dust Fine cloaths may make Children and young folks proud but wise and considering persons are not usually affected with such things Be cloathed with humility sayes the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.5 that is the best cloathing of all 9. Is it grace or goodness that thou art apt to be proud of This is a thing very irrational and absurd For predominant pride cannot consist with grace but is a great sign of a graceless state If thou hast grace so far as thou art proud of it thou dost abuse it contradict it and act against the very nature of it For Pride is to grace what a consumption is to health Be not high minded but fear sayes the Apostle Rom. 11.20 When you think you stand take heed lest you fall 1 Cor. 10.12 And thus much of the eleventh Direction namely that we should reason our selves into a loathing of this sin 12. Look on the humbling judgments of God that are abroad in the world and turn them all as so many Cannons against thy Pride Methinks every serious Christian should think it unreasonable and unsuitable in such a calamitous time as this is when God calls to humbling and abasing our selves and to sympathize with others that are in an afflicted condition now to lay it out in pride and vanity and garish garbes and attire more than formerly We have seen many humbling sights and felt many humbling strokes and have heard many dismal cries of our afflicted Brethren and shall we now be proud I know the world is at that pass that a Minister will be thought to do more wisely to save his breath than spend it upon so hopeless a design as to think by all his arguments to reform people in this particular The pride of the world is now too high to be born down by Sermons or the most earnest and serious exhortations Alas 'T is a monster that has not been conquered by War nor Plague nor Fire And do you think it will be born down by the breath of a poor Minister though exhorting never so seriously However we must do our duty and lift up our voice like a Trumpet and shew Israel their sins whether they will hear or whether they will forbear And if I can bring but one sinner who is concerned in this reproof to consider his wayes and to forsake his pride and vanity I shall not repent me of this pains 13. Consider how God in the contrivance of mans redemption designeth the humbling of all whom he intends to save For he hath ordained that no man shall be justified by a righteousness of his own performance but by the satisfaction merits and intercession of the Redeemer Therefore he prepareth men for the reception of this pardon by humbling them and making them vile and mean in thir own eyes 14. Read what Christ expects from them whom he intends to save and then you will see what a great measure of humility and self-denial is required of them Except ye become as little Children ye cannot enter into the Kindom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 15. Treasure up some Scripture precepts against Pride and have them alwayes ready in your minds such as these he that humbleth himself shall be exalted God resisteth the proud Pride goeth before a fall Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 16.5 A mans Pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Prov. 29.23 16. Earnestly beg of God to give you the grace of Humility Concerning which excellent grace that I may treat the more profitably I shall shew 1. The Counterfeits of it 2. Wherein the true nature of it consists 3. The great benefits and advantages of it 4. The means to attain it For the First The counterfeits of it There are four things that carry a shew of humility but are at a great distance from it 1. When men vilifie and discommend themselves or their own performances on purpose to draw others to praise them He that doth so cozens himself into Pride by a shew of Humility A man would be ashamed if he were told he used that mean stratagem to procure his own praise But so glorious a thing is humility that pride to hide its own shame does sometimes put on the vizor and semblance of it 2. When men effect to wear some unusual habit or some mean and sordid cloaths or to use some clownish unhandsome and uncivil behaviour which may make them taken notice of and observed by others This may look like Humility but is far from it There may be a russet Pride and a leathern Insolency 'T is not alwayes couched under silk and sattin Many times there is a very ugly pride under mean cloaths The Capuchins among the Papists go in poor cloaths with naked legs and Sandals Who hath required these things of them I think the Apostles rule is here to be observed whatsoever things are honest pure lovely and of good report and praise-worthy among men Phil. 4.8 These we should follow and not affect a vain signularity not warranted by the word of God 3. When they choose to converse for the most part with their inferiours that they may bear sway and be the chiefest among them this is no argument of Humility but rather of Pride 4. When men live basely meanly in no degree answerable or according to the estate and condition God hath put them into this is not humility but an argument of a covetous and sordid spirit And so much of the counterfeits of humility 2. I come now to shew wherein the true nature of Humility consists and in what particulars it evidenceth it self In the general True Humility is a lowly frame and temper of Soul arising from wise serious and deliberate consideration 'T is principally rooted in the mind and evidenceth it self in these Particulars 1. The Soul that is truly humble is deeply sensible of its manifold weaknesses wants and imperfections 'T is sensible of the darkness of its mind the depravedness of its will the disorder and irregularity of its affections * Humilitas est animi demissio orta ex vera status conditionis suae agnitionâ— Camer 2. 'T is very sensible of its great sinfulness and manifold transgressions against God O sayes such a Soul who have I in the whole course of my life too much neglected my Creator who gave me my life and being and in many things how grievously have I sinned against him And the wages of every sin being death how obnoxious and liable have I made my self to the wrath and curse of God What a mercy is it that I am out of Hell who have so many wayes broken the holy and righteous Law of God 3. As a consequent hereupon 't is very sensible of its great unworthiness of those mercies it enjoyes from God The humble soul sayes as good old Jacob did Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed to thy
A SUPPLEMENT TO Knowledge AND PRACTICE Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious Disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness By Samuel Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somerset-Shire Useful for the Instruction of private Families Quod de Scripturis authoritatem non habet pari facilitate rejicitur qua accipitur Hieron LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1679. To the INHABITANTS of NORTH-CADBURY in SOMERSETSHIRE My Loving Friends SOme years since when I stood in the Relation of a Pastor to you I wrote my Book of Knowledge and Practice aiming therein more especially at your benefit Which Treatise I hope through the Lords blessing hath been of some use to you I have since thought that it would not be a service unacceptable to you to add by way of Supplement a more full explication of the Main Principles of the Christian Faith and some Further Directions for regulating of your Practice and to send them unto you to supply my Personal absence God only knows whether I shall ever see your Faces again in this World Providence having fixed my Habitation at so great a distance from you However my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved and if this poor Book may in any measure contribute thereunto I shall heartily rejoyce The holy Apostles no doubt in writing their Epistles aimed at the Spiritual good of the Church in general yet we may well suppose that those particular Churches to whom their Epistles were directed read them with more especial regard and possibly reaped more signal benefits by them than others did So though I design these instructions for your Spiritual good and benefit of all those into whose hands they shall come Yet I hope they shall be more especially minded and regarded by you to whom they are particularly directed and in contemplation of whose necessities and with an aim at whose benefit they were particularly framed I know many of you are such of whom the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 Who have need that one teach you the first Principles of the Oracles of God and have need of milk and not of strong meat I should be glad to have you all rightly instructed in the main fundamentals of Christianity and that not for your sakes only but for my own that I may give up my account with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 But yet I must tell you that it is not enough to save any of you that you are of the true Religion except you be true to it and live agreeably thereunto God hath indeed made sufficient provision by the obedience and death of his Son to save Mankind But you must earnestly leg of God to inable you to do your part which is unfeignedly to repent of all your sins savingly to believe in Christ and to accept him for your Lord and Saviour and to deliver up your souls to him that you may be pardoned through the infinite merit of his active and passive obedience and sanctified by his Spirit and inabled by his grace to lead a holy and good life And as I earnestly desire you all to have an especial care of your own Souls so do I with some importunity intreat all that are Parents or Masters of Families among you that they would take great care to instruct their children and servants in the main Principles of the Christian Religion I have often thought that if ever real Piety and Christianity flourish in England more must he done by Parents and Masters in instructing those under their care than is now ordinarily done I hope this short Treatise may with the blessing of God something assist and help you in performing that part of your duty May the God of all grace lead you and guide you in ways of truth and holiness and inable you to live in love and peace one with another And though I should never see you again in this life yet may the Father of Mercies through his infinite goodness grant that I may meet your Souls in Heaven This is the earnest desire and prayer of him who was once your unworthy Pastor and is still your very loving and affectionate friend Wickham brook Novemb. 