hath given to them that cleave constantly to his truth p. 769. The faithfull themselves have found much comfort in this p. 770. Lect. 145. The Spirit of God wheresoever he dwellâ— will teach and effectually perswade the heart in the truth of religion p. 771. No man can grow to certainty in matters of religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the Spirit and proportionable to the measure of the Spirit of sanctification that a man hath shall his certainty be p. 773 774 Yet is not this to be accounted every mans private Spirit p. 775. The Spirits teaching to be judged by the Word Ibid. The ministery of the Word is the meanes whereby the Spirit useth to teach men p. 776 They whom the Spirit hath once taught and perswaded will certainely persevere in the truth Ibid. Lect. 146. Th'exhortation to constancy in the truth is very needfull and that even in these daies p. 777. by reason 1 that Papists increase 2 the multitude of other erroneous spirits 3 the generall decay of the zealous love of religion and of the life power of it p. 778. 1 Motive to constancy Corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all other p. 779 780. 2 Motive He that falls from the truth and embraceth errour was never taught of the Spirit p. 780. Though in some things of smaller moment the faithfull may be subject to errour and errors of that nature should not alienate Christians one from another yea in fundamentall points for a time Ibid. 781. Lect. 147. Though our perseverance in the truth be to be ascribed to the Lord alone yet he worketh it by meanes and will have us to bee agents in this work our selves p. 782 783. 1 We must carefully shâ—n all things whereby we may be in danger to be corrupted and drawne from the truth viz. 1. We must shun the hearing and conferring with them that are hereticks and seducers and the reading of their books We should not long to heare what they can say for their errors or against the truth p. 784. 2 Wee must take heed of affecting the knowledge of intricate curious and unprofitable points p. 785. There is a desire of knowledge which is commendable and no Minister should mislike in his hearers p. 786. Yet is there a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous Ibid. 1 When wee desire to know more of Gods matters then hee hath pleased to reveale in his Word Ibid. 2 When neglecting other things we seeke the knowledge of those high points onely that are above our capacity to understand and busie our selves in matters of controversie p. 787. 3 When wee desire knowledge onely for knowledge saâ—e without respect to the use and profit we may make of it for our edification in faith and holinesse p 788. Lect. 148. He that desires to hold fast his profession must use the meanes whereby hee may bee established in the truth and preserved from falling away from it foure directions are given us in Gods booke for this p. 788. 1 Hee must ground himselfe well in the knowledge of the truth and labour to bee assured upon good grounds that it is indeed the truth he holdeth Ibid. 1 Hee must acquâ—â—nt himselfe with the maine principles of religion and seeke to be perfect in them p. 789. 2 examine by Scripture what ever hee heareth or readeth and labour to get good proofes of Scripture for whatsoever he holdeth p. 790. 2 He must labour to take to heart that which he knoweth love it and make conscience to practise it He that by reading or hearing seeketh knowledge with an honest and good heart shall hold fast that which he professeth and none but he p. 792 793. Lect. 149. 3 He must take heed of declining from or forsaking the least truth his conscience hath beene convinced in Two things there bee that deceive men in this case p. 793 794. Though some truths be of greater moment then others yet it s a dangerous sin to be willfully ignorant of any truth God hath revealed or forsake it when we know it upon conceit that it is but a trisâ—e for 1 nothing that God hath revealed is of small moment or lightly to be accounted of 2 a man may make himselfe abominable to God by forsaking wittingly the least truth or receiving the least errour p. 794. 3 the best way to keepe us from falling from the truth in the maine points is to make conscience of falling from the least truth p. 795. 4 He must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods ordinances 1 the ministery of the Word p. 796. 2 the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 3 prayer p. 797 798. Lect. 150. Every one that hath the Spirit of Christ will take to heart the cause of God and his holy religion p. 798. 1 No man can have the Spirit of Christs unlesse he love God unfeignedly above all things els Ibid. 2 He that doth thus love God must needs be zealous for God grieved and troubled to see him dishonoured 3 He that hath any true zeale to God in him will shew and expresse it principally towards the house and worship of God p. 799. More particularly 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ must needs rejoyce to see or heare that the true religion of God doth prosper and that the purity of it is restored or set up any where p. 800. 2 He that hath the Spirit of Christ will rejoyce in the frequencie and fullnesse of Church-assemblies 3 In the plentifull and free preaching of the Word p. 801. 4 Hee will rejoyce to see and heare that the ministery of the Word is fruitfull among them that enjoy it and powerfull to reforme their hearts and lives p. 802 803. Lect. 151. Three Reasons and grounds of the former doctrine 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ cannot but love the persons of all men and we love no man unlesse wee love his soule and unfeignedly desire his salvation grieve to see his soule in danger of perishing p. 803. He that desires the salvation of all will joy in the plentifull and sound preaching of the Word p. 804. Though God can save men without preaching yet he doth not ordinarily without it and its a fearefull signe hee meaneth not to save them he denieth preaching unto Ibid. 805. Though all bee not saved that have preaching yet it s a cause of comfort to see sound preachers abound p. 805. A man that hath no truth of grace in himselfe may yet be a meanes of conversion to others Ibid. 2 The respect wee have to the state and Church wherein we live which we are bound to love p. 806. 1 Nothing will make the state and Church so honourable as the liberty of the Gospell 2 nor so strong and peaceable 3 nor so prosperous and plenteous in blessings p. 806 807. On the other side nothing will sooner deprive it of all blessings then the neglect and opposing of religion p.
