the world others natural moderate in things indifferent and shunning the occasions of sinne the meditating on the death of Christ is the purest and most effectual way of mortifying sinne 1 Pet. 4. 1. Look upon Christs death not only as a pattern but cause of Mortification Iohn 3. 14. Heb. 12. 2. 1. Look upon sin as the causes of Christs sufferings Zech. 12. 10. Act. 2. 37. 2. Consider the greatnesse and dreadfulnesse of his sufferings Rom. 8. 32. 3. The fruit of his sufferings Col. 2. 15. 4. Reason must argue from the end of Christs sufferings which was Mortification as well as comfort and pardon 1 Iohn 3. 6. Ephes. 5. 27. Improve the death of Christ 1. By faith Rom. 6. 6. 7. 25. 2. By Prayer Heb. 10. 19. 5. A preparation to this duty Labour daily to finde out thy sins we are naturally very prone to entertain a good opinion of our selves and discern not many evils in us 1. Study the Law Rom. 7. I was alive without the Law but when I saw the inward motions of sinne were abominable to God I died compare thy own soul with it 2. Study thy own wayes When thou art crost how art thou troubed say Is not this anger when others reproach thee how art thou troubled say Is not this pride and self-love 3. Have an ear open to the admonition of faithful friends leave not thy heart till it plead guilty 4. Make use of Ordinances the Word read and heard Prayer the Sacrament after he had commanded them to put off the old man Colos. 3. he saith Let the Word dwell plentifully in you David begs of God to strengthen him 5. Take heed and shun all the occasions that foment and cherish thy corruptions 1. Inward thy own thoughts we cure the itch by cleansing the bloud Iob 31. 1. Why should I think on a maid 2. Outward there are two of all sins 1. Idlenesse the devils cushion 2. Evil company 6. Upon special seasons there must be the solemn exercise of fasting and humiliation because we must mortifie the inclinations of sin Iam. 4. 9. CHAP. XIII II. Of Vivification THere are two parts of a Christians duty Dying to sinne and Living to God It is called living to God Rom. 14. 8. Gal. 2. 19. to holinesse the life of righteousnesse rising to Christ. It is first Habitual when the Spirit of God infuseth such principles where by we are able to live unto God Secondly Practical Vivification is the constant endeavour of a beleever to exercise all those Graces which the Spirit of God hath planted in him The life of a thing is the acting according to the principle of it so something daily draws out the exercise of those holy Graces the Spirit of God hath wrought in him Prov. 4. 23. Practical Vivification reacheth to all things which concern Christianity but consists in two things 1. The active bent and propensenesse of the inward man to the things of Gods Kingdom 2. Strength and ability to act according to the rule The School-Divines make this spiritual bent to stand in five things 1. In oppugnatione vitiorum the same with practical Mortification 2. In contemptu terrenorum 3. In repulsione tentationum 4. In tolerantia afflictionum 5. In aggressione bonorum operum quamvis arduorum This strength comes 1. From the principle within the life of the habits 2. The Spirit of God dwels in them and stirs them up to act This new life is Christs rather then our own He is the root and author of the life of Grace Iohn 8. 12. The Gospel is the ministration of life Col. 3. 4. 1 Iohn 5. 11 12. 2 Tim. 1. 10. There is a threefold life 1. Natural or personal 2. Politick 3. Divine or Spiritual 1. The natural life flows from the Union of soul and body 2. The politick life comprehends all those things which people perform one to another by vertue of their Relations and Associations of people together by Lawes Thirdly Spiritual life which ariseth from the intercourse between God and the soul. There is a great similitude and dissimilitude between also the natural and spiritual life They agree in these things 1. Natural life supposeth some generation so doth spiritual life therefore it is called Regeneration 1 Iohn 2. 27. 2. What the soul is to the body in the natural life that is God to the soul in a spiritual life As the soul is the principle of all the actions and operations in the body so in the spiritual life Christ works all but by the man 3. So long as the soul is in the body one is an amiable creature when that is gone he is but a carkasse so so long as God is with the soul it is in good plight 4. Where there is life there is sense and feeling spiritual life is seen by the tendernesse of the heart Ephes. 4. 18 19. it is sensible of injuries done to it by sin Rom. 7. 24. or the decayes of it by Gods absence 5. Where there is life there is a nutritive appetite an instinct to preserve life 1 Pet. 2. 2. This life is nourished by the Ordinances and constant influences of the Spirit 6. Where there is life there will be growth Gods people grow more wise solid They differ thus 1. The Union between the soul and body is natural between God and the soul from free grace 2. In the natural life there is an indigence till the soul and body be joyned but there is no want on Gods part though he be not united to the soul. 3. The soul and man united make one person so do not God and the soul. 4. The natural life comes wholly from corrupt principles and it is a fading life Iam. 4. 14. but he that lives this one life once lives it for ever Ioh. 6. 5. This divine spiritual life stands in two things First We by our Apostasie are fallen off from God when God restores us to life he restores us to his favour Ephes. 2. from v. 11. to the end and so sin and the curse is removed Secondly There is wrought in the soul a sutable frame of Spirit to do the thingâ— agreeable to the will of God an inward principle of holinesse the repairing of Gods Image in us Ephes. 1. 2 ch quickned by him Christ is our life and the fountain of this spiritual life three wayes 1. He is the meritorious cause of it he hath purchased all this for us by his bloud he bare the wrath of God for us by his active and passive obedience He hath merited that all this life should be communicated to us 2. He is the efficient cause of it works all this in and to us he sends his holy Spirit into the souls of all those whom he means to save applies to them their peace and pardon and quickens them 3. As he is the exemplar rule and copy how our life should be led The preaching of the Gospel is the ministration of
soul. 2. It separates the heart from lusts and the world 3. Alters and changeth the customs of men 4. It keeps the heart up against all the power of the devil It quickneth the dull Psal. 119. 93 107. comforteth the feeble Rom. 15. 4. giveth light to the simple Psal. 19. 7. convinceth the obstinate 1 Cor. 12. 3. 14. 24. reproveth errors rebuketh vices 2 Tim. 3. 16. is a discerner of the thoughts 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. and aweth the conscience Iam. 4. 12. 10. The Candour and Sincerity of the Pen-men or Amanuenses respecting Gods glory only and not their own and in setting down not only the sins of others but their own slips and infirmities doth testifie that they were guided by the holy Ghost Moses shews his disobedience Numb 11. 11. Ionah his murmuring Ionah 1. 4. Ieremiah his fretting Ier. 20. 14. David shames himself in his Preface to the 51 Psalm St Mark wrote the Gospel out of Peters mouth and yet the denial of Peter is more expresly laid down by the Evangelist Saint Mark then any other and Paul sets down with his own Pen his own faults in a sharper manner then any other Matthew the Evangelist tels us of Matthew the Publican The Pen-men of the holy Scripture were holy men called sent inspired by the Spirit which had denied the world with the lusts and affections thereof and were wholly consumed with zeal for the glory of God and salvation of men 2 Pet. 3. 15. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Matth. 16. 17. Gal. 2. 11 12. Ephes. 2. 3 5. They learned not of men what they wrote Moses David Amos were Herdsmen Ieremiah was almost a childe Peter Iames and Iohn were in their ships other Apostles were unlearned before their Calling Acts 4. 13. Moses learned of the Aegyptians and Daniel of the Caldeans humane Arts and Sciences but they could not learn of them the knowledge of the true God they themselves being ignorant and grosse Idolaters Neither could they erre in that which they delivered for by them the Spirit of Christ and Christ himself did speak 1 Pet. 1. 11. 2 Pet. 1. 21. Acts 28. 25. 2 Cor. 13. 3. In their own judgement the most holy did erre as 1 Sam. 16. 1. and Nathan 2 Sam. 6. which errour is truly related in the Scripture but when they spake according to the guidance of the Spirit which did ever assist them in the penning of the Scripture they could not erre I have learned saith Augustine to Ierom to give this honour only to the Canonical Books firmly to believe that no author of thâ—m erred in writing from all others he expected proof from Scripture or Reason 11. The wonderful Consent singular Harmony and Agreement of the Scriptures shews that they came not from men but from God Luk. 1. 70. Acts 3. 18. Iohn 5. 46. each part sweetly agreeth with it self and with another and with the whole Acts 26. 22. 11. 17. Luke 24. 27 44. Iohn 5. 46. Matth. 4. 4. what was foretold in the Old is fulfilled in the New Testament If there seem any contrariety either in numbring of years circumstance of time and place or point of Doctrine The fault is in our apprehension and ignorance not in the thing it self and by a right interpretation may easily be cleared See D. Willet on Gen. 24. 38. Doctor Vane in his lost Sheep returned home Chap. 2. saith Seeing no man is infallibly sure that all the answers used to reconcile the seeming contradictions of Scripture are true no man can be assured by the evidence of the thing that there is that perfect Harmony in the Scriptures nor consequently that they are thereby known to be the word of God Moreover if we were infallibly assured that there were this perfect Harmony in the Scriptures yet this to me seemed not a sufficient proof that they are the Word because there is no reason forbids me to believe that it may not be also found in the writings of some men yea I make no question but it is to be found and that with lesse seeming contradiction then is in the Scripture yet no man accounts that this proves their writings to be the Word of God After he saith We believe it to be harmonious because it is the Word of God not to be the Word of God because it is harmonious which we do not infallibly see How well this agrees with what I have in the margent quoted out of Bellarmine who urgeth that as an argument to prove the Scripture to be from God let the intelligent Reader judge Vid. Aberic Gent. Ad. 1. Mac. Disput. c. 10. These considerations strengthen this Argument 1. The length of time in which this Writing continued from Moses untill Iohn to whom was shewed the last authentical Revelation which prevents all conceits of forgery since they were not written in one nor yet in many ages 2. The multitude of Books that were written and of Writers that were imployed in the service 3. The Difference of place in which they were written which hinders the Writers conferring together Two other Arguments may evince this Truth that the Scriptures were from God 1. Miracles both of 1. Confirmation which the Lord shewed by Moses Exod. 19. 16. 24. 18. 34. 29. the Prophets 1 King 17. 24. Christ himself and the Apostles for the confirmation of their Doctrine such as the devil was not able to resemble in shew The raising of the dead the standing still and going back of the Sunne the dividing of the red Sea and the Rivers the raining of manna in so great a quantity daily as to suffice all the multitude in the wildernesse the making of the barren fruitfull My works testifie of me saith Christ and Believe the works which I do if you will not believe me See Ioh. 15. 24. 2. Preservation of the Books of the Scripture from the fury of many wicked Tyrants which sought to suppresse and extinguish them but could not As God caused it to be written for the good of his people so by Divine Providence he hath preserved the same whole and entire Here we have three Arguments in one 1. The hatred of the Devil and his wicked Instruments against the Scripture more then any other Book Antiochus burnt it and made a Law That whosoever had this Book should die the death 1 Macchab. 1. 56. Yet secondly It was preserved maugre his fury and the rage of Dioclesian Iulian and other evil Tyrants Thirdly The miserable end of Iulian Antiochus Epiphanes Herod Nero Domitian and Dioclesian and other Persecutors of this Doctrine The Books of Salomon which he wrote of natural Philosophy and other knowledge the profitablest books that ever were the Canon excepted are perished but those alone which pertain to godlinesse have been safely kept to Posterity which is the rather to be observed since many more in the world affect the knowledge of natural things
most unjust means extort money from Gojim that is the Gentiles Paulus Fagius in his Annotat. on Deut. 17. 17. Scripture Arguments are the chiefest to convince an unbeliever Christ by divers Arguments Iohn 5. labours to convince the Jews that he was the Messiah promised 1. Iohn bare witnesse of him vers 33. 2. His works bare witnesse of him verse 36. 3. The Father did bear witnesse of him vers 37. 4. He produceth the Testimony of the Scriptures vers 39. They are they which testifie of me Will you not believe Iohn my miracles my Word from Heaven then believe the written Word If we believe not the Testimomy of Scripture nothing will convince us though one rise from the dead nor Christ himself if he were here in the flesh and should preach unto us Ioh. 5. ult The Lord in executing of his Judgements commmonly observes proportion and retaliation Antichrist is the greatest opposite to Gods Law and Word he is called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 2. 8. The lawlesse one He is without Law above Law against Law He abuseth Scripture takes upon him to judâ—â— and interpret Scripture therefore it shall be his ruine 2 Thess. 2. 8. God shall destroy him with the Spirit of his mouth id est Verbo suo Beza God hath consecrated the Word to this purpose the end of it is not only to save but destroy being the savour of death to some and it is a fit instrument for such a work Antichrists strength is in mens consciences only this will pierce thither Heb. 4. 12. God useth the Word for the destruction of Antichrist these wayes 1. It discovers him his doctrine his errors 2. It hardens him 3. It condemneth him and passeth sentence against him CHAP. III. II. The Books of Scripture FRom the Divine â—lows the Canonical Authority of the Scripture The books of Scripture are called Canonical books say some from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is used 2 Cor. 10. 13. Phil. 3. 16. Gal. 6. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mark the double Emphasis this notable Canon because they were put into the Canon by the Universal Church and acknowledged to be divinely inspired by it and also are made a perfect Canon or Rule of all Doctrine concerning Religion Credendorum agendorum of Faith and Manners of all things which are to be believed or done toward salvation But Cameron thinks it is not termed Canonical because it is a Rule for that book saith he is called Canonical which is put into the Catalogue which the Ancients called a Canon of those writings which are esteemed Divine Becanus saith They are called Canonical both because they contain a Rule which we ought to follow in faith and manners and because they are put into the Catalogue of Divine books The Conditions of a Canon are these 1. It must contain Truth or be an expresse Form and Image of Truth which is in the Divine minde 2. It must be commanded sanctified and confirmed by Divine Authority that it may be a Canon to us in the Church These books were sanctified either commonly all of both Testaments by the Testimony of the Spirit and Church and Canon it self or the books of the Old Testament were specially and singularly confirmed by Word Signs and Event as the Pentateuch but the Prophetical books and Hagiographa before their carrying into Babylon by extraordinary sign the Cloud and Veil in the Temple 1 King 8. 10. Levit. 16. 2. and Gods answer by Ephod Urim and Thummim Exod. 28. 30. after their carrying away into Babylon by singular testimonies of events The books of the New Testament are confirmed by the Son of God revealed in flesh by his sayings and deeds Heb. 1. 2. and by the powerful Ministry of the Apostles by Signs Vertues and Miracles Mark 16. 