been said in order to this morning Exercise As you have heard so you have seen Application to the morning exercise this Moneth now elapsed hath brought to your view an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Model of sound words you have had as it were the Summe and Substance of the Gospel preached over in your hearing I know it falls far short both in respect of Matter and Method of a perfect body of Divinity an exact and full delineation of all the chief Heads and Principles of Religion But considering the smallness of the Circle of this monethly course in which this Model was drawn I dare take the boldness to say there hath as much of the Marrow and Spirits of Divinity been drawn forth in these few Morning Lectures as can be rationally expected from men of such various Studies and assidnous labours in the Ministerial work Former ages have rarely heard so much Divinity preacht over in many years as hath been read in your ears in twenty six dayes These few Sermons have digested more of the Doctrine of faith than some large volumes not of a mean consideration now extant in the Church of God Truely every single Sermon hath been a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within itself Each Subject in this morning Exercise hath been handled in so ample a manner and with so much judgement acuteness and perspicuity that it may well passe for a little Treatise of Divinity wherein many profound Mysteries have been discust and stated not with more judgment in the Doctrine than with life and vigor in the Vse and Application The Preachers have sought to find out acceptable words Eccles 12. and that which was spoken was upright even words of truth Insomuch that a man that had never heard of a Gospel before this moneths conduct had been sufficient not only to have left him without excuse but with the wise mens STAR to have led him to Christ The more I dread to think what a tremendous account you have to make who after twenty twirty fourty years Revelation of the Gospel have the addition of this moneth of Sabbaths also to reckon for in that day when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire c. if while in this Mirror 2 Thes 1.8 beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord you are not changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. I shall not undertake as * Morning Exercise May 1654. formerly to extract the Summe and Substance of what you have heard I have some hope to be saved that labour upon a better account I shall recount to you the Heads only and Points of Christian Doctrine which have been handled in this Monethly Exercise that now in the close of all you may behold as in a Map or Table the Method and Connexion which they hold amongst themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or a Summary repetition of the Heads of Divinity preacht upon in this Course The first Divine after the preparatory Sermon that preached to you began with that which is the first and chief object of Knowledge and Faith that α and ω in Divinity Subject 1 THERE IS A GOD Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that GOD is c. Hereupon because if there be a God then he is to be worshipped and if to be worshipped then there must be a Rule of that worship and if a Rule it must be of Gods own appointment therefore Subject 2 The Second dayes work was against all other Books and Writings in the world to Evince this Truth the SCRIPTVRES CONTAINED IN THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT are THE WORD OF GOD 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God By these Scriptures that great Mysterious Doctrine of the Trinity which the light of nature can no more discover than deny was asserted and opened as far as so profound a Mystery can well admit and so The third mornings work was to shew Subject 3 THAT IN THE GODHEAD THERE IS A TRINITY OF PERSONS IN VNâ—TY OF ESSENCE GOD THE FATHER GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY GHOST God blessed for ever 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven the FAHER the WORD and the HOLY GHOST and these three are ONE Subject 4 The Creation of Man in a perfect but mutable Estate by the joynt Power and Wisdom of these three glorious Persons was the Fourth Subject opened from that Text Eccles 7.29 God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions Man thus Created God entred into a Covenant with him and so the COVENANT OF WORKS which God made with Adam and all his posterity succeeded in order to be the Subject matter of the Subject 5 Fifth morning Lecture the Text was Gen. 12.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die This Covenant no sooner made almost then broken the work of him that preacht the Subject 6 Sixth Sermon was THE FALL OF ADAM and therein more specially of PECCATVM ORIGINALE ORIGINANS or ORIGINAL SIN IN THE FIRST SPRING and fountain of it the Scripture Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world c. The Fruit and sad effect whereof being the losse of Gods image and the total depravation and corruption of mans nature Subject 7 The seventh thing that fell naturally to be handled was Peccatum originale originatum or Original corruption in the STREAM and DERIVATION OF IT TO POSTERITY from Psal 1.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me This is the Source of all that evil that hath invaded all Mankind that therefore which naturally succeeded in the Subject 8 Eighth course of this morning Exercise was MANS LIABLENESS TO THE CURSE or the MISERY OF MANS ESTATE BY NATVRE Deut. 27.1 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things of the Law to do them or Ephes 2.3 By nature the children of wrath Subject 9 Ninthly Mans impotency to help himself out of this miserable estate was the next sad Prospect presented to your view by that Reverend Brother that preached the ninth course and he took his rise from Rom. 5.6 When we were without strength Christ died for the ungodly That the doctrine of mans impotency when it had laid him in the dust might not leave him there the Subject 10 Tenth Preacher discoursed to you of the COVENANT OF REDEMPTION consisting of the transaction between God and Christ from all Eternity from that Text Isa 53.10 He shall see the travel of his soule and be satisfied In the eleventh place THE COVENANT OF GRACE REVEALED IN THE GOSPEL came next to be unfolded as being if I may so say the Counterpart of the Covenant of Redemption which the Preacher to whom the Subject 11 Eleventh course fell opened to you out of Heb. 8.6 Jesus Christ hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediatour
a determinate object Religion will fail and vanish this belief is general and speculative Secondly An assent to his bounty that he will blesse those who diligently seek him this is particular and applicative and it follows from the other for the notion of a Benefactour is included in that of a God take away his rewards you ungod him Now the stedfast acknowledgement of this can only draw the soul to perform ingenuous and acceptable service for the naked contemplation of those amiable excellencies which are in the Deity can never conquer our natural feare nor quench our enmity against him the reflection upon his righteousnesse and our guilt fills us with terrour and causes a dreadful flight from him but the hope of his remunerating goodnesse is a motive agreeable and congruous to the brest of a man and sweetly leads him to God Religion is the submission of our selves to God with an expectation of reward I shall Treat of the first Branch of the argument He that comes to God must believe that he is The firm belief of Gods being is the foundation of all Religious worship in the discussing of which my design is to evince that Supreme Truth that God is The evâ—dence of this will appear to the light of reason and faiâ—h by an appeal to nature and Scriptures I shall produce three Arguments from nature which may convince an Infidel there is a God The first is drawn from the visible world The second from natural conscience The third from the consent of Nations First in the Creation his essence and Attributes are clearly revealed his absolute power unerring wisdome and infinite goodnesse are discovered to every capacity therefore the Apostle urges this as the most proper Argument to convince the Heathens Acts 14.15 that they should urn from their vanities to the living God which made heaven and earth and sea and all things that are therein to this they must naturally assent as shadows represent the figure of those bodyes from whence they are derived so in the world there are such traces of the Divine perfections that it is easie to inferre there is a Soveraign being which is the cause of it all the creatures and their various excellencies are as so many beams which reflect upon this Sun or lines which direct to this Centre nay the meanest being carries some impression of the first cause as the image of a Prince is stampt upon a penny as well as upon greater mony the beasts will instruct and the mute fishes teach the Atheist there is a God and though he is not discerned by the outward sight yet the understanding will as certainly discover him as it doth an invisible spirit in a living body and that 1. From the being of the world and its parts it is apparent to sense and acknowledged by all that some things are of a late beginning but those things could not proceed from themselves for then they should work before they were and the same things should exist and not exist at the same instant and in the same respect but this implies a contradiction it follows then they had their Original from without we finde the experience of this in our selves the number of our dayes declares there was a time in which we had no being and therefore we could not produce our selves Now if man which is the most perfect of visible creatures presuppose a Maker then may we sufficiently inferre a Creation where we finde far lesse perfection and this is true not only of things which are visible but of all other beings till at last we arrive at the Supreme cause whose being is necessary and independent Besides if we consider that from nothing he hath produced their beings and so united those two distant extreams of being and not being we may infer his power to be infinite the greatest difference imaginable between two finite beings admits of some proportion and measure but between that which is and that which is not the distance exceeds all apprehension so that from the meer existence of things it is evident that there is a first cause which is independent and infinite and this is God 2. We may certainly argue the being of God from the consent of parts in the world and their perpetual confederations to support the whole Confusion is the effect of chance but order is the product of Art and industry when we consider in a Watch how the different wheels by their unequal motions agree in distinguishing the houres and with that exactnesse as if they were inspired by the same intelligence we presently conclude it to be the work of an Artificer for certainly pieces of Brass could never have formed and united themselves in that method proportionably when we view the Harmony of all things in the world and how disagreeing natures conspire together for the advantage of the whole we may collect there is a Divine Spirit which hath thus disposed all things we will not make a curious enquiry into this an eminent decree of knowledge in several faculties would but imperfectly discover the proportion and measures which the eternal minde hath observed in the frame of nature it will suffice to glance at those which are exposed to the view of all The Sun which is the eye and soul of the world in its situation and motion is a sign to us there is wisdome and counsel in its Authour it 's fixt in the midst of the Planets that it may dispense its light and heat for the advantage of the lower world Quid potest esse tam apertum tamque perspicuum cum coelum suspeximus caelestiaque contemplati sumus quam aliquod esse numen praestantissimae mentis quo haec regantur Tull. in secundo de natura deorum c. lib 2. de divinatione esse praestantem aliquam aeternamque naturam eam suspiciendam adorandam que hominum generi pulchritudo mundi oâ—doque rerum coelestium cogit confiteri if it were plac't in a higher or lower Orb the jarring Elements which by its influence are kept in an equal poise and proportion would break forth into disorders and those invisible chaines and connexions which fasten the parts of nature would presently be broken the regularity and constancy of its motion discovers a Deity by its course from East to West it causes the agreeable vicissitude of day and night and maintains the amiable war of light and darkness this distinction of time is necessary for the pleasure and profit of the world the Sun by its rising chases away the shades of the night to delight us with the beauties of the Creation 't is Gods Herald which calls us forth to the discharge of our work Psa 104.22 23. this governes our labours and conducts our industry this animates nature and conveys a pleasure even to these beings which are insensible without the day the world would be a fatal and disconsolate grave to all creatures a Chaos without order action or
