Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	pardon_v	sin_n	transgression_n	2,321	5	9.8948	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34877	A supplement to Knowledge and practice wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to salvation are more fully explained, and several new directions given for the promoting of real holiness both of heart and life : to which is added a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the times, viz. swearing, lying, pride, gluttony, drunkenness, uncleanness, discontent, covetousness and earthly-mindedness, anger and malice, idleness / by Samuel Cradock ... useful for the instruction of private families.	Cradock, Samuel, 1621?-1706.	1679 (1679)	Wing C6756; ESTC R15332	329,893	408

That requires works to be performed by our own strength and ability received at our creation whereby we were sufficiently inabled to do the things required of us But the Covenant of Grace requires works to be done by the assistance of the Spirit of Christ Phi● 4.13 I can do all things sayes the Apostle through Christ that strengthneth me Therefore the obedience of the Gospel is called the obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 as following Faith and springing from it Repentance and Faith are not so in mans power now as Obedience was under the Covenant of Works And secondly it doth not require works for the same end For the Covenant of Works requires works as the way and means of our standing right before God But the Covenant of Grace doth not require works as the matter of our Righteousness and Justification before God but that thereby we should glorify God in this World be fitted for Heaven and should evidence and testifie our renewed nature 2. In the Covenant of Works there was no Mediator But in the Covenant of Grace there is Therefore the one is called Foedus amicitiae the other Foedus misericordiae 3. One sin broke the Covenant of Works but in the Covenant of Grace there is pardon obtainable for multiplied transgressions Isa 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 4. The Covenant of Works gave unto man some occasion as it were to glory if he had stood But the Covenant of Grace cuts off from Man all pretence to glory in himself and engages him to give all the glory intirely unto God So saith the Apostle Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law of Works Nay But by the Law of Faith And 1 Cor. 1.31 The Apostle tells us Christ is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. So Eph. 2.9 By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of Works lest any man should boast Having thus shewed the agreement and difference between these two Covenants I come now to speak more particularly of the Covenant of Grace Concerning which let us observe these things 1. The Covenant of Grace was for substance one and the same in all ages of the Church though diversly administred before and after the coming of Christ From Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham from Abraham to Moses from Moses to David and so on from David to Christ and from Christ to the end of the World the Covenant of Grace hath been one and the same without change or alteration Yet it was administred in a different manner under the Old and New Testament and thence it had the denomination of Old and New Covenant Yet both did agree in many things As Of the old administration of the Covenant of Grace of the new 1. They both lead to one and the same Mediator by and through whom the blessings promised are to be expected Christ at his Resurrection raised up together with himself many of the Saints who died under the former Covenant as we read Mat. 27.52 Whereby he shewed that the benefit of his Mediation Death and Resurrection did belong to them under the old Covenant as well as to us under the new But some will perhaps say that Christ is called the Mediator of the New Testament Heb. 9.15 Answ He is so in respect of actual and personal confirmation of it by his own blood which was not done in the old Covenant But he was Mediator of the old Covenant as may appear by the types that did prefigure him and in respect of the vertue and efficacy of his blood which was to be shed which did take away the sins committed under the old Covenant as to them that truly believed in him Hereunto agrees that in Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever that is as to the vertue of his death 2. The same condition is required under both administrations namely Repentance and Faith in the Messiah 'T is true many of the Jews under the old Covenant sought Righteousness by the works of the Law and not by Faith in the Messiah but this was their error and sin It was not the true Doctrine of that Covenant 3. Under both there was the same Law and Rule of Life to walk by viz. the Moral Law Jam. 28. This Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal or a Kingly Law because it hath a Kingly and authoritative power over all Mankind 4. They both propound the same Salvation God would not have called himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob if they had not been saved Neither would the place of Rest ha●e been called Abrahams bosome if Abraham himself had not had part in that place of Rest But some will object Heb. 8.8 9. Where 't is said the New Covenant is not as the Old I answer We must distinguish betwixt the substance of the Covenant and the manner of its dispensation In respect of the dispensation the new is not as the old though it be as to substance As Rebecca vailed and unvailed was the same woman and yet not the same The same in person not the same in habit and attire That which brought the blessing to Abraham was this that he believed on that seed which was to spring from him looking for Righteousness and Life by him So then the old Covenant spoken of in the old testament and the new which is now published in the Gospel are for substance one and the same without any essential difference between them But though they thus agreed yet in many things they differed As particularly 1. The old administration of the Covenant of Grace was more burthensome the new is more easie this the Apostle plainly intimates Acts 15.10 Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear And Gal. 4.3 Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the World There were required under the old Covenant Circumcision costly Sacrifices and Oblations tedious journeys to Jerusalem at the three solemn feasts restraint from many liberties which we enjoy under the new 2. The one was more dark the other is more clear Eternal life was not so clearly discovered in the old Testament as it is in the new 2 Tim. 1.10 Yea Christ himself and his offices and benefits were then but darkly revealed Hence the Gospel is called the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the World began Rom. 16.25 not that it was absolutely hid or kept secret but comparatively in respect of the more clear and plain discovery of it afforded to us in these dayes Hence that of our Saviour to

