pierced Now our Saviour was actually condemned and delivered up to that kind of death by Pilate who gave sentence it should be as the Jews required and they required he should be Crucified There are three things observable concerning Crucifixion 1. 'T was a painful death The hands and feet which of all parts of the body are most nervous and consequently most sensible were pierced through with nailes which caused a lingring and tormenting death 2. 'T was an ignominious * 'T was servile supplicium Thieves and Robbers were usually by the Romans punished with this kind of death death and therefore among the Romans inflicted upon their Slaves and fugitives 3. A cursed death as 't is written Deut. 21.13 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Having premised these things let us now consider what are the instructions we should learn from this Article that our Saviour was Crucified 1. Christ hath hereby redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 that is he hath indured that most shameful death of the Cross which was accounted accursed and inglorious 2. Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and taken it out of the way nailing it to his Cross One ancient custome as they tell us of Cancelling Bonds was by striking a nail through the writing Our Saviours Crucifixion hath done this for us 3. Seeing Christ was Crucified for us we should in imitation thereof labour to Crucifie sin in our selves Our old man must be Crucified that the body of sin may be destroyed We must remember that those that are Christs must crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 4. We should often meditate on the bitter Cup our Saviour drank and on those nails that pierced his hands and feet that so we may be the more ready and willing to suffer for him We should consider how he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross teaching us thereby to humble our selves and with patience to bear the lowest condition for his sake and to imitate him who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame We come now to the next word in the Creed viz. He Dyed Our Saviour was not only nailed to the Cross but died thereon He suffered upon the Cross a dissolution and died a true and proper death Dead He died for our sins according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.3 He was cut off from the Land of the Living Isa 53.7 8 10. and made his Soul that is his life an offering for sin He said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having said so he gave up the ghost Luke 23.26 'T is true Christ did voluntarily die for he saith no man taketh away my life from me but I lay it down of my self John 10.18 That is He laid not down his life by a necessary compulsion but by a voluntary election He took upon him a necessity of dying for our benefit But the Jews were the causes of his death and by wicked bands crucified him Acts 2.23 and slew him and hanged him on a tree Acts 5.30 They are truly said to have done it because by their incessant importunity they prevailed with Pilate to do it Our Saviour therefore being truly put to death and suffering a real dissolution let us consider what union was dissolved by his death and what continued In Christ there were two different substantial unions One of the parts of his humane nature each to other in which his humanity consisted and by which he was truly man the other of his natures divine and humane by which it came to pass that he was both God and Man in the same person Now the union of the parts of his humane nature was dissolved on the Cross and a real separation made between his Soul and Body But yet there was no disunion of either of them from his Deity The union of the natures remained still nor was the Soul or Body though separated one from the other separated from the Divinity but still remained united unto it When he cried out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me it intimates no more but that he was bereft of those joys and comforts from the Deity which were necessary to asswage the bitterness of his present Agony Having thus shewed that our Saviour did really die Let us now inquire why it was needful he should die 'T was requisite for these reasons 1. That the new Covenant or Testament might be ratified by his blood Where a Testament is there must needs be the death of the Testator Heb. 9.16 2. That he might perform that part of his Priestly Office which required the shedding of his blood For without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9.22 Therefore Christ our Passeover must be Sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 3. If he would redeem us he must give himself a ransom for us 1 Pet. 1.18 19. For we being enemies could not be reconciled to God but by the death of his Son Col. 1.21 And by his death he hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2.15 By his death was our redemption wrought as by the price that was paid as by the atonement which was made as by the full satisfaction that was given that God might be reconciled to us who was before offended with us and Buried Thus we have seen what our Saviour died on the Cross And as he really died by the separation of his Soul from his Body so his body was carried and laid up in a Sepulchre hewn out of the Rock in which never man was before laid This the Evangelists do sufficiently testify Now that the Messias was to be buried was typified by Jonas who was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly And accordingly the Son of Man was to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth * He is said to be three dayes and three nights in the Grave the whole time or space of three dayes being put for a part of it by a synecdoche see my Harm Ch. 6. pag. 266. Mat. 12.40 The Psalmist intimates as much Psal 16.9 My flesh shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell (a) My Soul In Hell that is my dead body in the Grave see the next §. nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption Isay 53.9 He was cut off out of the land of the living He made his Grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death Christ being put to death his body was by Joseph of Arimathea begged of Pilate and by him and Nicodemus one of their great Council taken down and wound in fine linnen with spices as the manner of the Jews was to bury and laid in a new Sepulchre in a Garden nigh the place of his execution and a great
5.6 and unable to come up to the obedience the Law requires of us 6. Mans carnal mind is said to be enmity against God Rom. 8.7 For 't is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be till it be effectually changed Secondly Observe by what terms the Scripture expresses mans recovery out of this sad estate 1. 'T is called Regeneration Tit. 3.5 Joh. 3.3 5. 2. A Spiritual Resurrection A quickning and raising from the death of sin to the life of grace Joh. 5 24 25. Eph. 2.1 3. A new Creation and Gods own Workmanship Eph. 2.10 By all which it may appear that though mans misery be from himself yet his help is only from the free grace of God It remains now that we inquire what use we are to make of this Doctrine of our Fall in Adam 1. This should humble us for our Original Apostasie from God the Apostasie of our Head 2. We should take heed of imitating our first Parents in their disobedience and Apostasie Pride undid them and undid the Angels that fell let us take heed of falling into the condemnation of the Devils 1 Tim. 3.6 Therefore our blessed Saviour who came to undo the works of the Devil comes in the lowest humility imaginable even in the form of a Servant 3. A Third instruction we may gather from the consideration of the instrument of our first Parents disobedience The Devil having Apostatized himself from God was restless till he had drawn our First Parents into the like Apostasie and Rebellion While we live let us take heed of the Company of Apostates and such as are fallen off from God and the practice and profession of true Piety 4. If our first Parents fell from God by disobedience in Paradise how should we tremble that walk in a corrupt World and carry corrupt hearts about us How ought we to cease from trusting in our selves and to put all our trust and confidence in God If the Devil prevailed over Adam how much more easily may he prevail over us If he could deceive by a Serpent how much more easily may he deceive when he uses men for his instruments that are like our selves And this is further to be observ'd that the more godly any are the more will the Devil labour to foil them For if he can foil one of them he blurs their profession and by such a scandal makes others shy of it Oh do you not see will the World then say what kind of Saints these are They are all such Saints in profession but Hypocrites at the heart And thus by the falls of Professors the Devil mightily advances his own Kingdom 5. Seeing we were all involved in the guilt of our first Parents disobedience and seeing we have received from them by our immediate Parents a corrupt and depraved Nature let us consider that this is no estate to be rested in If we rest and abide in our natural and corrupt estate let us remember that the wrath of God abideth on us Oh let us think seriously on this and lay it to heart Joh. 3.3 Sayes our Saviour Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God If death seize thee before thou art regenerate and born again better thou hadst never been born 'T is not enough believe it to be a civil honest man or woman to live neighbourly and friendly though that is in it self indeed very commendable but I say that is not enough to secure our Souls against the Justice of God By Nature we are all Children of wrath bond-slaves of Satan and a great change must pass upon us if ever we intend to come to the Kingdom of God 6. Let all Parents and Masters of Families labour to convince those under their charge of their miserable condition by Nature and let them endeavour faithfully to acquaint them with the way and means how they may escape out of it Let them shew them that seeing they are undone by the First Adam they must labour to recover themselves by the Second 7. Seeing Christ hath done so much to redeem us let us consider how greatly our Damnation will be aggravated if we neglect the great Salvation tendred by him in the Gospel I come now to the Third thing to be considered concerning man and that is 3. The way and means of his recovery by Christ Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by this first Covenant viz. The Covenant of Works it pleased the Lord to make a Second Covenant with him namely the Covenant of Grace Of the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offers unto sinners life and Salvation by Jesus Christ requiring they should repent of their sins and believe in him that they may be saved In treating of this Covenant that I may proceed more methodically I shall 1. Compare these two Covenants viz. of works and grace together and shew wherein they agree and wherein they differ 2. I shall open more particularly the Nature of the Covenant of Grace First I shall shew wherein they agree 1. They agree in the Author God is the Author of them both 2. They agree in the parties concerned God and men are the Parties concerned in both Covenants 3. They agree in this that in both there is a promise of life and blessedness 4. In both Covenants there is a condition required on our parts for the obtaining the blessedness promised Neither of the Covenants promise life and blessedness absolutely whether we obey or no whether we beleive or no but under the condition of Obedience and Faith 5. B th Covenants require a perfect Righteousness of us if we intend to obtain the blessedness promised No blessedness is promised in either Covenant but upon condition of bringing in a perfect Righteâ—usness either of our own or anothers And these are the things wherein thâ—y agree In the next place let us consider wherein they dâ—ffer 1. They differ in the condition required One requires Works the other Faith The one sayes do this and live The other believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31 In the Covenant of Works there was indeed an act of Faith required viz. that God would give the blessed life promised upon mans performance of his duty and obedience but it was not such a Faith as is required in the Covenant of Grace which is the receiving and apprehending and trusting our Souls on the righteousness which is wrought for us by the active and passive obedience of Christ The â—ovenant of Grace also requires Works For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godlily in this present world c. And Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people Zeal us of good works Tit. 2.11 12 14. But it doth not require works from the same principle that the Covenant of Works does
Rocks 4. The graves were opened The Centurion and people return to the City much affected Towards the evening the Jews besought Pilate that the legs of the Crucified persons might be broken to hasten their death that so they might be removed which being granted the leggs of the two Thieves were broken but not of Jesus being already dead yet a Soldier with a Spear pierced his side out of which came blood and water Mat. 27. from 31. to 57. Mark 15. from 20. to 42. Luke 23. from 29. to 50. John 19. from 16. to 38. 17. Joseph of Arimathea begs his body of Pilate and he and Nicodemus wrap it in fine linnen with spices and lay it in Josephs new Sepulchre hewn out of a Rock in a Garden They roll a stone to the door of the Sepulchre Mary Magdalen and other Religious women observed where his body was laid and went and prepared Spices and Oyntments purposing more exactly to embalm him when the Sabbath was over The Chief Priest desired Pilate that the Sepulchre may be secured Hereupon a Guard is set upon it and the Stone sealed with the publick Seal Mat. 27. from 57. to the end Mark 15. from 42. to the end Luke 23. from 50. to the end John 19. from 38. to the end SECT V. Of our Saviours Death and Burial WE have now presented you with a short view of our Saviours Life as also with the History of his Death Touching which these things are further to be taken notice of 1. That the promised Messias was to suffer according to the predictions that went before of him Esay 53.4 5. Surely he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Mark 9.12 And he answered and told them how it is written of the Son of man that he must suffer many things and be set at naught 1 Pet. 1.11 Searching what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testistified beforehand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow Luke 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his Glory verse 46. Thus it is written and thus it behoveth Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day Acts 26.22 23. Having obtained help of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come That Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light unto the People and to the Gentiles 2. As his Sufferings in the general were foretold so that he should Suffer Death was also particularly determined God had in his all-wise Council determined that his Son should die for the sins of men The Serpent was to bruise the heel of the Womans Seed and the same seed viz. Christ to bruise his head Gen. 3.15 And Acts 4.27 28. For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the People of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy Council had determined before to be done 3. His suffering Death was typified 1. By the Paschal Lamb slain 2. By the brazen Serpent lifted up John 3.14 3. By the daily Sacrifices which intimated that without the shedding the blood of the Messias there could be no remission of sins Let us now consider in the next place how our Saviour Suffered The ancient Creed sayes He suffered under Pontius Pilate Suffered under Pontius Pilate But who was this Pilate Pilate was a Roman sent by Tiberius the Emperor to be Governor of Judea About sixty years before our Saviours birth the Jews by Pompey the Great were made tributary to the Romans For though during the life of Hircanus the High Priest and the Reign of Herod and his Son Archilaus the Roman State suffered the Jews to be Governed by their own Laws and Governors yet when Archilaus was banished by Augustus they received their Governors from the Roman Emperors being made a part of the province of Syria Pilate therefore was Procurator of Judea at this time and under the President of Syria was furnished with power of Life and Death The Chief Priests and Elders though they condemned our Saviour in their own Council as guilty of death yet could not put him to death the power of Life and Death being at this time out of their hands Therefore they bring him before Pilate and vehemently accuse him before him Pilate saw plainly that it was for envy that they thus accused him Mat. 27.18 For when he had examined him he found no fault in him touching those things whereof they accused him Three times did he challenge the Jews to shew what evil he had done Three times did he profess that he found no cause of death in him His own wife sent to him this Message Have thou nothing to do with that Just Man And when he heard that our Saviour declared himself to be the Son of God He was then more afraid Yet at last through the vehement clamor and importunity of the Jews who told him if he spared him he was not Caesars friend He was prevailed upon even against the light of his own Conscience to condemn him to be Crucified The Historians of those times acquaint us that this Pilate was a very vile Person That he was a man of a high rough and untractable Spirit that he brought the Bucklers stamped with the picture of Caesar into Jerusalem which was an abomination to the Jews and would not for all their intreaties remove them till commanded by Caesar After that he Seized on the Corban or Sacred Treasury and spent it upon an Aquaeduct nor could all their importunate Petitions divert his intentions When the Galileans came up to Jerusalem to worship God at his own Temple he mingled their blood with their Sacrifies as we read Luke 13.1 And being a notorious wretch he was afraid of being accused at Rome for the insolencies and rapines of his Government and therefore to content the people he released Barabbas unto them and delivered Jesus to be Crucified But though herein he acted against all principles of Honesty and Justice yet he was an instrument of fulfilling the determinate Council of God For the promised Messias who was to die for our sins was to be crucified and to suffer upon the cross This was typified by the brasen Serpent was Crucified Numb 21.9 and Joh. 3.14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up This also was Prophesied of our Saviour Psal 22.16 They pierced my hands and feet And Zech. 12 10. They shall look on me whom they have
stone rolled to the door of the Sepulchre Matth. 27.60 Thus the design of the Jews made his Grave with the wicked intending he should be buried with them who were crucified with him But the design of Heaven placed him with the rich in his death and caused a Councellor and a Ruler of the Jews to bury him So that we may interpret that place of Isaiah thus He was buried nigh to the wicked yet with the rich when he was dead Our Saviour notwithstanding the malice of the Jews being thus honourably buried The Chief Priests desired of Pilate that the Sepulchre might be made sure lest his Disciples should steal him away which was accordingly done the Stone being sealed with the publick Seal and then a watch was set upon the Sepulchre We come now to consider what improvement we are to make of this Article 1. Then seeing Christ did really die and was buried let us testifie our communion with him in his death by dying unto Sin 2. In his Burial by the burial of the old man 3. In his Resurrection by rising unto newness of life This the Apostle hints to us as our duty Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life SECT VI. Of that Article in the Creed Descended into Hell He descended into Hell AFter Christs Crucifixion Death and Burial the Creed subjoyns He descended into Hell In treating of which I must in the first place suggest this that this Article of Christs descent into Hell was not in the antient Creeds 'T is not found in the Rules of Faith delivered by Irenaeus lib. 1. c. 2. by Origen lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Tertullian Adversus Prax. cap. 2. 'T is not in those Creeds that were made by the Councils as explications of this Creed particularly not in the Nicene where the words are these He was Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures It was not in the Roman or any of the Oriental Creeds This being premised we come to consider this Article which cannot with any shew of reason be understood of Christs Divine nature which is every where present and cannot be said either to ascend or descend It must therefore be understood of his humane nature And here it will be needful to enquire whether it be to be understood of his Soul or of his Body If it be to be understood of his Soul it must be meant either Metaphorically or really Some understand it Metaphorically and so by Christs descent into Hell they understand those inexpressible sufferings of his Soul a See Calv. Instit lib. 2. c. 16. which of all his sufferings were the most grievous by which he felt the wrath of God in his Soul for our sins But these sufferings were all antecedent to his death he having suffered part of them in the Garden and part on the Cross and all before he commended his Spirit into the hands of his Father and said it is finished and gave up the ghost But the descent into Hell as it now standeth in the Creed seems to signifie something done after his death Besides the torments of the damned are surely such as these 1. Remorse of Conscience or the never-dying worm 2. A bitter sence of an utter rejection from the favour of God 3. Despair of ever being eased of that unsupportable misery Now certainly none of these could befall our Saviour He did not endure so much as for a moment any of the Hellish torments Therefore surely in this sense Christs Soul did not descend into Hell Others hold that Christs Soul did really and by a local motion descend into Hell This they pretend 1. To prove and that from three places of Scripture And 2. To assign the ends for which he did thus descend We shall examine both First They say that though these words are not formally expressed in the Scriptures that Christ descended into Hell yet they are contained virtually in them which they will prove 1. From Eph. 4.9 Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth by which they understand Hell For answer by the lower parts of the earth I humbly conceive is meant the earth it self which is the lowest part of the World as Heaven is the highest For before Christ could ascend unto Heaven it was necessary he should descend to the Earth by his incarnation but there was no necessity of his descending into Hell And further the Grave may be called one of the lower parts of the earth in opposition to the surface or upper part of it on which we live And this is all that seems to be meant in this place 2. They pretend to prove it from 1 Pet. 3.19 where 't is said that Christ being put to death in his humane nature was quickned or raised up again by the power of his Spirit or God-head by which he preached to the Spirits in Prison whence they infer that he descended into Hell to preach to the Spirits there in torments Answer From these words it appeareth 1. That Christ preached in the dayes of Noah by the same Spirit by the vertue and power of which he was raised from the dead But that Spirit was not his Soul but something of a greater power 2. those to whom he preached were disobedient all that time the long-suffering of God waited for their repentance and return while the Ark was preparing And 3. Their Souls or Spirits for their disobedience are now in Hell and for refusing of that mercy that was offered to them by the preaching of Christ 'T is true indeed this was not performed by an immediate act of the Son of God as if he had personally appeared on earth and actually preached to the old world but it was performed by the Ministry of Noah who was guided and inspired by his Spirit and accordingly is called a preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 The third place they alledge for the maintenance of their opinion is Acts 2.25 26 27 a place that relates to Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell c. Therefore say they surely Christs Soul did locally descend into Hell I Answer Soul is sometimes taken properly only for the Soul or Spirit of a man sometimes improperly for the whole person as Acts 27.37 We were in the Ship two hundred threescore and sixteen Souls Sometimes the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephesh which signifies a Soul doth also signifie a dead body as Levit. 19.28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead Levit. 21. v. 1. There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people Numb 6.6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no