them that blame professors for their scrupulousnesse in indifferent and lawfull things 1 Oâ—e may see that to bee a sin which another more godly or learned then he cannot see neither should we judge one another for difference in judgement 2 Some good men may be more scrupulous then they ought to be and yet not to be despised 3 No cause we should judge one another for using or not using our liberty in indifferent things p. 715. Though we may hate the sins of professors yet its a dangerous thing to hate them for the goodnesse they professe Many hate professors not for their faults but for their goodnesse and three notes to discerne that by p. 716 717. Lect 138. The state of every hypocrite is most wofull and dangerous neither can he have any sound peace or comfort p. 718. Though in some respects the open profane sinner bee in worse case then he both in this life and in that to come Ibid. yet is the hypocrite also and every thing he does most odious unto God yea in some other respects his case is more wofull both in this life and in that to come then the open profane mans p. 719. It s a good signe in a Christian to doubt and suspect himselfe of hypocrisie Ibid. 1 He that lives in grosse sins and yet maketh a good profession is a grosse and palpable hypocrite p. 720. 2 Much more hee that maketh a good profession for this end chiefly that he may thereby the better hide and cloake his foule sins p 721. 3 He is also an hypocrite that maketh never so good a shew of godlinesse if he deny the power of it if hee obey not and practise what he heares Many of the best professors faile much in this p. 722. Even to our ministery so farre forth as we teach nothing but by good warrant of the Word obedience is due as well as to the ministery of the Prophets and Apostles p. 723 724. Lect. 139. He that lives in any one sinne though hee forsaketh all the rest and whose obedience is not universall is no better then an hypocrite p. 724. Sacriledge is a great sin Ibid. The care to keepe our selves unspotted of every sin is a sure signe of an upright heart p. 726. No hypocrite doth any thing with a good heart but upon some by respect or other p. 727. The true Christian even the poorest and weakest of them doth whatsoever he doth unto the Lord as a service to him his maine intent is to please and approve himselfe to him p. 728. Though he may have some respect to himselfe also in it Ibid. None can please God in any thing he doth unlesse he do it out of love to God neither can any love the Lord aright till hee know Christ is his p. 729. The goodnesse that is in the regenerate doth surpasse that that is in any morall man or hypocrite in three respect Ibid p. 730. Yet can no man have any true comfort in it till he know himselfe to be in Christ p. 730. Lect. 140. No man can be sanctified till he be justified p. 730. The only sure way to get strength against any corruption and obtaine any saving grace is first to get assurance by faith that our sins are pardoned and we reconciled to God in Christ Ibid. 1 faith is th' only inward instrument whereby the Spirit of God sanctifieth the heart p. 731. and th' outward instrument whereby the Spirit worketh sanctification in the heart of man is the preaching not of the law but of the Gospell p. 732. Th' only meanes to worke true mortification of sin is a justifying faith Ibid. Great is the force of faith to subdue and mortifie 1 covetousnesse 2 maliciousnesse 3 slâ—vish feare and 4 hardnesse of heart p. 733 736. Lect. 141. When a man is once by faith assured of Gods love then will he be renewed and become fruitfull in holinesse and righteousnesse and never till then p 737. For 1 faith receiveth Christ and maketh him our owne and they that have Christ must needs have his sanctifying Spirit also 2 Faith exerciseth it selfe in the meditation of Gods love to us in Christ and in apprehending the promises whereby God hath bound himselfe to give us sanctifying grace p. 738 739. Faith is the roâ—te and cause of all true 1 repentance 2 feare of God 3 obedience 4 love to God p. 740 742. It only enables a man 1 to heare well p. 742. 2 to pray well p. 743. Lect. 142. Necessary we should have signes given us in the Word whereby they to whom Christ merits belong may be knowne for many are apt to think they have title to him that have not yea a chiefe thing that keepes many from hungring after Christ is this conceit that he dyed for all men and therefore they shall have benefit by him p. 744. But this is a dangerous delusion for all shall not have benefit by him but few in comparison viz. 1. onely the true Church of Christ and that is but a very little flocke 2 Not all that live within the Church and professe the true religion but a few even of them Ibid. 3 Many that professe the true religion are so far from receiving benefit as they receive much hurt by him p. 745. The reason why so few shall have benefit by Christ is because how sufficient soever Christs death was to save all mankinde yet true beleevers onely shall receive benefit by it all men have not faith but a few onely Ibid. 1 al men by nature unable to beleeve 2 Some for their sins are smitten with a supernaturall inability to beleeve p. 746. It stands us therefore upon to know whether our selves are of that small number Ibid. Christ hath set a marke on his sheepe viz. his holy Spirit whereby themselves may know they are his p. 747. By certaine fruits and effects of the Spirit the faithfull may certainely know they have the spirit of Christ Ibid. Specially if they can finde in themselves true charity Ibid. 748. Lect. 143. Wee must love the persons of all men and expresse it in nine duties p. 748 751. We may pray for the worst even for Idolaters p. 751. We must love our enemies and expresse it in eight duties p. 752 753. This he that hath the Spirit of Christ is able to do Evangelically and that appeares in five things p. 754. We must beare a speciall love to all that feare God though they differ from us in judgement and practise about things indifferent p. 754 766. Lect. 144. He that hath the Spirit of Christ will bee constant in the religion of Christ p. 766. Yet is not all constancy in religion but constancy in the true religion a signe of the Spirit p. 767 True religion is that that 's grounded onely upon the Word Ibid. Every necessary truth in religion is so plainely set downe in the Word as the simplest Christian may clearely understand it p. 768. The testimony God
be the custome not only to sing Davids Psalmes in the Congregation much but to sing them in order that the people of God might be acquainted with them all and so the best reformed Congregations use still to do And indeed though upon extraordinary and speciall occasions speciall choice may be made as we shall find that the 136. Psalme was oft made choice of in such cases 2 Chron. 5.13 20. â—1 Ezra 3.11 yet in the ordinary occasions of the Church it is most fit they should be song in order because the sweet Psalmist of Israel 2 Sam. 2â— 1 did pen them all for the publique generall use of the Church This also now a daies is much left in most Congregations Thirdly it was wont to be the ordinary custome of the professours of the Gospell to sing Psalmes much in their families according to that Psal. 118.15 The voice of rejoycing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous This is also much laid downe and which is worse it is laid downe upon this ground because if men should use it they should be noted to be religious and so be subject to the scornes of men I would have such men seriously to consider and meditate on these two places of Scripture Rom. 10.10 With the heart a man beleeveth unto righteousnesse but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation and Mar. 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels The second use is to exhort us First to make more conscience of this duty and not onely to labour to bring our hearts to a delight in it but to use it hereafter in obedience unto God which God much more esteemeth of then of any outward duty we can performe Behold saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15 22 to obey is better then sacrifice Secondly to indeavour to performe this duty in the right manner that is 1. With understanding Sing ye prayses with understanding saith the Psalmist Psal. 47.7 2. With feeling Col. 3.16 With grace in your hearts 3. Singing to the Lord and lifting up your hearts to him in this service Vnto thee ô Lord will I sing saith David Psal. 101.1 And the Apostle Col. 3.16 Singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord 4. Speaking to our selves in this duty and labouring to finde our selves edified by it as the Apostle directeth us Ephes. 