them to make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and makes use of all his Stratagems to make 'em turn Hereticks if not Apostates And that his Projects have been too successful will evidently appear if we consider the many Heresies which have been broacht in the Church concerning the Natures Person and Offices of our blessed Saviour Which I should be sorry to conjure up and therefore I hope my Reader will excuse me if I rather desire to have 'em buried in the darkest Shades of Oblivion CHAP. IV. Of the Vnion of the Divine and Humane Natures in the Person of Christ WE shall not be too curious in inquiring into the Manner of this Hypostatical Vnion Of the union of the two Natures For my design is rather to edifie the sober and conscientious then humour the captious or Sceptical Reader The perfect Knowledge of this Mystery is a Sacred Reserve for the contemplation of the holy Angels and Saints glorified and it would cease to be admirable if we could comprehend or express it But we Christians may conceive tho' not by the energy of Reason yet by the eye of Faith that the Messiah of the World is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Man-hood is taken into the God-head and by the singular virtue and operation of the Holy Ghost without the intervention of an Earthly Father the blessed Virgin became impregnated and did conceive And this was the most sutable way of accomplishing that so necessary Conjunction of the Divine and Humane Natures That he might be perfectly Sanctified as Man and that the Nature which he assum'd might be free from all stain and pollution Thus God and Man make one Person Yet So that the two Natures are preserv'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 entire without Confusion as the Councils and Fathers defin'd against Eutyches And the Person of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si quis non confitetur carni secundum Subsistentiam unitum Dei Patris Verbum Anathemisit Cyril in Ep. Alex. Concil Anath without Division against Nestorius But they were united 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly and perfectly without Confusion of Persons without Commixture of Natures and yet they were united 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Personal and real Vnion Thus the eternal Son of God took our Nature upon Him which being united to his Divine Nature hath now the same Subsistence which he hath so that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word assuming and the Nature assumed make but one Person God and Man one Christ I would not confound my Reader with Metaphysical and School Notions concerning the Hypostatical Vnion 't is like God himself better understood by its Properties and Effects than in its own Nature 'T is sufficient that all our Creeds and all Antiquity do confess it and unanimously concur in this great Article of our Faith Namely that altho' Christ has two Natures the Word and the Flesh yet do these two make but one Person one Son of God one Saviour of Men. We pass from the Manner of this Vnion to consider in the next Place 1 The Necessity of it 2 The Benefits which we Christians do receive by it And 3 We shall make some Practical Improvement of the Point in hand by way of Application And 1st 'T is by vertue of the Vnion of these two Natures that our Lord Jesus Christ has reconcil'd us to God and works all things for us in the great Business of our Redemption We have consider'd already what a deplorable Estate and Condition mankind was in by the Disobedience and Fall of our first Parents And no expedient could've been more sutable to unite those two distant and otherwise irreconcilable Extremes an offended God to offending Man than the Interposition of a Person consisting of both Natures which were so much at variance For 1 By vertue of that Agreement between the Father and the Son The Necessity of this Union 't is impli'd that the Saviour of the World should be God since no other expedient could mediate a Peace nor make a plenary satisfaction to God's Justice for us Besides our Transgressions being committed against an infinite God and attended with the most heinous aggravations of wickedness and villany the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or price paid for our Atonement must be sutably great otherwise God's Justice would be still unsatisfied But the Bloud of the whole Creation could not redeem one Soul from Death Wherefore he must be God that should undergo this Wrath and God that he might overcome and not sink under the Punishment More particularly if we consider the Price which was to be paid for the Purchase of our Redemption the many and great Obstacles which were to be remov'd the potent and numberless Enemies which were to be conquer'd and subdu'd as Sathan Death Hell c. the Justice of God as before which must be fully satisfied for Man's Delinquency and Disobedience the intolerable Burden of our Sins and the shatter'd Condition of our Nature which was to be rectified and restor'd to its primitive Innocence and Integrity If I say we consider all these Particulars impartially We must necessarily infer that 't was not meer Man that could atchieve our Reconciliation but 't is the immense Merit of the eternal Son of God that must conciliate the difference and reconcile sinful Man to an offended Justice Secondly Why Christ must be Man The Saviour of the World must be Man also to constitute him a Redeemer of Men. And this was absoutely necessary upon several Accounts 1 Because he must be subject to the Law and perform all the Conditions which the Law requir'd at our Hands in making up all our Defects by his Active and satisfying for all our Obliquities by his Passive and unsinning Obedience That as Man had deeply offended so he should highly please God and procure his Grace and Favour The Apostle is very express to this purpose As by the Disobedience saith he of one Man Rom. 5.19 many were made Sinners So by the Obedience of one many shall be made Righteous that is they shall be absolv'd from Guilt rescu'd from Punishment and be restor'd by degrees to the full enjoyment of their lost Innocence and happiness But the Deity being impassible and Christ our Surety having Covenanted to do this sor us 't was necessary therefore that he should assume Our Nature Heb. 2.9 10. that he might be made perfect thro' sufferings and tast Death for every Man 2 'T was requisite that the same Nature should conquer the Devil that was overcome by him and propitiate for our Pardon which had caus'd the Enmity between God and us Otherwise the Promise That the seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's head had been covenanted to no purpose Gen. 3.15 It was the Nature of Man in the first Adam that made the Breach and 't is the same Nature in the second Adam that must satisfie God's Justice and make our Atonement This was
Ioan. Tract â— is the same for substance with that of the Ancient Jews under the Old Dispensation The Patriarchs and Prophets had the same Faith Religion and Worship common with us Christians Nor did they expect then or do they inherit eternal Happiness now upon any other Terms then by a sincere and stedfast Belief of the purchas'd Redemption by their promis'd Messiah 8 And lastly By many other Arguments summ'd up in this Paragraph To these Topics many others might be added if it were necessary to testifie the Divinity and Excellency of our Saviours Doctrine As the Purity of his Life the Sublimity of his Religion the Perfection of its Laws the Force of its Arguments the Testimony of his holy Spirit in Mens Consciences the Operation of his Grace the Fruits and Comforts of the Christian Devotion c. And in a word the whole Contexture and Design of it can be no other then to glorifie God and to make us Holy and Vertuous here that we may be eternally Glorious hereafter Seing then we have the most convincing Attestations that can be given to confirm us in the Belief of the Christian Religion in General and since there 's nothing in the whole Constitution as will more fully appear in the Sequel of this Discourse but what 's most worthy of God and consentaneous to the rectified Reason and Interest of Mankind We must hence necessarily infer that it derives it's Original from Heaven and can be no less than the Contrivance and Product of an infinite and eternal Wisdom and Goodness Thus much concerning the Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion in General PAss we on now to Particulars Wherein I shall endeavour to give you the clearest Account I can of God's infinite and Inconceivable Love to Mankind and what admirable Means and Methods the Divine Wisdom Col. 1.20 and Goodness was pleas'd to make use of to reconcile the World unto himself And in treating of this great Mistery of Man's Redemption We shall consider 1st The Partition of the Booâ—â— The several Names and Appellations which are promiscuously ascrib'd to our blessed Saviour in Holy Scripture the explication whereof will give great Light to and make the Doctrine of the Gospel much more intelligible 2dly We shall Discourse distinctly of his Divine and Humane Natures and their Hypostatical Vnion in the Person of Christ And proceed to assign some special Reasons why the Mediator of the New Covenant must be God Why he must be Man and why God and Man in the same Person to constitute him a fit Mediator between both 3dly We shall enquire Particularly into the Nature of Christ's Offices and the Manner of their Administration All which will clearly illustrate the great End and Design of our Blessed Saviour's Incarnation and what great things he has done and suffer'd for us that we should live comfortably here and be happy for ever To Treat of all which we now proceed distinctly and in Order CHAP. I. Of the Names and Titles ascrib'd to our Blessed Saviour in Holy Scripture OF those sundry Names and Appellations ascrib'd to the Eternal Son of God and Saviour of the World in Holy Scripture some have respect to his Person others to his Offices And are variously distinguisht into Proper and Figurative Denominations agreeable thereto As to his Divine Nature in the greatest propriety of Speech He is call'd God â—â—iles relating to Christ's God-head Isa 9.6 The true God 1 John 5.20 The great God Micah 5.4 5. The Son of God Mark 15.39 and Luke 8.28 And the only begotten Son of God John 3.16 And in the same respect he is said to be tho' Figuratively the Word of God John 1.1 2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of the invisible God Col. 1.15 or the Character of his Person As to his Humane Nature To his Manhood he is properly term'd the Son of Man Luke 9.56 A Man of Sorrows Isa 53.3 The Son of Abraham the Son of David c. Luke 3.23 24 c. And upon the some account tho' Figuratively he is said to be the Seed of the Woman Acts 13.23 The Seed of Abraham the seed of Isaac the Seed of Jacob c. Gen. 17.19 Mat. 1. the righteous Branch and he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 25.5 6. As to his two Natures Hypostatically united in the same Person of the Son of God And to both as united in the same Person of Christ he is call'd Emmanuel Mat. 1.23 The Lord of all things Col. 1.16 17 18 19. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 Again in Relation to his Offices in general Titles relating to his Offices in general he is called Jesus Mat 1.21 which is an Hebrew word and alwayes written in the Syriack Translation of the New Testament signifying to Save and therefore 's a Name most agreeable to his Mediatorship He is also called Christ John 6.69 Which is a Greek word signifying to Anoint From which two Names it may be reasonably conjectur'd that he is the anointed Saviour of the whole Race of Mankind of the Hebrews and Greeks both of the Jew and Gentile To which may be added the Titles of the Messiah the Saviour Acts 5.31 Salvation it self in the Abstract Luke 1.69 and Luke 19.9 The Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 The Redeemer of the World Tit. 2.14 The hope and expectation of the Gentiles Mat. 12.21 The Desire and Delight of all Nations Isa 2.2 And properly speaking he is all and every one of these And in the same respect tho in a Figurative Sense He 's intituled the Bridegroom Mat. 9.15 The Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1.22 23. The Foundation of a Building 1 Cor. 10.4 A Lion Rev. 5.5 Bread from Heaven John 6.48.50 The Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 Light it self Joh. 1.4 8 9. The Morning Star Num. 24.17 A Vine John 15.1 The Tree of Life Rev. 22.2 But more Particularly And to his several Offices in particular and with special reference to his Offices As 1st To his Priestly Office To his Priestly Office He is call'd our High Priest Heb. 3.1 The Priest Heb. 7.3 11. Oblation or Sacrifice Heb. 9.26 The Lamb of God Job 1.29 36. The Paschal Lamb Exod. 13.13 Comp. Rev. 13.8 The Passover it self 1 Cor. 5.7 2dly As to his Prophetical Office To his Prophetical Offices he is said to be our Pastor and great Shepherd John 10.14 16. Rabbi Mâ—ster Mark 10.17 John 1.28 Apostle Heb. 3.1 Minâ—ster of the Circumcision Rom. 15.8 c. 3dly As to his Kingly Office To his Kingly Office he bears the Titles of King Luke 23.2 3. Prince Acts 5.31 King of Peace Heb. 7.2 Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 The Ruler of all things Micah 5 2. Phil. 2.10 11. and Judge of all men Acts 10.42 Titles deriv'd from his Types And sometimes his Titles are deriv'd from the Types as the
we wilfully despise or dishonour that high and holy Name whereby we are call'd God's Honour in Christ our anointed Saviour is a Prerogative He 's exceeding jealous of and therefore whosoever shall arrogate that Glory to themselves or substract that Obedience which is due to the Eternal Son of God shall certainly feel the Power of his God-head We 've a great many sad Instances upon Record of God's Justice and Vengeance on purpose to deter us from the like Offences How conspicuous are the tragical Memoirs of the fallen Angels of Herod Pontius Pilate Judas and many others who would have set themselves in God's stead What shall I tell you of the whole Jewish Nation that derided betray'd condemn'd and Crucified the Lord of Life Not one of all these could flie from Justice but suffer'd the severest Punishments in proportion to their Crimes for their wretched Prophaneness Cruelty and Irreligion What might I add of the later Hereticks as Arrius Nestorius Eutyches Servetus c. whose Lives and Deaths are and shall be for ever infamous to all Posterity Seing therefore that God will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and that he will by no means endure that his Glory should be given to another And seing we have such a Cloud of Witnesses before us who have suffered by the Contempt and Neglect of his Worship it stands us in hand to be very prudent and circumspect in our Demeanor and Deportment towards him lest we wilfully blaspheme his Name derogate from his Glory abuse and trample upon his Word and Sacraments despise his Servants neglect our Duties transgress his just and reasonable Commands or continue in any one unlawful Act of Sin or Disobedience unrepented of unreform'd 'T is our Saviour's own Rule and confirm'd by every day's Experience Ioh. 2. Ep. â— He that loveth God will keep his Commandments And what heinous Ingratitude as well as Disobedience must we Christians be guilty of if we make not our Lives the Transcript of his Divine and Excellent Doctrine and with the highest Expressions of Love Joy and Thankfulness recognize his inconceivable Goodness and Mercy to the Children of Men. But if on the contrary we should render him evil for good and hatred for good-will this Abuse and Contempt of his Grace and Clemency shall not be able to escape the just Resentments of his Wrath and Vengeance And judge what a miserable Condition those poor Wretches will be in who not only trample under foot the Son of God but have so disregarded the Sanctions of his Laws and the Charitable Tenders of his Grace and Goodness that Salvation it self cannot save them Thus much concerning our Saviour's God-head I have been the longer about it because the Devil has been more sedulous in his Endeavours to corrupt and undermine this than any other Article of our Christian Faith Which every Man will readily grant that has the least Acquaintance with Ecclesiastical History and Decrees of Councils Wherefore no Person of any Candor or Christianity can think my Time or Pains mis-imploy'd and mis-spent in explaining and confirming this Article of our Faith wherein the Excellency and Dignitie of the Person of the Son of God and our own present and eternal Welfares are so Emimently concern'd CHAP. III. Of our Saviour's Manhood THis is another Fundamental Article of our holy and excellent Religion The Humane Nature of Christ constder'd that the Eternal Son of God became true and real Man for our sakes That he assum'd the Humane Nature into the reality of his Person tho' in a manner most incomprehensible And yet he was fully invested with it and precisely at the time appointed of the Father and predicted by the Prophets was really conceiv'd in the Womb and born of the Virgin Mary He was made that he might be a perfect Man not begotten of the Seed and Substance of the Woman as all other Men are differing from Vs only in the Miraculous Conception by the Power of the Holy Ghost And 't was necessary that it should be so that he might be free from all sin Himself especially since He came to suffer for Ours For indeed all other Men being conceiv'd by natural Generation must needs be tainted with the Guilt and Stain of Adam's first Sin which has been thus transmitted to and propagated by his miserable Posterity But tho' Christ the Eternal Son of God was conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost yet he was made of the Flesh of the Virgin Gen. 3.15 Gen. 22.18 Mat. 1.1 otherwise he could not have been what he really was The seed of the Woman the seed of Abraham the seed of David Besides this was absolutely necessary to qualifie him for nor could he've been otherwise capable of that Mediatorship whereby he was to procure and establish a Peace between God and Man Thus he took our Nature and therefore no Starry Substance as the Marcionites cerdonians and Manichaean Hereticks vainly dream'd nor yet a Spiritual or Elementary Body as Valentinus and others conjectur'd And tho' those several Heresies were censur'd and exploded by the Decrees of Councils in the four first Centuries yet there 's still a Spawn of those Errours amongst us And therefore for the Conviction of those that have espous'd them and to confirm others in the stedfast Belief of this important and saving Truth I shall make it fully evident That our Lord Jesus Christ did not only assume our Flesh but our whole Nature That is 1st Arguments for it A true Humane Body and a rational Humane Soul 2dly He suscepted in that real Body and reasonable Soul all the Properties and Infirmities of both First he took our whole Nature Christ assum'd a real humane body viz. I A real Humane body figur'd and circumscrib'd as ours which had all the Parts and Members of a true Body compounded of Flesh and Blood was visible and tangible did eat drink sleep encrease in strength and stature sensible of pain and want and was at last subject to a conspicuous Death for the conviction of the obstinate and unbelieving World The Holy Scripture has confirm'd and fortified this Truth with variety of Arguments for Christ is said to be of the Seed of Abraham the Seed of Isaac Rom. 1.3 Rom. 9.5 the Seed of Jacob and particularly of the Seed of David For Christ saith the Apostle expresly descended from David and the Fathers according to the Flesh And again when the sulness of time was come Gal. 4.4 God sent forth his Son made of a woman c. and in the likeness of sinful flesh Rom. 8.3 Eph 4.16 that he might condemn Sin in the flesh by which means he became the Head of his Body the Church For asmuch then as we are partakers of Flesh and Bloud He also likewise himself took part of the same Heb. 2.9 that he might tast Death which he could not otherwise have done for every Man and therefore he took not on him the Nature of
