come short of it Sect. 7. I come now in the next place to shew What the condition of the Promise to Abraham was In short it was a practical Faith And under this Head I shall endeavour 1. To give some account of the nature of Abraham's Faith in general 2. To describe Faith And 3. To shew reason why Faith is made the condition of the Covenant 1. The condition of the Promise to Abraham was Faith and as I shall after shew a practical Faith For that was it upon which the great Blessing of the Covenant Justification was conferred upon him with the consequent benefits In Gen. 15.6 it is said of Abraham that he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness But St. Paul reciting this Scripture faith Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness Rom. 4.3 Gal. 3.6 If there be any difference between believing God and believing in God it seems to be this To believe God is to believe him upon his Word to believe all that to be true which he saith when he hath once spoken it But to believe in God is first to believe him to be such an One of such a Nature as neither will nor can at any time speak any thing but what is true It is to believe him to be a God that cannot lye For all true Faith as Abraham's was is founded in the Nature of God Abraham did primarily believe in God and consequently believed his Sayings of what nature soever they were And secondly To believe in God is to believe that he can and will perform whatever he promised how unlikely soever the thing in its own nature otherwise be And this was the nature of Abraham's Faith as appears by St. Paul's Comment upon it Rom. 4.20 21. He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform He gave to God the glory of his Nature and Being of his Truth and Faithfulness in his Promises and of his Power and Ability to perform what he had promised notwithstanding its utmost improbability in Nature And therefore or for this reason his Faith was imputed to him for righteousness as we are told in ver 22. of Rom. 4. And so it should seem it is not the believing of any one particular or single Promise that is counted for Righteousness otherwise than as it is an instance of Faith in God in general in reference to whatever he doth say or shall declare Which may be the reason why Faith is said to be counted to Abraham for Righteousness as well when he had not the Messias in the Promise as the immediate Object of his Faith but somewhat else as when he had The Promise the believing of which was counted to Abraham for righteousness in Gen. 15.6 was a Promise of a numerous Issue So shall thy Seed be viz. as numberless as the Stars But that which produced a Belief of this particular Promise would and doubtless did produce in him a belief of the promise of the Messias and of every other Promise and Word of God and declaration of his mind so far as understood by him and that was an habitual belief of God's Truth and Faithfulness Wisdom Power and Goodness his fixed belief in God And so a believing God's Threatnings so as to use means to escape them is it should seem counted to one for Righteousness as well as the belief of the Promises as growing upon the same Root Thus Noah's Believing God's threatning to bring a Deluge upon the World and his Obedience to God's Command in the preparing an Ark for the saving of his House was that or at least one instance of that Faith by which he became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Heb. 11.7 It was this general Faith in God that made Abraham so compliant with every intimation of his will and pleasure By it he forsook his own Country and Kindred at God's command to go he knew not whither but depended on God's after-direction in that case Heb. 11.8 By it he was ready to offer his Son Isaac in whom the Promises were made And he had such a firm Belief in God's Promise That in Isaac his Seed should be called that he concluded that God would raise him from the Dead when he had Sacrificed him rather than fail in the least of making good his Promise Heb. 11.17 18 19. He had such a confidence in God that is to say in his Wisdom Goodness Truth and Power as wrought him to an entire Resignation of himself to God's will and pleasure He believed God to be so Good and so Wise as not to put him upon any thing but what should be for his good in the issue And so True and Powerful as to promise nothing but what he could and would perform In a word this his Belief in God made him believe all his Promises and obey all his Precepts 2. Come we next to some description of that Faith which is the condition of the Promise or Covenant of Salvation Wherein I shall have respect to the nature of Saving Faith in general in reference to all Ages of the Church and also to the Christian Evangelical Faith in special Faith strictly taken is an assent unto the truth of any Proposition upon the credit of the Speaker But Saving Faith is of a more comprehensive nature than is a meer assent unto the Truth of any one Proposition And although Saving Faith is sometimes described by an assenting to the truth of one single Proposition yet then it implies the belief of many more and such a belief as draws in the Will to act according to the import and concernment of the thing believed As for instance The Belief of this Proposition That Christ Jesus is the Son of God by which Faith is sometimes described doth include in it a belief of the truth of his whole Doctrine both concerning God's Grace and Man's Duty and the Will 's concurrence as to its concernment in it For if he be the Son of God then he cannot lye or deceive in any thing he hath said And again the belief of this Proposition That God raised Christ from the Dead by which Faith is also described Rom. 10.9 includes in it a belief That all that Doctrine which he taught is undoubtedly true For if it had not God would never have wrought such a Miracle as to Raise Christ from the Dead to confirm it The belief then of such single Propositions include a belief of the whole Doctrine of the Gospel which is the proper Object of the Christian Faith and for that cause is frequently stiled Faith or the Faith in the New Testament But if we respect the nature of Faith in general as answering the different degrees of God's Revelation of his Will in several Ages of the World both under the Gospel and before I
very Bowels of Christendom that is a Succession of Hereticks who Having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 under the Name and Profession of Christians do sadly weaken Christ's and most effectually Promote the Interests of Satan's Kingdom And who have spilt more Blood perhaps in Establishing their Heresies their Idolatries and Superstitions than was ever done by Heathen Rome and all the other Pagan Persecutions put together So much you see it is the Endeavour of Satan utterly to destroy the Church of Christ from off the Face of the Earth And now all Christians are so far to Renounce Satan with respect to those his persecuteing Temptations as to submit to the sorest Sufferings which Satan and his wicked Instruments can Inflict rather than deny Christ or his Truths And now the Question is What it is and how far we are to Renounce the Devil with respect to these his persecuting Temptations and fiery Tryals And if it should be the good Pleasure of God for Ends best known to himself to let loose the Fury of the Dragon upon us as there is hardly any Age from the very Foundations of Christianity down to our present Times in which he has not and does not in some Part or other of the Church exercise the Faith and Patience of the Saints Why then our Part must be after the Example of those who have gone before us in the Fiery Tryal to submit to the sorest Sufferings which Satan and his wicked Instruments can Inflict upon us rather than deny Christ or his Truths Millions I say of Martyrs and Confessors have gone before us in this way of Renouncing the Devil and his Persecuting Methods of Tempting And the time would fail me to tell what Tryals they had of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments how they were Stoned were Sawn asunder were Tempted were Slain with the Sword how they wander'd about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being Destitute Afflicted Tormented Heb. 11.36 37. And all this they suffer'd rather than they would Deny the Faith or in the least Comply with Idolatry or Heresy or with any Sin and Wickedness to which Satan and his Instruments would have forc'd ' em And so must we likewise we must all of us in the same manner utterly Renounce the Devil and Resist unto Blood his Tempting us to Heresy or Sin if call'd thereunto our Blessed Saviour having made it the indispensible Condition of all his Followers so to do Matth. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me And indeed those are the Happy men who are Persecuted for their Adherence to Christ and true Religion against Satan and his wicked Inventions Blessed are they which are Persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5.10 Their Persecution tends in the End both to their own greater Reward Great is their Reward in Heaven ver 12. And to the farther Increase and Propagation of Truth when the Devil has done his worst the True Church of Christ like the Palm-Tree being found to spread the wider for being Opprest And therefore II. When those bloody Methods fail Satan then does endeavour so to corrupt Men's Notions of God and Religion that by their very Christianity they may dishonour him Secondly When those bloody Methods fail him and instead of extinguishing Christianity the Blood of the Martyrs proves the Seed of the Church then with all the Art and close Contrivance possible does he endeavour to corrupt Men's Notions of God and Religion so that by their very Christianity they may Dishonour him The Dishonour of God and the Debasing his Authority amongst Men together with the Subjection of Man to himself and the Ruine of our Souls is the thing he aims at and provided he compasses this End he cares not by what means it is whether by Force or by Fraud And accordingly he has his Titles given him in the Scripture from both where he is call'd a Lion from his Fury a Serpent from his Subtilty And indeed if by the former he Has Slain his Thousands by these He has Destroy'd his Ten Thousands So that of all his methods to Ruine us it does infinitely concern us That we be not Ignorant of these his Devices Now these Politick Methods of his These Politick Methods of his discover'd to us under the Parable of a malicious Enemy coming privately in the Night sowing Tares where the Husbandman had before sown good Seed whereby he Endeavours To Corrupt Men's Notions of God and Religion so that by their very Religion they may dishonour him are discover'd to us in the Gospel under the Parable of some malicious Enemy who coming privately in the Night sows Tares where the Husbandmen had before sown good Seed The Parable runs thus Matth. 13.24 The Kingdom of Heaven is liken'd unto a Man which Sowed good Seed in his Field but while Men slept his Enemy came and sowed Tares among the Wheat and went his way But when the Blade was sprung up and brought forth Fruit then appeared the Tares also And in the 37 38 39 ver Our Saviour himself gives us this Explication of it He that soweth the good Seed is the Son of Man the Field is the World the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom that is the Ministers of Religion and their good Doctrine The Tares are the Children of the wicked One that is Hereticks and their Evil Principles The Enemy that sowed them is the Devil From which Parable and Explication of our Saviour's we may observe Like a skilful Husbandman he is choice about the Nature of the Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil the Fitness of the Season and the skilfulness of the Seeds-man That the most skilful Husbandman is not more curious about the Nature of his Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil and the Fitness of the Season and the Skilfulness of the Seeds-man than Satan is choice and considerate about the Nature of his Erroneous Doctrines the Preparation of Men's Minds to Receive 'em about the most proper and seasonable Times of dispersing 'em and the Capacity and Qualities of those his Agents whom he Imploys to sow them in the Souls of Men. And * First As to the Nature of the Seed he takes care his Heretical Opinions and Practices should bear some Resemblance of Divine Truth in order to conceal their Discovery First I do take it to be infinitely worth your while to consider That those Heretical Principles and Opinions which Satan does choose to Blend with Christianity Do generally bear some Resemblance of Divine Truths in order to conceal their Discovery So that as the Tares which the Enemy sowed were not Distinguishable till the Wheat grew up and bore Fruit So the Heretical and Impious Doctrines of Satan's infusing can scarcely be Known but by their Fruits to which way of Trying 'em
