Christ make intercession Answ. First by praying for his Elect and Faithfull whom the Father had given him out of the world this he did in the dayes of his humiliation Secondly by sitting at Gods right hand hee presents continually before God his perfect satisfaction and righteousnesse in the behalf of all his Faithfull members and with his Sacrifice and Intercession doth as it were perfume all their Prayers and make them acceptable in the sight of God Quest Doth not Christ as well make Intercession for all as hee dyed for all man-kind Answ. Though Christ dyed and fulfilled the Law for a common benefit to all man-kind and his ransome is sufficient to save all yet he never purposed to redeeme all men by his death For hee knew that many were already damned and past all hope of redemption before he dyed and that Iudas was a son of perdition and therefore hee did not purpose to give himselfe a ransome for them Besides he himself testifieth that hee did not pray for the world but only for his Elect given to him by his father out of the world Ioh. 17 9. Therefore he did much lesse dye with an intent purpose and desire to redeeme and save them Quest How doth Christ execute his Kingly office Answ. By ruling spiritually in his Church and giving his Spirit and all spirituall gifts to men by which they are fitted and furnished with severall gifts for severall offices and functions in that his mysticall body The distribution of all honors offices and dignities as of some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists others Pastors and Teachers is in his hand No man is capable of such honours and dignities nor fit for such offices but by his gifts and qualifications Whosoever thrusts himselfe into the office of a Bishop Elder Pastor or publike Preacher without such gifts and calling as hee hath in his Word prescribed hee is a thiefe and an usurper as our Saviour himselfe testifieth who is the onely doore by which men must enter into his sheep-fold Iohn 10. Hee ruleth also in the hearts of all Faithfull people by his Word and Spirit as by a Law and that Law is the rule of their life and of all their actions Hee also by his power defends his Church from all enemies and takes just revenge on their persecutors and oppressors for all power is given him in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. 18. and hee hath all judgment committed to him Iohn 5. 27. All the Saints fight under his Royall Standard against the Devill the World the Flesh Sinne and Antichrist being armed by him with the whole armour of God Eph. 6 11. He will treade down Satan under their feet Rom. 16. 20. and by the spirit of his lips will destroy the wicked one 2 Thes. 2. And by his iron rod break in pieces all his enemies like a Potters vessell Psal. 2. So that whatsoever can be required in a King for the well ordering and ruling of his Kingdome by judgement and righteousnesse for the mercifull relieving and he ping of them in their need For the powerfull defending of them from all dangers and for the execution of just revenge on their enemies all this is abundantly found in Christ as he is the Lord and King of his Church Quest You have well shewed that Christ both in respect of his Person and Offices is an all-sufficient Redeemer and Saviour and is able by the infinite worth of his Mediation to save all men Now then tell me why all men are not saved Answ. Though Christ his ransome and satisfaction is able to save and redeeme all that are partakers thereof even all mankind if they had grace to receive and apply him and all his merits by Faith Yet because none have spirituall communion with him but only they whom God hath chosen to eternall life in him and predestinated to be effectually called according to his purpose to the state of grace and to be made conformable to his image Therfore many who are not elect follow their own evil ways and have no will nor care to repent of their sins and beleeve in Christ but run wilfully into destruction and perish Quest Hath God then chosen from all eternity a certeine number only of man-kind to salvation in Christ Answ. Yea verily For the Scriptures plainly testifie First that God hath a certain number of particular persons whom hee hath from all eternity predestinated both to eternall life in Christ and also to the meanes which lead unto life to wit redemption effectuall calling adoption faith and the like Ephes. 1. 4. 5 11. Rom. 11. 5 7. Act. 13. 48. Secondly that the persons elected are they only who are called in time according to his purpose iustified made conformable to the image of his Son and at length glorified Rom. 8 28 29 30. Thirdly that they are chosen not for any work which God foresaw in them but meerely according to the good pleasure of his own Will Rom. 9. 11. 15. Eph. 1. 5. And fourthly that all they who continue in obstinacy and impenitency unto the end and are damned were of old ordeined to that damnation destructiō 1 Thes. 5. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 8. Jud. 4. Quest If God hath not ordeined men to Faith in Christ repentance and good works but hath willingly rejected them as he did Esau before he had done any evill and given them up to hardnesse and impenitency as he did Pharaoh Why is he angry with them for none can resist his Will Answ. It is too much presumption in men to dispute against God and to judge of his actions by their owne shallow reason For he is not to give account of any of his matters nor to answer for his doings Iob 33. 13. Rom. 9. 19. And yet it is reason that every absolute Lord should do what he list with his own that as the potter hath power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessell unto honour and another unto dishonor so God much more should have power over his creatures to ordaine and make some vessels of honor and leave others to follow their own evil ways which they have found out to themselves and are not lead into by him and so to perish seeing their evill and destruction by his over-ruling wisdome and power doth turne to the greater good of his Elect and makes the glory of his holinesse Iustice Power and Mercy shine forth more clearely to them Quest Doth the benefit of Christ the Mediator and Redeemer reach only to the Elect Answ. Though the saving vertue of Christ belongeth only to the elect yet there is a common benefit of Christ wherof reprobates are partakers which reacheth also to all the world For hee is said to preserve man and beasts that is to keep them in life and being Psal. 36 6. and to be the Saviour of all especially of them that beleeve 1 Tim. 4. 10. and to give himselfe a ransome for all
labourer for the good of your soules according to the utmost of my power and Your welwilling though weake Pastor GEO. WALKER A briefe Dialogue wherein the Father examineth his Son concerning the principles of Religion in which he hath formerly instructed him Quest MY deare Child why doest thou complaine because of thy sicknesse and many paines and infirmities which often doe befall thee seeing thou by thy sins pullest them upon thee and causest God thus to punish and correct thee Answer Indeed in my book of the of the Psalmes of David I am taught to confesse that I was shapen in iniquity and that in sin hath my mother conceived me but this is the fault of you that are my parents from whom I received in my birth and with my first being this sinfull corruption Quest It is true that wee brought thee into this world a poore sinfull wretch But doest thou not know that this corruption commeth not from our selves as the first causes of it but from our first parents in whom thou and we and all mankind have sinned against God and lost that image and likenesse of God in which wee were created and are so infected with the poyson aâ—d malice of the Devill which hee breathed into our first parents that wee have no power or will to do the good which God requireth of us in his Law but are forward to run into all sins which God forbiddeth Answ. I remember now when you put me in mind of it that you have taught me oftentimes that God created all things good at the first and in Adam he created all man-kind in his owne image and likenesse and that the Devill by the Serpent did tempt the woman and breathed into her his poyson and drew her into sin and by her infected Adam who was the root and stock of all man-kind and by drawing him into transgression did corrupt him and all man-kind defaced Gods image in us al and stained and defiled our nature so that eversince we are by nature children of wrath and disobedience who of our selves have no power to will or do any good but do run into sin and actuall transgression continually Quest I see and perceive by this that you are ready to forget those instructions of godlinesse which you have often learned and have need to have your memory often rubbed up And therefore I will stirre you up to remember the things which I have often taught you by asking you questions concerning the chiefe points of Christian Religion which you have learned that they may be more deeply printed in your mind and that you may have them more ready to put them in practise when occasion shall be offered Answ. I acknowledge my selfe bound in a double bond of thankefulnesse unto you both for your godly paines in tâ—aching me saving Knowledge and for your fatherly care to maâ—e me remember the things which you have taught me that I may both beleeve and practise the things which God requireth of me for the obteining of eternall life and blessednesse Quest My paines of teaching you are a pleasure to me when I see you willing to bee instructed And if you answer readily the questions which I shall aske you concerning the grounds of Religion which I have heretofore taught you I shall rejoice in hope and confidence that God hath chosen you to be a vessell of honour called you to the