be expected from him is that the true Religion by his civil sanction should be preserved from reproach and the professors of it from being affronted in the exercise thereof 2. Because without preserving of unity and uniformity in Religion civil peace cannot be long maintained 2. Because civil peace is bound up in Ecclesiastical no differences being carried on with so much heat and earnestness of contention as differences in matters of Religion for that which should be a Judge of strifes then becomes a party and what should restrain our passions feeds them Therefore when one scorneth what another adoreth Summus utriuquc Inde furor vulâ—o quod nomina vicinorum Oâ—it uterque lotus Juvenal Noununquam tumultus Ecclesiarum antegressi Reipublicae autem confusiones consecutae sunt Socrat. Scholast Hist Eccles lib. 4. in Proaemio 3. For the keeping of youth untainted there must needs be great contentions and exasperations of mind and when every man is left to hold what he lists in matters of Religion all manner of mischief and confusions must inevitably follow and every one stickling for the precedency of his party there can be no solid union of heart under so vast and boundless a liberty Tumults in the Church do necessarily beget confusions in the Common-wealth for the Church and State like Hippocrates twinnes they weep and laugh and live and die together 3. That youth may be kept untainted and seasoned with good Principles in Churches and Schools the durable happinesse of the Comm n-wealth lying much in the education of youth which is the seed-plot of future felicity and we use to say that Errors in the first concoction are hardly mended in the second when youth are poysoned with Error in their first education they seldom work it out again in their age and riper years But because the power of Magistrates in Sacred things is much questioned and we are usually slandered as a Rigid sort of men that would plant Faith by the Sword and are more for compulsion of conscience than Information I shall a little give you a taste of what we hold to be the Magistrates duty in and about Sacred things We say therefore that Religion may be considered as to be planted oâ— as already planted in a Nation What is to be done when Religion is to be planted When it is to be planted and hath gotten no interest or footing among a people the Preachers and Professors of it must run all hazards and boldly own the Name of Christ whatever it câ—st them the only weapons which they have to defend their way are Prayers and tears and whatever Proselites they gain to the faith of Christ they must use no resistance but only overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony not loving their lives to the death Revel 12.11 And thus did the Christian Religion get up in the face of the opposite World not by any * Nè videretur Authoritate traxisse aliquos veritatis ratio non pompa gratia praevaleret Ambr. publick interest and the power of the long sword but meerly by its own evidence and the efficacy of Gods grace accompanying the publication thereof And though it were a Doctrine contrary to nature and did teach men to row against the stream of flesh and blood yet it prevailed without any Magistracy to back it The Primitive Christians how numerous soever they were never made head against the Powers then in being but meekly and quietly suffered all manner of butcheries and tortures for the conscience of their duty to God And what we say concerning Religion in the general holdeth true also concerning Reformation or the restitution of the Collapsed state of Religion when men oppose themselves against the stream of corruptions which by a long succession and descent run down against them and are armed by Law and Power they are in patience to possess their souls and to suffer all manner of extremity for giving their testimony to the truths of God And in this case we only press the Magistrate to be wise or cautious that he do not oppose Christ Jesus Psal 2.10 by whom Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice What the Magistrates duty is when Religion is planted But when Religion is already planted and received among a people and hath gotten the advantage of Law and publick Edicts in its favour not only for its security and protection but also for its countenance and propagation then it becomes the peoples birth-right as the Law of Moses is called the inreritance of the Congregation of Jacob Deut 33.4 and ought to be defended and maintained by the Magistrate as well as other Laws and Priviledges which are made for the conservation welfare and safety of that Nation Yea much more because if the Magistrate be the Minister of God for good Rom. 13.4 then he is to take care of the chief good which is Religion as concerning not only the bodies but souls of the people committed to his charge and therein to take example from the holy Magistrates of the people of the Jews who were zealous for God in this kind The Government of Christ is to be owned publickly For first it is the will of Christ who was appointed to be King of Nations as well as King of Saints Rev. 15.3 not only to erect himself a Government in the hearts of his people but also to be publickly owned by Nations as to the Religion which he hath established There is a National acknowledgement of Christ as well as a Personal and Ecclesiastical Christ is personally owned when we receive him into our hearts He is Ecclesiastically owned by his worship in the Churches of the Saints And Nationally owned when the Laws and Constitutions of the civil Government are framed so as to advance the interest of his Scepter and the Christian Religion is made a National Profession this is spoken of in many places of Scripture Gen. 18.8 Isa 55.5 Isa 60.12 Matth. 28.20 2. When Religion is thus received and imbodied into the Laws of a Nation A contempt to Christ when his interest is slighted it is the greatest scorn and affront that can be put upon Christ that such an advantage should be lost and carelesly looked after when other Priviledges and birth-rights of the people a e so zealously and with such heat and sharpness of contest vindicated and asserted In Scripture God often debates the case with Nations upon this account Jer. 2.9 10 11 12 13. He calls upon the Sun to look pale upon such a wickedness and the Creatures to stand amazed that any people should be so foolish as to cast off their God So Isa 43.22 God complaineth of Israel they were grown weary of him and Mich. 6.2 3. Hos 8.12 The summe of all those Scriptures is this If Magistrates who are to open the gates for the King of glory to come in Psal 24. and to welcome Christ into their Dominions