that the Assizes drew nigh at which he could not expect but to be condemned surely above all things in the world he would endeavor to get his pardon 3. Let us seek it as those who are not content to be put off with any thing else besides it And to encourage us hereunto let us consider 1. God is ready to pardon He hath sworn that he delights not in the death of a sinner 2. Christ died for this very purpose to redeem us and when he was on the earth he complained that people would not come to him and believe in him that by him they might have life 3. All means of grace afforded to us are intimations that God intends us mercy if we be not wanting to our selves 4. All good motions and stirrings of the Spirit of God in our hearts are significations of his good will towards us 5. And lastly As vile or viler sinners then we are have obtained pardon and why then should not we encourage our selves to seek after pardon while it may be obtained SECT V. Of the Resurrection of the Body The Resurrection of the Body THis is one of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.2 'T is set before the Eternal Judgment which will adjudge men to their eternal state because 't is previous to it The Scripture speaks of a two-fold Resurrection 1. A Metaphorical Resurrection viz. that of the Soul out of the state of Sin and Spiritual Death Of this the Apostle speaks Ephes 2.1 Ye that were sometimes dead in Sins and Trespasses and Col. 2.13 You that were dead in your sins hath he quickned Grace Righteousness and Holiness is the Spiritual life of the Soul and where these are wanting there must needs be a spiritual death in sin Rom. 8.6 to be carnally minded is death but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness verse 10. that is the Soul is alive Spiritually when it is partaker of righteousness and grace Our Souls therefore must first rise from their state of death in sin to the new life of grace if we desire to have a part in the glorious Resurrection of the body to eternal life of of which I am to speak afterward and as the Apostle sayes Rom. 6.4 As Christ was raised from the dead so must we be raised from the death of sin that we may walk in newness of life 2. The Scripture speaks of a real Resurrection viz. of our bodies namely of the same body that died which shall be raised again and re-united to the same soul that at death departed from it This resurrection of the body is that which we profess to believe in this Article And to confirm our faith therein let us consider these two things 1. God can do it He can raise our bodies when dead to life again 2. He has declared he will do it 1. God can do it For he is Omnipotent Therefore saith our Saviour to the Sadducees who denied the Resurrection * Acts 26.8 Luke 18 27. Eph. 1 1â—.13 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 And the Apostle Acts 26.8 reasons thus Why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise the dead He that could make this World out of nothing at first undoubtedly can raise up mans body again which though it have suffered many changes and transmutations yet is not turned into nothing Though the parts of mans body be dissolved yet they perish not The first dust out of which man was made was as far from being flesh as any ashes or dust now can be And God who is Omniscient knows how to distinguish the dust of one mans body from anothers And being Omnipotent can give to every body what belongs to it to make it the same numerical Body again This he can do according to the mighty working That Parable Ezekiel 37. Where by reviving dead bones is shewed that God would certainly restâ—re the pâ—ople of Israel out of captivity that Parable I say supposes the Resurrection of the Dead as a thing well known and certainly believed by that people whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 Abraham thought it possible Heb. 11.18 19. When he really intended to Sacrifice his Son Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Job not only thought it possible but firmly believed it and spake of it with assurance Job 19. verse 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God verse 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Martha doubted not of it John 11.24 For speaking of her brother Lazarus then dead She said I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day And indeed there are many things in nature that seem to carry a resemblance of it When we go to sleep solemnly commending our selves to Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and to his gracious protection we do as it were lye down in our graves our sleep is a great resemblance of death and our rising in the morning of the Resurrection The Sun sets every night and disappears yet rises joyfully in the morning The Seed that we sow first dies before it be quickned 1 Cor. 15.56 The earth receiveth the bare seed and by corrupting it restoreth it in a better fashion than she took it in The Seed sâ—wn is so far from perishing that it rises up far more beautiful Whereas it was sown dry and hard it springs up fresh and green So why should it seem incredible that our bodies shall rise from corruption with far more excellent qualities than they had before God can raise them that is our first Argument 2. God hath declared that he will do it and that is abundantly sufficient to induce us to believe it Observe these Scriptures for the proof of it Dan. 12.2 And many * That is all shall arise and they will be many not a few For many is not opposed to all here but to few Romans 5.19 By the disobedience of one man many i. e. not a few were made sinners For all were made sinners of them that slept in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt John 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Acts 24.15 And I have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Luke 14.14 Thou shalt be recompenced at the
by Baptism is called the blood of Sprinkling Heb. 12.24 1 Pet. 1.2 And sprinkling comes nearer the baptism mentioned in the old Testament than dipping doth For the Children of Israels passing under the Cloud and through the red-Sea 1 Cor. 10.2 is called a baptizing And surely they were not dipped in the Cloud but only sprinkled with it that is with some drops that fell from it nor dipped in the red-Sea as the Aegyptians were who were drowed therein but only touched it with their feet or else possibly some drops from the waves of it might be blown upon them by the wind But against this some object that place Rom. 6.4 Buried with him in Baptism Answ Our Baptism shews our communion with Christ in his death it being a sign and representation of Christs blood shed and consequently of his death and burial and should mind us that in conformity to him we should die unto sin But we must not press Metaphors too far else as Christ lay three dayes and three nights in the Grave so we must lie under water which if it were practised would quickly end this controversie Besides our pouring water on the person baptized resembling in a sort the pouring dust or earth on a dead body may be a representation of Burial also But we must not as I said strain resemblances too far Besides we do not find that our Saviour and the Apostles continued every circumstance that was in use in the first institution of the Sacrament of the Passover As particularly they were at first injoyned to sprinkle their door-posts with the blood of the lamb and to eat it with their loins girt and staves in their hands as people in haste ready to march out of Egypt But this and other circumstances we do not find observed by our Saviour or his Apostles in their eating the Passover Therefore some circumstances may be varied according to Christian prudence provided we keep close to the main of the institution and the ends of it To conclude this particular baptizing is any kind of religious washing or sprinkling in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost duly performed by a person rightly qualified for it And what Mr. Perkins sayes in this matter is considerable viz. that if we were to baptize a converted Pagan or Turk of ripe years in a hot Countrey mark that we might baptize him by dipping And so much of the outward part The inward part of Baptism or the spiritual mysteries hereby signified are these two 1. The blood of Christ sprinkled upon the Soul for the washing away the guilt of sin and procuring remission and justification to the person baptized 2. The grace of Christ poured into the Soul purging out the power and dominion of sin by regeneration and sanctification 3. We come now to consider the excellent ends and uses of Baptism 1. Baptism as it has reference to God is a sign or solemn rite signifying the washing away of the guilt of our sins in Christs blood and the Sanctifying our natures by his holy Spirit And is a Seal to confirm it to us as circumcision was to the Jews Rom. 4.11 Into whose place it succeeds as we shall shew anon 2. Baptism as it has reference to us is a solemn dedicating and and consecrating us to the sincere worship and service of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost 1. 'T is a dedicating and consecrating us to God the Father as our Creator that we should obey him as our rightful Lord love him and depend on him as the fountain of our happiness preferring his favour before any thing else in the world 2. 'T is a dedicating us to Christ that we should believe in him and accept him as our Saviour and Redeemer expecting to be saved only by his merits righteousness and intercession 3. 'T is a dedicating us to the Holy Ghost that we should accept him as our guide sanctifier and comforter that by him we may be freed from the dominion of sin have the image of God repaired in us be led into all saving truths and guided in the wayes of godliness and comforted with a sence of Gods love in Christ and hope of eternal glory 3. 'T is a solemn ingaging us to renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh as the three great enemies of God and our Souls They are all expressed in Ephes 2. v. 28. and 3. in times past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience Among whom we also had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others 4. 'T is an enrolling us into Christs family the visible Church to walk in union and holy communion with the members thereof 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free 5. 'T is an obligation or bond of obedience engaging us to perform the precepts of the Gospel We are thereby engaged to repent of our sins to believe in Christ to endeavour to be holy in all manner of conversation and to take up our cross when our Saviour calls us to it As the Apostle speaks to the Galathians Gal. 5.3 I testify to every one that is circumcised that he is debtor to the whole Law So say I to every one that is baptized he is a debtor to the whole Gospel and bound to observe the precepts of it And so much of the excellent ends and uses of Baptism I come now to the fourth particular to consider who are the persons who ought to be baptized Those are to be Baptized who are converted to the Faith of Christ whether Jews or Gentiles and the Children of one or both Christian Parents The former part of this po is granted by all But there are some who doubt of the latter sition That I may therefore more clearly prove the right of infants of Christian Parents to baptism I shall first lay down some rules which it will be requisite for us to observe in this matter 1. There are many great truths couched and comprehended in the Scriptures which are not plainly and in so many words expressed and whatsoever may be rightly deduced by necessary and unavoidable consequence from Scripture is Scripture and binding to us Our Saviour Mat. 22.31 proved the Resurrection of the dead against the Sadducees not by express Scripture but by consequence and deduction from Scripture See Sect. 6. concerning life everlasting 2. Those truths which are more plainly revealed in the Old Testament are more sparingly mentioned in the New and those that are more darkly mentioned in the Old are more clearly revealed in the New There is much said of the priviledges of children in the Old Testament and particularly of their right to the
takes the edge off from sufferings that they cannot wound and hurt us Whereas he that frets and rages makes that troublesome to him which else would not be so As in case of reproachful words which in themselves neither hurt our bodies nor lessen our estates but the great danger of them is if they drive us into anger For then our anger may run us into abundance of other sins Whereas he that meekly passes them by is never the worse for them nay the better as God orders it For he shall be rewarded for his Patience And so much of the excellency and benefits of meekness 16. Another Direction is this Be humbled seriously before the Lord for all former irregular and exorbitant Passions thou hast been guilty of and seek pardon of them in the blood of Christ and pray earnestly unto the Lord to keep thee from falling into the like again and to give thee the wisdom which comes from above which is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated and full of good fruits And when thou art surprized on a sudden with any unexpected accident or violent temptation that is apt to disorder thee then send up a fervent ejaculation to heaven as a speedy messenger for help and succour in that time of danger 17. Lastly Set a high price and value upon quietness meekness and a calm frame of Soul 1 Thes 4.11 Study to be quiet and to do thy own business And so much of the directions for the right regulating of our anger 4. I come to consider the excuses * Vitia nostra quia amamus defendimus malumus ea excusare quam excutere Sen. that those that are prone to be angry do use to make for themselves 1. They are ready to say that their afflictions are so great and so heavie that they cannot bear them with any patience And therefore they may say as Jonah did that they do well to be angry and that it is better for them to dye than to live Answ Be silent all flesh before God What art thou O Man O Worm that thou repliest against God Aaron had two Sons destroyed at one stroke by fire from Heaven And they both dyed for ought appears to the contrary in their sin and that is a sharper affliction than ever thou mettest with And yet the text sayes Lev. 10.3 Aaron held his peace he uttered not one word of murmuring or discontent against the Almighty To murmur against God is to throw a stone upward that will be sure to fall on his head that threw it Take heed therefore of inward repining or outward murmuring against the Almighty how heavy soever his hand be upon thee Shall a living man complain sayes the moanful Prophet Lam. 3.39 Man suffereth for his sin God is alwayes just though his wayes to us are sometimes amazing and past our finding out 2. They are ready to say that the provocation upon which they were angry was so great that flesh and blood could not bear it Answ Flesh and blood neither in a natural nor a moral sense except it be changed can enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 And the Apostle tells us that they that live after the flesh shall die Rom. 8.13 and that not a temporal death only but an eternal And Gal. 5.24 He tells us that all that are Christs have in some good degrees though not all equally crucified the flesh with its corrupt affections and lusts * Sanabilibus aegrotamus malis Sen. 3. They are ready to say that they are Cholerick by nature and therefore they cannot help falling into Passion Alas how can they will they say except God give them patience Answ A Cholerick temper I confess may strongly dispose them to anger but cannot necessitate them to it And if they did pray earnestly to God for the assistance of his grace and set a watch over themselves they might bring themselves into better order But some people seem to expect that God should do all for them and neither earnestly beg grace from him to help them nor endeavour seriously in the power he vouchsafes to them to mortify the corruptions of their hearts If a great reward were propounded to a Cholerick man on condition he abstained from falling into any unseemly passion for one day whatever provocation were offered him surely he would do it And if a man may by great watchfulness abstain one day for a temporal reward why should he not do it the next day and the next after that out of obedience unto God There are several gracious Christians that are not easily frequently or furiously angry nor mis-behave themselves in their anger by word or deed Do you endeavour to do so likewise 4. They are ready to say that such a man was excessively hot and angry with them and why should not they be so with him Ans No man must go about to cure an evil with an evil or to correct a vice by a vice fire is not quenched by fire nor anger with anger 'T is more Christian-like to give place to wrath and and overcome evil with good CHAP. X. Of Idleness THE Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 16.49 tell us that this was the iniquity of Sodom Pride fulness of bread and abundance of Idleness neither did she strengthen the hands of the Poor I wish abundance of Idleness were not at this day a sin found in England as well as in Sodom and that among the wealthiest and those of the best rank and quality in the Nation whose education one would think should have taught them better things Seneca complained of old that men spent their time either in nihil agendo or aliud agendo or male agendo either in pure idleness and doing nothing or doing things of small moment and consequence or in doing things evil and wicked I wish this were not too true of many among us in these dayes who either idle and squander away their precious time or unusefully and impertinently imploy it or else imploy it in sin and wickedness little considering that diligence in doing evil is but a making haste to hell A discourse therefore that tends to shew people how necessary it is to their happiness that they should well imploy their time and not foolishly and carelesly squander it away I hope cannot be unseasonable The Apostle Ephes 4.15 16. makes circumspect walking and redeeming time to be the great Character to distinguish those that are wise from those that are foolish See that ye walk circumspectly sayes he not as fools but as wise redeeming the time This is the Subject therefore that I shall now speak to and in the handling of it I shall shew 1. What is meant by redeeming time 2. For what purposes especially it is to be redeemed 3. From what we must redeem it 4. What are the reasons and motives that should press this duty upon us 5. I shall give some directions as to the manner how we should redeem it
