them for they know not what they do Eph. 3.14 For thâ—s cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in Him Joh. 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 20.17 Jesus saith unto her Touch me not For I am not yet ascended to my Father Thirdly That Jesus Christ is God the Eternal Son of God and did prae-exist in the form or Essence of God having all the properties of the Deity before his Incarnation which was effected by voluntary actings of his own which could not be without a prae-existence in another Nature Let us consider the Divine Testimonies whereby this truth is confirmed and established Psal 45.6 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter This is applied unto Christ Heb. 1.8 But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever c. Psal 102.25 26 27. Of old thou hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end This is declared by the Apostle to be meant of the Son of God Heb. 1.10 And Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth And the Heavens are the works of thine hands c. Prov. 8. from the â—2 to the 31. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was When there were no depths I was brought forth When there were no Fountains abounding with Water Before the Mountains were setled before the Hills was I brought forth * He is called the only begotten Son of God Joh. 1.14 Angels and Adam were the Sons of God by Creation The Worshippers of the true God are called the Sons of God by profession Gen. 6 1. All true Believers are his Children by Adoption Joh. 1.12 But Christ is the Son of God by Nature by Eternal Generation Whilst as yet he had not made the Earth nor the Fields nor the highest part of the dust of the World When he prepared the Heavens I was there When he set a compass upon the face of the Depth When he established the Clouds above When he strengthened the Fountains of the Deep When he gave to the Sea his Decree that the Waters should not pass his Commandment When he appointed the Foundations of the Earth Then I was by him as one brought up with him And I was daily his delight rejoycing always before him Isai 9.6 For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulder And his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of peace Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely And this is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Joh. 1. v. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God v. 2. The same was in the beginning with God v. 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made v. 14. And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth v. 18. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 3.13 And no man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven Act. 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Col. 1.15 Who is the Image of the invisible God the first born * As being from all Eternity begotten of the Father before any Creature was made or created and so Lord and Heir of all the Creatures as the First-born was among his Brethren Gen. 49.3 of every Creature v. 16. For by him were all things Created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him v. 17. And he is before all things and by him all things consist 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the Mystery of godliness God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory 1 Joh. 5.20 And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true And we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and Eternal life And thus much of the Divine Testimonies that prove that Christ is God The Socinians indeed acknowledge that Christ is God but they say he is not so by Nature but by Office They say He is not the most high Eternal God This therefore we shall labour to prove by several arguments First He had a Personal prae-existence unto the whole Creation And nothing can prae-exist * Quod ante omnem creaturam suisse dicitur simpliciter aeterrum est Gloss to all Creatures but in the Nature of God which is Eternal In the beginning the Word was God and so continues unto Eternity Joh. 1. â—â— In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Yet he was so God that he was distinct in something from God the Father by whom afterwards he was sent into the World The Word was with God and so distinct from him and was God and so one with him And he was so from the beginning before the Creation that he made all things even the World viz. All things in Heaven and Earth To which we may add our Saviours own Words Joh. 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with the glory I had
of thy Father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now Christ told the Sadducees that God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22.32 God so stiling himself their God sheweth that their souls did still live though separated from their bodies and also that their bodies should be raised again and both souls and bodies being re-united should live for ever * Deus est Deus Abrahae sâ—il totius God is the God of the whole man and not a part only And thus much for the proof of this Article out of the old Testament But the new Testament doth more clearly assert this Doctrine life and immortality being in a more evident manner brought to light by the Gospel as the Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1.10 To give some few places of many that might be brought for the proof hereof Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into life eternal John 3.16 36. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Mark 10.30 But he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal 1 Thes 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens John 17.27 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Having thus shewed that everlasting life is plainly asserted both in the old and new Testament I come now to shew that there are three degrees of this everlasting life held forth to us in the Scriptures 1. There is a life eternal Initial which is the life of grace John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life that is hath it begun in him hath the earnest of it in his Soul 2. There is a Partial life eternal which is the life which belongeth to the Soul when it is separated from the body 'T is the happiness which the souls of the Righteous enjoy between the time of death and the day of Judgment The Scripture is abundant in asserting this kind of life eternal which the separated soul injoys in the other world Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Matth 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Luke 12.4 Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say fear him Heb. 12.23 To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect Luke 23.43 Our Saviour said to the penitent Thief To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23.46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost Acts 7.59 And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to he with Christ which is far better 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in Prison Rev. 6.9 10. And when he had opened the fifth Seal I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held And they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth 3. There is a life eternal Perfectional which shall be conferred on the Saints after the re-union of their Souls and Bodies Matth. 25.34 46. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Then shall the Righteous go into life eternal Now this perfectional life everlasting which will be the portion of the Saints at the last day is such a life as shall be free from all evil and full of all good 1. Free from the evil of sin The Souls of the Just shall then be made perfect 2. The evil of temptation There was a Tempter in Paradise there will be none in Heaven 3. The evil of affliction All tears shall be wiped from your eyes Rev. 7.17 2. This life shall be full of all good 1. Their Vnderstandings shall have a clear knowledge sight and vision of God 2. Their Wills shall be perfected and adorned with an absolute and indefective holiness 3. Their Affections shall be set right with an unalterable regularity 4. They shall injoy an uninterrupted communion with God 5. They shall be blessed in their company 6. And lastly They shall have this blessedness secured to them without fear of ever losing it or being deprived of it But though the Saints shall enjoy such an eternal life in bliss as we have before described yet it shall not be so with the wicked Eternal life in misery will be their portion They shall be tormented 1. With the pain of loss 2. With the pain of sense 3. With the worm of Conscience a tormenting reflection on their former folly 4. With despair of ever coming out of that woful misery which is the very Hell of Hell But of these things I have spoken more largely in the former Treatise pag. 130. It remaines therefore now that I shew what improvement we are to make of this Article and then I shall shut up this discourse 1. We may from hence learn how inexcusable they are who hazard and expose their souls and bodies to eternal torments for a short satisfaction of their bruitish lusts 2. We should consider that there is no concern we have in the World that should lie so near our hearts as the making our peace with God upon sure and safe grounds 3. From hence we may learn how highly we ought to prize the blood of Christ and his undertaking by which alone we can escape the wrath that is to come 4. It may shew us how we ought to pity those who are running on in a full carreer
their Fathers were all servants in Egypt and as that night God delivered them c. And tells particularly of the wonders done in Egypt and the manner of their deliverance saying to this purpose This is the Passover which we celebrate because the Lord passed over the houses of our Fathers in Egypt therefore we are bound to give thanks to praise to laud and glorify him and sing Hallelujahs to him c. This kind of declaration or shewing forth the occasion of the Passover they called Haggadah Hence the Apostle may be supposed to have borrowed his phrase As oft as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye declare or set forth the Lords death 1 Cor. 11.26 This annunciation or shewing forth to their Children the Lords wonderful goodness and mercy to them we find commanded Exod. 12.26 27. And it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you what mean you by this service That ye shall say it is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses 6. Then he takes that part of the unlevened cake that was before reserved and blessing it and giving thanks for it as before he distributes to every one a piece of it to eat with the Paschal Lamb of which each person present was bound to eat as much as the quantity of an Olive at least The breaking of bread therefore at which our Saviour did institute the commemoration of his body seems to be this second breaking of bread viz. in time of Supper after which nothing more was to be eaten that night For 't is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were eating or towards the end of the Supper Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his Disciples saying take eat this is my body Mat. 26.26 7. All this done they drink up the third Cup called the Cup of blessing or thanksgiving after meat Paul calls it by this very name 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ c. And this third Cup which was after supper that is after they had done eating and was the conclusion of the Supper was the Cup which our Saviour applied to a new spiritual signification And having instituted it into an Eucharistical Cup bad them drink all of it So that now he ordaines bread to be a representation of his body henceforward in the same manner as the Paschal Lamb had been the representation of his body before and the cup to be the New Testament in his blood now as the blood of bullocks had been the Old Testament in his blood before Exod. 24.8 And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you c. After this they sang the Hallelujah or Hymn or Psalm of Praise according to Custom And accordingly our Saviour and his Apostles did sing a hymn after the Paschal Supper before they departed So that supposing these Rites to be then in use among the Jews as their own writers tell us it will from thence appear that the bread and wine which our Saviour distributed at his last Passover and appointed to signifie and represent his body and blood were rites within the compass of it and belonging to it only applied by him now to a new evangelical use and signification And he dealt no otherwise in this Sacrament than he did before in that other of Baptism which he seems to have founded upon the old rite in use among the Jews of purification by water So that our Saviour in instituting both Sacaments of the new Testament seems to have taken the old rites of the Jews and to have ordained and advanced them to a new evangelical use and mystical signification and so to have put as one sayes a new superscription upon the old metal There is one thing more that it will not be amiss here to take notice of viz. That from the Jewish custom of having a feast at the end of their Sacrifices the Christians of the Primitive Church instituted their Agapae or love feasts And they of the Church of Corinth did much imitate the Jewish Paschal rites in receiving of the Lords Supper For they had a Supper before in which they were not always very temperate as appears 1. Cor. 11. And at the conclusion of this Supper they had the bread and wine of the Lords Supper administred as the Jews at the end of their Paschal Supper had the unlevened bread and the Cup of blessing Having spoken thus much of the Passover and the rites belonging to it I now come to speak of the Lords Supper which succeeds it And here I shall treat 1. Of the Author of it 2. Of the time when it was instituted 3. Of the Nature of it 4. Of the ends for which it was instituted 1. Christ himself is the Author of it We have before shewn how Christ eating the Paschal Supper with his Disciples who were Jews took some of the Paschal cheer and provisions and made them the materials of this blessed Sacrament 'T is Christ who was the Author of it 'T is he who is the King and Soveraign of his Church 'T is he who appoints therein his Officers Laws and Ordinances He is the Mediator of the new Covenant and therefore appoints the tokens and seals of it Divine institution only makes a Sacrament the whole Church cannot do it 2. Let us consider the time in which it was instituted viz. in the same night in which he was betrayed by Judas 1 Cor. 11.23 Observe Christs great love to his Church He saw his death approaching yet he bestows now a great favour on mankind when he sees he shall receive the hardest measure from them O that the same mind were in us that was in Christ Jesus Judas had resolved beforehand to betray him and accordingly had agreed with the Chief-Priests and Council of the Jews yet with this wicked resolution he comes to eat the Passover with him Sins of purpose and resolution are most dangerous We should look not only on Judas's sin in betraying his Master but on his fixed intention and resolution to do it 'T is a dangerous thing to come to this Sacrament with an intent to go on in any known sin 3. Let us consider the nature of this Sacrament wherein three things are to be spoken to 1. The outward Ordinance or outward signs 2. The inward and Spiritual mysteries thereby signified 3. The Command for the observing this Ordinance 1. The outward Ordinance or Sacrament properly so called consists 1. Of certain Elements or materials viz. Bread and Wine 2. Of sundry Rites and Sacramental actions appertaining thereunto 1. Our Saviour took bread and gave thanks and so also the Cup. He blessed the Bread and the Wine severally as the Jews
