means of Conversion of the Word Sacraments Sabbaths Ministery of Information and Instruction Promises Threatnings Conmands Reproofs Exhortation good Examples Afflictions and many other things used by God in the vocation the power of the spirit accompanying these means and working upon the heart of the sight and sence of sin of godly sorrow fear hope prayers tears hearkning unto the word receiving it into the heart longing after Christ some beginning of comfort faith and conversion To this place also reduce the Scriptures which speak of the contrary as God passing by a people and denying them the means of conversion of such as to whom the means is vouchsafed yet they refuse to receive them despise them blaspheme rebel persecute Gods messengers and seek the abolition of Gods Laws and Kingdom Of such as seem to receive these means yet do not use them or if they use them yet not diligently and aright but are like to the high way the stony or the thorny ground Such places as speak of impenitency hardness of heart unbelief neglecting the day of Visitation unfruitfulness under the means of Salvation Hypocrisie Apostacy all neglect or resistence of any motives unto repentance deferring the time of conversion after conviction and falling off from any resolutions to repent or any degree of grace To that of Justification which presupposeth not only Gods mercy and Christs merit but also the sinners Repentance Conversion and sincere faith may be reduced all Scriptures which speak of Christs Intercession Remission Regeneration Reconciliation Adoption Manifestation of Gods special love hope of glory a right unto eternal life peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost freedom from condemnation removal of judgements the earnest and first fruits of the spirit abiding in us the guardance of Angels near communion with God Gods special care of the justified the turning of every thing to their good mortification of sin sanctification continued good works heavenly affections divine vertues patience and perseverance in Hearts Afflictions Persecutions Martyrdom Conflicts with sin Satan the world fastings falls recoveries increase of heavenly vertues longing desires to be with Christ watching praying providing for removal hence and the last account comfortable death conveyance into Abraham's bosom the secure expectation of the Resurrection freedom from all sin misery temptation and troubles of this life To this Head must be referred all such Scriptures as speak of the contrary as of Gods desertion after disobedience to his heavenly call withdrawing the light of the Gospel taking away his blessed spirit leaving the parties thus deserted to the power of Satan delivering them up to a reprobate mind security in sin despair terrours of conscience loss of all the former mercies and graces or rather a dinial of them exemplary judgments as forerunners of eternal destruction abiding under Gods eternal displeasure a cursed death and a reservation of the parts thus dead unto final condemnation and that sad condition till that time To the last of Glorification refer such places as speak of the universal Resurrection of the power and spirit of God raising us the manner of this Resurrection the nature and excellent qualities of the body raised as being immortal uncorruptible glorious spiritual and like the body of Christ our final Justification and glorious reward of ejoyment of the blessed presence of God and Jesus Christ our full and final Sanctification by the spirit our Society with Saints and Angels our spiritual glorious pleasant Paradice our full joys eternal pleasure unspeakable content freedom from all sin temptation sorrow songs of praise and the certainty and security of the continuance and perpetuity of full bliss Here also must come in those parts of Gods word which speak of the contrary as of the resurrection of such as are designed to eternal death upon their final impenitency of the immortality of their bodies that they may eternally suffer in body and soul their appearance before the dreadful Judge their condemnation their ejection out of Gods blessed presence into utter darkness and unquenchable fire their society with the Devil and his Angels their everlasting and intollerable sorrows and pains and the certainty of the continuance thereof without any hope of ease intermission deliverance Sect. 7. After that I have first declared the substance of the Scripture abridged in the Creed and secondly given some directions how to reduce the principal particular places of the word of God unto the heads of the Creed I now proceed to reduce the former particulars into the form of a Confession in this manner I believe in God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost who is only One Infinite Incomprehensible Eternal infinitely and eternally Wise Just Holy Powerful Glorious and every way Perfect and perfectly knows and loves himself from everlasting and is blessed in himself unto all eternity I believe that this One Glorious God did by his wisdom contrive and by his will decree to do many things out of himself and when he thought good he issued out with his Almighty Power to effect those things which he had before contrived and first he created Heaven and Earth and all things therein and the most glorious place which he made was the Heaven of heavens and the most excellent creatures were Men and Angels intellectual immortal free capable of Laws and of an eternal estate Man for his body was created of the dust of the earth and by the breath of God became a living soul and he was sanctified by the holy Spirit endued with heavenly gifts and virtues whereby he was righteous and holy and like unto his God and capable of eternal bliss tho his present estate was not immutable he might stand he might fall When this great work was finished by his Word Spirit without any pre-existent stuff any assistant any tool or instrument he continued by his Almighty power to support and