MILK FOR BABES OR A. MOTHERS CATECHISM for Her CHILDREN Wherein chief saving Principles of Christian Religion through the body of it fit first to inform Children in are 1 Propounded 2 Expounded 3 Applied The sum of which is set down in the following Pages Together with the Questions and Answers which are the grounds of the Catechism Whereunto also annexed THREE SERMONS Preached at Andrews Holborn at a publike Fast and at Covent-Garden upon severall occasions By ROBERT ABBOT Preacher of Gods Word at Southwick in Hantshire PSA 34.11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. LONDON Printed by John Legate for Philemon Stephens dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the gilded Lyon 1646. I Have perused this Catechism intituled Milk for Babes and these three Sermons on severall Texts And approving them as pious and profitable I license them to be printed and published IOHN DOWNAME The Sum of the following Catechism may be conceived thus IT speaks to a threefold state of ours Our estate 1 Of Creation Of which you may finde two points 1 Our Creatour who is 1 Confessed Q. 1. 2 Distinguished from the Sonne Q. 2. Holy Gh. Q. 3. 3 Described 1 By his unity in Trinity Q. 4. 2 By his Sufficiency Efficiency Q. 5. 2 His end in making us which is 1 Propounded Q. 6. 2 Amplified by the 1 Manner Q. 7. 2 Meanes teaching Q. 8. 1 Commandement 1. Q. 9. 2 Commandement 2. Q. 10. 3 Commandement 3. Q. 11. 4 Commandement 4. Q. 12. 5 Commandement 5. Q. 13. 6 Commandement 6. Q. 14. 7 Commandement 7. Q. 15. 8 Commandement 8. Q. 16. 9 Commandement 9. Q. 17. 10 Commandement 10. Q. 18. 2 Of Corruption of which it sets down our misery 1 By sinne Q. 19. 2 By punishment Q. 20. 3 Of Renovation Of which it teacheth us 1 The means working it Christ Jesus Q. 20. Who is further described by his 1 Natures Q. 22. 2 Work for use Set down two wayes 1 By the greatest manifestation of it at the latter end where two 1 His Passion Q. 13. 2 His possibility to undergo it 2 By the efficacy of it both in respect 1 Of the end Q. 24. 2 Of the persons for whom Q. 25. 2 The means applying it Faith described 1 By the nature of it Q. 26. 2 By the working of it in respect of 1 The beginning of it Q. 27. 2 The growth of it by means 1 Without us which are two 1 The Word of Christ 2 The Sacraments of Christ Q. 28. which are described 1 By their Nature Q. 29. 2 By their Number Q. 30. 3 By their use both of 1 Baptism Q. 31. 2 Supper of the Lord about which 1 What use of it Q. 32. 2 To whom Q. 33. 2 Within us and by us Prayer Q. 34. Which is further described 1 By the nature of it Q. 35. 2 By the matter The Lords Prayer Q. 36. Expounded by the 1 Preface Q. 37. 2 Petition 1. Q. 38. 3 Petition 2. Q. 39. 4 Petition 3. Q. 40. 5 Petition 4. Q. 41. 6 Petition 5. Q. 42. 7 Petition 6. Q. 43. 8 Conclusion Q. 44. A CATECHISM FOR Children thorough the chief points of the Body of Divinity to prepare them for the Lords Supper 1 Question WHo made thee A. God the Father 2 Q. Who redeemed thee A. Jesus Christ 3 Q. Who sanctified thee A. The Holy Ghost 4 Q. How many Gods are there A. There are three persons and to us Christians but one God 5 Q. What is God A. He is that Almighty one who made and governeth all things 6 Q. Wherefore did God make thee A. To do him service 7 Q. How oughtest thou to serve him A. As he hath commanded in his lawes 8 Q. Which are these lawes A. Those tenne words which God wrote in two Tables of stone and are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomy 9 Q. What is the first Commandement A. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me 10 Q. What is the second A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements 11 Q. What is the third Commandement A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain 12 Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattle nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it 13 Q. What is the fift Commandement A. Honour thy Father and Mother that thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 14 Q. What is the sixt A. Thou shalt not kill 15 Q. What is the seventh A. Thou shalt not commit adultery 16 Q. What is the eight A. Thou shalt not steal 17 Q. What is the ninth A. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour 18 Q. What is the tenth Commandement A. Thou shalt not covet thy neighhours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours 19 Q. Art thou able to keep these commandements A. No let me do what I can yet I break them every day more then I can expresse 20 Q. What punishment is appointed for the breakers of Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction of body and soul 21 Q. How shalt thou escape this curse A. Onely by Jesus Christ our Lord. 22 Q. What is Jesus Christ A. He is the eternall sonne of God made man 23 Q. What hath Christ Jesus done for thee A. He suffered the pains of death for me 24 Q. Seeing Christ was God how could he dye A. He was God and man as he was God he died not but as man he died for my sinnes and rose again for my justification 25 Q. Are all men saved by Christs death A. No onely they are saved who have a true faith 26 Q. What is this true faith A. It is the resting of the soul upon Christ for salvation 27 Q. How must this faith be wrought in thee A. The Holy Ghost must work it in my heart
