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
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
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
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
Bramble bear figs or a sinful man beget a sinless child Is not the spawn and brood of venemous creatures venemous also Can a dead corpse raise it self to Life or a soul dead in sin contribute ought to its own quickning Yet is this no excuse for any sin because man is condemned for the abuse and neglect of that which is given him The best of them goes not so far as he might Though he be spiritually dead yet is he naturally alive and the abuse of natural parts is a sufficient condemnation to every sinner though variously appearing Thus is God stil just merciful and true though man prove unjust unworthy and false He is stil beforehand with every man though unfaithful servants who improve not the talent lent them charge him to be a hard master As he is free in disposing of his gifts so will every abuse and neglect of each of them be duly reckoned for 22. Christs saving Grace is also abused 1. By the former Errors 2. By the Pelagians and Socinians ascribing mans salvation to his own merits the fruits of his own power and will 3. By the Papists and Arminians sacrificing also to their nets some owning merits de congruo before Conversion others only merits de condigno after conversion either ex propria Natura with some or ex pacto with others very few of them are found more modest 4. By the Quakers Behmenists and Notionists variously treading in their steps and disguising those old Errors with the colours of new Light of a Christ within pretended Raptures Chymical dreams and Magical deceits Their monstrously abstruse expressions and Fictitious Raptures were much magnified in that German Tragedy acted in various Scenes for many years especially from 1522. til 1540. and are now revived out of Paracelsus Behmen Wigelius and the like by their followers very perniciously now AGainst such a Poyson the gracious Knowledge of Christ will fortifie you by Scripture discovery of the Nature and Cause the Method and Means the Subject and Effects of that saving Grace 1. The Nature thereof is Gods Application of his special Favour unto his Elect Redeemed by Christ saving them from all sin on earth Inchoatively in Heaven consummatively 2. The Fountain cause thereof is his own pleasure the final his Honour exalted in his Son by his own Spirit applying the same 3. The Method observed is gradually to shew this favour 1. Primitively in his Election and Redeeming Love 2. Communicatively in his Adopting and Justifying his supporting and supplying Love from the beginning of Grace through perseverance unto Glory in Eternity 4. The means appointed and employed therein are 1. Christ the Principal The Spirits Operation as efficient and every Ordinance and Providence his Word especially as Instrumentally blessed of him thereto 5. The Subjects thereof are Gods Elect Redeemed by the Son Renewed by his Spirit whom he Adopts for Children justifying their persons and keeping them through faith by his Power unto Salvation supporting and supplying them stil by the earnest and first fruits of his Spirit til the full possession of all 6. The Effects thereof are the gaining of their hearts by Divine Love to mutual Returns to chuse him in Christ by his Spirit for their chief good and soveraign Lord delighting in him depending on him closing with him following of him drawing all from him reducing all to him loving what he loves hating what he hates with an harmony of mind heart and hand And all for his sake and to his Glory by his strength according to his Will THis Light will easily dispel all Cavils darkning the truth There are no merits but in Gods Mercy He rewards indeed but it s of Grace He pardons sin and doth it freely Yet he requires Faith and Repentance not to merit but to receive it emptying the soul of self to fill it with himself letting out sin to let in Christ casting out Satan to bring in his Spirit Purging out corruption by giving his Grace preparing for Glory He therefore bids them take heed lest they fall to keep them standing in the right use of Means He appointed the End and blesses the Means He promises and assures their standing not by their own but by his Might Thus all that the Father gave Christ shall come to him and him that comes to him he will in no wise cast out because this is the will of the Father that sent him that of all he hath given him he should lose nothing The father that gave them to him is greater then all none shall pluck them out of his hand Ergo. Object But may they not slip away Answ Yea if left to themselves as Adam was in the Covenant of Works But he hath made a better Covenant with them in Christ engaging his Grace to preserve and save to the utmost all whom he chose in him Redeemed by him and sanctifyingly renews by his Spirit This is all their Hope and all their Salvation though in a Winter of temptation it seems not to flourish He therefore writes his Law in their heart and puts his Spirit within them to cause them to walk in his Statutes that they shall keep his Judgements and do them He will uphold them by his right hand till he bring them to Glory He will Crown his own Grace in them and magnifie his strength in their weakness Object But doth not this Doctrine lead to presumption and Libetinism Answ Not at all though it may be abused as the best things are It leads genuinely to all Christian diligence and Grace as the sure only way to Glory This Assurance he gives not to all alike nor to any alike at all times Though his weak children be sure in his hand yet he lets them often stumble that they may know him and themselves better The Riches of his Grace appear still herein freely and fully surely and choicely What 's freer then pardon to an unworthy Rebel That Christ satisfied and that Faith is given to receive pardon is not that free also What 's fuller then such a pardon that justifies from all guilt Inchoatively progressively consummatively whether you say the pardon is Renewed or continued or confirmed to the Regenerate is it not stil full Doth he not blot out all scores and remit all faults by application of his Justifying Grace His correcting of them is the fruit of that Adopting Love which pardons them Because they are children they must have Physick and the Rod also What 's surer then this Grace which engages the Trinunity in the clearest Bond with the surest Ties with Word and Writing with his Hand and Seal with Promise and Oath yea with his own Blood to final performance on his side and theirs They may break indeed but he cannot break Though they act faithlesly yet he acts
