be without sorrow for sin past Humiliation hatred of sin a love of God and desire to please Him 3. This Obedience cannot be performed without the Spirit merited by Christ and restored unto us first to prepare us then to dwell in us by degrees renewing the Image of God and imprinting it upon us 4. We must be in Christ as the Branch in the Vine and be conformed unto His Death and Resurrection before we can perform any obedience acceptable to God so as to tend towards the attainment of Everlasting Life For without me saith Christ ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. And we are God's Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Ephes. 2. 10. It 's one thing to do that which is Morally good as the Heathen might do and be rewarded Temporally another to perform Christian obedience 5. It presupposeth Faith whereby we are united unto Christ and sincere Faith is virtually Repentance and all Obedience and a part and beginning thereof 6. This Obedience is imperfect and defective in the best man living upon Earth and therefore is not the condition of life For if the Moral Law should be in force so as it was to Adam at the first to require and bind man unto perfect and perpetual obedience or else upon one act of Disobedience unto Death no man could be saved Therefore that manner of strict Obligation ceaseth unto sinful man for ever To think that the Promises Threats and Obligation of the Law of Works continue under the Gospel or remain at any time in the Kingdom of God-Redeemer is an errour and a great mistake It 's one thing to bind unto perfect obedience another to bind unto perfect obedience as the condition of life This latter was essential even to the Moral-Law as given to Adam at the first and in that respect it 's truly and properly said that the Law of Works is abâ—ogated The Law binds according to the will and pleasure of the Law-giver and no otherwise If Man perform not perfect obedience and yet be bound unto it he is in the hands of his Judge above the Law to dispose of him as he pleaseth 7. This obedience is performed to God-Redeemer as satisfied atoned and propitiated by the bloud of Christ who hath merited that it should be accepted and rewarded In this respect it 's not proper nay it 's not true to say that God in the Moral Law binds man to perfect or perpetual obedience For so He doth not He binds to perfect and perpetual obedience which he neither doth nor can perform or to punishment suffered by his Saviour and upon Faith in him removable not to obedience and punishment too For time-past Man hath been already disobedient and for time to come he will not be perfectly obedient till the time of glory Yet the Suffering of Christ doth not free man sinning from all suffering For it 's the Will of God that even regenerate men should suffer much for their own sins Yet man's suffering cannot satisfie it may dispose him through the help of God's sanctifying Spirit to Repentance and make him capable of the benefit of that Suffering which hath satisfied the Justice of God who hath accepted it for sinful disobedient Man pleading his Saviours suffering This Obligation of the Law is purely Evangelical and in this respect the Precept and the Condition are of equal extent as well as they were in the time of the Law of Works 8. Faith and Repentance as they are Acts of Obedience in general are commanded in the Moral Law Yet as Faith is in God-Redeemer and Repentance a return to obedience to be performed to God in Christ by the Spirit of Christ they are not to be found in the Law at all as such they are purely Evangelical and conditions of life even to sinful guilty man Though Faith and Obedience as different from Faith be conditions of the New-Covenant yet there is both a difference and an inequality between them as a condition Faith unites us unto Christ from whom immediately by viture of the Promise we derive a right to Justification and so to Life In which respect it may be said to be a Title-Condition that is â—a condition upon which follows immediately a right to Righteousness and Life Faith considered as Faith in general in it self cannot be a Title without reference to Christ's merit and God's Promise For Faith this Faith is terminated upon both and as such and no ways else is Saving The Promise is a kind of Donation of Righteousness and Life as purchased by Christ and God's the Donour and the Believer by his Faith becomes the Doneè Good Works are a condition and all obedience which follows and flows from Faith as distinct from Faith yet virtually included in Faith is so too Obedience is two-fold 1. In Morals 2. In Positives Obedience in Morals and good Works as morally good are a condition not to give a right but to render a man capable of communion with God and make him fit for the possession of that life Christ hath purchased For without Holiliness we cannot see God and except we walk in the light as he is light we can have no communion with him and till our obedience in Morals be perfect we can have no full fruition of him Obedience in Positives is a condition yet neither as giving right nor making man capable but because God's institution makes them binding except in case of necessity wherein God dispenseth with Man This is so far a condition that life follows thereupon if it be joyned with Faith and Obedience in Morals and in case of Contempt life will not follow not be communicable From all this we may understand that there is a twofoâ—dness of the Moral Law Evangelically considered 1. To discover sin 2. To be a Rule of Obedience Thus the Composers of our Liturgie did understand it and that rightly according to the Scripture when they added this short Petition Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law after every Commandement This Petition is two-fold For 1. Pardon of sin that is past 2. For Grace to enable them to keep it for time to come The first includes a confession of sin a Belief in Christ and a Petition for pardon The second an acknowledgment of their inability to keep it a necessity of the sanctifying Spirit a Petition or the same and the end and effect thereof obtained which is to incline their hearts to keep it And after all the Commandements and every particular they desire God to give them a general pardon of all sins against this Law and such a measure of Grace as that they might perform an Universal Obedience For so the Petition runs Write all these thy Laws in our hearts we beseech thee In the next place § XII let us consider what hath been the binding force of it in all times since it was first given to Man To this purpose we must observe many things
absolute Power might have done so yet His Wisdom did not think good to do it neither do we read that he doth it The principal thing to be noted is that this is the principal if not the onely place that speaks of Imputation of Righteousness and this Imputation is Remission of Sinne by a Sentence of the Supream Judge 3 Remission and Justification and Eternal Life is ascribed to the Sacrifice of Christ's Death as the meritorious cause thereof in many other places especially Heb. 9. And Christ is said by one Offering to have perfected that is consecrated the Sanctified for ever Hebr. 10. 14. To be consecrated for ever is to be made compleat Priest to serve the Living God in the Temple of Heaven and to be eternally glorified And this is ascribed to the Death and Offering of Christ. QUESTION III. Whether Justification continued and finally consummate be by Works and not by faith alone as the first Justification is MIne Answer hereunto is negative § XII that neither Justification continued nor finally consummate is by Works but faith onely though that faith be not alone For the Scriptures inform us that there is but one way of Justification of a sinfull man and that is by faith in Christ. For seeing the Apostle determines but two wayes possible the one by Works the other by faith and proves that no man living by Works can be justified in God's sight because all are sinfull no man no not the best without sin no man performs perfect and perpetuall Obedience it seems strange to me that any man should affirm that Justification either continued or finall should be by Works If it be by Works then the reward of Righteousnesse is of debt according to the Law of Works and then it 's not of Grace If it be by works then works must be perfect and such as can endure the severity of God's Justice at our last triall If by works then the worker is so righteous in himself by reason of them that no one can lay any thing to his charge For Justification first and last must look upon man as chargeable with no sin otherwise he will not be justifiable by the most just God But no works of man are such If by works then by faith as a work we may be justified but that cannot be If by works then works may receive Chirst as our Propitiatour and Intercessour But that 's the proper act of faith If by works then we receive not the reward of righteousnesse and eternall Glory as merited by Christ and derived immediately from Christ to us as