the Earth did quake the Rocks did rend the Graves were opened the Veil of the Temple was rent in the midst from the top to the bottom to signifie that the great High-Priest having offered himself by the eternal Spirit without spot was entring with his own Blood into the Holy Place of Heaven to obtain eternal Redemption and the expiation of mans sin for ever The very frame of Heaven and Earth seem'd to be shaken in the time of this great suffering men were astonished women wept many beat their breasts the Centurion who had the charge of this execution was convinced that the party executed was the Son of God Our blessed Saviour suffered this death with unparallell'd patience meekness he laid down his life willingly in obedience to his heavenly Father and out of love and a longing desire of sinful mans salvation No man could take it from him till the hour was come and he was willing to part with it because he as a Priest and general head and representative of mankind offered his life unto his heavenly Father as supreme Judge as a ransom for sinful man therefore his death was the greatest Sacrifice and the highest piece of service and obedience that ever was performed and was so highly accepted of God that it made him propitious satisfied his Justice merited his favour to sinful man made his sin pardonable and his salvation possible upon fairest terms whil'st he was by his own blood entring the sacrary of heaven his side is pierced and out of the same issue water and blood His body is taken from the Cross decently interred in a new Sepulchre where never any man was laid before his soul abides for a time separate and under the power of death and his humiliation did continue till the Resurrection and by his burial he hallows the grave to all believers By this Humiliation thus finished the foundation of our eternal salvation is laid and a way prepared and opened for a passage into heavens Kingdom I believe that Jesus Christ who was thus humbled who suffered cruel pains and was delivered to death for our transgressions was raised for our justification and so to communicate the mercies merited by his death converts us and procures the actuall remission of all the sins of such as repent and believe in him and by his life saves such as he had reconciled by his death He that did rise was the very same who died upon the Cross and the same body and soul which were separated by Death were united again by Resurrection as man he was raised as God he raised himself he rose never to die again but to live for evermore The time was the third day according to the predictions and prefigurations of old and the decree of God's eternal wisdom God did not suffer his Holy One to see corruption The manner of this Resurrection was glorious God then shook the Earth sent from Heaven an Angel appearing in great glory who terrified the Guard rouls away the stone which closed up the Sepulchre and made way for Christs Disciples to come freely and see that he was not there The Graves were opened divers of the Saints raised and appear'd in the holy City Death was conquered and divers of his Captives rescued out of his hands This his Resurrection was made manifest by testimony of Angels and of divers others who saw him spake with him and were assured of it he appears unto many and that many times and especially to the eleven Apostles who saw him heard him did eat and drink with him touched him with their hands To these he unfolds the Mysteries of his Kingdom gives them commission to go into all Nations and commands them to stay at Jerusalem till they received the Holy Ghost according to the promise of his Father God by thus raising him did manifest that he had accepted his Sufferings and Death as a full propitiation of the sins of men and by saying Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee made him universal King and Priest fully consecrated for ever He rose as head and representative of mankind especially of his Church and became not only the pattern but the first fruits and cause of our Resurrection so that as in Adam dying all died so in Him rising we shall all be made alive first to newness of life then to eternal glory The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead shall raise us from the death of sin unto newness of life and raise our bodies to immortality forty days he stays on Earth to comfort his Disciples strengthen their Faith make evident his Resurrection and give orders for the administration of his future Kingdom then he ascends from Mount Olivet in a Cloud up into the Heaven of Heavens Men and Angels being witnesses according to a former Vision that one like the Son of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came unto the ancient of days and that the Angels brought him peace before him He ascended that he might fulfill all things send down the Holy Ghost enjoy full joy in his Fathers presence and pleasures at his right hand for ever make intercession for his Saints prepare eternal blessed mansions for them raise up their thoughts and affections to that heavenly estate he had merited and prepared for them that where he is our hearts might be also and that he might receive a place at his Fathers right hand so it was prophesied of old that when the Son of man was brought before the ancient of days there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People and Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroy'd For his Father said unto him Sit at my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool and gave him a name above all names and set him far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come He was solemnly invested with a supreme universal power above all men and Angels established in his Kingdom confirmed by Oath in his everlasting Priesthood sent down the holy Ghost the Gospel the rod of his power went out of Zion he reigned in the midst of his enemies and many thousands did willingly submit unto him and his people for number were like drops of dew which fall from the womb of the morning When all things are fulfilled all enemies subdued the number of his Saints finished he will come from Heaven to determine of the final estate of men and Angels and judg both quick and dead And then he will deliver up his Kingdom to the Father that God may be all in all I believe that the Holy Ghost which is One God with the Father and the Son and is the Spirit of the Father and the Son by whom all things in Heaven and
world Amen CHAP. I. Of Christ's Universal Power Section 1 THese are the words of our blessed Saviour which he spake unto his Apostles and Disciples when after his Resurrection he was ready to ascend into Heaven for they pre-suppose Man's Sin Christ's Suffering and his Resurrection Man by sin had made himself miserable and liable to temporal and eternal death yet God was willing to deliver him Sin and Satan cast him down yet God in his abundant mercy was pleased to raise him up again The way which his eternal Wisdom had contrived to effect this great deliverance was strange wonderful his only begotten Son even that word which was God and by which he made the world must be made flesh and assume the nature of man and in that nature must take upon him the form of a servant be obedient unto death the death of the Cross rise again and be advanced to the highest pitch of glory so that the means of mans salvation are the humiliation and exaltation of the Son of God By his humiliation and sacrifice of himself he expiates mans sin satisfies Divine Justice and merits all mercies and blessings necessary for the full and eternal happiness of man By his exaltation he makes his sufferings effectual and communicates the benefits he had merited for we read That he was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4. 25. To be delivered for our offences was his humiliation unto death for our sins to render them pardonable To be raised again for our justification was his exaltation for the obtaining of actual remission his humiliation begins his exaltation consummates our salvation For being advanced to the right hand of his Father he sends down the Holy Ghost reveals the Gospel causeth it to be preached to all Nations and by his Word and Spirit converts man and plants the heavenly vertue of Faith in his heart and upon Conversion and Faith makes intercession in Heaven and procures his actual pardon reconciliation with his God and in the end the enjoyment of eternal glory so that without his humiliation man is not savable and without his exaltation he is not actually saved And thus we must understand that of the same Apostle For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. where we must observe That the death of Christ is his humiliation his life is his exaltation 2. That reconciliation is ascribed to his death salvation to his life For the Death and Blood of Christ was the propitiation for our sins and the foundation of our reconciliation the life and exaltation of Christ by his Word and Spirit converting us and making intercession for us is the cause of actual salvation Sect. 2. As in the two former Chapters we may read of Christs suffering death and humiliation whereby he mirited incomparable mercies and blessings so in this we read of his resurrection and the manner how he will apply and communicate his blessings and that is by a commission and power received and a commission and power given for the subject of the words are a two-fold commission The first granted by God to Christ The second by Christ to his Apostles These agree in some things differ in others 1. They agree as commissions giving great power 2. As expressing an unspeakable love unto and a tender care of sinful man 3 As issuing from the supream and universal Lord. 4. As tending to the same end mans eternal salvation yet they differ in these things 1. The former commission is granted by God immediately to Christ the latter is granted from God by Christ unto the Apostles 2. The former is the cause of the latter the latter an effect of the former 3. By the former Christ receives an universal power in heaven and earth and by the latter the Apostles receive only a limited power on earth Sect. 3. I will not say much of the first commission expressed in these words Ver. 18. All power in heaven and earth is given unto me Wherein he signifies that he had large power and it was given him where we must consider 1. Power given 2. The party to whom it was given 3. The donor or the Donation of it from the Donour In the power we may observe 1. The nature and quality of it 2. The measure of it 1. For the nature and quality of it it is spiritual and divine for Christ said My kingdom is not of this world John 18. 