3. The Terms of this change and conversion From which and To which both heart and life must be changed From sin to God The heart must be changed from the state and power of sin the life from the acts of sin but both unto God The heart to be under his power in a state of grace The life to be under his rule in all new obedience To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Cease to do evill learn to do well Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord. Thus of the Nature of true Repentance 3. The Notes of true Repentance follow The Nature of Repentance thus described and opened may be a rule of tryal and that chiefly in three particulars viz. Conviction and Contrition Conversion 1. Hast thou a true Conviction and sense of sin A true sight of sin is the first step to Repentance No man will come to the Physician till he feell himself sick To this effect 1. Art thou convinced and sensible of sins sinfullness 1 How extreamly opposite and contrary sin is to God God is light sin is darkness God is life sin is death God cannot do it in himself nor endure it or look upon it with the least approbation in any his creatures Men become enemies in their mindes against God through wicked works Yea the carnall minde is enmity it self against God 2 How repugnant sin is to Gods holy just and good Laws Sin is the transgression of the Law The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be 3. What power sin hath over thy self and every man by nature It is a Law in thy members A reâ—gnâ—ng King A bond of iniquity c. 4 In a word how filthy odious â—oul and abominable sin is in it self Scripture in this reâ—pect resembles it to the Ethiopians black skin To the filth under the nailes or Arm-holes as the Greek word signifies To the uncleannesse of a menstruous woman To the filthinesse of the Sodomites To the stinking purrified deadly steam of an opened grave To the poison of Aspes and Serpents to the vomit of a dog To the myre and puddle wherein a swine wallows yea it 's called superfluity of naughtinesse or as the Greek signifies the excrement of malice The Holy Ghost useth such coorse expressions in describing of sin to let us see no language is bad enough for it Yea sin is farre more ugly black filthy then the devil himself for through sin he becomes a devil so ugly and abominable Art thou thus sensible of sins sinfulnesse as the glasse of Scripture represents it 2. Art thou convinced and sensible of sins mischievousnes How it cast Adam and all his posterity out of Paradise and Communion with God there depriving all of Gods Image How it makes all men by nature spiritually dead in sin slaves of Satan children of wrath heirs of all Gods curses and every moment liable to death temporal spiritual and eternal How not onely man but the whole Creation groans under the burden of it How by reason of sin thou art naturally in a lost undone damned state in the very gall of bitternesse being godlesse Christlesse and hopelesse in this present World c. Hast thou such apprehensions of sins mischief and danger that thou seest plainly thou art but a dead and damned wretch if thou gettest not out of thy sinful state c. This is to be truly sensible of sin 2. Hast thou true Contrition of heart and godly sorrow for sin thus discovered Art thou so sensible of thy sins as that thine heart is broken with sighs and sobs and thine eyes run down with tears who can aright discern his sins and refrain from sorrows Thou sayst I mourn for sin but how may I know that I mourn aright and that my sorrow is not carnal but godly sorrow Answ. Thou mayst discover the truth of thy godly sorrow for sin by these particulars 1. True godly sorrow is sincere It is for sin as it is sin especially More for the sinfulnesse of sin then for the dangerousnesse of sin Hence the godly mourning soul is most wounded for offending God and piercing Christ by sin For offending God So David Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight He had sinned also against Vriah shedding his blood against the Church giving them offence and cause of mourning against the enemies of God giving great occasion to them of blaspheming and against his own soul wounding it with all this guilt and doubtlesse he mourned for all these but nothing so stabbed him to the heart as that he had offended against such a God For piercing Christ by sin This also most deeply pierceth the soul of him that mourns for sin They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him and be in bitternesse for him c. for He was wounded for our transgressions c. What thinks the bleeding soul were my sins the Iudas that betrayed him the Pilatâ— that condemned him the nails spear and thorns that pierced him the gall and vineger given him to drink him that so loved me as to pray sigh weep bleed and die for my redemption Weep bitterly for this oh my soul let thine eyes run down with floods of tears 2. True godly â—orrow is great the greatest sorrow in the world Hence it 's called A Mourning as for an onely son being in bitternesse as one that 's in bitternesse for his first-born A great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo A mourning apart All this to shew that godly sorrow for sin is beyond all worldly sorrow When Peter wept for his sins he wept bitterly True there may be such a sudden push of worldly sorrow for a wife child c. that may seem greater then godly sorrow but this sorrow lasts not like godly sorrow So godly sorrow is greatest intensively for degree or extensively for continuance A land-flood may have a greater stream for present than a Spring but the Spring sends forth more waters because it 's still arunning 3. True godly sorrow is penitential it never leaves a man till it reform him of his sins Godly sorrow worketh repentance not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Try now is thy sorrow such a sorrow Is it sincere more for offending God and wounding Christ then for any other respect Is it transcendent thou canst mourn more for sin then any worldly occasion Is it pâ—nitential it hath never left thee till it hath reformed thee Doubtlesse this is true godly sorrow indeed 3. Hast thou a true change and conversion of thine heart and