worse Retention of evil wasting of good do both testifie the method of help Indications thus being so various it s no wonder if the cure be slow both in Church and State Purgations total and particular must attend diet rest and all due help Both the Patients care and all Assistants will be as needful as the Physitians skil Politick Physitians and Ecclesiastical had need look to Christ for skil strength success Choice and cordial Preservatives Alexipharmacks are often needed where malignity doth infest mens souls Industrious Care and painful attendance will be found herein of exceeding need The Ladies hand and the Eagles eye with the Lions heart will help very much in all such dressings Seek therefore and wait for that Soveraign Aid without which no means can find a Blessing Observe his Precepts taking what he gives carefully forbearing what he doth forbid Fear to displease Christ our Gospel Phoebus that must teach and prosper Aesculaps labours That Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing wings to all such as love and fear him above All. Neglect then no means appointed by him abuse not the means by resting thereon His All-sufficient Grace believe and expect for his own Glory in each of his Wayes If he make you smart it s for your good that you may be healed on the best account Here is an Antidote fitted to our Case the good Lord bless it to you and to me Be helpful to me that I may help you at the Throne of Grace so shall we find him our present help still His Grace will sure be sufficient for us and his strength shall be perfected in weakness I shall as heartily rejoyce in your good as if it were mine and shall design to be through the Renewed supplies of Christs Holy Spirit Your Affectionate Servant for his sake in all Gospel-work CLAUDIUS GILBERT From my study in Limrick 11. 11. Januar. 23. 1656. PREFACE Christian READER ERROR is the Epidemical disease of this Age exactly considerable in its Nature and Descent in its Species and Degrees in its Cause and Effects in its Symptoms and Cure We shall but touch those things which others have elaborately handled to usher in the Scope and Substance of the following discourse 1. The Nature and Idea thereof consists much in a sinfull straying of mans Judgement from the Truth of God into falshood 1. Mans Judgement is the proper Subject and Seat thereof we meddle not now the Angels Failures from whence it casts a malign Influence upon all other Powers and Parts 2. It s Genus is straying or wandring So the Greek properly imports a slipping and sliding from Truth into falshood and by-ways 3. It s difference lies in both the terms First From which it swerves i. e. The Terminus à quo from the Truth of God Secondly To which it leads the Terminus ad quem into falshood So it s distinguished from bare Ignorance both negative and privative Error being a soul-sickness an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a disorderly Distemper disposing to evil positively both habitual and actual as it deprives of and indisposes to that good râ—specting the Souls health It differs also from Scruples and doubts which are but uncertain motives from Truth and weaker Inclinations to falshood as the grudgings and Rudiments of spiritual diseases It s likewise differenced thereby from Heart-Hypocrisie and verbal lies Secondly Errors Descent fetches its Extract from the Prince and Father of Lies who abode not in the Truth but drew thousands of glorious Angels who kept not their first state into Error and Apostacy His Serpentine spawn by dubâ—ous Queries was soon cast into our first Parents where it quickly bred Error and all sin That unhappy Breath so strongly infected them that this sinfull disease is become hereditary to all their natural Posterity This wofull Leprosie hath been thus propagated from our Head Adam to all his Issue through the loins of sinfull parents It cleavs to mans Nature and hath been in all ages successively communicated by a wofull Series in all sorts more or less As the Leprosie cleaving to the Wall could never be totally removed till the Wall it self was quite pulled down So doth this Plague cleave to mans soul till mans dissolution Adam received at once the seed of corporal and spiritual Diseases and death in the same moment that he began to sin he began to die according to Gods Word from whence the progress of a dying life in him and all his till Grace begin that spiritual Life below that Glory compleats above Israel had contracted their wofull Leprosie from that Aegypt that enslaved them so is our spiritual Leprosie contracted from that mystical Aegyt which hath poisoned us so desperately and infests still the Canaan-State of Christs militant Church As Truth is a most diffusive Good so is Error a most diffusive Evil. Error like a stone thrown into the water rises in Circles each Circle begetting another and growing still wider till they all quite lose themselves in the end Like Cadmus Brood they start up suddenly and as soon fall foul each on other 3. The Species and Sorts of Error are multiplicious like the diseases that trouble the body As there are various sorts and denominations of divine Truths so are there as many distinctions of Errors The specifical difference of each Error is measurable still by the dimension of that Truth it opposes and strayes from and of that falshood into which it slides The Truth of God is the conforty of his Thoughts Words and Works to his own glorious Essence The Truth of man is the due conformity of man to that Truth of God whether mental verbal or practical Error is accordingly diversified in its general acceptation but properly to our purpose it is restrained to the Iudgement and distingushed from other sins which are verbal or practical Errors flowing from mans Will and affections more directly That Truth of God is especially considerable in matters of Religion either fundamental or juxta-fundamental or more superficial and circumstantial Error is accordingly discernable in its several wandrings from that Truth The Scripture of Truth declares the same in all their specifical variations Tue Fundamentals of Religion are summed up in the Articles of our Faith called the Apostles Creed because extracted out of their writtings which Symbol hath been successively explained by the several Confessions of the primitive Churches as the Nicene and Athanasian Creed as also of the Reformed in Germany and France Belgium and England c. As there are varieties of Weeds and poisons about the earth which peculiarly offend the several parts of the Body some being more hurtfull to the head some to the Stomach c. So do various Errors offend the several parts of Truth whence various designations are given to them 4. The Gradations and Degrees of Error admit also of a variable
Mountebanks speak you fair and big distrust them the more beware of self conceitedness be not wise in your own eyes dread the smallest Beginnings of evil in opinion affection or converse The sums of this arsnick rats-bane and mercury will distemper you before you be aware Avoid the first step to avoid all the rest Beware of the brink if you fear the Precipice if you keep ill diet and feed on venom wonder not at your wasting and decayes Remember Ephesus who sadly miscarried by neglect of this care Make sure of Christ upon his own terms and keep close to him The noble Bereans shewed their Nobleness in trying daily the Doctrine of Paul by the Scripture-rule duly examined take heed what you hear and how you hear it so Christ directs you bring all things still to the Lords Touch-stone to his Rule and standard to his Ballance and Test to move you consider That Doct. 3. All Christians even the best need still warning to keep themselves from Error and Apostacy SAith the Text keep your selves well that you may be kept be very active that you may not suffer This voice answers the Hebrew Hithpael keep your selves with all delight and diligence let every power of soul and body be kept on the watch All Christians need this yea the very best They must take warning from every part Heaven and Earth do warn and must be hearkened to Christ warns in conscience by his Spirits motions in his Word and Providence by the same Spirit His