immediately on the fall applyed himself to him and promised a Redeemer Paul to the Romans makes Adam a Figure of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 If sin and guilt might have made any man pine away Adam had been the man that opened the Flood-gates of Sin and Wrath to break in upon the World and was the ruine of the greatest part of his Posterity yet hearing of a Saviour he lived almost a thousand years We are not so to mourn for sin as to forget to rejoyce in Christ our Saviour Of this blessed Saviour I shall speak in the next Chapter CHAP. II. Of the Sufferings of Christ MEDITATIONS GOD is more pleased with the Sufferings of Christ than displeased with the Sin of Adam he more loveth us as the Children of Christ than he hated us as the Children of Adam We must often consider the Death of Christ and be affected with it It was Prophesyed of old Zach. 12.10 They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for the loss of an only Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born And O what wringing of hands what deep Groans what doleful Out-cryes are there made oftentimes for the loss of an onely Child or First-born Act 2.37 What made Peters Converts to be prickt at the Heart but the Preaching of a crucified Christ I shall here consider 1. What Crucifying was 2. Who were the Agents in this Work 3. Who and what he was on whom this Cruelty was acted 1. For the manner of Crucifying There was Lignum Geminum as the learned Weems speaks at large in his Christian Synagogue The Cross had four things Arrectarium or Main-tree Scabellum the Tree where the feet were Nailed Lignum transversum whereunto their Arms were fastned with Cords and there Nail'd Vertex the Title with the Inscription above the Head This way of putting to Death was so shameful and so lingring that the Romans inflicted it on none but Slaves or the vilest sort of men Constantine in Honour of Christ took away this Punishment Christ had carryed his own Cross as all Crucified Persons did but they had so weakned him Mat. 27.32 that they made Simon of Cyrene to carry it not out of Kindness to Christ but hatred lest he being so severely handled before should faint by the way and their blood-shot eyes lose the Pleasure of beholding him tormented on the Cross The Romans call'd this Punishment Servile Supplicium for the reason before-named 2. We come to consider the Actors in this woful Tragedy They were not the prophane Gentiles or common Rabble among the Jews that only did this but the High Priest the Scribes the Pharisees 1. They that had so long prayed and waited for his coming Before he came into the world the Devout Jews thought Blessed were the eyes that should see the promised Messiah in the Flesh It was a Petition commonly made by them in their Giving of Thanks at their Tables Let our eyes be made worthy to see the Messiah in the Flesh What cryes were there Isa 64.1 O that he would rend the Heavens and come down Malachi that closed up the Old Testament foretold how though they longed for him yet they could not stand before him Mal. 3.1 2. Behold I will send my Messenger and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of the covenant in whom ye delight But what follows But who may abide the day of his coming And who shall stand when he appeareth For he is like Refiners Fire and as Fullâ—rs Sope. He dealt too plainly with the world conâ—erning their Sin and Duty to be welcom'd by them They expected a Messias to deliver them from the power of the Romans and God sent a Messias to deliver from the power of the Devil 2. They that were acquainted with the Law and the Prophets That might by Types and Prophesies have known that Christ was the promised Saviour 3. They that heard his Doctrine and saw his Miracles His Doctrine was spitual and Heavenly reaching the Heart and Soul His Miracles were not done in a Corner as feeding many thousands with a few Loaves his raising Lazarus from the Dead 3. We now come to consider who and what he was who thus suffered 1. He that did their Bodies so much good Paul sayes for a good man some would even dare to die Though scarcely for a Righteous man Rom. 5.7 That is consider him as righteous before God and so few love him so well as to die for him but consider him as good to man so some would lose their lives for him But here they were so far from dying for this good man that they contrived his death He cured all sorts of men of all sorts of Distempers he raised the Dead c. 2. He that came to save Souls from endless burnings and to bring them to endless Blessedness 1 Thes 1.10 It is not more true that our Bodies and Souls are now in the world than that they had been in endless misery had not Christ dyed 3. He that was God God suffered in the Person Acts 20.28 