could not have saved one Soul 1 Cor. 15.13 14. 6. This Christ forty days after his Resurrection Ascended into Heaven as Enoch and Elias his Types fore-shewed And this in the view of his Disciples * A Jury of Witnesses He sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty that is He becomes next to God in Dignity Power and Glory And under God doth Administer all things Sitting notes Security Rest and honourable Dominion 7. This Christ shall thence come to Judge the Quick and the Dead All alive at the Last day and all before that time Dead True God as God in that day is Judge Supreme Christ Mediator is Judge Delegate and Constitute that pronounceth Sentence And his very Saints are Judges by Assession and Approbation of his Sentence It must not be forgot that He judgeth every of us when we Die. Tho' not all of Vs together nor with Execution of all his Judgment upon our Souls and Bodies till the Last day 8. The third Person of the Godhead is named Holy and Ghost Ghost signifies Breath or Spirit This glorious Person bears this name with a specialty as being eternally and inconceivably Spirated or Breathed forth from the Father and Son. And is in like sort styled Holy as being by Office the Worker of all renewed Holiness in fallen Man. 9. This Father Son and Spirit have an Holy Catholick Church A Church or Christian Society called forth of the Heathen and Jewish world by God's Word and Spirit After mention of the holy Ghost the Church is mentioned in our Creed as a Work of the Holy Ghost Catholick 't is called or Universal because the New Testament Church consists of folk of all Nations And is not as the Jewish Church was confined unto one Nation It comprehends all the Christians of all Ages past present and future in the World which are indeed but one Body Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. Holy it 's said to be as having 1. Christ it 's Head Holy. 2. The blessed Spirit it 's Indweller Holy. 3. The Gospel it 's Rule Holy. 4. All that are truly of it are truly tho imperfectly Holy. 5. Their Ministers Office is Holy. 6. Their Worship as Gods Ordinance is Holy. 7. All Baptized members are Sacramentally Holy tho' not Spiritually Bound to the Gospel tho' they do not really Obey it 10. The Communion of Saints is the Effect of the Holy Spirits Sanctifying of them and the End of Church Relation Saints are people Separated from Unclean and Common conversation Carried by the virtue of infused grace unto the Fear Love and Service of God in Christ Communion supposeth such Union as is between the Members of the Body This said Communion consists 1. In their common holy Friendship with Father Son and Spirit 2. In their mutual Love of one another as themselves 3. In their Care and just Labour for each others welfare 4. In their joyning with one Heart and Soul in God's publick Worship by Christ ordained And The Saints of this Communion have the Forgiveness of their Sins God for the Satisfaction and Merit of Christ's Obedience and Intercession Pronounceth them Acquitted And actually Delivereth them from the Execution of their sin's deserts God may be said to Punish them for their sins but not to punish them with the punishment of their Sins 'T is for their good that God ever Chastens them 11. These Saints must also hereafter have the Resurrection of their Bodies And by consequence have Immortal Souls For otherwise of what use wou'd the Bodies be All Objections against this said Resurrection be vain Being it's so brightly reveal'd in Scripture Cavillers do not Know the Scriptures or the Power of God. 12. Life everlasting is the portion of these Saints foresaid By Life understand all good And by Everlastingness perfect Duration without Change or End. By consequence we may determine that Sinners dying in their sins shall have the contrary Everlasting Death All Evil without an End of any Seems it strange that the Reward of short and slender Obedience should be so Immense and Everlasting And the Punishment of finite Creatures sin in a few years committed should be of such Extremity and to all Eternity The Wonder vanishes if thou but consider the greatness of the God who ordereth the Punishment and the Reward A great God doth all things great and like Himself His Rewards must be great and his Punishments great They would otherwise be a Reproach unto Him. Amen is here as much as to say I do verily Believe these things upon Divine Revelation tho' they exceed the reach of my Sense and my Reason Lords Prayer Truths eight 1. There is a God eternal unto whom we may and ought to Repair for the Supply of all our wants Even as a Child unto his Father For tho' He be in Heaven that is be of incomprehensible Perfection and cannot without a vast condescention regard and affect the best of creatures yet He is by Creation Father And by Redemption in Christ 'T is Sin for the worst of Sinners alive to say God redeemed not me He is the Father of penitent Believers by Regeneration and Adoption also Bare wants do not destroy men 'T is neglect of right Repair unto the Lord that is a Father a Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Father that can and doth undo the World. 2. Exaltation of God's Name and Subjection unto his Authority and Obedience unto his Will and Precept are the chief End of Man. For these He Made us And for these He Redeem'd us For these by his Word and Spirit He Calls us For these we live Yet unto all and each of these are all men insufficient For Will. Skill and Power unto these all men the best the worst and middle sort all are to Pray unto Him. I and in the very first place to Pray 3. Bread or the necessaries of this Life and Pardon of Sin and Preventive Grace restraining from Sin are the Means unto that foresaid End. To the Exaltation Subjection and Obedience aforesaid For other Ends only or chiefly they may not be desired or prayed for 'T is Self-Idolatry to desire one bit of Bread or the Pardon of one Sin or the repulse of one Temptation either singularly or principally for our own Ends. To wit that our Bodies may not suffer or our Souls and Bodies suffer or our Names and Estates suffer But for the formentioned Ends they must be Desired And more they must be Prayed for Begged with all humble Importunity We are infinitely unworthy of them Our Prayers deserve not God's bestowing them But our Prayer is the only way in which God warrants our expectation of them And in which He gives ground to expect them without doubting There is a kind of Omnipotency which Holy Prayer is honoured with by Free Grace 4. Conservation of our Beings is the first of our Personal wants Pardon of Sin is the second Deliverance from Temptation and Sin is the third Reader mark this
