all these glorious favours and benefits Let thy Soul rejoyce in God and call upon all within thee to praise his holy name 6. Pray earnestly that Christs Kingdom may be propagated and that many others may come to understand and partake of this great salvation purchased by our Lord and Saviour Pray that he may be more known believed on and faithfully obeyed all the world over And so much of the duties to be performed in time of receiving I come now to those required of thee after thou hast received For it is not enough that thou duly prepare thy self for this ordinance and carry thy self reverently at it but thou must labour to walk suitably unto it afterwards To that end observe these directions 1. When the Ordinance is done withdraw thy self to some secret place and there on thy knees bless the Lord for Jesus Christ and for the Covenant of Grace made in him and for adding the Sacraments as Seals of the Covenant to confirm thy faith And further for giving thee to be born in a land where the glorious light of the Gospel has shone so clearly for so many years and where thou hast such great helps and advantages for the eternal good of thy Soul 2. Labour to keep thy heart in the fervent love of God and Jesus Christ and with an holy delight and joy meditate often how much thou owest to God for sending his Son to be thy redeemer and how much thou owest to Christ for so willingly condescending to undertake this great work The Apostle tells us 1 Pet. 2.7 that to them that believe in him he is precious yea very precious in many respects 1. His name is precious 'T is as an ointment poured forth Matth. 1.21 His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins And 1 Thes 1. last 'T is Jesus who delivereth us from the wrath to come 2. His person is precious being God and Man in the same person What an high honour is it to be related to him 3. His Offices are precious He is Prophet Priest and King and he took on him all these offices for our benefit 4. His performances are precious both his active and passive obedience 5. His Life is precious which was so holy so humble so exemplary 6. His Death is precious being a propitiatory Sacrifice for our sins 7. His Resurrection is precious For God releasing him from the prison of the grave thereby declared he had received full satisfaction for the debt of our sins which he as our Surety undertook to discharge 8. His Ascension is precious For he ascended into Heaven as our fore-runner to prepare a place for us 9. His Intercession is precious For he ever liveth to make intercession for us 10. His authority and power is precious whereby he governs his Church and which he will farther exercise in raising our bodies from the Grave and in Judging the World at the last day and making our bodies if we be his members like his own glorious body 11. His Doctrince is precious 12. His Ordinances are precious 13. His â—nterest is precious to all that truly believe in him 3. Meditate on the priviledges promises and comforts of the Covenant of Grace sealed by the blood of thy dear Savior The priviledges are Justification Sanctification Adoption Glorification O how great are these priviledges The promises are such as these Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly And Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to them that love God The comforts are the consolations of the Spirit here and eternal comfort hereafter 4. Earnestly beg and humbly expect grace from Christ to enable thee to crucifie thy inward lusts and corruptions especially those thou findest thy heart most pestered with Having entertained Christ into thy Soul do not unhallow it again by suffering any evil lust to reign and rule therein 5. Labour to walk more watchfully Remember the Devil will now be very busie to tempt thee to sin after this ordinance as he did our Saviour presently after his Baptism He will if he can by some worldly diversion damp and cool those heavenly affections that were excited in thee in time of receiving 'T is a dangerous thing after an heat and warmth of heavenly affections to catch cold 6. Labour to strengthen thy purposes and resolutions of living more unto God Remember thou hast stronger obligations now upon thee to all Christian duties than before 7. Often meditate on the joys of Heaven and the eternal Supper of the Lamb and the blessed life which the Saints do live above Luke 14.15 Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God 8. Labour to live in charity with thy brethren to which thou art in an especial manner engaged by this Sacrament Do not cover the coals of contention under the ashes for a night or two and then blow them up again But consider if Christ hath so loved thee and forgiven thee so much thou oughtest to love thine enemies and heartily forgive them Remember what the Apostle saith Beloved if Christ so loved us we ought to love one another 1 John 4.11 Lastly When thou art tempted to sin remember thou hast been at a Sacrament and there hast renewed thy Covenant with Christ and thou must not be so base nor so false as willingly and deliberately to sin against him again And thus much of the duties to be performed before we come to receive and in the time of receiving and after we have received A Brief Exposition OF THE Lords Prayer OUR Saviour Matth. 6.9 c. taught his Disciples after what manner to Pray and gave them a breviary or pattern of Prayer which they might use in form as seems to be intimated Luke 11.2 or according to which they might order and regulate their other Prayers In this Plat-form there are three parts 1. The Preface Describing God to whom we are to pray 1. By his dear Relation to us Our Father therefore most ready to succour us and others with whom or for whom we pray 2. By his greatness and Majesty which art in Heaven that is who doth manifest himsâ—lf though he be every where present in Glory and Majesty in and from the highest Heavens and therefore most able to hear and help all his children and most justly to be reverenced loved and trusted in by them 2. The substance of the Prayer containing six Petitions The three first whereof have respect to Gods Glory the three latter to our selves and our particular good 1. Hallowed be thy Name wherein we Pray and Petition that Gods glorious Nature and Attributes viz. his infinite Power Wisdom Goodness Justice Truth Mercy c. which are discovered in his word and works and whereby he is made known as men are by their names may be displayed and more manifested to the world that all