20. There is a three-fold Canon in the Church Divine Ecclesiasticall and False The Divine Canon is that which properly and by it self is called the Word of God immediately inspired of God into the Prophets and Apostles This according to the divers times of the Church is distinguished into the Old and New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6 14. this is a common division of the sacred Bible among Christians as in the version of Tremellius and Iunius Testamenti veteris novi Biblia sacra and the Geneva gives that Title to their Bible La Bible qui est toute la Saincte Escriture du viâ—l noveau Testament Augustine thinks they are better called Vetus novum Instrumentum Heinsius Grotius Vetus novum Foedus Vide Grotii Annotat. in libros Evangelii A Covenant is an Agreement between two a Testament is the Declaration of the Will of one It is called in regard of the Form Convention and Agreement between God and man a Covenant in regard of the manner of confirming it a Testament For 1. In a Testament or last Will the Testators minde is declared so is the Will of God in his Word therefore it is called a Testimony often Psal. 19. and 119. 2. Here is a Testator Christ a Legacy eternal life Heirs the Elect a Writing the Scripture Seals the Sacraments 3. Because it is ratified by the death of Christ Heb. 9. 16 17. The Books of the Old Testament are the holy Scriptures given by God to the Church of the Jews shewing them what to believe and how God would be worshipped The New Testament containeth the books which treat of salvation already exhibited and Christ already come in the flesh All the books of the Old Testament were written originally in Hebrew because they were committed unto the Hebrews Rom. 3. 2. except what Daniel and Ezra wrote in the Chaldee The Jewish Church receiving them from God kept them and delivered them to Posterity Many grave Authors hold That the Hebrew was the first Tongue and Mother of all the rest and it may probably be collected from the names of our first Parents It was called Hebrew saith Erpenius not from Heber of the Posterity of Shem as Iosephus Ierom and others think when it is manifest that he rather spake Chaldee then Hebrew because Abraham the Patriarch which drew his original from him was a Chaldean but it was so called saith Erpenius as all the Rabbins Origen and others testifie from the Hebrews which people arose from Canaan It is honoured with the Title of the Holy Tongue saith the same Erpenius because the most holy God spoke it to his Prophets delivered his holy Will written in it to the Church and because it is very probable from the opinion of great men that holy men shall use it with God hereafter in Heaven Vide Buxtorfium de Linguae Hebraeae origine Antiquitate Sanctitate There are many Hebraisms also in the New Testament many words and phrases rather used according to the manner of the Hebrews then the Greeks by which it is manifest that the same Spirit was
he followeth it for the most part and preferreth it before all the rest Maxima ex parte amplector caeteris omnibus antepono He speaks of the New Testament onely and of that Latine Translation of the New Testament in comparison of all other Latine Translations which were before him as Erasmus Castalion and such like These places may serve to shew that the vulgar Latine is corrupt no Book being entire or free from error Isidore Clarius Brixianus praefat in Biblia a great learned man of their own affirmeth That it hath 8000 places in which the sense of the Holy Ghost is changed Since the Councel of Trent two Popes have set forth this vulgar Edition diversly which of these shall be received as authentical How often do the Papists leave the vulgar in all their controversies when it is for their advantage so to do it is a matter ordinary with them and needless to be proved There is no Edition Ancienter then the Hebrew if the Latine hath been used a 1000 years in the Church the Hebrew hath been used almost 3000 years the Chaldee Arabick Syriack and Greek Editions also have been used above a 1000 years and so should be authentique by the Papists Argument Having spoken of the authority of the Scriptures the Canonical Books and the authentical Editions I now go on to treat of the end of the Scripture its adjuncts or properties fitted to that end and Interpretation of Scripture The end of the Scripture comes next to be considered of this I have spoken somewhat afore but shall now inlarge my self The end of the Scripture is considered 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of us In respect of God the end of the Scripture is a glorifying of him Iohn 7. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 6. by it we may learn to know love and fear him and so be blessed The glory of God is the chief end of all things Prov. 16. 4. In respect of us The end of the Scripture is 1. Intermediate Temporal Edification which is fitly referred to five principal uses The two first respect the minde the other three the heart will and affections It is profitable for Doctrine it serves to direct to all saving truth nothing is to be received as a truth necessary to salvation but what is proved out of Scripture Where that hath not a tongue to speak I must not have an ear to hear Hoc quia de scripturis non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur Hieron 2. Reproof or Confutation to refute all errors and heterodox opinions in Divinity By this sword of the Spirit Christ vanquished Satan Mat. 4. 4. 7. 10. by the Scripture he opposed the Jews Iohn 5. 45. 46. 47. 10. 34. by this he refuted the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 9. 13. and 22. 1. Luke 10. 25 26. 27. Matth. 19. 34. and 21. 12 13. the Sadduces Matth. 22. 29. Thus Apollus convinced the Jews who denied Jesus to be the Christ Acts 18. 28. Thus the Apostles convinced those which urged Circumcision and the observation of the Jewish Law Acts 15. 15. Hâ—reticks are to be stoned with Scripture-Arguments Lapidandi sunt Heretici sacrarum literarum argumentis Athanasius By this Austin refuted the Pelagians Irenaeus the Ualentinians Tertullian the Mareionites Athanasius the Arrians 3. Correction of iniquity setting straight that which is amiss in manners and life 4. Instruction to righteousness Instruunt Patriarchae etiam errantes Basil saith The Psalms are a common Store house and Treasury of good Instruction The Title of the 32 and some other Psalms is Maschil that is A Psalm of Instruction 5. Comfort in all troubles Psal. 19. 8. and 119. 50. and 92. the Greek word for Gospel signifieth glad-tidings The Promises are the Christians best Cordials as Gods Promises are the rule of what we must pray for in faith so they are the ground of what we must expect in comfort All things which belong to the Gospel are comfortable 1. God the Author of the Gospel and revealed in it is the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. 2. Jesus Christ the Subject of the Gospel is called Consolation in the abstract Luke 2. 25. 3. The Holy Ghost which breathes in the Gospel is called The Comforter Iohn Chap. 15. 16. 4. The Ministers or Ambassadors of the Gospel are the Messengers of peace and comfort 2. Ultimate and chiefest our Salvation and Life eternal Iohn 5. 39. and 20. 31. 2 Tim. 3. 15. It will shew us the right way of escaping hell and attaining Heaven It will shew us what to believe and practise for our present and eternal happinesse This was Gods aim in causing the Scripture to be written and we shall finde it fully available and effectual for the ends for which it was ordained by God CHAP. VIII Of the Properties of the Scripture THe properties which the Scripture must have for the former end are these It is 1. Of Divine Authority 2. True and Certain 3. The rule of Faith and Manners 4. Necessâ—ry 5. Pure and Holy 6. Sufficient and Perfect 7. Perspicuous and Plain 1. It s of Divine Authority we must believe it for its own sake It is Divine 1. In its Efficient cause and Original which is God the Father dictating in his Son declaring and publishing by his holy Spirit confirming and sealing it in the hearts of the faithful He wrote the Decalogue immediately with his own finger and commanded the whole Systeme and all the parts of Scripture to be written by his servants the Prophets and Apostles as the publique Actuaries and Pen-men thereof therefore the authority of the Scripture is as great as that of the Holy Ghost who did dictate both the matter and words Those speeches are frequent The Lord said and The mouth of the Lord hath spoken 2. In the subject matter which is truth according to godliness certain powerful of venerable antiquity joyned with a sensible demonstration of the Spirit and Divine presence and with many other things attesting its Divine Authority Whence it follows that the Authority of the Holy Scriptures is 1. Infallible which expresseth the minde and will of God to whom truth is essential and necessary 2. Supreme and Independent into which at last all faith is resolved from which it is not lawful to appeal By which singular authority the Scripture is distinguished both from all prophane and Sacred writings and Paul honors it with this Elogie A faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. A more sure word 2 Pet. 1. 19. the Comparative for the Superlative in which there is no doubting and uncertainty but all things firm As God is Iehovah of himself so is his word Authoritative of it self and is true and to be obeyed whether thou think it Scripture or no. There is no higher authority for thee to appeal to it is above opinions of men conscience and therefore it must
univocè dicitur say the Schoolmen God is not simply Invisible but in reference to us Angels and Saints above see him they behold his face He is Invisible to a mortal eye as the Apostle speaketh Reasons First God is a Spirit because a Spirit is the best highest and purest Nature God being the most excellent and highest Nature must needs be a Spirit too Secondly God is a most simple and noble being therefore must needs be incorporeal Angels and souls have a composition in them their Essence and Faculties are distinguished they are compounded of Subject and Accidents their Nature and Qualities or Graces but Gods Holiness is his Nature Thirdly God is insensible therefore a Spirit Spirits are not subject to senses Iohn 1. 18. This confutes 1. Tertullian who held God to be corporeal then he should consist of matter and form 2. The Anthropomorphites who ascribed to God the parts and members of a man they â—lledâ—e that place Gen. 1. 27. But some think the soul is the only subject and seat in which the Image of God is placed Grant that it was in the body likewise it being capable of Immortality yet a man was not said to be made after the Image of God in respect of his corporal figure but in respect of Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness Ephes. 4. 23. Col. 3. 10. not in respect of his substance but qualities Object God is said to have Members Face Hands Eyes in some places of Scripture and yet in others he is said not to be a body but a Spirit and consequently to have no hands nor eyes Answ. The word Hand and Eye is taken figuratively for the power of seeing and working which are actions that men perform with the hand and eye as an Instrument and so it is attributed to God because he hath an ability of discerning and doing infinitely more excellent then can be found in man Sometimes again those words are taken properly for members of the body of some such form fashion making so they are not to be attributed unto God who because he hath no body cannot have an hand an eye A body is taken three wayes 1. For every thing which is opposite to a fancy and notion and so whatever hath a being may be called a body in this sense Tertullian attributes a body to God 2. For that thing which hath some composition or change so God onely is incorporeall 3. More strictly for that which consists of matter and form so some say Angels are incorporeal 3. This shews the unlawfulness then of painting the God-head Cajetan disliked it Bellarmine b argues thus Man is the Image of God But man may be pictured Therefore the Image of God may be pictured Man is not the Image of God but in the faculties of his soul which cannot be pictured therefore the Image of God cannot be pictured Although the whole man may be said Synecdochically to be pictured yet is not man called the Image of God in his whole but in a part which is his reasonable and invisible soul which can not be pictured 1. We must call upon God and worship him with the Spirit our Saviour Christ teacheth us this practical use Iohn 4. 24. Blesse the Lord O my soul Psalm 103. Whom I serve in the Spirit saith Paul The very Heathen made this inference Si Deus est animus sit pura mente colendus 1. The Lord chiefly cals for the heart Prov. 23. 26. His eye is upon it Ezekiel 33. 31. 2. He abhors all services done without the heart Matth. 5. 8. 3. It hath been the great care of Gods people to bring their hearts to these services Phil. 3. 3. Motives to excite us when we draw neer to God to bring our hearts 1. It is this only which will make the service honourable Gal. 4. 9. 2. This only makes it acceptable 1 Pâ—t 2. 5. Hos. 14. 6. 3. This only makes it profitable 1 Tim. 4. 7. Heb. 9. 9. Rom. 6. 22. 4. This only will make it comfortable all true comfort flows from the sweetness in fellowship with God and Christ Revel 3. 24. 5. Else in every service we tempt God Acts 5. 9. Isa. 29. 13. How to know when I serve God in my heart or worship him in Spirit 1. Such a ones great care in all services will be to prepare his heart before-hand 2 Chron. 30. 9. 2. Then the inward man is active thorowout the duty Revel 3. 3. 2 Pet. 1. 5. 3. Then one keeps his thoughts intent throughout Matth. 6. 21. 4 The grief after the duty done will be that the heart was so much estranged from God in duty 2. God though invisible in himself may be known by things visible He that seeth the Sonne hath seen the Father Joh. 14. 9. We should praise God as for other Excellencies so for his Invisibility 1 Tim. 1. 17. 2. Learn to walk by faith as seeing him who is Invisible Heb. 11. 27. 3. Labour for pure hearts that we may see God hereafter 4. Here is comfort against invisible Enemies we have the invisible God and invisible Angels to help us 3. God hath immediate power over thy Spirit to humble and terrifie thee He is the Father of Spirits he cannot only make thee poor sick but make thy conscience roar for sin it was God put that horrour into Spira's spirits He is a Spirit and so can deal with the Spirit Lastly Take heed of the sins of the heart and spirit ignorance pride unbelief insincerity 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Thess. 5. 23. such as not only arise from but are terminated in the spirit These are first abhorred by God He is a Spirit and as he loveth spiritual performances so he hates spiritual iniquities Gen. 6. He punisht the old world because all the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts were evil 2. Most contrary to the Law of God which is chiefly spiritual 3. Sin is strongest in the spirit as all evil in the fountain Mat. 15. 19. â—4 Spiritual evils make us most like the Devils who are spiritual wickednesses All sin is from Satan per modum servitutis these per modum imaginis We should therefore also take heed to our own spirits because of the danger we are in from these spiritual adversaries 1. They are malignant spirits 1 Iohn 5. 18. and 2. 13 14. 2. The spirit of a man is most maligned by Satan all he did to Iobs name estate posterity was to enrage his spirit 3. The spirit of a man is frequently and very easily surprized few men are able to deny temptations that are sutable 4. When the spirit is once surprized one is ready to ingage with and for the Devil Mat. 12. 30. 5. The spirit will then bring all about for the service of sin the excellent parts of the minde wit memory strength Rom. 8. 7. and 6. 13 19. Iames 3. 15. Matth. 23. 15. 6. It is hard for such a sinner to be
