wel-fare Shall a beleever rest in his pardon more then in the righteousness of God which may make them accepted and beloved No the Liverie they wear is The Lord our Rightousness Vse V. Let this rais the price of the Lord Jusus's love in the hearts of all his children the more cost the more love Vse VI. How should it teach us to abhor all enemies of the Cross Vse VII If this death of the Lord Jesus bee our satisfaction and the freedom from sin and curs our pardon peace and heaven where is the dwelling of our hearts upon it the delight of our souls in it how is it that each base shadow of joy can affect us when this cannot if our hope were here onely in Christ of all others wee were most miserable Nothing here can keep thee from miserie what is then thy happiness This satisfaction onely Let it bee all in all to thee the seasoning of thy blessings supplie of all wants Vse VIII Especially let the chief stream of this point's use bee this First to all Ministers to teach it and the people to applie it to themselvs in all their fears yea the greatest agonie yea death it self Whatsoever thou foregoest hold this Stand with open face and hold this mirror to poor finners that they may behold the LORD our Righteousness Secondly to all People Consider yee who have truly felt that Serpent of the Law sting yee mortally in the other part com applie the remedie in this look upon this brazen Serpent and live and first I say feel the strength Secondly take hold of it and make peace for the former Know without a promise from God there is no peace unto you and promise there can bee none without satisfaction This is the strength of an offer and a promise Anger abide's in God without this price and thou art but as the bush and drie stubble before it Bee assured then no promise speak's to thy soul and to thy heart except it hath this strength of Christ in whom each one is Yea and Amen Hence com's all wrath to bee turned into love and this will make God willing to offer and faithful to perform els not That bottomless depth of mercie in thy Judg and Enemie cannot bee gaged without this bucket by this thou maiest reach it Again as this is sufficient strenth so it is that onely which can redeem thee Hee redeemed us not with pearls but with the precious blood of the Lamb Wilt thou go to thy duties performances grace Alas they have no blood of expiation in them all these will say satisfaction is not in mee where then surely here onely Vse IX If so abandon all and cling to this onely Take hold of this sufficient and onely sufficient strength as the Prophet bid's thee Whatever enemie pursue thee at the heels this is thy refuge that here thou maiest have strong consolation in all fears against all enemies fearest thou the sins of thy youth or age The Lord Jesus was conceived in the Womb that the infant Elect which never saw light migt bee saved by him Youth notwithstanding her disobediene age for all her rebellion might bee forgiven Do thy moral sins of murther stealth uncleanness swearing distress thee This Lord Jesus fulfilled all righteousness for thee Do thy spiritual wickednesses oprress thee an unbelieving secure hard heart by the contempt of the gospel The Lord Jesus suffered the powring out of his blood to break the heart of those that pierced him upon the Cross Art thou poor Thy satisfier was so Rich Hee was the Lord of all Are thy sins great Hee died for Noah's drunkenness Lot's incests David's adulterie Small Lo even thy least vain word cost him his life-blood But perhaps not som sins but perhaps sin it self and the bodie of death trouble 's thee Hee was made sin that knew none Oh! then whatsoever sin can say yet go on to the throne of grace as Heb. 4. 16. and look to finde mercie in time of need Doth the Divell gates of Hell Conscience or the Justice of GOD threaten thee They cannot save for sin if they do thy conscience hath her answer to God against all And so plead this thy pardon to the Lord. Say thus Oh Father even thou cuttest off thy plea in giving this price in accepting it in offring of it to mee J Lord am here before thee pinched and damned by my sin if thou doest reckon it to mee Oh! Lord I put this blessed price beetween mee and wrath Lord have no power to denie it mee Even I if I were left with an Orphan's estate could not keep it from him Lord I am fatherless my orphan's stock is in thy keeping thou took'st it to bestow it Lord let my Soul have strong consolation in her seeking refuge to thee becaus this price warrant 's mee VI. Branch The Conquest of Christ Hee overcame all enemies rose again from the dead and gave a full beeing to the merit of his satisfaction Conceiv of it in three estates of Christ 1. Before his death Though the Lord Jesus was not exempt from mortalitie and infirmitie but subject to all through our sin yet hee conquered in suffering for he endured no more then himself pleased 2. At his death Although our Mediator must needs drink that cup which his Father gave him yet hee was a conqueror then too and above any enemy 3. After death when they had got his dead bodie into the grave hee resumed his bodie and soul again and gave them another blow wors then all hee rose again conquered their malice never more to bee conquered to die no more Act. 2. 24. Rom. 1. 3. Vse I. This inform's us of the assurance which a poor soul under a condition of grace may take to it self in pleading her part in this satisfaction For by his conquest hee sent his Church into a lively possession of all his merits Let us therefore com with the assurance of faith to the throne of grace Heb. 10. 22. saying Lord give the poor needing servant the fruit of the Lord Jesus his obedience the power of his conquest the full efficacie of his redemption Oh let us not want the strength of this perswasion but press it and say Lord I com to thee in the merit of a Christ not dead but alive a Conqueror that made good to mee all his sufferings by his victorie and gave all his enemies a dead blow when they looked all to have overthrown him Vse II. Sundrie consolations Touching Faith how many are the fears that a poor soul hath that shee shall never bee able to believ Within herself what weakness forgetfulness melancholy guilt of conscience through corruption and dead heart slavish and fearful presumptuous hardned by the deceit of sin unworthiness neglect of the season of grace this bodie of death opposing all savor of goodness and so even death of bodie make 's them afraid they may die ere they believ So without them what temptations against
