the day of Death to the day of Judgment in the Honour put on at the day of Judgment in the complete Glory bestown after the day of general Judgment and for ever to endure Trial will best discover with how small pains and great Profit this Compendium may begotten And when gotten it is by Understanding and Memory I advise that that which follows in twelve particulars be studyed Namely three concerning GOD three concerning MAN three concerning CHRIST three concerning the APPLICATION of Christ that is saving unto us P. 1. There is one only God an Infinite Perfect and Spiritual Essence P. 2. This one God is Father Son and Spirit Distinguished into three manners of Subsistence after a way incomprehensible The Father eternally Begetting the Son Begotten the Holy Ghost Proceeding P. 3. This one God is the Maker Preserver Governour of all things by infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness P. 4. Man was made of such a Body and Soul that he was able to have attained for himself and his Posterity that eternal Life which was provided for his reward if he had stood obedient P. 5. Man thus made was Envyed and Tempted by the Devil and Yielded wilfully unto his temptation and brake the Law and Covenant of God and made himself and all his posterity cursed by God and envassalled to Sin and Satan and unable to escape the threatned Death P. 6. Man thus immiserated was Pitied by God. Who in prosecution of an eternal Counsel and Covenant of peace provided preached and offered a Saviour to him even Jesus Christ the righteous P. 7. Jesus Christ this Saviour is as to his Natures perfect God and perfect Man in one Person and as to his Offices he is both Prophet Priest and King in both his states of Humiliation and Exaltation P. 8. Jesus Christ's Humiliation in being made under the Law Obeying the Precepts and Suffering the Curse of it was deeper than was possible for any meer creature to undergo And his Exaltation in Rising from the Dead as He did Ascending up into Heaven and Having all Power in Heaven and Earth given unto Him was higher than any meer creature could possibly be exalted unto P. 9. Jesus Christ being so Exalted is Able to save to the uttermost and Willing to save Sinners the chiefest welcomes all that penitently come unto Him and mourns over all that obstinately keep away from Him. P. 10. Application of Christ that avails unto our Salvation by Him is twofold viz. such as is made by God and such as is made by our selves God applies Christ to us by his H. Spirit when by him he doth give us will and power to embrace him as offer'd in the Gospel We apply Christ unto our selves when by Faith in-worked in us we do embrace him as Prophet Priest and King Covenanting with Him as such for ever P. 11. Application of Christ so described is that which every Soul should seek pray and wait for in the use of all God's Means appointed Resting not quietly without some well-built Hopes that they have thro' grace attain'd it P. 12. Application of Christ so desirable no man may hope for out of the Means by God appointed but in the constant and diligent use of those Means no man need fear but he shall find it When Novices have gotten thus far they are more than a little advantaged to learn any of our Catechisms The Westminster Assemblies with blessed Mr. Lyes most useful Exposition or any other Yet for Reasons nameless let me say I would not have that or any other singly address'd to All Methods are imperfect saith our great Methodist But he sticks not to say What my heart thinks that the Creed Lord's Prayer Ten Commands and Doctrine of the Sacraments make the compleatest body of Truths that we can form The Rule of Faith is in the first the Rule of our Prayers in the second the Rule of our Practice in the third the great Encouragement and Engagement to Believe Pray and Live holily is set forth in the fourth I conclude therefore with such as small a Map of the World of Truths in these as some candid Hearers have not thought Vnuseful In number thirty seven Creed Truths twelve 1. There is a God that is three distinct Persons whose Revelations of himself are to be Credited his Promises to be Relied on his Demands from us Consented unto heartily and practically And the First Person of these three First in Order tho' not in Time of Being and Working is named the Father Father of All things by Creation of his Church by Adoption of his Christ by Generation in time as he was Man and by Generation eternal and inconceivable as He is God. Father Almighty as to Right to do whatever He pleaseth and as to Strength wherewith to do it And Maker of Heaven and Earth that is of all things Of the University of Beings 2. The Second Person of the Godhead is as to Office Jesus a Saviour from Sin by Price by Prayer and by Power As to his Authority He is Christ set apart by God Qualified and Commissioned to be a saving Prophet Priest and King. As