expedient for the right directing of your Prayers frequently to actuate such thoughts in and about the distinction of these persons before Paayer Because this serves thereunto as a means to its end There is not only a habitual but an actual preparation of our selves prerequired to Prayer Job 11.13 Isa 64.7 Psal 108.1 The actual presenting of the divine essence to our selves and pressing the glory thereof upon our Souls which eminently shineth forth in all these persons is admirably preparatory hereunto and hath a powerful influence per modum objecti upon our minds wills and affections both to fetch them off from other pursuits and objects and to fix and unite them in and to the present office To allure the heart to draw nigh to him to aw it with the dread of him to advance it to a dependance on and delight in him and to abase shame us in the sense of our distance from him as Creatures and the dishonour we have done to him as sinners as you have seen in effect already Qu. 2. Direct 5. The Doctrine of the Trinity is as all Theological Doctrines are a Practical Doctrine The Scriptures propound it in order to Faith and Worship Not one of these persons but is the object of both as I have already proved Q. 1. Prop. 4. Prop. 4. In actuating distinct thoughts upon these distinct persons in the undivided essence we may read and thence recollect many incouragements and inducements to Prayer both of petition and Praise Think of them in their essentiall union and whatsoever of obligation on inducement an infinite immutable absolute allsufficient most pure most perfect goodness and truth may offer you for your incouragement in Prayer here it is your Faith may freely take it up and improve it Think of them in their personal distinction And here also what is there rather what is there not that may perswade and encourage Prayer Let me intimate a few things 1 Think you of God the Father The thoughts of that very name cannot but take with an ingenuous nature and will bring his Children with Reverence and with Confidence upon their knees as it did Paul Eph. 3.14 But you must think further of him as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ibid. This consideration in confession will not only bend the knee but break the heart Luk. 15.18 Zech. 12.10 This will immediately set the Soul a blessing of him Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 1.3 Eph. 1.3 1 Pet. 1.3 Yea and send your Soul a begging to him and crying after him Abba Father i.e. Father Father O that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies would give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him c. Gal. 4.6 Jer. 3.4 Eph. 1.17 c. Lo. 1. hence may your Soul resume he is my God and my Father This was that blessed news which Mary must bring from Christ to his Disciples Behold I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Joh. 20.17 2. Hence may you Soul reason down all discouragements 1. Why may I not adventure t is not the presence so much of a Judg as of a Father is it not my Father that reacheth me out the Golden Scepter There is something of encouragement that he is my Father by Creation the eyes of all may and do wait upon him and he gives them their meat in due season But how much more of encouragement is there that he is the Father of Christ my Father in my Christ Here your faith may see boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 3.12 2. What may I not ask and have He is able to do exceeding abundantly for me above all that I can ask and think who could beget an only begotten Son in his own unbegotten nature c. yea and he is willing too He that spared not his Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Eph. 3.20 Rom. 8.32 2 Think you of God the Son The very thought of his relation to the Father will be taking and transporting to honour him and it will be your honour The Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doth hath committed all judgments unto the Son that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father And if any serve me saith he him will my Father honour Job 3.35.5 20 22 23.12.26 What! the only begotten Son of the Father the Angels worship him upon that account and how should we whose nature he took for whose sake he suffered c. how should we much more adore him think of this Sonship 1. It will afford you boldness in Prayer You need not sollicite the servants about the Court Angels or Saints departed to present your petitions for you the only begotten Son of the King of Kings who is in the bosom of the Father that hath his Fathers Eye his Fathers Ear his Fathers Heart yea his Fathers Essence bids you come with boldness in full assurance of faith by him Tells you that he will be your Advocate and that he is now at the right hand of his Father your intercessour Eph. 3.12 Heb. 10.20 22.7.25 2. It may assure you the blessing prayed for Can you think the Father will deny his only begotten Son of the same mind will nature with himself who taketh your petitions out of your hand or heart rather and tenders them in your behalf unto his Father All things that the Father hath are mine saith Christ Joh. 16.15 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you ask and receive that your joy may be full ver 22 23 c. 15.16 This comfort this confidence have we that believe on the name of the Son of God 1 Joh. 5.13 14. 