down his work is done A person spiritually enlightned hath not onely Spiritum adstantem but assistentem should hee have all the incouragements of honour or profit from without he could never do any thing cheerfully but would ever be complaining unlesse he enjoyed inward quicknings and enlivenings of heart in duty by the Spirit of Christ the supplyes of the Spirit 2. A sanctified person lives a holy life as in acting from so according to a principle of holy life Now his actings are according to his principle of holinesse 1. In regard of their kinde they are of the same sort or nature with the principle of holinesse Water in the stream is of the same nature with that in the fountan He that is sanctified lives like himself his regenerated self A spirituall life produceth spirituall living the seed of God puts forth it self in the fruits of godliness if he be a fig-tree he bears no thistles the working of a Saint follows his being The Vnderstanding acts in a sound efficatious Eph. 1.17 18. Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.23 operative influentiall knowing both of God and our selves The Conscience acts in a holy tendernesse and remorsefulnesse for sin Psal 16.7 2 Chr. 34.27 and in a pious peaceablenesse and quietnesse giving witnesse of a persons reconciliation to Rom. 5.1 and walking with God sincerely 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimony of a good conscience The Memory retaining heavenly things as a treasury Psal 119.11 repository or spirituall store-house of the Word an Ark for the two Tables The Will acts by a plyable yeelding to God in all things both to do what God enjoyns and to undergo what God inflicts in both its flexible Rom. 7.18 Psal 39.9 It desires to please God in all things though it find not alway to perform The Affections act in a holy regularity and order being streams not dried up but diverted 1 Tim. 1.5 Psal 18.2 Love is out of a pure heart a spark flying upwards set upon God principally and that for himself set upon man for God either because we see God in him or desire we may Psal 139.25 Hatred is now of those things that God hates and that hate God Joy is now spiritual in the Lord in communion with him in serving of him though in tribulation Sorrow is now for ours and others sin and the sufferings of the Church not for such poor things as worldly trifles the pearls of tears not being cast upon the dunghill Our Desires are now set upon the presence and pleasing of God pardon of sin a soft heart fruitfulnesse under the means the prosperity of Sion the appearance of Christ Our Zeal is not now hot for our selves and cold for God like fire well ordered burneth for the service not the consuming of the house Hope is now lively and well grounded not false and carnall This spirituall acting outwardly reacheth the body making it a weapon of righteousnesse fire within will break out The whole body is the souls instrument in all its members being obedient to effect good actions according to the dictate of renewed Reason and the command of sanctified Will the Eye is as it were a watch-man the Tongue a spokes-man the Ear a disciple the Arm a champion the Leg a lackquey all at the dispofall of God If the wares of holinesse be in the Shop those of the same kind will be on the Stall the life of a Saint is a visible Sermon of sanctification he who hath his heart ordered aright hath his conversation ordered aright Psal 50. the hand of the clock goeth according to the wheels Out of the good treasury of the heart he brings forth good things The body will be the interpreter of a gracious heart the law is written in the heart and commented upon in the life a clean stomack sends forth a sweet breath The matter of our actions shall be warranted by the word Psal 119.35 Mic. 6.8 Luk. 17.10 Act. 4.19 Psal 32.2 Psal 112.1 the manner humble cheerfull resolute sincere In a word glory ends are propounded and our workings if God require shall crosse our own interest ease profit Tohave a good heart and a wicked life is a walking contradiction A sanctified person is not as Ephraim a cake not turn'd only baked on one side 2. The actings of a sanctified person are conformable to his principle of Sanctification as that principle is extensive to and puts upon all the wayes of holinesse and as it is a seed of all the fruits of Sanctification A sanctified person embraceth every holy duty he fructifieth in every good work Col. 1.10 hath respect to every precept Ps 119.6 128 esteems every precept concerning all things to be right There 's a concatenation of all graces they are linked together in a divine league he hath not any grace that wholly wants any The instructions of the Law are copulative Jam. 2.10 he that would seem to make conscience of keeping all the Commandments of God save one Non est justa causatio cur praeferuntur aliqua ubi facienda sunt omnia Salv. de Pro. l. 3. observes none at all out of any obedience to God who hath alike commanded all A sanctified person preferrs not one Command before another 1 Tim. 5.21 his foot can endure to walk being sound in a stony as well as a sandy path he will do not many things but all even to the parting with Herodias and the putting down the Calves as well as Baal he is not double-diligent in some matters and negligent in others he is neither