the Tenor of Christ's own Laws For then they only speak the Language of Christ's own Rules and as Tertullian says are a true anticipation or Fore-hand Draught of the great Judgment And when his Officers only pronounce and say after him there is no doubt but he will confirm what they have pronounced in his Name Quest. But from what you have formerly discoursed I perceive that some things in Religon being against the Prime and Fundamental Doctrines are so Damnable in themselves as not to be capable of any Favour or Allowances And that others being only against inferior Truths are Damnable only as accompanied with an Evil Mind but capable withal of being incurred under Pardonable circumstances Now in these last Points many Persons that mean well and serve Christ sincerely in the main and essentials of a Christian may yet be unhappily mislead into wrong Opinions or Practices And if for their fixedness and obstinacy in these they happen to be cast out of any Church do you think they are always cut off from Christ too and that he will Finally Anathematise and condemn them in his Sentence Answ. No. For the Church as all humane Judges being unable to see into Mens Hearts give sentence in these cases according to outward Actions But Christ in his judgment of them looks also at the mind and heart of the Actors Rateing exactly not only the Punishableness of the Offences but also the Degrees of voluntary and involuntary which makes a Pardonableness or Punishableness of the Offenders And making these Allowances on such scores as fall not under their Notice 't is reasonable to believe he will still own and receive several compassionably mislead who are cast out on these accounts by the Churches Censures Quest. This validity and effect of Church-Censures you say is when they proceed according to Christ's own Rules and upon just cause But if they bind where the Gospel says they should loose and Excommunicate against Reason I suppose those Censures are meer Scare-crows that may serve to make a show but bring no hurt with them Answ. Very true Blessed are ye says our Saviour when Men shall separate you from their Company and expunge or cast out your Name as evil for the Son of Mans sake for so persecuted their Fathers the Prophets Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy for your Reward is great in Heaven Luk. 6. 22 23. If good Christians are Excommunicated in any Church for not going against the Scriptures and complying with it in ill things as poor Protestants are by the Romish Church they lose nothing thereby with God who will not ratifie a wrong sentence but will increase their Reward for having bravely suffer'd in his Cause Quest. By what you have said I see how God forgives Sins But when they are committed against us we are bid to forgive them too and that as we our selves hope to be forgiven I pray you what doth that imply Answ. Not our remitting Future punishments which lye at God's mercy not in ours Nor always that we sit still without offering to defend our selves when we are assaulted or to seek redress when we are injured But only that we bear no malice to them in our hearts and if the case require Redress that we seek it not in Spiteful ways and that beside the Reparation of our own Wrong we aim not at our Adversary's Prejudice nor seek his hurt afterwards nor Pray to God or to the Magistrate for vengeance as the Jews might to ease an angry mind when we are able to do no more against him our selves Quest. What use must we make of this Belief of the Forgiveness of Sins Answ. Admire the mercy of God who can forgive such Profligate and Provoking Offenders And the wonderful love of Jesus Christ who could dye to procure this Forgiveness for his utter Enemies And not despair of mercy but stedfastly hope there is place of Pardon after any of our sins And above all to shew true Repentance and forgive others and perform all those things which are the condition and Terms of Forgiveness thereby to secure it to our selves Quest. And when we are once forgiven may we embolden our selves from God's readiness to forgive to Repeat our sins Answ. No by no means Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound in pardoning God forbid Rom. 6. 1 2. Now thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee said our Saviour Joh. 5. 14. Such ingratitude and abuse of Grace is not only most provoking to the Spirit and tempts him to withdraw from us and calls down from God heavier and surer Punishments But also it brings in force against us all the old scores which were all struck off as I said only on presumption of our Perseverance in repenting of them CHAP. XI Of the Resurrection of the Body and the Life everlasting The Contents The Resurrection not meerly of our Spirits from sin but of our Bodies from the Grave This to be brought about by the Almighty Power of God. The Perfections of Glorified Bodies viz. Immortality Spirituality and Glory The Bodies of the Wicked Immortal And exquisitely sensible Some Inferences from the Resurrection of our Bodies Good Souls carried straight-way into a Place of Bliss Of Eternal Life wherin there is Full and unmixed Happiness Of the satisfaction of their Senses Their clear and distinct Knowledge Perfect Holiness And without Reluctance Blissful Companions Perfection of Love and Kindness Honour and Eminence of Place All these to be injoy'd in the Highest Heavens without satiety or weariness For evermore Of the miseries of the Damned in Tormenting Passions The worm of Conscience Fire and Flames Disgrace Under all which no favour of God. No company but of Tormenting Devils and damned Spirits None to condole when they cannot relieve No rest and sleep for Recruit of Spirits No end of their miseries The Use of this Quest. WHat is the Eleventh Article of the Creed Answ. I believe the Resurrection of the Body Quest. May not the Resurrection be interpreted only of a Spiritual Resurrection from sin Answ. So some taught of old as St. Paul testifies saying the Resurrection is passed already i. e. when Men rose from a State of sin to the fear of God and these says he get credit and overthrow the Faith of some 2 Tim. 2. 18. But the Resurrection we expect is a Resurrection of the Body Our Bodies after we have laid them down by Death shall at the Day of Judgment be quickned and raised up again Then all that are in the Graves shall hear Christ's voice and come forth they that have done good to the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of Damnation Joh. 5. 28 29. This mortal Body must put on immortality and this corruptible must put on Incorruption that so all that being revived which Death destroyed Death may be swallowed up in Victory 1 Cor. 15. 53 54. Quest. The
cut off as a Malefactor by corrupt Judgment noting the main circumstances both previous and concomitant and the particular and then unusual manner of his punishment And that after his Death he should return from the Grave and appear alive again All this the Psalmist and the Holy Prophets plainly foretel of him When we shall see him says Isaiah it will be without form or comeliness he is despised and rejected of men Isaiah 53. 2 3. He is to be betrayed and sold to his Adversaries for thirty pieces of silver Zach. 11. 12. And when he is in their Hands he shall be judged as a prisoner Isaiah 53. 8. his back shall be scourged and his face shall be spit on Isaiah 50. 6. He shall be tried and condemned and cut off out of the land of the living Isa. 53. 8. And as for the manner of his Death that shall be by the piercing of his hands and feet and keeping his Body between them so at stretch saith the Psalmist that they may tell all his bones a plain description of a Death on the Cross which being a Roman punishment and brought in among the Jews by their Conquest must needs be unknown in David's Age and so more observable to be foretold by him so many hundred Years before in describing the sufferings of Messiah Besides under this Execution they relate the very words wherein he should express the bitterness of his Sorrows and wherein the starers on would vent their cruel Scoffs and how they should seek to sharpen his Pains by a draught of vinegar and pierce or thrust him through as Zechary declared in a Text which the old Rabbins applied to Christ and when he was Dead share his garment by casting Lots for it They pierced my hands and my feet I may tell all my bones they part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Whilst they stare upon me and laugh me to scorn saying He trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver him if he delight in him says the Psalmist Psalm 22. 1 7 8 16 17 18. Which Psalm and these passages of it according to the Letter never fully verified in the Story of David after the Jews of old the New Testament applies to Christ Matth. 27. 35 43 46. John 19. 