that except we be converted we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3.3 2. Let us examine our hearts Let us consider what Principles we act from what projects we are driving on and what ends we aim at let us examine whether Grace rule in our hearts or Sin Whether we labour to keep a good Conscience toward God and Man 3. Let us examine our lives Have we performed duties of Piety towards God as we ought Have we performed our relative duties towards men as we ought Have we been so careful in the right governing our selves as we ought 4. Let us consider whether we have improved our Talents as we ought 1. Our Spiritual Talents viz. the means of Grace God hath afforded us 2. Our Temporal Talents such as Power Riches Health Strength c. Let us remember that of all these things we must give an account 4. Let the consideration of the day of Judgment quicken our Repentance There is no way to live free from inward rebuke here or to appear with comfort at the day of Judgment without having our peace made with God upon Gospel terms O Sinner break off thy sins by repentance now while there is time before thou be brought to thy tryal at Gods Tribunal 5. Seeing we must all come to Judgment let us be wise before-hand to make the Judge our friend But how shall we do that 1. By repenting unfeignedly of all our past sins as I said before 2. By believing in him and giving up our selves sincerely to obey him 3. By owning him before the World and owning our selves for his Disciples 4. By being willing to deny our selves for his sake and to take up his Cross Luke 9.23 5. By duly regarding his Embassadors and their Message Matth. 10.40 6. By prizing and and improving his Ordinances 7. By doing good to others according to our abilities and opportunities See Matth. 25. from 34. to 41. 6. Having prepared our selves for our tryal let us watch for our Summons to appear before this great Judge And so much of the first use 2. This Doctrine may serve for consolation to the Righteous 'T is a fountain of great comfort to all the people of God 1. Christ the Judge is their Head Husband Advocate their elder Brother their Intercessor who hath loved them and washed them from their sins in his own blood Rev. 1.5 O let them think of it to their unspeakable comfort 2. Let them consider that he will reward them for all the works and faithful services they have done for him in this life Here they have performed many secret duties that no eye hath seen there is a time coming when he that sees in secret will reward them openly such or such a service they have done for God the thing possibly in it self but small as the Widows mite but it was performed with much love and desire to please God and much singleness of heart such a service shall not go unrewarded 3. Let them consider that though here they they lie under many scandals and reproaches for the name of Christ and the â—estimony of their Consciences yet there is a time coming when God will wipe away all tears from their eyes and blots from their names 4. Though here they suffer many afflictions and tribulations yet let them comfort themselves and have patience but a little James 5.8 for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh whose coming will be to their unspeakable comfort 3. And lastly This Doctrine speaks terror to the wicked Acts 24.15 When Paul Preached of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come Foelix trembled People love a general way of Preaching such as will give fair quarter to their Lusts but they should be often told of that great day wherein God will judge them for all their proud Rebellions against him Here they will do what they list as far as they are suffered but they should be remembred that for all these things God will bring them to Judgment CHAP. IV. SECT I. Concerning the Holy Ghost I believe in the Holy Ghost IN speaking to this Article it will be requisite that I 1. premise this viz. that each Person in the sacred Trinity is to be believed in by us and we are thankfully to accept the mercies that are conferred by each Person and to labour to perform the duties we owe to each of them distinctly For as to take God for our God is more than barely to believe that there is a God and to take Christ for our Saviour is more than barely to believe that he is the Messiah so to believe in the Holy Ghost is not barely to believe that he is the third Person in the Trinity and truly God but to take him for our Guide Sanctifier Helper Advocate and Comforter 2. We are to know that he is called the holy Spirit because of all the three Persons his peculiar office is to Sanctifie and make Holy the Church and people of God And therefore the Apostle tells the Thessalonians 2 Thes 2.13 that God had chosen them to Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth There are some that say they believe in the Holy Ghost and that he Sanctifies them and all the elect people of God and yet reject all his Sanctifying motions and hate all those that are Sanctified by him making them the objects of their scorn There are others of another strain who enthusiastically plead the authority of the Spirit in themselves against the authority of the Spirit speaking in the Holy Scriptures But let us take heed of both these That therefore I may speak pertinently to this Article I shall shew that we must labour 1. Rightly to understand the Doctrine of the holy Spirit 2. Our duty towards him The Doctrine concerning the Holy Ghost which is to be believed by us we have in part already explained in the Section concerning the Trinity viz. Sect. 2. of Chap. 1. Wherein we have shewed 1. That the Holy Ghost is a Person not a meer quality energy or operation 2. That he is a Divine Person and has one and the same divine nature with the Father and the Son and so is God truly and properly 3. That he is a Person distinct from the Father and the Son 4. That he is a Person proceeding both from the Father and the Son We shall now in some more particulars shew what is further to be known and believed concerning this blessed Spirit 1. This holy Spirit infallibly inspired both the Prophets of old and also the Holy Apostles and Evangelists first to preach and and then to write the Doctrine of Christ which is contained in the holy Scriptures 2. This same blessed Spirit setled this holy Doctrine and the testimony of those holy men by many miracles and wonderful works which he enabled them to work by which they did convince the unbelieving World and plant the Gospel 3. This same blessed Spirit having constituted the Offices and
