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no violent hands laid upon Moses or Aaron by whose ministry all the Plagues were brought upon him But this is no sooner withdrawn from him but his cruelty vents it self and Moses is threatned with death if he came again into his presence 3.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
mutable Creature that he should fall It was most congruous that God having made such a Creature as Man furnished with such powers and capable of being governed by a Law and of being moved by promises and threats should for some time hold him in a state of tryal unconfirmed that it might be seen how he would behave himself towards his Creator and that he should be rewardable or punishable accordingly in a state that should be everlasting and unchangeable But if any shall further inquire into the manner of this first defection 't is most probable there was in the instant of temptation a suspension of the understanding's Act not only as previous to the sin but as a part of it and thereupon a suddain precipitation of Will as Estius determins But let us not too curiously inquire into this matter 'T is wholsom counsel that one gives that we should labour rather to get sin out of our Souls than trouble our selves how it came in For as a man that falls into a deep Ditch or Pond 't is Austin's similitude does not lie there considering how he fell in but labours speedily to get out so it should be with us in this case 4. Let us consider what were the sad effects and consequents of this sin and breach of Gods Covenant First Upon our first Parents Secondly Upon us their Posterity 1. Our First Parents were hereby deprived of their Original Righteousness and Communion with God 2. They became depraved and corrupted inclin'd to evil and indisposed to good 3. They brought themselves under an estate of wrath were driven out of Paradise and were made liable to death both Temporal and Eternal And though they were reprived for the present from suffering the penalty the Law requires yet 1. Sorrows were inflicted on the Woman in Child-bearing Under which we may comprehend her sorrows in breeding bearing bringing-forth and bringing up her Children 2. Sorrow also was inflicted upon the Man Gen. 3.17.18 Cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread c. 3. His Dominion over the Creatures was much impaired 4. He was rendred utterly unable to help out of this miserable estate 2. Let us consider the sad effects of Adams fall in reference to us 1. We were involved in the guilt of his first transgression For the Covenant was not made with Adam only but with all mankind who where seminally or radically in him We were not indeed then personally in him for we were not then Natural Persons but we were in him seminally and virtually And God may justly reckâ—n us to have been seminally in him because our Essence was to be derivâ—d from him And as when a man is guilty no part of him is innocent so we were guilty of â—dams first sin so far forth as we were parts of him and in him As Levi is said to have payed Tythes in Abraham because he was in the Loins of his Father Abraham when Melchizedech met him Heb. 7.9 10. though he was born some Generations after him on the same grounâ— it may well be inferred that all Adams posterity did eat of the forbidden fruit in him because they were all at that time in his Loins And the Apostle speaks to the same purpose Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the World c. In whom * Eâ—â— in qâ—â— hâ—â— viro non muâ—ieâ—e qâ—â—d vir sit praecipuuâ— aâ—â—â—or posteritatis tam â—si mâ—lio pâ—iâ—â—est laâ—sa â—raim all have sinned If a Father by Treason forfeit his Estate no wonder if his Children de deprived of it 2. We were hereby dâ—prived of Original Righteousness Rom. 3.23 All have sinned that is in Adam and so come short of the glory of God that is are depriv'd of his glorious Image which in mans first creation was stamped upon him By reason of that first sin of Adams whereof all are guilty want of Original righteousness and depravation of Nature are come upon us as a just punishment of Adams transgression and are the sad consequents of it Therefore some say that God now deprives Souls of Original Righteousness Non qua Creator sed qua Judex 3. Instead of Original Righteousness a corrupt disposition and vitiosity of Nature was imparted to all their Posterity descending from them by ordinary Generation The Soul is now propense to evil because it wants that rectitude that should regulate it As sickness besides the depriving us of health affects our bodies with corrupt humors Mr. Cotton on Eccles 11 Vers 5 holds that God forms the Soul of man of the Spirituous part of the seed of the Parents and so Original corruption is naturally propagated from the Parents to the Children This corrupt disposition is called The old Man Rom. 6.6 The sin dwelling with us Rom. 7.17 It is called Flesh as opposite to grace Rom. 7.18 The Law of the Members Rom. 7.23 Body of sin Rom. 6.6 The body of death Rom. 7.24 Lastly A mans own lust James 1.14 In which place by the next words following 't is plainly distinguiâ—hed from actual sin as being exprâ—sly affirmed to be the procreant cause of it So that by this