3 Think you of God the Holy Ghost Lo this is the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father He proceedeth from and is one with the Father and with the Son and that to further your union and communion with himself and them He is not only a spirit of adoption to the Saints but a Spirit of supplication in the Saints Rom. 8.15 Zech. 12.10 If the temptations of the flesh pull you back let the thoughts of the Spirit put and prick you on that you make it a work not of formal saying but of fervent praying Praying in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. The thoughts of him 1. Lead you to the origine of ability for prayer Prayer is too hard for flesh and blood which therefore hangs backward your thoughts now prompt you an omnipotent help We know not either what we ought to pray for or how to pray for it as we ought Now the Spirit helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stands as it were over against us at the other end of the burden and puts under his shoulder with us and so
never prophesieth good but always evil to me Surely this is an evil Conscience Psal 2.3 Amos 5.10 2 Chron. 18.7 Or how do your Hearts answer and are accommodated to his Testimonies Have God's Commands a counter-part in your Consciences Have you hid his Law in your Hearts that you may not sin against him And are your Hearts enclined to perform his Statutes always even to the end Gods Law commands you Do your Hearts readily accept and return answer to it I will run the way of thy Commandments and have respect unto thy ways I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Psal 119.11 15 16 32 112. Gods Law chides and threatens you How do your Hearts rellish it and acquiesce under it Is it a kindness Do you count it an excellent Oyl Do you compose your selves to submission under it and to serve the ends of God by it Psal 141.5 Isa 39.8 1 Sam. 3.18 Mich. 7.9 Here is one answer of a good Conscience 3 To Gods Covenant § 24 The good Conscience gives answer to Gods Covenant 1. to the tenour of it God saith unto them which were not his people Thou art my people The good Conscience speaks back again Thou art my God O my Soul saith David thou hast said unto the Lord thou art my God Hos 2.23 Psal 16.2 Ezek. 11.20 c. 36.28 2. To the terms of it The Lord avoucheth Believers to be his peculiar people and that they should keep all his Commandments The good Conscience restipulates and avoucheth the Lord to be his God and to walk in his ways and to keep his Statutes and his Commandments c. Deut. 26.17 18. Exod. 19 5. 9.3 To the Truths in it The good Conscience hath a Transcript of all the important Truths of Gods Covenant This shall be the Covenant I will make with them after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.8 9 10. Come then who is he that hath engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord Have you taken the Lord for your God and alone chief good and given back your selves unto him his servants to obey and that for ever Have you none in Heaven but God and is there none upon Earth that you desire besides God And have you taken his Testimonies as an Heritage for ever and chosen the way of his Truths This may let you know that you have a good Conscience Jer. 30.21 22. c. 32.28 Psal 73.25 c. 119.30 111. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart Jer. 24.7 Is there a Conversion to God the Conscience is good But no Conversion no good Conscience Hath God commanded you saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well with you But you hearken not nor encline your ears and walk in your own counsels and imaginations refuse Communion with God or reject any of the known Commands of God or regard any iniquity or any interest above God you have then evil Hearts and your Consciences are not right in the sight of God Jer. 7.23 24. c. 3.17 Numb 85.39 Psal 66.18 4 To the cause of God § 25 The good Conscience is for Gods cause above others above its own this is the bottom in which it sails all its concernments and therefore with Paul and with Moses is cool and gentle in transacting his own matters but quick and transported with great heat in the matters of God and Godliness forgives and is submissive to his own enemies but flames with zeal and is stiff and inflexible to Gods enemies Gal. 4.12 cum 5.12 Act. 13.9 c. Num. 12.3 cum Exod. 30.19 If the Cause of God calls for his part in action he is ready and willingly offers himself according to his office and the capacity and circumstances he is in If it calls for a passive part he can for Conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully and is ready not only to be bound but also to die for his sake 2 Cor. 9.2 Judg. 5.2 9. 