the day of Death to the day of Judgment in the Honour put on at the day of Judgment in the complete Glory bestown after the day of general Judgment and for ever to endure Trial will best discover with how small pains and great Profit this Compendium may begotten And when gotten it is by Understanding and Memory I advise that that which follows in twelve particulars be studyed Namely three concerning GOD three concerning MAN three concerning CHRIST three concerning the APPLICATION of Christ that is saving unto us P. 1. There is one only God an Infinite Perfect and Spiritual Essence P. 2. This one God is Father Son and Spirit Distinguished into three manners of Subsistence after a way incomprehensible The Father eternally Begetting the Son Begotten the Holy Ghost Proceeding P. 3. This one God is the Maker Preserver Governour of all things by infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness P. 4. Man was made of such a Body and Soul that he was able to have attained for himself and his Posterity that eternal Life which was provided for his reward if he had stood obedient P. 5. Man thus made was Envyed and Tempted by the Devil and Yielded wilfully unto his temptation and brake the Law and Covenant of God and made himself and all his posterity cursed by God and envassalled to Sin and Satan and unable to escape the threatned Death P. 6. Man thus immiserated was Pitied by God. Who in prosecution of an eternal Counsel and Covenant of peace provided preached and offered a Saviour to him even Jesus Christ the righteous P. 7. Jesus Christ this Saviour is as to his Natures perfect God and perfect Man in one Person and as to his Offices he is both Prophet Priest and King in both his states of Humiliation and Exaltation P. 8. Jesus Christ's Humiliation in being made under the Law Obeying the Precepts and Suffering the Curse of it was deeper than was possible for any meer creature to undergo And his Exaltation in Rising from the Dead as He did Ascending up into Heaven and Having all Power in Heaven and Earth given unto Him was higher than any meer creature could possibly be exalted unto P. 9. Jesus Christ being so Exalted is Able to save to the uttermost and Willing to save Sinners the chiefest welcomes all that penitently come unto Him and mourns over all that obstinately keep away from Him. P. 10. Application of Christ that avails unto our Salvation by Him is twofold viz. such as is made by God and such as is made by our selves God applies Christ to us by his H. Spirit when by him he doth give us will and power to embrace him as offer'd in the Gospel We apply Christ unto our selves when by Faith in-worked in us we do embrace him as Prophet Priest and King Covenanting with Him as such for ever P. 11. Application of Christ so described is that which every Soul should seek pray and wait for in the use of all God's Means appointed Resting not quietly without some well-built Hopes that they have thro' grace attain'd it P. 12. Application of Christ so desirable no man may hope for out of the Means by God appointed but in the constant and diligent use of those Means no man need fear but he shall find it When Novices have gotten thus far they are more than a little advantaged to learn any of our Catechisms The Westminster Assemblies with blessed Mr. Lyes most useful Exposition or any other Yet for Reasons nameless let me say I would not have that or any other singly address'd to All Methods are imperfect saith our great Methodist But he sticks not to say What my heart thinks that the Creed Lord's Prayer Ten Commands and Doctrine of the Sacraments make the compleatest body of Truths that we can form The Rule of Faith is in the first the Rule of our Prayers in the second the Rule of our Practice in the third the great Encouragement and Engagement to Believe Pray and Live holily is set forth in the fourth I conclude therefore with such as small a Map of the World of Truths in these as some candid Hearers have not thought Vnuseful In number thirty seven Creed Truths twelve 1. There is a God that is three distinct Persons whose Revelations of himself are to be Credited his Promises to be Relied on his Demands from us Consented unto heartily and practically And the First Person of these three First in Order tho' not in Time of Being and Working is named the Father Father of All things by Creation of his Church by Adoption of his Christ by Generation in time as he was Man and by Generation eternal and inconceivable as He is God. Father Almighty as to Right to do whatever He pleaseth and as to Strength wherewith to do it And Maker of Heaven and Earth that is of all things Of the University of Beings 2. The Second Person of the Godhead is as to Office Jesus a Saviour from Sin by Price by Prayer and by Power As to his Authority He is Christ set apart by God Qualified and Commissioned to be a saving Prophet Priest and King. As to his Essence and Relation to God the Father He is His Only Son to wit by Eternal Natural Inconceivable generation As to His Supremacy and Honour He is our Lord to wit by Natural right as He is God and by Delegated right as he is the Lord to whom all Dominion is given upon a double consideration That is of the Price wherewith He bought it