stone rolled to the door of the Sepulchre Matth. 27.60 Thus the design of the Jews made his Grave with the wicked intending he should be buried with them who were crucified with him But the design of Heaven placed him with the rich in his death and caused a Councellor and a Ruler of the Jews to bury him So that we may interpret that place of Isaiah thus He was buried nigh to the wicked yet with the rich when he was dead Our Saviour notwithstanding the malice of the Jews being thus honourably buried The Chief Priests desired of Pilate that the Sepulchre might be made sure lest his Disciples should steal him away which was accordingly done the Stone being sealed with the publick Seal and then a watch was set upon the Sepulchre We come now to consider what improvement we are to make of this Article 1. Then seeing Christ did really die and was buried let us testifie our communion with him in his death by dying unto Sin 2. In his Burial by the burial of the old man 3. In his Resurrection by rising unto newness of life This the Apostle hints to us as our duty Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life SECT VI. Of that Article in the Creed Descended into Hell He descended into Hell AFter Christs Crucifixion Death and Burial the Creed subjoyns He descended into Hell In treating of which I must in the first place suggest this that this Article of Christs descent into Hell was not in the antient Creeds 'T is not found in the Rules of Faith delivered by Irenaeus lib. 1. c. 2. by Origen lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Tertullian Adversus Prax. cap. 2. 'T is not in those Creeds that were made by the Councils as explications of this Creed particularly not in the Nicene where the words are these He was Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures It was not in the Roman or any of the Oriental Creeds This being premised we come to consider this Article which cannot with any shew of reason be understood of Christs Divine nature which is every where present and cannot be said either to ascend or descend It must therefore be understood of his humane nature And here it will be needful to enquire whether it be to be understood of his Soul or of his Body If it be to be understood of his Soul it must be meant either Metaphorically or really Some understand it Metaphorically and so by Christs descent into Hell they understand those inexpressible sufferings of his Soul a See Calv. Instit lib. 2. c. 16. which of all his sufferings were the most grievous by which he felt the wrath of God in his Soul for our sins But these sufferings were all antecedent to his death he having suffered part of them in the Garden and part on the Cross and all before he commended his Spirit into the hands of his Father and said it is finished and gave up the ghost But the descent into Hell as it now standeth in the Creed seems to signifie something done after his death Besides the torments of the damned are surely such as these 1. Remorse of Conscience or the never-dying worm 2. A bitter sence of an utter rejection from the favour of God 3. Despair of ever being eased of that unsupportable misery Now certainly none of these could befall our Saviour He did not endure so much as for a moment any of the Hellish torments Therefore surely in this sense Christs Soul did not descend into Hell Others hold that Christs Soul did really and by a local motion descend into Hell This they pretend 1. To prove and that from three places of Scripture And 2. To assign the ends for which he did thus descend We shall examine both First They say that though these words are not formally expressed in the Scriptures that Christ descended into Hell yet they are contained virtually in them which they will prove 1. From Eph. 4.9 Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth by which they understand Hell For answer by the lower parts of the earth I humbly conceive is meant the earth it self which is the lowest part of the World as Heaven is the highest For before Christ could ascend unto Heaven it was necessary he should descend to the Earth by his incarnation but there was no necessity of his descending into Hell And further the Grave may be called one of the lower parts of the earth in opposition to the surface or upper part of it on which we live And this is all that seems to be meant in this place 2. They pretend to prove it from 1 Pet. 3.19 where 't is said that Christ being put to death in his humane nature was quickned or raised up again by the power of his Spirit or God-head by which he preached to the Spirits in Prison whence they infer that he descended into Hell to preach to the Spirits there in torments Answer From these words it appeareth 1. That Christ preached in the dayes of Noah by the same Spirit by the vertue and power of which he was raised from the dead But that Spirit was not his Soul but something of a greater power 2. those to whom he preached were disobedient all that time the long-suffering of God waited for their repentance and return while the Ark was preparing And 3. Their Souls or Spirits for their disobedience are now in Hell and for refusing of that mercy that was offered to them by the preaching of Christ 'T is true indeed this was not performed by an immediate act of the Son of God as if he had personally appeared on earth and actually preached to the old world but it was performed by the Ministry of Noah who was guided and inspired by his Spirit and accordingly is called a preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 The third place they alledge for the maintenance of their opinion is Acts 2.25 26 27 a place that relates to Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell c. Therefore say they surely Christs Soul did locally descend into Hell I Answer Soul is sometimes taken properly only for the Soul or Spirit of a man sometimes improperly for the whole person as Acts 27.37 We were in the Ship two hundred threescore and sixteen Souls Sometimes the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephesh which signifies a Soul doth also signifie a dead body as Levit. 19.28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead Levit. 21. v. 1. There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people Numb 6.6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no
7. What is required of them who may expect this great priviledge 1. We shall consider what Sin is and what is the foul nature of it that so we may the better estimate the great goodness of God in pardoning of it The Apostle shews us 1 John 3.4 that Sin is the transgression of the Law The Law of God is the rule of the actions of man and any deviation from that rule is a Sin and brings us under guilt 2. Let us consider what are the kinds of Sin Sin is either original or actual 1. Original Sin is by the Church of England in her Articles described to be a fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from original Righteousness and inclined unto evil In which description three things may be observed 1. Original sin is the corruption of the nature of every man descended from the loins of Adam 2. It is a departure from that original Righteousness wherewith the Lord enriched Adam and our selves in him 3. 'T is an inclination to evil So that the whole race and off-sping of Adam who were then radically seminally and potentially in his loins were infected with this contagion As the Scripture sayes of Levi that he paid tythes in Abraham to Melchisedec Heb. 7.9 10. For he was then in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchisedec met him So all we and the whole race of Mankind were in Adam when he lost himself And that we are all from the womb tainted with this original corruption * Unum illud peccatum fons est aliorum Becan and depravation of nature is plain and manifest from these Scriptures Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Ephes 2.3 And were by nature the children of wrath even as others And that even Infants themselves are tainted with this original corruption may appear from this that they are liable to death Now Death is a wages no way due to Infants for actual sins for actually as yet they have not offended therefore there must need be in them some original guilt some birth-birth-sin which makes them liable to death 2. Actual sin which is the fruit of original is any action or commission or any omission repugnant unto the Law of God 3. Let us consider the wages of sin The Apostle tells us Rom. 6. last The wages of sin is death The wages due reward and fruit of sin is death But life eternal is the fruit of righteousness not as its wages but as a gift freely given by God upon the account of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ Every sin therefore being a deviation from the Law of God brings us under guilt and guilt makes us liable to suffer the punishment which is due to our sins and proportional to our offences And our offences are augmented by the consideration of the dignity of the person against whom they are committed And being committed against God must therefore needs be very heinous and bind us over to suffer eternal punishment except we obtain a pardon and our sins be remitted 4. Let us consider by whom sins are remitted 1. Men may forgive offences committed against them so far forth as they concern them Luke 17.3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him But as Sin is a transgression of Gods Law so God only can forgive it 2. 'T is God the Fathers Prerogative to forgive Sins Isaiah 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins 3. God communicated this power to his Son while he was here on the earth who had power of forgiving sins as part of that power that was given him both in Heaven and Earth Mark 2.5 and 7. When Jesus saw their Faith he said unto the sick of the Palsie Son thy sins be forgiven thee The Scribes ask who can forgive sins but God only Their position was good that God only can forgive sins but their supposition false that Christ was a meer man and not God as well as Man 4. Ministers may forgive sins not authoritatively but Ministerially and declaratively They preach remission in Christs name declare what persons they must be and what they must do who shall obtain it 5. Let us consider upon what account and for whose sake sins are forgiven The external impulsive cause inclining God to pardon us our sins and trespasses is the respect he hath to the obedience and sufferings of our Saviour Jesus Christ The Apostle tells us Rom. 3.24 that we are justified freely by the grace of God as by the internal impulsive cause of our justification by which he was first moved to forgive us our sins and then through the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ as the external moving or impulsive cause of so great a mercy The death of Christ is the meritorious cause of our forgiveness Mat. 26.28 For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Ephes 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses 1 John 1.7 And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Rev. 1.5 Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood God is indeed said to remit our sins but never to remit the price without which we had never been redeemed The Law promised life but upon perfect absolute uninterrupted obedience and the voice thereof was Do this and live But this we failed in we need therefore the interposition of the Sacrifice of Christ for us The atonement made by the Sacrifices under the Law clearly had relation to the death of the Messias and whatsoever vertue was in them did operate through his death alone As he was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world in Gods decree so all atonements which were ever made were only effectual through his blood So that no sin was ever forgiven but by vertue of that satisfaction and God was never reconciled to any sinner but by intuition of that propitiation Yet the general doctrine of remission of sins was never clearly revealed and publickly preached to all Nations till the coming of our Saviour in the flesh 6. Let us consider what forgiveness of sins doth import and contain in it Forgiveness of Sins doth comprehend in it reconciliation of an offended God and a
that the Assizes drew nigh at which he could not expect but to be condemned surely above all things in the world he would endeavor to get his pardon 3. Let us seek it as those who are not content to be put off with any thing else besides it And to encourage us hereunto let us consider 1. God is ready to pardon He hath sworn that he delights not in the death of a sinner 2. Christ died for this very purpose to redeem us and when he was on the earth he complained that people would not come to him and believe in him that by him they might have life 3. All means of grace afforded to us are intimations that God intends us mercy if we be not wanting to our selves 4. All good motions and stirrings of the Spirit of God in our hearts are significations of his good will towards us 5. And lastly As vile or viler sinners then we are have obtained pardon and why then should not we encourage our selves to seek after pardon while it may be obtained SECT V. Of the Resurrection of the Body The Resurrection of the Body THis is one of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.2 'T is set before the Eternal Judgment which will adjudge men to their eternal state because 't is previous to it The Scripture speaks of a two-fold Resurrection 1. A Metaphorical Resurrection viz. that of the Soul out of the state of Sin and Spiritual Death Of this the Apostle speaks Ephes 2.1 Ye that were sometimes dead in Sins and Trespasses and Col. 2.13 You that were dead in your sins hath he quickned Grace Righteousness and Holiness is the Spiritual life of the Soul and where these are wanting there must needs be a spiritual death in sin Rom. 8.6 to be carnally minded is death but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness verse 10. that is the Soul is alive Spiritually when it is partaker of righteousness and grace Our Souls therefore must first rise from their state of death in sin to the new life of grace if we desire to have a part in the glorious Resurrection of the body to eternal life of of which I am to speak afterward and as the Apostle sayes Rom. 6.4 As Christ was raised from the dead so must we be raised from the death of sin that we may walk in newness of life 2. The Scripture speaks of a real Resurrection viz. of our bodies namely of the same body that died