motions are regular and harmonious still they are seasonable and proportionable He warns by friends and sometimes by foes in adversity and prosperiry Satans motions are irregular unseasonable and unproportionable They are unscriptural in the scope and substance though often disguised with Scripture expressions sadly perverted All do need warning though but few take it The best find most need and benefit thereof Peter warns the Christian Hebrews here though well grounded and settled in the Truth Warning never hurts it cannot but do good if it be well taken The best retain much sin and weakness still They cannot but feel their sinfull Reliques To prevent Relapses and remove much evil warning must be given The Physitians warnings are of singular use to all sorts of Patients None stands so fast but he still stands on slippery ground The world is a great Ice very dangerous The enemy is subtile and numerous vigilant and active We cannot but find many lurking fiends in our own bosoms our hearts are deceitfull and desperately wicked We stand no longer then we keep our hold God indeed keeps his unto Salvation and therefore bids them keep themselves He appoints the means as well as the end As he keeps them by his own power so must they keep close to him by faith They shall never fall totally nor finally but they may often fall partially and dreadfully If left to themselves they would kill themselves They must therefore be faithfully warned Objection But what needs all this if the Elects salvation be sure Answer 1. All are not elect that seem to be such many are called but few are chosen 2. Though Salvation be sure to the Elect yet must it be assured to them Warnings must be taken that they may obtain such an assurance They may have the Grace without the comfort All diligence is therefore required to make their Calling and Election sure 3. Though Salvation be sure to the Elect yet must it be wrought out by them with fear and trembling because its God that works in them both to will and to do of his good Pleasure He will be sought and found in every one of his waies that he may still meet them with a Blessing 4. Though Salvation be sure to the Elect yet because they are men mixed among men he deals with them by men after the manner of men Rational creatures must act rationally and so be acted with He changes not the substance but their qualities in renewing them They are so moved that they are enabled to move themselves in following him Though the Elect cannot perish utterly yet they may fall very sinfully Warnings well taken are effectual means to prevent much shame sorrow and loss God warns his children that they may be taught good manners Conditional Threats are intended to prevent the mischief treatned and are effectually blessed to Gods Elect. 6. The assurance of the Elect lies not in themselves as it flows not from themselves The Fathers Purpose and the Sons purchase the Spirits indwelling and the Covenant-Promises made by the Father in his Son through his Spirit to them are their efficacious Grounds In subserviency thereto all due means are therefore needed and blessed warnings among the rest God neither promises nor commands in vain His word is still sure as all ages have found Psal 93. 5. 7. There is a peculiar vertue attending the word and means of Grace to all Gods Elect in due time and order That quickning power raises a Lazarus leaving others dead destitute thereof That saving Grace of Heaven betters the good plants under every shoure when the weeds grow worse That discriminating Influence from the Sun of Righteousness makes the flowers fragrant though is occasions the dung-hill to stink Thereby is Gods word made a savour of Life to some whilst it proves a savour of death to others Who makes a man to differ from another What hath he that he hath not received Must not the prime and ultimate cause resolve into Gods Will Do not you else subject Gods Will to mans There can be surely but one Independant either God or man which is to be chosen let reason it self judge by scripture-Light Consect 1. SE the usefulness of a Gospel-Ministry Christs Officers are given especially to that end the Churches watch-men are called to this great work He sets them apart by an orderly call to be his Heraulds and Ambassadors his criers and publishers The Father sets them in the Son gives them to the Holy Ghost makes them overseers in the Lords flock They are especially charged to warn the unruly to prevent Error and Revolt Therefore did Christ receive and give so many royal Coronation-gifts upon his triumphant assention for the perfecting of the Saints c. that we hence forth migh be no more Children tossed too and fro with every wind of Doctrine by the craftiness of Seducers c. The best need warning Christs sheep must attend their Shepheards who are deputed to office by that grand Shepheard of their Souls Such must be set a part thereto from age to age as Timothy was charged by Paul to chuse and charge such who should be able to instruct others all indeed are bound in their several â—alces to instruct each other charitatively according to their abilities and opportunities But
are efficaciously moved to close with him and keep close to him by Matrimonial Reciprocations Thus doth the gracious knowledge of Christ Receive its first Being and progressive Operations from that Light of Life imparted to Gods people in this conjugal Union and Communion I will betroth thee unto me saith the God of Grace in Kindness and Mercy in Truth and Judgement and thou shalt know the Lord. Admirable sure in this divine Acquaintance that is thus twisted by the Lords own hand and embraced by a gracious hand Rare is that Jewel which is so curiously wrought for the Workmanship of the God of Heaven Therein do shine all divine Attributes in their Orient brightness at the wedding Feast of the King of Saints Is not this Life eternal thus to know the Father the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Doth not this Sun of Righteousness bring Healing under his Wings to all that fear his Name Is not he that Living that quickening Light that dispels all darkness and Death by his gracious Visits and Influxe Do not his amiable Aspects produce a joyful Spring of all Divine Graces in the New world by his glorious Light and efficacious Heat Doth he not Ravish with divine Embraces the New Creature with his All-searching Presence and his perfective Influence through all the Beams of his Transcedent communications Do not his Active Rayes cherish by all his renewed Motions the Principles of Life given to all his This Divine Sun never ecclipsed but once for the salvation of his though he seems often to be clouded in his alternative Access and Recess 3. The final cause of this gracious Knowledge adds very much to the choyiceness thereof We may consider it both as Supream and subordinate 1. THe supream Ultimate end of it is Gods Glory which is also the end of all things else which are all made for him This Relative Glory of God which was laid in the dust by mans Rebellion Christ undertook to repair which he performed fully giving satisfaction in Mans Nature and so glorifying all the divine Attributes Thus in the first building up of Zion as in the Restauration and preservation thereof he still appears in the Glory of all his Excellencies His Power and Wisdom his Greatness and Goodness his Mercy and Justice his Truth and Holiness shine Radiantly in every part of it Christ thereby read us our