bring in all their strength object what they can either the justice of God or the number and hainousness of my sins what are all these Seeing Christ hath dyed who is he shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect whom shall condemn It is Christ that dyed As if he had said seeing Christ the beloved Son of God hath offered up his life as a Sacrifice and satisfaction to the justice of God for my sins I will not fear the accusations of Satan nor the objections of mine own carnal heart Q. What hath Christ done for our Redemption A. 1. He performed that obedience which we did owe to the Commandments of God 2. He suffered that punishment which was due unto us for our sins The former is called Christs active obedience the latter his passive obedience Christs active obedience was most absolute and perfect for he perfectly performed whatsoever the Law of God did require which himself intimateth in that speech of his to Iohn Baptist Matth. 4.15 It becometh us to fulfill all Righteousness And as we were made unrighteous by the first Adams disobedience So are we made righteous by the obedience of the second Adam Christ Jesus This the Apostle expresly noteth Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience meaning Adams many were made sinners So by the obedience of one namely Christ shall many be made righteous that is all who belong unto him And as Christ subjected himself unto the Law and fulfilled the same for us in our stead whereby he purchased eternal life and salvation for us So likewise he suffered that punishment which was due to us for our sins and thereby redeemed us from death and hell For as the Prophet Isay speaketh Isa. 53.6 The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all that is the punishment due to all our iniquities And verse 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carryed our sorrows The sorrow and anguish that was due to us for our sins he hath born it all and every jot of it And so having made full satisfaction to the justice of God for us we are discharged Therefore saith the Apostle Eph. 1.7 we have redemption through his blood that is through the bloody death and passion of Jesus Christ we are redeemed from all our sins But yet this is not so to be understood as if we were redeemed from the curse by Christs passive obedience and had the inheritance of glory purchased for us by his active obedience separately considered but by his active and passive obedience joyntly considered we are both redeemed from the curse and entitled to glory Q. What offices did Christ undertake to make us partakers of the benefit of that which Christ did and sâ—ffered A. Christ undertook three Offices he became a a King a b Prophet and a c Priest a Act. 5.31 b Deut. 18.18 c Psal. 110.4 Q. What are the parts of Christs Kingly Office A. 1. To govern his Church Christs governing his Church is partly External and partly Internal 1. External by his Word wherein his Laws are revealed And by his Officers and Ministers which he hath appointed to stand in his room to whom he hath committed not only the word of reconciliation but also the power of the Keyes or a power to put his Laws and Orders in execution 2. Christ doth Internally govern his Church by his Spirit whereby he so powerfully works upon them that he makes them willingly to submit to him Q. What other part is there of Christs Kingly Office A. 2. To provide for his Church Christs providing for his Church extends to all things needfull for soul and body even to all spiritual and temporal blessings He provides spiritual blessings for the souls of his members by furnishing them with all needfull saving graces He likewise provides temporal blessings for their bodies so far as he seeth to be good for them The young Lyons do lack and suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing Psal. 34.10 Q. What other part is there of Christs Kingly Office A. 3. To protect his Church Christ protects his Church and Members from all enemies Her enemies are Visible and Invisible Her Visible Enemies are all manner of wicked men Her Invisible enemies are the Devil and his Angels Christ either keepeth these enemies from assaulting his Church as Gen. 35.5 or weakneth their power and restraineth it as 2 Sam. 3.1 Or delivereth his out of their clutches as Exod. 14.39 Or destroyeth their enemies as 2 King 19.35 Q What is the chief work of Christs Prophetical Office A. To teach and instruct his Church Q. How doth Christ instruct his Church A. 1. Outwardly by his Word 2. Inwardly by his Spirit First Christ instructs his Church outwardly by making known his Fathers will which he did by his own mouth when he lived upon the earth And by his Ministers after his Ascension into Heaven by their writings and Preaching Obj. Some may Object and say Gods will was made known before Christ was born Ans. 1. It was indeed made known but not so clearly nor so fully as by Christ. It was obscured by Types 2. It was not then made known altogether without Christ. For though Christ of old did not so visibly shew himself a revealer of his Fathers will as after he was born and lived on Earth yet did he reveal Gods will to the Children of men in those dayes For wheresoever God is said to speak the Son of God the second person in the Trinity is there meant And when God is said in any visible shape to appear to men the same person the Son of God appeared Yea that which Angels or Prophets made known to men was first made known to them by the Son of God Act. 7.38 In this respect among others Christ is often called the WORD as Iohn 1.1 c. For as men by word of mouth ordinarily declare their mind and meaning So did God declare his will and mind by his Son 2. Christ instrúcts his Church inwardly by causing his Spirit to work with the outward Ministry which he hath ordained upon the souls of men Christ speaketh now in Ministers as he did in Paul 2 Cor. 13.3 though not in the same measure yet in the same manner Thus in and by those Ordinances which he hath prescribed to his Church he enlightneth the mind mollifieth the heart comforteth the Conscience yea and worketh faith hope love patience new-obedience and all other needfull graces Q. What are the parts of Christs Priestly Office A. 1. Satisfaction 2. Intercession These two were thâ— principal works of the High-Priest under the Law 〈◊〉 did by offering Sacrifice The other by entring into the most holy-place with Incense Both these are joyned together and applyed to Christ Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that ' is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Here we have
how uncertain thou art of being out of Hell till the next morning Surely this consideration is enough to amaze any poor Christian who is indeed Regenerate but maketh some question thereof in himself How much more should it amaze and startle thee who art yet in thy carnal and sinfull estate and stir thee up without any farther delay to escape for thy life and make out in hast after thy Redemption from this dreadful condition I would ask thee this question Whether if thou shouldst put off thy seeking after the great work of Regeneration and conversion till another year week or day thou art sure to be then on this side the grave or on this side hell Certain it is thou hast no assurance of thy life for one day longer Nay I dare boldly say thou thy self knowest and believest as much Ah sinner what folly yea what madness is it then for thee wilfully to live one day longer in such an estate in which if thou shouldst dye thou art without hope of recovery undone for ever Obj. Haply thou wilt say though I am not sure to live another day yet I am likely being in good health and strength of body Answ. How many as strong and healthfull as thy self have suddenly by death been snatched away And why maist not thou be as soon taken away having no Lease of thy Life who then but a fool or a mad-man would adventure his eternal happiness upon such an hazard Oh therefore as thou tenderest the everlasting good of thy precious soul put not off this great and weighty work a day longer for who knoweth what a day may bring forth Hadst thou been taken away in the state thou art in how sad had thy case been where hadst thou been at this hour Certainly thou art not able to conceive the dreadfulness of that misery thou shouldst now have been in And hast thou lived all this while in so great danger and wilt thou live in it still God forbid Hath a miracle of mercy kept thee out of hell so long and wilt thou yet continue securely in such danger of it Oh ungratefull wretch Questionless if thou hadst any ingenuity in thee thou wouldst be ashamed thus to abuse the patience and long-suffering of God towards thee which should have led thee to repentance Thou shouldst rather take up a resolution and say though I have hitherto abused the patience and long-suffering of God I will abuse it no more Though I have often slighted and rejected the gracious invitations of Jesus Christ yet through the grace of God I will reject them no more but close with them and give up my self unto Christ from henceforth to be ruled and governed by him God hath allotted to every man who lives in the bosome of the Church a certain day of grace and time of repentance which whosoever neglects can never be saved Ah sinner as therefore thou wouldst not neglect thine own Salvation neglect not the day of grace neither let slip the season of mercy but as the Apostle exhorteth To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation if that be once past there is no recovering it CHAP. VII Sheweth the miserable and dreadfull condition of the Vnregenerate in their life-time HAving given you some Motives to quicken up your desires and endeavours after the work of Regeneration I come now to shew you the Means on your part to be performed for the better attaining thereunto which may be brought to these two general heads 1. The Embracing some truths 2. The Practising some duties The Truths to be embraced are these 1. That every man in his state of unregeneracy is in a miserable state and dreadfull condition 2. That there is hope of mercy for the greatest sinners That you may the better understand the miserable condition of men in their state of Unregeneracy I shall shew you their miseries 1. In this life 2. At death 3. After death Their miseries in this life are briefly these I. They are Servants to sin and slaves to their lusts making it their main work and design to serve their sinfull flesh with its affections The baseness of this slavery under sin will appear the more if we shall consider 1. What it is we do inthrall thereby even our precious souls which at first were created after the Image of God and fitted for his noble service and communion with himself Now for this immortal Being to be a drudge to base pleasures and profits to the vain and vile things of this World is a most sad degeneration 2. What are the fruits of this spiritual bondage and slavery 1. At the best a little seeming pleasure or profit that lasts but for a moment which the Apostle calls the pleasures of sin for a season they are but of little worth and but of short continuance And sure it must needs be a point of folly eagerly to pursue these sinfull lusts and pleasures which are but light and temporary which do but appear and vanish to the hazard of those durable riches and eternal pleasures which are at Gods right hand 2. Another fruit which usually follows upon our slavish subjection to our lusts is death eternal according to that of the Apostle the wages of sin is death and that eternal as appeareth by the opposition of eternal life for saith the Apostle The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life So that as eternal life followeth an holy life so eternal death followeth a sinfull life This is the reward sinner that thy God whom thou servest will pay thee at last thou must dye the death Oh the folly and madness of this sensual enslaved World Surely were there nothing in sin but the present slavery it were enough to disswade any ingenuous spirit Who would be a slave a slave to a lust at the command of every unclean motion at the beck of every brutish affection But if the vileness of the work will not deterr thee will not the dreadfulness of the wages neither which is eternal death and condemnation Oh consider this you who make so light a matter of sin and take such pleasure in obeying the lusts thereof II. All men in the state of unregeneracy are servants and slavos to the Devil Which necessarily followeth upon the former for such as are in subjection to their lusts must needs be under the bondage and slavery of Satan in that the chief power he hath over us is by lust to allure us unto sin I know all men are apt to say that they hate and defie the Devil and abhor to be his slave or servant but yet in the mean time they obey his sinfull commands and thereby declare themselves to be his servants for as the Apostle speaketh Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey And saith the
beloved Disciple He that committeth sin is of the Devil that is he who gives up himself to the committing of sin is a servant and slave to the Devil for he doth his drudgery Oh that the eyes of poor sinners were opened to see who it is that puts them upon all manner of sin and wickedness Certainly they would not then be so ready and forward thereunto Oh that they did but know in what a miserable bondage and slavery they are Certainly then they would not be so merry and jovial neither would they sleep one night quietly in such a state and condition but they would be casting about how they might be freed and delivered from the same III. All men in their state of unregeneracy are under the curse of God which continually so hangeth over their heads that they are cursed in every thing 1. In their estate Wealth and Riches are in themselves good things even the good blessings of God but yet all the wealth of carnal and unregenerate men are accursed unto them their very blessings are turned into curses as the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Malachy saying I will curse their blessings Cursed they are and shall be in the City and in the Field in their Basket and in their Store in the increase of their Kine and in the flocks of their Sheep as you have it expressed Deut. 28.17 18. Though thou enjoyest abundance of this Worlds goods yet so long as thou livest in thy wicked and ungodly courses be it of lying swearing couzening whoring drinking and the like the curse of God is in thy store and abundance which makes way for thine eternal misery 2. In their names Their very name is cursed for as the Wise man speaketh The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot that is the just and righteous shall leave a sweet scent behind them so that they shall not be mentioned without some commendation But the wicked shall leave a stinking savour behind them so that their very names shall be loathsome and abominable like a rotten carcass they shall for â—a while stink above ground and at last be utterly forgotten 3. In their houses For as the Wise man speaketh The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked Though their houses be never so well furnished yet what comfort and content can there be found therein when the curse of God is in them which is enough to blast the beauty and glory and to eat up the timber and the stones thereof 4. In their religious exercises The word which they hear is cursed unto them That which to others is the savour of life unto life to them is the savour of death unto death being a means to ripen their sins and hasten their ruine The prayers which they make are accursed unto them oft-times bringing down a curse rather than a blessing Yea the Table of the Lord is likewise accursed unto them so that instead of feeding on the body and blood of Christ they eat and drink their own damnation Oh how sad and lamentable must thy condition needs be when those things which are not only blessings in themselves but likewise blessed unto others should be cursed unto thee and heighten both thy sin and sorrow And if thy blessings become curses O what will thy curses be IV. As the ground and foundation of the curse All men in their state of uâ—regeneracy are under the guilt of all their sins which must needs make their condition sad and dreadfull For as the man is blessed whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered So is he most wretched and miserable who lyeth under the guilt of sin without pardon His Conscience bâ—ing oft-times tormented with such restless horrours and perplexities that though life be most sweet and hell most dreadfull yet it makes a man wilfully to cast away the one and willingly to embrace the other that he may be freed from the horrour of his guilty conscience Thus Iudas sought ease by an halter and preferred hanging yea the torments of Hell before the anguish of his guilty conscience Now thou maist make light of unpardoned sin thinking it no great matter But the day is coming when thou wouldst give all the world if thou hadst it for a pardon wh ich then cannot be had Therefore as ever thou wouldst stand before Christs judgement seat with comfort and not be cast into everlasting burnings now turn from thy sins and be earnest with God in Prayer for the pardon of them in and through the merits of Christs bloody death and passion Art thou a sinner and not a pardoned sinner O tremble What conscience hast thou that can let thee sleep and sing and laugh in such a dismal state V. Every man in his state of unregeneracy is liable to all sorts of judgements 1. To temporal judgements as pains sicknesses and diseases losses crosses and the like Haply for the present thou maist be without them but thou canst not promise thy self freedom and exemption from the same no not for one day for they are continually hanging over thine head ready every moment to seize upon thee and they oftentimes come suddenly when they are least expected It is expresly noted that when the Lord rained Fire and Brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah at that time the Sun was risen from the Earth Little did the Sodomites expect so strange a showr after so fair a Morning Believe it this dayes ease and rest and mirth may be turned into pangs and anguish and groanings and roarings before tomorrow 2. They are lyable to spiritual judgements as blindness of mind hardness of heart vileness of affections horrour of conscience and the like The Prophet Isaiah doth elegantly decipher the miserable condition of an unregenerate man in this respect The wicked saith he are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt The Sea is not only oft-times outwardly tossed up and down with winds and tempests but also inwardly disquieted even with her own motions casting up continually mire and dirt Even so the heart of a carnal man is not only many times outwardly troubled with crosses and afflictions but also inwardly disquieted with the impetuous violence of filthy lusts and the restless terrours and torments of a guilty Conscience which are far soarer than any outward afflictions as seizing upon the tenderest part namely the Soul and Spirit of a man 3. They are lyable to eternal judgements What can they expect if they dye in their state of unregeneracy but after this momentary life is ended to be cast into that everlasting fire which God hath prepared for them as well as for the Devil and his Angels which is the most dreadful condition of all that judgement cannot be accounted small which is eternal An eternal Feaver or but an eternal tooth-ache were a misery unspeakable But what are these to the lying in that
ever did or will do in his humane nature He will therefore in doing it be arâ—â—yed with as much glory and Majesty as his humane nature is capable of and therefore the Apostle calls it the glorious appearing Q. If you ask wherein the glory of Christ shall appear A. His face shall shine as the Sun Bright clouds as a Canopy shall be over him A loud sound of a Trumpet shall be heard before him He shall sit on a glorious Throne He shall be attended with all the glorious Angels who are ready to do him service in this judgement These are present as so many Sheriffs and other officers attending on the Judge of that great assize If it be so terrible to guilty prisoners to behold an earthly judge in his scarlet Robes attended upon with the Iustices and Sheriff and other Officers Oh how fearful and terrible will the sight of this Judge be manifesting himself from Heaven with such a mighty host and glorious array of Angels certainly no tongue can express no heart can conceive that terrour of soul and horrour of conscience that fear and amazement which will seize upon thee when thou shalt see Christ in his glory sitting upon his Throne 2. As Christ will come in great glory so in great terrour For he shall come in flaming fire Yea the terrour of Christs coming to Judgement is noted in this that thereupon the very Sea shall quake and tremble and in its kind cry out and roar making a most dolefull and dreadful noyse Oh what shall become of the roaring Boys of the earth when all their rude roarings and rufflings and rantings on their Ale-bench shall be drowned and swallowed up of this terrible roaring of the Seas oh then what shall become of swearers drunkards whore-masters and such like in that dreadfull day Surely they will seek to creep into an auger-hole to hide their heads and will cry out in the bitterness of their souls Woe and alas that ever we were born surely it had been better for us if our Mothers wombs had been our graves and that we had never seen the Sun When Foelix heard Paul preach of this Iudgement-day and the terribleness thereof the text noteth that he trembled And sinner dost not thou tremble who goest on impenitently in thy wicked and ungodly courses in thy lying swearing drinking whoring Sabbath-breaking and other like abominations Ah sinner either thou knowest not or thinkest not as thou shouldst of this dreadfull and terrible day And therefore it is that thou goest on in the career of thy lusts giving thy self up to the gratifying thy sinfull affections and satisfying thine own hearts desire Oh that thou wouldst seriously weigh that advice of the Wise man Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes As if he had said Ah young man do what thou pleasest take thy fill of pleasure satisfie thy Lusâ—s deny not thy self any thing that heart can wish which expressions are to be taken as spoken ironically by way of derision as appeareth by the following words But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement as if he had said Though thou put from thee the thought of death and of judgement yet assure thy self that for thy mispent youth and for all thy sinfull lusts dye thou must thou knowest not how soon and after death thou shalt be brought before Gods Tribunal there to receive the just reward of all thy sins A serious consideration whereof would be an excellent means to abate the heat of lust and cause the hearts of young men to tremble at the thought of that great and terrible day when Christ shall come to judgement in glory and great Majesty with his mighty Angels in flaming fire CHAP. X. Sheweth the order of Christs proceeding in Iudgement IV. FOr the order of Christs proceeding in Iudgement at the last day I. There will be a Citation of all both dead and living men with the Devils to come to Judgement We must all appear saith the Apostle All without exception of any must make their appearance high and low rich and poor King and beggar male and female Oh what a great day will that be when the whole world shall be cited and summoned to appear together at once Q. If you ask how they shall be summoned A. By a shout from Heaven and the sound of a Trumpet which shall alarm this sleeping earth and at which Hell shall shake all graves shall open and yield up their prisoners which they have fast kept in the chains of death from all ages since the beginning of the World Yea the Sea shall give up her dead which are in it A dreadfull summons it will be unto all the wicked and ungodly whom this sudden noise will no less astonish than confound We read that when the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai for the delivery of the Law with the sound of a Trumpet the people of Israel quaked and trembled Oh then how will the wicked and ungodly quake and tremble when the Lord Christ shall descend from Heaven with the sound of a Trumpet to punish the transgressours of that Law II. Upon this Citation and summons there will be a resurrection from the dead and such a change of the living as if they had been a long time dead and were raised to life again And as the graves shall then give up their dead bodies so hell shall give up her living souls which shall enter into their old Carcases to receive a greater condemnation Oh what woful salutations will there be between that body and soul which living together in the height of iniquity must now be reunited to suffer the fulness of their misery III. After the resurrection follows a Collection and gathering together of all men and Devils in the World but with this difference The Elect being gathered together by Angels shall with great joy be caught up into the air to meet the Lord. But the reprobate together with the Devils and his Angels shall with extream horrour and confusion be drawn and dragg'd into his presence Ah sinner What terrour and amazement will then seize upon thee when like a malefactor thou art brought against thy will before the Judgement-seat of Christ IV. After this follows a separation of the good from the bad of the elect from the reprobate For Christ at the first appearing of all before his JudgementSâ—at to testifie his gracious favour and good respect to believers separates them from others and sets them on his right hand as a flock of sheep whom he intends to take for his own And then will he set the wicked and unbelievers on his left hand to testifie as his rejecting them so his purpose to pass a terrible doom upon them as himself expresseth Mat. 25.32