5.19 5. In a decent manner observing the tune that the whole Congregation may be as one man in this service as it is said 2 Chron. â— 1â— The singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praâ—sing and thanking the Lord And Esa. 52.8 With the voice together they shall sing Followeth the second thing I told you was to be observed in the Title of the Psalme that is the person by whom it was penned to which we will add the third and last that is the time when and occasion whereupon this Psalme was penned When Nathan the Prophet came unto him after he had gone in unto Bathsheba In all which we are to observe 1. The sin committed by David He had gone in unto Bathsheba 2. His continuance in this sin which was till Nathan came to him 3. The meanes of his repentance Nathan the Prophet came unto him And as touching his sin we must observe 1. In what termes it is heere expressed 2. How heinous it was And for the first It is worth the observing that repentant David or rather Gods spirit by his pen calls his foule adultery onely a going in to Bathsheba a going into her chamber or into the roome where she was Doth he intend by these termes to extenuate his sin No certainely he was farre from that at this time he doth in this Psalme disgrace and lay out the foulenesse of his sin to the full yet doth he expresse that filthy act of his in a modest and seemely phrase and thereby casts as it were a vaile upon it Which teacheth us That they that are endued with the spirit of God and have truly repented of sin cannot thinke or speake of their sin without shame dare not speake broadly or immodestly of filthy actions Ephes. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth and 5.12 It is a shame even to speake of those things which are done of them in secret Observe this holy modesty and shamefastnesse in the Scripture Phrase or manner of speaking 1. Of the foule and filthy acts of lewd men Amos 2.7 A man and his father will go in unto the same maide Gen. 19.5 Bring them out unto us that we may know them 2. Of such things as were lawfull and necessary and yet had some filthinesse in them As in speaking of the lawfull use of marriage Gen. 4.1 Adam knew Eve Iudg. 15.1 I will goâ— in to my wife into the chamber Esa. 8.3 He went unto the Prophetesse and she conceived Gen â—0 4 Abâ—melâ—ch had not come neare her So speaking of the privie and unseemely part he calls it our nakednesse Gen. 9.22 and our flesh Gen. 17.13 and our shame Esa. 47.3 Ier. 1â— 26 And speaking of the necessary evacuation of the body he calleth it a sitting downe Deut. 23.13 And covering of the feete Iudg. 3.24 1 Sam. 24.3 The reason of this is First the detestation that the Lord beareth to all filthinesse Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eye then to behold evill Deut. 23.14 That he see no uncleane thing in thee and turne away from thee On the other side Satan is called Mat. 12.43 the uncleane spirit that delighteth in filthinesse Secondly our tongue is our glory and that member which above all others is given us to glorifie God with So it is called Psal. 16.9 for by his glory there he meanes his tongue as will appeare if that place be compared with Act. 2.26 Thirdly there is great force in broad and uncleane speech to corrupt the heart and set it on fire with filthy lust 1 Cor. 15.33 Be not deceived evill communications corrupt good manners Therefore it is called corrupt or rotten communication Ephes. 4.29 such as is apt to corrupt them that heare it The use of this Doctrine is First to exhort us to a hatred and feare of all uncleannesse and a care of and delight in holinesse in our whole conversation As he which hath called you is holy saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.15 so be yee holy in all manner of conversation Remember that speech of the Apostle 1 Thess. 4.3 4. This is the will of God even your sanctification that yee should abstaine from fornication 1. God would have us holy that is the chiefe thing that he desireth 2. Holinesse consisteth chiefly in a care to abstaine from fornication nothing is more opposite to holinesse then that This modesty and care to keepe our selves from all shew of uncleannesse
principall was the ministery of the word as appeares verse 18. God sent unto him Seers and Prophets that â—ake to him in the name of the Lord. So it was Peters ministry that pricked the hearts of those three thousand mentioned Acts 2.37 and brought them to a saving sense and remorse for that horrible sinne Yea this is the meanes that God hath sanctified in his word and appointed to that end Ier. 23. â—9 Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocke in pieces Secondly This is Gods meane whereby he is wont to bring men to Christ and to worke in them a comfortable assurance of the pardon of their sins and of their reconciliation with God By this meanes the Corinthians were brought to faith 1. Cor. 4 1â— In Christ Iesus I have begotten you And the Ephesians 1 13. In whom also ye trusted after that ye had heard the word of truth Yea this is the meane that God hath in his Word sanctified and put apart to do this worke by namely to bring men unto Christ and to faith in him This we may see plentifully confirmed unto us in the holy Scripture Esay 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neare saith the Lord and I will heale him Peace peace that is aboundance of peace and the healing of those wounds that God hath made in the soule is called the fruit of the lips that is of the lively voice in the ministry of the Word This is also plaine by the speech of our Saviour Iohn 6.45 Every one that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth unto me Hearing is the meanes to bring men unto Christ. But what hearing may you say Is it hearing of the word privatly read or the hearing of my friend privatly instructing or admonishing No rather it is the hearing of the Word publikely preached as is plaine Rom. 10 14. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not hâ—ard and how shall they heare without a Preacher Private men that publish to their families oâ— neighbours and speake of that which themselves have learned may be said to preach to them as the Lâ—per that was cured did Mark 1.45 and the deafe man with his friends that brought him to Christ Mark 7.36 and the Daemmiack Luke 8.39 of all these it is said in the text that they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth to cry proclaime or preach and is the very same word that is used to expresse the preaching of Christ and his Apostles But is this the preaching that the Apostle meanes when hee saith Rom. 10.14 How can they heare without a Preacher No verily he meaneth it of publike ministeriall preaching of the preaching of such men as are called and sent of God and endued with speciall gifts to that purpose as is plaine by the next words verse 15. How shall they 〈◊〉 except they be sent And this is further confirmed 2. Cor. 5.18 God hath given to us the ministery of reconciliation And againe verse 19. Hee hath committed to us the word of reconciliation And for the third degree in mans conversion 1. This is the meane wherby he hath ever beene wont to change and renew the hearts and lives of men and to worke all saving grace in them How came Gods people of whose conversion the holy Ghost gives testimonie to saving grace but by the ministery of the word So Paul saith of the Galatians that were Gentiles Gal. 2.2 that they received the spirit by the hearing of saith So Peter saith of the faithfull he wrote unto that were Iewes that they were borne againe not of corruptible seed but of uncorruptible by the word of God 1. Pet. 1.22 Yea by the word preached as he expresseth himselfe verse 25. 2. This is the meane God hath sanctified in his word and appointed unto this worke of changing renewing and breeding Grace in the soule Therefore Paul calls the ministry of the Gospel the ministration of the spirit and the ministration of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 3.8 9. And the Apostle Iames 1.21 calls it the engrafted word To teach us that as the science of a good apple grafted into a crab-tree-stocke hath vertue to change the nature of it so hath the word preached for of that he speaketh as appeareth verse 19.22 23. vertue to change the heart of man Now if we will enquire into the reasons and grounds of this Doctrine wee shall find three given unto us in the holy Scripture First the Lord is wont to accompany this ordinance of his with the mighty power and operation of his holy Spirit Matth. 