of Boon Companions did indeed offer sacrifice and do solemn service unto Satan and his Angels the Authors the Favourers and Furtherers of all riot and excesse Now if any that cals himself a Christian or is a Christian by Calling or profession have been as long accustomed to the like riot or excesse or take as great delight in this Sin as they did which offered sacrifice unto Bacchus he is as true and proper a Servant unto Satan as they were For Satan did desire the sacrifice or other Service but as an Homage Rent or Tribute whereby he hoped to gain the possesion of their Souls or a right or interest in their actions or imployments a power of disposing or commanding their affections which offered him sacrifice or payed him tribute Now if he have gotten the like interest in their actions or imployments or the like command over their affections which professe themselves to be Christians they are his by possession or occupation He needs no Sacrifice or solemn Tribute from them which as we Say He holdeth in his own hands Briefly ☜ The Heathens which offered sacrifice unto Bacchus unlesse by this custome they brought themselves to be in Servitude unto the sin of drunkennesse were not more grievous sinners nor greater Bondmen unto Satan then Christians are which are in greater Servitude unto this loathsome Sin 5. Such of the Heathens as worshipped Venus as a supposed Goddesse or Pattonesse of Love and wantonnesse did indeed and in the issue Worship Satan and his unclean Spirits which are the Authors the Nourishers and Maintainers of all bodily filthinesse and uncleannesse If any which professeth himself to be a Christian be as much given over unto wantonness and uncleanness as the Heathens were which Worshipped Venus He is as true and absolute a Slave to Satan as they were and shall be sure to have his wages without repentance as truly and fully paid him as the other shall The least and best wages which he payeth for the use of their actions or imployments during this short and brittle life is an endlesse and never-dying death 6. Such of the Heathens as offered sacrifice unto Pluto whom they supposed to be the God of Riches or of wealth Lord Paramount of Gold of Silver of all kind of Metals or whatsoever else was contained under the surface of the Earth did indeed Worship Satan and his infernal powers And the sacrifice which they offered and other Solemn services which they did unto him shall be as evidences against them at the Last day that were his Servants as a pledge or earnest to bind them to accept his wages If any Christians how Precise or Devout soever they seem to be though daily Frequenters of Publick Prayers though diligent Hearers of Sermons be as Covetous as great Oppressors of their poor Brethren as unconscionable in their gettings as unsatiable in their desires of gain as the Heathens were which thought to purchase Wealth by sacrificing unto Pluto the bond of their Servitude unto Satan is altogether as firm and strong their Servitude or bondage it self altogether as hard as great and dangerous as the Servitude or Bondage of the Heathens were And whilest they are in Servitude unto Satan whatsoever they Profess or make shew of they cannot be the Servants of God or Christ For no man as our Saviour tels us Mat. 6. 24. can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon But what doth he mean by Mammon wealth or riches only Certainly a part of his meaning is That every covetous man that every one which is extraordinarily careful for gathering things of this Life Every one that minds most his gain or getting of riches is a Servant to his riches or to his desires of them The other part of his meaning is that He which is a Servant to his desire of riches is a Servant likewise unto him whom the Heathens called Mammon and worshipped as a supposed God of riches For Mammon in the Syriack Tongue is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Albeit we Christians know and believe that there is no such God or Lord of wealth and that there is but One God and One Lord who is the Lord and owner as well of the Earth and things in it as of the Heavens Yet have we no reason but to think that the Infernal Spirits have their several Wards or Quarters Some of them have better skill or more experience in humouring Covetous and Worldly minded men Others in humouring or enticing Wantons Others have more skill and experience in alluring men unto drunkenness Et quam unusquisque novit artem in eâ se maximè exercet They quarter themselves according their several skils or experience into several Regiments Some keep watch and ward over Covetous men and present unto them all opportunities of making unlawful gain or of over-reaching their Brethren in bargaining The chief of this ward or Regiment or perhaps the whole Regiment it self is called Mammon Other lye Leigers about such as are more prone to Wantonness Their chief care or imployment is to present them with all opportunities or allurements unto Pleasure Other lye as Agents in Taverns or Tipling houses And their care and imployment is to provoke men to Excess and to such other Enormities or breach of Gods Commandments as accompany excesse of drinking 7. Now this me thinks should be a Great Motive to deterre or dehort any man from yielding Obedience to his own Desire of what transitory Good or Pleasure soever if he would but