24. These places evidently foretel the method of his Death and Humiliation And then after Death the same Prophets as evidently foretel that he should not lie to see corruption but return from the grave to a long happy and successful Life When he shall make his Soul an offering for Sin he shall prolong his days so that after his dying as a Sacrifice he was to be a live Man. Nay the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied so that he was also to be an active undertaking and successful Man verse 10. yea I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong that is be most Wealthy Potent and Victorious amongst Men verse 12. All which long active and happy Life was to be bestowed on him not only after his Death but as a recompence and reward of it He shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death and was numbered with the transgressors that is was condemned and executed in the herd of Malefactors verse 12. Quest. I see all this was plainly prophesied of Messiah and was it fully made good in Jesus Christ Ans. Yes For he appeared in a poor and despicable condition as a carpenter's son He was sold by his own Servant for thirty pieces of silver which did the Traytor no good but by an over-ruling Providence was cast to the Potter or to buy the Potters Field for a Burying place as Zechary had foretold He was put in Bonds as a Prisoner and led about before the high-priest Herod and the Roman Governour They scourged him and spit upon him they condemned and cut him off according to the word of Isaiah not only as a Malefactor but also in company with them executing him †between two thieves as the Evangelists relate of him And as for the manner of his Death though Crucifixion was no Jewish but a Roman Punishment and after the High Priest had pronounced him guilty of Blasphemy by the constitution of the Jews and the Law of Moses he should have been stoned yet by the special ordering of God he suffered by the piercing of his hands and feet and hanging so at stretch upon the Tree that his bones might be numbered according to the words of David In his extremities though the custom of the Nation was to offer stupefactives as Wine and Myrrh to benum the Sense and ease the pains of dying Persons yet to verifie the saying of the Psalmist they brought him Vinegar to whet and sharpen his The chief Priests with the Scribes and Elders most inhumanly staring on him said with cruel scorn He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him the very words which the Holy Psalmist had so long before set down for them and he himself cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The very words again which that Holy Prophet spoke for him in his extremity As he hung upon the Cross a Soldier pierced his side and thrust him through to fulfil the words of Zechary And when they saw he had expired the four Soldiers that stood by and were to share his Cloathes would not divide his seamless coat but cast lots for it according to the Prediction of the Psalmist Amidst all which strange congruities he had one other qualifying circumstance which the Prophet Isaiah remarks viz. to make his grave as with the wicked by dying for a pretended crime so with the rich in his death Isaiah 53. 9 which was verified by his being wrapt in fine linen and Entombed as by his care so in Joseph of Arimathea's own Sepulchre who was a rich man and an honourable counsellor And then as for his return to life again to be an undertaking successful and most potent happy Person that has been most notoriously and eminently made good in our Blessed Saviour's Resurrection and in the unparalleled success of his Religion in all places since that time And this again especially his Resurrection is another note which as it fits Jesus to be the Messiah so beyond dispute excludes all other Men. For though Theudas and Judas as Gamaliel observed and other false Christs in just reward of their Impostures have been condemned and slain yet was never any of them seen to return to life again to carry on their pretences and to prosper and thrive in them Quest. Have you any other notable and appropriating marks to add from
insensible State would have brought him no Advantage Phil. 1. 21. And when we are absent from the Body we are present with the Lord which presence notes happy enjoyment 2 Cor. 5. 68. And Lazarus when he dyed was carried into Abraham's bosom and Dives lift up his eyes in Hell being in Torment Luk. 16. 22 23. All which shew the Deceased Righteous to be Happy as the Wicked Wretched not only in expectation but present enjoyment Quest. You speak this of all the Righteous Answ. Yes for the Scripture makes no Difference This Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise said Christ to the Penitent Thief tho' he had been a very great Sinner and was but a very young Convert And the usual way of expressing the Death of good Men is by their falling asleep which notes Ease and Refreshment And in general it is said of these that dye in the Lord that from henceforth they are blessed and rest from their Labours Rev. 14. 13. So that this Present Life as our Lord notes in the Story of Lazarus is the Time of their receiving evil things And they are no longer exercised with Torments but what is inconsistant with them enter upon ease and comfort in degree more or less according to the difference of their virtuous Attainments immediately upon their Deaths Quest. But is the Happiness of the one or the Misery of the other so full then as it shall be after the last Judgment Answ. No for now their Souls only are Happy but then their Bodies shall be raised too and the Bliss of the whole man both Soul and Body shall be compleat And then they shall be happy in a fuller degree and have a more perfect measure of it This increase of Happiness they shall receive at the last Judgment and therefore it is called the Time of their being crown'd or rewarded 2 Tim. 4. 8. and they are represented as desiring it So the Souls under the Altar slain for the Testimony of Jesus do in the Revelations asking how long God would delay to judge the World for the Consummation of their Reward and of their Persecutors Punishment Rev. 6. 9 10 11. And so it is with the damned Spirits too the heaviest part of their Doom being still to come and their present Miseries tho' very great being but Foretastes and Beginnings of what they are to be consign'd to at the last Day Thus the Devils are said to be reserved in Chains against the Judgment of the Great Day their present State it seems in comparison of it being no more than the Misery of a Prison compared to that of the Day of Execution 2 Pet. 2. 4. and Jude 6. And the Devils ask Christ if he were come to torment them before the time plainly intimating that the Fulness of their Torment was not to be till the Great Day comes Mat. 8. 29. Quest. These Private Judgments then are much short of the Last Judgment because then is the Consummation of Reward and Punishment Answ. Yes And also because that Judgment shall be Solemn and Publick in full Audience and open Court before Angels and all the World Luk. 12. 8 9. and General whereat all both Angels and Men shall be Convened and Tried Quest. And must not this be till the End of the World Answ. No for it is Christ's last Act in Discharging his Mediatory Office and therefore must not be concluded till all Things are at an End. All the Time before the Judgment is a State of Trial for proving Persons wherein Christ gives Laws to direct us and sufficient Opportunities and inward Grace to help us to perform them But all the Time after it is a State of irreversible Recompences in sharing and dispensing promised Rewards and Penal Executions After the last Sentence is once pass'd there is no more place for Intercessions and making Friends but a New and Unalterable State of Eternal Joys or Miseries commences And thus Christ having consummated his Trust as Mediator will surrender up his Power and deliver the Kingdom to God the Father 1 Cor. 15. 24. Quest. The General Judgment you say is at the End of the World Has God decreed a set Time and fixed a Day for it Answ. Yes he hath appointed a Day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness Act. 17. 31. Which Day is called the Coming of Christ 1 Cor. 15. 23. and the Day of the Lord 1 Thess. 5. 2. 2 Thess. 2. 2. Quest. If every Mans Case must then be fully scann'd and all Actions inquired into and Pleas heard methinks that should be more than one Days Work Answ. So I suppose it will the continuance perhaps of a thousand Days nay it may be of a great number of Years For Day in Scripture is any Continuance of Time which is allotted for any Business As the Time of Israels forty Years Travel in the Wilderness is call'd the Day of Temptation Heb. 3. 8 9. and the Time of God's scourging and correcting the Day of Visitation Isa. 10. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 12. and the Time of the Gospel is the Day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. And so the Day of Judgment is not the Space of twenty four Hours but all that Time which Christ shall spend upon it Quest. It seems God has fixed the Day within himself but is that determinate Day known to any besides himself Answ. No For of that determinate Day knoweth no Man no not the Angels in Heaven nor the Son himself as Man but the Father only Mat. 24. 36. Mar. 13. 32. It shall surprise the World and its coming shall be sudden and unexpected as a Thief in the Night or Travel upon a Woman with Child 1 Thess. 5. 2 3. Quest. Who shall be the Judge at that Great Day by whom all Men shall be tried and sentenced Answ. Jesus Christ. For God will judge the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordain'd and he hath assured them of it by raising him from the dead Acts 17. 31. He only is able to discharge this transcendent Trust having an Authority Paramount which none can question or appeal from an Infinite Understanding that can search the Hearts and discover the naked Truth of every Mans Case and the just Validity of their Pleas an incorruptible Integrity that cannot in the least be byassed by any Flatteries Offers Intercessions or Intreaties and an Almighty Power that can reward the greatest Services and punish the most high and haughty as well as the meanest Criminals And as he alone is qualified to Discharge so he is also to sustain the Honour of it For who is fit to sit as Judge of Princes and Potentates Men and Angels but he who made and governs them who is over all in Power and next in Dignity to the Father even the Son of God himself All Judgment is committed to the Son that all should honour the Son even as they honour the Father Joh. 5. 22 23. Quest. Who
