Life a Turning of men from darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God by opening of their eyes and renewing their Will It s expressed by taking away the heart of stone and giving a heart of flesh in putting his Spirit within us and giving a new heart and a new spirit in our special effectual Calling It s said to be our Regeneration and being born again absolutely needful to open an entrance into Gods Kingdom Though there be some Reliques of natural and moral Endowments left in men since the fall in their powers and parts as appears by the Heathens Improvements yet these only testifie the wofulness of mans desperate fall in ruining so glorious a Fabrick Thence the blindness and perversness of his mind and will are so aggravated the crooked distortions of his Affections the searedness and corruption of his Conscience with the disorder of every part are set forth so Emphatically to convince every man Thence men are said before Conversion to be Godless and hopeless because Christless Thence is the wonderful operation of Renewing Grace so extolled still in this new creation bringing forth Light out of darkness in making man partaker of the Divine Nature This supernatural Work is carried on rationally by the Spirit of Christ in a way suitable to mans rational Being He works strongly yet sweetly he opens their heart-springs with a special Key of his own framing This Renewing Grace runs parallel with the Fathers Electing and the Sons Redeeming Grace whom God did foreknow and predestinate those he calls effectually seasonably savingly Their corrupt nature doth much resist it till Grace prevails and conquers all its Forts The outworks of the Mind and Judgement Christs Spirit conquers first thence breaking through the Iron Gate of mans Will into the possession of all the powers and parts of the soul Many sins remain still in every part like so many Cananites and Tories to be gradually subdued These Rebels being broken in their Head and Reign Grace doth orderly dispatch by mortifying exercise The Spirit of Christ carries on his work in supporting and supplying still those gracious Beginnings which are weak at first By the Gospel Light he communicates his gracious Life Thus he perswades enables his people to embrace Jesus Christ upon Gospel terms by a Covenant of Marriage and Adoption Thus is mans dunghil heart by Renewing Grace broken up and dressed into a spiritual Garden sown and set with the fruits of his holy Spirit It differs exceedingly from common convictions and external Reformations as earth differs from Heaven That difference is still morally-specifical though it seems to be Physically but Numerical and gradual It s the same Spirit that works conviction on the Reprobate and on the Elect but not in the same manner He knocks at both and is resisted He leaves the Reprobate justly he opens the Elects heart mercifully and prevailingly The Reprobate may be externally and professedly sanctified in a partial superficial way Gods Elect are specially sanctified universally in every part and gradually through every part Mans free will by sin subjected to Satan is through this Renewing Grace set at liberty so far as Grace prevails The unregenerate is free only to spiritual evil being an enemy to spiritual good The Regenerate soul is so far free to spiritual good as it s renewed When Grace is compleated in Glory the soul like good Angels shall be free only to good The Nature of mans will is thus bettered by Grace which was made a slave by sin The Devils and damned do freely will sin so do unregenerate souls on earth yet necessarily Thus necessity man stand with freedom both to good and evil By this Renewing Grace the regenerate soul is made conformable to Gods Image and is so far called the new man and gradually learns to be holy as God is Holy That Seed and Root of Grace cast into it at first grows up by degrees as the grain of mustard seed as the corn as the Light as the living Child Thereby the soul is enabled to believe and Repent and further to actuate every sort of Grace being excited corroborated and directed still by the same Spirit Thence is the conflict so continuall between the spirit and flesh the Law in the members and the Law in the Mind Grace and sin which ends not till the death of sin in bodily death Thus acti agimus Implanted Grace then co-works still with the Lords gracious Spirit who works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure This Grace appears also most free and full most choice sure to the glorifying of all Divine Attributes Man could not be conceived to have any skil power or will to procure the same By Grace the Lord cals unto Grace and so to Glory By Grace are we saved through Faith and that not of our selves it s the gift of God not of works least any man should boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works so that it s not in him that wills nor in him that runs but in God who shews mercy Of his own will begat he us by the Word of Truth that we might be to the praise of his Glory Object But why then is man commanded to believe and repent to change his heart c Answ Because as we hinted before God deals with men by men rationally orderly to convince all of their Duty and insufficiency to humble and awaken them to put them upon all due means to render the most inexcusable and moralize many to convey his Grace into his Elect through those very means peculiarly sanctified to the spiritualizing of their heart Object But is not God partial in so doing Answ No. For he is not bound to any further then he pleases neither is he led by any sinful respects which render men partial Object But why doth he yet complain of the Reprobates if he give them not sufficient Grace as to others how can they help it Ans God justly complains of the wicked for insolvency and squandring away his goods wilfully and rebelliously both in their first Father and by themselves They smart not but for their fault their being Bankrupts is no payment nor discharge of their debts to him He gives them more then they could expect or make right use of Though they cannot change their own heart yet they might use the means better then they do they are still wilfully negligent and selfish in all they do and suffer justly for their demerits Can the wicked say they sin not wilfully Will not their own conscience condemn them Are they not all corruptly estranged from the womb and speaking Lyes by time Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Can the
thereto The spawn of all Error is born and bred with them Mans dunghil heart is the fruitful womb of all such weeds Sin grows into strength by custom therein it s more radicated and setled in them As it rejects the bounds of divine and humane Laws so doth it carry the soul headlong into all by-paths of Errour and folly It endures neither Physick nor Physitian though never so choyce Such a heart is dry tinder to the Devil but wet to God Reason 2. The deceitfulness of Error helps much that way that seed of the Serpent resembles him in this as in all things else It disguises its foul face under many fair colours it goes still masked it baits every hook sutably to mans deceitfull heart Thence the Scripture speaks so much of Errors Methods and crafts devices and subtilties snares and wiles Arts and stratagems Juglings and deceits Reason 3. The Just hand of Heaven giving up such to blindness of mind and hardness of heart to be led away by sin and Satan because they received not the Truth in love but abused and corrupted it and themselves thereby they harden themselves sinfully then God hardens them judicially Vse 1. See the ground of so many errors among us because iniquity so abounds in these later dayes Love to Truth waxes so cold Most turn practical Antinomians of the worst sort as they reject both God and his Law he gives them up to the Law of sin and death Whence so many Bedlams of all humours and complexions So many turns from one sin to another Sin being justly punished by sin So many carnal hypocrites and proud Novices fall daily into the Devils condemnation 2. Admonition to Lawless men it should convince such of their folly and misery See what it s to break the Banks and to be left to a mans will Whether will ignus fatuus lead but to bogs and precipices Such are next step to vilest Errors ready to be drawn into the snare All ignorant negligent souls that slight and oppose the Law of God and man should be throughly humbled To shake off Christs bands is a Heathenish part when the Apostle speaks against the Law it s still against the abuse thereof and resting thereon For the Law is good used Lawfully 3. Examination What kind of Christians are we like to escape the snares of Error Are not we lawless but under the Law to Christ Do we own and study love and practise that Law for sanctification though not for merit Is it written upon our heart Is his Spirit put within us so as to cause us to walk in his Statutes that we may keep his Judgements and do them Hath Grace freed us from our sinful bondage Hath the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Jesus Christ made us free from the Law of sin and Death Superiours and inferiours should view themselves in this Glass of Truth Doth the principle of his Law within us quicken us still to the careful observance of the perfect Rule of his Law without us 4. Exhortation 1. To sinners Learn the Law of Christ see the need and use thereof Be willing to know the wretchedness of a lawless state It s sad to abide under the law of sin and Death To be the Devils slave and the drudge of sin Study the Beauty and sweetness the pleasure and profit of Gods Law Acquaint thy self with Christ and be at peace c. Receive I pray thee the Law from his mouth c. Thus are you invited in the Lords Name We are Embassadours for Christ c. Christ must do all the work in you and by you Come to him for all 2. To Saints improve your acquaintance Keep the Law of Christ that it may keep you Look to your fence and Rule all neglect here is very dangerous Error is soon let in before you be aware God will keep you in his wayes not in the Devils wayes If your compass be slighted you must needs rove If you attend not the Shepherds voyce how can you but wander Walk therefore circumspectly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see to it improve the Law of Christ against all internal corruptions 2. Against all external temptations Bring all things to that Touch let nothing pass untried if any Notion come under a dress of new Light bring it to the Law and Testimony Satan comes often under a Scripture-Mask pretending conscience aâ—d pleading very fair He must be sifted over and over and his Vizard must be pulled off Christ dealt with him thus This Gloss on Scripture still spoils the Text either in the sense or application Doctrine 2. Error will endanger Christians stedfastness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Emphatically to fall out as a man out of a window as Eutiches or as a member out of joynt THe word stedfastness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Metaphorical denoting the settlement of the soul in allusion to the strong composure of natural and artificial things well grounded and fixed The soul is then setled when united to Christ by a lively faith on conjugal terms and harmoniously settled in his Body Mistical in the place and fitness of an orderly member The Christian thus as a living stone well cemented on Christ the Foundation is orderly Knit to the whole Building of his Church Political also Such a living Twig ingrafted into the stock of Jesse is thereby established in that Root of David to receive all its sap and strength from thence by abiding in Christ This is further set forth by all Politick frames and corporations Error is that grand evil that endangers such a stedfastness that disorders such a symmetrie and discomposes the whole by disordering the parts putting them out of their propâ—r seat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their own station and stablishment It puts them out of Joint order and harmony According to the comport of that particular straying from the Truth more or less material the danger answerable appears more or less dreadful The sad experience of Gods people in all Ages of the Church both before and since Christ hath given to this day a woful Test thereof The poyson got into mens Brains doth easily slide into all inseriour parts and powers Fishes begin to stink in the Head Vain Notions soon breed vile affections such ill humours easily disperse into all the joynts to produce direful convulsions Christ gave warning of it so did his Apostles again and again who were as careful to warn all Christians that they might be kept stedfast in his wayes The sad Revolts of so many Apostates in all Ages who slighted Gods Word and followed Seducers practices stand on Record as Monuments of Salt to season the rest Reason 1. Error loosens the Christians Hold. The looser he is from Christ
