty vents it self and Moses is threatned with death if he came again into his presence 3. By presenting Objects which mans corruption makes a bad use of Thus Psalm 78 from 27 to 31. The Israelities abused their Quails which God so mercifully gave them to the pampering of their lusts and so brought his wrath upon them 4. By delivering them up to Satan to be by him blinded and misled because they refused to be guided by the good Spirit and word of God Thus John 13.2 We read that the Devil put it into Judas his heart to betray his Lord and Master 5. By delivering them up to their own lusts Psal 81.11.12 God sayes my People would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of mee So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels 6. By way of punishment One sin is very often the punishment of another Thus Pharaoh when he saw that the Rain and Hail and the Thunders were ceased he sinned yet more and hardned his heart he and his Servants Exod. 9.34 And Austin speaks very pertinently to this purpose Expedit superbo ut incidat in peccatum God often suffers a proud man to fall into a shamefull sin to punish his pride and to bring him to a sober sence of himself 2. God limits sin and sets bounds to it Psalm 76.10 Surely the wrath of men shall praise thee the remainder of wrath thou wilt restrain Thus Gen. 31.42 He with-held Laban from his wicked purpose of hurting Jacob. He that sets bounds to the Sea sets bounds also to the sins of men 3. He makes sin it self serve to his own glory and so over-rules it that he brings good out of it Thus the unnatural usage which Joseph received from his Brethren God ordered to his high advancement and his Family's preservation Thus the Jews malice in persecuting the Disciples and sending them out of Jerusalem by Gods over-ruling tended to the propagating and dispersing of the Gospel Having thus shewed the extent of the Divine Providence to the several Beings in the World it remains now that I speak something of his special Providence which he exercises in a more singular way over his Church and People Which will plainly appear if we consider these particulars 1. Sometimes he hinders and prevents evil intended against them And this he does sometimes by weak means sometimes by strange means and sometimes without means See a remarkable instance of this 2 Chron. 14. from 9. to the 14. An Army of a Thousand Thousand Aethiopians came out against Asa and Verse the 11th he cried unto the Lord saying Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with few we have no power help us O Lord our God for we trust in thee and in thy name we go against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man prevail against thee So the Lord smote the Aethiopians before Asa and before Judah and they were overthrown Thus also 2 Chron 20. When the Children of Moab Ammon and Mount Seir came against Jehâ—shaphat he proclaimed a Fast and cried unto the Lord. Vers 12. O our God we have no might against this great Company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Then upon Jahaziel came the Spirit of the Lord and he said unto the King and the People Be not afraid by reason of this great Multitude for the Battle is not yours but Gods To morrow go down against them you shall not need to fight in this Battle set your selves stand ye still and see the Salvation of the Lord. For the Lord will be with you And Jehoshaphat said unto the People believe in the Lord so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper This done the Lord immediately sent a Spirit of division or strife among their enemies whereby those Nations falling out among themselves destroyed one another and sheathed their Swords in one anothers bowels See also to this purpose the whole 124 Psalm 2. Sometimes he moderates and takes off the rage of Enemies and makes them of Enemies to become Friends Thus when Esau
Rocks 4. The graves were opened The Centurion and people return to the City much affected Towards the evening the Jews besought Pilate that the legs of the Crucified persons might be broken to hasten their death that so they might be removed which being granted the leggs of the two Thieves were broken but not of Jesus being already dead yet a Soldier with a Spear pierced his side out of which came blood and water Mat. 27. from 31. to 57. Mark 15. from 20. to 42. Luke 23. from 29. to 50. John 19. from 16. to 38. 17. Joseph of Arimathea begs his body of Pilate and he and Nicodemus wrap it in fine linnen with spices and lay it in Josephs new Sepulchre hewn out of a Rock in a Garden They roll a stone to the door of the Sepulchre Mary Magdalen and other Religious women observed where his body was laid and went and prepared Spices and Oyntments purposing more exactly to embalm him when the Sabbath was over The Chief Priest desired Pilate that the Sepulchre may be secured Hereupon a Guard is set upon it and the Stone sealed with the publick Seal Mat. 27. from 57. to the end Mark 15. from 42. to the end Luke 23. from 50. to the end John 19. from 38. to the end SECT V. Of our Saviours Death and Burial WE have now presented you with a short view of our Saviours Life as also with the History of his Death Touching which these things are further to be taken notice of 1. That the promised Messias was to suffer according to the predictions that went before of him Esay 53.4 5. Surely he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Mark 9.12 And he answered and told them how it is written of the Son of man that he must suffer many things and be set at naught 1 Pet. 1.11 Searching what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testistified beforehand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow Luke 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his Glory verse 46. Thus it is written and thus it behoveth Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day Acts 26.22 23. Having obtained help of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come That Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light unto the People and to the Gentiles 2. As his Sufferings in the general were foretold so that he should Suffer Death was also particularly determined God had in his all-wise Council determined that his Son should die for the sins of men The Serpent was to bruise the heel of the Womans Seed and the same seed viz. Christ to bruise his head Gen. 3.15 And Acts 4.27 28. For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the People of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy Council had determined before to be done 3. His suffering Death was typified 1. By the Paschal Lamb slain 2. By the brazen Serpent lifted up John 3.14 3. By the daily Sacrifices which intimated that without the shedding the blood of the Messias there could be no remission of sins Let us now consider in the next place how our Saviour Suffered The ancient Creed sayes He suffered under Pontius Pilate Suffered under Pontius Pilate But who was this Pilate Pilate was a Roman sent by Tiberius the Emperor to be Governor of Judea About sixty years before our Saviours birth the Jews by Pompey the Great were made tributary to the Romans For though during the life of Hircanus the High Priest and the Reign of Herod and his Son Archilaus the Roman State suffered the Jews to be Governed by their own Laws and Governors yet when Archilaus was banished by Augustus they received their Governors from the Roman Emperors being made a part of the province of Syria Pilate therefore was Procurator of Judea at this time and under the President of Syria was furnished with power of Life and Death The Chief Priests and Elders though they condemned our Saviour in their own Council as guilty of death yet could not put him to death the power of Life and Death being at this time out of their hands Therefore they bring him before Pilate and vehemently accuse him before him Pilate saw plainly that it was for envy that they thus accused him Mat. 27.18 For when he had examined him he found no fault in him touching those things whereof they accused him Three times did he challenge the Jews to shew what evil he had done Three times did he profess that he found no cause of death in him His own wife sent to him this Message Have thou nothing to do with that Just Man And when he heard that our Saviour declared himself to be the Son of God He was then more afraid Yet at last through the vehement clamor and importunity of the Jews who told him if he spared him he was not Caesars friend He was prevailed upon even against the light of his own Conscience to condemn him to be Crucified The Historians of those times acquaint us that this Pilate was a very vile Person That he was a man of a high rough and untractable Spirit that he brought the Bucklers stamped with the picture of Caesar into Jerusalem which was an abomination to the Jews and would not for all their intreaties remove them till commanded by Caesar After that he Seized on the Corban or Sacred Treasury and spent it upon an Aquaeduct nor could all their importunate Petitions divert his intentions When the Galileans came up to Jerusalem to worship God at his own Temple he mingled their blood with their Sacrifies as we read Luke 13.1 And being a notorious wretch he was afraid of being accused at Rome for the insolencies and rapines of his Government and therefore to content the people he released Barabbas unto them and delivered Jesus to be Crucified But though herein he acted against all principles of Honesty and Justice yet he was an instrument of fulfilling the determinate Council of God For the promised Messias who was to die for our sins was to be crucified and to suffer upon the cross This was typified by the brasen Serpent was Crucified Numb 21.9 and Joh. 3.14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up This also was Prophesied of our Saviour Psal 22.16 They pierced my hands and feet And Zech. 12 10. They shall look on me whom they have
7. What is required of them who may expect this great priviledge 1. We shall consider what Sin is and what is the foul nature of it that so we may the better estimate the great goodness of God in pardoning of it The Apostle shews us 1 John 3.4 that Sin is the transgression of the Law The Law of God is the rule of the actions of man and any deviation from that rule is a Sin and brings us under guilt 2. Let us consider what are the kinds of Sin Sin is either original or actual 1. Original Sin is by the Church of England in her Articles described to be a fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from original Righteousness and inclined unto evil In which description three things may be observed 1. Original sin is the corruption of the nature of every man descended from the loins of Adam 2. It is a departure from that original Righteousness wherewith the Lord enriched Adam and our selves in him 3. 'T is an inclination to evil So that the whole race and off-sping of Adam who were then radically seminally and potentially in his loins were infected with this contagion As the Scripture sayes of Levi that he paid tythes in Abraham to Melchisedec Heb. 7.9 10. For he was then in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchisedec met him So all we and the whole race of Mankind were in Adam when he lost himself And that we are all from the womb tainted with this original corruption * Unum illud peccatum fons est aliorum Becan and depravation of nature is plain and manifest from these Scriptures Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Ephes 2.3 And were by nature the children of wrath even as others And that even Infants themselves are tainted with this original corruption may appear from this that they are liable to death Now Death is a wages no way due to Infants for actual sins for actually as yet they have not offended therefore there must need be in them some original guilt some birth-sin which makes them liable to death 2. Actual sin which is the fruit of original is any action or commission or any omission repugnant unto the Law of God 3. Let us consider the wages of sin The Apostle tells us Rom. 6. last The wages of sin is death The wages due reward and fruit of sin is death But life eternal is the fruit of righteousness not as its wages but as a gift freely given by God upon the account of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ Every sin therefore being a deviation from the Law of God brings us under guilt and guilt makes us liable to suffer the punishment which is due to our sins and proportional to our offences And our offences are augmented by the consideration of the dignity of the person against whom they are committed And being committed against God must therefore needs be very heinous and bind us over to suffer eternal punishment except we obtain a pardon and our sins be remitted 4. Let us consider by whom sins are remitted 1. Men may forgive offences committed against them so far forth as they concern them Luke 17.3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him But as Sin is a transgression of Gods Law so God only can forgive it 2. 'T is God the Fathers Prerogative to forgive Sins Isaiah 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins 3. God communicated this power to his Son while he was here on the earth who had power of forgiving sins as part of that power that was given him both in Heaven and Earth Mark 2.5 and 7. When Jesus saw their Faith he said unto the sick of the Palsie Son thy sins be forgiven thee The Scribes ask who can forgive sins but God only Their position was good that God only can forgive sins but their supposition false that Christ was a meer man and not God as well as Man 4. Ministers may forgive sins not authoritatively but Ministerially and declaratively They preach remission in Christs name declare what persons they must be and what they must do who shall obtain it 5. Let us consider upon what account and for whose sake sins are forgiven The external impulsive cause inclining God to pardon us our sins and trespasses is the respect he hath to the obedience and sufferings of our Saviour Jesus Christ The Apostle tells us Rom. 3.24 that we are justified freely by the grace of God as by the internal impulsive cause of our justification by which he was first moved to forgive us our sins and then through the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ as the external moving or impulsive cause of so great a mercy The death of Christ is the meritorious cause of our forgiveness Mat. 26.28 For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Ephes 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses 1 John 1.7 And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Rev. 1.5 Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood God is indeed said to remit our sins but never to remit the price without which we had never been redeemed The Law promised life but upon perfect absolute uninterrupted obedience and the voice thereof was Do this and live But this we failed in we need therefore the interposition of the Sacrifice of Christ for us The atonement made by the Sacrifices under the Law clearly had relation to the death of the Messias and whatsoever vertue was in them did operate through his death alone As he was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world in Gods decree so all atonements which were ever made were only effectual through his blood So that no sin was ever forgiven but by vertue of that satisfaction and God was never reconciled to any sinner but by intuition of that propitiation Yet the general doctrine of remission of sins was never clearly revealed and publickly preached to all Nations till the coming of our Saviour in the flesh 6. Let us consider what forgiveness of sins doth import and contain in it Forgiveness of Sins doth comprehend in it reconciliation of an offended God and a
