afflictions and persecution and follow him in a way of holinesse purity in the straight way And then he will give him a Crown of life he shal have an hundred fold in this life with persecution that is the comfort of an hundred fold if he misse of such increase in the same kinde and eternall glory in the World to come Now we must sit down consider what we do as Luke 14.28.31 Christ teaches by the parable of him that builds a Tower and of the King that goes to warfare Now thus to chuse our Religion to espouse the Christian Faith for better for worse to take the sweat with the bitter the Cross with the Crown This is another Act wherein this choice stands 3. Act is a setled purpose and full resolution to live and dye therein to adhere and cleave thereto even to the end to be faithful to the Death to cleave to the Lord with full purpose of heart as we read Joshua his resolution I and my house will serve the Lord we are resolved who ever depart from Jehovah we will cleave unto him And as the Disciples John 6. when many forsook Christ and the Christian Religion their Lord saith unto them and will ye also go away Peter answers in the name of the rest whether shal we go for thou hast the words of Eternal life Alack if we draw back from the Lord his soul shall have no pleasure in us we draw back unto perdition but if we continue in the faith we shal then have the Crown of life Life and Death are before us herein as Moses told the Israelites if we serve the Lord and fear him and cleave unto him then life but if we turn from him and his truth and wayes then Death all a mans righteousnesse shal be forgotten he shal dye in his sins Thus in these three Acts stands the right chusing of a mans religion CHAP. III. Considerations evidencing it a principal point of wisdom for a man to make a right choice of that Religion he professes in the World and ventures his Eternal Salvation upon HAving shewed wherein this wise chusing ones Religion stands and what Acts must concur thereto We come next to demonstrate it to be such a principal point of wisedom for a man to make a right choice of his Religion he professes in the world and ventures his Salvation upon This may be evinced from the ensuing Considerations 1. The Necessity for a man to be of some Religion and if so wisedom should direct to make choyce of the best Now it 's necessary to be of some Religion We cannot live without God Acts 17.28 In him we live move and have our being And is it not fit then we should acknowledge God and worship him in the very framing of the nature of man there are such principles of Religion ingraven in him that cannot be razed out that have taught the very Heathens to worship a Deity so that we should be worse then Heathens yea become very beasts and below men if wee should not be of some Religion Besides it is the expresse command of God by his written Laws given to the Sonnes of Men that they adore worship and serve him he expects it as an homage from them and will not loose his glory Such Atheists are accursed by him as cast off all Religion live without God in the World And though some such Atheists have been found who in their prosperity forget God whilst they can better shift without him yet in their miseries and dangers they have been forced to acknowledge God and call upon him as the Mariners in the Ship with Jonah c. Now if it be so Is it not fit to chuse the true God and the true Religion 2. There are many false Religions in the World and we may soon be imposed on and deluded if we make not a wise choice of our Religion There be many Lords and many gods so called saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.5 though to us there is but one living and true God ther 's many wayes of Religion Heathenism Mahometanism Judaism and Christianity and amongst Christians how many different wayes this day scarce to be numbred and therefore we had need to make a good choice The greatest part of the World were deceived in former times of old the whole World almost followed false gods except Israel At this day some observe if the World be divided into thirty parts nineteen of them are Heathen Idolaters six be Mahometans some though inconsiderable Jews and only the other five parts of the thirty be Christians and how many different wayes be amongst them Protestants Papists Muscovites Greeks in Europe besides multitudes in other parts of the World And these admitting many subdivisions amongst themselves Therefore we had need to make a wise choice 3. It 's that whereupon our greatest interest depends on the right chusing ones Religion or our mistakes about it eternall happiness or misery life or death depend Deut. 32.46 47. in things of great importance men use much deliberation and make the wisest choice they can how necessary is it here That opinion or dream that every man may be saved by his own Religion if he be true to it is more becoming Turks then Christians They say there are three Banners whereby men are conducted to Heaven Moses's Christs and Mahomets but we Christians know no other way to Salvation but one viz. by faith in Jesus Christ for there 's no other name under Heaven to be saved by but by the name of Jesus Christ Acts 4.12 Indeed many lesser differences may be amongst them that hold that one Faith They may hold the head Christ and yet differ in smal things with safety to their Souls if they build on the foundation and corner-stone Jesus Christ heartily believing the principles of the Christian Faith and living according to them though they add thereto the Hay Stubble and wood of smaller errors they may be saved notwithstanding these 1 Cor. 3.15 Salvation may be had amongst several forts of Christians that all agree in the great Articles of the Christian Faith and live piously and charitably whether Lutherans Calvinists Arminians Anabaptists Episcopal Presbyterian Independent c. These are not different Religions but different forms of the same Religion wherein the children of the same Father are dressed up in different habits But where any differ in fundamentals and even turn to another Religion to another Gospel or Christ as the Apostle speaks to the Galatians as too many Sects amongst us are found to do viz Papists Socinians Quakers c. Those I mean who are throughly such not all that ignorantly adhere to them it would be foolish charity to flatter them with hopes of Salvation in such wayes if living and dying according to those corrupt principles because they are in the number of those Damnable Heresies the Scripture speaks of Now this being clear that Salvation dependeth upon espousing the right Religion What