believing on him and renouncing all righteousnesse in our selves If by works then our finall Justification is not a Remission of sin If by good works then our good works may be pleaded in the title unto righteousnesse and eternal life before the Tribunal of God But the Promise it self and the Reward promised were merited by Christ and God promiseth this righteousnesse and reward for Christ's sake and for his sake alone and he promiseth it unto him and onely unto him that resteth upon Christ and Christ alone for it and pleads Christ's merit and onely Christ's merit upon the promise of God If by good works then good works can expiate our sins and satisfy for our evill works If by works then there is some promise made in the Gospel to justifie us by them and as righteous through them and so righteous that we need not plead Christ or remission upon Christ's propitiation But there is no such promise in the Gospel The Law indeed saith Do this and live But the Gospel saith Confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9. If by works then why doth the Apostle say By Grace you are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works c. Why might he not as well have said By Grace ye are saved through faith and works It was as easy for him to say the one as the other The power to do good works and our doing of them is a reward derived from Christ by faith For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Ephes. 2 8 9 10. After that we are once ingrafted into Christ Jesus we derive all the good from first to last whether for duty or reward from him All the vertues which we have all the good works which we do on earth or in heaven presuppose us in Christ and justified by and for his merits All good works of regenerate persons are virtually in faith receiving Christ and no such faith continuing can be without good works It is certain that as God in the Gospell commands good works commends such as do them promiseth rewards unto Well-doers â—o he will in his last Judgment justifie good Works and the doers of them so as Wisdom is justified of her Children But this Justification is onely Approbation whereby man may justify God as well as God justify man in this manner Therefore we must needs say that as good Works are commanded by God pleasing unto God so they are approved and rewarded of God They so farr as good prevent future guilt take away no former guilt do evidence our faith and Title unto everlasting Glory strengthen our union with Christ because they strengthen faith confirm our hope glorify God give good example unto men make us more capable of Communion with God tend towards the possession of Glory distinguish us from the prophane and hypocrites give some content to our Consciences and there is a kind of happinesse in the doing of them and in the remembrance of them done Blessed are they who alwayes abound in them For they know that their labour is not in vain in the Lord. Yet Bellarmin though a great advancer of Merit thought it not onely safe but the safest Way to put our whole and sole trust not in these our good Works but in Christ. But it is not onely the safest but the onely way so to do if we would be justified before God To say that good Works are a condition of the Covenant of Grace we shall be judged according to our works remission of Sin is promised to such as forgive others and that such as love God fear him serve him do his commandements shall be rewarded and have eternall life therefore We are not justified by faith alone but by good works also is no good arguing If the Sequel be denied as it must be no wit of man can prove it and make it good They may be a condition of the Covenant yet not such a condition as faith receiving Christ as Propitiatour and Advocate and resting upon God's Promise in him alone and such must of necessity be that condition whereby we are justified and stand blamelesse and without Spot before the Throne of God Though we shall be judged according to our works it
differs in many things from all other Books especially in respect of the Authority thereof which is primarily Divine in the Original Copies secundarily in the Transcripts and Translations These sacred Writings are learned and known several ways and by several means of men that are not infallibly directed further then they follow the Scriptures rightly understood And by these especially Ministers by whom God speaks to men another way they are taught several ways in a certain order How these must be heard understood applyed so as the Hearer may attain to a Divine Faith and a Saving Knowledge Where something of the Tradition of the Church CHAP. III. The Doctrine of this Kingdom is contracted by Christ and His Apostles as such is the ground of all the Apostolical Creeds and Confessions all agreeing in method and matter The manner of the handling of the subject in this Treatise is different from that of ordinary Systems Catechisms and common places where something is said of Faith in general and of Divine Faith A Confession taken out of Tertullian CHAP. IV. Of the Divine Essence and Attributes How God's Essence is intelligible and how represented to us by certain Attributes What Attributes are and certain Rules concerning them The imperfect definition of God including all the Attributes CHAP. V. The Attributes in particular The distribution of them into Greatness Goodness In the Greatness unity infiniteness Infiniteness in Immensity from which ariseth His Incomprehensibility Vbiquity and in Eternity CHAP. VI. God's goodness being one and infinite is known by his excellent and most eminent Acts and Vertues of his Vnderstanding Will Power as His most excellent Knowledge and Wisdom the integrity of his Will and the perfection of his power CHAP. VII The Father Son and Holy Ghost their unity order distinction They are not Three Persons in that sense as Men or Angels are called persons The vanity of the Socinian Argument against the Trinity grounded upon the word person strictly taken How the Soul may be said to be an Image and imperfect resemblance of the Father Son and Holy Ghost CHAP. VIII God considered in his Regal Capacity in respect of his power acquired by Creation and continued by preservation How God is a cause of all things by his Counsel contriving Will decreeing Power actually producing The knowledge of GOD in respect of things out of Himself His Decrees free wise unchangeable The cooperation of the Persons their distinct manner of working The Creation in general the special Creation of Man The Conclusions deducible from this Principle God created Heaven and Earth and all things therein By this Work God hath a propriety in all things and may dispose of them and order them to the ends whereunto He hath made them ordinable Hence his supream universal absolute power How all things created are preserved and ordered Ordination in general the first act of God's Power acquired and continued CHAP. IX The Exercise of God's Power in general CHAP. X. The special Ordination and Government of the Intellectual and Immortall Creatures Angels Men. The government of Angels constituted administred according to certain Laws Judgment whereby some being obedient were confirmed rewarded Others disobeying rebelling and forsaking their station were punished and cast out of God's presence reserved for greater punishments in the end of the World CHAP. XI The special Government of Man which is two-fold 1. Of Justice without Christ. 2. Of Mercy in Christ. The constitution of the first Model The administrations Laws Moral Positive considered as a rule of Man's obedience God's Judgment CHAP. XII The Judgment of God-Creatour passed upon Man according to the Laws of Creation and strict Justice The Object of this Judgment 1. Man obedient rewarded with the continuance of a comfortable condition in Paradise 2. Sinning Sin in general is a disobedience to God's Laws The degrees and the consequents thereof The first sin of our first Parents in particular The causes of it The effects thereof before Judgment CHAP. XIII God's judicial proceeding against Adam Eve the Serpent Satan Their Convention Conviction Sentence Execution More particularly God's Sentence passed upon the old Serpent the Devil In which God new models his Kingdom of mercy in Christ promised and gives Man hope of Pardon and everlasting comfort CHAP. XIV The Penalties more particular both Bodily and Spiritual publike private Temporal Eternal all signified by Death to which Sin made man liable yet all by Christ removable CHAP. XV. Original sin what it is Whether it be properly so Whether Concupiscence in persons baptized be such in proper sense The derivation of Original sin Whether it be derived by Propagation or the just Judgment of God or both CHAP. XVI The principal Attributes of God manifested in this Judgment as Holinesse Justice especially Mercy in the manifestation whereof he exercised his transcendent power above the former Constitution and Laws LIB II. CHAP. I. THe Coherence of this Book with the former The difference of the two Models both the former and latter