Object of it is real the Ground of it certain the Actings of it sensible to himself and the Effects of it evident to others This I shall endeavour to do I. As for the Object of a Believers Faith and Hope that good which he believes shall be and expects after this life a state of glory for the spirits of just men He that shall deny that such a thing is must not own the Name of Christian when even the light of Nature will go so far toward the proving of it for 1. That shews us that the Soul is immortal as being of a spiritual nature and independent on the Body in its most proper and noble Operations the actings of the Understanding and Will 2. That there is a reward after this life for them that do well no less than on the contrary Punishment for evil doers This the generality of the Pagan World that knew not distinctly wherein that Reward did consist yet have granted the thing and who is not instructed by his own Conscience in the knowledge of it The work of the Law written in the Heart †Rom. 2.15 and the secret pleasure and satisfaction men take in their own Innocence or good actions proves a reward on the one hand as well as the fears and horrors which the Consciences of the most slie and secret sinners subject them to speak the punishment they expect on the other And if these things were only impressions made upon mens Fancies in their tender years it were strange that all the Reason they grow up to exercise and all the Art many obstinate Sinners make use of on purpose to obliterate them and to impress the contrary upon their Minds together with a thousand other Species printed on their Imaginations by their Employments their Pleasures and all the various Occasions and accidents of their Lives should never be able to rid them of these so unpleasing Sentiments 3. Something may be said even from natural Reason to prove this reward to consist in the enjoyment of God and so not only to evince the reality of some Happiness but of this in particular in the other life For 1. It will scarce be denyed but that the soul of Man is capable of enjoying God as its Sovereign good i. e. of most intensely delighting and entirely acquiescing in him as a good suitable to the spiritual Nature and sufficient for the vast capacity of an immortal Soul Some of the Heathen came near this when they stated mans Happiness as consisting in the Contemplation of the highest being And indeed the very Nature and Operations of the Soul and its apprehending spiritual Objects amounts to little less than a demonstration of this 2. The enjoyment of God is the greatest good any Creature can be capable of God is in himself absolutely the greatest good because an infinite one and comprehensive of all Perfection and there can be no greater good than to be possessed of him that is the greatest 3. The reward and happiness of an holy Soul can be nothing less than the greatest good and therefore must needs be the enjoyment of God himself this appears in that 1. Less than the greatest good cannot satisfie mans Soul and then to be sure cannot make it happy when its happiness consists in its being fully satisfied All the riches and pleasures of this World and delights of Sense can never be to the Soul instead of God because they are unsuitable to its nature which is spiritual to its duration which is immortal and to those appetites God hath implanted in it It 's very capacity of enjoying God is attended with a secret Inclination to it insomuch that many times when a man may not have an explicit and distinct knowledge of the good he wants yet being unsatisfied with what he hath though never so great he finds a want of something else and because he wants it he desires it though he know not clearly what it is to make him happy 2. It is most congruous to the Wisdom and goodness of God to appoint the greatest good to be the Happiness of the noblest of his Creatures not that they deserve it but because he may be most glorified by it and because he hath given them a nature capable of it As he suits the good of other Creatures to the capacities he hath given them so he doth the good of man None but Angels and men are capable of enjoying or actively glorifying him and God having capacitated them for that sutes their good to their Capacity It had not been agreeable to the Wisdom of God for man to have had only some inferiour good in this Life assigned to him as his chief Happiness when he had made him capable of an higher Thus much hath been said and more might even from Reason it self to prove the reality of those things Believers look for in the other Life How much might be said from Scripture with respect to which only they are the Objects of Faith but this I referre to the next head the ground of a Christian Faith 2. That is certain The same things sometimes may both be believed with a Divine Faith and known too by natural Reason but then the Medium whereby they are known and the ground whereon they are believed are very different the one is some rational argument the other the Word of God In the case before us the being of Eternal Life the present Object of Faith we speak of may be proved by reason but then so far it is not the Object of Faith but of Knowledge but withall it may be proved by Scripture and so it is the Object of Faith and as such I am now to speak of it and so to shew that the ground on which a Christian believes Eternal Life is most certain and that is no other than the Word of God particularly the Promise of the Gospel The Scripture therefore is the ground of the Faith of Eternal Life 1. As it reveals it for that it doth more fully and clearly though something a man may know of future Happiness by his natural light as before was said yet the fairest and most distinct notion he hath of it is by Revelation in the Word that tells us plainly what is that great good in which mans Happiness consists 1 Joh. 3.2 Seeing God as he is and being like him Life and Immortality are brought to light especially by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 not only more distinctly discovered than ever Nature could discern them but than God himself had revealed them in the Old Testament 2. As it shews the way to it the terms on which it is to be obtained sets before us Eternal Life as in Christ it not only tells us of the thing it self but shews how man sinfull man may attain to the enjoyment of it declares true Holiness to be the way in which he is to walk and Christ the Door by which he is to enter 3. As it secures it upon
those terms for so it doth it is the scope and end of the Promise to secure Life and Glory to those that accept of it upon the terms propounded the Command directs in the way and the Promise makes over and conveys the blessing Believe and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.31 So Joh. 3.16 and Rom. 2.7 To them that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and Immortality Eternal life is promised Now the Word and Promise of God not only as revealing Life to us and the way to it but as conveying it is the ground of our Faith and Hope though without the Word we might have some more general Knowledge of a State of Happiness in the other World yet without the Word we cannot know the way to it nor ever attain to an Interest in it nor have so full certainty of the very being of it as by the Word we have the certainty of Faith being greater than that of any natural Knowledge whatever we have no ground at all to believe we shall be saved but what the Promise affords us And that is sufficient ground to build our Faith upon and a better we cannot have than the Word of him that is the Truth it self and so can neither deceive nor be deceived God that cannot lie hath promised Eternal life Tit. 1.2 Upon the Infallibility and Veracity of that God in his holy Word the Faith of a Christian rests and a surer Foundation for it cannot be imagined and need not be desired As the certainty of any assent of the Mind to a truth depends upon the strength and firmness of the Reason or Argument which moves to and procures that Assent and is the Cause of it so likewise the certainty of Faith proceeds from the goodness and validity of the Authority which is the Motive to and Reason of our believing or which is the same the ground of it If we believe a man that belief is more or less certain according as the Person on whose Authority our belief is grounded is more or less credible and so when we believe God our Faith is such as its Foundation is the Effect imitates the Cause the foundation of that Faith Gods Veracity is the best and therefore the certainty of our â—aith is the greatest If a man be sure that what he believes is the Word of God he may be sure it is most true and never will fail And this no doubt may be sufficient to satisfie a Believer in his own mind or any one that receives the Scripture as the Word of God concerning the reality of the Faith he professeth that the ground of it is so certain but if he have to do with those that believe not the Scripture and so question the foundation of his Faith in that case he may have recourse to all those Arguments whereby we are wont to prove the Divine Authority of the Word and they all Confirm the Faith of a Christian and so the same account a Believer may give of the foundation of his Faith as of the Divinity of the Scripture if the Scripture be the Word of God and that Word be true his Faith built upon it is certain 3. The Actings of a Christians Faith are perceivable by himself Habits which cannot be discerned of themselves when they lye still yet may be known by their actings such an Habit Faith is which though it discover not it self or be not perceived when unactive yet may be discern'd in its exercise When a man actually believes he may know he believes reflect upon his own act as well as when he hears or sees or walks he may know he doth so and is not deceived in it Inward Sense hath as much certainty in it as outward and spiritual Sense as natural if a man therefore assent to the Truth of Gods Promise he may know he assents to it and if he accept of and close with the good Promised he may know he doth so though sometimes Temptations may be so strong and the Actings of Faith so weak and the Mind so clouded and distracted that a man may hardly be able to pass a right judgement on those Acts yet it is not always so but other whiles when the workings of Faith are more strong and vigorous and a man more clear of temptations he may do it In this therefore a man may give an account to himself of his Faith that it is reall he may know that he believes the Promise of Eternal Life as really as he believes any ordinary Truth proposed to him and that his believing and resting on Gods Word is no more a Fancy than his believing the word of a man As for others with whom he hath to do I know no reason why they should not believe him when he says he believes Gods Promise as well as when he says he believes their word or why one should be a Fancy any more than the other 4. The Effects of a Believers faith are evident to others in a good measure as well as to himself more fully As he may perceive his Faith purifying his heart taking it off from the World drawing it nearer to God so others may see his Conversation ordered correspondently to his believing they may see him Shie of Sin Diligent in Duty Conscientious in his Calling Patient in Sufferings Charitable to those that Need him Meek towards those that Offend him Profitable Spiritual Savoury in his Converse Just and Righteous in his Dealings and in a wâ—â—d the main of his Course and Wayes such as is agreable to thâ— Faith he professeth and the Recompence he expects So that if the lookers on cannot be infallibly certain of the reality of his Faith or that such a Carriage proceeds from such a Faith yet they may not only have their Mouths stopped that they cannot reasonably object against it but they may be bound in Charity to believe his Faith to be true and real when they see so much in him answerable to it and what he professeth to be the effect of it when they see him live like one that expects eternal Blessedness well may they believe that his Faith concerning it and hope of it is not feigned They see him walking strictly mortifying his flesh denying himself as to his outward enjoyments and carnal liberties and generally acting at such a rate as none would do that did not expect Eternal Life and what ground can they then have to suspect the Faith he pretends to to be only a Conceit or Fancy 2. An account may be given of the Practice of a Christian his Obedience and Holy walking the strictness and as the World counts it singularity of his Manners his universality diligence and constancy in the most spiritual and difficult Duties his watchfulness over his words thoughts actions his mortification and self-denyal and whatever it is in a Believers life which the World is most apt to quarrel with and to look upon as the effect of Humour or