though not in the Nature Hence it is that his Temporal Sufferings were as much as our Eternal would have been Christ had his Sonship but not his Substance from the Father who begat him in respect of Personality not of Essence The dignity of his person made the Sin of crucifying him so great I will suppose that all the Saints in Heaven and Earth were met together yea that all the Angels were incarnate and among them and that a man or number of men should murther them all this Sin were no sin in comparison of what I now speak of the Crucifying of the Lord of Glory Christ suffered from first to last In his Birth for the Ancient of Dayes to be born in time for the Eternal God to become a Babe this is soon said but who understands the depth of these things Luke 2.12 And this shall be a sign unto you you shall find the Babe wrapped in swadling-cloaths lying in a Manger yet was all ordered by the infinite wisdom of God Had Christ been the Son of Herod or Caesar then it had been no wonder that all the world went out after him but that one so obscurely born should carry the world before him was wonderful John when in Patmos Rev. 11.15 foresaw That the Kingdoms of the World would become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ which then was very unlikely in outward appearance He was sorely tempted by the Devil we read at large in Mat. 4. Gods end in all we have Heb. 2.18 Being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Ask the Saints what Suffering this is that often sweat under this Saddle when they are tempted to hate God or distrust him have such suggestions as are not fit
to be named He was despised in his common converse with men Luk. 8.20 The Foxes had their holes and the Birds of the Air their nests but Jesus had not where to lay his head He was reviled as one that had a Devil Joh. 10.20 Mark 2.16 Luk. 22.44 and was made as a Friend of Publicans and Sinners In his Agonies in the Garden He sweat drops of Blood though it were such a cold season that one might think would have struck the Blood inward It was a cold time for Peter stood to warm himself Our Sin was the heavy burthen that lay upon him When and after he was Betrayed Betrayed he was by a Friend a Bosome-friend to be Betrayed and that in point of Life and all by an intimate acquaintance goes near the Heart What David said to him that betrayed might Christ say to Judas Had it been an Enemy Psal 11.13 14. I could have born it but it was thou my Companion we took sweet Counsel together and walked together as Friends He was severely handled by Souldiers who batter'd his Ears with Blasphemy as well as tormented his Body when he was on the Cross Mat. 27. v. 39 40. they waged their Heads tell him of what he was accused vers 41 42 43. The great men revile him when usually men that scarce pray all the year long for themselves if they see any infamous Criminal executed they never tell him in a way of scoffing of his Fault or Crime but say God be merciful to his Soul At last Christ cryes out Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me We must warily understand this not as if God had forsaken Christ in respect of Strength for an Angel was sent to strengthen him Luk. 22.33 nor in respect of Essence nor of Complacency but God forsook him as to present comfort in a great measure Imagine you stood as the Devout Women at the Cross and saw this I now come to lay down a few Directions DIRECTIONS 1. Look on and wonder Are these things so 2 Tim. 3.1 Then great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh If it be a Mystery it cannot be fathomed Wonder at what Christ is and at what he doth What he is Prov. 30.4 It was the wise mans Probleme or hard Question What is his name or his Sons name if thou canst tell His Name is called Wonderful Isa 9.6 Wonder that the Divinity did not swallow up the Humanity that the fire and the bush can so well agree together All the Attributes of God are given to Christ all the Works of God spoken of him as of Creation Sanctification Glorification Therefore Christ is God not only by name or secundum divi but God by Nature He was God that he might satisfie he was Man that he might suffer Wonder at what he doth Patereulus says that when the Lacedemonians opposed Attica the Pythian God told them that that Army whose General was taken should conquer Codrus deposita veste regia c. Codrus laying aside his Princely Robes went among his enemies and was slain by them Our King on Maunday Thursday so call'd as some say because of the Command of Love Christ gave his Disciples before his Passion Mandatum novum do vobis I say our King useth to wash the feet of as many poor People as he hath lived years and yet not the less a King for this humble act Our Lord Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords dyed that we might live abased himself that he might exalt us Psalm 126.1 2. When God delivered the Church out of Babylon by Cyrus they were like men that dreamed How much more should we be Astonished at our deliverance from Sin and Satan by Jesus Christ 2. Let Love be attactive of Love Let the Love of Jesus to us make us to Love him I have read of Agilmond King of the Lombards that one day he went a fishing and saw a Babe sprawling in the Water perhaps a base child he took it up and made it his adopted Son and called him Lama and left him his Crown and Kingdom You may easily imagine what delight this Lama took in seeing of King Algilmond whilst he lived and in thinking and speaking of this King after he was dead How excellently doth God express his love to the poor Jews of old Ezek. 16.4 5 6. As for thy Nativity in the day thou wast born thy Navel was not cut neither wast thou washed in water None eye pitied thee to do any of these unto thee to have compassion on thee but thou wast cast out into the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own Blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live And lest this should be soon passed over the Holy Ghost bids them as it were stand and hear it the second time Yoa I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live When Tiberius was in a Village named Spelunca Stones fell from the house where he was Sejanus genu vultu manibusque super Caesarem suspensis opposuit sese satis incidentibus saith Tacitus Sejanus covered the Emperour that if the Stones fell where they were Sejanus might die and not the Emperour which as the Historian observes made the Emperour ever after to love Sejanus though he loved him not before The wrath of God fell from Heaven because of mans sin Christ hath embraced the Sinner and that wrath hath fallen on him that else had crushed us O let us love him let us not be satisfied till we find our hearts burning in love 3. Crucifie Sin that crucified Christ Be the death of those Sins that were the death of Jesus Pride Wrath Covetousness and every abominable thing which the Soul of God hates Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our Old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Sin is onely destroyed by his death had not Christ dyed for us we could no more have killed our Corruptions or been made Saints than the Devils can cease to be Devils and become Angels 4. Come to God as those that expect to be justified no other way but by Christ and his Righteousness In him is God well pleased with Believers The Names given to Christ are in Scripture given to a Christian as Son of God an Heir King yea the name Christ The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12.12 As many Members make one Body even so is Christ Where it is understood not of Christ personally but mystically for Christians or the Church of Christ Now as Adams sins is imputed to us though he and not we disobeyed so Christs Righteousness is imputed to us though he not we obeyed 2 Cor. 5. last verse Though Adams Sin be imputed to us yet we were not the first sinners nor the involvers of all Mankind
if you reprove not you are the cause of their damnation I have read in the dreadful Tragedy of the destruction of the English by the Dutch at Amboyna that one Dunchin who had falsely accused them one day passing by the Pit where sixteen of them were cast in that he fell on it raging and was distracted considering there lay so many men he had ruined How many go into Eternity whose Souls you have betrayed into the Infernal Pit by your sinful discourse or by your sinful silence Stop the mouth of the Swearer and Blasphemer as much as you can James 3.4 5 6. Behold also the Ships which though they be so great and are driven with fierce winds yet are they turned about with a very small Helm whithersoever the Governour listeth Even so the Tongue is a little member and boasteth great things Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity And it is set on fire of Hell I wish you Moses's Blessing Deut. 33.18 19. Rejoice Zebulon in thy going out Suck of the abundance of the Seas and hid treasures in the Sands Have you been as those Mariners Jon. 1.15.16 When Seas have raged and ceased made Vows to the Lord Keep your Vows Instruct poor Pagans in the way to God Consider the worth of your Souls and theirs The better your Cargo is the more you fear Ship-wrack O man thou art richly laden that Vessel thy Body carryes a Soul of greater value than all the Treasures upon earth Let it never be said of it what was said of that Ship and men in it Acts 27.20 That all hope of being saved was taken away S. Y. THE PREFACE ALcinous the Platonist tells us That Plato thought that the work of a Philosopher consisted