maimed to want any limb nor a monster one part excessively outstripping another 3. The actings of a sanctified person are conformable to the principle of spirituall life as it is the same a permanent abiding principle not somtimes in us and at other times quite gone from us but at all times remaining in us A sanctified person is holy in a continued course he walks with God Psal 119.112 he applyes himself to keep the Commandments continually He is not holy upon extraordinary occasions his duties are not like a misers feast all at one time nothing at another he is not holy by fits and pangs upon a rainy day reading only good in thundring and lightning or in a storm at sea moved passionatly with an affectionate sermon trembling for the present Acts 24.25 and presently after following bribery At the first coming on to profession seething hot after a while luke-warm at length key-cold slashing with Peter at the first and shortly after flying and denying His infirmities and falls are but for a fit but his holinesse is constant his goodnesse is not like the morning cloud and early dew Hos 6 4. not like the redness of blushing but the ruddiness of complexion his religion is not operative in company silent in secret he is not like water that conforms it self to the shape of every thing into which its poured or like
Ministers whom he hath appointed to be Stewards therof to the end of the world partly by qualifying them with gifts and Ministeriall Abilities and partly by appointing and setting them apart for the Ministry by those whom he hath authorized thereunto 2. To his people by the Ministry of his fore-mentioned servants who have instructed the faithfull sometime by preaching with a lively voice and afterward by committing the doctrine of faith to writing And Ministers shall to the end of the world be continued to deliver this doctrine of faith to the Church for their edification in holinesse And among those people to whom Ministers deliver this faith externally some there are to whom it is delivered also effectually by the internall revelation of the Spirit which so delivers this doctrine of faith to all the Elect that they themselves are delivered into it Rom. 6.17 their understandings being savingly enlightned to see that excellency in it which by the bare Ministry of it cannot be perceived and their wils perswaded to imbrace it as that rule of life according to which they will constantly walk 2. What need there was of the delivery of this faith 1. In regard of the Insufficiency of all other doctrines or prescriptions in the world to lead to life Only this doctrine delivered is the rule of faith and manners Peace internall and eternall is only afforded to them who walk according to this rule Gal. 6.11 God brings to glory only by guiding by these counsels All other lights are false are fools fires which lead to precipices and perdition This is the light which shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.20 to which who ever gives not heed can never find the way to heaven Learned Ethnicks never wrote of eternall happinesse in their Ethicks 1 Cor. 1.21 The world by wisdome knew not God 2. In regard of the totall insufficiency of man to find out this doctrine of himself The things delivered in this doctrine are mysteries supernaturall and depending on the meer will and dispensation of God The incarnation of the Son of God Col. 1.26 expiation of sin by his death justification by faith could never have entred into the mind of man unlesse God had revealed them They depend not upon any connexion of naturall causes Though there be a kind of naturall Theologie yet there 's no naturall Christianity Also the und erstanding of man is so obscured by the darknesse of sin that in spirituals it is purely blind The naturall man perceives not the things which are of God 1 Cor. 2.14 2. This delivering of faith comprehends the keeping and holding it by those to whom it was delivered This is done therefore 1. by Ministers 2. by every Christian 1. This duty is incumbent on Ministers who must keep the truth hold fast the faithfull word and be tenacious Tit. 1.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holding it as the word signifieth against a contrary hold with both their hands with all their strength Jer. 10.27 Amos 7.14 holding it in their understanding in their affections in their preaching and delivery in their life and practice not parting with it for fear or favour either to Sectaries or Politicians rather parting with their lives than their sword 2. The faith is kept by every Christian by persevering in the knowledge love and practice of it Every Saint must keep it in his head in his heart in his hand this he must do though for keeping the truth he lose his life 'T is not the having but the holding the truth Rev. 2.13 which is a Christians crown He who lets it go never had it truely and effectually in the love of it nor shall ever enjoy it in the recompence of it Of this more afterward 1. God was the Authour of the doctrine of life Observ 1. though by men yet from him hath it alwayes been delivered it 's his word and revelation The word of the Lord and thus saith the Lord is the Scripture stamp and superscription When the Patriarchs and Prophets preach'd it it was from him when holy men of old time