his first root and so to sorrow and loath and condemn himself so that to wind up all that I have said look upon your self as in Christ you may say these involuntary infirmities do not shall not condemn me But Lord it is grace Grace that it is not so and this is Evangelical humiliation Look again upon your self as you stand on your own bottom and live in your own nature and so you may say after the least infirmity I have now broken a most holy and righteous Law and rherefore I am already condemned O woe is me I have already undone my self by mine iniquity and this is Legal humiliation which serves for mortification as the first for vification I know it is very difficult to bring the heart to acknowledg freely it deserves death after so small an involuntary offence but when the Lord reveals two things First himself in his glory Secondly how the least sin strikes him I perswade my self the vilest heart cannot but be forced to confess how just God should be in his severest proceedings against him And withal consider the more involuntary any sin is the more strong and natural it is and the more natural the more horrible as to be a natural Thief is far worse than to be a deliberat thief who somtimes steals and therefore good Sir take heed of looking no deeper nor seeing no further than the bare act and unvoluntariness and accidentalness and suddenness of your infirmities for if you do you look through the wrong end of the glass and they will appear so small that you will find it a very tough work to bring your heart consentively to say if I may say and use your own phrase It is thy mercy Lord that I am not consumed for them but look upon them as indeed they are in respect of that infinite glory you strike doing the greatest mischiefs to God by them and which makes them the viler as they are so strong you cannot remove them and so horrible as that it is natural to you to commit them c. And surely you will not through grace find such thoughts haunt you long not but that they will be haply rising and tempting but never alway vexing and prevailing Ans Satans ground reaching as far as the minds of Gods people and therefore so far he may come and there he may walk for he came into the mind of innocent Adam nay Jesus Christ by his suggesting temptations but the heart is Christs peculiar possession and purchase and if he shall still there offer to come in and vex you and prevail against you and to lodge his suggestions this or any other way with you you have Law and Christ on your side by this little light now given you to cast him out Quest 3. The third thing that troubles you is the dis-ranking of the Persons in the Trinity for tho' you think the holy Ghost is God yet you have not so high a repute of him as of the Father and the Son because the Son addresseth himself to God the Father in all his prayers and acknowledgmenrs in a more immediate manner than unto the holy Ghost and therefore you would know if the word Father as in the Lords Prayer includes not the Unity in Trinity To this briefly consider three things 1. Without all question the same God which lies under that relative property of Father is the same God with the God-head of the Son and the God-head of the holy Ghost there being not three Gods and therefore the God-head of the Son and Spirit are not excluded but included in the God-head of the Father when we look upon the Father as God in the Lords Prayer or any where else 2. But secondly the Father as Father is never taken for the same holy Ghost in Scripture nor the Son as Son is taken for the Father nor the holy Ghost as holy Ghost is at any time taken for the Son For it is a rule in Theologie tho' the res substrata the thing that lies under the Relative property viz. the God-head of every person be common and communicated yet the same God-head considered as clothed with his Relative property as Father Son and Spirit it is not common but peculiar For the God-head of the Father as Fathet is not the God-head of the Son as Son c. 3. Hence it follows that when Christ addresseth himself to the Father as Father in Scripture it is not because he is either a diverse or greater God than the holy Ghost but it is for two other reasons 1. Because the Father as Father received primarily the wrong that sin did against his work of creation for the Father being the first person in order creation the first transcient act as election and reprobation were the best immanent hence this work is attributed chiefly to God the Father in respect of our orderly apprehension and hence man sinning then when he was only made this is chiefly attributed to be against the Father because