was a Murderer from the beginning He slew Adam by the first sin And slew all mankind in that first Adam Spiritually considered we are all Dead born Dead in sin and Dead for it Dead in respect of Corruption Dead in respect of Condemnation Condemnation to the Prison of Hell to the Torment of Fire to the Duration of Eternity But God hath so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son to redeem us from so great a Death John 3.16 He desires not our Death to be Continued and Ruin to be Compleated He reveals Jesus Christ the way from Death to Life He Commands and He even Beseeches us to take Him for our Way thereto If you ask by what Steps I have told you in my Call to Sinners by three Steps Namely by Conviction by Compunction or Humiliation and by Vnion unto Christ Which Steps if you take aright I am content to Lose Heaven if you do not Find it Indeed unassistedly no man can take them Whatever is a Creature hath no Power but what is Given from God and Kept by Him. But Man a faln Creature until he be by grace raised again is without strength unto that we speak of Rom. 5.6 Knowledge Will and Power hereto are all the Gifts of God's Love and the Purchases of his Son's Blood and the Works of his Holy Spirits Almightiness That Holy Spirit who constantly worketh by the Holy Word Who wrought not Christ's victory over Satan without the use of the Word And will not without it work our Victory over him Mat. 4. Possible it is And Necessary it is for all that take this way to Life aforesaid to Ensure their so doing 2 Pet. 1.10 Psal 50. ult c. Uncertainty about it is the Effect of sin God doth not ordinarily if ever with-hold Assurance from his Children but upon Provocation To wit by Indulged Lusts by Unexercised Graces by Omitted Duties by Slighted Ordinances And to be sure Uncertainty is then it self a sin when 't is meritoriously procured by sin The eyes are very blind that see not how fruitful a Cause of sin it is And as hard are the hearts that dread it not as a sin an Effect of sin and a Cause of sin I grant that all Assurance attainable on Earth is Imperfect But by the Romanists leave that which is attainable is both True Proper and Powerful True and Proper as built upon proper and eternally true Grounds for it Powerful as operative of Peace and Joy in our selves and Holiness and Thanksgiving unto God. Nevertheless 't is very long before most of God's Children know their Father And cease from tormenting fear that Satan is he In the first Conversion of the Gentile world unto Christ it was not so The Holy Spirit did then for the most part Witness grace wheresoever He did work it in any Nay to go no farther back Our old English Puritans of sweetest Memory had Assurance more plenty among them than 't is seen in our day Nor wanted they our Light so much as we want their Heat Horresco referens Unacquaintedness with the Covenant of grace breeds every where groundless Hopes and as unreasonable Fears I speak as I find With some of our people every shadow of Turning goes for substantial Conversion And with others that which is right substantial Conversion goes for but a shadow of Turning Of Turning from Death to Life With fear and trembling I assay therefore to resolve this Question Plainly that I may be understood Briefly that I may be remembred Fully that my End may be attained in making Sinners ashamed of their Peace and Good men ashamed of their Trouble If my Method be new my Doctrine is not I do go forth by the foot-steps of Christ's flock praying that this Paper be made successful by his Holy Spirit That Change after which we enquire appears a five-fold one Namely of Spirit Covenant Qualities Conversation and Company C. 1. Of SPIRIT Man is an Embodied Spirit His Body is we know not how Indwelt and Actuated by his Spirit His Spirit tho' it be a Free Agent is in as unaccountable a way Indwelt and Influenced by some other Spirit In our Created state the Holy Spirit was in us and swayed us Now in our Corrupted state 't is Satan that is in us and leads us 'T is certain that by the First Transgression we forfeited and lost the foresaid Sanctifier And deserved to be given up and were given up to the last named Tempter Satan is now called the God of this World. And He that is in the World 1 John 4.4 The Prince that works in the Children of Disobedience Ephes 2.3 * Works energetically And like as Fire in Iron worketh converting it into a huge likeness unto its own Nature And such Children are named persons not having the Spirit to wit the Holy One Jude ver 19. But in our Renewed state there 's a change of the Actuating Spirit Satan is deposed and cast out Acts 26.18 2 Tim. 2.26 The Holy Spirit is Sent Given Administred Put into us Poured out on us Comes on us Rests on us Leads us Is said to be He that is in Believers 1 Joh. 4.4 Yea and to be great in them That is in them to be mighty and victorious over the assaulting impure Spirit Looks he then like a Soul passed from Death to Life in whom there 's no such change of the ruling Spirit I trow not Nor can it be said because these Spirits forenamed be both Invisible therefore the change of them is hardly Discernable Let these plain things be considered They are infinitely Vnlike ones Yea perfectly Contrary unto each other They are also most Active both of them Satan always worketh to the utmost of his Power the Holy Spirit works according to his Will and Pleasure But both do work continually and strongly Nor are their Natures so Invisible but that their Operations are as much Sensible Satan carries unto evil and so does the H. Ghost carry unto good Of all things Satan averteth and turns away Souls from Jesus Christ from his Person and Gospel And of all things the Holy Ghost carrieth Souls unto the Study and Acceptation of both His great work is to Receive of Christ's and shew it unto us John 16.14 His first work is to convince as of Sin in general so principally of the Sin of Vnbelief on Christ Of its being the only Sin that does keep men in all Sin. To convince us also of the Righteousness of Christ its Perfection in it self its Communicableness unto us and its Acceptableness with God. Of its being the only that God will accept whatever men conceit of Natural Righteousness or of Legal To convince likewise of the Conquest of Christ over all his and our Enemies His having Subjugated Satan as well as Satisfied God Joh. 16.9 10 11. But I forbear See his twelve Convictions in my Call unto Sinners together with his Humiliation-work and Vnion-work Having United us unto Christ
