Church to meet in the day for feare of persecution Wherefore herein the laudable custome of the Church of administring it in the Morning when our wits and capacities are best is to be followed In which respect also there is some difference between this Sacrament and the Sacrament of Baptisme which may without any inconvenience be administred in the afternoone What is the fittest day for the Administration of this Sacrament The Lords day is the fitttest day for the administration of the Sacrament For although our Saviour Christ did administer it on another day for the reasons before declared yet he did not bid us so to doe But the Apostles example and religious practise herein is to be followed which did celebrate the Supper of the Lord on the Lords day So much of the time Now for the nature of this Sacrament how may it be knowne First by the matter and secondly by the forme of it What is the matter of the Supper of the Lord Partly outward as the elements of bread and wine partly inward as the body and bloud of Christ. For as many graines make but one loafe and many grapes but one cup of wine so I beleeve that those outward elements signifie Christ and him crucified with all the benefits of his death and passion even whole Christ with all the fruits of his mediation Mat. 26. 26 27. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. Wherefore did the Lord make choice of Bread and Wine for the outward Elements of this Sacrament Because meaning to set forth our spirituall nourishment by them they are of all the meanes of our corporall nourishment the chiefest Psal. 104. Why did he not content himselfe with one of these only He tooke both that he might hereby shew how plentifull and assured redemption we have in Christ whom these doe represent Wherefore it is no marvell that the Papists in the prohibiting of the cup doe answerably teach our salvation to be neither wholly in Christ nor assuredly What Argument doe you observe in the institution of the Sacrament against this Robbery The foreseeing Spirit of Christ knowing the sacriledge that Popery would bring in for the robbing of the people of the use of the Cup hath prepared a preservative against it speaking here more fully of the cup which he did not of the bread Drinke ye all of this Mat. 26. 27. What Bread used our Saviour Christ Ordinary bread such as was used at the common Table at that time it was indeed unleavened bread but it was so because no other was then lawfull at the feast of the Passeover Are not the Bread and VVine changed into the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament No they are not changed in nature but in use 1 Cor. 10. 16. For the words of eating and drinking doe properly belong to the outward elements of bread and wine and by a borrowed speech doe improperly belong to the body and bloud of Christ to note unto us the communion we have with our Saviour Christ of whom we are as verily partakers by a lively faith as of the bread and wine by eating and drinking them And thus we say that these elements are changed in use because being seperated from a common use they are consecrate to signe and seale to us our spirituall nourishment and growth by the body and bloud of Christ Iesus Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 10 3 4. For as the Sacrament of Baptisme doth seale to us a spirituall regeneration so the Lords Supper a spirituall feeding and even as well the body and bloud of Christ is in Baptisme given us for cloathing as they are given in the Lords Supper for nourishment Therefore the bread and wine are not the true body and bloud of Christ but the signes and tokens of them as in Baptisme the water was onely a signe of Christs bloud not the bloud What further reason have you to overthrow the carnall presence of Christ in the Sacrament 1. If the bread were turned into Christ then there should bee two Christs one that giveth another that is given for our Saviour Christ gave the bread c. 2. If the bread be the very body of Christ there should then bee no signe of the thing signified and so no Sacrament Rom. 4. 11. Where their miserable shift that the whitenesse is the seale and signe is not worthy the answer 3. The wicked receiver might then eate and drinke Christs body and bloud as well as any true beleever Iohn 13. 2. 30. 4. The Minister cannot give the inward grace but the outward Element in the administration of the Sacrament Luke 3. 16. What reason was there to move our Saviour Christ to use such a borrowed speech in this so great a mysterie Because it is ordinary and usuall in the Scripture to give the name of the thing signed and signified to the signe as it is called the tree of life which was but a signe of life Gen. 2. 9. So in the Sacraments of the old Testament Circumcision is called the Covenant Gen. 17 10. that is the token of Covenant verse 11. Or the Lambe or Kid the Passeover whereof it was a signe onely Exo. 12. The selfe same manner of speech is also used in the new Testament of Baptisme called the new Birth taking away of sinnes whereof it is onely a seale So that unlesse the Lord would in this Sacrament have departed from the wisdome of the Spirit of God accustomably received he must needs here also tread in the same steps of a borrowed and figurative speech Howbeit it may seem that to have used a more proper speech would have been more meet for him being neare unto his death and more convenient for their understanding He did after his last Supper use as figurative speeches as this in the 14 15 16. of John and that without all danger of darknesse of speech there being often times more light in a borrowed then in a proper speech And a Trope of force must be yeelded when he saith that the cup is the new Testament It maketh further for the corporall presence that our Saviour Christ saith in his supper that his body was then broken and not that it should be broken after That is also usuall to the Scripture for further certainty to speak of things to come as of them that are present But there is nothing impossible unto God 1. The question is here not of the power but of the will of God what he will have done 2. God cannot doe those things in doing whereof he should contradict himselfe and therefore the Scripture feareth not without dis-honour to God to say that he cannot lye nor cannot deny himselfe Tit. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 13. Why is the cup called the cup of the New Testament Because it is a seale of the promise of God touching our salvation in Christ which being in old time under the Law shadowed by the shedding of bloud of beasts is now after a new manner accomplished in
be exercised 332 Of the spirituall warfare 333 Of our spirituall armour 334 Of our first enemy Satan 335 2. Enemy the world 3. Enemy our flesh 336 New obedience 337 Of good works in generall and of the properties of them 338 That there is no merit in good works Wherein our good works faile 339 Why God rewardeth our works 340 The ends of good works Of speciall good works required 341 Of prayer what it is 342 The necessity of prayer A more full description of prayer What is required that prayer may be holy 343 That we must pray to God alone 344 That we must pray onely in the mediation of Christ. For whom we must pray The parts of Prayer 346 Of Petition The meanes of obtaining the gift of prayer 348 Motives to Prayer Hinderances of prayer 349 The subject of our requests Prayer for others 350 Of thanksgiving In what thanksgiving consisteth 351 Why thanksgiving is required The properties of praise The meanes of thanksgiving Motives to thanksgiving Signes of thankfulnesse 352 Of the Lords prayer Of the preface 353 Our Father 354 Which art in heaven 355 The parts of the Lords prayer 356 Sixe petitions in the Lords prayer The first Petition 357 What is meant by Name What is meant by hallowed 358 What we aske in the first Petition What graces we here pray for 359 What things we here pray against The second Petition 360 What is meant by Kingdome What is meant by Comming The particulars here prayed for 1. respecting the kingdome of grace 362 2. Respecting the kingdome of glory 363 The third Petition The summe of this Petition What meant by the word Thy. What will is here to be understood 364 VVhat we aske in this Petition concerning Gods revealed will What meant by this word Doing 365 VVhat meant by Earth and Heaven The order of the three last Petitions The three last Petitions 366 The fourth Petition 367 What meant by Bread What meant by Give Give us This day 368 Our daily VVhat we begge in this Petition The fifth Petition 370 VVhat is meant by Debts What we aske in this Petition 372 The reason of this Petition The sixt Petition 374 The summe of the sixt Petition Of the temptations and the causes why we must pray against them 375 How God may be said to tempt us 376 What is meant by Deliver us from evill 377 VVhat is meant by Evill VVhat things we pray for in this petition 378 Conclusion of the Lords Prayer VVhat is meant by Kingdome 379 VVhat is meant by Power VVhat is meant by Glory VVhat meant by Thine 380 VVhat by For ever VVhat is meant by Amen VVhether it be lawfull to use any other forme of Prayer 381 VVhat pulike Prayer is VVhat private Prayer is VVhat ordinary prayer is 382 What extraordinary Prayer is Circumstances of Prayer Gesture in Prayer Of the place of Prayer Of the time of Prayer 383 Of Fasting What an holy Fast is Of the time of Fasting 384 Of the kinds of Fasting 385 Of a publick Fast. Of a private Fast. Who are to fast 386 Of the parts of a Christian Fast. Of a holy Feast 388 Of the time of Feasting 389 In what an holy Feast consisteth Of Vowes 390 Who are to vow What is to be vowed 391 The duty of those that have vowed Of Almes 392 Who are to give Almes Whereof we must give Almes How much must be given 393 To whom Almes must be given What order must be observed in giving With what affection Almes must be given The fruits of Almes-deeds 394 Of Vocation Externall Internall Meanes of Vocation 395 Inward Outward Inward the Spirit of God Of the Church visible 396 The infallible markes of a true visible Church VVhether the Church may erre 397 In what cases we may separate from a corrupt Church 398 Of the enemies of the Church Of the Governours of the Church 399 Things proper to the visible Church The Word Sacraments Censures Of the Word What things are common between godly and wicked hearers 401 Things proper to godly hearers How justifying Faith differeth from the faith of worldlings 402 Of the Sacraments 403 The Sacraments of great use VVhat a Sacrament is The use of Sacraments 406 The ends why Sacraments are instituted The persons that are actors in the Sacraments and their actions 407 Of preparation to the Sacraments 408 Duties in the action of receiving Duties after receiving Of the old Testament and the Sacraments of it 409 The new administration of the Gospel 410 The Sacraments of the new Testament Of Baptisme what it is 411 Whether diving or dipping be essentiall to Baptisme 413 Sprinkling in Baptisme warrantable The inward part or thing signified in Baptisme The similitude betweene the signe and thing signified The benefit of Baptisme to a common Christian. 