s Divine Purity God who is most holy it treats about presents us with and calls us to Holiness and Purity it allows of no uncleaness no impurity it 's that which is above Men or Devils to bring forth who are filled with all uncleanness it is a pure Word a holy Word a God-like Word a Word that all unholy persons do hate because they hate Holiness what ever they pretend to the contrary in word yet in deed they hate it and wish there were no such Word to condemn their Unholiness a Word that the Devil hates and that is it he so much endeavours to destroy the Faith of Men therein Holiness and Purity is that which is contrary to the natural inclinations both of Men and Devils this Truth of the Scriptures Purity all holy ones must and do acknowledg and this testimony it bears of it self in the general body thereof that who so runs may read it It forbids condemns Sin it commands and commends Holiness and directs unto it but see some particular Texts of Scripture that confirms this general Witness Psal 12. 6. The Words of the Lord are pure Words as Silver tried in a Furnace of Earth â—uâ—ified seven times Psal 119. 140. Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it it commendeth Holiness Psal 93. 5. Holiness becometh thine House O Lord for ever it teacheth Holiness â—sal 34. 11 12 13 14. it commandeth Holiness 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 14 15. and reproves and condemns both Sin and Sinners 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Psal 11. 5. 6. and 9. 17. Rev. 22. 15. it is a holy pure Word and therefore of God 2. It s Divine Power witnesseth it to be 2. It s divine power the Word and Truth of God or rather the Divine Power of God attending it and manifest in it and by it in renewing and begetting Souls to the Faith and to work dead Sinners into a Conformity to it self i. e. the Truth and Holiness therein contained Joh. 17. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word i. e. the Preaching of the Word or Reading of the Word Rom. 10. 17. Examples of the Power and Efficacy in and with the Word see Acts 2. 37 41. and 8. 12. and 12. 24. Gal. 3. 2. Jam. 1. 18. and common experience witnesseth the truth hereof it 's that Word which makes wicked men to tremble Act. 24. 25. and Devils too Jam. 2. 19. that resists Satan Matt. 4. 3. to 11. it 's that Sword of the Spirit being exercised by Faith which repels and quenches all the fiery Darts of the Devil and Men Ephes 6. 11 17. 1 Pet. 5. 9. So that its Divine Power proves it to be a Divine Word 3. It s Divine Wisdom and Mystery 3. It s divine wisdom and mystery proves it to be of God and not of Man Such is its Divine Mystery and Wisdom that it confounds and brings to nought all the Wisdom of the World and turns it into foolishness it opens the Mysteries of the Wisdom of God in the Salvation of Man by Jesus Christ which all the world in all its wisdom could never have thought on Nay such a heighth and depth of Mystery and Wisdom is there herein that now it is brought to light none of themselves in the Wisdom of man can savingly understand it it s that which none of the â—rinces of this World knew it 's such Wisdom as is indeed foolishness to this world and the fleshly wisdom This is not onely witnessed by the Scripture 1 Cor. 1. 19 20. 2. 6 7 8 13 14. 3. 18 19 20. but understood believed and experienced by the Saints in some measure that the Mystery of Salvation by Jesus Christ is the maniâ—old Wisdom of God Eph. 3. 10. 4. It s Divine Tendenciâ—s proves it to be a Divine Word The matter at which it aims and ends to which it tends wonderfully discover its nature and whence it is As First Its Exaltâ—ion of God in all his Name and its laying low of the Creature It is a God and a Christ-exalting Word and a man-abasing Word a Devil and Sâ—n-discovering and condemning Word and therefore of God for it is not possible for man as man to bring forth any thing but that which will exalt himself But the Scripture doth not onely condemn Sin and Sinnars but it layeth low the Righteousness Wisdom Will and Power of Man in Divine things and exalts the Righteousness Wisdom Will and Power of God 1. The Wisdom 2 Cor. 2. 6 7 8. 2. The Will John 1. 13. Rom. 12. 2. Col. 4. 12. Heb. 10. 36. 1 John 2. 17. 1 Thes 4. 3. 3. The Power Josh 24. 19. Prov. 16. 1. Jer. 10. 23. John 15. 5. 1 Cor. 4. 7. Phil. 2. 13. 4. 13. 4. The Righteousness of God and layeth low the Righteousness of Man and therefore it iâ— of God Isa 45. 24 25. 64. 6. Dan. 9. 24. Rom. 4. 3. 8. 23 24. Phil. 3. 7 8 9. Secondly The second Design discovered 2. It is to bring the Hâ—â—e God and sinful man into Vnitie again in Scripture is To bring the holy God and sinful man into Unity again a wonderful Design both as to the Way and Work May this be a Divine or Humane Work think you We were all gone out of the way gone out from God into a state of sin and death enemies to him who had power to destroy us for ever and the Great God hath declared in his Word that he hath found out a way of Reconciliation and Peace for poor Sinners and declared it in this his Word He hath given his onely Begotten out of his Bosom that he might give his Life and Blood for our Reconciliation and Redemption and this is the Message of the Word to us Eph. 2. 13 15. Col. 1. 20. and this was not of Man but of God 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself c. 1 Pet. 3. 18. Jesus Christ gave himself for us the Just for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God This was a God-like Design which proves the Word to be of God Thirdly And in a word The design of 3. It is to make us holy here and happy hereafter the Word and of God therein is to make us holy here and happy hereafter to make us conformable to the VVill of God here that so we may live eternally with him hereafter A glorious Divine Design far above the reach of Humane Reason or the VVill of Man nay it s contrary to the VVill of Man by Nature who is so far averse to it that he resolves not to be holy though he be never happy and so judges himself unworthy of the Life promised to those that obey him Psal 8. 4. John 3. 16 19. Acts 13. 46. 5. A fifth Testimony from the VVord it A 5th Testimonie is its divine truth self
of the Saints by the Holy Spirit suitable to the Word of Grace the Work in them answering the Word without them as the New Covenant and Law of God written in their Hearts which hath wrought in them Faith Love and the Life of the VVord which are to them sealing Testimonies of the Truth and Divinity of the Word And hence it is that they set their seal to the truth thereof in believing loving and obeying thereof and cleaving to God therein and suffering any Difficulties inflicted by men for the truth thereof adventure their Souls and Eternity upon the truth of God therein and the loss of all in the VVorld rather than lose their share in the Word of Life A high Confirmation of the Divinity thereof VII Finally As the Resultance from the VII Danâ—er of deâ—ying the Scripture â—â— be of God whole To deny the Truth and Divinity of the Scripture is to deny God Himself and Jesus Christ and all Religion to pass a black Sentence on all the VVriters thereof as Lyars and Deceivers and on all the Saints throughout all Generations who have believed obeyed and suffered for adhering to the Truth therein and on all the Effectual Workings of the Holy Spirit in the Hearts of Believers conforming them thereunto so that it 's impossible for any man that hath lived under the Instruction thereof to deny it and not to be an Atheist if not to be guilty of the unpardonable sin for the whole matter the Scripture treats on in the substance thereof is as I said before God and Christ and Holiness the Reducing of Man back again to God through Christ from whom he was gone astray And therefore what can those expect who deny this Holy Divine Word of Truth but all the Judgments and Plagues that are written therein I shall now come to Answer some Objections in relation thereunto Object Though the Scripture was given of Object 1 God and Divine Truth the Word and Will of God to the People of these times in which they were given yet it 's a great Question whether it be so to us and whether we have ought to do with it unless the same Spirit work immediately the same Truth in us we are to hearken to what God speaks in us and not without us c. Answ To this I answer That Truth is Truth still and the Word and Will of God is the same still although its true that God hath made known his Will at various times and various ways under several manifestations yet when one Ministration ended it was by the coming in of another as the substance of the former and openly declared from Heaven by the Son of God with great Power and great Witness and the Word and Ministration of the Son of God is the same till his second coming Maâ— 28. 20. unto which all are bound to take heed unto under peril of Judgment Heb. 2. 23. Act. 3. 22 23. Joh. 12. â—8 and it is the Word and Will of the Lord still whether men believe it and obey it or not whether you have the Spirit to work you to it or not and if you are not taught by the Word and wrought to God in the Word to believe the Gospel it 's an evident sign that you have not the Spirit of Christ but of Errour and Delusion which will fail you in the day of need Obj. Though they were given of God Obj. 2 and Divine Truth yet they may be corrupted by men having been in the hands of men that knew not God but sought it themselves they might corrupt it and so it might either be mixed or lose much of its Purity and Divinity Ans It 's true that it hath passed through the hands of those who wanted not wickedness enough to do it but we have undoubted grounds to believe that the Lord preserved it and kept them from corrupting of it for if they or any other had corrupted it it must have been to serve their own ends but the Scripture that was by them preserved and by them owned to be the Word of God the Scripture of Truth is so far from serving their interest that it leaves them neither Root nor Branch no Word have they from hence to warrant them in any of their ways as a Church of Christ their Dependency lay rather in the Authority of their Church keeping people in Ignorance false Translations coercive Power and the like rather than in corrupting the Scriptures in the original Languages a Divine Hand it was that it should be preserved holy and pure as it is as hath been proved Obj. The Scripture is not all the Word Obj. 3 and Will of God to Men given by Divine Inspiration for there is in it the Words of the Devil and of wicked men the Failings and Miscarriages of the Saints c. Answ When I say it 's the Word or Words of God I intend thereby that the Body and substance thereof is the Divine Mind and Will of God made known to men by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit by such ways as he pleased and by such persons as he pleased 2. As to the Discoveries of the Words or Works of Satan or wicked men and the Sins and Failings of the Godly I easily grant that it is not the Word of God in the first sence given by Inspiration Yet 2ly As written and recorded by holy men inspired by the Lord those things with many other Historical Relations recorded are true by Divine Testimony that such things were and so are of divine and undoubted Credence whereas all other Histories that are meerly humane can have but a humane and doubtful belief 3. It was written by the Will of God for the use and advantage of his Church and people Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever was written afore time was written for our Learning c. 1 Cor. 10. 11 12. 1. Let us hence be informed of the greatness Vse 1 of the sin and danger not to believe the Scripture he that believeth not must be damned 2. Of Exhortation 1. to believe the Vse 2 Scripture to be the Word and Will of God to be of Divine Authority and to prize the Word more and to be thankful to God that hath given it to us and given to any the saving understanding thereof and wrought them into a conformity thereunto 2. To live the life of the Scripture the life of Faith and the life of Love the life of Obedience and the life of Holiness it is a holy Word and Holiness becomes all those who profeâ—s to own it what ever Scripture Faith or profession we pretend unto if we live not the life of the Scripture it will Judg us at the last day Joh. 12. 48. 3. To be improving and applying of the Consolations of the Scripture and that it may be so acquaint your selves more therewith Rom. 15. â— 3. Of Consolation to all those who Vse 3 truly believe and obey the Wordâ— as it is the Word the Will
than the Oath of Two Lyers but the Truth of God in Divine Credence is the sure Ground of Faith And when a Soul comes to this pitch of Faith to Believe that he that hath spoken is God that cannot Lye that Faithful is he that hath promised who will do it Then he is quiet it puts the Matter out of doubt and for this he hath given us Two Immutable things in which it is impossible for God to Lye Heb. 6. 18. In which is included the Mercy of God for it is his Mercy to promise and his Truth and Faithfulness to perform Hence the Scripture saith Mercy and Truth are met together Psal 8â— 10. And the coming of our Lord into the World was to perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his Holy Covenant Luke 1. 7â— So that there is a Concurrency of Mercy and Truth in God as the Ground of our Faith 2. The All-sufficiency of God to perform his Word his Mercy and his Truth is the ground of Faith If an honest Man promise you that which he is able to perform you give great Credency thereunto though there can be no Infallible Credence in this Matter For Men be they never so Faithful yet have not the power of Performmance in themselves therefore may fail but God hath all power of Perforance in himself and this was the ground of Abraham's Faith Rom. 4. 21. Being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform And when God commanded him to offer his Son for which he had so strong Faith he fixes both on the Truth and Power of God and on that account yields ready Obedience Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Heb. 11. 19. There is likewise an All-sufficiency in the Lord Jesus for the accomplishing of the Word and Work of Salvation for The Obiect of Faith all true Believers Heb. 7. 25. And the same that is the Ground is likewise the Object of Faith that is to what and to whom we are to look in Believing that is to God and Christ Who performeth all things for us We are to look to him and Believe in him to have God and Christ in their Mercy Truth Faithfulness and Power always in our Eye Isa 45. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth that is Gentiles as well as Jews Mich. 7. 7. Therefore will I look to the Lord and wait for the God of my Salvation c. Isa 17. 7. John 3. 14 15. 4. What is the Excellency of Faith Faith 4. Of the excellency of Faith is an excellent and choyce Virtue it 's called in Scripture for it's Excellency precious Faith 2 Pet. 1. 1. To them that have obtained like precious Faith with us It 's called Precious for it's excellent and precious Uses and Effects Which are as followeth 1. It justifieth God in his whole Name 1. It justifieth God especially in his Mercy Truth Faithfulness Power Wisdom Purity and Justice wherein Faith is mostly exercised He that believeth not God abaseth and abuseth him in his whole Name hath made him a Lyer but he that Believeth justifieth God in his Truth John 3 33. He that receiveth i. e. Believeth his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true No wonder that Unbelief must be punished with Damnation sâ—eing it gives God the Lye not only in not Believing that Jesus is the Christ Men may believe the general Doctrine of the Gospel touching Salvation by Jesus Christ by Education and Tradition and not believe the Truth thereof in matter of Holiness and Obedience to conform thereunto and that do as truly give God the Lye as not to Believe the Doctrine of Salvation for if Men may be Saved in ways of Unholiness and Disobedience the word of the Lord is not True which saith the contrary 1 Cor. 6 9 10. Ephes 5. 3 4 5 6. Heb. 12. 14. Rev. 21. 27. Therefore let God be True and every Man in this matter a Lyer 2. It 's that as the Condition will justifie 2. Iâ— justifieth the Sinner the Believers before God Rom. 5 1. Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God But of this more at large in the Doctrine of Justification 3. It 's of a Soul-strengthening Excellency 3. It 's of a Soul strengthâ—ning Excellency it helps to hold out and to overcomeing the Spiritual Warfare 1 Cor. 16. 13. Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit ye like Men he strong Our strength in the warfare is by standing fast in the Faith the Saints have many Enemies to Encounter withall both within them and without them and it is their stability in the Faith of the Gospel that is their strength Eph 6. 16. In the Spiritual warfare with those high Enemies the Saints are to Encounter withal Exprest vers 12. The chief Defence of the Saints in Faith Above all take the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the Fiery Darts of the wicked One It 's that by which we must get the Victory over the World if ever we get it 1 John 5. 4. And this is the Victory that overcometh the World even your Faith What we are to understand is intended by the World see Chap. 2. 16. For all that is in the World as the lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but of the World The World the Flesh and the Devil are the three great Enemies of the Saints and by Faith it is that they overcome them all How so Why Faith believes the Truth of and Interest in better things than either any or all of these can propound and that makes the Gracious Soul to slight All and to account it but Dung and Dross and to part with All for the Excellency of Christ It believes down the World and Sin and Satan believes in Grace and Strength from the Lord Hence the Scripture saith that we are kept by the Power of God through Faith 1 Pet. 1. 5. God strengthens keeps and preserves his People in a way of Believing not without or out of the way of Faith In a word our Lord expresseth the Power of Faith All things are possible to him that Believeth Mark 9. 23. Faith believes all things possible for God to do that he hath said he will do and all things possible for Man to do and suffer that God calls him to it strengthens the Soul both in doing and suffering 4. Excellency of Faith is it purifieth the 4. Faith purifieth the heart Heart Acts 15. 9. It 's of a purifying Nature in it's Exercise and Imployment it exerciseth it self about the Holiness of God in his own Nature the purity of his Word and Will the greatness of his Love in the Death of the Lord for Sinners with the Holy ends thereof c. And this works the Soul into the Hatred of Sin and
Love of Holiness believes the Truth of all the Holy Institutions Ordinances and Commands of the Lord and it 's Bounden Duty to live up to him therein In a word Faith in the Word of the Lord it is that works the Soul to Eschew Evil and to do Good to abhor that which is Evil and to cleave to that which is Good No Holiness without Faith and the more Faith is thus exercised the more Holy Conformity will there be to the Lord. 5. Excellency of Faith is that it fills the 5. It fills the Soul with Jâ—y Peace Soul with Joy and Peace Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with Joy and Peace in Believing c. It 's true it is the God of Hope that gives this Joy and Peace but it comes into us through Believing it never comes to any Soul but by Believing that is believing the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel in all the good Tydings thereof in all the Promises and Precepts it all affords Joy and Peace to the Believer who is exercised therein 1 Pet. 1. 8. 6. Excellency of Faith is that it 's the 6. Iâ—s the Mother of all â—ther Divine Vertues Mother if I may so say of all other Divine Vertues Love Hope Patience Obedience c. They are all Nursed and Nourished up under Faith and without Faith there can be none of all these though Faith worketh and getteth strength by these Yet without Faith there can be none of these as Without Faith we cannot please God So without Faith we can have no Divine Virtue and if our Faith be right and true then it carryeth in it something of every Divine Virtue of the New Covenant And this Christians should be instructed in that it might engage their Hearts to be Adding to their Faith Virtue c according to 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. Faith is the first Active Demonstrative Virtue in the Soul and lyeth at the bottome of every Virtue and of every Duty 7. Such is the Excellency of Faith 7. It renders both Persons and Services acceptable that it renders our Persons and Services and all we Doe and Suffer for Christ according to his Will acceptable to and with the Lord See Heb. 11. almost throughout The Works of the Saints and Elders of old were all accepted being done in Faith and vers 6. Without Faith it is impossible to please him Object The Apostle 1 Cor. 13. seems to prefer Love as the only Gospel amiable and acceptable Virtue yea even above and beyond Faith vers 2. Though I had all Faith c. and have no Charity I am nothing Answ It 's true if it were possible to have all Faith without Love it would be nothing that is produce nothing issue in nothing true Faith is always accompanied with true Love and though Love be the most Heaven-born Virtue that which makes us most like God yet this Love is not cannot be before and without Faith we cannot love God till we believe him to be God nor Jesus Christ till we believe the Truth of the Gospel concerning him nor love his Word till we believe it to be his Word c. 8. It 's excellent End and Issue discovers 8. It 's excellenâ—s End the Excellency of the Virtue it Issues the Soul in Glory it prepares the Soul for Glory through it it 's preserved by the Power of God to Glory He that endureth i. e. in the Faith and Profession thereof to the end shall be Saved 1 Pet. 1 9. Receiving the end of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls By Soul we are to understand the whole Man Body and Soul and this is and will be the end of all true Faith to bring you to Salvation both Body and Soul but this note it 's not Faith only in the Habit of it but in the Living-working Power thereof according to the Gospel as it brings forth those other Divine Virtues aforementioned But to this of Faith I shall speak more distinctly in the Doctrine of Justification in some Cases CHAP. XII Of Repentance REpentance and faith are undoubted Chap. 12. Of Repentance Companions in as much as sometimes Repentance is included in Faith and sometimes Faith is included in Repentance and it comes in immediately with Faith and much spoken of in the Scripture as absolutely necessary unto Life and in my Method in speaking to it I shall endeavour 1. To shew what it is the Greek Word 1. What it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metanoesate properly signifieth a Change of the Mind which cannot be without a Measure of Faith and that not an ordinary change of the Mind from one thing to another but it is a change of the Mind from owning of delighting in and following after the Service of Sin Satan and the World to the owning of delighting in and following after the Lord in serving of him In a Word true Repentance is the turning of the whole Man from Sin and Satan unto God to Believe and Obey the Gospel for where the Mind is effâ—ctually changed there will be a change in the whole Conversation it 's one in Substance with Conversion for that is a turning from Sin to God and so is Repentance it 's not a turning from one Sin to another or from one Opinion to another unless it be from Errour to Truth or a turning from Prophaneries to Civility or Formality So the last Estate may be worse than the first but it 's the turning from the Power of Sin and Satan to God Acts 26. 18. Isa 55 7. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Vnrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him turn to the Lord and he will have Mercy on him c. This I take to be the Essence and Substance of Repentance the change of the Mind and so the turning of the whole Man from Satan to God in the way of the Gospel in which Way and Work of Repentance the Soul shall obtain Remission of Sins here and an Inheritance amongst the Sanctified Ones hereafter 2. That this Repentance is an Evangelical 2. It 's an Evangelical Duty Duty and Virtue and not Legal as some imagine unless it be the Law of the New Covenant so it 's Legal and a Duty Persons who think Repentance to be only a Legal Old Covenant Work and the Persons exercised in it to be of an Old Covenant Spirit discover themselves to be indeed strangers to the New Covenant Grace and the way of Interest therein that must needs be Evangelical that is the Condition or Terms of all our New Covenant Mercy the Grace and Mercy of the New Covenant is propounded on the terms of Repentance and without it we may not expect any Interest therein Luke 24. 47. That Repentance and Remission of Sins might be preached in his Name c. Repentance must precede the Remission of sins as the Condition no Repentance no Remission of sins Acts 2. 28. Repent every one