hereunto do our Antinomians teach their Disciples That saving Faith is nothing but our Perswasion or absolute concluding within our selves That our Sins are pardoned and that Christ is ours But this is a most false and dangerous account of Divine Faith False because God has no-where in Scripture told any Man amongst us that he in particular is Justified and shall be certainly Saved And Dangerous also because it tends to nourish Presumption in Men's Hearts and to make 'em Believe better of their State than it is God does indeed declare in his Word to all Men in General and Conditional Terms Mark 16.16 That whosoever believeth shall be saved and That Blessed are they who keep his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 And all Christians are to examine themselves whether they be in the Faith and to prove their own selves 2 Cor. 13.5 and if upon strict search he finds himself to have Repented throughly to have Believed practically and to have Obey'd sincerely he may have strong Hopes that his Sins are pardon'd and his Righteousness through Christ accepted only because the Heart is deceitful above all things so that no Man knoweth it Jer. 17.9 Let him be careful he does not deceive himself with false shews of Faith and Repentance and let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.10 But as for a Divine Faith which is a full Perswasion founded upon the Testimony of God in Scripture no Man can be said to have that concerning his own Acceptance because no Man has any Scripture-Revelation testifying it to him in particular And if Persons of Antinomian Principles shall say that the Assurance kindled in the Heart by the Spirit of God is a Divine Testimony to them and therefore may be sufficient to denominate such Assurance a Divine Faith then it must be granted by 'em that the written Word of God is not a sufficient Rule of Faith as not containing all Truths necessary to be Believed in order to Salvation amongst which they count this particular Assurance to be the chief which Persons of Protestant Principles will not own Nor indeed can any so far derogate from the Perfection of Scripture as to say that other Truths are necessary to be Believed in order to Salvation besides what are contained therein except it be such who are not afraid of those Words wherewith the Holy Canon is closed Rev. 22.18 If any Man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues of this Book So that those Revelations only which are contained in Scripture are the proper Object of a Divine Faith But whatever is revealed in the Word a Christian must Believe And whatever is revealed in the Word a Christian must Believe as true for the Authority of God who declar'd it such And in the Holy Writings are contain'd Declarations of Divers kinds some of less others of greatest Consequence whereof the first need not to be so expresly apprehended but the latter must be both clearly Apprehended and firmly Believed A very great part of these Scripture-Truths of Consequence to be Believed are those various Precepts of Holy Living and Duties to God our Neighbour and our selves declared in the Gospel as necessary to be discharged by us in order to Salvation And it is as necessary an Act of Faith as any to Believe that our sincere Obedience to all the Divine Commandments is an indispensable Condition of Life and Happiness Again in the Holy Scriptures as we have Promises of inestimable Rewards to those who shall walk uprightly in the fear of God and on the other side Threatnings of the severest Punishments and that to all Eternity to all such as shall persist in Rebelling against Him So as to both these Promises and Threats we are to be undoubtedly perswaded of the Truth of 'em and that God's Veracity and Sincerity in the delivery therein is such that not a tittle of either shall fail But since neither the Fear of God's Threatnings nor the Encouragements of his Promises can prevail upon us in this our corrupt State to perform a perfect and unsinning Obedience to all God's Commands so that the best of Men will be found Sinners before God and will need a Mediator to compass their Reconciliation with him amongst all the Divine Revelations 3. Therefore 3. The Articles of our Christian Faith the chief amongst Scripture-Truths necessary to be Believ'd because 1. Therein are declar'd the only Method of Reconciliation betwixt God and Man through Jesus Christ and especially we are to be thus undoubtedly perswaded of the infallible Truth and Certainty of those main and fundamental Truths of Scripture the Articles of our Christian Faith wherein are declared the only Method of Reconciliation betwixt God and Man through our Saviour Jesus Christ as well as the strongest Motives to a Holy Life The Articles of our Creed do import as has been already spoke and shall hereafter by God's Assistance be fully explain'd and prov'd this comfortable Scheme of Divine Truths viz. That a God of infinite Perfection and most Glorious Attributes did at first create and give us our Being and that the same Almighty Father has from the beginning and will for ever exercise a Wise Just and Gracious Providence over all his Creatures that Man the work of his hands having rebell'd against his Maker God the Father did in his wise and good Providence so order it that His only Begotten Son taking our Nature upon him and being God-Man should come into the World amongst us and afterwards return to our Father which is in Heaven to mediate a Reconciliation betwixt him and us And to the end his Mediation might be effectual to salve the Dishonour done to God by our Revolt and reduce us to our Allegiance and Obedience to him that this Second Person in the Glorious Trinity did take upon him to discharge a Threefold Office viz. that of Prophet Priest and King By the first whereof he declar'd to us that Covenant and those Conditions on which God would receive us to Mercy By the second that of Priest he made way through the satisfaction he gave for the breach of our first Covenant for the Divine Goodness to receive us to Favour according to the Terms of the second and does still interceed with the Father for our Acceptance in the performance of such Conditions And by his Kingly Office he so governs by his Holy Spirit and Righteous Laws those who abandoning the Kingdom of Satan are admitted into his Kingdom the Holy Catholick Church that they shall be made meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light And in the Execution also of this his Royal Office having by his Almighty Power rais'd all Men from the Dead he will come again to judge 'em according to their Works forgiving the Offences of those who are penitent and allotting them to an Everlasting Life of Happiness and dooming the Impenitent to
to Abraham as it was a Promise of sending Christ to be the Saviour of the World was expressive of the greatest love For in this was the love of God manifested towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.9 10. A Propitiation for our sins That is one that by his Death hath procured favour having taken off that sore displeasure which God by his Law had declared against all the transgressors of it For the wise and just God did not think the Righteousness of his Government and the Honour and Reputation of his Law would be sufficiently saved and his great hatred of Sin sufficiently manifested without some considerable satisfaction given for the dishonour done to Him and his Law by Mans Transgression And yet that this might not be exacted at the hands of the Guilty in executing the Curse of the Law on themselves he was most graciously pleased to accept of the Sufferings of his own dear Son instead of what the sinners themselves were to have undergone He hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust or in their stead 1 Pet. 3.18 Upon account of which undertaking of Christ for us all the benefits of the Covenant do accrue to Man Whatever is required of Man by way of condition of his acceptation with God becomes accepted to that end upon account of Christ's suffering And his Intercession in Heaven through which all our sincere though otherwise imperfect performances become acceptable to God and rewardable by him is made in the virtue of it For the whole Covenant itself is founded in the Blood of Christ which he shed for the remission of sins Therefore it is called the New Testament in his Blood Mat. 26.28 And his Blood the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant Hebr. 13.20 2. It contained a Promise of Justification or Remission of sin through Christ unto all that should so believe as thereupon to repent of their former folly and become sincerely obedient for the future For that is necessarily implyed in the Promise of Blessedness to the Nations in Abraham's Seed it being impossible Men should be Blessed without Remission of sin which consisteth in removing the Curse of the Law in remitting the penalty Blessed is the Man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered Psal 32.1 St. Paul acquaints us that this Blessing of the New Covenant was declared to Abraham in the Promise Gal. 3.8 The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached the Gospel before unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed 3. It contained in it tacitly a Promise of Divine Assistance unto Men in their endeavours to fulfil the condition of the Promise For God in promising Blessedness to the Nations through Abraham's Seed therein promised all that was absolutely necessary for him to vouchsafe to make them blessed and without which they could not be blessed And if so then he therein implicitly promised to assist the endeavours of Men to perform the condition of the Promise without the assistance of whose Grace they cannot savingly Believe Repent and Obey And so it should seem the Old testament-Testament-Church understood God's subduing of sin as well as his pardoning of sin to be comprized in the Promise to Abraham Mich. 7.19 20. He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the Sea Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn to our Fathers from the days of old And Christ his turning Men from their iniquities which he doth accomplish by appointing them means and by assisting them in the use of them to that end is part of the Blessing contained in the Promise made to Abraham and was so reckoned by St. Peter Act 3.25 26. Ye are the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers saying unto Abraham And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus Christ sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities 4. It implicitly or somewhat obscurely contained in it a Promise of Eternal Life I say implicitly For I do not find that Eternal Life was expresly promised to Abraham But yet that was expresly promised him from which the hope of Eternal Life might well be inferred As first Blessedness through his Seed the Messias And secondly That God would be a God to him and his Seed For Blessedness is a Happiness that runs parallel with the duration of Man's Immortal Soul And God's Promise of being a God to Abraham carried in it a Promise of a Happiness worthy of God to bestow such as Everlasting Life or Happiness is And therefore he was not ashamed to be called their God meaning Abraham Isaac and Jacob because he had prepared for them a City meaning that in so doing he had answered that title of relation of being their God and done like himself Heb. 11.16 And upon these and the like Revelations of God's mind to him Abraham looked for a City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God and a Heavenly Country Heb. 11.10 16. If Abraham did but use his reason about these Promises as he did about reconciling God's Promise that in Isaac his Seed should be called with his command to Sacrifice him Heb. 11.17 18 19. he might discern Eternal Life in them though but very obscurely in comparison of what is now revealed in the Gospel by which Life and Immortality is brought to light 2 Tim. 1.10 But how obscurely soever a future Happiness was promis'd to Abraham yet promised it was for which we have the testimony of St. Paul Gal. 3.18 If the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of Promise But God gave it to Abraham by Promise He was here proving against the Pharisaical Jews and Judaizing Christians that Justification unto Life was to be had by the Promise and not by the Law by Faith and not by Works of the Law that the Just should live by Faith as vers 12. And therefore by Inheritance here which he saith God gave to Abraham by Promise he doubtless means Eternal Life which elsewhere he calls the Promise of eternal Inheritance Heb. 9.15 Consider now how God carry'd on his design of restoring Man by the promise of those benefits For if expressions of the greatest Grace and Love in God to Men is the way to beget in them a love to God again and in begetting that to beget all the desirable effects of Love which are no less than a sincere conformity in Man's Nature and Life to the Divine Law and if the giving of great and