from God and of the Victory whereby He gain'd it all from Creatures 3. This Christ as Man was without humane Father Conceived that is Prepared by the H. Ghost who first extraordinarily sanctified a portion of the Virgin-Mother's Flesh and Blood and then Made thereof his sinless Body Born He was of that Virgin Mary according to the Prophecy Isa 7.14 Mary a Princess by Extraction from King David and Father Abraham tho' of condition poor and espoused to a mean Artificer Mary an holy creature and humble Yet never called Mother by our Saviour Himself nor ever made a Goddess by his Order 4. This Christ Suffered from God Men and Devils in Soul Body Rayment Name and Friends Vnder Pontius Pilate that is in the Time of his Presidency under Tiberius Caesar Was Crucified a manner of death by the Romans used and by God especially Cursed Dead Buried and Descended into Hell that is His Soul and Body were separated from each other tho' neither of them were separated from the Godhead at all His Body agreeably to Moses Law but contrary to the Roman was the same day Buried And for part of three days about thirty eight or forty hours it abode apart from his Soul. 5. The third day after his Death He rose again from the Dead By his Father's power Rom. 6.4 By his own power John 2.19 by the Holy Spirit 's power 1 Pet. 3.18 By the One power of all the Divine Persons Else He
was a Murderer from the beginning He slew Adam by the first sin And slew all mankind in that first Adam Spiritually considered we are all Dead born Dead in sin and Dead for it Dead in respect of Corruption Dead in respect of Condemnation Condemnation to the Prison of Hell to the Torment of Fire to the Duration of Eternity But God hath so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son to redeem us from so great a Death John 3.16 He desires not our Death to be Continued and Ruin to be Compleated He reveals Jesus Christ the way from Death to Life He Commands and He even Beseeches us to take Him for our Way thereto If you ask by what Steps I have told you in my Call to Sinners by three Steps Namely by Conviction by Compunction or Humiliation and by Vnion unto Christ Which Steps if you take aright I am content to Lose Heaven if you do not Find it Indeed unassistedly no man can take them Whatever is a Creature hath no Power but what is Given from God and Kept by Him. But Man a faln Creature until he be by grace raised again is without strength unto that we speak of Rom. 5.6 Knowledge Will and Power hereto are all the Gifts of God's Love and the Purchases of his Son's Blood and the Works of his Holy Spirits Almightiness That Holy Spirit who constantly worketh by the Holy Word Who wrought not Christ's victory over Satan without the use of the Word And will not without it work our Victory over him Mat. 4. Possible it is And Necessary it is for all that take this way to Life aforesaid to Ensure their so doing 2 Pet. 1.10 Psal 50. ult c. Uncertainty about it is the Effect of sin God doth not ordinarily if ever with-hold Assurance from his Children but upon Provocation To wit by Indulged Lusts by Unexercised Graces by Omitted Duties by Slighted Ordinances And to be sure Uncertainty is then it self a sin when 't is meritoriously procured by sin The eyes are very blind that see not how fruitful a Cause of sin it is And as hard are the hearts that dread it not as a sin an Effect of sin and a Cause of sin I grant that all Assurance attainable on Earth is Imperfect But by the Romanists leave that which is attainable is both True Proper and Powerful True and Proper as built upon proper and eternally true Grounds for it Powerful as operative of Peace and Joy in our selves and Holiness and Thanksgiving unto God. Nevertheless 't is very long before most of God's Children know their Father And cease from tormenting fear that Satan is he In the first Conversion of the Gentile world unto Christ it was not so The Holy Spirit did then for the most part Witness grace wheresoever He did work it in any Nay to go no farther back Our old English Puritans of sweetest Memory had Assurance more plenty among them than 't is seen in our day Nor wanted they our Light so much as we want their Heat Horresco referens Unacquaintedness with the Covenant of grace breeds every where groundless Hopes and as unreasonable Fears I speak as I find With some of our people every shadow of Turning goes for substantial Conversion And with others that which is right substantial Conversion goes for but a shadow of Turning Of Turning from Death to Life With fear and trembling I assay therefore to resolve this Question Plainly that I may be understood Briefly that I may be remembred Fully that my End may be attained in making Sinners ashamed of their Peace and Good men ashamed of their Trouble If my Method be new my Doctrine is not I do go forth by the foot-steps of Christ's flock praying that this Paper be made successful by his Holy Spirit That Change after which we enquire appears a five-fold one Namely of Spirit Covenant Qualities Conversation and Company C. 1. Of SPIRIT Man is an Embodied Spirit His Body is we know not how Indwelt and Actuated by his Spirit His Spirit tho' it be a Free Agent is in as unaccountable a way Indwelt and Influenced