in the way of Duty so great which he may not overcome by the Strength thereof Whereas the best of the Moral Heathens had but uncertain Conjectures to ground their Expectations of future Happiness upon and their Hopes thereof being so Weak they presently yielded to the Assault of every great Temptation But besides whatever certainly an honest Pagan And whatever certainly an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Vncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fallvastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven that liv'd up to the Light of Nature and the Dictates of Right Reason if any of 'em can be suppos'd to have done so might have that the good God would reward his Vertue Yet having only the Equity and Vncovenanted goodness of God to depend upon he could promise himself no greater a Measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which considering the Imperfection of the best Actions of the best of Men whoever liv'd how short must that fall of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven * But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same But the Christian whom God has Covenanted withal and to whom he has condescended to Oblige himself to make sure a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 may without Presumption rely upon God's both Truth and Goodness to make good to him the same notwithstanding when he does all that he can consider'd in himself he is but an Vnprofitable Servant as the best are I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth says the Apostle and so may every good Christian say the same there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but to all them who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Such is the Christian's Priviledge above a Pagan in being made an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven in that it is his Inheritance he may assure himself of it tho' his imperfect Vertues consider'd in themselves could never Entitle him to such an Eternal and Exceeding weight of Glory In short It is Jesus Christ alone who hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by Embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And as he only has brought it to light that is made a clear Revelation of that Life and Immortal Happiness laid up for Righteous Men in Heaven which was not before so certainly Reveal'd so it is only through him and by Believing and Embracing and Coming into his Covenant the Gospel that Salvation must now be hop'd for by any for so we are also Assur'd Acts 4.12 and that there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men but Jesus only whereby we must be saved so that this Invaluable Priviledge this exceeding great Advantage of being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven is made over and certainly Ensur'd to such only who are in the Covenant of Grace and is the Third and Last of those Excellent Priviledges and Advantages contain'd and held forth therein But then the Kingdom of Heaven is the certain Inheritance of the sincere Christian who in the Exercise of Mercy Meekness Piety and all other Christian Vertues And to a sincere Chrstian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain which he has Covenanted with God to perform does faithfully discharge his Part of the Covenant as is most solemnly declar'd Matth. 25.31 32 33 34.46 with which I shall conclude this Point Says our Blessed Saviour there When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory And before him shall be gather'd all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand to his Charitable and Pious and Faithful Servants Come ye Blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World And as the Wicked shall go into everlasting Punishment so the Righteous into Life Eternal A summ of â—hose invaluâ—ble Priviâ—edges made â—ver to us â—n God's â—art in the Covenant of Grace And now to summ up those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace hereby we are made First Members of Christ that is are made Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head viz. The Church and so have together with a most excellent Body of Religion and Laws all necessary Grace and Assistance Convey'd and Communicated to us Members from Him the Head to Enliven Support and Enable us to go through all our Task of Religious Duties and Christian Performances requir'd at our hands The Second Priviledge is That we are also hereby made Children of God that is having Embrac'd Christianity and being Incorporated into the Church of Christ we are thereby Adopted and Chosen out of the rest of the World by God to enjoy this grand Priviledge of Sons to have Pardon granted us when with the Prodigal Son we return Home to him to our Offended but Gracious Father by Repentance And we shall find him not over-severe in respect of our lesser Failings and the unavoidable Infirmities of our Nature but shall always have him ready to hear our Prayers for Mercy both in respect of our greater and lesser Transgressions And Lastly The Third Priviledge you have been now told is this that to compleat All We are made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven that is have secur'd to us a Right and Title to the unspeakable Joys and Glories of Heaven A Priviledge which consider'd in it self is exceeding Great and as all the rest if compar'd with what Others enjoy is a very singular One These now are the inestimable Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace Priviledges which as they are of infinite Advantage to us so we shall never fail of obtaining 'em if we will but take care to perform the Conditions requir'd on our Parts and so First Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful lusts of the Flesh on Condition Secondly That we will Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Lives Which Conditions and what they
Heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 Nay so absolutely an Evil is Sin and so Absolutely and Entirely it is to be Renounc'd by us that the least Sinful Action is not to be committed in order to attain the greatest Good So little a Sin as an Officious Lie must not be told no not to save a Man's Life Nor a Pious Fraud nor a Holy Cheat committed to promote the Good of the Church and to Secure and Propagate what we take to be the True Religion For if the Truth of God hath more Abounded through my Lie unto his Glory why yet am I judged as a Sinner Whereas he who telleth such a Kind and Serviceable Lie will certainly be Judg'd as such and as it follows Whosoever shall say Let us do Evil that Good may come of it his Damnation is just Rom. 3.7 8. So that every Christian must Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin And indeed it is but to consider And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both as well as know the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either of them and it is impossible any should not Absolutely and Entirely Renounce that is utterly Detest and Avoid and Beware of them As for the Devil why Even the Perversest of People the Israelites when it was solemnly put to their Reason and Consideration who to serve God or the Devil could not without the utmost Detestation think of the latter If it seems Evil unto you says Joshua to them Josh 24.15 16. to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve whether the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell and those Gods were no other than Devils but as for me and my house said he we will serve the Lord. And the Result was That the People answered and said God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods God forbid The very Thoughts of such a Thing when they came to Consider it was Odious to them And if we did but Consider the odious Nature of Sin we should not more Abhor the Devil himself than Abandon every Sin For why He that committeth Sin is of the Devil we are told 1 Joh. 3.8 Such a One is of the Devil's Party he is a Sharer in the Devil's Rebellion against God and in his wicked Designs to destroy God's Authority And tho' he be not a Devil himself yet he is near A-kin to him and shall Partake with him as in his Rebellion so in his Punishment And who that Considers this can stick Entirely to Abandon and to Abhor so foul a Thing as Sin is But however whether People will Consider it or no However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace so necessary it is that every Christian should absolutely and entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin that this if you do not do you will forfeit all your Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth to you in the Covenant of Grace and Purchas'd for you by the Blood of Christ If you do not utterly Renounce the Devil by having nothing to do with him in his foul Rebellion against God you will be accounted no Members of Christ's Church but of the Synagogue of Satan as the Apostatizing Gnosticks those great Enemies of God are call'd Rev. 2.9 and that for their Halting betwixt God and Satan And except you do also utterly Renounce his Works of Sin by abandoning every known Sin as that whereby the Divine Authority is thrown aside and his Power disown'd you will be so far from being the Children of God that you will be styl'd no better than Children of the Devil For whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin it is said 1 Joh. 3.9 that is does keep himself strictly from all deliberate Sin And in this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God as the same Apostle goes on ver 10. And who else is it think ye but he who Overcometh both the Devil and all his Works of Sin that shall ever Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Why he and none