THE BODY of DIVINITY Or a Confession of FAITH Being the substance of CHRISTIANITY Containing the most Material things relating to Matters both of FAITH and PRACTISE Published for the Benefit and Profit of all especially of those who love the Lord Jesus in Sincerity and desire the knowledge of the Holy and the way of the New-Covenant that leads to Glory Very briefly contracted according to Scripture light and plainly handled in 31. Chapters By THOMAS COLLIER John 5. 39. Search the Scripture for in them ye think to have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Rule it is because there is no light in them 2 Cor. 4. 13. But having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believe therefore have I spoken we also believe therefore speak LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch in Exchange Ally over against the Royal-Exchange in Corn-hill 1674. THE PREFACE OR EPISTLE TO THE READER THis Treatise is designed for thy special and spiritual Profit its true that the holy Scripture commonly called the Bible is the Book of all Books and that according to which we all ought to speak write and walk and its true as the Wise man saith of making many Books there is no end especially unless our end therein be the glory of God and the good of Souls its true we know but in part and a very little little part too and therefore can Prophecy but in part Therefore read not any mans Book but with a supposition that there may be a mixture of some Errour with Truth and some mistakes and receive nothing for truth from the word or credit of the Person who ever it be but as it s rightly grounded on the Word of God the Scripture of Truth according to which all ought to speak and the best of men may be in some things mistaken though ordinarily in the substantial things of the New-Birth of Faith and Holiness the Spirits work is the same in all yet by reason of the Babylonish confusion that yet remains the language of the Saints seems to be much divided in consideration whereof I thought nothing more likely to produce unity in spirit then unity in the body and substance of Truth for which cause I have made this Essay in bringing forth this brief plain Treatise about the most substantial matters of Christianity that all who agree in the substance of Truth may unite in Spirit and although we cannot attain such a uniting as is desirable and shall in time be by the Lord accomplished in and amongst his People according to that Prophesie and Promise Zeph. 3. 9. Yet it is my hearts desire that all who truly love the Lord would shew it by their uniting at least in affection for that is Gospel-Grace and Love indeed to love for God and Christs sake though of differing apprehensions about some of the weighty things in the New-Covenant for every Truth of Christ is of weight and worth and is or ought so to be esteemed by all that love him Psal 119. 127 128. and the right understanding of the mind of God in the Scripture is the only wright way of uniting I am far from the mind of those who pretend and endeavour the uniting of all into uniformity in Faith and Worship by Coersive Power and human force a unity more suiting Brutes then Christians and a way to build up Satans Kingdom under pretence of the Kingdom of Christ but that I earnestly long after and pray for is the uniting of all true Christians in the spirit and faith of the Gospel who are the Church and Kingdom of Christ his Body Mistical and if through darkness we cannot attain the uniformity of Christian Faith and worship in every part but the language of Christians be yet divided yet let every one endeavour the attainment of a spirit of Love and forbearance each to other not Judging Sensuring and Reviling which shews the spirit of the World and not of Christ. And these ensuing Chapters are most especially and principally directed to such who alone are capacitated to Understand Believe and Practise the things in them contained they are not the Notions of sudden Conception but the fruit and birth of many years Travel and Meditation and I hope it may through the Blessing of God at some time or other to some persons or other add something or other to the Understanding Faith Hope and Joy of their Souls and be some help of direction to a right walk in the way of Life I shall not say any thing as to the matters handled in this Treatise by way of Commendation to induce the Reader to its Perusal if it speak not for it self in the use thereof the Reader is at liberty to lay it aside only let him beware that he slight it not because it is not suited to his mind if it be according to the Divine revelation of the Word and Will of Christ it s the great concernment of all that will approve themselves gratious before the Lord to bring their minds to the Scripture and not the Scripture to their minds it is to be feared that great hath been the miscarriage of Christians in this very thing at this day open-heartedness to God-ward and a sincere will to know that we may do the will of the Lord is the ready way to know more of his will and then shall we not be ashamed when we have a respect to all his Commandments ignorance of any part of the Revealed Will of God is a sin a sinful defect in gratious persons but to be willingly ignorant or willfully disobedient to any part of the Revealed will of God is a sin of the highest nature and must be punished with many stripes Luk. 12. 47 48. willfully to add to or diminish from the Word of God is a sin and the judgment of such is declared in the Word Deut. 4. 2. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18 19. In a word I do believe that sincere desires accompanied with the like endeavours after the knowledge of the will of Christ and a faithful living up to what we know resolving our wisdom and wills in every thing into the wisdom and will of Christ would be wonderfully blest of the Lord for spiritual grouth and uniting of the Saints both in faith and worship I have herein declared my Faith in which I live and believe that by the grace of God I shall die and yet live Eternally This have I declared as the discovery of my heart in the matters of my God when I am gone hence and shall be hear no more seen And what ever may be found in any other of my Writing that may seem contrary to any thing in this or is contrary in very deâ—d either understand it by this or else let it fall to the ground for days of Temptation oft-times brings forth effects which occasions after Repentance To
be sound in the Faith and in the Principles of Religion is of deep concernment to all Christians and indeed a good and Christian walk in the way of sincere and universal holiness and obedience is that which greatly concerneth and becometh Christians in order to their eternal Welfare As a help to both have I presented this small brief Treatise to thy consideration in which I have to the utmost of my ability and light not only studied Truth that might be profiting to the Reader but brevity likewise that much might be found in a little Volume in which if persons exercise their own understandings in the use thereof they may probably reap some benefit thereby And Reader what thee dost find differing from thine own understanding be not hasty in judging or sensuring but read and ponder and search the Scripture to see whether it be so or no without which the most do wrong to the Truth and to thine own soul But I shall say no more but commit it to the Readers in the blessing of God praying for their profiting thereby and if your souls do reap any spiritual benefit or advantage in the use hereof let God have the Glory and the Author as Instrument hath his end answered And so fare the well in the Lord Grace Mercy Peace and Truth be with all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Amen An Account of the Particular Matters Treated of in the ensuing Discourse CHapter I. Concerning God 1. That he is 2. What he is 3. How he doth subsist 4. Where he is Page 1. Chap. II. Of the Holy Scripture that it is the Divine Word and will of God proved by many Divine Arguments P. 48. Chap. III. Of the Creation of the world and all things therein P. 70. Chap. IV. Of the Creation of Man P. 73. Chap. V. Of the Angels and of their Creation P. 85. Chap. VI. Of the Devil and wicked Angels P. 99. Chap. VII Of the Fall of Man from his Created Innocency P. 107. Chap. VIII Of the way and means ordained of God for the recovery of Man out of his faln Estate P. 113. Chap. IX Of the design of God in general in his New Covenant Restauration which was to make all things New P. 123. Chap. X. Of the order and method of God in preparing a people for his glorious Estate pag. 133. and followeth in rest of the chapters Chap. XI Of Faith 1. what it is 2. how its wrought 3. its grounds and objects 4. its excellency p. 139 Chap. XII Of Repentance P. 149 Chap. XIII Treateth of Justification P. 163. Chap. XIV Is a more distinct discourse of Justification by Faith which answers to several questions and objections about the Matter P. 180. Chap. XV. Of Gospel assurance and whether it may be attained in this life P. 209. Chap. XVI A further Discovery of the New-Covenant and Life of Faith P. 248. Chap. XVII Of Sanctification and good works P. 253. Chap. XVIII Of the true and saving knowledge of God P. 270. Chap. XIX Of the Divine Vertue and grace of Love P. 293. Chap. XX. Of the Gospel fear of God P. 324. Chap. XXI Of the Law of God and what we are to understand thereby P. 341. Chap. XXII Of Prayer P. 364. Chap. XXIII Of Perfection and whether it may be attained in this life P. 406. Chap. XXIV Of Sincerity p. 421. Chap. XXV Of Election p. 441. Chap. XXVI Of Reprobation p. 451. Chap. XXVII Of the Church of Christ in the New-covenant p. 457. Chap. XXVIII Of the Ordinances Officers and Administrations in the Church of Christ p. 464. Chap. XXIX That the Estate of the Church in this world is an Afflicted Estate p. 499. Chap. XXX Of Death and the State after Death of the Resurrection and Judgment p. 531. Chap. XXXI Of the Coming Kingdom and Reign of Christ on Earth p. 548. CHAP. I. CONCERNING GOD. 1. That He is 2. What He is 3. How He doth subsist 4. Where he is 1. THat God is or that there 1 That God is or that there is a God is a God i. e. an infinite self-Being that hath given Being to all things c. is necessary to be believed of all and is the first step of Faith in order to Salvation Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Now though it be a common received Principle that God is yet in as much as it 's evident according to the Scripture That the Fool hath said in his heart that there is no God Psal 14. 1. And that the transgression of the Wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes Psal 36. 1. And oft-times gracious Souls through their own weakness and Satans wiles meet with temptations on this account I shall therefore speak something to this so necessary a truth the grounds I shall present for evidencing this so great and sacred a principle of truth are as followeth 1. The Word of God the Scriptures of Truth Proof 1. The Scripture The word of God in the substance of them is to hold forth this one God or Invisible Creating Upholding and Preserving Power Gen. 1. 1. In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth v. 6. God said let there be a Firmament c. and so throughout the Chapter and indeed throughout the Bible I shall mention but a few instances in the name of the whole Gen. 6. 5. God saw the Wickedness of man c. v. 6. Iâ— Râ—pented the Lord that he had made man c. v. 11. The Earth was corrupt before God see ver 12. 13. Exod. 20. 1 2. And God spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God c. Psal 29. 1 2. Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord Glory and Strength give unto the Lord the Glory of his Name Psal 82. 1. God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty c. Joh. 1. 1. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God c Let this serve among the multitude of Scripture-Testimonies to prove that God is A second Testimony is the Works of 2. The works of God God which do abundantly declare and Preach forth the Divine Being and Omnipotent Power and Wisdom of this Divine though Invisible Creator of all things for Reason will tell us that none of these things could give Being to or Create themselves Man who is the most Intelligible and Rational Creature here below was so far from creating himself that let all the Wisdom of all the men in the World be conjunct in unity they are not able to Create or give Being to the basest of Creatures no not a Fly or Worm It s true the Image or likeness Man madâ— not himself of Creatures they can make of matter that was made before by the Creator but nothing can they Create
that confesseth and forsaketh shall sind mercy Comfort in respect of Enemies in the midst of all their oppressions and wrongs the mercy of God is their support in the midst of all their oppression Psal 52. 1. Why boastest thou thy self in mischief thou mighty man the goodness of God endureth always and likewise the Prophet implores mercy in all his distresses Psal 56 1. 57. 1. This glorious Attribute of goodness and mercy in God will prove dreadful in the end to impenitent sinners who still persist in sin and will not accept of mercy on the terms it is to be had when they shall give an account for the abuse of mercy and be everlastingly tormented in the thoughts and remembrance of their folly and madness therein Rom. 2. 4. or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance v. 5. but after thy hardness and impenitent heart tâ—easurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment of God 6. He is a faithful covenant-keeping God The sixth Attribute of Gods Name is his Faithfulness He is a faithful God Deut. 7. 9. Know therefore the Lord thy God is a faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments to a thousand Generations i. e. for ever His Faithfulness shall never fail for he is truth it self and cannot lye Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began God cannot lye it 's contrary to his Name and Nature therefore he cannot do it for he can do nothing contrary to himself and he would have his people know it that they might build their Faith and Comfort in his Faithfulness 1 Cor. 1. 9. God is faithful by whom ye are called to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord ch 10. 13. God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able c. Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised In all which Scriptures with many more that might be mentioned it 's more than evident that God delights to have his people know that he is faithful and to believe the truth thereof that is it I understand is intended Ps 138. 2. I will worship toward thine holy Temple and praise thy Name for thy loving kindness and thy truth for thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name that is thy truth and faithfulness in performing thy Word though all his Name be magnified and is glorious yet this of his Truth and Faithfulness he puts an emphasis upon it and an excellency as if God would have more respect to his faithfulness in his Word than to all his Name not that there is any difference in respect of himself but for the comfort of his people who are most ready to fail in their Faith in his faithfulness in his Word therefore to confirm his people in this matter he lets them to know that he hath magnified his Word above all his Name i. e. whatever of his Name may be supposed to fail yet his Faithfulness in his Word shall never fail Psal 89. 33. to confirm us in his Faithfulness in his Word he hath given us his Word and his Oath two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie Heb. 6. 17. 18. if God should be unfaithful in his Word he must cease to be God it must destroy him in his Name and Being and that is it he hath laid so much stress on our Faith and Believing which lieth chiefly in our believing the Truth of God in his Word and living up unto it he that believeth not must be damned because not believing we do in our part make him a Lyar Joh. 3. 33. He that hath received i. e. believed his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true 1 Joh. 5. 10. He that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar c. no wonder if unbelief be the Portion of Unbelievers for they thereby do their part to make the faithful and true God a Lyar. This was the Faith of Abraham our Father Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God and it was accoâ—â—ed to him for Righteousness and indeed all the parts of Faith are included in this of believing God relating to Justification Obedience and Glory if we believe the Truth of the Doctrine of Justification and Life by Jesus we believe likewise the Lordship and the Law of Christ and cleave to him therein which is our Justification or rather the terms of the Gospel on which God doth justifie us and finding those Terms or Divine Virtues of Faith c. wrought in us we hence conclude from the Promise of Life to those in whom it is wrought our interest therein and thus our interest in Life is built on Gods Faithfulness in his Word for God would not have his people to conclude their interest in his Grace of Life from fancy and imagination but from his Promise of Life for whatever Faith we pretend unto if it be not grounded on the Word of God and his Faithfulness Vse of God's Faithfulness 1. Encouragement 2. Comfâ—rt therein it is but Fancy and not Faith This Doctrine of the Faithfulness of God affords not only great encouragement to believe God in his Word but likewise strong Consolation to all true Believers Hebr. 6. 17 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel coâ—firmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to the hope set before us c. the strong Consolation of the Saints flows from the impossibility of God to lie i. e. from the infallibility of his Truth and Faithfulness God must lie if those who believe and obâ—y the Gospel be not saved which is impossible and from hence it is that the Saints have not only grounds of strong Consolation but likewise of everlasting Consolation and good â—ope through Grace 2 Thâ—ss 2. 16. But Secondly on the contrary Gods 2. Dread to wicked men who continue in sin Faithfulness is a dreadful Doctrine to all impenitent and hardned sinners it infallibly cuts them off from all hope of mercy and binds them over to the eternal Judgment It 's a common thing with unrepenting sinners to say they hope to be saved yet keep their sins and lusts and never repent and turn to the Lord nor in truth believe according to the Gospel for true Faith is always accompanied with Repentance and Obedience To such I must say it 's impossible for them to be saved living and dying in an unconverted estate Damnation to such is as certain as Salvation is to such as believe and obey the Truth they hope for
Preservation and Redemption hence the work of Creation is sometimes attributed to the Father sometimes to the Son and sometimes to the holy Spirit 1. Sometimes to the Father Heb. 1. 2. 1 Creation Attributed to the Father By whom he also made the Worlds He that is God the Father made the Worlds Eph. 3. 9 the mystery of the Gospel there spoken of that was hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ here the Creation is attributed to God the Father 2. It is attributed unto the Son Heb. 1. 2 To the Son 10. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thine hands which the Apostle applied to Christ the Son of the Father as is by the scope of the matter clearly discernable Col. 1. 16. For by him i. e. Christ were all things created c. Joh. 1. 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made 3. It 's attributed to the Holy Spirit in 3 To the Holy spirit the work of Creation it 's said Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Psal 104. 30. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit and they are created c. Job 26. 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the Heavens c. and ch 33. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me all which hold forth unity in the Divine Essence from their unity in the Work as we must unavoidably understand unless we lose both Reason and Religion that when the Creation is attributed to God the one infinite glorious Being it includes the whole three Father Son and Spirit it being attributed to each of them apart inrallibly includes the unity of Essence in the three Father Son Spirit these three are one and that the three are included in such Scriptures as these whâ—re one is spoken of Act 14 15 That you should turn from these vanities unâ—o the living God that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all things therein ch 17. 24. God that made the world and all things therein c. with multitudes of the like Scriptures which include the whole as one in Essence and Work though three in that unity or else all three could not be said to create the World 2. In Preservation and Redemption God 2 Prâ—vâ—â—l in Preservation Redemption the Father is said to preserve man and beast Psal 36. 6. and all things are said to consist by Jesus Christ Col. 1. 17. God is frequently in Scripture called our Saviour and so is Jesus Christ Tit. 3. 4 6. and the holy Spirit had his operation in this work of Salvation and Redemption by Jesus Christ crucified Heb 9. 14. so that there was and is unity and concurrence in every work which proves them to be one God or God to be one in three Father Son and Spirit 3. The Unity in these three is discovered 3 In their unity in the power of the Gospel in their unity in the power and authority of the Gospel which is to be administred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit Mat. 28. 19. unity in power and authority declares unity in Essence and Nature or unavoidably three Divine Beings I shall yet proceed to speak more distinctly A more distinct discovery to this wonderful Mystery and pray the Lord to do it humbly soberly tremblingly and plainly and according to the word of Truth and I trust I shall not vary from the very plain terms and discoveries of God in the Gospel in this matter 1. God the Father is in Scripture said to God is said to be the father 1 as the original cause of all things be the Father and so distinguished as seems plain by the Divine Revelation 1. As he is the original cause of all things as a Father 1 Cor 8. 6. To us there is one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him Rom. 11. 39. For of him and through him and to him are all things c. Eph. 4. 6. One God the Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all And on this account he is the father of the whole Creation as the first effectual cause of all who are therefore said to be his Ofspring Acts 17. 28 29. For we are also 2 as making provision for all his Of-spring forasmuch as we are the Of spring of God 2. He having as a Father brought forth a Creation as his Of-spring he taketh care of all and maketh provision for all as his Of-spring and as a Father Psal 145. 15 16. The Eyes of all wait on thee and thou givest them meat in season thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Psal 147 8 9. Who covereth the Heaven with Clouds and giveth to the Beast his food and to the young Ravens that cry Mat. 5 45. He maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth Rain on the just and on the unjust hence Christ teacheth us to pray to God as our Father for daily bread 3. He is the Father in relation to his Son 3 He is the Father in relation to Christ his Son our Lord Jesus Luke 1. 35. The holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God John 1. 14 18. And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth v. 18. No man hath seen God at any time i. e. God the Father the only Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Rom. 15 6. That you may with one mind and with one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ These with multitudes of Scriptures of like import prove God to be the Father as relative to Jesus Christ his Son 4. And so in him he is the Father relative on the New-Covenant account of all 4 In relation to his Children in him his New Covenant-spirited people i. e. true Believers espoused unto Jesus Christ his Son by Faith Gal. 3. 26. For ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Jesus Christ John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father c. Rom. 8. 16. 17. and thus he is the Father of the whole family in Heaven and Earth Eph. 3. 14 15. with ch 2. 19. 5. And so in him he is the Father of all 5 He is the Father of all our New Covenant-Mercy our New Covenant-Mercy relating both to Grace and Glory 2 Cor. 1 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort 2 Tit.
