Domestick Head viz. the Husband in respect of the Wife and so likewise is Christ the Head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5.23 And indeed the Holy Spirit does love to Represent him as such a Head as also by the Title of a Shepherd over the Flock to signify the Gentleness of his Government and the Sweetness and Goodness of his Laws tending all for the Good of those he Governs And Thirdly There is the Natural Head of the Body which is the Fountain of Life and Spirit from whence it is deriv'd into all the Parts of the Body to enable and enliven all the Members thereof to discharge their several Offices and Duties And in Allusion to this Christ the Mystical Head of the Church is Christ said to be the Mystical Head of the Church from whom all the Body by Joynts and Bands having Nourishment ministred increaseth with the Increase of God Col. 2.19 And thus I have at length sufficiently in order to my Design of Explaining this Article Wherein I was made a Member of Christ shew'd you What kind of Body the Church of Christ is And by the By from what has been said it does appear That the Church of Christ is a Spiritual Kingdom put up in the World by God The Church of Christ a Spiritual Kingdom on purpose to reduce Man to his due Allegiance to his Maker and to destroy the Dominion of Satan which he had so long Usurpt over Mankind It is a Kingdom as it consists of inferior Governours and Subjects combin'd together by special Laws of Allegiance to the Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords and by Priviledges granted by that Supreme Head and Governour to such his Subjects and therefore it is so often in the Scripture call'd a Kingdom But you see withal it is a Spiritual Kingdom by the Nature and Design of which God is to Rule in the Hearts and Spirits of Men and therefore it is all over the New Testament call'd the Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Christ For Christ does Reign and Rule therein by his Gospel as the Laws of that Kingdom over the Spirits of Men and those are the People or Subjects of this Kingdom who own him for their King and his Gospel for the Laws of this Kingdom and who do give themselves up wholly both Body Soul and Spirit to be Governed by those Laws And the Church is also often call'd in the Holy Scripture the Kingdom of Heaven for indeed it is not a Kingdom of this World supported with outward State and armed Forces in order to promote and to secure from those who would Invade 'em our temporal Interests If my Kingdom were of this World then would my Servants fight that I should not be deliver'd to the Jews Joh. 18.36 but it is a Kingdom or Society of Men associated together and Listed to Fight under Christ the Great Captain of our Salvation against much more formidable Enemies than any Earthly Potentates Even against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual Wickedness in high Places Eph. 6.12 that is against the Devil and his wicked Angels who would despoil us of our Heavenly Inheritance Listed I say to fight under Jesus Christ the Great Captain of our Salvation for so he is call'd Heb. 2.10 and to our Comfort who are to fight under him he has already Spoiled these Principalities and Powers and has made a shew of them openly upon the Cross triumphing over them in it Col. 2.15 So that our Work is in a great measure already done under his Conduct for he himself has divested the Devils of much of their Power he has thrown 'em out of their Temples silenc'd their Oracles and does daily by his Assistances enable us to Foil ' em So that the Church of Christ you see is a Spiritual Kingdom But yet notwithstanding that this Society the Church But yet notwithstanding a Visible Society is a Spiritual Kingdom both as its Laws are Spiritual reaching to the Government of the Inward Man and also as it is a Body Listed under a Spiritual King to fight against Spiritual Enemies Yet however from what has been said it does appear that the Church or Kingdom of Christ is a Visible Society of Men consisting of such who make an Outward and Visible Profession of Allegiance to Christ having visibly by an Outward Sacrament Enter'd into Covenant with him and being such as do visibly Communicate together in his Holy Ordinances And therefore it is not only of such who by an inward real and true Faith are United to Christ that the Church and Kingdom of God in this World does consist but of all those outward Professors of Christianity who by the Sacrament of Baptism have Enter'd into Covenant with God Such indeed as besides an outward Covenanting which is certainly necessary are Renew'd withal to the Image of God in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness are the only Persons of which the Invisible Church as it is call'd does consist in this World these perhaps being meant by the Little Flock Luk. 12.32 and of such only will the whole Church in the World to come be made up being of The many that are Called the few that are Chosen Matth. 20.16 But if we consider the Church of Christ in its fully Latitude and in that imperfect State wherein it now is on this side Heaven many Hypocrites and bad Men as well as truly sincere and good Christians do belong to it for the Church of Christ here on Earth is compar'd Matth. 13.24 25. to a Field which contains Wheat and Tares growing up together and to a Net ver 47. wherein there are Fish both good and bad Such you see is the Nature and Temper of that Body of Christ his Church concerning which I thought it requisite to give you a more than ordinary full account even in this place before we come to the Article I believe the Holy Catholick Church because that otherwise it cannot be so well apprehended What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church Secondly What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church which now the way being so far clear'd I shall in few words shew you And from what has been said it does easily now appear that a true Member of the Church of Christ is one who belongs to that Society of Christians which consists of Lawful Governours and Pastors and of the People of God committed to their Charge the one Ministring in Holy Things and the other Partaking thereof at their Hands He is not a Member of that narrow and enclos'd Society of Worshipers the Jewish Synagogue who by their peculiar Rites and Ways of Worship were confin'd to one Nation and Place no more than he is one of the Gentile World at large but he is One who either himself was call'd or is descended of those who were call'd from out of the wicked World
Body are so far bound to take notice of such an Excommunication as to disown and discard such a Person and to have no Society with him so 1 Corinthians 5.11 If any Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one after Excommunication they were not to Eat In such Cases as these indeed an Evil Member becomes no Member and is to be to the rest as a Heathen Man and a Publican that is One that is out of the Church Matth. 18.17 And so likewise is he who cuts himself off from that mystical Body the Church by a causless Schism and Separation from any of its sound Parts Or till he cuts himself off by a causless Schism and Separation from any of its sound Parts I say any of its sound Parts for where-ever there is a true Church if there be nothing in its Doctrine nor Worship that is sinful every Person is bound to Continue stedfastly in the Doctrine Prayers and Sacraments and Fellowship of that Church as in the Apostle's times they did Act. 2.42 and to reject the Communion of all other Parties and Sects of Christians or otherwise he will cut off himself from the Church and will cease to be a real Member of it as the Finger ceases to be of the Body when it is cut off from the Arm. Thus in either of these Cases indeed shall a Person discontinue to be a Member of Christ's Church when either he is Cut off by the just Sentence of those Governours in the Church who have the Power of the Keys to Receive in or Shut out or when he Cuts himself off by a causless Separation and Schism from any of its sound Parts But otherwise all Persons who have Enter'd into Covenant with God and have been Admitted into it by Baptism are Members of Christ's Church as has been already sufficiently prov'd and need not again be repeated And so shall Partake of those exceeding great Priviledges which belong to the Members of it which what and how great they are I come next to declare unto you THE Sixth Lecture Wherein I was made a Member of Christ BY the Church of Christ as has been shew'd is meant a Visible Society of Men call'd forth of the World to the Knowledge Belief and Service of the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost and Professing the same in Opposition to the Service of Satan and all false Gods whatsoever and also to all those vicious and immoral Practices which did so notoriously accompany the Pagan Worship and indeed professing an utter Hatred to all Sin of any kind And it is a Society as has been shew'd you combin'd into one Covenant with God by outward Sacraments and holding Communion with each other under Jesus Christ its Head And a Member of Christ's Church you have also seen is every One who has been Enter'd into this visible Society of Holy Men and into this Covenant with God by Baptism and who holds a constant Communion without swerving aside into separate Assemblies with that Particular True and Orthodox Church whereof he is a Member and in whose Verge he lives Every such Person I have shew'd you is a Member of Christ's Church and will continue such except his Lawful Governours therein should cut him off by a just Excommunication or he should cut off himself by a sinful and unnecessary Separation And now having sufficiently made it appear in the former Discourse to this purpose First what kind of Body that is which is call'd the Church of Christ and also Secondly having shew'd you what it is to be a Member of it it will be now requisite that I should also Demonstrate to you in order to make you sufficiently sensible of which the Two former Points have been so largely treated of Thirdly what vast and invaluable Priviledges do accordingly belong to every Member of Christ's visible Church I say to Every Member of Christ's visible Church for it is not my Business here to Enlarge on the more peculiar Priviledges of those who are styl'd Members of the Invisible Church who are the sincere Part only of Christ's visible Church Those perhaps I may also declare in few words by the By. But the Priviledges which I am here concern'd to Treat upon and to Acquaint you with are such as belong to every Member of the Church I have been speaking of And these Priviledges The Priviledges of our being Members of Christs Church which do peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's Church as they are the Members of such a Body whereof he is the Head are these Two First a most reasonable and excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most profitable and edifying Institutions and Ordinances appointed by Him our supreme Head and Governour to conduct us to Heaven Secondly a sufficient measure of Divine Grace and Assistance deriv'd down upon us from Him our mystical Head and convey'd by those his Ordinances to Enable us to conform to his Religion and Obey those Laws And the first great Priviledge I. A most excellent Body of Religion Laws and Ordinances which does peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's visible Church as they are the Members of such a Society Is a most reasonable and excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most profitable and edifying Institutions and Ordinances given and appointed us by him our supreme Head and Governour to Conduct us to Heaven We do enjoy I say thereby The Christian Religion and Laws far exceed the Pagan Mahometan or Jewish The Priviledge of a most reasonable and excellent Body of Religion and Laws far exceeding what any other People have ever enjoy'd to Conduct us to Heaven This is clearly to be seen Heb. 8.8 9 10 11. where God himself finding Fault with the Jewish Covenant and Laws as what could not make the Comers thereunto perfect saith Behold the days come when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt for this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Minds and write them in their Hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest which remarkable Words spoke first by the Prophet Jeremy as a Prophecy of the most happy State of the Christian Church by reason of the most excellent Covenant and Laws that would be given it beyond what was the State of the Jewish do import that even the Jewish Covenant was not in it self
Manna But when Persecution at any time arises and the Church Doors are shut up and Divine Ordinances are forbid upon Pain of Death how then shall you see those very same Persons go many Miles and with the utmost hazard of their Lives Assemble themselves together and take the greatest Comfort imaginable in Enjoying ' em This the Experience of all Ages does Confirm and God grant our present Neglect of his Holy Institutions and Ordinances may not provoke him to teach us also how to Value and Esteem the Priviledges and Advantages of 'em by depriving us thereof And thus I have at length shewed you how that the First Great Priviledge which does peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's visible Church as they are the Members of such a Society is a most Reasonable and Excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most Profitable and Edifying Institutions and Ordinances given and appointed us by him our supreme Head and Governour to Conduct us to Heaven And now it is time to proceed and to shew you how that Secondly The Second general Priviledge belonging to the Members of Christ's Church is a sufficient measure of divine Grace and Assistance derived from him the Head and Convey'd by his Ordinances to Enable us to Conform our selves to his Religion and to Obey his Laws We enjoy thereby a great Measure of Divine Grace and Assistance derived down from him our Head and Convey'd by those his Ordinances to Enable us to Conform to his Religion and to Obey his Laws The mystical Body of Christ is often compar'd in Scripture to the natural Body of Man and that as for many others so for this very good Reason that as in the natural Body every Part partakes of Life and Sense and Motion from the Head so do we by being Baptized Members of Christ derive Grace and Help from him our Head From whom all the Body by Joints and Bands have Nourishment ministred Increaseth with the Increase of God Col. 2.19 By the same Means that Christ is Vnited to his Members is Grace Conveyed down from him as Head to those Members Now it is easy to conceive how Christ as a Political Head should give Laws to his Spiritual Kingdom the Church and how as such he should Head and Protect it and every Member thereof against its Enemies But the difficulty with some is to conceive how as from a Mystical Head Divine Grace and Assistance should be Convey'd down from him to us his Members But it is but to consider what those Joints and Bands are which Unite us to Christ as our Head and we may then easily conceive how we shall have