thou art earnest with God more and more for assurance of pardon for purity of heart and stablishment in the wayes of grace for time to come it 's a good signe thy sins are pardoned God told David by Nathan The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die Vpon this David prays so pathetically Purge me with Hysope and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow Make me to hear joy and gladnesse Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit 5. Finally it 's a signe thy sins are pardoned if thy heart and soul and all within thee be singularly inlarged to blesse and praise God for his pardons So it was with David Blesse the LORD O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the LORD O my soul and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases If thine heart feel his pardons thy mouth will sing his praises 5. Lastly they are parties to the New Covenant that have Gods fear so implanted in the heart as not to depart from him And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turne away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from me Apostates and Back-sliders were never truly in Covenant with God All in Covenant with God persevere for God will not forsake them and they shall not forsake him his fear in them shall be their Preservative Now then if the Lords fear in thee keep thee from falling away thou art in Covenant with God Thus thou mayest from the substance and nature of the New Covenant discover wâ—ether thou beest a Party to the New Covenant having true inward interest therein and consequently having true inward Right to the New Covenant-Seale the Lords Supper in respect of God himselfe Now if this be thy case thou hast a childes portion in the Lords Supper and mayst lay claim to it and all the benefits of it beyond any carnal man in the world Thou shalt be no usurper in â—hat regard come and well-come Thus examine What right thou hast to the Lords Supper What need we have of the Lords Supper As we should examine our Right to it that we be not usurpers so we should search what need we have of it that we be not despisers of the Lords Supper The full soul loatheth an Honey-combe Sense of want excites desire and enlivens the appetite after what we want And Hunger we say will break stone-walls Now Christians have need urgent pressing need of the Lords Supper in many reâ—pects Examine thou whether thou hast not great need of it in all these respects 1. Hast thou not great need often to nourish strengthen and comfort thine inward man with all the graces and spiritual abilities thereof Consider 1. Thy whole new man when at perfectest is but imperfect We see now but through a glasse darkly we know but in part and so we love but in part obey but in part c. Paul himself durst not challenge perfection to himself in this life saying Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Iesus 2. Consequently thy new man all thy gracious endowments are but weak when at strongest for every thing that 's imperfect is comparatively weak 3. Thy inward man is assaulted with many temptations adversaries and difficulties tending to enfeeble and discourage it especially with the reliques of the flesh The flesh lusteth against the Spirit Paul saith in the Person of the Regenerate I finde a law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and bringing me into Captivity to the law of sin Hast thou not need now to nourish thine imperfect graces that they may grow up to perfection thy weake graces that they may be strong thine assaulted graces that they may not faile Behold now what need thou hast of the Lords Supper to these ends For what nourishing ordinance is this Sacrament for all these purposes For it 's stiled The Lords Supper It 's A Supper therefore suitable to nourish the inward man The Lords Supper therefore sufficient to nourish it effectually As the body and all its strength decays without due corporal food so the soul and its graces without due spiritual food Here is meat indeed Christs body and drink indeed Christ blood and both tendred most familiarly in this Ordinance and most effectually When the Lord Christ prepares a Supper for his members he provides like himself They that truly eat with Christ eat of Christ in this Supper shall never die never totally hunger or mortally thirst more 2. Hast thou not need to have the pardon of thy sins often testified to thee and to have thy faith apprehension and assurance thereof conâ—irmed to thee There are many things may daily make thee question and doubt whether thy sins be pardoned or at least may darken and dimme thine evidence of pardon As 1. Multitudes of sinfull infirmities that still hang upon thee invincibly makes thee fear sin is not pardoned Hence for clearing the assurance of pardon daily we are taught daily to pray Forgive us our debts 2. Lapses into grosser sins obscure the evidence of our pardon David by his fall lost in great measure the joy of Gods salvation which