Father 'T is another Covenant that Christ is Mediator of Heb. 8.6 If I am under this Covenant the least sin tho' I shed a Sea of bloody tears for it is as unpardonable as the very sin against the Holy Ghost Yea and my Service should I keep all the whole Law save in one point would be utterly contemned And all this justly too Because if under this Covenant I abide 't is of my Ignorance my Pride and Enmity unto God and Christ that I do abide so Rom. 10.3 I am Taught better in the Gospel the Righteousness of God is Revealed I am offered better the Gospel invites me from under the Law to Grace From the Covenant that works wrath to that which is all Salvation And my being under the deadly Covenant is by my own very Desire Gal. 4.21 The Fruits must shew it if I am under it And they are plainly these Bondage and Fear in ones spirit a Fear keeping out the Love of God and the very desire to Love Him. Outsideness in Religious Duties Care abundance about the outside of the Platter none or next to none about the purity of the inner man and the Intentions of the heart Vndependency on Jesus Christ in things pertaining unto God. For both Assistance by his Spirit and Acceptance thro' his Blood a fatal Undependency Servility souring and embittering all Duty Rendring Religion a task and burthen and all God's homage as arrant Brick and Bondage Do these grapes of Sodom cover my Tree The Axe of vengeance is then near my root If on the other hand I am not under the Law but Grace If with me God hath made the better Covenant what then the blessing of Abraham is come upon me Gal. 3.14 Reconciliation Justification Adoption are my own I am interested in all the Blessings of this best Covenant as well as bound unto all the Duties God is then my Reconciled God and Engaged by Promise to exert for my good all his Perfections I will be unto them a God Heb. 8.10 Joyntly All and distinctly Every of the three Divine Persons have thus Engaged So proves the form of Baptism into the name of All and Each of them as also the Communion which God's New-Covenant Servants do hold with All and Each Person Pardoning Grace and Purifying are expresly made over to me Heb. 12.8 10. So is the Crown of Glory 2 Tim. 4.8 So is Food and Rayment 1 Tim. 4.8 So are Blessings for my Children Gen. 17.7 I and I have this hyperbolically kind and sweetest Word of God to live on sc Luke 15.31 ALL THAT I HAVE IS THINE A word which if I once prove my interest in let them be poor and sad that can I cannot But still I remember they are Fruits that make known Roots And the fruits of Souls that have so much for the better changed Covenants are these They Remember their slavery It runs in their minds how the Covenant of Works since the Fall made them Vassals How they were Adam's Children as soon as their Souls Bodies were united in the womb And no sooner Adam's Children but under Adam's Covenant Nor sooner under his Covenant but under his Curse too They consider much their Translation out of it Their Eye and their Heart is upon the Father that said to Son and Spirit Come let us redeem Man Upon the Son that said Lo I come to do thy Will Upon the Glorious Spirit that said unto their most unwilling Souls once Kiss this Son Bid them yea and Made them willing Upon the sweet Change also that followed that willingness and actual Marriage-Union to Christ God no more looking on a poor Soul as the first but as the second Adam's Child No more Condemning however Chastising No more Abhorring his Services notwithstanding millions of unallowed and lamented Imperfections c. They joy in the Lord and rejoyce in the God of their Salvation Or Labour so to do and Lament that they cannot If no other they sing blessed Gataker's Song I Thirst for Thirstiness I weep for Tears Well-pleas'd I am to be Displeased thus The only thing I Fear is want of Fears Suspecting I am not suspitious I cannot chuse but Live because I Die And when I am not Dead how glad am I Yet when I am thus glad for sense of Pain And careful am lest Careless I should be Then do I grieve for being glad again And fear lest Carelesness take Care from me Amidst these restless thoughts this rest I find For those that Rest not here ther 's Rest behind Their highest ambition is to Rejoyce in Christ Jesus To Glory in Him. They Love God's Law and Trust his Son. They Love his Law and have respect to every Command and strive after Perfection and abound in all Duty But they Trust not in any works of their own Doing all they cry for Christ's Spirit for Strength Having done all they cry for Christ's Blood for making it Acceptable They still know themselves Servants unprofitable Is it thus with thee O my Soul then Return to thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee If thou wear any Phylactery let this be the Scripture All the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as keep his COVENANT Psal 25. C. 3. Of QUALITIES Look as where the Spirit is Changed the Covenant must needs be Changed so where the Covenant is Chang'd the Qualities of a Man must also be Changed These are mysterious things And by many names men go about to explain them But they are most if not only made known by their Effects Conceive we of them as the Springs Seeds and Roots of our Thoughts Words and Works And the things by which we are therefore denominated Holy or Sinful They be the Treasure that 's in a Soul. A Treasure for abundance and for belovedness Every man hath abundance of Moral Qualities and all are dear unto him precious in his Eyes And as this Treasure is good or evil our Saviour denominates the man good of evil Matth. 12.35 In our first Creation the concreated Qualities were surely good and entirely so God endued all our Natural Powers with all good and towardly Qualifications Qualities and Dispositions for prompt and constant Duty were inlaid in our Mind Will yea and Sensitive part Our several Powers and Faculties do depend much on each other for action The Practick upon the Affective Powers and they on the Intellectual ones or our Understanding Powers But all were made Vpright that is with springs of goodness in them apt to move as they ought towards each other within and toward Objects without Eccles 7.29 But the first Sin brake those Springs expelled those good Qualities introduced contrary ones In a Subject capable of two contraries as of Light and Darkness there will be one Man is capable of holy Qualities and sinful The Sin that drave out the first therefore could not but bring in the latter And set springs of evil in us apt to make motions