to his Essence and Relation to God the Father He is His Only Son to wit by Eternal Natural Inconceivable generation As to His Supremacy and Honour He is our Lord to wit by Natural right as He is God and by Delegated right as he is the Lord to whom all Dominion is given upon a double consideration That is of the Price wherewith He bought it from God and of the Victory whereby He gain'd it all from Creatures 3. This Christ as Man was without humane Father Conceived that is Prepared by the H. Ghost who first extraordinarily sanctified a portion of the Virgin-Mother's Flesh and Blood and then Made thereof his sinless Body Born He was of that Virgin Mary according to the Prophecy Isa 7.14 Mary a Princess by Extraction from King David and Father Abraham tho' of condition poor and espoused to a mean Artificer Mary an holy creature and humble Yet never called Mother by our Saviour Himself nor ever made a Goddess by his Order 4. This Christ Suffered from God Men and Devils in Soul Body Rayment Name and Friends Vnder Pontius Pilate that is in the Time of his Presidency under Tiberius Caesar Was Crucified a manner of death by the Romans used and by God especially Cursed Dead Buried and Descended into Hell that is His Soul and Body were separated from each other tho' neither of them were separated from the Godhead at all His Body agreeably to Moses Law but contrary to the Roman was the same day Buried And for part of three days about thirty eight or forty hours it abode apart from his Soul. 5. The third day after his Death He rose again from the Dead By his Father's power Rom. 6.4 By his own power John 2.19 by the Holy Spirit 's power 1 Pet. 3.18 By the One power of all the Divine Persons Else He
could not have saved one Soul 1 Cor. 15.13 14. 6. This Christ forty days after his Resurrection Ascended into Heaven as Enoch and Elias his Types fore-shewed And this in the view of his Disciples * A Jury of Witnesses He sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty that is He becomes next to God in Dignity Power and Glory And under God doth Administer all things Sitting notes Security Rest and honourable Dominion 7. This Christ shall thence come to Judge the Quick and the Dead All alive at the Last day and all before that time Dead True God as God in that day is Judge Supreme Christ Mediator is Judge Delegate and Constitute that pronounceth Sentence And his very Saints are Judges by Assession and Approbation of his Sentence It must not be forgot that He judgeth every of us when we Die. Tho' not all of Vs together nor with Execution of all his Judgment upon our Souls and Bodies till the Last day 8. The third Person of the Godhead is named Holy and Ghost Ghost signifies Breath or Spirit This glorious Person bears this name with a specialty as being eternally and inconceivably Spirated or Breathed forth from the Father and Son. And is in like sort styled Holy as being by Office the Worker of all renewed Holiness in fallen Man. 9. This Father Son and Spirit have an Holy Catholick Church A Church or Christian Society called forth of the Heathen and Jewish world by God's Word and Spirit After mention of the holy Ghost the Church is mentioned in our Creed as a Work of the Holy Ghost Catholick 't is called or Universal because the New Testament Church consists of folk of all Nations And is not as the Jewish Church was confined unto one Nation It comprehends all the Christians of all Ages past present and future in the World which are indeed but one Body Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. Holy it 's said to be as having 1. Christ it 's Head Holy. 2. The blessed Spirit it 's Indweller Holy. 3. The Gospel it 's Rule Holy. 4. All that are truly of it are truly tho imperfectly Holy. 5. Their Ministers Office is Holy. 6. Their Worship as Gods Ordinance is Holy. 7. All Baptized members are Sacramentally Holy tho' not Spiritually Bound to the Gospel tho' they do not really Obey it 10. The Communion of Saints is the Effect of the Holy Spirits Sanctifying of them and the End of Church Relation Saints are people Separated from Unclean and Common conversation Carried by the virtue of infused grace unto the Fear Love and Service of God in Christ Communion supposeth such Union as is between the Members of the Body This said Communion consists 1. In their common holy Friendship with Father Son and Spirit 2. In their mutual Love of one another as themselves 3. In their Care and just Labour for each others welfare 4. In their joyning with one Heart and Soul in God's publick Worship by Christ ordained And The Saints of this Communion have the Forgiveness of their Sins God for the Satisfaction and Merit of Christ's Obedience and Intercession Pronounceth them Acquitted And actually Delivereth them from the Execution of their sin's deserts God may be said to Punish them for their sins but not to punish them with the punishment