for they haue heard the things which concerne your peace which others neuer saw and yet are happier in not seeing then ye in seeing and not beleeuing Fourthly consolation to the true Church of Christ for her Vse 4 portion of these benefits giuen her in Christ Wonder that the Lord should so looke vpon the lowlinesse of thy poore despised state in the world as to make thee his Iewel-house of these treasures If but of one of them much more of all Let this doctrine vrge that in the former Article Let each member of this Church praise God for her portion fallen into so good a ground Wish not that it had fallen otherwise any way no not to be a Treasurer of a Prince without it Let those precious names praises and promises vphold thee in all times of reproch and disdaine by such as know thee not If they knew thy treasure ten men would take thee by the skirt Zach. 8. vlt. and ten women would come to thee to beare their name Although thou art blacke and hast lyen among the pots yet thou art comely in Gods eye his doue sister darling and although thy iewels are sullyed a little with the aspersions of enemies yet when God shall make them vp Mal. 3. they shall cast their lustre and then shall it appeare who are precious when they are separated from the vile Hold therefore thy right and sell not thy birthright for whatsoeuer the Deuill would offer thee to cozen thee of it Redemption is thine therefore liberty stand fast in it Reconciliation thine therefore amity and fauor iustification thine therefore peace Adoption thine therefore accesse to God in prayer and so of the rest hold these as thy life and part with none of them except Christ himselfe the purchaser of them by his blood bee of no price with thee nor let time cause them to waxe stale but each day let these bee more precious as being effects and proofes of thy calling and vnion Vse 5 Fifthly and lastly let it bee exhortation to all liuely members of this body of Christ If the body of the Church bee this Magazine and Storehouse of all his Graces learne that of Paul Rom. 10.18 That the root holds thee not thou it The body holdes the members the vine the branches not they them Bee not highminded but humble thy selfe and bee lesser then the meanest of the members Let the Spirit of the Prophets bee subiect to the Prophets and not swell aboue them and the like I say of the other members The Lord hath bestowed life and blessing vpon his Church for euer Psal 133. vlt. not vpon thee in seuerall thy grace is a members grace as the blood of a finger and the sence thereof and the Spirit thereof is from the heart liuer and braine carryed to the body and thence deriued to each part Read that Eph. 4.16 it s from the whole body fitly ioined by that which euery ioint supplyeth according to the effectuall working in the measure of euery part Humbly therefore be glad to receiue thy part see thy wants supply them by the body and disdaine not the grace of the meanest for if thou abide in the body it s thine and thy supply As no member hath all the gifts of the rest so it hath the supply of all if it abide in the body Let it cause thy soule to be knit to the least members for the grace of it let the whole body compounded of all bee glorious in thine eye and say as Hushai once did 2 Sam. 16.18 Hee whom the King and his people shall chuze shall be my delight also Behold the Graces of GOD in her get discerning of them for shee is all glorious within and her outside may deceaue thee Where faith hope holinesse the spirit of vnion adoption are let the persons of such bee precious and their name as an oyntment powred out Looke not at their Wealth Gold Rings and Inheritances but let him that is a Saint and Beloued of God excelling in vertue bee to thee as to Dauid Psal 16.2 Yea trade with her for her graces and iewels Let our prayers be for her and her protection let vs be ioyfull in her welfare and sad for her sorrow and let vs cast our lot into her lap to fare as she fares Yea let her outward peace and prosperity be deare to vs. Consider it is not for nothing that so many promises are made to her euen for outward beauty and blessings See Esay 55.12 and 43.1 and 35.7 and many more therefore let vs not rest till the day of her prosperity come Yea let vs blesse the dayes which we now see wherein the Lord begins to turne the wheeles ouer his enemies and to pleade his Churches cause against them in many other Countries who haue long lyen vnder Popish yoke and tyrannie Say we of our priuate griefes in comparison and respect heereof as that good Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 19.30 said to Dauid touching the diuision of his lands which yet hee had lost by that Ziba treacherously Nay let him takâ— all since my Lord the King is returned in peace And farre bee it from vs to dismay and afflict her by our separation forsaking of her Assemblies as the maner of some is who daily run into the confusion of their owne deuices and let vs confesse that if euer we eyther were truely bred it was in her wombe or if nourished it was at her brests Let vs not now call her harlot for her loue nor her children and the generation of her wombe the sonnes of the rebellions woman but euen in our farre distance from her as some haue by their late godly protestation professed let vs say and let them say If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my fingers forget to play And thus much for this sixth Article The seuenth Article Question VVHat is the seuenth and last Article of this second part A. The vse of the whole Part which is that we beleeue this deliuery to be our owne At the end of the fifth Article I referd my Reader to this last Article for the vrging of it Partly to auoyd the length thereof but especially because I would ground it vpon the whole Part as concerning it equally For as in the former I shewed the whole vse of it to be drawne from each Article so I doe heere say That whosoeuer hath beene conuinced by that of his sinne and bene kindly pinched and prickt thereby by each of those Articles so Iohn 16 9 euery such soule be now also conuinced of Righteousnes and beleeue himselfe to be the party to whom this delyuerance of Christ belongs by each of these fiue Articles premised Q. What is it to beleeue this A. It is the worke of the Spirit of God by vertue of which a soule vnder the condition of fayth doeth cast it selfe and rely vpon the offer of God for pardon of sin and for eternall life Q. I see some things in your answer