THREE QUESTIONS Resolved briefly and plainly VIZ. What Conceptions ought we to have of the blessed God What are those Truths whereof the Knowledge appeareth most indispensibly necessary unto our Salvation and therefore to be first and most Learnt by us What is the Change wrought in a Man by God's H. Word and Spirit before he can safely conclude himself pass'd from Death to Life Being the Summ of three Sermons By Daniel Burgess John 21.15 Jesus saith unto him Feed my Lambs i. e. Souls even the Lowest 1 Cor. 3.2 I have fed you with Milk and not with Meat i. e. Doctrine fit for weaklings not folk of strong understanding LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside and Robert Gibbs at the Golden Ball in Chancery-Lane 1688. TO THE Congregation under my Care. IT is said my Brethren that whatever Affections be in the Middle they have two sharp Ends. Our first Love has been as Zealous as our first Knowledge was Wondrous I am persuaded also that when we shall be Parted it will be no less Ardent And our separation will be as that of our Limbs from each other would be May it be our Care that whiles we are Kept together by good Providence we admit no chill in that sweet and useful Grace but shew it to be a godly Love by having it like the Love of God That is Vnchangeable I have nothing for you Great but my Love. Next unto it is my Labour But as my Talent is slender that it self is shorter than my Desire Without your very great Affection I can expect little success of my Preaching or Writing Thereby I am encouraged unto both and in both as yet It is that which hath given the Imprimatur unto these Notes For tho' of the Truths of God in them I study to think most honourably yet as to any thing that is mine in them I praise God I do think very despicably And am prepared to hear it undisturbedly if others shall think so too Neither do I purpose to put you off with these Fragments But pay the whole that I am Debtor of by Promise unto you if the Lord will and I live I must beg your Patience indeed for some time Nor need I say for what Reasons being all that know me know them also You think as I do tho' on a different reason my Days on Earth will be few Be they more or less the greatest part of them shall be spent in Pains and Prayers for your Persons and Families While I am capable of either You more than any others shall have them Even Self-love bids you Pray for me and I know you have other Motives Therefore I Expect it and not Intreat it I am An Affectionate Servant of your Faith Obedience and Joy D. Burgess Q 1. What Conceptions ought we to have of God OF all Truths it is the most evident that there is a God. And of all things Knowable it is most necessary that we Know what He is This to Know perfectly is impossible An Oyster-shell cannot contain the Ocean nor a finite Mind comprehend an infinite Object 'T is only God himself can fully Know himself But He made our Minds to Know Him with a Knowledge sufficient to serve and enjoy Him. Of this we are Capable For this He vouchsafeth us means Plentiful And without this every Mother's Child must be everlastingly miserable Our Thoughts of Him are the Seed of all our Affections Words and Conversation toward Him. I and towards one another too If these be corrupt nothing is sound of all that is in us or comes from us Nor can these be Good but when they are True and agreeable unto their Rule Powerful and Answerable unto their End. The Rule of them is God's own Word in the Books of Nature and Scripture published The End of them is the Exaltation of God's Name the Subjection of us to his Authority the Actuation of us unto Obedience to his Law. When they follow this Rule and obtain this End our Conceptions of God are what they ought to be Indeed Revelation is the Measure of Faith God requires for Degree according to what He gives He giveth some an hundred-fold more advantages for Knowing Him than he bestoweth on others And He will accept an hundred-fold less from some men than others Let Ministers Rich men and such as sit under the best Ministry of the Word remember this and tremble Let the Unlearned the Poor and those that live necessitously under the worst Ministry think of this and in hope get all they are able Nevertheless be it considered by all We all have the great Volume of the World that the Heathens had and Moses and the Prophets that the Jews had and Christ and his Apostles and the Gospel-Light that they had not Yea and such Displays of it in England as the very Churches beyond the Seas have not And I wish it better observed what London has that most Countrey parts are destitute of Much is given to England very much to London And the Thoughts of Himself that God will require from us English-men and specially Londoners must be presumed to extend unto these sixteen Particulars Seven concerning his Essence Three concerning his Relations common unto all his Creatures And six concerning his Relations special unto our selves If any one seem Excusable I pray the Reader to give me his reason for that appearance If all do seem Impossible to be gotten and held in Memory I desire that it be thought as true as I can make it appear viz. that I find Children of ten years old that can perfectly and pleasantly get and retain them in their Memories And if grown people cannot so do they must take what follows such their reprobate Mind Read on ye who have Will and Power Concerning God's Essence or Nature to wit that by which He is what He is and is differenced from all other things it is to be born in Mind that 1. He is an Vncaused or Vnmade Being A Creature is a thing contrived by God's Wisdom and made out of nothing by his Power and this freely of his own Will and Choice But God is a Being that never came out of Not-being Was never Contrived by his own or any other Wisdom Never Made by his own or any other Power and Will. For a thing to be the Cause of it self is confessed by all the World to be Impossible And for a Creature or second Being to be the Cause of its God or first Being is such an absurdity as no unbewitched Mind can swallow That which is Nothing can do nothing If there was a time when God was Nothing surely at that time he could do Nothing And if so He could not make Himself As for other Causes I ask as the Apostle in another case Who hath first given to Him and it shall be recompensed Rom. 35.11 2. He is an Eternal Being A Creature is a thing that
