punishment did grow from the fall of our first Parents The punishment of sin which we now speak of is the wrath and curse of God by whose just sentence man is delivered over for his sin into the power both of bodily and spiritual â—eath begun here and to be accomâ—lished hereafter Bodily death is the separation of the â—ul from the body with all personal â—iseries and evils that attend thereon â—â— make way thereunto Spiritual death is the final separation â—f both soul and body from God together with spiritual bondage and all â—re-runners of damnation Or more particularly All the misery â—f man God in this one word Death â—â—th comprehended In the day thou Gen. 2. 17. â—â—est of the tree of knowledg of good and â—â—il thou shalt dye There are four degrees of death 1. There is a spiritual death which a privation of spiritual life whereby man is destitute of saving Grace and â— lives only unto sin So Christ of the â—hurch of Sardis I know thy works Rev. 3. â— â—ou hast a name that thou livest but thou â—t dead 2. The second degree is of afflictions â—d miseries So Pharaoh said to Moses â—d Aaron Pray ye to the Lord that He Exod. 10. 17. â—ay remove from me this death only 3. Corporal death which is a privaâ—on of natural life and a resolution of the body into dust and returning oâ— the soul again unto God Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and Eccles 12. 7. the spirit unto God that gave it 4. The fourth degree is everlasting death or the state of the damned Rev. 21. 8. which in respect of corporal death â—â— called the second death But it is the third of these corporal death which â—â— here meant Spiritual death hath three degrees 1. When a man who is alive in regard of corporal or temporal death lies dead in sins She that liveth in pleasures is dead while she liveth And this 1 Tim. 5. 6. is the case of all men by nature whâ— are children of wrath and dead in sinâ— Eph. 2. 1. and trespasses 2. The second degree is the very end of this life when the body is to be layed in the earth and the soul descendâ— to the place of torment 3. The third degree is in the day oâ— Judgment when the body and soul meâ—â— again and go both to the place of the damned there to be tormented for ever and ever But now we are to speak of temporaâ— or corporal death which is a punishment inflicted on man for sin Deatâ— passed upon all men for that all have Rom. 5. 12. â—inned This death is a miserable priâ—ation of life And yet this death is not so properly as by Gods appointment â—ut from God as revenging on Sin and so properly it is from Sin as the meritorious and procuring cause of it And so this death is not only a simple and a bare privation of life but joyned with a subjection unto misery Therefore it is not an annihilation of the Sinner because the subject of misery being â—aken away then misery it self should be â—aken away also Now sith we must all dye let us labour Heb. 9. 27. to dye well To dye well two things are requisite 1. A preparation 1. Preparation before death before death 2. A right behaviour and disposition in death 1. The preparation unto death is an action of a repentant Sinner whereby he makes himself â—it and ready to dye That which we can do but once how careful should we be to do it well sith there is no place after for amending of errours therein committed This preparation is a duty very necessary to which we are bound by God's Commandment Therefore we are bid to watch and pray As death leaves us so judgment finds us as the tree falleth so Eccles 11. 3. it lyeth This preparation is twofold 1 General 1. General preparation for death 2. Particular 1 General to prepare our selves to dye through the whole course of our life for we know not neither the time of our death nor the place of our death nor the manner how whether of a sudden death or of a lingring sickness Therefore all the days of my Job 14. 14. appointed time will I wait till my change shall come The best Art of living well is to learn the Art of dying well Balaam would dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. and that his latter end might be like to his but he did not care to live the life of the righteous I protest by our rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our 1 Cor. 15. 31. Lord said St. Paul I dye daily That is in preparation for it meditation upon it and expectation of it This will keep us humble and further our daily repentance and help us to be contented in every condition and make us watchful over our selves to fly and avoid Sin careful to grow in Grace and to be frequent in Prayer to God that He would teach us so to number Psal 90. 12. our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom For if we would live for ever we must begin to live that blessed and everlasting life here before we dye to live the life of Grace here which is the life of Glory begun We all with open face beholding as in a 2 Cor. 3. 18. glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory aâ— by the spirit of the Lord that is we by faith contemplating the glorious light of God's mercy truth power c. by which means we are made like unto Hiâ— in the glory of holiness and newness of life by the Spirit of regeneration which hath its progresses in this life until such time as it cometh to its perfection in the life everlasting â— Of particular preparation before 2. Particular preparation â—oâ— death death this contains three duties 1. Concerning God 2. Our selves 3. Our Neighbour â— Concerning God to seek to be reconciled to Him in Jesus Christ This reconciliation is had by renewing our former faith and repentance To see and acknowledg that Visitation of sickness from God's hand and usually it is for sin 1. Therefore make we a new examination of our hearts and â—am 3. 3â— lives search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. 2. Confess we our sins to the Lord and He will forgive the iniquity of our sins If we confess our sins He is saithful and just to forgive 1 Psal 32. 5. Joh. 1. 9. us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 3. Pray earnestly unto God with sighs and groans of the Spirit for pardon of sin and that God would assure us of it and that He is reconciled to us in Christ Jesus our Surety 2. Concerning our duties to our selves and that 1. In reference to the Soul 2. In reference to the Body 1. In
baptized into His death Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it thâ—â— He might sanctifie and cleanse it by the Eph. 5. 25 26. washing of water through the word The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from 1 Joh. 1. 7. all sin As the filthiness of the body is washed away with water so we are purged from our sins by the blood and spirit of Christ Ye are washed ye are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. ye are justified in the Name of the Lorâ— Jesus and by the Spirit of our God That inward washing is made or done both by the blood and by the spirit of Christ 1. Washing through the blood oâ— Christ is Justification So we have it Acts 22. 16 Arise and be baptized calling on the name of the Lord. 2. Washing through the spirit is regeneration when we are by the Holy Spirit regenerated or born again to a new life 1 Cor. 6. 11. Thus far of the action of the Minister now to speak of the action of him or her baptized Every faithful person that is baptized receiveth the outward Baptism of water that there may be signified and sealed up unto him that he is assuredly washed from his sins by the blood and spirit of Christ as surely as his body is sprinkled or washed with water Then will I Ezek. 36. 25. sprinkle said the Lord clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthinesses and from all your Idols I will cleanse you To be washed with the blood and spirit of Christ signifieth to be made partakers of the Covenant of Grace namely to be reconciled to God justified regenerated adopted to be the Son or Child of God and to be endowed with the freedom of the Sons of God All are washed with water but believers only by the blood and spirit of Christ Therefore not all that are baptized receive remission of sins and regeneration but the believers only For without a man have his name in the Covenant the seal set to it confirms nothing unto him To the receiving of the Sacrament as very worthily it is in our Liturgy there must be adjoyned thanksgiving which is presently performed by every person that is baptized if he be adult or of years of discretion or by the witnesses in his stead if he be an infant who when he comes to years of discretion all his life long ought to be thankful unto God for this benefit Q. What are the ends of Baptism A. Especially these four 1. To be a seal to us of our receiving into the Covenant of Grace and fellowship with Christ and His Church 2. By the outward washing to represent and confirm to us the inward cleansing of our Souls which standeth in justification and regeneration Eph. 5. 26. So in this sence Baptism as it is 1 Pet. 3. 21. is said to save us because it sealeth unto us eternal salvation 3. To mind us of repentance and reforming our lives for we are baptized with water unto repentance Mat. 3. 11. 4. To be sealed to the certain hope of resurrection and of an eternal blessed life In Baptism Original sin is washed and taken away especially as concerning the guilt that is to say the fault and the punishment there remaining notwithstanding the vitiation and the sickness namely wicked lusts and inclination to evil and that to this end that we might all our life long fight against sin and the Devil who is the Author of sin But the Papists say that by Baptism rightly administred not only the guiltiness but also the corruption of Original sin is so washed away as that it is not afterward properly accounted a sin But we contrarily distinguish thus of sin sin in regard of the guiltiness or obnoxiousness to the wrath of God and also in regard of the punishment together by one act is taken away in Baptism But in regard of that error and corruption of Nature it is not at the first wholly taken away but successively and by little and little or by degrees it is extinguished even as our renovation or renewing by the Holy Ghost is by little and little begun increased and carried on in us And this we evince by these four reasons 1. Else St. Paul would not so greatly bewail his Original sin if after Baptism it ceased to be a sin when-as he cryed out O miserable man that I am who shall Rom. 7. 23 24. deliver me from the body of this deathâ— I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members 2. Original sin is called a sin exceeding or out of measure sinful and a sin that hangeth fast on or easily encompasseth Rom. 7. 13. us about Heb. 12. 1. 3. Concupiscence is the root of actual sin and therefore after Baptism it must needs properly be a sin 4. Unless that concupiscence were a sin where would or could be that vehement and hot combate between the flesh and the spirit for the flesh lusteth against Gal. 5. 17. the spirit and the spirit against the â—lesh and these are contrary the one to the other Q. Why was Christ baptized what could Baptism signifie or seal unto Him He had no sin to wash away A. â— That He might fulfil all righteousness that is for us and on our behalf Mat. 3. 15. 2. That He might in His own person commend and confirm Baptism against all those who so debase and decry it 3. That He might sanctifie our Baptism in Himself 4. That by Baptism we might know Him to have entered into His office and the execution of it Q. How doth Baptism belong to Infants and how are they capable of performing the conditions required A. I have perused the learned Exercitations of Mr. John Tombes B. D. formerly a Cotemporary with me in Magdalen-Hall who is the best and most learned of that opinion and perswasion who hath many arguments against Infant Baptism which require a large volume particularly to answer I shall therefore only lay down some argument to assert the laudable use of the Churches Infant-Baptism which do fully convince and satisfie me and I suppose by God's blessing on serious meditation and consideration may satisfie those which will not wilfully close their eyes against the truth Arguments 1. Because Infants are comprehended in the Covenant of the Grace of God and therefore both the faith of the Parents themselves and also of the Church 1 Cor. 7. 14. is confirmed by this sign that God will be the God and Saviour as of the faithful Parents so of their seed and children which promise of His He at His good Rom. 8. 29 30. Tit. 3. 5. time performeth in His elect 2. Because to them belongeth also the promise of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ 3. Because they belong to the Church of God 4. Because they are redeemed by the blood of
