to abuse thy meat for gluttony thy drinke for drunkennesse thy apparell for pride or the Sunne to give thee light to worke the works of darknesse or the house and woods and shades to cover wicked practises If thou have right to any thing and lend it to another thou wouldst be loath it should be abused yea God made provision under the Law Exod. 22. that the lender should be no loser but that the thing lent should be made good Much more is it equall that if God lend thee the use of any of his creatures it should be made good to God when thou hast had the comfort of it Be sure therefore that thou do it and do it upon this ground that God made all things Secondly this Almightie God doth Governe all things also Jeremie saith God is the governour of all things Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps because it is God that governs him And Solomon saith that there is no wisdome nor understanding Prov. 21.30 31. nor counsell against the Lord the horse is prepared against the battell but safetie is of the Lord because man is not the Master of his own Issues but God is the highest Governour above him and above all the world As when we have a Journey to goe and get on horseback with a bridle we guide him onward and backward this way and that way till we have done our businesse Psal so God rides upon the heavens as upon a chariot He hath an hooke in the nosthrils 2 Chron. and a bridle in the mouthes of his creatures and as he saith to the Sea Here stay thy proud waves so he saith by the active word of his providence to all his creatures as that Centurion to his souldiers Goe Luk. 8. and it goes come and it comes doe this and it doth it and so he governs all the creatures to the Issue of his will When a man looks upon the horrible disorders in the world and sees Atheists blasphemous swearers prophaners of the Lords Day murtherers whoremongers theeves lyers to swarme in the world a man would thinke that God did not Govern all things But thy sense teacheth thee that if thou ride upon a lame horse to dispatch all thy busines though he halt which is from himself by leaping over hedge and ditch yet thou governest him till thy businesse is over which is from thee So though all the men in the world be lame in actions and all the creatures of the world doe groane under the vanitie of their sinnes yet doth God as it were ride about and governe all and will bring the wickedest at last either to repentance and to shame and just confusion for ever And thou canst not conceive other but that God must needs governe all things For otherwise the flint and steele of contradictions would so kindle the tinder of corruption that the whole world would have been long agoe in the flame of ruine yea the Church of God would have been devoured by her enemies The Church of God thou knowest Luk. 12. is but a little flock and her enemies like the army of the Aramites covering the earth and their hearts like those of the Edomites who cryed over Jerusalem Down with it down with it Psal 137. even to the ground What then can hold them but Gods bridle which restraines the Gates of Hell Matth. 16. that they cannot prevaile over them Resolve then therefore that God governes all things Vse Hence when thou findest any thing to worke together for thy good give the glory to God who governes all things and desire this Almightie one to shew himselfe a Governour by governing thee Thou art not able to governe thy thoughts words or actions without God In conscience of this David said Let the words of my mouth Psal 19. and the meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight and set a watch before my lips and Lord open thou my lips even so Psal 51. and much more mayst thou Therefore by how much lesse able thou art to governe thy selfe by so much more must thou pray to God every day to governe thy mind heart life will affections desires conscience and actions that thou mayst walke through the land of uprightnesse Esa 26. into a place of happinesse where there are fulnesse of pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore Psal 16. Thus my good child thou hast told me what God is Now tell me next 6. Q. Wherefore did God make thee A. To doe him service This is Gods truth For What doth the Lord thy God require of thee We are made to serve God Deut. 10.12 Joh. 22.5 but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and thy blessed Saviour saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Matt. 4.10 and him onely shalt thou serve If thou shouldst not be asked to what end thou wert made thou might'st live to wrong ends and might'st be ready to doe service where thou owest none Therefore do I put thy soul to this question When thou dost answer that thou art made to serve God thou must mean that thou art made to Do Gods worke or businesse When thou servest a Master thou doest thy Masters work when thou servest a Mistresse thou doest thy Mistresse's businesse so when thou servest God thou doest Gods work or businesse or what he requires at thy hand Christ saith Joh. 6. This is the work of God that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent Paul saith 1 Thess 4. This is the will of God or the work which he requires you to endeavour even your sanctification Therefore when thou livest or doest the acts of life this is thy work or service of God Thou by nature art too apt to think that thou art free-borne as they that said Our tongues are our own Psal 10. Psal 129. Rom. 1.1 Jam. 1.1 Jude 1. Pro. 16.4 who is Lord over us But David often professed himselfe to be Gods servant and so did Paul James Jude and so must thou For God hath created all things for himselfe and he hath committed unto thee a Talent to be imployed for his uses Matth. 25. and hath intrusted thee with a Stewardship whereof thou must give an account as a servant Luk. 19. Vse 1 Be thou therefore sure my Child so to carry thy selfe as one that may give a comfortable account If a Master should put his servant in trust with his whole estate and when he comes to give an account he sets down Item thus much to maintaine Idlenesse thus much for Whoring Drunkennesse Pride thus much for Profane exercises on the Lords day doe you think that this account would be taken No more will God
thou doest not record truth as it is found Thou mayst sinne against truth and charity privately either against thy selfe or others Against thy selfe when thou dost not regard thine owne credit or thinkest either too basely or boastingly of thy owne person Against others when thou praysest them above deserts or praysest mens vices or givest not them their due truth by scorning backbiting slandering or the like Vse Thus my child maist thou sinne against truth but take heed God would have truth precious with thee and all men Therefore discerne it as cleare as thou canst honour it by not withholding the truth in unrighteousnesse and maintaine it in thy selfe and others that justice may flourish It is true that many times truth breeds hatred among men but beleeve God who saith that he that deales truly is Gods delight 18. Q. What is the tenth Commandement A. Exod. 20.17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours Here thou art at the very foot of the ladder and from hence thou mayst rise to the highest pitch of morall vertue What is required in the tenth commandement or of sinne against it If thou have this coveting after that which is thy neighbors thou wilt not spare falshood to get it If thou canst once out-face truth then have at thy neighbours goods for thy profit thy neighbours honesty for thy pleasure yea thy neighbours life rather then thou wilt misse of either and next have at thy neighbours honour that thou mayst have none to punish thee and then have at thy God in all disobedience for if thou sinnest against thy neighbour whom thou seest thou wilt much more sinne against thy God whom thou doest not see but in his word and works Therefore God requires in this Commandement such an evennesse of spirit that nothing that is thy neighbours doe trouble thee Hath thy neighbour better house better wife better servants better cattell better any thing then thee thy eye may not be evill because Gods is good If thou have God it is enough it is all things nothing that is thy neighbours must trouble thee This Coveting is call'd Evill concupiscence Col. 3.5 and is an inordinate motion of thy soule soliciting to evill against thy neighbour This is of two sorts originall and actuall Originall referred to neighbours is part of thy flesh which by pronenesse poysoneth thy soule and moveth thee to injustice Actuall are ill motions rising from thence in thy mind by foolish fansies thoughts and judgements and in thy heart by affections wishes and desires inordinately carried after pleasures the lusts of the flesh profits the lusts of the eyes and honour the pride of life This Coveting must not be carried in speciall after things without life as thy neighbours house nor after things with life which are reckoned according to their honour as thy neighbours wife servants oxe or asse nor in generall after any thing that is thy neighbours that so thou mayst know that nothing is to be excepted These home-bred broyles and covetings are the causes of all evils when they are yeelded unto therefore God hath set them at the lower end of this Ladder Vse Be carefull my child to watch with all care and diligence in thy soule about these covetings Have such a quiet resting in God and all that he gives thee be it little or be it much that nothing that is thy neighbours trouble thee If thou doe not thou wilt trouble thy selfe and thou wilt be provoked to hurt and trouble thy neighbour and to rise higher to a more direct sinning against thy God Thus have I given thee fit for thy capacity I hope a short summe of these Ten Lawes of God now look back and let me see what thou hast observed Thou hast told me that God made thee to serve him as he hath commanded in his Lawes Q. Where are these Laws set down A. In Exodus and Deuteronomy Q. How many of them are they A. They are ten in two Tables Q. What doth God require in the first A. My having the true God onely to be my God Q. How canst thou have God A. By cleaving unto God by Covenant Q. How must that be A. By knowledge faith love hope feare confidence patience prayer and vowes Q. What doth he require in the second A. My giving of God his owne worship and service Q. How canst thou doe that A. By abhorring the will-worship of Idolaters and serving him according to his owne will Q. What doth he require in the third A. My worshipping of God in his owne manner Q. How must that be done A. By observing not onely the matter of his worship but the manner that it be done well Q. What doth he require in the fourth A. My worshipping of God by his owne meanes upon that time that is appointed by him Q. What are his means to advance his worship now A. The Ministery of the word of God Q. What is the appointed time A. The seventh part of time as the Sabbath was in the old World so the Lords day in the new Q. What doth he require in the fifth Commandement A. Superiours and Inferiours with their severall duties Q. Whom doe you meane by Superiours A. Those that are in state of excellency above us Q. Whom doe you meane by Inferiours A. Those that are in severall orders under them Q. What is it to honour them A. According to their order above us to have reverence obedience feare and thankfulnesse Q. What doth he require in the sixth Commandement A. The preservation of our owne and our neighbours lives Q. May none be killed A. Yes upon a just cause by a just person in a just order and with a just mind Q. What then is murder A. An unlawfull hurting of the life of any man in thought word and deed or inclination Q. What doth he require in the seventh Commandement A. The preservation of our owne or neighbours chastitie Q. What doe you meane by adultery A. Properly the abusing of anothers bed Q. What doe you meane by it here A. All unchastity in nature preparation or thought word and deed Q. What doth he require in the eighth Commandement A. The preservation of our own and neighbours goods Q. What is meant here by stealing A. A close conveyance away of our owne or our neighbours goods Q. What is comprehended under it A. All hurting of our neighbour in his goods either in nature or thought word or deed Q. What doth God require in the ninth Commandement A. The preservation of our owne or our neighbours truth Q. What doe you meane by false witnesse A. Any testimony by word or deed which is either against truth or against truth and charitie Q. What doth God require in the tenth Commandement A. Such an evennesse of spirit that nothing that is my neighbours trouble me
to keep the Lords day when it comes thou breakest that Commandement Thou seest many worldly men they bury themselves under the earth all the weeke and they have neither life nor leasure to come to the Congregation of Gods people on the Lords day or if they doe they sit like blocks upon benches and have more mind of the world then of the word of their pence then of their prayers So thou seest many a wanton boy and girle who would nothing but play all the weeke and when the Lords day comes they mind nothing else and so are disgraces to the Assemblies where they are These sinne against the Lords day before it comes and so mayst thou and heed it not Thou mayst also break it when it is gone by not answering the end of it The Prophet Esay Esa 2. speaking of these dayes saith That we shall encourage one another to goe up to the house of the Lord that he may teach us his wayes and we walke in his pathes This should be thy end now of keeping the Lords dayes But when God doth not teach thee his wayes and then thou dost not walke in his pathes notwithstanding all the teaching which shines about thee then thou breakest the Lords day when it is gone And thus thou now seest how thou breakest all the Commandements every day And never wonder at it seeing the Law exacts perfect obedience to justification but is weake to give it Rom. 8.3 because of the flesh Indeed the Gospel gives more strength so as by grace thou mayst keep it in desires purposes endevours with all sincerity and willingnesse for thy sanctification though not perfectly for thy justification but I enquire yet of thy naturall state and of that thy answer is given and opened by me Vse Therefore my child seriously think upon it that it may wound thy heart with the spirit of bondage so farre as to bring thee over to Jesus Christ Rom. 8. Most men are like Saul who when he saw Samuel after the destruction of Amalek said 1 Sam. 15. Blessed be thou of the Lord I have kept the commandements of God so they have kept them also they are neither whore nor thiefe they keep their Church and are good neighbours and some men say as Shadrach Dan. 3. Meshech and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar in another case We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter or to keep thy commandement so they care not to enquire into it or know whether they keep or breake them But as thou lovest thy soul let it not be so with thee As I have asked thee carefully so feele conscionably thy answer that thou breakest them that thou mayst lye down in shame and confusion in thy selfe that thou mayst be prepared for Jesus Christ Think that thou wert in Adam when he brake the whole Law of nature Thinke how prone thy nature is to all sinnes even the worst that ever were committed Thinke how thou sinnest daily against the whole body of Justice in many petty sinnes which makes thee groane and cry daily forgive us our trespasses Thinke that though there be but one Market day in seven for provision for thy soule yet thou sinnest against it before it comes and when it is gone as well as when it is and so barrest the blessing of it from thy soule And when thou seriously thinkest of these things between God and thy own soule thinke again what will become of thee if thou die in thy sinnes and come to answer before a just God who cannot endure to behold iniquitie It may be that if God blesse thy conscience may be rowzed to hearken further concerning thy estate and never give over hearkening and enquiring till thou have found a way into Jesus Christ If thou wilt know more tell me 20. Q. What punishment is appointed for them that breake Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction both of body and soule Remember how farre thou hast gone Of Gods curse upon sinners Thou wert made to serve God thou shouldst serve him according to his laws thou breakest all these laws and for this by nature thou doest lye under this curse of God of which thou here speakest Deut. 27.26 Deut. 28. Levit. 