not by Faith chosen and used by us under the notion of a Mâ—diatour or Means to our first act of love and consent but is a Means to that of the Fathers chusing only but is in that first consent chosen by us for the standing means of our Justification and Glory and of all our following exercise and increase of love to God and our sanctification so that it is only the assenting act of faith and not the electing act which is the efficient cause of oâ— very first act of Love to God and of our first degree of sanctification and thus it is that Faith is called the seed and mother grace But it is not that saving Faith which is our Christianity and the condition of Justification and of Glory till it come up to a covenant-consent of heart and take in the foresaid acts of Repentance and Love to God as our God and ultimate end The observation of many written mistakes about the order of the work of grace and the ill and contentious consequents that have followed them hath made me think that this true and accurate decision of this case is not unuseful or unnecessary Direct 12. The Holy Ghost so far concurred with the eternal Word in our Redemption that he was the perfecting Operator in the Conception the Holiness the Miracles the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Of his Conception it is said Mat. 1.20 For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost And vers 18. She was found with child of the Holy Ghost And of his holy perfection as it is said Luke 2.52 that he increased in wisdom and stature and favour with God and men meaning those positive perfections of his humane nature which were to grow up with nature it self and not the supply of any culpable or privative defects so when he was baptized the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a Dove upon him Luke 3.22 And Luke 4.1 it is said Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost c. Isa 11.2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and might the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord and shall make him quick of understanding in the fear of the Lord c. Joh. 3.34 For God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him Acts 1.2 After that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments to the Apostles whom he had chosen Rom. 1.4 And was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness that is the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead Mat. 12.28 If I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God c. Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal c. Isa 61.1 In all this you see how great the work of the Holy Spirit was upon Christ himself to fit his humane nature for the work of our redemption and actuate him in it though it was the Word only which was made flesh and dwelt among us John 1.3 Direct 13. Christ was thus filled with the Spirit to be the Head or quickening Spirit to his body and accordingly to fit each member for its peculiar office And therefore the Spirit now given is called the Spirit of Christ as communicated by him Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of hiâ— Joh. 7.37 This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe should receive viz. it is the water of life which Christ will give them 1 Cor. 15.45 The last Adam was made a quickening Spirit Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father Phil. 1.19 Through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ See also Ephes 1.22 23. 3.17 18 19. 2.18 22. 4.3 12 16. 1 Cor. 12 c. Direct 14. The greatest extraordinary measure of the Spirit was given by him to his Apostles and the Primitive Christians to be the seal of his own truth and power and to fit them to found the first Churches and to convince unbelievers and to deliver his will on record in the Scriptures infallibly to the Church for future times It would be tedious to cite the proofs of this they are so numerous take but a few Matth. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you that 's the commission Mark 16.17 And these signs shall follow them that believe c. Joh. 20.22 Receive ye the Holy Ghost c. 14.26 But the Comforter the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Joh. 16.13 When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth c. Heb. 2.4 God also bearing them witness both with signs and wâ—nders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Direct 15. And as such gifts of the Spirit was given to the Apostles as their â—ffice required so thâ—se sanctifying graces or that spiritual Life Light and Love are given by it to all true Christians which their calling and salvation doth require John 3.5 6. Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven That which is born of the flâ—sh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Heb. 12.14 Without holiness none shall see God Rom. 8.8 9 10 14. They that are in the flesh cannot please God But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his See also v. 1 3 4 5 6 7 c. Titus 3.5 6 7. He saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life But the testimonies of thâ—s truth are more numerous than I may recite Direct 16. By all this it appeareth that the Holy Ghost is both Christs great witness objectively in the world by which it is that he is owned of God and proved to be true and also his Advocate or great Agent in the Church both to indite the Scriptures and to sanctifie souls So that no man can be a Christian indeed without these three 1. The objective witness of the Spirit to the truth of Christ 2. The Gospel taught by the Spirit in the Apostles 3. And the quickening illuminating and sanctifying work of the Spirit upon their souls Direct 17. It is therefore in these respects that we are baptizâ—d into the Name of the Holy Ghost as well as of the Father and the Son
this Treatise are so unlike understand 1. That they are for various uses The first Part to make men willing by awakening perswasions and the rest to direct them in the exercises of Faith who are first made willing 2. That I write not to win thy praise of an artificial comely Structure but to help souls to Holiness and Heaven and to these ends I labour to suit the means 3. That the first Sermon was published long ago and the Bookseller desiring me to give him some additions to it I thought meet first to make up the exciting part in the same style and then to add a Directory for the practice of judicious Believers 2. And if it offend thee that the second Part containeth but such matter as I have already published in my Reasons of the Christian Religion understand 1. That I perceived that that Treatise was neglected by the more unlearned sort of Christians as not descending enough to their capacities and that it would be useful to the confirmation of their Faith to draw forth some of the most obvious Arguments in as plain a manner and as briefly as I could that length nor obscurity might not deprive them of the benefit who are too slothfull or too dull to make use of more copious and accurate discourse 2. And I knew not how to write a Treatise of the Uses of Faith which should wholly leave out the Confirmations of Faith without much reluctancy of my Reason 3. And again I say I can bear the dispraise of Repetition if I may but further mens Faith and Salvation 3. And if it offend thee that I am so dull in all the Directive part I cannot well do both works at once awaken the Affections and accurately direct the mind for practice Or at least if I had spoken all those Directions in a copious applicatory Sermon style it would have swelled the Book to a very tedious costly volume And Affection must not too much interpose when the Judgment is about its proper work And being done in the beginning it may be the better spared afterward 4. If it offend you that I open the Life of Faith in somewhat an unusual manner I answer for my self that if it be Methodical true and apt for use I do that which I intend And on a subject so frequently and fully handled it were but an injury to the Church to say but the same which is said already Mr. John Ball Mr. Ezekiel Culverwell and Mr. Samuel Ward in a narrower room have done exceeding well upon this subject If you have nothing more than they have said read their Books only and let this alone 5. If it offend you that the Directions are many of them difficult and the style requireth a slow considerate Reader I answer the nature of the subject requireth it and without voluminous tediousness it cannot be avoided Blame therefore your unprepared ignorant minds and while you are yet dull of hearing and so make things hard to be uttered to your understanding because you have still need of Milk and cannot digest strong meat but must again be taught the principles of the oracles of God Heb. 5.11 12 13 14. think not to gâ—t knowledge without hard study and patient learning by hearing nothing but what you know already or can understand by one hasty reading over lest you discover a conjunction of slothfulness with an ignorant and unhumbled mind Or at least if you must learn at so cheap a rate or else stick still in your Milk and your Beginnings be not offended if others out-go you and think knowledge worthy of much greater diligence and if leaving the principles we go on towards perfection as long as we take them along with us and make them the life of all that followeth while we seem to leave them And this we will do if God permit Heb. 6.1 3. R. B. Feb. 3. 1669. The Contents of the first Part. The SERMON WHat Faith is page 2. The Text opened p. 4. The grounds of the certaâ—nty of Faith briefly intimated p. 5 c. Why God will have us live by Faith and not by sight p. 1â— c. Use 1. To inform us what a Christian or Believer is described p. 15 Use 2. The Reason why Believers are more serious in matters of Religion than unbelievers are Use 3. Of Examination p. 29 The misery of unbelievers p. 30 Marks of a true Faith p. 32 Use 4. Exhortation to the serious exercise of Faith p. 37 Some assisting suppositions p. 38 How those will live who thus believe opened in certain Questions p 4â— Motives to live by a foreseeing Faith on things not seen p. 45 The Conclusion 1. Exhorting to live by Faith 2. And to promote this life in others p. 46. The Additions Cap. 1. The conviction and reproof of Hypocrites Who live contrary to the Faith which they profess 48 Cap. 2. A general Exhortation to live as Believers 56 Cap. 3. An exhortation to the particular duties of Believers 63 The Contents of the Second Part. Chap. 1. The Believers Directory must shew him I. How to strengthen Faith 2. How to use it And I. For the first the order of the presupposed Natural Verities is briefly mentioned 8â— Chap. 2. The true Method of enquiry into the supernatural evidences of Faith and the Rules therein to be observed 87 Chap. 3. The proper Evidence of Faith The SPIRIT and the Image of God himself 97 Chap. 4. The Image of Gods Wisdom on the Christian Religion It 's wonderful Method opened in thirty instances Six more instances 99 Chap. 5. The Image of Gods Goodness and Holiness on the Christian Religion in thirty instances 108 Chap. 6. The Image of Gods Power upon the Christian Religion in twenty instances 115 Chap. 7. The means of making known all this to us infallibly How the first witnesses knew it How the next Age and Churches knew it How we know it Twenty special historical Traditions of Christianity and matters of fact What the Spirits Witness to Christianity is 125 Chap. 8. Twelve further Directions to confirm our Faith 136 Chap. 9. Twenty General Directions how to use Faith or to live by it when it iâ— confirmed What Christian Faith is Errours about it 148 The Contents of the third Part. Chap. 1. How to live by Faith on God 168 Chap. 2. How to live by Faith on Jesus Christ 188 Abuses of the Doctrine of Redemption The extent of it Of Christs Office His Merits and Sacrifice Example c. Chap. 3. How to live by Faith on the Holy Ghost Of the Trinity Several doubts resolved about believing in the Holy Ghost Of giving the Spirit His operations Whether Love to God or Faith in Christ go first exactly answered And consequently whether Faith or Repentance be first Of the Spirit in Christ and the Apostles Of sufficient Grace How Faith procureth the Spirit Whether desires of grace be grace 20â— Chap. 4. How to live by faith as to Gods Commandâ— The admirable
