there are some passages in the Law of Moses if you take the Law of Moses in a large sense which look somewhat like a renewal of the antient Covenant with Abraham to his Seed As when for instance God made a conditional Promise to the Israelites in Moses's time to be their God and that they should be his People as in Levit. 26.12 Deut. 29.13 Which form of words is interpreted sometimes to imply a future Happiness in another World Heb. 11.16 Matth. 21.31 32. And I do not deny but the Jews had by Moses as express a Promise of the Messias as Abraham had Deut. 18.15 19. But St. Paul doth not speak of the Law in this large sense when he opposeth the Law and the Promise the Law and Faith one to another But if we understand by the Law of Moses the Law as Political the Law of the Commonwealth so the Promises of it were not Promises of Eternal Life For Promises of this nature did pertain to another Covenant to wit that made with Abraham and his Spiritual Seed as such First Therefore St. Paul doth downrightly deny that the Promise of thâ— Inheritance which in Heb. 9.15 is called the Eternal Inheritance was by the Law which yet it would have been if by Law he had meant the Law in that large sense in which the Law and Promise to Abraham are conjoyned and not in that strict sense by which he means the Political Law distinctly And if the Inheritance had been promised upon the same terms as temporal Blessings were in the temporal Covenant the Inheritance might have been obtained by the Law as well as temporal Blessings were Rom. 4.13 For the Promise that he should be Heir of the World was not through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith Secondly St. Paul evinceth the badness of that Opinion to think that Eternal Life was promised upon the Law-terms from the absurd consequence of it shewing that if it were that then it would make void the Promise of God to Abraham and the way of saving Men by Faith in that Promise of none effect Gal. 3.18 For if the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise But God gave it to Abraham by Promise Rom. 4.14 For if they which are of the Law be Heirs Faith is made void and the Promise made of none effect It was altogether unreasonable to think that the Inheritance should be promised upon such distant and inconsistent terms as are Faith in the Promise and by Works of the Law Thirdly The Law saith the Apostle is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3.12 meaning that what the Law promised it did not promise it upon condition of Believing but upon condition of Doing And Eternal Life is not since the Fall promised upon condition of Doing without Faith but upon condition of Believing For the Just shall live by Faith Vers 11. And therefore Eternal Life is promised by the Law Fourthly Wherefore else are the Promises of that better Covenant Heb. 8.6 said to be better Promises But because they are Promises of better things than were promised in the first Covenant which yet they could not be if Eternal Life had been promised in that Covenant because that is the best of all Promises To say they are better only in respect of Administration and clearness of Revelation will not satisfie such as shall well consider That if the betterness of the Covenant and Promises lay only in that the difference would not be so great as to denominate them two Covenants and two so vastly distant as the Scripture represents them to be The difference then would be but only gradual as that is which is found in the same Covenant of Grace in the several Editions of it to Adam to Abraham to David and now to all Nations since Christ's coming and not Essential as that between the two Covenants seems to be as it is represented in Gal. 4.24 Besides St. Paul represents the Administration of the two Covenants to differ as much as Righteousness and Condemnation Life and Death differ which sure is more than a gradual difference The one is the Ministration of Death and Condemnation the other the Ministration of Righteousness and Life 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8 9. The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did Heb. 7.19 By which it appears again that the hope of the Gospel in which the things hoped for upon the Promises of the Gospel are not the least is better than what the Law promised the observers of it This is the Promise which he hath promised us even Eternal Life John 2.25 2. And Affirmatively It was then a long and prosperous Life in the Land of Canaan that was promised in the first Covenant Deut. 28.11 The Lord shall make thee plenteous in Goods in the fruit of thy Body and in the fruit of thy Cattel and in the fruit of thy Ground in the Land which the Lord sware unto thy Fathers to give thee Deut. 11.21 That your days may be multiplied and the days of your Children as the days of Heaven upon Earth A great variety of outward Blessings is promised as the Reward of keeping that Covenant And therefore Wisdom under that Dispensation is described as having length of days in her right hand and in her left hand Riches and Honour whose ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths peace Prov. 3.17 And as this Covenant was National so there were Promises of National Blessings such as was the setting them on high above all the Nations of the Earth making them the Head and not the Tail The giving them victory over enemies multiplying the Nation and bestowing on it Health Peace and Plenty Deut. 28. Lev. 26. When it 's said once by Moses thrice by Ezekiel and twice by St. Paul that the Man that doth them shall live in them Lev. 18.5 Ezek. 20.11 13 21. Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 thereby Epitomizing the first Covenant I conceive that by Living is meant a long and prosperous Life in this World As on the contrary the condition of one greatly afflicted is in Scripture-Dialect a kind of Death and such an one said to be free among the Dead Psal 88. â— And that which inclines me so to think is not only the reasons already given to prove that no other Life was promised in the first Covenant but also the congruity of this sense with other passages in the Writings of Moses As Deut. 30 15. See I have set before you this day Life and Good Death and Evil. If you would know what is meant by Life here the next Verse will inform you That thou mayest live and multiply and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the Land whither thou goest to possess it The contrary whereunto is the Death he had set before them saying I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish and that ye shall not prolong your
or in his keeping of it CHAP. II. For what Ends the Law was added to the Promise I Now come to shew in the next place for what end the Law of Moses was added to the Promise And before I do this in particular I shall note only in general That it was not added to cross or confront the Promise or God's Design in it but to be subservient to it Gal. 3.21 Is the Law then against the Promises God forbid For it is not to be thought that God would prevaricate in his Design so that when he had once made a New Law of Grace for the Saving of faln Man he would yet afterwards give any Law but what should one way or other subserve to the same End if Men do not deprive themselves of the intended Benefit by perverting it And therefore to be sure God did not intend to revive the Old Covenant of Works made with Adam in Paradise in the after promulgation of the Law of Nature which we call the Moral Law already broken He did not therein come to demand his full Debt of Innocency in Mans Broken and Bankrupt Condition or to let him know that he would without any other Condition than perfect Innocency cast him into Prison until he had paid the utmost farthing For if he had then the Law indeed would have been against the Promise which declares quite otherwise It is true the Law of Nature as it is a perfect Rule of natural Righteousness founded in God's Nature and Man's Nature doth of it self require perfect Innocency and can require no less being suited to the Nature of Man in its perfect State But when God brings this Law forth and sets it before Men that are now faln from that state as he doth in the promulgation of it it is to let them know indeed what they once were and from whence they are fallen and how unhappy their Condition now is according to the Tenour and Terms of that Law and that it would have continued so for ever if God had not made a New Law of Grace to over-rule that Law and to let all know that they shall still remain in that Condition that wilfully exclude themselves from the benefit of the Law of Grace by not performing the Condition of it But not to let them know they should have no better terms from him than that Law affords them nor to make their perfect keeping of it the condition of their Justification But the Law of Moses entirely taken in all its parts was rather given as an Appendix to the Promise both as a Rule of the material part of that Obedience which God would now require of the Israelites in conjunction with their Faith in the Promise and as a Motive to that Obedience This in general The Question is put Gal. 3.19 Wherefore then serveth the Law And the Answer there is That it was added because of transgression until the Seed should come And it was added because of transgression in more respects than one 1. It was added to discover Sin to make that known to be Sin which was so of it self and in its own nature before the promulgation of the Law For by reason of that grievous Wound which Man got in his Understanding by the Fall and by reason also of a progressive Degeneration in Mankind the natural Sense of Moral Good and Evil was to a great degree worn out of the minds of Men. For the repairing of which decay a promulgate Law the Ten Commandments answerable to the Law of pure Nature in the Spirituality of it was set on foot in the World And by this Law came Sin and Duty to be more clearly known than they were before Rom. 3.20 By the Law is the knowledge of Sin Rom. 7.7 I had not known Sin but by the Law For I had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not Covet 2. The Law was added not only barely to make known that to be Sin which was so of it self before but to set it out in its Colours to make it known in the horrid nature and consequence of it that Men might be the more afraid to have to do with it The Law entred that the offence might abound That is that by that means it might be rendred the more Criminous and Demeritorious That Sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful Rom. 5.20 and 7.13 3. The Law as it discovered Sin and made it more criminous and the People the more sensible of guilt and more apprehensive of their obnoxiousness to punishment was given to set off so much the more the Glory Beauty and Desirableness of God's Grace in the Promise of Pardon and Salvation Rom. 5.20 The Law entered that the offence might abound But where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound By how much the more Sin appeared Sin and was enhanced and aggravated and rendred manifestly mischievous by a Promulgate Law by so much the more Grace appear'd to be Grace in all its Glory that brought Deliverance from it Rom. 5.21 That like as Sin hath reigned unto death viz. by the Law that being the strength of Sin 1 Cor. 15.56 Even so Grace might reign through Righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. After Christ came the Rest which he gave was so much the more sweet to those Jews who received him by how much they had been weary and heavy-laden under a Spirit of Bondage before 4. The Law saith St. Paul was our Schoolmaster to bring â—s unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith Gal. 3.24 That is It was a lower sort of Institution accommodated to the weak and more imperfect state of the Church until afterward it should deliver them over to a more perfect Institution under Christ Parents first teach their Children to Speak and after put them to School to learn Letters Syllables Words and Sentences the use and design of all which they do not understand while they are Children as they do when they come to be Men. In proportion to this hath God dealt with his Church in the World beginning with a lower and more imperfect sort of Instruction Precepts and Promises and so proceeding to those that are higher and more perfect and so by certain gradations to lead on and build up his Church to a more perfect Spiritual and compleat state of Faith and Holiness To all the riches of fulness of understanding of the Mystery of God of the Father and of Christ Col. 2.2 And thus the Law as Schoolmaster had a double end and use The one respecting the time then present The other that which was then future and to come The then present use of it was twofold also 1. To reclaim and restrain them from the Superstitious Customs of the Heathen to which they were addicted in which respect also it was added because of transgression The Heathen-Worship stood in divers Superstitious Rites or Ceremonies And because the Israelites were addicted to a bodily Worship
Eternal Redemption for us Heb. 9.12 4. They differ in respect of the Sins made pardonable by each Covenant respectively There were many sins for which the first Covenant granted no Pardon upon any terms whatsoever They that despised Moses's Law died without mercy Heb. 10.28 But the Covenant of Grace makes promise of the pardon of the Greatest Sins upon Repentance All manner of Sin and Blasphemy except the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost are pardonable upon Repentance This difference is set down Acts 13.39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses We may well suppose that the first Covenant did finally Condemn some which the Covenant of Mercy Pardoned David in the matter of Vriah did that which was unpardonable by the first Covenant it was a Fact to have been punished with Death by the Law but that there was none but God that could duly inflict it upon him in his capacity and yet upon his Repentance it was pardoned as to his Eternal Concerns as well as Temporal by virtue of God's Covenant of Mercy On the other hand a Man probably might be so Righteous in the Eye of the first Covenant as not to be visibly blameable and yet even then be obnoxious to the Curse of the Everlasting Covenant Paul while he was Saul and in the state of Unbelief was even then as touching the righteousness which is in the Law blameless as he himself saith Phil. 3.6 So different were these two Covenants that him whom the one Condemned the other might Justifie and likewise Justifie him whom the other Condemned 5. They differed in respect of the condition to be performed on Man's part for the obtaining of pardon Pardon was promised in the first Covenant upon condition of Doing only without reference to Faith but so are not the pardons of the New Covenant Gal. 3.11.12 But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the Just shall live by Faith And the Law is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them So much concerning the first Part of the Sanction of the first Covenant Come we now to the second The other part of the Sanction of this Covenant did consist in the Curse of it denounced against the breakers of it Though it 's true that every Man is under a Condemnation that would be Eternal unless he comes to be absolved by virtue of the Law of Grace yet more than temporal Death was not expresly threatned for breach of the Political Covenant as such 1. For first a violent Death inflicted by the hand of the Magistrate for Capital Offences is called the Curse Deut. 22.23 He that is hanged is accursed of God or is the Curse of God 2. Christ who did not suffer Eternal Punishment for Man's Sin did yet suffer the Curse of the Law in that he was hanged on a Tree Gal. 3.13 It is true indeed that by that temporary Sufferings of his he redeemed us from Eternal Punishment which we were obnoxious to 3. Those who Apostatize from Christ and reject his Gospel merit sorer punishment than what was inflicted on them that despised Moses's Law and yet sorer Punishment for kind they cannot suffer if Eternal punishment had been the penalty of that Covenant as such Heb. 10.28 29. 