but now I see a bodie of all parts and members a King in his throne I see now my self cursed double and trebble 3. By the properties of Original sin as 1. It is eminently sinfull it 's more sin then other sins Whatsoever is in any of them is here more notoriously whatsover filth and base qualitie may bee spied in all or any sin is here more singularly as light and heat is in our fire or the air or the Moon but eminently in the Sun the first subject and seat of it All the poyson of actual evils is seated in the Original after whose copie they write and therefore Original is greatest as the seed which in her power contain's thirtie-sold 2. Predominantly both in respect of fulness and force For fulness it hath all sin under it and in it as the perfect bodie hath all the members 't is the fewell of the fire of sinful acts For force Paul call's a Law Princes rule strongly by their lawes they are as a soul wholly and en each part nothing so forcible there is a necessitie in a law it break 's down and carrie's all before it 3. Perpetually Wee say the King hath a perpetual patrimonie that is not alienable so hath a Sinner by his original sin Hee may fail in his spending-money as in his policie and strength and industrie to oppress to defile his bodie but his stock and patrimonie never fail's If it bee so in the best of God's servants Luther himself little molested with covetousness yet hee had this Stock still within how much more is it true of each sinner 4. It is an Over-flowing sin and natural Fire and water are ill masters but they burn and over-flow naturally It please's us becaus it is natural and hath a self-perswasion which carrie's it smoothly unsuspiciously and by priveledg It is my nature to smite when I am angry it 's my nature to bee soon hot it 's therefore the more dangerous and cursed 5. The bondage of it It binde's up the Soul in death hardness insensibleness incapableness of any good aversness to all meanes of grace 6. The unlimitedness of it Not onely an utter impotencie to any present obedience urged by the Law but so rooted a languor as reject's whatsoever God might impose Vse I. Touching the sin of ignorance bless God that hath freed us from the darkness and corruption of Poperie whose principles do for ever keep Souls far from the possibilitie of sound knowledg of their natural estate eitther by actual or original sin Beware likewise of nuzzeling thy self in places under ignorance or to abide ignorant under the use of meanes bring not God a sacrifice which want's this eie of knowledg of thy sin Vse II. Admonition to all sinners to go to work aright to get sound knowledg of their estate Consult not with dead teachers go not to blinde guides to such as thy self to deceivers Consult not with thy wits and carnal wisdom thy corrupt hopes blinde devotions Refuse no informations for fear of losing thy libertie in sin Vse III. Exhortation to all that would bee kindely convicted to com to the light for sound information of sin The want of this will bee a flaw for ever in thy Religion They who never knew themselvs never were humbled ones nor beleevers Discourage none for measure That light which make's all manifest is enough bee it never so little if sound Vse IV. Every one ought willingly to open himself and the door of his conscience and the light of this law coming into it Although the law hath no Christ in it yet the maker of it useth it as a School-master to him Grace begin's at the root of enlightning examine thy self in thy uprightness therein Vse V. This layeth open the unspeakable justice of God in suffring such darkness to spead over the world for so many ages and still in many nations who sit in the Valley of death Vse VI. This may teach us how deep a blindeness is cast upon the Soul in point of discerning her own sin and danger Nothing is further off then the reflex of her own corruption upon conscience nothing more tedious then to bee informed of sin in the kinde Hee that com's to tell us what wee are is our deadly enemie Vse VII This should teach both Ministers and people to loath all Generalities and to learn the Law in the true sens and the thorough enlightning of it Thus much of the first work of the law i e. knowledg of sin as sin II. The second work of the Law is Conviction and this is twofold I. Simple conviction viz. of the judgment 2. Conviction with terror viz. of the whole Soul or whole man When once the soul is thorowly enlightned if the law proceed in her work shee com's to apply her light to this convincing of the soul and first by causing the conscience to join against itself and to say thou art the man Again by a due yeelding of the soul to lie under the bondage and fear of punishment belonging to such a sinners wofull estate 1. This work of the Law viz. Conviction of the judgment is the second work of the Ministerie of the Law by the efficacie whereof the soul beleev's herself to bee that