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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
A WORD to SINNERS And a WORD to SAINTS The Former tending to the awakening the Consciences of secure Sinners unto a lively sense and apprehension of the dreadfull condition they are in so long as they live in their Natural and Unregenerate Estate The Latter tending to the directing and perswading of the Godly and Regenerate unto several singular Duties As also a Word to Housholders stirring them up to the good old way of serving God in and with their Families from Ioshuah's resolution Josh. 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Set forth especially for the Use and Benefit of the Inhabitants of St. Sepulchres Parish London By Tho. Gouge Late Pastor thereof LONDON Printed for George Sawbridge living on Clerkenwell-Green 1668. To my dearly beloved Friends the Inhabitants of St. Sepulchres Parish London Beloved Friends TO further the salvation of mens souls as it is a most excellent work so it ought to be the study and endeavour both of every Christian in his place and calling and especially of the Ministers of the Gospel whose office and function calls upon them more importunately to labour therein Now since Regeneration is absolutely necessary to Salvation and that there can be no entrance into the new Ierusalem without a new birth I have according to that ability which the Lord hath given me set forth in this small Treatise the nature and necessity of Regeneration together with the Means on your part to be performed for the better attaining thereunto Most of these truths have been Preached in your hearing and now they are presented to your sight that thereby you may be put in remembrance of them and more thorowly affected with them Though I cease to be your Minister yet I shall not cease to do what in me lyeth to further your eternal happiness It was my hearty desire of your everlasting welfare that first put me upon Preaching on this Subject and the like desire hath ingaged me to present the same to your view Herein have I set before you Heaven and Hell Happiness and Misery Oh that you would be so wise as to choose Heaven rather than Hell Happiness rather than Misery That I should adventure these Notes into the World is not out of any conceit that there is any thing extraordinary in them being Conscious to my self of much Weakness but meerly out of that strong affection I bear to your souls welfare For my hearts desire for you is that you may be saved And will the Lord but bless this small Treatise to the Regeneration or Edification of any of your Souls I have the end of all my pains and cost Avoiding all affectation of Words I have used plainness of speech it being alwayes my chief design in the whole course of my Ministry to affect the Hearts and Consciences of my Hearers rather than to tickle their Ears and please their Phansie That I may not detain you longer I shall close this Epistle with three requests unto you 1. That you kindly accept of this small Book which treats on a subject so necessary to your everlasting happiness 2. That you would be pleased as to peruse it your selves so to take some time to read it to your Families If you cannot find leisure on the week dayes than to read some part thereof on each Lords day till you have read it through 3. That you would not lock it up in your closets but suffer it to lye in your houses where your Children and Servants may peruse it as they find opportunity Who knoweth how successfull and fruitful this plain Treatise may prove if the Lord shall be pleased to accompany it with his blessing That the Lord therefore would so bless these my poor and weak endeavours that such as are yet in their natural state may be converted that Converts may be improved and built up in that grace wherein they stand is the unfeigned desire and hearty Prayer of Your Servant in the Work of the Gospel who hath been and still is desirous of your Spiritual welfare Tho. Gouge THE CONTENTS THE Exposition of the first verse Page 1. The Observation thence raised The greatest of sinners are oftentimes received to mercy 3. The Exposition of the second verse 4. The Observation thence raised True faith may be exceeding weak ibid. The Exposition of the third verse wherein Christ declareth to Nicodemus the Necessity of Regeneration 7. The Observations thence raised 1. Christ is ready to entertain those that in truth and uprightness seek unto him though their weakness and infirmities be many 8. 2. Regeneration is necessary to Salvation 15. For the Explication of which point is shewed 1. The Nature of Regeneration what it is 16. 2. The Parts of Regeneration 19. 1. Mortification ib. 2. Vivification 20. 3. The causes which concurr to the work of Regeneration which are four 21. 1. The Efficient 2. The Material 3. The Formal 4. The Final 22. The Reasons proving Regeneration necessary to Salvation 23. Vse of Exhortation 1. To the Vnregenerate 2. To the Regenerate 28. 1. To the Vnregenerate that they earnestly desire and industriously labour after a saving change in the use of all means God hath sanctified thereunto ib. Quickning Motives thereunto drawn 1. From the Excellency of Regeneration 29. 2. From the Vtility of Regeneration 30. 3. From the Necessity of Regeneration 31. The Means to be performed for the better attaining thereunto brought to two 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 estate and dreadfull condition 33. 2. That there is hope of mercy for the greatest sinners ib. The miseries of the Unregenerate in this life 34. 1. They are Servants to their Lusts. ib. 2. They are slaves to the Devil 35. 3. They are under the curse of God which continually hangeth over their heads 36. 4. They are under the guilt of all their sins 37. 5. They are lyable to all sorts of Iudgements viz. Temporal Spiritual and Eternal 38. The miserable condition of the Vnregenerate at their deaths in several particulars 39. The dreadful estate of the Vnregenerate after their deaths in several particulars 47. Of the particular Iudgement that immediately followeth after death 48. Of the General Iudgement at the end of the World 49. The Person who shall be the Iudge 51. The Manner of Christs coming to Iudgement which will be As in great Glory and Majesty 53. So in great terrour to the wicked and impenitent 54. The Order of Christs proceeding in Iudgement 56. The dolefull condition of the Vngenerate after the Day of Iudgement which in general is most cursed 72. That Cursed estate is manifest 1. By privation of all felicity ib. 2. By subjection to all misery 73. Which misery is set out I. By sundry resemblances as 1. Darkness yea outer Darkness 76. 2. Torment which is the extremity of pain 77. 3. Fire
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
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
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
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
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
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.