not an ill Man have some Good in him And have not several practised some Virtues who yet were void of the Spirit and saving Grace Answ. Yes For Herod an ill Man heard John Baptist gladly and did many things Mark 6. 20. And the Foolish Virgins kept pace in some Points with the Wise Mat. 25. 1 2. Either that general Grace which is common to all Persons or their particular Inclination or Interest or Natural Conscience can carry on Men who are Enemies to God in the main to the Performance of some Duties And therefore I said these Vertues are a Sign of the Spirit and of Saving Grace not when some few or more of them meet by chance in an otherwise evil Man but only in those who have a general Care and Conscientious Regard to all of them Quest. You have shewn how these Graces are the Fruits of the Spirit and the Gift of God. But since God's Spirit is thus to work them in us may we not leave God's Work to himself and think our selves free from any Care or Pains about them Answ. No by no means For he that made us Men will not also make us Saints without our selves He created us by himself alone but will renew and save us only through our Concurrence with him Quest. In carrying on this Work of God what must we do towards it Answ. Our Heart and Will must go along with it and our Care and Endeavour too t Quest. When God's Spirit begins any Grace or Vertue in us must our Heart go along with it and are we readily to embrace and make choice of it Answ. Yes for he will not force an unwilling Mind into Goodness And therefore our own Wills are call'd upon when we are press'd to become Good. I have set before you Life and Good Death and Evil Chuse Life Deut. 30. 15 19. And when we obey such Calls some good Tempers of our Wills are noted as the Cause of it The Word and Grace accompanying it brought forth Fruit because it wat received in an honest and good Heart Luke 8. 15. And if we refuse them and continue Bad our own Wills still are charged with it Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life Joh. 5. 40. and Why will ye die O House of Israel Ezek. 18. 31 32. Quest. And when our Heart is thus bent upon any Graces and Good Things must our Care and Endeavour also be put forth in attainment of them Answ. Yes for God gives these Graces as a Blessing upon our own Care and Pains and works them in us when we work with him So that they are to be the Fruit of our Industry as well as of his Bounty God calls to us Make you clean Isa. 1. 16. Turn your selves Ezek. 18. 30 32. as well as we pray to him Turn thou us Jer. 31. 18. and Give us clean Hearts Psal. 51. 10. Quest. But is not God before-hand with us and gives us some Grace before we endeavour any thing I was found of them that sought me not saith the Prophet Isa. 65. 1. Answ. Yes the Grace of outward Revelations and Opportunities These prevent our Care and are given before we ask them In this Kingdom for Instance we have the Light of the Holy Scriptures the Guidance and Care of Pastors the Benefit of Publick Assemblies and the Protection of Laws for Christianity which is not so in Heathen Countries And we have the Scriptures in our own Language and Purity of Doctrine and a truly Primitive Edifying way of Worship which is not so in many Christian Nations And all these with other Advantages came to us unasked we did not seek them but were born to them And of these Isaiah speaks who is not treating of inward Assistances but of outward Revelations which God would make to the Gentiles who made no inquiry after them but had the Revelations brought to them For the Heathen World did not seek out to the Apostles but the Apostles sought them Quest. And doth not he prevent us too with good Desires and inward Motions Answ. Yes he doth with the First Motions and Beginnings of his Grace But as for the Ripening of these and our growing up to a Mastery over our Lusts and a Saving Pitch that requires our own Care and Endeavours which these First Stirrings of Grace must awaken in us And when we do so endeavour after them God will still give more Grace and by his Spirit effect in us such Virtues as we labour after but he will withdraw what he has already given if we are idle and labour not at all For concerning this Improvement of God's Grace by our own Care and Pains our Saviour says To him that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not i. e. hath not improved what God bestowed shall be taken away even what he hath Mat. 25. 29. Quest. God's Giving then is only an Encouragement for our Seeking since he gives those Graces as he gives our Food and Maintenance not to idle careless Men but only to such as diligently and wisely labour after them Answ. Very true and therefore we are press'd to work them out our selves by that very Reason work out your own Salvation for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do Phil. 2. 12 13. Quest. What way should we seek these Graces of the Spirit that by God's Blessing we may attain them Answ. First Pray for them If any man lack Wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all Men Liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Jam. 1. 5. And God will give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him Luk. 11. 13. Quest. And must we pray in Faith that is ask with an expectation to Receive them Answ. Yes for God cannot bear to see us question his kindness or distrust his Promise Our distrust is enough to make him deny us any thing but we are sure to receive the Graces he has promised if we dare confide in him Whatsoever ye shall ask Believing you shall receive Mat. 21. 22. And if any man lack Wisdom let him ask of God. But let him ask in Faith nothing wavering Jam. 1. 5 6. Quest. What other ways of seeking these Graces would you direct to Answ. Secondly a frequent and serious use of the Holy Sacrament That is no unfruitful Ordinance but conveys Spiritual strength into our Souls as Bread doth to our Bodies This the Scripture intimates when Christ's Eucharistical Body is called Bread Joh. 6. 51 55. And when the eating Bread and drinking Wine is called the Communion of his Body and Blood that is the Communication of all those Graces and Benefits to us which were purchased by them 1 Cor. 10. 16. Quest. Have you any other Rules Answ. Yes Thirdly with Prayers and Sacraments we must joyn a Diligent use of wise and likely means of attaining the Desired Graces When we seek to God for Daily Bread and maintenance it
of Messiah and then only fully accomplished when Jesus came This cleared from exceptions 2. His having the Spirit of Miracles resting on him 3. His Death with the particular manner and circumstances of it And his returning to Life again 4. His putting an end to the Jewish Sacrifices and Mosaick Covenant and bringing in a New one and a better to supply its defects 5. His erecting an Universal Empire and appearing as a mighty King. This not a Secular but Spiritual Kingdom 6. His converting the Heathen World from their Idol-worship Jesus silenced the Oracles and cast the impure Spirits out of their Temples This an Argument for him not only as accomplishing a Prediction but also as 't is plainly a Divine thing The Prophecies of an Universal Probity and Peace under Messiah cleared up by an account both of their meaning and accomplishment The fore-cited Prophecies understood of Messiah by the Ancient Jews though denied by some later in hatred to our Jesus p. 45. CHAP. III. Proving Jesus to be the Christ from other Divine Testimonies Jesus proved to be the Christ 2. From the testimony of John the Baptist. John knew this by Revelation and had it confirmed by a sign He was an acknowledged Prophet and of most clear and currant fame And gave this testimony before he was personally acquainted with Jesus 3. From the testimony of Jesus himself Several considerations shewing the validity of this testimony though it were in his own case This not impugned by Christ's words John 5. 31. nor gives any colour or advantage to Fanatical Enthusiasts 4. From his Miracles These no lying wonders as may appear because shewn in several instances not imitable by Demons As 1. Foretelling future Contingencies An account of Demon-Predictions among the Gentiles 2. Discerning Hearts and Thoughts 3. Raising the Dead 4. Casting out Devils of most stubborn ranks and in greatest numbers and combinations It may also appear from their intent and design and from their numbers and the manner of working them No opposing the Miracles of Moses against Christ's Miracles because they were wrought to set aside the Law of Moses That Law was given with a design to be altered An account how for all that several of its Precepts are justly called Statutes for ever 5. From the testimony of the Father who declared Jesus to be the Christ by audible voices And by raising him from the dead and shewing him in full possession of his pretences p. 96 The Knowledge of God or an Explication of the Divine Attributes and Providence CHAP. I. Of the Being and Attributes of God. The World declares there is a God. He is an eternal Spirit on whom all things depend Of God's Holiness Several things explained which seem to infringe it as when God is said to harden Mens hearts To inflict Spiritual blindness and a reprobate sense To send a false Spirit to deceive Ahab and strong delusion God oft gives Men up to the delusion of evil Spirits Cautions to prevent this To give Men a Spirit of slumber An account how notwithstanding God's irreconcileable hatred of sin it is still suffered in the World. Of God's Goodness Several false Notions of it In what things it chiefly consists Of God's Justice or Righteousness This shown in giving Righteous Laws And passing Righteous Judgments according to them without respect of Persons His Punitive Justice cleared from misplacing punishments in punishing one for another's sins And from misproportioning them in allotting eternal punishments to momentany fins Some false aspersions on this just God wiped off Of God's Presence in all places The effect of this Of his Faithfulness This shown by inviolable performance of his Promises And interpreting them without evasion or secret reserve according to their plain meanings And by constant adherence to his Friends and Faithful Servants which is no encouragement for any to return to their former sins Of God's Wisdom This shown in setting a just rate and estimate on all things so that he is neither gained nor lost by worthless services In discerning the just power and force of all Means and success of all Methods which should beget the greatest Reverence for all his Ordinances In seeing the best times and seasons for every purpose so that we must never think any Deliverance too long delayed or Affliction too fast hastened No reason to pretend to the Love of God without loving and imitating these Divine Excellencies p. 143 CHAP. II. Of God's Providence God preserves all things he hath made And governs them He observes all our actions And all our temptations He disposes of all good events For he gives the fruits of the Earth And Children And success in business How this should influence us in any enterprize shown in sundry particulars He gives promotion And the favour of Men. And life and health to enjoy all other Blessings And all Spiritual Mercies He disposes also of ill events As death of Friends Unfortunate accidents that afflict us in our Bodies or Goods Crosses and obstructions in our designs and business Sufferings from ill Men. How God stints and governs