he prayes to have restored 3 Sharp trials and severe afflictions are wont to revive sin unto the conscience and to bring in scruples about the pardon of them Iob himself in the great storms of his afflictions somewhat dazeled in his sence of pardon complains How many are mine iniquities sins make mee to know my transgression my sin wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possess the iniquities of my youth Thou numberest my steps dost thou not watch over my sin my transgression is sealed up in a bag and thou sowest up mine iniquities Thus here 's great need to have thy senâ—e and apprehension of thy sins pardon assured to thee Consequently thou hast great need of the Lords Supper which notably tends to relieve thee in this case This is saith Christ in the Inâ—â—itution my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for Remission of sins That is this wine in this Ordinance is a Signe Seal and Conveyance of my blood ratifying the New Testament which blood is shed for many viz. for all the Elect for all Christs sheep for remission of sins Christs blood then was shed meritoriously to procure our sins remission and the Lords Supper is appointed
the race set before us 4. The fleâ—h The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh It 's called flesh to set forth the baâ—enesse of sinne the flesh being â—he base part of man 5. The old man â—o called Partly because of the long continuance of it in us it 's an inâ—eterate diâ—ease as old as our selves Partly because of the corruptness and deceitfulness of it Put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts 6. The law of sin in our members becauâ—e it as it were commands compels and even necessitates us to sin As a law rules them that are under it 7. Finally Original corruption is stiled A body of death because As the naturall body hath many members so Original sin hath mâ—ny lusts as limbs thereof And because this body of sin exposeth unto death These and such like are the denominations of Original sin by all which the vilenesse of it may in some measure appear The nature of Original sin seems especially to consist in theâ—e three particulars vâ—z 1. In a totall privaâ—ion of the Image of God and of all that Original righteousnesse and integrity wherein we were at first created 2. In an utter inability to any true spiritual good yea in an absolute enmity thereunto For when we were yet without strength When we were enemâ—es we were reconciled to God The carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be 3. In an universall and continual pronenesse to all evil God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of mens hearâ—s was onely evill continually Their throat is an open Sepulchre c. And our Saviour tels us A corrupt tree cannot brings forth good fruit This is the nature of Original corruption Oh how deadly is the Poison of it to the Nature of man The Aggravations of Originall corruption whereby it appears to be extreamly sinfull are these viz. 1. Original sin is Naturall and Hereditary It 's bred and born with us it 's propagated with our very natures and rooted in our bones and inmost principles and consequently more dangerous and desperate As those corporal diseases which are not accidental and occasional onely but Hereditary and natural are most perilous and remediâ—esse 2. Original sin is univerâ—all And the more universally extended the more bitterly to be lamented As epidemicall univerâ—al diseases are the most terrible diseases as oâ—â—e in Egypt when There was not an house wherein there was not one dead Now Original sin is universal Partly in that All men men ordinarily descended of Adam are defiled with it Iewes Gentiles bond free male female all are involved in it All are sinners by it Partly in that All of all men are tainted hereby soul bodie all the faculties and affections of the one all the senses parts and members of the other Minde Conscience Memory Will Love Hatred c. mouth hands feet c. all are wholly depraved and unclean I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing 3. Original sin is reigning over all the sons of Adam it reigns whilst they continue in the first Adam And it reigns most cruelly and tyrannically It enthrals men unto Saâ—â—n at his Will unto actual fulfilling the lusts and wills of the flesh and unto death That as sin hath reigned unto death c. The Turkish slavery Spanish Inquisition Eâ—yptian cruelty â—abylonian captivity are all â—â—ort of this tyranny and dominion of sin Thiâ— reign of sin is evidenced Partly by our beinâ— Servants of sin Partly by our obâ—ying 〈◊〉 in the lusts thereof Partly by our yielâ—ing 〈◊〉 members as weapons of unrighteousness◠〈…〉 to take sins part to fight for it defend it justifie it c. against opposers 4. Oriâ—â—nal sin whilst we are in this body is in some sort incurable The reign of it cannot be â—ured till Christ come to reign in thee and pluck thee out of â—hy carnal state And the â—â—-dwelling or in-being of Original sin cannot 〈◊〉 fully cured no not in a believer whilst he 〈◊〉 here on earth As the Canaanitâ—s though tributaries and slaves yet would dwell â—mong the Israelites or as Ivie will remain in an old wall till it be utterly pull'd down to the ground â— We are all by nature wholly disposed and proâ—e to run headlong into all Actual sins for kindâ— and degree Into all impiety against God all unrighteousnesse against man and intemperance againâ—t our selves contrary to all the Commandments of the first and second Table and this in thought word and work Into open and secret sins Omissions of good and