26. Moses speaks of this Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them and He shews the particulars of this curse upon body soule and state Gal. 3.10 Paul expounds it more clearly Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them And Christ speaks of the height of it Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels It is most miserable to be in such a case yet thou art in it by nature Eph. 2. as thou art born a child of wrath an heire of hell God curseth when he doth inflict punishment Men curse when they wish ill one to another as poxe plague gallows vengeance and confusion or hurt any way to body or soule These are kinds and formes of speech savouring of the belched-up froth of carnall and devillish hearts But God curseth when he inflicteth punishments Thou wouldst thinke it a great curse to have a father mother master or mistresse who should doe nothing but beat bruise and wound thee day and night In stead of feeding thee beat thee in stead of cloathing thee beat thee in stead of refreshing thee beat thee in stead of giving thee rest and sleep beat thee so is it a farre more miserable estate to lye day and night under Gods flayles of punishments The punishment which God inflicts is eternall destruction of body and soule To be destroyed in body is a fearefull punishment to be destroyed in soule is more fearefull to be destroyed in body and soule is more fearefull yet but to be destroyed in body and soule everlastingly is most fearfull it cannot be expressed it is endlesse easelesse and remedilesse What the destruction of body and soule is This destruction is double the destruction of sin and the destruction of misery By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of sinne when thou art not used to that end which God made thee for God made thee to serve him thou shouldst serve him by keeping the law thou breakest the law and hast this part of the curse the destruction of sinne If I had a piece of timber squared fawed and framed if I use it not to this end but let it lye and rot in the durt it is destroyed If thou hadst good apparell and shouldst not weare it but let it lye in the high way for horse and carriages to go over for swine to rent it is destroyed so it is with thee when the world flesh and devill abuseth thee and thou art not used to Gods end By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of misery when
MILK FOR BABES OR A. MOTHERS CATECHISM for Her CHILDREN Wherein chief saving Principles of Christian Religion through the body of it fit first to inform Children in are 1 Propounded 2 Expounded 3 Applied The sum of which is set down in the following Pages Together with the Questions and Answers which are the grounds of the Catechism Whereunto also annexed THREE SERMONS Preached at Andrews Holborn at a publike Fast and at Covent-Garden upon severall occasions By ROBERT ABBOT Preacher of Gods Word at Southwick in Hantshire PSA 34.11 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. LONDON Printed by John Legate for Philemon Stephens dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the gilded Lyon 1646. I Have perused this Catechism intituled Milk for Babes and these three Sermons on severall Texts And approving them as pious and profitable I license them to be printed and published IOHN DOWNAME The Sum of the following Catechism may be conceived thus IT speaks to a threefold state of ours Our estate 1 Of Creation Of which you may finde two points 1 Our Creatour who is 1 Confessed Q. 1. 2 Distinguished from the Sonne Q. 2. Holy Gh. Q. 3. 3 Described 1 By his unity in Trinity Q. 4. 2 By his Sufficiency Efficiency Q. 5. 2 His end in making us which is 1 Propounded Q. 6. 2 Amplified by the 1 Manner Q. 7. 2 Meanes teaching Q. 8. 1 Commandement 1. Q. 9. 2 Commandement 2. Q. 10. 3 Commandement 3. Q. 11. 4 Commandement 4. Q. 12. 5 Commandement 5. Q. 13. 6 Commandement 6. Q. 14. 7 Commandement 7. Q. 15. 8 Commandement 8. Q. 16. 9 Commandement 9. Q. 17. 10 Commandement 10. Q. 18. 2 Of Corruption of which it sets down our misery 1 By sinne Q. 19. 2 By punishment Q. 20. 3 Of Renovation Of which it teacheth us 1 The means working it Christ Jesus Q. 20. Who is further described by his 1 Natures Q. 22. 2 Work for use Set down two wayes 1 By the greatest manifestation of it at the latter end where two 1 His Passion Q. 13. 2 His possibility to undergo it 2 By the efficacy of it both in respect 1 Of the end Q. 24. 2 Of the persons for whom Q. 25. 2 The means applying it Faith described 1 By the nature of it Q. 26. 2 By the working of it in respect of 1 The beginning of it Q. 27. 2 The growth of it by means 1 Without us which are two 1 The Word of Christ 2 The Sacraments of Christ Q. 28. which are described 1 By their Nature Q. 29. 2 By their Number Q. 30. 3 By their use both of 1 Baptism Q. 31. 2 Supper of the Lord about which 1 What use of it Q. 32. 2 To whom Q. 33. 2 Within us and by us Prayer Q. 34. Which is further described 1 By the nature of it Q. 35. 2 By the matter The Lords Prayer Q. 36. Expounded by the 1 Preface Q. 37. 2 Petition 1. Q. 38. 3 Petition 2. Q. 39. 4 Petition 3. Q. 40. 5 Petition 4. Q. 41. 6 Petition 5. Q. 42. 7 Petition 6. Q. 43. 8 Conclusion Q. 44. A CATECHISM FOR Children thorough the chief points of the Body of Divinity to prepare them for the Lords Supper 1 Question WHo made thee A. God the Father 2 Q. Who redeemed thee A. Jesus Christ 3 Q. Who sanctified thee A. The Holy Ghost 4 Q. How many Gods are there A. There are three persons and to us Christians but one God 5 Q. What is God A. He is that Almighty one who made and governeth all things 6 Q. Wherefore did God make thee A. To do him service 7 Q. How oughtest thou to serve him A. As he hath commanded in his lawes 8 Q. Which are these lawes A. Those tenne words which God wrote in two Tables of stone and are set down in Exodus and Deuteronomy 9 Q. What is the first Commandement A. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me 10 Q. What is the second A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements 11 Q. What is the third Commandement A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vain 12 Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattle nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it 13 Q. What is the fift Commandement A. Honour thy Father and Mother that thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 14 Q. What is the sixt A. Thou shalt not kill 15 Q. What is the seventh A. Thou shalt not commit adultery 16 Q. What is the eight A. Thou shalt not steal 17 Q. What is the ninth A. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour 18 Q. What is the tenth Commandement A. Thou shalt not covet thy neighhours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is thy neighbours 19 Q. Art thou able to keep these commandements A. No let me do what I can yet I break them every day more then I can expresse 20 Q. What punishment is appointed for the breakers of Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction of body and soul 21 Q. How shalt thou escape this curse A. Onely by Jesus Christ our Lord. 22 Q. What is Jesus Christ A. He is the eternall sonne of God made man 23 Q. What hath Christ Jesus done for thee A. He suffered the pains of death for me 24 Q. Seeing Christ was God how could he dye A. He was God and man as he was God he died not but as man he died for my sinnes and rose again for my justification 25 Q. Are all men saved by Christs death A. No onely they are saved who have a true faith 26 Q. What is this true faith A. It is the resting of the soul upon Christ for salvation 27 Q. How must this faith be wrought in thee A. The Holy Ghost must work it in my heart
capacity of a child therfore can promise nothing but poornesse of judgement and plain-nesse of affections Whether it be worthy others view or no it will be acceptable to them that love and desire it and so I humbly present it to you Madam Though you have no childrē of your own but they that are above these instructions yet have you many grand-children whom like Olive-branches you rejoyce to see about your table These it may be may be under them and by the use of this book grace may by little little drop like dew upon them Be but as you are like Timothy his mother and grand-mother who trained him from a childe in the Scriptures to train them up in undoubted principles as oftē as they come about you and they will in after time thank God that they had such a grand-mother I pray to our good God that this little Book may but help you a little and it hath done all the work I can expect from you Be pleased but to take notice of of the honourable work of Catechising and of the fruit of it Catechising is very high-born Before the floud Adam catechized Abel ◠eb 11.4 For it is said that Abel offered hyfaith and faith embraceth a word therefore when there was none writtē it must be by Adams catechising Abel as he had learned of God After the floud Gen. 14.14 Gen. 17.1 Abraham had his catechised servants Gen. 18.18 we finde his Catechism to be the sum of the law and the sum of the Gospel which had such sweet fruit upon his family Gen. 24.63 that his son went out to pray and was willing to submit to be sacrificed Gen 22. and his servant prayed when he was about his work Gen. 24.12 26.33 Gen. 14. gives thanks when he found successe and wil not eat before he hath done his Masters busines yea all his servants at his word were ready to hazard their lives in Lots rescue In the time of the Law God commanded to whet the Word upon their children by catechising Deut. 6.7 in which they were so punctual that under persecuting Antiochus and after to Christ the Rabbies report in Ierusalem not fewer then 400. houses for catechising This made the Iews know the Scriptures as perfectly as their own names wheras most amongst us know scarcely the names of the Scriptures Luk. 1.4 Act. 18. In the time of the Gospel as Theophilus and Apollos were catechised Gal. 6.6 so God appointeth a great reward for Catechizers even to be made partakers of all our goods Now for the fruit of Catechising certainly it brings a more distinct knowledge of the grounds of religion a good entrance to eat the stronger meat of the Scriptures to learn us to make an Hedge of Divinity to enclose all our readings hearings from the word within their proper bounds for the setling of our judgments and raising up our affections insuperably This was seen well enough of old Therefore an Ancient hath observed that by vertue of Catechising there was never a King in the world but suffered alteration in his Heathenish Religion within forty years after Christ and the greatest enemy that ever the Christian Religion had Iulian the Persecuter left off inventing of torments and put down Schools of Learning and Catechisings the onely ways to build up Christianitie By how much more honourable it is and by how much excellent use it hath had by so much the more Madam love respect and countenance it in all yours I confesse that this work will help but a little very little but better a little then nothing at this excellent work We finde in these distracted times the foundation mightily deserted and some of them shaken but super-structives yea antistructives to be pegged up to the highest strains In which respect it may be said of us as of the old Philosophers and newer Schoolmen that the noyse of their disputations so filled the ears of God that he could not hear their prayers and even so I fear may it be said of us It behoves us therfore to elevate the sure grounds to call home to absolute necessaries lest in finding barks we lose trees and maintaining twigs we lose the sap and comfort of the root As I began with an Apology so I had need end with one for my length but that I am very well assured of your religious love and patience to him who is Madam Yours in the service of the Gospel ROBERT ABBOT To his much honoured Friends MARY Lady Bakere of Sussinghurst and UNTON Lady Dering of Surrendon-Dering in Kent Comfort after Crosses WOrthy Ladies though I have dedicated my ensuing tract as I am bound to my Noble Patronesse yet can I not but write a word or two to you both After dedications custome hath prevailed to draw out an Epistle to the Readers and because I know not who will read my Book or if I did I had little to say to them but wish them and theirs as much good as I intend by it Therefore because I am sure that if it fall into either of your hands you will reade and reade and make use of it for the benefit of your good children I cannot but expresse my intentions fully to you both God hath set you in high places above many others and though the Waves have gone over you and it may be causelesly have entered into your souls by losses crosses and vexations in great proximity to you both though to one more then to the other yet as when the Mountains appeared upon the slacking of the floud the Ark rested upon the top of them and Noah could easily espie them when other hillocks trees and shrubs lay covered with waters so when the waters of your miseries lessen and by the favour of God and man are dried up you stand aloft and the Church can look earnestly at you when others yet lye under a cloud of sinne and sorrow I humbly beseech you therefore that seeing men and women are like Jaacobs sheep which conceived by the eye all gazers may see you so to steer your courses that they may behold in you both examples of fortitude to out-face the daring world of wisdom to bridle tongues affections in evill times and of confidence to live above the highest waves in the rock of your salvation God seems to smile upon us a little with the sweet beams of peace thorough a thick cloud and it is to be hoped that God hath other graces in you to be acted in such a time for your edification walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the holy Ghost as the Churches of Judea did whē they had rest round about But whether he storm you still with the fear of war and bloud-shed or wrap you up in the sweet swadling bands of peace you are aloft even both of you above your neighbors to be made a spectacle to the world angels and men Therefore
