natura had the charge of these sublunary things even the holy Prophet himself was liable to this temptation Psal 73.9 10 11 12 13 14. he saw that as the clean Creatures were sacrificed every day the Turtle and the Lamb the Emblems of innocency and charity whilest the Swine and other unclean Creatures were spared Plutarch and Seneca and Cicero have rendred satisfaction concerning this method of the Divine Providence So good men were harrast with troubles when the wicked were exempted and this shook his faith but by entring into the Sanctuary of God where he understood their end he comes off with victory now for the removing this Objection Consider First we are not competent Judges of Gods actions we see but one half of Ezekiels Vision the Wheels but not the eye in the Wheels nothing but the Wheels on which the world seems disorderly to run not the eye of Providence which governs them in their most vertiginous changes The actions of God do not want clearnesse but clearing What we cannot acquit is not to be charged on God as unjust the stick which is streight being in the water seems crooked by the refraction of the beams through a double medium we see through flesh and spirit and cannot distinctly judge the ways of God but when we are not able to comprehend the particular reasons of his dispensations yet we must conclude his judgements to be right as will appear by observing Secondly The sufferings of the righteous do not blemish Gods justice 1. God always strikes an offender every man being guilty in respect of his Law Now though love cannot hate yet it may be angry and upon this account where the judgements of God are a great deep unfathomable by any finite understanding yet his righteousnesse standeth like the high Mountains as it is in Psalme 36. visible to every eye if the most righteous person shall look inward and weigh his own carriage and desert he must necessarily glorifie the justice and holinesse of God in all his proceedings 2. The afflictions of good men are so far from staining Gods justice that they manifest his mercy for the least sin being a greater evil than the greatest affliction God uses temporal crosses to prevent or destroy sin he imbitters their lives to wean their affections from the World and to create in them strong desires after heaven as long as the waters of tribulation are on the earth so long they dwell in the Ark but when the Land is dry even the Dove it self will be wandring and defile its self When they are afflicted in their outward man it is that the inward man may be revived as birds are brought to perfection by the ruines of the shell that is not a real evil which God uses as an instrument to save us Who will esteem that Physitian unjust who prevents the death of his Patient by giving a bitter potion 3. If the Righteous be thus afflicted upon earth we may conclude there is a reward in the next World if they are thus sharply treated in the way their Countrey is above where God is their portion and happinesse Thirdly The temporary prosperity of the wicked reflects no dishonour upon Gods justice or holinesse for God measures all things by the Standard of eternity a thousand years to him are as one day Now we do not charge a Judge with unrighteousnesse if he defer the execution of a Malefactor for the day the longest life of a sinner bears not that proportion to eternity besides their reprieve increases and secures their ruine they are as Grapes which hang in the Sun till they are ripe and fit for the Wine-presse God spares them now but will punish them for ever he condemns them to prosperity in this world and judges them not worth his anger intending to poure forth the vials of his wrath on them in the next Fourthly The more sober Heathens have concluded from hence there is a judgement to come because otherwise the best would be most miserable and the ungodly prosperous from hence they have inferred that because all things are dispenc't in a promiscuous manner to the just and unjust in this world therefore there must be an after-reckoning Fifthly There are many visible examples of the goodnesse and justice of God in this World either in rewarding afflicted innocency or punishing prosperous iniquities He that shall read the story of Joseph and consider that wonderful chain of causes managed by the Divine Providence how God made use of the treachery of his brethren not as a sale but a conveyance how by the Prison he came to the principality must conclude there is a watchful eye which orders all things And how many instances are there of Gods severe and impartial justice there is no State or History but presents some examples wherein an exact proportion in the time measure and kind between the sin and punishment is most conspicuous the unnatural sin of Sodom was punish't with a supernatural showre of fire and brimstone Pharaoh had made the River guilty of the blood of the Hebrew Infants his first plague is the turning of the River into blood Adonibezec is just so served as he did by the seventy Kings Judas who wanted bowels for his Lord wanted bowels for himself in life and death for he hanged himself and his bowels gushed out and thus the punishment as a hand points at the sin and convinces the World of a Deity Use 1 Vse 1. This is just matter of terror to Atheists which are of three sorts 1. Vita 2. Voto 3. Judicio First To those who are practical Atheists vita in life who live down this truth denying God in their lives sad and certain it is that many who pretend they know God yet so live they as if there were no Deity to whom they must give an account Such are the secure that sleep in sin notwithstanding all Gods thunder and if ever sleep were the true image of death this is the sleep The sensual who are so lost in carnal pleasures they scarce remember whether they have a soul if at any time conscience begins to murmure they relieve their melancholy thoughts with their company and cups like Saul sending for the Musick when the evil spirit was upon him The incorrigible who notwithstanding the designes of Gods mercy to reduce them although Providences Ordinances conspire to bring them off from their evil ways yet they persist in their disobedience Let such consider it is not a loose and ineffective assent to the being and perfections of God which will save them God is not glorified by an unactive faith nay this will put the most dreadful accent and the most killing aggravations on their sins that believing there is a God they dare presumptuously offend him and provoke the Almighty to jealousie as if they were able either to evade or to sustain his wrath 't is the greatest prodigy in the World to believe there is a God and yet
take off the veile from the Text in a short explication By one man and him we may consider 1. His name Adam and this comprehends his person sex and kind 2. His order he was the first man 1 Cor. 15.45 3. His person in the individual And so Original sin properly is not derived from the proximate Parents but the prime-parent 4. His nature Adam was one non tantum in individuo sed in specie one comprehending the whole root representing the whole stock the seed and generation of man-kind so Adam is taken for the species of man Sinne The Apostle here speaks of sin not sins as if he would precisely determine it of that one root of sin distinct from those many following fruits this sin hath been the Original the incentive the cause of all sinne this sinne stained the world Entered into the world viz. by propagation sin entered like death Now death is actually propagated as he said scio me genuisse mortalem I know I beget a dying child a child subject to death sinne entered not by example but generation The World By the world we must not understand terrenam corpâ—ralem vitam the pleasure and delights of the world for the Saints are crucified to the world in this sense Gal 6.14 and so Original sin should not seize on believers Nor 2. In locum mundi for as Pareus observes the Angels first sinned and sin first entred by them into the place of the world Nor 3. In Paradisum into Paradise for sin was first committed by Eve in Paradise But 4. We must understand the inhabitants of the world Vniversum genus humanum all man-kind Martyr Gorranus as Mart. Gor. And death by sinne The query among Divines is what this death is Some suppose the death of the body as Ambrose some the death of the soul as the Pelagians but as Haymo observes mors animae corporis in omnes pertranstit the death both of soul and body passed on all for as Origen saith Orig. Mors corporalis umbra est spiritualis the death of the body is only the shadow of the death of the soul so that by death in the Text we must necessarily understand the death of soul and body with all the antecedents and consequents of both Willet sicknesse weaknesse corruption guilt horrour despair Death passed upon all men Corporal death on all the most holy most flourishing most probable to live spiritual and eternal death on all men in the sentence not in the execution Rom. 3.19 the sentence is reversed the execution for ever forborn to believers For all have sinned For the opening of this I shall only give you the glance of Musculus In Adam omnes fuimus in lumbis ejus c. we were all in the loynes of offending Adam from that masse we sprung and therefore as Levi paid tythes in the loyns of Abraham Hebrews 7.9 10. so it is no wonder if we being in the loyns of Adam are found sinners in him Doct. Now the mournful truth that the Text presents us with is this viz. That our first Parent by his transgression hath left an unhappy portion of sinne and death to all his posterity thus much the Text expresseth thus much it confirms we have this unwelcome entail from our first Parent Concerning death I shall not dilate because the shade of death doth alwayes accompany the body of sin but I shall only insist on that part of our portion sin We are entituled to Adams sinne 'T is a derivation from the root to the branches as poyson is carried from the fountain to the Cistern as the children of Traytours have their blood tainted with their fathers Treason and the children of Bond-slaves are born in their Fathers condition Omnes in Adamo peccaverunt Aug. quia omnes unus ille fuerunt Aug. All were entangled in Adams sin because all were folded up in Adams person And the same Father in another place Traxit reatum homo quia unus erat cum illo à quo traxit Man drew down guilt upon himself because he was one with him from whom he drew it Greg. And it is an excellent observation of Gregory Genus humanum in parente primo velut in radice putruit Man-kind putrified in the first parent as in a root Adam is as the poysoned root and the clusters are envenomed because the root was poysoned had Adam stood and preserved his perfection his glory as a royalty had descended to his seed to man-kind but by his offence forfeiting his beauty and contracting on himself both guilt and an universal loathsomenesse both losse and loathsomnesse he transmits to his posterity and it is upon his breath that every child that comes into the world sucks in poyson with his first breach and is no sooner a living creature than a deformed sinner This truth we find early confirmed in the world so Adam begat Seth according to his own likeness Gen. 5.3 non ad similitudinem Dei sed ad similitudinem sui Brockman and it is very considerable the Original phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his image in his likeness the word is as it were redoubled to set the greater brand upon corrupt nature in his image nay in his likeness And to shew the necessity of our drawing corruptness from Adam holy Job expresses it by a quick and smart interrogation Job 14.4 Nay th s truth David seems to bedue with tears and deplore with sighs Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me In the times of the Gospel this spot is more clearly discernable and from whence we received the contagion Rom. 5.19 By God we are creatures by Adam we are sinners so that Text By one mans disobedience many were made sinners And so most remarkably 1 Cor. 15.49 And as we have borne the image of the earthly c. Nor is that gloss of Cyprian upon the place to be over-passed Imaginem terreni portavimus Cypr. peccandi propensâ—â—nem mortem imaginem caelestis portemus constantiam in sanctitate instaurationem ex morte corruptione ad vitam immortalitatem i. e. We have borne the image of the earthly Adam a propensity to sin and death let us bear the image of the heavenly a constancy in holiness and instauration from death and corruption to life and immortality I shall only adde one Scripture more Ephes 2.3 We were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Now there are three things which are considerable for the dispatch of the doctrinal part of the Text. 1. To demonstrate more particularly the transmission of Adams sin to us Now Adams sin is transmitted to posterity two wayes 1. By imputation 2. By inhaesion the guilt and the stain of his sin is propagated to all his posterity Particle 1 1. The sin of Adam is derived to us by way of imputation and that upon a double demonstration may be evidenced
this body of death Paul that could with rejoycing endure scourgings and stonings imprisonments and shipwracks yet cryes out mightily of this O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7.24 2. As a body being material is visible so original sin discovers its self to every one that without prejudice will look to finde it It is discernable in its effects daily Though we cannot see the soul yet from the motions and actions it causeth we know a man hath a soul so we may know every one hath original sin from that vanity and sin that is put forth by it 3. As the body hath divers members so this sinne it is not so much one sin as seminally and vertually all sin Peter Martyr there is a concatenation of vertues and vices Scripture speaks of both under that notion hence a single eye a pure heart c. And on the other side that sin is a body and is thus universally in us the Apostle shews Rom. 3.13 14. and the Prophet saith it hath over-spread us from the soles of the feet even unto the head there is no soundnesse Isa 1.6 As the waters in Noah covered the highest Mountains so these raging waves of iniquity over-flow the highest and choicest faculties of humane nature 4. I wish I could not adde as a body is beloved and provided for so is this sin We make provisioâ— for the flesh to fulfill its lusts Rom. 13. ult Who would willingly part with the least member of his body men do not willingly forgo any sin but if something of this body must be parted with 't is but haire and nayles c. such as are rather excrements than members and will soon grow again which we are content to cut and pare off And thus till that day in which God puts forth his Almighty power to make us willing we are loth to leave any sin unlesse such as for the present are troublesome to us or may ere long grow again and be with more ease or credit enjoyed by us 5. This sin as a body hath strength in it and Tyranny is exercised by it The body leads poor Captives whether it lists and says to this man Gâ— and he goeth c. so does this sin we are held Captive by it Faius till the Son of God sets us free Man is not ingenuus but libertus he is not by nature born free but by grace made free untill he be established by the free Spirit he goes and comes as the winde and Tyde of corruption drives him And this is farre more sad than to be possessed or to have our members acted by the Divel himself for the incestuous person was given over to Satan which some interpret thus for the good of his soul 1 Cor. 5.5 that his soul might be saved but none are left under the power and command of their corruptions but to their certain and inevitable destruction 6. It is call'd here especially a body by the Apostle to answer to the other Metaphor of crucifying in the words before only bodies can be crucified Paraeus and this sin is crucified with Christ Which by the way shews the state of original sin in the people of God and how it should be in all others especially such as are baptiz'd it should by faith be nayl'd to the Crosse of Christ we should by believing fetch vertue from Christs death to crucifie it it must hang on Christs Crosse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Metaphor taken from those that are crucified who hanging on the Crosse upon nailes grow weaker and weaker till they expire and dye so must original sin be in us dead already as to its reigning power and dying daily as to its in-being moving power having every day lesse strength than other The third expression of original corruption in the Text 't is sin We have now but the last expression the Apostle uses for this original corruption he calls it here sin to shew that it is so it is sin 1. Properly and truly 2. Eminently and especially 1. Properly It is truly and properly sin it is not only a defect but a sin it is against the holy will of God and is chargeable upon us by the justice of God every soul disease is not only a punishment but a sin and therefore farre worse than the worst disease that is incident to the body and our sinful state should be more terrible to us than our dying condition To convince us of this know that this original corruption becomes our sin 1. By imputâ—tion 1. In that God imputes the guilt of Adams sin to us which I suppose you have had vindicated in the foregoing Sermon I shall only say this to it that God may as well by imputation make Adams sin become our sin for condemnation as he may by imputation make Christs righteousnesse become our righteousnesse unto salvation and yet Christ is made of God unto us wisdome righteousness c. and we have no other righteousness to appeare in for justification before him at that great day In Thesi de peccato Orig. Hence Rivet well observes that the Church hath ever found and still does that those very men who are enemies to the doctrine of Original sin are enemies also to the doctrine of the grace of God in Christ Thus the Socinians who deny that we have contracted any debt by Adams sin deny also that Christ satisfied and paid our debts to divine Justice and if they take away this let them take all 2. Though Original corruption be truly sin by imputation 2. By inhaesion yet 't is not sin by imputation only It is our sin by inhaesion inhering in us and making of us otherwise than God made us To blot a letter in a fairly writ Copy to draw a black line over a beautiful picture cann't but prove a fault what is it then to mar Gods curious workmanship which this sin does in man Consider that God is many moneths in the framing of the body for we are wonderfully made by him and when this body is fitted he unites it to a soul more worth than a world of bodies This great-little creature man Psal 139.13 14 hath many prerogatives too that advance him especially in that Gods delight is said to be with him Now when all this care and paines are taken this cost and charges expended by God to make man for himself this corruption comes and mars all and will God hold it guiltlesse No this sin is exceeding sinful for 2. 'T is sin eminently 1. Extensive 1. 'T is more extensive than other sins every actual sin hath some particular faculty in soul or body which it does defile and charge with guilt wherein it was conceiv'd or whereby it was acted but original sin stains all alike so farre as by their several natures they are receptive of its defilement it ruines the whole little world of man It does not only overspread