Original corruption all our Faculties are depraved 1. Our Minds blinded 2. Our Wills rendred averse to that which is good 3. Our Memories unfaithful to retain what is good but too tenacious of evil 4. Our Consciences defiled 5. Our Affections disordered These are some of the sad Consequents of Adams First transgression 4. We are cast under the wrath and curse of God Besides the effects of this wrath and curse upon our Souls of which before our bodies are now liable to diseases and deformities and all our enjoyments and every condition of our lives is subjâ—ct to a curse And which is most deplorable we are liable by reason of our sins to Eternal wrath and misery 5. We are hereby rendred utter unable to help our selves Rom. 5.6 The Law exacts perfect and perpetual obedience under a curse Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Now here observe Two things 1. What the Scripture speaks concerning mans Impotency and inability to help himself out of this miserable condition wherein he is by Nature 1. He is said to be meer darkness Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness sayes the Apostle to the Converted Ephesians but now ye are light in the Lord And 1 Cor. 2.14 But the Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God For they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 2. To have a heart of stone Ezek. 36.26 3. To be enthralled under the Dominion of sin and Satan Acts 26.18 4. To be dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1.5 5. To be without strength in Spiritual things Rom.
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
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
dead body In all which places the word rendred here the dead or dead body is Nephesh And Anima is used pro cadavere in Virgils Aeneiad 3. animamque Sepulchro condimus And as the word Nephesh sometimes signifies a dead body and might have been so rendred in Psal 16.8 so the word Sheol there rendred Hell does also sometimes signifie the grave As Psal 55. v. 15 Let death seise upon them and let them go down quick into Hell Psal 141.7 Our bones are scattered at the graves mouth where the word Sheol signifies the grave and not a place or receptacle of Souls under the earth And let this be further considered that these words are to be understood only of Christs Resurrection as appears plainly by the Apostles drift v. 31. and prove not at all the deliverance of his Soul out of Hell but of his body from the Grave And if the words instead of Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell had been rendred thus as the Hebrew words as we have shewn will well bear thou wilt not leave my dead body in the Grave nor suffer thine holy one to see Corruption there had been no pretence to alledge this place to prove Christs descent into Hell Having thus examined their Scripture-grounds for this Doctrine I come now to consider the ends assigned by them why our Saviour should thus descend And those are two 1. Some hold that he descended into Hell to deliver the Souls of the Patriarchs detained till then as they suppose in limbo Patrum that is in an out-skirt or outward region * The Papists divide Hell into four Regions 1. The Hell of the Damned or place of everlasting torments 2. Purgatory where they say the Souls of such as were not sufficiently purged from their sins in this life are detained for the thorow purging of them And are there in torment equal for the time to that of the damned 3. Limbus infantium a place where they suppose such children are disposed of as die without Baptism whom they suppose to suffer the loss of Hâ—aven and heavenly happiness but no pain or torment 4. Limbus patrum Where in like manner the Fathers before Christ as they suppose were detained though suffering no pain yet wanting the joys of H aven And they say Christs Soul when it was separated from his Body descended thither to deliver them fâ—om thence and to carry them to Heaven of Hell where they suffered no pain indeed yet wanted the joys of heaven I Answer There is no ground to believe that the Souls of the Patriarchs or other Righteous Persons that died before the coming of Christ were kept in any place below which can be called hell or limbus Patrum Abraham's bosom surely was in the Heavens above far from any region where the Devil and his Angels were Elias was carried up in a Chariot to Heaven and our Saviour sayes Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 8.11 And surely the Kingdom of Heaven is no region of Hell This also must be remembred that Christs death was efficacicous for the Salvation of Believers before his coming as well as since he being a Lamb slain in the decree of God from the beginning And therefore no necessity to place the Patriarchs in limbo our Saviour having by his Allsufficient merits and intercession provided a better place for them 2. Others say that the end of our Saviours descent into Hell was to triumph over Satan and all the powers below within their own dominions And the places of Scripture they bring to prove it are Col. 2.14 15 He blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross And having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it And Ephes 4.8 Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on High he led Captivity Captive and gave gifts unto men I Answer From these two places of Scripture no more can be proved than this that Christ triumphed over Principalities and Powers at his death upon the Cross and led Captivity Captive at his ascension into Heaven And if the places be well weighed I believe they will be so far from proving that Christ descended into Hell to triumph there that they will appear more proper to perswade the contrary For why shoud he go to Hell to triumph over them over whom he had triumphed on the Cross And why should he go to Captive that Captivity then which he was to lead Captive when he ascended into Heaven And further in vain shall we pretend that Christ descended into Hell to lead Captivity Captive if we withal maintain that when he descended thither he brought none away that were Captive there And for his triumphing over his enemies in Hell surely the Prophet David intended no such thing when he said Acts 2.26 27. Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell He speaks of it as a matter of joy and gladness as a matter of great benefit not to be left there But can it be accounted a benefit or matter of joy to any one not to be left or permitted to stay in that place to which he came purposely that he might triumph over his adversaries whom he had conquered surely no. So that there seems not to be any sufficient ground to assign either of these for the ends of his supposed descent But to come closer to the matter none need trouble themselves to find out ends why our Saviour should descend thither seeing there is no express place in the Scripture where the Holy Ghost sayes that Christ did descend into Hell the place of the damned The four Evangelists that wrote the History of our Saviour make no mention of his going to any such place The Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 15.1 2. mentions Christs Death Burial and Resurrection but not a word of his descent into Hell This was no part of the Gospel which Paul Preached And for the further clearing of this matter let us consider these things 1. His God-head could not descend being every where present as we said before 2. His Body was laid in the Grave 3. His Soul went not to Hell but immediately to Paradise the place of joy and bliss Luke 23.43 This day sayes our Saviour to the penitent Thief shalt thou be with me in Paradise These things being premised I see not that this article of Christs descent can be understood of his Soul either metaphorically or really Others therfore understood it of his body And here also is some difference For some by Christs descending into Hell understand only his burial because in those Creeds where this Article of Christs descent was expressed there is no mention of his Burial but it is wholly omitted Thus the Athanasian Creed who
given because that Jesus was not yet glorified 6. He ascended that he might prepare a place for his members John 14.2 In my Fathers house are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you Heb. 6.20 Whither the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus made an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck 5. We come to consider the time when he ascended viz. forty dayes after his Resurrection Acts 1.3 The reasons why he continued so long we may suppose to be these two 1. to confirm unto his Disciples his Resurrection and assure them of the truth of it and 2. To instruct them in the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God 6. Let us consider the place from whence he ascended viz. Bethany that part of Mount Oliveâ— which was near Bethany 7. Let us consider how he ascended viz. while he blessed his Disciples he was parted from them And while they beheld a Cloud received him out of their sight We come now to consider what improvement we ought to make of this Doctrine 1. Christs ascension confutes the Popish Doctrine of transubstantiation He is not really and corporally present in the Sacrament He is not there for he is ascended into Heaven 2. It makes for our consolation It may serve to encourage us to go to God in all our necessities seeing we have so powerful an advocate at Gods right hand 3. Seeing Christ is ascended it may assure us that if we be his members we shall ascend also The head being ascended the members must likewise in due time ascend John 17.24 Father I will that those also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The Apostle speaks of the ascension of true Believers as a thing already effected by Christs ascension Eph. 2.6 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus that is having by that power by which he raised Christ from the grave quickned us and bestowed a new spiritual life upon us he hath also in assured hope raised us up from the dead in Christ our Head and hath set us with him in Heaven For He sitting there who is our Head we who are his members may at present not unfitly be said to fit there also in him and shall infallibly come thither in due time 4. It may take away the fear of death yea make it desirable to us if we be members of Christ seeing it will but carry us thither whither he is gone before to prepare a place for us Therefore the Apostle sayes Phil. 