Commissions of evil Wilfulnesses and Weaknesses c. Against lighâ— of mind checks of conâ—cience motions of Gods Spirit means of grace professions and promiâ—es of better waâ—king multitudes of mercies terribâ—enesse of judgements c. and this in youth and age in â—oâ—iety and â—olitarinesse yea by Original corruption we are fundamentally dispoâ—ed to that unpâ—rdonable sinne against the Holy Ghost Oh who can understand hâ—s errours who can comprehend his sinfulnesse who can chuse but admire the patience and mercy of God to such masses of all corruption and abominâ—â—â—â—â— 2. The evil of punishment whereunto we 〈◊〉 continually liabâ—e by reason of this evil o◠〈◊〉 is manifold and unâ—peakable both for this world and the world to come In thiâ— world the soul is expoâ—ed to â—â—â—â—â—tual judgeâ—ents viâ— bâ—indnesse of â—ind gâ—dâ—iness 〈◊〉 infatuation and strong 〈◊〉 horrour searednesse and senslesnesse of Conscience A reprobate sense c. The body name and state lies open to all external and temporal miâ—eries and curâ—es In the world to come both soul and body are liable to endlesse easelesse and remedilesse torments in hell fire wherein they shall be ever dying and never dead ever burning and never consumed ever tortured but never eased or pittied The worme of conscience ever gnawing blacknesse of darknesse ever amazing the infernall fiends ever torturing the wrath of God ever devouring and swallowing up the whole man c. Oh the misery of a meer carnall man is extreamly miserable III. What should we and what may we be in Iesus Christ the second Adam For clearing of this consider chiefly theâ—e three things viz. 1. The necessity of Getting out oâ— our naturall state into a supernaturall condâ—tion in Christ. 2. The Duties we are to performe when once we are brought into Christ 3. The Priviledges which we shall enjoy in Christ. 1. The necessity of our getting out of our naturall into a supernaturall state in Christ is â—o great that we cannot otherwise possibly be saved For 1. The proper adequate wages of every sin is eternâ—ll death Much more the state of sin must needs be most deadly and damnable 2. Every man that remains in
Resurrection from the dead out of the grave the third day He both revived and rose again As a second Adam and Head of his Church for our Iustification Spiritual raising of our souls out of sin and Corporal raising of our bodies out of the grave at the last day declaring hereby his infinite God-head His Lordship over quick and dead His full satisfaction of Gods justice for us and his absolute victory oâ—er sinne death and the devil 3. In his Ascension up into heaven fourty days aâ—ter his Resurrection as our Head and Fore-runner Thereby to lead Captivity Captive most triumphantly To receive and give gifts for men To cause our hearts and Affections spiritually to ascend after him To prepare a place for us that where he is we might be also 4. In his Session or sitting down at Gods right hand as God-man our Mediatour in highest Majesty and Glory farre above all Angels Having compleat dominion not only over his Church but over all things in the whole world for the good of his Church Pouring his Spirit upon his people continually making intercession for them 5. Finally In his coming again at the last day to judge the whole world in righteousnesse In his Humiliation at his first coming he was judged and condemned by sinners unjustly In his Exaltation at his second coming he shall judge both men and Angels justly And he shall come in His own and his Fathers glory descending from heaven with a shout and the voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trumpet of God attended most gloriously with the triumphant train of innumerable Saints and Angels to render to every one according to his works Thus we are to know that Christ diâ—charged his office of Mediatourship as Prophet Priest and King both in his state of Humiliation and Exaltation V. That this Mediatour Jesus Christ is an absolutely All-sufficient Mediatour There can be nothing required for sinners salvation which is not compleatly to be had in Christ. Is it Redemption He hath obtained eternal Redemption for his Elect. And by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Is it reconciliation to God When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Is it Justification He is made unto us righteousness He is The LORD our Righteousnesse He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the Righteousnesse of God in hâ—m for he is the Righteousnesse of God viz. which God hath devised and will accept So that Christ hath more righteousnesse than we have unrighteousnesse more pardons than we have debts more justification than we have condemnation Is it Holinesse He is full of grace and truth that out of his fulnesse we might receive and grace for grace Is it any thing He hath all fulnesse in hâ—mself that we may be compleat in him And he is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to moke intercession for them VI. That though Jesus Chriâ—t be such an All-sufficient Mediatour and Saâ—iour yet he will saâ—e none at all but them onely to whom he is actually applied He that hath the Son hath life but he that hath not the Son hath not lâ—fe He justifies sinners but onely thoâ—e sinners that beleeve in him He gives soul-rest to wearied souls but onely to thoâ—e wearied and heavy-laden â—ouls that come unto him He gâ—ves Priviledge to become the sons of God But this Priviledge he onely gives to them that receâ—ve him c. Our union to Christ is the foundâ—tion of all our Communion with Christ. No