2 Cor. 8.3 1 Pet. 2.19 Act. 21.13 You that like Gallio care for none of these things that seek your own things not the things which are Jesus Christs whose Spirits are abundantly raised in your own Cause but ordinarily remiss in Gods Cause have no good Conscience Act. 18.17 Phil. 2.21 Psal 137.5 6. But you that prefer Hierusalem to your chief joy that say unto Zion because of the house of the Lord our God we will seek thy good that will very gladly spend and be spent for the good of Souls and glory of their Saviour that sacrifice your own Concernments to those of Christ and his Church and would rejoyce to be offered upon the sacrifice and service of their faith and rejoyce in your sufferings with respect to his service Receive this sign and may you reap the sense of a good Conscience Psal 137.6 122.9 2 Cor. 12.15 Phil. 2.17 Col. 1.24 5 To the counsels of God § 26 and his dispensations towards them The good Conscience would hold Communion with God in his Works as well as in his Word and doth especially consider of and commemorates what God hath done for his Soul Psal 107.43 94.19 66.16 Hath God accepted his person answered his prayers afforded him his presence of Grace c. it binds him the faster to God Blessed be God saith he who hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me He will love God the more choicely live with God the more closely lean on and trust in God the more constantly Ps 66.19 20.116 throughout 146.1 2. Doth God afflict and is angry with him with-draws the sense of his Salvation with-holds the spirit of Peace and the waters are come even into his Soul He considers and confesses his sin communes with himself converts and turns himself to God crieth for his Salvation chargeth his Soul to hope in to obey to remember and to repose it self in God Psal 32.5 c. 38.6 c. 42.5 11. 51.1 12. 77.1 13. 13.1 6. I should be too large if I left particular instances as may concern either the inward or outward man Put it upon the enquiry The Providences of God are various toward you How do you answer the acts of God and his aimes by them What no laying them to heart Happily he may have brought his judgments at the doors and yet do not you lay it to heart not so much as ask what have I done nor hearken to him for all this to observe his Counsels or obey his Commandments Happily he may have multiplied his mercies or you and do you not yet say in your hearts Let us now fear
should come to repentance Behold he is ready to pardon Hebr. a God of pardons gracious merciful slow to anger and of great kindness Ezek. 33.11 c. 18.32 2 Pet. 3 9. Neh. 9.17 I know thou lookest upon him as clothed with righteousness and armed with omnipotent justice to revenge thy disobedience And 't is true he is so if thou shalt persist in thy sins But wilt thou revolve these few questions in thy heart and return an answer to them in thy own bosom 1. Is not Omnipotent mercy as propense and willing to save thee as Omnipotent justice is to damn thee Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that he should return from his ways and live He doth not so much as afflict willingly Judgment is his strange work but he rejoyceth to shew mercy He is as it were drawn to acts of justice but he delighteth in acts of mercy Ezek. 18.23 Lam. 3.33 Isa 28.21 Jer. 32.41 Mic. 7.18 Why then such confusion of heart Why dost thou cast away thine hope why shouldst thou fear and fly from him as one that will not forgive when there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared Psal 130.4 7. 2. Is not Omnipotent mercy as prevalent with him to save thee as justice is or can be to damn thee Behold mercy rejoyceth against judgment Acts of mercy flow freely from him they are of his own meer will and motion He hath mercy because he will have mercy Acts of justice have their foundation still without him and are laid in the desert of sin Justice requireth desert Mercy remitteth desert and requireth only distress or defect and knows no motive out of its own self Mercy doth not extend it self upon any former obligations or upon any future hopes Its acts are all free and both from and for it self How marvellous must the influence of mercy then be that is not raised upon the goodness or worth of the sinner but upon the good will of himself Yea when justice seems ready to strike mercy stays its arm and that for its own sake when there is nothing but misery and necessity can be suggested for the sinners sake Jam. 2.13 Rom. 9.15 16. Job 37.23 Psal 78.38 39. Isa 48.9 Behold then the foulness and merit of thy sins is supererogated by the freeness and super-abundance of his mercies 3. Hath not Omnipotent mercy provided and done more in order to thy Salvation then justice hath for thy damnation Yea he hath sent his Son to save thee if thou wilt accept of him his servants by office to shew thee the way of Salvation if thou wilt attend them his Scriptures and Ordinances to skill thee in and work in thee the things that accompany Salvation if thou wilt improve and obey them