voice to be in vain for their bodies though they know not what it means would not have it to be in vaine for their soules and he that hears the young Ravens when they call Psal 147.9 would not have you deafe in this respect when your Children cry Lastly Let the consideration that Original sin is thus in us weane us from the world 4. Exhortation Be wean'd from the world by reason of it and that immoderate desire of living in it Alas wheresoever we go we carry these chains of darknesse with us if it be grievous to be in pain or want how grievous is it to a gracious heart to sin I know gravia non gravitant in eorum loco sin seemes not heavy to a carnal man to whose heart 't is naturaliz'd but if thou beest spiritual and tender sin is a burden to thee to purpose Now by death peccatum non homo moritur it is sin that dies a Childe of God does not dye but only changes his life this life for a better these pleasures relations c. for better and if it be good to live surely to live eternally is best of all Some have thought that the soule was put into the body for a punishment as into a Prison and who would not willingly be at liberty If we consider what paines care torments and diseases which are but the effects of sin we endure we cannot but be of Theophrastus his mind that the soule payes a deare rent for the body which it dwells in and 't is but a house of clay how finely soever dawb'd over being then we cannot be without these enemies these mischiefs let us be content when God pulls down the house of sinne in which they all are that he may bury them all in the rubbish of our mortality and with the Spirit and the Bride Rev. 22.17 20. let us say Come even so Come Lord Jesus Christ come quickly Amen THE MISERY OF MANS ESTATE BY NATURE EPHES. 2.3 And were by nature the children of wrath even as others YE have heard the Doctrine of Mans fall and of Original sin opened and applied This Text genuinely leads to speak of Mans misery through sin As to the Coherence briefly The Apostles scope is to display the glory of the Lords grace by comparing the sinful and cursed estate of the Ephesians and others by nature with the dignity and priviledges conferred on them in Christ He insists mainly on three heads 1. He describes the natural estate and course of the Ephesians and all other Gentiles in them their estate ver 1. You were dead in trespasses and sins their course ver 2. Ye walked wholly in sin pricked forward by corrupt customes which in several Ages had taken place and were effectual to hold and hearten you in the same Tracts and the Devil that eminently bore sway in others ruled and acted you likewise at his very will this was yours and the Gentiles estate and course 2. He applies the whole equally and indifferently to himself and to the whole body of the Jewish Nation ver 3. among whom also we all had our Conversation c. q. d. such children of disobedience were we all to as deep in sin and open to wrath as you Gentiles were He would by no means have any think that speaking so of the Gentiles he exempted the Jews from the same ground of shame and despair in themselves though he knew full well that this point went exceeding crosse to the grain of that people who greatly a Ezra 9.2 John 8.33 Gal. 2.15 Rom. 10.3 chap. 11.24 boasted themselves to be the holy seed and children of Abraham and despised the Gentiles as an idolatrous unclean bastard brood and especially of the Pharisees of which b Acts 26.5 Phil. 3.5 leaven himself once was who not only disdained the Gentiles but thought and spake contemptibly of Gods heritage viz. the common people of their own Nation as a base and cursed crew John 7.49 chap. 9.34 He pricks this bladder affirming roundly of himself and all the Jews without exception that as to their course whilest unregenerate they did whatsoever their sensual and carnal man willed liked and inclined to And as to estat◠were children of wrath as much as others even as the very despised Gentiles themselves were The great temporary difference flowing from grace Psal 147.19 20. hindered not their being the very same with the Gentiles by nature this and no other was the estate and course of the Jews likewise 3. He sets over against all this in them both the quickning and recovering grace of Christ in the Gentile ver 1. and in the Jew ver 4. The words read contain a brief comprehensive description of the misery that Jews and consequently Gentiles with them are under by nature And in the words observe these two particulars 1. The Case of all men Jews and Gentiles alike described children of wrath Do not understand this actively as children of disobedience ver 2. are disobedient children so that children of wrath should be angry and wrathful people but passively that are obnoxious unto wrath indefinitely which though it principally relates to that chiefest pressing insupportable burden viz. the Lords wrath yet includes consequently the wrath and power of Satan the terrours and rage of conscience the vengeance and assaults of every creature c. The Hebraisme children of wrath implies 1. Desert Deut. 25.2 It shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the wicked man be a child of beating that the Judge shall cause him to lye down and to be beaten before his face c. which the Sept. solidly renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy of stripes And so the Targums in like manner concurrently with our Bibles a sonne guilty and worthy to be beaten so Mat. 23.15 Ye make him twofold more the childe of hell that is more worthy of hell-fire than your selves 2. Tendency bent and addictnesse to involve themselves under wrath John 17.12 But the sonne of perdition which poured out himself in ways of self-destruction He had many and excellent means to the contrary but nothing would hold him back self-damnation is not proper to Judas but a very common sin and men ordinarily Rom. 2.5 treasure up to themselves wrath Prov. 8.36 love death 3. The event and issue which shall befall them if they do abide such viz. that they shall be destroyed and the eternal wrath of God abide upon them so Judas gave up himself to those sins that not only deserved and tended to destruction but would certainly destroy him so 1 Sam. 20.31 he is the son of death viz. deserves to dye and shall surely dye Now gather all these things together our estate and course is such by nature as deserves destruction tends and leads to destruction and will end and the Lord hath peremptorily fixed and ordained without a change shall end in Eternal destruction 2. The rise of this case expressed by nature which implies
better Covenant established upon better promises But I must explain it before I admire it The Gospel Covenant is that whereby God upon the condition propounded of faith in Christ promiseth remission of sins in his blood and a heavenly life and that for this end that he might shew forth the riches of his mercy * Camero Here I shall propose the same considerations as in the former Covenant only still something more and more comfortably considerable in the consideration of the persons contracting namely God and man according to the proposed method 1. Consider Gods gracious condescention And now Beloved that I have named Gods gracious condescention were my heart but duly affected with it it would constrain me to stop and put in a large Parenthesis of admiration before I should speak a word more Will God after the loss of the natural communion wherein he created man will God when man dâ—eads his Majesty and trembles at his revenging justice will God then as a merciful Father enter into a Covenant of peace with poor undone sinners affrighted with the sense of sin and wrath O the incomprehensible â—ondescention of such unsearchable riches of grace that grace should abound according to sins abounding when sin over-flow d all its banks that God should make a way thorough the deep into the heavenly Canaan never can we enough admire such Extasying grace This is the first thing considerable 2. The second thing considerable is the duty which God requires in this Gospel Covenant and that is Faith faith whereby we embrace the remedy offered us We want a pardon and nothing but faith can receive it we want perfect Righteousnesse and nothing but faith can furnish us with it we want that which may make this Covenant effectual to us and make it a blessing to us and nothing can do any of these things but faith faith is the Antecedent Condition for which the Reward is given 3. The third thing considerable in the Gospel Covenant is the promise Now the promise of the Gospel Covenant is comprehended in the word Salvation therefore the Gospel is called the salvation of God Acts 28.28 And this is the great businesse of Christ to be a Saviour Isa 49.6 That thou mayst be my salvation to the end of the earth when the Angels preached the Gospel they thought they could not expresse their news in better language than to tell people of salvation that must needs be great joy to all people In short when Gospel Ministers come clad with garments of salvation as Heraulds do with the garments of their Office then Saints may well shout aloud for joy Psal 132.16 Now this promise of salvation contains all Gospel promises in it but they are reduced to these foure 1. Justification this is a priviledge which other Covenants were unacquainted with and without this what would become of poor sinful man And this may well be the first great Gospel promise I might name not some Verses but whole Chapters to prove it Rom. 4. and 5. Gal. 3. and 4. but in a word if you would know the preciousness of this promise Ask those that have but felt what sin is and they will tell you 2. The second promise contained in Gospel salvation is Sanctification Rom. 8.2 3 4. The Law of the Spâ—rit of life in Christ hath made me free from the Law of sin and death for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit q.d. The efficacy and power of the sanctifying Spirit which gives life to believers frees us from the tyranny of sin and death and whereas the Law by reason of the corruption of our nature could not make us pure and perfect but rather kindled than extinguished corruption God hath cloathed his Son with our flesh to take away the guilt and power of sin that his perfect righteousnesse might be imputed to us and fulfillâ—d by us that we might not live according to the motion of our sinful nature but according to the motion of his holy Spirit 3. The third promise is the resurrection of the body You know the penalâ—y of sin is the death of soul and body though the soul be immortal yet its being miserable for ever may sadly be called an Eternal death Now let the guilt of sin be abolished and you do therewith abolish the punishment of it for guâ—lt is only an obligation to punishmenâ— let sin be pardoned and the sinner is freed from death and though believers dye yet it is as a corne of wheat falls into the ground they thereby obâ—ain a multiplied life John 6.54 Whoso eateth my flesh and drinkeâ—h my blood hath Eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day 4. The last promise is Eternal life a spiritual blessed and immortal life in heaven John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting life The Covenant of Grace is excellent fitted to bring us to the chiefest good Now the chiefest good consists in communion with God that was broken by sin and can never be perfectly recovered till sin be abolished therefore when the guilt of sin is taken away by Justification and the filthinesse of sin is taken away by Sanctification and the penalty of sin taken away by Resurrection then what can hinder our communion with God when we have once obtained perfect holinesse nothing can hinder us of perfect happinesse Thus you have the promise of the Gospel-Covenant which was the third considerable in it 4. The fourth thing to be considered in the Gospel-Covenant is the Mediator of this better Covenant and that is Jesus Christ God-man blessed for ever through his dignity he hath purchased salvation Hebr. 9.12 14. By his own blood he entred in once into the holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God c. And he is not only the Author of Eternal salvation by his merit and efficacy but the most absolute example and pattern to us how we should walk that we may obtain his purchased salvation Rom. 8.29 God did predestinate us to be conformable to the Image of his Sonne that he might be the first born among many brethren 1 Cor. 15.49 And as we have born the Image of the Earthly we shall also bear the Image of the heavenly And this is the only Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator the first Covenant needed no Mediator the Old Covenant as Legal take it without its sprinkling of Gospel and so chiefly Moses but in all respects meer men were Mediators but of the New Covenant Christ was Mediator but this I shall leave
Saint is able and apt to say Were it not for sin I would not much care for Satan I could defie and bid him do his worst it is the Devil within that makes the Devil without so formidable Now plead but this blood and the guilt of sin is done away Either as 1. Imprinted on the person to condemnation 2. Or reflected by the conscience in accusation 1. Sin is done away by this blood as it binds over to wrath and punishment it 's a spiritual aqua fortis that eates off the souls prison-shakkles Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Sin may remain but it shall not condemn and whence believers have their discharges the Apostle there shews Ver. 3. Suscipiendo poenam non suscipiendo culpam culpam delevit poenam Aug. God sent his own Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh If the channel of Christs blood runs through thy soul thou hast shot the gulfe as to condemnation this Scripture brings thee in not guilty and that 's the verdict of a thousand Juryes 2. The blood of Christ abolishes sin as reflected by the conscience in a way of accusation as it raises tumults and turmoyls in the soul and Armes a man against himself It 's a Malignant and mischievous property of sin that it doth not only put the soul into hell but puts hell into the soul Conscience is to sin what the burning-glasse is to the sun-beame twists all together till it scorches smoaks burns and flames but Christs blood hath that in it which is abundantly sufficient to silence and stop the mouth of an angry accusing conscience it 's a soveraign balsome to cure that cancer in the breast a mollifying oyntment and cooling fomentation for those invenomed sin-rankled ulcers that fester and bleed inwardly The blood of sprinkling speaks better things than that of Abel Heb. 12.24 Abels blood was very clamorous in Cains conscience he carryed an hue and cry within himself conscience as a blood-hound hunted him at every turne and its continual cry and eccho in his ears was Vengeance upon the murderer but the blood of Jesus hath in it a pleasant and peaceable voice and hushes all unquiet and tumultuary janglings Applyed by faith it saith to the soules rowling billows that cast up mire and dirt what Christ once said to the raging Sea Peace be still and there is a great calm 5. And the last enemy whose enmity the blood of Christ hath slain is death Not that death is so destroyed to believers that they shall not dye but unstinged that it shall not wound in the vital parts or at once kill bodies and souls The Apostles triumphant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very remarkable O death 1 Cor. 15.55 57 where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ When a Bee hath fastned its sting in a mans flesh and thereby lost it it ever after they say turnes a drone death once fastned its sting in Christ and hath ever since to them that are in Christ been like a drone that can humme and affright but not sting and hurt them Death now drives a poor trade amongst them it may destroy the body and when it hath play'd that prank it hath done all its fears as a fierce Mastiffe whose teeth are broken out it can bark or rend and tear the tatter'd and thred-bare coate but it cannot bite to the bone How feeble an enemy is death since it travelled and took a walk to the top of Mount Calvary 2. A Believers enemies are not only foyled but through the blood of Christ his person is accepted Eph. 1.6 7. he hath made us accepted in the beloved he hath begraced us in Christ that is the proper importance of the phrase in whom we have Redemption through his blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou art sprinkled with the blood of Christ God will know his own mark upon thee thy person is accepted and services cannot be unacceptable 3. If a believer here is comfort in that thou mayst be assured that Christ is willing to do any thing for thee He is ready in heaven upon all occasions to plead this price and sollicite thy further affaires shew but Christs blood and I dare warrant the golden Scepter held out The Apostles reasoning is unanswerable He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 Saints need never feare putting Christ to too much trouble in any thing they have for him to do for the shedding of his blood and that he hath already done hath been more troublesome and chargeable than any thing they can set him about for the time to come thou needest not fear his denying any thing to thee who hath thus far denyed himself for thee 4. Here is comfort to a believer in that his grace shall be preserved such a soul is too costly a purchase for Christ to lose he paid so dear that he may be trusted to demand and challenge the making good of his bargain if true grace could be totally and finally lost it might be said Christ payes the price and the devil gets the prize Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun a good work in you will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ And it lies Christ in hand so to do otherwise he will come off a loser Christ is the good Shepherd John 10.11 28 that giveth his life for the Sheep and gives unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Ah how little do they consult Christs honour or the comfort of souls that tell us Believers may perish in sin like rotten sheep in a ditch if so how then shall Christ save his stake that hath been thus much out of purse upon them 5. Here 's yet further comfort to a believer in that by the blood of Christ heaven is opened Heb. 10 19. and we have boldnesse to enter into the holyest by the blood of Jesus Man had no sooner sinned but God sent an Angel to stand Centinel and keep him from Paradise with a flaming sword the blood of Christ hath opened that passage at once blunting the sword and quenching the flame Christ gave up the Ghost at the ninth hour at three in the Afternoon the time of the evening Sacrifice and at the very instant the Veile of the Temple that parted the holy place and holy of holyes was rent asunder so that the Priest who was then Ministring in the holy place had on the sudden a fair and free prospect into the holyest of all which excellently typifies that the death of Christ hath removed and rent away all obstacles and obstructions that might interpose betwixt believers and the blessednesse of glory The Rivers lead to the Sea the
natural men minde something else than God would have them Phil. 3.19 they minde earthly things Herod mindeth the dancing of a lewd Strumpet more than the preaching of the holy Baptist the young man mindeth his great possessions the Epicure his belly the Farmer his barn Judas his bag the Silversmith his Shrines the Gadarenes their Swine Pila e the favour and applause of the people Let the best men speak ingenuously and they must needs confesse that there were many things if I may call them things rather nothings which they minded more than God or Christ or Heaven more than the highest concernments of their immortal souls the weightiest businesse of Eternal salvation they were all Gallios in respect of these things they cared for none of them till they were rouzed out of their waking dreams by the Effectual Call of the most gracious God This is the condition of every natural man 2. It presupposeth That it is an easie thing with God to bring us home to himself though we be never so far distant from him to awaken us to his service though in a dead sleep of sin to raise our minds to higher objects though they be never so deeply immersed in the things of this present world Is any thing hard to the Almighty with a word he made us with a word he can renew us When darknesse covered the face of the deep he did but ay Let there be light and there was light with the like facility can he shine in our hearts giving us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus He uttereth his voice saith David and the earth melteth Let but God utter his voice and the Rocks and Mountains of our corruptions will melt away like wax Come we now closer to the Point Toward the opening of which I shall entreat your Attention to the resolution of sundry Questions Question 1. What is this Calling It is the real separation of the soul unto God and a cloathing it with such gracious abilities whereby it may be enabled to repent of its sinnes and to believe in his Son It is our Translation from the state of Nature which is a state of sinne wrath death and damnation to a state of Grace which is a state of Holiness Life Peace and Eternal Salvation This Translation is wrought 1. By strong convictions of the minde First Of the guilt and filth of sin of the danger and defilement of sin of the malignity of sin and the misery that attends it Once saith the soul that is under this dispensation of Gods Grace Once I lookt upon sin as my wisdome now it is madness and folly Once I accounted it my meat and drink to fulfill the wills of the flesh sinne was a sweet morsel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I drank iniquity like water now 't is a cup of trembling to me and I fear it may prove a cup of Condemnation Once I hugged embrac't and delighted in sin as the Wife of my bosome now I clearly see that the fruit and issue of the impure copulation of my soul with her is nothing else but the shame of my face the stain of my reputation the Rack and horrour of my conscience and which is more than all these the provocation of the Almighty and therefore I begin to think within my self of an eternal divorce from her I slept securely in the lap of this Dalilah she robb'd me of my strength she delivered me up to Philistines that dealt unworthily with me that put me upon base and low employments what now should I think of but if it please the Lord to give new strength the death and destruction of them all Secondly Of the vanity and emptiness of the creature which we have Idolized confiding in it as the staff of our hopes breathing and pursuing after it as the perfection of our happiness Thirdly Of the absolute need of Christ that if he do not save vs we must perish Fourthly Of the absolute fulnesse of Christ and that in him we may be compleat if we be guilty he can justifie us if we be filthy he can purge us if we be weak he can strengthen us if we be poor he can enrich us if we be base he can ennoble us if we be deformed and ugly he can make us beautiful and lovely if we be miserable he can bless us and that with all Blessings in Heavenly places Fifthly Of the clemency goodness meekness sweetness graciousness of his disposition that if any man come to him he will in no wise reject him John 6.37 These things the minde is strongly convinc't of yet if there be not a farther work a man may carry these Convictions to Hell with him Therefore 2. In the second place this Translation is wrought by a powerful inclination and conversion of the will to close with Christ upon his own termes to embrace him as Soveraign as well as Saviour to take him as men use to do their Wives for better for worse for richer for poorer to stick to him on Mount Calvary as well as Mount Tabor to welcome him into thy bosome by bidding an everlasting farewell to thy sinnes In a word to make a voluntary tender and resignation of thy self unto him solemnly avouching that from this time forward thou wilt count thy self more his than thou art thine own and the more thy own because thou art his This work is carried on with a most efficacious sweetness so that the liberry of the will is not infringed whilst the obstinacy of the will is mastered and over-ruled If you ask me How can these things be I never studied to satisfie curiosity but if you can tell me how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child I also will tell you how the parts of the new man are formed in the heart but I suppose silence and humble admiration will be best on both sides if there be so great a mystery in our natural generation surely there is a far greater in our spiritual Regeneration if David could say of the former I am fearfully and wonderfully made much more might he say of the latter I am fearfully and wonderfully renewed Question 2. Who are the Called First Among creatures none but men are of the number of the called The Angels that kept not thei◠first estate but left their own habitation are never recalled Jude ver 6. but reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse to the judgement of the great day Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him Psal 8.4 or the son of man that thou so regardest him Secondly Among men none but the Elect are capable of this grace the call is limited by the purpose Whom he hath predestinated them he also called Rom. 8. Touching these Elect Persons divers things fall under our Observation As 1. In regard of their internal condition before this call they are dead in sins and trespasses