Vnion no Communion VII Finally we are to know touching Christ that he is the subâ—tance of all the Sacraments both of Old and New Testament The Centre of the Covenant of grace and of all the Promises And the very marrow of all the Scriptures They that know not Christ aright know nothing of the Holy Scriptures to purpose for they principally testifie of him They are as the â—tarres that lead to Christ They are as the Sun-beams that discover this Sunne of Righteousnesse They are the secret swadling-clothes of the childe Jesus These things we should know touching Christ before we come to the Lords Supper 4. Knowledge of the New Covenant Knowledge of the New Covenant is the fourth point of knowledge requisite to a worthy Communicant before receiving of the Lords Supper In the Institution of the Lords Supper it is said of the Cup This is my blood of the New Testament That is this Wine in the Cup is a Signe and Seal of my blood by which the New Testament is ratified So that by the Lords Supper the New Testament or New Covenant is confirmed to us and in receiving the Lords Supper we renew Coâ—enant with God This we cannot do judiciously unleâ—s we competently understand the nature of the New Covenant Now for the opening of the New Covenant in some measure Consider these following Propositions which may afford some true taste of the nature of the New Covenant 1. The New Covenant is not the same Covenant which God made with Adam in Innocency but far different from it and that in divers particulars For 1. The Covenant with Adam was a Covenant of amity or friendship made by God with him as by a Creator with his creature But the new Covenant is a Covenant of reconciliation made by God as a Redeemer with the sinner 2. The Covenant with Adam was upon tearms of personal perfect and perpetual Obedience to the Moral Law written in his heart the curse and death being threatned to the least transgression thereof But the New Covenant is upon tearms of Faith and new obedience as the fruit thereof and testification of our thankfulness The Spirit of Grace being promised to work that faith and obedience whereunto eternal lifâ— is promised c. 3. The Covenant with Adam was with a person perfectly able to fulfil the Covenant in his own peâ—son alone The New Covenant is with persons unable of themselves to do any thing acceptably before God without divine Grace assisting and therefore performing Covenant onely in Jesus Christ their Surety 4. The Covenant with Adam was wâ—â—hout a Mediator Adam in his innocency nâ—eding no Mediator of Redemption or Reconciliation But the New Covenant is with a Medâ—ator Jesus Christ most necâ—ssary unto sinners for their salvation II. The New Covenant is the same in substance and essential constitution but far different in circumstance and manner of administration from the Old Covenant By Old Covenant I understand The Covenant of promise That is to say all the Covenants and Promises touching Christ from the first promise of The seed of the woman immediately after the fall till Christs
onely bread and wine these the least matters But also Christs body and blood and all the benefits thereof So that we must here take A lively memorial of Christs death A rich banquet for our inward man A sealed pardon of our sins A blessed bond of our communion with Christ crucified A sensible ratification of the New Testament with all its promises and priviledges These things we must take eat and drink in the Lords Supper and wherewith shall they possibly be thus taken and applied but by true saving Faith alone 4. Finally faith is necessary for enabling us duely to walk after communicating This Sacrament affords heavenly nourishment Conâ—equently after it we should walk as nourished strengthened comforted enlivened c. Now it 's faith especially that acts moves ruleâ—+ doth all in a Christian from Christ assisting Faith in Christ being the very Lâ—fe of a Christian. Thus of the necessity of faith before communicating â— How this saving faith thus necessary may be typed and examined before we come to the Lords Supper This is the last branch to be considered touching Faith We may try and examine whether we have true saving faith or no Partly by the former description of true saving faith See if thou hast such a faith Partly by these ensuing properties and qualities of faith 1. True saving faith notably softens supples and melts the heart It thawes and dissolves the most stony hard adamantine spirit into streams and floods of penitential sorrow I wâ—ll pour upon the house of David the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced there 's faith and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-born In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon c. The Spirit of grace shall make men look upon Christ by faith as Israel looked upon the type of Christ the brazen Serpent in the wilderness and looking shall melt them make them mourn How mourn Mourn with a witness for their sins whereby they pierced Christ They shall mourn they shall be in bitterness there shall be a great mourning As for an only Son As for a first-born as for that peerelesse King Iosiah in Hadadrimmon Emphaticall expressions Naturally mans heart is closed up as a compacted Rock of Flint or Marble Faith comes as another Moses smites this Rock and brings forth Rivers of waters Faith brings the soul to Christ crucified sets him as it were with Mary under his Crosse in Golthotha makes him view the transcendent anguish agonies bitterness and torments of his sufferings and all this for our sins his thy my sins in particular