Lesson and writ a fair Copy for our Imitation that we may glorifie God by the knowledge of him in giving each of the Divine persons their proper honor 1. The Father for giving such a Son for such enemies and upon such terms All the honour of Christ redounds to his Father For the Son doth nothing but what he hath seen the Father do and speaks not of himself but the Father by him 2. The Son by our embracing and publishing desiring and esteeming the particulars of his Infinite Glory whereof he is so full that we have still cause to admire with all Saints the length and bredth the heighth and depth of it in the manifestation of all his Excellencies 3. The holy Ghost by whose special favour and Influence we are made partakers thereof He shall take of mine said Christ and impart it to you For all that the Father hath is mine What Infinite Condescension is it for that glorious Spirit to stoop thus to sinful Dust and Ashes to Reveal and apply the gracious Counsels of God in Christ Yea to bear with our Ignorance and unbelief contempt and neglect abuse and Affronts Nay more to dwell in such dunghils and Receptacles of all filthy Lusts What Infinite Mercy is that which carries on the work of Grace through all Opposition and keeps a weak spark alive in the midst of an Ocean What marvellous power is that which preserves a poor smoaking flax among so many storms 2. The subordinate and proxime End of it is mans Good both Personal and Relative 1. PErsonally our own Salvation purchased and manifested by the Author and Object of this knowledge is hereby assured and orderly confirmed to us in all the wayes and means of his appointment through his peculiar Blessing The perfect knowledge of him will compleat as the beginning thereof begins our Salvation Through the Knowledge of him are given to us all things pertaining to Life and Godliness As he came once in person so hath he from the beginning by his Spirit through the same communicated all saving good and will still do it That Bosom friend of his leads us thereby into his very heart there to behold and embrace the whole Platform of our Salvation in all the steps of it from Election to Glory that by walking therein steadily we may ascend to his Father and our Father his God and our God through the same Ladder even Christ whereby he comes down to us Christs Deity surpassing the highest Heavens infinitely is the Top and his Humanity fixed as it were on earth is a sure step for us The more careful we are to attain this End the more certainly shall we promote that further End God hath so wonderfully twisted our happiness and his honour that we advance the one by furthering the other One eye he allows us for the recompence of Reward that we may thereby effectually look through it to his Glory Is not this Knowledge a Jewel of Price which conveighs and assures all good to us The end of his Electing and predestinating us of his Blessing and saving of us is it not that we might be to the Glory of his Grace whereby he hath made us Accepted in the Beloved Christ himself desired Glory for that End that he might glorifie God This excellent Knowledge was never so dearly bought to be a meer pleasing of our selves and sin but to spiritualize us throughly in all the powers and parts of soul and Body that we may be holy and happy like unto him in the honouring and enjoying of him 2. Relatively the subordinate end thereof is the good of our Neighbour that speaking the Truth in Love we may grow up unto him in all things which is the Head even Christ He gave all the means of Knowledge and all Teachers ordinary and extraordinary for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of his Body God hath so contempered his gifts among the members of Christ and his Spirit doth so variously convey the same that the One cannot say to the other I have no need of thee He could in a moment and immediately from himself bring them to their full perfection But his infinite Wisdom hath thought it best that his Body should be joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies according to his several workings in the measure of every part to make an increase of it self in Love He loves not he allows not selffishness in
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
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
vain Answ How knowest thou that Who hath told thee so Findest thou thy self excluded by Name No no such matter Secret things belongs to God revealed things to us Come and thou shalt know thou wast elected Exclude not thy self before he excludes thee Object But all are not saved Many do perish May not I be of them Ans What then Should it not quicken thy pace to Christ that thou maist be saved Dost thou not see how many as bad as thou canst be possibly have been welcom to him what thinkst thou of Mary of Paul of Manasseh Object But if I be a Reprobate I cannot be saved the labour is lost Answ Were thou a Reprobate thou wouldst not be so inquisitive after Christ and Heaven their heart never yields unfeignedly to Christ as thine seems to do Thou canst not be sure thou art such a one Yea thou maist quickly be sure thou art not such by coming to him But if thou refuse stil and harden thy heart thy case then will be very suspicious Object But is it possible that such a wretch as I should obtain mercy Answ Yea it s possible its probable it may be certain quickly if thy heart be but yielded to him Object But this is but A may be Answ A may be is sufficient Inducement to put thee on trial Remember the Leprous men about Samaria A may be saved them Mind the Syrian Ambassadors and the Jewish case If thou try not thou art certainly lost Object I have often tried but to little purpose Answ Thou didst not try aright blame thy self not God Is it not well worth the trial again Observe wherein thou missest to amend the fault Possibly thou wast too cold and formal too hasty and unmannerly too self-conceited and not throughly humbled Thou didst not know the worst of thy self Thou wentest in thy own strength Thou wast not wholly taken off from self and weaned from every creature The Lord hath been preparing of thee by all his put-offs to spur on thy desire pace Try once again come to better purpose Object Alas I cannot come my heart is dead and hard Answ That 's bad indeed but hath he not a quickning Spirit Is not his Word a word of Life Power and Salvation Hath not he promised a heart of flesh in taking away of the stony heart Is it not he that quickens the dead Is not he come to give Life to that world whom he cals his sheep and to give it them more abundantly Object I am not sure I am one of them Answ Neither art thou sure thou art none of them His sheep hear his voyce with attention and affection with submission and application dost thou not desire and delight dost thou not design and labour to do so Is not the hour come wherein such a dead Lazarus as thou shouldst hear the voyce of the Son of God and live Object But I have no free will of mine own to spiritual good Answ Thou hast a moral will capable of the means and doing thy duty though in a weak manner Bestir thy self therefore and whilst thou art making use of that Christs Renewing Grace thou maist meet with to spiritualize it and make it free from its sinful Bondage His Truth will make thee free Object But none comes to the Soâ—â— but such as the Father draws Answ Is not the Father drawing of thee now Are not his Ordinances Mercies and Offers strong cords of Love and the