right Hand of God there to intercede and mediate for us till at last he shall come again to judge the World and eternally reward or punish all according as their lives have been good or bad Quest. So that I perceive Faith in Christ is our believing the Gospel and all things contained therein concerning God our Selves or another World upon Christ's Authority And particularly believing what he therein declares concerning his being the Christ and Son of God who died roâ—e again ascended to God's right Hand and shall return again to judge the World as is also expressed in the Creed And that for the sake of his death to expiate sins God will be reconciled to Sinners upon their true Repentance Ans. Yes this is the true Faith in Christ upon profession whereof the Apostles at first enter'd Men as Disciples S. Peter without more ado Baptizing the three thousand that gladly receiv'd the Word wherein he had declared to them these very things Act. 2. 41. And the Christian Church ever since admitting them to Baptism upon their professing Faith of the Apostles Creed which contains the same particulars Quest. By this I perceive what Faith in Christ is Pray what wants this to make it saving and available unto Righteousness Ans. Only that it suitably affect us or work in us such Godly Affections Purposes and Practices as may justly be expected from Men of such persuasions Quest. Pray what are these suitable affections Ans. They will best appear by running over briefly some of the chief of those particulars which we believe on the word of Christ and which are to produce them in us Quest. We believe that God is our Father who at first made us and still preserves and provides for us with Paternal care and tenderness How must this affect us Ans. With Love Honour and dutiful Obedience If I be a Father where is my honour Mal. 1. 6. Quest. We believe him to be infinite in Justice and Almighty in Power able and ready as to conâ—er whatsoever is desirable on those that fear so to inflict whatsoever is dreadful on those that affront him What should this beget in us Ans. Reverence and godly fear Fear him who when he hath killed hath Power to cast both Body and Soul into Hell yea I say unto you fear him Luk. 12. 5. Matth. 10. 28. Quest. We beâ—ieve him to be perfectly Righteous that is most Holy and Just and True and Faithful and Merciful and Patient and pleased only with what is so How ought we in reason to be influenced by this belief Ans. Made Holy and Righteous as he is that so we may be like him the Supreme Object of all imitation and find favour in his Eyes If we know that he is Righteous we know that every one that doth Righteousness is born of him 1 Jo. 2. 29. Quest. We believe his Providence orders all events What should we do upon this Ans. Be content under all that happens and say as the Holy Psalmist I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Psal. 39. 9. or as old Eli It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3. 18. Quest. We believe that this Providence will never leave nor forsake those that fear God Heb. 13. 5. that it will make all the evil they meet with here to work for their good Rom. 8. 28. That the desire of the Righteous shall be granted Prov. 10. 24. That they shall not want any good thing Psal. 34. 10. And that when they seek first the kingdom of God all other things shall be added to them without their being solicitous about them Matth. 6. 33 34. What would one in reason expect from Men so persuaded Ans. That they trust in the living God 1 Tim. 6. 17. that they lay aside all distracting solicitude and thoâ—ghtfulness for outward things Matth. 6. 25 31 34. That they be careful for nothing but making their case known to God cast all their care upon him who careth for them Phil. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 7. Quest. We believe he will not forget his word although the performance of it be long delaied but remember it faithfully and in due time give it effect What should this work in us Ans. Patience and Perseverance of Hope whereof all have need that after they have done the will of God they may receive the Promise It being God's way for some time to exercise Mens Faith of a Promise before he accomplish it Heb. 10. 36 37. Quest. We believe he is able to fulfil it when it is most improbable and unlike to take effect there being no word impossible with God Luk. 1. 37. and that he will do it What should be the effect of this Ans. To beget in us a firm Faith and unshaken confidence in his Promise such as Abraham's was for having a Child when both He and his Wife were past Age for Children and of having a numerous Issue by him when at Gods command he was just about to slay him Rom. 4. 20 21. Heb. 11. 19. Quest. We believe that for Christ's sake God will give good things to those that seek to him for them and that if they ask it shall be given Matth. 7. 7. What should follow upon this opinion Ans. Prayer and Devotion So that whatsoever Temporal or Spiritual Blessings Men stand in need of they should seek to God the Author and by Jesus Christ the procurer of them Quest. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ that was to come into the World. What would any serious and considerate Man do that is so persuaded Ans. Confide in him and worship and submit to him as a most just Object of our Homage Trust and Adoration Quest. We believe this same Jesus to be our Lord. What should he in reason do who believes and professes that Ans. Keep his Commandments and observe his Orders For why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Luke 6. 46. Quest. We believe that he came down from Heaven in love to us to restore us to God's Favour and Eternal Happiness What would any ingenuous Person do that is convinced of this Ans. Love him most dearly that so loved us and thank him most heartily and intirely for having done and suffered so much for our sakes Quest. We believe the cause of his dying so painful and ignominious a Death upon the Cross was not any ill that he had done himself but only our sins and that at last they will bring us to Eternal Death unless we repent of them What can be expected of all that have this persuasion Ans. Irreconcileably to hate sin and to repent and sin no more lest they come to â—eel the same at last intolerably and that too without all hopes of remedy in their own Persons We must die to sin says the Scripture since he died for it Rom. 6. 6 8 11. And if we judge that he died for us his love
crucified dead and buried he descended into Hell. Quest. What did Christ suffer Answ. Besides his previous Sufferings particularly in the Garden where the wrath of God was strongly represented and Hell let loose upon him under which 't is said he was exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26. 37 38. and thrown into an Agony wherein he sweat great drops of Blood Luke 22. 44. Besides these previous Sufferings I say he suffered also after his Apprehension all manner of rudeness from the inraged Rabble and Soldiery who mocked him spit upon him buffeted and scourged him bound his Head about with a wreath of sharp Thorns which every where like Darts pierced his tender flesh and at last nail'd his Hands and Feet to a Cross a most acute and lingring Death and to make that most ignominious Suffering more ignominious still hung him in the midst between two Thieves Quest. Who were the Executioners of all these Cruelties Answ. The Jewish Rulers and People went as far in it as they could But because the Romans who had conquer'd them had not left among them as they say any Power and Authority to put any man to death Joh. 18. 31. they drew in Pontius Pilate the Roman Governour to sentence his Crucifixion against his Conscience Quest. Did not Pilate believe Christ to deserve all this Answ. No he knew they had delivered him for envy and malice Matt. 27. 18. He declared he was a just person Matt. 27. 24. and that upon examination he found no fault at all in him Luk. 23. 4 14. No nor yet Herod when he sent him to be judged by him v. 15. But because by their importunity a tumult was made he yielded to pass sentence against him for his own quiet Matt. 27. 24. and to content the people whom he durst not offend Mar. 15. 15. Luk. 23. 23 24. Quest. What need had he to fear them that such an abject fear should betray him into so unjust and vile an Action Answ He had incensed them and made himself obnoxious to be articled against by his former violences being a man very Cruel and Tyrannical for which on the complaint of the Samaritan Jews he was presently after removed as Josephus reports And in this case they terrified him moreover by threatning to accuse him to his jealous Governour Tiberius Caesar as no friend to him for letting Christ go who called himself a King which they said was speaking against Caesar Joh. 19. 12. Quest. Christ did testify indeed before Pilate that he was a King and that for this end he came into the World that he should bear witness of this Truth Joh. 18. 37. And did not this give Caesar just cause to be afraid of him Answ. No because as he declared his Kingdom was not of this World neither should his Servants fight for him as the Subjects of worldly Princes do for them Joh. 18. 36. so that he would take nothing from the Emperor nor pretend to thwart him or resist his just Power But his Kingdom was in relation to another World a Spiritual Kingdom set up in men's Hearts and administred by the expectation of future Rewards and Punishments leaving Princes still to govern as they did in all the Affairs of this life And this did not intrench any thing upon the Prerogatives of the present Powers whom he left all in the same Authority and their Subjects under the same Duty as he found them As Pilate plainly perceiv'd by Christ's Answer wherewith he was satisfied and pronounced him innocent upon it Quest. These Sufferings of Christ you mention were most barbarous and horrible things But amidst all these bodily Tortures had he not ease within and great support of inward spiritual Comforts as he afforded the Martyrs and Confessors afterwards in theirs Answ. No the Horrours of his Mind were beyond the Anguish of his Body as if he were design'd to suffer the extremity of what Nature could bear His Soul was troubled Joh. 12. 27. very heavy Mat. 26. 37. Sore amazed Mark 14. 33. Exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26. 38. and in such an Agony as I noted at the apprehension of the Divine Wrath he was conflicting with as put a most unwonted force upon Nature and made him sweat as it were great drops of Blood Luk. 22. 44. Under all which he was so over-born with the Burden that he needed an Angel to be sent to strengthen him v. 43. Quest. Could Christ have avoided these Sufferings if he would Answ. Yes he could have had Legions of Angels for his Rescue Matt. 26. 53. But for our sakes he voluntarily submitted to them I have power to lay down my life and to take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self Joh. 10. 18. Quest. And was God consenting to them Answ. Yes they came about not only by his Permission but by his Counsel and Determination He did no ways excite the Jews to this abominable Act but left them to their own envy and malice which were more than enough to push them forward But when they of themselves were wicked enough to do it he by his infinite Wisdom accomplishes what his Son and he had before agreed viz. the working our Redemption by it He suffered according to what was determined Luk. 22. 22. He was delivered to them by the determinate Counsel and Foreknowledge of God Acts 2. 23. Herod and Pontius Pilate did only what his Hand and Counsel had determined before to be done Act. 4. 28. And he was a Lamb fore-ordain'd to be slain before the foundation of the World 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. His death and his exaltation therefore to be a Mediatory King and our Redeemer was a Bargain driven and a Matter concerted long before betwixt him and his heavenly Father My Father hath appointed the word is covenanted to me a Kingdom that is in the everlasting agreement between God and him it was promised as the Reward of his undertaking Luk. 22. 29. And on this account his Servants are said to be given to him as a Retribution He gave himself for them that is to purchase them Tit. 2. 14. Thine they were says he to his Father and thou gavest them me that is on this consideration Joh. 17. 4 6. Quest. But since the things he endured were the absolute perfection of shame and sorrow why should Christ submit or God bring Christ to that end was it to punish his own sins Answ. No he did no sin 1 Pet. 2. 22. He was tempted in all points of Natural Infirmities as we are but yet without sin Heb. 4. 15. Quest. For whose sins was it then for all death is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23 Answ. For ours for we had sinned and were all to die but he comes by the Allowance of God and bears our iniquity by dying in our place God laid on him the iniquities of us all Isa. 53. 6. He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.