5.6 and unable to come up to the obedience the Law requires of us 6. Mans carnal mind is said to be enmity against God Rom. 8.7 For 't is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be till it be effectually changed Secondly Observe by what terms the Scripture expresses mans recovery out of this sad estate 1. 'T is called Regeneration Tit. 3.5 Joh. 3.3 5. 2. A Spiritual Resurrection A quickning and raising from the death of sin to the life of grace Joh. 5 24 25. Eph. 2.1 3. A new Creation and Gods own Workmanship Eph. 2.10 By all which it may appear that though mans misery be from himself yet his help is only from the free grace of God It remains now that we inquire what use we are to make of this Doctrine of our Fall in Adam 1. This should humble us for our Original Apostasie from God the Apostasie of our Head 2. We should take heed of imitating our first Parents in their disobedience and Apostasie Pride undid them and undid the Angels that fell let us take heed of falling into the condemnation of the Devils 1 Tim. 3.6 Therefore our blessed Saviour who came to undo the works of the Devil comes in the lowest humility imaginable even in the form of a Servant 3. A Third instruction we may gather from the consideration of the instrument of our first Parents disobedience The Devil having Apostatized himself from God was restless till he had drawn our First Parents into the like Apostasie and Rebellion While we live let us take heed of the Company of Apostates and such as are fallen off from God and the practice and profession of true Piety 4. If our first Parents fell from God by disobedience in Paradise how should we tremble that walk in a corrupt World and carry corrupt hearts about us How ought we to cease from trusting in our selves and to put all our trust and confidence in God If the Devil prevailed over Adam how much more easily may he prevail over us If he could deceive by a Serpent how much more easily may he deceive when he uses men for his instruments that are like our selves And this is further to be observ'd that the more godly any are the more will the Devil labour to foil them For if he can foil one of them he blurs their profession and by such a scandal makes others shy of it Oh do you not see will the World then say what kind of Saints these are They are all such Saints in profession but Hypocrites at the heart And thus by the falls of Professors the Devil mightily advances his own Kingdom 5. Seeing we were all involved in the guilt of our first Parents disobedience and seeing we have received from them by our immediate Parents a corrupt and depraved Nature let us consider that this is no estate to be rested in If we rest and abide in our natural and corrupt estate let us remember that the wrath of God abideth on us Oh let us think seriously on this and lay it to heart Joh. 3.3 Sayes our Saviour Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God If death seize thee before thou art regenerate and born again better thou hadst never been born 'T is not enough believe it to be a civil honest man or woman to live neighbourly and friendly though that is in it self indeed very commendable but I say that is not enough to secure our Souls against the Justice of God By Nature we are all Children of wrath bond-slaves of Satan and a great change must pass upon us if ever we intend to come to the Kingdom of God 6. Let all Parents and Masters of Families labour to convince those under their charge of their miserable condition by Nature and let them endeavour faithfully to acquaint them with the way and means how they may escape out of it Let them shew them that seeing they are undone by the First Adam they must labour to recover themselves by the Second 7. Seeing Christ hath done so much to redeem us let us consider how greatly our Damnation will be aggravated if we neglect the great Salvation tendred by him in the Gospel I come now to the Third thing to be considered concerning man and that is 3. The way and means of his recovery by Christ Man by his fall having made himself uncapable of life by this first Covenant viz. The Covenant of Works it pleased the Lord to make a Second Covenant with him namely the Covenant of Grace Of the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offers unto sinners life and Salvation by Jesus Christ requiring they should repent of their sins and believe in him that they may be saved In treating of this Covenant that I may proceed more methodically I shall 1. Compare these two Covenants viz. of works and grace together and shew wherein they agree and wherein they differ 2. I shall open more particularly the Nature of the Covenant of Grace First I shall shew wherein they agree 1. They agree in the Author God is the Author of them both 2. They agree in the parties concerned God and men are the Parties concerned in both Covenants 3. They agree in this that in both there is a promise of life and blessedness 4. In both Covenants there is a condition required on our parts for the obtaining the blessedness promised Neither of the Covenants promise life and blessedness absolutely whether we obey or no whether we beleive or no but under the condition of Obedience and Faith 5. B th Covenants require a perfect Righteousness of us if we intend to obtain the blessedness promised No blessedness is promised in either Covenant but upon condition of bringing in a perfect Righteâ—usness either of our own or anothers And these are the things wherein thâ—y agree In the next place let us consider wherein they dâ—ffer 1. They differ in the condition required One requires Works the other Faith The one sayes do this and live The other believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31 In the Covenant of Works there was indeed an act of Faith required viz. that God would give the blessed life promised upon mans performance of his duty and obedience but it was not such a Faith as is required in the Covenant of Grace which is the receiving and apprehending and trusting our Souls on the righteousness which is wrought for us by the active and passive obedience of Christ The â—ovenant of Grace also requires Works For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godlily in this present world c. And Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people Zeal us of good works Tit. 2.11 12 14. But it doth not require works from the same principle that the Covenant of Works does
That requires works to be performed by our own strength and ability received at our creation whereby we were sufficiently inabled to do the things required of us But the Covenant of Grace requires works to be done by the assistance of the Spirit of Christ Phiâ— 4.13 I can do all things sayes the Apostle through Christ that strengthneth me Therefore the obedience of the Gospel is called the obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 as following Faith and springing from it Repentance and Faith are not so in mans power now as Obedience was under the Covenant of Works And secondly it doth not require works for the same end For the Covenant of Works requires works as the way and means of our standing right before God But the Covenant of Grace doth not require works as the matter of our Righteousness and Justification before God but that thereby we should glorify God in this World be fitted for Heaven and should evidence and testifie our renewed nature 2. In the Covenant of Works there was no Mediator But in the Covenant of Grace there is Therefore the one is called Foedus amicitiae the other Foedus misericordiae 3. One sin broke the Covenant of Works but in the Covenant of Grace there is pardon obtainable for multiplied transgressions Isa 