these No excuse of their unjust violence to say they are God's Instruments and follow Providence He sends also miscarriages of State and Government and presides in the most tumultuary and distressed times In these still have Faith in Providence But God must not be called the Author or sender of thâ—se evils which we bring down upon our selves by our own faults or follies p. 189 CHAP. III. Of God's Almightiness God's Almightiness implies 1. God's Might and Strength to effect all things viz. all that are the object of any Power And that are not repugnant to his own Nature The exerting this Power creates God no labour He can do whatsoever any things of the World can do This an encouragement to all generous Enterprizes And to build on Providence especially where we have a Promise The value and acceptance of this trust in a seemingly most improbable case And whatsoever any things of the World are inclined or wont to do he can hinder them from doing This also a ground of trust in God. And to keep us in any distress from flying to unlawful aids How God will use this Power 2. His Sovereignty and Power to command and order all things This includes 1. Empire as a Sovereign Ruler What things God may command The unalterableness of some commands 2. Dominion as a Sovereign Proprietor In what cases God allots good and ill out of his Power of Prerogative not according to Mens pre-dispositions Where he dispenses Arbitrarily he doth it always most Wisely and Reasonably Saving Grace he allots not in way of Arbitrary Prerogative but according to Covenant Rules And Heaven and Hell in way of Legal Trials A brief account of the Rectitude of God's Nature which limits his Sovereign Will from the Scriptures This Sovereign Lord and Proprietor an All-sufficient so no selfish Being Several good uses of God's Sovereign Dominion God's Majesty and Almightiness
must beget fear and reverence p. 232 ERRATA PAG. 19. lin 12. for accepted read was accepted p. 34. l. 29. for And half Faith r. An half Faith. p. 36. l. 13. for such as do r. such do p. 41. l. 1. for of sufficiency r. of the sufficiency p. 70. l. 24. for men in Bethlehem r. men of Bethlehem p. 113. l. 17. for do danger r. no danger p. 150. l. 15. for this peerless Majesty r. his peerless Majesty p. 154. l. 7. for in wickedness contracting r. iâ— wickedly contracting The Practical Believer PART I. Of the Nature and Certainty of Christian Faith c. CHAP. I. Of Christian Faith. The Contents What is meant by Faith in Christ. When this suitably affects us it justifies or avails to Righteousness An account of several particulars of Christian Belief with the respective Affections and Practices that are suitable to them All these are reasonably to be expected from them though they do not follow where Men will act inconsistently to their Principles and against Reason Faith with its suitable effects the same as Faith and Repentance On this account such effects ascribed to it when alone as are due only to it and Repentance in conjunction This Faith with its suitable effects was that which justified the Old Testament Worthies And is to justifie all good Christians When S. Paul opposes justifying-Faith to the Deeds of the Law he speaks of the Deeds of the Jewish Law. That which fits Faith for these effects and distinguishes the Faith of Saints and Sinners is First The sincerity of it Secondly Its strength and firmness This consists in its being assured And honest or seated in one that makes conscience to keep his word And resolute In what sense Faith may be called an act of Recumbency or leaning and rolling on Christ for Salvation And the hand to receive and apply him 'T is no part of Faith to believe our sins are pardon'd nor of infidelity to doubt of it Of the innocence many times of such doubts And of some good Mens confidence of their own forgiveness Question SInce Men are made to live for ever and have Souls capable of Eternal Salvation What must they do to save them Answer Believe in Christ and repent For Faith and Obedience which where Men have sinn'd before is call'd Repentance are the conditions of Salvation Quest. Is Faith in Christ one thing necessary to Salvation Ans. Yes He that heareth my word says our Saviour is passed from death unto life and shall not come into condemnation John 5. 24. He that believeth the Gospel and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. Quest. Will all Faith save Men Ans. No for the Devils themselves believe says S. James Jam. 2. 19. But the saving Faith is only that which suitably affects us and works Repentance Repentance as well as Faith being necessary to Eternal Happiness Quest Since Faith is in it self one part of the condition of our Happiness and instrumental also to work the Rest it is necessary to understand well what it is and wherein a saving Faith differs from other sorts of Faith. Pray what is meant by Faith in Christ Ans. In general it is the believing all that is declared to us by Christ and sometimes more particularly some things that are declared of him The believing what is said by him is called Faith in Christ as his Authority and Credit is the Ground and Reason of our Belief and the believing things said of him as he himself is the object of it And when this belief suitably affects us and we so resolve and practise thereupon as may be reasonably expected from Persons under such Persuasions then is it imputed to us for Righteousness Quest. Is Faith in Christ believing all that is declared to us by Christ or a giving trust and credit to his Word Ans. Yes and so the Scriptures intimate when they call it faith of Christ that is of his Teaching and Directing and as it is sometimes in the Original faith to Christ that is to him testifying and declaring and Faith or belief of the Gospel and of the truth the Gospel being that Word of truth which on his Credit and Authority he testifies and declares to us Besides Faith or Belief in Christ is expressed in Scripture by these several Phrases of hearing and receiving the word of Christ of receiving the word of God of receiving Christ of receiving the testimony of Christ of coming unto Christ. All which as is evident from the places alledged being made only so many other words for believing show plainly that Faith or Belief is the crediting of his Word and assenting to those things that are declared by him Which declarations for their surer derivation to After-times were all put in Writing by his Holy Apostles and Evangelists before their Deaths and are all contain'd in the Holy Scriptures Quest. Indeed if Faith in Christ be a belief of Christ's word it plainly implies hearing and receiving it and that Word being sent down to us by him from God receiving it is a receiving the word of God and believing it on Christ's Authority is receiving his testimony But how do the two other Phrases of receiving Christ and coming unto Christ shew the Faith they denote to be a belief of his Word Ans. To receive one notes different things as it is apply'd to different cases Men receive a Guest when they entertain him in their Houses a Ruler when they become his subjects a Friend when they admit him to intimacies but a Prophet and Teacher under which notion Christ claims belief when they credit his Doctrine and Message And because they who thus believ'd him came personally to attend and learn of him and associated themselves with him as they that retain'd to and followed him therefore was this belief of him in a literal sense a coming to him Quest. Doth Faith in Christ signifie also in Scripture the believing some things concerning Christ Ans. Yes and those too such things as are apt to beget trust and confidence in him For so though the Devils know and believe the truth of all Christ has declared yet S. James says they want the right Faith because they only tremble at it and cannot hope in the least that ever he will do them any good Jam. 2. 19. Quest. What are we thus particularly to believe concerning Christ Ans. Not only in the general That he is the Son of God and the Christ or Messiah for professing whereof S. Peter was pronounced Blessed Mat. 16. 16 17. but also particularly to believe that he died for our sins to reconcile us unto God by his Death whence it is especially called faith in his blood Ro. 3. 25. That he rose again from the dead which whoso believes in his heart says S. Paul shall be saved Rom. 10. 9. And that he is now ascended into Heaven and seated on the
as well as our own danger will constrain us not to live unto our selves but unto him that died for us 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Quest. We believe that he is now in Heaven at God's right Hand to present our Prayers and intercede for us and procure whatsoever we stand in need of What effect ought this to have upon us Ans. Make us look up to him with affiance in his Patronage and apply to God by him with confidence in all our distresses Having such an high-priest now passed into the heavens says the Apostle let us come boldly unto the throne of grace Heb. 4. 14. Quest. We believe that as by his Death he purchased so in Heaven he is now taking up and preparing Mansions of Eternal Bliss for all such holy Souls as by purity of heart and life are fit to partake of and delight in them What must every Man of this belief do to be true to his own sentiments Ans. Purifie himself that he may be meet to enjoy and qualified to relish the immaculate pleasures of that pure and spotless Place Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure 1 Jo. 3. 3. Quest. We believe that at the last day Christ will judge all men according to their deeds 2 Cor. 5. 10. Eternally rewarding all that are truly Pious Humble Temperate Just True and Peaceable and eternally condemning all that are otherwise What should every Person do in common care and prudence that is fully persuaded of this Ans. Faithfully serve and fear God who will call him to this strict account He should be sober and watch unto prayer 1. Pet. 4. 5 7. and be temperate in all things 1 Cor. 9. 25. and owe nothing but love to any man Rom. 13. 8. and follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Quest. We believe the Holy Ghost is ready to assist us in every good act and help all that will use his aid to be as Holy as God requires they should be What would all that seriously attend to this belief do upon it Ans. Obey his motions and concur with his assistances and never wilfully do any thing that will forfeit the aid and influence of so desireable and Divine a Guest as he is Have that is use Grace that you may serve God acceptably Heb. 12. 