A SUPPLEMENT TO Knowledge AND PRACTICE Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious Disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness By Samuel Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somerset-Shire Useful for the Instruction of private Families Quod de Scripturis authoritatem non habet pari facilitate rejicitur qua accipitur Hieron LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1679. To the INHABITANTS of NORTH-CADBURY in SOMERSETSHIRE My Loving Friends SOme years since when I stood in the Relation of a Pastor to you I wrote my Book of Knowledge and Practice aiming therein more especially at your benefit Which Treatise I hope through the Lords blessing hath been of some use to you I have since thought that it would not be a service unacceptable to you to add by way of Supplement a more full explication of the Main Principles of the Christian Faith and some Further Directions for regulating of your Practice and to send them unto you to supply my Personal absence God only knows whether I shall ever see your Faces again in this World Providence having fixed my Habitation at so great a distance from you However my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved and if this poor Book may in any measure contribute thereunto I shall heartily rejoyce The holy Apostles no doubt in writing their Epistles aimed at the Spiritual good of the Church in general yet we may well suppose that those particular Churches to whom their Epistles were directed read them with more especial regard and possibly reaped more signal benefits by them than others did So though I design these instructions for your Spiritual good and benefit of all those into whose hands they shall come Yet I hope they shall be more especially minded and regarded by you to whom they are particularly directed and in contemplation of whose necessities and with an aim at whose benefit they were particularly framed I know many of you are such of whom the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 Who have need that one teach you the first Principles of the Oracles of God and have need of milk and not of strong meat I should be glad to have you all rightly instructed in the main fundamentals of Christianity and that not for your sakes only but for my own that I may give up my account with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 But yet I must tell you that it is not enough to save any of you that you are of the true Religion except you be true to it and live agreeably thereunto God hath indeed made sufficient provision by the obedience and death of his Son to save Mankind But you must earnestly leg of God to inable you to do your part which is unfeignedly to repent of all your sins savingly to believe in Christ and to accept him for your Lord and Saviour and to deliver up your souls to him that you may be pardoned through the infinite merit of his active and passive obedience and sanctified by his Spirit and inabled by his grace to lead a holy and good life And as I earnestly desire you all to have an especial care of your own Souls so do I with some importunity intreat all that are Parents or Masters of Families among you that they would take great care to instruct their children and servants in the main Principles of the Christian Religion I have often thought that if ever real Piety and Christianity flourish in England more must he done by Parents and Masters in instructing those under their care than is now ordinarily done I hope this short Treatise may with the blessing of God something assist and help you in performing that part of your duty May the God of all grace lead you and guide you in ways of truth and holiness and inable you to live in love and peace one with another And though I should never see you again in this life yet may the Father of Mercies through his infinite goodness grant that I may meet your Souls in Heaven This is the earnest desire and prayer of him who was once your unworthy Pastor and is still your very loving and affectionate friend Wickham brook Novemb. 6. 1678. SAM CRADOCK The CONTENTS of the FIRST PART CHAP. I. Of God SECT 1. Of the Nature of God and his Divine Attributes page 1. SECT 2. Of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Divine Essence page 18. SECT 3. Of the works of God page 31. 1. Creation where Of good Angels page 32. Of evil Angels page 40. 2. Particular page 48. CHAP. 2. Of Man Page 62 SECT 1. Of the happy State wherein Man was created and the Covenant of Works made with him in that State p. 62. SECT 2. Of his Fall and the consequents thereof p. 66 SECT 3. Of the Covenant of Grace made with Man immediately after his Fall which shews the only way of his recovery to be by Jesus Christ p. 73 CHAP. 3. Of Jesus Christ Page 80 SECT 1. Of his Titles which in the Creed are four 1. Jesus p. 80 2. Christ where of his three Offices Prophet p. 83 Priest p. 86 King p. 88 3. His only Son p. 91 4. Our Lord p. 93 SECT 2. Of his Natures Divine and Humane p. 95 SECT 3. Of his birth p. 96 SECT 4. Of his Life p. 100 Here a short and methodical History of our Saviours Life is exhibited and the particular Times in which he instituted Baptism and the Sacrament of his Supper are pointed at Vpon both which Sacraments there are distinct discourses added at the end SECT 5. Of his Death and Burial p. 137 SECT 6. Of that Article in the Creed He descended into Hell page 131 SECT 7. Of his Resurrection and ten several appearings after it in the space of forty dayes he continued on the earth p. 143 SECT 8. Of his Ascention and sitting on Gods right hand p. 149 SECT 9. Of his coming to judg the World p. 154 CHAP. 3. SECT 1. Of the Holy Ghost p. 162 SECT 2. Of the Catholick Church 166 SECT 3. Of Communion of Saints p. 175 SECT 4. Of forgiveness of sins p. 178 SECT 5. Of the Resurrection of the body p. 193 SECT 6. Of Life everlasting Of Baptism p. 200 Of the Lords Supper p. 205 Of the Lords Prayer p. 220 The second part contains a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkennness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness ERRATA IN page 267 after the eighth Direction add Ninthly Take heed of saying â—s
the encrease of their Graces and so for the furtherance of their glory Thirdly They have good assurance that all things shall work together for their good Rom. 8.28 And therefore no cause to complain Fourthly Though godliness hath the promises of this life as well as of that to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yet those promises of Temporal blessings must be understood with this limitation viz. That they shall be made good to them so far forth as God shall see it good and convenient for his Children in this life and no further Fifthly The prosperity of wicked men in this World is many ways very hurtfull and extremely disadvantagious to them in reference to their Eternal condition Outward sufferings with Spiritual blessings are ordinarily the Lot of Gods Children here on Earth as outward prosperity with Spiritual calamity is very frequently the Lot of the ungodly The prosperity of fools destroys them saith Solomon Prov. 1.32 Sixthly There will be a day of Judgment wherein all things will be set right though here things oftentimes seem to be out of course Seventhly Eternity is long enough to punish the wicked and reward the Godly therefore let us not take our measures either of happiness or misery from the outward dispensations of this life The Consideration of this Attribute should make these impressions upon us First if God be just then this should make all impenitent sinners tremble Except men repent 't is not consistent with Gods justice they should be pardoned What great cause have ungodly impenitent sinners to tremble at the Justice of God which engages him to deal so severely with them and to punish them everlastingly as his Enemies O wretched sinner what aileth thee to make this just God thine enemy What folly What madness possesses thee that thou shouldst make a mock at sin and laugh at Hell and Damnation Shall not the Justice of God terrifie thee and keep thee off from those sinfull courses which expose thee to so certain a vengeance Secondly Gods Justice is a great consolation to the Righteous He will justifie them whom his Gospel justifies because he is just 1 John 1.9 If thou break off thy sins by repentance and apply thy self to Him for pardon in and through the merits of his Son He is just and therefore will make good his promise of pardon to thee Thirdly God being just let us bless his name for finding out a way whereby his Justice may be satisfied and so we poor sinners pardoned His Justice might have taken every one of us by the Throat and said Pay all thou owest and then what should we have done We could not have payed one Farthing of the Debt O let us for ever bless his Holy Name that he hath provided so good a surety for us who hath undertaken the payment of our Debt and to satisfie his justice in our behalf Fourthly Let us labour to imitate God in this Attribute of his Justice that is let us give to every one what of right is due to him Let us labour to give to God his due and to man his due Let us not rob God of his time allotted for his service Let us give him our Hearts and serve him with the best of our affections Let us give to man what is due to him not injuring any man wittingly and willingly And in case of wrong done let us labour to make satisfaction Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Remember that the sin is notre mitted except that which is taken away wrongfully be restored IV. God is Mercifull Mercifull He is called The Father of Mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Abundant in Mercy 1. Pet. 1.3 Rich in Mercy Eph. 2.4 And sayes the Psalmist Psal 145.8 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works All the Attributes of God are glorious yet he rejoyceth most in the manifestation of his mercy and goodness Exod. 33.18 19. When Moses desired the Lord to shew him his glory He said I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy Isai 63.7 I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and the great goodness toward the House of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses He delights not in the death of a sinner His mercy is so great to all that he will destroy none but for their wilfull sin The consideration of this Attribute should teach us these Lessons First Gods mercy should lead sinners to repentance It should shame them from their sins It should encourage them to repent as well as engage them to it O sinners remember we have to do with a mercifull God who hath not forbid any to come in but continueth to invite them who have often refused and will undoubtedly welcome and pardon all that will return and come in But mercy it self will have no mercy on the Impenitent Isai 27.11 It is a People of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Wo to all them against whom mercy it self shall rise up in Judgment There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared sayes the Psalmist Psal 130.4 Were there no hope of pardon Men would be as desperate as the Devils themselves But God is merciful He delighteth not in the death of a sinner Object But you will say how comes it to pass then that so many men are damned if God delights not in the death of a sinner Answ Divines tells us of voluntas Dei Antecedens Consequens that is the Antecedent and Consequent will of God By the former as a Law-giver He gives just and good Laws and wills that Men should obey them that they may be happy in so doing By the other if they will not obey as a just Judge he wills they should be punished So that their ruine is from themselves and not from God Secondly The Mercy of God should be the matter of our daily praises The meditation of God's Mercy should produce in us delightfull thoughts and should keep as it were a continual sweetness upon our hearts and cause us to study the most gratefull returns unto God They that live continually upon Mercy should be as it were turned into love and thankfullness It should become as it were their Nature and Constitution as the food men live upon will be seen in their Temperature health and strength O how unspeakable is the Mercy of God that provides so well for his Servants in this their Warfare and Pilgrimage through this World O
had by sin madâ— God his enemy he needed no Mediator to mediate or intercede for him 8. This Covenant in case of disobedience afforded man no relief no not upon his repentance And thus the case stood with man in the state of his Innocâ—nce Of Maâ—s faâ—â— We come now to the second thing I propounded to treat of concerning man and that is his fall from his Original happiness by disobeying the precept and command of God and forfeiting the priviledges of the Covenant contained in it Gen. 3. from 1. to 7. Now the Serpent was mâ—re subtil than any Beast of the field which the Lord God had made and he said unto the woman Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every Tree of the Garden And the Woman said unto the Serpent We may eat of the fruit of the Trees of the Garden But of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die And the Serpent said unto the Woman ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil And when the woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also untâ— her Huusband with her and he did eat And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed Fig-leaves together and made themselves Aprons Rom. 5.12 19. Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous And that I may speak more distinctly of the matter I shall inquire in to these particulars 1. Who were the first sinners among men and by whom sin entered into the World 2. What was the first sin 3. What were the causes and occasions of Adams first transgression 4. What were the sad effects and consequents of this sin and breach of the Covenant First Upon our first Parents Secondly Upon us their Posterity 1. We shall inquire who were the first sinners among men and by whom sin entred into the World Adam and Eve the first Man and first Woman were certainly among men the first transgressors as may appear by those places before cited Gen. 3. And Rom 5.12 And the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 2.14 Adam was not deceived that is First and by the Devil and so as to draw Eve into transgression but the woman being deceived was first * Thâ—â—gh Eve was first in the trangression yet Adam was the chief and therefore Adam is sometimes taken collectively both for man and woman in the transgression and drew Adam into it Hosea 6.7 God says of the unfaithful Israelites They like Adam have transgressed the Covenant And 2 Cor. 11.3 We read that the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty viz. To eat of the forbidden fruit and she persuaded Adam to eat also It therefore we trace corruption and depravation to the well-head we shall find we cannot stay any where till we come to the first Man the common Parent and Root of us all And 't is very evident that the first Fountain of mankind was corrupted seeing all the streams are so 2. Let us consider what was the first sin God made our first Parents holy and happy and whilst they performed their duty they could not but be happy But the Devil having fallen from God himself as we have seen before Sect 3. and envying our first Parents their present happiness he sets upon Eve to draw her from her obedience to God And the temptation he spred before her is this you shall be as God He pretends to acquaint her with a way whereby they might raise themsâ—lves to a higher condition than that wherein they were at present They should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like God himself or like Angels they should be lifted up to a higher estate than now they enjoyed And this happiness he tells them they might acquire by eating of that Tree in the midst of the Garden which God had forbidden them which he intimates would be so far from procuring death or misery to a them that it had a contrary virtue in it namely to raise them to higher state of happiness than now they enjoyed Eve being caught by this subtil device began to believe this Serpent who thus proves himself a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning and to dâ— believe God and to doubt the truth of his threatning and commination who Gen. 2.17 had told Adam Of that Tree thou shalt not eat for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Evâ— being thus won upon by the Dâ—vils temptation did venture to eâ—t of this sorbidden fruit and dreâ— Adam to eat also So that infiâ—elity and doubting of the truth of Gods word and threatnings tâ—rough the Devils insinuation and pride and affection of an hâ—gher estate seem to be the first miscarriages and sins of Adam and Eve O the cursed Nature of pride and unbelief How soon did these â—â—ns enter into the very Angels How soon did they undo our first Parents 3. Let us inqâ—ire what were the causes and occasions of Adams sin 1. God was not The pure and holy Nature of God could not be the Original of mans sin The Holy God cannot be the cause of any unholiness God indeed permitted man to fall seeing he knew how to bring good out of it But he inclin'd him not to it 2. Neither external Objects nor the temptations of Satan could necâ—ssitate the will of man to sin The Devil might persuade but could not force 3. The persuading cause in respect of Eve was Satan in the form of a Serpent The Devil opened the Serpents mouth and caused it to speak with mans voice as an Angel opened the mouth of Balaams Ass Numb 22.28 Now the Serpents cunning may appear in this 1. He first assaults the Woman not the Man 2. He equivocates about knowing good and evil which he represents to her as a state of perfection Whereas the forbidden Tree was called the Tree of knowledge because Adam if he did eat thereof should experimentally know to his sorrow from how much good he had fallen and how much evil he had brought upon himself 3. He uses Eve a Companion newly made for Adam and surely very dear to him to draw in her Husband 4. Man being not created at first immutably Holy but defectible and sin being only a defect a person that was mutable and defectibly Holy as Adam was might fall into sin 'T was no strange thing that Man should be created defectible and being a defectible and
mutable Creature that he should fall It was most congruous that God having made such a Creature as Man furnished with such powers and capable of being governed by a Law and of being moved by promises and threats should for some time hold him in a state of tryal unconfirmed that it might be seen how he would behave himself towards his Creator and that he should be rewardable or punishable accordingly in a state that should be everlasting and unchangeable But if any shall further inquire into the manner of this first defection 't is most probable there was in the instant of temptation a suspension of the understanding's Act not only as previous to the sin but as a part of it and thereupon a suddain precipitation of Will as Estius determins But let us not too curiously inquire into this matter 'T is wholsom counsel that one gives that we should labour rather to get sin out of our Souls than trouble our selves how it came in For as a man that falls into a deep Ditch or Pond 't is Austin's similitude does not lie there considering how he fell in but labours speedily to get out so it should be with us in this case 4. Let us consider what were the sad effects and consequents of this sin and breach of Gods Covenant First Upon our first Parents Secondly Upon us their Posterity 1. Our First Parents were hereby deprived of their Original Righteousness and Communion with God 2. They became depraved and corrupted inclin'd to evil and indisposed to good 3. They brought themselves under an estate of wrath were driven out of Paradise and were made liable to death both Temporal and Eternal And though they were reprived for the present from suffering the penalty the Law requires yet 1. Sorrows were inflicted on the Woman in Child-bearing Under which we may comprehend her sorrows in breeding bearing bringing-forth and bringing up her Children 2. Sorrow also was inflicted upon the Man Gen. 3.17.18 Cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread c. 3. His Dominion over the Creatures was much impaired 4. He was rendred utterly unable to help out of this miserable estate 2. Let us consider the sad effects of Adams fall in reference to us 1. We were involved in the guilt of his first transgression For the Covenant was not made with Adam only but with all mankind who where seminally or radically in him We were not indeed then personally in him for we were not then Natural Persons but we were in him seminally and virtually And God may justly reckâ—n us to have been seminally in him because our Essence was to be derivâ—d from him And as when a man is guilty no part of him is innocent so we were guilty of â—dams first sin so far forth as we were parts of him and in him As Levi is said to have payed Tythes in Abraham because he was in the Loins of his Father Abraham when Melchizedech met him Heb. 7.9 10. though he was born some Generations after him on the same grounâ— it may well be inferred that all Adams posterity did eat of the forbidden fruit in him because they were all at that time in his Loins And the Apostle speaks to the same purpose Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the World c. In whom * Eâ—â— in qâ—â— hâ—â— viro non muâ—ieâ—e qâ—â—d vir sit praecipuuâ— aâ—â—â—or posteritatis tam â—si mâ—lio pâ—iâ—â—est laâ—sa â—raim all have sinned If a Father by Treason forfeit his Estate no wonder if his Children de deprived of it 2. We were hereby dâ—prived of Original Righteousness Rom. 3.23 All have sinned that is in Adam and so come short of the glory of God that is are depriv'd of his glorious Image which in mans first creation was stamped upon him By reason of that first sin of Adams whereof all are guilty want of Original righteousness and depravation of Nature are come upon us as a just punishment of Adams transgression and are the sad consequents of it Therefore some say that God now deprives Souls of Original Righteousness Non qua Creator sed qua Judex 3. Instead of Original Righteousness a corrupt disposition and vitiosity of Nature was imparted to all their Posterity descending from them by ordinary Generation The Soul is now propense to evil because it wants that rectitude that should regulate it As sickness besides the depriving us of health affects our bodies with corrupt humors Mr. Cotton on Eccles 11 Vers 5 holds that God forms the Soul of man of the Spirituous part of the seed of the Parents and so Original corruption is naturally propagated from the Parents to the Children This corrupt disposition is called The old Man Rom. 6.6 The sin dwelling with us Rom. 7.17 It is called Flesh as opposite to grace Rom. 7.18 The Law of the Members Rom. 7.23 Body of sin Rom. 6.6 The body of death Rom. 7.24 Lastly A mans own lust James 1.14 In which place by the next words following 't is plainly distinguiâ—hed from actual sin as being exprâ—sly affirmed to be the procreant cause of it So that by this Original corruption all our Faculties are depraved 1. Our Minds blinded 2. Our Wills rendred averse to that which is good 3. Our Memories unfaithful to retain what is good but too tenacious of evil 4. Our Consciences defiled 5. Our Affections disordered These are some of the sad Consequents of Adams First transgression 4. We are cast under the wrath and curse of God Besides the effects of this wrath and curse upon our Souls of which before our bodies are now liable to diseases and deformities and all our enjoyments and every condition of our lives is subjâ—ct to a curse And which is most deplorable we are liable by reason of our sins to Eternal wrath and misery 5. We are hereby rendred utter unable to help our selves Rom. 5.6 The Law exacts perfect and perpetual obedience under a curse Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Now here observe Two things 1. What the Scripture speaks concerning mans Impotency and inability to help himself out of this miserable condition wherein he is by Nature 1. He is said to be meer darkness Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness sayes the Apostle to the Converted Ephesians but now ye are light in the Lord And 1 Cor. 2.14 But the Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God For they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 2. To have a heart of stone Ezek. 36.26 3. To be enthralled under the Dominion of sin and Satan Acts 26.18 4. To be dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1.5 5. To be without strength in Spiritual things Rom.