for if the surâ—ty faile in any point his vndertaking is vneffectuall Greatmen must haue their Peeres to acquit them no common persons Sâ—e Rom. 1.3 Eph. 1. vlt. Q What is the vse of it A. Briefly this to stay and comfort an heauy heart in the view oâ— the hainous circumstances of her sinne making it out of measure sinfull as depth of continuance odious greatnesse against knowledge meanes of grace with an high hand Bee not dismaid Hee that is thy surety made not thy peace for small and some but all and the greatest so that thy thought must be how to receaue this fulnesse Heb 9 14. not for the greatnesse of the sinne The Lord Iesus offred himselfe vp by his eternall Spirit that an eternall Maiesty might bee appeased for sin of an eternall guilt and curse and such is all sin but especially crying sin his merit is more out of measure deseruing then sinne is sinnefull and hath merited far more happinesse then Adams sinne forfeited Get humblenesse and faith and then thy great sins shall be as deaw to the sunne and as a spoonefull of water cast into the Ocean Q What is the third thing considerable A. Vnion of both natures into one person by the vnconceauable work of this Spirit of God It s much that a soule and a body but much more that flesh and the Word should be really one person I doe not say that the Diuinity of Christ was a nature as the humanity for Christ was so a nature that yet a distinct subsisting person of himselfe But the meaning is that this person of the Word tooke the nature of his flesh into his person therein to subsist The flesh of Christ was no person as Abraham or Dauid but a nature onely hauing no subsisting of it selfe at all but as it dwelt in the Godhead As Misleto is no plant of it selfe otherwise then it fastens and subsists in the appletree So that Iesus Emanuel God and man vnited was the third qualification of the surety Assistance could not haue caused identity or samenesse onely hypostaticall vnion could do that By vertue whereby not onely properties are communicated to ech other in forme oâ— speech as The Lord of life was slayne GOD dyed c. but in reall manner the efficacy of the one nature was imparted to the other Yet this vnion doth no more admit confuzion then separation no not in the lowest degree of eclipsing in death or the graue See text Ioh. 1.1 â—say 1.4 Call him Emanuel Mat. 1.23 Q. What is the vse heereof A. Most sweet lo all broken soules in their approch to the throne of grace What is so bottomles and vnsubsisting a thing in it selfe as a soule in the anguish of conscience Yet euen then looke vp to Emanuel and he will vnite thy poore empty bottomlesse spirit to his owne person that in him thou mayst haue a reall beeing and subsistence Oh poore soule who thinkest thy selfe meerely lost in this thy estate In time thou shalt see it was mercy brought thee to be out of hope in thy selfe that the hope of thy wel beeing might be in him for euen the flesh of Iesus himselfe had the like vnablenesse of subsisting except the second person had taken it to himselfe Q. What is the vnction of Christ A. It is a consequent vpon his personall vnion whereby the Godhead made the man-hood full of himselfe and of all gifts and graces of the Spirit meet to enable him to his worke of mediation and by name separated him from men to be excellent as to be the Prophet Priest and King of his Church That this was from the wombe appeares by sundrie glorious effects exceeding man as that in Luk. 2. at twelue yeeres old Yet especially his Baptisme was the anoynting of him to the entire and immediate execution of these Offices for therein hee did more fully receiue the anoynting with the Oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes as was prophecied Psal 2. Esay 42.1 and Esay 61.1.2 He was Priest to satisfie and pray for Prophet to teach and King to rule and deliuer his people And these offices do mutually serue each other The vse is that wee his members might acknowledge him an eminent Mediator as hauing a calling from GOD as those three sorts of Men had vnder the old Testament And that we might be out of doubt that the acts and suffrings he performed were allowed according to that voice This is my well beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him And that wee knowing into what treasure the Lord hath put all his graces euen the flesh of Christ might there seeke and finde them all Therefore 1. Cor. 1.30 Paul sayth Of him are we who is made vnto vs of the Father wisedome as a Prophet righteousnes as a Priest sanctification and Redemption as a King Ioh. 1.17 Reuel 1.6 The Lord hath made him whatsoeuer his Church needes that of his fulnes we might receyue grace for feare And that we also in our measure together with vnion to him might receyue his vnction and become Prophets Kings and Priests to God and be conformed to our head in all his excellencies not in the poynt of his meritig but of his Graces Q. Proceed to the fourth the former part to wit the merit A. This is yet more essentiall then the former three The fourth then I say is Actiue obedience of Christ I do not separate the actiue from the passiue as if eyther alone could satisfie or as if I ascribed the effects of eyther to the one without the other but yet distinctly I speake of both for the vse of each of them to the soule Marke then what I haue noted The Lord Iesus became piacular for vs not onely by bearing our punishment but by translating vpon himselfe the reall imputation of our guilt with out the least measure of inherent guilt This latter would haue disabled his person for he must be separated from sinners Heb. 7.26 yet the want of the former would haue made his merit none of ours and his death vniustly inflicted Therefore he was made Sinne originall and actuall all the sins of the elect were charged vpon him that he by his perfect obedience might disanull them and bring in and settle vpon vs perfect righteousnes And as the miâ—ery of a man stands in both sinne and guilt and staine aswell as in curse so must our Surety performe righteousnes aswell as beare the curse Now this righteousnes of Christ is both his Naturall and his actuall opposite to this naturall and actual vnrighteousnes of Adam I say both the purity of his humane nature infused by Vnion aâ—d also the obedience to the whole Morall Law to the vttermost extent thereof And this is as true a part of the material cause of our iustification as the other of the Passiue though not to be disioyned Q Whereof doth this Article obedience consists A. Of the whole conuersation of our Lord Iesus his