ever the Scâ—â—ter of thy Kingdom is a right Sâ—â—pter Thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teousness and hatest Wickedness 〈◊〉 God even thy God hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oyl of Gladnesâ— above thy fellows This is a high and glorious Description of the Son of God yet in his both Natures Man as well as God as he was aâ—â—â—â—ted with the Oyl of Gladness above his fâ—llâ—ws as he was the Son of God Heb. 1. 1. God hath in these last days spokâ—n to â—â— by his Son is it by the Divine Nature onely surely I suppose none will say so but in and by that Person which was and is his Son the Man Christ Jesus that holy thing that was born of the Virgin Luk. 1. 35. and called The Son of God Phil. 2. 6 7 8. It was the same He that was in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equal with God that was made in the form of a Servant c. Surely it was not the Divine Nature onely that was not subject to death 2. His Name Christ signifieth Anointed 2. His Name Christ imports bâ—â—h Natures there is the Anointing and the Anointed the Divine Nature is the Anointing the Humane Nature is the Anointed And indeed it 's contrary to the Divine Revelation of this Mystery to suppose a Christ or Son of God in one of the Natures onely whether the Divine or Humane Look on the Humane without the Divine so he would not be Anointed or the Divine without the Humane so it is the Anointing not the Anointed It 's a conception that in it self seems to un-Son him and un-Christ him let no man put that asunder which God hath joyned together for as he was Christ the Anointed so was he the Son of God Mat. 16. 16. Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God 3. Otherwise to understand it and to 3. Else he must be a Son diveâ—s manner of ways suppose impossibilities in this because it may seem so to our reason seems to un-God the whole Trinity in whom and with whom all things are possible and all things by him declared we ought to believe It seems to import that Christ is a Son in differing manner of ways either two Sons one by Nature and another by Grace and Personal Union or one manner of Son before time and another manner in time so making things to be various changable and new to God as it is to us and so Christs Humanity must be an addition to the Son of God Whereas the Scripture presents us with one onely Son of the Father God and Man by whom he made the Worlds and by whom it all consists and by whom he will save the World i. e. such as shall be saved 1 John 4. 14. and by whom he will judge the world Acts 17. 31. by whom it was the Fathers great and eternal Design to open and make known the Mystery of himself in his times 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. Even the same that was yesterday and to day and for ever which cannot be true if the Sonship of Christ was not the same to the Father at first as it was at last This seems to un-God him and make him like to man and not eternally the same So that this Truth thus considered seems to contradict that common notion of Christs being the Son of the Father in the Divine Nature onely by an Eternal Generation in the Godhead onely which seems to be an unwarranted expression and that which the Scripture which is the Divine Revelation of all Truth is unacquainted with being rightly understood Permitting the sence of it own language it will appear that all those Scriptures that speak of the begetting of the Son of God intends him as he was the Christ the Son of the Father in the Unity of Natures and not in the Divine Nature onely John 1. 14. It was the Word as made Flesh that was the onely begotten Son of the Father full of Grace and Tâ—uth begotten in the Eternal Counsel and Mind of the Father 1 Pet. 2. 20. and in time according to purpose was wonderfully begotten in the Womb of the Virgin Luk. 1. 31 35. Gal. 4. 4. which must be understood in his whole Person God and Man whole Christ Christ is said in Scripture to be the first-begotten or first-born on a three-fold accoâ—nt Christ the Fiâ—â—t-Begottâ—n fiâ—◠〈◊〉 upâ—â— a three fold accâ—unt 1. He is said to be the First-begotten or First-born of every Creature Col. 1. 15. Rev. 3. 1â— and here he lieth at the bottom of the Creation as all was made by him 2. He is said to be the First-born among many Brethren Rom. 8. 29. and here he is presented to us as lying at the bottom of Election as the rest were elected in him Ephes 1. 4 5. 3. He is said to be the First-begotten of the Dead and so he lieth at the bottom of the Resurrection Rev. 1. 5. 1 Cor. 15. 20 21 22. and to this doth the Apostle apply â—sal 2. 7. Thou aâ—t my Son this Day have I begotten thee Acts 13. 33. But to finish this I shall draw up the result in this short Conclusion â—hat as the Son of God was promised to come forth and did come forth in time so was he considered by and with the Father before time But he was promised to come forth and did come forth God and Man in time Therefore he was so the Son of God before time which hath been fully cleared Yet I adde John 16. 30. 17. 8. Isa 9. 6. or else he was not yesterday and to day the same for ever Further As we are to understand him always to be the Son of God in both Natures so are we to understand him to be the Son of Man in both Natures God-Man as Man-God God and Man in one Person so that the Son of God is the Son of Man and the Son of Man is the Son of God Mat. 9. 6. That ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on â—arâ—h to forgive sins John 3. 13. Hence his Blood is called The Blood of God Acts 20. 28. And that God laid down his life for us 1 John 3. 16. Yet the Divine and Humane Nature remaining distinct and unmixed though in the Unity of Person One Man One Son truly God and truly Man yet Relative Properties and Operations distinct as to the Divine and Humane Nature at least in the time of his Humiliation Thirdly Touching the Divinity of the 3 Touching the Divinity of the holy Spirit Holy Spirit that he is God as I said before he is of God and is God This is evident in the Scriptures He is joyned in with the Father and the Son in the Work of Creation Gen. 1. 2. Job 26. 13. and 33. 4. in the work of Teaching Prophesying Convicting Converting it 's all applied to the holy Spirit John 14. 26. 1 Cor. 12. 7. to 11. John 16. 8. The holy Scriptures declare the holy Spirit
we need and in such a manner as we ought so that all those Titles given to the Spirit in the Scripture and those Works ascribed to him relating to his Office and Work in the God-head no whit derogates from his Union in the same Divine Nature or eternal Existency in and with the Father and the Son That there is any personality in God or three Persons in the Divine Essence is a Language I do not yet understand is made use of in the Scriptures therefore I avoid the terms though I am not willing to question or doubt but that those who use it who are godly and understand what they say do it thereby to express the Truth of the Scripture-distinction in the Trinity i. e. that there is Father Son and Spirit in unity of Nature and is but one God the word Person being not at all as I know given either to the Father or holy Spirit but to the Son as God and Man in one Person The truth of the Trinity proved from the Old Testament And this Truth i. e. a plurality in one infinite and eternal God is clearly to be proved from the Old Testament even from the Creation and that probably in more clear and God-like Terms of Distinction than Persons which probably the Learned have avoided for some at least supposed good Reasons on which account I shall at present say no more onely present to those that understand Gen. 1. 1. with vers 26. The sum of all is this That God is One Eternal Infinite Substantial Being distinguished into Father Son and holy Spirit and in all there are Divine and Distinct Relative Properties and Operations yet in all no one wills no one acts without the other Gen. 1. 1 2 26. Heb. 1. 2. Job 33. 4. Thus have I given a brief Discovery of The Conclusion my little little Apprehension in this great and wonderful Mystery of all Mysteries whom rightly to know is Life Eternal a Mystery not too curiously to be pried into but in the plain Demonstration of his own Word and I am sure it will remain a Mystery still This I believe is necessary for every Christian to believe in this matter That there is One onely True God and that this True God is One in Essence and Nature and that the Father Son or Word and holy Spirit is this True God That Jesus Christ in his both Natures Divine and Humane is the Son of God The second Man is the Lord from Heaven 1 Cor. 15. 47. And that the holy Spirit is the Out-goings and Effecting Operations of God and so is God of the same Nature the Enlightener Convincer Converter Sanctifier Strengthener and Comforter of the Saints in and 〈◊〉 â—eaâ—s appointed for that end i. â— tâ— Word of Truth and Doctrine of the Gospel Fourthly Where this glorious God is 1. He is in all places by his Spirit Psal 4 Where God is 139. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit and whither shall I flee from thy presence See Vers 8 9 10. Prov. 15. 3. The Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good 2 Chron. 16. 4. The Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose Heart is perfect towards him And as he is by his Spirit every where So 2. His Paternal Presence is in Heaven God the Father is in Heaven his Glorious Majesty for we must believe God to be a Substantial Being not â—n Airy Fancy a Nothing and such a Substantial Being as the Scripture declares him to be yea and infinitely beyond all Verbal Declaration or Heart-Conception that He is such an One whom no man hath seen nor can see and live such a One in his own Glory that if he should discover himself to the World would destroy it at once for no man hath seen him or can see him 'T is true Jesus Christ his Son is the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image â—f his Substance Heb. 1. 3. But the Glory of the Father is a hidden Glory and by the Son the Father hath been and shall be revealed in His Times 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. And Heaven is his Throne and the Earth his Footstool That the glorious Habitation of God is in Heaven is clear from Scripture-Revelalation that whiles the Son was on Earth the Father was in Heaven John 20. 17. Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my Brethren and say to them I ascend to my Father to and your Father to my God and to your God And Christ teacheth to pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Mat. 6. 9. And the Heaven where the Glorious Majesty is seems to be above all Created Heavens in the Increated Heaven his Eternal Habitation For as God is Eternal so He must have an Eternal Habitation Which is the Heaven into which Christ our Lord is Ascended to the Right Hand of Power and Glory Ephes 4. 10. He that descended is the same that ascended up far above all Heavens c. The most Glorious Heaven and Eternal Habitation of GOD far above all Created Heavens is called The High and Holy Place where He dwells Isaiah 57. 15. Psal 8. 1. Thou hast set thy Glory above the Heavens i. e. the Created Heavens Psalm 113. 4 5 6 The Lord is High above all Nations and his Glory above the Heavens Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on High who humbleth Himself to behold things in Heaven and Earth i. e. To behold things in his Created Heaven and Earth Who is said to humble himself to behold things in Heaven and Earth that is Because the Created Heavens and Earth are all in the Fallen State by reason of the Sin and Fall of Man Therefore God doth greatly humble himself in looking after the Heavens and Earth in the Fallen State CHAP. II. Of the Holy Scriptures That it is the Divine Word and Will of God proved by many Divine Arguments I shall now proceed to present some grounds to prove the holy Scriptures to be the Word Will of God the holy and vine Truth of God it being a matter of concernment for Christians to be established in next our believing that there is a God and indeed we cannot savingly believe that God is unless we believe the Truth of his Word that it is the Divine Revelation of his Will relating both to matters of Faith and Practice in order to our spiritual and eternal well-being And I trust I shall propound several weighty and undeniable grounds for Confirmation of Faith in the Truth and Divinity thereof And the fâ—rst â—ort of Grounds I shall present 1. It s own witness which proves it Diuine are such as ariseth from it self that we may see its own Witness full of all sufficiency to prove its own Divinity 1. It s Divine Purity proves it to be of 1. It
is its Divine Truth and the Truth of God witnessed therein John 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy word is Truth this is the witness of Him who is Truth it self and is the faithful and true Witness Psal 119. 160. Thy Word is true from the beginning c. Psal 19. 9. The Judgments of the Lord are True and Righteous altogether I shall give some particular convincing Proved by Demonstrations of its own Demonstrations in confirmation of the truth thereof the Scripture declares the Creation of the World by the Word of God with the manner and order thereof Gen. 1. which all may see and conclude the truth thereof if not Atheists The Bow in the Cloud to be a sign of Gods Covenant with all flesh Gen. 9. 13. visible to be seen of all that God may be known by his Works which he hath made Rom. 1. 19 20. Psal 19. 1 2. confest of all except Atheists That he gives us rain and fruitful seasons Acts 14. 17. That He causeth the Sun to arise on the good and on the evil and the Rain to fall on the just and the unjust Mat. 5. 45. All to be seen acknowledged by all Fulfilled the Destruction of Jerusalem threatned Mat. 24. 2. Luk 21. 20 24. known and believed of all that do not wilfully shut their Eyes All which confirms the Truth thereof See further the Truth as testified in and of its self and ought to be believed Gen. 15. 13. The affliction of Abrahams Natural Seed four hundred years the truth thereof you may see Exod. 12. 40. Gal. 3. 17. The truth of all the Promises made to the Fathers see Josâ— 21. 44 45. 23. 14. Their Babylonish Captivity threatned executed accordingly Jer. 17. 1 4. 21. 4 7. with their return according to the time and by the person foretold Dan. 9. 2. Jer. 29. 10. Isa â—4 28. and 45. 1 2 1â— with Ezra 1. 1 2. Christ was promised to be of the Seed of David and to be born of a Virgin and it was so fulfilled Isa 7. 14. with Mat. 1. 23. Gal. 4. 4. and that he should suffer death which was accordingly fulfilled Luk. 24. 25 26. Acts 3. 17 18. with multitudes of like examples that might be named but these are sufficient to the matter in hand and end intended i. e. to confirm us in the truth of this blessed Word 6. And finally its Divine Harmony witnesseth 6. It s divine harmony greatly câ—nfiâ—ms us Divinity abundantly to its Divinity or Divine Truth I say its Divine Harmony and Concurrency with it self written by so many men in so many Ages of the World at such distance of times and places and to hold harmony and Unity with it self from first to last wonderfully declares it to be from that one God that changeth not and not from men For such a word to be giving forth about Two Thousand years some at one time and some at another in some part was fulfilled what was promised in another the New Testament being the fulfilling of the Old I say Harmony and Unity in the Substance and Body thereof What may be supposed of difference by some is onely in matters circumstantial but not material and it may be their ignorance in not understanding wherein the Unity and Harmony consists But the Substance and Body of the Scriptures as it treats of and discovers God and Christ and the Works of Creation and Redemption what he hath done for his People in all Ages and under all Ministrations what he hath promised he will do for them and what he requireth his People to do and what he hath done and will do to his and his Churches Enemies in a word the Volumn of the Book treateth Heb. 10. 7. Or of Mans Fall sinfulness and misery thereby of Christ promised and effected and of all things concurring to the Redemption Restauration of Fallen Man by Christ in all which is fulness of Unity and Harmony And so much shall suffice to be here spoken for the Authority of the Scriptures own witness to its Divinity and Truth II A second Witness is The Consent II Wâ—tnâ—ss â—â— the C 〈…〉 all G 〈…〉 e Persons and Testimony of all the Godly in all Ages unto this day 1. The Testimony of those Godly Persons who writ the â—criptures who give their own Testimony that it was the Word of the Lord and not their own Amongst the multitude that might be named take these few in behalf of the whole Gen. 12. 1 2. 17. 1. Exod. 20. 1. 31. 1. 33. 1. Lev. 4. 1. 6. 1. Deut. 33. 9. 1 Kings 8. 26. Psal 119. 9. Isa 1. 2. Jer. 1. 2. Ezek. 1. 3. Mark 7. 1â— John 10. 35. and the Apostles confirm it in the New Testament 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. 3. 15 16. 1 Cor. 14. 37. 2. And all other Godly Persons both in the times of the Scripture's being given forth in the Old and New Testament and in all Ages since to this day hath believed the Divinity and Truth thereof as both History and Experience declares else what means their faith in practice of and suffering for the truth therein contained as hath been so abundantly demonstrated in all Ages And almost all men where it comes must fall before it acknowledging the Truth thereof though most of men dare be so bold as to adde their Inventions to it and not to live in obedience thereunto How they think to escape the Judgment threatned it concerns them to consider in time Rev. 22. 8. John 12. 48. III. It must be from God and so be his III. It is from God because it can be from none else 1. It cannot be from Angels Good or Bad. Word and Will made known unto us because it can indeed be from none else 1. It cannot be from Angels alone either Good or Bad. 1. It cannot be from good Angels any otherwise than as Messengers of God to deliver it for good Angels durst not assume such an Authority distinct from God but as Messengers from God so they delivered part of it as Dan. Chap. 10 11 12. Rev. 1. 1. Nor 2dly Could it be given by bad Angels or the Devil it being the holy Word of Truth it 's contrary to his nature he is a Liar and the Father thereof and an Enemy to all Truth and Holiness especially to God and Christ and the Salvation of men which is the substance of the Truth which is held forth unto us in the holy Scripture 2. It 's against his Interest and Kingdom it destroys him in all his ways and tends to deliver Souls out of his Kingdom and Captivity and discovers his destruction without all hope or help and therefore it cannot be of him 2. It cannot be from men no not of any 2. It cannot be from men alone either Good or Bad Rich or Poor sort of men 1. It cannot be of debauched men of vicious life
of God theirs is and shall be the Consolations of the Scripture all its promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 1. 20. theirs is the Grace held forth in the Scripture and theirs shall be the Kingdom of the Glory promised 4. If this be truth that the Scriptures are Vse 4 the Word of God i. e. his Divine Will made manifest to men then wo to all wicked men that walk contrary to this Rule they are not only like to miss of the Glory promised but must expect undoubtedly to meet with all the Plagues especially the eternal Plagues and Judgments therein denounced against unrepenting sinners If the Scriptures be the Divine Word and Will of God given as the Rule of Faith and Practice in order to our serving and the attaining of the Righteousness and Life therein held forth then wo to all those that slight it and refuse it that will have none of it that take what they list and leave what they list or like not certainly such must know one day what it is to undervalue the Word and Will of so high and so holy a God CHAP. III. Of the Creation of the World and all things therein 1. IN general that God created the World and all things therein is plain by manifold Testimonies of Scripture Gen. 1. 1. â—sal 33. 6. 136. 4. to 9. Act. 14. 15. 17. 24. And not onely so but 2. Light of Reason teacheth the same that there must needs be a First Cause of all things from whence they proceed Though Reason teacheth not the time and manner thereof that we must have from Divine Revelation Heb. 11. 3. Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God c. that is not onely that God made the Worlds but the Manner Method and time according to the Scripture-Revelation Gen. 1. This the Apostles as we understood by Faith in the truth of that Revelation And this Creation of the Worlds intends the Celestial World and the Terrestrial World and all things therein whether they be things in Heaven or things in Earth visible and invisible c. all things were created by and for Him And that He made the Worlds in six days and that He made all things good yea very good the Scripture informs us in and the matter whereof the World was made is exprest Gen. 1. 2. the deep unformed Chaos The Earth was void and without form and darkness was on the face of the deep c. When this unformed Deep was created I suppose is not exprest in Scripturâ— though its supposed to be part of the first days Creation and intended in vers 1. Iâ— the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth i. e. the matter of which Heaven and Earth was afterwards formed But this seems not to be the thing intended and that 1. Because this confused deep was neither Heaven nor Earth 2. In that the Creation or forming of Heaven and Earth in order followeth and the word Beginning seems not to intend the first days work only but as a Preface or Prologue to the whole six days work in which the Heavens and the Earth were created in the beginning i. e. in the first six days of the World God created the Heaven and the Earth according to the Method there exprest in which all was finished and God rested from His Work the seventh day Whether God made the matter of which all was made of nothing is known onely to Himself Reason seems so to teach that if there were any first matter uncreated of which all was made that there must be something Eternal besides God But this being a secret I shall so leave it conâ—luding with the Scripture-Light and Language Hâ—b 11. 3. Through Faith we und 〈…〉 and that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God so that the things that are 〈◊〉 not made of things that do appear The Unity of the Father Son and Spirit with the Mâ—nner and Method in this Work of Creation I have according to my Understanding in the Scripture-Light spoken to in what I have before written concerning God The Reasons of Gods making the Worlds seems to be rendred in the Scripture i. e. to â—ulfil His Eternal Will and Counsel and to shew His Eternal Power and Godhead Eph. 1. 11. Rom. 1. 20. to glorifie Himself in His own Works Prov. 16. 4. 1 Chron. 29. 11. and that all things might glorifie Him therefore He made all things in a suitableness thereunto for He made all things good very good CHAP. IV. Of the Creation of Man IN this Chapter I shall according to the Light of the Divine Revelation treat of Mans Creation in five particulars 1. The time when he was made and 1 The Time when that is expressed Gen. 1. 26 31. to be the sixth day after all the rest of the Creation was made God made all things first and Man was the last of the Creation in relation to his time of being formed though first in purpose and council In which we may learn that ordinarily Gods greatest and most glorious ends and designs are effected in his last and concluding Work so it was in this wonderful work of Creation all the fore-going Work was but an Usher or Preparation for Man So it was in his calling Abraham out of his Country and the Affliction of his Seed four hundred years it was all in order to their possession of the promised Land which was the crowning Work at last and all before was a Preparation to it so in the work of Redemption and Restauration by Jesus Christ in all the parts of it the last will be the perfecting and crowning Work so in the Saints spiritual Race and Warfare and the Regeneration-state the last is that shall crown all 2 Tit. 4. 7 8. 2. Man was in his Creation the most 2 The Excellency of Man in his Creation excellent of all Gods Works here below and this appeareth 1. in that he made all things for him before he had made him he built him the World for his House the Garden of Eden for his Pleasure and Delight and all the Creatures for his Service and this appears in that he made all things first and last made Man and brought all to him and made him Lord of all Gen. 2. 19 20. Psal 8. 6 7 8. 2. In that he took time to consult about making man more than in all the rest of the Creation the rest of the Creation was made suddenly he spake the Word and it was done and much was done by Divine Ordinance Genes 1. 11 12 20 21. but when he comes to make Man he deliberates upon it an there seems to be as it were a Consultation of the whole Trinity Let us make Man which he did not of any other part of the Creation 3. In that he made Man in his own image and after his own likeness which is not said of any other of the Creatures so
or Powers c. By things invisible we are to understand the Angels and the same Principalities and Powers compared with Eph. 3. 10. where the Angels are called Principalities and Powers in heavenly places 2. Reason teacheth that they must be and are created or else they must be eternal which is proper to none but God and if so they must be God but they are not God but his Creatures made by Him and for Him 3. The time when they were created this 3 The time when they were created is not expressed with clearness in the Scripture though it is supposed that they were created in one of the six days and that it was in the first day Gen. 1. 1. that under the term of Heavens God created the Heavens and the Earth the Angels are included But to me it seems probable that they And that before the six days Creation were created before the beginning of the six days Creation and not included in the six days Work Reas 1. Because the Creation mentioned Reas 1 Gen. 1. seems to be the Creation of the visible Worlds i. e. of the Heavens and the Earth and not the celestial invisible Angels and that not only because there is nothing expressed about the Creation of the invisible Spirits but of the Heavens and the Earth with the manner thereof But 2. In that Creation all things were made Reas 2 for the use of Man therefore Angels were not any part of that Creation for they were not created for the use of Man before his Fall though since imployed in that Service the Scripture gives us no such testimony nor could it stand with his estate in Innocency being left to his own both will and power to stand or fall neither had he need on any other account being perfect in his estate and under God Lord of the whole Creation Reas 3. It is not probable that they Reas 3 should be any part of the six days Creation that being made for Man and therefore as a punishment upon Man fell all with Man both the Heavens Earth and all things therein of the six days Creation fell into a corrupted estate by the Fall of Man Gen. 3. 16 17 18 19. Job 15. 15. and that is it that the Heavens must be restored as well as the Earth 2 Pet. 3. 13. Heb. 1. 11 12. and if Angels had been then and on the same account created they must all have fallen with Man for the Sin of Man And therefore Fourthly probably not Reas 4 only the Creation of Angels but likewise the Fall of the Apostate Angels was over and past before God created this World And God might create this World and Man in the room of the Apostate Angels which may be one reason of their exceeding hatred and malice against Man And probably it be the Angels that are spoken of Job 38. 7. called Morning-Stars and the Sons of God who were present at the Creation of the World and sang the Praises of God in beholding thereof when the Morning-Stars sang together and the Sons of God shouted with Joy Compare it with v. 4 5 6. By all which it seems to appear that the Angels were the first of Gods actual Creation and the first World that he made was the World of Angels and may be included in the plurality of Worlds Hebr. 1. 2. 4. The Matter of what they were created 4 The â—â—tter of what thâ—y were 〈◊〉 p 〈…〉 bly of th◠〈◊〉 Elâ—ment is not in Scripture so clearly expressed as the Creation of the visible World is It is evident that they are Spirits substances and not fictions and imaginary only but spiritual Bodies or Substances whether they were made of all the four Elements or any of them which some deny is not to us maâ—erial though the Scripture seems most to adhere in their Description to that of Fire that they are of fiery Bodies though invisible it is true they appeared sometimes in the likeness of Men yet it seems that when they appeared most proper to their own nature it was in the likeness of Fire it was a Chariot of Fire in which Elijah was carried up to Heaven 2 King 2. 11. chap. 6. 17. Elisha prayed and said O Lord I pray thee open his Eyes that he may see and the Lord opened the Eyes of the Young man and he saw and behold the Mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of Fire round about Elisha The Angels seem to be in their invisible Glory for the Young man could not see them till his Eyes were open to this the Prophet seems to agree Psal 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels Ezek. 1. 13. The likeness of the living Creatures was like burning ceales of Fire and like unto Lamps c. Exod. 3. 2. the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the Bush burning with Fire and the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of Fire out of the midst of the Bush c. with Act. 7. 30. Psal 104. 4. who maketh his Angels Spirits his Ministers a flaming Fire I understand the proper reading of the Words to be this to have the true sense thereof He maketh his Spirits Angels that is Messengers this holds analogy with the Scriptures and with Truth Angel signifying Messenger to make his Messengers Spirits is improper they were made so at first and he maketh them his Messengers even a flaming Fire his Ministers that is Ministring Spirits his Angels These things thus considered I most incline to this that they are for the most part of the fiery Element 5 The Number of Angels as to the account 5 The Number of Angels numberless of Man they were innumerable we may say as Rev. 7. 9. in another case a great number which no man could number God did not create them as he did Man one Man and one Woman to increase the World thereby and the Number to come forth in many Generations but he made them all at once a multitude in this Creation the Prophet speaking of good Angels saith Ps 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels Where he names a certain number for an uncertain as appears by Dan. 7. 10. Thousand thousands ministred unto him that is of Angels for they minister to Christ and serve him in Judgment and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him that is to be judged by him Mat. 26. 53. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of Angels The fallen Angels are multitudes Mar. 5. 9. therefore they must needs be many in their first Creation 6. The state in which they were created 6 The state in which these were created must needs be good holy pure perfect for â—s they were a higher and foregoing Creation excelling Man in their Creation so they must be good for God who was and is Goodness