which shee knowe's to wit this sinful and cursed one A most powerful work yet no other then the poor Minister of God enabled by the authoritie of the Law may and doth perform The Law effect's this conviction by removeing three letts 1. Deadness of spirit 2. Sloth and eas 3. Subtiltie and hollowness And contrarily put 's a quickuing and a diligent and plain consent to the light into the soul 1. Deadness of Spirit Love of lusts and custom therein with delight doth defile and besot the powers of the minde that as one busie in his game doth not listen to a sad tale so neither doth this minde to the end of the law in enlightning 2. Loos incogitancie and carelesness by which men run up and down with light as the dog with his chain broken loos So doth a sloathful heart even cut 's its own throat 3. The worst of the three Subtiltie and slyness when men pretend they have received the light to believ it but they lie and their fals hearts are defiled with som secret root of bitterness which will not suffer them to bee plain Now the Mnisterie of the Law grapple's with these by jogging the soul and not suffring her to bee any of these but beeing more forcible in setting the Word home to the soul and breaking open that lock which will not shoot of it self And this it doth many waies 1. By entring into a solemn judicious cours with the soul and by applying the light to her by particular evidence-giveing in against her that shee is this childe of death When the Lord meane's to go thorowly to work hee will suffer no lust no sloth nor falshood to keep off the soul from her light but will shee
these two things 1. First it receiv's the way of this life into the soul which is the putting away of guilt and curs which Adam's sin contracted and that is pardon forgiveness Secondly it receiv's therewith and at once the actual and reall properties and nature of God to inhere and dwell in the soul Now the spirit of Regeneration by this promise work 's three distinct Acts and steps in the soul First Conception Secondly Quickning Thirdly Birth By conception I mean the least step to this life by which the soul retain's and keep 's this seed of life suffer's it not to pass away and bee spilt as in hypocrites but digest's and hold's the promise to it self till it have bred its longings after this life Conceptions provoke longings of the appetite lusting after a kinde of alteration of spiritual appetite and a desire after this life This is that Esay meane's Cap. 55. 4. Incline your hearts and hearken unto mee That is Bee so affected with this promise of life that yee do incline toward it and make to it that yee walk in God's way appointed to bring you to it Bee affected seriously with the excellencie of this life and the happie change which God offer 's you that your souls do diligently ensue it in the means That it stirr's the soul to mourn for so long liveing a dead life and resisting the offer 's of life and resting in a shew of a fals conception It doth long after this exceeding great priveledg to bee partaker of the nature and life of God It use's all means which God hath appaointed with all earnestness of soul restless till it obtain it The second work is the quickning power of the Spirit of promise whereby the Lord infuseth this life of God into the Soul which is nothing els save the soul 's breaking through the manifold struglings and strifes which self and unbelief do work within her self doth obey the voice and command of the promise that so it may live The third work of the Spirit is the birth of this speritual life When the Soul com's out of the womb into the light that is discover's her self to be alive and apprehend's as I may say her own life and that God hath begotten her to himself which is the highest step and decree of life which is bred in her The poor soul haveing received the life of God into her by her weak and poor faith scarce felt and perceived yet by the secret power of the Spirit growe's from degree to degree That although shee hath no other life at the birth than in the quickning Yet this life is more apparent and sensible every day then other till at last the Spirit fall in travel and bring forth Christ formed in the Soul so that the soul appear's to herself and to others to live and to believ becaus now shee is in the light perfected and brought forth So that appear's in the operations and works of the new Creature Vse I. Let it bee a terror to all such as being void of this life of God as unregenerate ones are Eph. 4 yet walk as alive merrie and jollie in the death of their corruption Thus was Paul Rom. 7. alive to sin ere the Law came and who but hee till the killing letter came and slew him and made him pull in his horns To all Counterfeits who adorn their dead carcasses with the ornaments of religion Duties of life and worship of God they will bee full of but the life of duties faith to apprehend the Lord Jesus for restoring of themselvs to the life of duties and of obedience they care not for Oh! rest not in any iuferior base life when the Lord offer 's thee true spiritual life Abhor all fals colors of life duties and performances when there is no substance Vse II. Learn here the price of faith It 's that whereby the soul live's here the life of God a life better then a Princes without it Vse III. Pray for the Spirit of the Lord Jesus his Resurrection by which the soul is regenerated to his new birth 1 Pet. 1. 