certius cognoscas Eras in Loc. That it seemed good to him having had perfect knowledge of all those things from the very first to write them in order to him that he might know the certainty or have a more full and particular Understanding of those things wherein he had been before Catechized for so it is in the very Letter of the Greek that is taught only in General to prepare him for Baptism Hesychius a Learned Grammarian does give the meaning of this word Catechize by another which signifies to Build and this does intimate to us the Matter of which a Catechism must consist viz. Of the main and fundamental Points of Religion such as are fittest to build up a firm and unshaken Christian withal Lastly It is deriv'd from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an inculcating and sounding often in the Ear of the Learner the Principles to be imbibed and fixed in his Mind and Memory So the Heathens and so the Christians used the word And this may suffice for the Importance of the Word which I thought might not be improper to Note because it gives so much Light into the meaning of the Thing and the Nature of a Catechism which I shall therefore Define as follows taking the Title now read with some Explanatory Additions for the Text upon which I shall Comment A Catechism The Definition of a Catechism is a general Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion necessary to be Learnt of every Person in order to his Confirmation or the solemn Renewing of his Baptismal Vow and Covenant with God and the Receiving Benefit by the Bishop's Blessing Prayers and Laying on of Hands In which Definition you are told First As to the Matter of which a Catechism is to consist It is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion Secondly As to the Persons to be so Instructed It is necessary to be Learnt of every Person Thirdly As to the End of a Catechism It is necessary to be Learnt of every Person In order to his Confirmation or the solemn Renewing of his Baptismal Covenant and Vow before the Bishop and the Receiving Benefit by the Bishop's Blessing Prayers and Laying on of Hands Of all which Particulars I shall Discourse to you in their Order And First As to the Matter of which a Catechism is to consist It is a general Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion Christian Religion What Christian Religion is out of Christian Principles to live an Holy Good Life and together therewith to depend upon the Mediation of Christ with the Father for us that our imperfect Righteousness may be graciously accepted to our Justification I. A Moral good Life an essential Part of Christianity That Morality or a good Life is a necessary and essential Part of Christianity is expresly affirm'd by St. James 1.27 where he tells us That Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father or such as God the Father will accept is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their afflictions and to keep one self unspotted from the world Many seem to place it in little less than Morality but it is the Life and Soul of all Religion as in Respect of God to Love Honour and to Obey him to Trust in Him and to Resign one self to him to Worship him and to be Devoutly given So in Respect of our Neighbour to be Just and Charitable and particularly and especially to Relieve those that are in Distress And Lastly as to our selves to govern our Affections to subdue our Passions to mortify our Lusts and to moderate our Desires In a word To keep the Heart and Life clean from the Defilements of Sin In this I say consists One main Part of Religion in abstaining from all Sin and Wickedness and in a constant and steddy Performance of all the Parts of Vertue and Holiness This I am sure is a main Part of the Christian Religion the Religion that our Saviour came to Plant amongst Men for this St. Paul assures us Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works He appeared teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and he gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity Hitherto indeed tended all he said all he did and all he suffer'd This was the Design of his Excellent Sermons and Discourses of his most admirable Example and Life and of his Death and Sufferings to Root out of the Lives of Men whatsoever is sinful and wicked and to Implant in its stead all the Parts of Vertue and Goodness But Secondly It is not enough to make a Man a good Christian II. To Act Virtuously upon Christian Principles that he live a strict and unblamable Life but it is moreover necessary to render him such that he act Virtuously upon Christian Principles Both indeed are necessary to the constituting a Man a true Christian The most regular Life that can be except it be acted upon Christian Principles is but meer Morality at the best as the most Orthodox Belief that is if it be Barren in good Works is but a dead Faith Thus Temperance may be observ'd because of our Health and plain and punctual Dealing by the Men of Trade because of their Interest Men may Fast and Pray out of Hypocrisy and to appear Good to others and may distribute large Alms to gain the Applause of Men as you may see Mat. 6.2 5. And indeed considering that Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of the Life that now is as well as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 And since of the Christian Religion it may be said that Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Men may lead very blameless Lives in all respects because of the Advantage and Tranquillity of Mind that arises meerly from a regular and orderly Conversation But all this will be accounted by God to fall far short of the Christian Religion and will entitle the Man to no Reward in Heaven that acts upon no better Reasons nor Motives than these Verily I say unto you they have their Reward says our Saviour Mat. 6.2 Nay He that lives an orderly good moral Life upon the Belief only that there is a God that his Providence and Care is extended over us that our Souls shall never Dye but are capable of and shall receive Rewards or Punishments in another World can be only said to be so far Religious as the good Moral Heathens were who Believ'd and Acted upon the
do not know how better to define it than thus Faith is such a hearty belief of God's Declaration concerning his own Grace and Man's Duty as doth effectually cause a Man to expect from God and to act in a way of sincere Obedience according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration Or if you will take in the Belief of God's Threatnings against sinners into the definition then it will be thus Faith is such a hearty belief of God's Declaration concerning his own Grace and Displeasure and Man's Duty as doth effectually cause a Man to expect from God and to act in a way of sincere Obedience according to the Tenour and Import of such a Declaration Faith thus defined we have already seen exemplified in Abraham who is the great Exemplar of Believing and the Father of Believers And that it was his belief of God's Promise or Declaration of Grace and Favour to him as it is practical in producing Repentance Self-denial and sincear Obedience by which he was justified and made happy appears farther not only in that it 's said by St. James That his Faith wrought with his Works and was made perfect by them and that he was justified by Works as well as by Faith of which more anon but also in that it 's said that he received the sign of Circumcision which was the Condition upon which God Covenanted with him to be his God and upon the same terms to be the God of his Seed a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had while he was yet uncircumcised For supposing which is not denied Circumcision to be an outward Sign of inward Grace of the Circumcision of the Heart consisting in Mortification or a Penitential change of the Heart which is the effect of Faith his Circumcision as such was a Seal of confirmation to Abraham that it was upon his former so believing God upon his Promise as thereby to be induced to leave the evil Customs of his Country and his Country it self with his Kindred and his Father's House that God would be his God indeed In which Promise was implicitly promised all that would make him Eternally Happy And God's farther design of giving to Abraham this Covenant of Circumision as a Seal to assure him the enjoyment of the benefit wrapt up in that Promise upon the terms aforesaid was that he might be the Father of all them that Believe whether literally Circumcised or not that is that he might be a great Example and Pattern to all others of obtaining the same benefits in the same way and so might be a means of begetting others to Believe in God and to Obey him as he had done to be a great Instrument to propagate the kind of New Creatures of Men renewed to God to the end they might be Blessed as he was This or somewhat to this effect is doubtless the meaning of Rom. 4.11 12. And he received the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Rightousness of the Faith which he had being yet uncircumcised That he might be the Father of all them that Believe though they be not circumcised that Rightousness might be imputed to them also And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only but also walk in the steps of that Faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised and it is not unlikely but that as Heart-Circumcision under the figure of Literal-Circumcision was together with Faith made the condition of the Covenant then so Spiritual Baptism which is a Death unto sin and a living unto God is under the Figure of Water-Baptism joyned with Believing as the condition of the Promise of Salvation now Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved According to which St. Peter having spoken of Noah's Ark saith The like figure whereunto Baptism now saveth us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 Now as it was in Abraham such a belief of God's Declaration of Grace and Favour as did effectually induce him to Love and Obey God by which he was Justified so I shall shew afterwards it was the very same kind of Faith working after the same manner by which the Saints under the Law of Moses were Saved But Faith as Evangelical and Christian is such a hearty assent and consent unto God's Declaration in the Gospel by his Son concerning Christ himself and his Grace and Favour towards Men by him and concerning their own Duty as causeth a Man to expect from God and to act in a way of duty according to the Tenour of such a Declaration and his own concerns in it And Faith thus defined is fully agreeable to the Tenour of the Gospel Mark 16.15 16. Go ye into all the world and Preach the Gospel to every Creature He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved He that believeth What Why he that believeth that Gospel which was to be Preâ—â—hed to every Creature Which Gospel contains a Declaration of God's â—â—â—â—e and Man's Duty and of his Wrath against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men. For 1. It declares from God that he hath given his Son Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the World by being a Propitiation for the sin o fit in becoming a Sacrifice to expiate sin 2. It declares That God upon account of his Son's giving himself a Ransom for all hath made and doth establish a New Covenant with the World to Pardon and Eternally to Save as many as shall Believe in his Son and Repent of their sinfulness in changing their Minds and reforming their Lives and becoming New Men in yielding sincere Obedience to the Precepts of the Gospel 3. It declares That those that believe not shall be damned and such as repent not shall perish and that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God This summarily is that which the Gospel declares concerning God's Grace and Displeasure and Man's Duty Now it is the practical belief of all this that is the saving Faith It is not the bare belief that God hath given his Son to be the Saviour of the World and a Propitiation for the sin of it Nor is it a bare belief that he will for Christ's sake pardon and save as many as truly Repent and amend their lives and become New Creatures unless they so believe all this as seriously and heartily to Repent themselves of their former folly and to return to their duty in new Evangelical Obedience For otherwise for a Man barely to believe all this and not act according to his own concerns in it will be so far from being a believing to the saving of the Soul as that it will rather plunge him the deeper in Destruction for living and acting contrary to his own light and belief as holding the truth in unrighteousness the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all such Rom. 1.18 A Man of this
for this liketh you O Children of Israel saith the Lord God And much after this rate do carnal Christians bear up themselves in hopes that all their sins are done away by the Sacrifice of Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World though they live from day to day in ungodliness Only indeed they sin at a cheaper rate for the present than the wicked Jews did The Jewish sinners were at the cost of many a Sacrifice to stop the mouth of Conscience but these are at cost only in making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof and depend upon Christ to pay all their Scores 4. Another of their Errors as consequent upon the former was this That without Circumcision and observing of the Law of Moses the Gentiles could not be saved This Opinion the Judaizing Christians retained after their Conversion to the Christian Profession Acts 15.1 5 24. Certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren saying Except ye be Circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved There rose up certain of the Sect of the Pharisees which believed saying that it was needful to Circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses In opposition to which Opinion St. Paul taught that the Righteousness of God by Faith without the Law is manifested unto all and upon all that believe whether Jews or Gentiles and that there is no difference Rom. 3.21 22. And that a Man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law though never Circumcised And that God is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews and that he doth justifie the Vncircumcision and the Circumcision those that had observed the Law of Moses and those that had not upon the same terms viz. of Evangelical Faith Rom. 3.28 29 30. Whereunto agrees the words of St. Peter Acts 15.9 11. He put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith i. e. us Jews and they Gentiles But we believe that through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they and upon no other terms though we have observed the Law and they have not Gal. 2.15 16. Upon the same account St. Paul again affirms Rom. 4.5 That to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness That is the Idolatrous Gentiles that never had observed the Law but lived without God in the World should yet have their practical belief of the Gospel imputed even to them for Righteousness And he further exemplifies this in Abraham Ver. 9.10 11 12. whose Faith was reckoned to him for Righteousness before he was Circumcised that he might be the Patern and great Example of God's justifying the Heathen upon their believing and obeying as Abraham did in leaving his Idolatry and his Country upon God's Promise and Command though he never had been Circumcised And upon the like account he saith again Gal. 3.8 9. That the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed And from thence he concludes that those Gentiles that be of Faith that believe as Abraham did are blessed as Abraham was are blessed with faithful Abraham 5. Another Error which was held by some Judaizing Christians was this That Faith in Christ and Literal Circumcision with a Literal observation of the Law of Moses jointly were the Condition of Justification Though they were such as Believed yet they taught that except Men were Circumcised and kept the Law of Moses they could not be saved Acts 15.1 5. They seem to have retained the same false Opinion of Justification by the Law as the unbelieving Jews did but held the Death of Christ necessary to be super-added To convince them of which Error St. Paul sets before them the bad consequence of it in two respects 1. In that they hereby rendred the Death of Christ needless in it self Gal. 2.21 If Righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain There would then have been no need of Christ's Death to accomplish it as the unbelieving Jews indeed did hold 2. In that this Opinion of theirs made Christ and his Death useless unto them and cut them off from receiving any benefit by him Gal. 5.2 4. Behold I Paul say unto you that if you be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace And hereto agrees that in Hebr. 13.10 We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle Those Judaizers who stand for the necessity of Mosaic Observations have no right to nor shall receive benefit by Christ who is the only Christian Altar to which we bring all our Sacrifices 6. They held the Law of Moses to be unalterable and of perpetual obligation In opposition to which the Author to the Hebrews improves to great purpose that Prophesie Jer. 31.31 32. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt c. For in that he saith a new Covenant he hath saith he made the first old Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready saith he to vanish away And St. Paul shews how that the Legal Ministration how glorious soever it was was yet done away when that which was far more glorious did appear 2 Cor. 3.7 11. And again that we are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ and delivered from the Law Rom. 7.4 6. 7. The last of their Errors I shall insist on was this They held the first Covenant as alone or separated to be the Covenant of Salvation only taking in with it the Covenant of Literal Circumcision which also was made a part of their Law That first Covenant which I have already described as a Temporal Covenant and the Promises and the Threatnings of it but Temporal they took to be established for perpetuity and the Promises of it to contain Promises of Eternal Redemption or Remission as well as Temporal and Eternal Life and Felicity as well as Temporal And such a Literal observation of the Laws of it to be the condition of those Promises as would render them inculpable in the eye of the Magistracy such a Righteousness sufficient to justifie them before God as St. Paul saith he had while he was a Pharisee Phil. 3.6 As touching the Righteousness which is in the Law blameless which then he accounted to be his gain Now that they did peremptorily adhere to this first Covenant and the terms of it for Justification and Eternal Life it doth plainly appear by the mighty opposition
Act of the Mind or Understanding and doth not powerfully influence the Will and so it is not a believing with all the Heart but is the act only of one such faculty of the Soul A Belief it 's probable may be found in the Devil himself And such a Belief was found in some who were so convinced by the power of Christ's Miracles in concurrence with his Doctrine and Life that they could not choose but believe him to be an extraordinary Person sent from God though their carnal Interest prevailed so much in them as that it would not suffer them to confess him openly because they loved the praise of Men more than the praise of God Joh. 12.42 43. And besides these Men deceive themselves about their Faith in this also that they do not heartily Believe the whole Doctrine of the Gospel but are partial in their Faith They in a sort believe Christ to be the Son of God and that he came into the World to save sinners and that he Died for our sins and the like But then they do not heartily believe his Doctrine touching the necessity of Repentance of being born again of denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts and of living righteously godly and soberly in this present world Or else they frame such Notions of these things unto themselves of Repentance and Regeneration as that they think they believe Christ's Doctrine touching them when they believe only the lying Imagination of their own Brains And there is too much ground to fear that many Mens ill managing the Doctrine of Justification by Faith hath not a little strengthened Men in this vain confidence For while Evangelical Obedience it self under the Notion of those Works to which Faith is opposed hath been decryed as Popish when interessed in Justification and Justification asserted to be by Faith alone in opposition to all Works whatsoever Inward and Outward as well Evangelical as Legal as well those after Conversion as those before yea and the disposition thereunto the Flesh and the Devil to help it hath got great advantage thereby to perswade Men against the necessity of a holy Life in such a sense of a holy Life as the Scripture makes absolutely necessary to Salvation For though it 's true that good Works have been acknowledged and pressed too as necessary to Salvation yet when withal they have been denied to be necessary to Justification and Men have been taught that when once they are Justified they can never fall away from a State of Justification they have easily been drawn to believe that good Works are not absolutely necessary to Salvation no more than to Justification but Faith only And upon supposition that the other two Points of Doctrine are true it would be but rational for them so to believe For if good Works be not necessary to Justification at all And if it is impossible but that those who are once justified should be saved how should Men chuse but infer from hence that good Works are not absolutely necessary to Salvation Unless it shall be said that Men are not put into an immediate capacity of Salvation by being justified Which to affirm would be to say Men are not freed from Condemnation by being freed from Condemnation which would be a contradiction in terms For to be justified is to be freed from Condemnation Rom. 8.33 34 and 5.16 18. and therefore Justification must needs put Men into an immediate capacity of being saved And as there is great reason to think that the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone in opposition to the Works of Evangelical Obedience hath been a stumbling-stone unto many and a back-friend to the power of Godliness so there is another which hath been wont to be joyned with it that hath rendred it the more dangerous and it self no good friend to holy Living and that is the Doctrine of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness unto Justification in that way in which it hath been managed by very many For otherwise there is a sense as I have shewed in which it is a great and a comfortable Truth For when Men have been taught to esteem their own Righteousness but as filthy rags not only because of its utter insufficiency to justifie instead of Christ or as he justifies in which respect indeed it is no better but also as any part of a Condition of Justification or of our acceptance with God And when they have been taught also that upon their Believing only Christ's Righteousness in fulfilling the Law for them becomes imputed to them in it self and not only as the procuring cause of their Justification upon the terms of the Gospel so that they are looked upon as having themselves perfectly kept the Law in him it hath doubtless infeebled their endeavours after an inherent Righteousness and proved a temptation to them to think that so long as they have such anothers Inherent Righteousness essentially in it self imputed to them as Christ's is they have no great need to find it in themselves considering also that if they had it they must rather loath themselves for it than take any comfort in it But let no man deceive you saith St. John he that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 I do acknowledge that many of them have been worthy Men who yet have propagated these Opinions But that makes the Opinions never the better but have done more hurt in gaining thereby the more credit It is true also that those worthy Men have zealously pressed the necessity of Repentance Regeneration and a Holy Life Which proved indeed an Antidote against the Poyson of the other Opinions so that they did not become Mortal to many as otherwise they would have done And indeed they would have made mad work if they had not been yoaked with wholesomer Doctrine as we see they did among Antinomians Ranters and other carnal Christians that have followed the Ducture of those Opinions but have been shy of letting the Doctrines of Mortification and strict Living to have any power over them But then if the preaching of those sounder Doctrines of Repentance Regeneration and a holy Life have done much good notwithstanding they have been clogged with Opinions of another tendency it is easie to imagine that they would have done much more good if they had not been checkt by those unsound Principles But I shall say no more of this though more might be said because I hope I may say that most of those who have formerly imbibed these Opinions are now come to deliver themselves with more caution than heretofore And so I shall proceed to the last thing I propounded to touch upon and that is to shew CHAP. VII That the Doctrine of St. Paul and of St. James about Faith and Works in reference to Justification do not differ but are wholly one IT is true indeed though the Doctrine of St. PAVL and St. JAMES was in nothing opposite the one to the other yet the nature