4. As the Promises of that Covenant when particularly expressed did appear to be but temporal so the Curses of it appear to be no other in the particular enumeration of them As for instance a violent Death inflicted by the Hand of the Magistrate was the punishment threatned for many Capital Offences Such as was Idolatry Blasphemy Witchcraft Working on the Sabbath invading the Priests Office and for being a false Prophet and also for Murder Adultery Sodomy Buggery Man-stealing Cursing or Smiting of Parents or being stubbornly Rebellious against them and some other And a cutting off from among the People whither by God's hand immediately or by Man's I determine not was the penalty threatned for eating Leavened Bread within the time prohibited for not Purifying ones self when Unclean for profaning holy things for ones eating of the Sacrifice with his Uncleanness upon him for offering Sacrifice any where but at the Tabernacle for eating of Blood and for eating of the Fat of the Sacrifice for neglecting to keep the Passover and for not afflicting the Soul in the Day of general Atonement and for several other Offences And those Offences for which cutting off from among the People is threatned being less criminous than the former we have no reason to think the penalty of cutting off from among the People to signifie more if so much than the suffering of a temporal Death We may observe how the Israelites various Punishments are exprest for their manifold Crimes in the Wilderness by God's overthrowing them in the Wilderness by Pestilence and otherwise 1 Cor. 10. In brief The temporal Evils threatned in this Covenant were either Personal Domestick or National The Personal and Domestick Evils were no less than whatsoever tended to the infelicity of Man's Life as Diseases in Body Perplexity of Mind Unfruitfulness in Body in Cattel in Ground Scarcity Poverty Oppression loss of Relations fewness of Days and an untimely cutting off from the Promised Land The National were wild Beasts Pestilence Sword Famine Captivity and such like These were inflicted when the breach of the Covenant became National in the generality of the People But especially when those who had the management of Publick Affairs Civil and Ecclesiastick did not restrain the People by a due Execution of Laws but rather led them into sin by their Example and sometimes by their Commands corrupting Religion and perverting Justice Levit. 26. Deut. 28. And the Evils threatned being National as the Covenant it self was they must needs be but Temporal because there is no Judging Condemning and Executing Nations as Nations but in this World 4. Come we now to shew reason why this Covenant is called the first Covenant since there were others made before it as that with Adam in Paradise and that Covenant of Salvation with Adam after his Fall and with Noah and Abraham And 1. Negatively It is not so called as if it were the same for substance with that which was first made with Adam in Paradise as many have thought or because it was proposed upon the same terms For First That Covenant was established upon the terms or condition of perfect Innocency no provision being made in it for pardon in case of failure upon any condition whatsoever But it was otherwise in this Mosaick Covenant as I have shewed in that it contained several Laws of Indemnity for the Relief of delinquent Persons upon certain possible and practicable Conditions Secondly If this and the Paradisical-Covenant had been of the same nature then it and the Promise made to Abraham and his Spiritual Seed would have been inconsistent the
is justified in the Gospel-way which in the verse before is called the Law of Faith And not by the deeds of the Law or upon the terms of the first Covenant which in the verse before likewise is called the Law of Works Which two the Gospel-terms and the first Covenant-terms are still opposed to each other in the point of Justification Now although the conclusion here laid down is true in reference to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles yet it seems to be written here with special reference to the Gentiles Intimating that upon their Belief they might be Justified without turning Proselytes to the Jewish way as appears by that Interrogation in the very next words following ver 29.30 Is he the God of the Jews only Is he not also of the Gentiles yes of the Gentiles also Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and Vncircumcision through Faith And the words in the 31 ver do intimate that the words in the 28th ver are to be understood in such a limited sense as I have assigned in my Explication viz. as excluding the deeds of the Law in the act of Justification only in the Jews corrupt sense of the Law because St. Paul therein affirms his foresaid Doctrine of Justification by Faith without the deeds of the Law not to be at all destructive of the Law but contrariwise tending to establish the Law if we take the Law not in that distorted sense in which those Jews held it but as it was appointed by God to promote Holiness in the World which is the end and scope of all his Laws In which sense the Apostle was so far from excluding the Works of the Law from having any thing to do in the Justification of Men as that he had expresly affirmed before That though the hearers of the Law were not just before God yet the doers of the Law should be justified Rom. 2.13 Mâ—aning by doers such as do sincerely obey that Law of God under which they are and not such as do perfectly fulfil it as some would sâ—â—â— to understand it For I have shewed before that God never made promise of Justification upon naturally impossible Conditions as â—â—at would be and they are dishonourable thoughts of God to think he â—â—ath and therefore the Apostle may not be understood to promise Justification to the doers of the Law upon any such terms There is one vein of Texts more wherein the opposition is made in such a form of words betwâ—en the Jews way of seeking Justification by the Law and the Gospel-way of seeking it by Faith That being a little opened will both illustrate and confirm what I have been representing to you And they are such in vvhich the Jews erroneous vvay is called their own Righteousness and the true Christian way of Justification the Righteousness of God by Faith and the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of God's Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God Phil. 3.9 And be found in him not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith This Righteousness is called their ovvn Righteousness in opposition to the Righteousness of God upon a three-fold account as I understand it 1. Because they sought the pardon of their sins by that only vvhich vvas their ovvn their ovvn Sacrifices Sacrifices vvhich they themselves brought to be offered Whereas the Christian Justification is called the Righteousness of God because the Sacrifice by vvhich pardon of sin and acceptation vvith God is obtained vvas from God and given by God to vvit Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation Rom. 3.25 and Christ hath given himself an Offering and a Sacrifice for us Ephes 5.2 And he is made unto us of God Wisdom Righteousness c. 1 Cor. 1.30 2. It vvas called their ovvn Righteousness because they did not think Regeneration or Supernatural Grace necessary to the obtaining of it but a Literal observation of the Lavv and Circumcision such as passed for a Righteousness among Men and such as they vvithout Supernatural Aid vvere able to perform As for those Precepts vvhich commanded the loving of God vvith all the Heart and the Circumcising the Heart because these vvere not enjoyned under express penalties as those things vvere of vvhich the Rulers vvere to take cognizance therefore the Pharisees counted them but Counsels only and not direct Precepts But the Christians-Righteousness vvhich is by Faith may be said to be of God because by Grace they are saved through Faith in Christ Jesus and that not of themselves it is the gift of God And we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.8 10. 3. It vvas called their ovvn Righteousness because it vvas a vvay of seeking to be justified of their ovvn devising and not of God's appointing And on the contrary the Gospel-Method of Justification is called the Righteousness of God through Faith because it is of God's Institution and Appointment It is the substance of God's New Law or Covenant The result of all then is That they were the Works of the Law as exclusive of Faith in Christ and his Death which the Apostle denied any Man to be justified by and not those Works of the Law which are the immediate effects of Faith in Christ in his Death and in his Doctrine CHAP. VI. How St. Paul's Doctrine of Justification by Faith and not by Works was then mistaken by some I Come in the next place to shew how that St. Paul's Reasonings about Faith and Works in reference to Justification were probably mistaken by such Solifidians as St. James reasoned against For he having taught that God did justifie the ungodly Gentiles upon their Believing and without the deeds of the Law but denying Justification to as many of the Jews as did not Believe though they were observers of the Law there were some who thereupon through mistake laid the whole stress of Salvation upon Believing to the neglect of a holy and virtuous Life And St. Paul being sensible how apt some were to make a bad use of his good Doctrine and to draw bad Conclusions out of good Premises he frequently mentions such Inferences on purpose to caution Men against them As for Instance He having said in Rom. 5.20 That where sin abounded grace did abound much more In Chap. 6.1 he saith What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound as some it seems were ready to infer God forbid saith he how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein You may consult to like purpose in general Rom. 3.5 6 7 31. 6.15 Gal. 2.17 and find that St. Paul and others were slanderously reported to have said Let us do evil that good may come That there were such as did misrepresent St.
having him our High-Priest over the House of God we may hence-forward draw near with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience Heb. 10.19 20 21 22. that is Every Christian provided he comes not with the guilt of any unrepented Sin upon his Conscience may himself now Offer up his own Prayers to God through Christ without the Mediation of any other Priest or Sacrifice and that with a full Assurance of being graciously heard and answer'd And that this Faith and full Assurance with which we may Approach unto God to Pray to him for the Forgiveness of Sins is our Priviledge only as we are the Sons of God by Adoption is plain from St. Paul Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again unto fear as under the Law but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry unto God Abba Father And again Gal. 4.6 Because ye are thus made his Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father And now Lastly If there be any other very considerable Priviledge Lastly A Child of God is more surely instated in the Inheritance of Heaven than others accruing to a Child of God from such his Relation it is That God will more surely Instate him in the Inheritance of Heaven than he will do others that have no such Relation to him And indeed if Children of God then Heirs we are told Heirs of God and Joint-Heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 But the Vastness of this will be best consider'd by us when we come to the Explication of that Third and the last of those Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace viz. What it is to be an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven The infinite reason we have to praise God for these Advantages And now upon the Review of what has been said in the Exposition of this present Article In what Admiration of God's Goodness may we all of us cry out with St. John 1 Epist 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestow'd upon us that we should be call'd the Sons of God And what infinite Reason have we with St. Paul thankfully to Praise him for it Eph. 1.3.5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us Christians with all Spiritual Blessings in and concerning Heavenly Places and Concerns of the World to come through Christ having Predestinated us to the Adoption and Priviledges of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good Pleasure of his Will He Adopted us to be his Children according to the good Pleasure of his Will This Priviledge that we should be his Children is Attended with very rich Advantages all which have accru'd to us not from any Merit and Desert of ours being suppos'd Enemies unto him but only from his free Goodness towards us which was pleas'd so to determine it And as it is both Great and Free we ought certainly with all possible Acknowledgments to Magnify and Extol both his infinite Condescension and Goodness and our own unspeakable Priviledge and Dignity therein Indeed for God to be a Father by Creation and Providence as One observes tho' it be a Mercy yet it is no Priviledge for in that Sence he is Parens rerum the common Parent of all things But that God should be thy Father by Adoption that he should make thee his Son through his only Begotten Son that he should rake up Dirt and Filth as thou art and lay it in his Bosom that he should take Aliens and Strangers near unto himself and Adopt Enemies and Rebels into his Family Register their Names in the Book of Life make them Heirs of Glory Co-heirs with Jesus Christ his Eternal Son as the Apostle doth admiringly re-count it Rom. 8.17 This is Mercy and Miracle both It is indeed an invaluable Grace and Favour that we should be Adopted his Children were it only for this that he will be ready to Pardon our Sins and Infirmities and will Admit us favourably to Address our Selves and Prayers to him But this Priviledge of being his Children will farther appear to be beyond all Expression Great since if Children as the Apostle infers Rom. 8.17 then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-Heirs with Christ If a Child of God then which Crowns all the rest of his Covenanted Mercies Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven which yet it is said we shall be But what and how Great that Third and Last Priviledge of the Covenant is I am in the Explication of the next Article to declare unto you THE Eighth Lecture And an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven HAving hitherto spoke to the Two First Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace that thereby we are First made Members of Christ and Secondly Children of God Having both Explain'd to you the Meaning and Importance of those Two Articles and laid out to you the Vastness of those Priviledges and Advantages contain'd therein I come now in like manner to Explain to you the Third which is that we are made thereby Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven And indeed this Last does necessarily follow from the other For as St. Paul speaks Rom. 8.17 If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-Heirs with Christ This is the Perfection of all God's Promises and Favours vouchsafed in the Second Covenant It comes last and Crowns all the rest And it will be the certain Reward of all those that persevere to the end of their Lives in well-doing and in sincere Obedience notwithstanding all Temptations to the contrary to God's most Righteous Commands Be faithful unto Death says our Saviour and I will give thee a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 And that you may throughly understand the vast greatness of this most extraordinary Priviledge made over to you by Covenant so as to be excited thereby to render your selves worthy to be Partakers thereof according to my usual Method I will Explain to you First What is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven Secondly What it Imports to be an Inheritour of it And then Lastly I will lay out before you the Vastness of our Priviledge in being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven And First I am to Explain unto you By the Kingdom of Heaven is meant in Scripture either First the Kingdom of Grace in this Life or Secondly the Kingdom of Glory in the Life to come what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven The Kingdom of Heaven is an Expression we do meet with above Thirty times in the New Testament and I think we may safely say That we are constantly to understand by it either First The Kingdom of Grace in this Life or Secondly The Kingdom of Glory in the Life to come By the Kingdom of Grace in this Life I mean that Happy and Blessed State of us Christians now under the Gospel wherein we Enjoy the Happiness