withal create in us such an humble Opinion of our own Unworthiness that when we have done all that we can to deny our selves and have proceeded never so far in our Zeal to good Works we shall nevertheless confessing that we are but unprofitable Servants depend wholly on Christ's Merits and Mediation and in the Virtue of his Satisfaction and Intercession alone expect Salvation And now such is the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace An Enumeration of fundamental Principles particularly that part of it the Vow in Baptism wherein all do solemnly promise and vow Repentance Faith and Obedience engaging to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil Whosoever considers this sees what Obligations lye upon him to deny himself the sinful Pleasures of the World I. The general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace and to govern his whole Life and Conversation according to God's Commandments And whoever again understands the Constitution of this Covenant knows that it was obtain'd for him by the Mediation of Christ who is therefore Stiled The Mediatour of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 and therefore that on his Mediation he must depend for the having those infinite Blessings made good to him which are promis'd therein to his Obedience And such fundamental Principles also in a prime Sence are the Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith as the Belief of God II. The Articles of our Christian Faith and of his Providence that he is our Creatour Governour and will Reward every Man according to his Works The Belief that Jesus Christ came into the World Died and Suffered to Attone for its Sins and Preach'd the Gospel to Reform it The Belief that he gives his Spirit to sanctify us and that he will hereafter come in Person to Judge us In a word The Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith These are indeed the true Principles of our Religion for these are all of them as I shall hereafter shew so many very powerful Motives to reform our Lives to forsake our Sins and to follow Holiness as that without which we shall never see God And these do most of them influence us as to a Good Life so humbly to rely upon God's Mercies through Christ for the acceptance of it III. The Laws of the Ten Commandments And such also are the Laws of the Ten Commandments which contain the great Instances of our Duty to God our Neighbour and our Selves and to which all others may probably be reduc'd These Ten Commandments may properly enough be stiled the Principles of Religion for as the Root is the Principle as it were out of which all the Branches Stem forth so out of these Commandments do all the Duties of a Christian grow forth like so many Branches so that whosoever shall well study and digest these Ten Summary Commands shall scarcely fail of growing up to be a Good Christian IV. The Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments And if to these we add the Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments which are the necessary Means and appointed us by God of our procuring and conveying unto us his Assistance to enable us to mortify and forsake our Sins and to become Holy I do not know any other Principles that are Fundamentally necessary either to the promoting of a good Life here or an happy One hereafter at leastwise so far as to be the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Business of a Catechist to inform you of them And indeed as these Doctrines are every One of them necessary to be Known Believ'd and Practic'd by every Christian that may have the Means of Knowing them and may be taught them being no other than the Covenant of Grace it self or those particular Articles contain'd in it and which are expresly Enjoyn'd upon us by the Word of God to be Believ'd and Practic'd by us so our Church does account them the only Fundamental and Necessary Principles that are to be the Matter of a Christian Catechism There are it must be confest many other useful Truths contain'd in the Scriptures and those who having first laid the Foundation in these already mention'd would go on to Perfection should endeavour by Reading the Bible and other good Books and by Attending to the Preaching of the Word A Catechism ought not to be crouded w th any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a good life here and Happiness hereafter to gain the Knowledge of them But a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here and Happiness hereafter And if other Churches have fill'd their Catechisms either with many Unscriptural Tenets as the Church of Rome has hers or with any doubtful and nice Doctrines concerning God's Election and Reprobation as many others have done theirs they have no reason to brag of their Abundance It is the Glory of our Church that she Imposes no other Doctrine as necessary to be Learnt by her Children than those already mention'd which are plainly declar'd in Scripture to be Fundamental and Necessary Principles whereon we may securely build a Good Life and the certain Hopes of eternal Happiness and which are so firm a Rock that the Religion and Hopes of Happiness founded upon it will not easily be destroy'd by the most violent and boistrous Temptations that the World the Flesh and the Devil shall Assault it withal thereby to Ruine it Thus have I Adventured in as few Words as the Difficulty of the Argument would give me leave to shew you the Nature of Fundamental Principles and to declare to you what Doctrines are to be accounted such so far at least as they are the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Business of a Catechist to inform you of them I have done this Point when I have told you A Catechism is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity That a Catechism is A General Instruction only in the fundamental Principles of Christianity As a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here and Happiness hereafter so even those Fundamental Truths it ought to deliver in as short and comprehensive a manner as possible for a Catechism is an Instruction that must be fitted to all even the weakest Capacities and therefore it ought to be such a Form of sound Words as all can retain And the more explicite and enlarged Knowledge of these things is to be sought for in the Expositions and Comments that are given of them in Catechetical Discourses of which Nature I design by God's Grace to Present you with some until I have gone through your Catechism In a word and to conclude this First Point Such were the Ancient and Apostolical Catechisms Such a General Instruction in the Fundamental and most Necessary Points of Religion as we have given you an Account of was the
Sin most truly Diabolical for it is to be consider'd That tho' the Devil be the first Author of all Sin and instigates to every Kind yet there are many which Satan himself cannot commit As for Instance He cannot be Drunk nor commit Lewdness and the like himself because these are committed only in and by the Body whereas he is a Spirit but yet he is Naturally Proud and Ambitious And therefore tho' those other as being more visible and sensible are more Scandalous in the Eyes of Men yet this more Spiritual Wickedness Pride and Ambition and a Pharasaical Censoriousness and Thinking more Highly of One-self and more Disrespectfully of Others than is meet are more truly Diabolical and have more in their Nature of the Devil's Temper And as Pride so Envy Envy is another of the Devil's Qualities The Devil through his Pride and Rebellion having lost that high Station and Dignity he once enjoy'd in Heaven and seeing Man exalted to a Capacity of obtaining a Share in that Glory and Happiness from which he is excluded He is possest with the utmost Envy both towards God and Man Envying God the Service of us his Creatures and us both the Happiness of serving so Good a Master and those infinite Rewards which will be given us for our faithful Service and Obedience to him And from this his Envy proceeds that Rancourous Malice Malice also wherewith he is ever since Acted so as to be continually Contriving how to do us the greatest Mischief from whence he is called our Adversary the Devil 1 Pet. 5.8 Envy and Malice are indeed the very Natural Temper and Disposition of Satan so that he seems to be wholly made up thereof 'T was Pride as One said made him Envious his Envy that made him Spiteful and Malicious all which together make him a Devil And therefore as you would not appear to have something Diabolical in your very Natures Let all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamour and Evil-speaking be put away from you with all Malice and be Kind one to another Forgiving one another even as God for Christ's Sake hath Forgiven you Eph. 4.31 32. III. Such as are more the practice of Satan himself than other Sins viz. Murder Lastly There are some Sins more the Devil 's own Practice than others and do therefore deserve to be more particularly Styl'd the Works of the Devil And there are these Three Apostacy Murder and Lying which are expresly mention'd as his own Sins in that One remarkable Place of Scripture Joh. 8.44 The Devil was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the Truth because there is no Truth in him When he speaketh a Lie he speaketh of his own for he is a Liar and the Father of it He was a Murderer from the beginning He delights in humane Gore and no doubt the vast Slaughters of Men which have been made in Bloody Wars have been through the Instigation of Satan stirring up Ambitious Princes unjustly to Invade their Neighbours Countries that he might Glut his Appetite with Blood And for the same Reason he Oblig'd the Pagans his Worshipers to offer Men in Sacrifice to him And there is no Duel fought but he is first at the making of the Challenge and then at the Murderer's Elbow to direct the fatal Thrust In these last sort of Murders he hopes to do Two Works at once to destroy both Body and Soul in one instant and to be sure he will never fail being present where he can to all Intents and Purposes so effectually do the work of a Destroyer as he is styl'd Revel 9.11 He abode not in the Truth Hereby is denoted his Apostacy Apostacy and Falling off from God and his Service another of Satan's principal Works of Sin And if any of you who have given up your Names to Christ to be his Disciples and Followers should hereafter instead of Renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil as you have solemnly Professed in your Baptism give your selves up to the Service of Satan of Mammon and of your filthy Lusts why you will be reckon'd amongst those that are Apostates from God and are turned aside after Satan 1 Tim. 5.15 Nay and if you should fall off from the Truth as it is here Profest in this Church of which you are Members to any Heretical Doctrines you will Imitate Satan in his Apostacy who abode not in the Truth Lying and especially Calumniating and Evil-speaking When he speaketh a Lie he speaketh of his own for he is a Liar and the Father of it A Lie was that whereby he deceiv'd and ruin'd Man at first Ye shall not surely dye said Satan Gen. 3.4 So contrary to what God himself had Threaten'd our First Parents in case they should Eat of the forbidden Fruit And it is by erroneous and false Doctrines which as Tares he sows in the Field of the Church whereby he has undone so many Souls ever since You must therefore Abhor a Lye or Speaking that which you do not Know to be exactly agreeable to the Truth of Things as you will not make your Selves Children of such a Father the Devil And especially you must beware of that sort of Lying whereby you will most nearly Resemble him and that is in Slandering and falsly Accusing of any One to the Ruine of his good Name Satan is particularly Stigmatized in Scripture for this sort of Lying and is therefore called The Accuser or Slanderer of the Brethren which accuseth them before God Day and Night Rev. 12.10 and it is observable that 1 Tim. 3.11 where Women are charged not to be Slanderers nor false Accusers the Word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be Devils which should be a Warning to them as they would dread so Black a Character to avoid Entertaining one another with Backbiting and speaking Evil of their Neighbours which yet I am afraid is the most usual Conversation when that Sex do meet together Indeed as the pernicious Lye utter'd for the Hurt or Disadvantage of our Neighbour is the most truly Diabolical So all sorts of Lying whatsoever renders such as are Notorious for it Contemptible and Vile amongst Men and Odious to God as does sufficiently appear by the Place and Company they are Rank'd with Rev. 22.15 Without that is Hell are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lye which should make you of all things in the World my Dear Youth to Beware of this Odious Hellish Sin of Lying and I do the more earnestly press you to Hate and Abhor it because Youth are most apt to be Addicted to it And so much for Sin consider'd as a Work of the Devil And now Secondly We should proceed to consider that other great Work of Satan his Tempting of us to Sin But this as it has been his great Employment ever since the Creation of Mankind and will be so as long