the Nature which was tempted by Satan and this is the same Nature which shall for ever triumph over him 3 This New Covenant of Peace and Reconciliation by Christ must be seal'd in Bloud Heb. 9.22 For without shedding of Bloud there 's no Remission to be expected Now 't is not the Bloud of Bulls Heb. 10.4 nor of Goats that could atone for our Sins and the Deity being impassible as before therefore Christ by his own Bloud entred once into the Holy Place Heb. 9.12 having by his Obedience and Sufferings if we faithfully apply 'em purchas'd our Peace and ratified and Seal'd our Pardon 4 He must be Man also that being toucht with our Infirmities He might be sensible of our Wants tender of our Welfare merciful and compassionate in bearing with our Weaknesses solicitous for the Pardon of our Sins and the comforts of God's Grace to support us under the burdensome Asslictions which spring and flow from 'em and finally that he might bear with all the Imperfections of our Nature and repair the Breaches of our declining Faith For as he must be unskilful in instructing others to bear Afflictions patiently who has not been passive himself So 't is as difficult for any to apply seasonable and successful Remedies to the Afflicted who is a stranger to their Sufferings Wherefore saith the Apostle That the High Priest of our Profession might be more apprehensive and sensible of our Infirmities he became like unto his Brethren in all things that he might be a merciful High Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17.18 and intercede effectually and make Atonement for the sins of the People For in that he suffer'd being tempted he knows how and is willing to succour those that are tempted Having then such a compassionate Advocate and Intercessor with the Father we may be encourag'd to come with bolduess to the Throne of Grace where we shall meet with a comfortable return to our Prayers and the favourable Acceptance of our Persons in time of need Thus we have seen that the Saviour of the World must be God and that he must be Man to constitute him a Redeemer of Men But neither of these two Natures distinct from the other were proper Instruments to make up the Breach Therefore Thirdly Why Christ must be God and man in the same Person There must be a Conjunction of the God-head and Manhood by an Hypostatical and real Vnion in the Person of Christ To evince and illustrate this Point 6. If God in his Justice had rooted out Mankind from the Earth his Mercy could not have been manifested in pardoning Trespasses and Offences If he had created a new Generation pure and spotless without sin which by Sufferings were to satisfie for the Offences of the former it would 've been severity in God to have punish'd the Innocent for the wicked If God had appointed an Angel to have taken upon him the Nature of sinful Man the Justice of God could by no means have been satisfied with the finite Obedience of a Creature If God had pardon'd Man's Apostacy without satisfaction Justice had still been violated and the Decree broken which was issued out against him Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Almighty God therefore out of his inconceivable Love to Mankind whom he had so wonderfully created and withal so jealous of his own Honor that he would neither violate the great Attribute of his Justice nor yet obscure the Glory of his Mercy was pleas'd to appoint his only begotten Son the express Image and Character of his Father's Person to take our Nature upon him Gal. 4.4 5. and be made of a Woman under the Law to redeem us from the curse of it and that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Thus Christ the Saviour of the World is God and Man in the same Person and this Vnion was necessary that he might be a fit Mediator between both to compose the difference and solicite a Peace between God and our Souls and by the merit of his obedience and sufferings make our Access to the Throne of God's Heavenly Grace more tolerable and easie Christ is God to speak to the Father for us and he became Man that he might declare God's Will to us in a more familiar less amazing and more obliging Way then otherwise it could have been Hereby shewing us an Example by his own wonderful condescention how we should submit to the meanest condition and entertain the worst Events with a Patience and Courage sutable to the submissive yet Magnanimous Spirit of Christianity Thus much of the Vnion of the Divine and Humane Nature in the Person of Christ Which the Heavens do admire all the Inhabitants of the Earth may be astonished at and the Devils in Hell are afraid to think of We pass forward 2dly To discourse of those admirable Benefits and Priviledges which result from this blessed Vnion of the Divine and Humane Natures in the Person of Christ to the unspeakable Comfort and Happiness of all true Believers And 1 Our Nature is wonderfully Enobl'd exalted since it became a Temple for the Divinity of Christ to dwell in No Creature but Man did ever arrive at that pitch of Honour to be personally united to and be adorn'd with the God-head And that our Nature is thus dignified I have clearly evicted from the Premisses To which may be added ex abundanti these two remarkable Passages from Antiquity The one is of Saint Austin in these Words Whosoever saith he shall despise Aug. de Verb. Dom 2 Joan. Serm. 38. Luke 1.71.72 Neque tamea creaturam adoramus absit sed Dominum rerum Creatam incarnatum verbum Deum adoramus Athan. Or 5. contra Arianos or refuse to worship Christ with Divine Worship shall undoubtedly suffer the Pains of Eternal Death The other is of St. Athanasius who writing against the Arrians vindicated the orthodox Christians from the imputation of Idolatry which these Hereticks endeavour'd to brand 'em with God forbid saith he that we should worship the Creature but we do worship the Lord of all the Creatures God the Word Incarnate c. But concerning the Communication of Properties and whereas God is said to 've purchas'd our Redemption that he redeem'd the Church with his own Bloud and that the blessed Virgin is term'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God c. These are all inconceivable Mysteries yet do fully import the Exaltation of our Humane Nature But tho' we should not too curiously pry into them yet are oblig'd hereby to admire and adore God's infinite Goodness and Mercy who has thus advanced our Nature from the very dregs of Corruption to a State of absolute Perfection and eternal Bliss 2 And as our humane Nature is thus wonderfully dignified by its Vnion to the God-head Gal. 3.22 Luk. 4.18 So we who were Enemies to God by wicked Works are again restor'd
Doctors that thereby it became so impracticable and obscure that 't was neither obey'd nor understood But because Mankind should not be left for ever destitute of a sutable and sufficient Remedy to repair those miserable Defects which we had contracted by our Sin and Disobedience nor of reasonable Assistances to buoy us up and support us under the Temptations and Pressures of a calamitous World and at last by the saving Methods of his Grace to bring us to the Enjoyment of his Kingdom and Glory God was pleas'd for several Reasons best known to himself in this last Period of the World when all other Means and Methods prov'd ineffectual to extol and magnifie his Mercy in sending his own Son and by a clearer and more perfect Revelation of his Will to mankind 2 Tim. 1.10 which he determin'd from all Eternity has now brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Gospel is a Term appropriated to signifie the glad Tidings of our Salvation purchased by the Blood of Christ This was the Subject of the Angels Song to the Shepherds Luke 2.10 the Desire and Happiness of all Nations God manifested in the Flesh to concilate the difference and make up the Breach between offending Man and an offended God to rescue us from the Power of our sins by his Grace and from the punishment of 'em by his bloud and that by the Belief Practice of this most excellent holy and innocent Religion all his sincere Proselites might become holy here and happy eternally And this is that Religion which by God's assistance I design to make the Subject of my ensuing Discourse But that we may proceed with some competent Assurance in a Business of so great importance I shall premise something by way of Introduction concerning the Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion The Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion fully represented And tho' 't would be needless to multiply Arguments for the Confirmation of a Truth which has been so generally own'd yet these following Topicks may prove of considerable Advantage to illustrate and recommend this admirable Doctrine to the serious and impartial Considerer And 1 God the Father has testified the truth of it from Heaven by an audible Voice By Gods own Testimony Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved sâ—n in whom I am well pleased And has confirm'd it by the miraculous and Visible descent of the Holy Ghost a double sensible Evidence three times repeated which were the strongest and most convictive Demonstration our humane Nature is capable of 2 All the Prophesies of the old Testament concerning Christ the Saviour of the World By fulfilling of all the Prophesies concerning him as to all the Punctualities of his Life Death Resurrection and Ascention and every Circumstance of Time and Place when where and how he should be manifested had their completion in him So that there was not the least Title or Iota fail'd concerning him from the first instant of his Conception to the last period of his Glorification 3 The Truth of this excellent Doctrine which he deliver'd By Miracles was confirm'd by real inexceptionable Miracles such as neither the Devil nor any of his Agents either Sorcerer or Magician were able to counterfeit And this evidence by Miracles was necessary for the conviction of the Jews who had receiv'd their Law by Signs and wonders from Heaven Nor