as the Son or from the Father and the Son as the holy Ghost The Son is the second Person of the glorious Trinity and the only begotten Son of his Faâ—â—â— not by Grace but by Nature having his being of the Father alone and the whole being of his Father by an eternal and incomprehensible generation and with the Father sendeth forth the holy Ghost In respect of his absolute Essence he is of himself but in respect of his Person he is by an eternal generation of his Father For the Essence doth not be get an Essence but the Person of the Fathâ— begetteth the Person of the Son and 〈◊〉 he is God of God and hath from his Fâ—â—ther the beginning of his Person and Oâ—â—der but not of Essence and Time The Holy Ghost is the third Person of 〈◊〉 blessed Trinity proceeding and sent fortâ— equally from both the Father and the Swordâ— by an eternal and incomprehensible spirâ—â—tion For as the Son receiveth the who divine Essence by generation so the hâ— Ghost receiveth it wholly by spiration This Order betwixt the three Persoâ— appears in that the Father begetting muâ— in order be before the Son begotten anâ— the Father and Son before the holy Ghâ— proceeding from both This Order serves to set forth unto two things First the manner how tâ— Trinity worketh in their external acâ—â—ons as that the Father worketh of hiâ—self by the Son and the holy Ghost tâ— Son from the Father by the holy Ghosâ— and holy Ghost from the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Son Secondly To distinguish the 〈◊〉 and immediate beginning from whiâ— those external and common actions flow Hence it is that forasmuch the Father is the fountain and original the Trinity the beginning of all extâ—â—nal working the Name of God in reâ—tion and the title of Creator in â— Creed are given in a special manner to the Father our Redemption to the Son and our Sanctification to the Person of the Holy Ghost as the immediate Agents of those actions And this also is the cause why the Son as he is Mediator referreth all things to the Father not to the Holy Ghost and that the Scripture so often saith that we are reconciled to the Father This divine Order or Oeconomy excepted there is neither first nor last neither superiority nor inferiority among the Three Persons but for nature they are co-essential for dignity co-equal for time co-eternal The whole divine Essence is in every one of the Three Persons but it was incarnaâ—ed only in the Second Person of the Word and not in the Person of the Father or of the holy Ghost for Three Reasons First That God the Father might the rather set forth the greatness of his love to Mankind in giving his first and only begotten Son to be incarnated and to suffer death or Man's salvation Secondly That he who was in his Diâ—inity the Son of God should be in his Humanity the Son of Man lest the Name â—f Son should pass unto another who by â—is Eternal Nativity was not the Son Thirdly because it was meetest that that person who is the substantial Image of his eternal Father should restore in us the spiritual Image of God which we had lost In the Incarnation the God-head was not turned into the Manhood nor the Manhood into the God-head but the God-head as it is the second Person or Word assumed unto it the Manhood that is the whole nature of man body and soul and all the natural properties and infirmities thereof sin excepted The second person took not upon him the person of man but the nature of man So that the humane nature hath no personal subsistence of its own for then there should be two Persons in Christ but it subsisteth in the Word the second Person For as the soul and body make but one person of Man so the God-head and Manhood make but one Person of Christ. The two Natures of the God-head and Manhood are so really united by a personal union that as they can never be separated asunder so are they never confounded but remain still distinguished by their several and essential properties which they had before they were united As for example the infiniteness of the divine is not communicated to the humane Nature nor the finiteness of the humane to the divine nature Yet by reason of this personal union there is such a communion of the properties of both Natures that that which is proper to the one is sometimes attributed to the other Nature As that God purchased the Church with his own blood And that he will judge the world by that Man whom he hath appointed Hence also it is that tho' the humanity of Christ be a created and therefore a finite and limited Nature and cannot be every where present by actual position or local extension according to his natural being yet because it hath communicated unto it the personal subsistence of the Son of God which is infinite and without limitation and so is united with God that it is no where severed from God the body of Christ in respect of his personal being may rightly be said to be every where 3. The Actions by which the Three Persons be distinguished THe actions are of Two sorts either External respecting the creatures and those are after a sort common to everyone of the three persons or internal respecting the persons only amongst themselves and are altogether incommunicable The External and commuâ—icable Actions of the Three Persons are these The creation of the World peculiarly belonging to God the Father The redemption of the Church to God the Son And the sanctification of the Elect to God the holy Ghost But because the Father created and still governeth the world by the Son in the holy Ghost therefore these external actions are indifferently in Scripture oftentimes ascribed to each of the Three Persons and therefore called communicable and divided Actions The internal and incommunicable Actions or Properties of the Three Persons are these 1. To beget and that belongeth only to the Father who is neither made created nor begotten of any 2. To be begotten and that belongeth only to the Son who is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten 3. To proceed from both and that belongeth only to the holy Ghost who is of the Father and the Son neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding So that when we say that the Divine Essence is in the Father unbegotten in the Son begotten and in the holy Ghost proceeding we make not Three Essences but only shew the divers manners of subsisting by which the same most simple eternal and unbegotten Essence subsisteth in each Person namely that it is not in the Father by generation that it is in the Son communicated from the Father by generation and in the holy Ghost communicated from both the â—ather