which shall be raised again and re-united to the same soul that at death departed from it This resurrection of the body is that which we profess to believe in this Article And to confirm our faith therein let us consider these two things 1. God can do it He can raise our bodies when dead to life again 2. He has declared he will do it 1. God can do it For he is Omnipotent Therefore saith our Saviour to the Sadducees who denied the Resurrection * Acts 26.8 Luke 18 27. Eph. 1 1â—.13 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 And the Apostle Acts 26.8 reasons thus Why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise the dead He that could make this World out of nothing at first undoubtedly can raise up mans body again which though it have suffered many changes and transmutations yet is not turned into nothing Though the parts of mans body be dissolved yet they perish not The first dust out of which man was made was as far from being flesh as any ashes or dust now can be And God who is Omniscient knows how to distinguish the dust of one mans body from anothers And being Omnipotent can give to every body what belongs to it to make it the same numerical Body again This he can do according to the mighty working That Parable Ezekiel 37. Where by reviving dead bones is shewed that God would certainly restâ—re the pâ—ople of Israel out of captivity that Parable I say supposes the Resurrection of the Dead as a thing well known and certainly believed by that people whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 Abraham thought it possible Heb. 11.18 19. When he really intended to Sacrifice his Son Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Job not only thought it possible but firmly believed it and spake of it with assurance Job 19. verse 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God verse 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Martha doubted not of it John 11.24 For speaking of her brother Lazarus then dead She said I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day And indeed there are many things in nature that seem to carry a resemblance of it When we go to sleep solemnly commending our selves to Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and to his gracious protection we do as it were lye down in our graves our sleep is a great resemblance of death and our rising in the morning of the Resurrection The Sun sets every night and disappears yet rises joyfully in the morning The Seed that we sow first dies before it be quickned 1 Cor. 15.56 The earth receiveth the bare seed and by corrupting it restoreth it in a better fashion than she took it in The Seed sâ—wn is so far from perishing that it rises up far more beautiful Whereas it was sown dry and hard it springs up fresh and green So why should it seem incredible that our bodies shall rise from corruption with far more excellent qualities than they had before God can raise them that is our first Argument 2. God hath declared that he will do it and that is abundantly sufficient to induce us to believe it Observe these Scriptures for the proof of it Dan. 12.2 And many * That is all shall arise and they will be many not a few For many is not opposed to all here but to few Romans 5.19 By the disobedience of one man many i. e. not a few were made sinners For all were made sinners of them that slept in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt John 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Acts 24.15 And I have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Luke 14.14 Thou shalt be recompenced at the
dust Fine cloaths may make Children and young folks proud but wise and considering persons are not usually affected with such things Be cloathed with humility sayes the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.5 that is the best cloathing of all 9. Is it grace or goodness that thou art apt to be proud of This is a thing very irrational and absurd For predominant pride cannot consist with grace but is a great sign of a graceless state If thou hast grace so far as thou art proud of it thou dost abuse it contradict it and act against the very nature of it For Pride is to grace what a consumption is to health Be not high minded but fear sayes the Apostle Rom. 11.20 When you think you stand take heed lest you fall 1 Cor. 10.12 And thus much of the eleventh Direction namely that we should reason our selves into a loathing of this sin 12. Look on the humbling judgments of God that are abroad in the world and turn them all as so many Cannons against thy Pride Methinks every serious Christian should think it unreasonable and unsuitable in such a calamitous time as this is when God calls to humbling and abasing our selves and to sympathize with others that are in an afflicted condition now to lay it out in pride and vanity and garish garbes and attire more than formerly We have seen many humbling sights and felt many humbling strokes and have heard many dismal cries of our afflicted Brethren and shall we now be proud I know the world is at that pass that a Minister will be thought to do more wisely to save his breath than spend it upon so hopeless a design as to think by all his arguments to reform people in this particular The pride of the world is now too high to be born down by Sermons or the most earnest and serious exhortations Alas 'T is a monster that has not been conquered by War nor Plague nor Fire And do you think it will be born down by the breath of a poor Minister though exhorting never so seriously However we must do our duty and lift up our voice like a Trumpet and shew Israel their sins whether they will hear or whether they will forbear And if I can bring but one sinner who is concerned in this reproof to consider his wayes and to forsake his pride and vanity I shall not repent me of this pains 13. Consider how God in the contrivance of mans redemption designeth the humbling of all whom he intends to save For he hath ordained that no man shall be justified by a righteousness of his own performance but by the satisfaction merits and intercession of the Redeemer Therefore he prepareth men for the reception of this pardon by humbling them and making them vile and mean in thir own eyes 14. Read what Christ expects from them whom he intends to save and then you will see what a great measure of humility and self-denial is required of them Except ye become as little Children ye cannot enter into the Kindom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 15. Treasure up some Scripture precepts against Pride and have them alwayes ready in your minds such as these he that humbleth himself shall be exalted God resisteth the proud Pride goeth before a fall Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 16.5 A mans Pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Prov. 29.23 16. Earnestly beg of God to give you the grace of Humility Concerning which excellent grace that I may treat the more profitably I shall shew 1. The Counterfeits of it 2. Wherein the true nature of it consists 3. The great benefits and advantages of it 4. The means to attain it For the First The counterfeits of it There are four things that carry a shew of humility but are at a great distance from it 1. When men vilifie and discommend themselves or their own performances on purpose to draw others to praise them He that doth so cozens himself into Pride by a shew of Humility A man would be ashamed if he were told he used that mean stratagem to procure his own praise But so glorious a thing is humility that pride to hide its own shame does sometimes put on the vizor and semblance of it 2. When men effect to wear some unusual habit or some mean and sordid cloaths or to use some clownish unhandsome and uncivil behaviour which may make them taken notice of and observed by others This may look like Humility but is far from it There may be a russet Pride and a leathern Insolency 'T is not alwayes couched under silk and sattin Many times there is a very ugly pride under mean cloaths The Capuchins among the Papists go in poor cloaths with naked legs and Sandals Who hath required these things of them I think the Apostles rule is here to be observed whatsoever things are honest pure lovely and of good report and praise-worthy among men Phil. 4.8 These we should follow and not affect a vain signularity not warranted by the word of God 3. When they choose to converse for the most part with their inferiours that they may bear sway and be the chiefest among them this is no argument of Humility but rather of Pride 4. When men live basely meanly in no degree answerable or according to the estate and condition God hath put them into this is not humility but an argument of a covetous and sordid spirit And so much of the counterfeits of humility 2. I come now to shew wherein the true nature of Humility consists and in what particulars it evidenceth it self In the general True Humility is a lowly frame and temper of Soul arising from wise serious and deliberate consideration 'T is principally rooted in the mind and evidenceth it self in these Particulars 1. The Soul that is truly humble is deeply sensible of its manifold weaknesses wants and imperfections 'T is sensible of the darkness of its mind the depravedness of its will the disorder and irregularity of its affections * Humilitas est animi demissio orta ex vera status conditionis suae agnitionâ— Camer 2. 'T is very sensible of its great sinfulness and manifold transgressions against God O sayes such a Soul who have I in the whole course of my life too much neglected my Creator who gave me my life and being and in many things how grievously have I sinned against him And the wages of every sin being death how obnoxious and liable have I made my self to the wrath and curse of God What a mercy is it that I am out of Hell who have so many wayes broken the holy and righteous Law of God 3. As a consequent hereupon 't is very sensible of its great unworthiness of those mercies it enjoyes from God The humble soul sayes as good old Jacob did Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed to thy
made man after his own Image I come now Secondly to shew what Laws he gave him The Law given to Adam in innocency was tâ—â—fold 1. Naturall which was written or imprinted upon his Soul in his first Creation 2. Positive given as is probable by some external discovery or revelation and imposed on man to try whether he would be obedient to his Creator or no. The Law of Nature as subjected in mans mind consists in certain practical Notions or Rules about good and evil right and wrong true and false just and unjust honest and dishonest And mans will was dispos'd and inclin'd to conform to the Dictates of this Law So that these Natural Laws by which Man was to be governed and which were at first stamped on his Soul were such as were exceeding agreeable to his Reason and sutable to the inclinations of his will and not at all contradicted or opposed by any principle within him which might make him doubtful about his duty or disincline him to the performance of it So that Adam in innocency was indued with sufficient ability to conform to the whole Law of God both Natural and Positive He was furnished with particular Principles inclining him to comply with whatsoever the Law of Nature prescribed and with a general Principle disposing him to yield obedience to whatsoever any positive Law as the declared will of God should injoin Thus much of the Law of Nature I come now to shew what positive Law God gave Adam in innocency Of the Covenant of Works God having placed our first Parents in Paradise besides the Law of Nature which he wrote on their hearts he gave them also a positive command to assert his right and dominion over them as their Creator that they might be obliged to do something because it was their Creators will as well as other things because they appeared in their own Nature reasonable and fit to be done Something 's God commands because they are in themselves and in their own Nature just and fit to be done and other things are therefore fit to be done because God commands them God therefore gave Adam a positive Law as a test or proof of his obedience and to try him how he would behave himself towards his Maker Gen. 2.16 17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every Tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat but of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof of thou shalt surely die In these words is contained the Covenant that God made with man at first and which is commonly called the Covenant of Works or Covenant of Nature being made with man in the time of his innocent Nature And this is contradistinguished to the Covenant of Grace which was made with man after the Fall of which we shall speak more afterwards Now a Covenant between God and man is not to be considered as between man and man where consent is mutually requisite For man was bound to accept the terms God offered him being in themselves exceeding reasonable God is an absolute Lord and hath full power in his hands to give and impose what Laws he pleases on his Creatures and to require what duties and impose what conditions he sees good and man is bound to accept and submit unto the Law or Covenant so propounded and imposed And in a dutiful performance of the conditions on his part required he may expect the benefits promised Here therefore it will be requisite 1. To shew that this was a Covenant 2. To shew the Nature of it Now that the command included in a Covenant may appear 1. Because God promises Adam life if he obey As if he should have said Till the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely live So much must needs be included 2. He threatens him with death if he disobeyed In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye 3. We find our first Parents did so understand it by Eve's words to the Serpent Gen. 3.2 3. The woman said unto the Serpent We may eat of the fruit of the Trees in the Garden But of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die 4. He appointed the Tree of life as a Sacrament * Erat homini in lignis aliis alimentum in hoc vâ—ro Sacramentum Aug. de Gen. or Symbol of this Covenant Gen. 2.9 Which Tree did signifie to them that they should always enjoy that happy estate in which they were made upon condition of their obedience viz. A most blessed life free from all misery and flowing with all manner of good things that were agreeable to the Soul and Body of man in that perfect state Having thus shewed that those words Gen. 2.16 17. contained a Covenant we come now to consider 1. The Nature and Tenour of this Covenant And for the clearing of that let us observe these particulars 1. The great honour that God put upon man by entring into Covenant with him 'T is a great honour to a mean man to have a King enter into Covenant with him How much greater honour is it unto Man to have the great God of Heaven and Earth to enter into Covenant with him 2. Observe the great goodness of God in laying upon man no harder a command then the forbearing of one Tree which he must needs judge easie and reasonable 3. Obâ—erve Mans great advantage by this Covenant Before this God had not engaged himself to man to continue him in that happy estate in which he had made him Nothing hindred but he might have annihilated him But by this Covenant God freely bound himself and gave man a right to expect the things promised in this Covenant God now promises to continue mans life and happiness if man continued his obedience 4. Under this Covenant man was furnished with sufficient ability to stand but was left in the hand of his own counsel He was left in a mutable state he might stand or he might fall 5. Observe Gods great care of man in arming his mutable will against falling both by promises and threatnings He encourages him to obedience by the reward promised he deters him from disobedience by the danger threatned What greater good could man expect than what was here promised What greater evil could he fear than what was here threatned 6. This Covenant required on mans part perfect personal and perpetual obedience as the condition of it It required perfect obedience to the moral Law stamped on mans heart and to this pâ—sitive precept which God had given him A curse and death was to be the wâ—ges of the least transgression thereof But if he were obedient he might expect a reward answerable to his works and thereupon it was called a Covenant of works 7. Under the Covenâ—â—t man had no need of a Mediator Till man