else shall Inherit so inestimable a Blessing we are assur'd Rev. 21.7 8. He that Overcometh shall Inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the Lake that Burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death So necessary upon these several Accounts it is that according as has been Explain'd you should Renounce that is Disclaim Abhor and Abandon the Devil and all his Works of Sin Which that you may all of you do God Almighty grant of his infinite Mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Tenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works I Have already shew'd you First who the Devil is and Secondly in Part what are his Works All Sin whatsoever I have shew'd you is a Work of the Devil but there are some particular Sins which being more directly level'd against God's Authority and expressing more of the natural Temper and Disposition of Satan and being more his own Practice than others do more particularly deserve the Title and Character of the Works of the Devil and what they are I have shew'd you Secondly And as Sin so his Tempting of us to Sin is another main and principal Work of the Devil And I have reserv'd this Subject of Satan's Temptations to be particularly handled in some set Discourses by themselves that so I might have more room to Expose 'em to you there being no subject in Practical Divinity of greater Consequence and Concernment to our Souls than to be throughly Informed in the Ways and Methods of Satan's Temptations Now to Tempt one in the general Notion of the Word To Tempt is to make a Tryal of a Person does barely signify to make Tryal of a Person either by Words or Signs by Promises or Threats whether or no he will do such a thing And the Tempting of a Person may be Morally Good or Evil according to the End for which such a Tryal is made If the Tryal be of a Person 's Vertue To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof only that Occasion may be afforded him to give an Experiment and Proof thereof that so if he do well he may be Rewarded if Ill that his Hypocrisy and the Corruption of his Heart may be discovered and he himself Humbled with the Sight and Sence thereof to his Amendment There is nothing may
or none at all which is the sence of the Hebrew Phrase So that the Obedience upon which alone we must expect to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven must be a Faithful and Entire Obedience to all the Laws and Commands of the Gospel Thus we must Obey all God's Holy Will and Commandments which brings me III. To my general Proposal which was to shew you What it is to Walk in the same all the Days of our Lives 3dly What it is to Walk in the same all the Days of our Lives we must continue in such a Sincere and Entire Obedience even to the End of our Lives We must not think to please God by an Obedience that comes and goes by Fits or by serving him only at such times as we are in Humour and have no Temptation to the contrary but our Service of Him must be Constant and Vniform we must obey Him in all things and wilfully transgress in none Some indeed there are who parcel out their Time and divide it betwixt God and their Sins they observe a constant course of Transgressing and Repenting of Sin and Sorrow for they are always won when they are tempted and they are always sorrowful when they have done And others there are who wholly fall off at last and sin against God for altogether But now as for such a broken Service as this is God will by no means accept of it For when Christ comes to Judgment God will not endure a constant Revolution of Sin and Repentance he will pass Sentence upon Men according to what they are then and not according to what they have been formerly If the righteous Man turn away from his Righteousness and commit Iniquity and do according to all that the wicked Man doth Shall he live No by no means For all his Righteousness that he hath done formerly shall not be mentioned but in his Trespass that he hath since trespassed and in his Sin that he hath since sinned in them shall he die Ezek. 18.24 And it is they which by patient continuing in Well-doing seek for Glory and Immortality that shall inherit eternal Life Rom. 2.6 7. But as for all those who fall off from a good Course and turn Apostates from Obedience their Case is desperate and their Condition extreamly damnable For if after Men have once escaped the Pollution of the World through the Knowledge of Christ's Gospel they are again entangled therein and overcome then is the latter End worse with them than the Beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 So that the Obedience which God will accept and which will render us Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven must be as of our whole Man and to all the Laws of the Gospel so it must be perform'd to 'em at all times We must persevere in it through all Seasons and take care both to live and die in it for our Reward will be dispenced unto us according to the nature of our Service at the time of Payment and he only as our Saviour says that endureth to the End shall be saved Matth. 10.22 And thus I have shew'd you first What it is to Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments or how far you must be Obedient to the Holy Will and Commandments of God as ever you will hope to obtain Salvation or to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And secondly I have also shewed you What it is to Walk in the same all the Days of your Life or how long you must persevere in such Obedience even to the End of your Lives In short I have also shewed you That the Obedience which is the Condition of our Salvation even now under the Gospel must be a Sincere and Entire Observance of all the Laws of Christianity Sincere it must be as I have shewed you by being a true and undissembled Service opposite to all Hypocrisie or a false and feigned Pretence of Obeying him when in reality we only serve our own selves our own Lusts and Interests And Entire it must be by being the Obedience of the whole Man to the whole Law and not for some short but for our whole Time and to the End of our Lives Object But here it will be demanded That if this be that Obedience which now under the Gospel or Covenant of Grace is required as the indispensible Condition of our being made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven wherein lies the difference between this and the First Covenant or Covenant of Works which Christ came to purchase our Freedom from and to establish this in its room The Condition of the First as I have told you was no less than a Perfect Exact Unsinning Obedience the never offending in any one Point and if our Obedience now must be so Sincere and Entire an Obedience of the Whole Man to all the Laws of the Gospel and this to be performed at all times as has been now described wherein does this come short you 'll say of that Perfect Obedience required of us in our State of Innocency or that Legal Obedience required under the Covenant of Works And now therefore to clear the Doctrine of Evangelical Obedience Answ The difference between Evangelical and a Legal Obedience as thus stated from any such Doubt as if there were no difference betwixt the Covenants in matter of Rigour I shall shew that there is a very material Difference and such as makes this we are now under deservedly be styled a Covenant of Grace And the difference is this That whereas under the First the Obedience was to be so perfect that there was no Mercy upon the least Transgression but the Offender became immediately liable to the threatned Punishment Now under the Second as Sincere and Entire as our Obedience must be yet no more is required at our hands than what by God's Grace and our own honest Endeavours we shall be enabled to perform And therefore since the Weakness of our Nature is such that we cannot continue in an unsinning Obedience though all our wilful and chosen Sins indeed if persisted in will still put a Barr to our Salvation yet all our Unavoidable Infirmities and Involuntary Transgressions shall be constantly forgiven us and even our Wilful and more Heinous Sins when by Repentance we bewail and forsake 'em and take better care to Avoid 'em for the future they also through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us and not prejudice our being Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven True it is the difference betwixt the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace is not so great but our Wilful Chosen Sins if still persisted in will put a Barr to our Salvation This difference not so great but that our wilful and chosen Sins will put a Barr to our Salvation A wilful Sin is when we see and consider of the Sinfulness of any Action which we are tempted to and after