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 4. The Covenant of Works gave unto man some occasion as it were to glory if he had stood But the Covenant of Grace cuts off from Man all pretence to glory in himself and engages him to give all the glory intirely unto God So saith the Apostle Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law of Works Nay But by the Law of Faith And 1 Cor. 1.31 The Apostle tells us Christ is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. So Eph. 2.9 By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of Works lest any man should boast Having thus shewed the agreement and difference between these two Covenants I come now to speak more particularly of the Covenant of Grace Concerning which let us observe these things 1. The Covenant of Grace was for substance one and the same in all ages of the Church though diversly administred before and after the coming of Christ From Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham from Abraham to Moses from Moses to David and so on from David to Christ and from Christ to the end of the World the Covenant of Grace hath been one and the same without change or alteration Yet it was administred in a different manner under the Old and New Testament and thence it had the denomination of Old and New Covenant Yet both did agree in many things As Of the old administration of the Covenant of Grace of the new 1. They both lead to one and the same Mediator by and through whom the blessings promised are to be expected Christ at his Resurrection raised up together with himself many of the Saints who died under the former Covenant as we read Mat. 27.52 Whereby he shewed that the benefit of his Mediation Death and Resurrection did belong to them under the old Covenant as well as to us under the new But some will perhaps say that Christ is called the Mediator of the New Testament Heb. 9.15 Answ He is so in respect of actual and personal confirmation of it by his own blood which was not done in the old Covenant But he was Mediator of the old Covenant as may appear by the types that did prefigure him and in respect of the vertue and efficacy of his blood which was to be shed which did take away the sins committed under the old Covenant as to them that truly believed in him Hereunto agrees that in Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever that is as to the vertue of his death 2. The same condition is required under both administrations namely Repentance and Faith in the Messiah 'T is true many of the Jews under the old Covenant sought Righteousness by the works of the Law and not by Faith in the Messiah but this was their error and sin It was not the true Doctrine of that Covenant 3. Under both there was the same Law and Rule of Life to walk by viz. the Moral Law Jam. 28. This Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal or a Kingly Law because it hath a Kingly and authoritative power over all Mankind 4. They both propound the same Salvation God would not have called himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob if they had not been saved Neither would the place of Rest haâ—e been called Abrahams bosome if Abraham himself had not had part in that place of Rest But some will object Heb. 8.8 9. Where 't is said the New Covenant is not as the Old I answer We must distinguish betwixt the substance of the Covenant and the manner of its dispensation In respect of the dispensation the new is not as the old though it be as to substance As Rebecca vailed and unvailed was the same woman and yet not the same The same in person not the same in habit and attire That which brought the blessing to Abraham was this that he believed on that seed which was to spring from him looking for Righteousness and Life by him So then the old Covenant spoken of in the old testament and the new which is now published in the Gospel are for substance one and the same without any essential difference between them But though they thus agreed yet in many things they differed As particularly 1. The old administration of the Covenant of Grace was more burthensome the new is more easie this the Apostle plainly intimates Acts 15.10 Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear And Gal. 4.3 Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the World There were required under the old Covenant Circumcision costly Sacrifices and Oblations tedious journeys to Jerusalem at the three solemn feasts restraint from many liberties which we enjoy under the new 2. The one was more dark the other is more clear Eternal life was not so clearly discovered in the old Testament as it is in the new 2 Tim. 1.10 Yea Christ himself and his offices and benefits were then but darkly revealed Hence the Gospel is called the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the World began Rom. 16.25 not that it was absolutely hid or kept secret but comparatively in respect of the more clear and plain discovery of it afforded to us in these dayes Hence that of our Saviour to
his Disciples Matth. 13.16 17. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I say unto you that many Prophets and Righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them It was meet that the glory of a clearer discovery of eternal life should be reserved to Christ himself Now the veil is done away 3. A less forcible influence and efficacy accompanied the old administration than doth the new The spirit of Christ is now poured forth more abundantly since his Ascension and a more mighty operation of the Spirit accompanies the ministry of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 4. A more servile spirit acted in those who were under the old Administration they being drawn generally more by the terrors of the Law than by the promises of Grace 5. In respect of extent they much differ For the old was revealed but to few in comparison viz. to the Jews and their Proselytes whereas the grace of the Gospel is held forth to all Nations 6. The old Covenant was to last but for a time viz. till the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 but the new is to last unto the end of the world and shall never wax old or wear away 7. They differ in respect of their Sacraments Circumcision and the Passeover which were the chief Sacraments under the old Administration were bloody Sacraments for Christs blood was then to be shed But under the new our Sacraments are unbloody for Christs blood is shed 8. They differ as to the manner of their ratification The old was ratified by the blood of the Levitical Sacrifices the new by the blood of the Son of God Having thus spoken of the Covenant of Grace in the general and of the old and new dispensation thereof in particular let us now consider what use we are to make of this Doctrine 1. Let us bless God for making this Covenant with faln Man Let us consider the freeness of it There was nothing in us but our misery to move him to it And he made no such Covenant with the Angels that fell 2. Let us consider the sureness of it God hath confirmed it 1. by his word and promise 2. by his oath 3. by his sea 'T is indeed called sometimes