Glory there it cost him so Dear in preparing for it and purchasing of it Eph. 1. 14. In a word it is and shall be made by him and for him But of this I shall speak in Chap. 31. more fully and distinctly CHAP. X. Of the Order and Method of God in preparing a People for this Glorious Estate which is 1. By Effectual Calling MAN being created in a good Estate Chap. 10 and by Sin faln from God gone out into Darkness Wrath and Enmity And God having opened a way of Recovery that is by Jesus Christ crucified I shall now come to speak something of the Order and Method of God in preparing and bringing up a People to this State of Glory and that is 1. By Effectual Calling although it 's Of Effectual Calling true that Effectual Calling concludes the whole Work of Grace in order to Glory or else it is not Effectual Yet in as much as it is so frequently and distinctly spoken of in Scripture I shall speak of it distinctly to pass by the various use of the word Call Called and Calling in the Scripture sence I shall speak only of this Calling unto and of Sinners out of their lost Estate by Sin Unto God by Jesus Christ The Scripture presents us with 1. A general Call or Calling to all as all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God 1. A general Calling to all and he hath opened a Way and Means full of Sufficiency for All therefore he calls upon All to come in and accept of this Grace where the Word of the Gospel comes and where it doth not his Works doth so far and sufficiently declare and make known God to the World as that they shall be inexcusable in the Day of Accounts Rom. 1. 20. This general Call by the Gospel to Sinners is fully confirmed in the Commission of Christ given to his Apostles and Ministers Mark 16. 15. Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to eveâ—y Creature c. See it 's likewise confirmed Prov. 8. 1. to 10. and 9. 1. to 6. And of this first sort of Call many yea multitudes are called that will not Obey which is their sin and will be their Condemnation Prov. 1. 20 24. The Truth hereof we see daily by woful Experience that Men refuse their own Mercy and destroy themselves Hos 13. 9. They judge themselves unworthy of the Life tendered them in the Gospel in refusing the Wayes of Life and choosing the Wayes of Death and Darkness preferring the Devil and his service before the Lord Jesus and his Ways of Life 2. Others there are who pretend to yield 2. A more particular Calling Obedience to the Heavenly Call and come into the Profession thereof but it is but faignedly not in Truth and with their whole Hearts to give up themselves to God therein and so come short of the Glory prepared and promised not because there is any failing in the Truth of God but because their Hearts was not Right with God neither were they stedfast in his Covenant but like treacherous Judah they turned not unto the Lord with their whole Hearts but feignedly Jer. 3. 10. And of this sort are such as either 1. Receive the Word with Joy without any Heart-Conversion to the Lord and for a while Believe but when Tribulation and Persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by they are offended Or 2. Such as Profess to know God but in Works deny him being Abominable and Disobedient and to every God Work a Reprobate Tit. 1. 16. Or 3ly Such as are palpably Hypocrites who come into the Profession of the Gospel Designing some Base ends to themselves and make use of Profession to Cloak their wickedness withal of the Discovery of these the Scripture is full Mat. 15. and 23 Chapters And of Such is to be feared there hath been and still are many in the visible Profession of the Way of Life but such are still in the Way of Death For the Hypocrite in Heart do heap up Wrath Job 36. 13. And the Hope of the Hypocrite shall perish Job 8. 13. Or 4ly Such as Foolishly content themselves with Lamps that is visible Profession of Truth without Oyl in their Vessels that is the Annoynting of the Spirit and Truth of Grace and Life in the Heart like the Foolish Virgins Mat. 25. 2 3 8 11 12. And thus having not the Wedding-Garment i. e. Cloathed and Covered with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ by Faith and sincere Obedience come Short of Obtaining the End of the Heavenly Calling and so the Truth of that Word will appear Mat. 22. 11 12 That many are Called but few are Chosen A Third Sort of Call is such as are Effectually 3. Is the effectual Calling called by the Power of Christ in the Word of the Gospel And turned from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Such a Call as the Apostle was Partaker of Gal. 1. 15 16. But when it pleased God who separated me from my Mothers Womb and called me by his Grace to Reveal his Son in me c. And this Call is Effected by the Word of God's Grace which is his General Call to all and Effected by some secret Divine Operation of the Holy Spirit in the Word of Grace begetting Souls to the Lively Faith and Hope of the Gospel Sam. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 3. And this Lively Faith and Hope where it is in Truth that is where this Effectual Calling is it is of a purifying Nature Acts 15 9. 1 John 3. 3. Every man that hath this Hope in him purifyeth himself as he is Pure This Divine Calling it is in Scripture called 1. A High Calling Phil. 3. 14. Not only because it 's Effected from on High but because they are called to High Things made Partakers of Heavenly Virtues interested in High and Heavenly Relations the Children and Servants of the most High God as also interested in the High and Heavenly Glory Made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life 2. A Holy Calling 2 Tim. 1. 9. Called to Holiness 1 Thes 4. 7. vers 3. 4. For this is the Will of God your Sanctification that you should abstain from Fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honour By Vessel in this place I understand is intended our Bodies that every one might know how to possess his Body in Sanctification and Honour So the word Vessâ—l in Scripture Sence imports Acts 9. 15. 2 Cor. 4 7. For the Lust of Concupiscence and Fornication ariseth in the Heart and the Members are but Instruments to Execute what worketh from within and the Scripture saith that the Body is not for Fornication but for the Lord and know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 13 19. The Lord hath called his People â—o Holiness here and to Happiness hereafter wonderfully are they
mistaken who think that the Calling to Christianity is only to the Profession thereof here and the Glory thereof hereafter without Holiness when the Scripture saith in express Terms that without Holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. 3. A Calling to Glory and Virtue 2 Pet. 1. 3. Glorious Relation and virtuous Conversation or Virtue as the Way and Glory as the End This is that Calling the Apostle mentions Rom. 8. 28. Who are the Called according to his purpose And therefore it greatly behoves such to walk worthy of God who hath called them to his Kingdome and Glory 1 Thes 2. 12. 4. It 's called a Heavenly Calling Heb. 3. 1. Wherefore Holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly Calling it 's effected from Heaven and possesseth the Soul with a Heavenly Mind and interesteth in Heavenly Glory it being such a High Holy Heavenly Virtuous and Glorious Calling It greatly concerns such to Honour their Christian Calling that as he that hath called them is Holy so be ye Holy in all manner of Conversation and Godliness 1 Pet. 1. 15. The sum of the Matter wherein this Effectual Calling consists it is an Effectual turning of the whole Man from Sin and Satan to God in the way of the Gospel both in Heart and Conversation or an Effectual yielding up our selves in Obedience to the Heavenly Call sincerely turning to and following of the Lord as Paul Gal. 1. 15 16. Acts 26. 19. And with purpose of Heart to cleave to and follow the Lord in waâ— of constant universal and sincere Obedience This is the special Effectual Calling According to his purpose to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and gives Right to the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance Heb. 9. 15. CHAP. XI Of Faith 1. What it is 2. How it is wrought 3. It 's Grounds and it's Object 4. It 's Excellency FAith is an excellent Divine Virtue that Chap. 11. Of Faith which the Scripture layeth much stress upon and that without which there is no Salvation He that Believeth not shall be Damned I shall therefore speak something distinctly concerning this Great and Divine Virtue of Faith It 's satisfying and saving Faith only that I shall endeavour to be speaking of 1. I shall discover what Faith is Faith in 1. What Faith is it self take it on all Accounts is a giving Credence to the Truth of God it is to Believe God Faith is a giving Credit to or Believing a Report be it in Humane or Divine Things To give Credit to Humane Relations on Humane Testimony is a Humane Faith to give Credit to the Divine Report of God in the Gospel is a Divine Faith So that the Divine Faith of the Gospel to which Life is promised is a Hearty giving Credit to and Believing of the Truth or God and Christ in the Gospel with a hearty consenting to be Saved and Ruled by the Lord Jesus 1. That the Divine Faith is a giving Credence to and believing of the Truth of God in the Gospel this according to the Ministration hath been accounted the True Faith in all Generations to Believe and Obey God This was the Faith of Abraham the Father of the Faithful Gen. 15. 6. Rom. 4. 3. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for Righteousness and it was accompanied with Obedience Faith and Obedience always goes together else it 's none of the Faith of God's Elect Heb. 11 8. By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a Place which he should after Receive for an Inheritance Obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went Jam. 2. 22. See you how Faith wrought with his Works and by VVorks was his Faith made perfect And this was the Faith required and accepted throughout that Ministration 2 Chron. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established Believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper And their Failing herein was their great Sin and Reproof and the Cause of their other Sins and Judgments Deut. 1 32. Ye did not Believe the Lord your God the Effects thereof are Described both as to their Sins and Judgment vers 34. 35. Unbelief in this Matter hath been the Condemning Sin both in Law and Gospel Isa 53. 1. A Pophesy of the Gospel compared with John 12. 38. Rom. 10. 16. Who hath Believed our Report or our Doctrine and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed Mark 16. 15 16. Preach or Publish the Gospel to every Creature He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be Saved he that Believeth not shall be Damned that is He that Believeth and Obeyeth the Gospel shall be Saved This is the Gospel-Faith heartily to Believe and Obey the Gospel is the Faith to which Salvation and Life is promised John 20 31. 2. How this Faith is wrought it 's Effected 2. Hâ—w it s wrought in the hearts of Men by the Word and Spirit of Christ it must be a Word-Faith or else it is but a Fancy and therefore it must be wrought by the Word that is the Word must be the Instrumental means thereof because without it Persons know not what to Believe it 's the Instruction of the Gospel that directs to the Matter of Faith that is what is to be believed without which Persons remain Ignorant of the Historical part of Faith the Truth of this is obvious and clear both from Scripture and Reason Rom. 10. 14. How shall they call on him in whom they have not Believed and how shall they Believe on him of whom they have not heard Where the Apostle even from Principles of Reason concludes that as Faith is absolutely necessary to calling on the Lord so is Hearing the Doctrine of the Gospel absolutely Necessary to Believing that is to instruct in the Matter what to Believe which without the Doctrine of the Gospel cannot be without a Miracle which hath not been nor is it God's way of Working and by the Gospel do the Lord Efficatiously work the Saving Faith of the Gospel Col. 2. 12. Heb. 12. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 5. It 's by the Word that Faith comes John 17. 20. The Word being the Divine Revelation of the Will of God accompanied with the Divine Power of God accomplisheth the Work 1 Thes 1. 5. 3 What are the Grounds and Objects of 3. The Grounds and Objects of Faith Faith The Ground of Faith is the Truth and faithfulness of God in his Word and his All-sufficiency to perform it 1. His Truth and Faithfulness the Ground or Reason why you believe a Man is because you judge him to be Honest and True that he will not knowingly tell you a Lye it 's true in matter of Law for Ending of Controversies among Men both by the Law of God and Men the Oath of Two in Common determineth the Case from Supposition that they will not Swear false Though according to the Proverb the Word of one honest Man is a Surer ground of Credence
followeth Remission of sins That they may receive Forgiveness of sins where note that Forgiveness of sins followeth a Soul turning to God which includes both Faith Repentance and Obedience according to the Gospel and the Inheritance followeth Forgiveness of sins that is Justification the sum of all is this that where the Gospel is sincerely Believed and Obeyed there is a Legal New Covenant-Right to Forgiveness of sins and to the Inheritance a Legal Right to the Justification and the Glory of the Gospel Heb. 5 9. He is become the Author Our right is continued on the same account of Eternal Salvation to all those that Obey him And as we come to have a Legal New Covenant-Right in Justification and Salvation by Believing and Obeying the Gospel so our Right is continued therein by our Sincerity and Constancy therein And this is as abundantly Witnessed too in the Scriptures as the former Mat. 10. 22. He that endureth to the End shall be Saved Luk. 9. 62. No man having put his Hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 13. Mark 13. 13. And this is confirmed by the Apostles Col. 1. 21 22 23. Heb. 3. 6 12 14. and 9 1. 11. Object This seems to imply a Possibility Object of falling from Grace after Believing and Obeying the Truth which is contrary to the Scriptures and the Common Received Faith of the Godly Answ The Unchangeableness of the Love Answ of God and this Truth will and must stand together as I said before we may not nor must not so understand one Truth as to Destroy another 1. Therefore I say that the Lord knoweth them that are his and who are effectually Called and they shall be kept through Faith unto Salvation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Nevertheless the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his But we know as yet no otherwise but by Faith and sincere Obedience and our Constancy therein by which we are under the Law of Grace of the New Covenant so that though we ought to believe the Unchangeableness of the Lord's Love in the New Covenant of his Grace and that there are a People known to him who shall be kept by his Power through Faith and shall obtain the Inheritance promised and that we are of that Number if we in Truth and Sincerity Believe and Obey the Gospel unto the end And the more stedfast we are in the Faith and Constant Sincere and Universal in our Obedience the Greater and Well-grounded will be our Assurance both of Interest Standing and Glory 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Rom. 2. 7 10. Rev. 22. 14. Luke 6. 47 48. 2. We must distinguish between the state of Grace and the state of Glory the Assurance of the Saints in the state of Grace must be distinguished from their assurance in the state of Glory then all Doubts will be over But in the state of Grace there are and will be ground of Doubts and Fears not to Fear or Doubt the Truth of the Gospel and of the Love of God therein or of the Changeableness thereof here our Faith should be without Doubting but as to our Interest therein and certainty of Obtaining in as much as it depends according to the Law of Grace not only on the Truth of God in the Gospel but the Truth of our Faith therein and Constancy of our Obedience to the end and our Interest must flow from both for without the second we have no Interest in the first So that it requireth not only Self-examination of the Truth of the Work of the Heavenly Birth and Regeneration but Constancy therein to the end and by reason of the Corruption of our Natures and Imperfections in those Divine Virtues to which the Promise is made necessarily may occasion sometimes Doubtings and Fears and this seems to be owned by the Scriptures to be rather a Virtue than a Vice in Believers Rom. 11. 20. Be not High-minded but fear Heb. 4. 1 11. Let us fear left a Promise being left us we come short Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always Not only feareth God but feareth his own deceitful Heart feareth a Heart of Vnbelief to depart from the living God feareth to sin against God whether in Omission or Commission This is a Godly fear that must be where Grace is and may sometimes be accompanied with Doubts and Godly Jelousies of a Man's self tendeth to establish the Soul in a well-grounded Assurance sutable to the Gospel and this I must say I had rather have Fellowship with Self-examining Self-judging and Self-fearing Souls stable in the Faith though as to Interest something at sometimes mixed with Doubtings than with High-flown Believers without all fear that have High Assurance on Low grounds scarcely able to give from the Law of the New Covenant a Reason of their Hope But see this more in Chap. 15. CHAP. XIV Wherein I shall speak more distinctly to the matter of Faith and of Justification by Faith With Answer to several Questions and Objections about the matter HAving spoken something to the matter Chap. 14. of Justification what it is and whereit doth consist that is in the Pardon and Remission of sins taking away the Guilt and Condemnation of sin with the Terms on which we must have it if ever we have it 1. Relating to God 2. Our selves i. e. on the Terms of Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience I shall in this speak more distinctly unto the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and endeavour to answer such Questions and Objections as ordinarily are or may be made about it What the Faith is to which Justification is promised I have already stated in the substance thereof in Chap. 11. that it is to believe God in his Word to believe the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel of God's Grace to Sinners in Jesus Christ which if True and Right is accompanied with true Repentance Truth of Love to God and sincere Obedience or a Hearty and Willing Consenting to the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel to be saved by Jesus Christ and in all things to be Ruled by him as Lord and King They are vain Imaginations that People create to themselves of a Faith without Repentance or a Faith with Works or a Faith without Works after their own Imaginations and not after the Will of Christ or to expect to be saved by him when they have no mind to be ruled by him Acts 3. 22 23. But as to the particular distinct Act of Faith it is to believe God in his Word and that not only in this but in all Cases Faith is to believe God It 's a Fancy and not Faith that hath not the Word of God for it's Foundation I intend in Divine and New Covenant Concerns Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for Righteousness This was the Faith of the Father and may or must we suppose the Faith of
the Children to be another Faith see Vers 23. 24. Now it was not Written for his Sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom â—â— shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Christ our Lord from the Dead Object This with other Scriptures mentions Object 1 Believing in God as well as Believing of God 1 Pet. 1. 21. John 14. 1. so that it seems it is not enough to Believe God but we must Believe in God and in Christ Answ It 's all one in substance to believe in God and in Christ is to believe his Faithfulness and All-sufficiency that he is as good and as true and able as the Scripture reports him to be to perform his Word you Believe in him that he will not fail c. But to return the Faith of Justification is to Believe the Truth of the Gospel Record concerning the Justification and Life therein promised to those that do Believe by Jesus Christ Crâ—cified Rom. 5. 9. Much more being now justified by his Blood we shall be saved from Wrath through him Eph. 1 7. Col. 1. 14. To Believe this truly being accompanied with the Concomitants of saving Faith i. e. Love and sincerity of Obedience is the justifying saving Faith of the Gospel to which the Promise of Life is made Mark 16. 16. He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved that is he that Believeth and Obeyeth the Lord shall be saved That of Baptisme being the first Initiating Ordinance iâ—to the viâ—ible Constituted Church of Christ includes the whole of Obedience Object But What must we Believe Answ The Gospel that which was to be preached Preach the Gospel c. The Gospel is the Glad â—idings of Pardon Peace and Life by Jesus Christ Mark 1. 15. Repent yea and Believe the Gospel was Christ's own Doctrine for further Confirmation of this Truth see John 8. 24. and 20. 31. Rom. 10. 9 10. 1 John 5. 10 11. All which Scriptures if well weighed with many others bear testimony to this Truth that Faith is to believe God to believe the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel Object This is accounted and called a Object 2 Historical Faith which though necessary to True and Sâ—ving Faith yet it 's common to Wicked Men and Devils and therefore cannot be the justifying saving-Faith of the Gospel Answ Notwithstanding it may be the Answ Faith of Wicked Men and Hypocrites and of Devils too Yet it is the justifying Faith of the Gospel for the Difference lyeth not in the Matter believed but in the Manner of believing Wicked Men and Hypocrites may believe it meerly as a History assent to it but they do not believe as Justified Persons doe We must distinguish in this Case not in the Matter believed but in the Manner of believing Quest Wherein lyeth the Difference Quest Answ The one from either common Illumination Answ Education Custom or Tradition believes the same things with a head-Assent to the Truth of the Gospel But the other believes it with the Heart Rom. 10. 10. For with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness Acts 8. 37. If thou believest with all thine Heart thou maiest Psal 37. 31. The Law of God is in his Heart none of his Steps shall slide It 's the Promise of the New Covenant that God will write his Law in the Hearts of his People that is implant a Holy sincere Disposition of Faith and Love and the Fear of his Name the Heart is wrought after God but Hypocrites have it at most and best but in the Head in the Understanding from common Illumination c. There is a great deal of Head-Faith in the World of Customary-Faith that will come to nothing But where it is in Truth in the Heart it effects a Heart-Change with a Change in the whole Conversation Heart-believing Heart-Love to God and his things Heart-hatred of sin and Heart-obedience to the Will of Christ and thus He that is in Christ is a New Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. And he that Believeth hath the Witness in himself 1 Joâ— 5. 10. and do or might know that he hath this Heart-Faith in him So that the Truth remains that that which Men call a History call Faith i. e. believing the History the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel truly as hath been demonstrated is the justifying Faith of the Gospel And as for Devils if Christ had Dyed â—or them and God had in the Gospel promised Life to them on the Terms he hath to Mâ—n Liâ—e might be preached to Devils on the same terms as to Men But God having in Justice left them without the reach oâ— this Gospel-Grace whatever they believe about it let not Man quarrel about the easie way of Man's obtaining i. e. Believe Repent and Obey the Gospel and be justified and saved Quest But how shall I come to believe mine own Interest in Justification and Life which hath been accounted with some the Faith of Justification Answ True it hath so with many and I believe that want of Spiritual skill hath done wrong to many tender Souls and hath caused them to go with Sorrow to their Graves and that either 1. In teaching that the Faith of Justification and Life must be the Faith of Application or assurance of Interest which is not the Truth of the Gospel but this of Interest must grow from that of Justification Or 2. In not laying the right Foundation of Assurance so Souls have been kept much in the Dark in this matter For the Faith of Interest must be Founded on the Promise of Life if right as well as the Faith of Justification for it is to believe God as I said before all Faith if right must be Founded on the Word of God So that the right Gospel-way for Believers to Read their own Interest and to Read their Names in the Book of Life is to make a Resultancy or Conclusion from the Premises thus God hath promised Justification and Life to them that do Believe and Obey the Gospel I do so Believe therefore I shall be saved and this is the Gospel-Ground or Reason of our Hope of Interest in Gospel-Grace and Life and thus our Interest will be grounded on the Promise of God in the Gospel If I have the Faith of the Gospel and abide therein I am Justified and shall be Saved There are three Things that it behoves Three Things considerable Christians to be Instructed in in this Matter for their Support and Peace in this Mortal and Imperfect Estate 1. To understand and know that to believe the Truth of the Glad-tidings of Salvation by Jesus Christ crucified according to the Gospel is the Terms and Condition of our Justification and Salvation and that who doth so Believe shall be Saved 2. That who so doth believe hath the Promise of Life from the Law and Covenant of God in the Gospel and from hence must claim his Interest in Grace and Life and if he claim