repair here to be Catechized and Instructed by me to have attentive Ears open Hearts and faithful Memories And Oh! That I might always find you such What Satisfaction would then accrue to my self What Profit to you And how great and eternal Rewards to us both And that it may thus succeed with all of us Pray let it be our constant and fervent Desires to God thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Fourth Lecture Quest Who gave you that Name Answ My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism wherein I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven Quest What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you Answ They did promise and vow three things in my Name First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That I should keep God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life Quest Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and to do as they have promised for thee Answ Yes verily and by God's help so I will And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this State of Salvation through Iesus Christ our Saviour And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Lives end AS the Compilers of the Catechism did very wisely begin with a Question and Answer about your Christian Name to the End that at the mention thereof you might take occasion to consider the great Obligation which lies upon you to live according to that most Holy Religion which under that Name you have received so in Commenting upon that Question and Answer about your Christian Name I have given you my self some preparatory Admonitions accordingly to make that good Use of those Instructions shall be given you from your Catechism as to live suitably to them And being thus well prepar'd I hope to receive Benefit from what shall hereafter be deliver'd what remains but that I proceed to Instruct you in all the Material Parts of the Christian Religion to the Belief and Practice of which you have given up your Names This by the Assistance of God I shall endeavour to do and I beg your Prayers to obtain his Assistance and in the same Method your Catechism teaches you Our Catechism gives an entire Instruction in the Covenant of Grace both generally and particularly and I am sure I cannot choose a better to do it in since whatsoever is necessary to be Believ'd and Practis'd in order to Salvation you have therein taught you both generally and particularly As to a more General Institution you have the summ and substance of the Christian Religion and whatsoever is necessary to Salvation taught you that way in those Three Questions and Answers which I have now read to you The summ and substance of Christian Religion I. Generally in the 3 First Questions and Answers and whatsoever is necessary to Salvation is certainly contain'd within the Covenant of Grace for undoubtedly there can be nothing more of absolute Necessity to Salvation than what God himself has been pleas'd to Promise and Ensure unto us and we our selves have Engag'd to perform And now in these Three Questions and Answers now read to you First You have whatsoever pertains to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace expresly deliver'd I will instance to you the particulars which pertain to the Nature of it and will point to the Words wherein they are taught And in the first place you are Instructed what are the Terms and Conditions whereof it consists both on God's Part and on Ours in these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven which are the Mercies and Favours made over to us on God's Part of the Covenant and in these First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That I should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life which are the Conditions to be perform'd on our Part of the Covenant Secondly You have here taught you the Gracious Importance of this Covenant we are put thereby into A State of Salvation Thirdly You have an Account of the Original of it and by whose Mediation you obtain'd so Beneficial and Gracious a Covenant taught you in these Words Through Jesus Christ our Saviour It was through the Mediation of Jesus Christ that we obtain'd the Benefit of so Gracious a Covenant Fourthly You are Instructed by whom and how you have been call'd into this State of Salvation by Means of the Covenant of Grace It was your Heavenly Father who hath call'd you to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And Lastly You are Admonisht of the very great reason you have to thank God and our Saviour Jesus Christ for so exceeding great a Mercy as his Calling you into it And I thank God our Heavenly Father that he hath call'd me to this State of Salvation thro' Jesus Christ our Saviour Thus far you are Instructed concerning what pertains to the Nature of the Covenant II. You have also declar'd unto you by what Sacrament or Solemnity you first enter'd into it It was in your Baptism wherein you was made a Member of Christ c. III. You have then those vast Obligations lying upon you Faithfully and Conscientiously to discharge your part of the Covenant laid plainly before you This you own in your Answer to this Question Dost thou not think that thou art bound to Believe and to Do as they have promis'd for thee To which you are taught to Answer Yes verily so I will IV. You have farther yet the Means whereby you shall be enabled to perform your Part of the Covenant The First is the Grace Help and Assistance of God And by God's Help so I will The Second Means both to obtain the Divine Assistance and to enable you thereby to discharge your Covenant is Prayer unto God And I Pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Lives end And Lastly You have also Intimated herein Two material Circumstances relating to the making of this Covenant betwixt God and You viz. 1. The time of Infancy wherein you enter'd into it imply'd in these Words Wherein I was made 2. The Persons by whom as Proxies you were Initiated therein My Godfathers and Godmothers did promise and vow three Things in my Name I will endeavour to Explain all these Points unto you in this First and General Part according as they are here taught you
Redemption of his Soul is precious Psal 49.7 And what now shall be done to rescue Mankind out of this miserable State Why Man being himself uncapable to make it by less than suffering an everlasting Punishment when unhappy Man was in this desperate and forlorn Condition past all hopes of Remedy or Recovery then did God's unspeakable Goodness choose to appear for to the wonder of Men and Angels he does himself find out this way to raise us out of the Abyss of Misery into a State of Happiness again that he So loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life Joh. 3.16 So infinitely great I say were the Mercies of God to us The Son of God undertook and so admirable was his Wisdom in the Expression of 'em that he himself contriv'd when no one else could this Expedient for our Deliverance out of this desperate and forlorn State First I. To satisfy for the Breach of the First Because his Justice must be satisfy'd for the Breach of his Covenant and yet on the other side he would not have us Eternally punish'd he therefore gave his own Son to Dye in our stead and by the infinite Merit of his Sufferings to make Satisfaction to infinite Justice which we could not so 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be Sin or a Sin-offering for us who knew no Sin II. To Cancel it and in its stead to make a Covenant of Grace consisting of conditions performable in our fallen State that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And then Secondly Because it was impossible to be Sav'd by the First Covenant which required Unsinning Obedience which we in our fallen State could not perform he gave him therefore to Cancel the First Covenant and by his Blood-shedding to Purchase for us a Second whose Terms and Conditions being more possible and easy we might be capable of obtaining Salvation under it Hence is he styl'd The Mediatour of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 And his Blood call'd The Blood of the New Covenant or the Blood by which the New Covenant was purchas'd and which was shed for many for the Remission of Sins Matth. 26.28 And the Terms and Conditions of this Second Covenant Wherein Repentance Faith and a sincere Obedience is accepted instead of a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience being no more a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience Repentance is henceforward to be admitted as a Means of Reconciliation and a sincere Obedience to the best of our Power will be accepted and Faith in God and in Jesus Christ accompany'd with Living like those who Believe the Gospel shall be henceforward imputed to our Justification so that we shall have our Sins pardon'd and be receiv'd to Happiness This in short was the Tenour both of the First Covenant made with Adam and the Second procur'd for us by the Mediation of Jesus Christ Not to speak here of the different Measures and Degrees of its Promulgation nor of that Legal Covenant whereof Moses was the Mediatour and was made only with the People of Israel and was annex'd as an Appendix and Codicil to this Covenant of Grace for Reasons too many and too large now to be consider'd For tho' to shew how that the whole Promulgation of this gracious Covenant was not made all at once but that it seem'd good to the Divine Wisdom that so stupendious and grand a Scene of Mercy should not be open'd but by degrees tho' to shew this I say and the several Reasons of adding this Legal Covenant to the Covenant of Grace may be useful Points of Divinity to be explain'd in their due time yet I look upon 'em as none of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ but rather part of that Strong Meat spoke of Heb. 5.14 which belongeth to them who are of full Age and have been already competently well instructed and and so to be no proper Matter of Catechetical Doctrine To proceed therefore and in a word we may consider the Second Covenant not as such indeed which is made betwixt a Master and his Servant wherein the Master engages to allow Meat Drink and Wages on Condition the Servant will perform unto him such and such Services which are just and reasonable and the Servant is capable to perform which expresses more the Nature of the Covenant of Works Do this and Live But rather for this comes nearer to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace between God and us which is full of advantageous and profitable Considerations on our side we may rather compare it It resembles Articles of Accomodation made thro' the Intercession of a Prince's Eldest Son betwixt him