in the next verse That good thing which was committed to thee and so expounded chap. 2.2 The things which thou hast heard of me amongst many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Hold fast Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word hath a double signification scil to have and to hold and both of these the Apostle commends to Timothy namely 1. To have such a form or collection of Gospel-doctrines as a Type or Exemplar to which he should conforme in his Ministry 2. To hold it i. e. to hold it fast Not to swerve from it in the course of his Ministry but pertinaciously to adhere to it not to suffer it to be corrupted by men of erroneous principles nor to part with it upon any termes in the world but to stand by it and own it against all opposition and persecution whatsoever This I conceive to be the sense of the words which thus opened may afford us some such Doctrinal Observations as these Doct. 1 1. Doct. Evangelical words are sound words Or All gospel-Gospel-truth is of an healing nature Doct. 2 2. Doct. It is of great use and advantage boâ—h for Ministers and private Christians to have the main fundamental truths of the Gospel collected and digested into certain Modules or Platforms Or Methodical systems of fundamental Articles of Religion are very profitable both for Ministers and people Doct. 3 3. Doct. Such Forms and Modules are very carefully and faithfully to be kept Doct. 4 4. Doct. Faith and Love are as it were the two hands whereby we may hold fast Gospel-truth Other doctrines besides these might be raised from the words but these are the main and lie visibly in the face of the Text And I intend to speak only to the second and third doctrine the one now at our entrance upon this Morning Exercise the other at the Close if God permit The first and last of these doctrines may be of use in the handling of these two In which doth lie the main designe as of the Apostle here so of the work which falls to my share in this monthly service I begin with the first of them scil Doct. 1 Doct. 1. Methodical systems of the main and special points of the Christian Religion are very useful and profitable both for Ministers and people In the managing of the doctrinal part of this Observation I shall only give you two demonstrations 1. Scripture-pattern 2. The usefulnesse of such Modules 1. Scripture-pattern The Word of God is full of such Maps and Modules of divine truths necessary to salvation The whole Scripture is a large Module of saving truth Joh. 18.37 The whole Gospel in general is nothing but the great Platform or Standard of saving doctrine It was the great end and errand of Christ his coming into the world to reveal unto us the truth of God so himself testifieth John 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause I came into the world that I should bear witnesse unto the truth It took up one whole entire office whereunto he was anointed of his Father his Prophetical Office so he was named many hundred years before his Incarnation by Moses A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall you hear The office of a Prophet was not only to foretell things to come As Exod. 7.1 Aaron is call'd but to reveal the mind of God according to the import of the Hebrew word Nabi which signifieth an Interpreter Thus Jesus Christ came to be an Interpreter of his Fathers mind unto the world No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father Joh. 1.18 he hath declared him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath expounded him The whole Gospel which Christ preached was nothing else as it were but a publick testimony of the secret transactions between the Father and the Sonne concerning mans salvation a transcript of that truth which was in the divine understanding from all eternity John 8.38 15.15 And accordingly it is observable that the Sermons which Christ preached in the days of his flesh have more of doctirne in them than of perswasion more of the Teacher than of the Pastor as more sutable to his Ministry wherein he was to lay down a Module of Gospel-truth and to leave it to the world to be received and believed unto salvation The credit of our Religion is founded upon this important truth that Christ was sent from God to reveal unto us the mind and will of his Father and to be believed in all he delivered unto us all other Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel are but Deputy Witnesses to make report of Christs affidavit to the doctrine of salvation And it is yet further remarkable that this doctrine which Jesus Christ left us in the Gospel is nothing else as it were but * Novum Testamentum in vetere velatum vetus in novo revelatum a Comment or Paraphrase of what was preached by Moses and the Prophets in the Old Testament as he came * Matth. 5.18 not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them so he came to expound and reconcile them with the doctrine which he himself taught thus it is recorded by the Evangelist that * Luke 24.27 beginning at Moses he expounded unto his Disciples in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself So that the result of all this in general is this that the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are nothing else but a full and perfect platform or Module of divine truth given to the Church at first by Christ himself the great Prophet and transmitted by the Ministry of those who were successively the Amanuenses or Secretaries of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 from which no man is to recede upon pain of damnation But now more particularly we may observe that besides this great universal Map or Synopsis of divine truth there are to be found in Scripture more compendious and summary abstracts and abridgements containing certain of the main heads and points of saving doctrine methodized into lesser bodies and tables for the help of our faith and knowledge And we find them accommodated by the Penmen of the Holy Ghost to two special ends and purposes Two ends of such Modules 1. To instruct the Church and people of God in the more necessary and fundamental points and principles of Religion 2. To antidote beleevers against the infection and contagion of unsound doctrine which have crept into the Church in the several ages and successions thereof Of the first sort In the Old Testament To informe the Church in the principles of Religion though in a larger volume is the book of Deuteronomy which being interpreted is the repetition of the Law And because that being so large might seem too great a burden to the memory Behold God
thy refined reason or others corrupt example or a pretended tradition or some extatical Revelation contrary to the Word All these will lead thee into boggs and this shalt thou have of Gods hands Thou shalt lie down in sorrow Isa 50.11 But if so be the infallible Word be thy Rule and thou walkest according to it then peace be upon thee as upon the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 So much for the first query Quest 2. Doth Christ a Eph. 3.17 dwell in thy heart by faith viz by such a faith as purifies the heart as works by love to God the Word Saints enemies as overcomes the world its Midianitish smiles its Anakimlik frowns If thou hast such a faith remember it as an infallible and momentous truth That faiths Application of Christ to a Believer i◠saving is alwayes joyn'd with a Believers Application of himself to Christ. If the Spouse avers Christ to be hers My Beloved is mine she as freely acknowledges that she is Christs I am his Cant. 2.16 'T s with a Believer and Christ in this case not as with a man clasping about a Tree but as with two loving friends mutually embracing each other Ask then thy soul thy conscience Canst thou truly say with David Lord save me I am thine Psal 119.94 Dost thou indeed not only lean on thy Beloved but cleave to thy Christ with full purpose of heart Acts 11.23 Does it content thee to apply Christ to thy soul only as a plaister to a wound to have healing from him or not rather as a seal to the wax which takes an impression from it Hath thy faith two hands as with the one thou pretendest to lay hold on Christ dost thou with the other resign up thy self to Christ Art thou apt with the Romane Spouse to say Vbi tu Caius ibi ego Caja Art thou as ready when he proposes the strictest Precepts to say Lord I am thine as when he proclaimes the sweetest promises to say Lo d thou art mine Art thou as ready to offer up thy self a burnt-offering an Holocaust Rom. 12.1 to God in obedience as to tender for thy self thy Christ as a sin-offering for satisfaction Lev. 5.7 b 2 Cor. 13.5 Oh examine thy heart sincerely whether thou art thus in the faith or rather whether such a faith be in thee That 's the second Quest 3. Dost thou crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts They that are united unto Christ do so Gal. 5.24 Rom. 8.13 Dost thou detest loath hate sin all sin in thought word deed and that not so much for its effects as its nature dost thou hate it rather as hell than for hell That is our duty c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.9 is it our sincere endeavour Didst thou ever groan out under the sense of that intolerable burthen of that Wolf that lies in thy bosome does it make thee cry out as Paul O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 Dost thou when thou appearest before the Lord in prayer or at his Word or at a Sacrament put thy Uriah thy dearest darling sinnes in the front of the Battle that when Christ discharges his keenest arrows they may be sure to be hit and slaine When God sends a Tempest is it thy first greatest care to throw those Jonahs over-board when God seems to beleaguer thee with sharp and threatning providences is it thy main endeavour to cast the heads of those Sheba's over the Wall But Quest 4. Art thou a new creature he that is in Christ is so 2 Cor. 5.17 Hast thou a new head heart lip life canst thou now properly say Ego non sum ego is the Lyon become a Lamb the Raven a Dove the Wolf a Kid the persecutor a Preacher or more an Adorer of Christ Jesus Dost thou act from new principles the Spirit of Christ Ezek. 36.27 faith Gal. 2.20 constraining * 2 Cor. 5.14 love filial fear Jer. 32.40 Dost thou act for new principles that thou mayst preserve them in thy self and propagate them to others Acts 26.29 Dost thou now level at new ends the best the highest ends is thy main scope and aime now not so much at a clod of earth a vapor a puff of honour a tickling pleasure No but rather is it thy chiefest end plot design to advance thy Creators Redeemers Comforters glory and with it the spiritual eternal salvation of thy precious and immortal Soule Is this thy white thy mark thy center Canst thou in sincerity of soul say with the Psalmist Whom have I in heaven but thee c. Psa 73.25 Quest 5. Dost thou bring forth fruit Every branch in Christ is a fruit-bearing branch John 15.5 Art thou fill'd with all the fruits of righteousnesse first and second Table-fruits art thou fruitful in every good word and work Col. 1.10 Dost thou bring forth fruit sutable to the means vouchsaft or does the seed of an Homer bring forth only an Ephah dost thou remember that where much is given not a little is required Luke 12.48 Briefly dost thou bring forth fruit like the Land of Egypt by handfulls Hast thou any bunches of Pomgranates to shew is thy soul a spiritual Eshcol and then too art thou so desirous of bringing forth more that thou lookest on the Vintage of thy attainments only as gleanings In a word dost thou bring forth fruit constantly every month in old age Psa 92.14 Art thou ever green and flourishing do not those Apples of Sodome bitter fruits of Apostacy in principles in practices spring from thee Are not thy grapes turned into thornes thy figs into Thistles Art thou not like Orpah that tother day kist and complemented but now forsakes but rather like Ruth dost thou resolve and say concerning thy God thy Christ Whither thou goest I will go where thou dyest will I dye and there will I be buryed Ruth 1.16 17. If thy heart and conscience can give a comfortable answer to these Quaeries then Believer open thy mouth open it wide that thou mayst suck and be satisfied with the next Use of our Point which is a Breast of 3. Consolation True Believers are closely united unto Christ Jesus Oh what marrow what fatness drops from this Truth what an Hybla is it in the mouths what musick is it in the ears of true believers How blessed are the people that are in such a case Psalme 144.15 Their happinesse will more distinctly appear if we reflect on it either with relation to Christ or believers 1. With relation to Christ to whom believers are united On their Union with him there redounds to them a peculiar Interest in his Person Properties Promises Providences All. 1. In Christs Person Christ himself is theirs Jer. 32.38 Isa 9.6 A Christ that is not like creature c mforts those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter sweets like the Panther which has a sweet sente but an ugly face No but he is an Ocean of sweetnesse without the least dram of gall Christ that
called one of the f Gal 5.22 2 Cor 4.13 fruits thereof and he called the g Spirit of Faith for indeed the word and letter is dead the Spirit quickneth and this powerfully and certainly yet sweetly making willing to beleive in the day of his power Psal 110.3 2 Cor 6.7 10.4 for it is not the Word of truth only but the power of God that made the Apostles warfare so victorious in subduing souls to the obedience of the Faith It is so great a thing to bring blind proud self-destroying man to own Gods way of Salvation by the righteousness of another to accept all from another and him a crucified Saviour that it is a great part of the great mystery of godliness 1 Tim 3.16 that Christ should be believed on in the world so that it needs an exceeding greatness of Divine Power Ephes 1.19 the working of a mighty power in them that beleive even such as raised Christ from the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est facultas ipsa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsius sese exerentis virtus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsisius effectus sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bez in loc though other sence is put upon that place yet by many judicious Expositors is this sence followed which we find in the Gr. Schol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. None can come to the Son except the Father draw them Joh. 6.44 in which the Author and powerful manner of operation in causing Faith are contained And all this in effectual calling and regeneration before which is no part and degree no act and demonstration of spiritual life Ephes 2.1 Joh. 1.12 13. Act. 14.27 for we are dead which is not of him that willeth not of flesh and blood and the will of man but of God and this is spoken of the Believer to whom God opens the door of Faith 2. The actings and operations of Faith are from God as in him we live Joh. 15.5 so we move and without him can do nothing he worketh to will and to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Velle bonum aeque ac voluntatem bonam he worketh habit and principle and by supervening Grace exciteth to and assisteth in acting it 3. The continuance and perseverance of Faith are from above Christ causeth our Faith not to fail Luk. 22.32 1 Pet. 1.5 and we are kept by Gods mighty power through Faith unto Salvation and Faith is by the same preserved The a 1 Thess 5.23 24. faithful God that effectually calls will safely keep in b Jude 8. Jesus Christ c 1 Cor. 1.8 and confirm to the end for this is the d Joh. 17.11 12 24. desire of the Son unto the Father and e Joh. 6.39 Mar. 9.24 Luk. 17.5 will of the Father concerning the Son 4. The growth and increase of Faith are from God who giveth all increase and therefore it was well prayed for unto the Lord to help unbelief and to increase Faith 5. The perfection of Faith is from God and Christ Jesus is as the author Heb. 12.2 so the finisher of our Faith and this either by bringing it to its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and highest degree it can reach or is necessary for the Saints it should reach to in the world fulfilling all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of Faith with power Phil. 1.6 and because he hath begun perfecting it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or by perfecting it in vision 1 Pet. 1.9 for it's God that gives the end of our Faith Salvation Less Principal The Less Principal Efficient Causes are either Impulsive or Instrumental Impulsive The Impulsive or Moving Cause is either External or Internal The Inwardly moving Cause Proegumena is 1. On Gods part his free grace and love self-moving goodness in which sence it is called the a Ephes 2.8 gift of God and the b Rom. 11.7 election obtain it even those that are ordained to life believe Act. 13.48 Not improvement of Reason not use of means appointed for the attainment of Faith that merit this gift but God worketh all of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which appears in that not many noble and wise but poor receive the Gospel 2. On the sinners part who doth believe and being quickned moveth acted acteth and that freely the moving Cause is sence of misery and undonness without Christ and interest in the promise through Faith there being no other name Act. 4.12 Joh. 3.18 and he that believeth not being condemned So that here is the necessary condition and causa sine qua non of Faith sense of misery and inability in self and all creatures to recover a man out of his lost estate whence ariseth renouncing and throwing away all our own righteousnesses those filthy rags Isa 64.6 Phil. 3.9 not having or not depending upon our own righteousness or any thing short of Christ The outwardly Moving Cause Procatarctica 1. On Gods part to give Faith is Christ and his merit for every good gift is through Christ Omne donum gratiae Dei in Christo est Ambr. in Ephes 1. As from the father of lights so through the the Sun of righteousness none come to the Father nothing cometh from the Father but by him whom by this means the Father will make to be honored as himself Joh. 5.23 As salvation was purchased by Christ upon terms of believing so Faith also whereby we lay hold upon Christ for Salvation and therefore that Spirit which is called the Spirit of Faith is by Christ promised upon his purchase making and ascending to be sent to convince the world of that great sin of unbelief Joh. 16.9 2. The externally moving Cause to believe on the sinners part which may be called the Formal Object is twofold 1. As to God and his Word Gods Veracity and infallible truth Heb. 4.13 6.18 Titus 1.2 1 Thess 2.13 Joh. 3.33 Heb. 10.23 he can neither be deceived nor deceive God which cannot lye hath promised is joyned to Hope and therefore Faith He that believeth receiveth the Word of God as the word of God and seteth to his seal that God is true accounting him faithful that hath promised the ground of Faith being Gods faithfulness and the object the Promise God's having spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was enough to Abraham Rom. 4.17 18. in a difficult case Here is the Resolutio fidei into its stable foundadation Gods unquestionable Truth who is Prima veritas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh 5.10 so that the believer hath the witness in himself and his evidence is better and assent stronger as to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than any ones as to things apprehended by sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore sometimes divine testimony is added to rational discovery
declare to them the true God and he doth it ab effectu That God which made the world and all things therein is Lord of heaven and earth ver 24. To Create is the best demonstration of a Deity And this God being everywhere by way of repletion * Jer. 23.24 cannot be locally confined He dwelleth not in Temâ—lâ—s made with hands ver 24. And though in former times when the vaile of Ignorance was drawn over the face of the world God seemed lesse severe ver 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did as it were overlook them not taking the extremity of the Law yet now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent ver 30. And if it be asked why now repent why may we not take our full sleep The Reason is because now is the broad day-light of the Gospel which as it discovers sin more clearly so judgment upon sinners He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world Which words are Gods Alarum to the world to awaken it out of security This is a sweet yet dreadful point When Saint Paul discoursed of judgement to come Faelix trembled Acts 24.25 He that is not affected with this Truth hath an heart of stone For the illustration of this there are six things I shall discusse 1. That there shall be a day of judgement 2. Why there must be a day of judgement 3. When the day of judgement shall be 4. Who shall be the Judge 5. The order and the method of the Trial. 6. The effect or consequent of it I begin with the first That there shall be a day of judgement There is a twofold day of judgement 1. Dies particularis a particular judgement at the day of death immediately upon the souls dissolution from the body it hath a judgment passed upon it * Hebr. 9.27 Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was the spirit shall return to God that gave it As soon as the breath expires the soul receives its particular sentence and knows how it shall be with it to all eternity 2. There is Dies universalis a general day of judgement which is the great Assises when the world shall be gathered together and of this the Text is to be understood He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world I might impannel a whole Jury of Scriptures giving in their verdict to this but in the mouth of two or three witnesses the truth will be confirmed Eccles 12.14 God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing Eccles 12.14 whether it be good or evil Mat. 12.36 Every idle word men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement * Mat. 12 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 96 13. Now is the day of Arr ars then will be the day of Account Psalme 96.13 For he cometh for he cometh to judge the Earth The Ingemination denotes the certainty and infallibility of his coming Secondly Why there must be a day of judgement 1. That God may execute justice on the wicked Things seem to be carried here in the world with an unequal balance The Candle of God shines upon the wicked * Job 29.3 They that tempt God are delivered * Mal. 3.15 Diogenes seeing Harpalus a Thief goâ—on prosperously said sure God had cast off the government of the world and minded not how things went here below 2 Pet. 3.4 2 Pet. 3.4 There shall be in the last days Scoffers saying Where is the promise of his coming Therefore God will have a day of Assizes to vindicate his justice he will let sinners know that long-forbearance is no forgiveness 2. That God may exercise mercy to the godly Here piety was the white which was shot at they who prayed and wept had the hardest measure those Christians whose zeal did flame most met with the fiery tryal Rom. 8.36 Rom. 8.36 For thy sake we are killed all the day long The Saints as Cyprian saith are put in the wine-presse and oft the blood of these grapes is pressed out God will therefore have a day of judgement that he may reward all the tears and sufferings of his people They shall have their Crown and Throne and White Robes though they may be Losers for him they shall lose nothing by him * Rev. 7.9 Thirdly When the day of judgement shall be 'T is certain there shall be a judgment uncertain when the Angels know not the day nor Christ neither as he was man Matth. 24.36 And the reason why the time is not known is 1. That we may not be curious There are somethings which God would have us ignorant of Acts 1.7 It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father hath put in his own power We must not pry into Gods Ark or intermeddle with his Arcana imperii it is a kinde of Sacriledge as Salvian speaks for any man to break into the Holy of holies and enter into Gods secrets 2. God hath concealed the time of judgement that we may not be careless We are alwayes to keep Centinel having our Loyns girr and our Lamps burning not knowing how soon that day may overtake us God would have us live every day saith Austin as if the last day were approaching * Ideo latet ultimus dies ut observentur omnes dies Austin Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum This is the genuine Use our Saviour makes of it Mark 13.32 Of that day and houre knows no man no not the Angels in heaven Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is But though we cannot tell precisely when this day of the Lord shall be yet in probability the time cannot be far off Hebr. 10.3.7 He that shall come Hebr. 10.37 will come and will not tarry Chrysostome hath a simile when saith he we see an old man going on Crutches his Joynts weak his radical moisture dried up though we do not know the just time when he will dye yet it is sure he cannot live long because natures stock is spent So the world is decrepit and goes as it were upon Crutches therefore it cannot be long before the worlds Funerals and the birth-day of judgement The Age which Saint John wrote in was the last time 1 John 2.18 in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 2.18 the last houre then sure the time we now live in may be called the last minute Psal 96.13 For he cometh to judge the Earth Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall come but he cometh * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew how near the time is It is almost day-break and the Court is ready to sit Jam. 5.9 The Judge standeth at the door Verily if Security * Mat. 24.37 Apostasie * 1. Tim. 4.1 Decay of Love * Mat. 24.11