415 To whom Baptisme is effectuall How infants may be capable of the grace of the Sacrament 416 What benefit elect infants have by Baptisme for the present 417 The lawfulnesse of infants Baptism 418 Baptisme not of absolute necessity to salvation 419 Baptism to be highly accounted of 420 That many have a slight esteem of this ordinance What the meanes are to reforme this slight esteem 421 Of the Lords Supper 422 What it is The differences between Baptisme and the Lords Supper 423 Why it is called the Lords Supper Of the matter of the Lords Supper 424 That the bread and wine are not changed into the body and blood of Christ Of the forme of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper 426 The sacramentall actions of the Minister Of the consecration of the bread and wine The sacramentall actions of the receivers 427 The ends and uses of the Lords Supper 428 Who are to receive the Lords Supper Preparation to the Lords Table Duties in the action of receiving to be performed by the Communicant Duties to be performed after the action 430 Of the censures of the Church 431 Of the degrees of Censures 432 Of the kindes of Censures 433 Of private admonition The degrees of private admonition 1. Most private How we must reprove 434 2. The second degree of private admonition Of publick admonition 435 Of Suspension Of Excommunication Anathema Maranatha Of the enemies of the Church 437 Of the generall apostasie Of Antichrist and who he is 438 What difference between Christs miracles and the Popes 442 The seat of Antichrist 443 Of the last judgement 445 Why the righteous dye Of particular judgment at the houre of death 446 Of the generall judgement Of the preparation to the last judgement The signes of the last judgement The second thing in the preparation 447 The third thing The fourth thing 448 The fift thing The act of judgment how performed The execution of the last judgement 449 The state of the Reprobate in hell The state of the Elect in heaven The use of this Doctrine concerning the last judgment 450 FINIS ERRATA PAge 21. line 9. for saith read truth p. 31. l. 33. for distinction
Gal. 3 22. 23. Acts 2. 37 Matth. 23. 28. Gal. 2. 18 19. Heb. 4. 16. Hosea 14. 2 3. Rom. 8. 13 26. What things are common between godly and wicked hearers Things proper to godly hearers How justifying faith differeth from the faith of worldlings Of the Sacraments The Sacraments of great use What a Sacrament is The use of Sacraments The ends why Sacraments are instituted The persons that are actors in Sacraments and their actions Of preparation to the Sacraments Matth. 3. 13. Acts 8. 36. Luke 22. 15. Duties in the action of receiving Duties after receiving The Old Testament and the Sacraments of it The new administration of the Gospel * Esa. 41. 1 2 3. 68. 3 4 5. 65. 12. 66. 12 19 20. Joh. 16. 10. Mat. 18. 19 20. Rom. 15. 25 26. Ephel 3. 5 6 8 9. Col. 1. 5 6. Joh. 1. 17. 14. 21. Rom. 1. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. The Sacraments of the old Testament How they differ from the New The Sacraments of the New Testament That there bee onely two Sacraments of the New Testament Of Baptisme and what it is Matth. 28. 19. Whether diving or dipping bee essentiall to Baptisme The inward part or thing signified in Baptisme The similitude between the signe and thing signified The benefit of baptisme to a common Christian To whom baptisme is effectuall How infants may be capable of the grace of the Sacrament What benefit elect infants that live to years have by Baptisme for the present The lawfulness of infants baptisme Baptisme not of absolute necessity to salvation Baptisme to be highly accompted of That many have a slight esteem of this Ordinance What are the meanes to reforme this slight esteeme Of the Lords Supper and what it is The difference between Baptisme and the Lords Supper Why it is called the Lords Supper Of the matter of the Lords Supper That the bread and wine are not changed into the body and bloud of Christ. Of the forme of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper The Sacramentall actions of the Minister Of the consecration of the Bread and Wine The Sacramentall actions of the Receivers The ends and uses of the Lords Supper Who are to receive the Lords Supper Of preparation to the Lords Table What duties are to be performed after the action Of the Censures of the Church Of the degrees of Censures Of the kindes of Censures Private admonition The degrees of private admonition How we must reprove The second degree of private admonition Publike admonitions Of suspension Of Excommunication Anathema Maranatha Of the enemies of the Church Of the general Apostasie 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Thess. 2. 23. Of Antichrist and who he is Luke 15. 32 Iohn 17. 12. 2 Pet. 2â— The differences betweene Christs miracles and the Popes The seat of Antichrist Of the last judgement Why the righteous dye Of particular judgement at the houre of death The generall judgâ—ment Eccl. 12. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 10. The preparation to the last judgement Acts 1. 7. Matth. 13 32. Mat. 24. 13. 33. The signes of the last judgement Matth. 24. 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Thess. 2. 3. 2 Pet. 3. 7. Matth. 24. 30. The second thing in the preparation The third thing Iohn 5. 28. Matth. 24. 31. 1 Cor. 15. 52. Phil 3. 21. The fourth thing The fift thing The act of judgment and how performed Rom. 2. 12. Matth 12. 27 41 42. Ezek. 18. 22. Rev. 14. 17. Rom. 6. 23. Iames 2. 18. Gal. 5. 6. The execution of the last judgment Matth. 25. 46. Psal. 58. 10. The estate of the Reprobates in hell 2 Thess 2. 