6. 1678. SAM CRADOCK The CONTENTS of the FIRST PART CHAP. I. Of God SECT 1. Of the Nature of God and his Divine Attributes page 1. SECT 2. Of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Divine Essence page 18. SECT 3. Of the works of God page 31. 1. Creation where Of good Angels page 32. Of evil Angels page 40. 2. Particular page 48. CHAP. 2. Of Man Page 62 SECT 1. Of the happy State wherein Man was created and the Covenant of Works made with him in that State p. 62. SECT 2. Of his Fall and the consequents thereof p. 66 SECT 3. Of the Covenant of Grace made with Man immediately after his Fall which shews the only way of his recovery to be by Jesus Christ p. 73 CHAP. 3. Of Jesus Christ Page 80 SECT 1. Of his Titles which in the Creed are four 1. Jesus p. 80 2. Christ where of his three Offices Prophet p. 83 Priest p. 86 King p. 88 3. His only Son p. 91 4. Our Lord p. 93 SECT 2. Of his Natures Divine and Humane p. 95 SECT 3. Of his birth p. 96 SECT 4. Of his Life p. 100 Here a short and methodical History of our Saviours Life is exhibited and the particular Times in which he instituted Baptism and the Sacrament of his Supper are pointed at Vpon both which Sacraments there are distinct discourses added at the end SECT 5. Of his Death and Burial p. 137 SECT 6. Of that Article in the Creed He descended into Hell page 131 SECT 7. Of his Resurrection and ten several appearings after it in the space of forty dayes he continued on the earth p. 143 SECT 8. Of his Ascention and sitting on Gods right hand p. 149 SECT 9. Of his coming to judg the World p. 154 CHAP. 3. SECT 1. Of the Holy Ghost p. 162 SECT 2. Of the Catholick Church 166 SECT 3. Of Communion of Saints p. 175 SECT 4. Of forgiveness of sins p. 178 SECT 5. Of the Resurrection of the body p. 193 SECT 6. Of Life everlasting Of Baptism p. 200 Of the Lords Supper p. 205 Of the Lords Prayer p. 220 The second part contains a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkennness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness ERRATA IN page 267 after the eighth Direction add Ninthly Take heed of saying â—s
pierced Now our Saviour was actually condemned and delivered up to that kind of death by Pilate who gave sentence it should be as the Jews required and they required he should be Crucified There are three things observable concerning Crucifixion 1. 'T was a painful death The hands and feet which of all parts of the body are most nervous and consequently most sensible were pierced through with nailes which caused a lingring and tormenting death 2. 'T was an ignominious * 'T was servile supplicium Thieves and Robbers were usually by the Romans punished with this kind of death death and therefore among the Romans inflicted upon their Slaves and fugitives 3. A cursed death as 't is written Deut. 21.13 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Having premised these things let us now consider what are the instructions we should learn from this Article that our Saviour was Crucified 1. Christ hath hereby redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 that is he hath indured that most shameful death of the Cross which was accounted accursed and inglorious 2. Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us and taken it out of the way nailing it to his Cross One ancient custome as they tell us of Cancelling Bonds was by striking a nail through the writing Our Saviours Crucifixion hath done this for us 3. Seeing Christ was Crucified for us we should in imitation thereof labour to Crucifie sin in our selves Our old man must be Crucified that the body of sin may be destroyed We must remember that those that are Christs must crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 4. We should often meditate on the bitter Cup our Saviour drank and on those nails that pierced his hands and feet that so we may be the more ready and willing to suffer for him We should consider how he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross teaching us thereby to humble our selves and with patience to bear the lowest condition for his sake and to imitate him who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame We come now to the next word in the Creed viz. He Dyed Our Saviour was not only nailed to the Cross but died thereon He suffered upon the Cross a dissolution and died a true and proper death Dead He died for our sins according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.3 He was cut off from the Land of the Living Isa 53.7 8 10. and made his Soul that is his life an offering for sin He said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having said so he gave up the ghost Luke 23.26 'T is true Christ did voluntarily die for he saith no man taketh away my life from me but I lay it down of my self John 10.18 That is He laid not down his life by a necessary compulsion but by a voluntary election He took upon him a necessity of dying for our benefit But the Jews were the causes of his death and by wicked bands crucified him Acts 2.23 and slew him and hanged him on a tree Acts 5.30 They are truly said to have done it because by their incessant importunity they prevailed with Pilate to do it Our Saviour therefore being truly put to death and suffering a real dissolution let us consider what union was dissolved by his death and what continued In Christ there were two different substantial unions One of the parts of his humane nature each to other in which his humanity consisted and by which he was truly man the other of his natures divine and humane by which it came to pass that he was both God and Man in the same person Now the union of the parts of his humane nature was dissolved on the Cross and a real separation made between his Soul and Body But yet there was no disunion of either of them from his Deity The union of the natures remained still nor was the Soul or Body though separated one from the other separated from the Divinity but still remained united unto it When he cried out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me it intimates no more but that he was bereft of those joys and comforts from the Deity which were necessary to asswage the bitterness of his present Agony Having thus shewed that our Saviour did really die Let us now inquire why it was needful he should die 'T was requisite for these reasons 1. That the new Covenant or Testament might be ratified by his blood Where a Testament is there must needs be the death of the Testator Heb. 9.16 2. That he might perform that part of his Priestly Office which required the shedding of his blood For without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9.22 Therefore Christ our Passeover must be Sacrificed for us 1 Cor. 5.7 3. If he would redeem us he must give himself a ransom for us 1 Pet. 1.18 19. For we being enemies could not be reconciled to God but by the death of his Son Col. 1.21 And by his death he hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2.15 By his death was our redemption wrought as by the price that was paid as by the atonement which was made as by the full satisfaction that was given that God might be reconciled to us who was before offended with us and Buried Thus we have seen what our Saviour died on the Cross And as he really died by the separation of his Soul from his Body so his body was carried and laid up in a Sepulchre hewn out of the Rock in which never man was before laid This the Evangelists do sufficiently testify Now that the Messias was to be buried was typified by Jonas who was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly And accordingly the Son of Man was to be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth * He is said to be three dayes and three nights in the Grave the whole time or space of three dayes being put for a part of it by a synecdoche see my Harm Ch. 6. pag. 266. Mat. 12.40 The Psalmist intimates as much Psal 16.9 My flesh shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell (a) My Soul In Hell that is my dead body in the Grave see the next §. nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption Isay 53.9 He was cut off out of the land of the living He made his Grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death Christ being put to death his body was by Joseph of Arimathea begged of Pilate and by him and Nicodemus one of their great Council taken down and wound in fine linnen with spices as the manner of the Jews was to bury and laid in a new Sepulchre in a Garden nigh the place of his execution and a great