28. Work out your own salvation for it is God that worketh in you Phil. 2. 12 13. and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 4. 30. Quest. We believe the communion of Saints which implies an obedient submission and adherence to our common Rulers and particularly a communion in Prayers and Sacraments What would God or Men expect from a Person of this belief Ans. To keep the unity of the Church and frequent the publick Assemblies where these Saints are to meet and unite in all Divine Offices Quest. So that to name no more these Points of Belief already mentioned if duly attended to would influence and act on all serious embracers of them into love of God and Honour and godly Fear and make them rest contented in all estates and trust God with all Futurities and have affiance in him in the greatest Difficulties and shew patience and perseverance under the most tedious Delays and purifie their Hearts and Lives and render them universally Righteous as God is and keep them Holy and Humble and Temperate and Just and Peaceable thereby to come off well at the Great Day of Accounts It would cause them to love honour and obey their Saviour Christ and repent truly of all their sins and put them upon Prayers and Devotions and keep them in the unity of the Church and the Publick Assemblies and make them encourage the Grace of God and joyn therewith their best endeavours all which are only the forecited particulars Ans. Yes where a belief of these things is these fruits may reasonably be expected from it For they naturally follow on such apprehensions and accordingly are ascribed to them and intended to result from them in the Holy Scriptures Quest. And as it appears in these so I suppose it might be made appear how we are led on by some Points of Belief to every other Point of Practice Ans. It might so but I judge these to be abundantly enough Quest. But although all among us profess to believe these Principles yet are few thus affected with them or influenced thereby into these practices Ans. Too true alas But therein they act most unreasonably and are false to their own persuasions Whereas if a Man has a real belief of these things and will both attend or dwell upon it and be true to it following on whither it leads him in its own natural tendency and according to all reason it would affect and influence him as has been declared From this Faith such Fruits are reasonably to be expected though where Men act out of reason and either forget themselves or to gratifie some unlawful lusts are wilfully false to their own opinions no such things will follow it Quest. If Faith be such a sertile Grace and so apt to usher in all others though it be but one in the Root and Cause yet in the Fruit and Effect it will be all Virtues Ans. Very right and so it is What in Nature Pleasure and Pain are among the Passions that in Religion Faith is among the Graces viz. the Source Root and Ground-work of all the rest which are only its different expressions according to its various Aspects as it looks several ways and is conversant about several Objects For as Pleasure simply offer'd and apprehended begets Love if offer'd as absent especially as remote it turns Desire if as attainable chiefly when that attainment seems near it becomes Hope if as attainable surely Confidence and as Pain doth the like with the Passions opposite So Faith as I have observ'd when it is of God's Precepts turns Obedience when of his Threatnings Fear and holy Awe when of his Promises Hope and Trust when the things promised are to be sought of him it becomes Prayers and Devotions when they are delaied Patience and Perseverance when they are bestow'd and receiv'd Thankfulness when 't is of his Providence it turns Contentedness when of the horrible nature and effects of sin Repentance when of the spotless rewards of the other World purification of our Hearts and Lives when of the last Judgment universal Innocence that may stand the trial of it when of God's Purity and Perfection Imitation of him or being Righteous as he is when of Christ the Lord and his Laws keeping the Commandments when of the Holy Spirit and his assistances godly Care and good Endeavours when of the Communion of Saints keeping Unity in the Church and attending Publick Ordinances So that according to several objects and occasions this one Principle of Faith transforms it self into all shapes and becomes all Duties which are all therefore ascribed to
grace and were aimed all for boasting as S. Paul says of them And several Rules of estimate and valuation they had to secure this to themselves one was from the number and tale of their good deeds if they had but done one more good than bad actions to make their merits preponderate their demerits Another was from their weight and importance if they had either the Skill or good Fortune to make choice of such as God set most by which might be put in the Scale against several others Nay such in their account was the desert of every good work if they continued to keep any one of their Sixteen hundred and thirteen Precepts out of Love to it and not from any worldly respect though at the same time the rest were neglected Or if when they had nothing else to produce they could but say they were the natural Seed of Abraham a ground of Jewish confidence tax'd by S. John the Baptist and were literally circumcised they thought there was enough in them to merit the future reward And being thus liberal in undervaluing what came from God and over-valuing what they did for him whilst they thus set their own rates they were sure not to want desert enough for the greatest recompences Yea so far as to make out their common saying that all Israelites shall have a portion in the world to come And for all these things sufficient testimonies are produced by learned Men out of their own Writings Quest. So that I perceive the Jewish deeds set up for Righteousness by their Doctors were the deeds of their own Law especially those distinguishing Laws which were peculiar to themselves And those not any secret and spiritual but only external acts such as fell under the cognizance of their own Courts of Justice Which were cried up for Righteousness as performed in virtue of their own strength and meriting the reward by their own worth and excellence Ans. Very right And the asserters of such works must needs be under a great surprise to hear of Justification by Gospel-duties Extending not only to Overt-Acts but their Hearts and Spirits which were to be performed by the help of God's inward Grace and rewarded through Christ's merits and God's merciful acceptance And their way of meriting acceptance by meer external Mosaick works performed in vertue of their own free-will and Humane strength being in all its points a way of their own setting up but disowned and rejected by God S. Paul calls their own Righteousness and opposes to the other of being esteemed Righteous through Christ's merits and God's merciful acceptance on Faith and Obedience to the Gospel wrought by the help of God's Grace which he calls God's Righteousness and the Righteousness of faith Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 10. 3 5 6. Quest. Do the Apostles in their disputes of Justification with the Jews set themselves to beat down these points Ans. Yes and more especially S. Paul both at Rome and Galatia and other places For in this matter they declare how by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified so that the Gentiles must not live like Jews but only by faith and obedience of Christ or faith working by love so that the natural Jews must live as Christians That this Obedience avails when it is not only with the outward but also with the inward Man containing together with the external Practice a renewal of the mind a circumcision of the heart and spirit and a new creature That 't is wrought in us not through meer humane strength but the internal grace of God so as to be truly the fruit of â—he Spirit and the renewal of the Holy Ghost And that the Gospel offering such inward Grace is thereupon a ministry of the Spirit and a ministration of Righteousness but that the Law wanting it is therefore only an external Revelation a ministration of the letter of death and condemnation which seeing it could not give the life it required but only an outward direction how to lead it therefore Righteousness could not come by it That this is counted Righteousness only in virtue of Redemption by Christ and of the merit of his Sacrifice first purchasing the pardon of our sins and then the acceptance of our services Christ being the end of the law for Righteousness and we being justified through the redemption that is in Jesus whose blood is a propitiation for our sins and who is made to us of God redemption and righteousness That in him God accepts and rewards it not for its own merits but out of his meer bounty and free grace without and infinitely beyond its deserts We being justified freely by his grace And that this way as God's free Grace is exalted so all Jewish boasts are excluded Lastly instead of the Jewish barter and exchange in weighing out good against bad actions or merits against demerits they tell us that he who continues to offend in one point is as liable to be condemned though not to so sore a punishment as he that is guilty of all And that he who sincerely endeavours to keep all after he has done the most must say he has done no more than his duty and is still an unprofitable servant All which with sundry others every where observable by any careful peruser of the Apostolical Writings are directly levelled against the foresaid Jewish Tenets Quest. And such Jewish Deeds you say are the deeds of the law which S. Paul opposes Rom. 3. 28. Ans. Yes Quest. Indeed the Apostles Disputation there of Justification is evidently against the Jews Ans. Yes and the way whereby they sought to be justified was by the Law of Moses That they cried up as the great Rule and Dispensation of Righteousness and Perfection they stumbled as he declares at that stumbling stone Rom. 9. 31 32. And they looked to be justified by it in virtue and merit of their own works as I have shew'd not through the merit of Christ's Sacrifice and the Grace of God pardoning their offences which made S. Paul declare to all who would be justified by the Law that Christ was become of none effect to them and that they were fallen from grace Gal. 5. 2 4. Quest. But is it clear he speaks of such Jewish deeds Ans. Yes because as I say such were set up by the Jews against whom he argues Nay as he adds they were such as would make it necessary for all Men to turn Jews For that way says he God would be the God of the Jews only and not of the Gentiles verse 29. Besides they are such works as are a ground of boasting verse 27. and make the reward reckoned out of debt or desert without grace or being beholden for it Rom. 4. 4. excluding grace as being inconsistent with it Rom. 11. 6. And so the Jews believed and taught of theirs accounting Heaven a just and deserved Wages for