it were by their horrid Oaths and Imprecations to Damn 'em that is to send 'em to the Devil and all those who resort to Charmers and Conjurers and Fortune-tellers as many Thousands do in this Nation All these I say are the open and profest Subjects of Satan's Kingdom And how many Lewd and Riotous Livers are there amongst us who do little else but the Works of the Devil and Obey no other Laws but those of Sin So that as you will Renounce the Devil and all his Works in that Sence wherein the Church does at present understand the Words you are with all possible care to avoid being of the Number of such Men. And I know no more that need be said at present This Renunciation for the most Part the same with Repentance to explain the Importance of the words Renounce the Devil and all his Works except it be this That if we consider such a Renunciation as the Act of One who has been heretofore a Slave to Satan and a Servant to Sin then it signifies to Forsake and Abandon the Service of Sin and the Devil formerly Liv'd in and so being a Ceasing to do Evil and a Learning to do well is the same with Repentance But if it be the Act of one of those who may be said to need no Repentance of which sort are Infants who have never committed Actual Sin then to Renounce the Devil and all his Works does mean a firm Resolution never to side with him in his Rebellion against God and as carefully as he can to avoid the committing of any Sin as being that whereby God's Rightful Authority is cast off and the Devil 's Vsurpt Dominion submitted to And so much for the Meaning of Renouncing the Devil and all his Works The Devil and all his works of Sin must be absolutely and entirely Renounced because And now Lastly it remains that I should shew you how that it is necessary we should Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works As to those other Enemies to our Souls the World and our own Flesh there is some Temper to be us'd being neither of 'em are Absolutely and in themselves Evil but only by accident when the World is too intensely Belov'd and our Flesh too much Indulg'd to the Prejudice and Hurt of the Soul and therefore there are some Degrees of Affection and Regard allow'd to both them But the Devil is the Evil One and he is by way of Eminence and Singularity styl'd the wicked One in the Holy Scripture as Matth. 13.19 and 1 Joh. 2.13.19 There is nothing but Evil proceeds from Satan So that there 's not the least Good and nothing but Evil proceeds from him and therefore no manner of Agreement is to be made with him What Concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 Nor are we to imagine we can divide our Service betwixt God and him We cannot serve God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 So that the Devil is Absolutely and Entirely to be Renounced by us And Sin whether we consider it in its Original Cause Nature or in its sad Effects and Consequents is the utmost Evil. And so likewise must his Works of Sin Sin as Sin is entirely Evil Consider it in its Original Cause and Nature and consider it in its Effects and Consequents and there is not a worse Evil in the World than Sin View it in its Original and first Cause and it is a Brat of the Devil 's the First-born of Hell And view it again in its Nature and it is a Choosing of quite other Ends than what the Wise and Good God has appointed us and ordain'd us for and is a Going quite cross to those Laws and Rules which he has given us And then consider it next in its sad Effects and Consequents and there is no Evil in the World to be compar'd to it It is a Sin says One which turn'd glorious Angels into hideous Devils and tumbl'd them down from Heaven to Hell It is Sin that fill'd the World with Woes and Plagues brought Death and Diseases and a vast and endless Summ of Miseries into it It is Sin that torments and terrifies the Conscience that kindles Hell Flames Exposes the Soul to the eternal and direful Revenges of the Great God And in a word Sin is so perfectly and only Evil that the worst of things here were they free from the Contagion and Evil of Sin would be Excellent and Amiable So that Sin also is Absolutely and Entirely to be Renounced by us and there is no one Sin nothing in the least of Sin that may willingly be comply'd with Therefore no one Sin nor any thing the least of Sin must willingly be comply'd with I say No One Sin nor any the least of Sin for so Poisonous a thing it is in spoiling of every thing that is Good in Man that if we shall allow our selves but in One single Sin it will utterly spoil all our other Righteousness If a man keep the whole Law and yet offend in one Point he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And one such single Allowance will stop God's Ears against all our Prayers If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 Nay so absolutely an Evil is Sin and so Absolutely and Entirely it is to be Renounced by us that the least sinful Action is not to be committed in order to attain the greatest Good So little a Sin as an Officious Lie must not be told no not to save a Man's Life Nor a Pious Fraud nor a Holy Cheat committed to promote the Good of the Church and to secure and propagate what we take to be the True Religion For if the Truth of God hath more Abounded through my Lie unto his Glory why yet am I judged as a Sinner Whereas he who telleth such a Kind and Serviceable Lie will certainly be Judg'd as such and as it follows Whosoever shall say Let us do Evil that Good may come of it his Damnation is just Rom. 3.7 8. So that every Christian must Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin And indeed it is but to consider And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to renounce both as well as know the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either of them and it is impossible any should not absolutely and entirely Renounce that is utterly detest and avoid and beware of them As for the Devil why Even the Perversest of People the Israelites when it was solemnly put to their Reason and Consideration who to serve God or the Devil could not without the utmost Detestation think of the latter If it seems Evil unto you says Joshua to them Josh 24.15 16. to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will
their darling Opinion should be Entituled to the Policy of so ill an Author but if considering the Mischief together with the Cunning there does appear upon Examination to be in Satan's Contrivances to Ruine Religion and to draw us off from God we may safely Conjecture any Doctrine that is Pernicious in its Effects when Plausible in its Appearance to be of his Invention surely that which under the Colour of Advancing a more Spiritual Worship does so fatally destroy all Religious Worship has another Spirit for its Author than is commonly Pretended And thus you may perceive by these few Instances whereby you may be enabled to make a happy Conjecture concerning the rest how Cunningly Satan does Gild over and Disguise his Errors with something of a Resemblance to Divine Truth in order to prevent their Discovery And this he does especially in those Countries and Churches where Men do Thirst after Divine Knowledge and to that End do Search the Scriptures The Devil 's main and principal Care indeed is to keep out the Word of God from shining upon any People and at first he bends all his Forces to keep off the Preachers of it that so the World being detain'd in Ignorance they may not know how to Repent and Return to God But when the Light of his Holy Gospel does once begin to shine upon any People then all his Endeavours are to Corrupt and Deprave it with false and forc'd Explications and to multiply Controversies and Contentions in Religious Matters to teach Men to Scruple every Thing and out of a scrupulous Humour to divide and sub-divide into innumerable Sects and Parties stirring up each to Persecute and Destroy the other that whilst the different Parties contend so furiously with one another he may securely Triumph over all and bring the Holy Scriptures at last into Contempt with Prophane and Atheistical Men As if they were the Occasion of all those Wars and Confusions that are occasion'd in the World by Religious Disputes when alas He alone by managing the Lusts and corrupt Humours of sinful Men is the cause thereof So St. Jude ver 19. These be they who separate themselves Sensual having not the Spirit They have not the Holy Spirit of God tho' no none make more confident Boasts thereof than Schismaticks and Separatists usually do But the Spirit which they have is the Spirit of Satan and of Sensuality whatever Godliness and Purity above other Men they pretend to II. As to the Temper and Preparation of the Soil in Churches where the-scriptures are lockt up and ignorance prevails he imposes the grossest Heresies as Articles of Faith But Secondly Is the Soil better prepared to his Mind I mean Is there no Prophecy no Teaching Are the Scriptures Lockt up in an unknown Tongue and is a Cloud of Ignorance drawn over a whole Church Why then he throws off the Veil and walks as at Noon-day And there is no Error and Heresy so gross there is no Doctrine so contrary to Truth that he will not Impose as an Article of their Belief There is not that Ceremony so Absurd Trifling and Ridiculous which he will not Introduce into such People's Worship And there is no Immorality so bad in Practice which he will not teach such People securely and without Fear of Damnation to commit And I do call such Souls who know not the Scriptures and are utterly Ignorant of Divine Things a Soil better prepared to his Mind because he can with the greatest Ease reduce such back to his Ancient Paganism and Idolatry Especially he introduces Idolatry and Superstition whereby he is most immediately and directly serv'd or something like it which above all things he desires because by Superstition and Idolatry he is more directly and immediately serv'd As a Politick Prince he 'll make great Advantages of the Divisions of another's Subjects But the Idolater is his immediate Slave and therefore an ignorant Soul as being most proper to sow that Weed in is the Soil he does most of all like But he has a wonderful skill in suiting his Seed to any Soil so that whatever People's Interests or Lusts do incline 'em to Believe he will never fail to suggest such plausible Arguments as will most probably take with ' em III. As to the fitness of the Season he is dexterous in Accomodateing his Counsels his Actions and his manner of acting to such Seasons as are most proper to his Purpose of seducing Mankind Nor Thirdly Is Satan less Subtle in Distinguishing which are the most fit and advantagious Seasons of sowing his Tares of corrupt Doctrines in the Field or Church of Christ Indeed his great Dexterity and Policy is eminently seen in suiting his Counsels his Actions and his manner of Acting to such Seasons as are most proper to his Purpose of seducing Mankind And tho' it be his constant and perpetual Endeavours to Exercise his utmost Enmity against the Seed of the Woman and to Establish his Kingdom amongst Men Yet to fit his Counsels to proper Seasons to suit 'em to the several Ages of the Church to the Studies and Dispositions and Occupations of Men that so he may commit no Blunder in his Politicks is his great and mighty Care and Cunning. Of which amongst other Instances that might be given I will choose but One. In the dark and ignorant Ages of the Church which were from about the Ninth Century till towards the time of the Reformation when Men's Studies and Dispositions savour'd wholly of Superstition we hear of nothing so much in the Stories of those Times as of the Apparitions and Visions Hence in dark and ignorant Ages nothing so common as the Apparitions of Saints as was pretended to introduce the belief of Purgatory Image-Worship and the like Superstitions that the Founders of their several Orders and superstitious Doctrines did receive Insomuch that no New Order of Monks and Fryars nor any New Doctrine of Purgatory Image-worship Prayers to Saints or any Pilgrimage to the Shrine of some Saint departed was to be Invented but either the Virgin Mary or some other Saint is said to have Appear'd and to have Appointed it And as Legendary and Fabulous as were the Histories of those Times I am apt to Believe there were such Apparitions as I am throughly perswaded that Samuel did Appear to Saul But then as it was not really Samuel himself for his Body was in the Grave and his Soul in Paradise and it was not in the Power of the Witch of Endor to Raise up the One from the Dust much less to Recal the Other out of Heaven but the Devil who did assume Samuel's Shape So it is more than probable he might appear in the Resemblance of the Blessed Virgin and Others to seduce the superstitious People of those Times into Idolatrous Practices who throwing aside the Scriptures Gave heed to Fables and Doctrines of Devils It was infinitely then the Interest of his Kingdom so to do But pray
and pass by the Imperfection of the Good they do teaching 'em to apply themselves to the Blessed Virgin and other Saints as Mediators with God for ' em Nay and some of their Doctrines as that of Merits and of Works of Super-errogation do teach 'em proudly to over-value their own Performances and to boast themselves in their Merit And therefore so far must we be from suffering our selves to be perswaded of the Truth of All these and the like Doctrines as Articles of our Christian Faith that we must utterly dissent from them all as unjust and unreasonable Impositions on the Belief of Christians In a word as we must strengthen our selves in the Belief of all those True and Genuine Articles of the Christian Faith so to Believe all these as necessary to Salvation is enough But to Believe more under the Character of Articles of a Christian's Faith especially if they be such Doctrines as do take off the Fears of Sinning and send us to other Mediators betwixt God and Man besides the Man Christ Jesus this is indeed a Belief not only superfluous as being a Belief of more than All the necessary Articles of a Christian's Faith but is a very sinful and criminal and superstitious Perswasion 2. To Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith is not only to assent to All and every of those Articles in the Gross but to be fully perswaded of all and every of those single Truths contained in each of those Articles 2. To Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith is to be fully perswaded of all and of every of those single Truths contain'd in each of those Articles Every one of the Articles of our Christian Faith is full of a great deal of Meaning and many of them do contain Truths of various Kinds and Importance Thus for Instance To believe that Jesus Christ was Crucified Dead and Buried does import this Comfortable as well as Fundamental Doctrine of Christianity That the Only Son of God suffered Death upon the Cross for our Redemption and that he made there by that one Oblation of himself once offered a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice Oblation and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World And accordingly it is said 1 Pet. 3.18 That Christ once suffered for Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God And 21.24 it is said That he himself did bear our Sins in his own Body on the Tree But then this is not the whole that is meant in that Grand Article but also this other Doctrine That he suffered to Redeem us from all Iniquity that is he suffered on the Cross the Punishment of our Sins that we seeing how odious a Thing Sin is which could not be Atton'd for by a Sacrifice less valuable than the Blood of the Son of God might therefore