Nourishment ministred unto us till we Increase with the Increase of God For whatever are the means of Uniting us to him the same are the means also of Conveying the Influences of his Holy Spirit down upon us The first Medium of Vnion betwixt Christ and his Members must be each Member's Vnion to the Catholick Church And the First great means of Uniting each Member to Christ must be its Union to the Catholick Church the Body of Christ not Cutting himself off from it either by Renouncing his Covenant with God or by causlessly separating from the Communion of that Sound and Orthodox Part of the Church whereof he is an immediate Member and by not giving just occasion to the Officers of Christ's spiritual Kingdom the Church to Excommunicate or Cut him off for so doing For it is Just with the Mystical Body the Church as it is with the natural Body of Man If a Leg or an Arm should be Cut off from the Body by a Man 's own Hand or by the King's Officers it cannot receive Nourishment from the Head and for lack thereof must soon Dye And so in the Church of Christ a Heretick that for denying the Faith and Sacraments and a Schismatick who for breaking the Communion shall be Cut off from the Church cannot ordinarily expect to receive Supplies of Grace from Christ the mystical Head which by Keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace he might But it is not sufficient in order to its deriving Life from the Head that a Member be United to the Body only and to any of its Parts but it is moreover particularly necessary that it should be United also to those principal Parts of the Body where the Blood and Spirits are form'd and from whence they are convey'd to every single Member And therefore II. Its Vnion to the Lawful Governours and Teachers of the Church A Second means of Uniting each Member to Christ the Head and so of Conveying spiritual Supplies of Grace down from him to such a Member is its Unity to those Lawful Governours and Teachers which Christ has appointed in the Church by Joining with 'em in the same Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity and by holding Communion with 'em in the same Holy Worship of God The Lawful Governours and Teachers in the Church of Christ are the principal Parts in the Mystical Body as the Heart the Liver and the Brain are in the Natural For as in the Natural from these principal Parts are sent forth that Portion of Blood and Spirits which give Life and Strength to every single Member so from Christ's Ministers is Communicated to all the Members of the Mystical Body that Nourishment which maintains the spiritual Life in them All this may be fairly gather'd from Eph. 4.11 12 13. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ In which Words the Ministers of Christ's Church whether Extraordinary as Apostles and Evangelists or Ordinary as Pastors and Teachers are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Holding and Knitting together the Church and that from them each Member does immediately receive that Nourishment of sound Doctrine whereby he grows up to be a Perfect Man in the Knowledge and Practice of true Religion And indeed the Graces of the Holy Spirit are Convey'd by those Ordinances which they only have power to Administer which brings me Lastly To shew how III. The use of Christ's Institutions and Ordinances that next to the being United to the Church and its principal Parts the Ministers of Christ therein the great Bonds of Union to the Head and means of Conveying his Grace to the Members are the Sacraments and other Holy Offices and Ordinances appointed for that Purpose and of which the Ministers of Religion are the only Dispensers For just again as in the Body Natural there are Nerves that Branch from the Head through the Body conveying the Animal Spirits to every Member thereof so in the Mystical
Body the Church there are the Ordinances of Sacraments Preaching Publick and Common Prayers and such like Holy Offices Administred by Persons set apart for that Purpose to be the Conveyances of those ordinary Supplies of his Holy Spirit which he thinks necessary to preserve that Member in Health and Vigour So that thus at length you see how that in keeping in Union with the mystical Body of Christ his Church and with its Lawful Governours and Teachers and in the use of Sacraments and other Divine Ordinances those Conduits and Conveyances of his Holy Spirit to us we shall have spiritual Life and Strength and Vigour derived down to us from Christ our spiritual Head in like manner as in the natural Body of Man the Animal Life and Strength and Vigour is derived down to all the parts of the Body from the natural Head And this is a most singular Priviledge if compar'd with that little or nothing of this Nature which others who are not Members of Christ's Church do enjoy and also it will appear to be a most exceeding great Advantage if consider'd in it self And First If we compare our Happiness with Others I. Divine Grace a most singular Priviledge if compared with what others enjoy of this Nature we shall find it the peculiar Advantage of Christianity which no other Law nor Doctrine so much as pretends to that it not only clearly teacheth us and strongly perswadeth us to so excellent a Way of Life but provideth also Divine Help and Assistance to Enable us to Practice it If God would have Ordinarily and in the way of a Constant Dispensation imparted so excellent a Gift to any to be sure it would have been to the Jewish Church but we are told Joh. 1.17 That the Law was given by Moses but that Grace came by Jesus Christ that is the Graces and Gifts of His Holy Spirit as well as other Mercies and Favours so that tho' Moses deliver'd Legal Precepts it is by Jesus Christ we shall have the Assistance whereby we shall be Enabled to attain unto Holiness And as to that Measure of Grace afforded to Holy Men under the Law whatsoever it were it was through him the Promised Messiah and in Vertue of that Covenant of Grace Confirmed with Abraham before the Law but the more constant Influences of the Holy Spirit and the fuller Measures thereof are derived from him down upon us now under the Gospel And because of that more plentiful Measure of Grace and Spirit Communicated unto us from Christ under the Gospel does the Apostle call the Gospel the Ministration of the Spirit in Opposition to the Law which he styles the Ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3.8 9. And does therefore so assuredly promise himself Success in his Ministry ver 5 6. Such trust have we in Christ to Godward not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament or Covenant not of the Letter but of the Spirit where the Gospel is styl'd the Spirit as for other Reasons so for this in the Judgment of the Learned Dr. Hammond that Grace which is the Gift of the Spirit is now join'd to the Gospel which was not to the Law In a Word and to speak in the Words of a Learned Author Other Laws for want of this are in effect Ministeries of Condemnation Racks of Conscience Parents of Guilt and of Regret Reading hard Lessons but not assisting to do after them Imposing heavy Burthens but not Enabling to bear them But our Law of the Gospel is not such it is not a dead Letter but hath a quickning Spirit accompanying it it not only soundeth through the Ear but stampeth it self upon the Heart of him that sincerely doth Embrace it it always carryeth with it a sure Guide to all Good and a safe Guard from all Evil. II. An exceeding Advantage considered in it self And this Advantage as it is proper to our Religion So it is exceeding considerable in it self The Advantage is that every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be shall have sufficient Supplies of Grace derived down from Christ our Head proportionable to his Necessities by those means of Conveying it which Christ has appointed for that Purpose All the Members of Christ have Supplies proportionable to their Station in the Church I say every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be For As we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. that is there are different Members in the Church of Christ some are to be Governours and Teachers of Others and accordingly must be Endow'd with a Spirit of Government and Gift of Teaching and others are of a more private Capacity in the Church of Christ whatever they may in other Respects and their Business is to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Man and faithfully to discharge their Duties to God their Neighbour and Themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace Enabling them to discharge ' em They shall not have Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other's Offices but be destitute of these of their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have received Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way For God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the mystical Body by keeping himself united to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him And that too in such Measures and Proportions as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting And also in such Measures as according to different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so Extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law and the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers extraordinary Gifts viz. Of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion so all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily Strengthen'd no doubt to resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is
Image of God in the Soul namely that Righteousness and Purity which we had lost by our Fall This I mean by the Divine Assistance The Measures of it proportionable to the necessity of the Church And as to the measures of this Assistance every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be shall have sufficient Supplies of Grace derived down from Him our Head proportionable to his Necessities by those means of conveying it which Christ has appointed for that purpose I say every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be For as we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. that is there are different Members in the Church of Christ Some are to be Governours and Teachers of others and accordingly must be endow'd with a Spirit of Government and Gift of Teaching and others are of a more private Capacity in the Church of Christ whatever they be in other Respects and their Business is to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Man and faithfully to discharge their Duties to God their Neighbour and themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace enabling 'em to discharge the same They have not a Promise of those Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other Persons Offices but are distitute of those necessary for their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have receiv'd Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way for God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the Mystical Body by keeping himself united to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit in the first Ages And that too in such Measures and Proportions as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law And the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers Extraordinary Gifts viz. of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the Malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion So all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily strengthned no doubt to resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is establish'd Ordinary in succeeding Times and the Truth of Christianity already prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the Ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out into any part of the World as sometimes they are to this day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those Means which Christ has appointed in his Church for that purpose And yet even these ordinary Assistances Even the ordinary Assistances extensively very large so as to repair all the Powers of Nature deprav'd by Sin Blessed be the Infinite Mercies of God towards us therein are extensively very large and diffusive so as to reach to all the Parts and Powers of our Nature which are Evilly Affected Corrupted and Deprav'd by Sin and Intensively very powerful in working a blessed-Change within us And First the Grace of God is extensively very diffusive and large in the Change and Reformation it works within us in that there is no Power and Difficulty in our Natures which by Sin is Corrupted but by his Grace and Assistance is Renew'd I do mean that the Assistances which God does afford us to enable our Weakness to perform the Conditions of the Covenant is so apply'd to us by the Goodness of God that every Power and Faculty within us which is render'd weak by the Corruption of our Nature is strengthned by his Grace to perform its proper part and Duty Are our Understandings dull to apprehend and conceive of Spiritual things as they ought His Grace does enlighten our Understandings Thus we read Luke the 24.45 that our Saviour opened the Vnderstandings of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures And to this purpose St. Paul Eph. 1.18 did earnestly Pray That God would give unto 'em the Spirit of Wisdom that the Eyes of their Vnderstandings being enlighten'd they might know what is the Hope of their Calling and what are the Riches of the Glory in the Inheritance of the Saints Are our Wills backward in performing the Conditions of the Promises why God by throwing good Suggestions into our Souls and by Imprinting important Considerations upon our Minds does perswade and bend our stubborn Wills and by degrees works us into a ready Compliance with the Divine Will Thus is God said to work in us both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Phil. 2.13 And upon this account also all our Christian Virtues are call'd the Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Are our Affections listless and lukewarm to Spiritual things particularly Are they dull and heavy in our Devotions Why the Holy Spirit helps to raise in us Holy Desires Lise and Quickness in our Prayers Thus the Apostle the Spirit helps our Infirmities making Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God by Inspiring 'em with such Desires and Groanings that cannot be utter'd Rom. 8.26 27. And Lastly Are our Lusts and Appetites violent to carry us out to gratifie them in unlawful things Why If by the Spirit of God we shall mortifie the Deeds of the Body we are Promis'd that we shall Live Rom. 8.13 which implies that by the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit we shall be able to subdue those unruly Lusts within us and so shall live Eternally And Intensively very powerful to renew our corrupt Natures And Secondly The Divine Grace and Assistance even in its ordinary Distributions is Intensively powerful and strong enough to Renew our Corrupt Natures This secret Power of the Holy Spirit does not indeed so forcibly and Irresistably work a Change in us as that it will be impossible to Resist this Divine Grace and Efficacy and to render it ineffectual to our Renovation The Grace of God may be resisted and his