tell particular Men they are truly Penitent having reserved that to be declared at the last judgment Besides every Man must have true Faith before he can be pardoned Faith and Repentance being the conditions of Pardon But no Man must believe his sins are pardoned before they are pardoned since that were plainly to believe a falshood Quest. But since all doubting of the Pardon of our Sins and the Favour of God implies distrust how will it stand with Faith in God Ans. The belief that our Sins are pardoned implies our trust and confidence of two things One is of God's Power and Fidelity in fulfilling his Promises The other is of sufficiency of our own care in performing his Terms Now Faith implies trust and confidence only in the former of these Quest. Is Faith only a confidence and trust in God not in our selves and implies a good opinion only of his Power and Faithfulness but not of our own fitness Ans. Yes and so of Abraham it is said when he believed That he gave glory to God Rom. 4. 20. His Faith consisted as the Apostle notes in what regarded him he being counted righteous for believing that what God had promised he was fully able to perform verse 21. When once Men have the greatest assurance of those Divine Properties they are said to have the greatest Faith though at the same time they think meanly and are most distrustful of themselves So the good Centurion was having such confidence in Christ's Power that he thought a word of his mouth would recover his Son without giving him the trouble to come in person and at the same time thinking so meanly of himself that he judged his house unworthy to receive him And of this Christ declares I have not found so great faith no not in Israel Matth. 8. 8 10. Quest. I perceive 't is no part of any Man's Faith to believe his sins are pardoned nor of Infidelity to doubt of it But though such doubts are not the sin of Infidelity against God yet are they not always sinful and blame-worthy upon some other account Ans. No but oft-times expressions of virtue and serve to recommend us the more to God as being acts of humility and self-abasement of modesty and poverty of Spirit which set no Man further off but bring him nearer and interest him the more in his favour The fearful humble Publican who durst not presume on any favour but with dejected eyes stood afar off went home justified of God rather than the proud Pharisee who justified himself Upon which our Saviour adds that every one who exalts himself shall be abased and every one that humbleth himself shall be exalted Luke 18. 10. to 15. God is nigh saith the Psalmist to the broken of heart and contrite of spirit Psal. 34. 18. He dwells with the contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and revive the heart of the contrite ones Isaiah 57. 15. He looks to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at his word Isaiah 66. 2. to lift up those that humble themselves in his sight James 4. 10. and to bless the poor in spirit Matth. 5. 3. Indeed dejection sadness and tormenting fears are a backner of good endeavours and accuse God as if he were an hard uncomfortable Master very difficult to please and Religion as if it were a sowre melancholy service so that faithful hearts must not affect or harbour fear to these degrees But when they maintain a comfortable hope 't is generally more commendable to lean to the side of humble fear than of arrogant self-flattery to be too lowly and modest rather than too presumptuous and boasting Quest. And is it not more safe too Ans. Yes fear begets care whereas security slackens watchfulness and abates endeavour And therefore the Apostle advises those who would expect to stand not to think highly but fear Rom. 11 20. and to work out their salvation with fear Phil. 2. 12 13. And he was a wise Man that said Happy is he that feareth always but he that hardneth his heart against fear shall fall into mischief Prov. 28. 14. The wisest and the best way generally is to be fully assured of what concerns God but fearful and jealous of what depends upon our selves Quest. But have not some good Men great confidence of God's favour And since that is the priviledge of the most consummate Saints and gives the greatest peace and joy in God and comfort in believing which the Scripture speaks of must it not be a most justifiable as it is really a most blessed and desirable thing Ans. Yes if their confidence is not beyond their grounds and under this comfortable assurance of their present claim to Happiness they preserve an humble sense of their own defects and unworthiness and a fear of their falling from it by afterfailures And this comfortable assurance is vouchsafed to some extraordinary good Souls as their special priviledge as fears and doubts are continued to others for their exercise And different Persons are either indulged more happy injoyment from God or so exercised as to make them more acceptable and dear to him both these ways Quest. You have said enough to explain the nature and to set off the excellency and usefulness of Faith. But lest after we have taken the pains to walk by it it should fail all our expectations in the end pray show me something of the certainty of it Ans. That depends on the Authority of Jesus Christ who is the Author of our Faith. And all must needs be true that he Says and sure that he Promises because he is the true Messiah or the Christ of God who was to come as his Great Prophet to make known his mind unto the World. CHAP. II. That Jesus is the Christ from Ancient Prophecies The Contents Among those Prophecies which prove Jesus to be the Christ First Some prescribe the time of his coming This they mark out by the nearness of such notable Occurrences and Revolutions as would fall under all Mens observation And by fixing the very Year he should appear in Accordingly there was a general expectation of him at that time His coming not put off beyond the time appointed for the sins of the People An account why the Jews who read these clear Notes of the time in their own Prophets are not convinced by them Secondly Others assign man peculiar and visible Notes whereby he may be demonstratively pointed out from all other Men. As 1. His being born of a Virgin. This in some sense spoken of a Virgin of that time but principally of Messiah and then only fully accomplished when Jesus came This cleared from exceptions 2. His having the Spirit of Miracles resting on him 3. His Death with the particular manner and circumstances of it And his returning to Life again 4. His putting an end to the Jewish Sacrifices and Mosaick Covenant and bringing in a New one and a better to
for a Physician and follow his prescriptions they must look up to God as well as to him and trust he will work their recovery by what the other orders for them Ans. Yes they must depend on him as the chief Physician Men must not presume God will work without means which were to put him to work Miracles But when they have used the likeliest means and taken the best ways they can they must perfect all by Prayer and dependance on God hoping he will give a Blessing to them The Prayer of the Minister as well as the prescription of the Doctor is a proper means to recover an infirm or sick Person And accordingly S. James directs any that are sick to send for the elders of the Church that they may pray over him Jam. 5. 14. Quest. From what you have said 't is plain that God's providence allots for us all the good things of this life And is it not he too that orders for us all Spiritual advantages not only virtuous endowments but also all outward means and opportunities of Virtue and Religion which must fit us for a better life Ans. Yes most certainly And therefore as we must thankfully injoy and make the best use we can of those means and opportunities God has given us so when they are meaner since they are of his ordering we must keep his way and do no evil thing particularly not break the Order and Unity of the Church to find better Quest. I see God is the giver of every good thing and therefore we must own all that comes well to us any way as his Gift and Blessing Ans. Yes both when we receive and as often as we speak of them We should not forget to thank God on all good occurrences though coming to us from seeming accidents or the hands of our Neighbours Nor should we forget to do the same on all relations of them unto others but in speaking of any Blessings or comfortable Enjoyments think a serious God be thanked most seemly and savory in all Pious Persons mouths Quest. But as God's Providence orders for us all good events doth he likewise order for us all evil ones Ans. Yes whether those that come upon us by accident or by ill Men that are either private to our selves or publick and common to the whole Church or Nation Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not evil and good Lam. 3. 38. And shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3. 