5.6 and unable to come up to the obedience the Law requires of us 6. Mans carnal mind is said to be enmity against God Rom. 8.7 For 't is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be till it be effectually changed Secondly Observe by what terms the Scripture expresses mans recovery out of this sad estate 1. 'T is called Regeneration Tit. 3.5 Joh. 3.3 5. 2. A Spiritual Resurrection A quickning and raising from the death of sin to the life of grace Joh. 5 24 25. Eph. 2.1 3. A new Creation and Gods own Workmanship Eph. 2.10 By all which it may appear that though mans misery be from himself yet his help is only from the free grace of God It remains now that we inquire what use we are to make of this Doctrine of our Fall in Adam 1. This should humble us for our Original Apostasie from God the Apostasie of our Head 2. We should take heed of imitating our first Parents in their disobedience and Apostasie Pride undid them and undid the Angels that fell let us take heed of falling into the condemnation of the Devils 1 Tim. 3.6 Therefore our blessed Saviour who came to undo the works of the Devil comes in the lowest humility imaginable even in the form of a Servant 3. A Third instruction we may gather from the consideration of the instrument of our first Parents disobedience The Devil having Apostatized himself from God was restless till he had drawn our First Parents into the like Apostasie and Rebellion While we live let us take heed of the Company of Apostates and such as are fallen off from God and the practice and profession of true Piety 4. If our first Parents fell from God by disobedience in Paradise how should we tremble that walk in a corrupt World and carry corrupt hearts about us How ought we to cease from trusting in our selves and to put all our trust and confidence in God If the Devil prevailed over Adam how much more easily may he prevail over us If he could deceive by a Serpent how much more easily may he deceive when he uses men for his instruments that are like our selves And this is further to be observ'd that the more godly any are the more will the Devil labour to foil them For if he can foil one of them he blurs their profession and by such a scandal makes others shy of it Oh do you not see will the World then say what kind of Saints these are They are all such Saints in profession but Hypocrites at the heart And thus by the falls of Professors the Devil mightily advances his own Kingdom 5. Seeing we were all involved in the guilt of our first Parents disobedience and seeing we have received from them by our immediate Parents a corrupt and depraved Nature let us consider that this is no estate to be rested in If we rest and abide in our natural and corrupt estate let us remember that the wrath of God abideth on us Oh let us think seriously on this and lay it to heart Joh. 3.3 Sayes our Saviour Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God If death seize thee before thou art regenerate and born again better thou hadst never been born 'T is not enough believe it to be a civil honest man or woman to live neighbourly and friendly though that is in it self indeed very commendable but I say that is not enough to secure our Souls against the Justice of God By Nature we are all Children of wrath bond-slaves of Satan and a great change must pass upon us if ever we intend to come to the Kingdom of God 6. Let all Parents and Masters of Families labour to convince those under their charge of their miserable condition by Nature and let them endeavour faithfully to acquaint them with the way and means how they may escape out of it Let them shew them that seeing they are undone by the First Adam they must labour to recover themselves by the Second 7. Seeing Christ hath done so much to redeem us let us consider how greatly our Damnation will be aggravated if we neglect the great Salvation tendred by him in the Gospel I come now to the Third thing to be considered concerning man and that is 3. The way and means of his recovery by Christ Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by this first Covenant viz. The Covenant of Works it pleased the Lord to make a Second Covenant with him namely the Covenant of Grace Of the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offers unto sinners life and Salvation by Jesus Christ requiring they should repent of their sins and believe in him that they may be saved In treating of this Covenant that I may proceed more methodically I shall 1. Compare these two Covenants viz. of works and grace together and shew wherein they agree and wherein they differ 2. I shall open more particularly the Nature of the Covenant of Grace First I shall shew wherein they agree 1. They agree in the Author God is the Author of them both 2. They agree in the parties concerned God and men are the Parties concerned in both Covenants 3. They agree in this that in both there is a promise of life and blessedness 4. In both Covenants there is a condition required on our parts for the obtaining the blessedness promised Neither of the Covenants promise life and blessedness absolutely whether we obey or no whether we beleive or no but under the condition of Obedience and Faith 5. B th Covenants require a perfect Righteousness of us if we intend to obtain the blessedness promised No blessedness is promised in either Covenant but upon condition of bringing in a perfect Righteâ—usness either of our own or anothers And these are the things wherein thâ—y agree In the next place let us consider wherein they dâ—ffer 1. They differ in the condition required One requires Works the other Faith The one sayes do this and live The other believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31 In the Covenant of Works there was indeed an act of Faith required viz. that God would give the blessed life promised upon mans performance of his duty and obedience but it was not such a Faith as is required in the Covenant of Grace which is the receiving and apprehending and trusting our Souls on the righteousness which is wrought for us by the active and passive obedience of Christ The â—ovenant of Grace also requires Works For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godlily in this present world c. And Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people Zeal us of good works Tit. 2.11 12 14. But it doth not require works from the same principle that the Covenant of Works does
his Disciples Matth. 13.16 17. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I say unto you that many Prophets and Righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them It was meet that the glory of a clearer discovery of eternal life should be reserved to Christ himself Now the veil is done away 3. A less forcible influence and efficacy accompanied the old administration than doth the new The spirit of Christ is now poured forth more abundantly since his Ascension and a more mighty operation of the Spirit accompanies the ministry of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 4. A more servile spirit acted in those who were under the old Administration they being drawn generally more by the terrors of the Law than by the promises of Grace 5. In respect of extent they much differ For the old was revealed but to few in comparison viz. to the Jews and their Proselytes whereas the grace of the Gospel is held forth to all Nations 6. The old Covenant was to last but for a time viz. till the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 but the new is to last unto the end of the world and shall never wax old or wear away 7. They differ in respect of their Sacraments Circumcision and the Passeover which were the chief Sacraments under the old Administration were bloody Sacraments for Christs blood was then to be shed But under the new our Sacraments are unbloody for Christs blood is shed 8. They differ as to the manner of their ratification The old was ratified by the blood of the Levitical Sacrifices the new by the blood of the Son of God Having thus spoken of the Covenant of Grace in the general and of the old and new dispensation thereof in particular let us now consider what use we are to make of this Doctrine 1. Let us bless God for making this Covenant with faln Man Let us consider the freeness of it There was nothing in us but our misery to move him to it And he made no such Covenant with the Angels that fell 2. Let us consider the sureness of it God hath confirmed it 1. by his word and promise 2. by his oath 3. by his sea 'T is indeed called sometimes a Covenant and sometimes a Testament A Covenant with reference to God the Father who hath made this gracious Covenant with the children of men and in it hath promised many great priviledges and blessings unto them that perform the conditions therein required He promises in this Covenant 1. That He will be our God Heb. 8.10 And that is a very large and comprehensive promise 2. That He will forgive all our sins And therefore when God shewed mercy to his people of Israel He is said to have remembred his Covenant Exod. 2.24 And the Saints of old did use in their approaches to God to plead this Covenant and to ground their Faith and Hope on it Psal 74.20 Jer. 14.21 3. That He will renew and sanctify our natures and write his Law upon our hearts 4. That He will put his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 and so will preserve us by his grace and power from total and final Apostacy 5. That no outward thing that He sees good for us shall be wanting to us 6. That He will give us Eternal glory in the other life And as it is called a Covenant with reference to â—od so 't is called a Testament with reference to Christ who by his blood and death confirmed it and as a Testator bequeathed life and salvation to all penitent Believers He having all power and authâ—rity given him both in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 2. Let us bless God that we were born under the best dispensation of the Covenant of Grace 'T is an unvaluable mercy to be born under the new Covenant or Gospel dispensation This is called a bettter Covenant as being established on better promises Heb. 8.6 viz. more spiritual more clear and more extensive The old was a ministration of the letter 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8. It literally declared what was to be done but comparatively there was little spiritual ability afforded for the performing of the things injoyned I say comparatively the old had but a weak operation in respect of the new Not that the old had no Spiritual efficacy For many under it were eminent in Grace as Abraham Moses Josiah Hezekiah c. but the more plentiful effusion of the Spirit was reserved till Christs Ascension 3. As ever we expect to injoy the priviledges and benefits of the Covenant of Grace let us make conscience to perform the conditions therein required which are these 1. Repentance which is a Grace necessary to prepare us to receive Christ 2. Faith in Christ We cannot become the Children of God but by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 3. Obedience which is a grace necessary to inable us to walk answerably to this holy Covenant Deut. 10.12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good CHAP. III. Of the Mediator between God and Man SECT I. Of the Titles of the Mediator I believe in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. JEsus Christ the only Son of God is the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace Concerning whom we shall inquire 1. What his Titles are by which he is called The Titles given him in the ancient Creed are four Jesus Christ the only Son of God our Lord of all which I shall speak in order 1. Jesus Jesus which signifies a Saviour God by an Angel gave him that name Matth. 1.21 He was designed by God the Father to perform for the Children of Men whatsoever is implied in his name Jesus denotes the work and business for which he came into the World The Angel told the Shepherds Luke 2.11 unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord so 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners and here let us consider how Jesus is a Saviour and why truly and properly so called This will more particularly appear if we consider the great evils he saves us from and the great benefits he hath purchased for us 1. He saves us from the guilt of sin By his exact Obedience to the Law and by his Sufferings and Passion he hath made satisfaction to the Justice of God for our sins He hath trod the Wine-press of his Fathers Wrath for us Rev. 19.15 He hath born our sins in his
own body on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 2. From the dominion of sin we have a promise Rom. 6.14 that sin shall not have dominion over us because we are not under the Law as a Covenant of Works exacting perfect obedience and ministring no strength to perform it but under a Covenant of Grace in Christ which ministers strength to resist sin and overcome it So Tit. 2.14 The Apostle tells us that Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 3. From Satan He rescues us 1. from his power and dominion The Seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 destroys the power of the old Serpent the Devil And therefore the Apostle tells us Acts 26.18 that he was sent to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles that thereby he might open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified 2. From his Temptations By Faith in Christ we are inabled to quench the fiery darts of the Devil Eph. 6.16 And the Apostle tells us 1 John 5.18 that whosoever is born of God keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not that is tactu qualitativo as Cajetan saith so as to leave an impression of his own Devilish nature upon him 3. From his Accusations Rev. 12.10 I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now is come Salvation and Strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accuseth them before God day and night And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb c. 4. From the curse of the Law He came not to take away the Law as a rule of life but to free us from the curse of it He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 5. From death The last enemy is Death But Christ will raise our bodies to a glorious life and so destroy Death 1 Cor. 15.26 54. Thus Christ is an All sufficient Saviour able to save to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 able to save both soul and body and that for ever Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him And therefore Ephes 5.23 He is stiled the Saviour of his mystical body All the three Persons save but in a different manner The Father saves by the Son The Son by paying the price of our Ransom and Redemption The Holy Ghost by perswading the heart savingly to close with Christ for the obtaining this Salvation Wouldst thou therefore O sinner have Christ to be thy Saviour then 1. break off thy siâ—s by Repentance and surrender thy self up to him to be pardoned in his blood and sanctified by his spirit For though Christ be able to save and willing to save yet they that remain impenitent and disobedient have neither part nor portion in him 2. Labour to stir up in thy heart a high love to Christ who has done so much for thee 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ says the Apostle let him be Anathema Maranatha So much of his first Title Jesus The second Title of our Saviour is Christ Christ which signifies anointed now He was anointed by the Spirit of God to three Offices To be our Prophet Priest King Messias and Christ signifie the same thing Joh. 1.14 we have foâ—nd the Messias which being interpreted is the Christ Among the Jews after the Babylonish Captivity the name Messiah was very frequent and familiar In the Chaldee paraphrase * The Chaldee Paraphrase was not an Exposition word for wâ—rd of the Hebrew Text but it took in the general sense of the learned Jews by way of Comment now extant there is express mention of the Messiah in above seventy places The Jews expected a Messias to come of their own Nation of the Tribe of Judah and of the Family of David And so was Christ our Lord. In the old Testament three sorts of persons were anointed Kings Priests and Prophets To these three Offices was Jesus annointed and took them all on him for our benefit For a threefold misery lay upon men that were to be saved 1. Ignorance and blindness of mind 2. Guilt which we were not able to satisfie for 3. Depravation and corruption of nature Bondage and Captivity to Sin and Satan which we were not able to free our selves from Suitable to these three necessities Christ is Anointed to a Threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King He was a Prophet to teach us a Priest to make Atonement for us and a King to govern us and defend us Of these his Three Offices I shall speak in order 1. He took on him the Office of a Prophet Christ was a Prophet Anointing with Oyl was a Ceremony used in the Old Testament whereby three sorts of persons viz. * 1 Kings 19.16 Prophets * Lev. 8.2.12.30 Priests and Kings were inaugurated into their Office And their Vnction signified 1. Their call to their Office 2. A collation of gifts to fit them for their Office As Oyl does revive and refresh so the effusion of the graces of the Spirit of God makes Persons fit and apt for the work to which they were called Thus Christ though he were not materially yet he was really Anointed by God to this Threefold Office with the gifts * Hae duae partâ—s Unctioris Christi siâ— differunt quod donorum collatio ad humanam naturam tantum ordinatio ad officiuÌ„ ad utramque naturam peâ—tinet and graces of the Holy Ghost which quickned and made him joyful in all his undertakings for our Redemption Which Anointing or effusion of grace into his humane Nature he received not in measure John 3.34 But abundantly above what was ever imparted either to Angels or any of the members of his mystical Body This may appear from Psal 45.7 compared with Heb. 1.9 Thou hast loved Righteousness and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath Anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy fellows And from Isa 61.1 compared with Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath Anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor c. Acts 10.30 God hath Anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power c. And the Apostle tells us Acts 3.22 23. That Moses had Prophesied of this great Prophet commanding he should be heard and obeyed in all things Deut. 18.15.18 19. Now our Saviour executed his Prophetical Office by making known the will of God to the Children of men and by revealing to them the way of Salvation His teaching was of Two sorts Outward Inward For his Out-ward teaching 1. He taught by the Patriarchs and Prophets that lived before his coming in the Flesh 2 Pet. 1.21 For Prophesie came not