18.20 I am with you unto the end of the World It is therefore called the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 It is not in the power of the best minister be his gifts and graces never so good to convert a soule Neither is he that planteth any thing neither hee that watereth saith the Apostle 1. Cor. â— 7 This is the onely worke of Almighty God yea such a worke as wherein he sheweth his omnipotent power as much as in any worke that ever he wrought The Apostle prayeth for the Ephâ—sians Chap. 1.18 19. That the eyes of their understanding being inlightned they might know what is the exceeding greatnes of his power to â—â—-ward that beleeve acâ—ording to the working of his mighty power O that those men who thinke they can repent when they will and easily convert and turne to God would think seriously of this place and see their errour It is a strange thing to consider how wonderfull a change the ministry of the word hath wrought in men how it hath tamed and subdued such sinners as have seemed most desperate as have beene most hard-hearted and unlikely ever to come to grace Publicates and harlots were wonne to God by Iohns ministry Matth. 21 3. Many of those Priests that had a chiefe hand in crucifying Christ by it were made obedieâ—t unto the faith Acts 6.7 Ignorant and gracelesse men have felt themselves rebuked and judged and the very secrets of their hearts discovered unto them by it 1. Cor. 14.25 It hath pulled downe their strong holds and cast downe their imaginations and every high thing that exalted it selfe in them against the knowledge of God stopt their mouthes quite and made them past reasoning against it and brought into captivity every one of their thoughts into the obedience of Christ. 2. Cor. 10.4 5. yea so quite changed their natures that the Wolfe could dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard lye downe with the Kid and the Calfe with the young Lyon Esa. 11.6 How was this change wrought Onely by the word of God which is called the rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips Esa. 11.4 Yea some that at that very instant when they have come to heare it have hardened their hearts against it and come with hatefull minds
it and confer of it and examine the proofes that have beene delivered for the confirmation of it See a notable example of this in those noble and worthy Christians of Berea Acts 17 11 12. They received the Word with all readinesse of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so therefore many of them beleeved You would beleeve and be better stablished and setled in the knowledge and perswasion of that which we teach you you would receive and embrace it with more readinesse of mind then you do if you would take paines to examine how it is proved and confirmed and grounded upon the Scripture Thirdly it would much helpe your memories and make you better able to retaine that which you heare if you would thus repeate it in your families Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently lest thou forget but teach them thy sons and thy sons sons As if he should say That is an excellent meane to keepe thee from forgetting them Fourthly it would also much helpe you in your affections and worke in you a feeling of that which you have heard if you would thus conferre of it afterward it would cause the Word to be sweeter to to you and to have more life and power in your soules This you shall finde in that charge God gives to his people Deut. 6.6 7. These words that I command thee this day shall be in thine hâ—art and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thine house But that which yee read in your booke thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children the margent of your Bibles saith is read thus in the Hebrew thou shalt whet or sharpen them upon thy children noting that this repeating and conferring with our family of the Word will whet and sharpen it and make it fitter to worke upon our hearts I thinke it meet saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.13 to stirre you up by putting you in remembrance This bringing the Word to remembrance againe is a meane to stirre up our affections unto it I pray you therefore take notice of your great sinne in this as another chiefe cause why you profit no more by your hearing 1. Few can bee found that have any heart to speake of that which they have heard Let us heare any newes let a tale be told us though it be of matters that are of no moment that nothing concerne us we cannot hold but the next we meet with we must needs utter it unto only that that we heare at a sermon though it be never so profitable though at the hearing of it we seemed to be much affected with it yet have we no minde to speake of it againe Surely we have all great cause to be humbled for this corruption and to strive against it For 1 this argueth Gods Word is not in our heart Psal. 37.30 31. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdome and his tongue talketh of judgement For the law of his God is in his heart 2. This silence of ours proceeds from this that we are ashamed to speake of Gods Word Ier. 6.10 Behold the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach and ô how great a sin is that David was of another minde Ps. 119.46 I will speake of thy testimonies before Kings and will not be ashamed 2. For repeating of Sermons in your families it is generally neglected You are all in your families like Martha to whom our Saviour said Luk. 10.41 42. Martha Martha thou art carefull and art troubled about many things but one thing is needfull You can spare no time for that one thing no not one houre of a weeke in these long winter nights no not on the Lords day And what hope is there that our labour here in the Church should doe you any good when you will do nothing at home which as you have heard you have as expresse a commandment for as we have for the paines we take heere at Church Or what comfort can you have in your profession of religion that have so little care of your families whereas the Christians that Gods spirit gives testimony unto in his Word are ever discribed thus Ioh. 4.53 himselfe beleeved and his whole house Acts 10.2 One that feared God and all his house A fourth thing you ought to do after the hearing of the Word is this that if you doubt of any thing you have heard and cannot by your private meditation and conference resolve your selves in it you should resort to the Minister and seeke resolution from him We should use more to move questions about that we reade The noble Eunuch when he could not understand what he read and God had given him the oportunity of a Minister he made this use of him Acts 8.34 I pray thee saith he of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himselfe or of some other man But specially we should do so when we doubt of and cannot tell how to understand what we have heard in a Sermon So did our Saviours best hearers use to do Mat. 13.36 His Disciples came to him saying declare to us the parable of the field So did they againe Mar. 7.17 So did they also at sundry other times come unto him to be resolved in their doubts that rose in their minds at the hearing of him Mat. 17.10 and 19.10 For Mal. â— 7 as the Priests lips should keepe knowledge so the people of God in their doubts should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts This duty also the hearers of the Word do much neglect 1. Sometimes indeed through the fault of some Ministers who count it a great indignity and take it in foule scorne that their hearers should make a question of any thing they teach and not count every thing an oracle that comes out of their mouth But such Ministers should hearken to that which Christ saith Matth. 11.29 Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart He alwaies shewed himselfe most ready to declare the meaning of any thing he taught to them that did demand it and to resolve them in any doubts that did rise in their minds from his doctrine Yea he was wont to offer himselfe unto them this way and to prevent them when he saw them purposed to aske him such questions as Ioh. 16.19 Iesus knew that they were desirous to aske him and said unto them doe ye enquire among your selves of that I said and thereupon he tooke occasion to satisfie them fully in that they doubted of But 2. The neglect of this duty proceeds principally from the people themselves who as they are apt oft times to mistake and misunderstand the preacher so are they as ready to goe away with it and slaunderously to report most absurd and improbable things which they conceive he did teach and all because they will not vouchsafe to come to the Minister himselfe