and his Rebellious Subjects I say to an Accord made betwixt a Gracious Prince and his Rebellious Subjects as suppose some City or State wherein the Prince is graciously pleas'd through the Intercession of some great Favourite to grant unto those his Subjects not only Pardon of their former Crimes but moreover certain great Priviledges and Freedoms Protection and several particular Favours Lands and Possessions and the like on Condition they will thence-forward Renounce and Forsake all his Enemies and place no farther Trust nor Confidence in 'em and will not Disobey him for the future in any of his just and reasonable Commands but pay him a true and faithful Obedience to all his Laws And much of the same Nature I say is the Covenant of Grace made betwixt God and all Christians thro' the Mediation of his only Son only with this difference That on God's part the Benefits and Advantages are of most infinite Value which are made over to us his Rebellious and Disobedient Subjects and this upon the most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he affords us by the Vertue of the same Covenant to perform ' em For Almighty God in the first place vouchsafes us in this Covenant to be made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven which are Mercies and Priviledges of invaluable Benefit and Advantage to us And we on the other side Engage and Promise but to Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh to Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith to Obey God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of our Life which I say are most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he will afford us to enable us to perform ' em This will very clearly appear by that time I have Explain'd to you distinctly and severally the Terms and Articles of this Covenant both the Advantages made over to us on God's part and the Conditions to be perform'd on ours as they are taught you in the Words now read to you And it is a Subject indeed that does extreamly concern you
â—s to the fitâ—ess of the â—eason he is â—exterous in Accomodateâ—ng his Counâ—els his Actiâ—ns and his â—anner of â—cting to such Seasons as are most proper to his Purpose of seducing Mankind Nor Thirdly Is Satan less Subtle in Distinguishing which are the most fit and advantagious Seasons of sowing his Tares of corrupt Doctrines in the Field or Church of Christ Indeed his great Dexterity and Policy is eminently seen in suiting his Counsels his Actions and his manner of Acting to such Seasons as are most proper to his Purpose of Seducing Mankind And tho' it be his constant and perpetual Endeavours to Exercise his utmost Enmity against the Seed of the Woman and to Establish his Kingdom amongst Men Yet to fit his Counsels to proper Seasons to suit 'em to the several Ages of the Church to the Studies and Dispositions and Occupations of Men that so he may commit no Blunder in his Politicks is his great and mighty Care and Cunning. Of which amongst other Instances that might be given I will choose but One. In the dark and ignorant Ages of the Church which were from about the Ninth Century till towards the Time of the Reformation when Men's Studies and Dispositions savour'd wholly of Superstition we hear of nothing so much in the Stories of those Times as of the Apparitions and Visions Hence in dark and ignorant Ages nothing so common as the Apparitions of Saints as was pretended to introduce the belief of Purgatory Image Worship and the like Superstitions that the Founders of their several Orders and superstitious Doctrines did receive Insomuch that no New Order of Monks and Fryars nor any New Doctrine of Purgatory Image-worship Prayers to Saints or any Pilgrimage to the Shrine of some Saint departed was to be Invented but either the Virgin Mary or some other Saint is said to have Appear'd and to have Appointed it And as Legendary and Fabulous as were the Histories of those Times I am apt to Believe there were such Apparitions as I am throughly perswaded that Samuel did Appear to Saul But then as it was not really Samuel himself for his Body was in the Grave and his Soul in Paradise and it was not in the Power of the Witch of Endor to Raise up the One from the Dust much less to Recal the Other out of Heaven but the Devil who did assume Samuel's Shape So it is more than probable he might appear in the Resemblance of the Blessed Virgin and Others to seduce the superstitious People of those Times into Idolatrous Practices who throwing aside the Scriptures Gave heed to Fables and Doctrines of Devils It was infinitely then the Interest of his Kingdom so to do But pray Observe his different Policies at this Day And in learned and Philosophical Ages he is as shy in appearing lest he should destroy the prevailing Sadducism Now we live in a Learn'd and Inquisitive Age wherein Men are naturally very suspicious and not easy to Believe what they do not see And therefore partly through such an incredulous Temper of Mind and partly through a Spirit of Atheism and Sadducism now Reigning many like the Sadducees of Old will Believe no Spirits And therefore now we do very seldom hear of any Apparition and the Atheist cannot obtain One tho' he desires it and would go many Miles to see One. The Reason is plain Should the Devil appear to him it would convince him there are those Invisible Powers which now he denies and therefore Satan who is so Politick will be as backward to appear now as he was forward then Because it is as much his Interest to detain Men in Atheism and Sadducism in this as in Superstition in former Ages Fourthly IV. As to the skilfulness of the Seedsman Satan is wonderfully cunning in making choice of fit and proper Instruments and in furnishing those with the proper Arts of Deceiving and with suitable Qualities whom he employs to sow the Seed of corrupt Doctrine in the Souls of Men. And that there may be nothing wanting to compleat his Delusions Satan is wonderfully cunning in making choice of fit and proper Instruments and in furnishing those out both with all the plausible Arts of Deceiving and also with suitable Qualities whom he employs to sow the Tares of corrupt Doctrines in the Souls of Men. This the Holy Spirit is particularly careful to Inform us of and to Forewarn us against 'em especially 2 Cor. 11.14 where the Apostle tells us That As Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light which he is when under the plausible Appearance and Colour of Advancing God's Honour in some of his Attributes and of setting up Gospel-Truths as he would have 'em taken to be he does Introduce Heresies and Vile Practices into the Church that do most effectually undermine God's Authority amongst Men and wholly Overthrow all Reverence to him So that those Teachers his Agents who do Infuse any of his false Doctrines into Men's Hearts Are deceitful Workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ ver 13. They are deceitful Workers Teaching the Doctrines of Christianity by Halves sometimes Advancing Morality and a Virtuous Life with the Neglect if not with the Contempt of and in opposition to an Orthodox and sound Faith sometimes on the other side placing all Religion in Believing aright concerning God and Christ and decrying the Interest of Good Works in our Justification before God And to the End they may be the better fitted to Deceive he is not wanting to Furnish out his Instruments with all the most plausible Arts of Deceiving And their deceitful Working is usually in the very same manner as the Devil 's was That wicked Spirit would have Tempted our Saviour desperately to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple and to presume upon God's working of a Miracle to preserve him in so doing And to Encourage him therein he quotes a Text of Scripture which is in Psal 91.11 12. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee and they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy Foot against a Stone In the Quotation of which Place of Scripture you may observe he leaves out what makes against him which are these Words To keep thee in all his Ways The Words Entire are He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all his Ways meaning That so long as a Man keeps himself in the Ways of God and in the Use of those due Means which he has prescrib'd he will not fail to Preserve him And in the very same manner do most Heretical Deceivers delude the World They will pretend the highest Veneration and Respect for Scripture and none are so apt to quote it for every Thing they say as they But then if you observe them they either leave out such Expressions as make against them or consider not the Scope and Meaning thereof with reference to the Context and Meaning of the foregoing and
