word all wanton and uncleanly speeches phrases songs that may be and is called wanton which tends to satisfie unlawful lust in ones self and to provoke it in another Words that may enkindle and enflame grosse words tales of unclean acts and sonnets that have such a kinde of description of those actions as tend to set the minde on fire with them This is that which the Apostle cals rotten communication when he saith Let no corrupt or rotten communication come out of your mouths and again It is a shame to name the things that are done of them in secret When a man talks of any impure action with delight when he maketh mention of any impure part or deed with intent to stirre up others especially when he doth sollicite another unto this deed by such speeches or means this is an horrible sinne for nothing then stands betwixt words and deeds but want of opportunity This is the breach of this Commandment in Word Now follows the breach of it in Act or in Deed. And that is in regard of things leading to the action or the action it self 1. In regard of things leading to the action there is wantonnesse or lasciviousnesse so the Scripture cals it in the several parts of the body the eye the ear the foot the hand And 2. In the whole body as all impure imbracings and kissings which is called by the Apostle dalliance or chambering and mixed dancing of men and women especially if it be a wanton dance with a wanton ditty Thus is this Commandment broken by actions leading to the leud deed Now by the deed it self either out of Matrimony or in Matrimony Out of Matrimony by two sins 1. Uncleannesse 2. Fornication Uncleannesse is all strange kinde of pleasure by this act where it is done otherwise then according to the rule of nature this is either with others or with ones self There is a self-pollution 1. Speculative in wicked and unclean thoughts therefore God is said to be The searcher of the heart and reins which are the center of those lusts Matth. 5. 28. 2. Practical in unclean acts Some Divines say polluting of ones self is a greater sinne then the polluting of others because it is against a greater relation but in polluting others they pollute themselves therefore that is the greatest sinne Fornication is when two single persons that have not entred into a Covenant of Marriage do abuse each others bodies It is called Fornication à fornicibus in quibus Romae solebant meretrices prostrare from the vaulted houses where such strumpets used to prostitute themselves 1 Cor. 6. The Apostle hath several arguments there to prove fornication to be a great sin vers 13. 1. It crosseth the end of Gods Creation The body is not for fornication but for the Lord. A third Argument is drawn from the glorious resurrection vers 14. glory and immortality shall be put on the body therefore it should not be polluted here A fourth Argument is drawn from the spiritual relation between the body and Jesus Christ it is a member of his mystical body ver 15. A fifth from the spiritual Union between the body and the Lord vers 16 17. A sixth from the intrinsecal pollution that is in the sinne of fornication above other sins vers 18. No sins are more against ones own body A seventh Argument is taken from the inhabitation of the Spirit in them vers 19. They are dedicated to the Lord no unclean thing might come into the Temple when it was dedicated to the Lord 1 Cor. 3. 17. The eighth is drawn from the voluntary resignation that the people of God have made of themselves soul and body unto God Ye are not your own vers 19. therefore Gods it is an act of justice suum cuique tribuere The ninth is drawn from the act of redemption v. 20. You are bought with a price Christ hath purchased the body as well as the soul therefore you should gratifie God with both It is a fearful sinne No fornicatour shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 5. 11. 6. 9. Reasons 1. It is a cause of many other sins Prov. 23. 28. 2. A punishment of other sin Eccles. 7. 26. Prov. 22. 14. Rom. 1. 24 26 28. 3. It is directly opposite to sanctification 1 Thess. 4. 3 4 5 7. 4. No sinne is committed with such delight and pleasure as this is and therefore it must bring in the end more bitternesse to the soul therefore the Scripture speaks so often of the bitternesse of this sinne Heb. 12. 15 16. Iob 13. 26. These tricks of youth will be bitter to men one day Prov. 5. 3 4. Eccles. 7. 27 28. See Iob 3. 12. Prov. 6. 30 31. Heb. 13. 4. Rev. 21. 8. The Turks thus punish whordom they take the paâ—ch of a beaâ—â— new killed and cutting a hole thorow thrust the adulterers head in this dung-wallet and so carry him in pomp thorow the streets Some Countreys punish it with whipping others with death The punishment which in the Old Testament was appointed to be executed against it by the Civil Magistrate was death Levit. 20. 10. Thus is this Commandment broken out of marriage in marriage it is broken by the married in regard of others or themselves In regard of others by the sinne of adultery which is coming near another mans husband or wife For whoremongers and adulterers God will judge and those that do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Heaven He that committeth this sinne doth his neighbour greater wrong then if he had robbed and spoiled him of all other his goods and possessions whatsoever Therefore the Lord in the Decalogue hath placed that Commandment as a greater before that of theft and Salomon Prov. 6. 30 35. maketh the Adulterer farre worse then a thief because he may make satisfaction to a man for the wrong he hath done him so cannot the Adulterer That is a dreadful Text Prov. 2. 19. The mother of Peter Lombard the Master of the Sentences and Gratian the Collector of the Decrees and Peter Comestor an Authour of School-Divinity was but a whore and she being near unto death confessed her sinne and her Confessour reproving the crime of her adultery committed and exhorting her to serious repentance she answered she confessed adultery was a great sinne but when she considered how great a good followed thence since those her sons were great lights in the Church she could not repent of it A Papist in Queen Maries time taken in adultery in Red-Crosse-street said Yet I thank God I am a good Catholick Sylla sirnamed Faustus hearing that his Sister had entertained two adulterers into her service at once which were Fulvius Fullo and Pomponius whose sirname was Macula he put it off with a jest upon their names Miror inquit sororem meam Maculam habere cum Fullonem habet Of this sinne there are two kindes First Single
and the Gospel that of his mercy 2 Cor. 3. 8. it is called his glorious Gospel Luke 2. 14. All his works set forth his glory both those of creation and preservation or providence Psalm 19. the whole creation must needs shew forth his glorious power and wisdom the sound is said to go over all the world that is All creatures must needs gather that if the Heavens be such glorious Heavens the Sun so glorious a Sun how much more must that God be a glorious God who is the author and worker of them The whole Platform of saving the Church by Christ sets forth Gods glory principally Phil. 2. 11. Luke 2. 14. glory to God in the highest In some works the excellency of Gods power in others the excellency of his wisdom patience but in this all the Attributes of God shine out in their utmost perfection 1. His wisdom that all the three persons of the Trinity should joyn in one work to one end wherein mercy power grace justice patience all meet together 2. Power in upholding Christ to undergo the weight of Gods vindictive Justice 3. Free-grace to do all this without any motive in the world but himself nothing was foreseen in them and some rather then others were saved 4. His revenging Justice and Wrath here were manifested as much as they be in Hell it self 5. His Holinesse he can have no communion with those that are unclean 6. His Majesty none may be admitted to speak or come nigh to him but in the mediation of Christ. The Gospel is The glorious Gospel of the blessed God 1 Tim. 1. 11. that is The glory of all the Attributes of God doth appear in the Gospel more brightly then in all the works which God hath made Mr. Burrh God is glorious in all his works upon the hearts of believers he puts a glory upon them so that in this sense he is effectually glorious Ephes. 5. a glorious Church and Psalm 43. The Kings daughter is all glorious within this glory is grace when God makes one holy heavenly minded meek zealous hereafter we shall have glorious bodies and souls God made all things for his glory for of him and to him are all things Rom. 11. All the unreasonable creatures are for Gods glory 1. In that they are serviceable to man for herein God is glorified in that they can accomplish those ends for which they were made and that is for man Gen. 1. the Sun and Stars are for him as well as creeping things These creatures are for a twofold use 1. To give him habitation and to be means of his corporeal life 2. To be continual quickners of him to praise Gods glorious power and wisdom God is said Acts 4. not to leave himself without witnesse the reasonable creatures are made chiefly for his glory because they know and love him That God is Glorious appears 1. God hath made many of his creatures glorious Dan. 10. 8. so there is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon the King clad with gorgeous attire and being arrayed with the Ensigns of his Soveraignity is glorious so Solomon 2. This glory shall continue for ever because God hath it from himself and deriveed it not from another He is a perfect being independent all things are under him the inferior cannot work without the Superior There is a double glory in things 1. Inherent in themselves which is partly visible as that of the Sun partly intelligible an excellency in a thing which affects the understanding 2. From without given by others so there is a kinde of glory and excellency in some precious stones which affect a man with a kidde of wondering so in an Angel a great shining as in that which appeared to Zachary so in the vision that Paul saw and when God appeared to Moses There is an inward glory standing in being worthy of highest esteem and an outward glory standing in being highly accounted of God is worthy to be esteemed above all and is so by the Saints The chiefest and highest cause of any benefit shewed to us is not our selves but the name of God even his glory and the clear declaration of his own excellencies Ezek. 20. 9. 14. 22. Psalm 25. 1. Ezek. 36. 22. Reas. 1. The thing which induced God to make all things must needs be the cause of all other benefits bestowed after the creation now he made all things for himself and his own name for neither had they any being nor could they have any before and therefore could not be any moving cause to their own creation therefore neither of any other thing 2. All creatures are nothing and lesse then nothing in comparison of God therefore he could not by them be moved to work any thing but doth it for his own names sake Things mean and trifling are not fit to be the highest end of an excellent work God is most high and glorious and all creatures are lesse then nothing before him therefore himself must be moved by himself not by them chiefly to do any thing for them for as God hath no efficient material or formal cause at all but is to himself instead of all these because he is of himself so neither can he have any final cause but himself for if he have any other end then himself that is his own glory he were some way dependent upon some other thing which is impossible If it be objected How is it said then that God doth this or that for Abraham Isaac and Iacobs sake as often Moses presseth him in his prayers The Answer is he looks upon them still in subordination to his own name so that they are motives but in reference to his name and no otherwise He glorifieth himself and aimeth at his own glory in keeping covenant and promise with them Gods glory is the end of predestination both reprobation Prov. 16. 1. and election Ephes. 1. 5 6. of the creation and administration of all things Rom. 11. 36. of all benefits obtained in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. and should be of all our actions 1 Cor. 10. 35. Quest. Whether the infinite glory which God hath as God be communicated to Christs humane nature Answ. That being a creature cannot have that glory which is due to the Creator It is true Christ is infinitely to be glorified because he is God and man but not therefore his humane nature Our Divines distinguish between a glory meerly divine and a Mediators glory which is next to Divine far above all creatures Object Christ prayed for the glory which he had before the beginning Answ. Christ had it in decree and predestination and that was not Gods essential glory which is a property for he requires he may have it now which could not be if he had it from eternity We glorifie God not by putting any excellency into him but by taking notice of his excellency and esteeming him accordingly and making manifest this our high esteem of him There
was truly dead The women came and sought him but were inform'd by the Angels that he was risen yet could not make the Apostles beleeve it This Peter did preach Acts 2. this Paul preached Acts 13. this Paul inculcateth 1 Cor. 15. and Peter in his Epistle also It is so necessary a point of our Christian Faith that without it all our Faith is vain and falleth to the ground David fore-told it in all the parts of it as Peter interprets him Acts 2. His soul was not left in hell nor did his body see corruption that is putrifie at all A man consists of two parts a soul and a body there can be no resurrection after the separating of these two unlesse the soul be re-united to the body again and both lifted up out of the state of death therefore did the God-head to whom both soul and body were united restore the soul to the body again preserving it from putrifaction that it might be a fit dwelling place for the soul and so having joyned them together the body rose and went abroad and shew'd it self to the Apostles no longer a weak feeble mortal and corruptible body but a glorious impassible incorruptible and most beautiful body for it lost all its imperfections in the grave And this Resurrection fell upon the third day after his death as himself said Iohn 2. 18. the third day he should rise The day began as we ordinarily account howsoever perhaps by special institution the Sabbaths may be accounted to have begun otherwise at the peep of the morning when men begin to stir about businesse then did Christ stirre also he was to lie no longer then the first day of the week because he intended to challenge that day to himself to be the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath whence it came in processe of time to have that name before the third day he was not to rise that he might shew himself truly dead and stay a sufficient while under the arrest of death for the accomplishment of our satisfaction Now this Resurrection was performed by the power of his Deity for all the while that he continued dead his soul and body were both united to the God-head as it were a sword pulled out of the scabberd which the man holdeth still one in one hand the other in the other and so can easily put the same together again For the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 4. He was declared to be the Sonne of God with power according to the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection of the dead that is by that his resurrection which is virtually the resurrection of all seeing by vertue thereof all his people rise to glory Therefore is he termed The first fruits of them that die 1 Cor. 5. 16. And the first begotten from the dead Col. 1. 