force of the Comand but ratifies it He only could do it that is the Lord thereof There is no change made in the quamdiu and continuance nor in the quoties and frequency of the same The whole Precept being moral in part naturally in part positively is perpetual therefore and not to be altered by any Creature That some special time should be observed for Gods solemn worship is moral natural That it should be such a proportion in such a Revolution is moral positive That the duty should be moved from the seventh to the first day of the week makes no substantial change therein but only directs to the season thereof upon pregnant ground Paul clears this by a large demonstration The first day Sabbath was eminently typified in the most notable Providences of the old Testament On the first day Light was created Noahs Ark rested Circumcision was first ordained Israel was redeemed from Aegyptian Bondage on the same day Christs Law was first given by himself to Israel on mount Sinai the cloud of his special presence first rested on them the Tabernacle with his pertinances was rear'd Aaron and his Children first executed their Priesthood On that day his fire from Heaven first came down to consume the Sacrifices to make them acceptable in Christ by his Spirit The Israelites were first solemly by the Lord himself blessed their Princes first publiquely offered to the Lord. So for the new Testament Christ thereon first shewed his Miracles in Cana he first rose and appeared to his Disciples the Saints that slept then rose out of their Graves the holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles solemnly met and thereon still they met for divine worship When the Jewish Sabbath ended by reason of its Typicalness expiring with Christs death then began the first day to be the Christian Sabbath Christ sanctifying it to that end by his resurrection honouring it in a special manner which is the ground given by God himself for the keeping of a Sabbath So carefull were Christ and Christians of it that he bids them pray that their flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath lest it should distract their bodies and souls Prophaning of the Sabbath hath ever been threatned and punished signally as the due observance of it hath been choicely encouraged and rewarded in all Superiors and Inferiors It s the Lords court-day wherein he expects due Homage and Rents from all his Tenants It s his Muster-day for all his Christian Souldiers It s his solemn Feast-day to welcome all his friends It s his weekly Market for the getting in of all heavenly provisions It s his Chancery-day for the sealing and grant of his deeds of Favour What enemies are they to his honor and mans good who slight and abuse that Heaven upon earth It s the beginning of an eternal Sabbath All Cavils against it have been fully dispelled by many choice pieces When Paul condemns the distinction of days his meaning is cleared by the Context to speak of Jewish Ceremonials not of Christian Morals The neglect and abuse of the Christian Sabbath hath been observed formerly and lately to be still the Inlet to all other errors Englands prosperity began in Queen Elizabeths time when the Sabbath began to be duly maintained by Authority The troubles of England began afterwards when the Sabbath was publiquely by Authority profaned and by the same party * The famous Kings and Witagen Mots among the Saxons still renew'd strict Laws for due observance of the Christian Sabbath 15. The Law of Christ is variously abused 1. By the the foresaid Errors 2. By Antinomians denying the Obligation of a Christian to the moral Law 3. By Papists in mangling of it and dispencing therewith at pleasure many ways 4. By Quakers and other Innovators joining too much with Papists 5. By Socinians that rest thereon teaching people the like and so making it their satisfaction to justice and their Salvation AGainst such evils Scripture-knowledge of Christ will help us to see the need and use of that Law of Christ As he printed it on mans heart at first so doth he by his Grace renew it there gradually He published it himself from Mount Sina to his people adding the Ceremonials and Judicials afterwards as fit accommodations of that moral Law suited to the Jewish Church and State The Decalogue then is the sum of that Law which obliges all men without exception The sevetal Explications and Applications thereof we find through the Old and New Testament Christ ratified the same from Mount Zion also in taking away the Pharisaical Rubbish which their false Glosses had cast about it The Apostles further clear and confirm it in their several Epistles and Writings Where the Scripture seems to speak against the Law the sense is cleared by viewing the Context 1. They speak against the justifying Power of the Law through mans weakness since the fall none being able to keep it without fault or to make amends for his breach thereof Thus by the Law can none be justified and the regenerate are not under it to get pardon and salvation by a Law of works The Pharisees thus pressed and owned it and were confuted by Christ and his Apostles Thus also do they sin that do rest upon any Gospel-duty making it to themselves thereby a Law of Works Secondly They speak against the condemning effect of the Law which the regenerate are freed from by Christs Righteousness imputed to them They are not under the curse of