so much when we offend it is against the purpose of our heart When we can say with David Ps. 40.8 as your old translation readeth it I desire to do thy good will ô my God yea thy law is within my heart and 119.57 O Lord thou art my portion I have determined to keepe thy words and to doe nothing that might offend thee The truth of grace is in us and the uprightnesse of our hearts may be better discerned by this consent we give in our minds to Gods law in all things and by this unfeined desire and purpose of our heart to please God then by any thing we can do by any performance we are able to make Let us now see the confirmation of this point in three degrees of proofes 1 In the description that the holy Ghost maketh both of upright-hearted and good men and of such also as had no truth of grace in them 2. In the comfort that good men themselves have taken in this more then in any other good thing that hath bin in them 3. In the high account the Lord maketh of this more then of any other good thing that can be in us And for the first The holy Ghost describeth the upright hearted and good man not so much by any of their good actions as by this that their hearts were prepared and set to please God This is made the very summe of all true piety Thus speaketh the Prophet unto Iehoshaphat when hee had much offended God in joyning in affinitie with Ahab Neverthelesse saith hee to him 2 Chron. 19.3 there are good things found in thee in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land and more then that hast prepared thine heart to seeke God thy heart is set and bent to please God Thus also doth Hezechiah describe the sincerity of them that communicated with him in the passeover 2 Chron. 30.18 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke God the Lord God of his fathers though hee bee not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary They were good men though they had failed and offended in that service because their hearts were set to please God in it This was all that Samuel required of Israel 1 Sam. 7.3 Prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him onely And Barnabas of the Disciples in Antiochia who were the first that were called Christians Actes 11.23 Hee exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. As if all piety and truth of grace consisted in this when the bent of our mind the unfeined purpose and desire of our heart is for God And so doth David describe an upright heart 1 Chron. 28.9 Thou Solomon my sonne know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind And on the other side wee shall finde that men that were hypocrites and void of all truth of grace are described not so much by any of their evill actions as by this that the bent of their hearts of their minds and wills was not for God So it is said of the hypocrites that perished in the wildernesse Psalme 78.8 they are called a generation that set not their hearts aright So it is said of Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12.14 Hee did evill because hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord the desire and purpose of his heart was not set that way And of Simon Magus Acts 8.21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in the matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Secondly The best men wee can read of in Scripture when they have beene driven to search and looke out their evidences for their spirituall estate have found nothing so much comfort in any thing they have ever beene able to doe as in this that their mind and will hath beene to doe well Thus did Paul comfort himselfe in his spirituall conflict Rom. 7. 1. In the bent of his mind verse 16. I consent to the Law that it is good and verse 25. With the mind I my selfe serve the Law of God As if hee had said I obey it in my mind I know that by the mind there hee meaneth the regenerate part as by the flesh and members he meaneth the unregenerate part that was in him But why is the regenerate part called so and the grace of regeneration verse 23. the law of his mind Certainely because the truth and power of regeneration is not so much seene in our actions as in the renewing and sanctifying of our minds according to that Rom. 12.2 Bee yee transformed by the renewing of your mind 2. Hee comforteth himselfe in the bent of his will that his will and desire was for good and against all evill verse 15. What I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I. And verse 18. to will is present with me As if hee should have said The constant desire purpose and endeavour of my heart is to doe the will of God in all things What failings soever the regenerate man is subject to yet will the worke of Gods sanctifying grace if it appeare in any thing appeare most sensibly in this will The spirit indeed is willing saith our Saviour Matth. 26.41 but the flesh is weake Even when the flesh sheweth it selfe most weake the spirit will shew it selfe willing It will stirre up in us such desires as David expresseth Psalm 119.5 O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes Yee cannot doe the things that yee would saith the Apostle speaking of the confâ—ict that is in the regenerate betweene the flesh and the spirit Gal. 5.17 And this is that that Paul tooke comfort in when hee was much troubled with the sense of his inward corruption To will is present with mee saith hee So speaketh hee of himselfe also Hebrewes 13.18 that his will was to live honestly Why may you say was that all that Paul could say for himselfe that he was willing to live honestly was he not able also did he not live honestly Yes verily but yet this was the thing that yeelded him most comfort that his will and desire was better then his ability though hee slipped and failed oft in his words and actions yet his will and desire was constantly bent to please God in all things And in this also doth holy and zealous Nehemiah comfort himselfe this hee could be bold to say unto God of himselfe and his brethren and this was all he durst say Nehemiah 1.11 that they desired to feare his name And so doth the Church Esa. 26.8.9 The desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soule have I desired thee in the night As if it had said There is nothing in the world that I desire so much as thy favour and grace And Cant. 5.2 I slept but my heart was awake As if she had said even then when I shewed that
at in all his counsels and workes is the glory of his mercy Hee delighteth in mercy saith the Prophet Mic. 7.18 Hee hath predestinated us to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ unto himselfe saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.5 6. according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace So even in his denying of the meanes of conversion and the grace of conversion to many people hee hath had respect to this even to glorifie his mercy the more towards his owne people The Apostle telleth us 2 Thess. 1.10 that at the day of judgement God shall bee made marvellous in all them that beleeve As if hee had said His mercy toward the faithfull in electing them to life in redeeming them in calling them effectually in justifying and sanctifying them shall bee admired and wondred at by men and Angels at that day When they shall see how many God hath denied this mercy unto yea to how many that were in many respects farre better then themselves then will this mercy of God towards them seeme as it is indeed admirable in their eyes If this mercy had beene universall to all men God could not have beene so glorified in it in this world if the Lord should have given this grace or meanes alike to all men the glory of his speciall mercy and free grace had not beene so manifested as in this it is Thus the Apostle speaking Romanes 9.22 23. of the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and of the ends that the Lord aimed at and had respect unto in it hee doth not say that hee did it onely to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne upon them but that the Lord even thereby might make knowne the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy The reprobates are fitted to destruction effectuall grace is denied unto them that the riches of Gods grace and mercy towards his elect to whom hee vouchsafeth both might be set forth the better by this comparison and glorified the more And this was the true cause of that joy our Saviour expressed Luke 10.21 In that houre saith the Evangelist Iesus rejoyced in spirit and said I thanke thee ô father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Did hee rejoyce in the judgement of God upon the wise and prudent No verily but so farre forth onely as it served to set forth the mercy of God towards those babes This made him to admire and magnifie the mercy of God towards those babes so much the more when he considered what manner of persons that mercy was denied unto when he considered that it was no common but a rare mercy that God had vouchsafed unto them Lecture CV On Psalme 51.6 December 9. 