did bid him go and Anoint David King which Service was sure to draw upon him the implacable Hatred of Saul through the sudden force of that frightful Thought instead of Obeying he answers again saying How can I go for if Saul hear of it he will kill me 1 Sam. 16.1 2. So that as for those Slips which we do unwillingly commit through either of these Causes of Inconsideration they are a matter of God's Mercy and will be graciously born with and forgiven now under the Gospel and Covenant of Grace for all those Persons now mention'd as guilty of the like St. Paul Job and Samuel were in a State of Grace and the dear Children of God I say therefore they will be graciously born with and forgiven Provided first we never be guilty of 'em Ignorance Inconsideration excuse not these Sins 1. Which we have time to understand and observe nor 2. Crying Sins nor 3. Those we do not endeavour against nor lastly Which we are not sorry for when we have understanding of and time to observe 'em nor secondly in any great and crying Sin as Murder Adultery c. for no Man can pretend he did unwittingly commit such things as a Man's Conscience will presently start at Provided thirdly we do endeavour and strive and watch against 'em And lastly after we find that we have fallen into'em provided we be sorry and earnestly beg God's Pardon for ' em Provided thus such Slips and Infirmities as we do commit unadvisedly and inconsiderately shall not be laid to our Charge And thus you see that our unavoidable Infirmities and our unwilling Transgressions which through an unaffected Ignorance and an involuntary Inconsideration we do commit shall not be imputed to our Condemnation now under the Gospel or Covenant of Grace And this is the first great Difference between the First Covenant wherein the least Sin was unpardonable and this Second Covenant or the Covenant of Grace wherein through the Mediation of CHRIST all our unwilling involuntary Infirmities shall be graciously pass'd by The 2d Difference betwixt Legal and Evangelical Obedience That our wilful more heinous Sins when repented of through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us The Second great Difference is That even our wilful and more heinous Sins when by our Repentance we bewail and forsake 'em and take better care to avoid 'em for the future they also through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us and not prejudice our being Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Among the Jews according to the strictness of Moses's Law the Punishment took place upon the first wilful Breach He that despised Moses 's Law saith the Apostle if it were in an instance where the Law threaten'd Death died without Mercy Heb. 10.28 A Man that had committed Adultery or Murder or any other Crime whereof Death was the establish'd Punishment was to Die without Remedy for no Sacrifice would be accepted for him nor would the Law admit of any Favour or Dispensation But when Christ came into the World his Business was to abrogate all the Rigour of Moses's Law as well as that of the First Covenant and to Preach an Universal Pardon upon Repentance Now under the Covenant of Grace God doth not cast us off upon the Commission of every Sin but as he is heartily desirous that we should repent of it according to that of Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I do not delight in the death of a Sinner but rather that he return and live So when we repent he has oblig'd Himself by his Truth and Faithfulness to forgive it according to that of St. John Epist 1.9 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins Remission of Sins upon Repentance the great Doctrine of the Gospel This is the great Doctrine of the Gospel which is a Covenant of Remission of Sins upon our Repentance and therefore our Saviour when he began himself to Preach it he said Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Matth. 4.17 And when he left the World he commanded his Disciples that they should declare to the World the Pardon of Sins upon their Repentance for so St. Luke tells us Ch. 24.47 that he gave 'em in Charge That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preach'd in his Name to all Nations Thus has God provided us of Means which will most certainly restore us to his Favour He has not left us in a forsaken State but has prescribed us this Method of Repentance to recover us out of it Repentance will be accepted to our pardon for our known or secret Sins whether wilfully or unwillingly committed but now forgot though generally repented of and to be the great Instrument of our Pardon and Reconciliation And our Repentance through the Mediation of Christ will be accepted for our Pardon whatever our Sins have been whether known or unknown whether they have been wilful or involuntary Sins First Our unknown or secret Sins which whether wilfully or unwillingly we have committed but now we have forgot shall be forgiven us upon our hearty though general Prayer to God to forgive us such as was that of David O cleanse me from my secret Faults Psal 19.12 and upon our diligent care hereafter not knowingly and wilfully to transgress any of God's Laws And Secondly Our most unknown and wilful Sins even they shall also be forgiven us if for every particular Sin we know our selves to have committed 2. For our most known and wilful Sins if particularly repented of we particularly repent of it by confessing it to God and by taking care to amend and forsake it for the future 'Till we are reclaim'd indeed from our former Sins and are become God's dutiful Sons and faithful Servants for the present and for the future it is not consistent with the Honour of his Justice and Holiness with the Authority of his Laws and with the Wisdom of his Government to receive us into his Favour But as soon as ever we are conscientiously reform'd from our Sins he will be reconciled to us if we are heartily sorry for what has been past and amended for the future and in case of Injury or Wrong done to God or Man we undo as much as in us lies what has been done amiss by making amends and reparation for what we have injured either We cannot be said to repent of a Sin unless we undo And in case of Injury to Man if Restitution be made as much as in us lies what has been done amiss Therefore if any one has offended his Neighbour and given him just cause of Anger against him he that will truly repent and expect that God will hear his Prayers for his Pardon must go and acknowledge his Offence endeavour to
Nor of deferring the hearing of good Advices till another time like Foelix who when St. Paul reason'd to him of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come did shift off the Apostle with a go thy way for this time when it is a more convenient Season I will call for thee Acts 24.25 On the contrary the truly resolute Christian takes David for his Pattern who having thought upon his Ways turn'd his Feet unto God's Testimonies And made haste and delay'd not to keep his Commandments Psal 119.59 60. 6. And he determines vigorously and speedily to betake himself to the Execution of all those Vows and Promises made in his Baptism The Resolute Christian makes no Exceptions of some particular Lusts some darling Sins but if there be any one more than ordinary dear to him he determines immediately to Mortifie to Cut off that tho' as near as his right Arm and to pluck it out tho' as tender as his right Eye He is not like King Agrippa whom St. Paul almost perswaded to be a Christian but he is both Almost and Altogether like St. Paul Acts 26.28 29. who held no Correspondence and Familiarity with any of the Enemies of God and his own Soul but is resolv'd to abandon them all alike to Believe every Article and to Obey every Command And thus the Resolv'd Christian determines to go on uniformly in the discharge of all his Engagements notwithstanding all Oppositions from the World the Flesh and the Devil What mighty Difficulties they will raise him how many Blocks they will put in his Way and what cunning Stratagems the Devil particularly will make use of to divert him from his Good Purposes and to make him break his Covenant with God you have already shew'd you But the Man of Resolution is a Man of Courage and will not through Fearfulness and Cowardice give way in the Day of Battle But with St. Paul is perswaded because he is Resolved That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Heighth nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate him from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.38 39. Lastly And now to render the Christian Resolution compleat in all its Parts you must publickly declaratively and solemnly protest it to all the World that it is the full determination of your Heart and Mind to adhere faithfully to God against all his Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil that you will neither swerve from your Faith nor flinch from your Obedience Publick and Declarative this Resolution must be upon all Just Occasions as when Prophaness and Impiety grow bold and daring and when Sinners become Impudent and Triumphant in Immodest and Immoral Courses And when the Profession of Religion is thrown off as Ridiculous and below Men of Sense and Spirit In such an Age as this I say there is occasion given to all the faithful Servants of Christ to own and declare themselves his Disciples and that they are not asham'd of him and his Doctrines And with the Noble Mattathias 1 Mac. 2.19 they must be ready to say Tho' all the Nations under the Kings Dominions shall fall every one from the Religion of their Fathers yet will I and my Sons and my Brethren walk in the Covenant of our Fathers A Noble and Heroick Resolution worthy of us Christians to follow and absolutely necessary to be put on at this time when the Publick Affronts to God and his Religion are greater than were ever in a State professing Christianity And as the Resolution must be openly and declaratively so it must be solemnly made I mean that you who are now entring into a wicked World must take the first Opportunity of an Episcopal Confirmation and must there in the Face of the World in the Presence of the chief Officer in the Church of Christ the Bishop and before the whole Assembly of Christians there met you must there I say as is prescrib'd in the Office of Confirmation with your own Mouth and Consent openly recognize ratifie and confirm the same Vow that was made for you in your Baptism The Bishop will then demand of you in these Words Do ye here in the Presence of God and of this Congregation renew the solemn Promise and Vow that was made in your Name at your Baptism ratifying and confirming the same in your own Persons and acknowledging your selves bound to believe and to do all those things which your Godfathers and Godmothers then undertook for you And to this Demand every one of you must audibly answer I do And such as this it is probable might be that good Profession which Timothy had profess'd before many Witnesses 1 Tim. 6.12 So that thus at length you see in what consists Holy Resolution the Importance of these Words I will Thirdly And I am now to shew you that such Resolution and so duly form'd as this is a very powerful means will go a great way towards the Performance of our Covenant with God And 1. The very determining of the Will with a fix'd and settled purpose has a great force in it to make us put in Execution the most difficult part of our Vows and Promises We see even in Worldly Undertakings where the Advantages are very inconsiderable in comparison what Difficulties Men will go through when they are once bent upon a Design whereas when Persons have no Will nor Mind to do a thing the Wheels of Action move but slowly and their Endeavours are very faint For why when Men are fully purpos'd and are set upon a thing then it is the Subject of their Cares they lay all their Measures and they muster up all their Forces to carry it on and what is equal with all this they provide against all Attempts that shall be laid to ruine their Designs And if those who will be Rich or Great or Honourable project a thousand ways to carry their Point leave no Stone unturn'd refuse no hazards are discourag'd at no Disappointments and cross Accidents shall not we who have infinitely more valuable Treasures laid up for us in Heaven who have Crowns of Glory propos'd to us if we excel in Vertue shall we be faint and languid in our Endeavours What can be the reason of this but that in the great Business of Religion Men are not so much in earnest so resolute and intent as in the pursuit of their Worldly Advantages and Satisfactions so resolutely bent I say upon their Improvements in Religious Perfection for this would go a great way towards their performance of their Covenant with God Particularly to be fully resolved upon it is absolutely nccessary to baffle and discourage the Devil in all his Attempts upon us whom in order to resist the Apostle bids us be stedfast or resolute in the Faith 1 Pet. 5 9. For indeed such is his Resolution to destroy Mankind and such especially is his Pride in
do not know how better to define it than thus Faith is such a hearty belief of God's Declaration concerning his own Grace and Man's Duty as doth effectually cause a Man to expect from God and to act in a way of sincere Obedience according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration Or if you will take in the Belief of God's Threatnings against sinners into the definition then it will be thus Faith is such a hearty belief of God's Declaration concerning his own Grace and Displeasure and Man's Duty as doth effectually cause a Man to expect from God and to act in a way of sincere Obedience according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration Faith thus defined we have already seen exemplified in Abraham who is the great Exemplar of Believing and the Father of Believers And that it was his belief of God's Promise or Declaration of Grace and Favour to him as it is practical in producing Repentance Self-denial and sincear Obedience by which he was justified and made happy appears farther not only in that it 's said by St. James That his Faith wrought with his Works and was made perfect by them and that he was justified by Works as well as by Faith of which more anon but also in that it 's said that he received the sign of Circumcision which was the Condition upon which God Covenanted with him to be his God and upon the same terms to be the God of his Seed a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had while he was yet uncircumcised For supposing which is not denied Circumcision to be an outward Sign of inward Grace of the Circumcision of the Heart consisting in Mortification or a Penitential change of the Heart which is the effect of Faith his Circumcision as such was a Seal of confirmation to Abraham that it was upon his former so believing God upon his Promise as thereby to be induced to leave the evil Customs of his Country and his Country it self with his Kindred and his Father's House that God would be his God indeed In which Promise was implicitly promised all that would make him Eternally Happy And God's farther design of giving to Abraham this Covenant of Circumision as a Seal to assure him the enjoyment of the benefit wrapt up in that Promise upon the terms aforesaid was that he might be the Father of all them that Believe whether literally Circumcised or not that is that he might be a great Example and Pattern to all others of obtaining the same benefits in the same way and so might be a means of begetting others to Believe in God and to Obey him as he had done to be a great Instrument to propagate the kind of New Creatures of Men renewed to God to the end they might be Blessed as he was This or somewhat to this effect is doubtless the meaning of Rom. 4.11 12. And he received the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Rightousness of the Faith which he had being yet uncircumcised That he might be the Father of all them that Believe though they be not circumcised that Rightousness might be imputed to them also And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only but also walk in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised and it is not unlikely but that as Heart-Circumcision under the figure of Literal-Circumcision was together with Faith made the condition of the Covenant then so Spiritual Baptism which is a Death unto sin and a living unto God is under the Figure of Water-Baptism joyned with Believing as the condition of the Promise of Salvation now Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved According to which St. Peter having spoken of Noah's Ark saith The like figure whereunto Baptism now saveth us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 Now as it was in Abraham such a belief of God's Declaration of Grace and Favour as did effectually induce him to Love and Obey God by which he was Justified so I shall shew afterwards it was the very same kind of Faith working after the same manner by which the Saints under the Law of Moses were Saved But Faith as Evangelical and Christian is such a hearty assent and consent unto God's Declaration in the Gospel by his Son concerning Christ himself and his Grace and Favour towards Men by him and concerning their own Duty as causeth a Man to expect from God and to act in a way of duty according to the Tenour of such a Declaration and his own concerns in it And Faith thus defined is fully agreeable to the Tenour of the Gospel Mark 16.15 16. Go ye into all the world and Preach the Gospel to every Creature He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved He that believeth What Why he that believeth that Gospel which was to be Preâ—â—hed to every Creature Which Gospel contains a Declaration of God's â—â—â—â—e and Man's Duty and of his Wrath against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men. For 1. It declares from God that he hath given his Son Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the World by being a Propitiation for the sin o fit in becoming a Sacrifice to expiate sin 2. It declares That God upon account of his Son's giving himself a Ransom for all hath made and doth establish a New Covenant with the World to Pardon and Eternally to Save as many as shall Believe in his Son and Repent of their sinfulness in changing their Minds and reforming their Lives and becoming New Men in yielding sincere Obedience to the Precepts of the Gospel 3. It declares That those that believe not shall be damned and such as repent not shall perish and that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God This summarily is that which the Gospel declares concerning God's Grace and Displeasure and Man's Duty Now it is the practical belief of all this that is the saving Faith It is not the bare belief that God hath given his Son to be the Saviour of the World and a Propitiation for the sin of it Nor is it a bare belief that he will for Christ's sake pardon and save as many as truly Repent and amend their lives and become New Creatures unless they so believe all this as seriously and heartily to Repent themselves of their former folly and to return to their duty in new Evangelical Obedience For otherwise for a Man barely to believe all this and not act according to his own concerns in it will be so far from being a believing to the saving of the Soul as that it will rather plunge him the deeper in Destruction for living and acting contrary to his own light and belief as holding the truth in unrighteousness the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all such Rom. 1.18 A Man of this