a Covenant and sometimes a Testament A Covenant with reference to God the Father who hath made this gracious Covenant with the children of men and in it hath promised many great priviledges and blessings unto them that perform the conditions therein required He promises in this Covenant 1. That He will be our God Heb. 8.10 And that is a very large and comprehensive promise 2. That He will forgive all our sins And therefore when God shewed mercy to his people of Israel He is said to have remembred his Covenant Exod. 2.24 And the Saints of old did use in their approaches to God to plead this Covenant and to ground their Faith and Hope on it Psal 74.20 Jer. 14.21 3. That He will renew and sanctify our natures and write his Law upon our hearts 4. That He will put his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 and so will preserve us by his grace and power from total and final Apostacy 5. That no outward thing that He sees good for us shall be wanting to us 6. That He will give us Eternal glory in the other life And as it is called a Covenant with reference to â—od so 't is called a Testament with reference to Christ who by his blood and death confirmed it and as a Testator bequeathed life and salvation to all penitent Believers He having all power and authâ—rity given him both in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 2. Let us bless God that we were born under the best dispensation of the Covenant of Grace 'T is an unvaluable mercy to be born under the new Covenant or Gospel dispensation This is called a bettter Covenant as being established on better promises Heb. 8.6 viz. more spiritual more clear and more extensive The old was a ministration of the letter 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8. It literally declared what was to be done but comparatively there was little spiritual ability afforded for the performing of the things injoyned I say comparatively the old had but a weak operation in respect of the new Not that the old had no Spiritual efficacy For many under it were eminent in Grace as Abraham Moses Josiah Hezekiah c. but the more plentiful effusion of the Spirit was reserved till Christs Ascension 3. As ever we expect to injoy the priviledges and benefits of the Covenant of Grace let us make conscience to perform the conditions therein required which are these 1. Repentance which is a Grace necessary to prepare us to receive Christ 2. Faith in Christ We cannot become the Children of God but by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 3. Obedience which is a grace necessary to inable us to walk answerably to this holy Covenant Deut. 10.12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good CHAP. III. Of the Mediator between God and Man SECT I. Of the Titles of the Mediator I believe in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. JEsus Christ the only Son of God is the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace Concerning whom we shall inquire 1. What his Titles are by which he is called The Titles given him in the ancient Creed are four Jesus Christ the only Son of God our Lord of all which I shall speak in order 1. Jesus Jesus which signifies a Saviour God by an Angel gave him that name Matth. 1.21 He was designed by God the Father to perform for the Children of Men whatsoever is implied in his name Jesus denotes the work and business for which he came into the World The Angel told the Shepherds Luke 2.11 unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord so 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners and here let us consider how Jesus is a Saviour and why truly and properly so called This will more particularly appear if we consider the great evils he saves us from and the great benefits he hath purchased for us 1. He saves us from the guilt of sin By his exact Obedience to the Law and by his Sufferings and Passion he hath made satisfaction to the Justice of God for our sins He hath trod the Wine-press of his Fathers Wrath for us Rev. 19.15 He hath born our sins in his
Angels with him 3. A Throne will be set a Tribunal a seat of Judgment erected Mat. 19.28 The Son of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory c. Rom. 14.10 For we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ 4. There will be a personal apearance of all men before this Tribunal He shall judge both the quick that is those found alive at his coming upon whom a change different from death shall pass and the dead viz. that died before * It was a singular extraordinary priviledge vâ—uchsafed to Enoch and Elias that they should not diâ— But according to Gods ordinary and usual dispensation It is appointed to all men once to die Heb. 9.27 Acts 10.42 5. The Actions and Works of those that shall be judged shall then be manifested 1 Cor. 4.5 He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsells of the heart Eccles 12.24 God will bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil The Books will then be opened viz. 1. The Book of Gods Omniscience and Remembrance Mal. 3.16 and the book of Conscience Jer. 17.1 6. The Statutes shall be produced upon which they shall be tryed and found guilty or not-guilty And they are two 1. The Law of Nature written on Mans heart at his creation which requires perfect obedience and which God gave man power at first to perform 2. The Law or Covenant of Grace Now we shall all be found guilty upon the first Statute Woe to us if we be cast by the second also To prevent this let us set our selves seriously to repent of all our sins and by a lively faith lay hold on Christ and take him for our Lord and Saviour and faithfully endeavour to conform our selves unto his precepts 7. The evidence or witnesses that will be ready to prove the indictment against all impenitent sinners especially such as lived under the Gospel are 1. God the Father whose mercy was by them so wretchedly slighted 2. God the Son whose blood they trampled under their feet 3. God the Holy Ghost whose blessed motions they so often resisted 4. All faithful Ministers who strove with all affectionateness to draw them to Christ 5. All good Parents Governors Masters or faithful Christiaâ— friends among whom they lived who gave them faithful counsel for the welfare of their Souls and a good example 6. All their sinful companions who were partakers with them in their sins 7. Their own Consciences which are a thousand witnesses 8. The Judge will pronounce sentence upon every one according to his works And this will be twofold 1. Of Absolution 2 Of Condemnation 1. Of Absolution to the Righteous in these words come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Matth. 25.34 The Saints of God shall first be acquitted before the wicked be condemned that they may afterwards joyn with Christ in Judging the World 1 Cor. 6.2 There the Apostle tells us that the Saints shall Judge the World that is not Authoritatively but by way of Approbation approving and magnifying Christs Righteous Sentence on Devils and wicked men and giving some such approbation probably as that of the Angel Rev. 16.5 Thou art Righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast thus Judged Thus all the Saints shall be Judges but some of them more eminently as Assessors with Christ as is intimated concerning the Apostles Matth. 