or absolutely needful to the gaining of Eternal Life but what was so under the Old Testament before his coming otherwise he had been oblig'd to have inform'd the Lawyer of thâ—se new Terms of Salvation and not to have refer'd him to the Law and what was to be read in it He did not therefore new extend the old Commands or impose new ones he introduc'd no new Religion into the World nor even material Circumstances of it the Will of God as it was reveal'd to Man being of that kind that it is as unchangeable as his own glorious Nature and the way to Heaven as much one as that ever-blessed and holy GOD whose enjoyment makes up the Bliss of that happy State This Conclusion drawn from the design of the Words I shall endeavour to prove by shewing First That it was inconsistent with the Character which our Saviour should bear to exercise such Legislative Power as to give New Commands or new extension to the Old ones Secondly That the Moral Law in its own nature was incapable of receiving an addition of New Commands or of having the Old ones extended to New Duties Thirdly That as it was inconsistent with our Saviour under that Character which he bore and as there was this incapacity in the Law so That he never attempted to do what was both thus against the Nature of the Thing and besides his own Character to extend the Old Commands or impose New ones Fourthly That as our Saviour has not added any thing to the Law so neither has he taken any thing from it nor is there any Priviledge in the Gospel which makes void any of the Commands of God before given Lastly I shall briefly reflect on the Encouragement that there is to observe the divine Commands because their observance shall be rewarded with Eternal Life as it is styl'd by our Saviour The three first of these Positions are quite contrary to the Doctrin taught by Smaloius or whosoever else was the Author of the Racovian Catechism and Racov. Cat. â— â—â—â— c. to the generality of the Vnitarian Divines nay and even to some of great Name amongst our selves who in some Bâ— Taylor 's Ductor Dubitant pag. â—42 c. Rule 4. Edit 1696. Forbes and others things seem too favourable to their Opinions who affirm That it was agreeable to our Saviour's Character to make additions to the Law and that the Law was qualify'd to receive 'em and that he did not only extend the Mosaick Commands to new Duties but also made the Appendage of several Commands of his own Such are the Commands of Self-denial taking up the Cross or Patience under Misery and Death the following of Christ to which Duties they say there was no obligation before Christianity In opposition to whom I shall endeavour to prove First That it was inconsistent with that Character which our Saviour should bear to exercise any such Legislative Power as to give new Commands or newextension to the old ones By the Virtue of his Character our Saviour does not so much as assume Authority to displace the Scribes and Pharisees from Moses's Chair or to weaken that power which they had gain'd over the People tho' he well knew how unjust their Pretensions were both to the one and the other so far is he from publishing any thing but what might reasonably be spoken from the Chair of Moses and suitably to his Sence The Scribes and Pharisees says he sit in Moses's seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe and do that observe and do 'T is true he divests the Law as was fit of those artificial Traditions which instead of strengthning did in his unerring Judgment make it void He drew off that Veil from its Face which their Doctor 's Interpretations had put on it and shew'd the beauty of its Holiness in its full lustre But he does not that we find add any thing to it and as He came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets so neither came he to make any New Law of his own For the Character which he sustain'd was indeed unqualify'd for such an Office because he did not appear in the Person of a Law-giver to give New Laws but in that of a Mediator being at once the Priest and the Sacrifice to atone for our breaches of the old to free us from the Curse which we had contracted by them and to be made a Curse for us that he might redeem us from the Curse of the Law For this is one of the great differences between Moses and Christ That the former was to make Laws and by the force of them to accuse and condemn the Disobedient whereas Jesus Christ came only to pardon absolve and reconcile Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father says he to the opposing Jews there is one that â—coâ—soth you even Moses in whom you trust The reason is because God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World or indeed to execute any other branch of Judicial or Legislative Jurisdiction but that thro' him the World might be saved For the Law the Rule of Practice and Obedience was given by Moses but Grace the Dispensation of Pardon and Reconcilement to the Benitent and Truth the Fulfilling of the Types of the Law came by Jesus Christ The appearance of a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief was too inglorious for a divine Law-giver to assume and Laws would but receive small force from him who was despis'd and rejected of men So that he was only to live suffer and die suitably to the Law a Pattern of unmateh'd Innocence and Virtue to fulfil it not to add to it And indeed it was absolutely unnecessary that our Saviour should be invested with the Power of adding any thing to the Law For Secondly The Moral Law in its own nature was incapable of receiving an addition of New Commands or of having the Old ones extended to New Duties The Psalmist tells us The Law of God is perfect and there is reason that it should be so if we consider that the fources of Good and Evil are not chiefly laid in any positive Injunction of God with a design to try Man's Obedience as * Sunt qui nullam praeceptorum causamquaerunt sed dicunt omnia solam Dei Voluntatem sequi Maimonides Mor. Nov. â— 3. c. 26. some have fancy'd but in the order and dependance of things themselves which are always in the principal the same We must therefore conclude that this Law which is the Rule of this Good or Evil must be always the same too and therefore when it began to be a Law or a measure of this Good or Evil it must be as perfect as it is at present because what is now Good or Evil was always Good or Evil. Farther If we survey the compass and latitude of that Holiness Sanctity and Perfection which were commanded by the Law we may find that it was not