Bands of Man to fetch thee home Is not he drawing thee internally also by the motions of his Holy Spirit upon thy conscience Resist no longer burst not his Divine Tresses but yield and follow Object But I. Answ No more Buts against God and thine own Good thou must yield now Christ is resolved on it He will have thee home thou must come it s in vain to struggle All sufficient Grace will be all-efficient Dost thou not feel him turning of thy heart silencing thy doubts stirring in thy Bowels opening thine eyes and drawing thy will to embrace his own terms Are not these sure signes of his saving Grace Come on then come home to thy Christ Quest How shall I come that I may be welcom Answ 1. Come instantly without any delay demurs are dangerous This may be thy last moment of Life and his last word to thee Strike whilst th' Iron is hot come whilst there is hope Seek now the Lord whilst he may be found cast in thy mettle whilst hot into his mould Yield thy softned wax to the Seal of his Spirit His spirit will not alwayes strive with man 2. Come self denyingly not in thy strength but in his follow his effectual drawing from the sence of thine unability Let thy heart still say with the Spouse Draw me and we will run after thee Know still thy unworthiness and insufficiency laying thy self with recumbency upon his merits not on any thing else 3. Come self-resigningly on conjugal terms to be wholly given up to him Make no capitulations no Reservations of any sin of any creature though as dear to thee as thy right eye right hand or right foot Be content to be wholly his as he is content to be wholly thine Thy skil and power thy will and comforts thy time and credit thy soul and body thy Interest and friends must be wholly given up to him Nothing is his if all be not his a â—eart and a heart he cannot endure 4. Come sincerely and cordially without dissembling without base designs Come for his Person first out of Love to him not meerly to his goods Come chiefly to partake of himself and to enjoy him though he should seem to withold all things else Come to a Husband not to a Fair. Come for marriage not for a Bargain Chuse him for himself and all his goodness must needs be thine too 5. Come understandingly not in a blind manner Know what thou art about and be well advised Consult and reason the case to the full Cast up thy accounts what it may cost thee Canst thou be willing to live and die with him and for him View him throughly in all his Perfections and in all his Precepts too Be well acquainted with his marriage Covenant engaging to Duty by engaging Mercy He is a jealous God as he is Gracious 6. Come fiducially not distrusting him Study and apply this Promise of marriage so variously and so frequently expressed to thee That Promise is set out both absolutely and conditionally Suck those Breasts still and draw with comfort the water of life out of those saving Wels by the Bucket of faith let out by the cords of thine Affections when thou canst not find in thee the Condition required then press that word upon him and thy self which freely promises to give that Condition Do as David begging for a new heart from him that
places in Ezekiel and other Scriptures hold this forth to the Life by the increase and Improvement of the Sanctuary-waters A fruitfull Parable the Lord himself spreads before us to express this emphatically by a large and pregnant Allegory whose divine Branches have been elaborately trimmed to this purpose by a very worthy Pen. The God of all Grace likes not to see his gracious Off-spring wasted with Rickets in a decaying posture His Messages from Heaven to the seven Churches of Asia testifie the same and hold forth a lively resemblance of his various dealings with his people from that time hitherto according to the various proportions of their Growth or Decay Reason 1. Their Nature requires it full of Spirit and Life they are and must needs grow The more of Life in any thing the more of Growth The more of Spirit the more of liveliness Grace is spiritual Life the seed of Glory and eternal Life It s the Life of Christ the operation of his holy Spirit as far as man is capable thereof The best of a mans natural Life is but dull and dead in comparison of this gracious Life Union to the living God and Communion with him in Christ through the Spirit is the Principle of this supernatural Life The new Creature must needs grow that Partakes so much of the divine Nature in similitude though not in sameness in quality though not in equality Want of lively Principles makes so many glorious Professors to wither and waste so miserably They were but seeming Branches as Cions meerly fastened about the stock but never incorporated therein intimately They that have their root and Life from earthly Nature still may for a while flourish but will soon be blasted The Root and Life of the new man is above in Gods bosom in the heart of Christ still supplied by his Spirit to safeguard them from all winter-blasts of renewed Temptations and corruptions Reason 2. Gods honour cals for it All things are made for him as they were framed by him Of him through him and to him are all things as in Nature so in Grace peculiarly This people hath he formed for his praises They are the plants of his setting the work of his hand that he may be glorified And herein is their Father glorified that they bring forth much fruit The growth of his Garden is the glory of that Divine Husbandman The thriving of his children must needs commend his Fatherly care His Love and service cannot but press thereto If his children be so unlike him they can neither honour nor serve him aright He hat much work for all his servants in every Relation and occasion If they be sickly and wasting what are they fit for Must not his people be lively like him that they may be stil faithful and successful The more Christ is known in a gracious way the more doth sin waste and Grace flourish The vigor of a Christian is still in his Christ The Love of Christ must needs constrain him to live more to him in being more like him Much strength and Spirit is still required in every part of the Lords service He would have us fervent in spirit as Paul himself was therein which doth require a spiritual growth to make us vigorous Reason 3. Mans Interest challenges it their credit and comfort their honour and happiness depend upon their growth Their profit and pleasure their helpfulness to others still attend the same A wasting sickly life is as uncomfortable as unserviceable to our selves and others Rickets and Consumptions render our children useless and burthensom spiritual decaies are far more offensive unto Gods children They can neither help themselves nor others that are thus pining and consuming The life of our life is in our health and strength without it we cannot receive nor do good to any purpose A diseased Life is but a living Death and a dying Life Christ must be known more graciously stil that we may enjoy more of his comforts and be more useful to all his members The more any Limb receives from the head the more assistance may the same afford unto its Body We must still be deriving from Christ what we are stil to communicate to our fellow members Christian sympathie and communion will still challenge serviceableness from every part of his mystical Body Vse 1. See the Necessity and Benefit of a perpetual Ministry and Ordinances They are the special means appointed and blessed for the promoting of this