Christ is a Member of Christ's Church 39 A Definition of Christ's Church The Church of Christ a well-order'd Society wherein some are Governours some Governed 40 An Episcopal Clergy undoubtedly such 41 The Church is the universal Society of Christians taking in Men of all Nations as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews It consists of such who are call'd out of the World by the Preaching of the Gospel to a holy Profession and Calling 42 First Repentance from Dead Works Secondly to the Knowledge Belief and Service of the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost 43 Thirdly to enjoy the Priviledges of the Gospel The Church are such who to the End of being Incorporated into one Society and of having God to be their God and they themselves his People have entred into Covenant with him 44 First in Baptism Secondly to renew it at the Lord's Supper The Church one Body 45 Sub divided into several particular Bodies and Churches First for the convenience of Government into Diocesan Churches Secondly for the convenience of Worship into particular Congregations 46 But however united by one Covenant into one Body As also by holding Communion with each other in hearing the Word in Common-Prayers Sacraments and in affording to each other mutual Assistances 47 The Church united into one Body under Jesus Christ its supreme Head Christ a Political Head of the Church Christ the Mystical Head of the Church 48 The Church of Christ a spiritual Kingdom But yet notwithstanding a visible Society 49 What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church 50 Every Baptized Person is a Member of the visible Church And shall continue such till cut off by the just Sentence of those who have the Power of the Keys to receive in or shut out 51 Or till he cuts himself off by a causless Schism and Separation from any of its sound Parts 52 LECT VI. The Priviledges of our being Members of Christ's Church First a most excellent Body of Religion Laws and Ordinances The Christian Religion and Laws far exceed the Pagan Mahometan or Jewish The Pagan Superstition tended to nothing but to defile humane Nature 55 The Gods the Pagans worshiped were at best the most Infamous Men and Women Many times they worshiped the very Devils themselves And that with lewd barbarous and cruel Rites The Mahometan Religion is a vile Imposture 56 Its Principles tend to Lust and Cruelty Judaism was an imperfect and unfinished Draught of Religion Christianity a most excellent Religion 57 It gives a most excellent Representation of God It gives an honourable account of his proceedings with Mankind with reference both to his Creation and Redemption of us 58 Its Laws are excellently contrived for the good Order and Happiness of Mankind And are enforced by most powerful Principles and Motives Another Branch of this first Part of a Christian's Priviledge are most edifying and comfortable Institutions and Ordinances 59 First Publick Ordinances the Priviledge of every Member of Christ's Church 60 Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper First Christian Ordinances are a singular Favour which Aliens and Unbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy Secondly they are excellent Advantages consider'd in themselves 61 First as conducing much towards our Edification As most comfortable to the Souls of those who enjoy them 62 They are seldom sufficiently valued till most wanted The second general Priviledge belonging to the Members of Christ's Church is a sufficient measure of Divine Grace and Assistance derived from him the Head and convey'd by his Ordinances to enable us to conform our selves to his Religion and to obey his Laws 63 By the same means that Christ is united to his Members is Grace conveyed down from him as Head to those Members The first Medium of Union betwixt Christ and his Members must be each Member's Union to the Catholick Church Secondly its union to the lawful Governours and Teachers of the Church 64 Thirdly the use of Christ's Institutions and Ordinances First Divine Grace a most singular Priviledge if compar'd with what others enjoy of this Nature 65 Secondly an exceeding advantage consider'd in it self All the Members of Christ have Supplies proportionable to their Station in the Church 66 And also in such measures as according to different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting 67 LECT VII What is meant in the Catechism by a Child of God First Not the Son of God by an Eternal Generation Secondly Not every Son by Temporal Creation which is a Sence too wide 68 Thirdly Nor such only who are Children of God by spiritual Regeneration which is a Sence too narrow 69 Such indeed are in a peculiar manner and in the highest sence the Children of God But every Child of God is not actually Regenerate either in the sence of Scripture Or of your Catechism But Fourthly a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every one who is so by vertue of a Covenant Relation This was the Notion of a Child of God before the Law Under the Law 70 Under the Gospel Also a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every one who is so by vertue of Adoption Adoption what The use of it amongst the Israelites and the Priviledges it gave them The use of it amongst the Gentiles and the Rights it confer'd upon them 71 How we Christians especially such who are descended from the Gentiles are according as has been spoke the Adopted Children of God To the Israelites did once pertain the Adoption But that Covenant by entering into which they were his Children was only Temporary To last only till the Publication of the Gospel After which they and all Christians were to be Children of God by faith in Christ 72 But the Jews adhering to their Law and refusing Christ and his Gospel in whom God had predestinated all to be his Sons the Apostles turned unto Gentiles preaching Christ and Salvation to them and to as many as received him to them gave he power to be the Sons of God What are the Priviledges which do belong to the Children of God as such In general such as an indulgent but wise Father may be supposed to allow his Children beyond Aliens and Strangers Particularly First Pardon of all Sins upon hearty Repentance 73 Secondly by being his Children he will not be so severe as to mark what is done amiss as to Sins of Infirmity 74 Thirdly to the Children of God is granted an easier access by Prayer to the Throne of Grace for Pardon of Sins and other Mercies Lastly a Child of God is more surely instated in the Inheritance of Heaven than others 75 The infinite reason we have to praise God for these Advantages 76 LECT VIII By the Kingdom of Heaven is meant in Scripture either first the Kingdom of Grace in this Life or secondly the Kingdom of Glory in the Life to come The Kingdom of Grace the Gospel State 77 The reason why the Gospel State
judge of the beautiful Contexture and admirable Contrivance of the whole and shall easily discern what End it is that Christianity aims at and how admirably every Part of it is fitted to carry on that great End It is without all doubt a most useful Method of Instruction and it would soon appear to be so in its happy Effects would all Persons but lay aside their unhappy Prejudices against it as if it were proper only for Children to be Hearers thereof Whereas indeed it is no ways unbecoming the Eldest and most Knowing Persons to hear the great and fundamental Doctrines of Religion explain'd and handled distinctly and clearly and separated from all unnecessary Mixtures But where all the Means and Methods of Instruction are little enough to give Men a sufficient Understanding in all that is necessary to Salvation instead of comparing 'em one with another we had better to make use of all and to Pray to God to give a Blessing to all his Ordinances that every one may be useful to the Edification and Salvation of every Christian which that they may all prove may God Almighty grant of his infinite Goodness thro' Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen THE Fifth Lecture Wherein I was made a Member of Christ THE Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Catechism do give you a general Account of all the Terms and Conditions of the Covenant of Grace both of the Priviledges made over to us by God and of the Conditions to be perform'd by us And these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ expressing the First of those invaluable Priviledges made over unto us in this Covenant on God's Part I shall therefore endeavour as well as I can to explain and open to you what they do import Christ is in Scripture often styl'd The Head of the Church as particularly Col. 1.8 And he is the Head of the Body the Church it is there said and we are also styl'd Members of this Body the Church Thus Eph. 5.30 We are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones so that to be a Member of Christ is to be a Member A Member of Christ is a Member of Christ's Church or Part of that Body of which he is the Head or to be a Member of Christ's Church And to make it appear to you how happy a Thing it is to be a Member of Christ's Church First I will shew you What kind of Body the Church of Christ is Secondly What it is to be a Member of it And then Thirdly What exceeding great and invaluable Priviledges do belong to a Member of Christ's Church And First let us see What kind of Body that is which is call'd the Church of Christ And tho' it does not belong to this Part of your Catechism to give you a full account of all that is necessary to be known concerning Christ's Church which may more properly be refer'd to that Article of our Creed I believe the Holy Catholick Church However since the high Priviledge and Dignity of any Member as a Member cannot be sufficiently understood nor valued without knowing the Nature and Excellency of that Body of which it is a Member I do therefore think my self obliged in order to let you into a through Understanding of what is meant by A Member of Christ's Church and of the greatness of that Priviledge to speak something largely in this Place concerning the Nature and Constitution of the Church it self and I shall therefore define it and also Explain and prove each Part of the Definition I shall give of it as follows A Definition of Christ's Church The Church of Christ is the universal Society of Christians consisting both of Lawful Governours and Pastors and also of the People of God committed to their Charge and who are call'd forth out of the wicked World by the Preaching of the Gospel to a holy Profession and Calling Namely To Repentance from dead Works to the Knowledge Belief and Service of the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost and to the Enjoyment of those inestimable Priviledges of the Gospel viz. Most reasonable and excellent Laws to Conduct 'em to Heaven Divine Grace and Assistance to Enable 'em to obey those Laws Pardon of Sins upon Repentance for the Violation of 'em and eternal Life and Happiness upon sincere Obedience to ' em And who to the End of being Incorporated into one Society and of having God to be their God and they themselves his People have Enter'd into Covenant with him at Baptism and do often Renew the same in the Lord's Supper and are Incorporated thereby into one Body subdivided indeed into several particular Bodies and Churches for the convenience of Government and Worship but holding Communion with one another in One and the same necessary and fundamental Points of Christianity necessary to constitute the Church under Jesus Christ their supreme Head The Church of Christ a well-ordered Society wherein some are Governours some Governed And First The Church of Christ is the Society of Christians consisting both of Lawful Governours and Pastors and of the People of God committed to their Charge The Church of Christ is not a Confus'd an Undigested Headless Multitude but a Regular and Well-order'd Society Hence it is so often in the New Testament call'd The Kingdom of God as Matth. 21.31 The Kingdom of Christ as Rev. 11.15 and The Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 11.12 and the Members of it Children of the Kingdom Matth. 13.38 And Eph. 2.19 20 21. The Members therefore are styl'd Fellow-Citizens Members of a Houshold and Parts of a Temple all which Expressions speak the Church of Christ to be a Regular Society of Men combin'd and knit together by Laws derived from some supreme Head and Governour A Society I say wherein some are Superiours some are Inferiours some Governours some Governed and who altogether make up a well-compacted Body of Men. This last cited place out of the Ephesians speaks the Thing out Now therefore saith he to those who are call'd into the Church ye are no more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God and are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets that is Governours and Teachers Jesus Christ being the chief Corner-stone in whom all the Building fitly framed together groweth up into an Holy Temple in the Lord. Here in this Description of the Church you have Jesus Christ the chief Corner-stone or Head of the Building and Body the Apostles and Prophets Foundation-stones next unto him and all the rest of Christians Fellow-Citizens depending upon Jesus Christ their supreme Head and others his subordinate Governours and Teachers next under him and the Whole represented as a well-compacted Building Or to make it yet more clear to you Eph. 4.11 12. it is said that He gave some Apostles and