World And this may obviate several of those â—â—oâ—e Notions which have been of late started by Ingenious Persons That 〈…〉 and Vâ—â—â— Good and Evil are laid in the Opinions and Idea's of Men or settled by some positive Injunction of the Magistrate and therefore variable with the Clime Nation Season or â—â—ace rather 〈…〉 arising from the Nature and Relation of Things And this Perfection of the Moral Law receives farther Advantage from the following * See the next Discourse on St. Matthew VI. ver 10. Discourse where is prov'd That the Moral Law obliges in Heaven an Hypothesis which has been little touch'd on and which deserves to be recommended to better Hands to be manag'd up to its due Worth But to return As our Saviour did noâ— thus impose more than what was commanded by the Moral Law so it was very far distant from the Design of the Gospel to exact less than what was written in the Law He did not make void any of the Commands of the Law nor warrant any Action that was not authoriz'd by it in its most strict Circumstances whatsoever the Antinomians and Libertines say For Fourthly There is no Privilege in the Gospel which makes void any of the Commands of God before given Because all Duties notwithstanding the wild Fancies of the Antinomians are equally enjoin'd under the Gospel as they were under the Law and every Conscience oblig'd to a Performance of them By all Duties I mean as in the former part of the Discourse things which the Holy Men of God perform'd in order to the attaining of Eternal Life Was Faith requir'd under the Law and was Abraham Justified by that So must we under the Gospel for without Faith it is impossible to please God Were good Works requir'd under the Law So are they under the Gospel too for our Light must so shine before Men that they 〈…〉 see our good Works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven Were a clean Heart and pure Hands necessary under the Law and are they not also under the Gospel For is there not a Blessing pronounc'd to the pure in Heart and are not they the Persons that shall see God Are not the Impure and Unclean those Acâ—urs'd Ones who without true Repentanceâ— must never see Him never inherit any Blessing with Him And in order to qualify us for this Beatiâ—iâ—â— Vision the Apostle is very urgâ—â—â— â—leaâ—se your Hands ye Sinners and purify your Hearts â—â— Double-minded And so concerning all other Duties and substantial Requisites of the Law which excepting the Ceremonies of iâ— are all still in force under the Gospel And tho' we have no Burnt-Offerings upon our Altars as the Jews had under the Law â— yet have we not Souls and Bodies which must be offer'd up to God as a lively Sacrifice holy and acceptable which is our reasonable Service Instead of Hecaâ—omâ—s are we noâ— to render up the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving the Calves of our Lips not of our Folds and in lieu of a Propitiatory Oblation are we not commanded to do good and distribute for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased And assuredly we have the greatest Encouragement to this Observance of the Divine Commands because Fifthly This Observance shall be rewarded with Eternal Life as it is styl'd by our Saviour This Reward surely surpasses all the Hardships of our Duty in keeping the Commands of God as will fully appear if we briefly reflect on what is meant by Eternal Life This Life shall cause the noblest Change in both the Parts of the Saints Their Bodies shall be transform'd into spiritual and incorruptible Bodies fashioned like to the glorious Body of the Son of God Their Souls shall be highly exalted to the utmost Perfection in all their Parts and Faculties Their Understandings shall be rais'd to the utmost Capacity and that Capacity compleatly fill'd Now we see thro' a Glass darkly but then Fate to Face now we know in part then shall we know even as we are known for when God shall appear we shall be like Him for we shall see him as He is in all his Robes of Glory In this Life the Wills of the Blessed shall be perfected with absolute and indefective Holiness an exact conformity with the Will of God and a perfect liâ—eâ—ty from the Sâ—avery of Sin In this Life their Affections shall be set to an unalterable Regularity and that Regularity shall receive absolute Satisfaction And as their inward Happiness shall be thus great so shall their outward Condition be answerable freed from all Pain Misery Labour and Want blest with an Impossibility of sinning and offending God any more full of Joy and Complaâ—â—ncy in the Vision of God This is that Life Thus shall it be done to the Men whom God delights to honour to those who have honour'd him on Earth by keeping his Holy Laws which are of Eternal Obligation But that which makes up the Perfection of their Happiness is That this their Life shall be Eternal and there shall be no fear nor suspicioâ— that it shall ever end For whosoever liveth and believeth in Christ shall never dye whosoever keeps his sayings shall never see Death A DISCOURSE PROVING That the Celestial Law is the same with the Moral or That the Moral Law is a Rule for the Angels and Saints to act by in Heaven being a Sequel of the former Discourse St. MAT. VI. ver 10. In Earth as it is in Heaven WHich Words as they are a Part of our Saviour's divine and matchless Prayer are a Parallel between the Performance of God's Will in Heaven and the Manner by which it ought to be comply'd with on Earth The Will the doing of which is petition'd for in the Will of God's Commands and not as some imagine of his Decrees or Providential Dispensations only as far as that may be discover'd to be a part of the Will of his Commands For the State of the Blessed who are here recommended as a Pattern to us is too happy to leave place for afflictive Providences which are the only Tryâ—â—â— of any one's Compliance with the Will of God's Decrees The Performers of God's Will in Heaven who are set forth as a Model to us on Earth are not the Persons of the Ever-blessed Trinity for God is not the Doer of that Will the Doing whereof we are to pray that ours may resemble because however a Superior may lay his Injunctions upon another yet he cannot because he is no other than the Person enjoining lay any Injunction upon himself As God cannot be looked upon as the Doeâ— of that Will the Doing whereof we are â—aught to pray that ours may be conform d with so neither can we look upon the Heavenly Bodies the 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 and the Sâ—â—rs as such which * As Lightfoot in his Hor. Hebr. seems to affirm 〈…〉 tho' unwarily enough have fancy'd to be here intended Because tho' these Heavenly Bodies are subject to Hiâ— Controul as all