9. The estate of the Elect in heaven 1 Cor. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 13 10. 1 Cor. 13. 12. Psal. 16. 11. Rev. 3. 21. 2 Tim. 4. 8. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Psal. 17. 15. 1 Thess. 4. 17. Heb. 12. 22. 1 Cor. 15. 24 28. The use of this doctrine concerning the last judgment Rev. 17. Acts 17. Luke 12. 43. Matth. 25. 21. a Prov. 30. 3 4. b Joh. 3. 13. c Esa. 9. 6. d Exod. 9. 16. e Ibid. chap. 10. 14. 11. 6. f Joh. 17. 5. g Prov. 8. 30. h Dan. 2. 11. i Rom. 9. 5. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 1. 14. k Exod. 40. 34 35. l Heb. 9. 9. 11. m Heb. 3. 3. 6. n Joh. 2. 19 21. o 2 Chro. 7. 1 2 p Coloss. 2. 9. q 2 Chro. 6. 18. r 1 Tim. 3. 16. s Esa. 7. 11 14. t Gal. 4. 4. u Joh. 1. 3. Col. 1. 16. x Act. 1. 21. y 1 King 8. 27. z Heb. 7. 3. with Esa. 53. 8. Mica 5. 2. a Joh. 14. 28. b Joh. 5. 18. Phil. 2. 6. c Joh. 8. 58. d Matth. 22. 42 43 c. e Col. 2. 9. f Gal. 4. 4 5 7. g Joh. 1. 14. 3. 16. h Joh. 1. 12. * Propter quod unum quodque est tale illud ipsum est magis tale i Rom. 8. 29. k Exod. 4. 22 23 l Heb. 12. 23. m Rom. 8. 17. n 1 Joh. 5. 5. o Joh. 1. 14. p Gal. 4. 4. q Luk. 1. 42. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ja. 5. 17. s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 14. 15. t Heb. 5. 7. u 2 Cor. 13. 4. Heb. 2. 17 18. 4. 15. x Heb. 7. 3. y Jer. 31. 22. z Rom. 5. 12. * Luk. 1. 35. a Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 9. b Luk. 1. 38. 48. c Luk. 1. 35. d Exod. 37. 9. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 12. e Luk. 1. 34. f Ibid. ver 35. g Ibid. ver 37. 1 Sam. 6. 19. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i Exod. 3. 2 3. 5 6. Act. 7. 31 32. k Heb. 12. 29. l Esa. 33. 14. m Numb 12. 6 7 8. Exo. 33. 11. n Exod. 33. 18. 20. o Esa. 41. 8. 2 Chron. 20. 7. Jam. 2. 23. p Rom. 4. 11. 16. Gal. 3. 7. q Gen. 18. 27. r 2 Pet. 2. 11. s Esa. 6. 2. t Levit. 26. 11 12. Ezek. 37. 26 27. Revel 21. 3. u Heb. 3. 6. x Eph. 2. 22. y 2 Cor. 6. 16. z Joh. 17. 20 21 22 23. a Mat. 1. 21. 23. See Anselms Cur Deus homo b 1 Tim. 2. 5. c Heb. 2. 14. * Sic pax facta foedusque percussuÌ„ secutaque res mira dictu ut relictis sedibus suis novam in Vrbem hostes demigrarent cum generis suis avitas opes pro dote sociarent L. Flor. histor Rom. li. 1. ca. 1. d Rom. 5. 10. e Eph. 2. 14. 16. f John 20. 17. g Heb. 2. 11. h Heb. 11. 16. i Heb. 2. 13. k Deut. 32. 6. l 1 Pet. 1. 17 18 19. m 1 Sam. 2. 25. n Job 9. 32 33. o Rev. 5. 3 4. p Rev. 5. 5. q 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. r 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. s Heb. 5. 1. 2. 17. t Rom. 9. 15 16. u Rom. 3. 26. x Heb. 9. 24. y Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 7. 25. z Heb. 2. 17. a Joh.
the bloud of Christ himselfe Thus much of the matter of this Sacrament wherein consisteth the forme thereof Partly in the outward actions both of the Minister and of the receiver partly in the inward and spirituall things signified thereby these outward actions being a second seale set by the Lords owne hand unto his covenant What be the Sacramentall actions of the Minister in the Lords Supper Foure First to take the bread and wine into his hand and to separate it from ordinarie bread and wine What doth this signifie That God in his eternall decree hath separated Christ from all other men to be our Mediator and that he was set apart to that office and separated from sinners Exod. 12. 5. Heb. 7. 26. What is the second To blesse and consecrate the bread and wine by the Word and Prayer What doth that signifie That God in his due time sent Christ into the world and sanctified him furnishing him with all gifts needfull for a Mediator How are the Bread and Wine to be blessed and consecrated By doing that which at the first institution Christ did What is that 1. He declared the Doctrine of the mystery of the Sacrament unto his Apostles which received it by teaching the truth of that which these outward signes did signifie 2. He thanked his heavenly Father for that he had so loved the world that he gave him which was his only Son to die for it through the breaking of his most holy Body and the shedding his most precious bloud Also he gave him thanks for that he had ordained these outward elements to seale our spirituall nourishment in Christ. 3. By a trope of the chiefe part of Prayer which is Thanksgiving for the whole the Evangelist giveth to understand that our Saviour Christ sued to God his heavenly Father that his death in it selfe sufficient to save might by the working of his holy Spirit be effectuall to the elect and that those outward signes of bread and wine might through the operation of his holy Spirit be effectuall to the purposes they were ordained unto How shall it be knowne that he gave thanks and prayed for these things seeing there is no mention of these things in the Evangelists 1. The very matter it selfe that is handled doth guide us to the knowledge of these things 2. The like manner of speech in other places of Scripture where there being no mention what words he used yet must needs be granted that he gave thanks and prayed proportionably to the prayer and thanks here used For taking the Barley loaves and Fishes and giving thanks what can be understood but that he giving thanks to God that had given those creatures for their bodily nourishment prayed that he would blesse them and make them effectuall to that purpose and end Mat. 14. 14. and 15. 36. John 6. 