this in our selves and then How we may evidence it in others 1. How may a Believer experience in himself that that Serious Godliness he lives in the Practice of is more than a Fancy 1. See that your Religiousness came into you the right way was wrought in you by the Word of God the power of which ye have found changing your Hearts and reforming your Lives When men leap into Religion they know not how can give no account to themselves of their Conversion or Reformation that the Word which is the Ordinary means God useth in converting Sinners hath had any influence upon them in working such a change it is suspicious that what they take to be Godliness in themselves is not reall that which is unaccountable is most like to be a Fancy True a man may not know the just time when God did work Grace in his heart nor the particular Word which was the Seed of it or which did first draw the heart to a closing with the Promise and subjecting it self to the terms of the Gospel he may not know when the new man was first quickned in him not be able to discern distinctly the first vital motions of Grace in his Soul some may have been wrought on in their Education by which they have been restrained from more gross Sins and influenced to some diligence in Religious duties and in them the passing from one extream to the other from a state of Nature to a state of Grace may not be so remarkable and therefore not so easily discerned However a change they find and that the Word hath wrought it whch they have experienced Effectual in many things it hath been the means at one time or other of enlightning their minds melting their hearts exciting their affections directing their ways and refreshing their Spirits though they cannot say what truth wrought the first degree of Grace yet they can say such and such truths have had an influence upon them and promoted the work whenever it was wrought such a Command quickned them to their Duty another brought them off from some evil way another helped them when they were tempted such a Promise supported them when burdened eased them when troubled or comforted them when cast down and so what good they have done the Word hath put them upon it what evil they have escaped that hath kept them from it what refreshment they have had that hath brought it in They know they are in their journey to Heaven and that they do not Dream that they are so because if they cannot tell which was absolutely the first step they took in the way yet they are sensible of many Stages they have travelled many removes they have made what accidents have befallen them what difficulties they have met with what Guide they had what directions were given them their journeying agrees with the map of their way the Word hath been a light to their Feet and a Lamp to their Paths * Psal 119.105 that hath still gone before them and conducted them in their march and their steps have been ordered according to it †Psa 119.133 they have not taken up a Religion at a days warning not passed from being prophane and worldly to be even superstitiously strict all upon a suddain without being able to give a reason of so great a change Look therefore to the way of Gods working upon you and the means he made use of in it and though you cannot trace the workings of his grace in all the particular steps he hath taken yet ye may conclude it to be his Work and not your own fancy because it was wrought in his way and by his Word which is his usual Instrument in it 2. See to your Faith as to the Foundation of it and the Effects of it that it be rightly grounded and rightly qualified built upon the Word and fruitfull in good works 1. See to the Foundation of it that it be the Word it self and not your own mistakes about it When men misunderstand the Scripture and so believe it they Build on their own Errors not Gods Truth and then what they call Faith is but a Fancy as not being grounded on the Word of God but their own Conceits See therefore that ye rightly understand what ye profess to believe and know the mind of God in the Word and so indeed believe what he speaks not what you imagine See that your Faith respect Commands as well as Promises Duties as well as Priviledges what you are to do as well as what you are to expect God joyns both together and if you seperate them you set up a Conceit of your own instead of his Truth Take heed of believing Promises as absolute when they are conditional or when made with some limitations or restrictions or when they suppose the use of some means prescribed by the Command in such cases men may think they believe when they do not there being no right Object for their Faith they believe what God never spoke This fallacy appears when men apply Promises to themselves but overlook the Condition or the Command annexed as suppose believe they shall be Pardoned though they never desire to be purged shall find mercy though they do not forsake Sin contrary to the tenour of the Word Prov. 28.14 or that they shall see God though they do not follow after holiness contrary to Heb. 12.14 And so when they believe one promise and not another the Promise of Justification but not of Sanctification when yet there is a connexion between them and to whom one belongs the other belongs too In a word let your Faith take in its Object in the whole Latitude there being the same reason Gods Authority for your believing one truth as well as another 2. See to the Effects and Fruits of it the reality of it must be proved by the fruits of it a Barren Faith is a dead Faith and indeed if any Faith be a Fancy it is the Faith of those that live destitute of Holiness and under the Dominion of Sin and yet expect Eternal Salvation bring forth no Fruit to Holiness and yet hope the End will be Everlasting life Faith will work as long as it lives and where there is no Fruit you may be sure there is no Root if it Act not it lives not 3. Therefore look to your Obedience too not only that it be as in the former but that it be Right and such as it should be that is Regular Vniversal Spiritual for otherwise it is not reasonable 1. Regular such as the Word of God calls for and hath its warrant from thence whatsoever we do in the things of God and what we would have look'd on as Acts of Obedience should be done with a respect to Gods Commands and not of our own heads Obedience it is not if it be not Commanded Men may do many seemingly good things and place Religion in them and think they please God by
Actions and Accidents two things considerable 1. The Action for example such a Text was handled such a charitable Action done such a Man brake his Leg was drunk or the like 2. The Inference or Observation to be gathered from thence for all Events whether good or bad are intended by the wise God for mans Instruction Now the Memory lays up the former and can retain it a long time but the Lesson which we should learn from it that 's neglected that 's forgotten 2. Things Hurtful to us to wit Injuries These usually stick in the memory when better things slip out If any body hath spoke or done evil to us the memory is trusty enough about these As one says we can remember Old Songs and Old Wrongs long enough yea those whom we profess to forgive yet we declare that we cannot forget them Not but that a man may have a natural remembrance of an injury so that he have not an angry remembrance of it As our heavenly Father himself remembers all a Believers sins but puts away his anger so we may rationally remember them but we must spiritually forget them for else the remembrance of them generally doth us a great deal of hurt but no good at all it cools our love weakens our trust and prepares us for revenge as did Amnon towards Absolon 2 Sam. 13.32 3. Things Sinful thus we can remember a filthy Story seven years when we do forget a saving Sermon in seven hours And herein the Memory is the great Nurse of Contemplative wickedness and represents to the idle and sinful heart all the sins it wots of with renewed delight and so strengthens the impression and doubles the guilt Ezek. 23.19 She multiplyed her Whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth wherein she had played the Harlot in the Land of Egypt The depraved Memory is herein fitly compared to a Sive that lets the good Corn fall through and reserves only the chaff by which its plain that the Faculty is not lost but poyson'd So that in this respect we may say as Themistocles did to Simonides when he offered to teach him The Art of Memory rather says he teach me The art of Forgetfulness for the things which I would not I remember and cannot forget the things I would 2. The cortuption of the Memory stands in Forgetting those things which we should remember But these things being so exceeding many great and useful though I cannot enumerate them yet I shall comprize the chief of them in these following general heads 1. Our Creator and what he hath done and what he hath done for us Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth And yet whom do we more forget Jerem. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attire yet my people have forgotten me days without number And our Forgetfulness here is most inexcusable because we may see taste and feel him every moment forasmuch as he is not far from every one of us seeing in him we live and move and have our Being and yet we can make shift to forget Him which shews the great Craze we had by the Fall And then the great things which he hath done to wit in the Works of Creation and Providence especially for his Church these we early forget but should remember Psal 77.11 I will remember the Works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of Old And particularly what he hath done for us the many and great Mercies and Deliverances especially the most remarkable of them which every good Christian should have a Catalogue of in his mind or in his Book Deut. 8.2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy GOD led thee these Forty Years c. 2. Our Redeemer and what he hath suffered for us Never was there such an Instance of free and transcendent Love in the World as that the Eternal Son of God should give himself to be a Sacrifice to expiate our Sin and yet we that can profess of far less kindnesses from men that we shall never forget them can forget this else he had never instituted the Lords Supper on purpose to keep up the solemn and useful Remembrance thereof which Remembrance sets a work all our Graces our Faith Love Repentance Thankfulness c. And without the frequent Use of this Ordinance where it may be had a defect will be forced in these Graces for the greatest things wear off with time and Holy David himself found cause to charge it uopn his Soul Ps 102.3 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits c. 3. The Truths of Religion especially the most weighty Malach. 1.4 Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servants which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments And of these the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.12 13 15. he would put the Christians in remembrance though they knew them that they might be established in present Truth yea he would stir them up by putting them in remembrance as long as he lived The Doctrine of God of Christ of the Creation of the Fall of the Covenant of Grace of Faith Repentance the Resurrection as in my Text and Judgment to come these things should be so ingrafted into the hearts of Christians that they should know and remember as well as their own Names or the rooms of their Houses and yet it is a shame to find how easily and almost utterly these things are forgotten by too many How few do we find that have been long Hearers of Gods Word that can give any tolerable account of the Nature of that Faith by which the Soul lives 4. The Duties of Religion The Scripture that so often requires us to remember them plainly implies that we are apt to forget them what 's the meaning of that Exodus the 20 Chap. Verse 8. Remember the Sabboth to keep it holy but that we easily forget it we are surprized by it it returns ere we are aware so that Heb. 13. Verse 2 3 16. which is called by some a Chapter of Remembrance be not forgetful to entertain Strangers Remember them that are in Bonds to do good and to Communicate forget not All which as they shew our duty so do they imply our defectiveness herein though to forget those and such like are as absurd as if we did forget to eat or sleep For as Christians we live by Faith and breath by Prayer so to forget to repent to believe to pray and to discharge the duties of our Relation Callings and all other duties toward God and toward men is to forget Christianity it self 5. Our Sins As there is a culpable so there is an useful and necessary remembrance of them when we remember sin to renew our love to it that 's damnable but when we remember it to loath it and to loath our selves for it that 's saving Ezek. 36.31 Then shall ye remember
the written Law doing the things contained in the Law are a Law unto themselves by which Law they shall at the last be judged but not by the written Law and who walking according to this Law will find their Consciences to excuse them as the Transgressors thereof shall be under the Accusations of Conscience Rom. 2.13 14 15. Besides it is said in the foregoing Chapter that the great reason why Divine Vengeance was against them was not so much because they knew not God or were unacquainted with the Methods of Salvation but because when the Gentiles who had not Moses nor the Prophets for their guide but only the Light of Nature the things made for their help glorified not God as God but were unthankful and became vain in their Imaginations And to these Considerations if we add what Peter in Acts 10.34 35. has it seems as if many of the Gentiles who were strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel were saved for saith the Apostle I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him every one that walketh according to that Light he has received shall be saved If this be minded without a fixing our thoughts on other Scriptural Considerations the difficulty would be removed but when we reflect on the many other Texts that assert Christ Jesus to be the only Door to Glory and that there is no other Name under Heaven whereby we can be saved but that of Jesus Christ and the Reason of this Doctrine namely That all have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God that such is the essential Righteousness of God as engageth him to demand Satisfaction and that unless his Justice be satisfied no Salvation can be had and that there is none other able to satisfie the Justice of God but Jesus Christ God-Man and that all who are interested in his Merits must submit unto him I say whoever will consider the foregoing Passages with these will find himself still at a loss so that on the whole I am brought to this Result that is That notwithstanding the Spirit of God doth so very much insist on the largeness of Divine Love to the World the least part thereof are made partakers of it unless Salvation is to be had out of Christ or unless a very implicit Faith be sufficient to entitle the Heathen unto any of those special Blessings that are the purchase of Christ's Blood but when we come so far if we do but intentely mind these things we shall find our selves in the dark and though we have the greatest reason to conclude That these things are reconcileable yet must we acknowledge that they are above us they are too high we cannot attain unto the height thereof 2. That such whose Lot hath been cast into more pleasant places and who have had the advantageous Helps of Sacred Scripture for their direction in the way of Life have yet been by Providence plunged into many an inextricable Labyrinths of Difficulties is surprizing Concerning the Old Testament who can without surprize converse with the Disputes there are among the Learned about the Hebrew Copy we now have or the Septuagint as whether the former or the latter is more Authentick and must be taken for the Canon There are some momentous differences between them and therefore 't is our Concern to enquire after that which is to be our Rule if it be the Septuagint we are at a loss about its Rise for it is well known that the Greek is not that Language which the Holy Ghost used with Moses and the Prophets 't is but a Translation but where is the Original