Essence or that which streameth further to other creatures And this last is either that which it sendeth to us before its own appearing or rising or that which accompanieth its appearing or that which leaveth behind it as it setteth or passeth away so must we distinguish in the present case But all this is but One Light and One Spirit So then I should in order speak 1. Of that Spirit in the words and works of Christ himself which constituteth the Christian Religion 2. That Spirit in the Prophets and Fathers before Christ which was the antecedent light 3. That Spirit in Christs followers which was the concomitant and subsequent Light or witness And 1. In those next his abode on earth And 2. Of those that are more remote CHAP. IV. The Image of Gods Wisdom 1. AND first observe the three parts of Gods Image or impress upon the Christian Religion in it self as containing the whole work of mans Redemption as it is found in the works and doctrine of Christ 1. The WISDOM of it appeareth in these particular observations which yet shew it to us but very defectively for want of the clearness and the integrality and the order of our knowledge For to see but here and there a parcel of one entire frame or work and to see those few parcels as dislocated and not in their proper places and order and all this but with a dark imperfect sight is far from that full and open view of the manifold Wisdom of God in Christ which Angels and superiour intellects have 1. Mark how wisely God hath ordered it that the three Essentialitieâ— in the Divine Nature Power Intellection and Will Omnipotency Wisdom and Goodness and the three persons in the Trinity the Father the Word and the Spirit and the three Causalities of God as the Efficient Directive and final Cause of whom and through whom and to whom are all things should have three most eminent specimina or impressions in the world or three most conspicuous works to declare and glorifie them viz. Nature Grace and Glory And that God should accordingly stand related to man in three answerable Relations viz. as our Creatour our Redeemer and our Perfecter by Holiness initially and Glory finally 2. How wisely it is ordered that seeing Mans Love to God is both his greatest duty and his perfection and felicity there should be some standing emâ—nent means for the attraction and excitation of our Love And this should be the most eminent manifestation of the Love of God to us and withall of his own most perfect Holiness and Goodness And that as we have as much need of the sense of his Goodness as of his Power Loving him being our chief work that there should be as observable a demonstration of his Goodness extant as the world is of his Power 3. Especially when man had fallen by sin from the Love of God to the Love of his carnal self and of the creature and when he was fallen under vindictive Justice and was conscious of the displeasure of his Maker and had made himself an heir of Hell And when mans nature can so hardly love one that in Justice standeth engaged or resolved to damn him forsake him and hate him How wisely is it ordered that he that would recover him to his Love should first declare his Love to the offender in the fullest sort and should reconcile himself unto him and shew his readiness to forgive him and to save him yea to be his felicity and his chiefest good That so the Remedy may be answerable to the disease and to the duty 4. How wisely is it thus contrived that the frame and course of mans obedience should be appointed to consist in Love and Gratitude and to run out in such praise and chearful duty as is animated throughout by Love that so sweet a spring may bring forth answerable streams That so the Goodness of our Master may appear in the sweetness of our work and we may not serve the God of Love and Glory like slaves with a grudging weary mind but like children with delight and quietness And our work and way may be to us a foretaste of our reward and end 5. And yet how meet was it that while we live in such a dark material world in a body of corruptible flesh among enemies and snares our duty should have somewhat of caution and vigilancy and therefore of fear and godly sorrow to teach us to rellish grace the more And that our condition should have in it much of necessity and trouble to drive us homeward to God who is our rest And how aptly doth the very permission of sin it self subserve this end 6. How wisely is it thus contrived that Glory at last should be better rellished and that man who hath the Joy should give God the Glory and be bound to this by a double obligation 7. How aptly is this remedying design and all the work of mans Redemption and all the Precepts of the Gospel built upon or planted into the Law of natural perfection Faith being but the means to recover Love and Grace being to Nature but as Medicine is to the Body and being to Glory as Medicine is to Health So that as a man that was never taught to speak or to go or to do any work or to know any science or trade or business which must be known acquisitively is a miserable man as wanting all that which should help him to use his natural powers to their proper ends so it is much more with him that hath Nature without Grace which must heal it and use it to its proper ends 8. So that it appeareth that as the Love of Perfection is fitly called the Law of Nature because it is agreeable to man in his Natural state of Innocency so the Law of Grace may be now called the Law of depraved Nature because it is as suitable to lapsed man And when our pravity is undeniable how credible should it be that we have such a Law 9. And there is nothing in the Gospel either unsuitable to the first Law of Nature or contradictory to it or yet of any alien nature but only that which hath the most excellent aptitude to subserve it Giving the Glory to God in the highest by restoring Peace unto the Earth and Goodness towards men 10. And when the Divine Monarchy is apt in the order of Government to communicate some Image of it self to the Creature as well as the Divine Perfections have communicated their Image to the Creatures in their Natures or Beings how wisely it is ordered that mankind should have one universal Vicarious Head or Monarch There is great reason to believe that there is Monarchy among Angels And in the world it most apparently excelleth all other forms of Government in order to Vnity and Strength and Glory and if it be apter than some others to degenerate into oppressing Tyranny that is only caused by the great corruption of humane
abroad the world And then how the Roman Empire was brought in and subdued to Christ and Crowns and Scepters resigned to him and all this according to his own prediction that when he was lifted up he would draw all men to him and according to the predictions of his Prophets But that which I would especially open is the POWER which is manifested in the work of the Spirit on the souls of men both then and to this day Hitherto what I have mentioned belonging to the Scripture it self it is to be taken as part of our Religion objectively considered But that which followeth is the effect of that even our Religion subjectively considered To observe how God maketh men Believers and by believing sanctifieth their hearts and lives is a great motive to further our own believing Consider the work 1. As it is in it self 2. As it is opposed by all its enemies and you may see that it is the work of God 1. As the Goodness so also the Greatness of it is Gods own Image It is the raising up of our stupid faculties to be lively and active to those holy uses to which they were become as dead by sin To cause in an unlearned person a firmer and more distinct belief of the unseen world than the most learned Philosophers can attain to by all their natural contemplations To bring up a soul to place its happiness on things so high and far from sense To cause him who naturally is imprisoned in selfishness to deny himself and devote himself entirely to God to love him to trust him and to live to him To raise an earthly mind to Heaven that our business and hope may be daily there To overcome our pride and sensuality and bring our senses in subjection unto reason and to keep a holy government in our thoughts and over our passions words and deeds And to live in continual preparation for death as the only time of our true felicity And to suffer any loss or pain for the safe accomplishment of this All this is the work of the POWER of God 2. Which will the more appear when we consider what is done against it within us and without us what privative and positive averseness we have to it till God do send down that Life and Light and Love into our souls which is indeed his Image How violently our fleshly sense and appetite strive against the restraints of God and would hurry us contrary to the motions of grace How importunately Satan joyneth with his suggestions What baits the world doth still set before us to divert us and pervert us And how many instruments of its flattery or its cruelty are still at work to stop us or to turn us back to invite our affections down to Earth and ensnare them to some deluding vainty or to distract us in our heavenly design and to aâ—right or discourage us from the holy way And if we think this an easie work because it is also reasonable do but observe how hardly it goeth on till the POWER of God by grace accomplish it what a deal of pains may the best and wisest Parents take with a graceless child and all in vain what labours the worthiest Ministers lose on graceless people and how blind and dead and senseless a thing the graceless heart is to any thing that is holy even when reason it self cannot gainsay it And God is pleased oft-times to weary out Parents and Masters and Ministers with such unteachable and stony hearts to make them know what naturally they are themselves to bring them to the more lively acknowledgement of the POWER which is necessary to renew and save a soul But having spoken at large of this in the formentioned Treatise I shall take up with these brief intimations 19. And the preservation of that Grace in the soul which is once given us is also an effect of the POWER of God Our strength is in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6.10 It is our Lord himself who is the Lord of life and whose Priesthood was made after the power of an endless life Heb. 7.16 who giveth us the Spirit of Power and of Love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 or of received wisdom for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sound understanding received by instruction And this text expresseth the three parts of Gods Image in the new Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as Power is given us with Love and Wisdom so Power with Love and Wisdom do give it us and Power also must preserve it 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 2 Tim. 1.8 According to the power of God who hath saved us The Gospel is the Power of God that is the instrument of his Power to our salvation Rom. 1.16 So 1 Cor. 1.18 To us that are saved it is the power of God because Christ whom it revealeth is the power and wisdom of God v. 24. And thus our faith standeth in the power of God 1 Cor. 2.5 2 Cor. 6.7 And the Kingdom of God in us doth consist in power 1 Cor. 4.20 The mind of man is very mutable and he that is possessed once with the desires of things spiritual and eternal would quickly lose those desires and turn to present things again which are still before him while higher things are beyond our sense if the Power and Activity of the divine life did not preserve the spark which is kindled in us Though the doctrine of Perseverance be controverted in the Christian Church yet experience assureth us of that which all parties are agreed in Some hold that all true Christians persevere and some hold that all confirmed Christians persevere that is those who come to a strong degree of grace but those that think otherwise do yet all grant that if any fall away it is comparatively but a very few of those who are sincere When none would persevere if Omnipotency did not preserve them 20. Lastly The POWER of God also doth consequently own the Christian Religion by the Preservation of the Church in this malicious and opposing world as well as by the preservation of grace in the soul which will be the more apparent if you observe 1. That the number of true Christians is still very small in comparison of the wicked 2. That all wicked men are naturally by the corruption of nature their enemies because the precepts and practice of Christianity are utterly against their carnal minds and interests 3. That the doctrine and practice of Christianity is still galling them and exciting and sublimating this enmity into rage And God doth by persecutions ordinarily tell us to our smart that all this is true 4. That all carnal men are exceeding hardly moved from their own way 5. That the Government of the Earth is commonly in their hand because of their numbers and their wealth For it is commonly the rich that rule and the rich are usually bad
not But doubtless the observing of anniversary solemnities for their commemoration was a way of preserving the memory of the acts themselves to posterity How long the day of Christs Nativity hath been celebrated I know not Reading what Selden hath said on one side and on the other finding no currant Author mention it that I have read before Nazianzene and finding by Chrysostome that the Churches of the East till his time had differed from the Western Churches as far as the sixth of January is from the 25 of December But that is of less moment because Christs birth is a thing unquestioned in it self But we find that the time of his fasting forty daies the time of his Passion and of his Resurrection and the giving of the Holy Ghost were long before kept in memory by some kind of observation by faâ—ts or festivals And though there was a controversie about the due season of the successive observation of Easter yet that signified no uncertainty of the first day or the season of the year And though at first it was but few daies that were kept in fasting at that season yet they were enough to commemorate both the forty daies fasting and the death of Christ 18. And the histories of the Heathens and enemies of the Church do also declare how long Christianity continued and what they were and what they suffered who were called Christians such as Plinies Celsus Porphyry Plotinus Lucian Suâ—tonius and others 19. And the constant instruction of Children by their Parents which is Family-tradition hath been a very great means also of this commemoration For it cannot be though some be negligent but that multitudes in all times would teach their children what the Christian Religion was as to its doctrine and its history And the practice of catechizing and teaching children the Creed the Lords Prayer and the Decalogue and the Scriptures the more secured this tradition in families 20. Lastly A succession of the same Spirit which was in the Apostles and of much of the same works which were done by them was such a way of assuring us of the truth of their doctrine and history as a succession of posterity teleth us that our progenitors were men The same spirit of Wisdom and Goodness in a great degree continued after them to this day And all wrought by their doctrine and very credible history assureth us that many miracles also were done in many ages after them though not so many as by them Eusebius Cyprian Augustine Victor Vlicensis Sulpitius Severus and many others shew us so much as may make the belief of the Apostles the more easie And indeed the Image of Gods WISDOM GOODNESS and POWER on the souls of all true Christians in the world successively to this day considered in it self and in its agreement with the same Image in the holy Scriptures which do imprint it and in its agreement or sameness as found in all Ages Nations and Persons is such a standing perpetual evidence that the Christian Religion is Divine that being still at hand it should be exceeding satisfactory to a considerate Believer against all doubts and temptations to unbelief And were it not lest I should instead of an Index give you too large a recital of what I have more fully written in my foresaid Treatise I would here stay yet to shew you how impossible it is that this Spirit of Holiness which we feel in us and see by the effects in others even in every true Believer should