That he had no Father and Mother which stood in the Records as the Patriarchs had or perhaps That his Father and Mother were not of the Royal Race so that he was the first King of his Family as Jeconias is said to be without Children by the Prophet Jeremiah because he had none who succeeded him in his Throne tho' he had a Son Salathiel whether a natural Son or adopted tho' there are some Assertors of the first as well as of the second And indeed not withstanding what the matchless * Grot. in v. Luc. 23. 3 p. 6â—1 Grotius has said on the other side it seems probable that Salathiel was his Son by Nature Because first this Curse of being Childless might only be Conditional in case that he did not repent But there was a Tradition among the Jews which * v. R. D. Kimchi Râ—d in vâ—c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabbi Kimchi mentions that Jeconiah repented in Prison Secondly The Hebrew word Childless is render'd by Aquild not prospering or encreasing by the seventy-two Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Symmachus empty Thirdly The very next words of the Prophet Jeremy seem Jer. 22. 31. to imply that he had Seed for no man of his seed shall prosper But to return From what has been discours'd we may gather that it was common from the first Ages of the World that the same Person should be both King and Priest I shall proceed to enquire Secondly Into the Nature of Melchizedec's Priesthood And to understand this we must examine the Nature of that Law which he presided over by his Sacerdotal Function and according to which he was a Priest Now this Law was the Law of Nature improv'd by some Traditions which might be handed down from Adam to Noah and from him to the Age of Abraham For this is all the Law that was given to Adam in Paradise unless we make the Law of restraining the eating of the forbidden Fruit a positive Law If he had observ'd this he should have still maintain'd his Innocence and thereby his Happiness Happy State of Innocence which had not much more to distinguish it from Heaven it self but only that it wanted Continuance At fuit ingens gloria for Adam forseiting his Integrity had his clear Notions of this pure Law in a great measure defac'd What he had left or what was farther reveal'd to him was in some proportion brought down to the times of Melchizedec and according to this Law was he a Priest By this Law he and those under his Jurisdiction were instructed to worship one God to swear by his holy Name to give him due Honour to make Vows by him to gather religious Assemblies to raise Altars to build Temples to do to others as they would desire others should do to them By this Rule lived Enoch and so pleased God that he was translated into Heaven By this acted Abraham after he had forsaken his Idolatry after he had burnt his Father's Gods and made them a pleasing Sacrifice to the True One. And we cannot but receive high Idea's of this august Priest to whom the Son of God himself was made like No question but the innocence of his Life and the fervour of his Devotion far outvied the best and most pious of his Age. There is indeed a seeming difficulty in those Expressions which affirm that he had neither beginning of days nor end of life and that he abideth a Priest continually but if by a Metaschematism natural enough we translate what is here said of the Person or Priest to the Priesthood or Law themselves all will appear very easy For these Rules of Natural Religion are eternal had no beginning of Sanction nor end of Obligation but being the everlasting dictates of Right Reason are immortal and never to be abrogated as the Jewish Law and Priesthood were but shall remain even in Heaven it self as was shewn in a former Discourse This Law is ingeniously styl'd by Philo the Law stampt on the immortal Mind of God And some of the Schoolmen are so extravagant as to assert that it was before the Will of God it self before Eternity Such was Melchizedec such the Nature of his Priesthood But Thirdly Christ was a Priest after his Order For Christ as a divine Restorer of the eternal Law recover'd it to its original Splendor after it had been a long time obscur'd by Prejudice and Vice He form'd a Religion which was nothing else but a digest of the Rules of Right Reason For what is the Gospel consider'd without the Commands of Believing and of the Sacraments but the Law of Nature Every thing practical is enjoin'd by that Law Those hard and severe Precepts of returning good for evil of dying for what we think to be our Duty have not only been commended but also practic'd by noble Heathens who only mov'd by the Law of Nature What is our Saviour's excellent Sermon on the Mount but a Scheme of natural Principles The whole design of it is to recover Right Reason from those foolish Traditions by which the Pharisees had darken'd it The Virtues which are there enjoin'd Meekness Humility Justice Purity of Spirit Charity so extensive as even to love our Enemies are all branches of the natural Law Moses and the Prophets of old among the Jews and the Philosophers among the Heathens were propagators of this Law but what was taught by the former was not so clear tho' as perfect as was before shewn what by the latter neither was so clear nor perfect as what was perform'd by our Saviour The Philosophers if I may so speak design'd the first Sketches and Out-lines but he drew the Lineaments and true Symmetry of this majestical Piece To evince that our Saviour's aim was to retrieve the Law of Nature you may observe that when Christ endeavour'd to correct the Mistakes of the Jews about Divorce he refers them to the original Institution of Marriage by the Law of Nature which Rule may also hold in the case of Polygamy tho dispenc'd with in regard to the Patriarchs So that we may conclude that our Saviour's intention as he was a Melchizedecian Priest was to reduce the Law of Nature to its original purity that it might nearly resemble what was enjoin'd Adam in his Innocence The whole World being divided into Jew and Gentile tho' very unequally both of them had miserably tortur'd the Law of Nature so that our Saviour's charitable Hand was necessary to assert it to its native Liberty For the Ritual Law of Moses was an heavy Yoke and there could be no true Liberty but under the Law of Nature which is also the Law of God which only restrains us from what is truly ill or really hurtful This therefore is a common foundation of the Priesthood of Christ and that of Melchizedec That they both of them eminently adorn'd the Law of Nature tho' the former did it with a distinguishing Glory Christ indeed is a Priest for ever