Psal 139.12 13. and hidden lusts A man that made a work can easily espie the least fault that another makes in it so God can see all the disorders that Satan and thy wicked heart hath wrought in thee and this must make thee walke in feare of offending such a God and with a resolution to doe all things to the honour of him that made thee Every man that makes a thing doth desire to have the comfort and credit of it much more doth God who made man for himselfe Prov. 16.4 as well as all things else Vse Therefore Whether thou eate or drink 1 Cor. 10.31 or what ever thou doe doe all to the glory of thy God Doe to his glory in thought word and deed do to his glory in disposing thy selfe in all the occurrences of this life Thou mayst make other comfortable reflexions upon thy soule from this point if thou weigh the Texts in the margine Psal 149.2 Psal 119.73 Psal 100.1 2 3. Job 30.13.15 but I leave them to thy own meditations as God shall quicken thy heart with a love to the good word of God Tell me next 2. Q. Who Redeemed thee A. Jesus Christ Mark my good child Christ Redeemed us 1 Tim. 2.6 It is Christ that gave himselfe a ransome for us even the ransome of his blood by which he hath redeemed us out of all the world Apoc. 5.9 To redeeme is to buy thee again when thou wert lost in thy enemies hands Thou wert lost by the sinne of Adam As thou seest when a Carp is taken by a Fishers hooke or net and dieth thousands of spawnes in his belly are caught and die with him so was it with thee and all mankind We were all in that one man in his first transgression Therefore Blessed Paul saith Rom. 5.12 14. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne and passed upon all men even over those that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression for that all have sinned When thou wast in this cursed condition with all mankind Christ came and bought thee again Joh. 10.11 by laying down his life for thee Vse Remember this and make such use of it as Paul would have the Corinthians Ye are not your own 1 Cor. 6.19 20. for ye are bought with a prize therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits which are Gods If you buy any thing you expect the comfort of it whether it be for the health of your body or of your soule Thinke but the same of Christ and you will be willing to live to him that died for you 2 Cor. 5.15 and rose again Tell me next 3. Q. Who sanctified thee A. The holy Ghost Mark here The holy Ghost doth sanctifie us If I should aske thee What it is to be sanctified it is to be made holy But when I aske thee who sanctified thee it is to make thee holy and this is the worke of the holy Ghost Therefore Paul telles the Corinthians when they were changed in their state That they were sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 Now the holy Ghost doth sanctifie thee by taking away of sinne and giving of grace As if thou wert to give entertainment to a great and good friend thou wouldst first sweep out the dust and brush down the cobwebs and then lay out thy carpets cushions and other ornaments so the holy Ghost takes the besome of destruction the hammer Jer. 23.29 and fire of the word and sweeps out thy raigning sinnes by Repentance and the spirit of Judgement Esa 4.4 Gal. 5.22 23. Eph. 3.17 1 Cor. 3.16 and then brings in the graces of the Spirit to make thee an holy Temple for Christ to dwell in by faith All this the holy Ghost works by the Word Sacraments and Prayer By the Word for Christ prayeth Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth By the Sacraments for Paul saith Eph. 5.26 That he sanctifies and cleanseth his Church with the washing of water by the word and that We being many are one bread and one body 1 Cor. 10.17 for we are all made partakers of one bread Implying that in the Lords Supper we are sealed up into the body of Christ and we cannot be properly without holinesse By Prayer for Christ saith that if we aske the Father he will give us his spirit Vse Therefore my deare child ply the holy Ghost in this way wherein thou art sanctified and shalt encrease it more and more 2 Cor. 7.1 till thou grow to or perfect thy holinesse in the feare of the Lord. If there were but one Mart or Market where all necessary commodities were to be had thou wouldst ply that upon all urgent occasions so must thou deale with the Word Sacraments and Prayer if thou wouldst have the holy Ghost shine upon thee in the beautie of holinesse Tell me next because thou namest the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost even these three 4. Q. How many Gods are there A. There are three persons and to us Christians but one God Goe to Jordan and thou shalt see the heavens opened There are three persons Matth. 3.16 17. whence the Father sent a voice from heaven the Sonne baptized and the Holy Ghost descending like a Dove to make up three persons Reflect upon thy own Baptisme and thou shalt behold thy admittance into the Church in the name of the Father Matth. 28.19 and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost to make up three persons again Consider our witnesses and thou shalt finde that we have three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word 1 Joh. 5.7 and the Holy Ghost and that these three are one For though there are three names or persons in the Godhead Yet is there but one God 1 Cor. 8.5 6. and though there be many that are called Gods and Lords yet to us Christians there is but one God This heavenly mystery may be shadowed unto thee a little in a fiered coale There is the substance of the coale the light of the coale and the heat of the coale and yet but one fiered coale So soone as ever the coale is fiered there are these three the substance of the coale the light and heat of it So in the same Divine Essence though in a more transcendent way is there the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost Yea it may be shadowed in thy selfe So soone as ever thou art borne into this world thou art a creature to God a childe to thy Parents and a subject to thy King and yet art thou but one So so soone as ever as God is that is from all eternitie he is Father Sonne and holy Ghost and yet but one God Vse This will help thee mightily in cleaving to the Scriptures and in all thy devout prayers to God Art thou tempted to question the truth of
the Scriptures doe not yeeld 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.19 For all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and so is a sure word to which thou must take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place because it hath this threefold testimony in one God which cannot faile thee Doth the Scripture give any precept make any promise denounce any threatning Rest upon it that thou must obey it Imbrace it and tremble under it as Gods truth confirmed by three witnesses which shal stand when all other witnesses shall fail Wouldst thou powre out thy devoutest prayers to God Thinke upon this one God three Persons as a fountaine to supply all thy defects Hast thou any brack or defect in the nature of thy body and soule Pray to God the Father as thy faithfull Creator that for the merits of Christ and by the working of the holy Ghost he would perfect thy parts to doe him service Hast thou sinned against thy good Maker Pray to God the Sonne as thy faithfull Redeemer that from the love of the Father for his merits and by the operation of the holy Ghost he would procure a pardon sealed to thy conscience Hast thou for want of beleeving in his name sinned against thy good Saviour Pray to God the Holy Ghost as thy faithfull Sanctifier that from the love of the Father for the holy bloud-shed of the Sonne and by his blessing worke of preparation and Insition he would apply thee to Christ and make thee one with him that thou mayst have all the benefits of his Passion Now my child remember what I have said Q. Who made thee A. God Q. What is it to make thee A. To give mee that being which I have Q. Who Redeemed thee A. Jesus Christ Q. What is it to Redeeme thee A. To buy me again when I was lost Q. How camest thou to be lost A. By the sinne of Adam Q. How did Christ buy thee again A. By laying down his life for me Q. Who sanctified thee A. The holy Ghost Q. What is it to sanctifie thee A. To make me holy Q. How doth he make me holy A. By taking away sinne and giving me grace Q. By what means doth he this A. By the Word Sacraments and Prayer Q. How many Gods are there A. Three persons for all my necessities and but one God to serve alone Thinke of these points seriously and the Lord give thee understanding in all things It may be thou canst not so clearely conceive some of these high mysteries as of three in one in a more excellent way then can be expressed or of Essence which is one Nature in three or of Persons which are the severall manners of being in the selfe same God as in respect of Creation God is the Father in respect of Redemption God is the Sonne in respect of Sanctification God is the Holy Ghost These things I say are above reasonable capacitie But it is otherwise with thee in the understanding of other things and of these mysteries In other things thou must first know and then beleeve but in these things thou must first beleeve and then know as Peter said We beleeve and are sure Joh. 6.69 that thou art that Christ the Sonne of the living God And if thou adde but this Joh. 7.17 To will to doe thy God's will thou shalt know of the doctrine whether it be of God and so rest with confidence upon these most divine mysteries to comfort thy soule Now let us goe on Tell me 5. Q. What is God A. He is that Almightie one who made and governeth all things Know my child that we cannot know God as he is in himselfe Thou canst not know God as he is for he dwels in a light that no man can attain unto And therefore we may say as that Heathen did of old when he was asked what God was By how much more I thinke by so much lesse I understand what that is which we call God Yet may we know Gods back-parts that is those works Exod. 34. and names by which he is made known unto us in the Scriptures For thus he hath manifested himselfe unto us for this end Object Obiect It may be thou mayst thinke that if God cannot be known it is unlawfull for me to enquire of thee what he is Sol. Sol. This is true if it were impossible for us to know God any wayes But Yet thou must labour to know him as he will because we may and must know him as he hath manifested himselfe unto us therefore surely it is not unlawfull to search into him so farre For otherwise it might be said of us as Christ of the Samaritanes Joh. 4. They worship they know not what Yea without this we cannot according to our measure ascribe unto him such excellencies as his nature doth deserve for we cannot say that is gold which we cannot affirme to be gold or brasse Yea without this we cannot love and desire God We cannot desire and love what we know not The love of God must not be a groundlesse love which is more in the lover then in the thing loved but a well grounded love which must proceed from the knowledge of the amiablenesse of the thing loved Of this alone we can give a true reason from the worth of God or any person or thing else which we love Vse Therefore good child know the wickednesse of all our and thy natures which care least to know God Doe but mark and you shall see your selfe ready to know every thing and yet thou takest no notice of God though thou art continually in his presence Yet I hope better things of thee and that which doth accompany thy salvation If the Heathens groped after him and rather then they would not find him Acts 17. erected an altar to the unknown God much more wilt thou who art crowned with more blessed favours of light and love But why should I presse thee to enquire after God when thou tellest me plainly what God is You tell me that God is that Almightie one that doth make and governe all things Though thou knowest him not as he is in himselfe yet thou describest him as he hath manifested himselfe to the Church If I should aske thee what the Apostle Paul was You would answer that he was an able and extraordinary Minister of the New Testament Herein you did not tell me what he is or was in himself for so he was a living creature endued with a reasonable soule but you tell me what Paul was as God did imploy him in and for the Church so in this description thou tellest me what God is with reference to the whole world Thus thou tellest me two things of God 1. His sufficiency He is that Almightie one 2. His Efficiency or how he hath manifested it in part two waies 1. By making all things 2. By governing all things First God is the Almightie thou
the husband hath his wife Prov. 2. and the wife hath her husband by vertue of the Covenant of God by which they are made one flesh So mayst thou have God by Covenant when thou cleavest unto him by knowledge faith feare love confidence worship and the like Use Be thou sure my good child to have the true God onely to be thy God thus When thou knowest not God and doest not beleeve love and feare him nor put thy trust and confidence in him that thou mayst enjoy him and use him as thine thou hast him not no nor thou doest not give him these graces alone Thou hast there articles of the Covenant for him alone and for other things and persons under him and for his honour onely 10. Q. What is the second Commandement A. Exod. 20.4 5 6. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image nor any likenesse of things that are in heaven above nor in the earth beneath nor in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bowe down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquitie of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandements Here God requires the worshipping of God with his own outward worship What God requires in the second commandement God sees the vaine wickednesses of Idolaters Because they are carnall they must have carnall helps of their own inventions Hence is it because they have not bodily communion with their gods they ordinarily see them not heare them not feele them not therefore they set up their Images likenesses and similitudes they doe honour and worship to them in the place of their gods they adorn them they cense to them they kneele bowe courtesie and pray to them they think that there is a religious and divine power and presence in them to be a chariot of their devotions and to convey the Influences of their hearts and words to their patrons their great gods But God will not be worshipped in this carnall way Deut. 4.15 16 17 18. He manifested no similitude on the day that the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire lest we should corrupt our selves and make a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likenesse of male or female God is a consuming fire Deut. 4.24 and a Jealous God and will have none of his worship conveyed to any devises of man or by them to him but he will have his own worship by an acknowledgement of such divine excellencies as are in him in the way and by the means that he hath appointed that is by the Word Sacraments and Prayer Vse Therefore my child look upon all Idolaters so as to hate their abominable course Doe not thinke to please God by devices of thine owne or others Imagine not that Images or Idols either graven or carved or painted can carry thy worship to those Gods or divine things or Persons whom they represent Bestow not thy divine respects upon any thing or person but God alone Frame not any will-worship thy selfe for the true and good God But as thou learnest out of the word the worship to give him all manner of prayers and prayses to heare his word to receive his Sacraments and to offer up any spirituall sacrifices so doe that thou provoke not God to jealousie and so to hate thee and to plague thine before thy face to thy confounding discomfort 11. Q. What is the third Commandement A. Exod. 20.7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Here God requires the worshipping of him in his owne manner What God requires in the third Commandement so as it may not be in vaine If it be not done as he would have it as good never a whit as not done as he would have it The name of God is God himselfe any wayes made knowne unto thee Thou art knowne by thy name and God hath a name whereby he is or may be made known to all mankind to wit his works his word his titles his attributes his religion his worship this is his name To take it signifies to take it up or to challenge it from contempt and blasphemy so as God may not be dishonoured by thine or others use of it To take it in vaine is to use it to no end to a fruitlesse end or to a wicked end as when thou usest the names titles and attributes of God to tosse them like Tennice balls to no use but as fruitlesse imbellishments of thy speech when thou usest them in asseverations and oathes to belch out the passions and bitternesse of thy heart to or against others and when thou usest them in word or actions to vent the malice or hypocrisie in thy heart Vse Take heed of doing thus my child Thou art a Christian and wouldest be accounted godly and so thou takest up Gods name Do it so as God and his people may not be ashamed to acknowledge thee for such Thou sometimes takest up the name of God in thy mouth doe it with all reverence When thou swearest doe it when thou art justly called unto it Joh. 7. Heb. 6. Jer. 4.2 to cleare the innocency or to end strife among men in truth in righteousnesse and in judgement When thou prayest hearest vowest or receivest the Sacraments doe them as sincerely desiring to draw thy self into communion with God in Christ If thou doe not though men are found to be carefull for preserving of their owne names more then Gods yet God tenderly respects his owne name and will account thee guilty and bind thee over to be plagued in this world and for ever 12. Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy work But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Here God requires the worshipping of God by his owne meanes upon that time which is appointed It is said What God requires in the fourth Commandement That the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it which thou must not conceive to be an idle repetition of words of the same value in so short a summe and therefore compare other Scriptures and the sense will be cleare and distinct unto Esau cries out to Jacob Gen. 27. Blesse me even me also my father and then Jacob gave him a
