has a Morn a Noon and a Night A Beginning Change and End. An End and a Return unto it's first Nothingness the first moment that God ceases to uphold it Angels and our Souls are of themselves Mortal 'T is only by divine Will Power and Sustentation that they are Immortal Heb. 1.3 But God is Je Ho Vah A Being that Shall be that Is and that Hath ever been Without Beginning Psal 90.2 Without Change Psal 102.27 Without End Psal 102.26 3. He is an Vndependent Being A Creature is a thing that cannot stand alone Material Mix'd and Spiritual Creatures all are weak all as unable to Sustain themselves as to Produce themselves But God is a Being that 's above Depending He came not into Being by any Help He continues not in Being by any He Depends on nothing that is He depends not Gen. 17.1 He is El Shaddai God All-sufficient So all that He can need nothing So all that He can support every thing 4. He is a Necessary Being A Creature is a thing that may or may not be That must be or must not be as its God pleaseth Rev. 4.11 But God is a Being that cannot but Be. One to which 't is eternally repugnant and impossible either never to have Been or to cease from Being One who only hath Being necessarily and Immortality necessarily 1 Tim. 6.16 One whose Being and Immortality never cost one act of his Will or Power Nor are capable of being made to cease 5. He is an All-perfect Being A Creature is a thing of Imperfection in every reference One that has more of Nothing than Thing say the Schools One whose Perfection such as 't is is three-fold Of Being of Working of Well-being Every Creature is Imperfect in all And after the day of Judgment will in all be but Finite Nor has any one Creature the Perfections that divine Goodness hath dispers'd among all But God is a Being of excellent Perfection and perfection in every Excellency Every one Conceivable by Men and Angels I and whatever is by both Unconceivable God is above the Blessing and Praise of both Neh. 9.5 He is Above all that He has Revealed Himself unto us to be And more than unto us finite things is Revealed or possible to be Revealed See Children your Larger Catechism See others Mr. Charnock of the Divine Attributes God's infinite Mind cannot conceive what He should be better or greater than He is And finite Minds must needs conclude He is infinitely above all that they can conceive 6. He is a Tri-une Being Or a Being that subsists in three distinct Persons Here is the Mystery of Mysteries The hardest to be Understood but easy as any to be Believed With such a Brightness 't is reveal'd in the blessed Gospel How necessary it is to be Believed is hence evident To wit that 1. This manner of Being is the Top-most glory of God. It is the best manner of Being that can be That without which 't is hard to think how God should be in Himself glorious infinitely or blessed infinitely His Creatures are and can be but finite And what can they speak infinite The Infinite glory of the divine Persons shines in their Relations one to the other I and their Blessedness consisteth in their Loving and being Loved of one another Dr. Cheynel of the Trin. ch 5th deserves good reading 2. The Doctrine of God's subsisting in or being Father Son and Spirit distinctly is most firmly connected with all the parts of our Christian Religion And so that if Ignorance or Unbelief of the glorious Trinity prevail on us our Christianity is lost And 't is another Gospel even a high Road to Sin and Hell that we betake us unto See Matth. 28.19 1 John 5.7 John 14.26 John 15.26 A Tree is one It s Root Trunk and Branch are three Have three Manners of Being the Root is of it self the Trunk is of the Root the Branches are from both Root and Trunk They give forth Fruit in a threefold manner the Root originally and firstly the Trunk continuedly and secondly the Branch compleatly and immediately Who cannot apply this God is one This one God is Father Son and Spirit three Persons The Father is of Himself The Son is of the Father The Holy Ghost is of the Father and Son. In the Communication of good they all work joyntly yet there are distinct Personal operations by which they make way for the glory of each oother Inchoation or Beginning of good is from the Father Dispensation is by the Son Consummation or compleating is by the Spirit I do not forget and I would have my Reader remember St. Hilarie's often quoted saying viz. All Comparisons though Helpful are yet disproportionable 'T is very true no Similitude can reach the thing but this and others like it may help our understandings 7. He is the All-working Being That Fore-ordains whatever cometh to pass and Effecteth whatever he Fore-ordains To wit in Works of Creation and Providence