That requires works to be performed by our own strength and ability received at our creation whereby we were sufficiently inabled to do the things required of us But the Covenant of Grace requires works to be done by the assistance of the Spirit of Christ Phiâ— 4.13 I can do all things sayes the Apostle through Christ that strengthneth me Therefore the obedience of the Gospel is called the obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 as following Faith and springing from it Repentance and Faith are not so in mans power now as Obedience was under the Covenant of Works And secondly it doth not require works for the same end For the Covenant of Works requires works as the way and means of our standing right before God But the Covenant of Grace doth not require works as the matter of our Righteousness and Justification before God but that thereby we should glorify God in this World be fitted for Heaven and should evidence and testifie our renewed nature 2. In the Covenant of Works there was no Mediator But in the Covenant of Grace there is Therefore the one is called Foedus amicitiae the other Foedus misericordiae 3. One sin broke the Covenant of Works but in the Covenant of Grace there is pardon obtainable for multiplied transgressions Isa 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 4. The Covenant of Works gave unto man some occasion as it were to glory if he had stood But the Covenant of Grace cuts off from Man all pretence to glory in himself and engages him to give all the glory intirely unto God So saith the Apostle Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law of Works Nay But by the Law of Faith And 1 Cor. 1.31 The Apostle tells us Christ is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. So Eph. 2.9 By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of Works lest any man should boast Having thus shewed the agreement and difference between these two Covenants I come now to speak more particularly of the Covenant of Grace Concerning which let us observe these things 1. The Covenant of Grace was for substance one and the same in all ages of the Church though diversly administred before and after the coming of Christ From Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham from Abraham to Moses from Moses to David and so on from David to Christ and from Christ to the end of the World the Covenant of Grace hath been one and the same without change or alteration Yet it was administred in a different manner under the Old and New Testament and thence it had the denomination of Old and New Covenant Yet both did agree in many things As Of the old administration of the Covenant of Grace of the new 1. They both lead to one and the same Mediator by and through whom the blessings promised are to be expected Christ at his Resurrection raised up together with himself many of the Saints who died under the former Covenant as we read Mat. 27.52 Whereby he shewed that the benefit of his Mediation Death and Resurrection did belong to them under the old Covenant as well as to us under the new But some will perhaps say that Christ is called the Mediator of the New Testament Heb. 9.15 Answ He is so in respect of actual and personal confirmation of it by his own blood which was not done in the old Covenant But he was Mediator of the old Covenant as may appear by the types that did prefigure him and in respect of the vertue and efficacy of his blood which was to be shed which did take away the sins committed under the old Covenant as to them that truly believed in him Hereunto agrees that in Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever that is as to the vertue of his death 2. The same condition is required under both administrations namely Repentance and Faith in the Messiah 'T is true many of the Jews under the old Covenant sought Righteousness by the works of the Law and not by Faith in the Messiah but this was their error and sin It was not the true Doctrine of that Covenant 3. Under both there was the same Law and Rule of Life to walk by viz. the Moral Law Jam. 28. This Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal or a Kingly Law because it hath a Kingly and authoritative power over all Mankind 4. They both propound the same Salvation God would not have called himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob if they had not been saved Neither would the place of Rest haâ—e been called Abrahams bosome if Abraham himself had not had part in that place of Rest But some will object Heb. 8.8 9. Where 't is said the New Covenant is not as the Old I answer We must distinguish betwixt the substance of the Covenant and the manner of its dispensation In respect of the dispensation the new is not as the old though it be as to substance As Rebecca vailed and unvailed was the same woman and yet not the same The same in person not the same in habit and attire That which brought the blessing to Abraham was this that he believed on that seed which was to spring from him looking for Righteousness and Life by him So then the old Covenant spoken of in the old testament and the new which is now published in the Gospel are for substance one and the same without any essential difference between them But though they thus agreed yet in many things they differed As particularly 1. The old administration of the Covenant of Grace was more burthensome the new is more easie this the Apostle plainly intimates Acts 15.10 Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear And Gal. 4.3 Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the World There were required under the old Covenant Circumcision costly Sacrifices and Oblations tedious journeys to Jerusalem at the three solemn feasts restraint from many liberties which we enjoy under the new 2. The one was more dark the other is more clear Eternal life was not so clearly discovered in the old Testament as it is in the new 2 Tim. 1.10 Yea Christ himself and his offices and benefits were then but darkly revealed Hence the Gospel is called the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the World began Rom. 16.25 not that it was absolutely hid or kept secret but comparatively in respect of the more clear and plain discovery of it afforded to us in these dayes Hence that of our Saviour to
true Messias by the descending of the Holy Ghost upon him John 1. from 29. to 35. 5. Upon this Testimony Two of John's Disciples follow Jesus viz. Andrew and Peter Joh. 1. from 35. to 43. 6. Christ calleth Philip and Philip bringeth Nathanael to Christ who acknowledges him to be the Son of God Joh. 1. from 43. to the end 7. Christ worketh his first Miracle at a Wedding in Cana where he turns Water into Wine and prepares to go unto the Passover now at hand Joh. 2. from 1. to 13. The Third Part of our Saviours life from the first Passover after his Baptism to the Second wherein are comprehended the Acts of the first intire Year of his publick Ministry 1. He purges the Temple of Buyers and Sellers Joh. 2. from 13. to the end 2. He instructs Nicodemus concerning Regeneration and Faith in himself Joh. 3. from 1. to 22. 3. He institutes Baptism * Baptism instituted of which see a particular Tract at the end appointing his Disciples to Baptize which they accordingly perform John in the mean time Baptizeth in Enon John 4.1 2. 4. John's Disciples take it ill that Christ was more followed than their Master from whence John takes occasion to instruct them in the difference betwixt himself and Christ whose high dignity above himself he sets forth and declares as also what they shall have from Christ who believe in him and what they are to expect who believe not in him John 3. from 25. to the end 5. Herod Antipas now casts John into Prison for reproving his incestuous taking of Herodias Luke 3. from 18. to 21. Mark 6. from 17. to 21. Mat. 14. from 3. to 6. 6. Christ hearing of John's imprisonment leaves Judea and resolves to go into Galilee Mat. 4.12 John 4. from 1. to 4. Mark 1.14 7. Going into Galilee through Samaria he talks with a Woman of Samaria and revealeth himself to her and instructs her concerning the right way of Worship and that he is the Messiah which she relates to the Inhabitants of the City Sychar many of whom come out to him He declareth to his Disciples upon this occasion what is his principal meat and drink and that now the time of his Spiritual Harvest is at hand Many of the Samaritans believe in him John 4. from 4. to 43. 8. He goeth from thence into Galilee and being at Cana he healeth a Nobleman's Son with a word of his mouth that lay sick at Capernaum John 4. from 43. to 55. 9. He preacheth with great fame in the Synagogues of the Galileans Luke 4 from 14 to 16. Mark 4. from 14. to 16. Mat. 4.17 10. He tâ—acheth in the Synagogue at Nazareth out of Esai 61. that he himself is the promised Messiah and sheweth by the instances of what was wrought by Elias for the Widow of Sarepta and by Eliseus for Naaman the Syrian that Gods favours are free and gratuitous and therefore he might bestow them where he pleased giving that for a reason why he did no Miracle there They being angry with him endeavour to cast him headlong from the brow of a H ll but he passing through the midst of them escaped their hands Luke 4. from 16. to 31. 11. He comes now to Capernaum and teacheth there on the Sabbath day Mat. 4. from 13. to 17. Luke 4.31.32 Mark 1.21.22 12. In the Synagoue there he dispossesses a man of an unclean Devil Luke 4. from 33. to 38. Mark 1. from 23.29 13. He cures Simon 's Wife's Mother of a Fever Luke 4. from 38. to 40. Mark 1. from 29. to 32. Mat. 8. from 14 to 16. 14. Also many other sick and possessed Persons Mat. 8. from 16. to 18. Mark 1. from 32 to 35. Luke 4.40.41 15. He goes from thence and preaches in many other Cities in Galilee and casts out Devils Mark 1. from 35. to 40. Luke 4. from 42. to 45. Mat. 4. from 23. to 26. 16. He cleanseth a Leper sending him to the Priest to offer for his cleansing according to the Law of Moses Mark 1. from 40. to the end Luke 5. from 12. to 17. Mat. 8. from 2. to 5. 17. In the presence of many of the Scribes and Pharisees he cureth one sick of the Palsie that was let down through the Roof of the House to him and pronounceth his sins to be forgiven him and proves he had Authority so to do Mark 2. from 1. to 13. Luke 5. from 17. to 27. Mat. 9. from 2. to 9. 18. He teaches the Multitude out of Peter's Ship and after a miraculous draught of Fish which he had helped them to he promises to make him and Andrew James and John Fishers of men Luke 5. from 1. to 12. Mark 1. from 16. to 21. Mat. 4. from 18. to 23. 19. He calleth Matthew the Publican from the receipt of custom to follow him Mark 2. from 13. to 15. Mat. 9. Vers 9. Luke 5.27.28 20. Matthew invites him and many other Publicans and sinners to a Feast to which he goes and eats with them and justifies it because he was a Physician of Souls He gives reason why his Disciples fasted not at that time as the Disciples of John and the Pharisees did Mat. 9. from 10. to 18. Mark 2. from 15. to 23. Luke 5. from 29. to the end The Fourth Part of our Saviours Life from the Second Passover after his Baptism to the Third containing the Acts of the Second Year of his publick Ministry In which we have these particulars 1. Jesus goeth again to Jerusalem at the Passover and there healeth on the Sabbath day a man that had had an infirmity Thirty eight Years lying at the Bath of Bethesda who at his command carries away his Bed and being reproved for it by the Jews he he justifies himself by the warrant he had from him so to do The Jews hereupon seek to put Jesus to death as one that brake the Sabbath and made himself equal with God Christ justifies this action and asserts his equality and conjunction with the Father in all his works such as are raising the dead judging receiving Divine honour saving sinners quickning those that are dead in trespasses and sins and farther shews by the Testimony of his Father of John and of his Miracles themselves and of the Scriptures who he was John 5. from 1. to the end 2. His Disciples pluck and eat Ears of Corn on the Sabbath day and are by him defended for it against the Pharisees by Scripture and reason Luke 6. from 1. to 6. Mat. 12. from 1. to 9. Mark 2. from 23. to 29. 3. He heals a man on the Sabbath day that had a withered hand and proves that the Sabbath was not profaned thereby Hereupon the Pharisees and Herodians consult to destroy him Mark 3. from 1. to the 7. Mat. 12. from 9. to 15. Luke 6. from 6. to 12. 4. To avoid this danger he withdraws himself to a private place but Multitudes flock to him and he healeth
so do ye Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come He ordains that their Collections for the poor Saints and oblations should be on that day And St. John sayes Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Thus the observation of the seventh day of the week which the Jews kept did cease and was buried with our Saviour And the observation of that day on which the Son of God rose by the practice of the blessed Apostles was transmitted to the Church of God and so hath continued in all ages of the Church ever since As God spake by Moses to the Israelites Exodus 31.13 Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you viz. that you profess your selves to be my people in an especial manner So they that belong to the Church of Christ are known by observing the first day of the week on which he arose and by this mark among others are distinguished from such who own not Christ nor his Gospel 6. And lastly Let us consider the ends for which Christ arose And those were such as these 1. for our justification Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification 2. To assure us of our resurrection If Christs body had not been raised how could we have expected the Resurrection of our bodies The Resurrection of the members depends upon the Resurrection of the Head 2 Cor. 4.14 3. That he might be declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 by his Resurrection from the dead Therefore says the Apostle Acts 13.32.33 We declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Christ was the Son of God before but then he appeared so to be against all contradiction For he arose by his own divine power which no meer man ever did or shall do 4. He rose again to encourage us firmly to believe in him as a most perfect Redeemer Our Surety is released and set free therefore Gods Justice is satisfied and so we are begotten unto a lively hope of eternal life by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1.3 5. By his Resurrection he hath shewed us how we ought to imitate him and to rise from the death of Sin to the life of Grace This the Apostle intimates to us Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Let us consider therefore and seriously examine our selves whether we be risen with Christ or no Are our affections set on things above Acts 3.2 Do we delight in the Ordinances of God They that have a spiritual life will delight in that food whereby that spiritual life is maintained Do we delight in communion with God and exercise our selves in frequent meditation and the believing views of the Glory of the other life Those who are risen with Christ seek the things that are above SECT VIII Of our Saviours Ascension and sitting on Gods right Hand He ascended into Heaven THe words of the Creed are these He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty In treating of this Article I shall first shew that the promised Messias was to ascend into Heaven 2. That our Jesus did really and truly ascend thither 3. I shall shew what Heaven it was he ascended into 4. The reasons of his Ascension 5. The time when he ascended 6. The place from whence he ascended I begin with the First namely that the promised Messias was to ascend into Heaven This was typified of him by the High Priests going once a year into the Holy of Holies Heb. 9.11 which was a type of Heaven The High Priest when he had slain the Sacrifice did with the blood thereof enter into the Holy of Holies So the Messias having offered up himself a Sacrifice to God for us with his own blood went into the Holy of Holies viz. into Heaven there to intercede for us by the virtue and merit of that blood And as this was typified so it was also prophesied of the Messias Psal 68.18 compared with Ephesians 4.8 Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received gifts for men He was to conquer Sin and Death and Hell and triumphing over them he was to ascend to the highest Heaven and thence to send the precious and glorious gifts of the Spirit unto the Sons of Men. And accordingly he himself did foretell his Ascension John 6.62 and John 20.17 2. This was not only foretold of the Messias but really performed by him He who was the Eternal Son of God and by his Divinity present in Heaven while here upon the Earth did by local translation of his humane nature really and truly ascend from this earth below into the Heavens above as is sufficiently testified by these following Scriptures Mark 16.19 Luke 24.50 51. Acts 1.9 10. Christs Ascension was visibly performed in the sight of his Apostles They saw him when he ascended the holy Angels there present bearing also Testimony unto it Acts 1.10 11. 3. Let us consider the place he ascended unto which was the Heaven of Heavens he passed through all the regions of the air through all the coelestial Orbs till he came to the Heaven of Heavens the most glorious presence of the Majesty of God He ascended far above all visible Heavens to the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 that he might fill all things that is fulfill all things prophesied of him 4. Let us consider the reasons why he ascended 1. Having finished the work of our Redemption it was meet he should return thither from whence he came John 16.28 John 17.4 5. 2. After his Humiliation his Exaltation was to follow The first step of which was his Resurrection and his Ascension another step of it 3. Christ by his Ascension manifested his victory over Sin Satan and Death 4. He Ascended to make intercession for us Rom. 8.34 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 9.24 5. That he might send down a more plentiful effusion of the gifts and graces of his Spirit And accordingly he tells his Apostles John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you John 7.38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy-Ghost was not yet
