and the Third day rose again to Life now to dye no more and having sealed the Covenant in his Blood he left instructions with his Apostles to admit men into it by Baptism and teach them how to keep it and promised them the gift of the Holy Ghost After some dayes he in their sight went up into Heaven and is glorified at God's Right-hand in Power and Majesty And as King ruleth and protecteth his Church Reigneth in the hearts of his subjects subdueth all his Enemies and is our Advecate with the Father rendering our persons and services accepted of him and prevaising for all good blessings on us Shortly after his Ascension on the day of Pemecost Christ sent the Holy Ghost the Eternal Spirit of the Father and the Son upon the Apostles to guide them into all saving truth to enable them to Preach to every Nation in its own Language to write the Holy Scriptures and to seal and confirm the truth of them by many Miracles and wonderful works and to encourage them to a constant suffering for Christ even unto death The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the very Word of God which Holy men of God spake and writ as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and they contain all things necessary to Salvation and are the standing Sealed Rule of Faith and Life The Holy Ghost is Christ's Advocate pleading his cause with men He is our Sanctifier enlightening opening softning changing and renewing our hearts and minds to receive and grow in knowledge and grace Making the word effectual for our conviction and conversion helping us to pray and stirring us up to goodness comforting us with a sense of its operations and strengthening us to withstand temptations and hold out in a Christian course unto the end All those that are regenerated enlightened and converted by the Holy Ghost are one Holy Church whereof Christ is the only Head All that outwardly profess Christianity and have been Baptized are to be accounded Holy by a visible separation and dedication to God till they cut themselves off by Schism or are justly cast out by Excommunication Christ's Church is not limited to any Nation or People but extends to all places is propagated in all Ages and containeth all saving truth and in this sense is Vniversal or Catholick All the Sanctified Members of this Mystical Body of Christ have Fellowship with the Father and Son by one Holy Spirit with Angels in their love care and Ministries with the glorified Saints in Heaven in their love and prayers and with one another on Earth in the same Faith and Hope and Love Word and Sacraments bound to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace All these have in consideration of Christ's satisfaction a full pardon of all past sins given of God and Sacramentally sealed unto them in Baptism with an assurance of final justification and Salvation upon condition of their perseverance in Repentance and Faith At death the souls of the faithful rest with God in peace and happiness and the souls of the wicked go into an endless state of misery The bodies of all men shall be raised again after death and shall be again united to their souls All men shall after the Resurrection appear before the Judgment seat of Christ where the wicked shall be condemned to Everlasting torments but the Righteous shall be finally acquitted and go into Everlasting Life and Joy happy in the constant and perfect love of God praising him delighting in him amongst all Blessed Angels and Saints to all Eternity The heads of the Christian's Duty IF any man would be saved he must first be born again of the Holy Spirit be converted and become a new creature Holy in Heart and Life otherwise he cannot enter in the Kingdom of God The grace of God hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and Righteously and Godly in this present World I must not think my self to be my own so that I may live as I list but must humbly acknowledge there is a God above me whose I am and whom I am bound to serve all the dayes of my Life I must take the true God alone for my God even the Father Son and Holy Ghost and worship him as my Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier I must by a daily diligent reading studying and meditating on his word and considering of his works labour get a true knowledge of God and not content my self in ignorance of him I must worship God in Spirit and in Truth with the heart and soul sincerely I must stedfastly believe the whole Word of God the History for my instruction the Precepts for my direction the Promises for my encouragement the threatnings to affright me from sin bewaring of all temptations to unbelief or a false Faith I must live in a patient expectation and hope of what God hath promised neither despairing of mercy if I repent nor presuming of Mercy if I repent not I must love God as the chief good with the highest love chusing him for my only portion delighting in him as my only comfort willing to part with Life it self to enjoy him and making light of all things so I may please him loving his Image as far as I see it in every man especially in Jesus Christ my Saviour It is my duty to stand in awe of God's threatnings and judgments and to be very cautious and circumspect in all my wayes watching over my thoughts words and actions fearing to offend him in any thing neither fearing nor loving any thing else so much as to venture upon the least sin I must intirely trust and confide in God both in all wants and dangers whether of Soul or Body Conscientiously using such means as he alloweth Praying devoutly unto him for his Blessing and casting all my care for the success upon him not doubting of his never failing power and goodness I must walk humbly before God thinking meanly of my self renouncing all my own worth or merits acknowledging all that I am have or hope for to be of his gift taking patiently and thankfully all his chastisements and labouring to profit by them and confessing that he doth all things wisely and well I must behave my self uprightly and sincerely as in his presence and do all I do as unto him with a pure heart avoiding all guile dissimulation and hypocrisie not indulging the least evil thought inclination or desire keeping up high and honourable thoughts of him and preserving my Conscience tender and my heart soft and easie to take the impressions of his word and spirit I must shun all gross representations of God or likening him so much as in my thoughts to any creature I am not to worship him after my own conceit or fancy but according to the rules he hath given in his word not with a formal but a spiritual worship drawing near unto him in Prayer and praise and all his