punisheth the sins of the Elect in his own Son when he was made sin he was made a curse 4. How small sins have been punished The Angels for one aspiring thought were cast into hell Uzza struck dead for touching the Ark fifty thousand Bethshemites for looking into it Mr. Peacock felt a hell in his conscience for eating too much at one meal 5. The appointing of everlasting torments We should hate sin for God hateth it and that with the greatest hatred even as hell it self Rom. 129. Sin is the first principal and most immediate object of hatred Paul mentioning divers evils saith God forbid I hate vain thoughts saith David our affections must be conformable to Gods He hateth nothing simply but sin and sinners for sinnes sake 2. Sin is as most injurious to God so most hurtful to man therefore it is in it self most hateful The ground of hatred of any thing is the contrariety of it to our welfare as we hate wild fierce and raging beasts for their mischievousnesse Toades and Serpents for their poysonfulness which is a strong enemy to life and health Sin is the most mischievous and harmful thing in the world Just hatred is general of whole kindes as we hate all Serpents so we should all sins Means to hate sin 1. Pray to God that his Spirit may rule and order our affections and set the same against evil 2. Exercise our selves in meditating of the infinite torments of hell which sin deserveth and the fearful threats denounced against it in the word of God of all sorts of evils 3. We should labor to get out of our natural estate for the unregenerate man hates God Psal. 81. 15. Rom. 1. 30. Christ Iohn 7. 7. and good men eo nomine as Cain did Abel 1 Iohn 3. 10 12. they hate Gods ways and Ordinances Prov. 1. 22 29. This hatred is 1. Causelesse Psa. 69. 44. 2 Intire without any mixture of love 3. Violent Psal. 53. 3. 4. Irreconcilable Gen. 3. 15. CHAP. IX Of the Affections of Anger and Clemency given to God Metaphorically OTher affections which are given to God metaphorically and by an Anthropopathy are 1. Anger and its contrary complacency or gentlenesse which are improperly in God for he is neither pleased nor displeased neither can a sudden either pertubation or tranquillity agree to God but by these the actions of God are declared which are such as those of offended and pleased men are wont to be viz. God by an eternal and constant act of his will approves obedience and the purity of the creature and witnesseth that by some sign of his favour but abhors the iniquity and sin of the same creature and shews the same by inflicting a punishment not lesse severe but far more just then men are wont to do when they are hot with anger Exod 32. 10. Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great Nation Gods Anger is an excellency of his own Essence by which it is so displeased with sin as it is inclined to punish the sinner or a setled and unchangeable resolution to punish sinners according to their sins God is greatly moved to anger against all impenitent sinners especially the unjust enemies of his people Rom. 1. 18. and 2. 8 9. 1 Cor. 10. 22. Ephes. 5. 6. and Col. 3. 6. Deut. 32. 21. Psal. 106. 40 because such wrong God He cannot be hurt for that were a weaknesse but he may be wronged for that is no weaknesse but a fruit of excellency seeing nothing is more subject to be wronged then an excellent thing or person for wrong is any behaviour to a person not suitable to his worth And the more worthy a person is the more easie it is to carry ones self unseemly Sin wrongs God 1. In his authority when a just and righteous Governor hath made just and right Laws then it is a wrong to his authority a denying and opposing of it to neglect dis-regard and infringe those Laws Sin is a transgressing of Gods Law and impenitent sin doing it in a very wilful manner with a kinde of carelesnesse and bold dis-respect of the Law-maker God should not have shewed himself wise just good careful of mankinde that is to say of his own work if he had not made his Law for it is a rule tending to guide man to order his life most fitly for that which was the main end of it the glory of his maker and that which was the subordinate end of it his own welfare 2. It wrongs him in his honor name and dignity it is a denying of his perfect wisdom and justice 3. In his goods abusing them 4. In his person sin being offensive to the purity of his holy person Lastly the opposing of Gods people wrongs him in those that are nearest him The properties of Gods anger 1. It is terrible He is called Bagnal Chemah the Lord of anger Nahum 1. 5. His wrath is infinite like himself Rom. 9. 22. if we consider it 1. In regard of its intension for God is called A consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. it pierceth the soul and the inmost part of the Spirit 2. In respect of its extension it comprehends in it all kindes of evil Corporeal Spiritual in life death after death it reacheth to Kingdoms as well as to particular persons or families to the posterity as well as to the present generation 3. In respect of duration it continueth to all eternity Iohn 3. 36. it is unquenchable fire 2. Irresistable compared to a whirlwind God is most wise of great and perfect understanding He is slow to anger never moved till there be great cause therefore he holds out in his anger Great persons inflict great punishments on those with whom they are displeased Object Fury is not in me Isa. 27. 4. Answ. Take fury for unjust undue and excessive anger which riseth too soon worketh too strong and continneth too long so it is not in God but a discreet and well advised motion against any offender by which one is moved to punish him according to his offence anger so taken is in him Anger wrath and rage or fury are sometimes promiscuously put one for another and sometimes distinguished Anger is a boyling of the blood about the heart causing a commotion of the spirits that are near Wrath is the manifestation of that inward distemper by looks gestures or actions tending to revenge but rage is the extremity of both the former Prov. 27. 4. This may humble and astonish impenitent sinners Hos. 8. 5. Psal. 90. 11. We must quench Gods wrath as men do fire at the first by casting in water and taking away the fewel by repentance and reformation pour out water 1 Sam. 7. 8. Ier. 4. 14. Psal. 6. 8. pray earnestly to him Zeph. 3 3. Moses by prayer turned away Gods hot anger from Aaron and
is a twofold glory 1. Essential infinite everlasting this is called gloria it receives neither addition nor diminution by any created power 2. Accidental finite temporary called glorificatio this ebbs or flows shines or is overshadowed as goodnesse or gracelesnesse prevails in the world It serves 1. To shew the vilenesse and basenesse of all wicked men which oppose Gods glory and strive to obscure it dishonor this glorious God setting light by him in their hearts and blaspheming him with their tongues a sinner in sinning lifts up himself above God preferring his own wisdom before Gods and his will before his therefore David worthily concludes the 104 Psalm with an imprecation against sinners God will gain glory of them in despight of their hearts by magnifying his justice 2. We should labor to partake of Gods Image that we might be partakers of his glory we must earnestly desire that Gods glory may be communicated to us that he would send forth his Spirit of glory to rest upon us by which means we shall commend our selves to God Christ the Angels and Saints and our own consciences 3. We must learn to contemplate the glory of God with admiration by this one principally differs from a beast He hath not a capacity to behold the excellency of Gud the Saints in Heaven are even taken up and filled with beholding Gods glory set your eyes round about to behold Gods works and his glory in them so as you may admire God this will make your souls to enjoy God Paul saith In the mystery of the Gospel we behold as in a glasse the glory of God be much in this exercise 4. We must long to go out of this world to behold Gods glory fully Iohn 17. 24. raise up your hearts to heavenly desires wish earnestly to be in Heaven Every one would be willing to go to Heaven when he dyeth but we must desire to leave this life to go thither 5. This should comfort us 1. Against reproaches and contempt in the world if God be glorified we must sacrifice our names as well as our lives to him 2. Against death then we shall no more dishonor God 3. The day of judgement should be longed for because it is Gods glorious day 2 Thess. 1. 10. we run to glorious sights on earth as the Queen of Sheba 6. We should ascribe all glory to God the fountain of glory 1 Chron. 29. 11 12. Psalm 115. 1. God challengeth this from men Give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto the Lord the glory due to his name He is very jealous of his glory and will not suffer the least part of it to be given to the creature 7. Take heed of those Tenets which oppose Gods glory as 1. The lawfulnesse of giving religious honour to images the Popish Doctors have wearied themselves and wracked their brains to coin distinctions how divine worship may be given to Images but the second Commandment forbids Image-worshipping and God acknowledgeth himself a jealous God and saith He will not give his glory to another 2. Attributing too much to our free-will or setting up our merits this is robbing God likewise of his glory Let us first live to his glory and do all for his glory 1. Because he intended it 2. He hath joyned our happinesse and his glory together 3. It is infinitely more worth then all the world 4. It is his condescending that he will take this for glory 5. He will have glory of us against our wills 6. The Creatures glorifie God in their way 7. How much glory do we give to things of an inferior nature 8. God will hereby give us glory We should do all we do for him and to him even to shew forth our apprehension of his name Doing whatsoever good we do and leaving whatsoever evil we leave that we may declare our high esteem of him and make it appear that we do judge and repute him most wise good just excellent worthy all the service that we can do and more too And whatsoever is not thus done with reference to the name of God as the motive and end of it doth want so much of goodnesse as it wants of this reference Nothing is good farther then it hath reference to God the chiefest good If we aim at onely or chiefly and be moved onely or chiefly by temporal benefits and respects of this kinde looking to our selves our deeds are hollow and seemingly good alone not real If we look to our selves alone even in respect of eternal benefits and not above our selves to him and his name that also is but hypocrisie But this is truth to make our ends and motives the same with Gods and to have an eye still above and beyond our selxes even to Gods name that we may cause it to appear to him and our selves and others that we know him and confesse his great name Omnibus operibus nostris coelestis intentio adjungi debet Aquinas It is a great question among the Schoolmen and some of our Divines Whether one should actually propound the rule and intend the end in every service Adam and Christ did so though lapsed man cannot do it it is a duty neverthelesse it is good to do it as often as possibly men can In serious and solemn actions our thoughts should be actual in lesser the habitual intention sufficeth God glorified himself Iohn 12. 28. Christ glorified him his whole life was nothing but a seeking of his Fathers glory Iohn 17. 4. See Phil. 2. 11. the Saints and Angels spend eternity in setting forth his glory Isa. 6. 23. Rev. 4. 10 11. 7. 9 10. all the creatures do glorifie God in their kinde Psalm 145. 10. 148. the worm is not exempted therefore that man saith Chrysostome which doth not glorifie God is baser then the basest worm This is all the first Table of the Decalogue and above half of the Lords Prayer the three first Petitions concern Gods glory and the conclusion likewise hath reference to it We should glorifie God in all conditions in adversity as well as in prosperity Psalm 50. 15. in all the parts of our bodies in our hearts 1 Pet. 3. 15. with our mouthes Rom. 15. 6. in our lives 1 Cor. 6. alt Mat. 5. 16. Let us often think of the personal glory and excellency which the Saints shall enjoy when they come to Heaven 1. In Body 2. In Soul The bodies of the Saints in Heaven shall be 1. Perfect free from all blemishes and every way for the souls use 2. Incorruptible not liable to sicknesse weaknesse mortality 3. Spiritual 1. In regard of state and condition because they shall be upheld by the Spirit of God without the use of meat drink and sleep 2. In regard of quality and operation active and agile as a Spirit they shall move swiftly upward downward any way at the command of the soul. 4. Glorious the bodies of the Saints shall
thus to conclude and determine Rom. 8. The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit Those that finde this in themselves should feed upon this eternal comfort it is absolute eternal immutable nothing shall oppose it who shall lay any thing to the Elect It is full of love and grace We may make our election sure by our calling Rom. 8. 29 30. and our effectual calling by two things 1. By a new light 2. A new life 2 Cor. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Iohn 12. 36. Ephes. 5. 8. We have a new knowledge wrought in us of our selves we see our misery by sin and our inability to help our selves Rom. 2. 23. 2. Of God God in Jesus Christ is discovered to us 2 Pet. 1. 3. We see our need of Christ and know him to be a mediatour who must reconcile God and us 3. A new life is wrought in us Ephes. 2. 1. We now die to sin and live to God 1. By faith Rev. 17. 4. These three are put together faithful chosen and called 2. By new obedience 1. It is every mans duty to give diligence to make his election sure both for the glory of God and the comfort of his soul but in Gods way and according to his Ordinance first Calling then Election 2. When he hath used his utmost diligence if he cannot make it sure it is his misery not his sin 3. When the Spirit of God reveals to a man either the truth of his own graces or else Gods eternall love to him then a man is bound to beleeve it It is 1. A certain assurance 2. Secret Rev. 2. 17. 3. Exceeding sweet rejoyce in that your names are written in the Book of life 4. It is an imperfect assurance the assurance of faith not of sight it may be eclipsed CHAP. II. 2. The Execution of Gods Deeree GOD executes his Decree by Actions Creation and Providence Gods works are in time 1. Past Creation of all things 2. Present Government and preservation Creation is taken 1. Strictly when God makes any Creature of nothing meerly of nothing not as if nothing were the matter but the terme so the souls of men and Angels are created of nothing 2. Largely when of some prejacent matter but very unfit and indisposed a creature is made as Adam of the earth Creation is the action of God whereby out of nothing he brought forth nature it self and all things in nature both substances and accidents in and with the substances and finished them in the space of six daies both to his own glory and the salvation of the Elect. Or It is an action whereby God the Father by his word and holy Spirit made all things exceeding good for the glory of his Name Or thus Creation is a transient or external action of God whereby in the beginning He made the world by a meer command out of his own free will in six dayes space to the glory of his Name 1. An action not a motion or change motion argueth some succession but in the things created the fieri factum esse is all one nor is it a change because that supposeth some alteration in the Agent 2. Transient it passeth from the Agent to the thing created whereas in immanent actions as Gods will decrees and personal actions they abide in himself 3. Of God The efficient cause of all things is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Creation is the proper work of God alone so that he is God which created the world and he created the world who is God Ier. 10. 11. It is without controversie that the work of creation agrees to God the Father the same is expresly given to the Son Iohn 1. 3. Col. 1. 16. and to the Holy Ghost also Psal. 33. 6. He brooded on the waters Gen. 1. 1 2. Aquinas parte prima Qu. 44. Artic. 1. hath this question Utrum sit necessarium omne ens esse creatum a Deo The Schoolmen much dispute whether God may not give a creating power to a creature and answer no creature can be so elevated as to concur to the execution of an almighty act In Scripture it is alwaies made the work of God Gen. 1. 1. Prov. 16. 4. Psal. 33. 6. 8 9. Creation is an act of omnipotency The Apostles when they dealt with the Heathens urged the works of creation Acts 14. 10. 7. 26. Rom. 1. 19 20. 4. In the beginning by the Scripture it is a matter of faith to hold that the world was not from all eternity in the beginning notes not that there was time first and then God created the world for time is a creature and concreated but it denotes order that is at first 5. The world that is the Heaven and Earth and all things contained in them Act. 4. 4. and 17. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that well ordered decent beautiful and comely frame of heaven and earth 6. By his meer command as appears Gen. 1. Let there be light let there be heavens which argues his omnipotency 7. Out of his own free will for God did not need the world and therefore he created it no sooner He was happy enough in himself without men or Angels Psal. 115. 5. Prov. 8. 30. 8. The final cause to the glory of his Name Rom. 2. 30. Three Attributes especially manifest themselves in this work of Creation Gods power wisdome goodnesse his power in that he made all things by a word and of nothing Isa. 40. 16. his wisdome is seen in the order and variety of his works Psal. 136. 5. and their exceeding wonderful and particular uses his goodnesse in that he would communicate being to the creatures Plutarch writeth that the old Philosophers the ancientest Divines amongst the Pagans were wont to describe pourtrayed out in stone wood and other matters the Images of their Gods with musical Instruments in their hands not that they would teach others or did beleeve it themselves that the Gods were Fidlers or Pipers or used to solace themselves with Lute or Viol but because they held nothing more fit or answering to the nature of God then to do all things in sweet harmony and proportion which the Wiseman calleth in number in measure and in weight Mountague against Seld. c. 1. The work of Creation say some is set out generally in a general proposition In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth Which proposition He after explains by its parts That the world was not from eternity but was made by God these arguments may perswade First and principally Faith Heb. 11. 3. which is grounded upon divers places of Scripture as the first and second chapters of Genesis 38 39 chapters of Iob and some Psalms almost whole as 104 136. this also is the first Article of our Creed that the world was created in time by God The Apostle Paul Acts 14. 15. 17. 24. 28 doth point out God to the Heathen by this work