that the Assizes drew nigh at which he could not expect but to be condemned surely above all things in the world he would endeavor to get his pardon 3. Let us seek it as those who are not content to be put off with any thing else besides it And to encourage us hereunto let us consider 1. God is ready to pardon He hath sworn that he delights not in the death of a sinner 2. Christ died for this very purpose to redeem us and when he was on the earth he complained that people would not come to him and believe in him that by him they might have life 3. All means of grace afforded to us are intimations that God intends us mercy if we be not wanting to our selves 4. All good motions and stirrings of the Spirit of God in our hearts are significations of his good will towards us 5. And lastly As vile or viler sinners then we are have obtained pardon and why then should not we encourage our selves to seek after pardon while it may be obtained SECT V. Of the Resurrection of the Body The Resurrection of the Body THis is one of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.2 'T is set before the Eternal Judgment which will adjudge men to their eternal state because 't is previous to it The Scripture speaks of a two-fold Resurrection 1. A Metaphorical Resurrection viz. that of the Soul out of the state of Sin and Spiritual Death Of this the Apostle speaks Ephes 2.1 Ye that were sometimes dead in Sins and Trespasses and Col. 2.13 You that were dead in your sins hath he quickned Grace Righteousness and Holiness is the Spiritual life of the Soul and where these are wanting there must needs be a spiritual death in sin Rom. 8.6 to be carnally minded is death but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness verse 10. that is the Soul is alive Spiritually when it is partaker of righteousness and grace Our Souls therefore must first rise from their state of death in sin to the new life of grace if we desire to have a part in the glorious Resurrection of the body to eternal life of of which I am to speak afterward and as the Apostle sayes Rom. 6.4 As Christ was raised from the dead so must we be raised from the death of sin that we may walk in newness of life 2. The Scripture speaks of a real Resurrection viz. of our bodies namely of the same body that died which shall be raised again and re-united to the same soul that at death departed from it This resurrection of the body is that which we profess to believe in this Article And to confirm our faith therein let us consider these two things 1. God can do it He can raise our bodies when dead to life again 2. He has declared he will do it 1. God can do it For he is Omnipotent Therefore saith our Saviour to the Sadducees who denied the Resurrection * Acts 26.8 Luke 18 27. Eph. 1 1â—.13 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 And the Apostle Acts 26.8 reasons thus Why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise the dead He that could make this World out of nothing at first undoubtedly can raise up mans body again which though it have suffered many changes and transmutations yet is not turned into nothing Though the parts of mans body be dissolved yet they perish not The first dust out of which man was made was as far from being flesh as any ashes or dust now can be And God who is Omniscient knows how to distinguish the dust of one mans body from anothers And being Omnipotent can give to every body what belongs to it to make it the same numerical Body again This he can do according to the mighty working That Parable Ezekiel 37. Where by reviving dead bones is shewed that God would certainly restâ—re the pâ—ople of Israel out of captivity that Parable I say supposes the Resurrection of the Dead as a thing well known and certainly believed by that people whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 Abraham thought it possible Heb. 11.18 19. When he really intended to Sacrifice his Son Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Job not only thought it possible but firmly believed it and spake of it with assurance Job 19. verse 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God verse 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Martha doubted not of it John 11.24 For speaking of her brother Lazarus then dead She said I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day And indeed there are many things in nature that seem to carry a resemblance of it When we go to sleep solemnly commending our selves to Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and to his gracious protection we do as it were lye down in our graves our sleep is a great resemblance of death and our rising in the morning of the Resurrection The Sun sets every night and disappears yet rises joyfully in the morning The Seed that we sow first dies before it be quickned 1 Cor. 15.56 The earth receiveth the bare seed and by corrupting it restoreth it in a better fashion than she took it in The Seed sâ—wn is so far from perishing that it rises up far more beautiful Whereas it was sown dry and hard it springs up fresh and green So why should it seem incredible that our bodies shall rise from corruption with far more excellent qualities than they had before God can raise them that is our first Argument 2. God hath declared that he will do it and that is abundantly sufficient to induce us to believe it Observe these Scriptures for the proof of it Dan. 12.2 And many * That is all shall arise and they will be many not a few For many is not opposed to all here but to few Romans 5.19 By the disobedience of one man many i. e. not a few were made sinners For all were made sinners of them that slept in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt John 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Acts 24.15 And I have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Luke 14.14 Thou shalt be recompenced at the
Holy Ghost But it seems some filthy Hereticks in that time went about to perswade those Christians at Corinth that fornication was no sin or at least no great sin and the Apostle levels his arguments against such wicked suggestions as these 11. Adulterers and Adulteresses violate the sacred ordinance of marriage and the solemn covenant they made before God and before their friends as witnesses In our form of Matrimony the man solemnly promises that forsaking all others he will keep himself only unto the woman he marries as long as they both shall live And the woman does the like unto the man And therefore Adultery in either party is the most abominable breach of faith that can be imagined and they that are guilty of it what can they expect but vengeance from God 12. The Adulterer highly sinneth against him whose wife he defileth He robs him of the heart-love and affection of his wife which is an irreparable injury Besides he brings an odious nick-name and reproach upon him And which is to be taken notice of to the shame of our Nation as Dr. Hammond well observes the innocent and injured person he is by a kind of national custom laughed at and made the object of common scorn and obloquy whilst the filthy adulterer who robbed him of his honour is in the common vogue rather applauded at least passes without any such mark of infamy and contempt One or two such ponderous guilts as this as that reverend Author phrases * See Dr. Hammonds Sermons page 175. it are enough to ruine a Nation how light soever some profane wretches make of the matter 13. By the Law of God Adultery was to be punished with death Lev. 20.10 Deut. 22.22 And whereas other crimes were not capital nor to be punished with death except proved by two or three witnesses God permitted the jealous husband to make a special trial of his wifes chastity and honesty and gave him an extraordinary way and means for convicting of her if she were guilty when no witnesses could possibly be produced against her namely she was to drink of the water of jealousie which if she were innocent did not hurt her at all but rather did her good and made her fruitful But if she were guilty then upon drinking thereof her belly should swell and her thigh rot and so the woman should be accursed among her people So that rather than God would have this heinous sin of adultery go unpunished he himself appointed an extraordinary way for the discovery of it Nay before this law was given it seems it was in use among Gods own people to punish adultery with death For Judah adjudged Tamar his daughter in law to be burnt for this sin as appears Gen. 38.24 14. The very Heathens by the light of nature adjudged adultery to be a capital crime and to deserve death For instance Nebuchadnezzar roasted two men in the fire for it as we read Jer. 29.23 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the Captivity of Judah which are in Babylon saying the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon roasted in the fire because they have committed villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my name which I have not commanded them Among the Athenians Draco's Law