5. and never lin till by the Word and Baptism hee hath inspired thy soul with this life of Regeneration Vse IV. Trie thy self about this birth and bee not cozened by Satan Bee content to resign up the best hopes thou hast of life heer so that the Lord would give thee sound marks of true life True life is a life of hope of Eternal life yea lively hope it rejoiceth under the hope of it It is a clensing life and purifie's the soul It is a noble precious life and will not pollute it self with dead carrion It is a waitting patient life under crosses because the upshot of it is hid with Christ in God IV. Is Justification which is contrarie to the state of guilt and curs by sin And by this benefit the soul obtain's an estate of quietness and peace towards God And that by a cleering and acquitting her at his Tribunal as if shee had never offended fully and perfectly Which I add for a difference between justificaton and sanctification the former is an whole purging us from all our sins as Saint John Ep. 1. Cap. 1. 7. speak's The other a purging us in part of which read Heb. 9. 14. For purging is from guilt and curs and that must bee perfect by imputation for els how should sinful flesh stand before a perfect God The latter is from the Dominion and Rule of it which in this life is imperfect The issue and effect of justification is peace and quiet of soul a most peculiar blessing contrarie to those garboils and horrors which the conscience felt being under wrath as also to that rotten peace which the unconvinced conscience walked with through error Either one or other of these is the estate of all injustified ones Hence the holie Ghost never cease's to magnifie this benefit as Esay 57. I create the fruit of the lips peace to him that is neer and afar off It 's a work onely belonging to God and above the first Creation for heer peace is made of a contrarie even war The Lord is the onely former of the conscience and therefore it 's a work equal to God's power to create peace in it and to restore it being lost is far greater hee was anointed Esay 61. to that purpose to preach glad tideiugs of peace Rom. 10. 15. to the meek For look how one sufficient witness in a Court may by his verdict settle a man's whole estate upon him and recover his right So the Lord Jesus by his blood bear's witness that our sin and curs is gone settleing Pardon and Salvation upon us decideing the question and making peace And in this sens wee read Heb. 12. That the blood of the Covenant speak's better things then the blood of Abel That cried in Cain's conscience nothing save revenge and horror but this crieth peace The like is that which I Pet. 3. 20.
men together to have had one father to have lyen in one womb to have dwelt in one town to have fed at one board to have been brought up in one familie or nurserie are bands of fellowship how much more all these spiritual ties in one 2. As begetters and nourishers of Communion First as for the Word preached how many thousands did one Sermon of Peter gain to this Communion And it no less preserveth and holdeth the faithful therein For eieher it finde's them staggering in this Communion and then it restore's them or sad and heavie and then it encourage's and comfort 's them or ignorant and then it enlighten's them or unruly and then it admonishe's them or standing and then it establishe's them So that it doth all offices of communion Secondly so the censures duly administred and the like Thirdly so the sacrament of the Supper how active an instrument it is to reconcile them that bee at odds and unite them more who are brethren Fourthly Prayer what office is there which it hath not don the Church what was the means of converting Paul what delivered Peter out of Herod's prison c. Fifthly Fasting joined with it what good thing hath it not don a key to open the treasure of heaven and to bring upon the bodies and souls of the faithful plentie in famin victorie in war protection in dangers eas in distress III. In duties and service These are of two sorts Som concern the bodie viz. Charitie Som the soul viz. Holie example savorie instruction admonition reproof correction of errors exhortation and quickning to holiness comfort in heaviness sickness and distress and in each spiritual respect wherein member may bee usefull to member Vse I. Warp from the Communion of all Popish prophane and excommunicate ones from this fellowship complie not with them turn from all inordinate malitious scandalous revolting and prophane ones true communion abhor's such Vse II. It 's Admonition to all of God's houshold to beware least any bitter root rise up in them to defile this communion When there were not above four or five in the Church how did Satan pollute them as Cain against Abel Ismael against Isaac Esau against Jacob to overthrow communion so doth hee still Again Let it admonish God's people also that if by any occasion Satan hath cast in any bone to divide them and to provoke them to wrath heart-burning distemper that they presently cast it out and repent least the breach grow greater And let the falling out of such bee the renewing of love Let them so much the more narrowly look to themselvs after to prevent the like that so they may nourish the communion of Saints in the bands of peace Vse III. Exhortation to couch in this building of communion to practice it to impart to each one his gift to the use of edifying the bodie let not this dead world cool grace in us ARTIC VII That every Soul make this deliverance his own in special Whosoever by the former part hath been convinced by that of his sin and been kindely pinched and prick't thereby by each of those Articles so let everie such soul be now also convinced of righteousness and believ himself to bee the partie to whom this deliverance of Christ belong's by each of these five Articles promised Quest What is it to believ this Answ To believ this is the Work of the Spirit of GOD by vertue of which a Soul under the condition of Faith doth cast it self and relie upon the offer of God for pardon of sin and for Eternal life The condition of Faith is such a qualification as God require's of one who may believ the promise of reconciliation to belong to him That which God aim'es at in offering mercie is the magnifying of his Attributes of Mercie Justice Wisdom and the rest which hee will have more to appear in man's Redemption then they could in Adam's Integritie Hee will have the eternall doors open themselvs as hee saith Psal 24. ult not that our own ends forgiveness and happiness but the King of glorie might enter in even as hee ordained our Lord JESUS not to obey and suffer for any ends of his own but meerly the Fathers to whom hee was subject as wee see in Rom. 15. 