A Creature is a thing that cannot it self come that infinite space from Nothing into Being Cannot afterward uphold its Being Virtues Actions Cannot govern it self Acts 17.28 Cannot be undepending in respect of Working any more than in respect of Being But God is a Being All-working His Word speaks all into Being His Conserving influence goes to our Preservation His Assisting influence to our Operation This his Assisting influence or concurrence fore-goeth the Operation of Creatures Fore-goes it in Order though not in Time. It is Co-operation or Co-working with the Creature Without the Creature 's Operation God will not produce many Effects And without God's Co-operation the Creature cannot produce any God's Co-working is also Immediate With Immediateness of Virtue and Power without which there could be no Effect And with Immediateness of Presence too for God is every where He is called Hamakom the Place Lastly it is determining There can be but one absolute Determiner and Over-ruler of Operations And who is He but God And if by Him the Operations of Creatures were not absolutely Determined it would be very possible that He might be Frustrated and Disappointed of his Ends sometimes But there is nothing more impossible than that Be it Observed Though in the sense fore-said God Worketh all yet so so Worketh He that he Changes not the Nature of things Offers no violence to them Suffers them to act by and under him and that as Freely as though there were no Decree upon them or Hand over-ruling them See Mr. Norton's Orthod Evangelist Concerning God's Relations common unto all his Creatures let it be attended that follows in few words 1. He is the Supream Benefactor Creatures can be but the Bearers of his Benefits unto us And of but some of 'em and that but of the Out-parts of them too The Benefactor is God. All-good we ever Have had Have and Shall ever have God Contriveth Willeth Executeth He Begins all Carries on all Compleats all Freely without Necessity Graciously
could not have saved one Soul 1 Cor. 15.13 14. 6. This Christ forty days after his Resurrection Ascended into Heaven as Enoch and Elias his Types fore-shewed And this in the view of his Disciples * A Jury of Witnesses He sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty that is He becomes next to God in Dignity Power and Glory And under God doth Administer all things Sitting notes Security Rest and honourable Dominion 7. This Christ shall thence come to Judge the Quick and the Dead All alive at the Last day and all before that time Dead True God as God in that day is Judge Supreme Christ Mediator is Judge Delegate and Constitute that pronounceth Sentence And his very Saints are Judges by Assession and Approbation of his Sentence It must not be forgot that He judgeth every of us when we Die. Tho' not all of Vs together nor with Execution of all his Judgment upon our Souls and Bodies till the Last day 8. The third Person of the Godhead is named Holy and Ghost Ghost signifies Breath or Spirit This glorious Person bears this name with a specialty as being eternally and inconceivably Spirated or Breathed forth from the Father and Son. And is in like sort styled Holy as being by Office the Worker of all renewed Holiness in fallen Man. 9. This Father Son and Spirit have an Holy Catholick Church A Church or Christian Society called forth of the Heathen and Jewish world by God's Word and Spirit After mention of the holy Ghost the Church is mentioned in our Creed as a Work of the Holy Ghost Catholick 't is called or Universal because the New Testament Church consists of folk of all Nations And is not as the Jewish Church was confined unto one Nation It comprehends all the Christians of all Ages past present and future in the World which are indeed but one Body Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. Holy it 's said to be as having 1. Christ it 's Head Holy. 2. The blessed Spirit it 's Indweller Holy. 3. The Gospel it 's Rule Holy. 4. All that are truly of it are truly tho imperfectly Holy. 5. Their Ministers Office is Holy. 6. Their Worship as Gods Ordinance is Holy. 7. All Baptized members are Sacramentally Holy tho' not Spiritually Bound to the Gospel tho' they do not really Obey it 10. The Communion of Saints is the Effect of the Holy Spirits Sanctifying of them and the End of Church Relation Saints are people Separated from Unclean and Common conversation Carried by the virtue of infused grace unto the Fear Love and Service of God in Christ Communion supposeth such Union as is between the Members of the Body This said Communion consists 1. In their common holy Friendship with Father Son and Spirit 2. In their mutual Love of one another as