Beside whatever is said by some of the Fathers concerning the miraculous Agreement of the 72 Israelites sent from Jerusalem to Ptolomy as Translaters of the Law of the Jews 't is manifest enough out of Aristaeus of whom the Learned Vsher has writ so much that they only Translated the Law of Moses and no more Neither is it very difficult to shew that the LXX we now have is more Novel than that of the New Testament But if the Hebrew must be taken for the Canon yet as to the Books of Moses some are at a loss whether the Samaritan or the Hebrew be most Authentick But whether the one or the other 't is still queried whether we have the Autograph Yet we are still in a Labyrinth not only about the various Readings the Keri and the Chetir but about the Antiquity of the Points whether they are Coaeval with the Letters or not The Points are so necessary towards the right understanding the true Import of a Hebrew Word that without them 't is not easie to find out the true sence of the Text the least alteration of a Point makes an unaccountable change in the signification of the Words Notwithstanding which the Novelty of the Hebrew Points doth now take with many whereby we are still at a loss where to find a firm Foundation on which our Faith may lean for seeing the Sence of the Text so very much depends on these Points if these Points are of late and humane Rise so is the present Sence of the Scripture and if so how can our Faith which is grounded on the Sence of Scriptures which leans only on this Humane Invention be Divine and Unshaken But might these Difficulties be removed yet as to the greatest number of professed Christians there are others which to them are as insuperable for they understand not the Original and have for their Guidance and Conduct no other help but what either some ignorant or prophane Priest affords them Such is the Neglect the greatest part of Christendom is guilty of that where there is one learned and pious Minister to direct there are two who are either very ignorant or scandalous for which reason the greatest part of the People who are under the Ministers Conduct are either to receive help from the Ignorant who cannot relieve them or from the Scandalous who cannot be confided in How can the People put any Trust in the Honesty and Truth of such who are strangers to nothing more than to such Vertues There is very much may be said to solve these Phaenomena but yet when all that can be offered has been insisted on we shall find somewhat in the Providence that doth transcend our Understandings 3. I will mention only one Providence more that does greatly amuse and astonish many that do truly fear the Lord and that is this viz. Although it be frequently asserted in Scripture That to the Godly the Promise of the good things of this Life as well as of that to come is given yet we find the godly to be without them even when the wicked who know not God do abound Many are the Afflictions and Tribulations of the Righteous Job 21.7 c. They are hated reproached and counted as sheep for the slaughter but the wicked they live become
best time do more for his People than their present Faith and Hope can grasp and as we need the understanding of these dark Scriptures God will unriddle them to us But at present the Churches Persecution is grievous to it and that upon many accounts In times of Persecution Hell seems to be let loose as to all manner of Wickedness when nothing but the Service of God is Criminal the Service of the Devil seems Meritorious Some will be frighted from the entertainment of the Gospel and dye in their Infidelity and they are lost for ever Others so far shrink that they lose their Peace thô they do not lose their Souls and never recover it more And the Spirits of the strongest will be apt to faint if the Sufferings be sharp and long t Dan. 7.25 They shall wear out the Saints of the most high When Persecution comes to its height u Mat. 24.21 except those dayes should be shortned there should no flesh be saved but for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortned But what 's to be done at that time that what 's intolerable to flesh and blood may be born with triumph that we may be so far from stumbling at the Cross of Christ that we may humbly glory in it †Act. 5.41 Rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer Shame for his Name In a word How may the time of their Persecution be the best time of their life By Serious Godliness by a more vigorous Exercise of all the Graces of the Holy Ghost When we feel what there is in that life of Faith we have at other times but talkt of What thô the Furnace be heated seven times hotter than ordinary may we be but seven times more purified than ordinary Christians let this be your great care never to suffer as evil doers but so walk that your Enemies may despair of ever finding any occasion against you except they find it against you concerning the Law of your God Persecutors will never own it that they inflict evil upon Persons for doing good but always pretend something Criminal As when Paul and Silas preacht Christ at Thessalonica y Acts 17.5 6 7. the Jews which believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City in an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the People and when they found them not they drew Jason and certain Brethren unto the Rulers of the City crying These that have turned the World up-side down are come hither also and these all do contrary to the Decrees of Caesar When Paul was afterwards taken and arraigned z Act. 23.1.9 he earnestly beholding the Council he could look them boldly in the face said Men and Brethren I have lived in all good Conscience before God untill this day And thô this Plea enraged some of his Persecutors others became his Advocates saying We find no evil in this man therefore let us not fight against God And when he was afterwards in this Process brought before a Heathen Magistrate corrupt enough and thereby prejudiced against him yet there a Acts 24.25 as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperence and Judgment to come Felix trembled Nothing so ruffles the Consciences of Persecutors as the uncontrollable blamelesness of Sufferers As Job told his prejudiced Friends b Job 19.28 Ye should say Why persecute we him seeing the root of the matter is found in me I 'le close all these Propositions with Job's resolution which I request may be this c Job 27.5 6. Till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live And now thô I have thus made out what I proposed in behalf of Serious Godliness yet I am sensible 't is not done beyond contradiction I shall therefore next endeavour to remove the Objections that are of moment and leave the Cavils to die of themselves Object 1 If our present Condition be for ought we can possibly know best for us why should we seek to alter it why should we seek Health when we are sick or right our selves when we are wrong'd or why should we seek peace of Conscience when we are under trouble of Conscience This seems to make a confusion in our very Prayers to hinder praying and to stagger our Faith in Prayer for our Prayers are for the altering of things for the better that is the Summe of all our Petitions Now if we be wavering in our minds about what is good for us how can we think to receive any thing of the Lord d James 1.6 7 8. A double-minded unresolved man is unstable uncertain in all his wayes Answ This is so far from hindering or confounding our Prayers that next to the Spirit of God 't is our best Guide and Instructor for Prayer This will teach us that our Petitions are not to direct God what to do nor may we expostulate with God in a quarrelling manner as if God wrong'd us if he do not humour us Whatever we pray for that cannot but be good for us e. g. Renewing strengthening stablishing Grace these cannot but be good for us for these we may insist with so much earnestness as not to be contented with a denial God hath no where made it our Duty to be willing to be damn'd to be his Enemies to hate him and Blaspheme him for ever And therefore herein if a pretended Angel from Heaven for God never sent any holy Angel upon such an errand should tell us as from God that God would not hear us nor bestow his Grace upon us we might tell him God never denied his Grace to any that were not willing to be denied and therefore where God hath by preventing Grace so far engaged the Will restlesly to desire Grace he hath given a token for good that he is plâ—ased with our Importunity and therefore peremptorily to resolve humbly to lye at Gods foot and to live and dye with this Petition for Grace your endeavours being answerable to your Prayers you may comfortably believe never any perisht that did it But now in things not necessary to Salvation and of such things is the question we must pray in another manner we are to consider our Circumstances the Promises that suit them how far God useth to fulfill such Promises in the Letter of them how in his wise Love he fulfills a Spiritual Promise when they are earnest for a Temporal and we shall never have hard thoughts of God thô he deny us any thing in this world for which we are most earnest And the truth is let but serious praying Christians deeply reflect upon their own hearts how they have been differently affected in Prayer according to the things they pray'd for and they will certainly find that whatever their expressions
Word and Conscience says but the same the Scripture says Now the Comforts Believers pretend to may for methods sake be reduced to two sorts the truth and reality of both which we shall labour to evince 1. Such as proceed from the direct Acts of Grace by this sort I understand nothing else but that inward delight and pleasure which usually accompanies the exercise of any Grace or gracious performance of any Duty and is in a manner intrinsick to it And the reality of this is confirmed by the Experience of all the Saints who of them doth not find a secret sweetness delight and satisfaction in the exercise of â—aith on Christ love to God and Holiness Res jucunda est resipiscentia Luth. Nay sorrow for Sin Mortification Self-denyal have something of pleasure in them There is I dare say more pleasure in a kindly melting of the heart for sin where the sorrow is not meerly Legal but Evangelical and mingled with Love than there is in the Commission of it more in denying a mans self as to any unlawful Appetite than in gratifying himself in resisting a temptation than in yielding to it in mortifying a Lust than obeying it and how much more is there in the exercise of Faith and Love c If our natural faculties are delighted with their proper actions about sutable Objects why may not our spiritual too are they less capable of pleasure or are spiritual Operations less congruous to our faculties when renewed and spiritualized or the Objects less suited to them than natural actions and objects are to our Faculties in their meer natural state If excellent Objects and intense Operations commonly produce the greatest pleasure in our natural Powers when rightly disposed why may it not be so in spirituals too What more excellent Object than God and Christ what more noble act is there of a renewed Soul than Faith and Love what delight then may such a Soul take in closing with its chief good in those acts And so if a natural man may take pleasure in the Contemplation of natural things why may not a Saint in the meditation of heavenly If one may delight in the exercise of Moral Vertue why may not the other in the exercise of Grace If a just a generous a valiant act afford some delight to the Actor how much more an holy one If the Excuse or Applause of a natural Conscience and its testimony of our well-doing affords some delight and sweetness how much more may the approbation of a renewed Conscience yield to a renewed Soul 2. Such as proceed from the reflex Acts of Grace or mens reflecting upon and perceiving their own Graces as suppose a mans knowing he believes in Christ or that he loves God or hates Sin and this kind of comfort is no other than that which flows from Assurance which where-ever it is in Exercise alwaies brings Comfort along with it Assurance in the Act is nothing else but a Conclusion drawn by the practical Understanding of a renewed Soul through the assistance of the holy Spirit from two Premises whereof the major is of Faith the very Language of the Scripture usually some Gospel Promise For instance Joh. 3.16 Whoever believes in Christ shall have Eternal Life the minor is the language of Spiritual sence I believe in Christ the Conclusion from both is Therefore I shall have Eternal Life which following the major proposition which is of Faith and therefore inevident and consequently in a Logical sence the weaker though Theologically more strong as being more certain is it self of Faith too and therefore most certain No man that believes the Scripture will deny the Major and he that shall deny the Minor must deny all Spiritual sence and the reflection of a gracious Soul upon its own Actions and so all possibility of Assurance in any such way of ratiocination and then he may well deny the comfort of Assurance when he takes away Assurance it self And therefore there needs no more to prove the reality of this kind of comfort which is so strong and satisfactory to the Soul of a Believer that he is never at rest in himself till he have attained to it than to prove the being of that Assurance from whence it proceeds and all the Arguments which evince the one will inferr the other he that shall grant a man may be sure of Heaven cannot doubt but he may take abundant comfort and satisfaction in being so assured and that that Comfort is no Fancy And so if a man may certainly know he believes in Christ loves God above all truely fears him is pure in heart a Math. 5.8.3.6 poor in spirit b hungers and thirsts after righteousness c or hath any Grace which accompanies Salvation in sincerity in him which is an evidence of his right to and Interest in any Gospel Promise or Priviledge thereby convey'd it will amount to the same and the sight and sence of any such Evidence cannot but bring the greatest sweetness and refreshment to a gracious heart and which is as real as the delight he takes in the exercise of any of his natural faculties If a man may take much real delight in knowing his Interest in a Prince here on Earth is it a delusion when he delights in the knowledge of his interest in a Saviour in Heaven If a man be so much pleased with his being the Son of a great man may not a Believer be as much Pleased with his being a Child of God his being born of him and adopted by him If men do ordinarily comfort themselves with the hope of some worldly Inheritance they reckon themselves sure of why may not a Saint much more Rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God d Rom. 5.2 triumph in expectation of an Inheritance among the Saints in Light e Col. 1.12 When no man in the World can ever be so sure of obtaining the things of the World as a Saint may be of coming to enjoy the things of Eternity the Hope and Assurance a Christian hath is according as the Promise which is the foundation of it is but the Promise of future Blessedness is a better Promise than that of any temporal enjoyment not only because the good promised is better but because the Promise of the one is more peremptory and absolute when the other is but conditional and limited Thus much may suffice to have been spoken to the first General propounded That a true Believer may give an account of his Christianity and such a one as is satisfactory to himself and ought to be to others he may make it appear that that serious Godliness in the practice of which he lives is more than a Fancy 2. I come to the second General mentioned to give Directions and shew in answer to the Case How we may experience this in ourselves and evidence it in others There be two parts of the Question which must be distinctly spoken to How we may experience