made adultery capital Among the Romans 't was a law of the Twelve Tables Moechum in adulterio deprehensum necato so also by the lex Julia it was made capital Thus we see that the punishing adultery with death seemed a thing very fit and just and a matter of common equity among the more civilized Nations and was not meerly a judicial Law proper and peculiar to the Common-wealth of the Jews only Other Nations that did not inflict death upon adulterers yet punished them with tortures almost as bitter as death The Aegyptians decreed that the nose of the adulterer should be cut off and the adulteress should be beaten with a thousand stripes almost to death * Diodor Sicul. lib. 1. cap. 6. Zaleucus the King of the Locrenses made a Law that the adulterer should loose both his eyes Which Law his own Son transgressing that he might be just in keeping up the vigor of the Law and yet shew some mercy to his Son Aelian var hist lib. 13. he caused one of his Son's eyes to be put out and one of his own By which it plainly appears what a detestation was in the hearts of civilized Pagans guided only by the light of natural conscience against this sin And so much of the first particular the odiousness of this sin and the great reasons we have to abhor it 2. I come now to answer the vain excuses that men who are addicted to this sin are apt to make for themselves There is no sin so odious but love to it and frequent committing of it will in a sort reconcile even the judgment to it and make it seem either no sin or but a little sin and easily pardonable Let us consider therefore what are the excuses such men do usually make for themselves 1. They alledge that Poligamy or having more wives than one was practised among the Jews Answ One man and one woman were conjoyned in the Primitive institution Gen. 2.24 compared with Matth. 19.5 For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they twain * Tò duo non exprimitur Gen. 2.24 sed necessario subauditur nam de duobus tantum ibi sermo est non pluribus unde dictum uxori suae non uxoribus suis Hinc damnatur Polygamia ut quum dictum est uxori suae numero singulari not they three or four shall be one flesh And the special reason why plurality of wives was connived at among the Jews was for the fuller peopling of that Nation they being the only people in Covenant with God and being but few among many enemies encompassing of them their strength and safety depended much in an ordinary way upon their number and increase and therefore some inordinancy was connived at for their multiplication but never absolutely allowed or approved of But though their having more wives than one for the aforesaid reasons was connived at yet fornication was punished severely among them and adultery with no less punishment than death 2. They alledge that David was an Adulterer and Solomon had many wives Answ David sinned heinously therein and 't is easier to forbear this sin than to undergo the sorrows and punishment that David underwent for it For besides the bitterness that his Soul was in for it his Son Absolom rebelled against him drove him out of his Kingdom and openly defiled his wives And this sin is left as a perpetual blot upon his name and memory As for Solomon his sin was so great that it almost ruined him and his Kingdom Ten of the twelve Tribes fell off from
his house as soon as his Son came to the Kingdom and though his own experience taught him to say more against this sin than is said by any other in the Old Testament yet it is a controversie among Divines whether ever he were perfectly recovered and at last saved or no. And is this an incouragement to any man to imitate him in this sin 3. They alledge that Our Saviour did not condemn the woman taken in adultery John 8. Answ Our Saviour asks the woman whether any man had condemned her according to the Law made in that case whereby he intimates that if the sentence of death had been lawfully passed upon her he would not have repealed it for he came not to violate the law but to fulfill it But our Saviour himself refused to condemn her because he came not into the world to execute the office of an earthly judge but of a mediator who was to procure the pardon of our sins through his merits and intercession He came not to condemn but to save and to give his life a ransom for many And therefore he would not execute the office of a Magistrate in adjudging her to death but of a Minister in calling her to repentance and amendment of her life And so much by way of answer to the excuses that such as are addicted to this sin do use to make for themselves 3. I come now in the last place to give some directions and to prescribe some remedies against it 1. Frequently pour forth thy soul in fervent and earnest prayer unto the Lord that he would please to keep thee from this sin and all tendencies to it When Paul prayed so earnestly to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan God answered my grace is sufficient for thee my strength shall be perfected in thy weakness 2 Cor. 12.8 9. 2. Use fasting and abstinence and beating down the body This unclean Devil goes not out by any means so soon as by fasting and prayer A weak body indeed must be carefully supported but a wanton and unruly body must be carefully subdued * Antisthenes his wish to his enemies was hostium filiis coâ— ingat n delitiis vivere 'T is storied of a virtuous maid that to rid her self of an importunate Suitor she told him that if he had that affection for her which he pretended he should manifest it by joyning with her in a resolution she had made which was that for twenty dayes together she would eat nothing but bread and drink nothing but water The young man though very unwillingly yet to satisfie her undertook it But when he had observed it about ten dayes he found his body so mortified and enfeebled that he had no mind to marry and so his Mistress was delivered from her importunate Suitor This story applies it self And if any shall say that abstinence is an hard lesson let such consider that the suffering of hell fire and the wrath that is to come is a thousand times harder 3. Labour that the fear of God may rule in thy heart This was that which kept Joseph innocent Gen. 39.9 and preserved him from the inticements of his lewd Mistress how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God The fear of God in the heart is a great preservative against this sin 4. Reverence thy conscience and hearken to it and mark what it speaks to thee now lest hereafter it speak to thee in a more terrible manner hear it voluntarily now lest it force thee to hear it hereafter against thy will when it will be thy tormentor It is reported of a chast woman that being tempted by a fornicator she desired him first to hold his finger in the fire a litâ— bâ—while which when he refused she said why should I then burn in hell for you 5. Labour to cast out of thy mind all unclean thoughts and phansies Drive them out with abhorrence as our Saviour did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple Take heed of speculative wantonness Vnclean thoughts usually infect and corrupt the heart and stir up in it unclean lusts and inclinations and heart defilement makes way for corporal Remember what our Saviour sayes Matth. 5.24 Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart There are fornicators in heart and adulterers in heart as well as in outward act Therefore sayes Solomon keep thy self from the evil woman and lust not after her beauty in thy heart Prov 6.25 A great means to prevent uncleanness lyes in this to keep a holy government over our thoughts and to abhor and cast out lustful thoughts out of our minds with detestation 6. Keep a strict guard and watch over thy outward sences particularly thine eyes * Oculi sunt in amore duces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut est in veteri verbo and ears Job said he had made a Covenant with his eyes Job 31.1 that is he was carefull to keep his eyes from gazing upon and his mind from thinking upon a maid so as to lust after her Stop thy ears also against all filthy and unclean discourse For filthy tales and stories do strangely corrupt the Phansie and stick odiously in the memory Therefore if thou be so unhappy at any time as to fall into such company where such discourse is used and such tales are told shew thy dislike of them and be sure never to tell them again For such discourse is pestilential and infectious 7. Be diligent in thy particular calling and keep thy mind well imployed Otia si tollas periere cupidinis arcus Avoid idleness * Quaeritur Aegystus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Facito aliquid operis ut semper inveniat te diabolus occupatum Vitium libidinis facile ex otio nascitur Nam dâ—finitio amoris est animae vacantis passio Chrysost in Math. and you take away a great occasion to lust 'T is observed of David that when he was idle he fell into that dreaful sin of adultery A laborious diligent person hath his body subdued and his mind imployed and taken up with better things The rich and the idle are usually the persons that are most under this temptation 8. Keep modest and sober company where thou shalt neither see nor hear any thing unseemly Fornication and all uncleanness let it not be named among you as becometh Saints sayes the Apostle Ephes 5.3 Evil communication corrupts good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 The filthy talk and tales and stories and sonnets of some profane persons how exceedingly do they corrupt the minds of others Let dogs and crows feed on Carrion Rational men loath such rotten and abominable stuff True Chrians abhor all impure discourse and all immodest actions 9. Shun and avoid such things as may be occasions incentives and temptations to this sin Such as these 1. Lascivious dancings I say lascivious For