For he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities c. The Lord hath made to meet on him the iniquities of us all He was made sin for us who knew no sin Oh how this strikes to the believers heart How this makes him sigh with Christ lament with him smart with him bleed with him cry out with him as it were die with him nothing melts the heart so kindly as faith looking on Christ pierced for our sins particularly Here faith reads the intolerable sinfulness of sin that could not be expiated but at so dear a rate Here in Christs sufferings faith reads the sinners doom If this befell the surety what was due to the principal If sin imputed be so plagued what might have been expected for sin inherent If this be done to the green tree what would have be fallen the dry Here faith reads the boundless Ocean of Gods matchless love in Christ What such a God give sitch a Jewel as his only Son to such a death and that for such worthless loveless hopeless godless sinners Greater love then this hath no man Oh the breadth and length and depth and height of Christs love passing knowledge Oh how do these and like considerations of faith pierce the heart break the spirit imprint contrition and overcome the soul 2. True saving faith having pierced the heart purifies the heart Purifying their hearts by faith Faith cleanses not only the outward but the inward man not onely the actions but the fountain of those actions the heart and affections washes not onely the outside but the inside of the cup and platter makes a man forbear not only outward grosse acts of sin but inward imaginations and impure inclinations to sin A true believer as truly makes conscience of and laments for the vileness of his heart and thoughts in the sight of God as the enormity of his life and actions in the sight of men But how doth faith cleanse and purifie the heart Answ. 1. By Augmentation from the word against sin which discerns the odiousness and danger of sin How shall I do this wickedness which God so forbids and abhors c. In this respect the Word hath a sanctifying efficacy Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 2. By application of Christs blood and death Christs blood is that Fountain opened for sin and for uncleannesse to wash in And faith is that hand which puts us into this Fountain applies Christs death and makes us conformable thereunto That as Christ died for sin so we die to sin 3. By inward efficacy and operation Faith is not only an Instrument of Justification but an eminent part of Sanctification and so doth of its own nature purge out sin as wine works out the Dregs Honey the Drosse or as fire purifieth unwholsome aire Shew now thy faith by thy purity A faithfull soul cannot have a foul heart As that soul that by faith looks upon Christ pierced for his sins cannot chuse but be wounded and pierced with Christ so that soul that 's pierced for piercing Christ by sin cannot but abandon and abhorre all those sins for which Christ was pierced Faith having endeared the heart to Christ embitters the heart against sin Sin being the Iudas that betrayed Christ the Pilate that condemned him the Crown of Thorns nails and spear that pierced him 3. True saving faith makes a man sincerely obedient and fruitful in good works This is a duty charged upon the faithful This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works This is an intrinsecal property of faith To work by love and Love is the fulfilling of the Law therefore the nursing-Mother of all good works And that faith that is without works is dead as a body without a soul. A workless faith is a worthless faith And this the faithful in all ages have practised the alacrity of their obedience hath born witness to the integrity of their faith as in
was so obedient that he lost his life rather then he would lose his obedience Now how can we think to meddle with this Memorial of Christs obedience for us acceptably unlesse we be truâ—y obedient unto God in Christ proportionably Or What fellowship can obedience haâ—e with disoâ—edience 2. The Tryal and Examination of New Obedience may be according to these Properties of Obedience True Obedience is 1. Consciencious 2. Cordial 3. Transforming 4. Resolved 5. Complete 6. Increasing 7. Continuing 1. True Christian Obedience is Consciencious Ariseth from a Consciencious respect to Gods Command and an awful filial fear of God commanding The End of the Commandment is Love out of a pure heart and a good conscience Such the ground of Noah's obedience who being warned of God touching things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. Sâ—ch Abraham's who followed God not knowing whither he went meer conscience and awe to Gods call and command made him obey Such David's Mâ—ne heart trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Mâ—ne heart standeth in awe of thy Word Dost thou obey in an holy awe and conscience to Gods commands though thou hast no other Motives to obedience 2. True Obedâ—ence is cordial hearty and affectâ—onate Not an outâ—de but an inside-Obedience aâ—â—o not a meer superficial and compâ—emental shew but a reality flowing from the inward frame of the soul and the very heart-root Arising from the inscription of the Law in the heart I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within mine heart Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrâ—ne which was delivered you Is thine obedience from the heart-root But how shall I diâ—coâ—er whether my obedience be cordial and hearty Answ. Thou mayst discover the heartiness of thine obedience 1. By thy willingness to