poor soul then of an earthly Kingdome to be bestowed upon thee 3. If thou thinkest those that have true Peace of conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost to be the happiest people under the sun 4. If thou tremble at the Word and honour the very feet of those Instruments that bring glad tydings of peace to such as thy self to wit to wounded consciences 5. If thou send up strong and uncessant cryes to God for the assurance of his favour in and through Christ 6. If thou dost pity and compassionate all such as have broken and bruised hearts Vse 3. To exhort all such as for the present have not contrite and humble spirits to labour and endeavour for that disposition Motives 1. The contrary disposition to wit hardness of heart and impenitency is a great sin and a grievous judgement A great sin Rom. 2.5 But thou after thy hard and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath A grievous judgement Exod. 9.12 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh See John 12.40 Now there be two kinds of hardness of heart 1. Sensible that which is perceived and felt and this may be in the godly as Isa 63.17 Oh Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and heardened our hearts from thy fear 2. Insensible that which is not perceived and felt and this indeed is a great sin and plague 2. The second Motive The sooner we labour after this disposition the more easily in likelyhood we shall attain unto it when a heart hath been long hardened with the deceitfulness of sin it will not easily become a contrite and humble heart and therefore Psalm 95.7.8 To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts So Joel 2.12 13. Besides it may be hereafter we shall not enjoy the like means this way we do for the present 3. Without this contrite and humble spirit according to the Doctrine we cannot partake of Christ and his benefits this is the Messenger that Christ ever sends before him unto those of years for we do not now speak of Infants and wo be unto us if we do not partake of Christ and his benefits it had been good for us we had never been born 4. Whosoever hath this contrite and humble spirit shall certainly partake of Christ and his benefits Now this may greatly induce us to labour for this disposition when the issue undoubtedly shall be so good and so happy Suppose this business be difficult and tedious why yet such an issue must needs put us on in it These are the Motives Now we proceed to the Means of a contrite and humble spirit Means 1. Prayer to God in the best manner we can it is he that must bruise our hard and stony hearts Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh to wit a contrite and humble heart 2. Because the Lord doth many times make use of afflictions and judgements for the bruising of mens hearts when he sends any great affliction upon us let us not stand out against him but joyn with him when he goes a bout to humble us let us labour to humble our selves as Saul afterwards called Paul Acts 9.6 trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do When the hand of God is upon us let us not stand murmuring and repining but fall to examination of our Spiritual estates and cases as the Wise-man adviseth us Eccles 7.14 In the day of adversity consider 3. Constant dependance upon the Ministry of the Word Jer. 23.29 Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the Rocks in pieces Now we are to know that the Law hath a stroke in this work and so the Gospel 1. The Law by revealing of sin and the woful consequents of it and so the Spirit of God co-operating there is caused a servile fear and trembling a kind of contrition and humiliation which the Apostle Rom. 8.15 cals the spirit of bondage causing fear when the Spirit of God puts an edge upon the Law puts a sword into the hand of the Law to prick and wound the heart and to restrain it in the wayes of sin for fear of punishment Many a man and woman hears the Law opened and the threatnings of it thundringly denounced but stir not are little moved but when once the Lord by his Spirit puts an edge upon the Law then the stoutest heart trembles and quakes Now that the Law may have a kindly work upon us 1. By the Law let us labour for a distinct knowledge of sin 2. Rightly to understand what the Curse is which the Law threatneth unto sin and sinners 3. Examine our selves how guilty we are of that which the Law threatens the Curse unto to wit sin 4. Finding our selves guilty to labour our hearts to a deep contrition and humiliation Now as we have heard before as the Law hath a stroke in this work why so the Gospel more and more melting the heart by discovering Christ whom the sinner hath pierced by his sins and by supporting the heart by a secret hope of mercy and possibility of help in and through Christ even as Jonah Chap. 2. verse 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple Or as the Prodigal Son Luke 15.17 18. And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my fathers house have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee c. Now after the Law hath humbled us and the Gospel conveyed this glimpse of hope into our hearts it must be nourished and cherished 1. By considering of the Lords Infinite and Almighty Power how he is able more and more to bruise our souls to make us more and more capable of Christ and so to bring Christ nearer unto us that we may partake of him and his benefits Luke 1.37 With God nothing shall be unpossible And Matth. 