cut off as a Malefactor by corrupt Judgment noting the main circumstances both previous and concomitant and the particular and then unusual manner of his punishment And that after his Death he should return from the Grave and appear alive again All this the Psalmist and the Holy Prophets plainly foretel of him When we shall see him says Isaiah it will be without form or comeliness he is despised and rejected of men Isaiah 53. 2 3. He is to be betrayed and sold to his Adversaries for thirty pieces of silver Zach. 11. 12. And when he is in their Hands he shall be judged as a prisoner Isaiah 53. 8. his back shall be scourged and his face shall be spit on Isaiah 50. 6. He shall be tried and condemned and cut off out of the land of the living Isa. 53. 8. And as for the manner of his Death that shall be by the piercing of his hands and feet and keeping his Body between them so at stretch saith the Psalmist that they may tell all his bones a plain description of a Death on the Cross which being a Roman punishment and brought in among the Jews by their Conquest must needs be unknown in David's Age and so more observable to be foretold by him so many hundred Years before in describing the sufferings of Messiah Besides under this Execution they relate the very words wherein he should express the bitterness of his Sorrows and wherein the starers on would vent their cruel Scoffs and how they should seek to sharpen his Pains by a draught of vinegar and pierce or thrust him through as Zechary declared in a Text which the old Rabbins applied to Christ and when he was Dead share his garment by casting Lots for it They pierced my hands and my feet I may tell all my bones they part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Whilst they stare upon me and laugh me to scorn saying He trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver him if he delight in him says the Psalmist Psalm 22. 1 7 8 16 17 18. Which Psalm and these passages of it according to the Letter never fully verified in the Story of David after the Jews of old the New Testament applies to Christ Matth. 27. 35 43 46. John 19. 24. These places evidently foretel the method of his Death and Humiliation And then after Death the same Prophets as evidently foretel that he should not lie to see corruption but return from the grave to a long happy and successful Life When he shall make his Soul an offering for Sin he shall prolong his days so that after his dying as a Sacrifice he was to be a live Man. Nay the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied so that he was also to be an active undertaking and successful Man verse 10. yea I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong that is be most Wealthy Potent and Victorious amongst Men verse 12. All which long active and happy Life was to be bestowed on him not only after his Death but as a recompence and reward of it He shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and was numbered with the transgressors that is was condemned and executed in the herd of Malefactors verse 12. Quest. I see all this was plainly prophesied of Messiah and was it fully made good in Jesus Christ Ans. Yes For he appeared in a poor and despicable condition as a carpenter's son He was sold by his own Servant for thirty pieces of silver which did the Traytor no good but by an over-ruling Providence was cast to the Potter or to buy the Potters Field for a Burying place as Zechary had foretold He was put in Bonds as a Prisoner and led about before the high-priest Herod and the Roman Governour They scourged him and spit upon him they condemned and cut him off according to the word of Isaiah not only as a Malefactor but also in company with them executing him †between two thieves as the Evangelists relate of him And as for the manner of his Death though Crucifixion was no Jewish but a Roman Punishment and after the High Priest had pronounced him guilty of Blasphemy by the constitution of the Jews and the Law of Moses he should have been stoned yet by the special ordering of God he suffered by the piercing of his hands and feet and hanging so at stretch upon the Tree that his bones might be numbered according to the words of David In his extremities though the custom of the Nation was to offer stupefactives as Wine and Myrrh to benum the Sense and ease the pains of dying Persons yet to verifie the saying of the Psalmist they brought him Vinegar to whet and sharpen his The chief Priests with the Scribes and Elders most inhumanly staring on him said with cruel scorn He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him the very words which the Holy Psalmist had so long before set down for them and he himself cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The very words again which that Holy Prophet spoke for him in his extremity As he hung upon the Cross a Soldier pierced his side and thrust him through to fulfil the words of Zechary And when they saw he had expired the four Soldiers that stood by and were to share his Cloathes would not divide his seamless coat but cast lots for it according to the Prediction of the Psalmist Amidst all which strange congruities he had one other qualifying circumstance which the Prophet Isaiah remarks viz. to make his grave as with the wicked by dying for a pretended crime so with the rich in his death Isaiah 53. 9 which was verified by his being wrapt in fine linen and Entombed as by his care so in Joseph of Arimathea's own Sepulchre who was a rich man and an honourable counsellor And then as for his return to life again to be an undertaking successful and most potent happy Person that has been most notoriously and eminently made good in our Blessed Saviour's Resurrection and in the unparalleled success of his Religion in all places since that time And this again especially his Resurrection is another note which as it fits Jesus to be the Messiah so beyond dispute excludes all other Men. For though Theudas and Judas as Gamaliel observed and other false Christs in just reward of their Impostures have been condemned and slain yet was never any of them seen to return to life again to carry on their pretences and to prosper and thrive in them Quest. Have you any other notable and appropriating marks to add from
9. He died for our sins 1 Cor. 15. 3. He poured out his Soul a Sin-Offering Isa. 53. 5 10. Quest. What are we the better for his dying for them Answ. Infinitely the better every way but particularly his death will save us from dying for them if we truly repent of them He hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law by being made a Curse that is enduring a cursed death for us Gal. 3. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 21. He bought us off from death by dying for us whence he is called our Redeemer and our Ransom 1 Tim. 2. 6. Quest. But has not his death bought us off from the Punishment of our Sins till we repent of them Answ. No for we must Repent and be converted that our sins may be blotted out for his sake Acts 3. 19. and being made perfect that is inaugurated into his Princely Power by suffering he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Quest. If men remain impenitent then they must die for their own sins I perceive notwithstanding Answ. Yes Except they repent they must all perish Luk. 13. 3. Quest. But since Christ hath died for them once already will not that be dying twice and so being twice punished for the same sin Answ. No for he profered and God accepted his death not as an unlimited exchange for all Sinners but only for those who will leave their sins and repent of them He died indeed for all men but he died as their Sacrifice Eph. 5. 2. and Sacrifices were accepted in lieu only of Penitent Offenders and as God still told the Jews would never put away sins without the Repentance of those they were offered for To what purpose is the number of your Sacrifices said he to those who went on still in their wickedness Isa. 1. 11. The Sacrifice of God is a broken Spirit that is the Sacrifice God accepts must be accompanied with it a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal. 51. 17. Quest. But was not his death a satisfaction for sins And if he has satisfied for them already what need we do more must we satisfie for them again Answ. All the fruit and estimate of his Satisfaction must be taken from the Argument between God and him His death who was an innocent man would have signified nothing at all towards our release unless God had been graciously pleased to admit of him in commutation and exchange for our Suffering It avails and operates nothing by it self alone but only so far as God accepted him And the nature and effect of his Satisfaction as it was joyntly designed and concerted between his Father and him was not that no sinner whatsoever should be accountable for his own sins but only that none should who had repented of them Quest. What then were his merits or that which he deserved and obtained of God for us by his death Answ. The Grace and Favour of Repentance or that if we truly repent we shall not die for our selves So St. Peter expresses that benefit the Gentiles had received in being admitted Christians then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. And again God exalted him to be a Saviour to give Repentance unto Israel and remission of sins Acts 5. 31. So that the merit of Christ's death is the Pardon of all our sins on true Repentance and likewise the Grace to enable us thus to repent of them Quest. Is this Pardon on Repentance a Grace and Favour which we needed him to purchase for us Answ. Yes for the Law of Works which condemned us all was Do this and live not as thro' Christ the Gospel is either do it or repent where you fail So that God was not bound to pardon Sinners when they did repent Nay the Honour of his Holiness and Justice the maintaining the Authority of his Laws and the seriousness and veracity of his threatnings were ready to interpose and hinder him from doing it But when Christ came to die in our stead and pay his own Blood as a price to induce God pardon Penitents Then since he doth it not without such a valuable Recompence he might pardon them without any Reflection on those glorious Attributes And this is the fruit of his Satisfaction and the Merit and Purchase of his Death viz. the Favour of Pardon of sin upon Repentance Quest. Is there no other Merit and Fruit of Christ's Death Answ. Yes besides the forgiveness of sin and the gift of Eternal Life thereupon he has also merited as I said the Grace to cure it But this is so much favour and indulgence as he ever sought or has procured of God towards the pardon of it Quest. But if we cannot partake of the benefit of his death but upon these terms how is all the favour we receive by it said to come freely and to be of free Grace Answ. Grace may be called Free on two accounts either as it is not given us for our deserts or as it is not given upon any conditions Quest. Is the Grace of God free in the first sense as that excludes all Merits or so free as not to be given us for our deserts Answ. Yes and this is the Scripture-sense of Free-Grace for there Free-Grace is the same as Undeserved-Grace Quest. How doth that appear Answ. Because Free-Grace is there opposed to Boasting which has place only on the Plea of Merit or desert We are justified freely by his Grace then where is Boasting it is thereby excluded Rom. 3. 24 27. And by Grace ye are saved not of works i. e. by the desert of any works lest any man should boast Eph. 2. 8 9. Quest. If the Scripture had been silent 't is easie to apprehend this Grace must needs be undeserved by us because all we can do is by the help of his Spirit and is but his just due which we do not give but pay as Debters and were it our own it is yet defective and mean and utterly unwâ—rthy of so vast a Recompence But tho' it be thus absolutely undeserved by us yet has not Christ fully merited and deserved it for us Answ. Yes he was bound to nothing but voluntarily subjected himself to the Law and took our Nature upon him All the perfect Obedience he shewed either in doing or suffering the Will of God was his free and gratuitous Offering and was good in the highest degree and perfection and received an infinite estimate from the Divinity of his Person and gratified the Father in his greatest designs for his own Glory and mens Salvation So that by his Services so free and gratuitous in themselves and so worthy of the most infinite Recompence he has justly merited all that Grace which for his sake God bestows on us Quest. The Grace of the Gospel I see is absolutely free to us in the first sense that is it comes to us without the least of our deserts But
their Trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you Mat. 6. 14 15. And therefore when we pray for forgiveness our Lord allows us to do it only upon these terms Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us Quest. What if we have wronged any Persons is it not enough towards forgiveness to do so no more Answ. No it is not but withal we must make Restitution and amends for the wrong we have done already If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy Gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Mat. 5. 23 24. Quest. I see we must hope to have forgiveness of our Sins of willfulness and also of our Sins of Passion which you shew'd to be of like guilt with them only upon our true Repentance and amendment of them But upon what terms shall our slips of ignorance and inadvertence be pardon'd since they are never perfectly amended but hang about us more or less as long as we are in this World Answ. Upon our great Charity to other men especially to their Souls in endeavouring their Conversion and Salvation And therefore that St. Peter recommends above all other Virtues and for this Reason Above all things have fervent Charity among your selves for Charity shall cover the multitude of Sins 1 Pet. 4. 8. And if any of you err and one convert him let him know that he who converts a Sinner from the Error of his way shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a Multitude of sins Jam. 5. 19 20. Quest. For whose sake doth Almighty God allow us all this Benefit of Forgiveness Answ. For Jesus Christ's who as you have seen dyed for our Sins and gave his blood a Ransom to purchase for us all this Pardon of them He is set forth a propitiation for the remission of Sins that are pass'd thro' Faith in his Blood Rom. 3. 25. And then for his sake we shall receive all this mercy when with the dispositions before express'd in his Name we devoutly pray to God for it Quest. By the promises of the Gospel I see this forgiveness is assured to all Christians upon the terms you have described But is it in any Signs and Tokens outwardly dispensed to them Answ. Yes both in the Holy Sacraments and in Sacerdotal Absolution Which ways of ministring this forgiveness as well as the forgiveness it self are noted in some Ancient Creeds This Article being thus profess'd in St. Cyprian's Form at Baptism I believe the Remission of Sins by the Church Quest. Is this forgiveness dispensed to us in the Sacrament of Baptism Answ. Yes and that most amply the water of Baptism washing off the stain of all former Sins Be Baptized and wash away thy Sins said Ananias to Saul Acts 22. 16. Repent and be Baptized for the Remission of Sins said St. Peter to the Jews Acts 2. 38. And he hath saved us by the Laver of Regeneration i. e. the water of Baptism and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3 5. So that whateve pollutions men had before upon them if they come to Baptism with true Faith and Repentance they are thereby made clean again Quest. Is it also dispensed in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Answ. Yes if after the Baptismal cleansing they relapse and contract new guilt in that they are admitted to renew the same Covenant of Grace again and seal the Pardon of it For therein Christ gives us his own Blood which as he says particularly was shed for the Remission of Sins Mat. 26. 28. He entertains us there at his own Table which is an open profession to all worthy comers that he is reconciled to them and receives them again as Friends And therefore when any Baptized Christians are startled and terrified with the Conscience of their Sins let them repair to that Holy Sacrament to seal and assure the forgiveness of them But let them come with Faith and Repentance and Reconciliation to their Brethren which as I said are the Terms of our being Forgiven For the Holy Sacraments dispense this forgiveness to none but such as worthily receive them and those they do cleanse from all former Pollutions Quest. Is there also a dispensation of this Pardon in Priestly Absolution Answ. Yes for therein Christ has authoriz'd his Ministers that act in his place and stead to pronounce the Sentence of Pardon upon all true Penitents and bid them expect that what they regularly thus declare on Earth in his Soveraign Court in Heaven he will make good He breathed on them and said receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever Sins ye remit they are remitted and whose soever Sins ye retain they are retained Joh. 20. 22 23. And therefore when a true Penitent hears his Pardon solemnly pronounced by an Officer whom God has deputed and Commission'd for it he may quiet his heart as one whose case is judged and firmly hope God will pronounce the same at the last Judgment But this I say he must do only after true Repentance For 't is only the Ministry of Reconciliation saith St. Paul which God hath committed unto us 2 Cor. 5. 18. but the direction and ratification of it he has reserved to himself and then only ratifies what his Ministers do when they pronounce according to his own Rules and Orders So that if the Priest pronounce by mistake and absolve the impenitent God will judge right tho' he judge wrong and Condemn at last whom he had before erroneously absolved in his Judgment Quest. Christ says what they retain shall be retained as well as what they remit shall be remitted Ought not that to beget in all Christians a great dread of Excommunication and Reverence for Church-Censures Answ. Yes questionless when they proceed upon just Cause for then Christ will maintain the Honour of his Deputies and make good their sentence He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10. 16. If any Offender will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Mat. 18. 17. In these Acts what his Ministers do Regularly and according to his Direction they do it as representing him by vertue of his Commission and Authority which having given to be sure he will stand by And accordingly St. Paul and the Church-Governours at Corinth under him exercising their Power by virtue of Christ's Commission Declares that both in binding and relaxing or forgiving he acted with the Power and in the Person or place of Christ 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. and 2 Cor. 2. 10. Quest. Do all Censures of the Church then where the Truth is on its side cut men off as from the Church which is his Body so from Jesus Christ who is the Head of it Answ. All those do which are passed for such sins or errors as are Damnable by
Jewish Doctors note the Power of a destroying Angel on such as have not received the initiatory Rite of Circumcision answerable whereto is that old tradition among them that God exempted their Nation from the Power of the Angel of death to which he subjected the rest of the World when he chose them for his own People and gave them the Law. Or when being once enter'd they either burst out of it themselves or by just excommunication which as our Lord says brings Men back into the state of the Heathen are cast out into the World again For then the Devils obtain more Power over them as S. Paul notes saying of those that grow turbulent in the Church and oppose themselves that they are taken captive by him 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. and calling excommunication a delivering over unto Satan as it throws them out into his Territory and within the verge of his Dominion 1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 20. Yea probably their attempts are more greedy and violent upon those who for a while were rescued out of their hands than on others who were held always under them And accordingly in the Parable of the unclean Spirit we are told that if being once driven out of a man he find him empty and naked of Guards and so fit to be made a prey again he takes with him seven Spirits worse than himself when he seeks to enter into him the second time Matth. 12. 43 44 45. 2 Pet. 2. 20. Quest. Would you note any thing else that is like to provoke God to abandon and give us up to these deluding Spirits Ans. Yes to omit others buying and selling of the Truth or acting for Gain against God and a good Conscience When Men forsake God or a good way or thing not out of sincere convictions but secular interests and for worldly gain then doth the Devil enter and take possession of them For his great way is to open the Door by a golden Key and by the offers of gain to get admission And thus he enter'd into Judas taking possession of him by thirty pieces of silver which he preferred before his Master Luk. 22. 3 4 5. And into Ananias getting him into his Power and filling his heart by a desire of keeping the price of his land to himself Act. 5. 3. When Men once put themselves into Satan's hands by putting away a good conscience and professing or acting against convictions they are in the ready way as S. Paul says to make shipwrack of the right Faith and fall under a delusion of their understandings 2 Tim. 1. 19. Quest. But doth not God himself do more than suffer and give way to sin by leaving them to their own Lusts or to Satan as you say to push them on when he talks of giving men a spirit of slumber Rom. 11. 8 10. Isaiah 6. 10. Is not that something positive of his inflicting Ans. 'T is like it is a sending a sluggishness of thought or a dulness and drowsiness of apprehension on them Not such as makes them quite unable to apprehend but only like a drowsie Man more listless heavy and slow in it 'T is eyes wherewith they should not see and ears wherewith they should not hear that is such wherewith they would not because they could not do it easily Rom. 11. 8. Such abatement of intellectual perspicacity and power God sometimes threatens to obdurate sinners saying he will smite them with madness or blindness or astonishment and stupidity of heart Deut. 28. 28. And this is very just thus to impair the perfection of our minds as well as the health and strength of our Bodies in punishment of our sins For both these being his gratuitous and undeserved gifts are reversible in what measure he pleases And he never withdraws them in his wrath from contumacious sinners but on forfeiture and high provocations when they have winked long against the Light and would not see with quick and clear senses It is all in way of Justice and Judicial Process so that there is nothing but what shows a Holy a Just and Good God too in all this Quest. But if God so irreconcileably hates sin why doth he not employ his Power to keep it out Were it not easie for an Almighty God to prevent sin in the World if he would Ans. It is not fit he should make it impossible by putting it out of our power to chuse it And as for such ways as infer no force upon our wills but consist with our free and rewardable avoidance of sin he has not been wanting in them which is all that is to be expected on his part Quest. Why to ease both himself and us of the evil of sin might not God make it impossible and put it out of our power to chuse it Ans. Because that is inconsistent with our Natures who having Flesh as well as Spirit must needs be free to Evil as well as Good. It would leave nothing in us to be commended or rewarded when we do abstain from it there being no thanks due to any Man for omitting what he was utterly incapable to act To make sin impossible is to offer violence to our free and reasonable Natures and to set aside all Laws all Censure and reward of Actions Which no reason will expect a Holy God should do who looks not only at his own Power and Holiness but at the displaying of his Governing-Justice too and the Freedom and Liberty of his Creatures and will take such ways to keep out sin as best comport with all these So that an utter incapacity for it is no way of hindring us free and rewardable Creatures who are not to be irresistably forced and compelled but drawn and persuaded Quest. And has God done all that can reasonably be expected that way to prevent sin Ans. Yes he has given his own Son to die a cruel Death thereby to purchase Mercy for all that truly repent of their sins he has plainly showed and forbid all sin that no Person need be ignorant of it he has threatned it with the most insupportable punishments that all may be afraid to come near it he offers the most incomparable rewards to all that will overcome it and promises the aid of an unconquerable Spirit and Grace to enable all who will strive as they ought to prevail against it In summ having stupendiously brought about by the meritorious Death of his own Son that Mercy should be offered to all Men to pardon and Grace to extirpate and abolish sin he has left nothing wanting but their own wills to perfect the conquest of it And he has done all that for them and set all those things before them which should not force their wills indeed but bend and persuade them to resolve upon such conquest And that is all which ought to be done with free Creatures whose wills are not to be forced but won and persuaded towards its exclusion So that if after