11. And as it is not lawfull to eat and drinke the common meat and drinke without such prayer and thanksgiving so is it not lawfull to communicate these elements without thanksgiving and prayer So much for the second Action which the Minister indeed performeth with the Communicants but yet as chiefe in the action What is the third To breake the Bread and poure out the Wine What doth it signifie The passion and sufferings of Christ with all the torments he endured for our sins both in body and soule his blessed body being bruised and crucified his precious bloud shed trickling and streaming downe from him to all parts of the ground and his righteous soule powred out unto death Isa. 53. 5. 10. 12. Heb. 9. 14. That Christ himselfe of his owne accord offered his body to be broken and his bloud to be shed upon the Crosse And that as the Bread nourisheth not if it remaine whole and unbroken so there is no life for us in Christ but in as much as he died What is the fourth To give and distribute the Bread and VVine to the Receiver What doth that signifie That God giveth Christ and Christ himselfe to us That Christ Iesus with all his merits is offered to all sorts of Receivers and that God hath given him to the faithfull Receivers to feed their soules unto eternall life John 3. 14 15. 6. 50 51. What be the Sacramentall Actions of the Receivers They be two First to take the bread and wine offered by the Minister What doth that signifie The receiving of Christ into our soules with all his benefits by faith That they and only they have benefit by Christ crucified which thus apply Christ to themselves by a true and lively faith John 1. 12. What is the second To eat the bread and drinke the wine receiving them into the body and digesting them 1 Cor. 11. 26. VVhat doth that signifie Our uniting to Christ and enjoying of him that we must with delight apply Christ and his merits to all the necessities of our soules spiritually feeding upon him and groaning by him For the eating of the bread to strengthen our nature betokeneth the inward strengthening of our soules by grace through the merit of the breaking of Christs body for us and the drinking of the wine to cherish our bodies betokens that the bloud of Christ shed upon the Crosse and as it were drunke by faith cherisheth our soules And as God doth blesse these outward elements to preserve and strengthen the body of the receiver so Christ apprehended and received by faith doth nourish him and preserve both body and soule unto eternall life John 6. 50 51. 1 Cor. 10. 3. 11. 16 17. Is Christs body and bloud together with the outward elements received of all Communicants No for howsoever they be offered by God to all Matth. 26. 26. yet are they received by such alone as have the hand of faith to lay hold on Christ and these with the bread and wine doe spiritually receive Christ with all his saving graces As for the wicked and those that come without faith they receive onely the outward elements 1 Cor. 11. 27. and withall judgement and condemnation to themselves verse 29. So much for the matter and forme Shew now the speciall ends and uses for which the Lords Supper was ordained 1. To call to minde and renew the memory and vertue of Christs death 1 Cor. 11. 24. 2. To encrease our faith begotten by the Word preached and to confirme unto us our nourishment onely thereby by the means of Christs death 3. To encrease our love 4. To encrease our joy in the holy Ghost our peace of conscience our hope of eternall life and all other graces of God in us 5. To stirre us up with greater boldnesse to professe Christ then heretofore we had done 6. To quicken our hearts to all holy duties 7. To shew our thankfulnesse to God for his mercie bestowed upon us in Christ. 8. To make a difference betwixt our selves and the enemies of Christ. 9. To knit us more neere in good will one to
an occasion as is mentioned in the last chapter of the book of Judges of the children of Benjamin catching every man a wife of the daughters of Shiloh the women being daughters to the one side and wives to the other interposed themselves and took up the quarrell so that by the mediation of these who had a peculiar interest in either side and by whose means this new alliance was contracted betwixt the two adverse parties they who before stood upon highest tearms of hostility did not onely entertain peace but also joyned themselves together into one body and one state God and we were enemies before wee were reconciled to him by his Son Hee that is to be our peace and to reconcile us unto God and to slay this enmity must have an interest in both the parties that are at variance and have such a reference unto either of them that he may bee able to send this comfortable message unto the sons of men Goe to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God For as long as hee is not ashamed to call us brethren God is not ashamed to bee called our God And his entring of our apparance in his own name and ours after this manner Behold I and the children which God hath given mee is a motive strong enough to appease his Father and to turn his favourable countenance toward us as on the other side when wee become unruly and prove rebellious children no reproofe can bee more forcible nor inducement so prevalent if there remaine any sparke of grace in us to make us cast downe our weapons and yeeld then this Doe ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not hee thy Father that hath bought thee and bought thee not with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of his own Son How dangerous a matter it is to be at ods with God old Eli sheweth by this main argument If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall plead or