36. That is it s no secular power like that of the Princes of the world it s far more excellent and above it in respect of the subjects the laws the judgments the end thereof The subjects besides Angels are men considered in a spiritual notion and as capable of an eternal estate The Laws also are spiritual and bind not only Angels but the immortal souls and consciences of men Such are the judgments which determine and accord not only temporal but eternal punishments and rewards The end in respect of all loyal and obedient subjects is eternal peace and felicity for God gave Christ power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as he had given him John 17. 2. 2. The measure of this power is extensive and intensive Extensive in respect of the territory which is very large even the whole world whereof there be two parts heaven and earth so that it extends to all places and all things and so is universal yet the principal subjects are Angels in heaven and men on earth both intellectual and immortal creatures Intensive for its all power one may have some power or all power on earth and none in heaven or some or all power in heaven and none on earth but this is all power in heaven all power on earth all power on both so that Christ is over all persons in all causes supream Governour without any created superiour without any competitour without any partner it s all in the highest degree invested and inherent in one This is concernig the power 2. The person invested with it is Christ For all power saith he is given to me it was not given to any Angel or Angels nor to any Monarch or Monarchs of the world but to Jesus of Nazareth a man nearer to God then any of the Princes of the earth or any Principalities and Powers of heaven one more beloved of God and who had done a greater service than any other for he had humbled himself at his Fathers command so low as to be a servant and a servant obedient unto the death of the Cross therefore he and none other was thus highly exalted and received a name above every name 3. The Donour was God the Father As none but Christ was capable none was worthy of this transcendent power according to that universal acknowledgment of Saints and Angels Rev. 5 10. The Lamb slain
successours yet these things though not here expressed are certain 1. They must go to all Nations for none are excepted or excluded 2. They must begin at Jerusalem and first tender salvation to the Jew 3. They must begin in this place immediately upon the receiving of the Holy Ghost and the gift of Languages 4. They must go to other Nations as providence did direct them and the Spirit did reveal unto them 5. They might go severally and have their several assignations yet so that sometimes two or more might go together or meet at the same place 6. They might do and did many things by assistants 7. The principal work of the Apostles was to plant and lay the foundation of the Christian Church and Religion 8. Seeing the work could not be finished before the Worlds end therefore much must be left to their successours 9. Christ did not so limit himself to the eleven Apostles then present as that he could not commission others and invest them with Apostolical power for afterward St. Mathias was substituted in the place of Judas and St. Paul made a thirteenth Apostle 10. This universal power in respect of all Nations was not so limited to the Apostles or any extraordinary Ministers that the ordinary might not do Christ service in the universal Church or any Nation whether God should call him according to the opportunity and ability which God should give him But to be brief and hasten to the principal part of the commission I will in this proposition briefly observe four things 1. The preventing grace of God 2. His enlarging mercy 3. The benefits which redound unto us thereupon 4. Our duty to be performed in respect of this grace mercy and those benefits Sect. 3. 1. The preventing grace of God appears in this that the Nations did not pray to God to send them nor seek to the Apostles to come unto them nor did they come unto the Apostles but the Apostles were commanded to go to them and did go and came to all Nations They must not take their ease and make Jerusalem the place of their residence in one College Consistory or palace there They must not stand upon terms of Honour and send out their Edicts to cite and summon the Nations to come unto them and appear before them It s true that hitherto the Jew had taken State upon him and because of Gods Election of that City and the Temple the Gentiles must assemble there appear before God in that holy place If thus he refuse to do he must stand at a distance and continue without Christ without honour without God in the World If the Gentile will not come over to the Jew the Jew will not must not go over unto him But the time of this dispensation was expired and God will take another course and in his infinite mercy he will prevent the Gentiles of all Nations The Apostles must part asunder take several ways and with great labour peril charge visit the Nations of the World and seek their souls in every climate And God by them did bring the Gospel Christ and Salvation to their doors and offer Heaven and Eternity of bliss unto most unworthy wretches who never sought or thought of any such thing Then began to be fulfilled that which was spoken by the Prophet long before Esay 65. 1. I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought me not I said Behold me behold me unto a Nation not called by my Name The distance between God and sinful man is very great and would for ever so continue if God should deal with him in strict justice nay if he should not shew him great mercy For man would never think of God as he ought never desire him never come unto him if God should not prevent him call him and come unto him first For man will never seek his God if God do not seek him first For mans salvation must begin in Gods free love and preventing grace whereby he seeks him finds him and finds him dead in sins and trespasses and ready for to perish This is Gods preventing grace 2. His enlarging mercy appears in that the Apostles must go not only to the Jew but to the Gentile and not only to the Gentiles of some few Nations but of all and seek to gather them into one body and close them up into one fold For formerly his special mercy was confined to a single Nation the people of the Jews the posterity of Abraham by Jacob but now it must be extended to all Nations and to all sorts of all Nations No Nation in particular by name is excepted excluded or to be omitted and passed by God for a long time inclosed the Jew and by a partition wall severed him from all Nations in matter of Religion His Oracles his Covenant the promise of Christ the sanctifying Spirit and all the means of conversion were the priviledges of this people But now Gods mercies will not be thus straitned and contained in such narrow bounds The partition wall must be broken down and his saving grace will overflow these petty Banks and like the Ocean compass the whole Earth 3. But for what end must this mercy thus enlarge and why must they go unto all Nations of the Gentiles They might have gone to denounce most fearful judgements For what could Idolatrous Apostates who had forsaken their God who made them and every moment preserved them expect but some fearful punishments to be executed upon them Yet such was Gods mercy towards them that they were not sent to denounce judgement but to proclaim an act of Eternal Indemnity and Pardon of all their many grievous sins and promise and that upon fairest terms Eternal life Therefore the benefit of this preventing grace and enlarging mercy which did redound to all people of all Nations was very great They sate in darkness and the shadow of death under the power of Satan ignorant blind corrupted hardned without any means of conversion or hope of salvation But by the Apostles God sends unto them light life peace joy comfort Heaven gates are opened Eternal Life offered and Christ is very willing and desirous to save us and give us eternal bliss O that men would consider how great a mercy it is for God to come so near unto us and put us in a capacity of salvation 1. This benefit would appear to be the greater if we would remember how unworthy we are 2. The sad condition of others to whom God never vouchsafed the light of the Gospel without this preventing grace Salvation is impossible to all without this enlarging mercy impossible to many especially to us who live at so great a distance in a corner of the World But it hath been so enlarged that it reached us God hath found us Christ is come unto us and the heavenly light of saving truth doth clearly shine upon us So that if we perish we are deeply guilty and