state of Grace and prepared you for the state of glory in Heaven Answ. I acknowledge with all thankfulnesse Gods infinite love mercy and bounty to me in that hee hath ordeined me to be borne of Godly and Christian parents who as they were meanes to bring me into the world a corrupt sinfull child of Adam so are Gods speciall instruments to beget me to God a new creature in Iesus Christ by instructing me in his holy Word by which his holy Spirit doth take possession of my soule worketh in me Faith and renueth me after the image of Christ wherefore I am ready according to my best understanding and memory to answer every question which you shall aske concerning the things which I have before heard and learned from your mouth humbly beseeching God to print in my heart and to enable me by his grace to practise in my life the things which by your often urging and pressing are printed in my memory Quest My first Question therefore shall be about that which is the first work of God by which he gave to man-kind their first being I meane the creation of Adam and all man-kind in him tell mee what you have been taught concerning it Answ. First I have learned that God created the whole world and all things therein Gen. 1. 2. Quest What God is he who did performe and perfect so great a work Answ He who is the one only true God and besides whom there is no other God Deut. 6. 4. Isay 45. 5. Quest What a one do you conceive this God to be Answ. I conceive him to bee such a one as his most proper name Jehovah doth signifie Quest What doth that name signifie Answ. It signifieth that he is and hath his being of himselfe from all eternity without beginning and without end and that bee giveth being motion breath life and all other things to all creatures which live move and breath and to all other things which have been are or shall bee in the world and without him nothing can â—e or come to passe Exod. 3. 14. Quest What do you learn from thence Answ. I learne First that God is most absolute of himselfe and depends upon none other neither needeth either for his being glory or blessednesse any help or for the increase of them Secondly that he is before all things and is the first cause of them Thirdly that he is eternall even one who was before all times and is and shall be the same for ever without beginning and without end Fourthly that he is immutable and unchangeable in his nature essence and being and in his counsels will and all other his attributes and properties Fiftly that he is most perfect one who wanteth nothing but hath in him all excellencies to the full so that nothing can bee added to him to increase his goodnesse or blessednesse Sixthly that he is infinite and incomprehensible no tongue can utter no eye can see nor eare heare nor heart conceive nor reason and understanding comprehend him or his excellencies Quest Wherein doth his infinitnesse consist Answ. It consists in this that he hath no bounds nor limits but is above all degrees of comparison his whole essence is at all times prâ—sent in all places and neither Heaven nor the Heaven of Heavens nor all places in the World can conteine him or measure his Substance He is infinit in Wisdome Knowledge Power Goodnesse Mercy Iustice Will Counsell and all other Attributes and Properties able to do whatsoever he will He seeth and knoweth all things which are have
noysom weeds plants Lastly it brought all mankind in bondage to death both temporal wch is such a corruption of the body as doth separat the soule frō it make it utterly unfit for the soule to lodge in and also eternall which is the punishment of him with eternall destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his power Quest Is there any hope of deliverance from this foule staine guilt of sins and from death and all evill of wrath which are the fruits and effects of it Answ. There is no hope of deliverance in any thing which mans wit and reason can devise or man by his art skil and power can performe All creatures in the world can yield him no help God only of his infinit mercy free grace love and kindnesse to man-kind hath from all eternity ordeined an all-sufficient Saviour and Redeemer even his only begotten son who immediatly after mans sin and fall did undertake for man staid the execution of the sentence and punishment of death and was promised to become the seed of the woman and by suffering death and all the punishments due to sin in our nature to redeeme man-kind from sin and death and to destroy the Devill who had the power of death and to dissolve all his workes Quest Who is this Son of God which did undertake to redeeme man Answ. It is the Lord Iesus Christ who was first promised under the name of the seed of the woman Gen. 3. 