were obliged by their Baptismal Vow to forsake those and the like Heathenish Customs for to such this Vow did particularly relate so they did presently beat them down wherever the Christian Religion prevail'd insomuch that in few Ages there were not the least Foot-steps thereof remaining And so must you likewise vigorously withstand all Customs that are Immoral wherever and by whomsoever and how long soever they have obtain'd Such only as are Immoral are to be Renounced I do say All Customs that are Immoral For I do not mean that a Christian must turn Cynick a dogged and sower Lump of Earth surly and uncivil and quarrelling with the innocent Modes of Humane Society That is as much a Fault on the other side to think that Christianity the calmest and the sweetest Religion in the World does oblige Men to ill Manners But those Customs the Force of whose Temptations I would have you all to Resist and utterly to Renounce are such as I before mention'd and which are apparently sinful and wicked either tending to lessen the Guilt of Sin or to make it none at all I am sensible there is something of Difficulty in this Part of our Warfare above any other Barely to refuse Compliance with but much more to oppose Evil Men in their sinful Customs and Practices will mightily provoke their Indignation He sails against the Wind that does so and swims against the Stream He shall have Multitudes will thwart him and will load him with hard Reproaches will call him singular and precise Fool for his Pains and what not He must have a great deal of Courage that opposes a Multitude in doing Evil or will not comply with 'em in it But such must the Souldier of Jesus Christ be One that dares Incur the greatest Displeasure rather than shrink from his Duty and One that will not be afraid to shew his Dislike of any vicious Customs when there is just Occasion for it And this indeed is true Courage The greatest Courage required to this Part of a Christian's Warfare to despise all Opposition in the way of Duty and he that can Unconcernedly pass through a Multitude Reproaching and Vilifying him for his Pains in Pursuit of Vertue is more Heroick and Brave than he that with his Sword in his Hand cuts open a way to the Taking of a Fort. He that Reproves a Sin or Renounces an Ungodly Custom may have more of true Fortitude than he that Pushes on through drawn Swords for it is a sign he fears not those Weapons which wound deepest an embitter'd and envenom'd Tongue It is plain beyond all Contradiction I do think Cowardice the Cause of Complying with the Custome of Duelling or any other Custom of Sinning that when Men in Opposition to their Inclination and Reason and Religion dictating the contrary do comply with others in Drinking of Healths to Excess in profane or loose Talk or the like It is plain I say that it is out of fear of Reproaches and for want of Courage that Men do thus Sin Nay I dare be bold to affirm however like a Paradox it may appear to some That it is out of Fear and for want of true Courage that Men fight Duels when they are Provokt or Affronted They are afraid that if in Compliance to our Saviour's Doctrines of Meekness Patience and Forbearance they should put up Affronts they would be Reproacht and Scorn'd by the Multitude and be term'd Cowards and therefore do desperately but enough against their secret Inclinations I dare say betake themselves to this Barbarous and Fool-hardy way of shewing themselves Men of Honour But true Courage and Bravery Philosophy and Religion and the sober Reason of all wise Men tell us will despise the vain Opinions of the Unthinking and Impious Croud which for the most part are in the wrong and will steddily pursue what is Vertuous and Fit and Reasonable and Religious notwithstanding the foolish Reproaches of the Many So that to retain One's Integrity and Vertue and an unpolluted Conscience in the midst of common and prevailing Customs of Sin and Vice I dare be bold to assert the Noblest and most Heroick piece of Courage And accordingly it will be Rewarded with a Noble Testimony by our Blessed Saviour when to have his Testimony will be beyond the Applauses of the whole World To Renounce and Oppose the Irreligious and Profane Customs of wicked Men is an Eminent piece of Christian Confession and He who Confesses him before Men the same will the Son of Man Confess Own as his Faithful Servant and Applaud as a Noble Confessor before the Angels of God Luk. 12.8 And let this suffice to have spoken concerning the wicked Men of the World that you must so far Renounce both them and their wicked ways as Never to become Tempters your selves of others to Sin nor to yield your selves a Prey to other Men's Temptations but must utterly refuse Conformity to them and all their ways whereby they would have you Offend God and Violate your Covenant with him and your Vows in Baptism and thereby Forfeit all your Title and Hopes of Happiness THE Nineteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh HAVING fully Survey'd the World and all therein contain'd that is fit to be Renounc'd by every Christian And having also Represented to you those Temptations which are given by the wicked World and how we must Resist them I come now to Explain unto you what is to be understood by the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and to shew you how much it behoves Christians to Renounce and to Despise them And First We will consider the Pomps And Secondly The Vanity of this wicked World And First As to Pomps these as they were part of the Pagan Idolatries So they were what the Primitive Christians were more particularly concern'd to Renounce But however since the same Renunciation of the Pomps of this World is still retain'd in our Church tho' the very same Things which were at first meant thereby are perhaps become Obsolete and out of Use in Christendom And yet it is not to be suppos'd but that our Church had respect to something still in Use in the Christian World as fit to be Renounc'd under that Title by every Disciple of JESUS I shall therefore together with a short Account of the Meaning of Pomps in the Sence they were Renounc'd by the Primitive Christians take care especially to shew you what amongst us is most Analogous to the ancient Heathenish Pomps and bears such a near Resemblance to 'em as to render these our modern Pomps fit also to be Renounc'd by every Christian And First I. Thereby were anciently meant those pompous Spectacles Plays and Scenical Representations exhibited in the Roman Theaters By Pomps were Anciently meant in the Opinion of our Learned and Excellent Dr. Hammond those
much upon this one Article of Renouncing the Devil c. And so I have at length done with this no less Important than Copious Subject the Renouncing of the Devil the World and the Flesh It may seem indeed as if I have been too long upon the Explication of one single Article of our Covenant viz. the Renouncing of the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and All the Sinful Lusts of the Flesh But if it be considered that half the Business of our Christian Religion is performed in Resisting the Enemies of our Salvation it will not be a Matter of blame that I have been so long upon this Point especially in Instructing of Youth about it who ought to be very well fore-arm'd in order to their coming off Conquerors The truth of it is this Renouncing of the World the Flesh and the Devil that is the Resisting and Overcoming of all their Numerous Host of Temptations is the Christian's Warfare and great Work For as the Holy Scriptures do in a multitude of Texts Represent our State as a State of Warfare Fight the good Fight of Faith lay hold on Eternal Life for hereunto ye have been called before many Witnesses 1 Tim. 6.12 That is we Listed our selves in this Warfare at our Baptism in the Presence of the Church of Christ As our State I say is a State of Warfare against all these Spiritual Enemies so it does infinitely concern all of us to know as far as is possible All their Arts and Stratagems to deceive us and this I hope will be a sufficient Apology that I have been so improportionably long to what I have and shall be upon other Heads in shewing you what it is and how far you must Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE XXII Lecture Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith HAving largely Explain'd the first Condition of Life and Happiness and shew'd you what I conceive is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh I come now to do the like as to the Second Condition upon which we are to expect to be Justify'd to have our Sins Pardon'd and eternal Life and Happiness conferr'd upon us and which we have also Covenanted with God to do and that is that we Believe all the Articles of our Christian Faith In order to the Explication of which Point 1. I will declare to you the General Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be believed 2. I will shew you What it is to BELIEVE those Articles or Christian Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And 3. I will shew you how we must Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith And that I am to declare to you something in general Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature concerning the Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed The whole Bible both Old and New Testament is the proper Object of a Christians Faith The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both and whatever we find therein Recorded or deliver'd down to us we are to believe as a Divine Certain and Infallible Truth because all things therein contain'd are the Word of him who will not who cannot Lie who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will he deceive others As to the Old Testament and the the Old Testament and the Writings of the Prophets Jehosophat in a Solemn Assembly of the whole People upon a Solemn Fast-day 2 Chron. 