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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	godhead_n	person_n	property_n	2,378	5	9.5846	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29699	Paradice opened, or, The secreets, mysteries, and rarities of divine love, of infinite wisdom, and of wonderful counsel laid open to publick view also, the covenant of grace, and the high and glorious transactions of the Father and the Son in the covenant of redemption opened and improved at large, with the resolution of divers important questions and cases concerning both covenants ... : being the second and last part of The golden key / by Thomas Brooks ...; Golden key to open hidden treasures. Part 2	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1675 (1675)	Wing B4953; ESTC R11759	249,733	284

everlasting life for it is explained that not to lose them vers 39. is that they may have everlasting life for the further assurance of believers of their eternal happiness it is also covenanted that they shall have this life in present possession in the earnest and first fruits thereof for they have everlasting life even here and before their raising up They have everlasting life 1. in pr●misso 2. in pretio 3. in primltiis he stands already on the battlements of heaven he hath one foot in the porch of Paradise Again Christ having given an earnest-penny of salvation will not suffer it to be lost by any difficulty or impediment in the way but will carry believers through all difficulties till he destroy death and the grave and raise up their very dust that in body and soul they may partake of that bliss and that he may make it manifest that death and rotting in the grave doth not make void his interest nor cause his affection to cease Therefore it is added And I will raise him up at the last day Thus you see that God the father did lay his commands upon his son to engage in this great work of redeeming and saving poor sinners souls c. In the third place I shall shew you that the manner or quality of the transaction between God the father and Jesus Christ was by mutual engagements and stipulations each person undertaking to perform his part in order to our recovery and eternal felicity we find each person undertaking for himself by solemn promise The father promiseth that he will hold Christ's hand and keep him Isa 42. 6. God the father engages himself to direct and assist Christ and to keep him from miscarrying and that he will give him all necessary strength and ability for the execution of his mediatory office and work wonders by him and with him according to that word My father hitherto worketh and I work and the son engages Joh. 5. 17. himself that he will obey the fathers call and not be rebellious Isa 50. 5. I was not rebellious neither turned away Exod. 3. 11 13. cap. 4. 1 10 13. back that is I did not hang back as Moses once and again did nor refuse to go when God sent me as once Jon. 1. 3. Jon. ●s did but I offered my self freely and readily to my father's call there was no affliction no opposition no persecution no evil usage that I met with in carrying on the work of Redemption that did ever startle me or discourage me or make me flinch or shrink back from that great and blessed work that I had undertaken I was dutiful and obedient to the calls commands of my father in all things that he required of me or set me about Now the father the son being thus mutually engaged by promise one to another in honour and faithfulness it highly concerned them to keep one another close to the terms of the Covenant that was made between them and accordingly they did for God the father peremptorily stands upon that compleat and full satisfaction that Christ had promised to give to his justice and therefore when the day of payment came he would not abate Jesus Christ one penny one farthing of the many ten thousand Talents that he Mat. 18. 24. was to pay down upon the nail for us Rom. 8. 32. God spared not his own son that is he abated nothing of that full price that by agreement with his father he was to lay down for us other fathers give their all to spare and redeem their children but the heart of God the father is so fully and strongly set upon satisfaction that he will not spare his son his own son his only son but give him up to death yea to an accursed death that we might be Mauritius who died most miserably spared and saved for ever I have read of a Roman Emperour who chose rather to spare his money than to redeem his souldiers being taken prisoners But to redeem us God would not spare no not his own son because no money nor treasure would serve the turn but only the blood yea the heart-blood of his dear son 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. And as God the father keeps Christ close to the terms of the Covenant so Jesus Christ keeps his father close to the terms of the Covenant also Joh. 17. 