the repentance of Ahab 2. Of punishment by which he appointeth to the delinquent creature the punishment of eternal death for the least sinne Gen. 2. 17. Rom 6. 23. which death is begun in this life in divers kindes of miseties and punishments which for the most part are proportionable to their sins Gen. 3. 17. and 20. 18 but is perfected in the life to come when the full wrath of God is poured upon it Iohn 3. 36. 2 Thess. 1. 16. This justice is so essential to God immutable and as I may so speak inexorable that he cannot remit the creatures sins nor free them from punishment unlesse his justice be satisfied God cannot dispense against himself because sins do hurt the inward vertue of God and the rule of righteousnesse the integrity therefore and perfection of God cannot stand if he satisfie not that yet through his bounty and goodnesse he hath found out a way by which due satisfaction may be given thereunto viz. By Christ who hath born a punishnent equivalent to our sins for us The Scripture proves the justice of God 1. Affirmatively when it calls him Just A Revenger Holy Right and extols his Justice Exod. 9. 27. Psal. 11. 7 Ier. 12. 1. 2. Negatively when it removes from him injustice and iniquity respect of persons and receiving of gifts and also all the causes and effects of injustice Deut. 32. 4. 10. 17. Dan. 9. 14. Iob 8. 3. 3. Affectively when it Attributes to him zeal anger fury Exod. 20. 5. 32. 10. Numb 11. 10. which are not in God such passions as they be in us but an act of the immutable Justice 4. Symbolically when it calls him a consuming fire Deut. 4. 24. compares him to an angry Lyon an armed Souldier Isa. 38. 13. 5. Effectively when it affirms that he renders to every one according to his works 1 Sam. 26. 23. Gods Justice comprehends his righteousnesse and truth he is just in words and deeds Gods Justice is considered four ways 1. As he is free Lord of all and so his decrees are just Rom. 9. 13. 14. 2. As he is God of all and so the common works of preserving both the good and bad are just 1 Tim. 4. 14. Mat. 5. 45. 3. As a Father in Christ and so he is just in performing his promises and infusing his grace and in bestowing the justice of his Son 1 Iohn 1. 5. 4. As Judge of all the world and so his justice is not onely distributive but corrective His Justice is 1. Impartial he will not spare 1. Multitude all Sâ—dome and Gomorrha and the old World perished 2. Great ones the excellency or greatnesse of any creature will not exempt it from punishment the Angels and Adam fell he spared not the Angels but threw them into hell Adam was cast out of Paradise for one sinne 3. Neernesse the Jews Gods people formerly are now cast off Moses and David were punished 2. General it extends to a mans posterity God will visit the iniquity of fathers upon their children 3. Inexorable no sinners can escape unpunished the sins of the godly are punished in their surety Christ and they are afflicted in this life God is Justice it self justice is essential to him his will is the rule of justice a thing is just because he willeth it and not he willeth it because its just He will right the wrongs of his children 2 Thess. 1. 6 7 8. He cannot be corrupted nor bribed Gods Justice comprehendeth two things under it 1. Equity in that he directs men equally and requites them equally commanding all and onely good things such as they in reason ought to do promising and threatning fit and due recompences of their obedience and disobedience 2. Truth whereby he declareth nothing to them but as the thing is and fidelity whereby he fulfilleth all that he hath spoken The Arminians urge How can God in Justice command a man by his word the performance of that which cannot be done by him without the inward help of the Spirit and yet in the mean time God denies this inward grace unto him God may without blemish to his Justice command man to perform his duty although he have now no strength to do it because once he had strength and he hath now lost it Precepts and Exhortations ordinarily signifie the approving wâ—ll of the Commander and his duty to whom they are propounded although sometimes the duty rather of the hearer then the will of the speaker be declared by them Rescrip Ames ad responsum Grevinch c. 12. Deus jubet aliqua quae non possumus ut noverimus quid ab illo petere debeamus Aug. de grat lib. arbit c. 16. Gods Commandments and Exhortations shew what he approves and wills to be done as good but his promises or threatnings shew what he intendeth effectually to bring to passe Mr. Pemble of Grace and Faith Da Domine quod jubes jube â—uid vis said Austin God giveth thee although thou be unable a Law to square thy life by for three causes Ut scias quid acceperis ut videas quid amiseris ut intelligas unde repetendum sit quod amiseris It reproves such as live in sin Exod. 34. 17. Psal. 5. 5. Gal. 6. 6. if God be merciful that he may be feared much more is he just that he may be feared 2. We must take heed of justifying the wicked we should be just in our actions to man in buying and selling in rewarding and punishing Magistrates Ministers Masters Parents should be just We should not murmure at Gods disposing justice in making us poor and should yield to his directing justice obeying his Commandments seem they never so unreasonable Mauritius the Emperor when his wife and children were murthered before him and his own eyes after bored out uttered this speech Iustus es Domine recta judicia tua We should get Christs righteousnesse to satisfie Gods Justice for us and to justifie us The consideration of Gods Justice should afright us from hypocrisie sinning in secret keeping bosom sins It ministers comfort to the godly who are wronged by the wicked they shall have an upright and just Judge who will uphold them in a good cause Psal. 33. 24. It may serve to exhort us to glorifie Gods Justice both in fulfilling of his promises and punishing wicked men Psal. 7. 18. and 51. 15. 4. God is True Truth or veracity is by which God is true as in himself so in his sayings and deeds He revealeth himself to his creature such a one as indeed he is Real truth or the truth of things is a property of them by which they are the same indeed which they seem It is an agreement betwixt the being and appearance of things it is double 1. Essential or of the very substance of things 2. Accidental of the qualities and actions of things and this as it is referred to the reasonable creature for
souls of men 2 Cor. 11. 3. Ministers must preach often especially on the Sabbath Our Saviour preacht every Sabbath day Luk. 4. 21. So did Paul Act. 17 2. See 2 Tim. 4. 2. The Fathers preacht twice every Lords-day and almost every week-day Paul bids the Minister preach in season and out of season the Sabbath by reason of the publick meeting is a season of preaching it is requisite therefore for him to preach every Sabbath Again Christs custom was to go into the Synagogue every Sabbath-day and so the Apostles 3. The sanctifying of the Sabbath must be done in the best manner that may be both by Minister and people the Minister must be helpful to the people in the sanctifying of it he may then preach if he will give himself to reading and study as he is commanded 4. His duty is to labour in the Word and Doctrine that is to take great pains in it therefore he must preach Sabbath after Sabbath 5. Every one is required to be plentifull in the work of the Lord therefore the Minister in his special work of preaching must be plentifull and this he is not unlesse he preach at least every Sabbath and if his strength will serve him twice both morning and evening Ministers must in their preaching denounce Gods wrath against sinners 1 Sam. 12. 25. How comminatory are our Saviours words O generation of vipers how can you escape the condemnation of hell And Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites And Woe unto the world because of offences And Woe be unto you that are rich and that laugh There shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Paul is sharp 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. For such things sake the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul that doth evil Moses dischargeth many vollies of curses upon those which break the Law of the Lord. Reasons 1. Because there is in every man an old man to be beaten down the threats of the Word are a necessary instrument for working in a man a hatred of sin 2. There remaineth in the best of Gods servants much presumption whereby they are apt to imbolden themselves in sinning the Law must make way for the Gospel the threats of the Word are a most needful means of humiliation This is the most fruitful and profitable teaching It is good for the impenitent to make him repent and for the penitent to make him repent more if they wisely limit the threats they utter There is a Frierly kinde of preaching to presse resemblances and similitudes too farre and a Jesuitical preaching to declaim much against Hereticks and urge some things of Morality But the best preaching is to convince men of their misery by sin and to shew them the way to avoid it Plain preaching is most profitable for a mixt Auditory He is the best Scholar that can teach Christ plainliest and for my part if I would set my self to be idle I would choose that kinde of preaching which is counted so laborious Dr Taylor on Tit. 9. Paul saith he there being the greatest Schollar of all the Apostles was the most fearful to make the least shew of it Doctor Preston being asked Why he preached so plainly and dilated so much in his Sermons answered He was a Fisherman Now Fishermen said he if they should winde up the Net and so cast it into the Sea they should catch nothing but when they spread the Net then they catch the Fish I spread my Net said he because I would catch the Fish that is I preach so plainly and dilate so much in my Sermons that I may win souls to Christ. Ministers must preach in the evidence and demonstration not so much of Art or Nature as of the Spirit and Grace Many turn sound preaching into a sound of preaching tickling mens ears like a tinkling cymbal King Iames resembled the unprofitable pomp of such self-seeking discourse stuft with a vain-glorious variety of humane allegations to the red and blew flowers that pester the corn when it stands in the field where they are more noisom to the growing crop then beautiful to the beholding eyes There is a kinde of fine neat dainty preaching consisting in well-sounding words and of strains of humane wit and learning to set out the skill and art of the speaker and make the hearer applaud and commend him which a man may well doubt whether ever God will blesse to the winning of souls These self-preaching men that make preaching little else but an ostentation of wit and reading do put the sword of the Spirit into a velvet scabbard that it cannot prick and wound the heart The word of God seems to be most conveniently applied by handling it after the manner of Doctrine and Use this course is of all other the fittest for the memory of speaker and hearer for the capacity of the simple and for the profitable making use of all learning and reading It giveth least scope to wander from the Text and holdeth a man most closely to the revealed will of God It hath the clear example of Christ who Luk. 4. having read his Text first interpreted it then observed the points of Doctrine saying This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Then he began to apply it by way of reproof which he illustrated with â—it examples out of Scripture and so would have proceeded but his hearers moved with rage interrupted him The Doctrine must be soundly deduced out of the Text and then substantially handled It is a proposition either expressed in the Text or else concluded from it It must be proved by a Text or two of Scripture and confirmed by reason taken from the causes or effects or some other logical argument The Use is a Proposition syllogistically inferred from the Doctrine as the Doctrine is from the Text. The chief kinds of Uses are 1. Confirmation of truth 2. Refutation of error 3. Reproof of sin mixed with terror and dehortation 4. Instruction mixed with exhortation to do well 5. Consolation or strengthening for and in well-doing All Doctrines will not yeeld all these Uses but some one some another wherefore those must be taken that are fittest for time place or matter The preaching of all Doctrines is to end in Use and Application When Christ had laid down all the speculative considerations about the day of Judgement he bids them make use of it Matth. 24. â—2 Exhortation is so necessary that all the ministerial work is called by this name Act. 2. 40. 13. 15. See 1 Tim. 4. 13. 6. 2. In all the Epistles after the doctrinal part followeth the hortatory Tit. 1. 9. See Iohn 4. 9. We have divers examples of such as applied the word particularly to the hearers 1 King 18. 18. Hos. 5. 1. Mal. 2. 1. Luk. 3. 19. This preaching is enjoyned to Ministers under the Gospel Isa. 58. 1. Tit.
we communicate to others what we have learned or learn of others what we are ignorant of or strengthen one another in that which already hath been taught us Prov. 1. 5. 13. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 12. 4. Practise it in our conversation Psal. 103. 18. Matth. 7. 24. Luke 11. 28. Rev. 1. 3. If you know these things happy are you if you do them Habits are perfected by action Knowledge a good understanding have all they that do thereafter Faith and love are perfected by works this glorifies God Galat. 5. Matth. 16. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Motives to diligent attention in hearing 1. It is Gods Word Thus saith the Lord and The word of the Lord. 2. It is of special concernment the matter of it requireth attention it is the word of life of righteousnesse it will sanctifie us and make us grow in grace 3. It is the introduction 1. To Understanding Mat. 15. 10. Act. 28. 27. 2. To Obedience and Reformation therefore hear is often in Scripture put for obey 3. To Memory Iam. 1. 23 24. 4. It is necessary to bring in and build up Gods people Iam. 1. 21. Mark 4. 24. 5. There are particular Promises to it 1. God will give them strength to overcome their greatest corruptions Psal. 119. 9. 2. God will work peace in their consciences Isa. 57. 19. CHAP. III. Of Singing Psalms A Psalm is a strict composition of words in measure and number fit to be sung to some tune Singing of Psalms hath been of ancient and commendable use in Gods publick worship It was used in Moses his time Exod. 15. 1. and in the times of the Judges Iudg. 5. 1. and in the dayes of Samuel 1 Sam. 18. 6 7. in Davids and Salomons time 1 Chron. 6. 32. in the dayes of Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 20. 21 22. and of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29. 28 30. and after the Captivity in Nehemiahs time Nehem. 12. 42. Yea in the New Testament our Saviour himself and his Apostles used it Matth. 26. 30. and prescribed it to Gods people Col. 3. 16. See 1 Cor. 14. 15. 26. Ephes. 5. 19. Yea it was the exercise of the holy Angels themselves Luke 2. 13 14. The people of God in the Psalms are provoked quickned and stirred up to this duty Psal. 95. 1. and the Psalme specially destinated for the Sabbath It was used at Gods publick worship 1 Chron. 23. 30. and at their private prayer Acts 16. 25. Most usually they did sing Davids Psalms in the worship of God and those that are accounted his 2 Chron. 29. 30. Ezra 3. 10 11. Nehem. 12. 46. The Psalms of David were in such continual use with the people of Israel that the boyes learnt their Hosannah from that with which they cried to Christ in the Temple which is a familiar acclamation with the Hebrews as Io triumphe with the Romans for the Jews on the Feast of the Tabernacles carrying leaves and boughs according to Gods Commandment did continually sing Hosannah The Psalms of David contain the very spirits as it were and are an abstract of all the whole word of God the choisest works of God the choisest promises threats instructions comforts Some have the inscription and that worthily of Jewels or golden Psalms because they comprehend most precious matter Reasons 1. God hath often shewed himself to take great delight in this part of his worship 2 Chron. 5. 13. 20. 22. 2. It is a singular help and means to stir up in us holy affections in Gods service Eph. 5. 18 19. Acts 16. 25. Reformed Churches use to begin and end with a Psalm and to sing Davids Psalms in order that the people of God might be acquainted with them all and professors used to sing Psalms in their families Psal. 118. 15. The Protestants in Mountaban in France when they being besieged were compelled to fight in their own defence they alwayes went out to fight singing of Psalms and grew so terrible to the besiegers that in the end as soon as they heard their singing voice lifted up within the Town before the Portcullis was drawn up or the Gates were opened their hearts would fail them and they used to cry out They come they come and even fled away for fear M. Martial on Psal. 8. 2. The Church of Rome have abandoned this point of Christian devotion from all both publick and private use because they sing not in a known tongue Some think we ought to use as much or rather more devotion attention and reverence in singing of Psalms as in making of prayers or hearing and that to sing a Psalm well and as we ought is one of the hardest exercises of Christian Religion because it requireth most attention and most affection We should sing in a right manner 1. With understanding Psal. 47. 7. 1 Cor. 14. 15. which condemns Latine chanting in the Popish service 2. With feeling Col. 3. 16. 3. To the Lord lifting up our hearts to him in this service Psal. 101. 2. 4. To edifie our selves by it Ephes. 5. 19. 5. In a decent manner observing the tune that the whole Congregation may be as one man in this service It were good to learn by heart some choice Psalms of most use and plainnesse that if we should be cast into dungeons and dark places and could not enjoy a book or light yet we might be able to edifie or solace our selves in such extremities as divers of Gods people have done As we may lawfully sing Scripture psalms so also Songs and Psalms of our own inditing say some agreeable to Scripture Sing unto the Lord a new Song framed on a fresh occasion therefore 1 Cor. 14. 26. a Psalm is named among those things which they had for the use of the Church For seeing a Psalm is but a musical praier for the most part therefore we may make Songs for our selves agreeable to the Word of God as well as prayers and God knowing the efficacie of Poetry and Musick to help memory and stirre up affection doth allow his people to use it for their spiritual comfort as well as natural The Apostle speaketh of Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs Ephes. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. Who can shew any reason to limit his speech to Scripture-psalms Why may not one praise God in a Song for our deliverance in 88 or the Gun pouder treason Whether instrumental Musick be lawful in the Church of God Bellarmine pleads for it lib. de bonis operibus c. 16 17. D Burgess who wrote in defence of the ceremonies and some other of our Divines defend it They say Musick used in the Old Testament was no figure type or ceremony but a real thing for elevation of the soul types had their principal use in signifying something to come but the first time we hear of a Psalm we hear of Tymbrel too therefore they were used to it before else they could not have played presently therefore that precept Psal. 150. Praise
be in Heaven there must our hearts be Praier being an humble discourse of the soul with God Which art in Heaven The natural gesture of lifting up our eyes and hands to Heaven implieth this this is opposed to worldly cares and earthlinesse these are clogs this made David say It is better to be one day in thy house then a thousand elsewhere Call in the help of the Spirit Rom. 8. 27. 2. Consideration of Gods benefits it is good to have a Catalogue of them 3. Study much the fulnesse and all sufficiencie of God and his making over himself to you in his all-sufficiencie Gen. 17. 1. 4. Acquaint your selves with your own necessities Let the word of God dwell richly in you Col. 3. 16. The ground of praier is Gods will acquaint your selves with the precepts promises 5. Give your selves to praier Psal. 109. 4. but I praier so the Hebrew Oratio ego so Montanus Helps against wandring and vain thoughts in holy duties and especially in praier 1. Set a high price upon it as a great Ordinance of God wherein there is a Communion with him to be enjoyed and the influence of the grace of God to be conveyed thorow it 2. Every time thou goest to praier renew thy resolutions against them till thou comest to a habit of keeping thy heart close to the duty 3. Set the presence of God before you in praier his glorie and consider that he converseth with thy thoughts as man with thy words 4. Be not deceived with this that the thoughts are not very sinful whatsoever thoughts concern not the present duty are sinful 5. Blesse God for that help if thine heart hath been kept close to a duty and ou hast had communion with God The godly must pray by this title the Scripture describes true Christians Acts 2. 41. and Paul saluteth All the faithful that call upon the name of the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 2. a heart full of grace is also full of holy desires and requests Cant. 1. 2 4 7. It is called the Spirit of Supplications Zech. 12. 10. suitable to the Spirit of grace is the Spirit of Supplication They must pray daily Psal. 55. 17. 147. 2. Dan. 6. 10. Luk. 2. 47. 1 Thess. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 3. Reasons 1. It is equal that part of every day be given and consecrated to him who is the Lord of the day and of all our time they had a morning and evening Sacrifice in the time of the Law 2. Praier is a singular means of neer and heavenly Communion with God therein the godly enjoy the face of God talk familiarly with him 3. Praier sanctifieth to us that is obtaineth of God for us a lawful and comfortable use of all the things and affairs of the day 4. Every day we stand in need of many things belonging both to temporal and spiritual life 5. We are every day subject to many dangers A gracious heart is full of holy requests to God Psal. 8. 10. Revel 5. 8. Rom. 5. 5. Ezek. 16. 15. Iohn 16. 24. Iude v. 11. Reasons 1. Praier is an act of religious worship Dan. 4. 17. 2. Because of the great things spoken of praier Isa. 46. 11. Rev. 16. 1. Deut. 4. 7. Isa. 37. 3. 3. The Saints have received the Spirit of Supplication Zech. 12. 10. Every godly man must be constant and assiduous in praier persevere in it Psal. 5. 23. Psal. 55. 16 17. Psal. 118. 12 13. Will the hypocrite alwaies call upon God saith Iob Daniel would not forbear the daily exercise of this service although it were with the hazard of his life Dan. 6. 10. Aquinas 2a 2ae Quaest. 83. Artic. 4. determines this Question Utrum oratio debet esse diuturna Reasons 1. From God who hath signified approbation of this service by commanding it expresly saying Pray continually and Christ spake a Parable That we should be constant in praier and not faint Luk. 18. 1. 2. This hath been the practice of all the Saints of God Iacob wrestled with God and praied all night The Canaanitish woman had several repulses yet persevered in praier Moses held up his hands which implies the continuance of his praier Isa. 62. 1. Christ praied thrice and yet more earnestly Luk. 22. 44. 2. From our selves First We have great need for we absolutely depend upon God and he hath tied himself no further to do us good then we shall seek it in his Ordinance at his hands Secondly We have great helps even such as may enable us to perform the dutie notwithstanding any weaknesse that is in our selves for we have Gods Word and Spirit If a man doubt to whom to direct his praiers the Scripture cals him to God To thee shall all flesh come Psal. 65. 2. If in whose name it leads him to Christ Whatsoever you shall ask in my Name If for what to pray for wisdome for the Spirit for patience for daily bread for remission of sins for deliverance from evil for the honouring of Gods name in a word for all good things If for whom for Kings for Rulers for our selves for others for all men except him whom we see to have sinned a sinne unto death If where every where lifting up pure hands If when at all times continually If how oft why morning noon night If on what occasion in all things by praier and supplications If in what manner why fervently with an inward working of the heart in praier with understanding in truth and in faith and without fainting 2. God will assist us with his Spirit all those which addresse themselves to perform this work according to the direction of his Word and beg the Spirit of praier to help them in praying The Spirit maketh intercession Rom 8. Jude v. 20. Praying in the holy Ghost Thirdly Constant supplicating to God doth honour him and actually confesse him to be the universal Lord the Ruler and disposer of all yea to be liberal in giving to be omnipotent in power to be present in all places to see and hear all persons and actions to search our hearts and to sit at the stern of the whole world so that he observeth also each particular creatures need and wants Fourthly It is exceeding advantagious to our selves seeing it acquaints us with God and breeds a kinde of holy familiaritie and boldnesse in us toward him 2. It exerciseth reneweth and reviveth all graces in us in drawing near to God and calling upon him we grow like to him this sets a work and increaseth knowledge of God humilitie faith obedience and love to him Fifthly Because praier it self is not only a duty but a priviledge the chief purchase of Christs bloud Sixthly Because if we persevere and faint not God will come in at last with mercie in the fourth watch of the night Christ came in the morning watch the night was divided into four watches Iacob wrestled all night with God but in the morning he prevailed
Marks of the growth of grace 1. It is a proportionable growth a growth in all the parts our faith is sutable to our knowledge our love to our faith and practice to both 2. Constant at least in our desires and endeavours 3. It will grow against all hinderances The infallible Signs of growth in grace are these 1. When we grow more spiritual 1. In our aims when we have pure intentions in every action 2. In our duties when the minde is more enlightened to minde spiritual duties and to resist spiritual temptations when we oppose thoughts and lusts not only morally but spiritually evil and when we relish the more spiritual part of the Word 1 Cor. 10. 6. 3. In our motives when we resist sin not because it will damn us but because it is against Gods law purity and defiles us 2. When we grow more solid and judicious 1 Cor. 13. 11. Phil. 1. 9. Growth is not to be measured by the intensnesse and vigour of the affections that is more in young Christians 3. When we grow more humble by long experience reflexive light is increased one is more able to look into conscience and see his own defects Prov. 30. 2. The lowest degree of growth in grace may be discerned by two Marks 1. By longing for food 1 Pet. 2. 2. 2. By being humbled for want of growth Mark 9. 24. It is a good degree of our growth in grace to see how much we want There is difference between growth in gifts and graces 1 Cor. 1. 5 7. Many in these dayes grow in gifts gifts are for others and but for this life growth in gifts often puffeth up but growth in grace humbleth A Christian may grow either quoad amplitudinem scientiae or efficaciam scientiae the enlargement of his knowledge may be both in respect of the matter he may know more things then he did as also in the manner more clearly evidently and firmly then he did or else in the efficacy of his knowledge he knoweth them more practically 2. Means of our spiritual Growth 1. General the Word 1 Pet. 2. 2. it is compared to rain Deut. 32. 2. and such things as will further growth Isa. 55. 5 11. milk Children never grow so much in so short a time as when they are sed with milk sincere milk not mixed with errour 2 Cor. 2. ult 2. Particular Helps 1. We should labour to live under the means of growth and prize them Zech. 4. 12. the Sacrament is a strengthening Ordinance 2. We should overcome our lusts Iam. 1. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. The good ground hears the Word with a good and honest heart 3. We should be daily questioning our selves how we do grow 1 Cor. 12. ult Heb. 6. 1. 4. Be often in the use and exercise of that grace wherein we desire to grow 1 Tim. 4. 14 15. the right hand and foot are stronger because they are more used improve thy knowledge by teaching others and zeal when the name of God is dishonoured and faith by depending on God in all occurrences by applying the promises exercise repentance 2 Cor. 7. 7. humility God gives grace to the humble self-denial love that sets obedience on work 2 Cor. 5. 5. Constant prayer for Gods blessing on the Word and all other means Iude v. 20. The Disciples said Lord increase our faith Luk. 17. 5. Praying Christians will certainly be growing Christians Strength of grace is discovered by two things 1. When duties are easie Rom. 15. 20. 2. When crosses are light Bonds and afflictions abide me where ever I come saith Paul yet none of these move me Strength is an ability of working powerfully we must have it from Christ Isa. 45. 24. Col. 1. ult All graces shew their vertue and efficacy two wayes 1. When they strongly and lively produce their own acts as a strong assent and most firm and fixed acknowledgement of any truth shews a strong faith 2. By a laborious and earnest resisting their contrary as a strong casting away and loathing and abhorring doubting conceits shews faith also to be strong Christ by his Spirit 1. Increaseth graces in us faith love humility self denial 2. Acts the graces received Cant. 4. 16. Rom. 7. 18. 3. Brings to our mindes the truths of God and former works of God Heb. 12. 5. 4. Renews our comforts and freshly imprints the love of God upon the soul Rom. 5. 5. 1 Iohn 2 6. Obedience flows from love so he strengthens us We should labour to grow First In knowledge Hos. 6. 3. Grace increaseth by the knowledge of God Isa. 11. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 10. our fairest portion in heaven is the satisfaction of our understanding in the knowledge of God Psal. 17. 15 Knowledge is the great promise of the New Covenant Ier. 31. 34. We should grow in the knowledge of the truths of Christian Religion of God Christ the Sacraments Justification Sanctification and labour to get a powerful practical experimental knowledge of these truths know the power of Christs death and resurrection Phil. 3. 10. Knowledge is the first and chief part of Gods Image Col. 3. 10. See Chap. 1. 10. Growth in knowledge is rather to be reckoned by the degrees of knowledge then by the objects and matters known Prov. 4. 18. I know God and Christ more practically savingly the Covenant more distinctly Heb. 6. 14. We must not from an expectation of new light be hindered from being establisht in the present principles Secondly In faith Matth. 9. 24. Luk. 17. 5. Rom. 1. 17. because faith of all graces is most defective things in Religion are so rare and excellent and most assaulted by Satan and growth in all other graces depends on the increase of faith See Luke 17. 5. We should labour to grow in the assurance of faith Heb. 6. 14. in the exercise of it Heb 10. 38. Gal. 2 20. 1. The people of God here must live a life of holinesse as our faith is so is our conversation 2. Must bear Christs Crosse as our faith is so will our carriage be under the Crosse Iohn 11. 14. 3. They should be full of peace and joy this will be according to our faith Lastly We should search and finde out what our wants are that we would fain have supplied there what we stand in need of we partake of the body and bloud of Christ for the supply and augmentation of those graces we stand in need of Luke 18. 40. The Sacrament is a Grace-increasing Ordinance consider what graces therefore are most defective in you and come to Christ for a supply of them Quest. Whether the Communicants ought to come fasting It is superstitious to think it irreverent receiving if a man have eaten any thing before Christ instituted it after Supper The Papists take it in the morning and fasting it cannot then be called the Lords Supper since it is rather a breakfast II. Directions for our carriage in the Duty By faith
should appoint and so in the meaning of the Commandment we do now and ever must rest the seventh day for the seventh is that part in order of numbring which doth still come betwixt six having six before it and six after continually and so our day of rest hath and therefore we also rest the seventh day Indeed the period from which we take the beginning of our account is not the same but another for they did reckon from the beginning of the Creation and so forward we from the Resurrection and so forward but ours is as truly and surely the seventh as theirs though reckoned from another period and for the period from whence the count must be made we have no word at all in this precept He saith not six daies from the creation thou shalt labour and the seventh from the creation is the Sabbath of the Lord in it thou shalt do no work but six daies shalt thou labour and he saith not after the Lord blessed and sanctified the seventh day from the creation but the Sabbath day that is the seventh after six of labour Indeed the Lord by a special institution given to Adam Gen. 2. 1. had for the times before Christ appointed that they should reckon from the creation which was the cause of that special institution but this is no part of the Commandment and in that institution God did two things 1. He appointed the period from whence the seventh should be accounted which else Adam according to the Law infused into him would have taken otherwise for those ten were written in Adams heart as is signified by the writing them in Tables of Stone and calling them the Tables of the Covenant for God did not make one Covenant with Israel another with Adam but one and the same with both Indeed the Covenant made with Israel was put in the Ark to shew Christ to be the end of the Law but yet it was the same Covenant for matter and so all the parts of it were written in Adams heart But Adam looking to the Law of his heart and finding it written there as some hold I must labour six daies and rest the seventh would have begun his life with six daies labour and then in course have consecrated the seventh but the Lord by a speciall institution prevented him requiring him to begin his life with an holy rest and to sanctifie that seventh day from the Creation and so forward This was of speciall institution the assigning of that speciall date or period And in this another thing was done viz. the establishing also of the Law of sanctifying the seventh after six of labour wherefore in the reason confirming the Commandment God seemeth to have reference to this institution but so that he maketh it manifest he looked not to that period but to the number and order of the day and so saith He blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day which he had before determined to be the seventh after six of labour not the seventh day as it is said in the words of that institution And the Lords reason is not this What day I rested that thou must rest but I rested the seventh from the Creation therefore so must thou but thus What day I upon occasion of my labouring six and resting the seventh did blesse and sanctifie that day thou must rest But I upon occasion of my so labouring and resting did blesse and sanctifie the Sabbath day that is the seventh after six of labour indefinitely as the words before expresse not from the creation onely Therefore thou must remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it So then this reason I take to be fully answered And for our better satisfaction we must know that we keep the Sabbath just according to this Commandment word for word in that we labour six and rest the seventh and so must do to the worlds end but that we have taken up a new reckoning from a new period even the resurrection we have it from Christs appointment as is plainly shewed us because this day is called the Lords day that is the day which he appointed to be kept constantly This name of the day shews the Authour of the day the Lord and the end the remembrance of him our Lord as the Lords Supper by that name is signified to be also from him and to him And so by the wisdome of God it cometh to passe that because men do labour six and rest the seventh we do eternize the memorial of the Creation according to this fourth Commandment and because we reckon from the resurrection we do also eternize the memorial of that work which is greater then the creation We must not think any thing more to be commanded then what the words do set down expresly or intimate Now neither expresly nor by any necessary consequence or intimation are we pointed to a set period of numbring or to a seventh from this or that date but alone to the seventh after six of labour As for the period it being established by the institution mentioned Gen. 3. no question needed to arise about that If any still argue That day which God did rest blesse and sanctifie is here commanded But God did rest blesse sanctifie the seventh day from the Creation ergo that is here ratified We answer That the Proposition is to be understood with limitation The same day which God did rest blesse and sanctifie the same for order and number not the same for the period or point from whence the number is beginning For so himself doth shew his meaning to be in that he insists upon this order and number saying Six daies shalt thou labour the seventh shalt thou do no work and doth not once mention the period from the Creation as he could and would have done had that been his intention Now the same point concerning the perpetuity of this Law is confirmed plainly by S. Iames Iam. 2 9. where he saith He that keepeth the whole Law and faileth in one point is guilty of all Whence I reason the whole Law and every point of it was of force when S. Iames wrote this Epistle for how can a man break a Law that is abrogated or be guilty of all by breaking any one point if the whole be not and each part equally in force Now this Epistle was written by S. Iames to those which lived under the Gospel wherefore at that time and to those persons the whole Law and each part of it was in force And if any doubt grow what S. Iames meaneth by the Law it is plain he meaneth the Decalogue or ten Commandments thus He that speaketh of a whole Law and after instanceth in particular members of the Law must needs mean the whole number of Precepts whereof those two brought in for instance are members and parts Now for instance S. Iames brings in two members of the Decalogue ergo by the whole Law and each point he must needs mean the Decalogue and
free gathering of Churches I would wish such to weigh well what M. Baxter hath in his Christian Concord pag. 34. to 4â— For the judgement of divers Reformed Divines holding the Pope to be Antichrist see Vigniers Preface to that excellent Book of his entituled Theatre De L'Antichrist and M. Prinns Canterburian Doom p. 277 278 279. if that be true which I heard from the Professour of Divinity in the University out of the Pulpit Bellarmine saith That since that Doctrine prevailed amongst us that the Pope was Antichrist that they have been of the losing hand I wonder then why some of our Divines should speak and write so warily that way I might adde divers things to that I speak there of the Iesuites and Monks The Dominicans come nearer us then the Fraciscans Friar Francis is highly commended by the Papists for three notable acts First For gathering Worms out of the way Secondly For calling all manner of beasts as Worms and Asses his Brethren Thirdly For taking lice off beggars and putting them on himself yea into his own bosom See Lewis Owens running Register his unmasking of all Popish Monks and Iesuites and also his Speculum Jesuiticum In the seventh Book I speak of Our Union with Christ and the special Benefits by him Adoption John 1. 12. Iustification Act. 13. 38 39. Sanctification 1 Thess. 4. 1. Col. 2. 13. Rom. 12. 9. to the end 1 Cor. 13. 4 5 6 7. Gal. 5. 22 23 24. Ephes. 6. 14. to 19. Philippians 4. 4. to the 9. In the eighth of the Ordinances where I shew the need of them for the ablest Christians here and maintain the several Ordinances For that of Baptism Why should the Priviledge of Infants under the Gospel be straighter then it was under the Law Or actual Faith be more required in all that are to be baptized then it was in those that were to be circumcised when Cirlumcision as well as our Baptism was a Sacrament of Admission into the Church and a Sign and Seal of the righteousnesse of Faith Rom. 4. 11. In the ninth Book I speak of the Decalogue where I acknowledge I have received much help from a Manuscript of M. Wheatleys for the four first Commandments and of M. Bals for the first See M. Caudries second part of the Sabbath In the last I treat of Glorification Mat. 25. 46. 2 Cor. 5. 10. See an excellent Sermon of Master Thomas Goodwins of this Argument stiled The Happinesse of the Saints in Glory on Rom. 8. 18. I have not only gone over the several Heads of Positive Divinity but I have likewise handled many if not most of the chief Controversies betwixt Us and the Papists the Arminians Socinians and also discussed several things about Church-Government to make it more full and generally usefull to settle men in the main Truths It is reported of David Paraeus That his labour was bestowed in polishing the body of Christian Doctrine collected by Zachary Ursine and that he desired not to die till he had finished that task but when he had concluded it he joyfully uttered these words Now Lord suffer thy servant to depart in peace because I have done that which I desired I have cause to bless God as for that good esteem which my other Labours have generally found amongst both learned and pious Christians so for enabling me to accomplish this great work Some may perhaps blame me for gleaning some notions from such as I hear as well as from the Authors I reade To that I might say Habes confitentem sed non reum I know no such guilt in it if I do make use sometimes of some special Observations I hear from the Pulpit though I hear often the same things from several persons Some hold that a mans Sermon is no longer his own when he hath preached it and I think the ears as well as the eyes are senses of Discipline Besides many Divines and some Rabbies though I had but harsh language from one Divine have acknowledged themselves beholding to me for my Labours therefore I hope none will grudge if I do likewise benefit my self and also others by my Collections in that kinde I pray God to guide us all in the truth and to preserve us from Apostasie in these declining dayes Thy hearty Well-willer EDWARD LEIGH Imprimatur Iune 15th 1653 EDMUND CALAMY PROLEGOMENA Hebrews VI. I. THe Apostle chides the Hebrews in the former Chapter for their ignorance and uncapablenesse of Divine Mysteries from vers 11. to the end He tels them they were dull of hearing and that their ignorance was affected they might for their time and means have been teachers and yet now they must be taught and which is strange the very principles of the word of God Here in the beginning of this Chapter he earnestly exhorts them to increase both in knowledge and obedience Leaving The Apostle alludes to men running a race they leave one place and go on forward we must leave the principles of Religion that is not stick there but passe on to a greater perfection The Apostle hath reference to the Schools of the Iews where he was trained up there were two sorts of Schollers 1. Punies or petties 2. Proficients Perfectists Six Principles are named as so many Heads and Common-places of the ancient Catechism not but that there were many other necessary principles yet they might be reduced to these 1. Two main duties that is 1. The Doctrine of Repentance from dead works that every man is dead in sinne by nature and therefore had need to repent 2. The Doctrine of Faith in God in his Nature as manifested in the Word and revealed in Christ. 2. Two means 1. The Doctrine of Baptisms by which in the Plural Number he means both the Sacraments and also the inward Baptism of Christ and that outward Baptism of Iohn that is to say of the Minister though some referre it to the set times of Baptism 2. The Imposition or laying on of hands that is by a Trope or borrowed speech the Ministery of the Church upon the which hands were laid not the Sacrament of Confirmation as à Laâ—ide expounds it So Cartwright in his Harmony See M. Gillespies Miscel. cap. 3. pag. 47 48. and M. Cartw. Rejoynd p. 278. 3. Two Benefits Resurrection of the dead that the same numerical body shall arise again that it dies not with the body and eternal judgement so called metonymically because in that Judgement sentence shall be given concerning their eternal state either in weal or woe Vide Grot. in Matth. 26. 45. Not laying again the foundations Three things are required in a foundation 1. That it be the first thing in the building 2. That it bear up all the other parts of the building 3. That it be firm and immoveable Simply and absolutely in respect of all times persons and things Christ only is the foundation upon which the spiritual building of the Church is
