and the Third day rose again to Life now to dye no more and having sealed the Covenant in his Blood he left instructions with his Apostles to admit men into it by Baptism and teach them how to keep it and promised them the gift of the Holy Ghost After some dayes he in their sight went up into Heaven and is glorified at God's Right-hand in Power and Majesty And as King ruleth and protecteth his Church Reigneth in the hearts of his subjects subdueth all his Enemies and is our Advecate with the Father rendering our persons and services accepted of him and prevaising for all good blessings on us Shortly after his Ascension on the day of Pemecost Christ sent the Holy Ghost the Eternal Spirit of the Father and the Son upon the Apostles to guide them into all saving truth to enable them to Preach to every Nation in its own Language to write the Holy Scriptures and to seal and confirm the truth of them by many Miracles and wonderful works and to encourage them to a constant suffering for Christ even unto death The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very Word of God which Holy men of God spake and writ as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and they contain all things necessary to Salvation and are the standing Sealed Rule of Faith and Life The Holy Ghost is Christ's Advocate pleading his cause with men He is our Sanctifier enlightening opening softning changing and renewing our hearts and minds to receive and grow in knowledge and grace Making the word effectual for our conviction and conversion helping us to pray and stirring us up to goodness comforting us with a sense of its operations and strengthening us to withstand temptations and hold out in a Christian course unto the end All those that are regenerated enlightened and converted by the Holy Ghost are one Holy Church whereof Christ is the only Head All that outwardly profess Christianity and have been Baptized are to be accounded Holy by a visible separation and dedication to God till they cut themselves off by Schism or are justly cast out by Excommunication Christ's Church is not limited to any Nation or People but extends to all places is propagated in all Ages and containeth all saving truth and in this sense is Vniversal or Catholick All the Sanctified Members of this Mystical Body of Christ have Fellowship with the Father and Son by one Holy Spirit with Angels in their love care and Ministries with the glorified Saints in Heaven in their love and prayers and with one another on Earth in the same Faith and Hope and Love Word and Sacraments bound to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace All these have in consideration of Christ's satisfaction a full pardon of all past sins given of God and Sacramentally sealed unto them in Baptism with an assurance of final justification and Salvation upon condition of their perseverance in Repentance and Faith At death the souls of the faithful rest with God in peace and happiness and the souls of the wicked go into an endless state of misery The bodies of all men shall be raised again after death and shall be again united to their souls All men shall after the Resurrection appear before the Judgment seat of Christ where the wicked shall be condemned to Everlasting torments but the Righteous shall be finally acquitted and go into Everlasting Life and Joy happy in the constant and perfect love of God praising him delighting in him amongst all Blessed Angels and Saints to all Eternity The heads of the Christian's Duty IF any man would be saved he must first be born again of the Holy Spirit be converted and become a new creature Holy in Heart and Life otherwise he cannot enter in the Kingdom of God The grace of God hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and Righteously and Godly in this present World I must not think my self to be my own so that I may live as I list but must humbly acknowledge there is a God above me whose I am and whom I am bound to serve all the dayes of my Life I must take the true God alone for my God even the Father Son and Holy Ghost and worship him as my Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier I must by a daily diligent reading studying and meditating on his word and considering of his works labour get a true knowledge of God and not content my self in ignorance of him I must worship God in Spirit and in Truth with the heart and soul sincerely I must stedfastly believe the whole Word of God the History for my instruction the Precepts for my direction the Promises for my encouragement the threatnings to affright me from sin bewaring of all temptations to unbelief or a false Faith I must live in a patient expectation and hope of what God hath promised neither despairing of mercy if I repent nor presuming of Mercy if I repent not I must love God as the chief good with the highest love chusing him for my only portion delighting in him as my only comfort willing to part with Life it self to enjoy him and making light of all things so I may please him loving his Image as far as I see it in every man especially in Jesus Christ my Saviour It is my duty to stand in awe of God's threatnings and judgments and to be very cautious and circumspect in all my wayes watching over my thoughts words and actions fearing to offend him in any thing neither fearing nor loving any thing else so much as to venture upon the least sin I must intirely trust and confide in God both in all wants and dangers whether of Soul or Body Conscientiously using such means as he alloweth Praying devoutly unto him for his Blessing and casting all my care for the success upon him not doubting of his never failing power and goodness I must walk humbly before God thinking meanly of my self renouncing all my own worth or merits acknowledging all that I am have or hope for to be of his gift taking patiently and thankfully all his chastisements and labouring to profit by them and confessing that he doth all things wisely and well I must behave my self uprightly and sincerely as in his presence and do all I do as unto him with a pure heart avoiding all guile dissimulation and hypocrisie not indulging the least evil thought inclination or desire keeping up high and honourable thoughts of him and preserving my Conscience tender and my heart soft and easie to take the impressions of his word and spirit I must shun all gross representations of God or likening him so much as in my thoughts to any creature I am not to worship him after my own conceit or fancy but according to the rules he hath given in his word not with a formal but a spiritual worship drawing near unto him in Prayer and praise and all his