Deliver and Bless them that turned to him to serve him only Which seems to be his meaning when he saith he will be sanctified before the Heathen when he should gather them from among the people where they were Captives and that the Heathen should know that he was the the Lord Ezek. 20.41 and 36 23. And by this means he brought them to fear and worship the God of Israel Psal 102.13 15. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion they said among the Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them Psal 126.1 2. 6. The whole Law was given to be a Political Instrument of Governing the Israelites according to that state of their minority as a peculiar Republick of which God himself was the Soveraign Legislator But of this more afterward CHAP. III. Shewing by what Faith and Practice the Jews under the Law were Saved I Come now to shew by what Faith and Practice the Jews under the Law were Saved And doubtless whatever it was it became available to that end upon the account of what Christ was to suffer when he should come For as I shewed before that God's Covenant with Abraham and his Seed by virtue of which the Faithful then were saved was confirmed in Christ was established with them in reference to what he was to do and suffer as Mediator afterwards Gal. 3.17 And by means of his Death there was Redemption for the transgressions that were under the first Testament Heb. 9.15 And the Sacrifices and Priesthood were a Figure for the time then present of what Christ should afterwards do and suffer and for what end But when I say so I do not say that all that were Saved did understand so much For we see the Apostles of Christ though they did believe him to be the Messias which the Jews expected yet they did not understand or expect that he should suffer Death as a Sacrifice till he told them so Nay the thing was so far from their thoughts as that they did not understand him when he plainly foretold them of his Death Luke 18.32 And if the Doctrine touching the resemblance that is between the Priesthood of Melchizedech and the Priesthood of Christ was not in the Apostles sense Meat which Babes in Christianity could well digest in their Understandings but was Meat for strong Men Heb. 5.10 14. we may well guess by that how little the Jews understood the Typical and Spiritual sense of those Types about which they were frequently conversant and therefore it 's said that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John the Baptist though he was so great that there was none greater before him Hence we may see that one reason why those Jews were all their life-time under a Spirit of Bondage to fear was the great Obscurity of the Declaration of God's purpose of Grace to the World through Christ and the Way and Method of Salvation by him Moses was but a servant for a Testimony of those things which were after to be spoken and so declared afterwards as that the Typical meaning of them might be understood Heb. 3.5 In the mean while as touching those things they were shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Gal. 3.23 It is said of the Prophets whereof Moses was one that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto us by them that have preached the Gospel to us 1 Pet. 1.12 Add we to all this Heb. 9.8 where having spoken in ver 7. of the High Priests entering alone into the Holy of Holies with the Blood of the Sacrifice in behalf of the People once every Year he saith The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing By the Holiest of all here is meant Heaven signified of old by the Holy of Holies as appears ver 12 24. And the plain meaning seems to be this That the peoples entring into Heaven by the Sacrifice and Blood and Intercession of Christ was not made manifest while the Tabernacle-worship continued For Christ is our Way into Heaven to the place within the Veil by his Blood shed as a Sacrifice Heb. 10.19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh But this Way he tells us was not made manifest while the first Tabernacle was standing But as obscure as this way was as to what was to be done and suffered in particular by the Messias yet they had some general grounds of Faith and Hope That upon their Faith Repentance and sedulous Endeavours to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord they should obtain remission of their sins and a future Happiness in another World Among which gounds these were not the least 1. They had the knowledge of the Promise of Blessedness to all Nations in Abraham's Seed and of the Promise of those other Benefits which were promised to Abraham and his Seed 2. They had an addition of several other Predictions concerning the Messias both by Moses and other Prophets that perhaps were somewhat more express such as in Deut. 18.16 Isa 53. Dan. 9. and others These Promises and Predictions put them in great expectations of Special Benefits by the Messias and wrought in them a longing after his Day Upon which account our Saviour said to his Disciples Blessed are your Eyes for they see and your Ears for they hear For I say unto you that many Prophets and Kings and Righteous Men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Mat. 13.16 17. Luke 10.23 24. 3. They had large significations from God of his special Favour to them above all people as in chusing them to be his peculiar People and in declaring himself to be their God in giving visible signs of his Presence among them and excellent Laws and Promises to them and sending his Prophets amongst them and working many Wonders for them and casting out the Nations before them to make room for them and the like Deut. 7.6 7 8. and 26.18 19. Psal 147.19 20. Rom. 9.4 5. 4. They had express Declaration from God of the Goodness of his Nature and of his Compassion towards Sinners and of his readiness to Pardon such as should Repent and return to their Duty in loving him and keeping his Commandments As for instance Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed The Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and
Circumcision 1 Cor. 7.19 But I shall have occasion to improve these Scriptures further upon another Head of this Discourse And by the way we may observe that those who build their hopes of future Happiness upon their having been Baptized and their being of the Church without the inward Grace signified by Baptism which is the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost they are much a-kin to those miserable mistaken Jews 2. They not understanding the Typical and Spiritual use of the Legal Sacrifices as they did prefigure the Death and Suffering of Christ and the general Atonement which was to be made thereby nor yet the Predictions of the Prophets touching his Death they ran into another gross Error and that was That the promised Messias should not by suffering death become a Sacrifice for sin And therefore they said to him when he spoke to them of his Death We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever and how sayest thou the Son of Man must be lift up Joh. 12.34 They did not dream of his Dying but of his Reigning visibly as a Mighty Monarch among them and subduing all Nations under them Because they knew him not nor yet the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath-day they have fulfilled them in condemning him Acts 13.27 Their Ignorance in the meaning of the Types and Predictions touching the Death of the Messias would have been the more excusable if they had not wilfully and obstinately persisted in that Error after those Types and Prophecies were fulfilled and explained to them Ignorance in this matter was found in Christ's own Disciples a great while but their slowness to believe those Types and Prophecies after they were fulfilled was a thing which our Saviour rebuked them for saying O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory Luke 24.25 26. But the unbelieving Jews were tenacious of this Opinion after they had sufficient means to have been convinc'd of their Error in it In opposition to which Opinion the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews argues at large the necessity of Christ's Suffering by Death As first he argues it from his Priesthood For having proved him according to Prophecy to be a Priest not after the Order of Aaron but of Melchizedeck and so a Priest of greater Dignity Chap. 5. and 7. He infers Chap 8. that as a Priest he must have something to Offer in Sacrifice and that of greater value than what was Offered by Priests under the Law that were but of an inferiour Order and that he shews to have been Himself and his own Blood as the Antitype of all those Legal Sacrifices Chap. 9. Secondly He proves his Death necessary for the confirmation of the second and New Covenant as he was Mediator of it As the first Testament was not dedicated without Blood so neither is the second For where a Testament is saith he there of necessity must also be the death of the Testator Chap. 9.15 -23. Thirdly His Death was necessary for the obtaining of Remission of Sins a Benefit promised in the New Covenant For without shedding of Blood saith he there is no Remission of Sin Chap. 9.22 with Chap. 10 5-18 And indeed it was a good part of the Apostle's work to beat down this Opinion that the Messias was not to dye Acts 17.3 St. Paul as his manner was went into them and three Sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead Yea this Opinion had so generally obtained among them in our Saviour's time that it seems the Apostles of Christ at first were not free from it For when our Saviour told them that at Jerusalem he should be delivered to the Gentiles and that they should scourge him and put him to death and that the third day he should rise again it 's said they understood none of these things and that this saying was hid from them neither knew they the things which were spoken Though they were spoken plainly and in no Parable Luke 18.32 33 34. Christ's being Crucified became a stumbling-block to the Jews through this Error of theirs and that which they insisted upon as a Reason why they would not receive him as the Christ of God 1 Cor. 1.23 3. They held another Error which probably was Mother or Daughter of the former and that was That the Legal Sacrifices did expiate and take away Sin not only so as to free them from Legal Penalties and Temporal Punishments as in many cases they did but so also as to free them from all obligation to Eternal Punishment And so they did attribute to those Sacrifices the same atoning Virtue and purging Efficacy as is proper only to the Blood of Christ In opposition to this Opinion it is maintain'd 1. That those Legal Sacrifices were but Figures of the great Sacrifice Christ Jesus Heb. 9.10 11 12. and 10.1 2. It was argued that it was impossible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away Sin because these were offered year after year over and over in the day of general Atonement for the same sins And that if the former Sacrifices which were first offered had taken away sin the latter could not have been necessary to the same purpose Heb. 10.1 2 3 11. The often repetition of Sacrifices for the same sins argues that the Worshippers had a secret sense in their Conscience that those Sacrifices were not of a competent Value nor a sufficient Price to Redeem their Souls from Sin as it exposeth to Eternal Punishment however they might sanctifie as to the purifying of the flesh yet they could not make any perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9.9 and 10.1 2. 3. It was argued from a Prophetical passage in Psal 40. in which Christ is brought in speaking thus Sacrifice and Offering thou would'st not but a Body hast thou prepared me In burnt Offerings and Sacrifice for sin thou hast had no pleasure Then said I Lo I come to do thy will O God From whence he infers that the first sort of Sacrifices were taken away as insufficient that the second might be established By the which will saith he we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus once for all Heb. 10.5 10. This Opinion of theirs that Legal Sacrifices did expiate all their Sins did keep up in them a hope of Impunity here and hereafter under many Immoralities and great Transgressions in the course of their Lives Though they multiplied Transgression yet if they multiplied Sacrifices too they thought they should escape well enough Amos 4.4 5. Come to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgression and bring your Sacrifice every morning and your Tythes after three years and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with Leaven and proclaim and publish your free-Offerings
which the Apostle made against them in it For they did still oppose another Covenant as the Covenant of Justification and Eternal Life unto this Mosaical Covenant and Faith as the Conditon of that in opposition to Works as the Condition of this as will appear if we come to Instances 1. St. Paul argues it with them that the Promise of God to Abraham and his Seed was not through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.13 Not through the Law that is not upon the terms upon which the benefits of the first Covenant were promised to the Nation of the Jews but upon quite other terms express'd by the Righteousness of Faith 2. He argues it farther with them That God's way of accounting Men Righteous by Faith and their way of seeking Righteousness upon the terms of the first Covenant were utterly inconsistent and the one destructive of the other and that but one of these ways could possibly stand For if they which are of the Law be Heirs Faith is made void and the Promise made of none effect Rom. 4.14 And again If the Inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise But God gave it to Abraham by Promise Gal. 3.18 And if by Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace c. Rom. 11.6 3. And that the Law did not exclude the Promise to Abraham he farther argues in that the Covenant with Abraham was confirmed and unalterably setled and established in the Messias 430 Years before the Law by Moses was given and that therefore for them to go about to introduce the Law in the room of the Promise to Abraham so confirmed would be as unreasonable and unjust as for one Man to alter or make void anothers Covenant after he hath confirmed it Gal. 3.15 17. Brethren I speak after the manner of men though it be but a Mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no Man disannulleth or addeth thereto And this I say that the Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which was 430 Years after cannot disannul that it should make the Promise of none effect 4. St. Paul argues it impossible in the nature of the thing that they should be justified by the Law because one main end of God's promulging the Law of Nature which yet was a great part of the first Covenant was to convince Men of their Guilt and of their obnoxiousness to Wrath and to stop their Mouthes and to leave them without any plea of defence as from it Rom. 3.19 20. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law That every mouth may be stopt and all the world may become guilty before God Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin And if the Law doth convict Men it cannot justifie them For the same Law cannot both Condemn and Justifie the same person in reference to the same Charge If all are Cast and Condemned by the Original Law as they are for he hath concluded all under sin that he might have mercy upon all Gal. 3. then so many as come to be justified after this must needs be justified by another Law superceding that and that is none other than the Law of Grace The Law of Nature Curseth every one that hath broken it though but once and therefore it cannot justifie them too Out of the same mouth in this case doth not proceed Blessing and Cursing 5. He argues this Opinion of theirs to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Prophets many hundred years after as well as contrary to the Promise to Abraham long before the Law That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident For the just shall live by Faith and the Law is not of Faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3.11 12. from Heb. 2.4 The Law is not of Faith that is it doth not promise Pardon or any other Blessing upon Believing but upon condition of Doing the things therein required the man that doth them shall live in them Levit. 