only argument urged by John the Baptist and our Saviour Mat. 3.2 4 17. to enforce Repentance mercy apprehended animateth the miserable sinner to returne to God Israel mourned but made no returne untill Shecaniah cryed There is yet hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10.2 The Assyrians put halters on their necks knowing that the Kings of Israel are merciful The Law shutting the door of hope may stir up grief and horrour but it staveth off Repentance sin seeming unpardonable sets the soule at a distance from God and sinks it in despaire whil'st the pardon proclaimed provoketh Rebells submission Nemo possit poenitentiam agere nisi qui speraverit indulgen iam no hope no help to repentance saith Saint Ambrose Repentance is argued from Gerhard meditat secund Exercitium poenitentiae ex dominica passione and effected by the death of Christ Mount Calvary is the proper Bochim the sufferings of a Saviour the sad comments upon sin the sighs and groanes of a Redeemer most rending to râ—gardlesse hearts and the sweat and blood of the Lord most soaking and suppling to an Adamantine soul but faith only apprehendeth and applyeth a crucified Christ Repentance the souls Pump is drie and distills no water untill faith poure in the blood of Christ and water of Gospel-promises so that Faith must precede Repentance as the cause to the effect the mother before the daughter for it must qualifie the true Penitent It is a mystery beyond the reach of nature that a Son should coexist in time with the Father but neither reason nor faith can allow a priority of the daughter before the mother I well know many Divines assert the precedency of Repentance unto faith but to my judgment it is more than probable yea positively clear that in order of time Faith and Repentance are infused together into the soul in order of sense and mans feeling Repentance is indeed before faith but in Divine method and the order of nature Faith is before Repentance as the Fountaine is before the Stream But it is objected that the order of Scripture doth set Repentance before faith so in preaching Mark 1.15 Mat. 3.2 Luke 3.3 Acts 2.38 3.19 And Repentance is required as the qualification which must entitle to the promises remission of sinne is onely offered to the penitent so that Repentance is the reason of faith and ground on which we believe sin is pardoned In Answer to this Objection I shall propound unto your Observation three Rules which make a full and ready resolution to it Rule 1 1. Order of Scripture doth not alwayes conclude order of nature in 2 Pet. 1.10 Calling is mentioned before Election yet who will deny Election to be first in nature for whom God predestinated them he also called Rom. 8.30 Again in 1 Tim. 1.5 Acts 15.9 The pure heart and good conscience is mentioned before faith yet none can deny them to be the effects of faith which purifieth the heart for to the unbelieving nothing is pure but their very minde and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 Rule 2 2. Humane sense is in many things the Dictator of Scripture order The Holy Ghost speaketh of things as they are obvious to our sense and capacity rather than as they are in themselves and their own order Hence it is that the promises of peace pardon and the like priviledges are propounded unto Repentance as a qualification obvious to our sense and evidencing our faith Faith and Election must be known à posteriori by their effects Repentance and Vocation and therefore are mentioned after them For though we Believe before we Repent we Repent before we know that we do Believe Rule 3 3. Misapprehâ—nsion of the nature of Grace doth easily lead into a mistake of the order of Grace Such as deem common illumination and conviction to be Repentance and Assurance of pardon joy and peace to be the formality of faith may very well place Repentance before Faith but such as understand the acceptance of Christ in order to pardon to be true and saving faith and a ceasing from sin and serious application of our selves to piety to be the formality of Repentance will plainly see that faith uniting us to Christ and deriving to us the efficacy of his death and sufferings that we may be holy doth Precede and must needs be the cause of true Repentance Let me then dismisse this Rule with this Note or Observation Note Faith in its existence and essential acts but without its reflexion fruits and effects is the foundation and fountain of true Repentance Such therefore on the one hand as apprehend and assent unto the History of the Gospel and are sometimes affected with and afflicted for their sin but do not accept of Jesus Christ as tendred to be Lord and Saviour do fix their Engine too low to force the waters of Repentance into the soul yet this Divels faith may produce a Judas Repentance for an Hypocritical Repentance is the result of an Historical faith And on the other hand he that seeks assurance of his sin pardoned as an argument of Repentance maketh the effect both cause and effect and concludeth himself into a condition not needing Repentance whilst he pretendeth to enforce it but the true frame of a Gospel Penitent is by saving faith to see salvation through the satisfaction of Christ our Saviour extended to sinners himself not excluded and so closing with accepting of and appropriating to himself the general tenders of grace and terms of the Covenant to prostrate himself at the feet of mercy and pursue his pardon untill by acts of sincere Repentance he assure himself his aimed at happinesse is attained and shall with certainty be possessed and so he experienceth in himself and evidenceth unto all others that the believing sinner is the subject of Gospel Repentance and now I passe to the third Conclusion considerable in the nature of Repentance Conclusion 3 Sense of and sorrow for sin as committed against God are the procursive acts of true Repentance True Repentance as most Divines determine doth consist in two parts viz. Humiliation and Conversion the casting down the heart for sin 2 Cor. 12.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 9.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the casting off sin A Repenting for uncleannesse and sin with grief shame and anguish and Repenting from iniquity Acts 8.22 and from dead works Hebr. 6.1 This distinction or rather distribution of Repentance is not only dictated by the denominations of Repentance which in the Hebrew is called Nacham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An irking of the soul and Teshubba A t rning from iniquity so in the Greek Metamelia After-grief and Metanoia After-wit and in the Latine Paenitentia and Resipiscentia the one expressing the sense and sorrow of the soul the other the retrogradations and returns of it from sin but the Scripture also doth clearly suggest nay speak out these distinct parts of Repentance Humiliation and Conversion
body which hath fasted and prayed and joyned sincerely with the soul in holy services shall one day behold the face of God with comfort Christ will say Are not these the eyes which have been liftâ—d up unto God in my service Are not these the ears which have hearkned to my word Remember this when your bodies are wearied and tired in the worship of God The more thou servest God with thy body the more glory it shall have at that day 4. Labour to get gracious souls here and you shall have glorified bodies hereafter 5. Labour to be united to Christ by a lively faith and he will be your resurrection and your life It is the great promise of Christ that he will raise up the body at the last day John 6.39.40 54 58. that is raise it up to life everlasting 6. Labour to have part in the first resurrection Revel 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection I know this Text is differently interpreted but sure I am according to the judgement of all learned men there is a double resurrection the one spiritual the other corporal the one of the soul the other of the body Those Texts Ephes 2.1 Col. 2.13 John 5.25 do without all doubt speak of the spiritual resurrection By nature we have dead souls dead in sins and trespasses void of spiritual life as perfectly under the power of sin as a dead man is under the power of death and as unable to do any thing that is spiritually good as a dead man is to do any work Now a soul dead in sin shall be damned for sin but if thy soul be quickned and made alive if the Lord hath infused principles of grace into thee and given thee a new heart and a new spirit if regenerated and born again then thy bodily resurrection shall be happy It is very observable That the Resurrection is called Regeneration Mat. 19.28 In the regeneration that is as many interpret it in the resurrection If spiritually regenerated thy resurrection shall be most happy and glorious O pray unto God and labour for regeneration and a new creation and that thou mayest have a share in the first resurrection 7. Heaken to the voyce of Christ and of his Spirit and of his Ministers and of his Rod and then his voye at the resurrection when he shall call thee out of the grave shall be a happy voyce If thou stoppest thine ears and wilt not hearken to the voyce of the Rod nor to the voyce of his Word and the Ministers of it thou shalt hear the voyce of the Archangel calling thee out of the grave whether thou wilt or no and the voyce of Christ saying Go ye cursed ito Hell-fire c. 8. Count all things dung and dross that thou mayest gain Christ and be found in him at that day not having thine own righteousness but the righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ and be willing to do any thing if by any means you may attain to the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3.8 9 11. that is either to a happy resurrection or rather to such a degree of grace which the Saints shall have at the Resurrection 9. Remember and carry daily in your mind that saying of S. Jerom Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you are doing think with y ur selves That you hear the Trumpet sounding and the voyce of the Archangel saying Arise ye dead and come to judgement Vse 5. A Divine Project how to make your bodies beautiful and glorious and beautiful in an ominent degree in a supersuperlative measure beautiful as the Sun in the Firmament as the beautiful Body of Christ which so dazzled Pauls eyes that it put them out To make your bodies Majestical Immortal and Impassible and that is by labouring to glorifie God with them and to get an interest in Christ and to get gracious and beautiful souls O that this word were mingled with faith Methinks if any Motive could prevail with you that are Gentlewomen and rich Ladies this should Behold a way how to make your bodies eternally beautiful What trouble and pains do many women that are crooked endure by wearing iron-bodies to make themselves stait What labour and cost are many women at to beautifie their rotten carcasses Hearken to me thou proud dust and ashes thou guilded mud that labourest to beautifie thy body by vain foolish and sinful deckings and trimmings and thinkest thy self deckt in the want of decking That pamperest thy body in all voluptuousness and makest thy self by thy strange fashions so unlike thy self as that if our civil forefathers were alive again they would wonder what strange monster thou wert Hearken unto me I say and consider thy madness and folly by labouring so much to adorn thy body with the neglect of thy soul thou undoest both body and soul The onely way to make thy body beautiful is as I hove said to gain Christ to have a part in the first resurrection and to get a gracious soul and then thou shalt be sure hereafter to have a glorious body Excellent is that saying of Bernard Christ hath a treble coming Once he came in the flesh for the good of our souls and bodies now he comes in the Spirit by the preaching of his Ministers for the good of our souls At the last day he shall come for the good of our bodies to beautifie and glorifie them Noli O homo praeripere tempora Do not O fond man mistake the time This present life is not the time for thy body it is appointed for the beautifying of thy soul and adorning it with grace and holiness The Resurrection is the time wherein Christ will come from Heaven to make thy body glorious How quite contrary to this do most people live Let it be our wisdom with the children of Issachar to have understanding of the times 1 Chro. 12.31 Let us labour to get our souls beautified by Christs second coming with Justification and Sanctification and Christ at his third coming will make our bodies glorious above expression The Day of Judgement asserted ACTS 17.31 Because he hath appointed a Day in which he will judge the world c. SAint Paul perceiving the Idolatry at Athens his spirit was stirred in him ver 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his spirit was sowred and imbittered in him Paul was a bitter man against sin That anger is without sinne which is against sinne Or the word may signifie he was in a Paroxysme or burning fit of zeal and zeal is such a passion as cannot be either dissembled or pent up with this fire he dischargeth against their Idolatry ver 22.23 Ye men of Athenâ— I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious for as I passed by and beheld your devotions I found an Altar with this Insc iption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the unknown God Nor doth the Apostle only declaime againg the false god but
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infligens ultionem Bez. which relates to the fault by reason 't is fit that the punishment be apportion'd to the fault in the execution of justice as maybe more plain in this case Suppose Titius for Treason should justly deserve death yet so that none living know his crime then imagine Caesar in a rage take away Titius his life â—his crime of Treason all this while neither considered nor discovered why the death of Titius though in it self it be a natural evil yet in order to Caesar is no proper punishment sit'h it is not the execution of justice in reference to the crime however it may be so in respect of God Latet culpa ubi non latet poena Aug. who kâ—ew not only that Titius so dyed but that he deserved so to dye this may illustrate that in the punishment of the damned there is an impression of Divine justice and therefore because of Gods just judgement this punishment is called the damnation of Hell q Mat. 23.12 Quia Deus ex â—uâ—icio hanc poenam â—impiis infligit Gerh. thereby noting the keen impression of Gods wrath wherein not only the Almighty Punisher doth respect sinne but the finite creature who is punished knows that he is cast into the furnace of fire for his sinne against the infinite God whereupon there is further requisite to this punishment 3. That the party punished have an acute feeling himself spoiled of all his perfections a lively sense of all that he is deprived of by reason of his sin otherwise it would not properly be punishment as I hinted before the damned hath always quick and terrâ—ble apprehension of an angry God impressing his wrath and persisting to deprive him of all that glorious good was offered to him instead of which that being refused he is more and more assured of lying in a consuming fire that is and will be continually burning up all those perfections he had not purging but plaguing him worse and worse yet not so that the flames devoure his essence or that the torments utterly i. e. absolutely destroy his substance but that they are continually feeding upon all that it should otherwise have been his simple being neverthelesse remaining thus of the punishment it self both of losse and pain The two properties of Hell punishiment 1. Extremity 2. The Properties of Hell punishment inseparable from it are its Extremity Eternity 1. Extremity it infinitely exceeds all other punishment no pain so extream as that of the damned who sustain the absence of all good and the presence of all evil all the cruelties in the world cannot possibly make up any horror comparable to the horrors of Hell I noted in the Analysis of my Text that the Extremity of Hell-torments is aggravated by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Annot. their inflammation the fire the preparation of them the prepared the association in them the Divel and his Angels There is a great force and Emphasis in these praepositive Articles in the Original thus repeated demonstrating and defining this punishment to exceed all others in its Extremity 1. The grievous inflammation setting forth the extremity of these torments fire is the most furious of all Elements but this is the fire hotter than Elementary or culinary fire importing the torments to be of a more violent nature than any other Geogr. l. 16. Col. 764. Cit. Full. Strabo relates that there is a Lake near Gadara in Galilie infected with suâ—h malignant and pestiferous qualities that it scaldeth off the skin of whatsoever is cast into it yet this is not comparable to the fiery Lake of brimstone where the extreame anguish of the damned is 1. Most exquisite Damnati exquisitissimos dolores sentient quibus majores non dari nec câ—gitari possunt Gerh. loc com Long. four last things all the exquisite torments that ever were heard of cannot expresse it to the full Nebuchadnezzars fiery furnace could but cause horrours like flea-bitings in comparison of those the damned in hell do suffer in every sense the little Monasyllable Hell though 't is easily over-look't by many at present yet 't is the most unexpressibly grievous Rack in the world They say Gehenne which we translate Hell in the New Testament does in French signifie a Rack which as the Strappado is thought to be the most exquisitely tormenting those terrible allusions to Tophet 2 King 23.18 with Isa 30.32 33. to the shreeks and yellings of Children sacrificed there are but shadowy representations of their paine who dye the second death 2. Intolerable soul and body shall be ever supported by God in being but neither be able to avoid nor yet endure hell-pain if Cain the foreman coming within the sight of hell here cry out My punishment is greater than I can bear Gen. 4.13 Prov. 18.14 Psal 88.15 90.11 Hos 13.8 Rev. 19.20 Heb. 11.36 for a wounded spirit who can bear if the apprehensions of hell even distract the Psalmist if an angry God but meeting the soul of a sinner rent the caul of his heart how will he be able to bear burning in the Lake with fire and brimstone hanging sting racking roasting suffering under harrowes and sawes of Iron fleaing of the skin scratching off the flesh with Thorns c. unheard of mercilesse miseries are nothing to the unsufferable tortures of Hell I grant there are degrâ—es of torment in hell yet the least is in t lerable whether 1. We look up on the Omnipotent hand of God executing the vengeance of eternal fire ah it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.30 31. the Judge to whom vengeance belongs who takes the wicked immediatâ—ly into his own hands as if none else were strong enough to inflict the fiercenesse of his wrath Or Rom. 9.19 2. Look down on the impotent punished creature no way able to make any resistance or lift up his head under the burden of divine indignation but must crouch under it for alas what can a leaf driven too and fro do against the blast of Gods displeasure how should the weak back of a poor feeble man bear the pile of fire and much wood Isa 30.33 33.14 Job 20.26 which the breath of the Lord doth kindle who among us shall dwell with everlasting burning they that suffer least in hell will find the torments intolerable So that when our Saviour saith r Mat. 10.15 ' I will be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that City which despiseth the offers of Gospel-grace he means not that any damned Sodomites should find hell-paines tolerable at all for Jude writing by the same spirit that Matthew did sayes They suffer the vengeance of eternal fire s Jude ver 10. and eternal fire with a vengeance can be no tolerable paine Christ will come in flaming fire taking vengeance on those that know not God 2 Thes 1.8