Blood And by the frequent use of this Communion Paul will have us to make a shew of the Lord's death till he come from Heaven and till we as Eagles shall be caught up into the air to meet him who is the blessed Carkase and Life of our Souls Thirdly The spiritual Graces are likewise two the Body of Christ as it was with the feeling of God's anger due to us crucified and his blood as it was in the like sort shed for the remission of their sins They are also in number two but in use one viz. whole Christ with all his benefits offered to all and given indeed to the faithful These are the Three integral parts of this blessed Sacrament the Sign the Word and the Grace The Sign without the Word or the Word without the Sign can do nothing and both conjoyned are unprofitable without the Grace signified but all Three concurring make an effectual Sacrament to a worthy Receiver Some receive the outward Sign without the spiritual Grace as Judas who as Austin saith received the bread of the Lord but not the bread which was the Lord. Some receive the spiritual Grace without the outward Sign as the Saint-Thief on the Cross and innumerable of the faithful who dying desire it but cannot receive it through some external impediments but the worthy Receivers to their comfort receive both in the Lord's-Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather than any other Elements to be the outward Signs in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attain unto Secondly to teach us that as man's temporal life is chiefly nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our Souls by his body and blood sustained and quickned unto eternal Life Christ appointed Wine with the Bread to be the outward Signs in this Sacrament to teach us first that as the perfect nourishment of Man's Body consists both of meat and drink so Christ is unto our Souls not in part but in perfection both salvation and nourishment Secondly that by seeing the Sacramental Wine apart from the Bread we should remember how all his precious blood was spilt out of his blessed body for the remission of our sins The outward signs the Pastor gives in the Church and thou dost eat with the mouth of thy body the spiritual grace Christ reacheth from Heaven and thou must eat it with the mouth of thy Faith 3. Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or Fruits for which this blessed Sacrament was ordained are seven Of the first End of the Lord's-Supper 1. To keep Christians in a continual remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death upon the Cross to reconcile us unto God Do this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as ye shall eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the Preaching of the Word Jesus Christ was so evidently set forth before the eyes of the Galatians as if he had been crucified among them for the whole action representeth Christ's death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctifyed wine the shedding of his holy blood Christ was once in himself really offered but as oft as the Sacrament is celebrated so oft is he spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lord's Supper is called a propitiatory Sacrifice not properly or really but figuratively because it is a memorial of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered upon the Cross. And to distinguish it from that real Sacrifice the Fathers call it the * unbloody Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this Action offereth unto God the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for her Redemption effected by the true and only expiatory Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross. If the sight of Moab's King sacrificing on his walls his own son to move his Gods to rescue his 2 King 3. 27. moved the assailing Kings to such pity that they ceas'd the assault and raised their siege how should the spiritual sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Cross his only begotten Son to save thy soul move thee to love God thy Redeemer and to leave sin that could not in justice be expiated by any meaner ransom Of the second end of the Lord's Supper 2. To confirm our Faith For God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seal unto us from Heaven that according to the promise and new covenant which he hath made in Christ he will truly receive into his grace and mercy all penitent believers who duly receive this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ he will as verily forgive them all their sins as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called The seal of the new Covenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts we may therefore receiving this Sacrament undoubtedly say with Samson's Mother If the Lord would kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would at this time have told us such things as these Of the third end of the Lord's Supper 3. To be a pledge and symbol of the most near and effectual communion which Christians have with Christ. the Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the Communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectual sign and pledge of our Communion with Christ This union is called abiding in us joyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by divers Similes 1. Of the Vine and branches 2. Of the head and body 3. Of the foundation and building 4. Of one Loaf confected of many Grains 5. Of the matrimonial union 'twixt Man and Wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is natural betwixt our Humane Nature and Christ's Divine Nature in the Person of the Word The second is mystical betwixt our Persons absent from the Lord and the Person of Christ God and Man in one mystical Body The third is celestial betwixt our Persons present with the Lord and the Person of Christ in a body glorified These three Conjunctions depend each upon other For had not our Nature been first Hypostatically united to the Nature of God in the second Person we could never have been united to Christ in a Mystical Body And if we be not in this life though absent united to Christ by a Mystical Union we shall never have Communion of glory with him in his
and the Son by proceeding These are incommunicable Actions and â—o make not an essential accidental or â—ational but a real distinction betwixt the â—hree persons So that he who is the Father â—n the Trinity is not the Son He who â—s the Son in the Trinity is not the Faâ—her He who is the holy Ghost in the Triâ—ity is neither the Son nor the Father â—ut the Spirit proceeding from both â—hough there is but one and the same Essence common to all three As thereâ—ore we believe that the Father is God he Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God â—o we likewise believe that God is the Faâ—her God is the Son and God is the Holy Ghost But by reason of this real distinction the Person of the one is not nor ever can be the Person of the other The three Persons therefore of the Godhead do not differ from the Essence but formally but they differ really one from another aâ—d so are distinguished by their hypostatical proprieties As the Father is God begetting God the Son the Son is God begotten of God the Father and the holy Ghost is God proceeding from both God the Father and God the Son Hence it is that the Scriptures use the name of God two manner of ways Either Essentially and then it signifieth the three Persons conjointly or Personally and then by a Synecdoche it signifieth but one of the three Persons in the God-head As the Father 1 Tim. 2. 5. or the Son Act. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 3. 16. or the holy Ghost Acts 5. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 16. And because the Divine Essence common to all the three Persons is but one we call the same Vnity But because there be three distinct Persons in this one indivisible Essence we call the same Trinity So that this Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity is a holy Mystery rather to be religiously adored by faith than curiously searched by reason further than God hath revealed in his Word Thus far of the diverse manner of being in the Divine Essence now of the Attributes thereof ATtributes are certain descriptions of the Divine Essence delivered in the Scriptures according to the weakness of of our capacity to help us the better to understand the nature of God's Essence and to discern it from all other Essences The Attributes of God are of two sorts either nominal or real The Nominal Attributes are of Three sorts 1. Those which signifie God's Essence 2. The Persons in the Essence 3. Those which signifie his Essential works Of the first sort is the Name Jehovah or rather Jehueh which signifieth eternal being of himself in whom being without all beginning and end all other beings both begin and end Isa. 42 8. Psal 83. 