Yet 3. We ought to believe that God will pardon our sins on the Terms mentioned after they are committed Quest Is not this Legal Doctrine Quest It is the Judgment of some that a Believer ought to believe the Pardon of all sins past present and to come and that to pray for the Pardon of sin is Legal Answ It 's true it is Legal i. e. according Answ to the Law of the New-Covenant and is Gospel all Mercy and Pardon after the Fall is Gospel and a Fruit of the New-Covenant and the Truth is that they that Darken this lose the Life of the Grace of the Gospel and savours much of Ignorance and Pride It 's infinite Mercy that God hath opened a Door of Hope and Way of Mercy and Pardon of the sins of his People after Conversion as before and if they walk humbly with God in this way of his Ordaining they shall not miss of obtaining Mercy Heb. 4. 16. We ought to believe that God will continue the Grace of Faith and give us Repentance for sin and will Pardon our sins in this way of Repentance and this is according to the Law of the New-Covenant The Great day of Mercy and Pardon will be at the Great day of Judgment when we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ Act. 3. 19. 2 Tim. 1. 18. Jude vers 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus unto Eternal Life And this I understand to be the glorious Ministration of the New-Covenant Heb. 8. 12. For I will be Merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities will I Remember no more Though Believers are interested in this Covenant and God pardoneth their Iniquities here in the Order and Way prescribed that they shall not prove their Eternal Ruin if we are not yet under the perfect and glorious Ministration thereof for the New-Covenant in the Perfection of it's Ministration is the Covenant of the perfect Restauration and Glory God do now remember the sins of his People so as to correct them by various Ways according to his own Will Psal 89. 30 31 32. 1 Cor. 11. 30 31 32. But then he will so Pardon the Iniquities of all his People as not to Remember them so as to Correct or Punish them Isa 33. 24. Mich. 7. 18 19 20. Quest Whether the Faith unto Quest which Justification is imputed be an Act of the Old or of the New-Man Answ True and Saving Faith is an Answ Act of the Soul renewed by Grace of the Law of God written in the Heart the New-Covenant admits of no Old thing it 's New Wine is not put into Old Bottles 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are past away behold all things are become New It 's the Act of the New Man from a principle of Life wrought in the Soul by the Gospel flowing from the Second Man the Lord from Heaven who is a quickning Spirit Note 1. That there is or may be a Faith without Life John 2. 23 24 25. and 8. 30 31. Mat. 13. 20 21. Luke 8. 13. 1 John 2. 19. 2. That that Faith to which Life is promised is an effect if Life Joh. 11. 26. Whosoever Liveth and Believeth in me shall never Die that is the Faith of Life that is an Effect of Life 2 Cor. 4. 13. Having therefore the same Spirit of Faith c. There is a Spirit of Faith that is the Spirit of the Gospel that begets Life and Faith in Men by the Word of Faith called by our Lord The Birth from above and a Begetting again by the Word of Truth Jam. 1. 18. and a being Born of God 1 John 3. 9. and 5. 18. The New-Covenant or Law in the Heart Heb. 8. 10. Quest If the Case be thus How shall Quest I know that my Faith is Right I shall be left still in Doubt and at a Loss in this Matter Answ I must say to this as Christ Answ said in another case By their Fruits you shall know them Mat. 7. 16 20. If thy Faith be the Effect of the Spirits Working and Work of the New Man then see 2 Cor. 15. 17. If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become New New Light and new Life new Affections new Objects of Love new Delights sutable to the new Birth and new Man Which is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 24. Gal. 5. 22 23. Where the Fruits of the Spirit are described as effected in the true Believer The Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. Where these Fruits of the Spirit are in Truth there the Faith is Right and Saving But more particularly 1. Where Truth of Faith is there is Humility this is a special distinguishing Character of New Covenant Faith when the Soul is truly Humbled it 's the Property of the Effectual Working of the New Covenant-Spirit in the Gospel to lay the Creature low Rom. 3. 27. Where is Boasting then It is excluded by what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith So that Faith takes off all Boasting where it is in Truth and the Reason is because the true Believer seeth and knoweth that he is a poor Nothing wretched Creature in himself and that he must have all both Pardon Peace and Life from the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus and that all he doth or can do is no Meritorious Cause of Grace or Life of Pardon or Peace but that when he hath done all that he can he is an Unprofitable Servant And that his best Services are Defiled with sin and sinful Imperfections of Nature and this makes the Soul humble and low in it self to abhor it self and this declares it evidently to be under the Blessing pronounced by our Saviour Mat. 5. 3. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Revel 2. 9. and 3. 8. This is the Man to whom God will look Isa 66. 2. and with whom He will dwell Chap. 57. 15. and that shall dwell with him for ever Zeph. 3. 12. to 18. For this groweth not upon the Old stock of Nature that is Proud and Self-conceited and if any New-Covenant Gifts come into such a Soul it is but as the Putting of New Wine into Old Bottles that will make them swell and burst first or last 2. Where Truth of Faith is there is Truth of Love and therefore it behoves every one to prove the sincerity of their Love that great New-Covenant Virtue and Heaven-born Grace to love God and Christ above all Mat. 22. 37. Eph. 6. 24. Mat. 10. 37. To love his Word and Will and to Delight in it and prize it above all Worldly Treasure Psal 119. 97 103 127. To love his People for his Sake because they are his and bear his Image and Likeness 1 John 3. 14. and 4 12. 3. Where Truth of Faith and Love is there will be
Willing and Universal Obedience to the Will of Christ he that loveth the Lord sincerely will Obey him Universally it 's in Vain to talk of Faith and Love without Obedience see Psal 119. 6. John 14. 15. 1 John 2. 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 1. 14 15. Whoever accepteth of Jesus Christ to be his Saviour must and doe Willingly consent that he shall be his Lord to Rule him Quest VVhat is the Reason that Quest God should bring Forth Accept and Apply unto Men such a Righteousness unto Life in the New-Covenant which is not their own but of Grace imputed and Accounted theirs on Believing c. Answ His own good Will and Answ Pleasure his everlasting Love and Grace 1. No Desert in us there was nothing in us unless our Misery that called to the Depth of Mercy Psal 42. 7 8. Deep called to Deep The Depth of our Misery that called to the Depth of Mercy and the Love of Pitty and Compassion in God brought forth this Free Ministration of Grace and Life by Jesus and this is rendred as the Cause Joh. 3. 16. God so Loved the VVorld that he gave his only Begotten Son that whosoever Believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life VVhat he hath Done for us on this Account is Love and likewise what he Worketh in us Eph. 2. 4 5. And 2. His Eternal Councel and Purpose as well as his Eternal Love Eph. 1. 11. The Apostle speaketh of this Wonderful Mistery of Grace and Life through Faith in Christ saith He worketh all things after the Councel of his own VVill. And Isa 25. 1. The Prophet speaking of the Restauration-Work saith Thy Councels of Old are Faithfulness and Truth all the Salvation-work of the New-Covenant is the Effects of God's Ancient Purpose and Councel 3. Because else there could have been no Salvation for Man our own Righteousness could not have done it at best that could have been but as filthy Rags Isa 64. 6. Though we had endeavoured to Answer the Righteousness of the Law Acts 13. 39. Phil. 3. 9. It must have left us short of Justification and Salvation Joh. 8. 24. If you believe not that I am He you shall Die in your sins 4. That so our Justification and Salvation might be sure Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed c. It is a Righteousness that will not Fail though we in many things through Weakness fail Rom. 7. 18 19. Jam. 3. 2. Yet the Apostle Triumphs in this Righteousness because it 's sure Rom. 7. 25. and 8. 1. It 's called the Sure Mercies of David Isa 55. 3. and an Everlasting Righteousness Psal 119. 42. Thy Righteousness is an Everlasting Righteousness and thy Law is the Truth Christ our publike Person having undertaken the whole Work both for us and in us it 's very sure to those who commit themselves to him to be Saved and Ruled by him John 6. 38 39. Phil. 4 13. Eph. 3. 16 Isa 26. 5. CHAP. XV. Of Gospel-Assurance and whether Assurance of interest in Christ in Grace and Glory may be attained in this life I Shall now come to speak something about Of assurance of Faith Gospel-assurance or the assurance of Faith whether the assurance of interest in Justification and Salvation may be attained in this life on this side the possession of the purchased inheritance and as for the assurance of Faith we must consider it in two particulars 1. Assurance of Faith in the truth of the Assurance of Faith in the Doctrin Doctrine to be believed and the truth and faithfulness of God therein this being the Faith to which Justification is promised as hath been before proved and in this assurance of Faith is requisite unto Justification and life for if we falter in the truth of the Doctrine we must needs fail in the whole by believing the truth of the Doctrine of God we justifie him and set to our seal that God is true and he will justifie those who justifie him if we believe not yet be abideth faithful to those who believe he will not he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. this being the Faith of Justification and life of this we ought to be fully assured and infallibly and undoubtedly satisfied of the truth of God in his Word and of all things related therein relating to Salvation by Jesus Christ Crucified raised and ascended Joh. 6. 69. We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God Chap. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins so that Assurance in this is positively necessary i. e. the full assurance of Faith this Peter Preached as necessary to Salvation Act. 2. 36 therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified bâ—th Lord and Christ 1 Thes 1. 5. Our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in Power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance c. to that end was those mighty gifts given to and by the Apostles in the Primitive time for confirmation of the truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel Act. 5. 3. 1 Pet. 12. which confirmation stands firm to us and to all believers to the Worlds end though it 's true it is by the work of the same spirit in the same Doctrine that doth establish our hearts therein 2 Cor. 4. 13. Yet in this it 's possible for gracious souls sometimes to be under temptation and to want that assurance of Faith as is requisite in so weighty a matter as this is there is no temptation but a Christian may be assaulted with consent is the dangerous sin and in this matter to depart from the Faith and to reject Christ crucified and Salvation by him is the unpardonable sin Heb. 10. 26. 29. and 6. 4 5 6. Many gracious souls trouble themselves The unpardonable sin in two things about this sin fearing themselves to be guilty thereof through their ignorance of the sin what it is all sin it's true is against the Holy Spirit but the unpardonable sin or sin unto death consists especially in two things 1. A wilâ—ul departing from the Faith and refusing and rejecting Salvation by Jesus Christ crucified by persons after they have professed Faith in him and obedience to him according to those Scriptures before mentioned 2. A wilful and malicious opposing of the Spirits workings or any known truth of the Lord Jesus after conviction that it is the Holy Spirit and the truth of the Lord Jesus yet contrary to light and convictions of conscience for base by and fleshly ends to oppose contradict and blaspheme is the sin against the Holy Spirit and this is it mentioned Mat. 12. 31 32. with v. 24. but for Christians to meet with doubtings about the matters of Faith though they ought to watch and
is but the assurance of Faith Hope and Confidence which affords Peace Joy and Consolation the Scripture and so must reason too make a vast disproportion between the life of Faith and the life of present and full Injoyment 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live by Faith and not by sight that is not by present injoyment Heb. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by Faith that is now in this side the Glory promised in which it may be supposed is danger of drawing back If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 2. How it must be obtained the assurance 2. How it must be obtained of Faith and hope must be attained by a reflect act of the soul or a resultancy or conclusion from the condition on which life is promised to instance Mat. 5. 3. c. are many precious promises made to persons that are indowed with those Divine Virtues therein exprest as Blessed are the poor in spirit c. Who so finds those Virtues in him may and ought to claim his interest in the promises so Mat. 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved that is he that believeth and obeyeth the Lord of which Baptism is the first and ingageth to the whole duty of the Gospel shall be saved I do believe and obey the Gospel therefore I shall be saved so 1 Jâ—h 5. 1. Whosoever doth believe that Jesus is the Christ is born of God this Faith if right is accompanied with those other Virtues mentioned as love to God love to his people obedience to his will and his Commandments are not grievous it getteth victory over the World c. as ver 2. By this we know we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments ver 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous that is they are not grievous to Believers ver 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World even your Faith What the World is that Faith overcometh the Apostle had before explained Chap. 2. 15 16 17. Faith getteth the victory by fixing the soul on better objects than the World is Heb. 5. 9. He is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Now the resultancy from the whole is I do believe that Jesus is the Christ and my Faith is accompanied with love to God above all and do love his people for his sake and do sincerely desire to know and do his will and keep his Commandments they are not grievous to me but my failing therein is my grief and by this Faith I have overcome the World and am dead to it and it is my real desire and endeavour to abandon all things that are contrary to the will of the Lord to abhor that which is evil and to cleave to that which is good therefore I am born of God therefore I have an interest in the new covenant this is the way appointed of God in which they may make their Calling and Election sure if they give diligence to it 2 Pet. 1. 10. and these are the things that John write in his Epistle to them that did believe that they might know that they had eternal life 1 Joh. 5. 13. and according to our abounding in those Divine Virtues or not abounding so will our assurance be 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Quest. Is not Assurance the immediate Quest gift of the Spirit does not the Scripture speak of being sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Eph. 1. 13. 2 Cor. 1 22 Answ 1. It 's without all question to me Answ that the ground of all sealings is from the Holy Spirit and that he doth refresh the hearts of Believers and seal up love to them in the waies of his own appointment yet for persons to take that for a sealing evidence which relates neither to word nor work of the Spirit but some apprehended over-powrings or â—rong perswasions without all grounds â—rong confidence and consolation but knows not â—rom whence it comes can give no reason thereof but supposeth that it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be from the Spirit this may 〈◊〉 〈…〉 on of our own spirits or the 〈◊〉 who can transform himself into an Angel of lâ—ght and I fear many souls have miscarried on this account 2. The assurance and comfort of Saints must come in by believing if right Rom. 15. 13. The God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in believing as 1 Pet. 1. 8. What ever comes in any other way may prove a â—ancy and Faith in this matter must have a relation to the word of Grace or the work of the Spirit suitable to some word or both in which is found the sealings of the Spirit it must be in and by the word and work The Spirit was promised and given for a twofold Seal 1. To seal the truth of the Doctrine to be believed by its gifts and mighty works in and by the Ministers thereof and 2. To seal the truth of our Faith relative to interest in that Doctrine and that is by the word and work of the same Spirit 1. By the word Joh. 16. 13 14. Where â—he Spirit seals by the Word the manner of the Spirits work is 〈◊〉 ed that is he shall guide you into truth â—e 〈◊〉 not speak of himself he shall shew you things to come he shall glorifie me he shall take of mine and shew it unto you so that the way of the Spirits working and leading into truth is in opening the Word and shewing the goodness of the Word the Doctrine of the Gospel which leads us to Christ for he shall glorifie him and take of his and shew it to the soul and there is nothing of Christ to be shewed to us more than is revealed in and by the Word so that the Spirits sealing is in and through the Word and this Believers have experience of more or less of the Spirits sealing through the Word read heard and applyed to their joy and comfort for the Spirit comforts by opening Christ and the blessed truths of the Gospel relating to him by his Word and his Ordinances appointed for that end Quest In what manner doth the Spirit Quest work by the Word in sealing up assurance to the souls is it by an immediate bringing in of Scripture over-powringly unthought on or unexpected Answ Sometimes the Spirit of Christ Answ may so work and I question not but that in some cases and at sometimes he hath so wrought though it 's not so usual nor alwaies may it prove so fafe to be depended on for when we respect more the manner of its being brought in than the matter and the shew of the sealing testimony as apprehended lieth rather in the manner than the matter Sathan may transform himself therein and deceive the soul I have known some looking so much after the manner of receiving evidence in
this way as that they thought scarsly any Scripture there or worth a looking into unless brought in in this way which is a great and dangerous temptation But if at any time the Spirit of the Lord do in distress supply the soul in this way it may be known 1. When the Scripture is suitably applied to the souls condition 2. When the fruit thereof is thankfulness to God humility and an humble walk with God and with his people for delusions in this case are accompanied with bad effects as pride self-exalting neglect of duty to the Lord and slighting the Word unless it be in this manner of revelation as it 's called but to the Believer every word of the Lord is pure and precious and the Spirit meets with sealing evidences sometimes in one word and sometimes in another from the openings of the Grace and Glory of the new covenant with the applications thereof so that the soul can say on good ground this is my promise where-ever it finds it my Grace my Glory and the Lord is my Portion my God in whom I trust 2. By his work in the soul 2. The Spirit seals Assurance by his work in the hearts of Believers as by his Word he leaves such an impression upon the soul of his own likeness by which the whole man is in a measure formed into the Image and likeness of Christ that upon examination the Believer finds the Spirit of Christ is there he finds Faith and Love and Humility and Meekness and Obedience and Joy in the Lord from whence the Believer clâ—arly concludes that the Spirit of the Lord is there it is the Spirit of Adoption that inables those in whom it is to cry Abba Father that is it discovers the Adoption and Sonship to the soul and this doth not import alwaies an undoubted assurance yet the soul can cry it out cry Abba Father so it is in both Scripture that speaks of this truth Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. It 's a Metaphor taken from children who when their Father frowns or hides his face yet they lose not their relation though they cry yet their cry is Father Father so gracious souls that have the Spirit of Adoption though but low in their apprehensions yet they cry it out Father Father and claim their interest and relation still Obj. In the same Scripture it 's said for Quest ye have not received the Spirit of bondage to fear again but the Spirit of Adoption c Which seems to import that where the Spirit of Adoption is all doubting and fears is done away and John saith 1 Joh. 4. 18. That perfect love casteth out fear Answ 1. We are to understand that the Ans Apostle in this place is distinguishing between the two ministrations i. e. between the old and new Covenants and the differing spirit that each tended to the first with all its sacrifices which could not make the comeâ—s thereunto perfect as pertaining to the conscience Heb. 9. 9. and 10. 1. had a natural tendency to leave them under bondage and fear there being a remembrance of sin every year when the sacrifice was over they must necessarily be under fear till another sacrifice But the Gospel ministration is a ministration of Liberty Life and Peace by that one Sacrifice once offered for all that there is no cause of fear for need of another Sacrifice so that the spirit of the Gospel in the ministration thereof hath its natural tendency to take away legal fear out of the hearts of Believers where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty that is from the spirit of bondage it doth not import that the Saints are freed from the filial fear of God nor from fear of sinning against him nor from having an holy fear of themselves lest they come short Heb. 4. 1. And it 's true perfect love casteth out fear that is that fear which hath torment the legal fear and it 's true likewise that if we did or could live up in the perfect apprehension of the love of God in Christ to us which could perfect our love to him we could not fear the legal fear you cannot fear that one whom you believe do intirely love you will do you hurt so live in this love of God and you cannot fear this fear that is you cannot fear that he will damn you and destroy you after all the Gospel-grace and manifestations of his love But yet for all this you may fear and you 'l have need sometimes to fear your own naughty hearts and sinful nature and to take heed of an evil heaâ—t of unbelief to depart from this Living and Loving God So that the sum of all is this that Believers under the Gospel are freed from the old covenant spirit of bondage and under that notion cannot fear again because they are by one Sacrifice for ever perfected they need not another to take away their sins if they live up much in the love of God they cannot fear that God will hurt them but do them good But when their fear works so high as to disclaim their relation that is besides the Spirit of the Gospel unless it be as a punishment of some former or present sin thereby to work the soul to a more watchful frame how it walks for time to come Now this new Covenant assurance as it admits of degrees so in the highest degree it admits of imperfection and reacheth not so far as sight and injoyment so that in the same souls may be high confidence and comfort at one time and flagings and fears at another not fears of Gods love and faithfulness nor the all-sufficiency of that one Sacrifice but fear of our own deceitful hearts and naughty natures and the reason is because as I said before our assurance depends not only on the truth and faithfulness of God in his Word but likewise on the truth of the work of Grace in us and that work being imperfect as in us our assurance must needs be something like unto it but when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away then no more sin nor sorrow no more fear of coming short of that rest Quest If our assurance must come in Quest from the Divine works and workings of the Spirit through the Word in the way by you prescribed is it not the way to keep souls under doubtings still when those Divine Virtues are low and hardly discernable by reason of corruption it must needs minister occasion of doubting Answ 1. This is the most certain and infallible Answ way of discerning our interest and in this the Devil cannot delude or deceive souls when our assurance comes in from Scripture-grounds but the other is uncertain souls may be deceived and the most certain and sure must needs be best and most satisfactory to the sincere Christian 2. Those high supposed assurances without relation to the Word or work of the Spirit if true may fail as
the Faith of the Gospel is to which the promise is made hath been before shewed but the Scripture speaks of living by Faith Heb. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by Faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live by Faith and not by sight that is in this side the glory promised we live by Faith and not by present possession and enioyment only the Spirit and Faith we have as the Earnest and Evidence of the Inheritance and purchased Possession 2 Cor. 1. 22. Hebr. 11. 1. Now this Life of Faith imports three The life of Faith in three things things 1. A constant abiding in the Faith and profession of the Gospel unto the end Heb. 3. 12. 10. 23 38 39. 2. A constant exercise of Faith in the truth and faithfulness of God in all the good discoveries and promises of the Gospel 1 Thes 5. 24. Faithful is he that hath called you who will do it Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for faithful is he that hath promised Faith rightly exercised on the faithfulness and all-sufficiency of God will fill the soul with Joy and Peace Rom. 15. 13. To believe not only the truth of the mercy promised but the faithfulness of God therein and his all-sufficiency in the performance thereof this was it supported Abraham in his life of Faith Rom. 4. 31. He did not only believe the faithfulness of God but being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform 3. When the soul thus abides in the Faith and thus exerciseth Faith on the good promises of the Gospel as that it is strengthened comforted nursed up and nourished thereby unto life eternal when the soul is kept alive to God thereby in the greatest temptations and difficulties this World affords this is to live by Faith to live by believing the truth of the good Word of God to live by believing the truth of his precepts in the Gospel so as to obey him therein the truth of all his great and precious promises of life so as to be comforted therein Matt. 17. 5. Rom. 15. 13. O that Christians would study more this life of Faith the want of which is the cause they go on so heavily in the waies of the Gospel and meet with so many obstructions and hindrances therein whereas if the life of Faith were kept up more in the true nature thereof how might Christians make Christ's commands their songs and sufferings for him their joy in the house of their pilgrimage but for want of this it is that his service is too often a burden and sufferings for his sake too much feared whereas the Lord would have his people to serve him with delight and to suffer for him with joy Ps 100. Luke 6. 22 23. Acts 5. 41. Which is possible to be performed in this life of Faith and no otherwise Mark 9. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 8. CHAP. XVII Of Sanctification and Good Works THE next thing in order that I shall speak of is Sanctification and good Works for whom he justiefith them he sanctifieth and maketh to be an holy people for himself Sanctification in Scripture-sense is variously It 's variously understood understood and applied 1. It imports a separation to an holy use for a time as was frequently used under the Law which was a legal or ceremonial Sanctification or separation to an holy use for some time as Aaron and his Sons were separated consecrated and hallowed for the Priests Office which was a typical sanctifying or hallowing during that ministration with their holy garments as appears Exod. 28. 1. 29. 1. Holy garments holy place holy anointing oil holy vessels c. which were all typical and but for a time But this is not the Sanctification that I am to speak of It 's true that in the Gospel there are some sanctified and holy instituted ordinances ordained and left by our Lord for sanctified and holy ends to promote and carry on the work of Sanctification in his people till they come to Glory but the Sanctification that I shall speak of is the sanctification of justified persons in order to Glory for Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Sanctification in general sometimes includes the whole work of Grace a mortification of sin and vivification of the Spirit by which the whole life of Grace is carried on and effected 1 Thes 5. 23. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God But 2. And more particularly and distinctly Sanctification of two parts Imputed and Inherent or Imparted Sanctification consisteth of two parts 1. Imputed 2. Imparted or Inherent 1. Imputed there is an imputed Sanctification as there is an imputed Justification if any scruple the time of imputed Sanctification it 's no other in sense and substance than the accounting the holiness of Christ our Head in his own person to be the Believers the Scripture speaks of an imputed righteousness to Believers Rom. 4. 6 7. Which must be their Faith as ver 3. 22 23 24. Or the pardon of sin on the satisfaction of Christ by his death which most properly is the righteousness of Saints unto Justification Rom. 5. 9. And on this account there is as much said in Scripture for this imputed Sanctification as of Justification 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He is made to be our Wisdom and Sanctification as our Righteousness that is the perfect purity of Christ the Son of God with his perfect and compleat obedience to the holy Law of God is reckoned and accounted the Believers as their Sanctification as he is not only wise for them and communicates of his Wisdom to them but as their Head his Wisdom is accounted theirs and he is made to be their Righteousness that is his death and satisfaction was accepted for us and on that account does God remit and pardon the sins of Believers and he is made our Sanctification that is his Sanctification is accounted ours and this is fully included in Col. 3. 11. Where Christ is said to be to Believers All and in all all in matter of Justification and all in matter of Sanctification and in all effecting the work of Sanctification in his people by his Spirit that dwelleth in them and in this sense as he is made the Sanctification of or to Believers their Sanctification is perfect as their Justification is perfect as considered in the Sanctification and perfect holiness and obedience of Christ and hence it is the Apostle saith 1 Joh. 4. 17. That as he is so are we in this World that is by his imputed