Gods justice for thy sins for otherwise when either thy conscience or the Devil begin to aggravate thy sins and to set before thee the number and the hainousness of them thou wilt be at a loss and even ready to sit down in despair whereas if thou didst cleerly apprehend what a full satisfaction the death of Christ was to Gods justice for all thy sins thou wouldst not fear what either thy conscience or the Devil could object against thee In Rom. 8.33 We read how the Apostle from the consideration of Christs all-sufficient Sacrifice and full satisfaction to Gods justice by his death did triumph over sin and Satan For having treated thereof in the former part of the Chapter In the latter part thereof ver 33 34. he speaks as one ravished with abundance of comfort yea challengeth the Devil and all the World to object what they could against the pardon of his sins Who saith he shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed As if he had said let Conscience and carnal Reason let Law and Sin let Hell and Devil object what they can let them object the number and hainousness of my sins what is that seeing Christ hath dyed even Christ the Son of God hath offered up his own life as an all-sufficient Sacrifice and thereby abundantly satisfied Gods justice for my sins Beloved the case between God and us and our Saviour Jesus Christ is not much unlike the case of a Creditor a Debtor and a Surety Though the debtor be altogether unable to satisfie his debt or to contribute any thing thereunto yet if his surety have fully discharged the debt and cancelled the bond the debtor is safe enough from imprisonment or danger of arrest In lâ—ke manner though we were much indebted unto God and were no way able to make the least satisfaction for our sins yet seeing our surety Jesus Christ hath taken upon him the debt of our sins and fully satisfied Gods justice for the same by offering up his own life as an all-sufficient Sacrifice upon the Cross we shall not need to fear the accusations of Conscience or of carnal reason or of all the Devils in Hell if we do apply the merits of Christs death unto our own souls comfort IV. That there is hope of mercy for the worst of sinners appeareth from Christs Willingness to receive and embrace all poor sinners who will but come unto him and receive him upon the terms of the Gospel 1. Christs Willingness appeareth from his frequent personal invitations of all sorts of sinners even the worst to come unto him for life and salvation as Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest In which we find no exception either of persons or sins but whosoever thou art rich or poor male or female how many and hainous soever thy sins are if thou art but sensible of them thou art invited to go unto Jesus Christ and to cast thy self and the burden of thy sins upon him And Rev. 22.17 Let him that is a thirst come And whoever will let him take the Water of life freely That is in whomsoever there is but an earnest will and longing desire to partake of Christ and of the benefits of his death and passion they are invited to come unto him Now these gracious invitations of Jesus Christ unto poor thirsty sinners to come unto him that their souls might live must needs argue his incomparable willingness to have them saved 2. Christ knowing our backwardness to come unto him to the forementioned invitations adds his awakening excitation or proclamation crying out Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters c. And because many poor souls are apt to say Alas there is nothing in me to commend me unto Christ I have no goodness no righteousness of mine own therefore Christ adds He that hath no money that is he who hath no goodness no righteousness of his own which is there meant by money let him come And indeed they are the fittest to go unto Jesus Christ for it is the empty soul that is most capable of Christ the soul emptied of all self-righteousness and self-goodness Whereas that soul which with the Church of Laodicea is rich and full with a conceit of its own righteousness hath no room for Christ. 3. Christs Willingness appeareth by the many sweet and gracious promises which he hath made in his Word unto all those who by faith come unto him As that known promise Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest that is I will ease you and refresh you I will comfort you with the assurance of the pardon of your sins I will give you peace of Conscience here and eternal peace and rest with me for ever in my Kingdom And questionless one special reason why many find so little peace and comfort in their souls is because they go not unto Jesus Christ they cast not themselves and the burden of their sins upon him who is the fountain of peace and comfort and from whom alone it is to be had And Mark 16.15 16. saith our Saviour He that believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned that is He who goeth out of himself unto Christ for life shall be saved from the wrath of God from the curse of the Law from the guilt and power of sin yea from eternal death and condemnation and shall inherit eternal life and salvation But he that believeth not shall be damned that is He who refuseth to go unto Jesus Christ preferring his lusts and corruptions before him shall be cast into that burning lake where is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Oh how earnestly doth Christ press sinners to come unto him that they might have life promising Heaven and salvation upon their coming and threatning hell and damnation upon their refusing And what more prevailing argument could he use to perswade sinners to come unto him Which must needs evidence his exceeding great willingness to embrace them with the arms of his mercy upon their coming 4. Christs Willingness appeareth from his eâ—d of coming into the World which was to save poor lâ—st sinners He left his Crown and Throne his Royal Court and glorious Robes and cloathed himself with the rags of our humanity for no other end but to seek and to save that which was lost as the Apostle expresseth This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save sinners So that the Salvation of poor lost sinners was his great design in coming into the World He came from Heaven to Earth for this very end that he might send us from Earth to Heaven The Son of God became the Son of man that we the sons of men might become
Chain and he cannot go one link thereof farther than he pleaseth 2 From siâ— Though the Regenerate are not freed from the in-being of sin which doth and will live in them so long as they live in this World yet are they freed both from the guilt of sin and from the power and dominion of sin 1. From the guilt of sin that is from that wrath and punishment which is due to sin so that none of our sins shall be able to condemn us For Christ as our Surety Saviour and Redeemer did bear all our sins in his body upon the tree and there offered up his life as an all sufficient Sacrifice and full satisfaction to Gods justice for the same So that God being fully satisfied by the death of Christ for our sins he will not nay he cannot in justice require satisfaction again from us Well therefore might the Apostle make this bold challenge who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect seeing Christ hath dyed and by his death fully satisfied Gods justice for their sins 2. From the power and dominion of sin which cometh to pass by the Spirit of Christ conveighed to them whereby their sins are in some measure mortified and subdued so that they do not rule nor raign in them as formerly Sin shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle and why because you are not under the Law but under grace In our unregenerate estate sin had not only possession of us but dominion over us so that we did yield a willing subjection unto the command of sin But since we are regenerated by the Spirit of God we are freed though not from the in-being yet from the dominion of sin So that though sin may tyrannize over us yet shall it not raign in us We shall not yield a free and willing obedience to the command thereof This is the great comfort of Gods Children that though sin be not removed yet it is subdued Though they oftentimes feel the workings and stirrings of corruption in them which make them to have many a sad heart and wet eye yet are they freed through Christ from the dominion of sin 3. The Regenerate are freed from the Law not only from the Ceremonial and Iudicial Law which were peculiar to the Jews and dyed with the decay of their Common-wealth but likewise from the Moral Law which concerns all men at all times in all places yet not as it is a rule of Obedience and Christian walking for so it still remains in force even to the Children of God even after their Regeneration But 1. As it was a Covenant of works or as the Covenant thereof was works We are not absolutely bound to such rigour and exactness as that required Indeed we ought to endeavor after the most perfect obedience and to be humbled for our defects and failings therein but not to despair because of them for all failings not allowed are pardoned Besides Christ our surety hath in all things fullfilled the Law and performed perfect obedience thereunto So that the strictness of the Law being fulfilled by our surety it s not expected that it should be performed by us in our own persons 2. We are freed from the Curse and condemnation of the Law Christ saith the Apostle hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us So that although we do not perform it in that exact manner and measure which it requireth yet our transgressions shall not be imputed to us to condemnation The Law may condemn the actions but not the persons of the Regenerate it hath nothing to do with them therefore the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus V. Provision of all needfull good things is another priviledge of the Regenerate who have a right to all good things through Christ and the possession of all things God seeth good for them It is observable that when God was with Israel in the Wilderness where nothing was to be had they lacked nothing It is naturally engrafted into all Parents to provide for their Children what then can they want who have God for their Father who as he is all-sufficient so a most loving Father to his Children whose love far surpasseth the love of natural Parents to their Children Art thou a Child of God by Regeneration then look up to thy Heavenly Father for a supply of all good things For can they that are evill know how to give good gifts to their Children saith our Saviour And shall not your Heavenly Father give to you the things whereof ye have need He feedeth the Fowls of the air and the Beasts of the Field and he that is carefull to provide for his Hawks and his Hounds will he suffer his Children to beg and starve who must one day be his heirs Be not then faithless but believe and say not What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithall shall we be cloathed For your Heavenly Father knoweth whereof ye have need and shall relieve you VI. Acceptance of their Services though full of weaknesses infirmities and imperfections Natural Parents are not more ready to accept of the weak Services performed by their Children than God is to take in good part the imperfect services of his Children How maimed and broken are our prayers many times yet coming from a broken heart they find acceptance with God Though he regardeth not the glorious works of hypocrites yet he graciously accepteth of the weak Services of his Children done in sincerity When we cannot pray with that affection and fervency as we desire yet if we set upon it with an honest and sincere heart doing it in obedience to the command of God with a desire to approve our selves unto him therein and grieving for our failings and imperfections God will overlook our failings and crown our weak endeavours with acceptance VII Protection from things hurtfull is another priviledge of the Regenerate They are here subject to manifold casualties and contingencies from which the Lord in mercy protects them keeping Watch and Ward for them Yea he is said to be a wall of fire round about his people A wall to defend them and of fire to consume those that rise up against them So that they shall not be afraid of evil tydings for their hearts are fixed trusting in the Lord. I deny not but the Children of God may be wronged oppressed spoiled of all they have and unjustly stain yet in all these shall they not be hurt for God will turn all to their good Note what David said of Shimei's cursing him The Lord will look on my affliction and requite good for his cursing this day On this ground the Hebrews took joyfully the spoyling of their goods VIII Support under all afflictions is another priviledge of the Regenerate For God is present with them in all their afflictions supporting their weakness with his might
Christ only excepted who was conceived by the holy Ghost free from this sin As every other creature receiveth the nature and disposition of their kind and stock thus Lyons a ravenous disposition Doggs a doggish disposition so the Children of sinfull man a sinfull disposition an inclination rooted in their natures to all kinds of sin which continueth in them as long as they live and is never quite rooted out of any so long as he continueth here on earth Which the Lord in his wisdom hath so ordered 1. That thereby they may be the more humbled and kept from spiritual pride 2. That they might have more frequent occasions of going to God by prayer for help and strength against the working of corruptions in them Q. What is actual sin A. A particular breach of Gods Law Q. How many wayes do men fall into actual sins A. 1. By omitting or not doing the good which God in his Word requireth 2. By committing or doing the evil which God in his Word hath forbidden 3. By a sinfull manner of performing that which is good The best duties we take in hand are exceedingly corrupted through our failing in the manner of performing them Q. What is the punishment of sin A. All curses and plagues in this life at the end death and after that eternal torment in hell Deut. 28.16 17. Rom. 6.23 2 Thes. 1.8 9. Q. Is any man able to free himself out of that wofull plight whereinto he hath implunged himself by sin A. Surely No. 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves Much less can we do any thing of our selves to free our selves from so great a misery as sin hath brought us into We are dead in sin Eph. 2.1 And dead men cannot raise themselves to life Q Can any other creature deliver man A. No meer Creature Psalm 49.7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother nor give unto God a ransome for him This may be applyed to all the Creatures in the World to all the Saints and Angels in the World none of them can by any means redeem his brother So that in regard of mans own power or in regard of succour from any meer creature there remaineth nothing but matter of despair Q. Is there any means to free man out of his corrupt and miserable estate A. Yes God himself hath given unto man a Saviour Act. 5.31 When it was manifested none could help God himself gave an helper and a Saviour unto us Q. Who is mans Saviour A. Jesus Christ. 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save sinners Iesus is an Hebrew word and signifieth a Saviour The Angel that gave this name addeth this reason thereof He shall save his people from their sins The other name Christ is a Greek Word and signifieth anointed Iesus shews him to be a Saviour Christ an able Saviour because anointed that is set apart by God and endowed with all fulness for the work of our redemption Q. What is Iesus Christ. A. He is the eternal Son of God who in the fulness of time took mans nature The only begotten Son of God the second Person in the Trinity who in the fulness of time took mans Nature upon him This is Jesus Christ. He is called the only begotten Son of God because he is the alone Son of God by nature For though others be Sons of God by Creation as Adam was and the Angels Others by adoption and regeneration as the Saints of God Yet none is his Son by nature but Jesus Christ who is therefore called the only begotten Son of God Joh. 1.14 which is to be understood of an eternal and incomprehensible generation which would rather be admired than enquired into Q. Why must mans Redeemer be man A. 1. In general that he might suffer and dye for mans Redemption Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood is no remission of sin â— Christ therefore that he might dye for our Redemption took upon him our Nature for as God he could not dye 2. That he might satisfie the justice of God in the same manner wherein it was offended For the justice of God did require that satisfaction should be made in the same nature which had sinned Man therefore having sinned it was requisite that man should dye for the satisfying Gods justice and appeasing his wrath Whereupon saith the Apostle Since by man came Death by man came the Resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.21 3. That he might feel our frailties and from sense and experience learn pitty and compassion Which reason the Apostle rendreth Heb. 2.16 17. He took on him the seed of Abraham that he might be a merciful and faithfull High-Priest that is that he might be merciful as one man is to another And in Heb. 4.15 We have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Q. Why must mans Redeemer be also God A. 1. That he might be able and sufficient to endure that which for mans sin he undertook The burden which he underwent was the wrath of an infinite God and there was need of a divine power to support under the divine wrath His humane nature would have been overwhelmed with the heavy weight of Gods wrath had not the divine nature strengthned and upheld it 2. That he might vanquish all the enemies of our Salvation and overcome Satan hell and death which no meer creature could do Christ being God by his death he overcame death and him that had the power of death that is the Devil 3. That his obedience and sufferings might be of an infinite price and value That which made the Obedience and the Death of Christ to be of such an infinite value was that it was the obedience and the death of the Son of God of him who was God as well as man The Deity being one nature in the person of our Redeemer an infinite dignity accompanyed his person and every thing that was done and suffered by him Which affords a singular ground of comfort to all humbled sinners sensible of their sins and misery due unto them for the same in that the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ is of infinite worth and merit far above the merit of their sins being the death and sufferings of him who was God as well as man Oh what comfort yea what matter of triumph did this afford unto the Apostle Paul as appeareth in Rom. 8.33.34 For treating of the fulness and aâ—sufficiency of Christs satisfaction by his death in the former part of the Chapter in the latter part he speaks as one ravished with abundance of comfort and thereupon presently challengeth a dispute with any concerning the fulness of Christs satisfaction by his death Let conscience saith he and carnal reason let Law and sin Hell and Devil
7.22 He delighteth in the Law of God after the inward man Q. What other Grace doth the Gospel require besides faith A. Repentance Mat. 3 2. and 4.17 Q What is Repentance A. Repentance is such a change of the heart as causeth a new Life Repentance chiefly consisteth in the change of the mind and heart of a man As for the new life it is an effect and evidence of the new heart A new heart causeth a new life The outward change and renovation of a mans life is necessary For Repentance must be in the whole man and this latter giveth evidence to the truth of the former And where the former is there the latter will also be where there is a renewed heart there will be a reformed life For the soul hath an absolute command over the body and the body is wholy governed by the soul. Q Whence ariseth Repentance A. 1. From a sight and sense of sin with sorrow for it 2. From a faith of the pardon of sin I. By sight of sin is meant both a general and also a paricular knowledge of sin First A general knowledge of the nature of it what it is and of the loathsome properties of it how ugly and odious it maketh us in the pure eyes of God and of the fearful effects of it which are all miseries in this life a cursed death and eternal damnation Secondly A particular knowledge of our own sins Not only of those sins which are common to the nature of all men as Original corruption proneness to evil dulness to good c. But also of such particular Lusts as we feel warring in our members and such actual sins as we have committed in our lives As he that said I was a blaspheamer and a persecutor and an oppressor 1 Tim. 1.13 By sense of sin is meant a spiritual feeling of the wofull plight and condition wherein we lye by reason of sin When inwardly in our souls and consciences we are touched and wounded for our sins II. Faith concerning the pardon of sin is that which most kindly and effectually bringeth a man to Repentance The forementioned sight and sense of sin and sorrow for sin are excellent means to work in a man an hatred of sin and to make him wish he had never committed it yea and to make him think of turning from sin But faith in the pardon of sin whereby the soul is perswaded that all sins past shall be fully forgiven to him that repenteth and turneth from sin is a strong Motive to draw him from his former wicked courses And the Repentance that is by faith in Gods mercy wrought is most kindly wrought For faith as it apprehends pardon of sin most freely through Gods mercy in Christ Jesus so it works repentance by way of gratitude because it is pleasing and acceptable to God to turn from sin and because the good God is displeased and dishonoured by committing sin and continuing therein Q What are the outward Means appointed by God for the working and strengthning of faith repentance and other graces in us A. The Ordinances of God especially the Word Sacraments and Prayer The Ministry of the Word is the most necessary both for the working and encreasing faith and other graces That which the Apostle saith of faith That it cometh by hearing may bâ— applyed to all other graces They come by hearing the Word Preached And to shew that by it grace also is nourished The Apostle Peter exhorteth To desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 How doth it then concern us as to give diligent heed to the Ministry of the Word So to mix faith with our hearing as by giving credence to what is delivered out of the Word of God so by applying to our selves those truths which the Word revealeth Q. What is a Sacrament A. An holy Ordinance instituted by Christ wherein by outward signs inward grace is signified and sealed So that there are three things necessary to the making up of a Sacrament 1. An outward sign 2. An inward or spiritual grace 3. Christs Instituiton Q. How many Sacraments are there A. Two only Baptism and the Lords Supper As the Jews of old had two ordinary Sacraments which were circumcision and the Passeover So Christians now have two such as answer to them Baptism to Circumcision Col. 3.11 12. The Lords Supper to the Passeover Luk. 22.15 c. Q. What is Baptism A. A Sacrament wherein by the washing with water in the name of the Faâ—her the Son and the Holy Ghost our Regâ—neration is signified and sealed In that Baptism is a Sacrament of our Regeneration it sheweth 1. That by nature we are born in a cursed condition who have therefore need to be new-born assoon as we are born Regeneration is so absolutely necessary to our Salvation as without it we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Iob. 3.3 2. That Baptism is a means of our Regeneration Gods Spirit in and by that Ordinance worketh this great work In which respect we are said to be born of water and of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 yet is not every one that is baptized really and inwardly regenerated It is not the bare washing with water but the working of the Spirit thereby by which we are Regenerated And the Spirit is a free agent and worketh when and upon whom it listeth Ioh. 3.8 Q. What is the outward sign in Baptism A. Water Act. 8.36 There is nothing so fit to set out our cleansing from sin as Water whereby that which is filthy is clean Q What is the inward thing signified by Water in Baptism A. The Blood of Christ. In relation hereunto Christ is said to have washed us from our sins in his blood Rev. 1.5 As Water hath a cleansing vertue so also hath Christs blood The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 Q. What is the Lords Supper A. A Sacrament of our spiritual nourishment wherein by receiving Bread and Wine according to Christs institution our communion with Christ is reprâ—sented and sealed The Lords Supper is addâ—d to Baptism as a needfull means to maintain that life of God which is begotten in us Q. What are the outward signs in the Lords Supper A. Bread and Wine Mat. 26.26 Q. What doth the Sacramental bread set out A. The body of Christ. This is evident by Christs own words who holding bread in his hands saith of it This is my body Matth. 26.26 that is by way of representation as if he had said This bread representeth my body Q. What doth Sacramental Wine set out A. The blood of Christ. This is evident by the words of institution where Christ holding the Cup that had the Wine in it and speaking of the Wine therein he saith This is my blood Mat. 26.27 Q What is signified by the Ministers breaking the bread A. That Christ was broken with torments for our sins The Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.24 Thus
bringeth in Christ himself applying that rite This is my body which is broken for you Q. What is signified by powring out the Wine A. The shedding of Christs blood Or his suffering unto death and powring forth his soul an offering for sin Q. What is signified by the Ministers giving Bread and Wine to the Communicants A. Gods giving and offering his Son to them In the Sacrament God doth offer and tender Christ to every Communicant yea he doth as it were put him into our hands with his own hands Q. What is meant by those words of the Minister Take Eat Drink A. Gods will for our applying Christ to our selves He doth not only in a dumb shew make offer of Christ but by his Minister speaks unto us and saith I will and require you to take my Son to apply him to your selves that so you may live by him What can we more expect on Gods part to move us to receive his Son Q. What doth the peoples taking the Bread and Wine set out A. Their receiving Christs body and blood That is a spiritual receiving of Christ made man and made a Sacrifice to themselves and that by faith For faith is that instrument whereby we receive Christ and all his benefits as they are offered to us in the Gospel and sealed unto us in the Sacrament Faith is to the soul as the hand is to the body That which is offered to a man for his good the hand receives to be his own Thus God offering his Son unto us faith first perswades the heart of Gods good will to man and of his true intent to bestow Christ upon him and thereupon applyes and takes Christ to himself as his own By faith the things signified are as truly received for the nourishment of the soul as the signs are received fâ—r the nourishment of the body Faith is not only our hand to take hold of Christ but our mouth to take him in to take him down into our hearts whereby he becomes our nourishmâ—nt and strengâ—h Q. What is the duty of every Communicant before he goeth to the Lâ—rds Table A. Examinâ—tion 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself aâ—d so let him eat of that bread and driâ—k of that Câ—p. Concerning this see my Directions for the worthy receiving the Lords Supper Chap. 24. Q. What is Prayâ—r A. Prayer is an offering up our dâ—sires to God in the name of Christ for such good things as he hath promâ—sâ—d to give and we stand in need to receive Prayer stands not in the bare use of a form of good words but is the pouring fâ—rth the soul and the desireâ— thereof after God and the good things he hath to bestow Isa. 26.9 In the name of Christ. God heareth not sinners that is coming in their own name But sayes Christ himself Joh. 15 16. Whatsoever ye shall aâ—k the Father in my name he will give it you For such things as he hath promised to give and we stand in need to receive Our prayers must be according to Gods Will. And this is according to the will of God that we ask what he hath promised and what he knows we have need of And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us 1 Joh. 5.14 The Parts of Prayer are 1. Confession or the acknowledgement of our sins and transgressions 2. Petition or the asking or craving from the hands of God such things as we want 3. Thanksgiving or the praising of God for the mercies we have received Q What shall be the state of men after death A. I. In general 1. The bodies of all men shall be raised out of their graves and shall live again 1 Cor. 15. 2. All men shall be brought to Judgement 2 Cor. 5.10 II. In particular 1. Belâ—â—vers shall go into everlasting life 2. Uâ—believers and ungodly into everlasting fire Mat. 25.34 41. FINIS â— Sam. 2.30 Mat. 6.1 Joh. 7.48 1 Tim. 1.16 (a) Mat. 6.30 Mat. 8.26 Mat. 14.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (b) Mark 9.24 Heb. 12 2◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui multis praefectus est aut multos doctrinâ dignitate antecelliâ— Joh. 1.18 Col. 2.3 Mat. 15.28 Isa. 42.3 Luk. 19.10 Isa. 49.15 Psal. 103.13 Mat. 11 28. Mat. 1.21 Rom. 6.14 Mark 9.23 Mark 16.16 Maâ— 9.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 5.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum qualitates â—oâ— secundum ipsam vel ani-nae vel corporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signifieth as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 6.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Regeneratio Secundum carnem Joh. 3.6 Rom. 7.21 22 23. Habitat sed non regnat manet sed non dominatur dejectum sed non ejectum tamen c. Benard in Serm. 10. on Psa. 90. Rom. 6.12 2 Cor. 8.12 Eph. 4.22 Rom. 6.6 Col. 3 5. Inductio unious formae est destructio alterius Eph. 2.5 Rom. 6.4 1 Pet. 1.3 Jam. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.3 Joh. 3.4 Tit. 3.5 Jam. 1.18 1 Pet. 1.23 Eph. 1.13 Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 4.15 Philemon verse 10. Eph. 4.24 Eph. 2.10 Joh. 3.3 Psal. 103.11 2 Thes. 2.13 1 Thes. 4.3 Mat. 24.35 Eph. 4.24 Job 14.4 Joh. 3.6 Rev. 21.27 Rev. 22. Hab. 1.13 Psal. 5.4 2 Cor. 6.14 Heb. 12.14 Psal. 50.5 Psal. 89.7 Joh. 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 132.4 Psal. 49.12 Jer. 10.14 In illis tantum sunt opera Dei in hac est imago Dâ—i Aug. Rom. 2.28 29. 1 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 6.17 Jam. 2.5 Prov. 27.1 Heb. 3.15 Heb. 11.26 Rom. 6.23 Rom. 6.16 1 Joh. 3.8 Prov. 10.7 Prov. 3.33 Zech. 5.4 Psal. 32.1 Isa. 57.20 1 Tim. 6.7 Job 1.21 Heb. 9.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amos 5.19 Luk. 16.22 Rev. 6.11 Heb. 12.23 Rev. 6.16 Rom. 2.5 Psa. 145.17 Luk. 16.19 20 21. Rom. 2.6 In die judicii cum justi introducentur in regnum Dei injusti autem abjicientur for as Aug. in Psal. 72. * Zeph. 1.15 Rom. 8.1 Act. 17.30 31. Rev. 6.16 Mat. 24.30 Mat. 16.27 Tit. 2. â—13 Mat. 17.2 Mat. 24.30 Mat. 24.31 Mat. 25.31 2 Thes. 1.7 Act. 24.25 Eccl. 11.9 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev. 20.13 Exod. 19.16 Mat. 24.31 Rev. 6.15 16. Jer. 8.6 Rom. 2.15 1 Cor. 4.5 Rom. 2.5 1 Cor. 11.31 Psal. 16.11 Luk. 13.28 Numb 5.18 27. Isa. 33.14 Dan. 4.33 Mat. 18.22 Dan. 5.6 Mat. 5.46 Prov. 1.24 c. Mat. 25.41 Psal. 16.11 Gen. 5.24 Mat. 8.12 Eccl. 11.7 Rev. 19 20. Rev. 20.10 Isa. 30.33 Mat. 13.42 2 Thes. 1.8 Jer. 33.14 Dan. 7.10 Isa. 66.24 Mark 9.44 46 48. Isa. 30.33 2 King 23.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non videns Neh. 11.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 5.29 30. Rev. 9.11 Rev. 20.10 Mark 9.44 Mark 3.12 Mat. 18.8 Mich. 7.19 Psal. 86.5 Eph. 2.4 2 Chron. 33.3 c. 1 Tim. 1. 13 c. (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 1.11 (b) Exod.