it having their sins pardoned by Christs satisfaction made theirs actually through faith in his blood though their sin deserves the Curse yet that reatus and guilt doth not redound upon their persons being taken off by Christ Thirdly They speak often of the ceremonial Law as not obliging any Christian since Christ though it was used indifferently for a while to bear with tender Converts then unsatisfied about the abrogation thereof Fourthly They still own the royal Law of Liberty that moral Law which is the Transcript of Gods holy Will for the Rule of mans Duty in conformity to Gods Image It s called therefore the Law of Christ the perfect Law and the Law of Truth which men do well when they observe and ill so far as they neglect it God indeed writes his Law on his peoples heart but gradually and variously that is to them an internal Principle of Obedience which is still attended by the Law of their Members in opposition thereto This Principle moves them still to observe that Law which God hath given to be their standing Rule perfect and unchangeable Men are as far from his Grace as they are from observing his Law God never leaves his Children without Rule He
up to believe those lies deceiving and being deceived The Scripture indeed sometimes Allegorizes and teaches the use of Tropes and figures by the best Rhetorick We must therefore be sure to keep close to it least we turn substantial Truth by Chymical Evaporations into Notional smoak Too many of late have followed those woful courses of enervating Scripture by Allegorical strains till they had lost Reason and Religion at once Such Paracelsian Fumes quickly Intoxicate mens Brains breeding the Giddiness and then Convulsions to extremity 13. Christs Ordinances by his Word appointed are not spared but are opposed too First By the forenamed deceits Secondly By our modern Seekers and Familists as by the old Gnosticks accounting them but childish weak things fit only for inferior Christians in their lower form Thirdly By many Luke-warm Laodiceans of this Age of a neutral indifferent spirit towards Christs Instituted Worship Fourthly By all Papists and Traditionists who set up wayes and parts of Worship of mans devising as religious use of Images prayer for the dead Invocation of Saints and Angels Veneration of Reliques sale of pardons and Indulgences Fictions of Purgatory and Limbus patrum infantium Prayer in an unknown Tongue by roat upon Beads vain Babling and Tautologies repeated over and over superstitious uses of Crosses and Crossings Altars and Tapers Vestments and Dressings Mimical Gestures and ridiculous Stage-playes in Worship corrupting of every Ordinance by many foppish additions and tricks Fifthly By Ranters and Quakers who jeer and blaspheme Christs Institutions as our sad experience testifies in all places AGainst such gross Evils the right Knowledge of Christ will arm us and prove that they are but fools who think themselves too wise for Christs School That the highest Christians have alwaies used them and pressed all others thereto with all diligence That they are the Charets and Conduits of communication between the Lord and us That they are all suited to the case of all Gods people on earth That we should live above them in the use not in the neglect of them That our bodies shal cease from needing food when our souls shall cease to need Ordinances That Christ promises his presence therewith to the worlds end That he meets his people with a choice Blessing where ever he records his name and therefore bids them seek his face evermore That therein our Homage is paid unto him in a special manner That the Lord will be sought and found in all his ways That his familiarity is to teach us manners not sauciness That to be neutral and meteor-like in the Lords worship is sad and sinfull in a high degree That Prayer and Singing are jointly prescribed and directed to for spiritual use That the abuse thereof by any should not cannot excuse us from our duty All are bound and bidden to use them yet none can use them spiritually but by a special Grace That a moral performance of Duty is better far then non-performance That men are to serve God as well as they can still learning of him how to serve him better That God is ready to give more still to such as improve what they have received That its better to serve Christ outwardly then to serve sin and Satan by omitting good or committing evil That the preaching and hearing Gods Word requires of necessity meditation and repetition reading and studying thereof That Christ will be honoured in every Relation by every one without exception as in publique and secret so likewise in our several Families That he threatens a curse to such Nations and such Families as know not and call not on his name That his morning and evening Mercies challenge good manners in duty from us That Christ himself taught how to pray and praise on the solemn use of the Lords creatures That to rest on Duties is Idolatry and to neglect the same is Rebellion That all mixtures of humane Inventions do but soil and deface the Lords pure worship that therefore all Romish Innovations are sufficiently confuted by the bare rehersal That Will-worship can never please him who will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth That the Heathens pleaded the like excuses for their superstition and Idolatry as the Papists do for theirs