abhor it and forsake it And this is also taught us in the very place now cited from St. Peter viz. 1 Epist 2.24 He his own self bear our Sins in his own Body upon the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live unto Righteousness A Heretick must be such by Believing only of one of those Truths contained in the Article And now a Person may become Guilty of Heresy by believing only One of those Truths contain'd in the Articles And accordingly there are Two opposite Heresies which do at this day most grievously afflict the Church of Christ amongst us and they do divide these two great Doctrines contain'd in this one Article betwixt ' em And they are therefore Heresies because they do so divide 'em and do not each of 'em Believe both these important Doctrines The Antinomians do Believe indeed that Christ did satisfy the Divine Justice for our Sins but so as to leave no Conditions to be perform'd by them And the Socinians on the other side owning that he came to draw us off from Sin deny that he made any Satisfaction for us So that both do fundamentally Err in the Faith tho' they Believe the Article in the gross that Christ was Crucify'd Dead and Buried because neither of them Believe the whole Truth contain'd in that Article And therefore as you must Believe All the Articles so All those Divine and Necessary Truths which are contain'd in every Article of your Christian Faith according to the full Explication and Meaning thereof given us in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds These Creeds do not contain more or different Articles of Faith than the Apostle's Creed does but in these Creeds many Articles of our Christian Faith are exprest in the full Sence and Importance of 'em in opposition to those Heresies which did and do still pervert or restrain the Meaning of those Articles And thus you also see how you are to Believe All the Articles of your Christian Faith that you are not only to Believe every One of 'em but all that Divine Truth which is contained in each And so as I have before laid before you how you are to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh so now what it is to Believe all the Articles of your Christian Faith And so it only remains and then I shall have fully Explain'd to you all the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace that I shew you next what it is to Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of our Life THE XXIII Lecture Thirdly That I should obey God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life I Hope I have sufficiently Explain'd unto you the Two first Conditions bound upon you in your Baptismal Covenant as indispensibly necessary to your obtaining the Benefits of it which Conditions are First that you should Renounce the Devil c. Secondly That you should Believe c. And now I come to the Third which is That you should Obey c. And that I may fully and to the purpose Explain this to you I will First Lay before you what it is to Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments or how far you must be Obedient to the Holy Will and Commandments of God as ever you will hope to obtain Salvation or to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Secondly I will shew you what it is to Walk in the same all the Days of your Life or how long you must persevere in such Obedience which must be to the End of your Lives And Thirdly I will clear the Doctrine of Evangelical Obedience as so stated from those Doubts that may be raised against it And First I. What it is to obey God's Holy Will and Commandments Because nothing can be more necessary for you to be Instructed in than the Measures of that Obedience now under the Gospel or Covenant of Grace upon the performance of less than which you cannot expect to be made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven I will with what clearness I can shew you How far we must be Obedient
the Scripture and given to conduct you to Heaven particularly and especially that you would give an entire Credit to those Great and Fundamental Articles of Christian Faith contain'd in your Creed and that you would so throughly Believe 'em as to be influenc'd by 'em to the performance of the Third thing you engag'd in your Baptism and that was that you would sincerely and entirely obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of your Life This was that Covenant we made with God in our Baptism It was obtain'd for us when we were under Condemnation for the breach of our first Covenant whereby we had rebell'd against God and took part with the Devil For being in this miserable Condition then did the Eternal Son of God sacrifice his own Life to make Satisfaction to the Divine Justice for our Sins and did moreover Mediate with his Father for us that we might be receiv'd into favour upon the Terms now mention'd And he did not only come down from Heaven himself to call us into this State of Salvation but sent also his Prophets Apostles and Ministers as his Embassadors in all Ages to invite Mankind into it and to pray 'em in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 And so many of the World as have hearken'd to that Call have been admitted by Baptism to those Terms of Reconciliation and have in that Solemn Ordinance dedicated themselves to the Service of God and have vowed to perform it as has been now declared To be faithful to which Vow you have all possible Obligations lying upon you and particularly because you have so solemnly at your Baptism sworn to perform it And in order to that since Christian Resolution especially if publickly and solemnly made will have a great force in it to preserve you from the Power of Temptation you must therefore stedfastly resolve to continue faithful in your Covenant only this you must take care of not to resolve so to do in confidence of your own Strength but of God's Grace and Assistance which you must therefore earnestly pray to him for And that you may the better know how to form such Resolution Secondly I am next to shew you the Nature of that Resolution imported in these Words So I will and which will so very much conduce to the performance of your Covenant And by Christian Resolution is meant a peremptory but rational Determination of the Will to a vigorous and speedy Execution of those Vows and Promises made in Baptism notwithstanding all Temptations to the contrary and this publickly delaratively and solemnly made 1. Resolution is a Determination of the Will Before the Mind comes to a Resolution there is usually some Doubtfulness and Hesitation what Course to take but when a Person once puts on a Resolution there is no longer halting between God and Baal the Fault of the unresolved Jews 1 Kings 18.21 The Man is determined within himself to adhere to God And this his Determination must be 2. Fix'd and peremptory opposite to Fickleness and Inconstancy This was the Temper of the Jews the most irresolute People in the World who were continually changing their Gods and their Religion for which the Prophet upbraids ' em Hath a Nation changed their Gods which yet are no Gods But my People have changed their Glory for that which doth not profit Jer. 2.11 And a perpetual round of sinning and repenting and of repenting and sinning again does sadly betray the irresolute Disposition of too many Christians amongst us But 3. Christian Resolution is a Rational Determination of the Will that is It is not a Wilfulness a Stubbornness and an Obstinacy such as makes Men without Reason nay and contrary to Reason to stick unmoveable from an Opinion or to a course of Life they have taken up in despite of all Evidence and Reason to the contrary A Temper very far from being Christian but proceeding from wilful Ignorance and Pride or a sourness and fullenness of Nature Such was that perverse Temper of the Jews of whom Jeremiah complains Jer. 18.12 as being resolute without reason saying We will walk after our own Devices and we will every one do the Imagination of his Heart But a Man of Resolution weighs every thing first before he fixes And the true Method of forming a true Christian Resolution is this The Person who does it as our Saviour represents his Proceeding sits down and considers on the one hand the very great Difficulties and Temptations there are in the Christian Warfare against the World the Flesh and the Devil and moreover that it is better not to Vow than to Vow and not Pay Eccl. 5.4 Nay and he considers his own extream Weakness so as not to be able of himself to Encounter three so formidable Enemies as the World the Flesh and the Devil But then on the other side he considers the Glorious Rewards of those who come off Conquerors that if he does not List himself in God's Service by entring into and often Renewing his Covenant with God he will be a Bond-slave to the Devil and eternally and unavoidably undone and that tho' of himself he is able to do nothing yet through Christ that strenghthens him he can do all things Phil. 4.13 And as the Result of this Consideration he does most rationally and wisely form a fixt and peremptory Resolution to Fight the good Fight of Faith and Maugre all Temptations and Hazards or Losses to continue a faithful Soldier and Servant of his Saviour Christ And this I say is the Importance of that Parable of our Saviour Luke 14.31 32 33. where under the Character of a King going to War against a powerful Enemy considering his Danger and providing accordingly against it he represents how we Christians must form our Resolutions 4. And when the Will is thus Rationally determin'd what course to take then the Resolute Disciple of Christ determines to proceed to a Vigorous Execution of his Vows and Promises This is a part of Resolution opposite to Weakness and Faintness of Purpose as when Persons Wish aad would be glad to do so and so O that I could die the Death of the Righteous said Bulaam Numb 23.10 And also Opposite it is to that Easiness of Disposition a Distemper of Mind which is very falsly but commonly call'd Good Nature which makes Persons ready to yield notwithstanding their former good Purposes to the Importunities Perswasions or Allurements of the next Tempter Thus one of those easie Persons is represented Prov. 7.7 as one whom the Harlot meeting with her much fair Speech caused him to yield so that he went after her straitway as an Ox goeth to the Slaughter or as a Fool to the Correction of the Stocks ver 22. 5. And the Resolute Christian as he determines vigorously so also speedily to put in execution what he has upon mature Deliberation design'd He does not think of putting off his Repentance till another Day
Image of God in the Soul namely that Righteousness and Purity which we had lost by our Fall This I mean by the Divine Assistance The Measures of it proportionable to the necessity of the Church And as to the measures of this Assistance every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be shall have sufficient Supplies of Grace derived down from Him our Head proportionable to his Necessities by those means of conveying it which Christ has appointed for that purpose I say every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be For as we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. that is there are different Members in the Church of Christ Some are to be Governours and Teachers of others and accordingly must be endow'd with a Spirit of Government and Gift of Teaching and others are of a more private Capacity in the Church of Christ whatever they be in other Respects and their Business is to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Man and faithfully to discharge their Duties to God their Neighbour and themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace enabling 'em to discharge the same They have not a Promise of those Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other Persons Offices but are distitute of those necessary for their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have receiv'd Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way for God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the Mystical Body by keeping himself united to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit in the first Ages And that too in such Measures and Proportions as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law And the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers Extraordinary Gifts viz. of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the Malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion So all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily strengthned no doubt to resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is establish'd Ordinary in succeeding Times and the Truth of Christianity already prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the Ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out into any part of the World as sometimes they are to this day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those Means which Christ has appointed in his Church for that purpose And yet even these ordinary Assistances Even the ordinary Assistances extensively very large so as to repair all the Powers of Nature deprav'd by Sin Blessed be the Infinite Mercies of God towards us therein are extensively very large and diffusive so as to reach to all the Parts and Powers of our Nature which are Evilly Affected Corrupted and Deprav'd by Sin and Intensively very powerful in working a blessed-Change within us And First the Grace of God is extensively very diffusive and large in the Change and Reformation it works within us in that there is no Power and Difficulty in our Natures which by Sin is Corrupted but by his Grace and Assistance is Renew'd I do mean that the Assistances