Gentiles together with their abominable Idolatries they walked in lasciviousness excess of wine revellings 1 Pet. 4. 3. as the Israelites joyning themselves to the Idol Baal Peor committed whoredoms Num. 25. 1 2 3. They served Moloch that is Saturn by most horrible and unnatural cruelties dropping their own Children into the Fire through the Hands of his Statue and so burning them alive to him which the Scripture calls making them pass through the fire to Moloch as a burnt-offering Lev. 18. 21. Jer. 19. 5. But the True God is most utterly opposite to all such impositions He commands nothing but what is pure and virtuous and for our own good and advantage what is honorable and perfective of our Natures nay what is worthy not only of Men but of Angels and when he would submit to any Laws as he did when in Christ he became Man of God himself Quest. This shews the excellency of his Laws But what say you to the equity of them Are they not rigorous and over-burdensome requiring more than we are able to perform Ans. No though he requires great things yet together with that he offers such help and grace as will render them not only possible but tolerably easie to us His commandments are not grievous 1 John 5. 3. His yoke is easie and his burden light Matth. 11. 30. Quest. Is God Righteous also as a Judge that is when he comes to Judgment will he impartially execute his Laws without favour or respect of Persons Ans. Yes For in his Righteous Judgment he will render to every Man according to his deeds To those who by continuance in well-doing sought Glory eternal Life But to all that obey unrighteousness and are impenitent sinners wrath and anguish and that on every one that doth evil without respect of persons Rom. 2. 5. to 12. Quest. What will become then of all those that break his Laws Ans. Unless they make their peace by Repentance they must be condemned to that eternal Death which his Law threatens Quest. But doth not God sometimes punish one Man for another's sin as the Children for the Parents or the Parents for the Children whereas the rule of Justice is to give every Man his own Ans. No in all his allotments he assures us the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him Behold saith he all souls are mine as the soul of the father so also the soul of the son and one shall not suffer for another but the soul that sinneth it shall die Ezek. 18. 4 19 20. Indeed if a Father shares in a Child's fault by setting an evil example to it or by being too indulgent and not seasonably correcting it then he shall suffer as Eli did but this is not for his Child's but for his own sin in as much as he concurred to it And if a Child follow his Father's sin he shall partake in his punishment as is implied in Ezekiel chap. 18. 14. but that is not because his Father sinned but because he imitated it But if we do not communicate in the sins of other Men we shall not answer for their guilt for every man shall bear his own burden Gal. 6. 5. Quest. But what say you when God punishes a wicked Parent with want or an infirm body doth not that transmit Diseases or Poverty to his innocent Posterity Or when he scourges a sinful Nation with the Sword Famine or Pestilence do not those involve the innocent in common with the Criminals Ans. Yes but these not being directed by Almighty God upon themselves but seizing them through the necessity of second causes and course of things by reason of their joynt Interests and Relations they are not vindictive strokes nor in the way of punishments but only their calamities and misfortunes 'T is their mixt Interests not God's Justice which brings these upon their heads Quest. But when Men have forfeited by their own sins is not God who would otherwise spare oft-times moved to exact the forfeiture for the sins of others who will be afflicted and are intended to be punished in their misfortunes Ans. Yes and that 't is like may be a reason why when God says in the Second Commandment he will punish the sins of Idolatrous Fathers who are particularly called haters of him on the Children he limits it to the third and fourth generation For 't is very possible the Parents may live so long to see their Sufferings and so be punished themselves in beholding what their unfortunate Posterities endure for their sakes But since in this case God only takes just forfeitures and withholds undue favours and forbearance when he has great and wise reasons it is no reflexion at all on his Justice or other Attributes Quest. I see God doth not misplace punishments by punishing one for another's offences But may he not seem to misproportion them when he punishes momentany sins with eternal torments Is that consistent with Rules of Justice Ans. Yes whatever punishments are justly proposed may be justly exacted For what a just and wise Law-giver denounces a just Judge may execute And if Men feel the smart of it they can only blame themselves For why would they deserve it The punishment was denounced to the sin before they had made themselves guilty of it And this denunciation was intended to restrain them from committing it And if they would by God's help they might have been restrained by it So that be their suffering hard or their punishment what it will they have none to accuse but themselves for having voluntarily called it down upon their own heads Quest. But is it just to propose and denounce such heavy punishments Ans. Yes because there is need of them and Mankind will not be restrained by less For so strong is the sinful byass and inclination of our Natures so many and great our temptations and so much the advantage of sensible and present pleasures above future and unseen recompences that Men would never forego the pleasures of their sins on smaller Considerations Not only the offers of all temptations but also the reluctancies of our own Natures are to be out-weighed and the great disadvantage of remote and unseen things is to be compensated by the immensity and eternal duration of these punishments So that less than these would not discourage any numbers in our circumstances Nay alas how few do these hinder and discourage as the general wickedness of those who profess to believe them is a lamentable and abundant evidence Quest. But between sin and punishment as 't is usually said there should be some proportion Whereas sins that are soon at an end and sufferings that have no end bear no proportion Ans. Since sins and sufferings are no material bodily things they are not capable of being proportioned to each other by weight or measure to be weighed out equally in Scales or measured by a Rule and Line as Bodies are Their
ends both of Grace and Wisdom Ans. Yes to all those that love him If they come to defeat their projects they shall see at last that is in favour to them or if only to backen them that is but to respite them for a more advantageous issue at a fitter season nay perhaps these seeming backners will at last appear the truest promoters to help them on If Men will have patience till all is done their crosses and misadventures will appear most orderly proper and beautiful in their time when they have seen on to the end of the chain and viewed the whole frame and dependance of God's ordering And therefore upon any cross occurrences Men must not be hasty in judging to discourage and discontent their hearts but wait God's time with Patience Hope and implicite Faith till the end of things discovers his most Wise and Gracious Purpose Quest. But what if in the height of our hopes and probabilities some cross accident starts up that is like to break all our measures Ans. If God sees good to make our hopes take place he can make our crosses carry on our desires to advantage For 't is his Prerogative to bring light out of darkness to make use of weak things to worst the strong and of foolish things to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1. 27. And he has declared that all things shall work together for good to those that love God Rom. 8. 28. But then they must commit their case to his conduct and trust him with it Quest. But the evil accident happens at that very time which of all others seems most unseasonable and fit to pull down all they have been so long a building up Ans. Though it doth to God the easiness of accomplishing his Gracious Purposes is still the same It only gets him the greater Glory in making the crossest events serve such turns as are beside all expectation and he chuses to work by such improbable means to shew his overruling Wisdom What in appearance could be worse timed than the dissension of Paul and Barnabas two chief Ministers in an Infant-Church Yet this God turned to the furtherance of the Gospel by dividing them like two great Streams for the watering of more Countries Paul going through Syria and Cilicia and Barnabas to Cyprus Act. 15. 39 40 41. And therefore we must never be immoderately troubled or dejected at private or publick mischances falling out most unseasonably to cross our hopes either for our particular Interests or for God's Holy Church For when God is ingaged for us he over-rules as the greatest evils so the crossest seasons too to serve his own purpose Quest. Sickness loss of friends and crosses and mischances that could not be foreseen I see plainly are the Hand of God. But when we suffer from ill Men are those evils also of God's sending Ans. Yes for the wicked are God's sword Psal. 17. 13. He over-rules the most troublesom and ungodly Men to serve his own turn the Lord hath made or disposed all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil that is to vent themselves there where he sees fit to send evil Prov. 16. 4. They are his instruments whereby he either exercises our patience or corrects our disobedience Quest. If 't is God that afflicts us by them and they are but as a Rod or Instrument in his Hand when they design to vex and hurt us he can put by their design Ans. Yes and often doth as he put by Abimelech from committing wickedness by a terrifying dream Gen. 20. 3 6. and Pharaoh by sending great plagues upon him Gen. 12. 17. His Providence can at any time throw in their way a discouraging reason a diverting fear an inward relenting or expose some other object to their hurtful passion and divert it from him it fixed first upon Even the heart of kings says Solomon who having no Superiours here seem most of all left to their own wills are in God's hand to derive into any channels or courses as the rivers of water are in the Husbandman's to bring them over what part of his Ground he pleases Prov. 21. 