what he is the same for ever God is Almighty able to do all things Omniscient knowing all things infinitely Wise in ordering all things God is Infinitely good and the Fountain of all goodness Holy and Just and Merciful God is self-sufficient perfectly blessed and happy in himself alone needing nothing but Infinite in all perfections The Father begetting the Son the Son begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son are Three Persons but one uncompounded undivided GOD blessed for ever God is the Maker or Creator of all things the Preserver and Vpholder of all things God is the absolute Owner and Lord of all things God is our Soveraign King Supream Law-giver and Righteous Judge God is our chief good and loving Father and bountiful Benefactor All Life and Power and Wisdom come from God and our final rest and perfect happiness is in Him alone God is a most free Agent and doth what and when and how he will In the Beginning by his Word of his own good pleasure he made the World and all things in six dayes when before there was nothing but Himself All that God made was very good God by his Providence preserveth ruleth and ordereth all things great and small There is no goodness in any thing but what God giveth nothing can come to pass but as God permitteth it God may justly do what he will with every thing he can do no wrong to any thing he ordereth the whole course of the World wisely and for the best God made an innumerable company of Angels or pure Spirits A great multitude of these Angels continue holy and happy in loving praising and enjoying God doing his Commandments and serving him in such Ministries as he pleaseth to employ them in for the good of his people Many of the Angels did sin and were cast down to Hell into Everlasting torments These are Devils under Beelzebub the Prince of Devils the Old Serpent and Satan The Devil is the Spirit that worketh in the children of Disobedience the Father of Evil-doers going about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour God made Adam the first man of the Dust of the Earth and the first woman Eve of a Rib of Adam Man hath two parts a Body of Flesh and Bones and a Soul which is a Spirit God made Man after his own Image he gave him an Immortal soul endued with understanding a free will and a power to do good and authority to rule and use the creatures for such ends as God designed them God made not man a Lawless creature to live as it should list him but God made him for himself and to serve him in Holy Love and perfect Obedience Man understood God's Will and that Will understood was the Law in his heart whereby he was to live Knowing God to be his Owner and Governour and chief good he was bound to resign himself to his disposal submit himself to his command and to delight himself in him above all If Man had done thus he should never have dyed but have lived for ever happy in the love and enjoyment of God God having placed man in the garden of Eden gave him free leave to eat of all the Trees thereof only excepting the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil which upon pain of death he charged him not to eat of But the Devil in a Serpent Tempted Eve and by her he tempted Adam to eat thereof and so sin against God in breaking his command By breaking God's Law they lost their Holiness and became Mortal under the curse of Death hearkening to the Devil they fell under his power loving their own pleasure more than God they lost their Happiness Thus they who were made Wise and Powerful and Happy made themselves foolish and weak and miserable We are all the children of sinful Adam and of unholy Parents are born unholy ignorant of God our duty and our happiness dead to goodness forward to evil easily conquered by the temptations of the Devil the World and the Flesh and if left to our selves must perish Everlastingly If God had punished Adam according to his sin with death He had cut off Mankind from the Earth But he was graciously pleased to shew mercy God suffered man to live for a time upon Earth but so as he might be sensible of the great evil he had brought upon himself by breaking God's Commandment The creatures are accursed to bring forth for him vanity and trouble and vexation hard labour pains and sicknesses come upon his body he becomes ashamed of himself and is filled with terrors of Conscience and having struggled through many evils and difficulties must at last dye and return to dust Yet God opened unto him a new way to Eternal happiness after death in such a way as to magnifie his Love and Mercy to Mankind and manifest his hatred of sin and Zeal for the keeping of his Laws that he might at once shew grace to the Offender and secure the honour of his just government God did graciously promise that a man should be born of a woman who should conquer the Devil and deliver man from his Tyranny and give such satisfaction unto God's Justice that for his sake all they should be Eternally happy that would accept of him for their Saviour Accordingly God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life God the Son took to himself our humane nature Soul and Body and was made truly man yet ceased not to be truly God but is both God and Man in one Person God manifested in the Flesh He was wonderfully made Man by being Born without all stain of sin of a pure Virgin called Mary who conceived him by the Divine power of the Holy Ghost when she had never known man An Angel from Heaven revealed his conception to the Blessed Virgin and commanded his name to be called Jesus because he was to save his people from their sins Being Born and Circumcised according to the Law he lived many years upon earth in an humble and low condition gave us an example to imitate in his Life doing the whole will of God and conquering all the temptations of the Devil and the World This is that Messia whom many Prophets had foretold the very CHRIST or anointed of the Lord to be a Prophet a Priest and a King and in this Threefold Office the Mediator of a New Covenant between God and Men. As a Prophet he hath in his Gospel and by his Apostles made known unto us all his Fathers will concerning our salvation and the way to it As a Priest he was Crucified and dyed under Pontius Pilate so offering himself once for all a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins in consideration whereof God hath granted pardon and Life to all true Believers Being dead he was buried and wentiamong the dead