comfort it for the loss of that famous Man Your Learned Predecessor which that You may long adorn with those Virtues and Excellencies which shine in Your Lordship shall always be zealously wish'd for by My LORD Your Lordships Most Humble Most Obliged and Most Obedient Servant JA. BUERDSELL THE CONTENTS DISCOURSE I. Concerning our Saviour's Divinity On 1 Joh. ver 1. The Word was God pag. 1 DISC. II. Concerning our Saviour's Satisfaction On 1 Epist Joh. Chap. 2. V. 2. And he is the Propitiation for our sins p. 25 DISC. III. Concerning Miracles On Heb. 2. 4. God also bearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles p. 57 DISC. IV. Shewing that the Moral Law of Moses is the same with that of Christ against the Racovian Catechism and others On Luk. 10. 25. A certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master What shall I do to inherit eternal life He said unto him What is written in the Law How readest thou p. 83 DISC. V. Proving that the Celestial Law is the same with the Moral or that the Moral Law is a Rule for the Angels and Saints to act by in Heaven being a Sequel of the former Discourse On Mat. 6. 10. In Earth as it is in Heaven p. 110 DISC. VI. Concerning the Qualisications of Prayer or A Method to Pray in the Spirit against the Enthusiasts On Ephes 6. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit p. 137 ESSAY I. Vpon Melchizedec or A Parallel between the Priesthood of Christ and Melchizedec p. 169 ESSAY II. Vpon the General Resurrection p. 185 ESSAY III. Against Scepticism in Matters of Religion p. 205 ERRATA PAg. 11. in the Margin join Tom. 1. p. 656 with Praesat ad Respons F. David p. 17. in the Margin join Edit Sylburg with Apolog. 2. p. 76. p. 51. l. 3. for eexcute read execute p. 86. l. 14 15. instead of the purport of the Lawyer 's Question a preparation to which Answer is made c. read the purpoâ—â— of the Lawyer 's Question and our Saviour's Answer a preparation to which Answer is made c. p. 92. in the margin for Mor. Nov. read Mor. Nev. p. 156 l. 21. for on read in p. 167. l. 22. dele Yet A DISCOURSE Concerning Our Saviour's DIVINITY 1 JOH ver 1. The Word was God WHERE Christ is not styl'd the Word purely in a Figuratiue Sence as the Door the Way Valentia Smalcius Paraphr in 1. cap. Job p. 107. because he discover'd to us the Will of God as Men by Words reveal their Sentiments one to another For at this rate the Prophets or Apostles or any Person who was ever furnish'd with God's Authority to make known his Will might be term'd the Word of God But since this glorious Character is not given to any but to our Saviour it seems to follow That it must be given to him in such an extraordinary manner as could not sute with any one besides must imply Christ Incarnate God made Man sutable to Plato in Philebo p. 30. c. the manner of speaking us'd by Plato and others who make the Divine Word to be the Former and Contriver of the World Tho's as to their making it a Person distinct by peculiar acts from the Nature and Mind of God seems only a new Fancy started by Modern Divines particularly by two excellent Persons of A. Bp. Tillotson p. 590. our own Nation the one the strongest as well as justest Reasoner the other the Dr. Scott Vol. 2. p. 51. Christ Life and in his Notes at the end most delicate Thinker which perhaps it ever produc'd For Plato makes the Wisdom Power and other Attributes of God to be as much personally distinguish'd as the Nature or Fountain of the Deity the divine Word and the divine Mind and from his Writings we may as well conclude That all the divine Attributes of which he had any Idea were personally distinguish'd as the three before mention'd This Divine Word or Christ Incarnate is by St. John call'd God not as Smalcius imagins because Eomil 1. in Joh. 1. 1. p. 12 13. all things which appear'd in his Prophetick Function were full of Divinity and far surpassing what was discoverable in the former Prophets For every Prophet who at any time produc'd the divine Credentials came into the World after an extraordinary singular and miraculous manner a divine Lustre spread it self through all their Actions and whether we regard the Will of God which they reveal'd or the Power of the Almighty by which they supported their Doctrin there was something Heavenly in both And according to this Standard of Divinity they too might put in their pretensions to it in some measure as well as our Saviour Nor is the Divine Word styl'd God because he was born after a Divine Val. Smalcius ibid. manner above the Laws of Nature of a spotless Virgin For then S. John Baptist who was born after as wonderful a manner in some sence as our Saviour might be said to be God For the Nativities of both being miraculous and Miracles as springing from an equal Power being equal it cannot be lookt on as a greater Miracle that Mary should Conceive than Elizabeth Nor is he God because he was Smalc Ibid. taught by God after a divine way For since God cannot be taught since infinite Knowledge can admit of no enlargement there can never from any communication of this kind between God and something else result a likeness to much less an equality with God Nor lastly is he God because He was endued with Divine Smalc Ibid. Innocence For from whence does this Innocence arise but from an uniform Obedience to the Will of God But now if to obey God makes the Person obeying capable of being call'd God the holy Angels who always preserv'd the most exact conformity to the divine Will may as justly challenge the divine Attributes as our Saviour So that by God is meant God by Nature and Substance God who had a Subsistence and that Subsistence from his Father of whom he was together from all Eternity and was Himself Eternal God So that the sence of the words will be that the Word the divine Word which assum'd Flesh is God not by Office or any other foreign denomination but by Nature Essence and Substance In order to prove which I shall First Shew that the Nature and Essence of Christ is truly Divine Secondly I shall reflect on the ill Consequences of any Assertion different from this The Nature and Essence of Christ is truly Divine 1 st Because he is justly honour'd with Divine Worship and 2 ly Because of his Co-partnership with God the Father in those actions which could only be perform'd by his substantial union with the Divine Nature First The Nature of Christ is truly Divine because he is justly honour'd with Divine Worship For if nothing can be honour'd with Divine Worship but God himself