the encrease of their Graces and so for the furtherance of their glory Thirdly They have good assurance that all things shall work together for their good Rom. 8.28 And therefore no cause to complain Fourthly Though godliness hath the promises of this life as well as of that to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yet those promises of Temporal blessings must be understood with this limitation viz. That they shall be made good to them so far forth as God shall see it good and convenient for his Children in this life and no further Fifthly The prosperity of wicked men in this World is many ways very hurtfull and extremely disadvantagious to them in reference to their Eternal condition Outward sufferings with Spiritual blessings are ordinarily the Lot of Gods Children here on Earth as outward prosperity with Spiritual calamity is very frequently the Lot of the ungodly The prosperity of fools destroys them saith Solomon Prov. 1.32 Sixthly There will be a day of Judgment wherein all things will be set right though here things oftentimes seem to be out of course Seventhly Eternity is long enough to punish the wicked and reward the Godly therefore let us not take our measures either of happiness or misery from the outward dispensations of this life The Consideration of this Attribute should make these impressions upon us First if God be just then this should make all impenitent sinners tremble Except men repent 't is not consistent with Gods justice they should be pardoned What great cause have ungodly impenitent sinners to tremble at the Justice of God which engages him to deal so severely with them and to punish them everlastingly as his Enemies O wretched sinner what aileth thee to make this just God thine enemy What folly What madness possesses thee that thou shouldst make a mock at sin and laugh at Hell and Damnation Shall not the Justice of God terrifie thee and keep thee off from those sinfull courses which expose thee to so certain a vengeance Secondly Gods Justice is a great consolation to the Righteous He will justifie them whom his Gospel justifies because he is just 1 John 1.9 If thou break off thy sins by repentance and apply thy self to Him for pardon in and through the merits of his Son He is just and therefore will make good his promise of pardon to thee Thirdly God being just let us bless his name for finding out a way whereby his Justice may be satisfied and so we poor sinners pardoned His Justice might have taken every one of us by the Throat and said Pay all thou owest and then what should we have done We could not have payed one Farthing of the Debt O let us for ever bless his Holy Name that he hath provided so good a surety for us who hath undertaken the payment of our Debt and to satisfie his justice in our behalf Fourthly Let us labour to imitate God in this Attribute of his Justice that is let us give to every one what of right is due to him Let us labour to give to God his due and to man his due Let us not rob God of his time allotted for his service Let us give him our Hearts and serve him with the best of our affections Let us give to man what is due to him not injuring any man wittingly and willingly And in case of wrong done let us labour to make satisfaction Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Remember that the sin is notre mitted except that which is taken away wrongfully be restored IV. God is Mercifull Mercifull He is called The Father of Mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Abundant in Mercy 1. Pet. 1.3 Rich in Mercy Eph. 2.4 And sayes the Psalmist Psal 145.8 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works All the Attributes of God are glorious yet he rejoyceth most in the manifestation of his mercy and goodness Exod. 33.18 19. When Moses desired the Lord to shew him his glory He said I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy Isai 63.7 I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and the great goodness toward the House of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses He delights not in the death of a sinner His mercy is so great to all that he will destroy none but for their wilfull sin The consideration of this Attribute should teach us these Lessons First Gods mercy should lead sinners to repentance It should shame them from their sins It should encourage them to repent as well as engage them to it O sinners remember we have to do with a mercifull God who hath not forbid any to come in but continueth to invite them who have often refused and will undoubtedly welcome and pardon all that will return and come in But mercy it self will have no mercy on the Impenitent Isai 27.11 It is a People of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Wo to all them against whom mercy it self shall rise up in Judgment There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared sayes the Psalmist Psal 130.4 Were there no hope of pardon Men would be as desperate as the Devils themselves But God is merciful He delighteth not in the death of a sinner Object But you will say how comes it to pass then that so many men are damned if God delights not in the death of a sinner Answ Divines tells us of voluntas Dei Antecedens Consequens that is the Antecedent and Consequent will of God By the former as a Law-giver He gives just and good Laws and wills that Men should obey them that they may be happy in so doing By the other if they will not obey as a just Judge he wills they should be punished So that their ruine is from themselves and not from God Secondly The Mercy of God should be the matter of our daily praises The meditation of God's Mercy should produce in us delightfull thoughts and should keep as it were a continual sweetness upon our hearts and cause us to study the most gratefull returns unto God They that live continually upon Mercy should be as it were turned into love and thankfullness It should become as it were their Nature and Constitution as the food men live upon will be seen in their Temperature health and strength O how unspeakable is the Mercy of God that provides so well for his Servants in this their Warfare and Pilgrimage through this World O