had by sin madâ— God his enemy he needed no Mediator to mediate or intercede for him 8. This Covenant in case of disobedience afforded man no relief no not upon his repentance And thus the case stood with man in the state of his Innocâ—nce Of Maâ—s faâ—â— We come now to the second thing I propounded to treat of concerning man and that is his fall from his Original happiness by disobeying the precept and command of God and forfeiting the priviledges of the Covenant contained in it Gen. 3. from 1. to 7. Now the Serpent was mâ—re subtil than any Beast of the field which the Lord God had made and he said unto the woman Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every Tree of the Garden And the Woman said unto the Serpent We may eat of the fruit of the Trees of the Garden But of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die And the Serpent said unto the Woman ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil And when the woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also untâ— her Huusband with her and he did eat And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed Fig-leaves together and made themselves Aprons Rom. 5.12 19. Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous And that I may speak more distinctly of the matter I shall inquire in to these particulars 1. Who were the first sinners among men and by whom sin entered into the World 2. What was the first sin 3. What were the causes and occasions of Adams first transgression 4. What were the sad effects and consequents of this sin and breach of the Covenant First Upon our first Parents Secondly Upon us their Posterity 1. We shall inquire who were the first sinners among men and by whom sin entred into the World Adam and Eve the first Man and first Woman were certainly among men the first transgressors as may appear by those places before cited Gen. 3. And Rom 5.12 And the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 2.14 Adam was not deceived that is First and by the Devil and so as to draw Eve into transgression but the woman being deceived was first * Thâ—â—gh Eve was first in the trangression yet Adam was the chief and therefore Adam is sometimes taken collectively both for man and woman in the transgression and drew Adam into it Hosea 6.7 God says of the unfaithful Israelites They like Adam have transgressed the Covenant And 2 Cor. 11.3 We read that the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty viz. To eat of the forbidden fruit and she persuaded Adam to eat also It therefore we trace corruption and depravation to the well-head we shall find we cannot stay any where till we come to the first Man the common Parent and Root of us all And 't is very evident that the first Fountain of mankind was corrupted seeing all the streams are so 2. Let us consider what was the first sin God made our first Parents holy and happy and whilst they performed their duty they could not but be happy But the Devil having fallen from God himself as we have seen before Sect 3. and envying our first Parents their present happiness he sets upon Eve to draw her from her obedience to God And the temptation he spred before her is this you shall be as God He pretends to acquaint her with a way whereby they might raise themsâ—lves to a higher condition than that wherein they were at present They should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like God himself or like Angels they should be lifted up to a higher estate than now they enjoyed And this happiness he tells them they might acquire by eating of that Tree in the midst of the Garden which God had forbidden them which he intimates would be so far from procuring death or misery to a them that it had a contrary virtue in it namely to raise them to higher state of happiness than now they enjoyed Eve being caught by this subtil device began to believe this Serpent who thus proves himself a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning and to dâ— believe God and to doubt the truth of his threatning and commination who Gen. 2.17 had told Adam Of that Tree thou shalt not eat for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Evâ— being thus won upon by the Dâ—vils temptation did venture to eâ—t of this sorbidden fruit and dreâ— Adam to eat also So that infiâ—elity and doubting of the truth of Gods word and threatnings tâ—rough the Devils insinuation and pride and affection of an hâ—gher estate seem to be the first miscarriages and sins of Adam and Eve O the cursed Nature of pride and unbelief How soon did these â—â—ns enter into the very Angels How soon did they undo our first Parents 3. Let us inqâ—ire what were the causes and occasions of Adams sin 1. God was not The pure and holy Nature of God could not be the Original of mans sin The Holy God cannot be the cause of any unholiness God indeed permitted man to fall seeing he knew how to bring good out of it But he inclin'd him not to it 2. Neither external Objects nor the temptations of Satan could necâ—ssitate the will of man to sin The Devil might persuade but could not force 3. The persuading cause in respect of Eve was Satan in the form of a Serpent The Devil opened the Serpents mouth and caused it to speak with mans voice as an Angel opened the mouth of Balaams Ass Numb 22.28 Now the Serpents cunning may appear in this 1. He first assaults the Woman not the Man 2. He equivocates about knowing good and evil which he represents to her as a state of perfection Whereas the forbidden Tree was called the Tree of knowledge because Adam if he did eat thereof should experimentally know to his sorrow from how much good he had fallen and how much evil he had brought upon himself 3. He uses Eve a Companion newly made for Adam and surely very dear to him to draw in her Husband 4. Man being not created at first immutably Holy but defectible and sin being only a defect a person that was mutable and defectibly Holy as Adam was might fall into sin 'T was no strange thing that Man should be created defectible and being a defectible and
mutable Creature that he should fall It was most congruous that God having made such a Creature as Man furnished with such powers and capable of being governed by a Law and of being moved by promises and threats should for some time hold him in a state of tryal unconfirmed that it might be seen how he would behave himself towards his Creator and that he should be rewardable or punishable accordingly in a state that should be everlasting and unchangeable But if any shall further inquire into the manner of this first defection 't is most probable there was in the instant of temptation a suspension of the understanding's Act not only as previous to the sin but as a part of it and thereupon a suddain precipitation of Will as Estius determins But let us not too curiously inquire into this matter 'T is wholsom counsel that one gives that we should labour rather to get sin out of our Souls than trouble our selves how it came in For as a man that falls into a deep Ditch or Pond 't is Austin's similitude does not lie there considering how he fell in but labours speedily to get out so it should be with us in this case 4. Let us consider what were the sad effects and consequents of this sin and breach of Gods Covenant First Upon our first Parents Secondly Upon us their Posterity 1. Our First Parents were hereby deprived of their Original Righteousness and Communion with God 2. They became depraved and corrupted inclin'd to evil and indisposed to good 3. They brought themselves under an estate of wrath were driven out of Paradise and were made liable to death both Temporal and Eternal And though they were reprived for the present from suffering the penalty the Law requires yet 1. Sorrows were inflicted on the Woman in Child-bearing Under which we may comprehend her sorrows in breeding bearing bringing-forth and bringing up her Children 2. Sorrow also was inflicted upon the Man Gen. 3.17.18 Cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread c. 3. His Dominion over the Creatures was much impaired 4. He was rendred utterly unable to help out of this miserable estate 2. Let us consider the sad effects of Adams fall in reference to us 1. We were involved in the guilt of his first transgression For the Covenant was not made with Adam only but with all mankind who where seminally or radically in him We were not indeed then personally in him for we were not then Natural Persons but we were in him seminally and virtually And God may justly reckâ—n us to have been seminally in him because our Essence was to be derivâ—d from him And as when a man is guilty no part of him is innocent so we were guilty of â—dams first sin so far forth as we were parts of him and in him As Levi is said to have payed Tythes in Abraham because he was in the Loins of his Father Abraham when Melchizedech met him Heb. 7.9 10. though he was born some Generations after him on the same grounâ— it may well be inferred that all Adams posterity did eat of the forbidden fruit in him because they were all at that time in his Loins And the Apostle speaks to the same purpose Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the World c. In whom * Eâ—â— in qâ—â— hâ—â— viro non muâ—ieâ—e qâ—â—d vir sit praecipuuâ— aâ—â—â—or posteritatis tam â—si mâ—lio pâ—iâ—â—est laâ—sa â—raim all have sinned If a Father by Treason forfeit his Estate no wonder if his Children de deprived of it 2. We were hereby dâ—prived of Original Righteousness Rom. 3.23 All have sinned that is in Adam and so come short of the glory of God that is are depriv'd of his glorious Image which in mans first creation was stamped upon him By reason of that first sin of Adams whereof all are guilty want of Original righteousness and depravation of Nature are come upon us as a just punishment of Adams transgression and are the sad consequents of it Therefore some say that God now deprives Souls of Original Righteousness Non qua Creator sed qua Judex 3. Instead of Original Righteousness a corrupt disposition and vitiosity of Nature was imparted to all their Posterity descending from them by ordinary Generation The Soul is now propense to evil because it wants that rectitude that should regulate it As sickness besides the depriving us of health affects our bodies with corrupt humors Mr. Cotton on Eccles 11 Vers 5 holds that God forms the Soul of man of the Spirituous part of the seed of the Parents and so Original corruption is naturally propagated from the Parents to the Children This corrupt disposition is called The old Man Rom. 6.6 The sin dwelling with us Rom. 7.17 It is called Flesh as opposite to grace Rom. 7.18 The Law of the Members Rom. 7.23 Body of sin Rom. 6.6 The body of death Rom. 7.24 Lastly A mans own lust James 1.14 In which place by the next words following 't is plainly distinguiâ—hed from actual sin as being exprâ—sly affirmed to be the procreant cause of it So that by this Original corruption all our Faculties are depraved 1. Our Minds blinded 2. Our Wills rendred averse to that which is good 3. Our Memories unfaithful to retain what is good but too tenacious of evil 4. Our Consciences defiled 5. Our Affections disordered These are some of the sad Consequents of Adams First transgression 4. We are cast under the wrath and curse of God Besides the effects of this wrath and curse upon our Souls of which before our bodies are now liable to diseases and deformities and all our enjoyments and every condition of our lives is subjâ—ct to a curse And which is most deplorable we are liable by reason of our sins to Eternal wrath and misery 5. We are hereby rendred utter unable to help our selves Rom. 5.6 The Law exacts perfect and perpetual obedience under a curse Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Now here observe Two things 1. What the Scripture speaks concerning mans Impotency and inability to help himself out of this miserable condition wherein he is by Nature 1. He is said to be meer darkness Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness sayes the Apostle to the Converted Ephesians but now ye are light in the Lord And 1 Cor. 2.14 But the Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God For they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 2. To have a heart of stone Ezek. 36.26 3. To be enthralled under the Dominion of sin and Satan Acts 26.18 4. To be dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1.5 5. To be without strength in Spiritual things Rom.