no matter of Religion or religious observance to be had of them whereas in truth Christ's Church on Earth is visibly distinguished from the World and false worshippers only in the matters of Faith and Worship and especially in keeping close to God in the formalities of his Worship according to his own appointments an unholy spirit and principle it is that doth undervalue the holy instituted Ordinances and Worship of the Lord. 4. When persons set themselves in direct opposition to the will and worship of the Lord in his appointments when they they think it not enough to turn away from the truth of worship and cleave to their own inventions and imaginations or to the inventions of others but are inveterated and â—mbitterated in their spirits against the holy Ordinances and Institutions of our Lord and against his people for worshipping him therein and so come under that blame Hos 8. 12. I have written to him of the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing The constitution of Churches according to new-covenant rule by the Doctrine of the Gospel Faith Repentance and Baptism so clearly stated in the Gospel that he that runs may read is become the contempt and scorn of too many who otherwise we willingly hope are godly It 's no wonder for profane men to profane and blaspheme the holy Ordinances of Christ and his people for walking therein but it behoves all that pretend true godliness to take heed what they do in this matter and to know that look how far they miscarry herein so far they miscarry in the great matter of holiness and at the best must expect to meet with blame and shame in the end and suffer the loss of all their building that is contrary to it 1 Thes 3. 13. 2 Pet. 3. 14. 1 Joh. 2. 28. 1 Cor. 3. 11 to 15. The second sort of holy works are such 2. Such as relate to men as relate to our walking before and towards men and herein consisteth a great part of a Christians holiness for God does not only require and expect his people to walk holily towards him but likewise that they walk holily justly and inoffensively towards all men The truth of this is confirmed by these and the like Scriptures Mat. 5. 16. Phil. 2. 15 16. 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. By all which it appears that it greatly concerns all Christians who are so indeed to walk holily before men This holy walking before men I shall mention or distinguish in five particulars 1. Take heed and beware of sin for although it is a truth that all sin is against God and on that account ought to be abhord of all sincere souls in love and obedience to him yet we should have respect to men in this matter likewise because the glory of God the honour of Religion and the souls of Sinners are concerned herein therefore the Lord's people should take heed of and depart from every evil way and every evil work O take heed and beware of Covetousness Pride Oppression Profaneness â—â—ght behaviour jestings evil communication and the like which will occasion men to reproach and harden them against the 〈◊〉 to their own destruction Thus men professing godliness not only sin against God and wrong their own souls bring dishonour to Religion but the guilt of the damnation of poor sinners upon themselves hardening them in their evil waies by their bad example O consider this all ye that pretend to be religious and have not conscience to God in this matter see Rom. 2. 23 24. Phil. 3. 18 19. 2. To walk justly and righteously towards men in all civil and worldly concernments Christians should be exceeding conscious and careful in this matter that no unjust or unrighteous thing be done by them but to keep to that righteous rule As ye would that men should do to you so do ye to them If this rule were sincerely followed it would prevent many miscarriages on this account and this is an undoubted truth that persons who can for worldly advantage do wrong defraud or oppress others have very great cause to suspect their own sincerity in the great things of the Gospel for he that is unfaithful in the least is not faithful in the greatest This of Iniustice and Oppression is that the Lord complains of and dislikes in his people throughout all his ministrations both in Law and Gospel and it is that which is directly contrary to the holy Law of God and indeed to the law of Nature therefore let not such persons who can gripe and grind defraud and oppress deceive themselves in counting themselves of the number of the holy ones of God 3. An holy walk before men is an inoffensive walk that is to give no just occasion of offence by any means in any thing unless it come to pass as it too often doth that ignorant and foolish men will be offended at holiness and the worship of God in such case we ought rather to displease men than God and rather to please God than men Acts 4. 19. 5. 29. Gal. 1. 10. But in cases wherein we may without sin against God and wrong to our own Consciences we may yea we ought to walk inoffensively Rom. 12. 18. 1 Cor. 10. 32 33. And wilful breach in this matter is a transgression of the Law of Christ and an unholy thing and I fear there is much of unholiness in too many professing people in this matter 4. An holy walk is a peaceable holy walk with men this is the law of the Gospel As much as in you lieth live peaceable with all men and follow peace with all men and holiness c. The Law of God is holy and it 's the great part of our holiness to live to it and unpeaceable froward persons cannot well be accounted an holy person a wonderful mistake it is in persons who under a pretence of holiness make a breach of peace on unsound and ungrounded notions when it may be these very notions on which the breach is made when rightly examined are unholy notions without all footing in the law of Christ and thus through the slight of the subtil Adversary is unholiness shrowded under the name of holiness it behoves all serious souls ensnared with this evil to consider it in time and to repent 5. An holy walk and holy works are works of Charity and doing the will of Christ in doing good to men Gal. 6. 10. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially to them who are of the houshold of Faith In this Christians should be like their Lord of whom it is said that he went about doing good Acts 10. 38. And truly as good works are a part of the Christians holiness so are they the undoubted concommitants of Faith for the Faith that is without the works of the Gospel is a dead Faith and this is the charge given to those that are rich in this World to be
1 Cor. 15. 48 49. It accomplisheth the work of Sanctification and an holy conformity to the Lord Jesus Saving knowledg reacheth the heart it 's exercised about heart-work it humbles the heart it changes the heart it glads the heart it conforms the heart and so the whole man to the will of Christ all that the understanding receives it immediately conveys to the heart the understanding savingly inlightned by the Word and Spirit conveys light and love to the heart In this way the love of Christ is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit Rom. 5. 5. 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. God's new-covenant-light shines not only into the head but likewise into the heart making an heart-change and working heart-love and heart-obedience and giving heart-consolations it works heart-hatred of sin and heart-performance of duty Ps 37. 31. The Law of God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide that is it is in his heart to believe God to love God and obey him as far as he knoweth and is willing to know more that he may do it he prayeth with the Prophet Ps 119. 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the end The truly knowing soul accounts nothing well done in which the heart is not believes with the heart loves with the heart obeys with the heart hates sin with the heart rejoyces in the Lord with the heart in a word what-ever such a soul doth he doth it heartily as to the Lord. But head-knowledg or the knowledg of the hypocrite and formalist never affects the heart unless it be some sudden flashes of seeming joy Mat. 13. 20 21. But short it is and short of truth and reacheth not so far as to affect the heart indeed with God and Christ his Word and Will his Precepts and Promises he goes no further at best than that Church Rev. 3. 1. I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Dead while alive and such mens works are dead works and dead services with all their knowledg they are not changed but remain the same worldly still and carnal and proud still and vain and like the World still no true non-conformists to the World it 's to be feared that there is too much of this sort of knowledg among Professors that will at last leave them where it found them i. e. in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity The knowledg of the hypocrite dwells most in the head it is swimming-brainknowledg and runs into the tongue and it may be into some form of profession but sinks not into the heart it makes no change there works not the heart after God come to Christ's Ordinances they may and make profession of his Name but their hearts are after their covetousness the world hath their hearts be-sure where-ever their persons are so that word is fulfilled in them â—rov 10. 20. The tongue of the just is as choice silver but the heart of the wicked is little worth But saving knowledg reaches the heart affects and transforms the heart and conforms the whole man into the image of our Lord Jesus 3. Saving knowledg is a trusting relying 3. It is a trusting relying knowledg knowledg the soul that rightly knows God will trust in him trust in his Faithfulness in his Word trust in his all-sufficiency to perform it trust in him for body and soul and that in the greatest difficulties and under the greatest temptations Ps 9. 9 10. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in time of trouble and they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee that is they that know him to be according to his Word merciful and gracious all-sufficient and faithful will put their trust in him and rely upon him It effects in them that exhortation Isa 26. 4. Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength This knowledg of the Name of God it was that made the three children Dan. 3. 17. Not to be careful or fearful of the Fiery Furnace Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of thine hand O King they knew Gods all-sufficiency and there they trust and leave the issue to him ver 18. But head-knowledg or the knowledg of the hypocrite whatever it talks yet it never works a soul truly to trust in God at all times nor truly at any time there may be a supposition of trusting sometimes but when the difficulty comes the soul starts aside from God to some secondary and unlawful way of deliverance like those complained of Hos 5. 13. But the soul that truly knows the Lord does trust in him at all times especially in times of need and danger Ps 56. 3. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee that is the time especially to trust in God in time of need this was it kept up the heart of the Apostle in all his temptations 2 Tit. 1. 12. Nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed or trusted and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day I know his goodness faithfulness and all-sufficiency and that makes me trust him with body and soul I commit all to him and to his keeping unto that day thus knowing souls are trusting souls Psal 52. 8. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever They trust in his Word in his Mercy in his Faithfulness in his all-sufficiency that he will never fail them See the precious promises to such knowing trusting souls Jer. 17. 7 8. Ps 34. 22. 37. 40. 125. 1. O therefore trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength 4. Saving knowledg is a doing working 4. It is a doing knowledg knowledg they who rightly know are ready to do what they know Joh. 13. 17. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them see Heb. 12. 17. Saving knowledg is no sluggard it is no idler but its design to know is that it may do the will of God that is the design of the soul in all his seekings to know that he may do the will of God Ps 119. 33 34. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the end Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Heart-knowledg designs heart-obedience to the Lord ver 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy Commandments and the Word the Scripture of Truth is the rule of the gracious souls obedience he knows and believes that the Scriptures by the teachings of the Spirit therein is able to make him
live to and obey the Lord he will meet with you and your souls shall meet with him and have fellowship with him Isa 64. 5. Joh. 14. 21 23. Read those Scriptures at your leasure 3. If you love Christ you do love what 3. Love what he loves and hate what he hates he loves and hate what he hates you love Holiness Righteousness and Obedience and hate sin and iniquity and disobedience and every false way though you be hated of the wicked for so doing Psal 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil he preserveth the souls of his Saints he delivereth them out of the hands of the wicked i. e. Though the wicked hate and persecute the Saints for their hating and forsaking the waies of the wicked yet let those that love the Lord have evil still for God will deliver them out of the hands of the wicked that do hate them for their hating of wickedness O therefore ye that love the Lord hate evil and love goodness Amos 5. 15. Hate the evil and love the good c. This is that which God loves Psal 11. 7. And Christ loves Psal 40. 7. Heb. 1. 9. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated wickedness wherefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladness above thy fellows Do you love God and Christ above all then shew it in this way Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good it is to be feared that most that bear the name of Christian in the World do in truth hate that which God loves and love that which he hates an infallible discovery that the love of God is not in them 4. Those who love the Lord do love 4. They love his appearing his appearing and long to be with him surely those who talk of love to Christ but care not to be with him desire not his coming that they might more fully enjoy him do but talk of love it is love but in word and tongue not in deed and truth if the Bride pretend love to the Bridegroom but desire not the Marriage-day could be content if that never come it argues but little or no love sutable to such a relation If the Wife pretend love to her Husband and when he is gone from home care not where ever he do return it 's but little sign of love so for souls to talk of love to Christ but desire not the enjoyment of him in the nearest relation do but deceive themselves they have ground to fear their love is not right they will be content to go to him and to enjoy him when there is no remedy when they must go to him or to a worse place and to worse company I fear this is the case of most who think and say they love Christ the truth of this that they who love Christ do love his appearing that they may be with him See 2 Tit. 4. 7 8. Tit. 1. 13. Heb. 9. 28. Rev. 22. 20. Whence it 's apparent that it 's those that love his appearing that shall have the Crown of Righteousness It is to them that look for him that he will appear a second time without sin unto salvation 5. Those who love God do love his 5. They love his people people also for his sake which was the second thing proposed because the worth of Grace is in them Divine Virtue is in them the Name of God is upon them they are the children of the same Father members of the same Body heirs to the same Kingdom and Glory and therefore they love them this is the command of God 1 Joh. 4. 21. And this is the Commandment we have from him that he that loveth God do love his Brother also And the disposition of the Saints Chap. 5. 1. Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Quest But how shall I know that I love Quest the people of God in truth Answ It is then true love when it is sincere Answ It is true when sincere and unfeigned love not hypocritical and in shew only 1 Joh. 3. 8. Let us not love in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth there is much word and tongue-love but little deed-love much feigned love but little unfeigned love 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing you have purified your hearts in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the Brethren c. Our love to the Brethren must be of the same nature as it is to God because if we love rightly it must be for his sake And surely we cannot rationally imagine that God will accept of hypocritical love word-love tongue-love love in shew feigned love no God abhors it and so should men Rom. 12. 9. Let love be without dissimulation it is sincere love to the Brethren that is right and true 2 Cor. 8. 8. I speak not saith the Apostle by Commandment but by occasion of the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity of your love 2. It is then true when it is spiritual 2. When it is spiritual love when it is for God's sake and for Christ's sake because they belong to him This is true and sincere love when we love for his sake Mark 9. 41. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink because ye belong to Christ verily I say unto you he shall not lose his reward The Lord takes well any the least token of love shewed to any because they belong to him because it is a token of their love to him in any who shew kindness for his sake Mat. 10. 42. As the greatest shew of love if it be not for his sake is not accounted of with him so the least act of love for his sake shall be rewarded because that where little acts of love are for his sake greater acts will be if opportunity and ability concur 3. It is then right and true when it manifests 3. It is a doing-love it self in action when it is as ready to do as to speak yet it is but word and tongue-love I say true love to the Brethren is a doing love for soul for body for both as occasion and need requireth according to ability 1 Joh. 3. 17. But whoso hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother hath need and shutteth up the bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Those that are streight-hearted and streight-handed towards the people of God in their necessities have ground to suspect themselves that they love neither God nor his people And sutable to the abilities that God gives in the World does he expect that men do in this matter where he gives much he expects much 1 Tit. 6. 17 18 19. And that it be done willingly and not grudgingly for that is not thank-worthy nor is it any true discovery of love The Lord loveth a chearful giver 2 Cor. 9. 7. 8. 12. Rom. 12.
Goodness the Lord for his Goodness in the latter daies 4. Meditation on the Justice and Judgments 4. His Justice against sin and sinners of God against sin and sinners will tend to beget maintain and increase this holy fear of God and fear to sin against him Psal 119. 120. My flesh trembleth because of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments Matt. 10. 28. â—ear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him that is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell Obj. This is a slavish fear and not the Objection soul-like fear or the Gospel Answ 1. It is that which becometh and Answer concerneth gracious souls to fear God in all his Names his Justice as well as his Mercy and it is a token of a graceless heart that hath not the awe of God in his Justice that being one great part of his Name of his Glory wherein he hath and will make himself famous God to illustrate this part of his Name and Glory unites Justice and Mercy in the proclaiming of his Name to the end that his people may love him and fear before him Exod. 34. 5 6 7. There you have the name of the Lord proclaimed in these two Attributes of Mercy and Justice And whoso thinks this wonderful gracious and terrible Name of the Lord to fear and tremble at his Goodness and his Justice his Righteous and Terrible Name to be beneath his new Covenant calling lives greatly below the calling of a Christian 2. Christians are flesh as well as spirit and liable to temptation and miscarriage woful experience teacheth us this and God as a Father does not only keep his children in awe with the knowledg of their relation that so love may prevail but likewise with the rod and threats and danger too of dispossessing of the inheritance and provision on that account and counts it well if all tend to effect the work thus dealeth the Lord with his people else what meaneth those various sayings in his Word Ps 89. 30 31 32. If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes c. See Heb. 12. 7 to 11. And those Judgments executed formerly on the people of God for sin left on Record for our learning to the end we might fear to sin against him lest we meet with like Judgments 1 Cor. 10. 1. to 11. and Chap. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep c. All which clearly proveth that God doth afflict his people for sin and he hath recorded it that his people might fear to sin against him Yea and further he keeps his children in awe with threats of dispossessing them of the inheritance Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and 4. 1. 11. and 3. 12. 14. 2 Tit. 2. 12 13 14. Rev. 2 and 3 Chapters all which confirms this truth that God threatens for sin and executes for sin and warns to watchfulness that the Crown be not lost Rev. 3. 11. Though it 's true that fear flowing from love is the most Evangelical and son-like fear yet a mixture a fear of God in his whole Name his Greatness Holiness Goodness Justice Righteousness c. is the most solid safe preserving fear the soul being ballanced with all the means and meditations of God prescribed to carry on this blessed Divine Virtue is sutable and useful for the accomplishment thereof Do not Parents account it well if all lawful means effect the end that is to keep their children in awe and subjection threats and stripes as well as love And doth not God deal with his children accordingly And doth not Christians that will not stand in awe of his Judgments wonderfully dishonour him that will fear him but in one part of his Name A dangerous temptation to be shamed and avoided of all who desire to fear God Mal. 2. 5. and 4. 2. 5. Meditation on the Word of God will 5. The Word of God tend to seasoâ— souls with this holy fear for that will help us in the four former particulars The truth of God in all his Names and faithfulness in all his Word in his Precepts and Promises and threats against sin and sinners will tend to work and increase this Grace Isa 66. 2. But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word In the Word of God is declared the whole trembling Name of God in all the parts thereof and the meditation thereon will cause gracious souls to fear before him Psal 119. 161. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word The thoughts of the Authority Purity Divinity and truth of the Word will beget and increase awful and reverend thoughts of God 3. Of the usefulness and profitableness 3. It s Vsefulness of this Virtue We may say of this Virtue as the Apostle speaking of Godliness that it 's profitable to all things it 's the summ of Godliness and is useful to ballance the soul at all times and in all places and companies and to have its exercise and use in all Virtues it 's the soul-seasoning and soulballancing Grace it 's the beginning middle and end of Wisdom But to speak more particularly and distinctly of this Divine Virtue in the use thereof 1. It 's a sin-destroying Virtue where the fear of God is there sin must out it is is impossible for the fear of God and the love of sin to dwell together in the soul Psal 4. 4. Stand in awe and sin not where the awe of God is there will be a fear to sin against him Gen. 39. 9. Joseph said How then shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God Fear of God occasions fear of sinning against him this was it kept Nehemiah from oppressing the people like the former Governors Neh. 5. 15. But so did not I because of the fear of God Ps 19. 9. The fear of the Lord is clear c. it 's a purging cleansing Virtue it cleanseth the soul from the love power and practise of sin Prov. 16. 6. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil and 8. 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil pride and arrogancy and the evil way c. Ps 34. 11 12 13. Where the love and fear of God is there the love of sin can have no place and the true cause of reigning abominations in any is because the fear of God is wanting there Ps 36. 1. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes O therefore consider this you that can sin without fear it argues you to be without the fear of God and to be graceless persons Rom. 3. 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes And this I fear
and make conscience of so doing having no Law written in their hearts that convinces them thereof 2. This appears from the Word of Truth Rom. 1. 20. For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead Where the Apostle states the way and means of knowing God where neither Law nor Gospel is that is not singly by any Law in the heart but by the Works and Law of Creation that preacheth forth God to all Nations Ps 19. 1 2 3. Obj. The Apostle Rom. 2. 14 15. Speaking Objection of the Gentiles in plain terms saith That they do by nature the things contained in the Law which sheweth the work of the Law written in their hearts c. Answ It 's true but this Scripture is very Answer much mis-understood for it 's evident the Apostle intends not the common and unbelieving Gentiles of them he had spoken in the first Chapter but here he speaks of believing Gentiles thereby to reprove the Jews who boasted of the Law and thence opposed the Gospel and the believing Gentiles that obeyed the Gospel and is the same in substance as that Rom. 9. 30 31 32. and did not walk under the Law as a ministration as the Jews did and the Apostle to stop the Jews opposite boasting endeavors to convince them that the Gentiles who believed though they had not the Law neither were circumcised yet being circumcised in their hearts to God they were safe and should judg them that bosted so much of the Law That this is the true sense and meaning of that Scripture is evident 1. From the occasion of the words It 's such a doing of or living to the Law as is attended with Glory Honour Immortality c. Honour Glory and Peace ver 7. 10. And it 's the same doing intended throughout the Discourse 2. It 's such a doing of the Law as will justifie before God ver 13. 3. It 's such a doing of the Law as may stand with a good conscience in the day of need that is in the day of Judgment ver 15 16. 4. It is such a doing as flows from an heart spiritually circumcised to God and shall have praise of him ver 28 29. It 's the same Gentiles he was speaking of before and is the result drawn up from the former promises so that by the Law written in the heart we must understand the Law of the new Covenant inclining to believe and obey the Gospel or that the Apostle held forth another way of Salvation than by Jesus Christ and the new Covenant which we may in no case imagine I shall return to shew the waies of God in making known himself to men since the fall And 1. I grant that there is a capacity left in man by nature in the use of means in some measure to know God and to know many things to be sinful but not without the concurrency of the use of means I deny not what God might work miraculously he could make the Asse to speak to convince the madness of Balaam but his ordinary way hath been in the use of means It is with the soul of man as it is with the body the eye is called the light of the body not that there is any light in the eye more than in any other part of the body but a capacity of seeing or a seeing faculty when the light shineth the eye seeth no more than the hand if there be no light without So it is in the souls of men there is the eyes of the understanding but it must have something propounded from without before it understands or apprehends if it were possible to keep men from all means of light either by seeing or hearing the understanding which is the eye of the soul would remain dark as the eye of the body without light Now the Law or Will of God might very probably 1. Descend something by tradition from Adam who had converse with God not only before but after the fall and could not but retain much of the knowledg of God and so commend it to Posterity 2. The discoveries of the Will of God in the matters of Worship and the manner thereof in offering of sacrifices which could not ordinarily come by nature but by some way of institution Some discoveries of his Will by Divine Inspiration in way of Prophecy as is plain Jude ver 14. Enoch the seventh from Adam prophecied c. And God spake sometimes immediately to the Fathers and those discoveries of God were propagated to Posterity though much corrupted and doubtless there is at this day much of tradition among some of the Heathens about circumstances and ceremonies corruptly practised by tradition as offering sacrifice circumcision offering their first-born to God and owning only one God their Priests and Prayers c. The fourth and most common way of God's teaching mankind throughout all Ages especially where other means hath failed hath been by his works of Creation and Preservation in which was and is a sufficiency to teach the knowledg of God as to his being and from hence that capacity left in man might learn the substance of the Moral Law but not without this means that the Creation was a sufficient means to teach the knowledg of God i. e. That there was a God infinite in his being and glorious the former of all things and that this was God's way of teaching the Apostle plainly asserts Rom. 1. 19 20. And the Prophet Psal 19. 1 2 3. There was and is a capacity in man by this means and help 1. To conclude that there is a God the Creator and Preserver of all that he must be infinite in Power Wisdom and Goodness And 2. From reason conclude that there is but one God not a plurality in Essence Will and Work but that there must be unity in so great and glorious a Work And then 3. That it 's a duty to be subject to this Creator and that he must be honoured and worshipped according to his own will as far as understood that this Invisible Powerful Wise God that made all things must needs be Holy as Great and Wise and his Will must be the Law to the Creature and that the transgression thereof must needs be sinful and from hence must necessarily understand what was for common good and society of mankind being capacitated with reason exercised thus in in the use of means might and did attain much and I dare not but to think that in this means God hath from the beginning wrought many souls savingly to himself And thus it appears that there was a Law i. e. a means to know God and in some measure to know duty and to know sin before the Law was given and the same means do the World yet injoy where the Gospel is not preached 2. God made known himself and Will to his Servants both before and