could it be imagin'd they would lay aside their own or admit of any other Institution how specious and excellent soever unless it were confirm'd and recommended by as powerful Arguments and Demonstrations as the former Now the Miracles which were done by our blessed Saviour and his Apostles could be no less than the Product of an omnipotent Arm either as to the things themselves or the manner of producing 'em being such as were never done by any finite Creature either before or since To instance in some Particulars As in raising the dead Body of Lazarus John 11. the restoring him to life and to the exercise of all his Faculties after he had laid four days in the Grave The curing the blind the lame and the sick and diseas'd not only without and above but even contrary to means The feeding of so many thousands of men and Women Matt. 14.19 21. with a few Loaves and some small Fishes even to satiety besides the Surplusage of several Baskets full John 2. The turning of Water into Wine and that far more excellent than could be produc'd by the most generous Grape Acts 5. The suddain Death of Ananias and Saphira at the Apostle's Word for lying to the Spirit of God Acts 9. The miraculous Conversion of St. Paul who in a few days far beyond any Metamorphosis we read of in the Poets was chang'd from a malicious virulent and fierce Persecutor of Christians and Christianity to be a zealous Professor of this excellent Religion and at last testified the Truth of it after he had suffered many years persecution for it by dying it's Martyr And all these and many other Miracles which would be endless to repeat for the whole Lives of our Saviour and his Apostles were a continual Series of Miraculous Atchievements were not done clancularly in a blind corner of the World but openly and visibly every where about Judaea in the Temple Synagogues and all public Places Insomuch that his profest Enemies were convinc'd of the Truth and Reality of it tho' Prejudice and Passion had prevail'd so with them that they were unwilling to comply with it Besides there was something of Piety and and Charity in all the Miracles which our Saviour and his Apostles did For they were of special Use and Advantage either for the curing of Mens Bodies and the Conversion of their Souls or the promoting of God's Glory in the Establishment of the Christian Religion All which Omnipotent Productions are not only a most certain and undeniable Evidence of the Truth of our Saviour's Doctrine For the Divine Providence would not suffer so many Miracles for the confirmation of a Superstitious and erroneous Opinion but of the Power of his Divinity and that he is the true Messiah the Son of God and Saviour of the World which was promis'd by God predicted by the Prophets and is already come to accomplish the great Work and Business of our Redemption 4 There was never any Religion but this neither Mahometism Paganism c. By the Means and manner of its establishment in the world that could ever be propagated by any other Means than either force or Violence or by indulging its Votaries in a sensual and brutish Liberty which might influence their Appetites and Affections into a sinful and slavish compliance with it But our Heavenly Law-giver has recommended the Christian Religion to our Belief and Practice by other Motives and Credentials and has settled it in most of the known Parts of the World
Angels but the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 17. Thus it behov'd him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God that he might make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People And upon St. Thomas the Apostle's Doubting of the reality of his Humane Nature our blessed Saviour to convince him of his Errour and to confirm the rest of the Apostles and in them all succeeding Christians in the belief of this necessary Point of Faith Luk. 24.39 He said unto them handle me and see for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have Now what can be more evident since the Scripture is every where full to this purpose then this that the Son of God assum'd the true Nature of Man and the very substance of his Mother and that he was not only made in her but born of her To which the Testimony of all Antiquity might be added to confirm us in the Belief of it But Theodoret and Gelasins present us with a Collection of excellent Arguments out of the Councils and Fathers to this purpose whither I refer the judicious Reader if he require further satisfaction in this Point Secondly The Humane and real Body of Christ was inform'd And a rational Humane Soul actuated and enliven'd with a perfect rational and immortal Soul And as He had all the Members Organs Dimensions and Properties of the one So He assum'd all the Powers Faculties and Functions of the other as Understanding Will Memory Affections Passions c. Which I could easily make out Heb. 1.17 if 't were necessary by an Induction of Particulars For he was made like us in all things Sin only excepted and therefore could not be deficient in the most minute and much less in the primary and most constituent Part of his Manhood and besides he that was to be Mediator between God and us must needs be a perfect Man Of which hereafter Again Mat. 26.38 He complain'd a little before his Passion saying My soul is very sorrowful and heavy even unto Death And in his last Agony he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit This Truth is every where so evident in the History of our Saviour's Incarnation that I need not multiply Instances to prove it But yet for all this tho Christ was really invested with all the Members and Faculties and all the Essentials of the Soul and Body of a Perfect Man Yet 2dly In this true and real Body in this reasonable and immortal Soul he assum'd took upon him all the Properties and Infirmities of both Sin only excepted He assum'd all the sinless insirmities of both His Birth manner of Life Death Burial Resurrection and Ascention are full and perfect Demonstrations of the reality of his Manhood But with reference to our Infirmities he was subject to Cold and Heat Hunger and Thirst Sweating and Bleeding Weariness and Weakness Pain and Sorrow Heaviness and Fear Passion and sinless Anger yea Torment and Death it self All which Arguments are so cogent and convictive that neither the Hereticks of Old nor the Socinians and Libertines of our Age ever were nor ever shall be able to elnde the Power and Energy of them Let us now endeavour to make some practical Improvement of the Point under Consideration And 1 In the Incarnation of our Lord Application of this Point by considering its Influence on Practice we have an admirable Instance of God's tenderest Love and Compassion to poor sinful Man For what kindness could parallel this that the Father should send and the Son condescend to come from his Bosom and Bliss upon that great Ambassie of making our Peace even then when by our sin and Disobedience we had violated his just Laws broken the Covenant between God and us and put our selves into a state of Hostility and Rebellion against him But besides all this 't is an evident matter of Fact as will fully appear afterwards that Christ the Son of God and Heir of eternal Majesty did not only descend from those Regions of Bliss and assum'd our whole Nature with all its Properties and Infirmities But he also underwent the Burden and Smart of all our sins and sorrows and having finished his innocent Life he submitted to all the Tortures and Indignities of a painful and ignominious Death for our sakes And these were all such Tokens and Evidences of Love and Bounty as both the Hierarchy of Angels and the whole Race of Mankind stood amaz'd at And that the Son of God should lay down his dearest Life for his most daring and bitter Enemies even for the Salvation of those who were the immediate Instruments in his Condemnation and Crucifixion is such a Mystery as no Humane Reason is able to comprehend O the ineffable and infinite Love and Mercy of God in Christ How should this consideration affect our Souls with Love Joy and Wonder Has he given us his Son whilst we were Enemies unto him Rom. 5.10 How much more will he bless us with the Abundance of Grace and Glory if we live as the redeemed of the Lord being thus reconcil'd Indeed this Love was beyond all possibility of Parallel and if we seriously consider our Interests and Obligations we can do no less than devote our Souls and Bodies entirely to his Service thro' the whole course of our Lives We should hate all things in respect of him that is Matth. 10.37 so far as they stand in Opposition to him or pretend an equal share of Affection with him Let us then follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes in doing and suffering for him and his And if any that bears the Name of Christian should be so ungrateful as not to love the Lord Jesus Christ with the greatest intenseness of Gratitude and Affection 1 Cor. 16.22 Let him be Anathema Maranatha 2 We can no less admire and should be as careful to imitate his singular and unparallel'd Humility who came down from the highest Pinacle of heavenly Grandeur and vertical point of Soveraignty to become incarnate in the obscure Womb of a poor Virgin And therefore well might the Evangelist prefix an Ecce to the Mystery behold a Virgin shall conceive This was a Miracle indeed Faith must assist Reason in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.15 'T is a faithful Saying that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners Quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi Charior Bern. Ser. 1. de Epioh Now that the Ancient of Days should abase himself to become a little Child and the Word and Wisdom of the Father not be able to utter a word was such a wonderful Instance of Humility as can never be sufficiently admir'd How then should we Christians study and endeavour to be like Him As in all other Instances of Piety and Vertue so particularly in this and I 'me sure there can be no Inducement either Internal