be caused by a word of falshood which he abhorreth and as the Just Ruler of the world would be obliged to disown I shall only here desire you by the way to note that when I have all this while shewed you that the SPIRIT is the great witness of the truth of Christianity that it is this spirit of Wisdom Goodness and Power in the Prophets in Christ in the Apostles and in all Christians expressed in the doctrine and the practices aforesaid which I mean as being principally the Evidences or objective witness of Jesus Christ and secondarily being in all true Believers their teacher or illuminater and sanctifier efficiently to cause them to perceive the aforesaid objective Evidences in its cogent undeniable power And thus the Holy Ghost is the promised Agent or Advocate of Christ to do his work in his bodily absence in the world And that in this sense it is that we Believe in the HOLY GHOST and are baptized into his Name and not only as he is the third person in the Eternal Trinity And therefore it is to be lamented exceedingly 1. That any Orthodox Teachers should recite over many of these parts of the witness of the SPIRIT and when they have done tell us that yet all these are not sufficient to convince us without the testimony of the Spirit As if all this were none of the testimony of the Spirit and as if they would perswade us and our enemies that the testimony which must satisfie us is only some inward impress of this Proposition on the mind by way of inspiration The Scriptures are the Word of God and true Overlooking the great witness of the Spirit which is his special work and which our Baptism relateth to and feigning some extraordinary new thing as the only testimony And it is to be lamented that Papists and quarrelling Sectaries should take this occasion to reproach us as Infidels that have no true grounded faith in Christ as telling us that we resolve it all into a private inward pretended witness of the Spirit And then they ask us who can know that witness but our selves and how can we preach the Gospel to others if the only cogent argument of faith be incommunicable or such as we cannot prove Though both the Believing soul and the Church be the Kingdom of the Prince of Light yet O what wrong hath the Prince of Darkness done by the mixtures of darkness in them both So much for the first Direction for the strengthening of Faith which is by discerning the Evidences of Truth in our Religion CHAP. VIII The rest of the Directions for strengthening our Faith I Shall be more brief in the rest of the Directions for the increase of Faith and they are these Direct 2. Compare the Christian Religion with all other in the world And seeing it is certain that some way or other God hath revealed to guide man in his duty unto his end and it is no other you will see that it must needs be this 1. The way of the Heathenish Idolaters cannot be it The principles and the effects of their Religion may easily satisfie you of this The only true God would not command Idolatry nor befriend such ignorance errour and wickedness as doth constitute their Religion and are produced by it as its genuine fruits 2. The way of Judaism cannot be it For it doth but lead us up to Christianity and bear witness to Christ and of it self is evidently insufficient its
wind will blow and the rain will fall and the earth will bear fruits whether we know it or not so our knowledge of it is not at all necessary to any Divine Efficiency as such The Spirit by which we are regenerate is like the wind that bloweth whose sound we hear but know not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth no nor what it is John 3.6 7 8 9. But all those things which are necessary to work objectively and morally on the soul do work in esse cognito and the knowledge of them is as necessary as the operation is It was of absolute necessity to the salvation of all before Christs coming and among the Gentiles as well as the Jews that the Spirit should sanctifie them to God by possessing them with a predominant Love of him in his Goodness and that this Spirit proceed from the Son or Wisdom of God But it was not so necessary to them as it is now to us to have a distinct knowledge of the personality and operations of the Spirit and of the Son And though now it is certain that Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life and no man cometh to the Father but by the Son Joh. 14.6 Yet that knowledge of him which is necessary to them that hear the Gospel is not all necessary to them that never hear it though the same efficiency on his part be necessary And so it is about the knowledge of the Holy Ghost without which Christ cannot be sufficiently now known and rightly believed in Direct 4. The presence or operation of the Spirit of God is casually the spiritual Life of man in his holiness As there is no natural Being but by influence from his Being so no Life but by communication from his Life and no Light but from his Light and no Love or Goodness but from his Spirit of Love It is therefore a vain conceit of them that think man in innocency had not the Spirit of God They that say his natural rectitude was instead of the Spirit do but say and unsay for his natural rectitude was the effect of the influx or communication of Gods Spirit And he could have no moral rectitude without it as there can be no effect without the chief cause The nature of Love and Holiness cannot subsist but in dependance on the Love and Holiness of God And those Papists who talk of mans state first in pure naturals and an after donation of the Spirit must mean by pure naturals man in his meer essentials not really but notionally by abstraction distinguished from the same man at the same instant as a Saint or else they speak unsoundly For God made man in moral dispositive goodness at the first and the same Love or Spirit which did first make him so was necessary after to continue him so It was never his nature to be a prime good or to be good independently without the influence of the prime good Isa 44.3 Ezek. 36.27 Job 26.13 Psal 51.10 12. 143.10 Prov. 20.27 Mal. 2.15 John 3.5 6. 6.63 7.39 Rom. 8.1 5 6 9 13 16. 1 Cor. 6.11 2.11 12. 6.17 12.11 13. 15.45 2 Cor. 3.3 17. Ephes 2.18 22. 3.16 5.9 Col. 1.8 Jude 19. Direct 5. The Spirit of God and the Holiness of the soul may be lost without the destruction of our essence or species of humane nature and may be restored without making us specifically other things That influence of the Spirit which giveth us the faculty of a Rational Appetite or Will inclined to good as good cannot cease but our humanity or Being would cease But that influence of the Spirit which causeth our adherence to God by Love may cease without the cessation of our Beings as our health may be lost while our life continueth Psal 51.10 1 Thes 5.19 Direct 6. The greatest mercy in this world is the gift of the Spirit and the greatest misery is to be deprived of the Spirit and both these are done to man by God as a Governour by way of reward and punishment oft-times Therefore the greatest reward to be observed in this world is the increase of the Spirit upon us and the greatest punishment in this world is the denying or with-holding of the Spirit It is therefore a great part of a Christians wisdom and work to observe the accesses and assistances of the Spirit and its withdrawings and to take more notice to God in his thankfulness of the gift of the Spirit than of all other benefits in this world And to lament more the retiring or withholding of Gods Spirit than all the calamities in the world And to fear this more as a punishment of his sin Lest God should say as Psal 81.11 12. But my people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts to walk in their own counsels And we must obey God through the motive of this promise and reward Prov. 1.23 Turn you at my reproof behold I will powre out my Spirit unto you I will make known my words to you Joh. 7.39 He spake this of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive Luke 11.13 God will give his holy Spirit to them that ask it And we have great cause when we have sinned to pray with David Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit in me Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and stablish me with thy free Spirit Psal 51.10 11 12. And as the sin to be feared is the grieving of the holy Spirit Ephes 4.30 so the judgement to be feared is accordingly the withdrawing of it Isaiah 63.10 11. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Then he remembred the daies of old Moses and his people saying Where is he that brought them up Where is he that put his holy Spirit within them The great thing to be dreaded is lest those that were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost should fall away and be no more renewed by repentance Heb. 6.4 6. Direct 7. Therefore executive pardon or justification cannot possibly be any perfecter than sanctification is Because no sin is further forgiven or the person justified executively than the punishment is taken off and the privation of the Spirit being the great punishment the giving of it is the great executive remission in this life But of this more in the Chapter of Justification following Direct 8. The three great operations in mâ—n which each of the three persons in the Trinity eminently perform are Natura Medicina salus the first by the Creator the second by the Redeemer the third by the Sanctifier Commonly it is called Nature Grace and Glory But either the terms Grace and Glory must
have access by Faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us For when we were without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly God commended his Love to us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us So Ephes 3.17 18 19. Let Christ dwell in your hearts by Faith and it would help you to be rooted and grounded in Love and to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge and so to be filled with the fulness of God If Faith be the way to see Gods Love and Faith be the way thereby to raise our Love to God then Faith in Christ must needs be the continual instrument of the Spirit or that means which we must still use for the increase of the Spirit Direct 25. The works of the Spirit next to the excitation of Life Light and Love do consist in the subduing of the lusts of the flesh and of the power of all the objects of sense which serve it Therefore be sure that you faithfully serve the Spirit in this mortifying work and that you take not part with the flesh against it A grat part of our duty towards the Holy Ghost doth consist in this joyning with him and obeying him in his strivings against the flesh And therefore it is that so many and earnest exhortations are used with us to live after the Spirit and not after the flesh and to mortifie the lusts of the flesh and the deeds of it by the Spirit especially in Rom. 8.1 to the 16. and in Gal. 5. throughout Rom. 6. 7. Col. 3. Ephes 5. Direct 26. Take not every striving for a victory nâ—r every desire of grace to be true grace it self unless grace be desired as it is the lovely Image of God and pleasing to him and be desired before all earthly things and unless you not only strive against but conquer the predominant love of every sin There are many uneffectual desires and strivings which consist with the dominion of sin Many a fornicator and glutton and drunkard hath earnest wishes that he could leave his sin when he thinketh of the shame and punishment and hath a great deal of striving against it before he yieldeth But yet he liveth in it still because his love to it is the predominant part in him Rom. 6.2 How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death We are buryed with him by Baptism Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin For he that is dead is freed from sin V. 12. Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof V. 13. Neither yield your members servants of unrighteousness unto sin For sin shall not have dominion over you Know ye not that to whom you yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live See Gal. 5.16 18 19 20 21 22 23. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts V. 24. and 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his And let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity Object But it is said Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that ye cannot do the things which ye would Answ That is every true Christian would fain be perfect in Holiness and Obedience but cannot because of the lustings of the flesh But it doth not say or mean that any true Christian would live without wilful gross or reigning sin and cannot that he would live without murder adultery theft or any sin which is more loved than hated but cannot We cannot do all that we would but it doth not follow that we can do nothing which we would or cannot sincerely obey the Gospel Object Paul saith Rom. 7.15 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not and what I would that I do not Answ The same answer will serve To will perfect Obedience to all Gods Laws was present with Paul but not to do it He would be free from every infirmity but could not And therefore could not be justified by the Law of Works But he never saith that he would obey sincerely and could not or that he would live without heinous sin and could not Indeed in his flesh he saith there dwelleth no good thing but that denyeth not his spiritual power who so often proposeth himself as an example to be imitated by those that he wrote to Thousands are deceived about their state by taking every unâ—ffectual desire and wish and every striving before they sin to be a mark of saving grace misunderstanding Mr. Perkins and some others with him who make a desire of grace to be the grace it self and a combatâ— against the flesh to be a sign of the renovation by the Spirit whereas they mean only such a desire of grace as grace for the Love of God as is more powerful than any contrary desires and such a combating as conquereth gross or mortal sin and striveth against infirmities And of this this saying is very true Direct 27. Strive with your hearts when the Spirit is striveing with you and take the season of its spâ—cial help and make one gale of grace advantageous to another This is a great point of Christian wisdom The help of the Spirit is not at our command take it while you have it Use wind and tide before they cease God will not be a servant to our slothfulness and negligence As he that will not come to the Church at the hour when the Minister of Christ is there but say I will come another time will have none of his teaching there so he that will not take the Spirits time but say I am not now at leisure may be left without its help and taught by sad experience to know that it is fitter for man to wait on God than for God to wait on man More may be done and got at one hour than at another when we have no such help and motions Direct 28. Be much in the contemplation of the heavenly Glory for there are the highest objects and the greatest demonstrations of Gods Love and Goodness and therefore in such thoughts we are most likely to meet with the Spirit with whose nature and design they are so agreeable We fall