for ever And when He said take and eat He commanded Heb. 5. 6. us not to offer up His body but only to feed on it So also another abuse of the Papists is to deny the Cup to the people whereas Christ in His institution said Drink ye all of this It is a high Sacrilegious impiety thus expresly to go against Christ's institution in His own words It is by faith alone we eat the body and drink the blood of Christ And yet we say not that the body of Christ is included in the Bread and His blood included in the Cup but if we will enjoy the truth and reality of the Sacrament we must have our hearts lifted up heaven-wards and look upwards where Christ is in the glory of His Father and from whence He shall come to be our Judge for he that seeks Him corporally in these corruptible elements manifestly errs So for me to eat the body of Christ crucified for me and to drink His blood shed for me is not only firmly to believe the whole passion and death of Christ and by it to obtain remission of Joh. 6. 35. to 54. sins and everlasting life but also by His Spirit which dwelleth in me to be more and more united to His blessed body as Christ there said He that eateth My Joh. 6. 56. â—lesh and drinketh My blood dwelleth in Me and I in him So that although Christ is in Heaven and we on Earth yet we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone Eph. 5. 30. 3. 16 17. 4. 15 16. Joh. 6. 57. Even as all the members of the body are quickened and directed by one soul so are we by one and the self same S-pirit So then our eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ which is not corporally but spiritually done signifies four things 1. Our believing of the passion and death of Christ 2. Our receiving remission of sins and everlasting life by faith in Him 3. Our union with Christ by His Holy Spirit which dwelleth both in Christ and us 4. The benefit of quickening by the same Holy Spirit So to eat the body and drink the blood of Christ is to believe that we through the merits of Christ are received by God into grace and favour and by the same faith we receive remission of sins and are reconciled unto God and that the Son of God that Word which was made flesh who hath Joh. 1. 14. united to Himself our humane nature which He personally took doth dwell in us and hath joyned us to Himself and His assumed humane nature by pouring upon us His Holy Spirit by which He regenerates us and restores light in us righteousness and eternal life the same which shineth in His assumed humane nature Or more briefly thus to eat the body of Christ is 1. To believe in Him 2. By faith to receive remission of sins 3. To be united unto Christ 4. To be made partaker of the life of Christ or to be conformable to Christ by His Holy Spirit which worketh the same things both in Christ and in us This our eating is our communion with Christ which the Scripture teacheth and which in this Sacrament we do profess namely our spiritual union with Christ such as is of the members with the head and of the branches with the vine This eating of His flesh Christ teacheth in John 6. and confirmeth it by these outward signs in the Lord's Supper For in the Lord's Supper as we do eat the Bread and drink the Wine even so there as surely Christ gives to all true believers His body to eat and His blood to drink This is clearly manifested to us in the words of institution Mat. 26. 26 27 28. 1 Cor. 11. 23 24 25. And this promise is repeated by St. Paul 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread To explain this briefly It is called the cup of blessing or of giving thanks because it is received to this end that we should give thanks to Christ for His death and passion for us or that we should use it so as to put us in mind of Christ's benefits towards us and for these to give Him thanks Communion of the blood of Christ Communion is a participation of a common thing the Communion of the body and blood of Christ is by faith to be made partakers of Christ and all His benefits the same Spirit being in us which is in Christ and working the same thing in us which he doth in Christ It is a spiritual communion which believers have with Christ as members with the head and as branches with the vine For the Bread and Wine are the Communion that is the sign and testimony of our Communion with Christ This Communion as the Apostle there said consisteth in this that we being many are one body This makes against the corporal eating of the Papists in this Sacrament for our communion with Christ is only by faith and by the Holy Ghost Christ is the common head His benefits are common and communicated to all His members Hence also it follows that the members are common among themselves whence should flow mutual love and amity The Papists to uphold their Transubstantiation do say that we must take the words litterally and so immediately after the words of consecration at the last syllable of the last word that the Bread is transubstantiated or changed into the very body of Christ and the Wine into His blood But this is a Sacramental speech of Christ This is my body As St. Austin to that general rule about Sacramental actions adds this instance of eating the body of Christ This is a certain way said he of finding out whether such a phrase or speech be proper or figurative that whatsoever in Divine Word or holy Scriptures cannot be done by honest and good manners nor be properly referred to the truth of our faith we must know it to be a figurative speech And shortly after instances in that place Vnless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man Joh. 6. 53. and drink His blood ye have no life in you Doth our Saviour here command such a nefarious act to have the Jews fall upon Him kill and â—ley Him to eat His flesh and drink His blood No it is a figurative speech there Christ commands them to communicate with the passion and sufferings of the Lord and most sweetly to lay it up in remembrance that for us His body and flesh was crucified and wounded So also this is a figurative speech when our Saviour speaks of the Bread This is my body and of the Cup This is my blood This Cup is the New Testament in My blood where the
must with delight apply Christ and His merits to all the necessities of our Souls spiritually feeding upon Him and growing by Him For the eating of the Bread to strengthen our nature betokeneth the inward strengthning of our souls by Grace through the merit of breaking Christ's body for us And the drinking of the Wine to cherish our bodies betokens that the blood of Christ shed on the Cross and as it were drunk by faith doth cherish our souls And as God doth bless these outward elements to preserve and strengthen the body of the receiver so Christ apprehended and received by faith doth nourish him and preserve him both body Joh. 6. 50 51. and soul unto eternal life 1 Cor. 10. 3. 11. 17 19. Q. Who are to be admitted to be partakers of this Sacrament A. 1. They who are of years of discretion and sound judgment able to discern the Lord's body ought to repair to it If they are able to prove and examine themselves and rightly to remember the Lord's death For so is the Commandment This do in remembrance of me And let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup for so ye shew the Lords death till He come 1 Cor. 11. 27 28. 2. They who are baptized and by Baptism made members of the Church For our Covenant with God made in Baptism is renewed in the Lord's Supper As formerly none might eat of the Passeover unless he were circumcised so none may partake at the Lord's table unless baptized 3. Who in word and deed profess their faith and repentance or who express the profession of their faith and repentance by the actions of their life For of occult and hidden things the Church judgeth not but she admitteth all those whom she can judge to be members of Christ that is those whom she hears and sees by their confession and by their outward deeds to profess their faith and repentance whether they be Godly or whether they be Hypocrites not yet made manifest Q. What is to be performed of every Christian that he may partake worthily of the Lords Supper A. Three things 1. A due preparation before receiving 2. Great heed in the whole duty of receiving 3. A thankful close and shutting up of it Of all these in order Q. What is the preparation requisite to this holy Sacrament A. Duly to search and examine their own souls if they can find in themselves those things which God requires in worthy Communicants This preparation is twofold 1. Inward 2. Outward 1. Inward which is spiritual and that consists in a man's examining of himself and so to try his own worthiness There is a double worthiness 1. A Worthiness of the person if thou hast faith and the righteousness of Christ imputed by faith to thee 2. A worthiness of the using which is true reverence inward and outward forgiveness love a serious bewailing of sins and repentance the meditation of the benefits of Christ the discerning the body of the Lord thanksgiving and the avoiding of all offences All these things be particularly discussed by many worthy writers and therefore I here wave them Briefly thus Such as will in a holy sort prepare themselves to celebrate the Lord's Supper must have 1. A knowledg of God of Man's fall and of the promised restauration into the Covenant by Christ 2. True faith in Christ for every man receiveth so much as he believeth Heb. 4. 2. 3. True repentance of all their sins past Isai 66. 3. Psal 26. 6. 4. Perfect love and charity forgiving as we would be forgiven true repentance purgeth out malice among all other sins and a sound faith worketh by love towards God and towards our brethren also Mat. 5. 22. Jam. 1. 19. 20. Gal. 5. 6. The holy Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29. placeth preparation in these three acts 1. Discerning the Lord's body 2. Examining of our selves 3. A worthy disposition To speak a little of all these distinctly 1. Discerning the Lord's body which consists in a good understanding and judgment of the nature use and necessity of the Sacrament Now because these things cannot be understood but out of the fundamentals of Christian Religion about sin and misery following thence the Grace of Christ and the blessings therehence slowing of our duty in thankfulness and obedience to God therefore the knowledg of the principal points of Christian Religion which are necessary to Salvation are needfully required to this discerning here spoken of 2. Examining our selves which consists in a serious trial if we are so disposed that we may use this Sacrament with profit The rule of this examination is the Word of God especially as it concerns the institution of this Sacrament Our dispositions to be looked into in this trial of our selves are our faith repentance charity a desire of new obedience 3. A worthy disposition which consists in an agreeableness of our affections with this sacred business And here is required 1. That we renew our repentance as for all our former sins so especially our late failings and for those sins we are most inclined unto and those committed since our last receiving 2. To stir up in our selves a hungring and thirsting after Christ and His Grace as for pardoning and mortifying our sins so to be enabled for better obedience and newness of life 3. To stir up our faith to lay hold on the promises of the Gospel 4. That with all humility reverence and devotion we receive this Sacrament as the Seal of the Covenant of Grace and of the promises of God Thus far of the first part to be performed by every Christian worthily to partake of the Lord's Supper which is Preparation Now for the second Heedfulness in the duty of receiving And that consists in these four things 1. Reverendly to attend the better to apply the whole action joyning with the Minister in his Prayers making use of all the Sacramental actions both in the Minister and also in the receivers whereof we spake at large before and so thankfully commemorating the Lord's death for the comfort and refreshing of our souls 2. According as it is commanded all must take the Bread and Wine into their hands 3. According to Christ's command to eat that Bread and drink that Wine 4. They must use thanksgiving offering up themselves both souls and bodies is a Sacrifice of thanksgiving In which Rom. 12. 1 respect this Sacrament is properly called the Eucharist As oft as we eat this bread and drink this cup we shew the Lords death c. The Ordinance it self is full of death what other language doth bread broken and the blood severed from the body speak but a dying Christ As the Ordinance so the Communicant doth by eating and drinking in fact declare his profession of adherence to Christ and embracing of the death of Christ for remission of Sins and reconciliation of his person unto God Which although at all times