the husband hath his wife Prov. 2. and the wife hath her husband by vertue of the Covenant of God by which they are made one flesh So mayst thou have God by Covenant when thou cleavest unto him by knowledge faith feare love confidence worship and the like Use Be thou sure my good child to have the true God onely to be thy God thus When thou knowest not God and doest not beleeve love and feare him nor put thy trust and confidence in him that thou mayst enjoy him and use him as thine thou hast him not no nor thou doest not give him these graces alone Thou hast there articles of the Covenant for him alone and for other things and persons under him and for his honour onely 10. Q. What is the second Commandement A. Exod. 20.4 5 6. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquitie of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandements Here God requires the worshipping of God with his own outward worship What God requires in the second commandement God sees the vaine wickednesses of Idolaters Because they are carnall they must have carnall helps of their own inventions Hence is it because they have not bodily communion with their gods they ordinarily see them not heare them not feele them not therefore they set up their Images likenesses and similitudes they doe honour and worship to them in the place of their gods they adorn them they cense to them they kneele bowe courtesie and pray to them they think that there is a religious and divine power and presence in them to be a chariot of their devotions and to convey the Influences of their hearts and words to their patrons their great gods But God will not be worshipped in this carnall way Deut. 4.15 16 17 18. He manifested no similitude on the day that the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire lest we should corrupt our selves and make a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likenesse of male or female God is a consuming fire Deut. 4.24 and a Jealous God and will have none of his worship conveyed to any devises of man or by them to him but he will have his own worship by an acknowledgement of such divine excellencies as are in him in the way and by the means that he hath appointed that is by the Word Sacraments and Prayer Vse Therefore my child look upon all Idolaters so as to hate their abominable course Doe not thinke to please God by devices of thine owne or others Imagine not that Images or Idols either graven or carved or painted can carry thy worship to those Gods or divine things or Persons whom they represent Bestow not thy divine respects upon any thing or person but God alone Frame not any will-worship thy selfe for the true and good God But as thou learnest out of the word the worship to give him all manner of prayers and prayses to heare his word to receive his Sacraments and to offer up any spirituall sacrifices so doe that thou provoke not God to jealousie and so to hate thee and to plague thine before thy face to thy confounding discomfort 11. Q. What is the third Commandement A. Exod. 20.7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Here God requires the worshipping of him in his owne manner What God requires in the third Commandement so as it may not be in vaine If it be not done as he would have it as good never a whit as not done as he would have it The name of God is God himselfe any wayes made knowne unto thee Thou art knowne by thy name and God hath a name whereby he is or may be made known to all mankind to wit his works his word his titles his attributes his religion his worship this is his name To take it signifies to take it up or to challenge it from contempt and blasphemy so as God may not be dishonoured by thine or others use of it To take it in vaine is to use it to no end to a fruitlesse end or to a wicked end as when thou usest the names titles and attributes of God to tosse them like Tennice balls to no use but as fruitlesse imbellishments of thy speech when thou usest them in asseverations and oathes to belch out the passions and bitternesse of thy heart to or against others and when thou usest them in word or actions to vent the malice or hypocrisie in thy heart Vse Take heed of doing thus my child Thou art a Christian and wouldest be accounted godly and so thou takest up Gods name Do it so as God and his people may not be ashamed to acknowledge thee for such Thou sometimes takest up the name of God in thy mouth doe it with all reverence When thou swearest doe it when thou art justly called unto it Joh. 7. Heb. 6. Jer. 4.2 to cleare the innocency or to end strife among men in truth in righteousnesse and in judgement When thou prayest hearest vowest or receivest the Sacraments doe them as sincerely desiring to draw thy self into communion with God in Christ If thou doe not though men are found to be carefull for preserving of their owne names more then Gods yet God tenderly respects his owne name and will account thee guilty and bind thee over to be plagued in this world and for ever 12. Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy work But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Here God requires the worshipping of God by his owne meanes upon that time which is appointed It is said What God requires in the fourth Commandement That the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it which thou must not conceive to be an idle repetition of words of the same value in so short a summe and therefore compare other Scriptures and the sense will be cleare and distinct unto Esau cries out to Jacob Gen. 27. Blesse me even me also my father and then Jacob gave him a