tempt us by method beginning with questionable actions thence proceeding to sins of infirmity and so to wilfull transgressions and at last to obstinacy and final impenitency 5. To bring us from one extream to another 6. To perswade that his suggestions are the motions of Gods Spirit 7. To make advantage of time by alluring every age to the peculiar vices thereof as children to idlenesse and vanity youth to lust perfect age to violent and audacious attempts old age to covetousnesse and every one to the sins of the time The devil is called the Tempter because of his trade and way He takes advantages tempted Eve when she was alone our Saviour in the wildernesse and being hungry He hath variety of temptations if one will not take another shall if not presumption then dispair and strives to prevail by his importunity He assaults the Saints ardentius the wicked liberius The devil is very powerfull Eph. 6. 12. the devils are called Principalities and powers Alexander of Hales saith they have as great power as the good Angels wicked men may be stronger then the Saints Peccatum non tollit naturam say the Schoolmen Yet the Schoolmen generally say that the lowest order of good Angels is stronger then the highest order of the evil Angels And Aquinas part 1. Qu. 109. Artic. 4. saith Boni Angeli habent praelationem super malos He is said Ephes. 2. 2. to be the god of the world which rules in the children of disobedience He is called the strong one Matth. 12. 29. He hath a strong power over every one by nature Iohn 12. 31. the Lord represented this spiritual bondage by the Egytian and Babylonish bondage But here is our comfort Christ is stronger then he He hath bruised his head Col. 1. He hath led them captive and triumphed over them and their power is wholly limited by God The Devil is chained up as it were he could not enter into the swine without a permission He cannot produce any substance or change one substance into another he cannot call the souls of men out of their place and unite them to the body again he cannot turn the will of man as he pleaseth nor do that which is properly a miracle The works of the Devil are called wonders* 2 Thess. 2. 9. In respect of the work it self they are for the most part feigned though not alwayes but in respect of the end they alwayes tend to deceive and beguile The Devil can 1. Hurry bodies up and down in the Air Matth. 4. 5. Luke 8. 29 33. 2. Raise tempests Iob 1. 16 19. 3. Bring diseases both of body and minde Luke 13. 16. 9. 31. 4. Overthrow houses and buildings Iob 1. 18. 5. Break chains and bars Mark 5. 4. They are used as instruments by God to punish the wicked and exercise the godly as we may reade in that story where God sent one to be a lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophet and so Paul had one 2 Cor. 12. to humble and try him Therefore in all thy temptations in all the sad exercises and buffetings of Satan still remember this He is at Gods command he bids him go and he goeth leave off and he leaveth That is a difficult place 2 Cor. 12. 7. Paul repeateth the first words in that verse twice as a thing worthy to be observed Least I should be exalted above measure there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan so we reade it it may be rendred with Beza the Angel of Satan to buffet me Some interpret this of a bodily disease others of the concupiscence of the flesh others think he meaneth some inward suggestion of Satan working upon his corruption whatsoever it was I proceed to resolve some Questions concerning the Devils Quest. 1. Whether the Devils have all their punishment already No What are thou come to torment us before our time and they are reserved in chains They have the beginning of eternal wrath although the aggravation and increase of it shall be hereafter as mens souls damned are full of Gods anger yet shall have greater torment at least extensively when soul and body are united at the day of Judgement and while they are in the Air and go up and down tempting they have not all they shall have but hereafter they shall have the accomplishment of all and shall never be received into favour again although Origen held otherwise Quest. 2. How can they be punished with fire Seeing the fire is corporeal how can it work upon immaterial substances Some therefore to answer this do deny that there is material fire in hell only the torments thereof are set forth by what is most terrible and the Worm is metaphorical others say by Gods power it is elevated Mark 9 44 46 48. The same thing is three times repeated The never dying worm is the Spirit of God by the co-co-active power of the Law holding a mans sins before his eyes and filling him with self-convictions and so with perfect fear and despair for ever The unquenchable fire is the wrath of God immediatly upon the whole soul especially the Conscience The Scripture often sets forth the wrath of God and the effects and impressions of it by fire Deut. 4. 24. 3. 24. Quest. 3. Whether the Devils shall torment the wicked after the day of Judgement This is handled by the Schoolmen I see no reason saith Voetius why the affirmative may not be admitted although it is not to be made an Article of Faith The Scripture saith to be tormented with not by the Devil and his Angels Gerhard in his Common-places de Inferno propounding this Question An Daemones futuri sint damnatorum tortores thus resolves it the Devils before judgement and in this life torment men but after judgement they themselves shall be tormented in the bottomlesse pit therefore they shall be companions in torment not executioners of it The object of this wrath in hell is the soul and the punishment upon it must be its destruction 2 Thess. 1. 9. The Devils cannot fill all the corners of the soul with wrath God only can correct and destroy the Spirit The wrath of God shall be the great and immediate executioner of the ungodly hereafter 1 Cor. 15. 28. He shall dispense himself immediatly in Heaven and hell The Schoolmen dispute Whether the Devils that have been incentores in culpa shall not be tortores in poena The ministry of the evil Angels shall last no longer then that of the good Angels that shall be laid down at the Day of Judgement Vide Calv. in 1 Cor. 15. 24. Quest. 4. What is the meaning of those Stories Possessed with Devils More were possessed with them in the time of the Gospel then ever before or after See Matth. 4. 24. 8. 16 28. 9. 32. 12. 22. 15. 2. Luke 24. 33. Act. 8. 13. The reason is because as our
overcome it and he interprets it sinneth not as one who is of the devil his father all within him is not corrupted so that he makes sin his trade his custom and delight He cannot fall into the service of sin totally and finally Whether this seed of God be faith or the Word of God or the grace of Gods calling according to his purpose or the Spirit or any of these or all these it proveth our purpose that all is not fallen away then the man in whom it abideth cannot fall totally B. Carlton against Mountague Iohn 5. 24. Hath everlasting life it shall be as truly given him as if he had it already in possession St Austen hath observed out of the Exposition of the Lords Prayer made by Cyprian that almost in every petition we pray for perseverance So then that prayer will uphold the doctrine of Perseverance as the articles of the Creed do generally that of Assurance Objections answered First If one degree of grace may fail why not another and so grace wholly decay Answ. Some say all the degrees of grace which a godly man obtains by trading with grace as a talent may be lost but the first stock which God gave him to trade withall called incorruptible seed the seed remaining cannot be lost He may be brought to the first stock that God gave him to trade withall Secondly We reade many examples in Scripture of forward disciples that seemed to be sanctified and fell Iudas an Apostle Dâ—mas and Alexander companions of Paul and Nicholas the Deacon Answ. These were only temporary beleevers not true converts Common graces may fail but not sanctifying Thirdly The Scripture speaks of those that denied the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2. 1. Answ. That text is the strongest for Apostacy he means bought in respect of externall profession and esteem Some say their services were bought not their persons Fourthly Others urge that place much Ezek 8. 21 24 25 26 27. This text saith Plaifere in his Apello Evangelium c. 16. by no evasion can be avoided if the comparison there between a righteous man and wicked be well observed for deny you any wise that a righteous man can turn away from his righteousnesse and dye and I will deny likewise that a wicked man can turn from his wickednesse and live and so we shall solvere Scripturas make void the holy Word of God if a supposition putteth nothing in the one it putteth nothing in the other if the wicked there whom the text speaks be truly and legally a wicked man then the righteous there is truly and evangelically a righteous man For legally righteous the Scripture knows but one If it be ever seen that a wicked man turns from his wickednesse and lives then it may as well be seen that a righteous man may turn from his righteousnesse and dye There are several Answers given to this Objection The Scripture here considers a man as of himself and what he is by his own power not what he is by a Covenant of grace which is only per accidens and ex hypothesi a meer extrinsecall and accidentall thing to a man Some say this place in Ezekiel is to be answered as Heb. 10. 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Such threatnings do not suppose that the regenerate and true beleevers shall ever fall away but are means to preserve them from it by filling their hearts with holy fear Luke 12. 4 5. Rom. 8. 13. Heb. 12. ult Gods promises do not make way to his threatnings but his threatnings make way to his promises God doth therefore threaten that he may not fulfill but doth therefore promise that he may fulfill Mr. Bridge on Rom. 4. 19. The scope of the place say some is to answer a most unjust calumny that the Jews in their Captivity cast upon God that he visited the iniquity of their fathers upon them thence they said the waies of God were not equal The Prophet clears the justice of God and tels them God punisheth no man for anothers sins of which he is not guilty God may inflict a temporall death on a righteous man and that in displeasure for falling from the degrees of his righteousnesse as on Moses and Iosiah Dr. Feately in his Pelagius redivivus gives three Answers to this place the last is That the Prophet speaketh here of actual righteousnesse which may be lost and is lost by the committing of any wilfull grievous sin against conscience not of habitual which cannot be lost Others say this place and that Ezek. 33. 11. only speak of the temporal destruction of Gods own people I delight not in your ruine as a tyrant that delights in cruelty or as an inexorable Judge Secondly These places only shew the possibility and acceptation of repentance not Gods inward purpose as a holy God he delights not in sin as a mercifull God he delights not in judgement Object 5. There are exhortations and threatnings that if you forsake God he will forsake you so David to Solomon and Take heed you lose not the things you have wrought watch stand fast Answ. The perseverance of Gods people is certain yet morall not physicall therefore exhortations admonitions and threatnings may well be used to stirre up Gods fear in them which is a means to make them hold out to the end Object 6. Those examples of David when he committed adultery and put Uriah to death and Peter when he so shamefully denied his Master are urged also to prove Apostacy Ans. But I may say of David and Peters faith and others that fell into enormous sins with Tertullian Caepit arescere sed non exaruit Mota fuit sed non amota concussa sed non excussa aut extincta The 51. Psalm and Christs prayer for Peter prove the same more fully See Dr. Prideaax his Ephesus Backsliding Mr. Robbinsons Essayes Observ. 6. The fals of eminent professors should make the people of God afraid Luke 17. 32. Rom. 11. 20. 1 Cor. 10. 11. Heb. 4. 1. 1 Cor. 7. 11. 2 Tim. 2. 18 19. God hath recorded the fals of his people 1. Ut ostendat infirmitatem nostram 2. Ut ostendat judicium suum Where there is a principle of grace a man will fear sin as the greatest evil Eccl. 9. 2. Pauls great fear was not to suffer but sin 2. The Saints finde by experience that there is the same corruption in themselves that in others Prov. 27. 19. Rom 3. 12 13 14. 3. Because they know themselves liable to the same temptations Neminem prorsus Dei gratia intentabilem facit Prosper 4. They are liable to the same desertions from God the Saints of God may fall into cursed opinions and very sinfull practises 2 Sam. 24. 1. 5. The greater the person is that fals and the more dreadfull the fall the greater ground of fear Neh. 13. 6. Matth. 7. 27. Rev. 9. 1 2. There are