The acquisition of a New Power by the Word made Flesh and annointed taking upon him the form of a servant and being obedient to the Death of the Cross. A Description of the Redeemer His Person Nature Offices The union and distinction of the two Natures His particular Offices CHAP. II. The Humiliation of the Son of God 1. In taking upon Him the Form of a servant 2. In suffering Death A brief Historical Narration of His Sufferings 1. Before Judgment 2. His Judgment The Preparations of His Tryal His Tryal 1. Before the Ecclesiastical 2. The Civil Judge His Condemnation Execution with the Prodigies which hapned about that time CHAP. III. A more large Discourse concerning the Suffering and Death of Christ. It was an Act of Obedience to His Heavenly Father commanding Him to suffer for the sins of Man whereby He was offended To this Death He became obnoxious not onely by His Fathers Command but His own voluntary submission to be an Hostage and Surety for Man as guilty It was a Sacrifice offered freely to God as Law-giver offended and as supream Judge The effects of this sacrifice accepted are immediate mediate Immediate Satisfaction of Divine Justice and Merit What He merited for Himself what for Man How the benefit of this Sacrifiâ—â— became communicate from Christ as a Representator General and the Will of God the great Soveraign Of the extent of this benefit Whether Propitiation is to be ascribed to His active or passive Obedience severally or to both joyntly Whether this Death prevents all punishments or onely the Eternal And if not what punishments it removes The Attributes manifested in this great Work of Humiliation of the Word made Flesh by which a new Power was acquired CHAP. IV. The exercise of the new Power of God-Redeemer in the Constitution of His New Monarchy The Soveraign and Monarch The Subjects the Officers the Administrator-General the Enemies The manner of reducing Man to subjection the nature
shall not ever be totally in Act. For he doth not effect all things which he can but those things which he will He is said to be pure Act in respect of his Essence and eternall acting upon himself And this power as an Attribute is pure act and in that respect is properly actual strength not power physically taken It extends to all things possible and is able to produce them But we must not think that they are possible or producible in themselves but in respect of this power And it 's to be conceived first as able to effect before it actually effect any thing as it actually effecteth all things that are effected It 's the root and originall of all created active Power and all Created causes are effects of it and act as acted and moved by him How it acts and concurrs with free Agents when they sin the Wit of Man cannot clearly understand and satisfie it self But this is certain that as the Decree so the Power is alwayes regulated by the Wisdom and Juctice of God It 's great and irresistible For though men and Angels may disobey his Lawes yet they cannot resist or hinder his power For he is in the Heavens and hath done whatsoever he pleased Psal. 115. 3. And whatsoever the Lord pleased that did He in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and all deep places Psal. 135. 6. Therefore if God promise great things and such as to man may seem impossible we may safely rely upon Him What is said shall certainly be done Thus â—art the Works of God have been considered in respect of the Essence § VIII It remaines that we observe them with respect unto the Father Son and Holy Ghost In this later respect the Authours of Theologicall Systems inform us of two things Their Co-operation Distinct manner of Working The Co-operation is that whereby the Father Son and Holy Ghost concur as one Individual efficient cause of every Work and effect out of themselves In this respect that 's true that Opera Trinitatis ad Extra sunt indivisa What one is said to do all are to be understood to do The Father doth not create without the Word nor was the Word made flesh nor did redeem without the Father nor the Holy Ghost sanctifie without the Father and the Word neither do the Father and the Son any thing without the Holy Ghost For all the Works of God ad extra do necessarily presuppose the immanent necessary acts of the Deity upon it self Yet we must not conceive them as any wayes unequal either in themselves or in their working nor as three distinct agents uniting their forces joyntly to produce one and the same effect For one Individuall Essence must needs if it act be one Individuall Agent in the production of all Creatures and effecting all his works Therefore we find the Creation and other Works of God ascribed as well unto the Word and Spirit as to the Father and for the most part to them all as to one God The manner of their concurrence is that § IX whereby the Father worketh by the Word and Spirit the Son from the Father by the Spirit and the Spirit from them both This doth imply that the manner of their Work is distinct yet it 's very difficult to conceive the distinction or difference We read that the Father doth many things by the Word and Spirit but never that the Word or Spirit did any thing by the Father All things were made by the Word and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1. 3 And by him were all things created and by him all things consist Col. 1. 16 17. And God the Father is said to have made the Worlds by him Heb. 1 2. The Father will quicken our bodyes by his Spirit dwelling in us Rom. 8. 11. And he revealed the deep things of his Gospel by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. And God elected the Thessalonian Christians to Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13. We have some resemblance hereof in the soul of man which being one individuall essence is one individuall agent It conâ—riveth all its works by the counsell of the understanding determines them by his will and is ready to effect them by his active power When it actually produceth any thing the Will commands the understanding directs and the power executeth The Will is first and begins the understanding is the second and goes on the power is the last and finisheth the Work And these three inseparably and individually concur efficiently to produce the effect as one efficient And the Will directs by the understanding and executes by understanding directing the power and by the Power Acting according to the Understanding How Redemption is appropriated to the â—on and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost must be considered hereafter In these things We must be sober and not Curious We must neither confidently affirm any thing as a Divine Truth which is not evident unto us out of the Scripture nor Peremptorily deny any thing because We do not clearly see it in the Scriptures For so the Sadduces deny'd the Resurrection because they could not see it in the Book of God Though it was in that book as our Saviour made it evident These things premised concerning the Works of God in general § X I will proceed to say something of them in particular Though they be many yet may they all be reduced to three heads For they all are either works of Creation of Preservation or of Ordination Some bring these under two heads the first of Creation the second of Providence And by Providence they understand both Preservation and Government But this is but difference in Words The first work whereby the Eternall King did first acquire his power is Creation Which is a Work of God whereby in the beginning he created Heaven and Earth and all things therein This work must be considered Absolutely in it self Respectively as aground of absolute power And in it self Generally Specially in respect of man In it self generally it 's A Work or Act of God yet this Act is not immanent but emanant and transient yet farr different from the Acts of any Creature and from many other Acts of God It had an objâ—ct logically considered no subject existent For the Creature as existent was an effect and not the subject of it As Cameracensis doth distinguish of Predestination That Praedestinatio Activa est Deus Praedestinans Passiva est Res Praedestinata So Creatio activa est Dâ—uâ— creans Passiva Res creata So that in Creation we have God and his Creativity as Occam and Bacon expresse it and the thing created It is a proper Act of God and can be truly affirmed of nothing else if it were not so God by this work could not be distinguished from all other things as by this act we read in Scripture he is The first part of the Creation presupposed no matter