then his * Cant. 2.14 v ice will be sweet when he shall call to them to come up to * Isa 25.6 this Mountain to a feast of fat things a feast of wine on the Lees of fat things full of maâ—row of wines on the Lees well refined Laetissimè excipientis 3. 'T is the speech of one that bids us welcome to the feast too Come my friends I it is Come and welcome now Come poor heart thou hast been coming a long time I went my self to call thee I * 2 Chron. 36.15 sent my Messengers rising up early and sending them continually to invite thee to come in I sent my holy Spirit also like a Dove from heaven and it did light upon thee and gave thee an Olive branch of peace in the Wildernesse of thy fears when it allured thee and call'd thee from all thy wandrings then I sent my black rod for thee by that grim Serjeant death to strip thee of thy soul body of sin not to be touched but by the Angel of death then I sent my Angels to bring thy soul to the Courts of thy God and now by the sounding of the last Trumpet I have call'd for thy sleepy body to arise out of the * Psal 22.15 dust of death And now after all these Messengers thou art come I will not upbraid thee for thy delays but come come blessed soul with as many welcomes as there are Saints and Angels in glory I have * John 14.2 prepared a place for thee * Cant. 5.1 thou at come into my Garden Eat oh friends Drink yea drink abundantly oh beloved And so I have done with the explication of the several branches of the Text now let us see what fruit they bear that may be * Cant. 2.3 sweet to oru taste First 1. Infer Then if there be a Kingdome prepared before the foundation of the World for the blessed Saints and holy ones then what manner of persons are * 2 Pet. 3.11 we in all unholy Conversation and godlessnesse in this generation Men are as dead to Religion as if heaven was but a dream and as hot upon sin as if hell had no fire or was all vanished into smoak as atheistical and wretched as if neither heaven hell nor earth neither did feel a God or any memorandum's of his Providence Therefore a little to fortifie this notion which artificial wickednesse hath endeavoured to expel and expunge out of natural consciences I shall endeavour to confirme your faith by Scripture and reason The Socinians deny the revelation of eternal life and a state to come to have been propounded under the Old Testament and the reward being only earth their Law and obedience to be but carnal and low which is to level the Jews to the order of brutes that so the Gentiles under the Gospel might be advanced to the state of men and so by vertue of rhe new prize of immortal life proposed they should have a new command as their care to run which is all as true as that all the Tribes of Israel were converted into Isacar's * Gen. 49.4 strong asses couching down between two burdens but * Luke 7.35 wisdome is justified of her children and the Chaldee paraphrase renders those words * Gen. 4.7 Remittetur tibi in saeculo futuro if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted by this glosse Amend thy works in this world and thou shalt be forgiven in the world to come and the â—argum says the very dispute betwixt Cain and Abel was concerning a world to come and those carnal Hereticks that * Jude ver 10.11 19. are sensual not having the spirit in what they know naturally as brute beasts corrupt themselves they are gone into the way of Cain But when God tells Abraham * Gen 15.1 I am thy exceeding great reward and Jacob cries out * Gen. 49.18 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord even when about to dye God stiling himseâ—f their God is not by our Saviours authority * Mat. 22.32 the God of the dead but of the living therefore God held out eternal life in the promises yea and in the very command too * Levit. 18.3 Gen. 3.12 do this and live the reward of that obeeience there enjoyned was no lesse than this everlasting life as appeareth by our Saviours interpretation when the Lawyer came to him * Luke 10.25.28 saying Master What shall I do to inherit eternal life and he said What is written in the Law how readest thou and he answered thou shalt love the Lord c. and Jesus said Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live that is thou shalt have that thou desiredst viz. inherit eternal life and the very reproach of the Sadduces and the distinction of their Sect from Pharisees and others argueth sufficiently the world to come was a very common notion among all the Jews and indeed the whole land of Canaan was but a comprehensive type and shadow of heaven and all their Religion but a * Hebr. 10.1 shadow of good things to come in the Kingdome of heaven as well as in the Kingdome of the Messiah * John 8.56 whose day they then saw and were glad and if the Gospel contain the promise of eternal life then they had it in Abrahams days * Gal. 3.8 for the Gospel was preached before to him yea and before to Adam * Gen 3.15 that the seed of the woman should break the S rpents head and the skins of the Sacrifices wherewith he was cloathed might suggest the putting on of that promised seed and his obedience who was * Isa 53.5 to be bruised for the iniquities of his people But now to awaken Atheistical souls that deny not only the revelation of this Kingdome of God under the old Testament but its reality and existence under old and new consider these foure things very briefly as the limits of this Exercise command 1. The whole Creation is a Book which always lyeth open wherein we may read that there is a God who made the goodly Structure and Fabrick of Heaven and Earth Who else could be able to * Job 26.7 hang the vast body of the Earth upon nothing or to * Ver. 10. girdle the Sea and all its mountainous Waves with a Rope of Sand * Psal 104.2 to spread the heavens as a Curtain and hang up those vast Vessels of light in the Skies there must be a being existent from and of himself and so being improduced is infinitely perfect and comprehendeth all those perfections dispersed through the whole Creation and infinitely more yet what he makes is like himself every creature bears his footsteps but * Psal 8 3. Gen. 1.27 the heavens are the works of his fingers and man bears the very image of God We see in the several stories and degrees of the Creation love and
in the last words is called sin As to the first of these Original sin spoken to more particularly 1. As our old man 1. Why call'd man Original sinne is represented to us under our old man and that not without special reason whither we lay the emphasis upon Old or Man We will first enquire why it is call'd Man not our old understanding or affections c. only but our old Man And I will only give you these two reasons for it Mr. Burgesse to omit others which are given by that learned Authour who hath writ so fully on this subject 1. Because this sin runs parallel with our being men 1. It attends us whilst men or partaking of mans nature in this world This sin and our nature in us are twins in life and death they live and dye together we shall not cease to be sinful before we cease to be men Our whole Fabrick is so overspread with this leprosie that it can never be sufficiently cleans'd till it be wholly taken down It s strength indeed is abated it does not rule in a child of God as formerly nay it 's deaths wound is received it is crucified or fastened upon the Crosse as my text hath it yet it will not totally expire but with our latest breath it can be no more wholly parted with Gerrhard then our very soul it self Quod natura nobis inest deponi non potest Whatsoever is in us by nature will stick by us till the dissolution of nature 2. This sin is call'd man because it hath overspread the whole man 2. It overspreads the whole man that as the subjectum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is every man in a natural way propagated from Adam it may be said of every such one he is guilty of this sin he is infected with this Original sinne So the subjectum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the subject unto which this sin adheres and in which it is is every part of every man It is not in this spiritual malady as in corporal where the head akes many times when the heart is hail the Foot is wounded when the hand is whole but by this soul distemper every man is a very hospital of spiritual diseases neque manus neque pâ—s neither hand nor foot neither head nor heart is as it should be or does as it should do And because this is so material to our present purpose I will shew 1. It infects the soul in its chiefest faculties 1. That this sin cleaves to the soul and 2. It infects the very body also 1. The understanding First It hath overspread the soul and that in its most noble faculties I mean those two which do so much advance man above the common sort of creatures Reason and Will understanding and affections the highest and inmost powers poor man hath are suprized by it This sin appeares in the mind the eye of the soul 't is dim-sighted in natural things 't is quite out as to spiritual truths 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God What those things of the Spirit are the Context tells us no other than the plainest truths of the Gospel nay he counts these foolishnesse Those things which are the wisdome of God the product of infinite wisdome he slights and disesteems and no wonder for he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned Spiritual truths as such are no more within the cognizance of the natural eye of the soul than spiritual substances are within the view of the eye of the body There is none that understandeth Rom. 3.11 If Peter and some few other here and there in the world may be recepted no thanks to them but to the Father who hath reveal'd these things unto them Mat. 11.25 Certainly did we know the things of God more we should love them better Good when discover'd is attractive if a child prefers an apple before a piece of gold it is because he does not know the difference and when the children of men prefer themselves or any creature else before God the reason is they do not know they do not consider And hence it is that in our spiritual recovery the eyes are anointed with eye-salve Christ came to open the eyes of the blinde and his Spirit is a Spirit of illumination and revelation Luke 4.18 Revel 3.18 ult Believers were darknesse but now they are light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 What needs St. Paul to have prayed so earnestly that the eyes of the Ephesians understanding might be enlightned if they of themselves had not been blinde Ephes 1.18 The will is distemper'd with tâ—is sin also 2. The will is perverted with it it hath not seized only upon the head but upon the heart The imagination of the thought of mans heart is evil and only evil Gen. 6.5 Gen. 21.17 Jer. 9. I forbear glossing upon those places hence it is that there is so little love unto or desire after heavenly things can any man give a reason which he will not be ashamed of at that great day why he loves God no more What iniquity have ye found in me Non amo nec possum dicere quare says the Lord. As the Elements have their proper principles of motion gravity and levity whereby they tend to that place in the Universe that best suits them and sensitive creatures have their wings or feet to carry them towards those objects which are most convenient for them so God hath endued rational creatures with a will and affections to carry them forth towards the enjoying of himself who only is the Center of their happinesse and without whom they can never be at rest But does the will of man by nature do him this good office to carry him unto God as his only blisse why then do we see and hear of so many that are in the search of other things not once to be named with God how many are there of whom it may be said God was never thus to be sure in all their thoughts like the Israelites they are scattered up and down gathering straw nay drosse and dung in the Apostles sense is frequently preferr'd before Jesus Christ How many may sadly say as that good man Quantum Mercator pro lucro c. I have not done so much for my God as the Merchant doth daily for his gain or the Hunts-man for his game and yet what gain or pleasure is comparable to our enjoying of and communion with God but further 2. The body is not free from it The body bears a part with the soul in this sore evil 't is comparatively I confesse but a small part for it can according to its nature bear no greater Our Apostle speaks of sinne reigning in our body Rom. 6.12 Every member of our body is ready to act in a sinne to be an instrument of unrighteousnesse ver 13. a servant to uncleanness ver
that do inflict rather than sin within for which the same is inflicted The Lord scourges sin by that which is the inflicters sin too They have no Warrant to do and yet we justly suffer from them as Organs of wrath in Gods hand 2. Upon God himself Prov. 19.3 The foolishnesse of man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord. The Malefactour blames the Judge when it was himself that delivered himself over into the Judges power and Armed the Law with power of doing all that is done against him 5. This may informe us of the grâ—unds and advantages the Lord hath given us to humility and self-abasement Wipe the sweat off from thy brows and say This is the fruit of sin See the cloaths on thy back and these are the coverings of that shame which came in by sin look into thy body soul estatâ— relations person whatsoever is crooked and afflictive pertains to this account and is to be set at the foot of sin When beaten consider the fault that thou art beaten for and accept of the punishment of thy iniquity Lev. 26.41 Thy eye cannot turn but there are remembrances of sin and provocations to lay thy self in the dust before the Lord. 6. This may informe us of their folly that kindle this wrath yet more The Princes spake well to the two Tribes and a half Josh 22.17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed untill this day c. So are those wrath-provoking pollutions of nature too little for us by which we are so far defiled and troubled unto this day that by increases of sin we should augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord Num. 32.14 while abiding in this estate ye do this more and more continually Use 2. Exhort and this is double 1. To carnal and unregenerate persons Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest Micah 2.10 This is not an estate to be quietly abode one moment in Motive 1. Who can dwell with this wrath which God describes to be 1. Burning wrath Job 19.11 He hath kindled his wrath against me 2. Tearing wrath this set the Bears awork 2 Kings 2.23 Consider this yet that forget God lest he tear you in pieces Psal 50.22 3. Piercing wrath that goeth down into the very inwards of the conscience when all visible blessings stand intire round about and not a haire of the head is ruffled This curse often works in the middle of blessings and ripens by them insensibly for hell it self 4. Abiding wrath the prisoners of which are bound hand and foot and there is no starting Zach. 5.4 5. Surprising wrath Job 20.23 When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall raine it upon him while he is eating and so of all other times is most chearful 6. Reserved wrath Job 21.30 2 Pet. 2.9 which like a woman with childe will travel till it have brought forth judgment against all the enemies of the Lord though upon Thrones and having Nations under their feet Psal 78.30 31. Was Sodom a City fit to be dwelt in especially for Lot when the Lord had given him notice of the cloud of fire and brimstone hovering and ready to come down upon the same This Climate is too hot for any that have spiritual senses to dwell a minute in 2. Shall all our warnings be lost that tell you of the storme meerly to drive you under covert and that ye may understand and favour that glorious name 1 Thes 1.10 Jesus that delivers from wrath to come The Avenger of blood is in your necks to quicken your haste into this City of Refuge Why should ye make the Furnace-hotter and to the Fathers wrath which is quenchable in the blood of Christ superadde the wrath of the Lambe which is absolutely unquenchable Shall we only stand forth to clear the justice of the Lord against you in the last day 3. The great and swaying care of all Gods people assoon as ever they saw themselves in the glasse of the Law of liberty Jam. 1.15 was to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 This was Pauls prevailing care when sought for and to be set to Gods bar to be found cloathed with Christs righteousnesse and to have his Image legibly ingraven upon him the like care should be ours Directions 1. Stir up shame and sorrow and fear and indignation against your selves no sins are heavier than those we count light of Ezek. 8.17 Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here Take this oppositely to a double evil 1. Men pare and lessen their sins and make a very small matter of them and consider not that lessening their own indignation they increase Gods Prov. 14.9 Fools make a mock at sin chap. 10.23 It is a sport to a fool to do mischief So those Isa 57.4 Against whom do you sport your selves Against whom do ye make a wide mouth and draw out the tongue They fell to other gods and laughed the Prophet to scorne that made such a businesse of it so when Christ and grace and life were offered Mat. 22.5 they made light of it and went their ways that is made light of grace and of the sin of contempt of grace 2. Men stick in vile practises and think their sacrifices and prayers will salve all up again which the Lord so earnestly declares against Isa 1.14 But stir ye up sorrow 2 Cor. 7.11 shame displeasure repentance hath these adjuncts and proceeds to and deals with and chiefly with this first bottome-sinne 2. Lie down meekly at the Lords feet this follows upon the practice of the first direction 1. In submission to any the sharpest dispensations As passions stir up passions and one Coale kindles another so our frettings the Lords wrath There are tangs of this sin in the godly themselves 2 Sam. 6.8 Jonah 4.5 but grace takes it by the throat Psal 51.4 2. In supplication Jer. 10.24 Psal 6.1 The Lords servants have humbly and earnestly deprecated wrath 3. Embrace the Lord Jesus in the force of all his blessed offices and then go flie to and lift up thy face without spot before the Father in him Know 1. That it is a dreadful thing to have a settled Warre and plague in a Nation much more to be in the Jews case that rejected and would not be under the blessing of Christ and are under the curse of God and wrath is come upon them to the uttermost and hath rested already these One thousand six hundred years 1 Thes 2.16 2. That there is no other remedy propounded to remove this wrath which we came into the world children and heires of but only Christ. He hath the keyes of hell and death Acts 4.12 Rev. 1.18 to let the soul out of the body and into hell when he will to inferre and remove wrath If