22. to the end Mat. 9. from 18. to 27. 21. He restores two blind men to their sight Mat. 9. from 27. to 32. 22. He casts a Devil out of a man which made him speechless Mat. 9. from 32. to 35. 23. He teaches now at Nazareth his Countrey where he is despised Mark 6. from 1. to 7. Mat. 13. from 54. to 59. 24. He hath compassion on the multitude who were as Sheep without a Shepherd and exhorts his Disciples to pray that Labourers may be sent into the Harvest Mat. 9. from 35. to 39. 25 He sends out his twelve Apostles to Preach and to work Miracles he giveth them their Charge and Commission and fortifieth them against persecutions and promises a blessing to those that receive them Mat. 10. from 1. to 43. Mark 6. from 7. to 12. Luke 9. from 1. to 7. 26. The Apostles depart and Preach up and down and cast out Devils and anoint such as were sick with Oyl and recover them Mark 6. from 12. to 14. Matth. 11.1 27. John Baptist is now beheaded by Herod and his body buried by his Disciples Mark 6. from 17 to 30. Mat. 14. from 3. to 13. 28. Herod hearing of the fame of Christ thinks him to be John Baptist risen from the Dead others think him to be Elias or one of the old Prophets Mat. 14.1 2. Mark 6. from 14 to 18. Luke 9. from 7. to 10. 29. The Apostles having preached up and down return to their Master and give him an account of their Labours He takes them with him into a desert place whither a great Multitude followed him of about five thousand men whom he feedeth with five loaves and two fishes Mark 6. from 30. to 45. Mat. 14 from 13. to 22. Luke 9. from 10. to 18. John 6. from 1. to 14. 30. The People are so affected with this Miracle that they would forthwith have made him King but he withdraws himself to avoid it and sends his Disciples to Sea in the mean time retires himself to the Mountain to pray then he cometh to his Disciples they being in a great Tempest walking on the Sea Peter desires leave from him that he may come to him on the water which being granted Peter being afraid beginneth to sink but is saved by him He stilleth the Tempest whereby he is acknowledged to be the Son of God He comes again into the Land of Genezareth and heals many sick persons John 6. from 14. to 22. Mark 6. from 45. to 57. Mat. 14. from 22. to 37. 31. The multitude that had been miraculously fed by him follow after him and find him at Capernaum He reproves them for following him for loaves and admonishes them to seek for incorruptible food which is to be obtained by Faith in him He shews that Faith in him comes from the Father He declares himself to be the Bread of life to true Believers that his Flesh is meat indeed and his Blood drink indeed which must be eaten and drunken Spiritually to obtain eternal life At this Doctrine several of his Disciples stumbled he instructs them concerning the right sence of his words Many of his Disciples forsake him Peter and the other Apostles confess that he hath the words of eternal life and abide with him He declareth that one of them is a Devil John 6. from 22. to the end The fifth part of our Saviours life from the third Passeover after his Baptism to the fourth containing the Acts of the third year of his publick Ministry In which we have these particulars 1. Our Saviour now goeth up to the Passeover at Jerusalem and making there but a short stay returns into Galilee John 7.1 2. Certain Scribes and Pharisees come thither to him from Jerusalem and quarrel with him because his Disciples did eat with unwashen hands He reproves their Hypocrisie and Transgressing of Gods Commandments through their Traditions instancing in the Fifth Commandment Then he sheweth what it is that truly defileth a man viz. that which cometh from within out of the heart Mat. 15. from 1. to 21. Mark 7. from 1. to 24. 3. He now retires himself into the borders of Tyre and Sidon where he casteth out a Devil out of the Daughter of a Canaanitish woman highly commending the strength of her Faith who would not be discouraged though he called her Dog Mat. 15. from 21. to 29. Mark 7. from 24. to 31. 4. He healeth one deaf and dumb putting his fingers into his ears and saying Ephatha and touching his Tongue Mark 7. from 31. to 38. 5. He goeth up into a Mountain and there he heals all manner of diseased People brought unto him Mat. 15. from 29. to 32. 6. He feeds four thousand men with seven loaves and a few little Fishes Mat. 15. from 32. to the end Mark 8. from 1. to the 10. 7. He refuses to give the Pharisees and Sadduces any new Sign from Heaven but refers them to what was prefigured by the rising of Jonah out of the Whales belly Mark 8. from 10. to 13. Mat. 16. from 1. to 5. 8. He warneth his Disciples of the leaven and corrupt Doctrine of the Pharisees Sadducees and Herodians Mark 8. from 13. to 22. Mat. 16. from 5. to 13. 9. At Bethsaida he restores a blind man to his sight Mark 8. from 22. to 27. 10. Divers opinions of the people concerning him Peters confession of him to be the true Messiah whom he commendeth and promiseth upon the rock of that truth to build his Church which he will govern by the Ministry of his Apostles and his other Servants that shall succeed them giving them the Keys of his Kingdom He foretelleth his Death and Resurrection and rejects the evil Counsel of Peter disswading him from dying and suffering He requires of all that would be his Disciples to be willing to bear the Cross and to be ready to lay down their lives for him He gives them an intimation that some of them there present should see a Type and resemblance of his second coming in the destruction he should bring upon Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation by the Romans for their obstinacy Mat. 16. from 13. to 29. Mark 8. from 27. to the end Mark 9.1 Luke 9. from 28. to 28. 11. He taketh Peter James and John into an high Mountain and is transfigured before them Moses and Elias appearing to them from Heaven he is declared to be the Son of God He teacheth that John is that Elias that was to come Mat. 17. from 1. to 14. Mark 9. from 2. to 14. Luke 9. from 18. to 37. 12. He casteth out a Devil that inflicted dumbness and deafness on a Lunatick which his Disciples were not able to do the cause whereof is declared as also the power of Faith quickned by Fasting and Prayer Mat. 17. from 14. to 22. Mark 9. from 14. to 30. Luke 9. from 37. to 43. 13. He again foretelleth his Death and Resurrection Mark 9. from 30. to 33. Mat. 17. from 22.
himself a Kingdom and to return and delivering Ten Pounds to his Ten Servants to imploy and improve in his absence He shews he was not now presently as they thought to enter upon a Temporal Kingdom but to die and suffer and so go to Heaven and then to return again in an eminent manner In the mean time they ought to imploy the Talents he had intrusted them with for his service and he would reward their diligence He cures Two other blind men whereof one was Bartimeus as he goes out of the City Luke 18. from 35. to the end Luke 19. from 1. to 28. Mat. 20. from 29. to 35. Mark 10. from 46. to 53. 59. He now approacheth to Bethany where Martha meets him with whom he speaketh of the Resurrection of her Brother and all Believers Mary comes out to him also He weepeth and goeth to the grave and finds Lazarus four days buried he prays to his Father and raiseth him to life again whereupon many believe in him others go and tell it to the Chief Priests John 11. from 11. to 47. 60. The Chief Priests and Pharisees call a Council and consult upon the matter Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of the fruit of Christs death Here they conclude * This is the First Council at which the Jews determined to put our Saviour to death he shall be put to death but to avoid their fury for the present he withdrew himself privately unto Ephraim John 11. from 47. to 55. 61. He is inquired for at Jerusalem by those that came up sometime before the Feast to purifie themselves John 11. from 55. to the end 62. Six days before the Passeover he is entertained at a Supper at Bethany by Simon the Leper where Lazarus fate at Supper with him Mary pours a box of precious oyntment on his head and feet wiping them with the hairs of her head For this she is blamed and repined at by Judas but defended by Christ Many Jews resort thither to see Lazarus newly raised wherefore the Chief Priests seek to put him to death also John 12. from 1. to 12. Mat. 26. from 6. to 14. Mark 14. from 3. The great week Dominica Palmarum to 10. 63. On the first day of the week now commonly called Palm-Sunday he sets out with his Disciples for Jerusalem He sends two of his Disciples for an Asse which the owner lets them have and being set thereon he rides towards the City The people spread their Garments in the way and cry Hosanna When he was come to the descent of the Mount of Olives many from the City met him with branches of Palm-tree in their hands The Pharisees speak to him to silence the People and to forbid them to make such acknowledgments to him He answers that if they should hold their peace the very stones would cry out Then coming within the view of the City he burst out into tears at the consideration of their obstinacy and their ruine that would ensue thereupon He rides into the City in this triumphant manner The Pharisees are inraged hereat Luke 19. from 28. to 45. John 12. from 12. to 20. Mat. 21. from 1.12 Mark 11. from 1. to 11. 64. He goes directly to the Temple He drives the buyers and sellers See §. 1. of the third part of our Saviours life out of it He heals the blind and lame that were brought to him He justifies the Children crying Hosanna and teaches in the Temple Luke 19. from 45. to 49. Mat. 21. from 12. to 17. Mark 11. from 15. to 20. 65. Certain Religious Greeks desire to see him They speak to Philip about it Being brought into his presence he speaks to them of his death and the fruit of it by the Parable or Similitude of a grain of Wheat which is not lost when it is sown but springeth up with increase He sheweth that all that will be his Disciples must follow him in suffering and not think their life to dear to lay down for him He prayes unto his Father and is answered by Thunder and with it a voice from Heaven he tells them that that voice came not for his sake alone to comfort him but to testifie to them that he was the true Messias He goes on to declare the glorious fruits of his death as particularly the delivering the World from the usurping power of Satan and the drawing all sorts of persons to believe on him after he hath been lifted up on the Cross He shews that his suffering death in his state of Humiliation and yet abiding for ever in his state of Exaltation may well stand together He exhorts them to walk in the light whilst they have it testifying that he himself is the light of the World The consequent of this was that though the Jews generally continued blinded and hardned as was fore-told by Esaiah yet some of the Rulers believed in him but durst not openly confess him In fine he shews the benefits of Faith and mischiefs of Vnbelief John 12. from 20. to the end 66. Having thus spent the day at night he goes with his Apostles to lodg at Bethany Mat. 21.17 Mark 11.11 67. Next morning viz. Munday Munday he sets forth with them for Jerusalem again and cursed the barren Fig-tree by the way and then goes to the Temple and teaches there and at night returns with his company to Bethany again Mat. 21.18 19. Mark 11. from 12. to 15. Luke 21.37 38. 68. Next morning viz. Tuseday Tuesday coming again with his Apostles to the City in the way they observed that the Fig-tree which the day before he had cursed was now quite withered Hereupon he discourses of the power of Faith in prayer and exhorts them to forgive such as have done them any wrong Mark 11. from 20. to 27. Mat. 21. from 20. to 23. 69. He goes again to the Temple and teacheth there The Chief Priests and Scribes ask him by what authority he did these things He answers them by propounding to them a question concerning the Baptism of John He convinceth them of their disobedience by the Parable of the two Sons and shews them that Publicans and Harlots imbrace the Gospel before them for all their fair profession He threatens their ruine by the Parable of a Lord of a Vineyard whose Servants and Son were abused and slain by the Husbandmen By the Parable of the Marriage of the Kings Son to which the guests invited refused to come and therefore others were invited in their stead among which one appeared without a Wedding Garment c. He declares the rejection of the Jews the calling of the Gentiles and shews that some do joyn themselves to the Church in Hypocrisie Mark 11. from 27. to 34. Mat. 21. from 23. to the end Mark 12. from 1. to 13. Luke 20. from 1. to 20. Mat. 22. from 1. to 15. 70. He gives an answer to the question of the Pharisees and Herodians whether they might pay tribute to
Caesar or no. Then he answers the question of the Sadduces concerning a Woman that had seven Husbands and proves to them the Resurrection of the Dead He answers a Doctor of the Law demanding of him which is the great Commandment and tells him he is not far from the Kingdom of God He then propounds a question to the Pharisees how the Messiah could be Davids Son whom David himself calls Lord but they could not answer him Mat. 22. from 15. to the end Mark 12. from 13. to 28. Luke 20. from 20. to 45. 71. He now begins a severe commination against the Scribes and Pharisees exhorting his hearers to follow what they should rightly teach them out of Moses and the Prophets but not their example and works He describes their Hypocrisie and Ambition in making broad their Phylacteries and fringes of their Garments in loving salutations in publick places and to be called Rabbi He admonishes his hearers to take heed thereof and to study Humility He denounceth eight woes against the Scribes and Pharisees 1. Because they shut Heaven against men 2. Devoured Widows houses 3. Made bad Proselytes 4. Taught perversely to swear by the Temple Altar and Heaven 5. Tythed small matters and neglected the weightier matters of the Law 6. Made clean the out-side but not the heart 7. Were like whited Sepulchres 8. Repaired the Sepulchres of the old Prophets and sought to kill the new Then complaining of the stiff-neckedness of the City of Jerusalem He foretells her destruction Mat. 23. whole Chapter Mark 12. from 38. to 41. Luke 20. from 45. to 48. 72. He commendeth the poor Widows gift of two mites which she cast into the Treasury of the Temple Mark 12. from 41. to the end Luke 21. from 1. to 5. 73. Going now out of the Temple into which he never entred again he foretells the destruction thereof Being come to Mount Olivet he foretells the grievous calamities that should befall the Jews before the Temple and Cities destruction and gives them Signs that should sometime before precede it as the arising of false Christs Wars and rumors of Wars Famines and Pestilence and Earthquakes and fearful sights and signs from Heaven Great persecutions against those that professed him The arising of many false Prophets and Heretical teachers The spreading of the Gospel among all the chief and principal Nations in those parts of the World Then he gives them signs that should immediately precede it Namely the begirting the City by the Roman Army at which time the Prophecy of Daniel should be fulfilled The arising of false Christs and false Prophets that should be so cunning that they should deceive if it were possible the very Elect. He now comes to describe the destruction it self which he sets forth as the destruction of the whole World of which it was to be a Type For the precise time when this destruction should be he tells them they must not expect to have it revealed to them it being hid from men and Angels yea and from himself also as man Yet two things he acquaints them with 1. That this Judgment would come suddenly and unexpectedly on the Jews as destruction did on the old World 2. See §. 47. of this part That the Providence of God would much appear in the rescuing of some out of that calamity in which others will fall He exhorts them to watch and pray that they may be accounted worthy to escape those calamities by the Parable of good servants expecting the coming of their Master and because the time of his coming is uncertain he presseth them again to a diligent watchfulness by the Parable of an Housholder watching against the coming of a Thief Mat. 24. whole Chapter Mark 13. whole Chapter Luke 21. from 5. to 37. 74. By the Parable of five wise and five foolish Virgins he again exhorts them to watchfulness against his coming and by the Parable of Servants which had each of them received Talents from their Lord to trade withal he exhorteth to a faithful improvement of the gifts which God had given to every one Then he comes to describe his last coming to Judgment and how he will distinguish his â—heep from the Goats and give and execute Sentence upon them both Mat. 25. whole Chapter 75. Having thus Preached his Prophetick Sermon on Mount Olivet he comes to Bethany and suppeth there Rising from Supper he girded himself and washed his Disciples feet Peter at first refused to admit of it but afterward suffered it He teacheth them hereby his spiritual washing of them and exhorts them to imitate this example of his Humility and to be serviceable one to another He complains of and detects the Traytor Judas whom he discovereth to John by giving him a sop After which the Devil entred into him and he went forth Our Saviour comforts himself against his near approaching death with this consideration that God should be glorified thereby He exhorts his Disciples to mutual Love Peter promises he will lay down his life for him but Christ telleth him he will deny him thrice John 13. whole Chapter 76. Wednesday Wednesday On this day the Chief Priest and Elders met in Caiaphas's House and hold the second Council how they might take Jesus and put him to death Whilst they were thus consulting Judas comes to them and offers to betray him to them They bargain with him for thirty pieces of silver to do it which he having accepted returns to his Master at Bethany Mat. 26. from 1. to 6. and from 14. to 17. Mark 14.1 2. and 10 11. Luke 22. from 1. to 7. 77. Thursday Thursday Our Saviour now sendeth Peter and John to Jerusalem to prepare the Passeover for him and his Disciples and directs them by a special token to follow a man that would lead them to a great Chamber ready furnished which they accordingly do and having provided all things for the present Supper return to him again Matth. 26. from 17. to 20. Mark 14. from 12. to 17. Luke 22. from 7 to 14. 78. Being now ready to go with his Apostles to eat the Passeover which he was to eat that night he comforts them concerning his going away from them to the Father seeing he went to prepare Mansions for them at his Fathers house He declares to Thomas that he is the way the truth and the life and to Philip that he that seeth him seeth the Father He promiseth his Apostles that they should do great Miracles and obtain what they shall pray for in his name That they shall receive the Comforter the Hâ—ly Ghost and not be left Orphans He exhorts them to love him and keep his Commandments promising his and his Fathers abode with them and that the Holy Ghost should bring all things necessary to their remembrance He leaveth his peace with them and declareth that they ought to rejoyce because he goeth to the Father He sheweth his willingness to obey his Father even in suffering
