distance from begrudging him any good as we are at from begrudging it to our selves The first Command is a Summary of all Duty unto God the second is a like Summary of all Duty unto Man. 11. The Children of Men ever since the Fall are averse from all the Wâ—â—â— God. Their Minds are unteachable Memories unfaithful Wills untractable Else what needed the New-Edition of the Ten Commands And why were they so delivered as we read Exod. 19.20 12. The Motives that God giveth and we ought to take and urge our hearts withal unto the Obedience of every of God's Laws are three The three contained in God's Preface unto the Ten Commandments Which are God's Soveraignty over us his Covenant with us his Redemption-grace and bounty unto us Wo unto our best Motions which these three do not move to Sacramental-Truths five 1. The Law of God for Sacraments is not Natural but Positive He required them not because their use is good antecedently No their Use is therefore only good because He requires them From whence it follows that tho' it be impossible not to Use the Sacraments but we must offend God because God has commanded them 't is very possible to use Sacraments and not please God. Because God has commanded them not for their own sakes but for certain Ends. Which Ends if we do not aim at and answer in our use of the Sacraments God has no pleasure and we no profit by our use of them 2. The End for which God hath ordain'd Sacraments is his Testifying his Mind and Will unto Us. And our Testifying back our Hearts toward Him. 'T is true God's Word is a Testimony of his Will a first a sweet and a sure Testimony But it has pleased Him to add a second sort of Testification of his Covenant-Will And by Visible Rites and Ceremonies of his own appointing to Testifie it farther As after their Word given Men use by Sign and Seal to testifie their Minds Likewise we at our first Conversion by our Hearts and Mouths testifie unto God our Wills henceforward for ever to be his But it pleaseth God to require our second and more publick solemn Testification thereof To wit in and by the use of those Rites and Ceremonies which he has prescribed Now if we aim not at both these Ends in the use of Sacraments and answer not these Ends we mock God and delude our selves in their use Other Ends of Sacraments there be I know but these are the chief and comprehensive of all 3. The Order of the two Sacraments of the Gospel New-Covenant is this Holy Baptism enters a Disciple of Christ makes him that was before Covenanted to become by Sign and Seal Covenanted with God. The Lord's Supper renews that Covenant betwixt God and a Baptized Disciple of Jesus Christ Both Baptism and the Lord's Supper do confirm the Covenant mutually upon God's part and upon ours and extensively as to all the Promises in the Covenant from God unto us and as to all the Demands in the Covenant from us unto God. 4. The Dignity and Vsefulness of the Holy Sacraments is surpassing In no Ordinances has God condescended so Low unto us as in these In none therefore has he so much honoured us as in these The Apostle reckons Sacraments as the prime of Church-Priviledges 1 Cor. 10. As for Vsefulness they are Towers of David builded for spiritual Armories (a) Of all the outward Means of Grace the most Mighty We cannot warrantably expect the Holy Spirit to make the Word a-near so helpful to us without the Sacraments as with them If ordinarily He should so do He would disparage them But to be sure He will never do that 5. The Way to improve the Holy Sacraments unto Holiness and Comfort is by a double Pleading of them By Pleading them with our own Souls upon God's behalf And this either when we would bring them out of a bad frame into a good or from a less holy unto a more holy frame for God. By then urging our hearts in such like words My Soul my Soul why against God or why so coldly for Him The Kingdom of Hell suffers violence Violent Sinners take it by Force And wilt not thou take the Kingdom of Heaven by it Sinners be Patient Creatures they forsake Father and Mother take up their Cross and follow Satan and thorough many tribulations enter the Kingdom of Hell. Blush and bleed thou to think that thy Patience should be short of theirs and that thou shouldst not without regret enter the Kingdom of Heaven that 's better thro' Tribulations that be lesser than theirs Think think my Soul Thou art Baptiz'd the God of Heaven for thy Encouragement and Engagement has sign'd and seal'd his Covenant with thee Thou hast been at his Holy Table He has again and again sign'd and seal'd it Canst thou thou a sign'd seal'd Covenanter Distrust or Disobey Thou a frequently repeated Covenanter and an early one too O for shame stir up thy self and on with the Armour of God and follow the Captain of thy Salvation and fight not flourish against Flesh World and Devil according to thy Sacramental Engagement Shew that it is unto thee a Covenant of Salt not of Snow An Adamantine bond not a Rope of Sand c. Again we must also humbly Plead them with our heavenly Father upon our own behalf Under Oppression by any evil or Deprivation of any good we may and ought to plead them in Prayer before Him. 