spiritual growth He gave Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ untill we all come into a perfect man in him to the full measure of his stature that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine but speaking the Truth in Love may grow up into him in all things who is the Head even Christ The slighting of Christs Institutions makes so many to decay apace in their profession and affection in their parts and practice They are the food and refreshings of Gods House suited to the case of all his children and servants therein The neglect abuse and poisoning thereof must needs be very sinful and woful How can they but languish and perish that scorn and defile that spoil and pervert the precious Means of their Life and growth Providence ever knits the End and the Means What the Lord appoints he doth surely and seasonably bless Out of his road he will not be look'd for nor assure his Grace where he Records not his Name His General presence fils all places indeed and Rules in hell it self Judicially But his favourable and fatherly presence is to be sought and found in his gracious Ordinances What can Rebels expect from a Soveraign whose Orders they stil oppose and reject Who can look for the Blessing of Heaven in following the waies of darkness What hope of growing in any good things without answerable supplies and relief We waste a pace and need refreshing still that we may grow in the knowledge of Christ Vse 2. It may convince and humble all ignorant and negligent Christians It s our sin let it be our shame and sorrow that we grow so little under such helps in the Lords husbandry This evil reigns in most it remains in the best Most continue in the love under the power thereof making a trade and a sport of it the best find much cause to be still judging themselves for the sad Reliques of these unhappy weeds The dunghil abounds continually with filth and Vermin so doth mans unrenewed heart The best Garden will ever be troubled with some trash or other to be look'd after Their case is saddest that are most sensless of it and secure in it The soundest bodies
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
the Beast by this usurped Supremacy When all that is dispatched we shall have more work for them to clear their Antichristianism in ruling by their own not by Christs Scepter by their will not by his which they have taught their mongrel Brood quaking among us to spread under disguises their chymical sublimations of old rotten Errors As for the fifth Monarchy it s a point needing much sobriety in the sence and use thereof Christ indeed hath a kingdom in this world though not of this world and his work is to Reform Rulers and people not to confound his own Ordinances 10. Christs humiliation state is opposed much as 1. by the former so 2 by many Novelists who make light of it accounting it but a type and figure of what was to be done within them Christs Incarnation Life and Passion are with them but stories and shadows the Life and substance is all within them There say they lies Christ very deep in every mans heart covered with earth to be born and raised up to live and die to do and suffer As for the Christ that died at Jerusalem many do slight him and many that seem to own him verbally yet renounce him effectively 3. By our late Quakers who have revived those rotten drugs from the Familists dunghil adding a new dress and access thereto as Paracelsus and David George Swenkfield and Battenburg Manno and Jacob Behmen with their German followers So do our Modern Enthusiasts rake up the kennels of old fanatick Dreamers with disguises and additions of their own Against this Venom spiritual Growth will help that we may know Christ as the great Apostle did labour for in the fellowship of his sufferings It will inform us of his wonderful abasing of himself in every step from his first conception till his resurrection It will shew us the absolute need all his Elect had of his miraculous Incarnation and Birth Life and Death Burial and abode for three daies in the Grave It will make us feel the effects thereof in our very souls that his Transcendent Love in stooping so low and parting withal may direct and press Returns of the like to him and for him That experience will engage our hearts to that Christ above who died once for sin but can die no more living unto God that we may likewise reckon our selves to be dead to sin but alive to God through him That Knowledge of Christ will teach us aright how to distinguish of the Person of Christ that once suffered for us and of the Grace of Christ which is by his Spirit formed within us in Regeneration Christ Personal is the God of Heaven that eternal Creator But his Grace in us which seems sometimes to be called by Christs Name as the Church is also by a Metonymical Metaphor and Synecdochically is but a finite creature a spiritual quality not subsisting by it self but inhering in a subject humane Scripture saith indeed that Christ is within us dwelling in us by his holy Spirit But may not he work within our heart by gracious communications without a personal fixation there The Sun conveys Light and Life by his Beams to all parts yet his substance abides stil in Heaven There is indeed a spiritual Relative union between Christ and the Regenerate set forth in Scripture by divers Emblems The Natural union between the Head and Members the civil union between Husband and Wife the artificial union between Foundation and Building set it forth But we must not strain figurative speeches beyond their scope This union is Real yet mystical full of mysteries There is no confusion nor composition no Transmutation nor Annihilation here Our persons are stil distinct Christs Godhead is indeed a Circle whereof the center is everywhere the Circumference nowhere He fils all places comprised in none Hell it self feels him though with little comfort But his manhood is not Infinite being a creature though wonderfully glorified by assumption and hypostatical union unto the Godhead in the second Person Christ as Saviour must stil be considered in both his Natures Divine and Humane subsisting in his own Person Thus considered he dwells not in us personally The person of the Husband is one with the Wife Relatively not personally Christs manhood cannot be personally within us The Heavens must hold as they received him till the Restauration of all He dwels in our hearts by Faith and we in him mutually as the Root in the Branches and the Branches in the Root by Relation and communication His whole Humiliation was for us and his Spirit enables us gradually to conform thereto by a fiducial Improvement thereof Thence he is said to be formed within us to be in us or among us the hope of Glory to live and act in us c. Hence the sufferings of Paul are called Christs sufferings not personally but causally because they are for his sake through his Grace undergone It s a sad abuse put on Christ and his Word thus to slight and destroy Christs personal Humiliation whereon depends all our Salvation If Christ suffered not then he rose not again and then are we still in our sins and of all men most miserable But Christ is as effectually Risen as he effectually suffered That effected Redemption by price in Impetration this by Power in application Thus it became him to suffer and so to enter into his Kingdom How far the Justice of God absolutely considered may be thought to require such satisfaction in order to pardon we need not