1628. IT followeth now that wee proceed unto the uses that this Doctrine serveth unto And they are principally two First For instruction to establish our judgements in the truth and confirme us against those errours which in this great worke of mans conversion do derogate from the glory of Gods free grace and give too much unto man himselfe Secondly For exhortation to worke upon our affections and stirre us up unto sundry duties For the first This doctrine serveth notably to establish our hearts in the truth of that holy religion which wee doe professe and to assure us that it is the onely true Doctrine and religion of Christ. Yea it may serve for a touchstone to try all other Doctrines in religion by and to discover to us the falshood and vanity of all other Doctrines and religions whatsoever how faire a shew soever of truth and holinesse they doe beare or whatsoever the persons be that doe hold and professe them That Doctrine and religion that doth derogate never so little from the honour of God that doth not give the whole honour and glory of mans salvation unto him alone but giveth some cause of boasting and glorying unto man himselfe certainely that cannot bee the true Doctrine and religion of Christ. It is not that wisedome that Doctrine and religion that descendeth from above as the Apostle speaketh Iames 3.15 See this distinctly proved unto you in these three points 1. All the glory of mans salvation is due to God alone and no part of it unto man 2. All the glory of mans salvation is to be ascribed onely to the free grace and mercy of God and not unto any thing in man himselfe that might move God to it 3. The ascribing of the whole glory of mans salvation to the Lord alone and to his free grace is the chiefe rule whereby the true Doctrine and religion of God is to be tryed and judged of For the first This hath ever beene the profession of Gods true Church and servants to give all glory to God alone specially in this great worke of the salvation of man This was the song of that heavenly host the blessed Angels that came to bring the glad tidings of the birth of Christ Luke 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men As if hee had said It is enough for men that through Christ their peace is to bee made Gods good will and free favour is to bee purchased for them though they have no part of the glory of this worke ascribed unto them that is wholly due unto the Lord alone Glory to God in the highest This was the profession of the whole Catholike Church Revel 4.9 11. When those foure beasts representing the whole Church under the New Testament gave glory and honour and thankes to him that sat upon the throne the foure and twenty Elders representing the whole Church under the Old Testament fell downe before him that sat on the throne and cast their crownes before the throne saying thou art worthy ô Lord to receive glory As if he should say Though they had crownes and Christ had made them Kings and Priests unto God to reigne evâ—n on the earth that is to vanquish and overcome their owne corruptions and the tentations of Satan and of the world as themselves say Rev. 5.10 yet they cast downe their crownes they disclaime all honour that may seeme to be due unto themselves they ascribe all the honour and glory of whatsoever goodnesse was in them unto him that sat upon the throne unto the Lord alone Al the glory of mans salvation you see is due to the Lord alone Secondly All the glory of mans salvation is to be ascribed onely to the free grace and mercy of God This hath also ever beene the profession of Gods true Church and people Thus the blessed Apostle though hee had doubtlesse as great helpe from nature as ever man had If any other man thinketh saith he Phil. 4. â— that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more yet professeth 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am So the
50.19 when they feared he would have beene revenged of them for the wrong they had done him Feare not saith he I dare not doe it for am I in the place of God Secondly But I hope then I may lawfully wish and desire that God would revenge my cause and plague mine enemy that hath wronged me I may rejoyce and be thankfull to God for it when I see it I answer No that thou maist not neither We may not rejoyce in any evill that befalleth our enemy though our selves have no hand in it at all Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 24.17 18. and let not thine heart bee glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turne away his wrath from him Thirdly We must also forgive our enemies whatsoever wrong it be that they have done unto us Forgive one another saith the Apostle Coloss. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely forgiving If any man have a quarrell or cause to complaine and finde fault against any whosoever he be what wrong soever hee hath done even as Christ forgave you so also doe yee If we doe not thus forgive Christ hath assured us Matth. 6.15 that God will never forgive us our sinnes Nay if we doe it not from our hearts So likewise saith he Mat. 18.35 shall my heavenly father doe also unto you that is he shall in his wrath deliver you unto the tormentours unto hell if yee from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses Fourthly We must strive to forget and be unwilling to think of the wrongs that any man hath done unto us Thou shalt not avenge saith the Lord Leviticus 19.18 Nor bee mindefuâ—l of wrong against the children of thy people As if hee should say thou must both forgive and forget If thou strive not to forget and put quite out of thy minde the wrongs that hath beene done unto thee thou wilt hardly bee able to forgive them but thy heart will be apt to rise against thine enemy and to boile in revenge against him Fifthly Wee must unfeignedly desire to bee at peace with him that hath done us most wrong to bee friends with him and to love him and therefore also wee must bee willing to seeke peace with him and to use all meanes of reconciliation that wee can Seeke peace and ensue it saith the Psalmist Psalm 34.14 Study to bee quiet saith the Apostle 1 Thes. 4.11 As if hee had said cast about which way thou mayst best compasse it strive earnestly for it Sixthly If when we have sought peace and used the best meanes of reconciliation that we are able we cennot obtaine it it must grieve us it must be a trouble of minde unto us to bee at odds and variance with any man My soule hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace saith David Psal. 120.6 7. I am for peace saith hee I seeke it and use all meanes I can to bee reconciled but when I speake they are for Warre But looke backe to Verse 5. and you shall see what a griefe and vexation this was to the good man Woe is me saith he that I sojourne in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar that is with such inhumane and savage people that will by no meanes be woone to peace Seventhly Wee must pray heartily to God for them that have done us most wrong that hee would turne their hearts and give them more grace Pray for them saith our Saviour Matth. 5.44 that despitefully use you and persecute you Eightly and lastly We must be willing to doe our enemy good if he stand in need of us If thou meet thine enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray saith the Lord Exod. 23.4 5. Thou shalt surely bring it backe to him againe If thou see the Asse of him that hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldst forbeare to helpe him thou shalt surely helpe with him Nay we should be glad of such an opportunity to overcome the malice of our enemy and to win him unto peace If thine enemy hunger saith the Apostle Rom. 12.20 21. feed him if hee thirst give him drinke Bee not overcome of evill but overcome evill with good Oh let us think seriously of these things beloved and examine whither we can in this sort love our enemyes I know well you will be apt in your hearts to say at the hearing of this Doctrine as the Disciples did Mat. 19.25 Who then can be saved If none can have benefit by Christ but they that have the spirit of Christ and none have the spirit of Christ but they that have true charity and none have true charity but they that can in this manner love their enemies Who then can be saved It is impossible for flesh and bloud to love an enemie in this sort But to this I answer that it is true indeed that hee that hath no more in him then flesh and bloud can never doe it and hee that hath no more in him then flesh and bloud can never be saved Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.50 Except a man bee borne againe saith our Saviour Ioh. 3.5 of water and of the spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God And every one that is regenerate by the spirit of God is made thereby able thus to love his enemy Though not legally according to the rigour of the law yet in an Evangelicall manner so as God in Christ will accept And thou canst never have comfort in thy estate beloved unlesse thou finde thy selfe able in an Evangelicall manner to keepe this commandement of loving all men even thy greatest enemy in this sort as I have described unto you In an evangelicall manner will you say how is that I will expresse it unto you in five particulars If thou have the spirit of Christ in thee 1. Thou wilt bee made able in thy minde to serve the Law of God as the Apostle professeth of himselfe Rom. 7.25 that is thou wilt consent to Gods Word in this and acknowledge that indeed thou oughtest to doe thus Verse 16. The Commandement is holy and just and good as he saith there Verse 12. 2. To will is present with thee as hee also saith there Verse 18. Thou dost unfeignedly desire and strive to love all men even thine enemies in this manner 3. Thine own heart will smite thee for thine uncharitablenesse thou wilt finde thy selfe able to mourne and to be troubled in thy minde for it and even to cry out against thy selfe for it as he doth there Verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this froward envious revengefull malicious heart 4. Thou wilt use to cry to God for helpe and strength to vanquish and mortifie this cankred humour and corruption in thee as the Disciples to Christ when he had pressed the Doctrine of forgiving such as had wronged them Luk. 17.5 Lord increase