preserve all things which do subsist by that word whereby they were created at the first By creation he manifested his eternal power and God-head became the absolute surpreme and universal Lord of all things and so continues by his preservation I believe that as he preserves all things created so he orders all things preserved in such a manner as that a Sparrow falls not to the ground without his will And as he created all things in an excellent order and gave them their inclinations power moving and tending to some end so he by his wonderful Wisdom directs every thing unto its several end and all things to the supream which is the manifestation of his glory In this ordination the government of his most noble creatures Men and Angels which he orders by certain Laws and Judgements unto an eternal estate as most excellent and wonderful to both he gave certain laws which they were able to observe and upon the observation they might certainly expect a confirmation in that blessed estate for which they were created many of the Angels sinned and were
To relie upon God thus represented and believed as able and promising eternal life unto sinful man upon fairest terms 3. To profess this our faith God is the efficient cause by his Spirit of this faith he is the object his word is the rule 3. This faith we Protestants do profess this faith they of Rome do profess and both agree not only in the words but for the most part in the sense of this Creed as appears by the exposition thereof given in their Trent Catechism This is not so to be understood as though there were no errours in that except in these three particulars For besides the many truths delivered in that part of the Catechism there are several errours intermixt though none of them so gross as these three 1. In the manner of Christs birth 2. In the division of Hell into several parts 3. In the visible Headship of their Roman Pontif over the universal Church Though none of these have any ground in Scripture or in the writings of purest Antiquity are no ways necessary or conducing to Sanctification and Salvation and are more like Fancies and Fables then any solid truth yet we must be condemned as Innovators Hereticks Schismaticks as having no hope of salvation till reconciled to their Church and having no existence of a Church before Luther this is their charity but this is our comfort God will be Judge and they as well as we must be judged and they cannot prove that by our publick Doctrine we have added any new Article to the Ancient Catholick Apostolick Faith nor rejected any matter of doctrine or practice which is necessary or effectually conducing to salvation 4. Though this form of confession be generally received amongst us yet we find in it two additions not expressed in many former Creeds 1. Is the descent of Christ into Hell 2. Concerning the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints Concerning the first its doubted 1. When it was added to this confession 2. What the sense and genuine meaning of it is 1. We find it not in many of the ancienâ— and Apostolical forms of confession not in the Nicene or Ephesiene or Constantinopolitan Creed nor yet in the Roman Therefore Ruffinus in his exposition of this Creed confesseth that this article of Christs descent into Hell is not found either in the Roman or Oriential Creeds Besides some inform us that it is not found in genuine Copies of Athanasius his form therefore some say that it was brought in by a Synod held at Aquileia 2. As for the sense it s much controverted For some will have the words to signifie no more then that he was buryed others that Christ suffered in his soul the pains of Hell others that he passed into the estate and place of the dead others that in his soul he passed locally and substantially into Hell to preach unto the spirits and souls there imprisoned Thus Lib. 6. Ruffinus in his exposition thus Stromat Clemens Alexandrinus thus the first Reformers wko in the time of Edward 6th composed the Articles of Subscription for which they out of Clemens Alexandr alledged the Text 1 Pet. 3. 18 19. yet that explication was omitted in after-times when the Articles were reduced to the humber of 39. as now they are without any addition to the words of the Creed for the words of the Article are only these As Christ dyed for us and was buryed so also is it to be believed that he went down into hell The second addition is concerning the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints For though there is no Creed but implies that there a number of people who being called do believe and are partakers of the benefits of Christs Redemption yet in many ancient forms we find no mention of these words Yet the sense of them is plain and the matter clearly expressed in Scripture The occasion of the inserting of them might be the Schism of the Donatists or some others like them who confined the Church to themselves at Cartenna in Africk and like many in our days refused Communion with any other Christian but of their own party Whereas the Article according to the Scriptures signifies that the Church since this commission in my Text was put in execution by the Apostles going into all Nations and reducing many unto Christ became universal And these reduced are all of them Saints and though they be many living at a distance without any interview or converse civil one with another yet they are but one Body Society Corporation under Christ their Head and have spiritual communion one with another in the same Faith Sacraments and Spirit This is against not only the Jew but the Schismatical Donatist and also Rome it self as confining the term Catholick to her own party and engrossing the priviledges of the universal Church as though they did only belong to her who is but a little part or particle of the same Chap. 5. Shewing how in this Doctrine of our Saviour we have the abridgment of the Scripture Sect. 1. THe second proposition in the Mandate was That