18. because by vertue of his Resurrection the Saints rise to glory and enjoy from him this prerogative of overcoming death as the first fruits sanctifie the lump and as the first-born hath the priviledge above all the children In time some rose before him but in vertue none for all that rose did rise by the efficacy and merit of him and his rising again And this Resurrection was necessary for divers purposes 1. To make way for his farther Glorification that he might raign as Lord of Lords and King of Kings for he could not have possessed fulnesse of Glory had he not been still in the Sepulchre The soul indeed might have been perfectly glorified but whole Christ could not have been fully glorified if the body had not risen to partake of the glory of heaven with the soul. Now seeing the body was helpful to and in the performance of the work of Redemption suffering great abasement it was not equal that it should be any longer deprived of the reward when once Justice was fully satisfied upon it It was necessary also to fulfill the Prophecies and Types that went before Davids Prophecy Peter presseth Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption the type of Ionah our Saviour telleth of Matth. 12. 40. and both were to be acâ—omplished Lastly It was necessary for the confirmation of our Faith that we might be assured he was the Sonne of God and had perfectly accomplished this great work he undertook therefore Paul saith That he rose again for our justification that is to declare and prove that he had perfectly fulfilled all that was necessary to satisfie for our sins and to procure for us as the Apostle calleth it everlasting righteousnesse When the Surety is apprehended for the Debtor there is no getting out of the Creditors hand till he have discharged the whole debt therefore when the Surety gets out of prison and is at large the debt is fully satisfied so it is in this case so that we could not have rested upon him as a full and perfect Saviour if he had not risen but now our Faith doth evidently acknowledge him to be a perfect Saviour and hath full assurance to ground upon since in him salvation is to be had And for the end and use of this Resurrection it was to quicken our soul first that we might rise to newnesse of life as the Apostle St Peter saith and at length to quicken our mortal bodies too 1 Pet. 4. 5. that the Head being risen the members might rise with him The Resurrection of Christ should work on us so that we should live to him 2 Cor. 5. 15. Ephes. 1. 19 20. and that four wayes From the knowledge of his Resurrection we should be assured 1. That the Lord will raise the Church or us out of our lowest afflictions Hos. 6 2 3. Isa. 26. 19. Ezek 37. 3 4. and that should ingage us to improve all our power for him 2. That Christ hath likewise power to raise up our souls to spiritual life as our first rising is by the life of Christ as he recovered his life so the increase of it is by the improvement of his Resurrection by Faith Phil. 3. 11. Rom. 6. 4 5. 3. It assures us of the Resurrection of our bodies Rom. 8. 11. 1 Cor. 15. Ioh. 11. 24. 4. Of an inheritance and glorious estate 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Now you have the Doctrin of the Resurrection as the Scriptures deliver the same The second Degree of Christs Glorification is his Ascension which was a change of place a transferring of his glorified body and soul into the upper Region of the world out of this lower room thereof A body cannot be in more places then one because it is circumscriptible and our Saviours body though glorified retaineth yet still the nature of a body though it have laid aside all the natural imperfections of a body and therefore our Saviours body could of it self move upward because it was rid of that grosse weightinesse which doth alwayes accompany a natural compound body Now this Ascension of our Saviour is in Scripture often related two of the Evangelists
up the Authority of the Law The End of the ninth Book THE TENTH BOOK OF Glorification OF THE General RESURRECTION THE LAST JUDGEMENT AND Everlasting Misery of the wicked and Happiness of the Godly CHAP. I. Of the General Resurrection REsurrection from the dead and eternal judgement are two of the principles of the Apostles Catechism Heb. 6. 1. There shall be a Resurrection of the body In the New Testament the thing is so perspicuous and obvious that it would be too long to rehearse the several places Matth. 22. 32. Iohn 5. 28 29. Acts 17. 31. 24. 16. Revel 20. 12 13. Paul proves it by divers Arguments 1 Cor. 15. Tertullian hath written a famous book of this subject and begins his Book thus Fiducia Christianorum resurrectio mortuorum The confidence of Christians is the resurrection of the dead 2. Of the self-same body the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 53. speaks by way of demonstration and as it were pointing at his own body This corruption must put on incorruption Credo resurrectionem hujus carnis said the old Christians Iob 19. 25. Non enim resurrectio dici potest nisi anima ad idem corpus redeat quia resurrectio est iterata surrectio ejusdem autem est surgere cadere Aquinas Supplem 3. part Quaest. 78. Artic. 1. 3. It shall be genoral of the good and bad Matth. 22. 31 33. Dan. 12. 2. Iohn 5. 28 29. The wicked rise in virtute Christi Iudicis the godly in virtute Christi capitis the wicked shall arise to death and shame the resurrection of the Saints shall be glorious they shall rise first 1 Cor. 15 2. Every one of them shall have a perfect body without defect or deformity they shall arise in perfect beauty 3. Their body shall be immortal 4. Spiritual and glorious like Christs body Phil. 4. ult Aquinas shews that Subtilitas est proprietas corporis gloriosi Supplem 3. part Quaest. 83. Art 1. and that it is ratione subtilitatis impalpabile Ib. Art 6. Vide ibid. Qu. 84. Art 1. Qu. 85. Art 1 2. The Resurrection may be proved by reason 1. From the power of God he made us of nothing therefore he can raise us out of the dust Facilius est restituere quam constituere Qui potest facere potest reficere saith Tertullian Mat. 22. 29 Phil. 3. 21. 2. His justice the body is partner with the soul in sin or holinesse 3. Christ rose again and he rose as the publick head of the Church Luke 24. 46 47. He rose as the first-fruits 1 Cor. 15. 21. He bought soul and body 1 Cor. 6. 20. He is united to a whole believer Iohn 6. 40. 4. That the glory of God and Christ and the Saints may be manifested The world derides the resurrection of the body the Philosophers could not attain to it but it is the Christians chief consolation Iob 19. 27. Hope and resurrection of the dead are joyned together Act. 23. 6. 24. 14. There are as great things past as to come our bodies may as well be in heaven as Christs body be in the grave Rom. 8. 32. Although the Resurrection shall be by the power of the whole Trinity yet it shall be peculiarly by the voice of Christ the dead shall hear the voice of God and live by an Archangel ministerially The end why Christ shall raise them all is to bring them to judgement The Schoolmen say Omnes resurgent in eadem aetate and urge Ephes. 4. 13. but Christ rose say they in his youthful age about thirty three years but the Fathers interpret that place otherwise The godly then need not fear persecution it toucheth but the body Matth. 10. 28. nor death it self It is but a sleep Act. 7. 60. 2 Thess 4 13. the grave a bed of rest Isa. 57. 2. Those that sleep likely rise so shall thy body be raised up at the last day CHAP. II. Of the Last Iudgement BErnard distinguisheth of a three-fold coming of Christ 1. Ad Homines John 1. 11. 2. In Homines Matth. 28. ult 3. Contra Homines Revel 1. 7. The usual distinction is of his first coming in great humility when he was incarnate and his second coming in Majesty when he shall openly manifest and declare his excellent glory in the sight of all his reasonable creatures Angels and men good and bad The knowledge of the time is reserved to God alone Acts 1. 7. The day is appointed by God the Father and not revealed to any creature saving the humanity of Christ and was not revealed to that it seemeth while he lived in the earth in basenesse Christ shall suddenly descend from heaven with the voice of an Archangel with a mighty shout and with the trump of God and then shall he cause all the Saints to rise and with the living Saints shall cause them to meet him in the clouds and after he shall cause all the sinners to arise also and there publickly shall adjudge all his Saints to his heavenly Kingdom making known and rewarding all their good deeds but shall adjudge all the wicked to eternal damnation making known to all the world all their wicked and ungodly deeds words and thoughts even those which before were most secret which having done he shall then yeeld up the Kingdom to God his Father not ceasing to be lesse glorious himself because he hath shewed the infinite glory of God to which all things are to be referred as their proper end but perpetually enjoying glory and blisse with him in another manner and in no lesse full measure even as a mighty man under some great Prince having conquered some Kingdom against whom his Prince did send him then resigneth the office of Lord General because there is no farther use of it but yet liveth in as much honour in the Kings Court as that military title and function would afford him So our Lord and all his members with him after the last day shall remain for all eternity unspeakably glorious though the manner of administration of things which is now in use by Gods appointment shall be finished and determined that God may be all in all Two things are to be considered 1. That all universally are to be judged 2. That Christ shall be Judge of all For the former there is a two-fold Judgement 1. Particular and private which is given concerning every one immediately after death 2. Universal and publick when all men shall be judged together called the day of Revelation Rom. 2. 5. and of this judgement the Creed speaks when it saith From thence he shall come to judge the quick and dead From thence viz. Heaven He that is Christ Jesus the second person in Trinity Shall come to judge the quick and dead that is all men that ever were or shall be That in the end of the world there shall be a day of Judgement and that all men shall then be judged it appears First From
them out of his hand 1 Cor. 10. 22. and it condemns the godly which distrust the power of God Num. 11. 21. Iohn 21. 32. Remembring not that he hath unlimited power The Lords Prayer ends thus For thine is the power This ministers comfort to those which have God on their side they need not fear what man or Devil can do against them He can strengthen them in spiritual weaknesses against sin and unto duty all the Devils in hell are not able to pluck them out of his hands Mat. 16. 18. Iohn 10. 28 29. if a people fall from him he is able to graff them in again Isa 44. 22. Rom. 11. 23. they are kept by his power through faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. he can protect them against their enemies though they be never so many Dan. 3. 17. Psalm 3. 6. he can and will make you strong in his power to bear patiently all afflictions God is able to raise them up again when they are rotten in the grave at the general resurrection Heb. 11. 19. We should not despise a weak Christian God is able to make him strong we should by this strengthen our faith in Gods promises as Abraham Rom. 4. 22. it is prefixed in the Creed as the prop of our belief in the Articles of our Christian faith That Commandment Be strong in Christ and in his power includes a promise that he will give us his power if we seek to him and rest on him for it were a very mocking to bid us be strong in him if he would not communicate his strong power to us if we have any strength either of body or minde to do any thing we must return to him the glory of it and be ruled by him in the use of it because we have it from him and hold it at his meer pleasure Oh saith God to Iob Can you do this and that and then Who made the clouds by which qustion he would cause Iob to see his own impotency and Gods Omnipotent power CHAP. XV. Of Gods Glory and Blessednesse FRom all these before mentioned Attributes ariseth the Glory or Majesty of God which is the infinite excellency of the Divine Essence Heb. 1. 3. Exod. 33. 18. Psal. 29. 9. This is called The face of God Exod. 33. 20. and light inaccessible 1 Tim 6. 16. which to acknowledge perfectly belongs to God alone yet the revelation and obscurer vision thereof is granted to us in this life by the ministery of those things which are seen and heard the clearer in the life to come where we shall see God face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. Mat. 18. 10. God is and ever shall be exceeding Glorious Exod. 15. 11. Deut. 28. 58. Glory is sometime taken for outward lustre and shining as one glory of the Sun sometimes for outward decking and adorning as long hair is a glory to a woman but the proper signification of it is excellent estimation by which one is preferred before others It is the splendor clarity or shining of a thing resulting and rising from the perfection eminency or excellency it hath above other things The glory of God is the perfection of his Nature and Attributes infinitely surpassing and outshining the perfection of all creatures Things that are good we praise things that are excellent we honor and things that are transcendently good we glorifie Glory is used metonymically for that which is the ground and matter of glory as Prov. 19. 11. 20. 29. Sometimes the glory of God signifieth the very essence and nature of God as Exod. 33. 18. Sometimes it is used to signifie some of Gods Attributes Ephes. 1. 12. that is his grace and good will by shewing forth of which he makes himself glorious Sometimes it is put for some work of God which is great and marvellous Iohn 11. 40. that is the grace and powerful work of God in raising up thy brother Lazarus unto life again Exod. 25. 16. 40. 35. that is some extraordinary splendor as R. Moses expounds it which God created thereby to shew forth his magnifience and glory Glory is essential so it signifieth the incomprehensible excellency of the Divine Nature Exod. 33. 13. or else it signifieth manifestatively the acknowledgement and celebration of his excellencies and this is called properly glorification this may have more or lesse Or secondly much to the same purpose the glory of God may be taken two wayes 1. For the inward excellency and worth whereby he deserves to be esteemed and praised 2. For the actual acknowledging of it for glory is defined a clear and manifest knowledge of anothers excellency therefore the glory of God is twofold First Internal which is again twofold 1. Objective that glory of God is the excellency of his Divine nature for such is his Majesty and excellency that he is infinitely worthy to be praised admired and loved of all 2. Formall is his â—own knowledge love and delight in himself for this is infinitely more the glory of God that he is known and beloved of himself then that he is loved and praised by all Creatures Men or Angels because this argueth an infinite worth in Gods own nature that an infinite love and delight is satisfied with it God hath this kinde of glory objective and formal most fully even from all eternity therefore when he is said to make all things for himself or his glory it is not meant of this inward glory as if he could have more of that Secondly External and that again 1. By way of object viz. when he made the Heavens and Earth and all these glorious creatures here below which are said to shew forth his glory Psal. 19. that is objectively they are the effects of his glorious wisdom and power and so become objects of mens and Angels praises of him and as the glory of men consists in outward ornaments so Gods glory consists in having such creatures men and Angels to be his followers 2. Formal when men and Angels do know love and obey him and praise him to all eternity The Scriptures every where extol the Majesty and glory of God 1. Essentially when it calls God Great Most high glorious The God of glory Acts 7. 2. King of glory Psalm 24. 8. Father of glory Ephes. 1. 17. 2. Efficaciously when it affirmeth that all the earth is full of the glory of God Isa. 6. 3. and propounds the glorous and wonderful works of God to be considered by us Exod. â—2 18. He means he will shew him so much of his glory as it is possible for a creature to behold and live we cannot behold the fulnesse of it God is glorious in his nature 1 Cor. 11. 7. his glory obscureth all other glory Isa. 6. 2. Gen. 18. 17 1 Kings 10. 13. His glory is manifested 1. Extraordinarily â—n the cloud in apparations and visions 2. Ordinarily in his word and works The Law sets forth the glory of his justice