manner was by thanksgiving and praâ—er to God Hence this Sacrament is called the Eucharist And this blessing and praying over the Bread and Wine is called the consecration of the Elements or setting them apart from a common to a holy use Yet this must be observed by the way that this Consecration changes not the Elements as to their substance * In caena Domini nuâ—la est transmutatio signorum in res signatas aut existentia rerum signatarum in signis sed signa vocantur res signatae Metaphoricè non propriè Pontificij panem traâ—smutari in coâ—pus Lutherani cuâ—pus essâ— in pane statuunt ut qui non expâ—ndunt locuâ—ionem esse Sacramentalem qualem etiam habemâ—s Gen. 17. uâ—i circumcisio vocatur foedus In his verbis hoc est corpus meum tropus est in copula est quemadmodum in istis Septem vaccae sunt septem anni Item Semen est verbum Dei Iâ—i enim copula est accipitur pro significare Consecration makes the Elements only representatively the body and blood of Christ but as to their use office and signification only This is my body are not the words of consecration For Christ bad them take and eat before he pronounced these words And the words of Consecration should in reason be spoken to God and not to the Disciples as these were 2. He brake the bread * The papists break not the bread but give it whole in wafer cakes And they take away the Cup from the Laity whâ—reas our Saviour instituted it to be received in both kinds and to receive it otherwise is a palpable violation of his order Hence this Sacrament is called the breaking of Bread Acts 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking bread and in prayers 3. He gave it to his Disciples saying take eat and so the Cup take and drink ye all of it So that the duty of a Minister who shall according to Christs institution administer this Ordinance is 1. To praise God for the elements of bread and wine and setting them apart according to Christs institution from a common to this religious use to pray to God that they may be effectual representations signs and seals of the spiritual blessings they are appointed to signifie to all those who shall receive them in a right manner And then to distribute the bread and wine so consecrated to the Communicants And the duty of the communicants is to take and eat of this bread and drink this wine in a right manner Of which more afterwards 2. We come now to consider the inward mysteries and spiritual blessings signified by these outward elements Here Christ is represented to us as Sacrificed for us and delivering himself to us with the fruits and benefits of his death for our eternal good I say sayes our Saviour This is my body which was broken * Though a bone of him was not broken yet the Apostle speaks of his body as broken in regard of those cruel wounds he received for you The body of Christ that was nailed to the Cross and his blood that was shed was a Sacrifice as offered up to God But it is meat and drink as offered to us He was given for us in the Sacrifice and is given to us in the Sacrament with the blessed fruits and benefits that flow from his death John 55. Christ sayes my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed And verse 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him that is He dwelleth in me by Faith and I dwell in him by the constant influence and quickning vertue of my holy Spirit Christ must be received by us and united to us by faithâ— as meat is received by our mouth and tasted by our Palate and so turned into our substance Being so received he will strengthen and refresh our Souls as meat doth a hungry man There is an absolute necessity of closing with Christ as crucified and of being highly pleased with him on that account as the Palate is with wholsom agreeable food that our Souls being united to him may of his fulness receive grace for grace Not that we must be like the gross Capernaites John 6. who had a gross appehension of eating corporally the very flesh and drinking the very blood of Christ There is indeed a spiritual eating of Christs flesh and drinking of his blood by Faith which may be exercised when this Sacrament is not administred And of such an eating our Saviour speaks to the Jews John 6.53 Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you Now that he does not mean Sacramental eating there is plain and evident for that Sacrament was not instituted till a good while after this as will appear to any one who understands the history of our Saviour nay this kind of eating of his flesh by Faith he shews to be of so great necessity that without it he tells them they had no life in them v. 53. which cannot be said of all that never received the Sacrament of the Lords Supper When therefore we approach to this holy Table let us not be like the Carnal Israelites that did eat Manna and drink of the rock in the wilderness but neither saw nor tasted Christ in them 3. We come now to consider the command for the observing of this ordinance Do this in remembrance of me This command is not to be extended to circumstances and accessaries but to the substance and main of the institution This Sacrament is called the Lords Supper from the time of the first institution not that we are bound to receive it only at that time Occasional circumstances the prudence of the Church may alter let us look to the substance end and intent of this Sacrament and chiefly mind that The dying charge of a Friend does usually make great impression on the by-standers And so should this solemn charge of our dying Saviour make upon us Do this in remembrance of me and observe it in all ages till I come So long it must be continued in the world 4. Let us consider now the ends for which this Sacrament was ordained And here I shall speak 1. Of the true and proper ends for which it was instituted 2. Of the mistaken ends for which it was not appointed The true and proper ends for which it was instituted are these 1. To be a solemn commemoration of the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour to keep it in remembrance and in the eye of the Church till he come to Judgment 1 Cor. 11.24 25. 2. To be a Seal of the new Covenant or new Testament with all the promises and priviledges of it and of the ratification of it by the blood of Christ Luke 22.20 This Cup is the New Testament in my blood that is a Sign and
A SUPPLEMENT TO Knowledge AND PRACTICE Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious Disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness By Samuel Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somerset-Shire Useful for the Instruction of private Families Quod de Scripturis authoritatem non habet pari facilitate rejicitur qua accipitur Hieron LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1679. To the INHABITANTS of NORTH-CADBURY in SOMERSETSHIRE My Loving Friends SOme years since when I stood in the Relation of a Pastor to you I wrote my Book of Knowledge and Practice aiming therein more especially at your benefit Which Treatise I hope through the Lords blessing hath been of some use to you I have since thought that it would not be a service unacceptable to you to add by way of Supplement a more full explication of the Main Principles of the Christian Faith and some Further Directions for regulating of your Practice and to send them unto you to supply my Personal absence God only knows whether I shall ever see your Faces again in this World Providence having fixed my Habitation at so great a distance from you However my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved and if this poor Book may in any measure contribute thereunto I shall heartily rejoyce The holy Apostles no doubt in writing their Epistles aimed at the Spiritual good of the Church in general yet we may well suppose that those particular Churches to whom their Epistles were directed read them with more especial regard and possibly reaped more signal benefits by them than others did So though I design these instructions for your Spiritual good and benefit of all those into whose hands they shall come Yet I hope they shall be more especially minded and regarded by you to whom they are particularly directed and in contemplation of whose necessities and with an aim at whose benefit they were particularly framed I know many of you are such of whom the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 Who have need that one teach you the first Principles of the Oracles of God and have need of milk and not of strong meat I should be glad to have you all rightly instructed in the main fundamentals of Christianity and that not for your sakes only but for my own that I may give up my account with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 But yet I must tell you that it is not enough to save any of you that you are of the true Religion except you be true to it and live agreeably thereunto God hath indeed made sufficient provision by the obedience and death of his Son to save Mankind But you must earnestly leg of God to inable you to do your part which is unfeignedly to repent of all your sins savingly to believe in Christ and to accept him for your Lord and Saviour and to deliver up your souls to him that you may be pardoned through the infinite merit of his active and passive obedience and sanctified by his Spirit and inabled by his grace to lead a holy and good life And as I earnestly desire you all to have an especial care of your own Souls so do I with some importunity intreat all that are Parents or Masters of Families among you that they would take great care to instruct their children and servants in the main Principles of the Christian Religion I have often thought that if ever real Piety and Christianity flourish in England more must he done by Parents and Masters in instructing those under their care than is now ordinarily done I hope this short Treatise may with the blessing of God something assist and help you in performing that part of your duty May the God of all grace lead you and guide you in ways of truth and holiness and inable you to live in love and peace one with another And though I should never see you again in this life yet may the Father of Mercies through his infinite goodness grant that I may meet your Souls in Heaven This is the earnest desire and prayer of him who was once your unworthy Pastor and is still your very loving and affectionate friend Wickham brook Novemb. 6. 1678. SAM CRADOCK The CONTENTS of the FIRST PART CHAP. I. Of God SECT 1. Of the Nature of God and his Divine Attributes page 1. SECT 2. Of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Divine Essence page 18. SECT 3. Of the works of God page 31. 1. Creation where Of good Angels page 32. Of evil Angels page 40. 2. Particular page 48. CHAP. 2. Of Man Page 62 SECT 1. Of the happy State wherein Man was created and the Covenant of Works made with him in that State p. 62. SECT 2. Of his Fall and the consequents thereof p. 66 SECT 3. Of the Covenant of Grace made with Man immediately after his Fall which shews the only way of his recovery to be by Jesus Christ p. 73 CHAP. 3. Of Jesus Christ Page 80 SECT 1. Of his Titles which in the Creed are four 1. Jesus p. 80 2. Christ where of his three Offices Prophet p. 83 Priest p. 86 King p. 88 3. His only Son p. 91 4. Our Lord p. 93 SECT 2. Of his Natures Divine and Humane p. 95 SECT 3. Of his birth p. 96 SECT 4. Of his Life p. 100 Here a short and methodical History of our Saviours Life is exhibited and the particular Times in which he instituted Baptism and the Sacrament of his Supper are pointed at Vpon both which Sacraments there are distinct discourses added at the end SECT 5. Of his Death and Burial p. 137 SECT 6. Of that Article in the Creed He descended into Hell page 131 SECT 7. Of his Resurrection and ten several appearings after it in the space of forty dayes he continued on the earth p. 143 SECT 8. Of his Ascention and sitting on Gods right hand p. 149 SECT 9. Of his coming to judg the World p. 154 CHAP. 3. SECT 1. Of the Holy Ghost p. 162 SECT 2. Of the Catholick Church 166 SECT 3. Of Communion of Saints p. 175 SECT 4. Of forgiveness of sins p. 178 SECT 5. Of the Resurrection of the body p. 193 SECT 6. Of Life everlasting Of Baptism p. 200 Of the Lords Supper p. 205 Of the Lords Prayer p. 220 The second part contains a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkennness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness ERRATA IN page 267 after the eighth Direction add Ninthly Take heed of saying â—s
the encrease of their Graces and so for the furtherance of their glory Thirdly They have good assurance that all things shall work together for their good Rom. 8.28 And therefore no cause to complain Fourthly Though godliness hath the promises of this life as well as of that to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yet those promises of Temporal blessings must be understood with this limitation viz. That they shall be made good to them so far forth as God shall see it good and convenient for his Children in this life and no further Fifthly The prosperity of wicked men in this World is many ways very hurtfull and extremely disadvantagious to them in reference to their Eternal condition Outward sufferings with Spiritual blessings are ordinarily the Lot of Gods Children here on Earth as outward prosperity with Spiritual calamity is very frequently the Lot of the ungodly The prosperity of fools destroys them saith Solomon Prov. 1.32 Sixthly There will be a day of Judgment wherein all things will be set right though here things oftentimes seem to be out of course Seventhly Eternity is long enough to punish the wicked and reward the Godly therefore let us not take our measures either of happiness or misery from the outward dispensations of this life The Consideration of this Attribute should make these impressions upon us First if God be just then this should make all impenitent sinners tremble Except men repent 't is not consistent with Gods justice they should be pardoned What great cause have ungodly impenitent sinners to tremble at the Justice of God which engages him to deal so severely with them and to punish them everlastingly as his Enemies O wretched sinner what aileth thee to make this just God thine enemy What folly What madness possesses thee that thou shouldst make a mock at sin and laugh at Hell and Damnation Shall not the Justice of God terrifie thee and keep thee off from those sinfull courses which expose thee to so certain a vengeance Secondly Gods Justice is a great consolation to the Righteous He will justifie them whom his Gospel justifies because he is just 1 John 1.9 If thou break off thy sins by repentance and apply thy self to Him for pardon in and through the merits of his Son He is just and therefore will make good his promise of pardon to thee Thirdly God being just let us bless his name for finding out a way whereby his Justice may be satisfied and so we poor sinners pardoned His Justice might have taken every one of us by the Throat and said Pay all thou owest and then what should we have done We could not have payed one Farthing of the Debt O let us for ever bless his Holy Name that he hath provided so good a surety for us who hath undertaken the payment of our Debt and to satisfie his justice in our behalf Fourthly Let us labour to imitate God in this Attribute of his Justice that is let us give to every one what of right is due to him Let us labour to give to God his due and to man his due Let us not rob God of his time allotted for his service Let us give him our Hearts and serve him with the best of our affections Let us give to man what is due to him not injuring any man wittingly and willingly And in case of wrong done let us labour to make satisfaction Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Remember that the sin is notre mitted except that which is taken away wrongfully be restored IV. God is Mercifull Mercifull He is called The Father of Mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Abundant in Mercy 1. Pet. 1.3 Rich in Mercy Eph. 2.4 And sayes the Psalmist Psal 145.8 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works All the Attributes of God are glorious yet he rejoyceth most in the manifestation of his mercy and goodness Exod. 33.18 19. When Moses desired the Lord to shew him his glory He said I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy Isai 63.7 I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and the great goodness toward the House of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses He delights not in the death of a sinner His mercy is so great to all that he will destroy none but for their wilfull sin The consideration of this Attribute should teach us these Lessons First Gods mercy should lead sinners to repentance It should shame them from their sins It should encourage them to repent as well as engage them to it O sinners remember we have to do with a mercifull God who hath not forbid any to come in but continueth to invite them who have often refused and will undoubtedly welcome and pardon all that will return and come in But mercy it self will have no mercy on the Impenitent Isai 27.11 It is a People of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Wo to all them against whom mercy it self shall rise up in Judgment There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared sayes the Psalmist Psal 130.4 Were there no hope of pardon Men would be as desperate as the Devils themselves But God is merciful He delighteth not in the death of a sinner Object But you will say how comes it to pass then that so many men are damned if God delights not in the death of a sinner Answ Divines tells us of voluntas Dei Antecedens Consequens that is the Antecedent and Consequent will of God By the former as a Law-giver He gives just and good Laws and wills that Men should obey them that they may be happy in so doing By the other if they will not obey as a just Judge he wills they should be punished So that their ruine is from themselves and not from God Secondly The Mercy of God should be the matter of our daily praises The meditation of God's Mercy should produce in us delightfull thoughts and should keep as it were a continual sweetness upon our hearts and cause us to study the most gratefull returns unto God They that live continually upon Mercy should be as it were turned into love and thankfullness It should become as it were their Nature and Constitution as the food men live upon will be seen in their Temperature health and strength O how unspeakable is the Mercy of God that provides so well for his Servants in this their Warfare and Pilgrimage through this World O