which God does afford us to enable our Weakness to perform the Conditions of the Covenant is so apply'd to us by the Goodness of God that every Power and Faculty within us which is render'd weak by the Corruption of our Nature is strengthned by his Grace to perform its proper part and Duty Are our Understandings dull to apprehend and conceive of Spiritual things as they ought His Grace does enlighten our Understandings Thus we read Luke the 24.45 that our Saviour opened the Vnderstandings of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures And to this purpose St. Paul Eph. 1.18 did earnestly Pray That God would give unto 'em the Spirit of Wisdom that the Eyes of their Vnderstandings being enlighten'd they might know what is the Hope of their Calling and what are the Riches of the Glory in the Inheritance of the Saints Are our Wills backward in performing the Conditions of the Promises why God by throwing good Suggestions into our Souls and by Imprinting important Considerations upon our Minds does perswade and bend our stubborn Wills and by degrees works us into a ready Compliance with the Divine Will Thus is God said to work in us both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Phil. 2.13 And upon this account also all our Christian Virtues are call'd the Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Are our Affections listless and lukewarm to Spiritual things particularly Are they dull and heavy in our Devotions Why the Holy Spirit helps to raise in us Holy Desires Lise and Quickness in our Prayers Thus the Apostle the Spirit helps our Infirmities making Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God by Inspiring 'em with such Desires and Groanings that cannot be utter'd Rom. 8.26 27. And Lastly Are our Lusts and Appetites violent to carry us out to gratifie them in unlawful things Why If by the Spirit of God we shall mortifie the Deeds of the Body we are Promis'd that we shall Live Rom. 8.13 which implies that by the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit we shall be able to subdue those unruly Lusts within us and so shall live Eternally And Intensively very powerful to renew our corrupt Natures And Secondly The Divine Grace and Assistance even in its ordinary Distributions is Intensively powerful and strong enough to Renew our Corrupt Natures This secret Power of the Holy Spirit does not indeed so forcibly and Irresistably work a Change in us as that it will be impossible to Resist this Divine Grace and Efficacy and to render it ineffectual to our Renovation The Grace of God may be resisted and his
think Baptism as necessary now as Circumcision was then since the same Word of Truth hath told us except we be born of Water and of the Spirit we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Joh. 3.5 So that those misguided Parents do not know what infinite prejudice they do their Infant-Children in denying them the Privilege of baptizing them into the Covenant of Grace and whether they may not be a means of debarring them of all those inestimable Benefits Christ has purchased with his Blood for us and which he ensures only to those who are in Covenant with him 2. Because they were initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism into that legal one delivered by Moses II. And as Infants were circumcised into that Evangelical Covenant made with Abraham so they were both circumcised and also baptized into that legal one delivered by Moses The Legal Covenant delivered by Moses is frequently distinguish'd by St. Paul from the Covenant of Grace confirmed with Abraham Thus Gal. 3.17 This I say that the Covenant that was before confirmed of God with Abraham in Christ the Law which was 430 Years after cannot disanull that it should make the Promise or Covenant of Grace which is so call'd to signifie the gracious Nature of it as being made very much up of most gracious Promises of none effect Here the Legal Covenant is distinguish'd both in Time as being given 430 years after and in point of efficacy as that which is not of that force as to disanull the other more weighty and important Covenant made with Abraham It is usual sometimes for after-Covenants to disannul former ones but it seems it was not so here but this Legal Covenant given after was superinduc'd upon the other still remaining in force as the only one by which Salvation was to be expected And the Enquiry might well be to what End this Legal Covenant was added like an Appendix as it were and Codicill to the former Will And not here to give a full Account of all the Ends and Reasons of it which is besides our present purpose my Answer to the Question Wherefore then serveth the Law shall be with St. Paul Gal. 3.19 that it was added because of Transgressions until the Seed should come It was added because of Transgressions that is to discover the multitude and heinousness and guilt of Sin for the discovery of the perfect Rule of Righteousness made it easie for Persons comparing their own Lives therewith to find out how infinitely defective they were And it was added till the Seed should come It shewed them therefore by giving 'em a sight of their Sins how much they stood in need of a Saviour And the Sacrifices Offerings and Rituals of it which were very many were for the most part but Types and Shadows of this Saviour to come This may suffice at present as to the Legal Covenant and the Reasons of it That they were admitted by Circumcision â—ndisputable And now let us enquire whether Infants during the time of this Legal Covenant delivered by Moses were not admitted into it as well as grown Persons by some outward Rites and Solemnities And that we shall see they were both by Circumcision and Baptism That Infants of eight days old were of necessity to be circumcised was positively commanded Lev. 12.3 And in the eighth day the Flesh of his Fore-skin shall be circumcised which Circumcision was an Engagement upon them to keep the whole Law Gal. 5.3 But that the Infants in the Jewish Church were circumcised even at eight days old is so evident a Truth to those that do themselves read or hear the Scriptures read that I need not certainly spend time in proving of it But that they were baptized That they were also by Baptism asserted both by Scripture is not indeed so commonly understood and known but wants not its Evidence even from Scripture As 1 Cor. 10.1 2. where St. Paul tells us All our Fathers were under the Cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized unto Moses that is the Religion of Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea And that their very Infants as well as their Parents were so baptized is certain for that all were alike under the Cloud and in the Sea And I think it is generally agreed amongst the Learned And by Jewish Writers that as the Israelites during their whole Travels through the Red Sea and Wilderness were not circumcised because it would make them sore for travelling so instead thereof that they were baptized or admitted into Covenant by Baptism But especially they tell us it was used for the Admission of Proselytes or those who had been before Aliens and Strangers from the Commonwealth of Israel that it was especially used for the Admission of such into the Covenants and Promises And the Original use of it to this end some ascribe to the Patriarch Jacob when he chose into his Family and Church the young Women of Sichem and other Heathens who then lived with him Jacob said to his Family and to all who were with him put away from you the strange Gods and be you clean and change your Garments Gen. 35.2 By which Words Be ye clean some do interpret the washing of the Body or Baptism which Reason it self does also persuade us to believe as being very proper when they were to abandon their filthy Idolatry and to embrace the pure Worship of the true God And it is also well known to those who are skill'd in Jewish Customs that when any Parents Dr. Lightfoot Vol. 2. P. 1133. or Masters of Families were thus baptized that all who did belong to them their very Children and Servants and all those over whom they might be suppos'd to have any Authority and Power to bring 'em up in the Jewish Religion and Covenant were also baptized Nay all the Nation of Israel says Lightfoot do assert as it were with one Mouth Ib. Pag. 117. that all the Nation of Israel were brought into the Covenant among other things by Baptism Israel as he cites Maimonides in particular was admitted into the Covenant by three things namely by Circumcision Baptism and Sacrifice So that I hope it does sufficiently appear by what has been said that Infants in the Jewish Church were both circumcised and also baptized into the Legal Covenant Nor is it of little force to prove that Christian Infants under the Covenant of Grace may be baptized that the Jewish Infants were circumcised and baptized under the legal For not now to insist that circumcising and baptizing of Infants and that by God Almighty's own Appointment does demonstrate to us that there is no Incapacity in an Infant that he should be admitted into Covenant with God by some outward Solemnity even whilst an Infant for if there were any unreasonableness in the thing it self God would not have so order'd it But not now to insist on this I do humbly conceive it may be
baptiz'd First On the account of enjoying thereby such inestimable Privileges 323 Secondly On account of their being engag'd thereby so early in the Service of God 324 LECT XXXI I. The Importance of the Terms Godfathers and Godmothers II. The Nature of their Office 327 First It is not only as a Proxy to speak for the Child in Baptism But it imports withal a Security given to God and his Church that the Child shall be instructed in his Baptismal Covenant 328 Secondly It is the Office of these Sureties to admonish the Child to live according to his Baptismal Engagements Thirdly And to take care that at Years of Discretion the Child should take his Vow upon himself before the Bishop in Confirmation 329 III. The Reason the Church has to require Sureties It is for the better Order and Decency of the Administration that some should be the Mouth of the Child 330 It is of concernment to the Church that Security be given that every one who is admitted a Member into it should live to the Reputation and Interest of it This is what Societies whose Honour and Interest is of infinite less consequence do daily require 331 That of Parents not sufficient without Collateral Security The requiring of this as reasonable now as in the Primitive Times This Charge no unreasonable Imposition at any time being little more than what is requir'd from one Christian to another in common Charity at all times 332 LECT XXXII IV. A further Justification of the use of Godfathers and Godmothers It is a sufficient Justification of any Ecclesiastical Institution that it be reasonable tho' not supported by any express Scripture 1. The sole Authority whereon to ground the Belief of the Mysteries of Religion must be Divine Revelation 2. Both Faith and Practice as to the Articles of Natural Religion and Moral Duties grounded both upon the Word of God and right Reason 335 3. Religious Rites and Ceremonies left to the Reason and Discretion of Church-Governours to appoint 336 I. That Christ gave Commission to the Governors of the Church to institute such Vsages as shall be for Decency and Order and the better Edification of the Souls of Men prov'd from Scripture This allow'd to the Governors of the Jewish Church 337 The same Power continu'd to those also who preside in the Christian 339 To whose Ordinances the People are commanded to submit 339 Decency and Order in all Ages of the Church not otherwise to be provided for II. The Appointment of Godfathers and Godmothers a most useful Institution to the foresaid Purposes of Decency Order and Edification First If we consider the Nature of their Office 340 Secondly Those good Effects of it 341 Which good Effects would be much greater were the choice of Godfathers and Godmothers made according to the Canons of the Church The Conclusion 342 FINIS THE XXVIII Lecture Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief HAving heretofore Explain'd the General Nature of the Covenant of Grace as it is taught in the Four first Questions and Answers of the Catechism I come now to declare unto you in a more particular manner the Terms and Conditions of the same Covenant Of which Conditions this is one That we Believe all the Articles of our Christian Faith What these Articles are you are here commanded to Rehearse and to give an Account of them whenever you are thereunto call'd And to open the meaning thereof there are Two Things requisite to be made clear to you 1. What is meant by the Articles of our Belief 2. What is the Importance of this Word Rehearse Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief What meant by the Articles of our Belief First Our Belief we call that whole Collection and Sum of Christian Doctrines and Truths which has been ever accounted by the Church of Christ necessary to be believed by every Christian in order to his Salvation And the Articles of our Belief are every particular Truth contain'd in this general Summ Collection or Body of Christian Doctrines This Abridgment and Summ The Creed wherefore entituled to the Apostles is generally call'd the Apostles Creed The Word Creed comes from the Latin Word Credo to Believe and this is so called because it is a Body of Truths necessary to be Believed It is call'd the Apostles Creed either 1st because it was compil'd by the Apostles themselves Or 2dly because it contains the Substance of the Apostles Doctrine gathered into one Abridgment which was dispersedly delivered in their Writings 1. Because