3.9 God is able of stones to raise up children unto Abraham 2. The freeness of Gods mercy must be considered of he requires nothing of thee to procure this mercy but shewes mercy because he will shew mercy Suppose thou hast never so many exceptions to thy self why yet thou belonging unto him and his mercy being a free mercy he will proceed with thee until he hath made thee capable of Christ and bestowed Christ upon thee and his benefits Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And Isaiah 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake 3. For supporting of this hope consider we of the riches of Gods mercy unto the proper objects of mercy Contrite and Humble men
as live idlely do not walk diligently in their callings Joh. 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work The Lord never ceaseth from his work of Providence 3. Reproof to all such as are discontented with their outward condition and estates and so calling Gods wise Providence in question contrary to the Apostle Phil. 4.11 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content And David Psal 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didest it 4. To reprove all such as neglect the lawful means Civil or Holy the Lord in his ordinary course working by means or if the means fail they distrust the Lord as though he that tyed us to means were himself tyed to means and could not work by little means against means above means 5. To reprove all such as lay their sins on God because nothing comes to pass but by his Providence but hearken to the Apostle James 1.13 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evil neither tempteth he any man There is no sin in God neither doth he put sin into any mans heart It is true indeed the Lord could prevent sin and would if he could not gain himself glory out of it thou canst not do this or that wicked action without Gods Providence but thy sin as it is sin is of thy self and Satan thou sinning willingly and chearfully not endeavouring to serve Gods Providence but thy own vile affections 6. To reprove the evil speech of some as they that say this or that came to pass by meer chance as though any thing came to pass without a cause or without Gods Providence and so such as say this or that we will do not putting in Saint James's condition Jam. 4.15 If the Lord will not remembring that they and their actions are in Gods disposing and not in their own Vse 2. For the great comfort and consolation of all the godly It is true they have many enemies but the Lord hath them all in a string as he saith to Sennacherib King of Assyria 2 Kin. 19.27 28. I know thy abode and thy going out and thy coming in and thy rage against me because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into my ears therefore I will put my hook into thy nose and my bridle in thy lips and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest Nay the Devils themselves the Lord hath them in Chains they cannot go a link beyond his permission as is evident in the History of Job even as he saith unto the Sea Job 38.11 Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed And so in regard of any affliction no affliction can befal the godly but by the Providence of God and no affliction shall befal them but the Providence of God will turn it to their good insomuch as every true Believer may say with David Psal 16.8 The Lord is at my right hand I shall not be moved not moved to my hurt and as he saith Psal 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want and verse 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me And wondrous comfortable is that sentence 2 Chron. 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him And not a little may the godly man succour his faith by his former experience of Gods Providence Psal 56.13 Thou hast delivered my soul from death wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of the living And 1 Sam. 17.37 David said The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine And so Psal 46.1.2 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carryed into the midst of the Sea Vse 3. To exhort every one to serve Gods Providence in the use of all good means Civil and Holy because so the Lord works ordinarily To neglect ordinary means is to tempt God and great presumption as our Saviour replies to Satan when he would have had him cast himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple Matth. 