that the Assizes drew nigh at which he could not expect but to be condemned surely above all things in the world he would endeavor to get his pardon 3. Let us seek it as those who are not content to be put off with any thing else besides it And to encourage us hereunto let us consider 1. God is ready to pardon He hath sworn that he delights not in the death of a sinner 2. Christ died for this very purpose to redeem us and when he was on the earth he complained that people would not come to him and believe in him that by him they might have life 3. All means of grace afforded to us are intimations that God intends us mercy if we be not wanting to our selves 4. All good motions and stirrings of the Spirit of God in our hearts are significations of his good will towards us 5. And lastly As vile or viler sinners then we are have obtained pardon and why then should not we encourage our selves to seek after pardon while it may be obtained SECT V. Of the Resurrection of the Body The Resurrection of the Body THis is one of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.2 'T is set before the Eternal Judgment which will adjudge men to their eternal state because 't is previous to it The Scripture speaks of a two-fold Resurrection 1. A Metaphorical Resurrection viz. that of the Soul out of the state of Sin and Spiritual Death Of this the Apostle speaks Ephes 2.1 Ye that were sometimes dead in Sins and Trespasses and Col. 2.13 You that were dead in your sins hath he quickned Grace Righteousness and Holiness is the Spiritual life of the Soul and where these are wanting there must needs be a spiritual death in sin Rom. 8.6 to be carnally minded is death but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness verse 10. that is the Soul is alive Spiritually when it is partaker of righteousness and grace Our Souls therefore must first rise from their state of death in sin to the new life of grace if we desire to have a part in the glorious Resurrection of the body to eternal life of of which I am to speak afterward and as the Apostle sayes Rom. 6.4 As Christ was raised from the dead so must we be raised from the death of sin that we may walk in newness of life 2. The Scripture speaks of a real Resurrection viz. of our bodies namely of the same body that died which shall be raised again and re-united to the same soul that at death departed from it This resurrection of the body is that which we profess to believe in this Article And to confirm our faith therein let us consider these two things 1. God can do it He can raise our bodies when dead to life again 2. He has declared he will do it 1. God can do it For he is Omnipotent Therefore saith our Saviour to the Sadducees who denied the Resurrection * Acts 26.8 Luke 18 27. Eph. 1 1â—.13 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 And the Apostle Acts 26.8 reasons thus Why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise the dead He that could make this World out of nothing at first undoubtedly can raise up mans body again which though it have suffered many changes and transmutations yet is not turned into nothing Though the parts of mans body be dissolved yet they perish not The first dust out of which man was made was as far from being flesh as any ashes or dust now can be And God who is Omniscient knows how to distinguish the dust of one mans body from anothers And being Omnipotent can give to every body what belongs to it to make it the same numerical Body again This he can do according to the mighty working That Parable Ezekiel 37. Where by reviving dead bones is shewed that God would certainly restâ—re the pâ—ople of Israel out of captivity that Parable I say supposes the Resurrection of the Dead as a thing well known and certainly believed by that people whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 Abraham thought it possible Heb. 11.18 19. When he really intended to Sacrifice his Son Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Job not only thought it possible but firmly believed it and spake of it with assurance Job 19. verse 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God verse 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Martha doubted not of it John 11.24 For speaking of her brother Lazarus then dead She said I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day And indeed there are many things in nature that seem to carry a resemblance of it When we go to sleep solemnly commending our selves to Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and to his gracious protection we do as it were lye down in our graves our sleep is a great resemblance of death and our rising in the morning of the Resurrection The Sun sets every night and disappears yet rises joyfully in the morning The Seed that we sow first dies before it be quickned 1 Cor. 15.56 The earth receiveth the bare seed and by corrupting it restoreth it in a better fashion than she took it in The Seed sâ—wn is so far from perishing that it rises up far more beautiful Whereas it was sown dry and hard it springs up fresh and green So why should it seem incredible that our bodies shall rise from corruption with far more excellent qualities than they had before God can raise them that is our first Argument 2. God hath declared that he will do it and that is abundantly sufficient to induce us to believe it Observe these Scriptures for the proof of it Dan. 12.2 And many * That is all shall arise and they will be many not a few For many is not opposed to all here but to few Romans 5.19 By the disobedience of one man many i. e. not a few were made sinners For all were made sinners of them that slept in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt John 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Acts 24.15 And I have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Luke 14.14 Thou shalt be recompenced at the