testify'd by the Ancients to have been written by the Apostles And first there wants not sufficient Testimony from the Writings both of the Greek and Latin Fathers that the Creed was compil'd by the Apostles themselves But it is not so proper considering to whom I speak to insist upon this kind of Testimony the Proofs of this Nature being to be brought from Authors whose very Names are unknown to you And indeed my whole Design in this Exposition being to deliver to you the plainest Truths and to give you for the same only Scriptural Proofs I shall wave the first Reason of the Belief 's being call'd the Apostles Creed and shall proceed to the 2. Because it contains the Substance of the Apostles Doctrine Second which is this That it is therefore so call'd because it contains the Substance of the Apostles Doctrine gathered into one short Abridgment which was dispersedly delivered in their Writings and which alone is enough to give it the Title of the Apostles Creed In the Holy Scriptures and Writings of the Apostles we have Doctrines of divers kinds intermingled and interspersed one amongst another Sometimes we meet with Matters of Faith propos'd as necessary to be believ'd by us and sometimes Duties both to God and Man necessary to be practised Sometimes we have Considerations serving as means to direct us and sometimes as motives to perswade us to do our Duty And this being so it is not every Christian that has either leisure or skill of himself to sort these several kind of Doctrines asunder much less to distinguish between many Matters of Faith which are Fundamental and chiefly necessary to be believ'd and other Points which are only wholsome Truths but not of principal consequence to be explicitly and expresly assented to and confess'd And now as God himself for the Ease and Benefit of his Worshippers did collect the Summ of Religious Duties into Tâ—â— Commandments which contain the principal and to which all Inferiour Duties may be reduc'd And as our Blessed Saviour gave us a short Form of Prayer containing all things fit for us to ask or God to grant so did the Apostles themselves collect together into one Abridgment and Summ all those principal Points of Faith which are mainly necessary and of greatest consequence to be believ'd and upon all occasions openly confess'd by every one that calls himself a Christian And it was this Abridgment or Summ as is highly probable and as
the best Expositors do understand the Words which the Apostle means by that Form of Doctrine that he delivered to the Romans Ch. 6.17 and which was the Form of sound Words that Timothy had heard of him 2 Tim. 1.13 The Reason of their making such an Abridgment And the reason of their making such an Abridgment of our Faith was no doubt to guard all true Believers against the Heresies and Errors of seducing Teachers Even in the very Times of the Apostles themselves did Satan and his Instruments begin to sow the Tares of corrupt Doctrines in the Field or Church of Christ and there could be no readier way to discover and distinguish their Pestilent Errors than for every Christian to have a Rule of Faith collected out of the Holy Scriptures ready at hand whereby to try those other Doctrines To which Form or Pattern of Sound Words as it is called 2 Tim. 1.13 if what they taught did not agree it was easie for the most unletter'd Christian to discover their Falshood which without a considerable degree of Skill and Knowledge in the Holy Writings could not otherwise have been done And hence also it is that the Creed is called Symbolum in most Christian Churches viz. because it is the Sign and Badge whereby to know a true and sound Christian a Watch-word to distinguish him from false Hereticks that creep in clandestinely to beguile unwary Souls and a Pass-port in all Christian Churches For all these things does the Word Symbolum mean and to all these Purposes was the Creed made use of in the Primitive Church For did any Stranger come among 'em they did immediately demand of him a Confession of his Faith which if he did deliver agreeable to this Form of sound Words they took it as a Sign of his being Orthodox and not an Heretick and it was a Passport to him whereby he might either remain amongst them or have Letters Commendatory from 'em to go in the Peace of God to other Churches of the Christians And well may our Creed be accounted the surest Test and Touchstone of all Sound and Orthodox Doctrine there being hardly any Heresie and deadly Error that has heretofore or shall hereafter arise in the Church which it does not oppose or obviate Nor any material Truth of Christian Religion that concerns either God or Our selves that it does not hold out to us as necessary to be believ'd as will soon appear to you if from this more general Account of it we do but proceed more nearly to view the Excellent Frame and Method thereof and the particular Articles of which it does consist And this I say if we do we shall see it does contain all the most material and weighty Truths that are necessary to be Believ'd concerning either God or Man and more we are not much concern'd to know First Concerning God A Scheme of the whole Creed we are instructed in the Knowledge 1. Of his Being and Attributes which we are taught in these Words I Believe in God for in the Notion of God are imply'd all those High Perfections which we call the Divine Attributes 2. Of the Three Persons in the one Godhead which we are taught to know and believe under these Three Names Father Son and Holy Ghost 3. And we are instructed in those Personal Works and Operations properly attributed to each Person in the Sacred Trinity This in the following Expressions and Articles of the Creed As to proceed in this General View and Dissection of it I. To God the Father does originally belong the Creation of the World and the Exercise of a wise Providence over it which we are taught to know and believe in these Words Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth II. To God the Son does belong the Redemption of the World that is the reducing from the Power and Dominion of Sin and Satan to the Obedience of the Father that part of the World which had revolted from him and so the Delivery and Salvation of it from cruel Slavery and woful Misery To accomplish which Redemption we are taught 1. In general That he was a Saviour or one that both procur'd for us Salvation and instructed us by revealing the Gospel in the only Way and Method of attaining it This in the Word Iesus And farther yet in the Word Christ to the end he might save us both from Sin and Satan that as a Mediator betwixt God and Man he was invested with the threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King And to enable him effectually to discharge this threefold Office that he was himself both God and Man God which is the Import of these Words The only Begotten Son of God an innocent and sinless Man the Import of these He was Conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary 2. In particular we are instructed in each single Act pertaining to these his Mediatorial Offices And indeed it speaks the excellent Structure of our Catechism as I before observed that it lets Instruction gradually into the Souls of its Disciples by giving first a general view of things and by descending afterwards to inform the tender Minds of young Beginners in the School of Christ more particularly and distinctly in each of those Christian Truths contain'd in the General Article And this proportion is also observable in the Form of the Creed where as short as is the Form of sound Words besides the Doctrine of our Saviour's Mediation and the Offices he underwent more obscurely coucht in the Words Jesus Christ in order to our more distinct Apprehension of what he has done for our Redemption from Sin and Satan and for our Reconciliation with the Father we have the Nature and Acts of those several Offices particularly taught us in the following Articles of the Creed Only 1. As to the Nature and Acts of his Prophetick Office they are not indeed so expresly and distinctly taught us as those of the other two namely His Priestly and Kingly are in the following Articles for the whole of that Office being discharg'd in revealing to us the Gospel as the only Way and Method of attaining Salvation and all the Doctrine concerning that being already couch'd in the Words I Believe in Iesus or I Believe that Jesus has reveal'd unto us the true way to Salvation there 's nothing needful to be farther express'd upon that Head But 2. As to our Saviour's Priestly Office there is not one Act which belongs to it that is not particularly and distinctly taught you in the succeeding Articles of your Belief His Priestly Office was to consist in giving a Satisfaction by way of Sacrifice and Attonement for our Offences and in going into Heaven the Holy of Holies to interceed with the Father in the Merit of that Sacrifice for the Forgiveness of our Sins And now 1. What belongs to his Sufferings by way of Sacrifice we are taught in these Words He Suffered under Pontius Pilate Was Crucified Dead and Buried
Body the Church there are the Ordinances of Sacraments Preaching Publick and Common Prayers and such like Holy Offices Administred by Persons set apart for that Purpose to be the Conveyances of those ordinary Supplies of his Holy Spirit which he thinks necessary to preserve that Member in Health and Vigour So that thus at length you see how that in keeping in Union with the mystical Body of Christ his Church and with its Lawful Governours and Teachers and in the use of Sacraments and other Divine Ordinances those Conduits and Conveyances of his Holy Spirit to us we shall have spiritual Life and Strength and Vigour derived down to us from Christ our spiritual Head in like manner as in the natural Body of Man the Animal Life and Strength and Vigour is derived down to all the parts of the Body from the natural Head And this is a most singular Priviledge if compar'd with that little or nothing of this Nature which others who are not Members of Christ's Church do enjoy and also it will appear to be a most exceeding great Advantage if consider'd in it self And First If we compare our Happiness with Others I. Divine Grace a most singular Priviledge if compared with what others enjoy of this Nature we shall find it the peculiar Advantage of Christianity which no other Law nor Doctrine so much as pretends to that it not only clearly teacheth us and strongly perswadeth us to so excellent a Way of Life but provideth also Divine Help and Assistance to Enable us to Practice it If God would have Ordinarily and in the way of a Constant Dispensation imparted so excellent a Gift to any to be sure it would have been to the Jewish Church but we are told Joh. 1.17 That the Law was given by Moses but that Grace came by Jesus Christ that is the Graces and Gifts of His Holy Spirit as well as other Mercies and Favours so that tho' Moses deliver'd Legal Precepts it is by Jesus Christ we shall have the Assistance whereby we shall be Enabled to attain unto Holiness And as to that Measure of Grace afforded to Holy Men under the Law whatsoever it were it was through him the Promised Messiah and in Vertue of that Covenant of Grace Confirmed with Abraham before the Law but the more constant Influences of the Holy Spirit and the fuller Measures thereof are derived from him down upon us now under the Gospel And because of that more plentiful Measure of Grace and Spirit Communicated unto us from Christ under the Gospel does the Apostle call the Gospel the Ministration of the Spirit in Opposition to the Law which he styles the Ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3.8 9. And does therefore so assuredly promise himself Success in his Ministry ver 5 6. Such trust have we in Christ to Godward not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament or Covenant not of the Letter but of the Spirit where the Gospel is styl'd the Spirit as for other Reasons so for this in the Judgment of the Learned Dr. Hammond that Grace which is the Gift of the Spirit is now join'd to the Gospel which was not to the Law In a Word and to speak in the Words of a Learned Author Other Laws for want of this are in effect Ministeries of Condemnation Racks of Conscience Parents of Guilt and of Regret Reading hard Lessons but not assisting to do after them Imposing heavy Burthens but not Enabling to bear them But our Law of the Gospel is not such it is not a dead Letter but hath a quickning Spirit accompanying it it not only soundeth through the Ear but stampeth it self upon the Heart of him that sincerely doth Embrace it it always carryeth with it a sure Guide to all Good and a safe Guard from all Evil. II. An exceeding Advantage considered in it self And this Advantage as it is proper to our Religion So it is exceeding considerable in it self The Advantage is that every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be shall have sufficient Supplies of Grace derived down from Christ our Head proportionable to his Necessities by those means of Conveying it which Christ has appointed for that Purpose All the Members of Christ have Supplies proportionable to their Station in the Church I say every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be For As we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. that is there are different Members in the Church of Christ some are to be Governours and Teachers of Others and accordingly must be Endow'd with a Spirit of Government and Gift of Teaching and others are of a more private Capacity in the Church of Christ whatever they may in other Respects and their Business is to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Man and faithfully to discharge their Duties to God their Neighbour and Themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace Enabling them to discharge ' em They shall not have Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other's Offices but be destitute of these of their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have received Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way For God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the mystical Body by keeping himself united to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him And that too in such Measures and Proportions as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting And also in such Measures as according to different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so Extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law and the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers extraordinary Gifts viz. Of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion so all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily Strengthen'd no doubt to resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is