'T is often that Ministers do press Christians to plead the Promises I would that we all as often press'd them to plead the same as sign'd and seal'd God hath not a Promise but what is sign'd and seal'd in Baptism and in the Holy Supper And we plead them but imperfectly and at halves when we plead them not as sign'd and seal'd Go distressed Christian fill thy mouth with the arguments of the Covenant of Grace and plead thy Cause at the Throne of Grace to this purpose O thou that canst not Lye thou hast sworn unto me that in thy Gospel-way I shall have Grace Glory and have no good thing with-held from me Thou signedst and sealedst Promise hereof to me in my Baptism and so hast thou done again and again at thy Table I in thy Gospel-way have waited do wait and will to my last breath thro' thy grace wait O Lord canst thou chuse but perform what thou hast so so Promised so Sworn so Engag'd under Sign and Seal c This is the way to Mortifie Corruptions Repel Temptations Quicken Graces Revive Hopes Attain Joys unspeakable and full of Glory O that our best Pulpits were less silent and our best Pues less Ignorant of the practick use of Holy Sacraments Q 3. What is that Change wrought in a Man by God's Holy Word and Spirit before he can safely conclude himself to be passed from Death to Life BY one man sin entred into the World and Death by sin Rom. 5.12 Satan
THREE QUESTIONS Resolved briefly and plainly VIZ. What Conceptions ought we to have of the blessed God What are those Truths whereof the Knowledge appeareth most indispensibly necessary unto our Salvation and therefore to be first and most Learnt by us What is the Change wrought in a Man by God's H. Word and Spirit before he can safely conclude himself pass'd from Death to Life Being the Summ of three Sermons By Daniel Burgess John 21.15 Jesus saith unto him Feed my Lambs i. e. Souls even the Lowest 1 Cor. 3.2 I have fed you with Milk and not with Meat i. e. Doctrine fit for weaklings not folk of strong understanding LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside and Robert Gibbs at the Golden Ball in Chancery-Lane 1688. TO THE Congregation under my Care. IT is said my Brethren that whatever Affections be in the Middle they have two sharp Ends. Our first Love has been as Zealous as our first Knowledge was Wondrous I am persuaded also that when we shall be Parted it will be no less Ardent And our separation will be as that of our Limbs from each other would be May it be our Care that whiles we are Kept together by good Providence we admit no chill in that sweet and useful Grace but shew it to be a godly Love by having it like the Love of God That is Vnchangeable I have nothing for you Great but my Love. Next unto it is my Labour But as my Talent is slender that it self is shorter than my Desire Without your very great Affection I can expect little success of my Preaching or Writing Thereby I am encouraged unto both and in both as yet It is that which hath given the Imprimatur unto these Notes For tho' of the Truths of God in them I study to think most honourably yet as to any thing that is mine in them I praise God I do think very despicably And am prepared to hear it undisturbedly if others shall think so too Neither do I purpose to put you off with these Fragments But pay the whole that I am Debtor of by Promise unto you if the Lord will and I live I must beg your Patience indeed for some time Nor need I say for what Reasons being all that know me know them also You think as I do tho' on a different reason my Days on Earth will be few Be they more or less the greatest part of them shall be spent in Pains and Prayers for your Persons and Families While I am capable of either You more than any others shall have them Even Self-love bids you Pray for me and I know you have other Motives Therefore I Expect it and not Intreat it I am An Affectionate Servant of your Faith Obedience and Joy D. Burgess Q 1. What Conceptions ought we to have of God OF all Truths it is the most evident that there is a God. And of all things Knowable it is most necessary that we Know what He is This to Know perfectly is impossible An Oyster-shell cannot contain the Ocean nor a finite Mind comprehend an infinite Object 'T is only God himself can fully Know himself But He made our Minds to Know Him with a Knowledge sufficient to serve and enjoy Him. Of this we are Capable For this He vouchsafeth us means Plentiful And without this every Mother's Child must be everlastingly miserable Our Thoughts of Him are the Seed of all our Affections Words and Conversation toward Him. I and towards one another too If these be corrupt nothing is sound of all that is in us or comes from us Nor can these be Good but when they are True and agreeable unto their Rule Powerful and Answerable unto their End. The Rule of them is God's own Word in the Books of Nature and Scripture published The End of them is the Exaltation of God's Name the Subjection of us to his Authority the Actuation of us unto Obedience to his Law. When they follow this Rule and obtain this End our Conceptions of God are what they ought to be Indeed Revelation is the Measure of Faith God requires for Degree according to what He gives He giveth some an hundred-fold more advantages for Knowing Him than he bestoweth on others And He will accept an hundred-fold less from some men than others Let Ministers Rich men and such as sit under the best Ministry of the Word remember this and tremble Let the Unlearned the Poor and those that live necessitously under the worst Ministry think of this and in hope get all they are able Nevertheless be it considered by all We all have the great Volume of the World that the Heathens had and Moses and the Prophets that the Jews had and Christ and his