who had the power of it and all his instruments made his Crosse his Trophee and his Chariot of Triumph ouer them all like Samson who more hurt his enemies at death then all his life So thirdly after death when they had got his dead body into the graue thinking that the sealing of the stone could haue made him theirs neuer to rise any more Lo by his power hee kept his vnion still and after his fourty houres sleepe was ouer hee resumed his body and soule againe and gaue them another blow worse then all roze againe conquered their malice neuer more to be conquered to dye no more All the enemies in Hell and vpon Earth could not any further assault him his triumph being begun he was out of their reach Q. What vse make you hereof A. First the maine vse which is also the scope of this sixth Branch is the assurance which the poore soule vnder a condition of grace may take to it selfe in pleading her part in this satisfaction For what gaue a being and life to this suffering of Christ Surely his conquest If any enemy could haue held him vnder chaynes from his victorious Resurrection all his satisfaction had beene frustrate But that could not bee It was vnpossible as wee see Act. 2.24 that death should hold him Now then by his conquest how liuely renowmed powerfull a merit gaue hee to all his suffrings He sent his Church into assured possession of all his merits Oh as the autor to Heb. 10.22 saiâ—h Let vs come with this Assurance of Faith to the throne of Grace saying Lord giue thy poore needing seruant the fruit of my Lord Iesus his obebience the power of his conquest the full efficacy of his redemption That as hee Rom 1.1 Eph. 1.21 by his Godhead declared himselfe a Coâ—queror and asâ—uâ—ed the truâ—h of his merit and death yea consummated it alâ—hough he laid vpon the Crosse All was finished so my soule may take hold of this strength and claime the life and power of this satisfaction with fuller assurance Oh let vs not want the strength of this perswasion but presse it and say Lord I come to thee in the merit of a Christ not dead but aliue a Conqueror that made good to me all his sufferings by his victory and gaue all his enemies a deadly blow when they looked to haue ouerthrowne him Let this bee the first Vse learne this as the maine to drinke at this cisterne this well of Saluation as the former and then the other comfortale Vses will follow of themselues Q What other follow heereupon A. Sundry consolations to a beleeuing soule touching the Assurance of Faith and Perseuerance Victory in Combats Afflictions Death it selfe and against the power of the graue The Lord Iesus hath the key of death in his hand and will make his more then Conquerours in all nothing shall separate Rom. 8. vlt. any of his from him Tâ—uching Faith how many are the feares that a poore soule hath she shall neuer bee able to beleeue Within her selfe what weakenesse forgetfulnesse melancholy guilt of Conscience through corruption a dead heart slauish and fearefull presumptuous hardned by the deceit of sinne vnworthinesse neglect of the season of grace this body of death oppozing all savor of goodnesse and so euen death of body makes them afraid they may dye ere they beleeue So without them what temptations against God the Scriptures what enemies haue they to darken and dull them their sences vnderstandings and heart what enemies of the wicked haue they without them Ill husbands Wyues to dismay them telling them that they cannot bee assured in this life of their saluation How doe enemies affright them with malice threats big lookes disdaine and scorne putting them in feare they shall neuer escape out of their clawes In this variety of affliction what is there to sustaine them what is it which teacheth them to kisse the rod Mic. 7.9 take vp their crosse and heare the indignation of the Lord till hee pleade their cause and bring forth their light Surely the strength of this their Captaine and Conqueror the Lord Iesus who hath told them In the world they shall haue affliction Iohn 16. vlt. but be of good Comfort I haue ouercome the world It s he that tels them till Gods season of their suffring be come so much so long and that very crosse God hath ordeined for them no enemy shall doe them hurt And when they doe hee will make it tolerable and easie vnto them doe them good for their sakes that hurt them Rom. 8. But aboue all they are made Conquerors and their chin is kept aboue water they fight vnder hope of victory and say with the Church Mica 7.8 Reioyce not ouer me Oh my enemy for when I am downe I shall rise and when thou art fallen thy wound shall be incurable There is a fable that when the Goat cropped the Vine-branches shee bids the Goate Bite and spare not but shee should beare so much Wine as should serue to sacrifice her This Vine is the militant body of Christ so that as he feared not his enemies because he subdued them in suffring so should they Q What else A. Lastly it comforts them by Faith in the Conquest of our Lord Iesus against the power of the graue For as it was with their Head hee could not bee held in it Act. 2.24 so with them their flesh rests in hope of that triumph Oh Hell where is thy sting oh Graue where is thy victory The full Redemption of their bodies causes them to feare no death nor graue Nay their hope makes them say If wee hoped onely in Christ heere we were of all others most miserable but this conquest makes vs happy in all our misery Not onely that without but within themselues their poore Knowledge Faith Patience is sustained with this Spirit of the Lord Iesus that one day it shall bee better when all imperfect things shal be done away the body shake off corruption and they see him in whom now they beleeue Their life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 1 Iohn 3.2 and although it appeare not now what they are yet when their Captaine comes they shall bee conquerors as hee therefore in the meane time though they bee basely esteemed of and set at nought yet their spirit of victory and hope props them vp and makes them merry because a day is comming will pay for all But I am loth to dwell at large vpon any vses saue the scope of the Article Q. Hauing ended the Merit proceed to the seuenth and last Branch of this second Article What is the Applying Worke of Christ and wherein doth it stand A. It is that solemne part of His Mediation for the sake whereof he forsooke the earth and was exalted aboue all principalities and sitteth at the right hand of God his Father that by his intercession alwaâ—es made for his Church he might apply to