to one that liveth like a man What did God ever forbid you that was not hurtful to you And what did he ever command you which was not for your benefit either for your present delight or for your future happiness for the healing of your diseases or the preventing them And if Reason can discern the goodness of Gods Laws to us Faith can acknowledge it with more advantage For we can see by Faith the goodness of their Author and the goodness of the reward and end more fully than by reason only And a Believer hath found by sad experience how bad and bitter the waies of sin are and by sweet experience how good and pleasant the waies of God are He hath found that it is the way to peace and hope and joy to deny his lusts and obey his Maker and Redeemer And it is the way to terrour and a troubled soul and a broken heart to sin and to gratifie his sensuality Prov. 3.17 All her waies are pleasantness and all her paths are peace Psal 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing can offend them Psal 37 37. Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace Rom. 14.17 Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost are the Kingdom of God Grace Mercy and Peace are Gods entertainment of the faithful soul Titus 1.4 1 Tim. 1.2 2 Tim. 1.2 1 Cor. 1.3 c. But there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Isa 57.21 48.22 For the way of peace they have not known They have made them 〈◊〉 paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace Isa 54.8 Direct 3. Mark well how those Commands of God which seem not necessary for your selves are plainly necessary for the good of others and for the publick welfare which God must provide for as well as yours He is not your God only but the God of all the world And the welfare of many especially of Kingdoms and Societies is more to be regarded than the welfare much more than the humouring or pleasing of any one You may think that if you had leave to be fornicators and adulterers to be riotous and examples of evil to be covetous and to deceive and steal and lye that it would do you no harm But suppose it were so yet a little wit may serve to shew you how pernicious it would be to others and to societies And Faith can tell a true Believer what is like to be the end And that sin is a reproach to any people Prov. 14.34 You may think perhaps that if you were excused from many duties of Charity and Justice in Ministry Magistracy or a more private state it would be no harm to your selves But suppose it were so must not others be regarded If God should regard but one why should it fall to your lot rather than to anothers And why should any others be bound to use Justice or Charity to you any more than you to them There is no member of the body politick or ecclesiastick which will not receive more good to it self by the Laws of Communion if truly practised than it can do to others For you are but one who are bound to be charitable and do good to others and that but according to your own ability But it may be hundreds or thousands who may be all bound to do good to you You have the vital influences and assistances of all the parts you have the prayers of all the Christians in the world Suppose that the Laws were made to secure your selves of your estate and lives but to leave the estates and lives of your children to the will of any one that hath a will to wrong them would you be content with such kind of Laws as these And why should not others good be secured as well as your posterities 1 Cor. 12.12 14 20 c. Rom. 12.4 5 16.2 1 Cor. 10.17 33. Ephes 4.3 11 12 14 15 16. Diâ—ect 4. The chief work of Faith is to make the obedience of Gods Commands to be sweet and pleasant to us by seeing still that intrinsecal goodness and the extrinsecal motives and the eternal rewards which may cause the soul to imbrace them with the dearest love They are much mistaken who know no use for Faith but to comfort them and save them from Hell the great work of Faith is to bring up the soul to Obedience Thankfulness and Love Therefore iâ— hath to do with the Precepts as well as with the Promises and with the Promises to sweeten the Precepts to us Believers are not called to the obedience of slaves nor to be acted only by the fear of pain but to the obedience of redeemed ones and Sons that Faith may cause them to obey in Love and the essential act of Love is complacency Therefore it is the work of Faith to cause us to obey God with pleasure and delight Forced motives endure not long They are accompanied with unwillingness and weariness which at last will sit down when the fears do by distance delay or dulness abate Love is our Nature but Fear is only a servant to watch for us while we do the work of Love As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and therefore will obey as Sons For we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but we have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8.14 15. Christ suffâ—red death to overcome the Devil that had the power of death and to deliver us from the fears of it which was the bondage of our lives Heb. 2.14 15. That we might serve God without fâ—ar in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives Luke 1.74 There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment 1 John 4.18 The meaning is not only that the Love of God casteth out the fear of men and persecution but also that it maketh the fear of tormenting punishment to become unnecessary to drive us to obedience so far as the Love of God and of obedience doth prevail He that loveth more to feast than to fare hardly to be rich than to be poor and so to be obedient and holy than to be unholy need not so far any fear of punishment to drive him to it Even as the Love of the world as adverse to the Love of God is overcome by Faith 1 John 2.15 and yet the Love of the world as Gods creature and as representing him and sanctified to his service is but subordinate to the Love of the Father so also Fear as adverse to Love or as disjunct from it is cast out by it But as it subserveth it in watching against the enemies of Love and is truly filial it is a fruit of Faith and the beginning of wisdom Employ Faith therefore day by day in looking into the Love of God in Christ and the Kingdom of Glory the
3 4. 1 Cor. 13. Heb. 11. Mat. 6.20 21. 3. It is the turning away from and refusing all other seeming felicity or ends and casting all our happiness and hopes upon God alone 4. It is the chusing Jesus Christ as the only way and Mediator to this end with the refusing of all other Job 14.6 and trusting all that we are or hope for upon his Mediation III. In the Vital Power it is the casting away all inconsistent fears and the inward resolved delivering up the soul to the Father Son and Holy Spirit in this Covenant entering our selves into a resolved war with the Devil the World and the Flesh which in the performance will resist us And thus Faith or Trust is constituted and completed in the true Baptismal Covenant Direct 28. In all this be sure that you observe the difference between the truth of Faith and the high degrees The truth of it is most certainly discerned by as consisting in THE ABSOLVTE CASTING or VENTVRING not part but ALL YOVR HAPPINESS and HOPES VPON GOD and the MEDIATOR ONLY and LETTING GO ALL WHICH IS INCONSISTENT WITH THIS CHOICE and TRVST This is true and saving Faith and Trust Pardon me that I sometime use the word VENTVRING ALL as if there were any uncertainty in the matter I intend not by it to express the least uncertainty or fallibility in Gods Promise For Heaven and Earth shall pass away but one jot or tittle of his Word shall not pass till all be fulfilled But I shall here add 1. True Faith or Trust may consist with uncertainty in the person who believeth if he believe and trust Christ but so far that he can cast away all his worldly treasures and hopes even life it self upon that trust Every one is not an Infidel nor an Hypocrite who must say if he speak his heart I am not certain past all doubts that the soul is immortal or the Gospel true but I am certain that immortal happiness is most desirable and endless misery most terrible and that this world is vanity and nothing in it worthy to be compared with the hopes which Christ hath given us of a better life And therefore upon just deliberation I am resolved to let go all my sinful pleasures profits and worldly reputation and life it self when it is inconsistent with those hopes And to take Gods Love for my felicity and end and to trust and venture absolutely all my happiness and hopes on the favour of God the mediation of Christ and the Promises which he hath given us in the Gospel I know I shall meet with abundance of Teachers and people that will shake the head at this doctrine as dangerous and cry out of it as favouring unbelief that any one should have true saving Faith who doubteth or is uncertain of the immortality of the soul or the trâ—th of the Gospel But I see so much in hot-brained proud persons to be pittied and so much of their work in the Church to be with tears lamented that I will not by speech or silence favour their brainsick bold assertions nor will I fear their phrenetick furious censures If it be not a mark of a wise and good Minister of Christ to be utterly ignorant of the state of souls both his own and all the peoples then I will not concur to the advancement of the reputation of such ignorance It is enough to pardon the great injury which such do to the Church of God without countenancing it Though this one instance only now mind me of it abundance more do second it and tell us that there are in the Churches through the world abundance of Divines who are first taught by a party which they most esteem what is to be held and said as orthodox and then make it their work to contend for that orthodoxness which they were taught so to honour even with the most unmanly and unchristian scorns and censures when as if they had not been dolefully ignorant both of the Scriptures and themselves and the souls of men they would have known that it is the fool that rageth and is confident and that it was not their knowing more than others but their knowing less which made them so presumptuous and that they are themselves as far from certainty as others when they condemn themselves to defend their opinions Even like our late Perfectionists who all lived more imperfectly than others but wrote and railed for sinless perfection as soon as they did but take up the opinion As if turning to that opinion had made them perfect So men may pass the censure of hypocrisie and damnation upon themselves when they please by damning all as hypocrites whose faith is thus far imperfect but they shall never make any wise man believe by it that their own faith is ever the more certain or perfect As far as I can judge by acquaintance with persons most religious though there be many who are afraid to speak it out yet the far greater number of the most faithful Christians have but such a faith which I described and their hearts say I am not certain or past all doubt of the truth of our immortality or of the Gospel but I will venture all my hopes and happiness though to the parting with life it self upâ—n it And I will venture to say it as the truth of Christ that he that truly can do this hath a sincere and saving faith whatsoever Opinionists may say against it For Christ hath promised that he that loseth his life for his sake and the Gospels shall have life everlasting Mat. 10.37 38 39 42. 16.25 19.29 Luke 18.30 And he hath appointed no higher expressions of faith as necessary to salvation than denying our selves and taking up the Cross and forsaking all that we have or in one word than Martyrdom and this as proceeding from the Love of God Luke 14.26 27 29 33 Rom. 8.17 18 28 29 3O 35 36 37 38 39. And it is most evident that the sincere have been weak in faith Luke 17.5 And the Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our faith Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Luke 7.9 I have not found so great faith no not in Israel The weak faith was the more common 2. And as true Faith or Trust may consist with doubts and uncertainty in the subject so may it with much anxiety care disquietment and sinful fear which sheweth the imperfection of our Faith Shall â—e not much more clothe you O ye of little faith Mat. 16.8 O ye of little faith why reason you among your selves c. Mat. 8. â—6 Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Mat. 14.31 Peter had a faith that could venture his life on the waters to come to Christ as confident of a miracle upon his command But yet it was not without fear v. 30. When he saw the wind boisterous he was afraid which caused Christ to say O thou of little faith wherefore didst