THE Morning Exercise METHODIZED Or certain chief HEADS and POINTS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION Opened and Improved in divers SERMONS BY SEVERAL Ministers OF THE CITY OF LONDON In the Monthly Course of the MORNING EXERCISE at GILES in the Fields MAY 1659. Eccles 12.11 The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one shepheard LONDON Printed by E. M. for Ralph Smith at the sign of the Bible in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1660. To the Right Honourable CHARLES Earle of WARWICK NICHOLAS Earle of SCARSDALE PHILIP Lord WHARTON JOHN GLYN late Lord Chief Justice of ENGLAND Sir JOHN BROWNLOW Baronet And to the Right Worshipful JOHN CREW Esq GILES HUNGERFORD Esq JOHN PIT Esq THOMAS ROBINSON Esq And to the rest of the Nobility Gentry and others the Inhabitants of Giles in the Fields Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Right Honourable and Beloved IT is no small advantage to the holy life to begin the day with God The Saints are wont to leave their hearts with him over night that they may find them with him in the Morning when I awake I am still with thee saith holy David Psal 139.18 Before earthly things break in upon us and we receive impressions from abroad 't is good to season the heart with thoughts of God and to consecrate the Early and Virgin operations of the mind before they are prostituted to baser objects When the world gets the start of Religion in the Morning it can hardly overtake it all the day and so the heart is habituated to vanity all the day long but when we begin with God we take him along with us to all the businesses and comforts of the day which being seasoned with his love and fear are the more sweet and savory to us If there were no other benefit of the Morning Exercise than to be an help to us in this setting the mind on work upon holy things before it receive taint from the world and the distraction of our ordinary affairs it should upon that account be a very welcome guest to our dwellings But there are other benefits not a few that do attend it wherever it goes namely that it hath become an happy occasion through Gods blessing of manifesting the Unity and Brotherly accord of the Ministers of this City whilest by their mutual labours they strengthen one anothers hands in the Lords work and by a joynt testimony confirm those truths which each one apart dispenceth to his own Auditory for in the mouth of two or three Witnesses shall every word be established 2 Cor. 13.1 Besides that by the course which this Exercise hath hitherto held each Auditory cometh to have a taste of the several gifts which one and the same Spirit dispenseth for the use of edifying and this not without some conformity to the antient pattern Other fruits and advantages of the Morning Exercise see in the Introduction Serm. 1. towards the end where the several Congregations of the same City were not plures Ecclesiae Collaterales divers Sister-Churches but one and the same Church meeting by parts in several places fed and supplied by Officers in common who by turns in each place dispenced the word to them having their Government in common Now this Morning Exercise hath the Lord once and again sent amongst you there is a Providence that goeth along with Ordinances the journeys of the Apostles were directed by the Spirit as well as their doctrines Acts 16.7 The course of this Exercise though it hath been ordered by mans choice yet not without Gods direction To you is this word of Salvation sent saith holy Paul Acts 13.26 not come or brought but SENT and that as a message from our heavenly Father without whose providnece a Sparrow falleth not to the ground Now it concerneth you to see what use you will make of it Sermons dye not with the breath in which they were uttered If the dust of the Preachers feet bear witnesse against the despisers of the Gospel their Sermons much more Matth. 10.14 15. Wherever the Word is preached 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a testimony how for a testimony either to them Matth. 24.14 or against them Mark 13.9 God keepeth exact account or reckoning what means and advantages each place or people have enjoyed Three years have I come seeking fruit Luke 13.7 alluding to the three years of his own Ministry which then were fully elapsed This SECOND Miracle did Jesus in Canaan of Galilee John 4.54 He taketh notice of a first and a second so 2 Pet. 3.1 This SECOND Epistle write I unto you and Jer. 25.3 These THREE AND TWENTY years have I spoken the Word of the Lord rising early c. You see God keeps a Memorial how many years the Gospel hath been amongst a people yea every day is upon account for so it is added even unto this day What pressing Exhortations you have had how many and how long you have enjoyed them all is upon the File therefore it concerneth you to see that all this be not without fruit and some notable good effect that your account may be with joy and not with grief and shame The rather I urge this because the Exercises of this Month have not been ordinary Morning Exercises but all the Arguments were picked and chosen as the Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words even words of truth Eccl. 12.10 and disposed into a certain order for the greater benefit It is observed that the Psalms of David that are alphabetically disposed are most exact in the composure so I hope I may say without offence these Sermons digested into a method are the more accurate with what perspicuity and strength they are managed as to the Doctrinal part and with what warmth and vigour as to the Application I cannot speak being strictly enjoyned silence by my Brethrens severe modesty but the World will judge and you I hope will evidence by your own growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ These Sermons which with so greedy attention you formerly heard with the hearing of the ear are now written for a memorial and that they may be subjected to your view and more deliberate consideration I say they are written not only for the Churches use but yours in special and oh that they may be written upon your hearts engraven there with a durable Character such as shall never be defaced Honourable and Beloved I hope I need not presse any of you to get these books into your houses I can easily presume it of the abler sort amongst you and would earnestly presse it upon the meanest even the servants in your Families that they would abate not only of superfluous expences but deny themselves somewhat even of their ordinary conveniences to purchase these Sermons which if the Ministry should fail a judgement which England was never in such danger
Gospel-knowledge into the dark world and an heart full of love to that truth which he holds forth to others that what he publisheth with his lips he may be ready to witnesse with his life and to seale up the testimony of Jesus with his dearest blood Both these our Apostle in this Chapter after a passionate salutation in the five first verses commendeth to Timothy scil 1. To look to his light by stirring up the gift of God that was in him Timothy must not suffer his gifts to lie sleeping under the ashes but must blow them up as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignem sopitum suscitare word signifieth into a fire by study prayer and execrise 2. He calls upon Timothy to look to his zeal that that may not be extinguished but that his heat may be equal with his light And this he doth two ways 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively Ver. 8. 1. Negatively Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of me his Prisoner Ministers of the Gospel must neither be a shame to the Gospel nor ashamed of the Gospel no although attended with disgrace and persecution from the reprobate world And what herein he commends to Timothy he first practised in his own person ver 11. Though he was a prisoner for the Gospel yet he was not ashamed of the Gospel I suffer c. neverthelesse I am not ashamed Rom. 1.16 2. Affirmatively The Apostle exhorteth Timothy to prepare for persecution Ver. 8. Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel The Ministers of the Gospel should be so farre from being scandalized at the sufferings of their leaders that they should be always disciplining themselves for the same warfare to preach the Cross of Christ and to be ready also to bear the Crosse makes a compleat Minister of the Gospel This the Apostle urgeth upon a three-fold account 1. A good Cause 2. Good Company 3. A good Captain Timothy and other Evangelists they have no reason to be afraid or asham'd of their sufferings for 1. They have a good Cause ver 12. For the which cause I suffer what Cause is that why the Gospel ver 10. And this he presents under a twofold commendation 1. The glory of the Gospel 2. The manifestation of that glory Ephes 3.8 1. The glory of the Gospel As having wrapt up in it the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ grace and glory holinesse and happinesse He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling Believers have begun their everlasting salvation on this side heaven 2. The manifestation of that glory It was given from eternity but it is revealed by the appearance of our Lord and Saviour in the flesh it lay hid in Gods purpose but it is brought to light in the Gospel ver 9.10 Such a glorious gift and so gloriously unveiled is worth not only our sweat but our blood not pains only but persecution yea to suffer in such a cause is not more our duty than it is our dignity 2. They have good company Saint Paul himself is in the Van of them who though an Apostle by extraordinary missi n and commission ver 11. yet was not only a Preacher of the Gospel but a Sufferer for the Gospel ver 12. For which cause I suffer these things what things scil Imprisonment and affliction ver 8. A sufferer and yet not ashamed of his sufferings Neverthelesse I am not ashamed They may be ashamed of their sufferings Causa facit Martyrem non poena 1 Pet. 4.15 that suffer for sinne but sufferings for Christ and his Gospel are matter of triumph and rejoycing 1 Pet. 4.13 16. Here is encouragement for Gospel-sufferers And Thirdly They have a good Captain Iesus Christ the Captain of our salvation Who that he might intender his own heart towards his suffering-followers by his own experience was made perfect through sufferings and accordingly he is very tender of and faithful to all that endure persecution for his sake Heb. 2.10 this was a ground of the Apostle his confidence I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed I know him by report and I know him by experience I know his faithfulnesse and I know his All-sufficiency I have deposited my liberty my life my body my soul my all in his custody and I am perswaded as he is able so he is willing to keep all safe to his glorious appearance I may be a loser for Christ I shall be no loser by him whatever I lay down now I shall take up again one day with the advantage of immortality he will keep the trust I have committed to him it is but equity that I should keep the trust which he hath committed to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 14. 1 Tim. 1.11 even the glorious Gospel of the blessed God committed to my trust committed to me upon those very termes that I should not only publish it with my lips but attest it with my blood Thus in his own person the Apostle sets Timothy and his Successors a Copy and an Encouragement which he windeth up in the words of my Text the sum of the Precahers duty Hold fast the forme of sound words c. q. d. The premises considered let neither pleasures nor persecution the love of life nor the fear of death take thee off from a faithful and vigorous discharge of thy Ministerial office but whatsoever it may cost thee Hold fast the form of sound doctrine c. Briefly for the opening of the words The form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek it signifies a Module or Platforme a Frame of words or things methodically disposed as Printers set and compose their Characters or Letters in a Table Types Words By words we are to understand doctrine evangelical truths the principles of Christian Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sound And they are called Sound words either from the intrinsecal nature when they are purely taught and delivered Evangelical truths without mixture the principles of Religion in their native purity and simplicity Truth and nothing else but truth Or else sound words from their effect and operation because they be of an healing vertue and influence like the waters in Ezekiels vision that issued out from under the * Ezek. 47.1 threshold of the Sanctuary which * Ver. 9. healed wherever they came Which thou hast heard of me It may be understood of the whole Platforme of Gospel-doctrine in general Or Else very probably of a Collection of some principal points of Religion which the Apostle had methodically digested and either preached in Timothy his hearing or drawn up in writing and committed to Timothy as a trust and treasure not only for his own help and direction in preaching but to transmit over to others for the use and benefit of succeeding generations in the Church of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.20 so called
their defect in the foundation the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5.12 unskillfulnesse in the word of righteousnesse made them that they were but babes in grace ver 13. Vse Use Vse 1. In the first place it serves to justifie the practice of the Churches of Jesus Christ which have their Publick Forms and Tables of the fundamental Articles of the Christian faith drawn up by the joynt labour and travel of their learned and godly Divines after much and solemn seeking of God by fasting and prayer in the solemn profession whereof they all consent and agree Such were those antient publick Creeds The Athanasian Creed The Nycene Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed which justly merits that title if not because compiled by the twelve Apostles every one casting in their Symbole or Article as tradition goes yet because collected out of the Apostles writings and is as it were a brief form or abridgement of the Doctrine taught by Christ and his Apostles An Epitomy of the Christian faith And such are the Confessions which most of the Reformed Churches have drawn up for their own use comprehending the most necessary and fundamental Articles of the Christian faith to be generally owned and asserted by all within their Associations and Jurisdictions whither Ministers or people That Confession of faith which was compiled by the Reverend and Learned Divines of the late Assembly at Westminster and presented to the two Houses of Parliament as their Advice in matters of Religion was of this nature and obtains the primacy amongst all the Confessions of the Reformed Churches in the judgement of many Learned Orthodox Divines Such Formes and Modules are of excellent use in the Churches Partly to be a bank or bulwark to keep error and heresie from breaking into the Church of God Partly to prevent dissents and dissentions which are very apt to rise amongst the Pastours and Teachers as well as amongst the private members of such Congregations where every one is left at liberty to preach and practice to hold and hold forth what is right in their own eyes Partly to preserve the truth in its integrity and beauty and the professors of it in unity and uniformity Isa 4.5 the glory of the Churches and the defence upon that glory Use 2. It serves to shew us the benefit and advantage of publick Chatechismes whither larger containing a more general collection of Gospel truths for the use of such as are of larger understandings young or old or lesser containing only some few of the most necessary principles of Religion in the most facile and familiar way for the help of meaner capacities amongst which although there be some hundred several forms extant in the Reformed Churches yet those two forms or Modules drawn up by the late Reverend Assembly their larger and shorter Catechism obtain the general vote both abroad and at home for their excellency and usefulnesse And it is the wish of very learned and judicious men that there were yet some shorter and more easie form drawn up that might be reduced to a few heads of the first and most necessary points of Christian faith for the institution of babes The great advantage of such forms of Chatechistical doctrine is that thereby a Minister of the Gospel may acquaint his people with more of the necessary and saving truths of the Gospel in a few months than he can well preach over in many years and by the brief and frequent running over the principles of Religion people of all sorts and ages would be incomparably prepared for the Word preached and profit more by one Sermon than unprincipled hearers commonly do by twenty Use 3. Hence also I might commend to young Students in Divinity the reading of systems and compendious Abstracts and Abridgements as an excellent entrance and manuduction unto their Theological studies before they lanch into the larger tracts and treatises in that vast and immense ocean of Divine knowledge of which we may say almost to desparation Ars longa vita brevis The Shipwright that is to build a large and stately Vessel doth first shape his work in a very small Module And he that is to travel into the remote parts of the world shall render his labour much more fruitful by reading Maps and Globes at home for by that means he shall know where he is when he comes abroad his eye and his understanding will mutually interpret one to the other thus your curious workwomen do first make their borders and trails and then fill them Use 4. It serves to commend Methodical preaching that Minister that is wise and judicious to observe method in his Sermon and method between Sermon and Sermon a Scriptural connexion as much as may be between subject and subject doctrine and doctrine omne tulit punctum he is a Preacher indeed he shall not only profit but delight his hearers and make them not only knowing Christians but distinct and judicious Use 5. It commends not least constant and fixed hearing especially when people sit under a judicious and methodical Ministry Varia lectio delectat animum certa prodest Sen. loose hearing may please but the fixed will profit skipping hearing for the most part makes but sceptical Christians when people hear at randome have a snatch here and a snatch there here a truth perhaps and there an errour here a notion and there a novelty c. such mixt hearing makes up the garment of knowledge but just like a beggars Cloak full of patches they are never able to bring their knowledge into any form or method ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth their knowledge is like an heap of pebbles upon which a man can never raise a superstructure whereas they that sit under a fixed Ministry one that is Master of his Art they are acquainted with the way and course and project of his preaching as the Apostle tells Timothy 2 Epist 3.10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine purpose c. i. e. the designe and method of my Ministry Such hearers if judicious can follow their Teacher through the series and deduction of his Ministery from Subject to Subject and from Text to Text and from Head to Head till at length they have before they take notice of it an hypotyposis or collection of Gospel-truths formed in their understanding Such an hearer begins where he left the last time and so from time to time is still going on shining and growing and enlightning unto the prepared day Prov. 4.18 from faith to faith from knowledge to knowledge and from truth to truth till he comes in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.13 Various hearing makes variable Christians St. James his professors for the most part double-minded men unstable
language of Moses to the people Sanctifie your selves against to morrow for the Lord will come down amongst you and remember if he be not sanctified by you Ibid. he will be sanctified upon you if he be not sanctified by us in holinesse he will be sanctified upon us in judgment before all the people I will be glorified Christians be much in prayer for your Ministers that they may come unto you in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of peace say with the Psalmist Blessed be he that cometh to us in the Name of the LORD Psal 118. Pray for your selves Acts 16.14 that God would open your hearts as he did the heart of Lydia that you may attend unto the things which shall be spoken Pray that you may * Heb. 4.2 mix the Word with faith * 2 Thess 2.10 that you may receive the truth in the love of the truth that you may not be given up to believe lies Pray for others that shall hear with you pray as Christ prayed for his Disciples Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth John 17.17 Pray that some may be convinced some converted that others may be edified by the Sermons which shall be preach't amongst you 4. Stir up grace 4. Stir up your selves to come to these Evangelical exercises with Evangelical dispositions those especially prophesied of in relation to Gospel-times Isa 2.3 Isa 2.3 Many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths In this Gospel-promise you have three Gospel graces Charity Faith Obediential Resolutions Charity 1. COME LET VS GO c. there 's their CHARITY their mutual care and love to one anothers souls they call upon one another and consider one another to provoke one another to a diligent attendance on the means of grace Come ye and let us go gracious hearts would not go to Church or to heaven alone Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the Lord. Faith 2. HE WILL TEACH VS OF HIS WAYS here you have their FAITH they come to the Ordinance with good thoughts of God the same wherewith holy David doth encourage his own soul Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners in the way Psal 25.8 though I am evil yet God is good though I am a sinner yet God is upright therefore I shall be taught of God it is good to come to the Ordinance with great expectations upon God You may easily over-expect men and indeed for this God sends you home often with disappointment you come to a Sermon and you say sometimes Oh there is a rare man to preach this day the man fails your expectation and you return censuring and complaining of the Preacher not considering the fault was in your selves God withdrew possibly wonted auxiliaries of grace to punish your carnal confidence Isa 2.22 to teach you to cease from man c. I say you may easily over-expect the creature but you cannot over-expect God Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it widen and dilate the desires and expectations of your souls and God is able to fill every chink to the vastest capacity this honours God when we greaten our expectation upon him it is a sanctifying of God in our hearts he will teach us his ways 3. WE WILL WALK IN HIS PATHS Obediential resolution there you have their obediential resolutions highly becoming the children of God if God be so gracious to teach us they resolve not to be so ungracious as to refus◠to be taught they come with a desire to know Gods will and go home with a resolution o obey it This is the method of Gospel proficiency John 7.17 If any man will do my will he shall know my doctrine Behold here 's the pattern GO YE AND DO LIKEWISE 5. 5. Rest not in the work done Take heed of perfunctory and customary use of the Ordinance Rest not satisfied in a Popish opus operatum the work done As you should prepare before you come so you should reflect when you go home and not take up with notions in the head without motions in the heart Expressions in the lips when separate from impressions upon the conscience makes empty and formal professors and gives occasion to standers by to suspect the truth of Religion A carelesse Christian that often heareth of the glorious things of the Gospel but feeleth nothing of them doth put a temptation of Atheisme upon himself and of scandal upon others and while himself is not made better by his frequenting the means others become worse while he raiseth up an evil report upon the wayes of God Surely we need much quickning that we may not receive THIS GRACE of God in vain 6. And lastly when you have this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THIS FORM OF SOUND WORDS let it be your care to keep it when ye HAVE it then HOLD it which is the second acceptation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and brings me upon the SECOND DOCTRINE Doct. 2. SUCH FORMS AND MODULES ARE VERY CAFEFULLY TO BE KEPT But of this in the concluding Sermon if God permit God is HEB. 11.6 But without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him IN this Chapter faith is represented as the principle of obedience conveying vigour and strength to other graces whereby they become operative unto several ends and objects hence those acts which immediately spring from other graces as their proper stock are attributed to faith that being the principle of their heavenly working in this respect as the successe of an Army redounds to the Generals Honour so the Victory which is effected by other Christian qualities is here ascribed to faith which animates them and leads them forth as their chief Captain this is intimated in the Text in which we may observe 1. A Proposition But without Faith it is impossible to please God that grace being the medium of our communion with God as it gives through Christ an admission and approach to him and in this respect is opposed to drawing back Hebr. 10.38 This is the Heathens Cred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epictetus 2. The Argument to confirme it For he that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him that is our Addresses to God are grounded upon a firme assent to Gods being and bounty First An assent to his being is absolutely necessary otherwise acts of worship are as a Ball struck into the open air which returns not to us without the entire assurance of