wrote it it was from him though he hath spoken in divers manners yet 't was he that spake When the doctrine of life was committed to writing he commanded it He moved and inspired holy men to write 2 Pet. 1.21 2 Tim. 3.16 Exod. 17.14 chap. 34.27 Isai 8.1 chap. 30.8 Jer. 36.2 They were his Organs and Instruments of conveying his mind to the world The Spirit of the Lord saith David 2 Sam. 23.2 spake by me and his word was in my tongue And Acts 28.25 The Holy Ghost spake by Isaiah Quicquid Chri. stus de suis dictis ac factis nos scire voluit ipsis scribendum tanquam suis manibus imperavit Aug. l. 1. de cons Evang. c. 35. And 1 Pet. 1.11 The Spirit of Christ in the Prophets fore-told his sufferings These and the other holy men were the Scribes the Pens the Hands the Notaries of the Spirit They wrote not as men but as men of God when any book is called the Book of Moses the Psalms of David the Epistle of Paul it 's in respect of Ministry not of the principall cause 2. Great is the necessity of Scripture The doctrine of life could never without a scripturall delivery have been found out without it indeed this doctrine was between two and three thousand years preserved by the delivery of a lively voice but afterwards when their lives who were to deliver the word grew short men numerous memory frail the bounds of the Church inlarged corruptions frequent and therefore tradition an unfaithfull keeper of the purity of doctrine as appears by Tharah's Jos 24.3 Gen. 35.2 Apostoli quod primum praeconiaverunt postea per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradi derunt fundamentum columnam fidei uostrae futurae Iren. lib. 3. adv haeres c. 1. and Abram's worshipping of other gods the idolatry in Jacob's family c. God appointed that the doctrine of life should be committed to writing and upon supposition of the will and pleasure of God whose wisdome hath now thought fit to give us no other rule and foundation of faith the written word is now necessary as the means of delivering faith to us Had not the faith therefore been delivered in Scriptures whence should it have been found how retained The written word is the cabbinet wherein lies the jewell of faith the starre which shews where the Babe lodgeth the light which discovers the beauty of salvation A Book of Apocalyps or Revelation of Christ 3. Strong is the engagement upon us to be thankfull for Gods discovering to us the doctrine of faith It was above the compasse of Reason and Nature ever to have found it out by their own inquiry Rom. 16.25 Ephes 1.9 Ephes 3.9 neither men nor Angels could have known it without divine revelation It was a mystery a great an hidden mystery which was
though what is done be commanded yet it is not done because it 's commanded Oculus ad coelum manus ad clavum or in obediencee to a precept The hand must not only be at work but the eye must also be upon the word It 's very possible for a work commanded to be an act of disobedience in respect of the intent of the performer 3. When 't is not given him inwardly heartily when men are eye-servants and do not the will of God from the heart Col. 3.23 Rom. 1.9 nor serve him in the spirit Ungodly men rather act a service than yield a service they rather complement with God Mat. 15.7.8 2 Tim. 3.5 Ezek. 33.31 than serve him They bring a bone without marrow They glister but they burn not like some men who lifting with others at a burden make as loud a cry as the rest but yet they put to it no strength at all In Gods account they who do but appear godly are nothing at all but ungodly 4. When honour is not given to God impartially Ungodly men pick out one work and reject another chuse an easie and forbear a difficult work serve and honour God so far as they may not disserve and dishonour themselves engaging no further than they may safely come off Whereas nothing should come amiss to one who rightly serves this Mâ—ster Psal 119.6.128 1 Tim. 5.21 One piece of his service must not be preferred before another We must answer to every call We must not examine what the service is which is commanded but who the Master is that commands 5. When honour is not given him cheerfully Ungodly men do the will of God against their will Psal 40.8 2 Cor. 9.7 it is not their meat and drink it goeth not down as their food but as a potion not upon choice but constraint whence 't is that their services are neither easie to themselves nor acceptable to God whose service is as well our priviledg as our duty 6. When he is not honour'd constantly Ungodly men wil have their rest from labour before they dye The honour which they give to God is full of gapps Their heart is not stedfast with God Psal 78.37 Ungodly men want a fountain a principle from whence their services should issue and therefore like a standing water Hos 6.4 they will in time dry up They are not friends and therefore they love not at all times The honour they give to God is like the redness of blushing soon down not like the ruddiness of complexion abiding 7. When honour is not given to God fervently and diligently with all the might and strength Ungodly men honour not God as a God as the best the greatest but without cost slightly and coldly The heart hath no love and the hand hath little labour When the spleen swels all other parts decay and those who nourish