a Place it will not make you go there because it is a Promise that you are not Concern'd in but the other Person if he be certainly perswaded the Promise will be made good to him will certainly go to the appointed Place because it is a Promise that he is Concerned in And so likewise as to the Case in hand That a sure Promise of the Pardon of our Sins and Eternal Happiness is made over to us in the Second Covenant on Condition we will forsake the Service of Satan and of Sin that we will Repent heartily Believe practically and Obey sincerely is a Truth that the Devils to their great Grief are fully perswaded of for they believe and tremble St. James tells us But this Faith of theirs does not put them upon Repentance and Amendment because those gracious Promises do not Concern them and they have no Promise of Salvation tho' they should Repent and Amend But as to us whom they do Concern and to whom they are made if we are really perswaded that if we amend we shall be certainly Saved we shall immediately upon such Perswasion seriously Repent of what has been done amiss heretofore and take care to Obey God for the future For every Man that hath this Hope in God purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 In short the Articles of our Christian Faith are every one of 'em so many Motives and those the most powerful ones in the World to stir us up to a diligent Reformation of our Hearts and Lives They are in themselves the most obliging Arguments to it and with respect to us they are the most Concerning and Important Truths that can be containing in the meaning of 'em either Threatnings to scare us out of Sin or Promises to allure us to Obedience Either such Considerations as are apt to excite our Fears when we are in a Course of Impiety or are Grounds whereon we may build the vastest Hopes in the Performance of our Duty And if any One does not live accordingly a Godly Righteous and a Sober Life I dare be bold to say it is owing to some spice of Infidelity lurking in his Heart whereby he is not throughly perswaded of or does not actually consider these Truths But he that does throughly Believe and Consider them can hardly fail of being a Good Liver Thus necessary you see it is that our Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith be such as does Influence us to good Works And then after all II. To Believe savingly we must apply our selves to Jesus Christ to intercede w th God the Father for our Gracious Acceptance II. It must be a Belief that causes us to betake our selves to Jesus Christ to Intercede with God the Father for their Gracious Acceptance This I have formerly in the beginning of my Exposition insisted upon yet such is the growing Infidelity of the World with respect to this which is the most Essential part of Christian Faith that it would not be unseasonable should I again shew you that we must depend upon the Mediation of Christ with the Father for us that our imperfect Righteousness may be graciously accepted to our Justification This is that Act of Faith which is called in Scripture Believing in Christ and to such a Believing as this it is that our Justification is Attributed by St. Paul Gal. 2.16 Know this that a Man is not Justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have Believed in Jesus Christ that we might be Justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law for by the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be Justified And as this Act of Faith the Relying upon God's Mercies in Christ does wonderfully exalt the Divine Justice and Mercy so it leaves no place to the Creature to Attribute any part of its Happiness to it self but does utterly exclude all occasions of Boasting God hath set forth Jesus Christ his Son to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Where is Boasting then it is excluded By what Law of Works nay but by the Law of Faith Rom. 2.25.27 So that it is not enough that we Believe punctually but it is moreover necessary that we rely also on God's Mercies in Christ that our imperfect Holiness may be accepted or otherwise even our Assent to all the Articles of the Christian Faith will not avail us to our Justification and Salvation which brings me Lastly To shew you what it is to Believe ALL the Articles of our Christian Faith What to Believe All the Articles of the Christian Faith And 1. To Believe them All does Import that we must Assent to all and every one of those great Articles of Christian Doctrine contain'd in the Apostle's Creed 1. To Believe ALL these Articles does Import that we must Assent with a through Perswasion of their undoubted Truth and of their Divine Authority to all and every one of those great Articles of Christian Doctrine contained in the Apostle's Creed This Collection or Summary of Christian Doctrine is called by St. Paul Rom. 6.17 That Form of Doctrine which was deliver'd to the Christians that is that Summary of Christian Doctrine to the Belief and Practice of which they were deliver'd up and solemnly Consecrated in their Baptism And the same is call'd 2 Tim. 1.13 The Form of sound words which was heard of the Apostle himself and we are commanded to hold it fast that is to take care not to depart from it in any part thereof And as we must not shrink from the Confession and Belief of any one of those Articles which have been Handed down to us from the Apostles in that Summary or Form of sound words which makes up the Body of our Christian Faith so we must content our selves with the Belief of All those saving Truths and must not think there is any thing more to be Believ'd by our selves or others as necessary to Salvation But especially Such as tend to destroy a good Life and send us to other Mediators than Christ to Intercede with the Father for its Acceptance no Articles of Christian Faith we must take care of possessing our Minds with a Perswasion of the Truth of such Articles as do tend to destroy what the true Genuine Doctrines of Christianity viz. All the Articles of our Christian Faith do Build as do all or most at leastwise of the New Articles impos'd upon the Belief of Christians in the Romish Church Some of those Articles in the Romish Creed do plainly take away the necessity of a Good Life as might be easily made appear were it proper here to inlarge on that Point And other Doctrines of that Church do as apparently take Men off from depending solely upon the Mediation of Christ with his Father that he would graciously accept
baptiz'd First On the account of enjoying thereby such inestimable Privileges 323 Secondly On account of their being engag'd thereby so early in the Service of God 324 LECT XXXI I. The Importance of the Terms Godfathers and Godmothers II. The Nature of their Office 327 First It is not only as a Proxy to speak for the Child in Baptism But it imports withal a Security given to God and his Church that the Child shall be instructed in his Baptismal Covenant 328 Secondly It is the Office of these Sureties to admonish the Child to live according to his Baptismal Engagements Thirdly And to take care that at Years of Discretion the Child should take his Vow upon himself before the Bishop in Confirmation 329 III. The Reason the Church has to require Sureties It is for the better Order and Decency of the Administration that some should be the Mouth of the Child 330 It is of concernment to the Church that Security be given that every one who is admitted a Member into it should live to the Reputation and Interest of it This is what Societies whose Honour and Interest is of infinite less consequence do daily require 331 That of Parents not sufficient without Collateral Security The requiring of this as reasonable now as in the Primitive Times This Charge no unreasonable Imposition at any time being little more than what is requir'd from one Christian to another in common Charity at all times 332 LECT XXXII IV. A further Justification of the use of Godfathers and Godmothers It is a sufficient Justification of any Ecclesiastical Institution that it be reasonable tho' not supported by any express Scripture 1. The sole Authority whereon to ground the Belief of the Mysteries of Religion must be Divine Revelation 2. Both Faith and Practice as to the Articles of Natural Religion and Moral Duties grounded both upon the Word of God and right Reason 335 3. Religious Rites and Ceremonies left to the Reason and Discretion of Church-Governours to appoint 336 I. That Christ gave Commission to the Governors of the Church to institute such Vsages as shall be for Decency and Order and the better Edification of the Souls of Men prov'd from Scripture This allow'd to the Governors of the Jewish Church 337 The same Power continu'd to those also who preside in the Christian 339 To whose Ordinances the People are commanded to submit 339 Decency and Order in all Ages of the Church not otherwise to be provided for II. The Appointment of Godfathers and Godmothers a most useful Institution to the foresaid Purposes of Decency Order and Edification First If we consider the Nature of their Office 340 Secondly Those good Effects of it 341 Which good Effects would be much greater were the choice of Godfathers and Godmothers made according to the Canons of the Church The Conclusion 342 FINIS THE XXVIII Lecture Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief HAving heretofore Explain'd the General Nature of the Covenant of Grace as it is taught in the Four first Questions and Answers of the Catechism I come now to declare unto you in a more particular manner the Terms and Conditions of the same Covenant Of which Conditions this is one That we Believe all the Articles of our Christian Faith What these Articles are you are here commanded to Rehearse and to give an Account of them whenever you are thereunto call'd And to open the meaning thereof there are Two Things requisite to be made clear to you 1. What is meant by the Articles of our Belief 2. What is the Importance of this Word Rehearse Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief What meant by the Articles of our Belief First Our Belief we call that whole Collection and Sum of Christian Doctrines and Truths which has been ever accounted by the Church of Christ necessary to be believed by every Christian in order to his Salvation And the Articles of our Belief are every particular Truth contain'd in this general Summ Collection or Body of Christian Doctrines This Abridgment and Summ The Creed wherefore entituled to the Apostles is generally call'd the Apostles Creed The Word Creed comes from the Latin Word Credo to Believe and this is so called because it is a Body of Truths necessary to be Believed It is call'd the Apostles Creed either 1st because it was compil'd by the Apostles themselves Or 2dly because it contains the Substance of the Apostles Doctrine gathered into one Abridgment which was dispersedly delivered in their Writings 1. Because testify'd by the Ancients to have been written by the Apostles And first there wants not sufficient Testimony from the Writings both of the Greek and Latin Fathers that the Creed was compil'd by the Apostles themselves But it is not so proper considering to whom I speak to insist upon this kind of Testimony the Proofs of this Nature being to be brought from Authors whose very Names are unknown to you And indeed my whole Design in this Exposition being to deliver to you the plainest Truths and to give you for the same only Scriptural Proofs I shall wave the first Reason of the Belief 's being call'd the Apostles Creed and shall proceed to the 2. Because it contains the Substance of the Apostles Doctrine Second which is this That it is therefore so call'd because it contains the Substance of the Apostles Doctrine gathered into one short Abridgment which was dispersedly delivered in their Writings and which alone is enough to give it the Title of the Apostles Creed In the Holy Scriptures and Writings of the Apostles we have Doctrines of divers kinds intermingled and interspersed one amongst another Sometimes we meet with Matters of Faith propos'd as necessary to be believ'd by us and sometimes Duties both to God and Man necessary to be practised Sometimes we have Considerations serving as means to direct us and sometimes as motives to perswade us to do our Duty And this being so it is not every Christian that has either leisure or skill of himself to sort these several kind of Doctrines asunder much less to distinguish between many Matters of Faith which are Fundamental and chiefly necessary to be believ'd and other Points which are only wholsome Truths but not of principal consequence to be explicitly and expresly assented to and confess'd And now as God himself for the Ease and Benefit of his Worshippers did collect the Summ of Religious Duties into Tâ—â— Commandments which contain the principal and to which all Inferiour Duties may be reduc'd And as our Blessed Saviour gave us a short Form of Prayer containing all things fit for us to ask or God to grant so did the Apostles themselves collect together into one Abridgment and Summ all those principal Points of Faith which are mainly necessary and of greatest consequence to be believ'd and upon all occasions openly confess'd by every one that calls himself a Christian And it was this Abridgment or Summ as is highly probable and as