4.7 It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God And yet we must take heed of trusting in the means for that is Idolatry the truth of it is it is Gods blessing that doth mainly effect a thing as Psal 127.1 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman waketh but in vain And therefore when the means fail us at any time our faith must not It was an evil saying of the Israelites Psal 78.19 Can God furnish a table in the Wilderness and therefore the Spirit of God saith of them putting forth such a question that they spake against God But it was a good saying of Abraham Gen. 22.8 God will provide and if you peruse verse 14. you shall perceive that this speech of his grew to a Proverb intimating thus much that in due time and place the Lord will supply the wants and necessities of all his people And thus far touching the description of God by his works of Creation and Preservation MEMBER V. One true God Creator and Governor of all things is distinguished into the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost THat there is a distinction of Persons and this distinction in the Divine Essence is evident if so be we look into the holy Scriptures Gen. 1.26 And God said Let us make man in our image where God the Father consults with his Son and holy Spirit The like phrase we have in Gen. 11.7 Let us go down and there confound their Language And Isa 63.9 10. The Angel of his presence saved them Of whose presence Of God the Fathers and who was this Angel but the Son the second Person in Trinity But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit to wit the Holy Ghost Haggai 2.5 7. According to the word that I convenanted with you when ye came out of Aegypt Who was it that did covenant with the Israelites to wit God the Father So My Spirit remaineth among you to wit the Holy Ghost And The desire of all Nations shall come to wit the Sonne But this Mysterie is more clearly revealed in the New Testament as when Christ was baptized Matthew 3.16 17. And he saw to wit John the Baptist the Spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting upon him to wit upon Christ And lo a voyce from Heaven that is to say from God the Father saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased But more
our souls resting upon him for pardon and justification and not onely hold forth our faith to the promise of pardon and forgiveness in and through Christ but extend it unto all the precious promises made of God in Christ Jesus unto Believers as we may have occasion whether they concern this life or the life to come be they general or particular absolute or conditional express or implicite This should be the wisdome of the Believer as to acquaint himself with the whole word of God and to be affected with it alwayes as it applyes it self unto him for this faith doth not onely extend it self to the promises but to the whole word of God as the Precepts Threatnings c. so especially to acquaint himself with the precious promises dispersed here and there in the Sacred Scriptures Then 2. To have them in memory by frequent mediation 3. Often to urge them upon God in Prayer And 4. Ever to rest upon them as he hath occasion This is to live by our faith and this is that which is ever injoyned us in holy writ to wit the act and exercise of our faith the habit of faith being the Covenant on Gods part and the act and exercise of faith the Covenant on our part not but that men and women must use all holy means for the habit and not that the habit can act without the effectual concurrence of Gods Spirit exciting and co-working Now touching this life of faith we will not think much for your better proceeding therein to give instance in some particular cases 1. As first Art thou at any time oppressed with the weight and burden of thy sins call to mind the promises of pardon and forgiveness made unto such a soul as Isaiah 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool And the 55 of the same Prophesie verse 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon And so Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest In the case aforesaid such promises as these must be reviewed meditated on urged upon God in Prayer and then rested on 2. The second instance Dost thou at any time find corruption strong and grace weak in thee call to mind the promises of Sanctification or of help these wayes as Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins that is not onely from the guilt but likewise from the power of sin And Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you And so Jer. 31.33 This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And Isaiah 44.2 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thy Off-spring And so Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them These and such like Promises thou must review meditate on urge upon God in Prayer and rest on them 3. The third instance Dost thou doubt thy perseverance and holding out to the end see John 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst that is shall never after be altogether destitute of grace but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of water springing up into everlasting life And the fifth Chapter of the same Gospel verse 24. Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life And so the tenth Chapter verses 27 28 29. My sheep hear my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand These Promises and such like in the case aforesaid must be called to mind meditated on urged upon God in Prayer so rested on 4. The fourth instance Dost thou at any time fear the supply of Temporal things see Psal 34.10 The yong Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing And Ps 84.11 He will give grace and glory and no good thing wil he withhold from them that walk uprightly And so Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you And Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee These Promises and the like in the case aforesaid must be thought of urged upon God in Prayer and rested on The last instance I lay forth at this time The times being evil Dost thou fear greater afflictions to befal thee then thou shalt be enabled patiently to bear see Psal 91.10 There shall no evil befal thee And Rom. 8.28 We know that all things even afflictions themselves work together for good unto them that love God These places promise that no affliction hurtful shall befal thee nay that no affliction shall befal thee but for thy good And see further Psalm 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of them all This place and such places as this promise unto thee a good issue unto thy afflictions nay to answer thy fear See Isaiah 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee to wit supporting and sustaining thee And 1 Corinthians 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able These Promises and such like in the case aforesaid must be reviewed meditated on urged upon God in Prayer and then rested on And so in all other cases as thou mayest have occasion thou shalt find promises in holy Writ to fit thee acquaint thy self with them meditate on them urge them upon God in Prayer rest on them serve Gods Providence in the use of all lawful means sutable and often consider of Gods Attributes the props of faith as his Wisdome Power Mercy and Truth and this is to make use of faith to live by our faith And so farre touching the third Member of the fourth Principle Now we come to the fourth Memmer thereof MEMBER IV. Is justified before God IN which Member and the
life is a continual conflict The flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Calat 5.17 They aime at perfection but have daily need to renew their Repentance Wee now come to the Uses Vse 1. To confute the opinion of divers men and women who will say they are justifyed and believe in Christ and yet they do not at all demonstrate the same by their Sanctification examine their lives and it is not the way of holiness they prosecute but the way of sin and disobedience In their way and course they do not turn to God but from him as the Lord complains of the obstinate Jewes Jerem. 32.33 They have turned unto me the back and not the face though I taught them rising up early and teaching them yet they have not hearkned to receive instruction It is swearing prophaning of the Sabbath uncleanness Drunkenness oppression defrauding they delight in and not the wayes of Gods Testimonies Nay divers are so far from holiness as that they cannot away with those that make a shew that way of all people they cannot brook the forward in Religion but oppose and persecute them all the wayes they can Yea how earnest against the Holy and Zealous even divers that are of civil conversation to give us light that there is a great difference betwixt common grace and sanctifying Well let the prophane person and also the meer Civilist know that he shall dye in his sin that dyeth not unto his sin and that so many as are unsanctified are unjustifyed According to that saying of our Saviour unto Peter John 13.8 If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Vse 2. For the great comfort and conso lation of all such as truly desire to fear God this being a truth that Justification and Sanctification are inseparable The case being so with the Godly in this world as that their Sanctification is imperfect the flesh ever lusting against the Spirit and sin ever present with them when they would do good Had they no other ground to fasten their Anchor of Hope upon but their Sanctification it could not hold them fast enough against the tempests of Satans temptations but seeing that Sanctification although imperfect is an evidence of another Righteousnesse which is perfect to wit Justification this may bear them up and support them The Apostle Paul finding his Sanctification to be imperfect the flesh to rebel against the spirit hee cryes out Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death But considering of his Justification he comforts himself and ver 25. breaks forth into the praises of God I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Now then to make sure we are Sanctifyed persons and therefore Justifyed persons that we be not deceived in so weighty a matter it shall not be amiss to lay down some Marks and Signs of Sanctification But because Civility and Formality do not a little resemble Sanctity it may not be unfit in the first place to distinguish them by some notes of Difference and then afterwards to lay down the distinct Signes of Sanctification 1. The Formalist in the ordinary course cares more for the pleasing of man then for the pleasing of God is more for the praise of men then of God The Scribes and Pharisees were notable Formalists and see what our Saviour saith unto them and of them Vnto them Luke 16.15 Yee are they which Justifye your selves before men Of them Mat. 23.5 All their works they do to be seen of men Such also was Saul 2 Sam. 15.13 30. and Jehu see 2 Kin. 10.16 But such as are truly Sanctified are in their ordinary course more for the praise and pleasing of God then of men more for Gods approbation then mans Psal 44.20 21. If we have forgotten the name of our God say the people of God or stretched out our hands unto a strange God