For he that mistaketh the extent of the Promise and thinketh that it belongeth not to such as he would believe and trust it if he understood it that it extends to him as well as others And he that doubteth of his own Repentance and Faith may yet be confident of the truth of Gods Promise to all true penitent Believers I mention this for the cure of two mischiefs The first is that of the presumptuous Opinionist who goeth to Hell presuming that he hath true saving faith because he confidently believeth that he himself is pardoned and shall be saved The second is that of the perplexed fearful Christian who thinks that all his uncertainty of his own sincerity and so of his salvation is properly unbelief and so concludeth that he cannot believe and shall not be saved Because he knoweth not that faith is such a belief and trust in Christ as will bring us absolutely and unreservedly to venture our all upon him alone And yet I must tell all these persons that all this while it is ten to one but there is really a great deal of unbelief in them which they know not and that their belief of the truth of the immortality of the soul and the life to come and of the Gospel it self is not so strong and firm as their never-doubting of it would intimate or as some of their definitions of Faith and their Book-opinions and Disputes import And it had been well for some of them that they had doubted more that they might have believed and been settled better Direct 30. Think often of the excellencies of the life of faith that the Motives may be still inducing you thereto As 1. It is but reasonable that God should be trusted or else indeed we deny him to be God Psal 20 7. 2. What else shall we trust to shall we deifie creatures and say to a stock Thou art my Father Jer. 2.27 Lam. 1.19 Shall we distrust God and trust a lyar and a worm 3. Trying times will shortly come and then woe to the soul that cannot trust in God! Then nothing else will serve our turns Then cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and withdraweth his heart from the Lord he shall be like the barren wilderness c. Then none that trusted in him shall be ashamed Jer. 17.5 6. Psal 25.3 4. Psal 73.26 27 28. 4. Gods Alsufficiency leaveth no reason for the least distrust There is the most absolute certainty that God cannot fail us because his veracity is grounded on his essential perfections 5. No witness could ever stand up against the life of faith and say that he lost by trusting God or that ever God deceived any 6. The life of faith is a conquest of all that would distress the soul and it is a life of constant peace and quietness Yea it feasteth the soul upon the everlasting Joyes Though the mountains be removed though this world be turned upside down and be dissolved whether poverty or wealth sickness or health evil report or good persecution or prosperity befall us how little are we concerned in all this and how little should they do to disturb the peace and comfort of that soul who believeth that he shall live with God for ever Many such considerations should make us more willing to live by faith upon Gods Promises than to live by sense on transitory things Direct 31. Renew your Covenant with Christ in his holy Sacrament frequently understandingly and seriously For 1. when we renew our Covenant with Christ then Christ reneweth his Covenant with us and that with great advantage to our faith 1. In an appointed Ordinance which he will bless 2. By a special Minister appointed to seal and deliver it to us as in his Name 3. By a solemn Sacramental Investiture 2. And our own renewing our Covenant with him is the renewed exercise of faith which will tend to strengthen it and to shew us that we are indeed Believers And there is much in that Sacrament to help the strengthening of faith Therefore the frequent and right using of it is one of Gods appointed means to feed and maintain our spiritual life which if we neglect we wilfully starve our faith 1 Cor. 11.26 28 c. Direct 32. Keep all your own promises to God and man For 1. Lyars alwaies suspect others 2. Guilt breedeth suspiciousness 3. God in justice may leave you to your distrust of him when you will be perfidious your selves You can never be confident in God while you deal falsly with him or with others The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Direct 33. Labour to improve your belief of every promise for the increase of holiness and obedience And to get more upon your souls that true Image of God in his Power Wisdom and Goodness which will make it easie to you to believe him 1. The more the hypocrite seemeth to believe the promise the more he boldly ventureth upon sin and disobeyeth the precept because it was but fear that restrained him and his belief is but presumption abating fear But the more a true Christian believeth the more he flyeth from sin and useth Gods means and studieth more exact obedience and having these promises laboureth to cleanse himself from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 And receiving a Kingdom whih cannot be moved me must serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 29. 2. The liker the soul is to God the easier it will believe and trust him As faith causeth holiness so every part of holiness befriendeth faith Now the three great impressions of the Trinity upon us are expressed distinctly by the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of fear but of Power of Love and of a sound mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power Love and a sound mind or understanding do answer Gods nature as the face in the glass doth answer our face and therefore cannot chuse but trust him Direct 34. Lay up in your memory particular pertinent and clear Promises for every particular use of faith The number is not so much but be sure that they be plain and well understood that you may have no cause to doubt whether they mean any such thing indeed or not Here some will expect that I should do this for them and gather them such promises Two things disswade me from doing it at large 1. So many Books have done it already 2. It will swell this Book too big But take these few 1. For forgiveness of all sins and Justification to penitent Believers Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by
in their Ordination which is a Consecration and their self-dedication to God And it is high sacriledge in themselves or any other that shall alienate them unjustly from their sacred calling and work Or of things to holy uses as places and utensils may be sanctified Or it may be a dedication of persons to a holy state relation and use as is that of every Christian in his Baptism and this is either an external dedication and so all the baptized are sanctified and holy or an internal Dedication which if it be sincere it is both actual and habitual when we both give up our selves to God in Covenant and are also disposed and inclined to him and our hearts are set upon him yea and the life also consisteth of the exercise of this disposition and performance of this covenant This is the Sanctification which here I speak of And so much for the name The doctrinal Propositions necessary to be understood about it are these more largely and plainly laid down in my Confession Chap. 3. Prop. 1. So much of the appearance or Image of God as there is upon any creature so much it is good and amiable to God and man Object God loveth us from eternity and when we were his enemies not because we were good but to make us better than we were Answ Gods Love and all Love consisteth formally in complacency God hath no complacency in any thing but in good or according to the measure of its goodness From eternity God foreseeing the good which would be in us loved us as good in esse cognito and not as actually good when we were not When we were his enemies he had a double love to us or complacency the one was for that natural good which remained in us as we were men and repairable and capable of being made Saints The other was for that foreseen goodes in esse cognito which he purposed in time to come to put upon us This complacency exceeded not at all the good which was the object of it But with it was joyned a will and purpose to give us grace and glory hereafter and thence it is called A Love of Benevolence Not but that complacency is the true action of Love and Benevolence or a purpose to give benefits is but the fruit of it But if any will needs call the Benevolence alone by the name of Love we deny not in that sense that God loveth Saul a persecutor as well as Paul an Apostle in that his purpose to do him good is the same Object God loveth us in Christ and for his righteousness and not only for our own inherent holiness Answ 1. The Benevolence of God is exercised towards us in and by Christ and the fruits of his Love are Christ himself and the mercies given us with Christ and by Christ And our Pardon and Justification and Adoption and Acceptance is by his meritorious righteousness And it is by him that we are possessed with Gods Spirit and renewed according to his Image in Wisdom and Righteousness and Holiness And all this relative and inherent mercy we have as in Christ related to him without whom we have nothing And thus it is that we are accepted and beloved in him and for his righteousness But Christ did not die or merit to change Gods Nature and make him more indifferent in his Love to the holy and the unholy or equally to the more holy and to the less holy But his complacency is still in no man further than he is made truly amiable in his real holiness and his relation to Christ and to the Father The Doctrine of Imputation is opened before John 16.27 The Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and believed c. And 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father As God loved us with the love of benevolence and so much complacence as is before described before we loved him 1 John 4.10 Ephes 2.4 so he now loveth us complacentially for his Image upon us and so much of his grace as is found in us and also for our relation to his Son and to himself which we stand in by this grace But as he loveth not Saul a persecutor under the notion of a fulfiller of his Law in Christ so neither doth he love David in his sin under the notion of one that is without sin and perfect as having fulfilled the Law in Christ But so loveth him in Christ as to pardon his sin and make him more lovely in himself by creating a clean heart and renewing a right spirit within him for the sake of the satisfaction and merits of Christ Prop. 2. Holiness is Gods Image upon us and that which was our primitive amiableness Col. 3.10 Prop. 3. The loss of Holiness was the loss of our amiableness and our state of enmity to God Prop. 4. Holiness consisteth in 1. Our resignation of our selves to God as our Owner and submission to his Providence 2. And our subjection to God as our Ruler and obedience to his Teaching and his Laws 3. And in Thankfulness and Love to God as our Chief Good efficiently and finally Prop. 5. Love is that final perfective act which implyeth and comprehendeth all the rest and so is the fulfilling of the Law and the true state of sanctification Rom. 13.10 Matth. 22.37 Mark 12.33 1 John 7.16 Prop. 6. Heaven it self as it is our ultimate end and perfection is but our perfect Love to God maintained by perfect vision of him with the perfect reception of his Love to us Prop. 7. Therefore it was Christs great business in the world to destroy the works of the Devil and to bring us to this perfect Love of God Prop. 8. Accordingly the greatest use of Faith in Christ is to subserve and kindle our Love to God Prop. 9. This it doth two special waies 1. By procuring the pardon of sin which forfeited the grace of the Spirit that so the Spirit may kindle the Love of God in us 2. By actual beholding the Love of God which shineth to us most gloriously in Christ by which our Love must be excited as the most suitable and effectual means John 3.1 4.10 Prop. 10. Our whole Religion therefore consisteth of two parts 1. Primitive Holiness restored and perfected 2. The restoring and perfecting means Or 1. Love to God the final and morâ— excellent part 2. Faith in Christ the mediate part Faith causing Love and Love caused by Faith 1 Cor. 12. last 13. Rom. 8.35 Ephes 6.23 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Thes 3.5 1 Cor. 2.9 8.3 Rom. 8.28 James 1.12 2.5 1 Pet. 1.8 Prop. 11. Repentance towards God is the souls return to God in Love and Regeneration by the Spirit is the Spirits begetting us to the Image and Nature of God our heavenly Father in a heavenly Love to him So that the Holy Ghost is given us to work in us a Love to God which is our sanctification Rom. 5.5 Titus 3.4 5 6
11. Exod. 12.29 Deut. 26.22 Josh 4.6 21 22. 22 24 27. Therefore the writing of Church-history is the duty of all ages because Gods Works are to be known as well as his Word And as it is your forefathers duty to write it it is the childrens duty to learn it or else the writing it would be vain He that knoweth not what state the Church and world is in and hath been in in former ages and what God hath been doing in the world and how errour and sin have been resisting him and with what success doth want much to the compleating of his knowledge 5. And he must have prudence to discern particular cases and to consider of all circumstances and to compare things with things that he may discern his duty and the seasons and manner of it and may know among inconsistent seeming duties which is to be preferred and when and what circumstances or accidents do make any thing a duty which else would be no duty or a sin and what accidents make that a sin which without them would be a duty This is the knowledge which must make a Christian entire or compleat 2. And in his Will there must be 1. A full resignation and submission to the Will of God his Owner and a full subjection and obedience to the Will of God his Governour yielding readily and constantly and resolutâ—ly to the commands of God as the Scholar obeyeth his Master and as the second wheel in the clock is moved by the first And a close adhering to God as his chief Good by a Thankful Reception of his Benefits and a desirous seeking to enjoy and glorifie him and please his Will In a word loving him as God and taking our chiefest complacency in pleasing him in loving him and being loved of him 2. And in the same will there must be a well regulated Love to all Gods works according as he is manifested or glorified in them To the humanity of our Redeemer to the glory of Heaven as it is a created thing to the blessed Angels and perfected spirits of the just to the Scripture to the Church on earth to the Saints the Pastors the Rulers the holy Ordinances to all mankind even to our enemies to our selves our souls our bodies our relations our estates and mercies of every rank 3. And herewithall must be a hatred of every sin in our selves and others Of former sin and present corruption with a penitential displicence and grief and of possible sin with a vigilancy and resistance to avoid it 3. And in the Affections there must be a vivacity and sober fervency answering to all these motions of the Will in Love Delight Desire Hope Hatred Sorrow