by some other Spirit In our Created state the Holy Spirit was in us and swayed us Now in our Corrupted state 't is Satan that is in us and leads us 'T is certain that by the First Transgression we forfeited and lost the foresaid Sanctifier And deserved to be given up and were given up to the last named Tempter Satan is now called the God of this World. And He that is in the World 1 John 4.4 The Prince that works in the Children of Disobedience Ephes 2.3 * Works energetically And like as Fire in Iron worketh converting it into a huge likeness unto its own Nature And such Children are named persons not having the Spirit to wit the Holy One Jude ver 19. But in our Renewed state there 's a change of the Actuating Spirit Satan is deposed and cast out Acts 26.18 2 Tim. 2.26 The Holy Spirit is Sent Given Administred Put into us Poured out on us Comes on us Rests on us Leads us Is said to be He that is in Believers 1 Joh. 4.4 Yea and to be great in them That is in them to be mighty and victorious over the assaulting impure Spirit Looks he then like a Soul passed from Death to Life in whom there 's no such change of the ruling Spirit I trow not Nor can it be said because these Spirits forenamed be both Invisible therefore the change of them is hardly Discernable Let these plain things be considered They are infinitely Vnlike ones Yea perfectly Contrary unto each other They are also most Active both of them Satan always worketh to the utmost of his Power the Holy Spirit works according to his Will and Pleasure But both do work continually and strongly Nor are their Natures so Invisible but that their Operations are as much Sensible Satan carries unto evil and so does the H. Ghost carry unto good Of all things Satan averteth and turns away Souls from Jesus Christ from his Person and Gospel And of all things the Holy Ghost carrieth Souls unto the Study and Acceptation of both His great work is to Receive of Christ's and shew it unto us John 16.14 His first work is to convince as of Sin in general so principally of the Sin of Vnbelief on Christ Of its being the only Sin that does keep men in all Sin. To convince us also of the Righteousness of Christ its Perfection in it self its Communicableness unto us and its Acceptableness with God. Of its being the only that God will accept whatever men conceit of Natural Righteousness or of Legal To convince likewise of the Conquest of Christ over all his and our Enemies His having Subjugated Satan as well as Satisfied God Joh. 16.9 10 11. But I forbear See his twelve Convictions in my Call unto Sinners together with his Humiliation-work and Vnion-work Having United us unto Christ
no doubt but he Actuates us for Him. So the Apostle Rom. 8. But that falls under consideration elsewhere To conclude this particular Let the Enquiring Christian thus argue Christ is mine before Life is mine Christ and his Spirit are always given together If his Holy Spirit be put into me Satan is deposed The Holy Spirit and the Unclean cannot reign together By the Temper of my Heart and Ways toward Christ especially it 's not hard to know whether he be expelled or still hold the Throne in my Soul. These I will diligently watch And examine whose Superscription they bear whether the H. Advocate 's or the Enemy's Enemies lead to Death Advocates to Life By my Guide I will judge of my Way and End. And Him I will account to be my Guide whom I do ordinarily and allowedly and most desirously follow whether it be the Holy Ghost or the contrary Spirit If I find that it 's but now and then when terrors force it that I disgust Satan's suggestions or relish the Holy Spirit 's that deliberately and freely I use to embrace Satan's and reject His that set aside the next World's accounts I should desire rather that Satan led me in a Sensual Life than the Holy Ghost in an Evangelical I will tell my Soul and all that is within me plainly as John 5.42 I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you On the contrary if I find all and discern that tho' I have been a Cage to the uncleanest Bird yet I am by grace turn'd into a Temple of the Holy Ghost that the very self-same Spirit that dwelt in Christ dwells in me that as little as yet I know He 's daily a Teaching me as Forgetful as I am He brings daily the things of my peace unto my Remembrance as Dull as I am He daily by one thought or other Quickens me unto my duty so that I dare not omit it as sad and sour as I am He denies me not all Comfort but every day sweetens some Word of God or other unto me as often as I am out of Frame for Communion with God and that is too often He lets me not alone till I am in again and am Restored If thus I find I will conclude there cannot but be Life where there is such a Spirit And there cannot but be the best Spirit where there be but such Operations Hereby we know that He abideth in us by the Spirit that He hath given us 1 John 3.24 C. 2. Of COVENANT God ever delighted to deal with Man in the way of Covenant He bound the first Man He made and all his Posterity in one One unexceptionable for the Promises unto us and for the Demands from us These latter were Just and Good the former Rich and Honourable But as we have heard Man Fell. Unless I shall rather say he Leapt