passion of God-man Man being every other way finite must have suffered infinitely in regard of duration even to eternity And none but Christ who was infinite in regard of the subject and dignity of his person as he was God could have so speedily and effectually delivered us from this punishment by suffering it himself whereby Gods justice was satisfied his hatred against the sinner removed and his mercy at liberty to act in the pardon of the sinner Sixthly This passion of Jesus Christ God was graciously pleased to accept for us and impute to us as if we had suffered in our persons and so he receives us into mercy And this is the substance of the Doctrine of the Gospel about mans salvation So much for the first thing the Explication of the point 2. I now come to the Assertion or Demonstration of it that you may receive this Doctrine as a Truth not built upon the traditions of men but revealed in the Word of God Now to prove this point viz. That the death of Jesus Christ is the procuring cause of mans Justification and Salvation I may use two sorts of Arguments First Some from the consideration of Christs death Secondly Some from the consideration of mans Justification and Salvation 1. From the consideration of Christs death I shall offer six Arguments 1. It s Possibility 2. Necessity 3. Nature 4. Cause 5. Vicegerency 6. Peculiarity First From the possibility Let me be bold to assert had it not been for this purpose it had not been possible for Christ to dye as it was not possible for Christ to be holden of death Acts 2.24 the price being paid and so the Prisoner of course to be released so it had not been possible because not just Id tantum possumus quod jure possumus to put him into a prison if it had not been to pay a debt And a debt of his own he had none he was a Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.19 Holy blameless undefiled separate from sinners Hebr. 7.26 He knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 which I the rather mention because Sâ—cinus hath the impudence to lay down this blasphemous Assertion That Christ like the Jewish High Priest did offer for himself as well as for the people You have seen he had no debt no sin of his own he professeth of himself that he did alwayes those things which pleased his Father John 8.29 and therefore he must needs dye for our debts it is plain that Adam had he continued in integrity should not have dyed death is not the effect of nature then the Saints in glory must dye again for they have the same nature but the fruit of sin death entred into the world by sin Rom. 5.12 And the Apostle proves the sin of Infants expressed by that Periphrasis such as have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression from the death of Infants and in Adam all dyed i. e. by his sin 1 Cor. 15.22 Therefore Jesus Christ being purified from the guilt of Adams sin by his holy birth and no lesse perfect than Adam should have been could never have dyed if not for our sakes Secondly From the necessity of Christs death it was necessary for our Salvation and Justification without which end it had been in vain The Socinians mention two other reasons and ends of Christs death the one to be an example of obedience but such we have many others upon far less charge the other to be a ground of hope for the remission of sin and the fulfilling of Gods promises but properly it is not the death but resurrection of Christ which is the ground of our hope 1 Cor. 15.14 If Christ be not risen your faith is vain so that those ends are improper and insufficient And to strike it dead I urge but one place Gal. 2.21 If righteousnesse come by the Law Christ is dead in vain What can be more plain if righteousnesse be not by Christ that the death of Christ be not the procuring cause of our Justification Christ is dead in vain to no end or as Grotius and others rather understand without any meritorious cause i. e. our sins however all comes to one Thirdly From the nature of Christs death it is a Sacrifice this consists of two Branches 1. Sacrifices did expiate sin 2. Christs death is a Sacrifice and a sin-expiating Sacrifice 1. I say Sacrifices did expiate sin Levit. 1.4 He shall put his hands upon the head of the burnt-offering and it shall be accepted for him and many such places And this they did typically which strengthens the cause we have in hand as representing and fore-signifying Christ without which it was not possible for the blood of Buls and Goats to take away sins Hebr. 10.4 And the sins pardoned under the Old Testament were pardoned thorough Christ and not through any vertue of their Sacrifices Christ being a Mediatour for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament Hebrewes 9.15 2. And this brings in the second Head that Christs death is a Sacrifice and a sin-expiating Sacrifice if either the names or nature of it may be regarded for the names and titles proper to Sacrifices they are attributed to it and God doth not give flattering titles nor false names but such as discover the nature of things it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Oblation or offering up of himself Ephes 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3.25 to omit others and for the nature by vertue hereof sin is atoned he is our High Priest for this end to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being by an Enallage put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pacifie God reconcile God turn away his wrath You meet with all things in Christ which concurre to the making of a Sacrifice The Priest he is our High Priest the Sacrifice himself Christ was once offered the shedding of blood and destroying of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the essential part of a Sacrifice Add to these 1 Cor. 5.7 Christ our Passeover is Sacrificed for us where is a double Argument 1. That Christ is expresly said to be Sacrificed 2. That he is called a Passeover which at the best seems to have been both a Sacrifice and a Sacrament Now then Christs death being a Sacrifice it appeares that it appeased Gods wrath procured his favour Fourthly From the cause of Christs death I might urge a double cause 1. The inflicting cause it was Gods displeasure Nothing more plaine than that he had a very deep sense of and sharp conflict with Gods wrath from those dreadful horrours in the Garden where his soul was exceeding sorrowful unto death not certainly at the approach of an ordinary death which many Martyrs have undergone with undaunted courage but at the apprehension of his Fathers anger and upon the Cross where he roared out that direful complaint My
blinde in their mindes stony in their hearts corrupt in their ways even as others 2. In regard of their outward condition both before and after this call they are for the most part poor and vile and contemptible in the eye of the world God puts not the greater value upon any man for a gold ring or goodly aparrel though the world doth He hath chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and Heires of the Kingdome Jam. 2.5 1 Cor. 1.29 Ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise mâ—n after the flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called Some it may be but not many God so orders his Call as that it may appeare there is no respect of persons with him 3. Whatever the outward condition of these men be there are but very few that are effectually called few I say in comparison of those that are left under the power and dominion of their lusts One of a City and two of a Tribe I tremble to speak it but a truth it is and must out Satan hath the Harvest God the gleanings of man-kinde which by the way may serve to convince them of their vanity and folly that make the multitude of actors an Argument to prove the rectitude of actions as if they could not do amisse that do as the most Whereas a very Heathen could say Argumentum pessimi turba The beaten Tract is most deceitful Sheep go the broad way to the Shambles Seneca lib. de vita beat when a more uncouth path might lead them to fresh Pastures Question 3 Who is he that Calleth Who but God that calleth things that are not as if they were all heart-work is Gods peculiar the restraining and ordering the heart he with-held Abimelech not suffering him to touch Sarah Abrahams Wife Gen. 20.6 and the heart of Pharaoh while it was least conformable unto the Rule of his Law was absolutely subject unto the Rule of his providence and well it is for us that it belongs to God to restrain and order hearts otherwise sad would be the condition of this Nation of the whole world but now if it be Gods peculiar to restraine and order hearts much more surely to turn change break melt Coluerunt Ethnici Venerem Verticordiam Val. Max. lib. 8. cap. 15. Lilius Girald Synt. 13 Jer. 31.33 and new-mould hearts It is his Soveraign grace which we adore as the only Verticordia as the real turn-heart therefore may we observe that 1. God doth especially challenge this unto himself You know whose expressions those are I will give a new heart and again I will take away the heart of stone are they not Gods who dare make any challenges against the Almighty hath not he a Scepter strong enough to secure his Crown those that will be plucking Jewels out of his Royal Diadem and ascribe that to themselves or any creature which is his Prerogative shall finde him jealous enough of his honour and that jealousie stirring up indignation enough to consume them But 2. As God may justly challenge this work to himself so it is altogether impossible it should be accomplished by any other For 1. This effectual vocation is a spiritual resurrection of the soul while we are in a state of Nature we are dead not sick or languishing not slumbring or sleeping but quite dead in trespasses and sinnes when we are call'd into a state of grace then are our soules raised to walk with God here as our bodies at the last day shall be raised to walk with the Sonne of God unto all eternity Now if it be not in the power of any creature to raise the body from the grave of death upon which account it is used as an Argument of the Divinity of Christ that he raised himself much less is it in the power of any creature to raise the soul from the grave of sinne And therefore do all true Believers experiment the power of God Eph. 1.19 20. even that exceeding greatness of power that Might of his Power as the Greek hath it whereby he raised up Christ from the dead 2. This effectual vocation is a new Creation of the soul whence we are said to be Created in Christ Jesus when we are called unto an experimental knowledge of him and unfeigned Faith in him upon which account it must needs be Gods workmanship for power of creating is not cannot be communicated to any creature Though the Angels excell in strength Psal 103.20 and wonderful things have been performed by them when they have as Ministers executed Gods pleasure in the punishment of the wicked and protection of the righteous yet the mightyest Angel cannot create the meanest worm that is the only product of infinite power And let me tell you if infinite power be manifested in the Creation of the world it is more gloriously manifested in the conversion of a sinner There is a worse Chaos a worse confusion upon the heart of man when God undertaketh his new Creation than there was upon the face of the earth in the Old Creation In the earth when it was without forme and void there was only indisposition Gen. 1.2 but in the heart of man there is both indisposition and opposition Well then I peremptorily conclude that the work is Gods Gods by the way of a principal efficiency and not only by way of motion or perswasion as some would have it wherein I fear a piece of cursed brokeage for their own glory For were it so they would be but very mean acknowledgements that do belong to God for the change of a most miserable and unhappy estate Suppose I should go to some wealthy Citizen and present him an object of charity using the most cogent Considerations which my Art and Wit could invent to inforce a liberal Contribution thereupon he freely parts with his mony for the relief of that indigent person tell me now to which of us is he mainly engaged to return thanks to me the mover or to him the bestower I make no question but your Judicious thoughts have made an award of the chief acknowledgement to the Latter The case would plainly be the same betwixt God and us if his only were the motion ours the act of Conversion his the perswasion ours the performance and if we go to Heaven we should have more cause to thank our selves than to thank God for all the happiness we meet with there Beloved I beseech you take heed of such an opinion as this it hath blasphemy written in the forehead of it if it be rooted in your mindes Scriptas habet in fronte blasphemias Ennodius lib. Epist 2. it will breed in your hearts a confidence of your own power and abilities and that is no better than a fine-spun Idolatry and shall finde little better resentment with God thâ—n if you worshipped stocks and stones Question 4. Vpon what account doth God Call What moves the Divine Majesty thus to
Caesar By his passive Righteousnesse I mean all that he suffered in his life-time as the meannesse of his birth and education his persecution by Herod in his infancy after by the Scribes and Pharisees his hunger and temptation in the Wildernesse his poverty and straits he had not where to lay his head in a word he was all his life long in all things tempted as we are yet without sin Heb. 4.15 but especially what he suffered at his death First in his body he was scourg'd spit upon crown'd with Thornes and latength crucified which was 1. A cruel death the Latine cruciari to be tormented is derived à cruce from being crucified 2. A reproachful one Gal. 3.13 Heb. 13.13 it was the Roman death for slaves and Malefactors But secondly most of all he suffered in his soule witnesse those expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26.37 Mark 14.33 adde his bemoaning himself to his Disciples in the following words and his passionate prayer thrice repeated Abba Father if it be pâ—ssible let this cup passe Adde further yet his sweating drops of blood in that bitter agony which so spent him in the Garden that an Angel was sent to comfort him but above all his desertion upon the Crosse witnesseth that he suffered unutterably in his soule when he cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The Socinians are here puzzled to give any tolerable account how the infinitely good God could find in his heart to exercise his only begotten Son that never sinned with all these horrours in his soule for certainly it stood not with his goodnesse had not Christ as the second Adam been a publick person a Representative on whom the Lord laid the iniquities of us all Isa 53.6 But if we consider which they deny that Christ was then satisfying his Fathers Justice we need not wonder at those horrours and consternations of the manhood for he knew the vastnesse of his undertaking the numberlesse numbers and aggravations of sins the dreadful weight of his Fathers wrath the sharpnesse of that sword Zech. 13.7 which he was going now to feele not that God was angry with Christ upon the Crosse quoad affectum no he never more dearly loved him but quoad effectum adde Christs infinite abhorrence of the sins he bore and that infinite zeal wherewith he was inflam'd to vindicate the honour of Divine justice Now his infinite love to his Church struggling with all these produc't those agonies and overcame them all when he said It is finished Joh. 19.30 we meet him next triumphing in his Resurrection But here to resolve that great question whether Christs passive Righteousnesse alone or active and passive joyntly are the matter of Christs satisfaction which believers plead at Gods Bar for their Justification and which being accepted by God as a plea good in Law is said to be imputed viz. in a Law-sense for Righteousnesse Let these Reasons be weighed by such as do disjoyne them First each of them hath its proper interest in and its respective contribution towards the satisfying the injur'd honour of Gods Law For the honour of Gods Law is the equity of both its parts its command and its threatening Christs active Righteousnesse honours the equity of the first which man had dishonoured by his disobedience but the great God-man hath repaired the honour of Gods Commandments by yielding a most perfect obedience to every one of them and therein proclaimed the Law to be holy just and good Then Christs passive Righteousnesse in like manner honours the equity of the threatening for as by obeying he acknowledged Gods authority to make a Law and his unexceptionable righteousnesse in every single Branch of the Law made so by suffering he proclaimeth that man is bound to keep it or if he do not to beare the penalty He himself dyes to justifie that the sinner is worthy of death and offers himself upon the Crosse as a Sacrifice to the Divine Justice and hereby he hath proclaimed sin to be exceeding sinful and God to be so jealous a God as rather than sin should go unpunish'd and his justice want its glory the righteous eternal Son of God must be made an example what guilty man had deserved Thus God by two equal miracles of everlasting astonishment to be adored hath satisfied both his contending Attributes and rendred each of them Triumphant in making his righteous Son an example of his sin-avenging justice that guilty sinners repenting and believing might be made examples of his sin-pardoning-goodnesse In the second place as each hath its respective interest in satisfying the injur'd Law so neither of them can be anywhere severed from the other and those which God hath so indissolubly joyned let none part asunder for Christs active Righteousnesse was everywhere passive because all of it done in the forme of a servant for in our nature he obeyed the Law but in his very incarnation he was passive for therein he suffered an ecclipse of the glory of his Godhead And his passive Righteousnesse was everywhere active because what he suffered was not by constraint or against his Will no it was his own voluntary act and deed all along let me instance in the greatest of his sufferings his very dying was the product both of the freenesse of his love and the Majesty of his power John 10.17 18. Rev. 1.5 In the third place both Christs active and passive Righteousnesse what he did and what he suffered partake in common of the forme of â—atisfaction therefore they are both integral parts or joynt ingredients thereof for forma dat esse but this brings me to the second enquiry Query 2 What is the forme of Christs satisfaction or that which renders it satisfactory I answer the infinite merit of what he did and suffered which infinite merit stands 1. In the dignity of his person the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily Col. 2.9 John 1.14 Now for the work of a servant to be done by the Lord of all renders his active and for him to suffer as a Malefactor between Malefactors who was God blessed for evermore renders also his passive righteousnesse infinitely meritorious no wonder the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin for it is the blood of God Acts 20.28 1 Joh. 1.7 And this is the Reason why the Righteousnesse of one redounds unto all for the justification of life Rom. 5.18 19. because his active and passive Righteousnesse is infinitely of more value than all that all the creatures in heaven and earth could have done or suffered to eternity the very man Christ Jesus is above all the Angels Heb. 1.6 for he is the man that is Gods fellow Zechary 13.7 And this infinite worthinesse of the Redeemers person you have excellently described as irradiating and infinitely exalting all he did and suffered Phil. 2.6 7 8 9. Heb. 7.24 25 28. 2. The active and passive Righteousnesse of Christ are of infinite merit because not at all due but