Apostles and the Gospel-Light that they had not Yea and such Displays of it in England as the very Churches beyond the Seas have not And I wish it better observed what London has that most Countrey parts are destitute of Much is given to England very much to London And the Thoughts of Himself that God will require from us English-men and specially Londoners must be presumed to extend unto these sixteen Particulars Seven concerning his Essence Three concerning his Relations common unto all his Creatures And six concerning his Relations special unto our selves If any one seem Excusable I pray the Reader to give me his reason for that appearance If all do seem Impossible to be gotten and held in Memory I desire that it be thought as true as I can make it appear viz. that I find Children of ten years old that can perfectly and pleasantly get and retain them in their Memories And if grown people cannot so do they must take what follows such their reprobate Mind Read on ye who have Will and Power Concerning God's Essence or Nature to wit that by which He is what He is and is differenced from all other things it is to be born in Mind that 1. He is an Vncaused or Vnmade Being A Creature is a thing contrived by God's Wisdom and made out of nothing by his Power and this freely of his own Will and Choice But God is a Being that never came out of Not-being Was never Contrived by his own or any other Wisdom Never Made by his own or any other Power and Will. For a thing to be the Cause of it self is confessed by all the World to be Impossible And for a Creature or second Being to be the Cause of its God or first Being is such an absurdity as no unbewitched Mind can swallow That which is Nothing can do nothing If there was a time when God was Nothing surely at that time he could do Nothing And if so He could not make Himself As for other Causes I ask as the Apostle in another case Who hath first given to Him and it shall be recompensed Rom. 35.11 2. He is an Eternal Being A Creature is a thing that
Order And Desire them in this Order Let the Shame be on me if thou lose by this Use If God preserve us not in Being we are then incapable of Doing and Receiving any good Being we therefore first pray for If God Pardon not our Sins our Being is a cursed one and worse than none at all For we cannot avoid his Wrath which is the Hell of Hell. Pardon therefore we pray for in the second place If God deliver us not from sinful Temptation's prevalence our Being and past Pardon are very sorry things For Sin after Pardon is worse Sin and 't will kindle a worse Wrath of God. And what then becomes of us Deliverance from it we therefore Pray for in the third place We content us not to Pray but for the two former We Pray for all these and in this natural Method that our dear Redeemer teaches 5. High and honourable Thoughts of God must 〈◊〉 in all that Pray unto Him. And must be expressed in the entrance of their Prayer The Preface of the Lord's Prayer so teacheth us Father signifies Creator Ruler Benefactor These words Art in Heaven do not speak God's place for He is every where and is Place it self They signifie God's eternally being of such Perfections as neare above our minds as the Heavens are above the Earth Our Father also speaks much Our doth express Him to be the whole Church and World's Father I and so Loveful a Father that He has boundâ—â—s Children every one to Love and Pray for all 6. Kingdom Power and Glory are the three steps by which our Minds rise in the Praise of God. Kingdom signifies his just Right to govern all things Power signifies his perfect Strength wherewith to do it Glory signifies his forth-shining Excellency which does and will for ever be in it The Excellency I mean of all his Perfections We do or should conceive of God as a Ruler most rightful and powerful and amiable or beautiful 7. Praise that is the highest of all Worship must not be sparingly used in Prayer The Preface and Conclusion of the Lord's Prayer are an Heaven if all of the Stars of Praise And no wonder for Greatness and Goodness are comprehensive of all God's Perfections Thanksgiving it self which is a Worship more noble than that which is more on the receiving hand it confiders but the Divine Goodness Yea and that it self but little more than as it derives and streams unto us But Praise considers and exalts God both as Great and as Good. In Himself and to us Good. Praising God can never be enough Prais'd or Practised by Us Psa 50. penult 8. Prayer is as necessarily to be Ended with Amen as to be Begun with Our Father My meaning is it must be concluded by all means with Desire Faith and Hope Amen signifies all Listlesness Vnbelief and Want of waiting and looking for Prayers returns do make Prayers as no Prayers Without the Heart's actual Amen after Prayer you interpretatively say Lord my mind 's already altered I now am indifferent whether Thou dost grant or deny me I believe Thou wilt Deny And I will not wait or look for thy Grant. Without an Amen with the mouth uttered some do suppose the Congregation injured 'T is certain where holy Amen's be not found Prayers be lost Commandment Truths twelve 1. The Object unto whom all supreme worship is to be paid is God Only To Him it must be paid by all Souls in all times with all strength And unto no other 'T is Treason to pay a penny Tribute to a rebellious Vsurper Or to worship with divine worship any tempting Creature If Jesus Christ were not God by Eternal nature I would not be Baptized into his name Or Pray unto Him any more than unto a Star. 2. 