of their Sins 'T is for their good that God ever Chastens them 11. These Saints must also hereafter have the Resurrection of their Bodies And by consequence have Immortal Souls For otherwise of what use wou'd the Bodies be All Objections against this said Resurrection be vain Being it's so brightly reveal'd in Scripture Cavillers do not Know the Scriptures or the Power of God. 12. Life everlasting is the portion of these Saints foresaid By Life understand all good And by Everlastingness perfect Duration without Change or End. By consequence we may determine that Sinners dying in their sins shall have the contrary Everlasting Death All Evil without an End of any Seems it strange that the Reward of short and slender Obedience should be so Immense and Everlasting And the Punishment of finite Creatures sin in a few years committed should be of such Extremity and to all Eternity The Wonder vanishes if thou but consider the greatness of the God who ordereth the Punishment and the Reward A great God doth all things great and like Himself His Rewards must be great and his Punishments great They would otherwise be a Reproach unto Him. Amen is here as much as to say I do verily Believe these things upon Divine Revelation tho' they exceed the reach of my Sense and my Reason Lords Prayer Truths eight 1. There is a God eternal unto whom we may and ought to Repair for the Supply of all our wants Even as a Child unto his Father For tho' He be in Heaven that is be of incomprehensible Perfection and cannot without a vast condescention regard and affect the best of creatures yet He is by Creation Father And by Redemption in Christ 'T is Sin for the worst of Sinners alive to say God redeemed not me He is the Father of penitent Believers by Regeneration and Adoption also Bare wants do not destroy men 'T is neglect of right Repair unto the Lord that is a Father a Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Father that can and doth undo the World. 2. Exaltation of God's Name and Subjection unto his Authority and Obedience unto his Will and Precept are the chief End of Man. For these He Made us And for these He Redeem'd us For these by his Word and Spirit He Calls us For these we live Yet unto all and each of these are all men insufficient For Will. Skill and Power unto these all men the best the worst and middle sort all are to Pray unto Him. I and in the very first place to Pray 3. Bread or the necessaries of this Life and Pardon of Sin and Preventive Grace restraining from Sin are the Means unto that foresaid End. To the Exaltation Subjection and Obedience aforesaid For other Ends only or chiefly they may not be desired or prayed for 'T is Self-Idolatry to desire one bit of Bread or the Pardon of one Sin or the repulse of one Temptation either singularly or principally for our own Ends. To wit that our Bodies may not suffer or our Souls and Bodies suffer or our Names and Estates suffer But for the formentioned Ends they must be Desired And more they must be Prayed for Begged with all humble Importunity We are infinitely unworthy of them Our Prayers deserve not God's bestowing them But our Prayer is the only way in which God warrants our expectation of them And in which He gives ground to expect them without doubting There is a kind of Omnipotency which Holy Prayer is honoured with by Free Grace 4. Conservation of our Beings is the first of our Personal wants Pardon of Sin is the second Deliverance from Temptation and Sin is the third Reader mark this
distance from begrudging him any good as we are at from begrudging it to our selves The first Command is a Summary of all Duty unto God the second is a like Summary of all Duty unto Man. 11. The Children of Men ever since the Fall are averse from all the Wâ—â—â— God. Their Minds are unteachable Memories unfaithful Wills untractable Else what needed the New-Edition of the Ten Commands And why were they so delivered as we read Exod. 19.20 12. The Motives that God giveth and we ought to take and urge our hearts withal unto the Obedience of every of God's Laws are three The three contained in God's Preface unto the Ten Commandments Which are God's Soveraignty over us his Covenant with us his Redemption-grace and bounty unto us Wo unto our best Motions which these three do not move to Sacramental-Truths five 1. The Law of God for Sacraments is not Natural but Positive He required them not because their use is good antecedently No their Use is therefore only good because He requires them From whence it follows that tho' it be impossible not to Use the Sacraments but we must offend God because God has commanded them 't is very possible to use Sacraments and not please God. Because God has commanded them not for their own sakes but for certain Ends. Which Ends if we do not aim at and answer in our use of the Sacraments God has no pleasure and we no profit by our use of them 2. The End for which God hath ordain'd Sacraments is his Testifying his Mind and Will unto Us. And our Testifying back our Hearts toward Him. 