19.28 ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones Judging the twelve Tribes of Israel 2. Of Condemnation upon the wicked Matth. 25.41 Then shall he say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 9. The execution of the Sentence and disposing of the persons Judged to their everlasting state according to that sentence Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal The sentence is irrevocable no reprieve to be expected Then there will be an everlasting separation between the Righteous and the Wicked 4. What will be the consequents of this Judgment 1. Christs resigning up his Kingdom not his essential Kingdom but that which he administred as mediator to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 2. The burning of the World of which we read 2 Pet. 3.12 By which fire some think the World shall not be utterly consumed but renewed clarified and refined I come now to the Application which I shall reduce to three heads This Doctrine of the day of Judgment may be useful 1. By way of exhortation to all 2. By way of consolation to the Righteous 3. By way of terror to the Wicked 1. By way of exhortation to all 1. Let us all labour to strengthen and confirm in our selves a belief of this great Article There is no Doctrine more certain in the word of God nor more clear and fundamental than this of the day of Judgment Heb. 6.2 2. Let us frequently meditate on it let us often think on those awakening places 2 Thes 1.7.8 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Jude verse 14.15 And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him To think often of this great day may prevent many a sin Psal 58.11 Verily there is a reward for the Righteous and doubtless there is a God that Judgeth the earth 3. Let us all solemnly prepare our selves for this great tryal by setting up a Judgment Seat in our own Souls before-hand 1. Let us seriously examine our state towards God Every one is either a Child of Wrath and Perdition or a Child of God and an heir of Heaven Let us examine whether we are the one or the other We keep a great stir about Sects but the truth is there are but two great Sects or Parties in the World And those are either such as are for the present in the state of Nature or such as are in the state of Grace Let us therefore seriously consider to which of these two we do belong Let us consider what our present state is Have we the marks of a converted person upon us or no Has the work of sound conversion ever passed upon us or no Let us remember
Gods ordaining and Christs procuring and by faith is made ours which is Gospel righteousness and this righteousness we have before described 3. I come now to the third thing I propounded to inquire into namely How any come to partake of this great mercy and benefit viz. Justification before God I Answer This is obtained by performing the condition the Gospel requires which is Faith in Christ The Covenant of Grace is in the proposal of it conditional and Christ with all his saving benefits is proposed to us upon terms which we are to perform Our Saviour sayes He that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned We are said in Scripture to be justified by Faith and the Gospel is stiled the Law of Faith and whatsoever is required of us by it is called the obedience of Faith 1. 'T is not a bare assent to the truths of the Gospel or to the Revelation or History of Jesus Christ That Faith that the Scripture calls a justifying Faith is an operative working Faith a Faith that includes in its nature a sutable acting and obedience This Faith is never spoken of in the Scripture as a bare believing and assenting to the truth of the Gospel in opposition to acting agreeably thereunto but as the grand principle of action and so it is in it self Since Abels time the spring of all religious actions has been Faith viz. believing God and his promises and threatnings The bare believing the truth of Christianity or the bare professing of it without answerable walking and sutable obedience is not enough to save any man And therefore to be a true believer is to be a sincere practical Christian The Apostle tells us that he that does righteousness is righteous and not he that reckons himself so without righteous acting upon the meer score of his believing or bare profession When Paul sayes Abraham was not justified by Works we must suppose him to mean either such perfect sinless works as would in strict rules of justice make the reward to be a debt And such works Abraham had not Or el e such works as were depended on by the carnal Jews as sufficient to procure their pardon and acceptance with God by their own inward work and merit These he disclaimes And when he opposeth works to grace he means such works as were supposed to justifie by their own merit and which put us out of need of grace But he knew that justification is not now so attainable but by Faith yet not by such a Faith as is not accompanied with good works as St. James proves For by works sayes he Faith is made perfect As if he should have said true saving faith comprises obedience in it and is not compleat and perfect without it nor such a faith as in Scripture is accounted for righteousness Now Abrahams Faith the Scripture tells us was accounted to him for righteousness But it was so accounted with reference to that obedience that was virtually comprised in it and naturally flowed from it And that his Faith comprised in it a sutable obedience is manifest else it would have been so far from being esteemed or accounted to him for righteousness that it would rather have been accounted to him for hypocrisie 'T is true Abraham could not pretend to a sinless perfection he had no such works to plead as were Gods Justice-proof He had no such righteousness as in its own nature and by its own intrinsick worth could justifie him and denominate him a perfect righteous man Had it been so it needed not any favour to have been accounted for righteousnâ—ss But God was pleased out of his free grace and favour so to reckon and account of it Abrahams faith therefore was a believing the revelation of the Messiâ—h to come and of pardon and salvation obtainable by him and acting sutably thereunto by a sincere though imperfect obedience This God did impute and account to him for righteousness Therefore Paul never intended to exclude Gospel works or such a sincere obedience as is naturally consequent to a true and saving Faith and which is accepted of meer grace and cannot pretend to any merit But he speaks against such works as were depended on and by vertue of which men pretended to claim justification as a reward justly due to them in opposition to free grace Now this Gospel justification we have described is so far from being such a justification by works as the Jews sought after and St. Paul disputes against that it is a justification that results wholly from grace and is