'T is as necessary that God be the Author as the Object of all religious worship We must give Him no worship but such as is prescribed by his Word His Worship must suit his blessed Nature and Will. And who can Know them but by his Word Idolatry is officious foolery Will-worship a like Phrenzy 3. 'T is not enough to worship the true God by the true Will of God for the Matter of it but the Manner also must be far from Prophane It must be with holy Reverence and humble Complacence and hearty Truth 4. 'T is not enough to worship the true God by the true Rule in the true and right Manner unless we also keep holy unto Him all such Time as He demands from us Such portions of every Day time and such of every Weeks time For the Lords-day against Judaizers read Mr. Ben Dr. Owen Mr. Baxter Holy Observance of the Lords day and of hourâ— of Worship on our own days is the Practiâ—â— and Pleasure of men sincere 5. Obedience to all the former Commands sufficeth not without Duty unto Men. Especially Superiors Principally Honor of Parents natural The which are our Governors in time before Kings On a deeper foundation than that of Contract even of very Nature To them are we most Obliged and by them most Loved Well is the 5th Command called the hinge of both Tables I am sure this being broke all are broke And would Children and Parents but do their Duties toward each other it would make a sweet change of our English familys But hereof elsewhere Parents and Rulers are God's Vicegerents over us and next unto God should be Honored by us Loaded with honor as the Hebrew word is 6. As of our Duty toward man preservation of just Honor is the first Preservation of his Life is the next Death takes away time of Repentance and Earthly mercies all Look how near you come unjustly to Kill a man so near you come to the Devil's first service From the beginning he was a Murderer And so near come you to deprive him of all the good of this World and if he be not already Converted to throw him into Hell. If you do Murder a man you rob God the King and the Countrey of a Servant in this world 7. The third Kind of duty towards Man-kind is preservation of Chastity in our selves and others To defile is next to Kill one Obscene thoughts words and deeds be next unto Murderous ones Lascivious Goats and bloody Wolves be much like odious in God's eyes 8. The fourth part of our Duty towards man is preservation of his Estate To Contemn to Kill or to Defile is worse but to Rob and Injure in ever so little a matter is a Sin that God will not let go unrevenged Of how great infamy among men is the name of a Thief O that Thieves knew but God's thoughts of them 9. The fifth sort of duty to Man is preservation of them in their Causes and Suits of Law. By bearing true witness when called and abhorring all false All that tends to pervert publick Justice Lyars be Satan's Pictures 10. The sixth duty toward man is such Love of him as we bear unto our selves Such
a Treatise on Luke 19.41 42. With an Appendix wherein somewhat is occasionally discoursed concerning the Sin against the Holy Ghost and how God is said to Will the Salvation of them that perish 3. Of Charity in Reference to other Mens Sins 4. A Sermon directing what we are to do after a strict inquiry whether or no we truly love God. 5. Two Sermons Preached at Thurlow in Suffolk on those words Rom. 6.13 Yield your selves to God. All Five by J. How. Minister of the Gospel 1. A Heaven or Hell upon Earth Or a Discourse concerning Conscience 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The True Touch-Stone which shews both Grace and Nature Or a Discourse concerning Self-Examination by which both Saints and Sinners may come to know themselves Whereunto are added sundry Meditations relating to the Lords Supper 3. The Conversion of the Soul to which is added A Warning to Sinners to prepare for Judgment All Three by Nath. Vincent Minister of the Gospel 1. Wadsworth's Remains Being a Collection of some few Meditations with respect to the Lords Supper Three Pious Letters when a young Student at Cambridge Two Practical Sermons much desired by the Hearers Several Sacred Poems and private Ejaculations With a Preface containing several Remarkables of his Holy Life and Death from his own Note-book and those that knew him best 2. A Serious Exhortation unto Self-Examination Delivered in Five Sermons on 2 Cor. 13.5 These Two by Thomas Wadsworth M. A. Minister of the Gospel sometimes at Newington-Butts Southwark A Discourse of Old Age tending to the Instruction Caution and Comfort of Aged Persons Baptismal Bonds Renewed being Meditations upon Psalm 50. ver 5. By O. Heywood Minister of the Gospel A Discourse of the Saving Grace of God by David Clarkson Minister of the Gospel The Book of Psalms in Metre close and proper to the Hebrew smooth and pleasant for the Metre To be sung in usual and known Tunes Newly Translated with Amendments and Addition of many fresh Metres Fitted for the ready use and understanding of all good Christians By Will. Barton M. A. as he left it finished in his life time The difference between the Spots of the Godly and of the Wicked Preached by Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs at Cripplegate Some Rules how to Use the World so as not to Abuse either that or our selves By Francis. Fuller M. A. Religion our True Interest Or Practical Notes upon Malachi ch 