own body on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 2. From the dominion of sin we have a promise Rom. 6.14 that sin shall not have dominion over us because we are not under the Law as a Covenant of Works exacting perfect obedience and ministring no strength to perform it but under a Covenant of Grace in Christ which ministers strength to resist sin and overcome it So Tit. 2.14 The Apostle tells us that Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works 3. From Satan He rescues us 1. from his power and dominion The Seed of the woman Gen. 3.15 destroys the power of the old Serpent the Devil And therefore the Apostle tells us Acts 26.18 that he was sent to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles that thereby he might open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified 2. From his Temptations By Faith in Christ we are inabled to quench the fiery darts of the Devil Eph. 6.16 And the Apostle tells us 1 John 5.18 that whosoever is born of God keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not that is tactu qualitativo as Cajetan saith so as to leave an impression of his own Devilish nature upon him 3. From his Accusations Rev. 12.10 I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now is come Salvation and Strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accuseth them before God day and night And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb c. 4. From the curse of the Law He came not to take away the Law as a rule of life but to free us from the curse of it He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 5. From death The last enemy is Death But Christ will raise our bodies to a glorious life and so destroy Death 1 Cor. 15.26 54. Thus Christ is an All sufficient Saviour able to save to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 able to save both soul and body and that for ever Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him And therefore Ephes 5.23 He is stiled the Saviour of his mystical body All the three Persons save but in a different manner The Father saves by the Son The Son by paying the price of our Ransom and Redemption The Holy Ghost by perswading the heart savingly to close with Christ for the obtaining this Salvation Wouldst thou therefore O sinner have Christ to be thy Saviour then 1. break off thy siâ—s by Repentance and surrender thy self up to him to be pardoned in his blood and sanctified by his spirit For though Christ be able to save and willing to save yet they that remain impenitent and disobedient have neither part nor portion in him 2. Labour to stir up in thy heart a high love to Christ who has done so much for thee 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ says the Apostle let him be Anathema Maranatha So much of his first Title Jesus The second Title of our Saviour is Christ Christ which signifies anointed now He was anointed by the Spirit of God to three Offices To be our Prophet Priest King Messias and Christ signifie the same thing Joh. 1.14 we have foâ—nd the Messias which being interpreted is the Christ Among the Jews after the Babylonish Captivity the name Messiah was very frequent and familiar In the Chaldee paraphrase * The Chaldee Paraphrase was not an Exposition word for wâ—rd of the Hebrew Text but it took in the general sense of the learned Jews by way of Comment now extant there is express mention of the Messiah in above seventy places The Jews expected a Messias to come of their own Nation of the Tribe of Judah and of the Family of David And so was Christ our Lord. In the old Testament three sorts of persons were anointed Kings Priests and Prophets To these three Offices was Jesus annointed and took them all on him for our benefit For a threefold misery lay upon men that were to be saved 1. Ignorance and blindness of mind 2. Guilt which we were not able to satisfie for 3. Depravation and corruption of nature Bondage and Captivity to Sin and Satan which we were not able to free our selves from Suitable to these three necessities Christ is Anointed to a Threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King He was a Prophet to teach us a Priest to make Atonement for us and a King to govern us and defend us Of these his Three Offices I shall speak in order 1. He took on him the Office of a Prophet Christ was a Prophet Anointing with Oyl was a Ceremony used in the Old Testament whereby three sorts of persons viz. * 1 Kings 19.16 Prophets * Lev. 8.2.12.30 Priests and Kings were inaugurated into their Office And their Vnction signified 1. Their call to their Office 2. A collation of gifts to fit them for their Office As Oyl does revive and refresh so the effusion of the graces of the Spirit of God makes Persons fit and apt for the work to which they were called Thus Christ though he were not materially yet he was really Anointed by God to this Threefold Office with the gifts * Hae duae partâ—s Unctioris Christi siâ— differunt quod donorum collatio ad humanam naturam tantum ordinatio ad officiuÌ„ ad utramque naturam peâ—tinet and graces of the Holy Ghost which quickned and made him joyful in all his undertakings for our Redemption Which Anointing or effusion of grace into his humane Nature he received not in measure John 3.34 But abundantly above what was ever imparted either to Angels or any of the members of his mystical Body This may appear from Psal 45.7 compared with Heb. 1.9 Thou hast loved Righteousness and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath Anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy fellows And from Isa 61.1 compared with Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath Anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor c. Acts 10.30 God hath Anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power c. And the Apostle tells us Acts 3.22 23. That Moses had Prophesied of this great Prophet commanding he should be heard and obeyed in all things Deut. 18.15.18 19. Now our Saviour executed his Prophetical Office by making known the will of God to the Children of men and by revealing to them the way of Salvation His teaching was of Two sorts Outward Inward For his Out-ward teaching 1. He taught by the Patriarchs and Prophets that lived before his coming in the Flesh 2 Pet. 1.21 For Prophesie came not
dead body In all which places the word rendred here the dead or dead body is Nephesh And Anima is used pro cadavere in Virgils Aeneiad 3. animamque Sepulchro condimus And as the word Nephesh sometimes signifies a dead body and might have been so rendred in Psal 16.8 so the word Sheol there rendred Hell does also sometimes signifie the grave As Psal 55. v. 15 Let death seise upon them and let them go down quick into Hell Psal 141.7 Our bones are scattered at the graves mouth where the word Sheol signifies the grave and not a place or receptacle of Souls under the earth And let this be further considered that these words are to be understood only of Christs Resurrection as appears plainly by the Apostles drift v. 31. and prove not at all the deliverance of his Soul out of Hell but of his body from the Grave And if the words instead of Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell had been rendred thus as the Hebrew words as we have shewn will well bear thou wilt not leave my dead body in the Grave nor suffer thine holy one to see Corruption there had been no pretence to alledge this place to prove Christs descent into Hell Having thus examined their Scripture-grounds for this Doctrine I come now to consider the ends assigned by them why our Saviour should thus descend And those are two 1. Some hold that he descended into Hell to deliver the Souls of the Patriarchs detained till then as they suppose in limbo Patrum that is in an out-skirt or outward region * The Papists divide Hell into four Regions 1. The Hell of the Damned or place of everlasting torments 2. Purgatory where they say the Souls of such as were not sufficiently purged from their sins in this life are detained for the thorow purging of them And are there in torment equal for the time to that of the damned 3. Limbus infantium a place where they suppose such children are disposed of as die without Baptism whom they suppose to suffer the loss of Hâ—aven and heavenly happiness but no pain or torment 4. Limbus patrum Where in like manner the Fathers before Christ as they suppose were detained though suffering no pain yet wanting the joys of H aven And they say Christs Soul when it was separated from his Body descended thither to deliver them fâ—om thence and to carry them to Heaven of Hell where they suffered no pain indeed yet wanted the joys of heaven I Answer There is no ground to believe that the Souls of the Patriarchs or other Righteous Persons that died before the coming of Christ were kept in any place below which can be called hell or limbus Patrum Abraham's bosom surely was in the Heavens above far from any