the effect of Christs purchase and of another covenant and all merit and reward that can be claimed as a debt is utterly excluded thereby Abraham was not justified upon the terms of the Law viz. sinless perfection but he was justified as one that had sin and failings about him which needed forgiveness and so was justified by Faith in the Gospel-way but it was by an operative faith which was productive of good works Which works were not such as by any innate virtue in themselves did constitute him just but were the fruits and genuine off-spring of his faith which rested on the promised Messiah as the sole procurer of his pardon and forgiveness Sinless works therefore we see were necessary under the Covenant of Works to obtain the reward as a just debt but sincere works are necessary under the Covenant of Grace as the genuine fruits of faith without which it is imperfect For if it be without works 't is no true justifying Faith as the Apostle James abundantly proves 2. We must take heed we do not so apprehend of Faith as if it had in it self any justifying virtue or were of any innate worth to acquit us before God from the guilt of our sins The value of it is wholly from Gods ordination and its relation to Christ We are justified by Christ alone meritoriously and by what he has done and suffered Faith is but a conditional means by which we come to reap the fruit and benefit of Christs merits Faith therefore and believing being the Gospel condition let us further inquire what is comprehended in it 1. Then The way and method of Gods justifying a sinner being founded on the depth of his own infinite wisdom and no way suited to the corrupt reasonings of a carnal mind God expects we should fully believe it and firmly assent to the truth of it And this in it self is a righteous act and so accounted of God firmly to believe him and what he reveals to us 2. He expects we should thankfully accept and acquiesce in and rely upon this way of Justification which he tenders to us without quarrelling or disputing and that we should receive Christ in all his offices as our Prophet Priest and King 3. That we should subject our selves to all the Precepts of the Gospel and that our faith should approve it self to be of the right kind by a sutable obedience Objection
Seal of the Covenant and therefore the less is spoken of it in the New 3. Those truths which were not controverted in the Apostles dayes they were not so zealous in pressing or defending there being not any apparent reason or occasion for it And of that nature the Baptism of Infants seems to be 4. Those Scriptures which speak of the priviledges of Children or Infants are the fittest Judges of this controversie and not those which speak only of the priviledges of grown or adult persons As if the question be whether any Infants may be saved you must not determine it by Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned For this concerns only grown persons but by such scriptures as these Gen. 17. v. 7. and v. 10.11 12. Where God promises to be a God to Abraham and to his Seed and requires that his male children at eight dayes old should be circumcised as a token or seal of the Covenant between him and them So if there should be a question started whether Parents ought to maintain their Children in their Infancy you must not determine this question by 2 Thes 3.10 Where the Apostles sayes this we commanded you that if any will not work neither should he eat but by 1 Tim. 5.8 He that provides not for his family is worse than an Infidel And according to this rule we must proceed in this matter This controversie must be determined by those places of Scripture which do either express or imply the priviledges of Infants Having laid down these rules I come now to give some arguments or reasons for Infant Baptism 1. The Covenant of Grace stands now in force for the benefit of the Children of believing Parents and if they be within the Covenant of God the Seal * Esse foederatum sufficit ad accipiendum signum foederis Dave nant Haec est fundamentalis ratio paedo-baptizmi Daneus of the Covenant belongs to them Be baptized every one of you sayes the Apostle to the converted Jews Acts 2.39 For the promise is to you and to your Children The same Greek word that is here used for children is used for Infants and Children at nurse as may appear if you consult 1 Cor. 7.14 1 Thes 2.7 If it were not so the converted Jews should have suffered loss by believing in Christ namely if their children should be excluded now from the promise or Covenant of grace who were included in it for 2000 years before under the old Administration For as we said before God established a Covenant with Abraham and his seed And Isaac was within this Covenant when he was but eight dayes old and received the Seal of it Now concerning this Covenant made with Abraham observe these particulars 1. It was an evangelical Covenant and the Seal of it viz. Circumcision was the Seal of the righteousness which is by Faith Rom. 4.11 2. It belonged not to Abraham only but to his Children 3. This blessing bestowed on believing Abraham was to descend on the believing Gentiles Gal. 3.14 For he was to be the Father of all them that believe though they were not circumcised as the Apostle tells us in the place fore-quoted Rom. 4.11 Now could the believing Gentiles be heirs of this Covenant according to promise as it is Gal. 3.29 if their children be excluded from it For the Childrens right to the Covenant and promise is part of the Fathers inheritance the promise being I will be a God to thee and thy seed 4. Consider the Covenant of Grace hath alwayes been one and the same for substance though not as to manner of Administration And under the Old Testament it took in Children and can we think it leaves them out now under the Gospel Surely the grace of God is not straiter under the Gospel than it was under the Law For Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant as the Apostle tellls us Heb. 8.6 that is of a better administration of the Covenant of Grace And how could this be if infants who were within the Covenant under the Law should now be out of it under the Gospel But to clear this matter yet further the Apostle tells us that Children of believers are foederally holy 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy As if he should have said if both Parents were Heathens then were their Children unclean that is out of Covenant but now one of them being a Christian it pleases God that the Child shall have benefit and priviledge by that Parent now are they holy that is in Covenant with God And in this sense If the root be holy so also are the branches Rom. 11.16 If the Parents be holy so also are the Children The Apostle speaks not of an inward holiness inhering in the nature of the Child but of an outward holiness or right to Church Priviledges and Ordinances And according to this sense those words of Ezra are to be understood Ezra 9.2 Ye have mingled the holy seed that is that are in Covenant with the Nations that is with those who are out of Covenant I know the Anabaptists interpret those