World loving sinful man 2. His only begotten Son given to redeem us 3. The Holy Ghost regenerating us and working Faith in us that by faith we may escape eternal death and attain eternal life For this is the true and genuine sense of these words we read of many forms of faith and confession some called Apostolical related by many of the Ancients and of the Nicene Ephesine Constantinopolitan Roman Athanasian and others yet this is before them all above them all the ground of them all immediately divine delivered by Christ himself recorded in holy Scipture and therefore no unwritten Tradition In this respect Tertullian might well say that the Apostles had the rule of Faith from Christ and Christ from God For from whom he received his power from him he received this Doctrine which he commands his Apostles to teach and all Nations to believe Sect. 3. This is the ground of the ancient and Apostolical Creed delivered by the Apostles to the Churches which they planted as by several of the first Primitive Writers we are informed For they for matter and method agree with this and in both are conformable unto it The matter of them all is God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost and the method is to begin with the Father go on with the Son and end with the Holy Ghost though not in express terms yet by consequence By which it appears they took their rise from these words 1. They begin with God the Father and under this part bring in that first great work of Creation 2. They proceed to the Son the eternal word of the Father who was made flesh and redeemed mankind created righteous and holy and faln in Adam 3. They speak of the Holy Ghost who as Tertullian expresseth it is Sanctificator fidei by whom Christ was conceived the Prophets inspired the Church comforted Divers of them conclude with the final judgment wherein Christ shall render to all such as being sanctified by the spirit do believe eternal rewards to the devil and wicked men eternal punishments where we must observe 1. That creation extends to all things for God created heaven and earth and all things therein 2. Redemption reacheth only man for Christ redeemed not the Angels nor any other creature but sinful mankind 3. Sanctification is confined to the Church and the Elect people of God So that the Spirit sanctifies not all men but the Church Christ reedeems man but not all creatures God the Father createth all things and all persons The first part of the Creed concerning one God is against all Atheists and Heathen Idolaters The second concerning the Son Jesus Christ is against all Mahumetans and Unbelieving Jews The third concerning the Holy Ghost is against all Pelagians enimies of grace and counterfeit Christians And here it is to be noted that the mystery of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost was never so clearly and distinctly made manifest as it was when the Father out of Love gave his only begotten Son and sent him into the World and when the Son and eternal word was made flesh and redeemed man and when the holy Ghost descended in the likeness of a Dove and rested upon our Saviour Jesus Christ and came upon the Apostles and sanctified believers Sect. 4. After it hath been manifested that in this Doctrine concerning God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost 1. We have Christs own Creed and 2. That this was the ground of the ancient Apostolical Creeds and Confessions it remains 3. that I say something of that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed which we find in Ruffinus with an Exposition and which is used in the Catechisms and Liturgies of the Roman and reformed Churches In this we may observe 1. That for the principal matter and method its grounded upon our Saviours Creed and exactly agrees with the ancient and primitive Confessions For therein we have three principal parts the 1. Concerning God the Father and the work of Creation of the world the 2. concerning God the Son and the work of Redemption of man the 3. concerning God the Holy Ghost and sanctification of the Church and the Elect people of God This appears by that brief contraction of it in our publick Catechism which is a prime peice in this particular of antiquity and gives great light how to understand the confession and implies that it was grounded upon our Saviours Creed 2. To understand this Creed the better we must observe 1. The object 2. The act of man about this object 1. The object is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost considered 1. In himself 2. In his works which are 1. Creation 2. Providence Providence where of there are two parts 1. Preservation 2. Ordination 1. General of all 2. Special of man especially as faln Of this special providence there be two principal branches Redemption Application Concerning the Redeemer two things are to be observable 1. Who he is 2. What 's his work 1. He is Jesus Christ who for person is the only Son of God for Natures God and man and as man he was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary for Offices he is King Priest and Prophet 2. His work is that which we call Redemption whereof two parts His Humiliation His Exaltation His humiliation in that he taking upon him the form of a servant suffered under Pontious Pilate was Crucified dead and buryed descended into Hell His Exaltation in his Resurrection His Exaltation in his Ascension His Exaltation in his Session at the right hand of God His Exaltation in his Comming to Judgement The application of this Redemption hath three things considerable 1. The principal cause which is the holy Ghost by the word working Faith in us 2. The subject to which this application is made which is the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints which is the number of believers 3. The effects of this Redemption applyed Which are 1. Forgiveness of sins 2. Resurrection of the body 3. Life everlasting And here it s to be noted 1. That by the humiliation of Christ and especially the death and sacrifice of himself upom the Cross these effects and blessings were merited and in consideration of the same were promised 2. That God as loving us Redeeming us by Christ and applying this Redemption by his Spirit is the fountain and cause of salvation and eternal happiness 3. That God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as considered in himself and in his works of Creation Redemption and Sanctification is the principal object of the acts of this saving faith 2. As these things are the object of our Faith and the Credenda so the act is to believe To believe is 1. To be certainly perswaded of the truth of these things as revealed by God and certainly known to be so For the ground of a divine infallible faith must be a divine Testimony known certainly to be divine 2.
means of Conversion of the Word Sacraments Sabbaths Ministery of Information and Instruction Promises Threatnings Conmands Reproofs Exhortation good Examples Afflictions and many other things used by God in the vocation the power of the spirit accompanying these means and working upon the heart of the sight and sence of sin of godly sorrow fear hope prayers tears hearkning unto the word receiving it into the heart longing after Christ some beginning of comfort faith and conversion To this place also reduce the Scriptures which speak of the contrary as God passing by a people and denying them the means of conversion of such as to whom the means is vouchsafed yet they refuse to receive them despise them blaspheme rebel persecute Gods messengers and seek the abolition of Gods Laws and Kingdom Of such as seem to receive these means yet do not use them or if they use them yet not diligently and aright but are like to the high way the stony or the thorny ground Such places as speak of impenitency hardness of heart unbelief neglecting the day of Visitation unfruitfulness under the means of Salvation Hypocrisie Apostacy all neglect or resistence of any motives unto repentance deferring the time of conversion after conviction and falling off from any resolutions to repent or any degree of grace To that of Justification which presupposeth not only Gods mercy and Christs merit but also the sinners Repentance Conversion and sincere faith may be reduced all Scriptures which speak of Christs Intercession Remission Regeneration Reconciliation Adoption Manifestation of Gods special love hope of glory a right unto eternal life peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost freedom from condemnation removal of judgements the earnest and first fruits of the spirit abiding in us the guardance of Angels near communion with God Gods special care of the justified the turning of every thing to their good mortification of sin sanctification continued good works heavenly affections divine vertues patience and perseverance in Hearts Afflictions Persecutions Martyrdom Conflicts with sin Satan the world fastings falls recoveries increase of heavenly vertues longing desires to be with Christ watching praying providing for removal hence and the last account comfortable death conveyance into Abraham's bosom the secure expectation of the Resurrection freedom from all sin misery temptation and troubles of this life To this Head must be referred all such Scriptures as speak of the contrary as of Gods desertion after disobedience to his heavenly call withdrawing the light of the Gospel taking away his blessed spirit leaving the parties thus deserted to the power of Satan delivering them up to a reprobate mind security in sin despair terrours of conscience loss of all the former mercies and graces or rather a dinial of them exemplary judgments as forerunners of eternal destruction abiding under Gods eternal displeasure a cursed death and a reservation of the parts thus dead unto final condemnation and that sad condition till that time To the last of Glorification refer such places as speak of the universal Resurrection of the power and spirit of God raising us the manner of this Resurrection the nature and excellent qualities of the body raised as being immortal uncorruptible glorious spiritual and like the body of Christ our final Justification and glorious reward of ejoyment of the blessed presence of God and Jesus Christ our full and final Sanctification by the spirit our Society with Saints and Angels our spiritual glorious pleasant Paradice our full joys eternal pleasure unspeakable content freedom from all sin temptation sorrow songs of praise and the certainty and security of the continuance and perpetuity of full bliss Here also must come in those parts of Gods word which speak of the contrary as of the resurrection of such as are designed to eternal death upon their final impenitency of the immortality of their bodies that they may eternally suffer in body and soul their appearance before the dreadful Judge their condemnation their ejection out of Gods blessed presence into utter darkness and unquenchable fire their society with the Devil and his Angels their everlasting and intollerable sorrows and pains and the certainty of the continuance thereof without any hope of ease intermission deliverance Sect. 7. After that I have first declared the substance of the Scripture abridged in the Creed and secondly given some directions how to reduce the principal particular places of the word of God unto the heads of the Creed I now proceed to reduce the former particulars into the form of a Confession in this manner I believe in God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost who is only One Infinite Incomprehensible Eternal infinitely and eternally Wise Just Holy Powerful Glorious and every way Perfect and perfectly knows and loves himself from everlasting and is blessed in himself unto all eternity I believe that this One Glorious God did by his wisdom contrive and by his will decree to do many things out