the Dispensation of the Work To the Holy Ghost Vertue and Power and Efficacy of Operation In a Word God the Father in the Son by the Holy Ghost worketh all things By the word of the Lord were the heavens Psal 33. 6. made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Of all visible Creatures which is the Chiefest A. Man For in Man above all other Visible Creatures the Lord sets forth the Glory of his Wisdom Power and Goodness Q. What was the State and Condition of Man at the first by Creation A. It was an holy and happly Condition a State of Innocency and a State of Life Q. Wherein stood that holy Condition of Man A. In that he was free from Sin and created after God's own Image and Likeness And God said Let us make man in our Gen. 1. 26. image according to our likeness Q. What was that Image of God in which Man was at first created A. It was a Conformity of Man to God even a Conformity of all the Power of the Soul of Man to the Will of God standing in Wisdom and Holiness Put on the new man which after God Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. is created in righteousness and true holiness Q. What was that Wisdom that was in Man at the first A. A perfect Knowledge of God his Creator and of his Will to be obeyed and of his Wisdom and Will touching the particular Creatures for Adam named them according to their Natures Q. What was that Holiness that was in Man at the first A. It was a Conformity of the Will and Affections and the whole Disposion of Man in Body and Soul to the Will of God his Creator Q. Wherein stood that happy Condition of Man in his first Creation A. In Three things 1st In a blessed Estate which was in Communion which Man had with the True God with whom he had daily and as it were familiar Conversation 2dly In Dominion over the Creatures Gen. 1. 28. An Example whereof is when all Creatures presented themselves before him to receive their Names from Ver. 29. him 3dly In a Body endued with Beauty Strength and Immortality And that his Body was Immortal there is no question seeing Death came in by Sin Q. Man being in this happy Estate what Employment had he A. Twofold 1st Particular and Outward To Till Chap. 2. 15. and Dress the Garden 2dly General and Spiritual To Worship and serve his Creator Every one shall be called by my name Isa 43. 7. for I created him for my glory Q. How was be fitted and enabled for this Service A. He was fitted of God with Freedom of Will and Ability for perfect Obedience Being manifestly proved from the Perfection of the Image of God in which Man was created Also he having the Moral Law written in his Heart by Nature Q. How doth that appear A. 1st By the Effect of his Law in his Heart For Man having sinned the Guilt Gâ—n 3. 8. of his Conscience forced him to hide himself from God's Presence 2dly By the Remainders of the Law of God in all Mankind who having not the Law of God are a Law unto Rom. 2. 14 themselves Q. Did Man continue in that happy State in which he was created A. No But hearkning to the poysned Gen. 3. Suggestions of the wicked Serpent and by obeying his Perswasions he lost his Free-Will and Perfection and fell from Righteousness to Sin Q. How was it that Man lost his first State and fell from Righteousness to Sin A. God suffering Satan to tempt him and leaving him to the mutability and liberty of his own Will he fell into Sin eating of the forbidden Fruit. Q. How did Man yield to Temptation being created Good A. Being left of God to the liberty Chap. 3. 6. and mutability of their own Will they voluntary enclined to that Evil whereunto they were tempted Q. What is the State of Man being fallen from his first Estate in which he was created A. It is a State of Corruption and Misery Q. What is the State of Corruption following the Fall of Man A. It is the Loss of the Image of God in which Man was created at first and the Image of Satan succeeding in the place of it so that Man in that State can do nothing but sin And this the Scripture calls the Old Man the Flesh And Adam begat a child in his own Gen. 5. 3. likeness after his image Cast ye off concerning the conversation Eph. 4. 22. in time past the old Man which is corrupt through the deceivable lusts Q. What is Sin A. Sin is any swerving from the Law of God though it be in the least want of that which the Law requireth Whosoever sinneth transgresseth the law 1 Joh. 3. 4. for sin is the transgression of the law I had not known lust except the law Rom. 7. 7. had said Thou shalt not lust Q. How many sorts of Sin be there A. Two Original and Actual Sin is either the Corruption of Nature or the evil Actions that proceed from thence as the Fruits of it Q. What is the Corruption of Man's Nature A. It is that Corruption that is deriv'd from our first Parents by Natural Generation called Lust or Concupisence But sin took an occasion by the commandment Rom. 7. 8. and wrought in me all manner of concupisence Q. Wherein standeth that corruption A. In Two things 1st In an utter Disability and Enmity to that which is good I know that in me that is in my flesh Chap. 7. 