18. God tells Moses Exod. 6. 3. That he was not known to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by his Name Jehovah Not but that they knew this to be the Name of God for they used it in all their Prayers but because they lived not to see God effecting indeed that which he promised them in graciously delivering their â—eed out of Egypt and in giving them the real possession of Canaan's Land and so to be not only God Almighty by whom all things were made but also performing indeed to the Children that which he promised in his word to the Fathers which this Name Jehovah especially signifieth And for this cause Moses calls God first Jehovah when the universal creation had its absolute being Gen. 2. 4. And this Admirable Name is graven on the Decalogues forehead which was pronounced upon the Israelites deliverance to be the Rule of Righteousness after which they should serve their Deliverer in the promised Land This Name is so full of Divine Mysteries that the Jews hold it a sin to pronounce it but if it be no sin to write it why should it be unlawful to pronounce it This holy Name of God teacheth us First What God is in himself namely an eternal being of himself Secondly How he is unto others because that from him all other Creatures have received their being Thirdly That we may confidently believe his promises for he is named Jehovah not only in respect of being and causing all things to be but especially in respect of his gracious promises which without fail he will fulfil in his appointed time and so cause that to be which was not before And so this Name is a golden pledge unto us that because he hath promised he will surely upon our repentance forgive us all our sins at the time oâ— death receive our Souls and in the resurrection raise up our Bodies in glory to life everlasting The second Name denoting God's Essence is Ehejeh but once read Exod. 3. 14 of the same root that JEHOVAH is and signifieth I AM or I WILL BE for when Moses asked God by what Name he should call him God then named himself Ehejeh Asher Ehejeh I am thaâ— I am or I will be that I will be signifying that he is an eternal unchangeable Being for seeing every Creature is temporary and mutable no Creature can say Ero qui ero I will be that I will be This name in the New Testament is given to our Lord Christ when he is called Alpha and Omega The beginning and the ending which is which was and which is to come The Almighty Apoc. 1. 8. For all time past and to come is aye present before God And to this name Christ himself alludeth Joh 8. 58. Before Abraham was I AM. This Name should teach us likewise to have always present in our minds our first Creation present Corruption and future Glorification and not content our selves with I was good or I will be good but to be good presently that when ever God sends for us he may find us prepared for him The third name is Jah which as it comes of the same root so is it the contract of Jehovah and signifieth Lord because he is the beginning and Being of Beings It is a name for the most part ascribed unto God when some notable deliverance or benefit comes to pass according to his former promise and therefore all Creatures in Heaven and Earth are commanded to celebrate and praise God in this Name Jah The fourth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord used often in the New Testament for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth I am Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the first Essence of a thing or authority when it is absolutely given to God it answereth to the Hebrew name Jehovah and is so translated by the seventy Interpreters for God is so a Lord that he is of himself Lord of all This Name should always put us in remembrance to obey his Commandments and to fear his Judgments and submit our selves to his blessed Will and Pleasure saying with Eli It is the Lord let
by which God doth indeed whatsoever he will and hindreth whatsoever he will not have done Psal. 115. 3. 5. Majesty is that by which God of his own absolute and free authority reigneth and ruleth as Lord and King over all Creatures visible and invisible having both the right and propriety in all things as from whom and for whom are all things as also such a plenitude of Power that he can pardon the offences of all whom he will have spared and subdue all his Enemies whom he will have plagued and destroyed without being bound to render to any Creature a reason of his doing but making his own most holy and just Will his only most perfect and eternal Law From all these Attributes ariseth one which is God's soveraign blessedness or perfection Blessedness is that perfect and unmeasurable possession of joy and glory which God hath in himself for ever and is the cause of all the bliss and perfection that every creature enjoys in its measure There are other Attributes figuratively and improperly ascribed unto God in the Holy Scriptures as by an Anthropomorphosis the members of a man eyes ears Nostrils mouth hands feet c. or the senses and actions of man as seeing hearing smelling working walking striking c. By an Antropopatheia the affections and passions of a man as gladness grief joy sorrow love hatred c. or by an Analogie as when he is named a Lyon a Rock a Tower a Buckler c. Whose signification every Commentary will express Of all these Attributes we must hold these general Rules NO Attribute can sufficiently express the Essence of God because it is infinite and ineffable Whatsoever therefore is spoken of GOD is not GOD but serveth rather to help â—ur weak Understanding to conceive in â—uâ— Reason and to utter in our Speech â—he Majesty of his Divine Nature so far as â—e hath vouchsafed to reveal himself unto â—s in his Word 2. All the Attributes of God belong to very of the three Persons as well as to the Essence it self with the limitations of a â—ersonal propriety As the mercy of the Father is mercy begetting the mercy of the â—on is mercy begotten the mercy of the H. â—host is mercy proceeding and so of the rest 3. The Essential Attributes of God difâ—er not from his Essence because they are â—o in the Essence that they are the very Essence it self In God therefore there â—s nothing which is not either his Essence â—r Person 4. The Essential Attributes of God difâ—er not Essentially or Really one from anoâ—her because whatsoever is in God is â—ne most simple Essence and one admits no â—ivision but only in our reason and underâ—â—anding which being not able to know â—arthly things by one simple Act without â—he help of many distinct Acts must of â—ecessity have the help of many distinct Acts to know the incomprehensible GOD. Therefore to speak properly there are â—ot in God many Attributes but one only which is nothing else but the Divine Esâ—ence it self by what Attributes soever you all it But in respect of our reason they â—re said to be so many different Attributes for â—ur understanding conceives by the name of mercy a thing differing from that which is called justice The Essential Attributes of God are not therefore reallâ— separate 5. The Essential Attributes of God are no parts or qualities of the Divine Essence nor Accidents in the Essence nor a Subject but the very whole and entire Essence of God So that every such Attribute is no aliud