heavens called the Milky-way which are invisible upon the account but now mentioned Sense tells us that the Sunne is of greater magnitude in the morning and evening than at noon here reason again interposes corrects sense tells us it onely apeares so because of the densenesse or thicknesse of the air or medium and that for the same reason if you put a piece of money into a bason of water it will appeare of a larger size than if it were in a bason without water that which I aim at is this that as reason doth thus correct sense à pari faith should correct reason 2. Philosophical Axiomes must be kept within their proper bounds and limited to a finite power for instance Ex nihilo nihil fit that out of nothing proceeds nothing is a truth if it be understood with reference to a finite power So A privatione ad habitum non datur regressus is a truth upon the same termes Sic una numero essentia non potest esse in tribus personis that one and the same numerical essence cannot be in three distinct persons is a truth limited as before I mean with reference to a finite power but all this and ten thousand Arguments more of this nature cannot overthrow this principle that there are three persons and one God for we are not speaking now of that which is finite but of that which is infinite Suppose this Question should be started how the same numerical essence can be in three persons possibly an answer might be returned thus Suppose a father begets a sonne and communicates to him the same numerical soul and body which he hath still himself and both of these should communicate the same soul and body to a third here would be three distinct persons yet the same essence in them all but I know a reply would quickly be made This is impossible answer must be made It is true as to that which is finite but not unto that which is infinite c. The time allotted for this exercise being spent in the handling of the doctrinal part of this Observation I can speak but a few words to the Use and Application Use 1. This doctrine should establish us in the truth of the Gospel even this mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest unto the Church the Heathens as we have heard could not attaine unto this knowledge by the light of nature Oh what a comfort is this that we serve an incomprehensible God! one God and yet three persons to comprehend is to environ and keep in all that God is for my part I would not worship that God that I could comprehend the doings of God know no bounds much more his essence and subsistence Kings have their Crowns a circle about their head and should also have a circle about their feet they should not go which way they please but keep themselves with n the limits of Law both of God and man and this speaks them to be creatures though in a greater letter finite beings but it is otherwise with God as he will not have any Articles put upon him so he cannot have any circles or lines drawn about him for an infinite God to be finite and limited is a contradiction in adjecto 2. Let us study this doctrine of the Trinity and as a motive to this consider we cannot worship God aright without some knowledge of this truth As God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost are the object of divine faith so are they the object of divine worship we must worship Trinity in unity and unity in Trinity you may direct your prayers unto God the Father Son and holy Ghost but you must not pray unto either of the persons but as united unto the other Gerard tells us in Loc. com de sanctissimo Trinitatis mysterio cap. 1. that it is absolutely necessary in some measure to know this truth and that not only the denial of the Trinity of persons but the ignorance of it is damnable Eph. 2.12 the Apostle tells the Ephesians that sometime they were Atheists we render it without God in the world but in the original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atheists in the world and the reason of this you have in the beginning of the verse because they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the knowledge of Christ although a man acknowledges there is but one true God yet if he knows not this God in Christ he is an Atheist 3. Blesse God for the cleare discovery of this truth under the Gospel Blessed are our eyes for we see and our eares for we heare 'T is Gods method to discover himself by degrees we know more of God now than the Jews did and we shall know more in heaven than we know on earth Now God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost lead us unto all truth and bring us at last unto himself that we may enjoy him and have a more full and clear discovery of him unto all Eternity Amen READER BE pleased to take notice that the worthy Authour of this Sermon not long after he had preached it by a very sad hand of God fell sick and dyed so that he had not opportunity himself to bring it forth into light you have it here as it was taken by a good Noter yet so as it hath been compared with the Authours own Notes which yet being for the most part wrote in Characters the Comparer could not make so much advantage of them as he desired Had the Lord been pleased to spare him his life this Discourse had come forth more exact and accurate than now it doth but such as it is it here presents it self to thee and 't is hoped though that is wanting which might please the learned eye yet there is that in it which may profit the judicious Christian you will here see the difference of Treatises put forth by the Authours themselves and by others which is as great as the difference betwixt the childe whom the mother nurses her self which is full and faire and lusty and that which is put out after her death which is too often infirme lean and starv'd If thou findest any thing in this Sermon that is for thy profit blesse God for it and pray that no more such hopeful instruments may be cut off in the prime of their days THE DIVINE AVTHORITY OF THE Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God c. YOu have heard there is a God and you have had a discourse concerning the Trinity I am now to clear and prove to you the Divine authority of the Scriptures therefore I crave your attention to what the Scripture reports of it self in 2 Tim. 3.16 c. It was motive enough to the Ephesians to plead and zealously to conte d for the image of Diana because they said it was that which fell from Jupiter Acts 19.35
may not believe a doctrine thus holy a doctrine thus practised by him that published it and confirmed by miracles then a man is under an impossibility of ever being satisfied from any thing from God for what shall satisfie If God speak to us from heaven we should as much suspect that as if an Angel come from heaven we should suspect him but since we believe and know there 's a God and he is just and merciful it 's impossible the divine goodnesse should consent to such Impostors But you will say what are these miracles to us I say therefore thirdly they are a sufficient reason to engage us to believe the divinity of this holy doctrine though we never saw them You do not see Christ your selves nor did you see him dye nor work miracles but would you have had Christ live alwayes among you If you would he must then never dye and the great comfort of our life depended upon his death he dyed is risen and gone to heaven would you have him come down from heaven and dye that you might see it and would you have him dye quite thorow the world at the same time which must be if you would imagine we must see every thing our selves it 's a great piece of madnesse to believe nothing but what we see our selves Austin was troubled himself in this case Lib. 6. Conâ—es cap. 4. he had been cheated before and now he was resolved he would believe nothing but what should be plain to him at length says he O my God thou shewed'st me how many things I believed which I saw not I considered I believed I had a father and mother and such persons were my Parents how can I tell that a man may say it may be he was drop't from heaven and God made him in an extraordinary way so if I never were out of this Town it 's madnesse for a man to say there 's never another Town in England or to say there is no Sea because I saw it not Nay if a man come and tell me there 's this doctrine that teaches me all self-denial mortification weanednesse from the world and say this is of God and when he hath done ventures life children family have we not reason to believe it If you will not believe 't is either because the first persons were deceived themselves or else because you think they would deceive you now deceiv'd themselves they could not be when they saw so many miracles done and deceive you that they would not neither for would any good man to deceive an other undo himself they dyed for it and writ this book and sealed it with their blood and therefore there can be no reason to doubt of it they were witnesses and delivered what they saw Luke 1.2 7. Prop. As we have rational evidence the Scripture is the Word of God so we have evidence also from inward sensation born we are with principles of conscience and the truths in this book are so homogeneal to man that he shall finde something within himself to give testimony for it 2 Cor. 4.2 By manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God Joh. 5.44 Men believe not because they receive honour one of another and in Scripture they that would not believe are they that would not repent Mat. 21.28 to the 33. men that practice drunkennesse whoredome sensuality covetousnesse pride and know that these things are sinnes they are the great unbelievers because they are loth to leave their sins offer the greatest reason in the world for a thing if it be against a mans interest how hard and almost next to impossible is it to convince him A man would believe that the Romans were in England that reads the Roman History but if he shall finde the coyne of the Roman Emperour he will much more believe it Do a bad action O the secret terrours that a man finds within him as if he felt something of hell already Do a good action and the secret sweetnesse joy and peace that attends it that he cannot but say I believe it for I feel some degrees of it already 1 Cor. 14.24 25 c. he speaks to the inward principles of his conscience The reason men believe not the Scriptures is not because 't is unreasonable to believe them but because they have a desperate love to sinne and they are loth to entertain that that should check their interest There is in every life that certain sagacity by which a man apprehends what is natural to that life what nourishes that life a man that lives according to the Law written in his heart finds there 's that in this Revelation that feeds nourishes and encourages it so that this man finds experimental satisfaction in it Doth the Word of God tell me the wayes of God are pleasant I thought they were hard and difficult now I finde the yoke of Christ is easie and that no happinesse like this and no blessednesse like that I thought if I did not comply with such things I could never be blessed now I finde I need nothing to make me happy but my God he finds and feels these things are certan true and real Thus I have done with the demonstration You will easily observe I have neither taken notice of what the Papists tell us we must believe the Scripture because the Church saith it we cannot tell what the Church is till the Scripture had told us And though I have not mentioned the testimony of the Spirit yet I suppose I have spoke to the thing for I cannot understand what should be meant by the testimony of the Spirit except we either mean miracles wrought which in Scripture is called the testimony of the Spirit of Christ Acts 15.8 9. the giving of the Holy Ghost it 's the giving of those extraordinary miracles that fell down among them so Heb. 2.4 Acts 5.32 I say if by the testimony of the Spirit you mean this then you can mean nothing else but the Spirit assisting enabling helping our faculties to see the strength of that Argument God hath given us and by experience to feel what may be felt which comes under the head of sensation APPLICATION First then study the Scripture If a famous man do but write an excellent book O how do we long to see it or suppose I could tell you that there 's in France or Germany a book that God himself writ I am confident men may draw all the money out of your purses to get that book you have it by you O that you would study it Wnen the Eunuch was riding in his Chariot he was studying the Prophet Isaiah he was not angry when Philip came and as one would have thought asked him a bold question Vnderstandest thou what thou readest he was glad of it Acts 8 27 28. one great end of the year of release was that the Law might be read Deut 31.9 it 's the wisdome of
how chearful in our spirits how should we welcome death how should we long til these Tabernacles of dust were crumbled to nothing when affliction comes how should I rejoyce in that I believe that all shall work for good because I love God with what a quiet spirit should I passe through the great Wildernesse of this World The devil knows if he can but beat you from this sort he will quickly beat you out of all other sorts Let the Word of God come to you with much assurance 1 Thes 1.4 5. With the full assurance of understanding Colossians 2.3 you must not understand there he speaks in reference to their persons to assure them they were the children of God but that their faith had a good foundation in it self that this was from God the truth of a good assurance in judgement Take this further advice If you would keep up your faith be true to your faith be sure you live well you will alwayes finde men make shipwrack of a good conscience and of faith together 1 Tim. 6.10 21. 2 Tim. 3.8 1 Tim. 1.19 Remember the Apostles advice Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this world but be renewed in your minds that you may prove what is the good and acceptable Will of God Never fear it while thy mind is but willing to be rul'd by God while thy soul is teachable and tractable this will give thee evidence this book is from God except melancholy overcome thee which leads men to be Scepticks except in that case which is the proper effect of a mans body and must be cured by physick but let a man have a mind to live well and to be rul'd by the Word the Bible is the best thing in the World to such a one I might have spoken to a case of conscience concerning the assent of Christians to the Word of God that it is not equal in all nor equally in the same person alwayes and that a man may really believe that in the general of his life which at some particular times he may doubt of and a man may not be fully satisfied in the truth of the Scriptures yet that man may really live under the power of it To conclude all with this since we have this reason to believe the Scripture is Gods Word then never wonder that you find Ministers Parents Masters to presse real piety upon you and see what great reason you have to entertain it Alas it may be you wonder we Preach and presse Religion we are verily perswaded if you do nor love this Religion you will be intolerably miserable and we have so much compassion for you that since we know this to be Gods Word better to be burned in the hottest fire than to lie in those torments We know since God hath said it there is no comfort too great to them that comply with it no judgement too terrible to those that will oppose it therefore you cannot wonder if we do from day to day presse it upon you Consider if it be Gods Word then the threatenings are true and the Promises are true and you shall either have the promises or the threatenings within a while God knows which of us shall be next for 't is but a little while before death and judgement come then either Come ye blessed or Go ye cursed As a man hath wrought so he shall have for he will render to every one according to what he hath done in the flesh therefore knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade you we know this is of Divine stamp and Authority I conclude all with the 20. of the Acts 32. c. And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified MANS CREATION IN AN HOLY BUT MVTABLE STATE Eccles 7.29 Lo this only have I found that God hath made man upright but they have sought out many inventions IN these words you have the result of a serious inquiry into the state of mankind In the verse immediately foregoing the Preacher speaks his own experience touching each sexe distributively how rare it was to meet with a wise and good man how much rarer with a prudent and vertuous woman so he must be understood though these qualities are not exprest then in the Text gives this verdict touching both collectively tending to acquit their Maker of their universal depravation and convict them Lo this only have I found c. The words contain two Propositions The first touching mans perfection by his creation God made c. The second touching his defection by sinne but they have sought c. Together with a solemn Preface introducing both and recommending them as well-weighed truths Lo this only have I found c. q. d. I do not now speak at randome and by guesse no but I solemnly pronounce it as that which I have found out by serious study and diligent exploration That God made man upright c. The Termes are not obscure and are fitly rendered I find no considerable variety of readings and cannot needlessely spend time about words Only in short By man you must understand man collectively so as to comprehend the whole species Making him upright you must understand so as to refer making not to the adjunct only supposing the subject pre-existent but to both subject and adjunct together and so 't is mans concreate and original righteousnesse that is here meant By inventions understand as the antithesis doth direct such as are alien from this rectitude Nor is it altogether improbable that in this expression some reference may be had to that curious desire of knowing much that tempted Adam and Eve into the first transgression Many inventions seems to be spoken in opposition to that simplicity and singlenesse of heart which this original rectitude did include truth is but one falshood manifold God made man upright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. simple plain-hearted free from all tortuous windings and involutions so the word rendred upright in the Text doth signifie and Jeshurun derived therefrom which God thought a fit name for his people Israel the seed of plain-hearted Jacob to be known by answerably whereto Nathanael is said to be a true Israelite in whom was no guile John 1.47 Such man was at first now in the room of this simplicity you find a multiplicity he was of one constant uniform frame and tenour of Spirit held one straight direct and even course now he 's become full of inventions grown vafrous multiform as to the frame of his spirit uncertain intricate perplexed in all his wayes Sought out this notes the voluntarinesse and perfect spontaneity of his defecti n 't was his own doing God made him upright he hath sought out means to deform and undo himself The words thus opened afford us two great gospel-Gospel-truths Doctrine 1 1. That God endued the nature of man
take off the veile from the Text in a short explication By one man and him we may consider 1. His name Adam and this comprehends his person sex and kind 2. His order he was the first man 1 Cor. 15.45 3. His person in the individual And so Original sin properly is not derived from the proximate Parents but the prime-parent 4. His nature Adam was one non tantum in individuo sed in specie one comprehending the whole root representing the whole stock the seed and generation of man-kind so Adam is taken for the species of man Sinne The Apostle here speaks of sin not sins as if he would precisely determine it of that one root of sin distinct from those many following fruits this sin hath been the Original the incentive the cause of all sinne this sinne stained the world Entered into the world viz. by propagation sin entered like death Now death is actually propagated as he said scio me genuisse mortalem I know I beget a dying child a child subject to death sinne entered not by example but generation The World By the world we must not understand terrenam corpâ—ralem vitam the pleasure and delights of the world for the Saints are crucified to the world in this sense Gal 6.14 and so Original sin should not seize on believers Nor 2. In locum mundi for as Pareus observes the Angels first sinned and sin first entred by them into the place of the world Nor 3. In Paradisum into Paradise for sin was first committed by Eve in Paradise But 4. We must understand the inhabitants of the world Vniversum genus humanum all man-kind Martyr Gorranus as Mart. Gor. And death by sinne The query among Divines is what this death is Some suppose the death of the body as Ambrose some the death of the soul as the Pelagians but as Haymo observes mors animae corporis in omnes pertranstit the death both of soul and body passed on all for as Origen saith Orig. Mors corporalis umbra est spiritualis the death of the body is only the shadow of the death of the soul so that by death in the Text we must necessarily understand the death of soul and body with all the antecedents and consequents of both Willet sicknesse weaknesse corruption guilt horrour despair Death passed upon all men Corporal death on all the most holy most flourishing most probable to live spiritual and eternal death on all men in the sentence not in the execution Rom. 3.19 the sentence is reversed the execution for ever forborn to believers For all have sinned For the opening of this I shall only give you the glance of Musculus In Adam omnes fuimus in lumbis ejus c. we were all in the loynes of offending Adam from that masse we sprung and therefore as Levi paid tythes in the loyns of Abraham Hebrews 7.9 10. so it is no wonder if we being in the loyns of Adam are found sinners in him Doct. Now the mournful truth that the Text presents us with is this viz. That our first Parent by his transgression hath left an unhappy portion of sinne and death to all his posterity thus much the Text expresseth thus much it confirms we have this unwelcome entail from our first Parent Concerning death I shall not dilate because the shade of death doth alwayes accompany the body of sin but I shall only insist on that part of our portion sin We are entituled to Adams sinne 'T is a derivation from the root to the branches as poyson is carried from the fountain to the Cistern as the children of Traytours have their blood tainted with their fathers Treason and the children of Bond-slaves are born in their Fathers condition Omnes in Adamo peccaverunt Aug. quia omnes unus ille fuerunt Aug. All were entangled in Adams sin because all were folded up in Adams person And the same Father in another place Traxit reatum homo quia unus erat cum illo à quo traxit Man drew down guilt upon himself because he was one with him from whom he drew it Greg. And it is an excellent observation of Gregory Genus humanum in parente primo velut in radice putruit Man-kind putrified in the first parent as in a root Adam is as the poysoned root and the clusters are envenomed because the root was poysoned had Adam stood and preserved his perfection his glory as a royalty had descended to his seed to man-kind but by his offence forfeiting his beauty and contracting on himself both guilt and an universal loathsomenesse both losse and loathsomnesse he transmits to his posterity and it is upon his breath that every child that comes into the world sucks in poyson with his first breach and is no sooner a living creature than a deformed sinner This truth we find early confirmed in the world so Adam begat Seth according to his own likeness Gen. 5.3 non ad similitudinem Dei sed ad similitudinem sui Brockman and it is very considerable the Original phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his image in his likeness the word is as it were redoubled to set the greater brand upon corrupt nature in his image nay in his likeness And to shew the necessity of our drawing corruptness from Adam holy Job expresses it by a quick and smart interrogation Job 14.4 Nay th s truth David seems to bedue with tears and deplore with sighs Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me In the times of the Gospel this spot is more clearly discernable and from whence we received the contagion Rom. 5.19 By God we are creatures by Adam we are sinners so that Text By one mans disobedience many were made sinners And so most remarkably 1 Cor. 15.49 And as we have borne the image of the earthly c. Nor is that gloss of Cyprian upon the place to be over-passed Imaginem terreni portavimus Cypr. peccandi propensâ—â—nem mortem imaginem caelestis portemus constantiam in sanctitate instaurationem ex morte corruptione ad vitam immortalitatem i. e. We have borne the image of the earthly Adam a propensity to sin and death let us bear the image of the heavenly a constancy in holiness and instauration from death and corruption to life and immortality I shall only adde one Scripture more Ephes 2.3 We were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Now there are three things which are considerable for the dispatch of the doctrinal part of the Text. 1. To demonstrate more particularly the transmission of Adams sin to us Now Adams sin is transmitted to posterity two wayes 1. By imputation 2. By inhaesion the guilt and the stain of his sin is propagated to all his posterity Particle 1 1. The sin of Adam is derived to us by way of imputation and that upon a double demonstration may be evidenced