18. dwelleth no good things The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against Chap. 8. 7. God 2dly In a Proness to all manner of Evil. The law is spiritual but I am carnal Chap. 7. 14. sold under sin Q. In whom is that Corruption of Nature found A. In all Men and Women none excepted descending from Adam by Natural Generation For there is no difference for all have Chap. 3. 23. sinned and are deprived of the glory of God Q. How is it that all Men and Women are deflied with the Corruption of Nature A. Through the Infidelity and Disobedience of our first Parents in Eating the Forbidden Fruit all Men being guilty of that Sin Wherefore as by one man sin entered Rom. 5. 12. into the world and death by sin and so death went over all men forasmuch as all men have sinned Q. How are all Men Guilty of that Sin A. 1st Because they were in the Heb. 7. 9. Loins of our first Parents from whom they should by course of Nature descend 2dly Because our first Parents were by God's Appointment to stand or fall not as singular Persons only but also as Heads and Roots of all Mankind and as publick Persons representing all Mankind So that every one naturally descending of Adam is Guilty of Adam's Sin it being imputed to him as St. Paul manifesteth As in
Adam all die By the offence of one the fault came on Rom. 5. 18. all men to condemnation By one mans disobedience many were Ver. 19. made sinners Q. Is Original Corruption found in every one equally A. Yes it is for that which is born of Natural Generation is nothing but Corruption For as St. John saith That which is born of flesh is flesh Joh. 3. 6. Q. Doth this Corruption of Nature break forth and shew it self equally and in all Men alike A. No Though Original Corruption be found equally and alike in all Men naturally yet doth God for the Good of Humane Society limit Man's Corruption and restrain Man from notorious Crimes y their Natural Temper by Fear of Shame and Punishment Desire of Honour and Reward and such like Q. Now what is Actual Sin A. It is a Fruit of Original Corruption and it is a Particular and Actual Breach of God's Law For out of the heart come evil thoughts Mat. 15. 19. murders adulteries fornications thefts and such like When lust hath conceived it bringeth Jam. 1. 15. forth sin Q. How is Actual Sin distinguished A. Into Inward and Outward It is either the Inward Faculties of the Soul as the Mind or Will and Affections or in the Outward Members of the Body Q. What is the Actual Sin of the Mind Will and Affections A. It is the evil Thought or Intent of the Mind which comes either by the Conceiving of the Mind it self or by Satan's Suggestion The Lord saw that the wickedness of Gen. 6. 5. man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of his heart were only evil continually And Satan stood up against Israel and 1 Chron. â—1 1. provoked David to number Israel Also it is every Motion and Lust and Desire stirring in the Heart contrary to God's Law For the flesh lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5. 17. and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other Q. What is Outward Actual Sin in the Outward Members of the Body A. It is that which is committed by the Members of the Body carrying with it the Faculties of the Soul Q. How is Actual Sin effected A. Two ways Either by Omission or Commission either by omitting that which ought to be done or by committing that Evil that is forbidden and ought not to be done whether it be inwardly in the Mind Will or Affections or outwardly in Word or Deed. Q. What is the State of Misery following the Fall of Man A. It is a continual Subjection to the Curse of God whereby Man by the just Sentence of God is continually subject and liable to God's Curse for Sin Cursed is every one that continueth not Gal. 3. 10. in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them And that in this Life both in Body and outward Estate The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave Deut. 28. 21. unto thee until he have consumed thee from off the land whither thou goest to possess it The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption Ver. 22 c. and with a fever and with an inflammation and with an extreme burning and with the sword and with blasting and with mildew and they shall pursue thee till thou perish c. And also in Soul and that with Blindness of Mind Hardness and Astonishment of Heart Horrour of Conscinece and such like And the Lord shall smite thee with Deut. 28. 28. madness and with blindness and with astonishment of heart And not only in this Life but also in the End of this Life and that is the Power of Corporal Death the Death of the Body whereby the Soul is severed from the Body And also after this Life is ended And that by Eternal Death of Body and Soul in Hell Fire called the Second Death which is a final Separation from the comfortable Presence of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and a sense and feeling of God's Wrath in that Separation whenas it shall be said to them I never knew you Depart from me Mat. 7. 