my God and â—or the offices thereof And indeed there is no way whereby we can expresse our love to God so well as by loving and delighting in and taking care for the house and pure worship of God Therefore in the reason of the second commandement as I told you the last day they that make conscience of that commandement that use and love that worship onely that he hath in his Word appointed are called such as love God Exodus 20.6 and they that are addicted to will-worship and care not for the true worship of God are called ver 5. haters of God Thus did David expresse his love to God Psal. 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth He that careth not for the house and worship of God whether it be maintained in purity or be corrupted whether it prosper or no certainely hath no love of God no zeale of Gods glory in his heart And this shall serve for my first sort of proofes which I told you should be more generall Now you shall see the point opened and confirmed unto you in foure particulars First He that hath the spirit of Christ will rejoyce to see religion prosper to see the purity and sincerity of Gods worship restored and set up See what Ioy there was in Ierusalem in the daies of David when the Arke of God was brought to Ierusalem 1 Chron. 15.28 And in the daies of Hezekiah when the Sacrament had beene celebrated according to the first institution of it which it had not beene of a long time before in such sort as it was written saith the Text 2 Chron. 30.5 and verse 26. from Salomons raigne to that time there had not beene such a Passeover kept it is said ver 25 26. All Gods people did marvellously rejoyce in it So when Nehemiah had reformed and purged the house and worship of God from sundry corruptions and restored it to the primitive purity and sincerity thereof It is said Neh 12.43 That Gods people did rejoyce for God had made them to rejoyce with great joy their wives also and their children rejoyced so that the joy of Ierusalem was heard even a farre off Nay he that hath the spirit of God in him will rejoyce to see any beginnings of reformation in places that were rude before to see religion get any entrance or footing any beginnings of a Church in such places It is said Ezra 3.11 that all Gods people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid On the other side he that hath the spirit of God in him cannot chuse but grieve to see or heare that the true religion and worship of God is banished from any place and that Idolatry and a false worship is set up in it Old Ely is noted by the Holy Ghost 1 Sam. 4.17 18. to have grieved much more deepely for the taking away of the Arke of God then either for Israels flying from before the Philistines or for the great slaughter that had beene made of Gods people or for the death of his two sonnes Hophâ—i and Phineas It came to passe saith the Text that when the messenger made mention of the Arke of God hee fell from of his seate backward and his necke brake and hee died And this is also noted to have beene the chiefe griefe of his daughter in law and maine cause of her death too verse 22. this would never out of her mouth in all the extreamity of her paine and anguish while breath was in her body the glory is departed from Israel for the Arke of God is taken away And this was that that troubled that zealous man of God Eliah and made him even weary of his life through griefe and discontentment 1 King 19.10 The children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant saith he they are fallen from thy holy religion they have throwne downe thine altars that is they have abolished and shewed contempt and hatred to thy true worship and why should I desire to live any longer in such a time Hee that hath any love or zeale of God in him cannot but grieve to see or heare that idolatry is set up in any place that it groweth and increaseth any where specially in any place where God was truly worshipped before We read of blessed Paul Acts 17.16 that when hee saw even the city of Athens where God had never beene truly worshipped wholly given unto idolatry his spirit was stirred in him he was incensed with zealous griefe and indignation to see it O how would it have troubled the good man to have seene or heard of such a thing in Corinth or Galatia or Ephesus that were true Churches of Christ where the Gospell had beene and still was faithfully and plentifully preached Nay hee that hath any true love or zeale of God in him cannot but grieve at the least Eclipse that religion suffers in any place though the substance of it doth still remaine yet if it have lost any thing of that luster of that purity sincerity and power that once it had even that is sufficient cause of griefe to every good man Wee read that when in the dayes of Zerubbabel the foundation of the second Temple was laid and Gods people that had seene no better did greatly rejoyce in it Ezra 3.12 Many of the Priests and Levites and chiefe of the fathers who were ancient men that had seene the first house wept with a loud voice even when the rest shouted for joy and the noise of their weeping was as great every whit as the noise of the others rejoycing And why did they so Surely it grieved their hearts to see how farre the house that God was now to have in Ierusalem was short in beauty and glory of that that God had had before in that place Secondly He that hath the spirit of Christ in him will joy in the frequency and fullnesse of the Church-assemblies When David to aggravate the misery of his present estate Ps. 42.4 speakes of the joy and comfort that he had formerly taken in going to the house of God he names this twice in that verse as a maine cause of that great joy he tooke in going to the house of God that there went such a multitude with him And this is noted for one cause of that great joy the people of God expressed at the celebration of that Passeover in Hezekiahs time 2 Chron. 30.26 that the number of the communicants was so great as it is said verse 13. There assembled to Ierusalem much people to keepe the Passeover a very great Congregation On the other side even this hath grieved Gods people to see the Church-assemblies neglected and unfrequented to see the Congregations much thinner then they had wont to be I wil gather them saith the Lord Zeph. 3.18 that are sorrowfull for the solemne assembly who are of thee to whom the reproach of it