to keep the Lords day when it comes thou breakest that Commandement Thou seest many worldly men they bury themselves under the earth all the weeke and they have neither life nor leasure to come to the Congregation of Gods people on the Lords day or if they doe they sit like blocks upon benches and have more mind of the world then of the word of their pence then of their prayers So thou seest many a wanton boy and girle who would nothing but play all the weeke and when the Lords day comes they mind nothing else and so are disgraces to the Assemblies where they are These sinne against the Lords day before it comes and so mayst thou and heed it not Thou mayst also break it when it is gone by not answering the end of it The Prophet Esay Esa 2. speaking of these dayes saith That we shall encourage one another to goe up to the house of the Lord that he may teach us his wayes and we walke in his pathes This should be thy end now of keeping the Lords dayes But when God doth not teach thee his wayes and then thou dost not walke in his pathes notwithstanding all the teaching which shines about thee then thou breakest the Lords day when it is gone And thus thou now seest how thou breakest all the Commandements every day And never wonder at it seeing the Law exacts perfect obedience to justification but is weake to give it Rom. 8.3 because of the flesh Indeed the Gospel gives more strength so as by grace thou mayst keep it in desires purposes endevours with all sincerity and willingnesse for thy sanctification though not perfectly for thy justification but I enquire yet of thy naturall state and of that thy answer is given and opened by me Vse Therefore my child seriously think upon it that it may wound thy heart with the spirit of bondage so farre as to bring thee over to Jesus Christ Rom. 8. Most men are like Saul who when he saw Samuel after the destruction of Amalek said 1 Sam. 15. Blessed be thou of the Lord I have kept the commandements of God so they have kept them also they are neither whore nor thiefe they keep their Church and are good neighbours and some men say as Shadrach Dan. 3. Meshech and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar in another case We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter or to keep thy commandement so they care not to enquire into it or know whether they keep or breake them But as thou lovest thy soul let it not be so with thee As I have asked thee carefully so feele conscionably thy answer that thou breakest them that thou mayst lye down in shame and confusion in thy selfe that thou mayst be prepared for Jesus Christ Think that thou wert in Adam when he brake the whole Law of nature Thinke how prone thy nature is to all sinnes even the worst that ever were committed Thinke how thou sinnest daily against the whole body of Justice in many petty sinnes which makes thee groane and cry daily forgive us our trespasses Thinke that though there be but one Market day in seven for provision for thy soule yet thou sinnest against it before it comes and when it is gone as well as when it is and so barrest the blessing of it from thy soule And when thou seriously thinkest of these things between God and thy own soule thinke again what will become of thee if thou die in thy sinnes and come to answer before a just God who cannot endure to behold iniquitie It may be that if God blesse thy conscience may be rowzed to hearken further concerning thy estate and never give over hearkening and enquiring till thou have found a way into Jesus Christ If thou wilt know more tell me 20. Q. What punishment is appointed for them that breake Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction both of body and soule Remember how farre thou hast gone Of Gods curse upon sinners Thou wert made to serve God thou shouldst serve him according to his laws thou breakest all these laws and for this by nature thou doest lye under this curse of God of which thou here speakest Deut. 27.26 Deut. 28. Levit. 26. Moses speaks of this Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them and He shews the particulars of this curse upon body soule and state Gal. 3.10 Paul expounds it more clearly Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them And Christ speaks of the height of it Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels It is most miserable to be in such a case yet thou art in it by nature Eph. 2. as thou art born a child of wrath an heire of hell God curseth when he doth inflict punishment Men curse when they wish ill one to another as poxe plague gallows vengeance and confusion or hurt any way to body or soule These are kinds and formes of speech savouring of the belched-up froth of carnall and devillish hearts But God curseth when he inflicteth punishments Thou wouldst thinke it a great curse to have a father mother master or mistresse who should doe nothing but beat bruise and wound thee day and night In stead of feeding thee beat thee in stead of cloathing thee beat thee in stead of refreshing thee beat thee in stead of giving thee rest and sleep beat thee so is it a farre more miserable estate to lye day and night under Gods flayles of punishments The punishment which God inflicts is eternall destruction of body and soule To be destroyed in body is a fearefull