was truly dead The women came and sought him but were inform'd by the Angels that he was risen yet could not make the Apostles beleeve it This Peter did preach Acts 2. this Paul preached Acts 13. this Paul inculcateth 1 Cor. 15. and Peter in his Epistle also It is so necessary a point of our Christian Faith that without it all our Faith is vain and falleth to the ground David fore-told it in all the parts of it as Peter interprets him Acts 2. His soul was not left in hell nor did his body see corruption that is putrifie at all A man consists of two parts a soul and a body there can be no resurrection after the separating of these two unlesse the soul be re-united to the body again and both lifted up out of the state of death therefore did the God-head to whom both soul and body were united restore the soul to the body again preserving it from putrifaction that it might be a fit dwelling place for the soul and so having joyned them together the body rose and went abroad and shew'd it self to the Apostles no longer a weak feeble mortal and corruptible body but a glorious impassible incorruptible and most beautiful body for it lost all its imperfections in the grave And this Resurrection fell upon the third day after his death as himself said Iohn 2. 18. the third day he should rise The day began as we ordinarily account howsoever perhaps by special institution the Sabbaths may be accounted to have begun otherwise at the peep of the morning when men begin to stir about businesse then did Christ stirre also he was to lie no longer then the first day of the week because he intended to challenge that day to himself to be the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath whence it came in processe of time to have that name before the third day he was not to rise that he might shew himself truly dead and stay a sufficient while under the arrest of death for the accomplishment of our satisfaction Now this Resurrection was performed by the power of his Deity for all the while that he continued dead his soul and body were both united to the God-head as it were a sword pulled out of the scabberd which the man holdeth still one in one hand the other in the other and so can easily put the same together again For the Apostle saith Rom. 1. 4. He was declared to be the Sonne of God with power according to the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection of the dead that is by that his resurrection which is virtually the resurrection of all seeing by vertue thereof all his people rise to glory Therefore is he termed The first fruits of them that die 1 Cor. 5. 16. And the first begotten from the dead Col. 1. 18. because by vertue of his Resurrection the Saints rise to glory and enjoy from him this prerogative of overcoming death as the first fruits sanctifie the lump and as the first-born hath the priviledge above all the children In time some rose before him but in vertue none for all that rose did rise by the efficacy and merit of him and his rising again And this Resurrection was necessary for divers purposes 1. To make way for his farther Glorification that he might raign as Lord of Lords and King of Kings for he could not have possessed fulnesse of Glory had he not been still in the Sepulchre The soul indeed might have been perfectly glorified but whole Christ could not have been fully glorified if the body had not risen to partake of the glory of heaven with the soul. Now seeing the body was helpful to and in the performance of the work of Redemption suffering great abasement it was not equal that it should be any longer deprived of the reward when once Justice was fully satisfied upon it It was necessary also to fulfill the Prophecies and Types that went before Davids Prophecy Peter presseth Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption the type of Ionah our Saviour telleth of Matth. 12. 40. and both were to be acâ—omplished Lastly It was necessary for the confirmation of our Faith that we might be assured he was the Sonne of God and had perfectly accomplished this great work he undertook therefore Paul saith That he rose again for our justification that is to declare and prove that he had perfectly fulfilled all that was necessary to satisfie for our sins and to procure for us as the Apostle calleth it everlasting righteousnesse When the Surety is apprehended for the Debtor there is no getting out of the Creditors hand till he have discharged the whole debt therefore when the Surety gets out of prison and is at large the debt is fully satisfied so it is in this case so that we could not have rested upon him as a full and perfect Saviour if he had not risen but now our Faith doth evidently acknowledge him to be a perfect Saviour and hath full assurance to ground upon since in him salvation is to be had And for the end and use of this Resurrection it was to quicken our soul first that we might rise to newnesse of life as the Apostle St Peter saith and at length to quicken our mortal bodies too 1 Pet. 4. 5. that the Head being risen the members might rise with him The Resurrection of Christ should work on us so that we should live to him 2 Cor. 5. 15. Ephes. 1. 19 20. and that four wayes From the knowledge of his Resurrection we should be assured 1. That the Lord will raise the Church or us out of our lowest afflictions Hos. 6 2 3. Isa. 26. 19. Ezek 37. 3 4. and that should ingage us to improve all our power for him 2. That Christ hath likewise power to raise up our souls to spiritual life as our first rising is by the life of Christ as he recovered his life so the increase of it is by the improvement of his Resurrection by Faith Phil. 3. 11. Rom. 6. 4 5. 3. It assures us of the Resurrection of our bodies Rom. 8. 11. 1 Cor. 15. Ioh. 11. 24. 4. Of an inheritance and glorious estate 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Now you have the Doctrin of the Resurrection as the Scriptures deliver the same The second Degree of Christs Glorification is his Ascension which was a change of place a transferring of his glorified body and soul into the upper Region of the world out of this lower room thereof A body cannot be in more places then one because it is circumscriptible and our Saviours body though glorified retaineth yet still the nature of a body though it have laid aside all the natural imperfections of a body and therefore our Saviours body could of it self move upward because it was rid of that grosse weightinesse which doth alwayes accompany a natural compound body Now this Ascension of our Saviour is in Scripture often related two of the Evangelists
Pet. 1. 12. Iam. 2. 19. 3. Sensible 1. Because they have their operation chiefly on the sensitive part of man manifest themselves there and forcible because they move with force 1 Chron. 29. 3. 4. According to the object propounded Affections are but the shaping or forming of the will in several motions according to the object presented Their use is to shunne evil and pursue good The manner of doing is by certain stirrings motions workings of the bloud and spirit about the heart They are commonly called passions Iam. 5. 17. because they imprint some passion on the body by working In the infancy they are affections in the youth and age passions when they over-rule reason perturbations Passions abstractively considered are neither good nor bad morally but as they are determined to this or that object as they are in man the subject who is wholly flesh and dead in sinne his affections and passions are defiled with sinne as well as the understanding and the will The Papists though they say the superiour faculties of the soul like the upper region are altogether clear and undefiled yet the inferiour faculty viz. the sensitive appetite in which are lodged the affections they say is vitiated with sin Their sinfulnesse appears 1. In that they are not carried to the right object the object of love was God and his Law of hatred sin now these passions are clean contrary 2. If to the right object then inordinately they cannot joy but overjoy love but overlove Ephes. 4. 26. 3. There is a contrariety in them this is implied in that Phil. 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be careful for nothing the word implies a tearing and torturing of the heart 4. In their distraction this differeth from contrariety that is when one passion sets against another this when one passion is too inordinately set upon his object then the other cannot do his proper office because the heart is finite the Apostle would have us hear and pray without wrath since the heart hereby is so distracted that it cannot attend 5. The importunity of passion Ahab fell sick because of Naboths vineyard Quicquid volunt valde volunt 6. Their tyranny over the will and understanding Iam. 1. 14. 7. Their incertainty and inconstancy as Ammon loathed Tamar after he had his desire more then he liked her before To be above passions will be our happinesse in heaven rightly to order them should be our great care here First The Scripture bids us not cast off but rectifie our affections Colos. 3. 1. 1 Iohn 2. 15. Secondly They are natural faculties planted in the soul by God himself and so in themselves good Christ which was free from all sinne was not without affections He was angry did grieve rejoyce Now we must not dare to abuse any power which he did sanctifie Thirdly Affections rightly ordered much further and help our course in godlinesse If we joy not in prayer delight not in obedience the work is tedious but good affections make the work delightsom they are spurs in our sides which whosoever wanteth goes on but in a dull and slow pace Fourthly Manifold are the evils which come from disordered passions 1. They blinde the judgment Perit omne judicium cum res transit ad affectum Impedit ira animum ne possit cernere verum If the Spectacles be of green or red glasse all things through them seem to be of the same colour 2. They seduce the will for the will sometimes is guided by reason it is often also carried away by passion 3. They fill the heart with inward unquietnesse they interrupt prayers 1 Pet. 5. 7. and hinder the working of the Word 1 Pet. 2. 1. They disturb reason and hinder a man in Meditation whereby his heart is quieted When fear anger jealousie begin to stirre then is judgement disturbed and hindered Again these passions fight one with another fear with anger and anger with fear joy with sadnesse and sadnesse with joy one passion carries a man one way and another another way Passion can never be satisfied 4. They often when they are excessive hurt the body some by immoderate joy have ended their dayes because the spirits slie out too suddenly to the object and so leave the heart destitute of them more by grief and fear because the bloud and spirits so hastily slie to the heart that they choak it anger hath stopt many a mans breath envy is the rottennesse of the bones The regenerate man is renewed in all his passions as we may see in Davids love Psal. 119. 9. in his hatred Psal. 130. 22. in his desire Psal. 35. 9. in his fear Psal. 119. 120. in his delight Psal. 119. 6. Psal. 16. 2. in his sorrow Psal. 119. 138. Some make zeal to be sanctified anger There are in repentance melting affections sorrow for sinne Zech. 12. 10 11 12. shame before God Ezra 9. 6. Lam. 3. 29. 3. sear of offending him Prov. 28. 14. Marks of sanctified affections 1. They must be universal carried to all good and against all evil Some love to hear the Word some to reade some to pray but they are not as carefull to subdue passion they will be angry pettish discontented they will give way to doubting The affections are regular when they are set on their right objects inlarged when they take in the whole object He that loves God loves whole God loves him not only as gracious merciful but as just holy faithful he that hates sin hates all the evil of it Ephes. 3. 18. 2. They are subjected to grace in the rise measure and continuance of them they must rise and fall ebbe and slow at the command of faith according to the nature of the thing presented Faith will make us affect things according as the Lord doth in cases which concern his glory affections must be raised up to the highest pitch Adams passions were subject to reason 1. In their rise they were commanded by him 2. In their measure 3. In their continuance 3. Sanctified affections do constantly and most immediately discover themselves in Meditations projects inward desires and indeavours of the soul if thy thoughts of sin be pleasant thou hatest it not 4. The true metal of Sanctification is sincerity and the edge of it zeal in every faculty Motives to get the affections sanctified 1. All Christians are really as their affections are and God judgeth of them by their affections A man that is carnal in his affections is judged a carnal man and one who hath his affection set on heavenly things is judged a spiritual man I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine he doth not say I am Christs and Christ is mine 2. Without sanctified affections one is no Christian at all Deut. 5. 29. 3. Most of the Gospel promises are made to the affections Mat. 4. 6. and so to love fear delight and confidence in God 4. Holy and enlarged affections from God are one
Spirit the corrupt self is lookt on as an enemy Rom. 7. lat end I delight in the Law of God in the inward man and concludes but I my self that is his sanctified self serve the Lord. Mark what it is that thou esteemest in thy self Is it Grace Gods Image and what thou dislikest and strivest to destroy is it the body of sin 2. Then that love is subordinate to the love of God God to every sanctified man is the Summum bonum ultimus sinis therefore all other things are but media subordinata none of us must live to himself 3. Such a one loves himself for those ends God allows him 1. That he may be happy for ever God presseth us to duty by this argument that we may have eternal life 2. He would have thee get more knowledge grace experience that thou maist be more serviceable here The third object of our love is our neighbour Marks to know whether my love to my neighbour be a sanctified love First When it is subordinate to the love of God when I love him under God we must love our neighbour in God and for God Secondly I must love there specially where God loves those that have most of God in them All my delight is in the Saints Christ calls this a new Commandment Thirdly There will be a performing of all second Table duties Love is the fulfilling of the Law I will give him that respect which is due unto his place I will strive to preserve his life chastity estate good name I shall be content with my own and rejoyce in his welfare It is the nature of love to seek the preservation of the thing beloved The fourth object of our love is the rest of Gods creatures which he hath given to us Marks to know whether our love to the creature be right or no 1. When the beholding God in the creature draws the heart out the delighting to behold the wisdom and power of God in the creature 2. Mark for what end thou lovest the creature Every creature must be delighted in as it brings us nearer to God or serves as an instrument to honour him thou lovest the creatures because they are a means to keep thee in a better frame for duty CHAP. XXI II. Of Hatred THe affection opposite to love is Hatred 1. The nature of hatred 2. The image of God in it 3. The extream depravation of it by sin 4. The work of grace sanctifying it Of the first Hatred in a reasonable soul is a motion of the will whereby it flies from that which it apprehends to be evil and opposeth it indeavouring to hurt it It ariseth from a discord and disconformity of the object There is a two-fold hatred 1. Odium abominationis a stying only from a thing 2. Odium inimicitiae whereby â— pursue what is evil There was little use of this affection in our primitive pure estate there was nothing evil to man or in himself a concord in all There are diveâ—s causes of this hatred 1. Antipathy 2. What hinders us from attaining good envy jealousie there was nothing then to work this but the sinne of the devil only which whether man knew it or no is uncertain yet this affection was in him and sanctified First He was prone in his spirit to shunne a real evil sinne in that degree it was evil Secondly The depravation of this affection the image of the devil As much of our original corruption is found in this affection as any The greatnesse of the depravation of this affection appears in three things 1. The object of it 2. The Quality of it 3. The fruits Only sin is the proper object of it but now our hatred is wholly taken from sin it abhors nothing that is evil The second object of it now is that which is truly and properly good 1. God himself primarily all wicked men hate him Psalm 81. 15. Rom. 1. 30. in all his glorious perfections Justice Holinesse 2. Christ Iohn 7. 7. 15. â—h 3. All good men You shall be hated of all men for my names sake 4. All Gods wayes and Ordinances Fools hate instruction Prov. 1. Secondly The Quality of this affection It is 1. A causlesse hatred Christ saith They hate me without a cause and so the Saints may say 2. Perfect entire without any mixture of any love 3. Violent Psal 55. 3. 4. Cruel Psal. 25. 9. 5. Durable irreconcilable Thirdly The effects of it 1. All sins of omission 2. Abundance of actual wickednesse contempt and distrust of God his wayes and children Fourthly The Sanctification of this affection of hatred The work of grace in every faculty is destroying the power of corruption and creating in it those principles of grace that turn it again into the right way 1. It is taken off from those objects to which it was undeservedly carried afore 2. It is ordered aright for measure 3. It brings forth that fruit which God requires First What the work of Gods grace carries the affection of hatred to 1. It makes all our opposition to God and his Ordinances cease it ceaseth to hate good and hates that which is evil 2. It is carried to the right object which is every thing that is really evil to us the will shuns and opposeth it Two sorts of things are really evil 1. What ever is opposite to our natural being our life peace wealth name as sicknesse affliction death 2. What is contrary to our spiritual being as sin All evils of the first nature come from God Gods will is the rule of all holinesse therefore we should submit 1. Our will to God to do what he pleaseth That is the greatest evil which is against the greatest good God sin and wicked men oppose him the greatest evil must have the greatest opposition I hate every falâ—e way sin strikes at the being and excellency of God we must dislike wicked men for sins sake 2. The work of grace appears in the degree and measure of working when it sanctifieth any affection It is according as the light of understanding guided by Gods counsel orders the Spirit of evils sin is to be more hated then punishment and the greater the sin the greater should be the opposition 3. The work of Gods grace in sanctifying this affection is much seen in the fruits of hatred This stands in two things 1. Hatred is a Sentinel to the soul to keep out evil it makes the soul warily shun and avoid those things which are really evil to me it is a deep and severe passion not sudden as anger 2. It quickens the soul to the destruction of the thing hated it maketh it endeavour its ruine Signs I. Of Hatred Speaking against a thing still and disgracing it is displeased at its company and cannot endure its presence II. Of Sanctified Hatred 1. If it be sanctified thou ceasest to be a hater of God This makes a creature so like the devil that no