329 Chap. 11. Signs of a Christian in regard of sin and that great corruptions may be found in true Christians Pag. 332 Chap. 12. Two Questions resolved about sin Pag. 335 Chap. 13. Of the Saints care to preserve themselves from sin and especially their own iniquities Pag. 336 Chap. 14. Of the cause of forbearing sinne of abhorring it and of small sins Pag. 338 Chap. 15. Of some particular sins and especially of Ambition Apostacy Backsliding Blasphemy Boasting Bribery Pag. 339 Chap. 16. Of carnal confidence Covetousness Cruelty Cursing Pag. 348 Chap. 17. Of Deceit Distrust Divination Division Drunkennesse Pag. 352 Chap. 18. Of Envy Error Flattery Gluttony Pag. 357 Chap. 19. Of Heresie Hypocrisie Idleness Impenitence Injustice Intemperance Pag. 361 Chap. 20. Of Lying Malice Murmuring Oppression Pag. 366 Chap. 21. Of Perjury Polygamy Pride Pag. 368 Chap. 22. Of Railing Rebellion Revenge Scandall Schism Pag. 372 Chap. 23. Of Sedition Self-love Self-seeking Slander Pag. 377 Chap. 24. Of Tale-bearing Vain-glory Violence Unbelief Unkindness Unsetledness Unthankefulness Usury Pag. 381 Chap. 25. Of Witchcraft Pag. 387 BOOK V. Of Mans Recovery by CHRIST Chap. 1. Of Mans Recovery Pag. 389 Chap. 2. Of Christ. I. His Person Pag. 394 Chap. 3. Of Christs being Man Pag. 396 Chap. 4. Of Christs Offices Pag. 404 Chap. 5. Of Christs double state of Humiliation and Exaltation Pag. 424 Chap. 6. Of Christs Exaltation Pag. 438 BOOK VI. Of the Church the Spouse of Christ and Antichrist the great enemy of Christ. Chap. 1. Of the Church of Christ. Pag. 447 Chap. 2. Of Pastors Pag. 454 Chap. 3. Of Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction and Government Pag. 466 BOOK VII Of our Union and Communion with Christ. Chap. 1. Of our Union with Christ. Pag. 485 Chap. 2. Of Effectual Vocation Pag. 489 Chap. 3. Of Conversion and Free-will Pag. 491 Chap. 4. Of Saving Faith Pag. 499 Chap. 5. Of the Communion and Fellowship Beâ—ievers have with Christ and their Benefits by him specially of Adoption Pag. 510 Chap. 6. Of Iustification Pag. 512 Chap. 7. Of the parts and terms of Iustification Remission of sins and Imputation of Christs Righteousness Pag. 519 Chap. 8. Of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness Pag. 522 Chap. 9. Whether one may be certain of his Iustification Pag. 524 Chap. 10. Whether Faith alone doth justify Pag. 528 Chap. 11. Of Sanctification Pag. 530 Chap. 12. The parts of Sanctification are two Mortification and Vivification I. Mortification Pag. 535 Chap. 13. II. Of Vivification Pag. 537 Chap. 14. The Sanctification of the Whole Soul and Body Pag. 540 Chap. 15. Of the Sanctification of the Will Pag. 542 Chap. 16. Of the Sanctification of the Conscience Pag. 544 Chap. 17. Sanctification of the Memory Pag. 546 Chap. 18. Sanctification of the Affections Pag. ib. Chap. 19. Of the particular Affections Pag. 549 Chap. 20. I. Of the Simple Affections Pag. 551 Chap. 21. II. Of Love and Hatred Pag. 555 Chap. 22. II. Desire and Flight Pag. 558 Chap. 23. Ioy and Sorrow Pag. 561 Chap. 24. Of Sorrow Pag. 565 Chap. 24. Of Hope and Fear I. Of Hope Pag. 568 Chap. 25. II. Of Fear and some mixed affections Pag. 571 Chap. 27. Of the sensitive Appetite Pag. 579 Chap. 28. Of the Sanctification of mans body and all the external Actions Pag. 580 Some special Graces deciphered Pag. 584 BOOK VIII Of Ordinances or Religious Duties Chap. 1. Something general of the Ordinances Pag. 605 Chap. 2. Of ordinary religious Duties first Of Hearing the Word Pag. 607 Chap. 3. Of Singing Psalms Pag. 609 Chap. 4. Of Prayer Pag. 611 Chap. 5. The sorts and kindes of Prayer Pag. 625 Chap. 6. Of the Lords Prayer Pag. 637 Chap. 7. Of the Sacraments Pag. 655 Chap. 8. Of Baptism Pag. 662 Chap. 9. Of the Lords Supper Pag. 678 Chap. 10. Of the Masse Pag. 700 Chap. 11. Of extraordinary religious Duties Fasting Feasting and Vows I. Of Fasting Pag. 735 Chap. 12. II. Holy Feasting or religious Thanksgiving Pag. 739 Chap. 13. Of a Religious Vow Pag. 740 BOOK IX Of the Moral Law Chap. 1. Some things general of the Commandments Pag. 749 And the ten Commandments in so many Chapters following BOOK X. Of Glorification Chap. 1. Of the General Resurrection Pag. 857 Chap. 2. Of the Last Iudgement Pag. 859 Chap. 3. Of Hell or Damnation Pag. 864 Chap. 4. Of Everlasting Life Pag. 868 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE Scriptures CHAP. I. Of Divinity in General IN the Preface or Introduction to Divinity six things are to be considered 1. That there is Divinity 2. What Divinity is 3. How it is to be taught 4. How it may be learnt 5. Its opposites 6. The Excellency of Divine Knowledge I. That there is Divinity That is a Revelation of Gods will made to men is proved by these Arguments 1. From the natural light of Conscience in which we being unwilling many footsteps of heavenly Knowledge and the divine Will are imprinted 2. From the supernatural light of Grace for we know that all Divine Truths are fully revealed in Scripture 3. From the nature of God himself who being the chiefest good and therefore most Diffusive of himself must needs communicate the Knowledge of himself to reasonable creatures for their Salvation Psal. 119. 68. 4. From the end of Creation for God hath therefore made reasonable creatures that he might be acknowledged and celebrated by them both in this life and that which is to come 5. From common Experience for it was alwayes acknowledged among all Nations that there was some Revelation of Gods will which as their Divinity was esteemed holy and venerable whence arose their Oracles and Sacrifices II. What Divinity is The Ambiguity of the Word is to be distinguished Theology or Divinity is two-fold either first Archetypal or Divinity in God of God himself by which God by one individual and immutable act knows himself in himself and all other things out of himself by himself Or second Ectypal and communicated expressed in us by Divine Revelation after the Patern and Idea which is in God and this is called Theologia de Deo Divinity concerning God which is after to be defined It is a Question with the Schoolmen Whether Divinity be Theoretical or Practical Utraque sententia suos habet autores But it seems saith Wendeline rather to be practical 1. Because the Scripture which is the fountain of true Divinity exhorts rather to practice then speculation 1 Tim. 1. 5. 1 Cor. 8. 3. 13. 2. Iam. 1. 22 25. Revel 23. 24. hence Iohn so often exhorts to love in his first Epistle 2. Because the end of Divinity to which we are directed by practical precepts is the glorifying of God and the eternal salvation of our souls and bodies or blessed life which are principally practical Wendeline means I conceive that the blessed life in Heaven is spent practically which yet seems to be otherwise Peter du Moulin in his Oration in the praise of Divinity thus
Epithete The holy Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15. The Scriptures of the Prophets Rom. 16. 26. Some think that Enoch the seventh from Adam wrote but Iude 14. speaketh only of his prophesying which might rather be by word of mouth then writing because our Saviour citing Scripture ever gives the first place to Moses and undertaking by the Scriptures to prove himself to be the Messiah that he ought to suffeâ— began at Moses Luke 24. 27. No doubt if there had been any more ancient then Moses our Saviour would have alledged it because all the Scripture that was before him was to give testimony of him The Author of the Scriptures was God himself they came from him in a special and peculiar manner commonly called inspiration which is an act of Gods Spirit immediately imprinting or infusing those notions into their brains and those phrases and words by which the notions were uttered 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by Divine inspiration or by inspiration of God Prophecy came not of old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved or carried by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. They did not write these things of their own heads but the Spirit of God did move and work them to it and in it 2 Sam. 23. 2. The spirit of the Lord spake by me that is did immediately guide me and tell me what matter to utter and in what words Stephen saith they resisted the Holy Ghost when they did disobey the Scriptures The Holy Ghost by the mouth of David and the mouth of Isaiah spake Acts 1. 16. 4. 25. 28. 25. The Inscriptions of many Prophetical Books and Epistles Apostolical run thus The word of the Lord which come to Hosea Amos Ioel Paul Peter Iames a servant of God and an Apostle of Christ. The Proeme that is set before divers Prophecies is this Thus saith the Lord and the Prophets inculcate that speech The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it because they would take off the thoughts of the people from their own persons and lift them up to consideration of God the chief Author It is all one to say The Scripture saith Rom. 4. 3. 10. 11. 11. 2. Gal. 4. 30. 1 Tim. 5. 10. and God saith Rom. 9. 25. Heb. 4. 3. 8. 5. 13. 5. and the word Scripture is put for God speaking in the Scripture The Scripture saith to Pharaâ—h Rom. 9. 7. and The Scripture hath shut up all men under sin Galat. 3. 22. for which in another place God hath shut up Rom. 11. 32. All other disciplines were from God and every truth whosoever speaks it is from the Holy Ghost but the Scripture in a singular manner is attributed to the Holy Ghost he immediately dictated it to the Holy men of God The efficient principall cause then of the Scripture was God the ten Commandments of which most of the rest is an exposition were written after a secret and unutterable manner by God himself therefore they are called the writings of God Exod. 32. 16. Secondly all the rest which was written though men were the instruments was done by his appointment and assistance Exod. 17. 14. â—sai 8. 1. Ier. 30 2. The Scripture is often attributed to the Holy Ghost as the Author and no mention is made of the Pen-men Heb. 10. 15. The Prophets and Apostles were the Pen-men of the Scripture whose Calling Sending and Inspiration was certainly Divine for whatsoever they taught the Church of God or left in writing they learned not before in the Schools 1 Cor. 2. 13. The Divine Authority of the Word may be defined a certain dignity and excellency of the Scripture above all other sayings or writings whatsoever whereby it is perfectly true in word and sense it deserves credit in all sayings narrations of things past present and to come threatnings and promises and as superiour doth binde to obedience if it either forbid or command any thing 1 Tim. 1. 15. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Iohn 5. 39. Heb. 6. 18. Rom. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 10. 5 6. 13. 3. 12. 12. Gal. 1. 1 12 13. though the things in mans judgement seem unlike or incredible or the Commandments hard and foolish to the carnal minde Hereticks have laboured to prove their corrupt and damnable opinions out of the Scripture and have received some books if not all as Divine The Turks at this day so esteem the five books of Moses as they will kisse such patches of Paper as they finde having any part thereof written in the same Aristaeus an Heathen when he had determined to have disputed against Scripture confesseth that he was forbidden by God in a dream Plato is termed Moses Atticus Moses speaking Greek The holy Scripture in it self is Divine and Authentical though no man in the world should so acknowledge it as the Sun in it self were light though all the men in the world were blinde and could not or would not see it but in respect of us it is Divine and Authentical when it is acknowledged and esteemed so to be The Scripture is the word of God written by holy men as they were inspired by the holy Ghost divinely containing all Divine Truth necessary to salvation for the edification and instruction of Gods Church thereunto and for the glory of God The holy Scriptures are that Divine Instrument and means by which we are taught to believe what we ought touching God and our selves and all creatures and how to please God in all things unto eternal life Robins Essayes 8th Observ. Divines have given almost fourty several Arguments to prove the Scriptures to be the word of God That the Scriptures were from God may appear by several Reasons 1. Intrinsecal taken out of the Scriptures themselves 2. Extrinsecal acts of God and works of providence about them 1. Intrinsecal 1. From the excellency of their matter which is heavenly the divine and supernatural matter contained in it It telleth us of such things as do far exceed the reach of mans reason and which it was impossible for any man to counterfeit and feign and which being told are so correspondent to reason that no man can see just cause to call them into question as the Doctrine of Creation of all things in six dayes the Doctrine of the fall of our first Parents the Story of the Delivering Israel out of Aegypt of the Delivering of the Law and ten Commandments the Doctrine of the incarnation of Christ Jesus of the Resurrection of the dead of the last Judgement of the life to come and of the Immortality of the soul for though this last was taught also by Philosophers yet it is so doubtfully and unperfectly handled by them in comparison of the delivering thereof in Scripture that it is apparent it was another Spirit which guided the teachers of it here then they were guided withall What Angel
most unjust means extort money from Gojim that is the Gentiles Paulus Fagius in his Annotat. on Deut. 17. 17. Scripture Arguments are the chiefest to convince an unbeliever Christ by divers Arguments Iohn 5. labours to convince the Jews that he was the Messiah promised 1. Iohn bare witnesse of him vers 33. 2. His works bare witnesse of him verse 36. 3. The Father did bear witnesse of him vers 37. 4. He produceth the Testimony of the Scriptures vers 39. They are they which testifie of me Will you not believe Iohn my miracles my Word from Heaven then believe the written Word If we believe not the Testimomy of Scripture nothing will convince us though one rise from the dead nor Christ himself if he were here in the flesh and should preach unto us Ioh. 5. ult The Lord in executing of his Judgements commmonly observes proportion and retaliation Antichrist is the greatest opposite to Gods Law and Word he is called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 2. 8. The lawlesse one He is without Law above Law against Law He abuseth Scripture takes upon him to judâ—â— and interpret Scripture therefore it shall be his ruine 2 Thess. 2. 8. God shall destroy him with the Spirit of his mouth id est Verbo suo Beza God hath consecrated the Word to this purpose the end of it is not only to save but destroy being the savour of death to some and it is a fit instrument for such a work Antichrists strength is in mens consciences only this will pierce thither Heb. 4. 12. God useth the Word for the destruction of Antichrist these wayes 1. It discovers him his doctrine his errors 2. It hardens him 3. It condemneth him and passeth sentence against him CHAP. III. II. The Books of Scripture FRom the Divine â—lows the Canonical Authority of the Scripture The books of Scripture are called Canonical books say some from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is used 2 Cor. 10. 13. Phil. 3. 16. Gal. 6. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mark the double Emphasis this notable Canon because they were put into the Canon by the Universal Church and acknowledged to be divinely inspired by it and also are made a perfect Canon or Rule of all Doctrine concerning Religion Credendorum agendorum of Faith and Manners of all things which are to be believed or done toward salvation But Cameron thinks it is not termed Canonical because it is a Rule for that book saith he is called Canonical which is put into the Catalogue which the Ancients called a Canon of those writings which are esteemed Divine Becanus saith They are called Canonical both because they contain a Rule which we ought to follow in faith and manners and because they are put into the Catalogue of Divine books The Conditions of a Canon are these 1. It must contain Truth or be an expresse Form and Image of Truth which is in the Divine minde 2. It must be commanded sanctified and confirmed by Divine Authority that it may be a Canon to us in the Church These books were sanctified either commonly all of both Testaments by the Testimony of the Spirit and Church and Canon it self or the books of the Old Testament were specially and singularly confirmed by Word Signs and Event as the Pentateuch but the Prophetical books and Hagiographa before their carrying into Babylon by extraordinary sign the Cloud and Veil in the Temple 1 King 8. 10. Levit. 16. 2. and Gods answer by Ephod Urim and Thummim Exod. 28. 30. after their carrying away into Babylon by singular testimonies of events The books of the New Testament are confirmed by the Son of God revealed in flesh by his sayings and deeds Heb. 1. 2. and by the powerful Ministry of the Apostles by Signs Vertues and Miracles Mark 16. 20. There is a three-fold Canon in the Church Divine Ecclesiasticall and False The Divine Canon is that which properly and by it self is called the Word of God immediately inspired of God into the Prophets and Apostles This according to the divers times of the Church is distinguished into the Old and New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6 14. this is a common division of the sacred Bible among Christians as in the version of Tremellius and Iunius Testamenti veteris novi Biblia sacra and the Geneva gives that Title to their Bible La Bible qui est toute la Saincte Escriture du viâ—l noveau Testament Augustine thinks they are better called Vetus novum Instrumentum Heinsius Grotius Vetus novum Foedus Vide Grotii Annotat. in libros Evangelii A Covenant is an Agreement between two a Testament is the Declaration of the Will of one It is called in regard of the Form Convention and Agreement between God and man a Covenant in regard of the manner of confirming it a Testament For 1. In a Testament or last Will the Testators minde is declared so is the Will of God in his Word therefore it is called a Testimony often Psal. 19. and 119. 2. Here is a Testator Christ a Legacy eternal life Heirs the Elect a Writing the Scripture Seals the Sacraments 3. Because it is ratified by the death of Christ Heb. 9. 16 17. The Books of the Old Testament are the holy Scriptures given by God to the Church of the Jews shewing them what to believe and how God would be worshipped The New Testament containeth the books which treat of salvation already exhibited and Christ already come in the flesh All the books of the Old Testament were written originally in Hebrew because they were committed unto the Hebrews Rom. 3. 2. except what Daniel and Ezra wrote in the Chaldee The Jewish Church receiving them from God kept them and delivered them to Posterity Many grave Authors hold That the Hebrew was the first Tongue and Mother of all the rest and it may probably be collected from the names of our first Parents It was called Hebrew saith Erpenius not from Heber of the Posterity of Shem as Iosephus Ierom and others think when it is manifest that he rather spake Chaldee then Hebrew because Abraham the Patriarch which drew his original from him was a Chaldean but it was so called saith Erpenius as all the Rabbins Origen and others testifie from the Hebrews which people arose from Canaan It is honoured with the Title of the Holy Tongue saith the same Erpenius because the most holy God spoke it to his Prophets delivered his holy Will written in it to the Church and because it is very probable from the opinion of great men that holy men shall use it with God hereafter in Heaven Vide Buxtorfium de Linguae Hebraeae origine Antiquitate Sanctitate There are many Hebraisms also in the New Testament many words and phrases rather used according to the manner of the Hebrews then the Greeks by which it is manifest that the same Spirit was
little after him Capellus lib. 1. de punctorum Hebraicorum antiquitatecap 1. Helvicus de Chaldaicis Paraphrasibus cap. 2. Vide Paulii Fagii Praefat. in Paraphrast Chald. Vide Buxtorf de punctorum Antiquitate origine parte 1. c. 10. Rabbi Ioseph coecus saith Galatinus de Arcan Cathol verit lib. 8. cap. 17. flourished almost 340 years after Christ suffered Ionathan saith Broughtoâ— was no lesse ancient then the holy Apostles These Paraphrases among the Jews saith Helvicus sunt autoritatis plane aequalis ipsi Scripturae Hebraicae neque fas habent illis contradicere Quorum Paraphrasin nemo doctus non suspicit saith Capellus of Onkelos and Ionathan The Jews write that Ionathan received his Doctrine of the Targum from Zachary Haggai and Malachi the Prophets Onkelos his from Rabbi Elieser and Rabbi Ioshua which also themselves received them from the Prophets They write that Ionathan interpreting the Scripture all Palestina was shaken with an Earthquake and a voice heard from heaven Quis est iste qui filiis hominum Arcana mea revelat Also that if by chance a flie or any other flying thing should have fallen upon him or his paper whilst he was writing this work they would presently have been burnt from Heaven without hurting him or the paper The use of these Paraphrases are very great 1. To illustrate the Hebrew Text by circumstances or a more full explication of it 2. To confirm the integrity of the Hebrew Text Gen. 3. 15. 3. In controversies against the Jews In controversiis Iudaicis praecipuum robur obtinent saith Helvicus The Chaldee Paraphrasts Gen. 49. 10. both of them most excellently expound the place which themselves understood not being like therein to Virgils Bees which make Honey for others and not themselves First Onkelos interpreteth it in this manner A Magistrate exercising authority of the house of Iudah shall not depart nor a Scribe of his Posterity for ever till Christ come to whom the Kingdom pertaineth and him shall the people obey The other called the Interpreter of Ierusalem thus Kings of the house of Iudah shall not fail neither skilfull Law-teachers of his posterity unto the time wherein the King Christ shall come unto whom the Kingdom pertaineth and all the Kingdoms of the Earth shall be subdued unto him If Christ came when authority was gone and authority went away at Ierusalems fall needs must one coming of Christ be referred to the overthrow of that City The Talmudici and later Rabbins Rabbi Sal. Iarchi Rabbi Dav. Kimchi expound it of the Messiah as Buxtorf shews There are many profitable explications in that Paraphrase on the Pentateuch but it is too late to be of authentick Authority and the other Chaldee Paraphrases that excepted are besprinkled with Jewish Fables and Thalmudique toyes The third Paraphrase hath not expounded all the Hagiographal Books For there was never seen any Targum upon Chronicles nor Daniel nor Ezra peradventure because much of the Chronicles was expounded in the Books of the Kings and a great part of Daniel and Ezra were written in Chaldee that there was no need of a new Paraphrase Onkelos his Paraphrase seldom merits that name being indeed commonly nothing but a rigid version Cudworths Discourse concerning the notion of the Lords Supper Chap. 3. The third Targum of the Pentateuch is named Hieerosolymitanum either from the 〈…〉 Seventy 〈…〉 〈…〉 ommandment were the Authors 〈…〉 years after the death of the Author of Nehemiah 〈…〉 before Christ. They are said to be 72 Elders chosen 〈…〉 are commonly called Seventy although they were Se 〈…〉 sheweth where he speaks of their Edition as the 〈…〉 hundred and five Ptolomeus Philadelphus the most learned of 〈…〉 had made a Library at Alexandria which he stored with many 〈…〉 Books and understanding that the Divine Books of the Prophets full â—â— all good Doctrine were kept amongst the Jews written in their Tongue by â—â—e motion of Demetrius Phalerius the best Grammarian of that age whom Ptolomy had appointed the Library-keeper he requested of Eleazar the High-Priest of the Jews those Books and Interpreters then Seventy two Elders of all the Tribes of Israel were sent unto them All the Latine Translations of the Bible except that of Ierom were made from it The Evangelists followed the version of the Seventy in many things which was in the hands of many and of great Authority amongst the Hellenists when they might do it without much swerving from the sense of the Prophets both to shew their Liberty and that in things indifferent and of little consequence they would not give occasion of cavil to the wicked noâ— of scandal to the weak Rainold in lib. Apoc. The LXX Interpreters do manifestly swerve from the Hebrew truth in reckoning of years for Gen. 5. they say that Mâ—thuselâ—h was more then 16â— years old wheâ— he begat Lamâ—ch so that of necessity they make him live fourteen years after the floud which is false for then were nine souls saved contrary to â—en 〈◊〉 Vidâ— Capeâ— Critic Sac. l. 4. c 14 The Syriack Translation of the New Testamentâ— comes next to be considere◠〈◊〉 is Ancient yet it is not certain who wâ—s the Author thereof noâ— in what time iâ— was made though Chamâ—er thinks a little after Christs time the great eleganâ—â— and purity of speech doth shew 〈◊〉 it is â—nâ—ient It is probabâ—e thâ—â— iâ—â—â—s madâ— about the beginning of the Christian Church because the second of Peter with the second and third of Iohn Iude the Revelation are left out which though they were written by Inspiration yet they were questioned by Ecclesiastical Writers because they were omitted by the Syriack Translator It is very profitable for the understanding of the Greek Testament It well interprets those Greek words Matth. 6. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per panem indigentiae nostrae and that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 16. 22. The Syriack hath two words Maran Atha which signifie our Lord cometh The Papists endeavour to establish their Administration of the Lords Supper under one kinde from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 11. 20. but that word is generally used for the whole action of the Sacrament viz. the distribution of the Bread and Wine The Syriack so renders it Comedentes vos bibentes Andreas Masius in his Syriack Grammar saith That the Syrians do not write Sinistrorsum toward the left-hand as the Hebrews nor Dextrorsum toward the right-hand as the Greeks and Latines but Deorsum downward which manner of writing it is probable was then observed by Christ Ioh. 8. 6. because at that time the Jews used the Syriack tongue The New Testament in Syriack is in Latine of Trostius his Edition the Revelation was Dieu's Edition the later Epistle of Peter and two Epistles of Iohn and that of Iude are M. Pococks Edition It is manifest that Christ and his Apostles spake in the Syriack Tongue
must not understand the Apostle as if he commanded us to be Temporizers or to apply our selves to the corrupt customs and manners of the times but to keep time in all our actions and do them in the fittest season as Col. 4. 5. Ephes. 5. 16. Object Erasmus the best Translator of all the later by the judgement of Beza saith That the Greek sometimes hath superfluities corruptly added to the Text of holy Scripture as Matth. 6. the Doxology For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever He calleth these words trifles rashly added to the Lords Prayer and reprehends Valla for blaming the old vulgar Latine because it hath them not Tertullian Cyprian Ambrose Ierom and Augustine do expound the Lords Prayer and yet make no mention of these words Beza confesseth it to be Magnifiâ—um illam quidem longè sanctissimam a most high and holy form of expression sed irrepsisse in contextum quae in vetustissimus aliquot codicibus Graecis desit it is not to be found in that vetustissimus codex by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge that Copy perhaps was corrupted by the Hereticks It is not presently trifles whatsoever Erasmus or any other man shall reject out of the Greek Copy under that name and yet they do Erasmus wrong to say that he called that part of the Lords Prayer trifles absolutely for he stiles it so conditionally if it be not part of the Ancient Text. 2. If Erasmus had understood that that passage had been taken out of the Book of Chronicles written by the pen of the holy Ghost he would no doubt have taken heed how he had called this conclusion of the Lords Prayer Trifles for it appeareth manifestly that this sentence was borrowed from David 1 Chron. 29. 11. with some abridgment of the Prophets words 3. That cannot be superfluous without the which we should not have had a perfect form of Prayer for since Prayer standeth as well in praising of God and thanksgiving as in petitions and requests to be made unto him it is evident that if this conclusion had been wanting there had wanted a form of that Prayer which standeth in praise and thanksgiving 4. If to give a substantial reason of that which goeth before be superfluous then this conclusion may be so 5. For confirmation of this reading we may alledge besides the consent of the Greek Copies the Syrian interpretation which is very Ancient Chrysostom Theophylact and Euthymius expound it The Lords Prayer in Luke is perfect in respect of the Petitions yet nothing hindereth but that in Matthew might be added the confirmation and conclusion Matthew hath many other things in his Gospel which Luke hath not Salmeron reproves Cajetan for calling this Multiloquium since there is a notable confession of four Properties of God his Kingdom Power Glory and Eternity I should now shew That neither the Translation of the Seventy nor of the Vulgar Latine are Authentical but there are two Questions of great moment first to be discussed The first is Whether any Books of the Scripture be lost The second Whether the Scripture of the Old Testament was punctata from the beginning To the first Question That we may give a right answer we must distinguish of the Books of Scripture some were Historical Ethical or Physical others Dogmatical The former might perish and fall away but not the later Therefore that common Objection of divers Books mentioned in the Old Testament whereof we finde none so entituled in the Canon thereof is easily answered Either they were Civil and Commonwealth Stories whether the Reader is referred if it like him to reade the Stories more at large which the Prophets touched shortly or else they are contained in the Books of the Kings which are manifesâ—ly proved to be written by divers Prophets in their several ages wherein they prophesied Salomons Books which he wrote of general Philosophy fell away but all the other Books of the Scripture do still remain First They are all of God all whose works remain for ever therefore the holy Scriptures being not only his handy-work but as it were the chief and Master-work of all other must have a continual endurance Secondly They all are written generally for our instruction and more particularly for Admonition and Warning for Comfort and Consolation unlesse we will say that God may be deceived in his Purpose and End wherefore he ordained them it must needs be that it must continue whatsoever hath been written in that respect Thirdly If the Lord have kept unto us the whole Book of Leviticus and in it the Ceremonies which are abolished and whereof there is now no practice because they have a necessary and profitable use in the Church of God * how much more is it to be esteemed that his providence hath watched over other Books of the Scripture which more properly belong unto our times Fourthly Let us hear the Scripture it self witnessing of its own Authority and Durableness to all Ages Moses thus writeth of it The secret and hidden things remain to the Lord our God but the things that are revealed to us and our children for ever David also professeth That he knew long before that the Lord had founded his testimonies for evermore But our Saviour Christs testimony is of all other most evident That Heaven and Earth shall passe but that his word cannot passe And yet more vehemently That not one jot or small letter of his Law can passe untill all be fulfilled Rom. 15. 4. therefore none of those which were written for that end are lost Origen in Praefat. in Cant. Canticorum Augustin lib. 18. de Civitate Dei cap. 38. thought it could not neither stand with the Divine Providence nor with the honour of the Church that any Canonical Books and given for such to the Church should be lost Of this opinion are many worthy modern Divines Iunius Chamierus tom 1. lib. 9. cap. 5. Polanus Wendelinus Waltherus Spanhemius Cartwright Gerardus in exegesi loci primi de Scripturasacra cap. 6. Joh. Camero Tomo 3. in Praelectionibus de verbo Dei cap. 15. Rivetus in Isagoge ad S. Script cap. 6. in summa Controversiarum Tom. 1. Tract 1. Quaest. 1. Altingius But Chrysostom and Whitaker also Bellarmine l. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 4. Gretzerus and Becanus hold that some Canonical Books are lost I rather subscribe to the judgement of the former Reverend Divines who held the contrary The second Question is Whether the Scripture of the Old Testament was punctata from the beginning or Whether the Hebrew Text had Vowels or Points from the beginning as now it hath Controversiam de punctorum antiquitate vel novitate inter viros eruditos disceptatam non attingo Sententia utraque suos habet assertores magni quidem nominis Cevalerius Buxtorfius Marinus Iunius and other very godly and learned men
2. Psalmi videntur data opera versi in contumeliam Latini Sermonis Chamier Ierom praefat in Prov. saith That he had allotted himself but three dayes for the translating of the three Books of Salomon viz. the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Canticles which yet a man will hardly be able to reade over well and exactly in a moneth by reason of the great difficulties he will there meet withall as well in the words and phrases as in the sense And neverthelesse if the pretences of the Church of Rome be true this little three dayes work hath been so happy as to be not only approved and esteemed but even canonized also by the Councel of Trent Now whether the will of God be that we should receive this Translation of his as his pure word or not I shall leave to those who have a desire and ability to examine However I dare considently affirm that Saint Hierome himself never had any the least thought or hope that ever this piece of his should one day come to this honour it being a thing not to be imagined but that he would have taken both more time and more pains in the thing if ever he had either desired or foreseen this Daille du vrai usage des Peres l. 2. c. 3. The vulgar Latine of the New Testament is no lesse corrupted then of the Old Matth. 6. 11. The English Papists at Rhemes who translated the New Testament into English not out of the Greek Text but out of the vulgar Latine reade Give us to day our super-substantial bread the Latine hath it Panem super-substantialem for Quotidianum Daily bread The Rhemists note upon the same is By this Bread so called here according to the Latine and Greek word we ask not onely all necessary sustenance for the body but much more all spiritual food viz. the blessed Sacrament it self which is Christ the true Bread that came down from Heaven and the Bread of life to us that eat his Body Our Saviour Christ which condemned vain repitition and by a form of prayer provided against the same is made here of the Jesuites to offend against his own rule for that which is contained in the second Petition they teach to be asked in the fourth Secondly They lodge in one Petition things of divers kindes and farre removed in nature spiritual and corporeal heavenly and earthly yea the creature and the Creator Thirdly Hence it should follow that he taught them expressely to ask that which he had neither instituted nor instructed them of and whereof his Disciples were utterly ignorant Salomon from whom our Saviour seemeth to have taken this Petition confirms that exposition of things tending to uphold this present life Prov. 30. 8. Lechem Chukki The Bread which is ordained for me The Jesuites will never be able to justifie the old Interpreter which translateth one word the same both in syllables and signification in one place Supersubstantial and in another viz. in Luke Quotidianum or Daily against which interpretation of his he hath all Antiquity before that Translation and some of the Papists themselves retained the words of Daily Bread Bellarm. l. 1. de bonis operibus c. 6. prefers Quotidianum and defends it against the other Tostatus applieth it to temporal things The Syriack saith Panis indigentiae vel sufficientiae nostrae Luke 1. 18. Plena gratia for gratis dilecta as Chrysostome renders it Hail Mary full of grace for freely beloved The word signifieth not any grace or vertue inherent in one but such a grace or favor as one freely vouchsafeth and sheweth to another the word retained by the Syriack in this place is Taibutha and signifieth happiness blessedness goodness bountifulnes Tremellius turneth it gratia which may and ought to be Englished favour as the Greek word signifieth and is expounded by the Angel and the Virgin Mary themselves the Angel adding in the same verse The Lord is with thee meaning by his special favour and in v. 30. saying She had found favor with God The Virgin in her thankful song magnifying the mercy of God toward her that he had so graciously looked on her in so mean estate as to make her the mother of her own Saviour after so marvellous a manner They foolishly salute her who is removed from them by infinite space and whom their Hail cannot profit being in Heaven as the salutation of the Angel did and might do whilst she was here in the vale of misery Their Alchymie also is ridiculous to make that a prayer unto her which was a prayer for her to make it daily that served in that kinde for one onely time to make it without calling which the Angel durst not do unless he had been sent Ephes. 5. 32. Vulg. Sacramentum hoc magnum est and the Rhemists This is a great Sacrament for great mystery Sacraments are mysteries but all mysteries are not properly Sacraments How can it be a Church Sacrament which hath neither element nor word of promise Secondly Sacraments are the peculiar and proper possession of the Church of Christ how can that be a Sacrament which is and lawfully may be used out of the Church amongst the Turks and Jews to whom the benefit of Matrimony cannot be denied The old Interpreter Coloss. 1. 27. translateth the same word a mystery or secret Chemnitius reckons this place among those which the Papists abuse not among the corrupted for Sacrament is the same with the Ancient Latine Divines that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is with the Greeks Chamier Heb. 11 21. The vulgar hath Iacob adoravit fastigium virgae the Rhemists adored the top of his rod whereas the words are He worshipped upon the top of his staff and not as they have falsely turned it so also doth the Syrian Paraphrast read it The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used elswhere in the New Testament for a walking staff agreeth fitly unto Iacob who being both old and sick had need to stay himself thereupon whilst he praised God Ioseph was no King and therefore had no Scepter to fall down before In the Hebrew Gen. 47. for top we read head which by a metaphor signifies the top because the head is the end and highest part of man and consequently of any thing else And for staff we now read in the Hebrew bed which fell out because the word mittah there extant pricked with other vowels signifieth a staff for in the Hebrew matteh is a staff and mitteh a bed The Septuagint whom the Apostle follows read it matteh and so translated it staff otherwise then we now read it in the Hebrew Text. If we follow the Hebrew Text as it is now extant the sense will be That Iacob because he could not raise his body out of his bed therefore he bowed his head forward upon his beds head and so worshipped God Beza speaking of the divers Latine Translations of the New Testament onely he saith of the vulgar Latine That