Congregations So for the Convenience of Divine Worship and because all the Members of a City and the Parts adjoyning could not meet together in the same Place was each Bishop's See farther divided into particular Congregations and Assemblies under the Care of its respective Pastors Hence as to the Church of Corinth we gather that as it was but one Church in regard it had but one Bishop or Governour for St. Paul directs his Epistle thus Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 yet in that one Episcopal Church being there were several Congregations met together for the Worship of God we read 1 Cor. 14.34 of Churches in the Plural Number and this particular Order of the Apostle about the Decency of Divine Service in those particular Churches or Congregations Namely that Women should keep Silence in the Churches Thus true it is the Church which is but one Body is Subdivided into several particular Bodies or Churches both for the convenience of Discipline and Government and also for the convenience of Divine Worship But however those several particular Churches were Vnited into one Body by one Covenant But however Vnited by one Covenant into one Body for the Church of Corinth the Church of Ephesus Smyrna c. were are all called to the same Holy Profession and Calling to the same Faith in God and to the same Priviledges of Grace Pardon and Happiness as the whole Church and were admitted into that same Covenant by the same Sacraments as the whole Catholick Church was by which means They kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Eph. 4.3 And each of those particular Congregations also in the Church of Corinth for Instance were United also to the Church of God in that City by holding no other than the Doctrine Establish'd in that Church And by being United thereby to that particular Part of Christ's Church they were United also to the whole Body of Christ and made up but one Body For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ or the Christian Church for by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.12 13. So that the Church of Christ you see tho' divided into many Branches or Members is but one Body in the whole because United in and by One and the same Covenant of Grace And also in the Eleventh Place As also by holding Communion with each other in hearing the Word in Common-Prayers Sacraments and in affording to each other mutual Assistances Because all the several particular Churches are to Hold Communion with each other Now as to that Communion which the Members of Christ's Church held with one another in the Apostle's Times and sure their's must be a Pattern of Church-Communion we are told Act. 2.42 that it consisted in this That They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine that is they continued constantly and also steddily without swerving aside by Separation in Hearing the Apostles Teach They continued also stedfastly in Breaking of Bread and in Prayers that is they Join'd constantly and frequently in the same Prayers and Sacraments And lastly They continued stedfastly in the same Fellowship by which is principally meant in the Original both here and in several other Places of the Scripture that Communication of charitable Assistances that all the Members did afford each other according to their several Wants and Necessities For whether any Sister-Church were under Persecutions or any particular Christians did labour with Want the other Members of the Body did Communicate to the Relief of either And the Apostle did also appoint that to be done in the Christian Assemblies when they met together to Communicate in Hearing Prayers and Sacraments ordering that The first day of the Week which was the Day of their Publick Assemblies every one should lay by him in store as God had prospered him to this Purpose 1 Cor. 16.2 So that if One Member suffered all the Members suffered with it and there was no Schism in the Body but the Members had the same care one of another 1 Cor. 12.25 26. In a word Such was the Communion which the Members of the Church held with each other in those Days which made it one Church that there was no such thing as any separate Meetings from those of the Apostles and their lawful Successors the Bishops and Pastors of the Flock set up under the Pretence of better Edification and for more pure Administrations of Ordinances No no sooner did any attempt to make such a Schism but he was accounted a Gangreen'd Member and cut off from the Body for so doing And so much was mutual Kindness and Charity to be the distinguishing Character of Christ's Church that our Saviour declar'd Joh. 13.35 That by this should all men know his Disciples that they had love one for another The Church Vnited into one Body under Jesus Christ its supreme Head And now Lastly It only remains to compleat this my Explication of Christ's Church to shew you That this whole Society of Men call'd forth out of the World to such Duties and Priviledges as has been spoke is to be United into one Body as has been declar'd under Jesus Christ its supreme Head Every Society of Men must have some supreme Head to keep it both in Being and Order and Christ is so much to all Intents and Purposes the Head of the Church that there is no respect in which any thing is the Head of the Body in which Christ is not in like manner the Head of the Church Christ a Political Head of the Church And First There is the Political Head in every Kingdom which is the Prince that gives Laws to his People and Heads and Protects them against their Enemies And such a Head is Christ in that Spiritual Kingdom the Church of God Whom the Father having Raised from the Dead did put all things under his Feet and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church which is his Body Eph. 1.20 21 22 23. And therefore pursuant to this Power which was Given him in Heaven and in Earth to give Laws to Mankind did he Commission his Disciples and send them forth into the World to Proclaim his Laws to Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he had Commanded them assuring them withal that Lo he would be with them always even unto the End of the World Matth. 28.18 19 20. that is That he would be ever with 'em to Head and Protect 'em against their Adversaries Secondly There is also a
of Jews and Gentiles to a Holy Profession and Calling viz. To the Belief of the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost as also to Repentance from dead Works to serve him the only Living and True God And he is call'd as to Faith and Repentance so to enjoy the Priviledges of the Gospel and the Rewards of such Faith and Repentance namely Most Reasonable and Excellent Laws and Ordinances to conduct him to Heaven with a plentiful measure of Divine Grace and Assistance also convey'd by those Ordinances to enable him to Obey those Laws and he is One who to the End of being of that Society of Men the Christian Church and of having God a Friend to him and he himself a Servant of God's has solemnly Enter'd into Covenant with God in his Baptism and continues often to Renew the same in the Lord's Supper because the Divine Goodness does in both Vouchsafe to make over and ensure to him those exceeding Great and Invaluable Priviledges and most singular Benefits as well as he on the other side does solemnly Engage to yield himself up to the Service and Obedience of God Farther yet a Member of Christ's Church is one who is not only United to the Catholick Church in and by one Covenant that is in the Profession of the same Faith and Repentance and in the Enjoyment of the same Priviledges and in the use of the same Sacraments But also he maintains this Union therewith by Communicating with that particular Part of the Catholick Church where he lives and whereof he is a Member in particular by communicating I say therewith in Hearing together with the rest of the Body the same Doctrine in Joyning in the same Common-Prayers and receiving the same Holy Sacraments and Lastly in Receiving from and Administring mutual Assistances to the Members of that Body where-ever dispers'd or however distress'd over the Face of the whole World as there shall be occasion And Lastly a Member of Christ's Church is One who belongs to that universal Society of Men call'd out of the World to such Duties and Priviledges as has been spoke and is united into one Body by the same means as has been declar'd under Jesus Christ its supreme Head And if you consider him as a Member of the Kingdom of Christ he is one who is Delivered by God from the power of Darkness and is translated into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1.13 that is he is one of those who is deliver'd by the Gospel from under the Tyranny of Satan under which the whole World was held Captive and is made a Subject to the Gracious Government of the Son of God From what has been said it does plainly appear I think that such and such a One only is a true Member of Christ's Church And in the Sence of your Catechism which teaches all to Answer That in their Baptism they are made Members of Christ every Person who has been admitted into the Church by Baptism is a Member of Christ and shall continue such till he is cut off by the just Sentence of those Governours in the Church who have the Power of the Keys to Receive in or Shut out or till he cuts off himself from that mystical Body by a causless Schism and Separation from any of its sound Parts Every Baptized Person I say is a Member of the Visible Church Every Baptized Person is a Member of the Visible Church So the Apostle expresly speaks Gal. 3.27 assuring us that As many as have been Baptized into Christ that is the Christian Church have put on Christ or have put on that Relation to Christ that Members have to the Body True it is amongst those that are Incorporated by Baptism into the Church many do prove but very unsound and unfruitful Members such as tho' they are admitted into that Holy Society in order to their Edification and through Conversion by the means of those Holy Ordinances which Christ has appointed in his Church do yet continue to be very bad Men both in their Principles and Practices Hence it is said Matth. 22.10 that of those who were called into the Wedding that is the Church by the Servants or Officers of the Bridegroom that is Christ there are as well Bad as Good Yet as appears from that and many the like Parables of our Saviour concerning the Materials and Constitution of his Church even such bad Men when once Baptized into it are Members of it And shall continue to be Members of it And shall continue such till cut of by the just Sentence of those who have the Power of the Keys to Receive in or Shut out till such time as they are cut off by the just Sentence of those who have the Power of the Keys to Receive in or Shut out For this you are to know that Christ has given his Apostles and their Successors in the Government of the Church a Church Authority consisting in Receiving in or Shutting out of the Church To Receive into the Church is to Admit such as make a Profession of Christianity to Admit 'em I say by the Sacrament of Baptism to all the outward Acts of Communion To shut or cast out of the Church is by Excommunication to Exclude unworthy Persons from that Priviledge of Church-Communion to deny 'em the Liberty to Pray or Receive the Sacrament or perform any Religious Office in the Publick Assemblies of the Church And now accordingly has Christ appointed the Bishops and Governours of his Church to be as Shepherds to Oversee the Flock as you will find Act. 20.28 and has given 'em The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 16.19 that is Authority as to Admit into the Church by Baptism all who make a Profession of Christianity so to Expel out of it by Excommunication all those scabbed Members thereof who contrary to such their Holy Profession either by their pestilent Heresies or by their scandalous Ill Lives are Unworthy of it and in danger to Infect it If they Preach or any-wise propagate any pestilent Heresy contrary to the Fundamental Truths of Christianity let their Persons be never so acceptable upon the account of some shining Vertues of Charity or their Doctrines never so Plausible as pretending to Reason they ought not to be spared Tho' we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be Accursed that is Excommunicated and cut off from Church-Communion Gal. 1.8 So far was this Blessed Apostle so Zealous for the Glory of his Saviour from sparing others that he would not have himself be suffer'd to continue in the Communion of the Church were it possible he should be guilty of propagating Heresy And so likewise is any Person guilty of a notorious and scandalous Ill Life Why then also are the Governours of Christ's Church commanded To put away from 'em that wicked person 1 Cor. 5.13 And all the Members of the mystical
being Members of Christ's Church In a word so Honourable to God so Perfective of our own Natures and so Beneficial to Mankind are the Laws of Christ and so well is our Obedience secur'd to 'em by those Principles he has taught us that this very Thing does speak our exceeding Great Priviledge in being Members of Christ and under his Conduct and Government as our supreme Head and Law-giver But especially this Advantage will appear to be very Great Another Branch of this first part of a a Christian's Priviledge are most edifying and comfortable Institutions and Ordinances if we consider How that together with those most excellent Laws that he has given us he has also appointed us most Edifying and comfortable Ordinances to Conduct us to Heaven Now by Divine Institutions and Ordinances I do mean those positive Appointments and Observations which he has given his Church and all the Members thereof for their Improvement in the Knowledge and Practice of his Holy Religion and Laws And that which our Great Law-giver has done of this Nature is this He has Ordain'd solemn and set Days viz. The Christian Sabbaths for his own Service He has Order'd that Publick Assemblies of all Christians should be held upon those Days he has Authoriz'd and Commanded the Publication and Preaching of his Laws at those Publick Assemblies He has appointed that Common-Prayers Supplications and Thanksgivings for Divine Grace and Assistance to enable us to perform these Laws then Preacht and for other Mercies should be jointly put up to him by all Christians on those solemn Days and publick Assemblies and Lastly he has Enjoin'd therein the use of Sacraments as means of Conveying such Grace and Assistance and also as Oaths and Obligations upon us to be Obedient to those Laws All which are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Visible Church And if we compare 'em with what others want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members thereof and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to And consider'd in themselves they are most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws and in order to a Holy and Good Life I. Publick Ordinances the Priviledge of every Member of Christs Church First I say All these fore-mentioned Priviledges do belong to the Members of Christ's Church to such as have been Baptized and profess themselves to be Christians To understand which Rights and Priviledges the better you must know that as there are Two sorts of Members in the visible Church so there are Two kinds of Priviledges that belong to each sort as One rightly states this Matter each having those Priviledges which are proper and peculiar to 'em according to the relation they bear to the Head and their fellow-Fellow-Members First There are Members only by Foederal or Covenant Holiness such are only Born of Water when by Baptism they are United to Christ and the Church and take upon them the Profession and Practice of the Christian Religion Now the Priviledges that do belong to these are of the same make with their Church-Membership Outward and consist only in outward and publick Communion with the Church in Word and Ordinances Secondly There are Members by Real and Inherent Holiness such as are not only Born of Water but of the Spirit also when by the inward Operation of the Holy Ghost their Souls are Renew'd after the Image of God and made Partakers of a Divine Nature And the Priviledges that do belong to these are not only the foremention'd Ones but together with them others that are suitable to their more spiritual Relations Inward and such as consist in the special and particular Care and Protection of God and in the more plentiful Measures of his Grace and in the more sensible Comforts of his Holy Spirit according to that of our Saviour Mat. 25.29 Vnto every One that hath or Improveth those Talents of Grace he has received shall be given and he shall have abundance So that these latter and more peculiar Priviledges indeed do not belong to every Member of the visible Church but to those only who are sincere in their Profession of Christianity and who by their more than ordinary Piety are become Dear to God But then as to Outward Priviledges it is not only the Duty but it is the Priviledge which of Right belongs to Every Member of Christ's Church to Observe the Lord's Day to be Present in the Publick Assemblies to Join in the Common-Prayers and even to Partake when of Age of the Lord's Supper So we find Acts 2.41 42. That the whole Three Thousand Souls who received the Word and were Baptized continued stedfastly in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers True it is such as that more than ordinary Regard Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper that the Church of Christ has for the Lord's Supper that most solemn Ordinance in the Christian Religion that when any Member becomes Scandalous for any Sin he is to be Suspended from Communion in that till he amends So it is order'd in the Rubrick before the Communion-Service that if any be an open and notorious Evil-Liver so that the Congregation be thereby offended The Curate having Knowledge thereof shall Call him and Advertise him that in any-wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly Repented and Amended his former Naughty Life that the Congregation may thereby be satisfy'd which before were Offended And the same Order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth Malice and Hatred to reign not suffering them to be Partakers at the Lord's Table till he Knows them to be Reconciled But otherwise till a Member become Notorious and Scandalous for his Evil Principles or Practices he may claim the Right to be admitted to the Lord's Supper for even Judas himself before he Betray'd our Saviour did Partake with him at the first Institution of the Supper as you will find Matth. 