7. What is required of them who may expect this great priviledge 1. We shall consider what Sin is and what is the foul nature of it that so we may the better estimate the great goodness of God in pardoning of it The Apostle shews us 1 John 3.4 that Sin is the transgression of the Law The Law of God is the rule of the actions of man and any deviation from that rule is a Sin and brings us under guilt 2. Let us consider what are the kinds of Sin Sin is either original or actual 1. Original Sin is by the Church of England in her Articles described to be a fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from original Righteousness and inclined unto evil In which description three things may be observed 1. Original sin is the corruption of the nature of every man descended from the loins of Adam 2. It is a departure from that original Righteousness wherewith the Lord enriched Adam and our selves in him 3. 'T is an inclination to evil So that the whole race and off-sping of Adam who were then radically seminally and potentially in his loins were infected with this contagion As the Scripture sayes of Levi that he paid tythes in Abraham to Melchisedec Heb. 7.9 10. For he was then in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchisedec met him So all we and the whole race of Mankind were in Adam when he lost himself And that we are all from the womb tainted with this original corruption * Unum illud peccatum fons est aliorum Becan and depravation of nature is plain and manifest from these Scriptures Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Ephes 2.3 And were by nature the children of wrath even as others And that even Infants themselves are tainted with this original corruption may appear from this that they are liable to death Now Death is a wages no way due to Infants for actual sins for actually as yet they have not offended therefore there must need be in them some original guilt some birth-sin which makes them liable to death 2. Actual sin which is the fruit of original is any action or commission or any omission repugnant unto the Law of God 3. Let us consider the wages of sin The Apostle tells us Rom. 6. last The wages of sin is death The wages due reward and fruit of sin is death But life eternal is the fruit of righteousness not as its wages but as a gift freely given by God upon the account of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ Every sin therefore being a deviation from the Law of God brings us under guilt and guilt makes us liable to suffer the punishment which is due to our sins and proportional to our offences And our offences are augmented by the consideration of the dignity of the person against whom they are committed And being committed against God must therefore needs be very heinous and bind us over to suffer eternal punishment except we obtain a pardon and our sins be remitted 4. Let us consider by whom sins are remitted 1. Men may forgive offences committed against them so far forth as they concern them Luke 17.3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him But as Sin is a transgression of Gods Law so God only can forgive it 2. 'T is God the Fathers Prerogative to forgive Sins Isaiah 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins 3. God communicated this power to his Son while he was here on the earth who had power of forgiving sins as part of that power that was given him both in Heaven and Earth Mark 2.5 and 7. When Jesus saw their Faith he said unto the sick of the Palsie Son thy sins be forgiven thee The Scribes ask who can forgive sins but God only Their position was good that God only can forgive sins but their supposition false that Christ was a meer man and not God as well as Man 4. Ministers may forgive sins not authoritatively but Ministerially and declaratively They preach remission in Christs name declare what persons they must be and what they must do who shall obtain it 5. Let us consider upon what account and for whose sake sins are forgiven The external impulsive cause inclining God to pardon us our sins and trespasses is the respect he hath to the obedience and sufferings of our Saviour Jesus Christ The Apostle tells us Rom. 3.24 that we are justified freely by the grace of God as by the internal impulsive cause of our justification by which he was first moved to forgive us our sins and then through the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ as the external moving or impulsive cause of so great a mercy The death of Christ is the meritorious cause of our forgiveness Mat. 26.28 For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Ephes 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses 1 John 1.7 And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Rev. 1.5 Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood God is indeed said to remit our sins but never to remit the price without which we had never been redeemed The Law promised life but upon perfect absolute uninterrupted obedience and the voice thereof was Do this and live But this we failed in we need therefore the interposition of the Sacrifice of Christ for us The atonement made by the Sacrifices under the Law clearly had relation to the death of the Messias and whatsoever vertue was in them did operate through his death alone As he was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world in Gods decree so all atonements which were ever made were only effectual through his blood So that no sin was ever forgiven but by vertue of that satisfaction and God was never reconciled to any sinner but by intuition of that propitiation Yet the general doctrine of remission of sins was never clearly revealed and publickly preached to all Nations till the coming of our Saviour in the flesh 6. Let us consider what forgiveness of sins doth import and contain in it Forgiveness of Sins doth comprehend in it reconciliation of an offended God and a
satisfaction made to a just God It contains reconciliation without which God cannot be conceived to remit It comprehendeth satisfaction without which God was resolved not to be reconciled Christ by his death hath reconciled God unto us who was before offended by our sins His death was ordained to be a propitiation for us and to render God propitious to us The punishment which Christ endured was a full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God He gave his life a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 Now a ransome is a price given to redeem such as are any way in captivity or any thing laid down by way of compensation to take off an obligation whereby he who was before bound becometh free Christ bought us and the price he paid for us was his own blood and that blood was a full and perfect satisfaction unto God And as the offence is augmented as we said before by the dignity of the person against whom the offence is committed so the value and dignity of that which is given by way of compensation is enhaunced according to the dignity of the person who makes that satisfaction If therefore we consider on our side the nature and obligation of sin and on Christs side the satisfaction made and reconciliation wrought we shall easily perceive how God forgiveth Sins and in what the remission of them consisteth Christ taking upon him the nature of man and offering himself a Sacrifice to God for mans sin giveth that unto God for and instead of the everlasting punishment due to man which is more valuable and acceptable unto God than that punishment could be and so maketh a sufficient compensation and satisfaction to God for the sins of man Which sacrifice God accepting releases the offence and becomes reconciled unto man He performing the conditions required of him and for the punishment which Christ endured taketh off mans obligation to eternal punishment And in this act of God consisteth the forgiveness of sins 7. Let us consider what is required of them who may expect this great priviledge and blessedness the remission of all our sins The things required of them are these 1. True Repentance Of which see Chap. 2. of the second part of Knowledge and Practice 2. Faith in Christ Of which see Chap. 3. of the same Treatise 3. Sincere obedience unto Christ Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him 4. A readiness and willingness to forgive others who have done us wrong Matth. 6.14 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mark 11.25 And when ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against against any that your Father also which is Heaven may forgive you your trespasses Having thus in brief explained the Doctrine of remission of sins it will possibly seem requisite that I should add a few things more for the fuller explanation of so great an Article which we are all so much concerned clearly and distinctly to understand In order hereunto I shall further consider these three things 1. What is meant in Scripture by Justification 2. What is the procuring cause thereof 3. How any come to be partakers thereof For the first Justification and remission of Sins in the Scripture are one and the same thing * See Acts 13.38 39. Matth. 26.28 Eph. 1.7 Acts 10.43 Rom. 5.19 In some texts of Scripture we are said to be justified by Christ In others that we obtain remission of Sins by Christ In others that we are made righteous by Christ By which expressions one and the same thing is intended For Justification is a discharging us from the guilt of all our sins and an acquitting us from the challenges of the Law and a constituting us righteous before God not qualitative by making us inherently righteous with such a perfect righteousness as is Gods Justice-proof for by such a righteousness no Son of fallen Adam can be justified as we shall shew afterwards but it is a constituting us righteous in the sight of God or a judicial absolving of us upon the account of satisfaction given and accepted on our behalf and though Justification principally consists in our pardon and the remission of our sins yet there are other blessings also springing from it For those whom God justifies he sanctifies whom he sanctifies here he will also glorifie hereafter 2. Let us consider the procuring cause of our pardon and justification The procuring cause of it is the Satisfaction made to Divine Justice by the active and passive obedience of Christ And that we may understand this the more clearly let us take into our consideration these particulars 1. The Law or Covenant of Works required of our first Parents perfect and sinless obedience upon pain of death But they transgressing fell under the curse and condemnation of the Law However it pleased God of his infinite mercy that the Law should not be immediately executed upon them And yet he did not abrogate it but only relax it as to the right of it by introducing another Covenant viz. the Covenant of grace 2. By this second Covenant or Covenant of Grace no Son of fallen Adam can be justified with the justification of an innocent person or as one perfectly and inherently righteous For such persons if they should be challenged are justified because they are found without fault or blame and their justification is nothing but a declaration of their righteousness and innocence But by this Covenant of grace we must be justified as sinners and offenders upon a satisfaction made to the justice of God for our sins For offenders can no other way be brought into the state of just men but upon a legal pardon and discharge And so we may be said to be justified when the compensation or satisfaction made for us is accepted and we thereupon are legally pardoned discharged 3. This Compensation or Satisfaction made to the justice of God in our behalf is made by the active and passive obedience of Christ and the whole of our justification is founded thereon I say the active as well as the passive obedience of Christ is here to be reckoned as concurring hereunto For though Christ when he had once assumed our nature and was made Man was bound to obey the Law yet in that he voluntarily came from Heaven and voluntarily took our nature and so voluntarily put himself under the obligation of the Law this consideration makes his active obedience also meritorious These two are therefore joyntly to be considered in this matter For Christ voluntarily took on him the office of a mediator He was not compelled to it Indeed when he was man he was obliged as a man A creatures homage was due from him when he had assumed our nature but it was his own free choice that brought him into that state and condition From
hence therefore it will follow that all that Christ did and suffered he paid by way of valuable consideration unto God for the sins of men The whole fabrick of the Gospel is bottomed upon satisfaction made to the justice of God on our behalf We are said to be ransomed redeemed purchased bought with a price and that must needs be by a valuable consideration paid and by Satisfaction made No works of our own could ever amount to such a purchase Could men either have pefectly kept the Law or have sufficiently answered for the breach of it ex post fâ—cto Righteousness would have been that way and Christ had not died 4. Christs active and passive obedience is reckoned accounted and imputed to those who perform the conditions required of them in the Gospel for their benefit and advantage and so is made theirs as to the benefits redounding therefrom But it is not so imputed to them as if they were righteous in the sight of God with the self-same active and passive righteousness wherewith Christ was righteous or as if they had suffered in Christ and obeyed in Christ and were as righteous and innocent in Gods esteem as Christ himself Which some men dangerously presuming and asserting infer from thence that God sees no sin in his children but all righteousness which is a wondeful mistake For no other persons righteousness can otherwise become ours or be imputed to us than by the effects and advantages of it It cannot be a just judgement to adjudge us to have performed that our selves which was actually done by another though done on our behalf and reckoned to our benefit We are therefore judged righteous for not in the very righteousness of Christ Some indeed have conceived that Christs active and passive righteousness are so made ours by imputation as if we our selves were accounted by God to have done and suffered those very things that Christ himself in his own person did and suffered But how can it be supposed that God can account us to have done all that which Christ did that is to have performed all righteousness without sin or to have suffered all that which Christ suffered which in truth and reality we did not 'T is true that God is pleased that the whole of what Christ did and suffered as to the effects and advantages of it should redound to us and be for our good and benefit Thus all that Christ did and suffered is imputed to us as done for us but not as done by us * See a late learned Treatise called Justification Evangelical by Sr. C. W. And thus Christ is the Lord our righteousness And what can we desire more than to reap all the benefits of Christs whole undertaking and upon the account of it it being accepted of God in our behalf to be pardoned and justified sanctified and saved And thus to have Christ made to us of God as the fundamental cause procurer and spring of them wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption And thus we see that Christs personal righteousness is not imputable to any creature otherwise than as to its operation fruits and effects Each justified persons righteousness before God is not identically and numerically the same with Christs in his publick capacity as Mediator For then every justified person would be personally righteous with a righteousness that has a stock of merit in it sufficient to save the world which is very absurd to imagine But there are some that alledge against what hath here been asserted these following Scriptures 2 Cor. 5.21 God hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him I answer whereas Christ is said to be made sin for us we are to understand it that he was made a Sacrifice for our sins and that to this end and for this purpose that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that is that we might be made righteous with a Gospel righteousness He did and suffered what was requisite to make satisfaction to the justice of God for sins that we might reap the fruit of his righteousness and by believing in him might be accounted for righteous that is acquitted and pardoned Not that his righteousness is made personally ours as if we had done and suffered what he did and suffered but that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that is made righteous or acquitted by God through the merit of his righteousness In him therefore is not to be taken personally and literally but we are said to be righteous in him when we are so according to the rule of the Gospel and are righteous in the righteousness of Gods appointing and Christs procuring And thus we are said to walk in him when we walk according to the rule of his Gospel We are said to abide in him when we continue stedfast in his doctrine We are said to sleep in him when we die in the faith and hope of the Gospel We are said to marry in the Lord when we marry according to the rules he has prescribed A second Scripture alledged is Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous I Answer this text makes nothing for the transferring or imputing of Christs personal righteousness to us But it shews us these things 1. That as the effect of Adams sin was universal and came upon all so the effect of Christs obedience was universal It came upon all that is all sorts of men both Jews and Gentiles without distinction 2. One sin of Adams introduced death but Christs obedience procures forgiveness not only for that one sin but for all other sins whatsoever that have insued thereupon 3. One act of disobedience was enough to condemn but more than one act of obedience was requisite to procure our pardon 4. Though Christ do not save so many by his obedience as Adam brought into a state of condemnation by his disobedience yet the second Adam is much more potent than the first because there is much more efficacy and power required to the saving of one than there was to the condemning of many As the restoring of one man to life is much harder than the destroying the lives of many 5. As the effect of one mans disobedience was that thereby many became sinners to be shapen in iniquity and brought forth in a sinful nature so as the effect and consequent of one mans obedience many come to be new born and are made righteous And this seems to be the true meaning and import of this Scripture The last Scripture alledged is that of Phil. 3.9 Not having mine own righteousness but the righteousness which is of God by faith Answer The Apostle desires not to be found in his own righteousness as he was a Jew or Pharisee but to be found in Christ ingraffed into him by faith and to have that righteousness which is of