Christ commanded the Apostles to teach all Nations after the explication whereof I did enlarge and undertook to manifest four things 1. That the Doctrine to be taught was our Saviours Creed 2. That it was the ground of all the Apostolical and ancient Creeds 3. That the Creed commonly called the Apostles is agreeable to this Doctrine 4. That it is the abridgment of the holy Scriptures This undertaking in respect of the first three things according to my poor ability I have performed It remains I make good the fourth and last which is to make it evident that it is the abridgment of the holy Scriptures To this end I will 1. Acquaint you with the principal subject and parts of the Scripture according to the method of the Creed 2. Teach you how to refer the several parts of the Scripture to those parts 3. Reduce the whole to the form of a confession 1. The principal subject of the Scriptures is God and therefore they are called the word of God in writing not only because in them God speaks to man and hath revealed his mind but also because they speak of God So that he is not only the efficient but the Subject of the same This most excellent subject is represented in this Book of Books 1. As he is in himself from everlasting to everlasting 2. As he is the univesal and supreme effiecient of all things out of himself 1. As in himself he is represented as only one most perfect glorious substance whâ— always acting upon himself and contemplating himself produceth a word which perfectly and fully represents himself and his own infinite and eternal goodness unto himself and so is infinitely and eternally enamoured delighted and satiated with himself For the Scriptures tell us that he doth know and love himself from all eternity and is infinitely and eternally blessed in himself Sect. 2. As he
submit unto their lawful power obey their just commands and give them and all others my superiours due respect according to their places If I my self be either Father or Mother or Master or Magistrate or Minister Tutor Guardian and Governour I will endeavour in these several relations to do my duty and seek the good of these that shall be under my power and committed to my charge I will not dishonour or disobey or resist and rebel against my lawful Superiours neither will I be perfidious unto them nor vex and discomfort them but so carry my self towards them as I desire my inferiours to carry themselves towards me that so my God may bless me in that place of my pilgrimage where he hath appointed me to live and sojourn on Earth For I know that upon the performance of these duties according to the promise of God the peace and welfare of Family Church and State and all other Societies do much depend and that God will curse and punish all disobedient rebellious and unthankful wretches and such as envy despise mock dishonour vex discomfort their betters 6. I will put away all wrath anger violent passion and will beware of all quarrels dissentions batteries wicked thoughts words deeds all secret plots designs and enterprises which may any ways prejudice or endanger the life limbs safety health of my Neighbour I will abhor hatred malice purposes to revenge my self and endeavor to keep my self innocent and free every way from the innocent blood of others even of mine enemies I will neither be principal or accessory either by neglect or doing any thing against any mans life The health peace safety life and blood of my Neighbour shall be as precious to me as mine own I will be patient meek loving kind peaceable ready to be reconciled forbear suffer long forgive and every lawful way seek to perserve and keep the life of my Neighbour as mine own 7. I will abhor all leud wanton unchast thoughts purposes words deeds gestures apparel books immodest company all adultery whordom fornication incest and other kinds of uncleanness And because idleness glottony drunkenness and all other kind of intemperance give advantage to the Devil to tempt us to this sin therefore I will take heed of them and all other things which may be causes and occasions of the same Marriage with me shall be honourable and the marriage bed undefiled My thoughts words deeds gestures and carriage shall be chast and seeing my body being redeemed with a price should be a member of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Ghost I will not defile and dishonour it I will endeavour chastity in body and spirit in marriage or single life I will not joyn with any other in this sin and so bring the judgments of God upon me 8. Seeing God hath made the Earth and the fulness thereof given it to the Sons of men disposeth and dispenseth of these Earthly goods as it pleaseth him maketh rich and poor and giveth to men something that is justly their own I do therefore renounce all unjust thoughts words deeds which tend unjustly to endammage and impair the estate of my Neighbour I will neither by fraud or force secretly or openly take away or detain that which is anothers right I will not be unjust to any man nor unmerciful unto the poor the fatherless the widow or any that are in need and cannot help themselves and I will endeavour to deliver them out of the hand of such as do oppress them And that I may be free from this sin of injustice I will shun idleness and prodigal courses and vain and unnecessary expences I will not be covetous and use any unlawful means to enrich my self neither will I be improvident or unbelieving orimmoderately orinordinately careful I will not be unjust or unfaithfull in my contracts commerce and dealing with other men nor carelesly waste my estate by gaming unnecessary law-suits or rash suretiship I promise to be just honest faithful in all my dealing give every man his due restore that which is unjustly taken away withhold no mans goods trusted in my hands I will rather lose then gain to the wrong and dammage of another man I will not only be just but merciful and charitable to the poor and needy and especially