unlesse the seed of the Word be received and retained there can be no new man no good and honest heart 2. There is a formation Gods Art is wonderful in the formation of our outward man Psalme 139.14 15 16. but far more stupendious in the formation of our inward man Gal. 4.19 which is no mean part of the mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 3. Quickening 1 Cor. 15.36 Eph. 2.2 Gal. 2.20 which is perceived by spiritual motion 4. Longing Sometimes the Parents long sometimes the childe here both Parents and childe How doth God Christ and his Ministers long for the natural mans conversion Ezek. 18.23 Luke 13.34 Phil. 1.8 Never did a teeming woman long more for fruit or deliverance than these do for a new-born babe in Christ I but this is not all the Babe himself longs also 1 Pet. 2.2 Compare 2 Cor. 7.11 5. Travaile with paine Oh the pangs of our spiritual Mothers Gal. 4.19 do not increase them by sticking in the birth Hosea 13.13 Compare 2 Kings 19.3 Oh the feare and danger of miscarriage both before and after this spiritual childing Gal. 4.20 11. 1 Thes 3.5 and in this miscarrying age how frequent is the curse of Ephraim Hosea 9.13 14. But is the Babe exempted from paine sorrow and danger In no wise Every new-born babe comes crying into the world The New as well as the Old Creation travails with paine Rom. 8.22 23. The foundation of the second Temple is ever laid in weeping Ezra 3.12 13. and God still layes the beames of his Chambers in the waters c. Psalme 104.3 Each of these may be a taste and touch of our new-birth and prove the greatest part of Professors to be in an unregenerate estate 3. They agree in the Subject produced the new creature with new actions and new Priviledges As in Generation so in Regeneration there is 1. A new nature with new principles 2 Cor. 5.17 Gal. 6.15 In Generation there is still the same first matter but under several and successive formes and when ever a new forme is introduced the Subject is called new so in Regeneration Old things passe away behold all things b come new ib. 2. There are new actions or operations 2 Cor. 4.16 Ephes 4.22 24. There 's a new eye a Circumcised eare a spiritual taste appetite language motion c. 3. And lastly There are new priviledges According to the degrees of Generation the degrees of Priviledge vary a plant hath higher Priviledges than an Element a beast than a plant and a man than a beast But how transcendent are the prerogatives of the new man Heb. 12.22 24. See more of this Head in the Explication of Adoption Next follow the termes of difference or dissimilitude The termes of difference which may be applyed to each of the Heads of Agreement the second Birth far excelling the first Birth even in those Termes wherein both agree But I passe that for brevities sake and shall content my self to note the difference of both Births in four Properties And 1. Regeneration is rare As few men are generated in comparison of all other creatures so few persons are new borne in comparison of those who are borne No more are Regenerated than shall be saved and those are but few in comparison Mat. 7.14 compare Luke 13.23 2. It s far more secret than the natural birth compare Eccl. 11.5 Joh. 3.8 Colos 3.3 John 3.4 9. Whatever Solomon might understand of Generation both he and every man else is very purblinde in discerning the nature of Regeneration nor could the wisest or the holiest excepting Christ ever fathom either the mystery of iniquity or this mystery of godlinesse 3. Regeneration is constant and progressive once born and ever born once born and always bearing It s like the Generation of the Son of God who was begotten from eternity and is still a begetting Psal 2.7 Hebr. 13.8 In natural Generation sooner or later death marrs the birth but it s otherwise in Regeneration he that is born again shall never dye the soul and body may part but Christ grace and the soul shall never part 4. Regeneration is spiritual the very soul it self is carnal if compared to the Spirit of Grace communicated in Regeneration Zech. 12.10 John 3.6 The grace of Regeneration though but a quality far exceeds the most refined substance humane or angelical as is evident in the Apostate Angels who by their losse of holinesse became Fiends and Divels yea worse than nothing This for the Explication of the termes in general and in particular Proof of the Doctrine I proceed to the proof and demonstration of the doctrine In the management whereof I shall need to go no further than my Text. 1. Adoption and Regeneration are distinct Sonships And First It will appear from the Text that the Sonship by Adoption and Regeneration are distinct filiations though never separated as to the subject for whoever is a Childe by Adoption is also a Childe by Regeneration and contra That they are distinct filiations is evident 1. Because they are noted as distinct ver 12. 13. 2. Their foundations are distinct the one is of gift and by actual faith the other is of birth There 's a wide difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied to Adoption and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which expresses Regeneration compare Matth. 2.1 Joh. 1.2.14 Gal. 4.4 where both words are joyned together An adopted person is made a Son but he is not born a Son as to the Adopter It s evident then these two relations are distinct Secondly It appears also from the Text 2. Believers are Gods children by both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that every Believer is a childe of God by both these filiations Namely by Adoption and Regeneration The former is evident because Believers are dignified with a sonship which follows as a priviledge upon their faith and that by deed of gift which can be no other than the Sonship of Adoption for the Sonship of Regeneration precedes actual believing The second is as evident for they who are born of God must needs be Sons by Regeneration as he that is born of man is a Son by Generation But Believers are expressely said to be born of God as is evident by comparing both the Verses of the Text and therefore are Gods Sons by Regeneration as well as by Adoption If you ask further Whence it is that Believers are Sons of God by this double filiation the Text holds forth a foure-fold ground partly explicite and partly implicite The first ground is free-grace Adoption is a gift therefore not deserved Regeneration cannot be deserved 1. Because all merit is impossible to the creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Because before Regeneration the creature was in a state of Corruption and what can a corrupted creature deserve but wrath and curse The second ground is Christs merit whence probably the bestowing of the priviledge of Adoption
his Saviour with an I thank God through Jesus Christ I have gained the victory The weary and heavy laden are the men invited to Christ for ease and refreshment Mat. 11.28 for indeed such onâ—y seek him and can be satisfied in him and duly savour him the full stomach of a proud Pharisee loaths the honey-comb of Christ his righteousnesse whil'st to the hungry appetite of the humbled sinner the bitterest passions of a Saviour are exceeding sweet the deeper the sense of misery the sweeter is the sense of mercy How acceptable is the fountain of living waters to the chased panting heart Deus oleum non infundit nisi in vas contritum Bern. and the blood of Christ to the thirsty soul and conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath the broken and the contrite heart is the only Sacrifice acceptable to God the wounded Samaritan is the fit object of his compassion a Mary Magdalene cannot but love much when looking on her sins she seeth much is forgiven 2. To set them at enmity with sin and in due submission to his sacred Will Sin is natural to the sons of men and only smart for it will make us sick and willing to be rid of it untill God bring Israel into affliction they regard him not but then they seek him daily Hosea 5.14 An unbroken sinner is as unfit for Gods instruction as an unbroken Colt for the saddle or unfallowed ground for seed Manasseh his Bonds break in him the power of his sin â— Chron. 33.12 and the shakings of the prison to the heart-ake of the Jaylor makes him pliable to divine pleasure Act. 16.30 What shall I do to be saved Sense of sin is a principle of submission under affliction Why should a living man complaine for the punishment of his sin Sins revival unto remorse of conscience constrains Pauls outcry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of corruption the humbled heart gives an heedy eare to divine instruction They are not stiff-necked but give their hand to the Lord to be led by him 2 Chron. 30.8 and therefore God will teach the humblâ— his way Psal 25.9 A bruised heart is like soft waxe prepared for divine impression so that to the end Christ may be of esteem as a Lord and Saviour the penitent soul must on due conviction cry out Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God shall I come before him witâ— burnt-offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or ten thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my fiâ—st-born for my transgression or the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Micah 6.6 7. And to the end we may be set against sin it must sting the conscience and so work us into a willingnesse to do or suffer the Will of God making us with earnestnesse and resolution cry when pricked at the heart What shall we do to be saved so that a sight of and sorrow for sin as committed against God are parts of and essential to true repentance only before I passe from this Conclusion let it be noted that they are precursive acts Repentance cannot be constituted without them but they are precursive such as alwayes go before sometimes yea too often at least in shew and appearance without true Repentance Judas is convinced of and cast down for sin unto utter despaire crying out I have sinned in betraying innocent blood And Ahab may humble himself in all external expressions and many internal operations of the soul and yet never be turned unto the Lord. We may not indeed deny that humiliation especially in the external acts and expressions goeth many times without conversion and compleated repentance and so we must needs conclude Conviction is not true grace or an estate of saving holinesse but that sad complaints of guilt may passe from Reprobates and damned soules yet we must remember Repentance or conversion never goeth without humiliation sight of and sorrow for sinne In the order of nature men must be convinced of and confounded for the evil from which they are converted we cannot hate and avoid the evil we do not know and know to afflict us and the order of Scripture doth alwayes call to a communing with our hearts that we may stand in awe and not sin Psal 4.5 a searching and trying our wayes before we turn unto the Lord the Law must do its work as a Schoolmaster to every soule that is brought to Christ and the Gospeâ— ever sends the prick into the h art of such as repent unto remission of sin Acts 2.37 38. and the spirit of bondage before the spirit of Adoption of power love and a sound minde Rom. 8.15 Preaching Repentance is the opening the blind eye and the bringing the Prodigal into his right minde that in the sense of his sad estate he may go unto his father and seek mercy The work of the Word is to make them sinners of sense that shall come to Christ for cure to cast down all proud imaginations and every high thought which exalteth it self and so to bring into obediâ—nce to Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 to affect men with guilt and danger that they may with fervency cry What shall we do to be saved to convince that the issues of death will be the end of the way in which they now walk that they may flee with desire and returne without delay In a word to affect the heart with the high transgressions of Gods holy Law the disobedience of a gracious Father and offence done to infinitenesse that the soule may down on its knees prostrate it self at the foot-stoole of mercy fly to Jesus Christ as its Redeemer Surety and alone satisfaction and so sue out its pardon by a serious return to God and these are as it were the pangs of the New Birth natural and necessary though sometimes abortive and miscarrying the first part of sincere repentance though not alwayes successeful to perfect and compleat it for although we must not call the convinced conscience a Gospel-Convert yet the Convert is alwayes convinced sense of and sorrow for sin is no infallible sign of saving grace yet saving grace and sincere repentance is never wrought without a sight of and sorrow for sin as committed against God for this is the precursive act of true repentance and whenever God will seale up under impenitency he stops the passage and possibility of humility making the eare heavy and the eye dim and the heart hard lest they should see with their eyes hear with their eares and be of humbled hearts and so be converted Mat. 13.15 And so much for the third Conclusion but again in the nature of repentance we must Note Conclusion 4 Turning from all sin to God is the formality of true repentance Sincere conversion is the summa totale and ratio formalis of a Gospel-penitent Remorse for sin without a
and is exalted to give remissiâ—n of sin and Repentance and to consecrate us unto himself a peculiar people These Lessons and every of them are written in such legible Characters in the death of Jesus Christ that he that runs may read them and each of them are pathetical perswasions to Repentance whil'st they are read by any seriously observant soul they reflect these serious and pensive thoughts How vile is mine iniquity that hath provoked so great severity and exp sed my Surety to so much misery how great peril was my soul in which is râ—deem d by so great a price how dangerous those wounds which are only cured by the death of the Chyrurgion how dissonant to holinesse and daring to justice is that sin which but imputed exposed the only begotten Son of God to be deserted by his Father how fierce that fury which could not be appeased without suffering it must needs be fearful to fall into the hands of an angry God for how will he fume at the servant that thus frets at his Son how will he tear the Principal that thus tormenteth the Surety how shall God punish us for our own sins who is so wrathfully displeased with his Son for other mens sins Oh what shall be the sufferings of the Reprobate if these be the sufferings of his dearly beloved needs must fraile man sink under the burden of Divine fury when the God of Angels needed the support of an Angel If my Repentance will avenge the quarrel of my suffering Saviour shall I not do it if Repentance will rescue me from wrath to come shall I not performe it had I not better weep a few days here then in hell for ever and the rather for that I weep not without cause nor mourn without hope The sin was mine the sorrow my Saviours the transgression mine the satisfaction my Sureties Oh the depth of his pity that endured this for mine iniquity What he endured for a time I must have endured for ever if in him the Father had not been well-pleased Shall that be my delight which cost my Surety so dear Shall I call on the Lords Name or be called by the Name of Christ and not depart from iniquity was Jesus Christ thus broken for me and shall not my heart be broken for and from sin hath he R deemed me from this wrath to come and shall he not Redeem me from my vain conversation shall I expect Remission and not accept repentance through his blood Oh what reason have I to return to God and glorifie him with my soul and body which are his for he bought them at a price and a deare price his own blood he hath consecrated a way of access unto the Father through the vaile of his own flesh but shall I dare to approach not having my heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and my body washed with pure water he is reconciled but shall I againe rebell I am healed shall I againe sin a pardon is to me extended shall I not receive it with a pensive and prostrate soul Thus then we find that there is much of strength in this Argument even above a thousand Arguments to enforce Repentance if but right reason keep the Throne what reply can be made or reason rendred why the call of the Gospel should not be obeyed whilst it pleadeth with so much clearnesse for our repentance from the consideration of the death of Christ But the second Argument urged by the Gospel to induce us to repent is the day of judgement 2. Argument to enforce repentance The former Argument doth assault our affections this our passions that the soul may be surrounded with suggestions unto repentance and if either the one or the other are under the command of right reason the design of the Gospel may not miscarry the dread of the day of judgement drives the Ministers of God to Preach and perswade repentance Knowing the terrours of â—he Lord we perswade men saith the Apostle for that we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive according to the things done in the body according to that he hath done in the body whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 11. This is sure a profitable proper Argument to perswade repentance which provokes unto the Preaching of it and therefore the same Apostle doth in Acts 7.30 31. urge it but now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent for that he ha h appointed a day wherein to judge the world in righteousnesse c. And this Argument is so pregnant and profitable to perswade repentance that it is urged by John the Baptist The Kingdome of God is at hand therefore repent nay the axe is laid to the root of the tree and every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit must be hewen down and thrown into the fire therefore bring forth fruits meet for repentance Matthew 3. and very often by the Lord Jesus himself This is so proper an Argument to enforce repentance that it is noted to be set at a distance to the thoughts of the impenitent they live as having made a Covenant with death and an agreement with hell Isa 28.15 put farre away this evil day it is noted that the Doctrine which increaseth ungodlinesse denieth the resurrection 2 Tim. 2.16 17 18. And such as walk after their own lusts are scoffers at the day of judgement 2 Pet. 3.3 4 5. And it is to be observed that those in Athens who repented not at Pauls Preaching mocked when he made mention of the resurrection and last judgement But certainly there is much in the day of judgement to move the hardest heart and most stubborn sinner to repentance the same Spirit which is to convince the world of sin and of righteousnesse convinceth also of judgement for the day of judgement answereth all the sinners pleas whereby he defendeth and encourageth himself in sin for it assureth of certaine detection and conviction of sin It is a day which alloweth not the least encouragement from secresie for therein every mans deeds must be made manifest whether they be good or evil nay the very secrets of all hearts shall be laid open and sinful thoughts themselves must then be judged the day of judgement determineth a period to all impiety and denieth the duration of its props and Pillars profits and pleasures in the world determining all the advantages of sin to be at the best but pleasures of sin for a season calling on rich men to howle and weep though they live in pleasure on earth in James 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. The day of judgement assureth of the punishment of the wicked however they scape scot-free in this life and by their present power Gods patience and humane strength they evade and escape many evils which befall the godly yet they are but reserved to this day of vengeance and this is the day in which the wicked must appeare Cursed and manifesteth