punishment to be destroyed in soule is more fearefull to be destroyed in body and soule is more fearefull yet but to be destroyed in body and soule everlastingly is most fearfull it cannot be expressed it is endlesse easelesse and remedilesse What the destruction of body and soule is This destruction is double the destruction of sin and the destruction of misery By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of sinne when thou art not used to that end which God made thee for God made thee to serve him thou shouldst serve him by keeping the law thou breakest the law and hast this part of the curse the destruction of sinne If I had a piece of timber squared fawed and framed if I use it not to this end but let it lye and rot in the durt it is destroyed If thou hadst good apparell and shouldst not weare it but let it lye in the high way for horse and carriages to go over for swine to rent it is destroyed so it is with thee when the world flesh and devill abuseth thee and thou art not used to Gods end By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of misery when
ever He is not the best Archer that drawes the strongest Bowe and shoots the longest length but he that gives the best lose so he is the best Christian who hath so lived that he doth dye well Therefore be sure to have care of your souls in prosperitie adversitie and when death comes If you will ask me Reasons why you must havâ— such a care of your souls There is good cause why Because it is more to make soul good now then to create it at first Then there was onely Gods consultation 2 Cor. 5.19 A participle of the present time signifies a continuall terme of time without intermission Let us make man and his resolution and fiat let it be done and it was so but now God was in Christ Reconciling the world unto himself He was about it and is doing of it still and will never end till the world ends By how much harder it is to make a soul good by so much more you must care for your souls Secondly Matth. 16. nothing can make up the losse of a soul Christ saith What will it profit if a man gain the whole world and lose his own soul All that cannot make it up to us By how much greater the losse of a soul is by so much greater care must you have of your souls 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Thirdly the soul is not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ By how much more precious the soul is by so much more must you care for it Fourthly there is no proportion betwixt the whole world and the soul Satan will give all â—â— r that Matth. 4. and think himself to have a â—â— od bargain as you see in his offer to â— rist That which is more worth then â—â— e world you must have a speciall care â—â— f and such are your souls Lastly if you â— ose your souls the losse must be made â— p not onely to you Mic. 6.6 7. but to God whose â— hey are and I pray tell me wherewith â— ill you come before God and bow your â—â— lves to the most high God Will you come â— efore him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl Will you give your first born for your transgression and the fruit of your body for the sinne of your soul All will be found too little to make up the losse of your soul to God and surely that which is not in the power of man to make up if he lose it must be kept with all care Use 1 Weigh therefore the truth of which I have convinced you and try your cares for your souls and be provoked to be more carefull Hos 4.15 Though Israel play the Harlot saith Hosea yet let not Judah sinne and though all the world be carelesse yet be you carefull of your souls Josh 24.15 When Joshuah saw the wickednesse of Israel he said Choose you this day whom you will serve but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord so say you let others suffer their souls like Lambs-grease to melt away in sinne yet I will have a care yea I will have care to keep my soul by Gods hands Ob. It may be you will say you have thiâ— care of your souls what ever men may think Sol. Then try and see impartially whaâ— you most pitch upon If a man could seâ— the whole care of men what could he finde One cares for the back another for the belly a third for worse but who cares for the soul That lies rotting in a thousand lusts though thou knowest not how soon thou shalt say to corruption thou art my father and to the worm thou art my brother and sister Indeed you come to the Congregations pray devoutly hear reverently note diligently But will ye be all ear All for carrying in nothing for carrying out from the strength of prayer and preaching To eat much and have no evacuation will soon stifle and suffocate nature so the poor soul will be choaked if from the strength of what it feeds upon it do not work for the Grace of Christ and against the sinnes of nature and life Therefore try as you love your souls try your care Use 2 Secondly be provoked to be more carefull for your souls and as Solomon saith Prov. 4. Guard thy heart with all diligence so say I of thy soul which is all one Say as one when he was tempted to do fearfull things against himself Had it not been for this soul I had not been here now Charles the fift when he was sollicited by a great Counsellour Antonius de Lena to cut off all the petty Princes of Germany and then he should rule alone Anima anima cried out My soul my soul Nay saith that Tyger if your Majesty have a soul give over