4 5. I have glorified thee on the earth saith Christ to his father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do And now O father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was O my father I have finished the work of Redemption but where 's the wages where 's the glory where 's the reward that thou hast promised me There was nothing committed to Christ by the father to be done on earth for the purchasing of our Redemption but he did finish it so that the debt is paid justice satisfied and sin Satan and death spoiled so that nothing remains but that Christ be glorified according to the promise of the father to him The summ of Christ's petition is this that since he had finished the work of Redemption that therefore the father according to his engagement would advance him to the possession of that glory that he enjoyed from all eternity Now for the clearing of this we must consider that as Christ was from Eternity the glorious God so we are not to conceive of any real change in this glory of his Godhead as if by his estate of humiliation he had suffered any diminution or by his state of exaltation any real accession were made to his glory as God But the true meaning is this That Christ having according to the paction past betwixt the father and him obscured the glory of his Godhead for a time under the veil of the Phil. 2. 5 6 7 8. form of a servant and our sinless infirmities doth now expect according to the tenour of the same paction after he had done his work to be exalted and glorified and openly declared to be the son of God the veil of his estate Rom. 1. 4. of humiliation though not of our nature being taken away It is further to be considered that however this eternal glory be proper to him as God yet he prays to be glorified in his whole person Glorifie me because not only his humane nature was to be exalted to what glory finite nature was capable of but the glory of his Godhead was to shine in the person of Christ God-man and in the man Christ though without confusion of his natures and properties Christ did so faithfully discharge his trust and perfect the work of Redemption as that the father was engaged by paction to glorifie him and accordingly Christ God incarnate is exalted with the father in glory and majesty so that believers may be as sure that all things necessary for their Redemption are done as

understand it of the whole time of his manifestation in the world when he was sent forth as a Prophet to teach them and was declared evidently to be the son of God both by his miracles and ministry Jo● 1. 14. and by that voice that was heard from heaven This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Others do understand it of the day of Christ's Resurrection and with them I close for this seems to be chiefly intended partly because it seems to be spoken of some solemn time of Christ's manifestation to be the son of God and he was declared to be the son of God with power according to the Rom. 1. 4. spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead that is by the power and force of the Deity sanctifying and quickening the flesh he was raised from the dead and so declared mightily to be the son of God but mainly because the Apostle doth clearly affirm that this was in Christ's Resurrection He hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my son this Act. 13. 32 33. day have I begotten thee In the day of Christ's Resurrection he seems to tell all the world that though from the beginning he had been hid in the bosom of his father J●h 1. 18. and that though in the Law he had been but darkly shadowed out yet in the day of his Resurrection they might plainly see that he had fully satisfied Divine Justice finished his s●fferings and compleated the Redemption of his Elect and that accordingly his father had arrayed him with that glory that was sutable to him Before the Resurrection the Godhead was veiled under the infirmity of the flesh but in the Resurrection and after the Resurrection the Godhead did sparkle and shine forth 2 Cor. 13. 4. very gloriously and wonderfully least the humane nature of Christ upon its assumption should shrink at the approach of sufferings God the father engages himself to give Jesus Christ a full and ample reward And to exalt him far above all principality and power and to put all things Eph. 1. 21 22. ●●il 2. 9. Name is put for person and bowing of the knee a bodily ceremony to express inward subjection Estius 〈◊〉 under his feet and to make him head over all things to the Church And to give him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and all because to give satisfaction to his father he made himself of no reputation and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross that is to his dying day He went thorough many a little death all his life long and at length underwent that cursed and painful death of the Cross upon which account the father rewards him highly by exalting him to singular glory and transcendent honour Look that as the assumption of the humane nature is the highest instance of free mercy so is the rewarding thereof in its state of exaltation the highest instance of remunerative justice Oh how highly is the humane nature of Christ honoured by being exalted to a personal union with the Godhead though vain men may dishonour Christ yet the father hath conferred honour upon him as Mediator that it may be a Testimony to us that he is infinitely pleased with the Redemption of lost man Although Christ be in himself God all-sufficient God blessed for ever and so is not capable of any access of glory yet it pleased him to condescend so far as to obscure his own glory under the veil of his flesh and state of humiliation till he had perfected the work of Redemption and to account of his office of Mediator and the dignity accompanying it as great honour conferred upon him by the father J●l 8. 