just God and Listed our selves to be the Souldiers and Servants not of a Lewd Jupiter a Wanton Venus a Fiery Mars a Revengeful Juno a Drunken Bacchus and a Thievish Mercury Such were the Heathen Gods and no wonder then that they who did worship them should also imitate them But we have given up our Names and Listed our selves the Servants of A God that hath no pleasure in Wickedness neither shall any Evil dwell with him in whose sight the Foolish shall not stand and who hateth all the workers of Iniquity who will destroy all men that speak leasing that are crafty to cheat and deceive and will abhor the blood-thirsty and deceitful man Psal 5.4 5 6. Nay who will rain upon the Wicked Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup for the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness his Countenance doth behold the Vpright Psal 11.6 7. III. To fight against the World the Flesh and the Devil Such is the God to whom we have given up our Names to serve And we have Listed our selves in our Baptism under our several Christian Names to fight under his Banner against the World the Flesh and the Devil so as not to be tempted or drawn off to commit any Injustice or Unmercifulness any Intemperance or Filthiness any Act of Ungodliness or Profaneness In a word IV. Asunder that Name he professes to Believe such Articles as are the most powerful Motives to deny all Vngodliness any Sin against him We have engaged our selves under our several Names in the strongest Covenants in hopes of the most glorious Rewards and out fear of the sorest Punishments to be Faithful in our Obedience to him We have openly Profest under our respective Christian Names firmly to believe such a Set of Articles those of our Christian Faith as are every one of them as shall hereafter be made appear the most powerful Motives in the World to make us Deny all Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present evil World And under the same Christian Names we have all of us profest V. To obey the most Righteous Laws To be governed by such Laws and Commands of Vertue and Goodness of Piety towards God of Righteousness to our Neighbours and which lay down such incomparable Rules concerning the Government of our selves as the like are not to be found in any other Philosophy And Lastly Lastly as having under that Name received Promises of most powerful Assistances to do all this We profess to have such Assistances derived to us from God by Prayer and Sacraments those Means of his own Appointment to convey down his Aid and Assistance to us to Enable us to do these Things as will make it not extreamly difficult to us to live very excellent and good Lives Thus have we Christians under our several Christian Names as under Hand and Seal profest our selves the Disciples of a Religion that does infinitely exceed all others in the Powerfulness of its Principles and Doctrines and the Holiness and Strictness of its Precepts and Rules Of a Religion that can work if its Dictates be follow'd the greatest Miracles in the changing Men's Natures and Tempers from worse to better that can turn a ravenous Wolf into a harmless Lamb a furious Lion into a tender Kid that is the most savage and violent Dispositions of Cruelty and Pride into perfect Charity and Meekness And now if we Christians should be found as Debauch'd and Evil Livers as Unconverted Heathens as Lewd as Turks as Griping as Jews as Impious and Profane as Atheists how severely and that deservedly will the rest of the Infidel World upbraid us What Dishonour shall we thereby do to the true God and our most Holy Religion Which brings me to the Second Thing propos'd which was to remind you that the bad Lives of those who bear the Name of Christians do an infinite Prejudice and Dishonour to Christianity The bad lives of Nominal Christians do an infinite Prejudice Dishonour to Christianity And alas What bitter Reproaches have the Unchristian Lives of Christian Professors put into the Mouths of our Enemies making them to say That if we Christians did but Believe our selves those Promises in Scripture of such mighty Rewards to Holy Honest and Good Living we should sure our selves live better Lives And when any of our Christians would perswade them to forsake their own Superstition and Idolatry and to Embrace our most Holy Religion our unanswerable Lives have provok'd them to return smartly enough upon us Would ye have us to believe the Truth of your Religion which you do not seem to believe your selves It hinders the Conversion of Infidels And alas This is the main Thing the very Unsuitable Lives of us Christians that so Prejudices the Infidel Part of the World Pagans Turks and Jews against our most Holy Religion and hinders their Conversion It is the Cruelty and Covetousness of our Christian Merchants in the Indies that makes the poor Indians even Abhor our Religion and scornfully to say That Gold not Jehovah is our God Thus Is the Name of God blasphemed amongst the Gentiles through us Rom. 2.24 It is the Idolatry of the Church of Rome which makes Turks and Jews both of them mortal Haters of Idols to loath and despise the Christian Worship It puts bitter Reproaches in the mouths of Atheists especially when Wickedness is commited under the disguise of Religion But not to Travel so far as the Indies or Turkey to find out how much our Living so unbecoming our most Holy Profession has scandaliz'd Persons so as to Abhor it Observe the Men of No Religion amongst our selves our Atheists and Libertines and what bitter Scoffs and Jeers may we daily hear them cast forth upon Religion it self when they see some that make great outward Professions there guilty of so much Hypocrisy Cheating Cruelty and Rebellion making their very Religion a Cloak for the carrying on the most wicked Things as if the least Religious the most honest Man And now if there were but the least spark of Love and Honour in our Hearts for God and our most Holy Religion this were enough to make us careful to lead innocent and inoffensive Lives if it were only that we might not dishonour God and Religion thereby and might not bring a Reproach upon our Christian Name Every Man that desires the Honour and Reputation of his Calling and Profession whatever it is will live answerable to his Character and not so as to be a Scandal to his Place Few men will endure their worldly Calling to be put at naught and Reproacht And therefore as we seldom see a Person of so abject and mean a Spirit as to endure with Patience whatever Art or Profession he is of to be set at naught and spoke against so Men are generally with respect to the Credit of their worldly Professions careful to
our way to Heaven and Happiness * So long as we wear these Earthly Bodies about us we are permitted the Vse and Enjoyment of worldly Things provided in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable So long as we live in this World and are Parts of it our selves and carry these Bodies of Earthly Materials about us there is no doubt but it is necessary for us and we are permitted to be concern'd in it and we may without scruple gratify our selves with the Enjoyments of it provided it be in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable and that we suffer not our Hearts and Affections to be too much fixt upon it But in regard our Souls the principal Part of us by far are the Natives of Heaven and are only as Pilgrims and Tenants here Below to stay but for a short Time For As the Dust shall return to the Earth as it was so the Spirit shall return to God But being our Souls our principal part are soon to remove to Heaven we must chiefly set our Affections on things above and mainly endeavour to attain them who gave it Eccl. 12.7 we must therefore Set our Affections chiefly on things above on God the Society Interests and Enjoyments of that Ever-Blessed State making it our main Business to Possess to Attain and Enjoy them and not on things below the foolish Interests and Satisfactions of this perishing and transitory State here on Earth Col. 3.2 And so far as the world or any thing it inveigles our Hearts and Affections to fix upon it and seduces us to commit any Thing sinful and hinders to mind the Business of Religion and the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace our way to Happiness and everlasting Satisfaction it is to be Renounced Rejected and Overcome by us It is the Matter of a Christian's Warfare and the subject of his Victory And so far as this Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World 1 Joh. 5.4 and in this sence St. Paul Professes Gal. 6.14 that The world was Crucified unto him and he unto the world And thus you see in General in what sence and how far we are to Renounce the World But Secondly II. Concerning the World consider'd in its Particulars those Temptations result both from the Good and the Evils thereof For the more full and compleat Explication of this Point of Renouncing the world it being a Matter wherein it concerns you to receive the most distinct Directions I will farther consider the Particulars of which this World is made up and will also shew you in what sence and how far you are to Renounce each of ' em And here it is observable that when we come to take a nearer View of the world in its Particulars it does not then appear as it does in the General to have nothing in it but Good but to contain withal a great mixture of Evil and indeed to be in the present State thereof almost wholly made up of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit And both the Good and the Evil Things thereof do give us considerable Temptations to Sin Now the Good Things of this world are summ'd up under these Heads The Riches Honours and the Pleasures it affords The good things of this World Riches Honours Pleasures the Evils Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions And Things of a middle Nature are the different Callings Conditions and Cares of this World And its Evils on the contrary may be reduc'd to Poverty Disgrace and those Afflictions of all sorts which in innumerable ways do assail us And there are also some Things therein of a middle Nature as different Callings Conditions or States of Life and the Cares of this World which are the Appurtenances to it and afford great matter of Temptation and Tryal to us therein And in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce it with reference to each of these I will endeavour to shew you And First As to the Riches of this World These are not in themselves Hurtful I. As to Riches these are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestow'd upon us to good Ends and Purposes but Good and are bestowed by the Divine Providence upon those that have 'em to very excellent Purposes and Uses that they may do Good therewith and that not only in providing for their own Houshold but also by Stewarding them out to the Support and Advancement of Religion and Vertue to the Relieving the Poor and Distressed to the Encouragement of Industry and in many other ways which the Laws of Piety and Charity do direct * And those who enjoy 'em have great Advantages of doing Good therewith to others Comfort and the Benefit of their own Souls And those therefore on whom God has bestowed Wealth have admirable Advantages put into their Hands to do Good therewith to the Comfort of others and to lay up to themselves Treasures of Reward in Heaven by their good Works Nevertheless it was no hard Censure our Saviour pass'd upon Riches in saying That a Rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19.23 For both Scripture and daily Experience tells us Nevertheless Riches are a mighty Temptation whether we consider Men as Getting Possessing or as Parting with or Losing of them that Riches are a very great Temptation to manifold Sins and Offences against God and that whether we consider Men with respect to their Getting Possessing or their Parting with or Losing of them First Consider Men in the State of getting Riches and St. Paul tells us 1 Tim. 6.9 That they who would be Rich fall into a Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition And our own Experience also gives us to see how many horrid and black Crimes and into what miserable Snares so as never to be able to disentangle themselves out of 'em do Men run themselves into by an over-eager Pursuit of Riches I. In the over-eager Pursuit of Riches men do run themselves into many grievous Sins A dividing betwixt God and Mammon is the lowest Degree of Sin that is occasion'd hereby which yet God will not endure as you will find Matth. 6.24 The Neglect of Religion and Contempt of Heavenly Things is the next And it is not seldom we see that Men to raise themselves Estates in this world will not stick at Oppressing the Poor at Cheating of Orphans and Widows at Corrupting of Witnesses and Juries and Forging of Evidences and to add Impiety to Injustice to get but a small Pittance of worldly Wealth they will Rob God in his Tythes and Offerings by Sacrilegiously detaining those Dues which were allotted both by the Laws of God and Man for the Maintenance of the Worship of God and his Ministers a Sin compar'd by St. Paul with Idolatry it self Rom. 2.22 As also into many miserable Snares so as to be hardly ever able to disentangle
and oblige our selves thereby to do He is appeal'd to as a Judge of our Performance whether we are faithful or not And as he is a God that will not be mocked he will certainly be a Revenger and a severe one too if we shall falsly and perfidiously break our Vows of Renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil of Believing in God and Obeying him and shall on the contrary give our selves up to the service of Sin and Satan live like those that Believe not God nor the Christian Religion and in perfect contradiction to the Apostle's Rule deny not all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts as we are commanded and have promised but deny to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World In such a case I say he will be a severe Revenger of our Perjury and of our Apostacy I say of our Apostacy for he will then consider us not as ordinary Sinners but as those who have in effect renounced our Religion and will allot to us therefore not the ordinary measures of Punishments due to unbelieving Jews Turks and Infidels but extraordinary ones such as are due to faithless and perfidious Renegado's Oh it had been happy for us if we had never been Baptized if after those Vows we have therein made to do all we can to destroy Satan's Kingdom and the Power of Sin in the World we shall fight against God by our impious and wicked Deeds Better it is that thou shouldst not Vow than that thou shouldst Vow and not pay Eccl. 5.5 It is a less fault not to Vow at all than having Vowed not to perform the one being but a Neglect the other an Affront nay a Contempt of his Majesty who will not suffer a scorn to be put upon himself What shall I say why take therefore the Advice of the Wise Man v. 4. When thou vowest a Vow unto God deferr not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast Vowed And say resolutely with Holy David Psal 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments I have solemnly resolved and bound my self by the most sacred Ties which I will never break but do now confirm that I will carefully perform my part of the Covenant which I find to be most just and good The End of the First Volume THE XXVII Lecture And by God's Help so I will And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Live's End IN those several Expositions I have made upon the Words of your Catechism I have now fully declar'd unto you first the general Nature Terms and Conditions of the Covenant of Grace secondly the Sacrament whereby you solemnly enter'd into it And last Day have represented to you those vast Obligations lying upon you faithfully and conscientiously to discharge the same And I know nothing so fit next to be spoke of as the Means whereby we shall be enabl'd to perform this our Covenant and what they are these Words I have now read do declare unto you And by God's c. In which you are given to to understand I. That in order to perform the Covenant with God you must put on a fix'd and firm Resolution faithfully to discharge the same II. But a Resolution it must be took up not in Confidence of our own Strength but of God's Grace and Assistance III. And accompany'd therefore with most earnest Prayers to God not to let us to our selves but to be always present with us So I will These Words import the firm Resolution By God's Help so I will These shew it must be a Resolution made not in Confidence of our own Strength And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Live's End These express how necessary Prayer will be to obtain that Assistance which alone can fortifie our Resolutions I shall inlarge here only on the former namely First That to put on a fix'd and firm Resolution faithfully to discharge your Covenant with God will be a great Means towards your Performance of it In order to make which appear 1. I will briefly reflect upon the Nature of your Baptismal Covenant 2. I will shew you what kind of Resolution you ought to put on to perform the same And 3. I will then manifest to you how much such a Holy Resolution will conduce to your Performance of it And First let us briefly reflect upon the Nature of our Baptismal Covenant And the Summ of what has been said upon the Doctrine of your Baptismal Covenant is briefly this namely that in your Baptism you were Incorporated into that Holy Society of Men which is call'd the Church of Christ and were made your selves Members of it You were Adopted to be his Children and such as he would have a peculiar Care of and would indulge with singular Favours And as the Perfection of all you had then an Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven insur'd to you so as to have a legal Right conferr'd upon you to all those unspeakable Joys contain'd in that State All these peculiar Favours you had then conferr'd upon you on God's part on these Terms and Conditions to be made good on yours namely That you would first utterly Renounce those great Enemies of God the Devil the World and the Flesh The Devil because he had Rebell'd against his Creator for which he was Banish'd Heaven and has been ever since endeavouring to withdraw Mankind to partake and side with him in the same wicked Revolt But you have Covenanted with God that you will utterly abhor so base a thing as to side with so cursed a Spirit either by your own Sins or by tempting of others to sin And that you will be always upon your Guard against all his cursed Wiles whereby he would withdraw you into so foul an Apostacy from God As to the World because the greatest Part of Mankind have been prevail'd upon by this wicked Spirit to desert their Creator you have Covenanted to Renounce their Ways so as not to be tempted by their Examples their Company their Persuasions their Threats or their Promises to desert also the great Captain of your Salvation Jesus Christ And as to the Material World that neither the Riches the Honours nor the Pleasures of it should allure you nor the evil and vexatious things of it should fright you into Sin And lastly as to these Enemies of God and us you did solemnly engage your selves to exercise a continual Warfare against the Corrupt Lusts of your sinful Nature which are ever and anon Rebelling against the Dictates of your own Reason and of the Holy Spirit of God Thus in your Baptism you did Covenant to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh And you did on the contrary then engage as you have seen that you would give a hearty and ready Assent to all those Divine Truths reveal'd to you in
36.26 A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you Men are called upon to circumcise their own hearts Deut. 10.16 And God is said to circumcise the heart Deut. 30.6 Men are required to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 And they are also said to be washed and sanctified by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6.11 Men are commanded to repent Acts 17.30 And God is said to give them repentance 2 Tim. 2.35 Acts 5.31 It is by reason of this Co-operation of God's assistance and Man's endeavours that St. Paul expresseth himself as he doth once and again Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me He doth not by these last words so deny what he had said in the former as if he had not spoke true for he speaks the same things in effect in another place without any such correcting himself as here he useth 1 Cor. 3.9 For we are labourers together with God And therefore by his so correcting himself saying Not I but the Grace of God which was with me he only intends to magnifie God's Grace as having the principal stroke in the work It is a phrase of like import with that 2 Cor. 3.10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth So Man's endeavour though it be somewhat in it self considered yet comparatively and in respect of the work of God's Grace by his Spirit which excels it is nothing Therefore in fine as Men are said through the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the Body Rom. 8.13 So they may be said through the same Spirit to Believe Repent Obey that is through the assistance of the Spirit who is said to help our Infirmities Rom. 8.26 Considering then that there is promise of divine assistance to Man using his endeavours in doing what he may and can do towards the performing the condition of the Covenant we may well conclude that there is no Man under the Gospel doth perish but through his own fault and neglect It is true God doth sometimes for special reasons meet with and convert sinners with a high hand of Grace whilst they are pursuing their sins in a full career and using no endeavours at all towards their own Salvation as he did Saul before he was Paul But such extraordinary instances are no Rules to us by which to judge of God's ordinary proceedings in converting Men Nor hath the Lord put Men in expectation by any promise of his of their being converted after that manner and upon such terms And therefore it will in no wise be safe for any Man to expect to be converted by such extraordinary workings of Grace and to neglect to do what he can do and what God requires he should do towards his own conversion There are many things which Men may and can believe and do without any Supernatural Grace and by vertue of God's common Grace It is no Supernatural Act to believe the Being of God and the Immortality of the Soul or future state Or to know that we are sinners against God and consequently that we stand in need of his Mercy Nor is it a Supernatural Act for a Man to desire the future happiness of his own Nature or Being or to hear the Word of God which directs the way to that happiness no more than it is to hear any other Doctrine that only pretends to do so Nor is it a Supernatural Act to consider the Doctrine of the Scriptures with as much seriousness as Men do or may the contents of any other Books Nor is it a Supernatural Act to consider how we are concerned in the Doctrine of the Scriptures in case it should prove true No more is it a Supernatural Act seriously to consider the strength and force of those Reasons that tend to perswade Men to believe that Doctrine to be true Nor under the natural desires which Men have to be happy in another world is it a Supernatural Act for them to pray to God to direct and assist them in the use of means that they may be happy These I take to be no Supernatural Acts in Men. For though the depraved VVill of Man needs Special or Supernatural Grace to do these so seriously and effectually as is needful to true Sanctification yet in some sort and measure they may be done by common help And if Men would but go thus far as they can out of a real desire to be happy I should make no question but that the Spirit of God would yield them his assistance to carry them quite through in the Work of Conversion And whither our Saviour doth not by the Hearers resembled by the good Ground mean such Men as before their Conversion have some such Working of Heart about their future state as doth incline them to hear and consider what with any fair probability may be said about the way to be happy in that state and not to hear out of Curiosity or for fashion-sake or to carp I submit to consideration It is doubtless then Mens Inconsideration Carelessness and Negligence in those things which they do Believe and which they can do that undoes them It is because seeing they see not and hearing they hear not which is the reason why more is not given but rather that taken away from them which they had That is The reason why God with-holds his special Grace and many times with draws common Grace and Assistance from Men is because though they have understanding and considering Faculties which they could if they would use and imploy about their being happy in another World as well as they do about their happiness in this yet they will not though they are frequently called upon and excited thereto Whereas those that take heed or consider what they hear and how they are concerned in it to them more shall be given God will come into such with Supernatural Aid Mark 4.24 And therefore God to put Men upon a holy necessity of complying with his Grace in acting diligently towards the working out their own Salvation hath wisely made the obtaining of the great Benefits of the Covenant Remission of Sin and Eternal Life Conditional so that Men can have no farther assurance of pardon of Sin and Salvation than they are sure they sincerely endeavour to perform the condition on their part upon which they are promised Wherefore we are greatly concerned to be awakened by such Sayings as these Strive to enter in at the strait gate So run that ye may obtain Vse all diligence to make your calling and election sure Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to