words of the Apostle now are your Children holy to import no more but this they are legitimate and no bastards But that cannot be the meaning of them For the Children then of many Pagans would be as holy as they For multitudes of them are born in lawful Wedlock and so no bastards All visible members of the Jewish Church had a foederal right to the Sacraments 1 Cor. 10.2 3 4. They were all baptized into Moses all eat the same spiritual meat and yet with many of them God was not well pleased This foederal right did not stamp on them a character of saving grace but was only a right to the means of Salvation and how far God would make them effectual no man could tell Some that had a right to them made no right use of them For an infant therefore to be born of Christian Parents professing to believe in Christ and willing solemnly to dedicate him to God is all that God requires of an infant to give him Title to his Covenant * Hypocrites may have a right to outward Church priviledges though the Spiritual benefit do not belong to them they not making a right use of them No outward Ordinance is intended for the elect only Christ aâ—d â—is Apostles admitted some to Church priviledges that shall never be sâ—ved We must baptize all whom the Parents bring with such a profession for themselves and their children And their Infants are in Covenant because reputatively their Parents wills are theirs to dispose of them for their good And the Children are supposed to consent by their Parents who consent for them And the Parents will is reckoned for the Childs till he come to age to have a will of his own His Parents faith and consent to dedicate him to God is his Title
Seal of the new Testament or Covenant which is to be ratified and confirmed by my blood * Heb. 9.15.16 Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is now to be shed for many for the remission of sins that is this wine in the Cup is a sign or representation of my blood and a seal whereby the new Covenant is confirmed with all the promises of it For without shedding of blood there is no remission * Heb. 9.22 Gods Justice being no other way to be satisfied Now the Sacraments may be said to be Seals in two respects 1. They are absolute seals to the veracity and truth of Gods promises and Covenant 2. Conditional Seals in reference to us They Seal the remission of sins to all that perform the conditions required and to none else As the tree of life did not seal or confirm to Adam that he should have life except upon condition of his perfect obedience To them therefore that perform the conditions required they exhibit confer and passover the blessings promised in the Covenant of Grace 3. To be an objective means to stir up excite and increase Repentance Faith Love Hope Joy Thankfulness in believers by a lively representation of the evil of sin the infinite love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant of grace the greatness and sureness of the mercies promised 4. To be a badge and cognizance of the Church before the world and a token that we solemnly profess that we own a crucified Jesus for our Saviour and that 't is Christ and his death that we depend upon and abide by for the remission of all our sins and reconciliation with God 5. To be a means of our renewing our Covenant with God Covenants in the Scripture were wont to be made by eating and drinking together Isaac and Abimelech Jacob and Laban concluded their Covenants with a Feast * Gen. 6.30 and Gen. 31.44 46. Hereby we have an advantage of entring into a stricter engagement to God and renewing the Covenant we made with him in Baptism 6. To be a means of procuring and advancing unity and love among the Saints A feast carries in it the notion of love and good will But this is more a feast of love than any ordinary feast can be because 't is a remembrance of the greatest love that that ever was manifested viz. of that love which the Lord shewed in dying for us 'T is a Feast upon Christs Sacrifice And it should be a means not only of uniting believers more firmly to Christ their Head but of uniting and endearing them more one to another The ancient Christians did notably express this 1. By their Agapae or love-feast Jude verse 14. 2 Pet. 2.13 2. By their kiss of Charity Rom. 16.16 1 Cor. 16.30 3. By their collections for the poor made at these times 1 Cor. 16.1 Having thus spoken of the true and proper ends for which this Sacrament was instituted I come now to consider the mistaken ends for which it was not appointed 1. It was not appointed to turn bread and wine into the true and real body and blood of Christ For if sense be not to be believed concerning its own object and which tells all men that 't is still bread and wine how can we believe that Christ or any of his Apostles were ever in the World seeing they that saw them and conversed with them may on this ground for all that be deceived which were very irrational to imagine And the Apostle expresly calls it bread three times in three verses together and that after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of that Cup. And he tells us that the use of this Sacrament is not to make the Lards Body corporally present but to shew the Lords death till he come that is to be a visible representation and commemoration of his death till he come to judgment Indeed Christ is really present in this Sacrament but not in the elements but to the Faith of the worthy receiver When they eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup in a due manner exercising a lively Faith in him for the remission of all their sins Christ is then present to their Faith neither is he any otherwise present in this Sacrament 2. This Sacrament was not appointed to Sacrifice Christ really again to the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead or to ease Souls in Purgatory to deliver them out of it For Christ having died once dieth no more but by once offering up himself hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified * Heb. 10.14 that is he hath made a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God and done all things needful to bring them to eternal life who are sanctified by his grace and brought to believe in him with a lively Faith 3. 'T is not appointed as a means to conveigh grace meerly by the work done or by the outward receiving of it only as charms are supposed to work neither are we to suppose that God will pardon or save any for their meer coming to this Ordinance though they strive not with their hearts to bring them to repentance faith in Christ sincere love to God and men and new obedience 4. 'T is not appointed as a means to wipe off the old score of sin that men may more freely and boldly encourage themselves to sin again as some ignorant people are apt to think but as a blessed means to mortifie sin in us and to engage us unto holiness And thus much concerning the first head I propounded to speak unto viz. The right informing the judgment and that concerning these four particulars 1. The author of this Sacrament 2. The time of its Institution 3. The nature of it 4. The ends for which it was appointed I come now to the second viz. to direct your practice and to shew you how you should receive it in a right manner In order to which you must know 1. There are some duties to be performed before you come to receive this holy Sacrament 2. Some duties in the time of receiving it 3. Some duties after There are two kinds of preparation necessary to a worthy receiver 1. The General which is that we look to it that we be in a state of grace for there are several graces that must be exercised in receiving this Sacrament and they that are not in a state of grace are utterly unfit for the present to approach this holy Table 2. The Particular which consists in a present actual fulness In order to the obtaining of this let me advise thee Reader to the