to the indigint and persecuted Saints of God and to them I will be liberal according to mine ability I will be careful that God the Church the State and every private person may have their due And that I be not tempted to injustice I will painfully labour in some honest way that I may maintain me and mine and will be frugal moderately sparing provident and use just and lawful means of getting and keeping a competent estate I will be content with little and trust in God for these earthly necessaries 9. God hath appointed in all Common-Wealths Courts of Judicature to relieve the oppressed right such as are wronged punish offenders and rightly judge all causes and determine all controversies And the end of all judgment is justice and one means and the same principal tending to that end is evidence which often depends upon witnesses therefore I promise neither as Party Plaintiff or Defendant nor as Witness nor Juror nor Sollicitour nor Atturney nor Advocate or Counsellour nor Judge nor Register to cause men to believe that which is false conceal the truth oppose a just cause or by forgery neglect infidelity out of malice fear favour partiality covetousness go about to hinder or pervert just judgment I will endeavour to discover the truth to oppose the unjust cause of a friend promote the just cause of an enemy or stranger I will use all means both by my self and others to do what I can to take away all needless and unjust delays help the helpless punish offenders right the innocent and endeavour to my power that justice and judgment may have a free passage and flow down like a mighty stream I will pray for just Judges and for integrity in all such as act in judicial proceedings 10. Many times it falls out that my Neighbour hath such things as I want or somthing better then I have is in a better condition then I am and in prosperity when I am in adversity and then such is or may be the corruption of my heart and self-love that I begin to envy him and covet that which is duly his and I have no right unto And out of this envy and coveting that which is another mans much wickedness if not prevented may be committed therefore I promise and vow by the help of Gods grace to mortifie and suppress betimes these envious thoughts and unjust covetings will be content with mine own estate though poor and mean I will neither envy anothers prosperity nor rejoyce in his Adversity But I will love my Neighbours as my self rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and mourn with them that mourn and will be inwardly touched with their misery I
did give the promise and he was only fit to do it for there can be no doubt either of his fidelity or power as he was able so he was resolved to make good what he had said and his word was his deed and will be so unto the end He and he alone could procure the Spirit and send him down from heaven the Angels were at his command all creatures at his beck and as he had begun so he was resolved to finish the work of mans salvation This his purpose he might have concealed or reserved to himself a liberty yet he was willing to promise and by a promise not only to signifie his mind that they might know it to their comfort but also to bind himself unto them And now he cannot go back This promise is a ground of unspeakable comfort and encouragement to all faithful Ministers and doth assure us the Church shall continue to this worlds end Sect. 4. The third thing to be considered is the thing promised and that is Christs certain presence with them to the worlds end where we have 1. His presence 2. The continuance 3. The certainty of it 1. His presence is signified in these words I am with you which implies that he will not be against them nor will he be absent from them for there are enemies who are against us and there are friends which are absent and far from us but Christ will not be an enemy or a Friend at distance 2. It 's Christ that will be present I will be with you and that 's more then if all men and Angels should be for us and ever present with us 3. This presence is not bodily for Christ was justly after this promise taken up into Heaven bodily and the Heavens must contain him till the restitution of all things 4. It s a spiritual presence and the same far more excellent than that of his body for though a body may at several Times be present in many places yet it cannot be present in more places than one at one time but Christ by his Spirit might be with them in all places at all times for he promised before his death and passion to send the Comforter which should comfort their hearts in his absence teach them and lead them into all truth and upon Penticost he sent down his Spirit upon the Apostles which hath continued and will continue in the Church for ever 5. This is not a bare or meer presence for so this Spirit is present in all places at all times neither is it a presence with some general power for so he is with all things to preserve them But it s a special presence with a special active power for spiritual ends to produce spiritual and supernatural effects It is a presence not only to comfort strengthen assist and deliver them but also a powerful presence to make their Ministrry effectual for the eternal Salvation of mens Souls This Holy Ghost discended and rested upon Christ when he was ready to preach the Gospel and execute publickly his Offices When he first sent these Apostles he gave them the gifts of this Spirit After his Resurrection he breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost commanded them to stay at Jerusalem and wait for this Spirit upon the day of Penâ—ecost as before this Spirit came upon them By this Spirit all the Members of the Church are sanctified the Ministers qualified the Word and Sacraments made effectual and sentence of the Church so valid and of such mighty force Take away this spirit you take away the life and soul of the Church the power of the Ministry the efficacy of Word and