26.25 26. So that as to the Outward Institutions and Ordinances of Christ they are Priviledges you see that do belong to all the Members of Christ's Church to all such as have been Baptized and Profess themselves to be Christians And now Secondly I. Christian Ordinances are a singular favour which Aliens and Vnbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy If we compare but these outward Priviledges of God's Holy Ordinances with what others do want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members of Christ's Church and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to For alas The Infidel Part of the World whether Jews Turks or Pagans have none of these Divine Ordinances amongst ' em They neither Know the Lord's Day nor Hold any Assemblies thereon for the Instruction in his Laws
fought a good fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth says the Apostle and so may every good Christian say the same there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but to all them who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Such is the Christian's Priviledge above a Pagan's in being made an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven in that being his Inheritance he may assure himself of it tho' his imperfect Vertues consider'd in themselves could never Entitle him to such an eternal and exceeding weight of Glory In short It is Jesus Christ alone who hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And as he only has brought it to light that is made a clear Revelation of that Life and immortal Happiness laid up for Righteous Men in Heaven which was not before so plainly Reveal'd so it is only through him and by Believing and Embracing and Coming into his Covenant the Gospel that Salvation must now be hop'd for by any for thus we are assur'd Acts 4.12 that There is no other Name under Heaven given among Men but Jesus only whereby we must be saved so that this Invaluable Priviledge this exceeding great Advantage of being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven is made over and certainly Ensur'd to such only who are in the Covenant of Grace and is the Third and Last of those excellent Priviledges and Advantages contain'd and held forth therein And to a sincere Christian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain But then the Kingdom of Heaven is the certain Inheritance of the sincere Christian who in the Exercise of Mercy Meekness Piety and all other Christian Vertues which he has Covenanted with God to perform does faithfully discharge his Part of the Covenant as is most solemnly declar'd Matth. 25.31 32 33 34.46 with which I shall conclude this Point Says our Blessed Saviour there When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand to his Charitable and Pious and Faithful Servants Come ye Blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World And as the Wicked shall go into everlasting Punishment so the Righteous into Life Eternal And now to summ up those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on Uod's Part in the Covenant of Grace A summ of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace hereby we are made First Members of Christ that is are made Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head viz. The Church and so have together with a most excellent Body of Religion and Laws all necessary Grace and Assistance Convey'd and Communicated to us Members from Him the Head to Enliven Support and Enable us to go through all our Task of Religious Duties and Christian Performances requir'd at our Hands The Second Priviledge is That we are also hereby made Children of God that is having Embrac'd Christianity and being Incorporated into the Church of Christ we are thereby Adopted and Chosen out of the rest of the World by God to enjoy this grand Priviledge of Sons to have Pardon granted us when with the Prodigal Son we return Home to Him our Offended but Gracious Father by Repentance And we shall find him not over-severe in respect of our lesser Failings and the unavoidable Infirmities of our Nature but shall always have him ready to hear our Prayers for Mercy both in respect of our greater and lesser Transgressions And Lastly The Third Priviledge you have been now told is this that to compleat All We are made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven that is have secur'd to us a Right and Title to the unspeakable Joys and Glories of Heaven A Priviledge which consider'd in it self is exceeding Great and as all the rest if compar'd with what Others enjoy is a very singular One These now are the inestimable Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace Priviledges which as they are of infinite Advantage to us so we shall never fail of obtaining 'em if we will but take care to perform the Conditions requir'd on our Parts and so First Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Lives Which Conditions and what they Import I come next to declare unto you THE Ninth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked world and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh I Have already Expounded those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace having shewed you what it is to be a Member of Christ what it is to be a Child of God and lastly what to be an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven as also what are the vast Benefits contain'd in those several Articles I am now come to Explain to you likewise the Conditions of the Covenant those Conditions without the Performance of which those Mercies will not be Confer'd on us For this we must seriously consider that the Benefits now mention'd to be made over to us as they are in themselves exceeding great so as almost to equal us with the Blessed Angels and as they were purchas'd for us at no less a Rate than the precious Blood of the Son of God so we must not expect that Benefits so infinitely great and dearly purchas'd should be Confer'd upon us without any thing to be done on our Parts to express our Value of them much less if we continue in Rebellion against God and instead of him serve under his Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil or will be Infidels and Unbelievers and will remain Disobedient to all his most Just and Righteous Commands No it is not to be imagin'd that God will be so Easy so fond of Sinners as would reflect upon the Wisdom and Discretion of a meer Man But as he does propose to us Invaluable Blessings so he does require from us a Reasonable Service and the Performance of most Equitable Conditions amongst which this is the First
concern you to Renounce all false and deceitful ways of getting Riches remembring how the Prophet pronounces a fearful Woe to him who buildeth his House by unrighteousness and his Chambers by wrong that useth his Neighbours service without wages and giveth him not for his work Jer. 22.13 And especially you must beware of Getting Particularly not by Sacriledge by defrauding those who Minister about Holy Things The Generality of the World do now a-days seem to value no Gain like this but as it is declar'd by the Prophet Malachi 3.8 to be the worst sort of Robbery so it is the certain way to bring a Curse upon all a Man's Substance As on the contrary a very free and liberal Payment of Tythes to the full Value will bring a certain Blessing All which you have fully declar'd from the Eighth to the Thirteenth Verses So that in a word all unlawful Gain whether by Robbing God or Man you must take care of But if it has been your sad Misfortune to have brought such a Guilt upon your Consciences Whoever has unjustly gained any thing must renounce it by makeing Restitution thereof you must then Renounce those Riches in the most proper and immediate Sence of the Word that is by Restoring speedily to the full and rather more than less to all those whom you have any ways Injured as Good Zacheus did Behold Lord if I have taken any thing from any man by false Accusation that is Wrongfully I here restore him Four-fold Luk. 19.8 Thus far you must Renounce the Riches of this World with respect to the Getting of them Secondly Riches consider'd in the Possession are to be renounced by paring of those Superfluities which tempt to Idleness and Luxury to Pride and Insolence and an Idolatrous Trust in Riches by paring of that Super-abundance I say and bestowing it to Pious and Charitable uses II. Riches consider'd in the Possession are to be renounced by paring off those superfluities which tempt Idleness and Luxury Pride and Insolence and an Idolatrous Trust in Riches and by bestowing it to Pious and Charitable uses Idleness is a Life for which no Man living can give an account to God or Man there being no Man so Great or so Rich as that he can pretend to have been Born to live Idlely and to be exempt from that Use and Service which every Person owes both to Church and State as he is a Member of both those Bodies The Eye cannot say unto the Hand I have no need of thee nor again the Head to the Feet I have no need of you God having so temper'd the Body together that all the Members both Comely and Uncomely Honourable and Dishonourable Parts should have the same Care one of another 1 Cor. 12.21.24 25. And as Idleness so is Luxury a Crying Sin as will appear by considering the fearful Doom pronounc'd by St. James to such Rich Ones as wanton it in nothing but Pleasure Go to now ye Rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth and been wanton ye have nourished your Hearts as in a day of Slaughter Jam. 5.1.5 And as to Pride For any Person be he never so Wealthly to be pufft up by his Estate to carry it Proudly and Insolently towards other Men of lower Fortunes the usual Effect of Riches this also is a thing severely threaten'd in the now cited Place of St. James viz. Chap. 5. ver 1.5 6. But as to that Exalting themselves against God in an utter Defiance of his Laws which so many Rich and Great Men are subject to Who when God has fed them to the full do then commit Adultery and assemble themselves by Troops in the Harlots houses and are as fed Horses in the Morning every One Neighing after his Neighbour's Wife Shall I not Visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my Soul be Avenged on such a People as this Says God by his Prophet Jeremy 5.7 8 9. Sure such an insolent Contempt of God's Laws and haughty Pride against him will most terribly provoke his Indignation at the last And so Lastly will a Profane and Idolatrous Trust in Riches to which the wealthy Ones are so extreamly liable God shall likewise destroy thee for ever says the Psalmist Psal 52.5 He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy Dwelling-place and root thee out of the Land of the Living And who is this that he will serve so Lo the Man that made not God his Strength but Trusted in the Abundance of his Riches and strengthen'd himself in his Substance ver 7. The Reason wherefore Men do so much Covet after and so closely Hug their Riches is because they take 'em to be a sure Security against all Misfortunes and Troubles and will be a Refuge to 'em they think in the Days of Calamity But alas There is nothing more Uncertain and indeed more Dangerous to the Owners thereof than Riches They can neither Fence off Death nor Sufferings but do most usually bring on both and that both from the Reason of the thing as they Excite the Envy and are a Bait to the Covetousness of others to Dispossess him who Enjoys 'em and by the just Judgment of God when Men have unlawfully got or abus'd ' em And now all this consider'd since Idleness and Luxury Pride and Insolence and a Trust in Riches are so highly Provoking to God and since the Rich are so extreamly liable to these of all others The Possessors of great Estates would do well and wisely too so far to Renounce 'em as to Pare of those Superfluities in their Fortunes and to bestow all that to Pious and Charitable Uses which Tempt 'em to such Pernicious Vices Nor is this a more hard and unreasonable Lesson than what was given by our Saviour in a like Case Matth. 5.29 says he If thy right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that One of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell And so we may say in this If Superfluity and Abundance and more than is necessary to provide a Person of those Conveniencies which are requisite to that State and Condition wherein Providence has Plac'd him in the World does directly tend to those Vices now nam'd then it is much better that with Crates he should even throw away that Superfluity For much better it is that his worldly Wealth should sink into the bottom of the Sea than that it should sink him both Body and Soul in Hell But there is no necessity for any Man to throw that away which God has bestow'd upon him for better Uses Take care to do Good therewith and then it will open unto you the Gates of Heaven In so doing you will Renounce those Superfluities of an Estate as to your own proper Use but however it will return into your own