20.20 Proclaimed unto them stood up and said Hear me O Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall you be Established believe his Prophets so shall ye Prosper And let the Declarations of God Recorded therein be of what Nature they will the Truth of them is by no means to be called in doubt If you will not Believe surely ye shall not be Establish'd Isa 7.9 And so likewise as to the New Testament New Our Saviour upon his entrance to preach the Gospel did in the first place require of all Men to Believe it Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and Believe the Gospel Mark 1.14 15. And when he was also leaving the World and Commission'd his Disciples to go into all the World and to preach the Gospel to every Creature He declar'd that he that Believeth shall he Saved but he that Believeth not shall be Damn'd Mark 16.15 16. So that both the Old and New Testament and every part and parcel of Scripture therein contain'd is firmly to be Believ'd as the Divine Certain and Infallible Truth of God And the reason thereof as to the Old Testament is because Prophecy came not in Old time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 And we are also firmly to Believe all the parts both of Old and New indifferently because all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 All the parts of it are the Dictates and Word of God himself and are more or less Useful to our Edification and Improvement in Divine Knowledge Faith and Practice And therefore all Ranks and Degrees of Men and of every Age Young as well as Old ought diligently to Study and firmly to Believe the Holy Scriptures The Bereans did so and they were accounted the more Honourable for so doing The Bereans were more Noble than those in Thessalonica in that they Received or Believed the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily Act. 17.11 And it is Recorded to the Immortal Honour of Timothy 2 Ep. 3.15 that from a Child he had known the Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Well but tho' all Scripture as being the Infallible Word of him who neither can be deceived himself nor will deceive others does Challenge the Belief of every Christian yet among the great multitude of Truths of various Kinds deliver'd in the Scriptures some are of far greater Importance and Concernment to us than others Some Truths Revealed in Scripture of greater Importance and Concernment to us than others because they do more immediately and directly tend to give us due and worthy Apprehensions of God and to Instruct us in the only sure Method of Salvation by Jesus Christ There are some Principal Doctrines of Christianity which are in their own Nature apt to have a greater Influence
sincerely labouring to mortifie every Sin and to perform an uniform Obedience to God and from every Fall rising again by Repentance And thus if we Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and Walk in the same all the Days of our Life we shall not fail to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And thus I have fully explained to you all the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace both on God's part and on ours both what it is to be a Member c. and which are the Mercies and Favours made over to us therein on God's part and what it is to Renounce the Devil c. which are the Conditions to be performed on ours My next Task must be and then I shall give you a full account of all that pertains to the Nature and Substance of the Covenant of Grace to shew you what a happy state of Salvation this is to be in such a gracious Covenant with GOD By whose Mediation we obtained it By whom and how we are called into it And lastly what infinite Thanks we owe to God for Calling us into this state of Salvation All which Points we have taught us in these Words And I thank God our heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour THE XXIV Lecture And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that He hath Called me to this State of Salvation through Iesus Christ our Saviour I Have already in order to a full Explication of all that pertains to the nature of the Covenant of Grace given you an account of the Terms and Conditions of it both on God's part and on ours as they are laid down and taught you in your Church-Catechism The Invaluable Priviledges on God's part made over to you therein as you are taught in your Catechism and I have explained 'em to you are first That you are therein made Members of Christ secondly Children of God and thirdly Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And those Conditions to be performed by us our part of the Covenant are That we should first Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That we should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That we should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Life And what each several Article in this your gracious Covenant doth mean and import I have hitherto according to the best of my Skill been explaining to you And now if there be any thing farther necessary to a full and compleat Explication of the Nature of this Covenant it must be this in the second place to shew you How that thereby you are restored to a state of Salvation Thirdly By whose Mediation you obtained so gracious a Covenant and are put thereby into a state of Salvation It was through Jesus Christ our Saviour Fourthly By whom and how we have been Called to this state of Salvation It was our Heavenly Father who hath called us to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And lastly What infinite reason you have heartily to thank Almighty God our Heavenly Father that he hath Called you to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath Called me to this State c. And as all these Points are fairly taught you in these Words of your Catechism so in commenting upon these I will by God's Assistance open and explain these several Points to you To proceed therefore in order to a more compleat understanding of the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace let us see Secondly How this Covenant whose Terms and Conditions I have been explaining to you does restore us to a state of Salvation That in the Covenant of Grace we are restored to a â—tate of Salvation Salvation does import a deliverance from Danger or Misery and a State of Salvation does import the being put into a Condition of Safety where one may be safe and secure from Danger and Misery if he please For our understanding therefore how this Covenant of Grace is a means of restoring us to a State of Salvation we must look back and consider how we brought our selves into a State of Danger and Misery before and how by the Covenant of Grace we are put again into a State of Safety and Security if we pelase And to this purpose we must know That God Almighty created Man at first in such a state of Perfection How we brought our selves into a state of Misery before with such an enlightned Mind such a regular Will to the Laws of right Reason and with such obedient Appetites and Affections that he might if he would have continued in perfect Innocency And now making him thus upright and capable to perform such an Obedience God did very reasonably make this Covenant with Man That he should perform a Perfect Exact Vnsinning Obedience and live for ever But upon the least Sin the eating of the Fruit of one Forbidden Tree he should surely die The Event of which Proceeding was that Man hearkning to the Suggestions of the Devil did thereby rebell against his Maker take part with Satan and so did forfeit all his Right and Hopes of Happiness which upon the faithful Performance of his Covenant he would have had was shut out of Paradise and condemned to death as you will see largely described in the third Chapter of Genesis Thus did Man by the breach of his Covenant with God bring himself into a state of Danger and extream Misery How by the Covenant of Grace we are put into a state of security if we please And now here it comes in for us to consider the Second Covenant as that which restores us to a state of Salvation Had the First remained uncancelled and in full force we must have all perished without remedy upon a double account It required an unsinning Obedience and we had sinned It allowed no place for Repentance after Sin and yet we had brought our selves into that State that except we should repent and our Repentance be accepted we must all undoubtedly have perished We were unavoidably therefore bound up by that First Covenant as the case then stood with us to Death and Misery and it was not possible for the Wit of Man to contrive any way to escape it And now when we were in this irrepairable State was God of his own Goodness graciously pleased to cancel the First Covenant blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to the Cross of Christ Col. 2.14 By which place is more immediately meant I must confess his concelling and making void as to any condemning Power in it the Covenant of Works made with the Israelites by the hand of Moses but not so
in our state of Weakness might be capable of performing Who then was so proper to propose to and obtain of the Father such gracious Terms for us as one who was himself Man and so could be sensible of all the Weakness and Infirmities of Man Sin excepted and had experienced himself what was in the Power of Man to perform Why all this does of it self appear to have been considered in the Divine Wisdom and in the Contrivance of Man's Recovery to a state of Salvation through the Mediation of Jesus Christ our Saviour but for our better assurance the Author to the Hebrews does expresly declare it to have been so Heb. 2.17 18. telling us That since he had undertaking to mediate a Peace for us with God that therefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in Things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted By being God he was qualified to be a faithful High Priest in Things pertaining to God and to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People That is as God alone he knew what Satisfaction was sufficient to be offered to God and was fit for him to accept ere he would be reconciled to Sinners and by being Man he was also qualified to be a merciful High Priest for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted That is as Man who is sensible what Temptations and Infirmities we lie under he was more proper to be entrusted with the Appointment of such Terms and Conditions as Man was capable to perform and therefore did prescribe us a Covenant