aliud another and another thing but one and the same thing There are therefore no Quantities in God by which he may be said to be so much and so much nor Qualities by which he may be said to be such and such but whatsoever God is He is such and the same by his Essence By his Essence he is wise and therefore Wisdom it self By his Essence he is good and therefore Goodness it self by his Essence he is merciful and therefore Mercy it self By his Essence he is just and therefore Justice it self c. In a word God is greaâ— without quantity good true and just without quality merciful without passion aâ— act without motion every where present without sight without time the fiâ—st and the last the Lord of all Creatures from whom all receive themselves and aâ— the good they have yet neither needed nor receiveth he any increase of goodnesâ— or happiness from any other This is the plain description of God so far as he hath revealed himself to us in his Word This Doctrine of all other every true Practitioner of Piety must competently know and necessarily believe for four special uses 1. That we may discernour true and only God from all false Gods and Idols for the Description of God is properly known only to his Church in whom he hath thus graciously manifested himself 2. To possess our hearts with a greater awe of his Majesty whilst we admire him â—or his simpleness and infiniteness adore him for his unmeasurableness unchangeableness and Eternity seek wisdom from his underâ—tanding and knowledge submit our selves to his blessed will and pleasure love him for his â—ove mercy goodness and patience trust to his word because of his truth fear him for his Power Justice and Anger reverence him â—or his Holiness and praise him for his Blesâ—edness and to depend all our life on him who is the only Author of our Life Being â—nd all the good things we have 3. To stir us up to imitate the Divine â—pirit in his holy Attributes and to bear in some measure the image of his Wisâ—om Love Goodness Justice Mercy Truth â—atience Zeal and Anger against sin that â—e may be wise loving just merciful true â—atient and zealous as our God is 4. Lastly That we may in our Prayers â—nd Meditations conceive aright of his Diâ—â—ne Majesty and not according to those â—â—oss and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in Mens Brains as wheâ— they conceive God to be like an old Man sitting in a Chair and the blessed Trinity to bâ— like that tripartite Idol which Papists havâ— painted in their Church-Windows When therefore thou art to pray untâ— God let thine Heart speak unto him as tâ— that Eternal Infinite Almighty Holy Wise Just Merciful Spirit and moâ— Perfect indivisible Essence of three severâ—â— Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost wâ— being present in all places ruleth Heaveâ— and Earth understandeth all mens heart knoweth all mens miseries and is only able bestow on us all graces which we want and deliver all penitent sinners who with faithfâ— hearts seek for Christ's sake his help out all their afflictions and troubles whatsoever The ignorance of this true knowledgâ— of God maketh many to make an Idol the True God and is the only cause wâ—â— so
Infancy WHAT wast thou being an Infant but a Brute having the shape of a Man Was not thy body conceived in the heat of Lust the secret of shame and stain of Original Sin And thus wast thou cast naked upon the â—arth all embrewed in the blood of filthiness filthy indeed when the Son of God who disdained not to take on him Man's Nature and the Infirmities thereof yet thought it unbeseeming his Holiness to be conceived after the sinful manner of Man's Conception so that thy Mother was ashamed to let thee know the manner thereof what cause then hast thou to boast of thy Birth which was a cursed pain to thy Mother and to thy self the entrance into a troublesome life the greatness of which miseries because thou couldst not utter in words thou didst express as well as thou couldst in weeping tears 2. Meditations of the Miseries of Youth WHat is Youth but an untamed Beast all whose Actions are rash and rude not capable of good Counsel when it is given and Ape-like delighting in nothing but in Toys and Babies Therefore thou no sooner beganest to have a little strength and discretion but forthwith thou wast kept under the Rod and fear of Parents and Masters as if thou hadst been born to live under the Discipline of others rather than at the Disposition of thine own will No tired Horse was ever more willing to be rid of his Burthen than thou wast to get out of the servile state of this Bondage A state not worthy the Description 3. Meditations of the Miseries of Manhood WHat 's Man's Estate but a Sea wherein as Waves one trouble ariseth in the neck of another the latter worse than the former No sooner didst thou enter into the Affairs of this World but thou wast inwrapped about with a cloud of miseries Thy flesh provokes thee to lust the world allures thee to pleasures and the Devil tempts thee to all kind of Sins fears of Enemies affright thee suits in Law do vex thee wrongs of ill Neighbours do oppress thee cares for Wife and Children do consume thee and disquietness betwixt open Foes and false Friends do in a manner confound thee Sin stings thee within Satan lays snares before thee Conscience of sins past doggeth behind thee Now Adversity on the left-hand frets thee anon Prosperity on the right-hand flatters thee over thy head GOD's vengeance due to thy sin is ready to fall upon thee and under thy feet Hell's Mouth is ready to swallow thee up And in this miserable estate whither wilt thou go for rest and comfort The House is full of cares the Field full of toil the country of rudeness the City of Factions the Court of Envy the Church of Sects the Sea of Pyrates the Land of Robbers Or in what state wilt thou live Seeing Wealth is envied and Poverty contemned Wit is destruâ—ted and Simplicity is derided Superstition is mocked and Religion is suspected Vice is advanced and Virtue is disgraced O with what a body of Sin art thou compassed about in a World of Wickedness What are thine Eyes but Windows to behold Vanities What are thine Ears but flood gates to let in the streams of Iniquity What are thy Senses but matches to give fire to thy lusts What is thine Heart but the Anvil whereon Satan hath forged the ugly shape of all lewd affections Art thou nobly descended thou must put thy self in peril of Foreign Wars to get the Reputation of earthly honour oft-times hazard thy life in a desperate Combate to avoid the aspersion of a Coward Art thou born in mean estate Lord what pains and drudgery must thou endure at home and abroad to get maintenance and all perhaps scarce sufficient to serve thy necessity and when after much service and labour a man hath got something how little certainty is there in that which is gotten seeing thou seest by daily Experience that he who was rich yesterday is to day a begger he that yesterday was in health to day is sick he that yesterday was merry and laughed hath cause to day to mourn and weep he that yesterday was in favour to day is in disgrace and he who yesterday was alive to day is dead And thou knowest not how soon nor in what manner thou shalt die thy self And who can enumerate the Losses Crosses Griefs Disgraces Sicknesses and calamities which are incident to sinful man To speak nothing of the death of Friends and Children which oft-times seem to be unto us far more bitter than present Death it self Meditations of the Miseries of Old Age. WHat is Old Age but the receptacle of all Maladies