they may have thereby they will give them up to be an easie prey unto the other Designers And there are two Engines that are applied unto this purpose the one is Ignorance the other is Prophaneness or Sensuality of Life Whenever either of these prevails the Experience intended must necessarily be lost and excluded And the means of their prevailing are want of due Instruction by those who are the Leaders of the People and the encouragement of Sensuality by Impunity and great Examples This is the only formidable Conspiracy against the Profession of the Truth in this Nation without whose Aid all power and force will be frustrate in the Issue And as there is a great appearance in Divine Permission of such a state of things at present amongst us so if they be manag'd by Counsel also and that those ways of Ignorance and Sensuality are countenanced and promoted for this very End that the power of Truth being lost the Profession of it may be given up on easie terms there is nothing but Sovereign Grace that can prevent the Design For the Principle which we have laid down is uncontrollable in Reason and Experience namely That the loss of an Experience of the power of Religion will issue one way or other in the loss of the Truth of Religion and the Profession of it Whence is it that so many corrupt Opinions have made such an Inroad on Protestant Religion and the Profession of it Is it not from hence that many have lost an Experience of the power and efficacy of the Truth and so have parted with it Whence is it that Prophaneness and Sensuality of Life with all manner of corrupt Lusts of the Flesh have grown up unto the shame of Profession Is it not from the same Cause as the Apostle expresly declares it comes by 2 Tim. 4 2 3 4 5. One way or other the loss of Experience of the power of Truth will end in the loss of the profession of it But I proceed unto the Instance which I do design in the Church of Rome for the Religion of it at this day is nothing but a dead Image of the Gospel erected in the loss of an experience of its spiritual power overthrowing its Use with all its Ends being suited to the Taste of men carnal ignorant and superstitious This I shall make evident by all sorts of Instances in things relating to the Person and Offices of Christ the State Order and Worship of the Church with the Graces and Duties of Obedience required in the Gospel And in all my principal Design is to demonstrate what is the only way and means of securing our own Souls any Church or Nation from being insnared with or prevailed against by Popery 1. It is a general Notion of Truth that the Lord Christ in his Person and Grace is to be proposed and represented unto men as the principal Object of their Faith and Love He himself in his divine Person is absolutely invisible unto us and as unto his humane Nature absent from us For the Heavens must receive him until the time of the restitution of all things There must therefore an Image or Representation of him be made unto our Minds or he cannot be the proper Object of our Faith Trust Love and Delight This is done in the Gospel and the preaching of it for therein he is evidently set forth before our eyes as crucified amongst us Gal. 3.1 So also are all the other Concerns of his Person and Offices therein clearly proposed unto us yea this is the principal End of the Gospel namely to make a due Representation of the Person Offices Grace and Glory of Christ unto the Souls of men that they may believe in him and believing have eternal Life John 20.31 Upon this Representation made of Christ and his Glory in the Gospel and the Preaching of it Believers have an Experience of the power and efficacy of the divine Truth contained therein in the way before mentioned as the Apostle declares 2 Cor. 3.18 For we all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Having a Spiritual Light to discern and behold the Glory of Christ as represented in the Glass of the Gospel they have experience of its transfoâ—ming power and efficacy changing them into the likeness of the Image represented unto them that is of Christ himself which is the saving effect of Gospel-power But this Spiritual Light was lost among men through th efficacy of their Darkness and Unbelief they were not able to discover the Glory of Christ as revealed and proposed in the Gospel so as to make him the present Object of their Faith and Love And this Light being lost they could have no experience of the power of Divine Truth concerning him changing them into his Image They could make no affecting discovery of him in the Scripture All things therein were dark and confused or at least seemed an inaccessible Mystery which they could not reduce to practice Hence those who had got the publick conduct of Religion drove the people from Reading the Scripture as that which was of no use but rather dangerous unto them What shall these men then betake themselves unto shall they reject the notion in general that there ought to be such a representation made of Christ unto the minds of men as to inflame their devotion to excite their Faith and stir up their affection to him This cannot be done without an open Renunciation of him and of the Gospel as a Fable Wherefore they will find out another way for it another means unto the same end And this is by making Images of him of wood and stone or Gold and Silver or painting on them Hereby they supposed he would be made present unto his Worshippers That he would be so represented unto them as that they should be immediately stirred up unto the embraces of Faith and Love And herein they found sensible effects unto their great satisfaction For their minds being dark carnal and prone to superstition as are the minds of all men by nature they would see nothing in the Spiritual Representation of him in the Gospel that had any power on them or did in any measure affect them In these Images by the means of sight and imagination they found that which did really work upon their Affections and as they thought did excite them unto the love of Christ And this was the true Original of all the Imagery in the Church of Rome as something of the same nature in general was of all the Image-worship in the World So the Israelites in the wilderness when they made the Golden Calf did it to have a representation of a Deity near unto them in such a visible manner as that their Souls might be affected with it so they expressed themselves Exod 32 1. Wherefore in this State under a loss of
Agenda of the Church and thâ—â—eservedly for this Perswasion is built on infallible Divine Testimonâ—â—â— The Communication of Christ herein and our participation of him are expressed in such a manner as to demonstrate them to be peculiar such as are not to be obtained in any other way or divine Ordinance whatever not in Praying not in Preaching not in any other exercise of Faith on the Word or Promises There is in it an eating and drinking of the Body and Blood of Christ with a spiritual Incorporation thence ensuing which are peculiar unto this Ordinance But This especial and peculiar communion with Christ and participation of him is Spiritual and Mystical by Faith not carnal or fleshly To imagine any other participation of Christ in this life but by Faith is to overthrow the Gospel To signify the Real communication of himself and benefits of his Mediation unto them that believe whereby they should become the food of their Souls nourishing them unto eternal Life in the very beginning of his Ministry he himself expresseth it by eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood John 6.53 Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you But hereon many were offended as supposing that he had intended an oral carnal eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood and so would have taught them to be Cannibals Wherefore to instruct his Disciples aright in this mystery he gives an Eternal Rule of the interpretation of such expressions v. 63. It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life To look for any other communication of Christ or of his flesh and blood but what is Spiritual is to contradict him in the Interpretation which he gives of his own words Wherefore this especial Communion with Christ and Participation of him is by Faith If it were not unbelievers ought all partake of Christ aswell as those that believe which is a contradiction For to believe in Christ and to be made partakers of him are one and the same We must therefore find this peculiar participating of Christ in the special actings of Faith with respect unto the especial and peculiar exhibition of Christ unto us in this Ordinance And these actings of Faith are diverse and many but may be referred unto four Heads 1. It acts it self by Obedience unto the Authority of Christ in this Institution This is the foundation of all Communion with Christ or pâ—rticipation of him in any Ordinance of divine Worship whatever thaâ— is peculiarly of his own Soveraign Appointment and that in and with such circumstances as unto the Time or Season and manner of it as requires especial actings of Faith with respect thereunto For the Institution of this Ordinance was in the close of his Ministry or Prophetical Office on the Earth and in the entrance of the exercise of his Priestly Office in offering himself a Sacrifice unto God for the sins of the Church between them both and to render them both effectual unto us he interposed an act of his Kingly Office in the Institution of this Ordinance And it was in the same night wherein he was betrayed when his holy Heart was in the highest exercise of zeal for the glory of God and compassion for the Souls of sinners sâ—ith hath herein an especial regard unto all these things It doth not only act it self by a subjection of Soul and Conscience unto the Authority of Christ in the Institution but respects also the exerting of his authority in the Close of his Prophetical and entrance of the exercise of his Sacerdotal Office on the Earth with all those other circumstances of it which recommend it unto the Souls and Consciences of Believers This is peculiar unto this Ordinance and unto this way of the participation of Christ And herein faith in its due exercise gives the soul an intimate converse with Christ 2. There is in this divine Ordinance a peculiar Representation of the Love and Grace of Christ in his death and Sufferings with the way and manner of our Reconciliation unto God thereby The principal design of the Gospel is to declare unto us the Love and Grace of Christ and our Reconciliation unto God by his Blood Howbeit herein there is such an eminent Representation of them as cannot be made by words alone It is a Spiritual Image of Christ proposed unto us intimately affecting our whole Souls These things namely the ineffable Love and Grace of Christ the bitterness of his Sufferings and Death in our stead the Sacrifice that he offered by his Blood unto God with the effect of it in Atonement and Reconciliation being herein contracted into one entire Proposal unto our Souls Faith is exercised thereon in a peculiar manner and so as it is not in any Divine Ordinance or way of the Proposal of the same things unto us All these things are indeed distinctly and in parts set before us in the Scripture for our Instruction Edificacion But as the Light which was first made and diffused unto the whole Creation did suffice to enlighten it in a general way yet was far more useful glorious and conspicuous when it was reduced and contracted into the Body of the Sun so the Truths concerning Christ as they are diffused through the Scripture are sufficient for the Illumination and Instruction of the Church but when by divine wisdom and institution they are contracted into this Ordinance their taste and efficacy is more eminent and communicative unto the eyes of our Understandings that is our Faith than as meerly proposed by parts and parcels in the Word Hereby Faith leads the Soul unto a peculiar Communion with Christ wâ—â—ch is thereon made partaker of him in an especial manner 3. Faith herein respects the peculiar way of the communication and exhibition of Christ unto us by symbols or sensible outward Signs of Bread and Wine It finds the divine Wisdom ond Sovereignty of Christ in the choice of them having no other foundation in Reason or the Light of Nature and the Representation that is made herein of him with the Benefits of his Death and Oblation is suited unto Faith only without any aid of Sense or Imagination for although the Symbols are visible yet their Relation unto the things signified is not disceâ—nible unto any Sense or Reason Had he chosen for this end an Image or a Crucifix or any such Actions as did by a kind of natural and sensible Resemblance shew forth his Passion and what he did and suffered there had been no need of Faith in this matter And therefore as we shall see such things are found out unto this end by such as have lost the use and exercise of Faith herein Besides it is Faith alone that apprehends the Sacramental Vnion that is between the outward Signs and the Things signified by vertue of Divine Institution And hereby the one