is wrath in Domestique relations And wrath as terribly mixeth in Publick Relations Ministers preach not oversee not are not ensamples to the flock have not experience nor ability or care rightly to divide the Word of truth and muzzle the gain-sayer Misled themselves and mislead others c. Magistrates mind not the things of Christ are tight and vigilant over the good indulgent to the evil Beare the sword in vaine c. Such vials there is much wrath poured through 5. Upon the holy things of God and of his people Ours come not with acceptance to God The Lords not with savour closenesse authority c. to us The very book of the Covenant needs sprinkling Heb. 9.19 The Law which is pure and clean Psal 19.8 9. is made a killing letter 2 Cor. 3.7 The Gospel which is the grace of God bringing salvation Tit. 2.11 is made a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 the Lords Supper an eating and drinking judgmsnt to our selves 1 Cor. 11.29 and Christ himself is made for falling Luke 2.34 and a stone of stumbling and rock of offence 1 Pet. 2.8 without Christs blood taking away sin the very book of grace had never been opened Rev. 5.4 and though the choicest in it self being opened would never have been useful unto us and sorer wrath cannot be than to curse our very blessings Mal. 2.2 and the very means of grace that they shall be uselesse and for judgment 6. Upon the whole man the person is under the effects of wrath 1. Inslaved to the Divel This is plain 1. From the Scriptures Else converting gracâ— could not a Col. 1.13 deliver from the power of darknesse nor men be said when b 2 Tim. 2.26 God gives repentance to recover themselves out of the snare of the Divel that were taken captive by him at his will 2. From the likenesse of mans work with Satans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of a Trade are ordinarily of a company together but here the rule failes not 1 Joh. 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Divel that is by doing the same work discovers himself of communion with and in thraldome to him The first finders of a Craft are Fathers and Successors and Imitators in the Craft are called children Gen. 4.20 we naturally and freely do the Divels work John 8.44 The lusts of your Father ye will do and have no minde to the Lords work nor can brook the same to be done circumspectly and exactly by others Acts 13.10 Thou child of the Divel enemy of all righteousness 3. From the community of principles the very mind and will of Satan is engraven upon our spirits and expresse themselves inefficacy and obstinacy of sinning These principles are Satans image instead of Gods 4. From the natural mans subjection to the guidance of Satan regenerate persons are led by the Spirit but Satan filleth the hearts of natural men He had possession of Judas his heart and by a piece of mony rides deeper into him and prevails to engage him to betray Christ This is a lamentable branch of the natural mans misery 2. He is banished and separated from God both from conformity to and communion with him and doth electively banish and cast himself forth of the Lords presence This appears 1. From the former point viz. mans fellowship with Satan there cannot be fellowship with God and with Satan together These communions are inconsistent in the same Spirit at the same time in a reigning intense degree 2. From Gods end and his Apostles and Ministers in the writing explanation and application of the Scripture 1 John 1.3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Were this fellowship already in the state of nature there needed not this means of rebringing into fellowship with God Defiers of the evil one with their mouths are not the lesse in league with him in their hearts 3. From the language of the carnal heart Job 21.14 Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thee This they speak internally and the desire of their souls is to be rid of God notions of God are a saplesse and burdensome piece of knowledge Rom. 1.18 They did not like to retain God in their knowledge To banish our selves is the heighth of mans sin and folly and to be banished the heighth of the Lords wrath and of mans misery Now do we know what a man loseth in the losse of God that is impossible for any created understanding to conceive The world is a Dungeâ—n without the Sun the body a carrion without the soul but neither so necessary as God is to the soul A taste of the goodnesse of God made the world and the lives of the Martyrs nothing to them Psal 30.5 In thy favour is life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindnesse is better than life The very heaven of heaven lies in the enjoyment of God and the hell of hell in the losse of him The losse of him is the losse of the Fountain from which all kinde of good doth or can come The losse of the cause is the losse of all the effects of all the blessed affections influences and promises of God The losse of all those blessed hopes that fill the soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory No prayer praises faith love fear or any spark of other grace are to be found in truth upon the hearth of that heart Now the person in league with the Devil and banished from and without God in the world must needs be miserable and accursed 3. He is discontented and unprofitable in every condition Rom. 3.12 They are altogether become unprofitable The Holy Ghost makes a natural man of no more use than rotten things which we cast forth to the dunghill for their unprofitablenesse This is a dreadful ruine that a creature so excellent should become unprofitable to others and very far from comfort to himself in any condition The wife having all for use and the husbands heart hath nothing because not the authority dominion and disposition which is proper to the husband Israel have bread and quailes from heaven and water from the Rock that followed them a table everywise furnished for need and for delight and yet grumble because not meat for their lusts Many have all things very good and the wisdome of heaven could not carve fitter and better things and yet all not good enough Let sin creep in and Adam will not be content in Paradise or the Apostate Angels in heaven but leave their own habitation Go from God and take thy leave and farewell of contentment and satisfaction 4. He is grown a Wolf and Devil to his brethren Biting and devouring Gal. 5.15 tearing pulling catching at advantage flying upon the necks of the weaker Men execute much of the wrath of God in these feuds among themselves so that the Caution is
any receive not him this wrath tarries still and will cleave to and abide upon him for ever John 3.36 He speaks with authority Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies bring them and slay them before me and it shall be done 3. That the Psalmist makes it as it is a point of wisdome in the greatest to kisse the Son with a kisse of homage and subjection Psal 2 11 12. least he be angry what is the danger of that and ye perish in the war of your hopes and purposes and never compasse grace nor glory If his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all those which put their trust in him 4. That then ye may plead with the Lord with humble boldnesse Psal 74.1 Why doth thine anger smoak against the Sheep of thy Pasture remember thy Congregation which thou hast purchased of old the rod of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed c. 5. And assure your hearts of welcome Prov. 21.14 A gift in secret pacifieth wrath and a reward in the bosome strong wrath Mark their policy Acts 12.10 and be assured the relations of Christ are beloved of the Father Job 33.24 Then he is gracious to him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransome 2. To those which the Lord hath translated out of their natural condition 1. Bring the work often to the touchstone that you may not boast in a false gift gold will endure the test and be more fully manifested to be gold indeed and finding the work to be right live with an enlarged heart to the praise of that grace which hath made this change 2. Deal seriously in the mortification of sin which God only strikes at and in order thereto count sin the worst of evils if this were done and throughly and fixedly done in our spirits there is nothing of any other directions would be left undone To set up this judgement there needs 1. Ploughing carefully with the Lords heifer viz. search into the Oracles of God there and there only are lively portraitures of sin and the genuine products and traine of sin 2. The eye-salve of the Spirit We are blinder than Batts in this matter and are indisposed very much or rather wholly to let this truth sink down into our hearts 3. Applications to the Throne of grace None but those which deal in good earnest in heaven will see the hell and mystery of sin in themselves He gives the Holy Ghost to them which ask him 4. Excussions and communings with your selves Prov. 20.27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly and duly made use of will tell many stories correspondent to the Word of truth use conscience and use therewith another and bigger candle to rummage the dark room of thy heart with Superadde to conscience the succours of the Word and Spirit and thou shalt do something in the search and finde out convictively the swarms of evil in thine own heart 5. The work of grace There will be else a beam in the eye and plaine things will not be plaine to us Gods work holds intelligence and is of amicable affinity with his Word grace hath the only excellent faculty in looking through sin 6. Attendance to the Lords administrations against sin God writes in great letters in the world what he had first written in the Scriptures every breach by sin should lead down into more hatred brokennesse of spirit and shame before the Lord for sinne This is the engaging evil this engages God and the holy Angels and Devils and the very man against himself Nothing can be his friend to whom sin hath made God an enemy Wo to the man that is in this sense alone and hath heaven and earth and hell and all within the Continent of them against him it is impossible for that mans heart and hands to stand strong This is the mighty prevailing evil Never was man so stout as to stand before the face of sin but he shivered and was like a garment eaten up of moths This hath fretted the joynts of Kingdomes in pieces Psal 39.11 and made the goodliest houses in the world a heap of rubbish Zech. 5.4 will make Bab lon that sits as a Queen an habitation of Divels Rev. 18.2 and the hold of every foule spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful birds made the Angels Divels and heaven it self too hot for them Never were the like changes made as by sinne grace makes not changes of richer comfort than sin doth of dismal consequence it is made by the Holy Ghost an argument of the infinity of the power of God to pardon and subdue sinne Micah 7.18 3. Bear all afflictions incident to an holy course chearfully The Martyrs went joyfully into the fire because the flames of hell were quenched to them bore their Crosse easily because no curse and damnation to them in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.13 4. Reduce your anger to the similitude of Gods which is very slowly kindled and is an intense holy displicence only against sin Psal 103.8 and is cleans'd from all dregs of rashnesse injustice and discomposure such zeal should eat us up John 2.17 MANS IMPOTENCY TO Help himself out of that misery ROM 5.6 For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly IN this Chapter there are two parts in the first the Apostle layes down the comfortable fruits and priviledges of a justified estate in the second he argues the firmnesse of these comforts because they are so rich that they are scarce credible and hardly received The firmnesse and soundnesse of these comforts the Apostle representeth by a double comparison 1. By comparing Chr st with Christ and 2. Christ with Adam Christ with Christ or one benefit that we have by him with another from the Text to ver 12. then Christ with Adam the second Adam with the first to the end of the Chapter In comparing Christ with Christ three considerations do occur 1. The efficacy of his love towards us before justification with the efficacy of his love towards us after justification the argument standeth thus if Christ had a love to us when sinners and his love prevailed with him to die for us much more may we expect his love when made friends if when we were in sin and misery shiftless and helpless Christ had the heart to die for us and to take us with all our faults will he cast us off after we are justified and accepted with God in him this love of Christ is asserted in the 6. verse amplified in the 7. and 8. verses and the conclusion is inferred verse 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The second Comparison is of the efficacy of the death of Christ and the efficacy of the life of Christ 't is absurd to think that Christ rising from the dead
can they but rejoyce in them and sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever Why are you not more careful to walk worthy of this Grace There is a Decorum Ephes 4.1 a seemlinesse that appertains to every Calling This made Scipio that he would not accept the offer of an Harlot because he was General of the Army And when Antigonus was invited to a place where there was none of the best Company he was well advised by one to remember he was a Kings Sonne When you suffer your selves to be drawn away by your lusts to be ensnared by the World to be captivated by the Divel you forget the Decorum that should attend your Christian Calling Remember I beseech you First That it is a Holy Calling and therefore be ye also Holy in all Manner of Conversation Methinks it should sound as harshly in our ears to hear of a dark Sun as a wicked Christian Secondly It is an High Calling Do you live High Scorne Basenesse Blush to appear in your Old Raggs To be seen Catering for your Lusts as you use to do Crown your selves with the Starres Cloath your selves with the Sunne Tread the Moon under your Feet Let the Gospel be your Crown Let Christ be your Cloathing Let the World be your Foot-stool Let Hidden Manna be your constant Dyet Keep Open House to all Comers Set your Spiritual Dainties before them Bid them feed Heartily and Welcome And for Discourse Tell them what great things God hath done for your Souls Thirdly It is an Heavenly Call Let your Conversations be in Heaven you have a good Correspondent there Maintain a constant Trade and Traffick thither Expect Returns thence Lay up your Treasure there where neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt nor can Thieves break through and steal Be alwayes preparing for your passage thither Fourthly It is an Immutable Call Do not droop and hang your Heads for the Changes and Mutations there are in the World The Foundation of God standeth sure though the Foundation of States be Overturned Overturned Overturned the Lord knoweth who are his and will cause all things to Work together for their good But what if now there be many amongst you that are not Effectually Called In the third and last place I addresse my self to them Men and Brethren if you have any sense of the excellency of your Immortal Souls any Love to them sutable to that excellency any care and solicitousnesse sutable to that love Do not resist the Holy Ghost Make the best Use you can of the Means of Grace To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts If he now Knock at the Door of your hearts and you will not Open you know not how soon you may come to Knock at the Door of his house and he will not Open. Diog. Laertius Thal. It is Reported that Thales one of the Grecian Sages being urged by his Mother to marry told her at first it was too soon and afterward when she urged him again he told her it was too late Effectual Voâ—ation is our Espousal unto Christ all the time of our life God is urging this Match upon our Souls his Ministers are still wooing for Christ if now we say it is too soon for ought we know the very next Moment our Sunne may set and then God will say it is too late They that are not Contracted to Christ on Earth shall never be Married to him in Heaven THE TRUE BELIEVERS Union with CHRIST JESUS 1 COR. 6.17 But he that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit YOU have lately seen the Portraicture of our Lord Jesus drawn as it were at length Introduction both as to his Person and Offices together with the Means and Mannâ—r how he hath dearly purcha'st Redemption for us Method now requires that we lay before you how that Redemption and the benefits thereof come to be effectually applied unto us There we had the balme of Gilead and the plaister spread what remains but that it be now applied There we had a Bethesda an healing Fountain open'd but the Pool of life heals not unlesse the Patient be put in and the Angel of the Covenant Stir the waters Salvation for sinners cannot be obtain'd without a puâ—chase this purchase is not significant without possession this possession not to be procured without application this application made only by union this union clearly held forth in the Text viz. He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit Coherence In the close of this Chapter our Apostle seriously dehorts his Corinthians from that grosse that soul-polluting sinne of Fornication His Arguments which he lets flie as so many Barbed Arrows at the fifth Rib of Uncleanness are drawn 1. Partly from the end to which the body is appointed The body is for the Lord Ver. 13. The body was made for the God of holinesse therefore not to be prostituted to Lust and uncleannesse Ver. 19. The Holy Ghosts Temple ought not to be converted into a Stye for Satan That 's the first 2. Partly from that honour which by the Lord to our bodies is vouchsafed Know ye not that our bodies are the members of Christ Ver. 15. Believers bodies are the members of Christ therefore not to be debauch't so far as to be made the members of an Harlot This second Argument is back't and amplified by the words of the Text He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit q. d. There is a near and dear union betwixt the Lord Jesus and true believers much what resembling that which is betwixt the head and members Only here 's the difference that union is carnal this spiritual He that is joyn'd to the Lord is one Spirit i. e. he is spiritually one or one with the Lord in Spirit therefore ought not to be one with a strange woman in the flesh Having thus beaten up and lâ—vel'd our way to the Text I shall not stand to shred the words into any unnecessary parts but shall extract out of them such an Observation as I conceive strikes a full eighth to the minde of the Spirit of God in them And 't is plainly this Observation True Believers are closely united unto Christ Iesus The word which we render a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agglutinatus joyned imports the nearest strictest closest union This truth I shall endeavour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleanly to explain solidly to confirme practically to appy 1. For the Explication of this truth Explication It will be of consequence to lay before you Query 1 1. Whom we understand by true believers Sol. 1. Not such as are united unto Christ by a meer external prosession Sacramental admission or presumptuous perswasion Such as these are said to believe in Christ John 3.23 and yet they are such so hollow so false that Christ dares not trust them Ver. 24. These are dead Branches John 15.2 Saplesse stakes in the Churches hedge Reformadâ—'s and Hangby's only