his spirit 4. They are such who by the assistance of grace do labour to mortifie their inward lusts and to purifie their hearts from secret sins 5. They are such in whose hearts the interest of God prevailes above the interest of the World or of the Flesh 6. They are such who labour to be holy in all manner of conversation 1. To be religious towards God 2. Righteous towards men 3. Sober and temperate in the government of themselves 4. Diligent and faithful in the discharge of their relative duties 7. They are such as truly love all the people of God and such as are true members of Christs holy Catholick Church 8. They are such as labour to be sincere in all that they do 9. They are such as labour to be watchful over themselves viz. over their thoughts over their affections over their words over their actions and over their aims and ends 10. They are such as in their Judgments do approve the wayes of God as most eligible and most safe 11. They do consent to and own the Covenant they were entred into in their Baptism And these are the characters or marks of such as are Converted Now if any one on serious examination of himself do find that there is any seed or principle of true grace in him and that it is the sincere purpose of his heart to walk with God then he ought to encourage himself to come to this Ordinance which was instituted to strengthen the weak Christian And so much of the duties which are to be performed before you come to this holy Ordinance I come now to shew what are the duties required of you in the time of receiving Which are these 1. Carefully avoid distractions as much as possibly you can through the whole administration and gird up the loyns of yâ—ur mind and be intent upon the work you are about 2. Labour to quicken and excite and awaken in your souls these following graces 1. Awaken repentance and a bleeding sorrow in thy heart for all thy sins past and especially for those that sit heaviest upon thy conscience Say to thy soul in some such soliloquies as these O my soul that ever I should have been such a vile wretch that I should have so grievously offended my merciful and bountifull Creator O what a mercy is it that I am out of Hell God might have cut me down in my sins and cast me down into the Lake of fire and brimstone And has he hitherto spared me and does he now offer me a pardon sealed with the blood of his dear Son O the unsearchable riches of his free grace and mercy O my soul how should this melt thee into penitent tears How should this consideration make thee loath and hate every sin that thou hast ever been guilty of and make thee willing to renounce and forsake them all and to turn to God in sincere obedience 2. Awaken and excite a spiritual appetite in thy self Say to thy soul Happy yea thrice happy O my soul are they whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered blessed are they to whâ—m God will not impute their transgressions but will pardon them in and through his Son Yea happy are they whose justification is testified to their consciences by their Sanctification and by their sincere desire and endeavor to walk before God in all holy obedience O my soul that this may be my portion whatever God denies me else in this world Oh that this may be a day wherein I may have a clear manifestation of Gods pardoning mercy made to my Soul Oh that I may receive a plentiful effusion of the graces of the Spirit into my heart O that my lusts and corruptions may be mortified and subdued O that I may be enabled to do all my duties better than ever I have done O that I may be more watchful over mine heart and tongue and all my wayes than ever I have been O that my soul may depart much bettered much revived comforted and strengthned from this holy Ordinance 3. Awaken Faith Say to thy self O my Soul it is not a confident and groundless perswasion that Christ will save thee that is the faith now required of thee But thou must humbly cast thy self at Christs feet and seriously and deliberately own and acknowledge him for the only Saviour of mankind and humbly cast thy self on the free mercy of God and his merits and intercession for the obtaining the pardon of all thy sins and must consent to take him for thy Lord as well as thy Saviour and be willing he should rule in thee by his holy Spirit and govern thee by his Laws O my Soul willingly freely deliberately surrender thy self to him to be pardo ed in his blood to be sanctified by his spirit go to him trust in him for grace as well as pardon And though thou hast before given up thy self to him and by acts of Faith united thy self to him yet labour now to excite and put forth stronger acts of faith and affiance in him that thou maist be more firmly united unto him Say Lord I come to thee sweet Saviour I give my Soul here anew to thee Take it wash it in thy precious blood from the gâ—ilt of all my sins and sanctifie it by thy holy spirit Thou hast said whoever comes unto thee thou wilt in no wise cast out O receive me though an unworthy wretch O absolve me from the guilt of all my sins of every sort and kind O keep my poor Soul that I now commit unto thee unto eternal life There in no other name given under Heaven whereby I can be saved Therefore I do profess and declare that thy merits obedience and sufferings I do alone depend on and abide by for my reconciliation and peace with God and do now renew my Covenant that I was entred into in my Baptism resolving by thy grace to be for ever thine 4. Awaken excite and stir up thy heart in love to God and to Jesus Christ Say to thy self O my Soul how great is the love of God in sending his only Son to dye to save poor lost Sinners He did not thus for the Angels that fell O how great is the love of Christ who would stoop so low That the eternal Son of God should take our nature and be born of a poor Virgin that he should dye and suffer and endure so much for poor worms for enemies that he should sweat drops of blood in the Garden in his agony that he should have his precious body thus broken and his blood shed to redeem us Was there ever love like this O my Soul what hath been done by thee in return for all this love O my sweet Jesus thou art worthy of all love and service from me though mine heart is base and disingenuous and is not sufficiently affected with thy love Thou art infinitely lovely though my heart loves thee not as it ought to do Thou wast exceeding