it The heart makes a man a volunteere ready and forward to all duties and performances Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power If ye be willing and obedient I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments 2. By thy chearfulness in it What is done heartily is done chearfully delightfully I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is in my heart This is love that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous Iob was so hearty in obedience that he esteemed Gods words more then his necessary food Christ so delighted in obedience that he said My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Dost thou go as chearfully to the doing of Gods will as to thy meat and drink when thou art hungry 3. By thy grief at contrary courses of disobedience in others and faiâ—ings of obedience in thy self Thus Paul finding that when he would do good evill was present with him and that however he delâ—ghted in the Law of God touching the inward man yet he saw another Law in his members rebellâ—ng against the Law of his minde and bringing hâ—m into captivity to the Law of sin He hereupon thus laments his failings O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of thâ—s death And as Paul grieved at his own failings of obedience So David at others disobedience Horrour hath taken hold upon me because of the wâ—cked that forsake thy Law And again Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law If thus thou art willing to obedience cheerfull in it and grieved for failings thine obedience is cordial sincere and acceptable to God 3. True Obedience is a transforming Obedience mightily altereth and changeth a man from impurity to purity from sin to sanctity from Sodomites to Saints c. As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance but as he whâ—ch hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Otherwise as Samuel said to Saul when he bragged of his obedience What meaneth then this lowing of the oxen and bleâ—ting of the sheep c so it may be laid to all dissemblers in obedience Are you obedient What meaneth then the noyse of your prophanation of Sabbaths of your swearing drunkennesse uncleannesse c 4. True Obedience is a fixed and resolved Obedience Like Davids Worthies will break through an host of Philistines through an Army of difficulties impediments and discouragements to the contrary For No contrary commands of man shall deter the truly obedient from their duties They wil obey God rather than man when both cannot be obeyed without crossing each other No stream of the multitude or current of corruptest times wherein they live shall bear them down from their obedience Ioshuah and his house will serve the Lord though all Israel should serve Idols And Noah was upright with God when the whole world was overspread with violence and all flesh had corrupted his wayes No worldly profits advantages or priviledges shall bribe them from their obedience Abram will obey and follow God though he forsake all the benefits and contentments of his Native Countrey and of his fathers House not knowing where his lot should fall No carnal disputes or reasonings with flesh and blood shall disswade them Noah might have raised many Objections against that strange attempt of building an Ark a work of 120 yeers continuance but Noah waves disputing and fals to building his arke which God commanded Paul lateâ—y a Persecutor and but newly converted receives command to be a Preacher to the Gentiles immediately he conferred not with flesh and blood though he might have made multitudes of objections but went into Arabia and fell close to his Masters work No flood of Natural affections which oft-times proâ—e most dangerous stumbling-blocks to well-doing shall drown or conquer their obedience As in Abraham when Sarah desired him but to cast out Ishmael the son of the bond-woman the thing was grievous in his eyes yet when God commands him to sacrifice Isaac as a burns-offering though the son of the free-woman his onâ—y son the son of his old age his sonne whom he loved the son of the promise in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed he goes about it readily and never acquainting Sarah lest she should hinder his obedience he travelled three dayes journey to effect it Thus the Levites did execution according to Gods command by Moses upon them that had sinned in the idolatrous Galfe of Aaron without favour or affection to brethren or kindred Hence Levi is so commended Who said unto his father and to his mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his own children for they have observed thy Word and kept thy Covenant Natural affection is strong but supernatural obedience is stronger Finally no terrours of threats reproaches afflictions bonds imprisonments