That a great part of the Popâ—sh trash is but borrowed from Pagans with disguises That in many things they renew those Rites which by Christs coming were to have an end that vows contrary to Scripture-Duty can shew little savour of Scripture-Verity that the ready way to obscure our Light is to besmear and and paint our Windows That Scripture-simplicity loves not the dressing of a pompous whore That a fair Complexion needs no painting and truth hath most power when most purity That Antiquity pleads not at all for their grossest Tricks That in the things wherein some of the Fathers seem to plead for them there is much mistake and much forgery That however Truth is the eldest and he wants no Antiquity that wants not Scripture-Truth Many words were innocently used by the Fathers as Merit Altar c. which are turned quite into another sense among Papists now 14. Christs holy-Day his Sabbath of rest suffers peculiarly as 1. From the foresaid Enemies of Truth So secondly From too many seeming friends some wholly rejecting some mangling of it and some indifferent to this or to that Thirdly By Quakers and all Enthusiasts who slight all or most of Christs Ordinances and this especially Against such mistakes and abuses the knowledge of Christ will teach and enable us to observe his day as becomes a Sabbath It s called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Day to express his special property therein and sanction thereof as the Eucharist is called the Lords Table and the Lords Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Command enjoining it is placed in the heart and Center of the Decalogue with a signal Memento prefixed It s largely expressed both positively and prohibitively In the precept and close he names the Sabbath though in the amplification he mentions the seventh day or a seventh day He adds strong Reasons to enforce it from his Propriety Example and Blessing as also from the Equity thereof By this one Command he often expresses his whole Worship He couples it sometimes with one Precept of the first Table and after with one of the second Table to signifie the great Influence it hath into the observance of both It s abundantly confirmed enforced and renew'd in every part of Scripture old and new The reason that enforced the use of the seventh day Sabbath extends as fully to the first day Sabbath That was the Lords rest day from his Creation-work This is his rest day from his Redemption-work The change of the day in its quando made by God himself alters not the
Principle in the Habit and Source in the seed and beginning is first given to the Elect in their Regeneration and Conversion to be the original of all actual Graces in them this is called the new creature the new man created after Gods Image the divine Nature the forming of Christ within c. Of this children are capable if they be not of actual Grace which yet seems probable This is inherent Grace in the first principles and Habits thereof both gratis data and gratum faciens in an Orthodox not in a popish sense Secondly Inherent Grace in the Branches and streams in the Acts and Effects in the fruits and progress is variously denominated from the Objects Subjects manner of acting c. it s called faith to express the motion of the renewed soul towards God in Christ upon conjugal terms believing his Truth closing with his Person trusting his Promises depending on his Mercy deriving from his fulness observing him in all things which is called the life of faith It s called Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it turns the whole soul from all sin to God Both in purpose and endeavour through his Spirit this and all other Graces are still concomitants and subsequents of faith in their gradual proportion It s called love to denote the affectionate embracing of God in Christ and in his people for Christs sake as the most amiable object It s called obedience as it acts the whole man to a free and full compliance with Gods Will revealed in his Word It s called Thankfulness as it affects the heart with the sense of Mercy received It s called self-denial as it moves the soul to prefer Christ before all things else and part with any thing for his sake It s termed Patience in regard of sorrowfull evils which it learns to bear submissively It s named humility with respect to its low thoughts of self submitted still to Christ It s nominated Temperance in regard of its care to avoid all excessive use of Creatures It s termed Zeal as it moves with fervour for good against evil It s termed Justice or Righteousness in respect of its readiness to give every one their due It s called Prudence as it regards all due means tending to right ends It s termed Wisdom as it s acquainted with the best things in their nature cause and end Thus Grace inherent hath its various appellations and distinctions both habitually and actually being the Grace properly meant in the Text as being that Grace which is capable of Growth The Knowledge of Christ is taken also in a sense more large or more strict 1. LArgely and commonly for a notional Knowledge void of saving Faith and Love such as puffs up an empty Brain 2. Strictly and specially for that saving applicative knowledge which includes all Grace by an elegant Hebraism verbs of sense and knowledge signifying both affectum effectum Natural knowledge of things is acquired by sense Reason or Authority Thus