'T is true God's Word is a Testimony of his Will a first a sweet and a sure Testimony But it has pleased Him to add a second sort of Testification of his Covenant-Will And by Visible Rites and Ceremonies of his own appointing to Testifie it farther As after their Word given Men use by Sign and Seal to testifie their Minds Likewise we at our first Conversion by our Hearts and Mouths testifie unto God our Wills henceforward for ever to be his But it pleaseth God to require our second and more publick solemn Testification thereof To wit in and by the use of those Rites and Ceremonies which he has prescribed Now if we aim not at both these Ends in the use of Sacraments and answer not these Ends we mock God and delude our selves in their use Other Ends of Sacraments there be I know but these are the chief and comprehensive of all 3. The Order of the two Sacraments of the Gospel New-Covenant is this Holy Baptism enters a Disciple of Christ makes him that was before Covenanted to become by Sign and Seal Covenanted with God. The Lord's Supper renews that Covenant betwixt God and a Baptized Disciple of Jesus Christ Both Baptism and the Lord's Supper do confirm the Covenant mutually upon God's part and upon ours and extensively as to all the Promises in the Covenant from God unto us and as to all the Demands in the Covenant from us unto God. 4. The Dignity and Vsefulness of the Holy Sacraments is surpassing In no Ordinances has God condescended so Low unto us as in these In none therefore has he so much honoured us as in these The Apostle reckons Sacraments as the prime of Church-Priviledges 1 Cor. 10. As for Vsefulness they are Towers of David builded for spiritual Armories (a) Of all the outward Means of Grace the most Mighty We cannot warrantably expect the Holy Spirit to make the Word a-near so helpful to us without the Sacraments as with them If ordinarily He should so do He would disparage them But to be sure He will never do that 5. The Way to improve the Holy Sacraments unto Holiness and Comfort is by a double Pleading of them By Pleading them with our own Souls upon God's behalf And this either when we would bring them out of a bad frame into a good or from a less holy unto a more holy frame for God. By then urging our hearts in such like words My Soul my Soul why against God or why so coldly for Him The Kingdom of Hell suffers violence Violent Sinners take it by Force And wilt not thou take the Kingdom of Heaven by it Sinners be Patient Creatures they forsake Father and Mother take up their Cross and follow Satan and thorough many tribulations enter the Kingdom of Hell. Blush and bleed thou to think that thy Patience should be short of theirs and that thou shouldst not without regret enter the Kingdom of Heaven that 's better thro' Tribulations that be lesser than theirs Think think my Soul Thou art Baptiz'd the God of Heaven for thy Encouragement and Engagement has sign'd and seal'd his Covenant with thee Thou hast been at his Holy Table He has again and again sign'd and seal'd it Canst thou thou a sign'd seal'd Covenanter Distrust or Disobey Thou a frequently repeated Covenanter and an early one too O for shame stir up thy self and on with the Armour of God and follow the Captain of thy Salvation and fight not flourish against Flesh World and Devil according to thy Sacramental Engagement Shew that it is unto thee a Covenant of Salt not of Snow An Adamantine bond not a Rope of Sand c. Again we must also humbly Plead them with our heavenly Father upon our own behalf Under Oppression by any evil or Deprivation of any good we may and ought to plead them in Prayer before Him. 'T is often that Ministers do press Christians to plead the Promises I would that we all as often press'd them to plead the same as sign'd and seal'd God hath not a Promise but what is sign'd and seal'd in Baptism and in the Holy Supper And we plead them but imperfectly and at halves when we plead them not as sign'd and seal'd Go distressed Christian fill thy mouth with the arguments of the Covenant of Grace and plead thy Cause at the Throne of Grace to this purpose O thou that canst not Lye thou hast sworn unto me that in thy Gospel-way I shall have Grace Glory and have no good thing with-held from me Thou signedst and sealedst Promise hereof to me in my Baptism and so hast thou done again and again at thy Table I in thy Gospel-way have waited do wait and will to my last breath thro' thy grace wait O Lord canst thou chuse but perform what thou hast so so Promised so Sworn so Engag'd under Sign and Seal c This is the way to Mortifie Corruptions Repel Temptations Quicken Graces Revive Hopes Attain Joys unspeakable and full of Glory O that our best Pulpits were less silent and our best Pues less Ignorant of the practick use of Holy Sacraments Q 3. What is that Change wrought in a Man by God's Holy Word and Spirit before he can safely conclude himself to be passed from Death to Life BY one man sin entred into the World and Death by sin Rom. 5.12 Satan