propheticall blessing the fatnesse of the earth and the dew of heaven Judg. 1. Achsah Caleb's daughter ask'd him a blessing and what did she mean Springs above and springs below that is a convenient situation for dwelling So when God blesseth he gives a blessing to things or persons Thus the Lord blessed that is gave a blessing to the Sabbath day Before the giving of the Law the blessing of Patriarchs who were Priests Prophets and Kings of their Families to regulate under and from God the private and publique worship After the Law the blessing of Levites Priests and Prophets So in these times of grace he gives the blessing of Apostles Evangelists Ephes 4. and Prophets by their writings and Pastors and Doctors by their teachings from the word to be as blessings to the Lords day Now because we are so worldly and wicked that we would not make use of this blessing of the means of worship by the Ministery of the Word if we were left unto our selves therefore God hath hallowed the seventh part of time and set it apart to holy uses and enjoyned us to apply it to such uses that we making use of this blessing may learn to know God and serve him with his owne worship and in his owne manner Marke then that the meanes for the advancement of the worship of God is the blessing of the Ministery of the word of God which is set apart for interpretation and instruction of us in Gods will by the Scriptures The time that God hath set apart for this end is the seventh part of time at the least For if he required of a Jew thus much whose mercies were not so great much more of us Christians whose mercies are greater Vse Therefore my good child think this Commandement to be as Joseph to provide for all the rest and when thou seest that all men are not Prophets 1 Cor. 1.10 nor all Teachers but God hath gifted out of all now some to be apt to teach by taking more speciall heed to themselves to the word of God to reading and to doctrine 1 Tim. 4.23 and when thou considerest that God challengeth the seventh part of time that thou mayst make use of the gifts of these men gifted for thy edification and lastly when thou weighest that that seventh part of time which was allotted to the Jews as a type of Christs resting in the grave is now vanished and another seventh part of time consecrated by the acts of Christ and his Apostles and the practise of the Church in all Ages which is particularly called the Lords day the like grounds for observing any other seventh part being impossible for us now to have therefore with all care and conscience doe thou remember the time and apply it unto holy uses both in preparation and practise that by the publique Ministery of the Word and private meditation of it and conference about it and prayer to make it profitable to thee thou maist make it a market day to thy soule to provide for the knowledge and service of thy God according to his good will both for matter and manner Thus have I shewed the summe of the foure first Commandements The sum of the first Table as thou art able to receive it now and that thou conceive them clearly I le thus represent it unto thee Thou art born into this world and when thou comest to yeers of discretion then bethinkest thy selfe how thou mayst live in after time First therefore thou puttest thy selfe to a Master to bring thee up in some good Imployment When thou hast a Master thou knowest that thou must doe his work If thou doe his work thou knowest thou must doe it in his manner He had rather thou should'st let it alone then not doe it according to his mind and in case he be not bodily present but hath left his Stewards to give directions at set time how he would have all his businesse dispatched according to his will thou must wait upon them in their seasons that thou mayst be punctuall and exact in all his affaires Just thus must it be with thee in this businesse for thy souls good Thou desirest to know how it may be well with thee in after-time Therefore first thou must choose God to be thy onely Lord and Master there is the first Commandement Next thou must doe his worke and worship not according to the fancies of Idolaters but according to his will there is the second Commandment Next thou must doe it in his manner so as it be not in vaine Esa 1. for otherwise he will say Who required this at thy hand there is the third Commandement And lastly because he is not visibly present but hath left his Stewards and Ambassadours to direct thee in his will at times by him appointed therefore must thou especially at those times hang upon their lips to be satisfied in thy Masters will that thou mayst serve him with his own service and in his own manner Now proceed and tell me 13. Q. What is the fifth Commandement A. Exod. 20.12 Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Here God establisheth Superiours What God requires in the fifth Commandement and Ineferiours and their severall duties When he hath ordered every thing concerning himselfe and his worship then thy good God comes to order the world And because it can never be put in order by a parity and equality he doth establish first the throne of excellency He would not have Haile fellow well met in the world but he would have some high some low some rich some poore some Governours some governed and some Superiours some inferiours for the better marshalling and ordering the world There shall be fathers and mothers this he speaketh to superiours Ye shall honour your fathers and mothers this he speakes to inferiours Fathers and Mothers are all those that are in state of excellency above thee If they be more excellent in Age as old men and women who beare an Image of Gods eternitie or more excellent in Grace who are fuller of Gods Spirit and beare an Image of Gods goodnesse Or more excellent in Nature who have priority in time of us and are instruments of our derivation into the world and so beare an Image of Gods Paternity Or more excellent in Place who have power and government over us and so beare an Image of Gods Soveraignty all these are thy Fathers and Mothers These are commanded to be Fathers and Mothers that is so to carry themselves in nature in grace in age and in place that they doe not lay their honours in the dust and make their inferiours to despise them By honouring of father and mother thou must understand those respects which are due to severall excellencies To naturall excellency Reverence obedience and all thankfulnesse under God To gracious excellency acknowledgement and submission To
Thus thou hast heard what God is that he made thee to serve him that thou must serve him according to his Lawes and what these lawes are Now tell me 19. Q. Art thou able to keepe these Commandements A. No let me doe what I can yet I break them every day more then I can expresse Here thou makest a strange accusation against thy selfe Indeed Christ saith that out of the heart come evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesses Mat. 15.19 blasphemies They are not sent into the heart but sent out of it and such an heart surely breaks the Commandements And Paul saith when he spake experimentally of his naturall heart I know that in me that is Rom. 7.18 19. in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I know not for the good that I would I doe not but the evill which I would not that doe I and certainly he that stands in this state cannot keepe the Commandements Yet marke that thou puttest in an heavy indictment against thy selfe I say marke this and marke it seriously Hast thou a strange God to be thy God Doest thou follow Idolatrous worship Doest thou dishonour the name of God in thought word action Doest thou neglect the Ministery of the word and profane the Lords day Doest thou rebell against Gods Ordinances for the orderly government of the world Art thou a murderer an whore or whore-master and a thiefe Art thou a lyer slanderer or backbiter Hast thou a wicked lustfull heart which boyles with discontents because it is better with thy neighbor then with thy selfe If another body should charge thee with all these things thou wouldst defie him and be ready to spit in his face yet thou sai'st openly that thou doest breake the Commandements every day I confesse it to be a truth How we do break all the Commandements every day yet must thou understand it according to the word of God or else shame and confusion will lye upon thee more then upon other men women and children know then that thou breakest all the Commandements every day three wayes First in Adam we were all in Adam when he sinned Rom. 5. and in his fall sinne went over all mankind and so over thee as well as any body else If a Carp eat of a baite and be taken and killed not onely she dies but thousands of spaunes that are in her belly so when Adam sinned in eating the forbidden fruit and died to God we that were in his loynes eate it and died in him He sinned against a Sacrament By eating the forbidden fruit he made himselfe unfit and unworthy to eat of the Tree of life In sinning against this Sacrament he sinned against the whole Covenant of Nature For thou know'st that he that tears off the labels and seales of a Bond sinneth against the vertue of the Bond and makes it of none effect so Adam sinning against that Sacrament the seale of the Covenant he made it uselesse He was neither bound to God now by vertue of that Covenant because he had made himself unable nor God to him because he had made himsefe unworthy We therefore being in Adam and sinning in Adam doe break all the Commandements in him as we are in the first Adam Secondly we breake all the Commandements in the pronenesse of our nature to breake them A Fox is chained up in the yard If he doe not kill all the Poultry about the house no thanks to him but to his wary Master who hath tied him up So no thanks to thee if thou doe not break all the Commandements but to God who hath an hook in thy nosthrils and restraines thee by his providence before he renues thee by his Spirit for thy nature is prone unto it God looks upon the pronenesse of nature and according to that doth passe censure upon men women and children Heb. 11. Abraham is said to offer up his sonne Isaac by faith though he did it not because from that principle of grace within him his nature was now prone to doe it and would have done it Gen. 22. if God had not held his hands Christ saith That he that looks upon a woman lustfully hath already committed adultery with her in his heart Matt. 5. yet the woman is very chaste and untouched because Christ looks to the pronenesse of the heart So though thou have not broken any of the Commandements but art as unrebukable concerning the letter of the Law Phil. 3. as Paul was yet so long as God sees the pronenesse of thy nature that thou hast a principle of wickednesse in thee which makes thee as ready to break the Commandements as Cain Achitophel Peter yea Judas he will adjudge thee a breaker of all the Commandements Thirdly in breaking one of the Commandements Jam. 2.10 we doe breake them all Holy James saith Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all and surely thou breakest some one of them every day or else thou couldst not be a sinner 1 Joh. 1. and he that saith he hath no sinne is a lyer The whole Law is one body of righteousnesse Now thou know'st that if I sinne against the least member of thy body I sin against the whole Let me cut off the least joynt of thy little finger or of thy little toe I offend thy whole body Thy eye weeps thy mouth complains thy whole body shrinks because touching is shot through thy whole body So if thou breakest the least part of Gods Commandements all will feele and call for wrath upon thee because thou sinnest against the whole body of righteousnesse There is such a linking of all the Commandements together as is betwixt ten sworn friends abuse one and all will fall upon thee Therefore Paul saith Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3. Thou must have the Law thou must know it thou must doe it thou must doe all things in it thou must continue in doing it thou must continue in doing all things that are in it or else thou art accursed Yet one thing may seeme strange unto thee that thou confessest thy selfe a breaker of all the Commandements every day when one Commandement concerns the Sabbath of old the Lords day now which comes but once a week how then canst thou break this every day I tell thee sadly that thou mayst break it before it comes and when it is gone Before it comes by doing that upon the weeke day which makes thee unfit to keep it when it comes If I command a servant to doe some businesse for me afarre off put case he doe make himselfe drunke by the way and so be unfit to doe my businesse he sins against my command So if thou doe that upon the weeke day which makes thee unfit