and the other parts no matter immediately capable of a â—orm to be either introduced into it or educed out of it by any agent but by God So that God supplyed wholly all the causes And when we say that God Created all things either mediately or immediately of nothing the word Nothing doth neither signifie the matter nor properly the term of that act but is a Negative and denyes all pre-existent matter in the first part of Creation Neither doth the word Create in Ancient authors signifie to make a thing of nothing as some think it doth Therefore we must learn what Creation is from the Scripture not from this or that word God by this Act did so clearly manifest his eternall power and God-head that it 's evident that he alone is the efficient cause and Maker of the World and that without the advice or assistance of any others and also without any tool or instrument It was a frâ—e act of God For he was no wayes necessitated to make the World or to make it before or after or at that time when he did make it or to produce it in this or that order or manner rather then another For he Created all things and for his pleasure they are and were Created Rev. 4. 11. He Created Heaven and Earth in the beginning The word may signifie the Beginning of time as its the measure of things existing and standing out of their causes in their proper entity Or it may referr to the first part of the Creation teaching us That in the beginning and first of all God created Heaven and Earth which was voyd and without form and afterwards he made Light the Firmament and other things or it may referr unto the whole Creation and signifyes unto us that the first Work of God was the Creation of the World in six dayes And in this sense Creation was the first issuing-forth of his Almighty Power to make and do some things out of Himself This was the Act of Creation § XI and the Effects were all things Created All things joyntly taken together are the World and the principall parts thereof are Heaven and Earth And because Heaven and Earth are not Vacant places as it is written that the Heavens and the Earth were finished with all the Host of them Gen. 2. â— Where the word Host signifies all things in Heaven and Earth And these are called The Host of them 1. Because they are Many 2. Because they were all Created in an excellent order So Paraeus on the place 3. Because they were the Ornament and beauty of Heaven and Earth Thus the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uâ—ed by the Sepruaguit doth signifie By Heaven and Earth some understand by a Metonymie and Synechdoche all things Created as though these first words of the Scripture were an abridgement of the first Chapter of Genesis Others and upon better grounds do interpret Heaven to be the Heaven of Heavens and the Host thereof which is the innumerable multitude of Angells And Earth to be the Masse which was voyd and without form and the first rudiment and Seminary of all things Created-afterwards The first works of Creation therefore were Heaven and Angels The Scriptures tells us that there is an Heaven of Heavens which is sometimes called the Throne and Temple of God the third Heaven the place into which Christ ascended and where he will keep his residence till he come to judge the World No doubt its a Stately Glorious piece a place of Beauty and incomparable delight and therfore called Paradise In it are many Mansions where the Saints of God shall ever rest and enjoy their most excellent Inheritance Yet this highest place which is the Circumference of the World was not Created without the Host thereof which is the innumerable company of Angels These were concreated with the Heavens and are called the Angells of Heaven and by Creation as the Heavens so they are incorruptible and immortall Spirits which once began but shall never cease to live They are endued with a most piercing understanding free-Will and an admirable executive and active Power They were all at first righteous and holy like unto their God and had been for ever blessed as now the Holy Angels he if they had continued subject and obedient to the everlasting King who made them They were made and that in the Beginning as appeares from Psal. 104. 4. They were made before the foundation and Corner-stone of the earth was â—ay'd Job 38. 7. That they were Created long before the World was Jeroms groundlesse conceit And it was Austins fancy to think God made them when he said Let there be Light The Heaven of Heavens with their Host § XII was Created in the Beginning and with them the earth as co-aeval and concreated By Earth as appeares from the Text Gen. 1 2. was not meant this lowest part and Basis of the World as now it is for that was Created the third day but if we may so speak that first draught and imperfect Beeing which was as it were the rudiment and Seminary of this Lower world as distinct from the Heaven of Heavens and all things therein And if any thing may be called the first matter this surely is it which was so imperfect that only the skill and power of God could inform it And he did inform it and out of it made first the Elements and out of them all Mixt bodyes The first Elements was light which may be called the fire which is the purest the most subtil and active of all the rest and soared aloft into the highest place and the nature of it such that it hath great affinity with a Spirit and is next unto it The next was the Firmament which we call the Ayr And it was spread like a Curtain round about the Globe of the Earth and Water and takes up the space between them an the Aethereal light or fire a fit receptacle or subject to receive the Beames of light and being transparent to transmit them to the earth The third was the Water which first covered the earth and stood above the Mountaines but afterwards by the mighty power of God was reduced to the fluid substance which now we see it to be and gathered together into deep and Vast Channels of the earth whence the main Ocean and the narrow Seas and it s diffused into every part of the Earth through secret subterraneal Passages as through so many veines And hence our Springs Rivers Lakes The last the lowest and the dullest Element was the Earth And with it were created Minerals and Vegetables as Grasse Hearbs Plants and all Manner of Trees And with these he first furnished and beautified the earth the third day The Fourth he returns unto the Aetherial Part and creates the Sun Moon and Stars The two first as greater Lights the one for the Day the other for the Night together with the Stars These are the Lights and Lamps placed under the
his sin confess it be sensible of it hate it resolv against it return unto his God rely upon his Saviour who must plead his cause with his own blood and the sinner must be washed in that blood and sanctified by his Spirit before he can be admitted to the Throne of Grace and have accesse unto and acceptation with his God And he must be cleansed fully from all sin before he can enter into Glory and no man must expect eternall life upon other Terms The Mercy § XI Love and free Grace of God appears in that he was willing to save man though a grievous offender that he would transfer the punishment due to us and deserved by us upon another and he must be his onely begotten that must bear it that he doth all this freely when there was nothing out of himself to move him of merit it for us That he should do thus for unworthy Wretches enemies ungodly miserable base polluted deserving to be cast out of his presence and condemned to eternall death Upon the very foresight of our sin and misery he out of love decrees to send his Son and give him unto death and in him elects us and predestinates us unto eternall Glory When man was created had sinned he promiseth Christ renews this promise often in fulnesse of time he sends him and severely punisheth our sins in him accepts his suffering and sacrifice as a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and meritorious of Remission and eternall life He reveales him in the Gospell offers him unto us calls us gives his Spirit and with patience and long-suffering waits for our Repentance abrogates the law of works and promiseth eternall life anew upon fairest terms constitutes him an High-Priest in Heaven and ever hears his Intercession which he ever lives to make for us Nay upon this suffering of Christ foreseen and fore-accepted he gives his Spirit who justifies and saves all Believers of the World who lived before his Incarnation and the finishing the work of Redemption When we cry to him with penitent and believing hearts and come unto our Saviour our sins though many and grâ—evous are pardoned and Christ hath a charge given him to receive us have a care of us protect us guide us raise us up at the last day and give us everlasting life Angells must be ministring Spirits to guard us all things must work together for our good And this is strange The Son of God must be punished that we might be spared must be condemned that we may be justified dy that we may live be humbled very low that we may be exalted very high endure most bitter pains that we may enjoy eternall pleasures and be miserable that we may be for ever happy But what Tongue of Men or Angells is able to expresse the exceeding greatnesse of his Love to us which was the greatest that ever God did manifest Who is able to number and reckon up the particular mercyes and benefits which Christ did merit and we receive by him This Mercy in Christ is to be remembred not onely on earth but to be matter of eternall praise and thanksgiving in Heaven The subject of this discourse is the Acquisition of a new Power § XII and by all this dâ—th appear not onely that another power is acquired and added to that of Creation and preservation but also that it was acquired by the humiliation of the Son of God made Man And now man in respect of his spirituall capacity and eternall estate is wholly Gods and subjected to him anew and now are we not our own for we are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. And Christ hath given himself a Ransome for us 1 Timothy cap. 2 ver 6. And we are redeemed by his pretious Blood as of a Lamb without blemish and immaculate 1 Pet. 1. 