3. v. 16 17 18. Seasonable for the Times By Tho. Watson sometimes Minister of Stephens Walbrook London The Life and Death of Edmund Staunton D. D. To which is added I. His Treatise of Christian Conference II. His Dialogue betwixt a Minister and a Stranger Published by Richard Mayo of Kingston Minister of the Gospel Magna Charta Ecclesiae Universalis The Grand Charter Issued out and Granted by Jesus Christ for the Plantation of the Christian Faith in all Nations Registred and Enrolled Mat. 28.18 19 20. Chosen for the Subject of the ensuing Discourse By George Lawson Rector of More in the County of Salep An Alarme to Unconverted Sinners In a serious Treatise shewing 1. What Convesion is not and correcting some Mistakes about it 2. What Conversion is and wherein it consisteth 3. The Necessity of Conversion 4. The Marks of the Unconverted 5. The Miseries of the Unconverted 6. Directions for Conversion 7. Motives to Conversion Whereunto are annexed divers Practical Cases of Conscience judiciously resolved By Joseph Alleine late Minister of the Gospel at Taunton in Somersetshire An Essay for the Recording of Illustrious Providences Wherein An Account is given of many Remarkable and very Memorable Events which have happened in this last Age especially in New-England By Increase Mather Teacher of a Church at Boston in New-England A Present to be given to Teeming Women by their Husbands or Friends containing Scripture-Directions for Women with Child how to prepare for the hour of Travel Written first for the private use of a Gentlewoman of Quality in the West and now published for the common good By John Oliver The Faith of Dying Jacob. Or God's presence with his Church notwithstanding the Death of his Eminent Servants Being several Sermons from Gen. 48.21 Occasioned by the Death of Mr. Isaac Hubbard With the Memorials of his Life and Death And Advice to his Young Son. By R. Gouge Pastor of the Church at Great Cogshall in Essex FINIS
Pawns superadded God is He that hath given me the highest and most solemn and sweetest Testifications of his Will to be for ever my God and Portion The Earnest of his Spirit with his blessed Graces and Consolations ensure all the good things of the Covenant They are such First-fruits as make the best security for the whole Harvest And these hath Grace made mine And now I beg Pardon in my Saviour's Blood for all the Defects of this Paper They whose Intreaties Letters and Messages have extorted it are both to Pardon and Accept it Let them with me ever remember this saying of the great Light of our Age The Sun may more easily be included in a spark of Fire than the infinite Perfections of God be comprehended in a finite Mind FINIS Q. 2. What are those Truths 〈◊〉 of the Knowledge appeareth 〈◊〉 indispensibly necessary unto our â—â—â—vation and in the first â—â—â—â—â—sirable ALL sober Christians do 〈…〉 some Truths there be 〈…〉 must needs Know or 〈…〉 ever Isa 27.11 Hos 〈…〉 oâ—er Truths there be which 〈…〉 unto our Comfort in our 〈…〉 our Vsefulness unto others 〈…〉 out our Salvation tho' the 〈…〉 them be not absolutely necessary working out the same It seems not the Mind of God 〈◊〉 us Know which the former sort of 〈◊〉 are in particular And how Many o◠〈◊〉 there be Nor can it be said th◠〈◊〉 Uncertainty about them is of disâ—â—â—â—â—tage unto us For what if we were 〈◊〉 so certain which they were Being 〈◊〉 capacity of getting Knowledge of 〈…〉 sort of Truths it would be inconsistent with both Reason and Grace to take up content with the Knowledge of the former only Sufficient it is for our Duty Safety and Comfort to Know what those Truths be which considering our Condition and Capacity we are concerned first of all to Acquaint us with And those which afterward our Interest obliges us above all others to get Informed of 'T is enough for us to Know what are the Essential and Integral Doctrines which made and enrich'd the Christians which are gone to Heaven before us and the right Knowledge of which will certainly make us Christians and Rich ones God hath revealed in his Word what these are And from his H. Word and agreeably unto it I assay to declare what they are With that plainness which weak Understandings and that compendiousness which infirm Memories do require at my hands Be it premised Sanctification is Salvation begun Salvation is Sanctification perfected Grace and Glory differ but in degree What is necessary to the one is so unto the other Now Sanctification is our Conformity unto God thro' Jesus Christ And this is made by Covenant By the Covenant of Grace and 〈◊〉 other which is called all our Salvation and all our Desire Those Truths therefore which do most directly lead unto the same and that acquaint us with it and shew us the use of it are of the greatest weight and importance and are to be attended unto in the first place It hath not been without some success that I have commended to be first learned before any Catechism it self these seven Articles A. 1. God the Father Son and Spirit created the World. He created Man Wise Holy Blessed and Honourable He Covenanted with the first Man and with his Posterity in him that if they Obey'd perfectly they should be for ever Happy if they Sinned they should Die. This is called the Covenant of Works A. 2. Adam the first Man and his Posterity in him brake that Covenant and thereby fell under God's wrath and curse and Sin and Satan's power Note this Breach of Covenant A. 3. God the Father did from eternity Covenant