Gospel from being Preached if possible he would blow out the light and hinder men from hearing but chiefly from understanding if our Gospel be hid it is hid unto them that perish the eyes of whose minde the god of this world hath blinded lest the light of the gl rious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.4 And when God brings to repentance he breaks these barres of ignorance he pulls off these scales of blindnesse and begins with the understanding true grace begins alwayes at the renewing of the mind the transforming of the mind to know the good and acceptable Will of God is the formality of the Gospel-grace true repentance Rom. 12.2 And the knowledge of God being the princâ—ple of it is put for repentance They shall know God Hos 2.20 and God will be known by the Egyptians Isa 19.21 are the promises of repentance There can be no conviction of a contrariety to God where there is not a right conception of God and affection must follow apprehension ignoti nulla cupido how can we fear God or his goodness if we do not know him what reason of return to God when men know not his holinesse offended justice provoked power irresistible mercy in pardoning iniquity It is a seeming faire Apology for Pharaohs obduracy Who is the Lord that I should let Israel go The work of the Gospel is to open the blinde eyes in turning from Satan unto God the enquiry of Saul is first Lord who art thou Act. 9. then What wouldest thou have me to do Did men know who it is they sin against they never durst be so bold Study therefore the nature of God acquaint your selves with his Attributes his Holinesse Power Justice Mercy and the like Your soules will never be drawn from sin or driven into a course of true repentance untill God become your dread 3. Help to repentance Thirdly Sit close to the work of self-scrutiny be serious in self-examination no man sits so fast in impiety as the stranger at home none so soon run upon their ruine as the regardlesse of their accounts This is a remedy of Gods immediate prescription Commune with your hearts is on your beds Psal 4.4 Search and try your wayes and turn unto the Lord Lam. 3.40 Judge your selves Mat. 7.1 When we approach his Table where we are eminently to act repentance the whole work of preparation is resolved into self-examination 1 Cor. 11.28 Nay this is a receipt transmitted to us with a probatum est thus by David Psal 119.59 I examined my wayes and turned my feet into thy Testimonies And when the Prodigals wits returned to consider his wickednesse he would home to be a servant where he had been and might have been a son Gods rod is but a calling us to reckon with our own souls he never reasons with any by correction that read their own estate in his instructions You have heard before that conviction must go before conversion mans conscience is a Register which will bring to remembrance and Judge that will clearly determine of mans wayes the worst of men by a short conference with their own soul would soon see a necessity of repentance censure others lesse and your selves more enquire not into other mens condition so much as your own Conversation let no day return without accounts be serious in self-examination Fourthly Sit loose to the world 4. Help to repentance the world is the great pull-back to heaven and hinderance of repentance you may observe the reason the Rebellion and impenitency of Ezekiels hearers was their hearts went after their covetousnesse Ezek 33.31 otherwise they took delight to hear That sad sentence A Camel may sooner go through the eye of a Needle than a rich man enter into the Kingdome of heaven was occasioned by a rich mans refusal of Christ his call to repentance Matth. 19.20 Riches choak the work and lift up the heart too high great men in the world think they live above all reproof for Tyrus-like they set their hearts as the heart of God Ezek. 28.6 and think to live without controle he that loves the world finds when called to repentance he is loth to leave pleasures it is hard to renounce riches it cuts deep to despise Wife Children Father Mother Friends and deare Relations he cannot but be dismayed at reproach and sufferings sin is the common property of the world the things of this world is the recompence of impiety they that sin highest ordinarily succeed most yet this is the great stumbling stone of the godly the world makes David almost repent his repentance Psal 73. They that will follow God must be strangers to the world true Penitentiaries must be pilgrims in the earth Fifthly See the shortnesse of life 5. Help to repentance and limitaton of the day of grace Hopes of long life and thoughts of repentance at pleasure help many a soul to hell our life we must consider is but a bubble a blast a shadow gone before it well appeare in which there is no certainty our time is in Gods hand he hath numbred our dayes but to which of us hath he declared the number hath he given any man a legible Lease of his life have the youngest strongest most healthful among us an assurance of to morrow and doth not eternity depend on the well-husbanding of this uncertain time is there any remembrance of God in the grave or repentance among the dead doth not death determine the eternal estate of men Dives eyes cannot distiâ—l one tear in hell though he call to Abraham for mitigation of torments never so much as begs the pardon of sin no that is too late see we not men pensive and sad at the thoughts of death Chrysostome hath told us the cause of the fear of death is because we live not in the austerity befitting Christianity but lead dâ—licate and voluptuous lives Could we make every day our dying day it would quicken us to repentance Hilarion never had a to morrow and when he comes to die he hath the comfort of it Oh my soul get thee out of this house of clay what dost thou fear Septuaginta pr pe annis servivisti Christo mortem tim s Hast thou served Christ almost seventy yeares and dost thou now feare death If we will live for ever we must die dayly if we will not defer repentance we must not determine to our selves any other time than the present Again if we know our time in nature who knoweth the date of the day of grace It is a limited day but the bounds thereof are not pub ished that to day whilst it is called to day we may hearken to his voice Heb. 4.4 7. lest he sweare in his wrath we shall not enter into his rest A season of salvation is allotted to the sons of men the old world had its day Jerusalem had her day every of us have our day
some of us sad days already but there are too sadder to be expected they are called the day of the Lord and not days because as death leaves us judgment finds us Death being the morning and Judgement the evening and eternity the night of the same day They are both dayes of dissolution the one is of the body a sad dissolution when the soul shall pass away with a sad noise of many a doleful groan and this elementary body shall melt with fervent heat of burning diseases c. The other is of the Universe when the whole world shall be in a conflagration and hell shall come up to heaven as once hell came out of heaven to consume Sodome when the body of the Universe shall groan with the groanings of a deadly wounded dying man as was said of Egypt Ezekiel 30.24 Cum mare cum Tellus Correptaque Regia Caeli Ardeat mundi moles operosa laboret When the starres of heaven shall fall and the powers of heaven be shaken the Sun turned into darkness Moon into blood and all the kindreds of the earth mourn and the hypocrites cry out Who among us shall abide with devouring fire and dwell with eternal burnings Isa 33.14 Then shall the godly soul lift up his head at death and destruction he shall laugh he shall walk loose in the midst of the flames as did the three Children without so much as the smell or least dread of the fire and they may touch these live coals as the Angel did Isaiah 6.6 without any dismay Oh holiness holiness what a munition of Rocks wilt thou give thy followers in that day of the Lord oh let me press you to get a holiness that is Scripture-proof and you your selves and your state and comforts will be death-proof hell-proof judgement-proof you need not fear any fear of man any day of the Lord any furnace-fire elementary fire conflagration-fire hell-fire when the Kings and the Captains and the Mighty shall cry out to the Rocks to fall on them and the worshippers of the Beast and the rich Merchants of Rome shall cry out for the smoak of the burning then shall the Sons of Sion sing out their redoubled Hallelujahs at the coming of the Bridegroom and the day of the Lord their day of Marriage and Coronation Use 1. Lament the loss of holiness We may complain Holinesse is lost and faln in the streets Some complain of losse of Trade in these sad times Trade is dead there is no Trade we may say this Trade is lost or dead there is little holinesse stirring Many complain of the losse of peace pâ—ace is gone but we have cauâ—e to say Holiness was gone first In midst of many Professions many contentions many op nions changings turns returns little holiness to be seen In midst of great parts high expressions much light powerful Ordinances many years attempted Reformation a little holiness goes a great way Our shadows are long our contentions sharp our holiness low our Corn runs out into straw and stalk not ear and kernel Our nourishment turns to Rickets the head swelled and extended the child feeble and infirm we have left our company and our work and are scattered all the Land over to pick up strawes and gather stubble Some observe that our buildings now adayes are not so solid and substantial as of old our spiritual buildings are not I am sure And as some say our English cloth is not of so good a name and esteem as heretofore abroad not so pure and well wrought our name and Crown for holiness is lost it not being so pure and well wrought Use 2 Use 2. It informs how little some have to evidence their Christianity and their Title to heaven that can speak of no Holinesse make no proof of any real change or work of the Spitit of dying to sin living to God what are all these hopes but lying hopes Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Visible Saintship may justly gain admittance into Church-fellowship But it is real holiness that makes meet to partake of the inheritance of the Saints in light Seeming holiness in profession sets thee in the outward Court but into the inner Temple and the Holy of Holies only true holiness qualifies to an admission It is noted though the outward Court was laid with stone yet the Inner Temple 1 King 6 30. and the Holy of Holies had the very floore of gold True Holinesse makes a Member of the Church Militant and Tryumphant Use 3 3. Use Reproof or terrour to such as hate deride or scoff at holinesse Many if reproved will say I cry you mercy you must be so holy I am none of your Saints nor of the holy Brethren c. Oh unclean swine or unclean spirit shall I say knowest thou not whose language is that in thy mouth What have I to do with thee thou holy one of God Thy speech bewrayeth thee as one saith to be a Hellilean no Galilean no Disciple dost thou call thy self a Christian and deny the Saint then blot out Saint in Pauls Epistles and teach him to call Christians by some other name of Drunkards Swearers and Scoffers at holinesse Blot out Saints out of thy Creed Dost thou say thou art none of the holy Brethren then tear thy name out of Gods Book and the Church Register The Apostle calls all the Christians to whom he writes Holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Dost thou glory that thou art none of the holy ones then glory in this threat of the Text that thou shalt never see God glory in this that thou hast no part nor lot in this matter no part in Election Redemption in the gifts graces comforts of the Spirit in the promises and priviledges of the Gospel go and glory that God is not thy Father Christ thy Saviour that thou shalt never be troubled with the Communion of the Saints in Heaven and the spirits of just men made perfect Use 4 Use 4. A worse Reproof and Use of terrour follows to such who instead of following holiness and perfecting holiness in the fear of God are faln from it declined and turned aside after vain opinions and employ speculations Caepisti melius quam desinis ultima primis oedunt dissimilis hic puer ille Senex Ovid. A young Saint and an old Apostate leads to a sad end Look to it you young Professors that had the Dew of Grace and seeming holiness in youth and are now dryed up by the roots Look to it you old Professors that you hold out watch and keep your Garments white and seek to bring forth more fruit in your age The Tree that bears evil fruit is cut down That which leaves only cursed but that which is twice dead worst of all this is the desperate case and of all sins this is only the unpardonable sin Heb. 6.4 5 and 10. All the unrighteousnesse of the greatest sinner repenting and leaving his
and unsainteth all others Isa 65.5 Which say Stand by thy self come not near me for I am holier than thou these are a smoak in my nose and a fire that burneth all the day saith the Lord. This is the worst spot in the beauty of holiness a spice of that pride that was in Lucifer and his fellow-aspiring Angels that made the first Schisme and separation in the purest Church even in heaven it self among the Angels that were wholly perfect Take heed of this as of the very pest of the Church and the bane of all Religion which is best preserved in unity and humility I shall shut up all with a wish and that an hearty Prayer alluding to what I said at first Oh that all our garments our Profession might be adorned with these Bells and Pomgranates peace and holinesse That as we call on God who is called holy holy holy Rev. 4.6 and on Christ who is called King of Saints Rev. 15.6 and as we profess the Gospel which is a Rule of holiness and are members of the Church which is called a Kingdom of Saints an holy Nation 1 Pet. 2.9 and as we look to be partakers of that Kingdom wherein dwells righteousness and holiness that according to that promise Thy people shall be all righteous Isa 60.21 that holiness to the Lord may be engraven upon all our hearts as with the engraving of a Signet the Spirit of God and holiness to the Lord upon all our fore-heads as to our conversation that as we have had a year which we call Annum Restitutae Libertatis we might have a year Restitutae Sanctitatis this we might safely call Annum Salutis or Annum Domini the year of our Lord. That our Officers might be all peace our Governors holiness Isa 60.17 that our Ministers might be cloathed with righteousness and our Church-Members with holiness that all of different perswasions might not contend but labour for peace and holiness Herein let us agree and all is agreed that the bells of our Horses and Bridles of our Horsemen Commanders and common Souldiers might be holiness to the Lord Zach. 14.20 21. that there might not be a Canaanite or hypocrite in the house of the Lord then might our Land Church Parliament Army City Minâ—stry be called Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 yea then would this holiness settle us in peace here and bring us to see the Lord where peace and holiness shall never be separated Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen OF THE Resurrection ACTS 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing unreasonable with you that God should raise the dead THese words are part of St. Pauls Apologie for himself before King Agrippa against the unjust accusations of his implacable enemies wherein 1. He demonstrates the innocency of his life 2. The truth of his Doctrine and sheweth That there was nothing either in his life or doctrine for which he could justly be accused The Doctrine he taught did consist of divers particulars enumerated in this Chapter one of which and that not the least was That there should a day come in which there would be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Now that this Doctrine was not liable to any just exception he proves three manner of ways 1. Because it was no other Doctrine but such which God himself had taught It had a Divine stamp upon it as it is Verse 6. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers 2. Because it was that which all the godly Israelites instantly serving God day and night did hope for and wait and expect in due time to be fulfilled as it is Verse 7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes hope to come for which hope sake King Agrippa I am accused of the Jews and therefore it is called The hope of Israel Acts 28.20 for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain 3. Because it was a Doctrine which God was able to bring to pass This is set down in the words of the Text Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead The emphasis lieth in the words with you Why should you O King Agrippa who art a Jew and believest in the God of Israel and that he made the world out of nothing think it incredible for this God to raise the dead indeed it may seem incredible and impossible to the Heathen Philosophers who are guided onely by Natures Light but as for you who believe all things which are written in the Law and Prophets why should you think it either impossible or incredible that God should raise the dead This interrogation is an Emphatical Negation and it is put down by way of Question Vt oratio sit penetrantior that so the Argument might take the deeper impression and the meaning is that it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not a doctrine exceeding the bounds of faith or contrary to right reason that God should raise the dead The Observation which ariseth naturally out of the words is Doctrine That the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust is neither incredible nor impossible neither against right reason nor true faith Though it be above reason yet it is not against reason nor against the Jewish or the Christian Faith For the explication of this Doctrine I will briefly speak to six particulars 1. What is meant by the Resurrection of the dead 2. Who are the dead that shall be raised 3. The absolute necessity of believing this Doctrine and believing it firmly and undoubtedly 4. The possibility and credibility of it 5. The certainty and infallibility of it 6. The manner how the dead shall rise What is meant by the Resurrection of the dead The first Particular Answ For answer to this you must first know what there is of man that dyes when any man dyeth Man consisteth of soul and body and when he dyeth his soul doth not dye it is the body onely that dyeth Death is not an utter extinction and annihilation of the man as some wickedly teach but onely a separation of the Soul from the Body It is called a departure Luk. 2.25 2 Tim. 4.6 And an uncloathing 2 Cor. 5.4 and a Departure of the Soul out of the body either to Heaven or Hell When Stephen was stoned his soul was not stoned for while he was stoning he prayed Lord Jesus receive my spirit When Christ was crucified his soul was not crucified for while he was crucifying he said Faâ—her into thy hands I commend my Spirit The Wiseman saith expresly That when a man dyeth His body returns to the earth from whence it came Eccles 12.7 but his spirit returns to God who gave it And our Lord Christ commands us Not to fear them that kill the body 1 Luk. 2.4 and after
is Almighty and he must do it because he hath promised it This is Pauls Argument to King Agrippa Vers 6. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our Fathers c. And this is Christs Argument by which he proveth the Resurrection against the Sadduces Matht 22.32 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living Objection This Argument of Christ proves onely the Immortality of the Soul but not the Resurrection of the Body Answer It proves also the Resurr ction of the body because God is the God of Abraham Isaa and Jacob not onely the God of one part of Abraham but of whole Abraham not onely the God of his soul but of his body And therefore whole Abraham must live for ever for Gods Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob is an everlasting Covenant 2. From the justice of God God cannot but raise the dead because he is a just God and must reward every man according to his works Now in this life men are not rewarded the Righteous in this life are oftentimes persecuted and the wicked are in prosperity And therefore there must come a rewarding time and if so then first there must be a Resurrection For dead men cannot be rewarded Objection Is it not enough that our Souls be rewarded Answer No For our bodies are partakers in good and evil actions with the soul and therefore it is just that they should be Partakers also in rewards and punishments Shall God require services of the body and shall he not reward those services Do not the Saints of God beat down their bodies and bring them into subjection Do they not fast often and mortifie their earthly members and suffer Martyrdome with their bodies And therefore God cannot but raise their bodies to the Resurrection of Life and raise the same bodies for it cannot stand with Gods justice that one body should serve him and another be rewarded or that one body should sin and another body be punished A just Judge will not suffer one man to fight and get the victory and another to be crowned The same body that sinneth must dye and the same body that conquers must be crowned What justice can there be for God to cast a body that never sined into Hell and that never was in Adam 3. From the end of Christs coming in the flesh which was to destroy all the Enemies of our Salvation Now the last Enemy which must be destroyed is death 1 Cor. 15.26 and death cannot be uttetly and totally destroyed unless there be a Resurrection of the dead 4. From the Resurrection of Christ This is Saint Pauls great Argument 1 Cor. 15.12 c. If Christ be risen how â—ay some that there shall be no resurrection of the dead For Christ rose as a Publique Person and as the Head of his Church And if the Head be risen all the members must also rise and therefore he is called the First-fruits of them that sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 and the First-born of every creature And if the First-fruits be lifted up out of the grave the whole lump will certianly follow Hence also it is that Christ is called the Second Adam 1 Cor 15.21.22 and Paul argueth stroâ—gly That as by man came death so by man also came the resurrection of the dead and as in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made alive But now in the first Adam all dye not onely spiritually but corâ—orally and therefore in the second Adam all must be corporally made to live And live again in the same bodies for Christ rose with the same body that he dyed with And therefore he rose with his scars and wounds and he convinced his Disciples that the body he rose with was a tâ—uâ— body and not a Spirit For a Spirit hath not flesh and bones saith Christ as ye see me have Luke 24.39 Objection Doth not the Apostle say in that very Chapter 1 Cor. 15 44. That the bodies of men shall be spiritual bodies at the Resurrection And therefore they cannot be the same bodies 1 Cor. 15.50 Doth not the same Apostle also say That flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God Hence the Socinians and divers others gather That the bodies of men shall not have flesh and blood and eyes and heads and feet at the Resurrection but shall be airy and spiritual bodies Answer There is a vast difference between mutation and perdition The same bodies shall be raised for substance but marvellously altered in regard of qualifications and endowments as you shall hear in the next particular Non aliud corpus sed aliter We read Exod. 4.6 7. That M ses put his hand into his bosom and when he took it out it was leprous as snow and again he put his hand in his bosom and pluckt it out and it was turned again as his other flesh Here was the same hand when belepred and when whole A Beggar when he puts off his rags and puts on the apparel of a King is the same man though outwardly altered or changed So shall it be at the Resurrection the bodies shall be the same for sâ—bstance though altered wonderfully as to their Qualifications and Endowments And as for that saying of the Apostle That flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God the meaning is not That the substance of flesh anâ— blood shall never enter into Heaven for Christ in his Humane Nature is now in Heaven but that flesh as it is corrupted and sinful cloathed with infirmities and subject to mortality and death flesh and blood as it is in this transitory estate liable to corruption should not enter into Heaven and therefore it followeth in the Text Neither shall corruption inherit incorruption 1 Cor. 15.50 5. I might argue lastly from the Immortality of the S ul For the soul was made by God to dwell in the body and though it can subsist of it self without the body yet it still retains appetitum unionis a desire of re-union with the body and therefore is in an imperfect estate and not compleatly happy till it be re-united to the body And therefore that the souls of the godly may be compleatly happy and of the wicked compleatly miserable there must of necessity be a Resurrection of the body that so soul and body may be re-united and partake togâ—ther either of compleat happiness or compleat unhappiness Adde to this what is said by Durand that great Schoolman That when a man dyeth not onely the soul of that man continueth alive but some substantial part of that mans body and God also the great Creator and first cause of all things And why should any man think it incredible for God to re-collect the parts of the matter of any mans body which are perished and to re-unite the same body to the same soul again