his work appeared to be chiefly there and not against the Son for his work chiefly appears in redemption he being the second Person and this the second main and wonderful work neither against the holy Ghost for his work chiefly appears to us in application being the third Person And this the third main act that ever God will do or show forth to the world in this life hence God the Father receiving to our apprehension the wrong in creation by sin he is the Person that is to be satisfied and not the holy Ghost And hence Jesus Christ in all his prayers has a most special eye to him and not to the holy Ghost as holy Ghost because he came into the world by his death and intercession and strong cries to satisfie God the Father and not God the holy Ghost as a third Person And hence it is said 1 John 2. 1 2. If any sin we have an Advocate with God the Father not God the holy Ghost because he was to our apprehension the Person wronged and hence we are after sins committed chiefly to eye the Father in our prayers and to go to him for pardon with our advocate with us because to whom offence is chiefly offered from him chiefly pardon and reconciliation is to be expected 2. Therefore Christ addresseth himself chiefly in his prayers to God the Father because he is the original and first cause of all good because he is the first Person in order of subsisting and therefore first too in the manner of conveying I know the God-head is the original of all good but consider the Persons one with another and so the Father is ever the first in operation as the holy Ghost is the last in consummation for all good comes from the Father James 1. 17. through the Son by the holy Ghost And hence in all our prayers we are to look for all good from the Father for his Sons sake to be conveyed us by the holy Ghost
Q. How many persons learn you from hence to be in God A. Three First The first is the Father the first Person in order begetting the Son Psal 2. 7. Secondly The Son the second Person begotten of the Father Joh. 3. 6. Heb. 1. 3. Thirdly The Spirit the third Person proceeding from them both Joh. 15. 26. Q. Are these three Persons three distinct Gods A. No For they are that one pure Essence and therefore but one God Joh. 1. 1. Rom. 9. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 16. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Q. If every Person be God how can they be distinct Persons and not distinct Gods A. Yes Because one and the same thing may have many Relative properties and respects of being which in the God-head make distinct Persons As one and the same man may be Father in one respect a Master in another respect and a Scholar in another respect Q. If these three Persons be but one God what follows from hence A. That all the three Personr are Co equal Co eternal subsisting in one not separating from each other therefore delighting in each other glorifying each other Prov. 8. 30. Thus much concerning God Now concerning the works of God Q. Thus much concerning Gods sufficiency VVhat is his efficiency A. Whereby he worketh all things and all in all things Rom. 11. 36. Isa 45. 7. Q. VVhat of Gsd shines forth and are you to behold in this Efficiency A. Two things First Gods Omnipotency in respect of his Essence Secondly the co-operation and distinct manner of working of the three Persons Rom. 1. 20. John 5. 17. Q. VVhat is Gods Omnipotency A. It is his almighty power whereby he is able to bring to pass all that he doth will or what ever he can will or decree 2 Chron. 20. 6. Phil. 3. 21. Mat 3. 9. Psal 115. 7. Q. VVhat is Gods Decree A. It is his Eternal and determinate purpose concerning the effecting of all things by his mighty power according to his counsel Eph. 1. 11. Q. VVhat attributes or glory of God appear in his Decree A. First His constancy whereby his Decree remains unchangeable Num. 23. 19. Secondly His Truth whereby he delivereth nothing but what he hath decreed Jer. 10. 10. Thirdly His Faithfulness whereby he effecteth what-ever he decreeth according thereunto Isa 46. 10. Q. VVhat is God's Counsel A. His deliberation as it were for the best effecting of every thing according to his Wisdom Acts 4. 24. Psa 104. 24. Q. VVhat is Gods VVisdom A. It is the Idaea or perfect platform of all things in the mind of God which either can be known or shall be done according to the good pleasure of his will Hebr. 11. 3. Prov. 8. 12 13. Q. VVhat is the good pleasure of Gods will A. It is the most free Act of his Will whereby he willeth himself directly as the greatest good and all other things for himself according to his good pleasure Mat. 11. 25. Prov. 16. 