wisdome he doth nothing rashly but knows how to order all things for the best his will is a wise and holy will the rule it self Good is the word of the Lord said Hezekiah when ill tidings came 3. His will is good to thee All the wayes of God are mercy and truth he aims at the good of his even when he corrects them 4. Consider that this God which hath laid this upon thee affords thee all the good things thou enjoyest thou hast one crosse and perhaps ten thousand mercies all these come from the same hand Iob 2. 10. 5. This God beares with thee every day else what will become of thee II. From our selves We have reason to stoop to Gods will even when he pleaseth to correct us because 1. We have provoked him by our sins to strike us and have deserved farre more evil then we suffer 2. We cannot ease or any way deliver our selves from miserie by murmuring This is 1. A worthy service a childe that quietly bears the stripes which his Father sometimes laies upon him pleaseth his Father as much as he that readily goes about the things he is bidden Christ himself learnt obedience by sufferings The principall part of his merit stood in that he submitted himself to be made of no reputation and became obedient even to the death of the Crosse. 2. It is a most profitable dutie turning evil into good and making evils easie to bear and procuring a safe and speedy issue out of evil 3. From the grace of patience it self 1. The necessity of it thou canst not live without it we cannot perform a duty mortifie a lust bring forth fruit without patience the good ground brings forth fruit with patience 2. The excellency of this grace it makes thee most like to God it is a great part of his Image to Christ he was patient to death 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. it will make one enjoy himself in the worst times Luk. 21. 19. it will be helpful to all graces and duties make thee an amiable Christian it will strengthen thy faith subdue thy flesh in thee bridle thy tongue Magna praecipua virtus est patientia quam pariter vulgi voces publicae Philosophi oratores summis laudibus celebrant Lactant. l. 5. de Iustitia 4. From the things we suffer the right consideration of the nature of Afflictions 1. Afflictions whether upon the Soul State Friends Name are no evidences at all of Gods displeasure for they are the lot of all Gods people his dearest servants Prov. 3. 12. Iob 7. 17 18. Heb. 8. 6 7. 8. 2. God really intends his peoples good and doth them a great deal of good by afflictions Heb. 12. 6 7. 1. Hereby Christ makes all his people conformable to himself Rom. 8. 28. 2. He purgeth out the reliques of corruption takes down our pride self-love love of the world 3. He exerciseth abundance of grace in his people 1 Pet. 1. 7. 4. Makes them grow in grace more heavenly-minded 3. God will uphold thee in afflictions 1 Cor. 10. 13. 4. We shall have a most seasonable and merciful deliverance out of afflictions Psal. 34. 19. and God will do his people good according to their afflictions leave in them an excellent frame of spirit Iob and David were rare men after afflictions God makes the hearts of his people more holy and chearful after most of all do they finde the fruit of their afflictions when they come to heaven for though that be given of free-grace yet God rewards them proportionably to their good services and afflictions 2 Cor. 4. 17. If we suffer with Christ we shall reign with him Means to get patience First The frequent Meditation of the former Motives studie those Arguments Secondly Get faith study to know thy interest in Christ 1. Know the nature of the Covenant how fully and freely Christ offers grace to thee 2. Give thy consent that Christ should be a Saviour to thee that he should sanctifie thee as well as pardon thy sinne Faith is an assent to the truth and consent to the goodnesse of it that Christ should be my Saviour Psal. 112. 7. Peace Peace in the general notion and nature of it is the correspondency or harmony of one thing to another working in its proper place to the common end the good of the whole It is a kinde of sweet divine and heavenly concent harmony or beauty of things subordinate one to another D. Gauden If the world be a Ring peace is the Diamond of it The Hebrews use it often for all prosperity of soul and body they use Shalom in their letters and say ordinarily Peace be to this house that is All happinesse attend you It was Henry the 7th usual Preface in his Treaties That when Christ came into the world Peace was sung and when he went out of the world Peace was bequeathed Sir Francis Bacon The Apostolical Benediction is Grace and Peace More properly it signifies Concord Unity and Reconciliation Firm and stable peace is and must be the fruit of righteousnesse Heb. 7. 1 2. first King of Righteousnesse then of Peace Isa. 48. 18. Jam. 3. 18. Righteousnesse is the qualification of the person to whom God will grant peace it takes away all the matter which provokes God to wrath No peace is to be had without Christ Isa. 48. ult all peace by him 1. With God Rom. 5. 1. 2. In our own consciences 3. With all the cereatures Ezek. 34. 25. Hos. 2. Perseverance All agree that perseverance is necessary to the end that one may be saved Mat. 10. 22. The negative may be gathered from the affirmative That no man therefore shall be saved which shall not continue to the end Heb. 3. 14. But all do not agree what is the ground of perseverance and to whom it belongs Reasons and Grounds of the Perseverance of Gods people 1. The eternal love of God Psal. 103. 17. Iohn 13. 1. he loves his people with an everlasting love Rom. 8. 38 39. See Iohn 10. 28 29 30. 11. 29. 2. The Covenant that is betwixt God and them is a stable and everlasting Covenant Ier. 31. 31. 32. 40. Hosea 2. 19. 2 Samuel 23. 5. the Covenant made at first with the Angels and Adam might be broken but this cannot Christ is the Surety of it 3. The Union between Christ and the faithfull is indissoluble Iohn 14. 19. 1 Iohn 5. 11. 4. The Intercession of Christ for them Heb. 7. 25. Luke 22. 31. Iohn 17. 11 20. God the Father hears him alwaies Iohn 11. 42. Object Though Christ have purchased the Spirit and bestowed it upon us yet we may cast off the Spirit Answ. We have the witnesse of the Father Isa. 59. 21. and of Christ Ioh. 14. 16. that the holy Ghost shall never depart from us St Augustine hath observed out of the Exposition of the Lords Prayer made by Cyprian that almost in every
Scripture but prosperity See Ier. 15. 9. Amos 8. 9. They also urge that place Rev. 21. 22. Brightman understands it not of the Church militant but of the Jewish Synagogues They shall not worship God after their own manner and worship when the Jews are converted 1. God hath chosen these to be Canales gratiae the Conduit-pipes whereby he derives himself and his graces to his people 1 Cor. 1. 24. 2. He hath commanded us to wait upon them attend to reading search the Scriptures Ioh. 5. 39. be baptized for remission of sins do this in remembrance of me pray continually Despise not prophesying 1 Thess. 5. 19. Paul there intimates an aptnesse in men under the notion of magnifying and advancing of the Spirit to despiâ—e prophesying and sheweth also that the means to quench and extinguish the illuminations of the Spirit is to have low and unworthy thoughts of the word of God and of prophesying according to the Analogy and proportion of that Word We use the Ordinances not only for the enjoyment of God in them but as a testimony of our obedience God gave not the Spirit for this end to be the onely rule for man to live by but to help him to understand the rule and enable him to keep it 3. God hath limited us so to them that we have no warrant to expect the communication of grace but by the Ordinances 4. He hath threatned a curse to those that reject them Heb. 10. 25 39. Observe the punishment both of Jews and Gentiles which slighted the Ordinances 1 Cor. 1. 22 23 compared with v. 24. If these therefore be children which set so light by the Ordinances they will not live long without bread God hath given up the leaders of this errour to borrid blasphemous opinions they think they have no need of Christ Some think that they are Christ Others that they are God and that they are glorified and cry down Sanctification as an Idol This may suffice for the Ordinances in general of the Ministry and preaching of the Word I have spoken already the other particular Ordinances I shall handle and defend afterwards Others run into another extream and make Idols of the Ordinances 1. By resting in a bare formal attendance upon them as the Harlot in the Proverbs I have had my peace-offerings to day We must remember they are but means the end is communion with God and Christ and therefore we should not rest in the work done 2. By leaning too much upon them they are means to which we are limited but we should not limit the Lord when thou hast done all loathe thy self and all that thou hast done and rest on free-grace We should be careful of duty as if there were no grace to justifie us and so rest upon grace as if no work were to be done â—y us The Ordinances are either 1. Ordinary as Hearing the Word Singing of Psalms Prayer Receiving the sacraments 2. Extraordinary Fasting Feasting Vows CHAP. II. Of Ordinary Religious Duties and first of Hearing the Word I. That we must hear the Word HEaring of the Word preached is a duty that lies upon all Saints Ephes. 2. 17. Heb. 12. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 11. 3. 18 19. It is a necessary and beneficial duty 1. Necessary It is seed to beget and meat to nourish 1 Pet. 2. 2. It is â—eedful in respect of our ignorance Ephes. 4. 18. Forgetfulnesse Heb. 2. 2 3. Isa. 62. 6. 2 Pet. 1. 12. This is the word by which we are to examine our estates and by which God will judge us at the last day 2 Cor. 5. 15 16. All the Persons of the Trinity speak to you in every truth discovered The Father Iohn 6. 45. the Son Heb. 12. 25. the Spirit Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches 2. Beneficial 1. Souls are converted unto God as death comes by hearing so life Rom. 10. 17. Revel 6. 1. 2. It is a great means of salvation Rom. 1. 16. it is called salvation it self the one thing necessary Iam. 1. 21. 3. The Spirit is conveyed by it both in the gifts and graces 2 Cor. 3. 8. Rom. 1. 12. 4. Growth in grace comes by it 5. Satans Kingdome is overthrown by it he fals from heaven like lighâ—â—ning Object I can reade the Word at home which is more truly the Word then what others preach If he were a man of an infallible spirit it were something but they may erre as well as we some therefore will hear none but look for Apostles Answ. If they were men of an infallible spirit thou must try their Doctrines by the Word If God should send you Prophets and Apostles you must take nothing upon trust from them Gal. 1. 8. 1 Iohn 4. 1. II. How we must hear the Word SOme things must be done 1. Afore hearing 2. In hearing 3. After hearing I. Afore hearing Thou must pray for thy teacher that he may so speak as he ought to speak Ephes. 6. 19. Col. 4. 3 4. and for thy self that thou maist hear profitably and be blessed in hearing Prov. 2. 3 5. Psal. 25. 4. 119. 10 18 27. II. In hearing 1. One must set himself as in Gods presence when he is hearing of the Word Deut. 32. 2. so Luk. 10. 16. 1 Thess. 2. 13. so did Cornelius Acts 10. 33. 2. Attend diligently to what he heareth Luke 19. 48. Gods people are oft called upon to attend Mark 4. 9 23. 7. 14. It is seven times repeated Revel 2. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear so did Lydia Acts 16. 14. Attentivenesse implies 1. Earnestnesse and greedinesse of soul Bibulae aures James 1. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 2. so the people that slockt after Christ. 2. The union of the thoughts and all other faculties of the soul it is called attending upon the Lord without distraction 1 Cor. 7. 35. 3. Hear the Word with understanding and judgement Matth. 15. 10. Psal. 45. 10. 2 Tim. 2. 7. 4. He should hear with affection and delight Deut. 32. 46 47. Mark 13. 37. Acts 2. 4. 5. He must take every thing as spoken to himself Matth. 19. 25 27. 26. 22. Iohn 5. 27. III. After hearing 1. We must meditate of what we have heard Acts 17. 11. 2. Apply it to our selves To apply the Word is to take it as that wherein I have an interest Psal. 119. 111. every precept promise and priviledge The life of preaching and hearing both is application If one could repeat the Bible from one end to another it would not make him a knowing Christian. When our Saviour told his Disciples One of them should betray him they all ask Is it I A good hearer Isa. 55. 2. is said to eat which notes an intimate application the stomack distributes to every part what nourishment is sutable to it 3. Conferre of it with others Ier. 33. 25. See Iohn 16. 17 19. Mark 4. 10. 7. 17. 10. 10 11. Conference is that whereby
we communicate to others what we have learned or learn of others what we are ignorant of or strengthen one another in that which already hath been taught us Prov. 1. 5. 13. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 12. 4. Practise it in our conversation Psal. 103. 18. Matth. 7. 24. Luke 11. 28. Rev. 1. 3. If you know these things happy are you if you do them Habits are perfected by action Knowledge a good understanding have all they that do thereafter Faith and love are perfected by works this glorifies God Galat. 5. Matth. 16. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Motives to diligent attention in hearing 1. It is Gods Word Thus saith the Lord and The word of the Lord. 2. It is of special concernment the matter of it requireth attention it is the word of life of righteousnesse it will sanctifie us and make us grow in grace 3. It is the introduction 1. To Understanding Mat. 15. 10. Act. 28. 27. 2. To Obedience and Reformation therefore hear is often in Scripture put for obey 3. To Memory Iam. 1. 23 24. 4. It is necessary to bring in and build up Gods people Iam. 1. 21. Mark 4. 24. 5. There are particular Promises to it 1. God will give them strength to overcome their greatest corruptions Psal. 119. 9. 2. God will work peace in their consciences Isa. 57. 19. CHAP. III. Of Singing Psalms A Psalm is a strict composition of words in measure and number fit to be sung to some tune Singing of Psalms hath been of ancient and commendable use in Gods publick worship It was used in Moses his time Exod. 15. 1. and in the times of the Judges Iudg. 5. 1. and in the dayes of Samuel 1 Sam. 18. 6 7. in Davids and Salomons time 1 Chron. 6. 32. in the dayes of Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 20. 21 22. and of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29. 28 30. and after the Captivity in Nehemiahs time Nehem. 12. 42. Yea in the New Testament our Saviour himself and his Apostles used it Matth. 26. 30. and prescribed it to Gods people Col. 3. 16. See 1 Cor. 14. 15. 26. Ephes. 5. 19. Yea it was the exercise of the holy Angels themselves Luke 2. 13 14. The people of God in the Psalms are provoked quickned and stirred up to this duty Psal. 95. 1. and the Psalme specially destinated for the Sabbath It was used at Gods publick worship 1 Chron. 23. 30. and at their private prayer Acts 16. 25. Most usually they did sing Davids Psalms in the worship of God and those that are accounted his 2 Chron. 29. 30. Ezra 3. 10 11. Nehem. 12. 