we may and should remember yet God would have a solemn standing Ordinance in His Church for the commemoration and shewing of it forth which Ordinance is this of the Lord's Supper This must be our actual exercise at the time of our eating and drinking at this Holy Table to shew forth the Lord's death The death of Christ then must fill our eyes ears lips and thoughts If any of us could see Christ dying that sight would take us up Here we come as near to see Him dying as can be represented unto us Here Christ is Crucified before our eyes Thus much Gal. 3. 1. for the second part which is a Christian heedfulness in the act of receiving Now of the third and last part a thankful close and shutting up this our duty in this Ordinance 1. By joyful thanksgiving with Prayers 2. Meditation how we are bettered what increase we find of our faith in Christ love to God and all His Saints what strength and power we have gotten against sin lust and corruption what new obedience we shew forth in our lives and what increase and confiâ—ming we find of all other sanctifying and saving Graces in us to help us to lead new lives and to run the ways of all God's Commandments with more strength and alacrity than formerly This do in remembrance of me This is a solemn Memorial instituted by Christ Himself Great Deliverances or Mercies have solemn commemorations Such was the Passeover and the Feast of Purim c. among the Jews Christ did not ordain it for His Nativity Circumcision Ascension c. though all these were for us and our Redemption but in remembrance of His death hereby we shew the Lord's death Because our sins are done away by His death therein in His death was made the Sacrifice of atonement Redemption and Reconciliation was made thereby the Covenant confirmed the justice of God satisfied and everlasting life procured c. 1. Let us make this thankful remembrance to and within our selves what fruit and benefit we receive from Christ and the torments and pains He endured for us both in His blessed body and soul nay His Soul-pains were the sole or chief of all His pains Do not these deserve a thankful remembrance 2. We make this remembrance to others to all the world by our solemn profession of Christ and His death to which we stick for remission of sins and acceptation with God 3. We make this remembrance to God that Christ by His death hath satisfied God's justice and hath made peace through the blood of His Cross Who shall therefore lay any thing to the Col. 1. 20. charge of Gods elect it is Christ that dyed for us c. Rom. 8. 34. I close up with the Allegory of the Paschal Lamb and Christ how the type and anti-type or the thing signified fitly answer and agree in these thirteen things 1. It must be a lamb of the flock so Christ was true man Joh. 1. 14. 2. A Lamb without blemish so Christ was without sin 3. To be killed and roasted with fire to shew the bitter death and passion of Christ 4. A bone of it must not be broken so Christ had not a bone broken Joh. 19. 36. 5. It must be in the evening so Christ suffered in the end of the world Heb. 1. 2. and 9. 26. 6. The posts were to be sprinkled with the blood so Christ's blood is sprinkled on our Consciences and His satisfaction is imputed to us Rom. 3. Isai 53. 6. 7. Seeing the blood the destroying Angel passed over and they were preserved from death so Christ by his blood frees us from everlasting death 8. The Lamb was to be eaten and in every family so Christ by faith is to be applyed by every believer 9. The Lamb was to be roasted whole his head legs appurtenances so whole Christ is to be received and wholly according to all the articles of our faith 2 Tim. 3. 7. 10. Without leaven that is without hypocrisie 11. It must be eaten with bitter herbs with true repentance and bitter grief for sin which caused that bitter passion of Christ He that will be Christ's Disciple must take up the Cross 12. It must be eaten hastily and with their staves in their hands after the fashion of strangers to shew that we are Pilgrims here and travailing to our heavenly countrey have need of such a Viaticum in the way 13. Only Circumcised to eat thereof So only the regenerate feed on Christ by faith and Christ is profitable only unto them Some Sentences 1. Our Union and Communion with Christ doth not mingle the persons nor unite the substances but it consociates our affections and confederates our wills 2. This is to eat that bread and drink that cup to abide in Christ and to have Christ abiding in thee And hereby it follows that he that abides not in Christ nor Christ in him doth not spiritually eat of this bread and drink of this cup although carnally and visibly he eateth of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ 3. To believe in Christ is to eat that bread of life He that believeth in Christ feedeth upon Him and is invisibly fatted by Him because he is invisibly regenerated 4. Believers only eat the bread the Lord wicked men who are against Christ in their practises may eat the bread of the Lord. 5. All Glory to God and Salvation to Men is placed in the death and passion of the Lord Jesus Christ EXERCITATION THE FOURTH Ecclesiastes 12. 13. Fear God The whole Verse runs thus Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep His Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man THe meaning is thus as if King Solomon had said the whole subject of this Book of Ecclesiastes is summarily comprehended in this point that man should lead his life in the fear of God and in holy obedience unto Him So that after this life he may enjoy everlasting blessedness and happiness in Him Now the fear of God is commanded in the first Commandment the scope and meaning of the first Commandment is thus that Jehovah one in Substance and three in Persons the Creator and Governour of all things and the Redeemer of His people is to be entertained for the only true God in all the powers of our soul And that the inward Mat. 22. 37. Prov. 23. 26. Deut. 5. 29. Prov. 4. 23. Mat. 12. 35. and spiritual worship of the heart wherein God especially delighteth and which is the ground of the outward worship may be given to Him and none other and that sincerely without hypocrisie as in His sight who searcheth Jer. 17. 10. and knoweth the heart For this word before Me or before My face noteth that inward entertainment and worship whereof God alone doth take notice And thereby God sheweth that He condemneth as well the corrupt thoughts of mans heart concerning His Majesty as the wicked practise of
it or as in the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quid deprecabor why shall I pray against it any longer Remember the case of Israel when they were even at their Journeys end near upon the borders of the promised land because of their murmuring and impatiency hear their terrible doom from the Lord As truly as I live saith the Lord as ye have spoken in mine ears Numb 14. 28 to 36. so will I do to you your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness and all that were numbered of you from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshuah the son of Nun. But your little ones which ye said should be a prey them will I bring but as for you your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness and your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years and bear your whoredomes until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness After the number of the days in which ye searched the land even forty days each day for a year shall ye bear your iniquities even forty years and ye shall know my breach of promise I the Lord have spoken it I will surely do it c. in this wilderness they shall be consumed and there they shall dye Take heed of fretting against the Lord and of impatiency of spirit lest the same or the like judgment befall thee But say with David as here My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from Him EXERCITATION THE SIXTH Mark 1. 15. Repent ye and believe the Gospel HEre our Saviour sets down the way that lost man must take to come to God whom doth our blessed Lord invite to come unto Him those that labour and are heavy-laden Repentance Mat. 11. 28. and Faith are the way whereby we come unto God Christ is primarily the way for no man cometh to the Father but by Joh. 14. 6. Him He is the immediate way but these are the ways in and through Him which He hath prescribed 1. To speak of Repentance We must know our sins feel the weight of them be truly sensible of them and that we are no way able to help our selves else we will never come to Christ and never seek out for a Saviour for the whole have no need of a Mat. 9. 11. Physician but they that be sick while we think our selves whole and healthy we are well enough but it is the sin-sick Soul that sees his want and need of this great Physician the Lord Jesus So Desinition then Repentance is a hearty grief for my sins even because thereby I have broken God's holy Laws and offended such a gracious Father which works in me a hatred and loathing of sin and of my self for sin with a resolution to lead a new life Now there is a legal Division repentance which is a grief of mind through the sence of God's wrath threatned against sin without any true hatred of sin There is also secondly an Evangelical repentance which is a through change of a sinner in mind will and actions from evil to good The former of these was in Ahab who put on sack-cloth and went softly c. 1. Kings 21. 26. when he heard the evil threatned against him and his house and this may be in wicked men through fear of punishment and of hell not for their sins against God so upon the next temptation they run into sin again But Evangelical repentance which is because we have broken God's Laws and offended so gracious a Majesty this it makes us more watchful over our ways more desirous and careful to please God more Eph. 5. 15. Gen. 17. 1. Psal 16. 8. 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. fearful to offend Him more circumspect in our walking before Him setting Him before our eyes Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto life not to be repented of whereas legal repentance which is common to wicked men worketh death or is the fore-runner of death whose grief is from an apprehension of their miseries or some wounding of their Consciences for their sins without faith or amendment or conversion unto God whereby all their repentance is in them an entrance or a way to a death But behold the good effects of a serious Evangelical repentance The self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort what sorrow it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge I know that some do take the former part of this sentence meerly in a literal sence Wordly sorrow causeth death that is sorrow or grief for outward crosses and losses causeth such anguish of mind so affecting the body that brings sicknesses diseases and death at last We see then that true repentance is an inward and hearty sorrow for sin especially that we have offended so gracious a God and so loving a Father together with a setled purpose of heart and a careful endeavour to leave and Psal 119. 112. forsake all our sins and to live a Christian life according to all Gods Commandments So the parts of repentance are 1. A The parts of true repentance are â—our confession of sin 2. a Bewailing what we have confessed 3. Lifting our selves up with confidence in Gods mercies and Christs merits 4. With a firm purpose of abstaining from sin and obeying Gods Commandments Let us a little farther consider these 1. An humble Confession I acknowledged my sins unto thée and mine iniquities Psal 32. 5 have I not hidden I said I will confess mine iniquities unto the Lord. 2. A bewailing Dan. 9. 6. 8. Ezra 9. 6. of what we have confessed We are ashamed and blush to lift up our faâ—es to thee O our God for our iniquities are increased over our heads c. Psal 38. 18. I will be sorry for my sins 3. A lifting up of our selves in confidence of Gods mercies through Christs merits There Psal 130. 3. is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared In the multitude of thy mercies I come unto thee with the Lord there Psal 5. â— Psal 130. 7. is mercy and with Him there is plenteous redemption And through Christs merits Christ dyed for the ungodly To Rom. 5 6. this end Christ both dyed and rose Rom. 14. 9. and revived that He might be Lord both of dead and living Christ dyed for our 1 Cor. 15. 3. 1 John 2 2. Heb. 7. 25. sins according to the Scriptures He is the Propitiation for our sins And He is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by Him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Fourth part of repentance is a stedfast resolution of forsaking sin and of obeying Gods holy Commandments I hate every false way whoso confesseth Psal 101. 3. Prov.