Deliver and Bless them that turned to him to serve him only Which seems to be his meaning when he saith he will be sanctified before the Heathen when he should gather them from among the people where they were Captives and that the Heathen should know that he was the the Lord Ezek. 20.41 and 36 23. And by this means he brought them to fear and worship the God of Israel Psal 102.13 15. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion they said among the Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them Psal 126.1 2. 6. The whole Law was given to be a Political Instrument of Governing the Israelites according to that state of their minority as a peculiar Republick of which God himself was the Soveraign Legislator But of this more afterward CHAP. III. Shewing by what Faith and Practice the Jews under the Law were Saved I Come now to shew by what Faith and Practice the Jews under the Law were Saved And doubtless whatever it was it became available to that end upon the account of what Christ was to suffer when he should come For as I shewed before that God's Covenant with Abraham and his Seed by virtue of which the Faithful then were saved was confirmed in Christ was established with them in reference to what he was to do and suffer as Mediator afterwards Gal. 3.17 And by means of his Death there was Redemption for the transgressions that were under the first Testament Heb. 9.15 And the Sacrifices and Priesthood were a Figure for the time then present of what Christ should afterwards do and suffer and for what end But when I say so I do not say that all that were Saved did understand so much For we see the Apostles of Christ though they did believe him to be the Messias which the Jews expected yet they did not understand or expect that he should suffer Death as a Sacrifice till he told them so Nay the thing was so far from their thoughts as that they did not understand him when he plainly foretold them of his Death Luke 18.32 And if the Doctrine touching the resemblance that is between the Priesthood of Melchizedech and the Priesthood of Christ was not in the Apostles sense Meat which Babes in Christianity could well digest in their Understandings but was Meat for strong Men Heb. 5.10 14. we may well guess by that how little the Jews understood the Typical and Spiritual sense of those Types about which they were frequently conversant and therefore it 's said that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John the Baptist though he was so great that there was none greater before him Hence we may see that one reason why those Jews were all their life-time under a Spirit of Bondage to fear was the great Obscurity of the Declaration of God's purpose of Grace to the World through Christ and the Way and Method of Salvation by him Moses was but a servant for a Testimony of those things which were after to be spoken and so declared afterwards as that the Typical meaning of them might be understood Heb. 3.5 In the mean while as touching those things they were shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Gal. 3.23 It is said of the Prophets whereof Moses was one that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto us by them that have preached the Gospel to us 1 Pet. 1.12 Add we to all this Heb. 9.8 where having spoken in ver 7. of the High Priests entering alone into the Holy of Holies with the Blood of the Sacrifice in behalf of the People once every Year he saith The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing By the Holiest of all here is meant Heaven signified of old by the Holy of Holies as appears ver 12 24. And the plain meaning seems to be this That the peoples entring into Heaven by the Sacrifice and Blood and Intercession of Christ was not made manifest while the Tabernacle-worship continued For Christ is our Way into Heaven to the place within the Veil by his Blood shed as a Sacrifice Heb. 10.19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh But this Way he tells us was not made manifest while the first Tabernacle was standing But as obscure as this way was as to what was to be done and suffered in particular by the Messias yet they had some general grounds of Faith and Hope That upon their Faith Repentance and sedulous Endeavours to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord they should obtain remission of their sins and a future Happiness in another World Among which gounds these were not the least 1. They had the knowledge of the Promise of Blessedness to all Nations in Abraham's Seed and of the Promise of those other Benefits which were promised to Abraham and his Seed 2. They had an addition of several other Predictions concerning the Messias both by Moses and other Prophets that perhaps were somewhat more express such as in Deut. 18.16 Isa 53. Dan. 9. and others These Promises and Predictions put them in great expectations of Special Benefits by the Messias and wrought in them a longing after his Day Upon which account our Saviour said to his Disciples Blessed are your Eyes for they see and your Ears for they hear For I say unto you that many Prophets and Kings and Righteous Men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Mat. 13.16 17. Luke 10.23 24. 3. They had large significations from God of his special Favour to them above all people as in chusing them to be his peculiar People and in declaring himself to be their God in giving visible signs of his Presence among them and excellent Laws and Promises to them and sending his Prophets amongst them and working many Wonders for them and casting out the Nations before them to make room for them and the like Deut. 7.6 7 8. and 26.18 19. Psal 147.19 20. Rom. 9.4 5. 4. They had express Declaration from God of the Goodness of his Nature and of his Compassion towards Sinners and of his readiness to Pardon such as should Repent and return to their Duty in loving him and keeping his Commandments As for instance Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed The Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and
withal create in us such an humble Opinion of our own Unworthiness that when we have done all that we can to deny our selves and have proceeded never so far in our Zeal to good Works we shall nevertheless confessing that we are but unprofitable Servants depend wholly on Christ's Merits and Mediation and in the Virtue of his Satisfaction and Intercession alone expect Salvation And now such is the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace An Enumeration of fundamental Principles particularly that part of it the Vow in Baptism wherein all do solemnly promise and vow Repentance Faith and Obedience engaging to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil Whosoever considers this sees what Obligations lye upon him to deny himself the sinful Pleasures of the World I. The general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace and to govern his whole Life and Conversation according to God's Commandments And whoever again understands the Constitution of this Covenant knows that it was obtain'd for him by the Mediation of Christ who is therefore Stiled The Mediatour of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 and therefore that on his Mediation he must depend for the having those infinite Blessings made good to him which are promis'd therein to his Obedience And such fundamental Principles also in a prime Sence are the Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith as the Belief of God II. The Articles of our Christian Faith and of his Providence that he is our Creatour Governour and will Reward every Man according to his Works The Belief that Jesus Christ came into the World Died and Suffered to Attone for its Sins and Preach'd the Gospel to Reform it The Belief that he gives his Spirit to sanctify us and that he will hereafter come in Person to Judge us In a word The Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith These are indeed the true Principles of our Religion for these are all of them as I shall hereafter shew so many very powerful Motives to reform our Lives to forsake our Sins and to follow Holiness as that without which we shall never see God And these do most of them influence us as to a Good Life so humbly to rely upon God's Mercies through Christ for the acceptance of it III. The Laws of the Ten Commandments And such also are the Laws of the Ten Commandments which contain the great Instances of our Duty to God our Neighbour and our Selves and to which all others may probably be reduc'd These Ten Commandments may properly enough be stiled the Principles of Religion for as the Root is the Principle as it were out of which all the Branches Stem forth so out of these Commandments do all the Duties of a Christian grow forth like so many Branches so that whosoever shall well study and digest these Ten Summary Commands shall scarcely fail of growing up to be a Good Christian IV. The Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments And if to these we add the Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments which are the necessary Means and appointed us by God of our procuring and conveying unto us his Assistance to enable us to mortify and forsake our Sins and to become Holy I do not know any other Principles that are Fundamentally necessary either to the promoting of a good Life here or an happy One hereafter at leastwise so far as to be the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Business of a Catechist to inform you of them And indeed as these Doctrines are every One of them necessary to be Known Believ'd and Practic'd by every Christian that may have the Means of Knowing them and may be taught them being no other than the Covenant of Grace it self or those particular Articles contain'd in it and which are expresly Enjoyn'd upon us by the Word of God to be Believ'd and Practic'd by us so our Church does account them the only Fundamental and Necessary Principles that are to be the Matter of a Christian Catechism There are it must be confest many other useful Truths contain'd in the Scriptures and those who having first laid the Foundation in these already mention'd would go on to Perfection should endeavour by Reading the Bible and other good Books and by Attending to the Preaching of the Word A Catechism ought not to be crouded w th any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a good life here and Happiness hereafter to gain the Knowledge of them But a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here and Happiness hereafter And if other Churches have fill'd their Catechisms either with many Unscriptural Tenets as the Church of Rome has hers or with any doubtful and nice Doctrines concerning God's Election and Reprobation as many others have done theirs they have no reason to brag of their Abundance It is the Glory of our Church that she Imposes no other Doctrine as necessary to be Learnt by her Children than those already mention'd which are plainly declar'd in Scripture to be Fundamental and Necessary Principles whereon we may securely build a Good Life and the certain Hopes of eternal Happiness and which are so firm a Rock that the Religion and Hopes of Happiness founded upon it will not easily be destroy'd by the most violent and boistrous Temptations that the World the Flesh and the Devil shall Assault it withal thereby to Ruine it Thus have I Adventured in as few Words as the Difficulty of the Argument would give me leave to shew you the Nature of Fundamental Principles and to declare to you what Doctrines are to be accounted such so far at least as they are the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Business of a Catechist to inform you of them I have done this Point when I have told you A Catechism is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity That a Catechism is A General Instruction only in the fundamental Principles of Christianity As a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here and Happiness hereafter so even those Fundamental Truths it ought to deliver in as short and comprehensive a manner as possible for a Catechism is an Instruction that must be fitted to all even the weakest Capacities and therefore it ought to be such a Form of sound Words as all can retain And the more explicite and enlarged Knowledge of these things is to be sought for in the Expositions and Comments that are given of them in Catechetical Discourses of which Nature I design by God's Grace to Present you with some until I have gone through your Catechism In a word and to conclude this First Point Such were the Ancient and Apostolical Catechisms Such a General Instruction in the Fundamental and most Necessary Points of Religion as we have given you an Account of was the
act with that Decency and Becomingness as shall advance the Reputation thereof Hence the Lawyer as he cannot ordinarily endure except he be a profligate Person his Profession of the Law nor the Physician his nor the Tradesman his to be run down Expos'd and made Ridiculous so each of these will be as much as possible for maintaining in their several Dealings a Reputation of Fairness and Honesty as that alone which will raise and Preserve an Esteem for them And how then comes it about that a Christian can endure to hear his Christian Profession reproach'd and scorn'd by reason of his scandalous Living Whence is it but from the greater Zeal Men generally have for the Honour of their worldly Callings and Professions than for the Honour of their Christian Religion Profession and Calling And now therefore Thirdly Let me Exhort you An Exhortation therefore to Christians to stand upon the Dignity of their Christian Name and Profession to stand upon the Dignity of your Christian Name and Profession by living such good Lives as may be an Honour not a Disgrace unto it Let me therefore Admonish you from this very Name wherewith you are Honoured to render your selves wholly conformable to those Christian Principles and Doctrines to which you have given up your Names to be governed by and which being taught you in your Catechism I shall by God's leave with all the Plainness and in the most useful manner I can explain unto you And pray let me Entreat you my Dear Youth seriously and diligently to hearken to me your Spiritual Father that studies no less the Eternal Interest of your Souls and to make you Heirs of Heaven than your Natural Parents do your Temporal Interest to gather you Riches and to leave you Estates in this World You have been Ask'd and you have Answer'd to your Christian Name and you see with what Title you are dignify'd viz. with the Name of Christians And First Wonder not at what I say those Titles of Honour I. As that which is more considerable than Titles of Honour which we daily hear sounding in our Ears and which are so much admired and doted upon I mean the Titles of Emperors Kings Dukes Earls Lords ought to be accounted as very inconsiderable in respect of our Christian Title They are but Earthly Glories and will soon decay and vanish away but this is of a Divine Original which will never fade but will Ennoble you to all Eternity I beseech you therefore seriously consider this and let a due Honour and Regard to so worthy a Name continually admonish every one of you that you never commit in your whole Lives any thing that does unbecome it I do also Secondly II. Because of that near Alliance there is between the Christian Name and Profession Entreat every One of you to consider the near Alliance there is betwixt your Christian Names and your Christian Profession insomuch that they both began and will both end together In your Baptism you put on both your Name and your Profession of Christianity together and if ever you should abjure your Religion which God forbid you must also therewith abjure your Christian Names so near are they linkt one with another And therefore let this ever admonish you to Adorn your selves with Christian Graces Temperance Chastity Charity Justice Piety and not to defile your selves with Heathenish Brutish Vices Drunkenness Uncleanness Cruelty Infidelity Thirdly III. Because the primitive Christians did in vertue of the Christian Name resist the fiercest Temptations And is it Examples of this good Use of your Christian Name that you want Why the Christians of old took Courage from this very Name whereby they overcame all their Enemies both Bodily and Ghostly the World the Flesh and the Devil and encourag'd themselves thereby to the Discharge of their Christian Duties In the Vertue of this Name they extinguisht their Lusts they overcame Tyrants they put to flight the Devil Their Persecutors with Fire and Fagot and all manner of cruel Torments would have forc'd them to Blaspheme Christ to sacrifice and burn Incense to Devils to worship Idols But they in the midst of Flames and Torments would answer with Smiles on their Faces We are Christians we cannot do these Things Forbear your Assemblies and Church-meetings would the Heathen Persecutors say We are Christians and must not therefore Forsake the Assembling our selves together would they answer Such great things did the Primitive Christians perform under the Power of the Christian Name And let your very Christian Names likewise my Christian Youth encourage you to all manner of Vertuous and Religious Practices in imitation of those Blessed Primitive Christians and to the Examples of those that shall come after you IV. Because of the Indecency of Living unsuitable to the Christian Name and Profession Nay Fourthly Look upon it ever as a most monstrous piece of Wickedness for Christian Men to live Antichristian Heathenish Lives but on the contrary ever look upon your selves as you are Christians bound even in Decency to Abstain from all Appearances of Evil 1 Thess 5.22 What shall you that have given up your Names to Christ and are in Covenant with God fight the Devil's Battels Know you not that your Bodies are the Members of Christ and shall you take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot God forbid 1 Cor. 6.15 Shall you that are Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven walk in Darkness Have you Renounced the Devil the World and the Flesh and shall you for all that yield your selves slaves to the Devil the World and the Flesh You Believe the Gospel and all the Articles of your Christian Faith and shall any of you live as those that neither know nor fear God nor dread the Devil You have vowed Obedience to God and shall you trample under Foot all Laws Divine and Humane You have been dedicated to God and have given up your Names to him in your Baptism and shall you live as if you had been Listed in Satan's Service Nothing so contrary so contradictory as these things V. That to quite other Purposes we gave up our Names to be Christians Alas Consider Fifthly That you have given up your Names unto Christ for other Reasons than that you should fight under the Devil's Banner and do the works of the Flesh Namely that you might ever live to the Honour of God You have been call'd forth out of the World not that you should add by your own to the Iniquities of the Times but to nobler Purposes that you might re-establish the World now tottering and ready to sink under the weight of Wickedness that you might re-establish it I say by the Practice of all Christian Graces and Vertues And for that reason it is you must consider that you Christians are called the Salt of the Earth Matth. 5.13 the Light of the World ver 14. A Candle put upon a Candlestick that
for many for the remission of sins Matth. 26.28 And the Terms and Conditions of this Second Covenant Wherein Repentance Faith and a sincere Obedience is accepted instead of a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience being no more a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience Repentance is henceforward to be admitted as a means of Reconciliation and a sincere Obedience to the best of our Power will be accepted and Faith in God and in Jesus Christ accompany'd with Living like those who Believe the Gospel shall be henceforward imputed to our Justification so that we shall have our Sins pardon'd and be receiv'd to Happiness This in short was the Tenour both of the first Covenant made with Adam and the Second procur'd for us by the Mediation of Jesus Christ Not to speak here of the different Measures and Degrees of its Promulgation nor of that Legal Covenant whereof Moses was the Mediatour and was made only with the People of Israel and was annex'd as an Appendix and Codicil to this Covenant of Grace for Reasons too many and too large now to be consider'd For tho' to shew how that the whole Promulgation of this gracious Covenant was not made all at once but that it seem'd good to the Divine Wisdom that so stupendious and grand a Scene of Mercy should not be open'd but by degrees tho' to shew this I say and the several Reasons of adding this Legal Covenant to the Covenant of Grace may be useful Points of Divinity to be explain'd in their due time yet I look upon 'em as none of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ but rather part of that Strong meat spoke of Heb. 5.14 which belongeth to them who are of full Age and have been already competently well instructed and so to be no proper Matter of Catechetical Doctrine To proceed therefore and in a word we may consider the Second Covenant not as such indeed which is made betwixt a Master and his Servant wherein the Master engages to allow Meat Drink and Wages on Condition the Servant will perform unto him such and such Services which are just and reasonable and the Servant is capable to perform which expresses more the Nature of the Covenant of Works Do this and Live But rather for this comes nearer to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace between God and us which is full of advantageous and profitable Considerations on our side we may rather compare it It resembles Articles of Accomodation made thro' the Intercession of a Prince's Eldest Son betwixt him and his Rebellious Subjects I say to an Accord made betwixt a Gracious Prince and his Rebellious Subjects as suppose some City or State wherein the Prince is graciously pleas'd through the Intercession of some great Favourite to grant unto those his Subjects not only Pardon of their former Crimes but moreover certain great Priviledges and Freedoms Protection and several particular Favours Lands and Possessions and the like on Condition they will thence-forward Renounce and Forsake all his Enemies and place no farther Trust nor Confidence in 'em and will not Disobey him for the future in any of his just and reasonable Commands but pay him a true and faithful Obedience to all his Laws And much of the same Nature I say is the Covenant of Grace made betwixt God and all Christians thro' the Mediation of his only Son only with this difference That on God's Part the Benefits and Advantages are of most infinite Value which are made over to us his Rebellious and Disobedient Subjects and this upon the most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he affords us by the vertue of the same Covenant to perform ' em For Almighty God in the first place vouchsafes us in this Covenant to be made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven which are Mercies and Priviledges of invaluable Benefit and Advantage to us And we on the other side Engage and Promise but to Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh to Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith to Obey God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of our Life which I say are most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he will afford us to enable us to perform ' em This will very clearly appear by that time I have Explain'd to you distinctly and severally the Terms and Articles of this Covenant both the Advantages made over to us on God's part and the Conditions to be perform'd on ours as they are taught you in the Words now read to you And it is a Subject indeed that does extreamly concern you to be well Instructed in and to be consider'd by you None of you shall be able to perform a Bargain except you know what you have bargain'd and agreed to do No One can discharge a Bond except he knows distinctly what he is oblig'd to pay no more can any of you be able to perform the Covenant of Grace except you do well understand the Nature Terms and Conditions of it And indeed Little more of universal Concernment to be known but the Articles of this Covenant there is perhaps but little necessary to be known in Religion besides the Articles of this Covenant We may without Prejudice to our Salvation doubtless be ignorant of many Points that are Canvast with Heat enough in the Controversies of Men of all Perswasions but to know what inestimable Blessings God has Promis'd and Ensur'd to us and what we are to perform to make our selves Inheritours of those Blessings is what every Body who believes a future State and the Immortality of his Soul and that it is worth his while to study the Salvation of his Soul must think it necessary except he can imagine it safe to take his Journey to Heaven blindfold when he cannot think of getting but to his short Home here on Earth without his Eyes open A distinct and clear Understanding of the Nature Terms and Conditions and of all that pertains to the Covenant of Grace is without doubt of all things in the World the most necessary The Catechetical Method most useful to that Purpose And there is no Method of Instruction whereby it can be so distinctly and clearly known as the Catechetical way For not to say that Preaching now upon one Head and immediately after upon another without any dependance and coherence of the several parts of Christianity together is not so likely to give Persons a clear understanding of the whole Nature and Design of Christianity as may be requisite The Catechetical way by treating orderly on all the Parts of our most Holy Religion and by giving thereby a distinct View of their natural Connection with and Dependance one upon another has this Excellency in it no doubt that thereby Persons shall be better able to