according as is the Authority and Sufficiency of him upon whose Testimony we Believe a thing to be true accordingly more or less is the Credit we give to what he speaks If it be only the Word of a mere Man which we have for the Truth of a thing we are not to Believe it as that which is infallibly certain for the wisest and best of Men are insufficient to give us ground to Believe 'em as infallible in what they deliver The wisest of Men may be ignorant of the exact Truth of Things and so may be deceived themselves and those that are not the best nor very honest tho' they do know what they say yet may deceive others So that the Credit we give to any Man living can amount to no more than a Human Faith such as is fit to be given to Man and we cannot Believe infallibly what an uninspired Person shall say as if it were impossible it should be otherwise than he reports Divine Faith upon Gods Word and Testimony But if it be upon God's Authority and upon his Testimony that we Believe a thing since God is of Infinite Knowledge and Wisdom so that he cannot be deceiv'd Himself and take that for true which is not and since He is a God of Infinite Truth Justice and Goodness so that if he could he will not deceive any Man since God both upon the account of his Wisdom and Uprightness is of that Sufficiency and Authority that He cannot lye Tit. 1.2 whatever therefore he does deliver we are undoubtedly to Believe as infallibly certain and this is a Divine Faith proper only to be given to God's Testimony and Word And this is to Believe in the Christian Sence of the Word It is to be undoubtedly perswaded upon the Divine Authority of the Infallible Truth and Certainty of whatever God has delivered and revealed to us in the Scriptures particularly and especially it is to be undoubtedly perswaded of the Infallible Certainty of those main Truths of Scripture the Articles of our Christian Faith wherein are declared the only Method of Reconciliation betwixt God and Man through our Saviour Jesus Christ as well as the strongest Motives to a Holy Life And lastly it is to be perswaded of these things in such a manner and with such Acts of the Mind as is agreeable to the Nature of these several Truths Divine Faith defined This is the fullest and plainest Description I can give you of the Nature of Faith or Believing as including an account both of all those Objects or Divine Truths necessary to be Believed and of all those Acts of the Mind imply'd in Believing But to make this Description clear I will in as few Words as possible open the several Parts of it to you 1. To Believe is to be undoubtedly perswaded upon God's Authority of the Infallible Truth and Certainty of all that he has Revealed 1. To Believe is to be undoubtedly perswaded upon the Divine Authority of the Infallible Truth and Certainty of all that God has revealed A Christian must not entertain the least Doubt of the Truth of any Divine Revelation for this is to conceive meanly and unworthily of God as if He were such a one as our selves either one that were Ignorant and did not exactly know the Truth himself of what he spoke or one that were Insincere and did design to delude us into a false Perswasion of Things but far be it from us to conceive any such thing of GOD. There is nothing past present or to come there is nothing in the Nature of Things that he does not most clearly know and apprehend there is not any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 So that let his Revelations and Divine Mysteries seem never so Improbable to us or be never so Incomprehensible and beyond the reach of our Human Understandings to fathom we may notwithstanding assure our selves they are such as they are delivered since the Infinite the Omnipotent the Almighty GOD says it Nor is he Insincere and one that would delude us into a false Perswasion of Things No it is the Devil that is Insincere and the Father of Lyes John 8.44 but it is impossible that God should lye Heb. 6.18 And to what end should he deceive us by making us to Believe a Falshood What Interest can he serve by it Our being deceived can in no wise profit Him False and deceitful Men do indeed love to delude others to Believe Errors and Falshoods thereby to make a Prey of 'em but we can in no wise advantage God by our Misperswasions So that we are in such manner to give Credit to all Divine Revelations even the most Incomprehensible Mysteries of the Gospel and Articles of Faith as to be fully perswaded it is impossible but the Divine Declarations concerning these things are true since God has Reveal'd 'em to us But 2. They are those Revelations and those only 2. Those Revelations and those only which are contained in Scripture are the proper Objects of Divine Faith Nâ—â— such Doctrines as are derived only from unwritten Tradition Nor any particular Propositions concerning my self as my own particular Election and Justification in special which are contain'd in the Holy Scriptures that we are thus to Believe We are not to Believe with a Divine Faith and as founded upon the Testimony of God such Doctrines and Tenets as being derived only from Vnwritten Tradition have no Foundation in Scripture From which corrupt Fountain alone it is that the Church of Rome has all those Articles of her Creed wherein she differs from Us And with respect to which we may truly say of the Romish Doctors as our Saviour did of the Pharisees That in vain do they Worship God teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men Mark 7.7 Nor are the Objects of a Divine Faith any particular Propositions concerning our selves in special as some think who define Faith to be a firm Assent not only to all things which God hath revealed to us in his Word Fides est non tantum certa notitia qua firmiter assentior omnibus quae Deus nobis in verbo suo patefecit sed etiam certa siducia à Spiritu sancto per Evangelium in corde meo accensa qua in Deo acquiesco certo statuens non solum aliis sed mihi quoque remissionem peccatorum aeternam justitiam vitam donatam idque gratia ex misericordia Dei propter unius Christi Meritum Cattches Heidelbergens but also a certain Assurance kindled in the Heart by the Spirit of God through the Gospel whereby I put my full trust in God being assuredly perswaded that not only to others but to me in particular Remission of Sins Justification and Eternal Life are bestowed and that freely through the Mercy of God for the Merits of Jesus Christ. And agreeably
and pass by the Imperfection of the Good they do teaching 'em to apply themselves to the Blessed Virgin and other Saints as Mediators with God for ' em Nay and some of their Doctrines as that of Merits and of Works of Super-errogation do teach 'em proudly to over-value their own Performances and to boast themselves in their Merit And therefore so far must we be from suffering our selves to be perswaded of the Truth of All these and the like Doctrines as Articles of our Christian Faith that we must utterly dissent from them all as unjust and unreasonable Impositions on the Belief of Christians In a word as we must strengthen our selves in the Belief of all those True and Genuine Articles of the Christian Faith so to Believe all these as necessary to Salvation is enough But to Believe more under the Character of Articles of a Christian's Faith especially if they be such Doctrines as do take off the Fears of Sinning and send us to other Mediators betwixt God and Man besides the Man Christ Jesus this is indeed a Belief not only superfluous as being a Belief of more than All the necessary Articles of a Christian's Faith but is a very sinful and criminal and superstitious Perswasion 2. To Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith is not only to assent to All and every of those Articles in the Gross but to be fully perswaded of all and every of those single Truths contained in each of those Articles 2. To Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith is to be fully perswaded of all and of every of those single Truths contain'd in each of those Articles Every one of the Articles of our Christian Faith is full of a great deal of Meaning and many of them do contain Truths of various Kinds and Importance Thus for Instance To believe that Jesus Christ was Crucified Dead and Buried does import this Comfortable as well as Fundamental Doctrine of Christianity That the Only Son of God suffered Death upon the Cross for our Redemption and that he made there by that one Oblation of himself once offered a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World And accordingly it is said 1 Pet. 3.18 That Christ once suffered for Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God And 21.24 it is said That he himself did bear our Sins in his own Body on the Tree But then this is not the whole that is meant in that Grand Article but also this other Doctrine That he suffered to Redeem us from all Iniquity that is he suffered on the Cross the Punishment of our Sins that we seeing how odious a Thing Sin is which could not be Atton'd for by a Sacrifice less valuable than the Blood of the Son of God might therefore abhor it and forsake it And this is also taught us in the very place now cited from St. Peter viz. 1 Epist 2.24 He his own self bear our Sins in his own Body upon the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live unto Righteousness A Heretick must be such by Believing only of one of those Truths contained in the Article And now a Person may become Guilty of Heresy by believing only One of those Truths contain'd in the Articles And accordingly there are Two opposite Heresies which do at this day most grievously afflict the Church of Christ amongst us and they do divide these two great Doctrines contain'd in this one Article betwixt ' em And they are therefore Heresies because they do so divide 'em and do not each of 'em Believe both these important Doctrines The Antinomians do Believe indeed that Christ did satisfy the Divine Justice for our Sins but so as to leave no Conditions to be perform'd by them And the Socinians on the other side owning that he came to draw us off from Sin deny that he made any Satisfaction for us So that both do fundamentally Err in the Faith tho' they Believe the Article in the gross that Christ was Crucify'd Dead and Buried because neither of them Believe the whole Truth contain'd in that Article And therefore as you must Believe All the Articles so All those Divine and Necessary Truths which are contain'd in every Article of your Christian Faith according to the full Explication and Meaning thereof given us in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds These Creeds do not contain more or different Articles of Faith than the Apostle's Creed does but in these Creeds many Articles of our Christian Faith are exprest in the full Sence and Importance of 'em in opposition to those Heresies which did and do still pervert or restrain the Meaning of those Articles And thus you also see how you are to Believe All the Articles of your Christian Faith that you are not only to Believe every One of 'em but all that Divine Truth which is contained in each And so as I have before laid before you how you are to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh so now what it is to Believe all the Articles of your Christian Faith And so it only remains and then I shall have fully Explain'd to you all the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace that I shew you next what it is to Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of our Life THE XXIII Lecture Thirdly That I should obey God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life I Hope I have sufficiently Explain'd unto you the Two first Conditions bound upon you in your Baptismal Covenant as indispensibly necessary to your obtaining the Benefits of it which Conditions are First that you should Renounce the Devil c. Secondly That you should Believe c. And now I come to the Third which is That you should Obey c. And that I may fully and to the purpose Explain this to you I will First Lay before you what it is to Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments or how far you must be Obedient to the Holy Will and Commandments of God as ever you will hope to obtain Salvation or to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Secondly I will shew you what it is to Walk in the same all the Days of your Life or how long you must persevere in such Obedience which must be to the End of your Lives And Thirdly I will clear the Doctrine of Evangelical Obedience as so stated from those Doubts that may be raised against it And First I. What it is to obey God's Holy Will and Commandments Because nothing can be more necessary for you to be Instructed in than the Measures of that Obedience now under the Gospel or Covenant of Grace upon the performance of less than which you cannot expect to be made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven I will with what clearness I can shew you How far we must be Obedient