him resolvedly willing to resign and give my self up unto him to be governed wholly by him stedfastly believing and trusting in his power to save and bless me and his willingness to receive me for his own adopted child in Jesus Christ Yet I must remember the greatness of his Divine Majesty and the infinite distance betwixt a powerful wise and good God in Heaven and me a weak foolish and sinful worm of the Earth and so come with all humble reverence falling down at his feet in a devout Adoration of his Majesty longing to be made more Holy and Heavenly that I may be capable of a nearer Communion with him I must first heartily desire that all the World may give him the glory due unto his Name That He may be more perfectedly known and loved and honoured by men and that in his Person his Name his Attributes his Word his Day his Ordinances his Ministers and all his children That he may be chosen and Magnified as the supream good have the chief place in our hearts and affections and glorified in the World by our Godly lives I must next pray that the Yoak of sin may be broken off and we freed from the Tyranny of Satan that we may joyfully own and submit to the authority of God That Christ's Church may flourish and be enlarged on earth and that the Civil Powers may cherish and protect it that the Power and malice of it's enemies may be restrained and frustrated that Christ may rule by his Spirit in our hearts subduing our Corruptions and ruling us in the way of Godliness that we may earnestly long for and diligently prepare for and patiently wait for and finally enter into God's Kingdome of glory I must in the 3 d. place pray That men may not make the will of the devil the Customs of the world or their own inclinations and appetites but the will of God alone the rule of their lives That we may all sincerely obey his commands and submit to his wisdome and rest in his government That we may alwaies endeavour after the perfection of duty and as the Holy Angels of Heaven rejoyce and delight in an Holy Obedience My next petition is That I may have all things needfull to preserve this life till I be fitted for a better That we may have health and Strength to serve God and other outward good things as they are expedient that we may be free from the temptations of riches or poverty contented with our present portion and wise to use it piously and Charitably That God would prosper our honest labours keep us from immoderate cares and desires from all idleness and intemperance In the next place I pray that God would grant us soft hearts and repentance unto life a perfect hatred of sin and power to leave it That He would through Christ forgive all our sins original and actual and grant us grace in thankfulness to him to forgive all that offend us and to return good for evil Lastly That God would enable us to watch against and manfully to resist all temptations that they may never prevail with us to do evil that he would frustrate all the malicious designs of the devil and all our enemies and protect us by his grace that we may persevere in obedience to our lives end I conclude my Prayers with ascribing unto God the honour of all his works acknowledging his Dominion and Soveraignty over all and my self happy in being his Subject his infinite power and my self happy in being under his protection I acknowledge all things to be from him our total dependance to be upon him and that the glory of all goodness is due unto him I desire this may by all the World be acknowledged for evermore And with all hearty desire and filial confidence to all this I say Amen So be it The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper CHrist Jesus hath instituted the night before he was betrayed a solemn Sacrament and Christian Feast to be celebrated by Christians even till his coming again in remembrance of him The outward matter to be received is Bread and Wine signifying the Body and Blood of Christ as the food and refreshment of our Souls The Bread is Blessed-broken and given to be received and eaten by us The Wine likewise Blessed poured out and given to be received and drunk by us to signifie that Christ was Consecrated and Crucified his body wounded his blood shed for our sins and that he giveth himself Crucified to be received and believed on as our Spiritual nourishment and comfort All that preparedly receive the Bread and Wine do with it really receive Christ Crucified and with him the pardon of their sins and Assurance of Eternal Life scaled a new unto them in this Sacrament for the confirming of their Faith and growth in Grace We joyn in the celebration of this Feast to signifie that we though many are yet Members of one Body the Church joyned unto one Head Jesus Christ whose Death and Sacrifice we unanimously commemorate with all thankfulness Professing that we all own the same Lord the same Faith the same Laws and are to live in love peace and holiness as the Members of the same body He that Communicateth in this Sacrament unworthily is accounted by God as guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ That we may avoid this guilt we must examine our selves whether we discern the Lord's Body and understand what he gives there unto us and what we there come to do We are also to examine how we keep our Baptismal Covenant of Repentance Faith and New Obedience and if we find our selves truly thankful for the Blessing of our Redemption by Jesus Christ If we find our selves sincere Christians resolving to keep Covenant with God we are there to renew our Covenant most seriously praising God in Christ for this inestimable priviledge rejoycing in his Salvation and so go our way and sin no more Some Texts of Scripture often and seriously to be Read and thought on IT is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the Judgment Heb. 9.27 Go to now ye that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow For what is your Life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4.13 14. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 4.7 Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth Ecclesiastes 12.1 We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 If you call on the Father who