1. whereof we have abundant instances both in Holy Scripture and Experience Quest. And when they are fully fixed to do us hurt yet since they are under his conduct and direction let them desire and endeavour it as much as they will they cannot do us any hurt before his time Ans. That is very right And this was plain in the wicked Jews who though they sought with all their might to kill Christ yet either he secretly withdrew himself at the very point of time when they thought to lay hands on him Luke 4. 29 30. or the officers hearts relented who were sent to apprehend him John 7. 32 44 45 46. or they were providentially struck with a startling fear that the People who held him for a Prophet would rise upon them Matth. 21. 46. Some thing or other stood always ready to put them by because his hour was not yet come John 7. 30. But when God's own time drew on his Providence which was a Wall of Brass about him before laid him open to their spite and then they wrought their wills upon him this is your hour and the power of darkness Luke 22. 53. And so it was also in Job's case Whilst God set an hedge about him no Enemy could annoy him and till God had said all he has is in thine hand Satan himself could not bring his mischievous instruments the Sabaans and Chaldaeans upon him Job 1. 10 12 15 17. Quest. And when that time is come can they exceed his bounds or afflict further than he has allowed them Ans. No for though the Jews to increase Christ's pain designed to break his legs as well as the Legs of the other Malefactors as he hung upon the cross yet by the speediness of his death God prevented them to fulfil the Scripture which saith a bone of him shall not be broken John 19. 33 36. And when the Corinthians were full of fears and apprehensive of great trials S. Paul tells them God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will make a way to escape so much of the temptation as would prove over hard for you 1 Cor. 10. 13. And this has been the general experience of God's Servants who as S. Paul speaks might be troubled on every side but not distressed perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. Quest. And as God stints the measure as well as appoints the season doth he also fix the length and duration of our sufferings from evil Men Ans. Yes that is not left to their malice but as soon as our sufferings have accomplished God's ends he will take care to alter the counsels and course of things The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust
it cut off all hopes of impunity and utterly discourage all future offenders Answ. Because God has no more Sons to die for us and when he was sollicited to remit the punishment of our sins he would not do it upon a less exchange When man sinn'd against the Law of unerring Obedience upon the Merits and Death of his Son God pardon'd that and admitted them to favour again upon their Repentance But if they shall offend against this Law too and be finally impenitent there are no Sons of God to suffer again to purchase their Forgiveness Quest. So that Christ's Suffering for us salved all the Honour of God's Attributes and served all the Purposes of his Justice that would have been served by our suffering for our selves Answ. It did so and to the full as well too the punishing of his own Son when he answered for Sinners shewing a more implacable hatred of sin and inexorable Justice than he could have shewn by punishing all the World who were Sinners themselves And therefore his death was a satisfaction to God for the sins of the whole World. Not only a satisfaction to Benevolence and yielding Goodness as when easy and indulgent Natures are appeas'd by any small returns and incompetent Recompences but a Satisfaction to Justice by way of full Compensation and Equivalence Christ by his one suffering displaying the Honour of all God's Attributes as much as God could have display'd them by punishing the whole Humane Race Quest. If the Death and Sacrifice of Christ were so full a satisfaction at first there is no more now to be paid and it need never be repeated Answ. No nor ever must it The Jewish Sacrifices needed constantly to be repeated because being of little worth and very imperfect their virtue was soon spent so that year by year they were continually offered Heb. 9. 25. and 10. 1 3. But his being full and perfect from the first and leaving nothing to be added He is not to be offered often but at once hath he put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9. 25 26. and 10. 14. But altho his Sacrifice is no more to be really acted as it needs not the whole effect of it being as fresh and full now as it was at first yet is it daily still commemorated and the virtue thereof apply'd in every good Prayer but especially in every Sacrament Quest. What learn you from Christ's dying a Ransom for our sins Answ. 1. To abhor sin since it is so odioâ—â— to God that he can spare it in no person no not in his own Son when he took other men's sins upon him And if he spared not him when he would bear the punishment for us how can we hope he will in the least spare us when we come to undergo it for our selves If these things were done in the green Tree what shall be done in the dry Luk. 23. 31. 2 To give our selves up to the service of Christ who hath bought us for his own property at so dear a rate This is the least we can do in Equity and Justice Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and Spirits which are God's by such costly purchase 1 Cor. 6. 20. And if there is any spark of Love and Gratitude in our Hearts we can do no less in Resentment of such stupendious kindness For the Love of Christ constrains us because we thus judge that if Christ died for all they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Quest. Ought it not also to teach us Faith in God and to beget in us a firm Trust that he will perform whatsoever he has promised Answ. Yes as plainly shewing that nothing is too great for his love to make good He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. Quest. Must not his Patience and Charity in his Sufferings not reviling again but praying for his Enemies teach us the same when we are called to suffer Answ. Yes for in suffering thus without threatning and when he was reviled not reviling again he hath left us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. 23. Quest. Should not God's imposing so many and great secular hardships and sufferings on his own most dear Son make us have easier thoughts of these things than others have and reconcile us to Affliction Answ. In all Reason it should For it shews how inconsiderable worldly Goods and Glories are in Gods Eyes how temporal evils are allotted to the dearest persons how proper they are to Discipline and improve the most virtuous how they perfect Piety and what a step they are to Felicity and Glory Jesus himself tho' he were a Son yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5. 8. He was made perfect through suffering Heb. 2. 10. He ought to suffer and so enter into his Glory Luk. 24. 26. We see him for suffering death crowned with Glory and Honour Heb. 2. 9. And seeing Sufferings not only thus providentially allotted but also thus profitably undergone and highly recompenced in him the blessed Apostles and primitive Saints whose Ambition it was to be in all things his true followers did not repine and mourn but rejoyce and glory in them Quest. And since in dying for us he has shewed us such stupendious Love must not that mutually endear us and teach us if we would be his followers most tenderly to love one another Answ. Yes if God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 Joh. 4. 11. Nay since hereby we perceive the love of God to us because he laid down his life for us we ought upon just occasion to lay down our lives for the Brethren 1 Joh. 3. 16. Quest. In the Creed you say dead and buried When Christ expired upon the Cross was his Body taken down and buried Answ. Yes it was laid in a Tomb and a great Stone roll'd before its mouth according to the Jewish Custom And for fear his Disciples should come by night and steal him away the Jewish Rulers when they had sealed the Stone got a Guard from the Governour to watch it Mat. 27. 64 66. Quest. What mean you by Christ's descent into Hell Answ. His abode in that state of Death and Separation or his Soul 's being in the place of Separate Souls till it was united again to his Body at his Resurrection as it is written Thou shalt not leave my Soul in Hell Acts 2. 27. which St. Peter there says was fulfilled in the Resurrection of Christ when he ceased to continue under the power of death and gloriously arose to triumph over it v. 30 31. Quest. Doth the word Hell sometimes signifie only the state of the Dead or the place of Souls departed Answ. Yes as David says of all men What man is he that
Justification Rom. 4. 25. and who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again Rom. 8. 34. Quest. Was his Resurrection necessary on any other Accounts Answ. Yes for 2. In virtue of his death he was to be our Mediator to intercede with God for us and our Saviour and Deliverer to protect and rescue us from our Spiritual Enemies And these great works suppose a live man and are not to be performed by a dead person And being thus necessary to discharge his continual care of us it must be equally so to support our Faith and Trust in him When men are dead we expect no service or succour from them And therefore were he still in the Grave we should not fix our Hope and Trust in or make our Addresses to him Quest. Was it necessary to shew him to be the Messiah and to prove his Religion Answ. Yes for he had appealed to it as a sign of his being a true Prophet Mat. 12 38 39 40. And therefore by the way of tryal which God prescribed the Jews viz. the accomplishment of predictions he had appear'd to be a false Prophet had he failed in it So that if Christ be not risen saith St. Paul your Faith is vain 1 Cor. 15. 14. Quest. In his Death and Resurrection methinks we have a plain and palpable instance of the immortality of Humane Souls and of a future Life beyond the Grave where God may reward or punish us Answ. So we have For his Soul manifestly did exist apart from his Body during the time of their Separation till on the third day it was reunited again So that mens Souls can subsist without as well as in their Bodies and when they depart hence go into another place where they are capable of being called to account for all they have done in this life On which account as well as others St. Paul might well say That God hath given assurance of a future Life and Judgment by raising Christ from the dead Acts 17. 31. And St. Peter That God hath begotten us to the hope of an Eternal Inheritance thro' the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Quest. We read of several others that rose from the Dead as well as Christ had he any thing singular in his Resurrection above them Answ. Yes he raised himself by his own power but they were all raised by him he was not only the first that rose but as the First-Fruits and all the World besides rise as the ensuing Crop which depends upon him Destroy this Temple saith he and in three days I will raise it up Joh. 2. 19 21. I lay down my life and take it up again Joh. 10. 18. He is the first-born from the Dead Col. 1. 18. Rev. 1. 5. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his own order Christ the First-fruits afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming 1 Cor. 15. 22 23. Quest. But did not Lazarus rise before Christ John 11. 44. and Jairus's Daughter Luk. 8. 55. and the Widows Son of Nain Luk. 7. 12 14 15. and how then is he said to be the first of the Dead that returned Answ. They returned to die again but he was the first that rose to life everlasting He being raised dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6. 9. Quest. By his Resurrection Christ got Glory and Happiness to himself even that Joy for which St. Paul says he endured the Cross Heb. 12. 2. But did he thereby acquire any Power over us Answ. Yes his Death purchased and his Resurrection invested him with an absolute Power and Dominion over us For this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and Living Rom. 14. 