in three things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which I think taking the liberty the Poet speaks of Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus Interpres Herat. de Art Poet. I may tâ—uâ— English In thinking well in doing well and in speaking well What their Philosophy which was much of their Natural Religion taught them doth Christianity which is our supernatural Religion teach us but in a different way and in a fuller manner The design of the following discourse is to help in this work There are many things for Meditation of God his Word c. many practical Directions for a holy useful life several helps to speak to God and for God I know dangerous it is for a man in my circumstances to be a Writer But I care not if my counsel be accepted what becomes of my person I am perswading the World to play the Christian to play the Man As Solomon brings in Wisdom speaking so do I Unto you O men do I call and my voice is unto the Sons of men Are you men learn to act according to the excellency and dignity of your natures Let me beseech those into whose hands this Book may come if they have given up themselves to the Immoralities of the Age Drunkenness Adultery Swearing Oppression c. that have all vices that may make their lives a full Systeme of wickedness Vices the nanning of which may seem to corrupt the Air we breathe in Vices that need little more to their confutation than to be thought on I say let me perswade you to consider Is Sin an evil thing Grace a desirable thing Is God and your Souls to be minded above all things or not If not why do you say they are If they are why do you not live as those that thus believe I do not despair but that some who are guilty of the unpresidented Sins of the times Sins of the first Edition if they would consider they may yet learn to walk soberly righteously and godly in this present World I know such are ready to say Object Religion is abused to very bad purposes by some Answ I Answer And used to very good purposes by others Is Rhetorick to be despised because by it some bad men learn to colour a bad cause as well as some good men to flourish a good cause Is Logick to be despised because some learn to dispute Sophistically as well as others Topically Is the light of the Sun to be despised because one steals by it as another works in his Calling How many men had lived as Incarnate Devils that now live as Terrestrial Angels had not Religion healed their Natures and regulated their Lives Remember Sin is a great part of the misery and punishment of these men They are out God his Grace and Love and content to be so they serve the Devil and Sin and are glad of the work The Lord bring in such as their Elder Brother in the Gospel that was healed of his distraction and was placed in his right mind at the Feet of Jesus SOME Prison Meditations AND DIRECTIONS ON Several Subjects CHAP. I. Of the Fall of Man MEDITATIONS THat the finding out of our Disease is necessary in order to a Cure is not more true of the Natural Distempers of our Bodies than of the Spiritual Distempers of our Souls The Apostle mentions the Fall of man at large to the Romans to make way for the discovery of the Necessary and Excellency of a Saviour Ron 5. In the Fall of man I shall consider that we all were in the First Man as in Heb. 7.9.10 Levi is said to pay Tithes to Melchisedeck as he was in the loyns of his Father Abraham So we may be said to eat Forbidden Fruit as we were in the loyns of our Father Adam We were in him as a Nation in their King Adam was our Repreâ—â—eâ—â—ative If he had stood we had had the benesit of his obedience though he not we obeyed So he disobeying we are brought under the Curse though he and not we offended It is in vain in war if Subjects be taken to say our King proclaimed and made the War not we we never consented to it If the Posterity of a Traitor be disinherited it is in vain for them to plead Our Father not we conspired the death of the Prince we were not then born Besides the nature of man by the Fall was corrupt and a clean thing cannot come out of an unclean Job 14.4 It is true indeed what God said by Ezekiel The Children shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father Ezek. 19.20 If the Father sin alone it is so but this is not our Case for we find our Principles and so Practices corrupted Adam was but one man personally but he was all men potentially and originally I shall in order consider 1. What we were before the Fall 2. What Sin we were guilty of in the Fall 3. What misery we brought on our selves after the Fall I may sometimes name Adam onely but it must be thus understood that we all were He. 1. What Adam was before he fell Adam and Eve Gen. 5.2 are both called Adam Male and Female created he