3. and therefore he would have him lose all glorie and emptie himself that hee might fulfill the ends of him that sent him The Lord usually proceed's by these step 's 1. Where the Lord will work kindely hee will so present the glorie of his grace to the soul in distress that whereas before it was under confused despair First it shall see a crevis of light and an hope a far off of a possible deliverance which hope shall melt and dissolv the heart into a spirit of mourning and breaking not so much for fear of hell as for the Lord himself See it in Jona 3. compare ver 9. with ver 6 7 8. when once hope began to spring up secretly who can tell whether God will repent him of his fierce anger that wee perish not Lo they melt into tears they fast put on sack-cloth on themselvs and their beasts and make a rufull spectacle So doth the soul here leav takeing thought for it self and take thought for the Lord saying O wofull man that I am whom the Lord should bee found of when I sought him not who had care of my happiness when I cared neither for him nor for my self 2. The Soul rest's not here but break 's out into desire that it might live to glorifie his grace and partake of it that it might magnifie it before all the world and give witness to it against all despisers of it 3. The Soul set's an high price upon this salvation and recount's the severals of it that it may see the unvaluableness of this pearl Matth. 12. 44. haveing spied the pearl withdrawe's it self hide 's it ponder's the worth of it viewe's the particulars of it as one would do of a purchase and by so museing of it set's the whole man a fire with it in the esteem and value thereof 4. It lastly emptie's the soul of herself Even as the Queen of Sheba beholding the glorie and wisdom of Solomon had no spirit left in her but was ashamed of her own silliness and as Peter Luk. 5. beholding the glorious power of Christ in bringing so many fishes into the net when hee could catch nothing was amazed so doth the Lord in this case Hee cause 's that loathness and resistance of that proud heart that savor's no grace or faith to quail and fail utterly take's away the corrupt self and self-love which is offended at his grace Especially it turn's away the soul from her own ends in seeking salvation shee dare's not now ascribe to her own duties hearings praiers affections preparations but cast's them into the sea that life may bee preserved Shee feel's the great ends of God's glorie to work all these in her but no way as
reviveing of those truths wee have heard or the administrations of God towards us or others that both minde and heart beeing season'd with the savor thereof wee may bee furthered thereby to dutie 8. Conference is a wise and loveing laying together by two or more of such things as concern the glorie of God and our spiritual edifying for mutual information and quickning Rules concerning Fasting 1. Let us arm our selvs to the chief work which is soul-affliction Let us consider if wee were pined with necessitie of abstinence from meat and drink for any time what a fearful anguish would it bring us unto And is not think wee sin that deserv's it of more afflicting vexing nature Let us aim at it then much more that sin do humble us than any sorrow whatsoever Let us first Mic. 7. 9. bear the indignation of the Lord for our sin for the rest let God alone to plead our caus for what should it help us to berid of all other enemies while our own pride self-love hypocrisie vain-glorie worldliness and hardness of heart still grow at our hearts 2. Applie our selvs to all supports of a Fast which the Lord hath granted to keep us from deadness and weariness the Word I mean fitted to our occasions and the like yet as serving to the main of humiliation and confidence 3. Consider that the Scripture in no one thing afford's us greater consolation and hope than in this For there is scarce one example of a Fast which want's the experience of good success yea extraordinarie like it self as in Esther's Nehemiah's and Ezrae's Israel against Benjamin the Churche's Acts 12. doth appear 4. Considering it must bee no small grace either of mourning or faith which must prevail against those holds either without or within which wee pray against Let us know that our locks had need bee well grown with Sampsons for such a purpose Therefore let none dare to compass this Altar with unpreparedness of heart II. Rules concerning Thanksgiveing 1. Carrie a liveing memorial and catalogue of the chief publick mercies beeing the matter of our thanks and so of our own in particular Remember the great providence of setling the Gospel and banishing Poperie and since that the strange miraculous deliverances not once or twice from forrein enemies home judgments In secret rceord our own our first calling and since that our many staggers and revolts his renued mercies by occasion in our changes of estate in our streights in deep desertions when wee could no more sustein our selvs then if wee had hung in the ayr how hee hath ever been our portion when friends have forsaken us unthankfully and will bee so still our blessings above many in gifts of minde condition and calling graces of soul how God kept us from forsakeing his Covenant in our deepest temptations of Satan and enemies 2. Bee inlarged accordingly with due sympathie both for the Church and thy self rejoiceing with her with and for whom thou hast oft mourned and preferring her peace to thy chief joy Affection is the fire to the Sacrifice and know that psal 50. ult hee that praiseth God honoreth him and the asscent of praises shal bee the descent of blessings and happie is hee who may maintain this entercours with God for the enlargeing of him to more grace III. Rules concerning the Word preached 1. Bee sure thou hast right to the blessing of it the Word cannot build thee except it hath begot thee See 1 Pet. 2. 