is a twofold glory 1. Essential infinite everlasting this is called gloria it receives neither addition nor diminution by any created power 2. Accidental finite temporary called glorificatio this ebbs or flows shines or is overshadowed as goodnesse or gracelesnesse prevails in the world It serves 1. To shew the vilenesse and basenesse of all wicked men which oppose Gods glory and strive to obscure it dishonor this glorious God setting light by him in their hearts and blaspheming him with their tongues a sinner in sinning lifts up himself above God preferring his own wisdom before Gods and his will before his therefore David worthily concludes the 104 Psalm with an imprecation against sinners God will gain glory of them in despight of their hearts by magnifying his justice 2. We should labor to partake of Gods Image that we might be partakers of his glory we must earnestly desire that Gods glory may be communicated to us that he would send forth his Spirit of glory to rest upon us by which means we shall commend our selves to God Christ the Angels and Saints and our own consciences 3. We must learn to contemplate the glory of God with admiration by this one principally differs from a beast He hath not a capacity to behold the excellency of Gud the Saints in Heaven are even taken up and filled with beholding Gods glory set your eyes round about to behold Gods works and his glory in them so as you may admire God this will make your souls to enjoy God Paul saith In the mystery of the Gospel we behold as in a glasse the glory of God be much in this exercise 4. We must long to go out of this world to behold Gods glory fully Iohn 17. 24. raise up your hearts to heavenly desires wish earnestly to be in Heaven Every one would be willing to go to Heaven when he dyeth but we must desire to leave this life to go thither 5. This should comfort us 1. Against reproaches and contempt in the world if God be glorified we must sacrifice our names as well as our lives to him 2. Against death then we shall no more dishonor God 3. The day of judgement should be longed for because it is Gods glorious day 2 Thess. 1. 10. we run to glorious sights on earth as the Queen of Sheba 6. We should ascribe all glory to God the fountain of glory 1 Chron. 29. 11 12. Psalm 115. 1. God challengeth this from men Give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto the Lord the glory due to his name He is very jealous of his glory and will not suffer the least part of it to be given to the creature 7. Take heed of those Tenets which oppose Gods glory as 1. The lawfulnesse of giving religious honour to images the Popish Doctors have wearied themselves and wracked their brains to coin distinctions how divine worship may be given to Images but the second Commandment forbids Image-worshipping and God acknowledgeth himself a jealous God and saith He will not give his glory to another 2. Attributing too much to our free-will or setting up our merits this is robbing God likewise of his glory Let us first live to his glory and do all for his glory 1. Because he intended it 2. He hath joyned our happinesse and his glory together 3. It is infinitely more worth then all the world 4. It is his condescending that he will take this for glory 5. He will have glory of us against our wills 6. The Creatures glorifie God in their way 7. How much glory do we give to things of an inferior nature 8. God will hereby give us glory We should do all we do for him and to him even to shew forth our apprehension of his name Doing whatsoever good we do and leaving whatsoever evil we leave that we may declare our high esteem of him and make it appear that we do judge and repute him most wise good just excellent worthy all the service that we can do and more too And whatsoever is not thus done with reference to the name of God as the motive and end of it doth want so much of goodnesse as it wants of this reference Nothing is good farther then it hath reference to God the chiefest good If we aim at onely or chiefly and be moved onely or chiefly by temporal benefits and respects of this kinde looking to our selves our deeds are hollow and seemingly good alone not real If we look to our selves alone even in respect of eternal benefits and not above our selves to him and his name that also is but hypocrisie But this is truth to make our ends and motives the same with Gods and to have an eye still above and beyond our selxes even to Gods name that we may cause it to appear to him and our selves and others that we know him and confesse his great name Omnibus operibus nostris coelestis intentio adjungi debet Aquinas It is a great question among the Schoolmen and some of our Divines Whether one should actually propound the rule and intend the end in every service Adam and Christ did so though lapsed man cannot do it it is a duty neverthelesse it is good to do it as often as possibly men can In serious and solemn actions our thoughts should be actual in lesser the habitual intention sufficeth God glorified himself Iohn 12. 28. Christ glorified him his whole life was nothing but a seeking of his Fathers glory Iohn 17. 4. See Phil. 2. 11. the Saints and Angels spend eternity in setting forth his glory Isa. 6. 23. Rev. 4. 10 11. 7. 9 10. all the creatures do glorifie God in their kinde Psalm 145. 10. 148. the worm is not exempted therefore that man saith Chrysostome which doth not glorifie God is baser then the basest worm This is all the first Table of the Decalogue and above half of the Lords Prayer the three first Petitions concern Gods glory and the conclusion likewise hath reference to it We should glorifie God in all conditions in adversity as well as in prosperity Psalm 50. 15. in all the parts of our bodies in our hearts 1 Pet. 3. 15. with our mouthes Rom. 15. 6. in our lives 1 Cor. 6. alt Mat. 5. 16. Let us often think of the personal glory and excellency which the Saints shall enjoy when they come to Heaven 1. In Body 2. In Soul The bodies of the Saints in Heaven shall be 1. Perfect free from all blemishes and every way for the souls use 2. Incorruptible not liable to sicknesse weaknesse mortality 3. Spiritual 1. In regard of state and condition because they shall be upheld by the Spirit of God without the use of meat drink and sleep 2. In regard of quality and operation active and agile as a Spirit they shall move swiftly upward downward any way at the command of the soul. 4. Glorious the bodies of the Saints shall
the Sun runs through them God doth this great work it is thought to be caused by the turning round of the highest Sphere or the Firmament which pulling along with it self the inferiour Orbes makes them to move according to its course but who can give a reason why that Sphere it self should go so swiftly even much more swiftly then the Sun because it is far higher then the Sun as much as that is higher then the earth but the immediate power of God who doth move all in moving this one But that God should make the Sunne fulfil such a daily race to make day and night it highly commends the work Again the usefulnesse of it is great for if it should be in any place alwaies night what could they do how should they live How would any thing grow seeing the nights are cold light and heat being companions and cold and darknesse companions If no light had been in the world the world would not have been a place fit for living things But if one half onely of the world should have had light with it alwaies it would have caused excessive heat and so would have burnt up and consumed all things and been no lesse harmful then the defect of heat but now the succession of one of these to the other viz. light and heat to darknesse and cold doth so temper them by a kinde of mixture that it is in such proportion in every place as is necessary to bring forth all sorts of living things especially the fruits of the earth So God hath assigned such a way and race to the Sun which by his presence makes day and by his absence night as was fit and onely fit for the quickning enlivening and comfort of every kinde of living creature so that upon this course the wel-being yea the very being almost of all things doth depend We should lament and bewaile our exceeding great blindnesse that live day after day and night after night and yet busie not our selves about this work nor seâ— God in it though it be so constant as it was never stopped but twice sâ—nce the beginning of the Creation viz. in Hezekiah's time by going back of the Sun and in Ioshuah's time by stopping of the Sun for a certain time by the immediate power of God We have the profit of the day and of the night but neither in one nor other do we mark the wisdome goodnesse and power of God In the night men rest and refresh their bodier with sleep wilde beasts then wake and hunt for their prey In the day men and tame creatures make and dispatch their businesse and eat and drink and wilde beasts then rest in their dens God is still working for us our thoughts are still idle towards him thir is a proof of our Atheisme and estrangement from him this is the blindnesse of our minds a not being able to discern of things by discourse of reason and the power of understanding for the conceiving of which just and plain reasons are offered unto us There is a natural blindnesse of the eye when it is unable to discern things by the light of the Sun this is felt and complained of but spiritual blindnesse of minde is when it is unable to discern supernatural truths which concern the soul and another and better life by the use of reason and help of those principles which are as light unto it this is not felt nor lamented but it is therefore not felt because it is so natural to us and because we brought it into the world The beginning of the cure of spirituall blindnesse is to see it let us see it therefore and be troubled at it why do not I see Gods great work in making night and day to succeed each other Let us look up to God in this work and meditate on it at fit times in the morning so soon as we are awake and begin to see the darknesse vanquished and the light conquering and that the Sun is raised above our Horizon and is come to visit our parts again it were a fruitful thing to think thus How great a journey hath the Sun gone in this little time wherein I have been asleep and could observe nothing and now returned again as it were to call me up say Lord thou hast made night I have the benefit of it and now light visits me O that I could honour thee and magnifie thy power and the greatnesse of thy hand and use the light of the day to do the services that are required at my hand in my place Again in the evening a little before we sleep we should think of the great work of making day for these many hours the Sun hath been within our sight and shewed its beams and light unto us and hath run a long race for our good bringing with it lightsome cheerfulnesse the companion of the day Now it is gone to the other part of the world to visit them that God might shew his goodnesse to one place as well as to another Where a multitude of things concur to one effect with which none of them in particular is acquainted there we cannot but know that one common wisdome ruleth them all and so it is in the working of the Sun Moon and Stars to make the Seasons of the day and night and of Summer and Winter therefore some common wisdome must over-rule all of them There is a spiritual light in our Horizon whereas Judaisme and Turâ—isme is darknesse and Popery a glimmering light We should pray to God to give us spiritual light and be thankful for it He makes day and night also in respect of prosperity and adversity weeping may continue for a night this vicissitude keeps the soul in growth in good temper as the other is profitable for the body pray to God to send Christ to them which sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and vouchsafe to make it day with them as well as with us He hath said in his word that he will discover the glory of his Son and all the earth shall see it together CHAP. IV. Of some of the Meteors but especially of the Clouds the Rain and the Sea the Rivers Grasse Herbs and Trees BY the name of Clouds and Waters above the Firmament Gen. 1. We may understand all Meteors both watery and fiery which were then created in their causes and so by clouds and winds Psal. 104. 3. must be understood all the Meteors the great works of God by which he sheweth himself and worketh in this lower Heaven They are called Meteors because they are most of them generated aloft in the aire Zanchius saith there are foure sorts of Meteors others make but three sorts 1. Fiery which in the Supreme Region of the aire are so enflamed by the fire that they are of a fiery nature as Comets Thunder 2. Airy which being begotten of dry vapours of the earth come near the nature
15 16. or to set up the dark wisdom and proud will of man as Free-will Universal Redemption the denying of Gods Decrees and Perseverance Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae Aug. 5. Beware of communion with false teachers Rom. 16. 17. Titus 3. 10. 2 epist. Iohn 10. 6. Make use of the Ministry Flattery Flattery is a speech fitted to the will and humors of others for our own advantage One may please others much and yet not flatter them when he seeks not his own advantage in it 1 Cor. 3. ult We flatter First When we ascribe to them good things which they have not Or Secondly Applaud their evils as goodnesse Or Thirdly Amplisie their good parts above their merit Or Fourthly Extenuate their evil more then is meet Isa. 5. 10. Flatterers are men that dwell at Placenza as the Italian saith Isa. 30. 10. They may well be called Caementarii Diaboli the Devils daubers Ezek. 13. 10. Dionysius the tyrant had flatterers about him who like dogs would lick up his spittle and commend it to him to be as sweet as nectar Diogenes compared flattering language to a silken halter which is soft because silken but strangling because a halter and saith As tyrants are the worst of all wild beasts so are flatterers of all tame None can be flattered by another till he first flatter himself Canutus King of England and Denmark well repressed a flatterer at Southampton who bare the King in hand that all things in the Realm were at his will and command He commanded that his chair should be set on the shore when the Sea began to flow and then in the presence of many said to the Sea as it flowed Thou art part of my dominion and the ground on which I sit is mine wherefore I charge thee that thou come not upon my Land neither that thou wet the cloathes or body of thy Lord but the Sea according to his usual course flowing did wet his feet then he said None was worthy the name of a King but he to whose command the earth and sea were subject and never after would be King Chalac in Hebrew signifies either blandus smooth or Mollis soft because the flatterer useth smooth and soft speeches or dividere to divide because in flatterers the tongue is divided from the heart See Prov. 27. 6. 29. 5. Open hostility is better then secret flattery An ungodly mans sins are acts of hostility his duties acts of flattery Psal. 78. 36. We should shut our ears to flattererâ— and rather seek to do what is commendable then to hear our own commendation Plus aliâ—â— de â—â— quam tu tibi credere noli Gluttony Gluttony is a sinne Isa. 56. 12. Amos 6. it is an immoderate delight in meats and drinks This was Dives his sinne one of the sins of Sâ—dom Fulnesse of bread and of the old world This sinne is committed five wayes Praeproperè Lautè Nimis Ardenter Studiosè Reasons 1. From the causes of it it ariseth from sensuality a brutish vice where by one metamorphoseth himself into a swine in disregarding the divine spiritual excellent supernatural good offered to his reason and by that alone to be conceived and placeth his happinesse in corporal delights and pleasures that tickle his senses Such a one that so feeds eats not to live but lives to eat and in that sense is said to serve his own belly and not the Lord. Secondly The effects of this vice are very bad 1. It hinders Mercy and Liberality to the poor Lazarus could not have the crums of the Rich mans Table either they have no heart to give or nothing to spare 2. It often overthrowes Estate He that loves Wine and Oyl shall not be rich 3. Oppresseth the heart and burieth all good Meditations and Affections for fat is alwayes senslesse 4. Draws men to the practice of Unjustice as 1 Sam. 21. 