them and blessed them and called their name Adam In the day when they were Created they were one though not by a Physical yet by a Conjugal Union they were two distinct persons yet one by nearness of relation and so I may consider them both though sometimes I name one only as I see occasion Before the Fall great were the priviledges they had for their Bodie and Souls Of the first sort 1. Their Bodies were sound and free from all distempers bodies that could not be disturbed by any outward colds or heats or by any inward malignity or humours Gen. 2. ult Ask the sick and unhealthy that are chained by many pains in Head Stomack what this mercy was 2. All the Creatures were in subjection to him Gen. 1.28 29 30. God gave man Dominion over the Birds of the air and over the Beasts of the earth and over the Fish of the sea and over the living things that creep on the earth The Creatures saw such a lustre in the countenance of man that they fear'd him so much majesty yet appears though sin hath lessen'd it that the Beasts fear us not a little For venomous Creatures they either had no venome or that venom could not hurt 3. He was seated in a pleasant Habitation Gen. 2.8 And the Lord God planted a Garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed The Excellency of which place we read in the 10 11 12 13 14. verses Where he was placed or where Eden was a Learned Author hath spent much time to enquire Sir Walt. Rawley Hist of World That Paradise was not the whole world is clear from Gen. 3.24 So he drove out the man not sure out of the world for Adam lived Gen. 5.5 nine Hundred and thirty years For the idle notions that the Rivers signifie virtues c. I will not honour them with a confutation The good things of the Soul were these 1. It was enricht with wonderful knowledge Gen. 2.19 20. When God brought the Creatures to Adam he on the first sight gave names to them that is names significative or expressive of their natures as if we should call a Lion Rage a Lamb Meek a Dove Innocent c. His Knowledge much exceeded ours his was habitual ours acquired his was compleat ours imperfect His knowledg was as much above the knowledg of the wisest man on earth as the knowledg of a wise man above the knowledge of a Child 2. He had a perfection of Holiness not only a perfection of degrees but of parts he was perfect not only if we consider Perfection in opposition to Hypocrisy as Abraham Noah and many Saints in Scripture are said to be perfect But perfect in opposition to any defect or imperfection Adam in Paradise was as an Angel in Heaven was as free from any Sin or contempt of God 3. He had frequent and immediate and full Communion with God Gen. 2.16 17. God speaks to man and man to God without any fear or dread What an honour is it for a mean man to have the ear of a Prince or great man at his pleasure Hence it was that Paradise was a lower Heaven which makes some think if man had not sinned he had there continued for ever 2. We come to consider what Sins we were guilty of in the Fall Man had very bad thoughts of a good God very good thoughts of a bad Devil very high thoughts of low Self Adam and Eve 1. They made God a Lyar and justified the Devil as a Speaker of truth Gen. 2.17 God said In the day you eat thereof you shall die Gen. 3.3 The Devil said You shall not surely die Gen. 3.4 The Woman said Lest you die God affirms the Devil denies and the woman doubts Many Temptations Adam had that we know not Now this was by Interpretation to give God the Lye How tedious is it among men to be called a Lyar and what effusion of blood hath it caused Now the Devil the Father of Lies is believed more than God 2. They lookt on God as unworthy to be their Commander and took the Devil for their Councellour God must stand by the Devil takes place They chose this God or Guide for themselves and Posterity hence it is the Devil is called by the Apostle The God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 3. They thought it unbecoming them to be restrained by any Law They should be as Gods Gen. 3.5 That there was some hidden vertue in the Tree that would make the Eaters of its fruit more like an absolute God than God would have them be and therefore God forbad the touching that Tree This was the Temptation 3. We shall consider what Miseries we brought on our selves after the Fall 1. We were deprived of the Image of the Blessed God According to supernatural endowments it was totally gone there was not one Spark of Grace left nothing of holiness remained in man According to natural endowments this Image was in part gone much wisdom much power over the Creatures was gone Gen. 3.7 They were as naked in their Souls as in their Bodies As Aaron in the matter of the Golden Calf is said to make the people naked Exod. 32.25 