pierced Now our Saviour was actually condemned and delivered up to that kind of death by Pilate who gave sentence it should be as the Jews required and they required he should be Crucified There are three things observable concerning Crucifixion 1. 'T was a painful death The hands and feet which of all parts of the body are most nervous and consequently most sensible were pierced through with nailes which caused a lingring and tormenting death 2. 'T was an ignominious * 'T was servile supplicium Thieves and Robbers were usually by the Romans punished with this kind of death death and therefore among the Romans inflicted upon their Slaves and fugitives 3. A cursed death as 't is written Deut. 21.13 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Having premised these things let us now consider what are the instructions we should learn from this Article that our Saviour was Crucified 1. Christ hath hereby redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 that is he hath indured that most shameful death of the Cross which was accounted accursed and inglorious 2. Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and taken it out of the way nailing it to his Cross One ancient custome as they tell us of Cancelling Bonds was by striking a nail through the writing Our Saviours Crucifixion hath done this for us 3. Seeing Christ was Crucified for us we should in imitation thereof labour to Crucifie sin in our selves Our old man must be Crucified that the body of sin may be destroyed We must remember that those that are Christs must crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 4. We should often meditate on the bitter Cup our Saviour drank and on those nails that pierced his hands and feet that so we may be the more ready and willing to suffer for him We should consider how he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross teaching us thereby to humble our selves and with patience to bear the lowest condition for his sake and to imitate him who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame We come now to the next word in the Creed viz. He Dyed Our Saviour was not only nailed to the Cross but died thereon He suffered upon the Cross a dissolution and died a true and proper death Dead He died for our sins according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.3 He was cut off from the Land of the Living Isa 53.7 8 10. and made his Soul that is his life an offering for sin He said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having said so he gave up the ghost Luke 23.26 'T is true Christ did voluntarily die for he saith no man taketh away my life from me but I lay it down of my self John 10.18 That is He laid not down his life by a necessary compulsion but by a voluntary election He took upon him a necessity of dying for our benefit But the Jews were the causes of his death and by wicked bands crucified him Acts 2.23 and slew him and hanged him on a tree Acts 5.30 They are truly said to have done it because by their incessant importunity they prevailed with Pilate to do it Our Saviour therefore being truly put to death and suffering a real dissolution let us consider what union was dissolved by his death and what continued In Christ there were two different substantial unions One of the parts of his humane nature each to other in which his humanity consisted and by which he was truly man the other of his natures divine and humane by which it came to pass that he was both God and Man in the same person Now the union of the parts of his humane nature was dissolved on the Cross and a real separation made between his Soul and Body But yet there was no disunion of either of them from his Deity The union of the natures remained still nor was the Soul or Body though separated one from the other separated from the Divinity but still remained united unto it When he cried out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me it intimates no more but that he was bereft of those joys and comforts from the Deity which were necessary to asswage the bitterness of his present Agony Having thus shewed that our Saviour did really die Let us now inquire why it was needful he should die 'T was requisite for these reasons 1. That the new Covenant or Testament might be ratified by his blood Where a Testament is there must needs be the death of the Testator Heb. 9.16 2. That he might perform that part of his Priestly Office which required the shedding of his blood For without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9.22 Therefore Christ our Passeover must be Sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 3. If he would redeem us he must give himself a ransom for us 1 Pet. 1.18 19. For we being enemies could not be reconciled to God but by the death of his Son Col. 1.21 And by his death he hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2.15 By his death was our redemption wrought as by the price that was paid as by the atonement which was made as by the full satisfaction that was given that God might be reconciled to us who was before offended with us and Buried Thus we have seen what our Saviour died on the Cross And as he really died by the separation of his Soul from his Body so his body was carried and laid up in a Sepulchre hewn out of the Rock in which never man was before laid This the Evangelists do sufficiently testify Now that the Messias was to be buried was typified by Jonas who was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly And accordingly the Son of Man was to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth * He is said to be three dayes and three nights in the Grave the whole time or space of three dayes being put for a part of it by a synecdoche see my Harm Ch. 6. pag. 266. Mat. 12.40 The Psalmist intimates as much Psal 16.9 My flesh shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell (a) My Soul In Hell that is my dead body in the Grave see the next §. nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption Isay 53.9 He was cut off out of the land of the living He made his Grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death Christ being put to death his body was by Joseph of Arimathea begged of Pilate and by him and Nicodemus one of their great Council taken down and wound in fine linnen with spices as the manner of the Jews was to bury and laid in a new Sepulchre in a Garden nigh the place of his execution and a great
stone rolled to the door of the Sepulchre Matth. 27.60 Thus the design of the Jews made his Grave with the wicked intending he should be buried with them who were crucified with him But the design of Heaven placed him with the rich in his death and caused a Councellor and a Ruler of the Jews to bury him So that we may interpret that place of Isaiah thus He was buried nigh to the wicked yet with the rich when he was dead Our Saviour notwithstanding the malice of the Jews being thus honourably buried The Chief Priests desired of Pilate that the Sepulchre might be made sure lest his Disciples should steal him away which was accordingly done the Stone being sealed with the publick Seal and then a watch was set upon the Sepulchre We come now to consider what improvement we are to make of this Article 1. Then seeing Christ did really die and was buried let us testifie our communion with him in his death by dying unto Sin 2. In his Burial by the burial of the old man 3. In his Resurrection by rising unto newness of life This the Apostle hints to us as our duty Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life SECT VI. Of that Article in the Creed Descended into Hell He descended into Hell AFter Christs Crucifixion Death and Burial the Creed subjoyns He descended into Hell In treating of which I must in the first place suggest this that this Article of Christs descent into Hell was not in the antient Creeds 'T is not found in the Rules of Faith delivered by Irenaeus lib. 1. c. 2. by Origen lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Tertullian Adversus Prax. cap. 2. 'T is not in those Creeds that were made by the Councils as explications of this Creed particularly not in the Nicene where the words are these He was Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures It was not in the Roman or any of the Oriental Creeds This being premised we come to consider this Article which cannot with any shew of reason be understood of Christs Divine nature which is every where present and cannot be said either to ascend or descend It must therefore be understood of his humane nature And here it will be needful to enquire whether it be to be understood of his Soul or of his Body If it be to be understood of his Soul it must be meant either Metaphorically or really Some understand it Metaphorically and so by Christs descent into Hell they understand those inexpressible sufferings of his Soul a See Calv. Instit lib. 2. c. 16. which of all his sufferings were the most grievous by which he felt the wrath of God in his Soul for our sins But these sufferings were all antecedent to his death he having suffered part of them in the Garden and part on the Cross and all before he commended his Spirit into the hands of his Father and said it is finished and gave up the ghost But the descent into Hell as it now standeth in the Creed seems to signifie something done after his death Besides the torments of the damned are surely such as these 1. Remorse of Conscience or the never-dying worm 2. A bitter sence of an utter rejection from the favour of God 3. Despair of ever being eased of that unsupportable misery Now certainly none of these could befall our Saviour He did not endure so much as for a moment any of the Hellish torments Therefore surely in this sense Christs Soul did not descend into Hell Others hold that Christs Soul did really and by a local motion descend into Hell This they pretend 1. To prove and that from three places of Scripture And 2. To assign the ends for which he did thus descend We shall examine both First They say that though these words are not formally expressed in the Scriptures that Christ descended into Hell yet they are contained virtually in them which they will prove 1. From Eph. 4.9 Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth by which they understand Hell For answer by the lower parts of the earth I humbly conceive is meant the earth it self which is the lowest part of the World as Heaven is the highest For before Christ could ascend unto Heaven it was necessary he should descend to the Earth by his incarnation but there was no necessity of his descending into Hell And further the Grave may be called one of the lower parts of the earth in opposition to the surface or upper part of it on which we live And this is all that seems to be meant in this place 2. They pretend to prove it from 1 Pet. 3.19 where 't is said that Christ being put to death in his humane nature was quickned or raised up again by the power of his Spirit or God-head by which he preached to the Spirits in Prison whence they infer that he descended into Hell to preach to the Spirits there in torments Answer From these words it appeareth 1. That Christ preached in the dayes of Noah by the same Spirit by the vertue and power of which he was raised from the dead But that Spirit was not his Soul but something of a greater power 2. those to whom he preached were disobedient all that time the long-suffering of God waited for their repentance and return while the Ark was preparing And 3. Their Souls or Spirits for their disobedience are now in Hell and for refusing of that mercy that was offered to them by the preaching of Christ 'T is true indeed this was not performed by an immediate act of the Son of God as if he had personally appeared on earth and actually preached to the old world but it was performed by the Ministry of Noah who was guided and inspired by his Spirit and accordingly is called a preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 The third place they alledge for the maintenance of their opinion is Acts 2.25 26 27 a place that relates to Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell c. Therefore say they surely Christs Soul did locally descend into Hell I Answer Soul is sometimes taken properly only for the Soul or Spirit of a man sometimes improperly for the whole person as Acts 27.37 We were in the Ship two hundred threescore and sixteen Souls Sometimes the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephesh which signifies a Soul doth also signifie a dead body as Levit. 19.28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead Levit. 21. v. 1. There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people Numb 6.6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no
so do ye Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come He ordains that their Collections for the poor Saints and oblations should be on that day And St. John sayes Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Thus the observation of the seventh day of the week which the Jews kept did cease and was buried with our Saviour And the observation of that day on which the Son of God rose by the practice of the blessed Apostles was transmitted to the Church of God and so hath continued in all ages of the Church ever since As God spake by Moses to the Israelites Exodus 31.13 Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you viz. that you profess your selves to be my people in an especial manner So they that belong to the Church of Christ are known by observing the first day of the week on which he arose and by this mark among others are distinguished from such who own not Christ nor his Gospel 6. And lastly Let us consider the ends for which Christ arose And those were such as these 1. for our justification Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification 2. To assure us of our resurrection If Christs body had not been raised how could we have expected the Resurrection of our bodies The Resurrection of the members depends upon the Resurrection of the Head 2 Cor. 4.14 3. That he might be declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 by his Resurrection from the dead Therefore says the Apostle Acts 13.32.33 We declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Christ was the Son of God before but then he appeared so to be against all contradiction For he arose by his own divine power which no meer man ever did or shall do 4. He rose again to encourage us firmly to believe in him as a most perfect Redeemer Our Surety is released and set free therefore Gods Justice is satisfied and so we are begotten unto a lively hope of eternal life by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1.3 5. By his Resurrection he hath shewed us how we ought to imitate him and to rise from the death of Sin to the life of Grace This the Apostle intimates to us Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Let us consider therefore and seriously examine our selves whether we be risen with Christ or no Are our affections set on things above Acts 3.2 Do we delight in the Ordinances of God They that have a spiritual life will delight in that food whereby that spiritual life is maintained Do we delight in communion with God and exercise our selves in frequent meditation and the believing views of the Glory of the other life Those who are risen with Christ seek the things that are above SECT VIII Of our Saviours Ascension and sitting on Gods right Hand He ascended into Heaven THe words of the Creed are these He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty In treating of this Article I shall first shew that the promised Messias was to ascend into Heaven 2. That our Jesus did really and truly ascend thither 3. I shall shew what Heaven it was he ascended into 4. The reasons of his Ascension 5. The time when he ascended 6. The place from whence he ascended I begin with the First namely that the promised Messias was to ascend into Heaven This was typified of him by the High Priests going once a year into the Holy of Holies Heb. 9.11 which was a type of Heaven The High Priest when he had slain the Sacrifice did with the blood thereof enter into the Holy of Holies So the Messias having offered up himself a Sacrifice to God for us with his own blood went into the Holy of Holies viz. into Heaven there to intercede for us by the virtue and merit of that blood And as this was typified so it was also prophesied of the Messias Psal 68.18 compared with Ephesians 4.8 Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received gifts for men He was to conquer Sin and Death and Hell and triumphing over them he was to ascend to the highest Heaven and thence to send the precious and glorious gifts of the Spirit unto the Sons of Men. And accordingly he himself did foretell his Ascension John 6.62 and John 20.17 2. This was not only foretold of the Messias but really performed by him He who was the Eternal Son of God and by his Divinity present in Heaven while here upon the Earth did by local translation of his humane nature really and truly ascend from this earth below into the Heavens above as is sufficiently testified by these following Scriptures Mark 16.19 Luke 24.50 51. Acts 1.9 10. Christs Ascension was visibly performed in the sight of his Apostles They saw him when he ascended the holy Angels there present bearing also Testimony unto it Acts 1.10 11. 3. Let us consider the place he ascended unto which was the Heaven of Heavens he passed through all the regions of the air through all the coelestial Orbs till he came to the Heaven of Heavens the most glorious presence of the Majesty of God He ascended far above all visible Heavens to the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 that he might fill all things that is fulfill all things prophesied of him 4. Let us consider the reasons why he ascended 1. Having finished the work of our Redemption it was meet he should return thither from whence he came John 16.28 John 17.4 5. 2. After his Humiliation his Exaltation was to follow The first step of which was his Resurrection and his Ascension another step of it 3. Christ by his Ascension manifested his victory over Sin Satan and Death 4. He Ascended to make intercession for us Rom. 8.34 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 9.24 5. That he might send down a more plentiful effusion of the gifts and graces of his Spirit And accordingly he tells his Apostles John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you John 7.38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy-Ghost was not yet