of himself and when he thought good he issued out with his Almighty Power to effect those things which he had before contrived and first he created Heaven and Earth and all things therein and the most glorious place which he made was the Heaven of heavens and the most excellent creatures were Men and Angels intellectual immortal free capable of Laws and of an eternal estate Man for his body was created of the dust of the earth and by the breath of God became a living soul and he was sanctified by the holy Spirit endued with heavenly gifts and virtues whereby he was righteous and holy and like unto his God and capable of eternal bliss tho his present estate was not immutable he might stand he might fall When this great work was finished by his Word Spirit without any pre-existent stuff any assistant any tool or instrument he continued by his Almighty power to support and preserve all things which do subsist by that word whereby they were created at the first By creation he manifested his eternal power and God-head became the absolute surpreme and universal Lord of all things and so continues by his preservation I believe that as he preserves all things created so he orders all things preserved in such a manner as that a Sparrow falls not to the ground without his will And as he created all things in an excellent order and gave them their inclinations power moving and tending to some end so he by his wonderful Wisdom directs every thing unto its several end and all things to the supream which is the manifestation of his glory In this ordination the government of his most noble creatures Men and Angels which he orders by certain Laws and Judgements unto an eternal estate as most excellent and wonderful to both he gave certain laws which they were able to observe and upon the observation they might certainly expect a confirmation in that blessed estate for which they were created many of the Angels sinned and were
irrecoverably lost and are delivered into chains of darkness reserved for the judgment of the great day Man received Laws both moral and positive by which he was bound to perform perfect and perpetual obedience or else to suffer death yet man being tempted by the Devil fell and by one man sin entered into the world and by sin death and death passed over all men in that all men have sinned This was the just judgment of God who cursed the Serpent and the Devil punished man and woman yet promised them a Saviour the seed of the woman who should break the Serpents head and take away his kingdom and power over mankind This was the judgment of the supream Lord whereby many of the Angels continuing obedientin the day of their great trial were confirmed in an estate of holiness and bliss the apostate wretches were condemned to eternal death and so fell as never to rise again yet man had hope of recovery because God by his infinite mercy was willing to prevent his eternal ruine I believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life This Son who is our Redeemer is that word whereby all things in Heaven and Earth even the Principalities Powers Thrones and Dominions of Heaven were created who is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person This word issued out of Eternity and in fulness of time was made flesh dwelt amongst men who saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Son of God full of Grace Truth So that he is truly God and truly Man in whom conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary we have One Person Two Natures eternally distinct and inseparably united He was conceived at Nazareth bornat Bethlehem saved in Egypt from bloody Herod and brought up in the place of his conception and his very birth was matter of joy and melody to the Angels of Heaven This Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ promised of old the seed of the Woman of Abraham of David according to the flesh and was anointed with the Holy Ghost above his fellows and was made King Priest and Prophet above all other Kings Priests and Prophets that he might govern us by his Power direct and teach us by his Wisdom and sanctifie us for ever by his own Sacrifice first offered for sinful men and then pleaded in Heaven 〈…〉 s all penitent Believers I believe that Jesus Christ the Word made flesh did humble himself very low took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient unto death the death of the Cross and both in life and death did manifest his Divine excellency and glorifie his heavenly Father In the day of his humiliation he did hunger thirst fast pray weep and took upon him the infirmities of man yet without sin and was mortal His conversation was holy and spotless and was so ordered that both in life and death he was a Mirrour of all heavenly Virtues His Doctrine whereby he revealed the Mysteries of Heavens Kingdom was pure and full of profoundest Wisdom and of sovereign power to save mens souls and his words such as never man spake and were confirm'd by signs and wonders and glorious miracles by which he declared himself to be the Son of the living God He by himself his Apostles and other assistants whom he had chosen and qualified for this work began to gather Disciples and lay the foundation of his everlasting Kingdom yet notwithstanding these so many Divine excellencies he suffers many indignities from his unworthy and ungrateful Brethren whom he loved above all other People in the world though he was a Son yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered For many did not believe in him many were offended with him The ambitious covetous corrupt hypocritical High-Priests Rulers Scribes Pharisees Sadduces being discovered unto the people and by him reproved for their sins and deserted by many of the people did envy him hate him persecute him revile him blaspheme him and designed his death which they often and many ways attempted and in the end prevailed In the last night of his mortal life on earth after the eating of the Passover the institution of the Sacrament of his blessed body and blood his consolatory speech unto his Disciples his heavenly prayer he enters into the fatal place and garden where his greatest sufferings began Then upon his serious consideration and lively apprehension of the bitter Cup he was to drink and the fearful passion and tempattion now at hand he falls into a grievous and extreme Agony wherein with earnest prayers tears and loud cries he desires his heavenly Father to spare him and to let the Cup pass from him yet so that he wholly resigns himself unto his will He desires his Disciples especially three of them to watch with him and to pray for an hour yet they fail him he falls upon the ground deprecates the Cup three several times sweats drops as it were of bloud and at length an Angel was sent from heaven to comfort the Lords of Angels so deeply was he humbled so greatly was he afflicted so much was he difcomforted while he prepares himself to encounter the powers of Hell and expiate the sin of man This woful fit was no sooner passed over but he is betrayed into the hands of sinners apprehended bound brought before the Council accused condemned as a plasphemer worthy of death and so the judg of Men and Angels was judged he is hoodwink't buffeted blasphemed spit upon and most fearfully aboused and being formerly betrayed by s and now with cursing swearing and forswearing denyed by S. Peter and forsaken of all his Disciples As for this he is brought before Pilate falsly charged with heinous crimes yet justified as having done nothing worthy of death The Judge is afraid to condem him willing to release him scourgeth him and at the importuniy of his bloudy enemies he at length condems him to the cruel cursed ignominious death of the Cross and delivers him to the Souldiers who deride him abuse him torment him and lead him to the place of execution There he is stripped crucified endures open shame cruel pains revilings bitter taunts from the High-Priests the People the Malefactors crucified with him and the Souldiers yet he reviles not again nor threatens but in respect of wrong received he is silent and dumb as the sheep before the shearer prays for his enemies provides for his disconsolate Mother comforts such as do bewail him and foretells their future misery In the height of his passion he cries out such was the extremity My God my God why hast thou forsaken me commends his Spirit into his Fathers hands and so dies This suffering and death was such as never any before it never any after it like unto it So much was signified at that time when the Heavens were darkned
poor souls that hearing they may believe call upon God be saved from Hell and Death and when the number of God's Saints are finished then they may be for ever glorified CHAP. VI. Concerning Baptism Sect. 1. YOu have heard of the first Proposition commanding the Apostles to go to all Nations concerning the second commanding them to teach all Nations the third follows and is this Christ commanded the Apostles to Baptize all Nations taught and discipled The former is concerning the dispensation of the Word this concerning the administration of the Sacraments where we have something of the Covenant something of Discipline In this Proposition we must enquire 1. What Baptism is 2. Who may and must administer it 3. Who are to be baptized 1. For the nature of Baptism it 's easily known from the Institution in this Commission It 's an initiating Sacrament of the New Testament wherein a Disciple is washed with water In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost The word Baptism is a derivative from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both signifie to dip or plunge a thing in water or some other liquid substance and because the end of this dipping or plunging is sometimes to wash and cleanse therefore both the words do sometimes signifie to wash and cleanse and because a spiritual cleansing is signified in this Sacrament therefore it is called Baptism This is only for the Name In this Description we must observe 1. That it is a Sacrament 2. It 's a Sacrament of the New Testament 3. It is an initiating Sacrament 4. This initiation is by washing with water In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 1. A Sacrament as here it 's understood is a Sacred or Religious Sign Rite or Ceremony And because there be many and several kinds of Rites which have their several ends and the end of Sacraments and