flatter themselves whilst they please that on one consideration or other they shall be the Objects only of their kindness if these men according to their Profession be obliged in conscience to execute whatever their Superiors shall command them no less than Abraham was to sacrifice his Son on the Command of God they hold their Lives at the Mercy and on the good Nature of these Superiors who are always safe out of the reach of Revenge It is marvellous that Mankind doth not agree to demolish this cursed Image or the Ascription of a Godlike Power unto men to require blind Obedience unto their Commands especially considering what effects it hath produced in the world All men know by whose Device it was first set up and erected by whom what means and unto what end it was confirmed and consecrated and at this day it is maintained by a Society of men of an uncertain Extract and Original like that of the Janizaries in the Turkish Empire their Rise being generally out of obscurity among the meanest and lowest of the People Such they are who by the Rules of their Education are taught to renounce all respect unto their Native Countreys and Alliances therein but so as to make them only the way and matter for the advancement of the interest of this new Society And this sort of men being nourished from their very first entrances into the conduct of the Society unto hopes and expectations of Wealth Honour Power Interest in the disposal of all publick Affairs of Mankind and the Regulation of the Consciences of men it is no wonder if with the utmost of their Arts and Industry they endeavour to set up and preserve this Image which they have erected from whence they expect all the advantage which they do design But hereof I may treat more fully when I come to speak of the Image of Jealousie it self SECT X. From these Generals I shall proceed unto more particular Instances and those for the most part in important Principles of Religion wherein Christian Faith and Practice are most concerned And I shall begin with that which is of signal Advantage unto the Framers of these Images as the other also are in their degree for by this craft they have their Livelihood and Wealth and most pernicious to the Souls of other men It is a Principle of Truth that such as wherein the whole course of Christian Obedience is concerned that there is a Spiritual defilement in Sin This the Scripture every where declares representing the very Nature of it by spiritual Uncleanness And this Vncleanness is its contrariety unto the Holiness of the Divine Nature as represented unto us in the Law This Defilement is in all men equally by Nature all are alike born in Sin and the pollution of it Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean And it is in all personally in various degrees some are more polluted with actual Sins than others but all are so in their degree and measure This pollution of Sin must be purged and taken away before our entrance into Heaven for no unclean thing shall enter into the Kingdom of God Sin must be destroyed in its Nature Practice Power and Effects or we are not saved from it This Purification of Sin is wrought in us initially and gradually in this Life and accomplished in Death when the Spirits of just men are made perfect In a compliance with this work of Gods Grace towards them whereby they purifie themselves consists one principal part of the Obedience of Believers in this world and of the exercise of their Faith The principal internal immediate efficient cause of this purification of Sins is the Blood of Christ the Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth us from all our Sins 1 John 1.7 The Blood of Jesus purgeth our Consciences from dead works Heb. 9.14 He washeth us in his own Blood Rev. 1.5 And there is an external helping Cause thereof which is Trials and Afflictions made effectual by the Word and accomplished in Death But this way of purging Sins by the Blood of Christ is mysterious There is no discerning of its Glory but by spiritual Light no experience of its Power but by Faith Hence it is despised and neglected by the most that yet outwardly profess the Doctrine of the Gospel Men generally think there are a thousand better ways for the purging of Sin than this by the Blood of Christ which they cannot understand See Micah 6.6 7. It is Mysterious in the Application of it unto the Souls and Consciences of Believers by the Holy Ghost it is so in the Spring of its efficacy which is the Oblation of it for a Propitiation and in its relation unto the new Covenant which first it establisheth and then makes effectual unto this end The Work of it is gradual and unperceptible unto any thing but the eyes of Faith and diligent spiritual Experience Again It is so ordered by Divine Wisdom as strictly to require to begin excite and encourage the utmost diligence of Believers in a compliance with its efficacy unto the same End What Christ did for us he did without us without our aid or concurrence As God made us without our selves so Christ redeemed us but what he doth in us he doth also by us what he works in a way of Grace we work in a way of Duty And our Duty herein consists as in the continual exercise of all gracious Habits renewing changing and transforming the Soul into the Likeness of Christ for he which hopes to see him purifieth himself as he is pure so also in universal permanent uninterrupted Mortification unto the end whereof we shall speak afterwards This also renders the Work more Mysterious and difficult The improvement of Afflictions unto the same end is a principal part of the Wisdom of Faith without which they can be of no spiritual Use unto the Souls of men This Notion of the Defilement of Sin and that of the Necessity of its purification were retained in the Church of Rome for they could not be lost without not only a rejection of the Scripture but the stiffling of natural conceptions about them which are indelibly fixed in the Consciences of men But Spiritual Light into the Glory of the thing it self or the mystical Purification of Sin with an experience of the power and efficacy of the Blood of Christ as applied unto the Consciences of Believers unto that end by the holy Ghost were lost amongst them In vain shall we seek for any thing of this Nature either in their Doctrine or their Practice Wherefore having lost the Substance of this Truth and all experience of its Power to retain the Use of its Name they have made sundry little Images of it creeping things whereunto they ascribe the power of purging Sin such as Holy Water Pilgrimages Disciplines Masses and various commutations But they quickly found by experience that these things would neither purifie the Heart nor
of obedience whereby the work of purifying and cleansing the whole person may be carryed on toward perfection see 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 5 2â— 1 John 3.3 And he who is constantly engaged in that work with success will see the folly and vanity of any other pretended way for the purging of sins here or hereafter The consequent of these things is peace with God for they are assured pledges of our justification and acceptance with him and being justified by Faith we have Peace with God and where this is attained by the Gospel the whole Fabrick of Purgatory falls to the Ground for it is built on these Foundations that no assurance of the love of God or of a justified state can be obtained in this life For if it may be so there can be no use of Purgatory This then will assuredly keep the souls of believers in a contempt of that which is nothing but a false relief for sinners under disquietment of mind for want of peace with God SECT XI Some other instances of the same abomination I shall yet mention but with more brevity and sundry others must at present be passed over without a discovery It is granted among all Christians that all our helps our relief our deliverance from sin Satan and the world are from Christ alone This is included in all his Relations unto the Church in all his offices and the discharge of them and is the express Doctrine of the Gospel It is no less generally acknowledged at least the Scripture is no less clear and positive in it that we receive and derive all our supplies of Relief from Christ by Faith other wayes of the participation of any thing from him the Scripture knoweth not Wherefore it is our duty on all occasions to apply our selves unto him by Faith for all supplies Reliefs and deliverances But these men can find no life nor power herein at least if they grant that somewhat might be done this way yet they know not how to do it being ignorant of the life of Faith and the due exercise of it They must have a way more ready and easy exposed to the capacities and abilities of all sorts of Persons good and bad yea that will serve the turn of the worst of men unto this end An Image therefore must be set up for common use instead of this spiritual application unto Christ for relief and this is the making of the sign of the Cross Let a man but make the sign of the Cross on his forehead his breast or the like which he may as easily do as take up or cast away a straw and there is no more required to engage Christ unto his assistance at any time And the vertues which they ascribe hereunto are innumerable but this also is an Idol a teacher of Lies invented and set up for no other end but to satisfie the carnal minds of men with a presumptuous supposition in the neglect of the spiritually laborious exercise of Faith an Experience of the work of Faith in the derivation of all supplies of spiritual Life Grace and Strength with deliverance and supplies from Jesus Christ will secure Believers from giving heed unto this triffling deceit SECT XII One thing more amongst many others of the same Sort may be mentioned it is a notion of Truth which derives from the Light of Nature That those who approach unto God in divine Worship should be careful that they be pure and clean without any Offensive defilements This the Heathen themselves give Testimony unto and God confirmed it in the Institutions of the Law But what are these defilements and pollutions which make us unmeet to approach unto the presence of God how and by what means we may be purified and cleansed from them the Gospel alone declares And it doth in opposition unto all other ways and means of it plainly reveal that it is by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon our Consciences so to purge them from dead Works that we may serve the Living God see Heb. 9.14 chap. 10.19 20 21. But this is a thing mysterious nothing but spiritual Light and saving Faith can direct us herein Men destitute of them could never attain an Experience of purification in the way Wherefore they retained the notion of Truth it self but made an Image of it for their use with a neglect of the thing it self And this was the most ludicrous that could be imagined namely the sprinkling of themselves and others with that they call Holy Water when they go into the places of sacred Worship which yet also they borrowed from the Pagans So stupid and sottish are the minds of men so dark and ignorant of heavenly things that they have suffered their Souls to be deceived and ruined by such vain superstitious Trifles This Discourse hath already proceeded unto a greater length than was at first intended and would be so much more should we look into all parts of this Chamber of Imagery and expose to view all the abominations in it I shall therefore put a close unto it in one or two instances wherein the Church of Rome doth boast it self as retaining the Truth and Power of the Gospel in a peculiar manner whereas in very deed they have destroyed them and set up corrupt Images of their own in their stead SECT XIII The first of these is the Doctrine and Grace of Mortification That this is not only an important Evangelical Duty but also of indispensable necessity unto Salvation all who have any thing of Christian Religion in themselves must acknowledg It is also clearly determined in the Scripture both what is the nature of it with its causes and in what acts and duties it doth consist For it is frequently declared to be the crucifying of the Body of Sin with all the Lusts thereof For Mortification must be the bringing of something to death and this is sin and the dying of sin consists in the casting out of all vitious habits and inclinations arising from the Original depravation of nature it is the weakning and graduate extirpation or destruction of them in their roots principles and operations Whereby the Soul is set at liberty to act universally from the contrary principle of Spiritual Life and Grace The means on the part of Christ whereby this is wrought and effected in believers is the communication of his Spirit unto them to make an effectual application of the vertue of his death unto the death of sin for it is by his Spirit that we mortifie the deeds of the flesh and the flesh it self and that as we are implanted by him into the likeness of the death of Christ By vertue thereof we are crucifyed and made dead unto sin in the Declaration of which things the Scripture doth abound The means of it on the part of Believers is the exercise of Faith in Christ as crucifyed whereby they derive vertue from him for the crucifying of the Body of death And this