But does not the annexing of such a condition as this unto forgiveness lessen the grace and bounty of it Answer No in no wise For consider these things 1. The dispensing of pardon and forgiveness upon such a condition as faith in Christ which includes Gospel obedience is one of the most effectual means to introduce sanctity and holiness into the World For what more effectual way can there be to do it than to make it conditionally necessary to justification and salvation 2. Gods immutable holiness and justice is hereby made more illustrious and his solemn hatred and dislike of sin is more manifested For hereby 't is evident that God will save no man in his sins but from his sins Whom he justifies he will sanctify No mans sin is so forgiven that the least allowance is vouchsafed to it None but such as are sanctified can be accepted of him 3. Whatever is by the Gospel conditionally required of us is fully and freely given us Faith and every other grace is the gift of God We perform the condition required of us solely by the power of his grace freely given unto us And all the rewards of the Gospel are but the gracious remunerations of Gods own gifts and graces Free grace and divine bounty is the root that bears all And therefore the holiest men on earth have the greatest cause to be most humble For having received most they ought most to abase themselves 4. 'T is fit that all who shall be saved should be rationally satisfied of the excellency of that life the Gospel calls them unto For the precepts of the Gospel are framed and calculated for our advantage and benefit The commands of Christ are in no wise grievous to any man truly and rationally informed of his own interest The Gospel commands us to be sober righteous and godly and 't is rationally best for us so to be both in order to our own good and the good and benefit of others among whom we live And therefore 't is fit we should make a solemn choice of this life for our selves and seriously resolve as men of truth and fidelity to pursue it There ought to be sincerity of intention and endeavour in us to live this life though we do not arrive at perfection of action We should therefore examine what is the deliberate choice of our wills whether to be Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ as well as to be justified by his merits Christ will not judge of us by a suddain passionate choice but by our rational and advised choice And we must especially take heed of all degrees of insincerity and hypocrisie which of all sins under the Gospel does most dangerously border on a breach of the condition required Believe it those things that keep people usually from the good things of the Gospel are either a direct refusal of Christ or a sloathful carelesness unconcerned neglect of him or a prevailing falseness in the course of Gospel obedience I shall conclude all that I shall say upon this argument with these four particulars 1. Our Lord and Saviour did certainly perform all things that were required to be performed by him as our mediator 2. By reason of the high dignity of his person his obedience and sufferings are of more value and worth than the obedience and sufferings of all mankind would have been 3. These things being performed by him in our nature and wholly upon o●r account God accepts them for us though not as done by us and reckons all the benefits and advantages of them to us 4. If we desire to partake of the benefits of Christs active and passive obedience we must sincerly believe in him and take him for our Lord and Saviour and if our Faith be a true justifying Faith it will purify our hearts and reform our lives Having thus explained this Doctrine of the forgiveness of sins let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. Let us admire the infinite goodness of God that there is a possibility of pardon for the children of men who are naturally under wrath There is none for the Angels that fell 2. Let us often meditate upon and admire the way of it 1. No pardon to be obtained for man without a Mediator And where could fallen man have found a Mediator that would have undertaken his cause 2. No ordinary Mediator would suffice If all the holy Angels had joyned together it would have not been sufficient Only the eternal Son of God could effect it 3. Let us consider that Christ obtained our peace not by a bare mediation but by paying a price for us and making full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God by his obedience and sufferings 3. Let us often admire the benefits of it 1. It is not only a great mercy in it self but the foundation of all other mercies 'T is the Queen of mercies that hath a glorious train of other mercies attending it Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven whose iniquities are covered to whom the Lord imputeth not transgression None of the antient Philosophers ever gave such a definition of happiness 2. The sense of this mercy makes all afflictions more easie to be born What can hurt us if God be reconciled to us 3. Pardoning mercy brings healing with it unto the Soul Christ Sanctifies those by his Spirit whose pardon he procures by his Merits 4. It affords great comfort against death which is otherwise terrible of terribles 4. If pardoning mercy be so great a mercy let us often consider how vile and wretched those persons are who slight this mercy But who are they 1. All careless ones who neglect this great salvation and prefer the things of the World before it 2. All wicked and prophane ones who go on daily increasing their guilt not minding to make peace with God 3. All that rest on any thing besides Christs righteousness and intercession for the procuring their pardon with God 5. Let us all examine our selves whether we have obtained this blessedness or no. Many content themselves with weak grounds on which they build their hopes of pardon 1. They are not so bad as others They think they are sinners yet guilty but of few sins in comparison of what others are guilty of I answer Possibly they may not be so bad as others yet they may be in a very bad condition for all that out of which if they do not get they will be everlastingly miserable 2. Others think well of them Be it so But we shall not stand or fall by mans Judgment 3. They live civilly so they may do and yet be unconverted and without true conversion and regeneration no salvation is to be expected 6. Seeing God is ready to forgive let us all endeavor to secure this blessedness to our selves 1. Let us seek it as earnestly as ever we sought any thing in the World 2. those that must shortly be arraigned If a guilty Malefactor knew