But does not the annexing of such a condition as this unto forgiveness lessen the grace and bounty of it Answer No in no wise For consider these things 1. The dispensing of pardon and forgiveness upon such a condition as faith in Christ which includes Gospel obedience is one of the most effectual means to introduce sanctity and holiness into the World For what more effectual way can there be to do it than to make it conditionally necessary to justification and salvation 2. Gods immutable holiness and justice is hereby made more illustrious and his solemn hatred and dislike of sin is more manifested For hereby 't is evident that God will save no man in his sins but from his sins Whom he justifies he will sanctify No mans sin is so forgiven that the least allowance is vouchsafed to it None but such as are sanctified can be accepted of him 3. Whatever is by the Gospel conditionally required of us is fully and freely given us Faith and every other grace is the gift of God We perform the condition required of us solely by the power of his grace freely given unto us And all the rewards of the Gospel are but the gracious remunerations of Gods own gifts and graces Free grace and divine bounty is the root that bears all And therefore the holiest men on earth have the greatest cause to be most humble For having received most they ought most to abase themselves 4. 'T is fit that all who shall be saved should be rationally satisfied of the excellency of that life the Gospel calls them unto For the precepts of the Gospel are framed and calculated for our advantage and benefit The commands of Christ are in no wise grievous to any man truly and rationally informed of his own interest The Gospel commands us to be sober righteous and godly and 't is rationally best for us so to be both in order to our own good and the good and benefit of others among whom we live And therefore 't is fit we should make a solemn choice of this life for our selves and seriously resolve as men of truth and fidelity to pursue it There ought to be sincerity of intention and endeavour in us to live this life though we do not arrive at perfection of action We should therefore examine what is the deliberate choice of our wills whether to be Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ as well as to be justified by his merits Christ will not judge of us by a suddain passionate choice but by our rational and advised choice And we must especially take heed of all degrees of insincerity and hypocrisie which of all sins under the Gospel does most dangerously border on a breach of the condition required Believe it those things that keep people usually from the good things of the Gospel are either a direct refusal of Christ or a sloathful carelesness unconcerned neglect of him or a prevailing falseness in the course of Gospel obedience I shall conclude all that I shall say upon this argument with these four particulars 1. Our Lord and Saviour did certainly perform all things that were required to be performed by him as our mediator 2. By reason of the high dignity of his person his obedience and sufferings are of more value and worth than the obedience and sufferings of all mankind would have been 3. These things being performed by him in our nature and wholly upon oâ—r account God accepts them for us though not as done by us and reckons all the benefits and advantages of them to us 4. If we desire to partake of the benefits of Christs active and passive obedience we must sincerly believe in him and take him for our Lord and Saviour and if our Faith be a true justifying Faith it will purify our hearts and reform our lives Having thus explained this Doctrine of the forgiveness of sins let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. Let us admire the infinite goodness of God that there is a possibility of pardon for the children of men who are naturally under wrath There is none for the Angels that fell 2. Let us often meditate upon and admire the way of it 1. No pardon to be obtained for man without a Mediator And where could fallen man have found a Mediator that would have undertaken his cause 2. No ordinary Mediator would suffice If all the holy Angels had joyned together it would have not been sufficient Only the eternal Son of God could effect it 3. Let us consider that Christ obtained our peace not by a bare mediation but by paying a price for us and making full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God by his obedience and sufferings 3. Let us often admire the benefits of it 1. It is not only a great mercy in it self but the foundation of all other mercies 'T is the Queen of mercies that hath a glorious train of other mercies attending it Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven whose iniquities are covered to whom the Lord imputeth not transgression None of the antient Philosophers ever gave such a definition of happiness 2. The sense of this mercy makes all afflictions more easie to be born What can hurt us if God be reconciled to us 3. Pardoning mercy brings healing with it unto the Soul Christ Sanctifies those by his Spirit whose pardon he procures by his Merits 4. It affords great comfort against death which is otherwise terrible of terribles 4. If pardoning mercy be so great a mercy let us often consider how vile and wretched those persons are who slight this mercy But who are they 1. All careless ones who neglect this great salvation and prefer the things of the World before it 2. All wicked and prophane ones who go on daily increasing their guilt not minding to make peace with God 3. All that rest on any thing besides Christs righteousness and intercession for the procuring their pardon with God 5. Let us all examine our selves whether we have obtained this blessedness or no. Many content themselves with weak grounds on which they build their hopes of pardon 1. They are not so bad as others They think they are sinners yet guilty but of few sins in comparison of what others are guilty of I answer Possibly they may not be so bad as others yet they may be in a very bad condition for all that out of which if they do not get they will be everlastingly miserable 2. Others think well of them Be it so But we shall not stand or fall by mans Judgment 3. They live civilly so they may do and yet be unconverted and without true conversion and regeneration no salvation is to be expected 6. Seeing God is ready to forgive let us all endeavor to secure this blessedness to our selves 1. Let us seek it as earnestly as ever we sought any thing in the World 2. those that must shortly be arraigned If a guilty Malefactor knew
Resurrection of the just John 6.39 And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day verse 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 1 Thes 4.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him Verse 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep verse 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ sholl rise first Let us now consider what improvement we should make of this doctrine 1. Let us take heed of erring about this doctrine Let us take heed of the leven of the Sadducees who said there was no resurrection Acts 23.8 There are two sorts of persons that exceedingly erre about this doctrine 1. Those that affirm that there is no other Resurrection but that which is Spiritual viz. that of the soul from the death of sin This was the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.17 18. They acknowledged no other Resurrection but the renovation of the mind which passes upon a man in this life Now this Spiritual Resurrection is limited only to true Believers but the Corporal belongs to all that are in the Graves of whom our Saviour says John 5.29 They shall all come forth some to life and some to damnation which cannot possibly be meant of the Spiritual Resurrection and therefore there is another besides that 2. Those that say the same numerical body that died shall not rise again but some new airy body not flesh and blood bones and sinews as ours are made up of But this is a great error For 1. If the same bodies do not arise then 't is not a Resurrection but a new Creation I acknowledge 't is not necessary they should arise with every parcel and particle of flesh they ever had or had when they dyed but they shall rise with so much of their bodies as shall make them the same numerical bodies that died As a man in the Wars if he lose an arm or a leg yet we say and say truly he is the same man still that he was before So the dead shall rise with so much of their bodies as shall when reunited to their souls make them the same persons they were before 2. Our Saviour sayes all that are in the Graves shall come forth that is surely the same bodies that lay there and not other bodies for them Rev. 20.13 'T is said the Sea shall render up its dead surely not new bodies but the old bodies that were buried there 3. The Bodies of true Believers as well as their Souls are united to Christ and thereby made the Temples of the Holy Ghost as the Apostle assures us 1 Cor. 6.19 And can you think Christ will lose any one of his members he assures us to the contrary John 6.39 r 40. 4. The Apostle tells us this corruptible this mortal shall put on incorruption and immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 Therefore the same bodies that are now mortal and must die shall be raised And indeed the Apostle plainly shews all along in that excellent discourse of the Resurrection that he intends that the same body that dyed should rise again 5. It seems most agreeable to the Justice of God that it should be so viz. that the same numerical body that was the souls instrument either in good or evil actions either in works of Righteousness or Sin should partake with the Soul also in its rewards or punishments shall they that beat down their bodies and bring them into subjection or suffer Martyrdom in their bodies for the cause of Christ be rewarded in other bodies than those that thus suffered Or shall that body and flesh of a wicked man which was so great an instrument of his soul in sinning against God and dishonouring of him and hurting others be dissolved into dust and shall another body be framed for that miserable soul to suffer with it those exquisite torments that the damned must suffer for ever Surely this cannot be Therefore it seems most agreeable to the Justice and Providence of God that every one should receive either reward or punishment in his own body which he had here in this life 6. Christ himsâ—lf did rise with his own body viz. with that body that had been crucified And others that had slept in their Graves did come forth thence at our Saviours Resurrection and surely they came forth with those very bodies that slept there and not with new bodies Matth. 27.52 53. * We have here the first fruits of the resurrection to confiâ—m our faith And so much of the first use 2. Let us labour to strengthen our Faith in the belief of this Article And in order hereunto let us consider 1. This Article was that which many faithful Christians were ready to suffer Martyrdom for and to seal with their own blood 1 Cor. 15.29 else what shall they do or what shall become of them that are baptized that is that suffer Martyrdom * For so the word to be Baptized signifies sometimes as Mark 38. and the praepos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies for Acts 9.16 See Apost hist page 182. for the dead namely for professing to believe the Resurrection of the dead And why stand we in jeopardy every hour viz. of the like Baptism for the same profession either from persâ—cuting Sadducees who allow no Resurrection or from the furious Jews who deny Christ to be risen 2. This Article is a great foundation of a Christians hope 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead For if in this life only we had hope we were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 3. This Doctrine tends much to the illustrating the infinite wisdom power justice and mercy of God 4. It teaches us how much we owe to our Lord and Saviour who hath redeemed our bodies as well as our souls and will save our bodies as well as our souls 3. If there will be a Resurrection let us not bewail the death of our pious friends with too much sorrow or concernment Their bodies are but laid up for a glorious Resurrection 4. The consideration and belief of the Resurrection should strengthen us against the fear of our own death As God said to Jacob Gen. 46.3 4. Fear not to go down into Egypt for I will go with thee and bring thee
Seal of the new Testament or Covenant which is to be ratified and confirmed by my blood * Heb. 9.15.16 Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is now to be shed for many for the remission of sins that is this wine in the Cup is a sign or representation of my blood and a seal whereby the new Covenant is confirmed with all the promises of it For without shedding of blood there is no remission * Heb. 9.22 Gods Justice being no other way to be satisfied Now the Sacraments may be said to be Seals in two respects 1. They are absolute seals to the veracity and truth of Gods promises and Covenant 2. Conditional Seals in reference to us They Seal the remission of sins to all that perform the conditions required and to none else As the tree of life did not seal or confirm to Adam that he should have life except upon condition of his perfect obedience To them therefore that perform the conditions required they exhibit confer and passover the blessings promised in the Covenant of Grace 3. To be an objective means to stir up excite and increase Repentance Faith Love Hope Joy Thankfulness in believers by a lively representation of the evil of sin the infinite love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant of grace the greatness and sureness of the mercies promised 4. To be a badge and cognizance of the Church before the world and a token that we solemnly profess that we own a crucified Jesus for our Saviour and that 't is Christ and his death that we depend upon and abide by for the remission of all our sins and reconciliation with God 5. To be a means of our renewing our Covenant with God Covenants in the Scripture were wont to be made by eating and drinking together Isaac and Abimelech Jacob and Laban concluded their Covenants with a Feast * Gen. 6.30 and Gen. 31.44 46. Hereby we have an advantage of entring into a stricter engagement to God and renewing the Covenant we made with him in Baptism 6. To be a means of procuring and advancing unity and love among the Saints A feast carries in it the notion of love and good will But this is more a feast of love than any ordinary feast can be because 't is a remembrance of the greatest love that that ever was manifested viz. of that love which the Lord shewed in dying for us 'T is a Feast upon Christs Sacrifice And it should be a means not only of uniting believers more firmly to Christ their Head but of uniting and endearing them more one to another The ancient Christians did notably express this 1. By their Agapae or love-feast Jude verse 14. 2 Pet. 2.13 2. By their kiss of Charity Rom. 16.16 1 Cor. 16.30 3. By their collections for the poor made at these times 1 Cor. 16.1 Having thus spoken of the true and proper ends for which this Sacrament was instituted I come now to consider the mistaken ends for which it was not appointed 1. It was not appointed to turn bread and wine into the true and real body and blood of Christ For if sense be not to be believed concerning its own object and which tells all men that 't is still bread and wine how can we believe that Christ or any of his Apostles were ever in the World seeing they that saw them and conversed with them may on this ground for all that be deceived which were very irrational to imagine And the Apostle expresly calls it bread three times in three verses together and that after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of that Cup. And he tells us that the use of this Sacrament is not to make the Lards Body corporally present but to shew the Lords death till he come that is to be a visible representation and commemoration of his death till he come to judgment Indeed Christ is really present in this Sacrament but not in the elements but to the Faith of the worthy receiver When they eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup in a due manner exercising a lively Faith in him for the remission of all their sins Christ is then present to their Faith neither is he any otherwise present in this Sacrament 2. This Sacrament was not appointed to Sacrifice Christ really again to the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead or to ease Souls in Purgatory to deliver them out of it For Christ having died once dieth no more but by once offering up himself hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified * Heb. 10.14 that is he hath made a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God and done all things needful to bring them to eternal life who are sanctified by his grace and brought to believe in him with a lively Faith 3. 'T is not appointed as a means to conveigh grace meerly by the work done or by the outward receiving of it only as charms are supposed to work neither are we to suppose that God will pardon or save any for their meer coming to this Ordinance though they strive not with their hearts to bring them to repentance faith in Christ sincere love to God and men and new obedience 4. 'T is not appointed as a means to wipe off the old score of sin that men may more freely and boldly encourage themselves to sin again as some ignorant people are apt to think but as a blessed means to mortifie sin in us and to engage us unto holiness And thus much concerning the first head I propounded to speak unto viz. The right informing the judgment and that concerning these four particulars 1. The author of this Sacrament 2. The time of its Institution 3. The nature of it 4. The ends for which it was appointed I come now to the second viz. to direct your practice and to shew you how you should receive it in a right manner In order to which you must know 1. There are some duties to be performed before you come to receive this holy Sacrament 2. Some duties in the time of receiving it 3. Some duties after There are two kinds of preparation necessary to a worthy receiver 1. The General which is that we look to it that we be in a state of grace for there are several graces that must be exercised in receiving this Sacrament and they that are not in a state of grace are utterly unfit for the present to approach this holy Table 2. The Particular which consists in a present actual fulness In order to the obtaining of this let me advise thee Reader to the
all these glorious favours and benefits Let thy Soul rejoyce in God and call upon all within thee to praise his holy name 6. Pray earnestly that Christs Kingdom may be propagated and that many others may come to understand and partake of this great salvation purchased by our Lord and Saviour Pray that he may be more known believed on and faithfully obeyed all the world over And so much of the duties to be performed in time of receiving I come now to those required of thee after thou hast received For it is not enough that thou duly prepare thy self for this ordinance and carry thy self reverently at it but thou must labour to walk suitably unto it afterwards To that end observe these directions 1. When the Ordinance is done withdraw thy self to some secret place and there on thy knees bless the Lord for Jesus Christ and for the Covenant of Grace made in him and for adding the Sacraments as Seals of the Covenant to confirm thy faith And further for giving thee to be born in a land where the glorious light of the Gospel has shone so clearly for so many years and where thou hast such great helps and advantages for the eternal good of thy Soul 2. Labour to keep thy heart in the fervent love of God and Jesus Christ and with an holy delight and joy meditate often how much thou owest to God for sending his Son to be thy redeemer and how much thou owest to Christ for so willingly condescending to undertake this great work The Apostle tells us 1 Pet. 2.7 that to them that believe in him he is precious yea very precious in many respects 1. His name is precious 'T is as an ointment poured forth Matth. 1.21 His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins And 1 Thes 1. last 'T is Jesus who delivereth us from the wrath to come 2. His person is precious being God and Man in the same person What an high honour is it to be related to him 3. His Offices are precious He is Prophet Priest and King and he took on him all these offices for our benefit 4. His performances are precious both his active and passive obedience 5. His Life is precious which was so holy so humble so exemplary 6. His Death is precious being a propitiatory Sacrifice for our sins 7. His Resurrection is precious For God releasing him from the prison of the grave thereby declared he had received full satisfaction for the debt of our sins which he as our Surety undertook to discharge 8. His Ascension is precious For he ascended into Heaven as our fore-runner to prepare a place for us 9. His Intercession is precious For he ever liveth to make intercession for us 10. His authority and power is precious whereby he governs his Church and which he will farther exercise in raising our bodies from the Grave and in Judging the World at the last day and making our bodies if we be his members like his own glorious body 11. His Doctrince is precious 12. His Ordinances are precious 13. His â—nterest is precious to all that truly believe in him 3. Meditate on the priviledges promises and comforts of the Covenant of Grace sealed by the blood of thy dear Savior The priviledges are Justification Sanctification Adoption Glorification O how great are these priviledges The promises are such as these Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly And Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to them that love God The comforts are the consolations of the Spirit here and eternal comfort hereafter 4. Earnestly beg and humbly expect grace from Christ to enable thee to crucifie thy inward lusts and corruptions especially those thou findest thy heart most pestered with Having entertained Christ into thy Soul do not unhallow it again by suffering any evil lust to reign and rule therein 5. Labour to walk more watchfully Remember the Devil will now be very busie to tempt thee to sin after this ordinance as he did our Saviour presently after his Baptism He will if he can by some worldly diversion damp and cool those heavenly affections that were excited in thee in time of receiving 'T is a dangerous thing after an heat and warmth of heavenly affections to catch cold 6. Labour to strengthen thy purposes and resolutions of living more unto God Remember thou hast stronger obligations now upon thee to all Christian duties than before 7. Often meditate on the joys of Heaven and the eternal Supper of the Lamb and the blessed life which the Saints do live above Luke 14.15 Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God 8. Labour to live in charity with thy brethren to which thou art in an especial manner engaged by this Sacrament Do not cover the coals of contention under the ashes for a night or two and then blow them up again But consider if Christ hath so loved thee and forgiven thee so much thou oughtest to love thine enemies and heartily forgive them Remember what the Apostle saith Beloved if Christ so loved us we ought to love one another 1 John 4.11 Lastly When thou art tempted to sin remember thou hast been at a Sacrament and there hast renewed thy Covenant with Christ and thou must not be so base nor so false as willingly and deliberately to sin against him again And thus much of the duties to be performed before we come to receive and in the time of receiving and after we have received A Brief Exposition OF THE Lords Prayer OUR Saviour Matth. 6.9 c. taught his Disciples after what manner to Pray and gave them a breviary or pattern of Prayer which they might use in form as seems to be intimated Luke 11.2 or according to which they might order and regulate their other Prayers In this Plat-form there are three parts 1. The Preface Describing God to whom we are to pray 1. By his dear Relation to us Our Father therefore most ready to succour us and others with whom or for whom we pray 2. By his greatness and Majesty which art in Heaven that is who doth manifest himsâ—lf though he be every where present in Glory and Majesty in and from the highest Heavens and therefore most able to hear and help all his children and most justly to be reverenced loved and trusted in by them 2. The substance of the Prayer containing six Petitions The three first whereof have respect to Gods Glory the three latter to our selves and our particular good 1. Hallowed be thy Name wherein we Pray and Petition that Gods glorious Nature and Attributes viz. his infinite Power Wisdom Goodness Justice Truth Mercy c. which are discovered in his word and works and whereby he is made known as men are by their names may be displayed and more manifested to the world that all