18.5 6. The insufficiency of the first Covenant to make Men Eternally Happy and the necessity and validity of the second to that end as further argued in Heb. 8. from another famous Prophecy in Jer. 31.31 c. of God's making a New Covenant with Israel and Judah in the latter days not according to that he made with their Fathers when he brought them out of Egypt 1. It 's argued that the first Covenant was but Temporary and being old was ready to vanish and to give place tâ— a New and Everlasting Covenant Chap. 8.13 2. That the first Covenant was faulty or defective or else there would have been no place sought for a second ver 7. 3. That the Promises of that first Covenant were not of such things as Men stand in need of to make them everlastingly Happy as those better Promises of the second Covenant are ver 6. 4. And yet more particularly that in this New Covenant there is promise of such a forgiveness of sins as that iniquity shall be remembred no more ver 12. whereas the first Covenant did not promise any such Pardons All that it promised was a forgiveness only as to the concerns of this Life otherwise their sins were still kept upon the File to be taken away if ever taken away by the Mediator of the New Testament by means of his Death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament Chap. 9.15 But in those Sacrifices which were but the Sacrifices of the first Covenant there was a remembrance again made of sins every year Heb. 10.3 And now by all these reasonings of the Apostle put together it sufficiently appears that the unbelieving Jews did expect Justification and Eternal Life only upon the terms of the first Covenant and that they held that Covenant as comprehending the Covenant of Circumcision to be the Covenant of Eternal Life And indeed this last mentioned Error of theirs in holding the first Covenant to be the Covenant of Salvation did in a manner contain in it all the rest mentioned before which did naturally grow out of it For if that had been the Covenant of Salvation then it would have followed that the Sacrifices of that Covenant had been sufficient and the Death of Christ needless and that Circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses would have been necessary to the Salvation of the Gâ—ntiles c. And now after all this considering what Erroneous Opinions the incredulous Jews held about the Law and about Circumcision and considering in what sense they asserted Justification by the Law and by Circumcision it will be no difficult thing to understand exactly in what sense the Apostle doth every where deny Justification to be by the Law or by the Works of the Law
in a Way of Sincere Obedience according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration p. 17. What Faith as Evangelical and Christian is p. 17. The first reason why Faith is made the Condition of the Promise is that the Grace of God to Man might the more shew it self The Second Reason because it best answers God's Design in this Covenant p. 18. 19. 20. Sect. 8. What we are to understand by God's counting Abraham's Faith to him for Righteousness p. 21. Two things make up the Righteousness of the Law of Grace First the Righteousness which consisteth in the Forgiveness of Sins Secondly the Righteousness of Sincere Obedience p. 22. This cleared p. 23. CHAP. II. For what ends the Law was added to the Promise not to cross or confront it p. 24. A Question wherefore then serveth the Law ibid. Answer it was added because of Transgression until the Seed should come And that in many respects first to discover Sin that it might be known to be Sin Secondly to set it out in its own Colours Thirdly to set off the Beauty and Glory of God's Grace in the Promise of Salvation Fourthly because it serves as a School Master to Lead us to Christ and as a School-Master hath a double End respecting the present and future time The present use twofold First to Reclaim and Restrain them from Heathenish superstitions 2dly for Tryal of Obedience in lesser things p. 25. The use of the Law for the time to come was first to facilitate the knowledge of the mystery of their Redemption by Christ Secondly to facilitate and Strengthen their Belief in Christ Thirdly the Law was given to the Jews for the general Good of all the World p. 27. CHAP. III. Wherein is shewed by what Faith and Practise persons under the Law were saved That the Jews had not a clear and full Knowledge of all that was included in the Promise made to Abraham p. 28. and yet that they had the Promise of Blessedness to all Nations in Abraham's Seed They had the addition of several other predictions concerning the Messias p. 30. They had large Significations of God's special Favour above all People ibid. They had exprâ—ss Declarations from God of the Goodness of his Nature By all which they were induc'd to Love God and to endeavour to please him ibid. CHAP. IV. That the Law contained a Covenant different from that with Abraham p. 31. In what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different nature from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham ibid. The Law of Moses under a twofold consideration first as in Conjunction with the Promise made to Abraham 2dly as given at Sinai in a stricter Sense as it was a Rule of Government in the Common-Wealth of Israel In the former sense is obscurely promised Eternal Life in the Latter temporal Blessings p. 32. This Covenant consisted first of Laws 2dly the Sanction of these Laws The Laws were of two sorts 1st the Law of Duty 2dly the Laws of Jndemnity p. 33. Laws of Duty what p. 33. Laws of Jndemnity what p. 34. The Sanction of these Laws consisted in Promises made to the observing them and a Curse denounced against the Transgressors ibid. The Promises considered negatively and Affirmatively p. 35. 36. 37. A five-fold difference in reference to remission of Sin between the first Covenant and the Covenant of Grace p. 38. 39. That more than a temporal Death was threatned for a Breach of the political Covenant as such p. 39. The temporal Evils threatned for a Breach of this Covenant were Personal Domestick or Nationall whereof in particular p. 39. and 41. CHAP. V. The Grand mistakes of the Jews about the Law and Promise and how St. Paul Counter-argues these Mistakes p. 41. First they held Circumcision of the Flesh to be the special Condition upon which God's Covenant-Blessings with Abraham did depend never Vnderstanding that Spiritual Circumcision which was primarily intended p 42. St. Paul's arguing against their Belief in this point p. 42. Secondly That the Promised Messias shou'd not by suffering Death become a Sacrifice for Sin ibid. and yet his Death was necessary how St. Paul â—onsutes their Belief in this point p. 44. Thirdly They held another Error that the Legal Sacrifices did expiate Sin ibid. This Error opposed p. 45 Fourthly That without Circumcision and observing Moses's Law the Gentiles cou'd not be saved ibid. This Error Refuted ibid. Fifthly they held that the Law of Moses was unalterably perpetual and this opposed p. 47. Another Errror of theirs was That they held the First Covenant alone together with the Covenant of Literal Circumcision which they made a part of their Law to be the Covenant of Salvation ibid. And to this they peremptorily adher'd ibid. and disprov'd ibid. CHAP. VI. How St. Paul's Doctrine of Justification by Faith and not by Works was then Mistaken by some The Mistake of those Jews who laid the stress of their Salvation upon Believing only without a virtuous and Holy Life p. 53. Neither did they discern Faith to be necessary in the operative and practical Nature of it p. 54. How the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works in the sense wherein the Apostles asserted it was understood p. 55. CHAP. VII That the Doctrine of St. Paul and St. James about Faith and Works in reference to Justification do not differ but are wholly one p. 60. Ten Considerations to prove this p. 61. First that Works of Evangelical Obedience are never in Scripture opposed to God's Grace ibid. Secondly That St. Paul in speaking against Justification by Works gives Caution not to be Vnderstood to speak against Evangelical Obedience p. 62. Thirdly Regeneration or the New Creature is opposed to Works of the Law as well as Faith ibid. Fourthly Evangelical Obedience as well as Faith is opposed to Works of the Law in order to Justification p. 63. Fifthly Evangelical Obedience alone is opposed to Works of the Law in reference to Salvation ibid. Sixthly That Faith is an act of Evangelical Obedience ibid. Seventhly That by Evangelical Obedience Christians come to have a Right to Salvation p. 64. Eightly That as the promise of forgiveness is made sometimes to Believing so it is to Obedience p. 66. Ninthly That Evangelical Obedience is a part of the Condition of Justification p. 67. Tenthly That Repentance is one Eminent Act of Evangelical Obedience ibid. FINIS A DISCOURSE ON FAITH MEN's Eternal Estate of Weal or Wo in another World and their Peace and Comfort in this being very much concerned in their right understanding or mistaking the nature and difference of that Faith which is Saving and of that which is not I shall here state the nature and difference of those two kinds of Faith with what brevity and perspicuity I can I cannot I confess think that the nature of Faith which is of absolute necessity to the Salvation of the meanest Christian is in it self hard to be
understood were it not that the many Controversies about it about its Object and the Acts of the Soul necessary to it had puzzled Mens Minds and distracted their Apprehensions concerning it Things absolutely necessary to Salvation as they are not many so there are hardly any Doctrines delivered with more plainness than they that the Weak who are as much concerned in them as the Strong might competently understand them as well as they Men may multiply Notions about Faith as the Scripture useth various expressions about it But I doubt not but that the general sense of the Scripture hereabout may be summarily expressed in this plain Proposition That saving Faith is such a Belief of Christ to be the Son of God and of the truth of his Doctrine especially touching the virtue of his Death and Resurrection and the necessity of amendment of Life for the obtaining Remission of Sin and Eternal Life as causeth a Man to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to Live a Godly Righteous and a Sober Life This is so plain in Scripture as that there is no Christian so weak but may easily come to understand it and so evident that none who acknowledge the Truth of the Gospel can deny it That I may state the difference then between Effectual and Ineffectual Faith and matters relating to them with all the plainness I can I shall very briefly endeavour these five things I. To open the comprehensive Nature of Faith II. Shew wherein the defect lies of that Faith which is not saving III. Shew whence that defect proceeds IV. How and after what manner Faith in the Vnderstanding works savingly upon the Will V. Answer some few Objections CHAP. I. I. The Comprehensive Nature of saving Faith opened THat I may open the comprehensive Nature of Faith the better I shall first observe how variously the Condition upon which saving Benefits are promised is expressed in Scripture and then what actings of the Soul are thereby signified It is thus variously expressed in Scripture Sometimes it 's called a believing God Rom. 4.3 Gal. 3.6 a believing in God 1 Pet. 1.21 a believing on God Rom. 4.24 a believing the Record which God hath given of his Son 1 Joh. 5.10 Sometimes it 's called a believing on Christ Joh. 3.16 36. Acts 16.31 a believing him to be the Christ the Son of God Joh. 20.31 1 Joh. 5.5 It 's called Faith in his Blood Rom. 3.25 a believing that God raised him from the dead Rom. 10.9 Sometimes it 's called a believing of the Gospel Mar. 16.15 16. a believing of the Truth 2 Thes 2.15 a believing the testimony of the Apostles 2 Thes 1.10 Sometimes it is expressed under the Notion of Repentance Acts 2.38 and 3.19 and 11.18 2 Cor. 7.10 and sometimes of Obedience 1 John 1.7 Pet. 1.2 Heb. 5.9 The Condition of the Promise of saving Benefits being thus variously expressed can signifie no less than a three-fold Act of the Soul The first being the Act of the Understanding The second of the Will The third of the Understanding and Will conjunct 1. Such expressions of the Condition of the Promise as is the believing in God the believing his Record the believing the Gospel the believing Christ to be the Son of God do most properly signifie the Act of the Mind or Understanding in Assenting to the truth of what God testifieth or promiseth Which assent is grounded upon a knowledge or belief of God's Veracity his Truth and Faithfulness armed with All-sufficiency of Power Wisdom and Goodness to make good his Word to a tittle And although such expressions as aforesaid do most properly signifie the act of the Understanding yet whenever saving Benefits are promised and the Condition expressed in such a form of Words as doth most properly and primarily signifie the Assent of the Mind even then the act of the Will in Consenting to the Condition is implyed and ought to be understood as I shall fully prove in the next Particular And the reason why the whole of the Promise relating to the Consent of the Will as well as the Assent of the Understanding is frequently expressed in such a form of words as primarily and strictly signifie the Assent of the Mind is I conceive because such Assent of the Mind is the Principle from which all concurrent acts of the Will necessary to Justification and Salvation do proceed And it is of frequent use in Scripture to denominate the whole of Religion by some one Principal part which is a fruitful Principle of all the rest Thus the Knowledge of the true God and of Jesus Christ whom-he hath sent is said to be Eternal Life Joh. 17.3 And thus some times the Fear of God and sometimes the Love of God is put for the whole of Mens saving Religiousness and the same Promise of Blessedness made to one of these singly exprest is to be extended to the whole In like manner the whole of Christianity is frequently denominated by Faith and the Christians stiled Believers and the Houshold of Faith and the like and all because that Christian Life of theirs by which they differ from other Men flows from their Faith which is the first active Principle of it 2. Another act of the Soul essentially necessary to that Faith which is the Condition of the Promise is the Consent of the Will to Repent to receive Christ as Lord and King to be governed by his Laws as well as to own him for a Priest once Offering himself and ever making Intercession for us For the Condition of the Promise of Pardon and Salvation is expressed under the notion of Repentance and sometimes of Obedience as I shewed before And Repentance and Obedience are acts of the Will as renewed And that there is no Promise of saving Benefits upon meer Believing without observing that part of the Condition which consisteth in Repentance Regeneration and Obedience is most evident Because they are expresly excluded in Scripture from having any share in the saving Benefits of the Covenant Justification or Salvation who do not Repent Luke 13.3 who are not Regenerate Joh. 3.5 who Love not the Lord Jesus Christ and that above any Worldly Enjoyment 1 Cor. 16.22 Matth. 10.37 and who do not Obey him Acts 3.22 23. Luke 19.27 2 Thes 1.7 By all which we may certainly know that whenever there is Promise of Justification and Salvation made to Believing it is to be understood of such a Believing as doth at that instant in which a Man believes savingly produce a sincere Consent of the Will to Repent to Love Christ and to Obey him For otherwise those Scriptures and these would be inconsistent For if Men cannot be Pardoned nor delivered from the Curse nor be safe from Destruction until they have Repented are Regenerate do love Christ and Obey the Gospel as the forecited Scriptures do assure us they cannot then no Faith whatsoever is justifying or can entitle them to Pardon and Salvation according to the Tenour