Christian He had so digested Christ into his soul by faith that he could speak nothing but Christian So let it be with thee This can faith do and it is wonderfull in our eyes Tell me next 28. Q. How is this faith confirmed and made stronger in thee A. By hearing the same Gospel preached and using the sacraments Here thou knowest the means which confirm thy faith and truly there is not a readier way to do it under God The Thessalonians heard the Gospel preached unto them 1 Thes 3.20 2 Thes 1.3 Prov. 4.18 and though at first there was something lacking in their faith yet as they heard the Gospel their faith grew exceedingly as just men their path was as the shining light which shined more and more unto the perfect day And for the sacraments it cannot seem strange that they should confirm thy faith For if I make a promise unto thee that I will give thee ten twenty thirty forty pounds if thou think me to be in earnest and to be able and willing to give it unto thee the oftener I promise it the more thou wilt beleeve it but if I set my hand and seal to it then thou art sure of it and maist sue me for it Such is the case betwixt God and thy soul He promises to give thee salvation by Jesus Christ if thou beleevest The oftener thi promise repeated the more thou beleevest But when God hath set it under his hand and seal in the word of God and sacraments now thou hast cause to beleeve it more and maist humbly sue him for it at the throne of Grace Vse Therefore my childe remember this Thou wilt presse after assurances and confirmations in every thing for thy body and estate why not for thy soul Thou would'st be sure of houses lands portion and health do what thou canst to be sure of salvation by Christ And because this is the way to hear the Gospel often that the word of grace may dwell richly in thee Col. 3. and to receive the sacraments as thou lovest the comfort of thy soul neglect them not Hear in season and hear out of season and as oft as thou canst ply the seals of Gods love that thy faith may be encreased If thou still doubtest whether yet thou shalt be saved or no God loves the importunity of his children Go to the throne of Grace and implead God Blessed God hast not thou promised that if I beleeve in Christ I shall be saved Hast not thou sent thy Ambassadours to tender this promise again Hast thou not set thy hand and seal to it in the word and sacraments Hast thou not made my heart go out of it self to rest upon thy blessed sonne onely Oh why do I languish in doubting despairs Why do I begin to sink for want of hold on my Saviour How long Lord how long Let the light of thy countenance shine upon me and I shall have peace Thus I have cleared to thee the means to beget and encrease faith and because the Sacraments are one therefore tell me 29. Q. What are Sacraments A. They are signes and seals of the righteousnesse of faith Here thou layest down the nature of Sacraments The nature of the sacraments By the righteousnesse of faith thou must understand that righteousnesse which thou hast by the Covenant of the Gospel that is the meritorious obedience of Christ for thee as thy surety rested upon by faith And the Sacraments Rom. 4.11 are signes and seals of this righteousnesse of faith They are signes because they signifie something unto thee Thou knowest that a picture or similitude upon a poste at an Inn or Ale-house house dore is called a signe because it signifies that thou maist have meat drink and lodging there for thy mony so is the Sacrament called a signe because it signifies something unto thee When thou seest the bread and wine set apart on the Lords table for this speciall service it signifies that God the father hath set apart and sealed Jesus Christ for thy salvation Joh. 6. The bread signifies the body of Christ The wine signifies the bloud of Christ The breaking of the bread signifies the suffering of Christ upon the crosse The powring out of the wine signifies the shedding of Christs bloud upon the crosse The Minister presenting these unto thee signifies God the Father whose Ambassadour he is offering unto thee his sonne for thy salvation and thy receiving of it into thy hand and mouth signifies thy faith by which thou makest Christ and his merit thy own Thus by these signes thou discernest the Lords body and bloud 1 Cor. 11. without which thou catest judgement to thy self which is damnable without repentance will in the issue prove thy damnation So in the other Sacrament of Baptisme water signifies the bloud merit and spirit of Christ laying on of the water as well as dipping and plunging signifies thy death and buriall with Christ Rom. 6. washing and cleansing signifies forgivenesse of sinnes and wiping off the water as well as rising out of it signifies our rising with Christ to a new holy and cleansed estate Sacraments are also seals As Abraham was said to have received the signe of Circumsion Rom. 4.11 as the seal of the righteousnesse of faith so doest thou receive our Sacraments Now thou knowest the use of seals among men When men make a bargain and set their hands and seals unto it then the bargain is concluded When men make a promise and set their hands and seals unto it then their promise is confirmed we have just cause to beleeve it When men convey houses and lands either to other and set their hands and seals to an instrument drawn to that end then those houses and land upon delivery are conveyed and therefore it is called a conveyance For such like reasons the Sacraments are called seals because they do conclude confirm and convey In the Sacrament there is a Covenant or bargain betwixt God Heb. 8.6 and thee Christ is called the Mediatour of a better Covenant Heb. 8.10 By this Covenant God promiseth that he will be to us a God even our God and we shall be to him a people Jer. 31.33 even his people By vertue of this he gives the forgivenesse of sinnes Jer. 32.40 Heb. 8.10 11 12. illumination sanctification experimentall knowledge and perseverance in the wayes of grace This blessing and blessed covenant is concluded in the Sacraments In Baptisme thou publikely enterest into this covenant Rom. 4.17 and that God who calleth things that are not as if they were is pleased to call thee a beleever not so much by vertue of thy parents faith as by vertue of his covenant to Abraham and his seed according to the flesh Act. 2.36 and according to the spirit which makes parents and their children one and in one covenant In the Lords Supper thou publikely renewest thy covenant Conscience tels thee
I beleeve in Christ I shall be saved Q. What is conveyed in the Sacrament A. Christ with all his benefits Q. How can the Sacrament convey CHRIST unto thee A. Sacramentally Q. How is that A. As a sign and seal Thus have I by Gods blessing brought thee from thy creation to thy fall from thy fall to thy curse from thy curse to thy deliverance by Christ from thy deliverance to the settlement of it upon thee by faith and from thence to the means working encreasing and confirming Now proceed and tell me 30. Q. How many Sacraments there are A. Two onely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Here thou tellest me the number The number of the Sacraments and what they are in particular 1 Cor. 10.2 2 3 4. and names of the Sacraments The number there are but two For thou findest but two ordained by Christ and where Paul speaks of purpose of them he names onely two under those that went before them yea two are aboundantly sufficient for their end one to signe and seal our engrafting into Christ that is Baptisme and another to signe and seal our growing in Christ that is the Supper of the Lord yea lastly the true nature and use of a Sacrament agrees onely to these two for onely these two are signes and seales of a thing signified and sealed having a word of commandement and a word of promise to all beleevers Act. 10. Matth. 28. Rom. 6. Their names are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Baptisme is a washing with water consecrated by the word and prayer by a Minister in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to signifie and seal our grafting into Christ The Lords Supper is bread Matth. 26.26 Luk. 22.19 20. 1 Cor. 11. and wine consecrated and broken by a Minister given received eaten and drunk by the Church to signifie and seal our growing in Christ Thus maist thou conceive these two Vse Therefore my childe see the wonderfull love of God to thee who would not onely have the fellowship of Christ bestowed upon thee but will signifie and seal it unto thee also Doest thou doubt of thy union with Christ Thou hast it by covenant in Gods promise thou hast it by application in the exercise of thy faith about saving Christ and thou hast it sacramentally by signe and seal in Baptisme Doest thou doubt that God wil not provide for thee a feast of fat things Esa 27. Luk. 15. and fined wines even that fattest Calf to nourish and feed thee to eternall life because thou hast been a wicked prodigal sinning against the covenant of Baptisme Do but thou condemn and alter thy course and renew thy covenant and then thou hast Gods promise for it in the covenant the settlement of it upon thee by faith and thy assurance of it in the Lords Supper To make it more plain tell me 31. Q. What benefit hast thou by baptisme A. A new estate in Christ and so the forgivenesse of my sins if I repenting do beleeve according to the Covenant in baptisme This is an excellent benefit indeed The benefit of Baptism if thou rightly understand it and do make use of it accordingly Thou hast a new estate in Christ Gal. 2â— 7. Rom. 6.3 4 5. for in baptisme thou doest put on Christ and art planted into his death and resurrection Thou hast the forgivenesse of thy sins for Peter saith be baptized for the remission of sinnes Act. 2.38 Act. 22.16 and Ananias said to Paul arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes yet know that thy baptisme doth not this as the bloud of Christ by way of expiation and attonement not as the Holy Ghost by an infinite power How in baptisme is the forgiveness of sins but onely as a Sacrament and that three wayes First by signification for as the water doth wash thy body Heb. 10.22 so Christ's bloud being sprinkled upon thy conscience by faith doth wash thee from thy sins Secondly by the receit of Beleevers As if a Prince made a Proclamation that he that can bring in the head of a traytour shall have a thousand pounds so soon as he hath this head he sees his thousand pound and is confident upon the word of the Prince so a beleever when he heares this proclamation of God Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ Act. 2.38 for the forgivenesse of sinnes when he sees and feels his repentance and hath notice of his baptisme he is confident for the forgiveness of his sins upon the word of God Thirdly by the Covenant of God God strikes a Covenant with his people upon this condition that if they beleeve they shall have their sinnes forgiven He gives his seal for it that certainly he will be as good as his word When the Christian sees his faith he builds upon this covenant and sayes surely God hath forgiven my sins Indeed it is the bloud of Christ that deserves thy forgivenesse the Father that pronounceth it and the Holy Ghost that effectually applies but Baptisme by Gods covenant doth signifie and seal it unto thee Use This may be either comfortable or terrible to thee to consider It is terrible if thou keep not the condition of the covenant that is if thou repenting beleeve not Mat. 3.11 Thou must make thy Baptisme a baptisme of repentance to amendment of life Mar. 1.4 Mar. 16.16 and God will make it to be a baptisme for remission of sinnes Thou must beleeve and be baptized and then thou shalt be saved Thou shalt not be made partaker of these benefits without observing the condition Act. 2. Indeed God accounts thee a federall beleever when thou wast an infant and wast baptized as he accompted the Jewish children when they received the signe of circumcision as a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 But as it was accounted uncircumcision to them if they kept it not when they came to years of discretion because he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Rom. 2. neither is that circumcision which is litteral but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is not of the letter but of the spirit so thy baptisme shall be accounted nothing if with a penitent heart thou doest not when thou comest to years of discretion beleeve according to the covenant But if thou doest out of conscience bethink thy self of thy covenant get into this new estate wherein thou maist be baptized into Christs death and resurrection then what a sweet comfort to thee is it to see thy assurance of the forgivenesse of thy sins Be sure therefore that thou have faith working by charity to the author of faith by obedience to the word of faith by hearing and the houshold of faith by love and then thou maist look back with joy to thy baptisme and say surely my good God hath given me forgivenesse of sins For it is not laying
Scriptures as may beat down sinne Doth thy faith work thus Gal. 5. True faith worketh by love and in truth it will work thee to love the word of Christ as the meanes Christ as the meriter and therefore thou must set an higher price upon Jesus Christ then all things else and the Saints Phil. 3. and members of Christ as those that are in communion with thee for salvation For we must not stroke the head and strike the members pretend to love Christ and hate those that are Christs Indeed thou must not so farre dote upon Christs members as therefore to suck in all errours and miscarriages in them who do but know in part 1 Cor. 13. and therefore may aym and practise imperfectly but so farre as we see Christ in them so farre we must love them and is thy faith thus then hast thou this faith fit for the Sacrament Fourthly thou must examine the fitnesse of thy thankfulnesse Thankfulnesse Luk. 22.19 This is one of the main duties of those that partake at the Lords Table and it will argue thy love to it and thy need of it and thy desire to enjoy the benefit of that for which thou art thankfull yea it is that rent Ps 116.13 Psa 107.1 and tribute which the Lord requireth upon the receipt of any favour Therefore thou must perform this both in word and work In word for before thou comest to the Sacrament thou must praise God who is pleased to ordain so familiar a means to confirm thy faith and give thee communion with Christ when thou art in the use of it thou must thankfully remember the Lords death which is signified and sealed unto thee with the fruits of it And when thou hast received thou must thank God for the benefit and comfort thou hast enjoyed by it yea though for the present thou feel it not Thou must be thankfull in work by a constant obedience unto his will 1 Sam. 15. for obedience is better then sacrifice In obedience thou might'st offer beasts and goods but in obedience thou offerest thy self Vse Therefore my childe put thy soul to the question here also O my soul hast thou this thankfulnesse meet for the Lords Supper Doest thou know the benefit of thy redemption of which this Sacrament is a seal Hast thou a secret joy in heart for it Doest thou admire the mercy providing and performing it Doest thou resolve to love God for it and to set forth his praises to him and his praises to others Doest thou resolve and endeavour by grace given to obey him in all things who hath comforted thee in this which is above all things unto thee If it be thus with thee then hast thou this thankfulnesse fit for the Lords Supper Lastly thou must examine the fitnesse of thy Charity Charity I would have thee know that there is no service acceptable without this charity If thou prayest thou must lift up pure hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2.8 If thou hearest the word thou must be slow to wrath Jam. 1.19 20. because the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God If thou sacrifice thou must leave thy gift at the Altar and go Matth. 