at first created what 227 The Bent and Inclination of the Soul towards God what 1. In the Unregenerate Nature the Original Frame and Constitution of Man wherein he was created is broken 228 2. The Image of God wherein he was first created defaced Lastly the Tendency of all the Faculties both of Soul and Body are towards the Creature 229 1. To renounce the Flesh is to be renewed in the whole Frame and Constitution of our Nature after the Image of God The Image of God must be restored as far as it can in this Corrupt State It must be renewed to a perfection of Parts tho' not of Degrees 230 2. To renounce the Flesh is to be converted in the whole Bent and Inclination of the Soul towards God 231 LECT XXI The sinful Lusts of the Flesh what 232 The sinful Lusts of the fleshly Mind what 1. When we are curious to know Things which are either hurtful to be known or not proper for Man to know 233 2. When we do immoderately study to be exquisitely skilled in whatever Humane Arts and Sciences to the neglect or contempt of Divine Knowledge The Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other 234 The necessary Points of Christian Knowledge 3. When out of Pride Prejudice and Contradiction to all sacred Truths we set up our own carnal Imaginations and fleshly Reasonings against those spiritual Notions and those mysterious Articles of our Faith which are delivered to us in Scripture 235 This Humour of opposing Reason to Revelation proceeds from meer Pride This corrupt Will what and how to be renounced 236 3. The Affections what and how to be renounced 237 1. As they are misplaced upon wrong Objects 2. As they are disproportionate to the Love Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly affected in moderate Degrees 3. The Lusts and Appetites are such sinful Lusts of the Flesh as are to be renounced 238 1. As they do desire undue Objects 2. As they desire them in immoderate Measures Lastly the inferior and bodily Powers viz. the Affections Lusts and Appetites to be renounced as they rebel against right Reason 239 The Business of Religion is to reduce Man as near as possible to his primitive State of Innocence and Integrity To this purpose of keeping under our fleshly Lusts it was that our Reason was given us 240 3. To renounce ALL the sinful Lusts of the Flesh what There must be no one fleshly Lust suffered to reign in us Our Business is particularly to oppose Lusts of Temper and Constitution This because it is a hard Doctrine to the Carnal Man is much evaded 241 The Objection from Rom. 7. clear'd We must renounce the Flesh and all its sinful Lusts so as to have an Aversion an Antipathy in our Hearts thereunto This the hard Part. 242 243 The reason of having enlarged so much upon this one Article of renouncing the Devil c. 244. LECT XXII Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both the Old and New Testament 259 Some Instances of such Truths What it is to believe those Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness 261 Our Belief thereof must be operative and practical Such was the Faith of Abraham and of all the Saints And such an operative and practical Principle is Faith whenever the things believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us 262 263. 2. To believe savingly we must apply our selves to Jesus Christ to intercede with God the Father for our gracious Acceptance What to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith 1. To believe them All does import that we must assent to all and every one of those great Articles of Christian Doctrine contain'd in the Apostles Creed 264 Such as tend to destroy a good Life and send us to other Mediators than Christ to intercede with the Father for its Acceptance no Articles of Christian Faith 2. To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith is to be fully perswaded of all and of every of those single Truths contain'd in each of those Articles 265 A Heretick may be such by believing only of one of those Truths contain'd in the Article 266 LECT XXIII 1. What it is to obey God's Holy Will and Commandments The Nature and Measures of Christian Obedience 267 1. Our Obedience must be sincere by being a true and undissembled Service of God opposite to all Hypocrisy or a false and feigned pretence of obeying him when in truth we serve our own selves does not forbid us all intending our own Advantage in the performance of his Commandments 268 But 1st That man's Obedience is insincere who together with his Intention of serving God joins another Intention of serving Sin 2dly When he designs some temporal Ends in the practice of Vertue as much or more than he intends God's Service 2. Evangelical Obedience must be entire viz. 1st The Obedience of the whole Man that is in the first place of the Mind and Vnderstanding 2dly of the Will 3dly of the Affections 269 270 This the distastful part and therefore endeavoured to be shifted off 271 2dly It must be an Obedience to the whole Law This endeavoured to be evaded by Excuses But in vain 3dly What it is to walk in the same all the days of our Lives 272 God will not endure a constant Revolution of Sin and Repentance 273 The difference between Evangelical and a Legal Obedience This difference not so great but that our wilful and chosen Sins will put a Barr to our Salvation 274 Some Sins are directly and expresly wilful Some indirectly and interpretatively 275 But the difference is 1st that those who sincerely and entirely obey shall not be called to an account for unchosen and involuntary Sins The first cause of an innocent Involuntariness Ignorance of our Duty Provided it be not wilful 2d Inconsideration excuses 1. When through surprize 276 2. When through natural weariness and the length and strength of a Temptation Lastly When by the violent discomposure of our thinking Powers our Minds are so disturbed that we cannot think what we do Ignorance and Inconsideration excuse not those Sins 1. which we have time to understand and observe nor 2. Crying Sins nor 3dly Those we do not endeavour against nor lastly which we are not sorry for 277 The 2d difference between Legal and Evangelical Obedience That our wilful and more heinous Sins when repented of through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us Remission of Sins upon Repentance the great Doctrine of the Gospel Repentance will be accepted to our pardon for our unknown or secret Sins whether wilfully or unwillingly committed but now forgot though generally repented of 2. For our most known and wilful Sins if
and Stubble and shall be able to distinguish between and separate the Refuse and Dross of a Sermon and Discourse from the weighty and substantial Parts of it A Skill which as it is of vast Consequence so it is but little understood by the Generality of People for want of having been well Catechized and Instructed in the Fundamentals of Christian Religion IV. Catechizing necessary to prevent being seduced into dangerous Errors Fourthly Catechizing is also requisite to secure you from being at any time mis-lead into dangerous Heresies and Errors by the Sermons and Discourses of Men Crafty to deceive to the infinite Peril of your immortal Souls There must be Heresies the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 11.19 That they which are approved may be made manifest For God does permit them for our Tryal whether we will stand stedfast to the Truth And our Saviour bids us Matth. 24.45 Take heed that no man deceive us for many shall come in my Name says he that is will pretend to be Ministers of Christ and shall deceive many They will come with all deceiveableness the Apostle tells us 2 Thess 2.10 with so much Artifice and Cunning that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect Mat. 24.24 particularly of this sort are they St. Paul warns us 2 Tim. 3.6 Which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with Sins led away with divers Lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth A Character than which nothing can more exactly agree to the Seducers of our Times and the Persons whom they do usually Practice upon to draw aside which are for the most part Ignorant Women and the Effect it has upon their Disciples and Followers which is to make them great Talkers and Pretenders to extraordinary Knowledge but in reality not one Jott wiser in the grand Points of the Christian Religion And now if any of these cunning Deceivers shall come to any of you and endeavour to Pervert you how is it possible you should escape their Wiles except you shall be well Principled so as throughly to understand the Foundation Articles of your Religion But Holding fast that form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 Having well imbibed the Principles of Religion which are taught in your Catechism by these as by a certain Touchstone you will be able to discover what are True and what are Erroneous Doctrines Those that agree with this Analogy of Faith you may be certain are sound what do contradict them you may be sure are false Doctrines Catechizing is an excellent Means says Mr. Gouge to keep Persons from the Errors and the Heresies of the Times For Persons well Catechized and Instructed in the Principles of Religion are in a great measure Antidoted against the Poison of seducing Doctrines And observe who are they as he goes on that are easiest seduced by false Teachers who are they that have embrac'd their Erroneous Tenets and you shall find that they are such who were never well Catechized nor grounded in the Principles of Religion As therefore you would not be poisoned with the Erroneous Doctrines of false Teachers take care to be well rooted and grounded by Catechizing in the Knowledge of the Truth Lastly Lastly Catechizing is exceedingly Necessary Catechizing is exceeding Useful to preserve Youth from falling into any gross and wasting Sin and especially any Ungodly Course of Living Or if he has been Seduc'd by evil Company the having the Seed of good Principles sown in the Heart by a timely Catechizing will be the most likely Means to recover such a One out of the Snares of the Devil First I. To preserve Youth from ever falling into an Vngodly way of Living It is exceeding Vseful to preserve Youth from falling into any gross and wasting Sin and especially any Vngodly Course of Living This was the Counsel of the Wisest of mere Men of Solomon to Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is Old he will not depart from it Prov. 22.6 And that excellent Moralist Plutarch in his rare Tract of Breeding of Youth speaks to the same purpose that As soft Wax is apt to take the Stamp of the Seal so are the Minds of Children to receive in Instructions imprinted on them at that Age. Let but your Youth be taught so much as they are capable to learn concerning the Nature of God how that he is wonderfully Good to those that Love and Fear him and that he will be Terrible in Judgment towards those that Disobey him Let them be instructed how wonderfully Kind the Son of God was to them as to come down himself from Heaven to call them forth out of the wicked World wholly given up to the Service of the Devil to serve their God and Maker Let them be taught betimes as much as they are capable to understand of this and of their Duty to God and Man and what a solemn Vow Promise and Profession they have made in their Baptism not willingly to offend so good and gracious a Saviour but to serve and honour him for ever Let but these Notions take the first Possession of your Minds and it will be hardly possible for any Temptation to prevail over you and to draw you into Sin you will then Blush to hear the lewd and foolish Talk of the Godless Crew of hardned Sinners you will then Tremble at their bold Oaths and you will be out of Countenance to be so much as Seen in the Company of Drunkards If they shall endeavour to perswade you to joyn with them in their lewd Courses you will have That within you will quickly answer I cannot I dare not do so ill a thing I cannot be guilty of so great a Piece of Ingratitude as to offend so good a God and gracious a Saviour as mine I dare not be guilty of so high an Injustice as to violate my Covenant Vow and Promise to him for then he will eternally Punish me Away all ye workers of Iniquity for I will keep the Commandments of my God But Youth untaught and unnurtured quickly fly out into all manner of Extravagances for why they know no better they have receiv'd no good Principles that should controul them Vanity Youthful Lusts and their wicked Companions hurry them into such bold Villanies as make us admire the Patience of God that forbears striking them quick into Hell but on they go to provoke him to the utmost and how should it be otherwise since they have no Notion of the difference between Good and Evil Nor any Principle within them that should in the least check them in the Pursuit of that which is Evil and stir them up to that which is Good True it is it may too often happen that One that has laid up in store a good Foundation of Religious Principles may be tempted and much staggered in his Constancy and perhaps be overtaken in a Fault so as wilfully to do
the Articles of our Christian Faith In order to the Explication of which Point 1. I will declare to you the General Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed 2. I will shew you What it is to BELIEVE those Articles or Christian Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And 3. I will shew you how we must Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith And First I am to declare to you something in General Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both concerning the Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed The whole Bible both Old and New Testament is the proper Object of a Christian's Faith and whatever we find therein Recorded or deliver'd down to us we are to believe as a Divine Certain and Infallible Truth because all things therein contain'd are the Word of Him who will not who cannot Lie who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will he deceive others As to the Old Testament and the Writings of the Prophets the Old Testament and the Jehosophat in a solemn Assembly of the whole People upon a solemn Fast-day 2 Chron. 