certius cognoscas Eras in Loc. That it seemed good to him having had perfect knowledge of all those things from the very first to write them in order to him that he might know the certainty or have a more full and particular Understanding of those things wherein he had been before Catechized for so it is in the very Letter of the Greek that is taught only in General to prepare him for Baptism Hesychius a Learned Grammarian does give the meaning of this word Catechize by another which signifies to Build and this does intimate to us the Matter of which a Catechism must consist viz. Of the main and fundamental Points of Religion such as are fittest to build up a firm and unshaken Christian withal Lastly It is deriv'd from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an inculcating and sounding often in the Ear of the Learner the Principles to be imbibed and fixed in his Mind and Memory So the Heathens and so the Christians used the word And this may suffice for the Importance of the Word which I thought might not be improper to Note because it gives so much Light into the meaning of the Thing and the Nature of a Catechism which I shall therefore Define as follows taking the Title now read with some Explanatory Additions for the Text upon which I shall Comment A Catechism The Definition of a Catechism is a general Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion necessary to be Learnt of every Person in order to his Confirmation or the solemn Renewing of his Baptismal Vow and Covenant with God and the Receiving Benefit by the Bishop's Blessing Prayers and Laying on of Hands In which Definition you are told First As to the Matter of which a Catechism is to consist It is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion Secondly As to the Persons to be so Instructed It is necessary to be Learnt of every Person Thirdly As to the End of a Catechism It is necessary to be Learnt of every Person In order to his Confirmation or the solemn Renewing of his Baptismal Covenant and Vow before the Bishop and the Receiving Benefit by the Bishop's Blessing Prayers and Laying on of Hands Of all which Particulars I shall Discourse to you in their Order And First As to the Matter of which a Catechism is to consist It is a general Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion Christian Religion What Christian Religion is out of Christian Principles to live an Holy Good Life and together therewith to depend upon the Mediation of Christ with the Father for us that our imperfect Righteousness may be graciously accepted to our Justification I. A Moral good Life an essential Part of Christianity That Morality or a good Life is a necessary and essential Part of Christianity is expresly affirm'd by St. James 1.27 where he tells us That Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father or such as God the Father will accept is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their afflictions and to keep one self unspotted from the world Many seem to place it in little less than Morality but it is the Life and Soul of all Religion as in Respect of God to Love Honour and to Obey him to Trust in Him and to Resign one self to him to Worship him and to be Devoutly given So in Respect of our Neighbour to be Just and Charitable and particularly and especially to Relieve those that are in Distress And Lastly as to our selves to govern our Affections to subdue our Passions to mortify our Lusts and to moderate our Desires In a word To keep the Heart and Life clean from the Defilements of Sin In this I say consists One main Part of Religion in abstaining from all Sin and Wickedness and in a constant and steddy Performance of all the Parts of Vertue and Holiness This I am sure is a main Part of the Christian Religion the Religion that our Saviour came to Plant amongst Men for this St. Paul assures us Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works He appeared teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and he gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity Hitherto indeed tended all he said all he did and all he suffer'd This was the Design of his Excellent Sermons and Discourses of his most admirable Example and Life and of his Death and Sufferings to Root out of the Lives of Men whatsoever is sinful and wicked and to Implant in its stead all the Parts of Vertue and Goodness But Secondly It is not enough to make a Man a good Christian II. To Act Virtuously upon Christian Principles that he live a strict and unblamable Life but it is moreover necessary to render him such that he act Virtuously upon Christian Principles Both indeed are necessary to the constituting a Man a true Christian The most regular Life that can be except it be acted upon Christian Principles is but meer Morality at the best as the most Orthodox Belief that is if it be Barren in good Works is but a dead Faith Thus Temperance may be observ'd because of our Health and plain and punctual Dealing by the Men of Trade because of their Interest Men may Fast and Pray out of Hypocrisy and to appear Good to others and may distribute large Alms to gain the Applause of Men as you may see Mat. 6.2 5. And indeed considering that Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of the Life that now is as well as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 And since of the Christian Religion it may be said that Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Men may lead very blameless Lives in all respects because of the Advantage and Tranquillity of Mind that arises meerly from a regular and orderly Conversation But all this will be accounted by God to fall far short of the Christian Religion and will entitle the Man to no Reward in Heaven that acts upon no better Reasons nor Motives than these Verily I say unto you they have their Reward says our Saviour Mat. 6.2 Nay He that lives an orderly good moral Life upon the Belief only that there is a God that his Providence and Care is extended over us that our Souls shall never Dye but are capable of and shall receive Rewards or Punishments in another World can be only said to be so far Religious as the good Moral Heathens were who Believ'd and Acted upon the
Manna But when Persecution at any time arises and the Church Doors are shut up and Divine Ordinances are forbid upon Pain of Death how then shall you see those very same Persons go many Miles and with the utmost hazard of their Lives Assemble themselves together and take the greatest Comfort imaginable in Enjoying ' em This the Experience of all Ages does Confirm and God grant our present Neglect of his Holy Institutions and Ordinances may not provoke him to teach us also how to Value and Esteem the Priviledges and Advantages of 'em by depriving us thereof And thus I have at length shewed you how that the First Great Priviledge which does peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's visible Church as they are the Members of such a Society is a most Reasonable and Excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most Profitable and Edifying Institutions and Ordinances given and appointed us by him our supreme Head and Governour to Conduct us to Heaven And now it is time to proceed and to shew you how that Secondly The Second general Priviledge belonging to the Members of Christ's Church is a sufficient measure of divine Grace and Assistance derived from him the Head and Convey'd by his Ordinances to Enable us to Conform our selves to his Religion and to Obey his Laws We enjoy thereby a great Measure of Divine Grace and Assistance derived down from him our Head and Convey'd by those his Ordinances to Enable us to Conform to his Religion and to Obey his Laws The mystical Body of Christ is often compar'd in Scripture to the natural Body of Man and that as for many others so for this very good Reason that as in the natural Body every Part partakes of Life and Sense and Motion from the Head so do we by being Baptized Members of Christ derive Grace and Help from him our Head From whom all the Body by Joints and Bands have Nourishment ministred Increaseth with the Increase of God Col. 2.19 By the same Means that Christ is Vnited to his Members is Grace Conveyed down from him as Head to those Members Now it is easy to conceive how Christ as a Political Head should give Laws to his Spiritual Kingdom the Church and how as such he should Head and Protect it and every Member thereof against its Enemies But the difficulty with some is to conceive how as from a Mystical Head Divine Grace and Assistance should be Convey'd down from him to us his Members But it is but to consider what those Joints and Bands are which Unite us to Christ as our Head and we may then easily conceive how we shall have Nourishment ministred unto us till we Increase with the Increase of God For whatever are the means of Uniting us to him the same are the means also of Conveying the Influences of his Holy Spirit down upon us The first Medium of Vnion betwixt Christ and his Members must be each Member's Vnion to the Catholick Church And the First great means of Uniting each Member to Christ must be its Union to the Catholick Church the Body of Christ not Cutting himself off from it either by Renouncing his Covenant with God or by causlessly separating from the Communion of that Sound and Orthodox Part of the Church whereof he is an immediate Member and by not giving just occasion to the Officers of Christ's spiritual Kingdom the Church to Excommunicate or Cut him off for so doing For it is Just with the Mystical Body the Church as it is with the natural Body of Man If a Leg or an Arm should be Cut off from the Body by a Man 's own Hand or by the King's Officers it cannot receive Nourishment from the Head and for lack thereof must soon Dye And so in the Church of Christ a Heretick that for denying the Faith and Sacraments and a Schismatick who for breaking the Communion shall be Cut off from the Church cannot ordinarily expect to receive Supplies of Grace from Christ the mystical Head which by Keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace he might But it is not sufficient in order to its deriving Life from the Head that a Member be United to the Body only and to any of its Parts but it is moreover particularly necessary that it should be United also to those principal Parts of the Body where the Blood and Spirits are form'd and from whence they are convey'd to every single Member And therefore II. Its Vnion to the Lawful Governours and Teachers of the Church A Second means of Uniting each Member to Christ the Head and so of Conveying spiritual Supplies of Grace down from him to such a Member is its Unity to those Lawful Governours and Teachers which Christ has appointed in the Church by Joining with 'em in the same Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity and by holding Communion with 'em in the same Holy Worship of God The Lawful Governours and Teachers in the Church of Christ are the principal Parts in the Mystical Body as the Heart the Liver and the Brain are in the Natural For as in the Natural from these principal Parts are sent forth that Portion of Blood and Spirits which give Life and Strength to every single Member so from Christ's Ministers is Communicated to all the Members of the Mystical Body that Nourishment which maintains the spiritual Life in them All this may be fairly gather'd from Eph. 4.11 12 13. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ In which Words the Ministers of Christ's Church whether Extraordinary as Apostles and Evangelists or Ordinary as Pastors and Teachers are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Holding and Knitting together the Church and that from them each Member does immediately receive that Nourishment of sound Doctrine whereby he grows up to be a Perfect Man in the Knowledge and Practice of true Religion And indeed the Graces of the Holy Spirit are Convey'd by those Ordinances which they only have power to Administer which brings me Lastly To shew how III. The use of Christ's Institutions and Ordinances that next to the being United to the Church and its principal Parts the Ministers of Christ therein the great Bonds of Union to the Head and means of Conveying his Grace to the Members are the Sacraments and other Holy Offices and Ordinances appointed for that Purpose and of which the Ministers of Religion are the only Dispensers For just again as in the Body Natural there are Nerves that Branch from the Head through the Body conveying the Animal Spirits to every Member thereof so in the Mystical
made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven The Vastness of a Christian's Priviledge in being made an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven And if we do but consider it it will soon appear to be both in it self very great and in Comparison of what the rest of the World enjoys a very singular Priviledge this of being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven I say In it self very Great Indeed what can be greater than to have the invaluable Possessions of Heaven I. It is in it self a very Great Priviledge to have the invaluable Possessions of Heaven so setled and ensur'd as to have a legal Claim and Title thereto made over to One. so setled and ensur'd to us as to have a Legal Claim and Title thereto made over to us in Christ We see as to those Earthly Possessions how an Heir does value his Condition above the rest of the Children not only on the account of a greater share commonly in the Estate than the rest but because of the greater security he has of Enjoying those Earthly Possessions An Inheritance being an Estate for which he does not so precariously depend as has been shew'd upon the meer arbitrary and uncertain Will and Pleasure of another but a Right which without Breach of Justice cannot be detain'd from him It is the Priviledge of an Heir that he has all the Security that the Engagements of an Honest Person and the Solemnities of a Covenant can give him to make him a Title but when the Kingdom of Heaven is the Possession and when he who cannot deceive has solemnly setled this Inheritance upon us this is a Priviledge so much beyond what Words can express that it is far easier to be Admir'd than Utter'd II. If compared with what others enjoy it is a singular Priviledge And as it is in it self exceeding Great so it is if compar'd with what Others enjoy a very singular Priviledge This of being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven To be made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven I say is a very singular Priviledge which those who are without Christ and who are Strangers to the Covenants and Promise do not enjoy True it is a few of the more Contemplative and Thinking amongst the Gentile Philosophers did raise to themselves some faint Hopes The best amongst the Moral Heathens could have but faint Hopes built upon uncertain Conjectures of a future Happiness and doubtful Expectations of a future Happiness after this Life They consider'd the noble Nature of the Soul of Man to be such that nothing in this Life is of that Excellency as to give it a full Satisfaction and as to the Body they look'd upon it more as the Prison of the Soul than any Advantage to it and therefore they did hope to be deliver'd one Day from its Incumberance that the Soul might be at liberty to act freely without such a Clog of Flesh trashing it in all its noble Flights and Operations But then all this was in them but Conjecture what possibly might be not what certainly would be their Happiness And being but a faint Hope And their Hopes being faint they could not in the Strength thereof overcome great Temptations But the Christian's Hopes are sure and stedfast being sounded upon the express Promises and Covenant of the God of Truth and uncertain Expectation built upon doubtful Reasonings of their own and more their Wishes and Desires than what they could certainly promise themselves they were not able to support their drooping Spirits under any great Difficulties and to overcome in the Strength of such an Expectation the greater Temptations and Tryals of their Vertue But did generally shrink from their Vertuous Professions when to act honestly was become dangerous But the Christian's Expectation of an Inheritance in Heaven being founded upon the Express Promises of the God of Truth and those Promises given in Covenant and so Confirm'd by an Oath as it were For God willing more abundantly to shew to the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong Consolation These things being so the Christian has a hope which as an Anchor of the Soul is both sure and stedfast Heb. 6.17 18 19. And his Hope being thus built not upon uncertain Conjectures but upon the express Promises of God who cannot lie And being such there is no Temptation so alluring nor Suffering so great which he may not overcome there is no Temptation so alluring nor Suffering so great that such a Hope will not be able overcome But he that hath this Hope purifieth himself even as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 And may with St. Paul be perswaded That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate him from the Love of God which is in Christ Rom. 8.38 39. Thus certain are the Christian's Hopes of Heaven it being instated upon him as an Inheritance And having his Hopes so well grounded there is no difficulty in the way of Duty so great which he may not overcome by the Strength thereof Whereas the best of the Moral Heathens had but uncertain Conjectures to ground their Expectations of future Happiness upon and their Hopes thereof being so Weak they presently yielded to the Assault of every great Temptation But besides whatever Certainty an honest Pagan And whatever Certainty an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Vncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fall vastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven that liv'd up to the Light of Nature and the Dictates of Right Reason if any of 'em can be suppos'd to have done so might have that the good God would reward his Vertue Yet having only the Equity and Vncovenanted goodness of God to depend upon he could promise himself no greater a Measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which considering the Imperfection of the best Actions of the best of Men whoever liv'd how short must that fall of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven * But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same But the Christian whom God has Covenanted withal and to whom he has condescended to oblige himself to make sure a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 may without Presumption rely upon God's both Truth and Goodness to make good to him the same notwithstanding when he does all that he can consider'd in himself he is but an Vnprofitable Servant as the best are I have