5.23 24. and be reconciled And thus it is by way of proportion when thou comest to the Lords Supper Yea mark that it is impossible that sound faith should be without charity The pulse of faith beats this way therefore James saith Jam. 2. shew me thy faith by thy works Yea thy very coming to the Sacrament doth require charity A loaf of bread is made of many grains and we that are partakers of one loaf must be one bread 1 Cor. 10.16 17. We come to have communion with Christ our head and when members attend for direction and comfort from the head there must be no jars The shoulder must not say to the arm nor the arm to the hand nor the hand to the foot I have no need of thee and thee The God of peace will fill thee with all peace by beleeving and practising this Q. If thou ask me to whom thy charity must have respect A. I tell thee first to God in Christ and next to all Christian brethren for Christs sake Thou must love God any way made known unto thee but especially in Christ thy Saviour 〈…〉 He that that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be an execration Maran Atha What Not to love him that is an Advocate a Surety all in all to us in us for us Too great punishment cannot be inflicted on such too much unworthinesse to come unto the Lords Supper cannot be imputed unto them Next thou must shew thy charity to all Christian brethren both by forgiving and performing the offices of reconciled persons In forgiving thou must pacifie thy heart from all bitternesse Ro. 12.19 and desire of revenge Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord and thou must discharge them from the offence to thee though thou canst not discharge them from the offence to God Indeed thou art not bound to think and judge him good or a friend who by long proof hath manifested himself otherwise neither art thou alwayes bound to discharge a penalty if it be great for then Christianity should give a license to ungodly men to offer all manner of injuries to the godly but thou must discharge so farre from the offence as it may seem to deserve the least revenge For thou must not be overcome of the evill of thy enemy Ro. 12.21 or of thy own malicious heart but thou must overcome thy enemies and thy own evill also with goodnesse In performing the offices of Charity thou must labour to unite others by making them friends if thou canst that all our matters may be done in love and thou must communicate to the necessities of the Saints For thou receivest an inestimable favour from God and therefore thou must do good Heb. 13. and to distribute thou must not forget for with such sacrifices God is pleased Vse Therefore my dear childe reflect once again upon thy soul and examine it Hast thou O my soul that charitie which fits thee for the Lords Supper Hast thou a ground of all true charity to men the love of God in Jesus Christ Doest thou love to walk before him that he may see and correct all thy wayes Doest thou love his familiar presence above the greatest presences of the world Doest thou love to hear him speak unto thee in the word and to speak unto him in prayer Doest thou rejoyce when thou seest the tokens of his love in his graces and Sacraments come rowling upon thee Doest thou for his sake love all that are his his ministery his worship his ordinances and his Saints Doest thou love to have peace with all men Rom. 12. so farre as is possible and to be friends with Christs members as they are such Doest thou really
discharge thy heart from all desire of revenge and canst thou be content to be nothing for Christ Art thou willing to perform all offices of charity in working reconciliation betwixt neighbour and neighbour and communicating to the necessities of the Church If it be thus with thee thou hast that Charity which is fit for the Sacrament Now look backward and let me see what thou hast profited Seeing there are but two Sacraments Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Tell me Q. What is Baptisme A. A washing with water consecrated by him that hath authority to preach in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost to signifie and seal our grafting into Christ Q. What is the Lords Supper A. Bread and wine consecrated broken and given by a Minister received eaten and drunk by Gods people to signifie and seal our growing in Christ Q. What comfort do you receive by Baptisme A. A confirmation of my new estate above what I had by nature Q. What gottest thou in this new estate A. The forgivenesse of my sins Q. How can Baptisme forgive thy sinnes A. As a signe and seal Sacramentally Q. How is that A. With reference to the covenant when I make it a baptisme of Repentance to amendment of life God makes a baptisme for forgivenesse of sinnes Q. Why then should'st thou be baptized before thou repentest and beleevest A. Because I am while I am in Infancie a beleever in state though not in manifested act Q. How doth that appear A. By the promise which GOD makes to beleevers and their seed Q. Was not this made onely to the Jewes A. No but to them also that were a farre off even to so many as God shall call Q. What followes hereupon A. That if Jewes children had right to circumcision which was a seal of the righteousnesse of faith so have the children of Christians to Baptisme which is no more though more clearly Q. What comfort doest thou receive by the Lords Supper A. A reall communion of the body and bloud of Christ Q. How canst thou do that seeing Christ is in heaven A. By vertue of the covenant of God with my beleeving soul Q. How doth God offer Christ unto thy soul A. In a promise Q. How doth thy soul receive him A. By beleeving Gods promise Q. How must thou prepare thy soul to receive Christ in the Sacrament A. By examining my self Q. What is it to examine thy self A. To commune with my heart by asking my soul questions how fit it is Q. What must thou examine thy self of A. Whether I have a fit desire repentance faith thankfulnesse and charity Q. Why must thou have desire A. Because God filleth the hungry with good things Q. What must thy desire be grounded on A. Upon the knowledge of my God my sinne my Christ and the doctrine and use of the Sacraments Q. What must thou desire A. To renew my Covenant with God Q. Why must thou have repentance A. Because there can be no communion betwixt light and darknesse Q. What must be the ground of thy repentance A. An assurance that I have broke my covenant in Baptisme Q. How doest thou know thy repentance A. By sorrow for my sinne and a conscionable care to doe the will of Christ with all my strength Q. Why must thou have faith A. Because the Lords Supper is appointed to encrease and confirme faith Q. What must be the ground of thy faith A. The offer of Christs body and bloud in the Lords Supper Q. How knowest thou whether thou hast faith A. If my heart close with Christs promise and I rest upon him for salvation with confidence and rejoycing Q. Hast thou a license to rest upon Christ thus A. Yes if I am weary and heavy laden under the burthen of sinne Q. Why must thou have thankfulnes A. Because the end of the sacrament is a thankful remembrance of Christs death Q. What must be the ground of thy thankfulnesse A. A speciall love to God for this high favour Q. How knowest thou whether thou art thankfull A. If I speake of this mercy to others praise God himself for it and submit unto him in all things Q. Why must thou have charitie A. Because we that are partakers of one bread are one bread and one body Q. What must be the ground of thy charitie A. The Communion of Saints and samenesse of nature Q. How knowest thou whether thou hast charitie A. If my heart be pacified from all desire of revenge and I be willing to live in love with all especially with the houshold of faith and communicate to their necessities Thou must remember now my good child how farre we are gone I have learned thee to know God and thy self Thou hast seen thy creation thy fall thy curse thy remedy by our Lord Jesus Christ Thou hast seen that Christ must become thine by faith I have discovered how faith is begotten in thee and how it is encreased namely by the word of God and Sacraments I have shewed thee the nature the number and the use of the Sacraments from God I have shewed thee how thou shouldst use them for thy comfort and especially how thou must prepare thy self for the Lords Supper so as thou mayst carry Christ home with thee from thence There is but one thing more wherein I desire to informe thy childish understanding in and that is prayer Tell me then 34. Q. Is not prayer an excellent means to make thy faith grow A. Yes It is a speciall means appointed of God Mark this truth Prayer is an excellent means to encrease faith The word of God and Sacraments are sweet means But how these will be made effectuall without thy prayer thou canst not tell Christ saith Matth. 7.7 Aske and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you All these phrases presse upon thee prayer for the enjoying of any blessing Act. 4.31 When the Disciples had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost God answered them extraordinarily to confirm them upon their prayers And therefore when the Apostles found their faith weake for the forgiving of wrongs Luk. 17.5 they prayed Lord encrease our faith Gods promises goe along with power Psal 145.19 Psal 34.15.17 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him His eares are open to their cry Therefore David looks upon God with confidence and saith Psal 4.3 The Lord will heare when I call And thou canst not wonder that prayer should be such a powerfull means to encrease thy faith For it moves God to be mindfull of us amid a thousand vexations When Christ was on the crosse and vexed from heaven and earth yet when the good thiefe prayed Christ he answered This day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Yea prayer doth in a manner binde God and therefore when Moses prayed God said Now Moses let
Job 21.14 Rom. 6. depart from me I desire not the knowledge of thy laws I will sinne that grace may abound 1 Cor. 15. let us â— at and drink for to morrow we shall die But let it not be so with thee Let thy soul move to God against sinne by confession and suits for pardon For grace by petitions and thankesgiving yea and for all other blessings that thou maist acknowledge him the fountain of them serve God with joyfulnes and gladnes of heart for the aboundance of all things Deu. 28.47 Use Thus maist thou my childe conceive what prayer is and therefore be sure that thine be such The wicked are ready to say Job 21.15 what is the Almighty that we should serve him Eph. 6.18 And what profit should we have if we should pray unto him But let thy soul alwayes move to God with all religion against sinne and for grace 1 Thes 5.17 If thy prayers be like the golden sockets of the holy lights boyling with speculations and not like the Bowles of the Altar full of the liquor of heavenly religion they will prove but like the Aegyptian flesh-pots reeking out the hot vapours of the onyons and garleek of thy own vain heart If they be fair words of uncharitable hearts they are like Ezekiahs bloudy pots Ezek. 24.6 that boyl with the scum of rust and lust But if they be the interpreters of a broken and bleeding soul moving to God they shall be Zacharies pots Zach. 14.20 and the bowles of the Altar sending up sweet incense which shall fill the whole heart with the savour as the house was filled with the odour of Maries oynment Joh. 12.3 The moving of thy feet to the assemblies of Gods people the moving of thy body by kneeling and beating thy breast and lifting up of hands and eyes to heaven the moving of thy tongue and lips will be nothing without this moving of thy heart and soul for fellowship with God in Christ Oh let thy heart move against sinne O Lord it hath oppressed me undertake for me My sinne in Adam my sinne of nature my sins of life in thought word and deed are before thee O pardon them for Christ his sake Let thy heart move for grace O Lord I want thy preventing grace thy assisting grace thy pardoning grace thy sanctifying grace thy sealing grace thy persevering grace Oh give them for Christ from Christ or else I die and perish Let thy heart move for all blessings O Lord I have nothing but under thee from thee Thou hast given me a naturall right to meat drink and apparel health peace and libertie Oh give me the right of a childe of an heir and accept my bodie and soul as holy living and acceptable sacrifices in Jesus Christ thy Sonne in whom thou art well pleased The God of heaven enlarge thy heart and give thee by his helping spirit Rom. 8.26 27. to vent thy soul with groanes and sighes that cannot be expressed These God that searcheth the heart and knowes the minde of the spirit will understand to thy eternall peace 37. Q. Where canst thou more fully learn the matter of prayer A. In that which is commonly called the Lords prayer The Lords prayer is the matter of prayer Thy blessed Saviour made many prayers which may bee called the Lords prayers but there is one which he hath set down as a doctrinall matter of prayer Matth. 6.9 when he saith after this manner pray ye and as a formall prayer when he saith Luk. 11.2 when ye pray say Our Father which is more peculiarly called the Lords prayer This is a brief comprehension of all confessions suits for or against of all intercessions and praises This hath the best authoritie in the world the wisedome of God the Son of God the onely beloved of God who is in the bosome of the Father and so of Gods nearest Court and nearest counsell This must give the graines of weight to all thy Petitions without which they will be found too light Vse Therefore my dear childe learn to pray from this thy blessed master Joh. 3.31 Christ that is from heaven is above all earthly masters will learn thee earthly prayers but he that is from heaven will learn thee heavenly Joh. 1. He is full of grace and truth for the perfections of thy understanding and of thy will He is the way wherein all thy prayers must walk to God Joh. 16.23 To aske in his name is to ask salvation and this is to ask himself which he cannot deny To ask in his name is to use his mediation and this is the right way to the throne of grace God the Father bears singular love to him Matth. 3.17 and and the efficacie of his merits are such as if they be presented in prayer they are powerfull and prevailing Revel 8.2 as the golden Altar before the throne on which are offred the prayers of all the Saints Wouldst thou have any grace learn of Christ to pray Wouldst thou forsake any sinne learn of Christ to pray Prayer is a most important dutie Dan. 6. Daniel chose it rather then to avoid Lions and David gave himself unto prayer Other duties are for certain seasons but this must must be continually in habit or act Luk. 18.1 Thou shalt finde thy self hardly drawn to prayer Easie businesses we are easily drawn unto because they are of quick dispatch but weightie businesses stick as the flaying of an Oxe at the head Thou must have many motives to draw thee to pray Christs command Christs promise Christs example and Christs doctrine This shews the weight of this dutie and how necessary it is to learn the matter of it from thy best Master Ob. Thou must think that every good Christian hath abilitie to pray and that therefore thou needest not learn Zach. 12.10 especially considering the promise I will powr out upon them the spirit of grace and supplication Sol. But understand that there is a double power and abilitie an inward power by which the heart moves and goes out of it self after God for all good This all good Christians have from the Spirit which they vent Rom. 8.26 by groanes and sighes which cannot bee expressed an outward power by which they are able distinctly to expresse the motions of their hearts about fit matter This they have not all neither hast thou Therefore must thou be willing to learn it from this blessed summe of Christ even all things to be hoped for I tell thee that it is much abused by three sorts of persons Ignorant persons who understand it not Impenitent persons who practise it not and carelesse and superstitious persons who minde it not in sence and power but rest in the emptie repetition of the words Be thou none of these know the words and sense of it use it as a penitent beleever and possesse the matter and contents of