into Sin. For wilfully he brake this Covenant of Works as we call it Yea and by the Fall so brake himself that he was never able since to do ought pleasing unto God. I mean before the Renewing grace of God give ability But this grace God never did or will dispence but in a New Covenant All He Recovereth He takes into New-Covenant relation with Himself Souls mindless of any Covenant with God mind no Religion Ezek. 16.8 none at least that God will accept Those that hang upon the Old Covenant of Works and have all their Religion run in that Channel Doing all they do with design and hope to be forgiven for the sake and merit of it the Gospel declares their mistake to be mortal They that are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse That is they that expect Life and Salvation for their own Works of the Law are every creature of them under God's Curse Gal. 3.10 They who being sensible what 't is to be out of Covenant and what to be under the Covenant of Works do enter the New Gospel-Covenant the Marriage-Covenant unto Christ they are the Souls the only ones that bring forth fruit unto God. And have Life of either Peace with Him or Holiness unto Him Rom. 7.4 Surely God never signed their Pass for Heaven who never made his Covenants the matter of many of their Thoughts A serious heart cannot but ask In what relation more than that of a Creature do I stand in unto God As a Creature I can deserve no reward whatever I do And why should I expect any If I may be a Covenanter and was so without my knowledge in my first Parents does it not now concern me to get inform'd what the Terms of that Covenant were For Covenants bind mutually and if I know not that which I am bound in I must unavoidably be false unto it If it be such as is Good for me I cannot improve it and if unto me it become by any means destructive I am not capable of preventing it If the Soveraign Lord make and offer to take me into a better Covenant how concerned am I above all things in this World to learn out the terms thereof c. But suppose the greatest study of these Covenants and the best Acquaintance with them the best that is possible to be without profound Thankfulness for the Covenant of Grace and hearty Consent thereunto what avails it Much every way indeed to mens Condemnation Knowledge of that Covenant without Consent is the most frightful symptom that I know of a Reprobate A Soul in earnest careful to know its state should in this wise debate with it self Were I under no Covenant it would be reasonable to expect Hell for my least sin For it deserves it and the Divine Justice is unquestionable It would be unreasonable if I could yield Sinless Obedience to be presumptuous of other reward than is in the yielding of it For in that is more than a Creature merits And I can make no Plea if God make no free Promise There are but two Covenants of Works and of Grace These are vastly different And so are the states of men under the one and under the other Of my state I am peremptorily resolv'd to make Judgment as I am under this or that My Hopes shall die if I appear under that of Works my Fears shall die if I appear under this of Grace For if I am under the Covenant of Works I am bound unto Duties whose Performance is by me Impossible It requires Obedience perfect and perpetual I and that upon pain of Death Gal. 3.10 11. Consequently if I am under this Covenant I am under its Curse too which is Intolerable Gen. 2.17 Dying thou shalt Die. 'T is Death indefinite that is Universal evil Temporal Spiritual Eternal Privative Negative Positive c. Besides if I am under this Works-Covenant I can have no Days-man or Mediator between God and me I must to Prison if I pay not my self the utmost Farthing This Covenant admits not Christ or any other Advocate with the offended
could not have saved one Soul 1 Cor. 15.13 14. 6. This Christ forty days after his Resurrection Ascended into Heaven as Enoch and Elias his Types fore-shewed And this in the view of his Disciples * A Jury of Witnesses He sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty that is He becomes next to God in Dignity Power and Glory And under God doth Administer all things Sitting notes Security Rest and honourable Dominion 7. This Christ shall thence come to Judge the Quick and the Dead All alive at the Last day and all before that time Dead True God as God in that day is Judge Supreme Christ Mediator is Judge Delegate and Constitute that pronounceth Sentence And his very Saints are Judges by Assession and Approbation of his Sentence It must not be forgot that He judgeth every of us when we Die. Tho' not all of Vs together nor with Execution of all his Judgment upon our Souls and Bodies till the Last day 8. The third Person of the Godhead is named Holy and Ghost Ghost signifies Breath or Spirit This glorious Person bears this name with a specialty as being eternally and inconceivably Spirated or Breathed forth from the Father and Son. And is in like sort styled Holy as being by Office the Worker of all renewed Holiness in fallen Man. 9. This Father Son and Spirit have an Holy Catholick Church A Church or Christian Society called forth of the Heathen and Jewish world by God's Word and Spirit After mention of the holy Ghost