And nothing can damn thee but thy impenitence in sin Hath justice done as much to fit thee for hell as mercy hath to fit thee for heaven Now the designs of all his acts of justice are but to drive thee to the acceptance of his mercies If justice threatens 't is that she may not punish or if she punish here 't is that she may not punish for ever If thou art judged of the Lord 't is that thou mayst not be condemned with the world Joh. 3.16 Act. 16.17 c. 13.26 Tit. 2.11 1 Cor. 11.32 Oh! turn thy amazing fears of justice into admirings and hopes of mercy 4. Hath not Omnipotent mercy hitherto preponderated the proceeds of justice toward you Yea 't is not for want of might but of meer will and mercy that he hath hitherto forborn you and that your forfeited souls states c. have not been fearfully snatcht from you by some signal arrest of divine vengeance Hath he not indured you with much long-suffering Could finite mercies have put up a thousandth part of such continued injuries and indignities What bowels what bounties of mercies have yearned on you and been extended to you why should not Conscience reflect and say may not the same mercy at last save me that hath so long spared me yea and it will save you if you will yet shake off your sins and submit to its terms Nay this is the very end of it Oh may it so end in you Account that the long-suffering of God is Salvation in the end and design of it He waits that he may be gracious unto you Return and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Rom. 9.22 c. 2.4 2 Pet. 3.15 Isa 30.18 Jer. 3.12 5. Doth not Omnipotent mercy proffer and perswade you to imbrace its Propositions of Salvation and to prevent the ominous strokes of provoked justice yea God will have all men to be saved The grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared Lo he proffers it to all Whosoever will Ho every one that thirsteth He presseth it upon all who soever thirsteth let him come let him come let him come 'T is urged yet a fourth time Encline your ear and come to me He perswadeth it Here are waters here is wine here is milk here is bread for you whatsoever may raise your natures or relieve your necessities Here is the good which you seek after and which alone can satisfie you He prevents the exceptions whereupon men stand off its worth and their unworthiness Come buy without money and without price He pleads and expostulates wherefore will ye spend your money for that which is not bread c. Why will ye die Yea he prayeth and entreateth by his Ambassadors as though God did beseech you by us we pray you to be reconciled Lost man do but suffer me to save thee poor sinner suffer me to love thee These are the charms as one saith * Manton on Jude v. 2. p. 75. of Gospel rhetorick 1 Tim. 2.4 Tit. 2.11 Rev. 22.17 Isa 55.1 2 3. 2 Con. 5.20 Shall your diffidence and despair turn the deaf ear to all this and frustrate both God's design and your own desires to all eternity 6. Hath Omnipotent justice ever condemned any under the publication of the Gospel but upon the neglect or refusal of the offers of Omniptent mercy No mercy must disclaim you ere justice can damn you Vindictive justice must have the permit at least of divine mercy ere it can so punish This this is the condemnation the neglect of that great Salvation mercy shews us the miserable refusals and abuse of the riches of mercy Mercy never refuseth till men refuse What say you are you willing to be at peace and friends with that God to whom you say you have been so long enemies Never were there any who were willing to accept the conditions of mercy and to accord the quarrel of justice that mercy hath abandoned or justice arrested and cast into hell-torments If you are but willing truly throughly willing be you never so weak or have you
been never so wicked mercy hath a wing to cover you and clucks after you as her chicken 2 Chron. 36.16 Joh. 3.20 Heb. 2.3 Rom. 2.4 5. Isa 1.19 Mat. 23.37 7. Once more who are the Objects of Omnipotent mercy but such as are in misery Mercy is an attribute whose aspect is ever toward the Creature God knoweth himself loveth himself but is not merciful to himself And 't is misery is the object of mercy as the sole motive of bestowing mercy is his own free mercy So that the calamitousness of thy condition should not be abused to keep thee from mercy but used as an argument rather to awaken and quicken thee to the speediest close with mercy Here maist thou unload thy burdens and ease thy miserable breast The Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy With him is a multitude of tender mercies Whither can you look but to mercy if you will not still live in misery Now here is work for saving mercy in the sense of thy misery Justice looks what your merits are but mercy looks what your miseries are Be not discouraged sin and misery are the most strong and suitable arguments whereby to plead for mercy For now you present God with the proper object of mercy which you pray him to magnifie You have the example of his Worthies to encourage you Lord be merciful to me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Be merciful unto me O Lord for I am poor and needy Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed My soul also is sore vexed O save me for thy mercies sake Exod. 33.19 Jam. 5.11 Psal 51.1 41.4 86.1 3. 