2. We were cast out of Paradise among the rest of the Beasts Gen. 3.24 Cherubims appeared in Shape like an Ox. Now man by Sin had made himself like the Beasts that perish and therefore God sends him to be their companion He is not now in Paradise but in a Wilderness not in a place of pleasure but of toyl and sorrow Gen. 3.19 3. We are naturally inclined to all sin and so exposed to all Judgments The Understanding is clouded with errour the judgment fails both in directing what is to be done and judging of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what is done The affections are carnal In a word the Soul is blinded Gen. 3.19 nay some so blind as hardly to see the Being of God That what once God said to Adam they are ready to say to God Where art thou Gen. 2.17 I know it is enquired what Death was threatned in those words Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Some think only the death of the Body But I thus argue That Death that followed mans sin was there threatned and the death that followed was the natural death of the Body the spiritual death of the Soul and the eternal death both of Body and Soul and therefore all was threatned in those words Thou shalt die Is it reasonable to think that the great Law-maker put more in the Execution than there was in the Threat In Adam you find no confession of Sin to God but adding Sin to Sin Gen. 3.10 When he fled God calls to him how doth he reply I heard thy voice in the Garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid my self As if he had said I am hid because I heard thy voice it is exceeding
piercing it is the voice of a God and I am but Flesh and Blood and I cannot bear it But did he not hear Gods voice before Gen. 2.16 17. when God gave him a charge not to eat of the Tree in the midst of the Garden I was naked was another Excuse Gen. 2.25 Were they not before both naked and not ashamed When God told Adam plainly of his Sin Gen. 3.11 Hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat One would think now there is no room for an excuse verse 12. you read The woman thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the Tree and I did eat He layes it on the woman but the woman could not compell though she did tempt Nay rather than take the blame to himself he layes it on God Thou gavest If thou hadst not given me the woman she had not tempted nor I eaten Few know or consider the hardning nature of Sin One might have expected he should have cryed Lord pity me Lord contrive a way to shew mercy if there be any or if none Lord thou art just in all the evil that shall come upon me So was man exposed to all Judgments temporal distempers troubles losses death and at last to eternal Judgments where the Worm dyeth not and the Fire is never quenched And now to these Meditations I shall add a few Directions DIRECTIONS 1. Mourn over your selves and Brethren fallen into sin and misery Complaints against Adam are in vain Complaints against God are worse It was necessary as Calvin sayes that the will of man should be flexibilis in utramque partem God having made man it was convenient he should put him on Tryal of Obedience God gave him but one Law not many an easie one not difficult a negative one not positive no thanks had been to Adam to obey if he could not have disobeyed Consider it and it fell out that he sinned What have we lost in losing Paradise and the blessings there When Ziklag was burnt what an outcry was there 1 Sam. 30.3 4. So David and his men came to the City and behold it was burnt with fire and their Wives and their Sons and their Daughters were taken Captives What follows Then David and the People that were with him lift up their Voice and wept until they had no Power to weep What was Ziklag to Paradise what was the Captivity of the Body to that of the Soul How sadly do men look back on a burnt House and Treasures there and weep bitterly 2. Cry against the Tempter that you may through Grace out-wit him Was he too hard for man in innocency how much more now If any man wants wisdom let him ask it of God James 5. Cry to God against Satan as David against Ahithophel that God would confound the Policy of Ahithophel so Lord 2 Sam. 15.31 confound the Devices of the evil one 3. Strive against all Objections against God in this matter Though the Act Physically considered is of God yet not Morally And though it is true that second Causes cannot act without the first aliquid Positioum yet they may aliquid delinquens We have learnt of Adam to lay all on God To them that deny any thing of Predetermination I humbly offer this to Consideration Whether it be rational to imagine that it depended upon so pitiful and weak and changeable a thing as Adams Will without Gods Determination Whether Christ should come