For if thy Lot be to draw thy days to a long date in comes old bald-headed Age stooping under dot age with his wrinkled Face rotten teeth and stinking breath teasty with choler wither'd with dryness dim'd with blindness obscured with deaâ—ness over-whelm'd with sickness and bowed together with weakness having no use of any Sense but of the Sense of pain which so racketh every member of his body that it never easeth him of grief till it hath thrown him down to his Grave Thus far of the Miseries which accompany the body Now of the Miseries which accompany chiefly the Soul in this Life Meditations of the Miseries of the Soul in this Life THE Misery of thy Soul will more evidently appear if thou wilt but consider 1. The felicity she hath lost 2. The misery which she hath pulled upon her self by sin 1. The felicity lost was first the Fruition of the image of God whereby the Soul was like unto God in knowledge enabling her perfectly to understand the revealed Will of God Secondly True holyness by which she was freâ— from all prophane error Thirdly Righteousness whereby she was able to incline all her natural powers and to frame uprightly all her Actions proceeding from those powers With the loss of this Divine Image she lost the love of God and the blessed Communion which she had with his Majesty wherein consisteth her life and happiness if the loss of Earthly Riches vex thee so much how should not the loss of this Divine Treasure perplex thee much more 2. The misery which she pulled upon her self consists in two things 1. Sinfulness 2. Cursedness 1. Sinfulness is an universal corruption both of Her Nature and Actions for Her Nature is infected with a proneness to every sin continually the Mind is stuffed with Vanity the Vnderstanding is darkned with Ignorance the Will affecteth nothing but vile and vain things All Her Actions â—re evil yea this deformity is so violent that oftentimes in the regenerate Soul the Appetite will not obey the government of Reason and the Will wandreth after and yields consent to sinful motions How great then is the violencâ— of the Appetite and Will in the Reprobate Soul which still remains in her natural corruption hence it is that thy wretched Soul is so deformed with Sin defiled with Lust polluted
go up triumphantly in order and aray unto the Heaven of Heavens with such an heavenly noise and musick that now may that song of David be truly verified God is gone up with a triumph the Lord with the sound of the trumpets Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises for God is King of all the earth he is greatly to be exalted And that Marriage-song of John Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready Allelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth The Third and last degree of the blessed state of a Regenerate Man after Death begins after the pronouncing of the Sentence and lasteth eternally without all end Meditations of the blessed estate of a Regeneraâ—e Man in Heaven after he hath received his sentence of Absolution before the Tribunal-Seat of Christ at the last day of Judgment Here my Meditation dazeleth and my Pen falleth out of my hand the one being not able to conceive nor the other to describe that most 〈…〉 and eternal weight of glory whereof all the afflictions of this present life are 〈…〉 which all the Elect shall with the blessed Trinity enjoy from that time that they shall be received with Christ as joint heirs iâ—to that everlasting Kingdom of Joy Notwithstanding we may take a scantling thereof thus The Holy Scriptures set â—orth to our capacity the glory of our eternal and heavenly life after Death in four respects 1. Of the Place 2. Of the Object 3. Of the Prerogatives of the Elect there 4. Of the effects of those Prerogatives 1. Of the Place THE place is the Heaven of Heavens or the third Heaven called Paradise whither Christ in his humane Nature ascended farâ—above all visible heavens The Bridegromes chamber which by the firmament at by an azured curtain spangled with glittering stars and glorious planets is bid that we cannot behold it with these corrupâ—ible eyes of Flesh. The Holy Ghost framing himself to our weakness describes the glory of that place which no man can estimate by such things as are most precious in the estimation of Man And therefore likeneth it to a great and a holy City named the heavenly Jerusalem where only God and his people who are saved and written in the Lamb's book do inhabit all built of pure gold like unto clear glass or crystal the walls of jasper-stone the foundations of the walls garnished with twelve manner of precious stones having twelve gates each built of one pearl three gates towards each of the four corners of the world and at each gate aâ— Angel as so many Porters that no unclean thing should enter into it It is four square therefore perfect the length the breadth and heighth of it are equal 12000 â—urlongs every way therefore glorious and spacious Through the midst of her streets ever râ—nneth the pure river of the Water of Life as clear as crystal therefore wholesome And on either side the river is the tree of Life ever growing which beareth twelve manner of fruits and gives fruit every month therefore fruitful And the leaves of Tree are health to the Nations Therefore healthy There is therefore no place so glorious by Creation so beautiful with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation For there the Kiâ—g is Christ the law is Love the honour Verity the peace Felicity the life Eternity There is Light without darkness Mirâ—h without sadness Health without sickness Wealth without want Credit without disgrace Beauty without blemish Ease without labour Riches without rust Blessedness without misery and Consolation that never knows endâ— How truly may we cry out with David of this City Glorious things are spoken of thee O thâ—â— City of God and yet all these things are spoken but according to the weakness of our capacityâ— For Heaven exceedeth all this in glory so far as that no tongue is able to express nor heart of man to conceive the glory thereof as witnesseth S. Paul who was in it and saw it O let us noâ— then doâ—e so much upon these wooden cottages and houses of moâ—ldring clay which are but tents of ungodliness and habitations of Sinners 〈◊〉 let us look rather and long for this heavenly city whose builder and maker is God which he who is not ashamed to be called our God â—ath prepared for us 2. Of the Object THe blissful and glorious object of all intellectual and reasonable Creatures in Heaven is the Godhead in trinity of Persons without which there is neither joâ— nor felicity but the very fulness of joy consisteth in enjoying the same This Object we shall enjoy two ways 1. By a Beatisical Vision of God 2. By possessing an immediate communion with this Divine Nature The beatifical vision of God is that only that can content the infinite mind of Man For every thing tendeth to its center God is the center of the Soul therefore like Noah's Dove she cannot rest nor joy till she return and enjoy him All that God bestowed upon Moses could not satisfie his mind unless he might see the face of God Therefore the whole Church prayeth so earnestly God be merciful unto us and cause his face to shine upon us When Paul once had seen this blessed sight he ever after counted all the riches and glory of the World in respect of it to be but dung and all his life after was but a sighing out Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. And Christ prayed for all his Elect in his last Prayer that they might obtain this blessed Vision Father I will that they which thou hast given me be Where even where I am To what â—nd that they may behold that my glory c. If Moses's face did so shine when he had been with God but forty days and seen but his back-parts how shall we shine when we shall see him face to face for ever and know him as we are known and as be is Then shall the Soul no longer be â—ermed Marâ—h bitterness but Naomi beautifulness for the Lord shall turn her short bitterness to eternal beauty and blessedness Ruth 1. 20. The second means to enjoy this object is by having an immediate and an eternal Communion with God in heaven This we have first by being as members of Christ united to his Manhood and by the Manhood personally united to the World we are united to him as he is God and by his God-head to the whole Trinity Reprobates at the last day shall see God as a just Judge to punish them but for lack of this Communion they shall have neither grace with him nor glory from him For want of this Communion the Devils when they saw Christ cryed out Quid nobis