used by him to set forth his goodness What ever defect you find in the Creature he is not capable of that is all goodness all perfection Is not such a Christ a singular object to exercise our knowledge about What his office called him to his progress fitted him for and his relation makes conveyance of through his holy Spirit unto all his Sixthly His Influence is considerable for actual Communication of all Each Relation of his carries still with it a secret sweet and sutable Influx which doth strongly and efficaciously operate on all his thereby they are made more and more Partakers of the divine nature in escaping the pollutions that are in the world through Lust The Apostle had found the precious vertue thereof which made him so desirous to know him in the power of his Resurrection and in the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death This the Converts at Ephesus felt who being made acquainted with this gracious knowledge of Christ were quickned by his power and made to rise with him yea to sit with him at Gods right hand This Influence is free indeed this spiritual wind blows where it lists not being tied to any means it works at pleasure with or without means by weak small improbable or contrary means yet ordinarily God works by his appointed Tools he walks in his own road of Providence and leads his people step by step to the very top of Jacobs Ladder In the course of things natural and spiritual he limits us still though not himself and will be sought and found in each of his ways for the further knowledge of his divine Influence It s he that is the Life of our Life the strength of our strength in whom we live move and have our Being both naturally and spiritually How excellent then is that gracious Knowledge whose Object is thus excellent in every consideration Reason 2. THE Subject and Recipient of this knowledge sets forth the inestimable worth of it They are his Elect his chosen Jewels his peculiar people to whom he imparts this Jewel unto Them only doth he know for his of all the Nations to whom he makes himself thus savingly known As he makes himself the Pearl or Price to them so doth he make them Pearls of Price thereby Blessed are the people who learn to known him being first known of him The rest are refuse stones these are his living precious stones Others he knows with a general knowledge of intuition but these with a special knowledge of appropriation and approbation The rest delight not to know him as he delights not to know them He never knew them and they never knew him in this choise manner For his own he came to make himself thus graciously known to their souls in all the Dimensions of his eternal Love surpassing mans knowledge that they may be filled with the fulness of God How precious is that knowledge that makes the Subjects thereof so precious How admirable is that Jewel that takes up the the sublimest Contemplations templations of the most glorious Angels Those Elect Angels are still attending in his Ordinances to join with his Elect and learn of the Church this manifold wisdom of our God For those Elects sake Christ suffered all things meritoriously and Paul his servant providentially Those Elect whom the Lord did foreknow he never casts away but makes them up among his Jewels by making his Christ so precious to them in a greacious way His choice Love did freely choose them before time and is fully assured to them in Christ being communicated through the precious Operations of his Spirit to make them precious like himself in due time unto eternity Reason 3. The cause of this Gracious Knowledge doth as wonderfully magnifie the same considerable in the Efficient formal and final 1. THe Efficient cause and Author thereof is the blessed Trinity jointly yet distinctly Revealing and communicating Jesus Christ unto his chosen people 1. The external Operations of God towards the creature being indivisibly effected by the three Persons concurring in One the Son doing nothing but what he sees his Father do and working still as the Father works and the Spirit proceeding from both speaks not of himself but whatsoever he hears from them both that speaks he unto Christs Disciples 2. Distinctly according to their distinct personal Relations 1. The Father electing from eternity having chosen them in Christ before the Foundation of the world that they might be holy and unblameable before him in Love and therefore predestinating them to the Adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will and making them through his knowledge meet partakers of his Inheritance in Light by translating them into the Kingdom of his dear Son who were chosen according to his foreknowledge through sanctification of the Spirit 2. The Son accepting and undertaking tendring and effecting in and by himself the whole business of their Salvation making known the same by his Word and Spirit as also by his own Person in the dayes of his flesh 3. The holy Spirit by wooing of their souls opening their eyes and fitting them for the Reception of this Excellent Knowledge infusing the same into them applying it particularly to their several dispositions and occasions removing daily the scales of their ignorance and sin scattering the mists raised by the Prince of darkness Repressing the vapours steeming from their boyling Lusts and dunghil hearts setting forth Christ to their souls in his full Beauty and Loveliness and leading them into all Truth by taking of Christ to impart unto them the gracious secrets of the Fathers Counsel Thus the glorious God works graciously in and by all Means of his appointing to the creating encrease and perfecting of his singular Jewel 2. THe formal Cause is very Remarkable in that peculiar saving application made of Christ to his Elect in their conversion gradually carried on towards perfection by the Spirits gracious Operation For then doth he stamp on that soul the glorious characters of Christs Image and begets that new creature which divine off-spring moves upward instantly in conjugal Reciprocations dilating the soul in all her faculties to the further comprehension of Christ It may be parallel'd with that Energetial Power whereby the rational soul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animates the humane nature into all suitable operations What the soul is to man in naturals that 's Christ to the soul in spirituals The principle of all Life Sence and Reason thus spiritually applied to the Regenerate enables and excites directs and strengthens them to the choice Improvements of this conjugal Acquaintance Christ on marriage terms by his Spirit in his Word tenders and gives himself to be their Husband By this quickening Touch they
aright thou wouldst know thy self better and wouldst see thy new pretended Light to be but old darkness Thy pretence of Christs name will do thee little good whilst thou slightest his Word and Ways his Sabbath and Worship his Service and Saints Satan may cease troubling of thee and fill thee with false joyes but thy carnal Raptures will soon end in wo like the crackling of Thorns 2. The most gracious may find just cause from this very point to humble and judge themselves for the remaining of so much sin in them The most are totally guilty and the best in part of too much darkness and dulness selfishness and sinfulness against this precious Jewel That Christ is no better known unto thee after so much of his glorious discoveries what a shame is it that there is yet so little of Grace and so much of corruption in us should it not deeply humble us that we savour so much of self and so little of Christ Is it not matter of sad lamentation that Christ should be slighted and abused forgotten and forsaken in such a manner by his very Friends Is it not wofull The more precious Christ is unto us the more vile shall we be to our selves Saith not Christ to us as David his Type to his bosom friend that wretched Anitophel Is it not dreadfull to be abused by our nearest and dearest relations Hadst thou struck thy best friend in the dark on mistake how would it break thy heart 3. This Truth will afford a needfull Test for a due examination Hence may we trie our state personal and publique to frame a Prognostick of our hopes and fears In this ballance of the Sanctuary our case should be weighed Deceit is common and very dreadfull False Christs and false Prophets variously delude themselves and others too Bring then all to Gods Touch. 1. By the due review and application of all the former particulars do we know Christ thus in his person and office in his Progress and Purchase in his Relation and Influence Are we the subjects so wrought upon by him Are we thus acquainted with the cause and nature with the properties and effects of this gracious knowledge Are we not still in that unregenerate state of reigning Ignorance and neglect of formality and self justifying of profaness or notional delusions Is the spiritual Change yet wrought within us by the special hand of Christs renewing Spirit Our nature of it self is as bad as the worst Is it now savingly transformed in the Spirit of our mind How far is this change wrought in our selves and others mind it exactly by the standard of Truth 2. How this Change was wrought is as considerable What Method and Means did Gods Spirit use and in what manner did he prevail with us Were we effectually convinced by him of sin and Righteousness Were we made to see the worst of our selves that we might embrace the best of Christ Have we felt at the heart such a clear discovery of our emptiness and sinfulness of our Wretchedness and Unworthiness of our Insufficiency and nothingness as to be wholly weaned from self and carried out to him Have we duly observed the unability of all Creatures to afford us help Hath the sight and sense of our wofull state so opposite to God made Christ truly precious to our souls Are we more troubled at the pollution then at the punishment of sin Doth it grieve us to the very soul that we have grieved such a dear Saviour Have we beheld our state in the Glass of his Law and of his Gospel to make us sensible efficaciously both of our Malady and of his Remedy Hath he made his Word so to work on us as to break our hearts and melt them kindly Have we found that hammer and fire of his killing our sins and quickning our souls Hath he made us thereby cheerfully willing to give up all to him and prefer him above all Hath he blessed the means so effectually as to make us feel him in and through them all Hath he made every sin more bitter to our Taste then ever we found any sweetness therein Hath he knockâ—d us off from all other props that we might rest upon him alone 3. Consider also how this Change works now to clear this Inquiry with impartiality Doth his holy Spirit operate on us by this gracious knowledge as the Soul doth upon the Body through its variety of intermediate Spirits Observe it we may in the resemblance of that three-fold Life which mans soule doth communicate to its proper subject A vegetative a sensitive a rational Life is afforded thereby Doth Christ do so to us spiritually 1. A Vegetative Life is for Nutrition Augmentation and Propagation 1. FOR Nutrition whereto serve the several faculties attractive and retentive concoctive and expulsive Doth this knowledge of Christ act thus within us 1. Do we draw and attract spiritual nourishment to the supply of our renewed wants Do we suck his breasts as new born babs and desire that food that may sustain us to eternal Life Is it done in season and order in quantity and quality meet 2. Do we retain and keep the same with all diligence lest at any time we should let it slip Is it laid up in our hearts and industriously kept that it may keep us 3. Do we concoct and digest it well by spiritual fervour to be distributed unto every part Do we shun and abhor Crudities Cloyings and Oppressions that might hinder it 4. Do we expel all sinfull Excrements that continually do breed within us Do we loath detest and cast out duly all filthiness of flesh and Spirit and all superfluity of naughtiness from every part of us 2. For Augmentation Is our spiritual Life like the natural still upon increase spreading it self into every part that our growth may be proportional universal and perpetual Doth this knowledge dilate all faculties in Mind and Judgement Reason and Conscience Will and Affections 3. For Propagation Doth our spiritual Life as the natural labor still to beget in us and produce in others more fruits of the Spirit more issues of Grace to perpetuate this divine off-spring Is nothing more active and communicative Doth it diffuse its species round about as being the Issue and Image of him who is the chief and most communicative good 2. A sensitive Life is for Sense Motion and Appetite so it our spiritual Life Doth Christ do so to us spiritually 1. Doth he give us Sense external and internal as in Nature so in Grace 1. External Sense is five-fold by Sight and Hearing Smelling Taste and Touch. 1. DO we spiritually discern and delight in the Beauty of Christs divine holiness in all his perfections in all his Ordinances and in every Providence Do we thereby see all other things and reflect on
retain some ill humors that will augment too much Putrefaction if not timely removed Thence the cause of so many Diseases that hinder the growth of the inward and outward man But how dreadful is their condition that stil feed their disease and love nothing but what increases distempers Corrupt nature stil will bring like to like and undo it self by pampering self God provides us very wholsom food in his Ordinances but like foolish children we frowardly dislike it and prefer any trash rather We feed on crude and corrupt matter which breeds choler phlegm and worms a pace Thence an increase of putrefaction which spoils our appetite and taints our palate Want of exercise and orderly care in the wayes of Christ makes us such weaklings and such punies in his Grace and Knowledge How doth it trouble us to see our children wasting with Rickets worms and Feavers through their own folly Is not our case much worse under our many spiritual consumptions stil contracted by our negligence Let is humble us and make us ashamed that we grow so little in that which is good and so fast in that which is evil is it not our folly and our misery Should not it be our shame and sorrow Vse 3. Examination Doth your spiritual Life appear to your self and others by your growth Is it universal proportional and continual Living things do grow in every part stil with proportion and continuance Do you thus spiritually grow in the gracious Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Observe it in the particulars 1. Is it an universal growth both internally and externally 1. Internally do you grow in every faculty and power of the inward man Doth your mind and Judgement your reason and conscience your will and Affections your memory and Sense grow more spiritual solid and substantial Are you better acquainted with his Person and Office Progress and Purchase Relation and Influence Do you feel thereby more vigor and strength flowing into your soul out of his fulness Do you find his Spirit quickning your spirit by every Ordinance and Providence of his to an higher Degree of Grace and Knowledge Are you more sensible of your need thereof as of your own insufficiency to support and supply you in every Relation Do you long for it and delight in it grieving for the want striving after it restless without it refreshed with it Is Christ sweeter and sin bitterer to your soul more and more 2. Externally do your leaves buds and fruit encrease in Loveliness towards God and man Do you grow as Christ did in Grace and Favour Is it your study design and labour to perfect holiness in the fear of God by putting away every filthiness of flesh and spirit through the improvement of his precious Promises Is your growth uniform in its universal augment Do you abhor sins of Omission as much as you do sins of Commission Have you an eye still to the second Table in minding the first and to the first in minding the second Do you make conscience of the least Precept in improving every Promise Doth not your Interest encroach upon Christ or your Neighbours various concernments Are you more sincere and self-denying more couragious and zealous for Truth and for Peace Do you grow in Patience and Prudence also as in diligence and Dependency Are formality and hypocrifie more loathsome stil to you as to God Doth your hand grow stronger and steadier in all offices of Justice and Charity as of Piety and true Devotion Is your speech active and lively is your life speaking 2. Is your growth proportional Doth it answer the measure of every part It s a Monster that grows not aright in Nature and Grace for