all the members the power of this satisfaction that it might worke Faith in those that want it and confirme it in those that haue it Esay 53. vlt. The Prophet adâ—eth this to the powring out of his soule that he prayed for the transgressors And S. Iohn giues him the name of our Aduocate with the Father for this cause that the Church may enioy the fruit of his death continually And the Au hor to the Hâ—brewes saith That hee euer liueth to make intercession for vs. The High Priest vnder the Law appeared once a yeere with blood in the Holy of Hoâ—ies to bring forth a generall reconciliation but the Lord Iesus for euer And as the ends hereof are many to wit to present the prayers of his people vnto God to hoâ—d them close to his Father and keep them in hâ—s loâ—e to couer their daily offences and continue their iustification and acceptance to vnite them one to another and to protect them from enemies so especially to blesse the Ministery of his Gospell for the breeding Faith â—n the soules of the elect by the preaching of this his blood and death As we may see clearly in Iohn 17. that Heauenly chapter where all these are described Marke then it is not enough for the Lord Iesus to procure the price of our peace but he plyes the Father with it and offers vp by his eternall Spirit the merit and valour of his satisfaction for the effectuall drawing of the hearts of his people to beleeue the Gospell His blood is the seed of the Church for what wete Word Sacrament but tor him but that which doth cherish this seed and giue a body to it in the consciences of men is the application of it by this intercession More fully thus As by fulfilling all righteousnesse the Lord Iesus hath pleased the Father and is so gracious to him that hee grants him whatsoeuer hee asketh so doth Iesus to the vttermost improoue this fâ—uour and applieth the comfort thereof to all his that they may vnderstand how powerfull and preuayling hee is to obtaine whatsoeuer hee desireth And hence it is that till his Ascension the Comforter could not bee sent but after when hee prayed then came hee and brought to mind and sealed to the hearts of the Disciples whatsoeuer they had heard preached before So that when wee see the preuayling power of the Word and Sacraments in the weake Ministery of flesh what shall we ascribe it vnto but the power of this applying worke of our Aduocate who conueyes sauor of life of brokennes of heart faith and Regeneration thereby into the soules of his And in this respect h is the Key of his Fathers bosome and fountaine to vnlocke and set it open beeing sealed before for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in as Zach. 13.1 Q. What be the vse heereof A. As it is singular for all vses to the Church in generall and all the liuely members thereof in all Concernements of it whatsoeuer as acceptance of their prayers beeing perfumed with the sweet incense heereof protection of their persons safegard against enemies sustentation of their soules in grace perseuerance and the like so especially that which wee read Heb. 10.19.10.21 Seeing by the blood of Iesus wee haue a liuing way made vnto vs by his flesh Let vs draw neere with a pure heart in assurance of faith Oh! it should bee as a welspring of Saluation for euery dry soule to come vnto euen in the greatest barrennesse deadnes and feare of heart that the merit of Christ should not belong to it Doe but consider this Aduocateship of Christ continued foreuer for thee Iesus Christ yesterday to day and for euer Heb. 13.8 to this end that the Gospell and the preaching of the promise might bee liuely Heb. 4. pearcing and powerfull to diuide the ioynts and marrow and to create in thy soule the fruits of the lips which is peace If thou hadst the Kings Sonne for thy Aduocate to the King for some suite wouldst not thou thinke there were life in it Therefore go not to the Word and Sacrament any more with a dead and sadde heart as if there were nothing in them saue an outside of mans voice and efficacy to perswade behold a Christ in them who by his applying power conueyes into them strength sauor perswasion and grace that his poore people may not heare his Word as a dead letter or receaue the Scales as dumbe elements but as diuine ordinances assisted with the Spirit of Christ and therefore able to breed faith in the soule and truly to carry it into the streame of his Satisfaction What is the vsuall complement of most people in their hearings and vse of meanes but this That the Minister is vneffectuall to them they heare with small light or quickening of heart The promise they grant to be faythfull and the Sacrifice of Christ full of merit but they are so to such as mixe them with sayth Why poore soule doth the Lord so offer thee Christ in his Gospell as if he lefâ— it to thee to shift for faith Is not faith his gift who gaue Christ Diuide not the things which God hath put together Deceaue not thy selfe in the condition of faith and assure thy selfe the Lord Iesus will giue thee both meat and appetite the obiect of his righteousnes Reâ—e and fayth to beleeue it also He is Alpha and Omega the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 and hee doth liue for euer with GOD to make good his Satisfaction to his people by giuing power to his word to breed faith that as it cannot be without it so it may subsist in it and our faith might not rest in man but in God Vse 2 Secondly let all such bee exhorted to deny their owne strength conceits hopes or feares and as oft as they go to the Word remember it is a Word of reconcilation And therefore looke vp to this grant Master of Requests and apply the worthines of this Prayer to thy poore empty soule say thus The cause of my vnbeleeuing hearing is my little respect to him who hath the Key of all grace if I could looke vpon him and say Lord Iesus conuey some part of thy Fathers fountein into my heart deriue it by a channell for then once into me Oh thou shouldst find the Spirit of perswasion to reuiue yea to fill thy soule in thy Vse 3 hearings Yea lâ—t all the faithfull Ministers of God coÌ„fort themselues in their weakenesse and defects of preaching in their deadnesse of heart to the worke of Faith in the little successe of their labors in the wofull hardnesse of heart in the people the Lord Iesus by his Spirit of intercession holdes them as his Candlesticks in his right hand hee doth as those two oliues Zach. 4 assist his Lamps and drop in this oyle of gifts and grace vpon them hee doth make them as Paul Zach. 4.5 able Ministers of Reconciliation that by them and out of