3. If yee have tasted how gracious the Lord is then com to the Word to grow by it 2. Prize and covet it Prize it as that Word which hath been the seed of immortalitie and glorie unto thee Now if it bee precious it will bee coveted hungred after attended with all heed yea snatch'd with violence as precious things are 1 Pet. 2. 2. Covet and cagerly tug at the Word as the childe at the breast Sleep not wander not gaze not but attend the gates and ports of wisdom and understanding if thou lookest they should preserv thee 3. Com from an holy cours and practice when thou comest to hear com not from thy own cours of wrath world self purge these first 1 Pet. 2. 1. and so com Repent of all old sins of hearing thy trifleings and dallyings with the Word thy base mixtures and com from a good cours and so the Word shall send thee back to it with more strength and grace then thou camest 4. Deny thy self and thine own wisdom partialities prejudices of man of gifts of ordinances 5. Believ God 1. That in his Word this direction to see life is to bee found Joh. 5. 2. That hee can guide his Word peculiarly to do thee good and speak to thy soul though thou bee but one of many hearers 3. Mix the Word with Faith believ it obey it fear it see God true in it in all his promises charges and threats and stand readily to catch that part of it which is thine as the tradesman stand's readie with his mould to catch the molten metall to frame his vessel 4. Depart from hearing as well apaid well fed keep your charge lose it not in the ayr of the world carrie it with you in each part of the world but let nothing rob you of it Take forth a new lesson daily have an ear to hear where God hath a tongue to speak IV. Rules concerning the sacrament of Baptism 1. As it should teach all that bring their infants to baptism to dedicate their children to God by praier so especially let all others recal to minde how the Lord hath been aforehand with them in like sort even hanging his badg upon them when they were cut off and knew it not 2. Let them hold the Lord sure to them in this covenant by this seal as a Corporation would hold their liberties by the King 's Broad Seal And when the Devil fill's thee with doubts about thy conversion the condition of faith the believing in the promise strength to a godly life flie to thy Baptism as thy uttermost assurance and say If the Lord were found of an Infant that could not seek him gave mee his seal that hee would save mee what will hee do now I seek him faithfully When thou lookest upon his Rain-bow in the clouds thou fearest no flood any more but Baptism is better 1 Pet. 3. 18. It 's God's Ark which by water save 's thee from perishing by the waters of Gods wrath Remember that that the Spirit by faith doth as really dip and drench thy soul with his pure water Ezek. 36. 25. to rins away thy guilt blemish and curs of sin and to quicken thee up to the life of the new Creature in righteousness as by his Ministers hand hee dip's thee into and take's thee out of the water V. Rules concerning the Lord's Supper 1. The soul knowing that God doth sustain her by the same whereby hee begat her doth upon this
of the Law hee corrupt's the minde and spirit both in the enlightning part and the terrifying The former hee abuseth to multiplie the fearful view of sin The later to make terror intolerable Touching his perfecting thus Here hee labors's to hold them under especially by the irksom bondage Oh saith hee faith only is of the Elect and thou art none it 's the free gift of God and hee may denie it as well as grant it Somtimes hec make's it less then it is to puff up up the heart with presumption Or hee hide 's the virtuous savor and strength of the Promise the simplicitie the faithfulness of the Promiser and the offer Touching his Temptations of them that are called thus These concern them either in point of their faith and as touching the former hee tempteth two waies 1. Either about the beeing or the life of Faith 2. Or their Obedience I. About the Beeing Hee take's advantage of the weak setling at the first and by that unrenewedness of nature which oppose's this spiritual grace hee seek's to overthrow them in the holding of their confidence 2. About the life By the small Life of faith hee seek's to destroy the beeing of faith II. In point of their Obedience hee tempt's two waies Either about it Or against it 1. About it thus Hee buffet's them in their comfort therein For whereas it's God's will that hee that walk's uprightly should walk safely and sweetly lo Satan separat's the end from the means An hypocrite separate's the means from the end looking for peace where there is no uprightness But here the stratagem of the Devil is contrarie and therefore either hee hide 's that from his eie which should bee his main comfort in all failings or els take's vantage by that which should bee his