15. which should break the serpents head and afterward was promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob under the name of the blessed seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed And to David and by the Prophets by the name of Messiah that is the annoynted Saviour of the seed of David And at last in the fulnesse of the time when hee was made flesh tooke our nature upon him and was borne of a Virgin did beare the name of Iesus and is now preached and made knowne to the world under the name of the Lord Iesus Christ Quest Why did not Christ come in the flesh in the beginning or first age of the world and worke mans redemption that the Fathers who lived under the old Testament might bee redeemed and saved by him as we now are under the Gospell Answ. The Incarnation of Christ and all things which he did and suffered for our redemption in the dayes of his flesh were present with God from all eternity as all times and all things which come to passe in all times past present and to come are continually present with him and were as effectuall to satisfie his justice appease his wrath and to purchase and procure perfect salvation to men at his hands as they are now ever since they were actually performed And through Christ promised God did shed his Spirit on the Fathers of old as hee now doth on us through Christ given and exhibited and by the Spirit united them to him in one spirituall body and wrought in them Faith by which they did as it said of Abraham see the day of Christ beleeve in him were partakers of all his benefits and were made conformable to him both in his death and life by mortification and sanctification Quest Why did Christ come and satisfie for sinfull men in the mids of yeares between the times of the Old and New Testament Answ. Because that was the most fit and seasonable of all times for man-kind for divers reasons First if he had appeared in the first ages of the world the memory of him would have been worne out For as the people of the Gentiles within a few ages forgot the promises of Christ made to Adam Noah and Sem and lost the knowledge of them so men would have forgotten Christ and all his doings and sufferings long ago for the world loveth changes and loathing old things seeketh after novelties Secondly the deferring of Christs comming held the world in suspence and expectation with promises from age to age still more plainely renued that after much longing his comming might be so much more welcome and men might with greater joy receive him Thirdly the world increasing in sin and corruption and being growne so hard that weaker meanes and obscurer revelation could worke litle upon men it was Gods Wisdome to reserve the appearance of Christ and the publishing of the powerfull Gospell for these latter evill days as being the fittest meanes for these harder times Fourthly if Christ in our nature had made satisfaction in the first ages of the world and had paid our ransome so many ages before wee were borne or had our being it had not been so equall and proportionable to justice as now it is by reason of his comming in the midst of yeares between the Old and the New Testament For by this meanes Gods forbearance of the ransome and satisfaction for the sinnes of the Fathers before Christs death is recompensed with payment of our debt and making a full satisfaction for our sinnes as much before hand even many ages before our committing of sinne or running in debt to his Majesty in our own persons Lastly it was necessary that many of the members of his elect and faithfull Church should by the Spirit bee united to him and by Faith have Communion with him before and at his comming appearing in the flesh that being the head of the Church actually through them He might by Cōmunion and imputation of the sins of so great a body multitude justly suffer the punishments due to the sins of his people even of them who were in after ages to grow up into the same mystical body by the same Spirit If he had beene borne in the beginning of the world before the Church of the Old Testament had any actuall being he could not have been the actuall head of the body nor united to the Church which as yet was not in being and so could not have borne the sins of his Church nor justly suffered the punishment of them Therefore the Apostle very fitly cals the time of Christs comming in the flesh the fulnesse of time that is the time most seasonable Gal. 4 4. Quest What have you learned concerning Christs person needfull to be knowne and beleeved Answ. I have learned That as he was the eternall Son of God one and the same God and of the same nature and substance with the Father and the Spirit hee did undertake according to Gods eternall Counsell to bee the Mediator between God and man and to mediate for man from the day of his fall and as hee was promised to bee the Seed of the woman so hee did in fulnesse of time assume and take into personall union with himselfe the whole nature and substance of a man and was made of the seed of Abraham and David in the womb of a Virgin of their seed a man like unto us in all things but without sin even