praise and the glory of his happy change saying Not unto us not unto us but unto thy name be the praise and the glory of this great work Quest. Doth Regeneration admit any degrees Answ. Yes verily For Regeneration may be considered in the beginning and progress of it or in the consummation and perfection of it It is begun and increaseth in this life it is consummate and perfect in the life to come In this life there is spirit mixed with flesh that is grace with some corruption of nature as is evident by the Apostles complaint in these words When I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my mâ—mbers So that sin and corruption doth remain in all the regenerate as long as their souls remain in their mortal bodies it remains though it doth not raign in them It is in this life cast down but not cast out And this God in great wisdom is pleased to permit to keep us humble and low in our selves and to drive us unto Jesus Christ that as long as this flux of blood runneth we should alwayes be desirous to touch at least the hem of his garment But at death that corruption will be utterly consumed and body and soul clean freed from it insomuch as at the resurrection when body and soul shall be again united the regeneration begun in this World will be manifested to be most perfect Whereas in this life the most regenerate are imperfect through the Reliques of sin and remainder of corruption which will abide in them so long as they abide and continue in this World Now seeing the work of Regeneration is imperfect in the very best here in this life and that there remains flesh and corruption in them so long as they remain in this World Do not thou look too high I mean after a greater measure and degree of grace than here is to be had Many there are who being regenerate by the spirit of God and so brought out of the state of nature into the state of grace presently look for a freedom from all sin and corruption which because they find working and stirring in them thereupon question the work of Regeneration and truth of grace in their souls But let such know that they look for more than here is to be found or than God expects from them For God doth not expect or require of us here freedom from sin and corruption but that we should endeavour to subdue and mortifie it more and more according to the measure of grace and strength which we have received from him He doth not require of us that we be without sin but that sin do not rule nor raign in our mortal bodies according to that of the Apostle Let not sin raign in your mortal bodies Neither doth the Lord require of us exact and perfect righteousness which is impossible to our corrupt nature but only that we strive and labour after it that we sincerely endeavour to serve him after the directions of his Word And that for our failings and imperfections we do in an humble confession bewail the same and then beg the pardon and forgiveness of them in and through the merits of Jesus Christ. And this God will accept of for he esteemeth more of our affections than of our actions and accepteth the will for the deed according to that of the Apostle If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not CHAP. IV. Of the Parts of Regeneration and Causes concurring thereunto HAving shewed you what regeneration is and how it doth admit degrees I shall shew you the Parts of Regeneration which are two 1. Mortification 2. Vivification Mortification is implyed under the phrases of casting off and crucifying the old man and destroying the body of sin This is a duty expresly enjoyned in these words mortifie your members which are upon the earth By members on the earth he meaneth all sorts of lusts and sins whereunto a natural man is given as is evident by the particular instances which he himself reckoneth up in the words following as fornication uncleanness c. These must be mortified that is put to death It is not enough to curb and hold in sin but the life of it must be let out And indeed it is not possible to put on the new man till the old man be cast off Therefore there is a necessity of mortification first before vivification For the bringing in of one form presupposeth the putting out or destroying of the other Wherefore after Mortification followeth Vivification 2. Vivification is the begetting of the life of grace in us whence we live in holiness and righteousness It is set forth in Scripture by Gods quickning us and by our walking in newness of life Vivification then implyeth a new spiritual life which God by his spirit worketh in us which is clean contrary to our former natural corrupt course of life For the effects of this life are holiness and righteousness and all manner of good works Now it is absolutely necessary that this part of regeneration namely Vivification be added to Mortification which is the other part even as necessary as that Christ being dead should be raised Where had been the benefit of Christs death if he had not risen from the dead And what can be imagined to be the profit of mortification without vivification It is therefore the accustomed course of Sacred Scripture to infer the following of holiness upon the flying of sin the doing of good upon eschewing of evil Now the things which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder Let us therefore prove our regeneration not only by ceasing from sin but following holiness and working righteousness Content not thy self to say I am not what I was unless thou canst also add I am what I was not It will be but little boot to thee to say I am no drunkard nor swearer nor covetous nor a walker after the flesh unless thou canst also say By the grace of God I now walk after the spirit in faith and love and holy obedience watchfull unto and endeavouring after a fruitfulness in every good work Thou art not unjust thou sayest but doest thou shew mercy Thou art no longer earthly but art thou heavenly minded Thou art no longer contentious or quarrelsome but art thou a peace-maker Thou hast no longer fellowship with the ungodly but art thou a familiar of the Saints Thou wilt not now curse or swear or lye or scoff but dost thou pray and bless Dost thou hear and read and meditate on God Dost thou study thine heart and govern thy thoughts and affections Dost thou bridle thy tongue set a watch
a beginning to be perfectly holy hereafter and not initially holy here to live with God in glory hereafter and yet here live and lye in thy filthiness and uncleanness Canst thou expect hereafter to live in the everlasting love of God and yet here have no true love to him at all Canst thou expect hereafter fulness of delight in the presence of God and yet here have no delight in him at all But takest thy whole delight either in satisfying thy covetous humour by heaping up riches or in gratifying thy sinfull lusts and affections by yielding to the solicitations of the flesh Be not deceived as I said before so I must say it again Grace is a necessary beginning of glory As sin is death begun and hell begun so is grace the first fruits of life and glory And as certain as it is that he shall never find an hell hereafter who is purged from his sins here so undoubtedly certain is it that he shall never come into the divine presence hereafter who is not here made partaker of the divine nature he shall never enter into the Kingdom of glory who is not first born into the Kingdom of grace Be a convert in this World or thou wilt be a reprobate in the other World Thou mayest as well expect a birth where there hath been nothing formed in the Womb a Noon-tide where there hath been no dawning as ever look to see the day-light of glory who hast never known the morning of grace Reas. 4. From that corruption of mans Nature in which he is brought into the World For our first Parents having by their fall defaced that image of God in which they were at first created and being thereupon corrupted and polluted in every power of their soul and part of their body all that come from them are in like manner corrupted and polluted an unclean off-spring from unclean progenitors For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one as Iob speaketh And saith our Saviour That which is born of the flesh is flesh that is Every one that is born of man every mothers Child is carnal and corrupt every man by his first birth is polluted and unclean Now no unclean person can enter into Gods Kingdom Believe it Sinner God will never take thee from the dunghill reeking in thy Lusts and set thee down by him in the Throne The holy land was never intended for a Sepulchre to bury the dead in to be filled with filth and rottenness it 's no den for Dragons nor nest for Serpents and Vipers nor was ever designed to be peopled with Dogs and Swine Without shall be Dogs Corruption shall not inherit incorruption nor shall flesh and blood inherit the Kingdom of God Bastards may not inherit Thou must first be a child and have the spirit of a child in thee and then thou art an heir an heir of God and a joynt heir with Christ. Reas. 5. From the holiness of Gods nature which is such that no unclean person can stand in his presence The Prophet Habbakkuk sets him forth to be of purer eyes than to behold evil neither can be look on iniquity And saith the Psalmist Evill shall not dwell with thee neither shall the foolish stand in thy sight Where by the foolish may be meant the wicked and profane as it is often taken in Scripture wicked men are fools and such shall not stand in the sight and presence of God There is a contrariety between the holy nature of God and the unholy nature of carnal and unregenerate men And therefore what communion can there be between them Between an holy God and unholy creatures Between a pure God and impure creatures Surely none at all So much the Apostle expresseth where he saith what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness Or the righteous God with unrighteous men What communion hath light with darkness which interrogation implyeth a strong negation Believe it sinners if ever you look to enjoy communion with God in glory you must have union with him in grace you must here be regenerate and become new creatures yea holy as he is holy that you may be such as he may dwell withall and delight in For as the Apostle speaketh Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. He shall be so far from enjoying the presence of God that he shall not so much as see him Lev. 10.3 Saith Moses to Aaron God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him that is that draw near unto him in any of his Ordinances Now to the sanctifying God in his Ordinances there is required 1. That his Nature be renewed and sanctified An unsanctified heart cannot sanctifie God Gather my Saints together unto me 2. That he have holy and awfull apprehensions of God God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be bad in reverence of all them that are about him 3. That he bring holy affections Every ordinance of God as it requires our affections to be employed and exercised in it so holy affections such affections as do arise from an holy heart and are suitable to an holy God Now can carnal men thus sanctifie God they pollute and profane his holy name they cannot sanctifie it Can they not sanctifie God and can they be accepted of God or find any pleasure in his presence If God be not sanctified in them he will be sanctified upon them his wrath will break forth upon them so far shall they be from enjoying any comfortable communion with him Now if such sanctity and holiness be necessary in those who draw near unto him in his ordinances How much more to the enjoying immediate communion with him in Heaven will not God meet thee at a prayer and will he suffer thee to meet him in Paradise will he not let thee see his face at his Table and will he let thee sit down with him in his Kingdom Maist thou not come into his Courts and shalt thou enter into the holy of holies Was the man without a wedding garment thrust out from his presence here below and shall he be received into his mansion above How can these things be CHAP. VI. An Vse of Exhortation to endeavour after Regeneration with quickning Motives thereunto HAving thus done with the Explication and Confirmation of the point Come we now to the use and Application thereof I. The first may be an use of Exhortation both to the unregenerate and to the Regenerate First to the unregenerate Is Regeneration absolutely necessary to Salvation Oh then how doth it concern you who are yet in your sins and under the power of corrupt nature earnestly to desire and industriously to labour after this saving change in the use of all meaâ—s God hath sanctified thereunto Let yâ—â—r outward condition be what it will be ye never so rich never so honourable yet far be it from you to sit down satisfied
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone to all eternity Oh me-thinks the name of eternal judgement should if not fright him out of his wits yet awaken eyely unregenerate man out of his security and stir him up without further delay to abandon his wicked and ungodly course of life and to set upon the practice of all holy and religious duties and to labour therein to get the work of Regeneration wrought in his heart that he may become a new creature It may be thou hast a plentiful portion of this Worlds goods enjoying what thine heart can wish or desire But oh what will it profit thee to live plentifully and prosperously here and to be eternally miserable hereafter Thy former happiness will serve only to make thee more sensible of future miseries And therefore when thou art tempted to any unlawfull pleasure or profit reason thus with thy self Shall I for a short momentary pleasure that will soon have an end run the hazard of an eternal judgement that will never have an end shall I for a little profit here loose my soul to all Eternity What greater folly yea what greater madness can be imagined Thus much of the miseries of the Unregenerate in this life Come we now to shew their miseries at death CHAP. VIII Sheweth the miserable and dreadfull condition of the Vnregenerate at their death IF the life of an unregenerate man be so miserable as hath been shewed How dolefull think you will be his death surely his misery then will be much increased As will appear from the consideration of these particulars I. When death shall appear unto thee and tell thee it hath a message from the Lord who hath sent an habeas corpus for thy body Then comes in Conscience if a little awakened with her books of accounts her black and bitter roul and shews thee thy old reckonings and arrears setting before thee the follies of thy youth the sins of thy riper years and the iniquities of thy whole life Ah sinners thou who goest on impenitently in thy wicked and ungodly course of life consider with what a ghastly countenance thou wilt look upon that black and hellish Catalogue of all thy sins thy lyes and oaths thy railing and rotten speeches thy scoffings at Gods people thy goods ill gotten thy time ill spent thy profanation of Sabbaths thy speculative wantonness yea thy many actual filthinesses and uncleannesses thy pride worldliness and covetousness thy sensual revellings and jovial meetings Ah sinner sinner what horrour will then possess thy soul no heart of man can conceive nor tongue of men and angells can express Indeed many there are who upon their death-beds have little right or sense of their sins neither do they think of judgement or eternity but drop into hell before they consider any thing But yet upon the approach of death commonly there is some terrour and trembling upon the consciences of carnal men and if ever any sin did formerly sting it will then especially Oh methinks a serious apprehension and sensible fore-thought of these things even at hand for ought any man knows should make the hardest heart to tremble and melt into tears of unfained sorrow II. The Devil will not be then wanting to aggravate thy sins and to set before thee the curses and the judgements due unto thee for the same thereby to drive thee to despair For when death layeth siege to the body then doth he most violently assault the soul. And the shorter he perceiveth his time to be the more eagerly doth he bestir himself And when through pain of body and perplexity of mind thou art least able to make resistance then will he most fiercely assault thee Whereas formerly his great design was to â—ull thee fast asleep in a presumptuous security by perswading thee that thy state and condition was as good as the best and thy salvation sure enough at thy death if he be not then also pursuing the same design if he can no longer hold thee under thy sleep it will be his great work to perswade thee that thy sins are greater than can be forgiven that there is no place for thee in Heaven and that it is impossible thou shouldst be saved He that hath made the way to Heaven so broad and the entrance so easie all thy life long will at thy death do his utmost to shut the door against thee III. Death puts an end to all thy Worldly comforts and contentmâ—nts which must all die with thee as to thy use and comfort It salutes thee with this sad word Thou hast received thy good things Now an end of thy Heaven and joy Particularly 1. Then thou must part with all thy carnal pleasures and delights which thou hast loved so dearly Yea then thou wilt find little comfort remaining of all thy former pleasures wherein thou tookest so much content and delight and for the enjoyment whereof thou dispensedst not only with the duties of thy calling but likewise with the duties of piety Yea it will be a very hell unto thee upon earth to consider what eternal torments thou art like to endure for those poor and perishing pleasures which thou enjoyedst here for a season Are these the things for which I dye Are these the price of my soul of my blood of my peace Ah sinner the remembrance of thy past pleasures will then possess thee with a double passion First with grief because thou art parting with them And then with dâ—tâ—station because they have brought upon thee such bitter sorrows and torments in hell with the Devils and damned to all eternity O the tayle of these Locusts whose fair faces have heretofore bewitched thee O the sting the sting that they carry in their tayles which is now all that remains to thee 2. Thou must part with thy nearest and dearest relations as thy dear Wife or dear Husband with thy beloved Children Death will separate thee from them all Ah sinners sad will it be to part with these here to live for ever with the Devils and damned in hell And how will it torment thee when you must part to remember to how little good purpose you lived together 3. Thou must part with thy wealth and riches carrying nothing away with thee of all thy enjoyments We brought nothing into the World and it is certain we can carry nothing out as the Apostle speaketh But as we came naked into the World so we shall go naked out of the World And therefore when rich men dye they are said to leave a good estate behind them And indeed they may well be said to leave it because they cannot carry it away with them Ah sinner I know it will be a death to thee to part with thy wealth which was thy life but to consider how thou hast damned thy soul for the getting thereof this will be an hell to thee 4. Thou must part with all the means and opportunities of grace Now thou enjoyest the ordinances of
Christ as the Word Prayer and Sacraments which whilest thou enjoyedst thou hadst hope But death puts an end to these and thy hopes must give up their Ghost Now Christ calls upon thee Sabbath after Sabbath by his Ministers and Ambassadours woing and beseeching thee to abandon thy lusts to cast away thy sins and to cast thy self into his arms to accept of the reconciliation purchased by his blood But ere long thou shalt hear no more of these things not a Sabbath more not a Sermon more not a promise not one word more of grace of mercy of hope for ever When thou wouldst give if thou hadst them ten thousand Worlds for one moment of that mercifull time of grace which thou hast so long abused for a drop of that precious blood which thou hast so long trampled under thy feet yea for one Sabbath more to have Christ once more tendred to thee in the Ministry of the Gospel but alas it will not be granted Ah sinner Then wilt thou cry out of thy sins and cry for mercy mercy mercy Lord to a dying soul that am just sinking perishing under the load of mine iniquities Then wilt thou begin to wish when it is too late that thou hadst spent thy precious time to better purpose that thou hadst minded more the things of Eternity that thou hadst closed with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ and that thou hadst better improved the means and opportunities of grace which thou didst once enjoy Thou wilt then say Oh if the Lord would be pleased to add a few years more to my life How would I contemn the World and the vanities thereof How exactly would I order my conversation How carefull would I be of duty how watchfull against sin How would I bestir my self to work out mine own salvation But ah sinner the time of thy departure is at hand and there is no hope of a reprieve for one day longer and therefore all these good wishes and purposes come too late There are two things especially which will aggravate a sinners misery at his death 1. To think what possibility of making his peace with God he hath had all his life time to remember how often he hath been invited to accept of Jesus Christ and yet would not 2. To think that now there is no hope of mercy having by his sins shut Heaven-gate and hardened Gods heart against him Ah sinner then wilt thou in the bitterness of thy soul cry out and say The God of mercy hath utterly forsaken me and the Devil who knows no mercy waites for to take me Ah! then which way soever thou lookest thou wilt find nothing but matter of bitter weeping and lamentation If thou look backward what canst thou behold but all the filthy and abominable lusts of thy youth unrepented of yea multitudes of horrid sins which thou hast committed in the whole course of thy life for which thou never hast been humbled nor shed one penitential tear the guilt of the least of them is enough to sink thee body and soul into everlasting burnings If thou look forward what canst thou behold but sudden destruction ready to seize upon thee Yea Gods strict Tribunal before which thou art just making thy appearance there immediately to be sentenced to endless torments and miseries of the other world the sting and terrours of which thou shalt never be able either to avoid or abide If thou look within thee what canst thou behold but thy conscience polluted and defiled yea accusing and condemning thee If without thee what canst thou behold but the wicked World which thou hast too much loved and thy relations which stand weeping about thee a company of miserable comforters that cannot delay the separating stroak of death one day or hour neither can they afford thee the least dram of true comfort If thou look downward what canst thou behold but hell deserved with her mouth open ready to swallow thee up quick and the Devils ready to receive thy soul and carry it to that dungeon of darkness If upward what canst thou behold but a provoked enraged God whom because thou refusedst to hear in the day of his merciful visitation he will now laugh at thy calamity and mock when thy fear cometh upon thee as himself threatneth Prov. 1.24 26. and in verse 28. saith the Lord Then shalt thou call upon me but I will not answer thou shalt seek me but thou shalt not find me for that thou hatedst knowledge and didst not choose the fear of the Lord. And verse 30. Thou wouldst none of my counsell but despisedst all my reproofs Therâ—fore shalt thou eat the fruit of thine own way and be filled with thine own desires that is the wickedness which thou hast sown shalt thou reap with all fullness Thus thou wilt look every where for help yet findest thy self every way helpless and hopeless Haply thou wilt then look unto Jesus Christ in hope that he will appear for thee and his blood make thy Attonement But sinner know that though his blood be a fountain opened to all poor penitent believers to wash away the filthy spots and stains of their sins Yet to thee who hast all thy life long suffered Christ to stand knocking at the door of thine heart by the Ministery of his Word by the motions of his Spirit and by the checks of thine own conscience and wouldst not open unto him to thee his blood will be then a fountain sealed so that thou shalt not partake of the least benefit thereof because in thy life time thou hast so often slighted it yea and crucified him afresh by thy bloody sins Ah sinner sinner whither wilt thou flee for comfort in the midst of thy distress It will then be too late to cry out Oh that the time I have spent in Taverns and Ale-houses in sports and pastimes in carnal pleasures and sensual delights I had spent in Prayer and fasting in humbling and repenting It will then be too late to cry with Balaam Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous when thou hast neglected to live the life of the righteous For look as the life is so commonly is the death and as death leaves a man so the last judgement shall find him And now sinner thy last sand being run out thy day past and the Devills long looked for day being come who waits for thy soul so soon as it goeth out of thy body Oh what a direfull screech will thy soul give when it passeth out of thy body into the Devils clutches to be carryed by him into the bottomless burning lake Oh how should the consideration of these unspeakable miseries which are the portion of natural and unregenerate men at their deaths startle and waken all such worldlings and sensualists who so they may encrease their wealth and satiate themselves with worldly pleasures and delights take no thought now nor make any provision against this dreadfull day of reckoning I mean the