humiliation to bee his utter discouragement And although hee cannot rob it of the truth of grace yet hee rob's it of the comfort thereof chuseing to play at any game rather then sit out 2. Against it thus Sundrie waies hee labor 's to bring the soul under sin to renounce a good cours to bee slack remiss loos common prophane unprofitable even by consent And this is his most natural temptation For as hee is exceedingly wicked so it 's little to him that comfort bee stopped except the conscience bee wasted Oh what a May-game was it think wee to see David foiled by Adulterie Noah by Drunkenness Lot by Incest Hezekiah by Pride Peter by Revolt First Hee mark 's his season and time when the heart is most naked unarmed at eas as Absalom and Amnon lying most open and being swept and garnish't which perhaps another time would have been armed jealous and fearful Hee concur's not onely with the corruption of the heart as before but secondly with the constiution and complexion of the spirit of nature in a man Is hee propens to lust to uncleanness to jovialness to ambition Oh saith hee hee is mine I will tempt him with meet baits Thirdly Hee watche's the accommodation of occasions as when excess of chearfulness or of sadness of praises or disgraces of wel-fare and success or defeat or the like and when the spirits are open then is his opportunitie to work the heart to wanton speech to riot to wrath and discontent to swelling pride to ostentation of gifts to the makeing away of a man's self and the like Fourthly Hee will make use of their best Graces and Priviledges all men know you well enough to bee one that make conscience you may do such or such a thing and no man suspect you therefore bee not so nice in trifles defeat an Orphan oppress the fatherless falsifie the trust reposed in you c. Fifthly Somtime of secrecie of time and place who shall ever finde it out Sixthly by fine colors of pretensed meaning So by color of justice my pains have been such and such in business for others why may not I pay my self so and so they beeing never the wiser and perhaps never the wors as the case may stand Seventhly By their falls to drive them to sin for somwhat rather then to bee punished for a little over-shooes over-knees So by comparing themselvs with wors then themselvs to bee bold and presumptuous in libertie-takeing By the oft shunning of sinful occasions to venture beyond their Calling and so bee snared Nay by truthes of God both in examples of the Saints falls why maiest not thou do so and repent and in rules that the best men have their infirmities and therefore why should I bee free III General Lett the World This is a most dangerous Lett it defile's the mindes the wills and courses of men both in doctrine and manners See Eph. 4. 14. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Joh. 2. 16. It both contain's in it all evil and setteth it forth and is it self set on fire by the Devil who is the chapman of it to set the gloss upon them and to vend the wares of it For the first of which see that in John All that is in the world is the lust of the heart lust of the eie pride of life Hee speak's of these not onely as the appetites of bad men but as worldly objects For the second shee is careful not onely to keep in her ware-hous but to lay forth upon the open stall and to set out these wares in the most busie manner that can bee For the third the Devil the god of this World and the lord of this Staple and Common-wealth to whose bank and exchequer all this custom and tribute goe's I mean hell is not wanting both to suppress all means which might mar this mraket of mischief and is at hand to unite to acquaint to accommodate wares to all customers The whole world of evil may bee called either the dead World or liveing World By the Dead world wee understand thus much not onely that the world is dead in sins but this that the world though shee doth not actually speak out yet her very guise doth defile and delude and that in two particulars 1. Examples 2. Errors I. By Examples in these respects 1. By imitateing of them No way to defile and scatter sin so easily as this rules would not so soon do it Inward lust tickle's but examples do much more perfect sin when Ministers Magistrates learned ones ancient ones and the greater part of these bee ring-leaders people subjects simple young easily follow Hence that phrase Rom. 12. 2. Bee not fashioned according to this world the world hath a fashioning qualitie in it and one Ape will follow another 2. By exchangeing them no sooner hath one lick't up a bad example but presently hee relate's it and gain 's thereby If one teach theft another will teach sacriledg As one said of a decaying world Wee are dwarfs and our children will bee gnats so I of the encreasing wee are strong men and the next will bee gyants wee commit it they will bee hardned and naturaliz'd into a custom