4. Q. VVhat learn you from hence A. That Gods good pleasure is the first and best cause of all things Psal 115. 3. Psal 33. 8 9 10 11. Q. VVhat are the Co-operations of the three persons in Gods Efficiency A. Whereby they work the same thing together unseperably Joh. 5. 17 19. 16. 13 14. Q. If they work the same thing together How is it that some works are attributed to God the Father as Creation some to the Son as Redemption some to the Holy Spirit as application A. This is not because the same work is not common to all the three Persons but because that work is principally attributed in Scripture to that person whose distinct manner of working appears chiefly in the work Q. VVhat is God the Fathers distinct manner of working A. His working is from himself by the Son to the Holy Ghost Ps 33. 6. Joh. 1. 3 hence the beginning so the Creation of all things is attributed to him Q VVhat is God the Sons manner of working A. His working is from the Father by the Holy Ghost Ioh. 14. 16. and hence the dispensation of things and so Redemption is attributed unto him Q. VVhat is the Holy Ghosts manner of working A. His working is from the Father and the Son Ioh. 14. 26. and hence the consummation of all things and so application is attributed unto him Q. VVherein doth Gods efficiency or working appear A. In two things First In his creation of the world Secondly in his providence over the world Esa 37. 16. Q. VVhat is his Creation A. It is Gods efficiency whereby he made the whole world of nothing originaâ—ly exceeding good Psal 33. 9. Gen. 1. 31. Q. Did the Lord make the worlding an instant A. No but by parts in the space of six dayes described at large by Moses Gen 1. Q. When did the Lord make the third heaven with the Angels their Inhabitants A. In the first day in the first beginning of it Gen. 1. 1. Iob 38. 6 7. Q. What is the creation of the third heaven A. Whereby he made it to be the heaven of heavens a most glorious place replenished with all pleasure which belongs to eternal happiness wherein his Majesty is seen face to face therefore called the habitation of God 2 Chr. 2. 5 6. Psal 16. 11. Psal 63. 15. Q. What is the creation of the Angels A. Whereby he created an innumerable number of them in holiness to be ministring spirits with most acuteness of understanding liberty of will great strength and speedy in motion to celebrate his praises and execute his commands specially to the heirs of salvation Heb. 11. 22. Ioh. 8. 44. Heb. 1. 14. 2 Sam. 14. 20. Iude 6. 2 Pet. 2. 11. Esa 6. 2. Psal 130. 20. Q. When did God create man A. The sixth day Gen. 1. 27. Q. How did God create man A. He made him a reasonable creature consisting of body and an immortal Soul in the Image of God Gen. 2. 7. Gen. 1. 28. Q. What is the Image of God wherein he was made A. That hability of man to resemble God and wherein he was like unto God in wisdom holiness righteousness both in his nature and in his government of himself and all Creatures Col. 3. 10. Ephes 2. 24. Gen. 1. 26. Q. What became of man being thus made A. He was placed in the Garden of Eden as in his Princely Court to live unto God together with the woman which God gave him Gen. 2. 15. Q. Thus much of Gods creation What is his Providence A. Whereby he provideth for his creatures being made even to the least circumstance Psal 145. 16. Pro. 16. 33. Q. How is Gods Providence distinguished A. It is either first Ordinary and mediate whereby he provids for his creatures by ordinary and usual means Hos 2. 22. Secondly Extraordinary and immediate whereby he provides for his creatures by miracles or immediatly by himself Psal 36. 4. Dan. 3. 17. Q. Wherein is his Providence seen A. First in
CERTAIN SELECT CASES RESOLVED Specially tending to the right ordering of the Heart that we may comfortably walk with God in our general and particular Callings By THOMAS SHEPHARD Sometimes of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge Now Preacher of Gods Word in New-England Re-printed in the Year 1â—â—5 To The Christian READER THis holy Letter of that ready Scribe of Christs Kingdom Mr. Shepherd of New-England is so full of Grace Truth that it needs no other Epistle commendatory than it self Yet seeing the Lot is unexpectedly fallen upon my pen to give it a Superscription that it may pass current from hand to hand I do heartily in the first place dedicate it to thee thou bleeding troubled spirit as a choice cordial Friend an Interpreter one of a thousand that doth not only speak thy heart but by the Comforter whom Christ has promised to send to thy Heart It may be this paper present is sent on Embassy from Heaven on purpose to set thy