he followeth it for the most part and preferreth it before all the rest Maxima ex parte amplector caeteris omnibus antepono He speaks of the New Testament onely and of that Latine Translation of the New Testament in comparison of all other Latine Translations which were before him as Erasmus Castalion and such like These places may serve to shew that the vulgar Latine is corrupt no Book being entire or free from error Isidore Clarius Brixianus praefat in Biblia a great learned man of their own affirmeth That it hath 8000 places in which the sense of the Holy Ghost is changed Since the Councel of Trent two Popes have set forth this vulgar Edition diversly which of these shall be received as authentical How often do the Papists leave the vulgar in all their controversies when it is for their advantage so to do it is a matter ordinary with them and needless to be proved There is no Edition Ancienter then the Hebrew if the Latine hath been used a 1000 years in the Church the Hebrew hath been used almost 3000 years the Chaldee Arabick Syriack and Greek Editions also have been used above a 1000 years and so should be authentique by the Papists Argument Having spoken of the authority of the Scriptures the Canonical Books and the authentical Editions I now go on to treat of the end of the Scripture its adjuncts or properties fitted to that end and Interpretation of Scripture The end of the Scripture comes next to be considered of this I have spoken somewhat afore but shall now inlarge my self The end of the Scripture is considered 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of us In respect of God the end of the Scripture is a glorifying of him Iohn 7. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 6. by it we may learn to know love and fear him and so be blessed The glory of God is the chief end of all things Prov. 16. 4. In respect of us The end of the Scripture is 1. Intermediate Temporal Edification which is fitly referred to five principal uses The two first respect the minde the other three the heart will and affections It is profitable for Doctrine it serves to direct to all saving truth nothing is to be received as a truth necessary to salvation but what is proved out of Scripture Where that hath not a tongue to speak I must not have an ear to hear Hoc quia de scripturis non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur Hieron 2. Reproof or Confutation to refute all errors and heterodox opinions in Divinity By this sword of the Spirit Christ vanquished Satan Mat. 4. 4. 7. 10. by the Scripture he opposed the Jews Iohn 5. 45. 46. 47. 10. 34. by this he refuted the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 9. 13. and 22. 1. Luke 10. 25 26. 27. Matth. 19. 34. and 21. 12 13. the Sadduces Matth. 22. 29. Thus Apollus convinced the Jews who denied Jesus to be the Christ Acts 18. 28. Thus the Apostles convinced those which urged Circumcision and the observation of the Jewish Law Acts 15. 15. Hâ—reticks are to be stoned with Scripture-Arguments Lapidandi sunt Heretici sacrarum literarum argumentis Athanasius By this Austin refuted the Pelagians Irenaeus the Ualentinians Tertullian the Mareionites Athanasius the Arrians 3. Correction of iniquity setting straight that which is amiss in manners and life 4. Instruction to righteousness Instruunt Patriarchae etiam errantes Basil saith The Psalms are a common Store house and Treasury of good Instruction The Title of the 32 and some other Psalms is Maschil that is A Psalm of Instruction 5. Comfort in all troubles Psal. 19. 8. and 119. 50. and 92. the Greek word for Gospel signifieth glad-tidings The Promises are the Christians best Cordials as Gods Promises are the rule of what we must pray for in faith so they are the ground of what we must expect in comfort All things which belong to the Gospel are comfortable 1. God the Author of the Gospel and revealed in it is the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. 2. Jesus Christ the Subject of the Gospel is called Consolation in the abstract Luke 2. 25. 3. The Holy Ghost which breathes in the Gospel is called The Comforter Iohn Chap. 15. 16. 4. The Ministers or Ambassadors of the Gospel are the Messengers of peace and comfort 2. Ultimate and chiefest our Salvation and Life eternal Iohn 5. 39. and 20. 31. 2 Tim. 3. 15. It will shew us the right way of escaping hell and attaining Heaven It will shew us what to believe and practise for our present and eternal happinesse This was Gods aim in causing the Scripture to be written and we shall finde it fully available and effectual for the ends for which it was ordained by God CHAP. VIII Of the Properties of the Scripture THe properties which the Scripture must have for the former end are these It is 1. Of Divine Authority 2. True and Certain 3. The rule of Faith and Manners 4. Necessâ—ry 5. Pure and Holy 6. Sufficient and Perfect 7. Perspicuous and Plain 1. It s of Divine Authority we must believe it for its own sake It is Divine 1. In its Efficient cause and Original which is God the Father dictating in his Son declaring and publishing by his holy Spirit confirming and sealing it in the hearts of the faithful He wrote the Decalogue immediately with his own finger and commanded the whole Systeme and all the parts of Scripture to be written by his servants the Prophets and Apostles as the publique Actuaries and Pen-men thereof therefore the authority of the Scripture is as great as that of the Holy Ghost who did dictate both the matter and words Those speeches are frequent The Lord said and The mouth of the Lord hath spoken 2. In the subject matter which is truth according to godliness certain powerful of venerable antiquity joyned with a sensible demonstration of the Spirit and Divine presence and with many other things attesting its Divine Authority Whence it follows that the Authority of the Holy Scriptures is 1. Infallible which expresseth the minde and will of God to whom truth is essential and necessary 2. Supreme and Independent into which at last all faith is resolved from which it is not lawful to appeal By which singular authority the Scripture is distinguished both from all prophane and Sacred writings and Paul honors it with this Elogie A faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. A more sure word 2 Pet. 1. 19. the Comparative for the Superlative in which there is no doubting and uncertainty but all things firm As God is Iehovah of himself so is his word Authoritative of it self and is true and to be obeyed whether thou think it Scripture or no. There is no higher authority for thee to appeal to it is above opinions of men conscience and therefore it must
his Rationale Theologicum l 1. c. 3. 4 5. 8. and l. 2 c. 5. 6. and also by Daillè in his Book entituled Laâ—foy fondee sur les Sainctes Escritures 1 Partie He shews there That Christ and his Apostles and the Ancient Fathers in disputing against their Adversaries used consequences drawn from the scripture Mat. 12. 32. Acts 17. 2. 3. and 18 23. Acts 17. 3. opening and alledging St Luke there useth two words very proper for this subject the first signifies to open the other to put one thing neer another to shew that the Apostle proved his conclusions by the scriptures in clearing first the prophecies and in shewing the true sense and after in comparing them with the events the figures with the things and the shadows with the body where the light of the truths of the Gospel of it self shined forth Mat. 22. 29 31 32. He blames them for not having learned the Resurrection of the dead by this sentence of the scripture therefore they ought to have learned it Now the sentence which he alledgeth saith nothing formally and expresly of the Resurrection of the dead but infers it from what he had laid down Hic Dominum uti principiis rationis naturae adeo manifestum est ut ne Veronius quidem Magister Artis negandi negare illud possit Vedel Rat. Theol. l. â— c. 6. vide plura ibid. c. 5. The Ancient Fathers prove by consequences drawn from scripture that God the Father is without beginning against the Sabellians and that the Son is consubstantial with the Father against the Arrians that Christ hath two Natures against the Eutychians The Papists will not be able to prove their Purgatory and many other of their corrupt opinions by the express words of Scripture We shall now lay down some Propositions or Theoremes about the sufficiency of Scripture First In every Age of the Church the Lord hath revealed so much supernatural truth as was for that age necessary unto salvation his wayes he made known to Moses Psal. 103. 7. and his statutes to Israel Deut. 4. 6. Psal. 147. 20. Heb. 1. 1. Therefore that is an erroneous opinion that before the Law written men were saved by the Law of nature and in the time of the Law by the Law of Moses and since in the time of the Gospel by the Word of grace Secondly The substance of all things necessary to salvation ever since the fall of Adam hath been and is one and the same as the true Religion hath been one and unchangeable 1. The knowledge of God and Christ is the summe of all things necessary to salvation Ioh. 17. 3. Col. 2. 2. but this knowledge was ever necessary Ier. 9. 23. Act. 4. 12. the fathers indeed saw Christ more obscurely and aenigmatically we more clearly distinctly and perspicuously but yet they knew him and believed in him unto salvation as well as we Ioh. 8. 56. 2. The Covenant of grace which God made with man is an everlasting Covenant therein the Lord hath revealed himself to be one and unchangeable as in nature so in will Heb. 13. 8. Rom. 3. 29. shewing that as God is one in nature truth and constancy and that as well toward the Gentiles as toward the Jews so he would justifie both the Circumcision and Uncircumcision the Jew and the Gentile by one way of Religion that is to say through faith and belief in his Sonne Jesus Christ. 3. Christ and his Apostles professed and taught no new Religion but the same which the Scriptures of the Old Testament did before instruct Matth. 5. 17. Iohn 5. 39. Acts 10. 43. Luke 24. 25 26 27 44 45. Acts 18. 28. and 17. 7. and 26. 22. and 28. 23. Rom. 6. 26. Therefore the believing Jews and the converted Gentiles are stiled the children of faithfull Abraham being justified by Faith as Abraham was Whence we may conclude that before under and after the Law since the fall of Adam there was never but one true Catholick Religion or way to Heaven and happiness Thirdly The Word of God being uttered in old time sundry wayes was at length made known by writing the Lord stirring up and by his holy Spirit inspiring his servants to write his will and pleasure Fourthly So long as there was any truth in any Age necessary to be more fully and clearly known then was already revealed in the Books of Moses it pleased God to stirre up holy men whom he divinely inspired and sufficiently furnished to make the Truth known unto the Church thus after Moses during the time of the Law the Lord raised up Prophets who opened the perfect way of life unto the Church of the Old Testament more clearly then it was before manifested in the Books of Moses the Time and Age of the Church requiring the same The Church of the Jews in the several Ages thereof was sufficiently taught and instructed in all things necessary to Salvation by the writings of Moses and the Prophets which appears 1. In that our Saviour being asked of one What he should do that he might inherit eternal life answered What is written in the Law and Prophets How readest thou Luke 10. 25 26. and out of the Scripture he declared himself to be the Saviour of the world fore-told and promised Matth. 21. 44. and 26. 31. Luk 4. 21. and 24 25 26 27 44. Ioh. 3. 14. 2. The answer of Abraham to the rich man sending his friends to Moses and the Prophets sheweth that they sufficed to instruct the faithful Jews in all things necessary to Salvation Luk. 16. 29 30. by them they might learn how to obtain Life and escape Death when he saith Let them hear them he meaneth them only as that place is meant Mat. 17. 5. The Jews themselves acknowledged the sufficiency of those writings to lead them unto life and happiness Ioh. 5. 39. Fifthly The Prophets did expound the Law of God and speak more plainly precisely and distinctly touching the coming of the Messias then Moses did but the last full and clear Will of God touching the Salvation of man was not manifeâ—â—ed by them that was together and at once to be published and taught by the Messias who also at his coming did establish that order in the Church of God which was to continue therein for ever For 1. Christ was ordained of the Father to be the great Doctor of his Church a Prophet more excellent then the rest that were before him both in respect of his Person Office Manner of receiving his Doctrine and the excellency of the Doctrine which he delivered 2. This was well known not only among the Jews but also among the Samaritans insomuch that the woman of Samaria could say I know when the Messias is come he will tell us all things Joh. 4. 25. 3. The time wherein God spake unto us by his Sonne is called the last dayes or the last time Heb. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 20. to note that
Scripture of the New Testament and therefore the whole body of Scriptures which the Christians now have shall be Light Secondly That place Psal. 119. 130. doth not speak of the Precepts alone Of thy words by which is signified the whole Scripture in Psal. 19. David speaketh of the word of God in general which he adorneth with many Titles The Law or Doctrine of the Lord The Testimony of the Lord The Statutes of the Lord The Precepts of the Lord The Fear of the Lord It is so called Metonymically because it teacheth us the Fear and Reverence of the Lord he saith this Doctrine is perfect converts the soul and makes wise the simple therefore he understands the whole Scripture the teacher of true and perfect wisdom 2. It is called a light because it hath light in it self and because it illightneth others unless they be quite blinde or willingly turn away their eyes from this light Thirdly If the Commandments be easie the rest of the Scriptures is likewise as the Prophets and historical Books being but Commentaries and Expositions of the Decalogue That evasion of the Papists will not serve their turns That the Scripture is a Light in it self but not Quoad nos as if the Scripture were a light under a Bushell for that the Scipture is Light effectivè as well as formaliter appears by the addition Giving understanding to the simple It was a smart answer which a witty and learned Minister of the Reformed Church of Paris gave to a Lady of suspected Chastity and now revolted when she pretended the hardnesse of the Scripture why said he Madam what can be more plain then Thou shalt not commit Adultery The Scriptures and Reasons answered which the Papists bring for the obscurity of the Scripture Object 2 Pet 3. 16. Peter saith there That in the Epistles of Paul there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned aend unstable wrest as they doe also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Answ. First Peter restraineth the difficulty of Pauls writings to that point himself then wrote of touching the end of the world therefore it is unreasonable that for one hard point in the Epistles the people should be debarred the reading of all the rest Secondly Even in that point he affirmeth That some things only are hard and not all Thirdly The understanding of the Scriptures dependeth not principally on the sharpnesse of mens wits for their learning but on the Spirit of God which is given to the simple that humbly seek it by Prayer therefore though the whole Scripture were hard to be understood yet that is no good cause to bereave the people of God from reading of his Word Fourthly Peter assigning the true cause of errour and abuse of the Scripture to be the unstability and unleardnesse of such as deal with them cannot thereby be understood to speak that of the body of the Church and of the people Laurentius in his Book intituled S. Apostolus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est explicatio locorum difficilium in Epistolis Paulinis reckons up fourty hard places in Pauls Epistles Rom. 1. 19 20 28. and 2. 12 13 14 15. and 4 5. and 5 6 12 13 14 15 20. and 7. 9 14 and 8. 3 4 19 20 21 22. and 9. 3 11 12 13 18. and 11. 25 26. 1 Cor. 2. 15. 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. 1 Cor. 4. 9. and 5. 11. and 6. 2 3. 1 Cor. 7. 1 7 10 11 12 13 14 15. 1 Cor. 11. 7 10. and 15. 29 51. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. and 3. 6 15 16. Galat. 1. 8. and 2. 14. and 3. 10. 1 Thess. 4. 15 16 17. 1 Tim. 1. 9. Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and 10. 26. They say the Scriptures are difficult also in the manner of writing as well as in the matter for which they alledge Psal. 119. 18. the Eunuch and Luk. 24. 45. also the divers expositions of old and new Writers The first place is directly against them for teaching that it is the gift of Gods holy Spirit obtained by Prayer to understand the Scripture the Spirit through Prayer being as well obtained by the simple as learned sort yea rather by them then the others it followeth that the reading of them belongeth to the simple as well as unto the learned The like answer serveth for the place of Luk. 24 45. for by that abuse of the place they may wring the reading of the Scriptures from all men even Ministers of the Word commanded to attend the reading of them since they of whom they say that they understood not the Scriptures were Ministers of the Word and that in the highest and most excellent degree of Ministery in the world which was the Apostleship The cause of want of understanding then was this the Spirit of God was not given because Christ was not glorified which can have now no place Besides that in saying they understood not the Scriptures concerning the suffering and glory of Christ it must needs be understood comparatively that they did not clearly particularly and sufficiently know them For that place Act 8. it is to be understood comparatively viz. That a man faithfull and already gained to the truth as this Eunuch was cannot understand the Scriptures by the bare reading of them so well and throughly as when he hath one to expound them The Lord which helped the endeavour of the Eunuch searching the Scriptures by sending of Philip will nâ—ver suffer those which seek him in careful reading of his Word to go away ashamed without finding that which they seek for in directing unto him some lawful and sufficient Ministery to instruct him by The Mystery of the Gospel then indeed fulfilled remained notwithstanding unpublished to the world by the Apostles which is now by their preaching and writings laid open and made more manifest The Eunuch which professed that he could not understand the Scripture without an Interpreter did notwithstanding busie himself in reading of it The multitude of Commentaries was not so necessary because the Scripture might have been understood without them although they deserve singular respect amongst all those that are desirous to understand the Scripture who write learned and elaborate Expositions on the Scripture That was a witty speech of Maldonates on Luk. 2. 34. Nescio an facilior hiâ— locus fuâ—sset si nemo eum exposuisset sed fecit multitudo varietas interpretationis ut difficilis videretur Secondly These Commentaries are publisht that the Scriptures may better and more easily be understood Thirdly The Papists confesse that the Articles of the Apostles Creed being necessary for all are easie Yet there are many Commentaries of the Ancients upon the Creed as Russinus Augustine Cyril Chrysostome Chrysologus and of Papists also Some Scriptures are hard for the matter which they handle as are the Books of Daniel Ezekiel Zachary or throng of much matter
haâ—endi eandem Essentiam Subsistentia in Schools signifies a being with an individual property whereby one is not another Person say some is a Law term it is any thing having reason with an individual property A Person is such a subsistence in the Divine Nature as is distinguished from every other thing by some special or personal property or else it is the God-head restrained with his personal property Or it is a different manner of subsisting in the God-head as the nature of man doth diversly subsist in Peter Iames Iohn but these are not all one It differs from the Essence as the manner of the thing from the thing it self and not as one thing from another one Person is distinguisht from another by its personal property and by its manner of working We have no reason to be offended with the use of the word Person if we adde a fit Epithete and say The Father is a Divine or Uncreated Person and say the same of the Sonne and holy Ghost The word Person signifies an understanding Subsistent 2 Cor. 1. 11 Persona quasi per se una This word doth expresse more excellency then the word subsistence as one doth import for it is proper to say that a beast doth subsist but it is absurd to say a beast is a person because a Person is an understanding subsistent Dr Cheynels Divine Trin-unity The personal property of the Father is to beget that is not to multiply his substance by production but to communicate his substance to the Sonne The Sonne is said to be begotten that is to have the whole substance from the Father by communication The holy Ghost is said to proceed or to be breathed forth to receive his substance by proceeding from the Father and the Sonne joyntly in regard of which he is called The Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Sonne both Gal. 4. 6. The Father only begetteth the Sonne only is begotten and the holy Ghost onely proceedeth both procession and generation are ineffable When Gregory Nazianzen was pressed by one to assign a difference between those words Begotten and Proceeding Dic tu mihi said he quid sit generatio ego dicamquid sit processio ut ambo insaniamus Distinguere inter Processionem Generationem nescio non velâ—o non sufficio Aug. In the manner of working they differ for the Father worketh of himself by the Sonne and through the holy Ghost the Sonne worketh from the Father by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost worketh from the Father and the Sonne by himself There is so one God as that there are three Persons or divers manners of being in that one God-head the Father Son and the holy Ghost 1. Whatsoever absolutely agrees to the Divine Nature that doth agree likewise to every Person of the Trinity 2. Every Person hath not a part but the whole Deity in it self A Person is one entire distinct subsistence having life understanding will and power by which he is in continual operation These things are required to a Person 1. That it be a substance for accidents are not Persons they inhere in another thing a person must subsist 2. A lively and intelligent substance endued with reason and will an house is not a Person nor a stone or beast 3. Determinate and singular for man-kinde is not a Person but Iohn and Peter 4. Incommunicable it cannot be given to another hence the nature of man is not a person because it is communicable to every particular man but every particular man is a person because that nature which he hath in particular cannot be communicated to another 5. Not sustained by another therefore the humane nature of Christ is not a person because it is sustained by his Deity 6. It must not be the part of another therefore the reasonable soul which is a part of man is not a person That there are three Persons in the Deity viz. Father Sonne and holy Ghost is manifest by expresse Testimonies of Scripture Gen. 1. 26. Let us make man in our image after our likenesse Deus qui loquitur ad Deum loquitur Ad Patris Filii imaginem homo conditur nomen non discrepat natura non differt Hilary lib. 5. de Trin. Vide plura ibid. Gen. 19. 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomâ—rrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven The Lord rained from the Lord the Son from the Father Mercer on the place saith Sed efficaciora in Iudaeos aut alios qui Trinitatem negant argumenta sunt proferenda Num quid saith Hilary de Trin. non verus Dominus à vero Domino aut quid aliud quà m Dominus à Domino vel quid praeter significationem Personae in Domino ac Domino coaptabis memento quod quem solum verum Deum nosti hunc eundem solum justum judicem sis professus Adime filio quod iudex est ut auferas quod Deus verus est Vide plura ibid. Psal. 110. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy foot stool Rabbi Saadia Gaon on Daniel interprets this of the Messias Vide Grotium in Matth. 22. 42. It is of Christ that he speaks so Peter Paul and Christ himself shew Mat. 22. 43. and the Pharisees acknowledge it since he cals him His Lord although he ought to descend of his race and should be called the son of David Psal. 33. 7. there three are named the Word the Lord and the Spirit Isa. 6. 3. Holy Holy Holy But this truth is most clearly taught in the New Testament Matth. 3. 16. Luke 3. 22. The first Person in the Trinity utters his voice from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne The Sonne is baptized in Iordan the holy Ghost descends in the shape of a Dove upon Christ. Pater auditur in voce Filius manifestatur in homine Spiritus Sanctus dignoscitur in Coâ—umba Aug. Tract 6. in Joh. Adde to this the History of Christs Transfiguration described Mat. 17. 5. Mark 9. 7. Luke 9. 35. In which likewise the voice of the Father was heard from Heaven This is my beloved Son the Son is transfigured the holy Ghost manifests himself in a bright cloud Matth. 28. 19. The Apostles are commanded to baptize in the Name of Father Son and holy Ghost Cameron thinks that is the most evident place to prove the Trinity But that it is as apposite a place as any for this purpose 1 Iohn 5. 7. For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost The Arrians wiped this place out of many Books 2 Cor. 13. 14. The grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all The Arrians Samosateâ—ians Sabellians Photinians and others deny the Trinity of Persons in one Essence of God Servetus a Spaniard was burnt
at Geneva in Calvins time he denied that Christ was Gods Son till Mary bore him Servetus Trinitatem idolum item Cerberum Tricipitem vocabat The Ministers of Transylvania in a most pestilent book of theirs often contumeliously call him Deum Tri-personatum whom we holily worship Hoornbeeck Anti-socin l. 2. c. 5. sect 1. p. 415. Those of Polonia in their Catechism say That there is but one Divine Person and urge Iohn 17. 3. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Ephes. 4. 1. Zanchy long since hath vindicated the truth and refuted them Socinus cals him Deum tripersonatum ridiculum humanae curiositatis inventum Infaustus Socinus omnium haereticorum audacissimus saith Rivet See Cheynels rise of Socinianism chap. 3. and ch 1. p. 6. Some glory in this as a great argument against the three Persons in the Trinity If there be Persons in the Trinity they are either something or nothing Nothing they cannot be Non entis nullae sunt affectiones if something they are either finite or infinite finite they cannot be nor infinite then there should be three Infinites It is 1. plain in Scripture there is but one God 1 Cor. 8. 4. 2. The Scripture speaks of Father Sonne and holy Ghost or Spirit these are said to be three 1 Iohn 5. 7. 3. The God-head is attributed to all and the essential Properties belong to all 4. Something is attributed to one in the Scripture that cannot be said of all The Sonne was made flesh and the Sonne is begotten this cannot be said of the other the Sonne and the Spirit are sent but this cannot be said of the Father It is not strange among the creatures that a Father should be distinguished from himself as a man the Persons are something and infinite each of them infinite as each of them is God yet not three Infinites nor Gods so Athanasius in his Creed A Person is Essentia divina cum proprietate sua hypostatica the divine Nature distinguished by an incommunicable property though we cannot expresse the manner of this great mystery yet we should believe it The ground of Arminianism and Socinianism is because they would examine all the great truths of God by their Reason That saying of Bernard here hath place Scrutari haec temeritas est credere pietas est nosse vero vita aeterna est That the Father is God is confessed by all and it is manifest from Scripture we are directed to pray to him The Apostle saith Grace to you and peace from God our Father Philem. v. 3. See Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Ephes. 1. 3. That Christ is God is proved 1. By clear Texts of Scripture affirming this truth in so many words The Prophet fore-telling of him saith this is his name by which you shall call him Iehovah or The Lord our Righteousnesse Jer. 23. 16. and The mighty God Isa. 9. 6. Paul saith Rom. 9. 5. Who is God over all blessed for ever and St. Iohn saith 1 Iohn 5. 20. This is very God and St. Paul saith 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the mystery of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh and accordingly Thomas made his confession Ioh. 20. 28. My Lord and my God which title he accepteth and praiseth Thomas for believing and that he could not have done without extream impiety had he not been God Vide Bellarm de Christo l. 1. c. 4 5 6 7 8 9. 2. By evident Reasons drawn from the Scripture He hath the Name Titles Works essential Attributes and worship of God ascribed unto him in Scripture 1. Divine Names and Titles are given to Christ He is the only blessed Potentate 1 Tim. 6. 15. The King of Kings Revel 1. 5. and Lord of Lords Apoc. 17. 14. and 19. 16. He is called The Image of the invisible God Col. 1. 15. The brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1. 3. The word and wisdom of the Father Prov. 8. 12. and 9. 1. He is called the Word because he is so often spoken of and promised in the Scripture and is in a manner the whole subject of the Scripture he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum articulo Joh. 1. 1. Act. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 16. The great God Titus 2. 13. The true God 1 John 5. 20. God over all or Blessed above all Rom. 9. 5. The most high Luk. 1. 76. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which name the Septuagint have expressed Iehovah the proper name of God alone Iohn 20. 28. My Lord Jude 4. The only Lord Acts 10. 36. The Lord of all 1 Cor. 15. 48. The Lord from Heaven 1 Cor. 2. 8. The Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. The Lord of Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. 18. These Titles are too high and excellent to be given unto any meer man whatsoever God therefore who will not have his glory given to another would never have given these Titles to another if he were not God 2. The works of God even the principal and most eminent of all which are proper to the Lord only are ascribed to Christ. 1. The work of Creation even of creating all things Iohn 1. 3. and Col. 1. 16. He for whom and by whom all things were created is very God For Christ and by him all things were created therefore he is very God Heb. 1. 10 11 12. The foundation of the earth and the creation of the Heavens and the change which is to happen to both at the last day are attributed to the Sonne of God 2. The work of Preservation and Government is attributed to him also he is before all things and by him all things consist Heb. 1. 2. He who upholds all things by his powerful word is God So doth Christ therefore he is God 3. The working of Divine miracles raising up the dead by his own power is given to him Ioh. 6. 54. and Ioh. 5. 21. He that can quicken and raise the dead is God So doth Christ therefore he is God 4. Redeeming of mankinde Luke 1. 68. Matth. 20. 28. Ephes. 1. 7. Revel 1. 5. 5. Sending of the holy Ghost Iohn 21. 22. and 14. 16. and of Angels is ascribed to him Mat. 13. 41. Revel 1. 1. He forgives sins Mark 9. 2 5. He gives eternal life 3. The principal and incommunicable Attributes of God are given to him 1. Omniscience Iohn 2. 24 25. He knew all men and he knew what was in them Ioh. 21. 17. Lord thou knowest all things 2. Omnipotency Revel 1. 8. and 4. 8. and 11. 17. Phil. 3. 21. 3. Eternity Ioh. 17. 5. Revel 1. 18. Iohn 1. 1. Isa. 9. 6. He is called The everlasting Father 4. Omnipresence Matth. 18. 20. 5. Unchangeablenesse Heb. 1. 11 12 13. and 13. 8. He that is Omniscient Omnipotent Eternal Omnipresent Unchangeable equal to the Father in Majesty and Glory Phil. 2. 16. is God So is Christ therefore he is God Lastly Worship due to God is ascribed to him Heb. 1. 6. Let all
their subjection so should these Others understand it of the Ministersdwho are called Angels because they are the Messengers of God and so they compare this place with that Eccles. 5. 6. Before the Angele there is He notificative by which is signified the high Priest before whom vows were made Levit. 27. 8. Some interpret it generally of all good men for we ought to be as so many Angels The fourth is What is the meaning of those places Acts 7. 53. Gal. 3. 19. â—earned Iunius renders the words Acts 7. 53. You have received the law in the midst of the ranks of Angels viz. who f accompanied God their Sovereign Lord when himself came to deliver the Law The same answer may be made as it is by the same Learned Writer among Angels they attending God when he ordained and delivered it It seems improper that Angels in the plural number g should have been imployed in speaking of the Law For without extraordinary guidance of God many speakers at once would have bred confusion of sounds and by an extraordinary guidance one would have sufficed There is no necessity to ascribe the delivery of the Law of the Decalogue to Angels Exod. 20. there is not so much as a word of the Angels in the whole matter The earthquake thunder lightening on mount Sina were raised by the Angels saith Cameron who can easily change the state of the elementary Region The fifth What is the meaning of that story Iude v. 9. Michael striving with the devil The Apostle aggravates the sins of those who speak evil of Dignities by an argument from the greater to the lesse the Archangel durst not do so where you have the chief cause Michael which is as much as who is like God and then you have the adjunct he is the Archangel that is a chief among the Angels therefore it cannot be meant say some of Christ because Christ is expresly distinguished from him 1 Thes. 4. 6. Now what this dispute was and where the Apostle had it it is hard to say but that there was such a thing done is plain The matter of the strife was Moses dead on mount Nebo Deut. 34. 6. which is added either by Samuel Ioshua or Ezra Some make this to be the body of Christ and therefore called Moses his because he prophesied of it Very likely the dispute was that it should not be buried to occasion idolatry the Archangel rails not on him but leaves him to God Now Deut. 3. 44. where it is said the Lord buried him that is to be understood by the means of the Archangel and no man knew his burial that divine honour might not be given him and the devil might say how fit it was such a man should be solemnly buried The sixt What is meant by the voice of an Angel 1 Thes. 4. 15. where the Apostle describes the great and glorious coming of Christ to judgement from some circumstances which commend his power and Majesty the Lord himself shall come down in his own person with a shout 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that voice which marriners and souldiers use when they call one another to put to their strength so that it is no more then a great command of God that all be ready Matth. 25. like that There was a voice Behold the bridegroom comes or like that Ioh. 5. All that are in theeir graves shall hear his voice So it shall be the instrument to raise them up as it was Lazarus for this may be compared with Matth. 24. The voice and the trump of God are all one that is a great noise expressed by this Metaphor so that it should go to all in their graves The seventh Whether they have any efficacie in our conversion Though they be sent Heb. 1. for the salvation of those that beleeve yet they have no efficacious power on the heart of man for it is God only that can turn the heart and therefore it is a wicked opinion of some who give God no more efficacie in moving the heart to conversion then good Angels have which can be but by perswasion It is true in the Scriptures you may reade of their admonishing and comforting so an Angel comforteth Elias and Christ himself as he was man Ioseph was admonished in a dream but then you must know this was a sensible appearance or like it viz. in dreams But now you may reade of the devil tempting in Scripture Iudas and David without such a way the change of our hearts is to be ascribed to God The eighth Whether the Angels need Christ as a Mediator Some say no They never sinned and therefore need not a Mediator to reconcile them to God 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 2. 16. A mediator is where two parties do disagree As for that place say they Ephes. 1. 22. He hath reconciled all things in heaven and earth some do mean by those things in heaven the souls of those departed the Greek word signifieth briefly to recollect the things which were more largely spoken and so a sweet consent of all things together As by sin God was angry with us so were the Angels for they hated whom God hated but by his death it is otherwise But though Angels needed not such a reconciliation as supposeth a breach of peace yet they needed such a one as consists in the continuance of that peace which they had before The Lord hath now so fully revealed himself and his excellencies unto them and his love and favour and the necessity of their being obedient that they cannot but continue to obey and serve him they were not so far inlightened and sanctified at the first creation but that then in respect of themselves there was a possibility of sinning as well as of those that did sin but now they are so confirmed by the clear sight they have of God that they cannot be willing to sin against him The Angels by Christ obtained 1. A glorious Head Men had a head at their creation Adam The Angels stood by vertue of their personall Covenant 2. From his becoming their Head they are confirmed in grace they were created perfect but mutable Iob 4. 18. 3. By Christ their nature was elevated above what it was in it self Electio sive hominum sive Angelorum extra Christum intelligi non potest Aâ—optati sunt in silios Dei propter Christum 4. They have an honourable imployment by this means they serve Christ in his humane nature The Angels which abode in the truth are called good Angels not only in respect of the righteousnesse which God bestowed upon them at their creation but also in respect of the obedience which they performed and â—â—eir confirmation in that good estate The causes why they abode still in the truâ—â— are the firm and unchangeable decree of God 1 Tim. 5. 21. his free grace Phil. 2. 13. wherewith they were holpen and their own free choice of will
cleaving fâ—rmly unto God The ninth and last question concerning Angels is How can they be happy in enjoying Gods face and yet be on the earth Matth. 18. 10. By heaven there is not meant the place but their heavenly estate and condition Now though they go up and down doing service yet this hinders not their happinesse for they do not this with distraction and these things are appointed as means for the end viz. enjoying of God and as the soul is not hindred in its happiness by desiring the body again so it is here 1. We should imitate the Angels 2. It shews us how much we are beholding to Christ no Angels could love us if it were not for him How much are we to love God who hath provided helps for man especially Christ who took our nature upon him not that of Angels Gods Angels are our Angels to defend and keep us God hath committed the care of us to these ministring Spirits 3. It shews the wofull condition of the impenitent when Christ shall come with all these Angels when those great shouts shall be Come thou swearer drunkard how terrible will this be The more potent God is in Himself and in his Ministers the more wretched are they and the surer is their destruction 4. This confutes the Papists in three errours 1. In that they hold nine orders of Angels They are distinguished ratione objectorum officiorum in respect of the object and message they go about 2. They would have them worshipped but the Angel forbad Iohn 3. They say every one hath his good Angel to keep him so Bucan thinks in his Common places 2. The Saducees who said there was neither Angel nor Spirit Acts 24. 8. but held good Angels only to be good thoughts and evil angels to be evil lusts and affections Their names offices actions apparitions shew plainly that they are not bare qualities but true substances It serves for instruction 1. To see the blindness and erroneousness of mankinde in that a great number of men of learning and wit and parts good enough and that such as lived in the Church and acknowledged the five books of Moses to be divine should yet make a shift to wink so hard as to maintain that there were no Angels What falsehood may not the devil make a man entertain and defend and yet seem not to deny the Authority of Scripture if a man confessing Moses writings to be true will yet deny that there be either Spirits or Angels which are things so plainly revealed by Moses that a man would account it impossible to receive his writings and not confess them But if God leave man to the devil and his own wit he will make him the verier fool because of his wit and he will erre so much the more palpably by how much he seems better armed against errour even as a mans own weapon beaten to his head by a farre stronger arm will make a deep wound in him See we our aptness to run into and maintain false opinions and let us not trust in our own wits but suspect our selves and seek to God for direction Secondly Let us learn humility from this and by comparing our selves with these excellent Spirits learn to know how mean we be that we may be also mean in our own esteem So long as a man compares himself with those things and persons which are baser then himself he is prone to lift up himself in his own conceit and to think highly of himself but when he doth weigh himself in the balance with his betters he begins to know his own lightness The Lord hath set us men in the midst as it were betwixt the bruit beasts and the celestial Spirirs we do so far exceed them as the Angels exceed us as for bodily gifts the beasts in many things go beyond us some are more strong swift have more excellent sight and smell then we but in few things do we equal the Angels They are swifter and stronger then we and their excellent reason goes beyond ours in a manner as the understanding which is in us excelleth the fancy of the beasts they know a thousand things more then we do or can know One Angel can do more then all men can speak more languages repeat more histories in a word can perform all acts of invention and judgement and memory farre beyond us Thirdly Since God hath made Angels to serve and attend him should not we that are far inferiour to them be content also to serve him yea exceeding glad and thankful that he will vouchsafe to admit us into his service Doth he need our service that is served with such Ministers and Messengers Let us frame our selves to obedience and do Gods will on earth with all readiness and cheerfulness seeing there is so great store of more worthy persons in heaven that do it An Angel will not esteem any work too difficult or base why should we Fourthly The Angels which wait about the throne of God are glorious and therefore the Lord himself must needs excell in glory Isa. 6. 1 2. Ezek. 1. 28. Of the Devils or evil Angels The Angels which persisted in the truth are called good Angels Luke 9. 26. but those which revolted and kept not the law were called evil Angels or evil spirits angels of darknesse Luke 8. 20. 19. 42. and Angels absolutely 1 Cor. 6. because they were so created of the Lord. In respect of their nature they are called spirits 1 King 22. 21. Matth. 18. 16. Luke 10. 20. In respect of their fall they are called evil spirits 1 Sam. 18. 10. Luke 8. 2. unclean spirits Matth. 10. 1. Zach. 13. 2. not so much because of their instigation to lust as because their natures are defiled with sin Lying spirits 1 King 22. 22. Iohn 8. 44. Devils Levit. 17. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 20. The Hebrew names for the devil are 1. Satan an adversary 2 Sam. 19. 32. of Satan to oppose and resist 2 Pet. 2. 14. Belial 2 Cor. 6. though some reade it Beliar unprofitable He is likewise called Beelzebub or Beelzebul which word comes of Bagnal Dominus a Lord or Master and Zebub a fly the Idol of the Achronites because they thought these best of those pestiferous creatures or else because the devils were apprehended as flying up and down in the air but if it be read Zâ—bul then it signifieth by way of contempt a Dunghill god Levit. 17. 7. The devils are called Shegnirim the hairy ones because they appeared to their worshippers like hairy goats and in the mountains The devil is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to accuse because he accuseth men to God and God to men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scio because they know much by creation and by experience The devil is called an enemy or the envious man Matth. 13. 139. The tempter Matth. 4.