satisfaction made to a just God It contains reconciliation without which God cannot be conceived to remit It comprehendeth satisfaction without which God was resolved not to be reconciled Christ by his death hath reconciled God unto us who was before offended by our sins His death was ordained to be a propitiation for us and to render God propitious to us The punishment which Christ endured was a full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God He gave his life a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 Now a ransome is a price given to redeem such as are any way in captivity or any thing laid down by way of compensation to take off an obligation whereby he who was before bound becometh free Christ bought us and the price he paid for us was his own blood and that blood was a full and perfect satisfaction unto God And as the offence is augmented as we said before by the dignity of the person against whom the offence is committed so the value and dignity of that which is given by way of compensation is enhaunced according to the dignity of the person who makes that satisfaction If therefore we consider on our side the nature and obligation of sin and on Christs side the satisfaction made and reconciliation wrought we shall easily perceive how God forgiveth Sins and in what the remission of them consisteth Christ taking upon him the nature of man and offering himself a Sacrifice to God for mans sin giveth that unto God for and instead of the everlasting punishment due to man which is more valuable and acceptable unto God than that punishment could be and so maketh a sufficient compensation and satisfaction to God for the sins of man Which sacrifice God accepting releases the offence and becomes reconciled unto man He performing the conditions required of him and for the punishment which Christ endured taketh off mans obligation to eternal punishment And in this act of God consisteth the forgiveness of sins 7. Let us consider what is required of them who may expect this great priviledge and blessedness the remission of all our sins The things required of them are these 1. True Repentance Of which see Chap. 2. of the second part of Knowledge and Practice 2. Faith in Christ Of which see Chap. 3. of the same Treatise 3. Sincere obedience unto Christ Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him 4. A readiness and willingness to forgive others who have done us wrong Matth. 6.14 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mark 11.25 And when ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against against any that your Father also which is Heaven may forgive you your trespasses Having thus in brief explained the Doctrine of remission of sins it will possibly seem requisite that I should add a few things more for the fuller explanation of so great an Article which we are all so much concerned clearly and distinctly to understand In order hereunto I shall further consider these three things 1. What is meant in Scripture by Justification 2. What is the procuring cause thereof 3. How any come to be partakers thereof For the first Justification and remission of Sins in the Scripture are one and the same thing * See Acts 13.38 39. Matth. 26.28 Eph. 1.7 Acts 10.43 Rom. 5.19 In some texts of Scripture we are said to be justified by Christ In others that we obtain remission of Sins by Christ In others that we are made righteous by Christ By which expressions one and the same thing is intended For Justification is a discharging us from the guilt of all our sins and an acquitting us from the challenges of the Law and a constituting us righteous before God not qualitative by making us inherently righteous with such a perfect righteousness as is Gods Justice-proof for by such a righteousness no Son of fallen Adam can be justified as we shall shew afterwards but it is a constituting us righteous in the sight of God or a judicial absolving of us upon the account of satisfaction given and accepted on our behalf and though Justification principally consists in our pardon and the remission of our sins yet there are other blessings also springing from it For those whom God justifies he sanctifies whom he sanctifies here he will also glorifie hereafter 2. Let us consider the procuring cause of our pardon and justification The procuring cause of it is the Satisfaction made to Divine Justice by the active and passive obedience of Christ And that we may understand this the more clearly let us take into our consideration these particulars 1. The Law or Covenant of Works required of our first Parents perfect and sinless obedience upon pain of death But they transgressing fell under the curse and condemnation of the Law However it pleased God of his infinite mercy that the Law should not be immediately executed upon them And yet he did not abrogate it but only relax it as to the right of it by introducing another Covenant viz. the Covenant of grace 2. By this second Covenant or Covenant of Grace no Son of fallen Adam can be justified with the justification of an innocent person or as one perfectly and inherently righteous For such persons if they should be challenged are justified because they are found without fault or blame and their justification is nothing but a declaration of their righteousness and innocence But by this Covenant of grace we must be justified as sinners and offenders upon a satisfaction made to the justice of God for our sins For offenders can no other way be brought into the state of just men but upon a legal pardon and discharge And so we may be said to be justified when the compensation or satisfaction made for us is accepted and we thereupon are legally pardoned discharged 3. This Compensation or Satisfaction made to the justice of God in our behalf is made by the active and passive obedience of Christ and the whole of our justification is founded thereon I say the active as well as the passive obedience of Christ is here to be reckoned as concurring hereunto For though Christ when he had once assumed our nature and was made Man was bound to obey the Law yet in that he voluntarily came from Heaven and voluntarily took our nature and so voluntarily put himself under the obligation of the Law this consideration makes his active obedience also meritorious These two are therefore joyntly to be considered in this matter For Christ voluntarily took on him the office of a mediator He was not compelled to it Indeed when he was man he was obliged as a man A creatures homage was due from him when he had assumed our nature but it was his own free choice that brought him into that state and condition From
that the Assizes drew nigh at which he could not expect but to be condemned surely above all things in the world he would endeavor to get his pardon 3. Let us seek it as those who are not content to be put off with any thing else besides it And to encourage us hereunto let us consider 1. God is ready to pardon He hath sworn that he delights not in the death of a sinner 2. Christ died for this very purpose to redeem us and when he was on the earth he complained that people would not come to him and believe in him that by him they might have life 3. All means of grace afforded to us are intimations that God intends us mercy if we be not wanting to our selves 4. All good motions and stirrings of the Spirit of God in our hearts are significations of his good will towards us 5. And lastly As vile or viler sinners then we are have obtained pardon and why then should not we encourage our selves to seek after pardon while it may be obtained SECT V. Of the Resurrection of the Body The Resurrection of the Body THis is one of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.2 'T is set before the Eternal Judgment which will adjudge men to their eternal state because 't is previous to it The Scripture speaks of a two-fold Resurrection 1. A Metaphorical Resurrection viz. that of the Soul out of the state of Sin and Spiritual Death Of this the Apostle speaks Ephes 2.1 Ye that were sometimes dead in Sins and Trespasses and Col. 2.13 You that were dead in your sins hath he quickned Grace Righteousness and Holiness is the Spiritual life of the Soul and where these are wanting there must needs be a spiritual death in sin Rom. 8.6 to be carnally minded is death but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness verse 10. that is the Soul is alive Spiritually when it is partaker of righteousness and grace Our Souls therefore must first rise from their state of death in sin to the new life of grace if we desire to have a part in the glorious Resurrection of the body to eternal life of of which I am to speak afterward and as the Apostle sayes Rom. 6.4 As Christ was raised from the dead so must we be raised from the death of sin that we may walk in newness of life 2. The Scripture speaks of a real Resurrection viz. of our bodies namely of the same body that died which shall be raised again and re-united to the same soul that at death departed from it This resurrection of the body is that which we profess to believe in this Article And to confirm our faith therein let us consider these two things 1. God can do it He can raise our bodies when dead to life again 2. He has declared he will do it 1. God can do it For he is Omnipotent Therefore saith our Saviour to the Sadducees who denied the Resurrection * Acts 26.8 Luke 18 27. Eph. 1 1â—.13 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 And the Apostle Acts 26.8 reasons thus Why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise the dead He that could make this World out of nothing at first undoubtedly can raise up mans body again which though it have suffered many changes and transmutations yet is not turned into nothing Though the parts of mans body be dissolved yet they perish not The first dust out of which man was made was as far from being flesh as any ashes or dust now can be And God who is Omniscient knows how to distinguish the dust of one mans body from anothers And being Omnipotent can give to every body what belongs to it to make it the same numerical Body again This he can do according to the mighty working That Parable Ezekiel 37. Where by reviving dead bones is shewed that God would certainly restâ—re the pâ—ople of Israel out of captivity that Parable I say supposes the Resurrection of the Dead as a thing well known and certainly believed by that people whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 Abraham thought it possible Heb. 11.18 19. When he really intended to Sacrifice his Son Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Job not only thought it possible but firmly believed it and spake of it with assurance Job 19. verse 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God verse 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Martha doubted not of it John 11.24 For speaking of her brother Lazarus then dead She said I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day And indeed there are many things in nature that seem to carry a resemblance of it When we go to sleep solemnly commending our selves to Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and to his gracious protection we do as it were lye down in our graves our sleep is a great resemblance of death and our rising in the morning of the Resurrection The Sun sets every night and disappears yet rises joyfully in the morning The Seed that we sow first dies before it be quickned 1 Cor. 15.56 The earth receiveth the bare seed and by corrupting it restoreth it in a better fashion than she took it in The Seed sâ—wn is so far from perishing that it rises up far more beautiful Whereas it was sown dry and hard it springs up fresh and green So why should it seem incredible that our bodies shall rise from corruption with far more excellent qualities than they had before God can raise them that is our first Argument 2. God hath declared that he will do it and that is abundantly sufficient to induce us to believe it Observe these Scriptures for the proof of it Dan. 12.2 And many * That is all shall arise and they will be many not a few For many is not opposed to all here but to few Romans 5.19 By the disobedience of one man many i. e. not a few were made sinners For all were made sinners of them that slept in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt John 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Acts 24.15 And I have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Luke 14.14 Thou shalt be recompenced at the
Resurrection of the just John 6.39 And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day verse 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 1 Thes 4.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him Verse 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep verse 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ sholl rise first Let us now consider what improvement we should make of this doctrine 1. Let us take heed of erring about this doctrine Let us take heed of the leven of the Sadducees who said there was no resurrection Acts 23.8 There are two sorts of persons that exceedingly erre about this doctrine 1. Those that affirm that there is no other Resurrection but that which is Spiritual viz. that of the soul from the death of sin This was the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.17 18. They acknowledged no other Resurrection but the renovation of the mind which passes upon a man in this life Now this Spiritual Resurrection is limited only to true Believers but the Corporal belongs to all that are in the Graves of whom our Saviour says John 5.29 They shall all come forth some to life and some to damnation which cannot possibly be meant of the Spiritual Resurrection and therefore there is another besides that 2. Those that say the same numerical body that died shall not rise again but some new airy body not flesh and blood bones and sinews as ours are made up of But this is a great error For 1. If the same bodies do not arise then 't is not a Resurrection but a new Creation I acknowledge 't is not necessary they should arise with every parcel and particle of flesh they ever had or had when they dyed but they shall rise with so much of their bodies as shall make them the same numerical bodies that died As a man in the Wars if he lose an arm or a leg yet we say and say truly he is the same man still that he was before So the dead shall rise with so much of their bodies as shall when reunited to their souls make them the same persons they were before 2. Our Saviour sayes all that are in the Graves shall come forth that is surely the same bodies that lay there and not other bodies for them Rev. 20.13 'T is said the Sea shall render up its dead surely not new bodies but the old bodies that were buried there 3. The Bodies of true Believers as well as their Souls are united to Christ and thereby made the Temples of the Holy Ghost as the Apostle assures us 1 Cor. 6.19 And can you think Christ will lose any one of his members he assures us to the contrary John 6.39 r 40. 