sense The more knowledge we have of spirituals the more we love them because the more we know them the more we know their excellency and amiablenesse But the more we know temporals the more we contemn them because the more we know them the more we know their emptinesse and despicablenesse Who can know Christ aright in his person offices excellencies sufferings love pardons power truth comforts graces priviledges c. which indeed passe knowledge and not to be enamoured with him When the Churth had described Christ to the daughters of Ierusalem who were afore ignorant of his excellencies how are their affections stirred afâ—er him and they enquire Whether is thy beloved gone O thou fairest among women whither is thy beloved turned aside that we may seek him with thee After Paul came once truly to know Christ he counts all things losse and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus Christ his Lord. And he determined to know nothing among his Corinthians but Iesus Christ and him crucified Looking breeds liking Knowledge is the inlet to love We so far love as we know what we know not we love not This holds especially true in spirituals knowledge of them sweetly scrues and raps up the heart unto them yea transports it with surpassing delight and contentment in them Doth thy knowledge thus affect thine heart 6. A spiritualized knowledge True sanctified knowledge is a spark of heavenly not of earthly light It 's elevated above the pitch of nature flesh and blood and is of a divine spiritual temper Looks upon all things both in this and the world to come especially spirituals not carnally but spiritually Doth not judge and value persons or things according to outward carnal respects as beauty wealth honour wit learning countrey c. which commend not to God but according to inward spiritual respects of grace holinesse c. yea knows not Christ in carnal respects Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Not as wicked Servetus denied Christ to have true flesh But we know not Christ according to outward carnall respects and relations as they did who conversed with him when once on earth but according to his spiritual and heavenly state now in Heaven This knowledge spiritually discerns spirituals and spirituallizeth carnals Yea it dives and pierceth into the kernel pith marrow mystery of the things of God To you its given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery There 's a secret mystery in Christ Covenant Justification Adoption Godliness c. which no eye but a piersing spiritual eye can discern Contrariwise unsound knowledge is carnal earthly natural c. as the person knowing is and it apprehends all things even those that are most spiritual carnally yea and it looks upon the counsels and wayes of God as foolishness riddles paradoxes The Gospel is sealed up and hid from them that are lost 7. A pure knowledge Sound sanctified knowledge is a sin-purging knowledge It will not suffer a man habitually to wallow in the puddle of any known sin but puts a man upon denying mortifying and abhorring of all filthiness The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable c. And the Apostle Iohn is very positive Whosoever sinneth viz. habitually and as carnal men sin hath not seen him neither known him And no wonder for true knowledge discovers the odious sinfulness of sin the severe justice of God against it the manifold mischief of it c. and so sets the soul against it But men of meer carnal knowledge continue in their sin notwithstanding that knowledge Who knowing the judgement of God that they who commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them 8. Finally A true sanctified Knowledge is obediential practical and fruitful in all good works Iames saith The wisdom that is from above is full of mercy and good works Iohn makes obedience a sure character of true knowledge indeed Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandements He that saith I know him and keepth not his Commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him Again We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us Christ saith The sheep follow the good Shepherd for they know his voice And he intimates elsewhere that it 's onely the practicall knowledge that renders happy If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them And David commends to us the excellency of his knowledge by the uprightnesse of his obedience Thou through thy Commandements hast made me wiser then mine enemies for they are ever with me I have more understanding then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation I understand more then the Ancieâ—ts because I keep thy Precepts The doing Christian is the knowing Christian He knows best that obeys best He that obeyes not knowes nothing as he ought to know though he seem to know never so much Yea He is a liar that saith he knows God and yet is not obedient to him True knowledge cannot chuse but make obedient For 1. Knowledge of God and his wayes fills with love to them And love sweetly compells to obedience 2. True knowledge discovers the excellency of the spiritual path wherein we are to walk and that moves to obedience 3. True knowledge considers the excellency of Gods commands being holy just and good and this makes us delight in them 4. True knowledge discerns that in keeping Gods statutes there shall be great reward and this quickens to the observance of them Consider now is thy knowledge resolved into obedience that 's right knowledge indeed A disobedient non-practising knowledge is no knowledge at all Hitherto of the tryal of knowledge 1. By the particular Points of it 2. By the Properties of it Such knowledge comfortably fits for worthy communicating II. FAITH This the next grace fitting for worthy communicating whereof every Communicant is to examine himself Touching faith Consider 1. What faith this is 2. How necessary this faith is to worthy communicating 3. How this faith may be tryed and examined 1. What faith this is about which we are to examine our selves before communicating Answ. This may be resolved Negatively and Affirmatively Negatively 1. It is not a meer Historicall faith whereby a man barely assents to the truth of Scripture-History that every thing in Scripture is true Such a faith Agrippa had the Devils have 2. It is not a Faith of Miracles or Miracle-working faith whereby a man believes without doubting the particular concurrence of God with him to bring to passe some extraordinary effect beyond the ordinary power and activity of natural causes Iudas