Princes Laws that they may not suffer It is some sign of a regard to God and your Salvation that you are troubled about Religion and careful to know which is the right even Controversie is better than Atheistical Indifferency that will be on the upper side be it what it will If you cast Acorns or Pulse among them Swine will strive for it or if it be Carrion Dogs will fight for it but if it be Gold or Jewels Dogs and Swine will never strive for them but tread them in the dirt but cast them before men and they will be all togeâ—her by the ears for them Lawyers contend about Law and Princes about Dominion which others mind not and Religious Persons strive about Religion and what wonder is this It doth but shew that they value their Souls and Religion and that their Understandings are yet imper-But if you will follow these plain Directions Controversies need not break your Peace I. See that you be true to the Light and Law of Nature which all Mankind is obliged to observe If you had no Scripture nor Christianity Nature that is the works of God do tell you that there is a God and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him it tells you that God is absolutely perfect in Power Knowledge and Goodness and that man is a reasonable free Agent made by him and therefore is his own and at his Will and Government It tells you that a mans Actions are not indifferent but some things we ought to do and some things we ought not to do and that Virtue and Vice moral Good and Evil do greatly differ and therefore that there is some universal Law which obligeth us to the Good and forbids the Evil and that this can be none but the Law of the universal Governour which is God it tells all men that they owe this God their absolute Obedience because he is their most wise and absolute Ruler and that they owe him their chiefest Love because he is not only the chief Benefactor but also most perfectly amiable in himself It tells us that he hath made us all sociable Members of one world and that we owe Love and Helps to one another It tells us that all this Obedience to God can never be in vain nor to our loss and it tells us that we must all die and that fleshly pleasures and this transitory world will quickly leave us There is no more cause to doubt of all or any of this than whether man be man Be true to this much and it will be a great help to all the rest II. And as to Gods Supernatural Revelation hold to Gods Word the Sacred Bible written by the special Inspiration of the Holy Ghost as the sufficient Records of it It is not Divine Faith if it rest not on Divine Revelation nor is it Divine Obedience which is not given to Divine Government or Command Mans word is to be believed but as it deserveth with a humane Faith and mans Law must be obeyed according to the measure of his Authority with a humane Obedience but these are far different from a Divine There is no universal Ruler of all the World or Church but God no man is capable of it nor any Council of men Gods Law is only in Nature and in the Holy Scripture and that being the Law by which he will judge us it is the Law which is the only Divine Rule of our Faith or Judgment our Hearts and Lives Though all in the Scripture is not of equal clearness or necessity but a man may be saved that understandeth not a thousand Sentences therein yet all that is necessary to Salvation is plainly there contained and Gods Law is perfect to its designed Use and needeth no Supplement of mans Hold close to Scripture-Sufficiency or you will never know what to hold to Councils and Canons are far more uncertain and there is no agreement among their Subjects which of them are obligatory and which not nor any possible way to come to an Agrement III. Yet use with thankfulness the help of Men for the understanding and obeying the Word of God Though Lawyers as such have none of the Legislative power you need their help to understand the Use of the Law aright And though no men have power to make Laws for the Church Universal yet men must be our Teachers to understand and use the Laws of God We are not born with Faith or Knowledge we know nothing but what is taught us except what Sense or Intuition perceiveth or Reason gathereth from thence If you ask Whom must we learn of I Answer of those that know and have learnt themselves No Name or Title or Relation or Habit will enable any man to teach you that which he knoweth not himself 1. Children must learn of their Parents and Tutors 2. People must learn of their able faithful Pastors and Catechizers 3. All Christians must be Teachers by Charitable Helps to one another But Teaching and Law-making are two things To Teach another is but to shew him that same Scientifical Evidence of Truth by which the Teacher knoweth it himself that the Learner may know it as he doth To say You shall believe that is true which I say is true and that this is the meaning of it is not Teaching but Law-giving and to believe such an one is not to learn or know though some humane Belief of our Teachers is necessary to Learners IV. Take nothing as necessary to the Being of Christianity and to Salvation which is not recorded in the Scripture and hath not been held as necessary by all true Christians in every Age and Place Not that we must know men first to be true Christians that by them we may know what Christian Truth is but the plain Scripture tells all men what Christianity is and by that we know whom to take for Christians But if any thing be new and risen since the Apostles writing of the Scripture that can be no Point essential to Christianity else Christianity must be a mutable thing and not the same now as it was heretofore or else there were no Christians before this Novelty in the world The Church were not the Church nor were any man a Christian if they wanted any essential part of Faith or Practice But here take heed of Sophisters deceit Though nothing is necessary to Salvation but all sound Christians have still believed yet all is not necessary or true or good which all good Christians have believed or done much less all which the tempted worser part have held For though the Essence of Christianity have been ever and every where the same yet the Opinions of Christians and their Mistakes and Faults have been none of their imitable Faith or Practice Humane Nature is essentially the same in Adam and in all men but the Diseases of Nature are another thing If all men have Sin and Error so have all Churches their Christianity is of
though 't is far from giving any true rest to the mind of man that being the peculiar property of God and an interest in him to do yet does it free a man much from those disquiets before mentioned for though a man in this estate may be supposed to have the same disturbing and devouring Lusts yet are they kept much under a restraint not having that fewel to feed them which Riches afford and which are of that nature that the more they are used the more insatiable they are in their cravings 2. A middle worldly Estate to a man as such is better than either of the Extreams with respect to the Body and that as it is a condition that hath a greater tendency to its health and preventing manifold Diseases and Infirmities to which it is liable whilst in this lower world 'T is true all Sicknesses and bodily Distempers that are either afflictive or destructive to mans Body are at the dispose of God in whose hands are all our times He kills and he makes alive he wounds Deut. 32 39. and he heals He says to them as the Centurion to his Servants go and they go come and they come do this and they do it Mat. 8.9 So that our Lives and Healths have no absolute dependance upon secondary Causes yet it must be acknowledged in the ordinary way of his Proâ—idence he dispences the weal or wo of the Body by external means Now 1. As to Poverty how many visible hazards do those that are poor run as to their Health and how many ways do bodily Infirmities beset them Sometimes through the want of these Creature-accommodations that God in the ordinary way of his Providence hath made necessary for the upholding of the Fabrick of Nature and repairing its dilapidations to which it is incident for want of supplies Little do you think who sit down at your well spred Tables how many of your poor Brethren would be glad of your Fragments whose Lamp of Life dwindles away sometimes for want of Oyl to feed it besides excessive Heats and Colds contracted by their Labours and Pains that they are at to fill their bellies and cover their nakedness as also unwholsom Diet and many times not enough of that neither 2. As to Riches these are so far from preventing these bodily Infirmities that commonly they hasten and heighten them proving temptations to those who are destitute of Gods Grace to sloth and idleness upon the account of which the Body like a standing Pool contracts filth and mud so the Body gross humors to its great prejudice especially hereby is occasioned Intemperance and Excess in eating and drinking which proves not only pernicious to the Soul but also destructive to the â—ealth of the Body as Erasmus speaking of the Epicures of his days makes this Remark Dum invitant ad coenam efferunt ad sepulchrum How many fresh instances might be produced wherein it might appear that many have so long drank Healths to others that they have drank away their own whilst a middle worldly condition tends to the preventing many of those evils by which the Body as well as the Soul suffers But I hasten to the second Head of Arguments Secondly A middle worldly condition is most eligible to a man as a Christian and as designing the happiness of the other world as it is most subservient to the living to God here and living with God hereafter This my Brethren if we be in our right minds is and ought to be the main scope and business of our Lives Hence that worldly condition that may rationally be judged most conducing to that end is doubtless the most eligible Now that a middle state considering our present Circumstances viz. those internal depravities with which we are infected is the most desirable I shall endeavour to evince This world and the time allotted for our abode here is the time for our acquainting our selves with God Job 22.21 that we may be at peace and that all good may come unto us all the good that God hath promised and that Christ hath purchased Now that condition that may afford most helps and fewest hinderances to this great Business is certainly the most eligible condition I have only this to premise by way of Caution that there is no condition in the world so well circumstantiated that can be so dispositive of us to our future happiness but that without the Almighty and out-stretched Arm of Sovereign Grace we shall still be left in a lost and perishing condition yet we do affirm there are some conditions in the world that though they are not in the least auxiliary to God who worketh in us to will and to do Phil. 2.13 and that of his good pleasure yet are they if wisely managed advantageous unto us for our improving those helps by which God is pleased to communicate his Grace to us In this respect the Apostle prefers a single before a married condition He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how he may please the Lord 1 Cor. 7 32 33 34. but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world how be may please his Wife c. By which the Apostle shews the advantage in some respects that the single person hath beyond those who are married in the Service of God so also a middle condition seems to have the advantage of both the forementioned Extreams and this will be more evident if we consider that there are three things prerequisite and necessarily to be minded by us in order to our future happiness 1. A right and orderly entring into the way of salvation by the door of sound Regeneration and Conversion 2. A Progress in that way by a holy and heavenly Conversation 3. A Perseverance in that way of Faith and Holiness to the end against all internal or external opposition Now a middle worldly condition appears both from Rational and Scripture accounts to be the most subservient unto all these 1. Such as ever truly design to enter into Heaven when they die must get into the way that leads thither whilst they live Mat 7.13 14. Now every way hath an entrance that leads to it The entrance into this way is by the Door of Regeneration So our blessed Saviour plainly tells us John 3.3 Verily verily I say unto you except a man he born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God And what this new Birth imports you may find v. 5. Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God To which I might add many parallel places Mat. 18.3 Except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven No Conversion no Salvation Now that Condition in the world from whence results the fewest Hinderances and the most Helps for our entrance in at this strait Gate is doubtless the most eligible and
given is no other than the Will of the great God who made us all which Will must be made known and revealed unto man before it can have on him the force of a Law Now the Discoveries of God's Will are after a twofold manner for there are some other Discoveries than these that are by the Light of Nature What may be understood by the Light of Nature from the things made is done by the exercise of our Reason but what is revealed any other way is not received the same way with the former our knowledge of these Revelations depends not solely on the exercise of but principally on the exercise of Faith 'T is God who after an extraordinary manner has reveal'd his Will and therefore 't is on the Truth of his Testimony we must lean for the knowledge thereof that is we must Believe we must exercise Faith by the Exercise whereof we come to the knowledge of those things which we could not arrive unto meerly by the Exercise of our highest Reasonings and really God delights to try and exercise our Faith so that now especially since the Fall the Life and Heart of that Religion that is necessary to Salvation consists in the Exercise of Faith To be truly Religious and to be a sound Believer are expressions of one and the same import The Religion we are designed for and must now exercise if we will be saved is the Life of Faith which is a Life much higher than that of meer Reason for by Faith we know what by meer Reason we could never know If we consider the most momentous Points of our Religion we shall find that as they are adjusted to our own Capacities even so they are of Matters infinitely above us they are of Matters that are not within our view unto the knowledge of which we cannot come but by some special Revelation the certainty of which Revelations depend on the Veracity and Truth of God's Testimony and 't is our Faith alone by which we receive these Discoveries that are thus given us of God whence 't is said that the stronger our Faith is the more we glorifie God by believing the Truth of his Testimony And that we may thus glorifie God it hath pleased the Lord so to order the Revelations of his Mind and Will and so to dispose of things by his Providence as to pose our Reason and leave us in the dark at which time if we lean on the Veracity and Truth of Gods Testimony about the Doctrine and on his Wisdom and Righteousness about his Providence we discover the strength and firmness of our Faith to the Glory of God These things being so 't is manifest That the many profound Doctrines that are in Scripture and the many dark Providences that attend us do very much contribute to our living the more religiously i. e. to our walking the more by Faith to the saving the Soul This I conceive is one great End of the profoundness of the Doctrines of Religion and of the many difficulties in the Providences of God namely to raise us up to a Life above Sense and Reason even to the Life of Faith which is a high and a heavenly Life The more Difficulties that lie in the way of our Believing the more strong is the Faith that is exercised and the stronger our Faith the more God is glorified by us and the more is our Salvation furthered the which being so we have great reason to be abundantly quickned in our Thoughts If we consider the Nature of