54. And it is observable that Christ having finished our Redemption on earth he petitions his father to advance him to the possession of that glory that he enjoyed from all eternity And now O father glorifie thou me Joh. 17. ● with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was Now for the clearing up of this Text we are to consider that as Christ was from all Eternity the glorious God the God of glory so we are not to conceive of any real change in this glory of his Jesus Christ is true God and was infinitely glorious from all eternity for he had glory with his father before the world was and therefore he was no upstart God and of a later standing as the Arians and Maho●etans make of him Godhead as if by his estate of humiliation he had suffered any diminution or by his state of exaltation any real accession were made to his glory as God But the meaning is this That Christ having according to the paction past betwixt the father and him obscured the glory of his Godhead for a time under the veil of the form of a servant and our sinless infirmities doth now expect according to the tenour of the same paction that after he hath done his work as Mediator he be highly exalted and glorified in his whole person that his humane nature be exalted to what glory finite nature is capable of and that the glory of his Godhead might shine in the person of Christ God-man and in the man Christ Jesus Thus you see the promises the encouragements and rewards that God the father sets before Jesus Christ And let thus much suffice concerning the Articles of the Covenant on God's part In the last place let us seriously consider of the Articles of the Covenant on Christ's part and let us weigh well the promises that Jesus Christ has made to the father for the bringing about the great work of our Redemption that so we may see what infinite cause we have to love the son as we love the father and to honour the son as we honour the father and to trust in the son as we trust in the father and to glorifie the son as we glorifie the father c. Now there are six observable things on Christ's part on Christ's side that we are to take special notice of c. First Christ having consented and agreed with the father about our Redemption accordingly he applies himself to the discharge of that great and glorious work by taking a body by assuming our nature Heb. 2. 14. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same He who was equal with God did so far abase himself as to take on him the nature of man and subjected himself to all manner of humane frailties so far as they are freed from sin even such as accompany flesh and blood and this is one of the wonders of mercy and love that Christ our head should stoop so low who was himself full of glory as to take part of flesh and blood that he might suffer for flesh

in the Trinity should become the Mediator between God and man that he that was the express Image of the Father's Person should restore the Image of God defaced in man by his sins Ah Christians how well does it become you to lose your selves in the admiration of the wisdom of God in the contrivance of the work of our Redemption For the Son of God to take on him the nature of man with all the essential properties thereof and all the sinless infirmities and frailties thereof is a wonder that may well take up our thoughts to all Eternity And Christ took the infirmities of our nature as well as the nature it self To shew the truth of his Humanity he had a nature that could hunger and thirst even as ours do and to sanctifie them to us and that so he might sympathize with us as a merciful and faithful High Priest and that we might Heb. 2. 16 17 18. cap. 4. 15 16. confide the more in him and have acce●s to him with boldness By reason of the personal union of the two natures in Christ he is a fit Mediator betwixt God and man Act. 20. 28. his sufferings are of infinite value being the sufferings of one who is God and who is mighty to carry on the work Isa 63 1. He● 7. 25. of Redemption and to apply his own purchase and repair all our losses Oh what an honour has Jesus Christ put upon fallen man by taking the nature of man on him What is so near and dear to us as our own nature and lo our nature is highly preferred by Jesus Christ to a Union in the Godhead Christ now sits in heaven with Act. 1. 