in spirituals this knowledge of Christs is spiritually sensible and rationally fiducial Its a conjugal knowledge which implies 1. Apprehension of the Truth of Christs proper Object 2. Credit and Assent thereto upon his divine Authority 3. Personal consent and particular Applications in mutual Acception and Reciprocation Grace and Knowlede in the Text may be understood 1. Distinctly Conjunctly 1. DIstinctly shewing the excellent Worth and needfull use of every Grace and of the knowledge of Christ 2. Conjunctly by a figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace and Knowledge signifies gracious Knowledge as in that like phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace and Apostleship for gracious Apostleship So the sense will be very emphatical suiting our purpose in characterizing this excellent Jewel so singularly transcendent beyond all other This precious Jewel is curiously set out in the golden ring of divine Records where you find it held forth in its radient Lustre whose glorious beams may be contracted for our clearer apprehension into plain description you may then observe it to be a conjugal acquaintance with Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour wrought in Gods Elect by the special operation of his renewing Spirit and effectually improved to Gods honor and mans good in every Relation toward God and Man This is the choice Jewel whose eminent worth hath been in all ages so incomparably prized by the Word and friends of God Every Page of Scripture sets forth the peculiar Eminency thereof every precept and Promise every prefiguration and Prophesie every President and performance points unto this This was under the Old Testament more ceremonially vailed and under the New is more Evangelically Revealed This is the centre wherein all the Lines of Scripture do meet All the Patriarchs aimed still at this Abraham saw his day and rejoiced Davi◠is full of it Job was divinely advised to such an Acquaintance as to the source and sum of all good Paul accounted all loss and dung in comparison of this excellent Knowledge and rationally determined to know nothing else Peter sums all up in this Good Reason for it if we consider the Object and subject the cause and Nature the property and effect thereof which are all hinted in the former Description Reason 1. The proper Object adequate of this gracious Knowledge is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ a singular Jewel indeed in every consideration The Paramount and Non-such the chiefest of ten thousand both in his Person and Office in his progress and Purchase in his Relation and Influence 1. The Person of Christ is a noble Paragon considered as God as Man as God-man 1. CHrist is God blessed for ever the eternal Son of his eternall Father co-essential and co-equal with him the the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image or Character of his Person in whom dwells the fulness of the Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substantially and bodily the only begotton of the Father full of Grace and Truth essentially one with the Father though personally distinct by an eternal Generation unutterable to man firmly to be believed on Gods Testimony and piously adored not curiously pried into The wonderful Wisdom of the Father who was his Delight before Time by whom in time he made the world and upholds all by the word of his power Essentially he is God of himself Personally God the Son of God the Father His proper Name is the Word of God the Wonderful Councellor the Father of Eternity He that doth what ever the Father doth and to be worshipped as the Father is worshipped He that sends the Spirit from the Father who being in the form and substance of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God To him be glory for ever Amen 2. Christ as Man is the Rare Object of this Knowledge For the word was made flesh and dwelt among
said in the Old This Point was so clear then without opposition that a little sufficed The Believing Jewes would not have been quiet if their children had been shut out of Gods House that made such stirs at lesser matters Christ when a child was Head of the Church children then may be members thereof He cals them his Children Disciples Saints servants in the same Relation given to their Parents When Families of old joyned to the Lord children were not excluded no more were they in Apostolical dayes They that will deny Scripture-Consequence must deny all Duties of Christianity none whereof can be performed without such Reasoning Reason and Religion they must at once gainsay that gainsay Inferences orderly drawn from thence The Condition of this Covenant is sufficiently cleared by the Knowledge of Christ both for Entrance and continuance both Internally and Externally Christ invites sinners to come by Faith to him for all needful Grace None can come to him except the Father draw them He gives to his Elect peculiarly what he requires from all indefinitely As far as that Condition is performed either Externally or Internally so far reaches the Covenant priviledge before God and men The profession and outward Priviledge may be utterly lost by carnal hypocrites but the distinguishing Grace and internal priviledge thereof cannot be totally nor finally lost by the Regenerate though they may be ecclipsed for a time 18. The Church of Christ suffers much also First By