into the World and dye and so be a Saviour Whether the Providences of God in the World should be such as they are Whether the greatest part of Mankind should be in Hell for ever and thousands before the Throne Praising God for a Redeemer However Let every Mouth be stopped before God Luther says I put off questions about Gods Predeterminations with that of Christ to Peter when he asked an unnecessary question about John Joh. 22.23 What is that to thee follow thou me Officium agamus said Melancton Loci Com. disputationes de Predestinatione Seponamus Rom. 11.33 How unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out Many would search out unsearchable Judgments and find out ways past finding out I will not cut a knot that I cannot untie We that cannot solve the Phoenomena of Nature how can we satisfie our selves about the great Mysteries of Religion We are by Nature Children of wrath Ephes 2.3 and let us not so curiously enquire how Original sin got into our Heart as carefully enquire how to get it out For that Objection against Sin in Infancy Obj. Omne peccatum est voluntarium Every sin is Voluntary Mel. in his Com. Places says that must be understood in civilibus Delictis in civil Offences among men and yet sin is voluntary in Infancy quia saith the same Author eo delectamur because we delight in it As for such foolish Questions Whether if Adam had begotten Children before he fell Sin had been imputed to those Children we will not waste time to consider them Catarinus affirmed Soto denyed Hist of the Council of Trent as F. P. says Run to Christ who by once Suffering can save you as Adam by once sinning hath destroyed you Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans Disobedience many were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one shall many be made righteous Christ was obedient unto Death Phil. 2.8 even the Death of the Cross The Law is in full force against every ungodly man God hath still his Power of commanding though we have thrown away our Power of obeying God sees more sin in one wrathful thought than we do in actual Murther in one covetous thought than we do in open Theft Oh then run to Jesus that justifieth that sanctifieth that saveth He is our Joseph that hath all the Store-houses of Provision in a time of Famine As the distressed Egyptians said to him let us say to Christ Gen. 47.18 19. We will not hide it from my Lord our money is gone Give us bread let us be Servants unto Pharaoh We will not nay we cannot hide it from our Lord All is gone let us have Grace from him that we may serve our God and all Believers must say to Jesus as they to Joseph v. 25. Thou hast saved our lives let us find Grace in the sight of our Lord. When sin had slain us Christ had Compassion on us as David had on his Son when his own Folly had ruin'd him 2 Sam. 18.33 And the King was much moved and wept and as he went thus he said O my Son Absalom my Son my Son Absalom would God I had dyed for thee O Absalom my Son my Son Yet Absalom sought his Fathers Crown and Life and we would be as Gods Christ feem'd to say over us Would to God I might dye for thee and indeed it pleased the Father to bruise Isa 53.10 I believe that Adam through this Christ was saved Gen. 3.16 God
and Salvation A filial Fear of God when we fear his displeasure as well as his Judgments a sorrow for Sin according to God when we hate Sin so as to fly from it to God a Hungring and Thirsting after Righteousness a desire of Grace more than any thing on earth DIRECTIONS 1. Conclude on the absolute necessity of Sincerity and beg the Prayers of Gods Sincere ones Say then to your Souls we must be upright If it were proclaimed from Heaven that but one man in a Town or City should be saved every man had reason to give all diligence that he might be the man knowing he cannot dwell with Eternal Burnings Are your doubts many beg the Prayers of the Faithful do as God commanded Jobs Friends Go to my Servant Job and he shall pray for you and him will I accept Job 42.8 Go to such a Minister such a Christian be not ashamed to go to them to knock at their doors to speak with them and enquire Acts 16 30. What must I do to be saved Cry as they in the Vision to Paul Acts 16.9 Come over into Macedonia and help us If a man be distempered or wounded in his body away he goes to the Physician or Chirurgeon Be as careful of your Souls as you are of your Bodies If there be any good desires cherish them Cant. 2.3 The Fig-tree putteth forth her Green Figs and the Vines with the tender Grapes give a good Smell Arise my Love my Fair One and come away Thy sincere though weak desires and breathings of Soul are pleasant to God and promise well Can any Babes in Christ say as the poor Indian when first awakened being asked what Sin was Oh