Establish'd and the Truth of Christianity already Prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out in any Part of the World as sometimes they are to this Day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those means that Christ has appointed in his Church for that Purpose so very considerable on many accounts are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Church THE Seventh Lecture Wherein I was made a Child of God THE Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Church-Catechism as I have already told you do give you a general Account of the whole Covenant of Grace And these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ being the First of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us in this Covenant on God's Part I have already explain'd and open'd to you what they do Import The next of those Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace is exprest in these Words Wherein I was made a Child of God in order to make you sensible of the Vastness of which Priviledge also First I will shew you what is meant in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God Secondly What an inestimable Priviledge accordingly it is to be a Child of God What is meant in the Catechism by a Child of God And first let us Enquire What is meant both in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God To understand which we must Enquire into the several meanings of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures and then in which of those Sences it is to be understood here in your Catechism when every Catechumen is taught to Answer that In his Baptism he was made a Child of God And as to the several Acceptations of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures I. Not the Son of God by an Eternal Generation First In the highest most natural and most proper meaning of the Word there is He who is the Son or Child of God by an Eternal Generation viz. Our Saviour Jesus Christ who being Begotten of God the Father from all Eternity in a peculiar inconceivable and inexpressible manner so as to be Co-equal Co-eternal with the Father himself is call'd the Onely Begotten Son of God Joh. 3.16 But then being he is in so peculiar and high a manner the Son of God as infinitely to exceed that wherein any one else whether Angels or Men can be call'd his Sons he cannot in any measure be meant here by a Child of God which signifies a Priviledge common to many as will be presently shew'd Not every Son by Temporal Creation which is a Sence too wide Secondly There are those who are the Sons of God by a Temporal Creation and such are Reasonable Creatures both Angels and Men both being call'd the Sons of God as you will see Job 1.6 and Luk. 3.38 And that both upon the account of the manner of their Production which was by the immediate Power of God and because of their Spiritual and Immortal Natures in which both do so immediately resemble God But this is an Acceptation too wide That which is meant here by a Child of God is a Priviledge which all Men in the World do not enjoy but is the Favour which is granted to a selected Body of Men who are separated from the rest of the World Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 Thirdly There are those III. Nor sachonly who are Children of God by spiritual Regeneration which is a Sence too narrow who are the Children of God by Spiritual Regeneration by being Renew'd in the Spirit of their Minds and by being Created anew in Righteousness and true Holiness And these are such Who have put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and who have put on the New Man which after God is created in Rightousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 23 24. They are such who are Born not only of Water but also of the Spirit that is who have not only been Baptized into the Christian Church but have been Sanctify'd by the Holy Spirit and have their whole Natures and Dispositions so altered for the Better that from Vicious and Ungodly they are chang'd to Vertuous and Holy Dispositions and Inclinations And such a vast Change wrought in our Natures by the Word and Spirit of God may very justly give those who Enjoy it the Title of the Children of God for if in the way of Natural Generation the Communicating of a Principle of Life and of suitable Operations does found the Relation and Title of a Father there is as good Reason why in Regeneration the deriving such Holy and Heavenly Dispositions and Powers from the Word and the Spirit of God to the Soul as give to a Man a Divine Nature whereby he is a Partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself should Entitle God to be also a Father and such who are so Regenerated and Renew'd his Children And accordingly in the Holy Scripture we find that such a Derivation of Strength and Grace from the Word and Spirit of God does Entitle those who are Renew'd thereby to be Children of God St. Paul not only attributing to the Ministry of the Word a Power of Begetting in Christ 1 Cor. 4.15 But withal expresly assuring us that As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 So that he is undoubtedly a Child of God whoever giving himself up to the guidance of God's Word and Spirit is thereby Sanctify'd wholly in his own Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thess 5.23 so as to subdue and mortify every Lust and every naughty inordinate and worldly Desire And indeed every truly Regenerate Child of God does do so such a One does by the Power of the Word and in the use and strength of that Grace that God does afford him subdue and mortify every Lust and every naughty inordinate and worldly Desire So we are expresly told 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God that is a sanctify'd Child of God does really hate Sin the very Temper and Bent of his Soul is against it and as to living in any gross and wilful Sin he cannot without much Reluctancy force himself to it his renew'd Nature is so much contrary thereto Such I say is every Regenerate Child of God and such indeed in a peculiar manner Such indeed are in a peculiar manner and in the highest sence the Children of God and in the highest
and oblige our selves thereby to do He is appeal'd to as a Judge of our Performance whether we are faithful or not And as he is a God that will not be mocked he will certainly be a Revenger and a severe one too if we shall falsly and perfidiously break our Vows of Renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil of Believing in God and Obeying him and shall on the contrary give our selves up to the service of Sin and Satan live like those that Believe not God nor the Christian Religion and in perfect contradiction to the Apostle's Rule deny not all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts as we are commanded and have promised but deny to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World In such a case I say he will be a severe Revenger of our Perjury and of our Apostacy I say of our Apostacy for he will then consider us not as ordinary Sinners but as those who have in effect renounced our Religion and will allot to us therefore not the ordinary measures of Punishments due to unbelieving Jews Turks and Infidels but extraordinary ones such as are due to faithless and perfidious Renegado's Oh it had been happy for us if we had never been Baptized if after those Vows we have therein made to do all we can to destroy Satan's Kingdom and the Power of Sin in the World we shall fight against God by our impious and wicked Deeds Better it is that thou shouldst not Vow than that thou shouldst Vow and not pay Eccl. 5.5 It is a less fault not to Vow at all than having Vowed not to perform the one being but a Neglect the other an Affront nay a Contempt of his Majesty who will not suffer a scorn to be put upon himself What shall I say why take therefore the Advice of the Wise Man v. 4. When thou vowest a Vow unto God deferr not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast Vowed And say resolutely with Holy David Psal 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments I have solemnly resolved and bound my self by the most sacred Ties which I will never break but do now confirm that I will carefully perform my part of the Covenant which I find to be most just and good The End of the First Volume THE XXVII Lecture And by God's Help so I will And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Live's End IN those several Expositions I have made upon the Words of your Catechism I have now fully declar'd unto you first the general Nature Terms and Conditions of the Covenant of Grace secondly the Sacrament whereby you solemnly enter'd into it And last Day have represented to you those vast Obligations lying upon you faithfully and conscientiously to discharge the same And I know nothing so fit next to be spoke of as the Means whereby we shall be enabl'd to perform this our Covenant and what they are these Words I have now read do declare unto you And by God's c. In which you are given to to understand I. That in order to perform the Covenant with God you must put on a fix'd and firm Resolution faithfully to discharge the same II. But a Resolution it must be took up not in Confidence of our own Strength but of God's Grace and Assistance III. And accompany'd therefore with most earnest Prayers to God not to let us to our selves but to be always present with us So I will These Words import the firm Resolution By God's Help so I will These shew it must be a Resolution made not in Confidence of our own Strength And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Live's End These express how necessary Prayer will be to obtain that Assistance which alone can fortifie our Resolutions I shall inlarge here only on the former namely First That to put on a fix'd and firm Resolution faithfully to discharge your Covenant with God will be a great Means towards your Performance of it In order to make which appear 1. I will briefly reflect upon the Nature of your Baptismal Covenant 2. I will shew you what kind of Resolution you ought to put on to perform the same And 3. I will then manifest to you how much such a Holy Resolution will conduce to your Performance of it And First let us briefly reflect upon the Nature of our Baptismal Covenant And the Summ of what has been said upon the Doctrine of your Baptismal Covenant is briefly this namely that in your Baptism you were Incorporated into that Holy Society of Men which is call'd the Church of Christ and were made your selves Members of it You were Adopted to be his Children and such as he would have a peculiar Care of and would indulge with singular Favours And as the Perfection of all you had then an Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven insur'd to you so as to have a legal Right conferr'd upon you to all those unspeakable Joys contain'd in that State All these peculiar Favours you had then conferr'd upon you on God's part on these Terms and Conditions to be made good on yours namely That you would first utterly Renounce those great Enemies of God the Devil the World and the Flesh The Devil because he had Rebell'd against his Creator for which he was Banish'd Heaven and has been ever since endeavouring to withdraw Mankind to partake and side with him in the same wicked Revolt But you have Covenanted with God that you will utterly abhor so base a thing as to side with so cursed a Spirit either by your own Sins or by tempting of others to sin And that you will be always upon your Guard against all his cursed Wiles whereby he would withdraw you into so foul an Apostacy from God As to the World because the greatest Part of Mankind have been prevail'd upon by this wicked Spirit to desert their Creator you have Covenanted to Renounce their Ways so as not to be tempted by their Examples their Company their Persuasions their Threats or their Promises to desert also the great Captain of your Salvation Jesus Christ And as to the Material World that neither the Riches the Honours nor the Pleasures of it should allure you nor the evil and vexatious things of it should fright you into Sin And lastly as to these Enemies of God and us you did solemnly engage your selves to exercise a continual Warfare against the Corrupt Lusts of your sinful Nature which are ever and anon Rebelling against the Dictates of your own Reason and of the Holy Spirit of God Thus in your Baptism you did Covenant to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh And you did on the contrary then engage as you have seen that you would give a hearty and ready Assent to all those Divine Truths reveal'd to you in