shall not God search this out for he knoweth the secrets of the heart And the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 2.17 We are not as many that corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speake we in Christ And 1 Thessal 2.4 As we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so wee speak not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts 2. The formalist is only for an outward righteousness little regarding inward As we may see again in the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23.25.27 28. Wee unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye make clean the â—uâ—side of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of extortion and excess Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye are like unto whited sepulchres which indeed appear beautifull outwardly but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleannesse Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity But such as are truely sanctified do as well labour for pure hearts as clean hands grieve for evil thoughts and desires as well as for evil words and actions I do not say so much see Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God renew a right spirit within me And Psal 142.4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing and the place forecited Rom. 7.24 how the Apostle be wailes his original corruption O wretched man that I am Who shall deliver me from the body of this death 3 The formalist will seem to make conscience of greater sins as Murder Perjurie Adultery and the like but for lesser sins he makes no bones of them as wanton talking rash anger over-reaching a neighbour a shilling or two now and then in a bargain swearing by faith or troth in his usual talk and the like But the Sanctified person makes conscience of every thing he knowes to be sin from the greatest to the least 1 Sam. 24.5 Davids heart smote him because he had cut off the skirt of Sauls garment It was no great matter and yet his conscience smote him for it The truly godly person takes notice of what our Saviour saith Luke 16.10 He that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much that is he that favours himself in the least known injustice wil upon occasion commit the greatest injustice And likewise the person aforesaid regards what the Apostle James saith Chap. 1. ver 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widows in their affliction and keep himself unspotted of the world The true religion much fears the least spot of sin although every day he shew weaknesse and infirmitie and so have cause to renew that suite Mat. 6.12 Forgive us our trespasses why yet he subscribes to Solomon Eccles 10.1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour So doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdome and honour And he
Spirit then to those Carpers and Cavillers 1 Tim. 4.8 Psal 34.10 and Matth. 6.33 Now that we may profit more and more profit by partaking of this Ordinance I will lay down some directions 1. Some things must be done before we come to hear 2. Some things in the act of hearing 3. Some things after we have heard 1. Some things must be done before we come to hear as 1. We must come in hatred of all sin That this must be laboured and endeavoured see Exek 14 1. unto the ninth verse And 1 Pet. 2.1.2 2. We must come with our hearts as empty of all worldly cares and thoughts as possibly we can attain unto Exod. 3.5 As Abraham when he went to sacrifice his son in the Mount left his Ass and his servants a good space behind him Gen. 22.5 So must we put away and abandon our worldly thoughts and cares when we come to hear the word labour all we can to come with empty and free hearts this way 3. We must come with humble hearts and hungry appetites to this Ordinance being sensible of our great need of it that we may be further builded up Psal 25.9 Luke 1.53 and 1 Pet. 2.2 4. We must come with a readiness and willingness to hear and learn every truth the Ministry of the word shall commend unto us as well one truth as another suppose never so cross to our humours Acts 10.33 And so Ministers are injoyned to teach as they have time and opportunity Matth. 28.20 Acts 20.27 5. We must come with a purpose and resolution to obey and practise so far as the Lord in his word shall reveal himself unto us Psal 119.33 34. John 7.17 6. We must come in faith and confidence of a blessing upon our hearing according as God hath promised Isaiah 55.3 and 57.19 Do we not know what the Lord hath said of his word Acts 20.32 James 1.21 Believe we this and expect we the truth of it in our hearing 7. Before we come be we earnest with the Lord by prayer for a blessing upon our hearing We must be earnest in prayer for our Teachers 1. That their lips may preserve knowledge 2. That they may be faithful in delivering the whole Councel of God unto us 3. That they may speak powerfully to our consciences all which we have comprized Col. 4.3.4 And then for ourselves that we may hear to edification Isaiah 48.17 Psalm 119.18 If we must pray before the receiving of our bodily food much more before the receiving the food of our souls 8. In coming to hear the word we must cast to come timely and not so foreslow the time as but to come to a piece of the Ordinance