intreat for him and Job before him He is not a man as I am that I should answer him and we should come together in judgment neither is there any Days-man or Vmpire betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both If this generall should admit no manner of exception then were we in a wofull case and had cause to weep much more then S. John did in the Revelation when none was found in heaven nor in earth nor under the earth that was able to open the book which he saw in the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne neither to looke thereon But as S. John was wished there to refrain his weeping because the Lyon of the tribe of Juda the root of David had prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof so he himself elsewhere giveth the like comfort unto all of us in this particular If any sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is a propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world For as there is one God so is there one Mediatour betweene God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all and in discharge of this his office of mediation as the onely fit umpire to take up this controversie was to lay his hand aswell upon God the party so highly offended as upon Man the party so basely offending In things concerning God the Priesthood of our Mediatour is exercised For every high Priest is taken from among men and ordained for men in things pertaining to God The parts of his Priestly function are two Satisfaction and Intercession the former wherof giveth contentment to Gods justice the latter soliciteth his mercy for the application of this benefit to the children of God in particular Whereby it commeth to passe that God in shewing mercy upon whom he will shew mercy is yet for his justice no loser being both just and the justifier of him which beleeveth in Jesus By vertue of his Intercession our Mediatour appeareth in the presence of God for us and maketh request for us To this purpose the Apostle noteth in the IIIIth to the Hebrewes I. That we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God vers 14. II. That we have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted as we are yet without sin vers 15. Betwixt the having of such and the not having of such an Intercessor betwixt the heighth of him in regard of the one and the lowlinesse in regard of his other nature standeth the comfort of the poor sinner He must be such a sutor as taketh our case to heart and therefore in all things it behoved him to be made likeunto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest In which respect as it was needfull he should partake with our flesh and bloud that he might be tenderly affected unto his brethren so likewise for the obtaining of so great a sute it behoved he should bee most dear to God the Father and have so great an interest in him as he might always be sure to be heard in his requests who therefore could be no other but he of whom the Father testified from heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased It was fit our Intercessor should be Man like unto our selves that we might boldly come to him and find grace to help in time of need It was fit he should be God that he might boldly goe to the Father without any way disparaging him as being his fellow and equall But such was Gods love to justice and hatred to sinne that he would not have his justice swallowed up with mercie nor sinne pardoned without the making of fit reparation And therefore our Mediatour must not look to procure for us a simple pardon without more adoe but must be a propitiation for our sinnes and redeem us by fine and ransome and so not onely be the master of our requests to intreat the Lord for us but also take upon him the part of an Advocate to plead full satisfaction made by himself as our surety unto all the debt wherewith we any way stood chargeable Now the satisfaction which our surety bound himself to perform in our behalfe was of a double debt the principall and the accessorie The principall debt is obedience to Gods most holy Law which man was bound to pay as a perpetuall tribute to his Creator although he had never sinned but being now by his own default become bankrupt is not able to
and night And thus for our main and principall debt of Obedience hath our Mediatour given satisfaction unto the Justice of his Father with good measure pressed down shaken together and running over But beside this we were lyable unto another debt which wee have incurred by our default and drawne upon our selves by way of forfeiture and nomine poenae For as Obedience is a due debt and Gods servants in regard thereof are truly debters so likewise is sinne a debt and sinners debters in regard of the penalty due for the default And as the payment of the debt which commeth nomine poenae dischargeth not the tenant afterwards from paying his yearly rent which of it self would have been due although no default had been committed so the due payment of the yearly rent after the default hath been made is no sufficient satisfaction for the penalty already incurred Therefore our surety who standeth chargeable with all our debts as he maketh payment for the one by his Active so must he make amends for the other by his Passive obedience he must first suffer and then enter into his glory For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect that is a perfect accomplisher of the worke which he had undertaken through sufferings The Godhead is of that infinite perfection that it cannot possibly be subject to any passion He therefore that had no other nature but