House in order to untie thy bosom knots to bind the strong man and cast him out of thy doors that thy Heart may be once again set at liberty to serve the Lord thy God in thy general and particular Calling whose service is thy freedom What is here sent by this Ambassador of Christ who is now the voice of one crying in the wilderness to a weary and heavy laden Soul in this Island I had rather it should appear to thy judgment in the serious reading and to thy conscience in the home application thereof than from my opinion of it Therefore I shall only add as the Contents of this Letter certain select Cases proposed and resolved in the several Paragraphs thereof as they lie in order in the Pages following viz. Page 3. Trouble of mind in civil affairs by the secret injection of religious thoughts Page 5. From what Spirit such suggestions do arise Page 10. How to entertain them when they crowd in Page 14. Concerning the not being humbled for sinful distractions that hinder and imerrupt the spiritual performance of holy duties Page 19. How a Christian may be said to be under the Covenant of works Page 21. How to conceive a right of that Mystery of Mysteries the blessed Persons in the Trinity Page 26. The Souls aptness to go to God immediatly in holy duties without taking Christ Jesus by the hand Page 30. How to apply absolute promises to thy self tho' they are made indefinitely without condition Page 43. A notable discovery of a secret unwillingness in the Soul to seek God in the strictest solemn services before it entreth into them Weariness of them while they last and a gladness when they are ended Page 47. A sound confutation of that Heretical Arminian Tenet viz. That the strength of Grace is to be got rather by Argumentation than inward Communication and influence arising from union with Christ Page 49. The experiences of this tried servant of Christ who is the Pen-man hereof how he was cured of Atheistical thoughts whether they did wear out or whether by the dint of Arguments they were rationally overthrown Page 54. Lastly whether those changes which a child of God hath sometimes and those movings of the spirit are caused by a natural temper or Gods Spirit All which select Cases and many more that collaterally issue from their sides are judiciously resolved with much perspicuity and brevity in these few sheets by the only juâ—ge of all Controversies the two-edged sword of the Spirit the Word of God Thus humbly beseeching thee to read over this Epistle of Christ to thee with the same Spirit of love and of a sound mind which indited every line in it I do desire to leave thee at the Throne of Graee in the arms of Christ with the Father of all Comfort that thou mayest receive the Peace of God which passes all understanding and be crowned with joy unspeakable and full of Glory I subscribe my self Friend Thine in any Spiritual furtherance of thy Faith William Adderley Dated from Charter house in London Febr. 1. 1647. Dear Sir I Dare not multiply many words in acknowledging and professing my own unfitness and insufficiency to yield your loving and most welcom Letter that satisfaction which both your Self desire and it deserves Neither yet will I be so unfaithful to you seeing your expectation puts me to reply neither ought I I think be so unserviceable to Jesus Christ who in you and by you beckens to me to take this call to write to you and not to neglect so fair a season seeing especially it may be possible my dying Letter to you before I depart from hence and return to him as not knowing but our last disasters Sea-straits of which I wrote to you may be but preparations for the execution of this next approaching voyage Yet our eyes are to the hills and our desires are your prayers and at this time my endeavour shall be in respect of your self to break open that light to you and to prepare it to you with that brevity I may and with what plainness I am able beseeching the God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who must be when all fails the wonderful Counsellor to give you the spirit of revelation and that after you have suffered a while by these outward temptations doubts fears desertions distractions which the Letter mentions he would make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And this I verily think will be unexpected yet happy joyful and most glorious end of them For since I have observed and seen the lamentable ruins of the Soul and seeming graces of many men by being rockt asleep in a quiet still calm easie performance of duties without such awaking temptations and tumults within which it self complains of I say since I have observed