Nehemiah 8.1 Luke 5.1 2 3. and Acts 10.33 These things we have spoken of must be done before our hearing of the word in way of Preparation 2. In our hearing of the word some things must be laboured and endeavoured As 1. You must set your selves as in Gods presence while you are hearing of his word and this will be a good means to prevent sleeping talking reading gazing about and all other unreverent behaviour See Psalm 2.11 Especially whiles we are serving him in the duties of his immediate worship Thus Cornelius and his company Acts 10.33 2. In hearing of the word we must attend diligently to what we hear not suffering any part of that which is delivered to overslip as Revelations 2.7 Luke 9.44 and Acts 16.14 3. In hearing of the word we must labour to hear with understanding and judgement Matth. 15.10 1 Cor. 10.15 and 1 Thes 5.21 4. In hearing of the word we must labour to hear with affection and delight Acts 2.41 Mark 12.37 This kind of hearing will not a little help our memories nor a little encourage our Teachers Psal 119.16 That this kind of hearing doth greatly encourage the Teacher is evident by common experience 5. In hearing of the word we must apply to our selves Matth. 19.25 Matth. 26.22 This is that which the Lord calls upon us for Isaiah 55.2 Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good The best food cannot nourish us unless we take it and eat it neither the word if we do not apply it These things to be done in hearing of the word if so be we would profit by it Now we come to the things that must be done after the receiving of the word 1. We shall find this no little help unto us to confer one with another of the word we have heard as soon as we depart the Publick Assembly Gods people to repeat the Sermon one to another and to confer of it as they go home together one with another Psalm 119.272 Psalm 37.30 31. Luke 24.15 2. If so be we would profit by the word we must meditate and seriously think of that we have heard All the things the blessed Virgin heard of Christ see Luke 2.19 51. So the good man is described Psalm 1.2 And David himself Psalm 119.15 97. This is an excellent means to make the word our own and to grow by it 3. Such as are Domestick Governors if so be they would have those under them to profit by the word after the Publick exercise before they go to Family-Prayer in the evening let them examine their Family touching what they have heard that day in Publick confer with them of the word they have heard repeat it unto them Deut. 6.6 7. Thus our Saviour with his Family Mat. 13.51 Mark 4.34 4. Be we earnest with the Lord in Family and secret Prayer to write his word in our hearts and to give us a kindly digestion of it it being Prayer both before hearing and after that must sanctifie this Spiritual food unto us And in Prayer remember we to be earnest for the good every way of those faithful Instruments of whose pains we have partaked 1 Thes 5.25 Heb. 13.18 5. A fift thing after hearing if we doubt of any thing we have heard Let us in a reverent and humble manner repair to the Minister for satisfaction and resolution Mat. 13.38 and 19.10 Mark 7.17 6. Sixtly and lastly Let us presently set upon the practise of that we have heard this being the end of all our hearing Psalm 119.60 Deut. 5.1 James 1.22 c. And thus we have done with the first Member of the fifth Principle MEMBER II. As also by the Administration of the Sacraments NOw we come to the second Member of the fift Principle which acquaints us with another good means whereby faith is encreased to wit the Administration of the Sacraments in these words As also by the Administration of the Sacraments But before we come to speak of the Sacraments particularly we intend by way of introduction some questions of Sacraments in general As 1. In what they agree with the word and in what they differ from it 2. What Sacraments are 3. What are the ends of Sacraments 4. What are the parts of a Sacrament 5. The union of the
the qualifications of true and acceptable prayer or the conditions and requisites of acceptable prayer First the person or party praying must be in Christ and such an one as doth not live in the practice of any known sin Gen. 44. God had respect first to Abel and then to his offering See Jam. 5.16 Psal 4.3 If the party be not in Christ or evangelically contrite he hath no promise of audience or if the partie live in the practise of any known sin what promise of audience Psal 66.18 Joh. 9.31 God heareth not sinners that is living in the practice of known sin So 1 Joh. 3.22 Secondly If we would put up acceptable prayers we must make sure that our suits and requests be grounded upon the word that we ask nothing but what the word of God warrants us to ask we must not ask as seemeth good unto our selves but according to Gods will and as his word alloweth The sons of Zebedee and their mother were reproved Matth. 20.22 because they asked they knew not what 1 John 5.14 3. If we would have our prayers acceptable to God we must come before him in all humility that is with a lively sense and feeling of our own unworthinesse and wants Psal 51.17 Isa 66.2 Jam. 4.6 God gives grace shews favour to the humble Thus Jacob Gen 32.10 and the Publican Luke 18.13 14. 