region where the Devil and his Angels were Elias was carried up in a Chariot to Heaven and our Saviour sayes Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 8.11 And surely the Kingdom of Heaven is no region of Hell This also must be remembred that Christs death was efficacicous for the Salvation of Believers before his coming as well as since he being a Lamb slain in the decree of God from the beginning And therefore no necessity to place the Patriarchs in limbo our Saviour having by his Allsufficient merits and intercession provided a better place for them 2. Others say that the end of our Saviours descent into Hell was to triumph over Satan and all the powers below within their own dominions And the places of Scripture they bring to prove it are Col. 2.14 15 He blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross And having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it And Ephes 4.8 Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on High he led Captivity Captive and gave gifts unto men I Answer From these two places of Scripture no more can be proved than this that Christ triumphed over Principalities and Powers at his death upon the Cross and led Captivity Captive at his ascension into Heaven And if the places be well weighed I believe they will be so far from proving that Christ descended into Hell to triumph there that they will appear more proper to perswade the contrary For why shoud he go to Hell to triumph over them over whom he had triumphed on the Cross And why should he go to Captive that Captivity then which he was to lead Captive when he ascended into Heaven And further in vain shall we pretend that Christ descended into Hell to lead Captivity Captive if we withal maintain that when he descended thither he brought none away that were Captive there And for his triumphing over his enemies in Hell surely the Prophet David intended no such thing when he said Acts 2.26 27. Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell He speaks of it as a matter of joy and gladness as a matter of great benefit not to be left there But can it be accounted a benefit or matter of joy to any one not to be left or permitted to stay in that place to which he came purposely that he might triumph over his adversaries whom he had conquered surely no. So that there seems not to be any sufficient ground to assign either of these for the ends of his supposed descent But to come closer to the matter none need trouble themselves to find out ends why our Saviour should descend thither seeing there is no express place in the Scripture where the Holy Ghost sayes that Christ did descend into Hell the place of the damned The four Evangelists that wrote the History of our Saviour make no mention of his going to any such place The Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 15.1 2. mentions Christs Death Burial and Resurrection but not a word of his descent into Hell This was no part of the Gospel which Paul Preached And for the further clearing of this matter let us consider these things 1. His God-head could not descend being every where present as we said before 2. His Body was laid in the Grave 3. His Soul went not to Hell but immediately to Paradise the place of joy and bliss Luke 23.43 This day sayes our Saviour to the penitent Thief shalt thou be with me in Paradise These things being premised I see not that this article of Christs descent can be understood of his Soul either metaphorically or really Others therfore understood it of his body And here also is some difference For some by Christs descending into Hell understand only his burial because in those Creeds where this Article of Christs descent was expressed there is no mention of his Burial but it is wholly omitted Thus the Athanasian Creed who
of thy Father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now Christ told the Sadducees that God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22.32 God so stiling himself their God sheweth that their souls did still live though separated from their bodies and also that their bodies should be raised again and both souls and bodies being re-united should live for ever * Deus est Deus Abrahae sâ—il totius God is the God of the whole man and not a part only And thus much for the proof of this Article out of the old Testament But the new Testament doth more clearly assert this Doctrine life and immortality being in a more evident manner brought to light by the Gospel as the Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1.10 To give some few places of many that might be brought for the proof hereof Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into life eternal John 3.16 36. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Mark 10.30 But he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal 1 Thes 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens John 17.27 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Having thus shewed that everlasting life is plainly asserted both in the old and new Testament I come now to shew that there are three degrees of this everlasting life held forth to us in the Scriptures 1. There is a life eternal Initial which is the life of grace John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life that is hath it begun in him hath the earnest of it in his Soul 2. There is a Partial life eternal which is the life which belongeth to the Soul when it is separated from the body 'T is the happiness which the souls of the Righteous enjoy between the time of death and the day of Judgment The Scripture is abundant in asserting this kind of life eternal which the separated soul injoys in the other world Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Matth 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Luke 12.4 Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say fear him Heb. 12.23 To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect Luke 23.43 Our Saviour said to the penitent Thief To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23.46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost Acts 7.59 And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to he with Christ which is far better 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in Prison Rev. 6.9 10. And when he had opened the fifth Seal I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held And they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth 3. There is a life eternal Perfectional which shall be conferred on the Saints after the re-union of their Souls and Bodies Matth. 25.34 46. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Then shall the Righteous go into life eternal Now this perfectional life everlasting which will be the portion of the Saints at the last day is such a life as shall be free from all evil and full of all good 1. Free from the evil of sin The Souls of the Just shall then be made perfect 2. The evil of temptation There was a Tempter in Paradise there will be none in Heaven 3. The evil of affliction All tears shall be wiped from your eyes Rev. 7.17 2. This life shall be full of all good 1. Their Vnderstandings shall have a clear knowledge sight and vision of God 2. Their Wills shall be perfected and adorned with an absolute and indefective holiness 3. Their Affections shall be set right with an unalterable regularity 4. They shall injoy an uninterrupted communion with God 5. They shall be blessed in their company 6. And lastly They shall have this blessedness secured to them without fear of ever losing it or being deprived of it But though the Saints shall enjoy such an eternal life in bliss as we have before described yet it shall not be so with the wicked Eternal life in misery will be their portion They shall be tormented 1. With the pain of loss 2. With the pain of sense 3. With the worm of Conscience a tormenting reflection on their former folly 4. With despair of ever coming out of that woful misery which is the very Hell of Hell But of these things I have spoken more largely in the former Treatise pag. 130. It remaines therefore now that I shew what improvement we are to make of this Article and then I shall shut up this discourse 1. We may from hence learn how inexcusable they are who hazard and expose their souls and bodies to eternal torments for a short satisfaction of their bruitish lusts 2. We should consider that there is no concern we have in the World that should lie so near our hearts as the making our peace with God upon sure and safe grounds 3. From hence we may learn how highly we ought to prize the blood of Christ and his undertaking by which alone we can escape the wrath that is to come 4. It may shew us how we ought to pity those who are running on in a full carreer