6. Quest. When our Friends die is that through Providence and doth God take them Ans. Yes albeit they are snatched away untimely by evil accidents which though casual to us are foreseen and ordered by him In his hand are life and death so that whensoever our Friends die he calls them And this must teach us patiently to bear their loss yea moreover to trust him to make up the want of them some other ways though their life seemed not only very useful but almost necessary to us For let our Friends be as useful as they will they are only his instruments It is he that gives them both the inclination the skill and the opportunity to help us And he that supplied us by them can supply us without them he can when he pleases raise up others or put us into a way and capacity to provide for our selves So that no Person can be Friendless but is rich in Friends who has a Friend of God and is under a good Providence And one of the surest ways to make him a Friend when others are gone is to trust him Quest. This is satisfactory as to the loss but oh the misfortune of the time For they were taken away just then when we promised our selves most pleasure in them which made us most desirous to keep and loth to part with them Ans. If we believe that a most Wise God took them in all modesty we should believe too that he knows what are the most convenient and fittest Seasons for Friends to part in Quest. I see when God takes a Friend from us we must submit and trust him But doth it not shew he is angry with us when he tears a Friend from our sides Ans. No perhaps it is only because he is pleased with them and would take them to himself And we ought not to judge he hates us for loving those that we love Quest. When we suffer by mischances or ill accidents in our Bodies or Goods are those sufferings from Providence Ans. Yes it not only foresees but times the evils to be ready when we are in the way and orders and directs them for us If the lot fall against us when 't is cast into the lap the whole disposal thereof is from the Lord Prov. 16. 33. If a Man is accidentally maimed or murdered 't is chance-medly and accident in him that hurt or slew him but design in God who says the Scripture in this case delivered the man into his hand Exod. 21. 13. And this must teach Men in all unlucky chances and unfortunate accidents not to vent themselves in wrath and foolish passion against the immediate occasions whether inanimate things that could not or undesigning Persons that did not intend any ill to them but to look up to God with humility and patience under what they feel and thankfulness for all they have escaped For in him only the evil accident was design and against him who justly can or dare complain Quest. This is well as to unfortunate accidents But what if our hopes or happiness are damped or our maladies made worse yea perhaps irremediable by gross heedlesness or unkindness and hard-heartedness or other exasperating faultiness or over-sights of our seeming Friends or Servants or others that are concerned about us 'T is easier to bear when we are made miserable by God's Providence but it grates hard when their faultiness makes us so of whom we might well expect better things Ans. Though they are the actors God's Providence is the orderer of these misfortunes which therefore are to be undergone with the same patience For as a good Wife or Husband so a wise and good Servant or Friend is God's gift And when God chastises and smites us by such as are exasperatingly unkind or mischievously careless we must own his Justice in their neglects and submit to them as we do to a Disease that is reckon them among that burden or share of suffering which God has allotted for us in this life Quest. Is it Providence still that sends us any crosses and obstructions in our designs and business Ans. Yes those crosses come from him to exercise our Faith where he approves of our pursuits or to disappoint and put us by where he dislikes them And this must teach us patience as often as we meet with them Quest. 'T is enough indeed to stop all complaints that any thing is of his doing But can you say moreover that these crosses are for
crucified dead and buried he descended into Hell. Quest. What did Christ suffer Answ. Besides his previous Sufferings particularly in the Garden where the wrath of God was strongly represented and Hell let loose upon him under which 't is said he was exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26. 37 38. and thrown into an Agony wherein he sweat great drops of Blood Luke 22. 44. Besides these previous Sufferings I say he suffered also after his Apprehension all manner of rudeness from the inraged Rabble and Soldiery who mocked him spit upon him buffeted and scourged him bound his Head about with a wreath of sharp Thorns which every where like Darts pierced his tender flesh and at last nail'd his Hands and Feet to a Cross a most acute and lingring Death and to make that most ignominious Suffering more ignominious still hung him in the midst between two Thieves Quest. Who were the Executioners of all these Cruelties Answ. The Jewish Rulers and People went as far in it as they could But because the Romans who had conquer'd them had not left among them as they say any Power and Authority to put any man to death Joh. 18. 31. they drew in Pontius Pilate the Roman Governour to sentence his Crucifixion against his Conscience Quest. Did not Pilate believe Christ to deserve all this Answ. No he knew they had delivered him for envy and malice Matt. 27. 18. He declared he was a just person Matt. 27. 24. and that upon examination he found no fault at all in him Luk. 23. 4 14. No nor yet Herod when he sent him to be judged by him v. 15. But because by their importunity a tumult was made he yielded to pass sentence against him for his own quiet Matt. 27. 24. and to content the people whom he durst not offend Mar. 15. 15. Luk. 23. 23 24. Quest. What need had he to fear them that such an abject fear should betray him into so unjust and vile an Action Answ He had incensed them and made himself obnoxious to be articled against by his former violences being a man very Cruel and Tyrannical for which on the complaint of the Samaritan Jews he was presently after removed as Josephus reports And in this case they terrified him moreover by threatning to accuse him to his jealous Governour Tiberius Caesar as no friend to him for letting Christ go who called himself a King which they said was speaking against Caesar Joh. 19. 12. Quest. Christ did testify indeed before Pilate that he was a King and that for this end he came into the World that he should bear witness of this Truth Joh. 18. 37. And did not this give Caesar just cause to be afraid of him Answ. No because as he declared his Kingdom was not of this World neither should his Servants fight for him as the Subjects of worldly Princes do for them Joh. 18. 36. so that he would take nothing from the Emperor nor pretend to thwart him or resist his just Power But his Kingdom was in relation to another World a Spiritual Kingdom set up in men's Hearts and administred by the expectation of future Rewards and Punishments leaving Princes still to govern as they did in all the Affairs of this life And this did not intrench any thing upon the Prerogatives of the present Powers whom he left all in the same Authority and their Subjects under the same Duty as he found them As Pilate plainly perceiv'd by Christ's Answer wherewith he was satisfied and pronounced him innocent upon it Quest. These Sufferings of Christ you mention were most barbarous and horrible things But amidst all these bodily Tortures had he not ease within and great support of inward spiritual Comforts as he afforded the Martyrs and Confessors afterwards in theirs Answ. No the Horrours of his Mind were beyond the Anguish of his Body as if he were design'd to suffer the extremity of what Nature could bear His Soul was troubled Joh. 12. 27. very heavy Mat. 26. 37. Sore amazed Mark 14. 33. Exceeding sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26. 38. and in such an Agony as I noted at the apprehension of the Divine Wrath he was conflicting with as put a most unwonted force upon Nature and made him sweat as it were great drops of Blood Luk. 22. 44. Under all which he was so over-born with the Burden that he needed an Angel to be sent to strengthen him v. 43. Quest. Could Christ have avoided these Sufferings if he would Answ. Yes he could have had Legions of Angels for his Rescue Matt. 26. 53. But for our sakes he voluntarily submitted to them I have power to lay down my life and to take it again No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self Joh. 10. 18. Quest. And was God consenting to them Answ. Yes they came about not only by his Permission but by his Counsel and Determination He did no ways excite the Jews to this abominable Act but left them to their own envy and malice which were more than enough to push them forward But when they of themselves were wicked enough to do it he by his infinite Wisdom accomplishes what his Son and he had before agreed viz. the working our Redemption by it He suffered according to what was determined Luk. 22. 22. He was delivered to them by the determinate Counsel and Foreknowledge of God Acts 2. 23. Herod and Pontius Pilate did only what his Hand and Counsel had determined before to be done Act. 4. 28. And he was a Lamb fore-ordain'd to be slain before the foundation of the World 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. His death and his exaltation therefore to be a Mediatory King and our Redeemer was a Bargain driven and a Matter concerted long before betwixt him and his heavenly Father My Father hath appointed the word is covenanted to me a Kingdom that is in the everlasting agreement between God and him it was promised as the Reward of his undertaking Luk. 22. 29. And on this account his Servants are said to be given to him as a Retribution He gave himself for them that is to purchase them Tit. 2. 14. Thine they were says he to his Father and thou gavest them me that is on this consideration Joh. 17. 4 6. Quest. But since the things he endured were the absolute perfection of shame and sorrow why should Christ submit or God bring Christ to that end was it to punish his own sins Answ. No he did no sin 1 Pet. 2. 22. He was tempted in all points of Natural Infirmities as we are but yet without sin Heb. 4. 15. Quest. For whose sins was it then for all death is the wages of sin Rom. 6. 23 Answ. For ours for we had sinned and were all to die but he comes by the Allowance of God and bears our iniquity by dying in our place God laid on him the iniquities of us all Isa. 53. 6. He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.