Establish'd and the Truth of Christianity already Prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out in any Part of the World as sometimes they are to this Day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those means that Christ has appointed in his Church for that Purpose so very considerable on many accounts are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Church THE Seventh Lecture Wherein I was made a Child of God THE Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Church-Catechism as I have already told you do give you a general Account of the whole Covenant of Grace And these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ being the First of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us in this Covenant on God's Part I have already explain'd and open'd to you what they do Import The next of those Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace is exprest in these Words Wherein I was made a Child of God in order to make you sensible of the Vastness of which Priviledge also First I will shew you what is meant in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God Secondly What an inestimable Priviledge accordingly it is to be a Child of God What is meant in the Catechism by a Child of God And first let us Enquire What is meant both in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God To understand which we must Enquire into the several meanings of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures and then in which of those Sences it is to be understood here in your Catechism when every Catechumen is taught to Answer that In his Baptism he was made a Child of God And as to the several Acceptations of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures I. Not the Son of God by an Eternal Generation First In the highest most natural and most proper meaning of the Word there is He who is the Son or Child of God by an Eternal Generation viz. Our Saviour Jesus Christ who being Begotten of God the Father from all Eternity in a peculiar inconceivable and inexpressible manner so as to be Co-equal Co-eternal with the Father himself is call'd the Onely Begotten Son of God Joh. 3.16 But then being he is in so peculiar and high a manner the Son of God as infinitely to exceed that wherein any one else whether Angels or Men can be call'd his Sons he cannot in any measure be meant here by a Child of God which signifies a Priviledge common to many as will be presently shew'd Not every Son by Temporal Creation which is a Sence too wide Secondly There are those who are the Sons of God by a Temporal Creation and such are Reasonable Creatures both Angels and Men both being call'd the Sons of God as you will see Job 1.6 and Luk. 3.38 And that both upon the account of the manner of their Production which was by the immediate Power of God and because of their Spiritual and Immortal Natures in which both do so immediately resemble God But this is an Acceptation too wide That which is meant here by a Child of God is a Priviledge which all Men in the World do not enjoy but is the Favour which is granted to a selected Body of Men who are separated from the rest of the World Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 Thirdly There are those III. Nor sachonly who are Children of God by spiritual Regeneration which is a Sence too narrow who are the Children of God by Spiritual Regeneration by being Renew'd in the Spirit of their Minds and by being Created anew in Righteousness and true Holiness And these are such Who have put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and who have put on the New Man which after God is created in Rightousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 23 24. They are such who are Born not only of Water but also of the Spirit that is who have not only been Baptized into the Christian Church but have been Sanctify'd by the Holy Spirit and have their whole Natures and Dispositions so altered for the Better that from Vicious and Ungodly they are chang'd to Vertuous and Holy Dispositions and Inclinations And such a vast Change wrought in our Natures by the Word and Spirit of God may very justly give those who Enjoy it the Title of the Children of God for if in the way of Natural Generation the Communicating of a Principle of Life and of suitable Operations does found the Relation and Title of a Father there is as good Reason why in Regeneration the deriving such Holy and Heavenly Dispositions and Powers from the Word and the Spirit of God to the Soul as give to a Man a Divine Nature whereby he is a Partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself should Entitle God to be also a Father and such who are so Regenerated and Renew'd his Children And accordingly in the Holy Scripture we find that such a Derivation of Strength and Grace from the Word and Spirit of God does Entitle those who are Renew'd thereby to be Children of God St. Paul not only attributing to the Ministry of the Word a Power of Begetting in Christ 1 Cor. 4.15 But withal expresly assuring us that As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 So that he is undoubtedly a Child of God whoever giving himself up to the guidance of God's Word and Spirit is thereby Sanctify'd wholly in his own Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thess 5.23 so as to subdue and mortify every Lust and every naughty inordinate and worldly Desire And indeed every truly Regenerate Child of God does do so such a One does by the Power of the Word and in the use and strength of that Grace that God does afford him subdue and mortify every Lust and every naughty inordinate and worldly Desire So we are expresly told 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God that is a sanctify'd Child of God does really hate Sin the very Temper and Bent of his Soul is against it and as to living in any gross and wilful Sin he cannot without much Reluctancy force himself to it his renew'd Nature is so much contrary thereto Such I say is every Regenerate Child of God and such indeed in a peculiar manner Such indeed are in a peculiar manner and in the highest sence the Children of God and in the highest
fought a good fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth says the Apostle and so may every good Christian say the same there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but to all them who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Such is the Christian's Priviledge above a Pagan's in being made an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven in that being his Inheritance he may assure himself of it tho' his imperfect Vertues consider'd in themselves could never Entitle him to such an eternal and exceeding weight of Glory In short It is Jesus Christ alone who hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And as he only has brought it to light that is made a clear Revelation of that Life and immortal Happiness laid up for Righteous Men in Heaven which was not before so plainly Reveal'd so it is only through him and by Believing and Embracing and Coming into his Covenant the Gospel that Salvation must now be hop'd for by any for thus we are assur'd Acts 4.12 that There is no other Name under Heaven given among Men but Jesus only whereby we must be saved so that this Invaluable Priviledge this exceeding great Advantage of being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven is made over and certainly Ensur'd to such only who are in the Covenant of Grace and is the Third and Last of those excellent Priviledges and Advantages contain'd and held forth therein And to a sincere Christian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain But then the Kingdom of Heaven is the certain Inheritance of the sincere Christian who in the Exercise of Mercy Meekness Piety and all other Christian Vertues which he has Covenanted with God to perform does faithfully discharge his Part of the Covenant as is most solemnly declar'd Matth. 25.31 32 33 34.46 with which I shall conclude this Point Says our Blessed Saviour there When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand to his Charitable and Pious and Faithful Servants Come ye Blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World And as the Wicked shall go into everlasting Punishment so the Righteous into Life Eternal And now to summ up those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on Uod's Part in the Covenant of Grace A summ of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace hereby we are made First Members of Christ that is are made Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head viz. The Church and so have together with a most excellent Body of Religion and Laws all necessary Grace and Assistance Convey'd and Communicated to us Members from Him the Head to Enliven Support and Enable us to go through all our Task of Religious Duties and Christian Performances requir'd at our Hands The Second Priviledge is That we are also hereby made Children of God that is having Embrac'd Christianity and being Incorporated into the Church of Christ we are thereby Adopted and Chosen out of the rest of the World by God to enjoy this grand Priviledge of Sons to have Pardon granted us when with the Prodigal Son we return Home to Him our Offended but Gracious Father by Repentance And we shall find him not over-severe in respect of our lesser Failings and the unavoidable Infirmities of our Nature but shall always have him ready to hear our Prayers for Mercy both in respect of our greater and lesser Transgressions And Lastly The Third Priviledge you have been now told is this that to compleat All We are made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven that is have secur'd to us a Right and Title to the unspeakable Joys and Glories of Heaven A Priviledge which consider'd in it self is exceeding Great and as all the rest if compar'd with what Others enjoy is a very singular One These now are the inestimable Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace Priviledges which as they are of infinite Advantage to us so we shall never fail of obtaining 'em if we will but take care to perform the Conditions requir'd on our Parts and so First Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Lives Which Conditions and what they Import I come next to declare unto you THE Ninth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked world and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh I Have already Expounded those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace having shewed you what it is to be a Member of Christ what it is to be a Child of God and lastly what to be an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven as also what are the vast Benefits contain'd in those several Articles I am now come to Explain to you likewise the Conditions of the Covenant those Conditions without the Performance of which those Mercies will not be Confer'd on us For this we must seriously consider that the Benefits now mention'd to be made over to us as they are in themselves exceeding great so as almost to equal us with the Blessed Angels and as they were purchas'd for us at no less a Rate than the precious Blood of the Son of God so we must not expect that Benefits so infinitely great and dearly purchas'd should be Confer'd upon us without any thing to be done on our Parts to express our Value of them much less if we continue in Rebellion against God and instead of him serve under his Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil or will be Infidels and Unbelievers and will remain Disobedient to all his most Just and Righteous Commands No it is not to be imagin'd that God will be so Easy so fond of Sinners as would reflect upon the Wisdom and Discretion of a meer Man But as he does propose to us Invaluable Blessings so he does require from us a Reasonable Service and the Performance of most Equitable Conditions amongst which this is the First
Observe his different Policies at this Day And in learned and Philosophical Ages he is as shy in appearing lest he should destroy the prevailing Sadducism Now we live in a Learned and Inquisitive Age wherein Men are naturally very suspicious and not easy to believe what they do not see And therefore partly through such an incredulous Temper of Mind and partly through a Spirit of Atheism and Sadducism now Reigning many like the Sadducees of Old will Believe no Spirits And therefore now we do very seldom hear of any Apparition and the Atheist cannot not obtain One tho' he desires it and would go many Miles to see One. The Reason is plain Should the Devil appear to him it would convince him there are those Invisible Powers which now he denies and therefore Satan who is so Politick will be as backward to appear now as he was forward then Because it is as much his Interest to detain Men in Atheism and Sadducism in this as in Superstition in former Ages Fourthly IV. As to the skilfulness of the Seedsman Satan is wonderfully cunning in makeing choice of fit and proper Instruments and in furnishing those with the proper Arts of Deceiving and with suitable Qualities whom he employs to sow the Seed of corrupt Doctrine in the Souls of men And that there may be nothing wanting to compleat his Delusions Satan is wonderfully cunning in making choice of fit and proper Instruments and in furnishing those out both with all the plausible Arts of Deceiving and also with suitable Qualities whom he employs to sow the Tares of corrupt Doctrines in the Souls of Men. This the Holy Spirit is particularly careful to Inform us of and to Forewarn us against 'em especially 2 Cor. 11.14 where the Apostle tells us That As Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light which he is when under the plausible Appearance and Colour of Advancing God's Honour in some of his Attributes and of setting up Gospel-Truths as he would have 'em taken to be he does Introduce Heresies and Vile Practices into the Church that do most effectually undermine God's Authority amongst Men and wholly Overthrow all Reverence to him So that those Teachers his Agents who do Infuse any of his false Doctrines into Men's Hearts Are deceitful Workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ ver 13. They are deceitful Workers Teaching the Doctrines of Christianity by Halves sometimes Advancing Morality and a Virtuous Life with the Neglect if not with the Contempt of and in opposition to an Orthodox and sound Faith sometimes on the other side placing all Religion in Believing aright concerning God and Christ and decrying the Interest of Good Works in our Justification before God And to the End they may be the better fitted to Deceive he is not wanting to Furnish out his Instruments with all the most plausible Arts of Deceiving And their deceitful Working is usually in the very same manner as the Devil 's was That wicked Spirit would have Tempted our Saviour desperately to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple and to presume upon God's working of a Miracle to preserve him in so doing And to Encourage him therein he quotes a Text of Scripture which is in Psal 91.11 12. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee and they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy Foot against a Stone In the Quotation of which Place of Scripture you may observe he leaves out what makes against him which are these Words To keep thee in all his ways The Words entire are He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all his ways meaning That so long as a Man keeps himself in the Ways of God and in the Use of those due Means which he has prescrib'd he will not fail to Preserve him And in the very same manner do most Heretical Deceivers delude the World They will pretend the highest Veneration and Respect for Scripture and none are so apt to quote it for every Thing they say as they But then if you observe them they either leave out such Expressions as make against them or consider not the Scope and Meaning thereof with reference to the Context and Meaning of the fore-going and following words or they put some forc'd and violent Interpretation upon 'em not at all agreeable to the meaning thereof in that Place Thus they are Deceitful Workers And They will Transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ putting on the Garb and outward Appearance of Apostolick Vertues and Graces when they go forth into the World to disperse these their Errors Indeed Satan is careful to furnish those whom he sends out with suitable and agreeable Qualities according to the Nature of those Errors they are to sow in the World If their Business is to undermine the Faith of Christians to disparage the more mysterious Doctrines of Christianity of a Trinity of Persons in one Divine Nature Such as place all Religion in Morality shall be adorned with Humanity and of the Divinity and Satisfaction of Christ and to place the whole of the Christian Religion in Morality and a Good Life why then he will adorn his Agents with the fair and plausible Vertues of Humanity and Courtesy and Civility of Manners which are most taking amongst Persons of better Quality the likeliest Soil to sow Heterodox Opinions of that Nature in But on the other side Is it his Design to starve that Part of Christianity which consists in the Practice of moral Vertues and to Represent it all as Mystery Such as turn it all into Mystery shall be Gifted with Canting Why then his Agents shall have the Gift of Uttering themselves in Canting Phrases and obscure and dark Forms of Expressions that seem to have something of Mysteriousness in them And all they teach it shall look as if it were inspir'd being pour'd forth with mighty Noise and Vehemence accompany'd sometimes with Tremblings and Shakings as if under some strong Impulse from a Spirit within And yet to see the Crooked Windings of this Subtle Serpent And yet sometimes the Crooked Serpent by Men seeming Godly will propagate Principles extreamly Immoral you shall observe which is a wonderful Artifice of Satan even those very Persons whose Doctrines do directly tend to render an Honest and Upright Conversation very insignificant in Religion to be notwithstanding themselves very Demure and in outward Appearance Sanctify'd Persons no Swearers nor Riotous Livers and free from those gross and scandalous Immoralities which some of the Professors of a much better Religion are perhaps notoriously Guilty of insomuch that the undiscerning Part of Men do often Embrace those very Heresies which naturally and directly tend to Encourage Sin and Dishonesty and Unmercifulness And in a word To render Men secure in the Practice of any Wickedness meerly for the sake of the appearing Holiness of those Men's Lives who teach those Principles tending to
full Meal will not endure a Day of Fasting and he that does not sometimes deny himself in lawful Enjoyments will be hardly able to Resist a Temptation to immoderate Gratifications But however no Man should make Sports his Business nor Pastimes his Employment no more than Cordials his Drink nor Sauces his Meat To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven there is a time to weep as well as a time to laugh a time to mourn as well as a time to dance Eccl. 3.1.4 And therefore such who think they have nothing else to do with their Time must consider that they have that precious Talent given 'em to greater Ends than to wast it in Divertisments Nay and those whose ample Fortunes in the World put them above the common Condition of Mankind and are not to eat of their Bread in the sweat of their Brows need not live by a Profession and a Calling would do well to consider that the greatest part of their Time ought to be laid out in doing Good in the World in being Useful and Beneficial to the Society whereof they are Parts and Members In enquiring into the Necessities of their poorer Brethren in contriving Ways and Means both to Employ and Relieve ' em And above all in promoting Religion and the Honour of God amongst Men so far at least as their own Authority and Power reaches whether in their Families or amongst their Tenants Neighbours and Dependants And these are Employments which will yield both Satisfaction here and will be rewarded with eternal Joys hereafter These are Employments and Pleasures both and which Pleasures seldom do will turn to good Account hereafter And thus I have at length finisht all that I think necessary to say to you concerning Renouncing either the World in general or those particular Good things into which it is divided viz. The Riches Honours and the Pleasures of it There was great variety of useful Matter to be consider'd under these several Heads and therefore I have been the longer upon 'em I shall be more short upon the rest The next of which are Secondly The Evils of the World viz. Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions The Evils of the World are Poverty Disgrace Affliction These are opposite to the other Goods and they are Instruments whereby Satan our great Adversary does attack us when the other fail him as is eminently seen in the Case of Job Chap. 1 2. But these are not so successful to Ruine us as those which are call'd the Good things of the World commonly are There is less Variety in the ways wherein these do tempt us And we do not open the Gates of our Souls to these as we do to the Enjoyments of this World But do rather fortify our selves against them However there are Temptations in these also and I will consider 'em as briefly as I can and how they are to be Resisted by us To proceed then First As to Poverty and Afflictions for I shall not consider these Two altogether apart the Temptations that either give us being much the same These indeed instead of Temptations to Sin and Hindrances to Vertue do very often prove Mortifiers of Vice and the great occasions of a Holy Life Poverty and Afflictions instead of Temptations to Sin and Hindrances to Vertue do very often prove Mortifiers of Vice and the great occasions of a holy Life For besides that in a State of Adversity and Want we are not so subject to Pride Insolence and a Contempt of Religion nor so liable to Luxury Ambition and Covetousness and many other Sins which are too often the Effects of a prosperous and flourishing Condition The divers sorts of Afflictions and Adversities as Sickness Loss of Goods and of Friends Poverty and Want and the like are naturally Advantagious and do mightily tend to the Encrease of many the most precious Graces in the sight of God as might be easily made appear These wean us from the World and instead of Setting our affections on things below they do cause us to put our affections on things above Seeing the Vanity Emptiness Transitoriness and great Inconstancy of this World's Enjoyments we are apt to thirst after those Permanent Certain and Everlasting Joys prepared in Heaven for us When Afflictions and Want and all other Hopes and Expectations fail us we do then usually betake our selves to God for Comfort and Support And thus drawing nigh unto God we become acquainted with him and he then vouchsafes us some Tasts of spiritual Delights and Pleasures And then having Experienc'd the ineffable Satisfactions communicated to Pious and Humble Souls in their Devotions and Religious Exercises we become Heavenly-Minded weary of this World And desirous to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Thus I say Afflictions and Adversities are many times next under God's Grace great Helps to Piety and Devotion Nevertheless they are also very often great Temptations to many Sins and Impieties Nevertheless they are often great Temptations to many Sins Impieties and as such Satan does use ' em They are apt to breed in us Impatience and Discontent and Envy at the outward Felicity of the Wicked And Poverty in particular when it meets with Minds ill-dispos'd and not season'd with Principles of Vertue and Honesty Tempts 'em to Fraud and Theft And generally when Persons labour under Necessities and Wants they think they have enough to do to provide Necessaries for Themselves and Families that they may therefore dispense with the Exercises of Religion and that it is enough for the Rich Ones to frequent the publick Worship and Sacraments But in the First Place it behoves such who labour under Poverty or any Kind of Affliction to beware they be not Tempted to Impatience and Discontent I. It behoves those who labour under Poverty or any kind of Affliction to beware of Impatience and Discontent And there is little Reason we should be Tempted thereby into these Sins for in good Truth these Kind of Sufferings in most Men's Cases are Tokens of God's Fatherly Love and Kindness and of his Ordering all things for our Good So the Apostle Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth This is as great a Paradox to Flesh and Blood as it is to a Child to be under the Discipline of the Rod and Ferula to either of which No Chastening for the present seemeth to be Joyous but Grievous Nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness to them which are exercised thereby ver 11. These afflicting Providences tend to mortify our Vanity and to take of our Confidences in worldly Things which the Soul of Man in Affluence and Abundance is extreamly subject to and than which there is scarcely a more sinful Temper of Mind Such Reason had David Thankfully to Acknowledge God's Goodness in 'em I know O Lord that thy Judgments are right