of God the Cabinet of his rich Iewels the prayse of the Earth all glorious within Her promises are precious There he appointed life blessing for euer Psal 133.3 She hath all light defence here and in Heauen the Lambe himselfe shall be her Sunne and glory She shall bee ledde into all truth Her sayth shall not fayle Her enemies shall like the dust of her feete and come and worship before her she shall inherite the Earth preuaile against the gates of Her enemies so farre is it off that the gates of Hell can preuaile against her with a 1000 more All which shew the truth of this that as Christ was the Fathers Treasure of wisedome and grace so the Church in him her head for looke what is his is hers as in 2 Cor. 3.22 All things are yours and ye Christs and Christ gods Yea the promises made to Christ himselfe are applyed to her Compare Esay 49.8 with that in 2. Cor. 6.2 Q Now it is time to proceed to the vse what is it A. Very plentifull First its confutation of the vsurped and pretended title of the Pseudo catholique Popish Church who clayme to themselues this priuiledge to be the Treasury of all the benefits of Christ Theirs they say are the Scriptures the Word the Sacraments the ordination of Ministers all the glory is theirs they are the Ancient Generall Apostolical Church al succession of Bishops al miracles Counsels theirs the world is beholding to them for the truthes custody and they haue prospered when all other Churches haue perished But Oh ye vsurpers stay a while and consider whether it be granted ye to be a Church at all If it be yet sure a corrupt malignant one For what common visible administrations do abide with you what truth haue ye not defiled especially the maine one of the Satisfaction of Christ and free iustification of a sinner The Scriptures ye haue locked vp in a strange tongue The doctrine ye haue marr'd by your traditions the Ministry of Reconciliation ye turne into a preaching of fables or rayling against Protestants the Sacraments ye haue partly corrupted as Baptisme partly abandoned as the Supper by your Masse Sacrifice and partly oppressed with an heap of your owne If any Visiblenes be among you its visible worship of bread of a Rood of a Virgin aboue GOD himselfe of God in the shape of an old man of Saints more then God himselfe Your visible Idolatries crueltyes and bloodshed of Saints your visible Stewes your visible adulteries blasphemies vices argue ye the successors rather of those Priests Pharises and Sadduces in Christs time then of Christ and his Apostles Therefore as Peter whose chaire ye claime falsely sayd to Simon Magus so we to you in point of the Treasury of Christs benefits Ye haue no part or fellowship in these things And that Treasury of Saints merits ye dreame of the Church of God knowes not but sayth Wee haue not enough to sell lest wee should haue too little for our selues Gods treasure is not wanting in necessaryes yet not superfluous Therefore ye are a malignant Church and that whereof the Scripture speakes Come out of her my people and her sinnes lest ye taste of her plagues Ye are the subiect of the Plagues of God not the benefits of Christ and the Lord will shortly powre out his last viall vpon the Throne till yee sperish by the breath of his mouth till both the branch and rush head and taile of ye be destroyed Vse 2 Secondly terror to all malignant enemies of this Church of Christ If all his store bee laid in her lap Righteousnesse Redemption and the rest be afraid to pursue and oppose her A speech of one of their Popish champions was once this That when hee came to talke with one of our English Diuines and did but name the solemne word Church his face waxed pale But O yee enemies waxe ye pale at the name of this Church of Christ tremble I say and vanish for this Name shall one day make ye to be as Mica 7.17 Ye shall lick the dust like a Serpent and mooue out of your holes like wormes of the earth they shall be afraid because of thee And 10. She shall see it and shame shall couer her which said Where is your God she shall bee tred vnder feet as myre in the streets Little cause haue yee to reioyce ouer her for when shee is fallen shee shall rise and her rising shall bee your destruction Vse 3 Thirdly admonition to all that liue in the bosome of the visible Church not to rest there nor giue their eyelids sleep till thereby the Lord hath drawne them to the inuisible For out of this Arke is no saluation Stryue to be of that number of which ye heard Heb. 12. and doe not rest till ye be come to that Church which consist of the Spirits of iust men of Iesus the Mediator of the couenant and the blood of sprinkling that speakes better things then that of Abel Blesse God for those visible helpes which yee enioy of the Word and Sacraments but remember that in these the Lord conueyeth the benefits of Christ which none knoweth but the soule that hath them Reuel 2.17 Beware lest the contempt of these visible and audible ordinance one day so vexe ye that ye wish ye had neither seen nor heard them Your condition is best or worst best if ye beleeue these promises and cleaue to these prerogatiues If they bring ye to the hope of Christ for a better life but else most miserable See and apply that 1 Cor. 15.19 I say take heed least euen that ye haue be not quite remooued light and candlesticks Gospel and al for your Laodicean fulnes Empty your soules of their glut lest the Lord streighten his Spirit take away the power of his truths Remember these outward priuiledges serue to settle the inuisible vpon ye Boast not of the Temple the Temple that is holy but see that it hallow you also and that the Word preached and the seales of Grace added to it doe imprint vpon you the benefits of vnion with Christ iustification from sinne adoption of sons redemption from slauery to Satan your lusts and the error of the wicked These benefits none saue the elect can partake And consider yee may bee long vnder the one and yet bee led away from the other by the corrupt manners of the time the error of the wicked and custome of sinne and slights of the Deuill Take heed that the coldnesse of the age and abundance of iniquity cause ye not to fayle of that inuisible grace which the Gospel offers ye but know that one priuiledge conueies another Stop not the wels of saluation play not the hypocrites to whom these streames of the oyle and butter of the ordinances of Christ neuer flow vnto through your vnbeleefe Iob 20.57 But if ye obtaine vocation and vnion by them then blessed are your eyes for they haue seene and eares