Aversation and Anger the complexion of all which is godly Zeal 4. In the vital and executive Power of the soul there must be a holy activity promptitude and fortitude to be up and doing and to set the sluggish faculties on work and to bring all knowledge and volitions into practice and to assault and conquer enemies and difficulties There must be the Spirit of Power though I know that word did chiefly then denote the Spirit of Miracles yet not only and of Love and of a sound mind 5. In the outward members there must be by use a habit of ready obedient execution of the souls commands As in the tongue a readiness to pray and praise God and declare his Word and edifie others and so in the rest 6. In the senses and appetite there must by use be a habit of yielding obedience to Reason that the senses do not rebel and rage and bear down the commands of the mind and will 7. Lastly In the Imagination there must be a clearness or purity from filthiness malice covetousness pride and vanity and there must be the impressions of things that are good and useful and a ready obedience to the superiour faculties that it may be the instrument of holiness and not the shop of temptations and sin nor a wild unruly disordered thing And the harmony of all these must be as well observed as the matter As 1. There must be a just Order among them every duty must keep its proper place and season 2. There must be a just proportion and degree some graces must not wither whilst others alone are cherished nor some duties take up all our heart and time whilst others are almost laid by 3. There must be a just activity and exercise of every grace 4. And a just conjunction and respect to one another that every one be used so as to be a help to all the rest I. The Order 1. Of Intellectual graces and duties must be this 1. In order of Time the things which are sensible are known before the things which are beyond our sight and other senses 2. Beyond these the first thing known both for certainly and for excellency is that there is a God 3. This God is to be known as one Being in his three Essential Principles Vital Power Intellect and Will 4. And these as in their Essential Perfections Omnipotency Wisdom and Goodness or Love 5. And also in his perfections called Modal and Negative c. as Immensity Eternity Independancy Immutability c. 6. God must be next known in his Three Personalities as the Father the Word or Son and the Spirit 7. And these in their three Causalities efficient dirigent and final 8. And in their three great works Creation Redemption Sanctification or Perfection producing Nature Grace and Glory or our Persons Medicine and Health 9. And God who created the world is thereupon to be known in his Relations to it as our Creator in Unity and as our Owner Ruler and Chief Good efficient dirigent and final in a Trinity of Relations You must know how the Infinite Vital Power of the Father created all things by the Infinite Wisdom of the Word or Son and by the Infinite Goodness and Love of the holy Spirit As the Son redeemed us as the eternal Wisdom and Word Incarnate sent by the eternal Vital-Power of the Father to reveal and communicate the eternal Love in the Holy Ghost And as the Holy Ghost doth sanctifie and perfect us as proceeding and sent from the Power of the Father and the Wisdom of the Son to shed abroad the Love of God upon our hearts c. 10. Next to the knowledge of God as Creator is to be considered the World which he created and especially the Intectellual Creatures Angels or heavenly Spirits and Men. Man is to be known in his person or constitution first and afterward in his appointed course and in his end and perfection 11. In his constitution is to be considered 1. His Being or essential parts 2. His Rectitude or Qualities 3. His Relations 1. To his Creatour And 2. To his fellow-creatures 12. His essential parts are his soul and body His soul is to be known in the Vnity of its Essence and Trinity of essential faculties which is its natural
Image of God It s essence is a Living Spirit It s essential faculties are 1. A Vital Activity or Power 2. An Vnderstanding 3. A Will. 13. His Rectitude which is Gods Moral Image on him consisteth 1. In the promptitude and fortitude of his Active Power 2. In the Wisdom of his Vnderstanding 3. In the Moral Goodness of his Will which is its Inclination to its End and Readiness for its Duty 14. Being created such a creature by a meer resultancy from his Nature and his Creator he is related to him as his Creature and in that Unity is the subsequent Trinity of Relations 1. As we are Gods Propriety or his Own 2. His Subjects 3. His Beneficiaries and Lovers all comprized in the one title of his children And at once with these Relations of man to God it is that God is as before related to man as his Creator and as his Owner Ruler and Chief Good 15. Man is also related to his fellow creatures below him 1. As their Owner 2. Their Ruler 3. Their End under God which is Gods Dominative or Honorary Image upon man and is called commonly our Dominion over the creatures So that by meer Creation and the Nature of the creatures there is constituted a state of communion between God and Man which is 1. A Dominion 2. A Kingdom 3. A Family or Paternity And the whole is sometime called by one of these names and sometime by the other still implying the rest 16. Gods Kingdom being thus constituted his Attributes appropriate to these his Relations follow 1. His Absoluteness as our Owner 2. His Holiness Truth and Justice as our Ruler 3. And his Kindness Benignity and Mercy as our Father or Benefactor 17. And then the Works of God as in these three Relations follow which are 1. To Dispose of us at his pleasure as our Owner 2. To govern us as our King 3. To love us and do us good and make us perfectly happy as our Benefactor and our end 18. And here more particularly is to be considered 1. How God disposed of Adam when he had new made him 2. How he began his Government of him And 3. What Benefits he gave him and what he further offered or promised him 19. And as to the second we must 1. Consider the Antecedent part of Gods Government which is Legislation and then herafter the consequent part which is 1. Judgment 2. Execution And Gods Legislation is 1. By making our Natures such as compared with objects Duty shall result from this Nature so related 2. Or else by Precept or Revelation from himself besides our Natures 1. The Law of Nature is fundamental and radical in our foresaid Relations to God themselves in which it is made our natural duty 1. To submit our selves wholly to God and his disposal as his own 2. To obey his commands 3. And to receive his mercies and thankfully to return them and to love him But though as Gods essential principles and his foresaid Relations are admirably conjunct in their operations ad extra so our Relative obligations are conjunct yet are they so far distinguishable that we may say that these which conjunctly make our Moral duty yet are not all the results of our Relation to a Governour as such but the second only and therefore that only is to be called the Radical Law in the strict sense the other two being the Moral results of our Rectitude The duty of subjection and obedience in general arising from our Natures related to our Creator is the radical governing Law of God in us But yet the same submission and gratitude and love which are primarily our duty from their proper foundations are secondarily made also the matter of our subjective duty because they are also commanded of God 2. The particular Laws of Nature are 1. Of our particular duties to God or of Piety 2. Or of our duties to our selves and others 1. Acts of Justice 2. And of Charity These Laws of Nature are 1. Vnalterable and that is where the nature of our persons and of the objects which are the foundations of them are unalterable or still the same 2. Or mutable when the Nature of the things which are its foundation is mutable As it is the immutable Law of immutable nature that we love God as God and that we do all the good we can c. because the foundation of it is immutable But e. g. the Law against Incest was mutable in nature For nature bound Adams children to marry each other and nature bindeth us since ordinarily to the contrary 2. The revealed Law to Adam was superinduced The parts of Gods Law must also here be considered 1. The introductive Teaching part for Gods teaching us is part of his ruling us and that is Doctrines History and Prophecy 2. The Imperative part commands to do and not to do 3. And the sanctions or motive parts in Law and execution which are 1. Promises of Beneficial Rewards 2. Threatnings of hurtful penalties 20. Gods Laws being thus described in general and those made to Adam thus in particular the next thing to be considered is mans behaviour in breaking those Laws which must be considered in the Causes and the Nature of it and the immediate effects and consequents 21. And next must be considered Gods consequent part of Government as to Adam viz. his judging him according to his Law 22. And here cometh in the Promise or the first edition of the New Covenant or Law of Grace which must be opened in its parts original and end 23. And then must be considered Gods execution of his sentence on Adam so far as he was unpardoned and so upon the world till the end 24. And next must be considered Gods enlargements and explications of his Covenant of Grace till Christs Incarnation 25. And next mens behaviour under that explained Covenant 26. And Gods sentence and execution upon them thereupon 27. Then we come to the fulness of time and to explain the work of Redemption distinctly And 1. It s Original the God of Nature giving the world a Physician or a Saviour 2. The Ends 3. The constitutive Causes Where 1. Of the Person of the Redeemer in his Essence as God and Man and in his perfections both essential and modal and accidental 28. And 2. Of the fundamental works of our Redemption such as Creation was to the first Administration viz. his first Vndertaking Interposition and Incarnation being all presupposed 1. His perfect Resignation of himself to his Father and submission to his disposing Will 2. His perfect subjection and obedience to his Coverning Will 3. His perfect Love to him 4. And the suffering by which he exprest all these The three first meriting of themselves and the last meriting as a satisfactory Sacrifice not for it self but for its usefulness to its proper ends 29. From this Offering once made to God Christ acquired the perfecter title of a Saviour or Redeemer or Mediatour which one contained
this Trinity also of Relations towards Man 1. Their Owner 2. Their Ruler 3. Their Benefactor The Father also as the first principle of Redemption acquiring a second title besides the first by Creation to all these and towards God Christ continueth the Relation of a heavenly Priest 30. In order to the works of these Relations for the future we must consider of Christs exaltation 1. Of his Justification and Resurrection 2. Of his Ascension and Glorification And 3. Of the delivering of All Power and All Things into his hands 31. The work of Redemption thus fundamentally wrought doth not of it self renew mans nature and therefore putteth no Law of Nature into us of it self as the Creation did And therefore we must next proceed to Christs Administration of this office according to these Relations which is 1. By Legislation or Donation enacting the New Covenant where this last and perfect edition of it is to be explained the Preceptive the Promisory and the Penal parts with its effects and its differences from the former Edition and from the Law of Nature and of Works 32. And 2. By the promulgation or publication of this Covenant or Gospel to the world by calling special Officers for that work and giving them their commission and promising them his Spirit his Protection and their Reward 33. And here we come to the special work of the Holy Ghost who is 1. To be known in his Essence and Person as the third in Trinity and the eternal Love of God 2. And as he is the grand Advocate or Agent of Christ in the world where his works are to be considered 1. Preparatory on and by Christ himself 2. Administratory 1. Extraordinary on the Apostles and their helpers 1. Being in them a spirit of extraordinary Power by gifts and miracles 2. Of extraordinary Wisdom and Infallibility as far as their commission-work required 3. And of extraordinary Love and Holiness 2. By the Apostles 1. Extraordinarily convincing and bringing in the world 2. Settling all Church-Doctrines Officers and Orders which Christ had left unsettled bringing all things to their remembrance which Christ had taught and commanded them and guiding them in the rest 3. Recording all this for posterity in the holy Scriptures 2. His Ordinary Agency 1. On Ministers 2. By sanctification on all true Believers is after to be opened 34. And here is to be considered the Nature of Christianity in fieri Faith and Repentance in our three great Relations to our Redeemer as we are his Own his Disciples and Subjects and his Beneficiaries with all the special benefits of these Relations as antecedent to our duty and then all our duty in them as commanded And then the benefits after to be expected as in promise only 35. Next must distinctly be considered the preaching and converting and baptizing part of the ministerial Office 1. As in the Apostles 2. And in their successors to the end with the nature of Baptism and the part of Christ and of the Minister and of the baptized in that Covenant 36. And then the description of the universal Church which the baptized constitute 37. Next is to be described the state of Christians after Baptism 1. Relative 1. In Pardon Reconciliation Justification 2. Adoption 2. Physical in the Spirit of Sanctification 38. Where is to be opened 1. The first sanctifying work of the Spirit 2. It s after-helps and their conditions 3. All the duties of Holiness primitive and medicinal towards God our selves and others 39. Our special duties in secret reading meditation prayer c. 40. Our duties in Family Relations and Callings 41. Our duties in Church Relations where is to be described the nature of particular Churches their work and worship their ministry and their members with the duties of each 42. Our duties in our Civil Relations 43. What temptations are against us as be to be overcome 44. Next is