seldom seen that the Man of several Trades and Callings does Thrive and that the Rolling Stone never gathers Moss But it is an Instruction which is also of a Religious Importance for 1 Cor. 7.20 Every Man is commanded to Abide in the same Calling wherein he was called And tho' it may be Lawful to lay down One and to take up another Profession or Trade when either absolute Necessity enforceth it or lawful Authority enjoineth it or a Concurrence of weighty Circumstances faithfully and discreetly and soberly laid together seemeth to require it as the Judicious Bishop Sanderson Stateth this Case Yet this must be done as he says with all due Caution as First not out of Lightness and Unsettledness nor Secondly out of the Greediness of a Covetous or Ambitious Lust nor Thirdly out of Sullenness or Discontentedness at our present Condition nor Lastly out of Envy against our Neighbour that liveth by us But above all that Change of Callings is to be Renounced as the highest Profaneness when Laymen and Tradesmen nay Women as amongst the Quakers so expresly contrary to the Commands of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.34 do Sacrilegiously usurp the sacred Office of the Ministry and set up for Teachers without a lawful Call or Ordination thereunto Nor is there any Force in what they 'll pretend from Rev. 1.6 where it is said of all Christians in general That Christ hath made them Kings and Priests unto God and his Father for the same is spoke Exod. 10.6 of the whole Jewish Nation that They should be a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation And yet we find that the Priesthood was so much a separated Office amongst them and so dangerous to be Usurpt that Korah and his Company paid dearly for Attempting it Numb 16. as also Vzziah as you will see 2 Chron. 26.16 c. The reason of that high Expression Rev. 1.6 wherein Christians in general are call'd Priests is the same as in Exod. For as the whole Jewish Nation were there styl'd a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation with respect to the Pagan World from whom they were to be as much separated by a peculiar Holiness as the Priesthood amongst 'em was from the People So we Christians such is our Holy Calling are to be as much separated and distinguisht from Jews and Gentiles both by our Holy Living as the Gospel Ministry are by a sacred Character from the rest of Christian People No certainly all those of the Laity who usurp the Office of the Ministry should learn Sobriety and to keep themselves within the proper Bounds and Limits of their Callings considering that equally now as in the Jewish Church The Priest's lips should keep Knowledge and that they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 27. V. Any Calling whatsoever is to be declin'd for which a Person is not Qualified both by Education Abilities and Inclinations Fifthly And that you may not lightly and with a worse Imputation than that of Inconstancy change your Calling Decline that Calling whatever how Creditable or how Profitable soever it be for which you are not Qualify'd both by Education Abilities and Inclination The great Fault in this respect is commonly the Parents who Predestinate as it were their Children to such Callings as they please themselves without consulting those other Requisites now named to make them Excellent and Useful to themselves or others therein and this is the reason that so many mis-carry in their Callings to their own Ruine and Disgrace and the Disappointment and Damage of others in the Business they undertake Especially Callings of great Importance such as the Ministry And according as is the Importance of any Calling accordingly does it the more concern Persons both for their own sakes and the World's that they decline such as they are not fitted for by a suitable Education by competent Abilities and Gifts and by a strong Inclination thereunto Now the Ministry is a Calling of the vastest Consequence in the World even the Salvation of many Souls depending upon a Man's being duly Qualify'd thereto There ought in the first place to be a suitable Education in those Schools of the Prophets our Vniversities given to such as are Candidates for it that they may be prepar'd thereto by the Knowledge of those learn'd Languages wherein the Inspir'd Writers did Pen the Holy Scriptures and by many other Arts and Sciences which are Hand-maids to Divinity and can there only be sufficiently attain'd to There ought next to be great Abilities and Gifts both Natural Parts and Divine Graces and a good share of all sorts of Learning acquir'd by much Study and great Industry to make an useful Divine there being no one Profession in the World which requires to its Perfection such an universal Knowledge as Theology does And to all these there must be added strong Inclinations to the Holy Office Inclinations to it not upon the account of the Preferments and Dignities that attend it but for the Works sake Inclinations indeed to be an Instrument of God's Glory and of the Salvation of Men's Souls therein And now if a Person of no good Abilities or Gifts should be determin'd to the Ministry it is a Sacrilegious Profaneness of equal Guilt as it is Impiety in some Parents who think such of the most promising Parts amongst their Children an Offering too good for the Lord. Or if a Person of a suitable Education and of great Abilities that fit him for it should enter into it with an unwilling Mind it is often too great a sign of unsanctify'd Affections that would be for greater Liberty and Gaiety than the Gravity and Seriousness of his Profession will allow him and the Fop should be counted unworthy of it Or lastly if there be never so strong Inclinations to be a Teacher without the Preparations of an University-Education and learned Abilities as well as Divine Graces it shews the Person to be One of those who Desiring to be Teachers of the Law understood neither what they said nor whereof they affirmed 1 Tim. 1.7 And indeed in any Calling whatsoever there must be a joint concurrence of every one of these fore-mention'd Qualifications for if any one of 'em be wanting that Person will be unsuccessful in his Calling insomuch that if there be never so suitable an Education and good Abilities if there be wanting that one other Requisite of strong Inclinations to such a Course of Life the Business of it will be carried on with Sloth and Negligence which is the Sixth Thing that must be Renounced as to any Calling VI. Idleness in any Calling is to be renounced Idleness has the same Effect in any other Calling as Solomon observ'd it had in the Husband-man's concerning whom he tells us That going by the Field of the Slothful and by the Vineyard of the man void of Vnderstanding lo it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered
and Injury to the Souls of Men as namely when those who are Masters do so far exceed in their Commands as to give no leisure to their Servants to provide for the Good of their own Souls But such a Dominion as this must be utterly Renounced But all that Dominion is to be utterly renounced amongst Christians which treats Servants no better than Slaves and Brutes and it should be a Thing never heard of amongst Christians that a Servant should be such a Slave as to be treated no better than a Brute And as Pasture is the only thing provided for the latter so bodily Necessaries should be the only thing took care of for the former No every one that will expect Abraham's Blessing and Favour with God must have Abraham's pious Care of the religious Education and Government both of his Children and Servants concerning whom it is Recorded that God did impart unto him a very great Secret under the Notion of a singular Favour upon this very Account That He knew he would command his Children and his Houshold after him that they should keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment Gen. 18.19 So that when any of you shall grow up or arrive to that Condition to be the Heads of a Family this must be also your Care and you must utterly Renounce the Treating your Servants at that Distance as if they were not Fellow-servants with you to the same God Secondly The next Condition The State of Servants not in it self unhappy or State of Life in this World to be consider'd of is that of Servants Now a Servant amongst Christians if he be not Barbarously and Un-christianly us'd is not the most unhappy State Tho' he has not his Master's Liberty yet if he has less of his Licentiousness he is the happier Man But yet if it falls out so that the Master and Family he happens into be Disorderly Debauched and Wicked he is in a State of mighty Temptation and in great danger of being Corrupted And therefore First It concerns every Person who is to live by a Service I. It concerns every Person who is to live by a Service to avoid such where there is neither the means of Religion nor restraints upon Sin to Renounce and Refuse those if extream Necessity and want of better do not compel him to accept of such where a great deal of Wickedness is practiced without Controul and little of the Fear of God is to be seen amongst Masters or Servants We do daily pray to God Not to lead us into Temptation and those who are sincere in their Prayers will not voluntarily throw themselves into such a dangerous place of Temptation as is a wicked Family where not only the ordinary Means of Grace the reading of the Word of God and daily Prayers are wanting but the Examples of both Head and Members to influence to an imitation in Lewdness Drunkenness Injustice Cursing Swearing and all Impiety and where Profaneness does so far prevail as to instigate 'em to break their Jests upon Religion and Vertue Alas it is a very difficult thing for Youth to be throughly season'd with Principles of Vertue even by all the Instruction and Care of Ministers Parents and Masters How then must it be next to a Miracle if they fly not out into all manner of Licentiousness when the Corruption within is heighten'd with the Examples and Encouragements of all about 'em and those too Persons upon whose Favour they depend II. In the most Irreligious Families a Servant shall happen into he must put on a stedfast resolution to preserve his Innocence Secondly But since Idleness and want of Employment does expose a Person to Temptation even more than such Services and if Necessity shall force you into those where little of spiritual Improvement but all manner of Temptations to Sin is to be expected why then with Joseph in the House of Potiphar Gen. 39.8 you must put on the most stedfast Resolutions to preserve your Innocence and must make a Covenant with your Eyes Ears and all your Senses that they do not Offend And when Divine Providence has dispos'd you there Divine Grace will not be wanting to your own honest Endeavours to preserve you from Evil. III. The State of Celibacy advantagious to Devotion in times Distress Thirdly The next State and that wherein the greatest part of Mankind in this World are found is the State of Celibacy or the single Life and St. Paul speaking to those which are Unmarried tells 'em It is good for them if they abide so 1 Cor. 7.8 and that upon Two Accounts First at all Times because of the greater Freedom and Vacancy for Meditation and Divine Employments therein He that is Vnmarried careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord Secondly and more especially in Times of Persecution or the Approach of Sufferings coming upon the Church of God and because of the present or impendent Distress ver 26. But yet this State is the most subject to unchast Desires and lewd Practices if not powerfully restrain'd by rooted Principles of Vertue And therefore This must be renounced when Persons cannot Contain Even the State of Celibacy it self must be Renounc'd and Forsaken by those who cannot contain according to the Advice of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.9 They who cannot contain let them Marry for it is better to Marry than to Burn For alas when Persons Morals are once Corrupted in this Kind it is very rare that either Man or Woman returns to that just Abomination and Abhorrence which all Christians ought to have of the very Thoughts and Expressions of Uncleanness according to that of St. Paul But Fornication and all Vncleanness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints neither Filthiness nor foolish Talking nor Jestings which are not convenient Eph. 5.3 4. Lastly the married state has its advantages The last State of Persons I shall here mention is that of the Married a State Ordain'd by God Matth. 19.4 and the more to be lik'd that besides the mutual Supports and Comforts afforded to each other therein many both Husbands and Wives do owe their Conversion to Christianity and from a wicked to a good Life to the prudent and discreet Instruction of one or other of the married Couple 1 Cor. 7.16 Nevertheless there is Danger in this as well as in other States In Times of Distress they are apt to be Tempters to one another to sinful Compliances and at all times are plung'd into worldly Cares and He that is Married careth for the things that are of the World 1 Cor. 7.33 and that too often to the great hindrance of Religion And therefore I. All Solicitations from either of the married Couple must be Renounced which woulâ— Perswade 〈◊〉 sinful Comâ—â—â—ances in â—â—â—es of Distress First All Solicitations from either Husband or Wife must be utterly Renounc'd when out of worldly
those of whom we stand in awe These are the Men who will expect not only to be Obey'd but Honour'd And if we Ape and Imitate 'em in all their Ways we may hope thereby to obtain their Favour If we shew a dislike of their Courses we may have reason to fear their Displeasure And what is it that Two such active Springs in our Nature as our Hopes and Fears are will not force us to or drive us from So powerful you see are the Examples of Sin when they are backt with all these Advantages And now the Examples of Sin have all these Advantages in 'em to influence you to Conform your selves unto ' em Ever since the unhappy Fall of Man there is in every Child of Adam a great deal of Proneness to Sin rather than to Vertue Alas We carry a Principle about us which is not only buisy and ready to close with the Temptations of others Examples but is forward to betray us to Sin tho' we had few Examples for it Nay evil Inclinations and corrupt Desires are so powerful within us that even the best Instructions and the most pious Examples and all other good Means and Helps are daily found too weak and unable to Overcome ' em And yet as if all this were little enough there are far more Examples abroad in the World of Wickedness than of Goodness insomuch that by the World in Scripture simply taken is often meant no other than wicked Men they make up so great a Part thereof And not only too many Great Men whom you have an Awe of do give most abominable Examples of Profaneness Lewdness Drunkenness c. to their Inferiours but to come nearer Home to you too few of your Parents and Masters I am afraid are Examples to you of Religion and of the Fear of God Nay and perhaps some that you have an Esteem for and you may take for Good Men may be Examples of Schism and Separation and of breaking the Unity of the Church and Despisers of the Sacrament or in one Kind or other not so Good as they should be not entirely and uniformly Good And now what must you do in this Case Why by all means you must Renounce and Refuse Conformity to such bad Examples We must by all Means renounce and refuse Conformity to such bad Examples For You must by no means follow the Examples of Sin be they who or what they will Let them be never so many you must not follow a Multitude to do Evil Exod. 23.2 It will not afford the least Ease to the Torments of the Damned that they are the many and that they Saved are the few Nor must the Examples of the Greatest no nor of those you count Good Men be a Rule to you when they vary from the Laws of God There is no Man so Great Wise or Good that he can dispense with God's Laws and absolve you from your Allegiance to the Sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth This Great Man or that Parent or Master to flatter and please whom you do follow their Examples in Sinning against God and your own Soul cannot afford you Protection from God's Wrath nor Rescue you from under the Stroak of Divine Vengeance No but he shall be as liable to it himself as the poorest Slave No First a Christian a Souldier of Jesus Christ is call'd out to Combat against the wicked Examples of the World as much as against any one sort of Enemy in his Christian Warfare I. A Christian is call'd out to Combat against the wicked Examples of the World as much as against anyone sort of Enemy in his Christian Warfare and be they never so many never so mighty he must not be over-born by 'em so as to Conform himself unto 'em and either Renounce his Faith or commit any Sin by the Influence of such numerous and mighty Examples We read the 2d of Kings that in the Days of wicked Ahab the whole People of Israel were so Apostatiz'd from the true Religion that Elisha thought there was but himself left alone who had not through the Influence of so many Idolatrous Examples and the Power of that wicked Prince together with the Corruption of their own Hearts so prone to Idolatry he thought there was Not one man left in Israel who had not bowed his knee to Baal But he was never the more stagger'd for all that but preserv'd himself notwithstanding a true Worshiper of the True God And for the Encouragement of you who are Children and Servants if it has been your Misfortune to be Born of wicked Parents and Bred up in ungodly Families consider that There was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel for which God had a Regard to him even in Abijah rhe Son of wicked Jeroboam who made Israel to sin 1 King 14.13 And Obadiah preserv'd himself a good Man even in the House of wicked Ahab Chap. 18.13 And so must you likewise as you will approve your selves faithful Souldiers of Jesus Christ be wrought upon by no Examples to comply with Sin Nay secondly to Confront their bad Examples with an excellent One of his own Nay Secondly So far must a Christian be from Conforming himself to the Examples of wicked Men which would influence him to Sin that he is call'd forth do more Namely to confront their bad Ones with an extraordinary good One of his own and in the midst of an Evil and Adulterous Generation he must shew himself an excellent Example of Religion and Vertue Hence it is that in the Fifth of St. Matth. of us Christians it is said that we must be the Salt of the Earth ver 13. that we must be the Light of the World and a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid and a Candle not put under a Bushel but on a Candlestick ver 14 15. And lastly we are there commanded ver 16. To let our Light so shine before Men that they may see our good Works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven It is therefore that we are thus Represented because that by the Excellency of our Examples we must be as Salt to a corrupted World to season and recover it from its Corruption that by the Eminency of all Christian Vertues and Graces shining in our Conversations we must Enlighten the dark World and lead 'em by the Brightness of our good Examples into Holiness and Purity of Living So much it lies upon you not to Conform your selves to evil Examples that would lead you into Sin that by the Goodness of your own you must draw others off from it II. When they shall Tempt and Entice us by their evil Company Secondly You must refuse to Conform your selves as to the Examples so to the Company of wicked Men when falling amongst 'em they would entice you to join with 'em in Sin As there are a great many more of bad Examples abroad in the World than good Ones So the
Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn Admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace Instituted by Christ for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on GOD's Part and Conditions on ours it being thus mutually Seal'd to betwixt GOD and us First Baptism I say is an Outward Rite or Ceremony of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn Admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace 1. An outward Right of our Saviour's own appointment for the solemn Admission of Persons into the Covenant of Grace Although the Service prescribed us in the New Covenant be a spiritual Service according to that of St. John Chap. 4.23 24. But the Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth although the Gospel I say be a spiritual Service opposite to that Outward and Ritual Service that was Instituted in the Law in respect of which it was called Heb. 7.16 The Law of a carnal Commandment yet however it pleased Almighty God to Institute some very few Outward Rites and Ceremonies by which Believers as by certain Visible Signs should be obliged to that Service and Obedience due unto God on their part and by which even God Himself would Seal as with his Royal Signet the Favours and Promises to be made good on his part that so those Outward Solemnities might be express Marks of that mutual Agreement betwixt God and Man And indeed since such is the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature that nothing enters into our Minds To have some outward Rites and Solemnities in Religion agreeable to the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature as being most apt to receive Impressions from sensible Things but through the Door of our Senses and that which does strike our bodily Senses does make the deepest and most lasting Impression upon us since indeed it is so with us it was very agreeable with the Wisdom and Goodness of God to have that Respect to our Make and Nature in his Treatment with us as at the same time he threw away the many burdensome Ceremonies of the Law to retain so many and such at least as whereby we might be made more sensible of our Engagements to God and be the better assured of his gracious Promises unto us And therefore since all Men in their Covenants one with another ever used some Outward and Express Solemnities of Signing and Sealing for the better Assurance of the Performance of Promises on both sides it was no ways disagreeable to the Wisdom of our Saviour in so appointing it nor with the spiritual Nature of the Covenant of Grace that we should transact it with God in such a way and manner as might make us more deeply sensible of our Obligations by it and more full of Hopes of Benefit and Advantages from it It was truly well observed by the Father This especially requisite in the Admission into Religious Societies and Covenants That Men can be associated together in no Religion whether true or false unless they be combined by the common Tie of some sensible Signs and Sacraments of their Profession For this reason it is like that a visible Sign or Sacrament might be a continual and apparent Remembrance to 'em and put 'em in Mind of that Profession they took upon 'em by that Rite and that it might be a visible Testimony and Witness against 'em if they should ever act contrary to that Profession Hence therefore all the Religions we hear of in the World have had their solemn Rites of Initiation or Admission into ' em The Israelites The Israelites were Initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism they were initiated into the Covenant God made with them by the Ceremony of Circumcision which is therefore called by a Figure or Form of Speech very usual in the mention of Sacraments where the Sign is often put for the Thing signified the Covenant in their Flesh Gen. 17.13 it being the Sign in their Flesh of their Covenant with God The Jews also had their Baptisms whereby they admitted their Proselytes or Gentile-Converts into their Covenant and by Baptism they say all their Women who never were Circumcised and both Men and Women during their sojourning in the Wilderness when Circumcision was dispensed with because it would make them sore for Travelling By Baptism therefore they were entred into Covenant and this seems also to be clear from that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.2 They were all Baptized into Moses or Initiated into the Religion of Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea And indeed the very Heathens likewise they were initiated into their Mysteries and Worship by some solemn Rites or other and that frequently by Purgations and Washings The Heathens were initiated into their Mysteries by Purgations or Washings And now agreeably to both the Rite or Ceremony whereby our Saviour appointed that we should be Initiated into the Covenant of Grace or the Christian Religion was Baptism or Washing As our Blessed Saviour out of his infinite Wisdom and Goodness did ordain That agreeably to our Humane Nature which is most sensibly touch'd with Outward Things the Covenant betwixt him and us should be transacted by Outward and Express Solemnities Our Saviour chose the latter as what would be acceptable to both Parties so he was not scrupulous of having it done by such outward Rites as were more generally known and acceptable both to Jews and Gentiles Circumcision the Rite of Initiation into the Legal Covenant he would not adopt into the Covenant of Grace because it was detestable and had in abomination by the greatest part of the Heathen World but Baptism or Washing none could except against it either Jews or Gentiles It was used by the Jews as well as Circumcision to initiate their Proselytes into Covenant as was before said and the Gentiles did as often use it in a Sacramental Manner when they were entred into any of the Heathen Mysteries of their Pagan Worship especially when on any extraordinary Occasion they professed their Innocency as appears from Pilate the Roman Governour 's so solemnly Washing his Hands when he would declare himself clear of shedding the Innocent Blood of the Holy JESUS Especially as more significative of Christian Purity Mat. 27.24 And indeed as on the account of its agreeableness to all Parties so chiefly no doubt he chose it for the Sacrament of the Christian Religion on this last score viz. it s being so significative of the Cleanness from the Pollution of Sin of the Purity and Holiness that all Christians are to practise As Washing purges and cleanses the Body from Dirt and Filthiness so our Saviour chose the Washing of Regeneration as the Apostle calls Baptism Tit. 3.5 to be the Rite or Ceremony whereby all his Disciples should be initiated or entred into his Covenant or Religion to signify that all his Disciples must be Pure and Holy not polluted with the Sins and Wickednesses of the
World And so indispensible a Rite of our Initiation or Entrance into the Covenant of Grace And this he has enjoined as indispensably necessary to our initiation into the Covenant of Grace did our Saviour make it that he did not only Command his Apostles and all the succeeding Ministers of his Church to the End of the World to Baptize those whom they did proselyte over to his Religion Go says he Matth. 28.19 and teach or disciple by Baptizing 'em all Nations and lo I am with you always to the end of the World But he excludes all others from having any Interest in his Covenant of Grace which he vouchsafed unto us and from having any claim to the Promises of it who are not entred into it by the outward Rite and Solemnity or Ceremony of Baptism Thus he tells Nicodemus with a Verily verily that is with a solemn Asseveration which amounts almost to an Oath That Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God By the Kingdom of God is here meant the Church of Christ which is a Society of Men in Covenant with God enjoying certain inestimable Privileges under Christ their Supreme Head and is often in the New Testament called the Kingdom of God as Matth. 21.31 So that it is plain from hence that there is no admittance to the Privileges of the Gospel or New Covenant which are Grace Pardon and Happiness nor to the Enjoyment of those infinite Rewards in Heaven the chief of all the Mercies of the Covenant without being first entred into the Church by Baptism which is the Outward Seal and Confirmation of those Mercies to us Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And agreeably to this Doctrine of his Lord and Master did the Great St. Peter hold Baptism so indispensibly necessary that he ordered even those Persons upon whom at his Preaching of the Word the Holy Ghost had fallen which one would have thought might render Baptism unnecessary yet he ordered even those to be Baptized withal as you may see Acts 10.46 47 48. Then answered Peter Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be Baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he commanded them Commanded whom why those on whom the Holy Ghost had fallen vers 44. and who had received the Holy Ghost as well as he vers 47. he commanded even those to be Baptized in the Name of the Lord. Thus is Baptism you see an Outward Rite or Ceremony of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace Secondly And thus our Saviour appointed us to be entered into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably as it were Sealed to betwixt God and us Baptism appointed the Rite of Admission into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably Sealed to betwixt God and us As in this sacred Rite of Baptism there are two Parties concerned God who by his Minister or Ambassador and Agent as he is called 2 Cor. 5.20 does admit the Person Baptized to Covenant and does by him promise and engage to confer upon him particular Blessings and Favours and the Party Baptized who presents himself or is presented by others and does solemnly engage to Renounce GOD's Enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil to Believe in God and to Obey him As there are Two Parties I say God and Man thus transacting a Covenant together so the Minister God's Agent his Receiving the Party and Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is the Sealing to it on God's Part who has promised to confirm in Heaven what they in his Name and by his Commission shall bind on Earth Matth. 16.19 And the Party presenting himself or being presented to Baptism and therein expresly vowing to perform the fore-mentioned Conditions and in token of that his being washed or sprinkled with Water is the putting to as it were his Seal to the Counterpart of the Covenant And farther as this mutual Covenanting and Sealing does give unto God besides his Right of Creation a farther Right by our own express Engagements to our Obedience and Service so to us it gives even that which we could otherwise have no not the least Pretensions to even a Legal Right and Title to all the most inestimable Blessings and Favours of the Covenant It gives great Assurance of mutual Performances barely to be in Covenant together It has been already more than once hinted and shall here be more fully declared how that it gives us mighty Assurance that the Mercies of God shall certainly be confer'd on us that he has vouchsafed to engage Himself in Covenant to make 'em good unto us and that because this way of proceeding gives us even a Legal Right and Title to All the most inestimable Blessings and Favours of the Covenant For this we are to consider that till such time as God has condescended to engage so and so the utmost Services that we can pay him cannot give us sure and certain grounds to hope for or expect such invaluable Benefits to be conferr'd upon us Though we should never so heartily repent us of our Sins there is not that in Repentance alone that it should be sufficient of it self to satisfy the Justice of God and to salve that infinite Dishonour we have done Him by our former Violations of his sacred Laws And tho' we should never so sincerely and faithfully Obey him for the future is it possible that such unprofitable Service as ours should merit and deserve of it self the unspeakable and unconceivable Joys of Heaven as a due Reward for such Obedient Service Pardon of our manifold Sins and Offences and eternal Joy and Happiness I say can never be expected meerly upon any Merit there is in our Repentance and Obedience nor at all till such time as he has graciously vouchsafed and freely condescended by Covenant to secure such Benefits unto us upon our serious Repentance and sincere Obedience But then when he has once condescended to ensure unto us by Covenant these unspeakable Benefits and we on the other side have also engaged our selves to the Performance of such Conditions then what our Repentance Faith and Obedience could not give us reason to expect or hope for meerly upon the account of their own desert shall however be ascertain'd to us by virtue of God's Covenant-Obligations which he has laid upon himself And Pardon and eternal Happiness shall be so far then the matter of our Hopes and Expectations that we shall have a Legal Claim and Title made over to us upon our Repentance Faith and
that most divine Sermon upon the Mount to raise all his Disciples and Followers to the highest Pitch and Perfection of Moral Vertue and Goodness He came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil them Matth. 5.27 that is to enlarge and encrease our Duties to God and Man and to our selves to make the Obedience of the Heart as necessary as that of the outward Man to make the very Thoughts of Uncleanness criminal as well as Adultery it self And in a word hence does he require of us his Members that our Light should so shine before Men that they might see our good Works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven ver 16. that is He requires that by the Eminence of all Divine Graces and Vertues shining in our Lives we should be as a Candle set on a Hill to enlighten the benighted and bewildred World straying in the darkness of Ignorance and Errour that they might find their way by the Brightness of our Examples to Heaven and Happiness And by the Savourliness lastly of our good Conversation he requires that we should be as Salt in the World to season the corrupted Manners of Men. Such strong Obligations lie upon us as Members of Christ's Church to be faithful in our Covenant that is to perform all due Obedience unto God Secondly Nor is the Consideration of our being Children of God II. As Children of God less fruitful of good Arguments shewing us those vast Obligations lying upon us faithfully and conscientiously to discharge our Covenant with him There is no relation that is which does speak more of Duty and Duty founded upon better Reasons than that of a Child to his Father A Wife owes some Duty and Observance to her Husband because the Husband is the Head of the Wife a Servant to his Master because from him he has Provision a Subject to his Prince because of Protection But a Child owes his very Life and Being and all that he has is originally derived from his Parent Children are bound to the strictest Obedience to their Parents as oweing to 'em their Being Especially this is so with the Children of God upon a double account both that of Creation and that of Adoption Consider us as the Children of God with respect to Creation and not only our Life and Being but all Things necessary to the support and maintenance of this Being of ours that it falls not back into Annihilation and Nothing is wholly owing to that God whose Off-spring we are according to that of the Apostle Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our Being for we are his Off-spring But consider us who are Baptized Christians farther as the Children of God by Adoption and then over and above our Being and all that belongs to it our Well-being also both in this and a better Life is wholly of his Gift For if Children of God as St. Paul does argue Rom. 8.17 then Heirs Heirs with God and joint Heirs with Christ so that if we suffer with him we shall be also glorified together Children of God as owing both Being and Well-being And now if for Life and Being and also for all that Well-being too which we have or hope to enjoy in this or the Life to come we wholly and entirely depend upon God our Father Do we not then owe to him as his Children all the Duty all the Observance and all the Diligence possible in the discharge of such Duty and Observance This the very Light of Nature teaches us but the Scripture does most expresly upon that very score of being his Children require of us A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master says God by his Prophet Mal. 1.6 If I then be a Father where is mine Honour And if I be a Master where is my Fear And upon the same score of our being Children of God does St. Peter most earnestly exhort us to a Renunciation of the World and our filthy Lusts and to a faithful and careful discharge of our Duty to God our Father As Obedient Children says he 1 Epist 1.14 15. not fashioning your selves according to the former Lusts in your Ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation And vers 17. If ye call on the Father that is profess your selves the Sons of your Heavenly Father who without respect of Persons judgeth every Man according to his Works can see Blemishes and will punish Faults as well in his Children as others if you profess your selves the Children of such a Father pass the time of your sojourning here in fear is the Inference the same Apostle makes from this Relation of being the Children of God And indeed except we do give up our selves sincerely and faithfully to obey God and in all Points to discharge our Covenant with him we are in effect not the Children of God however Baptized and so in Profession but in reality are the Children of the Devil and from him must expect our Reward So St. John assures us 1 Epist 3.8 9. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil that is he that committeth any act of known Sin is in that so far from being a Child of God that he is a Child of the Devil of whom and not of God he is an Imitator For whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God That is as the Learned Hammond does Paraphrase upon the same place whosoever is a true Child of God keeps himself strictly from every deliberate Act of Sin and the reason is Because that contrary Principle of Regeneration or Son-ship from which he is said to be born of God if that continue to have any Life or Energy in it is utterly contrary and incompatible with Sin And then does follow that Characteristical distinguishing Mark he does give of a Child of God and a Child of the Devil shewing the grand difference between one and the other In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God ver 10. In a word to conclude this Argument also As it is almost natural and therefore ever expected that Children should imitate the Life and Manners of their Parents and if they prove dissolute and of loose Behaviour it does usually redound to the Parents disgrace as generally supposed to proceed from slackness of Government so should we who are Children of God be Covenant-Breakers prove lawless and dissolute Livers it will extreamly tend to the Dishonour of our Heavenly Father whose Name is then hallowed amongst Men when we his profest Sons and Servants do dutifully and sincerely fulfil our Engagements to Him but on the contrary is then blasphemed when we live ungodly Lives So that this grand Favour and Privilege of being the Sons of God is another most powerful Argument to render us
the Overthrow of the greatest Heroes in Christianity that there is no Devise nor Diligence will be wanting on his part to foil you you especially who are devoted to God so that you must take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the Evil-Day and having done all to stand stand therefore having your Loins Girt says the Apostle Eph. 6.13.14 which words and manner of Expression speak the utmost Resolution to be necessary And that will do for when he sees that you stand so much upon your Guard that he can have no hopes of prevailing to avoid the shame of a foul Defeat he will at last leave you to the Conduct of God's Holy Spirit and of his Holy Angels and will no longer molest nor trouble you And the same Resolution is also most exceedingly necessary to subdue the Lusts of the Flesh These are a headstrong and boisterous Enemy and must be as resolutely dealt withal which our Saviour does more than Intimate when he tells us we must Cut off these Right-Arms and Pluck out these Right Eyes of ours Matth. 5.29 30. meaning our most darling and beloved Lusts and to Cut off and Pluck out is quick work And indeed the only danger from our Lusts is when we begin to parly with them and hold Arguments against 'em for in the mean time they insensibly steal into our Hearts and get Strength within us but a Resolute Resistance not so much as letting 'em enter into our Thoughts utterly defeats ' em And Lastly The World especially the wicked Men of the World can by no means be so successfully defeated in all their Attempts to draw you to Sin as by your putting on serious Resolutions against all sinful Ways and Courses Till then they will never leave you but will be continually plying you with Insinuations Flatteries Perswasions and Arguments to accompany them in their Riots but when it once comes to that that you can say with the Resolved Psalmist Ps 119.115 Away from me all ye that work wickedness I will keep the Commandments of my God they will no longer trouble you they will perceive you have an Aversion and Hatred to their Ways and that will natuâ—ally separate between you and remove them at a distance from you But 2. Our Holy Resolutions are then likeliest to be firm and will consequently prove a happy Instrument and means of your continuing faithful in your Covenant with God when they are Ratifi'd and Confirm'd by some outward and express Solemnity as at Confirmation or at a Sacrament For to the Inward Resolves of the Mind there will be then added the outward and express Obligation of an Oath which the Consciences of all Mankind not totally deprav'd by Sin are infinitely afraid of violating And to this purpose it is observable that even God himself Willing to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Council confirm'd it by an Oath that by two Immutable things in which it was impossible for God to Lye we might have strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before us Hebrews 6.17 18. The two immutable things here meant were the Promise and the Oath of God And the bare Promise of him sure who could not lye might be sufficient to give us Assurance But even God himself for our greater Certainty and Consolation confirm'd what he promis'd by Oath which shews the Additional Obligation which any thing that carries in it the Nature of an Oath has upon Mens Consciences And therefore it will follow that your fortifying your Resolutions at a Confirmation wherein you solemnly ratifie and renew your Vows to God in the Presence of his Church who are Witnesses to the Contract that will be produc'd in Judgment against you should you happen to violate the same It will therefore follow I say that nothing can be so likely to render your Holy Resolutions stedfast and lasting as when they are so solemnly made By thus solemnly confirming your Resolutions you will give a very great Force not only to the Dictates of your own Consciences but to the Admonitions also of your Pastor or any other kind Friend who watches over you for Good and who then can with Moses Deut. 26.17 18. adjure you to be true to your Covenant with God in these emphatical and weighty Expressions Thou hast vouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways and to keep his Statutes and to hearken to his Voice And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar People as he hath promised thee and that thou should'st keep all his Commandments And thus I have fully shew'd you both the Nature of Holy and Christian Resolution and also how much it will conduce to the performance of your Covenant with God if you can once bring your selves to Resolve well and especially to seal these Resolutions in a publick and solemn Ordinance I shall but briefly here speak to the two following Particulars viz. God's Assistance and Prayer as means also of enabling you to discharge the same These are indeed together with Holy Resolution contain'd in these Words And by God's help so I will And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Lives end But there will be another more proper Occasion to give a full State and Account of those two great Points and therefore I shall here insist upon them no farther than is necessary to our present purpose of shewing farther the Nature of Christian Resolution and how it must be qualify'd To proceed then II. Our Resolution to be faithful in our Covenant with God must be made not in Confidence of our own Strength but of God's Grace and Assistance Alas of our selves we are extremely weak all the Powers and Faculties of our Nature being miserably corrupted and depraved by Sin and enfeebled to all that is good Of our selves we are not able so much as to think any thing that is good but however we have Sufficiency of God And the Trust we have in God is through Christ 2 Cor. 3.4 5. for he has purchac'd sufficient Grace and Assistance for us to help us through all the Difficulties in our Christian Warfare so that tho' we cannot promise nor vow that we will renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil believe in God and obey him in Confidence of our own Strength yet in full Assurance of the Help of God we may firmly resolve with a So I will For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Phil. 4.13 But then III. It is Prayer that must obtain that Help and Assistance you must pray unto God to give you his Grace that you may continue in the same unto your Lives end Prayer is indeed a most Sovereign Means of obtaining Supply to all our wants and they never return unanswer'd in such a manner as shall be best for us provided