room For the punishment of it see Iob 15 34. Fire shall devour the tabernacles of bribery meaning that God will not fail by some or other means to bring destruction upon those families that shall thus augment their estates For others 1. It doth make all that are rich bold to sin because they hope to bear it out 2. It makes rich men also bold to do wrong 3. It grieveth the heart and spirit of the innocent that is in low estate and makes him call to God to be his avenger 4. It overthroweth the throne Prov. 29. 5. It brings publick desolation It is lawfull to pacifie an angry foe with a gift so did Iacob but to hire and corrupt a Judge with a gift is unlawfull He cannot lawfully take therefore neither thou lawfully give seeing these two are mutual causes and effects and therefore can hardly be separated in their guiltinesse Cambises caused a bribing Judge to be flaid quick and laid his skin in his chair of judgement that all Judges which should give judgement afterward should sit in the same skin CHAP. XVI Of Carnal Confidence Covetousnesse Cruelty Cursing CARNAL CONFIDENCE COnfidence in generall is that affection of the soul whereby it rests it self in the expectation of any good from any thing Therefore carnal confidence is a vice whereby the heart of man rests it self in the looking for any good of any kinde from any thing but God alone He is carnally confident which promiseth himself any thing desirable as health deliverance out of trouble long life because he hath such or such outward means which he thinks are able to bring forth such safety unto him The Scripture cals it Making flesh our arm A man is said to make that his arm which he thinks himself strong and safe if he have and so he is said to make riches a strong tower in the same sense Men are prone to this sin of false confidence David trusted in his strong hill Asa in the Physicians The Israelites in Egypt for chariots and horses 1 Sam. 17. 45 46 47. Luke 12. 19. The grounds of it are 1. Ignorance of God whose strength and greatnesse together with his grace and goodnesse the minde apprehends not Psal. 9. 10. 2. Ignorance of these earthly things their weaknesse mutability and disability to help and comfort Isa. 28. 15. the Prophet brings in the leud men of his time flattering themselves and soothing up their own hearts with fair words and promising all safety to their own souls in derision and despight of all his threats If a plague come through the land it should not touch them by vanity and falshood they meant wealthy friends and outward support which the Prophet here cals by this name ironically This is a great evil 1. It is a denying of God Iob 3. 28. Trust is only due to him such a one sets up another God Ion. 2. 8. A covetous man is therefore called an idolater Ephes. 5. 5. and covetousnesse idolatry Col. 3. 5. 2. It is the ground of all our miscarriage in practice 1 Iohn 5. 3 4 5. The world is a great hinderance to our keeping the Commandments 3. It is the ground of all disquiet if you would live a happy life seek a fit object for your trust Psal. 30. 6 7. Psal. 112. 7. Expect all good things from God alone Abraham looked for a childe from God when nature failed him This confidence in God is shewed 1. By preferring his favour above all things 2. By making his name our refuge in all troubles 3. By using all good means and only good to get any good thing and that without carking and vexation 4. By comforting our selves in him when all means fail us 1 Sam. 30. 6. Signes of false confidence 1. The inordinate desire of any earthly thing What a man desires more then he should that he looks for some good by 2. Immoderate joy when he hath gotten it He that findes great joy in any thing doth therefore joy in it because he thinks he shall be better for it 3. Impatience in the absence of it Iob 13. 24 25. 4. To grow bold to do evil and carelesse of doing good in respect thereof The cure of carnal confidence 1. Consider how pernicious this vice is it withdraws the heart from the Lord Ier. 17. 5. and brings his curse on the soul and body 2. It makes one unable to use well that which he hath 3. Consider the weaknesse and uncertainty of all outward things 4. Meditate on those places Psal. 62. 10. 146. 3. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Covetousnesse Is an insatiable desire of having or an inordinate love of money Avarus quasi avidus aeris Isidor It lies in the heart but is reckoned by the Apostle among outward grosse sins because it is consummate by outward fordidnesse It is taken two wayes 1. For detaining or taking other mens goods in an unlawfull way and so it is opposed to justice Or 2. For an inordinate desire to get and hold though God call for it and it opposeth liberality The desire is inordinate 1. For the measure of it when it is vehement and strong seeing wealth is a thing of a base and contemptible nature not worthy any earnestnesse of desire 2. For the quantity of the object the summe of wealth desired if he suffer his desires to be carried after more then that which is sufficient for the providing of meat drink and cloth for himself and his in a comfortable sort affecting an overplus The proper end of riches is comfortable maintenance 3. For the end of ones desiring when it is to serve and set up himself and is not to fit himself to do God service and to profit mankinde Laban and Nabal whose names Anagramatize each other are examples of avarice It is a great and dangerous sin Isa. 57. 7. Hab. 2. 9. Col. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 8. 3. Prov. 15. 27. Ier. 22. 17. The same Prophet complains of the people in his time that From the least of them to the greatest of them they were all of them coveting covetousnesse as the words are that is given unto it did yeeld their hearts to a desire of gain which complaint also he renews ch 8. 18. and in both places alleadgeth it as a cause of great sins Ezek. 32. 31. The Lord so hates it that the godly should not company with such 1 Cor. 5. 11. In the body when the spleen swels all other parts decay and consume so when the heart swels with desire of riches all the graces of God consume and fade away When all other sins wax old this waxeth young in thee Reasons 1. From the causes of it 1. Ignorance of the goodnesse mercy power and excellency of God and of the faithfulnesse profitablenesse desirablenesse of things heavenly and spiritual He knows not God nor the worth of the graces of Gods Spirit nor the excellency of his heavenly Kingdome who is glewed unto these earthly
1. When mens thoughts run after what they shall eat or drink Matth. 6. 25. When animus est in patinis Rom. 12. 13. 2. When we delight too much in it as Philoxenus who wisht he had a neck like a Crane that he might take the longer delight in swallowing of his meat and drink 3. When we feed securely Iude 12. are too much taken up with the creatures 2. More notorious 1. When men eat more then their stomacks will digest Prov. 23. 1 2. When they are too dainty nothing will down but what is delicious and costly as the rich man in the Gospel 3. When they eat and drink unseasonably as Isa. 12. 13. Amos 6. 1 2. when they eat one meal too hastily after another not allowing nature sufficient time for concoction and those that will be still tipling Helps against it 1. Reade hear and practise the word 2. Pray 3. Joyn fasting with prayer 4. Consider the bounty of the Lord in giving us good things and for what end viz. strength CHAP. XX. Of Lying Malice Murmuring Oppression LYING LYing is a voluntary uttering of that which is false against a mans knowledge and conscience with an intention to deceive see Proverbs 12. 19. 22. 13. 5. In respect of the end it is distinguished into perniciosum officiosum and jocosum a hurtfull officious and merry lie August in Enchirid. ad Laurent Aquinas 2ª 2ae quaest 110. Art 2. The end of a pernicious lie is to hurt of an officious lie to profit of a merry lie to delight We must not tell a lie for Gods glory Iob 13. 7. much lesse for to help my neighbour Officious lying is neither permitted nor approved in the word of God God threatens to destroy all those that speak leasing Psal. 5. 6. See Prov. 6. 16. Matth. 5. 37. Ephes. 4. 25. Col. 3. 9. Rev. 21. 27. 22. 15. The very Heathens themselves abhorred all lying Aristotle saith A lie is evil in it self and to be dispraised It is a great sin Reasons 1. The Law of God is against it the ninth Commandment and the Gospel Col. 3. 9. 2. It is against the nature of God the Father is the God of truth Iohn 17. 3. the Son is truth Iohn 14. 6. the holy Ghost is the Spirit of truth Iohn 16. 13. and the Word of God which is the word of truth Ephes. 1. 13. It makes us like the devil Iohn 8. 44. 3. It is against natural conscience a little childe will blush at a lye 4. It is basely esteemed of by all generous men they abhorre above all things the imputation of lying It was in great reproach among the Persians saith Brissonius 5. It is contrary to all civil society takes away all commerce betwixt man and man Mendax hoc lucratar ut cum vera dixerit ei non credatur it is the just reward of a lier not to be beleeved when he tels truth 6. Omnibus peccatis cooperatur Aug. It hath an influence on all sins Lying and stealing are joyned together Ephes. 4. 7. The punishment of it is great as we may see in Gehezi Ananias and Saphira Psal. 5. and often in the Proverbs the Lord abhorres it Rev. 21. 8. 22. 15. liars are joyned with great sinners See Isa. 63. 8. Prov. 6. 17. Popery is a doctrine of lies 1 Tim. 4. 2. The great honour of the Saints is to walk in the truth 3 Iohn 4. see Ephes. 4. 5 Buy the truth and sell it not Erasmus had such an antipathy with lying that from his youth he would usually tremble at the sight of a noted liar Malice It causeth a man to receive pleasure in the practice of cruelty so the brethren of Ioseph and Cain 1 Sam. 19. 13 to the 18. Reasons 1. It is most of all contrary to charity therefore it must needs bring forth quite contrary effects to it and as that makes a man to take pleasure in doing good so this in doing evil for both vertues and vices cause him in whom they rule to take content in those things wherein they are exercised and by which they are strengthened and increased as both charity is by well doing and malice by doing evil 2. Where malice doth rule the Spirit of God is quite gone and the light of nature extreamly dimmed and a man is given over into the power of Satan for in giving place to wrath a man gives place to the devil 3. It distempers the judgement will and affections Murmuring It is first a sin reproved by God and a provocation of him Ion. 4. 8. The Israelites were very guilty of it see Numb 17. 12. Psal. 106 25. Secondly It is a high degree of sin 1. Hereby thou exaltest thy will above Gods and makest it the rule of goodnesse 2. You put God out of his throne out of Government in every murmuring against his dispensations thou deniest his Sovereignty 3. Hereby thou makest thy self wiser then God in divine things 4. This is a way to provoke God to greater displeasure Amos 4. 12. Arguments against murmuring and discontent under Gods administrations 1. It is a Christians duty to be content with the things present Heb. 13. 1 Thess. 518. such a one can never be thankfull 2. All your murmurings are against God Numb 14. 27. Exod. 16. 8. you charge God with folly Iob 1. ult 3. This will heighten your sin and add to your plagues Rev. 16. 19. Isa. 51. 20. 4. If the Lord should hearken to your murmuring you would quickly destroy your selves Hos. 13. 11. Oppression Oppression is a great sin Isa. 3. 15. Psal. 14 4. 17. 12. Amos 8. 5. Mic. 3. 3. Hab. 2. 11 12. 1. 14. Ier. 12. 13. 5. 27 28. Pride and unjustice in the extremity meet in an oppressour The Prophet cries out of them which grinde the faces of the poor of them which are like the wolves in the evening of them which covet fields and take them by force because there is might in their hands Reason It is an abuse of a special gift of God quite contrary to his appointment which gave it God made the stronger therefore to be the stronger that he might defend the weak as the greater sims and bones of the body hold up the burden of it CHAP. XXI Of Perjury Polygamy Pride PERJURY PErjury is mendacium juramento firmatum a lie confirmed with an oath so Peter Lombard Distinct. 39. The same thing by the addition of an oath that a lie is in a bare promise saith Dr. Sanderson It is double 1. When a man affirmeth or denieth upon oath that which he beleeveth in his own heart to be quite contrary 2. When he bindeth himself by oath to do or forbear that which he for the present time hath no purpose nor intention to perform The old saying is Once forsworn ever forlorn No Casuist doubts of it that a Turk may be guilty of perjury and for it be punished by the
return their wrongs upon them 3. Pride possesseth all men naturally this stirreth men up to revenge 4. Every mans heart aboundeth with self-love and love cannot endure to see evil done to the person loved 5. We are all void of charity and love to our brethren hence there is an aptnesse to be provoked and do them hurt if we seem to have any cause 6. It gives a kinde of pleasure and satisfaction to hatred or envy of which it is a kinde of exercise as scratching doth to him that hath the itch Revenge is a requiting of evil for evil a doing hurt again to them from whom one hath received hurt and measuring ill measure for ill measure A dog in the Law was an unclean beast because he was revengefull 1. Revenge transgresseth the plain light of nature which bids us do as we would be done to and every man would be forgiven and not have revenge taken upon him 2. It is a manifest enemy to peace and concord which we should seek and follow after 3. Injurious to God a preventing of him as if he were not carefull enough to execute justice The best and wisest Heathen writer of morall vertues hath delivered it as a generall principle that a man must not hurt any other but with this caution and limitation unlesse he be first provoked by some injury Phocion when he had done great service for Athens yet they ungratefully putting him to death he charged his son at his death that he should never remember the Athenian injuries The King of France after would not revenge the wrongs done to him before when Duke of Orleance Signs of Revenge 1. A pittilesse disposition by which one is rather glad then sorry for anothers evill 2. Excesse in punishing Some directions or means for the crucifying of this unruly affection 1. You must subdue pride and labour to make your selves base and vile in your own eyes being worthy of all the wrongs and indignities that can be offered to us in regard of our own sinfulnesse 2. You must observe God in wrongs as David The Lord hath sent him to curse 3. You must often consider of the goodnesse of God in forgiving your sins many and hainous Eph. 4. 12. and 5. 2. 4. You must often ponder of the necessity of this duty which appears by three things 1. The clear and expresse commandements given about it Matt. 5. 39. resisting evil that is by doing the like evil to him which he doth to thee but prepare thy self to bear that and another rather then by doing the like to repell the former whereby he meeteth with the cavils which flesh doth enforce to justifie revenge or else I shall be perpetually obnoxious to wrongs be it so saith our Saviour thou must rather bear it then resist Rom. 12. 17. and 19. 1 Thes. 5. 15. no man may render to any evil for evil that is evil word for evil word evil deed for evil deed taunt for taunt blow for blow 2. The great danger if it be not mortified our sins shall never be pardoned we pray in the Lords Prayer Forgive as we forgive he therefore which forgiveth not can never have any true assurance of being forgiven Mat. 6. 14 15. â—o as manifest a promise and threat as any the Scripture containeth or can be made Now to forgive a wrong and requite it with some evil done to the wrong-doer are as quite contrary as any thing in the world so that he which will do the one doth not the other as he which sues and imprisons a man for debt doth not forgive his debt so he that recompenseth a man evil for his evil doth not forgive his evil 3. The worthy examples which we have of good men that have gone before us in mortifying it as Christ and other Saints To these meditations adde fervent praiers to God that he would vouchsafe to season our hearts with humility meeknesse forbearance that he would strengthen us to passe by wrongs injuries indignities that he would give us his Spirit to crucifie this as well as the other lusts of the flesh Scandall A Scandall or offence is that which is or may be in it self an occasion of falling to another Any thing whereby we so offend another as that he is hindred from good drawn into or confirmed in evil is a scandall One saith it is an indiscreet or uncharitable abuse of my Christian liberty There is Scandalum 1 datum 2 acceptum a scandal given when a man doth that which is in it self unlawfull or else if it be lawfull he doth it in an undue manner Rom. 14. 20 21. First Scandals given 1. When men by corrupt doctrine endeavour to justifie wicked practises Rom. 16. 17. 2. By sinfull practises Prov 29. 6. and 22. 15. 3. By giving just ground of offence in appearance of evill 1 Thessal 5. 22. 2 Câ—â— 8. 19 20. 4. In the abuse of lawfull liberty go to the utmost bounds of it Rom. 14. per tot Secondly A Scandall or offence taken when men take offence at that which is good where there is neither evil nor any appearance of it Ioh. 6. 61. 1 Pet. 2. 7. men take offence at true doctrine and good actions the Disciples at Christs doctrine of the resurrection 2. When their sins are reproved Lev. 19. 16 17. Schisme Schism in the Church is much like sedition in the State As the name of Heresie though it be common to any opinion whereof one makes choice whether it be true or false in which sense Constantine the great called the true faith Catholicam sanctissimam haeresin yet in the ordinary use it is now applied only to the choice of such opinions as are repugnant to the faith so the name of Schism though it import any scissure or renting of one from another yet now by the vulgar use of Divines it is appropriated only to such a rent or division as is made for an unjust cause and from those to whom he or they who are separated ought to unite themselves and hold communion with them Tota ratio Schismatis the very essence of a Schisme consists in the separating from the Church I say from the true and orthodoxall Church It is a renting or dissolving of that unity which ought to be amongst Christians See M Marshall's Sermon on Rom. 12. 4 5. It was a memorable speech of Calvin who said he would willingly travell all over the Seas and Countries in the world to put an end to the differences that were in the Reformed Churches Cameron well distinguisheth of a double Schisme 1. Negative which is a bare secession or subduction and is unlawfull Non separatio sed causa facit Schismaticum Cassand 2. Positive when there is a certain consociation which useth Ecclesiasticall Laws the Word of God and administration of the Sacraments separatim which he calleth setting up an Altar against an Altar this is called Schism Antonomastic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
no other helps to make him understand the same but his own reason and understanding according to the true principles of it by reading only and barely those writings he should come and that certainly and infallibly to the knowledge of all things necessary for his salvation Neither is any thing requisite to the right understanding of the Scriptures in points of necessity to life and salvation but alone the diligent perusing and meek receiving of the same And yet Christ performeth this outward teaching in a fourth degree by the Ministry of his servants from time to time the Pastors and Teachers of all ages whom he raiseth up and instructeth in the knowledge of his truth that they may instruct the people And this is the outward teaching the inward is noted where he saith You shall be all taught of God it is the work of his Spirit putting into the minde a light to conceive the things taught and inclining it to hearken and consent to them of which there are two degrees the first fainter and lesser breeding a kind of belief or opinion the second is more deep and stable by which men are rooted and grounded in faith and do firmly believe the known truth and are guided and ruled by it The Properties of Christs Prophetical Office are two 1. He is a great Prophet as the people say Luk. 7. 16. indeed the greatest of all the Prophets that reveals all things as the woman of Samaria could say He shall shew us all things 2. He is a faithful Prophet in all his house as Moses also was faithful and his faithfulnesse stands in this that he did acquaint his Church with the whole will of God without adding and diminishing as Moses did and that he did as fully accomplish all the things typified as Moses did declare and set them down but it stands not in this that he gave a particular direction for all external things about his worship and government as Moses did for that we are sure he hath not done in his Gospel neither indeed was to do The Pope opposeth Christ in his Prophetical Office in making himself infallible he brings in new Sacraments unknown to Christ and his Apostles Christ is the onely absolute Doctor of his Church Matth. 23. 8. See Matth. 17. 5. Revel 5. 7 8. The Church of Rome hath added Traditions Will-worship humane Inventions to the Scripture Mahomet is extolled by many as the great Prophet of the world So you have the Prophetical Office of Christ now follows the third viz. He is King to which we may adde that of Lord because his Kingdom and Lordship signifie in a manner the same thing both serving to expresse the power and authority which he hath and exerciseth in and over his Church Psal. 72. per tot Isa. 9. 6. Micah 5. 2. 1 Tim. 6. 14. There is a three-fold Kingdom of Christ mentioned in the holy Scripture The first is his Kingdom of power or excellency whereby he being God is the supream Lord of all things Psal. 24. 1. 2. The Kingdom of his grace whereby he rules in the hearts of all his elect ever since the world began Psal. 2. 6. Zech. 9. 9. Ier. 23. 5. Ezek. 37. 22. Luk. 11. 20. 17. 21. 3. Of glory whereby he himself is now in endlesse and perfect felicity and of which happinesse his Saints shall one day partake Luk. 23. 42. 12. 32. Luk. 13. 29. 1 Cor. 6. 9. 2 Pet. 2. 11. Crakanth of the Pâ—pes Tempor Monarc cap. 2. See more there This Government is a right of immediate executing the soveraign authority of God over all creatures in ordine ad salutem in order to the salvation of his elect Ioh. 3. 34 35. Christ was born a King but he entered not into his Kingly Office till after his resurrection Psal. 2. 6 7. He was a Priest and Prophet on earth Yet this is that which brings in the benefit of all the other Offices and makes us partakers of all the good in Christ. Of which the means are outwardly his Word and the Ministery thereof and inwardly his holy Spirit worketh in and by the Word The parts of it are First Governing and guiding his Subjects in the wayes which he hath appointed them to walk in and subduing the temptations of Satan and the world and lusts of the flesh to them and rewarding them at the last with eternall glory Secondly Confounding and destroying all his enemies and treading them under his feet The properties of it are 1. It is not a civil or earthly but a spiritual Kingdom Iohn 18. 36. 1 Cor. 15. 47. Rom. 14. 1. which doth look to the Spirit reacheth to the conscience and spiritual things it is not carnal nor of this world nor looketh to the outward man alone The King is spiritual viz. the Lord from Heaven the Subjects are spiritual viz. the Church regenerate the Law whereby the Church is governed is spiritual viz. the Gospel the goods bestowed upon the Church are spiritual as remission of sins the Spirit of grace and the manner of government is spiritual 2. Universal and that in four respects 1. In respect of all ages and times other Kings have the time of their rise and fall this dominion is eternal it shall have no end 2. In respect of all places Rev. 5. 9. to the end 3. In respect of all creatures Rev. 5. 4. In respect of all things and actions For him hath God the Father made Lord and King and he doth powerfully administer his Church to the sanctification preservation and salvation of those which refuse not to submit Christ doth one thing more then all Kings for their Subjects for he maketh his Subjects seeing all by nature are his enemies but by his Word and Spirit he subdueth them to the obedience of his will 1 Cor. 14. 25. that he may glorifie himself and his Father in their salvation 3. Absolute Rev. 19. Christ is Lord Paramount 1 Tim. 6. 14. He is a King by a threefold right 1. Of birth Gal. 4. 1. 2. Of donation Psal. 2. 8. Ioh. 17. 2. 3. Conquest Rev. 1. 18. He is King in Heaven in respect of his glory in Earth in respect of his grace in hell in respect of his justice Christ as Mediator is the Churches head 1 Cor. 11. 32. Ephes. 1. 22. 4. 15. 5. 28. Col. 1. 1. 2. 18 19. He is their head Ratione Unionis Ratione Regiminis Ratione Influentiae 1. In respect of Union 2. In respect of Guidance 3. In respect of Influence The Government of the Church is upon his shoulders Isa. 9. 6. 22. 21 22. Matth. 28. 19 20. Ephes. 1. 20 21. Psal. 68. 18. He is the onely head and King of his Church the Government of the Church is part of his Kingly Office He as Mediator hath the Government of the Church committed to him 1. The Church Mystical the number of all the Saints of God whether
Ordinances Iob 22. 21. in every duty and act of worship look to enjoy God Get some excitements to grace resolutions of obedience displeasure against sinne use a holy boldnesse in thy addresse to God Heb. 10. 9. Ephes. 3. 12. we come not to a tribunal of Justice as malefactors but as friends and favourites to a throne of grace Iob 22. 26. Use 1. Prayer Psal. 86. 11. 2. Attend on the Gospel reade it meditate on it daily 3. The Sacraments make use of thy Baptism we were baptized into Christ and frequently use the Lords-Supper We should praise God when he meets with us in duties and repent his with-drawing himself Lam. 3. 44. 4. We should be one with all believers because we are one with Christ. Christ seldom speaks of his peoples union with him but he speaks of their conjunction one with another and seldom presseth them to brotherly love but from this union with Christ 1 Cor. 12. per tot 1. 10. Ephes. 4. CHAP. II. Of Effectual Vocation OUr union with Christ by the Spirit is wrought in our Effectuall Calling This is the first work which God works upon the soul it is Temporalis Electio 1 John 5. 19. it is the act of God the Father Ioh. 6. 44 45. 2 Cor. 4. 6. Ephes. 1. 17 19. He hath called us with an holy Calling It is the act of Gods free grace and almighty power whereby souls are gathered out of the world into the kingdom of Christ to be made one with him and holy and happy by him It is an act 1. Of Gods free grace called according to Gods free purpose Rom. 8. 28. See 30 31. verses 2. Of his almighty power a moral perswasion will not do it Ephes. 1. 19. Ioh. 6. 44. This grace works powerfully therefore God is said to draw yet sweetly and secretly therefore man is said to come This power of God is put forth on the understanding by enlightening it Ier. 37. 33. Iohn 6. 45. it apprehends the guilt of sin the horror of Gods wrath sweetnesse of Communion with him 2. On the will effectually inclining it Ier. 31. 33. Psal. 110. 3. to embrace and follow those glorious objects the understanding represents 3. Whereby souls are gathered out of the world into the Kingdom of Christ. All mankinde are brought into two ranks either they are men of the world or called out of it Iohn 15. 19. The Elect themselves while they are in their natural condition are men of the world Ephes. 3. 5. Fiunt non nascuntur Christiani Col. 1. 13. The Scripture expresly witnesseth that God works in us both to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. That Faith and Repentance are the gift of God Ephes. 2. 8. 2 Tim. 2. ult 4. The end of Vocation is to be made one with Christ Iohn 16. 44. and holy and happy by him 2 Pet. 1. 3. 1 Thes. 4. Rom. 8. 30. Regeneration saith Dr Twisse is to be preferred before salvation the one a translation from the state of nature into the state of grace the other is only a translation from the state of grace into the state of glory By the one we are made the sons of God by the other we only obtain the inheritance of the sons of God First The Causes of Vocation 1. The principal efficient cause is the holy Ghost man is not the authour of his own conversion 2. Instrumental the Ministery of the Word Secondly The Subjects or Persons on whom it is wrought all the elect Ioh. 10 Other sheep have I that shall hear my voice Thirdly The manner how this Vocation is wrought The Spirit of God works after such a mighty manner that it is irresistible though the word be grounded on Acts 7. 51. yet some dislike it but the Lord brings them not in violently against their wils he takes away prevailing obstinacy He never made any creature too hard for himself He cals them once for all There is more in it then a moral swasion Iohn 6. 44. a real efficacy God circumciseth our hearts quickens us raiseth us from the dead gives a new heart Fourthly The parts of this work of Vocation wherein it stands In two things 1. The Lord makes a gracious offer of Christ to the soul. 2. The soul accepts of Christ when and as he is tendred Christ is offered in the Gospel First Externally Matth. 20. 16. This is a Declaration or Publication of the great goodnesse of God to a poor lost sinner willing to be reconciled to him in Christ. It stands in four particulars 1. God hath sent his Son Christ who by his own obedience hath paid a sufficient ransom for the most miserable wretches 2. God is willing to make this good to all poor sinners who will take him on the terms he is offered 3. The terms on which Christ is offered in the Gospel are most free and nothing required but only freely to receive him 4. Because the humble and broken sinner is most ready to be discouraged therefore he declares that those which are vilest in their own eyes are most welcome to him Secondly Internally Rom. 8. 30. which is the work only of the Spirit of God Act. 10. 44. Marks of an effectual Calling First God breaks the heart by some preparatory conviction to make the soul fit to receive the grace of God the proper Call is by the Gospel 1 Thess. 2. 14. but the previous work of the Law is conviction of sinne and the evil of it Hos. 2. 14. Gal. 3. 1. See Iohn 16. 8. This conviction hath not the like effects in all in some anxiousnesse in others horror all see themselves in a wretched condition The second note may be taken from the instrument or means of conversion 2 Thess. 2. 14. most usually it is by the Word preacht though it may not work always in the time of hearing Cant. 5. 3 6. Mat. 26. 8. Ioh. 10. 3. Thirdly When the heart is over-powred and prevailed with to obey the Call when we answer his Call Iohn 20. 16. Gods Call is the offer of grace our answer is the receiving of it Iohn 12. 3. Ier. 22. the direct answer to a Call is the consent and full purpose of heart to take Christ upon his own terms Fourthly The disposition of the soul in making this return and in answering this Call of God godly sorrow Ier. 31. 18. holy wonders 1 Pet. 2. 9. free resolution and confidence come what will come they will obey God Luke 5. 5. Fifthly The fruits and effects of a Call it infers a change from the former state in heart the whole heart it now finds comfort and satisfaction in God and hates sin Hos. 4. 8. Ephes. 4. 12. I know there is little difference between effectual Calling Conversion and Regeneration yet because some of our Divines handle the work of Grace under the notion of Conversion and effectual Calling too I shall speak of Conversion in the next place CHAP. III. Of
walk by faith we die by faith we are saved Faith is an infused not an acquired habit Grevinchovius saith That habitual faith is begot in us by frequent acts of faith proceeding from the special grace of God as by often acts of justice and liberality the acts of justice and liberality are produced in us This opinion of his is not only contrary to the Doctrine of the Schoolmen and Modern Divines both Papists and Protestants which with unanimous consent call Theological Vertues infused habits but also is subject to divers inconveniencies that place Heb. 11. 6 must needs be understood of the habit of faith for if it be to be understood of the act of faith it will follow that the regenerate when they sleep and do not actually beleeve do displease God and are not in a state of Grace That faith is the gift of God the Apostle teacheth Ephes. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. 2. 13. See Iohn 6. 44. To come to Christ is to beleeve in Christ witnesse Christ himself ver 35. Whether actual or habitual faith be in Infants Some call it efficacious faith some a principle others an inclination Some dislike the word habit that is more proper to faith grown and ripe the word seed or principle is better 1 Iohn 4. 9. Some think the Question about Infants beleeving is unnecessary and curious and that they must be left to the free-grace of God Mark 16. 16. Such places do not onely concern grown persons The Lord promiseth grace to Infants Isa. 44. 3. and glory Matth. 19. 14. 18. 6. compared with Mark 9. 36. See 1 Cor. 7. 14. Pelagians say Infants are saved by Gods fore-sight of those good works which they should have done if they had lived Augustine refutes this opinion 2 Cor. 5. 10. every one is to be saved according to what he hath done The Lutherans would have them saved by an actual faith though it be unexpressible Beza saith The faith of the parents is imputed to them by vertue of the Covenant of grace Mr. Down hath a Treatise of the faith of Infants and how they are justified and saved and goes much that way but denies that they have habituall or actuall Faith Whether Faith be in the Saints when they are translated into Heaven and see God face to face Some say there is a kinde of faith in the blessed Saints since they both beleeve things past all things which Christ hath done for our sake and things to come viz. the second coming of Christ the resurrection of the flesh the last judgment and the perfection of the Church and this knowledge of things past and to come depends upon the authority of God The office and imployment of faith shall cease though the nature of it doe not It is a great Question An sides justisicans in decalogo praecipiatur Whether justifying faith be commanded in the Decalogue Adam had a power to beleeve what God propounded as an object of faith the righteousnesse of Christ was not propounded to him it is commanded there therefore not directè because not revealed to Adam but redisctivé It stood not with Adams Covenant he was to be righteous himself not to look for the righteousnesse of another Adam in the state of innocency had a power of many things which in that state could not be reduced to act he had the affection of sorrow but could not mourn for want of an object so the Angels had a power to beleeve in Christ for their confirmation though Christ was not made known till the second Covenant There was a power then given not only to obey God in the duties of the first Covenant but to submit to God for the change of the Covenant when the will of the Lord should be not to submit to the change of the Covenant in man fallen is a sin Gal. 4. 21. therefore Adam had a power to submit to it Whether Faith or Repentance precede To repent is prefixed before beleeve Mark 1. 15. In the order of things repentance must needs be first in respect of the act of contrition acknowledgemement and grief for sinne the Law precedes the Gospel and one is not to be raised before he knows himself to be cast down And although saving Repentance considered compleatly according to all its acts be not without faith yet it precedes it according to some act Christians should indeavour to live the life of Faith First The necessity of it It is a Question An sine speciali Revelatione possumus credere mysteria fidei Whether without a special Revelation we can beleeve the mysteries of faith The Arminians cry down faith and call it Scripturarum tyrannidem Theologorum ludibrium and cry down all infused habits would have none but acquired There is a necessity of faith in respect of divers truths of Scripture that are to be beleeved 1. The resurrection of the body none of the Heathens beleeved this See Act. 23. 8. Matth. 22. 23 29. Some that profest the Christian Religion perverted this Doctrine of the Resurrection 2 Tim. 2. 18. the Disciples themselves were long in beleeving it Luk. 24. 11. Ioh. 20. 25. 2. The depravednesse of the soul and the enmity of natural reason to the things of God The Philosophers saw clearly the common principles of justice and injustice but not the corruption of nature Rom. 7. 7. The Wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God 3. The necessity of renovation of the soul and body the great Doctrine of Regeneration Iohn 3. 3. When our Saviour had brought Arguments to prove this Doctrine and answered Objections against it how blinde still is Nicodemus v. 9. of that Chapter 4. The necessity of a Mediator and that Christ is this Mediator 1 Tim. 3. 16. The Devils and damned beleeve these truths with a common faith But we need faith to beleeve these truths savingly 2. We need faith also to bring us unto God Rom. 5. 3. we cannot come to God but by Christ nor to Christ but by faith 3. To conform us to Gods Image Acts 15. 9. 4. Without the life of faith we cannot abide with God Matth. 11. 6. Heb. 3. 12. 13. 5. We cannot take fulnesse of delight and complacency in God but by faith Heb. 11. 6. we cannot please God nor he us till we beleeve The life of a Christian is to please God and to be well pleased with him Secondly What it is to live by faith 1. It is to beleive the goodnesse of all that which God commands as well as that which he promiseth and the real evil of all that evil he forbids as well as threatens The precepts of God are good and for our good as well as his promises Deut. 10. 12. Psal. 73. ult The Devils tremble at Gods threatnings but they beleeve not the evil of sin which he forbids for then they would not rebell against God 2. To look after those things principally that are future rather then the