controvert It suffices that upon supposition of his purpose and Engagement this way is of absolute need By this all his Attributes harmoniously concur to the perfecting of his peoples Salvation 11. Christs Exaltation is also much abused as 1. By the former Errors so 2. By our Modern Sadduces denying the Resurrection of the Body as some did at Corinth 3. By the Quaking Rabble who own no Christ but what is within them 4. By our Novelists who deny his Ascension and his Session at the Fathers Right hand 5. In effect also by the Papists in their Impanation Transubstantiation and such monstrous Doctrines 6. The Vbiquitaries trespass too much thereon in divers fond conceits broached and encreased after Luthers death by Brentius Osiander c. 11. AGainst such Opposers the Knowledge of Christ is of Soveraign force Thence we learn to Believe according to Scripture the several steps of his Resurrection and Ascension of his Session and Intercession It teaches us to improve the many Arguments so cogently pressed by Paul on the Corinthians as on the Romanes Thence we learn to know Christ as the Apostle did more experimentally in the power of his Resurrection being made conformable to his death So it became Christ to suffer and enter into Glory As by Humiliation he wrought out our Salvation by Price in way
of Impretation So by his Exaltation he works it out by power in a way of Application The many cavils objected against it Paul fully confuted over and over The Popish pretences for their Transubstantiation have been from Scripture sufficiently taken off by many choice Pens That Capernaitical conceit Christ himself took pains to refute It much wrongs the Glory of Christ to bring him again from Heaven to earth daily to mangle and abuse him by the hand of their Mass-Priests and expose him to shame and suffering again Though they call their Mass an unbloody Sacrifice yet do they make themselves the Butchers and Executioners of Christ in pretending to offer his corporal flesh and blood Scripture indeed cals the Bread and Wine his Body and Blood so doth it call Christ the Door the Vine c. by the like Metaphors yet is not Christ turned into a Door nor Vine no more are the Elements turned into his Body and Blood Christ explains the meaning of those phrases so doth his Apostle to the full As for the Vbiquitarians conceit to make Christs Body present corporally with the Elements and everywhere the absurdity thereof abuses grosly Christs Exaltation in his humane Nature and their Consubstantiation is refuted with that Scripture Reason that dispels the Popish Impanation Their straining of figurative speeches beyond their scope fetches Blood out of Scripture by dreadful violence and absurd consequence Yet will they admit figures in many other places not controverted 12 The Word of Christ suffers much likewise 1. From the forenamed Tenets 2. Formal Antiscripturists old and new quite denying the need and use thereof and questioning the purity sufficiency clearness and divineness of it 3. By Papists charging it with obscurity corruption insufficiency defectiveness and needlesness They keep it from the peoples common use unless licenced teaching that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion They prefer their vulgar Latin version before both Originals They equalize their unwritten Traditions therewith and the Church commands yea prefer them often before it They bind all to receive its Interpretation only from their mouth They patch to the Canon many Apocrypha's and spurious books stored with lies and contradictions absurdities and fables ascribing thereto the like divine Authority 4. The Quakers join with them in slighting Scripture equaling their pretended Revelations therewith abusing the words thereof to contrary sences wresting it to the disguising of their gross Errors giving to their pretended Light within that Infallibility which the Papists give to their Pope and Council 5. The Behmenists and Notionists that turn it into Allegories and uncouth Eictions changing Realities into shadowes and the substance of Scripture into Chymical Fumes witness Paracelsus Wigelius Behmens several Books which are stored with non-sence and vile blasphemies bold Intrusions into hid Mysteries all under specious colours with bombastical words AGainst these woful Drugs the Knowledge of Christ will be successfully improved shewing us the Excellency and Necessity the sufficiency and purity the clarity and utility of Scripture It will take off all the mistakes objections and cavils made against the Divinity and right use thereof It will clear it to be the sole and sure Standard and Rule of Religion being the full Declaration of Gods Will and Mind the Fountain of all Goodness Truth It will shew the need that all have to study it day and night and observe it in all things It will detect their folly who add thereto their unwritten Traditions additions and Revelations besides above or against it as abominable to God It will discover their madness who pretend to speak and write as good Scripture and will not own the Bible to be the Word of God It will shew that all Scripture was written by Inspiration from God and is sufficient to compleat the Man of God to every good work That it came not by the will of man but that the men of God writ as they were moved by the Holy Ghost That the abuse of it by some must not prejudice the right use thereof corruptio Optimi pessima that if he be hid it s to them that perish That the Word is Light and gives Light That the Spirit of Christ still speaks in his Word whether to Life or to Death being inseparable from it That its never a dead Letter though it be sometimes a killing Letter That Translations are but the Taps of Scripture to broach those full vessels which therefore should be fitted to the use of all and are so far to be owned as they agree with the original sense That the sense of Scripture is Scripture though it may be variously expressed That no mans Interpretation is to be received further then it agrees with the whole Scripture That all seeming contradictions therein are easily cleared by comparing of Scriptures minding the context and scope in a sober humble manner with studious diligence That the sense of Scripture Translations when dark must be brought to the Original Light That all things absolutely needful to Salvation are clearly laid down in Scripture That Scripture Consequence is Scripture That some things are obscure therein to exercise our sobriety industry That it s so fitted to every mans condition that the simplest may reap the benefit thereof That Christ bids all search the Scriptures and sends them to the Law and Testimony for decision and prediction stil That the wisest Christians are most studious of Scripture finding stil most need of it being most sensible of their remaining Ignorance That pride and blindness make men to conceive so highly of their knowledge as to think themselves wise enough without it or as wise as it That they are foolish self-seducers who thus think and say That God indeed spoke to our Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in divers parts and manners by piece-meal as it were but he hath now contracted all in speaking to us by his Son That therefore having closed the Canon and sealed up those Records by his Sons Apostles who ever adds to or detracts from it is liable to that sentence there denounced by the Lord himself That the Lords Will revealed in Scripture obliges all being the Beck and hint of our Soveraign who can becken us all into nothing at his Will That since the compleating of Scripture immediate Inspirations are expired being needless the divine Rule of all being perfectly given out That all pretended Enthusiasms not agreeing with the Word must be suspected to be from evil spirits The several Errors of the Apocrypha are discovered by Scripture Light and have been abundantly confuted by many worthy hands The abuse of Scripture by feigned Allegories is thereby detected also when men will be wise above what 's written giving heed to Jewish and Chymical Fables yea to Magical Notions and Fictions as Paracelsus Behmen c. they are justly given