practice of these things 1. Betake thy self to some retired privacy and sequestring thy self from worldly cares and business labour to bring thy mind into a good calm sedate frame and fitness for this great work 2. Earnestly beg of God to give thee the assistance of his holy spirit to inable thee to fit thy self for this solemn Ordinance 3. Seriously consider the danger of receiving this Sacrament unworthily that is without such a disposition of mind and such a preparation of heart and such reverence and devotion as is agreeable unto so holy an Ordinance Such persons as are not so fitted and yet approach to this holy Table are guilty of profaning this Sacrament which is the commemoration of Christs death and of vilifying the signs and pledges of his body and blood and so incur the danger of temporal Judgment and chastisement here and without repentance of eternal hereafter 4. Seriously consider what is required to a worthy receiving And here a twofold caution is to be observed 1. That the pitch of worthiness is not to be set too high so as none shall be thought sit to partake of this Table but such as have a high and eminent degree of grace For this â—â—dinance was appointed for the benâ—fit of the lowest Believers and sâ— such as are weak in the Faith 2. That it be not set too low so â—hat aâ—â— person though very ignorant of the true nature and end of this ordinance if he be free from gross open and scandalous sins may be thought fit to come and be admitted to it That we may therefore avoid both these I shall set down 1. What qualifications are requisite to a worthy Receiver 2. What are insufficient The qualifications requisite are these 1. Knowledge The fundamental principles and grounds of Christianity and the nature signification end and use of this Sacrament must be known by every one that would be a worthy receiver Ignorant persons therefore are totally unfit for the present and must first be instructed before they be admitted to this holy Ordinance But by the knowledge required we do not mean the profound knowledge of a Scholar who knows how to dispute upon any of these points and knows all the distinctions about them but the savoury knowledge of a Christian which hath these properties 1. 'T is not a meer speculative floating or swimming in the brain but a knowledge that affects the heart and works upon the affections 'T is such a knowledge of God as causes the heart to fear him such a knowledge of sin as works in the heart a hatred and loathing of it 2. 'T is an humbling knowledge Knowledge not sanctified puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 But the more any Soul is savingly inlightned the more it sees and is sensible of its own folly and corruption and great depravedness 3. 'T is a knowledge that is operative for the drawing the Soul to Christ and for the mending of the heart and reforming of the life Never let any man tell me that he has knowledge enough he knows as much as the Minister can teach him he knows the way to Heaven and Salvation as well as any body can shew him when I see him going on in paths leading down to Hell Shall any man perswade me that he has a sufficient skill in Physick and yet when he is dangerously sick he is neither sensible of it nor applies any fit remedy for himself Certainly that knowledge of the things of God is not right which does not affect the heart nor reform the life 2. Repentance They that are truly penitent have wrought in them by the Spirit of God 1. A Conviction of the evil and danger of their sins 2. True contrition and godly sorrow for them 3. A hatred and loathing of them 4. They are brought humbly to confess them with sorrow and shame unto God And 5. To turn from them unto God by sincere amendment of their lives 3. Faith in Christ This is a main qualification requisite to a worthy Communicant The main acts of Faith are these two 1. A serious owning and acknowledging Christ for the only Saviour of the World 2. A sincere giving up of the soul to him to be pardoned in his blood and sanctified by his Spirit and a solemn trusting and depending on him for all the benefits purchased by his death and passion And such a faith as this is operative for the purifying of the heart and reforming the life 4. Love Of this grace there are several acts required 1. We ought to excite a great love in our Souls to God our Creator and constant benefactor who sent his Son to redeem us 2. We ought to excite and stir up in our souls a great love to Christ Jesus who humbled himself to the death for us In contemplation of which transcendent love of Christ the Apostle cries out If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 Q. But you will say how may we know whether there be in us a sincere love to Christ or no 1. Have we been deeply wounded with a sence of our sins and have we betaken our selves to him as our only Physician to be cured and have we found him curing our accusing condemning consciences Hath our love to Christ any such foundation as this 2. Do we own Christ and love him as considered in all his Offices Do we love Christ not only as a Priest that has made atonement for us but as a Prophet and a King Do we love the guidance of his holy Spirit and the guidance of his word Do we love his Soveraignty as well as his Saviour-ship 3. Do we love him for his deep humiliation and bitter sufferings which he so readily underwent for us and for the great redemption and salvation he hath wrought for us 4. Are we willing to obey Christ If you love me sayes our Saviour keep my commandments 5. Is the interest of Christ dear to us Are we concerned in his honour and dishonour Are we suitably affected when his interest prospers or is trampled upon when it goes well or ill with his Church 6. Do we love him for those eminent graces which were so conspicuous in his life 7. Are we willing to be serviceable to him and to suffer for him when he calls us to it 8. Do we love him for his constant intercession for us at Gods right hand Let us try our love to Christ by these marks 3. We ought to have in our hearts a true love and charity to all Christians We should excite in our Souls a true love to all those that are real members of Christ We should love their persons graces and fellowship These we should love with a complacential love But besides these we should love our very enemies with a love of benevolence wishing well unfeignedly to them and praying for them The proper offices and effects of this Charity are 1. Forgiving injuries 2. Doing good against evil 3. Speaking
mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit and he that is abhorred of God shall fall therein that is he whom God is highly offended with for some former wickedness shall in a just way of punishment be delivered up to this ruining sin 3. God declares that he himself will judge those that commit this sin Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge God will judge all other sinners but the Apostle seems to intimate that God will judge these in an especial manner 1. Because this sin being usually committed in secret man cannot so easily come to the knowledge of it nor can he prove it by sufficient witnesses 2. Many great and potent men are oftentimes guilty of this sin whom ordinary Magistrates either cannot or dare not or through remisness will not meddle with Therefore God will take the matter into his own hands and he himself will judge it And 't is a dreadful thing to fall into the hand of the living God Crimes among men are oftentimes extenuated by reason of the greatness of the Person that commits them But God will judge every man according to his works 4. 'T is a sin that is usually attended with hardness of heart and very often with final impenitence When once men have so far debauched their consciences that Adultery and Fornication seem small matters to them they are seldom recovered By frequent committing this sin they give their consciences such a dose of Opium that the lowdest threatnings of Gods word cannot awaken them The Prophet tells us Hos 4.11 that whoredom wine and new wine takes away the heart that is besot the understanding Terrible are those words Prov. 2.18.19 The house of the strange woman inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life O the extreme hazard and danger that all Adulterers and Fornicators expose their precious souls unto for a short pleasure Travellers * Doctor Browns travels into Germany p. 111. tell us that at Presburg Metz and some other places in Germany they have a strange way of executing capital offenders which is this They have an Engine made in the form of and finely dressed up like a young maid or Lady with her hands before her The malefactor being brought to the place of execution salutes her first and then retires But at his second salute she opens her hands and cuts his heart asunder Methinks this is a notable emblem and representation of the horrible danger that adulterers expose themselves unto by their lascivious embraces * Cito praeterit quod delectat permanet sine fine quod cruciat Aug. Which if they did but duly consider before-hand they would as much tremble to venture on them as the poor condemned Malefactor does to make his second salute to the fatal Engine 5. Adultery * Adulterium quasi ad alterius thorum accessus is one of the greatest plagues imaginable to private families For thereby a spurious bastardly brood is brought in to inherit and share the estate instead of a legitimate issue Like as the Cuckow layes her filthy eggs in another birds nest making it to hatch and nourish them as if it were its own off-spring So that this sin usually breeds dismal confusion and fatal jars and strifes in those miserable Families where it is found 6. 'T is a great mischief to the Church For by Lawful Wedlock among Christians a seed foederally holy is brought forth but by this sin a spurious and unclean brood 7. 