23. ye that work iniquity Depart from me into everlasting fire Chap. 25. 41. which is prepared for the devil and his angels Q. Seeing then by the just Iudgment of God we are subject both to Temporal and Eternal Punishment Is there yet any Way or Means remaining whereby we may be delivered from these Punishments and be reconciled to God A. God will have his Justice satisfied Wherefore it is necessary that we satisfie either by our selves or by another For The soul that sinneth it shall â—ie Exod. 18. 4. Q. Are we able to satisfie our selves A. Not a whit Nay rather we do every Day encrease our Debt For If thou O Lord shouldest mark our Psal 130. 3. iniquities O Lord who should stand Q. Is there any Creature which only is a Creature in Heaven or Earth able to satisfie for us A. None For first God will not punish that Sin in any other Creature which Man hath committed For The soul that sinneth it shall die Exod. 18. Neither can that which is nothing but a Creature sustain the Wrath of God against Sin and deliver others from it Who can stand before his wrath or Nah. 1. 6. who can abide in the fierceness of his wrath Q. What manner of Mediator then and Deliverer must we seek for A. Such a one verily as is very Man For since by man came death by man 1 Cor. 15. 21. came also the resurrection of the dead And perfectly Just For such an high priest it became us to Heb. 7. 26. have which is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Q. Wherefore is it necessary that he be very Man A. 1st That he might die and suffer the Punishment due to Sin which the Godhead could not do Forasmuch then as the children were Chap. 2. 14. partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the devil 2dly Because the Justice of God requireth that the same Humane Nature which sinned do it self likewise make Recompence for Sin The righteousness of the righteous shall Exod. 18. 20. be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself Q. Why also must he be very God A That he might by his Godhead sustain in his Flesh the burthen of God's Wrath For the Lord thy God is a consuming Deut. 4. 24. fire and a jealous God And might recover and restore unto us that Righteousness which we had lost He was wounded for our transgressions Isa 53. 5. he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Yet the Lord would break him and Ver. 10. make him subject to infirmities when he shall make his soul an offering for sin
Q. And who is that Mediator which is both very God and perfectly Iust Man A. Even our Lord Jesus Christ who is made to us of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption There is one Mediator between God and 1 Tim. 2. 5. Man which is the man Jesus Christ Ye are of him in Jesus Christ who is 1 Cor. 1. 30. made of God unto us wisdom righteteousness sanctification and redemption Q. But what are we to Know and Believe touching the Distinction of the two Natures in Christ his Godhead and his Manhood A. That there is a real Distinction of Mat. 26. 39. Joh. 10. 17 18. Act. 3. 21. those two Natures without any Mixture the one with the other and without any Conversion or turning of the one into the other and that the Essential Properties and Actions of both Natures remain distinct one from the other Q. What are we to Believe and Know touching the Union of Christ's two Natures his Godhead and his Manhood A. That they are united by Personal Union that the Godhead and Manhood in Christ make but One Person Q. What is that Personal Union A. It is the assuming of the Humane Nature into the Person of the Son of God so as the Manhood being not a Person in it self is received into Unity of Person with the Second Person in Trinity and doth usually and only subsist in the same This is a Mystery of Godliness And the word was made flesh and Joh. 1. 14. dwelt among us full of grace and truth Great is the mystery of Godliness which 1 Tim. 3. 16. is God is manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit c. Q. What is the Office of Iesus Christ being God and Man in One Person A. It is his Mediatorship to be the only Mediator and Advocate between God and Man There is one mediator between God and 1 Tim. 2. 5. man Q. What is meant by a Mediator or Advocate A. A Mediator or Advocate is a third Person that takes upon him to agree and reconcile two that be at variance As Christ being both God and Man did set at one God and Man who before were separated by Sin I the Lord have called thee in righteousness Isa 42. 6. and will hold thine hand and I will keep thee and give thee for a covenant of the people and for a light of the Gentiles Q. How did he that A. By the Satisfying of God's Justice by his Death By Praying and Intreating for the Guilty And By applying forcibly and effectually his Merit through Faith on them that Believe and regenerating them by his holy Spirit effecting that they cease from sinning And lastly Hearing their Groans and Petitions when they call upon him For thus it becometh him who was our Mat. 3. 