love and union but we crosse and dishonour both In these respects true brotherly love is necessary before we communicate to fit for worthy receiving And therefore it is necessary we try and examine before-hand our Brotherly love 2. The Trial of our true Brotherly love follows True brotherly love hath these excellent properties whereby it may be examined and discovered 1. It ariseth from our love to God 2. It is pure 3. Spiritual 4. Vniversal 5. Sincere 6. Kindly-affectioned 7. Contenting in the society of the Brethren 8. Fervent 9. Constant 1. True Brotherly Love ariseth from and is accompanied with our true love to God Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him That is he loves the godly for Gods sake the spiritual Child for the Fathers sake But we love him that begat for his own sake And Iohn adds By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments So that make sure thy love to God this makes sure thy love to the Brethren But how shall I know that I truly love God Answ. By thy chearful keeping of all Gods Commandments without grumbling and murmuring For this is the love of God saith Iohn that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And brotherly love is one of his Commandments And this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his Brother also And how shall I know whether I truly keep Gods Commandments Answ. See formerly in the trial of New Obedience 2. True brotherly love is pure It 's seated in and flowes from a pure heart an heart purified by faith justifying and by the spirit sanctifying Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren see that ye love one another with a pure heart So that a carnall unsanctified man can never so remaining truly love the brethren An impure carnal heart can afford no other then impure carnall affections 3. True brotherly love is spiritual It is carried to Gods people in spiritual not in carnal respects To love Gods people for their greatness wealth beauty wisdom learning friendliness kindred and like carnal considerations is but to love them carnally a Reprobate may so love them True love respects them spiritually and for spiritual considerations viz. It loves them 1. As Gods Children Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him By this we know that we love the children of God Then we love aright when we love the regenerate for their Regenerations sake Gods children for Gods Image in them the godly for their godliness the Saints for their Saintship Christians for their Christianity When we love them principally for God Christ Grace Godliness Holiness c. which we apprehend to be in them And when as their graces grow our love grows also more and more towards them This evidenceth the spiritualness and truth of our love What may we think of them then that most of all hate Gods people for their godliness graces c 2. As Brethren in Christ. There 's a spirituall Brotherhood in Christ wherein all his members relate to one another as Brethren Christ being the first-born among many Brethren Now we have true love to the Brethren when we love them as Brethren for their brotherhood Love the brotherhood Love as Brethren 3. As fellow-members The Apostle at large shews that all the members of Christs mysticall body are also fellow-members to one another And that they are so placed in Christs mystical body that they all have a mutuall dependence upon and need of one another Hence from this relation of member-ship he urged a double act of member-like love viz. 1. Mutuall member-like caring for one another The members should have the same care one for another being mutually aiding and assisting to one another though never so mean as the eye or hand will stoop down to help the foot that 's wounded or pained 2. Mutuall member-like sympathy and compassion to one another And whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoyce with it A truly loving member not only rejoyceth with the rejoycing c. but also grieveth with the grieved smarteth with the pained suffereth with the afflicted wanteth with the necessitated is in bonds with the imprison'd c. from this sympathizing dispositioÌ„ Is thy love to the brethren such a spirituall love in these spiritual notions considerations 4. True brotherly love is universal To one Christian as well as to another to all as well as to any whether rich poor bond free male or female Philemons love was commended by Paul that it was towards all Saints And upon the same ground the Colossians love was matter of Pauls thankfulness to God We give thanks to God Since we heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and of the love which ye have to all the Saints And no wonder for he that loves one person truly for godliness and grace he will love every person wherein grace or godliness appears those most that discover most grace For the like cause will produce the like effect Those then that have the love of the brethren with respect of persons that love the rich Saints with their gold Rings and gay Cloathings but not the poor Saints with their vile raiment c. they deal not sincerely in their love For Christ is as truly precious and amiable for substance in one Christian as in another 5. True brotherly love is sincere The command is Let love be without dissimulation The practice according to this command was in these to whom Peter writes who had purifie themselves unto the unfeigned love of the Brethren The pattern of our sincere love to the Brethren is Christs sincere love to us often urged to this end Now the sincerity of our brotherly love evidenceth it self principally two wayes viz. 1. By the reality of it True brotherly love is not meerly verbal and complemental in words and shows but real and substantial in deed and truth The Hebrews not only loved the Saints but loved them really God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of Love which you have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister Iohn exhorts to this reality My lâ—ttle children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth Complementall love may be false love treacherous love Iob offers to kisse Amasa and strikes him under the fifth rib that he died Iudas kissed Christ and thereby betrayed him to be crucified 2. By tâ—e scope and aime of love True loâ—e to the Brethren seeks and intends their good as welâ— as our own Love seeketh not her own That is not only not