made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 That since he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows since he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities 't is but just that our Peace should be obtain'd by his chastisements and that by his stripes we should be healed Isa 53.4 5 6 c. 6. If believers c. Hence we gather a cogent and conclusive Argument for the Saints blessed Resurrection at the last day Christ the believers Head is risen risen as their Head risen as the seâ—ond Adam From hence the Apostle strongly argues for the Saints glorious resurrection 1 Cor. 15.13 14 15 c. If the head be got above surely the body shall not away lie under water True indeed the ungodly and unbelievers shall be raised also Dan. 12.2 Joh. 5.29 There shall be a u 2 Cor. 5.10 general resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Acts 24.15 and 17.31 But here 's the difference The bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonour by Christ as a powerful and offended Judge John 5.27 28 29. To receive their just sentence and condemnation 2 Thes 1.6 8 9. Matth. 25.33 But the bodies of believers by the Spirit of Christ and by vertue of his resurrection as their Head shall be raised in power spiritual incorruptible and made like to his glorious body 1 Cor. 15.20 22 23 42 43 44. Because he lives they shall live also and have livery and seisin given them of those joyes and gloryes which neither eye hath seen nor ear heard nor can enter into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 and so shall they be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 Thus much by way of Corollary for information of the judgement I now proceed to the second Vse which more immediately reflects on the heart and life and that is an Use of 2. Examination Whether there be really and indeed such a spiritual close intimate union betwixt our souls in particular and the Lord Jesus To this purpose give me leave to put the probe into your consciences by a serious proposal of these five Questions Quest 1. Hath Christ given unto you his holy Spirit He that is joyn'd to the Lord is one Spirit saith the Text. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his w 1 Joh. 3.24 Rom. 8.9 Whatever member is really united to the Head hath a natural spirit a soul enlivening of it and acting in it So saith the Apostle Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Sâ—irit 1 Joh. 4.13 Now this Spirit where ever it is it is 1. A praying Spirit a Spirit of supplication of faithful sincere fervent constant humble supplication Zech. 12.10 Ask then thy soul Canst thou Dost thou go to God and cry as a child with reverence and confidence Abba-Father Rom. 8.15 Does this Spirit help thine infirmities Rom. 8.26 and enable thee to understand both for whom and what and how thy prayer is to be made Does it work and quicken in thy heart at least at some times in some measure such apprehensions affections and graces as are requisite for the right and acceptable performance of so heavenly a duty 2. A mourning Spirit It puts a believer into a dove-like frame Ezek. 7.16 mourning for the losse of its Mate yea mourning for the offence of a gracious God as for the losse of an only sonne Zech. 12.10 Tell me then poor soul Art thou apt ever and anon to strike on thy breast with the contrite Publican x Jer. 31.19 to smite on thy thigh with broken-hearted Ephraim and in an holy consternation of spirit to ask thy self What oh y Jer. 8 6. what have I doâ—â— Does thy Gods bottle and thy tears therein for sin as sin speak for thee 3. A sanctifying Spirit z 1 Cor. 6.11 1 Pet. 1.2 and that with respect to sins graces duties 1. Sinnes The Spirit where ever it is 2 Thes 2.13 mortifies the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 Speak then is thine old man crucified at least as to dominion with thy Christ Rom. 6.6 more especially not to speak of thy more grosse dangerous dishonourable sins Dost thou spit out the sweet morsel under thy tongue Dost thou with Samuel hue thy delicate Agag in pieces with David keep thee from * Psa 18.23 thine iniquity that iniquity to which thy constitution custome calling interest mostly incline thee what sayst thou to thy Isaac Benjamine Absolom Dalilah Herodias the Calves at Dan and Bethel Tell me Art thou apt sadly to remember thine own evil wayes and to loath thy self in thine own sight for all thine iniquities and for all thine abominations Ezek. 36.31 2. Graces Speak Believer Art thou renewed in the Spirit of thy mind hath the Spirit of God re-instampt that glorious Image of God viz. Knowledge Righteousnesse and true Holinesse which thou lost in Adam Ephes 4.24 As thy cloathing is of wrought gold so especially is all thy glory thy chiefest glory within Dost thou find thy graces stirred up increast and strengthened with might by the Spirit in the Inner-man Eph. 3.16 Hath the North-wind so risen the South-wind so come and blown upon thy Garden that the spices thereof flow forth Cant. 4.16 In a word Dost thou more and more grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 Beholding the glory of the Lord art thou changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 Art thou still perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 3. Duties Where ever the Spirit is it causeth effectually causeth the man to walk in Gods Sâ—atutes to keep his judgements and to do them Ezek. 36.27 It worketh in believers both to will and to do Philip. 2.13 To performe natural moral spiritual duties to spiritual ends in a spiritual manner and that 1. Freely Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 Christs people in the day of his power are a willing people voluntiers in his service Psal 110.3 What say'st thou art thou drag'd to duty as a Bull to a stake as a Swine to slaughter or rather is it thy meat and drink to do thy Gods Will John 4.34 Do the wayes of wisdome seem wayes of * Prov. 3.17 pleasantnesse to thee and all her paths dost thou look upon them as peace 2. Regularly Those that live in the Spirit walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 i. e. by the Spirits light according to the Spirits rule the Word of God the great standard of Truth What then dost thou kindle a fire on thine own hearth and compasse thy self about with thine own sparkles dâ—st thou walk in the light of this fire and in the sparks that thou hast kindled my meaning is Dost thou forsake the Law and Testimony Gods cloud and pillar and follow the guidance of that ignis fatuus
of a reason God sends his Gospel proclaiming Acts 3.19 Repent ye and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out His Ministers proclaiming We then are Embassadors of Christ 2 Cor. 5. as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God Why dost thou hate thy soul and say I will not why wilt thou not Is it because it doth not concern thee or because eternal life and death are trifles small little things not worth thy considering or doth any body hinder thee No no our Saviour gives the true account Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Let me entreat this small request of thee for Gods sake for thine own take the next opportunity and spend half an houre alone let thy spirit accomplish a diligent search pursue this inquiry to some issue am I justified or no if not what will become of me if it should happen sometimes such things fall out that I should dye now presently I cannot promise my self that I shall see to morrow morning Thus go on and bring it to something before thou leavest give not over till thou art not only clearly convinced of but heartily affected with thy guilt not only to see but feel thy self to be the man who art undone without an interest in this justification Be in good earnest thou canst not mock thy God and is there any wisdome in mocking and cheating thy own soul What thou dost do it heartily as unto the Lord as for thy life as one that would not rue thy self-deceiving folly when it cannot be recalled and if thou art hearty and serious in these reflexions 1. Thou wilt deeply humble thy self before the Majesty of the Judge of all the earth with that self-abhorrence and confusion that becomes one who feels himself even himself being Judge most righteously condemned 2. Thou wilt sollicite and assail the Throne of Grace with all redoubled favours and holy passionate importunities of prayer and supplication giving God no rest till he hath given thee his Spirit according to his own promise Luke 11.13 Ezek. 36.26 27. To help thee to performe the conditions of the Gospel-Covenant plead his own promise with him Wrestle with him for a broken and clean heart for faith for repentance unto life for these are not of thy self they are the gift of God let him not go till he hath blessed thee with these blessings in Christ Jesus This will confound every sinner at the day of Judgment that when he might have had grace yea the Spirit of grace for asking he either asked not or if he did it was so coldly as if he were contented enough to go without Now if thou art in good earnest God is I assure thee in full as good earnest as thou he is ready to meet thee Try but once whether it be in vain to seek him all that ever tryed found it good to draw near to God and found him easie to be entreated he useth not to send the hungry empty away He that commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling he it is that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. Secondly To them that are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Let me beseech them 1. To walk worthy of God who hath called them to his Kingdome and Glory to adorn their holy profession take the Exhortation in Pauls words Col. 2.6 As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Receive not this grace of God in vain the interest of your comfort obligeth you hereunto hereby you will know that you know him that you are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 that there is no cond mnation to you if you walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and herein will your Father be glorified John 15.6 if ye bring forth much fruit 2. To live up to the comfort of their state 1 John 3.1 Ye are already the sons of God it doth not yet appear what you shall be Who shall lay any thing to your charge it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed c. Rom. 8.33 Go eat thy bread with joy and put on thy white rayment God now hath accepted thy works Eccles 9.7 8. I conclude this particular and the whole discourse with the happy effects and fruits of Justification which every Believer hath as good a right and title to as the Gospel it self the Word of the God of truth can give him as I finde those sweet effects and consequences set down in my Text and the words next following it 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ 2. By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience 4. And patience experience and experience hope 5. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us Wherefore the righteous shall be glad in the Lord and all the upright in heart shall glory Psal 64.10 THE BELIEVERS DIGNITY and DVTY LAID OPEN In the High-Birth wherewith he is PRIVILEDGED And the honourable Employment to which He is called John 1.12 13. But as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God IN this Chapter Christ the principal Subject of the Gospel is admirably and Seraphically described 1. By his Divintiy as co-eternal and co-essential with the Father verse 1. 2. 2. By his discovery or manifestation 1. In the work of Creation ver 3. 10. 2. In the work of common providence ver 4.5 9. 3. In the work of gracious providence he being in the world and coming to his Church as our Immanuel God incarnate ver 11. 14. 3. By his entertainment which was 1. Passive his entertainment was poor the world knew him not ver 10. He was as a Prince disguised in a strange Country the Church sleighted and rejected him as Rebels do their natural Prince ver 11. And such entertainment Christ meets with at this day in his Truths Ordinances Graces Ministers and his poor members c. Object Was not Christ entertained by them what else means their harbouring him at Capèrnaum their flocking after him admiring of him seeking to make him a King c. Answ True they entertain'd him for a while civilly and formally upon self-interest but not spiritually by saving Faith Love and Obedience John 6.26 Matthew 11.21 23. Quest 1. Did Christ find no entertainment at all Answ This rejecting of Christ was not universal some did
the Jaylor the doors were opened to and fetters fell off from the prisoners and therewith the door of the keepers soul was opened and his fetters of ignorance and corruptions in which he was holden captive by Satan were broken At first poor man he was afflicted with fear of his Prisoners escaping so as to make attempt against his own natural life not knowing that God intended good by all and to make his Prisoners his Releasers and Deliverers But by and by his amazement and trouble strikes the right way and he is not only willing to keep a natural life but is desirous of and inquisitive after an eternal life Sirs what must I do to be saved And they said Believe c. My allotted work at this time is from this clear and full Text to speak of Saving Faith in the entry whereof let me once for all premise First I purposely wave Controversies as wanting both time and fitness to be an Umpire and give a final decision Secondly I shall endeavor to confine my discourse to my Subject without trespassing upon others ground by repeating what belongs to preceding or preventing what belongs to following Subjects Thirdly I am not solicitous about nor is it possible to please all in method and terms belonging to it those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Method and words I always account are servants to matter Fourthly In this great part of the Body of Christian Religion I can only shew the Sceleton without reading an Explanatory Lecture or give the bones and sinews without cloathing them with a due proportion of flesh for that would take up too much room To engage attention consider This is that great a Joh. 6.29 Work of God a main part of the b 1 Tim. 3.16 Mystery of Godliness a c Heb. 6.1 Principle and foundation at this when excelling d Mat. 8.10 Christ wondered by this e Rom. 4.20 Glory is every way given to God to this f Mark 9 23. Heb. 11.33 all things are possible it sharing with God in his otherwise g Mat. 19.26 incommunicable Omnipotency and accordingly the h Mat. 9.22 Effects of the Divine Power are attributed unto Faith i 2 Pet. 1.1 Pretious and k Jam. 2.5 enriching Faith though in it self and to its Subject the most indigent and emptying Grace Poor yet making rich having nothing yet entitling to all things This is that which all the promises types and prefigurations of the Messiah did lead the Patriarchs unto and by which they obtained a good report Heb. 11.2 This is the end of the Law subordinate unto Christ Rom. 10.4 and the sum of the Gospel commonly named and pretended to but little known and rightly understood Luk. 18.8 less enjoyed and exercised in the World I shall reduce all to these Six Heads The Nature Subject Causes Effects Properties and Opposites of Faith To open the Nature of it 1. Nature I shall remove the ambiguity of phrase and state what I shall prosecute by giving the Distinctions and Description of it Fides quae creditur Distinctions Faith which we believe is the Doctrine of the Gospel or any word of God yea the essential Word of God Gal. 3.23 the promised Seed the Object of Faith is by that word understood by learned persons 1. Fides qua creditur Faith by which we believe and this to begin at the remotest and meanest is either First Without knowledge the ignorant implicite Faith and profession of many owning Christ as the founder of their Order and way but this is not right which only distinguisheth Christians from others Secondly With some knowledge without assent which scarce deserves the name of Faith and this is a Profession of the Faith either customary following education and example or compulsive through fear or gainful for outward advantages as theirs that followed Christ for the loaves and Simon Magus's Thirdly With knowledge and assent of which some Faith respecteth the Truth of God for Doctrine sake I may thus distinguish which is called Historical Jam. 2.19 thus the Devils believe and tremble wicked men believe and sometimes tremble and sometimes rejoyce as if they had enough the only difference is the want of applicability to the Devils in neither is affection to the Revealer or things revealed This is not right though it believe never so rightly concerning Christs Person Natures Offices c. Some Faith respecteth the Truth and power of God and hath for its ground ordinarily some special Word Mat. 10 8. and this is called Faith of Miracles and this is either active Matth. 17.20 which is peculiarly the Faith of Miracles and that to which the special Word refers or passive Act. 14.9 and 3.16 and which the woman with the bloody issue had The Promises that were the ground of this Faith were peculiarly suitable to those times and now not improveable or not ordinarily and the Faith it self though grounded on a special word yet is but a common gift in it self as opposed to saving as appeareth in Judas and those that at last would cry Lord Mat. 7.22 Lord and in the nine Lepers Though sometimes indeed it had the actings of the best even Saving Faith twisted with it Mat. 8.10.15.28 Some Faith respecteth the Truth Power and Goodness of God and this grounded upon General Promises and words of encouragement of an unlimited truth and concernment to time and persons Mat. 6. from vers 25. Now this respecteth either the General love of God to his Creatures and Man as a peculiar one affording support preservation provision necessary or the peculiar love of God to man through the undertakings of Christ making man to look for better things than the effects of common providence even God himself for his portion and full happiness in him Now that bold affianâ—e is not true Faith whereby men carry it at that rate of confidence as if Christ died to save all from hell that are not willing to go thither for in some it is without savor and affections suitable which I may call altogether fained Faith as in the generality of Formalists now who presume all is well God loveth them and Christ died for them In others it is joyned with a savory gust and relish of the Word and Promise which in regard of its continuance and thereby usefulness to its end Salvation though I make not that the only difference is called either temporary springing from sleighty and perishing causes as that of the a Luk. 8.13 stony ground and the b Mat. 25.8 Virgins Or else lasting durable altogether true and c 1 Tim 1.5 unfeigned justifying and saving Faith This indeed is but d Ephes 4.5 one as well as the Object and therefore those Peter wrote to had e 2 Pet 1.1 obtained like precious Faith yet differeth in degrees and f Rom 12.3 measure in some it is g Mark 9.24 small and h Isa
42.3 weak as a bruised reed through dimness and scantiness of knowledge as a building laid upon a weak or narrow foundation cannot be strong weakness of assent strength of temptations natural timorousness Rom 4.19 20. Act 6. suspiciousness and lowness of spirit In others it is strong and they are full of Faith as Steven having clear and large knowledge c. Both weaker and stronger may be considered either as Habitual in the root and principle or Actual as exercised toward Christ and the promises For the Definition or Description of Faith I shall not heap up words in mentioning many but take up with that full and excellent one of the late Judicious Assembâ—y in their larger Catechism that Christians may with more readiness and safety entertain it Description Faith is a Saving Grace wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God whereby he being convinced of his sin and misery and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of that lost condition not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the Gospel but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness therein held forth for pardon of sin and for the a cepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation It hath here for its Genus or general and common nature a Grace it being compared with Love Hope c. they herein agree The word Grace distinguisheth it from other Habits even good and vertuous that are acquired this is a Grace or gracious disposition or habit infused A Saving Grace to distinguish it from and set it above common Grace and make it one of those better things that accompany salvation Heb 6.9 The Subject is twofold Subjectum Recipiens Occupans 2. Subject Subjectum recipi ns The first the Subject receiving it or in which it is most ordinarily called the Subject and this is The heart of man a sinner elected and called 1. It is Man that believeth not Angels for of their Faith we have no ground to speak It is Man not God and the Spirit in us but man through them Yea Man singularly not of another but of him that hopeth for life the Just shall live by HIS Faith not by anothers 2. It is the Heart of man with the heart man believeth Rom 10.10 the Heart includeth Will and Affections it is not the Vnderstanding onely nor so much though that necessarily makes way Coming to Christ is a spontaneous motion of Will and Affections renewed and this is beleiving there is assent to things revealed as true and acceptance of things offered as good receiving Joh 1.12 embracing with suitable affections to the Revealer and things revealed 3. The heart of a man a sinner for man upright is not capable of this Faith which is in God through a Mediator Believing the word of another concerning restoral and reparation speaketh loss and decay acceptance of alms poverty Indeed Adam might and must thus far exercise Faith in beleiving and trusting God it belongeth to the first commandment that he continuing upright there would be a continuation of Gods love and his happiness but Faith apprehending the promise of God of acceptation through the righteousness of another necessarily speaketh man a sinner Rom. 4.5 as Justification which is by Faith is of the ungodly Rom. 11.7 4. The heart of man a sinner elected the election obtained it the rest were hardned Tit. 1.1 and therefore is it called the Faith of Gods elect Remarkable is that expression As many as were ordained unto life beleived Act. 13.48 and our Lord saith all that the Father giveth him come unto him Joh 6.37 and the Jews not believing was because they were not his sheep and therefore heard not his voyce 5. The heart of man a sinner elected and called is the Subject of Faith Rom. 10.17 Faith is by hearing it is the souls answer to and compliance with Gods call God vailing his omnipotency under and putting it forth with words of command Uncalled and unbelievers are the same and therefore calling is one of the links of the golden chain of Salvation Rom. 8.28 30. and goeth before Justification by Faith in which Call the Terminus â quo is Satan sin misery death we are called from and the Terminus à d quem we are called to Christ God Holiness and Life Subjectum Occupans Materiale The Subject about which Faith is employed or Object that which and in which we believe is not God immediately though primarily Heb. 6.1 but Christ immediately and the Promises which are in him yea and amen 2 Cor. 1.20 and God through Christ 1 Pet. 1.21 he that believeth not in the Son believeth not in the Father and he that hath not the Son hath not the Father Act. 20.21 Repentance is peculiarly referred to God and Faith to the Lord Jesus Christ Faith also and the Promises Heb. 10.23 or God through Christ promising are Correlates and of all Promises those that concern righteousness and life through the blood of a Mediator are the peculiar object Act. 10.43 1 Joh. 5.10 11. Believing the witness of remission and the recrod of giving eternal li e is mentioned it is called beleeving the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glad tidings in the Gospel promises of remission and salvation Mark 1.16 It is true that Faith doth believe and apply every word of God Some things reductively and secondarily are the object of Faith in a sequacious Spirit credulous to whatever is contained in Scripture as that Abimelech had a wife c. Gen 20. Some things are more directly the Word of God expressed and asserted in the History of the Bible yet being believed have not an immediate connexion with Justification and Salvation thereby But the grand testimony of and through Christ Faith as saving principally respecteth and as assenting in the mind looks upon the Promise as accepting in the Will and Affections respecteth Christ The ground on which we believe Formale called the Formal Object of Faith shall be referred to the Externally moving Cause to believe of which afterwards Of all Four Causes I shall speak in order 3. Causes Efficient Principal and first of the Efficient which is either Principal or less Principal The Principal Cause may be considered as that from which the beginning acting continuance growth and perfection of Faith do proceed and this is the Blessed Trinity or God the Father through the Son by the Spirit 1. The beginning root and habit of Faith is from God if of every a Phil 1.6 good work and b Jam 1.17 gift then this and therefore it is called the c Ephes 2.8 gift of God and to you it is d Phil 1.29 given to believe e Heb 12.2 Jesus also is called the Author this is wrought by the Spirit it is