with thee before the World was Secondly Let us consider this All the ways whereby we can come to know God are either by his Name or his Properties or his Works or the Divine worship given unto him Now all these belong to the Son He therefore is God or we cannot tell either who or what God is And First The proper Name of God viz. Jehovah is given to Him Jer. 23.6 This is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness And Rom. 9.5 He is called The most high God who is over all God blessed for evermore * A Title peculiar to the most high God Secondly Divine Properties are ascribed to him and such Divine excellencies as naturally and necessarily appertain to the Divine Nature Particularly these Four First Eternity Joh. 1.1 2. In the beginning was the Word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic Mos Hebraeis aeternitatem populariter exprimare Grot. In the beginning when the World began to be created then was He. And so Prov. 8.23 24. I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was when there was no depths I was brought forth The Essential Wisdom of the Father was from everlasting Col. 1.17 He was before all things viz. All things created And Revel 1.8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty That this place is meant of Christ may appear by comparing with it Chap. 2.6 22.13 of this Book Secondly Omnipresence Mat. 18.20 Where two or three are met together in my Name says our Saviour there am I in the midst of them viz. By my Eternal Spirit Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven And Mat. 28.20 And so I am with you always even to the end of the World Thirdly Omnipotency Philip. 3.8 'T is said of Christ that He shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his own glorious body according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto himself Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Heb. 1.10 And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands Fourthly Omniscience Joh. 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things says Peter And Joh. 2.25 'T is said of our Saviour that He needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man * De animis hominum certo judicare solius est Dei. Thirdly Divine actions or works are ascribed to him As 1. Creation Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him So that there must needs be granted unto Christ a prae-existence in his Divine Nature antecedent to his Incarnation 2. Providence Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the Word of his power And Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist He is not only before all Creatures and their Creator but together with the Father and the Holy Ghost their Up-holder powerfull Preserver and Governour Fourthly Divine Worship is given to him Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him The Angels themselves refused Divine Worship Rev. 19.10 See thou do it not says the Angel there that is See thou do not worship me I am thy fellow Creature Joh. 14.1 You believe in God says our Saviour believe also in me Now to be believed in and rested on is an honour or homage peculiar unto God alone Indeed the Socinians say that though Christ be not the most High God yet he ought to be worshipped with Divine and Religious worship But surely they do not well consider that only Divine and Essential excellencies are the formal Object of Divine and Religious worship and to give such a worship to one that is not God by Nature is plain Idolatry Where the Divine Nature is there is the true proper formal Object of Religious worship and where that is not it is Idolatry to ascribe it to or exercise it towards any other So that if the Word and Testimony of God be able to decide a difference among the Children of men I see not but that the Testimony given to the God-head of the Son are as clear and unquestionable as those which are given concerning the Deity of the Father And thus we have spoken to the Third thing viz. That Jesus Christ is God Fourthly It is delivered to us by Divine Revelation that the Holy Ghost is God This will plainly appear if we consider what is revealed to us concerning the Divine existence the Divine excellencies and the Divine Operations of this blessed Spirit Such things are ascribed to him in the Scriptures which do uncontrolably evidence him to be a voluntary Divine Agent an Eternal Divine existing substance a Person or intelligent subsistence the Author of Divine Operations and the Object of Divine and Religious worship There are some that hold he is a meer emanation of virtue or power from God and not a Person Others grant indeed his Personality and that he is a distinct self-subsisting Person but deny his Deity they deny him to be a participant of the Divine Nature A Created finite Spirit they will allow him to be and the chiefest of all Spirits that were created and the Head of all the good Angels But they will not allow him to be a Divine Person We shall therefore endeavour to prove from plain Testimonies of Scripture 1. That he is not a meer emanation of virtue or power from God but an intelligent subsistence or Person 2. A Divine Person 3. A Person distinct from the Father and the Son 4. A Person proceeding from the Father and the Son First It will appear he is a Person because he is endued with Personal properties and Personal actions such as are peculiar and proper to a person are Attributed to him As namely 1. To make intercession Rom. 8.26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities For we know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession for us v. 27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God 2. To come to men being sent to them Job 15.26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall teâ—tifie of me 3. Our Saviour says He shall receive of mine * That is communicate nothing to them bâ—â— what tâ—â—y râ—câ—iv d from him and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 which is a personal action 4. He is such an one against whom a sin may be committed and therefore surely he is a person Matth. 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
Of good Angels and then of the Angels that fell There are Four things the Scripture holds forth to us concerning good Angels 1. Their Number 2. Their Titles 3. Their Nature and Properties 4. Their Functions and Ministery First Their Number The Scripture teaches us that they are very many Dan. 7.10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him Thousand Thousands ministred unto him and Ten Thousand times Ten Thousands stood before him the Judgment was set and the Book was opened Rev. 5 11. And I beheld and heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders and the Number of them was Ten Thousand times Ten Thousand and Thousands of Thousands Matth. 26.53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently send me more then Twelve Legions of Angels Heb. 12.22 But ye are now come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels Psal 68.17 The Chariots of God are Twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels 2 Kings 6.17 And Elisha prayed and the Lord opened the Eyes of the young man and he saw the Mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of Fire round about Elisha that is that a great multitude of Angels were sent from God to defend and protect the Prophet Secondly Their Titles Their general name is Angels or Messengers Sometimes they are called Cherubim and when they appeared in a visible shape or were pictured they had the resemblance of a young man in the excellency of his beauty vigor and strength and had Wings as we read Exod. 25.18 20. Sometimes they are called Seraphim importing their fervent Zeal in executing the will of God Sometimes Sons of God Job 38.7 When the morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy Sometimes Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers as we read Col. 1.16 And so much of their Titles Thirdly Their Natures and Properties 1. They are Spirits of great Knowledge and Wisdom 'T was said of David 2 Sam. 14.20 That he was wise according to the Wisdom of an Angel of God They are admirable in knowledge both natural experimental and revealed 2. Of spotless purity and integrity Our Saviour says Mark 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed â—f me and of my words in the adulterous and sinfull Generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels When they appear'd to the World their garb wherein they appear'd represented their innocency As at Christ's Sepulchre there appeared two Angels in white the one sitting at the Head the other at the Feet where the body of Jesus had lain Joh. 20.12 3. Of exceeding great power and strength Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength 4. Of great celerity and quickness of motion in which respect they are said to have wings Isai 6.2 Above it stood the Seraphims each one had six wings importing their chearfulness and readiness and celerity in the service of God Fourthly Their Function and Ministry which is of Three sorts 1. In reference to God 2. In reference to Christ 3. To the Saints and People of God I In reference to God 1. They attend his glorious presence They are his chief Servants and principal attendants the bright Courtiers of Heaven They are called the Host of Heaven 1 Kings 22.19 They are called the Chariots of God viz. Such as attend him for his service Psal 68.17 The Chariots of God are twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels 2. They are especiall Instruments to praise and magnifie him Rev. 7.11 12. And all the Angels stoood round about the Throne and fell before the Throne on their faces and wâ—rshipped God saying Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen 3. They are Messengers to carry and reveal his mind and will By the glorious ministry and proclamation of Angels God delivered his Law on Mount Sinai Act. 7.53 Compared with Gal. 3.19 Christ the Head of Angels proclaimed his Law by the voice of an Angel as a Herald in presence of the King publishes his Proclamations And so on sundry other occasions God used to make known his will by Angels Dan. 9.21 Whiles I was speaking in prayer says Daniel the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the Vision at the beginning being caused to fly swiftly touched me about the time of the evening Oblation And Luk. 1.11 There appeared unto Zacharias an Angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense and said unto him I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God And am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings And v. 26. in the Sixth Month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a City of Galilee name Nazareth to the Virgin Mary And Luke 2.9 10. An Angel was sent to the Shepherds keeping watch over their Flock by Night to bring the joyful tidings of the Birth of the Messias 4. They are Ministers to execute and perform what God will have done in the World Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commaâ—dments They bring Lot out of Sodom Gen. 19.1 They bring Israel out of Egypt Numb 20.16 They stop Balaams course Numb 22.22 They stop the Lyons Mouths Dan. 6.20 22. They execute the Judgments of God upon wicked men Thus we read how Two Angels destroyed Sodom and that an Angel defeated the Host of Sennacherib 2 Kings 19.35 And that an Angel smote bloody persecuting Herod Acts 12.33 And thus much of their Ministry in reference to God I come now to consider II. Their Ministry in reference to Christ 'T is said Joh. 1.51 That the Angels ascend and descend on the Son of man That place has relation to Gen. 28.12 Where Jacob dreamed of a Ladder set upon the earth whose to preached to Heaven and the Angels of the Lord ascended and descended on it by the Ladder Christ is meant who by his humane Nature touched the Earth and whose Divine Nature reached up to Heaven The Angels ascending and descending imported the continual service they are reâ—dy to perform unto him and that they are deputed thereunto of the Father as the Apostle proves Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth his first begotten into the World he saith Let all the Angels of God worship him But to dâ—scend to Particulars 1. They foretell his conception Luke 1.30 3â— And the Angel said unto her fear not Mâ—ry for thou hast found favour with God And shalt conceive in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus 2. They declare his Birth Luke 2.9 10 11. And lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid And the Angel of the Lord
his Disciples Matth. 13.16 17. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I say unto you that many Prophets and Righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them It was meet that the glory of a clearer discovery of eternal life should be reserved to Christ himself Now the veil is done away 3. A less forcible influence and efficacy accompanied the old administration than doth the new The spirit of Christ is now poured forth more abundantly since his Ascension and a more mighty operation of the Spirit accompanies the ministry of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 4. A more servile spirit acted in those who were under the old Administration they being drawn generally more by the terrors of the Law than by the promises of Grace 5. In respect of extent they much differ For the old was revealed but to few in comparison viz. to the Jews and their Proselytes whereas the grace of the Gospel is held forth to all Nations 6. The old Covenant was to last but for a time viz. till the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 but the new is to last unto the end of the world and shall never wax old or wear away 7. They differ in respect of their Sacraments Circumcision and the Passeover which were the chief Sacraments under the old Administration were bloody Sacraments for Christs blood was then to be shed But under the new our Sacraments are unbloody for Christs blood is shed 8. They differ as to the manner of their ratification The old was ratified by the blood of the Levitical Sacrifices the new by the blood of the Son of God Having thus spoken of the Covenant of Grace in the general and of the old and new dispensation thereof in particular let us now consider what use we are to make of this Doctrine 1. Let us bless God for making this Covenant with faln Man Let us consider the freeness of it There was nothing in us but our misery to move him to it And he made no such Covenant with the Angels that fell 2. Let us consider the sureness of it God hath confirmed it 1. by his word and promise 2. by his oath 3. by his sea 'T is indeed called sometimes a Covenant and sometimes a Testament A Covenant with reference to God the Father who hath made this gracious Covenant with the children of men and in it hath promised many great priviledges and blessings unto them that perform the conditions therein required He promises in this Covenant 1. That He will be our God Heb. 8.10 And that is a very large and comprehensive promise 2. That He will forgive all our sins And therefore when God shewed mercy to his people of Israel He is said to have remembred his Covenant Exod. 2.24 And the Saints of old did use in their approaches to God to plead this Covenant and to ground their Faith and Hope on it Psal 74.20 Jer. 14.21 3. That He will renew and sanctify our natures and write his Law upon our hearts 4. That He will put his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 and so will preserve us by his grace and power from total and final Apostacy 5. That no outward thing that He sees good for us shall be wanting to us 6. That He will give us Eternal glory in the other life And as it is called a Covenant with reference to â—od so 't is called a Testament with reference to Christ who by his blood and death confirmed it and as a Testator bequeathed life and salvation to all penitent Believers He having all power and authâ—rity given him both in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 2. Let us bless God that we were born under the best dispensation of the Covenant of Grace 'T is an unvaluable mercy to be born under the new Covenant or Gospel dispensation This is called a bettter Covenant as being established on better promises Heb. 8.6 viz. more spiritual more clear and more extensive The old was a ministration of the letter 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8. It literally declared what was to be done but comparatively there was little spiritual ability afforded for the performing of the things injoyned I say comparatively the old had but a weak operation in respect of the new Not that the old had no Spiritual efficacy For many under it were eminent in Grace as Abraham Moses Josiah Hezekiah c. but the more plentiful effusion of the Spirit was reserved till Christs Ascension 3. As ever we expect to injoy the priviledges and benefits of the Covenant of Grace let us make conscience to perform the conditions therein required which are these 1. Repentance which is a Grace necessary to prepare us to receive Christ 2. Faith in Christ We cannot become the Children of God but by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 3. Obedience which is a grace necessary to inable us to walk answerably to this holy Covenant Deut. 10.12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good CHAP. III. Of the Mediator between God and Man SECT I. Of the Titles of the Mediator I believe in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. JEsus Christ the only Son of God is the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace Concerning whom we shall inquire 1. What his Titles are by which he is called The Titles given him in the ancient Creed are four Jesus Christ the only Son of God our Lord of all which I shall speak in order 1. Jesus Jesus which signifies a Saviour God by an Angel gave him that name Matth. 1.21 He was designed by God the Father to perform for the Children of Men whatsoever is implied in his name Jesus denotes the work and business for which he came into the World The Angel told the Shepherds Luke 2.11 unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord so 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners and here let us consider how Jesus is a Saviour and why truly and properly so called This will more particularly appear if we consider the great evils he saves us from and the great benefits he hath purchased for us 1. He saves us from the guilt of sin By his exact Obedience to the Law and by his Sufferings and Passion he hath made satisfaction to the Justice of God for our sins He hath trod the Wine-press of his Fathers Wrath for us Rev. 19.15 He hath born our sins in his