without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 God will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour and immortality Eternal Life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Romans 2.6 7 8. Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Give diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 The heart of this people is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed least they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them Act. 28.27 Save your selves from this untoward Generation Act. 2.40 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew 18.3 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luk. 13.3 5. Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.3 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12.14 Neither is there Salvation in any other but Christ for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 He that believeth on him is not conlemned but he that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 There is no condemnation to them â—â—at are in Christ Jesus who walk not â—fter the flesh but after the Spirit â—om 8.1 To be carnally minded is death â—â—t to be spiritually minded is Life and â—eace Ver. 6. If ye live after the â—esh ye shall dye but if ye by the â—pirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live Ver. 13. Now the works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adulteries Fornication Uncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like They which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5.19 c. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Romans 8.9 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 They that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world 1 Joh. 5.4 Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 11.19 By this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother 1 Joh. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the Flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13.13 14. If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Luk. 14.26 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matthew 16.24 For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul Or what shall a man give in Exchange for his Soul Ver. 26. The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly Righteously and Godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and the Glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.11 12. c. Ye are all the children of the light and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darkness Therefore let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober 1 Thes 5.5 6. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Hebrews 2.3 If the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the finner appear 1 Pet. 4.18 The Tryal of a Christian's State IT highly concerns me to examine and try whether I be in a State of Sin or in a State of Grace that if I be in the former I may hasten out of it to escape damnation and if in the later I may bless God for his goodness and go on to Salvation Now thus I must try my self If I understand so much of GOD as that I do really esteem and value Him his grace and love above all the world and am heartily willing to take Him alone for my portion counting him enough though for him I should lose all the world besides If my care and delight be to do his Will and my chief rejoycing be in his love and my heart's desire and longing be to enjoy him more fully in Heaven If to this end I apply my self to Jesus Christ trusting in him alone for Eternal Life in the presence of God and giving my self intirely to be governed by him willing to obey his Laws whatsoever it shall cost me though it be with the loss of all worldly advantages and earthly pleasures and even Life it self If I can for his sake love enemies bear wrongs forbear revenge mortifie lusts and passions bridle my appetite disregard my own will and pleasure endure shame and reproach lose wealth friends and liberty yea and life too If I watch as narrowly over my heart affections and thoughts as over my outward actions and earnestly desire more than any worldly treasure to be throughly renewed and cleansed by the Holy Spirit from all inward corruptions If I hate every sin in my self and strive all I can against it and am restless till I conquer it and troubled at my heart at my own imperfections longing to be freed from them If I really delight and find pleasure in the worship and service of God and do not come forcedly and constrainedly to it as rather willing to do otherwise if I durst if I find holiness and obedience sweet and pleasant and no burden or wearisomness to me If I can and do heartily resign my self to God not minding what I naturally would have or do nor what any thing else would perswade me to but meerly what is the will of God and going on cheerfully to do his will pray fervently for his assistance and cast my self confidently on his mercy through Jesus Christ for Salvation If I find this in my self my state is comfortable and good But on the contrary If I yet