with his Son Jesus Christ for the Redemption of Sinners from Sin and Misery to wit by his being made Man and a Servant and a Curse and afterward an Intercessor for them This is named the Redemption-Covenant A. 4. In pursuance of this Redemption-Covenant when Man had sinned Christ the Saviour was Preached And in Him Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption offered with Repentance Faith in God thro' Him and New Obedience required This is called the Covenant of Grace A. 5. For our Encouragement to believe God's Promises made unto us in the Covenant of Grace and for our farther Engagement to fulfil the Demands from us in it God always pleased to order this Covenant to be solemnised by some outward Rites and Ceremonies of his own appointment And his Ceremonies appointed for these ends in the New-Testament-Church are Baptism and the Lord's Supper These are call'd therefore the Signs and Seals of the Covenant A. 6. Obedience unto the Gospel in the Faith of Christ and by the Help of the Holy Ghost is of necessity unto all that have inwardly consented unto the Covenant of Grace and that have had it outwardly solemnised betwixt God and them in Baptism and the Lord's Supper A. 7. Besides lesser Rewards in this life to those that Enter and Keep the Covenant of Graâ—◠〈…〉 on those that Enâ—◠〈…〉 hath set a day wherein 〈…〉 the Bodies of all men out of the 〈…〉 unite them to their Souls and â—o Eâ—â—â—nity will Reward the former and Punish the latter in Soul and Body In an Hour's time an attentive Mind of ordinary capacity will Ken these Articles If but happily opened by a skilful Teacher Yet contain they much more than multitudes of our people understand at forty and fifty years of age Be astonished oh Heavens I judge them the most apt for Explication and Inculcation on first Beginners whether Children or Grown People Being competently acquainted with this shortest Summary that which I would next commend followeth in these not many but orderly Positions P. 1. The Rule and the Object of saving Truth is most Considerable by enquirers after Truth P. 2. The Rule is the Old and New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ Penned by Moses and the Prophets the Evangelists and Apostles Whereof thâ— Authority and Sufficiency are certain P. 3. The Object is He whose name JAM Glorious above all Blessing and Praise for his Essence which is One Subsistence which is in Three distinct Persons Works which are inward and outward Of Essence and Subsistence see before p. P. 4. The Outward Works of God are of Creation and Providence One is God's giving first Being unto all things The other is his preserving and ordering them unto his own wise and holy End. P. 5. God's General Providence is over all things His Principal is over Men and Angels P. 6. God's Providence over Man respects man's fourfold Estate to wit of Innocence of Misery of Grace and of Glory P. 7. Of Grace toward man considerable are the Fountains Election and Redemption The Vessels God's Church and People The Degrees Vocation Justification Sanctification The Means Word Sacraments and Prayer P. 8. Of Glory conferred by God upon his Children observable are the four steps In Assurance of eternal Love obtain'd in the Heavenly Mansions possessed from
the day of Death to the day of Judgment in the Honour put on at the day of Judgment in the complete Glory bestown after the day of general Judgment and for ever to endure Trial will best discover with how small pains and great Profit this Compendium may begotten And when gotten it is by Understanding and Memory I advise that that which follows in twelve particulars be studyed Namely three concerning GOD three concerning MAN three concerning CHRIST three concerning the APPLICATION of Christ that is saving unto us P. 1. There is one only God an Infinite Perfect and Spiritual Essence P. 2. This one God is Father Son and Spirit Distinguished into three manners of Subsistence after a way incomprehensible The Father eternally Begetting the Son Begotten the Holy Ghost Proceeding P. 3. This one God is the Maker Preserver Governour of all things by infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness P. 4. Man was made of such a Body and Soul that he was able to have attained for himself and his Posterity that eternal Life which was provided for his reward if he had stood obedient P. 5. Man thus made was Envyed and Tempted by the Devil and Yielded wilfully unto his temptation and brake the Law and Covenant of God and made himself and all his posterity cursed by God and envassalled to Sin and Satan and unable to escape the threatned Death P. 6. Man thus immiserated was Pitied by God. Who in prosecution of an eternal Counsel and Covenant of peace provided preached and offered a Saviour to him even Jesus Christ the righteous P. 7. Jesus Christ this Saviour is as to his Natures perfect God and perfect Man in one Person and as to his Offices he is both Prophet Priest and King in both his states of Humiliation and Exaltation P. 8. Jesus Christ's Humiliation in being made under the Law Obeying the Precepts and Suffering the Curse of it was deeper than was possible for any meer creature to undergo And his Exaltation in Rising from the Dead as He did Ascending up into Heaven and Having all Power in Heaven and Earth given unto Him was higher than any meer creature could possibly be exalted unto P. 9. Jesus Christ being so Exalted is Able to save to the uttermost and Willing