that wholly for the Holy Spirit make a through work a through change although usually it is by degrees Here is the term from which and the term to which we are changed 1. The term from which from the filthiness corruption and stain of sin therefore we are bid to cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and â— Cor. 7. 1. spirit 2. The term to which is the purity of the image of God which is said to be renewed in knowledge righteousness Coll. 3. 10. Eph. 4. 24. Jam. 1. 25. Rom. 6. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 17. and holiness This is called a conformity to the law of God Newness of life A new creature and the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. There are two degrees of Sanctification 1. Begun and imperfect which is here in this life 2. Perfect and consummate which is in Heaven where alone perfection is to had The parts of Sanctification are two Mortification Viviâ—â—cation 1. Mortification or dying to sin and thereby we have a freedom from the dominion of sin by the death of Christ Ye are dead c. Mortifie therefore your Col. 3. 3 5. earthly members Our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should Rom. 6. 6 7. not serve sin for he that is dead is freed from sin 2. Vivification or quickning unto newness of life by the power of Christ's resurrection Blessed and holy is he Rev. 20. 6. that hath part in the first resurrection Or Vivification is the second part of Sanctification whereby the image and life of God is restored in man Therefore Eph. 4. 24. Rom. 12. 2. put on that new man and be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind From this Vivification ariseth in those that are Sanctified a firm obliging of themselves unto God whereby they dedicate and devote themselves unto God and Christ So said the Apostle they gave themselves unto the Lord. 2 Cor. 8. 5. Hence follow these two things 1. A spiritual war which is continually waged between these two parts The flesh lusteth against the spirit and Gal. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 9. the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary the one to the other So sight I not as one that beateth the air but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection c. And this continual combate must we maintain while we are in this body of flesh 2. A daily renewing of repentance as we daily do sin Now the end of all this is 1. The glory of God He that hath 1 Joh. 3. 3. this hope in him purifieth himself as God is pure 2. Our own Salvation He that purgeth 2 Tim. 2. 21. himself from these shall be a vesseâ— sanctified unto God and meet for thâ— Masters use Q. What must we do that we may bâ— holy A. 1. Subject our whole man to thâ— Word of God for the Word is the sanctifying truth of God Therefore Chrisâ— prayeth Sanctifie them by thy truth Thâ— Joh. 17. 17. word is truth 2. By faith to apply Christ to ouâ— selves as our Sanctification for He of Goâ— 1 Cor. 1. 30. is made unto us Sanctification therefore suck holiness from Christ 3. By a lively faith not only to apprehend and lay hold on the promises iâ— general but also those promises in particular which do more especially belong to Sanctification Then I will sprinkle Ezek. 36. 26 c. clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols I will cleanse you 4. To give our selves to the Holy Spirit that we may be led and guided by Him in all things As many as are Rom. 8. 13 14. led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God So we also are sanctified by the Holy Spirit Being sanctified by the Holy Ghost God hath chosen us to 2 Thess 2. 13. salvation through sanctification of the Rom. 15. 16. Spirit and belief of the truth There are three things must be observed for holiness sake 1. Shamefacedness of body 2. Chastness of mind for we may commit contemplative adultery with wanton glances of the eye so Christ said whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with Mat. 5. 28. her already in his heart 3. Truth of Doctrine It was a notable speech of St. Ambrose Let us learn the envy of former Saints that we may imitate their patience for they shewed no envy in their sufferings but meerly patience and let us know them not to be of a better nature than we are but of greater obedience Not that they did not know vices and corruptions as well as we but they strived more to subdue and amend them He that desires to live and reign with Christ must strive to keep himself from deceit and wickedness If thou wilt live with Christ thou must live after the example of Christ And if thou desirest to have fellowship with the Saints strive to cleanse thy heart from all thoughts of malice and wickedness For the heavenly Palace will receive noâ—e but holy just innocent and pure persons The first degree of holiness is to love holiness and then to love those who live holily For holy persons were not before holiness but holiness was before them He doth speak foolishly who saith that he loves and respects holy persons who sleighteth and contemneth holiness By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God 1 Joh. 5. 2. and keep His Commandments Entertain into thy heart that Holy Spirit of promise If thou hast not the Spirit of Christ thou art none of His. Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 9. He who hath Christ hath holiness for holiness hath a double relation unto Christ 1. As Christ is the principle and fountain of holiness whence it comes 2. As He is the rule and pattern of holiness to which it answers of these two more fully 1. Christ is the principle of holiness by whom it is wrought He Isai 26. 1â— Psal 87. 7. Joh. 1. 16. Psal 133. 2. works all our works in us all our springs are from him Of his fulness we all receive and Grace for Grace The oyntment ran down from Aarons head to the skirts of his garments to denote the effusion of the Spirit of holiness from Christ unto His lowest members 2. Christ is the rule and pattern of holiness to His Church Therefore we 1 Joh. 2. 6. must walk so as Christ also walked Now the works of Christ are of two sorts 1. Incommunicable as these 1. His works of Merit and Mediation and 2. His work of government and influence into the Church His giving of the Spirit Quickning of His Word Subduing of His Enemies Gathering together of His members all these are personal honours which belong to Him as He is the Head of the Church 2. His communicable works which
man shall set upon thee to hurt thee It is endless to quote all the texts in the Old and New Testament to this purpose I will only add a few Corollaries 1. God will have glory attributed Corollarâ—â—â— to Him not only as He is the Creator and Upholder of Heaven and Earth but also the most High Wise Just and Great Governor and Directer of all things This is against the Figments of the Bpicureans and Pelagians 2. This Doctrine of Providence may confirm and strengthen our hearts against the Blasphemies of the Manichees and Libertines who say that God willeth sin as it is sin Whereas He willeth the act but not the evil of the act c. 3. Against the Opinion of the Stoicks for all things are govern'd by Gods most free and unchangable Decree 4. Therefore He will be acknowledged and praised by us as the Author Fountain and Worker of all good things for nothing in any creature is or can be of good unto us but by Gods Will affectually working in it and by it 5. Seeing all good things are from God Let us not sacrifice to our own â—â—â— 1. 16. nets or burn incense to our own drag that is not resting in creatures or second causes by which we may be benefited but giving all glory and praise to God to acknowledg the creatures are but instruments and ministers in His hand and by His ordering to do good unto us 6. Sith nothing rashly or casually happeneth to us but all things betide us by Gods most Blessed Just and profitable Decree and Good-will towards us Let us effectually be stirred up by knowing and acknowledging hereof to exercise patience in all our adversities As Psal 39. 9. David said I was dumb and opened not my mouth because Thou hast done it Job 1. 21. And Job the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. 7. Let our confidence and comfort be sound firm and established in the Lord who will defend and preserve us in the midst of all enemies and dangers moderating and ordering all evils so that they tend to our good and salvation For we know that all things work Rom. 8. 28. together for good to them that love God 8. By all our past and present afflictions let us be bettered and amended Sith not by chance but by God they are inflicted upon us that we may say Psal 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted c. 9. For future crosses and afflictions seeing they are signs and tokens of Gods anger against sin Let us fear them and strive to avoid them by fleeing and abstaining from sin the cause of them 10. Let us not faint much less despair when we are in dangers troubles or adversities when the outward means of our deliverance fail and the creatures seem to be against us because God is not ty'd to help by them For man lives not by bread alone c. The Mat. 4. 4. 16. 18. gates of Hell shall not prevail c. There 1 Sam. 14. 6. is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few He can deliver either by means or without means or against means 11. Seeing all events are ordered by God and no wholsome counsels can be undertaken without Him neither doth any thing please Him but what we undertake according to His Word Let us not be lifted up in confidence of our own wisdom and power c. but demeaning our selves in the fear of God let us pray that all our actions may be directed by Him and so blessed unto us and that we may never depart from His Will revealed unto us And then confidently wait on Him for sâ—ccess 12. Sith we know as before we said God hath a care of all things especially of mankind and most principally of His own Children whom He peculiarly loveth and careth for so as Christ said the hairs of our head Mat. 10. 31. are all number'd and we are of more value than many Sparrows Let us in doing our duty faithfully in our places rest confidently on the Providence of God Casting all our care on Him for He careth for us EXERCITATION THE FOURTEENTH Rev. 20. 12 15 Verses And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire EXpect not a Logical Analysis of the words and a procedure thereon accordingly that I leave to Divines in their Sermons But according to my use in my former Exercitations to chuse out some heads out of the words read and so meditate and dilate upon them And here we may consider these four heads 1 Death 2 Judgment 3 Hell 4 Heaven Accordingly we shall frame our ensuing discourse 1. Death out of these words And I 1 Death saw the dead c. First there must be death before they could be dead 2. Judgment out of these words 2 Judgment Stand before God c. and they were judged c. 3. This Judgment shall be according to their works They that have done good shall go into life everlasting and 3 Heaven they that have done evil into everlasting 4 Hell fire So it is in the Creed of Holy Athanasius And so also in the Apostles Creed I believe that Christ shall come to judg both the quick and dead I believe the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting So also in the Nicene Creed That is everlasting life for the good in heaven and everlasting life for the wicked in hell in those never Mark 9. 44. dying flames where the worm dyeth not and the fire never goeth out First to speak of Death Death is the 1 Death fruit of Sin Sin brings shame misery and death 1. Sin brings shame for before the fall our first Parents were both naked Gen. 2. 25. and were not ashamed But since the fall sin causeth shame in all men and women except those who are come to that height of impudence that they are past shame of whom the Prophet speaks Were they ashamed when they had Jer. 6. 15. committed abomination nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush Therefore said the Apostle What Rom. 6. 21. fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed c 2. Sin brings all sorts of miseries calamities losses c. I have wounded them Jer. 30. 14 15. with the wounds of an enemy with the chastisement of a cruel one for the multitude of thine iniquities because thy sins were increased I have done these things unto thee 3. Sin brings death the end of these Rom. 6. 21. things is death So we see that sin guiltiness and