what he is the same for ever God is Almighty able to do all things Omniscient knowing all things infinitely Wise in ordering all things God is Infinitely good and the Fountain of all goodness Holy and Just and Merciful God is self-sufficient perfectly blessed and happy in himself alone needing nothing but Infinite in all perfections The Father begetting the Son the Son begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son are Three Persons but one uncompounded undivided GOD blessed for ever God is the Maker or Creator of all things the Preserver and Vpholder of all things God is the absolute Owner and Lord of all things God is our Soveraign King Supream Law-giver and Righteous Judge God is our chief good and loving Father and bountiful Benefactor All Life and Power and Wisdom come from God and our final rest and perfect happiness is in Him alone God is a most free Agent and doth what and when and how he will In the Beginning by his Word of his own good pleasure he made the World and all things in six dayes when before there was nothing but Himself All that God made was very good God by his Providence preserveth ruleth and ordereth all things great and small There is no goodness in any thing but what God giveth nothing can come to pass but as God permitteth it God may justly do what he will with every thing he can do no wrong to any thing he ordereth the whole course of the World wisely and for the best God made an innumerable company of Angels or pure Spirits A great multitude of these Angels continue holy and happy in loving praising and enjoying God doing his Commandments and serving him in such Ministries as he pleaseth to employ them in for the good of his people Many of the Angels did sin and were cast down to Hell into Everlasting torments These are Devils under Beelzebub the Prince of Devils the Old Serpent and Satan The Devil is the Spirit that worketh in the children of Disobedience the Father of Evil-doers going about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour God made Adam the first man of the Dust of the Earth and the first woman Eve of a Rib of Adam Man hath two parts a Body of Flesh and Bones and a Soul which is a Spirit God made Man after his own Image he gave him an Immortal soul endued with understanding a free will and a power to do good and authority to rule and use the creatures for such ends as God designed them God made not man a Lawless creature to live as it should list him but God made him for himself and to serve him in Holy Love and perfect Obedience Man understood God's Will and that Will understood was the Law in his heart whereby he was to live Knowing God to be his Owner and Governour and chief good he was bound to resign himself to his disposal submit himself to his command and to delight himself in him above all If Man had done thus he should never have dyed but have lived for ever happy in the love and enjoyment of God God having placed man in the garden of Eden gave him free leave to eat of all the Trees thereof only excepting the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil which upon pain of death he charged him not to eat of But the Devil in a Serpent Tempted Eve and by her he tempted Adam to eat thereof and so sin against God in breaking his command By breaking God's Law they lost their Holiness and became Mortal under the curse of Death hearkening to the Devil they fell under his power loving their own pleasure more than God they lost their Happiness Thus they who were made Wise and Powerful and Happy made themselves foolish and weak and miserable We are all the children of sinful Adam and of unholy Parents are born unholy ignorant of God our duty and our happiness dead to goodness forward to evil easily conquered by the temptations of the Devil the World and the Flesh and if left to our selves must perish Everlastingly If God had punished Adam according to his sin with death He had cut off Mankind from the Earth But he was graciously pleased to shew mercy God suffered man to live for a time upon Earth but so as he might be sensible of the great evil he had brought upon himself by breaking God's Commandment The creatures are accursed to bring forth for him vanity and trouble and vexation hard labour pains and sicknesses come upon his body he becomes ashamed of himself and is filled with terrors of Conscience and having struggled through many evils and difficulties must at last dye and return to dust Yet God opened unto him a new way to Eternal happiness after death in such a way as to magnifie his Love and Mercy to Mankind and manifest his hatred of sin and Zeal for the keeping of his Laws that he might at once shew grace to the Offender and secure the honour of his just government God did graciously promise that a man should be born of a woman who should conquer the Devil and deliver man from his Tyranny and give such satisfaction unto God's Justice that for his sake all they should be Eternally happy that would accept of him for their Saviour Accordingly God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life God the Son took to himself our humane nature Soul and Body and was made truly man yet ceased not to be truly God but is both God and Man in one Person God manifested in the Flesh He was wonderfully made Man by being Born without all stain of sin of a pure Virgin called Mary who conceived him by the Divine power of the Holy Ghost when she had never known man An Angel from Heaven revealed his conception to the Blessed Virgin and commanded his name to be called Jesus because he was to save his people from their sins Being Born and Circumcised according to the Law he lived many years upon earth in an humble and low condition gave us an example to imitate in his Life doing the whole will of God and conquering all the temptations of the Devil and the World This is that Messia whom many Prophets had foretold the very CHRIST or anointed of the Lord to be a Prophet a Priest and a King and in this Threefold Office the Mediator of a New Covenant between God and Men. As a Prophet he hath in his Gospel and by his Apostles made known unto us all his Fathers will concerning our salvation and the way to it As a Priest he was Crucified and dyed under Pontius Pilate so offering himself once for all a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins in consideration whereof God hath granted pardon and Life to all true Believers Being dead he was buried and wentiamong the dead