hinder or crosse it No it ended the strife and scared away all the traytors Oh! beware then that thou crosse not the Lord in his promise to make him a lyer Q. These are strong grounds How should the soule rely on them Are there any directions for this A. Fayth should in these respects doe these things First shee ought to ponder well and muse vpon the promise Secondly be thorowly conuinced thereby in her heart of all these grounds Thirdly she should cleaue close to the promise against all obiections Fourthly she should humbly and wholy obey and consent to the promise And lastly she ought to plead the promise and improoue it to her owne peace Q. These are sweete duties What is the first of them A. To ponder a promise Pondering is when a man lifts any thing to esteeme what weight it beares so ought fayth to doe with the promise And that in these three kinds First to marke it Men giue no heed to Gods promises they lye hid in the Word and are made no otherwise of then as other common passages It is long before an hearer remember one of forty till some crosse driue them in as with an hammer and then perhaps he remembers some one A fearefull sinne read Esay 8.8 Ahaz slighted the promise of GOD the Prophet tels him Is it not enough for yee to slight a Prophet but God in a Prophet not marking what he promises Lo I will therefore make a promise to my Church and it shall bee marked A Virgin shall conceaue a Sonne c. Lo the cause of vnbeliefe in many is their giddinesse they are so full of froth that holy promises are as a vaine thing to them as the Law was a vaine thing in Hse 8.12 And the Word to them in Iames Doe the Scriptures speake in vaine noting the wildnesse of the heart and how the foole hauing seene this glasse forgets the Lords face Oh! the giddinesse of minde euen the wild-goose chase of the most of vs in hearing promises But beware Heb. 2.1 that ye set suâ—h a marke vpon a promise and offer of God that it may be the fayrest flower in the garden of God in your eyes The eye of the soule must guide the heart in beleeuing Set a starre vpon the margin of a speciall promise Buy that booke that culs out promises of note in this kinde Euen as euery spoonefull put into a full vessell runnes ouer though the vessell bee sound so heere looke therefore that your vessels bee empty also if ye would marke the promise lest GOD bee speaking in your cast and yee bee not aware I speake to you of my owne Congregation not without cause lest the precious promises ye haue heard leake out and this of Reconciliation in Christ and the offer of it The second is Musing of a promise chewing vpon the end of it as the cleane beast hauing obserued some of the choyce texts of Gods offer or promise annexed dwell vpon it â— the heart is the arme which must weigh a promise duely Therefore it s sayd of Mary She pondred the Angels words in her heart So did they Iona. 3.9 Oh! if God turne from his anger we shall not perish but liue in his sight This is the taking of Gods perswasions and allurements and benefits offred vs in the promise into our consideration as the Merchant Math. 12.44 he went aside and hid the pearle nourishing the gaine of mercy pardon heauen as a child would hold a sweete thing vnder the palate It is the putting of Gods cords rags vnder our armeholes that the Spirit may draw vs out of our dungeon with ease Oh! this is a riddle to men Many will marke for the time present who can not bee brought further but sticke at the birth and haue no strength to bring forth The common answer is Oh! wee cannot meditate No for the diuell knowes if ye could doe so yee might meete the Lord to settle you vpon the promise Let them whom this concernes weigh it well lest they lay heapes vpon heapes and dye of thirst Rid your soules of other scurffe get matter of promises about yee separate your selues Prou. 18.2 for this is a part of Gods worship and cannot bee done in the workes of our calling the throng of other businesse The Lord blesse this to vs And lastly make the Word of the promise familiar by frequency get it by heart till it be eazy As a man hauing many friends yet hath some one hee makes his bosome friend to whom he powres out his whole heart as Ionathan Dauid did 1 Sam. 20.41 So did Dauid make the promise his Counceller and companion Ps 119.24 And so should we do As if a man that hath a suit or a crazy body will powre out all into the bosome of a Surgeon or Doctor of Phisicke he will hide nothing but tell them his whole heart Oh! wee boast that the Minister of God knowes least of our minde But if we deale so with Gods promises we are like to fare worse Oh how seldome are our doubts and feares powred into the bosome of this companion How would it stay vs and speake to our hearts In the feare of God let not the offer and promise of God be strangers to vs. Q. What is the second worke of the soule A. To bee conuinced of whatsoeuer hath beene sayd of the wisedome strength and truth of God in offring and promising pardon to a sinner See Ioh. 16.9 The Gospell shall conuince the heart of righteousnes This followeth the former Due weighing will cause the soule to see the whole heart and meaning of God in a promise and to bee vnder the authority and euidence thereof Else no beleeuing Heb. 11.1 fayth is called an euidence and demonstration as light at midday conuinces the eye of it selfe So heere the soule must see God nakedly in his promise as in a mirror see 2 Cor. 3. last Ver. As the virgin is conuinced that her husband is the man aboue all other layde out for her As it s sayd of Laban Gen. 24.57 when hee saw how matters stood betweene the seruants message and Rebeccas affection sayd Wee can say neyther more nor lesse against it for this thing is of the Lord. This grace is the worke of the Spirit making the soule to begin to thinke Surely I am the partie whom GOD meanes for I haue the condition wrought and I see hee is plaine and hath no subtilty but is as he seemes hence a secret insinuation of heart arizes I may bee the soulâ— whom GOD will pardon for whom should hee meane but such a one as I Open it a little by the like At the Assises when prisoners are examined by the Iudge the euidences are called forth to declare against theÌ„ for thâ—ft or murder now when they are sworne and witnessed the Iudge telles them they are but dead men Why The Iudge saw them not rob or kill No but he lyes vnder thâ— conuiction of