6.1 5. Direct 5. Present the Object by and through whom we can only hope for Salvation aright to you the Lord Christ His very name is argument enough to refell despair revive hope and raise both desire and delight His name Jesus Lets thee see what he is to his and what he will be to thee if thou wilt believe in him a Saviour from thy sins Mat. 1.21 Act. 16.31 1 Tim. 4.10 Away with thy strait and narrow conceptions of the blessed Jesus The Angel tells us This is good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people that there is born a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. The Apostles testifie that God sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world And if you attend his own sayings he assureth you I came not to judg the world but to save the world And God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Luk. 2.10 1 Joh. 4.14 Joh. 12.47 c. 3.17 What is it then that sticks with you Do you think him either 1. averse that he will not or 2. not able and so cannot save so vile a sinner as thou art though thou submit unto him Behold Christ is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prorsus perpetuo perfectè as * ad Heb. 7.25 Gryneus giveth it us CHAP. V. Quest Whether we should direct our Prayers only to God the Father or may also to the Son and to the Holy Ghost And how may we order our thoughts aright in distinguishing these three persons especially as to prayer MOst dear and worthy Friend I willingly own the obligations you have put upon me to God and you And shall rejoyce to serve you or if this may satisfie you I shall not premise any needless Preface to what this paper offers you Your concessions in our late Conference I shall not so much prove as improve The question you would be clear in being complicate I shall take asunder and tender you what satisfaction I may from the holy Scriptures without the accession of humane Authors as knowing that your faith doth not indeed should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2.5 Quest 1. Whether we should direct our prayers only to God the Father or may also to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Answ I affirm we may direct our Prayers to any of them and should direct our Prayers to all these three persons in the one most single and undivided Godhead To this purpose please to peruse these ensuing Propositions Prop. 1. God is the object of prayer the adequate and alone object His commands as also your concessions determine our prayers to and upon him who is God by nature upon him and upon no other Mat. 4.10 Psal 50.15 65.2 Gal. 4.8 Psal 44.20 21. So that the proper fundamental and formal reason of divine worship is the perfect and infinite excellency of the eternal Godhead Prop. 2. The Godhead which is and can be but one there being but one first cause and last end Deut. 6.4 Ephes 4.6 Isa 41.4 c. 44.6 8. subsists in Father Son and Holy Ghost without any division of that most single essence yet with distinction of these several persons This as your self concedes so these Scriptures clear 1 Joh. 5.7 Mat. 28.19 c. 3.16 17. Deut. 6.4 Jehovah Elohim So that as the Father is God Rom. 15.6 c 1.7 So also is the Son 1 Joh. 5.20 1 Tim. 3.16 Act. 20.28 And so likewise is the Holy Ghost Act. 5.3 4. 1 Cor. 3.16 17. c. 12.6 7 8. Three distinct persons they are but one and the same God There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three its not said ver 8. agree in one but are one Not only do they agree in one testimony but are one in truth one thing one nature one God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 5.7 I should further expatiate in clearing this truth but that you have already evidenced your clearness in it Prop. 3. The Son and Holy Ghost being one God co-equal and co-essential with the Father divine honour and our dues of office as prayer c. are to be deferred therefore and given unto them as well as to the Father This is eminently enough pointed to us in that prayer of Benediction which was prescribed unto the Priests Numb 6.23 27. Wherein they must thrice iterate The Lord the Lord the Lord bless thee c. But it is evidently and expresly pattern'd in that prayer of Valediction 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God i.e. the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen The practice of John may be produced likewise in that proemial prayer for and salutation of the Seven Churches Rev. 1.4 5. Grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come a frequent periphrasis of the Father and from the Seven Spirits which are before his throne i.e. the Holy Ghost the variety and perfection of whose Graces in these Seven Asian Churches is hereby indicated he being but one and