of Nature and their own magnify'd Deism it self prove so extremely necessary how can they expect that God should make fresh discoveries to them by new Miracles But granting that God should condescend so far as to work Miracles in their favour there is the greatest reason to believe that they would find collusions and pretences to continue still in their Unbelief since they have invented ways to evade those of our Saviour granting that the Matters of Fact were true And it is very remarkable That tho' nothing could be more bright and convincing than the Miracles of our Saviour yet the Jews still found out reasons to break the Force and avoid the Evidence of them And are the Scepticks and Deists of our Age less furnisht with Sophistry or better prepar'd to entertain Religion Does not the same disposition of Heart so contrary to the Christian Religion Do not the same Pride Prejudices and Negligence prevail amongst them which did amongst the Jews Is God therefore oblig'd to humour their unreasonable Desires or run the hazard of having his wondrous Works expos'd to their Censures Criticisms and captious Enquiries At this rate God would be engag'd to work a Miracle as often as any Man should arrive at Impiety high enough to doubt of his Religion and to receive prophane Sentiments into his Breast At this rate why ought not Sin and Unbelief to abound that Grace might much more abound But farther Is not the System of Deism so contriv'd as quite to preclude the working of a Miracle For if God is Material as Mr. Hobbs pretends and so not distinct v. Leviath de Regno Tenebrarum from the World or if God and Nature are the same as Spinosa the great Apostle of Deism asserts there can be vid. Tractatum Theologico-Politicum p. 100 Passim as also in his Opera Posthuma and Blunt's Anima Mundi no such thing as a Miracle Tho' an Event may be strange and uncommon yet it must be natural still since God and Nature being the same what is wrought by the former is also wrought by the latter Why therefore do they demand such Proofs which they themselves vouch cannot be given But to close all We have not only Moses and the Prophets but a greater than Moses the Holy JESVS and his Apostles if we hear not them neither will we be perswaded if the greatest Miracle should be wrought and even one should rise from the Dead The Miracles therefore of Religion are wisely adapted to convince us of the truth of it and we our selves may be highly serviceable to perswade Unbelievers of the force of Religion if we will suffer it to work one great and comprehensive Miracle on us that is to reform our Lives by composing the unruly motions of our Souls by cooling the irregular warmth of our Affections and by charming all our Passions into so sedate a Peace as to be submissive to the Rules of the Christian Religion which is greater than to speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels Then shall we bring Honour to our holy Religion and be duly prepar'd to expect the last and finishing Miracle of it that is that our Corruptible may put on Incorruption and our Mortal Immortality A DISCOURSE Shewing That the Moral Law of Moses is the same with that of CHRIST against the Racovian Catechism and others LUK. Chap. X. ver 25 26. A certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life He said unto him What is written in the Law How readest thou THE peculiar method by which our Saviour deliver'd his Doctrin the tendency of it to a greater measure of Piety than was commonly taught by the most extraordinary Doctors of those times the ratifying of his Divine Commission by a train of unquestionable Miracles which were not only suited for the conviction but also at the same time adapted to the use and service of Mankind and all these grac'd with the most unblameable Conversation that ever was had rais'd the Love of the greatest part of his Auditors the Envy of some the Wonder and Curiosity of all Of this number whether mov'd by Envy or Curiosity alone but most likely principally by the former a Lawyer one who was throughly vers'd in the most refin'd Niceties of the Jewish Law came to try what his Judgment was about the Law or Rule of Life designing probably to discover whether he would advance any thing contrary either to the Law or the receiv'd Traditions that so he might make him obnoxious to the Penalty of that Law whose Sanctions he should dishonour by his Innovations The Enquiry which he proposes to him is one of the greatest importance and in whose Resolution the most momentous Interest is concern'd namely What was necessary to be observ'd for the attaining that External Life which Christ promis'd in a clearer manner than had been display'd by the Law and the Prophets The Enquirer no doubt was expecting a system of new Precepts the addition of a Table unknown to Moses at least that the old ones should be extended to fresh Duties and new Obligations And no question but that he was highly surpriz'd when our Saviour informs him That the Law of Moses and the Prophets was a true and adequate standard of Duty and the living up to it the sole way to Salvation That tho' the Law of Ordinances and Ceremonies oblig'd none but the Jews yet that the Moral Law as it was the Reason so it should be the standing Religion of all Mankind That what was indispensably requir'd to Salvation before the coming of the Messias should as to the Substance of it be so after nor any other Duty superinduc'd For the Law as arising from the nature and relations of Things and Persons and as marking out the boundaries of Good and Evil Right and Wrong which are always in the main the same was uncapable of Change Addition or new Interpretation was still to be read and practic'd agreeably to its genuine and original Sence And that the Saviour of the World during the term of his abode in it had no other Authority but to walk suitable to its Commands and to reconcile for the Affronts which had been put upon its Divine Author by Mankind's disobedience of it A certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life He said unto him What is written in the Law How readest thou From the Words taken in relation to the purport of the Lawyer 's Question a preparation to which Answer is made in those our Saviour's other Questions What is written in the Law and How readest thou but fully compleated in that Injunction of our Saviour's upon the reading of the Law in the words after the Text Do this and live From the Words thus taken I conclude That as our Saviour did not invalidate any Commands of the Law so on the other hand That nothing was made a Duty