Caesar or no. Then he answers the question of the Sadduces concerning a Woman that had seven Husbands and proves to them the Resurrection of the Dead He answers a Doctor of the Law demanding of him which is the great Commandment and tells him he is not far from the Kingdom of God He then propounds a question to the Pharisees how the Messiah could be Davids Son whom David himself calls Lord but they could not answer him Mat. 22. from 15. to the end Mark 12. from 13. to 28. Luke 20. from 20. to 45. 71. He now begins a severe commination against the Scribes and Pharisees exhorting his hearers to follow what they should rightly teach them out of Moses and the Prophets but not their example and works He describes their Hypocrisie and Ambition in making broad their Phylacteries and fringes of their Garments in loving salutations in publick places and to be called Rabbi He admonishes his hearers to take heed thereof and to study Humility He denounceth eight woes against the Scribes and Pharisees 1. Because they shut Heaven against men 2. Devoured Widows houses 3. Made bad Proselytes 4. Taught perversely to swear by the Temple Altar and Heaven 5. Tythed small matters and neglected the weightier matters of the Law 6. Made clean the out-side but not the heart 7. Were like whited Sepulchres 8. Repaired the Sepulchres of the old Prophets and sought to kill the new Then complaining of the stiff-neckedness of the City of Jerusalem He foretells her destruction Mat. 23. whole Chapter Mark 12. from 38. to 41. Luke 20. from 45. to 48. 72. He commendeth the poor Widows gift of two mites which she cast into the Treasury of the Temple Mark 12. from 41. to the end Luke 21. from 1. to 5. 73. Going now out of the Temple into which he never entred again he foretells the destruction thereof Being come to Mount Olivet he foretells the grievous calamities that should befall the Jews before the Temple and Cities destruction and gives them Signs that should sometime before precede it as the arising of false Christs Wars and rumors of Wars Famines and Pestilence and Earthquakes and fearful sights and signs from Heaven Great persecutions against those that professed him The arising of many false Prophets and Heretical teachers The spreading of the Gospel among all the chief and principal Nations in those parts of the World Then he gives them signs that should immediately precede it Namely the begirting the City by the Roman Army at which time the Prophecy of Daniel should be fulfilled The arising of false Christs and false Prophets that should be so cunning that they should deceive if it were possible the very Elect. He now comes to describe the destruction it self which he sets forth as the destruction of the whole World of which it was to be a Type For the precise time when this destruction should be he tells them they must not expect to have it revealed to them it being hid from men and Angels yea and from himself also as man Yet two things he acquaints them with 1. That this Judgment would come suddenly and unexpectedly on the Jews as destruction did on the old World 2. See §. 47. of this part That the Providence of God would much appear in the rescuing of some out of that calamity in which others will fall He exhorts them to watch and pray that they may be accounted worthy to escape those calamities by the Parable of good servants expecting the coming of their Master and because the time of his coming is uncertain he presseth them again to a diligent watchfulness by the Parable of an Housholder watching against the coming of a Thief Mat. 24. whole Chapter Mark 13. whole Chapter Luke 21. from 5. to 37. 74. By the Parable of five wise and five foolish Virgins he again exhorts them to watchfulness against his coming and by the Parable of Servants which had each of them received Talents from their Lord to trade withal he exhorteth to a faithful improvement of the gifts which God had given to every one Then he comes to describe his last coming to Judgment and how he will distinguish his â—heep from the Goats and give and execute Sentence upon them both Mat. 25. whole Chapter 75. Having thus Preached his Prophetick Sermon on Mount Olivet he comes to Bethany and suppeth there Rising from Supper he girded himself and washed his Disciples feet Peter at first refused to admit of it but afterward suffered it He teacheth them hereby his spiritual washing of them and exhorts them to imitate this example of his Humility and to be serviceable one to another He complains of and detects the Traytor Judas whom he discovereth to John by giving him a sop After which the Devil entred into him and he went forth Our Saviour comforts himself against his near approaching death with this consideration that God should be glorified thereby He exhorts his Disciples to mutual Love Peter promises he will lay down his life for him but Christ telleth him he will deny him thrice John 13. whole Chapter 76. Wednesday Wednesday On this day the Chief Priest and Elders met in Caiaphas's House and hold the second Council how they might take Jesus and put him to death Whilst they were thus consulting Judas comes to them and offers to betray him to them They bargain with him for thirty pieces of silver to do it which he having accepted returns to his Master at Bethany Mat. 26. from 1. to 6. and from 14. to 17. Mark 14.1 2. and 10 11. Luke 22. from 1. to 7. 77. Thursday Thursday Our Saviour now sendeth Peter and John to Jerusalem to prepare the Passeover for him and his Disciples and directs them by a special token to follow a man that would lead them to a great Chamber ready furnished which they accordingly do and having provided all things for the present Supper return to him again Matth. 26. from 17. to 20. Mark 14. from 12. to 17. Luke 22. from 7 to 14. 78. Being now ready to go with his Apostles to eat the Passeover which he was to eat that night he comforts them concerning his going away from them to the Father seeing he went to prepare Mansions for them at his Fathers house He declares to Thomas that he is the way the truth and the life and to Philip that he that seeth him seeth the Father He promiseth his Apostles that they should do great Miracles and obtain what they shall pray for in his name That they shall receive the Comforter the Hâ—ly Ghost and not be left Orphans He exhorts them to love him and keep his Commandments promising his and his Fathers abode with them and that the Holy Ghost should bring all things necessary to their remembrance He leaveth his peace with them and declareth that they ought to rejoyce because he goeth to the Father He sheweth his willingness to obey his Father even in suffering
Then arising he goeth forth with them to Jerusalem John 14. whole Chapter The sixth part of our Saviours life comprehends what he did and suffered at the fourth Passeover after his Baptism at which He our Passeover was Sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 And here we have these observables 1. Thursday evening he cometh with his Company to the place prepared for him and there eats the Passeover with them He tells them there was one at the Table with him that would betray him He institutes the Sacrament of his Supper Of the Lords Supper see a particular tract at the end They conclude with an Hymn Luke 22. from 14. to 24. Mat. 26. from 20. to 31. Mark 14. from 17. to 27. 2. He warneth Peter of the approach of his Tryal and that he should that very night before the Morning-Cock crew deny him thrice He acquaints his other Apostles with his own and their approaching troubles Luke 22. from 31. to 39. 3. Before their departure from the place where they had eaten the Passeover he gives them his farewel exhortations contained in the fifteenth and sixteenth Chapters of John where he compares himself to a Vine and his Disciples to branches which abiding in him will be fruitful He testifieth his singular love to them and exhorts them to keep his Commandments and to love one another He shews the greatness of his love to them in that he is willing to lay down his life for them and calleth them his friends and chosen ones He comforts them against the hatred of the world by many arguments He sheweth them that all manner of excuse is taken from the Jews who have both heard his Doctrine and seen his Miracles He declareth that the Holy Ghost shall testifie of him and make his Person and Doctrine to be acknowledged in the World and they themselves should bear witness concerning him He fortelleth them they shall be persecuted and must expect to meet with Excommunication and Martyrdom He comforts them with the promise of the Holy Ghost who shall convince the World of Sin Righteousness and Judgment and shall lead them into all truth and shall glorifie him and shall in all things so accord with him that he shall evidence he hath his message from him He declares he shall shortly be taken from them but shall be seen again by them for a little while so that their Sorrows shall quickly be turned into joy He tells that when the Comforter is come they shall be more fully illuminated and not puzled with doubts as now they were He promises that their prayers shall be heard that are put up in his name and for their encouragement he assures them not only of his own intercession but his Fathers love he declares plainly to them his leaving the World and going to his Father His Disciples hereupon are confirmed in their belief in him He forewarns them they should be scattered and flye from him yet his Fathers presence would be with him He promises them that trusting in him they should have peace and bids them be of good chear for he had overcome the World for them John 15. whole Chapter Joh. 16. whole Chapter 4. He now pours out a most Divine and Heavenly Prayer unto the Father wherein he prayes 1. For himself that the Father would now glorifie him having thus far finished his work that he may give eternal life to those that know him and believe on him 2. For his Apostles that the Father would keep them in unity of love and would preserve them from the evil of the world and Sanctifie and fit them more and more for the great work of Preaching the Gospel 3. For all that shall believe on him through their word that they may be one here and eternally glorified with him in his Kingdom hereafter John 17. whole Chapter 5. Having ended his Prayer he went with the eleven towards the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of Olivet John 18.1 Luke 22.39 6. Judas as it seems slip'd away when they rose from Supper and went to his Complices in the City who were ready to execute their wicked design As our Saviour goes along with his Disciples towards the Garden he tells them they will be offended at his sufferings that night and like Sheep will be scattered when they shall see him the Shepherd smitten Yet notwithstanding he intended to meet them again in Galilee He foretels Peter again of his fall that night which Peter seems to abhor Mat. 26. from 31. to 36. Mark 14. from 27. to 32. 7. Being come to the Garden he leaves eight of his Disciples behind and takes only Peter James and John with him and charging them to watch and pray he falls prostrate on his face and prayeth to his Father that if he were willing that Cup might pass from him An Angel from Heaven is sent to strengthen him He comes to his Disciples and finds them sleeping and reproves them for it and exhorts them again to watch and pray He goes a second time and prayes more earnestly being in an Agony so that his sweat was as it were great drops of blood Returning to his Disciples he finds them asleep again He went away a third time and prayed to the same effect as before and coming to his Disciples found them asleep again then he bids them sleep on for he that would betray him was at hand Mat. 26. from 36. to 47. Mark 14. from 32. to 43. Luke 22. from 39. to 47. 8. Judas immediately comes with a great band to take him and betrayes him with a kiss At Christs word they fall back to the Earth He speaks to them to let his Disciples go When they began to lay hands on him Peter draws his sword and laies about him and smote off Malcus'es Ear. Christ rebukes him for his rashness and heals the wound presently declaring that he could have more then twelve Legions of Angels for his guard if he would be forcibly rescued His Disciples now fly and forsake him He is apprehended A young man that followed him escapes their hands Mat. 26. from 47. to 57. Mark 14. from 43. to 53. Luke 22. from 47. to 54. John 18. from 2. to 12. 9. He is first brought before Annas John 18. from 12. to 15. 10. Then before Caiaphas and the Sanbedrim In the night Caiaphas examines him concerning his Doctrine and Disciples An Officer of the High Priest strikes him with the palm of his hand They seek false witnesses to accuse him at last two came who agreed not in their Testimony The High Priest adjures him to declare whether he were the Christ he expresly saith he is and they shall see him sit on the right hand of God and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Caiaphas at this rent his Cloaths and he and the rest of the Bench pronounced him worthy to die as a Blasphemer Then there were vile abuses put upon him in the High Priests house by the servants and others by