is long then the earth and broader then the Sea Eternal Because God is infinite anâ— boundless in respect of time and duration Gods essence never had beginning never succession or change and never shall have end The everlasting God the LORD Of old â—hast thou laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy hands They shall perish but thòu shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God And these are commonly stiled Gods Incommunicable Attributes as being peculiar onely to God and no way attributed or Communicable to any thing besides God The Communicable Attributes follow so called because â—ometimes in some sense they are communicated to câ—eatures 5. The living God That hath heard the voice of the living God My soul â—hirsteth for God for the living God Thou 〈◊〉 Christ the Son of the living God It 〈◊〉 a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the â—â—ving God God lives most properly and perâ—â—ctly All imperfections of created life must 〈◊〉 removed from him God liâ—es eteâ—nally â—od faith of himâ—elf I live for ever God 〈◊〉 eternal life it self his own eternal life And shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father Yea he gives life to all living Seeing he giveth to all Life and Breath and all things For in him we live and move and have our Being 6. Most wise The onely wise God God! To this purpose are ascribed to God Counsel Great in Counsel Who worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will Knowledge Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Vnderstanding His understanding is infinite God in one individed Act most absolutely eternally perfectly infallibly immutably Knows himself as the most adequate object of his Vnderstanding Knows all things knowable besides himself whether possible or actually existing Knows all things existing whether in time past present or future God knows all mans wayes works words thoughts imaginations all mens sins with all the kinds degrees circumstances aggravations of them All mens states in this and the world to come all future contingencies before they come to pass though to us never so casual accidental or uncertain Yea he absolutely knows all things in the world 7. Of most absolute perfect and righteous Will Who worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will Having predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his Will We are taught to pray to God Thy will be done Gods Will is perfectly one yet in respect of our divers notions in apprehending of it is either Approving all that 's good Effecting all that 's wrought Prescribing all that 's duty or Permitting all that comes to passe yea he even permits or suffers sin to be in the world himself and his Will being neither directly indirectly nor any way the Cause or Author of sin 8. Most true God is most true in himself his works and words Most true in himself A God of truth or as the Hebrew phrase will well beat it God is Truth This is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God All other gods and Idols are but false gods lies vanities nothing in the world Most true in his works They are not shadows and fictions but realities All his works are done in truth Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints True in his words Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy word is Truth Thy Law is the Truth All thy Commandments are Truth For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised 9. Most good yea â—upreme goodnesse it self without all evil or imperfection Good in himself and Author of all good to his creatures I will make all my goodness passe before thee Christ said Why callest thou me good There is none good save one that is God Not Man Saint Angel or Christ himself as man are good as God is good essentially infinitely immutably c. That our God would fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness The riches of his goodness The Lordâ—s good to all Every good gift and every perfect gift is from abvoe and cometh down from the Father of lights In this goodness of God are â—is Graciousnesse Love Mercy Patience Graciousness God is most gracious incomparable in free grace The LORD the LORD God merciful and gracious Gracious is the Lord and righteous Love God is most loving yea all love He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Mercy God is most merciful yea all mercy it self and loving kindness it self Our God is merciful Plenteous in mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works His mercy or loving kindness endureth for ever Patience God is most patient long-suffering slow to anger The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 10. Most Just and Righteous Vniversally righteous as God should be righteous and the Author of all Righteousness in the world eternally and immovably disposed to give to himself and to all creatures their due The righteous LORD loveth Righteousness The LORD is upright and there is no unrighteousness in him That will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth Generation Thou art righteous O Lord which aâ—â— and wast and shalt be The LORD is righteous in all his wayes 11. Most Holy God is not onely infinitely holy and pure but holiness it self But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Holy Holy Holy is the LORD of Hosts The four Beasts rest not day and night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Once have I sworn by mine Holiness He is all holiness Without