all the former Secondly By rigid Separatists of divers sorts Thirdly By the Popish Apostacy and Usurpations assuming to themselves alone the Title of Catholicks and unchurching all that jump not with them Fourthly By Quakers and Notionists who slight and abuse the communion of Saints multipliciously and nefariously AGainst such Disorders the gracious knowledge of Christ affords meet help Improve it to a right Union and Communion both with the Head Christ and with his Body His Church is his House that cherishes Concord among Brethren of different sizes There is but one God and Mediator there there also should be but one mind and heart There are divers Chambers and Stories therein yet it s one house Though different flocks under various Shepherds yet are they all under one great shepherd They that own Christ as Head should be owned of his Members They that agree in the main may bear with each other in the means Schism is a sinfull separation that breeds a Convulsion in the Body of Christ Shame and Sorrow are the genuine fruits thereof as Pride and Ignorance the Parents of it They bear most with others that know Christ and themselves best Paul would have them both marked and shun'd that make divisions as selfish Christians that know little of Christ and themselves He would have us separate from evil but not from good as himself doth Christians and Churches must purifie themselves as he is pure They should therefore labor more for verity and Unity in the way to purity They need all mutual help Orderly Union affords much Beauty strength and usefulness It makes Gods people like an Army with Banners such an Arch-Building is choice and sure All convulsions are painfull and direfull Scripture represents this harmonious composure by that which excels in all frams natural civil and artificial We should all labor then for things that tend to Peace for mutual edification Variety of helps he affords to that end The Popish pretence is as injurious as its ridiculous They make a particular Universal a Roman Cathotholick They first disown Christ in effect and then must they disown and be disowned of his friends The Quakers follow them too closely in this as in other things casting Odiums upon our reformed Churches and rejecting them It s sad to see any of Christ friends who seem more sober and serious through mis-interpretations and mis-applications of Scripture to imitate them in such dividing ways To divide and destroy is Satans Motto it s his Method We see it we feel it by woful experience We must learn of Christ Prudent moderation in our zeal for Truth Both his Body and Garment should be so tendered as not to rend the one by favouring the other Peace is to be pursued after as far as possible in consistency with Holiness Much labor and care must often be used in over-taking and preserving Peace still endangered by many enemies 19. The Grace of Christ nearly concerns his Church and meets with the contradiction of sinners His Electing Grace is much slandred by many First By most of the forenamed Errors Secondly By Pelagians Socinians and others denying it to be eternal Thirdly Papists and Arminians agreeing with the Semi-Palagians in making it conditional not absolute upon faith foreseen or on Good work not of Gods free pleasure Fourthly By many of our Notionists following of those blind Guides in following the false Lights which Paracelsus and Behmen Swenkfield and Wigelius the Rose-Crucians and Enthusiastical Recluses have racked out of old Dung-hils and dressed anew AGainst such deceits improve the knowledge of Christ that you may consider him in a double capacity 1. As God the Son jointly with the Father and the Spirit chusing his people from eternity divina opera ad intra sunt indivisa Secondly As Mediator in Gods eternal purpose in whom in all the vessels of Mercy were absolutely elected without any respect to any thing in them but according to the good pleasure of his Will having predestinated us to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself before the foundation of the world There is a double Election also mentioned in Scripture 1. Eternal which is to Glory 2. Temporal which is to office By eternal Election the Lords chosen flock alone were fore-ordained to Glory through Grace By temporal Election reprobates as Judas may be chosen to office as he was to the Apostleship Gods electing Grace is called sometimes his fore-knowledge by an Hebraism verbs of sence with them importing both affect and effect Thus Christ is said never to have known the wicked because he never owned them for his This foreknowing Grace is called his Pleasure his good Will his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amor Bonevolentiae chiefly looking at the end Gods Glorifying himself by glorifying them in Christ Predestination or fore-ordaining Grace pre-determining those Elect Persons so freely pitched upon by God regards the means leading to that end therefore it fore-appointed them to Redemption and Adoption in Christ by Grace towards Glory Some being thus chosen others were passed by and are therefore called Reprobates and Gods purpose or councel about them is called Praeterition Non-election and non-predestination God was not bound to any and did chuse and pass by of his own Will independently eternally distinctly individually certainly Those persons so passed by considered in massa nuda he did fore-ordain