4. The Apostle tells us this corruptible this mortal shall put on incorruption and immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 Therefore the same bodies that are now mortal and must die shall be raised And indeed the Apostle plainly shews all along in that excellent discourse of the Resurrection that he intends that the same body that dyed should rise again 5. It seems most agreeable to the Justice of God that it should be so viz. that the same numerical body that was the souls instrument either in good or evil actions either in works of Righteousness or Sin should partake with the Soul also in its rewards or punishments shall they that beat down their bodies and bring them into subjection or suffer Martyrdom in their bodies for the cause of Christ be rewarded in other bodies than those that thus suffered Or shall that body and flesh of a wicked man which was so great an instrument of his soul in sinning against God and dishonouring of him and hurting others be dissolved into dust and shall another body be framed for that miserable soul to suffer with it those exquisite torments that the damned must suffer for ever Surely this cannot be Therefore it seems most agreeable to the Justice and Providence of God that every one should receive either reward or punishment in his own body which he had here in this life 6. Christ himsâ—lf did rise with his own body viz. with that body that had been crucified And others that had slept in their Graves did come forth thence at our Saviours Resurrection and surely they came forth with those very bodies that slept there and not with new bodies Matth. 27.52 53. * We have here the first fruits of the resurrection to confiâ—m our faith And so much of the first use 2. Let us labour to strengthen our Faith in the belief of this Article And in order hereunto let us consider 1. This Article was that which many faithful Christians were ready to suffer Martyrdom for and to seal with their own blood 1 Cor. 15.29 else what shall they do or what shall become of them that are baptized that is that suffer Martyrdom * For so the word to be Baptized signifies sometimes as Mark 38. and the praepos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies for Acts 9.16 See Apost hist page 182. for the dead namely for professing to believe the Resurrection of the dead And why stand we in jeopardy every hour viz. of the like Baptism for the same profession either from persâ—cuting Sadducees who allow no Resurrection or from the furious Jews who deny Christ to be risen 2. This Article is a great foundation of a Christians hope 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead For if in this life only we had hope we were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 3. This Doctrine tends much to the illustrating the infinite wisdom power justice and mercy of God 4. It teaches us how much we owe to our Lord and Saviour who hath redeemed our bodies as well as our souls and will save our bodies as well as our souls 3. If there will be a Resurrection let us not bewail the death of our pious friends with too much sorrow or concernment Their bodies are but laid up for a glorious Resurrection 4. The consideration and belief of the Resurrection should strengthen us against the fear of our own death As God said to Jacob Gen. 46.3 4. Fear not to go down into Egypt for I will go with thee and bring thee
of thy Father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now Christ told the Sadducees that God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22.32 God so stiling himself their God sheweth that their souls did still live though separated from their bodies and also that their bodies should be raised again and both souls and bodies being re-united should live for ever * Deus est Deus Abrahae sâ—il totius God is the God of the whole man and not a part only And thus much for the proof of this Article out of the old Testament But the new Testament doth more clearly assert this Doctrine life and immortality being in a more evident manner brought to light by the Gospel as the Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1.10 To give some few places of many that might be brought for the proof hereof Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into life eternal John 3.16 36. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Mark 10.30 But he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal 1 Thes 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens John 17.27 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Having thus shewed that everlasting life is plainly asserted both in the old and new Testament I come now to shew that there are three degrees of this everlasting life held forth to us in the Scriptures 1. There is a life eternal Initial which is the life of grace John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life that is hath it begun in him hath the earnest of it in his Soul 2. There is a Partial life eternal which is the life which belongeth to the Soul when it is separated from the body 'T is the happiness which the souls of the Righteous enjoy between the time of death and the day of Judgment The Scripture is abundant in asserting this kind of life eternal which the separated soul injoys in the other world Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Matth 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Luke 12.4 Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say fear him Heb. 12.23 To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect Luke 23.43 Our Saviour said to the penitent Thief To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23.46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost Acts 7.59 And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to he with Christ which is far better 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in Prison Rev. 6.9 10. And when he had opened the fifth Seal I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held And they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth 3. There is a life eternal Perfectional which shall be conferred on the Saints after the re-union of their Souls and Bodies Matth. 25.34 46. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Then shall the Righteous go into life eternal Now this perfectional life everlasting which will be the portion of the Saints at the last day is such a life as shall be free from all evil and full of all good 1. Free from the evil of sin The Souls of the Just shall then be made perfect 2. The evil of temptation There was a Tempter in Paradise there will be none in Heaven 3. The evil of affliction All tears shall be wiped from your eyes Rev. 7.17 2. This life shall be full of all good 1. Their Vnderstandings shall have a clear knowledge sight and vision of God 2. Their Wills shall be perfected and adorned with an absolute and indefective holiness 3. Their Affections shall be set right with an unalterable regularity 4. They shall injoy an uninterrupted communion with God 5. They shall be blessed in their company 6. And lastly They shall have this blessedness secured to them without fear of ever losing it or being deprived of it But though the Saints shall enjoy such an eternal life in bliss as we have before described yet it shall not be so with the wicked Eternal life in misery will be their portion They shall be tormented 1. With the pain of loss 2. With the pain of sense 3. With the worm of Conscience a tormenting reflection on their former folly 4. With despair of ever coming out of that woful misery which is the very Hell of Hell But of these things I have spoken more largely in the former Treatise pag. 130. It remaines therefore now that I shew what improvement we are to make of this Article and then I shall shut up this discourse 1. We may from hence learn how inexcusable they are who hazard and expose their souls and bodies to eternal torments for a short satisfaction of their bruitish lusts 2. We should consider that there is no concern we have in the World that should lie so near our hearts as the making our peace with God upon sure and safe grounds 3. From hence we may learn how highly we ought to prize the blood of Christ and his undertaking by which alone we can escape the wrath that is to come 4. It may shew us how we ought to pity those who are running on in a full carreer
Now Parents dedicate their Children 1. Virtually when they dedicate themselves to God 2. Actually when their hearts actually and particularly consent to dedicate this Child to God 3. Sacramentally when they bring him to baptism and solemnly there dedicate him to God And this is the title of Children to baptism and not their meer natural relation to their Parents As for Sponsors God-fathers or witnesses probably the use of them in ancient time was this They were such as came to the Church and professed they believed the Parents were true believers and in case they did Apostatize or die did promise to see to the Christian education of the Child themselves But surely as the Parents faith and consent to dedicate their Child to God and that either of one or both conveys the right of baptism to the Child so the Parents themselves ought to be the principal dedicators of their Child to God in baptism If God-fathers or Sponsors be chosen by them as their deputies to do it for them it may possibly be admitted but as this is generally used 'tis a matter more of ceremony and civility than of Christianity And as a learned man * Fuller in his Infants Advocate page 156. sayes God-fathers are generally like brass andirons standing more for sight than service more for ornament than use 2. If Children were circumcised under the Law they may be baptized under the Gospel For baptism succeeds to all the essentials of circumcision Circumcision was not a meer badge of distinction to distinguish the Jews from other nations but a Seal of their consecration to God It had more in it of what was Sacramental than of what was Ceremonial And the chief mystery signified by circumcision was that natural corruption must be cut off and done away Now Christians are said by baptism to be spiritually circumcised Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands sayes the Apostle Col. 2.11 12. He urges it as an argument to them to throw off the Jewish circumcision for they were circumcised with the circumcision of Christ viz. with that which he had appointed in his Gospel and that was baptism So that baptism is now come in the room of circumcision And as Solomon sayes Eccles 1.4 One generation passes away and another comes but the earth remains for ever So may I say one Sacrament of initiation viz. Circumcision passeth away and another viz. Baptism cometh in its stead but yet the same Covenant of Grace that was then remaineth still So that what circumcision was to them our baptism is to us as particularly 1. Circumcision was to be a sign or token of the Covenant to them Gen. 17.11 So is baptism to us Acts 2.38 39. Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins c. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call 2. Circumcision was a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith to them Rom. 4.11 And so is baptism to us Acts 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. 3. Circumcision signified the necessity of sanctification to them and therefore they were required to be circumcised also in heart Rom. 2.29 So baptism to us Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life All the difference between circumcision and baptism is for our advantage For 1. Baptism is not so painful as Circumcision was None of our blood is required here to be shed 2. Baptism is not confined to the eighth day but may be done before or after 3. Women and female children may be baptized who could not be circumcised Acts 16.5 We read that Lydia was baptized And Acts 18.1 't is said they were baptised both men and women But we come to a third argument for infant Baptism and that is this 3. Whole Families were baptised under the new Testament as Lydia and her houshold Acts 16.15 Stephanus and his houshold 1 Cor. 1.16 And the Jaylor and his houshold Acts 16.31 32. Can we imagine so many families without any Children in them 4. Children are capable of receiving benefit by baptism why should they therefore be kept from it The benefits of Baptism are 1. Remission of sin by the blood of Christ and children need that remission by reason of original sin 2. Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ and they need the Sanctifying of the Spirit to renew their natures And Christ may in the due administraion of this Ordinance graciously work on the Soul of an Infant and change its disposition and infuse the seeds of grace into it before it comes to the use of reason why then should not children be brought to Christ and dedicated to him by baptism Surely they that keep them from him dangerously expose them to the grand enemy of their Souls 5. The fifth and last argument I shall bring for Infant Baptism shall be the practice of the Church in ancient times and near to the Apostolical And for proofs of this nature I shall take my rise from the time of Austin without looking lower and so ascend toward the days of the Apostles First then for Austin Augustinus Anno. Chr. 410. who flourished about the year of Christ 410. he is positive and express for it Epist 3. ad Volusiam consuetudo matris ecclesiae in baptizandis parvulis nequaquam spernenda est neque omnino superflua deputanda nec omnino credenda nisi apostolica esset traditio Idem libro primo de pec mer. remiss cap. 26. Parvulos Baptizandos esse Pelagiani concedunt Qui contra authoritatem Vniversae Ecclesiae proculdubio per Dominum Apostolos traditam venire non possunt Et Serm. 10. de verbis Apostoli de Poedobaptismo loquens Nemo inquit vobis susurret doctrinas alienas Hoc ecclesia semper habuit semper tenuit Hoc a majorum si de accepit hoc usque in fidem perseveranter custodit Somewhat before Austin lived St. Hierom Hieronymus 4â—0 viz. Anno. 400 who is clear for Infant Baptism Epist ad Laetam Qui parvulus est Parentis in Baptismo vinculo solvitur c. Children sayes he are freed in Baptism from the sin of Adam in the guilt whereof they were involved but men of riper years from their own and his Hieron advers Pelag. libr. 3. in fine And in conclusion he resolves Infantes etiam in peccatorum remissionem baptizandos esse that Infants are to be baptized for the remission of sins Before him lived St. Ambrose viz. about the year 370. Ambrosius 370. who speaking of the Pelagian Heresies who published among other things that the hurt which Adam did to his Posterity was exemplo non
practice of these things 1. Betake thy self to some retired privacy and sequestring thy self from worldly cares and business labour to bring thy mind into a good calm sedate frame and fitness for this great work 2. Earnestly beg of God to give thee the assistance of his holy spirit to inable thee to fit thy self for this solemn Ordinance 3. Seriously consider the danger of receiving this Sacrament unworthily that is without such a disposition of mind and such a preparation of heart and such reverence and devotion as is agreeable unto so holy an Ordinance Such persons as are not so fitted and yet approach to this holy Table are guilty of profaning this Sacrament which is the commemoration of Christs death and of vilifying the signs and pledges of his body and blood and so incur the danger of temporal Judgment and chastisement here and without repentance of eternal hereafter 4. Seriously consider what is required to a worthy receiving And here a twofold caution is to be observed 1. That the pitch of worthiness is not to be set too high so as none shall be thought sit to partake of this Table but such as have a high and eminent degree of grace For this â—â—dinance was appointed for the benâ—fit of the lowest Believers and sâ— such as are weak in the Faith 2. That it be not set too low so â—hat aâ—â— person though very ignorant of the true nature and end of this ordinance if he be free from gross open and scandalous sins may be thought fit to come and be admitted to it That we may therefore avoid both these I shall set down 1. What qualifications are requisite to a worthy Receiver 2. What are insufficient The qualifications requisite are these 1. Knowledge The fundamental principles and grounds of Christianity and the nature signification end and use of this Sacrament must be known by every one that would be a worthy receiver Ignorant persons therefore are totally unfit for the present and must first be instructed before they be admitted to this holy Ordinance But by the knowledge required we do not mean the profound knowledge of a Scholar who knows how to dispute upon any of these points and knows all the distinctions about them but the savoury knowledge of a Christian which hath these properties 1. 'T is not a meer speculative floating or swimming in the brain but a knowledge that affects the heart and works upon the affections 'T is such a knowledge of God as causes the heart to fear him such a knowledge of sin as works in the heart a hatred and loathing of it 2. 'T is an humbling knowledge Knowledge not sanctified puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 But the more any Soul is savingly inlightned the more it sees and is sensible of its own folly and corruption and great depravedness 3. 