of Grace consisting accordingly of such reasonable and performable Conditions And thus you see also by whose Mediation we obtained such a Covenant of Grace such a state of Salvation viz. that it was through Jesus Christ our Saviour And now Fourthly let us consider The infinite Care of God the Father to call us into it as you are also taught in your Catechism by whom and how you are called to this state of Salvation And truly the same Heavenly Father who granted us and the same Jesus Christ our Saviour who purchased this state of Salvation for us have also most mercifully called us to it And behold and consider first I beseech you what infinite Care our Heavenly Father hath taken in this great Affair to call us to this state of Salvation And we have seen and do testifie says St. John that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World 1 Epist 4.14 And how hath he sent him to save it Why as was long before prophesied Isai 61.1 He put the Spirit of the Lord upon him to preach the Gospel to the Poor he sent him to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of Sight to the Blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable Tear of the Lord Luke 4.18 19. Such was the very earnest Care of the Father that he Commissioned and sent his own Son to envite us his rebellious Creatures and Subjects to lay down our rebellious Arms against him and to embrace those Overtures and Conditions of Mercy and Salvation that he offered to us by the Preaching of the Gospel Nor was the Ever-blessed Son of God less intent upon this Blessed Work 〈◊〉 Ever-blessed Son of God no less intent upon this blessed Work than the Father No sure it was his Meat to do the Will of Him that sent him and to finish his Work John 4.34 It was his Meat and Drink to save Men's Souls and therefore He went about doing good Acts 10.38 Doing good that is executing that Office to which the Father had authorized him in order to the Salvation of Men that Office of Mercy instructing and calling of the World to Repentance and in order to that winning 'em to it by other Works of bodily Charity with which carnal Men are most taken as Curing their Diseases Casting out Devils by the Power of him who was present with him He went about doing good of all kinds but all in order to the good of Men's Souls and he was zealous also to the highest degree in this blessed Work How mightily he importuned us to come into this state of Salvation For good God! with what mighty Importunity and winning Rhetorick did he the Son of GOD address himself to his own foolish Rebellious Subjects to come into this state and to receive freely the Means of Salvation Ho every one that thirsteth cries he as the Evangelical Prophet represents him bespeaking the World Isai 55.1 2 3. come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Money come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price Wherefore do ye spend Money for that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your Soul delight it self in fatness Encline your Ear and come unto me hear and your Soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David It is not to be expressed nor imagined with what mighty Zeal and Persuasion he did himself whilst on Earth pursue this blessed Work of our Salvation Nor was he contented himself whilst on Earth thus to call us into this state of Salvation but moreover when he was to leave the World he provided a Succession of Ministers which he has left behind him He has left a succession of Ministers behind him to do the like to continue to the end of the World to do the same good Office under him for the Salvation of Mankind empowering them with the Gifts of the Holy Ghost to enable 'em to do it effectually As my Father hath sent me so send I you John 20.21 And accordingly has he committed it to our care as he made it his own to Preach the Gospel to Mankind to make known the Love of God as manifested in Christ to the World to receive those that believe into the Covenant of Grace and Society of Christians by Baptism and by this means to call you into a state of Salvation And as he hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation we therefore as the Ambassadors for Christ and as though God did beseech you by us we do pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.19 20. We are perpetually preaching and declaring this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this good Tidings to you we instruct you in the Nature of that Salvation which is wrought for you we direct you to the means of attaining it and with all the powerful Motives drawn from the Word of GOD we do all we can to move you to seek
will punish Faults as well in his Children as others if you profess your selves the Children of such a Father pass the time of your sojourning here in fear is the Inference the same Apostle makes from this Relation of being the Children of God And indeed except we do give up our selves sincerely and faithfully to obey God and in all Points to discharge our Covenant with him we are in effect not the Children of God however Baptized and so in Profession but in reality are the Children of the Devil and from him must expect our Reward So St. John assures us 1 Epist 3.8 9. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil that is he that committeth any act of known Sin is in that so far from being a Child of God that he is a Child of the Devil of whom and not of God he is an Imitator For whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God That is as the Learned Hammond does Paraphrase upon the same place whosoever is a true Child of God keeps himself strictly from every deliberate Act of Sin and the reason is Because that contrary Principle of Regeneration or Sonship from which he is said to be born of God if that continue to have any Life or Energy in it is utterly contrary and incompatible with Sin And then does follow that Characteristical distinguishing Mark he does give of a Child of God and a Child of the Devil shewing the grand difference between one and the other In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God v. 10. In a word to conclude this Argument also As it is almost natural and therefore ever expected that Children should imitate the Life and Manners of their Parents and if they prove dissolute and of loose Behaviour it does usually redound to the Parents disgrace as generally supposed to proceed from slackness of Government so should we who are Children of God be Covenant-Breakers prove lawless and dissolute Livers it will extreamly tend to the Dishonour of our Heavenly Father whose Name is then hallowed amongst Men when we his professed Sons and Servants do dutifully and sincerely fulfill our Engagements to Him but on the contrary is then blasphemed when we live ungodly Lives So that this grand Favour and Privilege of being the Sons of God is another most powerful Argument to render us faithful in our Covenant with Him And so likewise it is Thirdly To be an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven 3. As Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven What restraint will it put upon a young Heir and how careful will it make him to please his Parents when a great Estate is like to descend upon him but yet so that he shall certainly be disinherited of it except he behave himself soberly and regularly and dutifully to those his Parents And if so how infinitely more circumspect and wary and diligent should we all of us be to please our Father which is in Heaven by discharging our Covenant-Engagements to him inasmuch as the Heavenly Inheritance is of infinite more value than an Earthly one can be I shall not stand now to give you a description of that Exceeding Weight of Glory and of those Vast and Immense Treasures of Happiness which are laid up in Heaven for those who shall faithfully perform their Covenant with God I shall only in short shew you that such is the Nature and Constitution of the Covenant of Grace that there is no Hopes nor Expectations of ever obtaining it without a faithful discharge of all our Covenant-Engagements to God and if so then certainly there cannot be greater Obligations possible to the performance of ' em And as to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace surely one would think it were needless to prove that the Conditions of it must be performed or we cannot expect to inherit the Promises This is of the Nature of all Covenants whatsoever which consist of certain Promises and Benefits to be made good on one part not without certain Conditions to be performed on the other And why then should any so fondly expect Justification and Happiness to be conferred upon 'em except they do Repent heartily Believe practically and Obey sincerely the only Conditions of this Covenant Kingdom of Heaven not to be expected but by those who are faithful in their Covenant as has been often shewed Why sure none that look into the Gospel and see and consider how that all along Happiness is only promised to the Obedient can ever expect it upon other Terms But so it is that a sort of Antinomian Hereticks do spread abroad their pestilent Doctrines teaching that Christ by his Sacrifice and Satisfaction for us has purchased Justification and Happiness without any Conditions to be perform'd on our part and that what he has done will wholly excuse us from Duty and Obedience But this is one of the most Antichristian Errours in the World as undermining the whole design of Christ's Coming and his Preaching the Gospel amongst us which was to tie us up to higher Rules of Righteousness than were before given to the Sons of Men. It was infinitely far from the Design of him who came to save and deliver us from the Power and Dominion as well