these Mysteries is distinct and different from the end of other Rites therefore in strict sense a Sacrament is a Rite instituted of God to confirm his Covenant where we have 1. The general nature of a Sacrament 2. The efficient cause of a Sacrament 3. The end of a Sacrament 1. The general nature is that it 's a Religious Rite there are Civil and Religious Rites and both are used as additions to some other things or actions to which they are accidental and no ways essential and they usually signifie something to the understanding besides that which they represent to the senses The reason why they are added is the greater solemnity Thus the Sacraments are Religious Rites added to the Covenant of Grace and in themselves are some outward things and actions which represent some things and actions which are Sacred and Divine And this signification is not Natural but from Institution in this respect they usually make two material parts of a Sacrament 1. An outward sensible sign 2. An inward hidden spiritual thing signified So that the things and actions which are Rites are to be considered 1. In themselves 2. In their significative nature as signs These Sacramental Rites are annexed to the Covenant that it may be made and renewed with the greater solemnity Thus Circumcision is said to be a sign added to the Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed and in these ceremonial religious signs we usually have things actions words which usually inform us of the hidden mystical part 2. The efficient cause of these Rites to be observed by all Christians is God who by his Son Jesus Christ hath not only spoken unto us and revealed the Gospel but also instituted these Sacraments There are Rites invented by Men and also by Devils and some of them are abominable and from the multiplication of these in performance of Divine Service spring so many Superstitions when such things as God never appointed or required at our hands are conceited to be holy or necessary or of a sanctifying power therefore it concerns us all to consider what Rites are of Divine Institution whether they be Ceremonies of the Old or New Testament for God instituted Rites of old as well as in these latter times of the Gospel 2. What Rites instituted by him are now in force so as that we are bound to the observation of them By reason of Divine Institution and Command they are positive Laws of God which do not bind by reason of the matter of them which is indifferent but of God's Command from whose Institution Promise and Command but not of themselves they conduce to our sanctification 3. The end of a Sacrament is to confirm the Covenant in Christ made between God and man This presupposeth 1. The death and redemption by Christ as the foundation of the Covenant for if there be no Redemption there is no promise of life unto sinful man 2. A Covenant and this Covenant presupposeth a Law wherein God commands man to repent and believe in Christ and upon this Repentance and Faith promiseth remission of sin and eternal happiness And because God will deal with Man as with a rational free Creature he proposeth the conditions required in his Law and expects his assent and voluntary obligation of himself 3. When a man expresseth his consent and promiseth freely unto God that he will believe and repent then this Covenant is made The Redemption by Christ the Covenant in it self and the making of the Covenant presupposed the Sacrament is added that by it the Covenant may be solemnly confirmed both on God's part and Mans as though they put to it their hands and seals and so mutually engage themselves one unto another Thus Circumcision which was a Sacrament is said to be not only a Sign but a Seal because as a Seal is put to an Indenture or other Evidences and particularly to Leagues to confirm them so a Sacrament is added to this Covenant for confirmation so that neither part can draw back or neglect to perform except they will go against their own act and deed and solemn engagement This confirmation doth limit the general nature of Sacraments as they are Ceremonies and differenceth them from all other Rites which were but Signs or Types and not instituted to this end Sect. 2. Thus you have heard what a Sacrament is The second thing affirmed is that it is a Sacrament of the New Testament or Covenant This doth difference Baptism from all the Sacraments used by man instituted by God before Christ's Incarnation for there were extraordinary Sacraments of old as Baptism under the Cloud and in the Red-Sea Manna and water out of the Rock there were ordinary Rites as Circumcision and the Passover yet these might be said to be Sacraments of the Old Testament which differ in many things from these of the New and that not only in the signs and circumstance of time but chiefly in this that the former Sacraments did presuppose Christ to come and faith in him as not yet exhibited but the
Sacraments of the New Testament look at Christ as already come having shed his blood and finished the work of Redemption and require â—aith in him under that notion and in that respect As it differs from the former by this that it 's a Sacrament of the New Testament so in this particular it agrees with the Eucharist so that from hence we may describe a Sacrament of the New Testament to be a Rite instituted by Christ to confirm the Covenant of Grace in the blood of Christ already shed wherein we may observe 1. The blood of Christ shed 2. A Covenant confirmed in and by this blood of Christ and Sacrifice already offered 3. A confirmation of this Covenant made between God and particular persons by these holy Rites Sect. 3. Baptism as it is 1. a Sacrament 2. a Sacrament of the New Testament so 3. it is the initiating Sacrament of the New Testament For there are but two Sacraments of the Gospel instituted by Christ and this is the first in order and first to be administred it presupposeth the party to be baptized as an Alien and not yet solemnly admitted into the Church and Kingdom of God though he may be prepared for this admission and incorporation In respect of this initiation it differs from the Eucharist which cannot lawfully be administred to any but such as are members of the Church and incorporated already For as under the Law no stranger might be admitted to the Passover so under the Gospel no unbaptized person may come unto the Lords Table This is the reason why this Rite is called the Laver of Regeneration the Sacrament of our New Birth and of our ingrafting into Christ And as we are but once born so we are but once baptized for this Sacrament once rightly administred is not to be reiterated whereas the Eucharist being a Sacrament of our spiritual nourishment and growth is often to be celebrated Sect. 4. Thus you have heard that Baptism is an initiating Sacrament of the New Testament it remains that I inform you of the particular Rite of Initiation which is by washing with water In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost For this is the instruction and command of our Saviour in this Commission in these words Baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. where we have three things to be considered 1. Water the Element 2. Washing with water the Action 3. Washing in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost the words 1. Water in it self is a natural substance and a liquid Element granted unto mankind as a special blessing and to be used according to several virtues thereof for several ends one end is washing and cleansing bodies and other things that are â—ullied or defiled and this according to the purging and cleansing virtue thereof This Water according to this natural virtue was singled out by a Divine Institution and determination for an higher end and that is to signifie and confirm a spiritual cleansing And though some make this in Baptism to be a sign of Christ's blood which hath a power to cleanse and purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God yet in this Sacrament it rather signifies the Holy Ghost which sanctifies and regenerates the Church Therefore our Saviour saith 3. 5. Verily verily except a man be born of the Spirit and Water he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God In this respect Baptism is said to be the Laver of Regeneration by the renewing of the Holy Ghost which God shed on us abundantly Tit. 3. 5 6. In both which places the Spirit is assimilated to Water as washing cleansing renewing yet here it 's to be noted that the Spirit doth not renew and cleanse us but by virtue of Christ's blood which merited the renovation and purification of the soul. For if Christ's blood had not been shed the Spirit had never been given to sanctifie us Sect. 5. The action is Washing expressed in this word Baptize which word as you heard before signifies to wash and that often washing is the use and application of this Elemement for to cleanse which may be done many ways as by plunging the thing to be washed into the water wholly or by dipping or by pouring water upon it and sometimes by sprinkling for many things under the Law were cleansed by sprinkling of water or blood This action for this end implies the party to be baptized as polluted with sin and so unfit to have communion with God and to be admitted into his heavenly Kingdom Therefore he must be renewed purified and regenerated and that by the Holy Ghost ingrafting him into Christ and planting him into the similitude of Christs death and Resurrection thence we have two parts of this Regeneration 1. Remission 2. Sanctification in sanctification a death unto sin and a life unto righteousness In some kind of washing the death and Resurrection of Christ and also a death unto sin and a life unto righteousness were more clearly represented yet there is hardly any kind of washing but doth in some measure resemble these things But we must not in this Sacrament stand upon the more perfect or imperfect representation of the spiritual part thereof The principal thing visible sensible is washing cleansing the principal thing signified is the sanctification and purging of the soul and conscience Sect. 6. The words are In the name of the Father c. Where we must observe 1. That to be baptized in the name into the name unto the name of the Father of the Son of the Holy Ghost are the same 2. That as the name of Christ and Christ are often the same so the name of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost 3. That though Father Son and Holy Ghost are three and some ways distinct yet they are but one and the same God 4. That the Baptism in this name presupposeth the party to be baptized to have professed his faith in and his obedience unto the name of God the Father and the Son and Holy Ghost that his sins may be forgiven and that he may attain eternal life according to the promise of the Covenant on Gods part so that the Covenant is actually made between God and the party to be baptized These things premised the meaning is that in the name and person of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost baptize thee in this water and by this solemn rite admit thee to be one of Gods people a subject of his blessed Kingdom of grace to enjoy all the priviledges thereof and assure thee of the performance of the promises of the Covenant according to the profession and promise thou hast made and by this same rite solemnly bind thee to make good the profession and perform the vows which thou hast made unto God the Father who hath made thee and God the Son