the words in our Church-Catechism are a death unto sin and a new-birth unto righteousness So said the Apostle buried with Christ in Baptism wherein also we are risen with Him through faith c. Col. 2. 12. God who usually accompanies His own Ordinance with His blessing will not frustrate our expectation in any of those good things which He hath promised therefore we must strive to be perswaded that remission of sins and regeneration or a renewedness of life by Baptism is offered unto us and that we receive it therein In as much as by Baptism we are incorporated into Christ and receive His Holy Spirit unless we reject the promises there made unto us and so render them unprofitable to our selves The right use of Baptism is placed in faith and repentance if thou wouldst use Baptism aright as it should be then repent and believe so we read in sundry places of the Gospels and also in the Acts of the Apostles that is that we be perswaded that we are purged by the blood of Christ from our sins and be sensible that we have His holy Spirit dwelling in us and so daily to meditate of mortifying our corrupt flesh and of yielding obedience to all Gods commands Baptism is a Sacrament of the New Testament by the washing of water representing the powerful washing of Eph. 5. 26. the Blood and Spirit of Christ and so 1 Cor. 6. 11. Heb. 10. 22. sealing up our regeneration or new birth our entrance into the Covenant of Grace our ingraffing into Christ and into His mystical body which is the Joh. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 5. Church Acts 8. 27. This Sacramental washing sealeth to those that are within Gods Covenant their birth in Christ and entrance into Christianity The Covenant which is in general to all believers is in Baptism especially made and established with every one of the faithful And it is always ratified and sure even to them that fall when they do repent Although Novatus and his Sect taught otherwise Neither do they enter into a new Covenant after their falls but that which was entered into is restored renewed and confirmed again We must often meditate on and consider of the Covenant made and entered into in our Baptism Baptism came in place of circumcision and keepeth analogy and proportion with it for both of them were a Sacrament of entrance or of receiving into the Covenant of Grace Baptism came in place of circumcision 1. By the command of God God sent John to baptize with water so we have it Joh. 1. 33. 2. By the Ministry of John therefore he was called John the Baptist so we have it Mat. 3. 1 In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness c. 3. It was sanctified and confirmed by our Saviour Christ Himself being baptized by John Mat. 3. 13. 4. By his giving commission to His Apostles and Ministers to continue the Mat. 28. 18. same in His Church unto the end Baptism is therefore also called the circumcision made without hands or tâ—ue regeneration in the Spirit in puting off the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2. 11 by the circumcision of Christ That is by virtue of the gift of regeneration which is the spiritual circumcision whereof Christ alone is the workeâ— Buried with Him in Baptism c. So Baptism is our Circumcision on comes to us in the place of Circumcision that is by which the same things are confirmed and in all things assured to us in the Nâ—w Testament which were confirmed and conferred on those in the Old Testament by Circumcision The words of institution of Baptism are recorded in Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 14. Go ye into all the world and preach theâ— Gospel to every creature that is to every rational and intelligent creature or Teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned To be baptized in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost signifies and imports these things 1. That it is done by the command of God 2. To testifie that by this Rite and Ceremony that he that is thus baptized is received into Grace and favour by the eternal Father for and through His Son and is sanctified by the Holy Ghost We must still understand this of believers and them alone for Mark 16. 1â— He that believeth not shall be damned and that for all his Baptism unless he believe So here is the principal end of Baptism 3. To be baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is to shew that the pâ—â—son baptized is bound to know and acknowledg to believe and trust in to worship and fear to honour and call upon this true God Father Son and Holy Ghost and this is the second end of Baptism which St. Paul shews in these words 1 Cor. 1. 13 Were ye baptized in the name of â—aul â—â— as much as if he had said ye must be His to whom in Baptism ye have given and obliged your selves given your names unto and in whose name ye were baptiâ—eâ— Of Baptism there are two parts 1. The water of Baptism 2. The lawful use thereof 1. By the water of Baptism is signified both the Spirit and the Blood of Christ spilt upon the Cross This is that blood of sprinkling which speaketh better Heb 12. 24. things than that of Abel We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without 1 Pet. 1. 19. spot This is the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. As the Blood of Christ so also the Spirit of Christ is signified by the water of Baptism Therefore said our Saviour If any man thirst let him come unto Me Joh. 7. 37 38 39. and drink he that believeth on Me out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water this spake He of the Spirit which they that believe on Him should receive John indeed baptized with water but Acts 11. 16 â—e shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost The lawful use of the water of Bapâ—ism is perceived in the action both of the Minister administring it and also of the faithful who receive Baptism The action of the Minister is twoâ—old 1. The Sanctification of the water 2. The outward washing 1. The Sanctification of the water is the setting it apart to this end to signifie the Blood and Spirit of Christ by His ordinance and institution which the words of institution do declare 2. The outward washing is a most sure sign pledg and seal of the inward washing whereby we with the Blood and Spirit of Christ are washed from out sins He hath washed us from our sins Rev. 1. 5. in His own blood So many of us as Rom. 3. 1. are baptized into Jesus Christ are
we are certified 1. By the analogy or proportion between the sign and the thing signified 2. By the promise which is added to the sign The analogy chiefly proposeth two things to us 1. The Sacrifice of Christ 2. Our Communion with him Because the bread is not only broken but also is given to us to eat Or more clearly thus The Lord's Supper is the second Sacrament of the New Testament wherein by the outward elements of Bread and Wine sanctified and exhibited by the Minister and rightly received by the Communicants assurance is given to those that are ingraâ—sed into Christ of their continuance in Him and receiving nourishment from Him unto eternal life In the same sense it is also called the Lord's Table thou dost therefore come to the banquet of Christ to be His guest as often as thou dost eat and drink of this Supper The Lord's Supper came in stead of the Passeover or Paschal Lamb not because He appointed it a Supper unto us but because He ordained it in room of the Passeover For in the same night wherein He was 1 Cor. 11. 23. betrayed immediately after He had eaten the Passeover with His Disciples He did both Himself with them celebrate Mat 26. 26. this Holy Sacrament and withal gave charge for continuance of the same in the Church until His second 1 Cor. 11. 20 coming The parts of the Lord's Supper are two 1. The earthly matter or the outward signs 2. The action requisite for the use of the outward sign The outward sign or earthly matter is again twofold 1. The Bread 2. The Wine 1. The Bread of the Lord is Christ's body given to death for us so Christ said This is my body which is given for you 2. The Cup of the Lord is that New Covenant through His blood which was shed for us By a Synechdoche the Cup is put for the Wine contained in the Cup. Then by a Sacramental Metonymie because neither the Cup nor the Wine in the Cup is substantially that very new Covenant which was confirmed by Christ's blood shed for us but it is the Sacrament of that Covenant and that in a double respect 1. Because it is an outward sign calling to our remembrance and as it were representing before our eyes that New Covenant or Testament established by the blood of Christ 2. Because it is a seal of our faith sealing up the certainty of that Covenant and the continuance of it with us So the Wine is a Sacrament of the blood of Christ not contained in the veins but shed out of His body upon the Cross or as it was shed for the forgiveness of sins So our Saviour said This Mat. 26. 28. is My blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Also here by Bread and Wine is noted out unto us that we do perfectly and wholly find in Christ not meat alone but drink also that is not only one cause or part of Salvation and eternal life but whatsoever wholly is requisite or necessary thereunto Q. What are the ends of the Lord's Supper A. 1. To confirm our faith and to be a most sure testification of our union and communion with Christ For Christ by these signs testifies to us that He by His body and blood doth as truly nourish us to eternal life as truly as we receive these signs out of the hand of the Minister And this testification is directed to every particular person that with true faith receives these signs or symbols And we so receive these elements out of the hand of the Minister as if Jesus Christ Himself did reach it forth with His own hand unto us 2. That it may be a publick profession of our faith and a solemn thanksgiving with an obliging our selves to perpetual thankfulness and a celebration of this so great a benefit And these are included in Christ's words This do in remembrance Luk. 22. 19. of Me. This commemoration is chiefly faith in the heart joyned with a publick confession and thanksgiving 3. That it may be a publick distinction or discerning mark between the true Church of Christ and all other Nations and Sects whatsoever For the Lord instituted this for His Disciples and not for others 4. That it might be a bond of Love between all those who lawfully take it to become Members of one body under one Head the Lord Jesus Christ We being many are one bread and one body 1 Cor. 10. 