quantity order and quality Observe how Plants spread with fit proportions and sensitives in every member mind the very growth of your own others Bodies to compare your spiritual case therewith Do you grow downward in self-denial and humility as well as upward in knowledge and comfort Is there no disproportion between your profession and Conversation your parts and practice Are not you sick of spiritual Rickets that puff up the head and waste other limbs Do your sence and motion grow spiritually orderly and fitly Are you not like Mushroms of a sudden monstrous disproportionable growth Hath every faculty its proper increase for the service of all other parts Do you digest well spiritual Nourishment which every part must assimilate into its proper substance and use Doth your increase of Gifts and Knowledge make you to grow in all Judgement of Christian helpfulness towards every Relation above you about you under you Do all the parts of the New creature keep an harmonious symmetry and orderly motion within you Is there no excrescence or exuberance no dislocation or disruption there willingly suffered Are not you like Hydropical Bodies puffed up with wind water and humours Is your Judgement sound and affections warm your will supple and conscience tender your tongue seasoned and your whole man strengthened daily by this gracious Knowledge Doth your Growth answer Christ provisions 3. Is it continual Is it stil your desire and delight design and labour to be found ripening towards Gods Harvest Is your way stil as the morning Light which shines more and more to the perfect day Do you hold on in that gracious course waxing stronger and stronger as he that hath pure hands Do you abhor sinful Remissions and intermissions in your self and others Observe the growth of all living things how they hasten stil after their proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perfection Is it so with you on a spiritual score Have you learned with Paul to forget things behind and stil press forward Do you therefore labour to cast off every weight that doth hinder you and the sin that so easily besets you The Lord is continually dropping down fatness from Heaven upon you Do you Return thither answer your Receipts thence Are you like a Plant in the Lords Garden spiritual and civil in Church and State ripening still towards a better state Do you mark and bewail your failings neglects Do your fals and slips quicken your pace and your watchfulness Doth others folly teach you more wisdom to walk more steadily in this slippery age whilst the Seducers do wax worse and worse both in deceiving and being deceived Are you stil striving to grow better and better Are you not like the high way stony or thorny ground which are but for a time but like the good ground fruitful to perfection Do you Resemble those true Believers who through faith patience inherited the Promises rather then Judas and Alexander Anannias and Saphira with thousands more that failed half-way Do Hymeneus Philetas and Demas awaken your care and quicken your diligence that you may not prove like to them in forsaking Christ Do you give your Lusts neither Peace nor Truce in your
thus 1. Prize it undervalue it not consider its worth and singular use It s Christ himself with his saving Grace that is to be duly known and improved Let no creature then come into competition Christ will endure no Corrival nor Superiour Let not any darling sin be cherished now to undervalue Christ If he be not infinitely better mind him not at all if he be mind him above all 2. Desire it disdain it not So lovely so needful an Object should set all your Affections on flames You have disdained him too long already is it not high time to long for him to breath and pant till you obtain him What would a dying man give for a sure cure a condemned man for a pardon a drowning man for help Let your heart give that and all to this Christ 3. Embrace it reject it not accept of him if you love your self upon his own Terms If you capitulate or reserve any thing Christ will none of you This offer may be your last Let your whole soul now close freely with him in a Conjugal way by mutual consent Receive and Take that you may be One and may know him thus and your self aright 4. Insure it neglect it not you have his Insuring Office to make all clear and firm His Spirit within by his privy Seal his Sacraments and Ordinances without by a broad Seal ratifie his gracious Covenant Observe and grieve not that Spirit of Adoption that must witness within by evidencing Grace and operate without in all the means of Grace for the Obsigation and security of your Interest 5. Keep it los it not so Rare a Jewel so choice an Antidote should be laid up with all possible care Precious stones are found to be specifick Cordials against various diseases and poisons This choisest Jewel should be chiefly set in the Golden Ring of a gracous soul to be worn and kept against all danger Beware of sullying breaking and hurting so curious a Piece 6. Improve it abuse it not This precious knowledge was never intended to feed vain Notions or vile Affections but to fence you against every evil and help you effectually to all true good Improve it therefore unto such Ends wherein you may be sure of Gods Blessing There was never more need of such an Antidote to preserve Christians from Epidemical sins This gracious Knowledge of Christ well improved hath vertue enough to fortifie you against all the Wiles of the wicked and all the deceits of your sinful hearts make use of it then against every Temptation and corruption especially against Errour the woful disease of this sinful Age There was never more need of Christs help against so many unclean spirits ensnaring many simple hearts Prudence and Zeal are here most needful to discern aright of persons and things Some good men are drawn in on mistakes as the four hundred that followed Absalom in their simplicity Some Errors are more superficial wherein Christians must bear with each other walking together as far as they agree waiting for the Lords further discovery Many Errors are so fundamental that they are inconsistent with the hope of Salvation and must be earnestly contended against by due improvement of this Antidote all of them militate against Christ either directly or reflectively in opposition to all that is near and dear unto him variously assaulting 1. His Deity which the Arrians and Sabellians blasphemously denied making him but a Deus factus and the Socinians after them following therein both the Socinus's Uncle and Nephew whose Italian Venom carried so much infection into Poland lately revived by too many among us as by Paul Best Biddle c. as it hath been scattered in Transilvania and Neighbouring parts by divers such Instruments Turks and Jewes agree with them therein For the prevention and cure of this deadly plague spiritual growth in the Grace and Knowledge of Christ will be a special Antidote faithfully improved fortifying your soul with his Truth making you to feel the Power of his Godhead through the beam of that Sun of Righteousness Reason and Experience thus spiritualized will demonstrate to you and to others by you the Record which God bears of his Son in whom dwels the fulness of the Godhead bodily or essentially as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports The same Titles and Attributes the same Worship and works ascribed to God the Father are also ascribed to God the Son The wretched Arrians called Christ in scorn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a diminutive God and would grant him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a like substance but denied him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same substance Were he not God co-essential and co-eternal with the Father how could he be one with him as himself affirms How could he have made infinite satisfaction and procured infinite Salvation How could he have born Gods infinite wrath for his peoples sins What shall we think of those quaking Impostors that own no Christ above but what 's in them that renew the Ranters blasphemy of Gods being all things their being Christed c Do they not affront the God of Glory The God-head of Christ takes up man to God conveying from God all good through his Manhood There must be our strength against every sin that Christ our surety is the blessed God 2. His Humanity variously assaulted by Notionists of an old and new stamp by many Behmenists and the swarms of Quakers who have con'd too much of their mysterious absurdities This poison once got into mens Brains casts them into strange dreams about Christs manhood which they fancy to have been but a fiction and figure a Phantasm and Apparition that vanished after a while to represent that within them which they call Christ To repress those pestiferous fumes from intoxicating your head and heart your Antidote will inform your Judgement with the Truth and warm your heart with the substantial goodness of his human Nature It will shew you out of Scripture that he is truly the Son of man who took on him the seed of Abraham was made flesh in all things like to us except sin Without controversie Great is the Mysterie of Godliness God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels believed on in the world preached to the Gentiles received up into Glory Had he not been a real man how could he have suffered on his peoples behalf How could he have made his soul an offering for sin His sufferings were most real sure that forced from him such a bloody sweat in the open air of a cold season and that in the night that made him cry out so lamentably My God my God why hast thou forsaken me that spent him wholly to his last breath with a most
not admit of conviction or cure 16. As ignorant sots fitter for the Asses scourge Balaam-like then for rational course and company 17. As empty vain Boasters speaking great swelling words of vanity 18. As subtile Deceivers alluring through the Lusts of the flesh and much wantoness of spirit in fair promises of Liberty such as had clean escaped from them that live in Error 19. As relapsing Apostates like the dog turning to his vomit and the sow washed to her wallowing in the mire Thirdly He sets forth Prophetically a ranting Crue of scornful mockers that should pester the latter dayes whom he doth accurately paint out in this third Chapter that we might be effectually provided against such a storm Scoffers saith he shall arise walking after their own lusts deriding the promise of Christs coming wilfully ignorant of the Angels fall the worlds drowning Sodoms firing and all such Preludes of divine vengancee upon all impenitent Infidels Thence he hastens towards his close by sure demonstrations of that grand Truth which they mainly opposed Christs last coming he lively represents and assures of which would be sudden seasonable and successfuls That Christ of Gods so much slighted by men shall come upon them saith he as a thief in the Night to fulfill that divine Word which hath reserved heavens and earth to be burnt up with fire then shall the heavens pass away with a great Noise the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth and works therein shall be burnt up Thereby moving all Christians to have a singular care of holiness and Godliness in Heart and Life But least the friends of Christ should be troubled at the terribleness of his Approach he promiseth to them a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness Thereby he Revives their hearts and presses them to improve savingly what others abuse desperately The patience of God bearing so wonderfully with all gives his Elect time of returning home and renders the rest inexcusable This he uses as a strong Incentive to Re-inforce on them his former Exhortation whereto also his fellow-Labourer Paul had in his Epistle cogently pressed them His writings so divine as all other Scriptures could not escape the abuse of wicked minds and Reprobate Consciences They were then as still they are shamefully wrested by unlearned and unstable souls to their own and others destruction He therefore with the more vigour charges Gods people to study and observe them with more diligence and sobriety with more prudence and circumspection with more sincerity and self-denial Therefore ye Beloved saith he seeing ye know these things beware lest ye be led away by the Errour of the wicked and so fall from your own stedfastness but grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Thus you see the ushering in of our Text to give us an excellent Counter-poison against all sin and Errour suted to the Complexion of these latter dayes in a peculiar manner and that by way of Epilogue and Conclusion III. This Epilogue or close sums up all in an Emphatical Exhortation by a pressing Disuasive from evil v. 17. and a pregnant persuasive to good ver 18. 1. THe Dissuasive expresses three main particulars 1. The proper subject of damnable Errors viz. wicked Lawless persons 2. The contagious danger thereof good men themselves being too ready to be led away thereby and so to fall from their own stedfastness 3. The singular method of self-preservation from it by improving of all divine Warnings to the faithful keeping of our selves in our stedfastness 2. The Persuasive in ver 18. Exposes also three choyce things to our consideration 1. The chief Ingredients of our spiritual Antidote Viz. the Grace and Knowledge of Christ 2. The gradual compleating and fitting therereof by growing therein 3. The due Application of the same in Opposition to that infectious Venom by a proportionable Improvement or this Antidote implyed in the particle But but grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ These several Points are to be more distinctly viewed to our present purpose 1. From that special Attribution of Errour to wicked men which our Apostle pathetically expresses by the double demonstrative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby he Emphatically denotes their property and Interest in such a way of Error We may observe to good purpose that Doctrine 1. Lawless wicked Persons are exceeding subject to be carried away with destructive Errours The Godly may accidentally fall into them but the ungodly are peculiarly totally and finally carried away therewith 1. WIcked Ones are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Lawless or boundless ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Privative adversative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lex Law They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposite to Gods Law as well as destitute of it They love not they know not they own not Gods law they observe it not whereas the regenerate delight in Gods Law as Paul though they look not to be justified by the works of it Gods Law is the Revelation of his Will concerning mans duty fully Registred now in the Scriptures of Truth the perfect Rule of Faith and obedience summed up in Gods Statute-books of the old and New Testament Errour is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wandring from the Truth either Natural Moral or Spiritual either in foundation or superstructure According to the Import of the Truth opposed so is every error more or less dangerous Those Errours are damnable in the Apostles phrase which deny or destroy Fundamental Truths as about the Natures Person and Office of Christ Mediator the misery of man his Recovery by Grace the need of Regeneration resting on Christ alone c. To be led away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be carried by the force of a torrent and stream or in a croud and hurry Thus Lawless men are hurried away by the fraud and force of Error into evil thence ver 12 13. they are compared to natural bruit Beasts fiercely running to their destruction It hath been too sadly confirmed in all Ages specially in our dayes Those grand Seducers and their prime followers which did so much pester the Apostolical Churches are thus described and we are told at large what monsters of wickedness should follow their steps Paul and Peter John and Jude set them forth in lively portraictures as Christ himself had done before Scripture and Ecclesiastical History do fully demonstrate it In this very Chapter and the foregoing the direful characters given by our Apostle of those Impostors that would successively disturb Christianity demonstrate it ex abundanti Such were Simon and Menander Ebion and Cerinthus Basilides and Priscillian of old Paracelsus and David George Muncer and John of Leydon with many more of later date Reason 1 The Reigning corruption of such Lawless ones must needs incline them