19. And as God acquired a new right unto us by Redemption so likewise by Regeneration which is a new creation so that our spirituall being is wholly his and he hath acquired a new power to dispose of us and give us laws and bind us to obedience and his service upon another account For wee are delivered out of the hands of our enemies to serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life This power being acquired we must consider to whom it was acquired and to whom it was communicated God acquired this power unto himself and he communicates it to Christ as man so farr as he is capable That God did acquire it 't is evident for he sent Christ he gave him he transferred the punishment of our sins upon him he accepted his death and sacrifice as a full propitiation He regenerates and renews us by his spirit and gives us our new being And if althese be his works then the Power as also the Glory is his and he hath a new propâ—iety inus For the Word made flesh was his son The work of Redemption and Humiliation of this son was his work Therefore we are said to be purchased by his Blood his own Blood Act. 20. 28. We are said to be his workmanship created anew in Christ Jesus Ephes. 2. 10. All that we are in respect of our spirituall estate we are wholly wholly his and al things that we have as New-creatures are from him who quickned us raised us up set us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Though it be said that Christ is our Lord § XIII our Head our Saviour who hath washed us in his blood redeemed us out of all Nations made us Kings and Priests to God for ever and reconciled us to the Father so that whether we live or dy we are the Lords because to this end Christ both died and revived and rose again that he might be Lord both of the living and the dead Rom. 14. 8 9. Yet God did all this likewise and put him to death and raised him up again and made him Lord and King This power therefore is Christs but so as that it is derived and communicated unto him from his heavenly Father For he gave him power as he himself confesseth over all flesh he exalted him and gave him a name above all names he by his mighty power raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places farr above all principality power and might and Dominion And though he had all power in heaven earth yet he acknowledgeth it as given him The son hath an universal jurisdiction yet all judgment was committed unto him Joh. 5. 22. so that he hath it by commission From all this it 's evident that God acquired this power and Christ acquired it God hath it Christ hath it God hath it originally and primitively Christ hath it derivatively as man and by commission God is the principall cause of the work of Redemption Christ as man united to the Word is the ministeriall agent And as God by Christ did
of Rest. 4. An Holy Rest not a rest from all Works but such as are secular 5. The word Day doth distinguish it from Years and Moneths and Weeks as greater and longer times and from an hour as a shorter measure of time And because it may signifie either a natural day of 24 hours or as it is an artificial day so far as it is a time of work and is opposed to a Night which is a time appointed by God for man to rest in For here it 's differenced from those six days wherein man may labour and do his secular works which also had their several nights and times of rest from the Creation And as our secularâ—work on other days is not confined merely to the time of Light natural from the Sun approaching unto or appearing in our Horizon no more is this Sabbath-Day Yet God did not take from it nor deny man in it a Night as a time of Rest. And men in these things should not be more precise than God would have them to be It 's not material whether we turn it The Sabbath or A Sabbath though The Sabbath is more emphatical and more agreeable to the Hebrew Chaldee Septuagim all which put a double Particle One upon the day another upon Sabbath Remember The Day of The Sabbath This word Sabbath-day doth not determine whether it should be one day in a Year or in a Moneth or in a Week Whether it should be the first or last of a Week or any of the intervenient Days neither doth it inform us when the Week begins or ends Yet that People of the Jews might easily understand that he meant that particular Sabbath-Day wherein they were prohibited to gather Manna which God denyed to give them that time And if they had been ignorant of this they might easily know that it signified such a time as God should determine and judge sufficient for preservation of Religion and His Worship and yet leave a competent portion of time for man's necessities This appears by the Explication following For all this I do not think that God did ever make such account of this or that seventh day as that one and the same should be of necessity and of universal and perpetual Obligation to Jews and Gentiles Neither is there any Morality in the number of seven or any necessary dependence of the continuance of Religion upon this or that seventh day The light of Natural Reason seems unable of it self to know this time yet if it be once revealed by God it cannot but acknowledge the Equity of it It may dictate unto us that if God once determine the time that time is the fittest The Heathens might have some Astronomical knowledge of the seventh day but Theological they could have none except by Tradition To sanctifie it This is the principall part of this Commandement § VI and of mans duty To sanctifie this day But it s one thing for God another thing for man to sanctifie it God may hallow it by his practise as he did the first 7th day of the World or by his institution and command For his command institution designation of the day makes it relatively holy distinguisheth it from and advanceth it above other dayes and binds man to honour it in his practice Man sactifies it for that is the sanctification here intended yet presupposing the former 1. When he esâ—eemes and accounts that day such as God hath made it 2. When not onely he rests from secular works but applyes that time to the due performance of those heavenly services which God requires of him especially and principally on this day It 's a time wherein the soul must be more imployed then the Body it 's a time wherein we must converse more with God than men with Heaven than with earth it 's a time ordained not for the temporal so much as the spiritual and eternal good of man it 's a time wherein we must not onely cease from our worldly labours businesse imployment which take up and toyl the body but sequesâ—er our hearts from worldly thoughts cares aâ—fections which distract our minds and diviner facultyes Thus instituted of God and thus hallowed of man it s the best and most excellent and noble part of our time and resembles in some degree that eternal Sabbath which we hope to hallow more perfectly in heaven When we shall be free from all sin and sorrow and Rest our selves with unspeakable content and joy in our God! This will be that glorious Festival and Holy-day the Sun whereof shall never set but ever shine For it shall have no end But this Blessed and Eternal Sabbath is not prepared for prophane wretches who neglect to serve their God on earth but for such as shall be most careâ—ull to sanctifie God Sabbaths in this life For the more carefull we are of the one the more sure we may be of the other The summe of the Commandement is this That whatsoever time God shall determine and design to man for a Sabbath man must remember it and be very carefull not onely to rest in it and forbear his secular imployments therein but he must be carefull to sanctifie it in the holy performance of Heavenly services without distraction After the words of the Commandement followes the explication § VII Wherein God 1. Explaines the word Sabbath Day and determins in particular what day he meant and singles it out from amongst the rest 2. Teacheth him how to sanctifie it 3. Gives the reason why he did determin upon that day for Rest and sanctification rather then upon any other So that in the words following we have 1. The determination of the day 2. The sanctification of the day 3. The reason of both 1. The determination of the day is in these words Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy Works but the 7th Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Herein He 1. Takes out of mans time Six dayes and assignes them for secular imployments 2. He pitcheth upon the 7th which he appropriates to himself and designes for the Sabbath The former words Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy works are neither a Command nor a Permission nor a Toleration nor indulgence in strict sense whatsoever they may imply But the proper intention of them is to single out six dayes that God may let us know that none of them is the Sabbath but the 7th following They first presuppose that measure of time we call a week according to the number of the first seven dayes of the World which God created in six dayes and ceased from Creation the 7th 2. They imply that the Sabbath is weekly 3. That it 's none of the Six dayes In these six dayes man may labour and do his Work and all his Work By Mans Work may be meant 1. The work of sin in opposition to the Works of God and of the Spirit which are contrary and as God never gave any liberty