the Godhead could not pay such a debt as this the discharge whereof consisted in suffering and dying It was also fit that Gods justice should have been satisfied in that nature which had transgressed and that the same nature should suffer the punishment that had committed the offence Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Such and so great was the love of God the Father toward us he spared not his own Sonne but delivered him up for us all and so transcendent was the love of the Son of God toward the sons of men that he desired not to be spared but rather then they should lie under the power of death was of himself most willing to suffer death for them which seeing in that infinite nature which by eternall generation hee received from his Father he could not doe he resolved in the appointed time to take unto himselfe a Mother and out of her substance to have a body framed unto himself wherein he might become obedient unto death even the death of the crosse for our redemption And therefore when hee commeth into the world he saith unto his Father A body hast thou fitted me Lo I come to doe thy will O God By the which will saith the Apostle wee are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Thus we see it was necessary for the satisfaction of this debt that our Mediatour should be Man but he that had no more in him then a Man could never be able to goe through with so great a work For if there should be found a Man as righteous as Adam was at his first creation who would be content to suffer for the offence of others his suffering possibly might serve for the redemption of one soul it could be no sufficient ransome for those innumerable multitudes that were to be redeemed to God out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation Neither could any Man or Angel be able to hold out if a punishment equivalent to the endlesse sufferings of all the sinners in the world should at once bee laid upon him Yea the very powers of Christ himself upon whom the spirit of might did rest were so shaken in this sharp encounter that he who was the most accomplisht pattern of all fortitude stood sore amazed and with strong crying and tears prayed that if it were possible the houre might passe from him This man therefore being to offer one sacrifice for sins for ever to the burning of that sacrifice he must not onely bring the coals of his love as strong as death and as ardent as the fire which hath a most vehement flame but he must add thereunto those everlasting burnings also even the flames of his most glorious Deity and therefore through the eternall Spirit must he offer himself without spot unto God that hereby he might obtain for us an eternall redemption The bloud whereby the Church is purchased must bee Gods own bloud and to that end must the Lord of glory be crucified the Prince and author of life be killed he whose eternall generation no man can declare be cut off out of the land of the living and the man that is Gods own fellow be thus smitten according to that vvhich God himselfe foretold by his Prophet Awake O sword against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of hosts smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered The people of Israel we read did so value the life of David their King that they counted him to be worth tenne thousand of themselves how shall we then value of Davids Lord who is the blessed and onely Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords It was indeed our nature that suffered but he that suffered in that nature is over all God blessed for ever and for such a Person to have suffered but one houre was more then if all other persons had suffered ten thousand millions of years But put case also that the life of any other singular man might be equivalent to all the lives of whole mankind yet the laying down of that life would not be sufficient to doe the deed unlesse he that had power to lay it down had power likewise to take it up again For to be detained always in that prison from whence there is no comming out before the payment of the uttermost farthing is to lie always under execution and to quit the plea of that full payment of the debt wherein our surety stood engaged for us And therefore the Apostle upon that ground doth rightly conclude that if Christ be not raised our faith is vaine we are yet in our sinnes and consequently that as he must be delivered to death for our offences so he must be raised again for our justification Yea our Saviour himself knowing full well what he was to undergoe for our sakes told us before-hand that the Comforter whom hee would send unto us should convince the world that is fully satisfie the consciences of the sons of men
every thought to the obedience of Christ. Where as wee must needs acknowledge that it is God which worketh in us both to will and to doe and that it is hee which sanctifyeth us wholly so are wee taught likewise to beleeve that both hee who sanctifyeth and they who are sanctifyed are all of one namely of one and the self-same nature that the sanctifyer might not bee ashamed to call those who are sanctifyed by him his brethren that as their nature was corrupted and their blood tainted in the first Adam so it might bee restored again in the second Adam and that as from the one a corrupt so from the other a pure and undefiled nature might bee transmitted unto the heires of salvation The same God that giveth grace is hee also that giveth glory yet so that the streams of both of them must run to us through the golden pipe of our Saviours humanity For since by man came death it was fit that by man also should come the resurrection of the dead Even by that man who hath said Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day Who then shall come to bee glorifyed in his Saints and to bee made marvellous in all them that beleeve and shall change this base body of ours that it may be fashioned like unto his own glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himselfe Unto him therefore that hath thus loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him bee glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen PHILIP 3. 