and other Reprobates may have such faith and yet be rejected of Christ at last as Workers of Iniquity 3. It is not an imaginary faith whereby a man may imagine that Christ is his his state good c. without any due Scripture-ground for it himself mean-while continuing in his meer carnal state bringing forth no fruits of faith This Iames calls a dâ—ad faith which cannot save a man And indeed this is plain down right Presumption 4. Finally it is not a temporary faith which goes beyond all the rest whereby a formal Hypocrite Believes for a time For this faith at last vanisheth like a Comet and he that hath it falls away when temptation trouble and persecution ariseth because of the Gospel Therefore unless a man have a faith beyond all these he cannot be fit for worthy communicating Affirmatively It is onely the true saving faith in Christ the true justifying faith that will sufficiently fit and prepare a man for the Lords Supper which may be thus described what it is True saving faith is a grace of the regenerating Spirit whereby a man knowing and assenting to the truth of Gods Record touching Christ accepts him upon his own termes for salvation In this description of faith consider the generall nature and the special difference of it The Generall Nature of it wherein it agrees with all true saving grace is expressed in theâ—e words True saving faith is a grace of the regenerating Spirit See this proved Faith is Gods gift By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God A grace of the Spirit The fruit of the spirit is love goodness faith And also a grace of the Regenerating Spirit Them that believe on his Name which were born not of blood nor of the wâ—ll of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So that believers are regenerate persons and believing originally flowes from Regeneration and Regeneration is the work of the Spirit The special difference whereby Faith is distinguished from all other saving graces is in these words whereby a man knowing and assenting to the truth of Gods record touching Christ accepts him upon his own terms for salvation Herein are expressed the three graduall acts of faith viz. Knowledge Assent and Application 1. Knowledge which is the first and fundamental act of faith We must know Gods Record before we can assent to it we must assent before we can apply Faith is sometimes therefore expressed by knowledge By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many that is by faith in Christ whereby we know him it is by faith that we are justified This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. Assent to the truth of Gods Record touching Christ. This Act is the same with Historicall faith He that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son And this is the Record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son The whole Scripture is Gods book of Record touching Christ that he will save sinners by him that will believe in him 3. Application of Christ when after knowledge and Assent a man accepts Christ upon his own terms for salvation The applying Act is accepting or receiving of Christ. To receive Christ is to believe To as many as received him gave he power to become the Sons of God to them that believe on his name The manner of this applying and accepting Christ is upon his own termes viz. Self-deniall bearing the Crosse and following Christ If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Crosse daily and follow me The end of this accepting Christ is for salvation by him That believe to the saving of the soul Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved This now is that true saving faith fitting them that have it for worthy receiving of the Lords Supper 2. How needful this true faith is to worthy communicating This saving faith is necessary before communicating 1. For due qualifying of our persons and actions 2. For discerning Christs body and other Sacramental mysteries 3. For applying Sacramental mysteries discerned 4. For enabling duely to walk afterwards And doubtless no one grace is more absolutely necessary in all these respects for the Lords Supper then this Faith is which is as a Queen among the graces 1. For due qualifying of our Persons and Actions Without faith it is impossible to please God Without faith we cannot please him in our persons nor in our actions Faith is the soul and life of our souls and duties the salt that seasons all our spiritual sacrifices 2. For discerning Christs body and other Sacramental mysteries in the Lords Supper Not to discern judge distinguish and apprehend aright of Christs body dashes upon that fearful Rock of eating and drinking damnation to our selves And a Christians principall discerning faculty in this business is his faith This faith is the Eagles eye whereby a man pierces through the Clouds and shadows of the outward Elements to those heavenly Mysteries in and beyond them Christs body and blood Faith is that acute spiritual sense whereby a Communicant can taste and relish Christ crucified in the Lords Supper Faith is tha spiritual Prospective by which the soul can behold Christ sweating drops of clotted blood in the Garden suffering many cruel things in the High-Priests Palace and dying a painful shameful and cursed death betwixt two theeves upon Mount Calvary And further faith can read and discern many strange Mysteries in Christ crucified of high concernment to Christians both in the Lords Supper and in his whole life viz. The efficacy sweetness victories triumphs satisfactions expiations purchases priviledges c. of his Crosse for our sakes Our liberty in his imprisonment Our acquital in his accusation Our peace in his perplexity Our healing in his stripes and wounds Our honour in his Reproach Our Exaltation in his Humiliation Our Comfort in his Crosse Our blessing in his Curse Our Mannah and Honey in his Vinegar and Gall Our strength in his weakness Our purity pardon and peace in his blood Our justification in his condemnation Our life in his death and in his Crown of thorns our Crown of glory Faith can discover these mysteries when all carnall reason wit and policy cannot discern them 3. For applying sacramental mysteries discerned As faith is the spiritual eye whereby we discern Christ crucified and the mysteries of his death in the Lords Supper so faith is the spirituall hand whereby we take Christ tendered in the Elements The spirituall mouth and stomack whereby we eat and digest Christ received Take ye and eat take ye and drink What must we take eat and drink in this Ordinance Answ. Not