1.23 that though he was in a strait betwixt two whether he should desire to die or live considering the need the Philippians and others had of his Ministry yet as for himself he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better than to continue in this World Having thus spoken of Christs ascension to Heaven sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty it remaineth that I speak of the other part of the Article viz. his sitting on the right hand of God the Father Almighty Concerning this Article we shall shew these things 1. That the promised Messiah was to sit on the right hand of the Father 2. That our Messiah did after his ascension sit on the right hand of God 3. We shall shew the importance of this phrase 4. What improvement we are to make of this Article 1. The promised Messias was to sit on the right hand of the Father This was foretold Psal 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool That those words were spoken concerning the Messiah may appear from Mat. 22.44 and Acts 2.34 35. 2. Our Messias after his ascension did sit at the right hand of God Mark 16.19 He was received up into Heaven and sate on the right hand of God This was an honour never promised never given to any but the Messias Heb. 1.13 To which of the Angels said he at any time sit on my right hand The Angels indeed stand about the Throne of God but never any of them sate down on his right hand But our Saviour was so assured of this honour that before the Chief Priest and Elders when he saw his death contrived and his Cross prepared he expressed his assurance of it Luke 22.69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God And the Apostle Peter speaking of him after his Ascension 1 Pet. 3.22 sayes Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him 3. Let us inquire what is the importance of this phrase sitting at the right hand The intent of the Holy Ghost is not to shew what bodily posture Christ is in but what dignity he is in therefore in Scripture Christ is sometimes said to be at Gods right hand Rom. 8.34 1 Pet. 3.22 sometimes to sit on Gods right hand as Mark 16.19 sometimes to stand * Sedere judicantis est stare vero adjuvantis G egor at Gods right hand and thus he appeared to Stephen Acts 7.55 56. as ready to assist him as ready to plead for him as ready to receive him 'T is true God being a Spirit hath no material parts no right hand or left hand but he is pleased to condescend to our capacities and to speak to us after the manner of men among whom the right hand is the most honourable place Thus 1 Kings 2.19 Bathsheba was placed on Solomons right hand The right hand of God must therefore be taken here metaphorically not properly And so it signifies 1. The great honour given to Christ 2. The great Power and Dominion he hath obtained in Heaven It imports his Kingly Power and it was his solemn entry upon his Regal office as to the execution of that full dominion which was due unto him For worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Rev. 5.12 Therefore he said after his Resurrection all power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28.18 And the Apostle tells us Phil. 2.8 9. To him every knee shall bow that is that all should be subject to him The principal end of this Regal Office of Christ is the effectual Redemption and actual Salvation of all those whom God hath given him And whosoever or whatsoever opposeth their Salvation is by that opposition become his enemy And seeing the Promise of God cannot be evacuated our Saviour must exercise this his Regal Power at the right hand of God till all such enemies be subdued 1 Cor. 15.25 For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet And when the whole Office of the Mediator shall be compleated and fulfilled
of Gods people is represented to us after a figurative manner of Speech by the names of Sion and Jerusalem Psal 87.2 The Lord loveth the Gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacob and Psal 112.6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee The name Church occurreth not till the time of the Gospel and then it was imposed by our Saviour For no sooner had Peter made this confession for himself and the rest of the Apostles Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16.16 but presently our Saviour adds upon this Rock that is the rock of this confession or upon this Truth whereof thou hast made profession will I build my Church As if he should have said This profession or this Faith which thou hast professed shall be the foundation of Believers especially the object of this faith and confession viz. I my self who am the true Messias The Greek word for Church is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies coetum evocatum a chosen or selected company a company called forth of the world or chosen out of others to profess Faith in Christ and to worship the true God according to his will And hereby is to be understood the body collective of all Gods people professing Faith in Christ though made up of several particular Congregations which have been called by the grace and goodness of God to a participation of his Word and Sacraments and other outward means of eternal life The Church therefore in the language of the New Testament doth alwayes signifie a company of persons professing faith in Christ Single persons so professing are members of the particular Churches to which they appertain And all those particular Churches are members of the universal or Catholick Church which is one by unity of aggregation not only of many persons but also of many Congregations of believing and baptised persons The Church is therefore one though the members be many And there are several things wherein the members of the Catholick Church do agree and several things also wherein they differ The things wherein they differ are these 1. The members of the Church are not all of the same age or standing in Christ Some are Babes some Young men and some are Fathers 1 John 2.12 13 14. 