8. I COUNT ALL THINGS BUT LOSSE FOR THE EXCELLENCY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD FINIS 1 Pet. 1. 19. 21. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psalm 147. 5. Exod. 34. 6 7. 1 Joh. 5. 7. 1 Chron. 29. 11 12. Psal. 145. 10 11 12. Act. 17. 24. Gen. 1. 26 27. Psal. 103. 19. 66. 7. Jude ver 6. Rev. 12. 7. Gal. 3. 10. Gen. 2. 17. Eccl. 7. 31. Rom. 5. 12. 14. Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 28. 45. Mat. 1. 21 22 23. Gal. 4. 4 5. Phil. 2. 7 8 9. Heb. 5. 4 5. Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 10. 12. Luk. 4. 18 19. Isay 9. 6 7. Heb. 3. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Heb. 12. 23. Cant. 2. 16. Joh. 17. 21 22 23 24. Rom. 3. 24 25 26. and 4. 6 7. Rom. 8. 15 16 17. 23 24 25. Eph. 1. 4. Col. 3. 9 10. 12. 14. Mat. 22. 37 38 39 40. Exod. 20. 2 3. Exod. 20. 5 6. Exod. 20. 7. Exod. 20. 8 9 10 11. Exod. 20. 12. Exod. 20. 13. Exod. 20. 14. Exod. 20. 15. Exod. 20. 16. Exod. 20. Acts 26. 20. 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. Jer. 31. 18 19. Eph. 6. 10 11 12. 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Gal. 6. 14. Rom. 8. 35 36 37. Gal. 5. 14. Col. 3. 5 6. Lev. 1. 74 75. Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. Matth. 6. 6 7. Matth. 6. 9 10. Ver. 11. 12 13. Matth. 6. 13. Matth. 5. 16 17 18. Eph. 4. 28 29. Heb. 13. 16. Rom. 10. 14 15. Eph. 4. 11 12 13. Rom. 4. 11. Matth. 18. 15 16 17. Heb. 9. 1. 9 10. 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3 4. Joh. 1. 17. Heb. 12. 27 28. Matth. 28. 19. 1 Pet. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 11. 23 24. 1 Tim. 4. 12 13. 2 Thes. 2. 3 4. Heb. 9. 27. 1 Thes. 4. 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 15. 51 52. Matth. 25. 34 35. All men desire eternall happinesse Religion the means to obtain happinesse No salvation but by the true Religion Diverse kindes of false Religion What Christian Religion is Of Catechising what it is Where to bee used and by whom The necessity of it a Eccles. 1. 2. True happines consisteth in God How we come to injoy God b Job 22. 21. c Joh. 17. 3. Gal. 4. 9. d Eccle. 12. 13. e 2 Cor. 5. 9. f 1 Sam. 2. 30. Means to know God By his Divine Works and holy Word Job 22. 20. Joh. 6. 68. Of the Divine Works of God Plato Galen Homer Virgil. Ovid. The uses of knowing God by his Works Of Gods holy Word the Scriptures How the Scriptures were delivered Revelations Oracles Visions What Scripture is That the Scriptures are the Word of God Reasons to prove God to be the Author of the holy Scriptures 1 Efficient Instrumentall 2 The simplicity and sincerity of the writers 3 The quality and condition of the Penmen of holy Scriptures 4 The heavenly matter of holy Scripture 5 The Doctrine of the Scriptures above humane capacity 6 The concord of the several writers one with another 7 The prophesies fulfilled in their due time 8 The Majesty and authority of the Scriptures 9 The motives used in them to perswade not reason but commands 10 The end and scope of the Scriptures which is Gods glory 11 Their admirable power 12 Their antiquity 13 The hatred of the Devill and wicked men against them 14 The preservation of the Scriptures 15 Their power to humble a man and raise him up again 1 Cor. 14. 25. 16 The consenant testimony of all men at all times 17 The known miracles done by the Writers of the Scriptures 18 The testimony of the Spirit in the hearts of men That the authority of the Scriptures doth not depend on the Church What are the books of holy Scriptures In what language the Old Testament was writen That the Scriptures of the Old Testament were first writen with vowels and pricks The books of Moses The books of the Prophets The Historicall books The Doctrinal books The Poeticall books The Prosaicall books The Apocryphall books The errors of the Apocryphal Books Of the books of the New Testament The properties of the holy Scriptures As 1 holy 2 Highest in authority 3. Sufficient in themselves That the Scriptures are a perfect rule for doctrine life and Salvation Objections against the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures answered Tim. Qu. An. Of the perspicuity of the holy Scriptures The Papists objections against the perspicuity of the Scriptures answered Ans. Why God hatâ— left some places of Scripture obscure Of the Translation of holy Scriptures An objection grounded on various readings answered Why the Scriptures must be expounded by the Scriptures The use of holy Scriptures Who must read the Scriptures That all must read the Scriptures proved The Papists objections against reading the Scriptures answered That there is a God Of the Nature of God Of Gods Essence The name of God Of the Properties or Attributes of God A description of God God a Spirit The perfection of God The felicity of God Of the simplenesse or singlenesse in God Gods infinitenesse Gods immensity or greatnesse Gods eternity The life of God Of the knowledge and wisdom of God Fore-knowledge and Counsell of God The Counsell of God Gods absolute wisdome and knowledge 1