hallow Gods name Therefore pray that thou maist know and acknowledge him that thou maist remember him in his wayes that thou maist honour confesse and praise him that thou maist not prophane his Name either in tongue by vain swearing cursing and blasphemy or in life by wicked life and thou shalt hallow Gods name Now tell me 40. Q. What is the second Petition A. Thy Kingdome come Here thou askest the first principall meanes for the hallowing of Gods name Thou canst never do it savingly What is asked in the second Petition except thou be a subject of Christs Kingdome because without faith it is impossible to please God to life therefore next after hallowed be thy name thou prayest Thy Kingdome come By Kingdome thou must principally mean the Kingdome of Grace and the Kingdome of Glory The Kingdome of grace is that soveraignty which Christ exerciseth over us by grace Of this it is said Rom. 5.21 that grace reigneth through righteousnesse unto eternall life Luk. 17.21 Rō 14.18 and that the Kingdome of God is within us and stands in righteousnesse peace and joy of the Holy Ghost The Kingdome of Glory is that Soveraigntie which Christ exerciseth over us by Glory that is when Christ and his members are in full glory Mat. 25.34 of which Christ speaketh Come ye blessed of my father receive the Kingdome prepared for you By the comming of Christs Kingdome thou must understand the Erecting of it where it is not Psal 24.9.10 Act. 2.41.47 Gal. 6.1 the Enlarging of it where it is by adding new souls to the Church the repairing of it where it is decayed when broken Members are joynted again and the perfecting of it fully 1 Cor. 15. when God is all in all Next mark that thou saist not the Kingdome but thy Kingdome Because Christ would oppose this against all other Kingdomes Thou knowest what Esay saith Esa 26.13 Revel 12.4 O Lord our God other Gods besides thee have had dominion over us The Kingdome of Grace is opposed by Satan Act. 28.23 by the world and self-carnall hearts The Kingdome Glory is opposed by loving the world and the things that are in this world 1 Joh. 2. by rotting in sinne and by persecution of Gods servants which would make Gods servants come short of glory But thou desirest here that the Kingdome of the world flesh and devill may be cast out and that the Kingdome of grace may be established which may fit us for the Kingdome of glory And that all this may come to passe mark what thou prayest for That thou maist have all means for Christs Kingdome of grace and glory For the Kingdome of grace that thou maist have inward and outward means Inward thy subjection to the word of God the spirit to create new hearts the fruits of righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost Outward means are either in the Church Cōmon-wealth or both of them In the Church thou prayest for Schooles of good learning faithfull Ministers and their peace Act 19.9 Matth. 9.28 2 Thes 3.1 In the Common-wealth thou prayest for godly Magistrates good Lawes and and execution of them In both thou prayest that thou maist have the Scriptures the Lawes of the Kingdome and the blessing of God upon all for good government As for the Kingdom of Glory thou prayest that thou maist have the Kingdome promised by a glorious resurrection and a speedy comming to judgement and that God and Christ may have full glory manifested against all our enemies Vse Therefore my dear childe prize this petition Thou canst not hallow Gods name before thou be in his Kingdome They that are without it are against it and do quite contrary to it This Kingdome is not yet fully come Though he be fully King yet in respect of us he is not in quiet and peaceable possession because we suffer yet from the Kingdome of the flesh the devill and the world Therefore pray heartily that Christs Kingdome may come Pray that the Kingdome of grace may come Phil. 3.9.10 Ephe. 3.14.16 17. Thus did Paul for himself that he might be found in Christ and for others I bowe my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that Christ may dwell in your hearts that you may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man in the holy use of all these inner and outward means which God hath ordained Pray heartily that the Kingdome of glory may come The whole Creation groanes under the burthen of vanity and we our selves do groan Rom. 8.19.23 Rev. 22.17 and the spirit and the bride say come Till then God hath not the full glory of his mercy and justice If thou do but see the largenesse of the Kingdome of sinne and Satan 1 Joh. 5.19 that the whole world lyes in wickednesse If thou consider the many enemies of Christs Kingdom who say depart from us Job 21. we desire not the knowledge of Gods lawes who is the Almighty that we should serve him we will not that he rule over us therefore let us break his bands and cast away his cords from us If thou weighest how ready thou art to rebell against the Kingdome of Christ and to admit of the Kingdome of darknesse thou must zealously pray Thy Kingdome come 41. Q. What is the third Petition A. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Here thou cravest the second principall means for the hallowing of Gods name that is the acts of grace W ha is prayed for in the third Petition It is not enough that Gods Kingdom be within thee by grace but thou must also act it by the doing of Gods will Put case that thou be in his Kingdom it is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall be of his Kingdom Matth. 7. but he that doth the will of our Father When this Kingdom is come we are enabled to hallow his name but how By doing of his will therefore next thy Kingdome come is set thy will be done God hath but one will yet he doth not reveal all to us Some part he keeps to himself till the event make it known This is called his Counsell Psal 33.11 Rom. 9. Rom. 11. or thought of his heart Of this Paul saith who hath resisted his will and who hath known his will Some part he makes known to us and would have us to do for the exercising of grace Ephes 5.17 Of this Paul saith understand what the will of the Lord is This is the Scriptures which are called Gods will from the common course of speech as our words are called our will which are but a signe of our wils Of both these thou prayest here both that God do as he please Act. 21.14 as Paul said The will of the Lord be done and that we do as God requires in the volume of his book Psal 40. By doing his will Revel 2.6 thou must
understand that God works his whole will to be our will both for submission and obedience And that thou maist do it most acceptably Christ doth teach thee to pray for an elevating qualification that Gods will may be done on earth as in heaven By Heaven thou must understand the heaven of heavens where the will of God is gloriously done In this heaven there are Christ Angels and Saints that do it Christ professed that he came not to do his own will Joh. 6.38 Psal 104. but the will of him that sent him The Angels fulfill his commandement and the Saints have leisure to do nothing else Thou must not look to equality of measure but likenesse of manner in their doing of Gods will that as they do the will of God first willingly speedily faithfully and zealously so must thou pray to do Yea thou must lift up thy obedience above the earth that thou maist bare the image of heavenly things If now thou would'st frame thy heart in prayer according to this petition have an eye to Gods secret will and pray that thou maist submit to it when it is revealed Thou knowest not for present how God will deal with thee in body soul state or friends but when he hath revealed his pleasure pray that thou maist submit Again have an eye to Gods will in his word and pray that thou maist have it know it beleeve it and love it Have an eye also to thy conformity to Gods will and pray heartily that thou maist basely esteem of thine own will and deny it that thou maist have power to submit and bring it into act in all things as they do that are in heaven Use Therefore my dear childe learn that it is not enough to be a subject in Gods Kingdom except thou live answerably Thou maist hear many say God knows my heart that is good to God-ward This is but a vain plea where there is not submission to and doing of Gods will in life When therefore thou seest how willing thou would'st live at liberty what ever the will of God is When thou seest what enemies we are to Gods will and how few do it When thou thinkest what dishonour it is to God to have so many servants and so few to do his will When thou considerest how many do it and do it amisse by failing in faithfulnesse then stir up the grace of God in thee to pray the more earnestly Thy will be done To this end know the word of God Remember those parts of it most which concern thine and others salvation Talk and conferre with Gods skilfullest workmen about thee Practice the doing of so much of the will of God as thou knowest and avoid the course of sinne and then what thou prayest thou shalt do about Gods will to Gods glory and the good of thy soul 42. Q. What is the fourth Petition A. Give us this day our daily bread Here thou prayest for the best principall means for the hallowing of Gods name What is prayed for in the 4th Petition Thou canst not hallow Gods name without grace therefore thou prayest Thy Kingdome come The plea of grace is but poor except there be practice therefore thou prayest Thy will be done And now because thou art unfit to seek Gods Kingdome and to do his will except thou hast the supplies of this life therefore thou callest for bread Abraham Isaac and Jacob were distracted in famines Israel did want bread and murmured Many poor Christians shine not as they should for want of necessary provisions and so it may be with thee Therefore that they and thou mayst hallow Gods name by being in his kingdome and doing of his will therefore Christ learns thee next to pray for daily bread By Bread thou must understand all worldly necessaries Luk. 14.1 Bread in the Scripture doth sometimes signifie a Feast as when Christ went into the Pharisees house to eat bread that is to feast with him Matth. 14.2 sometimes it signifies ordinary diet as when it is said of the Pharisees they wash not before they eate bread that is take their diet sometimes it signifies fruit Jer. 11.19 as when the Prophet saith destroy the tree with the bread that is the fruit of it Prov. 31.14 and sometimes it signifies provision of all sorts as when it is said of the good housewife she fetcheth her bread from afarre Ezec. 4.16 Psal 104.15 that is all provision from her family All this is asked under the name of bread both because bread is the staffe of life and strengthens man and because the very name of bread onely might restraine from gluttony and drunkennesse Thou cravest that t u mayst obtaine bread by gift Give us Psal 105.15 Thou doest not say let me enjoy what I have or render my own bread unto me or let me be my own carver but Give us God gives it by blessing the earth with plenty Hos 2.21 Psal 128. Psal 104. by making thee to eat the labour of thy hands by blessing the creatures to strengthen thee and by giving an holy use of them He gives it to wicked men and sends leannesse withall into their soules Matth. 4. but he makes his people live not by bread onely but by every word of God Thus thou doest acknowledge God the supreame Lord of all creatures that thou mayst be humbled under his hands for wants and thankfull to him for enjoyments Thou cravest not onely that bread thou hast use of but what thou hast right unto Our bread Though thou possessest it Job 20.14.23 yet it will doe thee no good except God blesse it Though God blesse it it will doe thee no good except God keep it Psal 127.1 and preserve it for thee Though God keep it for thee it will doe thee no good except thou be enabled to make use of it for when sicknesse comes Psal 107. thy soule will abhorre all manner of food Yea though it be possessed and blessed and kept for use yet will it doe thee no good if it be anothers bread and not thine There are that eate the bread of violence Prov. 4.17 Prov. 20.17 and the bread of deceit but thou wouldst not and therefore thou sayst Give us our bread Thou cravest this bread not onely for thy selfe but for others under this word us Men are apt to think their throat cut with all fat morsels that goe besides themselves But Christ learneth thee to pray for others and for thy selfe for others uses Thou wouldst have this bread given thee this day or day by day The foole saith Luk. 12.19 Soule thou hast stored up much for many yeares but the wisdome of God teacheth thee to crave but for the day Not as if thou mayst not provide as the Ant and Joseph for a raynie day Joh. 6. for Christ will have thee to gather up the broken meat that nothing be lost but because he would not have
for ever and can help for ever These are thy reasons The confident expectation of Gods answer is in this word Amen By this thou sealest thy consent and doest signifie thy desire and confidence And thou must do it For it is but a toy for one man to say the prayer onely and another man to say Amen Amen is part of thy devotion and all both Ministers and people or all others that pray must say Amen Use Therefore my childe once more hear this word of exhortation Use all these reasons and this Amen so as thou maist pray with successe and confidence O my God am not I in thy Kingdom Art not thou the God of power Will it not end in thy glory which was also the end why thou madest me And do'st not thou only live for ever everlastingly to help me I cannot but depend upon thee and confidently say Amen So be it Now in this close let me see how thou hast profited by what I have opened to thee about prayer Q. Why is prayer a means to encrease faith A. Because God must do it and he will be sought Q. How doest thou know that thou prayest aright A. When my soul doth religiously move out of it self to God Q. To what end A. To draw my self into fellowship with him against sinne and for grace Q. Where doest thou learn the matter of prayer A. In that which Christ taught his Apostles Q. Tell me the enterance into it A. Our father which art in heaven Q. Why callest thou him Father in prayer A. Because it ensureth my faith Q. Why sayest thou Our A. Because in love I must pray for all that are in communion with me to life Q. Why sayest thou which art in heaven A. Because it might raise up my heart thither Q. What doest thou ayme at in prayer A. The hallowing of Gods name Q. How canst thou hallow it A. When I live like a creature of God not of Satan Q. What doest thou need to this end A. Grace in my heart Q. How shalt thou get it Q. By Gods Kingdom comming into me by faith Q. Is it enough to hallow Gods name if thou have grace in thy heart A. No I must act grace in my life by doing of Gods will Q. How must thou do it A. By faithfull and zealous doing of it as they that are in heaven Q. But to hallow Gods name doest thou not need the things of this life A. Yes therefore I beg daily things convenient for my nature and person Q. What must be removed from thee for the hallowing of Gods name A. My sinnes past and sinnes present and to come Q. What would'st thou have done against thy sinnes past and present A. I crave a discharge from them for the merits of Christ made mine by faith Q. What would'st thou have done to prevent sinne to come A. I would not be left to my self or to the power of the Devill and the world Q. Why would'st thou not be in such a state A. Lest I fall into the evill of sinne and the evill of punishment Q. What is the evill of sinne A. Out of an evill conscience to love sinne and to like it Q. What is the evill of punishment A. To be left in the hardnesse of my heart to the condemnation of hell Thus O my childe Prov. 31.2 the childe of my wombe and the childe of my desire I have as I have learned given thee to hear the instructions of a mother I have been an instrument to bring thee into the world of sinners wherein thou art too like me and thy father in that wherein thou art most unlike unto God oh that I might be