9. And after his Resurrection saith he All Power is given to me both in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. Quest. If so his Resurrection lays an obligation upon us to obey him Answ. Yes like as he rose from the dead so must we rise to newness of life Rom. 6. 4. Quest How long stay'd he upon Earth after he was risen again Answ. For the space of forty days discoursing and speaking of the things concerning the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 3. Quest. Whither went he when he left it Answ. To Heaven whither he was taken up in a bright Cloud all the Apostles looking up after him till he was taken up out of their sight Acts 1. 3 9. And now he is there he sitteth at the right hand of God. Quest. What mean you by his sitting at the right hand of God Answ. His advancement to the heighth of Dignity and Authority in the presence of God. The Right-hand of a Prince is the place of peculiar Favour and of highest Honour and Respect as Solomon when he would do Honour to his Mother Bathsheba set her at his Right-hand 1 King. 2. 19. To be placed at hand by the priviledge of nearness gives opportunity for Conference and Address And to be placed at the Right-hand the Hand of use and business is to be in the way both of presenting all Offers and receiving of Returns whence it is a known mark of special Favour and Honour with all Potentates And so by Christ's sitting at God's Right-Hand is expressed his Soveraign Honour and Power in the presence of God. Or perhaps moreover his sitting in his humane shape on the Right-hand of that Bright Throne or Resplendant Glory which visibly accompanies and manifests some extraordinary presence of God as he appeared to Stephen in his Vision who saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the Right-hand of God that is I suppose at the Right-hand of that visible Glory wherewith God appeared Acts 7. 55. And this probably is what the Scripture means by his sitting at the Right-hand of Power Mat. 26. 64. and on the Right hand of Majesty Heb. 1. 3. That is on the Right-hand of such Glory or bright Appearance which is the usual Symbol of God's Power and Majesty which at other times is expressed by his sitting on the Right-hand of the Throne of God Heb. 12. 2. or on the Right-hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 8. 1. Quest. It was most just that he should be exalted thither in recompence of his meritorious sufferings as the Apostle notes Phil. 2. 8 9. and Heb. 12. 2. But is he gone thither to carry on any Designs for us Answ. Yes and those of the greatest importance For there in the highest manner and to the fullest effect he exercises all his Offices in our behalf Quest. I pray you explain the Designs he carries on for us there Answ. First The work of Intercession as our Priest. For he stands before God to mediate on our behalf and to obtain for us whatsoever God has promised or he has purchased or we stand in need of He is enter'd into
lasted and Prayer was added to it Is any Sick among you says St. James let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them Pray over him anointing him with Oyl in the Name of the Lord for in Christ's Name all their Miracles were wrought And the Prayer of Faith i. e. put up in Faith of the miraculous cure shal save the sick viz. from his Disease and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed Sins i. e. if any Sins brought this sickness they shall be forgiven him in the cure of it Jam. 5. 14 15. Quest. By saving of the Sick here indeed may seem to be meant saving of him from his Disease because it follows and the Lord shall raise him up But the Prayer of Faith and forgiveness of Sins seem to note something else Answ. As for the Prayer of Faith that Agrees very well for a Faith or belief that God will enable him to do it is necessary in every one that works a Miracle And as for the Forgiving of his Sins you must know that the Punishment of Sin is not only eternal Death but Present Diseases and therefore that the sin is forgiven at least in part when either of these is taken off And thus the Scripture speaks of it For when any sickness or infirmities come for sin our Saviour makes it the same thing to say thy sins are forgiven as to say arise and walk and accordingly when he design'd to work a Cure he would say thy sins are pardoned Mat. 9. 2 5. Quest. What other Miracles had they the gift of Answ. Of casting out Devils as the Apostles did out of Multitudes Act. 5. 16. Of Raising the Dead as Peter raised Dorcas Act. 9. 39 40. and Paul Eutichus Act. 20. 9 10 12. Of inflicting Bodily Diseases and Torments as well as Spiritual Horrors and Supernatural Agonies on contumacious sinners as Paul did on Elymas the Sorcerer striking him with blindness Act. 13. 8 9 11. and on the incestuous Corinthian whom he thus punished for the destruction of the Flesh 1 Cor. 5. 5. Which Corporal inflictions he seems plainly to threaten the Back-sliders at Corinth withal when he tells them of coming to them with a Rod 1 Cor. 4. 21. Of using sharpness 2 Cor. 13. 10. Of Revenging all Disobedience 2 Cor. 10. 6. Yea of such sharpness as would over-awe and humble the most carnal minds and contemptuous Opposers of Church Authority and Censures bringing down the Flesh as he said of the Incestuous Persons and making them afraid to Blaspheme as he said of Hymeneus and Alexander who were most contemptuous and stubborn in their Heretical Opinion 1 Tim. 19. 20. And this infliction of smart and Bodily Diseases upon obstinate Sinners is called Delivering over unto Satan as the Apostle says he had done in these last mentioned Cases Quest. Why was this infliction of Bodily smart and punishment upon them called Delivering over to Satan Answ. Because these Pains were to be the Effect of God's immediate Justice and Satan should be the Tormentor and Executioner of God's Vengeance And therefore when these Offenders were given up to God's Justice they were said to be delivered into his Hands When God in a more immediate and extraordinary way sends present heavy Plagues upon Men especially as a Punishment for sin Satan is often said to inflict them Saul's Melancholly is called an Evil Spirit from the Lord upon him 1 Sam. 18. 10. God's Plagueing the Egyptians sending evil Angels among them Ps. 78. 49. The Woman who had been bowed together eighteen years one whom Satan had bound Luk. 13. 11 16. The Lunatick a Demoniack or one vexed with an unclean Spirit Mat. 17. 15 18. and Luk. 9. 39 42. And thus when the Apostles gave up offenders to God to punish them because the Devil executes the Punishment which God decrees it is called Delivering them over unto Satan Quest. This delivering to Satan then was an Act of Divine Justice upon these Criminals and God commanded Satan thus to afflict them as formerly he afflicted Job at the instance of the Apostles Answ. Yes and therefore as 't is not improbable it was done with Prayer to God to take vengeance For so the Apostle may seem to express himself on his Delivering up Alexander Alexander the Copper-Smith did me much Evil the Lord reward him according to his Works 2 Tim. 4. 14. In this he Acted as a Spiritual Judge delivering up to Justice and Prayed God to exact the Penalty according to his Sentence Quest. Had they the Gift of any other Miracles Answ. Yes for such I reckon was their Joy in Tribulations and Glorying even in the very Hour of their sufferings When the Council had beaten them they departed from their Presence rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's Name Acts 5. 40 41. Whilst their Stripes were yet sore and they were pinched in the Stocks in the Dark Dungeon Paul and Silas sang Praises to God and triumphed rejoycing Act. 16. 23 24 25. And upon their Persecution at Antioch the Disciples were filled with Joy and with the Holy Ghost Act. 13. 50 52. Thus as if they were not of the same Mold nor had Bodies like other Men did they Glory in their Shame for Christ and rejoice in Tribulation Quest. But is not Joy an ordinary Fruit of the Spirit And why then do you think this rejoicing of theirs had something Miraculous in it Answ. A secret Joy in the sense of God's Love is common among Good Men and an ordinary Fruit of the Spirit and so 't is reckon'd Gal. 5. 22. Yea and Joy in Tribulation after the Tribulation is past for afterwards it yields the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness to those that are exercised with it Heb. 12. 11. But to rejoice in the very midst of it and under the Stroke as they did I think has an extraordinary Gift and miraculous Aid in it For under the ordinary Assistance of the Spirit the Bodily Pain hinders rejoycing at the very instant For the Present no chastening seemeth to be joyous but grievous Heb. 12. 11. Quest. What say you then to the Words of Christ Rejoice and be exceeding glad when you are Persecuted for my sake Mat. 5. 11 12. Answ. I think they do not so much express a Duty that he strictly exacts as a Gift and Priviledge which he sometimes bestows upon his Martyrs and Confessors As was visible in the Apostles days and among the Primitive Martyrs For their minds were sometimes so ravished and transported with Spiritual Consolations as to seize all the Powers of their Souls and not suffer them to attend to the most Exquisite Bodily Tortures So as they could smile upon Racks and sing under their Executioners and be so far intranced in Spiritual Comforts as to declare under the most Bloody Butcheries that they were not sensible of any Pain And the same stupendious supports God has sometimes vouchsafed in later and modern Persecutions
express and declare it and of Miracles whereby they should undoubtedly prove and demonstrate it to all the World. Answ. Yes Quest. When Christ promised the Holy Ghost to his Apostles he calls him by the Name of Comforter Joh. 16. 7. What is meant by that Answ. First that he should be an Advocate which is one sence of the word Paraclete to plead the Cause of Christ and his Religion against all that opposed them This he did most convincingly in the miraculous Gifts already mentioned And in this sence Christ says of him that when he is come he will reprove or convince the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Joh. 16. 8. Secondly a Comforter which is another sence of it to support them under all that troubled them This is plainly another sence since he tells them of sending the Comforter because sorrow had filled their hearts v. 6. And this Office he fulfill'd by assuring them their Lord whose death they lamented was now alive again by supplying his Place in making their defence and giving them assistance and direction and by shewing them an happy end of all their Troubles and preparing them for the Kingdom of Heaven Quest. Is the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost a Sin against these miraculous Gifts of his Answ. Yes for it was against the Gift of Miracles and casting out Devils the Pharisees sin'd when he cautions them against this dreadful sin saying the sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven Mat. 12. 24 32. Quest. And what is the unpardonable sin against them Answ. Slandering or Blaspheming them as the Pharisees there did when they attributed them to Magick and said he cast out Devils by Beelzebub v. 24. for it is expresly called speaking against the Holy Ghost v. 32. and Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost v. 31. And this he said saith St. Mark because they said he hath an unclean Spirit Mar. 3. 30. Quest. What is meant by never forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Answ. Not being pardonable under any dispensation or Religion either Jewish or Christian for the Jews looked on the days of Messiah as a later state and dispensation of the Church to succeed their own on which account it is called the last days Is. 2. 2. Heb. 1. 2. and the last time 1 Joh. 2. 18. and the World to come Heb. 6. 