and clearly inform man that the World was not from everlasting but had beginning and that God did create it and so became the universal and supream Lord of Heaven and Earth by the Work of six days The seventh day wherein he rested from his work was a fit time for man's rest that on that day man might contemplate the glorious Works of God acknowledge God to be the Creatour and every Sabbath say Thou art worthy Oh Lord to receive glory honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 11. Besides the example of God's labour rest and Sanctification He knew that six days in the week was a fit proportion of time for man's secular works and one in seven for Diviner Employments And this is given the reason why God sanctified the seventh day and blessed it because that after in six days He had created Heaven and Earth He rested the 7th day And howsoever this great Work of Creation is never to be forgotten by Man yet because to sinful man the Work of Redemption is a greater blessing Therefore the first day of the Week being the day of Christ's Resurrection and the Restauration of Mankind is more to be observed and remembred The Lord said unto Judah Behold the days come when it shall be no more said The Lord liveth which brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Aegypt But the Lord liveth that brought the Children of Israel from the Land of the North c. Jer. 16. 14 15. So it may be said to us Christians since the time of Christ's glorification That it shall be no more said the Lord liveth that in six days made Heaven and Earth and rested the 7th day But the Lord liveth who after His Death and cruel Passion is risen again and hath redeemed sinful man from Hell and Eternal Death For if two great Blessings be received one after the other the latter and the greater is more to be remembred and the time thereof rather to be observed Therefore we do not observe the 7th day wherein God rested from the Work of Creation but the first day wherin Christ rose again and rested from His Work of Humiliation And though therein we do not forget the Work of Creation yet we rather remember the Work of Redemption and glorifie our God for the same From this Explication of the Words of God we may understand § XII what is here commanded and what is here forbidden The things commanded are two 1. Rest For we must remember a Sabbath and in the same we must do no manner of work 2. Sanctification For we must remember the Sabbath-day to sanctifie it Rest is two-fold 1. Of the Body 2. Of the Mind and in both these we must rest 1. The Body must rest from secular works which hinder and disturb us in the service of our God 2. The Soul must cease from such Thoughts Cares Meditations and Affections which as much distract us in the Worship of our God as labours of the Body do Again bodily works of man as man endued with understanding cannot be done without the Soul attending directing and moving it much less can Heavenly Duties be performed without the Soul which in the time of these Services must be drawn off from the World and sixed upon far more excellent Objects And because many Games and Sports which are accounted Recreations do as much toyl the Body and distract and take up the Soul as secular Works do therefore we must needs judge them to be contrary to the Rest here commanded And our very words of Conference and Discourse upon this time may be such as are neither consistent with the Rest nor the Sanctification required in this Precept Yet this Rest is not to be so strictly taken as though all kind of Work and Bodily Labour were unlawful on this day Therefore 1. Works of Necessity may be done this day and which those are the Light of Reason is sufficient to determine as to save Man or Beast in danger to receive harm or pâ—rish if not that day relieved Therefore the very Pharisees who were so precise in the observation of the outward Rest could not deny unto our Saviour but that upon the Sabbath it was lawful to lift a Beast out of a Pit or Ditch into which it was then fallen And upon the same ground it cannot be unlawful on that day to fight and defend our selves against an Enemy 2. Works which tend to the refreshment and ordinary preservation of Man and Beast cannot be unlawful Therefore on this day we cloath our selves and take our ordinary food and repast and a Beast may be watered and fed this day as well as others 3. Works which tend unto the Sanctification of the Day are not prohibited For we may travail unto and return from the places of publick Assemblies for Prayer Reading Preaching and other Divine Services The Priests under the Law did kill their Sacrifices and so prophaned the Sabbath and were blameless Math. 12. 5. And it was thought no prophanation to circumcise an Infant upon that day Joh. 7. 23. Of this nature is the toyl and labour of the Ministers in their several Congregations 4. Neither is any work of mercy as visiting the Sick administring Physick relieving the Poor and such like contrary to this Rest. And the reason of all this is because the Sabbath is for man and not man for the Sabbath and therein God intended our good not our hurt The principal thing required is the sincere Worship of God from an heart seriously bent and inclined thereunto nor the performance of some outward piece of service in such a precise nick of time Yet we must take care always to have a sanctified heart and a desire to sanctifie the same and what we lose one time we must endeavour to recompence at another The second Duty here commanded § XIII is Sanctification of the Day and this is the principal Duty â—o which Rest is subordinate For as there can be no Sanctification without Rest so there can be no Rest acceptable to God but that which tends to Sanctification An Holy Rest is the thing here commanded It must be the Rest of a Man and not of a Beast and the Rest of an Holy Man as Holy Therefore this Commandement presupposeth Man to be habitually sanctified For an unsanctified man cannot sanctifie a Sabbath as God requires it to be sanctified This Sanctification consists in the performance of Holy Duties in the Worship of God The Object of this Worship must be God alone The parts of the Worship must be such as He hath instituted and the acts of Worship must be performed by persons who are sanctified and in an holy manner And to consecrate this 7th Day to these Holy Services is the very thing here prescribed Therefore to this Sanctification is required 1. A knowledge of the day that it 's determined by God 2. A
subject § VI and makes the subject capable of the reward according to the eternall and unchangeable Laws of God-Redeemer It doth not justify but makes us justifiable To justify must be an act of the Judge To believe is the duty of the Subject To the duty man is bound by the command to render the reward God is bound by his promise But faith doth not only make him capacable and a fit subject to receive justification but upon it by vertue of the promise made in the blood of Christ the party thus as thus believing hath a right unto it The foundation of this right or the title which is sometimes taken for the right sometimes for the foundation of this right is faith but not faith as a duty performed or such a duty in particular but as it is specified and made a condition in the grant and promise made for Christs sake For a donation essentially includes the Donour the Donee and the Consideration if there be any as if it be nudum pactum there is none In this Grant God is Donour sinfull man believing the Donee the Consideration is the blood of Christ. If Christ have made no purchase there is nothing to be granted If He have purchased and there be no grant there is no conveyance If Christ hath purchased and God hath granted and yet the Donee be not specifyed it 's no grant no donation But in this donation man is the Donee and is specifyed as a Believer Yet the party doth not only believe but in and by the power of this faith doth confesse pray vow and Christ an Advocate in Heaven doth plead The Devil accuseth chargeth the sinner desires justice to be done upon the guilty wretch For why should he himself