Principle in the Habit and Source in the seed and beginning is first given to the Elect in their Regeneration and Conversion to be the original of all actual Graces in them this is called the new creature the new man created after Gods Image the divine Nature the forming of Christ within c. Of this children are capable if they be not of actual Grace which yet seems probable This is inherent Grace in the first principles and Habits thereof both gratis data and gratum faciens in an Orthodox not in a popish sense Secondly Inherent Grace in the Branches and streams in the Acts and Effects in the fruits and progress is variously denominated from the Objects Subjects manner of acting c. it s called faith to express the motion of the renewed soul towards God in Christ upon conjugal terms believing his Truth closing with his Person trusting his Promises depending on his Mercy deriving from his fulness observing him in all things which is called the life of faith It s called Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it turns the whole soul from all sin to God Both in purpose and endeavour through his Spirit this and all other Graces are still concomitants and subsequents of faith in their gradual proportion It s called love to denote the affectionate embracing of God in Christ and in his people for Christs sake as the most amiable object It s called obedience as it acts the whole man to a free and full compliance with Gods Will revealed in his Word It s called Thankfulness as it affects the heart with the sense of Mercy received It s called self-denial as it moves the soul to prefer Christ before all things else and part with any thing for his sake It s termed Patience in regard of sorrowfull evils which it learns to bear submissively It s named humility with respect to its low thoughts of self submitted still to Christ It s nominated Temperance in regard of its care to avoid all excessive use of Creatures It s termed Zeal as it moves with fervour for good against evil It s termed Justice or Righteousness in respect of its readiness to give every one their due It s called Prudence as it regards all due means tending to right ends It s termed Wisdom as it s acquainted with the best things in their nature cause and end Thus Grace inherent hath its various appellations and distinctions both habitually and actually being the Grace properly meant in the Text as being that Grace which is capable of Growth The Knowledge of Christ is taken also in a sense more large or more strict 1. LArgely and commonly for a notional Knowledge void of saving Faith and Love such as puffs up an empty Brain 2. Strictly and specially for that saving applicative knowledge which includes all Grace by an elegant Hebraism verbs of sense and knowledge signifying both affectum effectum Natural knowledge of things is acquired by sense Reason or Authority Thus in spirituals this knowledge of Christs is spiritually sensible and rationally fiducial Its a conjugal knowledge which implies 1. Apprehension of the Truth of Christs proper Object 2. Credit and Assent thereto upon his divine Authority 3. Personal consent and particular Applications in mutual Acception and Reciprocation Grace and Knowlede in the Text may be understood 1. Distinctly Conjunctly 1. DIstinctly shewing the excellent Worth and needfull use of every Grace and of the knowledge of Christ 2. Conjunctly by a figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace and Knowledge signifies gracious Knowledge as in that like phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace and Apostleship for gracious Apostleship So the sense will be very emphatical suiting our purpose in characterizing this excellent Jewel so singularly transcendent beyond all other This precious Jewel is curiously set out in the golden ring of divine Records where you find it held forth in its radient Lustre whose glorious beams may be contracted for our clearer apprehension into plain description you may then observe it to be a conjugal acquaintance with Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour wrought in Gods Elect by the special operation of his renewing Spirit and effectually improved to Gods honor and mans good in every Relation toward God and Man This is the choice Jewel whose eminent worth hath been in all ages so incomparably prized by the Word and friends of God Every Page of Scripture sets forth the peculiar Eminency thereof every precept and Promise every prefiguration and Prophesie every President and performance points unto this This was under the Old Testament more ceremonially vailed and under the New is more Evangelically Revealed This is the centre wherein all the Lines of Scripture do meet All the Patriarchs aimed still at this Abraham saw his day and rejoiced Davi◠is full of it Job was divinely advised to such an Acquaintance as to the source and sum of all good Paul accounted all loss and dung in comparison of this excellent Knowledge and rationally determined to know nothing else Peter sums all up in this Good Reason for it if we consider the Object and subject the cause and Nature the property and effect thereof which are all hinted in the former Description Reason 1. The proper Object adequate of this