the holy one of God and so was God and man in one person Quest How could hee bee borne a pure holy man without sinne of a woman a daughter of Evah and of the same nature with the rest of man-kind who are all corrupted in Adam Answ. God Almighty who alone is able to bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane did by his power over-shadow the Virgin his mother and the holy Ghost came upon her and framed out of her seed and substance an holy seed and so hee was conceived and borne without sinne perfectly holy both in soule and body and filled with the holy Ghost Quest How could he being so perfectly holy be subject to infirmities and to death and other punishments due to sin Answ Though he knew no sin yet he was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. and being most holy and righteous in himselfe he tooke all our sins upon him and bare all our sorrows and infirmities that he might thereby satisfie Gods infinit justice pay our ransome and redeeme and reconcile us unto God Isa. 53. 4 6. Quest How and by what meanes hath Christ redeemed us from wrath and wrought our salvation Answ. By executing and performing the office of a Mediator between God and men Quest How is he a Mediator Answ. As he is God the Son equall with the Father so he is a person of infinite value and worthy to be accepted and able to make a full satisfaction for all sin to Gods Iustice and to pay a ransome of infinit value And as hee is man of the same nature and substance with all man-kind and the first fruits of the whole lumpe so hee is fit to make satisfaction in the same nature which sinned and is our brother and friend and one who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and is compassionate towards us and deales faithfully for us As he is God so he is too high to be a Mediator for man and as he is man so hee is too low to mediate and plead to God for us sinners But as he is God and man in one person so he is most fit to come as a Mediatour betweene God and men Quest Wherein doth Christs Mediation consist Answ. In the faithful execution of a threefold office The first of a Prophet The second of a Priest The third of a King Quest How did he execute the office of a Prophet Answ. By Prophecying Preaching and Revealing the Will of God from the beginning both in his own person and also by his Prophets Apostles and Ministers of the Word and Gospell In the old world he went forth in the Spirit and soake to the godly Fathers Enoch Methushelah Noah and others and by them preached to the wicked especially while the Arke was a preparing as the Apostle testifieth 1 Pet. 3. 19. He in the forme of man and sometimes of an Angell spake to Abraham Isaac and Jacob Gen. 18. 26. 32 24. Hee was the Angell of the Covenant which appeared to Moses in the bush and said I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob Exod. 3. Hee spake also at sundry times and in divers manners as apparitions dreames and visions to the Fathers in times past and by his Spirit inspiring and moving the Prophets Heb. 1. 1. And in the dayes of his flesh he preached the Gospell with his own mouth And as after his Ascension he sent down the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles and gave them the gifts of Tongues and of Knowledge to Prophecy and Preach the Gospell to all Nations Act. 2. So he is with them in their true successors the Ministers of the Gospell to the end of the world Mat. 28. 20. And by his Spirit gives them knowledge and utterance to teach and expound the Scriptures and to bring men to the saving knowledge of the truth And in a word he is the great Prophet whom God promised to raise up to his people like unto Moses whom all ought to heare and obey in all things Deut. 18. 15. And no other Prophets or Preachers are to be heard but those which Preach in his Name truly according to his Word conteined in the holy Scriptures Quest Wherein doth the office of his Priesthood consist Answ. In making attonement betweene God and men both by offering up himselfe and all sufficient Sacrifice for all our sins in his obedience unto death and in suffering all punishments due to sin and by bringing in eternall righteousnes which is his perfect fulfilling of the Law in the obedience of his whole life Dan. 9. 24. Rom. 8. 3 4. 1 Cor. 5. 