be guilty being condemned and punished and man being guilty as he is go unpunished Here Christ comes in confesseth his client guilty in himself yet just another way and though he deserve to be punished yet by law he ought not to be punished He Pleads three things 1. His own propitiation made 2. Gods promise as part of his Law 3. His clients unfeigned faith By this plea the charge of the Devil is make void the cause of his client made good and the judge effectually moved to pardon This pleading and intercession of Christ is necessary not onely because God ordained and required it but also because our prayer and pleading is very imperfect and His perfect And happy is he that hath such a Counsellour and Advocate in Heaven who is ever ready day and night before his Fathers Throne taking care of the cause of all his Clients pleading GRATIS without any Fee and ever carrying the cause Yet a sinner may be justifiable and yet not instantly actually justifyed For the sentence may be delayed for a certain time But this is the comfort of a true believer that the sentence will certainly be passed in Gods due time which in his wisdome he knoweth to be best Thus you have heard 1. Who is the Judge § VII 2. Who is the party judged Now 3. It 's high time to say something of the judiciall act which is the principall thing But before I proceed to unfold the nature of it I must digresse a little and examine the different opinions of men in this point For some question whether it be a sentence properly or no and if it be a sentence properly when and where it 's passed and if it be passed whether it be a bare sentence without any execution or with some execution 1. That t is a sentence most will grant but some distinguish of Sententia Legis and Sententia judicis The one is not the other is properly a sentence and this no doubt is an act of judgment not of Legislation For if it be an act of Legislation it 's then onely promise and that looks at none in particular but all in generall to whom the promise is made and presupposeth a duty to be performed But justification presupposeth a particular person a particular cause a duty performed and the performance as already past is pleaded and the Judge sollicited to passe judgment accordingly But let it be a sentence and that properly and of the Judge as it is When and where is it passed For passed if properly a sentence it must be For it 's not a sentence as conceived in the breast of the Judge but as judicially pronounced It 's not Sententia mere concepta sed prolata some wayes declared Whether for the time is it passed in eternity before time or in time For the place whether is it passed in man or out of man If out of man whether in Heauen or in Earth If on Earth whether by God and Man If by God whether by the promise of the Law that whosoever believeth is not condemned or some other thing If by man whether by the Minister or the Church binding or loosing so on earth as to be bound and loosed in Heaven If it be whether it be an act of conscience or the blessed spirit If the spirit whether it be by inspiration and enthusiasm or by some real operation Thus the wit of man forsaking the rule of Gods word will wander and ignorance joyned with curiosity will start many doubts puzzle a clear truth infinitely multiply questions not so much for edification as destruction and distraction 1. The sentence was not passed in eternity and onely manifested in time for if it were passed then and onely manifested now it might from hence be argued that the world was created from eternity and so is eternall and the glorious work of creation in the beginning had only been a manifestation of that which was from everlasting And how absurd if not blasphemous must such a fancy be It is trâ—e that as God before the foundation of the World did decree all things to be done in time so he decreed to passe this sentence But the decree it self without the issuing out and exercise of an almighty executive power is no sentence In eternity before time no man was created no sin committed no Saviour promised no law published no duty of faith performed no person convenâ—ed no promise pleaded and therefore no sinner believing justified 2. For the place 1. It 's not passed in Heaven and only there for no Scripture saith so neither is there any meanes discovered how the poor guilty sinner should know whether it be past or no and if past when and so till it be known to be passed and that certainly the believer must alwayes be in doubt The cause indeed is pleaded in Heaven by the great High Priest and his plea is effectual But that the sentence is always passed presently upon the cause pleaded cannot be proved It 's true that if a man doth certainly know his faith and the sincerity thereof he may certainly know his right unto justification and so he knows his cause to be good in Law He is justified in law-title that is he
the form of an Art or Science as some use to speak They determine the Subject of it to be Man Quatenus Beatificabilis as capable of Spiritual and Eternal Happiness The Object of it must be Deus quatenus Beatificans God as the Fountain and Cause of Eternal Bliss And the end is to direct the Spiritual Acts and Operations of the Immortal Soul so that by them well regulated and fixed upon their due Object man may tend unto and in the end attain the full fruition of that Eternal Being in whom he shall be for ever blessed According to this determination some reduce the Doctrine of the Scriptures to Truths Promises Duties yet this is imperfect Others make three Heads of this Doctrine 1. The first is the Being and Perfection of God in himself 2. The second the Works of God 3. The third His Commands Yet this as the former proves defective and no ways exact Others tell us that the Scriptures represent God to us 1. As to be known And 2. As to be worshipped And so make the Parts of this Divine Doctrine to be 1. Knowledge 2. The Worship of God And this hath much affinity with that Distribution of Theologie into Faith and Obedience that is the Rule of Faith and Obedience These conceive all things in the Scripture especially conducing to Salvation to be credenda or agenda The things to be believed the Object of Faith the things to be done and performed the Object of Obedience For this they think that they have a sufficient ground in the Mandate and Commission of our Blessed Saviour Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Math. 28. 19 20. And that of the Apostle seems to confirm this Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love 2 Tim. 1. 13. I will not examine these distinctions now but onely say this much That Faith and Obedience or Observancy as some call it according to the intended sense of these two places are onely Duties to be performed by sinful man Redeemed and Called according to the Commands of their God-Redeemer and so do not reach the utmost bounds of this Heavenly Doctrine And even in this respect they refer to Government and belong onely to that One Head and part thereof The Commands and Laws of God Redeemer requiring obedience And Faith it self is but one part of this obedience as it is a Duty So that these things may be some ways true but no ways accurate and perfect And if they may be allowed mine intended method I hope may pass without any harsh censure For I know no reason to the contrary seeing it's evident that the Principal if not the adaequat subject of the Holy Scriptures is the Kingdom and Government of God The Doctrine whereof is methodically contracted in ancient Creeds and Confessions which take in the Agenda or things to be practised as well as the Credenda things to be believed Of these ancient Confessions it may be observed that 1. Though they differ in words and expressions § II as may appear by the several forms thereof some more brief some more large especially in Irenaeus and Tertullian yet they agree in the matter and the principal method 2. That divers of the Ancients inform us that the first Planted Churches received the Forms of Confession though different in some words and expressions yet the same for matter and the general and principal method from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ Christ from God Thus amongst others Tertullian 3. They were received from Christ 1. In that Mandate and Commission to the Apostles Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 2. By Inspiration of the Holy Ghost 4. In those Words we have 1. God the Father Almighty making Heaven and Earth by his Word 2. This Word and Son made flesh redeeming sinful man 3. The Holy Ghost by whom Christ was conceived and anointed the Prophets inspired the Church sanctified unto Eternal Glory For so the Ancients understood it being directed by the Apostles 5. This Form thus understood was 1. A Tradition unwritten and of Divine Authority as taught by Christ and his Apostles before it was written But 2. Being written and more fully explained in the Canon of the New Testament it can be no longer an unwritten Tradition And whosoever reading the New Testament doth not find and