before so awful an Assembly in the presence of God and before the Bishop and the Church of Christ must needs be a very singular Means to fix you in your Religious Purposes for as long as we are Men and carry about us outward Senses the Solemnity whereby Religious Actions are perform'd will be found to add great Advantages to the Well-doing of them Nor again is Confirmation an Ordinance less Beneficial II. As the Episcopal Benediction Prayers and Laying on of Hands have Spiritual Blessings attending them consider'd in its other Part in the Prayers the Blessing and in the Laying on of the Hands of the Bishop The Person to be Confirm'd having Renew'd that solemn Promise and Vow that was made in his Name at his Baptism Ratifying and Confirming the same in his own Person The Bishop does then proceed to Beseech God to Strengthen him with the Holy Ghost the Comforter and daily to increase in him his manifold Gifts of Grace the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsel and Ghostly Strength the Spirit of Knowledge and true Godliness and to fill him with the Spirit of his holy Fear And does moreover add his own Fatherly Benediction in these Words Defend O Lord this thy Servant with thy Heavenly Grace that he may continue thine for ever and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more until he come to thine everlasting Kingdom And now if the Effectual fervent Prayer of any Righteous man availeth much Jam. 5.16 how much more may be expected from the Intercessions of One who has not only on the account of his own Personal Righteousness but by Virtue of his Office also an Interest in God and the Priviledge of an easier Access and of nearer Approaches to him in Divine Offices And who is Commission'd to Pray to God in the behalf of others and is Authoriz'd to Bless the People in his Name Why this is the Power and Priviledge that the Priesthood had given them under the Law and Gospel both Under the Law as you will see Numb 6.24 Joel 2.17 and also under the more Spiritual Dispensation of the Gospel as may be seen Jam. 5.14 So that much Benefit may without doubt be expected from the Devout Prayers and Paternal Benediction or Blessing of a Father of the Church for God will ever have a particular Regard to his own Institutions and will Bless those Means of conveying his Grace which he himself has Appointed But then especially you may promise your selves a favourable Answer to the Bishop's Prayers and Fatherly Benediction when it is also accompany'd with the Solemnity of Laying on of Hands This has in all Dispensations before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel been Used both by Natural Parents and by the Spiritual Fathers of the Church as a Solemn way of their Blessing Thus Jacob Blessed his Sons Laying his Hands upon their Heads Gen. 48.17 So Aaron lifted up his Hands towards the People and Blessed them Lev. 9.22 And our Saviour also When the little Children were brought unto him he put his Hands upon them and Blessed them Mark 10. 16. No doubt those Great Persons did not intend hereby a fruitless Ceremony but they did design their Laying on of Hands together with their Blessing should have a Spiritual Effect or else such Persons would not have used it But to put us out of doubt concerning the Graces that will attend the Prayers and Benedictions together with the Laying on of Hands of the Fathers of the Church we have a plain Instance thereof in what Peter and John did Act. 8.15.17 who when they came down to the lately Baptized Converts of Samaria They Pray'd for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost and then laid their Hands upon them and they receiv'd the Holy Ghost And tho' the Gifts that then follow'd the Laying on of the Hands of the Apostles may be supposed to have been Extraordinary Gifts because the Infant State of the Church did then require such to raise and support it yet the same Laying on of Hands after the Example of the Holy Apostles and that by the Successors in the Church of Christ the Bishops may be expected to have still such Graces accompanying it as in this present State of the Church will be needful for you and that thereupon the Fatherly Hand of God will ever be over you that his holy Spirit will ever be with you and that he will so lead you in the Knowledge and Obedience of his Word that in the End you may attain everlasting Life through our Lord Jesus Christ And thus I have at length shew'd you what it is to be Confirm'd by the Bishop and withal how Necessary and Beneficial it is to the Souls of Men to be so Confirm'd Catechizing necessary And now Catechizing you are told in the Title and Description of that Catechism which you are now Learning is requisite in order to this your Confirmation I. To the solemn Ratifying of our Covenant with God And First in order to your solemn Renewing therein of the Covenant and Vow made with God in your Baptism and that you may Ratify and Confirm the same in your own Person For why In your Confirmation you do Voluntarily and of Choice take upon you that Profession of Christianity which before in your Minority was done by others in your behalf And it is necessary before you take upon your selves so great and weighty a Business as the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace that you be first Instructed so as to understand them well both what those Conditions of Repentance Faith and Obedience are and what mighty Blessings God vouchsafes to make over to you in the same Covenant that should be an Encouragement and reasonable Consideration to you to undertake so great aâ—d weighty a Charge Just as in the case of a Person under Age who by reason of his Minority being uncapable of himself to Enter into any Covenants his Trustees may do it for him But when he is come to Age and must Seal to and Confirm such Covenants himself it it requisite he have them Read to him and be made to understand what Advantages accrue to him thereby before he Confirm them in his own Person But why not this Instruction rather before Baptism than Confirmation It is in Baptism that we Enter into Covenant with God and Catechetical Instruction should therefore properly go before that you 'll say And in the beginning of Christianity indeed when the Parties Baptized were for the most part Persons grown up to Years of Understanding who Abandoning their Heathenish or Jewish Principles and Practices gave themselves up to be Christ's Disciples it was required that such even before they were Baptized should be first Catechized in the Principles of Christianity and be made to understand the Conditions of that Covenant which by their Baptism they were to Enter into with God And so it is still requisite that all
therefore by the Presentation of those things to their Senses with all the Advantage that Satan has Skill enough to put 'em off withal their Lusts and Appetites do wholly desire these things And as Satan does excite our Lusts and Appetites to covet Unlawful things by whatever pleases any of our Senses Especially the Senses of Seeing and Tasting so especially by those Objects that do gratify the Senses of Seeing and Tasting Hence as to the Lusts of the Eye How many look so long upon a Woman till they have committed Adultery with her already in their Hearts And as to our Appetites How many Belly-Gods with Esau Sell their Inheritance for a Mess of Pottage But our being taken only with outward things is such an high Ingratitude to God who hath provided so much better for us and such an Abuse to our own Souls which are capable of relishing higher Enjoyments as is not to be endured But our being taken only with sensible ond outward Things is such an high Ingratitude to God and such an Abuse to our own Souls as is not to be endur'd What can shew more Ingratitude to God than to despise those Noble Enjoyments which he has prepared for purify'd Souls in Heaven and to choose to feed upon the Husks of sensual Pleasures here below And as to our own Souls Why should such excellent Beings of such exquisite Faculties capable of relishing those Pure and Heavenly Joys above be clogg'd and surfeited with those cloying Vanities of this World Which after they are once Tasted are sure to sit very Heavy and are never well digested by the Mind and Conscience and the Soul can never be at Ease till by Confession and other Acts of Repentance it has thrown 'em up again But the Vileness of thus submitting the Mind to drudge to our Senses and to study only to please our Lusts and Appetites will be more properly Expos'd when we come to shew you how far and in what sence you are to Renounce the sinful Lusts of the Flesh To summ up then what has been hitherto said concerning those Temptations and Means whereby at first Satan overthrew the whole Race of Mankind and drew it off from their Obedience to God to do Service to him and does still so successfully Overcome so many Whether it be by infusing into your Thoughts ill Apprehensions of God particularly of his Justice and Mercy or by diverting of your Minds by needless Curiosities from improving of your Souls in Divine Knowledge and especially as is his wont by stupifying of your sence of Divine Things by trying what is in sinful Pleasures Or whether he shall at any time Tempt you to commit what is sinful by the Inveiglements and Enticements of what you do entirely love and affect Or Lastly By proposing to your Lusts and Appetites what is pleasing to your Senses In which of these ways soever it is that he attempts you you must stoutly resist him And being he was not successful in these ways of Temptation against our First Parents alone but has been also Vers'd in the same for many Thousand Years ever since and therefore must be suppos'd to have grown very skilful in the Management of 'em It does therefore concern you with more than ordinary Diligence to Guard your selves against ' em And in so doing you will go a great way towards Renouncing that great Work of his his Tempting us to Sin concerning which what is farther to be spoke must be defer'd till the next Opportunity THE Eleventh Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THAT Great Work of the Devil his Tempting of us to Sin being the Subject of our present Consideration and in order to the full Discovery of what so much concerns you having already shew'd you First By what Temptations and Means he overthrew the whole Race of Mankind and drew it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him In pursuance of the same important Subject concerning the Temptations of the Devil what they are and in what Ways and Methods he attempts our Ruine I am Secondly To discover to you What Temptations Satan levels against the Church of Christ such as he Levels against the Church of Christ the True Servants of God either utterly to destroy them from off the face of the Earth or at least-wise so to corrupt the Notions of God and Religion that by their very Christianity they may dishonour him Soon after that Satan had seduc'd the whole Race of Mankind into a most unnatural and ungrateful Rebellion against their Maker God recovers out of the Fallen Race of Mankind a Body of Men the Church to his service Listing 'em under Jesus Christ to Fight against Satan did God of his infinite Compassion to the woful State of Man in slavery to so base a Tyrant as the Devil appoint his own Son to be the Great Captain of our Salvation and gave him Power and Commission to List a Church Militant out of the rest of the World who being directed by his Word and assisted by his Holy Spirit should continually fight under his Banner and Conduct against this wicked Spirit the Devil and discharging their Parts well in this Warfare should in another World be eternally Rewarded with Honour by him But the Devil Enrag'd as a Bear bereav'd of her Whelps to have his Prey thus snatch'd away out of his Teeth The Devil Enrag'd to have his Prey snatcht out of his Teeth continually Attacks it by One mightier than he sets himself with the greatest Vigour to ruine this Body of Men who are Arm'd by God on purpose to destroy his Kingdom and does therefore both with the Fury of a Roaring Lion and with the Cunning of a Subtle Serpent continually attack it endeavouring all he can either utterly to Destroy the Church of Christ from off the Face of the Earth Or at least-wise so to corrupt its Notions of God and Religion that by Religion it self it might dishonour him And his first and chief Endeavours were His first and chief endeavours are utterly to destroy it from off the Face of the Earth utterly to destroy the Church of Christ from off the Face of the Earth Towards the understanding of which we must know that God the Father gave Commission to his Son to raise this Church Militant immediately after the Fall of Man and the War between Satan and the Church was Proclaim'd in these Words This he endeavour'd to do in the Person of Abel I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between her Seed and thy Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Gen. 3.15 And no sooner was this War Proclaim'd but this cruel Murderer the Devil for a Murderer he is said to have been from the Beginning thought to have cut it off at one Blow in the Person of
World And so indispensible a Rite of our Initiation or Entrance into the Covenant of Grace And this he has enjoined as indispensably necessary to our initiation into the Covenant of Grace did our Saviour make it that he did not only Command his Apostles and all the succeeding Ministers of his Church to the End of the World to Baptize those whom they did proselyte over to his Religion Go says he Matth. 28.19 and teach or disciple by Baptizing 'em all Nations and lo I am with you always to the end of the World But he excludes all others from having any Interest in his Covenant of Grace which he vouchsafed unto us and from having any claim to the Promises of it who are not entred into it by the outward Rite and Solemnity or Ceremony of Baptism Thus he tells Nicodemus with a Verily verily that is with a solemn Asseveration which amounts almost to an Oath That Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God By the Kingdom of God is here meant the Church of Christ which is a Society of Men in Covenant with God enjoying certain inestimable Privileges under Christ their Supreme Head and is often in the New Testament called the Kingdom of God as Matth. 21.31 So that it is plain from hence that there is no admittance to the Privileges of the Gospel or New Covenant which are Grace Pardon and Happiness nor to the Enjoyment of those infinite Rewards in Heaven the chief of all the Mercies of the Covenant without being first entred into the Church by Baptism which is the Outward Seal and Confirmation of those Mercies to us Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And agreeably to this Doctrine of his Lord and Master did the Great St. Peter hold Baptism so indispensibly necessary that he ordered even those Persons upon whom at his Preaching of the Word the Holy Ghost had fallen which one would have thought might render Baptism unnecessary yet he ordered even those to be Baptized withal as you may see Acts 10.46 47 48. Then answered Peter Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be Baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he commanded them Commanded whom why those on whom the Holy Ghost had fallen vers 44. and who had received the Holy Ghost as well as he vers 47. he commanded even those to be Baptized in the Name of the Lord. Thus is Baptism you see an Outward Rite or Ceremony of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace Secondly And thus our Saviour appointed us to be entered into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably as it were Sealed to betwixt God and us Baptism appointed the Rite of Admission into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably Sealed to betwixt God and us As in this sacred Rite of Baptism there are two Parties concerned God who by his Minister or Ambassador and Agent as he is called 2 Cor. 5.20 does admit the Person Baptized to Covenant and does by him promise and engage to confer upon him particular Blessings and Favours and the Party Baptized who presents himself or is presented by others and does solemnly engage to Renounce GOD's Enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil to Believe in God and to Obey him As there are Two Parties I say God and Man thus transacting a Covenant together so the Minister God's Agent his Receiving the Party and Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is the Sealing to it on God's Part who has promised to confirm in Heaven what they in his Name and by his Commission shall bind on Earth Matth. 