That requires works to be performed by our own strength and ability received at our creation whereby we were sufficiently inabled to do the things required of us But the Covenant of Grace requires works to be done by the assistance of the Spirit of Christ Phiâ— 4.13 I can do all things sayes the Apostle through Christ that strengthneth me Therefore the obedience of the Gospel is called the obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 as following Faith and springing from it Repentance and Faith are not so in mans power now as Obedience was under the Covenant of Works And secondly it doth not require works for the same end For the Covenant of Works requires works as the way and means of our standing right before God But the Covenant of Grace doth not require works as the matter of our Righteousness and Justification before God but that thereby we should glorify God in this World be fitted for Heaven and should evidence and testifie our renewed nature 2. In the Covenant of Works there was no Mediator But in the Covenant of Grace there is Therefore the one is called Foedus amicitiae the other Foedus misericordiae 3. One sin broke the Covenant of Works but in the Covenant of Grace there is pardon obtainable for multiplied transgressions Isa 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 4. The Covenant of Works gave unto man some occasion as it were to glory if he had stood But the Covenant of Grace cuts off from Man all pretence to glory in himself and engages him to give all the glory intirely unto God So saith the Apostle Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law of Works Nay But by the Law of Faith And 1 Cor. 1.31 The Apostle tells us Christ is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. So Eph. 2.9 By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of Works lest any man should boast Having thus shewed the agreement and difference between these two Covenants I come now to speak more particularly of the Covenant of Grace Concerning which let us observe these things 1. The Covenant of Grace was for substance one and the same in all ages of the Church though diversly administred before and after the coming of Christ From Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham from Abraham to Moses from Moses to David and so on from David to Christ and from Christ to the end of the World the Covenant of Grace hath been one and the same without change or alteration Yet it was administred in a different manner under the Old and New Testament and thence it had the denomination of Old and New Covenant Yet both did agree in many things As Of the old administration of the Covenant of Grace of the new 1. They both lead to one and the same Mediator by and through whom the blessings promised are to be expected Christ at his Resurrection raised up together with himself many of the Saints who died under the former Covenant as we read Mat. 27.52 Whereby he shewed that the benefit of his Mediation Death and Resurrection did belong to them under the old Covenant as well as to us under the new But some will perhaps say that Christ is called the Mediator of the New Testament Heb. 9.15 Answ He is so in respect of actual and personal confirmation of it by his own blood which was not done in the old Covenant But he was Mediator of the old Covenant as may appear by the types that did prefigure him and in respect of the vertue and efficacy of his blood which was to be shed which did take away the sins committed under the old Covenant as to them that truly believed in him Hereunto agrees that in Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever that is as to the vertue of his death 2. The same condition is required under both administrations namely Repentance and Faith in the Messiah 'T is true many of the Jews under the old Covenant sought Righteousness by the works of the Law and not by Faith in the Messiah but this was their error and sin It was not the true Doctrine of that Covenant 3. Under both there was the same Law and Rule of Life to walk by viz. the Moral Law Jam. 28. This Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal or a Kingly Law because it hath a Kingly and authoritative power over all Mankind 4. They both propound the same Salvation God would not have called himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob if they had not been saved Neither would the place of Rest haâ—e been called Abrahams bosome if Abraham himself had not had part in that place of Rest But some will object Heb. 8.8 9. Where 't is said the New Covenant is not as the Old I answer We must distinguish betwixt the substance of the Covenant and the manner of its dispensation In respect of the dispensation the new is not as the old though it be as to substance As Rebecca vailed and unvailed was the same woman and yet not the same The same in person not the same in habit and attire That which brought the blessing to Abraham was this that he believed on that seed which was to spring from him looking for Righteousness and Life by him So then the old Covenant spoken of in the old testament and the new which is now published in the Gospel are for substance one and the same without any essential difference between them But though they thus agreed yet in many things they differed As particularly 1. The old administration of the Covenant of Grace was more burthensome the new is more easie this the Apostle plainly intimates Acts 15.10 Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear And Gal. 4.3 Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the World There were required under the old Covenant Circumcision costly Sacrifices and Oblations tedious journeys to Jerusalem at the three solemn feasts restraint from many liberties which we enjoy under the new 2. The one was more dark the other is more clear Eternal life was not so clearly discovered in the old Testament as it is in the new 2 Tim. 1.10 Yea Christ himself and his offices and benefits were then but darkly revealed Hence the Gospel is called the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the World began Rom. 16.25 not that it was absolutely hid or kept secret but comparatively in respect of the more clear and plain discovery of it afforded to us in these dayes Hence that of our Saviour to
to the Jews But now is my Kingdom not from hence Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and jâ—y in the Holy Ghost In the Kingdom of Christ 1. The King is Spiritual the Lord from Heaven 2. The Subjects are Spiritual those that are regenerated 3. The Laws are Spiritual reaching the inward man 4. The Priviledges are Spiritual Justification Adoption Sanctification Glorification Now Christ's solemn inauguration into this His Kingly Office was at his Ascention into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of the Father Not but that he was a King by right before but he entred on the ful and publick execution of this his office when God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all Principalities and Powers Eph. 1.20 21. Then He whose name is the word of God had on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.13 16. Let us now consider what improvement we ought to make of this Article that Christ is a King 1. If Christ be a King we should daily pray that his Kingdâ—m may come that is His Kingdom of Grace into the hearts of men We should all earnestly desire and pray that he may reign in our hearts and the hearts of others by his holy Spirit 2. This may shew us the blessedness of those that are his Subjects They are under a powerful Protector 3. We should all examine our selves whether his Kingdom beset up in us or no. Christ is sometimes called the Head of the Church Eph. 1.22 23. Let us seriously consider whether we are guided and governed by him as the members of the body are by the Head and whether we do receive life and influence from him 4. If Christ be a King then we may assure our selves that he is able to defend his Church and subdue the enemies of it though they be never so strong or subtil 5. If Christ be a King then we should acknowledge his Soveraignty The Apostle tells us Phil. 2.10 11. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father To bow at the name of Jesus is to confess his Soveraignty to submit to his power and to humble our selves before him 6. If Christ be a King We should pray that the Kingdoms contrary to his Kingdom may be subverted viz. the Kingdom of Sin Satan and Anti-Christ And thus much of Christs three-fold Office We come now to speak of the third Title given him in the antient Creed which is His only Son Christ is the only Son of God Thus Nathanael the true Israelite makes his confession of him John 1.49 Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art King of Israel Thus Martha expresses her Faith concerning him John 11.27 I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World This was the famous confession of Peter John 6.69 His only Son We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16.16 And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And the Gospel of John was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God John 20.31 Now Christ is so the Son of God as no other is or was or ever can be He is his only Son his only begotten Son This I shall further explain by these particulars following 2 Our Saviour had a real being and existence before his conception here on Earth and distinct from that being which he assumed here John 8.58 Before Abraham was I am Yea he had a Being before the Flood 1 Pet. 3.18 19. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the Just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickned in the Spirit By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in prison who were disobedient in the days of Noah Yea he had a being before the World began for the World was made by him so the Apostle tells us Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist 2. The being which he had before his conception was not a created being but the Divine Essence he was truly God John 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was See more in the third Section of the first Chapter 3. The Divine Essence which he hath was eternally communicated to him from the Father who was always Father as well as always God And this is called his Eternal Generation And therefore he is called the only begotten Son of God John 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And thus he is distinguished from the Holy Ghost who proceeds from the Father and the Son and from the Adopted Sons of God being his Eternal Son by eternal and ineffable Emanation Joh. 7.29 I know him that sent me says Christ for I am from him Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Bâ—t some will possibly here object God the Father says of Christ Psal 2.7 Act. 13.30 33. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee To which we answer God speaks not there of Christs Generation but of the manifestation of it which was accomplished at the time of his Resurrection by which he was mightily declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 And though he was then declar'd to be so yet his Generation was Eternal The Grave is as the Womb of the Earth Christ when he was raised from the dead was as it were begotten to a new life and on this account God who now raised him is stiled his Father But some will further Object Christ is called The first Born of every Creature Col. 1.15 How can he then be the Eternal Son of God I answer he is call'd The first born of every Creature because he was begotten of God as the Son of his love antecedently to all other Emanations from him and before any thing was framed or created by him And thus much for the Explication of this Article Let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. This should shew us the excellency and dignity of the Person of the Messias and should assure us of the infinite value of his active and passive obedience As our offences are aggravated
make his obedience and sufferings in the hâ—mane Nature of infinite value and merit This One-man this God-man was more worthy then all the men of the World put together Thâ— humane Nature of Christ being Personally united to the God-head is of more worth than all the Race of mankind So that Christs obedience and sufferings do make a full satisfaction to God for all the dishonour done him by our sins 3. That he might do those great things for us after he had laid down his life for us which none but God could do viz. 1. To Baptize us with the Holy Ghost None can send the Spirit of God into the hearts of men but he who is God 2. To repair his Image in us 3. To subdue sin in us 4. To conquer Satan for us 5. To guide and carry his Church to Eternal life through all those hindrances that lie in their way 6. To conquer Death and raise our bodies to a glorious Immortality Secondly It was requisite he should be Man for these reasons 1. Mans Nature had sinned therefore it was requisite mans Nature should suffer It seems fit and requisite in respect of the justice of God that the same Nature should be punish'd which had offended 2. He could not have suffered if he had not been man 3. If our Mediator were only God he could have performed no obedience the God-head being free from all manner of subjection 4. It was fit he should be man that Satan might be vanquish'd in that Nature he had supplanted Gen. 3.15 And I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel 5. That he might be a merciful High-Priest For in that in our Nature he experienced temptation he knows how to succour and pity us when we are tempted And lastly He was both God and Man that he might be a meet Mediator to deal between God and Man and to work a Reconciliation between them SECT IV. Of our Saviours Life HAving thus spoken of our Saviours Birth and how he came into the World it will be requisite we should now speak of his Life and how he lived and conversed in this World which the Ancient Creed mentions nothing of but passes immediately from his being conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary to his suffering under Pontius Pilat I have in my Harmony of the Four Evangelists fully set forth the History of the Life of our blessed Lord and Saviour Here I shall only give a short Summary of what I have there more largely delivered to which I refer my Reader The Life of our Saviour we have divided into Six Parts and in each Part have taken notice of the Particulars observable The First Part of our Saviours life was from his Birth to his Baptism containing the space of about Thirty Years In which we have these particulars 1 At Eight days old he was Circumcised Luke 2.21 Matth. 1.25 2. Mary the Fortieth day after her delivery goeth up to Jerusalem to the Temple to be purified where she and Joseph present the Child Jesus to the Lord according to the Law Exod. 13.2 12 13. Mary presents the offering for her Purification viz. being a poor Woman a pair of Turtle Doves Levit. 12.6 8. Simeon and Anna here acknowledge him and prophesie of him Luke 2. from 22. to 41. 