hence therefore it will follow that all that Christ did and suffered he paid by way of valuable consideration unto God for the sins of men The whole fabrick of the Gospel is bottomed upon satisfaction made to the justice of God on our behalf We are said to be ransomed redeemed purchased bought with a price and that must needs be by a valuable consideration paid and by Satisfaction made No works of our own could ever amount to such a purchase Could men either have pefectly kept the Law or have sufficiently answered for the breach of it ex post fâ—cto Righteousness would have been that way and Christ had not died 4. Christs active and passive obedience is reckoned accounted and imputed to those who perform the conditions required of them in the Gospel for their benefit and advantage and so is made theirs as to the benefits redounding therefrom But it is not so imputed to them as if they were righteous in the sight of God with the self-same active and passive righteousness wherewith Christ was righteous or as if they had suffered in Christ and obeyed in Christ and were as righteous and innocent in Gods esteem as Christ himself Which some men dangerously presuming and asserting infer from thence that God sees no sin in his children but all righteousness which is a wondeful mistake For no other persons righteousness can otherwise become ours or be imputed to us than by the effects and advantages of it It cannot be a just judgement to adjudge us to have performed that our selves which was actually done by another though done on our behalf and reckoned to our benefit We are therefore judged righteous for not in the very righteousness of Christ Some indeed have conceived that Christs active and passive righteousness are so made ours by imputation as if we our selves were accounted by God to have done and suffered those very things that Christ himself in his own person did and suffered But how can it be supposed that God can account us to have done all that which Christ did that is to have performed all righteousness without sin or to have suffered all that which Christ suffered which in truth and reality we did not 'T is true that God is pleased that the whole of what Christ did and suffered as to the effects and advantages of it should redound to us and be for our good and benefit Thus all that Christ did and suffered is imputed to us as done for us but not as done by us * See a late learned Treatise called Justification Evangelical by Sr. C. W. And thus Christ is the Lord our righteousness And what can we desire more than to reap all the benefits of Christs whole undertaking and upon the account of it it being accepted of God in our behalf to be pardoned and justified sanctified and saved And thus to have Christ made to us of God as the fundamental cause procurer and spring of them wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption And thus we see that Christs personal righteousness is not imputable to any creature otherwise than as to its operation fruits and effects Each justified persons righteousness before God is not identically and numerically the same with Christs in his publick capacity as Mediator For then every justified person would be personally righteous with a righteousness that has a stock of merit in it sufficient to save the world which is very absurd to imagine But there are some that alledge against what hath here been asserted these following Scriptures 2 Cor. 5.21 God hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him I answer whereas Christ is said to be made sin for us we are to understand it that he was made a Sacrifice for our sins and that to this end and for this purpose that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that is that we might be made righteous with a Gospel righteousness He did and suffered what was requisite to make satisfaction to the justice of God for sins that we might reap the fruit of his righteousness and by believing in him might be accounted for righteous that is acquitted and pardoned Not that his righteousness is made personally ours as if we had done and suffered what he did and suffered but that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that is made righteous or acquitted by God through the merit of his righteousness In him therefore is not to be taken personally and literally but we are said to be righteous in him when we are so according to the rule of the Gospel and are righteous in the righteousness of Gods appointing and Christs procuring And thus we are said to walk in him when we walk according to the rule of his Gospel We are said to abide in him when we continue stedfast in his doctrine We are said to sleep in him when we die in the faith and hope of the Gospel We are said to marry in the Lord when we marry according to the rules he has prescribed A second Scripture alledged is Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous I Answer this text makes nothing for the transferring or imputing of Christs personal righteousness to us But it shews us these things 1. That as the effect of Adams sin was universal and came upon all so the effect of Christs obedience was universal It came upon all that is all sorts of men both Jews and Gentiles without distinction 2. One sin of Adams introduced death but Christs obedience procures forgiveness not only for that one sin but for all other sins whatsoever that have insued thereupon 3. One act of disobedience was enough to condemn but more than one act of obedience was requisite to procure our pardon 4. Though Christ do not save so many by his obedience as Adam brought into a state of condemnation by his disobedience yet the second Adam is much more potent than the first because there is much more efficacy and power required to the saving of one than there was to the condemning of many As the restoring of one man to life is much harder than the destroying the lives of many 5. As the effect of one mans disobedience was that thereby many became sinners to be shapen in iniquity and brought forth in a sinful nature so as the effect and consequent of one mans obedience many come to be new born and are made righteous And this seems to be the true meaning and import of this Scripture The last Scripture alledged is that of Phil. 3.9 Not having mine own righteousness but the righteousness which is of God by faith Answer The Apostle desires not to be found in his own righteousness as he was a Jew or Pharisee but to be found in Christ ingraffed into him by faith and to have that righteousness which is of
Now Parents dedicate their Children 1. Virtually when they dedicate themselves to God 2. Actually when their hearts actually and particularly consent to dedicate this Child to God 3. Sacramentally when they bring him to baptism and solemnly there dedicate him to God And this is the title of Children to baptism and not their meer natural relation to their Parents As for Sponsors God-fathers or witnesses probably the use of them in ancient time was this They were such as came to the Church and professed they believed the Parents were true believers and in case they did Apostatize or die did promise to see to the Christian education of the Child themselves But surely as the Parents faith and consent to dedicate their Child to God and that either of one or both conveys the right of baptism to the Child so the Parents themselves ought to be the principal dedicators of their Child to God in baptism If God-fathers or Sponsors be chosen by them as their deputies to do it for them it may possibly be admitted but as this is generally used 'tis a matter more of ceremony and civility than of Christianity And as a learned man * Fuller in his Infants Advocate page 156. sayes God-fathers are generally like brass andirons standing more for sight than service more for ornament than use 2. If Children were circumcised under the Law they may be baptized under the Gospel For baptism succeeds to all the essentials of circumcision Circumcision was not a meer badge of distinction to distinguish the Jews from other nations but a Seal of their consecration to God It had more in it of what was Sacramental than of what was Ceremonial And the chief mystery signified by circumcision was that natural corruption must be cut off and done away Now Christians are said by baptism to be spiritually circumcised Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands sayes the Apostle Col. 2.11 12. He urges it as an argument to them to throw off the Jewish circumcision for they were circumcised with the circumcision of Christ viz. with that which he had appointed in his Gospel and that was baptism So that baptism is now come in the room of circumcision And as Solomon sayes Eccles 1.4 One generation passes away and another comes but the earth remains for ever So may I say one Sacrament of initiation viz. Circumcision passeth away and another viz. Baptism cometh in its stead but yet the same Covenant of Grace that was then remaineth still So that what circumcision was to them our baptism is to us as particularly 1. Circumcision was to be a sign or token of the Covenant to them Gen. 17.11 So is baptism to us Acts 2.38 39. Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins c. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call 2. Circumcision was a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith to them Rom. 4.11 And so is baptism to us Acts 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord. 3. Circumcision signified the necessity of sanctification to them and therefore they were required to be circumcised also in heart Rom. 2.29 So baptism to us Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life All the difference between circumcision and baptism is for our advantage For 1. Baptism is not so painful as Circumcision was None of our blood is required here to be shed 2. Baptism is not confined to the eighth day but may be done before or after 3. Women and female children may be baptized who could not be circumcised Acts 16.5 We read that Lydia was baptized And Acts 18.1 't is said they were baptised both men and women But we come to a third argument for infant Baptism and that is this 3. Whole Families were baptised under the new Testament as Lydia and her houshold Acts 16.15 Stephanus and his houshold 1 Cor. 1.16 And the Jaylor and his houshold Acts 16.31 32. Can we imagine so many families without any Children in them 4. Children are capable of receiving benefit by baptism why should they therefore be kept from it The benefits of Baptism are 1. Remission of sin by the blood of Christ and children need that remission by reason of original sin 2. Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ and they need the Sanctifying of the Spirit to renew their natures And Christ may in the due administraion of this Ordinance graciously work on the Soul of an Infant and change its disposition and infuse the seeds of grace into it before it comes to the use of reason why then should not children be brought to Christ and dedicated to him by baptism Surely they that keep them from him dangerously expose them to the grand enemy of their Souls 5. The fifth and last argument I shall bring for Infant Baptism shall be the practice of the Church in ancient times and near to the Apostolical And for proofs of this nature I shall take my rise from the time of Austin without looking lower and so ascend toward the days of the Apostles First then for Austin Augustinus Anno. Chr. 410. who flourished about the year of Christ 410. he is positive and express for it Epist 3. ad Volusiam consuetudo matris ecclesiae in baptizandis parvulis nequaquam spernenda est neque omnino superflua deputanda nec omnino credenda nisi apostolica esset traditio Idem libro primo de pec mer. remiss cap. 26. Parvulos Baptizandos esse Pelagiani concedunt Qui contra authoritatem Vniversae Ecclesiae proculdubio per Dominum Apostolos traditam venire non possunt Et Serm. 10. de verbis Apostoli de Poedobaptismo loquens Nemo inquit vobis susurret doctrinas alienas Hoc ecclesia semper habuit semper tenuit Hoc a majorum si de accepit hoc usque in fidem perseveranter custodit Somewhat before Austin lived St. Hierom Hieronymus 4â—0 viz. Anno. 400 who is clear for Infant Baptism Epist ad Laetam Qui parvulus est Parentis in Baptismo vinculo solvitur c. Children sayes he are freed in Baptism from the sin of Adam in the guilt whereof they were involved but men of riper years from their own and his Hieron advers Pelag. libr. 3. in fine And in conclusion he resolves Infantes etiam in peccatorum remissionem baptizandos esse that Infants are to be baptized for the remission of sins Before him lived St. Ambrose viz. about the year 370. Ambrosius 370. who speaking of the Pelagian Heresies who published among other things that the hurt which Adam did to his Posterity was exemplo non
transitu rather by giving them such a bad example of disobedience than by deriving on them any natural sinfulness doth thereupon infer that if this were true it would prove evacuatio baptismatis parvulorum a very nulling the Baptism of Infants Ambros lib. 10. Epist 84. Et lib. 2. cap. 11. Nec senex proselitus nec infans Vernaculus excipitur quia omnis aetas peccato obnoxia ideo omnis aetas sacramento idonea About the same time or something before flourished Gregory Nazianzen Greg. Nazianzenus 3â—0 who in his fortieth Orat. de bapismo sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. quid autem de iis dicis qui adhuc tenera aetate sunt an eos quoque baptizabimus ita prorsus si quod periculum urgeat Praestat enim absque sensu sanctificari quam sine sigillo initione abscedere Atque hujus rei ratio nobis est circumcisio die octavo peragi solita quae baptismi figuram quodammodo gerebat atque iis qui rationis adhuc expertes erant offerebatur Cyprianus 250. Ascend we now to Cyprian Bishop of Carthage who lived in the third century about the year 250 who was as great a stickler for Infant Baptism in his time as any who succeeded him In Epist ad Fidum lib. 3. Epist 8. Porro si etiam gravissimis delictoribus c. If saith he remission of sins be given to the greatest offenders none of which if they afterwards believe are excluded from the grace of Baptism quanto magis prohiberi non debet infans qui recens natus nihil peccavit c. How much rather should Infants be admitted to it who being new born have not sinned at all save that they have contracted from Adam that original guilt which followeth every man by nature c. Nor was this Cyprians opinion only but the unanimous consent of sixty six African Bishops convened in Council by whom it was declared as he there relates that Baptism was to be administred as well to infants as men of riper years Origen 120. Before him lived Origen about the year 220. who plainly tells us in Rom. cap. 6. Ecclesiam ab Apostolis traditionem accepisse etiam parvulis baptismum dare And further shews that it was administred to them in reference to original sin which if it were not in Infants gratia baptismi superflua videretur the grace of baptism might be thought superfluous Idem in Levit. Hom. 8. Irenaeus 1â—4 Before his time in the second Century flourished Irenaeus he seems c ear for Infant baptism Christus venit omnes per seipsum salvare I omnes inquam qui per seipsum renascuntur in Deum Infantes parvulos pueros Irenaeus advers haereses Lib. 2. 39. Upon which words the Glosser makes this observation Nomine renascentiae Dominica Apostolica phrasi baptismus intelligitur And thus far we can go to shew the antient practice of the Church concerning Infant-Baptism 5. We come now to the fifth thing we propounded to inquire into and that is whether baptism be of absolute necessity to Salvation Baptism is not of such absolute necessity that they that partake not of it must certainly and unavoidably perish The penitent Thief on the Cross who was then converted surely never was baptized And Baptism of it self does not confer grace For Acts 8.13 23. Simon Magus was baptized yet remained in the gall of bitterness God can confer grace as he pleases and when he pleases He ties us but not himself to the use of means Baptism is generally and ordinarily necessary to salvation both necessitate praecepti and medii surely Christ would not command a needless thing to all nations in the name of the blessed Trinity We cannot ordinarily expect grace but in the use of the means of grace which he hath appointed 'T is not therefore the simple privation but the neglect or contempt of baptism that is dangerous And so I come now to the sixth thing I propounded to inquire into viz. 6. What improvement should they make of their baptism who were baptized in their Infancy 1. They should reflect upon their Original corruption and how defiled they were from the Womb so that as soon as they were born they stood in need of a Saviour 2. It should mind them that long ago they were solemnly dedicated to Christ entred into his family listed under his banner engaged as far as could be done by their Parents to the sincere service and worship of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to forsake the Devil the World and the Flesh But now they are come to years of understanding they must renew their Covenant with Christ by their own actual consent And surely if things were regularly carried in the Church as they ought to be the passing out of the Infant state of Church-member-ship into the state of adult members should be very Solemn and by a serious understanding personal owning of their Baptismal Covenant and then they should be confirmed in the state of adult members and then and not before be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The infant baptismal Covenant will save none that live to years of discretion that do not heartily own it in their own persons 3. It should stir up Godly sorrow in them that being so long ago ingaged unto Christ and dedicated to him by their Parents they have walked no more answerably thereunto 4. It should stir up in them a vigorous exercise of Faith in Christs blood Did they need Christs merits and intercession when young and when they were under the guilt only of original sin how much more now do they need it when they have committed so many actual sins 5. The remembrance of his baptism should be a mighty argument to turn a sinner from the error of his way Say to thy Soul O Sinner I was dedicated to Christ in my Infancy and now shall I go on in sin serving the Devil I was listed under the banner of Christ and shall I now fight against him Ah wretch how can I do these things 6. It should be a great antidote against temptation whenever thou art tempted to sin say to thy self I am baptized I am solemnly ingaged unto Christ how can I do this great wickedness and sin against him 7. I come now to the seventh and last thing I propounded to consider namely What are the duties of Christian Parents in reference to their Children Their duties are these 1. To be sensible of their own sinful condition by nature and how they have been instruments of propagating a corrupt nature to their poor Children 2. To bless God for Christ who is the the only Physician who can cure them and their children 3. Seasonably to present their Children to this ordinance of baptism and professing their Faith in Christ and their consent to take him for their Lord and Saviour solemnly to dedicate them unto him And when they dedicate their children