was a Murderer from the beginning He slew Adam by the first sin And slew all mankind in that first Adam Spiritually considered we are all Dead born Dead in sin and Dead for it Dead in respect of Corruption Dead in respect of Condemnation Condemnation to the Prison of Hell to the Torment of Fire to the Duration of Eternity But God hath so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son to redeem us from so great a Death John 3.16 He desires not our Death to be Continued and Ruin to be Compleated He reveals Jesus Christ the way from Death to Life He Commands and He even Beseeches us to take Him for our Way thereto If you ask by what Steps I have told you in my Call to Sinners by three Steps Namely by Conviction by Compunction or Humiliation and by Vnion unto Christ Which Steps if you take aright I am content to Lose Heaven if you do not Find it Indeed unassistedly no man can take them Whatever is a Creature hath no Power but what is Given from God and Kept by Him. But Man a faln Creature until he be by grace raised again is without strength unto that we speak of Rom. 5.6 Knowledge Will and Power hereto are all the Gifts of God's Love and the Purchases of his Son's Blood and the Works of his Holy Spirits Almightiness That Holy Spirit who constantly worketh by the Holy Word Who wrought not Christ's victory over Satan without the use of the Word And will not without it work our Victory over him Mat. 4. Possible it is And Necessary it is for all that take this way to Life aforesaid to Ensure their so doing 2 Pet. 1.10 Psal 50. ult c. Uncertainty about it is the Effect of sin God doth not ordinarily if ever with-hold Assurance from his Children but upon Provocation To wit by Indulged Lusts by Unexercised Graces by Omitted Duties by Slighted Ordinances And to be sure Uncertainty is then it self a sin when 't is meritoriously procured by sin The eyes are very blind that see not how fruitful a Cause of sin it is And as hard are the hearts that dread it not as a sin an Effect of sin and a Cause of sin I grant that all Assurance attainable on Earth is Imperfect But by the Romanists leave that which is attainable is both True Proper and Powerful True and Proper as built upon proper and eternally true Grounds for it Powerful as operative of Peace and Joy in our selves and Holiness and Thanksgiving unto God. Nevertheless 't is very long before most of God's Children know their Father And cease from tormenting fear that Satan is he In the first Conversion of the Gentile world unto Christ it was not so The Holy Spirit did then for the most part Witness grace wheresoever He did work it in any Nay to go no farther back Our old English Puritans of sweetest Memory had Assurance more plenty among them than 't is seen in our day Nor wanted they our Light so much as we want their Heat Horresco referens Unacquaintedness with the Covenant of grace breeds every where groundless Hopes and as unreasonable Fears I speak as I find With some of our people every shadow of Turning goes for substantial Conversion And with others that which is right substantial Conversion goes for but a shadow of Turning Of Turning from Death to Life With fear and trembling I assay therefore to resolve this Question Plainly that I may be understood Briefly that I may be remembred Fully that my End may be attained in making Sinners ashamed of their Peace and Good men ashamed of their Trouble If my Method be new my Doctrine is not I do go forth by the foot-steps of Christ's flock praying that this Paper be made successful by his Holy Spirit That Change after which we enquire appears a five-fold one Namely of Spirit Covenant Qualities Conversation and Company C. 1. Of SPIRIT Man is an Embodied Spirit His Body is we know not how Indwelt and Actuated by his Spirit His Spirit tho' it be a Free Agent is in as unaccountable a way Indwelt and Influenced by some other Spirit In our Created state the Holy Spirit was in us and swayed us Now in our Corrupted state 't is Satan that is in us and leads us 'T is certain that by the First Transgression we forfeited and lost the foresaid Sanctifier And deserved to be given up and were given up to the last named Tempter Satan is now called the God of this World. And He that is in the World 1 John 4.4 The Prince that works in the Children of Disobedience Ephes 2.3 * Works energetically And like as Fire in Iron worketh converting it into a huge likeness unto its own Nature And such Children are named persons not having the Spirit to wit the Holy One Jude ver 19. But in our Renewed state there 's a change of the Actuating Spirit Satan is deposed and cast out Acts 26.18 2 Tim. 2.26 