3. This done Joseph and Mary return with Jesus to Bethlehem and there continue for some time For about Two Years after our Saviours Birth the Magi or Arabian Astronomers who had in their own Country at our Saviours Birth seen a strange Star or extraordinary brightness over Judea and understanding either by some Old Prophesie or New Revelation from God that it signified the Birth of the Messias promised to the Jews they being moved by the Spirit come to Jerusalem to inquire after the place where this New King should be born They are told by Herod and the Priests that the Birth-place of the Messias was to be at Bethlehem Herod bids them go and inquire for him and when they had found him bring him word They come to Bethlehem and there finding him do homage to him and present him with gifts This done being warned of God not to go back to Herod they return into their own Countrey another way Matth. 2. from 1. to 13. 4. After their departure Joseph is warned by God in a Dream to fly into Egypt and so provide for the life of the Child which accordingly he did and there He Mary and the Child remained till Herod was dead But in the mean time Herod finding himself deceived by the Magi and thinking that this young Child had been still at Bethlehem or thereabout that he might be sure to destroy him he commands all the Male Children from Two years old and under that were in Bethlehem or the Coasts thereof to be killed Mat. 2. from the 13. to the 19. 5. Not long after Herod dying Joseph is warned of God in a Dream to return with the young Child unto the Land of Israel which accordingly he did and dwelt in the City of Nazareth Mat. 2 from 19. to the end 6. Christ at Twelve Years old is brought to Jerusalem at the Passover and there disputes with the Doctors in the Temple From hence he went down with his Parents to Nazareth again and there lived privately till his Baptism Luke 2. from 41. to the end .7 John Baptist being newly entred into his publick Ministry preaches Repentance and Baptizes He sharply reprehends some of the Pharisees and Sadduces that came to be Baptized of him He gives particular answers to the questions of the People of the Publicans and of the Soldiers enquiring what every one of them ought to do He gives his first Testimony to Christ preferring him before himself Luke 3. from 1. to the 18. Mat. 3. from 1. to the 13. Mark 1. from 7. to 9. The Second Part of our Saviours life from his Baptism to the Passover next ensuing containing the space of half a Year in which we have these particulars 1. He is Baptiz'd by John in Jordan and witnessed from Heaven to be the Eternal Son of God and a Second Testimony by John given of him Mat. 3. from the 13. to the 18. Mark 1. from 9. to 12. Joh. 1. from 15. to the 19. Luke 3. from 21. to 24. 2. Immediately after his Baptism he goes into the Wilderness and is there assaulted by Satan with a Threefold Temptation Mat. 4. from 1. to 12. Mark 1. from 12. to 14. Luke 4. from 1. to 14. 3. John being now Baptizing in Bathabara some of the Pharisees come from the Sanedrim at Jerusalem to enquire who he was He tells them he was only the Fore-runner of the Messias Joh. 1. from 19. to 29. 4. Christ now comes to John whom John calls the Lamb of God and declares that he was made known unto him to be the
so do ye Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come He ordains that their Collections for the poor Saints and oblations should be on that day And St. John sayes Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Thus the observation of the seventh day of the week which the Jews kept did cease and was buried with our Saviour And the observation of that day on which the Son of God rose by the practice of the blessed Apostles was transmitted to the Church of God and so hath continued in all ages of the Church ever since As God spake by Moses to the Israelites Exodus 31.13 Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you viz. that you profess your selves to be my people in an especial manner So they that belong to the Church of Christ are known by observing the first day of the week on which he arose and by this mark among others are distinguished from such who own not Christ nor his Gospel 6. And lastly Let us consider the ends for which Christ arose And those were such as these 1. for our justification Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification 2. To assure us of our resurrection If Christs body had not been raised how could we have expected the Resurrection of our bodies The Resurrection of the members depends upon the Resurrection of the Head 2 Cor. 4.14 3. That he might be declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 by his Resurrection from the dead Therefore says the Apostle Acts 13.32.33 We declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Christ was the Son of God before but then he appeared so to be against all contradiction For he arose by his own divine power which no meer man ever did or shall do 4. He rose again to encourage us firmly to believe in him as a most perfect Redeemer Our Surety is released and set free therefore Gods Justice is satisfied and so we are begotten unto a lively hope of eternal life by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1.3 5. By his Resurrection he hath shewed us how we ought to imitate him and to rise from the death of Sin to the life of Grace This the Apostle intimates to us Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Let us consider therefore and seriously examine our selves whether we be risen with Christ or no Are our affections set on things above Acts 3.2 Do we delight in the Ordinances of God They that have a spiritual life will delight in that food whereby that spiritual life is maintained Do we delight in communion with God and exercise our selves in frequent meditation and the believing views of the Glory of the other life Those who are risen with Christ seek the things that are above SECT VIII Of our Saviours Ascension and sitting on Gods right Hand He ascended into Heaven THe words of the Creed are these He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty In treating of this Article I shall first shew that the promised Messias was to ascend into Heaven 2. That our Jesus did really and truly ascend thither 3. I shall shew what Heaven it was he ascended into 4. The reasons of his Ascension 5. The time when he ascended 6. The place from whence he ascended I begin with the First namely that the promised Messias was to ascend into Heaven This was typified of him by the High Priests going once a year into the Holy of Holies Heb. 9.11 which was a type of Heaven The High Priest when he had slain the Sacrifice did with the blood thereof enter into the Holy of Holies So the Messias having offered up himself a Sacrifice to God for us with his own blood went into the Holy of Holies viz. into Heaven there to intercede for us by the virtue and merit of that blood And as this was typified so it was also prophesied of the Messias Psal 68.18 compared with Ephesians 4.8 Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received gifts for men He was to conquer Sin and Death and Hell and triumphing over them he was to ascend to the highest Heaven and thence to send the precious and glorious gifts of the Spirit unto the Sons of Men. And accordingly he himself did foretell his Ascension John 6.62 and John 20.17 2. This was not only foretold of the Messias but really performed by him He who was the Eternal Son of God and by his Divinity present in Heaven while here upon the Earth did by local translation of his humane nature really and truly ascend from this earth below into the Heavens above as is sufficiently testified by these following Scriptures Mark 16.19 Luke 24.50 51. Acts 1.9 10. Christs Ascension was visibly performed in the sight of his Apostles They saw him when he ascended the holy Angels there present bearing also Testimony unto it Acts 1.10 11. 3. Let us consider the place he ascended unto which was the Heaven of Heavens he passed through all the regions of the air through all the coelestial Orbs till he came to the Heaven of Heavens the most glorious presence of the Majesty of God He ascended far above all visible Heavens to the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 that he might fill all things that is fulfill all things prophesied of him 4. Let us consider the reasons why he ascended 1. Having finished the work of our Redemption it was meet he should return thither from whence he came John 16.28 John 17.4 5. 2. After his Humiliation his Exaltation was to follow The first step of which was his Resurrection and his Ascension another step of it 3. Christ by his Ascension manifested his victory over Sin Satan and Death 4. He Ascended to make intercession for us Rom. 8.34 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 9.24 5. That he might send down a more plentiful effusion of the gifts and graces of his Spirit And accordingly he tells his Apostles John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you John 7.38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy-Ghost was not yet
satisfaction made to a just God It contains reconciliation without which God cannot be conceived to remit It comprehendeth satisfaction without which God was resolved not to be reconciled Christ by his death hath reconciled God unto us who was before offended by our sins His death was ordained to be a propitiation for us and to render God propitious to us The punishment which Christ endured was a full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God He gave his life a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 Now a ransome is a price given to redeem such as are any way in captivity or any thing laid down by way of compensation to take off an obligation whereby he who was before bound becometh free Christ bought us and the price he paid for us was his own blood and that blood was a full and perfect satisfaction unto God And as the offence is augmented as we said before by the dignity of the person against whom the offence is committed so the value and dignity of that which is given by way of compensation is enhaunced according to the dignity of the person who makes that satisfaction If therefore we consider on our side the nature and obligation of sin and on Christs side the satisfaction made and reconciliation wrought we shall easily perceive how God forgiveth Sins and in what the remission of them consisteth Christ taking upon him the nature of man and offering himself a Sacrifice to God for mans sin giveth that unto God for and instead of the everlasting punishment due to man which is more valuable and acceptable unto God than that punishment could be and so maketh a sufficient compensation and satisfaction to God for the sins of man Which sacrifice God accepting releases the offence and becomes reconciled unto man He performing the conditions required of him and for the punishment which Christ endured taketh off mans obligation to eternal punishment And in this act of God consisteth the forgiveness of sins 7. Let us consider what is required of them who may expect this great priviledge and blessedness the remission of all our sins The things required of them are these 1. True Repentance Of which see Chap. 2. of the second part of Knowledge and Practice 2. Faith in Christ Of which see Chap. 3. of the same Treatise 3. Sincere obedience unto Christ Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him 4. A readiness and willingness to forgive others who have done us wrong Matth. 6.14 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mark 11.25 And when ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against against any that your Father also which is Heaven may forgive you your trespasses Having thus in brief explained the Doctrine of remission of sins it will possibly seem requisite that I should add a few things more for the fuller explanation of so great an Article which we are all so much concerned clearly and distinctly to understand In order hereunto I shall further consider these three things 1. What is meant in Scripture by Justification 2. What is the procuring cause thereof 3. How any come to be partakers thereof For the first Justification and remission of Sins in the Scripture are one and the same thing * See Acts 13.38 39. Matth. 26.28 Eph. 1.7 Acts 10.43 Rom. 5.19 In some texts of Scripture we are said to be justified by Christ In others that we obtain remission of Sins by Christ In others that we are made righteous by Christ By which expressions one and the same thing is intended For Justification is a discharging us from the guilt of all our sins and an acquitting us from the challenges of the Law and a constituting us righteous before God not qualitative by making us inherently righteous with such a perfect righteousness as is Gods Justice-proof for by such a righteousness no Son of fallen Adam can be justified as we shall shew afterwards but it is a constituting us righteous in the sight of God or a judicial absolving of us upon the account of satisfaction given and accepted on our behalf and though Justification principally consists in our pardon and the remission of our sins yet there are other blessings also springing from it For those whom God justifies he sanctifies whom he sanctifies here he will also glorifie hereafter 2. Let us consider the procuring cause of our pardon and justification The procuring cause of it is the Satisfaction made to Divine Justice by the active and passive obedience of Christ And that we may understand this the more clearly let us take into our consideration these particulars 1. The Law or Covenant of Works required of our first Parents perfect and sinless obedience upon pain of death But they transgressing fell under the curse and condemnation of the Law However it pleased God of his infinite mercy that the Law should not be immediately executed upon them And yet he did not abrogate it but only relax it as to the right of it by introducing another Covenant viz. the Covenant of grace 2. By this second Covenant or Covenant of Grace no Son of fallen Adam can be justified with the justification of an innocent person or as one perfectly and inherently righteous For such persons if they should be challenged are justified because they are found without fault or blame and their justification is nothing but a declaration of their righteousness and innocence But by this Covenant of grace we must be justified as sinners and offenders upon a satisfaction made to the justice of God for our sins For offenders can no other way be brought into the state of just men but upon a legal pardon and discharge And so we may be said to be justified when the compensation or satisfaction made for us is accepted and we thereupon are legally pardoned discharged 3. This Compensation or Satisfaction made to the justice of God in our behalf is made by the active and passive obedience of Christ and the whole of our justification is founded thereon I say the active as well as the passive obedience of Christ is here to be reckoned as concurring hereunto For though Christ when he had once assumed our nature and was made Man was bound to obey the Law yet in that he voluntarily came from Heaven and voluntarily took our nature and so voluntarily put himself under the obligation of the Law this consideration makes his active obedience also meritorious These two are therefore joyntly to be considered in this matter For Christ voluntarily took on him the office of a mediator He was not compelled to it Indeed when he was man he was obliged as a man A creatures homage was due from him when he had assumed our nature but it was his own free choice that brought him into that state and condition From