out of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God And yet notwithstanding this dreadful sentence denounced by God in his holy word against this sin there are some so vile and miserably depraved as to think it a piece of bravery to drink stoutly and a sign of a strong brain to be able to bear much drink and a great conquest over another man to drink him down not considering in the mean time that while they conquer others in this vile manner at their Cups they themselves are shamefully conquered and overcome by the Devil 4. Not considering nor understanding the extreme hurt that this kind of excess does unto their bodies They apprehend not how much it spoils the temper of their stomachs ruines their health and ordinarily shortens their lives 5. Another great cause of drunkenness is idleness They that are of an idle sloathful temper and love not to take pains in an honest calling usually seek out idle companions like themselves and so that they may drive away the time as they call it they go a potting together 6. Another very frequent cause of drunkenness is that vile custome of drinking Healths and constraining others to pledge them which constrains many a man to drink more than he should There are many reasons may be alledged against this evil custome 1. To urge a Health is a great and unsufferable usurpation * Peccatum est provocare ad aequales Calices nec fas est respondere Lessius de Justitia jure Lib. 4. c. 3. upon another Why may not another enjoyn me to eat as much and as big pieces and portions as he eats as well as injoyn me to drink * Una salus sanis nullam potare salutem Non est in potâ vera salute salus as full bowls and as many glasses as he drinks 'T is very likely that I can neither eat nor drink so much as he And what authority hath he over me to compel me to it In Ahasuerus's feast Hester 1.8 none was to be compelled to drink more or oftner than it pleased him and shall we that profess our selves Christians be worse than civil Pagans 2. 'T is unreasonable that my health and consequently my life should be at the mercy of another ma◠which it must needs be if he may compell me to drink so much as will destroy my health as is frequently done How many have gotten a great fit of sickness and some their death by one drunken bout And besides If I to comply with anothers drunken humor who begins an health should drink so much as to make may self sick besure he will neither feel my pains nor pay my Physician nor answer to God for my sin 3. We ought not to incourage others to drink more than is fit as the custom of pledging Healths manifestly does Possibly another would not have pledged the healths that went about if he had seen me stick at it and not to have done it before him My example may in all likelihood have induced him the rather to do it And why should I be accessary to draw another man into intemperance And possibly had I stoutly refused it it might have prevented the urging of any more healths at that time and so I might have prevented a great deal of evil And further why should I encourage such a vile custome as makes it a crime and an high offence against civility and good manners to refuse a health when I have so much reason to do it Surely all manifest occasions and provocations to sin ought to be avoided as the Apostle tells us Eph. 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them 'T is notoriously known that healthing is a frequent occasion of drunkenness and not of that only but of quarrelling fighting and sometimes of murder also And why should I encourage such a custome which is the occasion of so much mischief I do not say 't is simply evil in it self to drink a glass of wine or keep off my hat whilst another is remembred But by accident it may be evil namely if I thereby encourage an evil custom which is a great occasion of drunkenness and give scandal and offence to such who upon that account have a great aversation to it Yet so it may happen that this accident may be outweighed and overballanced by a greater accident namely if I see my life in apparant danger if I refuse it And any other accident which will really out-weigh the former hurtful accident may make it lawful As in some cases and companies the offence given by denying it may possibly be such as will do more hurt far than the yielding to it would do As in that case when a mans loyalty to the King is laid upon it though I confess it is a very unreasonable thing to make that a Test of Loyalty which many good men and very faithful and loyal to the King do scruple and which his Majesty himself in his first Proclamation after his return declared against yet I say if such a thing should happen then Christian Prudence must be the present decider of the case by considering whether more good or evil be like to ensue thereupon and must determine accordingly To be bare when others lay the honour of our superiors upon it is a ceremony which on the foresaid reasons may be complied with But when to avoid a greater evil we are extraordinarily put on any such ceremony 't is fit we should add some such words as may declare upon what account we do it that so we may prevent scandal and offence But the best way of all is to avoid as much as possibly we can such company as are like to put us upon these scruples and inconveniencies And so much of the causes of drunkenness 3. I come now to shew the heinousness of this sin which will the better appear to us if we consider these following Particulars 1. 'T is a high provoking offence against God who hath declared his high displeasure against it in his holy word Let drunkards read these places and tremble Isa 5.11 22. Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink that continue until night till wine inflame them Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Habakkuk 2.15 Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that putteth his bottle to him and maketh him drunken that he may look on his nakedness Isay 28.1 Wo to the Crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim c. and Verse 7. They have erred through wine and through strong drink are out of the way the Priest and the Prophet
drunkenness usually inflames the mind with anger and rage It teacheth the tongue to swear curse rail revile and slander and to deride Godliness and those that are good When the head is full of vapors the tongue is usually full of vanity and lewd discourse From drunkenness usually proceeds lust filthiness and uncleanness * Nunquam ebrium putabo castum Hieron Nay it makes thieves by breeding necessity and then emboldning to villany to supply that necessity The reason why Mahomet so severely prohibited his Disciples the use of wine they say was this Being once invited to dinner by a friend of his in his way thither he called at a house where as it happened there was that day a Wedding Being courteously invited to come in he found the company in a very gay humor full of love and kindness one to another and caressing one another in the most obliging manner Which pleasing humor he looked upon as the effect of the chearful spirit of the wine that was stirring among them and so blessed it as a sacred thing and departed In the evening calling again at at the same house in his return and expecting to find the love and kindness he had before observed to be augmented quite contrary he found the house full of broils and noise full of fighting quarrelling and all confusion The guests instead of imbracing were now throwing the Pots at one anothers heads This he perceiving to be the effect of the wine taken in excess he changed his former blessing into a curse and for ever after made it Haram or a cursed thing for any of his Disciples to drink wine But Mahomet should have considered that ab abuti ad non uti non valet consequentia The abuse of a lawful thing is no good argument against the use of it 11. Consider what a dreadful wo is denounced against such persons as purposely and designedly strive to make others drunk How many Prophets do thunder out their wo against it See Hab. 2.15 16. Esay 5.22 Joh. 1.5 Certainly that man buyes his merriment at a very dear rate that takes it with such a wo. O what an horrible impiety is it for any one to rejoyce in another mans sin whereby he is laid open and exposed to Gods fearful Judgments O what monsters are they that can take pleasure in seeing the drunkenness of their neighbours and make themselves sport in beholding their nakedness Surely there is not a greater sign of hardness of heart than for a man to make his own or another mans sin the matter of his glory and boasting or the matter of his joy and merriment God bless me and all my friends from such pleasures that have so dreadful a wo and curse annexed to them 12. Consider that drunkenness is often attended with dreadful judgments in this life We read that Amnon was murdered by his Brother Absaloms command when his heart was merry with wine * 2 Sam. 13.28 29. Nabal was struck dead by God shortly after his drunkenness 1 Sam. 36.38 Elah King of Israel was murdered when he was drinking himself drunk * 1 Kings 16.9 10. Belshazzar King of Babylon was slain that very night when they had been carousing themselves in the vessels of the Temple Thou seest O drunkard that God spared not Kings themselves in their drunkenness and thinkest thou that he will spare thee certainly a drunkard puts himself in the very way of Gods vengeance 'T is very observable what a strange kind of punishment God appointed for incorrigible drunkards and gluttons Deut. 21.18 19 20 21. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious Son which will not obey the voice of his Father or the voice his Mother and that when they have chastned him will not hearken unto them Then shall his Father and Mother lay hold on him and bring him out unto the elders of his City and unto the gate of his place And they shall say unto the Elders of his City this our Son is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a glutton and a drunkard And all the men of his City shall stone him with stones that he dye so shalt thou put evil away from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear Surely these were heinous crimes in Gods account when Parents themselves were to bring forth their own Son who was guilty of these crimes if they could not reclaim him to have him put to death by the Magistrate And you see further that youth was no excuse for these crimes whatever may by corrupt men be pretended 13. It is one of those sins that draw down wrath upon a Nation especially when it grows to be a general and epidemical vice And alas among us what City or Town or Village is there what Market or Meeting or Fair that is not defiled with drunkenness and when sin grows National it usually brings down National Judgments But 'T is most sad of all when persons of great quality and high place are addicted to this vice When the Priest * Ebrietas in plebeio est simplex peccatum in sacerdote multiplex quia multos offendit secum in eandem foveam ruinam traâ—it A. Lapid and the Prophet shall erre through wine Isa 28.7 and shall say come let us fill our selves with strong drink Isa 56.12 14. 'T is a sin that is very often attended with hardness of heart and final impenitence How few habitual drunkards have we known to reform and abandon their former wicked wayes Such drunkards are usually desperate incorrigible and impudent in their sins Now as perseverance in piety and godliness in spight of all opposition is a very high pitch of goodness so perseverance in wickedness in spight of all good counsel is the height of impiety 15. Drunkenness exposes a man to that desperate danger of dying drunk Think with thy self O drunkard what would become of thee if thou shouldst die in a drunken fit Would not thy case be very dangerous if not desperate This hath been the case of many a drunkard and it may be thy case for ought thou knowest However if thou goest on in this course of drinking and company-keeping thou wilt die a drunkard though thou dyest not drunk 17. Lastly this sin if continued in exposes a man to eternal misery The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 6.10 No drunkard that is no impenitent drunkard shall enter into Gods Kingdom See also Gal. 5.21 Drunkards may scoff at their faithful admonishers and reprovers and brazen it out here but in the other world they shall be sure to pay dear for it Dives had his full Cups here but there not one drop to cool his tongue And so much of the heinousness of this sin 4. I come now to speak to the vain excuses that those * Improbitas praetextu nunquam careâ— Arist who are addicted to this vice do usually make for themselves 1. They will pretend that drinking and
with an impudent face said unto him V. 14. I have Peace-offerings with me this day have I paid my vows V. 15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found thee Verse 16. I have decked my bed with coverings of Tapestry with carved works with fine linnen of Egypt Verse 17. I have perfumed my bed with Myrrh Aloes and Cinnamon Verse 18. Come let us take our fill of love untill the morning let us solace our selves with love Verse 21. So with her much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lisp she forced him Verse 22. He goeth with her strait-way as an Ox goeth to the slaughter as a fool to the correction of the stocks Verse 23. Till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Verse 27. Her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death Prov. 9.1 A f â—lish woman sitteth at the door of her house to call in passengers Verse 16 â—hoso is simple let him turn in hither and as for him that wanteth understanding she saith unto him V. 17. Stol'n waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant Verse 18. But he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of hell Prov. 22.14 The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein Prov. 23.27 A whore is a deep ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit Verse 28. She lieth in wait as for a prey and increaseth the transgressors among men Prov. 29.3 He that keepeth company with Harlots spendeth his substance Prov. 30.20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman she eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith she hath done no wickedness Eccles 7.26 And I find more bitter than death a woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hands as bands whoso pleaseth God shall escape her but the sinner shall be taken by her Jer. 5.7 How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods when I fed them to the full then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the Harlots houses Verse 8. They were as fed horses in the morning ever one neigheth after his neighbours wife Verse 9. Shall not I visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 29.23 Because they committed villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my name which I have not commanded them even I am a witness against them saith the Lord. Ezek. 16.38 And I will judge thee as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousie Hos 4.11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart Mal. 3.5 And I will come near to you to judgment and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages and the widow and the fatherless that turn aside the stranger from his right and fear not me saith the Lord of Hosts Mat. 5.27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time thou shalt not commit adultery Verse 28. But I say unto you whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her he hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Mat. 19.17 Jesus said unto him if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments viz. thou shalt do no murther thou shalt not commit adultery c. Acts 15 20 29. But that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of Idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood From which if they keep themselves they shall do well Rom. 1.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowlede God gave them over to a reprobate mind and to do those things which are not convenient Verse 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickedness covetousness maliciousness c. 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind Verse 10. Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 7. v. 2. To avoid fornication let every one have his own wife and every woman her own husband Verse 19. But if they cannot contain let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn 1 Cor. 10.8 Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand Gal. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness V. 10. Idolatry witch-craft hatred variance emulations wrath strife sedition heresies V. 21. Envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like of the which I tell you now as I have told you in times past that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God Eph. 5.3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints Col. 3.5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affections evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience 1 Thes 4.3 For this is the will of God even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication V. 4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour V. 5. Not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge 1 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished V. 10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lusts of uncleanness c. V. 14. Having eyes full of adultery c. Judge v. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 22.15 For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and whoremongers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye 2. This sin wherever it is found and continued in is a sign and mark of a man whom God hateth Prov. 22.14 The