Faith we shall find that Mysterious Doctrines and Providences are very necessary for the engaging us to apply our selves to the Exercise of it 1. FAITH is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 The Evidence not only of unseen future Glories but the Evidence of somewhat else not within the view of our Sence or Reason Faith doth evidence unto the Believer the Reality and Certainty of the Promises about Spiritual Blessings to be enjoyed in this Life and doth clearly shew unto him that these Blessings promised are real and shall most assuredly be enjoyed yea though there are in the eye of our Sence and our Natural Reasonings some Impossibilities between us and the inheriting the Promises yet even then Faith sees the Accomplishment not only possible but certain and sure By Faith we believe and receive those Truths which though clearly enough revealed yet are so much above our Capacity that we cannot otherwise embrace them By Faith we believe that the Promise shall be when we cannot see how it can be Thus was the Faith of Abraham exercis'd He believed when his Sight and Reason fail'd him Abraham was an hundred years old and as it were dead Sarah barren and now according to all Rules past Child-bearing notwithstanding all which the Promise being made that Sarah should bear a Son Abraham believes he could see how this could be by Faith though he could not see how it could be by his Reason According to his own Reasonings his Hopes were gone but being strong in Faith he staggered not at the Promise but had a hope above Hope being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform Rom. 4. The like also when God commanded Abraham to offer up his Son his own his only Son Isaac whom he loved and of whom the Promise was for in Isaac shall thy Seed be called but nevertheless Abraham is commanded to kill him for a Sacrifice but here is the difficulty if Isaac be slain while so young as he then was even before he had any child how could the Promise be fulfilled Abraham must kill him and yet believe that he should live that he might be the Father of many Nations but how could this be Surely this transcended his Understanding but not his Faith for he believed That God was able to raise him from the dead therefore 't is said by Faith Abraham when he was tempted offered up Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up from the dead Heb. 11.17 18 19. Time would fail to mention Jacob Joseph Moses David and many others who when surrounded with dark Dispensations by Believing gave Glory to God Then Faith is in a special manner acted and exercised when the Believer is compassed about with a cloud of difficulties when in the Doctrines that being plainly reveal'd are to be believed there is somewhat above our Reason and when in the Providences with which we meet there is somewhat very dark they seeming to thwart the doctrinal Discoveries that are made of the Will of God unto us then is the time to act Faith that is not Faith which does carry us no higher than our own scanty Reasonings To believe no more than we can comprehend with our own Reason is too low a thing to deserve the name of Faith Faith is a more noble and raised Grace by which a man believes when his Reason is at a Loss What is here said of Faith is a
great Truth and if duely weighed will afford relief to such as are perplexed with the profoundness of some Doctrines c. For by this t is manifest That the Mysteriousness of the Doctrines the surprizing manner in which they are reveal'd the difficulties about the Hebrew Points and some Instances in Chronology the various Readings and the like they all serve as a spur to our Faith and a furtherance to our Salvation We have Arguments enough to convince us of the Truth of Scripture the certainty of a divine Providence and therefore we ought not to be unbelieving though we meet with some Difficulties that our Reason cannot overcome This should satisfy us that how great soever the difficulties may be how far soever they transcend our Understandings yet there is in 'em no Implication and if so they are in themselves reconcileable and although finite worms are not acquainted with the true Methods of Conciliation yet God who is Infinite in all perfections is These difficulties should not in the least stumble our Faith but rather engage us to be the more strong in believing 2. As by Faith we behold the Accomplishment of the Promises which are not comprehended by our Reason and can thorough the Mysteriousness of Doctrines and Providences see that they are of God so by Faith we are enabled to put our trust and Confidence in God even when under the darkest Dispensations Faith never appears so much in its lustre as when the greatest difficulties lie before it Then t is that the Believer puts his trust in the Power Wisdom Mercy and Faithfulness of God when under the obscurest Dispensations When there are some difficult Appearances in the Sacred Scriptures that relate to some Doctrines and when some Providences seem to be contrary to the discoveries that are made of God's Faithfulness c. then 't is that our Faith appears in its beauty for thereby we shew the just apprehensions we have of God's Power Wisdom Mercy and Faithfulness That God has promised to extend his Compassions to Believers that he will order all things to work together for their good is evident enough in Scripture but yet notwithstanding this all things seem to be against them they are afflicted and under sore temptations they lose their temporal Estates are deprived of their Liberty are sick weak and in great distress several thwarting Providences attend them all things are seemingly against them thus it was with good old Jacob he is bereaved of his Children Joseph is not Sâ—meon is not and Benjamin must be taken away All these things sayes he are against me Gen. 42.36 But yet this was the time for Jacob to exercise his Faith as he did in the following Chapter ver 14. q. d. The Lord Almighty be with you with him I leave you to him I commit my Concerns if I am bereaved I am bereaved i. e. the will of the Lord be done Thus it was with Job God had suffered the Tempter to break in upon him God himself seemed as if he was resolved he should die and yet then could Job say Though he slay me yet will I put my trust in him Job 13.15 So with Habakkuk chap. 13.17 18 19. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines though the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat though the slocks shall be cut off the Fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord the Lord God is my strength he will make me to walk in mine high places Many other Instances might be given all which concur to evince That then is the time to put our trust in the Lord when we are in the dark and can see no light when there are in the Providences of God somewhat above us that we cannot reach unto then 't is that we are to look unto a Rock that is higher than our selves then are we called to put our trust in the Wisdom and Mercy and Faithfulness of him who hath promised to be with us to uphold and support us as said David At what time I am afraid I will trust in the Lord for though my Heart and my Flesh fail yet God will be the strength of my heart and my portion for ever On the other side when at the sight of the prosperity of the wicked the Believers feet were almost gone and his steps did well-nigh slip t is his Confidence in God that is then his stay The Providences of God in this Instance are remarkable for though God had said that the wicked shall not prosper nor live out half their days yet behold they live and their houses are safe from fear they prosper in the world they increase in riches How is this consistent with the threatning or how can the righteous see this and not be troubled Surely when they enter into the Sanctuary they see the End of all and are abundantly satisfied their Faith is hereby tried but yet they can say Good is God to Israel They begin to reason with God and will say Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously but still conclude that the Lord is righteous Jer. 12.1 Though Clouds and Darkness are round about him yet Righteousness and Judgment are the Habitation of his Throne For notwithstanding all the dark Dispensations the Godly do still put their trust in the Lord they stay themselves on his Wisdom Power Mercy and Faithfulness the doing which all should endeavour when under dark Dispensations 2. Hereby the Grace of Patience is to the Glory of God held up in a continued exercise Patience is not to be consider'd to consist meerly in an enduring the conflict of Temptations and Afflictions with a quiet calm and sedate temper of Spirit but also in a quiet waiting for and expectation of the accomplishment of some great and glorious Promises in looking and patiently waiting for the End when we shall see with much clearness what now lieth in the dark and out of our view But if we hope for what we see not then do we with Patience wait for it saith the Apostle Rom. 8.25 Now there seems to be some inconsistency between Doctrine and Doctrine between some Doctrines and Providences yea and between Providences and Providences but yet we must conclude That 't is not so and that the time will come when our Lord will not speak any more in Parables unto us when the Vail shall be done away and when we shall find every thing to answer the Truth and Holiness of God no inconsistency in any of the Doctrines and Providences but the exactest Agreement and most excellent Harmony every one Doctrine and Providence concurring to the illustration of each other all which shall be seen with great satisfaction when we shall depart hence and be with the Lord. Now we know but in part we see but through a Glass darkly but then we shall know as we are known and see Face
commands must give place to a moral duty because they will not justifie our neglect of that Hence on the Sabbath-day we may and ought to lift our Neighbours Ox out of the pit Luke 14.5 and to perform any other act of necessary charity notwithstanding that positive command to worship God upon that day 6. That which God now requires of you and in doing of which you may most glorifie God and edifie your Neighbour that is undoubtedly your present duty Quest How shall we know this Ans 1. Always look within your Calling for your present duty for there it lies Don't go beyond your line Do your own business 1 Thes 4.11 We have different gifts and different talents according to the Grace that is given unto us Let every one attend to that which God hath fitted him for and called him to Rom. 12.6 7 8. 1 Pet. 4.10 11. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way Prov. 14.8 God hath appointed to every one his way of living in this World from the Smith that blows the coals Isa 54.16 to the King that sins upon the Throne That cannot be our duty which we are not called to We are not absolute Lords to do what we list No we are under command and must obey I am one in authority says the Centurion I say unto my servant do this and he doth it Luke 7.8 God hath the Supreme Authority over us We ought not to move one step but by his direction Our Calling is twofold 1. General As we are Christians so all Saints are of the same Calling Rom. 1.7 called to be saints We are all equally obliged to the duties of our Christian Calling i. e. to serve and worship God to believe in him to love and fear him c. 2. Particular So we differ in our Callings Some are called to the Magistracy some to the Ministry some are Masters some Servants some called to this some to that Trade or Occupation We are called to Christianity by the preaching of the Gospel of Christ We are called to some outward worldly Calling by God's special appointment in his Law Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work Exod. 20.9 Every man hath his work a full business which he must not neglect He must do all his work They walk disorderly who work not at all 2 Thes 3.11 living in pleasures and wantonness Jam. 5.5 having nothing to do Let all idle voluptuous Gallants consider this who spend their days in mirth and jollity scorn the thought of business they must needs be far from their present duty who are imploy'd in nothing or that which is worse than nothing We are called to this or that Imployment by Providence That we should be of some Calling is from the Word that we are of this or that Calling is from Providence Providence follows the Word and is a fulfilling of that some way or other Much of the duties of our Christian Calling do follow us into our particular Callings as duties of worship must be performed in our Families every day let our particular Calling be what it will So the same Graces must be exercised in our particular Callings which were required in our general Callings The same Graces do follow us into our particular Callings and into all the works of our hands They who do not keep up duties of worship in their Families will be as remiss in all duties of practical holiness in their lives They who are not frequent in prayer are never eminent in holiness And as no acts of worship publick or private do please God that are not performed in Faith and in the fear of God So no common acts of our lives are pleasing to God if not done in Faith and seasoned with that inward exercise of Grace that belongs to all the common actions of a Christian In shewing you your present duty in your particular callings I shall not insist so much upon duties of worship you know 'em That Prayer reading the Scriptures Meditation and discourse of what you hear out of the Word are all duties and you know when they should be performed Morning and Evening and as oft as your necessary occasions will permit Whether you do them I must leave that to God and your own Consciences But the present duty I would fix you in is that of Practical Holiness which is your constant duty every moment of the day I would clear up this to you and shew you what it is and where it lies that if it be the will of God you may be always found in it I say then That your present duty lies in a present exercise of Grace suitable to the present work and business in all its circumstances which you are at any time imploy'd in If you buy or sell it must be in the fear of God if you marry it must be in the Lord. Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do you must do it to Gods glory which cannot be if you do not act Grace in every thing you do The true Gospel-holiness of an action lies in that Grace that goes along with it 'T is Grace only that turns an action Heaven ward and God-ward you have no other way to sence your selves from the temptations snares and sins that border upon all the works of your calling but by keeping your selves in a due exercise of Grace being in the fear of God all the day long that is the way to eschew evil and to do good 't is the beginning of wisdom He acts like a Fool who acts without it The fear of God in Scripture is put for all the Graces of the Spirit and in that sense I now press it upon you You see your present duty lies in your present work in the daily business of your particular callings I suppose your callings are lawful that there are no Stage-players Conjurers Diviners Astrologers here Those who are of such callings their duty is to leave them and to betake themselves to some honest Imployment consistent with Grace and then Grace will help you out in it wonderfully I could name some other callings that I would hardly advise a Christian to But whatever lawful Calling you are of whatever Office you bear whatever Relation you stand in as Husbands Wives Parents Children Masters Servants whatever your Trade Occupation or Imployment is there are particular Duties proper to your Callings which cannot be performed but by a suitable exercise of Grace by which you shew the respect you have to God in doing what you do regulating and moderating your selves and all your actions by that rule of the Word You may do the works of your calling and yet not do the duties of your calling if you seek only your selves your own profit pleasure c. this is not to serve God but your selves You must do what you do in Faith as to the Lord and then every thing you do will be an act of worship because it carries in it