must be universal we must do whatsoever our Lord hath commanded us for though there may be an inequality of things commanded yet there is the same reason why we should obey one as well as another the least as well as the greatest and that is the will and command of our Saviour In this respect it 's said that he that offends in one offends in all because of the contempt of the will of the Lawgiver we must not pick and chuse to do what we please obey some and disobey other commands we must not expect from Christ any liberty indulgence toleration dispensation to transgress any of the least of Gods Laws 3. It must be constant and continued to the end for there are no days nor hours of intermission we must always be doing and we must not rest till we have finished our work that will not be till this mortal life is ended we must serve our God day and night whilst we have any being And as God did not rest till he finished his work of Creation so we must not expect our Sabbath till we have finished the work of our Salvation our obedience must be one line drawn out and continued from the first moment of our conversion to the last day of our dissolution 4. As we must be constant so we must be diligent zealous active watchful God loves not lazie servants and the work is great and difficult and we meet with many enemies much opposition and must wrestle with many difficulties which are the greater because of the Devil and the World without and the Relicks of corruption within us Therefore our Christian life is a race and a continual warfare therefore we must not only put on the complete armour of God but we must strive and fight and put forth all our power and never think of rest till we have obtained a final and ful victory And though we cannot reach yet we must aim at the perfection of Angels according to that prayer Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven that is by those immortal blessed spirits who never sinned but do his Commandments hearkning to the voice of his word 5. Yet we must know that of our selves we are frail weak and without Christ we can do nothing and can do all things through Christ who strengthneth us Christ must give us his Spirit and strengthen us within and by this Spirit support us and assist us without Therefore must continually pray that according to his promise he would put his Laws in our inward parts and write them in our hearts and to do this more and more according to his promise we must not presume upon our strength but always humbly depend upon him who worketh both the will and deed of his good pleasure If he but a little desert us and withdraw his hand how suddenly may David and St. Peter fall and sin grievously 6. Yet though we may transgress and sometimes fall grievously yet we must not despair nor be secure but presently renew our repentance return unto God muster up all our power and fight and work and strive again and this with the greater force and power And this is our comfort we are not under the Law of Works which requireth perfect perpetual obedience or else threatneth certain and unavoidable death and destruction but under Grace which ministreth power and when we fall upon our repentance promiseth pardon life ane Christ will plead our Cause procure our Peace From all this it doth appear that baptized Christians must not be Soliâ—idians much less Antomonians and Lawless we must be loyal and obedient and not live like base earthly worldlings but like Citizens of Heaven for upon this condition we are admitted Subjects of an heavenly Kingdom Thus we understand that our duty is to submit to Christ our Law-giver know his Laws remember them observe them all out of Faith Love Fear with all our hearts carefully constantly depending always upon our Saviour and renewing our repentance daily For this obedience must be universal perpetual sincere free and we must obey not only in doing good but suffering evil if we be put unto it Sect. 3. By this time we know what our duty is now follows the reasons why we should perform it And lest any man should be discourag'd with the difficulty of the work or think it impossible I must first prove that it may be done It was a famous question of old Whether it be possible by Grace to observe and fulfil all the Commandmentâ— of God And it hath been determined in the affirmative that by Grace it is possible for what cannot Grace do Paul saith I can do all things A Christian hath a kind of Omnipotency in things necessary to Salvation and may truly say That these things which are impossible with men are possible with God and if God be for us who can be against us It 's true that to deny our selves to subdue our native and deeply-rooted corruptions and our sins confirm'd by custom to bear the heavy burthen of the Cross and suffer reproaches and bitter afflictions and persecutions for Christ's sake to forsake all and hate Father Mother dearest relations and life it self to offer an Isaac to rejoyce in the midst of fiery trials are very difficult things and far above the power of nature and so indeed they are Yet there is a divine power in Faith whereby all this may be done and hath been through the assistance of Christ And therefore let none of us despair but let us be assured that whil'st Christ sits at the right hand of God and his holy Spirit abideth in the Church we shall be enabled to remove Mountains subdue Sin and conquer Satan the great enemy of our Salvation Christ did never intend to bind us to impossibilities what we cannot do of our selves he will enable us to do neither did he ever require that we should observe whatsoever he hath commanded us by our own strength but as he hath merited Grace and Power for us by his Death so he will give it us by his Resurrection and then such things as are grievous to flesh and blood shall be sweet and delightsom to sanctified souls This being possible let us consider the reasons 1. We not only by God's command but also by our promise so solemnly confirmed by Baptism are bound to observe these commandments A loyal Subject will obey his Sovereigns command and will remember his Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity and an honest man will be as good as his word and promise made unto man and shall not we obey our Saviour's Laws written and confirmed with his own blood shall we promise and promise unto him and not perform shall we not only be disobedient but perfidious too and violate ouâ— sacred bonds This will make our sins most heinous and our punishment most grievous O therefore let us remember our Baptism and solemn Vows and prove faithful unto God and
our Saviour Jesus Christ and do his Commandments and never suffer our Baptism to be brought as a witness against us in the great day of our final Trial and Account 2. Let us consider the nature and qualities of these Commandments for there are no penal Statutes imposed by an arbitrary Power intending to oppress us and undo us There is no injustice can be charged upon them they are no ways defective but perfect every way in respect of the end for which they were given they are holy just and good Laws of Equity Wisdom and given out of dearest love directing us to Heaven and everlasting happiness and in keeping them there is great content Nothing is so grievous to Gods Saints as to transgress them and to keep them is the joy and delight of their hearts 3. The reward which Christ doth promise is excellent and far greater than man could expect or hope for rich prizes high preferments glorious rewards work strangely upon the hearts of mortal men and cause them to venture life and limb and many times Soul and all yet if any man could gain the Kingdom of the World and all the Glory thereof yet this is nothing to the reward of this obedience the least work of obedience shall be rewarded a cup of cold water shall not be forgotten and this reward is certain most certain as depending upon the promise of an Almighty Lord who can do what he will and will do what he hath promised and the time will not be long before it shall be rendred and received For he that shall come will come and will not tarry and it shall be eternal and eternally enjoyed and let all those who are obedient rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is their reward in Heaven 4. Yet if reward should not move us so much yet love should even constrain us and we should have no power to resist it Christ loved us and gave himself for us and greater love greater gifts there cannot be Therefore let us consider whose commandments these are which we must observe Are they not the commands of Christ our dearest Saviour who hath redeemed us with his precious blood is the propitiation for our sins and pleads his blood for us in Heaven and shall he love us so much and shall not we love him again O let us love him love him so much as nothing more and if we love him we will keep his Commandments and the more we love him the more obedient we shall be to the laying down of our liveâ— Though we love him much yet he loveâ— us more and though we should perform the obedience of Angels yet we canno◠〈◊〉 him seeing therefore that we ha 〈…〉 so solemnly engaged our selves by our Baptism to this obedience the Laws are so just and tending effectually to our eternal good the reward which God hath promised is so glorious and it is our Saviour who loved us so much who commands us therefore let us be obedient in all things to