your Empire The Emperour had a care of his soul this bloud-sucker had none God keep our King and all Christian Princes from such Counsellers in these distracted dayes and ever Let men prize souls at never so low a value have you a care of yours The soul is for Christ to live in by faith The soul is the Master-wheel of all our acts The soul is the chief seat of the image of God The soul is the maker of all our actions good if it be good it self So much good soul as is in every act so much goodnesse is in it Therefore care for your souls Remember that Christ died for souls He emptied himself of glory for souls He swet drops of bloud for souls He cried out I thirst for souls What He that endured so much could not he endure a little thirst at the last Yes yes He thirsted that all the prophesies might be fulfilled for the good of souls Esa 53. How we must care for cur souls He made his soul a sacrifice for sin for souls Shall he do so much to shew so great care and will not you care a little for your souls Q. It may be you will ask me how shall I care for my soul A. I answer do what thou canst to get it out of natures clawes a kinde mother is turned into a cursed mother-in-law Oh put off concerning your conversation in times past the old man and put on the new yea be changed in the spirit of your mindes Let Christ dwell in your souls by faith for this work This hath a preserving power to keep thy soul from rotting Joh. 3.16 he that believeth shall not rot and perish Keep thy soul from the lusts of sinne Put it to a daily task by meditation and prayer for an idle soul will be a sinning soul 2 Sam. 11. Let thy soul work all her works before God think that he stands by with a Pen of Iron Jer. 9. and point of a Diamond to engrave all thy sins and vertues for memory Acquaint thy soul with death Job 18.14 This is the King of terrours which will rouze thee from the dead sleep of security And lastly 2 Cor. 8.5 Give thy soul to God in Christ O Lord when thou committedst my soul to me in Adam I lost it Oh trust me no more As thou wilt not trust me with my life for thou hast hid my life in Christ so trust me not with my soul Thou hast bought it with a price 1 Cor. 6. therfore I humbly and heartily and trustingly commit it it into thy hands oh keep the soul of thy servant Now the God of Peace trample Satan under your feet shortly for the good of your souls and he sanctifie you in body soul and spirit that ye way be found blamelesse in the day of our Lord Jesus Amen Glory be to God on high and in earth Peace and good will towards men FINIS
truth of the Law and Gospel also yet Devils and wicked men may doe thus much and yet not have saving faith Yea what thou doest not actually know and assent unto now thou must have a prepared and ready mind to know and agree to it when God shall reveale it unto thee from the Scriptures Others will tell thee that this faith is a full perswasion of thy heart that what God hath promised in Christ he will make it good to thee It is not a full perswasion But take heed for this will be a rise for fearefull temptations Put case the Devill should tempt thee and say If thou be a Christian indeed thou hast true saving faith If thou have this faith thou art fully perswaded that thou art one of Christ's saved ones Tell me then art thou fully perswaded thus If the ground should now open and swallow thee up quite if thou wert now to give an account of all things that are done in thy flesh whether they are good or evill art thou fully perswaded that without more faith repentance obedience thou shalt go to the heaven of heavens What saist thou now faith Satan art thou fully perswaded If not thou hast no faith if thou hast no faith thou art no good Christian therefore go with me to thy own place Where art thou now Act. 1. How is thy soul perplexed It is true that thou must labour to be fully perswaded for God saith 2 Pet. 1.10 make thy calling and election sure and it is proper to faith to work this full perswasion in Gods people at many turnes but there is a vast difference betwixt the working of faith in it self and the work of it in thee Thy handkerchief band cuffs or any part of thy linnen may be very white yet put it into an Ink-pot and it will soon be made black So true faith works full perswasion of it self but put it into thy heart where there is too much flesh and unbelief and doubting and self-policy and the work of faith is too much too long too often hindred which makes thee cry out Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef Besides nothing can work this full perswasion but faith for faith is an argument to conclude it Therefore Paul saith Ephe. 1.13 that after ye beleeved ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise as if he should say after the spirit had wrought faith in your hearts for faith is a fruit of the spirit the same spirit took faith Gal. 5. and thence concluded to your souls as with a seal that the promise of salvation did belong unto you Thou seest then that faith is one thing and a full perswasion is another a full perswasion is nothing but a conclusion or consequence that issueth from true faith Therefore pitch not upon that description of faith Build then upon that which thou hast given It is a resting upon Christ for salvation that it is the resting of thy soul upon Christ for salvation Thou would'st fain be saved and lookest through all heaven and earth