us and we have seen his Glory So the beloved Apostle witnesses of him He took on him not the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Thus the Son of God became the son of man being miraculously conceived of the Holy Ghost in the womb of Mary the Virgin over-shadowed by Gods Spirit and born of her in the humane nature like to us in all things except sin Thus was God the Son made manifest in the flesh by assuming the Nature not the person for then had he been two sons and two persons of man to himself This Man Christ Jesus hath body and soul the two substantial parts of Man even as we have as appear'd in his whole progress both which he hath Glorified not nullified This Fatherless man is as Wonderful as the same motherless God for who can declare his Generation as to the manner of it Thus Infiniteness confined himself God eternal was born of a finite poor Virgin Here is an Object indeed for the best knowledge of the best man God become man 3. Christ is God-man Emmanuel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God with us The true Ithiel God with me the very Vcal who is All. In him by hypostatical Union the humane nature with the Divine do both subsist in God the Son the second person of the divine Trinity Here is indeed a complication of ineffable wonders As there one Divine Nature subsists distinctly in three divine Persons So here two Natures the divine and humane subsist both in one person each of them acting and remaining distinctly conjunctly and inseparably incommutably and unconfusedly as the Fathers expressed it to avoid Errors on both hands Here is no mixtion nor composition no confusion nor conversion but a mysterious and transcendant Union from whence flow the various expressions of Scripture 1. When that is attributed to each Nature which properly belongs thereto as suffering to humane Nature and also when that is attributed to the person which therein belongs to both natures as to be Mediatour this is most proper Secondly When that which is common to the whole Person as to be Mediator is attributed only to one of the Natures suppose to the humane this is more improper Thirdly When that which is proper to one Nature is attributed to the other Nature in concreto by a name denoting the whole Person In that sense its true that God purchased his Church by his Blood and that the King of Glory was crucified by communication of Properties Yet this acception is the most improper of the three being Metonymical as the second is Synecdochical In man two imperfect Natures Soul and Body are coadunated with reservation of Proprieties to the constituting of one Suppositum and Person by the vertue of God Christs Person in the divine Nature being most perfect took the humane nature into the unity of one person by his own Vertue So that its one and the same Christ visible according to the humane invisible according to the divine Nature This hypostatical Union was the work of the Trinity mediately of the Holy Ghost immediately and of the Son terminatively The Fathers compare this Mysterie to the joint work of three Sisters making up one vesture and putting it all conjunctly upon the second of them It was necessary that Christ should be God 1. To impart an infinite value and vertue to his compleat Obedience 2. To overcome all sufferings and enemies 3. To communicate all effectually by his Spirit to his people It was as needful that he should be man 1. Because the Godhead could not suffer Secondly because the same Nature that had offended was to satisfie 3. That our Nature corrupted by the first Adam might be restored by the second Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus is Christs Person the Amiable Object of our Knowledge Secondly CHrist considered in his Office is a precious Object his chief business as Mediator being to procure effectual Reconciliation to the saving of his people by his perfect Oblation presented to God for them and applied to them by Gods Spirit He assumed the Name and function of Jesus the Saviour He was anointed as the Christ of God with all suitable qualifications and made Lord of all but especially made our Lord and Saviour by personal appropriation and effectual application Thus was Christ voluntarily made of a woman under the Law subjecting himself in that wonderful dispensation of his Mediation to receive from the Father his Call to that redeeming Function There was no defect in God but in us only who wanted skil power and will utterly to the curing and saving of our selves Christ therefore was divinely anointed to be our Soveraign Prophet Priest and Prince to effect all for us and in us needful to salvation As a Prophet he Reveals the whole Council of God As a Priest he makes full expiation to God and Intercession for us As a Kingly Prince he subdues all spiritual Enemies and makes all things serviceable to the guidance and protection of his people under his Soveraign Rule and Government All this he did and doth by his Eternal Spirit as the Scripture Records freely fully surely and singularly being therein a glorious Object of Christian knowledge Thirdly Christ in his Progress is considerable under a double state of Humiliation and Exaltation 1. HIs Humiliation appeared in all the steps of his Conception and Birth of his Life and Passion of his death and Burial most wonderfully This God head was then covered with the dark vail of his humane Nature mourning as it were in the sad habit of his infirmities for his peoples Enormities He willingly then eclipsed his divine light within the dark Lanthorn of this submissive state he humbled himselfe to exalt us he emptied himself that he might fill us He parted with all that he might give us all He shewed himself to be the Son of man to the lowest degree that he might bring all his into the state of Children Had there not been an absolute necessity thereof he had never done it Had not our case been so desperate could any other way have expiated and destroyed his peoples sins Christ had not come down from the height of Glory to the bottom of ignominy Here is an object of admiration indeed God humbled to a childs state growing up by degrees in Stature and Grace doing and suffering every moment for his enemies in rebellious arms Behold the Son of man wrastling with earth and hell yea with heaven it self conflicting with mans rage the devils fury and the wrath of God! What think you of sin the murtherer of this Christ and of that Love which gave him to the death Thus made he his soul a sacrifice for sin that he might see his seed and the good will of the Lord prospering in his hands He laid in the grave to confirm his
death and to air that Bed for our Repose His God head held his soul and body asunder from each other yet still inseparably united to himself Thus may you see a man drawing out his sword holding in his hands still both sword and scabret till it be put up again Thus it was needfull that Christ should suffer and so make entrance into his Kingdom Secondly Christs Exaltation is further worthy the best observation Therein his glorious person unvailed himself of all humane weakness though he still retained the nature of man and its properties He laid down his sable weeds to put on the roabes of Immortality His God-head did then raise up his Man-hood in his Resurrection and the Son of man declared himself by his divine Power to be the Son of God The Price paid for his people in his humiliation he applies by power through his exaltation to them orderly and effectually He is God-Man still and therefore tearmed the Man Christ Jesus Thus his office was to be compleated by the compleating of his saving Progress He conversed then among his Disciples the space of forty days to confirm their faith and to instruct them in the affairs of his Kingdom Thence his Ascention was solemnly performed followed with his Session at the Fathers right hand and Intercession for his people These are the four main steps of his exaltation to be singularly improved He rose that we might rise from death to Life he ascended that we might ascend he sits at Gods right hand that we may sit with him on his Throne and he still intercedes to make all our Intercessions effectual Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It s Christ that died yea rather that rose and ascended siting now at the right hand of the Majesty on high and ever lives to make Intercession Thus is Christs progress of chief worth and consideration 4. Christ is most considerable in his purchase also made for all his People which hath both value and vertue in it 1. THE value of his whole Obedience was of infinite worth being the merits of God-man giving full satisfaction to Gods Justice for all the sins of all his elect and making a full acquisition of all the good they were should be capable of This price of Christs perfect Righteousness active and passive was put into Gods Coffers to be seasonably and effectually applied to all his people orderly and actually from their conversion to their utmost salvation by his Spirit according to his eternal Purpose By the same value were all Gods elect from Adam to Christs death delivered from the guilt wages of sin upon Christs engagement of seasonable performance For he is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world intentionally in the divine purpose and promise 2. The Vertue of Christs perfect Obedience extends to the effectual application thereof to all Gods people So the Fathers purpose in electing and the Sons Intention in redeeming do run parallel That value which Christs merits presented to God cannot but be attended with answerable vertue for the making good thereof to the utmost The Son of man came to seek save that which was lost and that to the utmost seeing he ever lives to perform all Whilst therefore he was gone into Heaven to act his part there he was carefull to send his Proxie even his own Spirit that should make a through application of all his Purchase by the conveyance of his saving Grace to all his Chosen His Oblation is living and lively still even as Christ himself who abides for ever The ceremonial Oblations had him shadow'd out to represent the efficaciousness of Christs Oblation A wise man paying a Ransom or Debt as surety for another will be sure to know for whom and to see his purpose fulfilled to his power The agreement or Covenant made between God and Christ distinct from the gracious Covenant made conditionally with the visible Church in Christ imports as much As the Father required that he should offer his soul a Sacrifice for sin which the Son willingly undertook so was it engaged to him that he should see of his seed and the good pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand So that the vertue of his blood is still included in the value of it both being directed by divine intention which terminates in the proper subjects thereof Therein concurs his threefold office he being still a Prophet and prince as far as he is a Priest unto any The vertue of Christs Merits is indeed intrinsecally infinite like himself and only limited with the value thereof by the divine pleasure This purchase of his may be said occasionally and secundarily to comprehend the whole Creation in subserviency to divine Intentions but directly and primarily the Scripture limits it to Gods Elect for whom he came and lived prayed and died rose and intercedes still It extends to the removal of all evil both of sin and sorrow inchoatively progressively and consummatively It reaches also the Import of all sutable good spiritual temporal and eternal All things are ours and for our sake that are truly his and so far as we are his Is not this a choice Jewel to be duly viewed Doth not such a purchase challenge our best knowledge The possessive Our gives rellish to all It doth us little good to hear of Indian Treasures that are not our own Fifthly Christ is most precious in his Relation multipliciously expressed to his people by Allusion to all choice relations in things natural civil and artificial The perfection of all creatures is radically in him originally from him and reductively leads to him again None of them can sufficiently set out his wonderfull Relation wherein he stands towards his chosen Ones he therefore borrows the cream and quintessence of them all to shadow out to our shallow capacity the marvels of his glorious Grace Thus he speaks to his Babes in their known Dialect that he may gradually and familiarly be understood of them He calls himself their root giving sap and life to every branch of his He is the Head that conveyes all motion and sense to all his members He is the Fountain-Spring from whom all living waters flow into the streams by his proper conduits He is that Sun who carries Light and Life by his access unto all Creatures He is the Father that tenders his Children He is the husband that cherishes his Spouse the elder brother that looks to his adopted Brethren the Master that hath the best care of Servants That Foundation is he on whom the Fabrick stands that garment that must cover us that food that must sustain us that Portion that must maintain us to saving purpose Look into the whole compass of creatures what ever good you can find therein is