15. faithful high priest to fulfil all righteousness Q. What be the several Functions and Offices of Christ as he is Mediator A. They are Three namely his Prophetical Office Priestly Kingly Christ was anointed of his Father to be the Prophet King and Priest of his Church For Moses truly said unto the fathers A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of our brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you Wherefore in all things it behoved him Heb. 2. 17. to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou Psal 110. 1. at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool Q. What is the Prophetical Office of Christ A. It is the Office of Revealing the Will of God and the Means of Salvation to his Church in all Ages As No man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1. 18. the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Which Office Christ performs Two ways 1st Outwardly By the Ministry of his Word Christ was put to death concerning the 1 Pet. 3. 18. flesh but was quickened in the spirit By which spirit he went and preached Ver. 19. unto the spirits that were in prison 2dly Inwardly By the Operation and Teaching of his holy Spirit As by the Example of Lydia Whose heart the Lord opened that she Act. 16. 14. attended unto the things which Paul spake Q. VVhat is the Priestly Office of Christ A. It is that whereby Christ hath and doth reconcile God to his Elect He performing all those things to God for them whereby they may come to Eternal Life But this man because he endureth for Heb. 7. 24. ever hath an everlasting priesthood Wherefore he is able also perfectly to Ver. 25. save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Which Priestly Office Christ performs Three ways for God chosen First In fulfilling the Law of God and performing perfect Righteousness for them Which Perfection He is made unto us of God wisdom 1 Cor. 1. 30. righteousness sanctification and redemption standeth in Two things 1st In the Purity of his Humane Nature he being conceived and born Pure and Holy void of all Sin 2dly In the Obedience of his whole Life he doing all that the Law required of him for God's Chosen Who did no sin neither was there any 1 Pet. 2. 22. Isa 53. 9. guile found in his mouth Secondly As he was Man consisting of Body and Soul Yet the Lord would break him and Isa 53 10. make him subject to infirmities when he shall make his soul an offering for sin Offering of himself unto God his Father a sacrifice without spot thereby appeasing his Wrath for all their Sins How much more shall the blood of Heb. 9. 14. Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God But now in the end of the world hath Ver. 26. he appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Thirdly His entring into Heaven and there appearing before his Father continually making Intercession for all the Faithful Who shall condemn It is Christ who Rom. 8. 34. also is at the right hand of God and maketh request for us Q. After what manner doth Christ make Intercession in Heaven for the Faithful A. Not by Prostrating himself and uttering Words to his Father or by putting up a Prayer or Supplication to him But by presenting himself and the Sacrifice of himself once offered upon the Cross and the infinite and unvaluable Merit of that Sacrifice before the Eyes of his Father willing as he is God and Man and desiring as he is Man that his Father would accept of his perfect Satisfaction for all that are given unto him For Christ is not enter'd into the holy Heb. 9. 24. places that are made with hands which are similitudes of the true sanctuary but
the Person When the Person coming is Unworthy that 's not here meant for so none is Worthy can merit or deserve this honourable Privilege 2. Of the Action When we come in an undue unworthy and unprepared Manner when Men care not with what Minds nor in what Manner they come to the Lord's Supper but rush hand-over-head upon the Ordinance There are Three sorts who Receive Unworthily 1. The Ignorant 2. The Superstitious 3. The Profane and Ungodly Ones 1st Such as are Ignorant That come out of Custom rather than Conscience for Shame of the World because 't is counted a Disparagement not to be admitted to that Ordinance rather than out of any Sense Apprehension or Desire of the Benefit accruing by this Ordinance Such as discern not the Lord's Body are not able to look farther than that which they see with their Eyes They indeed behold Bread broken and Wine poured forth but what the Meaning and Signification of those things are they know not They behold the Ceremony but understand not the Mystery They talk of the Sacrament but know not what it is who instituted it why it was ordained to what End and Use it serves and therefore their Receiving cannot be 〈◊〉 a Rational and Intelligible Rom. 12. 