The Holy Spirit is Sent Given Administred Put into us Poured out on us Comes on us Rests on us Leads us Is said to be He that is in Believers 1 Joh. 4.4 Yea and to be great in them That is in them to be mighty and victorious over the assaulting impure Spirit Looks he then like a Soul passed from Death to Life in whom there 's no such change of the ruling Spirit I trow not Nor can it be said because these Spirits forenamed be both Invisible therefore the change of them is hardly Discernable Let these plain things be considered They are infinitely Vnlike ones Yea perfectly Contrary unto each other They are also most Active both of them Satan always worketh to the utmost of his Power the Holy Spirit works according to his Will and Pleasure But both do work continually and strongly Nor are their Natures so Invisible but that their Operations are as much Sensible Satan carries unto evil and so does the H. Ghost carry unto good Of all things Satan averteth and turns away Souls from Jesus Christ from his Person and Gospel And of all things the Holy Ghost carrieth Souls unto the Study and Acceptation of both His great work is to Receive of Christ's and shew it unto us John 16.14 His first work is to convince as of Sin in general so principally of the Sin of Vnbelief on Christ Of its being the only Sin that does keep men in all Sin. To convince us also of the Righteousness of Christ its Perfection in it self its Communicableness unto us and its Acceptableness with God. Of its being the only that God will accept whatever men conceit of Natural Righteousness or of Legal To convince likewise of the Conquest of Christ over all his and our Enemies His having Subjugated Satan as well as Satisfied God Joh. 16.9 10 11. But I forbear See his twelve Convictions in my Call unto Sinners together with his Humiliation-work and Vnion-work Having United us unto Christ
no doubt but he Actuates us for Him. So the Apostle Rom. 8. But that falls under consideration elsewhere To conclude this particular Let the Enquiring Christian thus argue Christ is mine before Life is mine Christ and his Spirit are always given together If his Holy Spirit be put into me Satan is deposed The Holy Spirit and the Unclean cannot reign together By the Temper of my Heart and Ways toward Christ especially it 's not hard to know whether he be expelled or still hold the Throne in my Soul. These I will diligently watch And examine whose Superscription they bear whether the H. Advocate 's or the Enemy's Enemies lead to Death Advocates to Life By my Guide I will judge of my Way and End. And Him I will account to be my Guide whom I do ordinarily and allowedly and most desirously follow whether it be the Holy Ghost or the contrary Spirit If I find that it 's but now and then when terrors force it that I disgust Satan's suggestions or relish the Holy Spirit 's that deliberately and freely I use to embrace Satan's and reject His that set aside the next World's accounts I should desire rather that Satan led me in a Sensual Life than the Holy Ghost in an Evangelical I will tell my Soul and all that is within me plainly as John 5.42 I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you On the contrary if I find all and discern that tho' I have been a Cage to the uncleanest Bird yet I am by grace turn'd into a Temple of the Holy Ghost that the very self-same Spirit that dwelt in Christ dwells in me that as little as yet I know He 's daily a Teaching me as Forgetful as I am He brings daily the things of my peace unto my Remembrance as Dull as I am He daily by one thought or other Quickens me unto my duty so that I dare not omit it as sad and sour as I am He denies me not all Comfort but every day sweetens some Word of God or other unto me as often as I am out of Frame for Communion with God and that is too often He lets me not alone till I am in again and am Restored If thus I find I will conclude there cannot but be Life where there is such a Spirit And there cannot but be the best Spirit where there be but such Operations Hereby we know that He abideth in us by the Spirit that He hath given us 1 John 3.24 C. 2. Of COVENANT God ever delighted to deal with Man in the way of Covenant He bound the first Man He made and all his Posterity in one One unexceptionable for the Promises unto us and for the Demands from us These latter were Just and Good the former Rich and Honourable But as we have heard Man Fell. Unless I shall rather say he Leapt into Sin. For wilfully he brake this Covenant of Works as we call it Yea and by the Fall so brake himself that he was never able since to do ought pleasing unto God. I mean before the Renewing grace of God give ability But this grace God never did or will dispence but in a New Covenant All He Recovereth He takes into New-Covenant relation with Himself Souls mindless of any Covenant with God mind no Religion Ezek. 16.8 none at least