9 10 11. our nature and the same flesh that we have upon us only glorified It is that which all the world cannot give a sufficient reason why the same word in the Hebrew Bashar should signifie both Flesh and Good Tidings Divinity will give you a reason though Grammar cannot Christ's taking of flesh upon him was good tidings to all the whole world therefore no wonder if one word signifie both Abundance of comfort may be taken from hence to poor souls when they think God hath forgotten them to consider is it likely that Christ who is Man should forget man now he is at the right hand of the Father cloathed in that nature that we have when we are troubled to think it is impossible God and man should ever be reconciled let us consider that God and man did meet in Christ therefore it is possible we may meet what hath been may be again the two natures met in Christ therefore God may be reconciled to man yea they therefore met that God might be reconciled to man he was made Immanuel God with us that he might bring God and us together when a man is troubled to think of the corruptious of his nature that is so full of ●efilements that it cannot be sanctified perfectly let him withal think that his nature is capable of Sanctification to the full Christ received Humane nature which was not polluted his nature is the same therefore that nature is capable of sanctification to the uttermost Oh sirs if Christ the second Person in the Trinity did put on man how careful should men be to put on Christ Put you on the Lord Jesus saith Re● 13. 14. the Apostle If Christ assumed our Humane nature how should we wrestle with God to be made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we may be made partakers of the Divine Nature If Christ became thus one flesh with us how zealous should we be to become one spirit with Christ 1 Cor. 6. 17. Even as man and wife is one flesh so he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit Was the word made flesh did Christ take our nature yea did he take our nature at the worst after the fall what high cause have we to bless his name for ever for this condescention of his Should all the Princes of the world have come from their Thrones and have gone a begging from door to door it would not amount to so much as for Christ to become Man for our sakes ●hrist took our nature not in the the integrity of it as in Adam before his fall but in the infirmities of it which came to it by the fall What a mazing love was this For Christ to have taken our nature as it was in Adam while he stood clothed in his integrity and stood right in the sight of God had not been so much as when Adam was fallen and proclaimed Traytor As Bernard saith Quo pro me vilior eò mihi charior Domine Lord thou shalt be so much the more dear to me by how much the more thou hast been vile for me Here is condescention indeed that Christ should stoop so low to take Flesh and Flesh with Infirmities But Secondly Jesus Christ promiseth to God the Father that he will freely readily and chearfully accept undertake and faithfully discharge his Mediatory office to which he was designed by him in order to the Redemption and Salvation of all his chosen ones Consult the Scriptures Compare Psal 40. 6. to the 11. with Heb. 10. 5. to the 11. and Isa ●1 1 2 3. Lu● 4. 18 19. 20. A●● 13. 23. cap. 7. 22. Heb. 10. 1● 14. in the Margin they having been formerly opened and in them you will find that Christ did not take the office of Mediatorship upon himself but first the Father calls him to it and then the Son accepts it Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee He called him and then the Son answered him Lo I come God the Father promiseth that upon the payment of such a price by his Son such and such souls should be ransomed and set free from the curse from wrath from hell c. Jesus Christ readily consents to the price and pays it down upon the nail at once and so makes good his Mediatory office It pleased the glorious Son of God in obedience to the Father to humble himself and obscure the glory of his Godhead that he might be like his brethren and a fit Mediator for sympathy and suffering and that he might engage his life and glory for the redeeming of the Elect and lay by his Robes of Majesty and not be re-assumed till he gave a good account of that work till he was able to say I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do Christ very freely and chearfully undertakes to do and suffer whatever was the will of his Father that he should do or suffer for the bringing about the Redemption of Mankind Christ willingly undertakes to be his Father's Servant in this great work and accordingly he looks upon his Father as his Lord Thou

glory which thou hast given me ●hus I have glanced at Christ's solemn demand on earth for the full accomplishment of that blessed Compact Covenant Agreement and Promises that were made to him when he undertook the office of a Mediator and now is in heaven he appears in the presence of God for us as a 〈…〉 9. ●4 Lawyer appears in open Court for his Client opens the case pleads the cause and carries the day The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated to appear signifieth conspicuously to manifest It is sometimes taken in a good sense viz. to appear for one as a Favourite before a Prince or as an Advocate or an Attourney before a Judge or as the High Priests appeared once a year in the Holy of Holiest to Exod. 30. 10. make atonement for the people Christ is the great Favourite in the Court of glory and is always at God's Rom. 8. 34. right hand ready on all occasions to present our petitions to his Father to pacifie his anger and to obtain all 1 Jo● 2. 1. noble and needful favours for us And Christ is our great Advocate to plead our cause effectually for us Look as in Humane Courts there is the Guilty the Accuser the Court the Judge and the Advocate so it is here Heaven is the Court Man is the guilty Person Satan is the Accuser God is the Judge and Christ is the Advovocate Now look as the Advocate appeareth in the Court before the Judge to plead for the guilty against the accuser so doth Christ appear before God in heaven to answer all Satan's objections and accusations that he may make in the Court of heaven against us He ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7. 