heavenly Presence The Mystical Vnion chiefly here meant is wrought betwixt Christ and us by the Spirit of Christ apprehending us and by our faith stirred up by the same Spirit apprehending Christ again Both which St. Paul doth most lively express I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus How can he fall away that holdeth and is so firmly holden This Union he shall best understand in his mind who doth most feel it in his heart But of all other times this Union is best felt and most confirmed when we duly receive the Lord's-Supper For then we shall sensibly feel our hearts knit unto Christ and the desires of our souls drawn by Faith and the Holy Ghost as by the cords of love nearer and nearer to his holiness From this Communion with Christ there follow to the faithful many unspeakable benefits As first Christ took by imputation all their sins and guiltiness upon him to satisfie God's Justice for them and he freely gives by imputation unto us all his righteousness in this life and all his right unto eternal life when this is ended and counteth all the good or ill that is done unto us as done unto his own person Secondly There floweth from Christ's Nature into our Nature united to him the lively spirit and breath of grace which reneweth us to a spiritual life and so sanctifieth our minds wills and affections that we daily grow more and more conformable to the Image of Christ. Thirdly He bestoweth upon them all saving graces necessary to attain eternal life as the sense of God's love the assurance of our election with regeneration justification and grace to do good works till we come to live with him in his heavenly Kingdom This should teach all true Christians to keep themselves as the undefiled members of Christ's holy body and to beware of all uncleanness and filthiness knowing that they live in Christ or rather that Christ liveth in them From this Vnion with Christ sealed unto us by the Lord's-Supper St. Paul draweth arguments to withdraw the Corinthians from the pollution both of Idolatry 1 Cor. 10. 16. and Adultery 1 Cor. 16. 15 16. Lastly From the former Communion 'twixt Christ and Christians there flows another Communion 'twixt Christians among themselves Which is also lively represented by the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper in that the whole Church being many do all communicate of one Bread in that holy action We being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one Bread that as the Bread which we eat in the Sacrament is but one tho' it be confected of many Grains so all the faithful tho' they be many yet are they but one mystical body under one head which is Christ. Our Saviour prayed five times in that Prayer which he made after his last Supper that his Disciples might be one to teach us at once how much this Vnity pleaseth him This Vnion betwixt the faithful is so ample that no distance of place can part it so strong that death cannot dissolve it so durable that time cannot wear it out so effectual that it breeds a fervent love betwixt those who never saw one anothers face And this conjunction of Souls is termed the Communion of Saints which Christ effecteth by six special means First by governing them all by one and the same holy Spirit Secondly by enduring them all with one and the same Faith Thirdly by shedding abroad his own love into all their hearts Fourthly by regenerating them all by one and the same Baptism Fifthly by nourishing them all with one and the same spiritual food Sixthly by being one quickning Head of that one body of his Church which he reconciled to God in the body of his flesh Hence it was that the multitude of believers in the Primitive Church were of one heart and of one soul in truth affection and compassion And this should teach Christians to love one another seeing they are all members of the same holy and mystical Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore they should have all a Christian sympathy and fellow feelling to rejoyce one in anothers joy to condole one in anothers grief to bear with one anothers infirmity and mutually to relieve one anothers wants Of the fourth end of the Lord's Supper 4. To feed the Souls of the faithful in the assured hope of life everlasting For this Sacrament is a sign and pledge unto as many as shall receive the same according to Christ's Institution that he will according to his promise by the vertue of his crucified body and blood as verily feed our souls to life eternal as our bodies are by Bread and Wine nourished to this temporal life And to this end Christ in the action of the Sacrament really giveth his very Body and Blood to every faithful Receiver Therefore the Sacrament is called the Communion of the body and blood of the Lord. And Communication is not of things absent but present neither were it the Lord's Supper if the Lord's Body and Blood were not there Christ is verily present in the Sacrament by a double Vnion whereof the first is spiritual 'twixt Christ and the worthy Receiver the second is Sacramental 'twixt the Body and Blood of Christ and the outward signs in the Sacrament The former is wrought by means that the same holy Spirit dwelling in Christ and in the Faithful incorporateth the Faithful as Members unto Christ their Head and so makes them one with Christ and partakers of all the Graces Holiness and eternal Glory which is in him as sure and as verily as they hear the words of the promise and are partakers of the outwards signs of the holy Sacrament Hence it is that the Will of Christ is a true Christians will and the Christians life is Christ who liveth in him Gal. 2. 20. If you look to the things that are united this Union is essential if to the truth of this Union it is real if to the manner how it is wrought it is spiritual It is not our Faith that makes the Body and Blood of Christ to be present but the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him and us Our Father doth but receive and apply unto our Souls those heavenly Graces which are offered in the Sacrament The other being the Sacramental Vnion is not a Physical or Local but a Spiritual conjunction of the earthly signs which are Bread and Wine with the heavenly Graces which are the Body and Blood of Christ in the act of receiving as if by a mutual relation they were but one and the same thing Hence it is that in the same instant of time that the worthy Receiver eateth with his mouth the Bread and Wine of the Lord he eateth also with the mouth of his Faith the very Body and Blood of Christ.