as from the Guilt and Punishment of our Sins to do any thing that should encourage us in Sin and render us secure when at any time we commit it But that which Christ has done for us amounts to this that he has purchased by his Blood-shedding an Abrogation of the First Covenant wherein was no Happiness without an Unsinning Obedience and then has procured for us this most gracious Covenant with these abatements of rigour That we shall have all that unspeakable Bliss and the Inheritance of Heaven conferred on us on condition we shall repent of and forsake our Sins and knowingly and willingly not offend him for the future And a most encouraging Argument this will be to all considering and serious Persons to make 'em faithful and diligent to perform their Covenant No People either Jews or Gentiles ever before us had the like The Jews by the Law of Moses or the meer Covenant of Works had plainly and expresly the Assurances only of a temporal Canaan and the Promises of a peaceable and prosperous Possession thereof to encourage their Duty And the poor Pagans had little Inducements to vertuous living more than the present Tranquility of Mind which arises from the meer exercise of Vertue neither of 'em Considerations strong enough to bear us up against great Temptations to sin and the difficulties in the way of our Duty But this one Consideration of an eternal Weight of Glory an Inheritance laid up in Heaven a Crown of Life infallibly ensured to those who shall be faithful unto Death This is enough to encourage us in Well-doing and
â—feriour and bodily Powers viz. The Affections Lusts and Appeitites to be renounced as they â—ebel against right Reason pag. 239 Business of Religion vs to reduce Man as near as possible to his primitive State of Innocence â—nd Integrity To this purpose of keeping under our Fleshly Lusts it was that our Reason was â—ven us pag. 240 To renounce ALL the sinful Lusts of the Flesh what There must be no one Fleshly Lust suffered â—o reign in us Our business is particularly to oppose Lusts of Temper and Constitution This beâ—ause it is a hard Doctrine to the Carnal Man is much evaded pag. 241 Objection from Rom. 7. cleared We must renounce the Flesh and all its sinful Lusts so as to have an Aversion an Antipathy in our hearts thereunto This the hard Part. pag. 242 243 The reason of having enlarged so much upon this one Article of renouncing the Devil c. pag. 244 LECT XXII Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both the Old Testament and the New pag. 259 Some Instances of such Truths What it is to believe those Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness pag. 261 Our Belief thereof must be operative and practical Such was the Faith of Abraham and of all the Saints And such an operative and practical Principle is Faith whenever the Things believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us pag. 262 263 2. To believe savingly we must apply our selves to Jesus Christ to interceed with God the Father for our gracious Acceptance What to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith 1. To believe them All does import that we must assent to all and every one of those great Articles of Christian Doctrine contained in the Apostles Creed pag. 264 Such as tend to destroy a good Life and send us to other Mediators than Christ to interceed with the Father for its Acceptance no Articles of Christian Faith 2. To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith is to be fully perswaded of all and of every of those single Truths contained in each of those Articles pag. 265 A Heretick may be such by believing only of one of those Truths contained in the Article pag. 266 LECT XXIII 1. What it is to obey God's Holy Will and Commandments The Nature and Measures of Christian Obedience pag. 267 1. Our Obedience must be sincere by being a true and undissembled Service of God opposite to all Hypocrisie or a false and feigned pretence of obeying Him when in truth we serve our own selves does not forbid us all intending our own Advantage in the performance of his Commandments pag. 268 But 1st that Man's Obedience is insincere who together with his Intention of serving God joins another Intention of serving Sin 2dly When he designs some temporal Ends in the practice of Vertue as much or more than he intends God's Service 2. Evangelical Obedience must be entire viz. 1st The Obedience of the whole Man that is In the first place of the Mind and Vnderstanding Secondly of the Will Thirdly of the Affections pag. 269 270 This the distasteful part And therefore endeavoured to be shifted off pag. 271 2dly It must be an Obedience to the whole Law This endeavoured to be evaded by Excuses But in vain 3dly What it is to walk in the same all the Days of our Lives pag. 272 God will not endure a constant Revolution of Sin and Repentance pag. 273 The difference between Evangelical and a Legal Obedience This difference not so great but that our wilful and chosen Sins will put a Barr to our Salvation pag. 274 Some Sins are directly and expresly wilful Some indirectly and interpretatively pag. 275 But the difference is 1st that those who sincerely and entirely obey shall not be called to an account for unchosen and involuntary Sins The first cause of an innocent Involuntariness Ignorance of our Duty Provided it be not wilful 2d Inconsideration Inconsideration excuses 1. When through surprize pag. 276 2. When through natural weariness and the length and strength of a Temptation Lastly When by the violent discomposure of our Thinking Powers our Minds are so disturbed that we cannot think what we do Ignorance and Inconsideration excuse not those Sins 1. Which we have time to understand and observe nor 2. Crying Sins nor 3. Those we do not endeavour against nor lastly Which we are not sorry for pag. 277 The 2d Difference between Legal and Evangelical Obedience That our wilful and more heinous Sins when repented of through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us Remission of Sins upon Repentance the great Doctrine of the Gospel Repentance will be accepted to our pardon for our unknown or secret Sins whether wilfully or unwillingly committed but now forgot though generally repented of 2. For our most known and wilful Sins if particularly repented of pag. 278 And in case of Injury to Man if Restitution be made Of high Dishonour to God and Religion if that be repaired by an eminent Repentance The sum of Evangelical Obedience pag. 277 The sum also thereof according to Dr. Hammond pag. 278 LECT XXIV â—t in the Covenant of Grace we are restored to a state of Salvation How we brought our selves â—nto a state of Misery before How by the Covenant of Grace we are put into a state of security â—f we please pag. 280 â—t by the Mediation of Jesus Christ it was that we obtained such a gracious Covenant whereby â—e are restored to a state of Salvation pag. 281 〈◊〉 infinite Care of God the Father to call us into it pag. 283 〈◊〉 Ever-blessed Son of God no less intent upon this blessed Work How mightily he importuned us â—o come into this state of Salvation He has left a succession of Ministers behind him to do the â—ike This matter of Thankfulness whether we consider 1. The extraordinary Advantage of â—aving God in Covenant with us pag. 284 285 〈◊〉 2. Our singular Happiness therein above the fallen Angels or the rest of Mankind pag. 286 LECT XXV â—ptism what 1. An outward Rite of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn Admission of Persons into the Covenant of Grace pag. 288 〈◊〉 have some outward Rites and Solemnities in Religion agreeable to the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature as being most apt to receive Impressions from sensible Things This especially requisite in the admission into Religious Societies and Covenants The Israelites were initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism pag. 289 â—e Heathens were initiated into their Mysteries by Purgations or Washings Our Saviour chose the latter as what would be acceptable to both Parties Especially as more significative of Christian Purity And this he has enjoined as indispensibly necessary to our initiation into the Covenant of Grace pag. 290 â—ptism appointed the Rite of Admission into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably Sealed to betwixt God and us pag. 291 〈◊〉 gives great Assurance of mutual Performances barely to be in Covenant together pag. 292 LECT XXVI â—he vast Obligations lying upon us both from the Mercies of God and our Baptismal Vow to perform the Covenant of Grace The Obligations thereunto first as Members of Christ's Church pag. 294 â—he Jews chose from amongst the Nations of the Earth to serve God pag. 295 â—hristians chose both from amongst Jews and Gentiles to a more peculiar Holiness pag. 296 〈◊〉 As Children of God Children are bound to the strictest Obedience to their Parents as owing to 'em their Being pag. 297 â—hildren of God as owing both Being and Well-being pag. 298 〈◊〉 As Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Kingdom of Heaven not to be expected but by those who are faithful in their Covenant pag. 299 〈◊〉 As having promised and vowed in our Baptism accordingly to discharge our Covenant with God The matter of a Vow sometimes not a Duty 'till vowed pag. 300 â—ometimes antecedently incumbent upon us and such is the matter of our Baptismal Vow 'T is a provoking Sin to rob God of what has been once Vowed and Devoted to him tho of the former Nature Gods Anger observable upon such occasions pag. 301 â—Tis much more provoking to violate Vows to perform which we are antecedently obliged by the Law of Nature A Vow is much of the nature of an Oath and therefore to violate it is Perjury pag. 302 FINIS