30. A Christian must take heed of all excesse in food 1 Cor. 9. 29. Reasons First A moderate Diet keeps the body healthful that we may glorifie God and have ability of strength to serve him Secondly Excesse of Diet will breed lusts and further the power of concupiscence in men Thirdly The Body is to be an Instrument of the Soule in all service to God glorifie God in Soul and Body much eating unfits and is sinfull Fourthly We must eat to the glory of God when we are hungry that hereby God may be glorified in our calling Fifthly It is Idolatry to minde the belly Phil. 3. 19. Rom. 16. 16. such belly-gods were the Monks and many of the Romans Sixthly It is a sin against the body the Apostle aggravates fornication from this consideration Seventhly It indisposeth to any spiritual duty Luke 21. 34. a full belly cannot study Impletus venter non vult studere libenter In Scripture a fat heart is as much as stupid and senslesse First Many like Iosephs master Potiphar take account of nothing but what they must eat and drink that they may be sure to fare well our feasts usually are turned meerly to an exercise of this vice Secondly All should exercise Temperance in Diet let a little content thee let the end of thy eating be strength and health not a pleasing of thy tooth the rich must inure themselves sometimes to a hard short meal that they may do more good to others Motives First Gluttony is a beastly sin yea it makes men worse then beasts for they can take delight in such things yet will not exceed Secondly It is an abuse of the creatures which are given to us for our good Thirdly Injurious to the poor CHAP. XIX Of Heresie Hypocrisie Idlenesse Impenitence Injustice Intemperance HERESIE I Dolatry was the prevailing sinne of the Old Testament and Heresie of the New It is a pertinacious defending of any thing which overthrows the Fundamentall Doctrine of faith contained in the Word of God An obstinate errour against the foundation Dr Halls Case of Consc. 5th Case It was a wilde fancy of the Weigelians That there is a time to come which they call Seculum Spiritus Sancti in which God shall by his Spirit reveal much more knowledge and light then was revealed by Christ and his Apostles in Scripture Mr Gillesp. Miscel. c. 10. The Gnosticks had their name propter excellentiam scientiae from profound knowledge and greater light They which pretended to know above all others yet were but a prophane sect as the Ancient Writers tell us The Socinians doctrine is as it were a filthy sink into which all the Heresies of former and later ages have emptied themselves They will receive no interpretation of Scripture nor article of faith unlesse it agree with reason Scriptura est norma recta ratio est judex all is ultimately resolved into reason Infaustus Socinus omnium Hareticorum audacissimus Rivet What doth Socinus think more highly of Christ then the Turks of Mahomet yea what doth he think
ought to govern themselves in the course of their lives unlesse they will be bruitish appetite ruleth beasts reason ought to guide man and a setled habit agreeable to right reason Now the main and fundamental vertues are religion justice charity and prudence against all which sedition doth evidently oppose it self Religion tieth our souls to God and commandeth us to give him his due God is not duly feared and honoured if his Ordinance of Magistracy be despised 2. Justice bindeth us to men and requireth to give every man his due which we do not if we deny subjection to the Magistrate by whose power all men else should be helped to the attaining of their right 3. Charity bids us do good to our neighbours as to our selves and how will he do good to other neighbours who will not perform his duty to his Governours who are appointed for the common good 4. Discretion and prudence advise to take that course which is most requisite for our own and the common happinesse seeing no member can be long safe if the whole be not kept in safety It is quite contrary to the common welfare and consequently to a mans own at length that the body be rent asunder with sedition Fourthly It is a great sinne since it proceedeth from bad causes and produceth ill effâ—cts Ambition envy and discontent at the present estate and foolish hopes to have all remedied by a change are the mothers of sedition 2. The effects of sedition are lamentable where envying and strife iâ— there is sedition and every evil work James Envying and strife likely bring sedition and sedition cometh accompanied with every evil work viz. with civill war which puts the sword into the hand of the multitude and makes them bold to kill spoil buâ—n all which lies in their way without difference or respect of persons religion and justice are exiled and fury and passion do what they please The reason why men are so prone to this sin is because they are naturally full of those vices which are apt to breed it viz. ambition envy discontent fond hopes Self-love It is a vehement and inordinate inclination to ones own content in things carnall earthly and sensuall 2 Tim 3 2. See 2 Cor. 12 7. There is 1. a naturall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or self love by which every one from the instinct of nature loves himself his own body soul life Eph. 5. 29. the Scripture doth not condemn this 2. A divine self-love by which every one that is born again by the holy Ghost from the instinct of the Spirit loves himself as is fitâ—ing to the glory of God and good of the Church these two kindes of self-love were in Christ. 3. A devilish self-love whereby one by the instinct of corrupt nature and inflamed by Satan so loves himself that he loves no other truly and seeks only his own things Effects of it 1. To praise our selves Prov 27. 2. and boast of our selves as the Pharisee 2. To be imbittered against reproofs 3. To attempt things above our power and place Remedies against Self-love We should love our best selves Mat. 6 33. Luke 10. 42. and consider what reason we have to love God above all The right knowledge of God and our selves will cure this corrupt self-love Consider the basenesse of our originall and our evils as well as excellencies and the purity of God Iob 40. 4 5. It is lawfull 1. To will our temporal good with moderation 2. To prefer our necessities before the necessities of others to defend our own lives rather then the lives of others unlesse he be a Magistrate Thou art better then ten thousand of us 3. To maintain our reputation and just priviledges Self seeking It is an evill at all times to seek great things to a mans self Reasons 1. God hath written a Treatise of purpose to take men off from the creature 2. There are divers commands to the contrary Phil. 4. 5. prohibitions Mat. 6. 21. sharp reproofs Eph. 5. â—am 4. 4. 3. God is much delighted with such a disposition of the soul as it is taken off from creature-comforts Psa. 131. The greatnesse of this evil 1. It is the root of all other sins the first sin that came into the world 2. It is an errour circa finem nay an errour concerning the utmost end therefore the more dangerous 3. Self as standing in opposition to God is that against which all the curses of the Law are denounced Isa. 22. 16 17. and 23. 8. 4. For these self-seekers only the torments of hell are prepared Cesset propria voluntas non erit infernus Bern. God hath ever set himself against self-seekers to destroy them and their house Prov. 19. 21. Isa. 44. 25. Psa. 33. 10. Isa. 59. 5 6. Ier. 22. 13. Hab. 2. 9. This is especially evil in the calamities of the Church Numb 14. 11 12. what is this self compared with the Churches good this is condemned in Baruch it is unseasonable We reade not of any Saint in the Scriptures given to covetousnesse 2. Hypocrites were given to it Saul Demas Iudas Gods prerogative is 1. To have high esteem from the creature as the chiefest good to this self-love is opposite 2. To give Laws to the creature as an Absolute Soveraign to this self-dependance is opposite 3. To have the trust of the creature as an Independent essence to this self-will is opposite 4. To be the utmost end as the Supream cause to this self-seeking is opposite Signs of it 1. When one puts himself on the profession of Religion for some worldly advantage Gen. 34. 22 23. Iohn 6. 26. 2. When men are enemies to Christs Crosse Phil. 3. 18 19. 3. Envy to others Gal. 5. 26. Remedies against it Consider 1. The greatnesse of the sin God should be the chief end to set up self in his room no man lesse enjoys himself then he that seeks himself 2. You will have the greater judgement Mat. 23. 14. 3. Frequently pray against it and cast back the praises given to thee unto God Phil. 2. 21. May not our things and the things of Christ consist together 1. All men are not Christs nor led by his Spirit 2. Many that professe themselves to be Christs are none of his Rev. 3. 4. 3. Those that are spiritually quickned keep not close to Christ See Mat. 12. 30. Slander Slander is a great sin Psa. 52. 3. Rom. 1. 29. It was the sin of Ziba Haman against Mordecai Detractio est alienae famae per verba denigratio Aquinas 2â— 2ae Quaest. 68. Art 1. the smiting of a mans good name the Latines call it detractio because it is a kinde of theft in that it stealeth from a mans good name See Ames de Consc. l. 5. c. 15. The cause of it is flattery envy and twatling uncharitablenesse or malice or both is the prime cause of it uncharitablenesse is the bare absence of charity malice is a disposition quite
upon the Crosse by the brazen Serpent His Burial by Ionahs lying in the Whales belly three dayes His Resurrection by the first fruits 1 Cor. 15. 20. Every thing in the Temple was a Type of Christ the Vail was a Type of his Flesh Heb. 10. 20. the golden Altar of his Intercession Revel 8. 3. and the brazen Altar of his Passion the Temple it self was a Type of Christs body Iohn 2. 19. The Tabernacle was built with three distinct rooms 1. The most holy place in which were the Ark and Cherubims the most holy place signified Heaven the Ark Christ as he is received up into Glory sitting at his Fathers right hand protecting his Church and using the Ministry of his Angels for their good and welfare The second was called the holy place and this did signifie the true invisible Church of the Elect of God here militant on earth into which none entered but the Priests which signified the elect people of God which are a holy and royal Priesthood unto him here was a golden Candlestick which having Lamps was dressed every Evening and gave light all night to signifie the work of Christ by his Spirit affording the true light of saving knowledge of himself and of his spiritual benefits to them when it is dark night to all the world besides here was the golden Table which had ever upon it Bread and Incense signifying Christs giving himself as spiritual Food to his people to strengthen and confirm their hearts in obedience and also giving the pure Frankincense of his Merits unto them by which they become acceptable unto his Father The third room was the utter Court where all the people came and it signified the Church visible wherein are Elect and Reprobate true and false Christians mixt there was the Offerings of Buls Goats and other beasts and sprinkling of bloud in all the services to be performed signifying the Revelation of God himself in the Ministry of his Gospel to the sons of men that they might be brought to believe in him The whole Doctrine of Christ in his Person Works the Benefits which the Church receives by him are all the free gift of God Isa. 9. 6. Titus 4. 14. Rom. 5. 15 16 17 18. Gift is a transferring of right from one to another by free will or the free interesting of another in that which is my own only I forego my own property when I give it another but God hath still the same right in his Sonne when he gives him to us First Christ is the great gift of God the greatest that ever he gave Four things meet in him which shew him to be the greatest gift 1. He is the dearest and most precious to him that gives him Iohn 3. 16. 1 Iohn 4. 9 10. the heart of God was infinitely set on Christ Prov. 8. 30. a metaphor taken from two mates and companions that are born and bred together and sport themselves in each others society 2. Of all things that were in the power of God to give there was nothing we so much needed set fancy aside no man needs any thing in the earth but food and raiment we are miserable for ever if we fail of Christ. 3. It is the comprehension of all other gifts if we look on the intrinsecal worth of the gift it self by him we have pardon grace glory he is God-man a Prophet Priest and King the true Trismegistus 4. This is an everlasting gift not only the gift lasts but the minde of the giver he lends thee but other things Secondly Christ is the free Gift of God 1. There is no one particular concerning Christ and our salvation by him but there are Scriptures to prove it that it is the free gift of God He gives the Spirit to unite us to him Iohn 7. 39. and the means Ephes. 4. 11. and faith to lay hold on him 2. What ever may argue a gift to be free meets in the Lords giving of Christ. 1. When the giver hath no motive to stirre him to it but his own will 2. When the party doth it out of no need he is no whit the richer or happier 3. He gives him to them who have no more why they should partake of Christ then others on whom he doth not bestow him 4. When there is no condition in the receiver but meerly that he do accept it he works in our hearts consent of his good pleasure 5. When he is pleased with this gift and takes more content in giving then any soul can take in the receiving There was a transcendent excellency in the love of Christ to the Saints in giving himself for them 1. He loved them with the love of all relations with the love of a brother friend husband father God 2. He loved them above all the creatures here below he hath made them the first fruits of all his creatures in some sort more then the Angels 1. In regard of your nature which he took 2. In regard of the relation wherein he stands to you the Angels are his servants but not his members 3. In regard of his righteousnesse bestowed upon you it was not the essential righteousnesse of God but such a righteousnesse as the God-head gave an excellency and efficacy to This love of Christ comforts the Saints under the greatest afflictions They look on this love of his as the fountain of all blessings it works a conformity in them to Christ. We may judge of the love of Christ by these marks First Suitable to the manifestation of himself is the love of Christ to thy soul Iohn 14. 21. Secondly The more grace he bestows on a man the more he loves him Thirdly The greater Communion we have with him the more he loves us Iohn 14. 8. Fourthly The more he keeps thee from those ordinary snares that others fall into Eccl. 7. 26. Rev. 13. 8. Fifthly The more every thing works to thy spiritual good 3 ep Ioh. 2. Sixthly According to thy measure of fruitfulnesse Ioh. 15. 16. Seventhly Observe the glimpses of Christ to thy soul Psal. 35. 3. Eighthly The more powerful our prayers are with God Dan. 10. 11 12. Christs Kingdom was set up in opposition to Satan when he was born all the Oracles ceased The time was come mentioned Iohn 12. 31. the night was past and the day was come and therefore such birds of darknesse were not to prevail as in times past they had done As by the rending of the vail of the Temple of Salomon was signified the abolishment of legal worship so by the prodigious destruction of Satans throne or chiefest Temple at Delphos was sealed the irrevocable overthrow of Ethnicism Some say the Heathens by the light of nature by the knowledge of the Sunne Moon and Stars might come to a saving knowledge of God and urge that place Heb. 11. 16. He that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him and