pretence of my Calling and Office robbed and purloined from my fellow Christians yea I have received and suffered Christ where I was trusted many a time in his poor members to stand hungry cold and naked at my Door and hungry cold and naked to go away succourless as he came and when the leanness of his checks pleaded pity the hardness of my heart would shew no compassion Where I should have made conscience to speak the truth in simplicity without any falsehood prudently imaging aright and charitably conâ—â—â—ing all things in the best part and should have defended the good name and credit of my Neighbour alas vile wretch that I am I have belyed and slandered my fellow-brother and as soon as I heard an ill report I made my tongue the Instrument of the Devil to blazon that abroad unto others before I knew the truth of it my self I was so far from speaking a good word in defence of his good name that it tickled my heart in secret to hear one that I envied to be taxed with such a blemish tho' I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in abundant measure I made jests of officious and advantage of pernicious lies herein shewing my self a right Certain rather than an upright Christian And lastly O Lord where I should have rested fully contented with that portion which thy Majesty thought mâ—â—râ—st to bestow upon me in this Pilgrimage and rejoyced in anothers good as in mine own alas my life hath been nothing else but a greedy lusting after this Neighbours house and that Neighbours land yea secretly wishing such a man dead that I might have his living or office covâ—â—iâ—g rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather than being thankful for that which thou hast given unto my self Thus I O Lord who am a carnal sinner and sold under sin have transgressed all thy holy and spiritual Commandments from the first to the last from the greatest unto the least and hear I stand guilty before thy Judgment-seat of all the breaches of all thy laws and therefore liable to thy curse and to all the miseries that Justice can pour forth upon so cursed a creature And whether shall I go for deliverance from this misery Angels blush at my Rebellion and will not help me Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot help themselves Shall I then despair with Cain or make away my self with Judas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to begin the endless torments of hell I will rather appeal to thy Throne of Grace where mercy reigns to pardon abounding sins and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with David for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Job put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drown me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Jonas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken up dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast me into the bowels of Hell as Jonas into the belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry unto thee O God the Father of heaven O Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternal God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner And seeing the goodness of thine own Nature first moved thee to send thine only begotten Son to die for my sins that by his Death I might be reconciled to thy Majesty O reject not now my penitent Soul who being displeased with her self for sin desireth to return to serve and please thee in newness of life and reach from Heaven thy helping hand to save me thy poor servant who am like Peter ready to sink in the Sea of my sins and misery Wash away the multitude of my sins with the merits of that Blood which I believe that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receive this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious Body and Blood O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seal unto my soul that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sins are so freely and fully remitted and forgiven that the curses and judgments which my sins have deserved may never have power either to confound me in this life or to condemn me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast died for my sins and risen again for my justification This I believe O Lord help mine unbelief Work in me likewise I beseech thee an unfeigned repentance that I may hearâ—ily bewail my former sins and loath them and serve thee henceforth in newness of life and greater measure of holy devotion And let my soul never forget the infinite love of so sweet a Saviour that hath laid down his life to redeem so vile a sinner And grant Lord that having received these seals and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maiest henceforth so dwell by the Spirit in me and I so live by faith in thee that I may carefully walk all the days of my liâ—e in godliness and piety towards thee and in Christian love and charity towards all my Neighbours that living in thy fear I may die in thy favour and after death he made partaker of eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen 3. Of the means whereby thou maiest become a worthy Receiver THese means are duties of Two sorts the former respecting God the latter our Neighbour Those which respect God are Three First sound Knowledge Secondly true Faith Thirdly unfeigned Repentance That which respecteth our Neighbour is but one sincere Charity 1. of sound Knowledge requisite in a worthy Communicant Sound Knowledge is a sanctified understanding of the first Principles of Religion As first Of the Trinity of Persons in the unity of the God-head Secondly Of the creation of Man and his Fall Thirdly Of the curse and misery due to sin Fourthly Of the Natures and Offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same unto us For as an house cannot be built unless the foundation he first laid so no more can Religion stand unless it be first grounded upon the certain knowledge of God's Word Secondly If we know not God's Will we can neither believe nor do the same For as worldly businesses cannot be done but by them who have skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in divine and spiritual matters And yet in temporal things a Man may do much by the light of nature but in religious misteries the more we rely upon natural reason the further we are from comprehending spiritual Truth Which discovers the fearful estate of those who receive without knowledge and the more