the day of Death to the day of Judgment in the Honour put on at the day of Judgment in the complete Glory bestown after the day of general Judgment and for ever to endure Trial will best discover with how small pains and great Profit this Compendium may begotten And when gotten it is by Understanding and Memory I advise that that which follows in twelve particulars be studyed Namely three concerning GOD three concerning MAN three concerning CHRIST three concerning the APPLICATION of Christ that is saving unto us P. 1. There is one only God an Infinite Perfect and Spiritual Essence P. 2. This one God is Father Son and Spirit Distinguished into three manners of Subsistence after a way incomprehensible The Father eternally Begetting the Son Begotten the Holy Ghost Proceeding P. 3. This one God is the Maker Preserver Governour of all things by infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness P. 4. Man was made of such a Body and Soul that he was able to have attained for himself and his Posterity that eternal Life which was provided for his reward if he had stood obedient P. 5. Man thus made was Envyed and Tempted by the Devil and Yielded wilfully unto his temptation and brake the Law and Covenant of God and made himself and all his posterity cursed by God and envassalled to Sin and Satan and unable to escape the threatned Death P. 6. Man thus immiserated was Pitied by God. Who in prosecution of an eternal Counsel and Covenant of peace provided preached and offered a Saviour to him even Jesus Christ the righteous P. 7. Jesus Christ this Saviour is as to his Natures perfect God and perfect Man in one Person and as to his Offices he is both Prophet Priest and King in both his states of Humiliation and Exaltation P. 8. Jesus Christ's Humiliation in being made under the Law Obeying the Precepts and Suffering the Curse of it was deeper than was possible for any meer creature to undergo And his Exaltation in Rising from the Dead as He did Ascending up into Heaven and Having all Power in Heaven and Earth given unto Him was higher than any meer creature could possibly be exalted unto P. 9. Jesus Christ being so Exalted is Able to save to the uttermost and Willing to save Sinners the chiefest welcomes all that penitently come unto Him and mourns over all that obstinately keep away from Him. P. 10. Application of Christ that avails unto our Salvation by Him is twofold viz. such as is made by God and such as is made by our selves God applies Christ to us by his H. Spirit when by him he doth give us will and power to embrace him as offer'd in the Gospel We apply Christ unto our selves when by Faith in-worked in us we do embrace him as Prophet Priest and King Covenanting with Him as such for ever P. 11. Application of Christ so described is that which every Soul should seek pray and wait for in the use of all God's Means appointed Resting not quietly without some well-built Hopes that they have thro' grace attain'd it P. 12. Application of Christ so desirable no man may hope for out of the Means by God appointed but in the constant and diligent use of those Means no man need fear but he shall find it When Novices have gotten thus far they are more than a little advantaged to learn any of our Catechisms The Westminster Assemblies with blessed Mr. Lyes most useful Exposition or any other Yet for Reasons nameless let me say I would not have that or any other singly address'd to All Methods are imperfect saith our great Methodist But he sticks not to say What my heart thinks that the Creed Lord's Prayer Ten Commands and Doctrine of the Sacraments make the compleatest body of Truths that we can form The Rule of Faith is in the first the Rule of our Prayers in the second the Rule of our Practice in the third the great Encouragement and Engagement to Believe Pray and Live holily is set forth in the fourth I conclude therefore with such as small a Map of the World of Truths in these as some candid Hearers have not thought Vnuseful In number thirty seven Creed Truths twelve 1. There is a God that is three distinct Persons whose Revelations of himself are to be Credited his Promises to be Relied on his Demands from us Consented unto heartily and practically And the First Person of these three First in Order tho' not in Time of Being and Working is named the Father Father of All things by Creation of his Church by Adoption of his Christ by Generation in time as he was Man and by Generation eternal and inconceivable as He is God. Father Almighty as to Right to do whatever He pleaseth and as to Strength wherewith to do it And Maker of Heaven and Earth that is of all things Of the University of Beings 2. The Second Person of the Godhead is as to Office Jesus a Saviour from Sin by Price by Prayer and by Power As to his Authority He is Christ set apart by God Qualified and Commissioned to be a saving Prophet Priest and King. As to his Essence and Relation to God the Father He is His Only Son to wit by Eternal Natural Inconceivable generation As to His Supremacy and Honour He is our Lord to wit by Natural right as He is God and by Delegated right as he is the Lord to whom all Dominion is given upon a double consideration That is of the Price wherewith He bought it from God and of the Victory whereby He gain'd it all from Creatures 3. This Christ as Man was without humane Father Conceived that is Prepared by the H. Ghost who first extraordinarily sanctified a portion of the Virgin-Mother's Flesh and Blood and then Made thereof his sinless Body Born He was of that Virgin Mary according to the Prophecy Isa 7.14 Mary a Princess by Extraction from King David and Father Abraham tho' of condition poor and espoused to a mean Artificer Mary an holy creature and humble Yet never called Mother by our Saviour Himself nor ever made a Goddess by his Order 4. This Christ Suffered from God Men and Devils in Soul Body Rayment Name and Friends Vnder Pontius Pilate that is in the Time of his Presidency under Tiberius Caesar Was Crucified a manner of death by the Romans used and by God especially Cursed Dead Buried and Descended into Hell that is His Soul and Body were separated from each other tho' neither of them were separated from the Godhead at all His Body agreeably to Moses Law but contrary to the Roman was the same day Buried And for part of three days about thirty eight or forty hours it abode apart from his Soul. 5. The third day after his Death He rose again from the Dead By his Father's power Rom. 6.4 By his own power John 2.19 by the Holy Spirit 's power 1 Pet. 3.18 By the One power of all the Divine Persons Else He