heart O who is it that reforms and returns to him that smiteth but rather quarrel at the rod and cry out for deliverance but keep fast the sin that is the cause thereof surely God will make us sick with smiting before he hath done if there be no reformation 2. Pride is another crying abomination for which God hath a controversie with his people self conceit pride of heart pride in Apparel pride of riches O this damnable hell born sin is like to prove the ruine of multitudes for it s followed after and pleaded for rushing into the new invented and deuised fashions to the dishonour of God and shame of Religion and undoing of poor souls the Lord may justly for these things complain as of his people of old Hos 5. 5. The Pride of Israel doth testifie to their face and he is at work with his people at this day for these abominations O that Professors in the City of London would lay these things to heart from whence prophaneness in this matter is come forth into all the nation Pride was Sodom sin and likewise the sin of spiritual Sodom and Aegypt Rev. 18. 12 13. 17. 4. Let all the Sons and Daughters of Sion tremble in the thoughts of living in the practise of Sodoms abominations and oâ— the contrary be ye cloathed with humillity that is let all your carriages and behaviours your words and works your gesture and apparel shew forth humility and prove the Lord if he hath not a blessing in store for you 3. Loss of first love both to God and one to another and loss of zeal for God his name and truth in the earth this is it for which God hath a controversie with his people and will not hear them cry they never so loud and make they never so many prayers Rev. 2. 4 5. Thou hast lost thy first love remember from whence thou art faln and repent and do thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except you repent it is repentance God expects before he will hear and answer our prayers for it is these and the like sins that doth hinder the prevailing of our prayers that they can have no enterance at the throne of Grace See these sins more fully described Chap. 29. CHAP. XXIII Of Perfection and whether it may be attained in this Life PErfection in the new Covenant Restauration and Life is a Glory to be believed beyond what we do or can yet know or injoy But in as much as there are great mistakes about this matter and the word perfect being frequently used in the Scripture and abused by ignorant and erring persons by reason of which serious souls may be and many are put to a loss in this matter I shall endeavour to clear up this truth according to the best light that I have through Grace attained herein for the advantage of others in which I shall endeavour 1. To clear up the various use and import of the word perfect as used in the holy Scripture and how far perfection is attainable here 2. To prove that perfection in the highest intention is not attainable in this life 1. The various use and import of the The various import of the word sincere word perfect as used in the Scriptures 1. Sometimes it imports sincerity and truth in the inward parts he that is a sincere Christian towards God in all his walks is in God's account a perfect Christian though otherwise attended with many imperfections uprightness and integrity is a choice virtue owned and approved of God and a comfort to souls in whom it is 2 Chron. 20. 3. Hezekiah could say Remember Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is with an upright and sincere heart that is the true sense and meaning of the King for otherwise he had many infirmities 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind that is a sincere upright sound and undivided heart for the Lord desireth truth in the inward parts Ps 51. 6. Job was said to be perfect that is upright sincere and so owned of God though he saw himself to be sinful and so confesseth Job 13. 23. 2. There is a comparative perfection 2. Comparative spoken of in Scripture that is some have been and may be reputed more perfect than others and so said to be perfect compared with those that are worse than them living in the same time and age and it may be enjoy like means Gen. 6. 9. It 's said that Noah was a perfect man in his Generation that is compared with the Generation in which he lived he was a perfect man comparatively and upright and sincere in his Generation and walked with God that is kept close with God and worshipped him in an evil Generation ver 5. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth c. or compared with others that are weaker Christians Some Christians compared with others may be said to be perfect and this I call a comparative perfection 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect that is perfect comparatively with the Corinthians Chap. 3. 1 2. And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ c. not as to those that were spiritual or perfect which is all one in sense and substance they compared with others were not so spiritual or perfect as them and this is it the Apostle minds Phil. 3. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded that is compared to others that were more imperfect in their Knowledg Faith and Practice not perfect in the highest perfection for so the Apostle himself was not perfect ver 12. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect c. So that it 's evident both from Scripture and experience that there is this comparative perfection and that in varieties of degrees among all Christians which are distinguished 1. Degrees of this perfection among Christians 2. Among Churches And 3. Among Ministers yet all are Christians 1. Among Christians in general there 1. Of Christians in general are varieties of degrees in Knowledg in Faith and in Practice and in all the gifts and virtues of the new Covenant this is abundantly cleared by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 12. to 25. Where he discovers the Church in all its parts to have variety of members as the body of Christ some more honourable or perfect than others some weak in the Faith and some strong Rom. 14. 1. and 15. 1. Some are comely in their spirits and conversations and some need to have comeliness to be put upon them 1 Cor. 12. 23 24. Some spiritual some carnal some useful and helpful to others others that
must be helped along and supported 1 Thes 5. 14. Now we exhort you brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble minded support the weak be patient toward all Now it 's evident that it was not only the Ministers or Elders the Apostle intended compared with ver 11 12 13. But it was the more perfect and spiritual members of the Church that they might know how to behave themselves towards the more weak and imperfect ones 2. There are degrees in this perfection 2. Among Churches among the Churches some Churches are more perfect than some being compared and that is it the Apostle intended in his writing to the Church of Corinth He could not write to them as unto spiritual but as unto carnal c. But he spake wisdom among them that were perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. But we speak wisdom among them that are perfect c. that is more perfect and more spiritual as the Church of the Romans whose Faith was famous throughout the World Rom. 1. 8. and 16. 19. The deep things the Apostle writes to them about their freedom from the Law and sin by Jesus Christ and from condemnation by the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus c. So likewise the Churches of Ephesus Phil. c. and Rev. 2 3 Chapt. Some Churches were more perfect than others and two of them excelling all the rest that of Smirna Ch. 2. 8 9 10. and that of Philadelphia Chap. 3. 7 8 9 10. 3. Among Ministers there is a ministerial 3. Among Ministers perfection spoken of in Scripture 2 Tit. 3. 17. That the man of God may be perfect c. That is the minister of God frequently so called in the Scripture 1. Of the old Testament Deut. 33. 1. Jude 13. 6. 1 Sam. 2. 17. 2 King 1. 9 10. And in the new Testament Paul calls Timothy the man oâ— God 1 Tit. 6. 11. But thou O man of God flee these things c. This is a ministerial perfection that is to be well instructed in the Scriptures and have thence learned how to fulfill their ministry 2 Tit. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth And among such are likewise diversities and degrees of perfection and that 1. In gift 1 Cor. 12. 11. 2 Cor. 11. 5. They differ 1. In Gift For I was not behind that is in gift the very chiefest Apostle which word chiefest implyeth clearly a diversity in gifts even amongst the Apostles for there was no chiefdom by Office but in Gift Peter and John seems to excel 2. In divine disposition to the work 2. In divine disposition some are more disposed thereunto than others The Apostle Paul had upon him the care of all the Churches 2 Cor. 11. 28. For which very probably he was envied by false Apostles deceitful workers the Devils ministers who envy those who are more sincere laborious and faithful than themselves ver 12 13 18 19. with Gal. 4. 17. They would exclude you or rather us that you might affect them And the same in substance he speaks of Timothy Phil. 2. 19 20. I have no man like minded that is no Minister that will naturally care for your estate It 's a choice virtue in a Minister to have a natural care of the Church of Christ such it seems were and still are very rare to be found 3. In labour and industry in the work 3. In labour as an effect of this divine disposition so the Apostle Paul laboured more abundantly than they all that is than all the rest of the Apostles see both disposition and labour for the Church together in Titus and the brother whose praise is in the Gospel 2 Cor. 8. 16 17 18. 4. In conversation and holiness there are 4. In conversation diversities and degrees of attainments and so of this comparative perfection in holiness and that in the true Ministers of Jesus Christ although it greatly concerns all to be exemplary in this matter 1 Tit. 4. 12. 1 Thes 2. 10. Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14. The reasons of these degrees of perfections and attainments both in Ministers and Members and so in the Churches are 1. From the varieties and degrees of Reasons 1. Difference in Gifts Gifts Graces and Virtues given by the Lord to his people he gives to some more to some less even as it pleaseth him Rom. 12. 6. 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6 11. All these worketh that one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will and in Matth. 25. 15. Is this held forth by our Lord in the diversity of talents and Eph. 4. 7. But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of God 2. From the degrees of improvement of 2. Degrees of Improvement those gifts the Lord hath given for sutable to the improvement the Lord gives increase where persons are sluggish and negligent whether Minister or Member there is but little or no increase and where persons are diligent and faithful improvers of the talents received there God will bless it with increase Matt. 25. 29. For unto every one that hath it shall be given and be shall have more abundantly c. That is he that hath improved that which he hath as is clear compared with the former part of the Parable and will prove true both here and hereafter see Heb. 5. 12 14. Prov. 13. 4. 3. From the due and undue ends of persons 3. In their ends endeavour after a greater measure of perfection in gifts and virtues 1 Cor. 12. 7. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withal that is for spiritual profit both for himself and others but when Gifts and Virtues are sought after for pride honour and self-esteem or the like fleshly and base ends no wonder if God with-hold see Jam. 4. 3. Or if he answer the desire it is in a way of wrath as sometimes he gave his people their desire according to their lust but it was in a way of wrath Ps 88. 29 30 32. 3. A third sort of Perfection minded in 3. Perfestion in unity Scripture is a perfection in Unity amongst the Saints and Churches and this is a desirable perfection of which Christians greatly fall short at this day 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment Eph. 4. 2 3. Phil. 2. 2 3. This is promised in the new Covenant Ezek. 11. 19. Prayed for by our Lord Joh. 17. 21. And to be endeavoured after by all Saints and they that are contrary shew themselves to be carnal 1. Cor. 3. 3. A fourth sort of perfection spoken of in 4. In Vnity
and Christ that is of the new Covenant it must be perfection it is not imperfection they reach after too much of that they have already in themselves which makes them groan in the sense thereof therefore if they press forward after any thing it must be Perfection 2. By pressing forward after Perfection I intend a growing up into a greater measure of the perfection attainable in this mortal state for as hath been shewed there are degrees of Perfection attainable here both in Knowledg Faith Love and an holy conformity to our Lord Jesus in the Gifts and Virtues of the Holy Spirit 1 Pet. 2. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 18. And this is it the Apostle minds Phil. 3. 10. That I may know him c. That is that I may grow and increase in the knowledg of him and in a conformity to him for he knew him in part before O it 's a sign of a gracious soul that is truly longing and endeavouring after the highest degree attainable here of conformity to Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure that is maketh Christ the copy and pattern after which he walketh 3. By pressing forward after Perfection I intend that the godly soul principled with perfection have in his eye the highest and glorious perfection and that is it he would attain if possible though he knows it 's not attainable here yet he reacheth after it and can do no less if interested in it it is his portion and that is it the Apostle intends Phil. 3. 11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead that is to that perfection that shall be attained at the resurrection of the dead ver 12 13 14. I press forward to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus God Christ is the mark we are running to 1 Pet. 3. 18. Mat. 16. 24. And Perfection and Glory is the prize we are running for 2 Tit. 4. 7 8 Rom. 2. 7. And he can never run right that hath not both the mark and prize in his eye So run that ye may obtain CHAP. XXIV Of Sincerity SIncerity being that which crowns all other virtues and duties for without sincerity all is nothing and must have its place and use in all relating both to God and Man without which it is unaccepted with God and although I have occasionally given hints of this virtue in other Chapters and particularly in that about Prayer in the manner how it must be performed yet I shall in this place speak something more distinctly yet briefly It being a virtue so well pleasing to God he desireth truth in the inward parts Psal 51. 6. man would not accept of hipocritical service or shew of love if he knew it so to be how much less will God accept of that which is but feigned and in shew God knoweth the heart the mind and thoughts and he will have the heart in all or nothing at all My Son give me thy heart God will accept no gift without the heart let God have the heart and he hath all but without the heart he will accept nothing All the glorious shews in Religion without the heart are but Painted sins and the persons but as Whited Tombs that appeas beautiful to men but within are full of Dead men Bones Sincerity must have its place in Faith or else it is but feigned and nothing worth true faith must be unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. its to be feared that there is a great deal of feigned Faith in the World that makes men no better then Hypocrites Joh. 2. 23 24 25. Sincerity must have its place in love or else it s nothing and that 1. to God the Father Mat. 22. 37. to Jesus Christ his Son Eph. 6. 24. Grace be with all those that love our Lord Jesus in Sincerity Amen To the people of God for his sake it must be sincere heart love Mat. 22. 39. Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self 1 Joh. 3. 18. love not in Word and Tongue but in deed and in truth 1 Pet. 1. 22. it must be unfeigned and with a pure heart fervently Sincerity must be in our prayers Psal 17. 1. Give ear unto my Prayers that goeth not out of feigned lips In a word Sincerity must be in all our services if they are accepted of the Lord 1 Chron. 28. 9. Psal 119. 34. Give me Vnderstanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart ver 69. I will keep thy Precepts with my whole heart and 9. 1. I will praise thee with my whole heart so that whether it be faith or love prayer or praise or any part of obedience it must be with the heart a sincere heart a whole and undevided heart a heart and a heart the Lord disowneth I shall indeavour to shew some infallible Signs of sincerity Characters of a sincere heart plain from Scripture and Saints Experience not to darken truth or leave Souls at a loss but that he that runs may read and understand And in general as the ground of the whole a sincere heart is an honest heart and good heart Luk. 8. 15. this honest and good heart includes the whole of sincerity 1. An honest good and sincere heart 1. It s an open plain heart is an open and plain heart he is true in what he doth he hates and abhors deceit we use to say he is an honest man that deals plainly and justly so that he dares let all his actions come to the tryal so is it with the sincere soul he is honest and plain would have all his works done in the light he hates darkness he deals above board as the saying is he is willing that all his actions should be brought to the tryal Rom. 13. 13. Let us walk honestly as in the day c. The honest sincere soul loves the day he is not for night work nor deeds of darkness be it never so secret Joh. 3. 19 20 21. He that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God The sincere soul loves the light because it discovers the darkness of sin the sincere soul fears all sin especially hypocrisie he would not be an hypocrite for the world and therefore comes to the light Of the Word and Spirit of Christ to try his spirit and actions by that so he may know that his deeds are wrought in God that they are of God and owned and approved of him the honest sincere heart as he fears hypocrisie and comes to the light that he may understand of what soâ—â— his work is so he doth it sincerely and throughly he is in good earnest in the matter and therefore do not only search himself and is willing to be searched by others but is willing to stand to the Lo 〈…〉 searching who knoweth all things Psal 139. 23 24. Search
Father in all things the Sincere Christian would not displease God for a world he had rather displease men and himself too I mean fleshly self then displease God But Hypocrites design is to please men and to please their own humours they do what they do to be seen of men the Hypocrite if he pray it is to be seen of men if he give it is to be seen of men to have applause of men that is his end and if that be attained he hath his reward Mat. 23. 5. But all their works they do to be seen of men ch 6. 1 5. The Hypocrite if he can keep but just so much Religion as may continue his esteem among the Professors of his way and time he looks no more unless it be the vain glorious glossing talking and it may be preaching Hypocrite 6. The great care of a Sincere Christian 6. Look especially to the heart is to look to the heart to have the heart right with God he knoweth that the heart is deceitful and that God requireth the heart and will have the heart or nothing and therefore whatever he doth he doth it heartily as to the Lord and mourns when he finds the heart wanting and wandering he hates a divided Hypocritical heart he believeth with the heart loveth God with the heart prayeth with the heart obeyeth with the heart Rom. 16. 17. he accounts no service well done where the heart is wanting But the Hypocrite is a stranger to heart work and heart service he troubles not himself with that work the most he doth is to bring his body to the service and his head it may be but for the heart he take no care for that he is a stranger to such work Ezek. 33. 31. VVith their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness See Mat. 15. 8. Psal 78. 36 37. They did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed to him with their Tongues for their heart was not right with him Thus the Hypocrites in heart heap up wrath Job 36. 13. For Hypocrisie lyeth in the heart and Sincerity is in the heart it is an honest and good heart 7. The Sincere Christian dwelleth most 7. Is most at home at home looks most to the state of his own soul keepeth his own Vineyard dresseth that and watcheth his own heart and his own words and ways and warreth against his own sins and sinful nature judgeth himself for his own miscarriages cryeth out O wretched man that I am not but that sincere souls seeth and reproveth and mourneth for others sins but his first his great work is at home to keep things in order there he saith with the Prophet Psal 51. 4. Against thee only have I sinned and with the Publican Lord be merciful to me a Sinner He saith with the Prophet Psal 119. 5. O that my ways were diâ—ectected to keep thy Statutes But the Hypocrite is most abroad quick-sighted to see into others failings but blind at home cryeth peace to his own soul without ground his great work is to be finding fault abroad he cryeth not O wretched man that I am but O wretched man that thou art he is quick sighted into the sins of others that his own may be covered or at least lessened in his conscience account an Hypocrite will sooner see a Mote in his brothers eye then a Beam in his own 8. The Sincere Christian as he believeth 8. He cleaveth to the Doctrine of Christ in the Lord and loveth and obeyeth the Lord above all so he cleaveth not only in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth to the Doctrine of Christ the Word of the Gospel as his alone ground of saith and rule of obedience and dare not for a world to swerve from it either to his own or others inventions 1 Joh. 4. 6. He that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour 2 Joh. ver 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God but he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son But Hypocrites whatever they pretend in word of owning the Doctrine of Christ yet easily turn from it preferring their own inventions and imaginations equall with if not above the Doctrine of the Gospel Mat. 15. 7. Ye Hypocrites c. ver 9. In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrine the commandements of men Isa 29. 13. Their fear towards me is taught by the Precepts of men God takes them to be Hypocrites that pretend to own him and his word and indeed own the Precepts of men and their own inventions in his worship 9. Sincere Christians love Gods things 9. They love Gods things for his sake for his sake his word his ways and Ordinances because it is his because it hath his stamp upon it and spirit in it loves his people because they are his and have his spirit in them and his name upon them and so loves all whom the Lord loves the poor Saints as well as the rich they that are alive as well as they that are dead they they see and know as well as them they never saw c. But Hypocrites love is to some for some base and by end and not to all or to the dead Saints but not to the living Hypocrites pretend a great deal of love to the deceased Saints which they never saw but hate and persecute the living Saints who desire to be the Followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promise Hypocrites will pretend to be the greatest lovers of dead Saints none love them as themselves they will honour them every one oâ— them shall have a day dedicated to him in honour Saint Peter and Saint Paul's day c. yea and it may be adore and pray to them make them their intercessors but hate and persecute them that are alive whom they see and know and that too because they walk in the steps of the deceased Saints We may easily judge what love such have to Jesus Christ and the Apostles if they were alive they should quickly find and feal their love that are so friendly to their followers in Faith and Patience thus did the Hypocrites of old Mat. 23. 29 30 31. Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites because ye build the Tombs of the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchers of the righteous and say if we had been in the days of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets Wherefore ye be witnesses unto your selves that ye are the children of them that killed the Prophets They witness that they are the Children of the Persecutors not by nature but by the same spirit children in blood and persecution therefore Hypocrites in pretending to love Saints that are gone whom they never saw but hate them they see