20.20 Proclaimed unto them stood up and said Hear me O Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall you be Established believe his Prophets so shall ye Prosper And let the Declarations of God Recorded therein be of what Nature they will the Truth of them is by no means to be called in doubt If you will not Believe surely ye shall not be Established Isa 7.9 And so likewise as to the New Testament New Our Saviour upon his Entrance to preach the Gospel did in the first place require of all Men to Believe it Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and Believe the Gospel Mark 1.14 15. And when he was also leaving the World and Commission'd his Disciples to go into all the World and to preach the Gospel to every Creature He declar'd that he that Believeth shall be Saved but he that Believeth not shall be Damned Mark 16.15 16. So that both the Old and New Testament and every part and parcel of Scripture therein contain'd is firmly to be Believ'd as the Divine Certain and Infallible Truth of God And the reason thereof as to the Old Testament is Because Prophecy came not in Old time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 And we are also firmly to believe all the parts both of Old and New indifferently because all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 All the parts of it are the Dictates and Word of God himself and are more or less Useful to our Edification and Improvement in Divine Knowledge Faith and Practice And therefore all Ranks and Degrees of Men and of every Age Young as well as Old ought diligently to Study and firmly to Believe the Holy Scriptures The Bereans did so and they were accounted the more Honourable for so doing The Bereans were more Noble than those in Thessalonica in that they Received or Believed the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily Act. 17.11 And it is Recorded to the Immortal Honour of Timothy 2 Epist 3.15 that from a Child he had known the Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Some Truths Revealed in Scripture of greater Importance and Concernment to us than others Well but tho' all Scripture as being the Infallible Word of him who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will deceive others does Challenge the Belief of every Christian yet among the great multitude of Truths of various Kinds deliver'd in the Scriptures some are of far greater Importance and Concernment to us than others because they do more immediately and directly tend to give us due and worthy Apprehensions of God and to Instruct us in the only sure Method of Salvation by Jesus Christ There are some Principal Doctrines of Christianity which are in their own Nature apt to have a greater Influence upon our Lives and more powerfully to restrain us from a Course of Sin and to unite us to the Practice of Vertue and Holiness than others and when they have done this to send us to God the Father to seek for Acceptance meerly through Christ his Son And upon these and the like accounts therefore such Truths as these are more particularly necessary to be Believ'd by us in order to our Justification before God and to our Salvation in the other World And must therefore be distinctly Known and explicitely Believ'd and are therefore called the Articles of our Christian Faith being a Summary and Collection of such Doctrines out of the Holy Scriptures as are of a more Concerning Nature than the rest All those other Truths of what Nature soever contain'd in the Holy Scriptures are indeed necessary also to be Believ'd at least-wise Implicitely that is we are to be possest with a General Perswasion that they are all certainly true because God has Reveal'd them as such But these latter which we call the Articles of our Christian Faith must be positively and Explicitely Believ'd that is we must throughly understand 'em and be assuredly and distinctly perswaded of each single Truth contained in 'em as without which understanding and perswasion a Good and Christian Life will not be wrought in us nor a reliance on God's Merits in Christ for the acceptance thereof Created in our Souls Such for instance is the Belief that there is a God Some Instances of such Truths for this is the very first Principle of all Religion and must necessarily make us stand in awe and fear of offending him if we throughly believe and consider it Such is the Belief that he is our Father who Created us and all the World for this will make us love him who gave us our Being And such again is the Belief that he Exercises a just and wise Providence in the Government of the World for this will make us submit our selves to all his Dispensations as being the Appointments of One who knows better than our selves what is Best for us And to instance also in some which are the Truths purely of Reveal'd Religion Such is the Belief that the Son of God came down from Heaven to suffer Death for us to Redeem us from the Punishments of Hell for this as it shews us how Odious a thing Sin is when nothing less could satisfy God's Justice against it than the precious Blood of the Son of God and
consequently does extreamly tend to create in our Hearts an utter Hatred to all Sin So hereby we are taught that Christ has made a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World And such lastly is the Belief for I need not now stand to mention every Artiticle that all our Bodies shall rise again at the General Resurrection that then we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to Receive a Just Sentence for whatever we have done in the Body whether it be good or bad for this will make us careful how to lead our Lives so in this World that we may not be Condemn'd in the next These now are some of those Articles of our Christian Faith and are such Divine Truths as are more particularly necessary to be Believ'd by us as containing in them the greatest reason in the World to restrain us from all manner of Sin and to encourage us in the Practice of all Religious Duties And yet are Doctrines withal of extraordinary force to remove all Conceit out of our Minds concerning our own Merits and to make us rely solely upon God's Mercies in Christ for the Acceptance of our most Holy Performances And let this suffice as to the first Thing proposed which was to declare unto you something in general of the Nature of the Objects or of those Truths to be Believ'd the Articles of our Christian Faith And now Secondly I will also shew you what it is to BELIEVE these Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And if it be ask'd how we must Believe these things What it is to Believe those Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness why we must be so throughly and firmly perswaded of their undoubted Truth as to be accordingly Influenc'd as I have now said by the Belief thereof to the Practice of Good Works and then to betake our selves to Jesus Christ to Intercede with the Father for their Gracious Acceptance Our Belief thereof must be Operative Practical I say our Faith must be such as does Influence us to a Good Life for such is the Faith that St. Paul tells us is now required in the Christian Religion in order to Salvation Gal. 5.6 In Jesus Christ says he neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love Some render the words and that more rightly Faith that is perfected by Love which does more expresly signify the Apostle's meaning that that Faith which will save us must be such as is perfected by the addition of those Duties which we owe to God and our Neighbour And St. James does with great Industry shew that the Christian Faith which has the Promise of Justification and Salvation is a Powerful Practical Belief and that none other has any Promise What says St. James 2.14 doth it profit my Brethren tho' a Man saith he hath Faith and hath not Works can Faith save him Faith if it have not Works is dead being alone ver 17. and is no more than what the Devils have for the Devils believe and tremble ver 19. Such was the Faith of Abraham and of all the Saints And the Faith indeed for which the Holy Patriarchs and Saints were Renown'd of Old and are now so highly Rewarded in Heaven was a Powerful Practical and Working Faith indeed which excited them to the highest and the hardest Acts of Obedience that it was possible for Men to perform Thus Heb. 11.17 18. we read that by Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac and he that had received the Promises offered up his only begotten Son and he a Son too in whom God had promised him great Blessings And yet at God's Command he readily Obeyed believing that God would be as good as his Promise to him tho' it was by Raising him again from the Dead By Faith Moses when he was come to Years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh 's Daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward ver 24 25 26. It was a great Temptation to Moses to be made a Prince if he pleased in which Estate he might enjoy the highest Pleasures this World could afford but he Believing that God would infinitely reward him for his Self-denial in refusing such Worldly Honours and Pleasures chose rather to be one of those mean Persecuted People the Children of Israel By Faith Thousands of Blessed Saints before us endured tryals of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments they were Stoned they were Sawn asunder were Tempted were Slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and in Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in Desarts and in Mountains and in Dens and in Caves of the Earth Heb. 11.35 36 37 38. They were terrible Sufferings which the Servants of God in former times have been put to undergo but as dreadful as they were being supported with a firm Belief that they should be infinitely recompenced for their Sufferings and Losses they thereupon chearfully underwent the severest that the Wit or Malice of Men or Devils could invent or inflict upon ' em Such a powerful practical working Faith indeed was that for which the Holy Patriarchs and Saints were of Old Renown'd and are now Rewarded in Heaven A Faith I say which excited them to the highest and hardest Acts of Obedience that it was possible for Men to perform And such a Powerful Practical Active and Working Principle is Faith And such an Operative and Practical Principle is Faith whenever the Things believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us whensoever the things Believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us Some things indeed as an Excellent Person does well observe are of such a Nature that the Belief or Knowledge of 'em goes no farther but rests in it self as the Knowledge or Belief of bare Speculative Truths that do not at all Concern us but some things again are of such a Nature as being once firmly and truly believ'd and known carry a Man out to Action Thus for Example If you should hear another threaten'd that he should certainly be Kill'd if he stir out of his House to morrow it would not hinder you from going Abroad tho' you firmly believe the Threatning because it is a Truth in which you are not Concern'd But the Person so threatned if he does throughly believe the danger will certainly not stir out of his House that Day because it is a Truth that he is very much Concerned in On the other side If you shall hear of a Promise made to another Person of a Thousand Pound if he will be at the Pains to go but to such
in their Baptismal Covenant And lastly that at the Day oâ— Judgment they will be justify'd or condemn'd according as they have perform'd or not perform'd their Covenant with God All this consider'd I think you would be sensible that there is nothing more fundamentally necessary for every Christian especially for Youth to be acquainted withal than the Nature Terms and Conditions of their Baptismal Covenant It is indeed the General Terms and Conditions only that you have been hitherto instructed in by this Exposition upon the Preliminary Questions and Answers and the more particular understanding of 'em is to be given you in my succeeding Discourses upon the Creed and Decalogue But the most useful Method of Instruction is to begin with Generals and then to proceed to the Knowledge of Particulars And that by both you may be render'd wise unto Salvation may God Almighty grant of his infinite Mercy through Jesus Christ his Son to whom and the Holy Spirit Three Persons and One God be all Honour and Glory Might Majesty and Dominion ascribed both now and for evermore Amen The End of the First Volume THE CONTENTS LECTURE the First THE Meaning of the Word Catechize The Definition of a Catechism page 1 Christian Religion What First a Moral good Life an essential part of Christianity 2 Secondly To act Vertuously upon Christian Principles Thirdly Dependance upon the Mediation of Christ that our imperfect Righteousness may be accepted also necessary 3 Such Dependance the distinguishing Character of a true Christian Dependance upon Christ necessary to take down an arrogant Conceit of our own Righteousness a Temper of Mind most displeasing to God 4 The Nature of Fundamental Principles An Enumeration of Fundamental Principles First The general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace Secondly The Articles of our Christian Faith 5 Thirdly The Laws of the Ten Commandments Fourthly The Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments A Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a good Life here and Happiness hereafter 6 A Catechism is a general Instruction in the fundamental Principles of Christianity Such were the Ancient and Apostolical Catechisms And such is our Church Catechism The Persons that are to be Catechized are every Person 7 The necessity of every Person 's being well grounded in Religious Principles by Catechetical Instruction The Contempt hereof is the effect of Pride and the cause of Ignorance 8 The Seeds of Vertue and Principles of Religion can never be too soon sown in Childrens Hearts However a clear Understanding of Catechetical Doctrines is attainable only by Persons grown up to some Years of Discretion It is not below Persons of any Age or Quality to lay the Foundation of their Knowledge in Catechetical Instruction The End of Catechizing to prepare for Confirmation Confirmation What 9 Confirmation necessary First As a solemn Ratification of the Covenant with God Secondly As it consists in the Episcopal Benediction and laying on of Hands Confirmation Beneficial First As the solemn Profession therein made imprints serious Thoughts and religious Resolutions 10 Secondly As the Episcopal Benediction Prayers and laying on of Hands have spiritual Blessings attending them 11 Catechizing necessary First To the solemn Ratifying of our Covenant with God 12 Secondly To the Receiving Benefit by the Episcopal Benediction Prayers and laying on of Hands 13 LECT II. Catechizing requisite to prepare Persons to be worthy Communicants 15 The want thereof the occasion