Entertain it not in the notion only but let it be so digested that you feel your sin and misery at your heart and dare not to continue a day longer without reconciling and pardoning mercy and renewing and sanctifying grace lest you perish that you despair of any creatures help and feel your selves eternally undone if the God of Heaven help not 3 Concerning Jesus Christ our Redeemer That the Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God coessential and coeternal with his Father upon the appointment and designation of his Father voluntarily undertook the office of a Saviour and Redeemer to Mankinde being made Man took on him our sins and the curse of the Law and giving himself up a Sacrifice and an offering to God for us purchased by his death all things conducing to grace and glory and having by his own power arisen from the dead and ascended into heaven he is become an alsufficient Saviour and will effectually confer pardon grace and Salvation on all those who shal truly believe in him And that there is no other name under Heaven to be saved by but by the name of Jesus Christ This is a great and necessary Doctrine of Salvation so clearly held forth in Scripture that it 's beyond controversie 1 Tim. 3.16 Let this Catholick verity be received not in the Nation only but dwel in your hearts that you may see the infinite worth and excellency of Jesus Christ prize him as the only Savior close with him on all those glorious accounts and end she was sent upon by the Father and yield up your selves to be saved by him in his own way and upon his own Terms 4 Concerning the application of Redemption That our Redeemer the Lord Josus Christ having all power in Heaven Earth given to him hath made a new Law or Covenant of grace caused it to be proclaimed to the world wherein he promises pardon and Salvation to all that shal sincerely accept and own him for their Saviour and Lord Redeemer and tâ—uly repenting of their sins shall rest on his death and merits alone for life love him above all things and sincerely obey his Gospel Laws and Commundments shal persevere in these duties to the end And after he shal have sent his holy Spirit to work Faith and conversion in his Elect He will certainly come again from Heaven in the glory of his Father with his mighty Angels and by his mighty power shal raise the dead and convene all both Quick dead before his Judgment Seat and then such as did truly repent them of their sins and sincerely believed in his Name and obeyed his Gospel he will adjudge to Eternal glory and happinesse with himself and his Father and the holy Angels but unbelievers and impenitent persons to eternal torments in Hell with the Devil and his Angels This is an unquestionable Article of the Christian Faith expresly delivered in the holy Scriptures and imbraced by the Catholick Church Let this truth be received not notionally but heartily Let it influence your hearts and lives so as you sincerely obey the Gospel and live in the dayly expectation of the coming of the Lord and give deligence to be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse I shal add no other Doctrinal verities besides these fundamental Articles They are the very substance of the Christian Creed imbraced by the Church in all ages and places 2. For those Practical Duties in which all true Christians are agreed for as there are in points of Faith fundamental Articles so there are in the point of practice fundamental Duties Now these are either 1 Those Moral duties of the Law or Ten Commandements promulgated on Mount Sinai and written by the finger of God in two Tables of stone which Christians are obliged to observe as well as the Jews though the Ceremonial Law which was altogether typical and shadowed good things to come be abolished Yea wee are bound to keep it in a more strict and spiritual manner then the Jews did interpret it formerly as appears by Christs Sermon Mat 5. This contains all duties of piety toward God immediatly required in the first Table viz. to take and accept the God of Heaven that made us and gave us Life and breath and beeing for our God alone to know and acknowledge him to fear love and trust in him and seek his glory to give him that external worship he requires in his Word publick private and secret as invocation of his Holy Name by prayers and praises hearing and reading meditating and conferring on his Word receiving his Sacraments sanctifying his Sabbaths Doing all this in an Holy reverent manner so as Gods name may be sanctifyed by us in his ordinances as also in our ordinary communications and conversations It likewise contains all Duties of righteousness and charity towards Man required in the second Table viz. The preserving as well as not injuring of the honour and authority of the life and chastity of our neighbour in thought word and deed as also his estate good name c. And loving him even as we love our selves doing good unto all c. These are general Duties all Christians are agreed in Make Conscience to practise these 2 Those Evangelical Duties or Commandements of the Gospel For besides these Moral Duties of the Law which the Gospel doth inforce also by renewed and more indearing arguments there are peculiar duties required by the Gospel as True repentance for every sin and transgression of Gods righteous and holy commands for the Law gives no place to Repentance but threatens death for every offence Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for pardon through his blood and Salvation through his merits Fervent love to God and the Redeemer who loved us and gave himself for us who hath washed us in his blood made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father Sincere indeavours to promote his glory upon the new obligation of Redemption and living to him as his peculiar People being not our own but his bought with a price Love to all the Saints and Members of Christ and communion with them as we have opportunity on account of that near union in Christ which should make us bear with smaller differences that do not violat the bond of union whilst they hold of Christ the head and are of the same body c. These are confessed duties all Christians are agreed in Practise them Conscionably The Apostle gives us the sum of all these together Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world This then is the Counsel I would give to such as are resolved to be Christians but are stumbled at the variety of opinions and perswasions amongst the professors of Christianity that they know not what to believe or what to practis That they would believe