Sacraments and without it all the Preaching Praying and other works of the Ministry will not be able to convert or comfort one Soul It s said I will be with you that is with you mine Apostles and your Successors in the Ministry to assist and bless and guide you in the discharge of your trust and execution of your office Dispense you the Word and Sacraments by the faithful observance of my mandate endeavour to save poor Souls and in that work I am with you no ways else so that such as are most faithful and diligent are most certain of his gracious presence Here is no promise made unto any particular Church or Ministers more than to others here is no express mention or intimation of the Bishop or Church of Rome or Jerusalem or Antioch or Constantinople The promise is made to the Church in general and their Ministers especially to such as are most faithful in their place and office Sect. 5. This is the presence the continuance of this presence is the second thing observed and is expressed in two words 1. Always or every day 2. To the worlds end 1. Always signifies that there shall be no intermission or interruption of Christs presence and assistance He will not absent himself or neglect them or desert them for a day so that they shall never have any cause to complain or say where is my Saviour now whether is he gon why hath he forsaken me There may be sad and woful times wherein Christ may seem to hide his face and to have forgotten them for a certain time yet even then Christ is with them and his faithful Ministers though he doth not appear and instantly manifest himself He must be with them always or else he breaks his promise and that he will never do Let us therefore do our duty always and Christ will be always with us 2. He will be with us to the worlds end this may be a longer this may be a shorter time Some understand the last period and end of that present generation the destruction of Jerusalem and the death of the Apostles and the reason of this opinion may be because some take the promise to be personal and to be made only to the Apostles for their lives yet this is rather a conceit than any solid well grounded truth especially seeing the end of the world in other places signifies either a far longer time than the life of a mortal man on earth unto the consummation of the creatures and to all eternity So the person or the time of the final judgment when the world shall be no more but Christ shall raise the dead deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all for when the number of Gods Saints is finished there will be no need of Word or Sacraments or Ministers and then this promise is performed to the full But whilst these continue as they shall continue to the end Christ is bound and will certainly be with them that he may make his redemption effectual by them in the 〈…〉 sion and salvation of poor sinners 〈…〉 3. The certainty of this perp 〈…〉 seems to be implyed in the note of attention Loe and in the verb of the present tense for Christ doth not say I will be but I am with you for nothing is more certain than that which is present Besides some Copies have Amen added which is a strong confirmation of the promise But this certainly doth chiefly depend upon the power and fidelity of Christ who hath made the promise and hath kept it in all times unto this day And the particle Loe doth require as their so our special attention and serious consideration both of the person promising and the thing promised that they might be fully assured of performance to the utmost By vertue of this promise it is come to pass that in the midst of the tumults and confusions of the world and af ter the ruine of so many glorious kingdoms of so many potent Empires and of so many flourishing Churches of particular Nations yet an universal Church with Word Sacraments and Ministry do continue to this day and the gates of Hell could never yet prevail against it so that we may take up the Words of the Psalmist Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth the Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge for this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide unto death Amen FINIS
Earth are effected was always in the Church to sanctifie the same and prepare it for eternal Glory and when Christ was set at the right hand of God came down upon the Apostles in the likeness of fiery cloven Tongues gave them power to speak in all Languages enlightned them gave them full and perfect knowledge of the Gospel endued them with all gifts and power requisite for the laying of the foundation of the Christian Religion the plantation of the Church in all Nations and did direct them in the dispensation of the Gospel that both by word and writing they might publish and declare it infallibly By this doctrine accompanied with the power of this Spirit and convey'd to the hearts of men both Jews and Gentiles were called converted sanctified and made up the body of the universal Church which is the number of all believers in all Nations a community of Saints Militant first on Earth and then Triumphant in Heaven These are the best society in the world have the greatest priviledges are the Children of God the Members of Christ the Temples of the Holy Ghost the Candidates of Heaven the Heroes of Eternal Glory baptized by one Spirit into one body and by Baptism admitted Subjects of an everlasting Kingdom Those tho' dispersed through several parts of the world and mixed with counterfeit Christians and profane persons are justified regenerated reconciled the adopted Sons of God have a title unto eternal Life the earnest of the Spirit and the first fruits of glory are guarded by Angels beloved of God enemies to Sin Satan and the World tempted often sometimes wounded and foiled yet sin reigns not in them and in the end they attain a full and final victory They suffer Persecution and bear the Cross with patience deny themselves are constant in the Covenant nothing can separate them