day of their deaths Surely did they know and feelingly apprehend or would they be brought to believe what horrour and astonishment what terrour and anguish is like then to seize upon them they would count it the greatest point of wisdom in the World speedily to labour for an interest in Jesus Christ who alone can free them as from the sting of death so from these horrours and astonishments which accompany the same and would now ply all the blessed means of salvation as reading hearing praying fasting and the like which are now their burden and bondage yea the matter of their mocks and scorns would then be their daily delight and exercise CHAP. IX Sheweth the miserable and dreadfull condition of the Vnregenerate after their deaths IF this were the conclusion of Unregenerate men that death did put an end to all their miseries happy were it for many But this is their grief and sorrow their woe and misery that all this is the beginning of their sorrows that after all this there is a reckoning to be made for what is past For as it is appointed to men once to dye so after this cometh the judgement Where by the Iudgement that immediately followeth after death the Apostle meaneth the particular judgement which is at the end of each mans life as is evident by this phrase after this which intendeth the time of a mans death For as there is a general judgement at the end of the world So there is a particular judgement that passeth upon each man at the end of this life Ah sinner so soon as thy breath departeth out of thy body it fareth with thy soul as with that man of whom the Prophet Amos speaketh who did flee from a Lion and a Bear met him In like manner thy soul is no sooner escaped out of a miserable World but in a moment it is plunged into another and greater misery Herein lyeth a main difference between the Children of God and the wicked The course which God taketh with his Children is this When the soul is set at liberty from the prison of the body it is instantly conveighed by the Angels into Abraham bosome as is expresly noted of Lazarus And being cloathed with the long white robe of Christs Righteousness is joyned to the spirits of just men made perfect But with the souls of wicked and impenitent sinners it is far otherwise for so soon as they depart out of their bodies they are seized upon by wicked Angels and presently brought before Gods Tribunal-seat where receiving their doom they are instantly sent down into the Kingdom of darkness and bottome of the burning lake there to be reserved in everlasting chains unto the judgement of the great day For the better awakening the Consciences of wicked and impenitent sinners I shall briefly shew you the manner and degrees of this particular judgement 1. As the Iaylor at the Assizes brings forth the Prisoner out of Prison and sets him before the Judge So Sinner the Devil as thy Iaylor brings forth thy soul out of the Prison of thy body and sets it before the glorious presence of God the sight of whom will strike thee with such hellish horrour and astonishment that thou wouldst be glad to have the greatest rock to fall on thee and mightiest mountain to cover thee and there to lye hid everlastingly from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne 2. As when the Prisoner is come before the face of the judge then his accusers bring in their evidence So sinner thou art no sooner set before the face of the Almighty Judge but thy Conscience joyning with the Devil brings in evidence against thee And then all thy filthy thoughts and impure imaginations all thy lyes and oaths with all thy rotten communications and all the secret impurities and villanies of thy whole life will be set before thee and charged upon thy soul. And how dismally will all thy mirth and thy pleasures the houses that thou hast built the lands thou hast purchased the money thou hast hoarded up by iniquity how dreadfully will these look on thee in that day Now thou boastest thy self in thy wealth and blessest thy self in thy pleasures and sportest thy self in thy sins but in what a grim countenance will all these appear when they meet thee before the throne of God Ah sinner What wilt thou then do whither wilt thou fly from the revenging hand of God what mountain canst thou get by entreaty to fall upon thee Truly in this case one would not have thine heart in his breast one hour for all the riches honours and pleasures of the World 3. Then will the Lord hereupon proceed to the sentence of condemnation though haply not vocally yet effectually upon thy soul and say Depart thou cursed into everlasting fire there to be reserved to the Iudgement of the great day Ah sinner what horrour and astonishment will overwhelm thy soul upon that dreadful sentence 4. As the Judge having pronounced the sentence of death delivers up the Prisoners to the Jaylors So then shall God deliver up thy Soul into the hands of the Devils who being thy Jaylours must keep thee to the great day of account Whereupon they will instantly hurry thee into that horrible dungeon and fiery lake where is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Where thou shalt have no other comforter but the cursed Devils who will be continually insulting over thee with hellish spite for slighting and rejecting the offers and tenders of Jesus Christ for neglecting so great Salvation all thy life long and losing Heaven for thy base lusts II. Besides this particular judgement on the souls of the unregenerate at their deaths there will be a general judgement on their souls and bodies re-united at the great and last day For the fuller clearing and opening of this great and fundamental principle of Religion I will shew you 1. That there will be a day of Iudgement 2. The Person who shall be the Iudge 3. The manner of Christs coming to Iudgement 4. The order of Christs proceeding in Iudgement I. For the first that there will be a day of Iudgement is clear from that of the Author to the Hebrews Chap. 6.2 where he reckoneth it amongst the fundamental principles of Religion And Act. 17.31 The Apostle Paul speaking of God saith He hath appointed a day in which he will Iudge the World in righteousness Yea in 2 Cor. 5.10 he puts a MUST upon it We must saith he all appear before the judgement-seat of Christ which implyeth the necessity thereof And truly there is a necessity of a general Iudgement as for the declaration of the equity of Gods particular Iudgement on each man at his death in which respect it is called the day of the revelation of the Righteous Iudgement of God So for a clear manifestation of the justice of God Though God be most just in all his wayes yet
in this World it is not so evidently discerned Because God in Wisdom oft suffereth the wicked to prosper yea and to domineer over the Righteous Here the best men are ofttimes the worst used and most wronged Here the true Prophets of God are fed with bread and water in their Caves whilest the false Prophets of Baal fared plentifully at Iezabels Table Here Dives sits in his Palace cloathed richly faring sumptuously every day whilest Lazarus lyeth at his gate naked and hungry But then God will reader to every one according to his deeds When as Heaven and everlasting happiness shall be the lott of the righteous So hell and eternal horrour shall be the portion of the unrighteous Thus you see there will be a day of Judgement Oh how terrible will this day of Judgement be unto the unregenerate and wicked To them it will be a day of wrath a day of trouble and distress a day of darkness and gloominess Then shall the drunkard drink deepest of the cup of Gods wrath the fornicator and adulterer who burned with the fire of lust burn in the fire of Hell Then shall the glutton who gave himself up to the satisfying of his greedy appetite be pinched with hunger and parched with thirst not having a drop of water to cool his flaming tongue Then shall the worldling and covetous wretch feel his loads of ill-gotten goods sinking and drowning him in perdition and destruction pressing him down to the bottom of the infernal lake Ah sinner How doth it concern thee to retire into some secret place and there seriously to ponder on this day of judgement Ask thine heart this question Is it certain there will be a day of judgement or no If it be certain Oh then why do I not prepare for it by breaking off my sins and making my peace with God before that day come upon me why do I not labour for an interest in Christ by whom alone I can be freed from eternal death and condemnation why do I not now give all diligence to make my Calling and Election sure Oh sinner reason thus with thy self thou knowest not of what advantage a few such serious thoughts may be to thy soul. When Paul Preached to the Athenians he urged them to repent and turn from their sins from this very ground and reason Because the Lord had appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness Oh repent therefore and turn ye from your wicked wayes for why will ye dye and perish eternally in your sins Seek unto the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is nigh Christ now stands knocking at the door of thine heart by the Ministers of his Word the motions of his Spirit and checks of thine own Conscience Oh give him speedy and willing entertainment The time will come when thou wilt knock with the foolish Virgins and shalt not be heard and repent with Iudas and not be accepted For the Lord will have his day when thine is past and a day of Iudgement for thy punishment that didst slight and reject the day of mercy for thine amendment II. For the Person who shall be the Iudge It is Christ that shall be Iudge who shall in a visible shape both judge and pronounce sentence upon all men as the sentence of absolution on the elect so the sentence of condemnation on the wicked Indeed judging the World being a work ad extra which is terminated upon or respects the creature it is common to the whole Trinity So that neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost are excluded but yet it is in Scripture more especially appropriated to the Son And that partly as a recompence of his humiliation and partly because the proceedings of the judgement being visible it seemed convenient that the Iudge himself should be conspicuous And therefore Christ in his humane nature shall judge the World and denounce the doom of condemnation against the wicked ones yet shall he do all as Immanuel God and man Oh how terrible will the sight of Jesus Christ as Iudge be unto all carnal and impenitent wretches who when they shall see him sitting upon the Throne whose gracious invitations they have slighted whose Ministers and Ambassadours they have wronged and contemned whose ordinances they have neglected and whom they have often crucified by their sins how then will their hearts be appalled with dread and terrour entreating the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. A poor believer on that day seeing Christ sitting upon the Throne may with comfort say Loe yonder is he who dyed to save me who shed his blood for my redemption and rose again for my justification and is now come to judge both the quick and the dead But thou who dyest in thy sins canst not but with much anguish of Spirit in that day cry out and say Loe yonder is he who came from Heaven to save poor lost sinners and who did Sabbath after Sabbath even all my life long by his Ministers wooe and bâ—seech me to abandon my lusts and to receive him as my Lord and Saviour to yield subjection unto him and his laws and to rest upon him alone for life and salvation who now would have received me into eternal bliss and happiness But I miserable wretch that I was did slight his woings and beseechings turning a deaf ear to the calls of his grace and preferred my lusts and corruptions bâ—fore the Lord and his salvation yea and all my life long opposed his Kingdom and government as quite contrary to my carnal heart and sensual pleasures wherein I took much content and delight This is the Iudge who now sits on life and death and from whom I must now receive my seâ—tence And oh what a fearfull sentence must I expect from such a wronged contâ—mâ—ed câ—raged righteous Iudge What will he award me whether will he seâ—d me Oh my sins my sins have cloathed his soul with fury against me O my soul what Talents of wrath and vengeance will this righteous provoked Iudge lay upon thee how will he bind thee in chains of darkness and setters of eternal fire Oh therefore that we were so wise as now in this our day and time of grace so to renounce boâ—h our own wickedness and righteousness as to joyn our selves to our Lord resigning up our souls to the government of his holy laws adventuring and relying upon the merit of his blood resolving to follow him in holiness that hereby we may make him sure to us against that terrible day III. For the Manner of Christs coming to Iudgement it will be as in great glory so in great terrour to the wicked and impenitent 1. Christ will come in great glory aâ—d Majesty even in the glory of the Father This is the most glorious work that Christ
tongue of man able to express So in Hell there is such a fulness of sorrow and torment as is both beyond expression or conception Oh the folly and madness of the men of this World who notwithstanding the punishment of sin is so intollerable yea and they believe it to be so yet do suffer themselves to be carryed away down into this lake for things of nought they will dye rather than be wise they will fry and roar and howle in the other World rather than not sing and laugh and be vile and abominable in this World Ah sinner should not the bitter sting in sins tayle deter thee more than the false beauty of its face allure thee Certainly didst thou but seriously consider the extremity and burning heat of that furnace below it would make thy sin to be too hot for thee above ground This fire would quench thy lust and cool thy fleshly affections and fetch thee off from those wretched wayes in which thou hast so long and so resolvedly walked Oh sinner wouldst thou never come into this place of torment descend into it daily look into the pit often if thou wouldst not fall into it If Heaven and all the joy and glory there will not afford arguments enough to draw thee on after thy God see if Hell and the torments thereof will not yield thee arguments enough to withdraw thee from thy sins Wouldst thou not be enticed to sin Let a thought of hell of death and wrath meet every temptation In all temptations unto sin consider the fearfull issue and effect thereof and though it seem never so delightfull and agreeable to thy natural humour yet ask But what comes after Let the dreadfull consequence thereof which without true and unfained repentance is no less than eternal fire deterr thee from the same Ah sinner sinner when thou art bathing thy soul by the fire of â—ust consider how for the same thou maist burn in the everlasting flames of Hell When thou art drenching thy self with the voluptuous draughts of thy carnal pleasure think what a drench what a poysonous and bitter cup is prepared for thee below And this may be a special means to kill that lust which will otherwise kill thy soul. Want of consideration of the fearful issue and effects of sin is questionless the cause of so much sin and wickedness in the World III. The misery of the damned is set forth in Scripture by sundry resemblances as 1. Darkness yea outer-darkness But the children of the Kingdom shall be cast into outer-darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth As light is one of the most comfortable things that man can enjoy it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun So darkness is most horrible and terrible Darkness was one of the Aegyptians plagues which were all fearfull effects of Gods wrath It is counted a great severity of punishment to cast men into dark dungeons For darkness doth much affright men especially if they hear hideous and terrible noyses What then will be the darkness of hell where shall be nothing but weeping and wailing howling and gnashing of teeth with such like effects of fearful terrour This is called outer-darkness because it is out of the place of bliss the place of light which is no small aggravation thereof 2. Torment As Luke 16.23 And in hell the rich man lift up his eyes being in torment Now torment is an extremity of pain whereof man is very sensible and which is highly grievous unto him Many torments which men inflict cause such as are tormented to cry and howle and wish they were dead rather than to live in such torment Oh then what is the torment which God in his fierce wrath inflicteth on the damned in hell whom he will make to feel his heavy hand to be the hand of a mighty God All tortures and torments considered together are not comparable thereunto Take the pains of all diseases incident to our nature as stone gout collick cramp or what other can be named Add hereunto all the most exquisite tortures that cruel men have inflicted upon others as rack strapado boyling in lead pulling the flesh from the bones with hot pinsers and such like Add also hereunto all the anguish horrour and terrour that ever any man felt in his soul mind and conscience let all these be joyned together they are but a flea-bite in comparison of hell-torments The reason is evident because all the fore-mentioned torments here endured may stand with Gods love and are off inflicted on his dear children But that torment is a fruit of his wrath wherein he sets himself to make the sinner feel the weight of his indignation O foolish sinner thy pleasures are tormenting pleasures thy gains and thine ease that now thou blessest thy self in they are tormenting gains a tormenting ease Now thou drinkest the sweet but beware whatever they are in thy mouth they are torment in the belly Buy not an hours ease or pleasure at the price of an eternity of torment 3. Another resemblance whereby the misery of the damned is set forth is Fire as Matth. 18.9 This of all other metaphors is most frequently used and of all others it is the fittest For fire is the fiercest kind of torment that is and the most intolerable Great question is made about the kind of it Whether the fire of hell be material and corporeall fire or no. Surely it is such a fire as shall torment both body and soul and that much more intolerably than any fire here below Brimstone mingled with fire makes it burn more fiercely therefore brimstone is oft added to hell-fire to aggravate the torment thereof Yea it is said to be a lake of fire and brimstone which implyeth a great quantity thereof to make it the hotter The Prophet Isaiah saith That the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it The breath of the Lord must needs make the fire that is kindled with it burn more fiercely than all the bellows or all the wind in the World can make any fire here below to burn Fire here below useth to burn most fiercely in a furnace where it is kept in Therefore hell is said to be a furnace and that of flaming fire The Furnace into which the three Children were cast was exceeding fierce being made seven times hotter than it was wont to be But how fierce and dreadfull will this Furnace be whose fire is unspeakably hotter than that was at the hottest Oh who is able to dwell in this devouring fire who amongst us shall dwell in those everlasting burnings There was a fearful crying and shrieking when the Lord sent a deluge of water to drown the old World How did the poor creatures run up and down for shelter in that deluge Oh but what bitter crying and shrieking will there be in hell When a fiery stream shall go out from the throne of God and poor damned
abundant in mercy and goodness but it is only for a few A. To this the Lord answers in the next words That he hath mercy for thousands yea he keeps it by him for all that will but come in and partake thereof for so it is expressed keeping mercy for thousands Where a finite number thousands is put for an indefinite multitudes innumerable multitudes Therefore if thou with thousands wilt come in truth unfeignedly hating thy former lewd courses and resolve for the time to come upon new courses company and conversation know that God hath mercy in store for thee yea as large a portion as ever any found or were made partakers of Obj. 7. Wilt thou say Thy sins are both many and hainous more for number than thou canst possibly reckon up and more hainous than thou canst sufficiently aggravate A. To this the Lord answers in the next words That he is a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sin that is sins of all sorts from the least to the greatest As if he had said That he would pardon as all sinners who truly turn from their sins unto him and close with Jesus Christ So all their sins of what kind or degree soever For the learned generally conceive that under these three terms iniquity transgression and sin all manner of sins are comprehended Thus much for the opening and applying the fore-mentioned description of God which sets forth his willingness to save poor lost sinners 2. Gods willingness appeareth from his commands to the worst of sinners to repent and believe For the former that God commands them to repent and turn from their sins unto him we have abundant proof in Scripture As Isai. 1. we read that they who are stiled Rulers of Sodom and pâ—ople of Gomorrah v. 10. being like them for all manner of abominable wickednesses even as bad as they or rather worse and whose sins arâ— called scarlet and crimson sins v. 18. yet in v. 16. are they called upon to repent Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well Which are exhortations to repentance And Ier. 3.1 We read that they who had committed spiritual Adultery having forsaken the true God and worshipped Idols even stocks and stones yet are they called upon to repent and turn unto God Though thou hast played the Harlot with many Lovers yet return again to me saith the Lord and I will be reconciled to thee again and receive thee into my grace and favour And for the latter that God commands poor sinners to believe in Jesus Christ we have a clear proof 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ. Now Gods commanding all poor sinners even the worst of them to repent and believe is a clear demonstration of his willingness to have them saved by putting them upon the use of those means he hath appointed and sanctified thereunto Ah sinner how should this prevail with thee to abandon thy sins and to adventure on Jesus Christ as thy Lord and Saviour The command of God to repent and believe should me-thinks out-weigh all the suggestions of Satan and carnal reasonings of thine own heart it should swallow up all scruples fears and doubts Abraham we read upon the command of God was willing to offer up his own Son his beloved Son Isaac us a Sacrifice And wilt thou refuse to Sacrifice thy beloved Lust and to embrace the beloved Son of God with the arms of thy faith when thou hast the command of God for both Oh therefore resolve as to cast away thy sins so to cast thy self into the arms of Jesus Christ and to give up thy self unto him and his Laws to be ruled and governed thereby and thou shalt live 3. Gods willingness to save poor penitent sinners appeareth from his many gracious promises to receive the very worst of sinners upon their repentance Let the wicked foâ—sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and lâ—t him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Or as the Original word signifieth he will multiply pardon and forgiveness Though the wicked multiply their sins yet if they turn from them unto God by true and unfaigned repentance he will multiply pardon and forgiveness And saith the Prophet Ezekiel If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall not dye All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live These and such like gracious promises of God in his Word for the encouragement of poor sinners to turn from their sins unto him cannot but strongly argue his willingness to have them saved 4. As if this were not enough to set forth Gods willingness to his promises he hath added his â—ath As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Here the Lord sweareth by himself there being no greater to swear by As if he had said As sure as I am the true and living God so certainly I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he should turn from his wicked wayes and embrace my mercy in Jesus Christ. Because wicked men are so hardly perswaded of Gods willingness to save them therefore to convince them thereof and to encourage them to turn from their sins unto him he takes his oath on it that he is infinitely more willing that wicked men should repent and be saved than that they should perish in their sins and be damned 5. The Lord to shew his willingness to save poor sinners pleads with them in the words following Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel Here the Lord condescends to reason the case with poor sinners Why they will dye and perish and not rather turn from their sins unto him that they may live in bliss and happiness to all Eternity And then exhorts them with all earnestness to repentance saying turn ye turn ye which ingemination denoteth the vehement affection and desire of God to have sinners turn from their sins unto him that they may not perish but have everlasting life 6. Gods willingness appeareth from his free offer and tender of Christ to all who will but receive him by the hand of faith as none are named so none are excluded The Angel that brought from Heaven the tydings of Christs birth saith that it was for all people Behold saith he I bring you tydings of great joy which shall be to all people And saith our Saviour God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Where by the World is meant indefinitely mankind of what Nation or Condition Sex or State Age or other Difference soever they be And therefore the offer of Christ is indefinitely to all without exception of any there