7. for we are all partakers of that one bread Now the Members of the same body do mutually love each other 5. That it may be a bond of the publick meetings of the Church for the institution of this Sacrament is that it be done in the publick Assembly or Congregation Thence are those words When ye come together into one place And 1 Cor. 11. 20 33. when ye come together to eat c. Or more briefly thus The ends of the Lord's Supper are 1. To be a remembrance of Christ's Sacrifice performed on the Cross 2. To be a sign of the Covenant of Grace established by the blood of Christ 3. To be a Sacrament of the nourishing continuance and preservation of them in the Church which once by Baptism have been ingraffed into the Church of Christ Our Lord Jesus Christ by this Sacrament doth teach us by the communion of His body and blood that our Souls are nourished in hope of eternal life By the Bread Christ represent His body to us and by the Wine his blood to shew unto us that as there is in Bread a nourishing faculty to feed and strengthen our bodies for this present life So His body hath a nourishing and quickening power with it spiritually to nourish our souls In like manner also as Wine exhilarates and cheers the heart of him that drinks it refresheth his spirits and maketh the whole body the more strong Even so Christs blood doth strengthen our hearts and fill them with joy and gladness We do truly by faith feed on the body and blood of Christ when we are pâ—rswaded that we shall be saved by His obedience righteousness and satisfaction to His Father on our behalf as the Father imputeth it unto us Therefore we must necessarily have an interest in Christ for we can never be partakers of His good benefits unless first He had given Himself unto us By this Sacrament our communion with Christ is confirmed and sealed The Lord's Supper refers us to the death of Christ that we may so communicate of His virtue for upon the Cross that His own and perpetual Sacrifice was offered for our redemption He redeemed us by His blood and He made atonement for us by the blood of his Cross So we do not as the Papists say offer up the body of Christ to the Father for Christ Himself alone is worthy of that honour who was both Priest and Sacrifice and who offered up Himself He remains a Priest
name of the thing signified by a Sacramental Metonymie is given to the sign So the words of Christ must be understood Sacramentally the Bread is called the body of Christ because it is the sign of the body of Christ and the Cup or the Wine in the Cup is called the blood of Christ because it is the sign of the blood of Christ And the Cup is called the New Testament because it is the sign of the New Testament So the true sence and meaning of Christ's words This is my body which is given for you is thus This Bread which is broken by Me and given to you is a sign of My body which is given to death for you and is a certain sign of your conjunction and union with Me so that he that believeth and eateth this bread he doth truly feed on My body But according to that impious fiction of the Popish transubstantiation many absurdities follow As 1. Christ brake bread not His body therefore the bread is not really the body of Christ 2. The body of Christ is given for us and not bread therefore bread is not really the body of Christ 3. Christ did not say under these species is My body or My body is contained under these species therefore Papists pervert Christ's words and keep not to the institution 4. Christ said not of bread let this be made My body but this is My body 5. Notwithstanding their transubstantiation the bread is neither annihilated nor changed into the substance of a body but remaineth bread still 6. In every Sacrament there are two things the sign and the thing signified but transubstantiation taketh away the sign namely Bread and Wine therefore it doth wholly overthrow the Sacrament 7. Transubstantiation takes away the analogy between the sign and the thing signified But no more of this I will only add four Reasons against the carnal or corporal presence of Christ in the Sacrament Reason 1 If the bread were turned into Christ's body then there would be two Christs one that giveth and one that is given for our Saviour gave the bread c. Reason 2 If the bread be the very body of Christ there would then be no more sign of the thing signified and so no Rom. 4. 11. Sacrament Reason 3 Then the wicked receiver might eat and drink Christs body and blood as well as the true believer Reason 4 The Minister cannot give the inward Grace but the outward elements only in the administration of the Sacrament There is another gross error also of Consubstantiation Consubstantiation is a coexistency of two substances in the same place or the presence of the body and blood of Christ not under the species of Bread and Wine but under the very Bread and Wine Luther was of this opinion that it remained bread still but under in or with the bread is the body of Christ And this is the common tenent and opinion of those who this day are called Lutherans Against this these few reasons may suffice 1. The whole action of the Lord's Supper is done in remembrance of Christ what need have we of that if Christ's body were really present either under with or in the elements 2. Christ's body is in Heaven and the Heavens must receive Him until the times of restitution of all things Acts 3. 21. 3. This is an essential property of every magnitude and therefore of Christ's body also to be in one place and circumscribed or encompassed of one place 4. If Christ's body were eaten corporally then the wicked as well as the Godly partake of the flesh of Christ but to eat His flesh is to believe in Him and to have eternal life 5. It is absurd to think that Christ sitting with His disciples did with His own hands take His own body and give it wholly to every one of His Disciples This is the Sacrament not of the living or of the glorious body of Christ but of His suffering and crucified body So Christ said This is My body which is given for you it is the Sacrament of Christ's body delivered unto death for us And that these two ways 1. It is a visible sign bringing to our remembrance or representing to us the body of Christ that as with our bodily eyes we see the bread of the Lord so with the eyes of our Soul we may see Christ's body crucified for us 2. It is a seal sealing to our faith that Christ's body was certainly delivered to death for us and is become the bread of life unto us We must not therefore seek Christ's body in the earthly element but by faith lift up our hearts to Heaven whither Christ ascended and where He is So in our Liturgy at the celebration of this Supper we are admonished to lift up our hearts Now let us come to speak of the outward actions both of the Minister and also of the Receivers 1. The actions of the Minister are these four 1. To take the Bread and Wine into his hands and to separate it from ordinary Bread and Wine Which is to signifie to us that God in His eternal decree separated Christ to be our Mediator and that He was set apart for this office Him hath God the Father sealed 2. To bless and consecrate the Bread and Wine by the Word and Prayer Which signifies to us that God in His due time sent Christ into the world and sanctified Him furnishing Him with all gifts needful for a Mediator 3. To break the Bread and pour out the Wine Which signifies the passions and sufferings of Christ with all the torments which He endured both in soul and body for our sins 4. To give and distribute the Bread and Wine to the receivers which signifies that God gave Christ and that Christ gave Himself to us and that whole Christ and all His merits are freely offered to all sorts of receivers And that God hath given Christ to the faithful receivers to feed their souls unto eternal life Joh. 3. 14 15. Joh. 6. 50 51. 2. Next we come to the Sacramental actions of the receivers and they are these two 1. To take the Bread and Wine offered by the Minister every one into his or her hand This signifies his taking and laying hold of Christ freely offered from God the Father by the hand of faith Joh. 1. 12. Or the receiving of Christ with all His benefits into his soul by faith They and they only have benefit by Christ crucified which thus apply Christ to themselves by a true and lively faith To as many as thus receive Him to them gives He power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on His name 2. To eat the Bread and drink the Wine receiving them into the body and digesting them And this signifies our uniting to Christ and enjoying of 1 Cor. 11. 26. Him or our application of Christ by faith that the feeling of our true union and communion with Christ may be increased We
precept drives on to an endeavour of obedience and well-pleasing Slavish fear forceth a man to do the duty some way or other without any regard to the manner of doing of it There is also another branch of a holy filial fear when we thinking on the examples of God's vengeance shewed on wicked men for their sins do take care not to fall into the same sins lest we have the same punishments and so crave aid and assistance of God against them depending upon His Grace and assistance by His Spirit For we are of the same flesh and blood as they were and bear about us a body of sin So said the Apostle These things were our 1 Cor. 10. 6. to 12. examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them c. Neither let us commit fornication c. Neither let us tempt Christ c. Neither murmur as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Now all these things happened to them for ensamples and were written for our admonition c. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Therefore we are bid to work out our Phil. 2. 12. own salvation with fear and trembling Seeing our own weakness wretchedness and sinfulness to lye low in our own sight and to look up unto and rest upon the Almighty Power and Grace of God Nothing so much awakens us to cast all our confidence upon God and by faith to rely upon Him as to have a distrust of our selves seeing our own weakness and frailty And when we thus go out of our selves resting wholly upon God it always goes best with us Ephraim was Hosâ—â— 1â— 1. heard in that he â—eared Therefore Solomon said happy is the man that feareth always Prov. 28. 14. How wretched soever we be of our selves by faith we know that through God's most gracious acceptation of us in Christ we shall be blessed God requires to Himself the reverence both of a Father and also of a Master A son honoureth his father and a servant Mal. 1. 6. his master If then I be a father where is mine honour and if I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of hosts He that truly worshippeth God will endeavour to shew himself both a dutiful Son and an obedient Servant unto Him Therefore let the fear of God be a reverence joyned with honour Q. But how shall we answer that place there is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear 1 Joh. 4. 