themselves 3. In their Care and just Labour for each others welfare 4. In their joyning with one Heart and Soul in God's publick Worship by Christ ordained And The Saints of this Communion have the Forgiveness of their Sins God for the Satisfaction and Merit of Christ's Obedience and Intercession Pronounceth them Acquitted And actually Delivereth them from the Execution of their sin's deserts God may be said to Punish them for their sins but not to punish them with the punishment of their Sins 'T is for their good that God ever Chastens them 11. These Saints must also hereafter have the Resurrection of their Bodies And by consequence have Immortal Souls For otherwise of what use wou'd the Bodies be All Objections against this said Resurrection be vain Being it's so brightly reveal'd in Scripture Cavillers do not Know the Scriptures or the Power of God. 12. Life everlasting is the portion of these Saints foresaid By Life understand all good And by Everlastingness perfect Duration without Change or End. By consequence we may determine that Sinners dying in their sins shall have the contrary Everlasting Death All Evil without an End of any Seems it strange that the Reward of short and slender Obedience should be so Immense and Everlasting And the Punishment of finite Creatures sin in a few years committed should be of such Extremity and to all Eternity The Wonder vanishes if thou but consider the greatness of the God who ordereth the Punishment and the Reward A great God doth all things great and like Himself His Rewards must be great and his Punishments great They would otherwise be a Reproach unto Him. Amen is here as much as to say I do verily Believe these things upon Divine Revelation tho' they exceed the reach of my Sense and my Reason Lords Prayer Truths eight 1. There is a God eternal unto whom we may and ought to Repair for the Supply of all our wants Even as a Child unto his Father For tho' He be in Heaven that is be of incomprehensible Perfection and cannot without a vast condescention regard and affect the best of creatures yet He is by Creation Father And by Redemption in Christ 'T is Sin for the worst of Sinners alive to say God redeemed not me He is the Father of penitent Believers by Regeneration and Adoption also Bare wants do not destroy men 'T is neglect of right Repair unto the Lord that is a Father a Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Father that can and doth undo the World. 2. Exaltation of God's Name and Subjection unto his Authority and Obedience unto his Will and Precept are the chief End of Man. For these He Made us And for these He Redeem'd us For these by his Word and Spirit He Calls us For these we live Yet unto all and each of these are all men insufficient For Will. Skill and Power unto these all men the best the worst and middle sort all are to Pray unto Him. I and in the very first place to Pray 3. Bread or the necessaries of this Life and Pardon of Sin and Preventive Grace restraining from Sin are the Means unto that foresaid End. To the Exaltation Subjection and Obedience aforesaid For other Ends only or chiefly they may not be desired or prayed for 'T is Self-Idolatry to desire one bit of Bread or the Pardon of one Sin or the repulse of one Temptation either singularly or principally for our own Ends. To wit that our Bodies may not suffer or our Souls and Bodies suffer or our Names and Estates suffer But for the formentioned Ends they must be Desired And more they must be Prayed for Begged with all humble Importunity We are infinitely unworthy of them Our Prayers deserve not God's bestowing them But our Prayer is the only way in which God warrants our expectation of them And in which He gives ground to expect them without doubting There is a kind of Omnipotency which Holy Prayer is honoured with by Free Grace 4. Conservation of our Beings is the first of our Personal wants Pardon of Sin is the second Deliverance from Temptation and Sin is the third Reader mark this
the day of Death to the day of Judgment in the Honour put on at the day of Judgment in the complete Glory bestown after the day of general Judgment and for ever to endure Trial will best discover with how small pains and great Profit this Compendium may begotten And when gotten it is by Understanding and Memory I advise that that which follows in twelve particulars be studyed Namely three concerning GOD three concerning MAN three concerning CHRIST three concerning the APPLICATION of Christ that is saving unto us P. 1. There is one only God an Infinite Perfect and Spiritual Essence P. 2. This one God is Father Son and Spirit Distinguished into three manners of Subsistence after a way incomprehensible The Father