being no state or condition of men which God hath excluded from Salvation by Christ which doth clearly evidence his willingness to save poor sinners Oh sinner seeing God doth freely offer Christ to all without exception of any do not thou except thy self limit not where God hath not limited say not I am unworthy or my sins are many and heinous cloathed with many aggravating circumstances but stir up thy self to adventure thy soul on Christ upon the general offer of him in the Gospel The first work of faith in many hath been to adventure their souls on Christ upon the free offer of him to all indefinitely Do thou in like manner adventure to cast thy self upon the free grace of God in Christ with resolution to abandon thy lusts for the time to come and to take Christ for thy Lord and Husband as well as for thy Priest and Saviour This is that which God requireth and if he hath perswaded thine heart to this it is a good sign that mercy is intended for thee 7. Gods willingness appeareth from his beseeching poor sinners to be reconciled to him as the Apostle expresseth We are Ambassadours for Christ as though he did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God Ah sinner rather than thou shouldst perish in thy sins God himself who is the God of mercy doth as it were kneel down before thee and beseecheth thee for the Lord Jesus Christ his sake to pitty thy poor soul and to accept of the reconcilâ—ation which Christ hath purchased by his bloody death and passion Oh the depth of the incomprehensible love of God to poor sinners that he should not only command and invite but likewise beseech and intreat them to turn from their sins unto him and accept of the reconciliation purchased by the blood of his Son Jesus Christ. Surely this must needs evidence his great willingness to save poor sinners 8. His willingness further appeareth by his sending Ministers as his Ambassadours unto poor sinners upon terms of peace and reconciliation as the Apostle expresseth in the forementioned place We are Ambassadours to beseech you to be reconciled to God As if he had said We are commanded by the Lord our Master to offer you terms of peace and reconciliation to profer you peace and pardon if you will heartily turn from your sins unto God We are sent as Ambassadours to acquaint you what Christ hath done and suffered for your redemption how he hath fulfilled the Law for you and offered up his life as a Sacrifice and satisfaction to Gods justice for your sins and how you may be happy for ever if you will rest upon Christs perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for life and salvation and give up your selves unto him to serve and obey his laws and commandments I do here therefore as Gods Ambassadour in his name proclaim to the worst of you to the greatest and oldest sinner that you may have mercy and Salvation if you will abandon your lusts and close with Jesus Christ upon the terms of the Gospel receiving him for your King Priest and Prophet Oh how can we but stand amazed at the riches of Gods mercy and goodness that when we upon the knees of our souls should have sought unto him for peace and reconciliation yet that he being the great Lord of Heaven and of Earth should condescend so far as to send Ambassadours unto us sinfull dust and ashes to intreat us to be reconciled to him to accept his grace and favour Oh how doth this evidence his great willingness that poor sinners should not perish but have everlasting life Certainly if God had taken more pleasure in your damnation than in your salvation he would never have sent his Ministers as Ambassadours to shew you the way and means of salvation by receiving Christ as your Lord and Saviour and giving up your selves unto him he would never have perswaded you by so many arguments and beseeched you to turn from your sins unto him that your souls might live in glory to all Eternity 9. Gods willingness doth likewise appear from the greatness of his patience in bearing with sinners For the Lord having used all means for the conversion of poor sinners he waits with much patience and long-suffering for their repentance to see whether they will turn from their sins unto him or no. He waits upon the Swearer the Drunkard the Whore-Master the covetous Worldling day after day week after week year after year crying after them as he did after Ierusalem Oh will ye not be made clean Oh when will it once be When wilt thou leave thy Swearing thy Drinking thy Whoring thy Covetousness and the like And when will thy prophane heart be sanctified thine unclean heart be purified and thy carnal heart spiritualized oh when will it once be oh sinner who art now grown old in sin how long hath the Lord waited on thee for shame let him wait no longer but turn thee turn thee from thy wicked wayes and courses that thou maist receive mercies from him This patience of God towards sinners must needs evidence his willingness to have them saved For if he had not been willing he would have cut them off long agoe and have dealt with them as he did with the Devils who had no sooner sinned but he clapt his chains upon them and still reserves them to the great day in chains of darkness 10. Gods willingness appeareth in that he hath made the way of salvation as easie as can stand with his honour For the way of salvation now is only believing in Iesus Christ for so runs the covenant of grace believe and ye shall be saved Whereas the Covenant of works ran thus Do this and live So that now whosoever believeth in Iesus Christ shall be saved that is whosoever receiveth Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour giving himself up to be ruled by him and resteth upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon of his sins here and for eternal salvation hereafter Shall not perish but have everlasting life The covenant of works required perfect obedience in every mans own person But the Covenant of grace requireth only our sincere endeavour to keep the Commandements of the Lord and accepteth the obedience performed by our surety Jesus Christ for us For we being disenabled by the fall of Adam for performing obedience to the law Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God came down from Heaven took our nature upon him and therein became our surety and as our surety in our steed for us subjected himself to the Law perfectly fulfilled the same and his obedience is by God
accepted for us and imputed unto us as if we our selves in our own persons had kept the whole Law of God and perfectly fulfilled the same Indeed personal obedience is required under the Gospel of believers but not as the matter of our justification but as an evidence and fruit of our justification I say as an evidence of our justification that we may make it manifest both to our selves and to the World that we are justified and made righteous by Jesus Christ. And also as a fruit of our justification that by our good works we might glorifie God for God is much glorified by the good works of his people Now in that God hath made the way of salvation so easie to poor sinners accepting of their sincere endeavour to keep his Commandements for perfect obedience And of the obedience and righteousness of Jesus Christ their surety for personal obedience it must needs evidence his willingness to have poor sinners saved 11. Gods willingness to save the very worst of sinners is most lively represented in the Parable of the Prodigal as it is recorded Luke 15.20 c. where we read how the Prodigal no sooner resolved to go to his Father and acknowledge his offences but his Father prevented him for when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kiss'd him Where there are several passages very observable in the Father of the Prodigal 1. His quick observation For when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him Before he espyed his Father his Father saw him Though God is many times unwilling to see the sinner yet is he at all times very willing to espy the penitent Yea no sooner doth a sinner resolve to turn from his sins unto God but he spyes him and pittyes him 2. His present commiseration His Father saw him and had compassion on him Though God looks on obstinate sinners with indignation yet he looks on the penitent with commiseration When the heart of a sinner is penitentially touched then the bowels of Gods mercy are moved within him When Ephraim repented and turned the Lord saith My bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him 3. His spâ—edy readiness to embrace him It is said the Son went to his Father but the Father ran to meet his penitent Son shewing how ready and swift the Lord is to shew mercy to a penitent returning sinner There is a great difference betwixt Gods coming to punish a sinner and his coming to shew mercy to a penitent He is said to be slow to wrath but he is fâ—ist to shew mercy As soon as ever Ephraim said I repented instantly it follows I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. David had no sooner said I have sinned but Nathan had commission presently to reply the Lord hath done away thy sin A sinner no sooner turnes from his sins unto God by repentance but God turns unto him in mercy 4. His wonderful tenderness The Father fell on his neck To have taken him by the hand had been much but to fall on his neck and embrace him and that as he was in his loathsome stinking rags was a greater favour than could be expected How open are the arms of mercy to embrace a penitent returning sinner 5. His strong affection expressed by kissing his penitent Son for as it follows He kissed him He did not only embrace him but he likewise kissed him And as St. Austin observeth Before the Son had spoken one word unto his Father the Father falleth upon his neck and kissed his ragged and deformed Son which sheweth Gods willingness to receive and embrace all poor penitent sinners that have but a thought of turning from their sins unto him Yea the Fathers kissing of his returning Son was to make him know that he was truly reconciled to him notwithstanding his former wicked and lâ—â—d courses and to shew that he rejoyced as much at his penitential return as he had grieved at his sinfull departure Oh sinner What an encouragement should this be unto thee to turn from thy sins unto God who hath as an eye of mercy to espye a returning sinner so an heart full of mercy and compassion to pitty a returning sinner and feet of mercy to meet a returning sinner and arms of mercy to embrace a returning sinner and lips of mercy to kiss a returning sinner in token that he is reconciled to him Oh therefore let me prevail with thee whosoever thou art how many and hainous soever thy sins are to turn from them unto God by true and unfained repentance and that with hope of mercy and acceptance in and through the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ. CHAP. XIII Of the all-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice III. THat there is hope of mercy for the worst of sinners appeareth froâ— the all-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice offered upon the Cross and the fulness of satisfaction that was therâ—by made to the justice of God for the sins of the whole World So much the Apostle expresseth where he saith He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him The word translated able doth impâ—y power to do a thing And the word translated uttermost is of a very large extent it extends so far that we cannot look beyond it no not in our â—houghts for let a mâ—n imagine his case to be never so desperate his sins to be never so many and hainous yet Christ by his death is able to save him from them all And therefore this we must lay as a foundation-truth that Christs Sacrifice was a full saâ—isfaction to the justice of his Father for the sins of the World it being the Sacrifice of the Son of God even of him who was God as well as man For this is that which added an infinite value to what Christ did and suffered for our redemption that it was the obedience and the sufferings of the Son of God of him who was God equal with the Father whereupon the blood of Christ whereby we are redeemed is called precious blood being of infinite price and merit able to countervail and answer for all our sins and to free us from the punishment due unto us for the same Bâ—sides Christs resurrection from the deaâ— is an eviâ—â—nt demonstration that his death was an all-sufficient Sacrifice and full satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins For God having seized on Christ as our Surety and cast him into the prison of the grave for the debt of our sins he could not have come forth till he had payed the uttermost farthing But by his rising out of the prison of the grave we are assured that Gods justice is abundantly satisfied by the death of Jesus Christ. Labour therefore to get thine heart truly satisfied in the all-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice that his death was a full satisfaction to
worketh faith to close with Jesus Christ. For untill thou beest truly humbled under a sense and apprehension of thy sins and misery it is not possible thou shouldst heartily desire Christ much less cordially embrace him as thy Saviour and redeemer Oh therefore labour in the use of all means God hath sanctified to get thine heart kindly humbled and broken for thy sins To this end 1. Look back into thy life and call to mind as many of thy sins as possibly thou canst the sins of thy youth as well as of thy riper years thy sins of omission as well as thy sins of commission yea the sins of thy holy services Especially call to mind the greatest and grossest of thy sins though they were committed long ago Thus did the Prodigal begin his humiliation and repentance by a serious examination of his former course of life calling to remembrance his departure from such a gracious Father his own wandrings in the wayes of wickedness in which he had lost himself and then as the text noteth He arose and came to his Father and with tears said unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son To acknowledge thy self in the general to be a sinner works but a formal kind of repentance and humiliation if any at all But if thou wouldst be truly humbled thou must descend to thy special and particular sins saying this evil have I done and that good have I left undone 2. Consider together with the number the hainousness of thy sins To this end call to mind the aggravating circumstances of them as how thou hast sinned against the motions of Gods Spirit the admonitions of his Ministers the checks of thine own conscience against the light of nature against the patience and long-suffering of God which should have led thee to repentance 3. Seriously consider the fearful threatnings against sin and sinners which are all judgements and plagues here and eternal death and condemnation hereafter and apply them to thy self reasoning thus If the least transgression of the Law deserveth the curse of God yea all judgements and plagues here and eternal condemnation hereafter then how many curses and plagues what and how great condemnation have I deserved who have committed sins innumerable for number and hainous in their quality And withall consider the truth and faithfulness of God in making good his threatnings as well as his promises 4. Beg this great Mercy of an humbled heart from God For it is he who must strike our stony hearts these hard Rocks of ours before they can yield any water of true repentance it is he who must pour out of the spirit of grace upon our hard hearts before we can pour out any penitent tears or lament as we ought for our sins It is he that must thaw our frozen hearts before they can dissolve into kindly sorrow To him therefore alone thou must go for this great work of humiliation And that thy prayers may be the more prevalent 1. Confess unto God the hardness of thine heart how it is grown to such an adamantine hardness that neither the thundrings nor threatnings of the Law nor the sweet showers the promises of the Gospel can make it relent or dissolve Confess unto God that Though thou hast broken his holy and righteous Laws ten thousand thousand times yet the consideration thereof hath not broken thine heart Oh this rock this rock when shall it be pierced Oh this hard heart I cannot break it I would melt I would mourn but cannot I can mourn for a lost friend for a lost estate but I cannot mourn for a lost soul. Oh what groanings and sighings and lamentations will afflictions press out of me but my sins my sins how little do they move me The pains of my body I can feel and roar under but O what a stock am I under the plague of my heart Lord smite this rock My plaints are before thee mine eyes are towards thee I cannot weep but I can cry for a broken heart Lord hear me 2. In thy Prayers plead that gracious promise of God to take away the stony hearts out of our flesh and to give us hearts of flesh Hath God promised and is there no hope in the promise Is there hope and wilt thou not lay hold on that hope plead with thy God upon his own word Is not this thy Word O Lord Hast not thou said thou wilt make this stone flesh will it ever be done if thou dost it not wilt not thou do what thou hast said Is it not thy will that I should believe thou wilt Oh perform thy word unto thy Servant wherein thou hast commanded me to put my trust 3. Be importunate in this request of thine unto God often renewing thy prayers and never give over till thou find thine hard heart brought into a mourning and melting frame Though God for a while seemeth deaf to thy prayers yet be not thou dumb many petitions he cannot deny IV. Resolve to give a present bill of divorce to all thy sinful lusts and pleasures utterly to renounce and forsake thine old sinful course of life and to set upon a new course to serve God in holiness and righteousness all the remaining part of thy life It s vain for thee to lament and bewail thy past sins if thou wilt not give over thy sinning trade For as the Apostle adviseth Thou must first put off the old man with his corrupt-lusts before thou put oâ— the new man Thou therefore who hast accustomed thy self to swearing and cursing to whoring and drinking to scoffing and railing against the people of God resolve to swear and curse no more to whore and drink no more to scoff and rail no more but cast them away with detestation avoiding the places and occasions of these sins For it is a vain thing to think thy self strong enough to abstain from any sin when thou canst not withdraw thy self from the occasions thereof Ah sinner if thou hast any regard to thy precious soul it will be thy wisdom speedily to resolve to leave thine old course of life and to turn over a new leaf Think not of peace with God whilest thou art at peace with sin Think not that thine old scores are crossed whilest thou art so freely scoring up a new Deceive not thy self thy divorce from sin and thy marriage with Christ must be both on the same day And count not thy self divorced till thou and thy sins be parted Resolve this day to have done with thy old wayes for ever At once give Christ his welcome and thy lusts their farewell There is no true humiliation for sin where there is not a resolution against it Say not thou art not humbled enough how little soever thy sorrow be if thou art sincerely resolved against iniquity And say not thou art humble enough how deep soever it hath been if there follow not this resolution
stirring thee up to any good duty omitted oh turn these motions into performances and presently fall upon the practice of those duties whether it be praying in thy closet or in thy Family or such like Doth the Spirit of God beam any light from the Word into thine understanding whereby thou art more throughly convinced of thy miserable condition by nature of the excellency of the new birth of the necessity thereof unto Salvation Labour to improve this light to the stirring up in thee an earnest longing desire after the work of Regeneration Hath the Spirit of God in a Sermon so convinced thee of some grofs scandalous sin or sins that thou art pricked at the heart and deeply humbled under the sense and apprehension of them oh content not thy self with some sudden pangs of affection but forthwith go into some secret place and there take the advantage of thy present relenting frame of heart for the more free and full confessing of thy sins unto God and ingaging thy self by a solemn covenant unto him to be more watchfull over thy self as against thy former lend and wicked courses so against the occasions leading thereunto Ah sinner it will be thy Wisdom carefully to observe and diligently to improve all the motions and stirrings of Gods Spirit in thy Soul and Conscience by seconding the work of this holy Spirit in thee Lose not the Wind and Tide the Wind may lye the Tide may turn and where art thou then 't will be hard Rowing against Wind or Tide Thou little thinkest what advantage such motions wisely improved may be to thy soul and what prejudice the slighting and neglecting of them may be unto thee for ought thou knowest thine eternal happiness or misery may depend upon the improving or slighting the same VIII Be much in the company of the godly walk with them who walk with God He that walketh with the wise shall be more wise he that walketh with the humble shall be more humble he that walketh with the holy shall learn holiness As there is no greater hinderance to the work of Christ than the society of the wicked So there is no greater furtherance to it than the society of those who fear God For there is none will be so ready to pitty and compassionate you to counsel and direct you in the way to Heaven as these none so ready to provoke and egg you on unto godliness to encourage and cheer you up when you do well and to reprove you when you do amiss as these none so ready to communicate their experiences to you O come say they and we will tell you what the Lord hath done for our souls So that in the company of the godly there is much good to be got they being like Lanthorns which disperse their light round about If thou beest much in their company thou shalt hear much of God much of Christ and much of Heaven they use to be talking much of the riches of that Countrey and the glory of that holy City whether they are travelling They will be opening to you the excellency of Jesus Christ the riches of his love the all-sufficiency of his Sacrifice his willingness to receive all poor sinners who will go unto him and adventure their souls upon him And who knoweth how much their discourse may warm thine heart and raise up thy desires after Christ. Agrippa was almost perswaded to be a Christian whilest he was talking with St. Paul And the Ennuch was not only almost but altogether perswaded whilest he was conversing with Philip. As therefore thou desirest to further the work of grace begun in thy soul be much in the company of those who are gracious who will be exceedingly helpfull to thee therein as by their prayers so by their counsel and good example For their lives tell thee what it is to walk in the Spirit what to mortifie the flesh and to live aboâ—e all the alluring vaâ—ities of the world Oh Christians encourage poor sinners to come among you let your discourses be practical Sermons let your wayes be living copies of that holy doctrine which you have received let your conversation be full of love life pitty compassion towards them be ready to teach counsel encourage and help them on after the Lord. Teach not sinners to say by the barrenness and unsavouriness of your lives there is no more of God to be gotten in the dwellings of the Righteous than in the tents of Wickedness Thus have I shewed you the Means on our part to be performed for the furthering the new birth and the work of Regeneration in your souls And now give me leave to propound one Question to you Are you resolved with the grace and assistance of God speedily to put your selves upon the practice of these Directions or no If you think these things more than necessary and are ready to say What need so much ado as if without so much hearing so much reading so much praying and the like there were no hope of Regeneration and Salvation you may then sit down and take your ease But know for certain that without a conscionable use of these Means you are like to fall short as of Regeneration here so of Salvation hereafter For where God hath appointed Means he doth not ordinarily work without them and therefore if you will not use Gods Means no wonder if you go without his grace Ah sinners I beseech you for the sake of your precious souls do not willfully refuse to be happy do not wittingly plunge your souls into everlasting miseries Be willing to be happy awaken your sleepy stir up your lazy hearts to be doing Heaven is not gotten with a wish everlasting glory is worthy your utmost pains and will not be gotten without it What say you after all that hath been said Are you willing to be converted to become new men and to take up a new course If you are not yet when will you Are you content to dye in your present state If you were now breathing out your last and just passing into another World would you not wish you had hearkened to counsel Though thou wilt live the life yet art thou content to dye the death of the obstinate and hardned Be not Brutes and mad men If Christ be best at death if holiness will be best at last if you know and believe that when you come to dye you shall wish you had made Christ sure then sure your standing out against Christ now your refusing grace now is the first-born of follies O be wise consider what 's before you Christ and the World holiness and sin life and death choose now for your selves and if you will be advised let your this dayes choice be the same which you are resolved shall be your dying choice If you would not choose to dye in your sins to dye Drunkards to dye adulterers to dye Scoffers to dye unbelievers live not out this day in such a dreadfull state CHAP.