consider That in yielding Obedience to his own desires he becomes the servant of some sin or other and that in becoming the Servant of any sin whatsoever he becometh the Bondman or slave of Satan who hath one bad propertie which no other Master how cruel or devilish soever besides himself hath and That is To Plague or torment them most which have done him most continual and faithful Service And yet even this Diabolical Disposition of his becomes the faithful Executioner of Gods Justice For every degree of their service done to Satan doth include in it a like degree or portion of Treason or Infidelity towards Christ And it is Just and holy on Gods part though Satanical and Devilish on Satans to recompence such as have done Satan in this World greatest service with the greatest portion or measure of vengeance in the world to come All of us have some one or other of this Infernal Crue daily attending on us hourly watching or dogging us in all our designs or projects throughout cur whole Course of life CHAP. XXI Of the manner How Satan brings men to be his Slaves 1. Plato IT was truly said by One had his meaning been as truly taken Nemo sponte malus No man is wittingly a naughty Man at least no man desires to be
of the Son of God is not by their doctrine of infinite value nor of force and vertue everlasting but infinite only secundum quid i. e. infinite in the Nature of a bloudie sacrifice not so simply infinite as to exclude all other sacrifice or offering for sin For if it had been of value infinite or All-sufficient to take away sin whilest it was offered up in a bloudy manner there had been no more offering either required or left for sin whether a bloudie or a bloudlesse offering whether after a bloudy or a bloudless manner for if Once offered it were in the nature of an offering infinite it necessarily took away all other offerings or manner of offering for sin A Note Relating to the precedent Chapter EUsebius Socrates and Theodoret amongst the Greeks Primasius and Austin amongst the Latines do not distinguish betwixt these two Ominous names Novatus and Novatianus But St. Cyprian in his 49. Epistle shews plainly that they were of two distinct persons though agreeing too well in Schism and Heresie Novatus was an African new Monster a Preshyter in the Church of Carthage where S. Cyprian was Bishop vir sui nominis for he was Rerum novarum semper Cupidus disobedient to his Bishop spightful against the Order unnatural to his Father who dyed for hunger and lay too long unburied unfaithful to the Orphan the Widdow the Church-stock unkind to his wife whom he made to miscarry with a kick Damnat sacrificantium manus ipse nocentior pedibus says S. Cyprian Thus qualified fearing Excommunication He fled to Rome and joyned with Novatianus a Roman Presbyter who was about that time brewing his Schism against Cornelius Bishop of Rome These Two were the Ring-leaders of the Sect of the Cathari See S. Cyprian Epist 49. and Epist 51. 52. with Rigaltius his Notes CHAP. LV. From the Text Heb. 10. ver 1 2 16 17. And from this Maxim That Christ's One Sacrifice of himself was of Value absolutely Infinite it follows not That such as worship God in Spirt or such as are received into The Covenant of Grace have their sinnes remitted before they do committ them That Doctrine makes Christ's Resurrection useless in respect of us and Baptism needlesse Legal worshippers Conscious and their sins remembred in such a sort as Evangelical worshippers are not The vast Oddes betwixt Christ's One Sacrifice and the Many Legal We must distinguish betwixt the Infinite value and Infinite vertue of Christs sacrifice The precious Effects of H. Baptism and the Eucharist flowing from the Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and Priesthood How Legal Sacrifices c did prefigure Christ's 1. BUt unto men which have not their Senses exercised in the Prophetical and Evangelical Writings or in the Harmonie betwixt them the words of the Apostle in that tenth Chapter to the Hebrewes An Objection made ver 1 2 16 17. do minister some scruple His words ver 1 2 are these The Law can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the commers thereunto perfect For then would they not have ceased to be offered because the worshippers that is such as were observers of the Legal worship only should have had no more conscience of sin From this Opposition between the condition of Gods people under the Law and the Condition of his people under the New Covenant that is of such as worship him not by Legal Sacrifices but in the Spirit it may seem to be concluded that such as are within the Covenant of Grace or worship him in spirit have their Sinnes remitted before they can commit them or as soon as they begin to worship God not by Legal sacrifices but in the spirit For if the sins of men thus qualified were not remitted before they were received into the Covenant of Grace or at least at the time when they were thereunto admitted they should at least have as much if not more Conscience of sin as the Legal worshippers had 2. This Scruple or Question which the words of the Apostle ver 1 2. do minister may be fortified or Augmented from the same Apostles Inference ver 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more This is the Privilege of such as are within the New Covenant Fortified Now if according to the Tenor of