what a deal of mud is in the bottom of such standing Pools and what a deal of filth is in such Moats which are inwardly at ease and not emptied from vessel to vessel next unto the donation of the Lord Jesus to a man I have accounted such tumultuous heart-storms and uproars together with the fruitful strange effects of them the second mercy For I never saw that man kept from secret putrefaction and corruption that was not usually salted with such temptations especially in a Christians first Apprentiship which usually preserve him entire till death And therefore Dear Sir faint not for Jesus Christ will raise a world of blessings out of your present Chaos and confusions But I make haste to answer Before you reply to my first Letter your complaints are many Your first trouble is concerning your disturbances in civil affairs by the secret injection of Religious thoughts so that you know not how to follow the one without hazard of grieving the spirit and breaking your peace in not maintaining and nourishing the same time the other and hence being drawn to go two ways at the same time which you cannot well do your Heart is disquieted and your
hony comb with the end of my nod and if this presence of Christ's Spirit I feel now be so sweet what is himself then 3. Thirdly Labour for increase of love familiarity with Jesus Christ by taking notice of him by coming often to him by musing daily on his love as on a fresh thing by banishing slavish false fears of his forgetfulness of you and want of everlasting love towards you and then you know love will carry you speedily to him amor meus pondus meum nay grant that you have been a stranger to Christ yet restore the love of Christ to life again in your Soul and when you come to his ordinances where he dwells your Soul will make its first enquiry for him neither will it be satisfied till it has seen him as we do them we love towards whom we have been greatest strangers Quest 5. Your fifth trouble is you know not how to apply absolute promises to your self as in Heb. 8. because they are made indefinitely without condition Conditional promises you say you can if you can find the qualification that gives you right to the good of the promise within you Answ This useful fruitful question how to apply absolute promises to ones particular deserves a larger time and answer than now in the midst of perplexities I am able yet willing to give For when the Lord saith absolutely without condition that he will take away the stony heart and he will put his fear into his peoples hearts c. and these kind of promises are made to some not to all to those only whom the Lord will and in general to his people Hereupon the Souls of many Christians especially such as question Gods love towards them are most in suspence and therefore when they complain of the vileness of their hearts strength of the lusts let any man tell them that the Lord has undertaken in the Second covenant to heal their backslidings and to subdue their iniquities they will hereupon reply it is true he has promised indeed to do thus for some absolutely tho' they have no good in them but I that feel so vile a heart so rebellious a nature will he do this for me or no and thus the Soul floats above water yet fears it shall sink at last notwithstanding all that God has said I will answer therefore briefly these two things in general 1. I shall shew you to what end and for what use and purpose Go has made absolute promises not only to them that be for the present bâ—â— people but to them that in respect their estates and condition are not 2. I shall shew you how every Christian is to make use of them and how and when he ought to apply them For the first of these 1. First I conceive that as in respect of God himself there are many ends which I shall not mention as being needless so in respect of man there are principally these two ends for which the Lord has made absolute promises 1. To raise up the Soul of a helpless sinful cursed lost sinner in his own eyes to some hope at least of mercy and help from the Lord. For thus usually every mans Soul is wrought to whom the Lord doth intend grace and mercy he first turns his eyes inward and makes him to see he is stark naught and that he has not one dram of grace in him who thought himself rich and wanting nothing before and consequently that he is under the curse and wrath of God for the present and that if the Lord should but stop his breath and cover his face and take him away which he may easily do and this to be feared he will that he is undon forever Hereupon the Soul is awakened falls to his kitchin physick as I spake before