God 1. By Sanctifying our Hearts and assimilating our Natures to the Nature of God for there can be no Communion where there is no likeness of Nature What Communion hath Light with Darkness or Fire with Water because there is no similitude in their Natures As the Elements that have symbolical qualities and some likeness in their Nature do easily pass one into the other by a Natural transmutation In this Communion with God there must be some suitableness and likeness between God and the Soul and that enmity and contrariety which is in our Natures to him must be removed by the sanctifying operation of the Holy Spirit in us 2. By elevating and raising the Soul above its Natural power and reach The Apostle distinguisheth between the Soul and Spirit in Man the Spirit is the superior part of the Soul and it is in the Spirit that we have our Communion with God who is a Spirit As the Union and Communion between the Soul and the Body in Nature is by the Superiour and most refined part of the Body which are the Vital Natural and Animal Spirits so our Union and Communion with God is by the Spirit the supreme part of the Soul and that elevated and raised by the Spirit of God above its own Natural capacity or power These are the principal wayes for Communion with God but then there are subordinate wayes which are the Ordinances and Institutions of God for that end For God hath in all ages been training up his people to this to have Communion with himself and therefore he did appoint Ordinances for that end under the Law there were Sacrifices and Altars and Solemn Feasts appointed of God especially the Sabbath-Day and a Sanctuary erected c. and all for this end that his People might therein draw nigh to him and have Communion with him And so in the New Testament God hath his Ordinances also appointed for this end as Prayer Hearing the Word Singing of Psalms Baptism and especially the Lords Supper which is therefore called the Communion as that Ordinance wherein we have a more special Communion with Christ and with God in him Quest But what is to be done more particularly on our part to obtain it and maintain it also Answ 1. In general we are to desire it and pant after it as the most beneficial and necessary thing in the World Many have it not because they desire it not They satisfie themselves in their converse with things below and the Communion they have with things sensible and natural and desire not this Communion with God Answ 2. You are to make it your scope and end in all the Ordinances you approach to to have therein Communion with God Many come to them out of custome some out of curiosity and others in hypocrisie and so find not that Communion with God which else they might obtain if they did make it their great scope and end David testifies his great longing that he had after the Sanctuary of God but it was for this end that he might there meet with God and have Communion with him as he expresseth it in the Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord to dwell in the House of the Lord that I may see the Beauty of the Lord and enquire in his Temple And again Psal 63. O God my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee that I may see thy Power and thy Glory as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary which is in effect that he might there have Communion with God But to speak to this more particularly 1. If we would have Communion with God we must keep up the exercise of Faith in Christ for it is as I said by him that we have all our Communion with God therefore Christ had his Name Immanuel given to him which signifies God with us Let Faith look upon God as in Christ and so we may behold him reconciled we may behold him coming down to us in our own Nature we may behold him upon a Throne of Grace and as entred into a Covenant of Grace whereby we may with a greater freedome and boldness have access unto him which is the active part of this Communion with God and through Faith in Christ God also communicates himself by his Spirit to his People in Light Life and Love which is this Communion in the passive part of it The Apostle 1 John 4.15 saith to this purpose Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God This Confession is an act of Faith and if it be not only from the Mouth but from the Heart it leadeth the Soul into this Communion with God expressed in our part by our dwelling in God and on Gods part by his dwelling in us 2. Keep up a dayly exercise of Repentance that so no new Sin nor the Guilt of it in the Conscience may hinder and interrupt our Communion with God For who can say his Heart is clean He is pure from sin and therefore there is need of dayly Repentance that sin may not interrupt our Communion with God which it will do if we abide impenitently under it The Apostle speaks in this Chapter of Fellow-ship with God and here in the Text and afterwards adds If any man say he hath no sin he deceiveth himself So that this Communion with God may consist with the Being of sin but not with impenitence under it and therefore adds If we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive it and we know that Confession of Sin is one great part of Repentance and when Sin is thus confessed and forgiven it need not hinder our Fellowship with God The Apostle also mentioneth in my Text Fellowship with God and the cleansing of us from sin by the Blood of Christ both these are put together so that to maintain this Fellowship with God we must be cleansed from sin which is done meritoriously by the Blood of Christ but on our part upon the Conditions of Faith and Repentance 3. Keep up a constant course of Prayer and praising God 1. Prayer Prayer is a special Ordinance for Communion with God and therefore so much commanded in Scripture Pray without ceasing saith the Apostle in one place Pray all manner of Prayer in the Spirit as he speaks in another place For if it be not a Prayer in the Spirit accompanied with Faith and fervour of Soul we may pray and yet have no Communion with God Prayer is compared to incense but it doth not ascend to Heaven but in the Fire of Holy Affection kindled by the Spirit And Christ therefore propounded several Parables to put men upon Fervency Faith and Perseverance in Prayer which are so well known that I need not mention them If the Soul draws nigh to God in any Duty it will be this And so Gods drawing nigh to the Soul is experienced to be much in this Duty of Prayer Christ himself
are given for as the rigid Dominicans do certainly make God the Cause of Sin whether culpable or not culpable is not the Question even so do the Scotists and Molinists for they both include in the matter of Sin somewhat more than what is meerly Natural even somewhat that is morally Vicious and yet assert that this Matter is the immediate effect of Gods Causality only the one says That God does as it were take man by the hand and lead him to Sin the other That man determines the Efficiency of God and the Scotist says That the first and second Cause do walk hand in hand to the Sin but whether I lead another to the Sin and help him to commit it or whether I am taken by the Sinner and determined to help him to produce what is sinful in the Act or whether I walk with him stil I am at least a Concauser of what is sinful in the Act so that neither the Scotist nor the Molinist give me any satisfaction in this Matter The Result therefore of my thoughts is as follows I am sure that no Natural Being ever has been is or can be without the Efficiency of God the first Cause and yet I am as confident that no Moral Evil is in any sense the Effect of the Physical Efficiency of God The Moral Undueness that is considered as that which is the Foundation of Sin cannot be from God but yet how satisfactorily to reconcile these things or how to comprehend the Modes of Divine Operation is above us we cannot reach unto it it transcends our Understandings 5. There are also several Doctrines which have a special Aspect on those Transactions that are about the carrying on Fall'n Mans Salvation to the Illustrating the Glory of the divine Perfections which are very profound The Doctrines of the Fall of Man the Transition of Original Sin from Adam to his Posterity the Methods taken for the Recovery of the Elect the Covenant of Reconciliation between the Father and the Son from all Eternity the Incarnation of the Son of God and the many surprizing Doctrines with reference thereunto even about his several Offices as Mediator and in special That of his Being a Priest after the Order of Melchisedek his Suretyship how our Sins were imputed to him and his Righteousness made ours beside those Doctrines about the Nature of the Mystical Vnion that is between Christ and Believers and how this is the ground of Imputation and many other momentous points might be spoken unto to evince That though there is nothing of Contradiction in these Doctrines yet there is very much that transcends the most enlarged Capacity They are points that the Angels themselves are prying into but cannot fully comprehend But these things I must wave and go on to acquaint you with some of the many Providences that do in like manner transcend our Understandings II. Among the many amuzing Providences that are before Us I will single out a few 1. That the greatest part of the World should lye in Wickedness unacquainted with the Methods of Salvation is an amuzing Providence Look we into the remotest parts of the World we find nothing but a strange Ignorance of the true God or of the true Worship of God Oh how great a part of the World is over-run with Paganism Mahometanism and Judaism Come we nearer home and take a view of the Christian World behold how small is it in comparison of those parts where the abovemention'd false Religions prevail and of the many thousands who are called Christians how many Invelop'd with the thick clouds of Ignorance and Error and how â—ew free from the Influence of Idolatry and Superstition A multitude of those who have been baptiz'd into the name of Christ have not the opportunity of looking into the sacred Oracles which reveal the true way to Life everlasting and of those who have the happy Advantages of consulting the sacred Scriptures how few can understand them The which is not without a Providence of God But can we compare these Providences with those discoveries that are made of the Infinite Compassions of Almighty God towards the Children of men and comprehend a consistency between them In the Scriptures 't is said That God would have all men be saved and to that end come to the Knowledg of the Truth even when but a very small spot of the Earth have any suitable means afforded 'em for the obtaining such knowledg In the Scriptures the Proclamation is general to all Ho every one and the Expostulation with Sinners is Turn ye Turn ye why will ye dye as I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a Sinner of a Sinner indefinitely q. d. of any Sinner but rather That he would Turn and Live Besides did not Christ die for this end namely to shew the unexpressible greatness of Gods Love to the world God so loved so so loved the World as if it had been said the Love of God to the World is so transcendent that no words could sufficiently express it nothing would fully represent it but the Delivery of the Son the only begotten Son of God to the Death the cruel the shameful and the reproachful Death of the Cross for the salvation of the World on their Believing and this even when God left Millions of Angels to continue in everlasting Chains of Darkness notwithstanding all which it is manifest That they cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard and cannot hear unless a Preacher be sent unto them and that no such thing has been done no Preacher has been sent or if in one Age yet not in another How can we reconcile these Providences with the Discoveries that are given us of the infinite Compassions of God to Mankind when so few are made partakers of it What of Grace is there in leaving the greatest part of the World in a very little better condition than the fallen Angels I know that there are many things offered towards the satisfaction of a thoughtful Person as Who can tell but there are thousand of Worlds above us whose Inhabitants are in a better capacity to receive and improve the Instances of Divine Love and that this world is but a Spot in comparison of them and if this whole World should perish 't is but as the hanging up a few Malefactors to shew that God is just as well as merciful but how does this solve the Difficulty which is not meerly taken from the Notion we have of Gods meâ—ciful Nature in it self considered but from the Revelations made thereof unto the Children of men in the Scripture about which we cannot have any solid satisfaction but from things which are obvious before us not from what is so fully out of our view and knowledge and concerning Creatures of another kind 'T is true there are some intimations in the Sacred Scriptures which apart and by themselves considered afford Relief such as these The Gentiles which have not