18. hath torment he that feareth is not made perfect in love A. The wicked fear not displeasing God so that they may do it without punishment but because they do know God is armed with power to revenge therefore they tremble and fear apprehending His wrath and vengeance But the Godly fear to displease and offend God more than they fear the punishments And therefore they are the more careful wary and watchful The fear which the Apostle John there speaks of is slavish fear There is no such slavish fear in love but perfect love casteth out that fear that is our true lively and sincere love to God carryeth it self no longer towards God with a simple fear of His terrible Majesty and Judgments but with a sweet humble and reverend apprehension of His Grace and goodness by which He hath made and declared Himself most amiable and lovely to the soul whereby is begotten hope and confidence in Him Q. How may we understand that place Ye have not received the spirit of Rom. 8. 15. bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father A. There is a threefold operation of the Holy Ghost in those that are led by Him 1. He is unto them a Spirit of bondage working fear 2. He is a Spirit of adoption working love through the sence of God's mercy for He not only makes them the Sons of God but intimates to their Spirits God's love towards them that they are His Sons 3. He is a Spirit of intercession making Rom. 8. 26. them to go with boldness to the throne of Grace and call upon God as their Father We are now to speak only of the first The Godly usually in the first act of Conversion feel the Spirit casting them down in the sight of their sins rebuking them for sin and convincing them of sin letting them see the bondage and servitude under which they lye that they are slaves of Sathan and guilty of everlasting damnation which works in them great fear As the proclaiming of the Law wrought in the Children of Exod. 20. 18 19. Israel great terrour and amazement So John Baptist began at the Preaching of Mat. 3. 10. the Law and the people asked him Luk. 3. 10. what shall we do that we may be saved And yet the Apostle here doth not compare the Godly under the Law with the Godly under the Gospel but the Godly under the Gospel with themselves their second experience of the operation of the Spirit in them with the first Whereas in the first operation He was a Spirit of bondage now He is a Spirit of adoption God is pleased to bring us by the gates of Hell to Heaven First deeply to humble us then to exalt and comfort us So then the meaning of these words ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear is thus Albeit in the time of your first Conversion you were stricken with a fear of that wrath which is the recompence of sin yet now the Spirit of adoption hath not only released you of that fear of damnation which you conceived at the first through the sight and sence of your sins but also hath assured you of Salvation making you certain that God is become your Father in Christ Jesus All the terrours and fears wherewith God humbles his children at the first are but preparatives to his comforts and Consolations that they may be the more sweet to the Soul In this 15th verse of Rom. 8. Two effects of the Spirit are opposed For in some the Spirit worketh fear in others love and assurance and first fear then assurance In all the elect which are of years of discretion the Spirit worketh a slavish fear first before the filial assurance fear is the sign of the Spirit of bondage confidence and assurance in God as a Father is the proper effect of the Spirit of adoption So the Jews at Peters Sermon were Acts 2. 37. first pricked at the heart and after comforted in assurance of forgiveness All are brought to this exigent more or less that they may acknowledg they stand in need of Christ and be stirred up to seek out after him Such as were never afraid were never assured So none have the Spirit of adoption but such as have had the Spirit of bondage
uprightness Jer. 30. 21. and may engage my heart to approach unto God to walk before Thee to do every thing as in Thy sight and presence Lord help me to keep my heart with all diligence and to wash Prov. 4. 23. my heart from wickedness that I may be clean that although vain and evil Jer. 4. 14 thoughts will pass through me yet I may not give them entertainment or suffer them to lodge within me Take Thou away this stony heart from me and give me a heart of flesh a heart Ezek. 36. 26. pliable and flexible and capable of being governed and guided by thy Spirit Vnite my heart to fear thy name Let Psal 86. 11. 119. 80. my heart be sound in thy statutes That so when my heart is sound Christ may set me as a seal upon his heart and as a seal upon his arm keeping me nearly Cant. 8. 6. and dearly joyned unto Him and refresh me by the comfort of the presence of His Grace setting me as a signet upon his right hand to have me always Jer. 22. 24. in His eye and in His heart to be present with me to guide me in His ways to bless me and to do me good that at last He may present me glorious not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but holy and without blemish For holiness becometh thine house O Lord for ever as here in this life which is glory begun so especially in Heaven where Grace and Glory is consummate and made perfect into which place no unholy thing shall ever enter Holiness is the badge of Christs people Addition Isai 63. 18. they are called the people of his holiness Israel was holiness to the Lord Jer. 2. 3. The Spirit of holiness distinguisheth and setteth a mark upon the sheep of Christ they are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Eph 1. 13. Holiness setteth us apart for God and Psal 4. 3. Tit. 2. 14. for His Service to do His Will and to serve Him He hath set apart him that is Godly for himself to see and enjoy him for without holiness none shall see Heb. 12. 14. the Lord Our holiness is not the cause of our Salvation but it is the way thereunto Holiness hath none but gracious and honourable effects it filleth the soul with joy comfort and peace with joy unspeakable and full of glory with Rom. 15. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Isai 32. 17. peace and quietness and assurance for ever Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall Isai 35. 10. flee away God is glorious in holiness and glories most in the Attribute of holiness God stands upon nothing more than to appear to all the world to be a Exod. 15. 11. holy God therefore the Angels when they celebrate the glory of God cry out Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hosts Isai 6. 3. Let those therefore that draw nigh to God and make profession of his name labour to hold forth above all things the glory of his holiness in their lives and conversations EXERCITATION THE EIGHTH Jer. 23. 9. For because of Oaths swearing the Land mourneth IF the holy Prophet in his dayes cryed out as in the former Verse Mine heart within me is broken because of those cursings and oaths which do make the Land to mourn that is which draw down God's judgments upon the Land as it is evident in the following words the pleasant places of the wilderness are dryed up namely God did send drought and scorching heats and withheld the rain in its due season for those crying sins so it cannot be meant Metonymically the Land for the People of the Land but the Land mourned because the people had no hearts to do it Oh what cause have we now to break our hearts with sighting to have rivers Psal 119. 136. of water to run down our eyes because God's Laws are so broken and his name so highly dishonoured by hellish Oaths and Blasphemies by damned damning curses and execrations whose judgment 2 Pet. 3. 2. lingreth not and their damnation slumbereth not These as natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed shall Verse 12. utterly perish in their own corruption These are raging waves of the Sea foaming Jude 13. out their own shame to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever We read of a flying rowle which is interpreted a curse that goeth forth over Zech. 5. 2 3 4. the earth for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on that side according to it and every one that sweareth shall be cut as on that side according to it I will bring it forth saith the Lord of hosts and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly by My name and it shall remain in the midst of his house and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof Oh this dreadful denunciation O that prophane Swearers would consider it and lay it to heart hearing God's dreadful threatnings on themselves both Souls and Bodies and all that they have yea even their houses and habitations where they dwell and that for their sakes How many times doth the Lord God and how frequently forbid this horrid sin of Swearing Ye shall not falsly swear by My name Levit. 19. 12. neither shalt thou prophane the name of the Lord thy God I am the Lord. Where-ever in Scripture this is added I am the Lord it is to shew that God is faithful in revenging the breach of His Commandments and on the contrary that He is faithful in rewarding the observation or keeping His Commandments Our blessed Saviour biddeth us Swear not at all that is in our ordinary discourses but let your communication be Mat. 5. 34. 37. yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that evil one meaning the Devil who is the father of all lyes oaths and blasphemies Joh. 8. 44. So Saint James But above all Jam. 5. 12. things my brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth that is by nothing which is either in heaven or earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into damnation No less punishment than everlasting damnation is here threatned against all prophane Swearers If of every idle word that we shall Mat. 12. 36. speak of the same shall we give account at the day of judgment how much more then of every horrid oath and wicked cursing Oh that the terror of 2 Cor. 5. 11. the Lord might awaken and perswade men The Lord is a Sin-revenging God a consuming fire a jealous God Who Heb. 12. 29. Isai 33. 14. can dwell with everlasting burnings who can dwell with devouring fire These even