of a fleshly Appetite with such Meats and Drinks as are Unlawful in respect of their Quality It does infinitely become Christians utterly to Renounce that sinful Epicurism which seems to study nothing so much as by new invented Dishes to Fare deliciously every Day Christians should relish better things than these and are not therefore thus to make Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Nor Secondly II. As they desire 'em in Immoderate Measures must we Christians gratify the Cravings of our Appetites in Eating and Drinking but we must indeed take heed to our selves least at any time our Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and so the Day come upon us unawares Luk. 21.34 But above all Lastly It behoves Christians to Renounce those which are peculiarly call'd the Lusts of the Flesh whether it be 1. The Lusting after strange Women the Neighing after the Neighbour's Wife as the Prophet expresses it Or 2. Even that Immoderation practiced by many in the Married State there being a Chastity and Modesty which ought to be preserv'd even in Wedlock it self which the Carnal part of Mankind may perhaps but little think of And indeed this Renouncing of these Fleshly Lusts of Concupiscence is perhaps what the Composers of our Catechism as taking the Form of Renunciation from the Ancient Baptismal Vow did particularly intend for as the Gentiles did scarcely make any account of Fornication nor think it an Irregularity and Vice so the Scripture and the first Christians did particularly lay it upon all that should take upon 'em the Christian Name and Profession to Renounce those kind of Sinful Lusts But Fornication and all Vncleanness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints for this know you that no Whoremonger nor Vnclean Person hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Eph. 5.4 5. And thus I have fully considered these several Faculties and Powers both of Soul and Body as they are so many Sinful Lusts of the Flesh moving downwards from God and Heavenly Things Immoderately towards the Creature II. And now I come to consider some of 'em viz. The Affections Lastly The Inferiour and Bodily Powers viz. The Affections Lusts and Appetites to be Renounc'd as they Rebel against Right Reason Lusts and Appetites as so many Sinful Lusts of the Flesh under another Notion and that is as they do disorderly Rebel against the Superior Faculty of the Vnderstanding and Reason and do carry the Will into Slavery to 'em and to shew how they must be Renounc'd upon that account also What the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature originally was and how it is now broken I have already shew'd you as also how that instead of the Harmonious Subordination of the Inferiour Faculties to the Superiour that the Affections Lusts and Appetites do absolutely Reign and that Reason and Conscience are in the Unregenerate drag'd into miserable Slavery And now I am only to shew you that it is the proper Business and Employment of Religion to Reduce Man as far as is possible in this State of Weakness and Infirmity to his Primitive State of Innocence and Integrity The Business of Religion is to reduce Man as near as possible to his primitive State of Innocence and Integrity to rescue him out of Slavery to restore him to himself to put Right Reason and Religion again into the Throne and to subject his Affections and Passions his Lusts and Appetites and every inordinate Inclination within him to the Dictates and Laws thereof refusing to Gratify any of those in any thing that is Sinful and Unlawful This is to wrestle against Flesh and Blood And thus we must wrestle till we overcome and bring it under into an Entire Subjection to Right Reason as ever we expect to be Friends of God or ever hope to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven There is nothing more plain in Scripture than the utter Inconsistency of a carnal Temper and Disposition to a State of Grace and Reconciliation with God The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so that to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Rom. 8.6 7. and therefore let me add with the same Apostle ver 12 13 14. Brethren we are Debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if you through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and so Heirs of Eternal Life so necessary it is as ever we expect the Favour of God and future Happiness to subdue the Flesh and all its Lusts and Appetites its Passions and Affections all our fond and foolish Imaginations and false Prejudices and whatever else within us which savours of Carnality to the Power and Conduct of Right Reason enlightned by the Word and Spirit of God To this purpose of keeping under our fleshly Lusts it was that our Reason was given us And to this purpose it is that our Reason was given us That Excellent and Divine Faculty was not certainly bestowed upon us to such Vile and Base Purposes as to purvey for a filthy Carcass which shall consume e're long in Stench and Rottenness but to nobler and better Purposes you may be sure viz. to Govern and Manage the Animal part of us our Flesh and to render it serviceable and useful to Reason and Religion The best Philosophers amongst the Heathens the Platonists do call the Mind that Divine Part of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Charióteer and compare it to a Rider and the Body or Flesh and all its Troop of Affections or Passions of Lusts and Appetites they compare to so many rude and wild Horses that must be Manag'd and Tam'd and kept in good order and render'd Serviceable and Useful to the Mind and Reason Now so it is as a Well-order'd and Manag'd Horse may sometimes stumble and start aside tho' his Rider keep a very strait Rein and a wary hand upon him So in this corrupt and depraved State of our Natures our Fleshly Lusts will sometimes at least-wise even in the most Regenerate have some small Tendencies some imperfect Velleities and Wouldings towards Evil Things But if we shall take due care to keep so watchful an Eye and wary an Hand over 'em as presently so soon as we perceive any evil Motion and Tendency to curb and restrain it and not willingly nor wilfully to indulge any Evil Inclination we shall by the Gracious Acceptance and Favour of God be accounted good Managers of that hard Province the Renouncing or Subduing of our Fleshly Lusts If in the general course of our Lives we act like Men endow'd with Reason and Grace we shall be pardon'd all our Unwilling and Unavoidable Infirmities III.
I have hitherto according to the best of my Skill been explaining to you And now if there be any thing farther necessary to a full and compleat Explication of the Nature of this Covenant it must be this in the second place to shew you How that thereby you are restored to a state of Salvation Thirdly By whose Mediation you obtained so gracious a Covenant and are put thereby into a state of Salvation It was through Jesus Christ our Saviour Fourthly By whom and how we have been Call'd to this state of Salvation It was our Heavenly Father who hath called us to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And lastly What infinite reason you have heartily to thank Almighty God our Heavenly Father that he hath Called you to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath Called me to this State c. And as all these Points are fairly taught you in these Words of your Catechism so in commenting upon these I will by God's Assistance open and explain these several Points to you To proceed therefore in order to a more compleat understanding of the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace let us see Secondly How this Covenant whose Terms and Conditions I have been explaining to you does restore us to a State of Salvation That in the Covenant of Grace we are restored to a State of Salvation Salvation does import a Deliverance from Danger or Misery and a State of Salvation does import the being put into a Condition of Safety where one may be safe and secure from Danger and Misery if he please For our understanding therefore how this Covenant of Grace is a means of restoring us to a State of Salvation we must look back and consider how we brought our selves into a State of Danger and Misery before and how by the Covenant of Grace we are put again into a State of Safety and Security if we please How we brought our selves into a state of Misery before And to this purpose we must know That God Almighty created Man at first in such a state of Perfection with such an enlightned Mind such a regular Will to the Laws of right Reason and with such obedient Appetites and Affections that he might if he would have continued in perfect Innocency And now making him thus upright and capable to perform such an Obedience God did very reasonably make this Covenant with Man That he should perform a Perfect Exact Vnsinning Obedience and live for ever But upon the least Sin the eating of the Fruit of one Forbidden Tree he should surely Die The Event of which Proceeding was that Man hearkning to the Suggestions of the Devil did thereby Rebel against his Maker take part with Satan and so did forfeit all his Right and Hopes of Happiness which upon the faithful Performance of his Covenant he would have had was shut out of Paradise and condemn'd to Death as you will see largely described in the Third Chapter of Genesis Thus did Man by the breach of his Covenant with God bring himself into a state of Danger and extream Misery How by the Covenant of Grace we are put into a state of Security if we please And now here it comes in for us to consider the Second Covenant as that which restores us to a State of Salvation Had the First remained uncancelled and in full force we must have all perished without remedy upon a double account It required an unsinning Obedience and we had sinned It allowed no place for Repentance after Sin and yet we had brought our selves into that State that except we should repent and our Repentance be accepted we must all undoubtedly have perished We were unavoidably therefore bound up by that First Covenant as the case then stood with us to Death and Misery and it was not possible for the Wit of Man to contrive any way to escape it And now when we were in this irrepairable State was God of his own Goodness graciously pleased to cancel the First Covenant blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to the Cross of Christ Col. 2.14 By which place is more immediately meant I must confess his cancelling and making void as to any condemning Power in it the Covenant of Works made with the Israelites by the hand of Moses but not so as to exclude his cancelling all former Covenants that were too rigorous and impossible for Man in his fallen State to perform I conclude therefore that God was graciously pleased to cancel and make void the First Covenant under which Man was created and which he was uncapable of performing and receiving Benefit by having forfeited that perfect Light and perfect Strength which should enable him to perform it and become very defective and weak both in Knowledge and Ability of performing his Duty towards his Creator And he was pleased to grant unto us and to establish with us a Second by way of Remedy against the Rigour and Extremity of the First wherein God as it were descending from his Majesty and Glory does oblige himself to make good to such as shall enter into it and continue faithful therein those inestimable Favours and Benefits which do vastly exceed those of the former For in the first place whereas the First Covenant did not as far as I can find in Scripture any where Expresly promise Eternal Life in Heaven to those that were faithful in it The Covenant of Grace whereunto you are called does in innumerable places propose immortal Life and Happiness to all those that do Believe its Doctrines and Articles and do sincerely Obey its Precepts as has been shewed you for it is Jesus Christ who hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 And then secondly whereas under the First there was no place for Repentance but nothing less than an Exact and Unsinning Obedience was the Condition of this Life and Happiness And upon the first and least Offence all was become forfeit and lost Herein we have this relaxation of Rigour and exceeding Favour That even the greatest Sinners upon their Repentance and Return to God should be saved and our Saviour therefore left Commission with his Disciples That Pardon and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name amongst all Nations Luk. 24.47 Thus in the Covenant of Grace is Repentance like a Plank thrown out which if Shipwrack'd Sinners lay hold on they may save themselves and the Covenant it self like a Ship like Noah's Ark whereinto those that enter and will continue in it may be landed safe in the Kingdom of Heaven So that the Covenant of Grace in whose Terms and Conditions you have been lately instructed does restore us you see into a state of Salvation whereby we are put again into a state of Safety and Security
shall obtain those Blessings and upon that Assurance the strongest Consolations and Comforts also to chear us in going through the Difficulties we shall meet with in performing those Conditions whereby only we shall obtain such unspeakable Blessings By having GOD in Covenant with us I say we have the greatest Assurance possible that we shall obtain his Favours To which purpose those words of St. Paul are very remarkable Gal. 3.15 16. Brethren says he I speak after the manner of Men tho' it be but a Man's Covenant yet if it be confirmed no Man disannulleth or addeth thereto now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises that is the Covenant made Which words do import that if deceitful Man will scarcely fail to perform what he has once obliged himself by Covenant to do it is impossible that the God of Truth should fail to make good to the utmost those Blessings he has ensured to Abraham and his Seed that is to all whom he has vouchsafed to enter into Covenant withal And such Assurance given by GOD does yield also the strongest Consolations and Comfort For why If you will compare one Scripture with another you will find that that which Gen. 17.2 GOD does call his Covenant Heb. 6.13 is called his Promise upon Oath And what says the Apostle in that Case Why GOD says he vers 17 18 19 20. willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by Oath or by Covenant that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong Consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the Veil whither the FORE-RVNNER is for us entred even Jesus That is GOD having ascertained to us his Blessings by Promise upon Oath or which is tantamount by Covenant we cannot upon such Assurance but have the greatest Comfort and Hopes of obtaining those Blessings and so of following e're long that Jesus which is gone before us into Heaven To prepare a Place for us that where he is there we may be also Joh. 14.2 3. So that it is an invaluable Priviledge this of which the World can never be sufficiently sensible nor thankful to God for that he vouchsafed to ensure his Mercies to 'em by Covenant But Or secondly Our singular Happiness therein above the fallen Angels or the rest of Mankind Secondly The occasion of your Thankfulness is yet greater if you consider your own singular Happiness in being called into this Covenant of Grace and in having all God's Mercies thereby secured to you when so many Millions of his Creatures do want this Favour The words of your Catechism do teach every one of you to consider his own particular Interest in this Covenant as the proper matter of his Thanksgiving to God Every one of you is