that God will accept Those that hang upon the Old Covenant of Works and have all their Religion run in that Channel Doing all they do with design and hope to be forgiven for the sake and merit of it the Gospel declares their mistake to be mortal They that are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse That is they that expect Life and Salvation for their own Works of the Law are every creature of them under God's Curse Gal. 3.10 They who being sensible what 't is to be out of Covenant and what to be under the Covenant of Works do enter the New Gospel-Covenant the Marriage-Covenant unto Christ they are the Souls the only ones that bring forth fruit unto God. And have Life of either Peace with Him or Holiness unto Him Rom. 7.4 Surely God never signed their Pass for Heaven who never made his Covenants the matter of many of their Thoughts A serious heart cannot but ask In what relation more than that of a Creature do I stand in unto God As a Creature I can deserve no reward whatever I do And why should I expect any If I may be a Covenanter and was so without my knowledge in my first Parents does it not now concern me to get inform'd what the Terms of that Covenant were For Covenants bind mutually and if I know not that which I am bound in I must unavoidably be false unto it If it be such as is Good for me I cannot improve it and if unto me it become by any means destructive I am not capable of preventing it If the Soveraign Lord make and offer to take me into a better Covenant how concerned am I above all things in this World to learn out the terms thereof c. But suppose the greatest study of these Covenants and the best Acquaintance with them the best that is possible to be without profound Thankfulness for the Covenant of Grace and hearty Consent thereunto what avails it Much every way indeed to mens Condemnation Knowledge of that Covenant without Consent is the most frightful symptom that I know of a Reprobate A Soul in earnest careful to know its state should in this wise debate with it self Were I under no Covenant it would be reasonable to expect Hell for my least sin For it deserves it and the Divine Justice is unquestionable It would be unreasonable if I could yield Sinless Obedience to be presumptuous of other reward than is in the yielding of it For in that is more than a Creature merits And I can make no Plea if God make no free Promise There are but two Covenants of Works and of Grace These are vastly different And so are the states of men under the one and under the other Of my state I am peremptorily resolv'd to make Judgment as I am under this or that My Hopes shall die if I appear under that of Works my Fears shall die if I appear under this of Grace For if I am under the Covenant of Works I am bound unto Duties whose Performance is by me Impossible It requires Obedience perfect and perpetual I and that upon pain of Death Gal. 3.10 11. Consequently if I am under this Covenant I am under its Curse too which is Intolerable Gen. 2.17 Dying thou shalt Die. 'T is Death indefinite that is Universal evil Temporal Spiritual Eternal Privative Negative Positive c. Besides if I am under this Works-Covenant I can have no Days-man or Mediator between God and me I must to Prison if I pay not my self the utmost Farthing This Covenant admits not Christ or any other Advocate with the offended
and Election For ought I see by the Word of God Dying men do change but their Places not their Company And what Company I do of choice hold upon Earth I must by the Judgment of God hold for ever Prophane men be open Sepulchres Hypocrites be painted ones If I here delight in Sepulchres and chuse to keep among the dead 't is certain I shall for ever with them be Buried Christ is a Tree of Lives Of the Life of Peace with God Holiness toward Him Hope from Him Glory with Him. Saints only have Life from Christ and be the only men that are truly Alive If the Spirit that acts me and Covenant that binds me and Qualities that possess me and Conversation that employs me do all of 'em bring me among the Living and I am their Companion in Graces-Kingdom surely I shall be the same in Glories-Kingdom too Wherefore before I shall conclude whither 't is I am going I will get me well assured what the Company is wherewith I go I will be fully answer'd these Questions Am I in evil Company as Lot in Sodom Vexed Is Lewd Company and Light unto me which Mesech and Kedar was to David Makes it me to cry Wo is me Have I no fellowship with God's Enemies but Reprove I them as called Do I make the very wide difference that I ought between MEN and BRETHREN Do I fear to open the doors of my House and Heart to ill men lest the Prince of darkness enter in And to shut them against holy Brethren lest the Prince of Glory be shut out Am I glad when I see the Pure in heart that see God Do I salute each of them as David did Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me