never thirst if we be naked he will cloath us with the Robes of his Virtue and the Garments of his Righteousness Psal 45.8 Gen 27.27 which smell of Myrh Alloes and Cassia and are like the smell of a pleasant Field which the Lord hath blessed if we be simple or ignorant he 's our Wisdom to instruct us if we be sinful he 's our Righteousness to save us if we desire to be holy he is our Sanctification to bless us Acts 3.26 in turning us away from our Iniquities Tit. 2.14 and purifying to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works if the Devil tempt and allure us to sin he is the Captain of our Salvation who has not only in a great measure countermanded Satan's Commission but dissolv'd his Authority 1 Joh. 3.8 Now as all sincere Believers are thus abundantly supply'd with all things needful and convenient an hundred fold in this Life and in the World to come Life everlasting Luk. 18 3â— So on the Contrary All the pompous Delights of this visible World tho' they be seemingly never so specious or profitable unless they be sanctified to us by the Grace of Christ's holy Spirit instead of being a Comfort and Blessing they will become our Plague and Punishment In like manner all our Wisdom Righteousness Learning c. which are not deriv'd from this Fountain and purified by the Bloud of Christ are but as a menstruous Cloth or filthy Rags and neither pleasing to God nor beneficial to our Selves as might be instanc'd if 't were needful in many Particulars Those outward Accomplishments may indeed make us appear Great but can never make us Good They may puff us up with Pride and Self-conceit but they seldom or never make men more holy and vertuous John 15.5 Without Christ we can do nothing but by the Assistance of his Grace and Spirit we are enabl'd to do all things 2 Cor. 9.8 Our Sufficiency is of him and we must ascribe all our holy Performances not to any Endeavours of our own but to the Riches of God's Grace in Christ And whatever we do that is Holy or Vertuous 't is no more We but Christ who by the Power and Presence of his Holy Spirit dwelleth and worketh in Us. In a Word We hold all that we have in Capite from him and 't is the best Tenure too We are his by Purchase he has paid a dear Price for us and therefore how dear and precious should he be to us We are Oblig'd to forsake all and follow him Matth. 19.27 1 Cor. 6.19 20. This is the most effectual Plea against Satan's Stratagems that we are not our own for we are bought with a Price and therefore intirely at his not our own Disposal This is that seasonable Expedient which will vanquish this and all other Enemies even our Faith in Jesus Christ God and Man in the same Person 6 And Lastly This Point of Doctrine duly consider'd will remind us of the State and Condition of other Men as well as our Selves Has God set such an inestimable Value upon Mens Souls as to purchase 'em at so dear a Price Could nothing less then the Bloud of the eternal Son of God pay a sufficient Ransom for the Redemption of them How should we then respect honour and indulge Christ's Humane Nature in the poorest and meanest of his Servants And since Good has been pleas'd to think us worthy of so much Care and Indulgence we 've Reason to use all possible Endeavours to keep these precious Jewels pure and unspotted both in our selves and others Have we contracted such an honourable Alliance with and do we stand so nearly related to the holy Trinity and our fellow Christians by the Vnion of our Nature to the Person of Christ How then should our Thoughts Desires Dispositions Words and Actions be conformable to the Nature Laws and Dignitie of such Relations How should we be afraid to submit to any thing that 's base or ignoble lest we reflect Dishonour upon God and that Nature of ours which he has so much dignified by his Incarnation Let us therefore indeavour as we are oblig'd both in Duty and Interest in every Iustance and Circumstance of our Lives to be and to do good to avoid all things evil in themselves and of evil Report That we may thereby glorifie God in our Bodies and in our Spirits which are his This would prove the most certain Expedient to bring this excellent Religion of the Holy and Eternal Jesus into Repute and Credit with those that differ from us and by our hearty Compliances with all its reasonable Constitutions we cannot fail both of the present and future Rewards which spring and flow from it Thus I have treated distinctly on the first Branch of this great Mystery of Man's Redemption and herein Particularly of the Names and Natures of Christ and that wonderful Vnion of 'em both in the same Person I have alleg'd several important Reasons why the Saviour of the World should be God why he should be Man and why God and Man in the same Person of Christ I have consider'd those special Advantages and Priviledges resulting from this heavenly Doctrine with the peculiar Influences which it should have upon the Lives and Practices of all Christians God Almighty give us all Grace so to believe these Truths faithfully and practice them conscientiously That the whole frame and contexture of our Lives may be truly conformable to the Kingdom and Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. IV. Of the Offices of Christ in general BY discoursing of the Offices of Christ and the Manner of their Administration we may understand more particularly the great End and Design of our Saviour's coming into the World And the many great things which he has done and suffer'd for the Redemption and Happiness of lost Mankind The Name of Christ as we noted before is a Title which imports Office and Dignity The Name Christ imports his Offices 'T is a Greek word in the Original and answereth to the Hebrew Messiah both which signifie our Anointed Saviour Historians tell us that 't was an ancient Custom in the Easten part of the World to Anoint their Public Officers Kings and Prophets especially with material Oyl denoting and symbolizing thereby the liberal and plentiful Effusion of extraordinary Endowments such as might qualifie them for and presignifie the hopeful and happy success of their Administrations But our Christ the eternal Son of God coming into the World to manage that great and important Office of Mediatour between God and Man must be sanctified Christ's unction differ'd from all others and set a part in a more peculiar manner than any of the Ancients were For they were only anointed with material Oyl but he was Sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost they were set apart by Men but he was confirm'd by the Father in this Office they were invested with Authority and Ability
all the Earth discovering such Truths and instituting such Laws and Precepts as were never known before For 1 Christ our Prophet has presented us in the Doctrine of the Gospel with a clearer and more distinct Notion and Character of God himself The Nature Attributes c. of God more clearly revealed then ever was known before as to his Nature Persons Vnity Attributes Properties c. and also concerning all his Works of Creation Providence Redemption Sanctification c. All which seriously consider'd describe him to be a God of infinite and immense Power Wisdom Truth Justice Mercy Goodness c. of which more fully hereafter and in a Word a Being which consists of all possible Holiness and Perfection 2 He has made a full discovery of those fundamental Truths which concern his Divine The fundamental Truths of the Gospel fully discover'd and Humane Natures as united in the Person of our blessed Redeemer Intimating hereby what he has done and suffer'd for us and the consequent Benefits which result from his meritorious Death and Intercession to all such as apply 'em as the Sanctification of their Persons the Pardon of their Sins and the hopeful Assurance of a blessed Resurrection to eternal Life for Christ's sake 3 Christ as Prophet has enacted such Laws for the Government of the Actions Rules for the religious conduct of our Lives adapted to our Capacities Words Thoughts Affections Inclinations Appetites and Passions both of the outward and inward Man as are highly rational and ingenuous plain and easie to be understood and practic'd and so universally Good and Beneficial in all Respects that as the like was never known before so 't is beyond the Capacity of Men and Angels to conceive any thing better or so perfective of the Nature Reason and Interest of Mankind For 't is plain in in all the Particulars that our blessed Lord has prescrib'd no other Conditions for the Attainment of eternal Happiness then what are most consentaneous both to our Rational Nature and present Interest in this World And would certainly have been best for us to 've done if they had not been commanded whereby He has evidently declar'd that he is so far pleas'd with our Services and Duties to him as they are advantagious and beneficial to our selves that we may take one Blessing in the Way to another Grace Peace and Contentment here in the Way to Glory hereafter 4 All the Duties of Christianity are of the same Stamp and Character with its Principles and Precepts The Duties tafie to be perform'd and every way so correspondent to the Rules of universal Rectitude that there 's no Person that 's truly regenerate can assign any Difficulty in Praying unto God or in Praising of him in Hearing Reading and Meditating on his Word in receiving the holy Sacraments in holy Conferences pious Ejaculations c. Yea even those more austere Duties of Religion as Repentance Mortification Self-denial Self-resignation taking up the Cross Patience in Afflictions c. which tho' they be most afflictive to Flesh and Bloud yet are so far from being troublesom and uneasie to the rational Powers of the Soul that doubtless if there be any Elixir or substantial Pleasure in this World it must result and flow from a serious devout and conscientious Performance of the Duties of Religion And therefore the Church of England upon well grounded Experience declares That the Service of God is the most absolute and perfect Freedom And this will more evidently appear if We consider 5 Those Motives and Arguments which the Christian