'T is a knowledge that is operative for the drawing the Soul to Christ and for the mending of the heart and reforming of the life Never let any man tell me that he has knowledge enough he knows as much as the Minister can teach him he knows the way to Heaven and Salvation as well as any body can shew him when I see him going on in paths leading down to Hell Shall any man perswade me that he has a sufficient skill in Physick and yet when he is dangerously sick he is neither sensible of it nor applies any fit remedy for himself Certainly that knowledge of the things of God is not right which does not affect the heart nor reform the life 2. Repentance They that are truly penitent have wrought in them by the Spirit of God 1. A Conviction of the evil and danger of their sins 2. True contrition and godly sorrow for them 3. A hatred and loathing of them 4. They are brought humbly to confess them with sorrow and shame unto God And 5. To turn from them unto God by sincere amendment of their lives 3. Faith in Christ This is a main qualification requisite to a worthy Communicant The main acts of Faith are these two 1. A serious owning and acknowledging Christ for the only Saviour of the World 2. A sincere giving up of the soul to him to be pardoned in his blood and sanctified by his Spirit and a solemn trusting and depending on him for all the benefits purchased by his death and passion And such a faith as this is operative for the purifying of the heart and reforming the life 4. Love Of this grace there are several acts required 1. We ought to excite a great love in our Souls to God our Creator and constant benefactor who sent his Son to redeem us 2. We ought to excite and stir up in our souls a great love to Christ Jesus who humbled himself to the death for us In contemplation of which transcendent love of Christ the Apostle cries out If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 Q. But you will say how may we know whether there be in us a sincere love to Christ or no 1. Have we been deeply wounded with a sence of our sins and have we betaken our selves to him as our only Physician to be cured and have we found him curing our accusing condemning consciences Hath our love to Christ any such foundation as this 2. Do we own Christ and love him as considered in all his Offices Do we love Christ not only as a Priest that has made atonement for us but as a Prophet and a King Do we love the guidance of his holy Spirit and the guidance of his word Do we love his Soveraignty as well as his Saviour-ship 3. Do we love him for his deep humiliation and bitter sufferings which he so readily underwent for us and for the great redemption and salvation he hath wrought for us 4. Are we willing to obey Christ If you love me sayes our Saviour keep my commandments 5. Is the interest of Christ dear to us Are we concerned in his honour and dishonour Are we suitably affected when his interest prospers or is trampled upon when it goes well or ill with his Church 6. Do we love him for those eminent graces which were so conspicuous in his life 7. Are we willing to be serviceable to him and to suffer for him when he calls us to it 8. Do we love him for his constant intercession for us at Gods right hand Let us try our love to Christ by these marks 3. We ought to have in our hearts a true love and charity to all Christians We should excite in our Souls a true love to all those that are real members of Christ We should love their persons graces and fellowship These we should love with a complacential love But besides these we should love our very enemies with a love of benevolence wishing well unfeignedly to them and praying for them The proper offices and effects of this Charity are 1. Forgiving injuries 2. Doing good against evil 3. Speaking
then beware lest thou forget thy God How apt are people at a full table to offend with their teeth yea and with their tongues also The table of a Glutton is usually a snare not only to his body but to his soul 9. 'T is a time-wasting sin Long sitting at meals and feasts how much precious time doth it devour which should be better imployed 10. 'T is a costly expensive sin It overthrows and wasts many a mans estate How great a part of the riches of many Kingdoms are spent in riot excess and luxury God threatens Prov. 23.20 That the glutton shall come to poverty And so it very frequently happens 11. It hinders mercy and liberality and relief of the poor For frugality is the purse-bearer to Charity The Prodigal House-keeper is not usually the most charitable to the poor True and prudeâ—t hospitality is one thing and prodigal house-keeping is another They that spend so much upon their own bellies seldom are so charitable to the poor as they might and ought to be 12. Gluttony is alwayes a great crime but much more heinous in times of publick calamity and when the people of God are under great afflictions See what God sayes by the Prophet Amos 6.1 4 5 6. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion who lye upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flock and Calves out of the stall That chaunt to the sound of the viol and invent to themselves instruments of musick that drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Observe also what God saith by the Prophet Isaias Chap. 22. Verse 12.13 14 And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sack-cloath and behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating flesh and drinking wine let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dyâ— saith the Lord. Lastly The greatness of this sin may appear in this that it is so often and so frequently committed Gods own people I suppose are not often tempted and overcome by drunkenness or uncleanness but let them take heed of Gluttony For this sin is apt to steal upon people before they are aware 'T is a sin that is apt to incorporate it felf with our appetite and desire of eating for the preservation of our health Our corrupt nature is as prone to excess in this kind as any other and therefore we had need be the more watchful against it And so much of the great evil and danger of this Sin 4. I come now in the last place to prescribe some helps and remedies against it 1. Look upon all your food as given you by God Receive it as from his hand and beg his blessing upon it And remember the Apostles rule whether ye eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God And if you have Gods glory in your eye it will be a great means to keep you from intemperance in this kind 2. Labour to mortifie and subdue the irregular inclinations and desires of the flesh What a horrible thing is it that a mans heart should be set upon the pleasing of his belly They that are true Christians ought to crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts 3. Remember how the first sin came into the World by eating O sin not as our first Parents did by an inordinate pleasing of your appetite 4. Check your appetite and resolve that shall not be satisfied to the full Be affraid of sinful excess The Apostle speaks of some Jude verse 12. that did eat without fear A man that would be temperate in this kind must be watchful over himself and must exercise some authority over his appetite For the belly is a Brute that commonly hath its ears stopt to Scripture or reason 5. Use all sensual delights in subserviency unto as means to their right end namely to make you more thankful more fit and more chearful in the service of God 6. Labour to understand well what is most conducing to your health and let that be the ordinary rule and measure of your diet both for quantity and quality Man in endued with reason as well as appetite and reason if we will listen to it will tell us that our health is more to be regarded than our appetite God alloweth us that which is most for our health and forbiddeth us nothing but that which will hurt us God would have us temperate that a healthful body may be serviceable to our Souls in our Masters work The common rule that most people do go by in cating is their appetite They think they must eat as they have appetite and if they could eat more with an appetite and not be sick after it they think they have not been guilty of Gluttony and excess Mr. Baxter who is not only a learned Divine but a skilful Physitian also writing about this sin of Gluttony and the frequency of it in his cases of conscience pag. 378. Conjectures that most sorts of people do usually offend herein and that particularly labouring people do ordinarily eat near a fourth part more than they need that Shop-keepers and persons of easier Trades near a third part that voluptuous Gentlemen and their attendants do often exceed near half and that the children of such Parents as govern not their appetites but let them eat and drink as often and as much as they will do usually exceed above half and thereby lay the foundation of the miseries and diseases of their whole life after And therefore he judges that children should be taught betimes some common and necessary precepts about their diet and what tends to health and prolonging their life and what to sickness and death and that these principles should be instilled into them with other moral precepts in the books that they first learn For 't is certain that none love sickness and death but all love health and life And therefore those whom the fear of God doth not restrain from this kind of excess may possibly be restrained from it through the fear of sickness and death But alass few grown people much less children have any considerable knowledge what measure is best for them to use but the common though deceitful rule they go by is their appetite 7. Sit not too long at meals For by that means people are tempted to eat a little and a little more and so at last they fall into excess 8. Do not over perswade and importune others to eat more than they have a mind to notwithstanding it is counted so great a piece of civility so to do We think them highly culpable who urge people to drink more than is fit for them why then
doth Gods stamp deface I shall conclude all with this earnest prayer to God that he would please of his infinite mercy timely to awaken the hearts of all those who are addicted to sin that by a speedy and serious repentance and forsaking of it they may escape that dreadful wrath which will be the portion of impenitent and unreformed Drunkards CHAP. VI. Of Uncleanness THE Nature of man is so vile and corrupt and so prone to this sin of Uncleanness that we had need use all care and caution lest while we are writing against it and endeavouring to beat it down we should any way stir it up and excite it In treating therefore of this Subject I shall proceed in this method 1. I shall shew the odiousness and heinousness of this sin and what great reasons we have to abhor it 2. Shall answer the vain excuses that men who are addicted to this sin do usually make for themselves 3. Shall give some directions and prescribe some remedies against it For the Fitst The Odiousness and heinousness of this sin may appear to us if we consider how strictly God hath forbidden it in his holy word and how severely he hath declared his displeasure against it And that man that is not awed by the declared will of his Creator I know not what will awe him 'T is in vain to think to convince a man of the evil and danger of any sin by other arguments whom the express word and declared will of God cannot convince I shall therefore set before you what God both in the old and new Testament declares concerning this sin and then leave every one to judge whether it be not our duty to abhor it and with all care and conscience to keep our selves from it Read therefore and well consider these following Scriptures Gen. 20.3 And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him behold thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken for she is a mans wife Gen. 26.10 And Abimelech said what is this thou hast done unto us one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us Gen. 38.24 And it came to pass about three moneths after that it was told Judah saying Tamar thy daughter in law hath plaid the Harlot and also behold she is with child by whoredom and Judah said bring her forth and let her be burnt * Observe these things hapned before the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Exod. 20.14 Thou shalt not commit adultery Lev. 18.20 Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbours wife to defile thy self with her V. 23. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thy self therewith neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto it is confusion V. 24. Defile not your selves in any of these things for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you V. 25. And the Land is defiled therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it and the Land it self vomiteth out her inhabitants Therefore commit not any of these abominations V. 28. That the Land spue not you out also when ye defile it as it spued out the Nations that were before you Lev. 20.10 And the man that committeth adultery with another mans wife the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death Deut. 22.22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband then they shall both of them die both the man that lay with the woman and the woman So shalt thou put away evil from Israel Verse 23. If a damsel that is a Virgin be betrothed to an husband and a man find her in the City and lie with her V. 24. Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of the City and ye shall stone them with stones that they die the damsel because she cried not out being in the City and the man because he hath humbled his neighbours wife So shalt thou put away evil from among you Job 24.15 The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twi-light saying no eye shall see me and disguises his face Prov. 2.16 When wisdom entreth into thine heart it shall preserve thee from the strange woman even from the stranger which flattereth with her words V. 17. Which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the Covenant of her God V. 18. For her house inclineth to death and her paths to the dead V. 19. None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life Prov. 5.3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honey comb and her mouth is smoother than oyl Ver. 4. But her end is bitter as worm-wood sharp as a two edged sword V. 5. Her feet go down to death her steps take hold on hell V. 8. â—emove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house V. 9. Lâ—st thou give thine honour unto others and thy years unto the cruel V. 11. And thou mourn at last when thy flesh and thy â—â—â—y are consumed V. 12. And say how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof V. 20. And why wilt thou my Son be ravished with a strange woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger Prov. 6.23 For the commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light V. 24. To keep thee from the evil woman from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman V. 25. Lust not after her beauty inthine heart neither let her take thee with her eye-lids V. 26. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life V. 27. Can a man take fire in his bosome and his cloaths not be burnt V. 28. Can one go upon hot coals and his feet not be burnt V. 29. So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent V. 32. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul V. 33. A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away Prov. 7 5. My Son keep my words that they may keep thee from the strange woman from the stranger which flattereth with her words V. 6. Fâ—â— at the window of my house I looked through my casement V. 7. And beheld among the simple ones a young man void of understanding V. 8. Passing through the streets neer her corner and he went the way to her house V. 9. In the twi-light in the evening in the black and dark night V. 10. And behold there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot and subtil of heart V. 11. She is loud and stubborn her feet abide not in her house V. 12. Now is she without now in the streets and lieth in wait at every corner V. 13. So she caught him and kissed him and
mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit and he that is abhorred of God shall fall therein that is he whom God is highly offended with for some former wickedness shall in a just way of punishment be delivered up to this ruining sin 3. God declares that he himself will judge those that commit this sin Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge God will judge all other sinners but the Apostle seems to intimate that God will judge these in an especial manner 1. Because this sin being usually committed in secret man cannot so easily come to the knowledge of it nor can he prove it by sufficient witnesses 2. Many great and potent men are oftentimes guilty of this sin whom ordinary Magistrates either cannot or dare not or through remisness will not meddle with Therefore God will take the matter into his own hands and he himself will judge it And 't is a dreadful thing to fall into the hand of the living God Crimes among men are oftentimes extenuated by reason of the greatness of the Person that commits them But God will judge every man according to his works 4. 'T is a sin that is usually attended with hardness of heart and very often with final impenitence When once men have so far debauched their consciences that Adultery and Fornication seem small matters to them they are seldom recovered By frequent committing this sin they give their consciences such a dose of Opium that the lowdest threatnings of Gods word cannot awaken them The Prophet tells us Hos 4.11 that whoredom wine and new wine takes away the heart that is besot the understanding Terrible are those words Prov. 2.18.19 The house of the strange woman inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life O the extreme hazard and danger that all Adulterers and Fornicators expose their precious souls unto for a short pleasure Travellers * Doctor Browns travels into Germany p. 111. tell us that at Presburg Metz and some other places in Germany they have a strange way of executing capital offenders which is this They have an Engine made in the form of and finely dressed up like a young maid or Lady with her hands before her The malefactor being brought to the place of execution salutes her first and then retires But at his second salute she opens her hands and cuts his heart asunder Methinks this is a notable emblem and representation of the horrible danger that adulterers expose themselves unto by their lascivious embraces * Cito praeterit quod delectat permanet sine fine quod cruciat Aug. Which if they did but duly consider before-hand they would as much tremble to venture on them as the poor condemned Malefactor does to make his second salute to the fatal Engine 5. Adultery * Adulterium quasi ad alterius thorum accessus is one of the greatest plagues imaginable to private families For thereby a spurious bastardly brood is brought in to inherit and share the estate instead of a legitimate issue Like as the Cuckow layes her filthy eggs in another birds nest making it to hatch and nourish them as if it were its own off-spring So that this sin usually breeds dismal confusion and fatal jars and strifes in those miserable Families where it is found 6. 'T is a great mischief to the Church For by Lawful Wedlock among Christians a seed foederally holy is brought forth but by this sin a spurious and unclean brood 7. 'T is a sin that defiles a Land and provokes God to send down most heavy judgments upon it We read that the Land of Canaan where Israel dwelt spewed out the Nations that were before them for their uncleanness Lev. 18.27 28. And therefore every honest person should have a great zeal for chastity and an utter abhorrence and indignation against uncleanness as that which is a ruiner of a Nation and a mischief to the community by drawing down Gods Judgments upon it 8. 'T is a sin that exceedingly blots the name * A Learned man writing of a great Prince who was also a great Captain sayes of him that he was egregius bellator sed non adversus carnem suam So that great men one would think should be afraid of this sin lest they should be recorded to Posterity under the Characters of fiâ—thy persons There are few fornicators or adulterers who do not by great and solemn repentance and amendment of life break off that sin but leave an infamous name and memory to posterity Prov. 10.7 The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 6.32 33. He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding He that doth it destroyeth his own soul A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away 9. It usually blasts the estate Prov. 6.26 By reason of a whorish woman a man is brought to a morsel of bread Job 13.10 'T is a fire that consumeth to destruction and will root out all their increase I appeal to every wise mans observation whether this be not usually the fruit of uncleanness 10. 'T is a sin that very frequently wasts and destroyes the body The Apostle 1 Cor. 6.28 Exhorts to flee fornication because among other reasons 't is a sin that so much hurts the body In other sins that men commit commonly they abuse something without the the body as the drunkard doth wine but this sin hurteth and abuseth the body it self in a more remarkable manner by an intemperate and excessive exhausting the vital spirits and consuming the natural heat and moisture which are the preservers of health strength and life And besides this sin is frequently attended with that loathsom disease which makes the committers of it to rot and stink above ground So that if there be any men so sottish as not to fear Hell or punishment in another life yet methinks they should resolve to live chastly for fear of rotting their bodies by uncleanness and so shortning this life wherein they expect all their happiness The Apostle indeed in that Chapter before-mentioned uses another argument of another nature to true believers why they should keep themselves from uncleanness Verse 15. Know you not sayes he that your bodies are the members of Christ and will you take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid For as wedlock makes man and wife one body lawfully so fornication makes the fornicator and the harlot one body unlawfully Further he shews that the bodies of true believers are Temples of the Holy Ghost who is freely given of God to dwell in them and therefore their bodies ought to be kept pure and undefiled The Apostle therefore in this place uses these arguments to true believers and not impure Fornicators For their bodies are not members of Christ nor Temples of the
his house as soon as his Son came to the Kingdom and though his own experience taught him to say more against this sin than is said by any other in the Old Testament yet it is a controversie among Divines whether ever he were perfectly recovered and at last saved or no. And is this an incouragement to any man to imitate him in this sin 3. They alledge that Our Saviour did not condemn the woman taken in adultery John 8. Answ Our Saviour asks the woman whether any man had condemned her according to the Law made in that case whereby he intimates that if the sentence of death had been lawfully passed upon her he would not have repealed it for he came not to violate the law but to fulfill it But our Saviour himself refused to condemn her because he came not into the world to execute the office of an earthly judge but of a mediator who was to procure the pardon of our sins through his merits and intercession He came not to condemn but to save and to give his life a ransom for many And therefore he would not execute the office of a Magistrate in adjudging her to death but of a Minister in calling her to repentance and amendment of her life And so much by way of answer to the excuses that such as are addicted to this sin do use to make for themselves 3. I come now in the last place to give some directions and to prescribe some remedies against it 1. Frequently pour forth thy soul in fervent and earnest prayer unto the Lord that he would please to keep thee from this sin and all tendencies to it When Paul prayed so earnestly to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan God answered my grace is sufficient for thee my strength shall be perfected in thy weakness 2 Cor. 12.8 9. 2. Use fasting and abstinence and beating down the body This unclean Devil goes not out by any means so soon as by fasting and prayer A weak body indeed must be carefully supported but a wanton and unruly body must be carefully subdued * Antisthenes his wish to his enemies was hostium filiis coâ— ingat n delitiis vivere 'T is storied of a virtuous maid that to rid her self of an importunate Suitor she told him that if he had that affection for her which he pretended he should manifest it by joyning with her in a resolution she had made which was that for twenty dayes together she would eat nothing but bread and drink nothing but water The young man though very unwillingly yet to satisfie her undertook it But when he had observed it about ten dayes he found his body so mortified and enfeebled that he had no mind to marry and so his Mistress was delivered from her importunate Suitor This story applies it self And if any shall say that abstinence is an hard lesson let such consider that the suffering of hell fire and the wrath that is to come is a thousand times harder 3. Labour that the fear of God may rule in thy heart This was that which kept Joseph innocent Gen. 39.9 and preserved him from the inticements of his lewd Mistress how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God The fear of God in the heart is a great preservative against this sin 4. Reverence thy conscience and hearken to it and mark what it speaks to thee now lest hereafter it speak to thee in a more terrible manner hear it voluntarily now lest it force thee to hear it hereafter against thy will when it will be thy tormentor It is reported of a chast woman that being tempted by a fornicator she desired him first to hold his finger in the fire a litâ— bâ—while which when he refused she said why should I then burn in hell for you 5. Labour to cast out of thy mind all unclean thoughts and phansies Drive them out with abhorrence as our Saviour did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple Take heed of speculative wantonness Vnclean thoughts usually infect and corrupt the heart and stir up in it unclean lusts and inclinations and heart defilement makes way for corporal Remember what our Saviour sayes Matth. 5.24 Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart There are fornicators in heart and adulterers in heart as well as in outward act Therefore sayes Solomon keep thy self from the evil woman and lust not after her beauty in thy heart Prov 6.25 A great means to prevent uncleanness lyes in this to keep a holy government over our thoughts and to abhor and cast out lustful thoughts out of our minds with detestation 6. Keep a strict guard and watch over thy outward sences particularly thine eyes * Oculi sunt in amore duces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut est in veteri verbo and ears Job said he had made a Covenant with his eyes Job 31.1 that is he was carefull to keep his eyes from gazing upon and his mind from thinking upon a maid so as to lust after her Stop thy ears also against all filthy and unclean discourse For filthy tales and stories do strangely corrupt the Phansie and stick odiously in the memory Therefore if thou be so unhappy at any time as to fall into such company where such discourse is used and such tales are told shew thy dislike of them and be sure never to tell them again For such discourse is pestilential and infectious 7. Be diligent in thy particular calling and keep thy mind well imployed Otia si tollas periere cupidinis arcus Avoid idleness * Quaeritur Aegystus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Facito aliquid operis ut semper inveniat te diabolus occupatum Vitium libidinis facile ex otio nascitur Nam dâ—finitio amoris est animae vacantis passio Chrysost in Math. and you take away a great occasion to lust 'T is observed of David that when he was idle he fell into that dreaful sin of adultery A laborious diligent person hath his body subdued and his mind imployed and taken up with better things The rich and the idle are usually the persons that are most under this temptation 8. Keep modest and sober company where thou shalt neither see nor hear any thing unseemly Fornication and all uncleanness let it not be named among you as becometh Saints sayes the Apostle Ephes 5.3 Evil communication corrupts good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 The filthy talk and tales and stories and sonnets of some profane persons how exceedingly do they corrupt the minds of others Let dogs and crows feed on Carrion Rational men loath such rotten and abominable stuff True Chrians abhor all impure discourse and all immodest actions 9. Shun and avoid such things as may be occasions incentives and temptations to this sin Such as these 1. Lascivious dancings I say lascivious For
of Oppression Extortion Cheating Lying Theft False-witness-bearing breach of Promise c. It occasions a great deal of trouble to the World by Quarrelling Contention Law-Sutes and the like He whose affections are inordinately set on money will not stick at the breach of any of Gods commandments There is scarce any sin so base and vile but he that is under the power of Covetousness will venture to commit it for gain and advantage * Avaritia Christum vendidit Therefore Davids prayer was Psal 119.36 Incline mine heart to thy testimonies and not to covetousness He might have said and not to lust or not to pride but it seems he looked on Covetousness as a Mother-sin which was like to produce many other sins wherever it prevailed 2. 'T is a very close sin 'T is a sin hardly discerned and so more hardly cured 'T is a secret subtil sin that hides it self under the cloak of frugality and good husbandry A man may be free from unlawful getting from deceit and injustice and yet be earthly-minded for all that If God should suffer a Professor to fall into drunkenness or uncleanness his conscience would be sure to flye in his face and severely talk with him But people that are Covetous and Earthly-minded hardly discern themselves to be so or think it no crime to be so though the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.10 reckons the Covetous among those that shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 3. 'T is a very insnaring sin They that will be rich sayes the Apostle that is that are resolved so to be either by hook or by crook fall into temptation and a snare 1 Tim. 6.9 Such persons will not stick at any thing that may promote their gain They will not care to make shipwrack of their consciences to gain the world And therefore Covetousness is many times the root of Apostacy Demâ—s hath forsaken me sayes the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.10 having embraced the present world Luke follows a suffering Paul but Demas through the love of the world forsakes him 4. 'T is a great dishonour to the Christian Profession What shall they that have Heaven set before them for a reward dote upon the earth Shall they that pretend to understand the surpassing excellency of the things above have their hearts and affections set on things below The Psalmist sayes Psal 135.15 The Idols of the Heathen are silver and gold 'T is a shame that silver and gold should be the Idols of Christians Therefore the Apostle writing to the converted Colossians Chap. 3. v. 1 2. tells them that if they be risen with Christ they must set their affections on things above and not on things on the earth 5. It much hinders profiting by the Woâ—d The Cares of this life choak the Word Matth. 13.23 There are many come to hear the word and sit before the Lord as his people whose hearts go after their Covetousness Ezek. 33.31 and so the word profits them not 6. It unfits a man to be a good Magistrate or a good Minister A Magistrate should be a man fearing God and hating Covetousness Exod. 18.21 A Gospel Minister should not be greedy of filthy lucre 1 Pet. 5.2 If either of them be under the power of Covetousness they are never like to discharge their duties faithfully 7. 'T is a very disquieting sin It disquiets the hearts of men and deprives them of inward peace They that covet after money pierce themselves through with many sorrows sayes the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.10 It creates also a great deal of trouble and disquiet to particular Families He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house sayes Solomon Prov. 15.27 A covetous Master of a Family will make his Children and Servants very slaves and drudges and will hardly allow them things necessary and Convenient 8. It exceedingly hinders a due preparation for death They that have their hearts over-charged with Covetousness and the cares of this life seldom take their latter end into due consideration How hardly sayes our Saviour shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God Math. 10.23 that is that have their hearts set on their riches and trust in them Corpulent birds seldom flye high Neither do they whose great care is to load themselves with thick Clay Heb. 2.5 6. mind Heaven or the things of the other life And so much of the evil of Covetousness 6. I come now to give some directions and to prescribe some remedies against it 1. Labour to understand wherein the true happiness of man consists Riches and wealth are not the distinguishing marks of the favour and love of God Men may have them and yet be of the number of them who have all their portion in this life Psal 17.14 God indeed does sometimes give riches to his own children that they may appear to be his blssiengs And to many of his own children he denies them that they may appear not to be his chief blessings The true happiness of man consists in reconciliation with God in conformity of his nature to him in having his Spirit dwelling in him and in being serviceable to him in his generation He that hath these is truly rich though he be poor in this World And he that wants these though he flow in riches and wealth yet I am not affraid to tell him he is for the present but a miserable man and in an unsafe condition 2. Consider the people of God ought to have a great confidence in Gods Fatherly care over them We are much pressed in Scripture to cast our care on God Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden on the Lord and he shall sustain thee 1 Pet. 5.7 Cast all your care on him for he careth for you Matth. 6.31 Take no thought for your life whaâ— you shall eat or what you shall drink or for your body what you shall put on but seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you What makes children and servants less solicitous and anxious less careful and covetous in their Parents and Masters house than when they are for themselves Why they depend on their Parents and Masters to provide for them and that sets them at ease as to that particular And should not we then depend on the care and providence of our heavenly Father Why should we not trust God for our bodies as well as for our souls considering the many gracious promises he has made to take care of us The Apostle uses this as a great argument against Covetousness and that we should be content with such things as we have because God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 3. We should labour to moderate our affections to the things of this World Holy Agurs prayer was Prov. 30.8 Give me neither Poverty nor Riches but feed me with food convenient for me Our Saviour tells Martha Luke 10.42 that one thing is necessary 'T is not necessary we