no doubt but he Actuates us for Him. So the Apostle Rom. 8. But that falls under consideration elsewhere To conclude this particular Let the Enquiring Christian thus argue Christ is mine before Life is mine Christ and his Spirit are always given together If his Holy Spirit be put into me Satan is deposed The Holy Spirit and the Unclean cannot reign together By the Temper of my Heart and Ways toward Christ especially it 's not hard to know whether he be expelled or still hold the Throne in my Soul. These I will diligently watch And examine whose Superscription they bear whether the H. Advocate 's or the Enemy's Enemies lead to Death Advocates to Life By my Guide I will judge of my Way and End. And Him I will account to be my Guide whom I do ordinarily and allowedly and most desirously follow whether it be the Holy Ghost or the contrary Spirit If I find that it 's but now and then when terrors force it that I disgust Satan's suggestions or relish the Holy Spirit 's that deliberately and freely I use to embrace Satan's and reject His that set aside the next World's accounts I should desire rather that Satan led me in a Sensual Life than the Holy Ghost in an Evangelical I will tell my Soul and all that is within me plainly as John 5.42 I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you On the contrary if I find all and discern that tho' I have been a Cage to the uncleanest Bird yet I am by grace turn'd into a Temple of the Holy Ghost that the very self-same Spirit that dwelt in Christ dwells in me that as little as yet I know He 's daily a Teaching me as Forgetful as I am He brings daily the things of my peace unto my Remembrance as Dull as I am He daily by one thought or other Quickens me unto my duty so that I dare not omit it as sad and sour as I am He denies me not all Comfort but every day sweetens some Word of God or other unto me as often as I am out of Frame for Communion with God and that is too often He lets me not alone till I am in again and am Restored If thus I find I will conclude there cannot but be Life where there is such a Spirit And there cannot but be the best Spirit where there be but such Operations Hereby we know that He abideth in us by the Spirit that He hath given us 1 John 3.24 C. 2. Of COVENANT God ever delighted to deal with Man in the way of Covenant He bound the first Man He made and all his Posterity in one One unexceptionable for the Promises unto us and for the Demands from us These latter were Just and Good the former Rich and Honourable But as we have heard Man Fell. Unless I shall rather say he Leapt into Sin. For wilfully he brake this Covenant of Works as we call it Yea and by the Fall so brake himself that he was never able since to do ought pleasing unto God. I mean before the Renewing grace of God give ability But this grace God never did or will dispence but in a New Covenant All He Recovereth He takes into New-Covenant relation with Himself Souls mindless of any Covenant with God mind no Religion Ezek. 16.8 none at least that God will accept Those that hang upon the Old Covenant of Works and have all their Religion run in that Channel Doing all they do with design and hope to be forgiven for the sake and merit of it the Gospel declares their mistake to be mortal They that are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse That is they that expect Life and Salvation for their own Works of the Law are every creature of them under God's Curse Gal. 3.10 They who being sensible what 't is to be out of Covenant and what to be under the Covenant of Works do enter the New Gospel-Covenant the Marriage-Covenant unto Christ they are the Souls the only ones that bring forth fruit unto God. And have Life of either Peace with Him or Holiness unto Him Rom. 7.4 Surely God never signed their Pass for Heaven who never made his Covenants the matter of many of their Thoughts A serious heart cannot but ask In what relation more than that of a Creature do I stand in unto God As a Creature I can deserve no reward whatever I do And why should I expect any If I may be a Covenanter and was so without my knowledge in my first Parents does it not now concern me to get inform'd what the Terms of that Covenant were For Covenants bind mutually and if I know not that which I am bound in I must unavoidably be false unto it If it be such as is Good for me I cannot improve it and if unto me it become by any means destructive I am not capable of preventing it If the Soveraign Lord make and offer to take me into a better Covenant how concerned am I above all things in this World to learn out the terms thereof c. But suppose the greatest study of these Covenants and the best Acquaintance with them the best that is possible to be without profound Thankfulness for the Covenant of Grace and hearty Consent thereunto what avails it Much every way indeed to mens Condemnation Knowledge of that Covenant without Consent is the most frightful symptom that I know of a Reprobate A Soul in earnest careful to know its state should in this wise debate with it self Were I under no Covenant it would be reasonable to expect Hell for my least sin For it deserves it and the Divine Justice is unquestionable It would be unreasonable if I could yield Sinless Obedience to be presumptuous of other reward than is in the yielding of it For in that is more than a Creature merits And I can make no Plea if God make no free Promise There are but two Covenants of Works and of Grace These are vastly different And so are the states of men under the one and under the other Of my state I am peremptorily resolv'd to make Judgment as I am under this or that My Hopes shall die if I appear under that of Works my Fears shall die if I appear under this of Grace For if I am under the Covenant of Works I am bound unto Duties whose Performance is by me Impossible It requires Obedience perfect and perpetual I and that upon pain of Death Gal. 3.10 11. Consequently if I am under this Covenant I am under its Curse too which is Intolerable Gen. 2.17 Dying thou shalt Die. 'T is Death indefinite that is Universal evil Temporal Spiritual Eternal Privative Negative Positive c. Besides if I am under this Works-Covenant I can have no Days-man or Mediator between God and me I must to Prison if I pay not my self the utmost Farthing This Covenant admits not Christ or any other Advocate with the offended