tell of it and St Luke again in the Acts of the Apostles Mark hath it thus Chap. 16. 19. He was received up into Heaven Luk. thus Chap. 24. 51. He was parted from them and caught up into Heaven Again in Acts 1. 9 10 11. While he spake thus he was taken up and a Cloud received him up out of their sight Now this Ascension be fell fourty dayes after his Resurrection Act. 1 3. when he had conversed with them and informed them of all things necessary for their Apostolical function both that he might thus confer with them of all such necessary things and that by often shewing himself he might give sufficient and undeniable proof of his Resurrection And after this was done Luke telleth how an Angel spake to them about it and told them of his returning again and that the Heavens should contain him till the time appointed Thus did he fulfill the Prophecy that went before concerning this matter for David had said long before Psal. 68. 18. Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast given gifts unto men This was also typed by the High-Priests entring into the most holy place upon atonement day after the Sacrifice of expiation offered therefore Christ the true High-Priest entered into the holy place not made with hands even into very Heaven there to appear before God for us Heb. 6. 20. 7. 26. 84. The cause of his ascending was because the earth was no fit place for a person so glorious to abide in for either he must shew forth that glory of his and then men could not have endured to converse with him or else he must not shew it forth and then he had deprived himself of his deserved glory Wherefore it was necessary that he should betake himself to a place and company capable of that glory even into the highest Heavens where he might enjoy and declare that infinite great glory which his Father was to bestow upon him for a reward of his sufferings And this his Ascension was even a taking possession of that glorious estate for us that we might be fully assured of his drawing us his members after him that at last in due time we might be where he is to behold his glory and therefore he told his Disciples That he went to prepare a place for them and that in the fit season he would return again to take them with him that head and body might be both together And in the mean space this his Ascension is become a means of drawing our hearts after him to a longing desire of being with him that we might set our affections on things above where Christ our Head is For seeing Christ our Lord did leave earth to go into Heaven it is evident that Earth is a far meaner place and Heaven a far more excellent Wherefore it is necessary for us to raise up our hearts to that which is the most happy place and state Now the third Degree of his Glorification follows that is His sitting down at the right hand of his Father whereof many Scriptures also make mention Heb. 10. 12. 1. 3 12. 2. 8. 1. Ephes. 1. 20. Now this is a figurative kinde of speech and denoteth the high advancement of his humanity next to the Divinity above all other creatures both in respect of admirable gifts and boundlesse authority For to be at Gods right hand signifieth a state of excellent glory as he that is next the King in honour standeth or sitteth at his right hand Gen. 48. 18. 1 King 2. 19. Psal. 45. 9. Matth. 20. 20 21. This is called a sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high it is the dwelling of the fulnesse of the God-head in him bodily in that very body of Christ the God-head hath poured forth all sorts of excellencies as much as a creature is possibly capable of and he is actually invested with all power in Heaven and Earth Christ hath a Name above all names farre above all Principalities and Powers and Thrones and Dominions Where he must abide till he make all his enemies his foot-stool Our Lord Jesus Christ is adorned with more abundance of Wisdom Power Goodnesse Love Joy Mercy Holinesse and whatsoever qualities tend to make him in whom they are excellent glorious and happy then all the creatures of God laid together so that all the heavenly Army worship and adore him and cast themselves down at his feet and are most ready to yield him absolute and perfect obedience knowing him to be preferred by his Father to that Dignity That so he might receive a most ample reward for that exceeding great abasement to the lower parts of the earth to which he did voluntary submit himself for his Fathers glory sake and that he might become a fit Head and King to his Church able to guide and rule them at all times and to sub due all their and his enemies under him and them Dan. 2. 44. 7. 14 27. Mar. 14. 62. Rom. 8. 3. Ephes. 1. 21 22. I should now speak of Christs judging the quick and dead at his second coming which some Divines make the last degree of his glory but there will be a fitter place to handle that elsewhere I shall therefore in the next place draw some usefull Corollaries from the Glorification of our blessed Saviour FIRST We must labour so seriously to contemplate this unutterable glory of our Head Christ Jesus till we be translated into the same image from glory to glory endeavouring to shew forth the power of his Resurrection and Ascension in rising to newnesse of life and in ascending up on high in our desires and affections We must be raised up together with him and with him sit together in heavenly places If the Resurrection of Christ have not a powerful impression on our souls to make us rise out of the filthy grave and rotten Sepulchre of a wicked life to a holy and godly conversation If his Ascension and sitting at his Fathers right hand have not a like powerful impression upon our souls to raise us up to all heavenlinesse of minde making us in desire and will even as it were to ascend after him and sit there with him the bare saying that we beleeve these Articles shall little avail to our happinesse I beseech you therefore let us all endeavour to make a practical use of these heavenly and supernatural truths which are revealed to us Christ is risen say to thy self why do not I rise with him from all loosnesse vanity wickednesse uncleannesse injustice and abominable lusts Christ is ascended and hath taken his place in Heaven Why do not I cast off all earthly base affections and lift up my soul and aspire to that high-place We say we love Christ and that we are his members let us shew our love to him and union with him by being thus made conformable to his Resurrection and Ascension
Yea let us long for his appearance and thirst after the great Day when he shall come to judge the quick and dead What good wife would not often long for the coming of her absent husband and for her going to partake with him in his state of glory This world is a dunghil and all the things in it are baser compared to that estate of Christ then dirt and dung compared to gold O let us shew that we know and beleeve these things by filling our souls with holy and heavenly desires and affections Contemplate our Lord Jesus Christ rising out of the grave contemplate his ascending up to his Father contemplate him sitting at the right hand of his Father contemplate him coming to Judgement till these things have banished all love of sinne in thee all earthlinesse of Spirit and made thee in some measure like unto him in these things If the Spirit of grace and glory rest upon us it will thus glorifie us and raise us up A Christian man is not glorious because he hath obtained more outward preferment or wealth but because he hath obtained a more effectual and working knowledge of Christ his Head and is made more and more suitable to the spiritual glory of such a Mediatour Hitherto should our chief desires and indeavours runne What do we musing tiring and tormenting our selves in studying earthly things nay evil and sinful things Do these studies and cogitations accord with the heavenly nature which our blessed Saviour maketh them partakers of that are ingraffed into him by Faith and enlivened by the mighty work of his Spirit In vain do we call our selves Christians and look to be brought to that glorious estate wherto he hath already assigned all true Christians if we do not shew our selves thus in our measure for the present glorified with Christ. But secondly let this thought make us to loath our sins and heartily to lament them when we consider of them because they offend so great and wonderful a person that is so highly advanced over all and withal so good and glorious and one that hath done so much for us and doth so particularly know and observe us and all our actions That Lord of Lords and King of Kings that only blessed Potentate who inhabiteth eternity who dwelleth in that light which is inaccessible whom no creature saw nor can see this eminent person he seeth us at all times in all places and companies he is a witnnesse of all our actions that shall be the Judge he taketh particular and precise notice of our whole carriage O shall we dare to offend his pure and glorious eyes with things so abominable to him as those must needs be for which himself was put to suffer such things as he did suffer before he entred into his glory Do we not think that Christ hateth sinne with a most perfect hatred and shall not we strive to conform our selves to him and to please him that is so incomparably much greater then all other creatures Do but think what an one our Lord is and how displeasing sinne is in his sight and then it is not possible for us to love it if we either love our selves or him And it is a sure truth that God will sanctifie these Meditations to such as will exercise themselves therein to beat down sinne in them and to work an hatred of it in their souls Oh rhat each of us could retire our selves often from the world and put himself in minde of Christs glory and say to himself if I follow voluptuousnesse and give my self to wantonnesse drunkennesse gaming idlenesse riot or unthriftinesse these are the things that glorious Saviour of mankinde abh orreth and shall I dare to provoke him against me We are careful to shunne those things which we know will offend great men in the world not alone Kings and Princes but men of inferiour rank that are of place in the Countreys where we dwell and shall we not avoid that which will displease him whose greatnesse is so great that all height set in balance with his is meer meannesse basenesse and contemptiblenesse Admonish thy self often of this point beseech him that knows how loathsom sinne is to himself to make it abominable to thee for his sake and this will cause thee to loath it The true knowledge of Christ to conceive him to be so exceeding excellent as he is will force any reasonable creature to study to please him and to cast away farre from him all that will provoke him and that is all sinne and wickednesse for that his soul hateth and then is our leaving of sinne and casting away evil deeds truly acceptable to him when it hath its original in this knowledge of him and love to him Thirdly This glory of Christ following his sufferings must become a pillar to our Faith and a sure Argument to make us trust perfectly upon him and him alone For is he not able to the utmost to save those which come unto God by him hath he not made it more then manifest that he hath fully satisfied his Fathers justice and answered for our sins He bare the sins of mankinde even of the world as the Scripture speaketh indefinitely that no man should through unbelief exclude himself I say he bare all the sins of men upon his body on the Tree there he undertook to offer up a perpetual Sacrifice and to make an atonement to his Father for us Now you see him no more in an Agony no more Crucified no longer lying in the Grave but entred into his Glory O rest upon him rest upon him rest upon him perfectly How many how great soever those sins be that you have committed for his entring into Glory maketh it manifest that he hath satisfied for them all to the full and if you renounce your selves and all other merits he can and will cause them all to be pardoned and blotted out of the Debt-book of his heavenly Father If we can go to Christ for pardon of sinne he is so glorified that his intercession applying his Redemption to us shall surely make us safe To him therefore runne on him cast thy self on him rely for the plenary and certain remission of all thy sins all aggravations of them notwithstanding yea go to him and rest upon him for power against them all and for strength to overcome them and to vanquish all Satans temptations and to make thee a perfect conquerour for this glory hath he received as the Head of the Church for the use and benefit of his Church and of all and each of those in his Church that shall seek to him and beleeve in him He will justifie he will sanctifie he will save He can do it perfecty he will do it certainly onely so that we rest upon him for it and seek to and call upon him for it All that call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved all that long and desire to be saved and do trust
gap Ieremiah prayed so much and earnestly for the people till God was even fain to discharge him Paul almost in every Epistle tels them to whom he writeth That he maketh mention of them in his prayers and the Apostle tels the Colossians that Epaphras a Minister of theirs did labour for them fervently in his prayers Reasons 1. It is one of the most excellent means to make their other labours prosperous by procuring a blessing upon them from God 2. This is the next way to provoke in his heart a holy Christian and spiritual love of them Let any man accustom to pray to God fervently for any person and it will increase an holy and heavenly affection to them as much as any one thing in the world graces grow and increase by exercise prayer is an exercise of love and charity 3. This is the best way to prevent discouragement in ones labours We may communicate with evil Ministers See 1 Sam. 3. 12 25. 30. 1. Our Saviour hath taught us to hold communion with wicked men for the godly's sake that were among them Yea with such as were tied in the cords of sinne with such as did manifestly live and die in their sins without repentance Iohn 8. 21 59. with Luk. 22. 7 8. Of the Brownists Mr Paget in his Arrow against the Separatists Chap. 8. shews That both Ainsworth and Barrow hold that Baptism administred by Papists is to be retained Ministers must be faithful in their Calling Christ was a merciful and faithful high-Priest His faithfulnesse consists in these things First In revealing the whole counsel of God Acts 20. 27. and only the counsel of God Secondly In dwelling among their people and using their best indeavour to know them well Prov. 27. 23. Iohn 10. 14. Acts 20. 20 28. Phil. 2. 19. 1 Thess. 3. 5. Col. 4. 8. Heb. 13. 17. One saith It is but the least part of a Ministers work which is done in the Pulpit Paul taught them from house to house day and night with tears Act. 20. 29 31. To go daily from house to house to see how they live Ministers must be themselves of an unblameable life Matth. 5. 13. Act. 20. 28. 4. 12. 5. 22. They must frame their lives answerable to their Doctrine This was typed by Aarons Urim and Thummim which he was to carry in the Brest-plate upon his heart for the one betokened Light and Verity of Doctrine the other Uprightnesse and Integrity of life The same was also signified by the golden Bels and Pomegranates hanging round about upon the hemme of his priestly vestment for the Bels are no other then the sound of wholsom preaching and the Pomegranates then the fruits of good living Peaceable not given to sutes and contentions with the people 1 Tim. 3. 3. They should be couragious and bold as Luther Painful Their Calling is a labour 1 Thess. 2. 9. and a travel 2 Thes. 3. 8. Those that labour in the Word and Doctrine I laboured more abundantly then they all Send forth labourers into thy harvest Verbi Minister es hoc age was Mr Perkins Motto See 2 Tim. 4. 