Religion propounds And enforc't by powerful Motives Incouragements to incourage us in the doing of our Duties Which are neither few nor inconsiderable For if we be faithful herein we have an Assurance of the Pardon of all our sins past the Promise of the most plentiful Supplies of God's preventing restraining exciting assisting and sanctifying Grace to enable us to avoid all Sin resist all Temptations and to inspire us with such a holy Frame and Temper of Mind and Spirit as may dispose us to serve God sincerely and affectionately in all the Instances of Duty thro' the whole Course of our Lives To which considerable Advantages and Priviledges he has added ex abundanti the Promises of the Blessings of this Life Mat. 6.33 as Health Wealth a good Reputation Peace Prosperity c. But lest all these should not prove Motive sufficient to enforce the Practice of those most pleasant and profitable Duties of our Religion he has further assured us that upon the faithful discharge of those necessary and important Duties we shall livâ— for ever with him in whose Presence is fulness of joy Psal 16.11 and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Now if all these powerful Incentives to Duty do not charm and allure us to be holy and vertuous devout and serious in our Religious Addresses it will be requisite to consider on the other hand Rom. 1.18 that the Wrath of God is reveal'd from Heaven against all Vngodliness c. And as the impious and prophane who contemn or neglect the Service of God and the Duties of Religion seldom escape punishment even in this Life so there 's a dismal Time approaching Psal 9.17 when the Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the People shall forget God If then such Arguments as these do not perswade us to be holy and religious I know not what will If these Menaces do not force us to flie from the Wrath to come and sue for our Reconciliation I know not what can And 't is most just and reasonable that those who despise or neglect the Riches of God's Grace and Mercy propounded and promis'd in the One should feel eternally the Tragical Effects of his Justice and Vengeance denounc'd and threatn'd in the Other Thus the whole Tenor of that Religion which Christ our great Prophet has so clearly reveal'd to us and propagated in so considerable a part of the World is a lively Transcript and Pattern of God's eternal Wisdom and Goodness Wherein the Divine Pleasure in what concerns our happiress and dependance upon him in this and a future State is so plain and obvious to be known possible and easie to be perform'd and recommended to us by such powerful Motives and Encouragements that if we be not wanting to our selves in the faithful Performance of those incomparably pleasant Duties which the Gospel prescribes 't is impossible we should fail of the Blessings and Rewards of it And to convince us that neither the Terms of our Reconciliation are difficult The Duties of Religion are inforet and recommended nor the Duties of our Religion impossible to be perform'd Our blessed Saviour this great Prophet has left us his own and we 've the Examples of many thousands of his Saints and Servants on Record as Patterns to walk by who have confirm'd the Truth of this Excellent Doctrine and seal'd it
who can in a moment dispossess us of our dearest and most pleasant Enjoyments He is the Proprietor we are but his Usu-fructuaries And for this Time of our mortal Life and all these Talents which he has entrusted us with we must be strictly accountable at the Day of Judgement How then should the sense of our real Wants Infirmities and whole Dependance upon God with those great Examples of Humility which I have mention'd cast us down like Balls upon the Earth that with a comfortable and happy Rebound we may mount the higher in Glory Maâ— 23.12 For he that humbleth himself shall be exalted But on the contrary the Sin of Pride is destructive of all other Virtues it makes Men overvalue those little Pittances of Grace and Virtue in Themselves and undervalue the far more worthy Gifts and Endowments of other Men And whilst they are under the Transports of these towring Fancies and Conceits the utmost Honour attainable in this Life falls many Degrees short of their imaginary Deserts and Expectations This Pride was the Sin of the faln Angels Ep. Jude 6 for which they lost their first Estate and for this Cause our first Parents were cast out of Paradise Gen. 3.23 23 24. And 't is certain that whilst Men live under the Prevalence of ambâ—ious and self-conceits they can have no Title to the Happiness either of this or a better Life Let the Reader therefore seriously consider the Arguments propounded already against this capital Sin To which may be added the serious Thoughts of our approaching Mortality which if seasonably made use of would prove a notable Expedient to level and subdue our proud and aspiring Humours For what has vain man to boast of And shall not these stately Fabricks of our Bodies within a few years be crumbled into Dust Where are the Coesars Plato Aristotle and all those mighty Princes and Philosophers we read of Job 34.15 Gen. 3.19 That inevitable Sentence Dust thou art and to Dust thou shalt return has level'd all their Wit Power Learning Policy and Grandeur and the Bowels of the Earth that common Urn and dark Region of Oblivion doth and shall comprehend them and us till the Judgement of the great Day Go into a Charnel House and there you 'l see the Mysteries of Humane Nature unveil'd in the liveless Skeletons of your once famous Ancestors where also you may read a Lecture of Mortality to your Selves Why then should vain Man so proudly boast of and delight himself in those Dreams and Shaddows which last but for a Moment Besides a proud and self-conceited man as he has so far a near resemblance to the Devil So whilst he continues under the Power and Dominion of this Sin he renders himself odious and abominable both to God and Man We proceed 3dly Watchfulness To the Virtue of Watchfulness which considering the State and Conditition we are plac'd in during our Warfare in this World must be of great and necessary Use and Importance to us Now this Virtue or Duty does consist in a prudent Circumspection over our Souls and Bodies and all the necessary Concernments of both But 't is more particularly conversant in the cautious and discreet Management of our Thoughts Words and Actions And 1st Watchfulness over our Thoughts We are highly oblig'd to be Watchful over our Thoughts For they are as it were the Key which unlocks and opens the Soul and are always evil when we desire any thing that 's sinful but worse when we comply with connive at or consent to it And tho' we should not proceed to speak or act what we think amiss yet these very Thoughts do tincture and pollute the Soul and are very prompt and forward to interrupt us in every good and virtuous Action or Duty which we do Now for the prevention of those Mischiefs To prevent and cure ill thoughts which are the natural and necessary Result and Consequence of evil Thoughts 'T is adviseable to consider that God sees them afar off will bring them to Account and unless they be repented of and reform'd they shall be all laid open to the view of Men and Angels at the day of Judgement Again 't is beyond dispute that evil thoughts are Indications of a corrupt and unregenerate Heart they are often suggested by the Devil and always the Springs of Confusion and Disorder But for the Cure of this dangerous and destructive Malady of the Soul 't is incumbent upon us to be watchful over our Thoughts Obsta Principiis should be our constant Motto For that Christian that dares not conceive nor foster an ill Thought will be afraid to speak or act any thing contrary to his Reason and Conscience Have the Quatuor No vissima Death Judgement Heaven and Hell Often in your Thoughts meditate seriously thereon and this will bring them under a due Restraint and confine them within the proper Boundaries of rectified Reason and Religion Let us be truly sorry for the vain and sinful Excogitations of our Lives past be diligently watchful over our Thoughts for the future and this will prove the most certain Expedient to keep 'em within their due Limits and become most conducive to the Peace and Happiness both of the outward and inward Man 2dly Watchfulness over our Words This Duty of Watchfulness consists in seeing to our Words For tho' Mens Pretensions to Religion be never so smooth and specious Jam. 1.26 yet if they bridle not their Tongues their Religion is vain All prophane uncharitable and filthy Speeches as Blasphemy idle and vain Swearing prophane Ribaldry Lying Back-biting Slandering Detraction and all sorts of filthy frothy and impertinent Communication are highly offensive to God a Scandal to Religion a Snare to the weak Christian and most dangerous Symptoms of an impious and unsanctified Heart From whence proceed all that hellish brood of Murthers Adulteries c. which our blessed Saviour speaks of and for which the wicked and unrepenting Sinner must be severely accountable at the Day of Judgement Matth. 12.36 But to prevent the mischievous Effects which issue from that unruly Member the Tongue we are oblig'd to set a Watch always before the Doors of our Lips Psa 34.13 Psal 39.1 Epn. 4.29 and enter into a Covenant with our Selves that no corrupt Communication proceed out of our Mouths Let yea yea and nay nay Matth. 5.37 Truth and Integrity be the Rule and Standard of all our Discourse and Dealings with one another And to this End we should pray unto God devoutly and incessantly that he would be pleas'd so to sanctifie our Speech that it may minister to his Glory and the mutual Comfort and Benefit of our Selves and Others 3dly Watchfulness over all our Actions We are oblig'd to be truly circumspect in and Watchful over all our Actions Herein always proposing God's Glory the Happiness of our Selves and Others as the End and his holy and infallible Word and