eternally Begetting the Son Begotten the Holy Ghost Proceeding P. 3. This one God is the Maker Preserver Governour of all things by infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness P. 4. Man was made of such a Body and Soul that he was able to have attained for himself and his Posterity that eternal Life which was provided for his reward if he had stood obedient P. 5. Man thus made was Envyed and Tempted by the Devil and Yielded wilfully unto his temptation and brake the Law and Covenant of God and made himself and all his posterity cursed by God and envassalled to Sin and Satan and unable to escape the threatned Death P. 6. Man thus immiserated was Pitied by God. Who in prosecution of an eternal Counsel and Covenant of peace provided preached and offered a Saviour to him even Jesus Christ the righteous P. 7. Jesus Christ this Saviour is as to his Natures perfect God and perfect Man in one Person and as to his Offices he is both Prophet Priest and King in both his states of Humiliation and Exaltation P. 8. Jesus Christ's Humiliation in being made under the Law Obeying the Precepts and Suffering the Curse of it was deeper than was possible for any meer creature to undergo And his Exaltation in Rising from the Dead as He did Ascending up into Heaven and Having all Power in Heaven and Earth given unto Him was higher than any meer creature could possibly be exalted unto P. 9. Jesus Christ being so Exalted is Able to save to the uttermost and Willing to save Sinners the chiefest welcomes all that penitently come unto Him and mourns over all that obstinately keep away from Him. P. 10. Application of Christ that avails unto our Salvation by Him is twofold viz. such as is made by God and such as is made by our selves God applies Christ to us by his H. Spirit when by him he doth give us will and power to embrace him as offer'd in the Gospel We apply Christ unto our selves when by Faith in-worked in us we do embrace him as Prophet Priest and King Covenanting with Him as such for ever P. 11. Application of Christ so described is that which every Soul should seek pray and wait for in the use of all God's Means appointed Resting not quietly without some well-built Hopes that they have thro' grace attain'd it P. 12. Application of Christ so desirable no man may hope for out of the Means by God appointed but in the constant and diligent use of those Means no man need fear but he shall find it When Novices have gotten thus far they are more than a little advantaged to learn any of our Catechisms The Westminster Assemblies with blessed Mr. Lyes most useful Exposition or any other Yet for Reasons nameless let me say I would not have that or any other singly address'd to All Methods are imperfect saith our great Methodist But he sticks not to say What my heart thinks that the Creed Lord's Prayer Ten Commands and Doctrine of the Sacraments make the compleatest body of Truths that we can form The Rule of Faith is in the first the Rule of our Prayers in the second the Rule of our Practice in the third the great Encouragement and Engagement to Believe Pray and Live holily is set forth in the fourth I conclude therefore with such as small a Map of the World of Truths in these as some candid Hearers have not thought Vnuseful In number thirty seven Creed Truths twelve 1. There is a God that is three distinct Persons whose Revelations of himself are to be Credited his Promises to be Relied on his Demands from us Consented unto heartily and practically And the First Person of these three First in Order tho' not in Time of Being and Working is named the Father Father of All things by Creation of his Church by Adoption of his Christ by Generation in time as he was Man and by Generation eternal and inconceivable as He is God. Father Almighty as to Right to do whatever He pleaseth and as to Strength wherewith to do it And Maker of Heaven and Earth that is of all things Of the University of Beings 2. The Second Person of the Godhead is as to Office Jesus a Saviour from Sin by Price by Prayer and by Power As to his Authority He is Christ set apart by God Qualified and Commissioned to be a saving Prophet Priest and King. As to his Essence and Relation to God the Father He is His Only Son to wit by Eternal Natural Inconceivable generation As to His Supremacy and Honour He is our Lord to wit by Natural right as He is God and by Delegated right as he is the Lord to whom all Dominion is given upon a double consideration That is of the Price wherewith He bought it from God and of the Victory whereby He gain'd it all from Creatures 3. This Christ as Man was without humane Father Conceived that is Prepared by the H. Ghost who first extraordinarily