in all cases of Christs service in first listing themselves under him ver 5. They first gave themselves to the Lord c. this is acceptable when souls give themselves to the Lord to be saved and ruled by him Rom. 6. 17. and 2. in their continuance with him it must be willing John 6. 67 68. God hath in all his Administrations throughout all ages had his instituted Ordinances by which his people his Church was distinguished from others and in the observation of which they did visibly own God in the World and the truth is that the institutions of God in matters of Worship have been the Badge of distinction between his Church and the world throughout all ages and the cause of all the woe and misery that hath come on mankind and on the people of God hath been for the transgression of instituted Ordinances Adams transgression of an instituted Ordinance brought in death and misery in all mankind and all the Plagues and miseries brought on Israel of old was for transgression of the instituted Ordinances of God in the matters of his worship See 2 King 17. 7. to 20. all the misery and wrath complained of in the Lamentations of Jeremy was the effect of this very sin the Transgression of the Laws of God in the matters of his Worship in his Instituted Ordinances Levit. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandments and ver 16. Woe unto us we have sinned c. And for this will be the great controversie of God with the pretended Christian world in the latter days Isa 24. 1. to 6. The Lord Christ having appeared in the latter end of the world to put away sin by the offering of himself he being the substance of all former institutions they leading to him Col. 2. 17. Heb. 10. 1. and so he is become the great Lord and Lawgiver of his Church God speaking to us by him Heb. 1. 1. 2. Whom we are to hear i. e. to obey in all things Acts 3. 22. 23. all his Ordinances and Laws are indespensably necessary for his Subjects to obey him in so far as they know his will and ignorance will not altogether excuse in this matter therefore it behoves all to be dilligently inquiring that so they be not willingly ignorant The Laws Ordinances and Institutions of Christ for his Church his Kingdom to serve and worship him in are as followeth 1. Baptism after believing repenting 1. Is Baptism and turning to the Lord is the first duty required Mat. 16. 15 16. Acts 2. 38. 41. and is the imitating Ordinance into the visible Church and kingdom of Jesus Christ and is the duty of all true Believers and there is no other way or door of enterance declared by Christ but by Faith and Baptism Not by natural generation or birth as some imagine that is done away as being of the old Covenant where the natural seed were accounted for the seed Gen. 17. 7. ver 14. but in the New Covenant the spiritual seed that is believers are accounted the seed and subjects of Christs Kingdome and are to live under his laws Gal. 3. 26 28. nor by entring into Covenant as some others imagine which is after their own devising mistaking and misapplying the Scriptures as that 2 Cor. 8. 5. They gave themselves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God Hence some and that too men of parts and learning gather That they first gave themselves to the Lord by believing and accepting the Gospel and after to us that â—s to the Church by some Covenant which is a clear and palpable mistake its true in the first sentence that is they gave themselves to the Lord may be included their giving themselves to the Church by Faith and Baptisme for those who give up themselves to be the Lords Subâ—ects in his Church do give themselves to the Lord and to us by the Will of God that is they gave themselves to the ministry of the Saints in their necessities and that beyond what the Apostles hope was considering their great affliction and deep poverty that this is the true meaning of that Scripture is so plain that he that runs may read it so that I know no other way of enterance into the Church and visible Kingdom of Christ but by Faith and Baptism Neither understand I well what they mean that call Baptism a Covenant and talk so much of a Baptismal Covenant it s a language the Scripture knows not neither know I any other Covenant then the Gospel new Covenant of Grace which on our part is a willing consenting from believing the truth of the Gospel to be saved by Jesus Christ and to be ruled by him as Lord and King which faith and consent is to be confessed in order to Baptism by which the believer visibly gives up himself to the Lord as to be saved so to be ruled by him What other things are held forth in Baptism its meet for Christians to be instructed in as the washing away of sin Acts 22. 16. that is the pardon and purging away of sin by the blood of Christ not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God 1 Pet. 3. 21. Yet the washing of the flesh is a figure of that within and a Conformity to Christ in his Death and Burial thereby signifying our Death to sin and our natural death likewise to confirm our Faith in the truth of the Resurrection Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 15. 29. and why Baptism and the Supper of the Lord which is the second instituted Ordinance that I shall mention should be so frequently called Seals as they are by some I know not because the Scripture knows no such things some calls themselves to Seal Gods love to the soul and the believers interest therein As to this its true the love of God and Christ is abundantly held forth therein and the believer exercising faith may and I hope do meet with refreshing and sealing consolations therein and so he doth in other of the instituted Ordinances of Christ i. e. the Word and Doctrine of the Gospel but without the exercise of Faith he profits by neither Heb. 4. 2. Others say they are Gods Seals to confirm his truth in his Covenant to us and that God never sets Seal to the truth of any mans interest that we must look to our selves whether we have the faith to which the Covenant is made God seals to that he will not fail in performing of the Covenant on his part which have something of truth in it i. e. it behoves us to look that our faith is right and God will not fail in performance of his Covenant of life but its true likewise that God hath and doth set seal to the truth of his peoples faith in the Covenant of his Grace else they can have no seal but their own which must needs prove invalid in the day of
need if Gods seal and theirs concur not in the matter Rom. 8. 16. The spirit it self beareth witness with or to our spirit that we are the Children of God the spirit of Christ is the alone sealing evidence to the hearts of Christians and that by his word and work in them Eph. 1. 13 14. 2 Cor. 1. 22. this is such a Sealing evidence to the hearts of Christians as that who so have it not is none of his Rom. 8. 9. and to call any of his Ordinances Seals is besides all Scripture rule as for the truth of God in his Covenant I think we cannot have more confirming Seals then his Word and Oath two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6. 17 18. and the gift of his son from Heaven for Salvation of Sinners that believe and obey him What greater and surer seals these I know not of the truth of God and his Spirit working and effecting Faith in and by those Sealing evidences of his love to men is the Sealing Earnest of our inheritance The Supper of the Lord is an instituted 2. The Supper of the Lord. Ordinance of Jesus Christ to be practised by the Church till his second coming 1 Cor. 11. 26. a like Figure as Baptism very significant and of special use in the Church of Christ if Faith be rightly exercised therein and serves especially to keep in remembrance the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus and the benefits we receive thereby the great love of God and Christ to men being therein discovered 1 Cor. 11. 26. and the great sin in those that partake thereof is in not discerning the Lords body that is the breaking of the Lords body and the shedding of the Lords blood for our sins and the greatness of the Lords love therein 1 Cor. 11. 29. it being an Ordinance that presenteth Jesus Christ Crucified with all his benefits to the eye that the eye may affect the heart for all good comes to the heart by the ear and by the eye the Doctrine of the Gospel comes to the heart by the ear in hearing and by the eye in seeing and reading this Ordinance is for the eye that the heart may be affected and for the taste and stomach that the sense of hunger and feeding may be of spiritual use to learn the soul to feed on Christ who is the bread of Life in which we may observe the Wisdome of God to make use of our senses for our spiritual good Gal. 3. 1. This holy Ordinance is for the holy people of God the Church his holy Nation who alone by true Faith are interested in this Crucified Jesus who ever eats and drinks thereof without interest therein eats and drinks damnation to themselves What sad and bad work then do they make that will bring in all make up a Church of multitudes of Hypocrites to damn them as if the design of God and Christ in the Gospel had been to get in multitudes into the Church on purpose to damn them such will have a sorry account in the great day who thus pervert the Lords end in his Death and corrupt and defile his Church and holy Ordinances 3. Ordinance and Institution of Christ 3. Preaching in his Church is the Preaching of the Gospel for Building up of the Church in their most Holy Faith as all the Ordinances of Christ are There is a two fold Administration of the Doctrine of the Gospel the first for conversion and gathering into the Church Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15 16. Acts 2. 37 38. and 26. 16 17 18. The 2. for building up of the Church in the holy Faith after Conversion and Gathering Mat. 28. 20. Acts 2. 41 42. this being the end of Gods giving gifts to men Eph. 4. 11 12 13. They are bad Ministers who turn the World into the Church without repentance and Faith and so build up a multitude of Hypocrites and prophane persons instead of the Body of Christ neither Jesus Christ nor deceived poor Sinners will thank them for it in the end 4. Ordinance of Christ in his Church 4. Prophecie is Prophecy much spoken of in Scripture though I fear I may say its almost lost out of the Church but of this I shall speak more distinctly when I come to speak of the Officers in the Church though I take not this of Prophesie to be performed as an Office by an Officer as such but by a gift 5. Ordinance is Prayer although its 5. Prayer true this is not for the Church alone but is the duty and property of all believers as such Col. 4. 2. 1 Thes 5. 17. yet it is a Church Ordinance Acts 2. 42. Where Doctrine breaking bread and Prayers are set together as the great and common Ordinances of the Church in which they had fellowship together in 1 Tim. 2. 1. Ephes 6. 18. Jude verse 20. which in the Church as all other of Christs Ordinances are is to be performed by men and not by women 1 Tim. 2. 8. See more about this of Prayer Chap. 22. 6. Praising God or singing Praises to 6 Praising him is an Ordinance of Christ in his Church as well as the duty of all Saints at all times See 1 Cor. 14 15 16. where both Prayer and Singing are mentioned as it ought to be performed in the Church Col. 3. 16. the manner is exprest to be such as in Prayer one to speak to the Praise of God so that the rest may joyn in with him to say Amen as in Prayer for all to sing in Meeter together is that for which there is no rule that I know in Law or Gospel In the Old Testament Singers were appointed to that service 1 Chron. 9. 33. Ezr. 2. 65. Neh. 5. 67. and did perform it by turn answering each other 1 Sam. 18. 6 7. Exod. 15. 20 21 But I judge that Old Testament Singing is ended as to the manner thereof and I am sure there is no rule in the New for that which now by most is practised Gospel Singing should be new Songs by a new People sutable to the new Covenant Psal 96. 1. and 98. 1. such Songs as none can learn but the Redeemed ones Rev. 14. 3. no marvail if such as are for Forms of Worship in Prayer and Praise be for a Formal people void of the Spirit and strangers to Spiritual Worship And as this is an Ordinance so it is a gift in the Church of Christ as Prayer is and is so to be performed a hearty giving thanks for mercies received so as that the rest may say Amen that is joyn in praysing which is exprest in saying Amen as in Prayer they are greatly mistaken who think that there is no Singing but in Meeter and with a Singing Tone 7. Ordinance of Christ in the Church is 7. Discipline Church Discipline Order and Government and the Administring Church censures according as occasion and need calls for it
and that appears 1. From the Lords forbidding of it Exod. 20. 17. Rom. 13. 9. 2. From the many cautions given against it to be ware thereof Luke 12. 15. Eph. 5. 3. Heb. 13. 5. 3. From the evil effects thereof as violence and oppression Mic. 2. 2. Stealing and theft John 7. 11. 21. Deceit and treachery as in the case of Judas Mat. 26. 14 15 16. Lying 2 Kin. 5. 22. 27. Murder as in the case of Ahab with Naboth 1 Kin. 21. Merchandise of souls 2 Pet. 2. 3. Covetousness is fit for any abomination to accomplish its design 4. In that it 's ranked with the worst of sins 1 Cor. 5. 10. and 6. 10. 5. In that it hath the term of the worst of sins put upon it it 's called Idolatry â—ph 5. 5. Jer. Col. 3. 5. which is an abominable sin 44. 4. 1 Pet. 4. 3. 6. By the difficulty for a rich covetous man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 19. 23 24. 7. By the Woes and Judgments in Scripture denounced against it Hab. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 6. 10. Eph. 5. 5 6. And this woful soul-deceiving and soul-destroying sin the Lords people are liable to be ensnared with it and that appeareth in that they are so often taxed for it and accused of it Jer 6. 13. and 8. 10. Ezek. 33. 31. 2. In that they are so often cautioned against it as I minded before Luke 12. 13. 1 Tit. 6. 8. 9 10 11 17 18. Heb. 13. 5. 3. In thâ— they pray against it Ps 119. 36. In a word to conclude Covetousness â— a sin that draws down judgments temporâ— judgments Isa 57 17. Spiritual and eternâ— judgments as other abominations do 1 Tit. 6. 9 10. Yet such is the weakness wretchedness of Christians to suffer themselves to be ensnared thereby to be dallying therewith and to keep it in their bosome as their special friend and that too against all reproofs and means of help which â—â— the end if Grace prevent not will sting like a Serpent and bite like a Cockatrice piercing them through with many sorrows drowning thâ—m in perdition and destruction Or 2. It may be for the sin of Hypocrâ—sie Isa 10. 5. 6. O Assirian the rod of miâ—â— anger c I will send him against an hypocritical Nâ—tion c. and 9. 17. Job 15. 34. The Congregation of Hypocâ—ites shall be desolate c Quest Wherein doth Hypocrisie coâ—sist Quest Aâ—â—w Generally in making a shew of Answ that which is not either relating to God or man Ezek. 33. 31 33. Matt. 15. 7 8. Love in word and in tongue only and not in dâ—ed and in truth 1 Joh. 3. 18. It 's not in vain that Christ gives that caution Luke 12. 1. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie Ps 58. 1 2. Sincerity is a lovely virtue but hypocrisie double dealing an heart and an heart the Lord abhorreth O! let all that expect to approve themselves to God abhor it grounds there are to fear that it hath gotten too much footing in the hearts of Christians at this day Or 3. It may be for the sin of Pride God may rebuke and chastise his people Isa 28 1 3. Woe to the crown of Pride ver 3. The crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feâ—t Hos 5. 5. The Pride of Israel doth testifie to his face therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall into their iniquity Judah also shall fall with them Pride is a sin that God will not bear with no not in his own people but he will visit them and bring them down and lay them low even in the dust Quest Wherein doth Pride consist Answ Pride is in the heart it 's an heart-sin it 's a being puffed or lifted up in the heart Prov. 16. 5. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Loâ—d Ps 131. 1. saith the Prophet Mine heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty there is pride of Parts Wisdom Riches Strength Beauty Honour c. Jer. 9. 2 3. Pride in falshood 1 Tit. 6. 3 4. but all comes from the heart I shall therefore endeavour to shew some of the symptoms of Pride wherein a proud heart is discovered which are as the flagâ— or ensigns thereof 1. A proud and lofty look lofty eyes and a lofty countenance and carriage is a discovery of a lofty and proud heart Psal 101. 5. Him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer an high look and a proud heart ordinarily goes together and the Lord will not suffer such in his Family Ps 131. 1. My heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty lofty eyes bespeaks an haughty heart Prov. 6. 17. A proud look is one of the abominations the Lord hateth Chap. 21. 4. and 30. 13. There are a Generation O how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up And this lofty haughty heart that is discovered by a lofty and proud look will God bring down Isa 2. 11. 17. 2. A lofty tongue and that is either 1. A ruling lording tongue which discovers a proud heart Ps 12. 3 4. God will cut off the tongue that speaketh proud things c. and 73. 8. They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression they speak loftily great and proud words are the discoveries of a proud heart 2. A self-exalting and a self-boasting tongue is a symptom of a proud heart and this the Hypocrite cannot avoid Luke 18. 11 12. The proud boasting Pharisee by it discovered the pride of his heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh thus Jehu boasts of the rightness of his heart when it was but a discovery of his Pride and Hypocrisie 2 Kâ—n. 10. 15. Self-praise and self-commendation is a special character of folly and pride Prov. 27. 2. Let another praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips it 's much better for a mans works to praise him than his tongue Prov. 31. 31. 3. Lofty habit gay cloathings fleshly adornings is a special symptom of a proud heart Quest Is there any such thing as pride in apparel or any such thing condemned in the Scripture as pride in apparel Answ I propose this question and the same to that of covetousness because I perceive Christians run to excess in these things without all care or fear as if there were no such sins in the World a dangerous evil of our times Christians rush into it as if riches gay clothes and following the fashions of the times were the only preparations for another World or if not as if they expected no part therein but to have their portion only in this life But surely it is a sin condemned by the Lord not only in the old but in the new Testament in the old Isa 3. 16 17. Because the daughters of Sion are haughty and walk with stretched out necks and wanton eyes and therefore the Lord will smite
in this matter that they may glorifie him in believing and have the comfort thereof to their souls but he calls them Fools who deny the Resurrection and asks this question in opposition on purpose to silence those who own and believe the Resurrection who ask the question in craft and not of sincerity as is evident from the scope of the matter This relates to verse 12. How say some among you that there is no Resurrâ—ction of the dead these it were the Apostâ—e supposeth might make this question not so much for satisfaction as for opposition and to strengthen themselves in their errour and such it is the Apostle calls Fools 4. The time when the Resurrection shall 4 The time when be and that is at the second and Glorious coming of our Lord Jesus from Heaven Mat. 29. 30 31. with 1 Thes 4. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a Shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and the dead in Christ shall rise first so that the Resurrection shall be at the coming of Christ from Heaven when he shall come again and receive his people to himself that where he is they may be also 1 Joh. 14. 3. 5. The order of the Resurrection and 5. The order of the Resurrection that is explained 1 Cor. 15. 23. Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are his at his coming and then or afterward cometh the end When all shall be raised this is the order of the Resurrection For every man must be raised in his own order What distance of time this order may admit I shall here forbear to speak of but that there shall be a first and second Resurrection is plain from Scripture 1 Thes 4. 14 16. Rev. 20. 4 5. and ver 12 13. cometh the end or general Resurrection 6. The end of this Resurrection it is to 6. The end thereof the Saints that they may be perfected in the Restauration of the new Covenant and receive the end of their Faith Service and Sufferings and to the wicked that they may receive the due and iust reward of their Wickedness and Rebelion against the Lord. See both Joh. 5. 28 29. Dan. 12. 2. from what hath â—een said in this matter 1. Take a taste of that spirit that denyeth Vse the Resurrection that pretends it only to be an inward Resurrection from the death of sin which rightly understood hath something of truth for there is a spiritual rising with Christ accomplished here in all the Saints Col. 3. 1. but that is â—ot all nor without this will it be any thing at all 1 Cor. 15. 18 19 for to deny the Resurrection of the body is to deny all Religion so the Apostle reasons and explains it ver 15 16 17 18 19. so that those who deny the Resurrection of the body are miserable comforters and are like to come to a miserable end and under this motion it was deâ—yed of old that is that all was accomplished within and so said that the Resurrection was past already 2 Tâ—m 2. 18. they would not be so gross as in terms to deny the Resurrection but said that it was past already 4. Of the iudgment that shall be at or after â— Of judgment the Resurrection 1. That there shall be an Eternal Judgment is one principle of Religion and the Faith of all Saints and the wicked do acknowledge this in word but if they did really belieâ—e it in their hearts they durst not do as they do but to prove the truth asserted that there shall be a general iudgment and account given to the Lord for all things done in the body Eccles 11. 9. and 12 14. God shall bring evâ—ry work unto judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Heb. 9. 27. And as it is appointed to men once to die and after this the Judgement Acts 17. 31. Quest Must the Saints come to judgment Quest and give an account at that day Ans Yea all must come to judgment Answ and give an account at that day Saints as well as Sinners 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or bad The Saints must not expect to pass in the judgment without giving an account of all their actions Rom. 14. 10. We shall all stand before the judgment Seat of Christ v. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God So that in vain do they imagine and talk who think and say they shall have nothing to do at that day but in to Glory without passing the judgment a dangerous Doctrine to be asserted and contrary to the plain testimony of the Scripture Reasons why the Saints must come to Judgment 1. Because there are many bad persons Hypocrites under the name and profession of Saints both of Preachers and Hearers that must then be discovered and brought to light and receive their judgement accordidgly Then the Sinners in Sion shall be afraid fearfulness shall surprize the Hypocrites then many that had high thoughts of themselves here will be speechless when the Lord shall say unto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you 2. Because many Saints and such as may be saved at that day do allow themselves in tâ—ings contrary to the will of their Lord both in Omission and Commission for which they must give an account many of the Saints it is to be â—eared doe bad work here or else there are but few Saints on earth for which they must be judged for they must give an account for every thing done whether it be good or bad good to be approved and bad to be reproved for all things must come to the light and be made manifest 3. All must come to judgment because all must receive according to their works there can be no rendering according to the deâ—ds done in the body without coming to judgment we may not imagine that the most righteous â—udge will do up things in confusion but he will do all things in righteousness and equity its evident that God will give diversities and degrees of rewards to his people at that day Dan. 12. 3. Luke 19. 17 19. 1 Cor. 15. 41 42. and those diversities of rewards shall be dispensed according to their works Mat. 16. 27. not as the Meritorious cause that is all in Christ Jesus both as to Justification and Salvation all true believers are brought into a justified and saved state in him and into a capacity of acceptable service for his sake and their works shall be all reckoned to them and so be rewarded so that the less Christians have been exercised in working for God the less will their reward be and thereby their negligence will be reproved and the more they sin against Jesus Christ in matters of Worship
Reign and he must execute Justice and Judgment in the Earth c. To this agreeth Ps 96. throughout ver 13. as the sum of all Before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to Judge the Earth he shall Judge the VVorld in Râ—ghteousness and the people with his truth see the same Ps 98. 9. and 82. 8. After divers exhortations to worldly Governours to do Justice to the poor and fatherless to the afflicted and needy c. and reprehensions for their wilful miscarriage in this matter and hopeless expectation of any redress therein concludes the whole as the comfort of the afflicted with this petition and assurance of Faith Arise O God judge thou the earth for thou shalt inherit all Nations implying that there will â—e but little or no righteousness in the earth till that day and then shall he possess the Nations and judge them with equity and truth 2. In his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely c. that is free from afflictions and wrongs from enemies as they had been formerly liable to which cannot be rationally understood otherwise than the peaceable Kingdom of Christ on earth sutable to Ezek. 37. 24. to the end and Jer. 30. 8 9. Which Scriptures cannot be allogorised unless men resolve to turn all Scripture into allegories and so turn out all the truth of Scripture as some have done according to their own fancies but God hath put a stop in the way of allegorising these Scriptures and turning out this so great a truth as that Acts 3. 20 21. The Heavens must receive our Lord till the times of the restitution of all things which God both spoken by the mouth of all his holy Pâ—ophets since the world began What is this restitution spoken of by the Prophets but the restoring and glory of the Church and this must be when God does send Christ again from Heaven in Glory the first coming of Christ was a preparative to this work as that without it the restauâ—ation could not not be accomplished and as what the Prophets foretold of his humiliation was even so fulfilled ver 18. Why should we be incredulous that what they have spoken concerning his Kingdom and Glory in the restauration work should not be even so fulfilled likewise And what reason there is for us to turn plain Scriptures into Allegories relating to the Reign of Christ on Earth any more then for the Jews to Allegories the Scriptures that spake of his humiliation and so lost the truth thereof I do not yet understand Bâ—t to proceed to further proof of the truth Dan. 2. 44. The God of Heaven will set up a Kingdâ—m which is this fifth Kingdom of the store cut out of the Mountains without hands which shall never be destroyed and chap. 7. 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion under the whole Heaven shall be given unto the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him here is the Reign of Christ and Saints on Earth so plainly and expresly stated as is impossible with good conscience to gainsay it is the Kingdom under the whole Heavens not above the Heavens in the greatness and power thereof given to the Saints when taken by Christ and all Dominions shall serve and obey him that is Christ as the great Lord and King of the World To this agreeth the new Testament Testimonies relating to this truth and fully holding harmony therewith Luke 1. 32 33. And he shall be great and he shall be called the Son of the highest and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end This fully answers the old Testament Prophesies in this matter 2 Tim. 4. 1 The Apostle in express terms states the Kingdom of Christ to be at and after his appearing He will judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom which must be the Kingdom spoken of by the Prophets Rev. 11. 17. The Song of the Saints was and will be for that thou hast taken to thy self thy great power and hast raigned and the nations were angry c and no wonder for many of his people are angry at those who believe the truth thereof we may not understand it to be his providential reign over the World as it is constantly exercised nor his spiritual Reign in and over his Church which he hath always exercised but some more higher and glorious visible Kingdom and reign on Earth after the sound of the seventh Angel and the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdom of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever What can be more plain in the very terms of the Prophets they were his before but now in another manner then before chap. 19. 1 to 8. it is the great Song of the Saints That the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth What did he not Reign before Yes surely but now in another manner more visibly glorious ruling the world and saving his people with the everlasting Salvation spoken of Isa 45. 17. and to this agreeth Rev. 20. 4. Where the Saints are said to Live and Reign with Christ a thousand years and chap. 5 9. 10. it is the Song of the Saints That Christ the Lamb of God hath redeemed them from the Earth by his blood and made them unto God Kings and Priests and they shall reign on Earth and to this time and state do that Phil. 2. 9. 10 11. agree thus amongst the multitude of Scripture testimonies to this great truth have I mentioned some plain full and undeniable testimonies for confirmation that he that runs may read 2. I shall further confirm this truth from Reasonâ— thereof clear Scripture reasons and arguments infallibly drawn from thence 1. It is the great promise of the new Covenant Reason and therefore it must be contained in Gen. 22. 18. And in thy Seed shall all the Earth be blessed compared with Rom. 4. 13 For the promise that he i. e. Abraham should be the Heire of the World was not to Abraham oâ— to his seed through the law but through the righteousness of Faith where Abrahams heirship to the World and the Heirship of all hir spiritual seed i. e. Believers is stated to be not by the Law but by the Covenant of Grace in Christ Jesus who was the Seed to whom the promise was made Gal. 3. 16. and is to be obtained by the righteousness of Faith and the Heirship is exprest to be Heirs of the World both of Christ and Abraham and all the true seed Rom. 4. 16. and by this Scripture that is to say that Abraham and his seed are the heirs of the world may we understand all other Scriptures that speak of the Saints heirship yet not of