Verdict of Reason and Natural Conscience but fully condemn'd by the Sentence of God pronounc'd by Moses and his Holy Prophets As our Saviour did not new extend the Old Commands so neither farther did He impose any New ones oâ— his own But here our Catechist affirms that our Saviour did enjoin several New Commands of his own as the Command of Denying our selves or pluâ—king out our right Eye and cutting off our right Hand of taking up the â—â—oâ—â— and of following Christ But these were Duties before the Gospel before the Day spring from on high had visited us in the Substance tho' not in every Circumstance Branch and Punctilio of them For tho' 't is improper to say That the following of our Saviour was a Duty before this Saviour appear'd on the Earth â—â—o should thus be follow'd before He had led a Life of compleat Virtue and Innocence which should be an Example to all his Followers yet that Resignation to the Will of God that perfect Charity towards Mankind that Humility and Perseverance in Fasting and Prayer which our Adversaries make so peculiarly imitable in our Saviour were obligatory before they were thus practic'd and enforc'd by Him And this will appear by a brief yet particular Examination of each one of them And in the first place Self-Denial which is nothing else but that Virtue by which we renounce our own Will and all its carnal Desires and conform them to the Will of God equally oblig'd under the Old Testament as under the New For did not the former as well as the latter exact a perfect Love of God A Love exerted with all our Heart with all our Soul with all our Might A Love in some proportion worthy that Divine Object to which it was addrest and that oblig'd Creature who paid it But could so pure a Love as this be offer'd unless the Offerer renounc'd his own Will and all its carnal Desires and wholly submitted them to the Will of God since all Love of the World and whatsoever belongs to the carnal Mind is Enmity to God every sinful Dâ—â—â—â—e entertain'd in an Heart consecrated to the Almighty making the whole Sacrifice an Abomination in his sight So that since a perfect Love of God was commanded by the Old Testament and this could not be given without a complear Self-denial every Religious Votary under that Dispensation as well as under the Gospel was oblig'd to deny himself to renounce all his carnal Desires that he might love God with a more inâ—â—am'd Affection a more passionate Devotion So that the Command of Self-denial was â—o New Command of our Saviour's but one of those which were deliver'd to the Israelites and upon the Observation of which the God oâ— them Fathers promis'd to Increase them mightily in the Land which flowed with Milk and Honey Secondly The taking up the Cross that is a Preparedness to endure any Misery for the Name of God and Constancy in his Holy Religionâ— â—ay which is the greatest Tryal of an unshaken Courage a Readiness to suffer even Death it self which tho' it is the finisher yet is the most dismal of all Miseries A Disposition to undergo these which is meant by taking up the Cross was a Duty which oblig'd under the Ritual Law as well as since its Abrogation 'T is true indeed Christianity at its first rise seems to be a Religion purely made up of Sufferings The Prospect was wholly dark and melancholy Its Professors as well as its Founder pour'd out their Souls to Death and were number'd with Transgressors shar'd with him in the Agonies of a violent and the Shame of a disgraceful Dissolution Tho' the Duty if taking up the Cross was thus vigorously put in practice by the first Christians yet did it not then begin to oblige but was a Duty in foâ—â—e under the Law and strictly kept by I its Religious Observers Some of which as the Apostlâ— to the Hebrewâ— tells us were Tortur'd not accepting Deliverance others had Tryals of cruel Mâ—â—kings and Sâ—â—â—â—â—ings of Bonds and Imprisonments were Ston'd were Sawn asunder were Tempted or as others read it with perhaps an apter connexion with the Context 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were Burâ—â— were slain with the Sword Thirdly The following of Christ that is a conforming our Lives to the Life of Christ or a resembling him in those Virtues which are properly his not known as our Opposâ—â—â— say before He taught and practic'd them Such are a Resignation to the Will of God perfect Charity Humility and Peâ—sevenance in Fasting and Prayer But these were Duties before they were thus practic'd oâ— enforc'd by our Saviour For what greater Obligation could there be to a Resignation to the Will of God than that Command of the Prophets Trust in the Lord for euer for in the Lord Jehovah â—â— everlasting strength What greater Instance could be given of perfect Charity than that passionate Expostulation of Moses upon God's being angry with the Israelites for â—he Molten Calf Yâ—â— nâ—w says he if thou wilt forgive their Sin if not blot me I pray thes out of the Book that thou hast written It seems to rise up to St. Paul's pathetical Wish under the Gospel I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the Flesh As for Humility it was a Duty before the Gospel for the Prophet Micah commands us to walk Humbly with our God as well as to do Justly and love Mercy Fasting and Prayer and Perseverance in them were Duties antecedent to the Gospel for we find that our Saviour does not so much settle any New Commands about them as remove those Mistakes which were risen concerning them He supposes that to Pray was a Duty but his Direction is Not to pray as the Hypocrites do He supposes Fasting to be a Duty but his Injunction is Not to disfigure the Face that we may appear to Men to Fast So that He does not enjoin the Duties which were commanded before only corrects the Errors which are frequent in the Practice of them So that we may hence conclude That our Saviour has appointed no. Now Commands of his own only explain'd the Old ones of the Law and press'd Mankind to the practice of them as of Truths in which through his Merits Eternal Life is contain'd But before I proceed to the next Subject of our Enquiry I shall make this remark on what has been already offen'd That it is far from the Design of this Discourse to depreciate the Moral Law of Christ The whole aim of it is to set it in a just Light to shew that it is a necessary and eternal Law such a Law as when God ever impos'd any Law on his Cre 〈…〉 res was the most suitable for him to enact and for them to obey Such a Law as I had almost said the Rectitude of his own Nature laid him under a necessity of establishing according to the Order in which He had form'd the Reasonable