lovely and amiable even in thine humiliation in this World but O how glorious art thou now triumphing in heaven O how beneficial are thy merits how desirable are thy graces O let that fulness of grace that is poured forth without measure on thee flow down to us thy poor members O my Soul imagine now thou sawest thy sweetest Saviour nailed on the Cross his body torn with the nails and his side pierced with a Spear Canst thou chuse but love him who endured so much to redeem thee from eternal misery The Apostle Paul ravished with the love of Christ cryes out If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be anathema maranatha The penitent woman in the Gospel to whom much was forgiven loved much Luke 7.47 And shall it not be so with thee Now consider O my Soul Christ sayes if ye love me keep my commandments If thou love him love him in sincerity and delight to please him Love his person highly value his merits love his ordinances love his graces love his commands O my Soul canst thou upon all these considerations say with Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee 5. Excite in thy self love to all Christians to all the members of Christ Pray earnestly that the Lord would protect them and defend them that he would be pleased to perfect holiness more and more in their hearts and unite them more and more one to another in his truth and in the bond of love and make them more exemplary in a holy conversation and supply them with all needful outward mercies and conduct them safe to his heavenly Kingdom 6. Excite love in thy Soul to thy very enemies say to thy self O my Soul thou must forgive if thou expectest to be forgiven Thy dear Saviour requires this of thee Matth. 6.14 If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you Verse 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses If thou expectest to be forgiven so many thousand Talents thou must not take thy brother by the throat for an hundred pence Matth. 18.28 Thou must labour to be merciful as thine heavenly Father is merciful Readiness to forgive injuries and wrongs is a great sign of a gracious state but malice and revenge is a black mark and character Therefore O my Soul pray for thy very enemies this day Lord convince them of their sins give them hearts to repent of them turn their hearts from them draw them to thy Son that by him they may have pardon and life give them such a frame of spirit that thou maist bless them O that I may meet their souls in Heaven where we shall always love and agree together and never fall out more 7. Awake and excite in thy self spiritual joy and thankfulness Say with holy David bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Hath Christ redeemed thee from the curse of the Law being made a curse for thee Hath he redeemed thee and that not with silver and gold but with his own precious blood Hath he made thy peace with God through the blood of his Cross Hath he vanquished death and Satan for thee Through his blood shalt thou have an entrance into heaven and eternal glory Oh transcendent mercy Oh how great is this Salvation which Christ hath purchased for us On the heighth and depth and length and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus Be astonished Oh my Soul at this love and never be forgetful of it call upon the holy Angels to joyn with thee this day in blessing God for these great and glorious benefits and never be unmindful of so transcendent mercies And thus much of the graces we must especially labour to excite and exercise in the time of Receiving There are some other directions also that it will be needful thou shouldst observe at this time 1. Employ thine outward senses so as to stir up in thine heart Spiritual graces For the work of the Communicant lyes not so much between the body and the elements as the Soul and Christ 2. When thou seest the bread broken think of these four things 1. The great pain and anguish our Lord endured when his Body was broken on the Cross Canst thou see Christs body broken for thee and thy heart not break with deep contrition for thy sins 2. Consider the great love of our Lord in submitting to such grievous pains and such disgrace for our sake Think thou hearest him say behold my friends how my flesh is torn and wounded for your sakes Was there ever grief was there ever love like mine 3. Consider the vile and odious nature of sin which brought our Lord to such miseries and required such blood to expiate it 4. Consider what the redemption of every Soul that shall be saved did cost It cost more than all the men and Angels in the World could ever have paid for it 3. When thou takest the bread into thine hands and eatest of it then say Lord thou art the bread of life thou art the only redeemer of lost Souls I freely take thee for my Lord and Saviour I freely consent to the Covenant I was entred into in my Baptism Lord save me and sanctify me O interpose thy merits this day for my pardon and strengthen me by thy grace that I may be faithful to thee to the end and so may at last receive a crown of life Lord behold the Sacrifice of thy Son For the sake of his obedience and sufferings be pleased to be reconciled to me to pardon all my transgressions and by thy grace so to sanctify mine heart that no sin may have dominion over me Fill me with joy and peace in believing If I have found favour in thine eyes give me more and more of the graces of thy holy Spirit and cause me to grow in grace daily and make me fruitful in good works 4. When thou takest the cup into thy hand think again of the wonderful love of Christ that he should purchase us to himself with his own blood Oh the infinite value O the infinite worth of this blood This was the blood that only could make expiation and give God ful satisfaction for our offences One drop of this blood is worth a World This is the blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 that is whereby our Saviour ratified and confirmed the covenant which God made with fallen man which covenant shall never be altered O blessed Saviour wash my Soul in this thy precious blood from the guilt of all my sins and cleanse me from all mine iniquities and be to me all that which thou didst intend to be to those who shall be saved by thee By such prayers soliloquies and holy meditations thou should'st labour to Sanctifie thy heart when thou art about receiving this holy Sacrament 5. Joyn with all the rest of the Communicants in a hearty praysing God for