from the love of God all things work together for their good they increase in heavenly Virtues abound in good works rejoyce in the hope of Glory watch and pray and with sighs and groans wait for the adoption which is the redemption of the body When they depart this world they commend their spirits into their Fathers hands who sends his Angels to receive them they are with Christ and secure of the resurrection unto eternal bliss rest from their labours and their works follow them when the number of these is finished Christ will come down from Heaven in the Glory of the Father with all the holy Angels and shall descend with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trump of God Then all the dead shall rise the living shall be changed and made immortal all shall be summoned appear be judged the righteous shall be justified for ever receive the glorious reward of an everlasting Kingdom be admitted into God's presence behold his glory be filled with eternal joy and made fully and for ever happy such as know not God or obeyed not the Gospel being unbelievers and unrighteous shall be sentenced to everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels shall be cast out of God's presence imprisoned in Hell where the worm never dieth and the fire is never quenched and shall there be tormented in soul and body continually and of their extreme misery there shall be no end These things I believe to be most certainly true and as reveal'd from Heaven confirm'd by many signs and wonders and the rare effects of this Doctrine in the conversion and consolation of many souls This Faith of my heart I profess with my mouth and according to this belief and profession I rely for everlasting life upon God the Father who loved me and the Son who gave himself for me and the Holy Ghost who sanctifies and comforts me Sect. 8. After this enlargement I return again unto the Proposition That Christ commanded the Apostles to teach or disciple all Nations and thence infer some practical conclusions in a few words and so conclude this Chapter 1. If Apostles and so all Ministers of the Gospel who take the charge of souls upon them be subject to Christ's power and bound by this command then it is their duty to teach to teach this Doctrine to teach all this Doctrine they must teach this and none other because it is the only converting saving comforting truth if they teach other it will be either unprofitable or which is worse pernicious though they teach this and yet conceal some part thereof and declare not the whole counsel of God though it may be good so far as they make use of it yet it will be insufficient and never reach the end for which it was revealed from Heaven for it 's the Gospel the whole Gospel that is the power of God unto Salvation yet it must not be taught confusedly but as it was delivered by our Saviour in a certain and exact method so it must in the same manner be dispensed by the Man of God who must not only be perspicuous that his Doctrine may be understood but also methodical that it may be remembred therefore if we will manifest our love to Christ be faithful to our trust pity poor Souls redeemeâ— by the precious blood of Christ make â— good account at the last receive a Crowâ— of Glory when the great Shepherd shalâ— appear and escape that fearful Woe anâ— Judgment which shall fall upon such as a 〈…〉 guilty of the blood of other men let â—â— teach teach this Doctrine and teach 〈…〉 thus and in this manner as Christ's Command requires and directs 2. If this be our duty then the people whom we teach are bound to receive this all this Doctrine and thus as it is taught and if ever they will be converted unto God comforted by the Spirit attain unto eternal life and not be adjudged to eternal Fire for Ignorance or Disobedience to the Gospel let them hear this Doctrine attentively learn the whole counsel of God lay it up in their hearts remember it obey it and make it the joy and delight of their hearts and the subject of their constant Meditations let them reject all other Doctrine which shall not be agreeable to this our Saviour's Creed 3. It 's a matter of perpetual Thanksgiving and it 's our Duty to acknowledge God's wonderful mercy in this respect and give all Glory and Praise unto his Name in that he hath so well provided for our Salvation For he hath not only sent his onely Son from Heaven to redeem us by his precious Blood raised him from the dead and given him all Power in Heaven and Earth but Christ having received this Power gives Commission and Command to the Apostles and their Sucâ—â—â—â—ors to teach all saving Truth hath contracted it in so few words reduced it unto so clear a method endued them with the knowledge of it bound them to teach it to all Nations in their own Language fit it for the meanest capacities raise up a continual supply of faithful Ministers to instruct
and Governour in general for it's object faith as it is an assent to God as the first truth revealing his mind to man or a reliance upon him as promising some thing to men Self-denial and bearing the Cross as they are a total resignation of our selves unto the will of God made known unto us I say all these in this sense are naturally moral But consider these as terminated upon God as Redeemer in Christ either promised or exhibited and as conditions upon which the Salvation of sinful man depends by divine Ordination they are not only naturally but supernaturally moral 9. When the Commandments of God are contracted and reduced to the love of God and our Neighbour we must understand that the love of God or the love we owe to God is not only antecedent and the first in order of nature but also of dignity far higher greater then the love of our Neighbour or which is due unto our Neighbour For we must love God with all our heart soul mind might and so we must love nothing else God is worthy of infinite love and therefore he loves himself infinitely yet he requires not in these words an infinite love from us who are infinite yet we must love him more then any other thing yea far more we must love him with the highest degree of love that possibly we can and should be willing if we could to love him infinitely we may exceed in loving our selves or any other thing in loving God we cannot they that love him most love him far less then he deserves To love God with the whole heart is not only to love God sincerely and truly but to love him so as that his love may take up and fill the whole heart this is to love God as God if the whole heart be wholly taken up with this love then all the powers and faculties of soul and body go along with the heart and are taken up with it Therefore these words all the Soul Mind Strength are added to that of the whole heart to signifie the great measure of this divine love 10. The love of our Neighbour as our selves pre-requireth the love of God for if we do not love God first we can neither love our selves or our Neighbour aright For our love of God must measure and qualifie both the love of our selves and our Neighbours and render it acceptable to God 11. This love of God presupposeth our knowledge of God both as excellent and amiable in himself and as good and loving to us especially in Christ and therefore some acts of faith in Christ must go before this love of God as God and our God Redeemer and Sanctifier And as it presuposeth knowledge and in us Christians faith in Christ already come so it vertually includes all subsequent duties and acts of obedience Sect. 7. Therefore after 1. The general observations premised and 2. This discourse upon the several abridgments of the moral Law I will in the third place manifest that love is the fulfilling of the Law 1. The love of God is against all Atheism Idolatry Apostasie renounceth all confidence in any other thing and will take God alone to be our God who created us preserveth redeemeth sanctifieth us unto everlasting life and will serve him fear him trust in him be loyal and obedient unto him in the highest degree and will give all praise glory honour and power to him as the only supreme Lord. 2. This love will not make any image or likeness of any thing visible or sensible to represent him nor cause any such thing to be made for that end neither will it ascribe any divine power or sanctifying vertue unto any such thing nor make it a sign of Gods special presence nor worship or serve it or serve God by it It will reject all traditions of men and all superstition in Religious Worship and will faithfully observe the institutions of God in Divine Service 3. This love will not swear falsly or vainly to the dishonour of God and Christ our Saviour It will be careful to swear the truth It will not prophane or pollute the name of God in the performance of his service but will worship God and perform all religious duties with humility and reverence so that God in them may be glorified 4. This love will not prophane the times determined and hallowed by God for his more solemn worship and will lay aside at those times not only all sinful but all secular imployments and will apply it in publick and private to the performance of holy and heavenly duties It will observe the first day of the week in acknowledgement of Christs Resurrection and the coming down of the Holy Ghost and by this observation signifie our belief of the abolition of the Law the taking down of the partition wall the uniting of Jew Gentile in one body Christian neither will love so confine it self to one day in seven as not to observe those standing occasional times of humiliation or thanksgiving appointed by Authority both Ecclesiastical and Civil for the publick service and solemn Worship of God 5. If we love God we will love our selves in God and as our selves our Neighbours and that not only our Acquaintance Friends near Relations but Strangers Enemies especially the Children of God and will do as we would be done unto This love will honour obey and submit unto all our Superiors whether in Family or State or Church according to their places and will not dishonour disobey or any ways as such disrespect them 6. This love will not give way to Anger malice envy implacable revenge or any such violent and destructive passion which tends to the endangering of limb or life but it will account the life of our neighbour very precious and will use all means to preserve it and to live in peace concord and safety 7. This love will detest adultery whoredom fornication incest and all uncleanness with all the causes and occasions thereof it will endeavour chastity in body and spirit and use all means to preserve it 8. This love will not by any fraud or force take away or detain the goods of his neighbour out of covetousness or any other iniquity but will be careful to give every one their own and so not only be just but also merciful and liberal when God requires it 9. This love will not bear false witness against his Neighbour though his Enemy nor any way seek to hinder or pervert just judgment but will desire and use their best means to right his Noighbour and to promote justice in all judicial proceeding 10. This love will not covet any thing that is his Neighbours though he want it himself will not envy his prosperity will not rejoyce in the misery of an enemy it will seek the good of every one rejoyce in their happiness look upon every one especially a godly man as his brother This love of God and our neighbour
of Christ as before his Ascension or explicitly as after They must be made especially by us Christians in the name of Christ who by his blood hath satisfied Gods justice made him propitious the Throne of grace accessible hath merited all mercies promised to be our Advocate and to sollicite our cause in heaven and procure for us whatsoever we ask in his name They must also be made by the Spirit who alone doth sanctify us and qualifie our hearts for this duty and enables us to perform it so as that it may be effectual and when we know not how to pray as we ought he stirs up in us sighs and groans which cannot be uttered by which he makes intercession for us to the Father who not only understands these dark expressions but is much moved and affected with them So that a Christian effectual prayer is a presenting of our petitions to God the Father in the name of Christ by the Spirit And how powerful must that prayer be which is offered to the Father in the name of his Son by the power and grace of his Spirit A prayer may be made inwardly in the soul without any words of the Mouth and it may be â—o qualified as to prevail very much with God who principally looks at the heart It may be made outwardly and that without any understanding sense and inward affection and this is but a Carkase of prayer and not regarded of God though delivered in most excellent expressions and as it were in the language of Angels This outward prayer whether said or sung in Prose or Verse if made in publick or in company must be in a language and in terms more easily understood by the people with whom we pray that they may say Amen which they cannot if they understand not And though they understand yet if their hearts be not affected with the matter and rightly disposed towards God it s to no purpose For all outward prayer should be joyned with the inward and issue from an heart rightly disposed A prayer of a righteous man may sometimes be ineffectual because it s not made by him as righteous Sect. 2. These things concerning prayer in general observed I proceed unto the Lords prayer we find many particular prayers praises and thanksgivings in the Scripture and many forms both for publick and private devotion taken out of this blessed Book yet all these seem to be but so many branches of that excellent form which our Saviour taught his Disciples wherein he contracted the substance of all lawful prayers and that in an excellent method It was taught and prescribed in the days of his humiliation and was suitable unto their present light and condition For herein he gives no direction how to ask any thing in his name and the reason was he was not yet glorified nor made Advocate general in heaven nor possessed of his glorious Kingdom This may seem to be intimated in that petition Thy Kingdom come For then to him and so to them it was to come In it we may observe 1. The Entrance or Preface 2. The Body and Matter 3. The Conclusion In the entrance we may take notice of 1. The parties who must perform this duty 2. The parties for whom Prayer must be made 3. The party to whom Prayer must be made 4. The qualification of the Prayer it self 1. The parties who must perform this duty are persons living on Earth who have not lost their interest in God upon whom all and every one depends and our necessities are many and great and prayer is Ordained as a means whereby all things we need may be obtained and that more certainly because we have a Promise Besides its an universal Command and all Men are bound in that respect to pray and by prayer to worship and glorifie God For by it we acknowledge that God is the supreme Lord the fountain of all goodness the Father of Mercies willing freely to give us what we need and that we are miserable and indigent persons and that God is no ways bound to relieve us or supply our wants but only he promised to hear and help and this promise was freely made Some will not pray some cannot some can pray but not effectually yet all these are bound to pray and therefore their sin or misery must be very great 2. The persons for whom we must pray are our selves and all others who are capable of any benefit by our prayers For we are directed to say Our Father and in this word Our we include our selves and others too As we must love our Neighbour as our selves so we must pray for our Neighbour as for our selves And by Neighbour we must understand not only our Acquaintance and Friends but strangers and Enemies For we must pray for them which despitefully use us So Christ prayed for such as did Crucifie him saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do yet as we must love some more then others so we must pray more especially for some then others most of all for the Church and our persecuted Brethren For Christian charity in our prayers doth enlarge it self and abhors partiality and self-love 3. The person to whom we must pray is God and God is our Father in heaven Father is a word of power and pity Father in heaven is a term of supreme power and infinite pity And if all the power and pity of all Fathers even the best were united in one yet all were nothing to the pity and power of our God This Father loved us and gave his Son for us when we were Enemies and called us when we were dead in Sins and Trespasses greater love never was manifested to any creature and greater love to any creature there cannot be And how much must he love us when once we begin to love him as our God! What cannot a Father in heaven what will not a father in Christ do for his Children seeing in him meet in one power and pity might and mercy greatness and goodness which include all his perfections Thus we must conceive of God to whom we address our selves to whom we direct our prayers 4. The qualifications of prayers are many 1. One is faith whereby we believe that he is present in all places at all times hears all prayers knows all things and with what heart we pray that he is just holy wise of infinite goodness and unspeakable mercy in Christ who makes intercession for us in heaven that his power is Almighty and his dominion over all things is supreme 2. In respect of his infinite and eternal excellency and supreme dominion we must come into his presence with all humility and reverence adoring his eternal Majesty 3. As he is holy we must be holy and draw near with pure and upright hearts 4. As he is just we must petition for just things 5. As he is a father we must be obedient Children 6. As he is full of love so we must