prophane men to be uncomfortable because all the causes of uncomfortableness are found on them as guilt of sin death in sin enmity against God alienation from Christ and therefore lyableness to all judgements and plagues here and to eternal death and condemnation hereafter Surely if carnal men understood themselves throughly they would find all both within and without them like Ezekiels roul nothing but lamentation mourning and woe CHAP. XVII The second branch of the Vse of Exhortation unto the Regenerate HAving done with the first branch of the Use of Exhortation unto the Unregenerate Come we now unto the second which concerneth the Regenerate and consisteth of divers heads 1. Admire and adore Gods special mercy and goodness in thy Regeneration Let thine heart be ravished with the consideration of his love to thee in Christ Jesus the bottom whereof cannot be fathomed by any Angel in Heaven And therefore well maist thou cry out Oh the heighth and the depth the length and the breadth of the love of God unto thy soul If David upon the consideration of the goodness of God to man in his Creation cryed out so affectionately Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Surely upon the consideration of Gods mercy unto thy soul in this work of new Creation hast not thou cause to say the like Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Lord what am I among the Sons of men that thou shouldest have respect to me That the Lord should pluck thee as a brand out of the fire that he should take thee into his special grace and favour when he left many millions of Men and Women to perish in their sins that he should make thee an heir of Heaven when he left so many to be fire-brands of hell that thy nature should be renewed and sanctified when others are left in their filth and pollution hast not thou unspeakable cause to sit down and admire the freeness of Gods grace and riches of his mercy towards thee Surely nothing but free Grace hath put this honour upon thee and put such a difference between thee and others For what did God see more in thee than in others to move him to set his special love on thee Oh cast thine eyes round about thee look upon thy neighbours who live under the same Ministery partake of the same Ordinances as thou dost and yet never felt the power and sweetness of them in their souls Let the abominable wickedness which thou daily seest in others fill thee with wonder at the loving kindness of the Lord to thee That the dew of his free Grace should fall upon thy soul when the hearts of so many about thee should be dry not having one drop of that dew upon them is not this a mercy to be admired Oh consider it and adore it and say Lord how is it that thou shouldst bestow thy grace on me and deny it to so many who in many respects are better than I That thy heart may be the more raised up in admiration of the mercy and goodness of God unto thee herein take notice of the manifold priviledges which do follow and accompany such as are Regenerated 1. The love and favour of God wherewith they are embraced Love is weighty and falleth downward from Father to Child Yea love in God is as a Fountain and spring-head and the channel or pipe in and through which it runneth is Christ now that spring continually floweth forth through that pipe to every Regenerate person Observe the love of earthly Parents to their Children how great how constant it is withall consider how far God exceeds them in his love even as far as he doth in greatness which is infinitely So as every Regenerate person may with assurance rest on the love of God his Father which cannot be but most sweet to the soul and exceeding comfortable For in Gods fatherly favour consisteth our happiness II. Union with Christ. For Christ is the head and by Regeneration we are his members The Apostle writing to the Corinthians who were born again by the Spirit saith Now are ye the body of Christ and members in particular meaning of the mystical body of Christ. This Union of the Regenerate with Christ is one of the great mysteries of our Christian faith and it is a Mysterie of an unspeakable comfort and consolation For by vertue of our Union with Christ God is our Father Christ is our Brother and our Husband and Head Heaven is our inheritance Angels are our attendants and guardians who are sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation These Angels are those Horses and Chariots of fire which were round about Elisha and which are also round about every member of Christ in all their dangers though they see them not If the eyes of the Regenerate were but opened to see their glorious attendants how would their hearts be comforted and cheered in all their distresses III. Adoption Such as are Regenerated are thereby the adopted Sons of God Whereas by natural propagation they were the children of wrath by this Regeneration they are the Children of grace being translated out of the Family of Satan into Gods own Family and in and through Christ they are made the adopted Sons of God Oh that the Lord would open our eyes to see this priviledge Behold saith St. Iohn what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God The Apostle not being able to express the greatness of Gods love to us therein he breaks forth into an admiration thereof And truly well might he say Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us For here is not only love but love to admiration that we vile wretched sinfull creatures who were dead in sins and trespasses enemies to God by wicked works yea and children of wrath as well as others that we should be thus advanced in and by Christ as to be accounted not only servants which is much nor only friends which is more but also Sons and consequently heirs and co-heirs with Christ which is most of all IV. Christian freedom As it is the great unhappiness of the unregenerate that they are in a state of vasalage so it is the great happiness of the regenerate that they are in a state of freedom being freed 1. From Satan Though not from the assaults and temptations of Satan yet from the power of Satan For our Saviour Christ by his death hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil He hath now broken the Serpents head so that though he may hiss against us yet he cannot sting us though he may assault us yet he cannot overcome us and though he goeth about like a roaring Lion sâ—â—king whom he may devour yet Christ hath him in a
and manifesting his greatest power in their greatest impotency Yea though sometimes he seems to leave them in their distress yet he giveth such sufficient strength as they are thereby enabled to bear it and well to pass it through This is evident by the Apostles holy triumph in this case We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed The ground hereof is the assistance which God affordeth us and the strength which he communicateth to us IX All things shall work together for the good of the Regenerate And God will do them good by all in the latter end He will turn their losses into gain their crosses into comforts their sorrows into joy their cursing into blessings Those afflictive providences which seem to be most prejudicial unto them will in the issue prove most beneficial As we see in Ioseph The evil which his brethren intended against him turned to his good Their selling him as a slave to the Ishmaelites proved the means of his advancement How did Maâ—asses imprisonment work for his good For the text saith When he was in affliction he besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly and the Lord was entreated of him To know that nothing shall hurt a child of God is ground of exceeding great comfort and consolation But to be assured that all things even all cross-providences shall work together for his good is enough to fill the heart with joy Oh then how great is the happiness of every Regenerate person who may be assured that whatsoever befalleth him shall be for his good and doth work together for the best Certainly he may truly say Soul take thy spiritual ease for here is much spiritual good treasured up for thee X. A blessed death For so saith the Spirit Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord that is in the faith of Christ. Who are blessed both because then they rest from their labours from all their toyl and pains from all their griefs and sorrows As also because their works do follow them through free-grace in glorious rewards The souls of the Regenerate so soon as they are by death separated from the body go immediately into Heaven as is clear from that speech of our Saviour to the converted thief on the Cross This day thou shalt be with me in Paradice which place the Apostle expoundeth to be the third Heaven The word in the Original translated this day implyes that immediately after the breathing of his soul out of his body his soul should go to Heaven And thus it is with all the Regenerate unto whom death is like the red-Sea to the Israelites even a passage and thorow-fair into the Heavenly Canaan XI An happy Resurrection For at the sound of the last Trumpet all the Regenerate shall arise out of their graves like so many Iosephs out of Prison Whatsoever imperfections were before in their bodies as blindness lameness crookedness shall then be done away Though the body was sowen in corruption yet it shall be raised in incorruption not to be subject to any manner of aches pains diseases or imperfections Though it were sowen in weakness it shall be raised in power And though it was sowen in dishonour it shall be raised in glory Here it is many times deformed but then all deformities and defects shall be removed and the body made more glorious through the admirable beauty thereof Certainly if the Beauty of all the Men and Women in the World were concentred in one it would be far short of the Beauty of the Saints in Heaven whose bodies shall shine more gloriously than the Sun in the Firmament XII The last and highest priviledge of the Regenerate is That they shall have an Heavenly inheritance Fathers on earth use to provide inheritances for their Children And the Apostâ—e Peter Blesseth God who hath begotten us to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven The Regenerate in this life possâ—ss Heaven in Christ but hereafter they shall enjoy it in their own persons When they come to enjoy this heavenly inheritance they shall not only be freed from all evils both bodily and spiritual but likewise replenished with all good Their minds shall be inlightned their wills reformed their memories made blessed treasures their consciences purged their hearts purified their affections rectified their bodies glorified and all these perfectly There shall be a blessed communion of all the Saints together who shall enjoy the society of Angels and fellowship with Christ himself whose surpassing excellency they shall cleerly behold and partake of that glory wherewith he is arrayed What tongue can express what heart can conceive the excellency thereof If Peter Iames and Iohn seeing but some small glimpse of Christs glory and Majesty in his transfiguration were so ravished therewith that setting aside all worldly desires they wished only the continuance thereof Then how shall the Saints in Heaven be ravished with joy and comfort when they shall continually behold their Saviour Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father like a triumphant Conquerour having subdued his and his Churches enemies Thus have I shewed you some of the glorious priviledges of the Regenerate Oh happy day may that Man or Woman say as long as they live when God by his Spirit Regenerated them and made them new creatures Many keep their birth day as a day of rejoycing and feasting But they who know the day of their new-birth may well make that a day of rejoycing while they live in regard of the many glorious priviledges whereof they are thereby partakers CHAP. XVIII An Exhortation to bless God for the work of Regeneration And to walk worthy thereof II. A Second branch of the Use of Exhortation unto the Regenerate is To be thankfull unto God for this great mercy Admire the grace of God and bless his name for ever Art thou made alive Is the life of God begotten in thee And hast thou evidence of it O bless God whilest thou hast any being Let thine heart and mouth and life be filled with his Praises Take up the Psalmists words Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Wilt thou be thankfull unto God for thy natural birth And wilt not thou be thankfull to him for thy spiritual birth wilt thou bless him for that he hath made thee a reasonable creature And wilt thou not bless him for making thee a new-creature wilt thou bless him that thou art not a Toad And wilt thou not bless him that thou art not a Devil Is not Regeneration of all mercies the most necessary And wilt not thou be thankfull for that which is the one thing necessary If the Children of Israel praised God for their deliverance from the Aegyptian bondage how much more cause hast thou
or such evil purpose And now at length resolve to be thrifty to be more watchfull over your selves and more provident for hereafter You have but a little time to live yet much may be done in that little Throw not away that inch which remains after the many years that are gone and can no more be recalled 4. Consider the shortness of thy life it is but a moment to eternity And is it not pitty to lose any thing of that which is precious and short 5. Consider as the shortness So the uncertainty of thy life You know what was said to him who promised life to himself for many years Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee And it may be thou maist this next night receive the like doom And if thy time be ended and thy work to be begun oh how sad is thy case like to be 6. Consider as the shortness and uncertainty of thy time So the greatness of the work to be performed therein thy Lusts must be mortified thy graces strengthned thine evidences for Heaven cleared up c. Here is a great deal of work to be done in a little time Doth it not then concern thee speedily to bestir thy self and not to lose a minute 7. Consider the present time is only thine to improve Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation Oh then why wilt thou trifle away the time which is properly thine and promise to thy self great things in a time which is none of thine For even the next hour yea the next minute thou maist be cut off by the stroak of death and then all opportunities of doing and receiving good are taken away II. Another singular thing which the Regenerate ought to do above others is To embrace every opportunity of doing and receiving good By doing good I mean not only beneficence to the poor but also a conscionable performance of all Christian duties whether they concern the glory of God the edification of our brethren or the Salvation of our own souls Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might saith the Wise man that is whatsoever opportunity of doing good is afforded unto thee do it vigorously and speedily not deferring it till it be too late Mark his reason in the next words For there is no work in the grave whither thou art going As if he had said In this life thou hast many opportunities of doing good but in the grave thou shalt have neither power nor opportunities When thy night cometh there is an end of working therefore while it is day and while thou hast an opportunity up and be doing Doth the Lord afford unto thee any opportunity either of laying up for thine own soul or of laying out for the good of thy brothers soul be carefull to embrace the same yea and to improve it to the best advantage Having a price put into thy hands oh let it not carelesly slip away left thou full dearly repent thereof saying Oh what an opportunity have I lost of benefiting both my self and others how might I have furthered both mine own and others Salvation by building up one another in the most holy faith But fool that I was I have carelesly neglected these precious opportunities which will never never be regained Oh how will the thought thereof one day or other gall thy Conscience That thou maist be the more stirred up to embrace and improve every oportunity God by his providence affordeth unto thee 1. Consider how worldly men hugg their opportunities for the World and wilt not thou embrace thy opportunities for Heaven The tradesman neglects not his opportunity of buying and selling but carefully attends the same The Merchant will not lose his Exchange-time nor the Marriner his Wind and Tyde The Lawyer will not lose his Terms Nor the Husband-man his Seed-time or Harvest If thou lose thy Seed-time of grace thou thereby losest the Harvest of glory 2. Consider how few thy remaining opportunities may be For ought thou knowest the time is near at hand when thy praying opportunities and hearing opportunities and receiving opportunities and relieving opportunities with the like will be past and gone How then doth it concern thee to improve them whilest thou hast them and to use thy present as if it were the last season and opportunity would be afforded unto thee If thou art in the company of a godly experienced Christian thou hast then an opportunity of gaining much spiritual good and advantage to thine own soul as by observing his graces so by propounding thy doubts and scruples unto him Oh let not such an opportunity pass away without some spiritual improvement If thou art called to visit a dying friend or neighbour oh what an opportunity hast thou put into thy hand to do his soul good by advising him to think of death and to prepare for it to make his peace with God to cast himself and the burthen of his sins upon Christ to build the hope of his salvation only upon that rock the Lord Jesus Christ. If in walking abroad or travelling on the road thou fall into company what good maist thou do by some savoury and spiritual discourse of God or of mans miserable condition by nature or of the state of redemption by Jesus Christ or the like oh how much might thy care this way abound to thy account Remember the words of the Apostle Exhort one another daily while it is called to day If the Lord hath given thee a Family and furnished thee with abilities for their instruction and edification let not the souls that are with thee be lost through thy neglect Thou hast daily opportunities to be sowing thy seed in their souls which may spring up to their eternal life And for thy neighbours that live about thee let them find thee a good neighbour to them and that they will best do if thou endeavour to help them to be good Christians CHAP. XX. Of performing good duties after a right manner III. ANother singular duty incumbent upon the Regenerate is To be carefull of the manner of performing good duties Not only to be conscionable in the use of Ordinances but likewise to work up their hearts to a conscionableness in the manner of doing them 1. For therein especially is our respect to God manifested As for the duties themselves many respects may induce us to the outward performance of them as obedience to authority desire of a good name hope of meriting thereby or the like But it is respect to God who searcheth the heart that moveth men to do the good duties they take in hand after a right manner so as they may be pleasing and acceptable unto him 2. The most holy duties we take in hand are clean perverted and depraved through our failing in the manner of performing them Yea holy duties are thereby turned into sin as the Prophet Isay implyeth He that killeth an Ox for Sacrifice is as if
sins subjects to yield a voluntary subjection of our selves unto the commands of sin Q. How may we know when corruption is mortified in us A. When it is not only restrained and kept from such ordinary breakings out into actual sins but the lusts and motions that issue from it are a grief to us yea we hate and detest them and groan under the burden of them we watch against them fight against them earnestly desiring to be delivered from them crying out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and corruption For the more profitable pressing this so necessary and difficult a duty I shall 1. Shew you some Motives and arguments to enforce the same 2. Some Means whereby it may be effected 3. The Manner how it ought to be performed The Reasons forcing this work of Mortification upon the Regenerate are these 1. After Regeneration there remaineth a body of sin and corruption in the best which if we endeavour not by the help of Gods Spirit to mortifie and subdue will gather strength and become mighty to the great hinderance of our duty and darkning all our comfort 2. Corruption doth not only remain in us as long as we live in this World but it is alwayes in continual work either stirring us up to evil or keeping us from that which is good or defiling our best actions In which respect saith the Apostle the flesh lusteth against the Spirit And from his own experience he cryeth out I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members so that I cannot do the good which I would but rather do the evil which I hate How doth it then concern us daily and hourly to fight and strive against these lusts which are continually working and warring in our members hindering and spoiling all our duties breaking our peace undermining all our hopes and comforts and seeking our lives we must either kill or be killed 3. By a conscionable performance of this duty we shall be freed from those hainous and scandalous sins into which other mens lusts do carry them Should corruption have its way and course without resistance in the best of us it would soon break forth into the most loathsome and disgracefull sins that are committed by the very worst of men as we see in David Solomon and others Is it not then needfull for us to keep down and withstand the first motions and risings of sin in our hearts before it break forth into such wicked and disgracefull acts which will blast our credit and reputation and bring a scandal upon our Religion and profession 4. Mortification of sin was one special end of Christs death who dyed to save his people from their sins not to save them in their sins but from their sins as from the guilt and punishment so from the power of them And indeed whom Christ delivers from the damnation of sin he first delivers also from the dominion of sin Whom he intends to save from hell he first saveth them from iniquity he saves their souls by killing their sins If thou findest any lust to remain unmortified in thee bearing rule in thine heart and sway in thy life thou hast just cause to question thy interest in Christ and his salvation They that are Christs have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts II. The Means whereby the work of Mortification may be effected by us are these I. When thou feelest corruption working in thee and stirring thee up to evil then call to mind and lay to heart the ensuing considerations 1. Consider the shortness of the pleasure of sin with the length of the punishment following thereupon without true and unfeined repentance The one for a moment the other everlasting The pleasure is but short but the punishment is for ever and ever The torments of the damned in hell are intensively most grievous in themselves but that which mainly and infinitely adds to the greatness of them is because they are eternal They are tormented day and night for ever and ever The Worm is alwayes gnawing and the fire continually burning therefore called unquenchable fire Oh what a folly must it then needs be yea and madness beyond admiration for the short fruition of these perishing pleasures and transient contentments here to implunge our selves into everlasting burnings Oh how terrible is the thought of eternity in those tormenting flames where the damned would think themselves happy if after they had endured them so many thousand years as there are Sands on the Sea-shore or Stars in the Firmament they might then be assured of enlargement But when all that time is past and innumerable millions of years and ages are run out they are as far from an end as at their first entrance Why wilt thou then purchase a little sensual delight at so dear a rate for a moments pleasure to incurr everlasting woe and misery O the fire of hell if thou wouldst send down thy thoughts thither would burn up thy Lusts which otherwise will be the fuel to burn thy soul. 2. Consider thy extream folly in gratifying thy sinfull Lusts thereby thou hast chosen and preferred thy fleshly pleasure thy carnal content before the glory of God the everlasting joyes of Heaven and the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh monstrous madness and unconceivable folly at which the Angels blush and Heaven and Earth cannot but stand amazed 3. Call to mind and consider some of the threatnings in Gods Word as against sin in general so against that particular Lust which thou findest most working and stirring in thee and unto which thou findest strongest inclinations in thy self First Call to mind and consider sâ—me of the threatnings against sin and sinners in general Upon the wicked saith the Psalmist God shall rain fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. And saith the Apostle Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Secondly When thou findest any inclination in thy self to a particular sin as unto drunkenness seriously consider that of the Wise man who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions c. they that tarry long at the Wine they that go to seek mixt Wine When thou findest any inclination or temptation unto uncleanness seriously weigh that of the Apostle Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate shall inherit the Kingdom of God And again Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge When thou findest any inclinations unto Covetousness call to mind that of the Prophet Isaiah Wo unto them that joyne house to house and lay field to field till there be no place and that of the Apostle The love of money is the root of all evil which while some have
coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves thorow with many sorrows As God hath in his Word denounced severe threatnings against many sins so a serious consideration of them will be a special means to mortifie the same and keep them at least from raigning in us 4. Call to mind the fearfull judgements God hath executed upon sinners as the drowning of the old World the raining fire and brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah the rejection of the Iews the destruction of those famous Churches of the Corinthians Galathians Ephesians with divers others Consider likewise the remarkable judgements of God executed upon notorious sinners in thine own dayes for their swearing sabbath-breaking whoring drinking and the like which through Gods blessing may prove a special Means to keep down all sinfull lusts and inordinate affections that they break not forth into outward gross acts 5. Consider the deceitfull nature of sin which allureth thee with shews of pleasure profit credit ease and the like but in the end it bites like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder and then thou wilt perceive how thou art beguiled and deceived Horrour of Conscience and hellish torment is all it will pay thee instead of the pleasure it promiseth thee loss instead of profit even the loss of Heaven and happiness shame and disgrace instead of credit anguish instead of ease tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul of man that doth evil Iacob complained of Labans deceit about his wages and what wilt thou think of thy wages when the pay-day comes The wages of sin is death wilt thou not then say the Serpent hath beguiled me this sin hath deceived me Be not such a fool as to take the word of a known deceiver away with it crucifie it for it intends thee mischief Be undeceived betimes how dreadfull will it be if nothing but fire and â—â—â—mstone will bring thee to thy wits If thou wilt noâ— see the treachery of sin till it be too late to escape it 6. When thou feelest corruption working and stirring in thee entising thee to sin seriously consider the manifold sufferings and bitter death of our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ on the Cross whereof our sins were the cause These were they that lay heavy upon his soul and made him exceeding sorrowfull even unto death These were the thorns which pricked his Temples the whips which scourged his innocent body and the nails which fastned his hands and feet to the Cross. And can we love our sins which kil'd our Saviour we complain of Iudas and of the Iews for Crucifying him and seem to hate them upon that account But behold the Iudas in thy heart and in thy life thy sins these are the betrayers and murderers Oh never leave looking up to a Crucified Christ till thou feel and find both arguments enough to engage thy heart against them and vertue flow from him to the Crucifying of them To this end reason thus with thy self Hath Christ paid for my Redemption his most precious Blood and shall I sell my soul to sin again for this fleshly pleasure or base profit what is this but to Crucifie the Lord of life afresh For know assuredly so many sins as thou committest wittingly and with delight so many thorns dost thou again fasten upon his head so many nailes dost thou drive into his hands and feet so many spears dost thou thrust into his heart Certainly a serious consideration of these things cannot but be a special means to set thee heartily upon this work of Mortification 7. Consider how frail and mortal thou art subject to death every moment and woe be unto thee if thou dye before thy sins be slain How darest thou adventure upon thy Lusts and the pleasures of sin when as thou maist suddenly be taken out of the Land of the living and cast into hell while thou art acting thy wickedness Even then when thou art blessing thy self in thy pleasures or the gains of unrigâ—â—eousness thou maist hear that voice Thou fool 〈◊〉 night thy soul shall be taken from thee Didst thou but seriously consider as the cerrainty of thy death so the uncertainty of the time thereof thou wouldst not but be afraid of sinning once more lest God should strike thee dead in the very act and thou have no time left for repentance Oh pray with the Psalmist that God would teach thee to number thy dayes and this will make thee apply thine heart unto Wisdom 8. Consider that sin will be thy destruction and nothing besides it can harm thee It is not in the power of all the men and Devils in the World to destroy the soul of any man Temptations can do nothing but by the advantage of corruption 't is that wounds mortally our immortal spirit and brings it into that cursed state where though it never dyeth yet is it alwayes dying though never quite dead yet ever in the pangs of death Oh what prodigious cruelty must it then needs be for such things of nought to betray thy precious soul to an eternal loss when if thou wouldst be perswaded to secure this enemy Sin thou mightest live and be blessed in spite of men and Devils And wilt thou yet be in league with it wilt thou let it live Shall not thy soul be avenged of such an enemy as this Arise arise set upon thy sins upon them all let not thy soul spare any one of them give no quarter to them let not any iniquity lodge in peace with thee one night more lest thou be a dead man before the morning Thus have I commended to thee several considerations to restrain thee from sin which by the help of God may serve to imbitter the sweetest bait that draws thee to it and to cool the heat of the most furious inticements When therefore thou feelest corruption working and stirring in thee call to mind the forementioned considerations fix thy thoughts on them let them not go off untill they begin to have a powerfull influence upon thy soul. II. Another means on our part to be performed for the mortifying our sinfull Lusts is carefully to eschew all occasions of sin and temptations thereunto He who will dally with occasions of sin is in danger of falling He who will venture upon temptations unto wickedness is not far from commission of it Observe therefore what occasions and opportunities what means and company have at any time given advantage to thy Lust to exert and put forth it self and flie from them as from Hell This is a point of true spiritual wisdom to see sin afar off in the occasions of it and by eschewing the one to prevent the other III. Observe the first working of corruption in thine heart and carefully suppress the same not suffering it to get the least ground Do not say thus far it shall go and no farther Give sin an inch and it will soon take an ell as the proverb is Lustfull thoughts have
oft-times ended in outward uncleanness and actual Adultery From the heart saith our Saviour proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications c. Noting evil thoughts to be the cause of the uncleanness in the life In Athaliahs Massacre of the blood-royal young Ioash was hid in the bed-chamber there he was nurst and afterwards came to be King and ruled in the Throne Save any Lustfull thought nurse it in the bed-chamber of thy heart hide it there and it will in time come to be King and rule over thee So soon therefore as any lustful or exorbitant thoughts begin to arise in thine heart speedily reject the same quench the fire in the thatch crush the Cockatrice in the Egge stifle the first conception of sin Certainly as it is a dangerous neglect not to observe and embrace the first motions of Gods spirit in us so likewise not to take notice of the first thoughts and rising of sin in our hearts He who slights sinfull thoughts is in a fair way to sinfull actions They that are Christs saith the Apostle have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The very affections and lusts of the flesh must be Crucified if we would prevent the works of the flesh IV. Sir up in thy self an earnest desire to have thy lusts mortified and subdued The reason why no more is done against sin is because we are too well contented to let it alone when nothing but the death of sin will satisfie thee thou wilt then use thy Weapons when once thou desirest in earnest the destruction of thine iniquities there 's hope they will not be long liv'd For God hath promised to satisfie the desire of those that fear him he will hear their groanings and deliver them Come unto me saith Christ all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you case and rest Certainâ—y one special reason why many complain so much of the strength and prevalency of their corruptions is because they are not heartily willing to have them mortified and subdued They will indeed profess a willingness to part with their sins that they may be freed from the guilt of them and punishment due unto them but unwilling they are to part with the pleasure they find in them Thus Austin acknowledgeth of himself I prayed said he that my sins might be forgiven and mortified but yet I was afraid lâ—st my prayer should be heard and answered If therefore thou wouldst have thy sins mortified indeed stir up in thy self a willing mind thereunto V. Complain unto God of the prevalency of thy lusts and by prayer beg strength from him against the power of thâ—m From God it is that strength must be had it is his power alone that can support us against the power of sin And Prayer is the means of obtaining it This was the course that Paul took when he was troubled with that thorn in his flesh which expositors generally enterpret to be some strong motions and inclinations in him to some foul sin For this saith the text he besought the Lord thrice that is oftentimes And though he did not presently obtain a full deliverance yet did he receive strength sufficient to resist them so that he could not be overcome by them If we in like manner shall go unto God by prayer for his help laying open our condition and complaining to him thereof we shall for the present receive strength sufficient to resist and in Gods due time deliverance from our iniquities VI. Act faith in Christ for the mortifying thy sinfull lusts and corruptions To this end 1. Be sensible that thou art in thy sâ—â—f weak and unable to grapple with thy Lusts. Thou must despair of thine own strength ere thou wilt take hold on the strength of the Lord. Thou must be beaten out of thy self-confidence ere thou wilt go unto Christ. When thou seest thou art weak thou wilt turn to the strong hold 2. Bâ—lieve that Christ is able to succour and help thee In him doth all fullness dwell As he hath a fullness of grace in his heart so fullness of power in his hand whereby he is able to kill all thine enemies Sin is mighty but Christ is mightier The Devil is strong but Christ is stronger than he 3. Believe that Christ is as able so willing to subdue thine iniquities Thine enemies are his enemies and he will have their death if thou be a believer he hath undertaken for thee He is thy great High-Priest and thy Lord and King and hereupon not only by his mercifulness and kindness but by his office and interest he stands ingaged to pitty and relieve thee he will not be unfaithfull to his trust nor deaf to his own bowels which plead with him to save and help thee 4. By faith cast thy self upon Iesus Christ rest upon his power and goodness for his help and strength 'T is here in regard of Christs power as in regard of his promises As our resting and relying upon his promises in a time of danger and distress makes them our own So our resting and relying upon Christs power for help and support doth make it our own 5. By faith wait upon Christ in expectation of relief and succour against the working and stirring of thy corruptions Though relief come in but slowly from him yet wait for it because it will most surely come in the most seasonable time Hereby wilt thou ingage Christ to appear for thy help For as nothing doth more ingage the heart of a man to be helpfull to another than an expectation of help from him So certainly the raising up thine heart to an expectation of relief from Christ must needs be a great ingagement unto him to assist thee accordingly When Christ cured many of their bodily diseases and distempers while he lived upon the Earth we find their cure is still ascribed to their faith Now what was their faith They believed that Christ was both able and willing to cure them and thereupon with confidence went unto him for cure and so drew vertue from him accordingly This you may see in the poor Woman that had an issue of blood twelve years who came behind Christ and said If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be whole To whom Christ replyed Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole This is written as all other Scripture is for our learning to teach and instruct us what course to take for the curing of our spiritual maladies and diseases Hast thou any foul issue of Worldliness and Covetousness of pride or frowardness of passion or envy or the like running upon thee And wouldst thou be cured of them Do as that poor Woman did go unto Christ set thy faith at work on him believe his power and willingness let thy faith touch but the hem of his garment lay hold on him cast thy self on his blood and bowels wait at his door resolving not to return
the Wise man The house of the wicked shall be overturned but the Tabernacle of the upright shall flourish And therefore the Psalmist pronounceth them blessed who thus fear the Lord saying Blessed is he that feareth the Lord and walketh in his wayes for thou shalt eat the labour of thine hand happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee How then can such expect a blessing from God either upon themselves or upon their relations or upon their pains and endeavours who do not set up God and his Worship in their houses seeing it is that whereby Gods blessing is entailed 2. Those Children and Servants who are religiously educated and principled are likeliest to prove comforts to their Parents and Masters What a comfort must it needs be to thee who art a Master of a Family to see thy houshold through the blessing of God on thy care and pains to be walking Heaven-ward Yea when thou comest to lye upon thy death-bed Oh what a comfort will it then be unto thee that thou hast good ground to believe that thy Children are Gods Children and the Servants of Jesus Christ thou maist then with stronger confidence commend them unto Gods Fatherly care and protection and with greater assurance expect Gods blessing upon them after thy death 3. There is no such means to make your Children loving and dutiful unto you and your servants faithfull in the discharge of their duty as to instruct them in the principles of Religion and to plant the fear of God in their hearts In which respect Solomon saith A godly Son maketh a glad Father viz. by his dutiful and respectfull carriage towards him And that servant who shall find true grace either first wrought or further increased in him by his Masters means will endeavour with the utmost of his power to do him what faithfull service he can in way of thankfulness So that if Parents and Masters of Families respect either that charge God hath laid upon them whereof they are to give an account to him at the great day or that good and benefit which themselves may reap thereby they will see good and just ground to be diligent and constant in the discharge of holy duties with their Family R. V. Another reason may be taken from the manifold mischiefs which usually follow and accompany the neglect of family duties 1. From hence come all Domestick brawls and contentions hence it is that the house is divided against it self Husband against Wife and Wife against Husband Master against Servant and Servant against Master Parent against Child and Child against Parent which would be prevented were the Lord better known and more duly worshipped amongst them For where God is served with perfect purity there is perfect peace But where God is not served there is no peace but jarrs and contentions strife and debate which giveth great advantage unto Satan the arch-enemy of mankind who like a roaring Lyon walketh about continually seeking whom he may devour 2. From hence it is that Magistrates are enforced to execute the penalties of the Laws upon so many namely because they are not Religiously educated but suffered to have their wills in their youth Which appeareth from the sad complaints of many malefactors at the place of Execution against their Parents and Masters for their careless omission of their duty towards them saying if they had had any care or conscience of our education if they had corrected and restrained us betimes from our wicked courses we had never come to this dogs-dogs-death and shamefull end 3. From hence it is that so many Families are so dissolute and prophane abounding with all manner of sin and wickedness as lying swearing Sabbath-breaking drinking whoring and the like as if there were a seminary of little Devils an houshold of fiends And truly when Families leave God in not doing the good they should God leaves Families to do the evil they should not So that sin hath there free place where Gods service hath no place And sins of commission do usually follow sins of omission it being ordinary with God to punish one sin with another to punish the neglect of duty with the committing of sin by leaving men so to themselves that they break forth into the committing of great and hainous sins A general complaint there is in these dayes of the undutifulness and disobedience of Children of the negligence and unfaithfulness of Servants yea and of the loose lewd lives of both in many Families whereof if we would search the true ground and cause we shall find it rather in the superiours than in the inferiours For howsoever inferiours cannot be excused yet questionless the fault is chiefly in superiours and Governours because they are careless and negligent in the discharge of their duty towards them not praying with them nor Catechising and instructing them as they should For where religious duties are shut out of any Family there usually the door is set wide open to looseness and profaneness 4. The neglect of Religious dutiâ—s in thy Family will make thee guilty of Murther even of Soul-murther which is the greatest of all For whereas the Souls as well as the bodies of thy Children and Servants are committed to thy care and charge if any of them should perish through thy default thou art deeply guilty of their eternal death and damnation and their blood will be required at thy hands As Iacob was accountable to Laban for the â—oss of every Lamb or Sheep at his hand was it required So is every Master of a Family accountable to God for every soul under his roof If any of them perish through his default God will require it at his hands God will require the blood of thy Child the blood of thy Servants at thy hands one day If therefore you will be free from the blood of your Children train them up in the fear and nurture of the Lord pray for them and with them Catechize them c. The Point being confirmed by Scripture and Reason come we now to the Uses thereof CHAP. III. The Vse of Reproof of those Masters who make no Conscience of Family-duties Use 1. SEeing it is a Duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families to be carefull that not only themselves but also all under their charge even their whole Family do faithfully serve the Lord then they are greatly to be reproved who are neither carefull to serve God themselves neither take they any care of their Family but as there is no fear of God in their hearts so neither is there any fear of God in their Families Yea instead of Gods service there is all manner of wickedness and prophaneness so that their houses are as so many filthy cages of unclean birds so many styes of all manner of abominations Of whose houses we may say what Solomon said of the Harlots house 'T is the way to Hell that is the high and ready way unto eternal
and righteous conversation That they may say unto them as Gideon did to his followers look on me and do likewise This we find practised by Abraham of whom God himself giveth this Testimony I know Abraham that he will command his Children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. Whereby is implyed that Abraham would go before his houshold in keeping the way of the Lord and they would follow after him And Ioshua testifieth as much of himself As for me and my house we will serve the Lord He would be a pattern of piety and Godliness unto his houshold and they should follow his good example And David likewise resolveth as much for himself for saith he I will walk within my house with a perfect heart intending to become a pattern of piety and Godliness to his houshold by an holy and righteous conversation The better to quicken up Parents and Masters of Families hereunto I shall hint a few Arguments and Motives 1. Your lives are looked upon as Presidents your examples as rules by your Children and Servants and therefore you ought to be exemplarily holy and religious What the Wise man saith of one sin in a Ruler If a Ruler hearken to lyes all his servants are wicked is true in other sins If a ruler or master of a Family be a swearer a drunkard a Sabbath-breaker or the like his servants are so too or will quickly become such For patterns are very prevalent both to Vice and Vertue especially the patterns of Superiours Inferiours are very apt to follow the example of Superiours and to tread in their steps How ordinary is it for wicked Parents to have bad Children and prophane Masters to have wicked Servants And no marvel seeing Children and Servants are apt to follow the evil example of their Parents and Masters and to write after their copy How carefull then should Parents and Masters of Families be of their lives and conversation that they be holy and righteous and not loose and scandalous lest their Children and Servants should follow after them to Hell 2. Your holy and righteous lives will draw honour and reverence from your Children and Servants For the Image of God which consisteth in true holiness and righteousness carryeth such a Majesty in it that it commandeth honour and reverence from others If therefore you who are Parents and Masters will with David walk within your houses with perfect and upright hearts shewing your selves patterns of piety and Godliness your Children and Servants cannot but honour and respect you For them that honour me saith God I will honour that is I will make them to be held in honourable esteem by others I grant indeed some are therefore despised because they walk holily and unblameably Yet such as they are truly honourable in themselves so are they honourable in the eyes and esteem of many others For there is more true worth in the least grace than in all earthly glory Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable saith God of his despised people Such Parents therefore and Masters as by their Godly lives and conversations are precious in the sight of God they shall be honoured by their Children and Servants But on the other side such Parents and Masters of Families as by their wicked liâ—es and ungodly conversations are vile in the sight of God they shall be despised and lightly esteemed by their Children and Servants For if Children and Servants perceive their Parents and Masters to be Lyars Swearers Drunkards Sabbath-breakers and the like How can they honour and respect them That which is said of Ierusalem All that honoured her despised her because they have seen her nakedness may be applyed to wicked and prophane Parents and Masters of Families Their Children and their Servants who should most have honoured them cannot but despise them because they have seen their nakedness And this questionless is one special reason why most Parents and Masters have so little reverence and honour from their Children and Servants 3. Such is the infectious property of sin that if a Parent or Master of a Family be a Swearer Drunkard Scoffer at Religion c. he is like by a contagious insinuation and evil example to infâ—ct his whole Family even his own Children and Servants And therefore sin is not unfitly resembled to the Leprosie which quickly over-spreadeth the whole house And it is observable that the more publick the persons are the more dangerous are their sins Private mens sins are but like the errours of a Pocket-watch which usually misleads only the keeper of it But the sins of a Master of a Family are like the errours of an house-clock which is apt to mislead the whole Family Oh how carefull then ought Parents and Masters of Families to be of their lives and conversations lest by their evil example they corrupt and poison their own Children and Servants 4. What will it avail Parents and Masters of Families to teach their Children and Servants the fear of God to walk in his wayes when they themselves manifest little fear of God in their lives and conversations but contrariwise are loose and wanton wicked and prophane For certainly as good examples are the life of instruction to make it profitable and effectual so evil examples are the death and bane of good instruction to make it unprofitable and ineffectual That Parent therefore or Master who reproveth sin in his Child or Servant must be free from that sin himself otherwise it will be said Thou Hypocrite first cast the beam out of thine own eye and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brothers eye Yea and he must be free from all other scandalous sins otherwise the Child may say My Father reproveth me for lying but he himself will Swear And the Servant may say my Master reproveth me for Drunkenness and he himself is Covetous That therefore thy Family-reproof and admonition may be profitable thou must be sure to be at least unblameable in thy life and conversation that thou maist not be guilty of that sin which thou condemnest in thy Child or Servant For thereby thou wilt pass a sentence of death and condemnation upon thine own soul. FINIS A Morning Prayer for a Family BLessed Lord God who art great and glorious in thy self good and gracious in and through thy beloved Jesus Christ. A God glorious in thy justice to execute vengeance upon the wilfull and impenitent but gracious in thy mercy to pass by the offences of poor penitent sinners Lord hadst not thou been exceeding good and gracious unto us we might this night have slept the sleep of death and from the darkness of the night been sent away into outer darkness But such hath been thy mercy and goodness unto us as to add another day unto our lives most meet therefore it is that we should consecrate the same unto thee by