to satisfie thy weary soul with sinne thou findest Christ and seest his fitnesse and fulnesse and then resolvest upon him onely and restest upon him for thy salvation This is called confidence affiance trusting but this is the plain English sense Esa 10.20 a resting upon Christ This is described by staying upon the Lord 2 Cor. 3.4 Psal 37.5 Joh. 3.15 16. by trusting through Christ to God-ward by rowling our way upon the Lord by beleeving upon Christ and in Christ but the plain sense of all is 1 Joh 3.23 Eph. 3.12 thy resting upon Christ Because Christ is Gods onely ordinance to keep thee out of hell Who shall save thee Christ How shall he save thee By his holy death rightly applied Whom shall he save Those that trust in him or rest upon him Joh. 5. and so honour the Father in the Sonne If thou do thus thou shalt be guarded by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5.9 Put case that the mouth of hell were opened and thou wert ready to be tumbled into it Thou seest Christ set by God like the tree of life in the way to stay thee from that bottomlesse pit and thou rowlest thy self upon him and resolvest there to live and die what ever comes this is faith Mat. 16.18 Christ is called A Rock oftentimes in the Scripture Put case that a man were cast into the sea he spies a rock and swims to it as fast as he can one wave after another beates him back yet his face is to the rock and he will not give over He strives and strives and at last he gets hold of it There he prayes and cries and looks to heaven and resolves there to live and there to die So thou art cast into a sea of grief for thy sea of sinne Thou espiest Christ thy rock fastened by God for him hath God the Father sealed to keep thee from perishing Joh. 6. Thou hungerest after him thou makest to him with the strength of thy heart Thou art beaten off again and again by many temptations and art ever and anon ready to give over yet at last by the mercy of thy God thou dost imbrace him and grasp him Then thou criest out as Jacob Gen. 28. I will not let thee go without a blessing Thou resolvest to live and die with him in whose bosome thou now doest lye this is thy faith And though sometimes thou hast not a full perswasion yet in this resting there is more or lesse for thy soul An old man can rest upon a staffe and so can a young man and so can a palsie man one weakly another strongly another shakingly yet all rest upon it according to the measure of strength So a weak faith a stronger faith and the strongest faith of all can rest upon Christ according to the measure of their faith There is a latitude in resting to hold up a fainting soul One rests weakly upon Christ yet he rests another strongly yet he doth but rest Vse Therefore my dear childe finde this faith this true and living faith to be in thee without it no salvation with it are all things belonging to faith and godlinesse This faith makes thee one with Christ and Christ with thee and so bringeth thee to suck honey out of the rock This faith brings Christ in the mouth of it to God the Father who therefore can deny thee nothing This faith makes arguments out of the word of God to conclude convincingly for a powerfull holinesse He that is in Christ must be a new creature but I am in Christ by faith Rom. 6. He that is in Christ must be led with boldnes to the throne of grace Col. 3. but I am in Christ by faith He that is dead with Christ must not live to sin but I by faith am dead with Christ He that is risen with Christ
the throne a Sea of glasse Apoc. 4. such is the world to the Christian troublesome as the sea and transitory as glasse His ship that is the Church which like Noahs Ark floats upon the floud and makes him cry out as the Disciples in that storm save Master we perish His Merchandise that is true and heavenly wisdome Pro. 3.14 whose Merchandise is better then silver and whose gain is better then gold His losses that is his houses and lands Mar. 10. Matth. 16. his father mother wife children life yea and his soul too if he do not watch and pray and then what will it profit him to win the whole world if hee lose his owne soul Secondly a Merchant lends upon adventure He commits what he hath to the mercy of the sea to the unsafety of a ship which staggers up and down like a drunken man and is subject to many a storm and leak and to be indangered by Pyrats So doth a Christian If he look for comfort he casts his burthen upon the Lord and he knowes not when he shall have it If he look for faith peace joy in the Holy Ghost he casts himself upon the meanes and confidently adventures upon the truth of God If he looks for better times he casts the Anchor of hope because he hath them not and looks for new heavens 2 Pet. 3. and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse If he do but a work of mercy Eccles 11. he casts his bread upon the waters hoping after many dayes he shall finde it but he knowes not when the return will come If he finde his expectation to be fruitlesse he sayes as Peter to Christ we have laboured all night and have taken nothing yet at thy command I le cast down the Net and at last findes the successe answerable Thirdly a Merchant fetcheth in the commodities of every Country to enrich himself and his country the gold of Ophir the gummes and spices of Arabia and whatsoever he findes gain and glory in So doth the Christian If any thing be heard of truly good and