unto Christ they should address themselves unto it as one of the solemnest works in the world They should do it with due preparation reverence and seriousness as beseemeth those that are transacting a business of such unspeakable importance 4. They should ingage to bring up their children in the principles of the Christian Faith They should imagine God said to them as the daughter of Pharoah said to Moses's Mother Exod. 2.19 Bring up this Child for me Bring up this Child in my fear and for my service 5. They should be very earnest in prayer to God for their children O that Ismael might live in thy sight sayes holy Abraham Gen. 17.18 So should pious Parents pray for their children O that this child of mine may be a real member of Christ O that he may have the Image of God stamped upon his Soul O that he may honour God here and be for ever happy with him in his Kingdom hereafter 6. They should be early instilling good and wholsome principles and documents into them precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little as they are able to bear it Isa 28.10 And the Mother as well as the Father should make conscience to do this We read that Bathsheba the mother of Solomon did so Prov. 31. which chapter contains her wise instructions to him * And if it be the duty of Parents thus carefully to instruct their Children then surely 't is the duty of Children carefully to observe and lay to heart and practice the instructions of their Parents 7. They should check the first appearings and buddings forth of sin in them endeavouring to make them sensible of the great evil and danger of it 8. They should labour to make them in love with the beauty and excellency of Holiness and Vertue 9. They should bring them to the ordinances of God expecting the spirit of God will move upon those waters 10. They must be sure to set them a good example Children are more led by example than precept * Exemplum concionatoris concionibus validius Et exemplâ—m Parentis praeceptis validiuâ— 11. They must encourage all good beginnings of vertue or ingenuity they see in them 12. And lastly they must labour to give them a good education and put them into a good way of living in the World and make such provisions for them as God in his Providence shall inable them And those Parents that do these things whatever the success be will have comfort in so doing Of the Lords Supper I Come now to treat of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper In the handling of which I shall 1. Indeavor rightly to inform your Judgments concerning the true nature use intent and benefit of this holy ordinance 2. Direct your practice that you may know how to receive it in a right manner and to your spiritual benefit That you may therefore be rightly informed concerning the nature of this Sacrament you must know that the Jews had two ordinary standing Sacraments viz. 1. Circumcision to which Our Baptism do answer 2. The Passover to which The Lords Supper do answer Theirs were bloody Sacraments for the blood of Christ was to be shed Ours unbloody for the blood of Christ is shed Now that I may speak more distinctly and plainly concening the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it will be requisite that I speak something 1. concerning the Jewish Passover which we shall consider either as it was first instituted or as it was afterwards celebrated wherein divers rites of the first Aegyptian Passover were not exactly observed The first institution of the Passover we find Exod. 12. When Israel after long servitude and bondage was to go out of Egypt God commanded them in their several families to kill a Lamb to roast it whole to eat it within doors that night to sprinkle the side and upper door-posts with the blood thereof and so doing they should be safe from the destroying Angel that rode circuit that night to destroy all Egypts first born but he was to pass by all the houses of Israel sprinkled with blood And hence the name Passover Exod. 12.27 This was to be greatly observed on the fourteenth day of the first moneth at Even In the treating therefore of this Passover we shall first consider the things that were proper to the Jewish Passover in Egypt and then shew how they prefigured Christ our Passover 1. They were commanded to take a Lamb. A Lamb the emblem of innocency So our Saviour was stiled John 1.19 The Lamb of God being of a Lamb-like humility and meekness John his beloved Disciple often stiles him so as being exceedingly delighted with this similitude 2. A Lamb without blemish So was our Saviour 1 Pet. 1.19 3. One of their own flocks and folds Christ was of the Jewish Nation Rom. 9.4 5. Like in all things to his brethren sin only excepted 4. It must be slain So Christ was put to death on the Cross 5. Not a bone of it must be broken which was verified in Christ John 19.33 36. 6. It must be roasted So our Saviour suffered the scorching heat of his Fathers wrath sweating drops of blood for our sakes Luke 22.44 O Sinner how little art thou sensible of what thy Saviour hath suffered to redeem thee 7. The blood of the Lamb must be sprinkled on the side and upper door-posts of their houses if they intended to be preserved from the destroying Angel So must the blood of Christ be sprinkled by Faith on our hearts if we intend to be delivered from the wrath to come See 1 Pet. 1.2 and Heb. 12.24 There is no escaping the wrath of God but by the sprinkling of Christs blood on our consciences 8. They were to eat this Paschal Lamb with sower herbs and unlevened bread 1. With sower herbs to mind them of what affliction and bondage they were in in Egypt We must have contrition and remorse wrought in us for our sins and be in bitterness of soul for them ere we can reasonably expect relief by Christ 2. With unlevened bread The succeeding Jews that they might shew their exactness in observing this precept did at this Passover-time use great diligence to rid their houses of all leven yea they were so strict about it that they searched with candles to see if there were any remaining in any corner or hole And lest after all their diligence any should remain with them yet unfound out they passed a solemn execration upon it in these or the like words All the leven that is within my possession which I have seen or which I have not seen which I have cast out or not cast out be it accursed be it as the dust of the earth The Apostle shews us that by leven is meant malice and wickedness by unlevened bread sincerity and truth He intimates what manner of persons they must be that intend to feed upon Christ by Faith They must not think to eat of
this Lamb except they rid themselves of their Leven Leven it swells the mass and sours it Pride makes the heart swell and malice soures it search therefore O Sinner to find out thy leven when thou thinkest of approaching to this holy Table Search every corner of thy heart as with a candle and when thou hast found out thy sins manifest thy hatred and loathing of them Never think to be pardoned except thou part with thy sins Never think to be saved except thou be sanctified 9. They were to eat it with their loins girt and staves in their hands and shooes on their feet shewing themselves thereby to be in a posture of readiness to be gone out of Egypt and to seek the promised Land Which may intimate to us that we must receive this blessed Sacrament with intention to leave the dominions of Pharaoh the Kingdom Service and bondage of sin and Satan and to march on towards our heavenly Canaan People would fain escape damnation yet are loath to leave their pleasing and profitable sins No coming to Canaan except you leave Egypt 10. When they had eaten of the roasted Lamb if any thing thereof remained it was to be burnt with fire and not left till the morning This may shew us that Sacramental elements are not Sacramental * Nihil habet ratione Sacramenti extra usum legitimum Sacramentalem but in their use only and while they are used As Bread and Wine in this Sacrament and Water in Baptism after the Sacramental use are no longer Sacramental A stone is boundary in its use and place Remove it 't is a meer stone no boundary 11. Two sorts of persons were barred from eating the Passover 1. The uncircumcised the stranger and foreigner Exod. 12.43 48. Such as are not initiated into Christs Family the Church by the first Sacrament of Baptism cannot regularly be admitted to the Lords Table 2. unclean persons though circumcised or such as were in a journey were to be put off to the Passover of the second moneth being not cleansed for the present according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Numb 9.10.11 This shews us that some persons who are within the communion of the Church may be unfit at some particular times to come to the Lords Table yea though believers may at such times eat and drink unworthily 12. After the Paschal Lamb was eaten on the next day viz. on the fifteetnh day of the first moneth began the Feast of the Passover or feast of unlevened bread It continued seven dayes and no levened bread was to be eaten during that time and of those seven dayes the first and last only were holy Convocations or Sabbaths wherein they might do no servile work Exod. 12.15 16. Levit. 23.5 6 7. Numb 28.16 17 18. The Apostle alludes hereunto 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passover is Sacrificed therefore let us keep the feast As if he should have said those for whom Christ our Passover is Sacrificed on whâ—sâ— consciences his blood is sprinkled ought to be a holy people not levened with sin and wickedness and to walk before God in sincerity and truth living all their dayes in a holy rejoycing and thanksgiving Thus much of the first Passover as instituted and observed in Egypt some of the Ceremonies whereof were proper to that Passover and not intended for any other following And accordingly in after times they were not observed As particularly 1. The Paschal Lamb was afterwards to be slain and eaten only at Jeâ—usalem Deut. 16.5 6. The place which God had chosen for his publick worship 2. They did not observe the taking up of the Lamb four dayes before 3. Nor the sprinkling the door posts with blood 4. Nor staying within and not going out of the house that night For our Saviour and his Disciples did go out after Supper 5. Nor eating it in a travelling posture For we find our Saviour and his disciples eating it in a posture of discubiture or leaning on beds From whence we may take notice that we are not bound to observe all occasional or local circumstances or customs belonging to a Sacrament nor to follow our Saviour and his Apostles in those particular circumstances of eating the Lords Supper late at night or in a leaning posture or in an upper Chamber no woman being present c. Let us look to the substance end and intent of the Sacrament and chiefly mind that Having spoken thus much of the Passover I think it will not be amiss for the clearer understanding of the original institution of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper to insert a short description of the method and order of the Paschal Supper with the principal rites thereunto belonging which were then either all or most of them as it seems in use among the Jews as they are delivered to us by their own writers much after this manner consisting in several Cups or drinkings of Wine and two breakings of bread Some of which rites we shall shew that our Saviour took and ordained them to a new Evangelical use and mystical signification 1. When all things appertaining to the Feast were prepared and all persons belonging to that Company that were to eat together were ready the chief man of the company who was as it were the Priest among them takes a cup of Wine and blesses it in some such words as these Blessed be thou Lord who hast created the fruit of the vine and blessed be thou for this good day and this holy convocation c. Compare with this custome our Saviours words Luke 22.17 He took the Cup and gave thanks and said take this and divide it among you 2. Then the Table was furnished with provisions of several sorts viz. bitter herbs the unlevened bread the body of the Paschal Lamb roasted whole and so brought up 3. The chief man of the company takes the sower herbs and blesses them in some such words as these Blessed art thou O Lord who createst the fruits of the earth c. and then eats of them the quantity of an Olive at least and distributes to the rest uttering some such sentence as this These bitter herbs we eat in token that the Egyptians made the lives of our Fathers bitter in Egypt 4. Then he takes the dish or Charger which held the unleavened bread or Cakes and laying by a piece thereof to be eaten afterwards with the Paschal Lamb at the close of the Supper he blessed the bread in some such words as these blessed art thou O Lord who bringest forth bread out of the earth c. Then he breaks it and eats of it 5. When this is finished he begins the second Cup of Wine and the rest follow him Then their Children brought in were made to ask what is the reason that this night differs so much from other nights instancing in many particulars of the festival solemnities Then the master of the feast begins a a narrative how
Seal of the new Testament or Covenant which is to be ratified and confirmed by my blood * Heb. 9.15.16 Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is now to be shed for many for the remission of sins that is this wine in the Cup is a sign or representation of my blood and a seal whereby the new Covenant is confirmed with all the promises of it For without shedding of blood there is no remission * Heb. 9.22 Gods Justice being no other way to be satisfied Now the Sacraments may be said to be Seals in two respects 1. They are absolute seals to the veracity and truth of Gods promises and Covenant 2. Conditional Seals in reference to us They Seal the remission of sins to all that perform the conditions required and to none else As the tree of life did not seal or confirm to Adam that he should have life except upon condition of his perfect obedience To them therefore that perform the conditions required they exhibit confer and passover the blessings promised in the Covenant of Grace 3. To be an objective means to stir up excite and increase Repentance Faith Love Hope Joy Thankfulness in believers by a lively representation of the evil of sin the infinite love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant of grace the greatness and sureness of the mercies promised 4. To be a badge and cognizance of the Church before the world and a token that we solemnly profess that we own a crucified Jesus for our Saviour and that 't is Christ and his death that we depend upon and abide by for the remission of all our sins and reconciliation with God 5. To be a means of our renewing our Covenant with God Covenants in the Scripture were wont to be made by eating and drinking together Isaac and Abimelech Jacob and Laban concluded their Covenants with a Feast * Gen. 6.30 and Gen. 31.44 46. Hereby we have an advantage of entring into a stricter engagement to God and renewing the Covenant we made with him in Baptism 6. To be a means of procuring and advancing unity and love among the Saints A feast carries in it the notion of love and good will But this is more a feast of love than any ordinary feast can be because 't is a remembrance of the greatest love that that ever was manifested viz. of that love which the Lord shewed in dying for us 'T is a Feast upon Christs Sacrifice And it should be a means not only of uniting believers more firmly to Christ their Head but of uniting and endearing them more one to another The ancient Christians did notably express this 1. By their Agapae or love-feast Jude verse 14. 2 Pet. 2.13 2. By their kiss of Charity Rom. 16.16 1 Cor. 16.30 3. By their collections for the poor made at these times 1 Cor. 16.1 Having thus spoken of the true and proper ends for which this Sacrament was instituted I come now to consider the mistaken ends for which it was not appointed 1. It was not appointed to turn bread and wine into the true and real body and blood of Christ For if sense be not to be believed concerning its own object and which tells all men that 't is still bread and wine how can we believe that Christ or any of his Apostles were ever in the World seeing they that saw them and conversed with them may on this ground for all that be deceived which were very irrational to imagine And the Apostle expresly calls it bread three times in three verses together and that after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of that Cup. And he tells us that the use of this Sacrament is not to make the Lards Body corporally present but to shew the Lords death till he come that is to be a visible representation and commemoration of his death till he come to judgment Indeed Christ is really present in this Sacrament but not in the elements but to the Faith of the worthy receiver When they eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup in a due manner exercising a lively Faith in him for the remission of all their sins Christ is then present to their Faith neither is he any otherwise present in this Sacrament 2. This Sacrament was not appointed to Sacrifice Christ really again to the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead or to ease Souls in Purgatory to deliver them out of it For Christ having died once dieth no more but by once offering up himself hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified * Heb. 10.14 that is he hath made a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God and done all things needful to bring them to eternal life who are sanctified by his grace and brought to believe in him with a lively Faith 3. 'T is not appointed as a means to conveigh grace meerly by the work done or by the outward receiving of it only as charms are supposed to work neither are we to suppose that God will pardon or save any for their meer coming to this Ordinance though they strive not with their hearts to bring them to repentance faith in Christ sincere love to God and men and new obedience 4. 'T is not appointed as a means to wipe off the old score of sin that men may more freely and boldly encourage themselves to sin again as some ignorant people are apt to think but as a blessed means to mortifie sin in us and to engage us unto holiness And thus much concerning the first head I propounded to speak unto viz. The right informing the judgment and that concerning these four particulars 1. The author of this Sacrament 2. The time of its Institution 3. The nature of it 4. The ends for which it was appointed I come now to the second viz. to direct your practice and to shew you how you should receive it in a right manner In order to which you must know 1. There are some duties to be performed before you come to receive this holy Sacrament 2. Some duties in the time of receiving it 3. Some duties after There are two kinds of preparation necessary to a worthy receiver 1. The General which is that we look to it that we be in a state of grace for there are several graces that must be exercised in receiving this Sacrament and they that are not in a state of grace are utterly unfit for the present to approach this holy Table 2. The Particular which consists in a present actual fulness In order to the obtaining of this let me advise thee Reader to the