we our selves are duly qualified with Tempers and Dispositions to approach unto the Throne of Grace and provided also that the Matter of our Prayer be acceptable to God But as to his Grace and Assistance to enable us to serve and obey him we may be sure of never failing in such our Petitions And therefore you may be particularly assur'd that the Prayers of the Fathers of the Church accompany'd with laying on of Hands to which there is a particular Promise of a gracious Answer will not return empty when in their Confirmation of those amongst you who come with sincere Intentions to perform their Covenant they shall pray unto God to increase in you the manifold Gifts of Grace the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding the Spirit of Wisdom and Ghostly Strength the Spirit of Knowledge and True Godliness and to fill you with the Spirit of Holy Fear now and for ever Which and all your Prayers that they may be successful may God Almighty grant of his Infinite Goodness through Jesus Christ our Lord. FINIS THE XXVIII Lecture And by God's Help so I will And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Live's End IN the discoursing of those Means whereby we shall perform the Covenant we have enter'd into with God having First shew'd you that to put on a firm and fix'd Resolution faithfully to discharge the same will be a great means towards the performance of it Secondly I am now to shew you that it must be a Resolution took up not in Confidence of our own Strength but of God's Grace and Assistance And by God's Help so I will In order to make which appear 1. I will briefly represent how great our own natural Weakness is And in what necessity we do therefore stand of God's Grace and Assistance to enable us to overcome the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and to perform our Covenant with God 2. I will then shew you what Measures of Divine Assistance proportionably to such our Necessity God will bestow upon us The whole Nature of Man deprav'd And First Let us take a View of our own Natural Weakness so as to see in what necessity we do stand of God's Grace and Assistance to enable us to overcome the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and to perform our Covenant with God And here we are to reflect that ever since the Fall of our first Parents when they did break their Covenant with God and lost their Innocence by eating of the Forbidden Fruit and did thereby forfeit the perfect Light and Strength wherewith God had endow'd 'em at the Creation and had deposited with 'em as a sacred Treasury for them and their Posterity Ever since that fatal Forfeiture then made it must be confess'd that our whole Nature is corrupted and all the Powers and Faculties of our Souls and Bodies are so depraved that every thing within us inclines us to yield to Temptations and to sin against and to disobey our God The Ligâ—t of our Vnderstanding Vnderstandingâ— is ever since become very dim to discern the Beauty of Holiness of Religion and of Spiritual Things The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness to him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discern'd 1 Cor. 2.14 Our Wills Wills they also are naturally crooked and perverse and altogether for chusing what pleases our Appetites and our Senses and are very backward to Religion and Goodness Our Affections Affections run with so strong a Biass towards Worldly Things that we cannot easily set our Affections on Things above as the Apostle commands us but on Things on Earth And lastly our Lusts and Appetites Lusts and Appetites are naturally very evil and carry us out to please our Senses in direct opposition to the Laws of God and the Dictates of right Reason Thus is our whole Nature corrupt and every Power and Faculty thereof does incline us to yield to the Temptations of the World the Flesh and Devil and so to sin against our God and to break our Covenant with him In a word the Temptations of all sorts which we do often meet with to draw us into Sin are mighty and the Duties we are to perform in opposition to 'em all are many and sometimes very difficult and our own natural Strength whereby we should do all this is very weak We see as the Apostle words it Rom. 7.23 A Law in our Members warring against the Law of our Minds and bringing us into Captivity to the Law of Sin which is in our Members So that if we consider our selves as we are in our natural State we have reason to bewail our Condition in the following Words of the Apostle O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin Verse 24. But however Christ haâ— purchac'd sufficient Grace to renew 〈◊〉 throughout notwithstanding this our Natural Corruption and Weakness we have reason to take Courage and with the same Apostle V. 25. to thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For our Blessed Saviour with the Price of his most Precious Blood amongst other high Benefits has purchac'd that excellent Gift of sufficient Grace and Assistance for all that enter into the Covenant with him to enable them to perform the Conditions of it And as he has purchac'd it so he does convey it to the Hearts of all such to enable them to renounce and overcome the World the Flesh and the Devil to believe in God and to obey him So that though we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves yet we have Sufficiency of God to enable us both to think and to do what is good 2 Cor. 3.5 And indeed we can do all things required of us through Christ that strengthens us Phil. 4.13 And this brings me to my Second Proposal Which was to shew you what the Divine Assistance is What the Divine Assistance is and what Measures of it Proportionably to such our Necessity God will bestow upon us to enable us to perform our Covenant with him And as to the Grace and Assistance of God by it I do mean something over and above that Reason and Perswasiveness there is in the Gospel it self to work a Change in us whereby on the one hand by the proposal of infinite Rewards to Well-doing on the other hand by the threatning of fearful Punishments to wicked Living the Gospel is apt of it self to prevail upon us and to change our Natures But by the Grace and Assistance of God I do mean I say something over and above this viz. A secret Power and Efficacy of the Divine Spirit accompanying the Word into the Mind and Will by means whereof the Gospel does the more readily and effectually work upon both to the Renewing of 'em and to the restoring of the
Image of God in the Soul namely that Righteousness and Purity which we had lost by our Fall This I mean by the Divine Assistance The Measures of it proportionable to the necessity of the Church And as to the measures of this Assistance every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be shall have sufficient Supplies of Grace derived down from Him our Head proportionable to his Necessities by those means of conveying it which Christ has appointed for that purpose I say every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be For as we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. that is there are different Members in the Church of Christ Some are to be Governours and Teachers of others and accordingly must be endow'd with a Spirit of Government and Gift of Teaching and others are of a more private Capacity in the Church of Christ whatever they be in other Respects and their Business is to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Man and faithfully to discharge their Duties to God their Neighbour and themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace enabling 'em to discharge the same They have not a Promise of those Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other Persons Offices but are distitute of those necessary for their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have receiv'd Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way for God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the Mystical Body by keeping himself united to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him Extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit in the first Ages And that too in such Measures and Proportions as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law And the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers Extraordinary Gifts viz. of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the Malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion So all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily strengthned no doubt to resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is establish'd Ordinary in succeeding Times and the Truth of Christianity already prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the Ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out into any part of the World as sometimes they are to this day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those Means which Christ has appointed in his Church for that purpose And yet even these ordinary Assistances Even the ordinary Assistances extensively very large so as to repair all the Powers of Nature deprav'd by Sin Blessed be the Infinite Mercies of God towards us therein are extensively very large and diffusive so as to reach to all the Parts and Powers of our Nature which are Evilly Affected Corrupted and Deprav'd by Sin and Intensively very powerful in working a blessed-Change within us And First the Grace of God is extensively very diffusive and large in the Change and Reformation it works within us in that there is no Power and Difficulty in our Natures which by Sin is Corrupted but by his Grace and Assistance is Renew'd I do mean that the Assistances which God does afford us to enable our Weakness to perform the Conditions of the Covenant is so apply'd to us by the Goodness of God that every Power and Faculty within us which is render'd weak by the Corruption of our Nature is strengthned by his Grace to perform its proper part and Duty Are our Understandings dull to apprehend and conceive of Spiritual things as they ought His Grace does enlighten our Understandings Thus we read Luke the 24.45 that our Saviour opened the Vnderstandings of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures And to this purpose St. Paul Eph. 1.18 did earnestly Pray That God would give unto 'em the Spirit of Wisdom that the Eyes of their Vnderstandings being enlighten'd they might know what is the Hope of their Calling and what are the Riches of the Glory in the Inheritance of the Saints Are our Wills backward in performing the Conditions of the Promises why God by throwing good Suggestions into our Souls and by Imprinting important Considerations upon our Minds does perswade and bend our stubborn Wills and by degrees works us into a ready Compliance with the Divine Will Thus is God said to work in us both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Phil. 2.13 And upon this account also all our Christian Virtues are call'd the Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Are our Affections listless and lukewarm to Spiritual things particularly Are they dull and heavy in our Devotions Why the Holy Spirit helps to raise in us Holy Desires Lise and Quickness in our Prayers Thus the Apostle the Spirit helps our Infirmities making Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God by Inspiring 'em with such Desires and Groanings that cannot be utter'd Rom. 8.26 27. And Lastly Are our Lusts and Appetites violent to carry us out to gratifie them in unlawful things Why If by the Spirit of God we shall mortifie the Deeds of the Body we are Promis'd that we shall Live Rom. 8.13 which implies that by the Grace and Assistance of God's Holy Spirit we shall be able to subdue those unruly Lusts within us and so shall live Eternally And Intensively very powerful to renew our corrupt Natures And Secondly The Divine Grace and Assistance even in its ordinary Distributions is Intensively powerful and strong enough to Renew our Corrupt Natures This secret Power of the Holy Spirit does not indeed so forcibly and Irresistably work a Change in us as that it will be impossible to Resist this Divine Grace and Efficacy and to render it ineffectual to our Renovation The Grace of God may be resisted and his
Spirit may strive in vain with us no doubt as it did with the old World as you may see Gen. 6.3 yet by the opening of the Heart as it did the Heart of Lydia so that it shall attend to the Word Acts 16.14 by fixing of the Mind to consider and by enlightning it to discern the Nature Tendency and Usefulness of things reveal'd in the Gospel Also by sweetly disposing the Will to weigh the Importance of Divine Truths and by giving it to taste and feel the Goodness of Spiritual Things by these Methods it adds such a Perswasiveness in the Word of God that the most wickedly dispos'd Persons shall be thereby Converted and chang'd into most Vertuous and Good Tempers Hence from this powerful Concurrence and Co-operation of Grace whereby it has an Edge given it to pierce the most stony'd harden'd Hearts of Men is the Word of God said Heb. 4.12 To be quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edg'd Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow and that is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart And hence St. Paul speaking of the Gospel which he preach'd unto the Thessalonians 1 Epist 1.5 tells them that the Gospel came not unto them in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost that is it came accompany'd not only with the Power of Miracles as some do interpret it but with a great internal Power and Efficacy of the Holy Spirit working in the Hearts of those to whom it was preach'd as others do rightly expound it It came indeed accompany'd with both in those days both the Extraordinary Gifts and the more Ordinary Graces of the Holy Spirit made way for its Entrance and Entertainment in their Hearts And so great is the Measure of Grace afforded now under and accompanying the preaching of the Gospel to what was given under the Law that the Gospel is dignify'd 2 Cor. 3 6. with the Title of Spirit whereas the Law is stil'd the Letter the Apostle making this difference betwixt 'em that the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life Here the Gospel is call'd by this Title of the Spirit says a learned Commentator because Grace is a Gift of the Spirit and is now joined to the Gospel which was not to the Law which Administration of the Spirit and annexing of it to the Word under the Gospel gives Men the Means to attain Eternal Life when the Law is the Occasion and by accident the Cause of Death to 'em in denouncing Judgment against Sinners and yet not giving Strength to obey And indeed lastly well may it be stil'd the Spirit since so great a proportion of Grace is afforded us now under the Gospel to work in us a Change and Reformation and so main and principal a Means is the Grace of God of such a Change that the whole Work of Regeneration is call'd Tit. 3.5 6. the renewing of the Holy Ghost and so little Efficacy is attributed barely to the preaching of the Word in comparison of what is attributed to the Grace of God going along with it that St. Paul tells the Corinthians 1 Epist 3.7 who by preferring one Teacher above another and dividing into Parties and Factions thereupon seem'd to impute the whole Success to the Excellency of some Men's Preaching above others He tells them that neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the Increase where the whole Success of our Preaching in rendring it effectual he tells us is from God's Grace not from our Skill who preach it So that intensively it appears God's Grace is very strong mighty and powerful in working a Change and Reformation in us To conclude then this Second Means of performing our Covenant with God As great as our natural Weakness is since our Fall you see we have the Grace and Assistance of God ready at hand to restore in us the Image of God consisting in that Righteousness from which we fell by Transgression We shall have that Grace and Assistance I say which is extensively very diffusive and large so as to renew in us all those Powers and Faculties of our Nature which by Sin have been deprav'd and intensively very strong mighty and powerful in working a Change and Reformation within us And this is a second Means whereby we shall be enabled to perform our Covenant with God The Third Means whereby we shall both obtain the Divine Assistance and be thereby enabled to discharge our Covenant is Prayer unto God to give us his Grace that we may continue faithful in our Covenant unto our Live's End But of the Efficacy of Prayer I shall speak the next Opportuntty THE XXIX Lecture And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Live's End HAving fully explained to you so far as lead thereunto by the Words of our Church-Catechism in the Preliminary Questions and Answers thereof the Nature Terms and Conditions of the Covenant of Grace the Solemnity whereby you enter'd into it and the mighty Obligations lying upon you to perform it I am now upon shewing you the Means whereby we shall be enabled to perform this so important a Covenant wherein all our Happiness both in this and the other World is contain'd and wrapp'd up a thing indeed which it does exceedingly concern you to be well inform'd about it being impossible to perform any thing as it ought without the Knowledge of its due and proper Means And the First Means in order to perform your Covenant as I have show'd you is a Holy Christian and Firm Resolution to be faithful in the same the Importance of these Words So I will But a Resolution it must be which is taken up not in Confidence of our own Strength but of God's Help And therefore Secondly The next necessary Means to enable us to discharge our part of this Covenant must be the Grace and Assistance of God which you have taught you in these Words And by God's Help so I will And concerning this I have also spoke all that I think is necessary to be shew'd you in this Place For 1st I have declar'd to you in what Necessity we do stand by reason of our own Natural Weakness of the Divine Assistance to enable us to overcome the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil and to perform our Covenant with God And 2dly I have shew'd you what the Divine Assistance is and what Measures of it proportionably to such our Necessity God will bestow upon us to enable us to perform our Covenant with him And now the Third Means whereby we shall both obtain the Divine Assistance and be enabled also to discharge our Covenant is Prayer unto God to give us his Grace that we may continue faithful in our Covenant unto our Lives end I shall not here undertake to treat of the whole Subject of Prayer in the
and Hereticks when alas they are much less the Favourites of God themselves and it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the Day of Judgment than for wicked Christians Matth. 11.24 I do confess indeed as to that part of Prayer which we call Thanksgiving the most wicked and impenitent Sinners may bless God for their Creation Preservation and all the Blessings of this Life For he maketh his Sun to rise on the Evil and on the Good and sendeth Rain on the Just and on the Vnjust Matth. 5.45 and there 's nothing hinders but they should praise him for it But with what shew of Sincerity can they be thought to bless him above all for his inestimable Love in his Redemption of the World by our Lord Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and for the hopes of Glory when so long as they continue in their Sins they can expect no benefit from Christ's Redemption and can have no hopes of Glory True it is there have been observ'd in the World That there are praying Hypocrites is by virtue of Antinomian Principles both in our Saviour's Time and of latter days a sort of Impious and Prophane Wretches that have been greatly given to Pray and yet have been most notorious Lyars and Slanderers Proud and Censorious and above all most cruel and unmerciful Exactors and Oppressors but it is plain they were either Hypocrites and Atheists in the bottom and for a pretence and colour only made long Prayers that they might more easily devour Widows Houses Matth. 23.14 and so by the Opinion of their Sanctity delude unwary People to trust 'em till having 'em within their Power they might grind 'em to Powder Or they owe this to some other Wicked and Heretical Principles as our Modern Antinomians who do found their favour with God in his Arbitrary Election of their Persons without any respect had to their Virtues and Graces as acceptable through the Mediation of Christ and will therefore pretend to pray to him nay and in their Prayers presume to talk with him as familiarly as one Friend does to another But alas the Scripture gives none the least grounds for such Confidence and Presumption but does indeed let us know it is a fearful thing to presume to pray to God and at the same time to continue in Sin Sacrifices amongst the Jews were a kind of sensible and visible Prayers and Prayers did usually accompany them but whilst that People were notoriously wicked see how God does express his detestation of such their Sacrifices and Prayers Isai 66.3 He that killeth an Oxe is as if he slew a Man he that Sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs Neck he that Offereth an Oblation as if he offered Swines Blood he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol So that there is a great necessity of Resolving to forsake Sin and of being faithful in our Covenant if we will pray to God but if Men will go on wilfully in sinful Courses they had e'en as good not pray at all Heaven and Hell Light and Darkness may be joyn'd together and Reconcil'd as well as Prayer and Impenitence 3. As it will certainly procure the Divine Assistance 3. And especially Prayer duly qualify'd will be a most effectual Means to enable you to discharge your Covenant as it procures for you the Grace and Assistance of God without which you cannot perform it as has already been shew'd you I say if duly Qualify'd if put up with Faith and Sincerity for as appears from the last Particular the Prayers of such as are resolvedly Wicked will avail nothing but to their greater Damnation But otherwise Prayer doubtless is the most prevalent thing in the World with God to derive down his Blessings Favours and Graces of all sorts upon us Prayer saith the Learned and Pious Bishop Taylor hath saved Cities and Kingdoms from Ruine Prayer hath raised Dead Men to Life hath stopped the violence of Fire and shut the Mouths of wild Beasts It hath alter'd the course of Nature hath caused Rain in Aegypt and Drought in the Sea It made the Sun to go back from West to East and the Moon to stand still and Rocks and Mountains to walk and it cures Diseases without Physick and makes Physick to do the work of Nature and in a word does many Miracles But of all the Miracles that Prayer doth there is none so valuable if any so great as to Sanctify our Natures and to enable us to perform our Covenant with God which Prayer is a most effectual means to enable us to do I say That Prayer will most effectually procure for us the Graces of the Holy Spirit to enable us to perform our Covenant with God of which we have a most full and pregnant Proof Luke 11 9 10 11 12 13. our blessed Saviour in the foregoing Verses having given his Disciples a Prayer to learn to enforce upon 'em the constant and devout Exercise of this most Heavenly Duty tells 'em by way of Parable how prevalent an Importunate Prayer will be even with an Ill-natur'd Man to incline him to grant the Desires of him that Petitions him And then he proceeds to tell 'em That much more will Constancy and Earnestness in Prayer prevail upon God who is more tender to us and more forward of himself to do us good than our very Parents And I say unto you Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be open'd unto you for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened If a Son shall ask Breaâ— of any of you that is a Father will he give him a Stone or if he ask a Fish will he for a Fish give him a Serpent or if he shall ask an Egg will he offer him a Scorpion If ye then being Evil know how to give good Gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Which is as if he should say There is no fear that God should deny such Petitions or give his Children any hurtful thing when they ask that which is good for them And tho' many things which Men ask be not good yet his Spirit and the Assistances of it are so undoubtedly such that they will never be deny'd to them that ask them of the Father This is so full a proof of the prevalency of Prayer to procure of God the Grace of his Holy Spirit to sanctifie our Natures and to enable us to perform the Conditions of our Covenant that it would be e'en lost labour to multiply any more Texts to this purpose What then remains but that we therefore most earnestly and constantly Pray unto God that he would Sanctifie our Natures that he would grant unto us according to the Riches of his Grace to be strengthen'd with Might by his Spirit in the inward Man Particularly Let us therefore