swerve For Justice and Judgment are the Habitation or as others the Basis or Foundation of his Throne As his own connate original Wisdom or the Rectitude of his own Nature is the Rule and Measure of his own Actions so is the Transcript of it if I may so speak the Rule for all other Agents to move by He has given the Sea his decree that the Waters should not pass his Commandments and if the proud tumultuous Waves move by his Divine Rules how much more has he settled a Rule for his Angels that excell in strength for those his blessed Ministers who do his Pleasure The very Title of Angel imports Duty and Obedience to that glorious Power from whence it receiv'd its Commission and Obedience implies some Rule by which it ought to be proportion'd As the Angels so the Saints in doe Subordination are in their several Stations rang'd under Rules and Laws For they are all Parts of the great Celestial Polity and all make up one Church Triumphant therefore must be subject to the same Heavenly Canons Laws and Constitutions For Thirdly This Rule is the same with that by which we ought to regulate our Actions therefore they are very fiâ—ly set out in â—hiâ— Prayer of our Lord's as a Pattern for our Obedience Now the Rule by which 〈…〉 ought to manage our Practice is that which is styl'd the Moral Law or that Law which first being stamp'd on Man's Heart in his Innocence notwithstanding what Mr. Hobbs * Human vnderstanding p. 366. passion Mr. Locke and others have said to the contrary was after his Fall retriev'd by Moses and the Prophets and lastly by Christ and his holy Apostles that Law which prescribes to us to entertain noble Apprehensions of God to worship and serve him which teaches us Moderation towards our selves and Justice towards our Neighbours which is comprehended in that brief Summary Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thy Neighbour as thy self This is the Rule of our Actions on Earth â—and that it is the Rule of the Saints and Angels in Heaven may be thus prov'd 1st That it is the Rule of the Saints or of the Spirits of Just Men made perfect That Law which recovens in the Saints that Image of God which was defac'd by the Fall is the Rule of their Actions but the acting up to the Moral Law is a Recovery of this Image and so must be that Rule For Heaven is properly nothing else but a Recovery of that State with something more of Perfection from which Man by Transgression fell If therefore acting in conformity with the Moral Law in all its Points is a Recovery of that State and that Image it is probable to suppose that in Heaven this Law shall be the Rule of the Actions of the Blessed Saints but an acting up to the Moral Law in all its Points is a Retrieval of the Divine Image for the being made in the Image of God is nothing else but being made in conformity with the Moral Law and in a State of Legal Innocence For the Apostle speaking of the Image of God in Man says That it was nothing else but Man's being made in Righteousness and true Holiness which are the two great Points of the Moral Law the former denoting the Duties of the second Table and the latter of the first As long therefore as Man liv'd up to the Moral Law maintain'd Rightcousness and true Holiness so long was â—e to bear the Divine Image but Man being in Honour had no Vnderstanding but became like the Beasts that perish For when he once broke the Law of his Maker whatsoever the Nature of his Sin was he lost this Image and Likeness to God and resembled rather that Cursed Spirit who had Betray'd him than that Blessed God who had Created him And under this resemblance with the Apostate Angels had he continued had not God by an Effort of Goodness which excell'd even that by which he made him offer'd to retrieve him to his former Image and Likeness And this was by assisting him with his Grace to live up to the Moral Law which he had before broken to keep the Divine Commands which would so purify his Nature as to renew the Divine Image in some proportion till he should be receiv'd into Heaven which his Saviour had purchas'd for him where the Image of God should be renew'd with a Lustre surpassing that in which Man was at first created But the reason why the Image of God should shine with a peculiar Splendour in Heaven seems to be because Man is there put out of a possibility of sinning any more and of defacing this Divine Image And this Heavenly State being only a renewing of that Image of God which Man had shortly after his Creation lost if that Image did as was before shewn at first consist in Man's living up to the Rules of the Moral Law of Righteousness and true Holiness if this Image was forfeited by Transgressing these Laws if it is in some degree renew'd in this Life by acting up to them it seems to follow that it shall be totally renew'd and eternally preserv'd in Heaven by an everlasting Obedience of the Saints to these Laws of Morality of Righteousness and true Holiness This Law therefore is the Rule for the Saints to act by in Heaven And Secondly It is the Rule for the Angels to act by also which may be shewn from an Argument drawn from the Fall and Revolt of the Evil Angels and accuss'd Spirits The Argument is this If those Spirits which fell from before the Throne of God fell by their Disobeying that Law of God which is styl'd the Moral Law it follows that they were oblig'd to the Observance of this Moral Law For every criminal Disobedience supposes an antecedent Obligation But if these accurs'd Spirits were ty'd to the keeping of this Law we must conclude that all the rest of the Angelick Hierarchy wâ—â— under the same Allegiance For 〈…〉 ly there was not one Rule of Obedience given to one part of the Celestial Host and another to the Remainders So that the Point to be prov'd is That the Angels fell by Transgressing the Moral Law The Transgressing of the Moral Law was the Crime which banish'd them Heaven Whether their unpardonable Fault was Ingratitude towards God as some suppose or Infidelity as others or Pride and a Reflection on their own Perfections without considering God as the Author as most or Envy as * Chrysost in Gen. Hom. 19. St. Chrysostom and †Civit. Dei lib. 14. c. 11. St. Austin or whether it was as is most likely a Combination of all these some â—oul and dismal Sin form'd out of the Malignity and Venom of each one of them mixt together yet was it a Violation of the Moral Law It was an Injury offer'd to that Light which God had put within them as well as within Mankind They therefore who sinn'd against the Moral Law who