gracious Knowledge is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ a singular Jewel indeed in every consideration The Paramount and Non-such the chiefest of ten thousand both in his Person and Office in his progress and Purchase in his Relation and Influence 1. The Person of Christ is a noble Paragon considered as God as Man as God-man 1. CHrist is God blessed for ever the eternal Son of his eternall Father co-essential and co-equal with him the the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image or Character of his Person in whom dwells the fulness of the Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substantially and bodily the only begotton of the Father full of Grace and Truth essentially one with the Father though personally distinct by an eternal Generation unutterable to man firmly to be believed on Gods Testimony and piously adored not curiously pried into The wonderful Wisdom of the Father who was his Delight before Time by whom in time he made the world and upholds all by the word of his power Essentially he is God of himself Personally God the Son of God the Father His proper Name is the Word of God the Wonderful Councellor the Father of Eternity He that doth what ever the Father doth and to be worshipped as the Father is worshipped He that sends the Spirit from the Father who being in the form and substance of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God To him be glory for ever Amen 2. Christ as Man is the Rare Object of this Knowledge For the word was made flesh and dwelt among
thus 1. Prize it undervalue it not consider its worth and singular use It s Christ himself with his saving Grace that is to be duly known and improved Let no creature then come into competition Christ will endure no Corrival nor Superiour Let not any darling sin be cherished now to undervalue Christ If he be not infinitely better mind him not at all if he be mind him above all 2. Desire it disdain it not So lovely so needful an Object should set all your Affections on flames You have disdained him too long already is it not high time to long for him to breath and pant till you obtain him What would a dying man give for a sure cure a condemned man for a pardon a drowning man for help Let your heart give that and all to this Christ 3. Embrace it reject it not accept of him if you love your self upon his own Terms If you capitulate or reserve any thing Christ will none of you This offer may be your last Let your whole soul now close freely with him in a Conjugal way by mutual consent Receive and Take that you may be One and may know him thus and your self aright 4. Insure it neglect it not you have his Insuring Office to make all clear and firm His Spirit within by his privy Seal his Sacraments and Ordinances without by a broad Seal ratifie his gracious Covenant Observe and grieve not that Spirit of Adoption that must witness within by evidencing Grace and operate without in all the means of Grace for the Obsigation and security of your Interest 5. Keep it los it not so Rare a Jewel so choice an Antidote should be laid up with all possible care Precious stones are found to be specifick Cordials against various diseases and poisons This choisest Jewel should be chiefly set in the Golden Ring of a gracous soul to be worn and kept against all danger Beware of sullying breaking and hurting so curious a Piece 6. Improve it abuse it not This precious knowledge was never intended to feed vain Notions or vile Affections but to fence you against every evil and help you effectually to all true good Improve it therefore unto such Ends wherein you may be sure of Gods Blessing There was never more need of such an Antidote to preserve Christians from Epidemical sins This gracious Knowledge of Christ well improved hath vertue enough to fortifie you against all the Wiles of the wicked and all the deceits of your sinful hearts make use of it then against every Temptation and corruption especially against Errour the woful disease of this sinful Age There was never more need of Christs help against so many unclean spirits ensnaring many simple hearts Prudence and Zeal are here most needful to discern aright of persons and things Some good men are drawn in on mistakes as the four hundred that followed Absalom in their simplicity Some Errors are more superficial wherein Christians must bear with each other walking together as far as they agree waiting for the Lords further discovery Many Errors are so fundamental that they are inconsistent with the hope of Salvation and must be earnestly contended against by due improvement of this Antidote all of them militate against Christ either directly or reflectively in opposition to all that is near and dear unto him variously assaulting 1. His Deity which the Arrians and Sabellians blasphemously denied making him but a Deus factus and the Socinians after them following therein both the Socinus's Uncle and Nephew whose Italian Venom carried so much infection into Poland lately revived by too many among us as by Paul Best Biddle c. as it hath been scattered in Transilvania and Neighbouring parts by divers such Instruments Turks and Jewes agree with them therein For the prevention and cure of this deadly