Ghost thou maist become one with Christ and Christ with thee and so maist feel thy Communion with Christ confirmed and increased daily more and more That as it is impossible to separate the Bread and Wine digested into the blood and substance of thy body so it may be more impossible to part Christ from thy Soul or thy Soul from Christ. Lastly As the Bread of the Sacrament though confected of many Grains yet makes but one Bread so must thou remember that though all the faithful are many yet are they all but one mystical Body whereof Christ is Head And therefore thou must love every Christian as thy self and a member of thy body Thus far of the duties to be done at the receiving of the holy Sacrament called Meditation 3. Of the duties which we are to perform after receiving of the holy Communion called Action or Practice THE duty which we are to perform after the receiving of the Lord's Supper is called Action or Practice without which all the rest will minister unto us no comfort The Action consists of Two sorts of duties First such as we are to perform in the Church or else after that we are gone home Those that we are to perform in the Church are either several from our own souls or else joyntly with the Congregation The several duties which thou must perform from thine own Soul are Three First Thou must be careful that forasmuch as Christ now dwelleth in thee therefore to entertain him in a clean heart and with pure affections for the most holy will be holy with the holy for if Joseph of Arimathea when he had begged of Pilate his dead body to bury it wrapped it in sweet odours and fine Linen and laid it in a new Tomb how much more shouldest thou lodge Christ in a new heart and perfume his Rooms with the odoriferous incense of Prayers and all pure affections If God required Moses to provide a Pot of pure gold to keep the Manna that fell in the Wilderness what a pure heart shouldst thou provide to receive this divine Manna that is come down from Heaven And as thou camest sorrowing like Joseph and Mary to seek Christ in the Temple so now having there found him in the midst of his Word and Sacraments be careful with joy to carry him home with thee as they did And if the man that found but his lost sheep rejoyced so much how canst thou having found the Saviour of the World but rejoyce much more Secondly Thou must offer the Sacrifice of a private thanksgiving unto God for this inestimable grace and mercy for as this action is common unto the whole Church so is it applied particularly to every one of the faithful in the Church and for this particular mercy every soul must joyfully offer up a particular Sacrifice of Thanksgiving For if the Wise Men rejoyced so much when they saw the Star which conducted them unto Christ and worshipped him so devoutly when he lay a Babe in the Manger and offered unto him their Gold Myrrhe and Frankincense how much more shouldest thou rejoyce now that thou hast both seen and received this Sacrament which guideth thy soul unto him where he sitteth at the right hand of his Father in glory And thither lifting up thy heart adore him and offer up unto him the gold of a pure Faith the Myrrhe of a mortified heart and this or the like sweet incense of Prayer and Thanksgiving A Prayer to be said after the receiving of the Communion WHAT shall I render unto thee O blessed Saviour for all these blessings which thou hast so graciously bestowed upon my Soul How can I sufficiently thank thee when I can scarce express them Where thou mightest have made me a Beast thou madest me a Man after thine own Image When by sin I had lost both thine Image and my self thou didst renew in me thine Image by thy Spirit and didst redeem my Soul by thy Blood again and now thou hast given unto me thy Seal and Pledge of my Redemtion nay thou hast given thy self unto me O blessed Redeemer Oh what an inestimable treasure of riches and overflowing Fountain of grace hath he got who hath gained thee No man ever touched thee by Faith but thou didst heal him by Grace for thou art the Author of Salvation the remedy of all evils the medicine of the sick the life of the quick and the resurrection of the dead Seemed it a small matter unto thee to appoint thy holy Angels to attend upon so vile a Creature as I am but that thou would'st enter thy self into my Soul there to preserve nourish and cherish me unto life everlasting If the carcase of the dead Prophet could revive a dead man that touched it how much more shall the living body of the Lord of all Prophets quicken the faithful in whose heart he dwelleth And if thou wilt raise my body at the last day out of the dust how much more wilt thou now revive my Soul which thou hast sanctified with thy Spirit and purified with thy blood O Lord what could I more desire or what couldest thou more bestow upon me than to give me thy body for meat thy blood for drink and to lay down thy Soul for the price of my Redemption Thou Lord enduredst the pain and I do reap the profit I received pardon and thou didst bear the punishment Thy tears were my bath thy wounds my weal and the injustice done to thee satisfied for the Judgment which was due to me Thus by thy birth thou art become my Brother by thy death my ransom by thy mercy my reward and by thy Sacrament my nourishment O divine â—ood by which the sons of men are transformed into the sons of God so that man's nature dieth and God's nature liveth and ruleth in us Indeed all Creatures wondred that the Creator would be inclosed nine Months in the Virgins Womb though her Womb being replenished with the Holy Ghost was more splendid than the Starry Firmament but that thou should'st thus humble thy self to dwell for ever in my heart which thou foundest more unclean than a Dunghill it is able to make all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth to stand amazed But seeing it is thy free Grace and meer pleasure thus to enter and to dwell in my heart I would to God that I had so pure a heart as my heart could wish to entertain thee And who is fit to entertain Christ or who though invited would not chuse with Mary rather to kneel at thy feet than presume to sit with thee at thy Table Though I want a pure heart for thee to dwell in yet weeping eyes shall never be wanting to wash thy blessed feet and to lament my filthy sins And albeit I cannot weep so many tears as may suffice to wash thy holy feet yet Lord it is sufficient that thou hast shed Blood enough to cleanse my sinful Soâ—l And