that in several places both the matter and method of the ancient Confessions understands little 6. No particular form of Confession considered as a Tradition of the Church since the time of the Apostles can be of equal authority with the Scriptures 7. That which we call the Apostles Creed which we find in the Works of Cyprian and Russinus with an Exposition is no more nor so much the Apostles Creed as some ancient Creeds in form differing from it 8. Those words of our Saviour and his Rule of Doctrine concerning the Father Son and Holy Ghost with the three glorious Works of Creation Redemption Sanctification is a divine and wonderful Abridgment of all the Doctrine of the Scripture especially of that which is necessary to Salvation The Confession and Creed of the Patriarchs § III in particular of Enoch was thus God is and he is a Rewarder of them who diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. For they believed That there was one God most glorious and blessed in Himself who by his Wisdome and Power made preserved and governed the World and especially Mankind For to Reward is an act of judgment Judgment presupposeth Laws Laws a Governour a Governour Subjects made and to be governed So that in their ancient Creed we have God considered 1. In Himself 2. As a Governour of the World made by him and especially of Men and Angels and that by Laws and Judgments The obedience to these Laws is to seek God diligently according to the direction of those Laws and the reward of this Obeâ—ience is Eternal Life as the punishment of Disobedience is Eternal Death And after the Fall of Man no man in himself was capable of this Eternal Liâ—â— because all were guilty Therefore they sought this glorious Reward by Châ—iâ—â— to come whom all their Ilastical Sacrifices did typifie as they sought their God by Him The ordinary Analysis of that which we call § IV The Apostles Creed as delivered by more understanding Catechists and Authors of Theological Systems is this God being the Subject of that Confession is considered 1. In himself as God the Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. As in his Works 1. Of Creation 2. Of Providence Providence preserves and governs all things created especially Man Man made righteous holy happy 1. Falls 2. Is restored He is restored by Redemption and the Application of it The Redeemer for Person is the
Word and Son of God for his Natures God and Man for his Offices Prophet Priest and King His Work of Redemption hath two Parts 1. His Humiliation 2. His Exaltation in his Resurrection Ascension Session at his Father's right-hand and investiture with all power in Heaven and Earth whereby he is made Lord and Judge of the World The Application whereby we are made partakers of the Benefits of Christ's Redemption is made by the Spirit and Word working Faith whereby sinful men are made Members of Christ and of the Universal Church which is the society of Saints The benefits of this Redemption applyed and whereof the Church is partaker are Remission of sins Resurrection and Life Everlasting Amongst many other Forms of Confessions § V and Creeds delivered by the Ancients I thought good to pitch upon one in Tertullian especially that in his Prescriptions against Hereticks where we read thus REgula est autem Fidei ut jam hinc quod credamus profiteamur illa seilicet qua Credimus Vnum omnino Deum esse nec Alium prater Mundi Conditorem qui universa de Nihilo produxerit per Verbum Suum primo Omnium â—missum Id verbum Filium ejus appellatum in Nomine Dei variè visum Patriarchis in Prophetis semper auditum Postremo delatum ex Spiritu Dei Patris et virtute in Virginem Mariam Carnem factam in utero ejus et ex eâ natum Hominem et esse Jesum Christum exinde Praedicasse Novam Legem et Novam Promissionem Regni Coelorum virtutes fecisse Fixum cruci Tertiâ Die Resurrexisse In Coelos ereptum Sedere ad Dextram Patris Misisse Vicariam Vim Spiritus Sancti qui Credentes agat Venturus cum Claritate ad Sumendos Sanctos in Vitae aeternae et Promissorum Coelestium Fructum et ad Prophanos judicandos igni perpetuo facta utriusque Partis Resusâ—itatio ne cum Carnis Resurrectione Haec Regula à Christo ut probabitur instituta The reason why I propose this § VI is because its the most full and perfect form of Confession both in Irenaeus and Tertullian Concerning which several things are observable 1. That it agrees with all the rest for Matter and Method 2. It 's most exactly Consentaneous to plain and clear Scripture 3 The Method is grounded upon our Saviours Creed 4. It more fully and perfectly out of the Scriptures informs us of the Person and Natures of Christ and so of his Incarnation For that Word by which the World and so man was created was made flesh 5. As in it we have God the Father creating the World by his Word and the same Word by the Spirit assuming flesh redeeming man so we have the same God by his Spirit sanctifying man more expresly delivered then in any of the rest 6. We may observe that that Word which was first uttered and spoken in the Creation before any thing could be created was uttered and produced from everlasting as a lively Representation of God himself to himself 7. That as the Spirit so the Word was in the Prophets as Prophets as without neither of which they could have been Prophets 8. The Government of God Redeemer is therein more expresly declared then in most of the other Forms For the Government of Creation being presupposed 1. The manner of acquiring a New Power by the Humiliation of the Word made flesh 2. His Investiture with this Power in his Exaltation 3. The Exercise of it 1. In giving the New Law with a Promise of Heaven's Kingdom 2. In adjudging men either Prophane to everlasting fire or Holy unto the enjoyment of Life everlasting upon the Resurrection of both in the last and Universal Judgment are in these few Words delivered plainly and clearly 9. This Form was received by the Church from the Apostles and by the Apostles from Christ. 10. That not any but Hereticks did question any thing in this Creed 11. Seeing these Hereticks professed themselves Christians and did acknowledge Christ and this had continued from Christ and the Apostles Universally and without controversie before these Hereticks did arise therefore it did sufficiently prescribe against all Heresies which different from it did arise afterwards The Analysis of these Creeds § VII and Confessions according to the ensuing Discourse intended takes in the matter and method in general of the former yet is delivered in other expressions To understand it the better you must observe 1. That it presupposeth the principal Subject of the Holy Scriptures to be the Kingdom of God and that the Doctrine thereof is contracted in the Ancient Creeds and Forms of Confession 2. That in a Kingdom or Government there must be a King or Governour invested with Power which is 1. Acquired 2. Exercised It 's exercised 1. In constituting a Common-Wealth 2. In the Administration of the same The Common-wealth is administred by Laws and Judgments Laws determine the Duties and Dues of men Judgment renders the Dues of Rewards or Punishments according to the observation or violation of the Laws These things observed We have in this Kingdom 1. The KING 2. His Government The King is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who alone is worthy of all honour glory power and dominion for evermore His Government presupposeth his Power which is 1. Acquired 2. Exercised It 's acquired by Creation as it is continued by Preservation For immediatly upon the Creation he became the Supream Universal and Absolute Lord and continues so for evermore by his perpetual Preservation For seeing he made all things even Men and Angels of nothing and they do always for ever wholly depend upon him therefore he must needs have an absolute full and perpetual Propriety in and Dominion over them and they must needs be his Servants and Vassals This Power thus acquired began to be exercised immediatly upon the Creation 1. In the general Government of all things 1. By a constitution of an Order amongst them 2. By a Direction of them according to that Order to their ends 2. In the special Government of the immortal and intellectual Creatures who alone were capable of Laws Rewards and Punishments These speciall Creatures were Angels and Men. Amongst the Angels he 1. Established an Order 2. According to that Order he doth govern them and exercise his Power 1. In giving them Laws 2. In judging them according to those Laws Some of the Angels continued loyal and obedient and were confirmed in perpetual estate of Holiness and Happiness which was their Reward The disloyal and Apostate Angels were cast down from Heaven and reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgment of the great day Jude v. 6. This was their Doom and the judgment of God upon the Angels The Government of Men is two-fold The first of Justice The second of Mercy Of Justice in the first Adam of Mercy in the second In the first after God became his Lord and Man his Subject in a special manner he