16.19 And the Party presenting himself or being presented to Baptism and therein expresly vowing to perform the fore-mentioned Conditions and in token of that his being washed or sprinkled with Water is the putting to as it were his Seal to the Counterpart of the Covenant And farther as this mutual Covenanting and Sealing does give unto God besides his Right of Creation a farther Right by our own express Engagements to our Obedience and Service so to us it gives even that which we could otherwise have no not the least Pretensions to even a Legal Right and Title to all the most inestimable Blessings and Favours of the Covenant It gives great Assurance of mutual Performances barely to be in Covenant together It has been already more than once hinted and shall here be more fully declared how that it gives us mighty Assurance that the Mercies of God shall certainly be confer'd on us that he has vouchsafed to engage Himself in Covenant to make 'em good unto us and that because this way of proceeding gives us even a Legal Right and Title to All the most inestimable Blessings and Favours of the Covenant For this we are to consider that till such time as God has condescended to engage so and so the utmost Services that we can pay him cannot give us sure and certain grounds to hope for or expect such invaluable Benefits to be conferr'd upon us Though we should never so heartily repent us of our Sins there is not that in Repentance alone that it should be sufficient of it self to satisfy the Justice of God and to salve that infinite Dishonour we have done Him by our former Violations of his sacred Laws And tho' we should never so sincerely and faithfully Obey him for the future is it possible that such unprofitable Service as ours should merit and deserve of it self the unspeakable and unconceivable Joys of Heaven as a due Reward for such Obedient Service Pardon of our manifold Sins and Offences and eternal Joy and Happiness I say can never be expected meerly upon any Merit there is in our Repentance and Obedience nor at all till such time as he has graciously vouchsafed and freely condescended by Covenant to secure such Benefits unto us upon our serious Repentance and sincere Obedience But then when he has once condescended to ensure unto us by Covenant these unspeakable Benefits and we on the other side have also engaged our selves to the Performance of such Conditions then what our Repentance Faith and Obedience could not give us reason to expect or hope for meerly upon the account of their own desert shall however be ascertain'd to us by virtue of God's Covenant-Obligations which he has laid upon himself And Pardon and eternal Happiness shall be so far then the matter of our Hopes and Expectations that we shall have a Legal Claim and Title made over to us upon our Repentance Faith and
fairly gather'd that if under a more harsh and rigorous Dispensation Children were so far Priviledg'd as to be admitted to the Advantages of a Covenant with God much more are they to be presum'd to have this Favour granted 'em by God under that blessed and Merciful Dispensation of the Gospel which in all respects is a better Covenant and establish'd upon better Promises Heb. 8.6 and contains far more enlarged Priviledges But to proceed for I design not this of the Baptizing of Infants into the Legal Covenant so much an Argument to build Infant Baptism upon tho' it is no inconsiderable one of it self to that purpose as a Foundation rather for a far better proof of the Matter which is this that Baptizing of Infants having been practic'd in the Jewish Church III. Because our Saviour Adopted the Jewish Rite of Baptism for the Sacrament of Initiation without excluding Children from being Baptized III. That it was without doubt the Intentions of our Saviour they should continue to be Initiated into the Christian Church by Baptism also he having Adopted the Jewish Rite of Baptism for the Sacrament of Initiation without excluding Children from being Baptized It is a thing well known amongst the Learned that the Matter of both the Sacraments were of a Jewish Original and more of Human than Divine Institution till made so by our Saviour who notwithstanding approving of 'em rejected Circumcision and the Passover from being the Sacraments of his Religion and Adopted the Baptism of Water instead of Circumcision and Bread and Wine instead of the Passover to be the two Sacraments the one of Initiation the other of Confirmation into his Religion and Covenant And finding the Baptizing as well as the Circumcising of Infants to be practic'd in the Jewish Church his not forbidding Children to be of the number of Persons Baptized when he chose Baptism to Initiate Persons into his most Holy Covenant must be an undeniable Argument to all unprejudic'd Persons I do think that he design'd no Alteration of the Persons to be Baptized but intended such for Baptism as well as they were before The force of this Argument for if it had been contrary to our Saviour's Intentions that Children in their Infancy should be Baptized tho' he had admitted the use of Baptism he would expresly have forbid the use of it to Children or it would be impossible for the Church not to be led into the Error of Baptizing 'em by reason of his silence in not forbidding ' em Nor was it at all needful if he design'd Infants to be Baptized he should have given some Command about it for taking it as he found it in the Jewish Church who Baptized Infants as well as grown Persons this was sufficient to clear his Design that Infants in the Christian as well as grown Persons should also be Baptized or else he would have declared the contrary The whole Nation knowing well enough Dr. Lightfoot Vol. 2. Pag. 9. that little Children used to be Baptized there was no need of a Precept for that which had ever by common use prevailed Please to take the Case as it is thus represented by the Learned Dr. Lightfoot If a Royal Proclamation should now Issue forth in these words Let every one on the Lord's-Day resort to the Publick Assembly in the Church certainly he would be Mad who in times to come should argue hence that Prayers Sermons Singing of Psalms were not to be Celebrated on the Lord's-Day in the Publick Assemblies because there is no mention of them in the Proclamation For the Proclamation provided for the Celebration of the Lord's-Day in the Publick Assemblies in general but there was no need to make mention of the particular Kinds of the Divine Worship to be Celebrated there when they were always and every where well known and in daily use before the Publishing of the Proclamation and when it was Published The Case is the very same in Baptism Christ Instituted it for an Evangelical Sacrament whereby all should be admitted into the Profession of the Gospel as heretofore it was used for admission into Proselytism into the Jewish Religion The particulars belonging to it as the manner of Baptizing the Age the Sex to be Baptized c. had no need of a Rule or Definition because these were by the common use of 'em sufficiently known even to the most Illiterate and Ignorant Men. On the other-hand therefore there was need of a plain and open Prohibition that Infants and little Children should not be Baptized if our Saviour would not have had 'em Baptized For since it was common in all Ages foregoing that little Children should be Baptized if Christ had been minded to have that Custom abolished he would have openly forbidden it His silence therefore and the silence of the Scripture in this Matter is the best Argument that can be in this Case for Infant Baptism and does confirm and continue it unto all Ages Thus that Learned Author And thus to me it seems beyond all doubt that the Intention of our Saviour was that under the Gospel likewise as well as before under the Law Infants should be Baptized into the Covenant of Grace IV. And agreeably to the Mind of their Master IV. Because in all probability Infant-Baptism was practic'd by the Apostles the Baptizing of 'em into it was in all probability practis'd by the Apostles of Christ As for our Saviour's own Practice in this Matter we are to expect no Evidence the Evangelist having declar'd it John 4.2 that Jesus Baptized not but his Disciples But that his Disciples did actually Baptize Infants is more than probable from those three famous places in the Scripture viz. two of 'em Acts 16.15 and again the 33. ver and the other 1 Cor. 1.16 where we find mention made of whole Housholds being Baptized together with the Head of the Families respectively And tho' we cannot certainly conclude there were Infants in those Families yet as it is hardly to be imagin'd that there were not such in some of 'em so if there were any we may certainly conclude they were Baptized both because of the mention made of the Houshold being Baptized and of the known Custom in the Jewish Church from which Christian Baptism was derived of Baptizing all both Children and Servants together with the Heads of the Families when any were Proselyted and Converted as was shew'd before V. Because it was very agreeable to the End and Reason of Baptism and the Nature of the Covenant of Grace that Infants should be Baptiz'd into it V. And it was very agreeable to the ends and reason of Baptism and the Nature of the Covenant of Grace that Infants should be Baptized into it It is here the Adversaries of Infant Baptism do chiefly raise their Batteries against it They do therefore say that Infants are uncapable Subjects because that Baptism is a Covenanting with God and such are uncapable of entring into Covenants But
Persons are much more subject to fall into these Violations of their Covenant by sinful Immoralities now than by Paganish Apostacies they were then Nor Lastly Is it at any time a hard and unreasonable Imposition upon the Godfathers and Godmothers to make 'em give Security for the Christian Education of other Peoples Children We are all of us to be helpful to one another especially to be assistant in those things which concern the good of their Immortal Souls and there is none but a cruel and murderous Cain would have said Am I my Brothers Keeper And if the utmost that the Sureties do Promise and Vow in behalf of the Infant does extend to no more than this to see that he shall be Train'd up in the Principles of Religion and Admonish'd to live up according to what he has solemnly Covenanted and openly and solemnly to confirm this his Covenant when he comes to an Age of Understanding and this only upon the natural Parents neglect Why this truly 't is confest will cost some Pains and perhaps too some small Charge but then let such a one consider he has an opportunity put into his Hands to save a Soul and let him withal consider what the Apostle says for his Encouragement therein James 5.20 that He which shall save a Soul from Death shall cover a multitude of Sins So that thus you see what reason the Church had to appoint Godfathers and Godmothers not only to represent the Infant but to engage for it in Baptism But IV. And Lastly For a further Justification of the thing out of Scripture I will prove from thence as a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governours of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstances as they shall think fit for the greater Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men so that their appointment of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent and useful Institution to this purpose But this as it is a Point that must have a great deal said to the Proof and Enlargement of it so I shall defer the speaking to it till the next Opportunity THE XXXII Lecture Q. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you Answ They did Promise and Vow three things in my Name IN order to the Explication of these Words and to the Justification and Proof of the Doctrine contain'd in them I have already led you I. Into the meaning of the Words Godfathers and Godmothers II. Into the Nature of their Office III. I have shew'd you what Reason the Church had to appoint Godfathers and Godmothers both to Represent and Engage for the Infant in Baptism And now Lastly For the further Justification out of Scripture of the use of Godfathers and Godmothers to Introduce you to Baptism I will prove from thence As a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governours of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstantials as they shall think fit for the greater Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men so that the Churches appointing of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent rational and useful Institution to this purpose And I have reserv'd this Head of Discourse for the last and shall make one entire Discourse upon it not only to shew the Lawfulness and Expediency of Godfathers and Godmothers but withal with a design to lay such Principles in the Heart as will sufficiently Justifie our Church in all its other Rites and Usages in Divine Administrations and will enable you to oppose those that shall Gainsay To proceed therefore I say IV. Besides the reason of the thing IV. A further Justification of the use of Godfathers and Godmothers In order to justifie out of Scripture the use of Godfathers and Godmothers to introduce Infants to Baptism I will prove from thence as a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governours of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstances as they shall think fit for the greater Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men so that their appointing of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent and useful Institution to this purpose I say besides the reason of the thing It is a sufficient Justification of any Ecclesiastic Institution that it be reasonable tho' not supported by any express Scripture It is a very unhappy Prejudice which some do labour under that the best reason is no proof with them without some express Scriptures to command that very Particular tho' it be not a Matter above Reason but left by Scripture to the Determination of it Now to come to a right Understanding of this Matter we must distinguish upon such Points as are not and such as are to be determin'd by meer Reason And 1. There are some great Points of Faith 1. The sole Authority whereon to ground the Belief of the Mysteries of Religion must be Divine Revelation such as the Mystery of the Trinity of the Incarnation Mediation and Satisfaction of Christ above the reach of Human Reason to have found out and now that they are Reveal'd beyond the compass of it fully to comprehend which Articles we call the Mysteries of Christianity And these we are bound to Believe according as they are Reveal'd to us without adding to or taking from 'em being fully assur'd that the Holy Scripture that Word of God which does Reveal these Truths to us is it self most Infallibly true as being the Testimony of him who is Infinite Wisdom and cannot be deceiv'd himself and is Infinite Justice and will not cannot deceive others And therefore with respect to these Sacred Truths it is the part of every Christian to Cast down Imaginations or Reasonings and every high thing that exalteth it self against i the knowledge of God bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor 10.5 Not but that Reason has its Use here in Judging of the sufficiency of those Proofs from Scripture which are produc'd to establish the Truth of any Article of Faith But as it is beyond the Power of meer Natural Reason to have discover'd God's Methods of saving us by Christ and the like so it wou'd be the highest Presumption to oppose our narrow scantling of Reason to God's Wisdom in his Dispensations towards us 2. In the next place there are other Points in Religion 2. Both Faith and Practice as to the Articles of Natural Religion and Moral Duties grounded both upon the Word of God and right Reason as well Articles of Faith as Moral Duties to regulate both our Belief and Practice in reference to which we are left to Scripture and Reason conjunctly with this difference that we must have our Eye upon Scripture as the only perfect Rule such are the Articles of Natural Religion as the Belief of God of a Providence of the Immortality of the Soul and of Rewards and