declare to them the true God and he doth it ab effectu That God which made the world and all things therein is Lord of heaven and earth ver 24. To Create is the best demonstration of a Deity And this God being everywhere by way of repletion * Jer. 23.24 cannot be locally confined He dwelleth not in Temâ—lâ—s made with hands ver 24. And though in former times when the vaile of Ignorance was drawn over the face of the world God seemed lesse severe ver 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did as it were overlook them not taking the extremity of the Law yet now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent ver 30. And if it be asked why now repent why may we not take our full sleep The Reason is because now is the broad day-light of the Gospel which as it discovers sin more clearly so judgment upon sinners He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world Which words are Gods Alarum to the world to awaken it out of security This is a sweet yet dreadful point When Saint Paul discoursed of judgement to come Faelix trembled Acts 24.25 He that is not affected with this Truth hath an heart of stone For the illustration of this there are six things I shall discusse 1. That there shall be a day of judgement 2. Why there must be a day of judgement 3. When the day of judgement shall be 4. Who shall be the Judge 5. The order and the method of the Trial. 6. The effect or consequent of it I begin with the first That there shall be a day of judgement There is a twofold day of judgement 1. Dies particularis a particular judgement at the day of death immediately upon the souls dissolution from the body it hath a judgment passed upon it * Hebr. 9.27 Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was the spirit shall return to God that gave it As soon as the breath expires the soul receives its particular sentence and knows how it shall be with it to all eternity 2. There is Dies universalis a general day of judgement which is the great Assises when the world shall be gathered together and of this the Text is to be understood He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world I might impannel a whole Jury of Scriptures giving in their verdict to this but in the mouth of two or three witnesses the truth will be confirmed Eccles 12.14 God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing Eccles 12.14 whether it be good or evil Mat. 12.36 Every idle word men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement * Mat. 12 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 96 13. Now is the day of Arr ars then will be the day of Account Psalme 96.13 For he cometh for he cometh to judge the Earth The Ingemination denotes the certainty and infallibility of his coming Secondly Why there must be a day of judgement 1. That God may execute justice on the wicked Things seem to be carried here in the world with an unequal balance The Candle of God shines upon the wicked * Job 29.3 They that tempt God are delivered * Mal. 3.15 Diogenes seeing Harpalus a Thief goâ—on prosperously said sure God had cast off the government of the world and minded not how things went here below 2 Pet. 3.4 2 Pet. 3.4 There shall be in the last days Scoffers saying Where is the promise of his coming Therefore God will have a day of Assizes to vindicate his justice he will let sinners know that long-forbearance is no forgiveness 2. That God may exercise mercy to the godly Here piety was the white which was shot at they who prayed and wept had the hardest measure those Christians whose zeal did flame most met with the fiery tryal Rom. 8.36 Rom. 8.36 For thy sake we are killed all the day long The Saints as Cyprian saith are put in the wine-presse and oft the blood of these grapes is pressed out God will therefore have a day of judgement that he may reward all the tears and sufferings of his people They shall have their Crown and Throne and White Robes though they may be Losers for him they shall lose nothing by him * Rev. 7.9 Thirdly When the day of judgement shall be 'T is certain there shall be a judgment uncertain when the Angels know not the day nor Christ neither as he was man Matth. 24.36 And the reason why the time is not known is 1. That we may not be curious There are somethings which God would have us ignorant of Acts 1.7 It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put in his own power We must not pry into Gods Ark or intermeddle with his Arcana imperii it is a kinde of Sacriledge as Salvian speaks for any man to break into the Holy of holies and enter into Gods secrets 2. God hath concealed the time of judgement that we may not be careless We are alwayes to keep Centinel having our Loyns girr and our Lamps burning not knowing how soon that day may overtake us God would have us live every day saith Austin as if the last day were approaching * Ideo latet ultimus dies ut observentur omnes dies Austin Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum This is the genuine Use our Saviour makes of it Mark 13.32 Of that day and houre knows no man no not the Angels in heaven Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is But though we cannot tell precisely when this day of the Lord shall be yet in probability the time cannot be far off Hebr. 10.3.7 He that shall come Hebr. 10.37 will come and will not tarry Chrysostome hath a simile when saith he we see an old man going on Crutches his Joynts weak his radical moisture dried up though we do not know the just time when he will dye yet it is sure he cannot live long because natures stock is spent So the world is decrepit and goes as it were upon Crutches therefore it cannot be long before the worlds Funerals and the birth-day of judgement The Age which Saint John wrote in was the last time 1 John 2.18 in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 2.18 the last houre then sure the time we now live in may be called the last minute Psal 96.13 For he cometh to judge the Earth Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall come but he cometh * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew how near the time is It is almost day-break and the Court is ready to sit Jam. 5.9 The Judge standeth at the door Verily if Security * Mat. 24.37 Apostasie * 1. Tim. 4.1 Decay of Love * Mat. 24.11
Christ said the poor Martyr but I can dye for Christ Love will say to the truth as she said to her Mother in Law Whether thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried the Lord do so to me Ruth 1.16 17. and more also if ought but death part me and thee Gen. 34.3 Love is the glue that makes the heart cleave to the Object as it is said of Shechem His soule clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob. Minuit Felix octa Love is the twist of soules Crederes unam animam in duobus esse divisam it is but one soul that informs Lovers Christians if you would hold fast the truth LOVE IT Love hates putting away 2 Thes 2.11 12 when ever your love begins to decay you are in danger of Apostacy For this cause God shall send them strong delusions to believe lies for what cause why because they received not the love of the truth Christians look to your standing there is much of this judicial blast abroad the generality of Professors have contented themselves wâ—th and rejoyced in the Light of the Truth and in the Notion of the Truth and in the expressions of the Truth but they have lost their love to the truth Parts without grace hath been the precipice of this evil and adulterous generation the foolish Virgins of this age have got Oyle only in their Lamps but none in their Vessels and so perish 2 Pet. 3.17 You therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness Let it be your care to receive the truth in the power of the truth in the impressions of the truth upon your hearts in the love of the truth Love the truth even when the truth seems not to love you when it makes against your Carnal interests when it calls for your right eye and your right hand The right eye of your sinfull pleasure the right hand of your dishonest gain when the truth comes to take away all your false Principles and to take away all your false evidences not to leave you worth a Duty or a Church-priviledge not to leave you so much as a Creed or a Pater-noster or a good meaning but casts you out of all which self and flesh hath counted your gain in point of salvation Ezech. 16.5 Phil. 3.7 to the loathing and abhorring of your persons c. Yet even then I say Receive the truth in the love of it God intends you more good in it then you are aware of and therefore say with young Samuel Ure seâ—a corripe ut aeâ—ernum parcas Bern. Speak Lord for thy servant heareth and with Bernard do Lord wound me scorch me slay me spare me not now that thou mayest spare me for ever Thirdly There is yet another means Ver. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is in the verse next to my Text relating to the same duty though under a various expression That good thing which was committed to thee KEEP The good or excellent trust and depositum was either the Ministerial Office with the gifts and graces which Timothy received by Ordination for the edifying of the Church or else The form of sound words here committed to him in my Text whichsoever this duty is incuâ—cated upon Timothy again and again that he must keep it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preserve it as under Lock and Key and saith Beza He keeps his depositum that improveth it so that the depositor findes no cause why he should take it away But how shall Timothy or any other Evangelical Minister or Christian be able so to keep it it followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Occupatio est by the Holy Ghost The duty indeed is very difficult but by calling in the help of the Spirit of God Believers shall be enabled to do it and he is not far from every one of them Rom. 8.26 Col. 1.29 for so it follows by the Holy Ghost WHICH DWELLETH IN VS He is IN them as a Principle of life and power by his vertue and influence helping their infirmities and working in them mightily Great is the opposition that Believers meet withall and Satan and this present evill world hath been too hard for many not Professors only but Ministers also men that seemed to be stars of the first magnitude they have proved to be but falling-stars meer Comets that for a time make a great blaze but quickly extinguish They went on from us because they were not of us 1 Joh. 2.19 But real Saints true Believers shall hold out why because greater is he that is in them then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 keep by the HOLY GHOST THAT DWELLETH IN VS Christians walk in the Spirit and pray for the Spirit cry mightily to God for the continual presence and operation of the Holy Ghost and for your encouragement Luke 11.13 take along with you that blessed promise of our Saviour If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Now to the King eternal immortal invisible 1 Tim. 1.7 the only wise God be honor and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS Books Printed for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Corn-Hill THE works of that learned and laborious Divine John Weemse in four Volumes 4. Mr. Byfield on the Collossions fol. Mr. Thomas Edwards Gangraena four Volumes in 4. Ainsworths works fol. And his communion of Saints 12. Dr. Staughtons heavenly conversation 12. Bp. Downam on the Covenant of grace 12. Robins Essayes 12. Mr. Dicksons Exposition on Matthew Mr. Brinsley a learned Treatise of Christs Mediatorship and the souls implantion 8. Mr. Brinsley Brazen Serpent and Christs Membership Mr. Dicksons Exposition on the whole book of the Psalms one Volume 8. second edition Mr. Watsons works viz. 1. The Art of Divine Contentment the fourth edition 2. The Christians Charter shewing the priviledges of believers in this life and the life to come the fifth edition Mr. Ashes Sermon at Mr. Whitakers funeral Dr. Spurstow on the Promise second edition Retorford on the Covenant of grace Mr. Cottons Exposition on the book of Ecclesiastes and Canticles second edition A learned Treatise proving the Deity of the Holy Ghost by Mr. Estwick Mr. Gurnals Christian Armor third Edition Mr. Hutcheson on the Gospel according to St. John in fol. On the twelve small Prophets second edition Mr. Gurnals Christians Armour the second part Dr. Guile on the Canticles AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Relating to the chief Heads handled in this TREATISE A. ADAM able of Creation to keep the Law p. 108 109. The one man by whom sin entred into the world p. 136.
in dignity offices and dominion the priviledge of Adoption 441. Love of God Father and Son manifest in the Covenant of Redemption 227. Love of Christ in his death 293. and union with Sinners 386. Love to God the evidence of Faith concerning his being 55 56 59. Losse of all good the paine of Hell Natural 625 626. Spiritual 625 626. Eternal 625 626. M Mans composure of body and powers of soul prove that there is a God 41. Man comprehends the whole species of such a creature 106. Man made mutable though holy and why 113. Man is depraved 〈◊〉 sinful 111. Mans misery by sin 173 174 175 p. 176. Man not Angels subjects of Faith 455. Mediator needful 263 264 265. Mediator of the Covenant of Grace who 241 261. Mediator one named man and why named Christ Jesus and why ib. Mediator is Christ and none but Christ 265 266 c. Mediator comfortable in all conditions giving man confidence of accesse to God 254 255. Misery inevitable to such as despise the Mediator ib. Merit of Christ the ground of Adoption and Regeneration 447. Method in Sermons necessary and profitable 22. Means of Repentance 546. Ministry needful unto Faith 483. Ministers must be burning and shining lights 1 2. Ministers must suffer affliction ib. Mixture of grace and sin is in the best men 167. Mutability the meer cause of mans sin 112. Mutability of mans created estate was just and necessary 113. Mutability attended mans Happinesse as well as Holinesse p. 114. Mutability and its sequel must lead us to God for confirmation 119. N Name of Christ part of his Exaltation 315 what it is 316. how it is above every Name 317 318 319 320. how Christs Name was given by God 320 321. Nature by three Arguments proveth that there is a God 30 31. Natural Agents by their operation proveth a God 42. Natural conscience proveth a God 43. Nature stained with Adams sin 151. Nature without Divine revelation discovereth not a Trinity nor yet opposeth it when revealed 77 78 79 80 81. Nature of God well studied a special help to repentance 547. New Covenant better than the old 243. Nobility no cause of boasting 145. Notes of repentance 539 540. O Object External could not necessitate man to sin p. 112. Object of New better than of the Old Covenant 251. Obedience in Subjection to Commands Submission to Providence The duty of such who believe God is 63 64. Offence at preaching Gods anger against sin is groundless 192 193. Offices of Christ fit him to be the only Mediator 271 272. Offices of Christ communicated to the Saints 441. Old Covenant abrogated 252. Opposition of Christ consistent with subjection to Christ how 327 328. Sin Originale originans discussed 135 c. Originale originatum discussed 150 151 c. Original sin is a defection 112. Original how said of mans pravity 155 156. Original sin is hard to be understood 134. Original sin confirmed by counsel 144. Acknowledged by Heathens ib. Original sin is called man and old man in what sense p. 157 158 159 160 161 162. a body and a body of sin 162 163 164. Original sin hath polluted mans nature 151 152 153. Original sin is to be subdued 170. Original sin to be conf ssed and bewailed 165. Original sin imbitters all worldly comforts 171. Ordinances argue original sin in mans nature 153. Ordinances means of union with Christ 383. P Pain in Christ his death 285 286. Pardon of sin freely given how 425 426. Parents beget their children in their own image 151. Parents good yet children by nature evil 152. Parents care for posterity quickned by the miscarriage of the first Parent of us all 147. Parents childrens looking glasses by which they dresse their lives ib. Penitent must be humbled and why 498 499 450. Peace a duty and blessing to be pursued 556. Peace an effect of Faith 47. Pelagius the first opposer of original sin p. 144. Person in the Godhead what it is 69. Persons in the Godhead three 70. Plurality of persons in the Godhead proved 71 72 73. Persons in the Godhead distinguished not divided 75. their order declared 76. Person promises properties and providences of Christ all belong to believers 393 394. Persecution of Saints a crimson sin 386. Perseverance of Saints certain 387. Pleading at Gods bar necessary to justification 404. Plea of not guilty can never procure justification at Gods bar 405. Popish Repentance false 515. Pravity and inbred corruption what it is 155. the parts of it 156. Pravity and a naughty nature is in every man 150. Pravity of the nature of man evidenced by Scripture 151 152 153. Salvation of Christ 151 152 153. Sacraments 151 152 153. Sad effects 151 152 153. Prayer an help to repentance 552. Prayer answered an effect of Faith 469. Prayer its extent and encouragement p. 262. Preparations of heaven how from the foundation of the world 660 661. Preparation to last Judgement characterised 617 618. Priestly office of Christ and its parts 272 273. Price of the soul of Christ his death 298. Price paid for man was not idem but tantundem 425. Principle and cause two distinct things 69. Principles good and bad two distinct blasphemous to assert 112. Promises were made to Christ on the account of his satisfaction for mans sin 209 300. Promises of Justification Sanctification Resurrection Eternal life The Promises of the better Covenant 240 241. Promises of temporal mercy better under the New than under the Old Covenant 248. Protestant doctrine of the imputation of Christs righteousness defended 387. Profane repentance what it is p. 516. Prosperity of profane no plea against Deity 50 51. Q Quakers repentance vile false and wicked 518 519. R Reason and sensation evince the Divine authority of the Scriptures 90. Revelation from God admitted by all and reason it should 88 89. Revelation not to be received untill cleared to be of God ibid. Rectitude is conformity to a Rule 107. Rectitude of Adam by Creation was of the whole man understanding will and sensitive appetite 109. Rectitude natural and not natural to man how 111. Regeneration explained 442. it s Synonimas 443. it is defined ib. Regeneration compared with natural generation 443 444. they agree in cause subject and manner of production ib. 445. disagree in properties 446. Religion making known Christs satisfaction most excellent 350. Relations of men subject to Gods wrath p. 187. Relation to God reason of comfort and duty 436. Repentance not to be repented explained 485. In its Nature 487. Necessity 520. Notes 539. Next way to it 546. Repentance defined 487. Repentance is a recession from sin and return to God 502 503 504 505. Return to God the second part of Conversion 506 507 508. Repentance seven false kinds 515 516 517 518. Repentance contemned when 334 335 336. Repentance neglected when and with what issue 537 538. Resurrection possible and credible 579 582 583 584 585. what it means ib. who to be