of People's Ignorance concerning the Sacrament and consequently First of Receiving unworthily Secondly of not Receiving at all 16 Thirdly Catechizing is requisite to Persons being Edify'd by Preaching 17 Fourthly Catechizing necessary to prevent being seduc'd into dangerous Errors 18 Lastly Catechizing is exceedingly necessary First to preserve Youth from ever falling into an Ungodly way of living 19 Secondly To recover out of it when fallen therein 20 LECT III. The reason wherefore the Catechism begins with asking the Catechumen his Christian Name is to put him in mind of his Christian Profession The Force there is in a Christian Name to make a Man lead a Christian Life as under that Name having Listed himself First a Disciple of a most holy and excellent Religion 24 Secondly a Servant of a most Holy and Just God Thirdly to Fight against the World the Flesh and the Devil Fourthly as under that Name he professes to believe such Articles as are the most powerful Motives to deny all Ungodliness Fifthly to obey the most righteous Laws Lastly as having under that Name received Promises of most powerful Assistances to do all this 25 The bad Lives of Nominal Christians do an infinite Prejudice and Dishonour to Christianity It hinders the Conversion of Infidels It puts bitter Reproaches in the mouths of Atheists especially when Wickedness is committed under the Guise of Religion Few Men will endure their worldly Calling to be put at naught and reproacht 26 An Exhortation therefore to Christians to stand upon the Dignity of their Christian Name and Profession First as that which is more considerable than Titles of Honour Secondly because of that near Alliance there is between the Christian Name and Profession Thirdly Because the primitive Christians did in vertue of the Christian Name resist the fiercest Temptations 27 Fourthly Because of the Indecency of living unsuitable to the Christian Name and Profession Fifthly That to quite other Purposes we gave up our Names to be Christians Sixthly most Christian Names afford some Examples of Vertue which should prompt Christians to an Imitation of those who were Eminent under those Names 28 And therefore Parents are advis'd to choose for their Children the Names of Persons Eminent for Vertue not Infamous for Vice 29 LECT IV. Our Catechism gives an entire Instruction in the Covenant of Grace both generally and particularly First Generally in the Three first Questions and Answers 32 The Notion of a Covenant It is a mutual Agreement 33 As there are Conditions therein on our side so express Promises on the other A View of the Covenant of Grace God having made Man upright and in a capacity never to have violated his Covenant did engage him to a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience Man did violate it 34 The Divine Justice Wisdom and Holiness required Satisfaction Man being himself uncapable to make it by less than suffering an everlasting Punishment The Son of God undertook First to satisfy for the Breach of the First Secondly to Cancel it and in its stead to make a Covenant of Grace consisting of Conditions performable in our fallen state Wherein Repentance Faith and a sincere Obedience is accepted instead of a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience 35 It resembles Articles of Accommodation made thro' the Intercession of a Prince's Eldest Son betwixt him and his Rebellious Subjects 36 Little more of universal Concernment to be known but the Articles of this Covenant The Catechetical Method most useful to that Purpose 37 LECT V. A Member of
the best Expositors do understand the Words which the Apostle means by that Form of Doctrine that he delivered to the Romans Ch. 6.17 and which was the Form of sound Words that Timothy had heard of him 2 Tim. 1.13 The Reason of their making such an Abridgment And the reason of their making such an Abridgment of our Faith was no doubt to guard all true Believers against the Heresies and Errors of seducing Teachers Even in the very Times of the Apostles themselves did Satan and his Instruments begin to sow the Tares of corrupt Doctrines in the Field or Church of Christ and there could be no readier way to discover and distinguish their Pestilent Errors than for every Christian to have a Rule of Faith collected out of the Holy Scriptures ready at hand whereby to try those other Doctrines To which Form or Pattern of Sound Words as it is called 2 Tim. 1.13 if what they taught did not agree it was easie for the most unletter'd Christian to discover their Falshood which without a considerable degree of Skill and Knowledge in the Holy Writings could not otherwise have been done And hence also it is that the Creed is called Symbolum in most Christian Churches viz. because it is the Sign and Badge whereby to know a true and sound Christian a Watch-word to distinguish him from false Hereticks that creep in clandestinely to beguile unwary Souls and a Pass-port in all Christian Churches For all these things does the Word Symbolum mean and to all these Purposes was the Creed made use of in the Primitive Church For did any Stranger come among 'em they did immediately demand of him a Confession of his Faith which if he did deliver agreeable to this Form of sound Words they took it as a Sign of his being Orthodox and not an Heretick and it was a Passport to him whereby he might either remain amongst them or have Letters Commendatory from 'em to go in the Peace of God to other Churches of the Christians And well may our Creed be accounted the surest Test and Touchstone of all Sound and Orthodox Doctrine there being hardly any Heresie and deadly Error that has heretofore or shall hereafter arise in the Church which it does not oppose or obviate Nor any material Truth of Christian Religion that concerns either God or Our selves that it does not hold out to us as necessary to be believ'd as will soon appear to you if from this more general Account of it we do but proceed more nearly to view the Excellent Frame and Method thereof and the particular Articles of which it does consist And this I say if we do we shall see it does contain all the most material and weighty Truths that are necessary to be Believ'd concerning either God or Man and more we are not much concern'd to know First Concerning God A Scheme of the whole Creed we are instructed in the Knowledge 1. Of his Being and Attributes which we are taught in these Words I Believe in God for in the Notion of God are imply'd all those High Perfections which we call the Divine Attributes 2. Of the Three Persons in the one Godhead which we are taught to know and believe under these Three Names Father Son and Holy Ghost 3. And we are instructed in those Personal Works and Operations properly attributed to each Person in the Sacred Trinity This in the following Expressions and Articles of the Creed As to proceed in this General View and Dissection of it I. To God the Father does originally belong the Creation of the World and the Exercise of a wise Providence over it which we are taught to know and believe in these Words Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth II. To God the Son does belong the Redemption of the World that is the reducing from the Power and Dominion of Sin and Satan to the Obedience of the Father that part of the World which had revolted from him and so the Delivery and Salvation of it from cruel Slavery and woful Misery To accomplish which Redemption we are taught 1. In general That he was a Saviour or one that both procur'd for us Salvation and instructed us by revealing the Gospel in the only Way and Method of attaining it This in the Word Iesus And farther yet in the Word Christ to the end he might save us both from Sin and Satan that as a Mediator betwixt God and Man he was invested with the threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King And to enable him effectually to discharge this threefold Office that he was himself both God and Man God which is the Import of these Words The only Begotten Son of God an innocent and sinless Man the Import of these He was Conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary 2. In particular we are instructed in each single Act pertaining to these his Mediatorial Offices And indeed it speaks the excellent Structure of our Catechism as I before observed that it lets Instruction gradually into the Souls of its Disciples by giving first a general view of things and by descending afterwards to inform the tender Minds of young Beginners in the School of Christ more particularly and distinctly in each of those Christian Truths contain'd in the General Article And this proportion is also observable in the Form of the Creed where as short as is the Form of sound Words besides the Doctrine of our Saviour's Mediation and the Offices he underwent more obscurely coucht in the Words Jesus Christ in order to our more distinct Apprehension of what he has done for our Redemption from Sin and Satan and for our Reconciliation with the Father we have the Nature and Acts of those several Offices particularly taught us in the following Articles of the Creed Only 1. As to the Nature and Acts of his Prophetick Office they are not indeed so expresly and distinctly taught us as those of the other two namely His Priestly and Kingly are in the following Articles for the whole of that Office being discharg'd in revealing to us the Gospel as the only Way and Method of attaining Salvation and all the Doctrine concerning that being already couch'd in the Words I Believe in Iesus or I Believe that Jesus has reveal'd unto us the true way to Salvation there 's nothing needful to be farther express'd upon that Head But 2. As to our Saviour's Priestly Office there is not one Act which belongs to it that is not particularly and distinctly taught you in the succeeding Articles of your Belief His Priestly Office was to consist in giving a Satisfaction by way of Sacrifice and Attonement for our Offences and in going into Heaven the Holy of Holies to interceed with the Father in the Merit of that Sacrifice for the Forgiveness of our Sins And now 1. What belongs to his Sufferings by way of Sacrifice we are taught in these Words He Suffered under Pontius Pilate Was Crucified Dead and Buried
therefore no Man that owns himself a Christian ought to be silent when the Creed is rehearsed in Divine Service but every particular Person ought to signifie his firm Belief and Assent to the same by openly and solemnly rehearsing it together with Christ's Ministers I say by openly and solemnly rehearsing it for because that this Body of Christian Truths ought in the most open and solemn manner to be confess'd our Church has appointed that the Creed should not only be rehears'd and pronounc'd by every particular Member of the Congregation so often as it occurs in Divine Service but also that it should be done standing In the Creed Libertas Ecclesiast p. 458 we do professedly says the Learned Faulkner acknowledge the Three Persons in the Glorious Trinity to be the only true God and our only Lord and a standing posture well becometh a Servant in his professed owning and attending upon his Master We openly declare every one for himself in the Words I believe the Ground of our Christian Hope and Comfort that in believing in the Father who made the World and in the Son who Died and Rose again Ascended and shall judge all Men and in the Holy Ghost that we have Expectation in the Church of God and the Communion of Saints of obtaining Forgiveness of Sins a Resurrection and Everlasting Life and do also acknowledge all these Articles of the Christian Faith And a standing Gesture is very suitable to any solemn Declaration of our Minds in Matters of moment and concernment And as the open Profession of Faith includeth a stedfast Resolution to continue firm in the Acknowledgment of the Christian Doctrine this in particular is so properly signified by the standing Gesture that standing to a thing Deut. 25.28 and in several other Scriptures signifies an asserting and professing a thing with Resolution so that you ought both openly with an audible Voice to Rehearse your Belief after the Minister in Divine Service And to signifie your stedfast Resolution to stick to your Faith and to remain unshaken in such your Belief you ought to stand up when you so Rehearse and Profess it 3. But yet farther 3. It may remotely imply God's Command to all Christians to confess him upon other occasions This Word Rehearse may be interpreted remotely to imply that other great Christian Duty which may lye upon you and that is frankly and openly to own the Belief and Perswasion of any or all these Christian Truths when at any time there shall be occasion given for such a Declaration tho' it may be to the hazard of your Lives and the loss of Goods Livelihood or all that is dear to you or tho' you shall suffer the utmost Scorn and the Reproaches of profane and wicked Men for such your Belief and Confession And the two great Occasions for such a Declaration are when the Superiour Powers shall demand it in order to persecute you for the same or when through a general Indifference to Religion impious and wicked Men do take courage to run it down and that the more for the Cowardice of the Orthodox Professors of it as if afraid or asham'd to own it But upon both these or on any other occasion you must be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 First Now as to the first of these Occasions the Primitive Christians were often put upon this Duty of openly and publickly Confessing their Faith when such a Confession was certain to bring upon them the severest Torments that the Malice of Men or Devils could inflict For the then Princes of the World were Pagans and Worshippers of false Gods who would often force the Christians either to Renounce their Belief in the one True God the God of Israel and in