hence therefore it will follow that all that Christ did and suffered he paid by way of valuable consideration unto God for the sins of men The whole fabrick of the Gospel is bottomed upon satisfaction made to the justice of God on our behalf We are said to be ransomed redeemed purchased bought with a price and that must needs be by a valuable consideration paid and by Satisfaction made No works of our own could ever amount to such a purchase Could men either have pefectly kept the Law or have sufficiently answered for the breach of it ex post fâ—cto Righteousness would have been that way and Christ had not died 4. Christs active and passive obedience is reckoned accounted and imputed to those who perform the conditions required of them in the Gospel for their benefit and advantage and so is made theirs as to the benefits redounding therefrom But it is not so imputed to them as if they were righteous in the sight of God with the self-same active and passive righteousness wherewith Christ was righteous or as if they had suffered in Christ and obeyed in Christ and were as righteous and innocent in Gods esteem as Christ himself Which some men dangerously presuming and asserting infer from thence that God sees no sin in his children but all righteousness which is a wondeful mistake For no other persons righteousness can otherwise become ours or be imputed to us than by the effects and advantages of it It cannot be a just judgement to adjudge us to have performed that our selves which was actually done by another though done on our behalf and reckoned to our benefit We are therefore judged righteous for not in the very righteousness of Christ Some indeed have conceived that Christs active and passive righteousness are so made ours by imputation as if we our selves were accounted by God to have done and suffered those very things that Christ himself in his own person did and suffered But how can it be supposed that God can account us to have done all that which Christ did that is to have performed all righteousness without sin or to have suffered all that which Christ suffered which in truth and reality we did not 'T is true that God is pleased that the whole of what Christ did and suffered as to the effects and advantages of it should redound to us and be for our good and benefit Thus all that Christ did and suffered is imputed to us as done for us but not as done by us * See a late learned Treatise called Justification Evangelical by Sr. C. W. And thus Christ is the Lord our righteousness And what can we desire more than to reap all the benefits of Christs whole undertaking and upon the account of it it being accepted of God in our behalf to be pardoned and justified sanctified and saved And thus to have Christ made to us of God as the fundamental cause procurer and spring of them wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption And thus we see that Christs personal righteousness is not imputable to any creature otherwise than as to its operation fruits and effects Each justified persons righteousness before God is not identically and numerically the same with Christs in his publick capacity as Mediator For then every justified person would be personally righteous with a righteousness that has a stock of merit in it sufficient to save the world which is very absurd to imagine But there are some that alledge against what hath here been asserted these following Scriptures 2 Cor. 5.21 God hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him I answer whereas Christ is said to be made sin for us we are to understand it that he was made a Sacrifice for our sins and that to this end and for this purpose that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that is that we might be made righteous with a Gospel righteousness He did and suffered what was requisite to make satisfaction to the justice of God for sins that we might reap the fruit of his righteousness and by believing in him might be accounted for righteous that is acquitted and pardoned Not that his righteousness is made personally ours as if we had done and suffered what he did and suffered but that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that is made righteous or acquitted by God through the merit of his righteousness In him therefore is not to be taken personally and literally but we are said to be righteous in him when we are so according to the rule of the Gospel and are righteous in the righteousness of Gods appointing and Christs procuring And thus we are said to walk in him when we walk according to the rule of his Gospel We are said to abide in him when we continue stedfast in his doctrine We are said to sleep in him when we die in the faith and hope of the Gospel We are said to marry in the Lord when we marry according to the rules he has prescribed A second Scripture alledged is Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous I Answer this text makes nothing for the transferring or imputing of Christs personal righteousness to us But it shews us these things 1. That as the effect of Adams sin was universal and came upon all so the effect of Christs obedience was universal It came upon all that is all sorts of men both Jews and Gentiles without distinction 2. One sin of Adams introduced death but Christs obedience procures forgiveness not only for that one sin but for all other sins whatsoever that have insued thereupon 3. One act of disobedience was enough to condemn but more than one act of obedience was requisite to procure our pardon 4. Though Christ do not save so many by his obedience as Adam brought into a state of condemnation by his disobedience yet the second Adam is much more potent than the first because there is much more efficacy and power required to the saving of one than there was to the condemning of many As the restoring of one man to life is much harder than the destroying the lives of many 5. As the effect of one mans disobedience was that thereby many became sinners to be shapen in iniquity and brought forth in a sinful nature so as the effect and consequent of one mans obedience many come to be new born and are made righteous And this seems to be the true meaning and import of this Scripture The last Scripture alledged is that of Phil. 3.9 Not having mine own righteousness but the righteousness which is of God by faith Answer The Apostle desires not to be found in his own righteousness as he was a Jew or Pharisee but to be found in Christ ingraffed into him by faith and to have that righteousness which is of
Now Parents dedicate their Children 1. Virtually when they dedicate themselves to God 2. Actually when their hearts actually and particularly consent to dedicate this Child to God 3. Sacramentally when they bring him to baptism and solemnly there dedicate him to God And this is the title of Children to baptism and not their meer natural relation to their Parents As for Sponsors God-fathers or witnesses probably the use of them in ancient time was this They were such as came to the Church and professed they believed the Parents were true believers and in case they did Apostatize or die did promise to see to the Christian education of the Child themselves But surely as the Parents faith and consent to dedicate their Child to God and that either of one or both conveys the right of baptism to the Child so the Parents themselves ought to be the principal dedicators of their Child to God in baptism If God-fathers or Sponsors be chosen by them as their deputies to do it for them it may possibly be admitted but as this is generally used 'tis a matter more of ceremony and civility than of Christianity And as a learned man * Fuller in his Infants Advocate page 156. sayes God-fathers are generally like brass andirons standing more for sight than service more for ornament than use 2. If Children were circumcised under the Law they may be baptized under the Gospel For baptism succeeds to all the essentials of circumcision Circumcision was not a meer badge of distinction to distinguish the Jews from other nations but a Seal of their consecration to God It had more in it of what was Sacramental than of what was Ceremonial And the chief mystery signified by circumcision was that natural corruption must be cut off and done away Now Christians are said by baptism to be spiritually circumcised Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands sayes the Apostle Col. 2.11 12. He urges it as an argument to them to throw off the Jewish circumcision for they were circumcised with the circumcision of Christ viz. with that which he had appointed in his Gospel and that was baptism So that baptism is now come in the room of circumcision And as Solomon sayes Eccles 1.4 One generation passes away and another comes but the earth remains for ever So may I say one Sacrament of initiation viz. Circumcision passeth away and another viz. Baptism cometh in its stead but yet the same Covenant of Grace that was then remaineth still So that what circumcision was to them our baptism is to us as particularly 1. Circumcision was to be a sign or token of the Covenant to them Gen. 17.11 So is baptism to us Acts 2.38 39. Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins c. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call 2. Circumcision was a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith to them Rom. 4.11 And so is baptism to us Acts 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. 3. Circumcision signified the necessity of sanctification to them and therefore they were required to be circumcised also in heart Rom. 2.29 So baptism to us Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life All the difference between circumcision and baptism is for our advantage For 1. Baptism is not so painful as Circumcision was None of our blood is required here to be shed 2. Baptism is not confined to the eighth day but may be done before or after 3. Women and female children may be baptized who could not be circumcised Acts 16.5 We read that Lydia was baptized And Acts 18.1 't is said they were baptised both men and women But we come to a third argument for infant Baptism and that is this 3. Whole Families were baptised under the new Testament as Lydia and her houshold Acts 16.15 Stephanus and his houshold 1 Cor. 1.16 And the Jaylor and his houshold Acts 16.31 32. Can we imagine so many families without any Children in them 4. Children are capable of receiving benefit by baptism why should they therefore be kept from it The benefits of Baptism are 1. Remission of sin by the blood of Christ and children need that remission by reason of original sin 2. Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ and they need the Sanctifying of the Spirit to renew their natures And Christ may in the due administraion of this Ordinance graciously work on the Soul of an Infant and change its disposition and infuse the seeds of grace into it before it comes to the use of reason why then should not children be brought to Christ and dedicated to him by baptism Surely they that keep them from him dangerously expose them to the grand enemy of their Souls 5. The fifth and last argument I shall bring for Infant Baptism shall be the practice of the Church in ancient times and near to the Apostolical And for proofs of this nature I shall take my rise from the time of Austin without looking lower and so ascend toward the days of the Apostles First then for Austin Augustinus Anno. Chr. 410. who flourished about the year of Christ 410. he is positive and express for it Epist 3. ad Volusiam consuetudo matris ecclesiae in baptizandis parvulis nequaquam spernenda est neque omnino superflua deputanda nec omnino credenda nisi apostolica esset traditio Idem libro primo de pec mer. remiss cap. 26. Parvulos Baptizandos esse Pelagiani concedunt Qui contra authoritatem Vniversae Ecclesiae proculdubio per Dominum Apostolos traditam venire non possunt Et Serm. 10. de verbis Apostoli de Poedobaptismo loquens Nemo inquit vobis susurret doctrinas alienas Hoc ecclesia semper habuit semper tenuit Hoc a majorum si de accepit hoc usque in fidem perseveranter custodit Somewhat before Austin lived St. Hierom Hieronymus 4â—0 viz. Anno. 400 who is clear for Infant Baptism Epist ad Laetam Qui parvulus est Parentis in Baptismo vinculo solvitur c. Children sayes he are freed in Baptism from the sin of Adam in the guilt whereof they were involved but men of riper years from their own and his Hieron advers Pelag. libr. 3. in fine And in conclusion he resolves Infantes etiam in peccatorum remissionem baptizandos esse that Infants are to be baptized for the remission of sins Before him lived St. Ambrose viz. about the year 370. Ambrosius 370. who speaking of the Pelagian Heresies who published among other things that the hurt which Adam did to his Posterity was exemplo non
unto Christ they should address themselves unto it as one of the solemnest works in the world They should do it with due preparation reverence and seriousness as beseemeth those that are transacting a business of such unspeakable importance 4. They should ingage to bring up their children in the principles of the Christian Faith They should imagine God said to them as the daughter of Pharoah said to Moses's Mother Exod. 2.19 Bring up this Child for me Bring up this Child in my fear and for my service 5. They should be very earnest in prayer to God for their children O that Ismael might live in thy sight sayes holy Abraham Gen. 17.18 So should pious Parents pray for their children O that this child of mine may be a real member of Christ O that he may have the Image of God stamped upon his Soul O that he may honour God here and be for ever happy with him in his Kingdom hereafter 6. They should be early instilling good and wholsome principles and documents into them precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little as they are able to bear it Isa 28.10 And the Mother as well as the Father should make conscience to do this We read that Bathsheba the mother of Solomon did so Prov. 31. which chapter contains her wise instructions to him * And if it be the duty of Parents thus carefully to instruct their Children then surely 't is the duty of Children carefully to observe and lay to heart and practice the instructions of their Parents 7. They should check the first appearings and buddings forth of sin in them endeavouring to make them sensible of the great evil and danger of it 8. They should labour to make them in love with the beauty and excellency of Holiness and Vertue 9. They should bring them to the ordinances of God expecting the spirit of God will move upon those waters 10. They must be sure to set them a good example Children are more led by example than precept * Exemplum concionatoris concionibus validius Et exemplâ—m Parentis praeceptis validiuâ— 11. They must encourage all good beginnings of vertue or ingenuity they see in them 12. And lastly they must labour to give them a good education and put them into a good way of living in the World and make such provisions for them as God in his Providence shall inable them And those Parents that do these things whatever the success be will have comfort in so doing Of the Lords Supper I Come now to treat of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper In the handling of which I shall 1. Indeavor rightly to inform your Judgments concerning the true nature use intent and benefit of this holy ordinance 2. Direct your practice that you may know how to receive it in a right manner and to your spiritual benefit That you may therefore be rightly informed concerning the nature of this Sacrament you must know that the Jews had two ordinary standing Sacraments viz. 1. Circumcision to which Our Baptism do answer 2. The Passover to which The Lords Supper do answer Theirs were bloody Sacraments for the blood of Christ was to be shed Ours unbloody for the blood of Christ is shed Now that I may speak more distinctly and plainly concening the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it will be requisite that I speak something 1. concerning the Jewish Passover which we shall consider either as it was first instituted or as it was afterwards celebrated wherein divers rites of the first Aegyptian Passover were not exactly observed The first institution of the Passover we find Exod. 12. When Israel after long servitude and bondage was to go out of Egypt God commanded them in their several families to kill a Lamb to roast it whole to eat it within doors that night to sprinkle the side and upper door-posts with the blood thereof and so doing they should be safe from the destroying Angel that rode circuit that night to destroy all Egypts first born but he was to pass by all the houses of Israel sprinkled with blood And hence the name Passover Exod. 12.27 This was to be greatly observed on the fourteenth day of the first moneth at Even In the treating therefore of this Passover we shall first consider the things that were proper to the Jewish Passover in Egypt and then shew how they prefigured Christ our Passover 1. They were commanded to take a Lamb. A Lamb the emblem of innocency So our Saviour was stiled John 1.19 The Lamb of God being of a Lamb-like humility and meekness John his beloved Disciple often stiles him so as being exceedingly delighted with this similitude 2. A Lamb without blemish So was our Saviour 1 Pet. 1.19 3. One of their own flocks and folds Christ was of the Jewish Nation Rom. 9.4 5. Like in all things to his brethren sin only excepted 4. It must be slain So Christ was put to death on the Cross 5. Not a bone of it must be broken which was verified in Christ John 19.33 36. 