Parent that Pious Care will be there taken much more may it where both are Christians So that the Children of such Parents as are both of 'em Christians must have an undeniable Right to be Baptized into the Covenant of Grace This remarkable Scripture does indeed to any unprejudic'd Mind if put into its true Light sufficiently prove it to be the peculiar Priviledge of Christians Children to be took into Covenant with God however the most prejudic'd cannot deny but that from hence it does appear they have some Priviledge more than ordinary above the Children of meer Heathens And that this is their Priviledge that they may be Confederated with God in Baptism even in their very Infancy I will farther prove from these following Arguments and by proceeding gradually by these several Steps shewing May be prov'd also from several other Topicks I. That Infants were Initiated by Circumcision into that Evangelical Covenant made with Abraham II. That they were Initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism into that legal one deliver'd by Moses III. That it was without all doubt the Intention of our Saviour that under the Gospel likewise they should be Baptized into the Covenant of Grace IV. That agreeably to the Mind of their Master the Baptizing of 'em into it was in all probability practic'd by the Apostles of Christ V. That it is very agreeable to the Ends and Reason of Baptism and the Nature of the Covenant of Grace that they should be Baptized into it And VI. And Lastly That it is a Happy a mighty Advantage for those Infants that have been at that Age Baptized into it All which particulars when I shall have made out more perhaps may be but I do not know any thing farther that need be said to Justifie Infant Baptism And 1. Because Infants were Initiated by Circumcision into the Evangelical Covenant made with Abraham I. I am to shew you that Infants were Initiated by Circumcision into that Evangelical Covenant made with Abraham I do call the Covenant God made with Abraham Gen. 17. wherein the Almighty promis'd to be a God unto him and his Seed after him ver 7. and that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be Blessed And Abraham on the other side Believing God was to leave his Father's House and Country and Kindred and their Idolatry Gen. 12.1 2 3. I do call this I say an Evangelical Covenant having the Authority of an Apostle for it who tells us it was Confirmed before of God in Christ and distinguishes it from that Covenant deliver'd by Moses Gal. 3.17 The Covenant made with Abraham the same in Substance with the 2 made with Adam It was indeed the same Covenant of Grace and in something a clearer Edition of it that was made with Adam soon after his Fall wherein God vouchsafed to restore him to a State of Salvation in that Promise of the Seed of the Woman that is the Messiah which should bruise the Serpent's head that is the Devil It was the same Covenant of Grace I say and exprest indeed in something clearer Terms than at first in that Promise to Adam for still the nearer the Son of Righteousness did approach with healing under his wings the more full were the manifestations he was pleas'd to make of this Salvation and the Methods of it And it contained under these Words And the same in a more imperfect Edition of it with that made with Christ And in thy Seed shall all Families of the Earth be blessed Gen. 12.3 All the Gospel-Promises of Pardon Justification and Happiness couched more darkly than afterwards they were revealed in the Gospel for by the Messiah's conferring of these things as has appeared since the preaching of the Gospel Abraham and we and all his Spiritual Seed are blessed And it had the same Conditions on the performance of which these Promises did depend viz. Faith for Abraham believed in the Lord and it was accounted unto him for Righteousness Gen. 15.6 And lastly Circumcision the Seal of this Covenant is call'd the Seal of the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.11 that is the Seal of that Covenant whose Condition is such a Righteousness as proceeds from Faith which is the very Condition of the Gospel-Covenant All which do manifestly shew that the Covenant made with Abraham was that very Evangelical Gospel-Covenant revealed afterwards more fully in the Gospel it self and which was establish'd by the Mediation of Christ betwixt God and us And now that Infants even at eight Days old were to be initiated into this Covenant by Circumcision is to be seen Gen. 17.11 12. And ye shall circumcise the Flesh of your Fore-skin and it shall be a Token of the Covenant betwixt me and you and he that is eight days old shall be circumcised amongst you Nay and so indispensable was this Circumcision even at eight days old that it is declared Verse 14. that the uncircumcised Male-Child whose Flesh of his Fore-skin is not circumcised that that Soul should be cut off from his People he hath broken his Covenant So that I think it is plain that as the Covenant made with Abraham was no other than the Evangelical Covenant in a more imperfect Edition of it so Infants were of necessity under the greatest Penalties of being debarr'd all benefits from it to be initiated into it by the outward Rite and Seal of Circumcision And now this I take to be a very good Argument to justifie nay to necessitate the Baptizing of Infants now under the more compleat and perfect manifestation of the Covenant of Grace For why should any one imagine if it were no unreasonable thing for Children of eight days old to be initiated into it then by an outward Right or Ceremony why I say should any one think it should be so now Nor is it at all material that then it was by Circumcision now by Baptism for both of 'em are equally outward Rites and Seals of the same Covenant which Rite of Circumcision God was pleas'd to change for that of Baptism only because this latter would be more agreeable to both Jews and Gentiles As he was cut off from the Covenant who was not circumcised so that Person is to be excluded the Church who is not baptized design'd now to be took into the Covenant of Grace and who for the most part would not have endured Circumcision which was abominable and a matter of Derision to the greatest part of the Heathen World And was it then declar'd Gen 17.14 that the uncircumcis'd Man-child whose Flesh of his Fore-skin was not circumcised that that Soul should be cut off from his People as one that had broken his Covenant and may it not be thought now a Matter of indispensable Duty and Necessity to baptize Children into the Covenant and a thing extremely dangerous and prejudicial to their Happiness to deny it ' em I am sure it is not for want of Scripture-Evidence that we should not
in their Baptismal Covenant And lastly that at the Day oâ— Judgment they will be justify'd or condemn'd according as they have perform'd or not perform'd their Covenant with God All this consider'd I think you would be sensible that there is nothing more fundamentally necessary for every Christian especially for Youth to be acquainted withal than the Nature Terms and Conditions of their Baptismal Covenant It is indeed the General Terms and Conditions only that you have been hitherto instructed in by this Exposition upon the Preliminary Questions and Answers and the more particular understanding of 'em is to be given you in my succeeding Discourses upon the Creed and Decalogue But the most useful Method of Instruction is to begin with Generals and then to proceed to the Knowledge of Particulars And that by both you may be render'd wise unto Salvation may God Almighty grant of his infinite Mercy through Jesus Christ his Son to whom and the Holy Spirit Three Persons and One God be all Honour and Glory Might Majesty and Dominion ascribed both now and for evermore Amen The End of the First Volume THE CONTENTS LECTURE the First THE Meaning of the Word Catechize The Definition of a Catechism page 1 Christian Religion What First a Moral good Life an essential part of Christianity 2 Secondly To act Vertuously upon Christian Principles Thirdly Dependance upon the Mediation of Christ that our imperfect Righteousness may be accepted also necessary 3 Such Dependance the distinguishing Character of a true Christian Dependance upon Christ necessary to take down an arrogant Conceit of our own Righteousness a Temper of Mind most displeasing to God 4 The Nature of Fundamental Principles An Enumeration of Fundamental Principles First The general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace Secondly The Articles of our Christian Faith 5 Thirdly The Laws of the Ten Commandments Fourthly The Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments A Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a good Life here and Happiness hereafter 6 A Catechism is a general Instruction in the fundamental Principles of Christianity Such were the Ancient and Apostolical Catechisms And such is our Church Catechism The Persons that are to be Catechized are every Person 7 The necessity of every Person 's being well grounded in Religious Principles by Catechetical Instruction The Contempt hereof is the effect of Pride and the cause of Ignorance 8 The Seeds of Vertue and Principles of Religion can never be too soon sown in Childrens Hearts However a clear Understanding of Catechetical Doctrines is attainable only by Persons grown up to some Years of Discretion It is not below Persons of any Age or Quality to lay the Foundation of their Knowledge in Catechetical Instruction The End of Catechizing to prepare for Confirmation Confirmation What 9 Confirmation necessary First As a solemn Ratification of the Covenant with God Secondly As it consists in the Episcopal Benediction and laying on of Hands Confirmation Beneficial First As the solemn Profession therein made imprints serious Thoughts and religious Resolutions 10 Secondly As the Episcopal Benediction Prayers and laying on of Hands have spiritual Blessings attending them 11 Catechizing necessary First To the solemn Ratifying of our Covenant with God 12 Secondly To the Receiving Benefit by the Episcopal Benediction Prayers and laying on of Hands 13 LECT II. Catechizing requisite to prepare Persons to be worthy Communicants 15 The want thereof the occasion of People's Ignorance concerning the Sacrament and consequently First of Receiving unworthily Secondly of not Receiving at all 16 Thirdly Catechizing is requisite to Persons being Edify'd by Preaching 17 Fourthly Catechizing necessary to prevent being seduc'd into dangerous Errors 18 Lastly Catechizing is exceedingly necessary First to preserve Youth from ever falling into an Ungodly way of living 19 Secondly To recover out of it when fallen therein 20 LECT III. The reason wherefore the Catechism begins with asking the Catechumen his Christian Name is to put him in mind of his Christian Profession The Force there is in a Christian Name to make a Man lead a Christian Life as under that Name having Listed himself First a Disciple of a most holy and excellent Religion 24 Secondly a Servant of a most Holy and Just God Thirdly to Fight against the World the Flesh and the Devil Fourthly as under that Name he professes to believe such Articles as are the most powerful Motives to deny all Ungodliness Fifthly to obey the most righteous Laws Lastly as having under that Name received Promises of most powerful Assistances to do all this 25 The bad Lives of Nominal Christians do an infinite Prejudice and Dishonour to Christianity It hinders the Conversion of Infidels It puts bitter Reproaches in the mouths of Atheists especially when Wickedness is committed under the Guise of Religion Few Men will endure their worldly Calling to be put at naught and reproacht 26 An Exhortation therefore to Christians to stand upon the Dignity of their Christian Name and Profession First as that which is more considerable than Titles of Honour Secondly because of that near Alliance there is between the Christian Name and Profession Thirdly Because the primitive Christians did in vertue of the Christian Name resist the fiercest Temptations 27 Fourthly Because of the Indecency of living unsuitable to the Christian Name and Profession Fifthly That to quite other Purposes we gave up our Names to be Christians Sixthly most Christian Names afford some Examples of Vertue which should prompt Christians to an Imitation of those who were Eminent under those Names 28 And therefore Parents are advis'd to choose for their Children the Names of Persons Eminent for Vertue not Infamous for Vice 29 LECT IV. Our Catechism gives an entire Instruction in the Covenant of Grace both generally and particularly First Generally in the Three first Questions and Answers 32 The Notion of a Covenant It is a mutual Agreement 33 As there are Conditions therein on our side so express Promises on the other A View of the Covenant of Grace God having made Man upright and in a capacity never to have violated his Covenant did engage him to a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience Man did violate it 34 The Divine Justice Wisdom and Holiness required Satisfaction Man being himself uncapable to make it by less than suffering an everlasting Punishment The Son of God undertook First to satisfy for the Breach of the First Secondly to Cancel it and in its stead to make a Covenant of Grace consisting of Conditions performable in our fallen state Wherein Repentance Faith and a sincere Obedience is accepted instead of a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience 35 It resembles Articles of Accommodation made thro' the Intercession of a Prince's Eldest Son betwixt him and his Rebellious Subjects 36 Little more of universal Concernment to be known but the Articles of this Covenant The Catechetical Method most useful to that Purpose 37 LECT V. A Member of
should be dignify'd with the Title of the Kingdom of Heaven viz. Because it so directly tends to render Men so exactly like the Blessed Saints the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven 78 This is not the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Catechism Secondly the Kingdom of Heaven signifies the Kingdom of Glory This a most noble and glorious State as being dignify'd with so honourable and glorious a Title as the Kingdom of Heaven 79 Hence all those things in this World wherein we conceive the highest Glory and Happiness are used as Emblems to set off our future Glory All which things come short of expressing it An Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven what An Heir is one who has a legal Right and Title to a Possession made over to him Such who have entred into the Covenant of Grace are in like manner Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven as Children are Heirs 80 It is through Christ alone not owing to the Merit of our Obedience that we are Intitled to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven The vastness of a Christian's Priviledge in being made an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven First it is in it self a very great Priviledge to have the invaluable Possessions of Heaven so setled and ensur'd as to have a legal Claim and Title thereto made over to one 81 Secondly if compar'd with what others enjoy it is a singular Priviledge The best amongst the moral Heathens could have but faint Hopes built upon uncertain Conjectures of a future Happiness And their Hopes being faint they could not in the strength thereof overcome great Temptations But the Christian's Hopes are sure and stedfast being founded upon the express Promises and Covenant of the God of Truth And being such there is no Temptation so alluring nor Suffering so great which he may not overcome 82 And whatever Certainty an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Uncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fall vastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by Embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And to a sincere Christian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain 83 Asumm of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace 84 LECT IX Whereof the First is to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh 85 The Devil his Names and their Importance He was once one of the highest Angels and is now that Arch-Rebel againsts God He with many Legions of Inferiour Angels whom he drew into the same Conspiracy is Banisht Heaven 86 Being acted with a Spirit of Revenge against God he afterwards withdrew Mankind to join with him in his Rebellion And prevailed so far till God's Authority was almost utterly Banished from amongst Men. Which occasion'd the Son of God's coming into the World to recover Mankind The Works of the Devil in general are First Sin By Sin God's Authority is thrown off which is the Devil 's constant work 87 Whoever therefore does wilfully sin does strike at God's Authority For which Reason no Sin ought to be the Subject of any Man's Mirth Some Sins more particularly the works of the Devil First Such as are directly level'd against God's Authority viz. Idolatry Sorcery Charming Witch-craft and Conjuring as also Resorting to such as use those unlawful Arts. 88 Secondly Such as express more of the Devil's Temper than others viz. Pride Envy 89 Malice Thirdly Such as are more the Practice of Satan himself than other Sins viz. Murder Apostacy Lying and especially Calumniating and Evil-speaking 90 To Renounce a Word of various Importance according to the Renounced 91 To Renounce the Devil in the sence of the Ancient Church was to disclaim his Usurp'd Dominion and Authority over Mankind To Renounce his Works of Sin was in their sence to abandon and forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil 92 The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind This Renunciation for the most part the same with Repentance 93 The Devil and all his Works of Sin must be absolutely and entirely Renounced because There is nothing but Evil proceeds from Satan And Sin whether we consider it in its original Cause and Nature or in its sad Effects and Consequents is the utmost Evil. Therefore no one Sin nor any thing the least of Sin must willingly be comply'd with 94 And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace 95 LECT X. To Tempt is to make a tryal of a Person To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof To Tempt a Person in order to prove his Vertue or discover his Corruption consistent with the Justice Wisdom and Goodness of a Governour and thus God does Tempt Men. 97 First Thus he tempted Abraham to try his Faith and to reward him for it Secondly Hezekiah to discover his Hypocrisy and to humble him in the sight thereof These Temptations of God are therefore in no sence to be Renounced but to be Rejoyced in because for our Good 98 A Temptation to ensnare a Person into some Sin that so God's Anger may be kindled against him And the Person punished for this Transgression is wicked and malicious and so the Devil together with the World and the Flesh do tempt us The vast Concernment it is to us to know his Temptations The several Heads of Satan's Temptations 99 By what Methods he first tempted our first Parents and still does continue to tempt us First By insinuating into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill Opinion of their Maker and Governour particularly with respect to his Justice and Mercy 100 And by Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy do Men generally Encourage themselves in Sin at this Day But all such Conceits of God are to be utterly renounced and cast out of our Thoughts as Diabolical Suggestions most destructive to our Souls Secondly By Corrupting the Understanding and Reason of Man by putting him upon curious Enquiries after useless Matters and upon making a sinful Experiment of the differences
to fly out of it as it were into Desarts living separate from Mankind and without the Conveniencies of Life as the Hermits of Old and into Cloysters and Monasteries as the several Orders of Monks and Friars at this Day The World in this Sence is not in it self Evil but only accidentally by Man's abuse of himself or it in the Church of Rome But certainly the World does not deserve to be so spitefully us'd as the Words and Actions of Superstitious and mistaken Men do import For to use the words of a great Man The World is certainly in it self Good and is not Evil but accidentally by Man's Abuse of himself or it It doth contain a general supply of Objects answerable to the Desires of our sensible Nature and the Exigencies and Conveniencies of it It is a great Shop full of all sorts of Wares answerable to our Wants or Conditions There is Wealth and Places and Delights for the Senses and it becomes an Enemy to us by reason only of the Disorder and Irregularity of those Lusts and Passions that are within us and by reason of the Over-value that we are apt to put upon them They are indeed Temptations but they are only Passive as the Wedge of Gold did Passively Tempt Achan but it was his own Lust and Covetousness that did him the Harm The Rock doth not strike the Ship but the Ship strikes the Rock and breaks it self Nay this World as it is not Evil in it self Consider'd in it self it is very Good and convenient to us so most certainly it is full of Goodness and Benevolence to us It supplies our Wants it is accommodate to the Exigencies and Conveniencies of our Nature it furnishes us with various Objects and Instances of the Divine Goodness Liberality Bounty of his Power and Majesty and Glory of his Wisdom Providence and Government which are so many Instructions to teach us to Know and Admâ—â—e And as it is not absolutely in it self evil so neither is it entirely to be renounc'd but being good in it self it may in some measure be desired and enjoy'd by us and Magnify him to walk Thankfully Dutifully and Obediently unto him to teach us Resignation Contentedness Submission and Dependance upon him A good Heart will be made the better by it and if there be Evil in it it is such as our own corrupt Natures occasions or brings upon it or upon our selves by it and it is a great Part of our Christian Warfare and Discipline to teach us to use it as it ought to be used and to subdue those Lusts and Corruptions that abuse it and our selves by it So that the World you see is not absolutely and in it self Evil nor is it consequently entirely to be Renounced by us But it is in it self Good and as such it may in due measure be desir'd and enjoy'd by us Nevertheless through our own Corruption Nevertheless through our own Corruption whereby we abuse the good Things of the world it becomes accidentally the occasion of most of our Sins and of our Estrangement from God our sovereign Good whereby we abuse these good Things of the World which the Divine Bounty has bestowed upon us for our Support Comfort and Convenience the World becomes Accidentally the occasion of most of our Sins and of our Estrangement from God our sovereign Good And how the World does accidentally become the occasion of much Sin committed by us and as such how far it ought to be Renounced I take to be a Point that is very requisite you should be well instructed in And the Case you must know betwixt us and the World stands thus Man is a Compound Being made up of Two different and distinct Natures a Body and a Soul the one purely Material and Earthly the other Spiritual and Heavenly the one Inferior the other Superior in Worth and Dignity the one Mortal and Perishing the other Immortal and Everlasting Hence Man is by some called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Akin to Two Worlds the Knot as it were that ties 'em both together or the Button that fastens 'em one to another How the World becomes so Now Man consisting of these Two Principles according to One whereof and that the Principal he is nearly ally'd to God for according to his Soul he is the very Image of God it is very reasonably requir'd of him That he should chiefly mind Heaven and Heavenly Things his near and chief Relations if I may so say which he is Everlastingly to enjoy and that he should not much concern himself with the Things of this world which he must shortly leave behind him and then all Relation betwixt 'em will cease But all the time of his Pilgrimage here Living and Conversing for the most part with the Things below he becomes sooner acquainted with them and they with him they have an easier Access to him than Heavenly Things and have therefore greater Opportunities to court his Affections and to win upon 'em So that in the End it too often falls out that St. Paul's Rule is liv'd Counter to and Men generally Set their Affections on things below and not on things above In what manner it does Captivate us and draw us from God The manner how the world Captivates and Enslaves and Draws the whole Man in Triumph after it is this It presents to the Senses Riches Honours and Pleasures and dazles 'em with their Glory and Beauty Men's outward Senses being so extreamly taken with these do easily bribe the Affections to love 'em above all other and cause 'em to Covet and Lust after ' em The Affections becoming hereby most eagerly desirous of 'em do put a false Biass upon tâ—e Judgment so that our Understanding and Reason usually becomâ— thereby so far Corrupted as to dictate to the Will that these outward and sensible good Things are the Objects which are above all others worthy of its Choice And hereupon the Will does immediately choose the present Objects of Sense the Riches Honours and Pleasures of this World preferring 'em far before spiritual Things And thus the whole Man Body and Soul is made a Slave to the world and neglects Heaven and minds not to perform the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace the way thither So far therefore as it engages our Affections too closely to it so as to make us Inordinately and Irregularly to mind it and to neglect our great Concern the Business of Religion it is to to be Renounced and Rejected by us So that upon the whole Matter the World is so far only our Enemy and to be Renounced and Overcome by us as it Engages our Affections too closely to it so as to make us Inordinately and Irregularly that is with an Affection to it or any Thing in it beyond its due Desert to mind it and too much to neglect our great Concern the Business of Religion and the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace