Domestick Head viz. the Husband in respect of the Wife and so likewise is Christ the Head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5.23 And indeed the Holy Spirit does love to Represent him as such a Head as also by the Title of a Shepherd over the Flock to signify the Gentleness of his Government and the Sweetness and Goodness of his Laws tending all for the Good of those he Governs And Thirdly There is the Natural Head of the Body which is the Fountain of Life and Spirit from whence it is deriv'd into all the Parts of the Body to enable and enliven all the Members thereof to discharge their several Offices and Duties And in Allusion to this Christ the Mystical Head of the Church is Christ said to be the Mystical Head of the Church from whom all the Body by Joynts and Bands having Nourishment ministred increaseth with the Increase of God Col. 2.19 And thus I have at length sufficiently in order to my Design of Explaining this Article Wherein I was made a Member of Christ shew'd you What kind of Body the Church of Christ is And by the By from what has been said it does appear That the Church of Christ is a Spiritual Kingdom put up in the World by God The Church of Christ a Spiritual Kingdom on purpose to reduce Man to his due Allegiance to his Maker and to destroy the Dominion of Satan which he had so long Usurpt over Mankind It is a Kingdom as it consists of inferior Governours and Subjects combin'd together by special Laws of Allegiance to the Sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords and by Priviledges granted by that Supreme Head and Governour to such his Subjects and therefore it is so often in the Scripture call'd a Kingdom But you see withal it is a Spiritual Kingdom by the Nature and Design of which God is to Rule in the Hearts and Spirits of Men and therefore it is all over the New Testament call'd the Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Christ For Christ does Reign and Rule therein by his Gospel as the Laws of that Kingdom over the Spirits of Men and those are the People or Subjects of this Kingdom who own him for their King and his Gospel for the Laws of this Kingdom and who do give themselves up wholly both Body Soul and Spirit to be Governed by those Laws And the Church is also often call'd in the Holy Scripture the Kingdom of Heaven for indeed it is not a Kingdom of this World supported with outward State and armed Forces in order to promote and to secure from those who would Invade 'em our temporal Interests If my Kingdom were of this World then would my Servants fight that I should not be deliver'd to the Jews Joh. 18.36 but it is a Kingdom or Society of Men associated together and Listed to Fight under Christ the Great Captain of our Salvation against much more formidable Enemies than any Earthly Potentates Even against Principalities and Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual Wickedness in high Places Eph. 6.12 that is against the Devil and his wicked Angels who would despoil us of our Heavenly Inheritance Listed I say to fight under Jesus Christ the Great Captain of our Salvation for so he is call'd Heb. 2.10 and to our Comfort who are to fight under him he has already Spoiled these Principalities and Powers and has made a shew of them openly upon the Cross triumphing over them in it Col. 2.15 So that our Work is in a great measure already done under his Conduct for he himself has divested the Devils of much of their Power he has thrown 'em out of their Temples silenc'd their Oracles and does daily by his Assistances enable us to Foil ' em So that the Church of Christ you see is a Spiritual Kingdom But yet notwithstanding that this Society the Church But yet notwithstanding a Visible Society is a Spiritual Kingdom both as its Laws are Spiritual reaching to the Government of the Inward Man and also as it is a Body Listed under a Spiritual King to fight against Spiritual Enemies Yet however from what has been said it does appear that the Church or Kingdom of Christ is a Visible Society of Men consisting of such who make an Outward and Visible Profession of Allegiance to Christ having visibly by an Outward Sacrament Enter'd into Covenant with him and being such as do visibly Communicate together in his Holy Ordinances And therefore it is not only of such who by an inward real and true Faith are United to Christ that the Church and Kingdom of God in this World does consist but of all those outward Professors of Christianity who by the Sacrament of Baptism have Enter'd into Covenant with God Such indeed as besides an outward Covenanting which is certainly necessary are Renew'd withal to the Image of God in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness are the only Persons of which the Invisible Church as it is call'd does consist in this World these perhaps being meant by the Little Flock Luk. 12.32 and of such only will the whole Church in the World to come be made up being of The many that are Called the few that are Chosen Matth. 20.16 But if we consider the Church of Christ in its fully Latitude and in that imperfect State wherein it now is on this side Heaven many Hypocrites and bad Men as well as truly sincere and good Christians do belong to it for the Church of Christ here on Earth is compar'd Matth. 13.24 25. to a Field which contains Wheat and Tares growing up together and to a Net ver 47. wherein there are Fish both good and bad Such you see is the Nature and Temper of that Body of Christ his Church concerning which I thought it requisite to give you a more than ordinary full account even in this place before we come to the Article I believe the Holy Catholick Church because that otherwise it cannot be so well apprehended What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church Secondly What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church which now the way being so far clear'd I shall in few words shew you And from what has been said it does easily now appear that a true Member of the Church of Christ is one who belongs to that Society of Christians which consists of Lawful Governours and Pastors and of the People of God committed to their Charge the one Ministring in Holy Things and the other Partaking thereof at their Hands He is not a Member of that narrow and enclos'd Society of Worshipers the Jewish Synagogue who by their peculiar Rites and Ways of Worship were confin'd to one Nation and Place no more than he is one of the Gentile World at large but he is One who either himself was call'd or is descended of those who were call'd from out of the wicked World
and consequently when the Divine Image which is now defac'd is in some good measure restor'd when thus we shall have Put on the New Man Eph. 4.24 Partake of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. and Be conformed to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 then can we be truly said to Renounce the Flesh 2. To Renounce the Flesh is to be Converted in the whole Bent and Inclination of the Soul toward God II. To Renounce the Flesh is to be Converted in the whole Bent and Inclination of the Soul towards God Smith 's Select Disc p. 374. 430. This is the true Property of the Regenerate Nature to be exalted above all Worldly Things and to be carried out in Love and Affection towards God The Soul says a Learned and Pious Author is a more vigorous and puissant thing when it is once Restor'd to the possession of its own Being than to be bounded within a narrow Prison of Sensual and Bodily Delights but it will break forth with the greatest Vehemence and Ascend upwards towards Immortality For it is only true Religion that teaches and enables Men to die to this World and to all Earthly Things and to rise above the Sphere of Sensual and Earthly Pleasures which darken the Mind and blind it that it cannot enjoy the brightness of Divine Light so that whereas the Fleshly Mind never minds any thing but Flesh and never rises above the Outward Matter but always creeps up and down like Shadows upon the Surface of the Earth and if it begin at any time to make any faint Essays upwards it presently finds it self laden with a weight of Sensuality which draws it down again Holy and Religious Souls being touch'd with an Inward Sense of the Divine Goodness and Beauty are mov'd swiftly after God and as the Apostle expresses himself forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before they press towards the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus that so they may attain to the Resurrection of the Deâ—d In short therefore whereas there is now a continual Conflict betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit the Flesh Lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh we must never cease Mortifying and Subduing all the Motions of Corrupt Nature tending downward towards the Creature till they be brought in Subjection to the Power and Influence of God's Holy Spirit which alone can lift up our Hearts and Affections to God and Heavenly Things THE XXI Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh IN order to the full Explication of these Words the sinful Lusts of the Flesh The sinful Lusts of the Flesh what Having already shew'd you First what is meant by the Flesh and in what Sence and how far we must Renounce the Flesh 2. I am now to give you in like manner the full Meaning and Importance of the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and to shew you in what sence and how far we are to Renounce them And as by the Flesh is meant the whole Unregenerate Nature of Man Soul as well as Body in its State of Corruption and as it acts contrary to the Holy Will and Spirit of God so proportionably by the sinful Lusts of the Flesh must be understood all the Faculties and Powers of this corrupted Nature as they carry us out to commit Sin as well the Faculties of the Soul the Understanding and Will as the Bodily Powers viz. the Affections Lusts and Appetites These are all of 'em in their own Nature the Effects of God's Workmanship and were Pure as they came forth of his Hands But ever since the Fall of Adam they are wofully Corrupted and there is none of these Faculties or Powers either of Soul or Body but may be call'd a sinful Lust of the Flesh Every Faculty and Power of Soul and Body is properly enough term'd a Lust as it Craves and Desires its Object And they are all of 'em sinful Lusts of the Flesh just as the whole Unregenerate Nature was said to be Flesh that is either First as those several Faculties of the Soul do move downwards from God and Heavenly Things Immediately and Inordinately towards the Creatures Or Secondly as the Inferior and Bodily Powers the Affections Lusts and Appetites do disorderly Rebel against the Superior Faculty of the Understanding and Reason and do carry the Will into Slavery to ' em I will take the whole Frame of this our depraved Nature in Pieces that so viewing that Corruption which residing in every of the Faculties and Powers thereof renders all of 'em so many sinful Lusts of the Flesh we may be better able to Renounce each of those sinful and fleshly Lusts And First The Sinful Lusts of the Fleshly Mind what Let us consider that Corruption which Resides in the Mind and renders it Fleshly and consequently the Motions even of the Intellectual part of our Nature no better than Sinful Lusts of the Flesh And our Understanding alas which should be full of Divine Knowledge such as may be a Lamp unto our Feet and a Light unto our Paths is in the Unregenerate Man full of Vanity Ignorance of and Prejudice against Divine Truths The Unregenerate Man neither understands nor seeks after God Rom. 3.11 He likes not to Retain God in his Knowledge or to consider any thing concerning him but is vain in his Imaginations having his foolish heart darkned Rom. 1.21.28 Nay the best Habits of the Mind in the Unregenerate Man are Corrupt having the Vnderstanding darkned being Alienated from the Life of God through the Ignorance that is in them Eph. 4.18 And hence it comes to pass that whereas the great and proper Appetite of the Mind is after Knowledge an Appetite which God hath put into the Soul of Man and so a thing Beautiful and Good This very desire of Knowledge becomes a sinful Lust of the Fleshly Mind in several Cases particularly in these following viz. when either we misplace our Desires of Knowledge upon wrong Objects or when we do immoderately study to be exquisitely skill'd in Humane tho' Lawful Arts and Sciences to the Neglect and Contempt of Divine Knowledge And lastly when out of Pride Prejudice and Contradiction to all sacred Truths we set up our own Fleshly Imaginations and Reasonings against the Spiritual Notions that are dictated to us And accordingly such our Appetites or Desires even of Knowledge it self must be Renounced as so many sinful Lusts of a Fleshly Mind And first we must Renounce the Desires of Knowing wrong Objects that is we must not Gratify but Mortify our Desires of Knowing such things which are either Hurtful to be known I. When we are curious to to know things which are either Hurtful to be Known or are not proper for Man to know Now as to this we are to consider
Image of God in the Soul namely that Righteousness and Purity which we had lost by our Fall This I mean by the Divine Assistance The Measures of it proportionable to the necessity of the Church And as to the measures of this Assistance every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be shall have sufficient Supplies of Grace derived down from Him our Head proportionable to his Necessities by those means of conveying it which Christ has appointed for that purpose I say every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be For as we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. that is there are different Members in the Church of Christ Some are to be Governours and Teachers of others and accordingly must be endow'd with a Spirit of Government and Gift of Teaching and others are of a more private Capacity in the Church of Christ whatever they be in other Respects and their Business is to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Man and faithfully to discharge their Duties to God their Neighbour and themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace enabling 'em to discharge the same They have not a Promise of those Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other Persons Offices but are distitute of those necessary for their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have receiv'd Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way for God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the Mystical Body by keeping himself united to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit in the first Ages And that too in such Measures and Proportions as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law And the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers Extraordinary Gifts viz. of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the Malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion So all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily strengthned no doubt to resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is establish'd Ordinary in succeeding Times and the Truth of Christianity already prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the Ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out into any part of the World as sometimes they are to this day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those Means which Christ has appointed in his Church for that purpose And yet even these ordinary Assistances Even the ordinary Assistances extensively very large so as to repair all the Powers of Nature deprav'd by Sin Blessed be the Infinite Mercies of God towards us therein are extensively very large and diffusive so as to reach to all the Parts and Powers of our Nature which are Evilly Affected Corrupted and Deprav'd by Sin and Intensively very powerful in working a blessed-Change within us And First the Grace of God is extensively very diffusive and large in the Change and Reformation it works within us in that there is no Power and Difficulty in our Natures which by Sin is Corrupted but by his Grace and Assistance is Renew'd I do mean that the Assistances which God does afford us to enable our Weakness to perform the Conditions of the Covenant is so apply'd to us by the Goodness of God that every Power and Faculty within us which is render'd weak by the Corruption of our Nature is strengthned by his Grace to perform its proper part and Duty Are our Understandings dull to apprehend and conceive of Spiritual things as they ought His Grace does enlighten our Understandings Thus we read Luke the 24.45 that our Saviour opened the Vnderstandings of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures And to this purpose St. Paul Eph. 1.18 did earnestly Pray That God would give unto 'em the Spirit of Wisdom that the Eyes of their Vnderstandings being enlighten'd they might know what is the Hope of their Calling and what are the Riches of the Glory in the Inheritance of the Saints Are our Wills backward in performing the Conditions of the Promises why God by throwing good Suggestions into our Souls and by Imprinting important Considerations upon our Minds does perswade and bend our stubborn Wills and by degrees works us into a ready Compliance with the Divine Will Thus is God said to work in us both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Phil. 2.13 And upon this account also all our Christian Virtues are call'd the Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Are our Affections listless and lukewarm to Spiritual things particularly Are they dull and heavy in our Devotions Why the Holy Spirit helps to raise in us Holy Desires Lise and Quickness in our Prayers Thus the Apostle the Spirit helps our Infirmities making Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God by Inspiring 'em with such Desires and Groanings that cannot be utter'd Rom. 8.26 27. And Lastly Are our Lusts and Appetites violent to carry us out to gratifie them in unlawful things Why If by the Spirit of God we shall mortifie the Deeds of the Body we are Promis'd that we shall Live Rom. 8.13 which implies that by the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit we shall be able to subdue those unruly Lusts within us and so shall live Eternally And Intensively very powerful to renew our corrupt Natures And Secondly The Divine Grace and Assistance even in its ordinary Distributions is Intensively powerful and strong enough to Renew our Corrupt Natures This secret Power of the Holy Spirit does not indeed so forcibly and Irresistably work a Change in us as that it will be impossible to Resist this Divine Grace and Efficacy and to render it ineffectual to our Renovation The Grace of God may be resisted and his
deal concerning him and his Attributes even from the Consideration of those Perfections which we behold imprinted upon the Creatures for St. Paul testifies Rom. 1.20 That the invisible things of God from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead so that those who know him not are without excuse But much more can we Christians be able to know a great deal of him when our Reasonings from a Created Perfection are so much assisted by Divine Revelation declaring and deciphering God so clearly as it does both in his Nature and all his Attributes Now the Perfections which belong to the Creature may be reduc'd as a Learned Man observes to such as pertain to it as a Substance or as having Life as having Perception or Sense or as having Reason And to proceed therefore from our general Conceptions of God as a Being Infinite in all Perfection and Incomprehensible by us to the Contemplation of the Divine Nature and Perfections so far as we shall be able to gather what they are from what is legible in the Creature and especially in the Holy Scriptures 1. A Spirit I. If we consider God as a Substance since the more Fine and Spiritual any Substance is it is always accounted the more Perfect as the Animal Spirits in the Body are far exalted above the grosser Matter God therefore must not be conceiv'd to be of a Bodily Form and Composition the lower Form of Substances but to be of the highest of all viz. purely a SPIRIT And being also the Cause of the Spirits both of the Souls of Men and of the Angels of Heaven he must then be transcendently exalted in the Spiritual Nature above those most Glorious Beings the Holy Angels It is not easie nor is it necessary for us whose Faculties being Cloathed with Flesh can discern nothing but through the door of the Senses to form a True and Adequate Notion of a Spirit It is sufficient to conceive of God that he is absolutely Incorporeal without Figure or Parts which are the Accidents of Matter and therefore he is invisible to Mortal Eyes and accordingly is said by the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.15 16. To dwell in the Light which no Man can approach unto whom no Man hath seen nor can see It is necessary also to believe him infinitely more Spiritual in his Nature than the Souls of Men or than the Angels themselves are and therefore is he call'd the God of the Spirits of all Flesh Numb 16.22 The Father of Spirits or he who maketh his Angels Spirits Psal 104.4 For if he is the Cause of that Spiritual Nature which the Souls of Men and the Angels in Heaven do possess he as the Cause must have much more of that Perfection in him than he imparts unto others In a word the utmost that we can conceive of God as to this kind of Perfection is that he is a pure and Divine Mind as even the wisest amongst the Philosophers were wont to call him II. He is IMMENSE or OMNIPRESENT II. Immense or Omnipresent This is another of those Attributes or Divine Perfections which belong to God under the Notion of a Substance And a transcendent Attribute this is whereby he Infinitely excels all Created Beings As for bodily Substances they are Circumscribed and Limited by other Bodies touching and bounding 'em on all sides so that no two Bodies can be in the same place nor can the same Body be possibly in two places at the same time And as to those Spiritual and Immortal Substances the Souls of Men and the Angels of Heaven they are also Defin'd to certain Places so that when they are in one place they cannot be in another at one and the same Instant But as to the Divine Nature it is in one and the same Instant present in all places It is neither Included nor Circumscribed in any place nor Excluded from any but he is every where present in an Ineffable and an Inscrutable manner so that there can be nothing conceiv'd where God is not Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off Do not I fill Heaven and Earth Jer. 23.23 24. To which purpose also that place Psal 139.7 8. does admirably set forth the Omnipresence of God whither shall I flee from thy Spirit or whither shall I go from thy Presence If I climb up into Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell thou art there also III. God is a Being OMNIPOTENT III. Omnipotent This is another Attribute which belongs to God and it pertains to him as he is a Living Substance For tho' many things Inanimate have their Virtues yet Power and Activity are the Properties and Result of Life And if the Angels which have received their Being from him do so excel in Strength that one of 'em slew an hundred fourscore and five thousand of the Camp of the Assyrians in one Night 2 Kings 19.35 how eminently great must that Power be which created those potent Spirits It is an Attribute which does fall in very properly to be considered after God's Immensity for where-ever God is present as he is every where he can do whatever he pleases and nothing can resist his Power concerning which the Scripture gives us the plainest Testimonies and the most astonishing Instances Thus Matth. 19.26 it is said that with God all things are possible And the Instances thereof are no less than that whole Frame of Nature which we behold even the Sun Moon and Stars and all the Host of Heaven concerning whom it is testify'd Gen. 1.2 and Ps 148.5 that God did but speak the Word and they were made that he Commanded and they were Created And sure then all things possible can be effected by the Power of God if he pleases I say all things possible Being able to effect all things possible or which have no repugnancy in themselves nor to the Nature of God for some things there are which it is a a Contradiction to the nature of the things themselves they should be done as that a Body whose Nature it is to be Circumcised and bounded in the place wherein it it is should be in different places at the same time And other things are repugnant to the perfect Nature of God to do as to Die to Deceive to do Injustice to damn an Innocent Person to all Eternity in respect of which it is said that it is impossible for God to Lie Heb. 6.18 And that he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 And he does whatsoever he pleases And whatsoever he pleases for this is the difference between God who is a voluntary Agent and other necessary Agents that whatever does Act necessarily does operate to the utmost of its Power as for Instance the Stone in descending falls as low as it can but a free Agent as God is Acts so far only as he Wills for he might
being Members of Christ's Church In a word so Honourable to God so Perfective of our own Natures and so Beneficial to Mankind are the Laws of Christ and so well is our Obedience secur'd to 'em by those Principles he has taught us that this very Thing does speak our exceeding Great Priviledge in being Members of Christ and under his Conduct and Government as our supreme Head and Law-giver But especially this Advantage will appear to be very Great Another Branch of this first part of a a Christian's Priviledge are most edifying and comfortable Institutions and Ordinances if we consider How that together with those most excellent Laws that he has given us he has also appointed us most Edifying and comfortable Ordinances to Conduct us to Heaven Now by Divine Institutions and Ordinances I do mean those positive Appointments and Observations which he has given his Church and all the Members thereof for their Improvement in the Knowledge and Practice of his Holy Religion and Laws And that which our Great Law-giver has done of this Nature is this He has Ordain'd solemn and set Days viz. The Christian Sabbaths for his own Service He has Order'd that Publick Assemblies of all Christians should be held upon those Days he has Authoriz'd and Commanded the Publication and Preaching of his Laws at those Publick Assemblies He has appointed that Common-Prayers Supplications and Thanksgivings for Divine Grace and Assistance to enable us to perform these Laws then Preacht and for other Mercies should be jointly put up to him by all Christians on those solemn Days and publick Assemblies and Lastly he has Enjoin'd therein the use of Sacraments as means of Conveying such Grace and Assistance and also as Oaths and Obligations upon us to be Obedient to those Laws All which are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Visible Church And if we compare 'em with what others want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members thereof and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to And consider'd in themselves they are most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws and in order to a Holy and Good Life I. Publick Ordinances the Priviledge of every Member of Christs Church First I say All these fore-mentioned Priviledges do belong to the Members of Christ's Church to such as have been Baptized and profess themselves to be Christians To understand which Rights and Priviledges the better you must know that as there are Two sorts of Members in the visible Church so there are Two kinds of Priviledges that belong to each sort as One rightly states this Matter each having those Priviledges which are proper and peculiar to 'em according to the relation they bear to the Head and their Fellow-Members First There are Members only by Foederal or Covenant Holiness such are only Born of Water when by Baptism they are United to Christ and the Church and take upon them the Profession and Practice of the Christian Religion Now the Priviledges that do belong to these are of the same make with their Church-Membership Outward and consist only in outward and publick Communion with the Church in Word and Ordinances Secondly There are Members by Real and Inherent Holiness such as are not only Born of Water but of the Spirit also when by the inward Operation of the Holy Ghost their Souls are Renew'd after the Image of God and made Partakers of a Divine Nature And the Priviledges that do belong to these are not only the foremention'd Ones but together with them others that are suitable to their more spiritual Relations Inward and such as consist in the special and particular Care and Protection of God and in the more plentiful Measures of his Grace and in the more sensible Comforts of his Holy Spirit according to that of our Saviour Mat. 25.29 Vnto every One that hath or Improveth those Talents of Grace he has received shall be given and he shall have abundance So that these latter and more peculiar Priviledges indeed do not belong to every Member of the visible Church but to those only who are sincere in their Profession of Christianity and who by their more than ordinary Piety are become Dear to God But then as to Outward Priviledges it is not only the Duty but it is the Priviledge which of Right belongs to Every Member of Christ's Church to Observe the Lord's Day to be Present in the Publick Assemblies to Join in the Common-Prayers and even to Partake when of Age of the Lord's Supper So we find Acts 2.41 42. That the whole Three Thousand Souls who received the Word and were Baptized continued stedfastly in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers True it is such as that more than ordinary Regard Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper that the Church of Christ has for the Lord's Supper that most solemn Ordinance in the Christian Religion that when any Member becomes Scandalous for any Sin he is to be Suspended from Communion in that till he amends So it is order'd in the Rubrick before the Communion-Service that if any be an open and notorious Evil-Liver so that the Congregation be thereby offended The Curate having Knowledge thereof shall Call him and Advertise him that in any-wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly Repented and Amended his former Naughty Life that the Congregation may thereby be satisfy'd which before were Offended And the same Order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth Malice and Hatred to reign not suffering them to be Partakers at the Lord's Table till he Knows them to be Reconciled But otherwise till a Member become Notorious and Scandalous for his Evil Principles or Practices he may claim the Right to be admitted to the Lord's Supper for even Judas himself before he Betray'd our Saviour did Partake with him at the first Institution of the Supper as you will find Matth. 26.25 26. So that as to the Outward Institutions and Ordinances of Christ they are Priviledges you see that do belong to all the Members of Christ's Church to all such as have been Baptized and Profess themselves to be Christians And now Secondly I. Christian Ordinances are a singular favour which Aliens and Vnbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy If we compare but these outward Priviledges of God's Holy Ordinances with what others do want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members of Christ's Church and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to For alas The Infidel Part of the World whether Jews Turks or Pagans have none of these Divine Ordinances amongst ' em They neither Know the Lord's Day nor Hold any Assemblies thereon for the Instruction in his Laws
neither do they Profess Belief in nor Pray to the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost and they are utter Strangers to our Holy Mysteries And hence it comes to pass that those miserable People continue still in Blindness Ignorance and Barbarity remain perfect Slaves to Satan and their own Brutish Lusts and for the most part of 'em are degenerated into such Inhumanity Cruelty and Brutality that Tygers Wolves and Vipers the most Devouring and Venemous Creatures in the World are not so mischievous to Mankind as that Part thereof who either know not or contemn God's Holy Ordinances are one to another So true it is what Solomon has observ'd Prov. 29.18 that Where there is no Vision or no Word and Ordinances of Divine Revelation the People perish Which brings me Lastly II. They are excellent Advantages considered in themselves To consider What excellent Priviledges they are in themselves And thas they are upon Two Accounts First As being most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws Secondly As being exceedingly comfortable to those who Enjoy ' em I. As conducing much towards our Edification And First Divine Ordinances are most Excellent Priviledges as being most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws and in order to a Holy and Good Life For why In these Holy Ordinances we have all the Means both Outward and Inward afforded for our Conversion As to the Outward you have the very Scriptures themselves the Body of those Holy Laws publickly Proclaim'd and Read out to you the Scripture it self I say Which was given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. In these Holy Ordinances again you are not left to the Deceits and Whispers of a private Spirit but you have the Doctrine of the Church collected into a Form of sound words and containing all that is necessary whether as to Faith or that Love which is in Christ Jesus or which is required in the Christian Religion 2 Tim. 1.13 You have this Collected I say partly by the Apostles themselves and partly by others the wisest and best Divines out of the Holy Scriptures and propos'd to you as a Rule to walk by And moreover you have the Ministers of Christ constantly applying both to your direction The Ministers of Christ I say who as his Ambassadors do Pray you in Christ's stead to be Reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Again In these Holy Ordinances you do not wrestle with God for his Mercies in the strength only of your own private Prayers but you have your Devotions mingled with the concurrent Prayers of all God's People and so by your joint Forces after an humble but powerful manner do Besiege Heaven for the joint and united Prayers of Christians have above all others the Promise of a Gracious Answer Matth. 18.20 Our Saviour assuring us there that Where Two or Three are gathered together in his Name there he will be in the midst of them And lastly You receive herein from the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ that Food which is necessary to the Nourishment of the Soul as Meat is to the Strength of the Body the same Blessed Saviour of the World assuring us as you will see Joh. 6.55 and the 63. compar'd together that His Flesh is Meat indeed and that his Blood is Drink indeed And then as to the Inward Means of performing God's Laws viz. The Grace and Assistance of his Holy Spirit this as it is absolutely necessary to enable our Weakness in this our fall'n State so it it is no otherwise to be expected than in the Use and Ministry of Divine Ordinances as shall be presently seen In a word The outward Ordinances and Institutions of the Gospel together with the Holy Spirit accompanying them are the only ordinary Means of Conversion Some may pretend to be above Ordinances but Experience tells us that accordingly as Men do slight and neglect 'em accordingly do they decay in Grace and Vertue and when once they begin wholly to lay them aside they become perfectly Graceless and are given up to a Reprobate Mind as is daily seen in such as make nothing of Profaning the Lord's Day and totally laying aside Prayers and Sacraments As most comfortable to the Souls of those who enjoy them Secondly And they are not more Profitable and Edifying than they are Comfortable to the Spirits of all Pious Souls who enjoy ' em Holy David was a most eminent Instance of this My Soul thirsteth for God for the Living God when shall I come and appear before God Psal 42.2 See what earnest Longings he had for the publick Service And I was glad when they said unto me Let us go to the house of the Lord Psal 122.1 And Psal 65.4 he expresses his sence of this Matter thus Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts he shall be satisfied in the goodness of thy House even of thy holy Temple Alas They are seldom sufficiently valued till most wanted the inestimable Priviledges and Advantages of Divine Ordinances as the Benefit of the Heat and Light and all other common Mercies are never sufficiently valued till most wanted In the abundance of 'em we slight 'em but when depriv'd of 'em we see we cannot live the Spiritual Life without ' em This is most significantly exprest Amos 8.11 12. Behold the days come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it You see here that the Famine of Bread is nothing in comparison with the Famine of the Word and Ordinances I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the words of the Lord which is a much sorer Famine for it is a Famine which will starve the Soul And when they are deprived of the Word and Ordinances then shall they wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it And accordingly we may always observe this difference in Men's Esteem of those excellent Advantages In the outward Peace and Prosperity of the Church when the Church Doors are always open and Prayers and Sacraments constantly Administred then how many that live near the House of God shall seldom come at it and how will others Profanely pass by it even in time of Divine Service And how do People when it is Plentiful loath this Heavenly
Manna But when Persecution at any time arises and the Church Doors are shut up and Divine Ordinances are forbid upon Pain of Death how then shall you see those very same Persons go many Miles and with the utmost hazard of their Lives Assemble themselves together and take the greatest Comfort imaginable in Enjoying ' em This the Experience of all Ages does Confirm and God grant our present Neglect of his Holy Institutions and Ordinances may not provoke him to teach us also how to Value and Esteem the Priviledges and Advantages of 'em by depriving us thereof And thus I have at length shewed you how that the First Great Priviledge which does peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's visible Church as they are the Members of such a Society is a most Reasonable and Excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most Profitable and Edifying Institutions and Ordinances given and appointed us by him our supreme Head and Governour to Conduct us to Heaven And now it is time to proceed and to shew you how that Secondly The Second general Priviledge belonging to the Members of Christ's Church is a sufficient measure of divine Grace and Assistance derived from him the Head and Convey'd by his Ordinances to Enable us to Conform our selves to his Religion and to Obey his Laws We enjoy thereby a great Measure of Divine Grace and Assistance derived down from him our Head and Convey'd by those his Ordinances to Enable us to Conform to his Religion and to Obey his Laws The mystical Body of Christ is often compar'd in Scripture to the natural Body of Man and that as for many others so for this very good Reason that as in the natural Body every Part partakes of Life and Sense and Motion from the Head so do we by being Baptized Members of Christ derive Grace and Help from him our Head From whom all the Body by Joints and Bands have Nourishment ministred Increaseth with the Increase of God Col. 2.19 By the same Means that Christ is Vnited to his Members is Grace Conveyed down from him as Head to those Members Now it is easy to conceive how Christ as a Political Head should give Laws to his Spiritual Kingdom the Church and how as such he should Head and Protect it and every Member thereof against its Enemies But the difficulty with some is to conceive how as from a Mystical Head Divine Grace and Assistance should be Convey'd down from him to us his Members But it is but to consider what those Joints and Bands are which Unite us to Christ as our Head and we may then easily conceive how we shall have Nourishment ministred unto us till we Increase with the Increase of God For whatever are the means of Uniting us to him the same are the means also of Conveying the Influences of his Holy Spirit down upon us The first Medium of Vnion betwixt Christ and his Members must be each Member's Vnion to the Catholick Church And the First great means of Uniting each Member to Christ must be its Union to the Catholick Church the Body of Christ not Cutting himself off from it either by Renouncing his Covenant with God or by causlessly separating from the Communion of that Sound and Orthodox Part of the Church whereof he is an immediate Member and by not giving just occasion to the Officers of Christ's spiritual Kingdom the Church to Excommunicate or Cut him off for so doing For it is Just with the Mystical Body the Church as it is with the natural Body of Man If a Leg or an Arm should be Cut off from the Body by a Man 's own Hand or by the King's Officers it cannot receive Nourishment from the Head and for lack thereof must soon Dye And so in the Church of Christ a Heretick that for denying the Faith and Sacraments and a Schismatick who for breaking the Communion shall be Cut off from the Church cannot ordinarily expect to receive Supplies of Grace from Christ the mystical Head which by Keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace he might But it is not sufficient in order to its deriving Life from the Head that a Member be United to the Body only and to any of its Parts but it is moreover particularly necessary that it should be United also to those principal Parts of the Body where the Blood and Spirits are form'd and from whence they are convey'd to every single Member And therefore II. Its Vnion to the Lawful Governours and Teachers of the Church A Second means of Uniting each Member to Christ the Head and so of Conveying spiritual Supplies of Grace down from him to such a Member is its Unity to those Lawful Governours and Teachers which Christ has appointed in the Church by Joining with 'em in the same Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity and by holding Communion with 'em in the same Holy Worship of God The Lawful Governours and Teachers in the Church of Christ are the principal Parts in the Mystical Body as the Heart the Liver and the Brain are in the Natural For as in the Natural from these principal Parts are sent forth that Portion of Blood and Spirits which give Life and Strength to every single Member so from Christ's Ministers is Communicated to all the Members of the Mystical Body that Nourishment which maintains the spiritual Life in them All this may be fairly gather'd from Eph. 4.11 12 13. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ In which Words the Ministers of Christ's Church whether Extraordinary as Apostles and Evangelists or Ordinary as Pastors and Teachers are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Holding and Knitting together the Church and that from them each Member does immediately receive that Nourishment of sound Doctrine whereby he grows up to be a Perfect Man in the Knowledge and Practice of true Religion And indeed the Graces of the Holy Spirit are Convey'd by those Ordinances which they only have power to Administer which brings me Lastly To shew how III. The use of Christ's Institutions and Ordinances that next to the being United to the Church and its principal Parts the Ministers of Christ therein the great Bonds of Union to the Head and means of Conveying his Grace to the Members are the Sacraments and other Holy Offices and Ordinances appointed for that Purpose and of which the Ministers of Religion are the only Dispensers For just again as in the Body Natural there are Nerves that Branch from the Head through the Body conveying the Animal Spirits to every Member thereof so in the Mystical
Body the Church there are the Ordinances of Sacraments Preaching Publick and Common Prayers and such like Holy Offices Administred by Persons set apart for that Purpose to be the Conveyances of those ordinary Supplies of his Holy Spirit which he thinks necessary to preserve that Member in Health and Vigour So that thus at length you see how that in keeping in Union with the mystical Body of Christ his Church and with its Lawful Governours and Teachers and in the use of Sacraments and other Divine Ordinances those Conduits and Conveyances of his Holy Spirit to us we shall have spiritual Life and Strength and Vigour derived down to us from Christ our spiritual Head in like manner as in the natural Body of Man the Animal Life and Strength and Vigour is derived down to all the parts of the Body from the natural Head And this is a most singular Priviledge if compar'd with that little or nothing of this Nature which others who are not Members of Christ's Church do enjoy and also it will appear to be a most exceeding great Advantage if consider'd in it self And First If we compare our Happiness with Others I. Divine Grace a most singular Priviledge if compared with what others enjoy of this Nature we shall find it the peculiar Advantage of Christianity which no other Law nor Doctrine so much as pretends to that it not only clearly teacheth us and strongly perswadeth us to so excellent a Way of Life but provideth also Divine Help and Assistance to Enable us to Practice it If God would have Ordinarily and in the way of a Constant Dispensation imparted so excellent a Gift to any to be sure it would have been to the Jewish Church but we are told Joh. 1.17 That the Law was given by Moses but that Grace came by Jesus Christ that is the Graces and Gifts of His Holy Spirit as well as other Mercies and Favours so that tho' Moses deliver'd Legal Precepts it is by Jesus Christ we shall have the Assistance whereby we shall be Enabled to attain unto Holiness And as to that Measure of Grace afforded to Holy Men under the Law whatsoever it were it was through him the Promised Messiah and in Vertue of that Covenant of Grace Confirmed with Abraham before the Law but the more constant Influences of the Holy Spirit and the fuller Measures thereof are derived from him down upon us now under the Gospel And because of that more plentiful Measure of Grace and Spirit Communicated unto us from Christ under the Gospel does the Apostle call the Gospel the Ministration of the Spirit in Opposition to the Law which he styles the Ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3.8 9. And does therefore so assuredly promise himself Success in his Ministry ver 5 6. Such trust have we in Christ to Godward not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament or Covenant not of the Letter but of the Spirit where the Gospel is styl'd the Spirit as for other Reasons so for this in the Judgment of the Learned Dr. Hammond that Grace which is the Gift of the Spirit is now join'd to the Gospel which was not to the Law In a Word and to speak in the Words of a Learned Author Other Laws for want of this are in effect Ministeries of Condemnation Racks of Conscience Parents of Guilt and of Regret Reading hard Lessons but not assisting to do after them Imposing heavy Burthens but not Enabling to bear them But our Law of the Gospel is not such it is not a dead Letter but hath a quickning Spirit accompanying it it not only soundeth through the Ear but stampeth it self upon the Heart of him that sincerely doth Embrace it it always carryeth with it a sure Guide to all Good and a safe Guard from all Evil. II. An exceeding Advantage considered in it self And this Advantage as it is proper to our Religion So it is exceeding considerable in it self The Advantage is that every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be shall have sufficient Supplies of Grace derived down from Christ our Head proportionable to his Necessities by those means of Conveying it which Christ has appointed for that Purpose All the Members of Christ have Supplies proportionable to their Station in the Church I say every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be For As we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. that is there are different Members in the Church of Christ some are to be Governours and Teachers of Others and accordingly must be Endow'd with a Spirit of Government and Gift of Teaching and others are of a more private Capacity in the Church of Christ whatever they may in other Respects and their Business is to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Man and faithfully to discharge their Duties to God their Neighbour and Themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace Enabling them to discharge ' em They shall not have Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other's Offices but be destitute of these of their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have received Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way For God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the mystical Body by keeping himself united to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him And that too in such Measures and Proportions as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting And also in such Measures as according to different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so Extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law and the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers extraordinary Gifts viz. Of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion so all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily Strengthen'd no doubt to resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is
Establish'd and the Truth of Christianity already Prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out in any Part of the World as sometimes they are to this Day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those means that Christ has appointed in his Church for that Purpose so very considerable on many accounts are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Church THE Seventh Lecture Wherein I was made a Child of God THE Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Church-Catechism as I have already told you do give you a general Account of the whole Covenant of Grace And these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ being the First of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us in this Covenant on God's Part I have already explain'd and open'd to you what they do Import The next of those Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace is exprest in these Words Wherein I was made a Child of God in order to make you sensible of the Vastness of which Priviledge also First I will shew you what is meant in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God Secondly What an inestimable Priviledge accordingly it is to be a Child of God What is meant in the Catechism by a Child of God And first let us Enquire What is meant both in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God To understand which we must Enquire into the several meanings of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures and then in which of those Sences it is to be understood here in your Catechism when every Catechumen is taught to Answer that In his Baptism he was made a Child of God And as to the several Acceptations of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures I. Not the Son of God by an Eternal Generation First In the highest most natural and most proper meaning of the Word there is He who is the Son or Child of God by an Eternal Generation viz. Our Saviour Jesus Christ who being Begotten of God the Father from all Eternity in a peculiar inconceivable and inexpressible manner so as to be Co-equal Co-eternal with the Father himself is call'd the Onely Begotten Son of God Joh. 3.16 But then being he is in so peculiar and high a manner the Son of God as infinitely to exceed that wherein any one else whether Angels or Men can be call'd his Sons he cannot in any measure be meant here by a Child of God which signifies a Priviledge common to many as will be presently shew'd Not every Son by Temporal Creation which is a Sence too wide Secondly There are those who are the Sons of God by a Temporal Creation and such are Reasonable Creatures both Angels and Men both being call'd the Sons of God as you will see Job 1.6 and Luk. 3.38 And that both upon the account of the manner of their Production which was by the immediate Power of God and because of their Spiritual and Immortal Natures in which both do so immediately resemble God But this is an Acceptation too wide That which is meant here by a Child of God is a Priviledge which all Men in the World do not enjoy but is the Favour which is granted to a selected Body of Men who are separated from the rest of the World Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 Thirdly There are those III. Nor sachonly who are Children of God by spiritual Regeneration which is a Sence too narrow who are the Children of God by Spiritual Regeneration by being Renew'd in the Spirit of their Minds and by being Created anew in Righteousness and true Holiness And these are such Who have put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and who have put on the New Man which after God is created in Rightousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 23 24. They are such who are Born not only of Water but also of the Spirit that is who have not only been Baptized into the Christian Church but have been Sanctify'd by the Holy Spirit and have their whole Natures and Dispositions so altered for the Better that from Vicious and Ungodly they are chang'd to Vertuous and Holy Dispositions and Inclinations And such a vast Change wrought in our Natures by the Word and Spirit of God may very justly give those who Enjoy it the Title of the Children of God for if in the way of Natural Generation the Communicating of a Principle of Life and of suitable Operations does found the Relation and Title of a Father there is as good Reason why in Regeneration the deriving such Holy and Heavenly Dispositions and Powers from the Word and the Spirit of God to the Soul as give to a Man a Divine Nature whereby he is a Partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself should Entitle God to be also a Father and such who are so Regenerated and Renew'd his Children And accordingly in the Holy Scripture we find that such a Derivation of Strength and Grace from the Word and Spirit of God does Entitle those who are Renew'd thereby to be Children of God St. Paul not only attributing to the Ministry of the Word a Power of Begetting in Christ 1 Cor. 4.15 But withal expresly assuring us that As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 So that he is undoubtedly a Child of God whoever giving himself up to the guidance of God's Word and Spirit is thereby Sanctify'd wholly in his own Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thess 5.23 so as to subdue and mortify every Lust and every naughty inordinate and worldly Desire And indeed every truly Regenerate Child of God does do so such a One does by the Power of the Word and in the use and strength of that Grace that God does afford him subdue and mortify every Lust and every naughty inordinate and worldly Desire So we are expresly told 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God that is a sanctify'd Child of God does really hate Sin the very Temper and Bent of his Soul is against it and as to living in any gross and wilful Sin he cannot without much Reluctancy force himself to it his renew'd Nature is so much contrary thereto Such I say is every Regenerate Child of God and such indeed in a peculiar manner Such indeed are in a peculiar manner and in the highest sence the Children of God and in the highest
a Conclusion we must not content our selves in this great Work of Renouncing ALL the sinful Lusts of the Flesh that we have our Minds enlighten'd so as to know what we ought to do whilst our Affections and Bodily Powers do remain Rebellious against the Dictates of our Minds and Consciences But we must have our whole Natures possest with an Aversion an Antipathy from the very Heart against all Sin and we must have both the Mind Will and Affections nay the very Lusts and Appetites fully bent against it And we must have on the contrary a hearty Love and Disposition to all Vertue wrought in all the same Faculties both of Soul and Body We must be Renewed in the Spirit of our Minds and put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.23 24. And when a Person is thus inwardly Chang'd throughout in all the Faculties and Powers of Soul and Body it is then only that he can be truly said to be a New Creature a New Man And this indeed This the hard Part. to become thus Renew'd in the Spirit of our Minds so as to have the Heart and Affections set against Sin and sinful Pleasures as well as the Mind convinc'd of the Evil of 'em is the hard Work This is certain that it is not possible for any Man to work so great a Change in his Nature of himself but it is the Spirit of God that must assist wonderfully in the doing of it And indeed That we may be said sincerely and throughly to Renounce the Flesh and ALL its sinful Lusts that Renovation of our Corrupted Nature wherein this Renunciation does consist must be such as is wrought in us by the Spirit and Grace of God This I say because it is very possible for a Man to be Chang'd from some sensual Courses to an utter Hatred thereof and yet remain in God's Eyes a Carnal and Vnregenerate Man and the reason is because his Change proceeds not from any Inward Vital Principle of Vertue but from some prudential Methods in the management of his Pleasures as some the most sensual Epicures that live shall become at length temperate and sober because their Constitutions will not bear a Debauch but as the Spirit of God had nothing to do in the Change so in their Hearts and Minds they remain still to be sensual And others again you shall meet who have a full Conviction in their Minds and Consciences through the Preaching of the Word of the Evil of Sin and yet in their Affections they Love it and their Lusts and Appetites Rebelling against the Reason of their Mind will have it and their Wills do finally chuse it so that these Persons with the Mind do serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin as St. Paul in that much mistaken Chapter Rom. 7.25 does represent as was now shew'd you the Case of the Carnal Jew abiding only under the Conviction of the Law But where the Spirit of God works the Change that Person is Sanctify'd wholly and the whole Spirit and Soul and Body will be preserved Blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.23 So that such a Person shall effectually Renounce the Flesh and all its sinful Lusts both of the Inward and of the Outward Man And accordingly as we will draw nigh to God and have him draw nigh to us we must cleanse our hands and purifie our hearts and not be double-minded Jam. 4.8 We must through the Help of his Grace Cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 We must be always I say in the perfecting of one Degree after another our Holiness and that Image of God which we lost by our Fall for the subduing of All our Lusts must be the Work of Time and it is not of a sudden that we can get an entire Conquest over 'em ALL. But if in our Strivings against 'em we find our selves still more and more to get ground upon 'em we are in a hopeful Condition In a Word therefore Brethren we are Debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit ye do Mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Rom. 12.13 14. The Reason of having enlargd so much upon this one Article of Renouncing the Devil c. And so I have at length done with this no less Important than Copious Subject the Renouncing of the Devil the World and the Flesh It may seem indeed as if I have been too long upon the Explication of one single Article of our Covenant viz. the Renouncing the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and All the Sinful Lusts of the Flesh But if it be considered that half the Business of our Christian Religion is performed in Resisting the Enemies of our Salvation it will not be a Matter of Blame that I have been so long upon this Point especially in Instructing of Youth about it who ought to be very well fore-arm'd in order to their coming off Conquerors The truth of it is this Renouncing of the World the Flesh and the Devil that is the Resisting and Overcoming of all their Numerous Host of Temptations is the Christian's Warfare and great Work For as the Holy Scriptures do in a multitude of Texts Represent our State as a State of Warfare Fight the good Fight of Faith lay hold on Eternal Life for hereunto ye have been called before many Witnesses 1 Tim. 6.12 That is we Listed our selves in this Warfare at our Baptism in the Presence of the Church of Christ As our State I say is a State of Warfare against all these Spiritual Enemies so it does infinitely concern all of us to know as far as is possible All their Arts and Stratagems to deceive us and this I hope will be a sufficient Apology that I have been so improportionably long to what I have and shall be upon other Heads in shewing you what it is and how far you must Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE XXII Lecture Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith HAVING largely Explain'd the first Condition of Life and Happiness and shew'd you what I conceive is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh I come now to do the like as to the Second Condition upon which we are to expect to be Justify'd to have our Sins Pardon'd and Eternal Life and Happiness conferr'd upon us and which we have also Covenanted with God to do and that is that We Believe all
be less efficacious to the subduing the Temptations arising from the Flesh that is from our own Lusts and Appetites there being no Considerations of that force to oblige us to deny all Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World as all the Articles of our Creed particularly the looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works Tit. 2.12 13 14. A thorough Perswasion apply'd home to the Heart by serious Consideration that the Son of God did Himself descend from Heaven by wonderful and amazing Methods to rescue us from the Slavery of our brutish Lusts and Appetites and that he will again come in Glory to Judge and Reward us for the Victory we shall gain over 'em are enough to work upon all Reasonable and Thinking Creatures and nothing can prevail with us to abandon our Lusts if these will not And III. Lastly but above all 3. The Devâ—â— the great Power and the glorious Effects of Faith are seen in the Victories it will enable us to obtain over that Great Adversary the Devil We had need to put on the whole Armour of God that we may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil For we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood a contemptible Enemy in comparison but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual Wickedness in High Places Wherefore St. Paul does warn us to take unto us the whole Armour of God that we may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand But above all to take the Shield of Faith wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil Eph. 6.11 12. The Temptations and Assaults of the Devil which the Apostle does here so solemnly rouze us up to resist are I suppose the terrible Persecutions that Satan does in all Ages raise against one part or other of the Church and these tho' dreadful indeed and most likely to over-power us yet are conquerable by a firm Faith Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame and is set down on the Right hand of the Throne of God For if we consider him that endured such contradiction of Sinners against himself we shall not be weary nor faint in our Minds Heb. 12.2 3. So that in short the true and genuine Effects of Faith are constant and perpetual Victories against the World the Flesh and the Devil and an universal Obedience notwithstanding any of 'em to the Commands of God And therefore since so much depends upon a true Faith that he who believeth shall be saved Mark 16.16 And by the Grace of God we are saved through Faith Eph. 2.5 It does infinitely concern you to examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith and to prove your selves 2 Cor. 13.5 And the only way to prove the Sincerity of your Faith is by examining the fore-mention'd Fruits of it in your own Lives and Conversations and by seeing whether it produces a good Life For this we may assure our selves having the Authority of an Apostle for it Jam. 2.26 That as the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also So that except upon examination you shall find your spiritual Enemies in a great measure subdu'd and an Habit of Vertue rooted in your Souls your Faith is not sincere THE XXX Lecture I Believe HAving already explain'd and laid before you the Nature and Effects of Faith or Believing I might now proceed to the Consideration of those main Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity summ'd up in the Apostles Creed and which are to be Believ'd accordingly But since so great Weight is laid in the Covenant of Grace upon Faith that on Condition thereof we are said to be sav'd Sirs said the Keeper of the Prison to Paul and Silas What must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House Act. 16.30 31. since whosoever Believeth in Christ shall receive Remission of Sins c. 10 43. And which has most perplexed Persons Heads to understand the meaning of it and from the misunderstanding of which the most Fatal Errors have ensu'd since a Man is Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Rom. 3.28 And being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 And lastly since a true state of this Doctrine of Justifying Faith will above any other single Doctrine excepting that of the Covenant of Grace let you into the full Understanding of the Nature Texture and Constitution of the Whole Christian Religion For all these Reasons I think I ought not to dismiss this Subject of Faith without giving you a State of the Doctrine of Justifying Faith and without distinguishing betwixt it and other sorts of Faith which will fail us in the great Business of Justification and Salvation And in order to the Explication of so considerable a Point I. I will give you to understand what is meant by Justification II. I will then shew by what sort of Faith we are accordingly Jâ—nstified And III. And lastly in what sence we are said to be Justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law And I. I will give you to understand what is meant by Justification Justification defin'd And Justification is God's Adjudging us through Christ as Just and Righteous according to the Terms of the Covenant of Grace and his acquitting of such from the Punishment of those Sins of which according to the Terms of the First Covenant there was no place for Pardon To make this Description more plain to you I will a little enlarge upon it and prove the several Parts thereof And 1. There are Just and Righteous Persons since the Fall First I say there are those who even in this lapsed and fallen state of Man have the Testimony of God Himself that they are Just and Righteous Men. Thus Abel obtained witness that he was Righteous God testifying of his Gifts Heb. 11.4 And Lot is also mention'd in Scripture as a Righteous Man 2 Pet. 2.8 And Joseph Simeon Cornelius and others are said in the Gospel to be Just Men and at the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and separate the Wicked from the Just Matth. 13.49 Which supposes that all those who shall be saved shall be Just and Righteous Persons 2. It is according to the Terms of the Gospel that any are such Secondly Those who are thus Just and Righteous are such according to the Terms of the Gospel Justice and Righteousness are to be measured according to some Rule in conformity to which
36.26 A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you Men are called upon to circumcise their own hearts Deut. 10.16 And God is said to circumcise the heart Deut. 30.6 Men are required to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 And they are also said to be washed and sanctified by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6.11 Men are commanded to repent Acts 17.30 And God is said to give them repentance 2 Tim. 2.35 Acts 5.31 It is by reason of this Co-operation of God's assistance and Man's endeavours that St. Paul expresseth himself as he doth once and again Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me He doth not by these last words so deny what he had said in the former as if he had not spoke true for he speaks the same things in effect in another place without any such correcting himself as here he useth 1 Cor. 3.9 For we are labourers together with God And therefore by his so correcting himself saying Not I but the Grace of God which was with me he only intends to magnifie God's Grace as having the principal stroke in the work It is a phrase of like import with that 2 Cor. 3.10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth So Man's endeavour though it be somewhat in it self considered yet comparatively and in respect of the work of God's Grace by his Spirit which excels it is nothing Therefore in fine as Men are said through the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the Body Rom. 8.13 So they may be said through the same Spirit to Believe Repent Obey that is through the assistance of the Spirit who is said to help our Infirmities Rom. 8.26 Considering then that there is promise of divine assistance to Man using his endeavours in doing what he may and can do towards the performing the condition of the Covenant we may well conclude that there is no Man under the Gospel doth perish but through his own fault and neglect It is true God doth sometimes for special reasons meet with and convert sinners with a high hand of Grace whilst they are pursuing their sins in a full career and using no endeavours at all towards their own Salvation as he did Saul before he was Paul But such extraordinary instances are no Rules to us by which to judge of God's ordinary proceedings in converting Men Nor hath the Lord put Men in expectation by any promise of his of their being converted after that manner and upon such terms And therefore it will in no wise be safe for any Man to expect to be converted by such extraordinary workings of Grace and to neglect to do what he can do and what God requires he should do towards his own conversion There are many things which Men may and can believe and do without any Supernatural Grace and by vertue of God's common Grace It is no Supernatural Act to believe the Being of God and the Immortality of the Soul or future state Or to know that we are sinners against God and consequently that we stand in need of his Mercy Nor is it a Supernatural Act for a Man to desire the future happiness of his own Nature or Being or to hear the Word of God which directs the way to that happiness no more than it is to hear any other Doctrine that only pretends to do so Nor is it a Supernatural Act to consider the Doctrine of the Scriptures with as much seriousness as Men do or may the contents of any other Books Nor is it a Supernatural Act to consider how we are concerned in the Doctrine of the Scriptures in case it should prove true No more is it a Supernatural Act seriously to consider the strength and force of those Reasons that tend to perswade Men to believe that Doctrine to be true Nor under the natural desires which Men have to be happy in another world is it a Supernatural Act for them to pray to God to direct and assist them in the use of means that they may be happy These I take to be no Supernatural Acts in Men. For though the depraved VVill of Man needs Special or Supernatural Grace to do these so seriously and effectually as is needful to true Sanctification yet in some sort and measure they may be done by common help And if Men would but go thus far as they can out of a real desire to be happy I should make no question but that the Spirit of God would yield them his assistance to carry them quite through in the Work of Conversion And whither our Saviour doth not by the Hearers resembled by the good Ground mean such Men as before their Conversion have some such Working of Heart about their future state as doth incline them to hear and consider what with any fair probability may be said about the way to be happy in that state and not to hear out of Curiosity or for fashion-sake or to carp I submit to consideration It is doubtless then Mens Inconsideration Carelessness and Negligence in those things which they do Believe and which they can do that undoes them It is because seeing they see not and hearing they hear not which is the reason why more is not given but rather that taken away from them which they had That is The reason why God with-holds his special Grace and many times with draws common Grace and Assistance from Men is because though they have understanding and considering Faculties which they could if they would use and imploy about their being happy in another World as well as they do about their happiness in this yet they will not though they are frequently called upon and excited thereto Whereas those that take heed or consider what they hear and how they are concerned in it to them more shall be given God will come into such with Supernatural Aid Mark 4.24 And therefore God to put Men upon a holy necessity of complying with his Grace in acting diligently towards the working out their own Salvation hath wisely made the obtaining of the great Benefits of the Covenant Remission of Sin and Eternal Life Conditional so that Men can have no farther assurance of pardon of Sin and Salvation than they are sure they sincerely endeavour to perform the condition on their part upon which they are promised Wherefore we are greatly concerned to be awakened by such Sayings as these Strive to enter in at the strait gate So run that ye may obtain Vse all diligence to make your calling and election sure Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to
Inheritance by adopting them to a participation of the Moral Perfections of his Nature that is to a consimilitude to him in them And this we say is done by Faith that is by Faith in God and by Faith in his Word For in order of Nature God is first believed to be a God of Truth before his Word is believed to be the Word of Truth And the creditableness of his Word depends upon the knowledge or belief or the fidelity of his Nature And this Truth of God and of his Word is the immediate Object of Faith By Faith a Man believes that to be true which God reveals or declares as his Mind and Will let the Import of it be what it will But then this Faith operates upon the Will and Affections according to the Tenour and Import of that which is Revealed If it be matter of sad import it works a hatred to him that threatens it and a fear of the thing threatned if it be apprehended to proceed from an enemy And this is the effect of the Faith of Devils who believe and hate God who believe and tremble Jam. 2.19 But if that which is Revealed by God and Believed by Man betoken unspeakable love and good-will in God to Man and matter of the greatest benefit to him as a proof of such love then it worketh love to him that expresseth such love for Faith worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 and a longing desire after the promised benefit And as the Soul grows more and more in love with God because of his love in love with his Blessed Nature and Divine Perfections such as are his Love and Goodness Truth and Faithfulness Purity and Patience Mercifulness and readiness to Forgive which render him altogether lovely so it contracts a likeness to God in these upon the Soul and so changes and renews the Moral habit and constitution of the Soul and consequently the whole Life There is an aptness and promptness in Men to imitate that in others and so in God for which they love them And frequent imitating Acts beget Habits Custom changing Nature And hence it is that through Faith we are made partakers of a Divine Nature We all with open face beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord 2. Cor. 3.18 This beholding the glory of the Lord is by Faith For we walk by Faith and not by sight 2. Cor. 5.7 and by it Moses saw him who is invisible Heb. 11.27 And the medium by which this Prospect is taken is the Gospel by which the Lord in his lovely Perfections is now openly revealed And Faith being from time to time busied in beholding of and conversing with these Perfections it transforms the Soul into the same Image or likeness from glory to glory that is gradually as by the Spirit of the Lord that is through the co-operation of God's Spirit with Man's Faith To comprehend the breadth length depth and heighth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge is the way to be filled with all the fullness of God by transcribing all his imitable Perfections upon the Soul Ephes 3.18 19. And it is by virtue of their Relation to Christ and being thus begotten and born of God and made partakers of a new Nature conformable to God's that Men can with confidence call God Father This blessed effect of God's Spirit is the Spirit of Adoption by which they cry Abba Father And it is this new Nature that is the Spring and Fountain of a good Life of all pious and virtuous Actions As it is said of God Thou art good and dost good so it is true of all those that are born of him A good Man out of the good treasure of his heart thus renewed bringeth forth good fruit The Tree being good the Fruit will be good And as this new Creature groweth up to strength and maturity so doing of good and acting worthily will become natural and pleasant to him in whom it is To such an one the Commandments of God are not grievous but he will be able in some good measure to say I delight to do thy will O God yea thy Law is in my heart And for sin it being contrary to this New Nature there is a kind of Moral Impotency in him in whom it is to commit sin He cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Joh. 3.9 Or if such an one be overtaken in a fault it will work a disturbance in the Soul just as that will in the Stomach which a Man hath eaten against which he hath an antipathy in Nature But as for such as perform Religious Duties and do things materially good only by the strength of extrinsecal Motives and not from an inward Principle of this New Nature or love to the things themselves to such those Actions being unnatural become grievous and burdensome and will be continued in no longer than those Motives continue in their strength Sect. 8. The last thing I proposed to consider about God's Promise to Abraham is What we are to understand by God's counting Abraham's Faith to him for Righteousness And I take it to signifie thus much That God in a way of special Grace or by virtue of a New Law of Grace and Favour which was established by God in Christ Gal. 3.17 that is in reference to what Christ was to do and suffer in time then to come did reckon his Practical Faith to him for Righteousness that is that which in the eye of the New Law should pass in his estimation for Righteousness subordinate to Christ's Righteousness which procured this Grant or Law For otherwise Faith neither as it is the Condition of the Promise of Remission of Sin through Christ nor as it works Repentance for sins past or sincere Obedience for time to come is Righteousness in the Eye of the Original Law For that accounts no Man that hath though but once transgressed it to be Righteous either upon the account of anothers suffering for his sin or his own Repentance or sincere imperfect Obedience but Curseth every Man that from first to last continueth not in all things which are contained in that Law But it is as I said an Act of God's special Favour and by virtue of his New Law of Grace and as it is established in Christ that such a Faith as I have described comes to be reckoned or imputed to a Man for Righteousness and through God's imputing it for Righteousness to stand a Man in the same if not in better stead as to his Eternal Concerns as a perfect fulfilling of the Original Law from first to last would have done Christ's Righteousness being presupposed the only Meritorious Cause of this Grant or Covenant And thus indeed the Faith which I have described is a Man's Righteousness in the Eye of this New Law because it is summarily all that is required of him himself to make him capable
days upon the Land c. Deut. 32.46 47. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day for it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the Land wherein ye go The latter words are exegetical of the former Through this thing ye shall prolong your days is the interpretation of those it is your Life And it may be considered also whether this Particle in which if a Man do he shall even live in them may not determine the nature and kind of that Reward which was promised in the first Covenant as it was a present Reward a Reward which was received even while the Work was doing according to that Psal 19.11 In keeping them there is great reward And this is agreeable to what fell out in the event The Lord was with them to prosper them while they were with him but when they forsook him presently Troubles overtook them The pouring out of God's Fury on them to consume them in the Wilderness being put in Ezek. 20 13 21. as the direct contrary to those words which if a Man do he shall even live in them seems greatly to favour this Notion But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the Wilderness They walked not in my Statutes and they despised my Judgâ—ents which if a man do he shall even live in them Then I said I would â—â—ur out my fury upon them to consume them in the Wilderness And indeed one main difference between the two Covenants which I â—ould have here observed lies in this to wit the presentness of the Râ—ward promised in the first and the futurity of that promised in the seâ—ond St. Paul in his Allegorical description of the two Covenants Gaâ— 4.24 c. represents those that adhered to the first Covenant by the Children of the Bond-servant to whom Abraham gave Gifts in presâ—â—t and sent them away as in Gen. 25.5 and those that adhered to thâ— second by the Son of the free-woman Isaac who was Abraham's Heir â—o whom he gave the whole Inheritance at last And the Adoptioâ— of Sons as the Privilege of the New Covenant is opposed to the condition of Servants under the Old Gal. 4.7 And what are they adâ—pted to but to an Inheritance for the future For by Adoption they are made Heirs If a Son then an Heir of God through Christ An Heir of what of an Inheritance for the future an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and which fadeth not away reserved in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 And therefore they are said to wait for the Adoption to wit the redemption of their Bodies at the Resurrection Rom. 8.23 Sons and Heirs serve their Father with a free and ingenuous Spirit though they have but little for the present in confidence of what he will do for them â—ereafter in another World when they shall come to Age. But those under the Old Covenant were like Servants who serve with a servile Spirit because they do it with expectation of present pay The one walk by Faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen the other were influenced in their Obedience by the expectation of present Reward because that was it which the first Covenant promised to the observers of it These Promises now insisted on were promises of Reward to the observers of this first Covenant But besides these there was another sort of Promises exhibited in the first Covenant and they were Promises of Pardon in many cases when the Laws of that Covenant were broken There were as I have shewed Laws of Indemnity which made many of the breaches of the Laws of Duty pardonable upon certain conditions And such were all Sins of Ignorance and Inadvertency and some of those also which were committed wittingly But presumptuous Sins and such as carried in them a kind of contempt of the Law these were exempted from Pardon Heb. 10.28 He that despised Moses's Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses But for the other there were promises of pardon upon certain conditions which conditions were not always the same In some cases the offering of a Sin-offering or Trespass-offering was the condition In other cases that with confession of Sin was the condition And in some other cases Sacrificing Restitution and Satisfaction were the condition And afflicting of the Soul as well as the Sacrifice for Atonement oâ— the day of general Expiation was always a condition of forgiveness These things in the particularities of them you have in the 4 5 6 1â— and 23d Chapters of Levit. And then the condition of the Promisâ—s of Purgation of Legal Uncleannesses and the penal effects from theâ— was the observing the Rules prescribed for purifying the Uncleâ—n Now the forgiveness promised by these Laws of Indemnity did â—ot free the Conscience from all obligation to Eternal Punishment but â—nly freed the Person from suffering those temporal Evils which â—ere threatned in this Covenant against those which did not continâ—â— in all things written in the Book of it Neither Sacrifices nor â—egal Purifications Sanctified but unto the purifying of the flesh and to their temporal Concerns only Heb. 9.9 10 13. And here we may observe a five-fold difference in reference â—o Remission of Sin between the first Covenant and the Coveâ—ant of Grace 1. They differ in the nature of those Sacrifices by which Atonements were made and upon which Forgiveness was promised The Blood of the Sacrifice of the first Covenant was but the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the like Heb. 10.4 But the Blood of the Sacrifice of the second Covenant is the Blood of Christ the Eternal Son of God So that the nature of the Sacrifices of the two Covenants upon which the Promise of the pardon of Sins was granted doth differ as much as the Blood of Beasts and the Blood of the Son of God differ 2. Those two sorts of Sacrifices pertaining to two kinds of Covenants differ in the proportion of Efficacy and Virtue to accomplish their respective Ends and Effects There is a greater Richness of proportion in the Blood of Christ to free the Conscience from the guilt of Sin or obligation to Eternal Punishment than there was in the Blood of Beasts to free the delinquent Person from temporal Punishments This is plainly intimated in Heb. 9.13 14. For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heiser sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God 3. They differ in the nature of the pardon promised in each of the Covenants respectively The Redemption granted in the first Covenant was but Temporal as the Covenant it self was it was but from Evils temporal But Christ Jesus by his Atonement hath obtained
me ye workers of iniquity Matth. 7.22 23. Luke 13.25 26. These had some kind of Faith in Christ by which they Prophesied in his Name and cast out Devils and did many wonderful Works They were such as were Hearers of his Word and Preachers of it too and had eaten and drunk in his Presence And because of this Faith and these Works they had a Hope and Confidence that Christ would open unto them and receive them into his Kingdom and would not be easily beaten off from this Confidence But the true reason why their Faith will stand them in no stead nor their Religious performances neither is because for all that they were workers of Iniquity they never heartily consented to the Terms of the Promise of Salvation by Christ in Repenting They did not first heartily resolve and after sincerely endeavour to turn from every known Sin unto every known Duty And in this very thing doth the defect of that Faith lie which is short of saving VVhich will yet farther appear in that St. James when he would state the difference between that Faith which is saving and that which is not fixeth it here The dead Faith is denominated such by him from its being alone without VVorks Jam. 2.17 Even so Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone or by it self And again vers 20. But wilt thou know O vain Man that Faith without Works is dead And again ver 26. For as the body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also Meaning by its being dead that it avails a Man no more to his Justification and Salvation than a dead Corps avails to the producing the useful and serviceable effects of a Living Man or than a Tree that is dead avails to the bringing forth Fruit or than a few good words Depart in peace be ye filled and warmed will avail poor people when nothing is given which is needful to the body ver 15 16 17. In all this I do not deny but that there may be in such as do not savingly believe some Consent of the Will to do something towards performing the Condition of the Promise in Repenting and Obeying Such Men may Consent and resolve to forsake some sins and to do some yea many Duties who yet never savingly consent because they do not heartily consent and resolve to forsake All known sin and to do All known duties in which the sincerity of Repentance and Obedience doth consist to which the Promise is made Such Men may not be far from the Kingdom of God but yet must go farther if ever they would have any good ground of hope to enter into it But of this more afterwards CHAP. III. Whence this defect doth proceed I Have shewed before that there is the Faith of assent in the Understanding unto the truth of God's Testimony in some unregenerate Men as well as in the regenerate And in whomsoever the Faith of Consent in the Will to perform the Condition of the Promise is found it always proceeds from the Faith of Assent in the Understanding A Man always in order of Nature at least believes that the promised Benefits shall be made good to him in case he perform the Condition before he Consents to perform it and doth consent to perform the Condition in hope and confidence of obtaining the promised Benefits Now then the Question is whence is it and what is the reason that the Faith of Assent in the Understanding doth not always produce the same Consent in the Will in one as well as another and as it always doth when it becomes effectual to Justification and Salvation Why doth this Faith remain alone in some when as it is accompanied with Works in others I shall offer what I conceive to be the reason of this First in general and than more particularly The difference sometimes may proceed from the different measures and degrees of the evidence upon which the same Truth is believed One Man may have a clearer discerning of the evidence than another which causeth a stronger Assent in the discerning faculty and that stronger Assent in the Understanding may well cause a stronger Consent in the Will and a firm and lasting resolution As on the contrary a weak and partial Consent and resolution in the Will to the Condition sometimes proceeds from a weak Assent in the Mind to the Truth of God's Testimony or Promise and that from the weakness of the faculty in the discerning the evidence of that Truth which is the object of Faith But the reason most commonly why the Assent in the Understanding unto the Truth of God's Testimony doth not work a Consent in the Will to the Condition of the Promise is to be taken I conceive from the opposition which the lower faculties of the Soul the Will and Affections assisted and influenced by the sensual Appetites make against the superiour Faculty the Mind or Understanding so that they do not hearken to its Notices nor obey its Dictates The Will which is the Spring of Action is a middle Faculty between the Understanding and the sensitive Affections or Appetites and is solicited by both As the Understanding calls upon it to obey its rational Dictates in chusing the means which tend to the best end both which the Understanding represents to it from the Word of God so on the other hand the sensitive Affections solicite it to be on their side and to be active in making provision for the Flesh in chusing such things as tend to satisfie its Cravings and Lusts And because the Will hath usually been pre-ingaged to the Flesh and had a share in its Gratifications it 's not without much difficulty prevailed with to be consenting to and active in the crucifixion of those Affections and Lusts Which until the Will do and herein obey the enlightned Understanding the Faith of Assent in the Understanding abideth alone The Will 's obstinate adherence then to Mens fleshly Lusts and carnal Interests in opposition to that belief in the Understanding which puts it upon destroying them as absolutely necessary to the Man's Salvation as believing God touching the necessity of this as a means as well as it doth believe him touching the blessedness of the end this obstinate opposition in the Will I say is the true reason why the Faith which is in some Men is but a dead Faith How can ye believe saith our Saviour which seek honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Joh. 5.44 Yes some of them could and did believe so far as to Assent in their Minds that Christ was no Impostor but one that came from God and that therefore his Doctrine must needs be true but they did not believe so as to be converted in their Wills to consent to part with their carnal interest of Honour and Reputation with their Party the Pharisees which they must have done as the case then stood if they would have confessed him
the World as to a most Holy Profession and Calling so to the Enjoyment of most singular Priviledges The Church are such who to the End of being Incorporated into one Society and of having God to be their Sixthly And they are such Who to the End of being Incorporated into One Society and of having God to be their God and they themselves his People have Enter'd into Covenant with him It is the Royal Charter granted by the King to the Members of a Corporation or City whereby they have certain Priviledges granted them from the King and wherein they are Tied to discharge certain Duties to him and to One another that makes 'em of a confus'd Multitude to become a Corporation or regulated Society And those who stand out and will not accept of those Priviledges nor oblige themselves to their several Duties shall not be reputed of that Corporation nor receive any Advantages from it And so it is here with that Society which is call'd the Church of Christ It is the Covenant of Grace granted us by the King of Heaven wherein we have the most inestimable Priviledges those contain'd in the Gospel graciously Ensur'd unto us and most reasonable Duties both to God and Man required of us that do embody and join us into one Spiritual Society the Church and those who will not Enter into such a Covenant with God are Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and Strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the world Eph. 2.12 But those who have join'd themselves in Covenant with Him are No more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God ver 19. And as by being United in one Covenant Christians are Incorporated into one Society so by the same Means it comes to pass also that they have God to be their God peculiarly and they become his People Thus Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days that is in the time of the Gospel I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People It is the Nature of all Covenants to Unite the Parties Covenanting together and to give to each Party an Interest in the other I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 So that by having Enter'd into Covenant with God we are Entitled to his particular Protection and Care over us and we give to him thereby a new and stronger Claim to our Obedience Seventhly I. In Baptism And Christians are thus Enter'd into Covenant with God and thereby made Members of Christ's Church in their Baptism For as all the Members of a Corporation are not usually made Members of that Society without some certain Solemnities so it pleas'd God that no One should be Enter'd into Christ's Church and be made a Partaker of the Priviledges of it without that outward Rite of Baptism for so we find that when our Saviour sent his Apostles to Found and Build the Church they receiv'd as a Commission to call forth out of the World a Church by the Preaching of the Gospel So an Appointment to Incorporate all Men therein by Baptism Go and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 And hence 1 Cor. 12.13 it is said That we are all Baptiz'd into one Body or admitted by Baptism into one Church Eighthly And they are appointed to Renew the same II. To Renew it at the Lord's Supper by Feasting often together at the Lord's Supper This was anciently and is still the usual Method of Uniting more closely together the Members of any Society or Corporation their Feasting often together at one common Table and for this Reason amongst others it is that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is Appointed in the Church of Christ So the 1 Cor. 10.17 it is said That we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread Ninthly And now upon all these foremention'd Accounts The Church one Body the Church of Christ is One Body Thus Eph. 4.4 5 6. There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are all called in one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all where you see that because all Christians are call'd out of the World into one Hope of their Calling or to the Enjoyment of the same Priviledges to one Faith or to Believe one God Father Son and Holy Ghost exprest here by one Spirit one Lord one God and Father of all and because Incorporated by one Baptism or by the Use of the same Sacraments that therefore they are one Body The Covenant of Grace that great Charter whereby we are Incorporated into one Society is One and the same amongst all Christians containing the same Duties to be perform'd by all and promising to every one that performs those Conditions the same Priviledges And all Men are every where admitted and continued in it by the same Sacramental Solemnities and therefore the Church founded upon and Incorporated by that Covenant must needs be One. Tenthly This one Body or Society the Church true it is is Subdivided into several particular Bodies or Churches Subdivided into several particular Bodies and Churches both for the convenience of Discipline and Government and also for the convenience of Divine Worship For the convenience of Government it was anciently divided into Diocesan Churches I. For the convenience of Government into Diocesan Churches wherein because no one Man is able to Govern so vast a Body as is the whole Church of God each Bishop had his particular Flock arising out of one City and the Parts adjoyning to Oversee and to Govern Hence we read Rev. 2. and 3. chap. of the Church of Ephesus the Church of Smyrna the Church of Pergamus the Church of Thyatira the Church of Sardis the Church of Philadelphia and the Church of Laodicea all which were so many Cities in the Lesser Asia and the Bishops of those Churches are styl'd the Angels of those Churches in those Second and Third Chapters of Revelations And the Elders or Bishops of these Churches probably it was that St. Paul sent for to meet him at Miletus Act. 20.17 and to whom he gave that solemn Charge ver 21.28 To take heed unto themselves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers to feed the Church of God that is to Govern and Teach the Church of Christ which he had Purchased with his own Blood And as for the Convenience of Government the Church of Christ was anciently divided into Diocesan Churches in which Constitution of the Church each City has its Bishop to govern and direct the Affairs of the Church II. For the convenience of Worship into particular
Congregations So for the Convenience of Divine Worship and because all the Members of a City and the Parts adjoyning could not meet together in the same Place was each Bishop's See farther divided into particular Congregations and Assemblies under the Care of its respective Pastors Hence as to the Church of Corinth we gather that as it was but one Church in regard it had but one Bishop or Governour for St. Paul directs his Epistle thus Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 yet in that one Episcopal Church being there were several Congregations met together for the Worship of God we read 1 Cor. 14.34 of Churches in the Plural Number and this particular Order of the Apostle about the Decency of Divine Service in those particular Churches or Congregations Namely that Women should keep Silence in the Churches Thus true it is the Church which is but one Body is Subdivided into several particular Bodies or Churches both for the convenience of Discipline and Government and also for the convenience of Divine Worship But however those several particular Churches were Vnited into one Body by one Covenant But however Vnited by one Covenant into one Body for the Church of Corinth the Church of Ephesus Smyrna c. were are all called to the same Holy Profession and Calling to the same Faith in God and to the same Priviledges of Grace Pardon and Happiness as the whole Church and were admitted into that same Covenant by the same Sacraments as the whole Catholick Church was by which means They kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Eph. 4.3 And each of those particular Congregations also in the Church of Corinth for Instance were United also to the Church of God in that City by holding no other than the Doctrine Establish'd in that Church And by being United thereby to that particular Part of Christ's Church they were United also to the whole Body of Christ and made up but one Body For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ or the Christian Church for by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.12 13. So that the Church of Christ you see tho' divided into many Branches or Members is but one Body in the whole because United in and by One and the same Covenant of Grace And also in the Eleventh Place As also by holding Communion with each other in hearing the Word in Common-Prayers Sacraments and in affording to each other mutual Assistances Because all the several particular Churches are to Hold Communion with each other Now as to that Communion which the Members of Christ's Church held with one another in the Apostle's Times and sure their's must be a Pattern of Church-Communion we are told Act. 2.42 that it consisted in this That They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine that is they continued constantly and also steddily without swerving aside by Separation in Hearing the Apostles Teach They continued also stedfastly in Breaking of Bread and in Prayers that is they Join'd constantly and frequently in the same Prayers and Sacraments And lastly They continued stedfastly in the same Fellowship by which is principally meant in the Original both here and in several other Places of the Scripture that Communication of charitable Assistances that all the Members did afford each other according to their several Wants and Necessities For whether any Sister-Church were under Persecutions or any particular Christians did labour with Want the other Members of the Body did Communicate to the Relief of either And the Apostle did also appoint that to be done in the Christian Assemblies when they met together to Communicate in Hearing Prayers and Sacraments ordering that The first day of the Week which was the Day of their Publick Assemblies every one should lay by him in store as God had prospered him to this Purpose 1 Cor. 16.2 So that if One Member suffered all the Members suffered with it and there was no Schism in the Body but the Members had the same care one of another 1 Cor. 12.25 26. In a word Such was the Communion which the Members of the Church held with each other in those Days which made it one Church that there was no such thing as any separate Meetings from those of the Apostles and their lawful Successors the Bishops and Pastors of the Flock set up under the Pretence of better Edification and for more pure Administrations of Ordinances No no sooner did any attempt to make such a Schism but he was accounted a Gangreen'd Member and cut off from the Body for so doing And so much was mutual Kindness and Charity to be the distinguishing Character of Christ's Church that our Saviour declar'd Joh. 13.35 That by this should all men know his Disciples that they had love one for another The Church Vnited into one Body under Jesus Christ its supreme Head And now Lastly It only remains to compleat this my Explication of Christ's Church to shew you That this whole Society of Men call'd forth out of the World to such Duties and Priviledges as has been spoke is to be United into one Body as has been declar'd under Jesus Christ its supreme Head Every Society of Men must have some supreme Head to keep it both in Being and Order and Christ is so much to all Intents and Purposes the Head of the Church that there is no respect in which any thing is the Head of the Body in which Christ is not in like manner the Head of the Church Christ a Political Head of the Church And First There is the Political Head in every Kingdom which is the Prince that gives Laws to his People and Heads and Protects them against their Enemies And such a Head is Christ in that Spiritual Kingdom the Church of God Whom the Father having Raised from the Dead did put all things under his Feet and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church which is his Body Eph. 1.20 21 22 23. And therefore pursuant to this Power which was Given him in Heaven and in Earth to give Laws to Mankind did he Commission his Disciples and send them forth into the World to Proclaim his Laws to Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he had Commanded them assuring them withal that Lo he would be with them always even unto the End of the World Matth. 28.18 19 20. that is That he would be ever with 'em to Head and Protect 'em against their Adversaries Secondly There is also a
Sin most truly Diabolical for it is to be consider'd That tho' the Devil be the first Author of all Sin and instigates to every Kind yet there are many which Satan himself cannot commit As for Instance He cannot be Drunk nor commit Lewdness and the like himself because these are committed only in and by the Body whereas he is a Spirit but yet he is Naturally Proud and Ambitious And therefore tho' those other as being more visible and sensible are more Scandalous in the Eyes of Men yet this more Spiritual Wickedness Pride and Ambition and a Pharasaical Censoriousness and Thinking more Highly of One-self and more Disrespectfully of Others than is meet are more truly Diabolical and have more in their Nature of the Devil's Temper And as Pride so Envy Envy is another of the Devil's Qualities The Devil through his Pride and Rebellion having lost that high Station and Dignity he once enjoy'd in Heaven and seeing Man exalted to a Capacity of obtaining a Share in that Glory and Happiness from which he is excluded He is possest with the utmost Envy both towards God and Man Envying God the Service of us his Creatures and us both the Happiness of serving so Good a Master and those infinite Rewards which will be given us for our faithful Service and Obedience to him And from this his Envy proceeds that Rancourous Malice Malice also wherewith he is ever since Acted so as to be continually Contriving how to do us the greatest Mischief from whence he is called our Adversary the Devil 1 Pet. 5.8 Envy and Malice are indeed the very Natural Temper and Disposition of Satan so that he seems to be wholly made up thereof 'T was Pride as One said made him Envious his Envy that made him Spiteful and Malicious all which together make him a Devil And therefore as you would not appear to have something Diabolical in your very Natures Let all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamour and Evil-speaking be put away from you with all Malice and be Kind one to another Forgiving one another even as God for Christ's Sake hath Forgiven you Eph. 4.31 32. III. Such as are more the practice of Satan himself than other Sins viz. Murder Lastly There are some Sins more the Devil 's own Practice than others and do therefore deserve to be more particularly Styl'd the Works of the Devil And there are these Three Apostacy Murder and Lying which are expresly mention'd as his own Sins in that One remarkable Place of Scripture Joh. 8.44 The Devil was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth because there is no Truth in him When he speaketh a Lie he speaketh of his own for he is a Liar and the Father of it He was a Murderer from the beginning He delights in humane Gore and no doubt the vast Slaughters of Men which have been made in Bloody Wars have been through the Instigation of Satan stirring up Ambitious Princes unjustly to Invade their Neighbours Countries that he might Glut his Appetite with Blood And for the same Reason he Oblig'd the Pagans his Worshipers to offer Men in Sacrifice to him And there is no Duel fought but he is first at the making of the Challenge and then at the Murderer's Elbow to direct the fatal Thrust In these last sort of Murders he hopes to do Two Works at once to destroy both Body and Soul in one instant and to be sure he will never fail being present where he can to all Intents and Purposes so effectually do the work of a Destroyer as he is styl'd Revel 9.11 He abode not in the Truth Hereby is denoted his Apostacy Apostacy and Falling off from God and his Service another of Satan's principal Works of Sin And if any of you who have given up your Names to Christ to be his Disciples and Followers should hereafter instead of Renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil as you have solemnly Professed in your Baptism give your selves up to the Service of Satan of Mammon and of your filthy Lusts why you will be reckon'd amongst those that are Apostates from God and are turned aside after Satan 1 Tim. 5.15 Nay and if you should fall off from the Truth as it is here Profest in this Church of which you are Members to any Heretical Doctrines you will Imitate Satan in his Apostacy who abode not in the Truth Lying and especially Calumniating and Evil-speaking When he speaketh a Lie he speaketh of his own for he is a Liar and the Father of it A Lie was that whereby he deceiv'd and ruin'd Man at first Ye shall not surely dye said Satan Gen. 3.4 So contrary to what God himself had Threaten'd our First Parents in case they should Eat of the forbidden Fruit And it is by erroneous and false Doctrines which as Tares he sows in the Field of the Church whereby he has undone so many Souls ever since You must therefore Abhor a Lye or Speaking that which you do not Know to be exactly agreeable to the Truth of Things as you will not make your Selves Children of such a Father the Devil And especially you must beware of that sort of Lying whereby you will most nearly Resemble him and that is in Slandering and falsly Accusing of any One to the Ruine of his good Name Satan is particularly Stigmatized in Scripture for this sort of Lying and is therefore called The Accuser or Slanderer of the Brethren which accuseth them before God Day and Night Rev. 12.10 and it is observable that 1 Tim. 3.11 where Women are charged not to be Slanderers nor false Accusers the Word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be Devils which should be a Warning to them as they would dread so Black a Character to avoid Entertaining one another with Backbiting and speaking Evil of their Neighbours which yet I am afraid is the most usual Conversation when that Sex do meet together Indeed as the pernicious Lye utter'd for the Hurt or Disadvantage of our Neighbour is the most truly Diabolical So all sorts of Lying whatsoever renders such as are Notorious for it Contemptible and Vile amongst Men and Odious to God as does sufficiently appear by the Place and Company they are Rank'd with Rev. 22.15 Without that is Hell are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lye which should make you of all things in the World my Dear Youth to Beware of this Odious Hellish Sin of Lying and I do the more earnestly press you to Hate and Abhor it because Youth are most apt to be Addicted to it And so much for Sin consider'd as a Work of the Devil And now Secondly We should proceed to consider that other great Work of Satan his Tempting of us to Sin But this as it has been his great Employment ever since the Creation of Mankind and will be so as long
am now Lastly Lastly what Temptations Satan levels against all Persons indifferently consider'd in order to a more full Display of that great Work of the Devil his Tempting us to Sin to discover to you some of the more remarkable Temptations at least-wise whereby he applies himself to all Persons indifferently consider'd in the Church of Christ be they High or Low to draw them into Sin In the former Attempts upon all Mankind upon the Church of God and upon those considerable and leading Persons therein whose Fall sweeps Multitudes along with 'em into Sin and Ruine Satan shew'd more of his Ambition and Pride as in setting up for a Dominion in direct Opposition to God's So in waging a War with the greatest Bodies of Men and the most considerable Leaders in the Church Militant But in these his latter Attempts upon particular Persons whereby that Spirit appears not content to Foil greater Numbers but moreover pursues his Victory to the picking up here and there every particular Stragler he expresses more of his inveterate Malice in that he is so wholly bent upon Mischief and Destruction as to stick at no Pains and to leave no Methods untry'd whereby he may destroy every particular Soul amongst the the Sons of Men. And indeed the Devil's Temptations are the more dangerous The Devil's Temptations not easily known to be his nor always distinguishable from those of the World and the Flesh which are manag'd and directed by him in that they are not easily known when they are his and cannot always be distinguisht from such as the World and our own Flesh do give us for which Reason at the motion of these two latter we do those things without Fear which if we knew the Devil had a Hand in we should tremble at the Thoughts of Committing And indeed it is but seldom the Devil does immediately by himself actuate any One to do Evil but generally he makes use of the World and our own Flesh as his immediate Instruments to move us to it Whilst he himself stands behind the Curtain managing and directing those our other Enemies to take their Advantages against us However so far as the Scripture does discover to us any Methods of Temptations to be his Some of the most considerable of his Methods of Tempting us discover'd we may safely ascribe 'em unto him And some of the more considerable and dangerous of 'em I will lay before you As First The Devil does miserably delude People into his Power by letting 'em alone to be Obedient to God in some Particulars the better to detain 'em perfect Slaves to himself in others I. He permits if not furthers some in a partial Obedience to God in some Particulars the better to detain them perfect Slaves to himself in others This is call'd a Dividing between God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 And indeed amongst the manifold Delusions of Satan there is not a more fatal and mischievous One to the Souls of Men than the Hypocrisy of a partial and Un-uniform Obedience which the Devil does willingly enough allow us in I say The Devil does willingly enough allow Persons to be partially or in part Obedient for when this cunning Deceiver cannot prevail on some to be meer Libertines to throw off all the Bonds and Ties of Religion to be as Outragious in Profaneness Impieties Villanies Whoredoms and all sorts of Wickednesses as some of his Black Disciples are he is then willing to Compound the matter with such and so that they will be his a little he 'll contentedly allow 'em to be God's very much Knowing very well that if we hold out one disloyal Fort against God retain but one Rebel-Lust and give not up the whole Man unto Christ it will as certainly Condemn us tho' not to so great Degrees of Punishment as if we were wholly Devoted to Satan and gave our selves up to follow all our Brutish Lusts the Word of God assuring us that Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one Point he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And our Saviour declaring to us that he will not be serv'd by Halves nor endure the Devil to share with him in his Kingdom over us Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Luk. 16.13 Thus the Devil knows it is his Interest to allow Men to be partially Obedient to God And There is not a more fatal and mischievous Delusion of Satan than this is especially when the partially Obedient exchanges some Sins of a scandalous Name for their contrary Vertues but lives notwithstanding in other Impieties of a higher Nature This a most fatal Delusion when some Sins only of a scandalous Name are exchanged for contrary Vertues but with the Retention of Impieties of a higher Nature I say when he changes some particular Sins only of a scandalous Name as his former Debaucht and Lewd Course of Life for a quite contrary One of Temperance and Chastity He now assures himself it was by the motion of God's Holy Spirit he is become a New Man as he thinks and that he is now infallibly safe Thus have I often known those of the Sect of Quakers who have formerly been loose and riotous Livers Triumph very much in their present State as certainly from God because they no sooner became of this way but they ceas'd to be Drunkards and Swearers and lewd Companions and the like Whereas alas The deluded Wretch has but Exchang'd some gross Sins of a more scandalous Name for other Impieties of a higher Nature For now instead of the former more Carnal Sins he has receiv'd into his Heart the more Spiritual and Devilish Ones of Pride and Haughtiness and Contempt of others being so far from In Honour preferring other Men that he will not give the least Honour to whom Honour is due He now decries the inspir'd Writings of God as a dead Letter and Blasphemously entitles every foolish and deceitful Imagination of his own corrupt Heart to the motion of the Holy Spirit preferring the latter infinitely before the former Nay he now denies all the great Principles of Christianity the Divinity Sufferings and Satisfaction of Christ with the Resurrection of the Body as most of our present Quakers do and so is turn'd meer Deist at the best And now who that considers this can think otherwise but that the Vnclean Spirit went out of that Man only to return into the house from whence he went out and to take with himself seven other Spirits more wicked than himself that they entering in and dwelling there the last State of that man might be worse than the first Matth. 12.43 44 45. This is certain Such the most Irreclaimable of all Sinners the most Irreclaimable of all Sinners are those who have exchang'd some ill Practices for others equally Wicked and for impious Principles for such do fix themselves in a full Perswasion That their present Way is of God seeing it is contrary to the former which was
discreetly and advisedly undertaken by a Person and with a just Consideration had to his own Ability and Circumstances yet they are greater Severities than what many can go through with and when impos'd upon themselves by such they give occasion to Satan to Tempt 'em to throw off those voluntary Services together with all Religion as not Performable by Flesh and Blood or by any thing short of Angels Whereas indeed it is not the Substantials of Religion such as our Saviour prescrib'd whose Yoke is easy and whose Burden is light Matth. 11.30 that are so but those Accessories and Appendages to it which some do indiscreetly and without regard to their own Capacities and Circumstances lay upon themselves And here it may be useful to let you know The difference between God's Ordering and the Devil's Management of Men in these Matters what a Great Master in the spiritual Life observes Bona de Discretione Spirituum Cap. 6. concerning the difference between God's Ordering and the Devil's Management of Men in these matters God begins with us at low Degrees and gently leads us from an imperfect to a perfect State He has regard to Persons and their Age and imparts one degree of Wisdom to the Aged another to Youth one to Beginners another to the Perfect But the Devil on the contrary observes no Order but darts into our Souls unseasonable Heats and forthwith suggests Excesses in Devotion He perswades such immediately to undertake immoderate Fastings and Watchings and to mortify the Body by intolerable Penances And these Burdens because they lay upon themselves without measure they are not able to bear and then their Strength being broke and the Vigour of their Minds abated they do at length backslide into meer Indifferency and Looseness And yet to see the crooked Windings of this wily Serpent as much as he is for screwing Persons up to Excesses in Religion Fifthly Satan by Injecting of evil Thoughts into our Minds to disorder and disturb our Devotions is very Industrious to Vnhallow and Spoil those Services whereby we shall most really and immediately and directly Honour and Glorify our Maker and Benefit our own Souls V. By injecting of Evil Thoughts into our Minds at our Devotions to unhallow those Services whereby we do really and most immediately glorify God and benefit our own Souls The Devil being a Spirit can find an Entrance into our Spirits by ways which we are not sensible of And being Divine Worship is the chief of all our Services we pay to our Maker as being that wherein we do most immediately and directly of all others Glorify God and derive down Blessings upon our own Souls if rightly perform'd the Devil is therefore too too buisy about us when we are at our Devotions to unhallow and spoil ' em Thus we read Job 1.6 that when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord Satan came also amongst them And so likewise Zechar. 3.1 we find that when Joshua the High-Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his Right-hand to Resist him And the Best of Christians also who upon other Objects of far less Concern and at other times can fix their Minds steddily do often complain that sometimes in their Prayers they are strangely broken and the Intention of their Minds frequently taken off by odd Thoughts roving Fancies and far-fetcht Imaginations This sure cannot happen but by the importunate Urgency of some malicious Spirit who is marvellously Industrious to let and hinder us in nothing more than in this most Glorious and Beneficial Service of our Prayers and Praises to Almighty God And thus he hinders the Efficacy of the Word And hence also in the Hearing of the Word does he either bring a Drowsiness upon the Hearers so that even at the very instant we the Ambassadors of Christ are Proclaiming to sinful Men those gracious Terms of Reconciliation sent to them by us from the infinite Majesty of Heaven They will even sleep all the time of its Delivery or he will endeavour to possess their Minds with such vain wandring and worldly Thoughts that the Seed sown for want of their Attention can never take Root in their Hearts And this not attending to and not considering what you are about and what you hear is expresly affirm'd to be from Satan Matth. 13.19 When any One heareth the Word and understandeth it not that is lays it not to Heart thinks not of it nor considers it for so the Word Translated Vnderstandeth it not does import then cometh the wicked One and catcheth away that which was sown in his Heart Sixthly The Devil observes the outward Wants and Necessities of Persons and accordingly Tempts 'em to the use of unlawful and undue Means to remove those Evils VI. The Devil observing the outward Wants and Necessities of Persons he accordingly Tempts them by the use of unlawful Means to remove those Evils Thus he dealt with our Blessed Saviour Matth. 4.2 3. And when he had Fasted Fourty Days and Fourty Nights and afterwards was an hungred then the Tempter came to him and said If Thou be the Son of God command that these Stones be made Bread that is he would have him out of an Impatience of waiting the ordinary Means of satisfying his Hunger to Tempt God to Feed him Super-naturally and by way of Miracle And if a Man be Sick and want present Help in lawful Means then will the Devil Tempt such a One to seek his Remedy by Charms and Spells as a more short certain and easy way of Curing than by Physical Medicines and no doubt the Devil may sometims work extraordinary Feats by these methods the better to keep Mankind in Dependance upon himself But it is a certain sign of want of Grace and of none no not the least Fear of God in them who shall resort in such Cases to Persons suspected to hold Correspondence with the Devil and shall make use of those means of Cure prescrib'd by 'em concerning whose Operation of any such Cure no Reason in Nature can be given nor the Appointment of God pretended that such Words tho' they may be Words of Scripture should work such Effects Seventhly The Devil knowing every particular Persons inward Temper and Disposition both of Body and Mind better many times than he himself does he accordingly presents such Objects to the Fancy as shall be likeliest to prevail over such a Man to commit some grievous Sin VII Knowing every particular Person 's inward Dispositions he accordingly presents such Objects to the Fancy as shall be likeliest to prevail over such a Man to commit some grievous Sin Thus is a Person of a melancholly Disposition to such a One he either aggravates the matter of his Discontent or he will present to the Fancy so many frightful Objects and will load his Mind with such a multitude of black and dismal Apprehensions that the melancholly Wretch shall be weary of himself and
shame of that will engage you to commit another to hide the former And therefore it is I say the usual Policy of Satan when he has Tempted any Person to commit a Wickedness then to lay the Shame and Disgrace thereof so sensibly before him that he shall again commit a worse on purpose to cover the Knowledge of the former from the Eyes of Men. And then Tenthly When he has once Engag'd a Person into many Sins either he will lull him into a fatal Security X. Having once Engaged a Person into many Sins he either lulls him in security or drives him into despair whereby he foolishly perswades himself that God will deal more mercifully with him than he has declared in his Word or else Satan will not fail to present at last to such an enormous Sinner's Conscience the infinite Guilt and Horrour of his Crimes to make him despair if he can that ever they will be Forgiven they are so many and Monstrous That so he may never endeavour to Repent or so much as fly to God in Prayer to have Mercy on him At first he presented to the Sinner's Fancy nothing but the Beauty the Conveniency the Pleasure the Glory of the Things of this World as of the Pleasures Riches and the Honours of this Life with all their Advantages without any thing of that Sting and Remorse and Trouble that must necessarily attend them if unlawfully pursued and obtain'd But when by this Means the Sinner has run on without the least stop or stay into a vast Number of wasting Sins some of them perhaps of such a Nature that no Reparation or Restitution can be made for them as Adultery and Murder Then will he pour in all of a sudden whole Broad-sides such an Horrour and such an amazing sence of Guilt into the Soul of such a Sinner that thinking it to no purpose to Retreat he shall push on to commit the most outragious Villanies till at length when Death seizes him he goes down into Hell desperately Cursing the Day he was Born and Blaspheming that God who gave him a Being And now Lastly I shall not mention any other way wherein Satan tempts Men except it be when God in Punishment to some sort of Sinners does abandon them to the Devil Lastly there are those whom God does in a great Measure give up to the Delusion of Satan Others whom he does wholly Abandon to the Power of the Devil to be wholly in a manner Ordered and Acted by him And there are Three sorts of Sinners that do seem to be thus abandon'd by God and given up some in a great measure others wholly to the Management of Satan First Such ill-dispos'd Minds as out of Hatred to the Ways of God and out of Love to their own Lusts do endeavour to possess their Minds with such Principles and do seek such Teachers as will make Sin easy to their Consciences and will reconcile the Hopes of Heaven and a bad Life together And such are in danger of being justly left in a great measure to the Delusion of the Devil As to such Men because They receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be Saved God does threaten to send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lye 2 Thes 2.10 11. And because the Generality of the World is so ill-dispos'd that it cannot endure sound Doctrine which would discover or hinder or gall their Consciences in their evil Practices God does therefore most justly permit so many to be Deluded by Satan I. Such ill-dispos'd Minds as out of love to their Lusts seek after such Principles Teachers as will make sin easy to their Consciences are justly left to the Delusions of Satan into the most vile Principles and Prâ—ctices Hence no doubt has the Church of Rome in these latteâ—â—ays as 't was foretold it would 1 Tim. 4.1 Departed from the Faith giving heed to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils And hence also amongst our selves do so many particular Persons When they will not endure sound Doctrines heap to themselves Teachers having itching Ears and do turn away their Ears from the Truth and are turned unto Fables 2 Tim. 4.3 4. There are a Second sort of Sinners who seem'd to be wholly abandon'd by God and yielded up to Satan to be Tempted by him at his Pleasure and they are such II. Such as by a long Course of many Damning Sins have laid wast the Conscience and have baffled all the Methods of God's Grace to Reclaim 'em these are sometimes even in this Life abandon'd by God to be acted by the Devil Who in a long Course of many damning Sins that lay wast the Conscience have baffled all the Methods of his Grace to reclaim them and have resisted and grieved his Holy Spirit so long till Grace be wholly withdrawn from them Such are called Children of Disobedience Eph. 2.2 which in the Phrase of Scripture does signify Persons extreamly Disobedient and of such it is said in the same Verse that the Evil Spirit worketh in them He does act them as the Soul does the Body and does hurry them into such vicious Extravagancies and to commit such outragious Impieties that they seem to be Devils Incarnate Thus did the Devil enter into Judas Luk. 22.3 after he had formerly Baffled all the good Admonitions of our Saviour to reclaim him from his Thievery and other Villanies and at length spur'd him on to commit the Blackest Crime that ever was heard of even to Betray the Lord of Life into the Hands of his Enemies And there are many ungodly Wretches now a-days who do seem to sin with so much Enmity and Despite against God that it is hard to say whether they are not Devils in Humane Shapes But it is the same thing they have sinn'd themselves to that Degree that God has given them up and the Devil seems to Animate them And lastly so are Witches Magicians and Conjurers who have Covenanted away both Body Soul to the Devil on Condition he will be for some time at their Beck to execute their vile and malicious Purposes A Third sort of Persons abandon'd by God and that utterly to the Power and Management of Satan to actuate them as he pleases Are Witches and Magicians or Conjurers such as was that Woman of whom we read 1 Sam. 28. And these are a sort of miserable Wretches so far forsaken of Grace and the Fear of God that they have expresly Covenanted away both Body and Soul to the Devil on Condition he will be at their Beck to Execute their vile and malicious Purposes For Envy Malice and Revenge seems to be the Soul that animates these Children of the Devil or else the Pride and Vanity of doing Wonders and an insatiable Curiosity of knowing those secret Things to come which belong to God alone to know has put 'em upon making such a Contract with Satan And these wretched Miscreants sure must be suppos'd
our way to Heaven and Happiness * So long as we wear these Earthly Bodies about us we are permitted the Vse and Enjoyment of worldly Things provided in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable So long as we live in this World and are Parts of it our selves and carry these Bodies of Earthly Materials about us there is no doubt but it is necessary for us and we are permitted to be concern'd in it and we may without scruple gratify our selves with the Enjoyments of it provided it be in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable and that we suffer not our Hearts and Affections to be too much fixt upon it But in regard our Souls the principal Part of us by far are the Natives of Heaven and are only as Pilgrims and Tenants here Below to stay but for a short Time For As the Dust shall return to the Earth as it was so the Spirit shall return to God But being our Souls our principal part are soon to remove to Heaven we must chiefly set our Affections on things above and mainly endeavour to attain them who gave it Eccl. 12.7 we must therefore Set our Affections chiefly on things above on God the Society Interests and Enjoyments of that Ever-Blessed State making it our main Business to Possess to Attain and Enjoy them and not on things below the foolish Interests and Satisfactions of this perishing and transitory State here on Earth Col. 3.2 And so far as the world or any thing it inveigles our Hearts and Affections to fix upon it and seduces us to commit any Thing sinful and hinders to mind the Business of Religion and the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace our way to Happiness and everlasting Satisfaction it is to be Renounced Rejected and Overcome by us It is the Matter of a Christian's Warfare and the subject of his Victory And so far as this Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World 1 Joh. 5.4 and in this sence St. Paul Professes Gal. 6.14 that The world was Crucified unto him and he unto the world And thus you see in General in what sence and how far we are to Renounce the World But Secondly II. Concerning the World consider'd in its Particulars those Temptations result both from the Good and the Evils thereof For the more full and compleat Explication of this Point of Renouncing the world it being a Matter wherein it concerns you to receive the most distinct Directions I will farther consider the Particulars of which this World is made up and will also shew you in what sence and how far you are to Renounce each of ' em And here it is observable that when we come to take a nearer View of the world in its Particulars it does not then appear as it does in the General to have nothing in it but Good but to contain withal a great mixture of Evil and indeed to be in the present State thereof almost wholly made up of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit And both the Good and the Evil Things thereof do give us considerable Temptations to Sin Now the Good Things of this world are summ'd up under these Heads The Riches Honours and the Pleasures it affords The good things of this World Riches Honours Pleasures the Evils Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions And Things of a middle Nature are the different Callings Conditions and Cares of this World And its Evils on the contrary may be reduc'd to Poverty Disgrace and those Afflictions of all sorts which in innumerable ways do assail us And there are also some Things therein of a middle Nature as different Callings Conditions or States of Life and the Cares of this World which are the Appurtenances to it and afford great matter of Temptation and Tryal to us therein And in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce it with reference to each of these I will endeavour to shew you And First As to the Riches of this World These are not in themselves Hurtful I. As to Riches these are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestow'd upon us to good Ends and Purposes but Good and are bestowed by the Divine Providence upon those that have 'em to very excellent Purposes and Uses that they may do Good therewith and that not only in providing for their own Houshold but also by Stewarding them out to the Support and Advancement of Religion and Vertue to the Relieving the Poor and Distressed to the Encouragement of Industry and in many other ways which the Laws of Piety and Charity do direct * And those who enjoy 'em have great Advantages of doing Good therewith to others Comfort and the Benefit of their own Souls And those therefore on whom God has bestowed Wealth have admirable Advantages put into their Hands to do Good therewith to the Comfort of others and to lay up to themselves Treasures of Reward in Heaven by their good Works Nevertheless it was no hard Censure our Saviour pass'd upon Riches in saying That a Rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19.23 For both Scripture and daily Experience tells us Nevertheless Riches are a mighty Temptation whether we consider Men as Getting Possessing or as Parting with or Losing of them that Riches are a very great Temptation to manifold Sins and Offences against God and that whether we consider Men with respect to their Getting Possessing or their Parting with or Losing of them First Consider Men in the State of getting Riches and St. Paul tells us 1 Tim. 6.9 That they who would be Rich fall into a Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition And our own Experience also gives us to see how many horrid and black Crimes and into what miserable Snares so as never to be able to disentangle themselves out of 'em do Men run themselves into by an over-eager Pursuit of Riches I. In the over-eager Pursuit of Riches men do run themselves into many grievous Sins A dividing betwixt God and Mammon is the lowest Degree of Sin that is occasion'd hereby which yet God will not endure as you will find Matth. 6.24 The Neglect of Religion and Contempt of Heavenly Things is the next And it is not seldom we see that Men to raise themselves Estates in this world will not stick at Oppressing the Poor at Cheating of Orphans and Widows at Corrupting of Witnesses and Juries and Forging of Evidences and to add Impiety to Injustice to get but a small Pittance of worldly Wealth they will Rob God in his Tythes and Offerings by Sacrilegiously detaining those Dues which were allotted both by the Laws of God and Man for the Maintenance of the Worship of God and his Ministers a Sin compar'd by St. Paul with Idolatry it self Rom. 2.22 As also into many miserable Snares so as to be hardly ever able to disentangle
Joy in God or the eternal Joys of his Kingdom As First when we prefer 'em in our Judgments or Desires either before our spiritual Joy in God or the eternal Joys of his Kingdom which is what the Carnal Man does do Which is I say what the Carnal Man does do For while the Flesh is the prevailing Ingredient in any Man he only relishes the satisfaction of the Senses He cannot enjoy God he cannot delight in doing his Will no more than a Swine can in clean Pasture whose natural Property inclines him only to wallow in the Mire But when the Soul is clarify'd and purg'd by the great Refiner how sublime and satisfying a Pleasure does it feel in the Love of God and in his Service As in natural Feeding when the Palate is in due Temper our Tast commends our proper Food to the Appetite and the Appetite to the Stomach but a foul Stomach dis-affects the Appetite spoils the Palate and the most savoury and wholesom Meat is loathsom when the Disease is the Taster Thus if the Soul be in its due Temper the Doing the will of God would be our Meat and Drink mixt with a sweeter Pleasure than those natural Operations are but the Soul in the unregenerate Man is so Corrupt and Carnaliz'd that it has no tast of the pure Delights of Blessed Spirits in Communion with God Like the Israelites who despis'd the Bread of Angels and impatiently long'd for the Onions and Garlick and Flesh-Pots of Egypt But this must not be our Temper but with the Holy Psalmist we must be able experimentally to say The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb Psal 19.9 10. Secondly And we must Renounce it as a great sign of a sensual Spirit which relishes no Enjoyments like those of Sence II. When a Man relishes no Enjoyments like those of sence When a Person is observ'd to be wholly in a manner purveying for the Belly Cooking or Ordering his Dishes always commending or rather quarrelling with every thing he eats or drinks No the Discourses of Philosophical wise and vertuous Minds is even at the very Table of other-guess Matters than of the Excellency of that Dish the Poynancy of such a Sauce or the Flavour of such and such Liquors And with these Epicures we may justly Expostulate in the words of our Saviour Are ye yet without understanding Do ye not yet understand that whatever entereth into the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the Draught Matth. 15.17 And it is sure a sign of an Understanding below the Excellency of the Soul of Man to concern it self so much about what in few Hours will go down into the Guts the Sink and the vilest part of the Body Thirdly It must be Renounced as a high and sinful Sensuality to glut our Senses so as to surfeit on these Sweets III. When he gluts himself so as to surfeit on these Sweets There is nothing which does more decay Nature which brings upon us more desperate and incurable Diseases and does more precipitate and hasten a sudden Death than Excess in the Gratifications of Men's Lusts and Appetites But this is grosly to abuse the Creatures of God which were allow'd us only for our Use It is to make but an ungrateful Return to him for all his Bounties And is unnaturally to destroy our selves for the sake of a paultry Pleasure which vanisheth in the very Enjoyment of a Pleasure which is mixed with more bitter Ingredients than Gall and Wormwood For even in their Laughter the heart of those sensual Men is sorrowful and the end of their mirth is heaviness Prov. 14.13 Lastly The Deliciousness of those Pleasures must not cause any one to load and burthen his Nature therewith to that Degree as to render him unfit for the Duties of his Calling and Religion And lastly when the Deliciousness of these Pleasures causes him to load and burthen his Nature therewith so as to render him unfit for the Duties of his Calling and Religion in which respect those do Offend who do so immoderately indulge the Appetites in Eating and Drinking that they are drowsy and sleepy even under the Messages sent them from the King of Heaven and deliver'd them by his Ambassadors the Preachers of his Word No the End of all Pleasure as well as of Recreations is to render us not less but more vigorous and lively in the Service of God and the proper Business of our Calling Which brings me Lastly To consider Recreative Pleasures and to shew you what they are in what Sence and how far we are to Renounce those sort of Pleasures Now these are meerly of a middle and of an indifferent Nature Recreative Pleasures of a middle and indifferent Nature They are neither wholly Mental nor altogether Bodily Pleasures but may be either And they are neither necessarily Good nor Evil but either one or other according as they are used For when the Mind has been long intent upon Study and Meditation it may be very convenient to Vnbend it by giving our selves some Bodily Diversion as Walking Riding or other innocent Recreation And when the Body has been long fatigued and wearied with Labour it is requisite to give it Ease and it is no wise hurtful either to Soul or Body to fall into a chearful provided it be an innocent Conversation And indeed the moderate use of innocent Pleasures and Recreations is both useful and necessary It enlivens Nature brisks up our Spirits and renders us more able to set again about serious Business and Employment For to intermix no Gratifications nor Diversions with our more serious Affairs makes the Mind unactive dull and useless But Recreations the most innocent of 'em are to be moderately and sparingly us'd by every Christian The most Innocent thereof are to be sparingly used for he that shall much indulge himself in the allow'd Pleasures of the World shall quickly bring himself into a Frame of Spirit that will not easily endure Patience Self-denial and Mortification and other the more difficult and considerable Parts of Religion Ease and Diversions soften the Sinews dissolve the Nerves and are apt to render us Nice and Delicate and Effeminate a Temper the most unsuitable for any Souldier because it will utterly indispose him for Military Severities Ease and Pleasure therefore must be warily Indulg'd to by the Souldier of JESUS in whose Warfare there are both Conflicts and Severities far surpassing the hardest which other Wars engage us in No If you will become Excellent in Religion nay keep but within the Bounds of Innocence you must innure your selves much to Christian Severity and Reservedness and the most harmless of this World's Delights are to be more rarely us'd than is commonly thought of He that constantly eats a
to live in Obedience to Government and therefore these as great as they be are esteem'd but Just and Equal So here in the Government of God over us The Pleasures and Profits of Sin to compass which Men will Transgress the Laws of Heaven are but short true it is but yet being present and the Punishments Threaten'd to 'em being apprehended by most Sinners to be at a great distance they are therefore generally prevailing and Men for that Reason do venture to Transgress the Laws of God a Thing of worse Consequence than the Violation of Humane Ordinances and therefore it is no other than what can be expected from the Justice and Wisdom of the supreme Governour of the World to inflict such infinite and eternal Punishments In short Divine Vengeance as well as Humane must be such as will Over-balance the Reasons and Motives to Sin And the Pleasures and Profits of Sin being present and the Divine Punishments not taking place but in another World according to the Fundamental Rules and Reasons of Government they must be Infinite and Eternal and all little enough or otherwise they will not be sufficient to secure our Obedience to the Laws of Heaven So that there is no Strength in this Argument of Sinful Men against the Justice of Eternal Torments in the behalf of their Lusts whereby they would perswade you as well as themselves into a most dangerous Security and withdraw you from or slacken you in your Duty Secondly Nor are the Duties of our Religion hard Sayings which no Man can bear II. That the Duties of Religion are hard sayings which no Man can bear as they will likewise plead All the Duties enjoin'd us in the Gospel respect either God our Neighbour or our Selves Those to God as we find 'em laid down in pure and undefiled Christianity undefiled I say with the Inventions of Men are no superstitious senseless and uncouth Observances so much the matter of all other Worships besides the Christian but are all of 'em indeed a most Reasonable Service Those which respect our Neighbour are no other than Acts of Justice Peace and Charity the contrary of which would destroy Humane Society or make us Beasts of Prey one to another And as to those Duties we owe to our selves why they are no other than that we should truly and justly value our selves neither overmuch by Pride nor too little by letting base Lusts to reign over us or the inferiour part of our Nature to Domineer it over our Reason and Understanding the Superiour and in all Equity the Governing Part of us And what is there hard in all this that we should quarrel with our Duty except we count it hard that God who has made us reasonable Creatures would not suffer us to Transform our selves into unreasonable Brutes Thirdly And this is a sufficient Answer also to that other Pleading of sinful Men That they are made of Flesh and Blood and therefore sure God will not require Men upon the Forfeiture of Salvation if they do not to mortify the Flesh III. That they are made of Flesh and Blood and that therefore sure God will not require Men upon the forfeiture of Salvation if they do not to mortify the flesh For these Men who Plead thus ought to consider that they consist of Soul and Spirit as well as of Flesh and Blood and as the Soul is Superiour and the Governing Part within us so it is highly reasonable it should have the Obedience of the Other And this is all the Mortification which Religion puts the Flesh to It would keep it in Subjection to the Dictates of Right Reason and that is all And tho' this Mortification of the Flesh is to be exercis'd by Imposing some Severities sometimes upon the Body as by Fasting and Watching c. Yet this is no more to be complain'd of than that Refractory Children and Servants and Subjects must be sometimes kept up under Discipline as there shall be occasion Nay but Lastly say these Men God has set us in a World full of Temptations and abounding with sensual Delights and Pleasures and he therefore who has Plac'd us in it sure will not command us upon Pain of Damnation to Overcome those strong Temptations and to Deny these Pleasures of the World Lastly that God has set us in a World full of Temptations and abounding with sensual Delights and Pleasures and that he therefore who has placed us in it will not command us upon Pain of Damnation to over-come those strong Temptations and to deny these Pleasures of the World And we 'll grant it that he has Plac'd us in a State of Probation and Trial where we have sensual Pleasures and Delights and many other Temptations besetting us on the one side as well as the Rewards of Heaven awaiting us on the other and where were the Vertue and what Place would there be for Reward if there were not those Difficulties to overcome But in short there is not any thing Unreasonable nor a Hardship unsupportable in any thing that God has Enjoin'd us for the same Almighty Goodness which gives us the Command to do these things gives us also the Will and Power to Obey and besides proposes to us Enjoyments infinitely surpassing those Worldly Pleasures as the Rewards of such Obedience And so I have given you sufficient Answers to those false and fallacious Argueings of sinful Men against the Necessity of a Holy Life I know 'em to be too common in the Discourses of such Persons who love their Lusts and therefore I thought it requisite to fortify you against them But to proceed Fifthly Wicked Men will not be content by the secret Influence of their Examples and Company only nor by their false and fallacious Arguments to Tempt you to Sin but Will moreover sometimes add Kindnesses and Promises to oblige you to do ill Things and on the contrary will much discourage you nay sometimes Threaten you to forbear your Duty V. Wicked Men will add Kindnesses Promises to Oblige us to do ill Things and on the contrary will much discourage us nay sometimes Threaten us to forbear our Duty The Kindnesses of Friendship are of all things the most Engageing and if your Choice of a Friend has not been so discreetly and happily made but he happens to be a wicked Man who upon the Score of former Obligations laid upon you will require in Return that some ill Thing should be done by you to serve his Interest you will be drawn thereby into a very great Snare for besides that there is in very many whom we call Good-natur'd Men such an Easiness of Mind that they can hardly deny any thing to those who have once Oblig'd 'em but are ready to Pleasure and Comply with 'em tho' in things most directly contrary to their own Minds and Inclination Besides this if you should refuse to Gratify in any thing One that has done you former Kindnesses the World will
assault us to withdraw us from God and to make us break our Covenant with him And it only remains to compleat this Account of our Spiritual Warfare to consider the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and to know in what Sence and how far we are also to Renounce and Resist them And indeed this is a most Material and Important Part of Christian Knowledge To Know our selves To know our selves especially our natural Imperfection a most useful part of Knowledge is next in Dignity and Usefulness to the Knowledge of God himself And if we did but distinctly Know the Imperfection and Weaknesses of our Corrupted Nature and of all the Powers and Faculties within us neither the whole World with all its formidable Host of Temptations nor Satan himself Marshalling and managing of 'em against us with all the Malice and Cunning he is Master of would be in much danger of doing us hurt For tho' our Case is that of a Besieged Fort to take which there are not only a numerous Army under the Conduct of a wary General who narrowly views every part of us and orders the Attack where he finds us weakest but what is worse the whole Fabrick of our Corrupted Nature is extreamly decay'd and all the Faculties and Powers thereof are but so many Traytors within us ready to deliver us up to our Enemies Yet however in knowing the Weakness of our Nature we may be able to repair its Decays and by knowing also the Treachery of all its Faculties we shall successfully prevent their delivering of us up to our Adversaries And therefore for the more full Discovery of so useful and important a Subject to you 1. I will shew you what is meant by the Flesh 2. What by the sinful Lusts of the Flesh 3. What by ALL the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and together with each of these will also declare unto you in what Sence and how far we are to Renounce the Flesh and its sinful Lusts And The Flesh variously exprest First Let us enquire what is meant by the Flesh and in what sence and how far we are to Renounce the Flesh And in order to this we are to consider that as the Knowledge of things does much depend upon understanding those Phrases whereby they are usually exprest so there are very many Words in the Holy Writings of like Meaning and Importance with this of the Flesh And indeed there is not any one thing so variously exprest in the Holy Scriptures as this is It is call'd the Old Man as to denote the Antiquity of this Corruption and from whom it descended even from Adam the first Father of us all so to signify that it has universally infected the whole Race of Mankind It is called the Natural Man both because this Corruption over-spreadeth the whole Nature and because it is become Natural to Men in this Corrupt State to Sin It is called the Flesh because the very Soul in a Man and all its Faculties are Carnal and Sensual And Lastly 't is term'd Evil Concupiscence because this Fleshly Nature of ours Lusteth after Evil Things And so much for the meaning of the Word Flesh and its synonimous Phrases What 's meant by the Flesh And now by the help of what has been said we may form this account of the Flesh That it is the whole Vnregenerate Nature of Man as spoil'd as to its Original Frame and Constitution and despoil'd of that Image of God consisting in the Perfection Order and Purity of all his Faculties whereby he was Originally making towards GOD his Chief End and Happiness And it is that Corruption of this his Nature and Faculties whereby he is inordinately Converted in all the Tendencies of Soul and Body and of all the Faculties and Powers thereof towards the Creature 1. I say by the Flesh is meant the whole Vnregenerate Nature of Man not only the Body I. The whole Vnregenerate Nature of Man Soul and Body but also the Soul not only the Inferior Powers as the Affections Lusts and Appetites but also the Superior Faculties as the Understanding Conscience and the Will For it is not only said Tit. 1.15 That the Mind and Conscience is defil'd but the Mind as well as the Body is said to be Fleshly Col. 2.18 and Carnal Rom. 8.7 and Gal. 5.20 we find Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Seditions Heresies reckon'd amongst the Works of the Flesh tho' they are Sins that have their residence in the Mind only So that the whole Man as he is by Nature and all the Faculties of his Soul as well as Body as they are unregenerate and till they are sanctify'd by the Spirit and Grace of God come under this one Title of the Flesh But 2. The Flesh is the whole Man not as he was Created by God but as he is now in the State of Corrupted Nature II. The whole Man not as Created by God but as he is now in the State of Corrupted Nature No Humane Nature as it came out of God's Hands was of another Frame and Constitution to what it appears to be now in its Natural State and Condition God made Man upright but he sought out many Inventions Eccl. 7.24 He has found out many ways to crook and bend down towards the Earth that Upright Nature which God once gave him 3. Then the Flesh is the whole Vnregenerate Nature of Man as it is spoil'd as to its Original Frame and Constitution and as it is inordinately converted in all the Tendencies of Soul and Body and of all the Faculties and Powers thereof towards the Creature III. As spoil'd in his Original Frame and Constitution as despoil'd of the Image of God and as inordinately tending towards the Creature In order to the more perfect Understanding of which Matter we must in the first place enquire what was the Original Frame and Constitution of Man In what the Image of God wherein he was created at first consisted and how that in all the Faculties and Powers of Soul and Body his whole Bent and Inclinations were originally Heavenward for by thus comparing the upright Nature of Man as it was at first Created with what it now is in this State of Corruption we shall be able clearly to apprehend what is meant by the Flesh the important Subject of our present Enquiry And now as to the Original Frame and Constitution of our Nature wherein God made us it seems to have been this The Original Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature what He gave Man a Faculty of Understanding whereby he could Contemplate upon and Know in an Extraordinary measure the wonderful Nature and Perfections of his Creator His amazing Works of Creation His surprizing Works of Providence and thereby was able to discover the Good and Evil in any Objects that were presented to him Next he plac'd in his Bosom another wonderful Faculty called Conscience which is the practical Judgment in every Man whereby his own Mind
of a fleshly Appetite with such Meats and Drinks as are Unlawful in respect of their Quality It does infinitely become Christians utterly to Renounce that sinful Epicurism which seems to study nothing so much as by new invented Dishes to Fare deliciously every Day Christians should relish better things than these and are not therefore thus to make Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Nor Secondly II. As they desire 'em in Immoderate Measures must we Christians gratify the Cravings of our Appetites in Eating and Drinking but we must indeed take heed to our selves least at any time our Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and so the Day come upon us unawares Luk. 21.34 But above all Lastly It behoves Christians to Renounce those which are peculiarly call'd the Lusts of the Flesh whether it be 1. The Lusting after strange Women the Neighing after the Neighbour's Wife as the Prophet expresses it Or 2. Even that Immoderation practiced by many in the Married State there being a Chastity and Modesty which ought to be preserv'd even in Wedlock it self which the Carnal part of Mankind may perhaps but little think of And indeed this Renouncing of these Fleshly Lusts of Concupiscence is perhaps what the Composers of our Catechism as taking the Form of Renunciation from the Ancient Baptismal Vow did particularly intend for as the Gentiles did scarcely make any account of Fornication nor think it an Irregularity and Vice so the Scripture and the first Christians did particularly lay it upon all that should take upon 'em the Christian Name and Profession to Renounce those kind of Sinful Lusts But Fornication and all Vncleanness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints for this know you that no Whoremonger nor Vnclean Person hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Eph. 5.4 5. And thus I have fully considered these several Faculties and Powers both of Soul and Body as they are so many Sinful Lusts of the Flesh moving downwards from God and Heavenly Things Immoderately towards the Creature II. And now I come to consider some of 'em viz. The Affections Lastly The Inferiour and Bodily Powers viz. The Affections Lusts and Appetites to be Renounc'd as they Rebel against Right Reason Lusts and Appetites as so many Sinful Lusts of the Flesh under another Notion and that is as they do disorderly Rebel against the Superior Faculty of the Vnderstanding and Reason and do carry the Will into Slavery to 'em and to shew how they must be Renounc'd upon that account also What the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature originally was and how it is now broken I have already shew'd you as also how that instead of the Harmonious Subordination of the Inferiour Faculties to the Superiour that the Affections Lusts and Appetites do absolutely Reign and that Reason and Conscience are in the Unregenerate drag'd into miserable Slavery And now I am only to shew you that it is the proper Business and Employment of Religion to Reduce Man as far as is possible in this State of Weakness and Infirmity to his Primitive State of Innocence and Integrity The Business of Religion is to reduce Man as near as possible to his primitive State of Innocence and Integrity to rescue him out of Slavery to restore him to himself to put Right Reason and Religion again into the Throne and to subject his Affections and Passions his Lusts and Appetites and every inordinate Inclination within him to the Dictates and Laws thereof refusing to Gratify any of those in any thing that is Sinful and Unlawful This is to wrestle against Flesh and Blood And thus we must wrestle till we overcome and bring it under into an Entire Subjection to Right Reason as ever we expect to be Friends of God or ever hope to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven There is nothing more plain in Scripture than the utter Inconsistency of a carnal Temper and Disposition to a State of Grace and Reconciliation with God The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so that to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Rom. 8.6 7. and therefore let me add with the same Apostle ver 12 13 14. Brethren we are Debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if you through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and so Heirs of Eternal Life so necessary it is as ever we expect the Favour of God and future Happiness to subdue the Flesh and all its Lusts and Appetites its Passions and Affections all our fond and foolish Imaginations and false Prejudices and whatever else within us which savours of Carnality to the Power and Conduct of Right Reason enlightned by the Word and Spirit of God To this purpose of keeping under our fleshly Lusts it was that our Reason was given us And to this purpose it is that our Reason was given us That Excellent and Divine Faculty was not certainly bestowed upon us to such Vile and Base Purposes as to purvey for a filthy Carcass which shall consume e're long in Stench and Rottenness but to nobler and better Purposes you may be sure viz. to Govern and Manage the Animal part of us our Flesh and to render it serviceable and useful to Reason and Religion The best Philosophers amongst the Heathens the Platonists do call the Mind that Divine Part of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Charióteer and compare it to a Rider and the Body or Flesh and all its Troop of Affections or Passions of Lusts and Appetites they compare to so many rude and wild Horses that must be Manag'd and Tam'd and kept in good order and render'd Serviceable and Useful to the Mind and Reason Now so it is as a Well-order'd and Manag'd Horse may sometimes stumble and start aside tho' his Rider keep a very strait Rein and a wary hand upon him So in this corrupt and depraved State of our Natures our Fleshly Lusts will sometimes at least-wise even in the most Regenerate have some small Tendencies some imperfect Velleities and Wouldings towards Evil Things But if we shall take due care to keep so watchful an Eye and wary an Hand over 'em as presently so soon as we perceive any evil Motion and Tendency to curb and restrain it and not willingly nor wilfully to indulge any Evil Inclination we shall by the Gracious Acceptance and Favour of God be accounted good Managers of that hard Province the Renouncing or Subduing of our Fleshly Lusts If in the general course of our Lives we act like Men endow'd with Reason and Grace we shall be pardon'd all our Unwilling and Unavoidable Infirmities III.
full Extent thereof This will be more properly done in another Place when we come in the latter part of the Catechism to explain the Lord's Prayer For as our most Excellent Catechism does observe this most useful Method in your Instruction to teach you first in general the Terms and Conditions of your Covenant and all things relating to it and then to descend to a more particular Consideration of the same Points So we cannot do better than to follow the same Method in the Explication of these Points All that I shall therefore do at present shall be I. To shew you what is meant by praying unto God II. To lay before you how effectual a Means of performing your Covenant praying unto God will be not only as it will morally dispose nay naturally enforce and lay a necessity upon you to be faithful therein but as it will certainly procure you the Divine Assistance And First The full Meaning of Prayer I am to shew you in a few Words what is meant by praying unto God And by Prayer I do not here mean in the strictest sence of the Words our Petitions only to Almighty God wherein we do implore his Goodness to bestow upon us through Christ what he knows to be best both for our Bodies and Souls This indeed is the most proper and immediate sence of the Words and the sence that is most directly here intended But however in the largest sence of the Word I do also mean by Praying all that Application we make to the Divine Majesty when either by confessing our Sins unto him we own our selves to deserve his utmost Wrath and the severest Punishments or by petitioning of him we entreat his Forgiveness of the same and that he will strengthen us with his Grace to do better for the future or when by interceding for others we intreat the like Favour of God for them in the Forgiveness of their Sins and in the Preservation of their Innocence or lastly when we return him Thanks for whatever Mercies we or others have receiv'd at his hands All these are so many Parts of that General Duty of Prayer and in whichsoever of these Acts of Devotion we apply and address our selves to God we are said to pray as appears in the Instance of the Pharisee and Publican both which are said to have gone up into the Temple to pray Luk. 18.10 as well the proud Pharisee who uttered only his Thanks to God that he was not as had as other Men were as the honest Publican who pour'd out his Soul to God in an humble Confession of his own Vileness and in an earnest Petition that God would be merciful to him a Sinner Thus you see what is meant by praying unto God and that all the Parts and Acts of Devotion are therein included though principally and more directly by praying unto God is to be understood here our petitioning his Grace and Assistance Praâ—er a most effectual Means of performing our Covenant Secondly And I am now to shew you how effectual a Means of performing your Covenant praying unto God will be not only as it will morally dispose nay and naturally enforce and lay a necessity a restraint upon you to be faithful therein but as it will certainly procure for you the Divine Assistance 1. As it morally disposes us to be obedient unto God And 1. I say that Prayer will be a very effectual Means to enable you to perform the Covenant of Grace though we consider how far it morally disposes us to Vertue and Goodness In Prayer we draw near to God we approach the Divine Presence we hold Communion with him And those who consider that thus they do in Prayer how can they think of not quitting their Sins which render them so odious so hateful to God into whose Presence no impure thing must presume to enter It is observable what a mighty Influence it will have upon a Man to be often in the Company of one whom the Spirit of God has greatly sanctify'd into whose Soul the Divine Image is manifestly restored and who is more than ordinarily eminent for his Piety Sobriety Humility Justice and Charity The shining Graces and Vertues of such a Person will strike an awful Respect and Veneration into the Hearts of all that come near him so that they dare not offer at nor so much as think of any wicked unjust unchast or other villainous Action in his Presence and when gone from him there is scarcely any so reprobate but will carry off some good Dispositions to the like Vertues so eminent in that Person And how then can any appear before God who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity and not be put into the most holy Frame and Temper of Mind It is but to be frequent with God in Prayer and it would insensibly mould us into a like Heavenly Temper and Frame of Spirit and at length work in us a Divine Nature 2 As it natuâ—ally enforces us to be faithful to him Nay 2. constant Prayer will more than dispose us it will naturally inforce us to be faithful with God I mean it is a Duty of that Nature that it is scarcely to be imagin'd how any one should persevere in Prayer and yet persevere withal to violate his Covenant with God For why If I regard Iniquity in my heart that is if I do not repent of it and turn away from it the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 Nay the Wise Man tells us that he who turns away his Ear from hearing the Law that his Prayer shall be even an Abomination to the Lord Prov. 28.9 So that whilst a Man continues impenitent his Prayers instead of appeasing will but the more inflame the Wrath of God against him And good reason why for consider all the Parts of Prayer and you will find they are but meer Mockery out of the unhallowed Mouths of Impenitent Sinners for what less than the vilest Mockery can it be for any one whilst he allows himself in any Wickedness to come gravely into God's Presence and there confess before him that he has offended against his Holy Laws that he has left undone those things which he ought to have done and that he has done those things which he ought not to have done and yet notwithstanding all this designs no otherwise than to offend him in like manner again And how impudently it is to affront God to the Face for any impenitent Wretch to put up such Petitions as these But do thou O Lord notwithstanding I have sinn'd and will continue yet to sin for this is the true Import of a wicked Man's Prayers neither more nor less have Mercy upon me a miserable Offender And tho' he is far from repenting yet to say Spare thou me that confess my Faults Restore thou me that am penitent And again with what Confidence can wicked Christians pretend to interceed with God for his Favours to Jews Turks Infidels
we our selves are duly qualified with Tempers and Dispositions to approach unto the Throne of Grace and provided also that the Matter of our Prayer be acceptable to God But as to his Grace and Assistance to enable us to serve and obey him we may be sure of never failing in such our Petitions And therefore you may be particularly assur'd that the Prayers of the Fathers of the Church accompany'd with laying on of Hands to which there is a particular Promise of a gracious Answer will not return empty when in their Confirmation of those amongst you who come with sincere Intentions to perform their Covenant they shall pray unto God to increase in you the manifold Gifts of Grace the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding the Spirit of Wisdom and Ghostly Strength the Spirit of Knowledge and True Godliness and to fill you with the Spirit of Holy Fear now and for ever Which and all your Prayers that they may be successful may God Almighty grant of his Infinite Goodness through Jesus Christ our Lord. FINIS THE XXVIII Lecture And by God's Help so I will And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Live's End IN the discoursing of those Means whereby we shall perform the Covenant we have enter'd into with God having First shew'd you that to put on a firm and fix'd Resolution faithfully to discharge the same will be a great means towards the performance of it Secondly I am now to shew you that it must be a Resolution took up not in Confidence of our own Strength but of God's Grace and Assistance And by God's Help so I will In order to make which appear 1. I will briefly represent how great our own natural Weakness is And in what necessity we do therefore stand of God's Grace and Assistance to enable us to overcome the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and to perform our Covenant with God 2. I will then shew you what Measures of Divine Assistance proportionably to such our Necessity God will bestow upon us The whole Nature of Man deprav'd And First Let us take a View of our own Natural Weakness so as to see in what necessity we do stand of God's Grace and Assistance to enable us to overcome the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and to perform our Covenant with God And here we are to reflect that ever since the Fall of our first Parents when they did break their Covenant with God and lost their Innocence by eating of the Forbidden Fruit and did thereby forfeit the perfect Light and Strength wherewith God had endow'd 'em at the Creation and had deposited with 'em as a sacred Treasury for them and their Posterity Ever since that fatal Forfeiture then made it must be confess'd that our whole Nature is corrupted and all the Powers and Faculties of our Souls and Bodies are so depraved that every thing within us inclines us to yield to Temptations and to sin against and to disobey our God The Ligâ—t of our Vnderstanding Vnderstandingâ— is ever since become very dim to discern the Beauty of Holiness of Religion and of Spiritual Things The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness to him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discern'd 1 Cor. 2.14 Our Wills Wills they also are naturally crooked and perverse and altogether for chusing what pleases our Appetites and our Senses and are very backward to Religion and Goodness Our Affections Affections run with so strong a Biass towards Worldly Things that we cannot easily set our Affections on Things above as the Apostle commands us but on Things on Earth And lastly our Lusts and Appetites Lusts and Appetites are naturally very evil and carry us out to please our Senses in direct opposition to the Laws of God and the Dictates of right Reason Thus is our whole Nature corrupt and every Power and Faculty thereof does incline us to yield to the Temptations of the World the Flesh and Devil and so to sin against our God and to break our Covenant with him In a word the Temptations of all sorts which we do often meet with to draw us into Sin are mighty and the Duties we are to perform in opposition to 'em all are many and sometimes very difficult and our own natural Strength whereby we should do all this is very weak We see as the Apostle words it Rom. 7.23 A Law in our Members warring against the Law of our Minds and bringing us into Captivity to the Law of Sin which is in our Members So that if we consider our selves as we are in our natural State we have reason to bewail our Condition in the following Words of the Apostle O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin Verse 24. But however Christ haâ— purchac'd sufficient Grace to renew 〈◊〉 throughout notwithstanding this our Natural Corruption and Weakness we have reason to take Courage and with the same Apostle V. 25. to thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For our Blessed Saviour with the Price of his most Precious Blood amongst other high Benefits has purchac'd that excellent Gift of sufficient Grace and Assistance for all that enter into the Covenant with him to enable them to perform the Conditions of it And as he has purchac'd it so he does convey it to the Hearts of all such to enable them to renounce and overcome the World the Flesh and the Devil to believe in God and to obey him So that though we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves yet we have Sufficiency of God to enable us both to think and to do what is good 2 Cor. 3.5 And indeed we can do all things required of us through Christ that strengthens us Phil. 4.13 And this brings me to my Second Proposal Which was to shew you what the Divine Assistance is What the Divine Assistance is and what Measures of it Proportionably to such our Necessity God will bestow upon us to enable us to perform our Covenant with him And as to the Grace and Assistance of God by it I do mean something over and above that Reason and Perswasiveness there is in the Gospel it self to work a Change in us whereby on the one hand by the proposal of infinite Rewards to Well-doing on the other hand by the threatning of fearful Punishments to wicked Living the Gospel is apt of it self to prevail upon us and to change our Natures But by the Grace and Assistance of God I do mean I say something over and above this viz. A secret Power and Efficacy of the Divine Spirit accompanying the Word into the Mind and Will by means whereof the Gospel does the more readily and effectually work upon both to the Renewing of 'em and to the restoring of the