sanctified a portion of the Virgin-Mother's Flesh and Blood and then Made thereof his sinless Body Born He was of that Virgin Mary according to the Prophecy Isa 7.14 Mary a Princess by Extraction from King David and Father Abraham tho' of condition poor and espoused to a mean Artificer Mary an holy creature and humble Yet never called Mother by our Saviour Himself nor ever made a Goddess by his Order 4. This Christ Suffered from God Men and Devils in Soul Body Rayment Name and Friends Vnder Pontius Pilate that is in the Time of his Presidency under Tiberius Caesar Was Crucified a manner of death by the Romans used and by God especially Cursed Dead Buried and Descended into Hell that is His Soul and Body were separated from each other tho' neither of them were separated from the Godhead at all His Body agreeably to Moses Law but contrary to the Roman was the same day Buried And for part of three days about thirty eight or forty hours it abode apart from his Soul. 5. The third day after his Death He rose again from the Dead By his Father's power Rom. 6.4 By his own power John 2.19 by the Holy Spirit 's power 1 Pet. 3.18 By the One power of all the Divine Persons Else He
no doubt but he Actuates us for Him. So the Apostle Rom. 8. But that falls under consideration elsewhere To conclude this particular Let the Enquiring Christian thus argue Christ is mine before Life is mine Christ and his Spirit are always given together If his Holy Spirit be put into me Satan is deposed The Holy Spirit and the Unclean cannot reign together By the Temper of my Heart and Ways toward Christ especially it 's not hard to know whether he be expelled or still hold the Throne in my Soul. These I will diligently watch And examine whose Superscription they bear whether the H. Advocate 's or the Enemy's Enemies lead to Death Advocates to Life By my Guide I will judge of my Way and End. And Him I will account to be my Guide whom I do ordinarily and allowedly and most desirously follow whether it be the Holy Ghost or the contrary Spirit If I find that it 's but now and then when terrors force it that I disgust Satan's suggestions or relish the Holy Spirit 's that deliberately and freely I use to embrace Satan's and reject His that set aside the next World's accounts I should desire rather that Satan led me in a Sensual Life than the Holy Ghost in an Evangelical I will tell my Soul and all that is within me plainly as John 5.42 I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you On the contrary if I find all and discern that tho' I have been a Cage to the uncleanest Bird yet I am by grace turn'd into a Temple of the Holy Ghost that the very self-same Spirit that dwelt in Christ dwells in me that as little as yet I know He 's daily a Teaching me as Forgetful as I am He brings daily the things of my peace unto my Remembrance as Dull as I am He daily by one thought or other Quickens me unto my duty so that I dare not omit it as sad and sour as I am He denies me not all Comfort but every day sweetens some Word of God or other unto me as often as I am out of Frame for Communion with God and that is too often He lets me not alone till I am in again and am Restored If thus I find I will conclude there cannot but be Life where there is such a Spirit And there cannot but be the best Spirit where there be but such Operations Hereby we know that He abideth in us by the Spirit that He hath given us 1 John 3.24 C. 2. Of COVENANT God ever delighted to deal with Man in the way of Covenant He bound the first Man He made and all his Posterity in one One unexceptionable for the Promises unto us and for the Demands from us These latter were Just and Good the former Rich and Honourable But as we have heard Man Fell. Unless I shall rather say he Leapt into Sin. For wilfully he brake this Covenant of Works as we call it Yea and by the Fall so brake himself that he was never able since to do ought pleasing unto God. I mean before the Renewing grace of God give ability But this grace God never did or will dispence but in a New Covenant All He Recovereth He takes into New-Covenant relation with Himself Souls mindless of any Covenant with God mind no Religion Ezek. 16.8 none at least that God will accept Those that hang upon the Old Covenant of Works and have all their Religion run in that Channel Doing all they do with design and hope to be forgiven for the sake and merit of it the Gospel declares their mistake to be mortal They that are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse That is they that expect Life and Salvation for their own Works of the Law are every creature of them under God's Curse Gal. 3.10 They who being sensible what 't is to be out