offering up a Morning Sacrifice of Prayer and thanksgiving Lord we acknowledge our great unworthiness to come into thy presence to present our Prayers and supplications unto thee But though we are unworthy yet Christ is worthy We beseech thee therefore for his sake to look graciously upon us to pass by our unworthiness and to strengthen our weakness To this end as we draw near unto thee so be thou pleased to draw near unto us enabling us to pray as with humility and sincerity so with zeal and fervency of spirit and with faith in Jesus Christ looking for audience and acceptance in and thorow him Blessed Lord God we cannot but acknowledge thou didst at first create us in a blessed and happy estate even after thine own image endowing us with true knowledge holiness and righteousness But we soon fell from that state of innocency and blessedness in the loynes of our first Father Adam and implunged our selves with him into a dreadfull gulf of sin and misery For O Lord besides the guilt of Adams sin we have contracted from him a Mass of corruption which hath poysoned our very natures polluted and defiled all the faculties of our souls with all the parts and members of our bodies So that we may more truly in regard of our spiritual uncleanness cry out Vnclean Vnclean than the Leper under the Law in regard of his bodily uncleanness And O Lord to this corruption of our natures we have added many many actual sins of our own which as they have been hainous in their quality so in their number and multitude have far exceeded the hairs of our heads and the sands on the Sea-shore which cannot be numbred The which we have committed through the whole course of our lives from our infancy to this present time So that we are now grown old in sin and overgrown with corruption Though the time thou hast allotted us here to live is very little even as a moment to Eternity yet alas how little of this little have we lived to thee our God or to the good of our own souls having mis-spent the greatest part of our dayes in vanity and pleasure We have continued ignorant of thee how much means of knowledge have we had and yet how little knowledge have we gotten oh how little have we done for our souls or the other World We have not considered what is like to become of us hereafter How little care and pains have we taken to make sure for Eternity we have taken the course to undo our selves for ever We have broken every one of thy most holy and righteous Laws ten thousand thousand times Yea we have sinned against thy Gospel in slighting the offers of grace Though thou hast sent unto us Ambassadour after Ambassadour to wooe and beseech us to abandon our sins and to receive Jesus Christ yet alas how have we slighted thy messengers and turned a deaf ear to all thy gracious invitations Though we are willing to take Christ for our Saviour to preserve us from hell and damnation yet alas how unwilling are we to take him for our Lord and King to yield obedience and subjection unto him Lord we cannot but acknowledge our great unthankfulness under those manifold favours and mercies thou hast in a plentiful measure conferred on us as also our unprofitableness under thy Fatherly chastisâ—ments laid upon us in love and for our good our discontentedness at our present state and condition And oh how careless and negligent have we been in the discharge of the duties of our places callings and relations Oh the multitude of worldly and covetous thoughts of proud and ambitious thoughts of wicked and prophane thoughts of wanton and unclean thoughts yea and of blasphemous and atheistical thoughts that lodge in the hearts of most of us and there revel it day and night And O Lord we cannot but acknowledge the deadness of our hearts the distractions of our minds in the performing holy duties We are active and lively about our worldly businesses but oh how dull and flat are we in our religious exercises praying as if we prayed not and hearing as if we heard not Lord make us truly apprehensive of our sins and misery that we may humble our selves under a sense of them and turn unto thee by true and unfained repentance Turn us O God and we shall be turned draw us and we will run after thee And O Lord whilest we are returning unto thee meet us we pray thee in the way and like a tender Father embrace us with the arms of thy mercy Our sins we confess are many and hainous yet we know and believe thy mercies are far more and the merits of Jesus Christ are far greater and therefore we are resolved to adventure our souls as upon the mercies of theâ— our God so upon the merits of Jesus Christ into whose arms we here cast our selves Oh be pleased to make us partakers both of the merit of Christs death in freeing us from the guilt of sin and of the virtue of Christs death in freeing us from the power and dominion of sin that it may not rule and raign in us as formerly Lord work in us a loathing and a true hatred of every sin especially of such we have been most addicted to and have most delighted in To this end convince us what a folly yea madness it is for the short fruition of a momentany pleasure here to implunge our selves into everlasting burnings Oh convert every unconverted soul among us bring us to Christ make us adventurers for the other World let us be resolved henceforth for an holy and righteous life instruct us in thy wayes and teach us thy Sâ—atutes Break the power of our sins subdue our rebellion and make us willing to be the Lord's Change our evil natures and give us another Spirit Help us sincerâ—ly to choose thee as our portion to love and fear and trust in thee and to walk humbly with thee all the dayes of our life Help us to set our affections on things abovâ— and no longer on this earth let us dye daily to sin and this World let us exercise our selvâ—s in keeping a good Consâ—iâ—nce towards God and men let us work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and let not our labour herein be in vain Keep us O Lord from our iniquities keep us from the way of lying from all unrighteous and unjust dealing from wrath and evil speaking let us be true temperate peaceable and mercifull as the children of our heavenly Father Help us to be serious and savoury and tender and watchfull and hold us on constantly in our holy course to the end of our dayes Lord take us into thy keeping and protection this day keep us from all danger especially from sinning against thee To this end make us watchfull both against the occasions of sins and temptations thereunto Keep us we pray thee
for the spiritual and eternal good of our poor souls Help us to keep alwayes upon our hearts a deep sense as of the certainty of our death so of the uncertainty of the time thereof that we may live as those who believe we must shortly dye Lord take us into thy keeping and protection this night Grant we may lodge in the arms of Jesus that we may rest in his bosome Give unto us such sweet and comfortable rest and sleep that our bodies may be refreshed and we the better enabled to serve thee the next day in our several places and callings In mercy remember thine all the World over And in special we pray thee for this sinfull Land and Nation Pardon our sins be reconciled to us in Jesus Christ. Let thy Gospel have a free passage therein Pour the choicest of thy blessings upon the head of our King that he may be a blessing unto us Bless all our Magistrates with the Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments Pâ—tty the afflicted members of Jesus Christ. Bless all Christian Families this in particular giving unto every member thereof all needfull saving sanctifying graces And now accept our Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving which we offer unto thee for thy manifold favours and mercies conferred on our souls and bodies especially and above all for that great gift of thine the Lord Jesus Christ and for all those great things he hath done and suffered for our redemption We bless thy name as for the enjoyment of the Gospel so for any spiritual good we have received thereby that any of us have fiducially and cordially closed with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. We bless thy name that thou hast withheld us from the company and wayes of those who live without God in the World giving themselves up to work all wickedness with greediness and hast set our hearts to seek the Lord and wait for thy Salvation For every other good thing whether temporal or spiritual concerning this life or a better blessed and praised be thy great and glorious name And now O Lord we beseech thee in mercy to overlook all the weaknesses and infirmities which have accompanied this holy duty Sprinkle both our Persons and our Services with the blood of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus To whom with thee O Father and the holy Spirit be rendred as is most due all honour and praise and glory both now and for evermore Amen A Prayer for a single Person O Eternal and ever-living Lord God the fountain of all blessing the Father of Mercy and God of all Consolation I thy poor creature altogether unworthy to appear in thy sight to present my Prayer and supplication unto thee do yet in the name and mediation of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ prostrate my self at the footstool of thy grace looking for acceptance and assistance in and through him For his sake look graciously upon me pardon my sins which are many and hainous Lord I cannot but acknowledge that besides the guilt of Adam's sin there is in me a fountain of corruption which I brought with me into the World from whence hath plentifully flowed many poisonous streams of actual transgressions and that in evil thoughts evil words and evil actions which I have committed through the whole course of my life from my tender infancy to this present time I have been alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in me I have walked after the course of this World fulfilling the desires of my flesh and of my mind minding earthly things I have broken thy Law neglected thy Gospel refused the offers of Christ and am in great doubt that to this day there hath been no good work wrought upon me but that I continue in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity Lord I cannot but acknowledge I have shamefully abused the ricâ—es of thy goodness forbearance and long-suffering which should have led me to repentance as also thy Fatherly corrections and chastiâ—ements laid upon me in love and for my good oh how little have I been bettered thereby How do I spend my time and strength for the getting of earthly riches and satisfying my self with sensual pleasures and in the mean time am careless of my precious and immortal soul Lord I have often for my profit and pleasure sake omitted and put off the holy exercises of Religion which ought to have been performed by me and have been exceeding dead and dull lifeless and heartless in performing those good duties I have taken in hand I have been unfruitfull under a plentiful dispensation of the means of grace unthankfull under those favours and mercies thou hast conferred on me unfaithfull to those manifold vows and promises I have made unto thee my God Truth Lord my sins are many and hainous but this is my comfort that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners and why not me why not me I acknowledge my self to be a great sinner but yet again thy Word testifieth That Jesus Christ came to save the chief of sinners Therefore will I not despair of mercy but am resolved to cast my self and the burden of my sins into the arms and upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ. Be pleased to accept of what Christ hath done and suffered for me and to accept of me in him Turn me O Lord unto thee and through him let me be reconciled unto thee Slay the enmity and subdue the rebellion of mine heart against thee Wash my polluted soul with his most precious blood cloath my nakedness with the long white robe of his righteousness fill my emptiness out of that fulness which is in Jesus Christ. Enrich my soul with all needfull saving sanctifying graces Let the faith of Gods Elect let the love and fear of thy name be shed abroad in my heart Oh that every grace may more and more flourish in me and my lusts more and more wither and decay in me Let my covetousness dye let my pride and envy and passion and sensuality dye let the whole body of death be destroyed that I may no longer serve sin Oh give me grace in this my day to know the things that belong to my peace to make a right use of this time of my visitation As Christ is now frequently tendred in the Ministry of the Gospel as a Saviour to poor sinners So Lord give me grace fiducially to close with the offers and tenders of him that Christ may be mine and I his And as thou hast been pleased to afford unto me the means of grace so I pray thee help me to carry my self in some measure suitable and answerable thereunto that I may not be a shame but rather a credit to Religion and my profession thereof To this end teach me to deny all ungodliness and Worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Blessed Lord seeing without thy blessing it will be in vain to put forth my own
Thereby the Lord sheweth himself to be the true God Q. What things did God so make A. All things This the Apostle expresly avouchet Col. 1.16 By him were all things Created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth Visible and Invisible If the excellency of many Creatures the greatness of others the multitude of all together be duly considered it must needs be granted that herein the Lord sheweth himself to be a God indeed the only true God None else can do the like Q. By what did God make all things A. By his Word Gen. 1.3 6. God said let there be light and let there be a Firmament and it was so And Psal. 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were things made By Gods Word we understand the manifestation of his will For God is said to speak not properly but after the manner of man Men use most commonly to express their mind and will by speaking When God did manifest and declare his will that such and such things should be instantly they were and they were so as God would have them Q. What was that estate wherein God made all things A. Very good The holy Ghost expresly noteth that at the end of every day God took a thorow view of the particular works which he had made and found them to be good Gen. 1.4 10 c. This is to be noted to justifie God against all the evil that is in the World Many Creatures are now evil But as God made them they were not so All evil hath risen from the Creatures Q. Wherein consisteth the Providence of God A. 1. In preserving Creatures 2. In well ordering them For the preserving of Creatures if God did not sustain and maintain them they would soon come to nought In this respect it is said In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 Q. What doth God by his providence order A. All things whatsoever Psal. 113.6 The providence of God extends as far as his Creation as all things were Created by God so all things are ordered by him As the high and great things in the highest Heaven So the greatest things on earth Dan. 2.21 He removeth Kings and setteth up Kings Yea and the meanest things also as the very colour of hairs Mat. 5.36 Q. What is that end whereunto God directeth all things A. 1. His own Glory 2. His Childrens good Gods glory is the most principal and supream end of all At that he aimed in giving the first being to his creatures And at that also he aimeth in all things that are done at any time in any place Yea also as at the next subordinate end he aimeth at his Childrens good In regard whereof all things work together for their good Rom. 8.28 Q. In what estate did God make man at first A. In a very good and happy estate Gen. 1.31 It is said After God had made man he overlooked every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Q. Wherein did mans happiness especially consist in which he was at first made A. In that he was made after the image of God which consisted in perfect knowledge true holiness and righteousness Gen. 1.26 27. Col. 3.10 Man at first had knowledge of all things necessary for the glory of God and his own good and was likewise made holy and righteous and without sin Q Did man alwayes continue in that holy and happy estate A. No he fell from it by transgressing that commandment of God in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 3.3 c. The sin especially lay in disobeying the command of God which commandment he gave him for the tryal of his obedience Many may possibly think this sin a light matter and are apt to charge God with severity for punishing man so sorely for so small an offence But if they shall consider the manifold sins infolded in that transgression they must acknowledge it a very hainous sin For 1. There was infidelity therein in that they believed not Gods word For though God had said In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Gen. 2.17 yet they believed not that they should dye but made some question and doubt thereof 2. Sottish credulity in giving credit to the Devil God had said ye shall surely dye And the Devil said ye shall not surely dye Yet the Woman and so also the Man thorow her perswasion gave more credit to the Devil the Father of lyes than to God the father of truth 3. Horrible Idolatry in doting upon and loving the creature more than God the Creator who is blessed for ever For this is one way of committing idolatry namely by Deifying the Creature and loving it more than God 4. Pride and Ambition desiring to be as Gods For when the Devil said ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil they were so puffed up therewith that they transgressed 5. Theft For they took that which was none of their own but by a special reservation kept from them For God had expresly forbidden them to eat of that tree Gen. 2.17 6. Murther Our first Parents by eating that forbidden fruit brought death not only upon themselves but upon all their posterity Yea as much as in them lay they thereby implunged themselves and all their posterity into hell fire By these you may iudge of the greatness of the sin of our first parents Q. Is Adams posterity guilty of that sin A. Yea Adams sin is imputed to all his posterity By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom. 5.19 That is by the transgression of Adam the first man many even all that have or shall come from him are justly accounted sinners Q. How can Adams posterity be guilty of his sin A. 1. Adam was a publick person in that business He stood not in his own room alone but in the room of all mankind He was the great representative of the world so that he sinning we sinned in and with him 2. We were all in the loins of Adam when he sinned And so by the Law of generation sinned in him and in him deserved eternal condemnation Q. What is sin in general A. Sin is a transgression of the Law Thus doth an Apostle expresly define it 1 Ioh. 3.4 The law is a manifestation of the will of God declaring what he would have man to do or not to do therefore to transgress the law is to offend God and to sin against his express will Q What are the kinds of sin A. Original and Actual Q. What is Original sin A. That corruption of nature wherein all are conceived and born It is the immediate effect of Adams first sin and the principal cause of all other sins In which respect it is called Original because it is the spring from whence all actual sins issue and flow Of this Original corruption did David speak in Psal. 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me Never was any that came from Adam
both Satisfaction and Intercession applyed to Christ. Satisfaction by his death and Intercession now that he is risen again and sitteth at the right hand of God Christs Sacrifice on the Cross was of such efficacy that Gods Justice was thereby abundantly satisfied his wrath fully pacified yea his face and favour and all blessings following thereon was purchased The death of Christ is therefore said to be a Sacrifice to God a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5.2 And the Church is said to be purchased thereby Act. 20.28 namely from all that bondage under which it was as sin the curse of the Law the Wrath of God Death Devil Damnation After Christ had offered up his Life a Sacrifice unto God and thereby made satisfaction for the sins of his Church he was buried and laid in the grave to sanctifie the grave to all his members And the third day he arose from the dead As he himself laid down his life so he himself took it up again And then he ascended into Heaven there to make intercession for us which is the second part of his Priestly Office The former was to make satisfaction this latter to make intercession Christ may be said to make intercession for us two wayes 1. By a continual presenting of himself to his Father for us Christ saith the Apostle Heb. 9.24 is entred into Heaven now to appear in the presence of God for us Christ presents himself our Sacrifice and propitiation for our sins whose very blood becomes our Advocate to plead with the Father for us Heb. 12.24 2. By manifesting his will to have all his made partakers of the vertue and benefit of his Sacrifice Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The word Intercession properly signifieth supplication for another It is attributed to Christ especially as he is now in Heaven by way of resemblance The resemblance may be taken from the Favourite of a King who is alwayes at Court in the Kings presence and there presents his friends petition and intercedes for the granting thereof Christ the great favourite of the Lord stands before him continually to present our supplications and procure our acceptance Q. How comes Christ and those things which he did and suffered in his own person to be ours A. By Faith Rom. 3.22 Faith is called the faith of Iesus because we thereby relying on Christ are united to him and so have a right to all that is his In this respect whatsoever we receive from Christ is attributed to faith By faith we are justified Rom. 3.28 We are saved by faith Eph. 2.8 By faith we have access to God Rom. 5.2 In a word As they who in the dayes whilest Christ lived upon the earth received cure of any malady from him received it by faith So every good thing that now we receive from Christ we receive by faith How needfull then is it that we be well instructed in the nature of faith Q. What is faith A. True saving faith is a grace wrought in us by the Spirit of God through the Ministry of the Word whereby we receive Christ as he is offered in the Gospel and rest upon him alone for life and salvation First I say True saving faith is a grace It is not the work of nature it being as impossible for a man by his own strength to believe as it is to keep the Law Faith therefore in Scripture is called the gift of God It is added wrought in us by the spirit of God by whose efficacy as the principal cause it is begotten in us Through the Ministry of the Word because that is the ordinary means whereby the Spirit of God doth work faith in our hearts It s true that the reading of the Scriptures and of good books may through Gods blessing be a means of working faith but it is most sure and certain that the most ordinary means is the Word preached as Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing viz. the Word of God For first the Law discovereth unto us our sins and miserable condition by reason of them That we are utterly lost in our selves having deserved and are lyable to all judgements and plagues here and eternal death and condemnation hereafter and that we are altogether unable to free our selves out of this miserable condition whereunto we have plunged our selves by sin And then the Gospel shews us that in the fulness of time Jesus Christ who was the Eternal Son of God came into the World took our nature upon him and therein became our Surety and as our Surety hath taken our debts upon him and by his obedience and alsufficient Sacrifice of his own body once offered upon the Cross hath made full satisfaction to Gods justice for the same Yea the Gospel farther sheweth that God in him offereth grace and reconciliation pardon of sins here and eternal salvation hereafter to all that believe in him The which truth being revealed to us by the Preaching of the Word the Spirit of God inwardly worketh in us effectual assent thereunto upon which followeth an high prizing of Jesus Christ above all things an hungring and thirsting after him and a resolution of heart to receive him as our all-sufficient Saviour and to rest upon him and his merits alone for life and salvation And therefore it is added in the forementioned description that faith is a grace whereby we receive Christ. And indeed thereby is Christ made ours For what is more our own than that which is freely offered us and we have received To receive Iesus Christ is the same as to lay hold on him or to embrace him and apply him to our selves But I have the rather made choice of this word receive because it is the very expression of the holy Ghost Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe This latter clause to them that believe is added as an explanation of the former clause As many as received him shewing what is meant by receiving Christ namely a believing on him Which two are very fitly joyned together Believing is added to receiving to shew what is meant by receiving Christ. And receiving is added to believing to shew what kind of faith it is whereby Christ becomes ours it is such a faith whereby we accept of and receive Christ with the benefits of his death and passion It follows in the description of faith How Christ must be received namely as he is offered in the Gospel Christ is offered in the Gospel In all his Offices as Priest Prophet and King And so he must be received not only as our Priest who hath made satisfaction for us by his death upon the Cross and now in Heaven maketh intercession for us But likewise as our Prophet to be taught and instructed by him and as our King to be ruled and