25. The verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated intercession is a compound and signi●ies to call upon one it is a judicial word and importeth a calling upon a Judge to be heard in this or that against A●● 25. ●● R●m 11. 2. c●p 8. 34. another or for another so here Christ maketh intercession for them The Metaphor is taken from Attorneys or Advocates who appear for men in Courts of Justice from Counsellers who plead their Clients cause answer the Adversary supplicate the Judge and procure sentence to pass on their Clients side This Act of making Intercession may also be taken from Kings Favourites who are much in the King's presence and ever ready to make request for their friends But remember though this be thus attributed to Christ yet we may not think that in heaven Christ prostrateth himself before him or maketh actual prayers that was a part of his humiliation which he did in the days of his flesh but it implyeth ●eb 5 7. a presenting of himself a Sacrifice a Surety and one that hath made satisfaction for all our sins together with manifesting of his will and desires that such and such should partake of the vertue and benefit of his Sacrifice so as Christ's intercession consisteth rather in the perpetual vigour of his Sacrifice and continual application thereof than in any actual supplication The intendment of this Phrase applyed to Christ to make intercession is to shew that Christ being God's Favourite and our Advocate continually appeareth before God to make application of that Sacrifice which once he offered up for our sins Christ appears in the presence of God for us 1. To present unto his Father himself who is the price of our Redemption 2 To make application of his Sacrifice to his Church time after time according to the need of the several members thereof 3. To make our persons prayers services and all good things acceptable to God But Seventhly and lastly The whole Compact and Agreement between God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ about the Redemption of poor sinner's souls was really and solemnly transacted in open Court or as I may say in the High Court of Justice above in the presence of the great publick Notary of heaven viz. the Holy Ghost who being a third Person of the glorious Trinity of the same Divine Essence and of equal power and glory makes up a third Legal Witness with the Father and the Son They being a●ter the manner of Kings their own Witnesses So the King write● 〈◊〉 me●●● This 1 Joh. 5. 7. is a very clea● Proof and Testimony of the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Divine ●ssence they are ●ll one in ●ssence and Will As if three lamps were lighted in o●● chamber albeit the lamps be di●ers yet the lights ●annot be s● 〈◊〉 so in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a distruction of Perso●s 〈◊〉 ● 〈…〉 phei●y of nature also 1 Joh. 5. 7. For there be three that ●ear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Three 1. In the true and real distinction of their Persons 2. In their inward Properties as to beget to be begotten and to proceed 3. In their several offices one to another as to send and to be sent And these three are one one in Nature and Essence one in Power and Will one in the act of producing all such actions as without themselves any of them is said to act and one in their Testimony concerning the Covenant of Redemption that was agreed on between the Father and the Son Consent of all parties the Allowance of the Judge and publick Record is as much as can be desi●ed to make all publick Contracts authentick in Courts of Justice and what can we desire more to settle satisfie and assure our own souls that all the Article of the Covenant of Redemption shall on all hands be 〈…〉 inly made good than this that these three heave●ly Witnesse● God the Father God the Son and God the Holy G●●st do all agree to the Articles of the Covenant and 〈◊〉 Witnesses to the same Covenant Thus you see that there was a Covenant of Redemption made with Christ upon the terms whereof he is constituted to be a 〈◊〉 to say to the prisoners go forth to bring delivera●●e to the captives and to proclaim the year of release or Jubile the acceptable year of the Lord as it is Isa 61. 1 2. I have been the longer in opening the ●ovenant of Redemption partly because of its grand importance to all our souls and partly because others have spoken so little to it to the best of my observation and partly because I have never before handled this Subject either in the Pulpit or the Press c. Now from the serious consideration of this Compact Covenant and Agreement that was solemnly made between God and Christ touching the whole business of man's Salvation or Redemption I may form up this tenth Plea as to the ten Scriptures that are in the Margin that Eccles 11. 9. cap. 12. 14. Mat. 12. 14. cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16. 2. Rom. ●4 10. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Heb. 9. 27. cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 5. Isa 53. 6.