men may acknowledge and own him for the only true God and may glorify him accordingly 2. Thy Kingdom come that is that his Kingly Power may be more and more manifested in the curbing and subduing of Satan and all his enemies that his Kingdom of Grace may be advanced and promoted by his word and Spirit that his Kingdom of Glory may be hastned Rev. 22.20 that the happiness of his people may be full and that Christ may resign up the Kingdom which he administers as Mediator to his Father and God may be all in all 3. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven that is that we and all his people on Earth may sincerely chearfully and constantly do and submit to his holy will as Angels and glorified Saints do in Heaven 4. Give us this day our daily-bread wherein we acknowledge God the Author and Giver of all our Mercies and that we receive all from his free bounty That we ought dayly to depend on his Fatherly care and Providence and not to be over anxious and solicitous for to morrow neither inordinately to desire superfluities but to crave and pray for such necessary and convenient things as are daily needful and requisite for the sustentation and comfort of our bodily life and that what the Lord is pleased to give us may be by him blessed to us 5. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors wherein we acknowledg that our sins are debts binding us over to punishment and that our selves cannot satisfie for them We pray that in Christ these debts may be freely and fully forgiven and pardoned We profess we ought and do through his grace assisting us forgive our debtors that is such as have done wrong to us and thereby not only made themselves debtors to God but unto us that we do fully and freely forgive their wrongs and injuries done unto us though we are not alwayes bound to forgive the damage See Exod. 22.1 14. and from thence we gather an argument to confirm our hope and perswade our selves that God will forgive us 6. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil wherein we acknowledge our proneness to evil and weakness to withstand temptation that God hath power over all corruptions tempters and temptations We pray to be preserved from temptations to sin or from being overcome by them and at last to be wholly delivered from them all 3. The Conclusion For thine is the Kingdom the Power and Glory for ever Amen Wherein we have 1. The Doxology acknowledging and ascribing to God the perpetuity of his Kingdom Power and Glory and encouraging our selves from thence to expect from him what we have prayed for 2. The sealing up the Prayer with Amen Wherein we summarily testify our fervent desire of obtaining these our Petitions and our Faith in God for the granting of them THE Second Part Containing a serious Disswasive from the reigning and customary Sins of these Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness Malice Idleness CHAP. I. Of Swearing THat I may proceed methodically and clearly in treating of this argument I shall confine my discourse to these seven heads 1. I shall shew what an Oath is 2. Shall shew the lawfulness of taking an Oath when duly called thereunto 3. Shall answer the objections usually framed from Matth. 5. 33. c. and Jam. 5.12 against the lawfulness of any swearing at all 4. Shall shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken 5. Shew the great sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing 6. Shall answer the vain pretences and excuses that customary Swearers use to make for themselves 7. Shall give some directions and means for the avoiding of this Sin 1. I shall shew what an Oath is Perkins in his Cases of Conscience Lib. 2. Chap. 13. sayes an Oath is a Religious and necessary confirmation of a thing doubtful by calling God to be a witness of the truth and a revenger of falshood Doctor Saunderson in his first Lecture of the obligation of a Oath § 2. sayes an Oath is a Religious act in which to confirm a thing doubtful God is called upon as a witness Others from Numb 30.2 define it to be a sacred bond by which a man binds his Soul to the speaking of that which is in it self true or to the doing of that which is in it self lawful unto which the living and true God is (a) Juramentum est contestatio Dei in re gravi tanquam veritatis testis mendacij vindicis called upon as a witness or arbitrator Judge and Avenger in case of falshood 2. Having shewed what an Oath is I come in the next place to prove the lawfulness of taking an Oath when duly called thereunto And this I shall indeavor to do by these four Arguments 1. That which is morall and injoyned in one of the precepts of the Decalogue or ten commandments binds all persons whatsoever and is a duty to be continued and practised as there is occasion as long as the world endures for the glory of God and the good of our Neighbour But to Swear by God when duly called thereunto is a moral duy and injoyned in the third Commandment therefore it is lawful to take an oath when duly called thereunto The minor will easily be proved by that commonly received Rule of interpreting the Commandments viz. that where in any Commandment vice is forbidden there the contrary vertue is enjoyned and commanded So that the taking Gods name in vain being forbidden in the third Commandment the holy and reverent use thereof is plainly enjoyned and such is an appeal to God as the Searcher of hearts and calling upon him to be a witness of our truth and sincerity and an avenger upon us in case of falshood 2. What God injoyns and connects with other duties that will ever be in force ought to be practised by all Christians but swearing by his name is such Ergò For the proof of the minor See Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and swear by his name See also Deut. 10.20 where the same thing is injoyned That which hath been the practice of the Godly without reproof before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel is lawful But swearing by the name of God upon serious and weighty occasions hath been the practice of all the Godly in all those times Ergò 1. Before the Law See instances hereof in Abraham Gen. 14.22 23. And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most high God the possessor of heaven and earth that I will not take any thing that is thine even from a thred to a shoo-latchet In Isaac Gen. 26.31 And they rose up betimes in the morning and sware one to another and Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace In Jacob Gen. 31.53 The God of Abraham and the God of