Christ his only Begotten Son or they would tear their Flesh with burning Pincers would throw 'em to be devoured by wild Beasts rend their Limbs asunder on Racks and put 'em to infinite other Tortures But such was the Constancy of those Christians that they would not through Fear dissemble their Faith but would openly before the Heathen Tribunals declare their Belief of the True God and of Jesus Christ his only Begotten Son And this their Declaration of their Christian Faith in the Language of the Scripture and of the Ancient Church was call'd a Confessing of Christ and the Persons that did so were intituled with the Glorious Name of Confessors And thus to confess Christ by openly declaring your Belief in Him and in God the Father and God the Holy Ghost and likewise your Belief in any other the Articles of the Christian Faith whatever should be the danger in so doing is expresly made your Duty Rom. 10.9.10 and has Salvation promis'd as the Reward of it If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation Where you see that an open Confession and Profession of your Faith with the Mouth is made as necessary to Salvation as to Believe it in the heart Secondly A second Occasion for a frank and open owning of the Great Truths of Christianity is when through a general Indifference to Religion impious and wicked Men do take Courage to run it down and that the more for the Cowardice of the Orthodox Professors of it as if afraid or asham'd to own it God be praised it is not now made by the Powers that are above us in this Nation a Matter worthy of Death or of Sufferings for any to own himself an Orthodox Believer yet so many are the profane and ungodly Persons the Men of no Religion abroad in the World that they will scoff at those who seem to believe and dare to own the Principles of Christianity And so few are those who have the Courage to stand up in Vindication of the Truth the Generality of Lay-Christians Gallio like seeming to care for none of these things and thinking it only the Clergy's Business to contend earnestly for the Faith that the Adversaries to Religion are mightily embolden'd thereby to bear it down deriding all serious Christians and true Believers as a Company of credulous and easie People and applauding themselves as the only Men of Reason and Free because Licentious Thinkers But now whenever it shall be the Lot of any of you to fall amongst such who will scoff at you for believing and professing that you believe the Articles of the Faith you must boldly oppose 'em and let 'em know that you are not afraid nor asham'd of the Gospel of Christ nor to own your selves Christians Rom. 1.16 And you must not through Fear Bashfulness or Cowardice dissemble such your Faith lest God if you deny or dissemble your owning of him here should
deny in the World to come his knowing of or having any thing to do with you as he declares he will Matth. 10.33 You see in Matth. 26.70 how Peter being asham'd of his persecuted Lord and Master and afraid for himself did deny his Saviour But withal you see how severely he smarted for it for being prick'd at the heart with an extreme remorse of Conscience for such a base piece of Cowardice he went out and wept bitterly v. 75. And it was well he did or else he had perish'd everlastingly So that to conclude you must not only rehearse that is give an Account of the Christian Faith to us the Ministers of Religion and pronounce it amongst those who are Friends to it in the House of God but upon all just occasions you must elsewhere even in the Face of its greatest Enemies openly declare and profess your Belief of those great Christian Truths and that when you are sure to suffer the severest Persecutions and Reproaches for so doing This last I must confess is not so directly the meaning of the Word Rehearse in this place But if ever there were occasion to extend the Importance of it to such a Sense it is now when the Confidence of Infidels in professing their impious Principles and the Cowardice of Believers in Confessing the True Articles of their Christian Faith is so extremely and on both sides so shamefully great And thus I have given you the utmost that I conceive can be the Importance of these Words Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief which may serve as a Prefatory Discourse to the Exposition I design by God's Assistance to make you of the Creed upon the Explication of which I shall next enter THE XXIX Lecture I Believe COmmenting upon these Words Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief I have given you by way of Preface to the Exposition of the Creed it self an Account of its Authority how that it is a summary Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine collected as is highly probable by the Apostles themselves however undoubtedly containing the most weighty and essential Points of Apostolical Doctrine that are necessary to be Believ'd in order to Salvation And then as to the Importance of the Word Rehearse I have told you how necessary it is 1. that you should give a good Account to God's Ministers of what you Believe 2. That you ought openly and solemnly to pronounce your Belief every time you meet together to worship God in the Publick Assembly Nay and 3. That you must undauntedly confess and own all these Christian Truths before the Face of any Man though you should incur the greatest Danger of Life Livelihood or whatever is most dear to you or expose your selves to the Reproaches of wicked Men for so doing And having thus by way of Preface to the Creed it self spoken what I thought necessary to its Authority and the Confession you are to make of it I come now by God's Assistance to lay open before you the Meaning and Importance of every particular Truth therein contain'd And that which does first offer it self to our Consideration and will indeed require a very large and full Explication is the single Word Believe Every particular Article of the Creed and every single Truth as there are many contain'd in each Article is to be Believed by us It is therefore I presume very requisite that we should with all possible Clearness and Exactness explain the Nature of Faith and shew you what it is to Believe to your Soul's Health before we come to consider the several Truths that are to be Believed accordingly Faith and Belief are two Words that signifie the same thing Faith and Belief synonomous Terms and so indispensable a Condition of our Justification and Salvation it is to Believe that not to mention more Texts Rom. 3.28 It is said a Man is justify'd by Faith And Mark 16.16 we are told in plain and express Words that he who Believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned You must not therefore think me tedious if in the Explication of this Point I shall be something large since to Believe is a thing which you are not only to do in reference to every particular Article of our Creed but that also as ever you will be justify'd and sav'd And for the more full Explication of this Point I will do these Three Things I. I will shew you in general what it is to Believe together with the Effects and Fruits of True Believing II. I will more particularly explain unto you the Nature of Justifying and Saving Faith And then III. By way of Inference I will lay before you wherein the Defect of several sorts of Faith does lie which we find by Scripture and Experience that many do rely upon but yet will by no means justifie and save ' em And 1. I am to shew you in general What it is to Believe And to Believe both in the proper and in the common Meaning of the Word is to give Credit to the Report of another Faith is founded upon a credible Testimony And herein it is distinguish'd from those other Acts of the Mind Opinion Experience and Knowledge that Opinion is when one varies in his Judgment being not without some doubt whether the thing may not be otherwise than he thinks Experience is when one's own Senses tell one it is so and so and Knowledge is when I gather from undoubted Causes and Reasons that the Effect is thus But Belief as it is more certain than Opinion so it is founded not upon my own Experience and Knowledge but upon the Authority of some one else who does relate the thing to me It is indeed thought by some that to Believe in the Language of the Scriptures which are the Words of plain Men spoke to the general Bulk of Mankind does many times signifie a full Perswasion of the Mind whether wrought within us by the Evidence of the Matter or by our own Sense or Experience or by some strong Argument and Reason as well as by some Credible Testimony and accordingly we Believe God's Being and Existence by the strongest Evidences of Reason but yet however tho' the Belief of God's Being be indeed a Knowledge that he Is a Knowledge I say that we have from several demonstrative Proofs and Reasons besides what we have from the Testimony that he Himself has given us of his own Existence yet as the Testimony that he has given us by Miracles Prophecies and his Providences are properly his Attestation to the Truth of the Article so it is the nearest and the plainest Proof thereof and that upon which the Faith of the far greatest part of Mankind who do not much employ their Reason to search after Truth is founded so that generally as well as properly speaking to Believe is to give Credit upon the Authority and Testimony of another that his Relation is true Human Faith upon Human Testimony And
be less efficacious to the subduing the Temptations arising from the Flesh that is from our own Lusts and Appetites there being no Considerations of that force to oblige us to deny all Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World as all the Articles of our Creed particularly the looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works Tit. 2.12 13 14. A thorough Perswasion apply'd home to the Heart by serious Consideration that the Son of God did Himself descend from Heaven by wonderful and amazing Methods to rescue us from the Slavery of our brutish Lusts and Appetites and that he will again come in Glory to Judge and Reward us for the Victory we shall gain over 'em are enough to work upon all Reasonable and Thinking Creatures and nothing can prevail with us to abandon our Lusts if these will not And III. Lastly but above all 3. The Devâ—â— the great Power and the glorious Effects of Faith are seen in the Victories it will enable us to obtain over that Great Adversary the Devil We had need to put on the whole Armour of God that we may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil For we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood a contemptible Enemy in comparison but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual Wickedness in High Places Wherefore St. Paul does warn us to take unto us the whole Armour of God that we may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand But above all to take the Shield of Faith wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil Eph. 6.11 12. The Temptations and Assaults of the Devil which the Apostle does here so solemnly rouze us up to resist are I suppose the terrible Persecutions that Satan does in all Ages raise against one part or other of the Church and these tho' dreadful indeed and most likely to over-power us yet are conquerable by a firm Faith Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame and is set down on the Right hand of the Throne of God For if we consider him that endured such contradiction of Sinners against himself we shall not be weary nor faint in our Minds Heb. 12.2 3. So that in short the true and genuine Effects of Faith are constant and perpetual Victories against the World the Flesh and the Devil and an universal Obedience notwithstanding any of 'em to the Commands of God And therefore since so much depends upon a true Faith that he who believeth shall be saved Mark 16.16 And by the Grace of God we are saved through Faith Eph. 2.5 It does infinitely concern you to examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith and to prove your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 And the only way to prove the Sincerity of your Faith is by examining the fore-mention'd Fruits of it in your own Lives and Conversations and by seeing whether it produces a good Life For this we may assure our selves having the Authority of an Apostle for it Jam. 2.26 That as the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also So that except upon examination you shall find your spiritual Enemies in a great measure subdu'd and an Habit of Vertue rooted in your Souls your Faith is not sincere THE XXX Lecture I Believe HAving already explain'd and laid before you the Nature and Effects of Faith or Believing I might now proceed to the Consideration of those main Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity summ'd up in the Apostles Creed and which are to be Believ'd accordingly But since so great Weight is laid in the Covenant of Grace upon Faith that on Condition thereof we are said to be sav'd Sirs said the Keeper of the Prison to Paul and Silas What must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House Act. 16.30 31. since whosoever Believeth in Christ shall receive Remission of Sins c. 10 43. And which has most perplexed Persons Heads to understand the meaning of it and from the misunderstanding of which the most Fatal Errors have ensu'd since a Man is Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Rom. 3.28 And being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 And lastly since a true state of this Doctrine of Justifying Faith will above any other single Doctrine excepting that of the Covenant of Grace let you into the full Understanding of the Nature Texture and Constitution of the Whole Christian Religion For all these Reasons I think I ought not to dismiss this Subject of Faith without giving you a State of the Doctrine of Justifying Faith and without distinguishing betwixt it and other sorts of Faith which will fail us in the great Business of Justification and Salvation And in order to the Explication of so considerable a Point I. I will give you to understand what is meant by Justification II. I will then shew by what sort of Faith we are accordingly Jâ—nstified And III. And lastly in what sence we are said to be Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law And I. I will give you to understand what is meant by Justification Justification defin'd And Justification is God's Adjudging us through Christ as Just and Righteous according to the Terms of the Covenant of Grace and his acquitting of such from the Punishment of those Sins of which according to the Terms of the First Covenant there was no place for Pardon To make this Description more plain to you I will a little enlarge upon it and prove the several Parts thereof And 1. There are Just and Righteous Persons since the Fall First I say there are those who even in this lapsed and fallen state of Man have the Testimony of God Himself that they are Just and Righteous Men. Thus Abel obtained witness that he was Righteous God testifying of his Gifts Heb. 11.4 And Lot is also mention'd in Scripture as a Righteous Man 2 Pet. 2.8 And Joseph Simeon Cornelius and others are said in the Gospel to be Just Men and at the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and separate the Wicked from the Just Matth. 13.49 Which supposes that all those who shall be saved shall be Just and Righteous Persons 2. It is according to the Terms of the Gospel that any are such Secondly Those who are thus Just and Righteous are such according to the Terms of the Gospel Justice and Righteousness are to be measured according to some Rule in conformity to which