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 y●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 wh●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 g●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

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 1●.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 rest●re the p●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 s●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

good of others if we can honestly or else abstaining from speaking evil Let us consider what the Apostle sayes 1 John 2.9 He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him He that hateth his brother is a Murderer So that it seems there is a kind of heart-murder and tongue-murder which we ought to take heed of as well as the murder of the hand 5. The fifth thing requisite to a worthy Receiver is an hungring and thirsting after a greater sence of Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and of more communications of Grace from him by which we may be inabled to live more unto God Having thus shewed what are the due qualifications requisite to a worthy Receiver I come now to shew what qualifications are insufficient 1. He that is meerly civil is not sufficiently qualified to partake of this Ordinance By meerly civil I mean a person whose life as as to men is outwardly fair and civil yet he hath never had any effectual conviction of the evil of s●n nor of the danger of his original and actual transgressions made upon his conscience nor of the absolute nec●ssity that lies upon him to go out of himself to Christ for pardon but usually rests in his own righteousness and in the performance of the duties of the second Table and is either very negligent about or slight and perfunctory in the performance of the duties of the first namely the duties that relate to God immediately He would be righteous towards men but his heart is very far from being truly religious toward God His chief care is usually about the outward fairness of his conversation but takes little or no care of purging of his heart of secret sins or mortifying his inward lusts And neither is the glory of God his aim nor the word of God his rule but his own credit and estimation in the world is chiefly regarded by him And many times there is some sin or other though not gross and notorious continued in with allowance And not seldom there is a professed hatred against the practical power of Godliness thinking it more ado than needs He that has only such a civility as this is not sufficiently qualified for this holy Table 2. He that is meerly restrained and withholden either by the sence of his credit or fear of shame or punishment from the commission of sin but in his heart hankers after it and inclines to it is not fitly qualified There are many persons that have some restraints upon them as the respect they bear to their Parents or Governors or the like that keep them for the present from the commission of those sins which in their hearts they love and would give themselves over unto if they durst And commonly when those restraints are removed their corruptions break out with more violence I press this no farther I leave every one herein to deal faithfully and impartially with his own Soul 3. He that has only an outward formal religiousness is not fitly qualified for this holy Table I mean such as rest in the bare performance of outward religious duties and trust to them for their acceptance with God not minding nor aiming that their Souls should be bettered towards God by their duties 'T is a good and useful distinction which we have before had occasion to mention that of Religion the end and Religion the means They that rest in the means and in outward religious performances such as praying hearing receiving the Lords Supper or the like without aiming at or designing that their hearts may be really mended and their lives reformed thereby which is the end these means are appointed for are far from being truly Religious Yet many times such persons are highly conceited of their own righteousness as the Pharisee was Luke 18.9 Who trusted in himself that he was righteous and despised others 4. Such as have only a slight sorrow for their sins past and no serious resolution to amend their lives nor to forsake what they know to be sinful and amiss in themselves are by no means fitly qualified for this holy Table Let every one therefore seriously examine himself whether he be fitly qualified for this holy ordinance And there being but only two estates of soul toward God that man can be in viz. either that of nature or that of grace so that every man must of necessity be in the one or the other It concerns us to be well acquainted with the distinguishing Characters or marks both of the one and of the other and to examine our selves seriously that we may know in which of them we are and to stick so long upon this work till we bring it to some issue and be able to make a judgment upon our selves to which of them we do indeed belong In order to the helping us in this great work of self examination I shall give the characters 1. Of such as for the present are apparently unconverted and 2. Of such as are converted The unconverted are such as these 1. Such as are grosly ignorant of the main principles of Christianity 2. Such as are insensible of the evil and danger of their sins nor have ever had any considerable remorse wrought in their souls for them 3. Such in whose hearts sin rules and reigns so that they delight in it 4. Such whose lives and conversations are wicked and prophane 5. Such as were never brought to see their need of Christ in good earnest nor solemnly to accept him for their Lord and Saviour 6. Such as disrelish holiness and hate the life and power of godliness and malign such as are truly and seriously religious 7. Such as delight in wicked company and chuse such for their companions rather than others 8. Such as are gross neglecters of the means of grace which God hath appointed for the bettering of our souls 9. Such as have long enjoyed the powerful means of grace but are nothing changed bettered or reformed thereby 10. Such as have the main bent of their hearts set upon the pleasures profits and delights of the world And these are the things they chiefly mind though with the ruining neglect of their Souls Such persons for the present are apparently unconconverted 2. Let us consider the marks and characters of such as are converted The converted are such as these 1. They are such who by the grace of God have been spiritually enlightned to see the depravation of their natures and the sinfulness of their hearts and lives 2. They are such as have had their hearts touched and affected with Godly sorrow and true remorse for their sins 3. They are such as have been brought to see their absolute need of Christ and deliberately and solemnly to give up themselves to him to be pardoned through the merit of his active and passive obedience and to be sanctified by