plague spiritual growth in the Grace and Knowledge of Christ will be a special Antidote faithfully improved fortifying your soul with his Truth making you to feel the Power of his Godhead through the beam of that Sun of Righteousness Reason and Experience thus spiritualized will demonstrate to you and to others by you the Record which God bears of his Son in whom dwels the fulness of the Godhead bodily or essentially as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports The same Titles and Attributes the same Worship and works ascribed to God the Father are also ascribed to God the Son The wretched Arrians called Christ in scorn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a diminutive God and would grant him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a like substance but denied him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same substance Were he not God co-essential and co-eternal with the Father how could he be one with him as himself affirms How could he have made infinite satisfaction and procured infinite Salvation How could he have born Gods infinite wrath for his peoples sins What shall we think of those quaking Impostors that own no Christ above but what 's in them that renew the Ranters blasphemy of Gods being all things their being Christed c Do they not affront the God of Glory The God-head of Christ takes up man to God conveying from God all good through his Manhood There must be our strength against every sin that Christ our surety is the blessed God 2. His Humanity variously assaulted by Notionists of an old and new stamp by many Behmenists and the swarms of Quakers who have con'd too much of their mysterious absurdities This poison once got into mens Brains casts them into strange dreams about Christs manhood which they fancy to have been but a fiction and figure a Phantasm and Apparition that vanished after a while to represent that within them which they call Christ To repress those pestiferous fumes from intoxicating your head and heart your Antidote will inform your Judgement with the Truth and warm your heart with the substantial goodness of his human Nature It will shew you out of Scripture that he is truly the Son of man who took on him the seed of Abraham was made flesh in all things like to us except sin Without controversie Great is the Mysterie of Godliness God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels believed on in the world preached to the Gentiles received up into Glory Had he not been a real man how could he have suffered on his peoples behalf How could he have made his soul an offering for sin His sufferings were most real sure that forced from him such a bloody sweat in the open air of a cold season and that in the night that made him cry out so lamentably My God my God why hast thou forsaken me that spent him wholly to his last breath with a most
Scripture speaks of Christs Dying for all for the World for sinners c. the context still clears the restriction of those phrases to all the Elect both Jews and Gentiles that are of all sorts and in all places and ages It s a common phrase in every language thus to speak of all for many of all sorts indefinitely to be explained by the matter in hand Thus all Judea came to be baptised The Apostles preached to every creature under heaven yet still with limitation The word World in divers places cannot signifie whole man-kind but must be limited to the vessels of mercy alone Thus Christ takes away the sin of the world now blessed is he whose sin is taken away every man is not so Many are in Hell beyond possibility thereof he gives Life to the world not to them in Hell God was in Christ reconciling the world not imputing their sin unto them Is this every mans priviledge to have reconciliation and pardon In other places the World can signifie none but Reprobates that shall never be saved that lie in wickedness that Christ prayed not for that die in their sins that cannot receive the Spirit of Grace c. Usually its signification is indefinite to be explained by the context But what must men blieve if Christ died not for every man They must believe that Christ alone is the full Saviour and Redeemer of his people that he that believes not shall be damned that Believers are saved through his Grace c. as the Scripture teaches Object Bnt why is Christ offered to all then Answ Because that he speaks to men by men after the manner of men His Elect are to be gathered from among all sorts The Gardiner waters the weeds secundarily but the good plants primarily The Sun shines on the blind that cannot make use thereof Object But is not Vnbelief the great damning sin Answ It is so though not the only damning sin Positive unbelief is worse then negative and admits of Degrees too All sin is Damnable a deadly disease But Unbelief is the refusing the rejecting of the only Remedy that shuts the soul under its deserved death Object But is not this Doctrine uncomfortable Answ It s indeed to all unbelieving Impâ—nitent sinners wilfully rejecting Christ but it s most comfortable to all humble self-denying souls those poor in spirit that hunger and thirst after Christs righteousness There is no comfort to the wicked from the Lord. But much encouragement to