6. It must be roasted So our Saviour suffered the scorching heat of his Fathers wrath sweating drops of blood for our sakes Luke 22.44 O Sinner how little art thou sensible of what thy Saviour hath suffered to redeem thee 7. The blood of the Lamb must be sprinkled on the side and upper door-posts of their houses if they intended to be preserved from the destroying Angel So must the blood of Christ be sprinkled by Faith on our hearts if we intend to be delivered from the wrath to come See 1 Pet. 1.2 and Heb. 12.24 There is no escaping the wrath of God but by the sprinkling of Christs blood on our consciences 8. They were to eat this Paschal Lamb with sower herbs and unlevened bread 1. With sower herbs to mind them of what affliction and bondage they were in in Egypt We must have contrition and remorse wrought in us for our sins and be in bitterness of soul for them ere we can reasonably expect relief by Christ 2. With unlevened bread The succeeding Jews that they might shew their exactness in observing this precept did at this Passover-time use great diligence to rid their houses of all leven yea they were so strict about it that they searched with candles to see if there were any remaining in any corner or hole And lest after all their diligence any should remain with them yet unfound out they passed a solemn execration upon it in these or the like words All the leven that is within my possession which I have seen or which I have not seen which I have cast out or not cast out be it accursed be it as the dust of the earth The Apostle shews us that by leven is meant malice and wickedness by unlevened bread sincerity and truth He intimates what manner of persons they must be that intend to feed upon Christ by Faith They must not think to eat of
threatnings denounced in his word against swearers were meer scar-crows and whether Ministers made more ado than needs in their faithful and compassionate warnings of you and whether all they were fools and cowards that feared God and durst not sin against him at the same dreadful rate that you did I know very well that whoever shall now go about to stop you in your carreer of sinning and though with never so much tenderness shall labour to shew you the evil and danger of your course shall presently in all likelihood have the Fanatick or hypocrite thrown in his face But say what you will there are none so truly mad as those that are wicked and ungodly nor any in the world grosser Hypocrites than they that under a Christian name live a Heathenish and Paganish life And tell me I pray you whether you would not think that Dog to be mad that you saw flye in his Masters face that kept him and are you then any thing short of mad men that dare thus impudently and daringly defie your Creator 'T is the observation of Livy the Roman Historian that when the destruction of a Person or Nation is destined then the wholsom warnings both of God and Man are set at naught You may go on if you please and despise your reprovers but when you have done laughing at them read these Scriptures and laugh if you can Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy 1 Sam. 2.25 'T is said of Eli's Sons they hearkned not unto the voice of their Father because the Lord would slay them But O the blindness of those whom the God of this world hath blinded These wretched sinners as if swearing were not sufficient to sink them deep enough into Hell and cursing also to it which whoever frequently use have a peculiar brand in the Scripture set upon them to be desperately wicked Psal 10.4 7. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God His mouth is full of cursing c. How ready are these desperate wretches if they be but crossed by a servant or a beast in their business or recreations to fall a blaspheming and cursing wishing the plague of God or some other dreadful evil may fall on such or such As if every time they are angry or any thing displeaseth them the great God of Heaven and Earth must instantly be at their beck and in all hast come down to avenge their quarrel and serve their malice But the wickedness of these men is so transcendent that I shall say no more to them now but leave them to consider when they are best at leisure that dreadful place Psal 109.17 18 19. As he loved cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with cursing like as with a garment so let it come into his bowels like water and like oyl into his bones 6. Having now done with the Arguments and Reasons which sufficiently demonstrate the heinousness of this sin I come in the next place to answer these vain pretences and excuses which customary swearers use to make for themselves 1. They are apt to plead that they have been long used to it and have got a habit and custom of it which now they cannot easily leave To which I answer that this is a very irrational plea. For he that is an habitual sinner is far more abominable in the sight of God than he that sins only upon a particular temptation or provocation Would any man think this a good plea for a Thief to make at the Bar My Lord I have been so long used to thieving and stealing even from my youth and am now so accustomed to it that I cannot leave it Is not this a strong reason why he should not be spared but the more speedily sent to the Gallows And moreover the truth is this is a very vain pretence For those that have been long accustomed to swearing can and do ordinarily forbear it when they are in the presence of grave and serious persons whom they do reverence and respect Confident I am were it made High Treason against the King as it is against the King of Heaven profanely and customarily to swear and curse it would be left and forborn For the will hath a despotick and commanding power over the tongue as well as other members of the body and can restrain it if it please and therefore it is a very vain excuse for any to say they cannot leave it 2. Some will say they had not sworn if they had not been provoked to it For answer to that let such persons consider that the provocations they speak of would be ineffectual and not prevail upon them if their hearts were not very corrupt For how many good and gracious persons meet with great and perhaps greater provocations than these men meet with who yet are never provoked to swear or curse or do any thing like unto it If therefore there were not a naughty heart within accustomed to sin the outward temptation would not so prevail 3. Some will plead they shall not be believed except they swear To which I answer no wise man will believe a man the more but rather the less for his swearing For he that makes not conscience of one sin in all likelihood will not of another when he sees it is for his outward advantage to commit it There is no reason to think that man will stick to lye who sticks not to swear And if such persons who do usually swear do indeed believe in God why do they not obey him who forbids them to swear if they do not why should we believe them when they swear by God 4. Some swearers will say they mean no harm by it For answer to that let them consider whether any Prince in the World will allow a Subject of his to use his tongue as he pleases to his dishonour and put it up because the man sayes he means no harm by it Much less will the King of Heaven bear with their audacious profaning of his name upon pretence that thou intendest no harm Such as a mans tongue is such is the man For as our Saviour saith Matth. 12.34 35. An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things and a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh 5. Some will say they swear but small oaths viz. By the Virgin Mary or as we usually abbreviate it yes Marry or by their head or by the ligh c. To which I answer that we are not to think any sin small which we willingly commit seeing the wages of the least sin is death And further we are to consider that swearing when duly called to it is an act of worship which we ow to
Holy Ghost But it seems some filthy Hereticks in that time went about to perswade those Christians at Corinth that fornication was no sin or at least no great sin and the Apostle levels his arguments against such wicked suggestions as these 11. Adulterers and Adulteresses violate the sacred ordinance of marriage and the solemn covenant they made before God and before their friends as witnesses In our form of Matrimony the man solemnly promises that forsaking all others he will keep himself only unto the woman he marries as long as they both shall live And the woman does the like unto the man And therefore Adultery in either party is the most abominable breach of faith that can be imagined and they that are guilty of it what can they expect but vengeance from God 12. The Adulterer highly sinneth against him whose wife he defileth He robs him of the heart-love and affection of his wife which is an irreparable injury Besides he brings an odious nick-name and reproach upon him And which is to be taken notice of to the shame of our Nation as Dr. Hammond well observes the innocent and injured person he is by a kind of national custom laughed at and made the object of common scorn and obloquy whilst the filthy adulterer who robbed him of his honour is in the common vogue rather applauded at least passes without any such mark of infamy and contempt One or two such ponderous guilts as this as that reverend Author phrases * See Dr. Hammonds Sermons page 175. it are enough to ruine a Nation how light soever some profane wretches make of the matter 13. By the Law of God Adultery was to be punished with death Lev. 20.10 Deut. 22.22 And whereas other crimes were not capital nor to be punished with death except proved by two or three witnesses God permitted the jealous husband to make a special trial of his wifes chastity and honesty and gave him an extraordinary way and means for convicting of her if she were guilty when no witnesses could possibly be produced against her namely she was to drink of the water of jealousie which if she were innocent did not hurt her at all but rather did her good and made her fruitful But if she were guilty then upon drinking thereof her belly should swell and her thigh rot and so the woman should be accursed among her people So that rather than God would have this heinous sin of adultery go unpunished he himself appointed an extraordinary way for the discovery of it Nay before this law was given it seems it was in use among Gods own people to punish adultery with death For Judah adjudged Tamar his daughter in law to be burnt for this sin as appears Gen. 38.24 14. The very Heathens by the light of nature adjudged adultery to be a capital crime and to deserve death For instance Nebuchadnezzar roasted two men in the fire for it as we read Jer. 29.23 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the Captivity of Judah which are in Babylon saying the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon roasted in the fire because they have committed villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my name which I have not commanded them Among the Athenians Draco's Law made adultery capital Among the Romans 't was a law of the Twelve Tables Moechum in adulterio deprehensum necato so also by the lex Julia it was made capital Thus we see that the punishing adultery with death seemed a thing very fit and just and a matter of common equity among the more civilized Nations and was not meerly a judicial Law proper and peculiar to the Common-wealth of the Jews only Other Nations that did not inflict death upon adulterers yet punished them with tortures almost as bitter as death The Aegyptians decreed that the nose of the adulterer should be cut off and the adulteress should be beaten with a thousand stripes almost to death * Diodor Sicul. lib. 1. cap. 6. Zaleucus the King of the Locrenses made a Law that the adulterer should loose both his eyes Which Law his own Son transgressing that he might be just in keeping up the vigor of the Law and yet shew some mercy to his Son Aelian var hist lib. 13. he caused one of his Son's eyes to be put out and one of his own By which it plainly appears what a detestation was in the hearts of civilized Pagans guided only by the light of natural conscience against this sin And so much of the first particular the odiousness of this sin and the great reasons we have to abhor it 2. I come now to answer the vain excuses that men who are addicted to this sin are apt to make for themselves There is no sin so odious but love to it and frequent committing of it will in a sort reconcile even the judgment to it and make it seem either no sin or but a little sin and easily pardonable Let us consider therefore what are the excuses such men do usually make for themselves 1. They alledge that Poligamy or having more wives than one was practised among the Jews Answ One man and one woman were conjoyned in the Primitive institution Gen. 2.24 compared with Matth. 19.5 For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they twain * Tò duo non exprimitur Gen. 2.24 sed necessario subauditur nam de duobus tantum ibi sermo est non pluribus unde dictum uxori suae non uxoribus suis Hinc damnatur Polygamia ut quum dictum est uxori suae numero singulari not they three or four shall be one flesh And the special reason why plurality of wives was connived at among the Jews was for the fuller peopling of that Nation they being the only people in Covenant with God and being but few among many enemies encompassing of them their strength and safety depended much in an ordinary way upon their number and increase and therefore some inordinancy was connived at for their multiplication but never absolutely allowed or approved of But though their having more wives than one for the aforesaid reasons was connived at yet fornication was punished severely among them and adultery with no less punishment than death 2. They alledge that David was an Adulterer and Solomon had many wives Answ David sinned heinously therein and 't is easier to forbear this sin than to undergo the sorrows and punishment that David underwent for it For besides the bitterness that his Soul was in for it his Son Absolom rebelled against him drove him out of his Kingdom and openly defiled his wives And this sin is left as a perpetual blot upon his name and memory As for Solomon his sin was so great that it almost ruined him and his Kingdom Ten of the twelve Tribes fell off from