Blessed be thy converse and blessed be thou I say Every of them viz. Tho' about Mint and Cummin differently minded And tho' by their Lustre I am eclipsed c. Finally Do I Love them that Love God and Loath them that Loath Him even as I incline to have my friends Love those that Love me and the contrary And do these following words of God dwell in me richly and powerfully Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle Who shall dwell in thy Holy Hill He in whose Eyes a Vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord Psal 15.1 4. They that fear thee O Lord will be glad when they see me that is a Godly man Psal 119.74 He that walks with wise men shall be wise but a Companion of fools shall be destroyed or broken Prov. 13.20 Postscript THE Desires of some and supposed Needs of others invite me to place here this shorter Solution of the third Question The Change in us which sheweth Salvation to be come on us is twofold Intellectual and Practical Of our Understandings and of our Conversations We do not Omit that of the Affections but comprehend it in the other The Intellectual Change is then and not till then when four things are Learned and are also a Learning better by us 1. The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ The Doctrines which are the Foundations We have shewn them upon the second Question Who can think him savingly Built on Christ that knows not the very first Stones to be laid in that Spiritual Building 2. The Conclusions from the Principles foresaid The Doctrines that are for Upbuilding on Christ These also have been set forth with the fore-mentioned Building on is as necessary as the Laying of the Foundation is Neither is it savingly Laid where the Holy Spirit is not teaching and a Soul learning to Build up and Build on To wit that it may become a complete Temple for the Holy Spirit Ephes 4.12 13 15. 2 Pet. 2.4 5. 3. The Confirmations of the said Principles The Doctrines Proving and Strengthening them And Warranting our Foundation and Superstructure Securing 'em against Winds of Opposition 'T is as needful to cover and preserve what we build from the injuries of weather as it is to build Ephes 4.12 16. 4. The Applications of the mention'd Principles The Doctrines directing their Improvement unto Duties as well Relative as Personal What are Means worth but for the Ends of them What good do all Truths in our Minds if not improved unto all holy Services in our Lives Who would Build and Cover a House but for Use to themselves and their Friends Savingly the Spirit has not Built and Strengthned us in Christ if he has not taught us to make our Life a service to Him. And to make His Will not our own our Law and Rule Our Rule for behaviour toward God Our Selves Neighbours Friends Enemies Superiors Inferiors Equals The ignorant and the listless to know the first of these be Owls and Bats Those that be the like to know the second be Dwarfs yea Embryo's Souls regardless to know the third be Sand-builders and lie at the mercy of the Weather And the mindless of the fourth be barren Heaths All short of what they should be yea contrary to what they must be if ever they pass from Death to Life The Practical Change is then when four things can be said of a Man. 1. That he is Changed as far as Felix Agrippa and Herod That he is one that Trembles at God's Word Has an Inclination to be a very Christian Hears the Word preach'd gladly Otherwise he is not so much as a Washed Swine or Painted Sepulchre 2. That he is Changed farther and as a Stone into a Flame of Fire A Stone is Dark Cold and Inclines downward to its earthy Centre Fire is Bright Hot Active and that Upward To say a Man is thus Changed is to say that of Ignorant he is made Knowing Of Listless he is made Zealous for God in Christ Of Industrious for Earth he is made so for Heaven 3. That he is Changed into the Man of God by Saint Paul 's Character That is a man throughly furnished for every good work I mean every one from him required as a Church-Member e. gr For Reading and Hearing the Word profitably â—â— for Using of Baptism and the Lord's Supper so and for submitting unto Church-discipline so Not to say for Governing his Family holily c. which are imported By being furnished hereto I understand prepared with necessary Skill and Zeal 4. That he is Changed from a Demas into a Martyr That is that of a fearer of the Cross more than of the Loss of the immortal Crown he be made in resolution a Martyr And become resolved by God's grace to die any the worst death rather than commit any the least sin To be salted with fiery Tryals rather than with Hell's fire FINIS Books Printed and are to be sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel 1. OF Thoughtfulness for the Morrow with an Appendix concerning the Immoderate Desire of Fore-knowing things to come 2. The Redeemer's Tears wept over lost Souls in