the end and let this be our great business Sect. 4. The second part of the Proposition is concerning the Ministers duty which is to teach the persons baptized to do whatsoever Christ hath commanded them In this we must consider 1. The persons teaching 2. The persons to be taught 3. The act and work of teaching 4. The matter to be taught or the heads of the Doctrine First The persons teaching are first the Apostles and after them their successors whose duty is not only to disciple the Nations and baptize them but also to inform them of the Laws of Christ for they must not only begin the work of Grace but must go on and finish they must not only lay the foundation but build on and consummate the work The business of Pastors and Teachers is not only to bring men to the amity of Faith but to perfection in Christ. Seconly The persons to be taught are such as having professed their Faith and premised obedience were baptized already and so admitted into the Church The former teaching respected them as out of the Church and tended to prepare them for Baptism and Admission This latter considers them as in the Church and tends to the further edification The end of the former was regeneration and conversion and the end of the latter is spiritual nutrition and confirmation For the subject of this teaching are such as as had promised but as yet not performed obedience such as were but babes and children whose condition required a tender and continual care in their teachers And though they know some of the Commandments by a general and imperfect knowledge yet they had not so clear and distinct knowledge of many of them in particular and did need not only instruction but exhortation 3. Therefore this teaching was not a bare instruction for to inform their understandding but also exhortation to stir them up diligently constantly and zealously to observe the Commandments made known unto them and besides with exhortation sometimes must be some admonition and reproof with directions in particular cases First knowledge was necessary for how can they obey when they know not the particular commands to be obey'd and to what purpose is knowledge though never so clear and distinct if they do them not When our Saviour had given his Apostles a commandment and improved it by his own example he adds If you know these things blessed are ye if ye do them 13. 17. So that it 's plain that the end of this teaching is the doing and observation of Christ's Commandments and therefore as they must represent them clearly to their understanding so they must press the obedience upon the strongest motives and let them know that though their knowledge should be sufficient and they should have perfect directions yet without the continual supply of God's Grace they will not be able to perform any thing and from all this we may observe that profession and knowledge will not be sufficient to Salvation This is the reason why the Apostles do labour so much not only to confirm their Disciples and Conâ—â—rts but also exhort them to obedience profession and practice must go hand in hand and never part assunder profession and knowledge without obedience is but hypocrisie an outward form and shadow of Christianity without the soul and power but where obedience accompanies profession it will be an evidence of the sincerity of their Faith and of their happy condition that they are passed from death to life 4. The principal thing in this Proposition is the matter of this teaching and that is the observation of all Christ's Commandments The matter of the former Doctrine was Truths to be believed and professed the matter of this latter is Commandments to be known and obeyed 2. These Commandments must not be the Traditions Superstitions and inventions of men nor the Laws and Edicts of Temporal Princes but they must be the Commandments of Christ. 3. They must be all the
pray in charity and love towards others 7. As he is Almighty and Almerciful in Christ in whom he hath promised all things we must pray in greatest confidence 8. Because our necessity is great and we seek great and necessary things from him so we must be instant importunate wrastle with him and not let him be quiet till he hear help and bless us Sect. 3. In the body of the prayer we must observe the Method and excellent order to which he hath reduced all matters to be prayed for To understand this we must consider that he hath made two general heads and parts of petition the 1. Of supplication the 2. Of deprecation In the former we petition for all good we can justly desire In the latter we seek deliverance from all evil where unto we are subject The good we pray for is spiritual or temporal the spiritual respects Gods glory in 1. Hollowed be thy name or our spiritual happiness in the coming of his Kingdom 2. In doing of his will Temporal good we pray for when we say Give us this day our daily Bread Deliverance from evil is two fold either from sin or affliction The evil of sin is either guilt of sin past or temptation to sin in time to come The former we seek in these words Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them who trepass against us The latter in these Lead us not into Temptation Deliverance from evil we pray for when we say Deliver us from evil Sect. 4. We begin our petitions with these words Hallowed be thy Name where by name we must understand the excellent Majesty and supream Dominion of God our heavenly Father in respect of which all honour glory power and praise are due to him and ought to be ascribed unto him by men and Angels for ever yet all this doth not make him more glorious and excellent then he is in himself for what can be added to that which is infinite This excellency and supream dominion we profess to believe in the first Article of our Creed and promise to acknowledge in the first commandment of the moral Law And here we pray for the universal acknowledgment in the first Petition for such must be our respect to him as that above all things his name may be glorified therefore in these words we pray that his name and supream excellency may be manifested more and more both by his Ordinary and Extraordinary works of creation and providence and also by his blessed word especially by the Gospel of Christ. â— That being manifested to us and to all others it may be more and more clearly known 3. That being known we and all others may acknowledge it and submit with all our hearts to him as supream Lord and that he may be glorified in the eternal destruction of such as will not honour him as supream Lord. In these words we pray against all Atheism Idolalatry Profaneness Rebellion Apostasie and the usurpation of divine power 2. We pray Thy Kingdom come where we have 1. A kingdom 2. The coming of it 3. A petition for the coming of it Gods Kingdom is two-fold 1. Universal and general over all 2. Special over men The latter here is meant this second Kingdom respects Men as sinful and ready to perish yet as having some hope of Salvation by the Redemption of Jesus Christ therefore it s the kingdom of God Redeemer looking upon Man as first redeemed and so ordinable unto everlasting salvation for sinful Mans happiness begins in Gods love which moved him to give Christ to death for the Expiation of our sins for this was the laying the foundation of Eternal Life The coming of this Kingdom is the exercise of his power to make redemption effectual for then this kingdom comes to any person or persons when God Redeemer begins to reign by his Word and Spirit and by them calls men to repentance and faith The end where at this government aims is the ruine of all enemies and the eternal peace of all such as shall submit unto his power and continue to be loyal and obedient subjects Thus God did alwayes reign since the first promise of Christ made unto Adam but this reign advanced and became more glorious after that Christ was â—et at the right hand of God sent down the Holy Ghost revealed the Gospel and it shall be consummate when all enemies shall be subdued and Gods chosen Saints fully and for ever glorified Some make two degrees of this Government the first of grace and the second of glory The one begins with our first conversation the other with the resurrection In this petition therefore we do not seek of God the coming of Christ nor the conquest of Sin and Satan upon the Cross nor of death by his resurrection nor his exaltation to the right hand of God nor the beginning of his reign for all these are past But we pray that our heavenly Father would 1. Send his Ministers with the Gospel and the power of his Spirit into all nations who sit in darkness and the shadow of death and contrive the means of conversion to all people who enjoy them and in particular to us 2. That he would make these means effectual to the conversion of many 3. That he would justifie sanctifie adopt all such as are converted 4. That he would do these things more and more till he hath subdued all sin in them 5. That he would hasten to subdue death the last enemy by the resurrection and the last change of mortal bodies 6. That all enemies being conquered he may reign perfectly and that when Christ hath delivered up the kingdom God may be all in all his Saints and give them perfect holiness full joy and peace everlasting 7. That he would by degrees and at last totally and finally destroy all the power of Satan Sin Death wicked Men which oppose our Salvation and Eternal Peace The principal thing desired is first eternal life then all means which conduce unto the end The principal effect of this Government is destruction of Rebels and Enemies and the conversion and salvation of his People To this head may be referred all Petitions for the ruine of Babylon and Antichrist persecuting Enemies both open and secret for good Magistrates Ministers and Governours in Church and State for powerful preaching of the Gospel for good discipline and due administration of the Sacraments and here is to be observed that the more his Kingdom comes the more his name is hallowed and glorified 3. Yet because no man can enjoy the benefits peace and priviledges of any Kingdom tho never so excellent except he will submit unto the power of the Prince observe his Laws and do his will therefore that we may attain to the eternal peace and felicity of this Kingdom we pray that the will of our heavenly Father may be done where we have 1. The will of God 2. The doing of it 3. The manner or pattern of doing 4.