any of his By his own example and Command he hath directed us to seek the things that make for Peace wherein we may edifie one another Convulsions in his Members are most direful and dangerous Symptoms proceeding from ill humors vapors and Spirits Whilst the Limbs fall a jarring the body must needs decay That Wisdom from beneath which cherishes contentions and envy is sensual and devilsh The Devil hath no better sport then in such troubled waters These Confusions of Tongue become Babylon better then Zion Must not the stones of Gods Temple be proportionably squared and fitted to each other that his Sanctuary may be erected Should not they that believe in one God are saved by one Christ justified by one faith acted by one Spirit sealed by one baptism supported by one hope and ruled by one Lord walk in one Love also and be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace There is too much of hell fire in unchristian Combustions Such ignes fatui and cheating Meteors lead many to destruction Do not such wandring stars and blazing Comets manifest divine wrath and portend woful Judgements If our Light and fire burn better then anothers have we not cause to be more thankful and communicative What have we that we have not received to impart to others Are not the strong bid to bear with the weak and not please themselves Our Neighbours good is co-ordinate still with our own Interest for we should love our Neighbour as our selves Is not this Jewel a very precious one which is of such Import to the benefit of all Reason 4. The Nature of this gracious Knowledge doth further demonstrate its Excellency There are three special parts that do make it up being the choice Ingredients thereof Apprehension Assent and Application 1. APprehension of the matter understood is found in every kind of knowledge specially in this A view of Christs Beauty and Excellency is taken by the mind thus spiritualized The lively picture of Christs al-sufficiency is drawn in his Gospel by the pencil of his own Spirit The Lord himself opens his very Bowels to the Prospect of his peoples eyes therein Is not this a precious sight indeed to behold such a Saviour in all his proportions Doth not the sensible sight of our vileness and sinfulness recommend such a merciful Redeemer to our apprehension Can we behold our own wretchedness Insufficiency and unworthiness and thence cast a glance on his sutable and sure Redemption without admiration Doth not the survey of divine fulness thus exposed to view exalt the Lord Christ above all other Lovers Are not all his royal perfections a magnificent sight to a gracious Soul Can there be any thing more swett and stately 2. Assent and Credit to the Truth apprehended attends this knowledge in a singular way The God of Truth bespeaks this Assent by the word of Truth Salvation by Christ alone for true Believers upon conjugal terms is the sum thereof He that believes his Testimony hath set to his seal that God is true divine Authority gaining thus credit to his Assertion sways the Judgement to reason the case and cast its resolve upon Christs side Divine reason then perswades mans Reason that such a Christ is worth the accepting upon his own Terms The soul thereby judges all capitulations and Reservations to be sinfull dreadfull irrational Mans reason is then brought over to such a subjection as Christs reason demands without delaies or exceptions It sees that in Christ which is better then All and suits its wants in every part thereof It sees no help from any creature to be looked for and judges all to be but vanity and Lyes that hinders from Christ The soul then learns feelingly to cry None but Christ none but Christ as the Martyr did with due conviction of sin and righteousness in order to Judgement through the Spirits help The soul thus weary both of self and sin readily assents to that truth of God which presents Christ for a faithful and loving Husband for Saviour and Lord And is not this of singular worth Thirdly Application and hearty consent is the main ingredient of all conjugal Knowledge especially of this The soul is hereby effectually yielded into Christs own hand upon his own terms The Will in this Act accepts of Christ and renders up it self to his disposal Conjugal Acception is thus reciprocated that the whole man may yield unto him all loyal obedience of Faith and Love This great wheel thus moved all the Affections turn accordingly Christ ward heaven-ward that before still moved self-ward and earth-ward The soul being thus surrendred to Christ depends on him and derives from him still Grace for Grace All other things then become serviceable to the honor and service of Christ This Marriage-union brings with it a free and full a singular and sure Communion Then saith the soul My Beloved is mine and I am his I have all from him and all for him all in him and all through him And is not this a very rare Jewel that makes a match between Heaven and Earth Is not this Knowledge of singular worth that marries sinfull man to God Almighty Is not this thing of a rare value whose nature appears so supereminent Reason 5. The Properties of this Knowledge do much commend its excellency also They are expressed by a pregnant word full of sense and vertue being called a gracious knowledge 1. IN regard of Gods favouring Grace whence it flows which it manifests and whither it leads The glory of divine Grace doth so admirably and so wonderfully shine forth therein that its preciousness is as remarkable as the Noon-Sun in a Summer-day 2. In respect to his renewing Grace this knowledge is truly and incomparably gracious being attended with all the gracious Train and fruits of Christs Spirit So far as the Lord is duly known by his people so far is this knowledge attended with a proportionable measure of saving Grace 1. It s a fiducial knowledge that knows Christ with conjugal faith discerning of him looking up to him closing with him following after him trusting in him feeding upon him drawing all from him and returning all to him 2. It s a loving knowledge that embraces Christs love and retaliats Love for Love loving his person first and then his goodness That soul that knows Christ loves him sincerely and self-denyingly fervently and constantly That soul hears and speaks prays and acts in love to him loving his Word and ways his name and honor his service and servants out of Love to him That soul for his sake loves his Saints with a Love of delight and sinners with a Love of pitty The more she knows of him the more is her heart melted into his heart to be cast into the mold of his Love What 's recorded of famous Ignatius
is verified of such the name of Christ is engraven on their heart by the finger of his own Spirit 3. It s a penitential knowledge that melts the soul with godly sorrow as looking on Christ pierced by him and for him The sight of such a Saviour so unkindly requited cannot but make sin out of measure sinfull to such a tender heart The sweetness of Christ must needs embitter every sin to such who have tasted how good the Lord is Such do hate sin with perfect hatred knowing the baseness and unreasonableness thereof Christ clears their eyes to descry and detest the least appearance of evil The more beauty is discovered in him the more ugliness do such observe in sin his grand Opposite They take most pains to mortifie those Lusts which are most opposite to Christ 4. It s an obediential knowledge carefull to observe the Lords Will made known If any say that he knows him and keeps not his Commands he is a liar and the truth is not in him If we know that he is righteous we know that he that doth righteousness is born of him This knowledge is not notional but practical It rests not in the brain but conveys Influence into the whole Life It s not idle but very active It studies his Will to fulfill it and fulfills it in studying thereof It s obedience is neither blind nor lame but a spiritual Sacrifice a rational Service The whole man in heart and life compleats this oblation of loyal observance It minds the precepts as much as the Promises and desires holiness as much as happiness It would act like Christ in acting for him 5. It s an humbling knowledge that puffs not up but laies the soul low The more any know of Christ aright the more still do they know of their sins The best of Christ being duly known makes them to know the worst of themselves Christs eye-salve doth so clear their eyes that they see easily those sinfull motes of lesser faults which by their moon-light of notional knowledge they could not discern Their beholding of Christ in their Gospel-glass with open face thus shews more of this shame and of his Glory Thus Job was more humbled by seeing of God in a clearer light Abraham acknowledges himself dust and ashes upon familiar Conference with Christ Their Affronts put on him in their time of darkness humble them soundly in this season of Light They learn daily as Socrates said to know their ignorance As Simonides the more they study the knowledge of God the more amazed are they with his glorious unsearchableness 6. It s a grateful knowledge that cannot endure sinful ingratitude They know thereby the worth of Mercy and the high price paid by Christs blood for every favour afforded to his The bounty of Christ so magnificently multiplied on them still renders them thankful Debtors mindful of their Bonds Their Insolvency they more throughly know which makes them the more beholding to him What others enjoy by common Providence they receive still by a Gracious Promise Ingratitude the sum of all evil they abominate as the Devil himself Their homage and rent do they bring to him whom they well know to be their chief Lord. Returns of Duty they labour to make in some proportion to their Receipts of Mercy 7. All other Graces do beautifie this attending on Christ in following his Train Patience and Prudence are found in their Rank Zeal and diligence will not be backward Meekness and sweetness will not be strangers Courage and Fortitude are ready at hand Sincerity and self-denial are inseparable companions thereof The Knowledge of Christ then is a choyce Jewel that is so well set and accompanied Nothing is wanting for knowledge or comfort so far as Christ is known or enjoyed Reason 6. The Effects of this gracious Knowledge do add very much to the price thereof It works effectually upon the whole man in every Relation towards God and man There is no condition nor occasion here wherein its Influence is not manifested It s a precious Root that bears much fruit solid substantial and still seasonable It renders a man fit for every good and is a Preserver from all kind of evil It makes a man still to look to Christ and to seek for him in every Ordinance The matter and means of Divine worship with the manner and solemn time thereof it spiritually minds In every Providence Christ is also acknowledged by such in every Duty towards their Neighbor As the first Table of Christs Divine Law is unto them the Standard of Worship so is the second Table of his Decalogue their constant Rule of officious Duty towards every man That order and safety setled by Gods Word for Beauty strength and use in this worldly Fabrick the knowledge of Christ teaches how to preserve with all possible care The chastity and propriety of body and goods as well as of souls it looks after The credit and content that concerns all men in their respective places is much furthered and duly preserved by this gracious Knowledge It s good physick to purge out ill humours for the curing of all distempers It affords choice food for old and for young for strong and for weak in all necessities What the Rabbies soy of the material manna is truly verified of this spiritual Meat that its relish suits every Palat and may satisfie every desire It s a Cordial against all faintings to revive the feeble in their Agonies Armour of Proof it furbishes for war against all enemies inward and outward It is the Key of Christs Magazin and of all his stores opening the Treasures of our All sufficient God our El Shaddai If you can conceive any thing of worth either in Heaven or earth This Knowledge of Christ will both match it and get it for you so far as may tend to your real good It s in a word the true Elixar and Philosophers Stone that turns all to Gold and puts a choice vertue into every thing towards felicity Vse This knowledge appears a singular Jewel upon good Reason good use thereof should be made also The best things are made for the best use and appear best therein As Christ himself is of infinite usefulness every kind of way so is his Grace participatively and communicatively This may be improved then 1. In a word of Information 1. See hence by way of Corollary the singular Method that should regulate every mans study Men are naturally desirous of Knowledge by an Instinct suited to their rational Being Mans soul was at first made after Gods Image in perfect Knowledge What sin lost and defaced in Adams Treason Grace only Restores The Knowledge of Christ affords a Tree of Life but most follow the Serpents advice stil in longing after another knowledge both of good and evil The sinful Issue of sinful Adam do stil love to