of Covenant and what to be under the Covenant of Works do enter the New Gospel-Covenant the Marriage-Covenant unto Christ they are the Souls the only ones that bring forth fruit unto God. And have Life of either Peace with Him or Holiness unto Him Rom. 7.4 Surely God never signed their Pass for Heaven who never made his Covenants the matter of many of their Thoughts A serious heart cannot but ask In what relation more than that of a Creature do I stand in unto God As a Creature I can deserve no reward whatever I do And why should I expect any If I may be a Covenanter and was so without my knowledge in my first Parents does it not now concern me to get inform'd what the Terms of that Covenant were For Covenants bind mutually and if I know not that which I am bound in I must unavoidably be false unto it If it be such as is Good for me I cannot improve it and if unto me it become by any means destructive I am not capable of preventing it If the Soveraign Lord make and offer to take me into a better Covenant how concerned am I above all things in this World to learn out the terms thereof c. But suppose the greatest study of these Covenants and the best Acquaintance with them the best that is possible to be without profound Thankfulness for the Covenant of Grace and hearty Consent thereunto what avails it Much every way indeed to mens Condemnation Knowledge of that Covenant without Consent is the most frightful symptom that I know of a Reprobate A Soul in earnest careful to know its state should in this wise debate with it self Were I under no Covenant it would be reasonable to expect Hell for my least sin For it deserves it and the Divine Justice is unquestionable It would be unreasonable if I could yield Sinless Obedience to be presumptuous of other reward than is in the yielding of it For in that is more than a Creature merits And I can make no Plea if God make no free Promise There are but two Covenants of Works and of Grace These are vastly different And so are the states of men under the one and under the other Of my state I am peremptorily resolv'd to make Judgment as I am under this or that My Hopes shall die if I appear under that of Works my Fears shall die if I appear under this of Grace For if I am under the Covenant of Works I am bound unto Duties whose Performance is by me Impossible It requires Obedience perfect and perpetual I and that upon pain of Death Gal. 3.10 11. Consequently if I am under this Covenant I am under its Curse too which is Intolerable Gen. 2.17 Dying thou shalt Die. 'T is Death indefinite that is Universal evil Temporal Spiritual Eternal Privative Negative Positive c. Besides if I am under this Works-Covenant I can have no Days-man or Mediator between God and me I must to Prison if I pay not my self the utmost Farthing This Covenant admits not Christ or any other Advocate with the offended
Father 'T is another Covenant that Christ is Mediator of Heb. 8.6 If I am under this Covenant the least sin tho' I shed a Sea of bloody tears for it is as unpardonable as the very sin against the Holy Ghost Yea and my Service should I keep all the whole Law save in one point would be utterly contemned And all this justly too Because if under this Covenant I abide 't is of my Ignorance my Pride and Enmity unto God and Christ that I do abide so Rom. 10.3 I am Taught better in the Gospel the Righteousness of God is Revealed I am offered better the Gospel invites me from under the Law to Grace From the Covenant that works wrath to that which is all Salvation And my being under the deadly Covenant is by my own very Desire Gal. 4.21 The Fruits must shew it if I am under it And they are plainly these Bondage and Fear in ones spirit a Fear keeping out the Love of God and the very desire to Love Him. Outsideness in Religious Duties Care abundance about the outside of the Platter none or next to none about the purity of the inner man and the Intentions of the heart Vndependency on Jesus Christ in things pertaining unto God. For both Assistance by his Spirit and Acceptance thro' his Blood a fatal Undependency Servility souring and embittering all Duty Rendring Religion a task and burthen and all God's homage as arrant Brick and Bondage Do these grapes of Sodom cover my Tree The Axe of vengeance is then near my root If on the other hand I am not under the Law but Grace If with me God hath made the better Covenant what then the blessing of Abraham is come upon me Gal. 3.14 Reconciliation Justification Adoption are my own I am interested in all the Blessings of this best Covenant as well as bound unto all the Duties God is then my Reconciled God and Engaged by Promise to exert for my good all his Perfections I will