Ordinances with my heart and affections I must use the sacred name of God with all due reverence not profaning it by blasphemous idle or impertinent talk or by false common or needless swearing or by breaking my Holy Vows and Covenants nor any way giving occasion by my insincere profession of his name unto others to blaspheme or profane it I must honour the Lord in his day by spending it in his Worship meditating on and praising him for his wonderful works of Creation and Redemption Especially in the Publick Assemblies bearing my part devoutly in the Prayers of his Church attending to his word Preached and Read and Communicating in his Sacraments I must not think too highly of my self nor be proud of any thing I am have or can do seeing all is the undeserved gift of God I must not humour my passions but labour to be of a meek and quiet and docible Spirit I must make use of my reason in considering what I am and whence I came and whither I must go why I live and how I must dye and what shall become of me after death what I owe to God and men and my self and how I pay it I must often examine the state of my Soul and whether I be converted from the state of sin into the state of grace and all my thoughts words and actions whether they be conformable to the will of God I should often think of the vanity of this World and sinful pleasures the certainty of death the impartiality of judgment the glories of Heaven the terrors of Hell the comforts of a good Conscience and what I must do to be saved with the necessity of a Godly Life I must be heartily contented with my present lot and portion not murmuring or repining at God's dealings not ambitiously seeking a more high or plentiful condition not fretting at my wants or sufferings nor vexing my Soul with Worldly cares nor envying the more flourishing condition of others but conclude that best which God chuseth for me I must be a good husband of my time industriously improving it to the good of my self and others not wasting it unprofitably in idleness sports and vanities but labouring in an honest calling I must be chast and clean in Mind and Body entertaining no wanton thought or desire or look or dress shunning all lasciviousness and obscene discourse books gestures and enticements to lust and uncleanness I must be temperate and moderate in eating drinking sleeping recreations and apparel not pleasing my Appetite or wasting my Estate or loosing my time in any of them but using them onely in such a measure as may best preserve my bodily health to serve my Soul in serving God I must love my Neighbour as my self and do to all men as I would they should do to me that is all the good I can rendering to every man his due Especially I must love and do good to those that are of the Houshould of Faith and love every man the more by how much I see more of God's image upon him Above all I must labour to do good to mens Souls by teaching reproving exhorting comforting and Praying for them Not hurting grieving scandaâ—izing or tempting them to evil by advice countenance or example Parents must dedicate their children to God instruct and educate them in the knowledge and fear of God correct all vice in them and give them good example maintaining them and providing honest callings for them as they are able Children must love honour obey serve and as there is need relieve their Parents with all thankfulness Husbands and Wives must live in an holy mutual conjugal love to each other helping one another in serving God Educating their Children well Ruling their Servants and managing their necessary Affairs the Wife living in a quiet subjection to her Husband Masters must be kind and just to their servants instructing them in God's service as well as in their own and servants must obey and be faithful to their Masters All Superiors are to rule in Justice and Holiness seeking God's Glory and the publick good and all inferiors are to be subject to the higher powers paying tribute and obeying their just Lawes for Conscience sake not resisting but to taking it Patiently though they suffer wrongfully Ministers must fced and rule and watch over the Souls of their flocks and their flocks must freely contribute to their maintenance honour them in love and be obedient to them I must not take away anothers Life nor hurt his Body nor so much as be angry with him without a cause but must preserve as much as in me lyeth his bodily welfare even as my own I must not defile another's Wife nor be guilty of Fornication nor so much as look on any woman to lust after her but do all I can to preserve the chastity of all I must not wrong another of any part of his Estate by theft robbery fraud or deceit of any kind but must secure his right as much as my own pay my debts duely bargain honestly and make restitution and amends for every wrong I must not wrong another's good name or credit by false-witness slandering false-accusing tale-bearing reproaching back-biting but I must vindicate it as far as with truth I can acknowledging all the good I see in every man groundlesly suspecting no man I must not make or speak any lye but speak the truth plainly I must utterly cast off all selfishness and not be tempted by any desire of pleasing my self to covet any thing that is another mans I must love pray for and do good to my enemies not rendring evil for evil or seeking revenge but forgiving as God for Christ his sake hath forgiven me The matter of our Desires and Prayers I AM not able naturally either to understand the mysteries of Faith or to do the Spiritual duties which I am bound as a Christian to believe and do I must not therefore trust to my self but by frequent fervent and humble Prayer apply my self to God in the name of Jesus Christ for the help of his Holy Spirit to quicken my deadness enlighten my ignorance and strengthen my weakness Of my self I know not how to pray or for what to pray I must therefore learn of Christ who hath taught me thus to Pray Our Father c. I must with all Humility as an undone sinner approach unto God in a true sense of his right in me and dominion over me as my Owner and Governour and of his love to me as my Father so far reconciled unto all men in Jesus Christ that he pitieth us and hath as a gracious Father provided all things needful to make us happy and that he delighteth not in our death but would have us turn and live as his children happy in our Father's love and providence I must draw near unto him as a penitent dutiful and loving child heartily sorry that ever I offended him restlesly longing to be reconciled unto