habits and acts inclinations and allurements provocations and examples yea every appearance of evil in our selves and others 3. Is our Joy spiritually delighted in that Soveraign good presented to us to be certainly and intimately enjoyed both in free and present fruition Do we rejoice thus in the Lord always from the possession of that Kingdom of Christ which is Peace Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost Doth the Pledge and Earnest of his eternal Glory given us thereby fill us with that Joy both unspeakable and full of Glory Is this Joy of the Lord our strength to quicken and supple all the wheels of our souls 4. Is our Sorrow spiritually active in grieving for all sin Original habitual and actual for the great dishonor still done to Christ the contempt of his Gospel abusing his Mercies breaking of his Laws slighting his warnings hardning under his Judgements Do we mourn for the failings and distempers of his people and make their case ours among his Mourners marked for safety 5. Doth our Desire move spiritually with unsatisfiableness after that Good not yet attained setting an edge upon all endeavours sweetning all troubles in the way facilitating all difficulties spurring on sluggishness and teaching all Improvements of what 's received in order thereto 6. Doth our Disdain act spiritually to scorn all sinfull baseness which might hinder us from the good desired Doth it make us flie from whatsoever might keep that from us by keeping God at distance Doth it make us disown what might grieve Christ and offend his Spirit whose acquaintance is our chief desire 2. The sensitive Appetite moves irascibly against all difficulties by the Affections of Hope and Despair Fear Confidence and Indignation Doth this knowledge of Christ act thus within us 1. DOth our Hope stir spiritually towards the full enjoyment of eternal good though surrounded with discouragements from Earth and Hell Doth it cast Anchor within the vail upon the rock of Ages to stay our souls in the midst of all storms Is it that Helmet which safeguards our head in all Conflicts with many Legions of sins and devils 2. Do we spiritually despair not of Christ but of sin of selfe of all creatures expecting all good only from Christ in the use of good means appointed by him but not from themselves much less from self or sin 3. Is our fear spiritually active lest we should displease him and frustrate our own good by neglecting our duty or doing any thing contrary to him Doth this filial fear move us with Noah by faith to prepare all things and repair to the Ark casting out all slavish tormenting fears 4. Doth our Confidence appear spiritually in Christian resolutions against all Christs enemies to the discharge of our proper Duty he calls us to Are we bold with a generous audaciousness to follow Christ the Captain of our Salvation through all Impediments 5. Doth our spiritual Indignation move in holy Zeal to the removing of all obstacles that lie in the way of our Allegiance to our Soveraign Christ Are we enflamed with that prudent zeal which consumed the very heart of Christ for the purging and settling of his house Is our fire kindled against sin whilst our heart melts for the sinners good as far as possible It it not a blind but a well-guided zeal not a wild fire but duly ordered III. Natural Life appears in the Rational faculties by the several Acts of the Mind and Judgement Conscience and Will Memory and Affections doth our spiritual Life appear therein also 1. DOth our mind act spiritually in understanding of spiritual Matters and apprehending the mind of Christ made known to us by his Spirit Word and Providence 2 Doth our Judgment act in discerning of things that differ and reasoniug of things answerably to his divine Reason signified to us either expresly or consequentially Do we judge our selves first and our own sins that Satan may be judged in us and by us 3. Doth our conscience move spiritually in a due reflection on self with subordination to Gods Judgement Doth it speak for God as becomes his Deputy and Substitute in Teaching and Ruling in Witnessing and Recording in Judging and Executing according to Gods Will Is it not blinded bribed and feared Is it not benum'd deaded and gangrened by self-love and corrupt Opinions 4. Doth our will spiritually stir in chusing true good and refusing true evil Is it brought over to subject freely and fully to the will of Christ Hath the Key of Heaven opened the great Spring to lift up these everlasting Gates to the King of Glory Is thy heart of stone turned into flesh and this Iron sinew melted into Gods mould 5. Doth our Intellectual memory spiritually act in laying up those things which those faculties have committed to its charge Doth it recal such things to Remembrance by its peculiar Acts of Reminiscency and recovering those many useful things which accidentally had slipt away Doth it carry it self like a good Steward indeed bringing out of its store good things new and old 6. Do our rational Affections move spiritually towards good against evil under the guidance and Rule of these superiour Powers which are stil to follow the dictates of Heaven Do these wheels and weights stir Regularly Do these wings and feet carry our souls orderly Do these Sails and Oars convey us safely through the current of all our Relations to the service and enjoyment of God Thus may we take a due Estimate by this scantling and Abstract of our spiritual Acquaintance with God according to our measure of this gracious Knowledge variously acting toward Christ and from Christ for him and through him by his Spirits Energetical motions He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life Vse 4. This Truth speaks singular Consolation to the real friends of Christ Choyce is the Jewel afforded to them as former particulars do fully evince This precious Cordial will be of excellent use against all corruptions and temptations against all Afflictions and desertions There will a season come for the benefit thereof to all Gods people It concerns all to make the best of it Objection This is good indeed may the trembling heart say but it s none of mine that am so far from the Knowledge of Christ I fear I am a stranger to him yet Answ It s bad indeed to be far from Christ but its good to be sensible of it The knowledge of thy disease is a good step to the cure There is hopes of good in sensible sinners nothing but wo to sensless Perfectionists Answ 2. But what makes thee fear thy estrangedness Is not thy desire
to him and delight in him thy design for him and endeavour after him If so thy fear is the fruit of his Spirit so far as it drives thee not from him but draws thee to him Answ 3. What makes thee complain of thy Ignorance Is it not thy esteem of the Knowledge of Christ Art thou weary and ashamed of thy Ignorance Art thou still wrastling against it for attaining of Knowledge Ar thou diligent in all the means he affords thee to dispel darkness and get light from him Dost thou bewail thy deadness and dulness thy sloth and selfishness thy formality and hypocrisie thy worldliness and unfaithfulness Is it thy greatest trouble and grief thy shame and sorrow Dost thou act the more humbly and self-denyingly the more watchfully and industriously in thy general and particular calling If so the comfort is thine and thou wilt know it in the best time Answ 4. There are divers degrees in the school of Christ and divers manners of his dealing with his Disciples Thou must not measure thy condition by others so much as by his Rule The least degree of his Grace deserves thanks though we must not rest there There are many little weaklings in his house which must not be slighted nor mis-judged of because they are not so strong and healthy as others The smoaking flax and the bruised Reed are neither to be quenched nor broken in his House till he bring forth Judgement into victory according to Truth Vse 5. This point should be improved in a pressing Exhortation to all Nominal and real Christians Doth it not concern every sort of men to look after such a singular Jewel Doth any need Incentives to move thereto Is there not matter enough already expressed to inflame all our hearts after it Is not this knowledge the most profitable the most pleasurable the most honourable that can be conceived Is it not still of absolute need and singular use Is any good to be had any evil to be avoided without it Is not this the Field that holds the Treasure and the Pearl of Price Doth it not bewray an ignoble spirit to neglect and slight it Is not this Jewel the Quintessence of Good that will sanctifie all conditions to any of us Be we all pressed then to make it our business to look after it as the wise Merchant after the Pearl of Price he seeks and finds it he sels all for Joy and buys it out right Do you so likewise that you may be enriched thereby Two sorts are specially invited hereto the Nominal and real Christian 1. THe Nominal Christian that hath but the Name without the Grace of Christ Sinners of all sorts still unregenerate are comprized here Such of all Ranks are called to Christ though they will hardly give him the hearing We speak to all indefinitely Christs Spirit will speak to his peculiarly We offer to you a singular Jewel to be obtained upon Christs own terms Come and view it well turn it every way there is no blemish in any part thereof Doth any of you see the worth thereof Be then willing also to part with all for it Thy natural sinful and Religious self thou must deny that Christ may be thine The destruction of thy sinful self is the only way to thy salvation Thy sin is thy disease thy poison and plague art thou unwilling to be rid of it Thy natural self will be bettered by putting of it into his keeping who will be sure to mend it for thee Thy Religious self in thy best duties cannot be useful but by being put into Christs own hand But where is the Price to buy it withal It s in Christs Treasury not thine own Thy souls empty hand must be reached forth to receive at once the Price and the Pearl Come to Christ then that thou maist get Christ and through his Spirit maist close with his Father The worst of thy sins shall not keep thee off when thou once comest on conjugal Terms Wilt thou be moved thereto cordially Hear the Embassy sent to thee from Heaven We are Embassadors for the King of Saints to beseech sinners to be reconciled Consider how much is laid up in this to draw home thy soul most effectually Mind then 1. The Person offering the Lord of Glory thy Soveraign the Almighty God All-sufficient Saviour provoked by thee to the utmost that needs thee not and can in a moment crush thee to nothing It s the God of all Grace full of mercy and Truth the Fountain of all good most precious most sweet a most suitable match wilt thou refuse him 2 The matter offered is the only Jewel the sum of all Good God himself to be thy portion fulness of Grace to pardon and purge to quicken and save Treasures of mercy most free and full most singular and sure it s a match with Heaven an extract of Blessings suiting thy state most exactly Here is Wisdom to teach Righteousness to absolve Holiness to renew Redemption to save thee what can thy heart wish that is not laid up here Wilt thou refuse it yet 3. Mind his manner of offering with intreaties and Invitations He waits he knocks he expostulates again and again Mercy kneels to thee beseeching pleading tendring all with open arms bearing with thee forbearing of thee attempting all means of doing thee good Should not this prevail 4. Consider the Person offered to thy wretched self a forlorn sinner a Rebel in Arms a desperate enemy full of Venom and deadly poison a miserable worm sinful dust a Traitor at the Bar under condemnation an abuser of every favor unworthy of the least good a vile Bankrupt a riotous Prodigal utterly undone a starving beggar a drowning wretch a servant of sin a slave of Hell Satans prisoner empty of all good full of all evil Is not this thy picture thy name and state and ten thousand times worse What madness keeps thee from coming to him that would help all this Quest What if I come not Answ Then will thy case prove despenate indeed Justice will speedily send thee to thy place Infinite wrath shall be thy portion thou shalt fare worse then Sodom and Gomorrah in endless easeless remediless Torments All thy mercies shal prove thy Judgements thy own conscience shall be thy witness Recorder Judge and Executioner This very Word shal rise against thee and stop thy mouth to eternity Thou wast fair offered once and wilt know it when the time is past Quest What if I come Answ Then thy case is happy all good is thine thou shalt be as welcom as the lost Son to thy Fathers arms meeting thee half way with Tears with joy with a feast with a royal Robe Thou shalt be married to the Kings own son and Heaven shall rejoyce at the Repentance of such a sinful wretch Object But I doubt I am not elected and then all is in
warfare against spiritual evils Doth your profiting in this Knowledge of Christ appear unto all in all occasions Vse 4. Be we stirred up to obey this divine Charge of growing in Grace and in the Knowledge of Christ Are not we all nearly concern'd therein Doth not our profit delight and credit challenge this from us Is not Gods Interest of greater moment to prevail with us Should not our Relations to others put as upon it Are not Christians spiritual Merchants Shall we not improve then such a precious Jewel Should not we still be trading with Christ in the great Commodities of Heaven Strong encouragements we have from all parts thereof if but duly weighed The Trade the Factor the Commodity the Venture and Gain are beyond compare Men improve their grounds and manage their state to the best advantage that they may live well Should not we then improve this stock and husband this portion upon better ground It is a field that will never fail the more we till it the more it will yield As Christ himself so the knowledg of him are richest Mines still full of Treasure springs of all good still inexhaustible The more you draw the more will follow it like the womans Oil that will never stop but for want of Vessels This improvement will improve all things else and without it nothing will do well This speak to dead and living 1. Death Christians should be excited that they may get Life else they cannot grow You must get the stock before you can trade Your heart must be renewed that it may be bettered Former directions will stand you in stead if duly minded and observed You must be convinced of your spiritual death to feel the need of the Prince of Life Seek then to him as blinde Bartimeus cry hard after him let him have no rest til he give you Life and Light at once He never yet rejected any soul that unfeignedly did attend on him If you wait long at Bethesdas pool it s for your good and he will be found in the best season if he put you off as he did that famous woman of Canaan it is but for trial and to quicken you If you cannot go send your heart and friends your Prayers and Tears to give him a call Be sure to observe what he saith to you in his Word and Providence as by his Spirit As you desire Life neglect no Means helping thereto Looking stil to him for his Blessing in all Retain no sin and slight no Duty Voluntarily give him your bad heart to mend it for you Feel your deadness that he may quicken you Know the worst of your self by inspection in his Glass that you may learn to know the best of Christ Beware especially of your darling Lusts your Dalilah corruptions whether sinful pleasure profit or Pride Know your wretchedness and emptiness your insufficiency and unworthiness that Christ may be your all for Wisdom and Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 2. Living Christians must stir up themselves encrease this Life Rouz up the Grace of God that is within you Blow up those sparks and make it your work to grow stil in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Food and Exercise Physick and Diet Temperance and Vigilance will be found special Helps as for bodily so for spiritual improvement of Life There is an Instinct in every creature for self-preservation and increase which moves stil towards proper Objects in all due means 1. Look well to your food then of a spiritual Nature to shun what is evil and improve what is good You must therein mind the quantity and quality the order and season of Receving it for due concoction