to save Sinners the chiefest welcomes all that penitently come unto Him and mourns over all that obstinately keep away from Him. P. 10. Application of Christ that avails unto our Salvation by Him is twofold viz. such as is made by God and such as is made by our selves God applies Christ to us by his H. Spirit when by him he doth give us will and power to embrace him as offer'd in the Gospel We apply Christ unto our selves when by Faith in-worked in us we do embrace him as Prophet Priest and King Covenanting with Him as such for ever P. 11. Application of Christ so described is that which every Soul should seek pray and wait for in the use of all God's Means appointed Resting not quietly without some well-built Hopes that they have thro' grace attain'd it P. 12. Application of Christ so desirable no man may hope for out of the Means by God appointed but in the constant and diligent use of those Means no man need fear but he shall find it When Novices have gotten thus far they are more than a little advantaged to learn any of our Catechisms The Westminster Assemblies with blessed Mr. Lyes most useful Exposition or any other Yet for Reasons nameless let me say I would not have that or any other singly address'd to All Methods are imperfect saith our great Methodist But he sticks not to say What my heart thinks that the Creed Lord's Prayer Ten Commands and Doctrine of the Sacraments make the compleatest body of Truths that we can form The Rule of Faith is in the first the Rule of our Prayers in the second the Rule of our Practice in the third the great Encouragement and Engagement to Believe Pray and Live holily is set forth in the fourth I conclude therefore with such as small a Map of the World of Truths in these as some candid Hearers have not thought Vnuseful In number thirty seven Creed Truths twelve 1. There is a God that is three distinct Persons whose Revelations of himself are to be Credited his Promises to be Relied on his Demands from us Consented unto heartily and practically And the First Person of these three First in Order tho' not in Time of Being and Working is named the Father Father of All things by Creation of his Church by Adoption of his Christ by Generation in time as he was Man and by Generation eternal and inconceivable as He is God. Father Almighty as to Right to do whatever He pleaseth and as to Strength wherewith to do it And Maker of Heaven and Earth that is of all things Of the University of Beings 2. The Second Person of the Godhead is as to Office Jesus a Saviour from Sin by Price by Prayer and by Power As to his Authority He is Christ set apart by God Qualified and Commissioned to be a saving Prophet Priest and King. As to his Essence and Relation to God the Father He is His Only Son to wit by Eternal Natural Inconceivable generation As to His Supremacy and Honour He is our Lord to wit by Natural right as He is God and by Delegated right as he is the Lord to whom all Dominion is given upon a double consideration That is of the Price wherewith He bought it from God and of the Victory whereby He gain'd it all from Creatures 3. This Christ as Man was without humane Father Conceived that is Prepared by the H. Ghost who first extraordinarily sanctified a portion of the Virgin-Mother's Flesh and Blood and then Made thereof his sinless Body Born He was of that Virgin Mary according to the Prophecy Isa 7.14 Mary a Princess by Extraction from King David and Father Abraham tho' of condition poor and espoused to a mean Artificer Mary an holy creature and humble Yet never called Mother by our Saviour Himself nor ever made a Goddess by his Order 4. This Christ Suffered from God Men and Devils in Soul Body Rayment Name and Friends Vnder Pontius Pilate that is in the Time of his Presidency under Tiberius Caesar Was Crucified a manner of death by the Romans used and by God especially Cursed Dead Buried and Descended into Hell that is His Soul and Body were separated from each other tho' neither of them were separated from the Godhead at all His Body agreeably to Moses Law but contrary to the Roman was the same day Buried And for part of three days about thirty eight or forty hours it abode apart from his Soul. 5. The third day after his Death He rose again from the Dead By his Father's power Rom. 6.4 By his own power John 2.19 by the Holy Spirit 's power 1 Pet. 3.18 By the One power of all the Divine Persons Else He
was a Murderer from the beginning He slew Adam by the first sin And slew all mankind in that first Adam Spiritually considered we are all Dead born Dead in sin and Dead for it Dead in respect of Corruption Dead in respect of Condemnation Condemnation to the Prison of Hell to the Torment of Fire to the Duration of Eternity But God hath so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son to redeem us from so great a Death John 3.16 He desires not our Death to be Continued and Ruin to be Compleated He reveals Jesus Christ the way from Death to Life He Commands and He even Beseeches us to take Him for our Way thereto If you ask by what Steps I have told you in my Call to Sinners by three Steps Namely by Conviction by Compunction or Humiliation and by Vnion unto Christ Which Steps if you take aright I am content to Lose Heaven if you do not Find it Indeed unassistedly no man can take them Whatever is a Creature hath no Power but what is Given from God and Kept by Him. But Man a faln Creature until he be by grace raised again is without