this privilege God will no more remember their sinnes and iniquities who are comprized within the new Covenant the cause or Controversie may seem concluded that God will neither punish their sinnes nor question them for them For all punishment of sin all inquisition after sin doth include or presuppose a Remembrance or Cognizance of the sins for which men are punished or questioned Both these Scruples may receive strength or Countenance from that general Maxim unto which we willingly subscribe That the bloudy sacrifice whereby this new Covenant was made and ratified Reinforced was of value absolutely infinite for taking and putting away sinnes And how could it possibly be of value infinite for taking away sins unlesse the sins of all all their sins for whom it was offered were by it taken away or remitted So taken away that they should be no more remembred in Gods sight that They should have no more Conscience or horrour of sin 3. Answered The clear and unquestionable Points of Truth included in the Apostles words are but Two The Former That the Legal Worshippers were conscious of sin in such a sort as the Evangelical worshippers or men comprehended under the new Covenant are not conscious The Second that God did remember the sins of such as were under the former Covenant after such a manner as he doth not remember their sinnes who are under the new Covenant of Grace But for the Distinct meaning of the Apostle that is how farre the Legal worshippers had a consciousness of sin how farr the Evangelical worshippers have none In what sort measure or manner God did remember the sinnes of his people under the Old Covenant and not remember the sinnes of his people under the new Covenant of Grace we can have no better scantling no more indifferent standard than the words of the same Apostle in the same tenth Chapter ver 3. But in those sacrifices to wit which were offered by the Law there is a remembrance or commemoration of sin made every year But wherein did this Annual Remembrance or Commemoration of sin consist The Law as the Apostle elsewhere speakes was but a School-master unto Christ and the Lessons which this School-master did by the Annual or other bloudie sacrifices especially teach were these That the men by whom or for whom these bloudie sacrifices were offered had deserved and as often as they offered them did deserve to be tormented and mangled as these sacrifices were That the â—utchery of Them was but Favorabilis commutatio poenae a favourable exchange or diverting the punishment from themselves upon these bruit Beasts That whiles the fire under Gods Altar did continue Gods
Freedom in respect of divers Objects and degrees in Natural men 3090 SECT V. Of the great Duty of Mortification and of the use of Free-will for Performing it 3096 CHAP. 28. Of the General Contents which concern the Duty of Mortification and which be the especial works of the flesh we are to Mortifie 3096 29. How farr the duty of Mortification is Universal how farre Indefinite 3099 30. Containing the true Rule for examining our Perswasions concerning our Estate in Grace 3103 31 How the Flesh is Mortifyed by Vs How by the Spirit 3106 32. Whether Mortification and Conversion may be said to be ex pr visis operibus though God alone do properly Mortifie and convert us 3112 33. By what Spirit we are said to Mortifie the Deeds of the Body 3115 34. Containing the Manner and Order of the Spirits working or of our working by the Spirit 3120 35. Wherein the accomplishment of Mortification or of Conversion unto God doth properly consist 3124 36. Contâ—ining the Scope or Summe of what hath been said concerning Free-will and the service of it in the duty of Mortification 3129 Sect. VI. Concerning Election and Reprobation and That the Decrees of God be not terminated to the Abstract Entities or Substances of men 37. Concerning the Limitation of these Two Propositions Rom. 8. 13. 1. If ye live after the slesh ye shall dye 2. If through the spirit ye do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live 3146 38. A Sermon on St. Iude's Epistle verse the fourth enquiring who those men were which were of Old ordained to the Condemnation there spoken of and what manner of Ordination is there meant 3164 39. A serious Answer to Mr. Henry Burton who took exception at a Passage in this Authors Treatise Of the Divine Essence and Attributes about Objective Goodnesse c. 3175 40. A Paraphrase upon the Eleven first Chapters of Exodus with useful Observations and parallels 3190 41. Salvation only from Gods Grace or An Exposition of Romans 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth But of God that sheweth mercy 3210 42. An Exposition on Romans 9. verses 18 19 20 21 22 c. or a Treatise of God his just Hardening Pharaoh c. 3222 SECT VII Of the Acts or Exercises of Christs Everlasting Priesthood CHAP. 43. Concerning the Manner or meanes by which the Son of God doth now de Facto through the continual Exercise of his Everlasting Priesthood in his heavenly Sanctuary set Free indeed all such as seek for the working out of their own Salvation with fear and trembling pag. 3252. 44. The Coherence of the eighth Chapter to the Hebrews with the seven precedent and two following The exact Proportions or Parallels betwixt the mundane Tabernacle with the two Sanctuaries therein and the Caelestial with those in it betwixt the Manner or Rites in the Consecration of the One and the Other Betwixt the High-Priests of the Old Testament and Christ our onely High-Priest of the New intimated in this explicated in the following Chapters 3253. 