the Church is mentioned in our Creed as a Work of the Holy Ghost Catholick 't is called or Universal because the New Testament Church consists of folk of all Nations And is not as the Jewish Church was confined unto one Nation It comprehends all the Christians of all Ages past present and future in the World which are indeed but one Body Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. Holy it 's said to be as having 1. Christ it 's Head Holy. 2. The blessed Spirit it 's Indweller Holy. 3. The Gospel it 's Rule Holy. 4. All that are truly of it are truly tho imperfectly Holy. 5. Their Ministers Office is Holy. 6. Their Worship as Gods Ordinance is Holy. 7. All Baptized members are Sacramentally Holy tho' not Spiritually Bound to the Gospel tho' they do not really Obey it 10. The Communion of Saints is the Effect of the Holy Spirits Sanctifying of them and the End of Church Relation Saints are people Separated from Unclean and Common conversation Carried by the virtue of infused grace unto the Fear Love and Service of God in Christ Communion supposeth such Union as is between the Members of the Body This said Communion consists 1. In their common holy Friendship with Father Son and Spirit 2. In their mutual Love of one another as themselves 3. In their Care and just Labour for each others welfare 4. In their joyning with one Heart and Soul in God's publick Worship by Christ ordained And The Saints of this Communion have the Forgiveness of their Sins God for the Satisfaction and Merit of Christ's Obedience and Intercession Pronounceth them Acquitted And actually Delivereth them from the Execution of their sin's deserts God may be said to Punish them for their sins but not to punish them with the punishment of their Sins 'T is for their good that God ever Chastens them 11. These Saints must also hereafter have the Resurrection of their Bodies And by consequence have Immortal Souls For otherwise of what use wou'd the Bodies be All Objections against this said Resurrection be vain Being it's so brightly reveal'd in Scripture Cavillers do not Know the Scriptures or the Power of God. 12. Life everlasting is the portion of these Saints foresaid By Life understand all good And by Everlastingness perfect Duration without Change or End. By consequence we may determine that Sinners dying in their sins shall have the contrary Everlasting Death All Evil without an End of any Seems it strange that the Reward of short and slender Obedience should be so Immense and Everlasting And the Punishment of finite Creatures sin in a few years committed should be of such Extremity and to all Eternity The Wonder vanishes if thou but consider the greatness of the God who ordereth the Punishment and the Reward A great God doth all things great and like Himself His Rewards must be great and his Punishments great They would otherwise be a Reproach unto Him. Amen is here as much as to say I do verily Believe these things upon Divine Revelation tho' they exceed the reach of my Sense and my Reason Lords Prayer Truths eight 1. There is a God eternal unto whom we may and ought to Repair for the Supply of all our wants Even as a Child unto his Father For tho' He be in Heaven that is be of incomprehensible Perfection and cannot without a vast condescention regard and affect the best of creatures yet He is by Creation Father And by Redemption in Christ 'T is Sin for the worst of Sinners alive to say God redeemed not me He is the Father of penitent Believers by Regeneration and Adoption also Bare wants do not destroy men 'T is neglect of right Repair unto the Lord that is a Father a Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Father that can and doth undo the World. 2. Exaltation of God's Name and Subjection unto his Authority and Obedience unto his Will and Precept are the chief End of Man. For these He Made us And for these He Redeem'd us For these by his Word and Spirit He Calls us For these we live Yet unto all and each of these are all men insufficient For Will. Skill and Power unto these all men the best the worst and middle sort all are to Pray unto Him. I and in the very first place to Pray 3. Bread or the necessaries of this Life and Pardon of Sin and Preventive Grace restraining from Sin are the Means unto that foresaid End. To the Exaltation Subjection and Obedience aforesaid For other Ends only or chiefly they may not be desired or prayed for 'T is Self-Idolatry to desire one bit of Bread or the Pardon of one Sin or the repulse of one Temptation either singularly or principally for our own Ends. To wit that our Bodies may not suffer or our Souls and Bodies suffer or our Names and Estates suffer But for the formentioned Ends they must be Desired And more they must be Prayed for Begged with all humble Importunity We are infinitely unworthy of them Our Prayers deserve not God's bestowing them But our Prayer is the only way in which God warrants our expectation of them And in which He gives ground to expect them without doubting There is a kind of Omnipotency which Holy Prayer is honoured with by Free Grace 4. Conservation of our Beings is the first of our Personal wants Pardon of Sin is the second Deliverance from Temptation and Sin is the third Reader mark this