Punishments in another World And all or most of the Duties of Morality also have the Light of Nature or our own Reason both directing and enforcing the Practice of ' em Only our Natural Reason in this our Corrupted State being a Candle that burns very dimm We must I say have our Eye principally upon the Light of Scripture which is the singular Gift of God given to Conduct us safe through the Intricate Mazes and Difficulties of this World to another and that a better to be a Light unto our Feet and a Lanthorn unto our Path that our Footsteps may not slide Psal 119.105 And a most perfect Rule the Scripture is It being given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnish'd unto all Good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. But tho' Natural Reason now in its Eclipse by Sin yields not Light enough of it self without the help of Divine Revelation to guide us unto Happiness yet so far as it can direct us and is agreeable to Scripture Light we are to follow its Guidance It is as well the Gift of God as the other and was given us to the same Ends and Purposes and we are therefore to bless God for so excellent a Gift as our Reason and must follow its Dictates without going contrary to the Reason within us in whatsoever it does prescribe us that is not contradicted by the Word of God for where the Word of God does not thwart our own Reason in that Case is left by God in its Original Authority which it had before Divine Revelation and we are to look upon it as the Divine Will and Pleasure that we should act what seems but reasonable And hence we find that our Blessed Saviour himself and his Apostles do often appeal to our own Reason as a Guide we ought to follow Thus Luke 12.57 Yea and why even of your selves judge you not what is right says he to the Pharisees And indeed in one of the most important Cases that was ever put to any decision the Apostles Peter and John do appeal to Men's own Reason to determine 'em what they shou'd do The Rulers of the Jews call'd them and commanded them not to speak at all nor to teach in the Name of Jesus but Peter and John answer'd and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye Acts 4.18 19. The Apostles did not here call in the Authority of Scripture to justifie them in what they did but did appeal to their own Reason And the 1 Cor. 10. the Apostle undertaking to convince them how ill a thing it was for 'em to partake of things offer'd to Idols how does he go about to do it Why says he I speak unto wise Men judge ye what I say Verse 15. and so goes on by many Arguments fetch'd from the Nature and Reason of Sacrifices and Sacraments to prove that Men ought not to partake of two such different ones as the Table of God and the Table of Devils Verse 21. 3. Religious Rites and Ceremonies left to the Reason and Discretion of Church-Governours to appoint 3. There are besides these necessary and essential Parts of Religion others but Appendages or certain Modes and Circumstances retaining to it such are those Ceremonies appointed by Authority for the greater Solemnity of Divine Administrations And the determining what these are to be is plainly permitted to the Reason and Discretion of the Governors of the Church as may be fairly concluded from 1 Cor. 11.13 14 18. where the Apostle makes Reason the sole Judge that must be submitted to in point of Decency and Order The Case before the Apostle was whether Women ought to appear veiled in the Church and how does he prove it why from Reason and the Custom of the Churches and he severely twits those as perverse Persons that in such Cases will not be govern'd by such Arguments Judge in your selves is it comely that a Woman pray with her Head uncover'd doth not even Nature that is Custom it self teach you But if any Man be contentious we have no such Custom nor the Churches of God that is if People will be so perverse I think it sufficient to tell them as that which ought to govern 'em the Nature and Reason of the thing and the Custom of the Church is against ' em So that Reason you see is not excluded from judging what is fit and proper to be done in point of Decency and Order and for the greater Solemnity of Divine Administrations And therefore having shew'd you what Reason the Church had to appoint Godfathers and Godmothers not only as Proxies to represent the Infant but as Sureties to engage for it in Baptism I need not much to insist on other Arguments in justification of that Usage of the Church But however that no Scruple may remain if possible in any honest Mind that will be convinc'd for a farther justification of the Lawfulness and Expedience of 'em I. I will prove out of Scripture I. That Christ gave Commission to the Governors of the Church to institute such Vsages as shall be for Decency and Order and the better Edification of the Souls of Men prov'd from Scripture that there has been a Power and Authority given by Christ to the Governors of the Church to appoint such reasonable Circumstances as they shall think fit for the greater Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men. And then II. I will shew you that their appointing of Godfathers and Godmothers was a most excellent and useful Institution to this purpose And First I will prove out of Scripture that there has been a Power c. It were a thing very well worth the Consideration of all Persons what Observance our Blessed Saviour paid to those Circumstantial Appointments relating to Divine Worship which the Governors of the Jewish Church without any farther Authority from Scripture than the general Commission and Power it gives Governors to exercise had of their own selves order'd There was as little need one would have thought in that Church as any This allow'd to the Governors of the Jewish Church for its Governors to appoint any new Modes or Ceremonies of Worship God himself having given 'em such very particular Orders relating to Divine Service But as little need as there seem'd to be of 'em they however took upon 'em to appoint many things besides what God himself had ordain'd And yet Christ did not only conform to 'em in his own Practice as appears from his celebrating the Feast of Dedication John 10.22 23. which was a Festival of mere humane Institution in memory of their Deliverance from the Tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes and the purging of the Temple and the Altar from his Idolatry but moreover he commanded his Followers
I am sure so precious is one Soul in the sight of God that the Institution that shall contribute to the Salvation of many shall be of no small account with him Which good Effects would be much greater were the choice of Godfathers and Godmothers made according to the Canons of the Church And to the Edification of very many more I am sure this Ordinance would contribute if that choice were made of Persons for Godfathers and Godmothers which the Church prescribes For as our most excellent Church has taken an admirable Care of her Children in providing Security for their good Education and Christian Behaviour so to make that Security as good as possible and that they may be such as will be most likely to have that Care of those they stand for she Ordains in her 24th Canon That no Persons should be admitted to be Godfathers and Godmothers to any Child at a Christening or Confirmation before the said Person so undertaking hath received the Holy Communion And now if all Parents would provide such only and all Ministers would receive none other but who have Communicated then we should see much better effects of this Institution and that it would Minister very considerably to Edification for then the ungodly Crew that never approach the Holy Altar being excluded there would none but Persons of a tolerable good sense of Religion themselves be Sureties for others and from such we might expect a discharge of their Obligations But if Parents having other Respects than the good of their Childrens Souls will only provide such as are likely to make the Infant a good Present or leave it a Legacy or bestow handsomely on Midwives and Nurses let 'em be never so Loose and Lewd or mere Children or otherwise unqualify'd then no wonder if we see fewer good Effects of this excellent Institution which in it self is admirably well fitted to promote Edification But then this is the Fault of Parents not of the Church and notwithstanding this the appointment of Godfathers and Godmothers as Sureties in Baptism ought to be consider'd as a thing of a very useful Tendency as to the more decent Administration of the Sacrament of Baptism so to the better Edification of the Person Baptized to which purpose according to the Power given 'em by Christ the Governours of our Church have appointed it The Conclusion And thus in Commenting upon the Preliminary Questions and Answers of the Catechism I have at length gone through all those Heads of Discourse I did at first propose to speak to in order to give you a full Understanding of the Covenant of Grace that Covenant you enterd into with God in your Baptism For I. As to the Nature of this Covenant I have in the first place explain'd to you the Terms and Conditions of it both on Gods part and on ours In the second place I have laid before you the Gracious Importance of this Covenant shewing you how that it is a State of Salvation Thirdly I have accounted for the Original of it and by whose Mediation you obtain'd such Terms of Reconciliation with God and that it was through Jesus Christ our Lord. I have Fourthly acquainted you by whom and how you have been Call'd to this State of Salvation that it was Your Heavenly Father who hath called you to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. And Lastly have Admonish'd you of the very great Reason you have to thank God and our Saviour Jesus Christ for so exceeding great a Mercy as his Calling you into it So far I have let you into the Knowledge of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace And II. Having done this I have declar'd to you by what Sacrament or Solemnity you enter'd into it III. I have shew'd you the vast Obligations lying upon you faithfully to discharge your Covenant with God IV. I have directed you by what means you may perform it And Lastly That nothing might be wanting fully to Inform you in all that pertains to the Doctrine of this Covenant I have now Inform'd you in those two Circumstances relating to your entrance into it the Time when and the Persons by whom you were Initiated therein These last Points indeed I thought once to have deferr'd the treating upon till I shall come to the Last Part of the Catechism But tho' the whole Doctrine of Divine Assistance and Prayer may be treated upon when I shall come to the Lord's-Prayer and the Question which leads to it yet as they are the necessary Means of enabling us to perform our Covenant with God they ought at leastwise to be generally consider'd here And even the Doctrine of Infant Baptism and the use of Godfathers and Godmothers tho' there is a Question and Answer more direct upon both at the latter end of the Catechism yet the positive handling of 'em is properest in this place And whatever Objections can be rais'd against either will most naturally be handl'd upon these Words Why then are Infants Baptized when by reason of their tender Age they cannot perform them The Answer to which is Because they Promise them both by their Sureties which Promise when they come to Age themselves are bound to perform There is an Objection and Solution in these Words and therefore they will be the fittest to found a Discourse upon consisting of the like However I think the general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace could not have been handl'd in all its Parts without the consideration of these latter Points and that I think may be sufficient to justifie us in treating upon 'em here so as to give you a general View as of the Covenant of Grace so of all that pertains to the Doctrine of it And now what remains but that you seriously reflect upon all that has been deliver'd upon this most important Subject of your Baptismal Covenant I do call it such and I do think it ought to be the most studied by you of any other For why First I take the Covenant of Grace or our Baptismal Covenant to comprise the whole Doctrine of Christianity even all that than which no Man as a meer Christian is necessitated to know more and than which the meanest ought not to know less No Man in any Civil Contract can perform his Bonds without knowing the Conditions of the Obligations no more can a Christian be suppos'd to perform his Covenant with God without knowing the Nature Terms and Conditions of it Secondly It is absolutely necessary that all Youth should comprehend the general Nature Terms and Conditions of their Baptismal Covenant before they go to be Confirm'd Thirdly And all Persons before they communicate in the Holy Sacrament because in both these Ordinances they ratifie their Baptismal Covenant with God Fourthly And if it be consider'd that all Persons in order to prepare for Death must strictly examine themselves concerning their Failures in all and every the Terms and Conditions requir'd on their part