2. They are not all of the same degree of strength Some are of small strength and have need to be fed with milk and not with strong meat Some are weak in Faith and apt to be offended whom the stronger must take heed of offending Some are of sounder understandings and others are tainted with errors and corrupt opinions 3. They have not all the same degree of gifts nor the same sort of gifts 4. They are not all of the same usefulness and serviceableness to the Church Some are as Pillars Gal. 2.9 Some are fit to be teachers of others some so live that the Church hath much benefit by their lives and great loss by their deaths And some are such troublers of it by their weaknesses and corrupt distempers that their death is some ease to the places where they did live 5. They are not all the same in regard of office Some are appointed to be Pastors Teachers Elders Overseers and Stewards of the mysteries of God and to feed the flock and to be their Rulers in spiritual things And some are the Flock commanded to learn of them and to have them in honour and high esteem for their works sake and to obey them As there are diversity of gifts so also of offices 6. They have not all the same imployment The Magistrates work is of one kind and the Ministers of another There is one sort of duties belongs to Parents and another to Children one to Mâ—sters and another to Servants 7. All the members of the Church are not to be equally honoured and loved Even among the Elders there are some that are worthy of double honour Some are of high and excellent gifts and graces and as more of God doth shine forth in them so a greater love and honour is due to them 8. The members of the Church will not have all an equal degree of glory there being a great inequality in their graces and the services they have done for God in this World And so much of the things wherein the members of the Church do differ 2. Let us consider what are the things wherein they agree 1. The members of the Catholick Church strictly taken as comprehending only the true living members thereof have all one God the fountain of their being and happiness and are all related to him as Children to one Father Eph. 4.6 2. They have all one Head Redeemer Saviour and Mediator Jesus Christ to whom they are all united 3. They have all one Holy Ghost dwelling in them illuminating sanctifying and guiding of them and are all animated by this one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 4. They have all one principal ultimate end which is the glory of God and their own eternal Salvation which they all aim at hope for and expect Eph. 4.4 5. They have all one Gospel which teaches them the knowledge of Christ and the things appertaining to their Salvation 6. 'T is one kind of Faith that by the holy Doctrine is wrought in their Souls though the degrees be various and in the main essentials of Christianity they usually agree though in lesser things there is sometimes much difference among them Eph. 4.5 7. There is one new disposition or holy nature wrought by the spirit of God in them all And the affections predominant in them have one and the same object Sin is the chiefest thing that all of them hate the displeasing of God is the chief thing they all fear and God in Christ is the prime object of all their loves 8. They have all one rule or law to live by The moral Law is to them all a rule of life 9. They are all entred into one and the same Covenant to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and to give themselves up sincerely to the service of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost 10. They agree in a special love to the whole Church and desire of its welfare And though there may be some differences through mistake between some particular members yet they desire and pray for the safety of the whole 11. They agree in their love to all the Ordinances and institututed means of Grace and make use of them in order to their improvement in holiness And thus much of the things wherein the members of the Catholick Church do agree 2. We come to consider the nature of this Church There are two things by which the nature of this Church may be discerned from such other publick Assemblies which may seem to lay claim to this title 1. Holiness 2. Catholicism or Vniversality Now this Church may be called Holy 1. In respect of its vocation All the members hereof are called unto and engaged
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