prays and hears and amends and strives to grow better and to stop up every hole to amend it self of every sin but finding it self to grow worse and worse and perceiving thereby that he doth but stir not cleanse the puddle and that it is not amending of nature that he must attain to but he must believe and make a long arm to Heaven and apprehend the Lord Jesus which so few know or ever shall enjoy and hereby quench the wrath of God I say finding he cannot do thus no nor no means of themselves can help him to this hereupon he is for saken of all his self-wisdom and of all his vain hopes and now sits down like a desolate widow comfortless and sorrowful and thinks there is no way but death and hell the wrath of a displeased God to be expected And if any come and tell this Soul of Gods mercy and pity to sinners I saith he its true he is even infinitely merciful unto them who are rent from their sins and that can believe but that I cannot do am sure shall never be able for to do therefore what cause have I but to lie down in my sorrow to expect my fatal stroke every moment Reply again upon this Soul tell him that tho' he cannot believe or loosen his heart from sin yet that the Lord has promised to do it that he will subdue all his iniquity and he will pardon all his sin and that he will cause men to walk in his ways c. True saith the Soul again he will do thus for his own people and for them he has chosen but I never had dram of grace in my heart and there is no evidence that the Lord is mine own or that I am his Here again the Soul lies down until the Lord discovers to the Soul that he will do these things for some that have no grace or never had grace for these promises were made to such Hereupon the Soul thinks thus these promises are made for some that are filthy for why should God pour clean water upon them for some that be hard-hearted for why should he promise to take away the stony heart from them c. and if unto some such and I being such a one why may not the Lord possibly intend and include me seeing he has not by his promise excluded nor shut me out Indeed I dare not say he will but yet how do I or men or Angels know but yet I may be one Hereupon Hope is raised to life again seeing God has undertaken the work for the vilest it is possible he may do it for me now when I am vile and can do nothing for my self And thus you may see the first end and use of absolute promises to be as it were twiggs to uphold the sinking Spirits of hopeless helpless distressed Souls 2. The Second end and Use of them is this To create and draw out faith in Jesus Christ in the promises For as the Law begets terror so the promises beget Faith Now no conditional promise firstly begets Faith because he that is under any condition of the Gospel in that man there
for the procuring and meriting of life and this is called his Active Obedience Heb. 7. 26. Q. What follows Christs Humiliation A. His Exaltation which is his glorious victory and open Triumph over all his and our enemies sin Satan and death in the several degrees of it Luk. 24. 26. Phil. 2. 8 9. 1 Cor. 15. 5 7. A. What is the first degree of Christs Exaltation A. His Resurrection the third day whereby his Soul body by the power of the God-head were brought together again and so rose again from death appearing to his Disciples for the space of 40 days 1 Cor. 15. 4. Ioh. 2. 19. Act. 1. 3. Q. What is the second degree of Christs Exaltation A. His Ascension into Heaven which was the going up of the Manhood into the third heaven by the power of the God-head from Mount Olives in the sight of his Disciples Act. 1. 11 12. Q What is the third degree of his Exaltation A. His sitting at the right hand of God whereby he being advanced to the fulness of all glory in both natures governeth and ruleth all things together with the Father as Lord over all for the good of his people Mark 16. 9. Psal 110. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 25. Eph. 1. 20 21 22. 1 Pet. 3. 22. Q. What is the fourth and last degree of his Exaltation A. His return to Judgment which is his second coming into this world with great glory and Majesty to judge the quick and the dead to the confusion of all them that would not have him rule over them and to the unspeakable good of his people Mat. 19. 28. 2 Tim. 4. 1. Acts 17. 31. 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9. Q. Thus much of Redemption the first part of his Recovery What is application A. Whereby the Spirit by the Word and Ministry thereof makes all that which Christ as Mediator hath done for the Church efficacious to the Church as her own Ioh. 16. 14. Tit. 3. 