said he it is the continual Sickness of my Heart It argues they are alive to God 2. Do not too soon shake off all fears and doubts Some come and tell Ministers how they cannot sleep some nights being terrified about Sin and wrath I am ready to tell them where they awake one night I would they did many They that have been so before them have no reason to wish they had slept the mean while Wounds must smart much before they can be cured Many break their sleep by night about loss of Children of Goods c. and make no great matter of it You may in a little time say of your hearts as Jacob of that place Gen 28.16 The Lord was here and I knew it not The first cry of the New Creature pleaseth God tormenteth the Devil If you are full of fears now the comforts of God will be sweeter to you when they come If you on a Journey were benighted on a Down darkness comes Rain pours down one Clap of Thunder and Flash of Lightning followed another and you were wet to the skin affrighted and every hour seems as long as ten and in the morning when light appeared and the Sun began to shine and you were brought into your Inne and had the comfort of a good Fire warm cloaths good provision and a good bed would you not be the more sensible of the sweetness of these things because of your nights misery O Christian Sorrow may continue for a night Psal 30. Isa 50.10 but joy cometh in the morning Are you in darkness and so see no light Hear you the Thundrings of the Law See you the Flashes of Gods Judgment Do the Terrours of God fall upon your Soul When God shines upon you then his Promises and Comforts will be sweet to your Souls 3. Never stick at any attainments but be alwayes going on Are you weak The strongest in Christ were once so One hath a good meditation upon this The greatest Giant was once a Babe in the Cradle The greatest Oak was once a Twig And the greatest Scholar was once in his Horn-book learning letters So saith he the greatest Christian was once a Babe in Christ and weak in grace All must grow sad it is for any to say if I have so much Grace as will bring me to Heaven I am content But who is content with just so much meat as will kill hunger and save life Or with just so much money as will keep him from debts and so from Goal Strive more and more against Sin Get greater power over Constitution Sins Company Sins and the Sins of your Callings If any should say our hearts are still bad after praying watching and striving remember still to go on If a man went to cut down an Oak the first blow with the Ax tends to the fall of the tree as well as the last if one should see one blow given and another and an hundred and the Oak seems as firm as ever and should say it is but in vain to strike any more what weakness were he guilty of At last down falls the Tree So the first acts of Repentance Faith Obedience tend to the pulling down of Sin as really as the last How many are prone to Pride Covetousness unchast desires revenge have found this to be true they have prayed many years and Fasted and striven against Sin and yet found as they thought but a little change and at last down hath fallen the Sin And God hath made them very humble very mortifyed very chast very patient Then take up the Ax strike strike and spare not Sin Sin shall be destroyed 4. If you find you are Sincere give God the glory through Jesus Christ When King Solomon was Crowned what rejoycing was there 1 Kings 1.40 They piped wâ—â—h Pipes and rejoyeed with great joy so that the earth rent with the sound of them Cant. 3.11 Go forth ye Daughters of Zion and see King Solomon with the Crown wherewith his Mother Crowned him in the day of his Espousaels and in the day of the gladness of his heart God that hath sanctifyed you hath Crowned you with a better Crown of Grace and will with a Crown of Glory The Angels rejoyced at your Conversion and therefore you should rejoyce God in heaven and those your friends there are glad for you Luke 15.32 and you should be glad for your selves You once were under the same Condemnation with the wicked God sometimes pardons Sinners of the greatest sort and pardons â—ot some of the lesser sort As if a King seeing two men whom the Law had Condemned the one for Murthering his Child and contriving to Murther him another onely for stealing of a few Cattel or a summ of Money he pardons the Traytor and lets the Thief go to Execution Even so Father Mat. 11 26 for so it seems good in thy Sight Paul runs up all to the Will of God Rom. 9.23 Yet says Calvin Neque tamen ingerinâ—us commentum absolutae potentiae He is not pleased with saying onely That God is a Law to himself It is Gods Will saith he that is true but why God wills is not for us to know why he would wrap up so many men in Adam and they all fell by his Sin Why