1. He must be diligent and painfull both in Study and Preaching Melancthon said there were three hard labours Regentis Docentis Parturientis I have heard it as a certain truth concerning Reverend Mr Bains that every Sermon cost him as much in his sense as he thought as it did ordinarily cost a woman to bring a childe into the world I travel in birth till I see Iesus Christ formed in you Chrysostome saith The work of a Minister is more laborious then that of a Carpenter When he hath wrought hard all day he goes home and comes again in the morning and findes his work as he left it but we hew and take pains and leave our people and come again and finde them worse then before The Honour and Dignity of this Function Although the Ministery above all Callings be most subject to the contempt and disgrace of prophane men yet the Function is a worthy and excellent work and as God himself hath greatly honoured them so can they not but be honoured of all those who are the children of God 1. The subject of this Office is the souls of men their far better and more worthy part the spiritual immortal and most heavenly part of man other functions are conversant about the body or estate 2. The proper end of this is to procure Gods greatest glory in subduing souls to him and in bringing men to the greatest happinesse whereof they are capable even to grace here and glory hereafter This is to establish the spiritual Kingdom of grace in the hearts of men to convert them to God and make them heirs of everlasting happinesse At the last day shall Andrew come in with Achaia by him converted to the saving knowledge of the truth Iohn with Asia Thomas with India Peter with the Jews and Paul with the Gentiles See 1 Thes. 2. 19. A Minister is called a man of God 1 Sam. 9. 5. 1 Tim. 5. 1. 2. 3 17. His chief busines is to deal with God and to be his Messenger unto men the man of his counsel who was admitted to be familiarly with him yea whose whole life was to be consecrated to a speciaâ—â—ttendance upon God and his special service of making his waies known unto the sons of men They are called Messengers of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 2. 7. Embassadours of Christ 2 Cor. 5. 10. Angels of the Churches Fathers of their people 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. God tels Levi he will be his inheritance Deut. 10. 8 9. God protects them Revel 2. Christ holds the Starres in his hand We are commanded to receive them in the Lord to hold them in reputation to esteem them very highly for their works sake to hold them worthy double honour and to obey them Good men have loved faithful Ministers 2 Chron. 30. 22. 31. 4. 35. 2. Mat. 10. 11. Act. 16. 15. Aquila and Priscilla preferred Pauls safety before their own Obadiah hid the Prophets with the hazard of his life 1 King 18. 4. See against the contempt of them as Ministers 2 Chron. 36. 16. Luk. 10. 16. Of their Maintenance A sufficient maintenance is due to the Minister 1 Cor. 9. 9 10 14 15. The stipend of Ministers must be sufficient honourable and stable but the quota pars is not determined 1 Tim. 5. 17. Honour there is maintenance the Elder is the Minister If they be worthy to receive then it is not in the pleasure of man to pay as he list If the maintenance must be honourable then it must not be of benevolence for that is commonly both scant and uncertain which is a thing miserable not honourable Tenuitatem beneficiorum sequitur ignorantia Sacerdotum It is a great Question An decimae Ministris jure divino sint solvendae The Schoolmen are generally for the negative
It is a great debasement for a man to be under that which should be his slave Directions how to get this faculty sanctified 1. We shall never get it under the yoke untill we can get the soul to finde satisfaction in better things Communion with God Paul could abound and want All the Philosophy in the world cannot take thy soul off till grace doe their own rules took not their hearts off because they had not better things to satisfie it 2. Watch diligently over thy senses Satans Cinque-ports what undid Achan I saw a fine garment and then I coveted The Whore in the Proverbs allured the young man by inveigling most of his senses I made a Covenant with my eyes saith Iob. 3. We must be careful of our inward senses our thoughts of earthly things 4. Pray much to the Lord that he would keep us in his holy fear The vegetative soul is a power of attracting concocting and expelling what is superfluous it was not gracious in innocency nor sinful by the fall the perversness of it was brought in by sin but sub ratione poenae CHAP. XXVIII Of the Sanctification of Mans Body and all the External Actions THe body as well as the soul was redeemed by the price of Christs bloud taken into union with him and shall be glorious to all eternity I shall here handle four things 1. The Nature of the Body 2. The Image of God in it before the fall 3. It s Corruption 4. It s sanctifying by the Spirit Of the first It is one of the most curious pieces of all Gods workmanship Psal. 139. 14 15. The operation of the soul much depends on the temper or distemper of the body 2. What the Image of God was in mans body before the fall God is a Spirit how can the body be his Image The Schoolmen say it stood in three things 1. In the admirable frame and composure of it this is not probable 2. In its Majesty which carried a beam of God in it bruit beasts did stoop to him as their Lord. 3. It bore Gods Image significativè it was the vessel wherein the soul did act that holinesse which was Gods Image The comlinesse of any mans body depends not on outward decking but when it is imployed in the works of holinesse 3. The depravation of the body since mans fall It is a great Question Wherein the sinfulnesse of the body lies because there is no sin in it till the soul comes nor when it is gone Yet that there is sin in it appears by 1 Thess. 5. 23. It s sinfulnesse consists in three things 1. In its fitnesse to sin Rom. 6. 13. 2. In its readinesse to sin there is not only a passive fitnesse but an active readinesse in the members to sinne Act. 13. 10. The feet are swift to shed bloud 3. In its greedinesse to the service of sin Deut. 29. 19. The whole body of original corruption dwels in our bodies Rom. 6. Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies This corruption desiles the body within and issues out likewise sometimes it will inwardly burn with lust and anger The members of our bodies are the instruments of sin The Tongue was given man to be an instrument of Gods glory therefore David calleth it his Glory since our fall the Spirit of God saith It is a world of wickednesse One hath written a large Treatise of the sins of the Tongue with that we curse God and rail on men much uncleannesse is acted by it One reckoneth up four and twenty several sins of the Tongue lying swearing ribaldry scoffing flattering quarrelling deceiving boasting tatling c. It is compared to a sharp two-edged sword to a razor to sharp arrows to an Adders sting to the poyson of an Asp to fiery coles to the fire of hell Eyes Eyes full of adultery 1 Pet. 2. an evil eye a covetous eye Ears A deaf ear to that which is good itching ears Hands Full of violence oppressing Feet Swift to shed bloud 4. The work of Grace in sanctifying mans body When the whole work of Sanctification is intended God sometimes names onely the sanctifying of mans body Rom. 12. 1 Thess. 4. 3 4. Rom. 6. 12 13. 1 Cor. 6. 13 19. The work of Grace in sanctifying the body stands not in making it the immediate and proper subject of Grace that being spiritual cannot have its seat in mole corporea but in these particulars 1. It shall be no longer at the command of the devil or a lust 1 Cor. 6. 15. Iob 31. 1. Psal. 141. 3. 2. It is consecrated to the Lord Rom. 12. 1. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. It is made the Temple of the holy Ghost where the holy Ghost resides he will spiritually adorn it that it shall be no more inthralled to sin 3. It is taken into a real and indissoluble union with God himself 1 Cor. 6. Your bodies are the members of Christ. 4. Our bodies are the instruments by which the Spirit of God and our souls work Sanctification Rom. 6. Give up your members as instruments of righteousnesse 1 Cor. 6. 20. David often calleth on his tongue to blesse God naming it his glory it exalts Gods praises ministers grace to the hearers Psal. 141. 3. The bridling of the tongue standeth 1. In forbearing words 1. Sinful simply whether 1. Impious against Gods 1. Being Authority and Greatnesse 2. Worship and Word 3. Name and Honour 4. Sabbath and Rest. 2. Injurious against 1. Those that we have relation to 1. Betters irreverent 2. Equals comparing and disgracing 3. Inferiours vilifying contemning 2. All men viz. 1. Unkinde passionate provoking and bitter words against the sixth Commandment 2. Impure unclean against the seventh 3. Fraudulent and deceitfull against the eighth Commandment 4. Whispering slandering flattering bragging backbiting against the ninth Commandment 2. Superfluous too many Prov. 10. 8 10. 1 Tim. 5. 11. 3. Impertinent not to the purpose not concerning ones self Psal. 73. 9. 4. Idle to no purpose Matth. 13. 36. 5. Unseasonable uttered out of time and place as to apply the comforts of the Gospel to him which is not at all humbled or denounce the terrours of the Law against one who is too much already pressed with the sense of his sins 2. In using speech which is 1. Alwayes gracious viz. 1. Discreet 2. Gentle 3. Lowly 4. True 2. Often religious Motives to preserve our bodies in purity Consider First What an excellent piece the body of man is in the Lords Creation of it wherein the Power Wisdom and Goodnesse of God appears Secondly Rather then it should be lost Christ hath bought it with his precious bloud 1 Cor. 6. Thirdly Thy body is joyned to Christ and all the members are made members of his body Fourthly The holy Ghost dwels in it God hath two thrones the highest heavens and the body and soul of a believer God would not let any natural filthiness be amongst them while he was present
is the great Landlord of the world Secondly From man by whom thanks must be given 1. In that we stand in continual need of Gods new favours and are totally dependant upon him and unable to recompence the old 2. From the duty it self it is to God very acceptable Psal. 69. 31. 50. 8 9. this is all he expects for his benefits to us very profitable and in it self needful excellent pleasant and possible a man hath understanding and speech and a Christian hath the Scriptures to direct him True thankfulnesse doth import two things An acknowledgement of the benefit and ones engagement for it and then a ready willing minde if occasion serveth to requite it Paul scarce ever gives a precept concerning prayer though he give many but he is carefull to joyn thanksgiving with it Phil. 4. 8. Colos. 4. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 1. 1 Thess. 5. 17. Examples of thankfulnesse we have Noah Gen. 8. lat end Moses and Miriam Exod. 15. 17. Judg. 5. Esth. 5. David 2 Sam. 22. 4. There is this distinction between the Papists and Protestants in France the Huguonets are called the singing or praising people It is an excellent and transcendent duty a most honourable service See Psal. 50. vers 14. 23. a most immediate conversing with God when we praise God we ascribe something to him In thanksgiving a man separates himself from himself and all things to God and so he doth draw nearest to God in this duty It is a comprehensive duty all duties runne into it we pray that God may deliver us and we may glorifie him Psal. 50. 14. therefore it is called the Sacrifice of praise Psal. 107. 22. as if it were instar omnium We reade conferre and hear that we may praise God Heb. 13. 15. it is the end of all our duties and of all Gods works and counsels Prov. 16. 4. It hath the largest object of any duty Faith hath for its object Promises and experiences fear threatnings and judgements Love what is lovely Praise every good thing 1 Thess. 5. 18. Col. 2. 7. Ephes. 1. 4. 1 Tim. 4. 3 4. It doth exercise and increase the principal graces of Gods Spirit in us knowledge of God love to God faith in him for all vertues are augmented by practice and exercise It must be 1. To God alone for there is the same object of petition and thanksgiving Psal. 50. 23. Hos. 14. 2. Therefore it so fals out that those who have divided their prayers between God and others doe also share their praises between God and others as in Poperie they doe as often praise the Saints as pray to them 2. In the name of Christ In every thing give thanks through Iesus Christ for without his mediation and atonement our very prayers and praises will become most loathsome unto God 3. By the help of the holy Ghost for as we cannot pray so neither praise God but by his enabling of us Open my mouth O Lord and my lips shall shew forth thy praise 4. For good and lawful things as we are to pray for nothing but what is according to Gods will so neither to praise God for any thing that is evil for that were to make God the authour of sin The manner in general It must be 1. With grace in the heart Psal. 103. 1. 2. With understanding in the mind Psal. 47. 7. 3. With faith in the will David was most thankful when he believ'd God to be his and to have heard his prayer 4. With joy and thankfulnesse Is any man merry let him sing Psalms 5. With holinesse of life a real praising of God 6. By preferring spiritual mercies before temporal 7. With engaging our selves to God to walk more to his praise 2 Chron. 15. 11. 8. With humility and self-abasement Psal. 2. Rejoyce with fear and trembling We should praise God 1. Intensivè with the greatest ardour and intension Psal. 103. 1. 36. 10. 2. Extensivè with all praise Psal. 9. 14. and for all mercies Psal. 71. 7 8. We must be thankful 1. In our hearts Psal. 103. 1 2. there must be a consideration of the benefits we have received Psal. 139. 14. Col. 4. 2. 2. We should value and truly esteem of them 1 Cor. 9. 15. 1 Thess. 3. 2. Ezra 9. 13. Psal. 40. 5. 71. 15. 3. Have a sense of Gods love in our hearts Col. 2. 7. 4. Joy in the goodnesse of God to us in the mercies he vouchsafeth 1 Sam. 2. 1. 1 Chron. 29. 7. Motives to praise God 1. The freenesse of Gods love to us either in personal or publick mercies 2. Our desert of the contrary 3. The glory of God is all he looks for and therefore he commands this 4. It is a practical duty 5. It breeds in the heart love to God 6. It is a duty which contains all excellencies in it Psal. 147. 1. 1. Good 2. Profitable to us the way to get more blessings Phil. 4. 6 7. Ingratitude forfeits blessings Deut. 28. 47 48. 1 Tim. 4. 4. 3. Pleasant 1. To God Psal. 69 30 31. Ephes. 5. 18 20. 2. To us 1. Joy is the ground of it we never thank God till our hearts be warmed Luke 1. 46 47. 2. True joy is the consequent of it Phil. 4. 6 7. 4. Comely a debt 1. It is all we can do to God 2 Sam. 7. 19 20. 2. It is all God requires 1 Thess. 5. 8. Hitherto of the distinct kinds of prayer in regard of the matter Now follow the distinctions of prayer in regard of the manner First It is either mental or vocal Mental praier is an inward opening of the desire of a mans heart to God without any outward manifestation of the same by word as Gen. 24. 45. Exod. 14. 15. 2 Sam. 1. 13. Nehem. 2. 4. This may be as fervent as if it were uttered Vocal praier is that which is uttered with words as 1 Kings 8. 23. See Psal. 71. 23 24. 119. 17. Words are used 1. That men might know the desires of one anothers heart and so partake of the mutual praiers one of another 2. Because they not only declare but also stir up and increase the affection of the heart 3. They are a special means to keep the minde from wandering and to hold it close to the matter 4. Because God is to be glorified not only by our minds but also by our bodies and so with our voice 1 Cor. 6. 20. Our tongue is called our glory Psal. 16. 7. 10. 8. because it is that instrument by which we are to set forth Gods glory Secondly It is sudden or composed Sudden praier is when upon some present occasion the heart is instantly lift up unto God whether it be only by some sighs in the heart or by some few words uttered Neh. 2. 4. These sudden praiers are called ejaculations upon all occasions we must lift up our hearts unto God Composed praier is when a Christian setteth himself to