taught to answer for himself in particular I thank God our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And indeed if we are naturally most affected with and most sensible of those Benefits which we see so many besides our selves to want here is occasion for the deepest Sense and utmost Acknowledgments of GOD's Goodness to you that you have been called into this State of Salvation when so many millions besides both Angels and Men do want the Benefit of it As to the fallen Angels the Covenant of Grace was a Favour never afforded by God to them for Christ that he might deliver them who all their life-time were subject to Bondage verily took not on him the Nature of Angels but took upon him the Seed of Abraham Heb. 2.15 16. And as to Men alas there are many Nations now in the World who have not yet enjoyed so infinite a Blessing as this happy Call into a State of Salvation who have not yet heard of a Saviour nor the good Tidings of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace who have had no Apostles no Evangelists no Pastors nor Teachers amongst 'em and who therefore still lie groping in Darkness and the shadow of Death And perhaps amongst those Nations that are called there are not any that enjoy the Means of Salvation the Worship of GOD the Administration of Sacraments and the Preaching of the Word in that purity and force as we in this Church and Nation do It is indeed an unspeakable Blessing we enjoy above many other People For now in Jesus Christ we who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the Blood of Christ who is our Peace Ephes 2.13 14. And are no more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God vers 19. It is counted a great Privilege amongst Men but to enjoy the Freedom of a City or Corporation as that which puts those who enjoy it above the Condition of Strangers and gives 'em to partake of many singular Advantages which Forreigners want But by being taken as Fellow-Citizens of the Saints and of the Houshold of God into Covenant with him we are Enfranchized Citizens of the New Jerusalem whereby we are entituled to all those Privileges which Christ has purchased for us which are unspeakable and invaluable and which does place us as has been often said in so much a better State and Condition than the rest of Mankind Such infinite reason have we heartily to Thank Almighty God our Heavenly Father that he hath Called us to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour THE XXV Lecture In my Baptism Wherein I was made AS to what concerns the Nature and Substance of the Covenant of Grace I have already opened and declared to you I have shewed First What are its Terms Secondly That it restores us to a State of Salvation Thirdly By whose Mediation we obtained so gracious a Covenant and were restored thereby into a State of Salvation Fourthly By whom we have been Called into it And Lastly What mighty Thanks we do owe unto God that we have been called into so gracious a Covenant and happy state of Salvation My next Business must be to treat upon the Sacrament or Solemnity by which you Entred therein For the declaring whereof and the full Explication of these Words In my Baptism wherein I was made it will be requisite That I should in some measure so far as relates to the Sealing of the Covenant of Grace open unto you the Nature and End of Baptism And not to give you now a full and particular account of the whole Nature and Meaning and End of Baptism which shall be more conveniently done when we come to the latter part of your Catechism where the whole Doctrine of that and the other Sacrament is taught you it may suffice to our present purpose to tell you That Baptism what Baptism is an outward Rite or Ceremony of our
Commission Decency and Order in all Ages of the Church not otherwise to be provided for And indeed it is hardly possible that Provision could be made for the Decency and Order of Divine Administrations any other way than by committing it to the Prudence and Discretion of the Governors in every National Church to appoint those things for the Modes and Expressions of Decency and Order are infinitely different in several Countries so that one thing shall be a signification of Reverence and Respect in the Eastern Part of the World and a quite contrary in the Western and the same Observances may not tend to Edification in one Age even in the same Country as in another for the Humours of Men are extremely subject to change in this Matter so that it was necessary the Appointment of meer Ceremonial and Circumstantial things should be lest to the Discretion of Church-Governors to order or to alter according to the Exigencies and Conditions of Time and Place So that it appears to me to be sufficiently plain that there has been a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governors of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstances as they shall think fit for the better Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men. And now II. The Appointment of Godfathers and Godmothers a most useful Institution to the foresaid Purposes of Decency Order and Edification Secondly I am to shew you that their appointing of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent and useful Institution to this purpose that is that it is an appointment that contributes much to the decent Administration of Baptism and it is also very serviceable to the Edification of the Baptized Members of Christ's Church How decent and orderly and like to the transacting of a Covenant it renders the administration of Baptism I have already told you But that it is very serviceable to the Edification of Persons Baptized I will farther declare unto you And this surely must needs be own'd if we consider 1. The Nature of their Office And 2. The good Effects we often see of Persons having had Godfathers and Godmothers as Sureties for 'em in their Baptism First If we consider the Nature of their Office And First If we consider the Nature of their Office how can we but expect from 'em a great deal of good as to Persons Edification For by the Nature of their Office are they not Persons that are solemnly engag'd in the Presence of God and of the whole Congregation then Assembl'd and this to God himself that they will take a special and particular Care of that Person then enter'd by their Means into the Society of Christians that he shall be truly inform'd of the Nature of his Covenant and what Obligations lye upon him to discharge those Duties contain'd in it and which are to be perform'd on his Part as he will expect to share in those unspeakable good things promis'd on God's part And is not such a solemn Engagement to God made by the Sureties in such a Presence and in such a Place and before such a number of Witnesses likely to make Men careful to be as good as their Promise And this if they shall be and shall accordingly take care if there be any occasion for it by the Parents neglect to have the Child Catechis'd and Instructed in the Christian Religion and shall Reprove him for his Miscarriages and Exhort him to a circumspect walking with God and never leave off till they have brought him at Years of Understanding before the chief Minister of Christ's Church the Bishop there solemnly and seriously to profess in his own Person that he will do so and so as they have engag'd in his Name If this they shall do is not this the likeliest way in the World to train up a Child in the Knowledge and Love and Fear of God in which consists his Edification Why the thing I suppose would be readily granted that the Office being consider'd in it self the Institution of Godmothers and Godmothers might be very useful to Peoples Edification if Sureties would but take a due Care if there should be occasion of the Christian Edification and Conversation of such whom they have Engag'd for We only want to see the good Effects of such their Undertaking which God knows say some are but small for who is it say they do we see take any care of any such thing This is what is commonly urg'd against this Institution by those who are not well-affected to this nor any other Constitution of our Church and as weak as this Exception is many think it a sufficient Plea against having Godfathers and Godmothers in Baptism But I would desire such Persons to consider that if the Abuse of any Ordinance by Persons that are Profane and Careless were a sufficient Reason against it we must e'en abolish the Sacraments themselves for how many are there who come unprepared and unworthily partake of 'em not regarding what Obligations they have laid upon themselves in the use of 'em to be good Livers ever afterward and the very Gospel it self tho' a Savour of Life unto Life unto some few who live according to its Rules is a Savour of Death unto Death unto those and they are the greatest number unto whom it is Preach'd and yet lead Lewd and Profligate Lives But this is by Accident and through Mens own Fault that neither the Gospel can perswade nor the Sacraments engage some Men to Obedience and for that they must answer themselves and both the Gospel and its Sacraments must notwithstanding be continued in the Church for the good they are capable of Working and the good they actually do effect to some few And so ought the Institution of Godfathers and Godmothers In its own Nature it s an Office fitted to do good and tho' many do not that good they ought under that Character yet on the score of that good it may do and those good Effects we really see it sometimes does do it ought for that reason to be continued in the Church I say Secondly Secondly Those good Effects of it on the score of those good Effects we sometimes see it really does do for this I am well assur'd of and I have known my self many Instances of Persons who owe that Understanding they have of Religion and the fear of God purely next under God to the Care of their Godfathers and Godmothers who have brought 'em up to Reading bestow'd good Books upon 'em given good Advice unto 'em and caus'd 'em to be Confirm'd when nothing of this would have been took Care of by their Careless Loose and Ignorant Parents And I do not question but amongst the many Neglects there are Thousand of like Instances in the Nation of Persons who have been happily brought up to a good understanding and sense of Religion by the sole Care of their Godfathers and Godmothers And then
I am sure so precious is one Soul in the sight of God that the Institution that shall contribute to the Salvation of many shall be of no small account with him Which good Effects would be much greater were the choice of Godfathers and Godmothers made according to the Canons of the Church And to the Edification of very many more I am sure this Ordinance would contribute if that choice were made of Persons for Godfathers and Godmothers which the Church prescribes For as our most excellent Church has taken an admirable Care of her Children in providing Security for their good Education and Christian Behaviour so to make that Security as good as possible and that they may be such as will be most likely to have that Care of those they stand for she Ordains in her 24th Canon That no Persons should be admitted to be Godfathers and Godmothers to any Child at a Christening or Confirmation before the said Person so undertaking hath received the Holy Communion And now if all Parents would provide such only and all Ministers would receive none other but who have Communicated then we should see much better effects of this Institution and that it would Minister very considerably to Edification for then the ungodly Crew that never approach the Holy Altar being excluded there would none but Persons of a tolerable good sense of Religion themselves be Sureties for others and from such we might expect a discharge of their Obligations But if Parents having other Respects than the good of their Childrens Souls will only provide such as are likely to make the Infant a good Present or leave it a Legacy or bestow handsomely on Midwives and Nurses let 'em be never so Loose and Lewd or mere Children or otherwise unqualify'd then no wonder if we see fewer good Effects of this excellent Institution which in it self is admirably well fitted to promote Edification But then this is the Fault of Parents not of the Church and notwithstanding this the appointment of Godfathers and Godmothers as Sureties in Baptism ought to be consider'd as a thing of a very useful Tendency as to the more decent Administration of the Sacrament of Baptism so to the better Edification of the Person Baptized to which purpose according to the Power given 'em by Christ the Governours of our Church have appointed it The Conclusion And thus in Commenting upon the Preliminary Questions and Answers of the Catechism I have at length gone through all those Heads of Discourse I did at first propose to speak to in order to give you a full Understanding of the Covenant of Grace that Covenant you enterd into with God in your Baptism For I. As to the Nature of this Covenant I have in the first place explain'd to you the Terms and Conditions of it both on Gods part and on ours In the second place I have laid before you the Gracious Importance of this Covenant shewing you how that it is a State of Salvation Thirdly I have accounted for the Original of it and by whose Mediation you obtain'd such Terms of Reconciliation with God and that it was through Jesus Christ our Lord. I have Fourthly acquainted you by whom and how you have been Call'd to this State of Salvation that it was Your Heavenly Father who hath called you to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. And Lastly have Admonish'd you of the very great Reason you have to thank God and our Saviour Jesus Christ for so exceeding great a Mercy as his Calling you into it So far I have let you into the Knowledge of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace And II. Having done this I have declar'd to you by what Sacrament or Solemnity you enter'd into it III. I have shew'd you the vast Obligations lying upon you faithfully to discharge your Covenant with God IV. I have directed you by what means you may perform it And Lastly That nothing might be wanting fully to Inform you in all that pertains to the Doctrine of this Covenant I have now Inform'd you in those two Circumstances relating to your entrance into it the Time when and the Persons by whom you were Initiated therein These last Points indeed I thought once to have deferr'd the treating upon till I shall come to the Last Part of the Catechism But tho' the whole Doctrine of Divine Assistance and Prayer may be treated upon when I shall come to the Lord's-Prayer and the Question which leads to it yet as they are the necessary Means of enabling us to perform our Covenant with God they ought at leastwise to be generally consider'd here And even the Doctrine of Infant Baptism and the use of Godfathers and Godmothers tho' there is a Question and Answer more direct upon both at the latter end of the Catechism yet the positive handling of 'em is properest in this place And whatever Objections can be rais'd against either will most naturally be handl'd upon these Words Why then are Infants Baptized when by reason of their tender Age they cannot perform them The Answer to which is Because they Promise them both by their Sureties which Promise when they come to Age themselves are bound to perform There is an Objection and Solution in these Words and therefore they will be the fittest to found a Discourse upon consisting of the like However I think the general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace could not have been handl'd in all its Parts without the consideration of these latter Points and that I think may be sufficient to justifie us in treating upon 'em here so as to give you a general View as of the Covenant of Grace so of all that pertains to the Doctrine of it And now what remains but that you seriously reflect upon all that has been deliver'd upon this most important Subject of your Baptismal Covenant I do call it such and I do think it ought to be the most studied by you of any other For why First I take the Covenant of Grace or our Baptismal Covenant to comprise the whole Doctrine of Christianity even all that than which no Man as a meer Christian is necessitated to know more and than which the meanest ought not to know less No Man in any Civil Contract can perform his Bonds without knowing the Conditions of the Obligations no more can a Christian be suppos'd to perform his Covenant with God without knowing the Nature Terms and Conditions of it Secondly It is absolutely necessary that all Youth should comprehend the general Nature Terms and Conditions of their Baptismal Covenant before they go to be Confirm'd Thirdly And all Persons before they communicate in the Holy Sacrament because in both these Ordinances they ratifie their Baptismal Covenant with God Fourthly And if it be consider'd that all Persons in order to prepare for Death must strictly examine themselves concerning their Failures in all and every the Terms and Conditions requir'd on their part