of Precept their God commands it on peril of never seeing his Face A necessity of Means viz. for God's Glory which they cannot spread without it for the Church's good which they cannot edifie without it for their own Walk to Heaven which they cannot make without it For tho' it be not the way of Merit 't is the way of Means A necessity of Design there is also for 't is God's End in Electing Redeeming and Calling them A necessity of Nature for as naturally and necessarily do clean Fountains send forth clean Waters as corrupt ones the contrary Add a necessity of Covenant likewise for as by Gratitude so by Covenant all are bound to have their Conversation as becomes the Gospel If these things be so the resolution of the three former Questions excuse me not a third Wo to the vain men who would cry up God's Mercy to the Reproach of Christ's Merits Or Christ's Merits to the undervaluing of Holy Faith. Or Faith to the justling out of Good Works and the making holy Conversation needless We must give unto each its proper place or Heaven will never be our place He that thinks fit to judge by God's Word and to believe that God will not Deny himself or alter his Decrees and repeal his Laws and change his Gospel to serve the turn of a sluggard he must conclude so And judge an Holy Life to be as far from Needless as it is from being Meritorious Such a man must tell himself to this purpose Hope of Reconciliation to to God is needful to my Peace in this Life And will appear so at Death But Holy Conversation is as necessary unto that Hope God promiseth not to give it to such as lead any other Nor know I how He should shew grounds for any to cry peace while their Life against Him is an open or a private War against Him. Eternal thanks be to Him I know his New Covenant will pass that Conversation for an Holy one which is far short of Legal Perfection Vnallowed sins and of meer infirmity break not peace Wilful ones and the most crimson do not raise a storm that Christ's Grace cannot Lay for true Penitents And such as by their good wills would never offend more Ready to give the World if they had it that they never more might sin Wherefore neither will I think my Conversation unholy for that which God does not so name it Nor will I ever expect he should say to me Well done good and faithful Servant if indeed by the Gospel-standard I have not done well I verily believe God will say to me hereafter Depart thou Cursed unless I Live so that He may say to this effect of me before the World Behold ye damned Angels and Men whom I have for ever abandoned No cause have you to think my ways unequal in setting this poor creature at my right hand True his Sins were not few or small Nor were his Obediences other than small and few Had they been perfect they could not have satisfied me for one sin Much less as they were short thereof Satisfaction and Merit I had from another hand His holy Qualities and Works made me none Yet do I consider his Conversation and good works as enough to distinguish him from you And to stop your mouths By them you see he is one that Obeyed my Precepts Used my appointed Means of Life Answered my End in 's Creation Walked according to the New Nature I gave him Kept sincerely and perseveringly the Covenant I sign'd and seal'd with him in my Holy Sacraments To him that ordereth aright his Conversation will I shew the salvation of the Lord Psal 50 ult If we say that we have fellowship or friendship with Him and WALK in darkness we Lye and do not the Truth i. e. We Lye practically and contradict our Professions 1 John 1.6 God will render to every man according to his works To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality Eternal Life But to them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Rom. 2.6 7 8. James 3.13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom C. 5. Of COMPANY God hath made us of a Nature craving Company as we crave Being it self Being alone is as not Being at all Our Souls must be with some Person or Thing continually And for Things no man affects any but for the sake of Persons Sinless Nature was not thought fit to be Alone Corrupt Nature is amort without corrupt Company And so is Sanctified Nature without like Company Being so very dear unto us 't is no wonder that our Company is so influential on us Yea so formative of us into its likeness as we see Good and Evil Company are both of 'em so beyond what is duly considered Worst men are somewhat bettered by good Best men are somewhat worsted by evil True while we are in the World there is a company good and ill that of necessity we some way have But there is also a Company of choice that we make And of this I chiefly speak The Efficacy of this is most wondrous So much that the Holy Spirit makes a Companion of fools the name of a hopeless Enemy of God Prov. 13.20 And intimates it to be enough to call the best Saint's sincerity in question if he walk in company needlesly with wicked men Job 34.7 8. Yea saving in order to do them good forbids us to let them be in our houses or to suffer our selves to be with them any where Psal 101.4 7. 2 Thes 3.14 15. Neither indeed is Excommunication ought that I know but a casting out of our Encouraging Society such as walk disorderly Every where in the Word we are told that Love of the Godly is the mark of the Lovers of God. And they that fear God's Name be such as are glad to have for their company God's Children I and hate with a perfect hatred the infectious company of others They flock together and to one another speak often And who would not desire to try and know himself by that mark whereby other men do know him And whereby thro' a plain light of the Word he may know himself Yea by the mark without whose concurrence fifties and hundreds of other marks will not be more than Cyphers For if my Company of choice be not changed my Conversation is justly presumed to be but sorrily changed And not from a Walk with men to a Walk with God but from one way of sin to another My Qualities also and inner Temper be justly thought to be but Covered not Changed My Change of Covenant may be concluded to be but in fancy and a vain surmise And so my Change of Spirit Come therefore my Soul and let us reason together saith he that is taught of God to ensure his Calling