21. For in these two consists the whole work of mans redemption and the full ransome and sacrifice of attonement which is needfull to reconcile men unto God Quest How can the sufferings of one man satisfie for all men and the righteousnesse of one be able to justifie all that are to bee justified Answ. The man Christ as hee fulfilled the Law and suffered in our nature so his righteousnesse and satisfaction is humane and is proper only to mankind for as man sinned so man satisfied But as this man Christ is also God in the same person So his righteousnes and satisfaction is Divine of infinite value and worth even the righteousnesse and suffering of God and that is more than if all men had suffered eternall death and fulfilled in their own persons every jot and title of the Law and all the righteousnesse thereof Quest If Christs infinite Godhead doth adde so much to his obedience performed in our Nature and makes his sufferings of infinite worth and value What need was there of shedding his bloud unto death and of suffering all the stormes of Gods wrath was not as some say one drop of his bloud sufficient to redeeme the world Answ. Though Christ is a person of infinite value because he is God yet as he could not be a compleat and perfect Mediator if hee had taken into his person the body only of a man and not a complete Manhood consisting both of soule and body So suffering in part and obeying the Law in part could not bee made a complete satisfaction for justice requires a full suffering of all kinds of punishment due to man for sin even of death it selfe and a perfect fulfilling of the whole Law otherwise there is no righteousnesse If one drop of Christs bloud shed for sin had beene a sufficient price of redemption than it had been injustice in God to exact more and undiscreet and vaine prodigality in Christ to poure out all his bloud and his soule to death when one drop was enough Quest Is this all that Christ doth as a Priest Answ. This is all that Christ did in paying mans ransome and price of attonement but to make men partakers of it and of the benefit thereof he doth make intercession to God for them as appeares Rom. 8. 34. and Heb. 7. 25. Quest How doth
have more outragiously and despightfully provoked God in the time of their life and both these shall bee filled up to the utmost fulnes of their measure the one sort with glory the other with shame and wrath and so they shall have the one more glory the other more misery Yet hee that hath the least glory shal have as much as he can conceive or desire and hee who hath the least torment and misery shall have as much as his vessell can conteine and as hee is capable of and can beare This may be made plain by a familiar similitude If divers bottles or earthen vessels of divers measures and different capacity beeplunged into the deep sea with open mouths every vessell will be filled to the brim that it cannot conteine one drop more the least as well as the greatest and though the greatest conteines more yet the least is as full as it is even to the utmost So it is both in the Saints glorified in Heaven and the wicked tormented in Hell Though some are like vessels more capacious and being filled with glory or with misery have more than others Yet the least Saint is as full as hee can bee of glory and can desire no more and the least among the damned is filled up with torment and with the wrath of God to the utmost and hath as much as his vessell can hold The one wants nothing but hath a fulnesse of glory to make him as blessed as hee can desire for ever And the other hath so much torment as makes him to the utmost extremity miserable And as there is no possibility of the falling away of the Saints from their glory in the least degree So it is impossible to ease the damned of the least graine of his heavy and intollerable misery but Gods wrath shall cleave to them for ever and abide on them to the utmost world without end Quest Seeing now I have lead you on by Questions to the utmost ends both of the godly Elect and wicked Reprobates Now tell mee what remaines Answ. No more but this That as God hath set before us Life and Death For the godly Life eternall in the fruition of himselfe in Glory but for the wicked and ungodly eternall Death misery and torment in Hell So wee by following hard after God by Faith in Iesus Christ and making his glory the marke which wee shoote at in the whole course of our Lives and the maine end of all our labours may bee free from all danger and feare of eternall Death in Hell and may obteine the inheritance of Heavenly glory and with Christ our Head and all his Elect Saints may see God and enjoy all his goodnesse as our portion for ever World without end To this blessed God who hath vouchsafed thus farre to reveale himselfe unto us and to shew us the right way by which wee may come to him bee all glory honour and praise giuen and ascribed by us and his whole Church now and for ever Amen Trin-uni Deo gloria FINIS 1 Kin. 8. 27 Psa. 147 5 Isa. 46. 10. 1 Ioh. 4. 8. Phil. 2. 6. Heb. 1. 3. â— Colo. 1. 17 Rom. 9. 18 Iam. 1. 13. Gen 3. 10 Psa. 49. 12 Gen. 3. 17. vers. 19. 2 Thes. 1. 9. Heb. 2. 14. 1 Ioh. 4. 8. Gen. 12 8. 22. Iohn 8. 5â— Luk 1. 35. Iob 16. 21. Heb. 2. 17. 4. 11. Iohn 17. Rev. 8. 3. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 5 6. Rom. 5. 19. 10. 4. Rom. 3. 7 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 5. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Heb. 12. 23. Phil. 1. 23. Mat. 24. 31 1 Thes. 4. 15 16. Phil. 3. 21 1 Cor. 15. 52. Mat. 25. 33