4 If we would have our prayers acceptable and prevalent we must put them up with fervency and importunity James 5.16 Psal 55.17 This fervency not so much consisting 1. in the loudness of the voyce as in the wrestling of the heart Moses uttered never a word Exodus 14.15 and yet great was the fruit of his Prayer Rom. 8.26 And 2. This fervency arising not onely from a sense of want but likewise from a hope of prevailing 3. This fervency being mingled with sincerity we having good ends in this or that we would obtain of the Lord by Prayer Rom. 12.11 and not that we may consume it on our lusts 4. And lastly This fervency bounding and terminating it self in a willing submission unto Gods wise Decree we refering the time and manner of Gods accomplishing our requests unto his good pleasure Psal 40.1 It was the sin of the Israelites that they limited the holy One of Israel Psalm 78.41 they preseribed to the Lord what they would have for their provision and when they would have it 5. If we would have our Prayers acceptable and prevalent we must make sure to present them in the Name Merit and Mediation of Jesus Christ This is the condition of condition come we never so well qualified to prayer we can have no boldness in it this condition being omitted there being so great a distance betwixt God and us his Majesty and Holiness and our sinfulness and vileness nothing being due to us and our best prayers in our own names but shame and confusion all the former qualifications do but make way for this condition this being the principal requisite of acceptable prayer To this purpose see John 16.23 the latter part of the verse and Rev. 8.3 Upon this Altar we must lay the sacrifice of our prayers it is this Priest that must present them to his Father that they may be acceptable and prevalent 6. If we would have our prayers acceptable and prevalent we must ask in faith I mean confidently believing that according to Gods promise Mat. 7.7 we shall be heard our prayers granted in some kind James 1.5 and 6.7 Mark 11.24 7 Lastly If we would have our prayers acceptable and prevalent we must take heed of omitting thanksgiving Psalm 50.14 15. Phil. 4.6 Thankfulness for former favours is an excellent means to prevail in our present requests Thus much as touching the fifth Principle PRINC VI. Quest What is the estate of all men after death Answ All men shall arise again with their own bodyes to the last judgement which being ended the godly shall possess the Kingdome of heaven but unbelievers and reprobates shall be in hell tormented with the Divel and his Angels for ever IN this sixth Principle we have three notable heads of Divinity or Common places expressed or implyed 1. Death which is implyed from the words shall rise again for there cannot be a Resurrection without death 2. The general Resurrection 3. The last Judgement with the consequents thereof both expressed in this Principle For the first of these heads to wit Death The Doctrine is this Doct. There is no man nor woman living or shall live but must dye Or thus Death is unavoidable Death cannot be avoided There be three kinds of death Corporal Spiritual and Eternal Corporal death is the privation of the soul when the soul is severed or separated from the body Spiritual death is the death of the soul in sin Eternal death is the death of the soul and body in Hell It is the first kind of death to wit Corporal that the Doctrine runs upon As there be certain common Principles which runne through all Arts so this is a general Rule which concerns every man all men must dye As sure as death is our usual Proverb But 1. See we how frequently and infallibly the Scriptures hold forth this truth 2. Consult we with experience 3. Come we to the Reasons 4. To answer some objections And lastly to the Inferences or Uses First see we how frequently and infallibly the Scriptures hold forth this truth Psal 89.48 2 Sam. 14.14 Joshua 23.14 1 Kings 2.1 2. Job 30.23 Psalm 103.15 16. 146.3 4. Eccles 3.1 2. 7.1 2. Isaiah 2.22 40.6 51.12 2. concerning this truth Consult we with experience The ten Fathers of whom we read in the book of Genesis who lived every one of them almost a thousand years yet dyed at the length every one of them Some dye in the womb some in their Infancy some in their youth but they that live the longest at length their turns come It is not worldly wisdome or worldly Prerogative not outward strength or beauty not place or grace that can or ever could exempt in this kind Not worldly Wisdome Psalm 49.12 Foolish Nabal died so did politick Ahithophel Nor worldly Prerogative Princes Kings and Emperors dye and have dyed as well as others Psal 82.5 6. Did not Nimrod Ahasuerus Sennacherib Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the great dye Behold the great King of all the East is dead so that great Soladine of Babylon and Conqueror of all Asia commanded to be proclaimed he dying in the City of Askalon commanded that his shirt should be carryed up and down the City upon a spear with this Proclamation Behold the great king of all the east is dead And as worldly Wisdome nor worldly Prerogative can exempt in this kind so neither outward Streâ—gth nor Beauty Who stronger then Samson and yet he dyed Who more beautiful for a man then Absalom for a woman then Sarah and yet they both dyed Neither is it Place or Grace that can exempt