honest Phil. 4. and of good report he thinks upon these things to do them He knowes how to distinguish betwixt base and valuable commodities If he meet with the superstition of Spain the pride of France the lust of Italy the drunkennesse of Germany he hates them even to the garment spotted of the flesh but whatsoever he meets withall that may be an honour to God an ornament to the Gospel an edification to his neighbour a comfort to his own soul that he brings home to inrich himself and others with it Fourthly a Merchant fetcheth all he hath from far As it is said of the good housewife she is like a Merchants ship Prov. 31. she fetcheth her food from a farre She fetcheth it from the earth to the house from the house to the wheel from the wheel to lomb from the lomb to her houshold her own and her husbands back Thus doth she her husband good and not evill all the dayes of her life So doth the Christian He looks to the earth to the Sea under the earth to the ayr yea and to the Church to espie what may be serviceable to him and his but yet he goes further He dares not make use of any thing he hath or can have before he knocks at the gate of heaven He sees an open trade driven betwixt Christ and his Church and he will not have gold nor rayment Apoc. 3. nor eye-salve no nor a crust of bread before he have beg'd the comfortable use of them from the great owner of heaven Vse Therefore I beseech you Christians be perswaded that it is not so easie to be a true Christian as most men think it to be You know the conceits of too many What is it but to beleeve in Christ and what is this belief but to trust in Christ upon the rotten grounds of their own hearts Oh but a Merchants life is full of care full of fear full of depending prayers full of hazards and losses and so certainly is a Christians also They are deceived that think to stretch themselves upon beds of Ivory Am. 6.4 to drink wine in bowles to eat the calves of the stall to invent instruments of Musick like and then to go to heaven in a Sedan Coach or Chariot as Elias The Kingdom of heaven must suffer violence and the violent take it by force Thorough Sea Land and a thousand difficulties doth a Merchant passe and so must you Ob. But doth not Christ say my yoak is easie why then are we frighted with danger and difficulty Sol. It is true that in many respects Math. 11. the yoak of Christ is easie and his burthen light In comparison of the yoak of Moses exacting perfect righteousnesse to justification or else cursing This was insupportable Act. 15. neither we nor our fathers were able to bear it In comparison of the yoak of worldly Princes These have a double yoak in penall statutes and voluntary decrees and resolves We would account our selves most miserable if we should be galled with the easiest of them In comparison of Adams yoak exacting the perfecting of the law of nature Posse perseverare non actum perseverandi for which he had a power of perseverance though not the act of it Alas we cannot do it we have not this power we cannot bear In comparison of the excellent helps we have to bear it Christ puts into one hand that we may pay him with the other Thus he saith they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 Therefore in these respects the yoak of Christ is easie But in respect of the duties of the Gospel and our weak natures to perform them it is very hard Put your souls to repent and beleeve to deny your selves to take up Christ and beleeve not onely to beleeve but to suffer for Christ to strive unto bloud to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live holily righteously and soberly in this present world to beat down the body and bring it in subjection to mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit not to care for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it and to walk in simplicity and godly purenesse it is hard very hard therefore ye have cause to think of the life of the Merchant Yet this addes to the worth of the Gospel that this Christian Merchant trades in this Kingdome of heaven 3 What doth he trade for The commodity traded for is the Pearl Christ Pearles especially for that pearl of great price that godly pearl This represents Christ unto to you who is the Diamond heart and soul of the Gospel And in truth Christ is this pearl in five respects First in respect of rarenesse Pearls are not to be found in every ground nor Christ in every soul How many thousands are there where Christ dwels not It is as impossible not to see a
Thus thou hast heard what God is that he made thee to serve him that thou must serve him according to his Lawes and what these lawes are Now tell me 19. Q. Art thou able to keepe these Commandements A. No let me doe what I can yet I break them every day more then I can expresse Here thou makest a strange accusation against thy selfe Indeed Christ saith that out of the heart come evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesses Mat. 15.19 blasphemies They are not sent into the heart but sent out of it and such an heart surely breaks the Commandements And Paul saith when he spake experimentally of his naturall heart I know that in me that is Rom. 7.18 19. in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I know not for the good that I would I doe not but the evill which I would not that doe I and certainly he that stands in this state cannot keepe the Commandements Yet