The Scripture Word will afford you still the living Bread and the living Water the flesh and Blood of Christ to feed on by Faith Its milk for Babes and strong meat for adult Christians Let it not be mixed nor adulterated by humane additions or detractions Hunger and thirst stil after the Word and Righteousness of Christ Take what suits your case and observe what Rules himself gives you Plain dressing thereof will be still best for your profiting Feel the need of it and long after it cry and seek hard for it make good use of it You must feed well that you may thrive well 2. See to your exercise that it may be moderate suitable and seasonable so will it be of singular help to discuss ill humours and to augment your native heat by fit distribution of food and Spirits In all the waies of God exercise your self unto Godliness as the Apostle did for himself directing Timothy and all others to the same Such an exercise hath the Promises of this Life and of that to come being still profitable for all things Beware of straying into the devils paths and training in his military Yard You must wrastle against sin and self against spiritual enemies of all sorts Your sinful body must be kept under that you may be nimble and swift in your Race The whole Armour of God is furbished to your hands that you may put it on and use it with success Be thus strong in his strength and in the power of his might that you may prevail in all your conflicts 3. Mind seasonable Physick which you will often find the need of to purge out your peccant humors that are increasing and putrifying still Your Growth will be stopt if these sinfull stoppages and putrid matters be not duly removed Advise therefore with the best Physician for Prescripts and Medicines sorted to your case Deal very freely and fully with him without dissembling and reservation Give him exact account of what you do know that you may be dealt throughly with for good observe his directions with puncutual care in receiving good and eschewing evil His Skill Power and Will are incomparable and unquestionable His blood and Grace by his Holy Spirit he mingles in his Word to destroy your sins and to save your soul If his Pils appear bitter to your taste they are the fitter to kill your corruptions Your eure is certain if you be but ruled under his preparing purging and dressing No disease ever proved shame to him trust him obey him and your case is safe 4. Keep a due Diet as he doth instruct who orders all things to his peoples good To abstain from evil is still as needfull as to be doing and receiving good Observe then what things are most offensive to your constitution that you may avoid the first beginnings and appearance thereof Some are more bent to pride others to Passion some to vanity others to wordliness some are more lazie others more wanton some grow more secure others more foolish Error will tempt you under various shapes putting on often the Garment of Light Ignorance and Pride
By his Spirit he draws home his Elect from among the rest to a conjugal acquaintance with himself This gracious knowledge is to be improved for a singular Antidote against sinfull Errors It hath appeared to be so in all ages and will still be so upon solid grounds which divine Reason suggests to us Reason 1. Because it removes and prevents the causes thereof External and Internal The cause removed the Effect will cease 1. THE External Causes called evident among Physicians are all such as from without endanger men as ill Company Disorders Infection Wounds c. from Sin and Satan thus spiritually many external causes do still assault us which the knowledge of Christ prevents and removes A well grown Christian hath his senses exercised to discern aright between good and evil The spiritual man judges of all things comparing of them spiritually He is not easily caught into the snare but wisely foresees it and escapes He believes not every Spirit but tries them all by the Lords Touch-stone He is forewarned and forearmed still against Infectious Temptations of all sorts 2. Internal Causes are either Antecedent and remote or continent and proxime which are bred within by congestion and defluxion of several ill humors putrifying gradually and variously to the distempering of the several parts and of the whole also Thus sinfull Corruption doth spiritually disorder mens souls Spiritual Growth affords Christs own help to the purging out of such ill Humors Vapors and Spirits It kils the worms takes away stoppages cleanses the parts by all convenient helps internal and external It purges the whole and then the parts in a due Method using revulsions and derivations with all sort of evacuations So far as Grace is grown up within by the knowledge of Christ so far is corruption purged out gradually He that knows him purifies himself even as he is pure Christs own Physick dispenced daily in his Word and Providence is through his Spirit improved that way He that is born of God doth not so sin as he did before neither can he so sin either totally or finally because the seed of God abides in him As he finds corruption breeding afresh within it s his desire and design his delight and labor to crush the Cockatrice in the shell and suppress the first beginnings He hath a tender heart sensible of the first stirs of the least vain thoughts and keeps himself that the evâ—l one touch him not as before Reason 2. Because it corroborates and fortifies the noble parts and thereby all the rest against all internal Corruptions and outward Temptations Thus health and strength are procured and improved against the malignity of all spiritual distempers Corroboration is a singular help as in the bodies so in the Souls of men against all diseases Ill Humors do leave in the parts affected an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Discomposure which enfeebles it and by a ferment and a sickly Spawn makes it prone to new disorders Error and Sin work in the like manner upon mens souls striking chiefly at the Vitals and Chief The knowledge of Christ duly improved doth orderly eradicate and extirpate it by Communication of his divine strength to vivification of every Grace and Mortification of the old man in all its Members The more a soul lives in him and by him the more of his renewed Supports and supplies come in which compose the Christian into spiritual health rectifying every part All the faculties are secured and fortified thereby against Relapses and struglings of sin Such can do all things through Christ strengthning them The sense of their own insufficiency drives them still to his Al-sufficiency that his Grace may be sufficient for them and his Vertue perfected in weakness Reason 3. Because it derives still a specifick Vertue out of Christ himself whose Soveraign Property mingled with all due means of his appointing affords still a sure Preservative Physicians observe the specifick Vertue of natural Medicines simple and compound which renders the whole effectual towards bodily cures Such a signally peculiar force is found in the Lords choice Antidote dispensed to his Patients The knowledge of Christ duly improved fetches out of him that wonderfull Grace which he mingles with all the Medicines appointed for their good His Blood is that Aurum potabile and Panpharmacum that Catholicon and Elixer of Life which sanctifies all things effectually to his Peoples good The more any soul grows up into acquaintance with him the more use is made of that Soveraign Balm of Gilead flowing from the Physicians very heart The Pelican is said to cure his little ones with his own blood Christ to be sure makes this good to his His Grace is the Basis of every Dose of every Topick of every means appointed by him The strongest poison is quelled thereby the stoutest humors are subdued the sorest obstructions are removed and the worst Maladies cured by the same He healed all manner of diseases and sicknesses among the people in their bodies and souls in his progress on earth and he doth so still by his Spirit from heaven His Word and Ordinances are the proper means used by him for application thereof He employes his servants of the Magistracy and Ministry to observe his will in the right use thereof by all fit helps Spiritual and Civil His Providence points out the case to be dealt with all spiritual skil Our Antidote improved affords every Christian to manage all aright His special Blessing he affords in all according to Promise The Reason is good make good use of it Vse 1. Corollar 1. Hence may we view the Ground and Cure of our spiritual Distempers in all Relations 1. THE Ground is much from want of spiritual Growth in the best as from want of Life in most Were Christ known to better purpose both Church and State would not be so sickly But the most are ignorant of him and the best much too blame Thence so many diseases and sores in all Relations and Societies Every Person every Family finds cause to complain because the Lord Christ is so much slighted No wonder if the sickness increase and the venom spreads when such a Physician with his Antidote are so basely used Wise men easily see whence this evil comes and is aggravated Gross wilfull unbelief is the forest disease that aggravates the case making it desperate This was the case of Gods people of old in the wilderness and Canaan again and again They slighted Christ and his Messengers till they were grown beyond all Remedy It may give us warning 2. The Cure and Method of Relief is hence observable the Lord hath not left us yet remediless There is Balm in Gilead and a Physician there with Soveraign Vertue to cure
cruel and painful torment They might as well deny the Sun-light at noon-day who deny this Truth To turn plain Scripture into Allegories is to turn substance into a shadow It cost Origen a self-mutilation for mutilating divine writings thus He was called Centaur for monstrous Opinions flowing from Allegorical strainings of Scripture Christs Manhood should be so precious to us as not to endure affronts put on it Therein God and man do most sweetly meet which will help weak faith in every time of need 3 Against both the parts of his humane nature his soul and Body many also fight Apollinarius denying him a human soul as if the Godhead had supplied the want thereof Eutyches destroyed both by his pretended swallowing of them up into the Divine Nature The Manichees and Valentinians allowed him but an aery phantastical Body running through the womb of Mary as through a Pipe Mahometans fain it to have passed through Maries Paps and by the smell of a Rose Divers Novelists are daily broaching strange conceits about it The Vbiquitarians give him a monstrous Body immense and filling all places the Papists as monstrously would have his Body to be distinctly in many places at once to be without quantity without extension without sensible accidents to be made a new daily at the Priests will to be broken and not broken by himself and by all their Priests c. Many such contradictions against Scripture and sence Reason and all Sciences they are forced to for their fictitious Transubstantiation sake All such Malignant vapours which infest many will be effectually dispelled by the right use of your spiritual confection Christ was and abides ever a perfect man consisting of Soul and Body both subsisting in his divine Person being united to the divine Nature therein It will shew you that his soul was sorrowful to death and was made sensible of all humane affections though without sin as clear Chrystal water moved without any mud It will teach you that his Body had flesh and bones after his Resurrection as before which a spirit hath not That the same Body did visibly ascend into Heaven before the Disciples eyes and shal return thence in the same manner That the Heavens must hold him till the Restauration of all things That the glorifying of his Body hath not could not have annihilated it or changed the substance though it hath bettered the qualities thereof It will help you to know the flesh of Christ spiritually though you learn to know him no more after the slesh carnally It will teach you that his bare flesh and the fleshly sence thereof profits nothing a Capernaitish soul being destitute of his Spirit but that it s his Spirit that quickens us giving Life to his flesh and to his Word that both may be Spirit and Life to us in a spiritual and lively improvement Christs manhood is that precious Golden Ring that sets forth the Jewel of his Godhead to us It s a curious Vail of his contriving that his glorious face may through it be beheld It s a Chrystal Glass of the Lords framing to reflect thereby his Image upon us Out of Christ God is a consuming fire but thereby he becomes a Reconciled Father If Christ were not man still there were no hopes for man if we know him not thus we know him not at all It s not a figment of our own divising but the man Christ Jesus that must be our Saviour He cannot be ours unless wholly ours 4. Against his Person appear Nestorius dividing it into two Persons Sabellius Arius all Antitrinarians denying his distinctly eternal Personality from the Father The Socinians and Notionists that fancy the distiction of persons in God to be but nominal according to various dispensations witness Hob's Leviathan among many other poisonous books so commonly scattered abroad TO queneh the force of these pernicious Errors your Counter poison will season your soul with the scriptural description of Emmanuel our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God with us It will prove him to be God-man having both Natures divine and humane subsisting in his person the Son of God the second Person of the divine Trinity by Hypostatical Union it will clear him to be the Brightness of his glorious Father and the express Image of his Person being that one Mediator between God and Man and therefore God-man that he might conquer by suffering and make his suffering infinite for vertue and value for satisfaction and acquisition It will shew you that there are three in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and that those three are one That this Mystery is not against Reason though above it in its common shallow apprehension that the Son sends the Spirit Comforter from the Father and is therefore distinct from them both yet that he and the Father are one in Essence though distinct in person That Gods Reason is the Rule of ours being revealed to us in his divine monuments that we may assent to his Assertion though we cannot fathom the Explicitness thereof no more then Bruits can fathom our rational expressions That the Person of Christ coming out of the water must needs be distinct from that Person of the Spirit who came in the likeness of a Dove lighting on him at his Baptism and from the person of the Father whose voice from Heaven said This is my Beloved Son hear him Thus the Grace and Knowledge of Christ will teach you that he who thought it no Robbery to be equal wtth God being in the form of God substantially made himself of no Reputation that as God-man he might restore man to God in the gloryfiing of all divine Attributes Our Faith is not true if we do not own the true God truly as he holds forth himself in three distinct persons Those divine persons are not meer modes or manners of Attribution or Manifestation but real subsistences The Father is not the Son the Son is not the Spirit personally though they be one God essentially The person of the Son alone was incarnate not that of the Father he could not be Son not that of the Spirit there had been two Sons then The Word became flesh not the Father nor Spirit Divers Emblems are used to set forth this glorious Mysterie but Scripture-Language describes it best to a sober faith The Word Person is a Scripture Word very proper and significant They that deny this right use thereof make way for further denyal of Truth The Person of Christ is then to be owned by all that intend to be owned of him 5. Against Christs Spirit stirs first Macedonius denying him to be a divine Person distinct from the Father and Son Secondly All Antitrinitarians who oppose the distinction of divine Persons Thirdly The Greeke who deny the Procession of the Spirit from the Father through the Son Fourthly The several Blasphemers that vaunted