us for the Diversion and Reparation of our weary Thoughts as well as the Support and Comfort of our Bodies Religion is no Enemy to moderate Pleasures nor does it infringe the Priviledges of humane Nature in the Use of innocent Divertisementt But then we are oblig'd to observe such Measures in our Recreations as not to make our Sports our Business We should use them as we do Sawces to our Meat to set an edge upon our Faculties and revive our Spirits that we may be the more vigorous and active in all the Works and Duties both of our Callings and Religion Again Covetousness should be no Ingredient in our Pastimes And we must also see to 'em that they be not evil in themselves or if lawful that they become not otherwise by the undue Circumstances of Time and Place as on the Lord's Day on Days of Humiliation c. All Violence Passion Anger Fury Quarreling Cursing and Swearing must be utterly abandon'd in all our Sports and Divertisements For these Irregularities instead of refreshing will discompose us and become vexatious both to our selves and others Lastly our Recreations should be short so that they encroach not on our necessary Business or Religion in a fruitless Expence of that Time which might be imploy'd to better Purposes For indeed no prudent Man has so much Time lying upon his hands but he knows better how to imploy it then to spend it vainly about Trifles Thus all our Merriments should be bounded with the necessary Rules of Reason and Sobriety and if we keep our selves within these Bounds Religion does not only connive at our Mirth but commends and approves of it 2dly Chastity or Abstinence from bodily Pleasut csâ— This Virtue of Sobriety as it relates to the Body consists in the Moderation of the Lusts and Appetites of the Flesh which properly speaking is Chastity or Abstinence from bodily Pleasures The Laws of Nature and Christianity do expresly forbid all sorts of Vncleanness as Adultery Fornication Self-pollution and all the other kinds and degrees of Effeminacy and do put an absolute Restraint upon all the concurrent Motions Affections Desires lustful Appetites both of the Soul and Body For if any of these be indulg'd and complied with they will set on fire the whole Course of Nature and sud dainly plunge the whole Man into unavoidable and irreparable Mischiefs We should therefore rather flie from this Sin then dispute against it And to this End 't will be necessary to consider 1 That all sorts of Venery and Vnclenness The Dangers attending this Sin Hos 4.11 do not only suppress and stifle all the divine and spiritual Operations of the Soul but do effectually draw them away from God and his Worship This was notoriously remarkable in the Case of Solomon 1 Kings 11 12. who tho' otherwise a Prince of unparallel'd Wisdom and Prudence yet he tells us from his own miserable Experience that when inconsiderate Men have plung'd themselves into the Pit of Filthiness 't is very difficult for them to retreat For they are led saith he by the contrivances of their wanton Prostitutes as an Ox to the slaughter Prov. 7.22 23. or as a Thief to the Correction of the Stocks 'till a Dart strike through their Livers or as a Bird hasteth to the Snare and knoweth not that it is for his Life Pro. 23.27 And a Whore is a deep Ditch and a strange Woman is a narrow Pit All which imply the unavoidable dangers and Mischiefs which lustful Persons run upon who give way to and indulge their sensual and bruitish Appetites and Passions 2 The Sins of Vncleanness are usually attended with Poverty and an infirm Constitution Prov. 6.6 This has been too remarkable in the decay'd Bodies and shatter'd Estates of too many sad and miserable Instances especially of late years in this sinful Nation to the great scandal of our pure and undefiled Religion and has been no small Disparagement to the excellent Constitutions of our Government both in Church and State But tho' perhaps a vicious Libertine may which is very rare escape these temporal Punishments yet the just Vengeance of God will certainly overtake him in another World For 't is express from Scripture that God will judge Whoremongers and Adulterers and whosoever shall live and die under the Power and Prevalence of these sins unrepented of unsubdued shall never enter into the Kingdom of God 3 These Deeds of darkness cannot be hid from God's all-seeing Eye For whither can we go from his Spirit or whither shall we flie from his Presence Psa 139.7 He beheld David's Adultery as before tho' committed with the greatest Secrecy 1 Sam. 12.12 and our blessed Saviour knew the practice of the adulterous Woman of Samaria Joh. 4.18 It must needs then be a great Falacy and Cheat which Whoremongers and Adulterers put upon themselves whilst they endeavour to conceal those Works of Darkness from the Eye of the World For the infinitely wise God registers all these Offences in the black Book of his eternal Memoirs and will bring them all to a sad Account at the Day of Judgement unless they be sincerely repented of to the unspeakable Shame and Horrour of those that commit them Give no way then to your Lusts and hold no Parley with your sensual Appetites for if you do you are in great danger of being overcome Solomon tho' the wisest of Men did prostitute his Wit Learning Honour Experience and all to gratifie a lustful and wanton Appetite It stands us in hand therefore to be always upon our Guard and the best way to be so is to be watchful over our Thoughts to make a Covenant with our Eyes and to keep our Hearts with all diligence Matth. 23.26 Prov. 14.23 from whence all these Abominations flow and derive their Original For if we keep the Fountain incorrupt the Streams will be so too and if the Fear of God and the serious Apprehension of Death and Judgement dwell in our Hearts like a strong Porter they will keep the Door against and dislodge all vain and sensual Desires This was Joseph's Security against all the lustful Dalliances of his wanton and importunate Mistris And this will effectually guard all the Ports and Avenues of the Soul against the incursion of carnal Temptations so that if they should creep in by surprize or unawares such Apprehensions as these will not suffer 'em to fix there but either cast them out or kill ' em Again set a strict watch over all your Senses lest they be charm'd and allur'd by the delicate and soft Embraces of forbidden Objects Have no Communieation with lustful Persons of either Sex Alexander the great would not see the Wife of Darius lest by the Charms of her admirable Beauty he might be tempted and overcome And certainly he that dares not look on a beautiful Woman to please his eye cannot come within the danger of Wantonness and Folly And
which are prepar'd for the Devil and his Angels This charitable Frame and Temper which I 've thus recommended will dispose and qualifie us for Heaven wherein we shall enjoy the freest Intercourse with the holy Angels and the Souls of just men made perfect And upon these Terms we need not doubt to be receiv'd into their holy and innocent Communion where we shall be inconceivably happy and rejoyce with 'em for ever But as this Vniversal Love and Benificence will be every way so comfortable and advantagious both to our selves and others So on the contrary a froward rugged and uncharitable Disposition and those base Effects which spring and flow from it as Hatred and Revenge Pride and Insolence Injustice and Oppression Whispering and Backbiting Railing and Slandering Faction and Rebellion with all their other cursed Accomplices are not only inconsistent with that pacific and charitable Temper of Christianity but they are the very Bane of and Scandal to all civil and sacred Societies as well as a continual Disturbance to those that commit them And whosoever shall leave this world whilst he 's under the power and prevalence of these insolent mischievous and domineering Passions is fitted only for the Society of Devils and damned Spirits who having sinn'd with 'em by Compliance must expect to be punisht for ever by Sympathy And thus much of that Vniversal Love and Benificence which all Christians are oblig'd to practice one towards another We pass on 2dly To the Particular Duties incumbent upon us in all our Intercourse and Dealings with other Men. And they are such as concern either 1 the Persons or 2 the Possessions or 3 the Private and Public Peace and Happiness of all Christians And I begin 1st With that Love Mercy and Charity which respects the Persons of our Christian Brother-hood Which for Method's sake must be consider'd under a double Reference And 1 with respect to their Souls And 2 to their Bodies But 1 Mens Souls being of infinitely more value than their Bodies become the primary objects of our Care and 't is certainly the highest Instance of Christian Charity to rescue a Soul from Death and from the Peril and Punishment of Hell Torments Levit. 