Faith c. yet in good measure must other graces accompany for this is an indispensable duty to add to Faith temperance 2 Pet. 1.5 patience brotherly kindnesse Faith with many other graces are called in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit of the Spirit because connex and inseparable Gal. 5.22 Besides that the growth and strength and activity of other graces have dependance upon it both as it pleads with Christ in prayer for all and pleads with the soul to act stir up and abound in all Abrahams faith had self-denial accompanying it there will be patience for he that believeth will not make hast See more tending to this under the fifth effect of faith Let not men speak of their faith then when other graces are no way suitable Seventhly True and saving Faith is working and fruitful though love and good works are not the form of it as the Papists plead yet it alway hath love accompanying Gal. 5.6 James 2.17 Eph. 1.15 and worketh by love and without works is dead Per opera consummatur fides non ut formatum per suam formam sed ut forma per suas operationes actus primus per actum secundum Alting Faith alone justifieth but Faith which justifieth is not alone Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum They that are in Christ Jesus by Faith are described by walking in Christ and according to the Spirit Quomodo accipitur fide quomodo ambulatur in eo ad praescriptum voluntatis ejus vitam instituendo ex ejus Spiritu vivendo Zanch. in Col. 2.6 Faith is obediential Rom. 16.26 and cannot but be so for he that believeth really his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord cannot in reason and holy ingenuity 1 Cor. 15.58 but think it meet he be fruitful and abounding alway in the work of the Lord Alii cogitant pii credunt Aug. for others they do but think not know the greatness and certainty of the reward Yea indeed that assurance I before spake of proceeds from Faith through obedience By this we know that we know him know put for believe Zanch. in loc as Isa 53.11 if we keep his Commandments I shall therefore according to St. Pauls command to Titus affirm constantly this as a faithful saying Tit. 3.8 That they which have believed must be careful to maintain good works Eighthly True and saving Faith trusting God for the greater will trust him for lesser mercies To them that through Christ do believe in God 1 Pet. 1.21 this will seem forcible arguing and a necessary inference He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up I believe for me Rom 8.32 how will he not with him give me also all things freely God hath made all sorts of promises to true Faith and accordingly many of the Servants of God have expressed confidence in God when things have gone worst with them they would not be afraid what man can do unto them nor of evil tidings Psal 11.7 their hearts were fixed trusting in the Lord The just's living by Faith is true in this sence also Gal. 2.20 and that of Pauls living the life in the flesh by the Faith of the Son of God hath much in it Though I know natural timorousness and living too much the life of sense may occasion some worldly fears in a Believer as boldness of temper carelesness false confidence may much bear up an unbeliever Yet in great measure their pretences to faith are questionable I might say their faith is but pretence who say they can trust God with their Souls but will not trust him with bodies and estates Ninthly 1 Pet. 2.7 Vers 8. Isa 53.2 Cant. 5.9 True and Saving Faith makes Christ very precious to them that believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to the unperswadable he is a stone of stumbling without form or comeliness they ask the believer What is thy beloved more than another And no wonder for none but the believer hath a cleared eye to behold things that aâ—e spiritually discerned Tolle meum tolle Deum Psal 34.8 Psal 104.34 None but he hath that special interest which inhanceth the price and valuation None but he hath that experience by which it is tasted and seen that the Lord is good But sight propriety and experience will make him inestimably precious and the meditation of him sweet Faith that seeth his necessity seeth also his excellency and takes him not upon constraint but choyce Those things that are â—pposite to true Faith are of two sorts 6. Opposites First Such as speak the soul void of it and are simply inconsistent with it Secondly Such as actively war against it and repel it These I shall call Contrarily Opposite those Privatively Opposite though the terms may seem not fully suitable to all the particulars Some things are Privatively Opposite to true and Saving Faith Privatively as relating to the Vnderstanding others as to the Will others as to the Life First As to the Vnderstanding and Assent 1. Ignorance bilndness darkness of the inconsistency of which with Faith see before of the Word the Instrumental Cauâ—e This either is invincible Ignorance Act. 17.30 where means of cure are wanting Or Vincible which carelesness sloath or affectation causeth for there are some persons willingly and wilfully ignorant 2 Pet. 3.5 Joh. 3.19 and love darkness 2. Unperswadableness to assent to the truth of the Word and Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Impersuasibilitas Rom 11.30 31 When men are not satisfied in the grounds of believing and so assent not wherein yet somtimes there is a battery shaking the Assent and by parley bringing near a surrender Act. 26.28 an almost perswasion which yet is ineffectual 3. Error in Fundamentals especially those that concern Faith Christ the Promises Justification and salvation Corrupt minds are reprobate concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 3.8 Therefore doubtful Disputations Rom. 14.1 where on one side is error are dangerous to the weak Secondly As to the Will Affections and Consent Heb. 2.3 1. Unbelief not accepting the good things promised through ignorance or careless neglect of great salvation 2. Disbelief when men through dissatisfaction with the reasons to believe or through pride stubbornnâ—ss uncompliance of spirit Joh 5 39 40 44. WILL not come to Christ for life will not submit to the righteousness of God Thirdly As relating to Life practice and profession 1. Heresie is Privatively Opposite Such as joyn obstinacy and promulgation to their errors 2 Tim 2.16 whose words eat like a gangrene Tit 3.10 are to be rejected as men void of and enemies to the Faith 2. Apostasie from the truth and profession of the Gospel called denial viz. after knowing and owning These never were of the Faith 1 Joh 2.19 else would they not have gone from it This is a dangerous thing drawing
3.9 out-facing vengeance out-daring heaven out-vying hell Isa 28.15 deriding judgements denounced because deferred wâ—th O Watchman What of the night Isa 21.11 Where is the promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3. nay blasphemously saying God is such an one as our selves Psal 50.21 and because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed their heart is fully set in them to work wickednesse Eccles 8.11 so that they do every way demonstrate a contempt of repentance and are so farre from owning a necessity of it that they deem it vaine and vile and so witnesse themselves to be desperately wicked wedded to their lusts and sold to work wickednesse who wi l not heare of parting from impiety though on hope of pardon or feare of hell and so justly called a stubborne people deeply disingenuous despising all dictates of self-preservation and escape of everlasting woe the deepest discoveries of divine wisdome which prescribeth repentance as mans remedy the displayings of divine affection soliciting repentance to prevent their ruine and so are foolish dolefully self-destructive denying the way of their safety and defying a God of power and jealousie to arise in his wrath against them and so aggravating their sorrow with an I would have healed thee but thou wouldst not be healed thy destruction is of thy self O Israel 2. Note of insensibility of repentance But the second sinful carriage of men evidencing their insensibility of the necessity thereof is the neglect of Repentance these men own it as a duty to be done and remedy to be used and dare not admit any contemptible thoughts of it yet they are slack unto and sleighty in the performance of it And of these there be three sorts 1. Sort of neglectors of repentance 1. Self-justitiaries men that are right in their own eyes see Repentance a needful grace but not needful unto them they are honest among men pay all their own live civilly among their Neighbours nay holy towards God they Pharisee like fast twice aweek pay tithes give almes heare Sermons read Scripture pray and the like these pity their prophane Neighbours and apply every reproof to them but as for themselves Bellarmine-like they have no sin to confesse they must straine conscience for some venial sins that they may passe the forme of absolution these are the whole who need no Physician and the righteous whom Christ calls not to repentance Untill convinced that this and more than this is consistent with Reprobation and is not enough to keep a soul from hell certainly these are 1. Ignorant of natures pollution Ezek. 16.2 Rom. 11.24 2. Vnobservant of the Law its exaction which concludeth all under guilt Rom. 3.17 3. Vnaffected with the prescribed way of salvation Repentance and Remission 4. Insensible of Divine scrutiny and judgement which they must passe Prov. 16.2.21 2. Matth. 9.13 5. Unacquainted with and unaccustomed to or indirect in the work of self-examination altogether strangers at home or seeing their faces in the false glasse of comparison with their vilest Neighbours for otherwise they could not but see Repentance absolutely necessary for themselves more than others for Publicans and Harlots will enter into heaven before them 2. Superficial penitents these see Repentance a duty 2 Sort of neglectors of repentance but deem it needs not much ado there is no such necessity of it as that a man should be taken up with it as his serious businesse therefore they regard not the quality of the act but passe themselves as penitentials with some formal carelesse performances some short sighs or sobs for sin trembling with Foelix at Pauls Preaching or quivering with Belshazzar on sight of Gods hand-writing and casting off some grosse prophane acts with Alexander or Polemon but never strike at the root of sin and mortifie lust or make a serious returne to God but shew themselves voide of the grace and ignorant of the nature of true repentance and fall under fallacious hopes of heaven which like the hope of an Hypocrite will faile them in the evil day when they shall be too late convinced that such is the necessity of Repentance that the matter there cannot be separated from the manner of performance 3. Such as set Repentance at a distance 3. Sort of neglectors of repentance and post it off from time to time these men are and indeed by dayly subjection to the Gospel cannot but be convinced Repentance is indeed a duty and exceeding necessary unto the remission of sins and sitting under the Word these men meet with many strong heart-shaking convictions which they bid welcome and unto the truth and goodnesse of what is required they assent and their affections work within them they cannot but sigh on sense of their sad condition and confesse it hath been bad with them but it shall now be better they conceive and declare good purposes but alas they prove abortive like Ephraims righteousnesse an early dew soon gone like the Son in the Gospel when called into Christ his Vineyard they answer I go Sir â—ut go not like lingring Austin pray but feare God will too soon say Amen to their prayer they protract time persist in sin and many times quench the motions of the Spirit within them suggesting to themselves though repentance be necessary it requires no haste these men do sinfully 1. Determine their own time not considering the uncertainty thereof that they are Tenants at the will of another in the hand of the God of time who may not give them another time sense of repentance should make us say Multis annis crastinum non habeo I have no to morrow 2. Deem grace to be within the reach of mans arme they think they can repent when they list not considering it is Gods gift so that they may enjoy their time but not repent were it at mens Command what disingenuity is it to deferre Repentance but in this case it is Grand presumption 3. Do what in them lieth to quench the Spirit stifling convictions disobeying perswasions deadning affection the Spirit will not move for ever Gen. 6.3 4. Disesteem grace and holinesse accounting it the shame of strength and burden of youth thinking repentance the work of old age and weaknesse and the quality of fools 5. Deaden the hopes of their friends who know not how to deertmine their eternal estate are indeed cheered in their pensive posture in sicknesse and at death if it be not too late to be true on which account they are constrained to check their hopes and dare make no conclusion but say as Austin in the like case Non dico damnabitur non dico salvabitur sed tu dum sanus es poenitentiam age Repent in health 6. Make difficult repentance undertaking that in infirm age which requireth the utmost of strength nay rendering sin by its custome natural and obdurate Can the Ethiopian change his colour Jer. 13.23 then they that are accustomed to sin may repent sicknesse employeth
and never sheweth the strength that is in these godly streams till stopped by some temptation but then it roareth and swelleth and overfloweth its banks that all men may see the penitent is full of the Holy Ghost and this is alwayes a Note of Repentance Be zealous and repent is Christ his own Call sorrow must not be for sin as if we minded not to part with it but must manifest our fulnesse of resolution to be rid of it whatever it costs us Seventhly Revenge the due result of zeal by zeal we are carried with that vigor that the world concludes us mad for God 7. Concomitant of godly sorrow and for Religion especially when our indignation boiles into revenge upon our selves for our sins by self-castigations Acts 26.24 not of our body with whips and scourges as do the Papists but by the abatement of lust which stirreth in us buffetting the flesh and bringing it into subjection giving it the blew eye a blot in the face as the Greek word signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 withdrawing those lawful comforts which make it to wax wanton as Hilarion when he felt his lusts wax big and strong and wanton provoking to filthinesse Ego faciam Aselle ut non calcitres I will by abstinence keep this Asse for kicking and our Henry the second being inclined to incontinency prayed to God that he might rather have a constant weak body than so sâ—rong lusts this is that which carrieth the penitent to wreak his quarrel on the occasion and instruments of their impiety Exod. 38.8 as the daughters of Israel in dedicating their looking glasses by which they had offended unto the service of the Temple and as did the Ephesians burn their books before all men Act. 19.19 as holy Cranmer thrust his right hand which subscribed his recantation first into the fire revengefully crying out This unworthy right hand as long as he could speak and this revenge leads them to satisfaction for offences done either by publick confession unto open shame or ready restitution as Zacheus threefold to the injury done as penitent Bradford that parted with his whole estate to satisfie the wrong done by one dash of his pen when a servant so that revenge worketh all the disgrace dishonour disadvantage and destruction that is possible against sin thus then you have here the Notes and Characters of Repentance laid down by the Apostle the best looking glasse that can be by which to dresse your penitent souls Let it be to every of us a Use of Examination and clearly convince us that if we be strangers to sorrow or our sorrow be to the world not towards God godly sorrow we have not repented never let us think of celebrating a celestial Passeover without these soure herbs Again if under our sorrow we continue carelesse of required duty clamorous by continued guilt on the conscience fearless of common danger and deseâ—ved misery by the increase of sin foolishly pitiful towards our lusts to be rebuked with rage faint in our desires to be rid of sin luke-warme in our work of mortification or indulgent to our lusts not str king home whilst we smite at sinne we are not the Subjects of true Gospel-Repentance for these must alwayes accompany it Having laid before you the Characters of true Repentance I shall proceed very briefly to propound the fourth and last General head to be considered viz. The Next way and meanes to gain Repentance And herein I shall not insist on the method and order of procuring repentance which is hinted to you before or the lets and hinderances of repentance which are to be removed this would tire your patience on which I have already too much trespassed but I shall only give you some special directions which you must observe and carefully practice if ever you will obtain Repentance As 1. Help to repentance First Sit with care constancy and conscience under the Word of truth and Gospel of Grace Repentance you have already heard is the great work of the Word and loud call of the Gospel This was the voice of John the Baptist nay of Jesus Christ himself and his Apostles the Ministers of the Word are the Embassadours of Reconciliation and so Preachers of repentance hearing is prescribed of God the way to happinesse Isa 55.2 Heare and your soul shall live The Preaching of the Word is the power of God to salvation so long as God continueth the Word to a people they are in a possibility of repentance but where the vision failes the people perish Prov. 29.19 If ever God bring the Jews to Repentance it will be by the Preaching of the Gospel the lifting up of the root of Jesse as an ensign Isa 11.11 God sealeth up under impenitency by the withdrawing of his Word the removing of the Candlestick of the Gospel is the saddest doom can be denounced Rev. 2.5 Refusing to heare is the great reason of impenitency Psal 81.11 my people would not hearken is Gods complaint and We will not heare the language of the obstinate Jer. 6.17 Rejection of the Word pulling away the shoulder and stopping the eare the property of an hard heart Zach. 7.12 never did Foelix faile so much as when trembling at Pauls Preaching he sends him away and would heare no more of that matter nor did the Jews fall under final Apostacy untill they put the Gospel away from them the very Heathen concludes Repentance to be the result of audience and attention Invidus Iracundus iners vinosus amator Horace in Epist 2. Nemo adeo ferus est qui non mitescere possit Si modò culturae patientem accommodat aurem There is no prophanesse but it is curable by patient audience As ever you will repent hear the Word attend unto instruction abide the heart-shaking convictions of the word if you sleight the Ministry of the Word the sound of the Trumpet the call of the Gospel you are sealed up under impenitency the very cry of the Gospel-call to Repentance is Let him that hath eares hear Secondly Study the nature of God 2. Help to repentance God must be the object of Repentance we must sorrow towards God return to God it is a great inducement therefore to know God ignorance of God is the mother of impenitency the times of impenitency are denominated times of ignorance Acts 17.30 This is observed to be the very cause of obduracy the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds having their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God by the ignorance which is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart Ephes 4.17 18. Ignorance of God was the very principle of Israels persistence and progresse in sin They proceed from evil to evil but know not me saith the Lord Jer. 9.3 6. The devil labours to keep all light out of mans soul that so he may sleep in sin and be locked up in impenitency he hinders the
and unsainteth all others Isa 65.5 Which say Stand by thy self come not near me for I am holier than thou these are a smoak in my nose and a fire that burneth all the day saith the Lord. This is the worst spot in the beauty of holiness a spice of that pride that was in Lucifer and his fellow-aspiring Angels that made the first Schisme and separation in the purest Church even in heaven it self among the Angels that were wholly perfect Take heed of this as of the very pest of the Church and the bane of all Religion which is best preserved in unity and humility I shall shut up all with a wish and that an hearty Prayer alluding to what I said at first Oh that all our garments our Profession might be adorned with these Bells and Pomgranates peace and holinesse That as we call on God who is called holy holy holy Rev. 4.6 and on Christ who is called King of Saints Rev. 15.6 and as we profess the Gospel which is a Rule of holiness and are members of the Church which is called a Kingdom of Saints an holy Nation 1 Pet. 2.9 and as we look to be partakers of that Kingdom wherein dwells righteousness and holiness that according to that promise Thy people shall be all righteous Isa 60.21 that holiness to the Lord may be engraven upon all our hearts as with the engraving of a Signet the Spirit of God and holiness to the Lord upon all our fore-heads as to our conversation that as we have had a year which we call Annum Restitutae Libertatis we might have a year Restitutae Sanctitatis this we might safely call Annum Salutis or Annum Domini the year of our Lord. That our Officers might be all peace our Governors holiness Isa 60.17 that our Ministers might be cloathed with righteousness and our Church-Members with holiness that all of different perswasions might not contend but labour for peace and holiness Herein let us agree and all is agreed that the bells of our Horses and Bridles of our Horsemen Commanders and common Souldiers might be holiness to the Lord Zach. 14.20 21. that there might not be a Canaanite or hypocrite in the house of the Lord then might our Land Church Parliament Army City Minâ—stry be called Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 yea then would this holiness settle us in peace here and bring us to see the Lord where peace and holiness shall never be separated Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen OF THE Resurrection ACTS 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing unreasonable with you that God should raise the dead THese words are part of St. Pauls Apologie for himself before King Agrippa against the unjust accusations of his implacable enemies wherein 1. He demonstrates the innocency of his life 2. The truth of his Doctrine and sheweth That there was nothing either in his life or doctrine for which he could justly be accused The Doctrine he taught did consist of divers particulars enumerated in this Chapter one of which and that not the least was That there should a day come in which there would be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Now that this Doctrine was not liable to any just exception he proves three manner of ways 1. Because it was no other Doctrine but such which God himself had taught It had a Divine stamp upon it as it is Verse 6. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers 2. Because it was that which all the godly Israelites instantly serving God day and night did hope for and wait and expect in due time to be fulfilled as it is Verse 7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes hope to come for which hope sake King Agrippa I am accused of the Jews and therefore it is called The hope of Israel Acts 28.20 for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain 3. Because it was a Doctrine which God was able to bring to pass This is set down in the words of the Text Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead The emphasis lieth in the words with you Why should you O King Agrippa who art a Jew and believest in the God of Israel and that he made the world out of nothing think it incredible for this God to raise the dead indeed it may seem incredible and impossible to the Heathen Philosophers who are guided onely by Natures Light but as for you who believe all things which are written in the Law and Prophets why should you think it either impossible or incredible that God should raise the dead This interrogation is an Emphatical Negation and it is put down by way of Question Vt oratio sit penetrantior that so the Argument might take the deeper impression and the meaning is that it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not a doctrine exceeding the bounds of faith or contrary to right reason that God should raise the dead The Observation which ariseth naturally out of the words is Doctrine That the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust is neither incredible nor impossible neither against right reason nor true faith Though it be above reason yet it is not against reason nor against the Jewish or the Christian Faith For the explication of this Doctrine I will briefly speak to six particulars 1. What is meant by the Resurrection of the dead 2. Who are the dead that shall be raised 3. The absolute necessity of believing this Doctrine and believing it firmly and undoubtedly 4. The possibility and credibility of it 5. The certainty and infallibility of it 6. The manner how the dead shall rise What is meant by the Resurrection of the dead The first Particular Answ For answer to this you must first know what there is of man that dyes when any man dyeth Man consisteth of soul and body and when he dyeth his soul doth not dye it is the body onely that dyeth Death is not an utter extinction and annihilation of the man as some wickedly teach but onely a separation of the Soul from the Body It is called a departure Luk. 2.25 2 Tim. 4.6 And an uncloathing 2 Cor. 5.4 and a Departure of the Soul out of the body either to Heaven or Hell When Stephen was stoned his soul was not stoned for while he was stoning he prayed Lord Jesus receive my spirit When Christ was crucified his soul was not crucified for while he was crucifying he said Faâ—her into thy hands I commend my Spirit The Wiseman saith expresly That when a man dyeth His body returns to the earth from whence it came Eccles 12.7 but his spirit returns to God who gave it And our Lord Christ commands us Not to fear them that kill the body 1 Luk. 2.4 and after