to be considered the state of Christians and Societies in the world How far all these duties are performed and what are their weaknesses and sins 45. And what are the punishments which God useth in this life 46. And what Christians must do for pardon and reparation after falls and to be delivered from those punishments 47. Of Death and the change which it maketh and of our special preparation for it 48. Of the coming of Christ and the Judgement of the great day 49. Of the punishment of the wicked impenitent in Hell 50. And of the blessedness of the Saints in Heaven and the everlasting Kingdom These are the Heads and this is the Method of true Divinity and the order in which it should lye in the understanding of him that will be compleat in knowledge II. And as this is the Intellectual Order of knowledge so the order which all things must lye in at our hearts and wills is much more necessary to be observed 1. That nothing but GOD be loved as the infinite simple good totally with all the heart and finally for himself And that nothing at all be loved with any Love which is not purely subordinate to the Love of God or which causeth us to love him ever the less 2. That the blessed person of our Mediatour as in the Humane Nature glorified be loved above all creatures next to God Because there is most of the Divines Perfections appearing in him 3. That the heavenly Church or Society of Angels and Saints be loved next to Jesus Christ as being next in excellence 4. That the Vniversal Church on earth be loved next to the perfect Church in Heaven 5. That particular Churches and Kingdoms be next loved and where ever there is more of Gods Interest and Image than in our selves that our Love be more there than on our selves 6. That we next love our selves with that peculiar kind of love which God hath made necessary to our duty and our happiness and end with a self-preserving watchful diligent love preferring our souls before our bodies and spiritual mercies before temporal and greater before less 7. That we love our Christian Relations with that double Love which is due to them as Christians and Relations and love all Relations according to their places with that kind of Love which is proper for them as fitting us to all the duties which we must perform to them 8. That we love all good Christians as the sanctified members of Christ with a special Love according to the measure of Gods Image appearing on them 9. That we love every visible Christian that we cannot prove hath unchristened himself by apostacy or ungodliness with the special Love also belonging to true Christians because he appeareth such to us But yet according to the measure of that appearance as being more confident of some and more doubtful of others 10. That we love our intimate suitable friends that are godly with a double Love as godly and as friends 11. That we love Neighbours and civil Relations with a Love which is suitable to
heard one lunatick person say I am for health and not for medicine and another I am for medicine and not for the taking of it and another I am for the Physick and not for the Physician and another I am for the Physician and not the Physick and another I am for the Physick but not for health Or as if they contended at their meats I am for meat but not for eating it and I am for putting it into my mouth but not for chewing it or I am for chewing it but not for swallowing it or I am for swallowing it but not for digesting it or I am for digesting it but not for eating it c. Thus is Christ divided among a sort of ignorant proud Professors and some are for his Sacrifice and some for his Intercession some for his Teaching and some for his Commands and some for his Promises some for his Blood and some for his Spirit some for his Word and some for his Ministers and his Church and when they have made this strange proficiency in wisdom every party claim to be this Church themselves or if they cannot deny others to be parts with them of the Mystical Church yet the true ordered Political disciplined Church is among them the matter of their claim and competition and one saith It is we and the other no but it is we and the Kitchin and the Cole-house and the Sellar go to Law to try which of them is the House Thus when they have divided Christs garments among them and pierced if not divided himself they quarrel rather than cast lots for his coat 7. I perceive this Treatise swelleth too big or else I might next shew you how partial men are in the sense of their dangers 8. And in the resisting of Temptations he that scapeth sensuality feareth not worldliness or he that feareth both yet falleth into Heresie or Schism and he that scapeth errours falleth into fleshly sins 9. And what partial regard we have of Gods mercies 10. And how partial we are as to our Teachers and good Books 11. And also about all the Ordinances of God and all the the helps and means of grace 12. And how partial we are about good works extolling one and sensless of another and about the opportunities of good In a word what lâ—me apprehensions we have of Religion when men are so far from setting all the parts together in a well-ordered frame that they can scarce forbear the dividing of every part into particles and must take the food of their souls as Physick even like Pills which they cannot get down unless they are exceeding small III. The Causes of this Calamity I must for brevity but name 1. The natural weakness of mans mind doth make him like a narrow-mouthed bottle that can take in but a little at once and so must be long in learning and receiving 2. The natural laziness and impatience of men will not give them leave to be at such long and painful studies as compleatness of knowledge doth require 3. The natural pride of mens hearts will not give them leave to continue so long in a humble sense of their emptiness and ignorance nor to spend so many years in learning as Disciples but it presently perswadeth them that their first apprehensions are clear and right and their knowledge very considerable already and they are as ready to dispute and censure the ignorance of their Teachers if not to teach others themselves as to learn 4. The poverty and labours of many allow them not leisure to search and study so long and seriously as may bring them to any comprehensive knowledge 5. The most are not so happy as to have judicious methodical and laborious Teachers who may possess them with right principles and methods but deliver them some truths with great defectiveness and disorder themselves and perhaps by their weakness tempt the people into pride when they see that they are almost as wise as they 6. Most men are corrupted by company and converse with ignorant eâ—roneous and self-conceited men and hearing others perhaps that are very zealous make something of nothing and make a great matter of a little one and extolling their own poor and lame conceits they learn also to think that they are something when they are nothing deceiving themselves Gal. 6.3 4. 7. Most Christians have lost the sense of the need and use of the true Ministerial Office as it consisteth in personal counsel and assistance besides the publick Teaching and most Ministers by neglecting it teach them to overlook it 8. Every man hath some seeming Interest in some one Opinion or Duty or Way above the rest and selfishness causeth him to reel that way that interest leadeth him 9. Education usually possesseth men with a greater regard of some one opinion duty way or party than of the rest 10. The reputation of some good men doth fix others upon some particular waies or notions of theirs above others 11. Present occasions and necessities sometime do urge us harder to some means and studies than to others especially for the avoiding of some present evil or easing of some present trouble and then the rest are almost laid by 12. Some Doctrines deeplier affect us in the hearing than others and then the thoughts run more on that to the neglect of many thing as great 13. Perhaps we have had special experience of some Truths and Duties or Sins more than others and then we set all our thoughts about those only 14. Usually we live with such as talk most of some one duty or against some one sin more than all the rest and this doth occasion our thoughts to run most in one stream and confine them by hearing and custom to a narrow channel 15. Some things in their own quality are more easie and near to us and more within the reach of sense And therefore as corporal things because of their sensibility and nearness do possess the minds of carnal men instead of things spiritual and unseen even so Paul and Apollo and Cephas this good Preacher and that good Book and this Opinion and that Church-society and this or that Ordinance do possess the minds of the more carnal narrow sort of Christians instead of the harmony of Christian truth and holy duty 16. Nature it self as corrupted is much more against some truths and against some duties internal and external than against others And then when those that it is less averse to are received men dwell on them and make a Religion of them wholly or too much without the rest As when some veins are stopped all the blood is turned into the rest or when one part of the mould is stopped up the metal all runneth into the rest and maketh a defective vessel Or when one part of the seal is filled up before it maketh a defective impression on the wax Therefore the duties of inward self-denial humility mortification and heavenliness are almost left out in the Religion
be but to do as the Papists when we have sinned by fallibility to keep off repentance by the conceit of infallibility 9. We are in great danger of sinning in cases where we are ignorant For who can avoid the danger which he seeth not And who can walk safely in the dark Therefore we see that it is the ignor anter sort of Christians and such as Paul calleth Novices that most erre especially when Pride accompanyeth Ignorance for then they fall into the special condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3.6 Study therefore painfully and patiently till you understand the truth 10. But above all we are in danger of those sins which are masked with a pretence of the greatest truths and duties and use to be fathered on God and Scripture and so under the specious titles of Holiness and of Free Grace For here it is the understanding chiefly that resisteth while the very names and pretences secretly steal in and bring them into love and reverence with the Will And the poor honest Christian is afraid of resisting them lest it should prove a resisting God What can be so false that a man will not plead for if he take it to be a necessary truth of God And what can be so bad that a man will not do if he take it once to be of Gods commanding The foresaid instances of the Munster and Germane actions with those of the followers of David George in Holland who took himself to be the Holy Ghost or the immediate Prophet of his Kingdom and Hacket and his Grundletonians and the Familists the Ranters the Seekers the Quakers the Church-dividers and the Kingdom and State-overturners in England have given so great a demonstration of this that it is not lawful to overlook it or forget it The time cometh that they that kill you shall think that they do God service Joh. 16.2 And then who can expect that their consciences should avoid it Why did Paul persecute the Christians and compel them to blaspheme Because he verily thought that he ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus Acts 26.9 O it is religious sins which we are in danger of such as come to us as in the Name of God and Christ and the Spirit such as pretend that we cannot be saved without them and such as plead the holy Scriptures such as James 3. is written against when a wisdom from beneath which is earthly sensual and devilish working by envy and strife unto confusion and every evil work pretendeth to be the wisdom from above when Zeal consumeth Love and Vnity under pretence of consuming sin which made Paul and John require us not to believe every spirit but to try the spirits whether they be of God 2 Thes 2.2 1 Thes 5.20 21. 1 Joh. 4.1 2 3. And made Paul say If an Angel from Heaven bring you another Gospel let him be accursed Gal. 1.7 8. And more plainly 2 Cor. 11.13 14. Such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works And Acts 20.30 Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them And what need any Disciple of Christ greater warning than to remember that their Saviour himself was thus assaulted by the Devil in his temptation with It is written Yet let no Papist hence take occasion to vilifie the Scripture because it is made a plea for sin For so he might as well vilifie humane Reason which is pleaded for all the errours in the world and vilifie the Law because Lawyers plead it for ill Causes yea and vilifie God himself because the same and other sinners plead his will and authority for their sins when contrarily it is a great proof of the Scripture Authority and Honour that Satan himself and his subtilest instruments do place their greatest hope of prevailing by perverting and misapplying it which could be of no use to them if its authority were not acknowledged 11. We are in constant danger of those sins which we think we can conceal from men Therefore suppose still that all that you do will be made known and do all as in the open streets It 's written by two in the life of holy Ephrem Syrus that when a Harlot tempted him to uncleanness he desired but that he might chuse the place which she consenting to he chose the open market-place among all the people and when she told him that there they should be shamed for all would see he told her such a lesson of sinning in the sight of God who is every where as was the means of her conversion Conceit of secrecy emboldeneth to sin 12. We are in constant danger of sins of sudden passion and irruption which allow us not season to deliberate and surprize us before our reason can consider 13. We are in danger of sins that come on by insensible degrees and from small beginnings creep upon us and come not by any sudden wakening assaults Thus pride and covetousness and ambition do infect men And thus our zeal and deligence for God doth usually decay 14. Lastly We are in much danger of all sins which require a constant vigorous diligence to resist them and of omitting those duties or that part or mode of duty which must have a constant vigorous diligence to perform it Because feeble souls are hardly kept as is aforesaid to constant vigorous diligence Quest 2. Wherein differeth the sins of a sanctified person from other mens that are unsanctified Answ 1. In a sanctified man the habitual bent of his will is ever more against sin than for it however he be tempted into that particular act 2. And as to the Act also it is ever contrary to the scope and tenour of his life which is for God and sincere obedience 3. He hath no sin which is inconsistent with the true Love of God in the predominant habit It never turneth his heart to another End or Happiness or Master 4. Therefore it is more a sin of passion than of settled interest and choice He is more liable to a hasty passion or word or unruly thoughts than to any prevalent covetousness or ambition or any sin which is a possessing of the heart instead of God 1 John 2.15 James 3.2 Though some remainders of these are in him they prevail not so far as sudden passions 5. There are some sins which are more easily in the power of the will so that a man that is but truly willing may forbear them as a drunkard may pass by the Tavern or Ale-house or forbear to touch the cup and the fornicator to come neer or commit the sin if they be truly willing But there be other sins which a man can hardly forbear though he be willing because