up and professe in the World that he intends to live and die in to venture his eternal Salvation upon CHAP. II. Shewing wherein this wise Chusing our Religion stands what acts concur thereunto HAving laid down the proposition which is the ground of our Discourse in the former chapter we come now to inquire concerning the nature of that choice wherein it stands and what things necessarly must concurre to make a wise choice of that Religion we intend to profess in the World Election or chusing in a generall sense is an act of the will proceeding from the previous knowledge and judgement of the understanding whereby amongst diverse wayes or means propounded for the attainment of some End it doth resolve upon some one above the rest that it will ad here unto and make use of for that purpose In particular Chusing ones Religion is also an act of the will arising from the previous knowledge and judgement of the understanding discerning the nature of the thing whereby amongst the many different Religions or wayes of serving and pleasing God and of attaining unto happinesse with him that are found in the World a man doth pitch and resolve upon one above all the rest and with rejection of all others with full purpose to adhere unto it to live and die in it and even venture a mans salvation and happiness on it Here are 3 Acts wherein this right chusing ones Religion doth stand to be explained in order 1. An act of the understanding judging and discerning the nature of the thing that the will chuseth and its excellencie above al things that come in competition with it for to a right choice of the will the understanding and judgement must proceed it must know the nature of it and discern it good or else it s but a blind choice not becoming a reasonable creature and a man may else imbrace evil as well as good The will when is acts regularly follows the Dictate of the understanding this tells what is good and then what chuses as the Palat judgeth of what it tasts and then the stomach or appetite craves it so must the understanding go before her discern the nature verity and goodnesse of that Religion as also the falsnesse vanity and dangerousnesse of other Religions before the will can make a right choice of it Man being a religious creature by the common instinct of his naturall conscience is moved strongly to worship and serve a Deity as we see in all Nations of the Earth much more when he is further stirred up by a divine instinct Now we should consider as men as the prophets phrase is and not exert actions of highest importance without understanding and reason worshiping we know not what as Christ taxes the Samaritans John 4. but give God a reasonable service knowing what God we serve and what Religion we take up and not taking up the next at hand at adventure as most men do that Religion professed where they live commended to them by Education example c. but understanding what we do therein And therefore men that act according to reason will look into the Religions in the World and judge which is best among them or rather into the Word and Oracles of God himself for they best discover what God is and how he will be worshipped Therefore if there be any such thing as Divine Oracles in the world wherein God hath revealed his will concerning matters of Faith and worship we should have special recourse unto them Now that the holy Scriptures commonly called the Bible are such that is the Oracles of the God of Heaven wherein he directs us in the knowledge and worship of himself and in the way of Religion This may appear even to those that have not yet taken upon them any profession of Religion by such Infallible demonstrations as reason cannot contradict viz. From these characters imprinted on them which shew them to be of God from the miracles wrought to confirm them from that spirit of holinesse seen in such as seriously believe them from the accomplishment of a great part of those things revealed therein even such things as were utterly invisible and improbable to created understandings c. And therefore there should be an exact consideration in the judgement and understanding of a man of that Religion revealed in the Scriptures He should 1. Take a particular view of the principal Doctrines the great mysteries of faith and duties of godliness taught therein not taking all in the lump together but having a distinct knowledge of them He whose Religion is in the gross only and hath no distinct apprehensions of the particular doctrines of faith and duties of godlinesse which that Religion teaches he hath no Religion at all for how can these Doctrines influence his heart and life to make him fear and love God truly and lead him to the power and practice of godlinesse if not distinctly known and discerned by him Then 2. Hee must discern the verity and certainty of these Doctrines that he may venture his soul upon them knowing him in whom he hath believed for which and it 's exceeding necessary to be conversant in those Treatises which prove the verity of the Christian Religion and of the Scriptures wherein it is set down of which many be extant in our own Language Without this a man shal never hold fast his Religion especially in trying times 3. He should know the excellency thereof that its such a Religion as tends most to the magnifying of God and giving glory unto him to the advancement of man to true happiness in the love and favor of his God and nearest communion with him and fullest conformity unto him He should often look upon the sublimity of the mysteries the purity of the precepts excellency of the rewards and dreadfulness of the punishments And thus the understanding preceeding in discerning and judging the Religion which is to be chosen is one Act in this Election 2. Act After the understanding doth thus present the true Religion before us in the certainty glory and excellency of it Then the next Act is for the Will to elect chuse and imbrace it solemnly to espouse this Religion and say It shal be mine It 's that I am resolved to professe and to venture my eternal salvation upon what ever inconveniences I may meet with in the profession thereof what ever disgraces reproaches losses Persecutions c. yet this Religion I will be of and this God I will serve We must sit down and consider what it will cost us to be Christians and then espouse the Christian Religion and take it for better for worse embrace the crosse it threatens as well as the Crown it promises For so our Lord warned his Disciples telling them He that will come after me and will be my Disciple must deny himself in his dearest lusts sins nay in his estate and life sometime and take up his Cross of