his house as soon as his Son came to the Kingdom and though his own experience taught him to say more against this sin than is said by any other in the Old Testament yet it is a controversie among Divines whether ever he were perfectly recovered and at last saved or no. And is this an incouragement to any man to imitate him in this sin 3. They alledge that Our Saviour did not condemn the woman taken in adultery John 8. Answ Our Saviour asks the woman whether any man had condemned her according to the Law made in that case whereby he intimates that if the sentence of death had been lawfully passed upon her he would not have repealed it for he came not to violate the law but to fulfill it But our Saviour himself refused to condemn her because he came not into the world to execute the office of an earthly judge but of a mediator who was to procure the pardon of our sins through his merits and intercession He came not to condemn but to save and to give his life a ransom for many And therefore he would not execute the office of a Magistrate in adjudging her to death but of a Minister in calling her to repentance and amendment of her life And so much by way of answer to the excuses that such as are addicted to this sin do use to make for themselves 3. I come now in the last place to give some directions and to prescribe some remedies against it 1. Frequently pour forth thy soul in fervent and earnest prayer unto the Lord that he would please to keep thee from this sin and all tendencies to it When Paul prayed so earnestly to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan God answered my grace is sufficient for thee my strength shall be perfected in thy weakness 2 Cor. 12.8 9. 2. Use fasting and abstinence and beating down the body This unclean Devil goes not out by any means so soon as by fasting and prayer A weak body indeed must be carefully supported but a wanton and unruly body must be carefully subdued * Antisthenes his wish to his enemies was hostium filiis coâ— ingat n delitiis vivere 'T is storied of a virtuous maid that to rid her self of an importunate Suitor she told him that if he had that affection for her which he pretended he should manifest it by joyning with her in a resolution she had made which was that for twenty dayes together she would eat nothing but bread and drink nothing but water The young man though very unwillingly yet to satisfie her undertook it But when he had observed it about ten dayes he found his body so mortified and enfeebled that he had no mind to marry and so his Mistress was delivered from her importunate Suitor This story applies it self And if any shall say that abstinence is an hard lesson let such consider that the suffering of hell fire and the wrath that is to come is a thousand times harder 3. Labour that the fear of God may rule in thy heart This was that which kept Joseph innocent Gen. 39.9 and preserved him from the inticements of his lewd Mistress how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God The fear of God in the heart is a great preservative against this sin 4. Reverence thy conscience and hearken to it and mark what it speaks to thee now lest hereafter it speak to thee in a more terrible manner hear it voluntarily now lest it force thee to hear it hereafter against thy will when it will be thy tormentor It is reported of a chast woman that being tempted by a fornicator she desired him first to hold his finger in the fire a litâ— bâ—while which when he refused she said why should I then burn in hell for you 5. Labour to cast out of thy mind all unclean thoughts and phansies Drive them out with abhorrence as our Saviour did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple Take heed of speculative wantonness Vnclean thoughts usually infect and corrupt the heart and stir up in it unclean lusts and inclinations and heart defilement makes way for corporal Remember what our Saviour sayes Matth. 5.24 Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart There are fornicators in heart and adulterers in heart as well as in outward act Therefore sayes Solomon keep thy self from the evil woman and lust not after her beauty in thy heart Prov 6.25 A great means to prevent uncleanness lyes in this to keep a holy government over our thoughts and to abhor and cast out lustful thoughts out of our minds with detestation 6. Keep a strict guard and watch over thy outward sences particularly thine eyes * Oculi sunt in amore duces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut est in veteri verbo and ears Job said he had made a Covenant with his eyes Job 31.1 that is he was carefull to keep his eyes from gazing upon and his mind from thinking upon a maid so as to lust after her Stop thy ears also against all filthy and unclean discourse For filthy tales and stories do strangely corrupt the Phansie and stick odiously in the memory Therefore if thou be so unhappy at any time as to fall into such company where such discourse is used and such tales are told shew thy dislike of them and be sure never to tell them again For such discourse is pestilential and infectious 7. Be diligent in thy particular calling and keep thy mind well imployed Otia si tollas periere cupidinis arcus Avoid idleness * Quaeritur Aegystus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Facito aliquid operis ut semper inveniat te diabolus occupatum Vitium libidinis facile ex otio nascitur Nam dâ—finitio amoris est animae vacantis passio Chrysost in Math. and you take away a great occasion to lust 'T is observed of David that when he was idle he fell into that dreaful sin of adultery A laborious diligent person hath his body subdued and his mind imployed and taken up with better things The rich and the idle are usually the persons that are most under this temptation 8. Keep modest and sober company where thou shalt neither see nor hear any thing unseemly Fornication and all uncleanness let it not be named among you as becometh Saints sayes the Apostle Ephes 5.3 Evil communication corrupts good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 The filthy talk and tales and stories and sonnets of some profane persons how exceedingly do they corrupt the minds of others Let dogs and crows feed on Carrion Rational men loath such rotten and abominable stuff True Chrians abhor all impure discourse and all immodest actions 9. Shun and avoid such things as may be occasions incentives and temptations to this sin Such as these 1. Lascivious dancings I say lascivious For
such discourse as is very profitable and then they will not be only testifications of civility and respect from one friend to another but a great advantage and improvement to them many wayes 5. Immoderate and too long sports games and recreations Indeed some fiting recreation may be needfull to him who has wearied himself in honest labour He that mowes must sometimes whet his sythe and he that travails must sometimes bait And therefore recreations that are lawful moderate and seasonable and conduce to the refreshment of nature and fitting us more for our business are very allowable but too much and too long recreation is a most prodigal expence of time Nay there are some who labour hard and take great pains at their sports and recreations who are very idle in their due work And what a folly is this to be so active and labourious about their pleasures and to neglect their main business 6. Vain impertinent and ungoverned thoughts are a great consumption of time especially in melancholy persons But this also I touched before 7. Reading of vain and corrupting books such as Play-books c. is another great waster of precious time Surely we should not imploy our time in reading any books but such as tend to make us either wiser or better or more useful not in such as tend to the depraving and corrupting of our minds Such wasters therefore of precious time as these are should be carefully avoided by us And so much of the sixth Direction 7. Consider how exceeding comfortable the review of time well spent will be when you come to dye What a strong cordial is it to a departing soul when he can say with the blessed Apostle I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at his appearing 2 Tim. 3.7 8. Or with Hezekiah Esay 38.3 Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight 'T was once said by a holy man in this Nation that if any uncomfortable Passion could betide a Saint in Heaven it would be that he had spent his time no better nor had done God more service here And therefore the pious and renowned Vsher cryed out on his Death-bed Lord pardon my omissions But as the review of our time well spent and imployed will be exceeding comfortable to us at our dying hour so the contrary must needs be exceeding cutting O how do people wish then they had spent their time Which of these two accounts do you think will then be most comfortable Item so much of my time spent in Ale-houses Taverns in idle company in pleasures and pastimes in foolish mirth and jollity c. or so much of my time spent in fervent prayer to God and praising of him so much in hearing his word in meditation in self-examination in pious discourse c. 'T is hardly possible for voluptuous persons who have their minds filled with vanity pleasure to imagine what a different sense they will have of things when they come to dye from what they have now and how precious that time will then appear to them which they made so little account of before They will then begin to see their folly as they say Moles have their eyes opened just before they die And as Hagar sat down and wept when her water was spent Gen. 21.15 So these people will then weep and howl when their time is gone and can never be recalled And so much for the direction as to the manner how we should redeem time 6. I come now in the last place to shew who are the Persons that should especially be perswaded to the practice of this duty 1. Those that are young They should take heed of Satans grand delusion who will perswade them if he can that 't is too soon for them as yet to think of improving their time and if they should do so now they will lose their prime time of pleasure But I shall refer them to my directions to the young in my book of knowledge and practice for the answering such suggestions They should consider how many great advantages will accrue to them if they now improve their time well Hereby they will prevent many sins and sorrows hereby they will come to some eminency of knowledge grace and spiritual experience hereby they will do God more service in their lives and their joyes and comforts will be greater when they come to be old and their death will be more comfortable and their reward in Heaven much greater 2. Those who have lost much time before If a traveller hath loitered in the morning he had need spur up and ride hard in the remaining part of the day lest the night overtake him and so disable him from accomplishing his journey They that have lost much precious time in the former part of their life had need use double diligence in well improving of it afterwards 3. The sick and aged They ought to look upon their Sun as setting and their glass as almost run out And therefore if ever they will bestir themselves to secure to themselves a happy eternity they must do it now 4. Those that at present enjoy more then ordinary Spiritual helps and advantages for the good of their souls or such opportunities as they have not before met with As when God casts them into a good Family or vouchsafes to them the help of some faithful Minister or the example of some exemplary Christians whose help they had not before Those to whom God vouchsafes such advantages should especially be careful to improve them remembring that opportunity is the quintescence of time A man may have a great deal of time and yet but few opportunities to effect an important business and 't is the character of a wise man to make a right improvement of the opportunities vouch-safed to him 5. Those that are in any office of Magistracy or Ministry whereby they have an especial opportunity of doing good to many They should be very careful to improve this season for it will not alwayes last If therefore thou art a Magistrate consider thou hast now a great opportunity to encourage Piety Vertue and Honesty and to beat down Sin Vice and Wickedness Do what thou canst for God while thy Magistracy lasts If thou art a Minister Preach the word faithfully in season and out of season Exhort Reprove Rebuke with all long-suffering and patience strive to win as many souls to Christ as thou canst Thou knowest not how soon thy mouth may be stopped And I may make the like address to others also If thou art rich distribute and communicate to the poor whilst thou hast an estate possibly it may be taken from thee and then thou canst not do it If thou art a Parent or a Master of a Family do good to the souls of those under thy care while thou hast time Remember that both thy life and their lives are uncertain and thou knowest not how long thâ—u mayest have opportunity to do it 6. The Ignorant They that have been hitherto ignorant should consider they must get knowledge if they intend to be saved for without the knowledge of the main fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion how is it possible they should be good Christians or know what God requires of them in order to their Salvation 7. Those that have been lately recovered from any dangerous sickness They should remember that God has renewed the lease of their life which possibly both themselves and their friends thought expiring They should remember the resolutions and promises which they then made to God and possibly to others in their sickness It is said of the Mariners that were in the Ship out of which Jonah was cast that when the Sea ceased from raging and all was safe that the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a Sacrifice to the Lord and made vows Jonah 1.16 Observe they made vows after their deliverance Many make vows in their danger that are little careful to perform them when the danger is over But let all those that love their Souls be careful to perform the vows they made to God in their sicknesses and distresses And so much of this last particular namely the persons who ought especially to be perswaded to the practice of this duty FINIS