things that are present Luke 15. 12. 6. 24. Psal. 17. ult An unbeleever will venture upon future evils to be freed from evils present A godly man fears two things chiefly sin in this world and wrath in another 2 Cor. 5. 10. 3. To live more to things invisible then visible Heb. 11. 1. 2 Cor. 4. ult Heb. 11. 7. The invisible things are the great things Angels mens souls the great glory God promiseth his people is invisible 1 Cor. 2. 9. 4. To beleeve those things to be certain which are incredible to nature Rom. 4. 18. Psal. 73. begin that the Saints are happy in all their miseries and the wicked miserable in all their happinesse 5. To keep to the word of faith in all our conversation Isa. 8. 20. Gal. 6. 16. Psal. 119. 92 93. Psal. 17. 4. 6. To beleeve that all the providences of God are subservient to his promises even when they seem to be against them Heb. 11. 13. 7. To beleeve so the fulfilling of Gods promises that we make not haste but wait Gods time for the fulfilling of them Isa. 28. 6. Since God will 1. Certainly perform what ever he hath promised 2. He will fulfill it in his own season Luke 1. 20. 3. His season is the fittest Therefore it is most reasonable we should wait Gods time and not make haste Two things make faith strong Knowledge and Affiauce when these are strong faith is strong though there be not assurance By the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 25. and the Centurion Mat. 8. 10. it appears that four things shew what a strong faith is 1. The more it relies on a naked word the lesse it hath of sense Heb. 11. 13. 2. When it bears up the soul against great opposition Rom. 4. 21. The woman of Canaan would take no denial still she cries Lord help me Though he kill me saith Iob I will trust in him 3. When it finds out arguments to support the soul. The Son of David saith the woman of Canaan is sent to Gentiles as well as Iews and the dogs eat of the crums that fall from the masters table 4. When it draws out the heart to earnest and incessant prayers and perseveres therein Psal. 88. 13. Gen. 49. 24. It is a common mistake that where there is no joy of the holy Ghost no assurance there can be no strong faith God usually proportions mens afflictions according to the greatnesse of their faith afflictions are therefore called the trial of faith 1 Pet. 1. 7. See Isa. 27. 8. Ier. 30. 11. Spiritual desertion is the greatest affliction that can befall a godly man it befell Christ when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me therefore they have the greatest strength that are most exercised with afflictions 2. This is the way the Lord takes with his people many times to try them after assurance by hiding his face from them Mens graces are râ—pened not only by communion but by desertion Therefore there may be strong faith and more grace where there is no assurance Motives to get Faith First This grace brings God most glory It doth that to God in a way of duty which God doth to the creature in a way of grace God justifies sanctifies glorifies Faith first justifies God Isa. 18. 13. Luke 7. 29. against the accusations of the world and fond surmises of our own hearts Heb. 10. 29. 2. It sanctifies him 3. It glorifies God Rom. 4. 20. Secondly It doth us most good 1. Our life stands upon it Gal. 2. 20. 2. Brings peace Rom. 5. 1. 3. Glory 1 Pet. 1. 9. Helps to Faith Consider thy condition while an unbeliever thou liest under the guilt of all thy sins and the wrath of God what ever thou dost is displeasing to him Secondly Labour to lay hold on the promise of God Iohn 3. 16. Be convinc'd 1. Of the truth 2. Of the goodnesse of it 3. Seek earnestly to God to work this grace in thee CHAP. V. Of the Communion and Fellowship Believers have with Christ and their Benefits by him and specially of Adoption THis is the highest intimacy between Christ and his people A Fellowship 1 Iohn 1. 3. A Friendship Iohn 15. 15. The Church is called the Lambs Bride Husband and Wife make but one flesh Christ and a believer make one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Communion with God through Christ by the Spirit is the great duty and priviledge of the Gospel 2 Cor. 16. 13. 1 Iohn 1. 3. It is begun by faith carried on by fear and love perfected in heaven Consider First The honour of this Communion Christ hath our nature our sins our wrath and shame thou hast his Titles Nature Spirit Priviledges He is one with God thou art one with him He is Gods fellow Zech. 13. 7. thou his fellow Psalm 45. 7. God is Christs God and our God his Father and our Father Secondly The comfort of it Iohn 15. 12. This joy differs from the joyes in heaven not in kinde but in measure Psal. 16. ult 2 Cor. 1. 5. Hos. 2. 11 12. Thirdly The Priviledges you enjoy by this Communion 1. Liberty of accesse to God Rom. 8. 15. Heb. 4. 6. they come to him sitting on a throne of grace Heb. 4. 16. 2. An interest in Gods particular providence and a sanctified use of the creatures 1 Cor. 3. 21. 3. The influences of grace 1 Cor. 1. 30. Iohn 14 6. Evidences of this Communion 1. Holinesse 1 Iohn 1. 6 7. 4. 13. Iohn 14. 17. Rom. 8. 9. 2. Heavenlinesse Phil. 3. 20. Col. 3. 1. 3. Delight in God Deut. 4. 7. Psal. 84. 12. 4. Reverence toward God and humility toward men 5. A constant dependance on God for Direction Comfort and Strength Iohn 15. 5. 6. Living to his Glory and consecrating all we have to him Whole Christ is ours and we are all his Cant. 2. 14. He is ours by his own grant and we his by our consent The Benefits which Believers partake of through Christ are either in this life or in the life to come In this life 1. Relative which make a change of our state 2. Moral which concern the change of our persons First Relative which concern the change of our state and condition 1. Adoption 2. Justification Secondly Moral which concern the change of our persons Sanctification Some say Adoption is the first of all the priviledges communicated to us Others say Justification Of Adoption As soon as a soul is by faith united to Christ he is made the childe of God in the Sonship of Christ 1 Iohn 3. 1. God is said to have three sorts of Sons 1. By Nature or Generation so Christ. 2. By Creation the Angels 3. Voluntarily made his Son his adopted childe It is little mentioned in the Old Testament in the New frequently because the Romans who had then the Empire of the world had subdued the Jewes to them and communicated their customs to them it was an
Apostles in the New Testament to pray Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters CHAP. IX Whether one may be certain of his Iustification THe Scripture holds out assurance in reference 1. To Faith Heb. 10. 22. 2. Hope Heb. 6. 11. 3. Love 1 Iohn 4. 17 18. Our knowing our Justification is called the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. The witnesse of the Spirit Rom. 8. 16. The sealing of the Spirit Ephes. 1. 14. The earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5. 5. One may be certain 1. Of his Justification Isa. 45. 24. 2. Of his Adoption Isa. 63. 16. 3. Of his Perseverance in Gods favour unto the end Psal. 23. 6. 4. That after this life he shall inherit eternal glory 2 Cor. 5. 10. 1 Iohn 3. 14. There is a three-fold certainty 1. Moral this consists in opinion and probability and admits of fear 2. Of evidence either external of things particular and obvious which comes by the senses or internal by the understanding and energy of principles 3. Of Faith this certainty is the greatest and exceeds the evidence of the outward senses or the knowledge and understanding of all principles because that full assurance of faith relies on the Divine Promises Faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 3. 12. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plena certioratio Heb. 10. 24. words that signifie a sure and certain establishment Assurance of Gods grace and favour to save a mans self in particular is wrought in the hearts of those that have it in truth in three degrees First They apprehend a possibility of it when the heart is convinced of sinne and wounded with sinne when the Law cometh in such power the sinne reviveth and a man dieth that is findeth himself dead or in a damnable estate even then the promises of the Gospel being believed and acknowledged for first true do cause the dejected Spirit to support it self with this thought The Lord can forgive can accept me be a Saviour to me There are mercies enough in him merits enough in Christ it is not impossible but that I even I also may be taken into grace So the Leper came to our Saviour saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean and the blinde men being asked by Christ Believe you that I can do this for you said Yea Lord To which he replied Be it unto you according to your faith Secondly They apprehend a probability of it not alone God can save me but it may be also that he will Who can tell but God will have mercy upon us that we perish not as did the Ninevites and Hezekiah did wish that Isaiah should cry mightily if so be that the Lord of Heaven would hearken to the words of Senacherib and deliver them When Bartimeus the blinde man came crying after Christ at first he was perswaded that Christ could cure him but then when he called him and the people told him so much he cast off his cloak and came running with more life he began to be perswaded then that like enough Christ meant him some good and would restore him his sight Thirdly They apprehend a Certainty a mans soul concludeth The Lord will pardon will save is reconciled will deliver God is my Shepherd I shall not want Thus doth Assurance grow in the Saints from weak beginnings first he saith I am sure God can save and therefore I will run to him then hopes God will help and therefore I will continue seeking lastly I am sure God will save therefore I will most confidently rely upon him There is a three-fold Assurance 1. Of Evidence it is the duty of every Christian to attain this 2. Of Affiance which God doth accept of 3. Of Obsignation which God vouchsafes to some in bounty whereby God doth so firmly seal the faith of some as if he had told them that he did die in particular for them this Assurance really excludes doubtings and is given to men after long and fiery trials when they have stood in an eminent way for Christ as did the Apostles and Martyrs Some have been so swallowed up with joy that they have cried out Lord humble me one to whom God revealed his Election could neither eat drink nor sleep for three dayes space but cried out Laudetur Dominus laudetur Dominus Gods people may have an infallible and setled Assurance of their being in the state of grace and their continuance therein This may be proved 1. From Scripture There is an expresse promise to this purpose Isa. 60. 16. See 2 Cor. 13. 5. Heb. 8. 11. 1 Iohn 3. 2. to 15. 2. 3. 5. 13. 2 Ep. 14. 2. Reason 1. From the nature of this estate The state of grace is called life Translated from death to life and light life and light cannot be long hidden Again a man is brought into this condition by a great change and alteration and many times also sudden great changes chiefly being sudden will be easily perceived It is a passing from death to life a translating from the power of darknesse into the Kingdom of his dear Sonne The state of grace doth alwayes bring with it an earnest combate and conflict between two things extreamly contrary one to the other flesh and Spirit this battel cannot be fought in the heart but the man will feel it In the state of grace Christ dwelleth in the heart by faith and by his Spirit and the Word dwelleth there the inhabiting of such guests is evident a King goes not in secret with his train nor the King of glory 2. The Lord hath afforded such helps to his servants as may bring them to the knowledge of their own estate and their certain continuance therein The word of God layes down the general Proposition All that turn shall live all that believe shall be saved the Sacraments bring the general promises home to each particular soul being a particular Word as much as if God should come and sayto the child If thou be not careles to seek Regeneration and to come to me for it I will surely regenerate and wash thee The Lords Supper is an actual word too as if God had said If thou hast confessed thy sins with sorrow and dost labour to be perswaded of my will to pardon them in Christ Be they pardoned be they healed The Spirit of God worketh with the Word and Sacraments to make both effectual and to stablish strengthen and settle the soul that it shall not be moved It sealeth them up to the day of Redemption that is not only marks them for Gods own but as an earnest of their inheritance assures them that by the power of the Spirit they shall continue so Thirdly God requireth of them such duties as it were in vain or impossible to do if they might not be assured of their estate and the perpetuity thereof 2 Cor. 13. 5. 2 Pet. 1. 10. To what purpose were
it come to enjoy God which doth eminently contain all good in him it can never come to have full satisfaction Light was the first thing in the Creation and so in the new Creature Eph. 4. 23. he hath a new judgement speculative and practical 1. Speculative he apprehends and discerns those Reasons and Arguments against sin and for grace more then ever he did he is amazed to consider what darknesse and folly he lived in before 1 Cor. 2. 15. 2. Practical He applies the things he knows for his humiliation and exercise he so knoweth truths that he loves them and delights in them he knows them experimentally Conversion of a man is a Divine teaching of him Isa. 54. 13. Ierem. 31. 44. Iohn 6. 45. The Properties of this teaching 1. It is necessary without this all other teaching is in vain David often prayes that God would teach him his statutes open his eyes the Ministers teach the ear God the heart 2. Efficacious Iob 36. 22. 3. Clear and distinct hence Gods Word is called a Light and it is called the riches of the assurance of understanding 4. Practical it is an acknowledgement after godlinesse Verba Scripturae non sunt verba legenda sed vivenda said Luther 5. Abundant under the Gospel All shall know me from the greatest to the least Knowledge shall cover the earth as the waters do the Sea A great part of Conversion lieth in the renewing of the minde Rom. 12. 2. Ephes. 1. 17 18. Phil. 1. 4. This renewing consists First In Knowledge and that 1. Doctrinally of the truths to be beleeved this is the very foundation and that which is called historical faith that is a knowledge with an Assent to those truths which are recorded in Scripture many may have this and more which yet are not converted but yet where Conversion is this must necessarily precede 1 Cor. 2. 2. Whom God converts he enlightens Iohn 6. 45. 1 Cor. 8. 2. mans whole Conversion is called a teaching 2. Practically partly of our own filthinesse Iohn 3. it was necessary for Nicodemus to know his natural filthinesse partly of Christ sinne will overwhelm the soul without this Rom. 7. 24 25. Ephes. 1. 19 20. one must know his own poverty and Christs riches his own guilt and his satisfaction 3. It makes the heart beleeve and assent to these truths the understanding doth not only need converting grace to turn but to assent and firmly to adhere to the truths revealed to the promises manifested for the heart doth not turn to God by knowing the promises but by firm relying on them and this is that which is called trusting so much in the Psalms 4. The judgement is induced to approve of Gods Word his precepts and promises aâ— the best He accounts those things best and worst which the Word doth The converted man esteems of Gods favour and freedom from corruption more then all the glory and riches of the world 5. The minde is in part sanctified in regard of the thoughts they were roving distracted impertinent and very frothy now the minde is renewed about them so that it hath more holy thoughts more composed more profitable and united in all duties and performances more low thoughts of our selves and high thoughts of Christ. 6. It looketh then only to Gods Word My sheep hear my voice To the Law and the Testimony 7. Their minde is renewed in respect of consultations Paul consulted not with flesh and bloud he subjects all to the glory of God and this Word 8. He invents holy purposes means and wayes to propagate Gods glory 9. He discerns things that differ Rom. 12. 7. CHAP. XV. Of the Sanctification of the Will GODS great work in Conversion is in the Will Isa. 1. 19. Revel 22. 17. Ps. 110. 3. Ephes. 1. 19. when ever he converts the soul he subdues the Will 1 Chron. 28. 9. Phil. 2. 13. Grace is a resignation of our selves to the will of God Rom. 6. 17. 2 Cor. 8. 10. Though the will of man be subdued in conversion and made free yet it is not perfectly made free as a degree of blindnesse that remains in the Understanding so a degree of bondage in the Will The work of Conversion is never perfected till the will be gained it begins in the mind Ephes. 4. 23. but ends in the will Deut. â—0 6. All liberty must proceed from Liberum judicium a judgement of the understanding not mislead by sensitive objects Aquinas The Will is renewed in a godly man in these particulars 1. It is made flexible so Paul when he was converted Lord what wilt thou have me to do Psal. 40. 8. 143. 10. This Will is broken which before was contumacious and stubborn Isa. 11. 6. 2. Tender it was hardened before this is implied in that a fat heart that hath no sense or feeling either of Gods displeasure or the fearful eâ—â—aâ—e it is in the man converted hath a heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. which is opposed there to a stony heart that is senslesse and stupid 3. It is moved upon pure motives for the holinesse of the precepts David prizeth Gods Word above thousands of Gold and Silver for the spiritual profit of it it would quicken and enlarge his heart support him in afflictions 4. It is established and setled in a good way the honest heart holds fast the Word of God cleaves to the Lord with full purpose of heart 5. It is made efficacious and fervent in holy things their services are free-will offerings 1 Chron. 29. 14. Rom. 7. 18. 6. In regard of its acts 1. In its election and choice it is sanctified preferring holy and eternal things before sinne and temporal Heb. 11. Moses chose the reproaches of Christ before the treasures of Aegypt Election is an act of the Will about the means and answereth to consultation in the Understanding 2. In its consent it consents to God and Christ Isa. 1. 19. 2 Cor. 11. 2. Rom. 7. 16. 3. In regard of the power it hath over the other faculties for it commands the other powers of the soul as on the understanding to make it think and reason about this or that 2 Pet. 3. 5. it sets the understanding on searching the truth and finding it out and the Will delights it self in good things 7. It is adorned with those habitual graces which are necessary for it 1. Fiducial recumbency and trusting in God the Will renewed rolâ— it self upon Jesus Christ and hath confidence and boldnesse 2. Love to God above all other things therefore he saith I will circumcise you that you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart 3. A divine hope which keepeth up the soul in all difficulties Lam. 3. 13. Obedience is the vertue of the will by which it is flexible to Gods will in all things and for his sake Here Coeca obedientia blinde absolute obedience is as necessary and commendable as in Friars to their Superiours it is
wisdome he doth nothing rashly but knows how to order all things for the best his will is a wise and holy will the rule it self Good is the word of the Lord said Hezekiah when ill tidings came 3. His will is good to thee All the wayes of God are mercy and truth he aims at the good of his even when he corrects them 4. Consider that this God which hath laid this upon thee affords thee all the good things thou enjoyest thou hast one crosse and perhaps ten thousand mercies all these come from the same hand Iob 2. 10. 5. This God beares with thee every day else what will become of thee II. From our selves We have reason to stoop to Gods will even when he pleaseth to correct us because 1. We have provoked him by our sins to strike us and have deserved farre more evil then we suffer 2. We cannot ease or any way deliver our selves from miserie by murmuring This is 1. A worthy service a childe that quietly bears the stripes which his Father sometimes laies upon him pleaseth his Father as much as he that readily goes about the things he is bidden Christ himself learnt obedience by sufferings The principall part of his merit stood in that he submitted himself to be made of no reputation and became obedient even to the death of the Crosse. 2. It is a most profitable dutie turning evil into good and making evils easie to bear and procuring a safe and speedy issue out of evil 3. From the grace of patience it self 1. The necessity of it thou canst not live without it we cannot perform a duty mortifie a lust bring forth fruit without patience the good ground brings forth fruit with patience 2. The excellency of this grace it makes thee most like to God it is a great part of his Image to Christ he was patient to death 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. it will make one enjoy himself in the worst times Luk. 21. 19. it will be helpful to all graces and duties make thee an amiable Christian it will strengthen thy faith subdue thy flesh in thee bridle thy tongue Magna praecipua virtus est patientia quam pariter vulgi voces publicae Philosophi oratores summis laudibus celebrant Lactant. l. 5. de Iustitia 4. From the things we suffer the right consideration of the nature of Afflictions 1. Afflictions whether upon the Soul State Friends Name are no evidences at all of Gods displeasure for they are the lot of all Gods people his dearest servants Prov. 3. 12. Iob 7. 17 18. Heb. 8. 6 7. 8. 2. God really intends his peoples good and doth them a great deal of good by afflictions Heb. 12. 6 7. 1. Hereby Christ makes all his people conformable to himself Rom. 8. 28. 2. He purgeth out the reliques of corruption takes down our pride self-love love of the world 3. He exerciseth abundance of grace in his people 1 Pet. 1. 7. 4. Makes them grow in grace more heavenly-minded 3. God will uphold thee in afflictions 1 Cor. 10. 13. 4. We shall have a most seasonable and merciful deliverance out of afflictions Psal. 34. 19. and God will do his people good according to their afflictions leave in them an excellent frame of spirit Iob and David were rare men after afflictions God makes the hearts of his people more holy and chearful after most of all do they finde the fruit of their afflictions when they come to heaven for though that be given of free-grace yet God rewards them proportionably to their good services and afflictions 2 Cor. 4. 17. If we suffer with Christ we shall reign with him Means to get patience First The frequent Meditation of the former Motives studie those Arguments Secondly Get faith study to know thy interest in Christ 1. Know the nature of the Covenant how fully and freely Christ offers grace to thee 2. Give thy consent that Christ should be a Saviour to thee that he should sanctifie thee as well as pardon thy sinne Faith is an assent to the truth and consent to the goodnesse of it that Christ should be my Saviour Psal. 112. 7. Peace Peace in the general notion and nature of it is the correspondency or harmony of one thing to another working in its proper place to the common end the good of the whole It is a kinde of sweet divine and heavenly concent harmony or beauty of things subordinate one to another D. Gauden If the world be a Ring peace is the Diamond of it The Hebrews use it often for all prosperity of soul and body they use Shalom in their letters and say ordinarily Peace be to this house that is All happinesse attend you It was Henry the 7th usual Preface in his Treaties That when Christ came into the world Peace was sung and when he went out of the world Peace was bequeathed Sir Francis Bacon The Apostolical Benediction is Grace and Peace More properly it signifies Concord Unity and Reconciliation Firm and stable peace is and must be the fruit of righteousnesse Heb. 7. 1 2. first King of Righteousnesse then of Peace Isa. 48. 18. Jam. 3. 18. Righteousnesse is the qualification of the person to whom God will grant peace it takes away all the matter which provokes God to wrath No peace is to be had without Christ Isa. 48. ult all peace by him 1. With God Rom. 5. 1. 2. In our own consciences 3. With all the cereatures Ezek. 34. 25. Hos. 2. Perseverance All agree that perseverance is necessary to the end that one may be saved Mat. 10. 22. The negative may be gathered from the affirmative That no man therefore shall be saved which shall not continue to the end Heb. 3. 14. But all do not agree what is the ground of perseverance and to whom it belongs Reasons and Grounds of the Perseverance of Gods people 1. The eternal love of God Psal. 103. 17. Iohn 13. 1. he loves his people with an everlasting love Rom. 8. 38 39. See Iohn 10. 28 29 30. 11. 29. 2. The Covenant that is betwixt God and them is a stable and everlasting Covenant Ier. 31. 31. 32. 40. Hosea 2. 19. 2 Samuel 23. 5. the Covenant made at first with the Angels and Adam might be broken but this cannot Christ is the Surety of it 3. The Union between Christ and the faithfull is indissoluble Iohn 14. 19. 1 Iohn 5. 11. 4. The Intercession of Christ for them Heb. 7. 25. Luke 22. 31. Iohn 17. 11 20. God the Father hears him alwaies Iohn 11. 42. Object Though Christ have purchased the Spirit and bestowed it upon us yet we may cast off the Spirit Answ. We have the witnesse of the Father Isa. 59. 21. and of Christ Ioh. 14. 16. that the holy Ghost shall never depart from us St Augustine hath observed out of the Exposition of the Lords Prayer made by Cyprian that almost in every
that thou hast heard me Reasons why the people of God should specially observe the returns of their praiers First Praiers are the chief actions of our life the first fruits of our Regeneration Acts 11. 15. Paul being a Pharisee praied before that was no praier to this Secondly The greatest works of God are done in answer to praier all the promises and threats are fulfilled by it Revel 8. 5 6. 16. 1. Thirdly Whatsoever is given to a man in mercy is in the return of praier 1 Iohn 5. 14 15. Fourthly Every return is a special evidence of our interest in Christ and of the sincerity of our hearts God answers his peoples praiers sometimes in kinde he gives the very things they ask as to Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 20 27. Sometimes he denies the thing yet grants the praier First When he manifests the acceptation of the Person and Petition Gen. 17. 8 9. Secondly When he gives something equivalent or more excellent as strength to bear the crosse Heb. 5. 7. a heart to be content without the thing Phil. 4. 5. 1 Sam. 1. 18. Thirdly When he upholds the heart to pray again Psal. 86. 4. Lam. 3. 44. Fourthly When thy heart is kept humble Psal. 44. 17. Fifthly When he answers Cardinem desiderii the ground of our praiers 2 Cor. 12. 8. When God hath heard our praiers we should return to him 1. A great measure of love Psal. 116. 1. 2. Praise What shall I return to the Lord I will take the cup of salvation 3. We should fear to displease him Psal. 6. 8. 4. We should be careful to pay our vows 1 Sam. 2. 27 28. 5. We should pray much to him Psal. 116. 2. CHAP. VI. Of the Lords Prayer CHRIST delivered the Lords praier at two several times and upon several occasions in the former he commands it as a patern and rule of all praier saying Pray after this manner but in the later say some he enjoyneth it to be used as a praier When ye pray say Our Father If so then would it not follow that whensoever we pray we should necessarily necessitate praecepti use that form Robinson in his Treatise of publick Communion and his Apologia Brownistarum cap. 3. saith Neither do the two Evangelists use the very same words neither if that were Christs meaning to binde men to these very words were it lawfull to use any other form of words For he saith When you pray that is Whensoever you pray say Our Father yet he adds Though I doubt not but these words also being applied to present occasions and without opinion of necessity may be used What is objected against using this as a praier may be said of using the precise words of our Saviour in Baptism and the Eucharist As a just weight or balance serves both for our present use to weigh withall and also for a patern to make another like the same by it So the Lords Prayer serves for a patern of true praier and also for our present use at any time to call upon the name of the Lord with those words The Reformed Churches saith D. Featley generally conclude their praiers before Sermon with the Lords Praier partly in opposition to the Papists who close up their devotions with an Ave Maria partly to supply all the defects and imperfections of their own Object We never reade that the Apostles used this prescript form of words in praier Answ. It is absurd negatively to prove from examples of men against that which God in his Word so expresly either commanded or permitted for we may as well reason thus We do not read that the Apostles or the Church in their times did baptize Infants Ergò They were not then baptized Or thus We do not reade that the Apostles did pray either before or after they preacht Ergò They did it not Though the Apostles did not binde themselves to these words yet this doth not prove that they never used the same as their praier they might pray according to their several occasions according to this rule and yet with the words of the rule so Paget Here two extremities are to be avoided The first of the Brownists who think it unlawful to use the prescript form of these words The second of the Papists who superstitiously insist in the very words and syllables themselves Unlesse it be unlawful to obey the expresse Commandment of our Saviour Christ Luke 11. 2. it is lawful to use these words yet when Christ Matth. 6. commandeth to pray thus he doth not tie us to the words but to the things We must pray for such things as herein summarily are contained with such affections as are herein prescribed B. Downam on the Lords Praier Object 2. This praier say some is found written in two books of the New Testament viz. Matth. 6. Luke 11. but with diversity of termes and the one of these Evangelists omits that which the other hath written How then ought we to pronounce it Either by that which is expressed in S. Matthew or that which is couched by S. Luke Answ. If this Argument might take place when we celebrate the Lords Supper we must never pronounce the words which Jesus Christ spake in that action for they are related diversly in four divers books of the Scripture When one of the Evangelists saies Remit us our debts the other expounds it by saying Forgive us our trespasses It is indifferent to take either of these two expressions both of them were dictated by Jesus Christ. Our Saviour Christ propoundeth this Praier as a brief summe of all those things which we are to ask For as the Creed is Summa credendorum the summe of things to be believed the Decalogue Summa agendorum the summe of things to be done So the Lords Praier is Summa petendorum the summe of things to be desired Tertullian cals it Breviarium totius Evangelii Cyprian Coelestis Doctrin◠compendium If a man peruse all the Scripture which hath frequently divers forms of praier he shall finde nothing which may not be referred to some part of the Lords Praier Luther was wont to call it Orationem orationum the praier of praiers In this form are comprized all the distinct kindes of praier as Request for good things Deprecation against evil Intercession for others and Thanksgiving These Rules are to be observed in the exposition of the Lords Praier 1. Each Petition doth imply some acknowledgement or confession in respect of our selves 2. Where we pray for any good there we pray against the contrary evil and give thanks for the things bestowed evils removed bewailing our defects with grief 3. If one kinde or part of a thing be expressed in any petition all kinds and parts of the same are understood Petit. 4. 4. Where any good thing is praied for in any Petition the causes and effects thereof and whatsoever properly belongs to the said thing is understood to be praied for in
exercising of them the elements are changed relatively in respect of their use and end though not substantially they are not meer signs but such as besides their signification seal unto us our remission or sins and Gods favour But 1. The Word it self doth not profit without faith much lesse the seals of it 2. People are exhorted to examine themselves before they come to the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11. therefore the very use of the Sacraments conferres not grace though the heart of man put forth no good motion at that time we should not there relie upon the external acts of receiving there is panis Domini and panis Dominus Object Act. 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins Answ. They are said to be baptized for the remission of sins not that Baptisme ex opere operato doth remit sins but because it is a signe and seal of the pardon of them The Sacraments receive their power from the Lords own institution Some signs signifie by nature as smoke is a sign of fire the picture of my friend makes me remember him 2. Other signs come wholly from institution as the heap of stones called Galead between Iacob and Laban there is a kinde of resemblance and aptnesse in the things which God hath chosen to signifie but the efficacy of them depends on the institution of Christ which contains two things 1. A word of command to do such a thing for such an end 2. A word of promise that it shall be effectual for such an end A piece of wax annexed as a Seal to the Princes Patent of pardon or other like deed is of farre other use and greater efficacy and excellency then any ordinary waxe is though it be the same still in nature and substance with it So the bread in the Lords Supper being a seal of Gods Covenant and of Christs last Will and Testament is of farre other use and of farre greater efficacy and excellency then any ordinary bread is though it be the same still in nature and substance with it Relationes non faciunt realem mutationem in subjecto sed tantum in usu VII Why hath the Lord made choice of such an applying the Covenant of Grace by signs and vouchsafed such an Ordinance as this in the Church seeing the same things are done by preaching of the Word and prayer There are excellent Reasons of it 1. It is a great part of Christs Soveraignty to make any thing though never so contemptible a part of homage to him no reason can be given of it but only his will as a Lord will have Land passe by delivering a wand or twig 2. It is a glory to his power that he can make a little water or wine sign and seal the conquering of my sins and salvation of my soul. 3. Christ hath herein exceedingly condescended to his peoples weaknesse in applying the Covenant of Grace by signs while we are in the flesh to have sensitive things to represent spiritual these signs inform the judgement work on the affections help the memory wonderfully recal the Covenant of Grace act faith and other graces a naked word is enough to a strong faith but these are great props of our faith in our weaknesse so Gideon was confirmed Thomas when he put his hand into Christs side He acts the things before our eyes that he saith in his Word VIII Since God hath had a constituted Church in a visible body segregated from all mankinde he hath had some standing Sacraments even since Abrahams time The Sacraments of the Jewish Church and ours agree in these things 1. They have the same Authour 2. Serve for the same spiritual ends They had two so have we Circumcision was for Infants so is Baptisme the Passeover for men grown so the Lords Supper Circumcision was once administred the Passeover often so Baptism once and the Lords Supper often M. Bedf. Treat of the Sac. par 2. c. 106. They differ thus Theirs were praenuntiativè of Christ to come Ours annunciativè of Christ exâ—ibited so Austin Theirs were given to the Jews ours not to one but to all people The matter of both theirs and our Sacraments is one they ate and drank the same spiritual meat and drink that we do that is Christ. The effects also are the same in kinde and nature which is a partaking of Christ they differ in the manner Christ is more plentifully partaked in ours more sparingly in theirs Cartw. on Rhem. Test. Circumcision is the same with Baptism for the spiritual part it was the seal of the new-birth Deut. 30. 6. so Baptism Tit. 3. 5. Col. 2. 2. Circumcision was a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 11. 11. so Baptism Acts 8. it was the seal of the Covenant of Grace so Baptism it was the way of admittance and entrance into the Church so Baptism Matth. 28. Acts 2. it was the distinguishing badge between them who were Gods people and the rest of the world so Baptism 1 Cor. 5. 12. it was but once administred so Baptism None might eat the Passeover till they were circumcised Exod. 12. nor are any to be admitted to the Lords Supper till they be baptized Acts 2. 41 42. Circumcision was a seal of the Covenant Gen. 17. 10 11. so Baptism that being the nature of a Sacrament it was a seal of the righteousnesse of faith so Baptism Acts 8. 37 38. 2. It was the Sacrament of initiation under the Law so is Baptism now under the Gospel Mat. 28. 19. 3. It was a distinguishing badge under the Law so is Baptism under the Gospel 4. It was the Sacrament of Regeneration Deut. 30. 6. so is Baptism Titus 3. 5. Col. 2. 11 12. 5. It was partaked of but once so Baptism Our Sacraments differ from the Sacraments of the Jews accidentally onely in things concerning the outward matter and form as their number quality clearness of signification and the like not essentially in the thing signified or grace confirmed 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3. Ioh. 6. 35. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Phil. 3. 3. Col. 2. 11. IX The Sacraments of the New Testament are only two All Christians agree that Christ hath established Baptism and the Lords Supper All the Reformed Churches concurre in this that there are but two onely to which properly the definition of a Sacrament doth belong though there may be many in a metaphorical sense The Papists say they are seven adding Orders Matrimony Confirmation Penance Extream Unction The Fathers do commonly use the word Sacrament for a mystery or sign of a holy thing so there may be many Sacraments But as the word Sacrament is taken in a straiter signification to note the visible signs instituted by Christ for the assurance and increase of Grace in the faithful so there are but two The Schoolmen themselves who were the first authours that raised them up
opinion of tying grace to the Sacraments overthroweth 1. The highest and most proper cause of our salvation which is Gods free election to which only grace is tied 2. The only meritorious cause of our Regeneration which is the bloud of Christ properly purging us from all sin 3. The most powerfull next and applying efficient which is the holy Ghost Titus 3. 5. The Papists thrust the souls of such babes as die without Baptism into a Limbus puerorum a place very near hell and their bodies out of Christian burial as they call it into an unhallowed place The Thief on the Crosse wanted the outward Baptism yet was saved Luke 23. 43. He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved See M. Perk. Cas. of Consc. l. 2. p. 108. to 115. Baptism is necessary not only as a thing commanded but as an ordinary means of Salvation yet that necessity is not so absolute that the denial of Baptism even to Infants should be a certain argument of perdition The Persons who must baptize The Papists say Those that are not ordained and women in case of necessity may baptize No woman is a fit Minister of Baptism For 1. The Minister in his ministerial actions sustaineth the person of Christ which a woman cannot do 2. Those which are called to baptize are called also to preach for the Sacrament without the Word is a dumb Ceremony and as a Seal to a blank and Paul who would not permit a woman to teach ministerially would much lesse suffer her to baptize If any man should set the Kings broad Seal to any instrument but the Lord Keeper his fact were high treason And is there lesse danger in counterfeiting the great Seals of Gods Covenant Aquinas parte tertia Quest. 67. Artic. 3. saith Laiâ—us potest baptizare and Art 4. mulier potest baptizare That place Matth. 28. is as strong against womens baptizing as it is against their preaching For the Ministery of the Word and Sacrament cannot be pulled asunder which the Lord hath joyned together from time to time The Priests and Levites which were appointed to teach the people were also appointed to sacrifice and minister other Sacraments in the Church Cartwright denieth Women and Laicks power Whitgift and Hooker plead for it but K. Iames would have it appropriated to the Minister The ordinary Minister of Baptism is a person consecrated Baptism being the solemn Rite of initiating Disciples and making the first publick profession of the institution it is in reason and analogy of the Mystery to be ministred by those who were appointed to collect the Church and make Disciples D. Taylors Divine Instit of the offices Ministerial Sect. 4. Zippora circumcised her sonne before her husband Moses which was a Prophet of the Lord and to whom the office of Circumcision did appertain 2. She did it in choler If the essentials of Baptism be observed viz. washing In the Name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost it is Baptism The Baptism of Hereticks is Baptism and therefore it is imputed to Cyprian for an errour that he affirmed Baptizatos ab Haereticis esse rebaptizandos and the Donatists are esteemed Hereticks for that reason No man may baptize himself Smith was a Se-baptist he baptized himself which neither Iohn Baptist nor any did before him How Christs Baptism and Iohns differ There was the same Doctrine the same Rite the same Oblation of Grace in the Baptisme of Iohn and Christ Therefore it was the same Baptism for Substance and of the same efficacy Vide Scultet Exercit. Evangel lib. 1. cap. 35. The Persons who are to be baptized Infidels converted to the faith and the Infants of one or both Christian Parents Some deny Baptism they acknowledge not the baptizing of Infants or others but onely the inward Baptisme of the Spirit See Matthew 28. 19 20 Mark 16. 26. The Scriptures teach that this Sacrament is necessary for Infants Iohn 3. The Scriptures shew that Infants are in Covenant Ezek. 6. 20. that is at the birth his by vertue of the Covenant and were in times past sealed with the seal of the Covenant They witnesse that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to Infants Matth. 19. By Baptism Christians are admitted into the Society of this Kingdom Antipoedobaptists acknowledge from Matth. 9. 14. Rom. 9. 11. that Infants are saved See Psal. 103. 17. Christ commands all Nations to be baptized Infants are part of a Nation Mat. 28. 11. I think the Apostle doth plainly hold Col. 2. that Baptism hath succeeded in the room of Circumcision which is also the common and received opinion of Divines Gillesp. Miscel. c. 18. Infants of Christian Parents ought to be baptized because the children of the Jews in Covenant were circumcised for let the particular differences between Circumcision and Baptism be never so many yet in this they agree that they are both Sacraments of initiation and so belong to them that be in Covenant the faithful and their seed M. Ball. Vide Rivet in Gen. 17. That which confirms me in the belief that the Apostles did baptize Infants where they baptized housholds where fathers and children were together is because of the continued practice of it in the Church of God ever since of which we have as good evidence as of any controverted point in Ecclesiastical History Supposing Infant-baptism a nullity I cannot understand how any in the world should this day be lawfully baptized unlesse it can be made good that a person unbaptized himself may be a lawful Minister of Baptism to others for certainly untill the Anabaptists arose in Germany all the baptized world were baptized while they were Infants and consequently the first Anabaptist was baptized by an unbaptized person and so in conclusion we must all turn Seekers and be content without Baptism till Christ give some extraordinary commission from Heaven unto some men to be Apostles in this businesse M. Martials Def. of Infant-bap p. 245. A man by embracing one errour undertakes for all of the same cognation and line as for example He that is entangled with the errour of those who deny the lawfulnesse of Infant-baptism stands obliged through his engagement to this one errour to maintain many erroneous and Anti-Evangelical opinions Where ever God takes parents into Covenant he takes their children also See Deut. 27. 14 15. 2. Infants are as capable of the benefits of Baptism as men there is no benefit of Baptism but the party that receiveth it is passive we are said to be baptized into Christ to be made one with him the union begins on his part so to receive remission of sin 3. Infants while they are so may be truly members of a visible Church Luke 18. 16. One hath better ground to go by to administer Baptism to a childe of believing Parents then to men of years a mans profession may be unsound and hypocritical for the other I have Gods promise I will be