5. And some sins were to be atoneable among Christians for which there was no atonement among the Jews since by Christ they were to be justified from those Things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 39. And therefore when Christ says this Blasphemy shall not be forgiven in this World nor the World to come that is the same as neither to be forgiven in the Jewish State while it lasted nor the Christian neither Moses nor He having provided any Sacrifice or expiation for it Quest. Is Blaspheming God the Father or the Son unpardonable Answ. No whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him Mat. 12. 32. yea all manner of other Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto Men v. 31. Quest. Why then will the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost never be forgiven Is he more worthy than either the Father or the Son Answ. No that is not the reason But these his Gifts are the last means of begetting Belief in men and without Faith and Repentance wrought by Faith there is no Pardon If men would not believe but revile the Son when he was among them after he was taken up the Holy Ghost was to come and be his Advocate and by all the miraculous Gifts I have mentioned gain credit from them But if instead of believing him they shall go to Blaspheme and Revile him and slanderously call all his stupendious Gifts magical Tricks and works of Satan God is resolved to endeavour no more with them nor ever to bring them to Believe and Repent without which there is no Pardon So that it is unpardonable because after it God has decreed that Faith and Repentance shall be impossible Of Apostates says St. Paul who committed this sin it is impossible to renew them again to Repentance Heb. 6. 6. Quest. These miraculous Gifts were wonderful vouchsafements did not they evidence all that enjoy'd them to be in Favour with God and in a justified state Answ No for they were bestowed promiscuously on good and bad Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness yet he was a Prophet 2. Pet. 2. 15 16. Judas was the Son of Perdition but he wrought Miracles as well as the other Apostles Mat. 10. 1 4 5 8. And at the last Day many will plead that in Christ's Name they Prophesied and cast out Devils and did Wonders and yet he will bid them depart from him because they wrought iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. 'T is obedience not miracles that will save our Souls it being not the workers of wonders but workers of Righteousness that God accepts of And thereupon our Saviour bid his Disciples rejoyce not for that the Devils were subject to them but rather because their Names were written in Heaven Luk. 10. 17 18 19 20. Quest. Thus much may suffice for the understanding of the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost But besides his bestowing these Gifts you said he has appointed several Offices for the Planting and Establishing Christ's Church and Religion what are those Offices which he is the Authour of Answ. He gave some Apostles the highest and most extensive power in the Church and some Prophets who foretold future Things Expounded old and utter'd new Prophesies and some Evangelists who writ the Gospels or preach'd the Word in unconverted Places where it was never heard before and some Pastors and Teachers or Bishops and Presbyters to govern and instruct the Church All which he gave for the perfecting of the Saints the Work of the Ministry and the edifying of the Body of Christ Eph. 4. 8 11 12. And God hath set in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles Governments c. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Quest. For what end were these Offices appointed Answ. For the Government and Edification of the Church and the Work of the Ministry in the Word and Sacraments and Prayers They were given saith St. Paul for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ Eph. 4. 12. Quest. And were all these Offices to last through all Ages of the Church Answ. No Apostles Evangelists and Prophets were Temporary Offices which lay in founding of the Church and revealing Christ's Religion by Inspiration from himself And this Church being once founded and built and this Revelation being once committed to Writing it remains a lasting Thing and so needs not to be repeated a second time And therefore when once they had perform'd this Work in all after Ages there was no further need of them
To prove any thing Sinless and Lawful then it is not necessary to produce a Law or Example for it since a Law commanding it would render it not barely Lawful but necessary but it is enough that there be no Law against it Answ. Very right for till a Law forbids a thing there is no sin in it Quest. What is a Wilful Sin Answ. A Sin against Knowledge or doing what we know to be displeasing to God. And this either when we are aware of the Evil at the Time we commit it or should have been so but that we have accustomed our selves to it which makes us sin without observing that we do so Quest. If a Man by custom brings himself to Swear or Lye or the like without thinking of it his Sin you say say is wilful for all he doth not bethink himself in committing it Answ. No doubt of it for he wilfully contracted this Custom and Habit which is so far from being an excuse for his Sin that it is one of the greatest aggravations of it The Habit of Sin is called the Law of sin Rom. 7. 23. and the Body of Death ver 24. Quest. What if a man has such a mind to a Sin that he will not see it but checks and stifles all Thoughts that would arise in his mind against it Nay perhaps endeavours to deceive himself and come to a Persuasion that there is no Fault or it may be some Praise in it Answ. He is a wilful Offender indeed because his own Will makes him ignorant as it did the Pharisees and other Jews who were wilfully Blind Mat. 13. 15. Quest. When is a wilful Sin against Conscience Answ. When 't is acted against the present checks of our own minds and under Fears and Relentings Quest. And when is a Sin against Conscience called Deliberate which I suppose is a higher pitch of Wilfulness Answ. When 't is committed after Fears and Debates and we consider'd and disputed with our selves for some time whether to do it or no before we ventur'd on it Quest. What is a sin of Ignorance Answ. When we do an Evil thing not knowing it to be a sin nor seeing its sinfulness Quest. Doth Ignorance excuse any Offences Answ. Yes when men are not ignorant through culpable Neglects nor blinded by wicked Lusts. For in this ease 't is said Christ can have compassion on the Ignorant and Erroneous Heb. 5. 2. But when they have no mind to see a Thing nor care to find it out that Ignorance is faulty because chargeable on their own wills Quest. What say you when their Judgments are resolv'd on the wrong side and they act under Erroneous Opinions Are they not excusable in any Actions so long as they only follow their Conscience Answ. No except their Conscience Errs so pitiably as to be reasonably qualified for excuse The Jews followed their Consciences when they crucified Christ Act. 3. 17. and 1 Cor. 2. 8. but yet God esteemed them wicked Murderers Act. 7. 52. Paul verily thought that he ought to Persecute the Church Act. 26. 9. But in that he declares he was the greatest of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 13 15. The times are coming saith our Lord that they who kill you will think therein they do God service Joh. 16. 2. But yet God would take vengeance on them for the Blood of these Righteous Persons Mat. 23. 35. 'T is no sufficient warranty in what a Man doth that he follows his Conscience except he take care to have a right Conscience or when 't is wrong it err only through misfortunes not out of a wilful Neglect a wicked Lust or an unteachable Temper Quest. What is a Sin of inadvertence Answ. When in the general we know a thing to be a sin but are not free at the time of acting it to consider and reflect upon its sinfulness This generally happens because we do the evil suddenly e're we can bethink our selves whence they are called sins of Surreption i. e. which steal upon us unawares and sins of Surprise And thus it falls out in the many sudden envious lustful repining or otherwise ill thoughts or Desires the beginnings of Anger the rash Words and Censures Good People are Guilty of All which till they can come to observe them if then they are careful to check and Repress them are pitiable inadvertences and surprises which because we are all apt daily to fall into more or less are call'd sins of Daily incursion Quest. What think you of sins of Passion when either mens own Consciences or other Friendly Monitors tell them they are doing ill but they go on notwithstanding because Passion is strong and Lust or Anger hurries them away being very high in them Answ. These are not perfectly wilful because when their Passions are at such height their Wills are captivated and have little Power over them for that time But they are punishable as wilful sins are because it is Mens voluntary Fault if they do not mortifie all such inordinate Passion and they that belong to Christ must not suffer Passion to arise so high that it can captivate and reign in them They that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections or Passsions and Lusts Gal. 5. 24. Quest. From what you have said I perceive what Sin is but what is meant by the Forgiveness of it Answ. A Release of the Punishment which is due to it For then God forgives a sin when he acquits Men of the Punishment of it And because this is a passing over sins as if they had never been and taking no notice of them it is called covering sins and not imputing them Rom. 4. 7 8. Quest. What are the Punishments due to Sin Answ. Death and Diseases and all the Miseries of this World. But especially the Eternal Torments of Hell Fire in the next Quest. The Eternal Pains of Hell must needs be acquitted when a Sinner is pardon'd For we can never think any sin pardon'd whilst the Sinner is eternally suffering for it But when the everlasting Punishments of the other Life are released are all the Temporal Inflictions in this Life struck off too Answ. No for Death is the Wages of sin and that still is all Mens Portion And when Men by their sins have greatly dishonoured God or given great Scandal unto others to manifest the justice of his Providence God oft-times here chastiseth them by present Judgments yea even after they have Repented and he has thereupon remitted to them all eternal Pains Thus when Nathan told Penitent David that God seeing his Repentance had put away his sin so that as to the last account he would be acquitted Yet because thereby he had given occasion to the Enemies of God to Blaspheme he should be punished here and the Child should die for it 2 Sam. 12. 13 14. And at Corinth several of those who on the score of their Repentance should not be condemned with the Wicked World at last Yet for their