with worms and his skin spent and reins consumed should rise but that the same body not onely the same specifical but the same numerical body should rise therefore he puts in those emphatical expressions I shall see God I shall see for my self I and not another and mine eyes shall behold him Though his eyes shall be glorified eyes yet they shall be the same eyes for substance As the Patience of Job was very great and very exemplary so surely his Faith was as great and as imitable O Job great was thy Faith This one Text is sufficient to prove that the Doctrine of the Resurrection is not a thing incredible And give me leave to speak to you in the words of S. Paul to King Agrippa Why should it be thought incredible that God should raise the dead especially if you consider who this God is That he is Omnipotent and Almighty infinite in power and able to do all things He that believes the first Article of the Creed will quickly believe the eleventh Article He that believeth that God is Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth will easily believe that he is able to raise the dead For if God saith Tertullian can make a body being nothing out of the dust of the earth he can certainly repair it out of the dust when it is something It is as easie to God to restore a body to a soul at the Resurrection as to breathe a soul into a body at the first Creation Objection But how is it possible that when a man hath lain rotting in the grave a thousand years he should rise again Answer This is above reason but not against reason For there are many resemblances of this even in nature which though they be not sufficient proofs yet they are great inducements to cause us to believe this truth Both Philosophers and Divines write of the Phoenix that first she is consumed to ashes by the heat of the Sun and that afterwards of her ashes ariseth a young one which is the same Phoenix risen from the dead The Apostle tells us That the corn must first be cast into the ground and there dye and rot before it will spring up which sheweth that a Resurrection from the dead is possible even in nature Adde to this That Swallows Flies and Worms which lie dead in the Winter-season in the Spring by vertue of the Suns heat revive again And what is every night but the grave as it were of the days light and the morning but the Resurrection of the day What is Winter but the death of the fruits of the earth and the Spring but the Resurrection of them What is death but the blowing out of the candle of our lives and what is the Resurrection any more but the lighting of this candle again What is death but a pulling down of the house of the body and what is the Resurrection but the rebuilding of the same house And why then should any man think it a thing incredible for God to raise the dead We see by experience that our curious glasses are made by the art of man even out of ashes And cannot the Omnipotent God raise mens dead bodies when turned to ashes There is no contradiction in this and therefore an infinite power is able to effect it And to shew that God can effect it he raised up many from the dead both in the Old and New Testament as helps to our faith to enable us to believe That that God who raised those few will in due time raise all the dead both just and unjust Objection But you will reply How is it possible that the same body should rise when as the dust of men are so mingled together as that it seems impossible to separate the dust of one man from another Answer With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible It is easie to God to give to every man his own dust if it be possible for a Gardner that hath thirty several seeds in his hand to be able to distinguish between seed and seed and for a Chymist to extract the four Elements out of an hearb and sepaâ—ate them one from the other and for a Watch-maker to take his Watch in pieces and mingle the pieces together and yet afterwards put them together as before Much more is it possible for the Omnipotent God to distinguish one dust from another as well as one man from another and one stone from another Objection One man is eaten by another and turned into the substance of another how can both these arise with their distinct bodies Answer Every man shall arise with his own flesh but yet not so as that he shall arise with every thing that was once a part of him But he shall arise with so much of his flesh as shall make a perfect man and the same man A man hath a piece of his flesh cut off by a sword and new flesh growing in its room now he shall not rise with both these but with so much as shall make him a perfect man and one and the same man for substance One man eates another mans flesh and it becomes one with his yet he shall not rise with that flesh but with so much as shall make him a compleat man and the same not onely for kinde but for number For with God nothing is impossible So much for the fourth particular The fifth particular The fifth thing propounded is to shew the certainty and infallibility of this Doctrine For this is not onely a Truth that God can make good but a Truth which God cannot but make good As there must be a day of Judgement 2 Cor. 5.10 So there must be a Resurrection of the body not onely there may be but there must be and of the same body not onely the same specifical but the same numerical body Otherwise it were not a Resurrection but a Surrection not a Resuscitation but a Suscitation And as Estius saith not a Regeneration as it is called Mat. 19.28 but a Generation A Resurrection is of the same body that dyes or else it is a new Animation and a new Creation and not a Resurrection Now that there must be a Resurrection appears 1. From the promise of God God hath promised that all that are in the graves shall hear his voyce Joh. 5.28 29. and come forth c. and all that are in the dust shâ—ll awake And that this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality Isa 26.19 and We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done 2 Cor. 15.53 whether it be good or bad And therefore the ancient Christians when they rehearsed that Article of the Creed I believe the Resurr ction of the body would point to some part of their body and say Even of this body God can do it because he
me in whose presence is fulnesse of joy * Psal 16.11.3 Thirdly After this sentence follows the Execution Mat. 13.30 Binde the tares in bundles to burn them Christ will say Bundle up these sinner here a bundle of hypocrites there a bundle of Apostates there a bundle of prophane bundle them up and throw them in the fire And now no cryes or entreaties will prevail with the Judge the sinner and the fire must keep one another company he who would not weep for his sins must burne for them and it is everlasting fire The three children were thrown into the fire but they did not stay in long The King came near to the mouth of the burning fiery surnace and said Come forth Dan. 3.26 but the fire of the damned is everlasting this word ever breaks the heart length of time cannot terminate it a Sea of-tears cannot quench it The wrath of God is the fire and the breath of God is the Bellows to blow it up to all eternity O how dreadfully tormenting will this fire be to endure it will be intolerable to avoid it will be impossible Use 1 Use 1. Let me perswade all Christians to believe this Truth that there shall be a day of judgement Eccles 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement This is a great Article of our faith that Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead yet how many live as if this Article were blotted out of their Creed we have too many Epicures and Atheists who drown themselves in sensual delights and live as if they did not believe either God or day of judgement the Luâ—ianists and Platonises deny the immortality of the soul the Photinians hold there is no Hell I have read of the Duke of Silecia he was so infatuated that he did not believe either God or Devil * Usque adco insâ—nus ut neque inseros neque superos esse dicat I wish there be not too many of this Dukes opinion Durst men swear be unchast live in malice if they did believe a day of judgement Oh mingle this Text with faith the Lord hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world There must be such a day not only Scripture but reason confirms it There is no Kingdom or Nation in the world but have their Sessions and Courts of Judicature and God who sets up all other Courts shall not he be allowed his that there shall be a day of judgement is engraffed by nature in the consciences of men Peter Martyr tells us that some of the Heathen Poets have written that there are certain Judges appointed Minos Radamanthus and others to examine and punish offenders after this life Use 2 Vse 2. See here the sad and deplorable estate of wicked men this Text is as the hand-writing on the wall which may make their knees to smite one against another Dan. 5.6 The wicked shall come to judgement but they shall not stand in judgement Psa 1.5 in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall not rise up When God shall be deck'd with glory and Majesty his face as the appearance of lightening his eyes as Lamps of fire and a sword of justice in his hand and shall call the sinner by name and say Stand forth answer to the charge that is brought against thee what canst thou say for thy pride oaths drunkennesse c. these sins thou hast been told of by my Ministers whom I sent rising up early and going to bed late * Jer. 7.25 but thou didst persist in thy wickedness with a neck of iron * Isa 48.4 a brow of brass * Ezek. 36.26 an heart of stone all the tools I wrought with were broken and worn out upon thy rocky spirit what canst thou say for thy self that the sentence should not passe O how amazed and confounded will the sinner be he will be found speechless he will not be able to look his Judge in the face * Job 31.14 Job 31.14 What then shall I do when God râ—seth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him O wretch thou that canst now out-face thy Minister and thy godly Parents when they tell thee of sin thou shalt not be able to out-face thy Judge when God riseth up the sinners countenance will be faln * Gen. 4 6. and when he visiteth what shall I answer him Not many years since the Bishops did use to visit in their Diocesse and call several persons before them as criminal all the world is Gods Diocesse and shortly he is coming his visitation and will call men to account Now when God shall visit how shall the impure soul be able to answer him 1 Pet. 4.18 Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare Thou that dyest in thy sin art sure to be cast at the Barre John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already that is he is as sure to be condemned as if he were condemned already and if once the sentence of damnation be passed miserable man what wilt thou do whither wilt thou go * A dextris erunt peccata accusantia à sinistris infinita daemonia subtus horrendum chaos inferni desupor judex iratus soris mundus ardens intus conscientiaurens heu miser peccator quo fugies Ansel wilt thou seek help from God he is a consuming fire wilt thou seek help from the world it will be all on fire about thee from the Saints those thou didst deride upon earth from the good Angels they defie thee as Gods enemy from the bad Angels they are thine Executioners from thy conscience there is the worme that gnaws from mercy the Lease is run out O the horror and hellish despaire which will seize upon sinners at that day oh the sad convulsions their heads shall hang down their cheeks blush their lips quiver their hands shake their conscience roar their heart tremble What stupifying Physick hath the Devil given to men that they are insensible of the danger they are in the cares of the world have so filled their head and the profits of it hath so bewitched their heart that they minde neither death nor judgement Vse 3 Vse 3. Exhortation 1. Branch Possesse your selves with the thoughts of the day of judgement think of the solemnity and impartiality of this Court. Feathers swim upon the water Exhortat 1. Branch gold sinks into it light feathery spirits floate in vanity but serious Christians sink deep in the thoughts of judgement many people are like quick-silver they cannot be made to fix If the Ship be not well ballasted it will soon overturn the reason why so many are overturned with the vanities of the world is because they are not well ballasted with the thoughts of the day of judgement Were a man
delighting in flowers and their Tulipomania dreame of such a Paradise A silly Countrey Woman coming upon the Exchange was so amazed at the view that she fell down and said She had oft heard of Heaven but never was in it before The voluptuous Epicure will have his a Poetical Heaven of Nectar and Ambrosia the ambitious an Heaven of honours and Gallantry But holy Abraham passed all these by * Heb. 11.10 looking for a City that had foundations The Kingdomes of the world want legs and foundations to stand upon and while men dream of such Paradises they do but build Castles in the ayre without any basis but imagination But look you for the new Heavens Isa 65.17 wherein dwells Righetousness get a Copy of grace in your hearts out of Scripture-Records the Court-Roles of Heaven and then you have * 1 Tim. 6.19 laid hold upon eternal life 'T is easie to be a Saint of the earth a State-Saint a designing Saint nay a Church-Saint but it must be a heavenly Saint one truly holy that is * Col. 1.12 meet to be partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Examine therefore what Authority and entertainment have the most searching truths and cutting Providences of God with you what spiritual wickednesse that never hurt your body Purie or Fame have you forsaken for Christ This sincere beauty of holinesse â—s able to make you Ornaments even to heaven it self 4. Is this Kingdome prepared for those that are Blessed of the Father Oh then labour to obtain your Fathers blessing though * Heb. 12.17 you seek it with teares Now the Father sayes Blessed are the pure the poor in heart the merciful they that pray for them which persecute them be careful not only * Mat. 25.4 to have oyle in your Lamps grace in your hearts but get your * Ver. 7. Lamps trimmed be upon your Watch * Ver. 13. for you know not what houre your Master comes Look how you improve your Talents what good you do in the world Remember it runnes thus in the last account I was an hungry you fed me naked you cloathed me in Prison you visited me and * Mat. 16.27 every man shall be rewarded according to his Works and the more you have of Heaven and Divine love here the more you shall have hereafter for one piece of it will lie in comfortable reflections upon what good we have done in the world though every one hath his * Mat. 20.9 peny that comes in at the Eleventh houre viz. all that is essential unto happinesse yet * 1 Cor. 15.41 one Starre differs from another in glory Art thou therefore in Authority use it for God Art rich alas * Prov. 23.5 riches make themselves wings and fly away Up then and be doing good and make thy self wings of thy Wealth for Heaven by all charitable expressions there is no way to lay your treasure up in Heaven but by laying it out here no way to lend God any thing but by giving to the poor How will hopes of Preferment nourish Conformity Tully tells us A Prince is to be fed with glory and drawn to worthy acts by the allurement of Honour and Renown Did but Christians feed more upon the Heritage of Jacob Isa 58.14 and their Immortal hopes they would act more for their immortal honour such Meditations do as the Philosopher sayes of speculations * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eâ—â— immortalize men and make them spiritual ones indeed or as Ambrose phraseth it carry them upwards as Birds of Paradise * Volucris in Spiritu factus Exod. 19.4 all upon Eagles Wings to soare on high Fifthly Will Christ say Come ye blessed c. then here is an Io triumphe over all the World Let it look as grim as it will upon thee yet Christ will smile though it gnash its teeth upon thee yet Christ will open his lips and * Cant. 1.2 kiss thee with the kisses of his mouth Lapides loquitur though the world speak words as hard as stones about Stephens ears yet Christ will speak comfortably If the World say Go Get you hence yet Christ will say Come if that say Go ye Cursed Christ will say Come ye Blessed Though men say Go ye Cursed Generation who are hated of all men yet Christ will say Come ye blessed of my Father They say Turn out Christ will say Turn in they cry Away from houses and lands and wives and children and all for Christs sake yet be not discouraged poor heart for Christ will recompence thee a hundred fold and thou shalt have a Kingdome for thy Cottage And when they have done all this they rejoyce that their Plot hath taken effect for they designed your ruine long ago I but Christs thoughts of love run higher yet Come blessed soul inherit the Kingdome prepared for thee from the foundation of the World The World may thrust thee out with both hands Christ will receive thee with both arms When Cyrus gave one of his friends a kisse another a wedge of gold he that had the gold envied him that had the kisse as a greater expression of his favour what if thou hast not the onions of Egypt if thou have the Quails and Manna in the Wildernesse Psal 17.14 if thou beest a man of G ds hand if thou beest one of his heart there is small ground to complain Upon all if an Epicurus was the best of the Philosophers without an Elysium If a Platonick lecture of the immortality of the soul made another cast his life away that he might enter upon that state If an Aristotle upon Euripus banks being not able to resolve himself of the cause of its motion dissolved himself by casting himself into the streame saying If I cannot take thee take thou me when we have such a glory as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what God hath * 1 Cor. 2.9 prepared for those that love him how shamefulâ—y are we run a ground if we cannot have a kinde of * Phil. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 22.20 lust to be dissolved and when Christ holds this price in his hand and cryes Come ye blessed we do not answer Come Lord Jesus Come quickly THE Conclusion 2 TIM 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus AT the beginning of this Moneths Exercise I entred upon this Text and then resolv'd the matter contained therein into these four Doctrinal Observations 1. Evangelical words are sound words Or All gospel-Gospel-truth is of an healing nature 2. It is of great use and advantage both for Ministers and private Christians to have the main Fundamental truths of the Gospel collected and methodized into certain Models and Platforms 3. Such Forms and Models are very carefully and faithfully to be
kept 4. Faith and Love are as it were the two hands whereby we may hold fast Gospel-truth I fingled out the second of these Doctrines to be the subject of that first introductive Sermon which fell to my lot in the course of this morning Exercise I shall now for the CONCLVSION of this Service make choice of the third Doctrine Scil. Such Forms and Collections of the special Heads of Gospel-Doctrine are to be kept and observed with all care and diligence The other two Doctrines namely the first and last may be usefull some where or other in the managing of the present Truth which is That Forms and Models of Gospel-Truths are carefully to be kept c. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath both significations in it scil to Have and to hold to get such Models and to keep them when we have them Our English word implyeth the first and expresseth the second Hold fast i. e. first have them and then let them not go when you have them And the word in the next verse expounds this to the same sense both in the Greek and in the English 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Custodi keep keep as in safe Custody as under Lock and Key That good thing which was commtited to thee what was that Some extend it to his whole Evangelical MINISTERY which was committed to Timothy with the gifts and graces conferr'd therewith by Divine Ordination Others restrain it to the form of sound Doctrine in my Text which Timothy had received either by word of mouth or in scriptis from Saint Paul whichsoever or both as he must have it so he must preserve it safe and sound Hold fast keep c. Thus in the Old Testament the Kings and Princes of Israel must get a Copy of the Law of God and when they have it they must keep it and keep close to it Deut. 17.18 19 20. for First He must write him a Copy of the Law in a book And then it must be WITH HIM and he shall READ therein all the dayes of his life The good King Hezekiah caused his Secretaries to make a Transcript of Solomons Proverbs a bundle or Model of Divine Aphorismes both for knowledge and practice These are also the Proverbs of Solomâ—n which the men of Hezekiah King of Judah copied out Prov. 25.1 These were to be laid up safe as a sacred depositum and carefully preserved for the publique use and service of the Church The Jews Phylacteries mentioned by our Saviour Matth. 23.5 were in their first institution of the same nature that is to say The Hebrews call them Totaphoth the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conservatoria quibus memoria legis conservabatur certain Memorials appointed of God by the help whereof they might have the Law of God alwayes in their mindes and memories which the pride of the Scribes and Pharisees not contented with the command of God had enlarged into broad scrolls of parchment upon which were written certain abridgments of the Law which they wore over and above Gods institution about their arms and necks and heads which practice of theirs although a superstitious addition to the Divine appointment yet it held forth Gods design which was the having and preserving Models of divine principles both for knowledge and practice It is the express command of God in the close of all the Prophets in the Old Testament Remember the Law of Moses which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel Mal. 2.2 with the Statutes and Judgments Though Gospel times were drawing nigh yet the Law of Moses must not be forgotten but must be kept exact and entire as an eternal rule of righteousness In the New Testament the frequent repetition of those words of command HOLD 2 Thes 2.15 Heb. 3.14 HOLD FAST 1 Thes 5.21 2 Tim. 1.13 Heb. 3.16 Heb. 4.23 Rev. 2.25 and 3.11 KEEP 1 Cor. 11.2 and 15.2 1 Tim. 6.20 2 Tim. 1.14 Rev. 1.3 and 22.9 CONTINUE Joh. 8.31 Acts 14.22 Gal. 2.9 Col. 1.23 1 Tim. 4.16 2 Tim. 3.14 ABIDE Joh. 15.7 1 Joh. 2.14 24. 2 Ioh. 9. These I say and other of like nature all of them relating to Gospel-doctrine either in general or in some of the special forms and Models thereof give sufficient testimony to the Point in hand For further proof whereof I shall need to add no other Grounds or Reasons then what we made use of to the Confirmation of the first Doctrine Those very Considerations which commended to us the having of such Collections and Models of Gospel-truths do commend also the keeping and holding of them fast as a sacred treasure The end of having is keeping and the end of keeping is using we cannot use unlesse we keep and we cannot keep unless we have The Reasons therefore why we should get such Models of Evangelical Truths will sufficiently evidence the necessity of holding them fast All then that I shall do in the prosecution of the Doctrine shall be to shew you HOW or in what RESPECTS such Collections or Forms of Doctrine are to be HELD FAST Now the Rules and Directions for the keeping of them are to be suited to the several Orders and Sorts of Persons concerned in this great Trust and Depositum And they are of three Ranks and Conditions Scil. Rulers and Magistrates Ministers Christians of a more private rank relation suitable to each Station and Capacity must the Rule be Magistrates concerned in this charge First Rulers and Magistrates they are to hold fast such forms of sound words 1. Rulers and Magistrates they are to keep these Models and Platforms of Fundamental Truth and that for thee Reasons 1. For a test of the publick Ministry 1. That there may be a certain test for the publick Ministery that so they may know whom they ought to encourage with their countenance and maintenance as it was Hezekiahs praise that he spake comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord 2 Chron. 30.22 Certainly Magistrates are to take notice what kind of Doctrine is preached in their Dominions for they are bidden to be wise and to be instructed Psal 2.10 which importeth more than a bare negative act that they should take heed only they do not oppose Christs Doctrine but something positive that they should protect and countenance it The Magistrate has a great trust as to sacred things for which he is responsible to God and many wayes may he offend in the not discharging of it as by opposing the truth by tolerating Errors and which is a higher degree by countenancing those that broach them to tolerate false Doctrines is a sin but to share out his respects equally to the Heterodox and Orthodox is a greater much more when the Heterodox are only countenanced and those that preach the good word of the Lord in the Land are burdened with reproaches and all manner of contempt Certainly the least that can