sort strongly to conceale the old Like whereto is this to thinke our lusts are mortified because by some violent cause feare penalty or inward terrors they are restained Secondly it 's vse of instruction to all new creatures to wonder Vse 2 that the Lord will accept them to be so and take them after al their refuse stuffe and seruice to old lusts to be new men who would thinke it that the Lord should chuse such defiled Temples of Idols lusts and lewdnesse to dwell in who would thinke he would admit of those nastie sties of vncleane thoughts those cages of pride vncleanesse and selfe-loue those powers members of body soule that haue been so defiled to bee weapens of righteousnesse Oh what encouragement is it to old creatures to become new The Lord will melt and alter the property of your old Idols and he will prepare himselfe euen of such mettall vessels of price for euery good work He will admit the captiue woman when shee is pared washt and shauen to be a wife for an Israelite hee wil admit Mary Magdalen Luk. 6. her eyes teares hayre lips and oyntments euen so neere as his owne sacred body and become one with her that was an harlot and abused all these to abomination Oh! how iustly might hee haue for euer left vs to our selues and sworne that no sacrifice should blot out our sinne nor would hee euer take the seruice of a persecutor to bee a preacher Oh those very powers of wit and those affections of loue and ioy which we haue so abused wee should wonder that God will purge the fretting leprosie out of them so far as to be honored by them which yet we cannot deny but he hath except we should lye against the grace of the new creature Thirdly it should admonish all to take heed how they meddle Vse 3 with any true beleeuers in Christ to hurt discourage reproach or persue them Let vs know they are new creatures and the workmanship of God him that defaceth Gods image will God destroy Beware touch not the annoynted of God doe not his image any wrong If a King will leaue him to the punishment of a Traytor who shall race out and deface his image vpon a peece of siluer what shall hee doe to them that deface the liuely image of his holinesse stamped vpon his new Creature doe not descant here and say ye doe not deface them as such but in other respects well but in as much as hee hath honoured them yee shall pay for it that yee haue not counted them precious and delighted in them that honour ye doe not to them as well as that disgrace ye offer them is not done to him is offered to him and if you dare venter to hurt them with a distinction he wil punish you without distinction If the Lord will haue others beware how they deface Vse 4 Gods creatures how much more should his new Creatures beware of defiling themselues Oh! if God haue made ye so beware ye cast not dung in his face and pollute not his image The vilest wretch that liues when hee playes his parts yet if he were the sonne of an holy father he will draw the curtaine ouer his fathers picture as ashamed of himselfe And shall not we tremble to disguize our selues with any dreg of earthlinesse enuie pride and vanity loue of our selues knowing whose Creatures we are Take but the creatures of some proud ambitious ones will they doe any thing distastfull to their makers are they not in all points like them How then dare we to tempt him after whose image wee are created Oh! what a check should it be that any leauen in so much as a mouse-hole to allude to that Iewish curiosity should bee found in vs Remember that charge of Paul Purge out the old leauen therefore 1. Cor. 6. and let vs serue the Lord in the sincerity of a new Creature old things are passed away all things become new new Adam new couenant new Paradise new Ministry new Creation new Lord new Law and all new Shall they who are thus renewed suffer that vnrenued part to get head and to darken and defile the new that euen in them old base dregs should bee obserued to deface the Image of God But more of this in the latter Article Q. Proceed to the vse of the second branch A. If faith be the instrument of this Creation wee heere doe confute the conceite of them that imagine faith to bee a branch of Sanctification Sanctification is so farre from beeing the genus or totum of faith that it differs from it the wide skie Faith is a grace that addes no inherency to the soule but onely serues to receiue a forraigne imputed righteousnesse of another sanctification receiues an infuzed righteousnesse in to the soule faith receiues a righteousnesse of perfection to stand in the sight of God sanctification a righteousnesse in part and imperfect Can then an inherent holinesse bee the cause of an imputed or can an imperfect holinesse bee the cause or genus of a perfect But I must not dwell and I see this error is lately at large confuted Onely this faith and a new Creature being parts of Regeneration and of the Totum of a conuerted one so long as they bee diuiding members they are rather things of a contrarie nature then effects and causes of each other See what I said of their difference in the beginning of this Article Secondly wee learne heere what course Gods people must Vse 5 take to repaire the ruines of their holinesse when it is decayed in them by their falles Satans preuention or the like Run to their faith fetch fire from the hearth of the Lord Iesus his spirit wee are preserued by that of which we consist if the Lord Iesus bee our principle of Regeneration by faith hee by faith must be our sustentation goe to the Promise in thy fals take hold of the strength of Christ in them and compasse not thy selfe with thy owne sparkles thinking to recover thy selfe by thy owne heate but abhorring thy selfe go to a promise and there behold apply Christ thy righteousnesse to pardon thy fals to accept thee in weaknesse to repaire thy strength and then hâ—e will be thy righteousnesse also of holinesse to enlarge thy grace and by the addition of sweetnesse and love to uphold â—hee in thy course more and more Thou hast not received Christ thy new Creature to create somewhat in thy selfe but to fetch from his fountaine grace for grace daily Iesus Christ yesterday to day and the same for ever Q. What use doe ye make of the third branch Vse 6 A Very speciall And it should first teach us a discerning use betweene all hypocrites and truely renued ones The one may set up the Image of Christ in some of the powers of his soule as in his understanding wit memory in his tongue eares sences and outward members but the renued Creature sets him up