19.17 Therefore to this End we are oblig'd to discountenance Sin in all Persons we converse with since that 's the Cause of all the Maladies we suffer and we should use our stedfast Endeavour to reclaim and reform the Sinner by mild and serious Intreaties and if these will not do by severe yet seasonable Reproofs always aiming at the Conviction and Conversion not the Disgrace of the Offendor And herein we exert our Zeal for God's Glory our just hatred against Sin and our hearty Concernment for the Salvation of our fellow Christians Indeed all our Discourses should be season'd with something of Religion that they may minister Grace unto the Hearers St. Bernard complain'd in his Time and I am affraid 't is too applicable to ours Nihil de Scripturis Bern. nihil de salute Animarum agitur sed Nugae Risus verba proferuntur in ventum Christians now a days the more 's the pitty discourse little or nothing of Religion that they may edifie one another But of Toys and Trifles and so their Communication becomes either sinful or frothy and impertment whereas holy Conferences well tim'd would conduce much to the Credit and Interest of Religion And doubtless it would be of singular Advantage to communicate our Experiences to one another concerning the Power Mercies and Goodness of God to us in all the Straits and Exigencies which we 've met with in this Life prescribing also such Rules and Methods herein for their Support and Comfort as we have found most useful and beneficial to our Selves 1 Pet. 4.10 As every Man hath received the Gift so let him minister to another as it becomes a Steward of the manifold Grace of God Again that we may be happy Instruments in the promoting of God's Glory and our own Good by the practice of fervent Charity to the Souls of others Ur malus sermo inducit Peccarum sic malum silentium reliâ—quit in Peccato Aug. we must be careful to instruct the ignorant satisfie the doubtful strengthen the weak encourage and confirm the strong perswade sinners to Repentance comfort the comfortless and reprove the scandalous Offendor Studying hereby to make all men as happy as our selves by convincing them of the necessity of making their Peace with God through Christ and assuring them that there 's no Repentance to be expected beyond the Grave for the Concernments of the other World are fixt immoveable as the Tree falls so it lies and as Death leaves us so will Judgement find us that without a true Faith in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost with a sincere Endeavour to be and to do good and a hearty Repentance for all our sins past there can be no certain Hope of the comfortable Presence of God's Grace here nor any well grounded Expectancy of his Glory hereafter Heb. 10. â—7 but a fearful looking for of Judgement and endless Perdition Now if we desire to inforce these Methods and render 'em successful to others our Selves must be uniform so far as it may consist with the infirmities and indiscretions of humane Nature in the devout and serious practice of all the Duties of Religion We should study and strive to be pure and innocent in our whole Conversations and be extremely careful that we partake not of other mens sins either by conniving at consenting to complying with or vindicating of them in their vitious and ungodly Courses For unless we practice those Things our selves which we press on others â—ox praeterea â—ihil our most witty sayings closest Reasonings and all other Means which we can possibly use for the Conversion and Salvation of their Souls will have little or no Influence upon nor Authority to prevail with them And when we have thus conscientiously discharg'd our Duty and yet our most pious and charitable Endeavours prove insuccessful then we should mourn for their sins in secret pray earnestly and importunately for their Conversion and by a just complaint to their lawful Superiors we should see to the execution of Justice that they may suffer due and deserved Punishment for their Offences in this Life that their Souls and Bodies may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Since then the faithful Discharge of this Duty is a Business of such Advantage Necessity and Importance both to our own and the Souls of other Men and since the Glory of God and the Interest of Religion are so highly concern'd in it Then what account shall wicked Men be able to give for the total Neglect if not absolute contempt of this Duty And what extreme Punishments shall those ungodly Miscreants endure who by their vile and abominable Examples are so far from saving a Soul from Death that they lead them headlong
any other Means whatsoever then the Merits of Christ's Death By which 't is fully made out that God's Justice is wholly satisfied and our Offences punish'd in the Humane Nature of Christ Which is the Point now under Consideration If we make a particular Enquiry into our blessed Saviour's Sufferings and Sorrows in his Life and at his Death we shall be more fully satisfied touching the reality of his Merits and of the Certainty as well as the Manner of our Atonement by that dear and unvaluable Price which he paid for it For he endured all the imaginable Tortures which humane Nature could be subject to not for his own Sins for there was no guile sound in him but ours and did bear in his own Person the Iniquities of us all He was smitten for our Offences and wounded for our Transgressions the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him Isa 53. and by his Stripes we are healed For having assum'd the same Nature that had sinn'd he must suffer for the Guilt which we had contracted and bear the heavy Wrath of God which pursued our Sins after the same manner that our selves should have done Nor can we be ignorant of that which he endur'd for us by the Twinges and Agonies we sometimes feel in our own Consciences when God is pleas'd to awake ' em But to come nearer the Point Our Saviour's whole Life was a black Scene of Sorrows and Miseries and Persecutions did await him in every Place where he came The Nature of my Subject does oblige me here A Narrative of our Saviour's Sufferings in his Life and at his Death to present my Reader with a particular Narrative of the pungent Miseries which our compassionate High-priest underwent for our sakes in his Life and at his Death Insomuch that 't is a received Maxim that Christ and his Cross were never parted For His first Entertainment in the World was in a Stable amongst the Cattel and on a Cratch which were very mean and slender Accommodations for the Son of God and Saviour of the World On the eighth day after his Birth he endured the Pain and Peril of Circumcision and immediatly after his Parents were forc'd to take a long and tedious Journey in the midst of Winter to preserve their Son's Life from the Assassinations of a cruel and butcherly Herod After his return from Egypt to Galilee he liv'd in a mean Obscurity to secure himself from the Rage of Archelaus Herod's Son and an inheritor of his Father's Pride and Passions as well as Patrimony But at his appearing more publickly in the World the Devil his inveterate Enemy carried him into the Wilderness where he endur'd a forty Days Fast Mat. ◠doubtless a most severe Pennance and was tempted all the Time to blaspheme God and become Satan's Proselite He had no sooner atchiev'd a Victory over this infernal Fiend but he set his Agents the Scribes and Pharisees on work to blast his Reputation and if that Project fail'd to take away his Life In a Word Distress and Poverty Hunger and Thirst Weakness and Weariness Reproache and Slanders Miseries and Persecutions did await him in every Place where he came But more particularly Judas one of his own Disciples and Family betray'd him and deliver'd him into the hands of those wicked Conspirators who as if he had been some notorious Malefactor bound him and carried him away Ps 38.11 Then were these Prophesies fulfilled concerning him I will smite the Shepherd and the Sheep shall be scatter'd abroad Zech 13.7 for at that dismal and dreadful Sight his very Disciples notwithstanding their manifold Obligations to the contrary were so amazed that they forsook him and fled from him and in that juncture too when he had most Occasion to make use of them But alas these were but the Beginnings of Sorrows For being thus apprehended bound and forsaken his Enemies deliver'd him up to Caiaphas the Ecclesiastical Judge before and by whom he was strictly examin'd concerning his Doctrine and Disciples and tho he answer'd discreetly and modestly yet the High-priest's Servant with Disdain and Insolence struck him violently on the Cheek nor did he return the least Reproof to that hard Usage and Incivility By this Time his Enemies were assembled and make up a full Court and the suborn'd and perjur'd Witnesses were ready to act their Parts on this bloody Theater Die he must that was resolv'd on ere he came to his Trial. the Depositions being taken the High-priest charg'd him with Blasphemy and told the Court that the Matter of Fact was so evidently prov'd against him that they needed no more Witnesses for by the Law he deserved Death the whole Assembly nemine contradicente concurring with this merciless and unjust Judge did pronounce him guilty of the Crimes laid to his Charge Whereupon they committed him to the Serjeants and base Soldiers there to be kept in arctâ custodiâ as a condemn'd Malefactor These Villains to pass away the Night did contemptuously and inhumanely spit in his Face ridicul'd and mock'd him and said scornfully and as themselves thought in Disgrace to him Prophesie who it is that smote thee Then they struck him with the Palms of their Hands buffetted and bruis'd his Face which was so besmear'd with Bloud and Spittle Isai 53. that there was neither Form nor Beauty nor Comeliness in him But all these harsh Words and harder Blows came far short of those Tortures which are yet behind For the Jews having no Power to condemn and execute him judicially the Roman Governor alone being at that time invested with the Power of Life and Death when they had troubled and tortur'd him as long as they pleas'd then they sent him bound to Pontius Pilate the Roman Deputy and Governor of Judea before whom he was indited upon new Articles Wherein they charg'd him 1 With Impiety as teaching false Doctrine against the Law Traditions and Liberties of the Jewish Nation and that he was a Prophaner of the Sabbath Which being all notorious Untruths and such Allegations too as were not under his Cognizance therefore Pilate took little Notice of them But to enforce their Malice and exasperate the Judge against this innocent Person 2 They charg'd him with Treason against Cesar's Person and Sedition against the civil Government Because said they he refus'd to pay Tribute and declar'd himself to be the King of the Jews This indeed Pilate was very much startled at being tender of the Honour and Interest of Cesar and chiefly because 't was the Stay and Security of his own But to incense and inrage him still more against the Prisoner they further complain'd that this Sedition was begun in Galilee a Place most notoriously infamous for Faction and Rebellion where Judas Galilaeus Theudas and several others had frequently disturb'd the Peace of the civil Government Upon which Suggestion Pilate being conscious of our Saviour's Innocence and unwilling to have any hand in his Bloud sent