should be so far from opening the gates to him that they should turn him out when once entered and should look upon the great things of his Law as a strange thing Hose 8.12 that wherein they were not concerned or which they knew not what to make of what a vile scorn is this put upon the Majesty of God It will be more tolerable for a Nation who had never known Christ than after a publick and National owning of him they should be cold indifferent and negligent in his interest if the business had been to introduce a Religion the crime of refusal were not so great The Magistrate is to see that Religion when once established be not violated as when the business is to conserve and defend a Religion already received that it may be transmitted to posterity Briefly then that which we say is this that a Religion received by a Nation and established by Laws should not be violated and the Magistrate is to see that it be preserved against all open opposition and secret underminings and in no case contemned and scorned The consciences of men are liable only to the judgment of God but their words and practices come under the Magistrates cognizance Inquisition into mens thoughts we condemn but taking notice of their hard speeches and contemptuous revilings and publick opposition against the truth is that which we commend in the Christian Magistrate the Law of Theodosius concerning Hereticks doth fully expresse our sense Sibi tantummodo nocitura sentiant aliis obfutura non pan dant If men will perish by holding pernicious Doctrines let them perish alone but let not others perish with them by their holding them out The Canon in this case is * Tit. 1.11 Their mouths must be stopped we contend not punishment so much unless in point of * The Blasphemer must die Levit. 24.16 blasphemy as prevention If Seducers be not severely chastised yet like wilde beasts they must be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.1 muzled that 's the Metaphor that they may do no harm their mouths must be stopped lest by teaching things which they ought not they subvert whole houses Once more we are not such Rigid Imposers as the world doth make us to be as that in lesser things wherein good men may erre or differ we should presently call in the power of the Magistrate to avenge our quarrel we know there is a due latitude of allowable differences wherein the strong should bear with the weak and are so farre from making use of civil censures in such cases Ministers Gods witnesses and Trustees to keep the truths of God that we think the Church should not use any extream course but rather all manner of patience and indulgence And thus much for the Magistrates duty The Minister's follows Secondly Ministers are to hold fast this form of sound words By Catechysing for they are Gods Witnesses to the present age and Trustees for the future 1 Tim. 1.11 The glorious Gospel of the blessed God which is committed to my trust and 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust c. Now they are to keep it First by Catechizing and instilling these Principles into the hearts of young ones 2. Preaching Foundation stones must be laid with great exaâ—tness and care for they support the whole building It seems by Heb. 6 2. that there was an Apâ—stolical Catechism wherein some Principles were laid as a foundation fâ—r all other Christian Doctrine Secondly by assiduous preaching that they may explain and apply these Principles and still keep up the remembrance of them in the Church God that hath appointed Apostles and Prophets to write Scriptures hath also appointed Pastors and Teacherâ— to explain and apply Scriptures Therefore are Evangelic l Ministers called Prophets because they are to interpret the Oracles of God Nabi signifying an Interpreter as well as a Foreteller of truths to come Ephes 4.11 'T is a part of our trust to keek these things still a foot 2 Tim. 2.2 The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same câ—mmit thâ—u to faithful men who shall be able to teach others by solid explications without innovating either as to the matter or expression for uncouth words make way for strange Doctrines Thirdly to vindicate them from the glosses and oppositions of Seducers for the good Shepherd must not only fodder the sheep but hunt out the Wolf 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is part of our tru st for we are set saith the Apostle for the defence of the Gospel Phil. 1.17 And we are to convince gainsayers to hold fast the Word of Truth Tit. 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifieth to hold fast a thing which others would wrest from us Ministers must not be of too easie a spirit and implies that Ministers should be good at holding and drawing and be able to maintain the truth when others would force it out of their hands Two things will hinder us in the discharge of our duty herein First a faulty easiness the wisdome that is from above is gentle and * James 4.17 easie to be intreated but 't is in that which is good in other things we must be obstinate and resolute and not betray the truths of God by our condescentions and compliances It is said of Chrysostome that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his own simplicity and candour often drawn into inconveniences when this goodnesse of nature is apt to abuse us Ministers should awaken themselves by a zeal for Gods glory shall we be yeilding when his Truths are despised his Name blasphemed No let us resist them to the face and give not place no not for an hour Gal. 2.5 11. as also by a compâ—ssion over souls shall we suffer them to be seduced and by droves led into error and be sinfully silent God forbid Secondly by a fearful cowardize the Prophet complaines Act. 20.24 none are valiant for the truth upon the earth Jer. 9.3 We must stand to these Principles though it cost us bonds and imprisonments yea life it self a good Shepherd will lay down his life for the sheep Joh â—0 Christ did for their Redemption and we must for their confirmation in the Faith and not be light and vain off and on as our carnal interests be more or less befriended Thus for the Ministers duty The peoples followeth Thirly The people are to hold fast these Truths Christians of all Ranks and Sizes People must hold fast they are to hold them fast in their judgements memory practice and in contending for the truth First In their judgements every Christian should have a Platform of sound Doctrine In their judgement not only some scraps and fragments of knowledge but a distinct and clear deleination of Gospel-truth that they may know things not only at random but in their order and dependence Christians liable to two
been said in order to this morning Exercise As you have heard so you have seen Application to the morning exercise this Moneth now elapsed hath brought to your view an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Model of sound words you have had as it were the Summe and Substance of the Gospel preached over in your hearing I know it falls far short both in respect of Matter and Method of a perfect body of Divinity an exact and full delineation of all the chief Heads and Principles of Religion But considering the smallness of the Circle of this monethly course in which this Model was drawn I dare take the boldness to say there hath as much of the Marrow and Spirits of Divinity been drawn forth in these few Morning Lectures as can be rationally expected from men of such various Studies and assidnous labours in the Ministerial work Former ages have rarely heard so much Divinity preacht over in many years as hath been read in your ears in twenty six dayes These few Sermons have digested more of the Doctrine of faith than some large volumes not of a mean consideration now extant in the Church of God Truely every single Sermon hath been a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within itself Each Subject in this morning Exercise hath been handled in so ample a manner and with so much judgement acuteness and perspicuity that it may well passe for a little Treatise of Divinity wherein many profound Mysteries have been discust and stated not with more judgment in the Doctrine than with life and vigor in the Vse and Application The Preachers have sought to find out acceptable words Eccles 12. and that which was spoken was upright even words of truth Insomuch that a man that had never heard of a Gospel before this moneths conduct had been sufficient not only to have left him without excuse but with the wise mens STAR to have led him to Christ The more I dread to think what a tremendous account you have to make who after twenty twirty fourty years Revelation of the Gospel have the addition of this moneth of Sabbaths also to reckon for in that day when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire c. if while in this Mirror 2 Thes 1.8 beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord you are not changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. I shall not undertake as * Morning Exercise May 1654. formerly to extract the Summe and Substance of what you have heard I have some hope to be saved that labour upon a better account I shall recount to you the Heads only and Points of Christian Doctrine which have been handled in this Monethly Exercise that now in the close of all you may behold as in a Map or Table the Method and Connexion which they hold amongst themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or a Summary repetition of the Heads of Divinity preacht upon in this Course The first Divine after the preparatory Sermon that preached to you began with that which is the first and chief object of Knowledge and Faith that α and ω in Divinity Subject 1 THERE IS A GOD Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that GOD is c. Hereupon because if there be a God then he is to be worshipped and if to be worshipped then there must be a Rule of that worship and if a Rule it must be of Gods own appointment therefore Subject 2 The Second dayes work was against all other Books and Writings in the world to Evince this Truth the SCRIPTVRES CONTAINED IN THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT are THE WORD OF GOD 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God By these Scriptures that great Mysterious Doctrine of the Trinity which the light of nature can no more discover than deny was asserted and opened as far as so profound a Mystery can well admit and so The third mornings work was to shew Subject 3 THAT IN THE GODHEAD THERE IS A TRINITY OF PERSONS IN VNâ—TY OF ESSENCE GOD THE FATHER GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY GHOST God blessed for ever 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven the FAHER the WORD and the HOLY GHOST and these three are ONE Subject 4 The Creation of Man in a perfect but mutable Estate by the joynt Power and Wisdom of these three glorious Persons was the Fourth Subject opened from that Text Eccles 7.29 God made man upright but they have sought out many inventions Man thus Created God entred into a Covenant with him and so the COVENANT OF WORKS which God made with Adam and all his posterity succeeded in order to be the Subject matter of the Subject 5 Fifth morning Lecture the Text was Gen. 12.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die This Covenant no sooner made almost then broken the work of him that preacht the Subject 6 Sixth Sermon was THE FALL OF ADAM and therein more specially of PECCATVM ORIGINALE ORIGINANS or ORIGINAL SIN IN THE FIRST SPRING and fountain of it the Scripture Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world c. The Fruit and sad effect whereof being the losse of Gods image and the total depravation and corruption of mans nature Subject 7 The seventh thing that fell naturally to be handled was Peccatum originale originatum or Original corruption in the STREAM and DERIVATION OF IT TO POSTERITY from Psal 1.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me This is the Source of all that evil that hath invaded all Mankind that therefore which naturally succeeded in the Subject 8 Eighth course of this morning Exercise was MANS LIABLENESS TO THE CURSE or the MISERY OF MANS ESTATE BY NATVRE Deut. 27.1 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things of the Law to do them or Ephes 2.3 By nature the children of wrath Subject 9 Ninthly Mans impotency to help himself out of this miserable estate was the next sad Prospect presented to your view by that Reverend Brother that preached the ninth course and he took his rise from Rom. 5.6 When we were without strength Christ died for the ungodly That the doctrine of mans impotency when it had laid him in the dust might not leave him there the Subject 10 Tenth Preacher discoursed to you of the COVENANT OF REDEMPTION consisting of the transaction between God and Christ from all Eternity from that Text Isa 53.10 He shall see the travel of his soule and be satisfied In the eleventh place THE COVENANT OF GRACE REVEALED IN THE GOSPEL came next to be unfolded as being if I may so say the Counterpart of the Covenant of Redemption which the Preacher to whom the Subject 11 Eleventh course fell opened to you out of Heb. 8.6 Jesus Christ hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediatour
Christ said the poor Martyr but I can dye for Christ Love will say to the truth as she said to her Mother in Law Whether thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried the Lord do so to me Ruth 1.16 17. and more also if ought but death part me and thee Gen. 34.3 Love is the glue that makes the heart cleave to the Object as it is said of Shechem His soule clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob. Minuit Felix octa Love is the twist of soules Crederes unam animam in duobus esse divisam it is but one soul that informs Lovers Christians if you would hold fast the truth LOVE IT Love hates putting away 2 Thes 2.11 12 when ever your love begins to decay you are in danger of Apostacy For this cause God shall send them strong delusions to believe lies for what cause why because they received not the love of the truth Christians look to your standing there is much of this judicial blast abroad the generality of Professors have contented themselves wâ—th and rejoyced in the Light of the Truth and in the Notion of the Truth and in the expressions of the Truth but they have lost their love to the truth Parts without grace hath been the precipice of this evil and adulterous generation the foolish Virgins of this age have got Oyle only in their Lamps but none in their Vessels and so perish 2 Pet. 3.17 You therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness Let it be your care to receive the truth in the power of the truth in the impressions of the truth upon your hearts in the love of the truth Love the truth even when the truth seems not to love you when it makes against your Carnal interests when it calls for your right eye and your right hand The right eye of your sinfull pleasure the right hand of your dishonest gain when the truth comes to take away all your false Principles and to take away all your false evidences not to leave you worth a Duty or a Church-priviledge not to leave you so much as a Creed or a Pater-noster or a good meaning but casts you out of all which self and flesh hath counted your gain in point of salvation Ezech. 16.5 Phil. 3.7 to the loathing and abhorring of your persons c. Yet even then I say Receive the truth in the love of it God intends you more good in it then you are aware of and therefore say with young Samuel Ure seâ—a corripe ut aeâ—ernum parcas Bern. Speak Lord for thy servant heareth and with Bernard do Lord wound me scorch me slay me spare me not now that thou mayest spare me for ever Thirdly There is yet another means Ver. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is in the verse next to my Text relating to the same duty though under a various expression That good thing which was committed to thee KEEP The good or excellent trust and depositum was either the Ministerial Office with the gifts and graces which Timothy received by Ordination for the edifying of the Church or else The form of sound words here committed to him in my Text whichsoever this duty is incuâ—cated upon Timothy again and again that he must keep it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preserve it as under Lock and Key and saith Beza He keeps his depositum that improveth it so that the depositor findes no cause why he should take it away But how shall Timothy or any other Evangelical Minister or Christian be able so to keep it it followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Occupatio est by the Holy Ghost The duty indeed is very difficult but by calling in the help of the Spirit of God Believers shall be enabled to do it and he is not far from every one of them Rom. 8.26 Col. 1.29 for so it follows by the Holy Ghost WHICH DWELLETH IN VS He is IN them as a Principle of life and power by his vertue and influence helping their infirmities and working in them mightily Great is the opposition that Believers meet withall and Satan and this present evill world hath been too hard for many not Professors only but Ministers also men that seemed to be stars of the first magnitude they have proved to be but falling-stars meer Comets that for a time make a great blaze but quickly extinguish They went on from us because they were not of us 1 Joh. 2.19 But real Saints true Believers shall hold out why because greater is he that is in them then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 keep by the HOLY GHOST THAT DWELLETH IN VS Christians walk in the Spirit and pray for the Spirit cry mightily to God for the continual presence and operation of the Holy Ghost and for your encouragement Luke 11.13 take along with you that blessed promise of our Saviour If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Now to the King eternal immortal invisible 1 Tim. 1.7 the only wise God be honor and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS Books Printed for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Corn-Hill THE works of that learned and laborious Divine John Weemse in four Volumes 4. Mr. Byfield on the Collossions fol. Mr. Thomas Edwards Gangraena four Volumes in 4. Ainsworths works fol. And his communion of Saints 12. Dr. Staughtons heavenly conversation 12. Bp. Downam on the Covenant of grace 12. Robins Essayes 12. Mr. Dicksons Exposition on Matthew Mr. Brinsley a learned Treatise of Christs Mediatorship and the souls implantion 8. Mr. Brinsley Brazen Serpent and Christs Membership Mr. Dicksons Exposition on the whole book of the Psalms one Volume 8. second edition Mr. Watsons works viz. 1. The Art of Divine Contentment the fourth edition 2. The Christians Charter shewing the priviledges of believers in this life and the life to come the fifth edition Mr. Ashes Sermon at Mr. Whitakers funeral Dr. Spurstow on the Promise second edition Retorford on the Covenant of grace Mr. Cottons Exposition on the book of Ecclesiastes and Canticles second edition A learned Treatise proving the Deity of the Holy Ghost by Mr. Estwick Mr. Gurnals Christian Armor third Edition Mr. Hutcheson on the Gospel according to St. John in fol. On the twelve small Prophets second edition Mr. Gurnals Christians Armour the second part Dr. Guile on the Canticles AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Relating to the chief Heads handled in this TREATISE A. ADAM able of Creation to keep the Law p. 108 109. The one man by whom sin entred into the world p. 136.
raised 480. to be believed 581. reasons of it 586 587 588 589. Resurrection the effect of the New Covenant and union with Christ 388. Resurrection after what manner and with what difference 591. how effected p. 593. it is to be believed 595. a ground of comfort ib. 596 597 598 599. a ground of terror 560. how made happy to our selves 603 604. Revenge accompanieth repentance 545. S Sacraments in the Old Testament were various and many 122. Tree of life a Sacrament in Paradise ibid. Sacraments prove corruption of nature 153. Saints are good company 3. Salvation by Christ an Argument of original pravity 153. Salvation the end of Faith 473. Salvation difficult 482. Sanctification Covenant priviledge 14. Satisfaction of Christ explained 337 339 340 341. its Matter 408 Form 412. Terms 417. Satisfaction not made by man himself 407. but by Christ 408 409 410. and how done 402. Satisfaction of Christ the only plea to procure justification at Gods bar ib. Scripture the Word explained 86. Scripture proves a God 48. Scripture similitudes shew the union between Christ and Believers 384. Scripture only discovers mans natural pravity 151. Sea its course and confinement proved a God 35 36. Secret sins discovered by natural conscience 44. Sense of Scriptures power on the soul prove them Divine 98. Sense of sin and sorrow for it are precursive parts of true Repentance 492. Sense of a short life helps to Repentance 349. Self sinful to be studied 168. Self examination an help to Repentance 548. Severity of Gods justice 295. Sense its pain in hell 626. Constituted by Real presence of all evil Impression of justice Personal Feeling 627 628. Sentence of last day 614. Sight of things invisible an effect of Faith 471. Sin to be feared and fled from 643 644. Sin a defect nothing positive 112 113. it is most unreasonable p. 114. subjects man to an impotency of saving himself 115. justifieth God in punishing man 116 117. should rather be gotten out than inquired how it came into the world 113. Sins evil seen in Christ his death 294. Sin better discovered by the New than Old Covenant 250. Sin abolished by Christ his death 302 303. Sin is imputed inherent extensive diffusive 165. Sin may exist and prevaile in a true Saint 505. Sin mortified by the Spirit 389. Sinner elect and called the subjects of Faith 460. Shame was in Christs death 206. Sensible sinner subject of true repentance 489. Society in heaven what 658 659. Sons of God partakers of the whole essence of the Father is the same numerical nature 66. 67. Sonship to God is by Creation 435. Generation 435. Marriage 435. Adoption 435. Sonship by Adoption Honourable 437 440. Free 437 440. Permanent 437 440. Sonship to God marks of it p. 453 454. Sorrow and humility usher faith 476. Soul of Christ suffered 410. Souls in heaven subject to Jesus Christ 324 325. Spirit of God in man a signe of union with Christ 389. Spirit of God justifieth how 422. Spirits evil shall be chained when Saints go to heaven 652. Speed facilitates repentance 452. Sting of conscience a note of Deity 45. Sting in Christ his death 286 287. Study of Scriptures a duty 99 100. Suns scituation and motion proveth a God 33 34. Sullen repentance what 518. Systems of Religion profitable for Ministers and people 5. they instruct in the faith antidote error 7 12. Adorn the truth 16. help the understanding 17. the memory 18. affections 19. such are found in Scripture 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. to be studied by young Divines 21. T Temptation of Satan did not necessitate man to sin p. 112. Things in heaven subject to Christ what 323 324. Things on earth subject to Christ what they are 325. Things under the earth 326. Every Tongue what it means 329. Terms of Covenant between God the Father and his Son 225. Torments of Hell Exquisite Intolerable Easelesse Remediless Universal and various 629 630 631. Tryal of last day shall be 1. Universal 2. Formal 3. Impartial 4. Exact 5. Perspicuous 6. Supreme 610 611 612. its consequence 613. Trinity proved by Old Testament text 72. New Testament 74 75. Turning from all sin to God is the formality of true repentance 50. U Union of two natures in Christ without confusion or transmutation 270. Union of believers and Christ necessary p. 377. what kind it is not 379. what kind it is 381 382. its causes 383. grounds 385. its marks 389 390 391 392. it is to be sought by sinners and improved by Saints 396 397 398 399 400. Unbelievers miserable 48. not Gods sons 447. Vocation its twofold estate 437. Vocation a Resurrection a new Creation 361. W Will of God signified in a rule of rectitude 107. Witness from heaven differs in six particulars from witnesse on earth 67 68. we have both to prove Christ the Son of God 66. Word of God declareth his wrath 181 182 183. World visible its being and parts 31 32. World an enemy to faith 481. to be slighted by â—aints 549. Works their use in point of Covenant 126 127. how they justifie 422. Wrath of God what and how aggravated 177 178 179 180. falleth on man here 184. fully at the day of judgement ibid. sheweth his justice and wisdome p. 193 194 195 196. it is to be avoided 197 198. Y Yoak of the Law borne by Jesus Christ 280 281. Z Zeal Negative p. 2. Affirmative p. 2. Zeal accompanieth true Repentance 544. FINIS