marke that thou puttest in an heavy indictment against thy selfe I say marke this and marke it seriously Hast thou a strange God to be thy God Doest thou follow Idolatrous worship Doest thou dishonour the name of God in thought word action Doest thou neglect the Ministery of the word and profane the Lords day Doest thou rebell against Gods Ordinances for the orderly government of the world Art thou a murderer an whore or whore-master and a thiefe Art thou a lyer slanderer or backbiter Hast thou a wicked lustfull heart which boyles with discontents because it is better with thy neighbor then with thy selfe If another body should charge thee with all these things thou wouldst defie him and be ready to spit in his face yet thou sai'st openly that thou doest breake the Commandements every day I confesse it to be a truth How we do break all the Commandements every day yet must thou understand it according to the word of God or else shame and confusion will lye upon thee more then upon other men women and children know then that thou breakest all the Commandements every day three wayes First in Adam we were all in Adam when he sinned Rom. 5. and in his fall sinne went over all mankind and so over thee as well as any body else If a Carp eat of a baite and be taken and killed not onely she dies but thousands of spaunes that are in her belly so when Adam sinned in eating the forbidden fruit and died to God we that were in his loynes eate it and died in him He sinned against a Sacrament By eating the forbidden fruit he made himselfe unfit and unworthy to eat of the Tree of life In sinning against this Sacrament he sinned against the whole Covenant of Nature For thou know'st that he that tears off the labels and seales of a Bond sinneth against the vertue of the Bond and makes it of none effect so Adam sinning against that Sacrament the seale of the Covenant he made it uselesse He was neither bound to God now by vertue of that Covenant because he had made himself unable nor God to him because he had made himsefe unworthy We therefore being in Adam and sinning in Adam doe break all the Commandements in him as we are in the first Adam Secondly we breake all the Commandements in the pronenesse of our nature to breake them A Fox is chained up in the yard If he doe not kill all the Poultry about the house no thanks to him but to his wary Master who hath tied him up So no thanks to thee if thou doe not break all the Commandements but to God who hath an hook in thy nosthrils and restraines thee by his providence before he renues thee by his Spirit for thy nature is prone unto it God looks upon the pronenesse of nature and according to that doth passe censure upon men women and children Heb. 11. Abraham is said to offer up his sonne Isaac by faith though he did it not because from that principle of grace within him his nature was now prone to doe it and would have done it Gen. 22. if God had not held his hands Christ saith That he that looks upon a woman lustfully hath already committed adultery with her in his heart Matt. 5. yet the woman is very chaste and untouched because Christ looks to the pronenesse of the heart So though thou have not broken any of the Commandements but art as unrebukable concerning the letter of the Law Phil. 3. as Paul was yet so long as God sees the pronenesse of thy nature that thou hast a principle of wickednesse in thee which makes thee as ready to break the Commandements as Cain Achitophel Peter yea Judas he will adjudge thee a breaker of all the Commandements Thirdly in breaking one of the Commandements Jam. 2.10 we doe breake them all Holy James saith Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all and surely thou breakest some one of them every day or else thou couldst not be a sinner 1 Joh. 1. and he that saith he hath no sinne is a lyer The whole Law is one body of righteousnesse Now thou know'st that if I sinne against the least member of thy body I sin against the whole Let me cut off the least joynt of thy little finger or of thy little toe I offend thy whole body Thy eye weeps thy mouth complains thy whole body shrinks because touching is shot through thy whole body So if thou breakest the least part of Gods Commandements all will feele and call for wrath upon thee because thou sinnest against the whole body of righteousnesse There is such a linking of all the Commandements together as is betwixt ten sworn friends abuse one and all will fall upon thee Therefore Paul saith Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3. Thou must have the Law thou must know it thou must doe it thou must doe all things in it thou must continue in doing it thou must continue in doing all things that are in it or else thou art accursed Yet one thing may seeme strange unto thee that thou confessest thy selfe a breaker of all the Commandements every day when one Commandement concerns the Sabbath of old the Lords day now which comes but once a week how then canst thou break this every day I tell thee sadly that thou mayst break it before it comes and when it is gone Before it comes by doing that upon the weeke day which makes thee unfit to keep it when it comes If I command a servant to doe some businesse for me afarre off put case he doe make himselfe drunke by the way and so be unfit to doe my businesse he sins against my command So if thou doe that upon the weeke day which makes thee unfit