Holy Ghost But it seems some filthy Hereticks in that time went about to perswade those Christians at Corinth that fornication was no sin or at least no great sin and the Apostle levels his arguments against such wicked suggestions as these 11. Adulterers and Adulteresses violate the sacred ordinance of marriage and the solemn covenant they made before God and before their friends as witnesses In our form of Matrimony the man solemnly promises that forsaking all others he will keep himself only unto the woman he marries as long as they both shall live And the woman does the like unto the man And therefore Adultery in either party is the most abominable breach of faith that can be imagined and they that are guilty of it what can they expect but vengeance from God 12. The Adulterer highly sinneth against him whose wife he defileth He robs him of the heart-love and affection of his wife which is an irreparable injury Besides he brings an odious nick-name and reproach upon him And which is to be taken notice of to the shame of our Nation as Dr. Hammond well observes the innocent and injured person he is by a kind of national custom laughed at and made the object of common scorn and obloquy whilst the filthy adulterer who robbed him of his honour is in the common vogue rather applauded at least passes without any such mark of infamy and contempt One or two such ponderous guilts as this as that reverend Author phrases * See Dr. Hammonds Sermons page 175. it are enough to ruine a Nation how light soever some profane wretches make of the matter 13. By the Law of God Adultery was to be punished with death Lev. 20.10 Deut. 22.22 And whereas other crimes were not capital nor to be punished with death except proved by two or three witnesses God permitted the jealous husband to make a special trial of his wifes chastity and honesty and gave him an extraordinary way and means for convicting of her if she were guilty when no witnesses could possibly be produced against her namely she was to drink of the water of jealousie which if she were innocent did not hurt her at all but rather did her good and made her fruitful But if she were guilty then upon drinking thereof her belly should swell and her thigh rot and so the woman should be accursed among her people So that rather than God would have this heinous sin of adultery go unpunished he himself appointed an extraordinary way for the discovery of it Nay before this law was given it seems it was in use among Gods own people to punish adultery with death For Judah adjudged Tamar his daughter in law to be burnt for this sin as appears Gen. 38.24 14. The very Heathens by the light of nature adjudged adultery to be a capital crime and to deserve death For instance Nebuchadnezzar roasted two men in the fire for it as we read Jer. 29.23 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the Captivity of Judah which are in Babylon saying the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon roasted in the fire because they have committed villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my name which I have not commanded them Among the Athenians Draco's Law made adultery capital Among the Romans 't was a law of the Twelve Tables Moechum in adulterio deprehensum necato so also by the lex Julia it was made capital Thus we see that the punishing adultery with death seemed a thing very fit and just and a matter of common equity among the more civilized Nations and was not meerly a judicial Law proper and peculiar to the Common-wealth of the Jews only Other Nations that did not inflict death upon adulterers yet punished them with tortures almost as bitter as death The Aegyptians decreed that the nose of the adulterer should be cut off and the adulteress should be beaten with a thousand stripes almost to death * Diodor Sicul. lib. 1. cap. 6. Zaleucus the King of the Locrenses made a Law that the adulterer should loose both his eyes Which Law his own Son transgressing that he might be just in keeping up the vigor of the Law and yet shew some mercy to his Son Aelian var hist lib. 13. he caused one of his Son's eyes to be put out and one of his own By which it plainly appears what a detestation was in the hearts of civilized Pagans guided only by the light of natural conscience against this sin And so much of the first particular the odiousness of this sin and the great reasons we have to abhor it 2. I come now to answer the vain excuses that men who are addicted to this sin are apt to make for themselves There is no sin so odious but love to it and frequent committing of it will in a sort reconcile even the judgment to it and make it seem either no sin or but a little sin and easily pardonable Let us consider therefore what are the excuses such men do usually make for themselves 1. They alledge that Poligamy or having more wives than one was practised among the Jews Answ One man and one woman were conjoyned in the Primitive institution Gen. 2.24 compared with Matth. 19.5 For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they twain * Tò duo non exprimitur Gen. 2.24 sed necessario subauditur nam de duobus tantum ibi sermo est non pluribus unde dictum uxori suae non uxoribus suis Hinc damnatur Polygamia ut quum dictum est uxori suae numero singulari not they three or four shall be one flesh And the special reason why plurality of wives was connived at among the Jews was for the fuller peopling of that Nation they being the only people in Covenant with God and being but few among many enemies encompassing of them their strength and safety depended much in an ordinary way upon their number and increase and therefore some inordinancy was connived at for their multiplication but never absolutely allowed or approved of But though their having more wives than one for the aforesaid reasons was connived at yet fornication was punished severely among them and adultery with no less punishment than death 2. They alledge that David was an Adulterer and Solomon had many wives Answ David sinned heinously therein and 't is easier to forbear this sin than to undergo the sorrows and punishment that David underwent for it For besides the bitterness that his Soul was in for it his Son Absolom rebelled against him drove him out of his Kingdom and openly defiled his wives And this sin is left as a perpetual blot upon his name and memory As for Solomon his sin was so great that it almost ruined him and his Kingdom Ten of the twelve Tribes fell off from
his house as soon as his Son came to the Kingdom and though his own experience taught him to say more against this sin than is said by any other in the Old Testament yet it is a controversie among Divines whether ever he were perfectly recovered and at last saved or no. And is this an incouragement to any man to imitate him in this sin 3. They alledge that Our Saviour did not condemn the woman taken in adultery John 8. Answ Our Saviour asks the woman whether any man had condemned her according to the Law made in that case whereby he intimates that if the sentence of death had been lawfully passed upon her he would not have repealed it for he came not to violate the law but to fulfill it But our Saviour himself refused to condemn her because he came not into the world to execute the office of an earthly judge but of a mediator who was to procure the pardon of our sins through his merits and intercession He came not to condemn but to save and to give his life a ransom for many And therefore he would not execute the office of a Magistrate in adjudging her to death but of a Minister in calling her to repentance and amendment of her life And so much by way of answer to the excuses that such as are addicted to this sin do use to make for themselves 3. I come now in the last place to give some directions and to prescribe some remedies against it 1. Frequently pour forth thy soul in fervent and earnest prayer unto the Lord that he would please to keep thee from this sin and all tendencies to it When Paul prayed so earnestly to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan God answered my grace is sufficient for thee my strength shall be perfected in thy weakness 2 Cor. 12.8 9. 2. Use fasting and abstinence and beating down the body This unclean Devil goes not out by any means so soon as by fasting and prayer A weak body indeed must be carefully supported but a wanton and unruly body must be carefully subdued * Antisthenes his wish to his enemies was hostium filiis coâ— ingat n delitiis vivere 'T is storied of a virtuous maid that to rid her self of an importunate Suitor she told him that if he had that affection for her which he pretended he should manifest it by joyning with her in a resolution she had made which was that for twenty dayes together she would eat nothing but bread and drink nothing but water The young man though very unwillingly yet to satisfie her undertook it But when he had observed it about ten dayes he found his body so mortified and enfeebled that he had no mind to marry and so his Mistress was delivered from her importunate Suitor This story applies it self And if any shall say that abstinence is an hard lesson let such consider that the suffering of hell fire and the wrath that is to come is a thousand times harder 3. Labour that the fear of God may rule in thy heart This was that which kept Joseph innocent Gen. 39.9 and preserved him from the inticements of his lewd Mistress how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God The fear of God in the heart is a great preservative against this sin 4. Reverence thy conscience and hearken to it and mark what it speaks to thee now lest hereafter it speak to thee in a more terrible manner hear it voluntarily now lest it force thee to hear it hereafter against thy will when it will be thy tormentor It is reported of a chast woman that being tempted by a fornicator she desired him first to hold his finger in the fire a litâ— bâ—while which when he refused she said why should I then burn in hell for you 5. Labour to cast out of thy mind all unclean thoughts and phansies Drive them out with abhorrence as our Saviour did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple Take heed of speculative wantonness Vnclean thoughts usually infect and corrupt the heart and stir up in it unclean lusts and inclinations and heart defilement makes way for corporal Remember what our Saviour sayes Matth. 5.24 Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart There are fornicators in heart and adulterers in heart as well as in outward act Therefore sayes Solomon keep thy self from the evil woman and lust not after her beauty in thy heart Prov 6.25 A great means to prevent uncleanness lyes in this to keep a holy government over our thoughts and to abhor and cast out lustful thoughts out of our minds with detestation 6. Keep a strict guard and watch over thy outward sences particularly thine eyes * Oculi sunt in amore duces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut est in veteri verbo and ears Job said he had made a Covenant with his eyes Job 31.1 that is he was carefull to keep his eyes from gazing upon and his mind from thinking upon a maid so as to lust after her Stop thy ears also against all filthy and unclean discourse For filthy tales and stories do strangely corrupt the Phansie and stick odiously in the memory Therefore if thou be so unhappy at any time as to fall into such company where such discourse is used and such tales are told shew thy dislike of them and be sure never to tell them again For such discourse is pestilential and infectious 7. Be diligent in thy particular calling and keep thy mind well imployed Otia si tollas periere cupidinis arcus Avoid idleness * Quaeritur Aegystus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Facito aliquid operis ut semper inveniat te diabolus occupatum Vitium libidinis facile ex otio nascitur Nam dâ—finitio amoris est animae vacantis passio Chrysost in Math. and you take away a great occasion to lust 'T is observed of David that when he was idle he fell into that dreaful sin of adultery A laborious diligent person hath his body subdued and his mind imployed and taken up with better things The rich and the idle are usually the persons that are most under this temptation 8. Keep modest and sober company where thou shalt neither see nor hear any thing unseemly Fornication and all uncleanness let it not be named among you as becometh Saints sayes the Apostle Ephes 5.3 Evil communication corrupts good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 The filthy talk and tales and stories and sonnets of some profane persons how exceedingly do they corrupt the minds of others Let dogs and crows feed on Carrion Rational men loath such rotten and abominable stuff True Chrians abhor all impure discourse and all immodest actions 9. Shun and avoid such things as may be occasions incentives and temptations to this sin Such as these 1. Lascivious dancings I say lascivious For
made man after his own Image I come now Secondly to shew what Laws he gave him The Law given to Adam in innocency was tâ—â—fold 1. Naturall which was written or imprinted upon his Soul in his first Creation 2. Positive given as is probable by some external discovery or revelation and imposed on man to try whether he would be obedient to his Creator or no. The Law of Nature as subjected in mans mind consists in certain practical Notions or Rules about good and evil right and wrong true and false just and unjust honest and dishonest And mans will was dispos'd and inclin'd to conform to the Dictates of this Law So that these Natural Laws by which Man was to be governed and which were at first stamped on his Soul were such as were exceeding agreeable to his Reason and sutable to the inclinations of his will and not at all contradicted or opposed by any principle within him which might make him doubtful about his duty or disincline him to the performance of it So that Adam in innocency was indued with sufficient ability to conform to the whole Law of God both Natural and Positive He was furnished with particular Principles inclining him to comply with whatsoever the Law of Nature prescribed and with a general Principle disposing him to yield obedience to whatsoever any positive Law as the declared will of God should injoin Thus much of the Law of Nature I come now to shew what positive Law God gave Adam in innocency Of the Covenant of Works God having placed our first Parents in Paradise besides the Law of Nature which he wrote on their hearts he gave them also a positive command to assert his right and dominion over them as their Creator that they might be obliged to do something because it was their Creators will as well as other things because they appeared in their own Nature reasonable and fit to be done Something 's God commands because they are in themselves and in their own Nature just and fit to be done and other things are therefore fit to be done because God commands them God therefore gave Adam a positive Law as a test or proof of his obedience and to try him how he would behave himself towards his Maker Gen. 2.16 17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every Tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat but of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof of thou shalt surely die In these words is contained the Covenant that God made with man at first and which is commonly called the Covenant of Works or Covenant of Nature being made with man in the time of his innocent Nature And this is contradistinguished to the Covenant of Grace which was made with man after the Fall of which we shall speak more afterwards Now a Covenant between God and man is not to be considered as between man and man where consent is mutually requisite For man was bound to accept the terms God offered him being in themselves exceeding reasonable God is an absolute Lord and hath full power in his hands to give and impose what Laws he pleases on his Creatures and to require what duties and impose what conditions he sees good and man is bound to accept and submit unto the Law or Covenant so propounded and imposed And in a dutiful performance of the conditions on his part required he may expect the benefits promised Here therefore it will be requisite 1. To shew that this was a Covenant 2. To shew the Nature of it Now that the command included in a Covenant may appear 1. Because God promises Adam life if he obey As if he should have said Till the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely live So much must needs be included 2. He threatens him with death if he disobeyed In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye 3. We find our first Parents did so understand it by Eve's words to the Serpent Gen. 3.2 3. The woman said unto the Serpent We may eat of the fruit of the Trees in the Garden But of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die 4. He appointed the Tree of life as a Sacrament * Erat homini in lignis aliis alimentum in hoc vâ—ro Sacramentum Aug. de Gen. or Symbol of this Covenant Gen. 2.9 Which Tree did signifie to them that they should always enjoy that happy estate in which they were made upon condition of their obedience viz. A most blessed life free from all misery and flowing with all manner of good things that were agreeable to the Soul and Body of man in that perfect state Having thus shewed that those words Gen. 2.16 17. contained a Covenant we come now to consider 1. The Nature and Tenour of this Covenant And for the clearing of that let us observe these particulars 1. The great honour that God put upon man by entring into Covenant with him 'T is a great honour to a mean man to have a King enter into Covenant with him How much greater honour is it unto Man to have the great God of Heaven and Earth to enter into Covenant with him 2. Observe the great goodness of God in laying upon man no harder a command then the forbearing of one Tree which he must needs judge easie and reasonable 3. Obâ—erve Mans great advantage by this Covenant Before this God had not engaged himself to man to continue him in that happy estate in which he had made him Nothing hindred but he might have annihilated him But by this Covenant God freely bound himself and gave man a right to expect the things promised in this Covenant God now promises to continue mans life and happiness if man continued his obedience 4. Under this Covenant man was furnished with sufficient ability to stand but was left in the hand of his own counsel He was left in a mutable state he might stand or he might fall 5. Observe Gods great care of man in arming his mutable will against falling both by promises and threatnings He encourages him to obedience by the reward promised he deters him from disobedience by the danger threatned What greater good could man expect than what was here promised What greater evil could he fear than what was here threatned 6. This Covenant required on mans part perfect personal and perpetual obedience as the condition of it It required perfect obedience to the moral Law stamped on mans heart and to this pâ—sitive precept which God had given him A curse and death was to be the wâ—ges of the least transgression thereof But if he were obedient he might expect a reward answerable to his works and thereupon it was called a Covenant of works 7. Under the Covenâ—â—t man had no need of a Mediator Till man