did give the promise and he was only fit to do it for there can be no doubt either of his fidelity or power as he was able so he was resolved to make good what he had said and his word was his deed and will be so unto the end He and he alone could procure the Spirit and send him down from heaven the Angels were at his command all creatures at his beck and as he had begun so he was resolved to finish the work of mans salvation This his purpose he might have concealed or reserved to himself a liberty yet he was willing to promise and by a promise not only to signifie his mind that they might know it to their comfort but also to bind himself unto them And now he cannot go back This promise is a ground of unspeakable comfort and encouragement to all faithful Ministers and doth assure us the Church shall continue to this worlds end Sect. 4. The third thing to be considered is the thing promised and that is Christs certain presence with them to the worlds end where we have 1. His presence 2. The continuance 3. The certainty of it 1. His presence is signified in these words I am with you which implies that he will not be against them nor will he be absent from them for there are enemies who are against us and there are friends which are absent and far from us but Christ will not be an enemy or a Friend at distance 2. It 's Christ that will be present I will be with you and that 's more then if all men and Angels should be for us and ever present with us 3. This presence is not bodily for Christ was justly after this promise taken up into Heaven bodily and the Heavens must contain him till the restitution of all things 4. It s a spiritual presence and the same far more excellent than that of his body for though a body may at several Times be present in many places yet it cannot be present in more places than one at one time but Christ by his Spirit might be with them in all places at all times for he promised before his death and passion to send the Comforter which should comfort their hearts in his absence teach them and lead them into all truth and upon Penticost he sent down his Spirit upon the Apostles which hath continued and will continue in the Church for ever 5. This is not a bare or meer presence for so this Spirit is present in all places at all times neither is it a presence with some general power for so he is with all things to preserve them But it s a special presence with a special active power for spiritual ends to produce spiritual and supernatural effects It is a presence not only to comfort strengthen assist and deliver them but also a powerful presence to make their Ministrry effectual for the eternal Salvation of mens Souls This Holy Ghost discended and rested upon Christ when he was ready to preach the Gospel and execute publickly his Offices When he first sent these Apostles he gave them the gifts of this Spirit After his Resurrection he breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost commanded them to stay at Jerusalem and wait for this Spirit upon the day of Penâ—ecost as before this Spirit came upon them By this Spirit all the Members of the Church are sanctified the Ministers qualified the Word and Sacraments made effectual and sentence of the Church so valid and of such mighty force Take away this spirit you take away the life and soul of the Church the power of the Ministry the efficacy of Word and Sacraments and without it all the Preaching Praying and other works of the Ministry will not be able to convert or comfort one Soul It s said I will be with you that is with you mine Apostles and your Successors in the Ministry to assist and bless and guide you in the discharge of your trust and execution of your office Dispense you the Word and Sacraments by the faithful observance of my mandate endeavour to save poor Souls and in that work I am with you no ways else so that such as are most faithful and diligent are most certain of his gracious presence Here is no promise made unto any particular Church or Ministers more than to others here is no express mention or intimation of the Bishop or Church of Rome or Jerusalem or Antioch or Constantinople The promise is made to the Church in general and their Ministers especially to such as are most faithful in their place and office Sect. 5. This is the presence the continuance of this presence is the second thing observed and is expressed in two words 1. Always or every day 2. To the worlds end 1. Always signifies that there shall be no intermission or interruption of Christs presence and assistance He will not absent himself or neglect them or desert them for a day so that they shall never have any cause to complain or say where is my Saviour now whether is he gon why hath he forsaken me There may be sad and woful times wherein Christ may seem to hide his face and to have forgotten them for a certain time yet even then Christ is with them and his faithful Ministers though he doth not appear and instantly manifest himself He must be with them always or else he breaks his promise and that he will never do Let us therefore do our duty always and Christ will be always with us 2. He will be with us to the worlds end this may be a longer this may be a shorter time Some understand the last period and end of that present generation the destruction of Jerusalem and the death of the Apostles and the reason of this opinion may be because some take the promise to be personal and to be made only to the Apostles for their lives yet this is rather a conceit than any solid well grounded truth especially seeing the end of the world in other places signifies either a far longer time than the life of a mortal man on earth unto the consummation of the creatures and to all eternity So the person or the time of the final judgment when the world shall be no more but Christ shall raise the dead deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all for when the number of Gods Saints is finished there will be no need of Word or Sacraments or Ministers and then this promise is performed to the full But whilst these continue as they shall continue to the end Christ is bound and will certainly be with them that he may make his redemption effectual by them in the 〈…〉 sion and salvation of poor sinners 〈…〉 3. The certainty of this perp 〈…〉 seems to be implyed in the note of attention Loe and in the verb of the present tense for Christ doth not say I will be but I am with you for nothing is more certain than that which is present Besides some Copies have Amen added which is a strong confirmation of the promise But this certainly doth chiefly depend upon the power and fidelity of Christ who hath made the promise and hath kept it in all times unto this day And the particle Loe doth require as their so our special attention and serious consideration both of the person promising and the thing promised that they might be fully assured of performance to the utmost By vertue of this promise it is come to pass that in the midst of the tumults and confusions of the world and af ter the ruine of so many glorious kingdoms of so many potent Empires and of so many flourishing Churches of particular Nations yet an universal Church with Word Sacraments and Ministry do continue to this day and the gates of Hell could never yet prevail against it so that we may take up the Words of the Psalmist Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth the Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge for this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide unto death Amen FINIS