Garland and that signal work 24. Christ is opposed likewise in his Servants of the Ministry as First By the former Errors So secondly By the Socinians Seekers Behmenists Revelationists Quakers and Libertines who deny corrupt and oppose it Thirdly by the Papists who set up an Antichristian Head and Hierarchy mangling and perverting it wofully Fourthly By Innovators who exalt a Power therein above others unknown to Christ and others slighting what Christ hath set up AGainst these various Evils the Knowledge of Christ improved graciously will fence our Judgements and make us to see the excellency and perpetuity the necessity and utility of his Gospel-ministry It was his care of old to set it up in his Church for their common good that the Priests lips might preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth because he is the Messenger of the Lord. The first Insurrections against it which assaulted also the Magistracy by a strong levelling party under holy pretences were dreadfully rebuked and plagued by an extraordinary hand from Heaven The Lord made also Aarons Rod to blossom and fructifie miraculously that he might ratifie this great Ordinance of his to all Ages He appointed the Levites to be therefore settled in all the parts of Israel that every one might be provided with ministerial Help Himself promised in a peculiar way to be their best Portion and took a special care that among their Brethren they might never want a plentifull portion From time to time did he renew that charge and sharply visited for the neglect thereof He honor'd and prosper'd those Princes and people that did carefully observe his Will therein His Magistracy and his Ministry went still hand in hand both in doing good and suffering evil Moses and Aaron in all their Successors were still duly observed by God and good men The Jewish Church and State declined together by their sinfull neglects of Christs Institutions Christ therefore came at last himself personally that he might repair those wofull Ruins The vile abusing of his Ministry brought on them first a Babylonian yoak and afterwards a Roman slavery after many Persian and Grecian Oppressions The Revolts of Jason and of Onias with their Anti-temples in Aegypt and Samaria brought in many more confusions then both on Church and State Their corrupt opposings of Christs Ministry cost them very dear When Christ came in the flesh the many disorders of the ministerial Office and persons had disordered all His great care was then to rectifie things in the best method An end of all shadows he made in himself by his own Ministry and settled himself a substantial Ministry that should continue unto the worlds end His great business still was to purge his Temple and to commission his ministerial Servants for the successive building of his house His twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples were to that end succesfully employed by him When he ascended and triumph'd over all he bestowed then Coronation Gifts of a choice Nature Then gave he Apostles Prophets and Evangelists in extraordinary Pastors and Teachers in ordinary for Ambassados for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the building up of his body untill we all come to the full stature of the Son of God Thus Christ settled this ministerial function with spiritual Authority by setting apart in a regular Call persons by him duly qualified to the full employment of the Ministry The Circumstantials of the ceremonial Law he pared off thereby and settled the substance of his will therein in this solemn office for his special honor and his peoples good The Father and Spirit joined with God the Son in the Commission given from above to settle this Office and assure thereon a signal Blessing till the end of all As the Son gave these Residents of his to his Church below so did the Father set them in the Church and the holy Ghost still makes them overseers thereof In the renewing of their Commission he enlarged it unto all Nations gave them the keys of his Kingdom to act under him as Deputy-stewards Titles of Honor he gives them many fit Emblems also of their weighty work They are his Agents and the peoples Guides Shepherds and Rulers Angels and Leaders Elders they are and Overseers as Ambassadors acting in his name As he taught his Apostles the things of his Kingdom so were they carefull to instruct the rest Pauls Epistles to Timothy and Titus are a directory for all Church Affairs The Apostles needed extraordinary Gifts as did the Prophets and Evangelists in the first planting of Churches everywhere That work being done then ended with them their immediate infallible Call Extraordinaries are but for a time to make sure way to Ordinaries Snccessors they had in the substantials of the Ministry though not in all their Circumstantials Paul in his progress having shew'd the way of ordaining such gave Timothy and others further Rules still to prosecute that work Pastors and Teachers must abide in charge whilst there is one soul to be brought to Christ and built up in Christ These stars are kept in the Lords own hand being the Lights of his own setting up Many Ministers and Churches may perish for their Apostacy as they of Asia but the Ministry in the Church of Christ shall be sure to stand These witnesses of his may be much abused to the very Death but they shall rise again very speedily to the confusion of all enemies Lest they should grow proud and usurp Lorship Christ charged them timely to act as Servants in his name and work His word holds forth all Elders equal in ordinary since extraordinaries removed from men Some priority of order and age the Primitive Churches thought fit to admit Pride and Ambition corrupted the same adding Jurisdiction and Power thereto At first they did chuse a Moderator who might be Speaker in their regular meetings That was first elective and then became fixed and gradually did degenerate Under fair colors many did encroach and subjected Elders to Bishops Power Thence did Arch-Bishops and Patriarchs rise with other Limbs of that Hierarchy By Princes bounty too sadly abused this evil did rise and brought forth a Pope That Antichristian Beast with his double horn speaking like the Lamb acted Dragon-like He gradually subdued Christs Magistracy and Ministry by usurpations of the double sword That Pestilential Wen grew so fast on the Church that it did over-spread and consume it in its noblest parts Many Excrescences did rise under it as their Cardinals Archdeacons Chancellors Thence a further Rabble of Commissaries Porters Acolyths Subdeacons Exorcists Thence also their Monks Friers Eremits Nuns and Jesuits swarming everywhere Thus gradually did Abaddon prevail to waste Christs portion for a thousand two hundred sixty years The witnesses whilst