good of others if we can honestly or else abstaining from speaking evil Let us consider what the Apostle sayes 1 John 2.9 He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him He that hateth his brother is a Murderer So that it seems there is a kind of heart-murder and tongue-murder which we ought to take heed of as well as the murder of the hand 5. The fifth thing requisite to a worthy Receiver is an hungring and thirsting after a greater sence of Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and of more communications of Grace from him by which we may be inabled to live more unto God Having thus shewed what are the due qualifications requisite to a worthy Receiver I come now to shew what qualifications are insufficient 1. He that is meerly civil is not sufficiently qualified to partake of this Ordinance By meerly civil I mean a person whose life as as to men is outwardly fair and civil yet he hath never had any effectual conviction of the evil of sâ—n nor of the danger of his original and actual transgressions made upon his conscience nor of the absolute necâ—ssity that lies upon him to go out of himself to Christ for pardon but usually rests in his own righteousness and in the performance of the duties of the second Table and is either very negligent about or slight and perfunctory in the performance of the duties of the first namely the duties that relate to God immediately He would be righteous towards men but his heart is very far from being truly religious toward God His chief care is usually about the outward fairness of his conversation but takes little or no care of purging of his heart of secret sins or mortifying his inward lusts And neither is the glory of God his aim nor the word of God his rule but his own credit and estimation in the world is chiefly regarded by him And many times there is some sin or other though not gross and notorious continued in with allowance And not seldom there is a professed hatred against the practical power of Godliness thinking it more ado than needs He that has only such a civility as this is not sufficiently qualified for this holy Table 2. He that is meerly restrained and withholden either by the sence of his credit or fear of shame or punishment from the commission of sin but in his heart hankers after it and inclines to it is not fitly qualified There are many persons that have some restraints upon them as the respect they bear to their Parents or Governors or the like that keep them for the present from the commission of those sins which in their hearts they love and would give themselves over unto if they durst And commonly when those restraints are removed their corruptions break out with more violence I press this no farther I leave every one herein to deal faithfully and impartially with his own Soul 3. He that has only an outward formal religiousness is not fitly qualified for this holy Table I mean such as rest in the bare performance of outward religious duties and trust to them for their acceptance with God not minding nor aiming that their Souls should be bettered towards God by their duties 'T is a good and useful distinction which we have before had occasion to mention that of Religion the end and Religion the means They that rest in the means and in outward religious performances such as praying hearing receiving the Lords Supper or the like without aiming at or designing that their hearts may be really mended and their lives reformed thereby which is the end these means are appointed for are far from being truly Religious Yet many times such persons are highly conceited of their own righteousness as the Pharisee was Luke 18.9 Who trusted in himself that he was righteous and despised others 4. Such as have only a slight sorrow for their sins past and no serious resolution to amend their lives nor to forsake what they know to be sinful and amiss in themselves are by no means fitly qualified for this holy Table Let every one therefore seriously examine himself whether he be fitly qualified for this holy ordinance And there being but only two estates of soul toward God that man can be in viz. either that of nature or that of grace so that every man must of necessity be in the one or the other It concerns us to be well acquainted with the distinguishing Characters or marks both of the one and of the other and to examine our selves seriously that we may know in which of them we are and to stick so long upon this work till we bring it to some issue and be able to make a judgment upon our selves to which of them we do indeed belong In order to the helping us in this great work of self examination I shall give the characters 1. Of such as for the present are apparently unconverted and 2. Of such as are converted The unconverted are such as these 1. Such as are grosly ignorant of the main principles of Christianity 2. Such as are insensible of the evil and danger of their sins nor have ever had any considerable remorse wrought in their souls for them 3. Such in whose hearts sin rules and reigns so that they delight in it 4. Such whose lives and conversations are wicked and prophane 5. Such as were never brought to see their need of Christ in good earnest nor solemnly to accept him for their Lord and Saviour 6. Such as disrelish holiness and hate the life and power of godliness and malign such as are truly and seriously religious 7. Such as delight in wicked company and chuse such for their companions rather than others 8. Such as are gross neglecters of the means of grace which God hath appointed for the bettering of our souls 9. Such as have long enjoyed the powerful means of grace but are nothing changed bettered or reformed thereby 10. Such as have the main bent of their hearts set upon the pleasures profits and delights of the world And these are the things they chiefly mind though with the ruining neglect of their Souls Such persons for the present are apparently unconconverted 2. Let us consider the marks and characters of such as are converted The converted are such as these 1. They are such who by the grace of God have been spiritually enlightned to see the depravation of their natures and the sinfulness of their hearts and lives 2. They are such as have had their hearts touched and affected with Godly sorrow and true remorse for their sins 3. They are such as have been brought to see their absolute need of Christ and deliberately and solemnly to give up themselves to him to be pardoned through the merit of his active and passive obedience and to be sanctified by
all these glorious favours and benefits Let thy Soul rejoyce in God and call upon all within thee to praise his holy name 6. Pray earnestly that Christs Kingdom may be propagated and that many others may come to understand and partake of this great salvation purchased by our Lord and Saviour Pray that he may be more known believed on and faithfully obeyed all the world over And so much of the duties to be performed in time of receiving I come now to those required of thee after thou hast received For it is not enough that thou duly prepare thy self for this ordinance and carry thy self reverently at it but thou must labour to walk suitably unto it afterwards To that end observe these directions 1. When the Ordinance is done withdraw thy self to some secret place and there on thy knees bless the Lord for Jesus Christ and for the Covenant of Grace made in him and for adding the Sacraments as Seals of the Covenant to confirm thy faith And further for giving thee to be born in a land where the glorious light of the Gospel has shone so clearly for so many years and where thou hast such great helps and advantages for the eternal good of thy Soul 2. Labour to keep thy heart in the fervent love of God and Jesus Christ and with an holy delight and joy meditate often how much thou owest to God for sending his Son to be thy redeemer and how much thou owest to Christ for so willingly condescending to undertake this great work The Apostle tells us 1 Pet. 2.7 that to them that believe in him he is precious yea very precious in many respects 1. His name is precious 'T is as an ointment poured forth Matth. 1.21 His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins And 1 Thes 1. last 'T is Jesus who delivereth us from the wrath to come 2. His person is precious being God and Man in the same person What an high honour is it to be related to him 3. His Offices are precious He is Prophet Priest and King and he took on him all these offices for our benefit 4. His performances are precious both his active and passive obedience 5. His Life is precious which was so holy so humble so exemplary 6. His Death is precious being a propitiatory Sacrifice for our sins 7. His Resurrection is precious For God releasing him from the prison of the grave thereby declared he had received full satisfaction for the debt of our sins which he as our Surety undertook to discharge 8. His Ascension is precious For he ascended into Heaven as our fore-runner to prepare a place for us 9. His Intercession is precious For he ever liveth to make intercession for us 10. His authority and power is precious whereby he governs his Church and which he will farther exercise in raising our bodies from the Grave and in Judging the World at the last day and making our bodies if we be his members like his own glorious body 11. His Doctrince is precious 12. His Ordinances are precious 13. His â—nterest is precious to all that truly believe in him 3. Meditate on the priviledges promises and comforts of the Covenant of Grace sealed by the blood of thy dear Savior The priviledges are Justification Sanctification Adoption Glorification O how great are these priviledges The promises are such as these Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly And Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to them that love God The comforts are the consolations of the Spirit here and eternal comfort hereafter 4. Earnestly beg and humbly expect grace from Christ to enable thee to crucifie thy inward lusts and corruptions especially those thou findest thy heart most pestered with Having entertained Christ into thy Soul do not unhallow it again by suffering any evil lust to reign and rule therein 5. Labour to walk more watchfully Remember the Devil will now be very busie to tempt thee to sin after this ordinance as he did our Saviour presently after his Baptism He will if he can by some worldly diversion damp and cool those heavenly affections that were excited in thee in time of receiving 'T is a dangerous thing after an heat and warmth of heavenly affections to catch cold 6. Labour to strengthen thy purposes and resolutions of living more unto God Remember thou hast stronger obligations now upon thee to all Christian duties than before 7. Often meditate on the joys of Heaven and the eternal Supper of the Lamb and the blessed life which the Saints do live above Luke 14.15 Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God 8. Labour to live in charity with thy brethren to which thou art in an especial manner engaged by this Sacrament Do not cover the coals of contention under the ashes for a night or two and then blow them up again But consider if Christ hath so loved thee and forgiven thee so much thou oughtest to love thine enemies and heartily forgive them Remember what the Apostle saith Beloved if Christ so loved us we ought to love one another 1 John 4.11 Lastly When thou art tempted to sin remember thou hast been at a Sacrament and there hast renewed thy Covenant with Christ and thou must not be so base nor so false as willingly and deliberately to sin against him again And thus much of the duties to be performed before we come to receive and in the time of receiving and after we have received A Brief Exposition OF THE Lords Prayer OUR Saviour Matth. 6.9 c. taught his Disciples after what manner to Pray and gave them a breviary or pattern of Prayer which they might use in form as seems to be intimated Luke 11.2 or according to which they might order and regulate their other Prayers In this Plat-form there are three parts 1. The Preface Describing God to whom we are to pray 1. By his dear Relation to us Our Father therefore most ready to succour us and others with whom or for whom we pray 2. By his greatness and Majesty which art in Heaven that is who doth manifest himsâ—lf though he be every where present in Glory and Majesty in and from the highest Heavens and therefore most able to hear and help all his children and most justly to be reverenced loved and trusted in by them 2. The substance of the Prayer containing six Petitions The three first whereof have respect to Gods Glory the three latter to our selves and our particular good 1. Hallowed be thy Name wherein we Pray and Petition that Gods glorious Nature and Attributes viz. his infinite Power Wisdom Goodness Justice Truth Mercy c. which are discovered in his word and works and whereby he is made known as men are by their names may be displayed and more manifested to the world that all