Scandalous Prophanations of the Lords Supper were sickly and weak and fell asleep at present 1 Cor. 11. 30 32. And the Man of God from Judah being pitiably seduced by a Dissembling Prophet without any thing that appears of an Evil intent and having first faithfully and boldly declared God's Message against Jeroboam's Altar we may reasonably hope was mercifully spared as to the other World. But yet here God met him by the way and devoured him by a Lion for yielding to a Seducer to eat Bread against the Word of the Lord 1 King. 13. And this ought mightily to restrain us all from acting any great dishonour to God or crying Offences for which God may judge us in our Persons Estates or Families in this World when upon our true Repentance he acquits us in the next Penitence is not so good a Preservative against the sting of these as innocence is For such Offences do always justly expose us to Temporal Calamities and sometimes make it necessary for us that we should be severely corrected in this World. Which consideration ought to restrain all that regard either their own or their Families welfare in this World from ever being guilty of them Quest. When are these punishments relaxed and what is the time of Pardon Answ. The solemn full and irreversible declaration of it is at the Day of judgement But before that God pardons the sins of good Men in this life giving them a general pardon of all sins in Baptism and of all particular Failures afterwards as they repent of them So on David's repentance for the matter of Uriah Nathan told him God had put away his Sin 2 Sam. 12. 13. Quest. Is this forgiveness in this World perfect and irreversible so that when once any sins are struck off they are never more placed to account Answ. No but limited and suspended on Terms viz. mens perseverance in repentance for if after their pardon they fall off and relapse into the same wickedness they shall be unpardon'd all again and stand accountable for all former Transgressions If the Righteous man turn from his Righteousness to iniquity saith God in Ezekiel all the Righteousness he hath done shall not be mention'd to him but in his Sins that he hath sinn'd shall he dye Ezek. 18. 24. 33. 12 13. And when the Debtor to whom his Lord had pardon'd all his great Sums had render'd himself unworthy of that grace by his merciless usage of a small Debtor among his fellow Servants his incensed Lord cancel'd the Pardon and exacted all the dispunged Accounts And so says Christ will my Heavenly Father do with you in like case Mat. 18. 24 27 30 34 35. Quest. Do we believe the forgiveness of all Sins Answ. Yes except the Sin against the Holy Ghost and willful Apostacy from the Faith of Christ for which there is no forgiveness Quest. I have seen already that there is no Pardon for Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost But is there none also for willful Apostacy from Christianity Answ. No for if we sin willfully i. e. by willful Apostacy after we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for Sin i. e. Christ's Sacrifice is not designed to expiate such offence Heb. 10. 26. Quest. Is that Sinning willfully willful Apostacy from Christianity Answ. Yes For these Sinners saith the Apostle tread under foot the Son of God i. e. affirm Christ to be still in the Grave not risen from the Dead and count the blood of the Covenant or Christ's Blood an unholy Thing i. e. as the Blood of a Malefactor and say it was justly shed and do despite to the Spirit of Grace i. e. despite the Holy Ghost which confirm'd Christianity and reject all his Miracles as Satanical delusions v. 29. So that these Sinners were plainly Apostates who ceased to own and had begun to accuse Christ as the Jews and Heathens did And the same Apostacy St. Paul speaks of in another place when he tells us if Christians fall away i. e. from their Christianity whereby they Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh or joyn in Condemning him with his Crucifiers it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance Heb. 6. 4 5 6. Quest. But all other Sins you say we may believe and trust to have the pardon of Answ. Yes thro' the merits of Christ and the mercy of God. So Christ Commissions his Apostles to Preach Repentance and Remission of Sins to all Nations Luk. 24. 47. And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father and he is the Propitiation for our Sins 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. And all manner of Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but that against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven Mat. 12. 31. Quest. You would have no Sinners then to despair of Mercy or think their Sins greater than Christ's merits or God's grace and too big to be forgiven Answ. No by no means For Christ by his most precious death has gain'd a full Pardon for the greatest Sins and sends out his Apostles to Proclaim it to the greatest Sinners David was guilty of Adultery and Murder Paul was a cruel and bloody Persecutor and Blasphemer Peter was perjuriously false and denyed his Master But all these were forgiven and none need or must despair as if when they Repent God had not pardon enough in store Quest. These indeed are instances of the greatest sins But is there forgiveness for them when they are committed with the most aggravating Circumstances Answ. Yes For David's Murder and Adultery was with much deliberation and contrivance and against so many struglings and reluctances that thereby he became almost quite hardned and of a seared Conscience And Peter's denyal was repeated several times and those considerably distant to allow space enough for remorse and that too with false Oaths and bitter imprecations But both these obtain'd mercy on their true repentance Quest. You say on true Repentance Is all this forgiveness then upon some Terms and Conditions Answ. Yes for God's grants of grace are as in consideration of Christs Sacrifice so also of our Faith and Repentance And therefore neither to Infidels nor impenitent Persons Quest. Upon what terms must we believe God will forgive us any willful Sins Answ. When we repent of them and forgive others Quest. Will he not pardon them 'till we repent and amend them Answ. No for to all the willful Sinners of the World the Apostles were to Preach Repentance and Remission of Sins And of these 't is said he that confesses and forsakes his Sins shall find mercy Prov. 28. 13. Quest. But when we have repented and left these Sins will he not forgive us still unless we forgive others that have trespass'd against us Answ. No there is no forgiveness neither for impenitent nor uncharitable Persons For if ye forgive men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men
in the Parable of Dives and Lazarus Abrahams Bosom And the care of conducting them thither as Christ noted in the account of Lazarus is committed to some good Angels For some of these as ministring Spirits always attend the death-beds of God's Saints and receive the departed Soul into their care to guard it from all frights and molestations of envious Fiends as it passes thro' the Regions of the Air which are the Principality or Territory of the Powers of Darkness and to guide it in all that long passage of new and unknown ways which lead to the Blessed Receptacles of departed Spirits Whereas the Souls of the Wicked when they are thrust out of their Bodies are left naked and defenceless to be seiz'd by those greedy and implacable Furies and hurried away upon the award of their most just Judge in extream anguish and despair to their most wretched Prisons Quest. But at the Resurrection I see both Good and Bad shall return to their Bodies again And shall that Life last for ever Answ. Yes for after once they are reunited their Souls and Bodies shall never part any more but the good shall continue in everlasting pleasure and the wicked in everlasting pain Quest. What happiness is there in that Eternal Life of the Righteous Answ. All possible happiness their hearts can wish or their Nature is capable of They shall see and enjoy God who will give himself to them and that implies every thing that is Beatifying all the Blessedness we can imagine and infinitely more being contain'd in God and communicated together with him Quest. And shall this Blessedness never be imbitter'd to them with any care or fear or grief or crosses as all the happyness of this present Life is Answ. No They shall neither hunger nor thirst any more Rev. 7. 16. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more Death nor sorrow nor crying nor Pain for all those former things are passed away Rev. 21. 4. Quest. Shall all their Senses be gratified with the most delightful and agreeable enjoyments Answ. Yes such as the Scripture is wont to set off by Feasts and Banquets and Marriage-Entertainments by melodious Songs and joyful Hallelujahs by transporting sights of all the Beauty the Glory and Magnificence of the Heavenly Court the Majesty of God's Throne and the Splendor of all the Heavenly Host that do surround it Indeed their exalted and refined Senses are above the gross delights of Eating and Drinking and giving in Marriage But such as these the Scripture uses because our present state places so much in them And whatsoever delight and satisfaction they may express to our present Capacities that and abundance more shall the enjoyments of that life yield to our glorified and improved Bodies Quest. 'T is a great heappiness to have clear and distinct knowledge of things and not to be distracted with doubts or posed with difficulties Shall the Righteous in that Eternal Life have such clear and advanced understandings Answ. Yes they shall get rid of all darkness and doubtfulness of mind and know every thing they desire without study or pains Now we see as in a Glass darkly but then face to face Now we know in part but then shall we know even as also we are known 1 Cor. 13. 12. Quest. 'T is a singular Point of Bliss to be perfect in Holiness which is one of the most Blissful Attributes of God himself Shall they also be such perfectly Holy Persons Answ. Yes they shall excel in every Virtue and Grace wherein Christ himself doth for when he appears we shall be like him 1 Joh. 3. 2. And those they shall enjoy free of all those weaknesses and defects whereby their Virtues are obscur'd and lessen'd in this World. For in new Jerusalem the Spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12. 23. Quest. And shall they exercise all this Holiness without trouble and reluctance which makes the practice of it painful here on Earth Answ. Yes for they shall neither have any inward Lusts to oppose it nor outward Temptations to draw them from it They hear no advice nor see any example but of what is good Their inclinations are all rectified and become Holiness to the Lord. Their Nature is perfect in good and duty is become their delight so that in conforming entirely to the will of God they do in the highest measure gratifie their own wills too Quest. And with this height of knowledge and of Holiness shall they also be inwardly pleased in their own minds and think themselves happy without which no man is happy Answ. Yes they must needs be infinitely pleased in every thing they have and in every thing they do for whatsoever comes to them is pure happiness and whatsoever proceeds from them is full of Wisdom and Goodness without the least word or action to repent of Their State is all Joy and Peace enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Mat. 25. 21. It is not bid to enter into them being infinitely more than they can hold but they into it as into a vast Ocean of Bliss whereof they shall always drink to the full but never empty or exhaust it Quest. Indeed such compleat Knowledge and perfect Holiness must needs give them cause of greatest satisfaction from themselves But what sort of Company must they keep will they be equally happy in that too Answ. Yes unimaginably happy For they will live always in the presence of God who will ineffably Communicate himself to them and of Jesus Christ who will infinitely rejoyce to see how happy he has made them and of the Holy Ghost who will eternally Congratulate the reward of his own Graces in them and converse with Angels Apostles and Glorified Saints and all their Godly dear Friends whom they valued as their own Souls and whom they clave so fast to in their hearts that they could have followed them into the other World when they were taken from them Quest. And all this God-like Society are every way fitted to be the most happy and delightful Companions Answ. Yes to be the most Blissful that possibly can be thought of For they are all light and quickness in their understandings and all love and tenderness in their Affections and most sweet and obliging in their carriage being perfectly free from all Anger Crossness Scorn or Contempt and every thing that may give offence They all look pleased and inviting in their countenances and are exquisitely wise useful and entertaining in all their Discourses and all agree in the same Opinions and speak the same things and pursue the same ends and are pleased in the same Objects and have no strife among them but who shall love highest and oblige most and be most like to God and agreeable to each other for evermore Quest. You say there shall be no strife but who shall love most Indeed a state of love which is not cooled by any unkindnesses nor crossed