1. Service and so is not acceptable to God 2dly The Superstitiously Conceited that attribute more to the Outward Elements and External Administration than is meet The Papists lead the Van in this Brigade who pervert the simplicity of this Ordinance turning the whole business into a Tragedy or Stage-Play by their abominable ridiculous and absurd Gestures and Actions to the high Dishonour of God and grand Abuse of this Sacred and Holy Institution And next unto these follow many Ignorant and Superstitious Protestants who have many fond Conceits and fantastical Opinions of this Ordinance resting in the Opus operatum or Work done thinking that the bare Outward Actions and Elements are able to sanctifie them That if they go Fasting they have the more if having Eaten somewhat the less Benefit by coming That even the very Receiving of the Elements is of great virtue to a sick Man Or That whosoever Receives upon his Death-bed must needs be saved and go to Heaven 3dly Such as are Ungodly and Profane Proud Covetous Voluptuous Drunkards Swearers Neglecters and Despisers of God's Service Scoffers and Jeerers at the Profession of Religion Envious Malicious False-hearted Deceitful Dissembling Wretches that so they may carry it fair toward the World regard not Inward Sanctity Holiness and Integrity at all such as come in the guilt of these Sins unrepented of unbewailed unresolved against these are Spots in our holy Feasts as St. Jude Ver. 12. speaks Bloaches Stains and Reproaches to our Christian Assemblies and such as give great Occasion of such Multitudes separating and withdrawing themselves from our Congregations many profaneâ— ungodly Persons there are in these days who will be railing and inveighing against Separatists and Independents when they themselves give occasion to the being of such Secondly Here 's the Quality of this Sin It 's very heinous and they that commit it are guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ One would think this were a very hard â—ensure of a Fault that seems not to be very great That coming unworthily to the Sacrament should be Murther and Blood-guiltiness nay Guiltiness of the Blood of the only begotten Son of God and so as heinous a Sin as that which Judas and Pilate and the Jews were guilty of in Crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of Glory But the Quality of Sin is not to be measured by ours but by God's Judgment of it God calls it such here and we must believe it to be such But how are they guilty Not as principal Actors and Doers in the business for so the Jews were only guilty but as Accessaries and Abettors For 1. 'T is a slighting of Christ's Death a not laying of it to heart in a due manner It implies that we in the secret of our Souls conceive the putting of Christ to Death was no such heinous Offence whenas we can behold the visible Representation of it in the Sacrament without being at all affected with it as if Christ had been a guilty Person deserving to be used as he was and the Jews had done an Act of Justice in Crucifying him 2. 'T is an Injury and Abuse that reflects upon the Person of Christ as he that shall violate the Picture Seal or Arms of a King offers an Indignity to the King himself and shall be punish'd accordingly so he that unworthily useth this Sacrament or Memorial of Christ's Death doth offer Contempt unto the Death it self 3. 'T is a sign we do not lay to heart the Sin of our Nature which was the occasion of Christ's Dying If Man had not sinned Christ had not died And therefore the Prophet Isaiah tells us That he was wounded for our Chap. 53. 5 transgressions and bruised for our iniquities All we like sheep have gone astray 6. and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Hence it is that in the Sacrament we should exercise Repentance we should look upon him whom Zech. 12. 10. we have pierced and mourn for him as one mourns for his only son 'T is a Tradition That if the guilty Murtherer be brought to the sight of the Party murthered or touch his Body he 'll presently fall a bleedingâ— The Sight of Christ crucified whom we have murthered by our Sins and Transgressions should cause our Hearts within us to mourn and bleed We should undo that by Repentance which we have done by Sin But thus do not such as Receive unworthily and so remain guilty of the Body and Blood i. e. of the Death of Christ 4. 'T is a frustrating of the End of Christ's Death and as to their particular a shedding of the Blood of Christ in vain Christ gave his Body to be crucified and suffered his Blood to be shed that he might nourish and preserve the Souls of the Faithful unto Everlasting Life Hence it is that he says that his Flesh is Meat indeed and his Joh. 6. 55. Blood is Drink indeed But to whom is it such To those that feed on him by Faith This was the End why Christ gave himself that he might become the Bread of Life But so cannot unworthy Receivers and therefore the End of Christ's giving himself as to them is utterly frustrated and disappointed and so they become guilty of the Body and Blood i. e. of the Death of Christ are interpretatively and in effect Christ's Murtherers and Destroyers Now 't is a fearful thing to be guilty of any Man's Blood yea of a wicked Man's Blood how much more to be guilty of the Blood of the Son of God! of the Blood of God! Deliver me O God from bloodguiltiness says David It was a Sin the guilt whereof Psal 51. lay exceeding heavy yea like a