any lust will honour God but with lean and thin services A divided heart will be a lazy heart 8. When honour is not given to God with single aims and sincere intentions Ungodly men propound not to themselves glory-ends God is not honoured by them for himself They love not the lesson wherein there is not some gay of pleasure or profit they seek themselves and not God 2 Kin. 10.28 29. and therefore they lose God and themselves too remaining ungodly here and unrewarded hereafter 1. Observ 1. It s possible for men to attain to highest estimation for godliness and yet to be inwardly at the same time ungodly Men may be accounted the godly party and yet not have a dram of true godliness in them Had not these seducers been seemingly godly they had never been admitted by the Church and had they not been really ungodly they had never been by the Spirit of God call'd so Ungodliness is a close a secret evill It may creep into our profession participation in ordinances and Church communion undiscerned An ungodly heart may be in a glistring professor 2 Tim. 3.5 even in those who have a form of godliness Judas Simon Magus the Corinthian teachers were not without their estimation from men for piety nor without detestation from God for hypocrisie Christians should not like some tradesmen live altogether upon credit Quid juvat bonum nomen reclamante conscentiâ What doth a good name help a rotten heart how poor an advantage to a dying man is it for one to come and say Sir I am glad to see you well Truth of grace is alone beyond the reach of hypocrites Shape may be pictur'd life cannot The Magicians imitated Moses till God discover'd his own finger in the miracles True godliness is Gods handywork of this the most specious pretender falls short Oh Christian put not off the soul alone with shadowes Labour to be what thou seemest and then seem to be what thou art 2. Vngodliness is the root of all lewd Observ 2. irregular and licencious practices The Apostle placeth the ungodlinesse of seducers in the fore-front of all that wickednesse wherewith he chargeth them A man who hath no care of Gods honour will make no conscience of any sin Where God is not served man will not be obeyed Abraham rightly collected Gen. 20.11 that they who fear'd not God would not fear to take away his life By the fear of God men depart from evill Prov. 16.6 Prov. 8.13 Religion in the heart is the best means to order the hand Education exigency of condition resolutions humane lawes shame fear c. may for a while curb but they cannot change a sinner They may cloake not cure sin They may work a palliative not an eradicative cure All they can do till the heart be changed is but to sow a piece of new â—loth to an old garment new expressions professions to an old disposition which will but make the rent the greater How imprudent are those parents who expect obedience to themselves from their children who are ever suffered to be disobedient to God! How little policy do those Magistrates express who only care to make men subjects to them willingly suffering them to be rebels to God! I confess Satan loves to lay the brats of wars treason and rebellion c. at the door of Religion But as truly may Politicians utter those words as ever they were uttered O Religion if thou hadst been here our nation had not dyed And if that death may be attributed to the absence of religion how little are people beholding to them who hinder it from coming to the Nation to cure it 3. Observ 3. Eminent if meer profession will end in eminent profâ—nenesse A fiery hypocrite will grow from being lukewaâ—m in religion to be stone-cold in irreligion The seeming piety and glorious appearances of these seducers in advancing Christ grace and Christian liberty was soon followed with the utter rejection of godlinesse What profane and even godlesse persons and how purely neglective of all
by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and those among the Latine by the word Genii It properly is a word which intends the office of angels and signifieth no more than messengers or those who are sent at the command and by the commission of their superiours And yet it comprehends and recalls to mind the essence of Angels which is considerable before the office and without which the office is but a meer notion Briefly therefore for the explaining thereof I shall consider 1. The nature and essence 2. The office and imployment of Angels 1. For their essence Angels are spirituall and incorporeall creatures subsisting by themselves 1. By the name of spirits the Scripture useth to expresse the essence and nature of angels Nomen spiritus nomen est naturae Aug. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 104.4 Heb. 1.14 and it s used both to denote good and bad angels of the former its said he maketh his angels spirits a place cited in the New Testament Heb. 1.14 Of the later 1 Kings 22.21 22. its said There came forth a spirit to perswade Ahab to go to Ramoth Gilead Who afterward proved a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets And Mat. 8.16 when they brought to Christ many who were possessed with divels the Evangelist immediately subjoyns that hee cast out the spirits with his word And our Saviour plainly expresseth that such persons who have not flesh and bones and such are angels are spirits Luk. 24.39 Nor is it imaginable but that those are spirits of whom a legion that is at least six thousand according to Hierom may be in one man but this is clearly asserted concerning the divels or evill angels Luk. 8.30 Where it s added that many divels were entred into the man Nor can any but spirits get entrance into bodies without moving or hurting them and into prisons and other places when closely shut up and most narrowly watch'd 'T is true angels have often appeared in humane bodies and shapes The Son of God before his incarnation as also the holy Ghost afterward did so and yet it followes not hence that their essence is corporeall as neither can it be evinc'd that soules are corporeall because Moses appeared to the Disciples in an outward shape These their bodies might either be such only in shew and appearance or if they were true bodies they were only joyned to them for a time by Gods power and afterward resolved againe into their own principles as also were their garments which the angels did wear while they conversed with men And whereas * Tertul. lib. de carne Christi et contra Praxeam Aug. de Trin. lib. 2. c 7. lib. 3 c. 1. De div Daem cap. 3 5. l. 15 c. 23. de Civ Dei Bern. ser 5. in Cant. Angeli compa ratione nostrorum corporum sunt spiritus sed comparatione summi et incircumscripti Spiritus sunt cor pora Greg. Mor. l. 2. c. 2. Angeli non sunt absolutè simplices compouuntur ex actu potentiâ ex subjecto accid eutibus ex esse essentia Polan Synâ—ag 1779. pag. sundry of the Fathers have asserted that the angels are corporeall and have bodies of their own they are to be understood commonly as speaking of them in comparison of God as if though being compared with us they are spirits yet compared with God they are bodies And certain it is that angels are not spirits purely and altogether simple as God is who only is that most simple Spirit and yet it s conceived by learned Zanchy that their bodies are more refined subtil and pure than either bodies aeriall or celestiall which were created out of the first matter and that the substance of the bodies of the angels is very like to the substance of the heavens of the blessed or the Empyrean wherein he saith they were created and which are of a corporeall substance but far more excellent for their purity than the other heavens From this spirituall nature of the angels flowes their immortality incorruptibility or immutability for since they are immateriall and free from all contrary qualities composition of matter and forme and the contrariety of qualities being the causes of intrinsecall corruption they are rightly termed incorruptible Indeed only God is simply immutable who is a being of himselfe and not by participation and every creature is mortall mutable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may be brought to nothing by him who made it of nothing should he only withdraw his sustaining power Easi in angelorum naturg nul la propriè est potentia passiva propter quam possunt dici corruptibiles propter potentiam tamen Dei activam à qua illorum esse dependet simpliciter dici incorruptibiles non possunt Zanc. de op Dei But a thing may be said to be mortall and corruptible two ways either by a passive power which is in it self or by an active power which is in another and upon whom it depends now although in the nature of angels there be no passive power wherby they are corruptible yet in respect of the active power of God upon which their being depends they cannot simply be termed incorruptible because if God withdraw his power they would instantly perish though denomination being from the nearest and internall cause they may properly be call'd incorruptible 2. Angels are true subsistences or substances by themselves and separately subsisting The Sadduces of old and the Libertines of later ages have held that angels are only certaine inspirations motions and inclinations of the mind and that the good of these are the good angels and the bad of these the bad angels But that they are Vera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they are substances and truly subsist by themselves is most clearly evinced 1. From their creation Accidentia sunt concreata Psal 104. Actiones sunt suppositorum God created no accidents separately from their sustances accidents were concreated in and with their substances But angels were created by themselves and not in any subject 2. From their actions they praise God they worship the Son they are heavenly messengers they assume bodies defend the faithfull they have wrastled eaten been received as strangers had their feet wash'd c. they shall gather the Elect from the four corners of the earth they shall come with Christ to judgement none of which actions could be done unlesse they were substances 3. From their endowments they have life power understanding wisdom they are immortal they are excelling in strength some things they know not as the day of judgement Some of them sinn'd others abide in the truth 4. From their happinesse and misery Some of them behold the face of God and are blessed and glorious Mat. 18.10 Mat. 25.41 Mar. 12.25 others are punish'd in everlasting fire prepared for the divell and his angels 5. From that likenesse which we shall have to them in heaven where we shall be