dust Fine cloaths may make Children and young folks proud but wise and considering persons are not usually affected with such things Be cloathed with humility sayes the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.5 that is the best cloathing of all 9. Is it grace or goodness that thou art apt to be proud of This is a thing very irrational and absurd For predominant pride cannot consist with grace but is a great sign of a graceless state If thou hast grace so far as thou art proud of it thou dost abuse it contradict it and act against the very nature of it For Pride is to grace what a consumption is to health Be not high minded but fear sayes the Apostle Rom. 11.20 When you think you stand take heed lest you fall 1 Cor. 10.12 And thus much of the eleventh Direction namely that we should reason our selves into a loathing of this sin 12. Look on the humbling judgments of God that are abroad in the world and turn them all as so many Cannons against thy Pride Methinks every serious Christian should think it unreasonable and unsuitable in such a calamitous time as this is when God calls to humbling and abasing our selves and to sympathize with others that are in an afflicted condition now to lay it out in pride and vanity and garish garbes and attire more than formerly We have seen many humbling sights and felt many humbling strokes and have heard many dismal cries of our afflicted Brethren and shall we now be proud I know the world is at that pass that a Minister will be thought to do more wisely to save his breath than spend it upon so hopeless a design as to think by all his arguments to reform people in this particular The pride of the world is now too high to be born down by Sermons or the most earnest and serious exhortations Alas 'T is a monster that has not been conquered by War nor Plague nor Fire And do you think it will be born down by the breath of a poor Minister though exhorting never so seriously However we must do our duty and lift up our voice like a Trumpet and shew Israel their sins whether they will hear or whether they will forbear And if I can bring but one sinner who is concerned in this reproof to consider his wayes and to forsake his pride and vanity I shall not repent me of this pains 13. Consider how God in the contrivance of mans redemption designeth the humbling of all whom he intends to save For he hath ordained that no man shall be justified by a righteousness of his own performance but by the satisfaction merits and intercession of the Redeemer Therefore he prepareth men for the reception of this pardon by humbling them and making them vile and mean in thir own eyes 14. Read what Christ expects from them whom he intends to save and then you will see what a great measure of humility and self-denial is required of them Except ye become as little Children ye cannot enter into the Kindom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 15. Treasure up some Scripture precepts against Pride and have them alwayes ready in your minds such as these he that humbleth himself shall be exalted God resisteth the proud Pride goeth before a fall Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 16.5 A mans Pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Prov. 29.23 16. Earnestly beg of God to give you the grace of Humility Concerning which excellent grace that I may treat the more profitably I shall shew 1. The Counterfeits of it 2. Wherein the true nature of it consists 3. The great benefits and advantages of it 4. The means to attain it For the First The counterfeits of it There are four things that carry a shew of humility but are at a great distance from it 1. When men vilifie and discommend themselves or their own performances on purpose to draw others to praise them He that doth so cozens himself into Pride by a shew of Humility A man would be ashamed if he were told he used that mean stratagem to procure his own praise But so glorious a thing is humility that pride to hide its own shame does sometimes put on the vizor and semblance of it 2. When men effect to wear some unusual habit or some mean and sordid cloaths or to use some clownish unhandsome and uncivil behaviour which may make them taken notice of and observed by others This may look like Humility but is far from it There may be a russet Pride and a leathern Insolency 'T is not alwayes couched under silk and sattin Many times there is a very ugly pride under mean cloaths The Capuchins among the Papists go in poor cloaths with naked legs and Sandals Who hath required these things of them I think the Apostles rule is here to be observed whatsoever things are honest pure lovely and of good report and praise-worthy among men Phil. 4.8 These we should follow and not affect a vain signularity not warranted by the word of God 3. When they choose to converse for the most part with their inferiours that they may bear sway and be the chiefest among them this is no argument of Humility but rather of Pride 4. When men live basely meanly in no degree answerable or according to the estate and condition God hath put them into this is not humility but an argument of a covetous and sordid spirit And so much of the counterfeits of humility 2. I come now to shew wherein the true nature of Humility consists and in what particulars it evidenceth it self In the general True Humility is a lowly frame and temper of Soul arising from wise serious and deliberate consideration 'T is principally rooted in the mind and evidenceth it self in these Particulars 1. The Soul that is truly humble is deeply sensible of its manifold weaknesses wants and imperfections 'T is sensible of the darkness of its mind the depravedness of its will the disorder and irregularity of its affections * Humilitas est animi demissio orta ex vera status conditionis suae agnitionâ— Camer 2. 'T is very sensible of its great sinfulness and manifold transgressions against God O sayes such a Soul who have I in the whole course of my life too much neglected my Creator who gave me my life and being and in many things how grievously have I sinned against him And the wages of every sin being death how obnoxious and liable have I made my self to the wrath and curse of God What a mercy is it that I am out of Hell who have so many wayes broken the holy and righteous Law of God 3. As a consequent hereupon 't is very sensible of its great unworthiness of those mercies it enjoyes from God The humble soul sayes as good old Jacob did Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed to thy