a meanes also to bring thee into the world of saved ones In the bowels of a tender mother let me perswade thee in time Jer. 8.6 to smite thy hand upon thy thigh and say what have I done It is enough yea too 1 Pet. 4.3 4 too much that thou hast spent the time past of thy life after the lusts of the world walking in wantonnesse and in other abominable wickednesses Eccles 12.1 Now remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth and though when thou runnest not with others into the same excesse of riot thou be spoken of as an evill doer yet be not discouraged Esa 66.5 God will appear to such persons shame and thou shalt be comforted If thou wert of the world the world would love thee Joh. 15.19 but if thou be taken out of the world and keep faith 1 Tim. 2.19 Joh. 15.10 and a good conscience the love of the Father shall abide in thee and lead thee to everlasting life And because it cannot be thus with thee except God open thine eyes Act. 26.18 and turn thee from darknesse to light to receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ therefore I charge thee as thou wilt answer it to God in the dreadfull day of judgement that thou suck into thy soul this milk for babes It will plainly open unto thee thy Creation from God thy corruption by sinne thy cursednesse for sin and thy deliverance by Jesus Christ If thou be carefull feelingly to know these things together with Faith which is thy onely way to make Christ thine and canst but sensibly perceive the working and growth of it by the Gospell seals of it the Sacraments and prayer the work is done I will not say thou art a stranger to the Covenant of grace or that thou art not farre from the Kingdome but thou art a childe of the Kingdome and heir of life As therefore David said to Solomon up and be doing about the house of God so say I be diligent to learn and to feel this doctrine distill as the dew upon thy soul that thou maist passe from death to life Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepheard of the sheep thorough the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make thee perfect in every good work to do his will working in thee that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS 1 Secret Sinnes discovered 2 Christ exalted amongst men 3 The Soul secured OR THREE SERMONS The first preached at Andrewes Holborn at a publike Fast The two other preached upon severall occasions at the Covent-Garden near Martins in the Field in the Moneth of February 1645 6. By ROBERT ABBOT Preacher of Gods Word at Southwick in Hantshire PROV 28.13 He that covereth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy GEN. 48.19 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord. LONDON Printed by John Legate for Philemon Stephens dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the gilded Lyon 1646. The Texts and Summe of what is handled in the following TREATISES Psal 119.12 Who can understand his
Christ because the Church is the royal seat of Christ he is in it as in his kingdom Apoc. 1. Matth. 28. and walks in the midst of the seven candlesticks is with thē always to the end of the world In respect of lawes because the Church hath heavenly laws given by the King of heaven and earth even the everlasting laws of Charitie to God in Christ 1 Cor. 13. and all the Saints In respect of the plants which are planted in it All Gods people in the Church are like trees planted by the rivers of waters Psal 1.3 but to be transplanted in Gods due season to heaven The Church is the nurcery depending upon the great orchard or garden of heaven where onely no weed grows and therefore is it called the kingdom of heaven In respect of the Inhabitants of the Church They are in their better parts Citizens with the Saints Eph. 3. Gal. 6. Col. 3. Eph. 2. and of the houshold of faith who have their conversation in heaven and sit in Christ in heavenly places In respect of the order and reference that God hath made between heaven and the Church As Jacob said of Bethel so may we of the Church Gen. 28.17 This is none other but the house of God and the gate of heaven As a great house which hath an hall for the family to meet in and chambers to rest in for them who properly belong unto it so is the Church and heaven The Church is the place of repast Joh. 14. and heaven of many mansions for rest Lastly in respect of the use that is made of it As heaven doth help these inferiour bodies three wayes by motion and light and influence So the Church doth help to all that she can reach unto moving up and down Man like a company of pilgrims 1 Pet. 2. and strangers for the gathering together of the body of Christ out of all mankinde It carryed the law out of Sion Esa 2. and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem to bring us poore heathens to be of the inheritance of Christ Psal 2. and to make the uttermost parts of the earth to be his possession It is like the heavens and firmament Psal 19. which declares the Glory of God amongst every speech and language that Christ may rule there It carries light to them that sit in darknesse Lumine Matth. 4. and in the region of the shadow of death giving the light of knowledge as from the face of Jesus Christ and the light of life that others seeing their good works 1 Pet. 2. may glorifie God in the day of their visitation It gives the Influences of grace from their faith hope and charitie Influentia 1 Cor. 1◠to warme the hearts of those that belong to Christ and to help forward their new birth and their growing in grace by the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ Jam. 1. 2 Pet. 3. Seeing therefore that the Church is the royal seat of Christ hath the laws of Christ is a nursery for heaven is Jerusalem which is from above full of heavenly Citizens Gal. 4. is the place of repast for Gods servants before their rest and hath such an heavenly use by her motion light and influence it is no wonder that it should be called the kingdom of heaven Use 1 Let every one of us think of it to our comfort and to our exhortation Be comforted I beseech you to see the glorious priviledges of Gods people that even in this world they dwell in the kingdom of heaven yet in heaven on earth not in heaven Travellers tell us that they that are on the top of the Alpes may see showers under them which they overlooke but they come not at them and if you make use of this priviledge to live in the kingdom of heaven ye may overlook your troubles and not be disjoynted by them The very Philosopher could say out of all well pleasance with his morall and naturall fansies unto the tyrant that beat him in sunder piece-meale Beat Beat Tunde tunde Anaxarchum non tundes thou shalt not beat out Anaxarchus He would keep his heart in the ruines of his body Much more may a Christian keep his life of faith when the outer man and all things belonging unto it doth utterly perish and come to this worlds nothing Use 2 Be exhorted also all you Christians who professe your selves to be members of the Church to live like those that are in the kingdom of heaven Some live in a region of darknesse and some live as in the confines of hell God forbid it should be said so of you Heare that fearfull speech the fearfull who dare not shew themselves for Christ but fear man more then him the unbeleeving who Apoc. 21.8 Apo. 22.15 notwithstanding the offers of grace doe stand out against Christ and not rest upon him for salvation the abominable who thinke and doe abhorred things the murtherers who are cruell against Gods peoples bodies and soules and whoremongers who give themselves to the uncleannesses of body and soule and sorcerers who give themselves to spels enchantments delusions conjurations and witchcrafts to dishonour Christ and Idolaters who thinke to convey Gods worship to him by Saints and Angels or Images or any other superstitious way and therefore doe fall down or do other respects before them with reference to God and all lyers who forge and faine devises in hypocrisie to bring in false wayes in hypocrisie or otherwise are enemies to that truth which belongs to their neighbours shall have their part in the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone which is the second death Take heed and be none of these if you would live in the kingdome of heaven Otherwise the kingdom shall be taken from you notwithstanding your strength and confidence and given to a nation which will bring forth amendment of life answerable to this good kingdome of heaven Secondly the Gospel is valued by the person that trades for it A Merchant man The person that trades for the Gospel This doth represent a true Christian in the Church who is more honoured by the Gospel then the Gospel can be honoured by him Yet the honour of the Gospel upon them seemes to reflect upon it self For as the Merchants of Tyrus are called by Ezechiel the companions of Princes so Christians are Christs fellowes who trade for the Gospel Psal 45.7 which surely shews the worth of it Mark then Christians are Meachants That Christians are Merchants and truely this may easily be demonstrated by comparing what we finde to be proper to Merchants with that which answereth in a Christian state First a Merchant hath his sea his ship his Merchandise and his losses and so hath a Christian His Sea that is the world This tosseth him up and down and he sees the wonders of God in this deep As John saith in another case I saw before
him This was a poor provision Be you wiser and seeing your souls are spirits let them have spirituall provisions out of Gods Word Use 2 Secondly seeing the soul is a spirit joyn the soul to him that is a spirit Simile nutritur simili Every thing is nourished with that which is proportionable unto it The Lamb so soon as it is yeaned runs to the sides and dugs of the Ewe and the Chicken newly hatched covets the warm body and feathers of the Hen without which it thrives not so well so let your souls run to God that is a spirit He is the father of spirits who will provide for all of his image and superscription The Apostle hath an excellent expression He that is joyned or glewed as Joyners do boards to the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 It would be a glorious priviledge to be one spirit with God that we may be made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 in the efficacie of it for our salvation This is the way joyn your souls to the Lord. They are joyned to the world and so they rot in a thousand vanities They are joyned to the flesh and so they perish in sin Oh let them be joyned to the Lord by faith in Christ working by love and then with the whole Church 1 Cor. 12.12 they shall be called Christ and according to their measure they shall fare no worse then Christ did Rom. 8.17 Luk. 24.26 first to suffer and then to enter into Glory Use 3 Thirdly seeing the soul is a spirit think of a better place for it then here You are apt to say with Peter Matth. 17. Master it is good for us to be here let us build Tabernacles Eccles 12. But Solomon tels you that the spirit returnes to him that gave it Let it learn the way now by having an heavenly conversation for it was not made for low places Fire is the driest and lightest element and it desires to be above and therefore it will burn up all combustible matter which lieth in the way So your souls are the divinest parts where should they desire to be Phil. 1. but to be dissolved and to be with Christ therefore secure that place for them Be acquainted with Gods infinite love and mercy in Christ Rest with confidence upon those merits and that intercession which are presented to God the Father in your room Love the Lord and the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ Walk before God 2 Thes 3. Gen. 17. and be upright That when you dye you may be received into an everlasting habitation a place sutable for an high-born spirit Consider the order of creation and disturb it not God hath set the heaven above and the earth beneath and hath so framed us that our heads and our hearts are above to think upon heaven and to love and move to it and our feet and heels on the earth to teach us to set earthly commodities at our heels as the new-born Christians laid their money at the Apostles feet Act. 5. It is fearfull to see how ungodly men do disorder this course They set heaven at their heels and all earthly glory at their head and heart by thought loves and a thousand imbracings as if heaven were below and earth above But take you heed This is not the way to secure your souls they are spirits and should have better places then you lodge them in If you will be so earthy and neglect your own salvation there is a worse place even that where Judas is Act. 1. since he went unto his own place where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Thus you have the nature of the soul now consider the Castle of the soul The Castle of the soul is Gods hands Gods hands into thy hands Mark then that the safety of a soul lies in Gods hands Properly the hand is an outward bodily instrument for actions and executions But when it is referred to God he hath three sorts of hands Correcting Revenging and Protecting hands His correcting hand is spoken of in these words Psal 38.2 Thy hand presseth me sore that is thy correction His revenging hand is spoken of in these words Jud. 2.15 The hand of the Lord was against them for evill that is his corrections and judgements were out against them for their sins But his protecting hand is of two sorts Eternall and Actuall The eternall protecting hand of God is the counsell of his will Of this it is said that the Jews did to Christ whatsoever Gods hand and his counsell determined before to be done and no more This is a safe hand without and above exception for as many as were 〈◊〉 this hand and so ordained to eternall 〈◊〉 believed It will preserve them to his everlasting Kingdome The actuall protecting hand of God is either Extraordinary or ordinary The extraordinary protecting hand is that which he holds over some and but at some times as when it is said Ezek. 1.3 the hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel that is the spirit of prophesie to guide and protect him in his propheticall way The ordinary protecting hand of God is threefold either General provision Psal 104.28 whereof the Psalmist speaketh thou fillest with thy hand every living thing that is thou providest for them or speciall favour whereof Luke speaketh Luk. 1.66 and the hand of the Lord was with him that is Gods speciall favour was with John Baptist from his infancy or the spirit of strength as when it is said of Elias 1 King 18.46 the hand of the Lord was on him that is he strengthened him with boldnesse and protected him against Ahab and Jezabel The issue is this when God doth provide for favour and protect the soul therein lies the safety of it And it is no wonder when you do consider what manner of hands Gods are What manner of hands God hath They are Holy hands They touch nothing in love but they are the better for them As when God sent an Angel with a coal from the Altar to touch the lips of the Prophet Esay Esa 6. he was the better for it and was very willing to go on his propheticall errand so much more when God toucheth our souls shall they be filled with all grace and goodnesse of which they are capable They are loving hands Cant. 2. therefore the Church cries out to Christ put thy hand under As when Ananias put his hands upon the blinde eyes of Paul Act. 9. they cured him and scales fell from his eyes and he saw plainly so when God toucheth our souls acts of grace love and bounty follow For love strives for such acts and all safety They are powerfull hands The little finger of the Lord is above all Rom. 8. therefore if God be on our side who can be against us His hands will guard us by a mighty power in all