every soul that is made willing to turn from al sin to God through Christ Such shall duly know that Christ died for them when they find him killing sin in them that they may live to him A general Notion that Christ died for all and every One can give no more comfort to Peter then to Judas till his heart do feel the power of Christs death Is it not more comfort that Christ died to save his Elect certainly then that he died so indefinitely that its uncertain for all his death whether any shall be saved If you grant he died absolutely but for some then it s certain that only they shall be saved and his dying for the rest conditionally will not make them salvable nor afford any comfort to them If any Inconvenience attend our Doctrine it must needs attend that also Yea if Christ should have died for all alike yet seeing all are not in the event saved he must needs fore-know it or not be Omniscient and fore-ordain it or not be Omnipotent and that certainly or not be Soveraign The same difficulties will follow that way with many more Either God or the Creature must be Independent It disparages not Christs death that its limited to the Fathers purpose by his Intention and Execution All Divine Attributes are wonderfully magnified this way his Wisdom and Power Mercy and Truth Justice and Holiness c. The Parallel drawn by the Apostle between the first and second Adam proves a parity and proportion of Christs Redemption extended to all his spiritual seed as the corruption and condemnation of Adam extends to all his natural seed But all men individually considered are not Christs spiritual seed The Elect are such intentionally before Conversion and actually Become such in their Conversion All Adams children died by him and all Christs children were redeemed by him It s more to redeem one soul then to destroy all Christ excels incomparably 21. Christs renewing Grace is no less a Sufferer by First The former Oppositions Secondly By Pelagians old and new asserting mans nature to be so restored in every man that they are all born in Gods favour continuing so till they grosly abuse the Light given them either natural or Evangelical making Grace as common as Nature because its a gift though diversifyed Denying Original sin and Habitual corruption before years of discretion Thirdly The Socinians who following them deny that special Renewing Grace and pretend the New Birth mentioned so often to be but a moral change upon men which their nature by a common help from God doth attain unto in imitation of Christ whom they suppose to be a meer Patterne of Holiness not the Internal efficient thereof Fourthly By the Papists and Arminians who have learned of them to advance mans self-sufficiency free Will and Power by a common assistance of Gods Light indifferently afforded to all sorts according to their Improvements of the common Gifts received to accept or reject Christ at their pleasure and to cast away the best of his Gifts Received when they list In effect placing a mans strength and standing yea his chief All in his own mutable will making Faith but a common Assent given to Truth Fifthly By the Quakers Familists and Notionists who carry too much compliance with their Ghostly Fathers in these as in other things AGainst these Lethal Maladies the knowledge of Christ improved graciously will afford effectual Remedies Thereby we learn to see by Scripture Light the total corruption of mans sinful Nature the universality thereof reaching all places and persons its closeness and adherence its contagion and fruitfulness its temptations and Rebellions its policies and power its fierce and inconsiderate madness its indefatigable unsatisfiableness and its multiplicious propagation not admitting of remission or intermission This fully manifests the insufficiency and emptiness of man his unskilfulness and aptness to any spiritual good Thence the necessity of a special Renewing Grace from above to work an effectual change in all Gods Elect by an Almighty irresistible power such as quickned Lazarus and raised up Christ Jesus from the Grave This sanctifying Grace is considered in Scripture in the gradual Renovation of man from his first conversion from Nature to Grace unto his change from Grace into Glory The product of this Renewing Grace is called a new Creature and a Translation from death to
oppositions total or partial will rightly mark out what our case will prove The Sun of Righteousness passing through our houses will carry Light and Life into every part His Aspects direct oblique or opposite signifie Influence benign or malign according to the station of things about it When the Lord ascendent doth rule all the rest it prognosticates all propitiousness If quaking Saturn and the ranting Mars if notional Mercury and ambitious Jupiter if unstable Luna and voluptuous Venus come to cross this Sun what can men expect but a Combustion Wandring Planets and floating Meteors are still over-ruled by his fixed motions He is regular in his Light and heat the only fountain of benign Influx He is no Retrograde but still in progress to dispell darkness and death from his friends Would men study him in his word and works they would soon banish sinful Astrology His Law and Gospel suffer so much