and Election For ought I see by the Word of God Dying men do change but their Places not their Company And what Company I do of choice hold upon Earth I must by the Judgment of God hold for ever Prophane men be open Sepulchres Hypocrites be painted ones If I here delight in Sepulchres and chuse to keep among the dead 't is certain I shall for ever with them be Buried Christ is a Tree of Lives Of the Life of Peace with God Holiness toward Him Hope from Him Glory with Him. Saints only have Life from Christ and be the only men that are truly Alive If the Spirit that acts me and Covenant that binds me and Qualities that possess me and Conversation that employs me do all of 'em bring me among the Living and I am their Companion in Graces-Kingdom surely I shall be the same in Glories-Kingdom too Wherefore before I shall conclude whither 't is I am going I will get me well assured what the Company is wherewith I go I will be fully answer'd these Questions Am I in evil Company as Lot in Sodom Vexed Is Lewd Company and Light unto me which Mesech and Kedar was to David Makes it me to cry Wo is me Have I no fellowship with God's Enemies but Reprove I them as called Do I make the very wide difference that I ought between MEN and BRETHREN Do I fear to open the doors of my House and Heart to ill men lest the Prince of darkness enter in And to shut them against holy Brethren lest the Prince of Glory be shut out Am I glad when I see the Pure in heart that see God Do I salute each of them as David did Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me Blessed be thy converse and blessed be thou I say Every of them viz. Tho' about Mint and Cummin differently minded And tho' by their Lustre I am eclipsed c. Finally Do I Love them that Love God and Loath them that Loath Him even as I incline to have my friends Love those that Love me and the contrary And do these following words of God dwell in me richly and powerfully Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle Who shall dwell in thy Holy Hill He in whose Eyes a Vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord Psal 15.1 4. They that fear thee O Lord will be glad when they see me that is a Godly man Psal 119.74 He that walks with wise men shall be wise but a Companion of fools shall be destroyed or broken Prov. 13.20 Postscript THE Desires of some and supposed Needs of others invite me to place here this shorter Solution of the third Question The Change in us which sheweth Salvation to be come on us is twofold Intellectual and Practical Of our Understandings and of our Conversations We do not Omit that of the Affections but comprehend it in the other The Intellectual Change is then and not till then when four things are Learned and are also a Learning better by us 1. The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ The Doctrines which are the Foundations We have shewn them upon the second Question Who can think him savingly Built on Christ that knows not the very first Stones to be laid in that Spiritual Building 2. The Conclusions from the Principles foresaid The Doctrines that are for Upbuilding on Christ These also have been set forth with the fore-mentioned Building on is as necessary as the Laying of the Foundation is Neither is it savingly Laid where the Holy Spirit is not teaching and a Soul learning to Build up and Build on To wit that it may become a complete Temple for the Holy Spirit Ephes 4.12 13 15. 2 Pet. 2.4 5. 3. The Confirmations of the said Principles The Doctrines Proving and Strengthening them And Warranting our Foundation and Superstructure Securing 'em against Winds of Opposition 'T is as needful to cover and preserve what we build from the injuries of weather as it is to build Ephes 4.12 16. 4. The Applications of the mention'd Principles The Doctrines directing their Improvement unto Duties as well Relative as Personal What are Means worth but for the Ends of them What good do all Truths in our Minds if not improved unto all holy Services in our Lives Who would Build and Cover a House but for Use to themselves and their Friends Savingly the Spirit has not Built and Strengthned us in Christ if he has not taught us to make our Life a service to Him. And to make His Will not our own our Law and Rule Our Rule for behaviour toward God Our Selves Neighbours Friends Enemies Superiors Inferiors Equals The ignorant and the listless to know the first of these be Owls and Bats Those that be the like to know the second be Dwarfs yea Embryo's Souls regardless to know the third be Sand-builders and lie at the mercy of the Weather And the mindless of the fourth be barren Heaths All short of what they should be yea contrary to what they must be if ever they pass from Death to Life The Practical Change is then when four things can be said of a Man. 1. That he is Changed as far as Felix Agrippa and Herod That he is one that Trembles at God's Word Has an Inclination to be a very Christian Hears the Word preach'd gladly Otherwise he is not so much as a Washed Swine or Painted Sepulchre 2. That he is Changed farther and as a Stone into a Flame of Fire A Stone is Dark Cold and Inclines downward to its earthy Centre Fire is Bright Hot Active and that Upward To say a Man is thus Changed is to say that of Ignorant he is made Knowing Of Listless he is made Zealous for God in Christ Of Industrious for Earth he is made so for Heaven 3. That he is Changed into the Man of God by Saint Paul 's Character That is a man throughly furnished for every good work I mean every one from him required as a Church-Member e. gr For Reading and Hearing the Word profitably â—â— for Using of Baptism and the Lord's Supper so and for submitting unto Church-discipline so Not to say for Governing his Family holily c. which are imported By being furnished hereto I understand prepared with necessary Skill and Zeal 4. That he is Changed from a Demas into a Martyr That is that of a fearer of the Cross more than of the Loss of the immortal Crown he be made in resolution a Martyr And become resolved by God's grace to die any the worst death rather than commit any the least sin To be salted with fiery Tryals rather than with Hell's fire FINIS Books Printed and are to be sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel 1. OF Thoughtfulness for the Morrow with an Appendix concerning the Immoderate Desire of Fore-knowing things to come 2. The Redeemer's Tears wept over lost Souls in