themselves to be the Holy Ghost as Simon Magus Montanus David George c. Fifthly All Enthusiasts who father their lies on Gods Spirit c. TO quell this wofull poison your Preservative will set your Judgement right by the Grace and Knowledge of Christs Spirit Thereby you will surely understand that the holy Spirit hath in Scripture ascribed to him the same Titles and Attributes the same divine worship and works which are ascribed to the Father and to the Son and therefore must needs be God blessed from ever and for ever That the working of all Scripture Miracles the penning of all those divine writings the wonderfull quickning of dead souls and bodies and the daily experience of all spiritual Christians do fully demonstrate it That therefore the fanatick illusions and delusions of Revelationists being so opposite to Gods Truth and Holiness must needs proceed from that lying Spirit who perswaded so many of Ahabs Prophets and still possesses the false Prophets of our days to speak and act against the Dictates of Christs Spirit The malicious opposing of the Truth confirmed so undeniably by the miraculous Operations of the Lord The Spirit hath therefore the most desperate aggravations even unto death attending the same because God the Father and Son both are thereby also desperately opposed 6. Against his Office and Function of Al-sufficient and only Mediator for his peoples Salvation move First All the former Hereticks in denying his Deity or Humanity his Parts and Person Secondly All such who mangle the said Function as the Socinians who deny the need and use of his satisfaction for sin Thirdly All such who divide his Mediation work ascribing part thereof to Saints and Angles as the Papists with fond distinctions Fourthly All such as put the said Mediation into the Virgin Mary's hand calling her Queen of Heaven entitling the Psalter to her placing her name instead of the Lords name in the said Psalter giving her Authority over Christ her Son in Heaven promising and expecting more from her often then from Christ as much at least and telling doctorally that God hath divided his Mercy and Justice giving her the Throne of Mercy and reserving himself the Throne of Justice c. as the said Papists Fifthly All such who pretending to sinless perfection and selfish Righteousness do frustrate and nullifie so far his Mediation as the Quakers and such monkish Pharisees To suppress the violence of this poisonous stuff the Grace and Knowledge of Christ improved will shew us clearly still the necessity of Christs satisfaction and Al suffiency of his Mediation that without the shedding of this blood there can be no remission of sin That No Righteousness but that of God-man could satisfie divine Justice That without satisfaction there could be no Reconciliation of God to man that without Imputation thereof to many there could be no discharge of mans Debt That no purchase could be made of eternal Life and divine favour but by that infinite Price paid by Emmanuel That without such purchase orderly applycable there could be no salvation for lost man That Christs mediation alone is Al-sufficient to all those purposes and needs no partners in any share thereof either for Impetration or application That to give the least part thereof to any meer Creature whether in Heaven or Earth can be no better then Idolatry That no Palliation or shifts by distinctions of Dulia Hyperdulia and Latria can cover this Blasphemy no more then Adams figs leaves could cover his nakedness That there cannot be on earth in any meer man a sinless perfection and if it could be had yet it could not satisfie for the evil past in the least That the best are but unprofitable Servants That the payment of a farthing due cannot satisfie a thousand pound debt in Arrears To signifie emphatically the due application and Imputation of Christs Righteousness unto Believers the Scripture cals him Jehovah-Tsidkenu the Lord our Righteousness repeating that name again in the great Promise of Restauration to be afforded to his Israel by vertue of that Righteousness made theirs whence Christs name is Synecdochically and Metonymically ascribed to the new Jerusalem To that import the Lord Jesus incorporates his name with a Christians Propriety into one New name framed by his own Spirit which Paul expresses by his being made unto us of God Righteousness and Redemption and our being made the Righteousness of God in in him as he was made sin for us who knew no sin which must needs be understood by way of Imputation there being no sin inherent in Christ 7. His Priesthood is opposed first By all the formerly named Errors Secondly by the Papists in making new Priests daily and a new propitiatory Sacrifice called incruentum to be offered by them for the living and dead Secondly In joining mans merits to his and thereby patching up a mongrel Righteousness for themselves and others Thirdly In pretended Works of supererogation which are imputed to others by way of Indulgence out of their Churches imaginary Treasure Fourthly In denying the Imputation of Christs Righteousness for the pardon and Justification of his Members Fifthly In giving to mans Righteousness dip'd in Christs blood a meriting value and vertue to satisfie and pacifie Gods Justice and to procure his Mercy Sixthly In making Christs Merits to be but the remote and mediate cause but mans Merits to be the immediate Proxime cause of the pardon Thirdly By such who sever his habitual and his active Obedience from his meriting Oblation given to God for his people and imputed to Believers reckoning only his passive Obedience to be so meritorious and imputative for the reconciling of Man to God Fourthly By Quakers and others who find no need of and little regard an high Priest in Heaven Against such mortal wounds the Balm of our Christian Gilead will afford healing vertue from the due review of his Grace and Knowledge We shall find thereby that Christ Jesus by his personal Righteousness by that one Oblation hath for ever perfected those that are sanctified once for all That a new order of Priests brings a new Law and nuls the former That it was an imperfect Priest and Sacrifice typically ceremonial that needed renewing That to give to a meer Man suppose a Masse-Priest the power of making and renewing a propitiatory Oblation at his Will upon his intent of consecrating is to set him in Christs room yea above Christ and to deny Christ come in the flesh by unavoidable Consequence The Oblation of Christ had not been compleat if it had not been active as well as passive and habitual as well as actual Heart-Obedience being the root and life of all other Redemption is indeed frequently ascribed to his blood and death but it s by a Synecdoche including the rest of his whole Obedience whereof his
Scripture speaks of Christs Dying for all for the World for sinners c. the context still clears the restriction of those phrases to all the Elect both Jews and Gentiles that are of all sorts and in all places and ages It s a common phrase in every language thus to speak of all for many of all sorts indefinitely to be explained by the matter in hand Thus all Judea came to be baptised The Apostles preached to every creature under heaven yet still with limitation The word World in divers places cannot signifie whole man-kind but must be limited to the vessels of mercy alone Thus Christ takes away the sin of the world now blessed is he whose sin is taken away every man is not so Many are in Hell beyond possibility thereof he gives Life to the world not to them in Hell God was in Christ reconciling the world not imputing their sin unto them Is this every mans priviledge to have reconciliation and pardon In other places the World can signifie none but Reprobates that shall never be saved that lie in wickedness that Christ prayed not for that die in their sins that cannot receive the Spirit of Grace c. Usually its signification is indefinite to be explained by the context But what must men blieve if Christ died not for every man They must believe that Christ alone is the full Saviour and Redeemer of his people that he that believes not shall be damned that Believers are saved through his Grace c. as the Scripture teaches Object Bnt why is Christ offered to all then Answ Because that he speaks to men by men after the manner of men His Elect are to be gathered from among all sorts The Gardiner waters the weeds secundarily but the good plants primarily The Sun shines on the blind that cannot make use thereof Object But is not Vnbelief the great damning sin Answ It is so though not the only damning sin Positive unbelief is worse then negative and admits of Degrees too All sin is Damnable a deadly disease But Unbelief is the refusing the rejecting of the only Remedy that shuts the soul under its deserved death Object But is not this Doctrine uncomfortable Answ It s indeed to all unbelieving Impâ—nitent sinners wilfully rejecting Christ but it s most comfortable to all humble self-denying souls those poor in spirit that hunger and thirst after Christs righteousness There is no comfort to the wicked from the Lord. But much encouragement to every soul that is made willing to turn from al sin to God through Christ Such shall duly know that Christ died for them when they find him killing sin in them that they may live to him A general Notion that Christ died for all and every One can give no more comfort to Peter then to Judas till his heart do feel the power of Christs death Is it not more comfort that Christ died to save his Elect certainly then that he died so indefinitely that its uncertain for all his death whether any shall be saved If you grant he died absolutely but for some then it s certain that only they shall be saved and his dying for the rest conditionally will not make them salvable nor afford any comfort to them If any Inconvenience attend our Doctrine it must needs attend that also Yea if Christ should have died for all alike yet seeing all are not in the event saved he must needs fore-know it or not be Omniscient and fore-ordain it or not be Omnipotent and that certainly or not be Soveraign The same difficulties will follow that way with many more Either God or the Creature must be Independent It disparages not Christs death that its limited to the Fathers purpose by his Intention and Execution All Divine Attributes are wonderfully magnified this way his Wisdom and Power Mercy and Truth Justice and Holiness c. The Parallel drawn by the Apostle between the first and second Adam proves a parity and proportion of Christs Redemption extended to all his spiritual seed as the corruption and condemnation of Adam extends to all his natural seed But all men individually considered are not Christs spiritual seed The Elect are such intentionally before Conversion and actually Become such in their Conversion All Adams children died by him and all Christs children were redeemed by him It s more to redeem one soul then to destroy all Christ excels incomparably 21. Christs renewing Grace is no less a Sufferer by First The former Oppositions Secondly By Pelagians old and new asserting mans nature to be so restored in every man that they are all born in Gods favour continuing so till they grosly abuse the Light given them either natural or Evangelical making Grace as common as Nature because its a gift though diversifyed Denying Original sin and Habitual corruption before years of discretion Thirdly The Socinians who following them deny that special Renewing Grace and pretend the New Birth mentioned so often to be but a moral change upon men which their nature by a common help from God doth attain unto in imitation of Christ whom they suppose to be a meer Patterne of Holiness not the Internal efficient thereof Fourthly By the Papists and Arminians who have learned of them to advance mans self-sufficiency free Will and Power by a common assistance of Gods Light indifferently afforded to all sorts according to their Improvements of the common Gifts received to accept or reject Christ at their pleasure and to cast away the best of his Gifts Received when they list In effect placing a mans strength and standing yea his chief All in his own mutable will making Faith but a common Assent given to Truth Fifthly By the Quakers Familists and Notionists who carry too much compliance with their Ghostly Fathers in these as in other things AGainst these Lethal Maladies the knowledge of Christ improved graciously will afford effectual Remedies Thereby we learn to see by Scripture Light the total corruption of mans sinful Nature the universality thereof reaching all places and persons its closeness and adherence its contagion and fruitfulness its temptations and Rebellions its policies and power its fierce and inconsiderate madness its indefatigable unsatisfiableness and its multiplicious propagation not admitting of remission or intermission This fully manifests the insufficiency and emptiness of man his unskilfulness and aptness to any spiritual good Thence the necessity of a special Renewing Grace from above to work an effectual change in all Gods Elect by an Almighty irresistible power such as quickned Lazarus and raised up Christ Jesus from the Grave This sanctifying Grace is considered in Scripture in the gradual Renovation of man from his first conversion from Nature to Grace unto his change from Grace into Glory The product of this Renewing Grace is called a new Creature and a Translation from death to