no Socinian Atheists among us who deny with open face the God-head of Christ and of the Holy Ghost as if Christ were a constituted God and not of the same substance with the Father from all Eternity not a God by Nature but by Donation in time And though God hath raised up several Champions in this his Israel to disarm them of all their Subtilties and to beat them out of all their Trenches though they were dug as low as hell yet how have they put on Prov. 27. 22. a brow of brass and do all they can to bring on a warm Persecution upon their opposers But Ninthly They that plead for the reduction of all Ordinances Worship Church Government and Discipline to the primitive pattern and institution in opposition to all Humane and Antichristian Inventions Traditions and Innovations in the Worship of God they have a good Cause and they that suffer upon that account suffer as Christians for well doing Surely this is a truth we must live and die by viz. That no Ordinance Worship Government or Discipline is to be held up or maintained in the Church but what has the stamp of a Divine Institution upon it The worshipping of God in Spirit and in Truth is that Worship Joh. 4. 23 24. Rom 1. 9. Phil. 3. 3. which God commands commends accepts and rewards And therefore let us make it our business our work our heaven to keep close to this kind of Worship Christ will shortly come in 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9 10. flames of fire and vindicate this kind of Worship against all opposers Hold out Faith and Patience a little and Christ will call all the troublers of his Church and People into the Valley of Decision Joel 3. 14. Isa 40. 10. Jer. 21. 5. Ezek. 32. 2. and there with a strong hand and with an out-stretched arm he will plead with them and with all such as have muddied the Waters of his Sanctuary and polluted those Silver Streams and then it will appear whether the outward ceremonious worshiping of God or the worshiping him in Spirit and in Truth be the true Worship Judicious Hooker determines that in God's Service to do that which we are not to do is a greater fault than not to do that which we are commanded Amongst other reasons he gives this to our purpose because in the one we seem to charge the Law of God with hardness only and in the other with foolishness and insufficiency which God gave us as a perfect Rule of his Worship and Service But Tenthly and lastly They that are Assertors of those precious 10. Privileges that are the purchase of the blood of Christ they have Eph. 1. 22 23. Colos 1. 18. Phil. 2. 6 7 8 9 10. a good cause and if they suffer upon that account they suffer as Christians for well doing As for instance First Christ as Mediator hath purchased for himself a Headship and Supremacy over his Church Now such as stand up for the Headship of the Lamb against all those that would rob him of his Headship either at Rome or elsewhere they have a righteous Cause and if they suffer upon that account they suffer as Christians for well doing Secondly He has purchased for his People a● Liberty to serve and worship him without fear in holiness and righteousness all Luk. 1. 69 70 74 75. Gal. 5. 1. the days of their life He has purchased for his People a Liberty from the Ceremonies of Moses's Law which were originally the Commands of God himself how much more then from all Paganish and Antichristian Ceremonies The imposition of traditional Observances and Ceremonies is to reduce us under the Jewish Yoke which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear Act. 15. 10. or to impose them as equally obligatory to Conscience as Divine Commands or to impose them as the immediate Worship of God or as Duties essentially necessary in order to Salvation Christians justly abhor as the Tyranny of Rome as the infringment of Christian Liberty and as a Violation and making void ● the Commandment of God as our Saviour told the Pharisees of Mat. 15. 6. old That they made the Commandment of God of none effect The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to deprive of all Rule and Authority They had such a superstitious esteem of their Traditions Ceremonies c. that they sought to shoulder God out of his Throne to devest and spoil him of his Rule and Authority to ungod him as it were by making his Commandment void and invalid Christ reprehends three things in the Jewish Traditions Ch●mn●t 1. That they obtruded outward Cleanness on God instead of the Purity of the heart 2. That by their Humane Traditions they made void the Worship of God 3. That they preferred Humane Traditions before the Divine Precepts and were so taken with their Traditions that they neglected the Divine Precepts yea made them altogether vain as the Papists and others that are Popishly affected do this day They that are the most zealous Dr. Fuller S●m for the introducing of useless Ceremonies in the Church are usually the most negligent to preach the Cautions in using them and simple people like Children in eating of Fish swallow bones and all to the danger of choaking Besides what is observed of horse-hairs that lying nine days in water they turn to Snakes So some Ceremonies though dead at first in continuance of time quicken get stings and may do much mischief especially in such an Age wherein the meddling of some have justly awakened the Jealousie of all Now whoever shall suffer for asserting of any of the precious Privileges that are the Purchase of Christ's Blood they suffer in a Righteous Cause they suffer as Christians for well doing And thus you see how a man may know when his Cause is good just and righteous and when he suffers as a Christian for well doing But Seventhly Consider That it is not enough for a man to have a good cause but he must have a clear call else he may be a sufferer but no Martyr Some may have a good Cause and yet want a clear Call Some may suffer for the cause of God and yet sin in suffering for want of a Call Christ calls not all to suffer Phil. 1. 29. A Priest might enter into a Leper's house without danger because he had a calling from God so to do And we may follow God dry-shod through the Red Sea when God gives a Call to some it is given to others it is not given When a man's Call is clear his Peace will be sweet his courage will be high and his comforts will be strong though his sufferings be never so great nor never so long Though it be a high honour to suffer for the Gospel yet no man ought to take this honour upon himself but he that is called of God Christians must take as much heed how they