of it defend extenuate and maintain it 3. By the stream of it the violence and the irresistibleness of it for sin in the two former will soon amount to a torrent or stream of universalitie Thus wee see this piece of the dead world hath yet an objective life in it self II. By Errors of 1. Tradition 2. Scandal 3. Base-custom 4. Conceit 5. Cosenage 1. By tradition which is when sin prevail's by succession from man to man thus the errors of Poperie and old ones new minted pleading antiquitie 2. By Scandal when the world glad to rivet herself in evil delude's herself with the offences of hypocrites and by their scandals laie's blocks in men's waies that they might stumble at the truth 3. By Custom which deceiv's by prescription of long use 4. Conceit and opinion which is an error against goodness by prejudice See Act. ult Wee know that this sect is every where evil spoken of Thus wicked men to confirm themselvs in evil take up base trivial conceits and errors against the way servants and ordinances of Christ which beeing once given out proov irrevocable 5. By Cosenage whereby fals teachers schismaticks and hereticks blanch their conceipts wresting their wits to abuse the Scriptures to set fals colors on thir opinions Jezebel fast's to cover her murder The Defilements of the liveing World consist's in Words Deeds 1. In Words which are the open corrupt counsel of sinners or their secret insinuations Pro. 7. 18. Pro. 1. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2. In Deeds alll their wicked malicious and cruel intents threats and pursuits of the godlie to quash them and to uphold their own kingdom As those Scribes and Pharises had a Law to crucifie Christ though they made it for the nonce And Dan. 6. those enemies of his Vse I. Of Instruction to bee humbled to bee comforted and to long after a full redemption For the first it 's humiliation to the best of God's children for their self-love and for this miserie that lie's upon them At home begin's our woo in our bosoms are those evils of pride prophaneness hypocrisie and self-love which bane us and what they cannot do of themselvs they do by others setting the door open and letting in devil and world to rifle and rob us of all without which no enemie could hurt us 2. Let it comfort them for the present that it is no otherwise with them in their sorrow then that wise God their good father hath allotted them so that if they feel their burden they may cheer themselvs with this It 's their pilgrimage their way home their Baca their warefare the Lord will work them triumph out of these battels and combats Hee will purge and conform them to his dear Son by them 3. Wait for that with longing as Paul did Rom. 7. Who will deliver mee Here is my pilgrimage when shall I com to my father's hous How long Lord holy and true how long Vse II. Exhortation to resist all these woful enemies of our peace viz. I. Our own corruption which wee must resist three Waies 1. By a spiritual combat against before sin bee brought into act let this bee perpetually maintained the spirit lusteth against the flesh Gal 5. 17. 2. By watching continually to observ and prevent occasions offered when wee cannot foil inward motions Cut off her provision and starv sin The welcoming of objects is as casting oyl into the fire As Job for his Sons so do thou for thy self sacrifice daily for mercie of prevention remooving of vanities which might annoy thee 3. By wisdom after wee are fallen Not to bee kept in bondage by Satan in point of our recoverie out of our falls if wee bee slip't into any but speedily to gather up our selvs ere wee bee hardned Let thine heart smite thee and say I will do so no more Job 40. 4. and so lay hold upon thy promise repent and do thy former works bee zealous and amend II. Satan III. The World Against these put on the compleat armor appointed thee by the Lord in this case and keep it close to thee wear it and walk in it as the armor of a childe of Light as the harness of the militant Church and each member of Christ blessed by him to that purpose Bee armed wisely and constantly and watch to it with praier and the Lord shall bee with thy endeavors and teach thy hands to fight and prevail Take the whole armor of God Eph 6. But seeing our selvs are our greatest enemies and those lusts within us defile us most therefore observ these Counsels against them 1. Mark well thine own spirit and those secret lusts which bubble up in thee knowing that they tend to defile and harden thee and to blinde-fold thy judgment so that neither thou should'st retein any true fight much less sens of the mischief of them Weigh and beleev this thorowly Rest not in this that thou knowest this or that corruption by thy self or canst complain of it or can'st keep thy self from the open outrage of it except withall thou bee quickned up in thy spirit to abhor such scurf as hell and start at the motions of it at the first assaults A dead faint and still giveing way to any lust entring is the next way to make the heart a thorow-fair for it 2. If they bee such as cleav to thy spirit and do salute thee again after long intermission and seeming to bee cast out oppose strongly that mercie of God that hath forgiven thee even when thou delightest in them without check how much more when they return as intruders 3. Consider there is no sweet lust or strong object offered to thee but the Lord is in it to trie the love loyaltie and power of grace wch is in thee that thou maiest know all which is in thine heart Thus the Lord hath used his people whose lot it hath been to receiv much from God David was tried by the Lust of his eie by the object of Revenge to kill Saul in the cave Hezekiah by an object of pride of life those embassadors of the Emperor Say then now my soul the Lord is at work to trie and refine thee to make thee as gold to humble thee deeply if thou bee foiled as Hezekiah or to honor thee highly as Abraham Beware now thou stick to thy tackling and discover not thy self to bee as dross of no worth Here then distrust thine own armor as David did Saul's cleav to the Lord's Say thus If I now fail the Lord as Adam in the triall hee may justly suspect mee henceforth and let loos my lusts against mee Often Lord thou hast saved mee from beeing tempted thou canst also give mee strength in the trial lead mee not into temptation fail not thy servant and I shall not fail thee in the triall of these my sweet objects and lusts 4ly Get thee som bosom-friend to impart thine estateunto thy temptations and buffetings such an one Minister or other as