of the ancient Christians were so called of their end and purpose or effect Albeit they had divine Toleration yet they had not divine Institution and Introduction For it is not shewed out of holy Writ or consent of Antiquity that they were commanded by Christ or his Apostles warrant We may well say they had for without check or controlment of their use without alteration for their being they were in the Apostles times and there is mention of them in Scripture only they are taxed that did abuse them and made themselves unworthy of such holy meetings St Paul is commonly understood of these Feasts 1 Cor. 11. 18. which were concomitant unto the holy Sacrament then but St Iude in expresse words doth name them vers 12. Maculae in Agapis vestris Both prove but a practice abused and reformed again by St Paul not an Ordination from God or the Apostles These Love-feasts were general meetings of the whole Church at least representative of as many as did communicate unlesse some great occasion did with hold them IV. Hungring after Christ and desire of Gods favour We must come poor and hungry to the Lords Table Psal. 132. 15. Luke 14. 13. Revel 3. 17 18. The promises are made to the hungry Isa. 55. 1. 45. 19. Prov. 21. 21. Luke 1. 50. Mat. 5. 3. Ier. 31. 25. Iohn 6. 44. Heb. 7. 25. Luthers paradox is None come worthy but those that come unworthy that is in their own sense and feeling Hunger and thirst imply 1. A want of those things which should support our bodily life 2. An afflicting sense of the want 3. An eager desire of the supply of it So we must apprehend 1. Our own emptinesse our lost condition 2. We must be sensible of the wrath of God due to us for our sins 3. We must earnestly desire Gods favour to be reconciled to him Hunger and thirst are both expressed Iohn 6. 44. to shew the thorownesse of the apprehension and supply Reasons 1. These only can relish Christ he is sweet to hungry souls Matth. 11. 28. Those that are affected with the sense of their sins can best taste of Gods mercy 2. These only suit with Christ Follow me for I am lowly and meek 3. This will awake desires the hunger-bitten beggar will be importunate with God 4. This will make you welcome to God He fils the hungry with good things Open thy mouth wide and he will fill it Isa. 44. 3. Psal. 145. 15. compared with the 19. We must desire Gods favour heartily and continually because 1. It is necessary for it were better for one not to be then to be out of Gods favour 2. Because it is excellent for Gods favour and the light of his countenance is better then life it self That we may stir up this desire in us we must consider 1. Our need of Christ his fulnesse and perfection 2. The necessity and excellency of the Sacrament 3. The benefits we have therein and the helps thereby to quicken and confirm our faith Having dispatched the consideration of the truth of certain graces we are to examine before we come to the Lords Table I shall in the next place speak of the growth or wants of our graces I. Of the growth of our Graces As we ought to examine our selves of the truth of our graces when we go to the Lords Supper so likewise of their growth and strength true grace will grow The Lords Supper is a sealing and strengthening Ordinance therefore presupposeth life we should then know the degree and strength of our graces Grace is a supernatural and peculiar quality wrought in the people of God by his Spirit whereby they are inabled to please God in all things 1. A quality in us sometimes it signifieth grace in God Being justified freely by his grace 2. Supernatural inableth us to do things above nature 3. Peculiar to distinguish it from common graces in reprobates which are supernatural as the grace of God working miracles 4. Wrought in us by the Spirit it is not in us by nature or education it is the grace of God he is the God of all grace 5. To please God in all things we must have respect to all his Commandments The Scripture speaks much of abounding and growing in grace Psal. 92. 12. 1 Cor. 15. 58. The word abounding is taken from rivers the other from all sorts of vitals or plants The Apostle cals upon the Corinthians to be strong and upon Timothy to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus and upon the Ephesians to be strong in Christ and in the power of his might Paul prayes for the Ephesians that according to the riches of his grace the Lord would strengthen them by his Spirit with all might in the inward man Bodily strength is a natural gift common to man with beast yet many brag of it spiritual strength is far more excellent See Heb. 10. 29. Ephes. 4. 15. There is alwayes a furthermore in Christianity 1 Thess. 4. 1. Ubi incipis nolle fieri melior ibi etiam de sinis esse bonus Bern. Epist. 91. Reasons why Christians should strive to grow in grace First God commands it Phil. 1. 12. Ephes. 3. 19. Colos. 2. 19. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Heb. 6. 1. Secondly God commends it O woman great is thy faith Stephen was full of the holy Ghost Acts 9. 36. Thirdly The Saints of God have practised it 1. Prayed for the increase of grace Phil. 3. 11. 2. Laboured for the increase of it Fourthly From the similitudes to which a childe of God is compared in Scripture to trees Psal. 1. 2. 91. 12. Isa. 61. 3. Hos. 14. 5. Plants grow till they die whence they are called vegetables Fifthly From the nature of grace where there is truth of grace it will grow Matth. 13. 8. because it puts a man into Christ whosoever is in him must needs be fruitful Iohn 15. 5. if the body of Christ did not grow as well as the head it would be a monstrous body Col. 2. 19. Ephes. 2. 10. Sixthly According to the measure of your grace shall be the degree of your glory 2 Pet. 1. 10. He that soweth liberally shall reap liberally Motives to get strength and grow in grace 1. We need more strength Revel 3. 9. Grace is the elevation of the soul. 2. It is more honourable to have a great measure of grace Revel 2. 19. Christ checks his Disciples for their little faith 3. If we grow not in grace we decrease Heb. 6. 1. compared with v. 4. All Christians saith Ierome are like the Angels in Iacobs ladder they all ascended or descended Qui dixit sufficit deficit 1 John 3. 3. 4. Fruitfull Christians are in a happy condition Heb. 6. 7. God is much honoured by them Iohn 15. 5 8. Phil. 1. 11. he will delight to dwell with them at the day of judgement they shall receive publick approbation and remuneration Matth. 25. 23.
we come to see that the Sacraments are the Lords Ordinances and that those things which he promiseth in the Covenant of Grace and sealeth in the Sacrament are farre better then all profits and pleasures in this world By it we come to be stirred up to desire and long after these benefits and so to covet them that nothing in this world will satisfie us without them We should exercise faith at the Lords Table view the arguments the Ordinance it self affords 1. Here is Christ crucified before thine eyes and he clearly offers it to thy soul in particular he applies it to thee This is my body which was broken for thee and my bloud which was shed for thee Run over the sad story of Christs agony and say This was done by my Lord for my poor soul. 2. The Lord cals thee hither on purpose because thou art weak He will cherish weak beginnings Mat. 12. 20. For our affections we must behave our selves with joy comfort and reverence See 2 Chron. 30. 21. Mat. 26. 30. Thy heart should be cheerful in God and thankful praise him Thankfulnesse and joy are the effects of faith the Ordinances are often compared to feasts and banquets because of the spiritual delight and rejoycing which the soul ought to take in them Hence the very Sacrament is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of the giving thanks unto God for his mercies The outward duty is comfortable Circumcision was a bloudy rite yet this is nothing to the inward sweetnesse Iohn 4. 32. In one of the Evangelists it is said Christ blest the bread in another it is said Christ gave thanks Christ when he instituted this Sacrament gave thanks to God the Father that he was pleased to send him into the world to die for poor souls Fear is proper to the duty of the Supper because of those excellent mysteries Chrysostom cals this Table Horribilis mystica mensa Psal. 68. 35. mixt affections do best in a mixt state in the whole worship of God Psal. 2. 11. Hos. 3. 7. For our thoughts We must meditate 1. On the outward signs and what they signifie 2. On the dainties prepared 3. The love of him that prepared them 4. On our communion with Christ his Graces and faithful people The effect of these affections and thoughts will be stirring up the heart to thanksgiving When we taste the wine we should consider its properties Psal. 104. 15. Iudg. 9. 13. so there is satisfaction to God and comfort to the creature in the bloud of Christ wine ingenders new spirits warms and refines them the bloud of Christ infuseth a new vigour into the soul. Our Communion with Christ in the Supper is not only with his gifts and graces but with his Person whole Christ. There are two Elements to signifie this Bread his Body and Wine his Bloud Our Communion is with his whole Person with Christ invested with all kinde of Offices to do us good and furnished with rich graces and comforts 1 Iohn 5. 16. We partake of his wisdom as a Prophet righteousnesse as a Priest grace and glory as a King What must be done after the Sacrament We must endeavour to finde an increase of faith love and all saving graces in us abounding more and more in well-doing We should speak of the sweetnesse of Christ to others Psal. 34. 8. Some Disciples have gone from this Supper triumphing and trampling upon Satan as Lions breathing fire saith Chrysostome terrible to the Devils themselves If we finde not the fruit of this Ordinance presently either it may come from want of preparation or from trusting in our own preparation 2 Chron. 26. 15 16. or want of thankfulnesse for our preparation 1 Chron. 29. 14. or from want of stirring up the graces we have received in that duty Isa. 57. 8. 2 Tim. 1. 6. Or Because we were not humbled for former neglects Psal. 32. 4 5. God may deny us the present sense of our benefit 1. To train us up to live by faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. 2. To try our graces 3. That we may more diligently search into our own souls Psal. 77. 6. How oft ought the Sacrament to be received Amongst the Papists the people communicate only once a year viz. at Easter which superstitious custom many of our ignorant people follow Calvin 4. Institut 43. 46. roundly professeth that it behoveth that the Eucharist be celebrated at least once a week The Christians in some parts of the Primitive Church took the Sacrament every day because they did look to die every day Now in many places it is administred every moneth Object The Passeover unto which the Lords Supper succeedeth was celebrated once a year and therefore once only for this Sacrament is sufficient Answ. God ordained that the Passeover should be celebrated but once only in the year and on a certain moneth and day the Jews had many other visible signs to represent Christ and his benefits they had Sacrifices every day and legal washings but he hath appointed that this Feast of the Lords Supper should be often solemnized and that we should come often unto it 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. That the frequent celebration of the Sacrament is a duty is inferred from this Text by Peter Martyr Calvin Musculus Aretius Hyperius Tossâ—nus Pareus Piscator Dickson and Mr Pemble See Iohnsons Christian Plea Chap. 14. In the time of the Apostles the purest age of the Church they solemnized it every Lords day Acts 20. 7. yea it was their daily exercise as often almost as they had any publick meeting for the service of God Acts 2. 42. And this custom long continued in the Primitive Church after the Apostles times not only in the dayes of Iustin Martyr and Tertullian but also of Chrysostom and Augastine as appeareth by their writings untill by mans corruption and Satans malice the commonnesse of the action exposed it to contempt We should come often to the Sacrament there is no exception but want of occasion or some just impediment There was in old time a custom there should be a Communion every Lords day every one not receiving without lawful excuse being excommunicated which Charls the Great in some sort renewed and which Bucer advised K. Edward in this Land to restore again Whether if an Ordinance and namely the Sacrament of the Lords Supper though there seems to be the like reason in other Ordinances cannot be so administred but that by some which partake of it it will notoriously be prophaned that be a sufficient reason for the non-administration of it Or Whether for want of order and government to keep off such as are notoriously unworthy the administration of the Sacrament may and ought to be suspended Again Whether a Minister may lawfully and with a good conscience continue there in the exercise of his Ministery having a Pastoral charge where he hath not power to administer the Sacrament of
special a blessing could have endured to see Gods holy Altar by any of his Priests polluted with so fearfull an abomination and so expressely forbidden yet he procured himself and his daughter great reproach in that he was fain to consecrate his only daughter to God as a perpetual Nazaritesse Whence followed at least in the opinion of those times a necessity of remaining a Virgin and child lesse so that his example must warn us before vowing to consider distinctly and seriously what we vow Thus we have shewed you what diligence is required before the worship In the worship is required as great diligence Rom. 12. 11. First With our understanding and thoughts to make them attentive that we may heed what we do and apply our thoughts and conceits alone that way that so there may be an agreement betwixt body and minde Thus in praying we must mark what it is that we ask confesse or give thanks for so that we understand our selves and be able to approve that we have asked nothing but what we might In hearing we must listen and attend that we may carry away the Word and let it not leak we must binde our mindes to give heedful attention according to that Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith Hear O Israel saith Moses often Hear O children saith David So in the Sacraments we must mark each action and busie our mindes in observing the thing signified as well at our eyes in the thing that is outward When we see the bread consider of Christs presence and power to nourish when we see the wine of his presence and power to comfort so in the other actions when we see the breaking of the bread think of his death when we see the giving consider of Gods offering him and so in every action we must serve the Lord with our whole heart whereof one part is this observing attending marking the action Secondly We must bring our affections to be so moved as the nature of the exercises requireth which is that which is commended in the good Iosiah his heart melted in hearing threatnings and the Thessalonians received the Gospel with joy in prayer we must be fervent and in the Sacrament we must bring our hearts to a feeling sorrow for Christs death and our sins and to a joyful remembrance of the great work of our redemption so it must be a sweet mixture of joy and sorrow so must we worship God with our whole heart for then we worship him with our whole heart when our minde and affections are taken up with the matter of his worship as hath been said so in prayer David cried unto God was earnest about his requests This earnestnesse of affection is a very necessary thing to make the worship of God we perform acceptable and this is diligence in the worship There must also be diligence after the worship in a care to make good use of it and to observe our growth by it and to perceive what proceedings we make in godlinesse by all the services we perform seeing all that we do tends to this end the Sacrament Word Prayer should nourish grace all to confirm and strengthen the grace of the inward man All duties to God must be done with all the faculties of the inward man 2. With the intention of all the faculties The demeanour of the body lies in this that it is a fit instrument to serve the soul. The Turks worship Mahomet more reverently then Christians the true God a vain carriage of the body is an evident argument of a vain minde 2. The soul should be active the whole inward man the understanding should be ready to apprehend truth the will to choose it the memory to retain it the conscience to submit unto it Isa. 58. 