'T is a sin that defiles a Land and provokes God to send down most heavy judgments upon it We read that the Land of Canaan where Israel dwelt spewed out the Nations that were before them for their uncleanness Lev. 18.27 28. And therefore every honest person should have a great zeal for chastity and an utter abhorrence and indignation against uncleanness as that which is a ruiner of a Nation and a mischief to the community by drawing down Gods Judgments upon it 8. 'T is a sin that exceedingly blots the name * A Learned man writing of a great Prince who was also a great Captain sayes of him that he was egregius bellator sed non adversus carnem suam So that great men one would think should be afraid of this sin lest they should be recorded to Posterity under the Characters of fiâ—thy persons There are few fornicators or adulterers who do not by great and solemn repentance and amendment of life break off that sin but leave an infamous name and memory to posterity Prov. 10.7 The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 6.32 33. He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding He that doth it destroyeth his own soul A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away 9. It usually blasts the estate Prov. 6.26 By reason of a whorish woman a man is brought to a morsel of bread Job 13.10 'T is a fire that consumeth to destruction and will root out all their increase I appeal to every wise mans observation whether this be not usually the fruit of uncleanness 10. 'T is a sin that very frequently wasts and destroyes the body The Apostle 1 Cor. 6.28 Exhorts to flee fornication because among other reasons 't is a sin that so much hurts the body In other sins that men commit commonly they abuse something without the the body as the drunkard doth wine but this sin hurteth and abuseth the body it self in a more remarkable manner by an intemperate and excessive exhausting the vital spirits and consuming the natural heat and moisture which are the preservers of health strength and life And besides this sin is frequently attended with that loathsom disease which makes the committers of it to rot and stink above ground So that if there be any men so sottish as not to fear Hell or punishment in another life yet methinks they should resolve to live chastly for fear of rotting their bodies by uncleanness and so shortning this life wherein they expect all their happiness The Apostle indeed in that Chapter before-mentioned uses another argument of another nature to true believers why they should keep themselves from uncleanness Verse 15. Know you not sayes he that your bodies are the members of Christ and will you take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid For as wedlock makes man and wife one body lawfully so fornication makes the fornicator and the harlot one body unlawfully Further he shews that the bodies of true believers are Temples of the Holy Ghost who is freely given of God to dwell in them and therefore their bodies ought to be kept pure and undefiled The Apostle therefore in this place uses these arguments to true believers and not impure Fornicators For their bodies are not members of Christ nor Temples of the
themselves to consider what kind of life that is that is there lived They savor and relish earthly things but spiritual things seem to them to have no tast in them But the true Christian exercises himself in the meditation of things invisible and lives in the believing views of the excellency and reality of those things and by faith ascertains them to himself The Martyrs had their hearts set on things unseen The invisible comforts and recompenses of the other life bore up their hearts against the terrors of visible and present torments And so much of the causes of Covetousness 4. I come now to shew what are the marks and characters of such as are Covetous and Earthly-minded and who may be stiled men of the World 1. Men whose knowledge and skill lyes only or chiefly about the things of the world They are shrowd understanding men in worldly matters but in the things of God and such as concern their Souls and their everlasting welfare meer Children In the things that concern their trades or professions they are notable men but talk with them about the Covenant of Grace about Conversion and Regeneration about the true nature of Repentance or Faith and they know little 2. Their hearts are chiefly set on these things The things of the World they love and affect as being sutable to their spirits The Apostle commands us 1 John 2.15 Not to love the World nor the things of the World for all the things of the World may be reduced to these three heads the lust of the flesh or sensual pleasures the lust of the eye or riches and such things as are seen with the eyes and the pride of life that is preferments and honours But though the Apostle commands we should not set our hearts or affections on these things yet this is the Worlds Trinity and more adored by them than Father Son and Holy-Ghost 3. Their discourse is chiefly about these things 1 John 4.5 They are of the World therefore speak they of the World Their breath is earthy which they say is a sign of death Talk with them about worldly things none more free to discourse than they But speak to them of matters that concern their Souls they have nothing to say Such discourse is usually unpleasing to them 4. Their pains and endeavours * Rem Rem quocunque modo Rem Ocives querenda pecunia primum est Virtus post nummos are only or chiefly for the things of the World They take little pains about their own Souls or the souls of those under their care but are mighty industrious about the things of the World They rise early and sit up late to acquire them but a short attendance upon religious duties and exercises what a weariness is it to them and they are ready to snuff at it as the Prophet speaks Mal. 1.13 They take a great deal of care and pains how they may live here it may be ten or twenty or thirty years but they take no thought how they should live a thousand years hence when they have left their bodies in the earth Oh were the endeavours of these men for the saving of their immortal precious souls but any thing answerable to the pains they take to get the World how happy might they be God is not always pleased to bless and succeed the endeavours of men who are very diligent in their calling and painful and laborious to get wealth God sees it best to keep them low But what man ever was diligent and serious in seeking the things of eternal life and working out his Salvation that did not find God assisting of him and prospering his endeavours 5. They are very careful to secure to themselves those temporal things but use no answerable care to secure to themselves things eternal They are very careful about the Titles of their Lands and Purchases and hardly ever think themselves secure enough Let a Minister come to one of these men on his Death-bed and ask him concerning the evidences of his estate he will tell him they are all safe in such a trunk or chest But let him ask him what evidences he has that his Soul is in a safe condition Alas He has nothing to say He has not minded those things His Soul is left upon miserable uncertainties He has taken no care to secure to himself erernal * Nulla satis magna secuâ—itas ubi periclitatur aeternitas happiness He has taken care to leave a clear estate to his children but no care to clear his Soul of guilt or to deliver himself from the wrath that is to come 6. They are commonly very solicitous about their own private interest but little or nothing concerned about the interest of Christ or his Church They are wholly and only for themselves We read 1 Sam. 4.13 that old Eli's heart trembled for the Ark of God which was the symbole of his gracious presence among them But how little are worldly and earthly-minded men concerned how it fares with the Church of God provided their own private worldly concernments be safe and secure 7. These outward things they make their trust and confidence They set their prime affections of love and trust upon them in that measure which is only due to God The rich mans wealth is his strong City Prov. 10.16 They make Gold their hope and fine Gold their confidence Job 31.24 Their wealth is the Idol upon which they dote Their confidence and trust is taken off from God and placed upon their riches As the Psalmist speaks Psal 52.7 Lo these are the men that make not God their strength but trust in the abundance of their riches And this their way is their folly and a course very injurious to God who should be the only object of our trust and can only help us in a day of trouble The Scripture doth frequently disswade men from such carnal confidence 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that be rich in this World that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God Psal 62.10 If riches increase set not your hearts upon them And our Saviour himself gives us this precept Matth. 6.19 Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal For where your treasure is there will your hearts be also And so much of the marks and characters of such as are earthly-minded 5. I come now to shew the great evil of Covetousness and earthly-mindedness 1. 'T is a sin the Scripture testifies very much against 1. 'T is called Idolatry Ephes 5.5 Col. 3.5 because the Covetous man loves * Amor tuus Deus tuus his money more than God and more trusts in it 2. 'T is called the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 'T is the cause