by it that no wise Christian should plead for the same Was there ever a great Astrologer that hath not bewrayed some Satanical cheat May not London speak loud in this case if late experience be but testified We may challenge all Records divine humane to shew any good Prince or State owning it Who ever were found hearkning thereto history brands them by Tragical ends Oh That great Brittain would consider this that Satan may not fix his Throne among us Christ will not endure so ill a Neighbour nor suffer this Trade to go unpunished Compacts with the Devil though but indirect do challenge both frowns and Judgements from above Superiors must act under Christ for him to punish this great evil with sutable Wages If men be so bold and presumptuous Powers are ordained for terror to such They are errand cheats or Conjuring knaves that fortell events of humane matters by their star-gazing If men slight Gods Law and testimony to follow such peeping muttering Wizards it s because there is no Light in them Christ will right himself for all such Affronts cast upon his Word and his Providence The Lord awaken all concerned herein that we repent not when it s too late II. IMprove this Antidote against Apostacy the wofull Issue of dreadful Errors Lot him that doth stand take heed lest he fall Let none therefore stand on his own strength Be we of Pauls mind in studying Christ to account all loss and dung for him Be we found in him not in carnal self stripp'd off our Righteousness and cloathed with his Let 's know him still more fiducially more improvingly in the power of his Resurrection and in the fellowship of his sufferings conforming to his death This will hasten our pace to the Resurrection that will make an end of sin and sorrow We are not yet perfect but must press forwards with Christian bearing and forbearing still Beware we Brethren lest in any of us be found an evil heart of unbelief to make us depart from the living God See to it with all care possible that none of you come short of that Grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled But exhort one another daily whilst it s called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin And follow Peace with all men in the pursuit of Holiness without which none shall see the Lord. Blessed are such Peace-makers especially in this dividing age for they shall be called the Children of God About this blessed work of Christian Peace-making we design another Piece if the Lord give strength and time to stir up all Gods people thereto in this selfish generation that we may all be effectually helped thereto and preserved from the wofull delusions and divisions now so prevailing Be we all so much the more pressed to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Adag Arabic Eâ—eg Erronibus sibi solis sapient buâ— adaptatum Deut. 8. 2 3 c. Ezek. 14. 17 18 19 20 21. Micah 6. 9. Habac. 2. 2. Esay 27. 6 7 8. Psalm 30. 11. John â— 9. Psalm 126. 5. Heb. 12. 11. Esad 5. 3 4. c. Heb. 6. 7 8. Esay 5. 5. Matth. 13. 24 25. 2 Cor. 2. 16 17. Act. 4. 36. Mark 3. 17. Phil. 2. 12 13 Rom 9. 16. * An eminent Physitian the Son of the Sun among Poets Mal. 4. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Esay 64. 5. Psalm 37. 4 5 c. Prov. 3 6. Heb. 12. 10. Eph. 6. 13 19. Col. 4. 3 4. Psalm 46. 1. 2 Cor. 12. 9. See Mr. Boltons Arraignment of Error Danaeus Epiphan August Hieronym de Heretic c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 8. 44. Iude 6. Levit. 14. 44 45. Deut. 28. 27. Dato uno absurdo mille sequuntur Cadmei Proles Adag Veritas Radicis Indicis Entis apud Scholasticos Errores quidom citra alii circa alii contra fundumentum Primi divertunt Secundi pervertunt tertii subvertunt fidem Orthodoxam Rom. 5. 12. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Rom 6. 23. Levit. 13. 29 30 c. See Sleidan Cloppenburg Hornebeck Bulinger Luther Calvin c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galen Providence affords in every Country Remedies suited to their Maladies and Counter-poisons against their Poisons witness the Rattle-snake and Snakeweed of Virginia and of New England The Italian Tora and Antitora c. So hath the Lord provided a sutable proportion of divine Truths and helps to be duly applyed for effectual Relief Gal. 2. 7 8 9. 1 Pet. 1. 1 2. 2 Pet. 1. 1. * Câ—nsult Epiphan August Athan. Concil Laodicen Carthagâ—n Damascen Bed Centur-Magdeb c. about it verse 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 11 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See about them Euseb Socrat. Epiphan Austin Ammian Marcel v. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 3. ver 9. 10 11. Verse 13. Verse 14. Verse 15. Verse 16. Verse 17 18. Athenaeus l. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 7. Rom. 8. 7. Rom. 7. 11 22. Gal. 2. 19. 2c 1 cor 9. 2r 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16 17 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 c. Iud. 1. to 19. Mat. 24. 5. 11 23 24. Luke 21. Mar. 13. 1 Ioh. 4. 1 2 3 c. Psal 58. 3. Psal 14. Psal 53. Rom. 3. 11 c. Ier. 17. 9. 2 Tim. 3. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impostors and prostigators bewitching Cheats 2 Thess 2. 8 9 10. Eph. 4. 11 19 c. Mat. 24. 12. Psal 18. 2 Thess 2. 10