46. The Psalms of David were in such continual use with the people of Israel that the boyes learnt their Hosannah from that with which they cried to Christ in the Temple which is a familiar acclamation with the Hebrews as Io triumphe with the Romans for the Jews on the Feast of the Tabernacles carrying leaves and boughs according to Gods Commandment did continually sing Hosannah The Psalms of David contain the very spirits as it were and are an abstract of all the whole word of God the choisest works of God the choisest promises threats instructions comforts Some have the inscription and that worthily of Jewels or golden Psalms because they comprehend most precious matter Reasons 1. God hath often shewed himself to take great delight in this part of his worship 2 Chron. 5. 13. 20. 22. 2. It is a singular help and means to stir up in us holy affections in Gods service Eph. 5. 18 19. Acts 16. 25. Reformed Churches use to begin and end with a Psalm and to sing Davids Psalms in order that the people of God might be acquainted with them all and professors used to sing Psalms in their families Psal. 118. 15. The Protestants in Mountaban in France when they being besieged were compelled to fight in their own defence they alwayes went out to fight singing of Psalms and grew so terrible to the besiegers that in the end as soon as they heard their singing voice lifted up within the Town before the Portcullis was drawn up or the Gates were opened their hearts would fail them and they used to cry out They come they come and even fled away for fear M. Martial on Psal. 8. 2. The Church of Rome have abandoned this point of Christian devotion from all both publick and private use because they sing not in a known tongue Some think we ought to use as much or rather more devotion attention and reverence in singing of Psalms as in making of prayers or hearing and that to sing a Psalm well and as we ought is one of the hardest exercises of Christian Religion because it requireth most attention and most affection We should sing in a right manner 1. With understanding Psal. 47. 7. 1 Cor. 14. 15. which condemns Latine chanting in the Popish service 2. With feeling Col. 3. 16. 3. To the Lord lifting up our hearts to him in this service Psal. 101. 2. 4. To edifie our selves by it Ephes. 5. 19. 5. In a decent manner observing the tune that the whole Congregation may be as one man in this service It were good to learn by heart some choice Psalms of most use and plainnesse that if we should be cast into dungeons and dark places and could not enjoy a book or light yet we might be able to edifie or solace our selves in such extremities as divers of Gods people have done As we may lawfully sing Scripture psalms so also Songs and Psalms of our own inditing say some agreeable to Scripture Sing unto the Lord a new Song framed on a fresh occasion therefore 1 Cor. 14. 26. a Psalm is named among those things which they had for the use of the Church For seeing a Psalm is but a musical praier for the most part therefore we may make Songs for our selves agreeable to the Word of God as well as prayers and God knowing the efficacie of Poetry and Musick to help memory and stirre up affection doth allow his people to use it for their spiritual comfort as well as natural The Apostle speaketh of Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs Ephes. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. Who can shew any reason to limit his speech to Scripture-psalms Why may not one praise God in a Song for our deliverance in 88 or the Gun pouder treason Whether instrumental Musick be lawful in the Church of God Bellarmine pleads for it lib. de bonis operibus c. 16 17. D Burgess who wrote in defence of the ceremonies and some other of our Divines defend it They say Musick used in the Old Testament was no figure type or ceremony but a real thing for elevation of the soul types had their principal use in signifying something to come but the first time we hear of a Psalm we hear of Tymbrel too therefore they were used to it before else they could not have played presently therefore that precept Psal. 150. Praise
be in Heaven there must our hearts be Praier being an humble discourse of the soul with God Which art in Heaven The natural gesture of lifting up our eyes and hands to Heaven implieth this this is opposed to worldly cares and earthlinesse these are clogs this made David say It is better to be one day in thy house then a thousand elsewhere Call in the help of the Spirit Rom. 8. 27. 2. Consideration of Gods benefits it is good to have a Catalogue of them 3. Study much the fulnesse and all sufficiencie of God and his making over himself to you in his all-sufficiencie Gen. 17. 1. 4. Acquaint your selves with your own necessities Let the word of God dwell richly in you Col. 3. 16. The ground of praier is Gods will acquaint your selves with the precepts promises 5. Give your selves to praier Psal. 109. 4. but I praier so the Hebrew Oratio ego so Montanus Helps against wandring and vain thoughts in holy duties and especially in praier 1. Set a high price upon it as a great Ordinance of God wherein there is a Communion with him to be enjoyed and the influence of the grace of God to be conveyed thorow it 2. Every time thou goest to praier renew thy resolutions against them till thou comest to a habit of keeping thy heart close to the duty 3. Set the presence of God before you in praier his glorie and consider that he converseth with thy thoughts as man with thy words 4. Be not deceived with this that the thoughts are not very sinful whatsoever thoughts concern not the present duty are sinful 5. Blesse God for that help if thine heart hath been kept close to a duty and ou hast had communion with God The godly must pray by this title the Scripture describes true Christians Acts 2. 41. and Paul saluteth All the faithful that call upon the name of the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 2. a heart full of grace is also full of holy desires and requests Cant. 1. 2 4 7. It is called the Spirit of Supplications Zech. 12. 10. suitable to the Spirit of grace is the Spirit of Supplication They must pray daily Psal. 55. 17. 147. 2. Dan. 6. 10. Luk. 2. 47. 1 Thess. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 3. Reasons 1. It is equal that part of every day be given and consecrated to him who is the Lord of the day and of all our time they had a morning and evening Sacrifice in the time of the Law 2. Praier is a singular means of neer and heavenly Communion with God therein the godly enjoy the face of God talk familiarly with him 3. Praier sanctifieth to us that is obtaineth of God for us a lawful and comfortable use of all the things and affairs of the day 4. Every day we stand in need of many things belonging both to temporal and spiritual life 5. We are every day subject to many dangers A gracious heart is full of holy requests to God Psal. 8. 10. Revel 5. 8. Rom. 5. 5. Ezek. 16. 15. Iohn 16. 24. Iude v. 11. Reasons 1. Praier is an act of religious worship Dan. 4. 17. 2. Because of the great things spoken of praier Isa. 46. 11. Rev. 16. 1. Deut. 4. 7. Isa. 37. 3. 3. The Saints have received the Spirit of Supplication Zech. 12. 10. Every godly man must be constant and assiduous in praier persevere in it Psal. 5. 23. Psal. 55. 16 17. Psal. 118. 12 13. Will the hypocrite alwaies call upon God saith Iob Daniel would not forbear the daily exercise of this service although it were with the hazard of his life Dan. 6. 10. Aquinas 2a 2ae Quaest. 83. Artic. 4. determines this Question Utrum oratio debet esse diuturna Reasons 1. From God who hath signified approbation of this service by commanding it expresly saying Pray continually and Christ spake a Parable That we should be constant in praier and not faint Luk. 18. 1. 2. This hath been the practice of all the Saints of God Iacob wrestled with God and praied all night The Canaanitish woman had several repulses yet persevered in praier Moses held up his hands which implies the continuance of his praier Isa. 62. 1. Christ praied thrice and yet more earnestly Luk. 22. 44. 2. From our selves First We have great need for we absolutely depend upon God and he hath tied himself no further to do us good then we shall seek it in his Ordinance at his hands Secondly We have great helps even such as may enable us to perform the dutie notwithstanding any weaknesse that is in our selves for we have Gods Word and Spirit If a man doubt to whom to direct his praiers the Scripture cals him to God To thee shall all flesh come Psal. 65. 2. If in whose name it leads him to Christ Whatsoever you shall ask in my Name If for what to pray for wisdome for the Spirit for patience for daily bread for remission of sins for deliverance from evil for the honouring of Gods name in a word for all good things If for whom for Kings for Rulers for our selves for others for all men except him whom we see to have sinned a sinne unto death If where every where lifting up pure hands If when at all times continually If how oft why morning noon night If on what occasion in all things by praier and supplications If in what manner why fervently with an inward working of the heart in praier with understanding in truth and in faith and without fainting 2. God will assist us with his Spirit all those which addresse themselves to perform this work according to the direction of his Word and beg the Spirit of praier to help them in praying The Spirit maketh intercession Rom 8. Jude v. 20. Praying in the holy Ghost Thirdly Constant supplicating to God doth honour him and actually confesse him to be the universal Lord the Ruler and disposer of all yea to be liberal in giving to be omnipotent in power to be present in all places to see and hear all persons and actions to search our hearts and to sit at the stern of the whole world so that he observeth also each particular creatures need and wants Fourthly It is exceeding advantagious to our selves seeing it acquaints us with God and breeds a kinde of holy familiaritie and boldnesse in us toward him 2. It exerciseth reneweth and reviveth all graces in us in drawing near to God and calling upon him we grow like to him this sets a work and increaseth knowledge of God humilitie faith obedience and love to him Fifthly Because praier it self is not only a duty but a priviledge the chief purchase of Christs bloud Sixthly Because if we persevere and faint not God will come in at last with mercie in the fourth watch of the night Christ came in the morning watch the night was divided into four watches Iacob wrestled all night with God but in the morning he prevailed
of the ancient Christians were so called of their end and purpose or effect Albeit they had divine Toleration yet they had not divine Institution and Introduction For it is not shewed out of holy Writ or consent of Antiquity that they were commanded by Christ or his Apostles warrant We may well say they had for without check or controlment of their use without alteration for their being they were in the Apostles times and there is mention of them in Scripture only they are taxed that did abuse them and made themselves unworthy of such holy meetings St Paul is commonly understood of these Feasts 1 Cor. 11. 18. which were concomitant unto the holy Sacrament then but St Iude in expresse words doth name them vers 12. Maculae in Agapis vestris Both prove but a practice abused and reformed again by St Paul not an Ordination from God or the Apostles These Love-feasts were general meetings of the whole Church at least representative of as many as did communicate unlesse some great occasion did with hold them IV. Hungring after Christ and desire of Gods favour We must come poor and hungry to the Lords Table Psal. 132. 15. Luke 14. 13. Revel 3. 17 18. The promises are made to the hungry Isa. 55. 1. 45. 19. Prov. 21. 21. Luke 1. 50. Mat. 5. 3. Ier. 31. 25. Iohn 6. 44. Heb. 7. 25. Luthers paradox is None come worthy but those that come unworthy that is in their own sense and feeling Hunger and thirst imply 1. A want of those things which should support our bodily life 2. An afflicting sense of the want 3. An eager desire of the supply of it So we must apprehend 1. Our own emptinesse our lost condition 2. We must be sensible of the wrath of God due to us for our sins 3. We must earnestly desire Gods favour to be reconciled to him Hunger and thirst are both expressed Iohn 6. 44. to shew the thorownesse of the apprehension and supply Reasons 1. These only can relish Christ he is sweet to hungry souls Matth. 11. 28. Those that are affected with the sense of their sins can best taste of Gods mercy 2. These only suit with Christ Follow me for I am lowly and meek 3. This will awake desires the hunger-bitten beggar will be importunate with God 4. This will make you welcome to God He fils the hungry with good things Open thy mouth wide and he will fill it Isa. 44. 3. Psal. 145. 15. compared with the 19. We must desire Gods favour heartily and continually because 1. It is necessary for it were better for one not to be then to be out of Gods favour 2. Because it is excellent for Gods favour and the light of his countenance is better then life it self That we may stir up this desire in us we must consider 1. Our need of Christ his fulnesse and perfection 2. The necessity and excellency of the Sacrament 3. The benefits we have therein and the helps thereby to quicken and confirm our faith Having dispatched the consideration of the truth of certain graces we are to examine before we come to the Lords Table I shall in the next place speak of the growth or wants of our graces I. Of the growth of our Graces As we ought to examine our selves of the truth of our graces when we go to the Lords Supper so likewise of their growth and strength true grace will grow The Lords Supper is a sealing and strengthening Ordinance therefore presupposeth life we should then know the degree and strength of our graces Grace is a supernatural and peculiar quality wrought in the people of God by his Spirit whereby they are inabled to please God in all things 1. A quality in us sometimes it signifieth grace in God Being justified freely by his grace 2. Supernatural inableth us to do things above nature 3. Peculiar to distinguish it from common graces in reprobates which are supernatural as the grace of God working miracles 4. Wrought in us by the Spirit it is not in us by nature or education it is the grace of God he is the God of all grace 5. To please God in all things we must have respect to all his Commandments The Scripture speaks much of abounding and growing in grace Psal. 92. 12. 1 Cor. 15. 58. The word abounding is taken from rivers the other from all sorts of vitals or plants The Apostle cals upon the Corinthians to be strong and upon Timothy to be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus and upon the Ephesians to be strong in Christ and in the power of his might Paul prayes for the Ephesians that according to the riches of his grace the Lord would strengthen them by his Spirit with all might in the inward man Bodily strength is a natural gift common to man with beast yet many brag of it spiritual strength is far more excellent See Heb. 10. 29. Ephes. 4. 15. There is alwayes a furthermore in Christianity 1 Thess. 4. 1. Ubi incipis nolle fieri melior ibi etiam de sinis esse bonus Bern. Epist. 91. Reasons why Christians should strive to grow in grace First God commands it Phil. 1. 12. Ephes. 3. 19. Colos. 2. 19. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Heb. 6. 1. Secondly God commends it O woman great is thy faith Stephen was full of the holy Ghost Acts 9. 36. Thirdly The Saints of God have practised it 1. Prayed for the increase of grace Phil. 3. 11. 2. Laboured for the increase of it Fourthly From the similitudes to which a childe of God is compared in Scripture to trees Psal. 1. 2. 91. 12. Isa. 61. 3. Hos. 14. 5. Plants grow till they die whence they are called vegetables Fifthly From the nature of grace where there is truth of grace it will grow Matth. 13. 8. because it puts a man into Christ whosoever is in him must needs be fruitful Iohn 15. 5. if the body of Christ did not grow as well as the head it would be a monstrous body Col. 2. 19. Ephes. 2. 10. Sixthly According to the measure of your grace shall be the degree of your glory 2 Pet. 1. 10. He that soweth liberally shall reap liberally Motives to get strength and grow in grace 1. We need more strength Revel 3. 9. Grace is the elevation of the soul. 2. It is more honourable to have a great measure of grace Revel 2. 19. Christ checks his Disciples for their little faith 3. If we grow not in grace we decrease Heb. 6. 1. compared with v. 4. All Christians saith Ierome are like the Angels in Iacobs ladder they all ascended or descended Qui dixit sufficit deficit 1 John 3. 3. 4. Fruitfull Christians are in a happy condition Heb. 6. 7. God is much honoured by them Iohn 15. 5 8. Phil. 1. 11. he will delight to dwell with them at the day of judgement they shall receive publick approbation and remuneration Matth. 25. 23.