Meanes to get assurance of Gods favour 641 c. Wicked men Lâ—wd persons are a curse to the place they live in 124 Have no cause to stumble at this that God is so apt to passe by the sâ—ips of his children 361 363 Wicked men must pray and do other good duties and they may receive good theâ— by three wayes 363 364 We must love their persons and yet shew detestation to their vices 749 Works Good works the fruits of Gods sanctifying Spirit in us good grounds of hope and comfort 104 105 The maine foundation of any comfort in them is wholly in Gods mercy 106 Why no man can make them the maine ground of his comfort Ibid. God doth greatly respect the poore and imperfect services of his people and three reasons for that 357 361 Good works must be performed in a right manner 433 438 Word of God The Lord must be justified in whatsoever he hath spoken 238 We must believe it 239 Allow and approve of it as just 240 Take it to heart Ibid. The Word a speciall meanes to enable us to beare afflictions christianly 263 To mortifie our corruptions 321 322 Why so much is ascribed in Scripture to the Word it selâ—e and to the Ministry thereof 507 509 The least thing God hath appointed in his Word may not be neglected 577 579 Try our estate by the Word of God 624 625 The Word a speciall meanes to get comfortable assurance that Christ is ours an 〈◊〉 633 634 A singular good thing to love the Word 700 Worship of God We must depend upon the direction of the Word for 〈◊〉 581 Conscience to be made of the outward parts of Gods Worship and exercises of Râ—ligion 581 582 We must labour to understand every thing we do in the service of God 583 589 Els we shall receive no good by it 584 585 In every part of Gods Worship labour to find God with us in it 587 588 591 Foure motives to stirre up this â—are 591 Foure means to make Gods Ordinances effectuall 592 593 We must not neglect Gods Ordinances though we find no fruit 594 Gods solemne Worship and conscionable use of his Ordinances a meanes to worke 〈◊〉 and recover assurance that Christ is ours 632 True love of God will appeare towards his Worship 799 Z. Zeale EVery one that 〈◊〉 the Spirit of Christ must needs be zealous for God and his worship 799 FINIS Doct. 1. Reason 1 2. Vse 1. 2. The respect we owe even to those parts of the Word which we understaÌ„d not Doct. 2. Reason Vse Doct. 4. Reason 1 2. 3. Vse 1. 2. Doct. 5. Reason 1 2. 3. Vse Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Doct. 6. Reason Vse 1. Vse 2. Doct. 7. Reason Vse 1. Vse 2. 1. Sort. 2. 3. Vse 3. Object Answ. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic Applic * So it is in the margent Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Doct. 8. Reason 1 2. 3. Vse Vse 2. Vse 3. Object 1 Answ. Object 2 Answ. 1. 2. Object 3. Answ. Object 4. Answ. Object 5 Answ. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Nota. Doct. 9. Reason 1 2. 3. 4. Vse Vse 2. Motive 1 2. Object 1 Answ. Object 2 Answ. Object 3. Answ. Reason 1 Aâ—sw Reason 2 Answ. Reason 4 Answ. Reason 4 Answ. Answ. 2. Nota Quest. 1 Answ. Quest. 2 Answ. Quest. 3 Answ. Quest. 4 Answ. Doct. 10 Reason Vse 1. Quest. 1 2. 3. Object 1 Answ. 1 Object 2 Answ. Applic. Object 3 Answ. Vse 2. 1 Sort of Motives 2 Sort of Motives Meanes Signes Applic Applic. Applic. Applic. Nota. Doct. 11 Object 1. Answ. Object 2 Answ. Reason Object Answ. Vse Vse 2. 1 Duty Object Answ. Applic. Object Answ. Object Answ. 2 Duty Applic. Applic. Object Answ. Object Answ. Applic. 1. Duty Object Answ. Duty 2. Vse 3. Object 1 Answ. Object 2 Answ. Object Answ. Object 1. Answ. 1. Answ 2. Object Answ. 1. Object Nota. Doct. 12. Branch 1 Branch 2 Reason 1. Reason 2 Reason 3 Vse 1. Three sorts of conâ—ession of sin Object Answ. Appli 1 Appli 2 Appli Quest. Answ. 1 2. Doctr. Proofe Reason Appli Object Answ. Object Answ. Answ. 2. Object Answ. Object Answ. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Nota. Doct. 13 Object Answ. Object Answ. Reason Reason 2 Reason 3 Quest. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Object 1 Answ. Object Answ. Object 3 Answ. Quest. Answ. Nota. Quest. 1 Answ. Quest. 2 Answ. Quest. 3 Answ. Quest 4 Answ. Doct. 14 Branc. 1 Branch 2 Reason Reason 2 Attribute 1 Attribute 2 Attribute 3 Attribute 4 Vse 1. Object Answ. Object Answ. Applic. Vse 2. Vse 3. Object Answ. Vse 4. Nota. Doct. 15 Quest. 1 Answ. Quest. 2 Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Vse Nota. Quest. 1 Answ. Quest. 2 Answ. Quest. 3 Answ. Quest. 4 Answ. Doct. 16 Reason 1 Reason 2. Vse 1. Vse 2. Applic. Applic. Applic. Object Answ. Applic. Applic. 1 Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Nota. Object 1 Answ. 1. 2. 3. 4. Quest. 2. Answ. Doct. 17 Object 1 Answ. Object 2. Answ. Object 3 Answ. Proofe 1. Proofe 2. Object Answ. Object 2 Answ. 1. Reason 1. Reason 2. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Doct. 18 Reason 1 Reason 2 Vse 1. Vse 2. First sort of Motives Second sort of Motives The third sort of motives Meanes Quest. Answ. Applic. Means 2. Applic. Object 1. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Object 2. Answ. Means 3. Applic. Means 4. Applic. Means 5. Applic. Nota. Doct. 19 Branc. 1 Branc. 2 Reason Vse 1. Applic. Vse 2. Vse 3. Motives Means Means 1. Applic. Mans 2 Means 1 Means 2 Means 3 Object 1 Answ. Object 2 Ans. Meanes 4 Applic. Applic. Means 5 Applic. Meanâ— 6 Means 7 Applic. Applic. Quest. Answ. Applic. Object 1 Answ. 1 2. Object 2 Answ. 1. 2. 3. Object Answ. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Vse 4. 1 Restraining grace Applic. Object Applic. Applic. Object Answ Applic. 1 CoÌ„verting grace Applic. 3 Confirming grace Applic. Object Answ. TentatioÌ„ 1 Preservative 1. Object 1 Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Object 2 Answ. 1. 2. 3. Preservative 2. Quest. Answ. TentatioÌ„ 2. Preservative Quest. Answ. 4 Saving grace Applic. Object Answ. 1 2. Doct. 20 Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason 4 Vse 1. Motive 1. Motive 2. Motive 3 Applic. The first signe of uprightnesse of heart Applic. The second signe of uprightnes of heart Object Answ. The first property of obedience and true righteousnesse Applic. The second property of true goodnesse and righteousnesse Branch 1 Object Answ. 1 Answ. 2 Branch 2 Applic. Object Answ. Object Answ. Doct. Reason 1 Reason 2 Object Answ. Applic. Motives Motive 1 Motive 2 Motive 3 Motive 4. Motive 5. Motive 6. Mean 1 Mean 2. Means 3 Means 4. Means 5 Object Answ. Object Applic. The third property of true goodnesse and righteousnesse 1 The subject of sancâ—â—fying grace Caution 1â— Caution 2 Caution 3. Applic. The 〈…〉 Quest. 1 Answ. 1. Quest. 2 Answ. 1. Applic. Applic. Answ. 2. Applic. Applic. Applic. 2 The continuance of saving grace Applic. 1 Object Answ. 1. 2. 3. 4. The â—ourth property of true goodnesse and righteousnesse Applic. Applic. Applic. The third signe of uprightnesse of heart Answ. 1. 2. Applic. 1 Quest. Answ. 1 Answ. 2. Applic. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Applic. 2 Object Answ. Object Answ. Vse 2. Motive Quest. Answ. Applic. Means 1 Means 2 Means 3 Means 4 Means 5 Nota. Quest. 1. Answ. Quest. 2. Answ. Quest. 3. Answ. Doct. 21 Reason 1 Object Answ. Reason 2 Object Answ. Vse 1. Applic. The object of true knowledge The properties of saving knowledge The effects of saving knowledge Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Motive 1 Motive 2 Meanes to attaine to sound knowledge Means 1 Means 2 Means 3 Object Answ. Applic. Means 4 Means 5 Means 6 Means 7 Nota. Doct. 22 Branch 1 Applic. Applic. Applic. Quest. 1. Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Quest. 2 Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Branch 2 Object 1 Answ. Object 2 Answ. Reason 1 Object Answ. Answ. 2. Reason 2 Object Answ. Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. Applic. 1 Applic. 2 Vse 2. Caution 1 Caution 2 Applic. Nota. Doct. 23 Caution Object 2 Answ. Proofe Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Reason 1 Reason 2 Quest. Answ. Reason 3. Vse 1. Vse 2. Quest. Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Applic. Vse 3. Object Answ. Reason 1 Reason 2 Applic. Applic. Quest. 1 Answ. Quest. 2 Answ. Quâ—st 3 Answ. Nota. Doct. 24 CautioÌ„ 1 CautioÌ„ 2 Reason 1 Reason 2 Vse 1. Vse 2. Motive 1 Motive 2 Motive 3 Motive 4 Nota. Doct. 25 Branch 1 Reason Branch 2 Vse 1. Vse 2. Applic. Motive 1 Motive 2 Motive 3 Motive 4 Means 1 Means 2 Means 3 Means 4 Object Answ. Nota. Doct. 26 Branch 1 Branch 2 Reason 1 Reason 2 Quest. Answ. Vse 1. Applic. Motive 1 Motive 2 Means 1 Means 2 Means 3 Means 4 Means 5 Vse 2. Motive 1 Motive 2 Motive 3 Motive 4 Object Answ. Signe Meanes Nota. Doct. 27 Branch 1 Branch 2 Reason 1. Reason 2. Vse 1. Applic. Vse 2. Motive 1 Motive 2 Signe 1. Applic. Signe 2. Object 1 Answ. Object 2 Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Applic. Signe 3. Applic. Means 1 Applic. Applic. Applic. Applic. Object 1 Answ. Object 2. Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Applic. Object 1 Answ. Object 2 Answ. Applic. Vse 3. Object Answ. Quest. Applic. Object 1. Object 2 Answ. Object 3. Answ. 1. 2. Nota. Doct. 28 Quest. Answ. Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3. Vse 1. Applic. Errour 1 Object Answ. Object 2. Answ. Object Answ. Object 1 Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Object 2 Answ. Reason 1 Object Reason 2 Object Answ. 1. 2. Reason Object 1 Answ. Object 2 Answ. Object 3 Answ. Vse Applic. Object 1 Answ. Object 2. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Object 3. Answ. Vse 2. Motive 1 Contrâ— Motiv 2 Applic. Motive Applic. Object Answ. Applic. Object Answ. Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Applic. Object Answ. Object Answ. 1. Object Answ. Applic. Motive 4 Signes Object Answ. Applic. Applic. Object Answ. Applic. Aplic Quest. 1. Answ. Quest. 2. Answ. Quest. 3. Answ. Proof 1 Proofe 2 Reason 1 Object Answ. Reason 2 Aplic Object Answ. Motive 1 Motive 2 Object Answ. Meanes Doct. Reason 1. Object Answ. Object Answ. Reason 2 Reason 3. Applic. 1 Object 1 Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Object 2 Answ. Object 3 Answ. Object 4. Answ. 1. Answ. 2.