be so that thou shouldst be willing to haue it so no let it make thee longue and stretch out thy necke a far off after thy Redemption and when thy knocking off drawes neere lift vp thine head Here is thy pilgrimage when shall I come to my fathers house how long Lord holy and true how long Lye under the Altar and cry till God answer thee Count them happyest that are gone before and put off their harnesse Oh when shall I follow well after and ouertake deere husband wife and friend that haue got the start of me Lord here is not the place I looke for here an handsell and earnest but Lord euen my very faith and hope which are my best graces in trauell are but releefes of misery for a season euen these should here cause me to cry out for the Christ of a better life saying with Paul If our hope were here in Christ only of all other I were worst Faith and Hope and Patience and Hearings and Sacraments shall cease if then therwith sin and sorrow cease not what is my best but misery but as long as I haue Christ for hereafter I care not hee will pay for all If here to be a little eased of my feares bee such a benefit what is it to be quite rid of them If here to be guided by faith what there to need none If here to hope for a good end what there to enioy the thing hoped If here to liue a barren poore sad life patience mixt with impatience knowledge with error faith with infidelity what there to haue the vse of them taken away Christ made mine wholly fully all loue without defect ioy without mixture peace without disturbance Christ in his kind blessednesse and perfection he was not giuen me to be some grace and more sin but all grace and no sinne then I shall not see him through this grate of my prison but with open face as hee is and as he sees me Oh Lord this coast of the present world so dimmeth and darkens that coast of heaven that I cannot behold it Turne thy loue-tokens oh Lord once at length into presence and fruition and shew me thy glory Q. What other vses are there A. Exhortation and that in generall first to resist all these Vse 2 wofull enemies of our peace It is a word soone spoken but of long and hard practice to stand I say vpon our guard therefore a little I would direct about it though I feele my selfe in a sea of matter yet I will send my Reader to large and godly Treatises of this vast argument and my selfe cull out two or three directions best agreeing to my drift Q. Begin then first with the first annoyance or let which is our owne corruption how is that to be resisted A. I will mention three wayes 1. The spiritual combat ere sin be brought into act 2. Watchfulnesse against outward occasions and temptations 3. Wisedome after we are fallen Q. What is the duty of the Combat A. It is the exercise of that holy Principle of the Spirit of the new Creature which perpetually fighteth against the flesh in the regenerate Let this bee perpetually maintained and the hand of Faith or of Christ rather bee continually iogged by vs for the liuely quickening grace thereof to resist our inward selfe-temptations Gal. 5.17 The Spirit lusteth against the Flesh and ye cannot be as ye would There is in the New Creature a renuing throughout in euery part yet not throughout in all As in a dead Palsey all one side dead yet the other wholly aliue How doth the liuing part fight against the dead If a man should haue a dead carkasse bound to his backe till he dyed were it not an heavy plague would it not be irkesome So this body of death to the liuing part of the new Creature Oh mourne and grone it out The Physitians say Every deepe sigh spends a drop of bloud Oh that thy grones might consume this bloud I likened it before to Peninna I Sam. 1. Let Hanna then bee to Peninna as shee to bee sure will be to her Shee will not see the least looke of Elkana toward her the least loue-token not one nights lodging not one cast of favour but shee will pine at it vpbraid her for it vexe at and grudge her the least drop Oh! Let Hanna doe so to her Let her all that shee can get into her husbands heart and the more shee is envyed the more let her cling to him that his loue may support her against her enemy let him be to her aboue all her feares Oh if this were how happy were we It 's said of Rebecca that she was weary of her life for Esaw's wives as I noted and wisht them out of doores Let vs be like her and say Oh Lord these base dogging thoughts of sinne which breed ill affections and threaten to breake forth daily into action how noysome are they When Rebecca felt a strugling she asked the cause of the Lord and he answered Wonder not there be two nations in thee a cursed and a blessed one one whom I have hated another loued it must be thus wait thy time pray for a good trauel the whilst thou must beare this strife within thee So doe thou doe not onely beare it but maintaine it also Say to the Lord I can neuer shunne euill but I am the more tempted to it never ensue goodnesse but I am driuen from it Lord why is it thus Oh quicken vp that loue that Image of thy righteousnesse that seed of God that inner man of the Spirit which may present thee so to my soule that thy sweetnesse and love may cause the Image of old lust to be despised decay daily more and more Create in my soule that holy nature of thine which may for euer abhor foile conquer this flesh and the opposition of it in me Thou oh Lord art as holy as sin is wicked Oh Lord shew it and the preuailing nature of it let it burne vpon the Altar of my soule against the Altar of corruption Oh that I could find but one day of many that I were mine owne and free to righteousnesse rid of my cumber and clog That I could feele those secret motions and instincts of sin in me rebelling against thee tickling mee snaring and leading me captiue being as sensible and wake to marke and discouer them and nip them in the necke as they are to annoy me Q. What is the second duty of watching A. Continually to obserue and preuent occasions offered when we cannot foile inward motions Cut off her prouision and sterue sin As men deale with fields of weeds which they cannot root up they hooke them and so kill them by oft cutting off their tops so doe thou with occasions obiects counsell prouocation to thy wrath reuenge couetousnesse maintaine a sound desire to abhorre them that they neuer enter thy trenches The welcomming of obiects is as casting of oyle