be unto them a God Heb. 8.10 Joyntly All and distinctly Every of the three Divine Persons have thus Engaged So proves the form of Baptism into the name of All and Each of them as also the Communion which God's New-Covenant Servants do hold with All and Each Person Pardoning Grace and Purifying are expresly made over to me Heb. 12.8 10. So is the Crown of Glory 2 Tim. 4.8 So is Food and Rayment 1 Tim. 4.8 So are Blessings for my Children Gen. 17.7 I and I have this hyperbolically kind and sweetest Word of God to live on sc Luke 15.31 ALL THAT I HAVE IS THINE A word which if I once prove my interest in let them be poor and sad that can I cannot But still I remember they are Fruits that make known Roots And the fruits of Souls that have so much for the better changed Covenants are these They Remember their slavery It runs in their minds how the Covenant of Works since the Fall made them Vassals How they were Adam's Children as soon as their Souls Bodies were united in the womb And no sooner Adam's Children but under Adam's Covenant Nor sooner under his Covenant but under his Curse too They consider much their Translation out of it Their Eye and their Heart is upon the Father that said to Son and Spirit Come let us redeem Man Upon the Son that said Lo I come to do thy Will Upon the Glorious Spirit that said unto their most unwilling Souls once Kiss this Son Bid them yea and Made them willing Upon the sweet Change also that followed that willingness and actual Marriage-Union to Christ God no more looking on a poor Soul as the first but as the second Adam's Child No more Condemning however Chastising No more Abhorring his Services notwithstanding millions of unallowed and lamented Imperfections c. They joy in the Lord and rejoyce in the God of their Salvation Or Labour so to do and Lament that they cannot If no other they sing blessed Gataker's Song I Thirst for Thirstiness I weep for Tears Well-pleas'd I am to be Displeased thus The only thing I Fear is want of Fears Suspecting I am not suspitious I cannot chuse but Live because I Die And when I am not Dead how glad am I Yet when I am thus glad for sense of Pain And careful am lest Careless I should be Then do I grieve for being glad again And fear lest Carelesness take Care from me Amidst these restless thoughts this rest I find For those that Rest not here ther 's Rest behind Their highest ambition is to Rejoyce in Christ Jesus To Glory in Him. They Love God's Law and Trust his Son. They Love his Law and have respect to every Command and strive after Perfection and abound in all Duty But they Trust not in any works of their own Doing all they cry for Christ's Spirit for Strength Having done all they cry for Christ's Blood for making it Acceptable They still know themselves Servants unprofitable Is it thus with thee O my Soul then Return to thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee If thou wear any Phylactery let this be the Scripture All the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as keep his COVENANT Psal 25. C. 3. Of QUALITIES Look as where the Spirit is Changed the Covenant must needs be Changed so where the Covenant is Chang'd the Qualities of a Man must also be Changed These are mysterious things And by many names men go about to explain them But they are most if not only made known by their Effects Conceive we of them as the Springs Seeds and Roots of our Thoughts Words and Works And the things by which we are therefore denominated Holy or Sinful They be the Treasure that 's in a Soul. A Treasure for abundance and for belovedness Every man hath abundance of Moral Qualities and all are dear unto him precious in his Eyes And as this Treasure is good or evil our Saviour denominates the man good of evil Matth. 12.35 In our first Creation the concreated Qualities were surely good and entirely so God endued all our Natural Powers with all good and towardly Qualifications Qualities and Dispositions for prompt and constant Duty were inlaid in our Mind Will yea and Sensitive part Our several Powers and Faculties do depend much on each other for action The Practick upon the Affective Powers and they on the Intellectual ones or our Understanding Powers But all were made Vpright that is with springs of goodness in them apt to move as they ought towards each other within and toward Objects without Eccles 7.29 But the first Sin brake those Springs expelled those good Qualities introduced contrary ones In a Subject capable of two contraries as of Light and Darkness there will be one Man is capable of holy Qualities and sinful The Sin that drave out the first therefore could not but bring in the latter And set springs of evil in us apt to make motions