Righteousness consists Now this Rule of Righteousness according to which any Person living ever since the Fall may be termed Just and Righteous cannot be the Original Law made with Adam which requir'd a perfect exact unsinning Obedience a never offending in any one Point For if we were to have our Lives measur'd by such not only the Wise Man Eccles 7.20 telleth us That there is not a a Just Man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not But St. Paul hath proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin and that there is none Righteous no not one Rom. 3.9 10. But our Comfort and Happiness is this That the First Covenant which exacted from us an unsinning Obedience The First Covenant now cancell'd is now cancell'd and we have been admitted in our Baptism into a Covenant of Grace wherein a hearty and sincere Conformity to the Terms of the Gospel that is a practical Believing of those Great Doctrines of Christianity summ'd up in our Creed A Covenant of Grace succeeds in its room Evangelical Righteousness measur'd by this last and a sincere Obedience proceeding from such a Faith to all the Laws of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ together with an unfeigned Repentance for such Failures in Faith and Practice as we have been guilty of shall be graciously accepted And this our Conformity to this Second Covenant is that which Rom. 3.22 is termed the Righteousness of God which is by Faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that Believe And which Phil. 3.9 St. Paul in opposition to his own Righteousness which is of the Law does stile that which is through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith And the reason of its being call'd the Righteousness of Faith and the Righteousness through Faith of Jesus Christ is because such a Faith or through Perswasion of all those main Truths summ'd up in our Creed concerning the Methods of Reconciliation between God and Man and the Belief of such Motives to a holy Life as those great Truths are will produce such a Righteousness in us that is will make us sincerely and heartily to obey the Laws of the Gospel to repent us of all our Sins and to rely on Christ to accept such a Faith Obedience and Repentance And the reason the same Apostle opposes this to his own Righteousness which is of the Law is because of the manifest difference betwixt the Perfect Legal Righteousness exacted by the Law and this Evangelical accepted in the Gospel The Legal Righteousness Vid. Allen's Christ Justif stated as one Judiciously states this difference stood in a perfect and indefective Conformity to whatever God commands or the Law of Nature required of Man But the Evangelical Righteousness stands in a hearty and sincere Desire Resolution and Endeavour in a Man to conform to all that God requires in conjunction with Repentance for Defects and in Affiance of God's Mercy through Christ for Forgiveness So that though the Best Man living does not perhaps keep any one of God's Commandments in a Legal sence yet the meanest sincere Christian keeps 'em all in an Evangelical sence that is in sincerity of Resolution and Endeavour And in this sence Good Men are in Scripture said to keep God's Charge his Commandments his Statutes and his Laws As for instance it is said of Zacharias and his Wife Elizabeth that they were both Righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless Luke 1.6 And therefore in the same sence that is according to the Terms of the Gospel not according to those of the Law either the Law of Nature according to the Exactness of which Adam in his state of Innocency was bound or the Laws of Moses by which the Jewish Nation were oblig'd to live I say according to the Terms of neither of these but according to the Conditions of the Gospel are all the Disciples of Christ to be accounted Righteous Thirdly 3. Justification is God's Adjudging those to be Righteous who have performed the Conditions of the Second Covenant And now Justification is God's Adjudging those to be thus Righteous who have performed the Conditions of the Second Covenant that is who have Believed practically Obey'd sincerely and Repented heartily To be Justified is not to be made Just and Righteous Persons are made so by Sanctification But in Justification they are approved of by God as such and adjudged to be so and this whoever considers the Scope of those Places of Scripture where this Word is us'd will find to be the Importance of it and that it is a Law-Term and almost always us'd in a Judicial sence and particularly that it is the Act of a Judge acquitting a Person from Guilt and Punishment in opposition to the condemning him in either In this sence it is us'd Prov. 17.15 He that Justifieth the Wicked and he that Condemneth the Just even they both are an Abomination to the Lord Where to Justifie the Wicked is to Acquit him of Fault or Guilt as on the contrary to Condemn the Just is to pass Sentence against him as a Wicked Person So in these Words Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect It is God that Justifieth who is he that Condemneth That is Who shall produce any Accusation against those whom God hath approved of 'T is certain that God hath Acquitted them And according to this Sence of the Word we shall in abundance of places sind that good sincere and faithful Persons are said to be Justified that is Approved of by God as Just and Righteous or such as have performed their Covenant with him To this sence it is said Luke 18.11 that the Publican went down to his House Justified that is Approved of by God And to the same sence it is said James 2.24 That by Works a Man is Justified That is upon a conscientious Discharge of the Duties required of us in the Laws of the Gospel shall a Man be Approved of and Adjudged by God as a Just and Righteous Person But 4. That any are so Adjudjudged as Righteous it is thro' Jesus Christ Fourthly That any the most Righteous and Just Men are upon a practical Faith a sincere Obedience and an unseigned Repentance thus Approved and Adjudged by God as Just and Righteous Persons is through Jesus Christ or by virtue of his Mediation with the Father that we should be Accepted upon such Terms and that our Righteousness should be measured according to the Rules of the Gospel For Man having broke his Covenant with God and become so depraved in all the Faculties and Powers of his Nature that he could no longer live up to the strictness of it then did the Son of God mediate with the Father for a disannulling of all former Covenants impossible to be perform'd and for the substituting of a more gracious Covenant in their room For which reason it is said
his upon the Divine Promises was a sign of the good Opinion he had of God's Power and Fidelity and was therefore most graciously accepted by him Rom. 4.18 19 20 21 22. Now this as the Apostle goes on v. 23 24 25. was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we Believe on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our Offences and was raised again for our Justification That is in this Act of Faith also in a steddy Reliance upon the Promises of God was Abraham a Pattern to us whereby we may see that if we distrust not his Power and Goodness in Matters of the greatest difficulty but firmly Relie upon him without Doubt or Dispute this will render us acceptable to him But especially it will be a most acceptable Act of Faith in us wholly to Relie upon his Promises in Christ who became a Sacrifice for our Sins that all our most heinous Offences will be pardon'd if we unfeignedly Repent and our imperfect Obedience will be eternally rewarded if it be but sincere in Testimony and Assurance of which Promises God has raised our Saviour from the dead And thus you plainly see what sort of Faith or Believing it is that must now Justifie and Save us It must not be only giving up the Assent of our Minds that all that God has spoken is true but we must with all our Hearts Consent to a sincere and faithful Obedience to all his Commands such as may be expected from those who are undoubtedly perswaded of the Truth of all the Articles of the Christian Faith which are every one of 'em Doctrines very apt to move us to Holy Living And moreover it must be a firm Reliance on God's Truth that all his Promises shall certainly be made good to us on Condition of our Performances Especially as the case now stands with us Christians it must be an Entire Dependance upon Christ that through his Mediation with the Father on our account we shall be Justify'd Pardon'd and Sav'd on Condition we perform the Covenant of Grace that is Believe and sincerely Obey the Commands of God given us in the Gospel Reliance upon God's Promises of Pardon to us through Christ an essential Act of Faith incumbent upon us as the case now stands with us Christians I say as the case now stands with us Christians for all Mankind by reason of Adam's and our own Transgressions were liable to the Wrath of God and had been condemn'd to eternal Destruction had not Jesus Christ interpos'd betwixt his Father and us and Mediated with him that we might have Pardon and Happiness on Condition we would turn from our evil Ways and sincerely Obey him for the future so that through the Blood of Jesus Christ it is that we have Redemption and the Forgiveness of Sins according to the Riches of his Grace Eph. 1.7 And as in him are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 so all the Promises of God in him are Tea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 That is upon the account of Christ all his Promises of eternal Life and Happiness shall be certainly and infallibly made good to us on condition we forsake our Sins and obey him And yet when we have done all things which are commanded us we are to account our selves but unprofitable Servants having done no more than was our Duty to do Luke 17.10 And we cannot lay claim to those unspeakable Rewards laid up for his Obedient Servants meerly upon our own Deserts as if we had merited and deserved 'em but that no Flesh might Glory in his Presence it is Jesus Christ who is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 That is it is Jesus Christ who is the cause of our Justification and Sanctification and by the Merit of what he has done for us shall our imperfect Righteousness be so accepted of by God that we shall be unspeakably rewarded for it And if so if all our holy Performances shall be Accepted and Rewarded only through Christ it is on Him then and not on any thing that we have done our selves that we must depend and Relie for Pardon and Happiness For without his Merits to supply our Defects our best Performances will want Pardon and all that we can do will not merit nor deserve eternal Life and Glory Thus we must Believe that is Relie on Christ and we shall not perish but have everlasting Life John 3.16 And indeed this Reliance and Dependance upon God for Mercy Because it excludes Confidence in our own Merits and Boasting in our own Performances on the account of what Christ has Merited for us not on the account of any Deserts of our own appears in the Scriptures as I before said to be an Act of Faith more well-pleasing to God and acceptable unto him in that it excludes Boasting or Glorying in our own Righteousness which the Apostle makes very necessary to Justification Rom. 3. and expects the Reward meerly from God's Free Mercy in Christ without any Reliance upon our own Performances For as it is vers 23 24 25 26. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being Justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Rightoousness that he might be Just and the Justifier of Him that Believeth in Jesus Where is Boasting then It is excluded By what Law The Law of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith therefore we conclude a Man is Justify'd by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Which brings me III. To shew you in what sence we are said to be Justify'd by Faith 3. In what sence we are said by S. Paul to be Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law without the Deeds of the Law Both this Text of the Romans now mentioned and that Parallel place Gal. 2.16 seem to exclude Good Works from being at all necessary to our Justification And yet by what has been already said from St. Paul it does appear that Repentance and Obedience are Conditions equally requisite to our Justification with Faith Or when Faith alone is mentioned it is as including the other two and St. James also does most expresly assert that by Works a Man is Justified and not by Faith only Jam. 2.24 So that to clear the Holy Scripture from any Contradiction in this case it will be requisite to consider what St. Paul means by the Law and by the Deeds of the Law when he excludes either from having any thing to do in our Justification and what that Faith is upon which he does sometimes seem to lay the whole stress in that great Affair By Law in St. Pual's discourse with the Jews was meant both the Law of