5. 1 Cor. 14. 15. Reasons why the inward man must be active in worship 1. God will be worshipt according to his nature Iohn 4. 24. 2. The soul is the man the main of sinne lies in the soul Mic. 6. 7. 3. The soul only is the seat of grace Ephes. 3. 17. 4. The end of all Christian duty is communion with God he can have no communion with the body 5. In this doth the glory of all a Christians duties consist Mark 13. 33. Revel 5. 8. 6. This onely makes the duty fruitful the fruit of the duty lies in the activity of it After the duties done there should be 1. An impression of Gods holinesse upon us Exod. 34. 29. Acts 4. 13. a savour of the duties we have done 2. When we have found out God in a duty we should ingage our hearts to that duty ever after Psal. 116. 2. and it should encourage us in all the services God requires Gen. 29. 1. 3. We should be very thankful to God for every good motion thought new discovery 1 Chron. 29. 13. The special duties after the Word Prayer and a Vow are these After the Word to call our selves to account what we remember and so to search if it be true and ponder upon it our selves with a chewing of the cud and the life of hearing depends on it This is digesting the Word this is causing it to take root this is ingraffing it in the heart and if we have convenient means of company we ought to conferre of it and advise together about it that one may help another so did the Bereans searching the Scriptures after Pauls speaking the Gospel to them The next for prayer is as David saith to wait on God to look for and continue though we be defer'd to look for what we have begged and to observe how it is granted that accordingly we may be thankfull or humbled and increase our earnestnesse When a man prefers a Petition to the King he gives his attendance to see what successe so must we to God Our eyes must behold him as the eyes of the handmaids the Mistresse so that we may be able to see whether he be angry against our prayers or condescend to them and if he do seem angry yet we may not faint but follow him still if we have praid against a temptation we must look for power against it and if we feel power rejoyce in God that gave it if not pray again and still wait renewing our supplication so if we have desired any grace or benefit either temporal or spiritual according to Gods Word we must not make haste or be heedlesse but even wait and attend his leisure as one that is infinitely better and wiser then our selves Next for vows the uses must be a special care of our vow to fulfill it for the word is expresse Thou shalt pay thy vows and thou shalt not go back if the vow be of things lawful else we must not stand to it but with great repentance for the vow perform Gods Commandment rather then our vow Thus you have heard of truth and diligence there are required two things more Faith which is a
but the faithful which died before Christs ascension Revel 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth presently from the time of death 1. Christs death was efficacious to believers before his coming as well as since Heb. 13. 8. 2. The faithful before Christ expected heaven when this life was ended Heb. 11. 11 14 15 16. 3. The believing thief was with Christ in Paradise that day Luk. 23. 43. which Bellarmine de Beatitud Sanctorum l. 1. c. 3. interprets to be heaven this was before Christs Ascension Luke 16. 23 26. Abrahams bosome is a place of comfort for Abraham was there comforted 2. There is a great Chaos which signifies an infinite distance between Abraham and the rich glutton which utterly overthrows the dream of Limbus which signifies a border or edge and supposeth that place to be hard adjoyning to that of torment CHAP. IV. Of Everlasting Life THe last prerogative of the Church is Life Everlasting which being the summe of all desires is fitly placed in the last place Here are two things 1. Life it self 2. The continuance of life noted in the word Everlasting See Acts 13. 48. Eternal life is three wayes promised 1. As the free gift of God without any respect of any worthinesse in us Rom. 6. ult Iam. 1. 12. 2. As our inheritance purchased by Christ Ephes. 1. 14. 3. As a free reward promised and given to obedience Rom. 6. 22. In the first respect our salvation and all the degrees is wholly to be ascribed to the gracious favour of God in Christ. In the second to the mercy of God and merit of Christ. In the third to the mercies of God redoubled and multiplied upon us and not to any desert of ours B. Down of Justification lib. 2. cap. 4. Life is that whereby any thing acteth liveth and moveth It is either natural or spiritual and that last hath two degrees the life of grace and glory First That there is everlasting life is proved 1. From the love of God to his servants that is everlasting 2. Because God will be eternally glorified 3. It is the aim of the Saints 1 Cor. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 9. It is 1. A transcendent or surpassing life it exceedeth natural and spiritual life 2. A satisfying life Psal. 17. 15. there shall be all good and perfect good and perfectly injoyed God shall be all in all he is a satisfaction to himself much more to us 3. A glorious life there is a glorious God a glorious Christ there are the glorified Saints and Angels 4. A most joyful life Enter thou into thy masters joy we shall delight in God and he in us 5. Eternal life eternity heightens either happinesse or misery It is called eternal life not properly but by a Catachresis it hath a beginning but no end it is not temporary defined by any certain term obnoxious to any change it shall continue for ever without end Some question Whether one may propound eternall life as an end to aim at It is lawful for Christians that most deny themselves to make eternal life the great scope they aim at nay it is needful for them so to do 1. From the glorious precepts of God obliging the soul to propound such an end 1 Tim 6. 12 19. Phil. 2. 12. 2 Pet. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 9. 24. 2. The promises of God encouraging Matthew 5. 11 12. 1 Timothy 4. 8. Matth. 19. 28. 3. We have the presidents of believers that denied themselves in this world Heb. 11. 24 25 26. v. 35 36. Iude v. 21. 4. Eternal life was Gods end Heb. 2. 10. 1 Pet. 3. 8. It was the end of Christs incarnation suffering ascention intercession Iohn 10. 10. 17. 24. we should aim at Gods end 5. It was Gods design from all eternity to bring men to eternal life 1 Cor. 2. 7. 6. The great condition on which God promiseth eternal life is that we might seek and endeavour after it Rom. 2. 7. 7. We are much concerned in it What proportion is there between time and eternity How to know whether we make eternal life the end of this life 1. Then we will have high thoughts of eternity the comforts that are eternal are worth regarding and the miseries that are eternal should chiefly be avoided 2. We will then seriously enquire after the way to heaven Ier. 50. 5. Ps. 16. ult David often begs of God to teach him his waies 3. We will then make it our main work to come to heaven Phil. 3. 11 13 14. one thing is necessary 4. We will be content with no reward on this side eternal life Psal. 17. lat end 41. 4. 5. We will rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God 2 Tim. 4. 8. Titus 2. 13. Iude v. 21. 6. It will be our aim then to overcome the fear of death 7. We will often review our evidences for heaven Heb. 2. 11. and desire God to search and try us Psal. 139. ult It is a Question An sancti fruantur beatitudine ante ultimum judicium It was a current opinion among most of the Fathers if not all That the souls of men after their death do not go immediately to heaven but are in a receptacle or mansion-place till the day of Judgement and some of late have followed it especially the Anabaptists The souls immediately departed have not the compleat fulnesse of that happinesse which they shall have yet they are not excluded from the enjoying of God Luk. 23. 43. 2 Cor. 5. 1. Phil. 1. 23. Some say there is a difference of those that are raised again as Lazarus and some others for it is likely say they that their souls went not into heaven but were detained by God who would unite them again to shew forth his glory The accidental joy of the Saints say the Schoolmen shall be greater both extensively because it shall be in soul and body and intensively because the soul shall rejoyce to see the body glorified 2. The essential glory shall increase extensively because it shall redound unto the body The souls of the godly immediately after their departure hence from the body are said to be in rest Heb. 4. 11. in consolation Luke 16. 25. in security Iohn 11. 15 18. therefore they presently go to heaven to God and Christ. Consider the names given to the state of glory it is called Life These shall enter into life Rest finde rest go to rest our home our Fathers house a purchased and glorious inheritance A Kingdom the Kingdom of heaven Ioy our Masters joy everlasting joy Glory weight of glory eternal weight of glory The City of our God The Scripture cals it Paradise a place of all delight and pleasure alluding to that Paradise planted by Gods own hand to make it a delight for the innocent state of man and Abrahams bosom wherein the Saints receive refreshing which is a borrowed speech taken from Fathers carrying and cherishing their little
them Mr. Dod. Filius tuus filia tua Intelligit cos qui ob aetatem legis intellectum nondum habent quos arcere ab operis debent parentes Grotius Man and maid-servant because commonly some lucre is gotten by their labour Iumentorum à laboribus cessatio ideo praecipitur 1. Ut ita assuesierent miscricordiae Dum enim jubebantur ipsis jumentis quietem concedere discebant erga homines mitius agere Prov. 12. 10. 2. Et maximè ut ipsi Israelitae Sabbatho quicsc repossint non cuim potuissent à laboribus cessare occupati regendis jumentis Exod. 23 12. Rivetus * This reason drawn from Gods resting upon the seventh day must be deduced not from Gods act in resting upon that day but from the consequent of that rest the honouring of that day by his resting therein Mr. White on the fourth Commandment There are ten words or sentences of which if we take away this there will be but nine Exod. 34. 18 20. 2. Adam in innocency kept a Sabbath Gen. 2. 3 15. therefore much more should we the Apostles in taking this day and giving it the name of the Lords day Apoc. 1. 10. as before it was called the Lords Sabbath and ordaining publick exercises Act. 10. 7. and private 1 Cor. 4. 2. 3. As they did shew that in the particular seventh day it was ceremonial so in the common necessity it was perpetual according to equity 4. As Calvin saith unto the Papists of the second Commandment who also said that was ceremonial and abolished As long as we feel the grosnesse of our nature to invent false worship framing images of God so long that must remain to humble us even so as long as we do feel our corruption in accounting the Sabbath unpossible and so omitting and profaning it so long we will hold it to be perpetual Fenners Table of the Princip of Religion The Sabbath includes two respects of time First the quotum one day of seven or the seventh day after six daies labour Secondly The designation or pitching that seventh day upon the day we call Saturday Whether this day was in order the seventh from the Creation or not the Scripture is silent for where it is called in the Commandment the seventh day that is in respect of the six daies of labour and not otherwise and therefore whensoever it is so called those six daies of labour are mentioned with it The example of the Creation fâ— brought for the quotum one day of seven and not for the designation of any certain day for that seventh Mr. Mede on Ezek. 20. 20. Seneca inter alias civilis Theologia superstitiones reprehendit etiam sacramenta Iudaeorum maxime sabbata inutiliter eos facere affirmans quod per illos singulos septem interpofitos dies septimam ferè partem aetatis sua perdant vacando multa in tempore vergentia non agendâ— laedantur August de civit Dei l. 6. c. 11. Dies Dominica dicitur eadem ratione qua Sacra Eucharistiae caena vocatur caena Dominica 1 Cor. 11. 20. quia scilicet à Domino nostro Iesu Christo suit instituta ad eundem etiam Dominum in sine usu debet referri Ames medul Theol. l. 2. c. 15. It was a usual question put to Christians Dominicam servastis and their answer was Christianus sum intermittere non possum Est observationis Apostolicae verè divinae Beza in Apoc. 1. Coloss. 2. In the reign of Henry the third a Jew fell into a Jakes at Tewkesbury to whom it being offered to draw him out it being Saturday the Jews Sabbath he refused lest he should pollute the holinesse of the day Sabbata sancta colo de Stercore surgere nolo The thing coming to the chief Lord of the Country he commanded they should let him lie the next day too for the honour of the Lords day the Christians Sabbath lest he should profane it so by abiding in it that day also he perished Sabbata nostra quidem Salomon celebrabit ibidem In Constantinople and all other places of Turkis I ever saw three Sabbaths together in one week the Friday for the Turks the Saturday for the Jews and the Sunday for Christians but the Turks Sabbath is worst kept of all for they will not spare to do any labour on their Holy-day Lithgows nineteen yeers Travels part 4. * The godly Jews had their preparation for the Sabbath that nothing might disturb the holy rest ensuing Mat. 27. 62. Mark 15. 42. We must prepare for the Sabbath before it comes 1. By preventing all lets and incumbrances which on that day might hinder us in Gods service publick or private 2. We must in a godly manner prepare and fit our selves in soul and body so as on that day we may give most glory to God and receive most good and comfort to our souls Ad hujus diei rectam observationem duo sunt necessaria quies quietis illius sanctificatio Quies qua requiritur est cessatio ab omni opere quod exercitiis cultus divini poneret impedimentum Sanctificatio hujus quietis ac diei est applicatio nostrum ipsorum singularis ad Deum illa die colendum quod innuitur illis ipsis phrasiâ—us Sanctificavit illum diem Sabbathum est Jehovae Deo tuo Ames Medul Theol. l. 2. c. 15. * Opus nostrum vocat quod facimus nostri causa hoc est propter nostrum lucrum mercedem Commodum hoc autem proprium est servorum servilia ergo haec opera quae scilicet lucri nostri causa fiunt ad seculum hoc pertinent eoque verè nostra concedit fieri intra sex dies cavet verò ne fiant die septimo Zanchius in quartum praeceptum Mat. 12. 10. 12. Luke 13. 12. John 5. 8 9. 9. 14. The Apostles constrained with hunger plucked the ears of corn rubbed them in their hands and did eat the corn upon the day of rest and yet polluted not the Sabbath for Christ defendeth their doing to be lawfull Matth. 12. 3. Mark 2. 27. a Yet some think it might be a feast without warm meat in that hot countrey where they usually did drink water b Isa. 58. ult c Isa. 58. 13. in one verse he nameth and forbiddeth twice the following of our pleasures as the chief prophanation of the Sabbath-day Some and they no small ones professe that recreations and sports are no otherwise then to be allowed then as they may be used to the praise and glory of God which cals to my remembrance what a Scotchman sometimes said as he was going in one of London streets spying one of his acquaintance on the other side for calling him aloud by his name Sir saith he when shall we meet at a Tavern to give God thanks for our deliverance out of the Isle of Ree D. Twisse of the Sabbath d The Sabbath contains four twenty hours as well as any other natural day