themselves to consider what kind of life that is that is there lived They savor and relish earthly things but spiritual things seem to them to have no tast in them But the true Christian exercises himself in the meditation of things invisible and lives in the believing views of the excellency and reality of those things and by faith ascertains them to himself The Martyrs had their hearts set on things unseen The invisible comforts and recompenses of the other life bore up their hearts against the terrors of visible and present torments And so much of the causes of Covetousness 4. I come now to shew what are the marks and characters of such as are Covetous and Earthly-minded and who may be stiled men of the World 1. Men whose knowledge and skill lyes only or chiefly about the things of the world They are shrowd understanding men in worldly matters but in the things of God and such as concern their Souls and their everlasting welfare meer Children In the things that concern their trades or professions they are notable men but talk with them about the Covenant of Grace about Conversion and Regeneration about the true nature of Repentance or Faith and they know little 2. Their hearts are chiefly set on these things The things of the World they love and affect as being sutable to their spirits The Apostle commands us 1 John 2.15 Not to love the World nor the things of the World for all the things of the World may be reduced to these three heads the lust of the flesh or sensual pleasures the lust of the eye or riches and such things as are seen with the eyes and the pride of life that is preferments and honours But though the Apostle commands we should not set our hearts or affections on these things yet this is the Worlds Trinity and more adored by them than Father Son and Holy-Ghost 3. Their discourse is chiefly about these things 1 John 4.5 They are of the World therefore speak they of the World Their breath is earthy which they say is a sign of death Talk with them about worldly things none more free to discourse than they But speak to them of matters that concern their Souls they have nothing to say Such discourse is usually unpleasing to them 4. Their pains and endeavours * Rem Rem quocunque modo Rem Ocives querenda pecunia primum est Virtus post nummos are only or chiefly for the things of the World They take little pains about their own Souls or the souls of those under their care but are mighty industrious about the things of the World They rise early and sit up late to acquire them but a short attendance upon religious duties and exercises what a weariness is it to them and they are ready to snuff at it as the Prophet speaks Mal. 1.13 They take a great deal of care and pains how they may live here it may be ten or twenty or thirty years but they take no thought how they should live a thousand years hence when they have left their bodies in the earth Oh were the endeavours of these men for the saving of their immortal precious souls but any thing answerable to the pains they take to get the World how happy might they be God is not always pleased to bless and succeed the endeavours of men who are very diligent in their calling and painful and laborious to get wealth God sees it best to keep them low But what man ever was diligent and serious in seeking the things of eternal life and working out his Salvation that did not find God assisting of him and prospering his endeavours 5. They are very careful to secure to themselves those temporal things but use no answerable care to secure to themselves things eternal They are very careful about the Titles of their Lands and Purchases and hardly ever think themselves secure enough Let a Minister come to one of these men on his Death-bed and ask him concerning the evidences of his estate he will tell him they are all safe in such a trunk or chest But let him ask him what evidences he has that his Soul is in a safe condition Alas He has nothing to say He has not minded those things His Soul is left upon miserable uncertainties He has taken no care to secure to himself erernal * Nulla satis magna secuâ—itas ubi periclitatur aeternitas happiness He has taken care to leave a clear estate to his children but no care to clear his Soul of guilt or to deliver himself from the wrath that is to come 6. They are commonly very solicitous about their own private interest but little or nothing concerned about the interest of Christ or his Church They are wholly and only for themselves We read 1 Sam. 4.13 that old Eli's heart trembled for the Ark of God which was the symbole of his gracious presence among them But how little are worldly and earthly-minded men concerned how it fares with the Church of God provided their own private worldly concernments be safe and secure 7. These outward things they make their trust and confidence They set their prime affections of love and trust upon them in that measure which is only due to God The rich mans wealth is his strong City Prov. 10.16 They make Gold their hope and fine Gold their confidence Job 31.24 Their wealth is the Idol upon which they dote Their confidence and trust is taken off from God and placed upon their riches As the Psalmist speaks Psal 52.7 Lo these are the men that make not God their strength but trust in the abundance of their riches And this their way is their folly and a course very injurious to God who should be the only object of our trust and can only help us in a day of trouble The Scripture doth frequently disswade men from such carnal confidence 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that be rich in this World that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God Psal 62.10 If riches increase set not your hearts upon them And our Saviour himself gives us this precept Matth. 6.19 Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal For where your treasure is there will your hearts be also And so much of the marks and characters of such as are earthly-minded 5. I come now to shew the great evil of Covetousness and earthly-mindedness 1. 'T is a sin the Scripture testifies very much against 1. 'T is called Idolatry Ephes 5.5 Col. 3.5 because the Covetous man loves * Amor tuus Deus tuus his money more than God and more trusts in it 2. 'T is called the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 'T is the cause