company-keeping maintains kindness and friendship and love among neighbours To this I answer can any rational man imagine that the helping to destroy the soul the body the estate the good-name the family of their neighbour is any argument of kindness to him Surely such persons as draw one another into such courses are the greatest enemies to one another imaginable 2. They will alledge that those holy men Noah and Lot fell into this sin I answer Noah fell into it but once and that as it seems upon ignorance and surprize not knowing at first the property quality and operation of the wine * Gen. 9.20.21 which was the fruit of the Vineyard he himself had planted And possibly he was the more easily overtaken as being over-joyed when he tasted such excellent fruits of his own labours and allowing himself a little more freedom in drinking thereof than in all likelihood he would have done had he known the power and vertue of the wine And accordingly we do not find that he was ever overtaken so again As for Lot indeed we read that he was twice overtaken but both times by the perswasion of his own Daughters * Gen. 19.33.35 to which he was possibly the more ready to give ear because their hearts being oppressed with grief for the destruction of Sodom the loss of their goods and sudden death of his wife he thought they might take a little more liberty in the use of wine at that time for their comfort and refreshment and supporting their spirits under such great and sore afflictions And we know that they that venture to go near the brink do sometimes fall into the water So that however those holy men were overtaken once or twice yet they were no drunkards They fell into this sin by surprize it was not their usual practice And these examples no more justify those who live in this vice than Peters once denying his Lord and Master excuseth those who make a total and final Apostacy from him The spirit of God hath purposely recorded the * Sunt cavendi non cadendi exempla slips of these holy men to shew us how frail our nature is and to caution us not to presume upon our own strength but to be the more watchful and also to shew us that they who fall through infirmity into the like sins should not despair of Gods mercy in Christ if they seriously repent of them and forsake them No Pilot in his wits when he sees Sea-marks purposely set up to give warning of rocks sands or shelves upon which others have made Ship-wrack will take occasion thereby to run his Ship upon them but rather will imploy all his care and skill to avoid them that he may escape the like danger And this is the use we should make of these examples 3. They say they do it to drive away care and trouble of mind and melancholy For answer to this I desire first to know what cares and troubles they are they desire thus to drive away Perhaps they are some checks and rebukes of their consciciences for their sins If so they may possibly by such divertisements stop the mouths of their consciences for the present but they will roar louder upon them hereafter It were a thousand times better for them to go alone than into such wild company and to think soberly of their condition and of their misery and the true way of coming out of it To go into merry and vain company is but a bad remedy to drive away melancholy or to stop the mouth of an accusing conscience We may say to such persons as Solomon does Eccles 2.2 I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it And Chap. 7. Verse 4. The heart of the wise man is in the house of mourning but the heart of fools is in the house mirth If we saw a mad man whoop and hollow and make a great noise we should not envy but pity such mirth The vain and foolish merriment of wicked company is that which a sober and serious mind can never be pleased with And therefore they that seek such company to divert and drive away their melancholy take the direct way to increase it Now melancholy is of two sorts either such as arises from the mind or such as arises from the body As for that which arises from the mind the best way to drive it away is to clear the Soul of all guilt by true repentance and flying to the blood of Christ for pardon For they are happy and they only whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered and to whom God will not impute transgression Secret and fervent prayer also to God which gives vent to the mind and so eases it is an excellent remedy in this case To which I may add the imparting the troubles of our mind if they be urgent to some wise and faithful friend and craving his advice and counsel as a good way and means also to obtain ease But if the Melancholy arise from the body by reason of darksome fumes and vapors it casts up into the mind some proper Physick is then requisite and the moderate use of such things as may exhilerate the spirits Yea business and imployment is a great remedy in this case For standing waters stagnate and gather mud whereas running waters are clear and sweet Good company also I mean of wise and sober Christians is a great help against this malady And striving to be chearful in an innocent and inoffensive manner that our pectorals may be shaken and fumes dispersed is of great use likewise But as for going to the Ale-house or Tavern and consorting with such company as usually frequent those places in my opinion it is far from being a proper remedy for Melancholy but ordinarily does more increase it especially when people come to reflect how greatly God has been dishonoured and their souls hurt by such meetings 4. They say they do it to pass away the time * Damna fleo rerum sed plus fleo damna dierum Blind wretches Are you so near Eternity and know not how better to improve your time Can you sit tipling and prating away your precious time over your Pots when the mudwalls of your bodies are daily crumbling down and when you know not how soon you may be summoned to appear before Gods dreadful Tribunal But it may be you will say you are Gentlemen and so have more time and leisure at your own disposal than other men have who must earn their bread before they eat it But hark you in your ears Where there is much leisure from worldly business God expects more time should be spent and imployed on the soul and not spent in idle merriment and sinful jollity 5. Some will pretend their heads are very weak and a little overturns them and so they hope they are the more excusable I answer they that know their own weakness should be more especially watchful