5 6 7. Ioh. 10 16. Rom. 10. 14 17. Eph. 5 25 26. Q. What is the Church A. The number of Gods Elect. Heb. 12. 23 Ioh. 17. 9. 10 11. Ioh. 10. 16. Ep. 1. 22 23. Q. How doth the Spirit make application to the Church A. 1. By union of the Soul to Christ Phil. 3. 9 10. 2. By Commnnion of the benefits of Christ to the Soul Q. What is this Union A. Whereby the Lord joyning the Soul to Christ makes it one Spirit with Christ and so gives it possession of Christ and right unto all the benefits and blessings of Christ 1 Cor. 6. 17. Ioh. 17. 21. Rom. 8. 32. 1 Ioh. 5. 12. Q. How doth the Spirit make this Union A. Two ways first By cutting off the Soul from the old Adam or the wild Olive Tree in the work of preparation Rom. 11. 23 24. 2. By putting or ingrafting the Soul into the second Adam Christ Jesus by the work of vocation Act 26. 18. Q. VVhat are the parts of the preparation of the Soul for Christ A. They are two 1. Contrition whereby the Spirit immediatly cuts off the Soul from its security in sin by making it to mourn for it and separating the Soul from it as the greatest evil Isa 61. 1 3. Jer. 4. 3 4. Mat. 11. 20 28. 2. Humiliation whereby the Spirit cuts the Soul off from self-confidence in any good it hath or doth Especially by making it to feel its want unworthiness of Christ and hence submitteth to be disposed of as God pleaseth Phil. 3. 7 8. Luk. 16. 9. Luk. 15. 17 18 19. Q. VVhat are the parts of vocation of the Soul to Christ A. 1. The Lords call and invitation of the Soul to come to Christ in the Revelation and offer of Christ and his rich Grace 2 Cor. 5. 10. 2. The receiving of Christ or the coming of the whole Soul out of it self unto Christ for Christ by virtue of the irresistable power of the Spirit in the call and this is Faith Jer. 3. 22. Ioh. 6. 44 45. Ioh. 10. 16. Esa 55. 5. Q. Thus much of our Union VVhat is the communion of Christs benefits unto the Soul A. Whereby the Soul possessed with Christ and right unto him hath by the same Spirit fruition of him and all his benefits Ioh. 4. 10. 14. Q. VVhat is the first of those benefits we do enjoy from Christ A. Justification which is the Gracious Sentence of God the Father whereby for the satisfaction of Christ apprehended by Faith imputed to the faithful he absolves them from the guilt condemnation of all sins accepts them as perfectly righteous to eternal life Rom. 3. 24 25. Rom. 4. 6 7 8. Rom. 8. 33 34. Q. VVhat difference is there between Justification and Sanctification A 1. Justification is by Christs righteousness inherent in Christ only Sanctification is by a righteousness from Christ inherent in our selves 2. Cor. 5. 21. Phil. 3. 9. 2. Justification is perfected at once and admits of no degrees because it is by Christ his perfect righteousness Sanctification is imperfect being begun in this life Rev. 12 1. Phil. 3. 11. Q. What is the second benefit next in order to Justification which the faithful receive from Christ A. Reconciliation whereby a Christian justified is actually reconciled at peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Ioh. 2. 12. hence follows his peace with all creatures Q. VVhat is the third benefit next unto Reconciliation A. Adoption whereby the Lord accounts the faithful his Sons crowns them with priviledges of Sons gives them the Spirit of Adoption the same spirit which is in his only begotten Son Ioh. 3. 2. Rom. 8. 11 14 15 16 17. Q. VVhat is the fourth benefit next to Adoption A. Sanctification whereby the sons of God are renewed in the whole man unto the Image of their heavenly Father in Christ Jesus by Mortification or their daily dying to sin by virtue of Christs death and by Vivification their daily rising to newness of life by Christs resurrection 1 Thes 5. 23 Eph. 4. 24. Jer. 31. 32. Rom. 6. 7 8. Q. VVhat follows from this Mortification and Vivification A. A continual war combat between the renewed part assisted by Father Son and Holy Ghost the unrenewed part assisted by Satan this evil world Rom. 7. 21 22 23. Q. VVhat is the fifth and last benefit next unto Sanctification A. Glorification which hath two degrees The one in this life and the other in the world to come Q. VVhat is the first degree of Glorification in this life A. Lively expectation of Glory from the assurance and shedding abroad Gods love in our hearts working joy unspeakable Rom. 5. 2 5. Tit. 2. 13. Q. VVhat is the second degree in the world to come A. Full fruition of Glory whereby being made compleat and perfect in Holiness and Happiness we enjoy all that good eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard in our Immediate and Eternal Communion with God in Christ Heb. 12. 23. 1 Cor.