all must not be referred to the Oath it self but to the manner of the Oath that is we must not swear at all falsely rashly or in ordinary communication neither directly by the name of God nor by the creatures And to prevent this our Saviour adds Verse 37. Let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil As if he should have said what you have to affirm * Quod affirmatis vere affirmate quod negatis vere negate Rabbini dicunt Justorum etiam est etiam non eorum est non Ausonius ad Paulinum Cum multa loquaces Ambiguis sererent verbis contra onmia solum Est respondebat vel Non. affirm it simply without an Oath and what you have to deny deny it simply without an Oath * Christianos sui temporis repreâ—endit Tertullianus qui aut ignorantia aut consuetudinis vitio dicerent mehercule medius fidius quod post eum fecit Hieronymus for customary swearing by whatsoever it is that men swear cometh of Satan and the corruption of their own hearts A true and plain affirmation and negation in daily speech is sufficient and if you use any thing more you will be in danger of sinning and falling into the judgment * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heinsius verba Christi Mat. 5. verse 34. ad quae Jacobus sine dubio respicit conjuncta legit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Unde emergit sensus non quidem omninò non esse jurandum cum opus est sed nullum ex jâ—randi formulis tum usitatis usurpandum Heathenish Oaths also are not to be allowed except they will say they personate Heathens in the use of them as aedipol mehercule per Jovem immortalem Cursed be that elegancy that is joyned with Idolatry sayes the learned Downham and condemnation of God Further that our Saviour speaketh here only of private Oaths it is manifest in that the Jews did not in their publick oaths before the Magistrate swear by the creatures but by the name of God only And this may also be gathered out of the Text it self For he saith let your communication or ordinary speech one to another be yea yea nay nay 4. I come now to shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken The Prophet Jeremy instructs us fully as to this Chap. 4.2 Thou shalt swear saith he the Lord liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousness 1. In truth That is truly swearing nothing but the truth and not abusing the dreadful name of God to attest a falshood Zech. 5.4 God severely threatens him that sweareth falsly by his name 2. In judgment that is considerately well weighing what thou art to swear and by whom 3. In righteousness binding thy self to nothing but what is in it self just and right and having a full purpose to perform what thou by oath bindest thy self to and being careful to make it good accordingly Concerning the rites and forms of swearing I find these mentioned in the Scripture 1. Lifting up the hand to the most high God Thus Abraham swore Gen. 14.22 And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most h gh God c. And thus the Angel swore Rev. 10.5 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever 2. Putting the hand under the thigh Thus Abrahams servant swore Gen. 24.2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house that ruled over all that he had Put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh And I will make thee swear by the Lord God of Heaven and the God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife for my Son of the daughters of the Canaanites And thus Jacob caused Joseph to swear Gen. 47.29 30 31. If now I have found grace in thy sight put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh and swear unto me And he sware unto him Our rite of swearing for the Commons of England is by putting the hand on the book of the Gospels and kissing it which is to be understood as I suppose only to signifie our believing in God and expecting help from him through Christ according to the Gospel as we speak the truth Dr. Ames lib. 2. Med. c. 10. sayes that solemnity which in some places is used of touching and kissing the book is plainly of the same kind and import with the elevation of the hand that is it signifies a mans consent to swear and to the oath it self * In Solomons time when they took an Oath they touched the Altar which Ceremony was also used among the Gentiles Whereby was signified that they called him to witness who was worshipped with Sacrifices offered upon those Altars But if any scruple this rite and form of swearing and had rather use that other of lifting up the hand to the most high I see no reason if it may stand with the laws of the Land but that they may be indulged therein this form of swearing being every way as binding as the other 5. I come now in the next place to shew the great evil and sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing This is a sin very rise and common in our Nation and one of those for which the Land mourns I shall therefore present several arguments and considerations which may sufficiently demonstrate the heinousness of it 1. Consider how Sacred and Venerable the name of our great God ought alwayes to be unto us Every thought and mention of it should be accompanied with reverence 'T is a duty strictly injoyned Deut. 28.58 Thou shalt fear the glorious and dreadful name of the Lord thy God How great a sin then is it to vilify prophane and make it common How high a provocation must it needs be to the Almighty for poor mortals familiarly to toss his dreadful name in their mouths upon every slight occasion and to make it the ordinary expletive or filling up of their speech and language Surely some of the more civilized Heathens were of better minds and used the names of their gods with more reverence But O the impiety of our times How prophanely and irreverently do some who call themselves Christians use the name of the great God whom the Angels in Heaven continually delight to laud and praise crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Heaven the whole earth is full of his glory Isa 6.3 2. Consider that the second and third Commandments of all the rest have several threatnings annexed to them to shew us how greatly God is provoked by Idolatry and taking his name in vain He threatens he will not hold such guiltless that is he will be so far from absolving or acquitting such transgressors that he will grievously punish them and they shall not escape his just Judgement
3. Consider our tongues should be our Glory The proper end for which God hath given us the use of speech is to glorify and honour him our Creator and to profit one another Our words therefore should be good sound and savoury Let no corrupt communication sayes the Apostle Eph. 4.29 Proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers And our Saviour tells us Mat. 12.36 that of every idle word which is frivolous and fruitless we shall give an account in the day of Judgment And therefore a much more severe account surely men shall give of their wicked swearing blaspheming and cursing which are no proper works for them to imploy their tongues in but a horrible depraving perverting and defiling of so excellent a member 4. Consider what a high pitch of wickedness it is for any to deprave such an holy institution as an Oath is which should always be used reverently and only upon great and serious occasions and to prostitute it to the venting of every base passion and uttering of Pride and Presumption and fearlesness of God and to make that which should be a tremendous Ordinance to us a common slight and familiar thing 5. Consider how dishonourable it is to our Christian profession that those that call themselves Christians should live in such a flat contradiction to the Laws of Christ and should make nothing of familiar and customary swearing which he so severely prohibits Matth. 5.33 James 5.12 Is not this one of the sins for which the name of our Lord Jesus is blasphemed among Turks Jews and Infidels 6. Consider this is one of those sins for which God hath a controversie with a Nation and which hastens down Judgment upon it Hos 4.1 2. Hear the word of the Lord ye children of Israel For the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing Adultery they break out and blood toucheth blood Jer. 23.10 Because of swearing the Land mourneth see also Zech. 5 1 2 3 4. Amos 8.14 Zeph. 1.4 5. 7. Consider how highly this sin is aggravated and the guilt of it inhaunced in that there is so little temptation to it Other sins have an external bait and motive either pleasure profit or credit but in swearing and cursing there is none of these O the unreasonableness of this sin What sence is gratified by it or what is there to incite or move a man to it but meerly pride and audaciousness of spirit presumtion and fearlesness of the Almighty Now the less temptation there is to any sin the greater is the contempt of God in the committing of it This sin is therefore much worse than Epicurism * Take not his name who made thy mouth in vain It gets thee nothing and hath no excuse Lust and Wine plead a pleasure avarice gain But the cheap swearer through his open sluce Le ts his Soul run for nought as little fearing Were I an Epicure I could bate swearing The cheapest sins most dearly punish'd are Because to shun them also is so cheap c. Herberts Church-porch for though that be more bestial yet this is more diabolical and proceeding from an obstinate pride and wilfulness more conforms a man to the Devil than other sins do O what a height of wickedness is it for men to sin meerly because they will sin and to transgress the more audaciously because God forbids it 'T is a dreadful doom passed by the mouth of the holy Prophet on such persons Psal 25.3 Let them be confounded that transgress without cause Blessed Lord How infinite is thy patience to bear so long with those hellish Oaths and direful imprecations that the tongues of wretched mortals daily belch out against thee To what a strange pitch of wickedness is the world come that it should be counted a point of bravery and gallantry to swear stoutly and to interlace their language with broad and full mouthed oaths Nay the daring fellows of our dayes as if they were loath to go to Hell the ordinary way have invented new wayes of sinning and such dreadful forms of swearing as may make the heart of any serious Christian to tremble at â—â—e very mention of them These Sons of Belial if they be but crossed in their business or pleasure many times curse and swear like Devils and swear so madly that when they are reproved for it they will swear they did not swear Who is there now that walks abroad especially in our great Towns and Cities but shall here these hellish oaths God damn me or sink me belched out of the mouths of men whose tongues are set on fire of Hell O should we rend our garments every time we hear the name of God blasphemed as the Jews did of old how few sober serious Christians would go in whole apparel Ah besotted Wretches that you should thus sell your selves to do wickedly that you that are but crawling worms should dare thus to set your mouths against Heaven and impudently affront as much as lyes in you the Majesty of the most High Let me speak to you in the language of the Prophet Isay 57.4 Do ye know against whom ye make a wide mouth and draw out the tongue What could your wit wit said I I mean your madness find no cheaper way to undo your selves Are you resolved to try the patience of God and to see how long he can forbear you Are you affraid you shall miss of hell except you sin at a higher rate than ordinary and therefore are resolved by your damning provocations to force your entrance into it and take it by violence Do you fear the Devil will not torment you enough except you do supererogate of him by being more wicked than you had any temptation to be that so you may have a double portion in Hell Could you find out no other way of Damning your selves but by sinning directly against that precious blood and wounds of the Son of God by which others are saved Do you thus perform your Baptismal Covenant whereby you stand ingaged to renounce the Devil and all his works and to fight faithfully under Christs Banner all your dayes What aileth you ye blind wretches Are you in such hast to be with your everlasting companions the Devils and the Damned that you will needs hasten your Judgment and bring on your Damnation with a swifter pace Are you now inuring your selves to the language of Hell and the infernal Tophet that you may not have it to learn when you come thither Poor Wretches what will become of you how soon to your sorrow will your imprecations fall on your heads The Devil whom you have so often wished might fetch you stands eagerly waiting for his commission to do it and then you shall know to your cost whether Gods
then beware lest thou forget thy God How apt are people at a full table to offend with their teeth yea and with their tongues also The table of a Glutton is usually a snare not only to his body but to his soul 9. 'T is a time-wasting sin Long sitting at meals and feasts how much precious time doth it devour which should be better imployed 10. 'T is a costly expensive sin It overthrows and wasts many a mans estate How great a part of the riches of many Kingdoms are spent in riot excess and luxury God threatens Prov. 23.20 That the glutton shall come to poverty And so it very frequently happens 11. It hinders mercy and liberality and relief of the poor For frugality is the purse-bearer to Charity The Prodigal House-keeper is not usually the most charitable to the poor True and prudeâ—t hospitality is one thing and prodigal house-keeping is another They that spend so much upon their own bellies seldom are so charitable to the poor as they might and ought to be 12. Gluttony is alwayes a great crime but much more heinous in times of publick calamity and when the people of God are under great afflictions See what God sayes by the Prophet Amos 6.1 4 5 6. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion who lye upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flock and Calves out of the stall That chaunt to the sound of the viol and invent to themselves instruments of musick that drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Observe also what God saith by the Prophet Isaias Chap. 22. Verse 12.13 14 And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sack-cloath and behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating flesh and drinking wine let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dyâ— saith the Lord. Lastly The greatness of this sin may appear in this that it is so often and so frequently committed Gods own people I suppose are not often tempted and overcome by drunkenness or uncleanness but let them take heed of Gluttony For this sin is apt to steal upon people before they are aware 'T is a sin that is apt to incorporate it felf with our appetite and desire of eating for the preservation of our health Our corrupt nature is as prone to excess in this kind as any other and therefore we had need be the more watchful against it And so much of the great evil and danger of this Sin 4. I come now in the last place to prescribe some helps and remedies against it 1. Look upon all your food as given you by God Receive it as from his hand and beg his blessing upon it And remember the Apostles rule whether ye eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the glory of God And if you have Gods glory in your eye it will be a great means to keep you from intemperance in this kind 2. Labour to mortifie and subdue the irregular inclinations and desires of the flesh What a horrible thing is it that a mans heart should be set upon the pleasing of his belly They that are true Christians ought to crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts 3. Remember how the first sin came into the World by eating O sin not as our first Parents did by an inordinate pleasing of your appetite 4. Check your appetite and resolve that shall not be satisfied to the full Be affraid of sinful excess The Apostle speaks of some Jude verse 12. that did eat without fear A man that would be temperate in this kind must be watchful over himself and must exercise some authority over his appetite For the belly is a Brute that commonly hath its ears stopt to Scripture or reason 5. Use all sensual delights in subserviency unto as means to their right end namely to make you more thankful more fit and more chearful in the service of God 6. Labour to understand well what is most conducing to your health and let that be the ordinary rule and measure of your diet both for quantity and quality Man in endued with reason as well as appetite and reason if we will listen to it will tell us that our health is more to be regarded than our appetite God alloweth us that which is most for our health and forbiddeth us nothing but that which will hurt us God would have us temperate that a healthful body may be serviceable to our Souls in our Masters work The common rule that most people do go by in cating is their appetite They think they must eat as they have appetite and if they could eat more with an appetite and not be sick after it they think they have not been guilty of Gluttony and excess Mr. Baxter who is not only a learned Divine but a skilful Physitian also writing about this sin of Gluttony and the frequency of it in his cases of conscience pag. 378. Conjectures that most sorts of people do usually offend herein and that particularly labouring people do ordinarily eat near a fourth part more than they need that Shop-keepers and persons of easier Trades near a third part that voluptuous Gentlemen and their attendants do often exceed near half and that the children of such Parents as govern not their appetites but let them eat and drink as often and as much as they will do usually exceed above half and thereby lay the foundation of the miseries and diseases of their whole life after And therefore he judges that children should be taught betimes some common and necessary precepts about their diet and what tends to health and prolonging their life and what to sickness and death and that these principles should be instilled into them with other moral precepts in the books that they first learn For 't is certain that none love sickness and death but all love health and life And therefore those whom the fear of God doth not restrain from this kind of excess may possibly be restrained from it through the fear of sickness and death But alass few grown people much less children have any considerable knowledge what measure is best for them to use but the common though deceitful rule they go by is their appetite 7. Sit not too long at meals For by that means people are tempted to eat a little and a little more and so at last they fall into excess 8. Do not over perswade and importune others to eat more than they have a mind to notwithstanding it is counted so great a piece of civility so to do We think them highly culpable who urge people to drink more than is fit for them why then