Body a pledge whereby whole Christ with all his merits and all that he is is made over to a believer 4. A means of exhibiting Christ to the soul. The Sacraments are Instrumenta quadantenus moralia they are accompanied with the power and vertue of the holy Ghost We must therefore receive the Sacrament To confirm our faith Communion with Christ and all saving graces in us to keep in remembrance the Lords death untill he come again and to testifie our love one towards another 1. Our Faith God is able and willing to save us 1. Able to save to the utmost look upon him 1. In his Natures God-man Man that he might suffer God that he might satisfie 2. In his Offices he is a Prophet Priest and King Mat. 8. 2. 2. Willing he died to save humble and penitent sinners Rom. 8. 34. Rom. 4. ult if he spared not his life for us he will spare nothing else There is merit and grace enough in him what ever my sins are or have been for pardon of them and salvation 2. Communion with Christ and all saving graces in us Gods end in instituting of Ordinances is that we might meet him there and have Communion with him Exod 20. 24. it should be our end in frequenting Ordinances Gods eye is specially on our end in all religious duties Matth. 11. 7 8. Hos. 7. 14. Zech. 7. 5. 1. He pondereth the heart 2. He judgeth of our actions by the end 3. The answer will be sutable to our end The Sacrament is the nearest and visiblest Communion with Christ on earth We come to God by Christ in prayer as our Intercessour in the Word as our Teacher in the Supper as the Master of the Feast Rom. 6. 11. 3. To keep in remembrance the Lords death until he come again 1 Cor. 11. 26. that is 1. The Doctrine of it the bread represents his body the wine his bloud we shew our belief of this Doctrine 2. The Necessity of his death we hereby testifie to God our consciences fellow-Christians the world our need of Christ as bread is necessary for our bodies 3. The Sufficiency of Christs death no two creatures are more universally sufficient for all sorts of men then bread and wine therefore God made choice of them for this purpose 4. The Application of Christs death it is the receiving of bread and wine into our stomacks that nourisheth us when the conscience beginneth to be oppressed with the hainousnesse of sinne and the fear of Gods vengeance we should consider Christ bare the curse for our sins upon his body that we might be delivered from them and made perfect satisfaction to his Fathers justice that we might be received into favour Rom. 8. 34 35. 4. To testifie our love one toward another that I shall speak of afterward Of duâ— Preparation for the Sacrament We must labour to perform all holy duties in a right manner God requires preparation to every service to the Sabbath Sacrament Some say the scope of the first Commandment is that Iehovah alone must be our God whom we must worship of the second that he must be worshipt alone with his own worship of the third that he must be worshipt after his own manner God is more delighted with Adverbs then Nouns None might approach to the holy things of God having his uncleannesse upon him Nadab and Abihu through carelesnesse or hast brought common kitchin fire whereas it should have been heavenly fire therefore God punisht them God makes admirable promises to prayer yet if we perform it not in that manner which God requires he abhors it Psal. 109. 8. The word is the power of God to convert and strengthen us 2 Cor. 2. 16. The Sacrament is a seal of the Covenant yet if it be received unworthily it is a seal to a blank Iudas took the Passeover at least and the devil entred into him See 1 Cor. 11. 18 20. so the great duty of fasting if not rightly performed is unacceptable Isa. 14. 12. See 2 Chro. 25. 2. and prayer Prov. 15. 8. Reasons 1. Because the Lord requires and orders the manner as well as the matter our obedience must have Gospel-perfection sincerity and integrity In the Passeover the Lamb must be perfect of the first year the man and the Lamb prepared and it offered in the appointed time See Exod. 12. 9. 2 Chron. 30. 18 19. There were four dayes preparation for the Passeover the Lords Supper both succeeds and exceeds it The Ark was to be carried on the Priests shoulders 1 Chron. 15. 13. God made a breach on them because they sought him not after the due order 2. The manner of performing the duty is the most spiritual part of it Non tantum considerandum est id quod agimus sed etiam quibus circumstantiis This shews the true cause why our attending upon God proves so unprofitable and uncomfortable to us because we rest in the work done Secondly We should labour to perform the Ordinances aright and that we may do so 1. The person must be accepted God had regard to Abel and his offering Cains Sacrifice for the matter was as good as Abels the person is onely accepted in Christ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased in him with us 2. Ever bring God the best thou hast in thy approaches to God bring the best devotion affection Cursed is the deceiver that hath a whole one and brings a blemished one Mal. be troubled thou canst bring no better 3. Come in faith rest upon the promise of Christ that thy services shall be accepted mingle faith with hearing prayer 4. Bring an humble Spirit Let thy soul be rightly possest with the majesty and holinesse of that God to whom the duty is tendred Revel 4. 3. The Lord is to be lookt on as a King in his Glory in his Throne we have a principle of envy in us whom we envy we undervalue 5. Bring a right estimation of the excellency and ends of the Ordinance Isa. 2. 3. Hear and thy soul shall live Take heed how you hear with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again according to your diligence in the duty will God measure out his blessing 6. There must be a serious meditation before-hand of the spiritual manner of performing the duty Heb. 12. 28. Do not utter indigested prayers a Minister should speak as the Oracles of God 7. One should labour to stir up the graces sutable to the duty and keep down the sins opposite thereto 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Iam. 1. 18 19. It is the duty of Christians in a special manner to examine themselves that they may come prepared to the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 20. to the end the Apostle proves the necessity of preparation both from the nature of the Ordinance or the institution of it the benefit that we reap by coming prepared and the mischief that befals those that come
unworthily and the scandal given to others Our hearts are deceitful Ier. 17. 9. sinne is deceitful Satan is full of stratagems The holy Ghost often warns us Be not deceived Let no man deceive you James 1. 26. Of all deceit self-deceit is the worst Vers. 28. Examine himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is borrowed from civil affairs For among the Athenians before any were admitted to any office or place of Magistracy they were examined whether they were fit or no. And so let him c. Do it in Christs manner and to his end Eccl. 5. 1. 1 Sam. 16. 5. 2 Chron. 35. 6. The Church of Christ in all ages have required solemn preparation for the Sacrament as the Liturgies and Directories of Reformed Churches shew In the Primitive Church there was rather an excesse then defect Zanchy observes that it was the occasion of instituting of Lent because of their coming to the Sacrament at Easter The ancient Fathers and primitive Christians the night before they received sate up and prayed which they called their vigiliae Reasons First Because of God the Lord and Master of the Feast Iob 13. 11. Prov. 23. 1. Observe five things in that Parable Matth. 22. 1. The King comes to see his guests God observes what hearts we come with into his presence 2. He makes diligent enquiry takes notice of every one personally there was but one without the wedding garment and he could not lie hid 3. Mark his impartiality as soon as he espies him he saith Friend how caâ—â—est thou in hither 4. How inexcusable those are that abuse the Ordinance when he was charged that had not the wedding garment he was silent 5. The rigour and indispensablenesse of the sentence v. 13. Secondly Because of the Feast it self being heavenly and for the soul. At this Ordinance we have the highest and most solemn intercourse with God that we have in any Ordinance we renew not the Covenant in prayer and reading the Word Thirdly Christs practice before his institution doth teach as much in that he washed his Disciples feet Iohn 13. Fourthly Our hearts are naturally prophane and wicked and indisposed to this duty if we were so perfectly holy as we should be we should be ever ready for holy performances but our hearts gather soil exceedingly Purge out the old leaven before you come to eat Christ our Passeover that was sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. What he meaneth by the old leaven he telleth you in the next verse it is the leaven of malice especially that we must be carefull to purge out According to our preparation will our profit be if one come fitly it is a means of a great deal of good Communion with God sealing the Covenant the Lord and we are made friends under seal partaking the body and bloud of Christ. It is like our evidences in the time of trial when our Land is questioned 2 Chron. 30. 3. our hope in the Resurrection lies in this Iohn 6. 54. it seals our initiation and exhibits our growth in Christ. A Sermon will confirm but one particular grace as patience or the like but the Sacrament confirms the body of graces and a man receives an influence of grace into his whole soul. The Apostle in the Conclusion of the 1 Cor. 11. appoints this as a great remedy to prevent the judgement of God for their abuses about the Sacrament to judge our selves 1. Self-abasing will follow self-judging 2. Justifying God Rom. 3. 4. 3. Sin will be bitter to such an one 4. He will not judge others Rom. 14. 3 4. A childe of God may receive unworthily 1. By coming carelesly and negligently to the Sacrament 2. By coming in the guilt of any one sin unrepented of Fifthly Because of the danger of coming unprepared Matth. 22. the Devil will enter into â—s as into Iudas Luk. 22. 3. compar'd with Iohn 13. 27. If we receive not Christ we receive Satan Cyprian saith of the Lords Supper Pâ—tro remedium Iudae venenum 1 Cor. 11. 17. 27 29 36. The staying away will not prevent the danger Matth. 22. those that would not come to the Supper when invited were destroyed as well as those that came without the wedding garment Not to come is to starve our souls to come unworthily is to poison them One is said to be guilty of the bloud of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 27. that is a murtherer of Christ divers wayes 1. Christ is really present though not corporally and locally he looks upon the injury done to the Elements as done to himself if one wrong insignia majestatis the Kings coin or the like it is treason 2. The same bent and disposition of heart that carries a man to prophane the Elements would carry him to crucifie Christ Christ is sacramentally united to the bread and wine 3. In the Sacrament Christ is set forth as crucified Gal. 3. 1. Isa. 53. 6. our sins crucified him he whose heart is not affected with such an object allows the deed of the Jews is an accessary post factum 4. There is a great resemblance between Iudas his act and yours 1. He was a Disciple so thou a Christian. 2. He did betray Christ for a small matter Zech. 11. 10 11. so thou preferrest a base lust before him 3. He betrayed him with a kisse thou at the Sacrament 5. Thou wouldst make Christ die in vain Christs death is useful for satisfaction and sanctification satisfaction of Gods wrath and sanctification of our hearts we trample his bloud under our feet as unholy that is common Vers. 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation or judgement to himself Damnation if he be a reprobate and impenitent hypocrite judgement though he be regenerate and a true beleever M. Hilders God punisheth this sin in his children with inward and outward chastisements The Lord abhors the like offence in the Sacrifices Mal. 1. 7. This worthy receiving is not a legal worthinesse Secundum absolutam dignitatem wherein one can plead that the thing he doth deserves the thing he would have but an Evangelical worthinesse Secundum divinam acceptationem The original of all our worthinesse is the change of the Covenant Exod. 12. 43. Every man by nature is under the Covenant of works he that was uncircumcised might not partake of the Jewish Passeover Circumcision notes two things 1. A change of the Covenant 2. Sanctification of a mans nature Col. 2. 11. He that was uncircumcised was out â—of Abrahams Covenant and unregenerate This change of the Covenant comes by the change of your Head your union with Christ Gal. 3. ult Corpus Christi non edunt qui de corpore Christi non sunt We must seriously examine our state whether we be in the state of grace 2 Cor. 12. 5. The children of God mistrust their own searching and desire God to search them Psal. 139. lat end Thou must be a new
minde without any sensible representation 2. The parts or kindes of worship that they be by him appointed which are 1. Ordinary such as are to be done constantly and in a setled course which are three-fold 1. Publick 2. Private 3. Indifferent 1. Publick 1. Preaching of the Word 2. The administration of the Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper 2. Private 1. Conference 2. Meditation 3. Indifferent 1. Prayer 2. Reading the Scriptures or other good 〈…〉 3. Catechizing 4. Singing of Psalms 2. Extraordinary such services as are tâ— be â—â—ne now and then upon special occasions 1. Fasting 2. Feaâ—â—ing 3. Vows 2. The Manner of the performance of Divine Service is three-fold 1. A due preparation before 2. A right carriage in them doing them 1. Truly and sincerely upon the right Motives Causes Gods Commandment and Will and our own Duty and need and for the right ends viz. the pleasing of God and procuring of Grace and increase of vertue in our souls 2. Reverently with a special apprehension of Gods presence and greatnesse 3. Faithfully with a believing of Gods truth therein and promising to our selves the blessing he hath promised 4. Devoutly that is with a diligent attention of the minde to the words and matter and whole work in hand 3. A right making Use thereof after The third Commandment enjoyns the common worship of God that is the right carriage of our selves to his honour in all our common affairs so far forth as we have any thing to do with him therein The general duty of it is to live holily To sanctifie God 1. Inwardly by seeing him in his works 1. Of chastisement to be patient penitent 2. Of Mercy to be thankful and obedient 2. Outwardly 1. In word by the lawful use of an Oath by a reverent mention of Gods Titles and Attributes upon any occasion by good conference and making confession of his truth 2. In our Deeds and Actions 1. In General to aim at his glory in all our works and live to him and not to our selves 2. More Particularly in two things 1. In suffering Persecution cheerfully for Righteousnesse sake 2. By a sanctified use of Gods creatures of any thing whatsoever we do whereto four things are required 1. Knowledge out of the word of God concerning the lawfulness of our doing such things 2. Craving Gods blessing in the use of Meat Drink Marriage 3. Returning Thanks to God for his goodnesse 4. Moderation in the use of them The fourth Commandment appoints the consecrating of a special time viz. every seventh day after six of labour to holy and religious exercises The full Summe of it is After thou hast bestowed six dayes in ordinary and common businesses thou shalt bestow the seventh day in exercises of piety and religion The things commanded in this precept are two 1. Preparation to the Sabbath in the word Remember which is done two wayes 1. All the week long by diligence fore-sight moderation in the labours of our calling 2. On the sixth day towards the end of it by a seasonable breaking off our labours and making all things ready for the Sabbath 2. Celebration of the Sabbath not only observing and keeping it our selves but preserving it and looking that our Inferiours and others under us at the least outwardly keep it We must 1. Rest from thoughts words and deeds that concern worldly things but only for necessity and mercy 2. Sanctifie it by bestowing it in the exercises of Religion which for the manner are to be done cheerfully consecrating the Sabbath unto the Lord as a delight The fifth Commandment enjoyns the performance of all such duties as appertain to men in regard of their place that we shew due respect to our Superiours Equals and Inferiours Our Duty to our Governours is to honour and reverence their persons willingly to obey all their lawful commandments to bear their reproofs and chastisements submissively patiently and fruitfully The particular Duty of Children to their Parents besides these common duties is 1. To love them very much to maintain them if need be in sicknesse and age and to be guided by them in marriage The particular Duty of Servants is to be trusty and painfull in the busisinesse committed to them by their Governours as well in their absence as presence The particular Duty of Subjects to their Kings and inferiour Magistrates is to defend their persons against all violence offered to them by any according to their places and to render them willingly all due services and paiments The Duty of People to their Teachers and spiritual Pastors is to submit to their Ministery and to reward them with plentiful maintenance The Duty of the younger to their betters in age is to behave themselves toward them reverently and to take their good advice Our Duty towards our betters in gifts is to take notice of their gifts and to respect them accordingly The common duty of all Governours towards those that are under them is to rule them wisely mildly and equally taking care by their authority to plant true Religion among them The particular Duty of Parents toward their children is to give them fit instruction and correction to help them to some honest Calling to dispose of them fitly in marriage and to lay up for them according to their meanes The particular Duty of Masters toward their servants is to use them justly and mildly for work diet reward and chastisement The Duties of man and wife each towards other are these Both must love each other above all other persons he must cherish her as his own body and she must be an helper to him and yeeld to him as her Head The particular Duty of Kings and other Magistrates is to make fit Lawes and to see them duly executed for the maintaining of peace honesty and godlinesse The Duty of Ministers toward their people is to guide them in the right way by life and doctrine to oversee their carriage and to administer the Sacraments duly to them The Duty of the ancienter toward their younger is to further them in goodnesse by grave carriage and good counsel Their Duty that have better gifts then others is to use the same readily and humbly for the help of such as want them The Duty of Equals is 1. To think better of their Equals then themselves and to esteem of them above themselves 2. In giving honour to go one before another 3. To be glad and well-satisfied at the raising and advancement of their equals to places above themselves The sixth Commandment enjoyns all due care of our own and neighbours safety Temporal and Spiritual For our own temporal safety we must shun all distempered passions and needlesse perils using food rest and other means of health and strength cheerfully and moderately For our spiritual safety we must carefully â—lee all sins and the occasions of them and use all means of getting grace and salvation For our neighbours natural safety we must keep wrath malice and hatred out
like Paracelsian Physick if it do not cure it will kill 4. None do lose such high services Matth. 7. 22 23. they do not the work of the Gospel with a Gospel-spirit and out of a Gospel principle 5. Satan will insult and triumph over none so much as Gospel-sinners Matth. 12. 43 44. 6. The worm of conscience will not feed so fiercely on any Mar. 9 43. when he compares his former hopes with his present irrecoverable condition because no sinners had those helps nor were raised to those hopes Ponder on your own sins what they are and what they have deserved Look on original corruption the foul sea of all wickednesse which is called a body of sinne Rom. 6. 6. A Law in our members Rom. 7. 23. Consider that thou hast a naughty nature whereby thou art averse from God and goodnesse and extreamly prone to all sin Psal. 51. 5. Isa. 48. 8. all men in every part are under the guilt and power of it Rom. 3. 16 23. 2. Humble thy self Labour to be base for this though thou hast not committed such foul sins as others yet if God should leave thee to thy self and thine own evil heart thou wouldst soon be as bad as the worst 3. Call to minde likewise the grosse actual sins thou hast committed before or since thy calling Wast not thou given to all manner of pollution before the Lord gave thee knowledge of him and since thy calling 4. Consider thy continual daily slips and infirmities thy sins of omission and commission how apt thou art to be angry impatient thy carnalnesse in good duties and distraction in the performance of them thy forgetfulnesse of God and thy later end 5. Consider also whether there be not some unknown secret fault that thou hast not yet repented of and pray to God to discover it to thee Lastly Call to minde what sins thou hast committed since the last Sacrament and bewail them Meditate also on the sufferings of Christ for these grosse sins and daily iniquities His great abasement Psal. 22. 6 7 14. to 19. v. Isa. 53. 3 4 5 6 7. to the 11. v. He was born like a beggar lived like a beggar the Devil tempted him he was falsly accused betrayed by one of his Disciples denied by another forsaken by the rest He was amazed with fear and incompassed with sorrow Mark 14. 34. Two of the most tormentful passions was in an agony and did sweat drops of cloddy bloud in such abundance as it fell to the ground was condemned mocked spit upon whipped with rods after the manner of the Romans crowned with thorns laden with the Crosse nailed on it stretched and retched in all his joynts He suffered much in his body but his chief sufferings were in his soul Isa. 53. 10 11 12. He took our soul as well as body and came to redeem it that being the chief part Quicquid induit Christus obtulit He suffered 1. As a publick person as the second Adam Rom. 5. 14. 2. For our sakes and benefit Isa. 53. he is said six times to bear our iniquities 3. Not only for our good but in our room Heb. 7. 22. not onely nostro bono but nostro loco 1 Tim. 2. 6. Mat. 20. 28. for otherwise he should have suffered no more then other men the Martyrs suffered for the good of the Church Col. 1. 24. 2 Tim. 2. 10. 4. He took upon him the burden of our sins by way of imputation 1 Pet. 2. 24. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Smite on your brests and say For my worldlinesse anger all these evils befell my Saviour Lord for thy mercy sake in Christ pardon and heal me Shall I pollute my body with uncleannesse when Christ suffered so bitter things Shall I ever be angry again O Lord by thy grace I will not Let me have thy power to kill these sins See the strictnesse of divine justice and the dreadfulnesse of Gods wrath God spared not his own Sonne and when his Fathers wrath lighted on his soul he was much troubled and the great evil of sinne it caused Christs humane nature to be â—â—raid Matth. 26. 38. The desert of sinne is seen in Christs suffering 1. In respect of the person who suffered for it Gods only Son who never provoked him Iohn 3. 16. Rom. 8. 31. 2. In respect of the penalties he underwent for sinne it made him to cry sweat and pour out strong supplications Isa. 53. 10. The Law shewed the filthinesse and evil of sinne by the many Sacrifices and aspersions of bloud which it required but they were of beasts and their bloud but the Gospel shews the demerit of sinne more fully and how odious it is to God since Christ must die to expiate it and also the abundant love both of the Father in delivering his own Sonne to death for the salvation of sinners Iohn 3. 16. 1 Iohn 4. 9 10. Rom. 8 32. and of Christ in taking upon him our nature and in exposing himself to so much misery here on earth and at last to an accursed death for us Phil. 2. 7 8. We are to remember Christ in the Sacrament 1. Because the Lord will have in the Sacrament of the New Testament the great end of the Passeover to be accomplisht Exod. 12. 14. 2. That we may answer the goodnesse of Christ to us he hath us alwayes actually in remembrance Exod. 28. 21 29. 3. Because if we have any benefit by this Sacram nt God must remember Christ for us 4. Upon our actual and affectionate remembrance of Christ depends all our benefit by this Sacrament We have dispatched the examination of our sins in the next place our graces are to be examined The graces that must be tried and examined are our Knowledge Faith Re 〈…〉 Love and hungring after Christ the truth growth or wants of them 〈…〉 examined The truth of them 1. Knowledge The words examine shew forth discern and judge all betoken knowledge We must get Knowledge 1. Of the Law of God 2. Of the Doctrine of Redemption by Jesus Christ. 3. Of the Nature Necessity and Use of the Lords Supper We must know our estate by nature and by grace 1. Because otherwise we cannot be thankful to God for his benefits as we ought 2. In the Sacrament Christ is offered and the Covenant sealed By nature we are dead in sin and bondslaves of Satan by grace we come to be children of God and heirs of salvation We must know what the elements and actions in the Sacrament signifie That the bread signifies the body of Christ and the wine his bloud that the breaking of bread betokens the crucifying of Christ that the giving of the bread and wine notes the action of God the Father offering Christ to all and bestowing him effectually upon every worthy receiver the receiving of the bread and wine signifies our receiving and feeding upon Christ by faith 2. Faith is required in those that come worthily to the
6. 36. so to Gospel-repentance there must be a right sense of sin 2. Sorrow for sin a spirit of mourning goes along with Gospel-repentance Zec. 12. 10. Ezek. 7. 16. Hos. 11. 12. a sorrow according to God 2 Cor. 7. 10. 3. A self-judging Psal. 51. 4. condemning his acts and judging himself worthy of all the curses of the Law 4. A turning from sin to the Lord Hos. 14. 8. Dan. 4. 27. 5. It must be grounded upon the apprehension and hope of mercy Isa. 55. 7. Poenitentia non est sola contritio sed sides Luther Therefore the Lutherans commonly make faith a part of repentance it is the foundation of it Non pars sed principium P. Martyr One saith True repentance consists in four things 1. In a humble lamenting and bewailing of our sins our sinful nature and wicked lives whereby we are subject to Gods wrath and eternal death even a giving our selves so to consider and feel the cursed effects of sinne in that it angers God and enforceth his justice to punish us till it makes our hearts to ake and be troubled perplexed and disquieted 1 Sam. 7. 6. Psal. 38. 18. Ioel 2. 12. Iam. 4. 9. so David and Peter wept for their sins 2. A confessing the same to God particularly Prov. 28. 13. Psal. 32. 3 5. judging our selves worthy to be destroyed therefore and to perish eternally David saith I will confesse mine iniquity and be sorry for my sin And Iohn If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins 3. An earnest crying to God for pardon of sinne and for power against it in the name of Christ. David Psal. 51. saith Sprinkle me with hysop that is forgive me for his bloud sake whom that hysop represented We must take words and beseech the Lord to receive us graciously 4. A hearty and sincere purpose to reform our heart and life to cast away all our transgressions to resist and forbear the practice of sinne in all things and to exercise our selves in all righteousnesse i. e. A firm purpose to leave all the evil that I know condemned and to do all the good that I know required a fixed resolution of heart so to do in consideration of Gods goodnesse and grace that hath sent Christ to save the penitent The Antinomians say The Saints of God once justified and in Christ need not repentance they cry down this as an un Gospel-like practice and dislike mourning for sinne they would have nothing but faith in Christ and rejoycing in him To be troubled for sinne they say is a dishonour to the grace of God and satisfaction of Christ our repentance and humiliation indeed cannot satisfie God Christ hath done that laid down a price answerable to the debt but the Lord hath inseparably annexed repentance and remission Act. 2. 38. 3. 19. 8. 22. and he requires not only an initial repentance in reference to a mans state but a daily repentance in reference to the acts of sinne he must daily wash his feet See Gal. 5. 31. The sinne against the holy Ghost is therefore unpardonable because the Lord will not give repentance Heb. 6. Repentance is Evangelical and a Duty in regenerate persons First Because it is a fruit of the holy Ghost Act. 11. 18. Secondly Because none but regenerate persons can perform it to bewail sinne and aggravate it justifying God condemning themselves and laying hold on Christ. Thirdly The Gospel enjoyns it and threatens the neglect of it Some places joyn Repentance and pardon together Act. 5. 31. Luke 24. 47. Some it and faith Mar. 1. 15. Act. 20. 21. Fourthly Christ Iohn Baptist and all the Apostles preacht repentance Mat. 3. 2. 4. 17. Mark 6. 12. Fifthly Because it may and doth work most kindely in and with faith when they look upon Christ whom they have pierced and consider that they have crucified him Sixthly Because it conforms us to God and Christ in hating and subduing sinne in us it breedeth in us a loathing of sinne and gives us a victory over it What the Pump is to the Ship Repentance is to the soul it keeps it clean Seventhly Because we have still flesh in us to be awed as well as the Spirit in us to be cherished Object Justification is but one indivisible act of grace pardoning all sins past present and to come There is a two-fold forgivenesse 1. In foro poli in the Court of God so all sins past present and to come are actually pardoned at the first act of believing and repenting 2. In foro soli in the Court of Conscience so they are not pardoned we shall have no comfort or assurance of their pardon till we actually repent of them Repentance is a part of the exercise of our whole Christian conversation and a work to be ordinarily practised though there be one great and universal repentance for the change of our state In Revel 2. 3. chap. among the duties God requires of the seven Churches which were all converted of four of them he requires the exercise of repentance Revel 2. 5. 3. 13 19. But there are some special seasons wherein God in a more special manner cals his people to repent when he would have the practice of it more full and extraordinary 2 Cor. 7. 11. when we should more strictly examine our selves and our sorrow should be much inlarged 1 Sam. 7. 6. Iudg. 2. There are five special times for renewing of Repentance First The time when Gods hand is upon us in any special correction 1. God expects and requires it then Isa. 22. the first 15 verses Zeph. 2. begin 2. The servants of God have ordinarily practised it then Ieremiah Iob David Lam. 3. 39 40. 3. God hath severely threatned them when they have not repented at such times 2 Chron. 28 22. Ier. 5. 3. Amos 4. The reason is because the Lord hath appointed this exercise of repentance as the only means to remove the rod or turn it to a blessing Secondly Another special time when God would have his servants to renew their repentance is upon their fall when they have committed any grosse sin as David after defiling Urijahs wife Psal. 51. and when he had fallen into the sin of numbring the people 2 Sam. 24. So Ezra 9. when the people had married with strange wives they wept exceedingly So when the Church of Corinth had wrapt themselves in the guilt of the incestuous persons sin 2 Cor. 7. Peter when he had denied his Master Our sorrow doth not make God amends or pacifie his wrath when it is kindled it is only a condition of the Covenant of Grace the exercise of repentance it satisfieth not God but the Church it is a help to our own souls whereby our sins are subdued Thirdly When the Lord cals any of his people to any special service that he would have them do for him and the Church then they ought to renew their
alwayes bound not to deny his faith and religion either by word or deed A man is noâ— bound alwayes to speak the truth but he is bound never to lie seign or play the hypocrite All the Commandments are delivered negatively save the fourth and the fifth 5. The Lord that gave us his Law made none for himself and being the Law-giver he is above his own Law and may dispense with it upon his own will and pleasure as he did to Abraham commanding him to offer up his onely Sonne in Sacrifice which being commanded was to him just and honest by speciall prerogative which in another had been dishonest and unjust 6. The meaning of every precept must be taken from the main scope and end for which it was given and all those things to be included without which the precept cannot be performed therefore one and the same work may be referred to divers precepts as it pertaineth to divers ends 7. Under one vice expresly forbidden all of the same kinde and that necessarily depend thereon as also the least cause occasion or incitement thereunto are likewise forbidden Mat. 5. 21 22 27 28 29. 1 Thess. 5. 22. Under one duty expressed all of like nature are comprehended as all meanes effects and whatsoever is necessarily required for the performance of that duty The cause is commanded or forbidden in the effect and the effect in the cause 8. Where the more honourable person is expressed as the man let the woman understand that the precept concerns her where the duty of one man standing in relation to another is taught there are taught the duties of all that stand in like relation one to another as when the duty of one Inferiour toward his Superiour is taught there is taught the general duty which all Superiours owe to those that be under them which Inferiours owe to those that are over them and which Equals owe one to another 9. The Law forbids the doing of evil in our own persons and the helping or furtherance of others in evil though but by silence connivence or slight reproof and it commands not onely that we observe it our selves but that we preserve it and what lieth in us cause others to keep it Thou thy Sonne and thy Daughter must go over all the rest of the Commandments as well as the fourth 10. The Law is set forth as a rule of life to them that be in Covenant with God in Jesus Christ God in Christ is the object of Christian religion and of that obedience which is prescribed in that Covenant That immediate worship and service which we owe to God and must perform according to his prescription which is usually called Piety or Godlinesse is taught in the Commandments of the first Table Our Saviour reduceth the summe of these Commandments to this one Head Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soul strength and thought that is whatsoever is within thee or without thee even to the losse of thy life goods and good name all must yeeld to the Lords calling whensoever he will make trial of thy love towards him This particular duty may well comprehend all the rest for as is our love so is our faith and obedience God is loved above all things when in all that he promiseth he is believed and in all that he commandeth he is obeyed The general sins against the Commandments of the first Table are 1. Impiety which is a neglect or contempt of Gods true worship and service inward and outward Isa. 43. 22 23. 2. Idolatry which is the worship of false gods or of the true God after a devised manner of our own Amos 5. 26. That duty which we owe unto men by the Lords Commandment and for his glory which is usually called honesty or righteousnesse is taught in the Commandments of the second Table Our Saviour bringeth them to one head Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self that is without fainting coldnesse delay or feigning from the heart fervently when and so long as occasion is given By Neighbour is meant not only our Friend or Kinsman but whosoever and of what Countrey soever that wanteth our help especially he that is of the houshold of faith The general sins against the Commandments of the second Table are 1. Inhumanity and injustice when we disregard our neighbour or deal injuriously with him 2. Partiality in affection when we love our friends but hate our enemies favour some for carnal respects contemn others that are to be respected Six Commandments are set down in many words and four nakedly in hare words as the sixth seventh eighth and ninth because men will easily be brought to yeeld to them The Scripture shews to man two wayes of attaining happinesse one by his own works called the Law the other by faith in Christ called the Gospel The Law driveth us to Christ and faith doth establish the Law Rom 3. 31. The Summe of the Law is abridged in the ten Commandments which God delivered on Mount Sinai and after wrote in two Tables This declareth our whole Duty 1. To God immediately which is in the first Table 1. Principal to make him our God Command 1. 2. Lesse principal in regard of 1. Sorts of worship to be performed unto him which are two 1. Solemn Command 2. 2. Common Command 3. 2. The giving of a set time to him Comman 4. 2. To God mediately and immediately to man for Gods sake in the second Table here his duty is shew'd 1. Severally to 1. Some kinde of persons specially Command 5. 2. To all generally in regard of 1. Their Persons for 1. Life Command 6. 2. Chastity Command 7. 2. The things of their Persons both Goods Command 8. Good Name Command 9. 2. Joyntly to all these in regard of the first motions of the minde and will in Command 10. CHAP. II. Of the first Commandment THou shalt have no other Gods before me SOme Divines judge that those words I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt do contain the affirmative part of the first precept and the latter Thou shalt have no other Gods before my face the negative For these two sentences are elsewhere often joyned together as they be here and our Saviour citing the first Commandment rehearseth it thus Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. Besides say they if the words be not conceived as a form of commandment yet it must necessarily be understood to command the Worship of the true God and it so pertains to the understanding of the Precept that it cannot be separated from it Other Divines hold the first words to be a Preface to all the Commandments Buxtorf de Decalogo saith these words contain an Enunciative not an Imparative speech therefore they are not a Precept but rather a general Preface to the whole Decalogue in which reasons are brought why we are bound to obey him