are Eternally punish'd for this sinning were ty'd to the Observance of this Law If they were oblig'd to it once so are the Angels which stand at present for the blessed Angels are just the same now which they were once Tho' now the Objects of God's Eternal Vengeance yet were they once his chief Ministers as much his Favourites as the most spotless most unstain'd of all the Angels ty'd to no other Rules no other Terms of Obedience The Blessed Angels are therefore at present rang'd under the Occonomy of the Moral Law as well as the Cursed were immediately after their Creation and before their Fall which may be farther prov'd by the Analogy that there is between the Moral Law and the Celestial There is the nearest Resemblance and Analogy between the Moral Law and the Celestial whether we consider the Moral Law as it may be reduc'd to One Precept to Two or to Ten. It may be reduc'd to One to that of Love for Love is the fulfilling of the Law But the most perfect Love is display'd in Heaven in the most perfect Charity for tho' Prophecies shall fail tho' Tongues shall cease tho' Knowledge shall vanish away yet Charity never fails but is compleated in Heaven 'T is the bond of Perfectness and in it as in a Center all Duties meet and are accorded The Moral Law may be farther combin'd into Two Precepts Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self for on these Two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets But the Law remains in Heaven under this Character For first The Saints and Angels love their Ever-blessed God with the purest Transports of Devotion they adore him with the most profound Veneration and they serve him with the most faithful Homage Secondly They pursue one another with the most sincere Love and unfeign'd Charity they rejoyce at one another's Happiness and are as unanimous in their Affections towards one another as they are in their Adoration of God But Lastly The Moral Law is dilated into Ten Precepts and under this latitude they are practic'd in Heaven with the utmost vigour Eight of these Precepts are Negative and there is no doubt but that they are observ'd by the Saints and Angels with the greatest accuracy Far be it from those pure Spirits to lift up their Eyes to any God but the True One to detract from or to envy one another to desire what belongs to another no not another's Happiness As to the Affirmative Commands tho' they do not abide literally yet they remain mysteriously because they are chang'd into better The Fourth of the Sabbath or the Lord's Day shall be alter'd into a more noble one for in Heaven there shall be no distinction of Days but all the Rounds of an happy Eternity shall make up one Day which shall not know a second and that wholly appropriated to the Lord one Everlasting Sabbath one Eternal Rest As to the * Affirmativorum sc Praeceptorum erit in beatltudine summa observatio nisi forte illius de Honoratione parentum quia non erit necessitas impendendi hunc actum Scot. l. 3. Sent. d. 38. q. 1. Fifth it shall not be abolished but perfected for tho' all Carnal Relations shall cease as only subservient to the Necessities of this Life yet shall that Honour that Reverence that Obedience which are by the Fifth Commandment peculiarly attributed to Parents become due to all the Saints The force of all is That the Obedience of the Blessed is a just Rule for our Obedience on account of the Matter of it because they practice the same Virtues and practice them by the same Rule which we are oblig'd to God's Will perform'd in Heaven is therefore on this account a just Standard for our accomplishing of it on Earth So is it on account of the Manner of its Performance by the Blessed Saints and Angels which was the Second General So that I shall very briefly shew that they perform God's Will after that Manner as to be just Patterns for us For First They perform it with all possible Chearfulness and Alacrity The Word is no sooner out of God's Mouth but it is also executed and these Ministers of his stay not so long as even to promise Obedience There is not among them any demurring to the quality of the Command or any delay put to the Execution of it by an over-modest representing their own unfitness for their Task They question not at all with God about the suitableness thereof nor yet debate with themselves whether or no or with what Vigour they shall apply themselves to the Execution of it Secondly They perform God's Will uniformly For an imperfect Obedience is in strict speaking no Obedience at all for he who only obeys so far as himself pleases only does God's Will as far as it complies with his own There is this more extensive Proof of the Uniformity of the Angel's Obedience That the greatest part of it is employ'd in discharging such Commands as subject them in some proportion to those Creatures which are plac'd below them Such are those Commands which demand their attendance upon us who are by Creation made somewhat lower than they yet have made our selves much more so by our Sins and Frailties So that it is easy to be imagin'd That had not their Obedience been truly uniform it would not have carried them to a compliance with such Branches of it as seem not fully consistent with the Dignity and Grandeur of their Order and Station Thirdly Their Comportment with the Divine Will is constant and settled and they always discharge the Will of God as well as chearfully and uniformly That Establishment which is destin'd to their Piety by the Election of God will most certainly produce this Constancy Besides this the Scripture displays them as always looking on the Face of God expecting as it were and inviting his Commands or travelling about his Messages as continually descending from Heaven about their Earthly Ministrations or ascending up thither after the Execution of them Fourthly The Obedience of the Angels is as compleat as it is chearful uniform and constant and reaches to every Branch of their Injunction as well as to all God's Commands because as there can be no doubt of their sufficiency for such a Compliance who are so near to the Divine Influences and so gloriously adorn'd by them so the same Reason and Obedience which move them to have a respect to all God's Commands will incite them to have a regard to every the minutest Punctilio as having the same Impress of the same Divine Will stampt upon it A DISCOURSE Concerning The Qualifications of PRAYER Or A Method to Pray in the Spirit Against the Enthusiasts EPHES. Chap. VI. ver 18. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit AS Religion is the Life of the Soul so is Prayer the vital Spirit of Religion without which it can neither live nor move