strength unto that we speak of Rom. 5.6 Knowledge Will and Power hereto are all the Gifts of God's Love and the Purchases of his Son's Blood and the Works of his Holy Spirits Almightiness That Holy Spirit who constantly worketh by the Holy Word Who wrought not Christ's victory over Satan without the use of the Word And will not without it work our Victory over him Mat. 4. Possible it is And Necessary it is for all that take this way to Life aforesaid to Ensure their so doing 2 Pet. 1.10 Psal 50. ult c. Uncertainty about it is the Effect of sin God doth not ordinarily if ever with-hold Assurance from his Children but upon Provocation To wit by Indulged Lusts by Unexercised Graces by Omitted Duties by Slighted Ordinances And to be sure Uncertainty is then it self a sin when 't is meritoriously procured by sin The eyes are very blind that see not how fruitful a Cause of sin it is And as hard are the hearts that dread it not as a sin an Effect of sin and a Cause of sin I grant that all Assurance attainable on Earth is Imperfect But by the Romanists leave that which is attainable is both True Proper and Powerful True and Proper as built upon proper and eternally true Grounds for it Powerful as operative of Peace and Joy in our selves and Holiness and Thanksgiving unto God. Nevertheless 't is very long before most of God's Children know their Father And cease from tormenting fear that Satan is he In the first Conversion of the Gentile world unto Christ it was not so The Holy Spirit did then for the most part Witness grace wheresoever He did work it in any Nay to go no farther back Our old English Puritans of sweetest Memory had Assurance more plenty among them than 't is seen in our day Nor wanted they our Light so much as we want their Heat Horresco referens Unacquaintedness with the Covenant of grace breeds every where groundless Hopes and as unreasonable Fears I speak as I find With some of our people every shadow of Turning goes for substantial Conversion And with others that which is right substantial Conversion goes for but a shadow of Turning Of Turning from Death to Life With fear and trembling I assay therefore to resolve this Question Plainly that I may be understood Briefly that I may be remembred Fully that my End may be attained in making Sinners ashamed of their Peace and Good men ashamed of their Trouble If my Method be new my Doctrine is not I do go forth by the foot-steps of Christ's flock praying that this Paper be made successful by his Holy Spirit That Change after which we enquire appears a five-fold one Namely of Spirit Covenant Qualities Conversation and Company C. 1. Of SPIRIT Man is an Embodied Spirit His Body is we know not how Indwelt and Actuated by his Spirit His Spirit tho' it be a Free Agent is in as unaccountable a way Indwelt and Influenced by some other Spirit In our Created state the Holy Spirit was in us and swayed us Now in our Corrupted state 't is Satan that is in us and leads us 'T is certain that by the First Transgression we forfeited and lost the foresaid Sanctifier And deserved to be given up and were given up to the last named Tempter Satan is now called the God of this World. And He that is in the World 1 John 4.4 The Prince that works in the Children of Disobedience Ephes 2.3 * Works energetically And like as Fire in Iron worketh converting it into a huge likeness unto its own Nature And such Children are named persons not having the Spirit to wit the Holy One Jude ver 19. But in our Renewed state there 's a change of the Actuating Spirit Satan is deposed and cast out Acts 26.18 2 Tim. 2.26 The Holy Spirit is Sent Given Administred Put into us Poured out on us Comes on us Rests on us Leads us Is said to be He that is in Believers 1 Joh. 4.4 Yea and to be great in them That is in them to be mighty and victorious over the assaulting impure Spirit Looks he then like a Soul passed from Death to Life in whom there 's no such change of the ruling Spirit I trow not Nor can it be said because these Spirits forenamed be both Invisible therefore the change of them is hardly Discernable Let these plain things be considered They are infinitely Vnlike ones Yea perfectly Contrary unto each other They are also most Active both of them Satan always worketh to the utmost of his Power the Holy Spirit works according to his Will and Pleasure But both do work continually and strongly Nor are their Natures so Invisible but that their Operations are as much Sensible Satan carries unto evil and so does the H. Ghost carry unto good Of all things Satan averteth and turns away Souls from Jesus Christ from his Person and Gospel And of all things the Holy Ghost carrieth Souls unto the Study and Acceptation of both His great work is to Receive of Christ's and shew it unto us John 16.14 His first work is to convince as of Sin in general so principally of the Sin of Vnbelief on Christ Of its being the only Sin that does keep men in all Sin. To convince us also of the Righteousness of Christ its Perfection in it self its Communicableness unto us and its Acceptableness with God. Of its being the only that God will accept whatever men conceit of Natural Righteousness or of Legal To convince likewise of the Conquest of Christ over all his and our Enemies His having Subjugated Satan as well as Satisfied God Joh. 16.9 10 11. But I forbear See his twelve Convictions in my Call unto Sinners together with his Humiliation-work and Vnion-work Having United us unto Christ