to be humbled in more and yet at the heart be dangerously proud The other instance is in the common separating Spirit of Sectarians and in particular in those called Quakers in these times For against commanded separation from sin by self-preservation or discipline I am far from speaking Their great pretence of singularity is to avoid and detest the Pride of others they cry out against Pride as much as any Their garb is plain humility and self-emptiness and poverty of spirit is their profession And yet when they are so ignorant that they can scarce speak sense and when they understand not the Catechism or Creed but have need to be taught which are the principles of the Oracles of God they think they are taken into the counsels of the Almighty they think they abound in the Spirit and in wisdom in revelations and in holiness and the wisest and holiest of Christs Ministers and People who are as far above them in knowledge and godliness as the aged are above a stammering Infant are proudly despised by them and openly and impenitently reviled and railed at as ignorant fools and ungodly worldly self-seeking men and as the deceivers of the people and as void of the Spirit which could never proceed to the height that we have seen it and which their words and writings utter at this day without a very strange degree of Pride and such as either maketh men mad or is made by madness or little less And here note also that it is no wonder if Religious Pride can despise the common applause of the world and bear a great deal of ignominy from the vulgar because they have learnt so much as to know that wicked men are fools and base and their judgment is no great honour or dishonour to any man and that godly men only are truly wise and their judgment most to be regarded And therefore it is with them whom they think highliest of themselves that they desire to be thought highliest of and it is among the Religious sort that Religious Pride doth fish for honour even as men that are proud of their Learning do hunt after the applause of learned men and can despise the judgment of the unlearned vulgar as quite below them I know that this last instance of Pride is not alwaies an attendant of Prosperity But oft it is a kind of wantonness thence arising which is much restrained in suffering times And being speaking of the rest I thought not meet to pass it by Direct II. Vnderstand which are the ordinary effects and characters of Pride that you may not live in it and perish by it whilst you thought you had overcome it At this time having said more of it elsewhere I shall recite but these marks of prosperous Pride and shew the contrary signs of lowliness 1. The high-minded are self-willed and much addicted to rule and domineer They would have their own wills in all their own matters and are hardly brought to submit to the judgment and will of others Obeying goeth quite against their grain any further than they like the commands of their superiours And if they are in any hope of reaching it they aspire to be the Governours of others that they may still stand uppermost and have their will in all the matters about them as well as in their own If there be a place of Power and Preferment void the proud man is the forwardest expectant and maketh no great question of his fitness but thinketh that he is injured if he be put by how worthy a man soever be preferred before him He snuffs and scorns at inferiours that stick at his most sinful and unreasonable commands and thunders out the charge of Rebellion or Schism against those that question his infallibility or that will stick at obeying him before God and against him as if he had been born to rule and other men to obey him and all do him wrong who fall not down and worship not his will at the first intimation Though perhaps he be but a Minister of Christ who should be as a little child and the servant of all and should stoop to the feet of the poorest of the flock and should receive the weak and bear with their infirmities yet Pride will there lift up the head and forget all the humbling examples and admonitions of Christ and will either seek to draw Disciples after it by speaking perverse things Acts 20.30 or forget 1 Pet. 5.3 Neither us being Lords over Gods heritage but examples to the flock But on the contrary the poor in spirit are readier to obey than rule as knowing that ruling requireth the greater parts and graces and are enclined to think others to be fitter for places of Teaching or Authority than themselves further than clear experience constraineth them to know the contrary For in honour they prefer others instead of striving to be preferred before others They have a tractable humble yielding disposition except when they are tempted to sin They are gentle and easie to be entreated James 3.17 and can submit themselves to one another yea and be their voluntary subjects 1 Pet. 5.5 Ephes 5.21 Yet not becoming unnecessarily the servants of men but chusing it rather when they may be free They are as little children in that they expect not rule but to be ruled Matth. 18.3 They have learned to serve one another in love Gal. 5.13 and take it not for Christian love that can do good only upon terms of equality and cannot stoop to voluntary service They can go two mile with him that compelleth them to go one No man more obedient when you command not sin For as he affecteth not to be called Master or Rabbi or to have the highest seat or name Mat. 23.11 c. So he hath learnt not to please himself but to please others for their good to edification Rom. 15.2 Especially if he be a Pastor of the Church though he do by an excelling light and love and good life keep up the true honour of his calling yet is he the more averse to Lord it over the flock because he knoweth that he must be an example to them And it is not an example of pride but of lowliness which Christ did give and he must give and therefore both are joyned together 1 Pet. 5.3 5. 2. The Proud do make too great a matter of that honour which perhaps may be their due They plot for it they set their hearts upon it If they are slighted or others preferred before them their countenances are cast down as Cains or they are troubled as Haman or they will revenge it as Cain and as Joab upon Abner Touch their honour and you touch their hearts Despise them and you torment them or make them your enemies But the Poor in spirit regard their honour as they do other matters of this world that is with moderation and so far as it is conducible to the honour of Religion or their Country or to the
made universally to mankind in Adam Those after the flood were under the same Covenant renewed universally to mankind in Noah The Israelites were under the same Covenant renewed to them specially in Abraham with special additions and after under that Covenant seconded with the Law which was given to Moses And all Christians after Christs Resurrection are under the perfected Covenant of Grace and have the same word of salvation for their rule even the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to the salvation of every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 5. They had but the same Promises in this Covenant to believe and to assure them of the salvation which they now possess They had no other charter from God to shew nor any but this universal act of oblivion to trust to for the pardon of all their sins which we have to trust to for the pardon of ours John 3.16.18 Mark 16.16 The promise which was made to the Jews and to their children was made also to them that are afar off and to as many as the Lord shall call Acts 2.39 For the promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham or his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith Rom. 4.13 And therefore it was of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not only to that which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all v. 16. That it might appear that God justified not Abraham for any peculiar carnal priviledge but as a Believer which is a reason common to him with all Believers To whom also their faith shall be imputed for righteousness v. 24. Godliness still is profitable to all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yea what difference there is in both these forementioned respects it is to our advantage we have the most perfected Rule and the fullest Promises and we have many Promises fulfilled to us which were not fulfilled to them in their daies Heb. 11. last And we are nearer the final accomplishment of all the promises 6. They had the same Motives to faith and patience and godliness as we have They could have no greater happiness offered them nor any greater punishment threatned to drive them from sin by fear They could have no higher ends than ours nor any nobler reasons to be religious The same reasons and ends did bring them through all temptations and difficulties to everlasting life which we have also to satisfie us and to carry us on 2 Tim. 4.8 7. The same spirit did illuminate sanctifie and quicken them which is illuminating sanctifying and quickening us All the most excellent and heavenly endowments and workings of their souls were wrought by the same operator who is still at work in all the Saints Rom. 8.9 There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 We have the same Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 All that are Sons have the same Spirit of the Son even the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.16.26 which is the Spirit of Power of Love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 We have the same Almighty Power within us to destroy our sins to raise up our sluggish hearts to God to keep us in his Love to overcome the flesh which did all these excellent works in them We are sealed with the same seal and are known by the same mark 1 John 3.24 and are actuated by the same heavenly principle as they were 8. We are members of the same universal Church which is the body of Christ For there is but one body whatever diversity of the members there be Ephes 4.4 5 6 7 12. 1 Cor. 12. We are members of the same City and Family of God Ephes 2.19 We are in the same Ship which conveyed them to the Haven We are Disciples in the same School where they learnt the way to life eternal We are workmen in the same Vineyard where they procured their reward 9. They had the same work to do as we have the same God to love and serve the same Christ to believe in the same Spirit to obey the same things to believe in the main the same things to desire and pray for the same things to love and the same to hate the same things in the main which are sin to us were sin to them and the same life of holiness temperance and righteousness which is commanded us was commanded them They had the same temptations to resist and the same fleshly mind to overcome and the same senses and appetites and passions to rule the same enemies to overcome and the same or greater sufferings to bear as is said before 10. They had but the same means and helps as we have except some Prophets and Apostles and extraordinary persons in one age And what they received of the Lord they have delivered unto us 1 Cor. 11.23 We have the same Gospel to to teach us the same Sacraments to initiate and confirm us the same Pastors and Teachers for office to instruct us Ephes 4.12 13 14 16. Matth. 28.20 Fasting and Prayer and Thanksgiving and Church-communion and mutual Exhortation which are our helps and means were theirs 11. The same method of Providence which carryed them on is still on foot for all the Saints Psal 145.9 18. 86.5 He broke them and bound them up he cast them down and raised them as he doth us now He made them contrite and then did comfort them He led them through as rude a wilderness and they had as many wild beasts to assault them and as many dangers round about them as we have They had seasons of adversity and seasons of prosperity their stormy and their sunshine daies their troubles which quickened their cryes to God and the gracious answer of those cryes and were led to Heaven in the same course of providence as we are 12. And to conclude the same Heaven is prepared for us and offered yea given to us which they possess It is ours in right though our title be not absolutely perfect till we have finally presevered and overcome We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ having his seal and earnest if so be that we suffer with him that we may be glorified with him Rom. 15.16.17 The Kingdom is prepared for all them that love him Christ prayed for all that the Father had given him and for all that should believe by his Word John 17.2 20 27. even that they may have eternal life and may be with him where he is to see his glory Whosoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 In all this you may see how like their condition in this world was unto ours and that our way is the same which all those have gone that are now past all these snares and dangers