Evangelists Read the History of Christs passion in them before thou commest to the Lords Table that the memory thereof may be fresh and lively in thy thoughts at the Lords Table Think with thy self how Christs life was as it were a continued Passion and a daily dying He was very meanly brought forth into the world borne in a stable wrapped in swadling cloathes and laid in a Manger He was no sooner born but Herod seeks to murder him murdering many poor Infants lest he should misse him He is no sooner baptized but Satan assaults him Tempting him to Despaire Self-murder worshipping of the Devil in perâ—on but prevailed nothing Is he in his publick Ministery How is he hated reviled blaâ—phemed and persecuted by Scribes and Phariâ—es by his own people the Jewâ— yea by his own kindred And when he was nigh the period of his Minisâ—ery what torrent of sorrows sufferings flow'd in upon him Remember what he endured in the Garden in the High Priests Hall and in Mount Calvary and then behold and consider if any sorrows were like his sorrows 1. In the Garden How was his soul surrounded with sorrows even to the Death How bitter was the Cup which he then began to drink which set him into an Agony so that he prayed thrice most earnestly to his Father to let that Cup passe from him if possible and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground hereby his spirits being brought so low that there appeared an Angel from heaven strengthening him With this Agony probably Christ was so weakened that the next day he was not able to bear his Cross but Simon was compelled to bear it after him And immediatly after his Agony Iudas betrayes him to the multitude of the Jews with a kisse who apprehended him bound him and led him away to the High Priests House Thus as the first Adam sinned in a Garden the second Adam suffered in a Garden Now then when thou art at the Lords Table Remember Christs Garden-sufferings think so lively of them as if thy self hadst been in the Garden with the Disciples imagine thou hadst heard him pray so earnestly against his bitter Cup thou hadst seen him sweat drops of clotted blood so lamentably in his woful Agony that the earth was all besprinkled with his blood and that thou hadst lookt on to see him betrayed so villainously by Iudas his own Apostle into the hands of his enemies 2. In the High Priests Palace and the judgement-Hall How was Christ denyed by Peter How was he mocked â—mitten blindfolded buffetted spit upon crowned with Thornes having a Reed in his hand being scornfully bow'd unto and derided with haile King of the Iews cruelly scourged blasphemously intreated falslely accused causelesly exclaimed against by the people and unjustly condemned by Pilate against his own conscience When thou art at the Lords Table Remember those passions of thy Saviour Imagine thou hadst stood by all the while and sadly beheld all these passages his cheeks swoln with buffetting his face defiled with spitting on his head wounded with thornes his back torn with scourges c. Oh behold what a woful spectacle 3. In Mount Calvary in that filthy Golgotha how woful and tragical was his end His body was stripped of his garments His limbs were cruelly stretched upon the Cross His hands and feet pierced with rugged nails and fastened to the cursed tree He was ranked betwixt two crucified thieves as if he were the Arch-malefactor he hanged from the sixth till the ninth houre most painfully upon the tender wounds of his hands and feet He was forsaken by his disciples and friends derided by his enemies by the very thieves that were crucified with him being a thirst in his pains abused with gall and vineger given him to drink And which was heaviest of all he was in a sort deserted of God so that he bitterly cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and so he yielded up the Ghost after which a souldier with a spear piercing his side and heart there gushed out water and blood Now when thou art at the Lords Supper â—emember all those sad passages Think thou hadst stood with Mary and Iohn under â—is Crosse and hadst seen and heard his intolerable reproâ—ches his bleeding wounds his tortured body his bitter cries his dying groans think thou hadst his dead body all besmeared in his own blood like Ioseph of Arimathea in thine armes Remember this story of Christs death and remember it seriously pathetically Imagine The Sacrament-day to be as Christs Agony-day His Condemning-day His Crucifying-day The Lords Table to be as the Crosse whereon he was crucified And the breaking of the bread as the breaking of his body with all these mortal Sufferings This is the first Act or degree of thy Remembring Christ crucified to remember him Historically 2. Mysteriously Remember the Mystery of Christ and of his Death This is a farther and an higher degree of remembring Christ crucified at the Lords Supper Christs Death was not a common and ordinary Death full of miseries only but a speciall and extraordinary Death full of Mysteries also Among other Mysteries of Christs death The Causes and Effects of his death are singularly mysterious Remember them in communicating 1. Causes of Christs death were either 1. meritorious or 2. impulsive 1. Meritorious procuring causes of Christs death were the sins of Gods Elect imputed to him Christ in himself was totally without sin no guil was found in his mouth He was a Lamb without blemish without spot He was Holy harmless undefiled and separate from sinners Pilate his Judge cleared him saying I finde in him no fault at all The condemned thief justified him We indeed justly but this man hath done nothing amisse But Christ becomming Surety for sinners even for all his Elect that were ruined by Adam's sin stood charged with their whole debt which they were no way able to satisfie for in the least degree And so all their sins were at once imputed to him and death the due wages of their sins was inflicted upon him that his Elect might be fully acquitted and discharged Hence those passages He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Admirably the Evangelical Prophet Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him strieken smitten of God afflicted But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheâ—p have gone astray we have turned every man to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him Heb. hath made to meet on him the