in us and the full accomplishment of happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven One Reverend Divine now with God saith The duties required more particularly may be referred to two heads Some respect the Essence and Nature of God some the Authority and Dominion of God even as Subjects owe some things to their Prince in regard of his Person some things in regard of his Power of Government so do we the Creatures to our King and Creator The former may fitly be tearmed duties of dependance because they do naturally flow from that total dependance upon God the first being which must needs be found in all secondary beings and because they be certain necessary acknowledgements of our such dependance The latter may be termed Duties of Conformity because in and by them we do conform our selves unto the Will and Authority of God and by both become perfectly subject unto him Duties of dependance in general are those by which we exercise all the powers of our souls upon God principally and above all other things so far as his excellent Nature is fit to be their object for seeing He is the most excellent of all things and doth please to make known unto us his excellencies we should labour to be wholly united to him that is so excellent Duties of Conformity in general are all those by which we order the powers of our souls toward other things according to his good will and pleasure made manifest unto us Our duty concerning God is to know him and his will to believe in him according to his Promises to remember him alwaies and to esteem him above all things to trust wholly upon him to love desire fear and delight in him above all other things and with all our hearts Our duty in respect of good things Spiritual and Temporal is to exercise our wils affections thoughts speeches much more on Spiritual good things then Temporal and to keep them very moderate towards earthly benefits Our duty concerning sin is to hate it fly from it grieve for it be ashamed of it and angry with it more then any natural evil thing The particular duties here required are 1. Perfect knowledge of God in Christ which is a conceiving and apprehending of him to be such a one as he hath revealed himself in his Word and Works specially in the Covenant of Grace and that for measure and degree fully We cannot comprehend God as he is in himself but as he hath manifested himself we ought to know him for knowledge is the guide of the affections the beginning of grace the ground of Worship When we know God as he hath manifested himself then do we come to believe desire fear and love him and trust in him as he requireth We cannot have God our God till we come to know him in Christ therefore it is promised to all the godly in the new Covenant they shall all know me 2. Acknowledgement which is an effectual and affectionate perswasion of the heart not onely that God is but that he is the onely Lord Eternal and Almighty most Wise most Holy most Righteous most Gracious and Merciful most Faithful and True the Creator Governour and Preserver of all things the Supreme Soveraign Judge of all the world and peculiarly the God and Saviour of his people that he hath chosen unto himself and with whom he hath entred Covenant of his free mercy in Jesus Christ. 3. Estimation which is a most high prizing of God according to his Worth and Dignity as the chief Good and our onely all-sufficient portion The estimation we have of any thing must be correspondent to the goodness of it But God is good above measure and our estimation of him should know no measure 4. Faith which is a lively motion of the heart whereby the soul doth invincibly cleave and stick unto God in Christ and unto the word of his Covenant as containing the chief good of man To believe is not barely to assent to the thing which is propounded to be believed for the authority of the speakers who cannot lie as the assenter is perswaded but to adhere to the Word of Truth as certain good and sweet both simply and in comparison Two things are required in Faith Something true and good to be believed and a firm certain assent and adherence to it Thus we are commanded to believe in God through Jesus Christ neither doth Faith respect the Promises Narrations and Prophecies of the Word onely but the Commandments and Threatnings also Psal. 119. 66. 2 Chron. 34. 19 21 27. Ioh. 3. 5. By Faith we possess the Lord as our own and hold fast unto him in whom all help and comfort is to be found 5. Confidence or Affiance whereby we trust lean rely or stay upon the Grace of God in Christ Jesus with assured security in the way of his Commandments for pardon of sin deliverance from all evil and the supply of all good Temporal and Spiritual according to his faithful and never-failing promise This is ever joyned with the true knowledge of God and in nature is of great affinity or rather all one with justifying Faith Who so reposeth all his confidence in God he taketh him in so doing for his God We are to trust in God for the giving and maintaining of all our good both temporal and eternal leaning on him for all defence and deliverance from evils spiritual yea and corporal casting all our care on him having no confidence in the flesh no duty is more frequently pressed in Scripture then this of confidence in God Hope in God is an inseparable companion of Trust which is an assured quiet expectation of what good promised is not yet accomplished grounded upon the free and undeserved kindness and grace of the Lord in Christ Jesus Psal. 119. 166. Heb. 11. 1. Lam. 3. 24. Rom. 15. 4. Hope is commanded in many passages of Scripture commended by many promises Psal. 27. 14. 31. 14. 34. 8. Lam. 3. 26. Psal. 37. 7. 131. 3. 130. 5. Mic. 7. 7. Isa. 8. 17. Psal. 119. 43. Isa. 30. 18. Psal. 146. 5. 40. 4. 84. 12. Isa. 6. 8. Psal. 147. 11. Psal. 33. 18 19. Psal. 31. 24. 33. 20. Psal. 35. 21. 37. 9. 34. Psal. 9. 18. Isa. 49. 23. 40. 31. 6. Love of God in Christ which is a spiritual motion in the reasonable part presupposing Knowledge and Affiance whereby the soul goeth forth to embrace and possess God as the chief Good and with most pure earnest and constant affection to maintain communion with him Love is an affection of union it knits to the thing beloved and would not want the possession of it Love we see makes man and woman one and so doth couple us to God The body is carried by weight into his proper place so is the soul by love which is the weight of the soul unto its proper object Many promises are made to them that love
together with Herbs Plants Trees and so all Images of them are blamed 3. The Waters under the Earth are named and thereby are signified all manner of Fishes The waters are said to be under the earth because God made the earth hollow that there the waters might be contained Psal. 104. 6. And God particularly nameth all these places besides which there is no other place that we might fully conceive that his meaning is to forbid all manner of Images of all things whatsoever whether of God of creatures of what sort and kinde soever The Gentiles abused the Images of most of all these Rom. 1. 23. This is the first part of the Prohibition the second is Thou shalt not bow down nor serve them that is to any such Image Quibus verbis omnem omnino cultum quocunque modo Idolis tribuatur prohibet Scultet To bow down notes the outward gesture of the body used of men to shew reverence and is used to denote all manner of reverent behaviours which either nature hath ordained or custom of Countreys authorized to expresse respect and regard of things as worthy of honour and account Vox Hebraea gestum honoris indicem significat Grot. in Exod. 20. To do service noteth all manner of actions to be accompanied with such reverent gestures the former is a circumstance of service the later the substance of it So no manner of account is to be shewed to pictures neither by any outward gesture of body nor by any kinde of service at all Zanchy de Decalogoc 14. doth otherwise distinguish between these two words Hitherto the Prohibition the confirmation is taken from the Lords interest I am the Lord thy God 2. From one Attribute of his jealousie See Exod. 34. 14. Jealousie is that property of a husband or wife whereby they cannot endure that the yoke-fellow should give either their affections or body to others beside themselves Consortis impatiens ut mariti Grotius It noteth the holinesse of Gods nature that cannot away to have that service which is due to him communicated to Images or to any other thing with or besides himself it is love joyned with anger sith God cannot away with this we should not practise it 3. There is an argument from Gods effects of visiting the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him Visiting is twofold 1. In love and favour Luke 1. 58. 2. In displeasure to punish as here Punishing is the laying of misery upon any one that hath done a fault proportionable unto his fault The object of this punishment are the children of them that hate God even to the third and fourth generation as in the Babylonish transportation Et nati natorum qui nascentur ab illis For a man may live to see his posterity to the fourth generation Iob 42. 16. and so see himself punished in them So Aquinas 1a 2ae Quaest. 87. Artic. 8. Kellet Miscel. lib. 1. cap. 7. and others Some say the wrath of God descends from fathers to children onely in case the children imitate and write after their fathers copy supposing these words In them that hate me to relate to the children But this is expresly against the words of the text and the examples of the thing God afflicts good children of evil parents for their fathers sins and the words are plain and determinate God visits the sins of the fathers in tertiam quartam generationem eorum qui oderunt me of them of those fathers that hate me Doctor Taylor on Exod. 20. 5. par 1. The cause moving to punish is the sins of the Fathers Now God punisheth the sins of the Fathers on the children by giving up the children to follow or exceed their Parents in sinning that so he may bring upon them a more full vengeance to shew his detestation of his Fathers sins Seeing no man would have his posterity to be plagued himself must not sin in breaking the former prohibition They hate the Lord which do not worship him as he hath commanded them but after their own fantasies and after the traditions of men God in no other Commandment but the second threatens to punish the sins of Fathers upon the children because superstitious worshippers of all men are strengthned by the tradition of their Fathers O our Fathers did thus and thus Shall we be wiser then our fore-fathers M. Burrh on Hos. A second effect of God is shewing mercy that is doing good and helping out of evil and the object of this to thousands the promise is opposed to the commination but is of larger extent Rabbi Salomon hence observes that the goodnesse of God doth as much exceed his severity as fifty exceed one viz. because his severity is restrained to four generations but his goodnesse is extended to thousands two thousands at the least Non mille sed multa millia ita ostenditur quanto largior sit Deus in benefaciendo quam in puniendo Grot. in Exod. 20. Of them that love him and keep his Commandments Not that pretend to love him indeed and shew their love by obedience to his revealed will There is a great difference between keeping Gods Commandments and fulfilling his Commandment Keeping noteth a truth fulfilling a perfection This Christ only had but the truth every Christian must have The scope end and summe of this Commandment is to order us in the solemn worship of God called Heb. 9. 1. Ordinances of divine service and usually termed religious exercises For the constituting of a solemn worship of God three things are required 1. That it be done with immediate reference to God and that himself or something in his stead be made the object thereof and so therein we draw near to him and he to us 2. That it tend in the doers intention directly and of it self to the honouring of God and pleasing him and getting of grace from him by exercising of some or all the vertues required in the first Commandment 3. That there be a separating of our selves from all other businesses to be wholly and altogether imployed about such acts in which the difference between common and solemn worship doth seem to stand Worship consists in three things 1. There must be a right knowledge and high apprehension of God the person to be worshipt 2. A reflexion of this knowledge 3. An abasement of the creature under the reflexion of this knowledge Revel 5. Christ is represented as sitting on a Throne The people of God are there brought in as compassing him about they have high apprehensions of the person of Christ his glory and holinesse 2. They reflect these excellencies 3. They abase themselves fall on their faces vers ult Every religious exercise or ordinance of divine service hath usually divers particular acts that be as parts of the whole and in the orderly uniting of which the whole is accomplished And whatsoever is done
in any such exercise of religion for the end and purpose of pleasing God and getting grace from him with respect of conscience to him as esteeming that he must and will have it so or else the service shall not be well-pleasing and acceptable to him this is a part of worship or of divine Service For example a man brought an Ox or a Ramme a Lamb or such like thing and presented it to the Priest he did offer it unto God and that directly with intention of exercising obedience and faith to God Likewise this Offering was to be made by a certain person in a certain place at a certain time with certain Garments and Rites So all those observations became parts of this worship for in these also the intention of the doer was directly carried to God hoping and purposing by them to please God and exercise faith and obedience and other graces as well and as much as by the very offering it self and accounting the service not to be acceptable to God without them The things commanded here are of two sorts 1. For the performance of divine service 2. For the preservation and continuance thereof For the right performance of divine worship some things are to be looked unto for the substance and circumstances of it For the substance of worship also some things are required for the Matter of it Manner of it For the Matter some things are required for 1. The Object of the service 2. The Subject of it that is the kindes and parts of it For the Object two things are required 1. That it be to the true God alone 2. For the parts that they be such as are prescribe and appointed by the true God For the Object it must be only the true God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which is the maker of Heaven and Earth the Sonne of God our blessed Saviour and Mediatour the blessed Spirit our sanctifier which God hath manifested himself to us in the Scriptures to him and him only must we tender our worship which is so essential to worship that it cannot be true unlesse it be appropriated unto him according to the words of the Law repeated by our Saviour saying Thou shalt bown down to the Lord thy God and him alone that exclusive and confining particle our Saviour addeth by way of interpretation Shalt thou serve or worship for so that word which in the original is Thou shalt serve Christ rendereth Thou shalt worship And great cause that he alone should be worshipped who alone is worthy of worship Seeing this worship is a solemn acknowledgement of his Deity we testifie that we esteem him the onely true God upon whom we depend and to whom we give our selves as servants Secondly This true God must be the object of our worship purely and by a clear work of the understanding conceived of in his Attributes and Properties not represented to the eye or any way pictured forth or imagined under any visible or sensible form or representation because there is no possibility of resembling him to the life by any similitude that any man or creature can invent or frame yea all resemblances fall so farre short of his perfection that it will prove an imbasing of our conceits concerning him to attempt any such resemblance and therefore Deut. 4. 2. is expresse telling Israel that they heard a voice alone in the time that God came amongst them to deliver the Law and saw no manner of Image or likenesse and therefore they ought not to corrupt themselves by making any Image or Representation God is not a body but a Spirit and Essence a Spirit whose being is every way above all that all creatures can attain and reach to proportionably to the excellency thereof by the most deep contemplation of their minde And therefore also the Prophets do cry out against the picturing of God or worshipping him under any such form or picture saying Whereunto will ye liken me What similitude will ye make of me Isa. 48. 18. The way to cure this evil 1. Purge your hearts more and more from carnal affections Psalm 17. 15. Matth. 5. 8. 2. Beg the assistance of the holy Ghost to raise your apprehensions of the Divine Essence 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 16. The Spirit gives us light and makes it powerfull to change the heart 3. Be much in the study of the Scriptures they are the image of Christ and he is the image of God 2 Cor. 3. 18. 4. 4. 4. Be obedient to divine institutions God knows what worship is best for himself Col. 2. 23 Obedience to Gods will keeps up the repute of his Essence See 2 Sam. 6. 6. Nihil adeo offendit hominum mentes ac simplicitas Divinorum operum Tertul. 5. Consider your experiences of grace Exod. 15. 11. Mic. 7. 17. Luk. 1. 46. 6. Often view God in his stupendious works Psal. 104 observe the bounding of the Sea the hanging of the earth upon nothing Iob 26. 7. the beauty and motion of the heavens the order of all the creatures Hosea 2. latter end See Psal. 40. 18. 7. When you make use of sensitive things to increase your knowledge of God you must proceed by way of negation and argument and not by representation See Isa. 45. 15. 8. Labour to get a more perfect and clear notion of God follow on to know the Lord Hos. 6. 3. Heaven consists much in the vision of God For the parts of worship it is required that they be all prescribed unto us by the written word of God that he may not have cause to except against us saying Who required these things at your hands For seeing we do them to him we must from him know whether they will be acceptable unto him yea or no. His own will is the right rule of his own worship what is not conformable to the rule cannot be true worship Wherefore the Lord chargeth Israel that they should not adde any thing to the thing by him prescribed but keep themselves strictly to his appointment doing alone that very thing which he required without swerving to the right hand or to the left Deut. 4. 2. Iosh. 1. 7. Prov. 30. 2. If God had left us without a patern in the wayes of his worship we should have wandered in incertainties the Heathens by the light of nature knew that there was a God and that he was to be worshipped yet they did but grope after him because they wanted a rule of worship Humane inventions in matters of worship have been brought in 1. By Satan he knows 1. That they take away the glory of worship that only is excellent which it plenum sui 2. That they take away the Majesty and Authority of it God shews no such Majesty any where as in his Ordinances but in heaven Revel 4. 2. 3. That they take away the power of Ordinances Matth. 15. 6. all the power of Ordinances consists in Gods presence in them
innocency and compass thine Altar A man must bring an undefiled spirit if he will pray he must work his heart to sorrow and resolution to amend his late sins for he cannot be welcome into Gods presence that is not cleansed from his wickedness or hateth to be reformed we must be pure if we will come into Gods presence 3. Prayer to God for his blessing must be prefixed to all religious services for our better inabling thereto for of our selves we can do nothing all our sufficiency comes from him who hath promised to hear us when we pray and to grant our petitions so that without seeking a blessing we cannot expect to finde it and therefore the Apostlē saith that all things are sanctified unto us by prayer even exercises of Religion the Word the Sacraments and the like yea and Prayer too by praying God first for his Spirit of Prayer Therefore he that will serve God aright must first crave his help and grace to serve him The fourth and last part of common preparation is by a preconsideration of the exceeding greatness of the Lord before whom we come and of our vileness baseness unworthiness to come before him that so we may be rightly affected with the regard of him Levit. 26. 2. So Cornelius saith that he and the rest were all there before God to hear what Peter should say unto them they had considered with themselves that God came to speak unto them and that they came to hear him for in what service we do not make account that we have to deal with the Lord our God and Maker and do not put our selves in minde what a one he is we shall not carry our selves aright towards him Abraham said he was dust and ashes when he prayed to God therefore the Lord hath set down a Preface before the Lords Prayer acquainting us what a one God is because by the thinking of him and striving to bring our hearts to conceive of him as such a one we should be better fitted to make the requests and supplications following the heart then must put it self in minde what it goes about and to whom it tenders a service I come before the Lord Almighty that hath my soul in his hand to hear him speak to me or to speak to him I draw near to the King of Heaven and Earth I present my self before his face let me frame my self so as befits his holy and all-searching eyes And this is the common preparation for our religious duties Now special preparation for special services follows to be spoken of that is to the Word to Prayer to the Sacraments and to a Vow For the Word The heart is to be framed to a resolution of obeying it in all things this is the honest and good heart whereof our Saviour makes mention in describing the good ground concerning this it is that our Lord saith again If you will do my will you shall know it This will give a man a good memory and a good judgement and the Lord to recompence this obedient resolution will become as he hath promised a Teacher to the humble so shall he be taught of God that comes with a firm purpose to be guided by God and that in all things Before you come to Church you should spend some time with your hearts to encline them and bow them to the testimonies of God and to say unto your selves I am going to hear what the Lord will say unto me seeing he is my Maker I will not harden my heart against him but I will be ready to know what he teacheth and not gainsay any thing that shall to my conscience appear truth and I will undoubtedly yeeld to that I know in practice for it is the word of him that is Lord of the spirits of all flesh then will the Word be powerful to make us able when we resolve before whatever it be to be willing 2. Before Prayer a threefold consideration is necessary of our special wants and sins and benefits that we may accordingly mention them in our Prayers The Lord hath promised he will grant us whatsoever we shall ask we must bethink our selves therefore what be those things that for our present estate we do stand in need of What sins had need to be pardoned and healed what benefits continued or new given and what we have already to give thanks for that we may with more earnestness pray when we know for what we will pray In the next place we must consider of Gods gracious promises that he hath made unto us to help and of his exceeding mercy goodness and power by which we are sure he is able and willing to help even of those Excellencies of God which the title Our Father which art in Heaven doth offer unto our consideration but principally Gods promise to hear and accept is to fill our mindes when we come before him as suppliants Thirdly For the Sacraments the special preparation is 1. By examining and judging our selves as the Apostle speaks that is a more narrow and diligent search for our estate and for our particular offences if we have forgotten any if through carelesnesse or guile we have let passe the sight and acknowledgment of any that now the old leaven may be cast out So saith the Apostle Examine your selves and again If we would judge our selves God would not judge us 2. We must labour to get a good appetite to this spiritual food to stir up in our selves an earnest hungring and thirsting after Christ and his benefits there God cals all that thirst to come and eat As a good stomack is a necessary preparation to our natural meals so to these spiritual meals is a good desire and longing for the grace there offered remission of sinnes past and power to live more blamelesly and holily hereafter Then when a man hath by special examination and judging himself found out his faults and humbled himself for them and also hath brought his heart to long for Christ Jesus to be his Saviour and to save him from the punishment and power of them by his body and bloud he is now fit to come to the Lords Table 3 He must meditate on Christs sufferings Lastly For a vow because this is a very solemn bond betwixt God and us I speak it not of imposed vows but assumed wherein we enter it behoves us very carefully to weigh the nature of the thing and our sufficiency for the same that we may not be rash with our lips to speak before our Maker which is principally spoken of vowing by Salomon for better not vow then not perform for want of which care many men have so intangled themselves as their vows have been occasion of exceeding much misery unto them as we have one fearful example for all in Iephta who though he did not so bad as is vulgarly thought for can any man imagine that the newly reformed Church of Israel at that time after so
speak the truth These are the occasions of swearing the rules of swearing upon these occasions are three as the Prophet Ieremiah hath set them down ch 4. 2. 1. Truth 2. Iudgement 3. Righteousness Truth is opposed to falshood or perjury Judgement to rash and common swearing Righteousness to unjust and unlawful Oaths 1. Truth that is when the words of the mouth agree with the meaning of the heart and both with the thing it self whereof the speech is and that without all doubting halting equivocating shifting according to the meaning that we would seem to have to him which giveth or requireth the Oath of us He that indeed intendeth what he pretendeth in the words of his Oath sweareth truly in a promissive Oath and in an assertive Oath he that sweareth what he knoweth to be or not to be 2. Iudgement is a serious consideration of the nature of an Oath and of the thing which we do swear about and it is opposed to rashness headdiness and unadvisedness that we may swear with due respect to the great Name of God which we do take into our mouths when we swear 3. Righteousness is when we do swear so as to give God and man his due in our Oath having due reverence to God and swearing about things good honest and lawful that we may settle peace betwixt our selves and others and so may declare our honourable account of Gods Name but the principal point of righteousness in swearing is when we swear onely to good and honest things for good and honest purposes and accordingly stand to our Oaths and the Prophet puâ—s judgement in the middest betwixt these two because it is an help to both seeing he that sweareth rashly cannot tell but he may soon stumble upon falshood and unrighteousness so that judgement respecteth the manner of swearing chiefly and truth and righteousness the matter Thus you see the nature and use of an Oath and to swear thus is a most worthy service of God We must speak now of a Lot and shew also the nature and use thereof To the constituting of a Lot three things must concur 1. Some controversie or matter in doubt not agreed upon 2. A casual act that is such an act as in regard of the event dependeth not upon the will or wit or activity of any man or creature but upon the secret disposing of Gods providence which men do fondly thrust out of sight by the name of luck or chance 3. A referring of the determination of that controversie to the event of that casual act whether by the mutual consent of parties or appointment of some superiour And in this reference there are contained and implied the same things that before were contained in an Oath viz. 1. A secret acknowledgement of Gods infinite Wisdome and Authority over us viz. that he knoweth how to dispose of all things in the best manner and that all men ought to be content without any more ado to stand to his determination 2. An Invocation or calling upon him to exercise his Authority and Wisdome in the disposing of the casual event so as shall seem best to him for the determining of the present controversie according to his minde 3. A binding or tying of the parties to stand to his determination a profession that he will be satisfied with such determination as he shall please to make by disposing of the Lot So the casting of a Lot is none other thing in effect but an actual expressing of such a form of words as these Lord thou knowest in all cases what is best and fittest to be done and we here are all equally subject unto thee wherefore there being a thing in controversie betwixt us which we cannot so well agree upon our selves but that there will be some discontent betwixt us we are willing to stand to thy determination and as thou shalt shew thy own pleasure to be by ordering this casual event which nothing but thy secret providence can order so shall we rest satisfied and we beseech thee now to declare thy mind herein accordingly The casting of a Lot is but a compendium or abridgement or actual expressing of such a prayer wherefore also the Apostles to the casting of a Lot for the choice of an Apostle did adde such a prayer Acts 1. Shew whether of these two thou hast chosen By this which hath been said it is evident that a Lot and an Oath are both of the same nature and that the due use of them is a special honour to God in the exercising of humble submission to him and faith in his Providence Truth and Goodness This is the nature of a Lot it follows to declare the use both in regard of 1. The occasions of using 2. The manner of using 1. The occasions of using a Lot can be none other then to determine something in controversie All controversies must needs be about matters Past Present To come As who is to do or have such or such a thing who hath done or who doth it Now for the determining of things past and present a Lot doth not serve at all once or twice it was used for that extraordinarily but it is not ordinary for that purpose But doubts about things to come are of two sorts 1. Contingent doubtful and uncertain events and accidents as Haman by lot would foreknow how his device against the Iews should speed and for these a lot is not ordained 2. Dispositions or distributions of labours offices rewards punishments possessions or the like and for these purposes was a lot appointed as Solomon noteth saying Prov. 18. 18. The lot parteth or maketh division among the mighty But we must put our selves in minde that doubts and controversies about such things are of two sorts some made by men of their own will and not existent in nature of themselves some existent in nature and not onely made by men Now if men will needs make a doubt for satisfying of their own fancies where none is or need to be the thing being already by other means put out of doubt it is a presumptuous boldness to put such a doubt to God to umpire seeing no wise Superiour would take it well to be so imployed by his inferiour but would utterly refuse to intermeddle in such decisions For example A man gave unto his four servants 10l l a piece or so many pence and they will needs make such a bargain among themselves of this 40l l One of us shall have twenty marks the other 12l l and the other 12l l and the other just nothing and the remainder shall be to relieve the poor wherefore they come to their Master to tell who of the four shall have the forenamed summes and who just nothing would he not be discontented with them and reprove them and not have any hand in such a division as being foolish and unequal and so stands the case in all Lotteries and yet they are bold to use a lot to
all righteousness because of Gods graciousness in delivering him out of affliction The want of this God blameth Deut. 28. 47. and so are good things to be used 2. The patient and penitent bearing of afflictions is a framing of our selves willingly and without grudging to undergo the same because God hath done them yea to humble our selves before him and turn unto him with repentance So David did Psal. 39. 9. 38. 13 17. So Iames wisheth ch 4. v. 10. and Peter 1 Pet. 5. 6. So doth Eliphaz advise Iob 5. 8. When we meet with any evil from God if we consider God hath sent this upon me and therefore frame to be well pleased with it and to humble our selves and renew our repentance before him confessing our sins and supplicating to him for favour and resolving to cast away our sins and amend our lives this is an excellent use of his chastisements and happy is he whom God so chastiseth and teacheth his way So much for our right carriage in regard of Gods works whereby we sanctifie his Name Now We must also sanctifie him in regard of our works by referring them all to his glory as the main end of them intending in the doing of them to shew our obedience to him and faith in him for this end and in this consideration doing them because he either commands or allows them and with this purpose and intention of heart that we may witness our due regard of him This is to live to God and not to our selves which that we may do Christ died for us 2 Cor. 5. 15. and this the Apostle plainly requireth 1 Cor. 10. 31. So our Saviour saith of himself Iohn 17. 4. I have glorified thee I have done the work thou hast given me to do When in each action of ours we consider God would have us do it therefore we will do it that we may please him and declare our duty to him this is to glorifie him else we do not honour him by our actions as by eating drinking labouring in our callings and the like So much for the right carriage of our selves to God inwardly We must behave our selves aright also outwardly and that both in 1. Words 2. Deeds The right ordering of our speech standeth principally in four things 1. By uttering good wishes sincerely and heartily 2. By a reverent mention of his Titles and Attributes 3. By good communication of his Word and Works 4. By bold confession of his Truth First then we must utter as occasion serves good wishes and desires whereby we may shew the moving of our will to Godward to do some good or remove some evil that is to be done or removed These good wishes are of two sorts for they respect either 1. Our selves 2. Others Whether 1. Our Brethren 2. Other Creatures For our selves if any sudden peril threaten us and we do suddenly dart out as it were the desires of our souls servently and faithfully saying Lord help me or the like this is a due honouring of Gods name it is not a solemn prayer but a sanctified use of Gods name So Iehosaphat being in great danger by the Aramites who furiously assailed him mistaking him for the King of Israel could not in that case frame to any set form of solemn prayer yet he cried unto the Lord that is sent up these fervent desires in words to this purpose Lord help me Lord deliver me 1 King 22. 32. 2 Chron. 18. 31. So our Saviour being in extremity of torment on the Crosse could not make a set solemn prayer but he uttered such a short complaint as contained a submissive request to his Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This is an allowable taking of Gods name into our mouths so it be done heartily and respectively Secondly Now for others also even our brethren if upon occasion of meeting them we open our mouths with good salutations wishing a good day or the like prosperity to them so that it be done sincerely and with the motions of our mindes looking to God-ward it is a good service of God as Boaz saluted his reapers saying The Lord be with you Ruth 2. 4. and they returned him alike good wishes saying The Lord blesse thee If such salutations be heartily uttered it is a right exercise of our faith in Gods providence and goodnesse And not onely so but if we blesse other things as corn grasse cattle or the like with the like blessing so that we have our hearts only carried to God it is a good and acceptable using of his name as appeareth in Psal. 129. 8. where he saith of the corn growing on the house-tops that those which passe by do not say We blesse you in the name of the Lord shewing evidently that it was a good and commendable custome of the people of God then to crave Gods blessing on the corn grasse or other fruits which they saw upon the earth in these or the like words God blesse it or God save it These wishes if they proceed from the heart duly apprehending the nature of God whom they mention are evident declarations of our faith in God and of our depending upon him for all good things So much for good wishes Secondly We must mention the Titles and Attributes of God with all due respect and reverence when we have any occasion at all to mention them If it fall out that we use this word God Lord Christ Iesus or the like we are to have our hearts affected with some reverend regard of those divine persons that are so termed our hearts must entertain honourable conceits of them and must submissively be carried towards them this is that which Moses meaneth in part saying Deut. 28. 58. Fear this glorious and fearfull Name the Lord thy God The name of God must be with fear and reverence taken into our mouths and we should not once speak of him but with due apprehension of his gloriousnesse This is an excellent exercising of that worthy vertue of the fear of God when we do so regard him that at any occasional mentioning of him our hearts do homage unto him Thirdly We must use good communication as we go about our other affairs imploying our tongues as occasion may offer it self to talk of his word or works Deut. 6. 7. 11. 19. Iudg. 5. 11. therefore we are commanded that our communication be alwayes gracious Col. 4. 6. Ephes. 4. 29. Such communication must passe out of our mouths as is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers See Prov. 10. 22. Psal. 37. 30. A good man is to be ready upon all occasions to speak of good things the works of God the commandments of God his promises his threats and all such things as may help to increase grace in himself or others When his hand is on earth as his heart so if he have a companion his tongue must be in heaven Fourthly We ought boldly to
of each Church are bound unlesse they have some very just cause to come in due season to the Congregations and attentively and reverently to joyn with them and continue so doing till the end and that not only in the Morning but also in the Evening Secondly The Churches are then to make collections for the use and behalf of the poor and other acts of mercy as the Apostle appointed them to do in Corinth 1 Cor. 16. 1 2 3. and as he saith He had ordained in all Churches These are publick duties The private are some with reference to the publick to prepare for it and make use of it before and after fitting our hearts to hear by prayer and meditation and the like and by praying and meditation applying that to our selves which we have heard as the Bereans examined the Doctrine of Paul some again without such reference as all holy exercises of singing of Psalms prayer meditation reading together with actions of mercy in laying aside as God hath blessed us for the use of the poor and in visiting and relieving the sick comfortlesse needy and the like all which are acts as well of holinesse toward God as of mercy toward men Especially we must know that it is our duty to meditate upon the great works of our Creation and Redemption and our eternal rest in heaven seeing the Sabbath is given us as a memorial of the two former and an assurance of the later that being the excellent rest our entring into which this holy rest doth point at and help unto We must not onely keep the Sabbath in the Church-meetings and solemn Assemblies though it be specially appointed for the publick worship but at home in our houses Levit. 23. 3. We must awake with God in the morning begin with him rise early spend not much time in dressing of our selves that day it is the Sabbath of the Lord have holy thoughts while we are dressing our selves pray to the Lord to pardon all our sins and to put us into a holy frame and yet finish all this so soon that we may be with the first in the publick Assembly We may after the first Sermon eat and drink but for spiritual ends and purposes that our bodies being refreshed we may be the fitter to serve God but must take heed of spending too much time or feeding too liberally which may cause drousinesse We must then season all with heavenly discourse Luke 4. from v. 1. to 25. We must not speak our own words After the publick worship is ended we must call our Families together and repeat what we have heard and catechize them in the principles of Religion Heb. 2. 1 3. the fourth Commandment sing Psalmes and pray At night we should blesse God for the mercies of the day lie down with a great deal of soul-refreshment sleeping in the bosom of Jesus Christ. And this is the matter of the duties to be performed the manner is to consecrate the same as a delight unto God with comfort and joy serving him on that day as we do with comfort and cheerfulnesse follow our common businesse on the week dayes as the Prophet Isaiah chap. 58. 13. expresly requireth And call the Sabbath a delight Call that is make or count an Hebrew phrase often used in Isaiah Sabbath Some by it understand the extraordinary Sabbath or day of Fast because in the beginning of the Chapter there is an expostulation about it Levit. 16. 31. but the Lord is now speaking of an entire reformation My holy day the Sabbath agree not so properly to an arbitrary Sabbath A delight LXX thy delicate things i. one of the choisest priviledges God hath given thee These are common duties The duty of Superiours specially is to look to their Inferiours and at least to keep them from prophanation of the Sabbath and so farre as their authority will bear to drive them at least to the outward celebration of it by resting and by joyning in the publick exercises of religion as the good Nehemiah did cause the people to sanctifie the Sabbath in his time and forbad Merchants to bring wares to Ierusalem on that day and as we see in the very words of the Commandment the Governour is appointed to rest and not himself alone but his whole Family There is 1. No liberty granted more to the Superiour then to the Inferiour but all of what state or condition soever must sanctifie the Lords day 2. Every Superiour standeth charged before God not onely for himself but for all those which the Lord hath put under his government that both he and all they sanctifie the Lords Sabbath or day of rest Ford on Command 4. This delight is spiritual in God as the proper object and in the Ordinances as the onely means to lead us unto God Iob 27. 10. Psalm 43. 4. Cantic 2. 3. Isa. 56. 7. Reasons 1. Because the duties of that day are higher we have then all the means of Communion with God 1. We have them in a more raised solemn way without any interruption there is then a double Institution not only of the worship but the time 2. It s a spiritual Feast a day of Gods appointment our recompence as well as our duty Neh. 2. 26. Ordinances are fodinae gratiae Isa. 12. 3. 3. This day we come to remember the highest favours of God to the creature to contemplate the works of Creation Gods rest and of Redemption Christs rest 1 Pet. 4. 1. and our own eternal rest Heb. 4. 9. the Sabbaths of the faithful are the suburbs of heaven Heb. 12. 23. the Lords Supper is heaven in a map Luke 14. 15. Mat. 26. 29. 4. Many of the duties of the day are but spiritual recreations meditation is the solace of the minde in the contemplation of Gods works Psa. 104. 34. Singing of Psalms is a vent for spiritual mirth Iam. 5. Eph. 5. 18 19. then God should be solemnly praised Ps. 92. 1 2. 5. It is the temper of the people of God to delight in his solemn worship Psa. 2. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Male concordat canticum novum vetus homo Aug. Psal. 84. 1 10. Psal. 122. 1. 6. Delight in the Sabbath is the best way to discharge the duties 1. With comfort delight sweetens all how will men toil at their sport Neh. 11. 8. 2. With profit Isa. 64. 5. God will not send them away sad which come into his presence with joy Means to delight in the Sabbath 1. Labour after the assurance of the pardon of your sins 2. Solemnly prepare for the duties of the Sabbath 3. Wean the heart from temporal pleasures Psal. 26. 8. 119. 37. 4. Esteem the Sabbath a priviledge that after six dayes of labour God should appoint us a day of rest he might have taken all our time 5. Treasure up the experience of former Sabbaths Psal. 63. begin 6. In case of deadnesse plead with your souls as David doth Psal. 42. Shall I go
and a readinesse to relieve them in their necessity We honour men when taking knowledge of that excellency which is in them we bear our selves accordingly towards them In as much as the unreasonable creatures also love their little ones and are loved of them the Law-giver would have this natural affection which ought to be in a man of a more noble quality then that which is found among the very beasts The beasts are capable of natural affections but only man is capable of honour 2. In some respect a man ows more affection to his wife and his children then o his Father or Mother but in honour the Father and Mother have alwayes the preheminence The honour due unto Superiours of all sorts is reverence of minde declared by some civil submission as of rising before them and giving them the honour of speaking first 3. The Reason of the Precept That thy dayes may be long Which promise if we respect the words in the Hebrew may be read two wayes either so That thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for then he did as it were give it to them after he had delivered them out of Aegyptian bondage or word for word That they may prolong thy dayes viz. Thy Parents both readings have the same meaning but this later hath a special emphasis for it sheweth that with our Parents after a sort is the prolonging of our life that we may be the more incited to love and honour them Dayes signifies time because a day was the first sensible distinction of time God promised life in this Commandment rather then any other kinde of blessing because we received life from our Parents therefore life is promised to him which honours those from whom he hath received it This Commandment enjoyns the performance of all such duties as appertain to men in regard of their place that is which respect a special relation which passeth betwixt some men more then others in some special and particular bond binding them mutually one to another The Summe of the Commandment is to shew what duties we owe one to another in respect of their and our place gifts and calling This is made the summe of all the duties the childe oweth to his Parents Honour thy Father and Mother because this is the chief duty of all others yea this is the fountain of all other duties a childe can performe Malachy 1. 6. Deut. 27. 16. The duties required of the natural childe are comprehended under these three heads Reverence Obedience and Thankfulnesse 1. Reverence This reverence must be both inward and outward in the heart and in the behaviour The inward reverence is commanded Levit. 19. 2. Ye shall fear every man his mother and father God begins there where obedience is best tried Secondly Reverence in outward behaviour as bowing to them in standing bare and putting off before them in an humble and lowly countenance and behaviour when the Parents speak to them or they unto their Parents 2. They must obey their Parents Col. 3. 20. Ephes. 6. 1. 1. In doing the things which they command if they be lawfull 2. In quiet and patient bearing their admonitions and corrections Prov. 13. 1. 15. 5. 3. They must be thankfull to their Parents which thankfulnesse consisteth in two things 1. In relieving their Parents when they be in want Gen. 47. 12. 2. In praying for their Parents 1 Tim. 1. 2. Children must be obedient to their Parents so was David 1 Sam. 17. 20. Christ went down with his Parents and was subject to them Reasons First It is a Duty most equal that they should be obsequious to them by whose means they are they were the instruments of thy being Secondly It is a profitable duty that is the promise That it may be â—well with them and their dayes may be long on the earth a prosperous and long continuance upon the earth is the reward of dutifulnesse the Rechabites were highly commended of God for their obedience to their Parents and received this Promise from him as a recompence of their obedience That Ionathan the sonne of Rechab should not want a man to stand before him for ever Thirdly It is well pleasing to God Col. 3. 20. The bounds and limits of it It must be a very large obedience extending it self to all those things which God or some Superiour joyntly over father and childe hath not forbidden Stubbornnesse and disobedience to Parents much displeaseth God When the Apostle would reckon up the foul sins of the Heathen for which the wrath of God was manifested against them from heaven he reckons among the rest disobedience to Parents and when he would describe the ill qualities of those which should live in the later perilous times he saith Disobedient to Parents The Apostle also setteth forth childrens disobedience by a Metaphor taken from untamed head-strong Beasts that will not be brought under the yoke The word therefore is not unfitly translated unruly and it is somewhat answerable to an Hebrew phrase given to disobedient children viz. Sons of Belial which is according to the notation as much as sons without profit or as some will have it Sons without yoke that is such children as refusing to be in subjection unto Parents are no way profitable but work much mischief and cause great grief Cursed be he that despiseth Father or Mother and let all the people say Amen They must not so much as attempt to bestow themselves in marriage without the consent of their Parents Gen. 21. 21. 24. 4. Exod. 34 16. Deut. 7. 3. Wives were given by their Parents to all the Patriarchs in the old Testament Erasmus in one of his Epistles speaking of Levinus that got a wife neglecting the counsel of his friends about it and so proving unhappy he saith Res calidè peracta est magis quam callide They should imitate what is good in their parents Ephes. 5. 1. Though the consent of Parents in second marriages be not absolutely necessary yet it is to be thought fit and convenient because children in some regard exempted from parents authority do notwithstanding owe duty to them and they are to testifie it by being advised by them in some sort in their after bestowing of themselves in marriage Elton on the fifth Commandment The duties of parents to their children are either in their tender years or riper age common to both or special The fountain of parents duty is love This is expresly enjoyned to them Many approved examples are recorded thereof as Abrahams and Rebecca's and others Reasons Great is that pain cost and care which parents must undergo for their children if love be in them no pains cost or care will seem too much Contrary to love in the defect is want of natural affection which is reckoned in the catalogue of notorious sins Rom. 1. 30. Tit. 3. 3. in the excesse is too much
written well of Eternity Psal. 117. 2. and 146. 6. Heb. 13. 8. Precious are the serious thoughts of eternity the treasures of eternity are opened in the times of the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. Dicamus Deum immutabilem non modo mutatione substantiali quia esse vivere non modo nunquam definet qued Angelis competit animabus rationalibus sed fieri non potest ut definat Dicimus etiam ne accidentalis mutationis capacem esse quia transferretur à potentia ad actum aliquem accidentalem Twis Animadvers in Colat. Arm. cum Iun. propofit 6. Sect. 3. Vide Aquin. part 1. Quaest. 9. Artic. 1 2. Quaest. 9. Art 7. Iob. 4. 18. And his Augels he charged with folly the good Angels with possible though not actual folly * Geâ—h loc commune Martinus de Deo Wendelinus Christ Theol. l. 1. c. 1. Psal. 120. 27 28. Heb. 4. 13. Mat. 5. 18. * Cum nos paenitet destruimus quod fecimus Sic Deus paeâ—tuisse dicitur secundum similitudinem operationis in quantum hominem quem fecerat per diluvium à terrae facie delevitâ— Aquinas Quaest 19. Artic. 7. partis primae * Mutat facta non mutat consilia August Aliud est mutare voluntatem aliud velle mutationem Aquinas Quaest. 19. Art Septimo partis primae * Jer. 18. 8. and 26. 2 3. Windelinus Christ. Theol. l. 1. c. â— Consectaries from Gods Immutability 1 Sam. 15. 18 19. Adam supported himself with that one promise Gods promises are faithful and firm words What good thing the Lord hath promised what grace or priviledge as Christians any ever received or succoâ— found the same may the faithful iook for Gal. 6. 9. 2 Tim. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 15. ult Queen Elizabeths word was Semper eadem Deut. 32. 3. Nihil magnum niâ—i magnus Deuâ— Of Gods Perfection Greatness is attributed to God metaphorically and denoteth an incomprehensible and unmeasurable largeness of all excellencies * The Apostle by an Hebrew pleonasm saith the same thing twice illustring it by the contrary Reasons of Gods Perfection 1. That which is the chiefest being and Independent is most perfect 2. That which is infinite in Essence can want nothing 3. The more simple a thing is the more perfect * Psal. 7. 10. and 7. 6 8. and 137. 9. Psal. 56. 3. and 11. 1. Rom. 12. 2. Perfect in the general is that to which nothing is wanting therefore that is most perfect to which agreeth no imperfection Little works of nature and of providence have a greatness in them considered as done by God 2 Sam. 22. 31. All Gods works are perfect Gen. 1. 31. Alphonsus was wont to say If he had been of councel with God in the making of his works he should have made some of them melius ordinatius Ezek. 36. 23. Iob 38. 34 35 37. Isa. 40. 12. Elihu alledgeth Gods works to Iob to shew his greatness Iob 36. 27. 28 29. and 37. 1. to 7. Reasons why Gods works are great 1. He that worketh most universally unlimittedly supremely must work great things 2. He that works most wisely must needs do great things Psal. 104. 24. 2. He that works most mightily and powerfully must needs do great things Isa. 43. 13. 4. He that does all this most easily must needs do great things Psal. 33. 6. God is great in his Authority He is King of Kings the only Potentate God is most high The Greatness of Gods authority standeth in two things 1. The universality of it Gods authority reacheth to all things the whole world and all creatures in it are subject to his will and disposing 2. The absoluteness of it what he willeth must be done Absolute Dominion is a Power to use a thing as you please for such ends as you think good God hath a double power and authority over the Creature 1. As an absolute Lord. 2. As a Judge according to which double power he exerciseth two kindes of acts Actus Dominii and Iudicii 1. He hath an absolute soveraignty over all the Creatures and hath no rule to govern the Creature by but his own will Dan. 4. 17 32. Ephes. 1. 11. He can do the creature no wrong in any of his dispensations Four things he doth to the creatures as an act of Soveraignty 1. He gives the Creature what being he pleaseth 2. He appoints it to what end he pleaseth Rom. 9. 22. 3. He gives it what law he will here come in acts of Justice and Mercy 4. Orders all their actions by his effecting or permitting will 2. He resolves to govern these creatures Modo Connaturali suitably to their own natures He gives reasonable creatures a Law which they must know and approve and the service they perform to him must be reasonable Gods Soveraignty here below is seen in ordering 1. Natural causes which act from an instinct of nature and are carried to their end by a natural necessity 1. In acting them according to their natures for the ends he appointed them 2. In restraining their acting sometimes that fire shall not burn 3. In acting them above their natures the rock shall yield water 4. In acting them contrary to their natures fire shall descend 2. Voluntary causes acting from a principle of reason and the liberty of will Prov. 16. 11. Psal. 33. 15. Prov. 21. 1. in ordering their thoughts apprehensions counsels affections Rom. 9. 17. Rom. 9. 20. Heb. 12. 9. Consectaries from Gods greatness in his nature Corollaries of Gods perfection Deut. 18. 13. Matth. 5. 48. Psal. 18. 22. 1 Cor. 13. 10. Consectaries from Gods great works There is a twofold greatnesse in the works of God 1. In the bulk or quantity of them as the work of Creation 2. Of quality or vertue Gen. 1. 16. The Moon is a great light in regard of light and influence excellency and usefulnesse to the world See Iob 37 38 39. Consectaries from Gods being most high Mihi verò dicendum videtur Nihil extra Deum esse absolutè necessarium sed tantum ex hypothesi Attamen esse necessarium secundum quid viz. ex hypothesi reicuique fateor vel contingentissimae poterat accidere Twiss Animadvers in collat Armin. cum Iun. IndepeÌ„dentia est proprietas Dei qua quoad essentiam subsistentiam actiones à nulla aelia dependet causa cum à seipso fit subsistat agat Wendelinus John 1. 3. Act. 17. 25. Ab independentia Dei non differt sufficientia qua ipso in se à se sibi nobis sat habet nullaque re indiget cum omnia alia uti à Deo dependent ita sibi ipsâ—s minimè sufficiant Proprietatem hanc indigitat nomen Dei Schaddai Gen. 17. 1. 35. 11. Wendelinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Il. β Rex unus est apibus dux unus in gregibus in armentis rector unus multo magis mundi unus est rector qui universa quaecunque sunt verbo jubet
chiefly exercised about the noblest creatures Angels and men Psa. 36. 6. Prov. 21. 10. God is an understanding Essence present in all places at all times with all persons therefore he must needs observe and know all their motions 2. All things are spoken and done by an influence of power derived from him He is the most principal worker of every action without a special and immediate operation of whose might the secondary cause would be dead and powerlesse 3. God hath given us a law to order men in all their words and carriages little and great 4. He is the Judge of all the world he must judge certainly infallibly and perfectly The Saints are under Gods peculiar providence Zach. 2. 18. The Lord orders every thing for their good Psal. 106 46. Nothing can do them hurt Psal. 46. 1 Luke 10. 19. Isa. 54. 17. The creatures are instrumentum arbitrarium not necessarium He is the governor of nature else he could not cross nature Neh. 9. 6. Heb. â— 3. Act. 17. 28 Tres sunt gradus divinae providentiae 1. Conservatio actio Dei qua essentias Creaturarum quoad species vel individua continuat corumque agendi vires conservat 2. Gubernatio actio qua prae summa sua autoritate potentia sapientia de rebus omnibus disponit casque pro arbitrio suo regit 3. Ordinatio qua Deus pro admirandâ— sua sapientia potentia omnia in ordinem redigit fines certos bonos constituendo media ad fines disponendo disposita regendo Isa. 10. 6 7. Wendelin God turns the misery of the godly to their special good and the prosperous estate of the wicked is an occasion of their woe Consectaries from Gods providence Satis constat Epicurum quem admodum animorum immortalitatem ita Dei providentiam sustulisse Voss. in Maimon de Idol c. 2. Gods providence is like a well-drawn picture which eyeth each in the room O tu bone Omnipotens qui sic curas Unumquem que nostrum tanquam solum cures sic omnes tanquam singulos August confes lib. 3 c. 11. His providence is conversant about sin but without sin The story of Ioseph is one of the fairest draughts of providence a lie cast him into prison and a dream fetcht him out Eliz. Young Vide Histoire universelle du D' Aubigne Tome premier l. 5. c. 1. 2. p. 371 372. c. 4. p. 379. I trust God which hitherto hath preserved and led me by the hand will not now of his goodness suffer me to go alone Q. Elizabeth Stow Chron. Psal. 106. 2. 14. 2. Psal. 92. 4 5. Psal. 107. ult Psal. 48. 8. Austin travelling on the way mistook it and thereby saved his life escaping an ambush of the Donatists See a special providence in Mr Clarks Life of Mr Dod. p. 411. Totum vitâ— meae curriculum plenum est mirandarum divinarum liberationum ex magnis morbis periculis calamitatibus nullum elementum est à quo non infestatus sum Scultet praefat ad curriculum vitae Res adoo cognitu necessaria atque utilis ut in duorum istorum Adami Christique rectanotitia à quo primo peccatum maledictio ab altero gratia omnis salus summam religionis bene constituat Augustinus Hoaâ—beek Anti-Socin l. 3. c. 3. Sect. 1. Gen. 3. 63. Eccl. ult Causa prima peccati erat Diabolus 2 Cor. 11. 3. secunda Adam Rom. 7. 14. 5. 12. Attende ordinem progressum humanae perditionis primò Deus dixerat Quâ—cunque die comederâ—â—is ex eo morte moriâ—mim Deinde mulier dixit Ne fortè moriamur Novissimè serpens dixit Nequaquam moriemim Deus affirmavit mulier quasi ambigendo illud dixit â—iabolus negavit Lomb. l. 2. distinct 21. Rev. 12. 9. and 20. 2. Adae peccatum primum non fuerit quod fructum ederit peccatum antè conceperit quo prolectus quodammodo protractus ad edendum suit Cumque eo animo esset etsi fructum omnino non attigisset tamen peccasset graviter quemadmodum quidam etiam Scholastici concedunt Sed hujus peccati extremus quasi actus suit edisse quod â—itatum erat Whitakerus l. 1. de peccato originali c. 14. Transgressionis perpetratio consummata fuit in esu fructus arboris prohibitae quae dicta fuit arbor scientiae boni mali sed hujus inobedientiae primus motus ac gradus necessaraò antecedebat externum illum actum comestionis ita ut rectè dicere liceat hominem fuisse peccatorem antequara externum illum actum comestionis perfecerat Peccatum illud fuit consummatum quoad humani generis defectionem in Adamo Adam enim proprâ—è fuit principium humani generis non Eva Hinc est quod de secundo Adamo legimus in Scripturis sed non de secunda Eva. Ames medul l. 1. c. 11. It was Praeceptum exploratorium The Serpent of all beasts was the best to creep into the garden unseen of Adam who was to keep the beasts out of it and to creep out again b The evil one findes nothing in me saith Christ and Eph. 6 12. If we had stood in our integrity say they Satan could have suggested objects to the senses but he could not have dealt immediatly with the Spirit Shepheards Theses Sabbaticae Septimo die cum perâ—ecisset Deus opussuum quod fecerat qui 〈…〉 ab omni opere diei septimo benedicens Sabbatum instituit consecraviâ— Gen. 2. 2 3. quippe in quo respiravit re credâ—iâ— se nec dum ut videtur peccato admisso aut pâ—na sontibus vel Angelis vel Hominibus à Deo insticta Usserii Annales veteris Pâ—â—â—amenâ—â— p. 2. Non est veriâ—imile tam multa varia quae inter Creationem ejus narraâ—tur â—acta in dimidium ferè uâ—ius 〈…〉 Simps Câ—â—on Cathol par 1. vide Cl. â—aâ—akerâ— Cinnum vide plura ibid. lib. 2. cap. 2. * Hoc itaque de uno cibi genere non edendo ubi aliorum tacita copia subjacebat tam leve praeceptum ad observandum tam breve ad memoria retinendum ubi praesertim nondum voluntati cupiditas resistebat Quod de paena transgressionis postea subsecutum est tanto majore injustitia violatum est quanto faciliore posset observantia custodiri Aug. de Civ Dei l. 14. c. 12. Vide Bellarm. l. 3. de Statu peccati ca. 9. 10. Rom. 5. 14. that is those which had not the Law clearly revealed to them Gen. 1. 26. 2. 16 17. Col. 3. 10. That man adorned by God with such excellent gifts of knowledge and holinesse created in integrity did yet sin in a matter wherein he might so easily have abstained it much heightens the sin The place also where the fault was committed aggravates the offence for Adam sinned in Paradise a holy place Apoc. 2. 7. and a Type of heaven Gen 3. 23. M. Ball. Nota hic ordinem gradum peccati
etiam colâ—â—gere est ex Caâ—vino Iâ—stitut l. 4. c. 15. S. 16. Dico quasi privatim nam absolutè privatim absque ulla Congregationis forma qualis saepè in Papatu 〈…〉 n probamus Mares Quaest aliquot Theol Dâ—cis Quaest. 3. Vide plura ibid. Vide Aquin. part 3. quaest 66 Artic. 3. 4. Attersol of the Sacraments l. 2. c. 5. Balduinus the Lutheran in his Cases of Conscience l. 4. c. 8. Case 4. propounding this Case Num minister Ecclesiae ditioribus parentibus gratisicari salvâ conscientia potest si fortè liberos suos vino generoso aut aquâ rosatâ baptizari pâ—tant Answers Partes substantiales hujus acramenti nequaquam sunt mutandae non enim oportet nos sapientiores esse Christo qui regenerationis Sacramentum aqua sieri voluit Johan 3 5. neque meliores quia ipse etiam aquâ— Iordanis aequè ac al 〈…〉 baptizari voluit Matth. 3. 16. Iam verò constat aquam esse partem alteram substantialem Baptismi quidem aquam fontanam aut sluvialem prout eam Deus condidit absque mixturâ— herbarum aut aliorum liquorum Many reasons he there alâ—o alledgeth against changing water in Baptism Quasi res esset contemptibilis ex â—hristi praecepto aqua baptizari inventa est benedictio vel potius in cantatio quae veram aquae consecrationem pollueret Caâ—v Instit. l. 4. c. 15. Scimus veterem Ecclesiam â—c Primitivam in vitae communis usu iâ— ritibus sacris multum usam esse venerabili signocrucis sed ut pia ceremonia quae orationi adjecta animos sidelium ad Christi crucem eveheret non materiae alicui terrenae aut â—igurae aut gestui aâ—figeret Hoc sensu sanctâ—ssimi prudentissimique illi Antistites qui Ecclesiae in Anglia reformandae negotio praefucrunt in publicis locis cruces passi sunt remanâ—re in nonnullis etiam ritibus sacris retinuerunt ut in Baptismo Casaub. exercit 13. ad annales B. Traditiones rituales quae ad ordinem ritus cultus divini pertinent are to be received upon this condition only modo ne veritati pietati simplicitati libertati Christianae adversentur E nominibus Sacramenti Eucharistiae quaedam sunt in sacris literis diserte usurpata quaedam è verbis in Scriptura positis deducta plurima Patrum piâ—tas adinvenit usus Ecclesiae comprobavit Casaub. exercit 16. ad Annal a Caâ—â—a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communione vesâ—â—â—tium Nos quidem satis tâ—tâ— sumus sive à Scriptura sive à ratione sive à traditione in usurpando coenae nomine Chamier de Sacramentis lib. 5. c. 2. b Cum scopus Apostoli fuerit 1 Cor. 11. 20. ut ex sequentibus apparet redarguere abusus qui invaluerant apud Corinthios in hujus Sacramenti celebratione dubium non est quin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellet id quod postea v. 22. dicit se accepisse à Domino eis tradidisse Id tamen praefractè negant quidem Pontificii in primis Maldonatus Iesuita in Matth. 26. 26. petulanter suo more nobis insulat insâ—itiam â—â—â—â—tatem nobis objâ—cit quia coenae Domini nomen Sacramento Eucharistiâ— tribuimus Negat ullum in sacris Scripturis locum in quo ita appelletur Sacramentum Maldonatum pro merito excepit doctissimus Casaubonus Exercit. 16. Sect. 23. Et ejus pervicaciam ita detexit ut non opus sit actum agere Riveti Cathol Orthod Tract 3. quaest 21. Vide Maldonat etiam ad Joh. 13. 2. Estium ad 1 Cor. 11. 20. Apostolus dicit convenientibus vobis in unum non est Dominicam coenam manducare hanc ipsam acceptionem Eucharistiae caenam Dominicam vocamus Aug. Epist. 118. ad Jon. 5. Three Evangelists have mentioned Christs last Supper Matth. 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. and Paul 1 Cor. 10. 4 and more fully 1 Cor. 11. 26. Coena Domini est Sacramentum nutritioâ—s auctionis fidelium in Christo. Ames Medul Theol. l 1. c. 40. Coena est Sacramentum quo actis Deo gratiis pane vino utimur ad profitendum nos Christi corpore crucifixo sanguineque fuso in aeternam vitam sustentari ut enim à Baptismo primum est Christianismi initium sic à Coena perpetuum deinceps est alimentum Rami Comment de Religione Christiana l. 4. c. 8. See Mr Gillesp. Aarons Rod Blossoming l. 3. c. 12 13 14. The Word makes bad ground good the Sacrament only makes good ground better The Word doth both convert and edifie the Sacrament only edifies We have no promise or president in Scripture for the conversion of any by receiving the Lords Supper It is not set forth under the notion of immortal feed but under the notion of food and nourishment D. Drakes answer to Suspen suspended M. Burrh Gospel-worship Paraeus saith Sacramenta sunt instituta non in fidelibus sed conversis Haeretici scelerati si accedat pertinacia à coena Domini sunt arcendi Zanch. de Eccles. Vide Balduin de cas consc l. 4. c. 9. cas 1. Why should any that are not Saints be admitted to one of the highest priviledges of Saints Church communion in the highest The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a distinguishing Ordinance they who have no union with Christ can have no communion with him M. Cheyneâ— on Zech. 2. 7. Non propter malos qui videntur esse intus deserendi sunt boni qui verè sunt intus August contra Crescon l. 2. c. 33. Fugio paleam ne hoc sim non autem aream ne nihil sim. Ib. l. 3. c. 25. Solebant Donatistae in ore habere videbas surem concuâ—rebas cum eo ne communicaberis peccatis alienis Et recedite exite inde Et immundum ne tetigeritis qui tetigerit pollutum pollutus est modicum sermentum totam massam corrumpit hujusmodi Haec fiunt consensione peccatorum non communione Sacramentorum in qua condiscipulus Judas mundos immundus contaminare non potuit Aug de unico baptismo contra Petil. c. 14. Non enim propter malos boni deserendi sed propter bonos mali tolerandi sunt sicut toleraverunt Prophetae contra quos tanta dicebant nec communionem Sacramentorum illius populi relinquebant Aug. Ep. 48. Manifestum est non conâ—aminari justos alienis peccatis quando cum eis Sacramenta communicant Aug epist. 50. Nec malos à mensa Domini arcemus quia bonis illam polluant quum ex Apostolo didicerimus omnia esse munda mundis sed quia sibi illam polluunt Beza de Presbyterio excommunicatione Quum scribat Joannes Joan. 13. 30. Iudam ante absolutum â—pulum discessisse assâ—ntior iis qui ante 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 institutionem Judam discessisse sentiunt Ista separatio qua nonnulli à sacris catibus recto Sacramentorum usu propter aliquorum vitia ultrò abstinent
id est scipsos excommunicant magnam reprehensionem meretur Id. ib. Mali non polluunt coenam bonis etiamsi malis sunt permixti coena tamen pura est Beza de Presb. c. 6. Vide Caâ—vin Instit l. 4. de externis mediis ad salutem c. 1 Sect. 15. Instruct. adversus Anabapt Husseys Plea for Christian Magistracy a Gospel-worship See D. Homes his mischief of mixt Communions b On Hos. 5. 3. Cant. 7. 2. The navel and belly are both hidden parts and therefore set forth the mysteries or Sacraments of the Church Baptism and the Lords Supper The navel serving for the nourishing of the Infant in the womb resembleth Baptism nourishing Infants it wanteth not liquor 1. Of the bloud of Christ to justifie us from sinne 2. Of the Spirit of Christ to sanctifie and cleanse us from sinne The Belly viz. The Lords Supper is an heap of wheat for store of â—xâ—â—lâ—â—nâ— â—weeâ— and fine nourishment set about with Lilies because onely the faithful pure Christians shall be admitted to partake in the Sacrament M. Cotton in loc The corruptions of the Church of England are such that a man in abstaining from the pollutions thereof ought not to lever himself from those open Assemblies wherein the eternal word of the Lord God is preached and the Sacraments administred although not in that puâ—iâ—y which they ought to be Cartw. second Reply against Whitgise second Answer 38. 1 Cor. 5. 6. Tameâ—si impiorum causa qui se acramentis admiscent Sacramentum non est deâ—linandum tamen quoad datum nostra in potestate est omnis conatus diligentia adhibenda est ut nos cum piis aggregantes â—â—probos à Sacramentorum communione procul abigamus quod ut omnibus promiscuè incumbit ita singulari cura industria ab Ecclesiae moderatoribus procurari debet Cartw. in Harm Evang. 1 Sam. 2. 17. The Priests were unsanctified men therefore no doubt many more * On 1 Cor. 11. 28. Zanchy taxeth such as will abstain from the Lords Supper and those also who will say Manebimus quidem in Ecclesia veniemus ad audiendum verbum ad preces sed quî possumus in coena communionem vobiscum habere cum ad eam admittantur multi impuri â—â—rii c. He saith Non aut obtalem abusum Ecclesia definit esse Ecclesia Christi aut pij impiorum in sacris communione possunt contaminari Animam priùs tradam meam inquit Chrys. in Matth. Hom. 83. quà m Dominicum alicui corpus indigno Sanguinemque meum effundi potiua patiar quà m sacratissimum illum sanguinë praeterquam digno concedam * M. Burrh on Hos. 6. 4. Etiamsi suis oculis minister quispiam viderit aliquid agentem quod coenae exclusionem mereatur jure tamen nec debeat nec possit nisi vocatum convictum legitimè denique secundum constitutum in Ecclesia ordinem damnatum à mensa Domini cum auctoritate prohibere Beza de Presbyt p. 28. St Augustine and others think Iudas was admitted to the Lords Supper and M. Cartwright also so judgeth from that connexion Luk. 22. 19 20 21. Si pâ—i communione in sacris cum impiis pollui possunt cur ergò Christus à Coeua non arcet Iudam quem optimè norat esse impuriss 〈…〉 m nebulonem ne â—â—â—â—ri Apostoli ejus consâ—rtio polluâ—rentur Zanch. de Eccles c. 7. Yet afterward he saith â—onstat Dominum Iesum non prius suam instituisse c 〈…〉 m quà m legalem de Paschate absolvisset Joan. autem c. 13. ait â—udam posteaquam à Domino Iesu offulam intinctam in catino ubi agnus erat accepisset hoc est statim exivisse Si statim exâ—vit nondum absolutâ— lâ—gali coenâ— quomodo intersuit coenae Dominicae quae illam consecuta est M. Humfreys Vindication of a free Admission to the L. S. Vide Aquin. Sum. partem tertiam Quaest. 87. Art 2. It followed the celebration of the Passeover which was kept at even Act. 20. 7. Tempus vespertinum propriè spectabat ad Pascha vetus ex loge Quia vero Christus Paschati Coenam substituere volebat utrumque Sacramentum eâdem vesperâ unum post aliud celebravit vetus per novum abrogavit Ita per accidens factum est ut novum Sacramentum tempore Vespertino sit institutum Unde coenae nomen accepit in hodiernum usque diem retinuit Neque Apostoli ad tempus Vespertinum se astrinxerunt sed pro occasione Coenam administrarunt alià s diurno tempore ut legere est Act. 2. 46 alià s intempesta nocte ut Act. 20. Quo facto satis ostenderunt tempus coenae per se esse indifferens Paraeus De Ritu Fractionis in S. Eucharistia c. 5. * Plin Epist. 97. ad Trajanum Eucharistiae Sacramentum antelucanis coetibus sumimus Tertullian de Corona militis It is a great condescension for God to give us any outward signs and pledges of his faithfulfulnesse we are bound to believe in his Word Panis vinum quum prae caetoris cibis sint alendis corporibus nostris accomodatae commodissimè nobis illum designant in quo uno vita aeterna residet Bezae Quaest. Resp. Paulus non praeceptum vocat sed institutum 1 Cor. 11. 23. Iam verò est eaque fuit semper sub lege etiam rigida symbolorum natura ut facile ex causa probabili omitti se ferant Sic panes sacros quos lex solis sacerdotibus aâ—â—â—xerat in suos usus vertit David Sic Circumcisio tam severè praecepta Paschalis Ceremonia omissa totis annis 40 quibus Hebraei per desertas Arabiae terras ambularunt nempè quod inter itinera parum commodè interventuri fuerant tot dies aut otio tribuenda aut medicando corpori Grotius an semper communicandum per symbola cap. 5. Ephes. 5. 26. Act. 8. 36. Matth. 28. 19. Act. 2. 16. M. Eltons Catech Constat Eucharistiae Sacramentum duabus externis partibus id est duplici materia pane poculo Neque quenquam contradicentem pati potest discritissima relatio institutionis apud Matthaeum Marcum Lucam Paulum neque perpetua Ecclesiae traditio Chamierus de Sac. l. 8. See Iansen Concord on Luk. 22. p. 155. the danger of communicating in both kindes The Church of Rome hath decreed Conc. Trident Sess. 21. c. 2. That it is not necessary for the people to communicate in both kindes and holdeth them accursed that hold it necessary for the people to receive the Cup consecrated by the Priest Vide Cassand consult See D. Featleys Grand Sacriledge of the Church of Rome chap. 1 2 c. to the 16. Chapter And Bishop Davenants L. Quest. in his Determinat And Master Cartwrights Rejoynder pag. 281 282 283 284 285 286 287. The Apostle sometimes putteth the other part viz. drinking of the Cup for the whole celebration of the Supper 1 Cor. 12. 13. The Heathens â—alled a feaâ—t
perjuriorum pericula honestae ac sanctae vitae adversantia atque obhorrendissimos eventus ob certa denique damna quae inde proveniunt tam civilibus quam canonicis legibus non solum apud Christicolas Anglic. verum etiam apud Ethnicos vetiâ—i undequaque inveniuntur Commentarius contra ludum Alearum A Fr. Angelo Roccha Episcopo Cohilonem aium quendam Lacedaem cum faderis feriendi causa missus esset legatus ad Regem Persarum Aulicos fortè invenisset ludentes alea statim re infecta rediisse domùm rogatum cur negloxisset ea facere quae publicè acceperat in mandatis respondisse Quod ignominiosum existimasset id fore Reipublicae si foedus percussisset cum aleatoribus Mocket Apol. Orat. A game or play may thus fitly be described viz. A contention betwixt two or more who shall do best in an exercise of wit or activity or both about some indifferent and trifling subject Every lawful means of getting is sanctifiable by prayer as being that which God alloweth and blesseth Playing for price is not sanctifiable by prayer so that we may pray to God to bless us in that means of getting Therefore playing for price is no lawful means of getting The Scripture saith plainly Thou shalt not cover any thing that is thy neighbours When conscience doubteth on the one part and is resolved on the other we must refuse the doubting part and take that wherein we are certain and sure As for example When one doubteth of the lawfulnesse of playing at Cards and Dice he is sure it is no sin not to play but whether he may lawfully play he doubteth in this case he is bound not to play Mr. Fenner of conscience There is natura naturans and natura naturata Mal. 2. ult Exod. 16. 29. It was but the breach of this one Commandment and yet God chargeth them with the breach of his Laws in general because he that is a wilful transgressour of this makes little conscience of any of the rest This Commandment concerning the keeping of the Sabbath day to sanctifie it is placed in the midst between the two Tables of purpose to shew that the keeping of the Sabbath is a singular help to all piety and righteousnesse Mr Bifield Hoc Praeceptum de Sabbatho apertè affirmativum est negativum This Commandment of the Sabbath is expresly affirmative and negative above all the rest Zanch. in Praec 4. Memento seu Recordare imâ— vero recordaâ—do recordare ut â—otat modus loquendi apud Mosen Id est omnino ac sollicitè recordare nec unquam obliviscere Fabricius The Lord saith only Remember in this Commandment for three reasons 1. Because though the Law was given from the beginning yet this fourth Commandment was better kept in memory and in practice then any of the rest and was but a little before repeated Exod. 16. 22. 23 25 26. 2. To shew what reckoning he maketh of the Sabbath as men giving their sons or servants divers things in charge say of some principal matter Remember this 3. To shew how apt we are to forget it Ford of the Coven between God and man Quia aequum non erat ut res tanti momenti niteretur auctoritate fide ac testimonio unius hominis idcirco Deus secundo apparuit Mosi omni populo in monte Sinai luculentam hujusce rei fidem facit praecipiendo illis cultum Sabbati ut constaret certa memoria mundum sex diebus à Deo creatum esse septimo die Deum quievisse ideo dicit Memor esto diei Sabbati Quast diceret Quando quotiescunque Saebbatum observatis memoriam creationis fideliter ac constanter colitâ—te Menasseh Ben-Israel Probl. de creat 6. Vide ibid. prob 8. Sabbatum non solum Quietem seu a laboribus cessationem quae pars Festi semper fingularis habita atque vocabuli ipsissima est significatio denotat verùm etiam diem seu annum septimum quoniam in â—â— quiescendum uti Lustrum Olympias quinquâ—â—nium Seld. de jur natural Gent. l. 3. c. 17. The Ancients do usually speak of the Lords day in distinction from the Sabbath because that denomination Dies Sabbati in Latine doth denote the Saturday but our Saviour cals it the Sabbath-day Matth. 24. 20. and it is called so three times in the fourth Commandment The word was used by the Ancients Russinus Origen Grogory Nazianzen To sanctifie a Sabbath is to call our selves not from our own sinfull wayes which we must do every day but from our honest and lawfull callings that giving our selves to godly and christian exercises of our faith we may be strengthned in the wayes of God and so in thought word and deed consecrate a glorious Sabbath unto the Lord. Therefore it is called the Sabbath of God Exod. 20. 10. Levit. 23. 3. He calleth it a holy convocation that is dedicated to holy meetings So Isa. 50. 13. Hereby is confuted their opinion that take it a Sabbath kept if they rest from their labours so in the mean time they labour in playes dancings vain songs as though the Lord had called us from our profitable labour commanded to displease him in these vanities Fenners Table of the princip of Relig. a Quod verbum non significat hoc loco praeceptum sed operandi permissionem libertatem non necessitatem alioqui nunquam liceret sex illis dicbus otiari aut ab operibus nostris abstinere Rivet Shalt is as much as mayest a word rather of permission then command M. White on Command 4. When the Commandment saith Six dayes thou shalt labour the meaning is six dayes thou maist labour thou art licensed and not forbidden to do thy daily work on them by this Commandment So it is translated in our last English translation Exod. 31. 15. Six dayes may work be done And in the Hebrew the same word standeth for both senses M. Thorn Serv. of God at rel Ass. c. 8. b Seventh here is taken indefinitely not particularly that is for seventh in proportion one day in seven not for seven in order the last in seven If the proportion of time be all that God respects in the six days of labor then the proportion of time must needs be all which God can intend in the seventh day which he sets apart for a day of rest M. White ubi supra This Commandment doth not directly require the seventh day from the Creation but the 7th day in general Cartw. Catech. Omnia illa opera prohibentur quae propriè vocantur nostra quamvis non siâ—t strictè loquendo servilia aut mechanica Illa autem sunt opera nostra quae pertinent ad hujus vitae usus id est in rebus naturalibus civilibus versantur propriè ad lucrum commodum nostrum spectant Ames Med. Theol. l. 2. c. 15. He names son and daughter first because parents through natural affection are ready to wink at