45. That the soules of Righteous men Abraham c. Were in a Blissefull heavenly Mansion before But after The Kingdom of Heaven was perfectly set up and open to all Beleevers By Christs Placing As man at the Right Hand of God Their Condition was bettered 3255. 46. A Parallel betwixt the Rites of Dedicating The Tabernacle the vessels c. with Blood of Beasts And of Consecrating The Heavenly Places with the most Pretious Blood of Jesus Christ 3257. 47. Before the fuller draught of that Parallel If the Blood of Bulls and the Ashes of an Heifer much more the Blood of Christ treated on in the Two next Chapters The Apostles Translating the Hebrew word Berith by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is shewed to be not a meere Allusion but of strict Proprietie 3259. 48. The Parallel between the most Solemn Services of the Law and the One Sacrifice of Christ and The high Praeeminence and Efficacie of This in comparison of Those The Romanists Doctrine That in the Masse Christs Body is identically Carnally present and that there is a proper Sacrifice Propitiatorie offered derogates from the Absolute Perfection of Christs offering himself Once for all 3261. 49. That the Forraign mainteiners of the more then Fatal Irrespective Rigid Decree make Christ Jesus rather a meere Sacrifice Then a True Everlasting Priest acting for us and dayly working out our Reconciliation to God So do such as teach That the sinnes of some were Remitted before they were Committed Of the Superexcellency of Christs Priest-Hood and One Sacrifice in Comparison of the Aaronicall Pr. and the Many Servâ—ces thereof 3266. 50. The Raritie of That Rite of Consecrating the Water of Sprinkling by the Ashes of the Red Heyfer an Emblem of Baptism and the Singularitie thereof Our Churches meaning in some Expressions at the Administration of That Sacrament 3270. 51. Inordinate Libertie of Prophesying brought Errors into the Church and hindred the Reformation 3273. 52. That Justification Consists not in One Single Act. In what sense Fides est Fiducia is True 3276. 53. Christs Parable Math. 12. 43. c. applyed Two degrees of Reconciliation the First Active or but meer Grammatically Passive The Other Reall-Passive So Correspondently Two Branches of Justification The One from Christs Death the Other from the benefit of His Priesthood daily participated to us 3277. SECT VIII Of Errors disparaging Christs Priesthood CHAP. 54. Three Errors disparaging Christs Priesthood 1. The Novatian denying the Reception of some sort of sinners 2. Alate Contrary Error affirming That Every sin which some sort of Men Committ is pardoned before it be committed 3. The Romish Doctrine of the Masse giving Scandal to the Jew All of them respectively derogating from the infinite Value or Continual Efficacie of Christs Everlasting Priesthood 3280. 55. From the Text Hebr. 10. 1 2 16 17. and from this Maxim That Christs One Sacrifice of himself was of Value absolutely infinite it follows not That such as worship God in spirit or such as are received into the Covenant of Grace have their sinnes remitted before they commit them That Doctrin makes Christs Resurrection Useless in respect of us and our Baptism needless Legal worshipers Conscious and their sinnes remembred in such sort as Evangelical worshippers are not The Vast odds betwixt Christs One Sacrifice and the Many legal We must distinguish betwixt the Infinite Value and Infinite Vertue of Christs Sacrifice The precious Effects of H. Baptism and the Eucharist flowing from the Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and Priesthood How Legal Sacrifices c. prefigured Christs 3292. 56. The Efficacie of Christs Sacrifice and the Vse of His Priesthood two distinct several things Wherein the Exercise of his Priesthood doth Consist How it was foreshadowed Ordinances Effectual by Vertue of Christs Presence Vertual Presence is a Real Presence 3301. A Table of the Texts of Holy Scripture Expounded or Illustrated in this BOOK Genesis Chap. Verse
evil Now to use our Free-will further amisse then is Necessary is meerly Contingent no way Necessary Albeit he could do nothing as he ought yet he might have done lesse ill in being imployed in some honest Vocation or Lawful Exercise then by giving himself over to Pamper Ease and Sloth In Lawful imployments we are commonly freed from all other ill Guests besides our selves In Living Idlely or doing nothing we make our very hearts our brains and souls like Empty Rooms for the Infernal Spirits to set up Shop in The Poets Observation is very useful for all but most Peculiar for Younger Students and expressed in Terms to their Liking Si non ante Diem librum cum lumine poscas Hor. Epist 2. Invidiâ vel amore vigil torquebere Lib. 1. si non Intendas animum studiis rebus honestis If Men would give some Divine Precepts or Sentences full Possession of their Morning Thoughts these would serve as so many Armed Men to keep out the suggestions of the Devil ☜ the World and the flesh from entring into their Hearts 11. To hold this Freedom of Will in avoiding Occasions or motives to sin is most agreeable to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches All which if I mistake not permit a Moderate and lawful Vse of Vows not only to men already sanctified or in the estate of Grace but unto all such as desire to avoid sin and the Motives thereunto that they may be sanctified In these two Points I hope we shall all agree First That we may not Vow any thing which is not in our Power Secondly That the avoidance of Occasions or Motives to grosse or known sins is one of the most proper and most safe Objects of solemn Vows 12. Some of our Wise and Godly Founders of Colledges which died before Reformation begun do not tye us by oath never to transgress in matters of Manners or Crime But to undergo punishment for breach of good manners they strictly tye us Virtute Juramenti What is the reason Surely that which we said before They well knew that to undergo ordinary punishment as losse of Commons or the like was in our Power and Consequently just matter of Vow But to avoid al actions punishable was not as they foresaw in our Power No part of the Object of our Free-will and therefore they made it no Branch of that Solemn Vow which we make to God for Observation of their Statutes 13. Now as it is Lawful to Vow strict Observance of outward means either useful for avoiding grosser sins or for repenting for them once committed So God upon diligent and faithful observance of our Vows in these or the like subjects doth not only free us from being led into grievous temptations but so enlargeth our Freedom of Will in other Points that by the assistance of his Gracious Providence we gain some Power over our own desires and affections which before we had not This cannot seem strange in the course of Nature especially if we consider it as subject to Gods Favourable Providence For seeing our carnal appetites or affections are alwayes nourished and strengthened by External Occasions or Opportunities they must needs be starved or weakned by Substraction of this their Nutriment And the weaker they are the better hand the spirit or Conscience gets over them the easier they are to be tamed and nurtured 14. Many men have not the Power to abstain from Dainties when they are set before them or when they are invited to taste them And the more yielding they are to such Invitations the greater Liberty will their Appetites take and leave them lesse Power to abstain from riotous Feasting But until Long Custom hath brought forth a worse disposition then we bring with us from our Cradles it is farr more Free and Easie for us to abstain from Houses of unhallowed Mirth or Good-Fellowship as they are termed then to abstain from those Courses which are usually followed in them after we be once accustomed to them In respect of every Negative Precept or things forbidden it is always More Easie to avoid the First * This is manifest in that Great Example and Champion of Chastity holy Joseph Who durst not stay to struggle for his Garmēt though it cōcerned him highly to have got away that which he knew would be made a Cloke for his Mistresses sin and a Colour of His but hasted and fled Chusing rather to leave behind him a seeming Argument of his Guilt then by longer stay or Reasoning after those two Arguments of Wrong done a Good Master and Sin against a Good God would not disswade to incur a Real Danger of becoming Guilty Even so it is commanded 2 Tim. 2. 22. Fly away from Lust We may and must resist the Devil and fight it out against Him but for Lust the only way is as when the house it on fire Avoidance and Flight Haste away Escape for thy life and Thy Souls Life Look not behind Thee nor stay lest the fire overtake thee and so thou be consumed in the Flame Occasions then to resist insuing Opportunities And the more Careful we are in avoiding First Temptations the more Capable we are as was before intimated of Gods Peculiar Providence to shield us from the assaults of Satan Not that the lesse Abuse of our Free-will in Evil or in avoiding Occasions that lead unto it can Merit any such Favour but the Extream Abuse of such Free-will as we have Exempts us from those Priviledges which Gods Infinite Bounty bestowes on us 15. But let us take a man which hath been so far from avoiding that he hath been alwayes industrious in seeking out Occasions to transgresse a man that by continual entertainment of all Opportunities to sin hath yielded up his soul to many foul and grievous sins What Freedom of Will what choice of means for working Mortification or amendment can be imagined to be left in such a Man shall we say he hath Freedom of Will inter Mala What portion of Freedom is in such as Sin Extreamly This were Destruere Suppositum We will rather suppose him to have so far abused that Free-Will which men naturally have in doing Evil that of Two of Three of Four or more Evils proposed together he would be ready to chuse The Very Worst alwayes prone to imbrace those Opportunities with greatest speed which lead to greatest mischiefs One Cui e malis id maximè placet quod est maximum Is there any Method or place for medicine to this disease The wicked saith the Prophet are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esay 57. 20 21. Now as the most dangerous and turbulent seas do not rage when the winds are calm So neither do the wicked some out their shame when Actual Temptations or provocations cease And in as much as Occasions and Opportunities do not at all times