special a blessing could have endured to see Gods holy Altar by any of his Priests polluted with so fearfull an abomination and so expressely forbidden yet he procured himself and his daughter great reproach in that he was fain to consecrate his only daughter to God as a perpetual Nazaritesse Whence followed at least in the opinion of those times a necessity of remaining a Virgin and child lesse so that his example must warn us before vowing to consider distinctly and seriously what we vow Thus we have shewed you what diligence is required before the worship In the worship is required as great diligence Rom. 12. 11. First With our understanding and thoughts to make them attentive that we may heed what we do and apply our thoughts and conceits alone that way that so there may be an agreement betwixt body and minde Thus in praying we must mark what it is that we ask confesse or give thanks for so that we understand our selves and be able to approve that we have asked nothing but what we might In hearing we must listen and attend that we may carry away the Word and let it not leak we must binde our mindes to give heedful attention according to that Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith Hear O Israel saith Moses often Hear O children saith David So in the Sacraments we must mark each action and busie our mindes in observing the thing signified as well at our eyes in the thing that is outward When we see the bread consider of Christs presence and power to nourish when we see the wine of his presence and power to comfort so in the other actions when we see the breaking of the bread think of his death when we see the giving consider of Gods offering him and so in every action we must serve the Lord with our whole heart whereof one part is this observing attending marking the action Secondly We must bring our affections to be so moved as the nature of the exercises requireth which is that which is commended in the good Iosiah his heart melted in hearing threatnings and the Thessalonians received the Gospel with joy in prayer we must be fervent and in the Sacrament we must bring our hearts to a feeling sorrow for Christs death and our sins and to a joyful remembrance of the great work of our redemption so it must be a sweet mixture of joy and sorrow so must we worship God with our whole heart for then we worship him with our whole heart when our minde and affections are taken up with the matter of his worship as hath been said so in prayer David cried unto God was earnest about his requests This earnestnesse of affection is a very necessary thing to make the worship of God we perform acceptable and this is diligence in the worship There must also be diligence after the worship in a care to make good use of it and to observe our growth by it and to perceive what proceedings we make in godlinesse by all the services we perform seeing all that we do tends to this end the Sacrament Word Prayer should nourish grace all to confirm and strengthen the grace of the inward man All duties to God must be done with all the faculties of the inward man 2. With the intention of all the faculties The demeanour of the body lies in this that it is a fit instrument to serve the soul. The Turks worship Mahomet more reverently then Christians the true God a vain carriage of the body is an evident argument of a vain minde 2. The soul should be active the whole inward man the understanding should be ready to apprehend truth the will to choose it the memory to retain it the conscience to submit unto it Isa. 58. 5. 1 Cor. 14. 15. Reasons why the inward man must be active in worship 1. God will be worshipt according to his nature Iohn 4. 24. 2. The soul is the man the main of sinne lies in the soul Mic. 6. 7. 3. The soul only is the seat of grace Ephes. 3. 17. 4. The end of all Christian duty is communion with God he can have no communion with the body 5. In this doth the glory of all a Christians duties consist Mark 13. 33. Revel 5. 8. 6. This onely makes the duty fruitful the fruit of the duty lies in the activity of it After the duties done there should be 1. An impression of Gods holinesse upon us Exod. 34. 29. Acts 4. 13. a savour of the duties we have done 2. When we have found out God in a duty we should ingage our hearts to that duty ever after Psal. 116. 2. and it should encourage us in all the services God requires Gen. 29. 1. 3. We should be very thankful to God for every good motion thought new discovery 1 Chron. 29. 13. The special duties after the Word Prayer and a Vow are these After the Word to call our selves to account what we remember and so to search if it be true and ponder upon it our selves with a chewing of the cud and the life of hearing depends on it This is digesting the Word this is causing it to take root this is ingraffing it in the heart and if we have convenient means of company we ought to conferre of it and advise together about it that one may help another so did the Bereans searching the Scriptures after Pauls speaking the Gospel to them The next for prayer is as David saith to wait on God to look for and continue though we be defer'd to look for what we have begged and to observe how it is granted that accordingly we may be thankfull or humbled and increase our earnestnesse When a man prefers a Petition to the King he gives his attendance to see what successe so must we to God Our eyes must behold him as the eyes of the handmaids the Mistresse so that we may be able to see whether he be angry against our prayers or condescend to them and if he do seem angry yet we may not faint but follow him still if we have praid against a temptation we must look for power against it and if we feel power rejoyce in God that gave it if not pray again and still wait renewing our supplication so if we have desired any grace or benefit either temporal or spiritual according to Gods Word we must not make haste or be heedlesse but even wait and attend his leisure as one that is infinitely better and wiser then our selves Next for vows the uses must be a special care of our vow to fulfill it for the word is expresse Thou shalt pay thy vows and thou shalt not go back if the vow be of things lawful else we must not stand to it but with great repentance for the vow perform Gods Commandment rather then our vow Thus you have heard of truth and diligence there are required two things more Faith which is a
love our own souls and the souls of others since Christ manifested such love to our souls 5. We should not crosse the ends of Christs suffering 1. He died to redeem you from this present evil world 2. To destroy the works of Satan We should live to him * 〈…〉 are some particular cases wherein it is not safe for some particular persons at that time â—â—â— in 〈…〉 to pâ—t them to try themselves by signs But for the general it is necessary and the duty of all people to â—â—ok to signs and to try themselves by them M. Hooker on Rom. 8. 10. A two-sold knowledge is required of every receiver 1. A diâ—cernning of the body and bloud of Christ he must be able in some competent measure to understand the Doctrine Nature Use and End of a Sacrament by whom it was instituted and why and for what end 1 Cor. 11. 29. they were to instruct their children what this and that action signified in the Passeover 2. Of himself implied in the duty commanded of examining our selves Edere Christum est credere in Christum Quâ—d paras dentem ventrem Crede tantùm manducasti August He that comes without faith receives Sacramentum notâ—em â—em Sacramenti Iesus Christus isque crucifixus debet esse proprium sidei nostrae objectum Rivetus Instruct. Praepar ad Coenam Domini cap 10. Prayer profits not without faith Rom. 10 13 14. Mark 11. 24. Luk. 18 lat end Mark 9. 23. Faith only makes up the union between Christ and us John 6. 56. The people of God have a four-fold glorious sight in this life John 14. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 19. 1. They see God in Christ. 2. They see Christ in God 3. They see Christ in themselves 4. They see themselves in Christ. See Rom. 8. 9 10. Common people say they have believed as long as they can remember and they thank God they never doubted While men are in their natural condition they think it is nothing to believe in Christ though they walk contrary to him but when sinne is fully discovered and one sees the severity of Gods justice it is then hard to believe Rom. 1. 17. 2 Thess. 1. 3. Consider 1. Thy natural estate is a state of death damnation John 3. 18. Gal. 3. 23. 2. So long as thou abidest out of Christ thou abidest in death John 3. 36. 1 Joh. 3. 14. All sins de merito are damnable they deserve death but not de facto no sinne necessarily brings death but unbelief because it keeps a man off from Christ the fountain of life John 6. 5 7. 3. Thou canst not be the fountain of thine own life 4. Life is to be had in no other but Christ John 5. 40. 5. There is no way of having life from him but by union with him 1 John 5. 12. the first thing that grace puts forth in the soul is an instinct after union Faith is an instinct put in by the teaching of the Father after union with Christ. The sole way to get this supernatural grace is with hearty â—amenting of its absence and weakness to beg it of him who is able to work it in the heart and to feed and nourish it by a continual meditation of his greatness and great works which he hath formerly wrought for our confirmation Poenitentia est dolor de peccato cum adjunctâ— proposito melioris vitae Luth. in loc commun de poenitentia All the Sermons of the Prophets and Apostles run on this Christ commanded his Disciples to preach it It is one of the two parts of the Gospel the summe of the Gospel is Faith Repentance It is Praeterita peccata plangere plangenda non committere Aug. It 's secunda ta bula post naufragium medicina est spiritualis animi vitiorum say others See Mr Calamy on Act. 17. 30. and Cameron on Mark 1. 15. Our sorrow for sin should be our chiefest sorrow because sin is the greatest evil and it is so in respect of the intellectual part and in respect of the displicency of the will wherein the strength of repentance lieth According to the multitude of thy mercies blot out all my offences and create in me a new heart and a right spirit Lord do away the sinne of thy servant Petit 5. It is not only among the precepts but promises and priviledges of the Gospel Act. 9. 18. Da prâ—â—s poenitentiam postea indulgentiam Fulgentius They are therfore Ministers of the Gospel not legal preachers which preach repentance There is one act of faith to be done once for all to lay hold on Christ and be united to him and justified by him yet I must live by it and do every duty by it so for repentance Isa. 27. 9. Jer. 2 19. Heb. 12. 11 Before the Supper and the offering of a childe in Baptism then Christs death is represented Rom. 6. 4. Gal. 3. 1. a On a mans death-bed the day of repentance is past for repentance being the renewing of a holy life the living the life of grace it is a contradiction to say that a man can live a holy life upon his death-bed D. Taylors Rule of holy living chap. 4. Sect. 4. That place Ezek. 33. 14. is it which is so often mistaken for that common saying At what time soever a sinner repents him of his sins from the bottom of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. Let not that be made a colour to countenance a death-bed penitent D. Taylor on Jer. 13. 16. Serm. 2. One may repent on his death-bed as well as the thief on the Crosse but it is dangerous to put off repentance till then it will be harder to come in It s a rare sight saith one to finde a young man godly and an old man penitent We acknowledge that as God cals some at the first hour so may some be called at the last hour of the day yea inter pontem fontem D. Iackson indeed hath an opinion that a man may proceed so farre in sin in this life that the door of repentance may be thâ—t upon him none of our Divines deny the possibility of any mans Salvation while he lives in this world D. Twiss ag Hord. p. 45. There is a Gospel-command to repent Mat 9. 13. Act. 17. 30. 2. The very space of repentance is a mercy and given you that you may repent Revel 2. 21. 3. It is the natural fruit of a regenerate heart Ezek. 11. 19. 4. It is repentance to salvation 1 Cor. 7. 10. There is more joy in heaven for one sinner that repents then for ninty nine that need no repentance as if he had aimed at the Antinomians * Act. 5. 31. 11. 18. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Whosoever hath truly repented is 1. Low in his own eyes so Paul 2. Fears sin ever after Eccl. 9. 2. 3. Is pitiful to others in their fals Gal. 6. 1. 4. There will be a growth in the
nostra si quemadmodum futura sit perfectè comprehendere non valemus August de civit Dei l. 20. c. 20. Articulus intelligi debet de resurrectione gloriosa quae est ad vitam Nam solius Ecclesiae privilegia commemorantur Unde nec mortis aeternae mentio fit quia reprobos ea manet non electos Dei Vossius Disputat 13. de Baptismo Et utique idoneus est reficere qui fecit quantò plus est fecisse quam refecisse initium dedisse quam reddidisse Ita restitutioneÌ„ carnis facilioreÌ„ credas institutione Aspiciâ— nunc ad ipsa quoque exempla divinae potestatis Dies moritur in noctem tenebris usque quaque sâ—pelitur Funâ—statur mundi honor omnis substantia denigratur Tertul. de resurrect carnis This Article is most difficult to be believed and most scoft at by the Heathen therefore most defended by Iustin Martyr Athenagoras Lactantius Tertullian * See M. Calamy on that Text. Dormientes videntur mortui apud homines quemadmodum apud Deum mortui dormientes Vita Bernardi * De Adventu Domini Serm. 3. Christs first and second coming agree in some things and differ in others They agree in these 1. At his first coming he came personally and visibly and so shall at the last 2. He came then and so also the second time to advance his Church and overthrow his enemies They differ in four things 1. His first coming in respect of outward glory was in a poor abased condition Phil. 2. 7. The second in great glory Matth. 24. 30. He shall be attended with innumerable Angels He shall come in all the glory of the Father Matth. 25. 31. 16. 27. 2. His second coming will bring great joy to all his subjects and terrour to all his enemies 2 Thess. 1. 8 9 30 11. 3. The good he did for his people at his first coming was but inchoate at the last perfect 4. Their communion with God was by Ordinances which shall then be abolishâ— When Christ came in the flesh he came to be judged and condemned therefore he came in a mean and contemptible way but he shall come the second time to judge the world John 5. 27. Hic ostendit quod in ea carne veniet judicaturus in qua venerat judicandus Aug. de civ Dei l. 20. c. 6. a Duas hoc loco res discimus venturum esse judicium cum mortuorum resurrectione venturum De Ninevitis enim regina Austri quando haec dicebat de mortuis sine dubio loquebatur quos tamen in die judicii resurrecturos esse praedixit Nec ideo dixit condemnabunt quia ipsi judicabunt sed quia ex ipsorum comparatione isti meritò damâ—abuntur August de civit Dei l. 20. c. 5. b Quod autem ait in regeneratione proculdubio mortuorum resurrectionem nomine voluit regenerationis intelligi Sic enim caro nostra regenerabitur per incorruptionem quemadmodum est anima nostra regenerata per fidem Aug. de civit Dei l. 20. c. 5. God shall then have the glory of all his Attributes and Christ of all his offices Christ hath fulfilled all the other Articles in the Creed that concern him therefore he will not fail also to accomplish this being the last act of his Kingly office All the creatures call for a day of judgement Rom. 8. 19 20. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Luke 21. 35. Mat. 12 36. Eccles. 12. 14. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Cum ergo locus determinatus tempus dâ—sinitum sapientiae divinae thesauris absconditum lateat temeraria esset de iis inquisitio Synops. Purior Theol. Disputat 5â— 1 Thes. 4. 7. c Supplem 3. part Qu. 88. Art 4. Vide Mercer in Amos 9. 9. 14. aâ— Obad. 20. Capel Spicileg Matth. 17. 3. 4. ad Joan. 3. 4. Drus aâ— difficiliora lâ—â—â— Gen. c. 81. d Mr Meder answer to D. Twiss first letter See his answer also to the second Solus meritò constitutus est Iudex vivâ—rum mortuorum qui finxiâ—â—igillatim corda universorum intelligit omnia opera corum Solum attendo Iudicâ—â— quem solura justificatorem agnosco Bern. Epist. 42. Compare 2 Phil. 9. 10 â—1 with Rom. 14. 10 11. There are three properties especially required to the office of a Judge 1. Knowledge to disceâ—ne 2. Power to determine 3. Justice to execute all which are in Christ. 1 Cor. 6. 2. Aquinas The Leyden Divines in Synops. Pur. Theâ—l seem to incline to the affirmative and so do others of our Divines they say it shall be as a bond cancelled Others rather approve of the negative opinion See Mr Burgess of Justification Lect. 29. pag. 264. Nam per quot dies hoc judicium tendatur incertum est sed Scripturarum morè sanctarum diem poni solcre pro tempore nemo qui illas literas quamlibet negligenter logerit nescit August de civit Dei l. 20 c. 1. We should walk with a continual awe of it in our souls Iob 31. 13 14. Luk. 21. 24. Quoties diem illum coâ—sâ—dero toto corpore contremisco sive enim comedo fine bibo sine ali quid aliud facio semper videtur illa tuba terribilis sonare auribus meis surgite mortui venite ad judicium Hieron If thou beest godly the thought of the day of judgement will sweeten all reproaches and false censures here Job 16. 19. 2 Thess. 1. 6 7 8. and make thee more holy as well as more comfortable A wicked Pope in the midst of all his jollity heard a voice in his Palace of Naples saying Venâ— miser in judicium Dei and that night he was found dead In sinne there is an aversion from the Creator and a conversion to the creature To the aversion the poena damui answers to the conversion poena sensus Mark 9. 48. God thus punisheth the conscience in hell 1. Because that faculty is the strength of a man a man will bear his infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can bear 2. Because it is the tenderest part in a man 3. It is the most active in sinning shall purge their consciences from dead works Heb. 4. Because it hath the greatest office and honour pâ—â— upon it here Optimum est tunc sentiri vermem cum possit etiam suffocari Itaque mordeat nunc ut meriatur paulatim desinat mordere Bern. Primam mors animam dolentem pellit de corpore secunda mors animam nolentem tenet in corpore Aug. de civit Dei l. 21. c. 32. Mat. 25. 41. ult 2 Thess. 1. 10. Prov. 11. 7. Hell is called a bottomlesse pit Luk. 8. 31. Revel 20. 3. The great gulf shews the eternity of that condition they shall not come out till they have paid the utmost farthing Ubi mors semper vivit finis semper incipit spe sublata sola manet oeterna desperatio Drexel Some say Hell is on high before the Throne of the Lamb and within the view