that there is a certain Distemper of Mind called Curiosity which as it is of like Nature so it is of full as hurtful and mischievous Effects to the Mind as that Distemper is to the Body which stirs up Persons to eat Chalk or Coals or Trash or whatever affords either none at all or a very ill Nourishment Such is the Curiosity of Knowing Evil which was the thing that ruin'd our first Parents and afterwards Solomon and since him many other Persons Such are they who have a great desire to tast those Pleasures which are in Sin and by tasting of 'em their Minds are defil'd and their Morals corrupted and it is seldom that they do ever after return to have a right Judgment of Good or Evil. Thus hurtful is the Knowledge of some things so that it is much better to be Ignorant thereof than to Know ' em Again there are others whose Curiosity gives 'em a strange Itch to know Hidden Things such as are not proper for Man to know Or not proper for Man to know as the Decrees of Predestination and the Counsels of God's Will which is the Ark that no mortal Eye ought to look into And many are wonderfully Inquisitive to learn the future Events of Kingdoms and States and of their own and others private Fortunes And therefore it is that they are so apt to give heed to every pretended Prophecy and tho' few are so very wicked as to Consult Evil Spirits themselves by Magical Arts yet Multitudes will make no scruple to Resort to Fortune-tellers and Conjurers and those that do consult 'em or are reputed to do tho' it be an Impiety so severely threaten'd Deut. 18.11 12. But all Curious Enquiries whatever into the Secrets of God's Providence are to be Renounc'd by us Christians as being the Gratifications only of a sinful Curiosity Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are Reveal'd unto us and our Children for ever that we may do all the words of his Law Deut. 29.29 II. When we do immoderately study to be Exquisitely Skilled in whatever humane Arts and Sciences to the Neglect or Contempt of Divine Knowledge 2. We must Renounce that as a sinful Lust of the Fleshly Mind which improportionably to the true worth of things is more desirous to furnish it self with the Knowledge of what concerns only this Mortal Life than with the Knowledge of those Divine Truths which direct us to Life Everlasting Now this is Life Eternal or that Knowledge which leadeth and directs us to Life Eternal That we know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Joh. 17.3 But alas such is the Folly of the Carnally and Worldly wise that most Persons do neglect the Knowledge of God and the Christian Religion as if it were little worth when certainly in the End there is nothing will stand us in that stead as this sort of Knowledge Some there are whose whole search is for the Causes and Cures of Bodily Distempers and yet alas all is but Guess and Conjecture and an ordinary Malady not very seldom baffles the most Learned Physician and he sits down heavy in Disgrace and Disappointment But the Knowledge of God and Religion if duly apply'd never fails to cure the Soul of all its Infirmities nor will it fail to fill the Mind with the sweetest Comforts and Satisfactions Others you shall have who desire and care for nothing more than good Skill in the Laws of their Country whereby they may raise themselves good Estates in this World but alas such Knowledg can only serve a present Interest but by the Knowledge of our Christianity we may be able to provide our selves Bags that wax not old Eternal in the Heavens Some are wholly bent upon Merchandize and Trade but when the most Skilful Pilot shall split upon the Rocks or be foundred in the Sands he who has Heaven in his Eye may steer his Course without danger through the roughest Billows of Adverse Fortune And others there are who seem to aim at no higher Knowledge than how to Till their Land and feed their Cattle and when after all the Crop fails the most painful Husbandman he who knows the Laws of Christianity need not fear a joyful and a plentiful Harvest so excellent and useful is Divine Knowledge above all other Arts and Sciences The Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler Purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other Not that I would cast a Disparagement upon them they are the Gift of God and useful in their kind but the Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler and better Purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other and most study'd by every Christian And hence therefore does St. Paul when he comes at any time to speak of Divine Knowledge not only barely enjoin the Attainment of it as of other Vertues but does moreover add Prayers and Supplications to God to endow 'em therewith and to increase 'em therein We do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing being fruitful in every good Work and increasing in the Knowledge of God Col. 1.9 10. And again I cease not says he making mention of you always in my Prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him Eph. 1.16 17. So that tho' to be excellently well skill'd in any Art or Science whatsoever which terminates only in the Conveniencies of this Life be not only Lawful but Commendable yet it is a Profaneness fit to be Renounc'd by every Christian to prefer such to Divine Knowledge and to apply your Mind wholly to the attaining of such Skill to the Neglect of those Great and Important Truths the Knowledge of which is indispensably necessary to our Everlasting Happiness And therefore let your Profession and Calling be what it will you must make it your first Care and Study to know the Nature and Design of the Christian Religion The necessary Points of Christian Knowledge how that it is a Body of the most Excellent Principles and Laws all of 'em tending wholly to render you Holy and Good Livers and then to make you to depend upon the Mediation of Christ with his Father for his Acceptance thereof to your Justification You must also next make it more your Study to understand throughly the Covenant of Grace than the Nature and Obligation of any Humane Covenants or Contracts whatsoever And since we must build our Hopes upon the performance of particular Articles and as exactly as possible square our Lives according to each single Condition of the Covenant of Grace there can be nothing of more concernment to every Christian Lay as well as Clergy
than throughly to understand both the Meaning and Importance of every Doctrine of Faith and the Nature and Extent of every Christian Duty And lastly since a good End can never be obtain'd without the Knowledge and Use of due and proper means the Nature therefore and Use of Prayer and the Nature and End of Sacraments must be a most necessary part of Christian Knowledge So much must our Appetites after Knowledge in the most Excellent of Humane Arts and Science be Renounc'd in comparison of our Desires after a competent Measure of Divine Knowledge But Lastly III. When out of Pride Prejudice and contradiction to all Sacred Truths we set up our own Carnal Imaginations Fleshly Reasonings against those Spiritual Notions and those Mysterious Articles of our Faith which are deliver'd to us in Scripture Above all we must Renounce that prevailing Appetite in such as are of most Depraved and Corrupt Minds viz. The setting up their own Imaginations and Fleshly Reasonings against those Spiritual Notions and those more Mysterious Articles of Faith which are delivered to us in the Scripture In the more depraved Nature of some Men there is a great deal of Untowardness and Difficulty to submit to the sacred Truths Revealed to us by Christ in the Gospel as to Matters of Faith or such Articles as are necessary to be believ'd One that is conceited of his own Wisdom strength of Parts or Improvement in Knowledge will not submit his Reason to entertain Notions which he cannot Comprehend and Penetrate The Carnal Mind which is Enmity against God Rom. 8.7 will disdain to have his Understanding baffl'd or puzzl'd with sublime Mysteries of Faith he will quarrel at any thing too high for his Wit to reach or too Knotty for him to unloose How can these things be What Reason can there be for this I cannot see how this can be true This Point is not intelligible And perhaps he finds fault with the whole Body of the Scriptures either because some things are obscure to him or the Phrase is not queint and fine enough Thus the Carnal Mind treateth the Dictates of Faith and the Word of God But far be it from Christians thus to indulge their own Carnal Reasonings and Self-Conceits in opposition to what God has Reveal'd to us as necessary to be Believ'd by us For certainly the Infinite Wisdom both knows what is fittest to be taught and reveal'd to us and in what Manner and Method he had best to express himself Those that did thus proudly despise the Wisdom of God measuring it according to their own Talent of Wit and Understanding did at first and do to this Day most fatally miscarry for it is written 1 Cor. 1.19 I will destroy the Wisdom of the Wise and will bring to nothing the Vnderstanding of the Prudent But our Duty is to submit our Understanding to Almighty God to be Inlighten'd by his infinite Wisdom Casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 There is a great deal of Vertue and Grace in an Obedient Understanding and therefore to the Disciples who were so dispos'd To them it was given as our Saviour tells us Matth. 13.11 To understand the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them who are not prepar'd with an humble Mind it is not given Nor is this an hard Imposition upon Mankind to oblige 'em to believe what is above our Reason to Comprehend It is sufficient that the Holy Scriptures which do deliver such Articles of Faith as necessary to be Believ'd are sufficiently witnessed to be Divine Revelations and that there is nothing contain'd in the Articles or Mysteries themselves which is contrary or contradictory to that Reason which God has given to Man But that there should be any thing in an Article of Faith which though it be above our Reason to Comprehend especially in this its State of weakness must yet be Believ'd will not seem hard if we consider that there are many Appearances even in Nature it self which no Man has been yet found who could give a tolerable account for and yet the truth of their being so and so cannot be call'd in question This Humour of opposing Reason to Revelation proceeds from meer Pride In short this Humour of opposing our own Fleshly Reasonings against those Divine Revelations which we cannot now in this State of Imperfection so fully Comprehend proceeds meerly from the Pride of those Men who disdaining to own the Decays of our Reason as well as of other the Powers of the Soul ever since the Fall which every modest Man's Experience does make him too sensible of in a Thousand Instances do over-value their Talent of Wit far beyond what they ought And this therefore being such a proud Luciferian Temper it ought to be Renounc'd as the most Impious of all the Sinful Lusts of the Fleshly Mind And let this suffice to be spoke concerning our Renouncing of the Sinful Lusts of that sort The Corrupt Will what and how to be Renounc'd 2. Let us next consider the WILL and the Innate Corruption which Residing in that Faculty renders it Fleshly and tending in all its Choices towards the Creature and so the proper Matter of the Christian's Renunciation And as to this Faculty we are to consider how that God gave to Man a Righteous Law which was to be the Rule of his Will and while it was conformable to this it was conformable to the Will of God and consequently Beautiful and Regular but instead thereof there is now a Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 And this Law subdues the Law of the Mind and brings the Soul into Captivity to the Law of Sin Rom. 7.23 And the Will being thus Captivated is made Carnal and filled with Enmity against God and that Law which he once planted in us to be the Rule of our Will so that it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be whilst we remain Unregenerate Rom. 8.7 But in its corrupt State being always Averse to the Directions of God's Laws and Right Reason it perversly chuses those things which please only the Senses and so becomes in the most proper and immediate Sence of the Word a Sinful and Fleshly Lust But as obstinately bent as the Corrupt Will is found to be against complying with the Laws of God which would guide our Souls upwards we must bring our selves to that Habit of Self-denial so as readily to submit our Wills to God's Laws to be Governed by 'em the reason is we are not our own and therefore our own depraved Wills ought not to bear Rule in us but we are God's Creatures and his Subjects and Servants and therefore his All-wise Will and Pleasure should be the Rule and Measure of and preside over all our Actions And this it must do in the most difficult Cases when his