God Who Job 9. 4. ever hardened himself against God and prospered Know as thou canst not contend with Him so He knows thee afar Psal 138. 6. Psal 73. 27. off and all they that be far from Him shall perish Talk no more so exceeding proudly let not arrogancy come forth of thy lips for the Lord is a God of judgment 1 Sam. 2. 3. and by Him actions are weighed Though in thy towring thoughts thou thinkest highly of thy self yet when God weighs thee in the ballance thou wilt be found a pitiful poor empty creature Therefore hear and give ear for Jer. 13. 15. the Lord hath spoken these things against thee and be not proud any longer The height of pride is scornfulness He that is proud and haughty scornful is Prov. 21. 24. his name who worketh in the pride of his wrath this man despiseth his neighbour Prov. 18. 3. and therefore is destitute of understanding Judgments are prepared for scorners and stripes for the backs of such Prov. 19. 29. proud fools And so I leave them Surely God scorneth the scorners but He giveth Prov. 3. 34. grace unto the lowly Q. What are the proper means whereby pride may be subdued A. 1. With the consideration of the greatness and power of God the serious apprehension thereof will make us vile Job 42. 5 6. Rom. 9. 20. 21. in our own eyes and to abhor our selves in dust and ashes 2. So the second means is the consideration of our own vileness 3. The consideration of those obligations and tyes by which we are bound to subject our selves wholly to God as He is our Creator Up-holder Provider and our Lord. 4. The consideration of God's wrath and indignation against all proud persons and His grace and favour toward the humble Come we now to the second Proposition God giveth grace to the humble 2 Proposition There are several acceptations of Grace in Scripture But to wave them Grace in God is His eternal favour and good-will which is the well-spring of all the benefits we have So we have it 1 Tim. 1. 9. according to His own purpose and Grace So Rom. 11. 6. if of Grace then not of works This is the Grace of Election which makes us gracious and acceptable unto God There is also Grace freely given as the gifts of the Spirit freely bestowed upon us so we are bid to grow in Grace So also faith with all the saving 2 Pet. 3. 18 effects and fruits thereof which are called Grace because they are freely given unto us So also the free imputation Rom. 5. 1. 15 17. 20 21. of Christ's righteousness or our justification is by God's Grace and called the Grace of God which hath abounded unto many By the name of Grace we use to comprehend the free favour of God in Christ and His gifts from that Grace whether given to believers as ingraffing into the body of Christ by His Spirit remission of sins final perseverance or to hold out unto the end and in the end eternal life These gifts are not given of God but only to those who are in His Grace and favour that is to true believers But corporal and temporal good things are given to many yea to those that are not true believers and have no faith whereby men alone may please God Heb. 11. 6. Some do understand by Grace in this place favour and acceptation with God Luk. 2. 80. and men So we read that Jesus grew in Grace and savour with God and men so it is in the Original The Lord will give his people grace and glory and no good thing will â—e withhold from them that Psal 8â— 11. walk uprightly So God gives grace to the humble makes them accepted and favoured with God and men Briefly Grace in Scripture is used three ways 1. For comeliness stature meekness or mildness 2. For free favour whereby one embraceth another pardoning former injuries and receiving the party offending into favour So Gen. 6. 8. Noah found grace in the eyes of God 3. For all kinds of gifts and graces which of God's free favour are given whether temporal or eternal Eph. 4. 7. So I understand that grace is taken here Now to speak of humility we have the same expression in St. Peter as is here All of you be subject one to another and 1 Pet. 5. 5 6. be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time A humble man signifies one lowly-minded A description of Humility esteeming others better than himself ascribing all unto God being little in his own eyes or account even as a weaned child Whosoever shall humble Mat. 18. 4. himself as this little child saith our Saviour the same is greatest in the kingdom of God So David to profess his humility said Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a child that is weaned of his mother my soul is even Psal 131. 1. â— as a weaned child Christ in his incarnation exceedingly humbled Himself for us in that He would be man a Servant and subject to death yea the death of the Cross He being equal to God God Phill. 2. 5 6 7 8. abaseth Himself to behold the things in heaven how much more the things on earth The great God hath two houses where He dwells as in His glory He Psal 113. 6. dwells in Heaven so is He present by His grace to dwell with His humble afflicted poor servants here on earth To this man will I look saith the Lord even to him that is poor and of a contrite Isai 66. 2. spirit and that trembleth at My word Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with Isai 57. 15. Him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and â—o revive the heart of the contrite ones A man is never so humble as after he hath received the holy Spirit of promise The best men are worst and lowest in their own eyes As the attaining of great learning makes us see our own ignorance more and more for the emptiest vessels sound most so the more grace we have the more we see our own weaknesses and corruptions to be humbled under the sence of them and to loath our selves in our own sight for all Ezek. 36. 31. our iniquities This puts a man quite out of conceit with himself for that the Lord comes in as the Sun-shine and shewes him those corruptions which he never saw before that he wonders at himself how he hath lived so long with himself and knew himself no better This makes him humble and is a means to keep him humble Now there is a Two-fold Humility 1. Toward God 2. Towards Man 1. Of
complaint for want of glory nor of envying others that have more Christ after the day of Judgment shall remain King for ever for He shall not so deliver up the Kingdom to His Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. that He shall cease to reign But that He may represent to His Father that His Kingdom is compleat and shall remain so for ever The meaning of those words is thus when Christ as Mediator hath been established King of the whole World but especially of His Church to gather together govern and bring unto His Father all His Elect and to destroy His enemies shall have brought His work to an end and so deliver up the Kingdom to His Father that as verse 28. God may be all in all that is the Father with the Son and Holy Ghost in Unity of Essence and Glory shall begin to reign immediately over His Church in a manner altogether new namely by Himself without any outward means without the work of Angels or Men Ecclesiastical or Political Orders as it is in this world and likewise without any adversaries or oppositions filling all His with His light love life and glory Which indeed will not a whit disannul Christs Kingdom but only change the meaner form thereof into a more sublime majestical glorious and most perfect form That God may be all in all that is that God the whole blessed Trinity may immediately and absolutely work fully in all the Elect who shall then be perfectly united unto God and that He may Possess Govern and Rule them for ever Now to speak a little where these glorious mansions are in Heaven Philosophers speak of ten Heavens but we shall wave that and speak according to Scripture-phrase and so there are three Heavens 3 Heavens The first is all that whole space from the earth to the sphere of the Moon where the birds flie therefore they are called the folws of Heaven and whence Mat. 6. 26. the rain hail and snow thunder and lightning wind and other Meteors do descend So God opened the Windows Gen. 7. 11. Deut. 28. 12. of Heaven and poured down rain upon the earth The second Heaven is and consists of all those visible Orbs where the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or whole expansion is called the Firmament Gen. 1. 14. 15. Gen. 1. 8. and God called the firmament Heaven and in this God hath placed the Sun Moon and other Stars which are called in Scripture the Stars of Heaven Num. 3. 16. The third Heaven is that where God is said especially to dwell whither Christ ascended whither St. Paul in a 2 Cor. 12. 2. rapture was caught up into this third Heaven and where all the blessed ones shall be for ever This is the Heaven whereof we now speak Objection But some may ask Where the Soul is when it goeth out of the body and in what condition the Soul lives being separate from the body until the day of Judgment The Papists feign a Purgatory that Solution they may be purged from their sins which is contrary to the Scripture For the Scripture teacheth us that not the sire of Purgatory after this life of which there is no mention made in Scripture but the blood of Christ laid hold on and applied by a lively faith while we are here in this life doth cleanse our souls from all sin And 1 John 1. 7. that the souls of the faithful after death are not thrust into a place of torment but that they are gathered unto Christ into Abrahams bosome The meaning Luk. 16. 23. of into Abrahams bosome is thus it is the gesture of a good Father towards his little and tender Children to cherish them in his bosome The souls of the faithful presently after their departure out of the body are carry'd by the Angels up into heaven into the communion of all true believers of whom Abraham was the Titular Father and therefore called the Father of the faithful Rom. 4. 16 I say That presently after death the soul appears before God to Judgment Eccl. 12. 7. either to be gathered into the Mansions of the blessed or to be cast into Hell into the state of the damned from whence there is no redemption and then truly are tormented in those infernal flames but yet are reserved for greater torments against the last Day when soul and body shall be joyned together again And for this the Scripture is very clear So our Saviour said Father into Thy hands I commit my Spirit Luk. 23. 46. Stephen at his death kneeled down and said Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Acts 7. 59. Phil. 1. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 8 Paul desireth to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Therefore not in Purgatory So the faithful are desirous and willing to be absent from the body that they may be present with the Lord. And this is the last Article of Faith as the Crown of all I believe the life everlasting or that there is an everlasting life which holds out these three things 1. I believe that after this life there shall be another life in which all the true members of the Church shall be glorifi'd and shall praise God for ever and ever 2. I believe that I am a member of this Church and so shall be a partaker of everlasting life 3. That in this life I have by Faith the beginning of everlasting life For Christ said He that believeth in Me Joh. 3. 36. hath everlasting life So this profit and comfort hence redoundeth unto me that in and through Christ I am justifi'd before God and am an heir of everlasting life Q. Shall we know each other and our Relations in heaven A. Mark the saying of the Apostle Henceforth know we no man after the 2 Cor. 5. 16. flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceâ—orth know we Him no more that is not with an affection meerly humane civil and natural but wholly with a Divine and spiritual affection befitting the state of glory Having premised this I answer in this Syllogism We shall enjoy in heaven every good thing and comfortable gift which may any way increase or add to our joy and happiness But meeting in heaven with our old dear Christian friends knowing of them and enjoying them never to part more either with them or all other the glorious Inhabitants in those heavenly Mansions will ravish us with sweetest delight Therefore we shall know one another in heaven nay our minds being abundantly enlightned with all wisdom and knowledg we shall be able to know not only those holy persons of our former relation or acquaintance but also such as we never knew before in the flesh even all the faithful which ever were are or shall be We shall be able then to say This was Abraham Isaac or Jacob Samuel David c. This was my Father Mother this was my child c. This was he