9. He died for our sins 1 Cor. 15. 3. He poured out his Soul a Sin-Offering Isa. 53. 5 10. Quest. What are we the better for his dying for them Answ. Infinitely the better every way but particularly his death will save us from dying for them if we truly repent of them He hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law by being made a Curse that is enduring a cursed death for us Gal. 3. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 21. He bought us off from death by dying for us whence he is called our Redeemer and our Ransom 1 Tim. 2. 6. Quest. But has not his death bought us off from the Punishment of our Sins till we repent of them Answ. No for we must Repent and be converted that our sins may be blotted out for his sake Acts 3. 19. and being made perfect that is inaugurated into his Princely Power by suffering he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Quest. If men remain impenitent then they must die for their own sins I perceive notwithstanding Answ. Yes Except they repent they must all perish Luk. 13. 3. Quest. But since Christ hath died for them once already will not that be dying twice and so being twice punished for the same sin Answ. No for he profered and God accepted his death not as an unlimited exchange for all Sinners but only for those who will leave their sins and repent of them He died indeed for all men but he died as their Sacrifice Eph. 5. 2. and Sacrifices were accepted in lieu only of Penitent Offenders and as God still told the Jews would never put away sins without the Repentance of those they were offered for To what purpose is the number of your Sacrifices said he to those who went on still in their wickedness Isa. 1. 11. The Sacrifice of God is a broken Spirit that is the Sacrifice God accepts must be accompanied with it a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal. 51. 17. Quest. But was not his death a satisfaction for sins And if he has satisfied for them already what need we do more must we satisfie for them again Answ. All the fruit and estimate of his Satisfaction must be taken from the Argument between God and him His death who was an innocent man would have signified nothing at all towards our release unless God had been graciously pleased to admit of him in commutation and exchange for our Suffering It avails and operates nothing by it self alone but only so far as God accepted him And the nature and effect of his Satisfaction as it was joyntly designed and concerted between his Father and him was not that no sinner whatsoever should be accountable for his own sins but only that none should who had repented of them Quest. What then were his merits or that which he deserved and obtained of God for us by his death Answ. The Grace and Favour of Repentance or that if we truly repent we shall not die for our selves So St. Peter expresses that benefit the Gentiles had received in being admitted Christians then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. And again God exalted him to be a Saviour to give Repentance unto Israel and remission of sins Acts 5. 31. So that the merit of Christ's death is the Pardon of all our sins on true Repentance and likewise the Grace to enable us thus to repent of them Quest. Is this Pardon on Repentance a Grace and Favour which we needed him to purchase for us Answ. Yes for the Law of Works which condemned us all was Do this and live not as thro' Christ the Gospel is either do it or repent where you fail So that God was not bound to pardon Sinners when they did repent Nay the Honour of his Holiness and Justice the maintaining the Authority of his Laws and the seriousness and veracity of his threatnings were ready to interpose and hinder him from doing it But when Christ came to die in our stead and pay his own Blood as a price to induce God pardon Penitents Then since he doth it not without such a valuable Recompence he might pardon them without any Reflection on those glorious Attributes And this is the fruit of his Satisfaction and the Merit and Purchase of his Death viz. the Favour of Pardon of sin upon Repentance Quest. Is there no other Merit and Fruit of Christ's Death Answ. Yes besides the forgiveness of sin and the gift of Eternal Life thereupon he has also merited as I said the Grace to cure it But this is so much favour and indulgence as he ever sought or has procured of God towards the pardon of it Quest. But if we cannot partake of the benefit of his death but upon these terms how is all the favour we receive by it said to come freely and to be of free Grace Answ. Grace may be called Free on two accounts either as it is not given us for our deserts or as it is not given upon any conditions Quest. Is the Grace of God free in the first sense as that excludes all Merits or so free as not to be given us for our deserts Answ. Yes and this is the Scripture-sense of Free-Grace for there Free-Grace is the same as Undeserved-Grace Quest. How doth that appear Answ. Because Free-Grace is there opposed to Boasting which has place only on the Plea of Merit or desert We are justified freely by his Grace then where is Boasting it is thereby excluded Rom. 3. 24 27. And by Grace ye are saved not of works i. e. by the desert of any works lest any man should boast Eph. 2. 8 9. Quest. If the Scripture had been silent 't is easie to apprehend this Grace must needs be undeserved by us because all we can do is by the help of his Spirit and is but his just due which we do not give but pay as Debters and were it our own it is yet defective and mean and utterly unwâ—rthy of so vast a Recompence But tho' it be thus absolutely undeserved by us yet has not Christ fully merited and deserved it for us Answ. Yes he was bound to nothing but voluntarily subjected himself to the Law and took our Nature upon him All the perfect Obedience he shewed either in doing or suffering the Will of God was his free and gratuitous Offering and was good in the highest degree and perfection and received an infinite estimate from the Divinity of his Person and gratified the Father in his greatest designs for his own Glory and mens Salvation So that by his Services so free and gratuitous in themselves and so worthy of the most infinite Recompence he has justly merited all that Grace which for his sake God bestows on us Quest. The Grace of the Gospel I see is absolutely free to us in the first sense that is it comes to us without the least of our deserts But
it cut off all hopes of impunity and utterly discourage all future offenders Answ. Because God has no more Sons to die for us and when he was sollicited to remit the punishment of our sins he would not do it upon a less exchange When man sinn'd against the Law of unerring Obedience upon the Merits and Death of his Son God pardon'd that and admitted them to favour again upon their Repentance But if they shall offend against this Law too and be finally impenitent there are no Sons of God to suffer again to purchase their Forgiveness Quest. So that Christ's Suffering for us salved all the Honour of God's Attributes and served all the Purposes of his Justice that would have been served by our suffering for our selves Answ. It did so and to the full as well too the punishing of his own Son when he answered for Sinners shewing a more implacable hatred of sin and inexorable Justice than he could have shewn by punishing all the World who were Sinners themselves And therefore his death was a satisfaction to God for the sins of the whole World. Not only a satisfaction to Benevolence and yielding Goodness as when easy and indulgent Natures are appeas'd by any small returns and incompetent Recompences but a Satisfaction to Justice by way of full Compensation and Equivalence Christ by his one suffering displaying the Honour of all God's Attributes as much as God could have display'd them by punishing the whole Humane Race Quest. If the Death and Sacrifice of Christ were so full a satisfaction at first there is no more now to be paid and it need never be repeated Answ. No nor ever must it The Jewish Sacrifices needed constantly to be repeated because being of little worth and very imperfect their virtue was soon spent so that year by year they were continually offered Heb. 9. 25. and 10. 1 3. But his being full and perfect from the first and leaving nothing to be added He is not to be offered often but at once hath he put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9. 25 26. and 10. 14. But altho his Sacrifice is no more to be really acted as it needs not the whole effect of it being as fresh and full now as it was at first yet is it daily still commemorated and the virtue thereof apply'd in every good Prayer but especially in every Sacrament Quest. What learn you from Christ's dying a Ransom for our sins Answ. 1. To abhor sin since it is so odioâ—â— to God that he can spare it in no person no not in his own Son when he took other men's sins upon him And if he spared not him when he would bear the punishment for us how can we hope he will in the least spare us when we come to undergo it for our selves If these things were done in the green Tree what shall be done in the dry Luk. 23. 31. 2 To give our selves up to the service of Christ who hath bought us for his own property at so dear a rate This is the least we can do in Equity and Justice Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and Spirits which are God's by such costly purchase 1 Cor. 6. 20. And if there is any spark of Love and Gratitude in our Hearts we can do no less in Resentment of such stupendious kindness For the Love of Christ constrains us because we thus judge that if Christ died for all they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Quest. Ought it not also to teach us Faith in God and to beget in us a firm Trust that he will perform whatsoever he has promised Answ. Yes as plainly shewing that nothing is too great for his love to make good He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. Quest. Must not his Patience and Charity in his Sufferings not reviling again but praying for his Enemies teach us the same when we are called to suffer Answ. Yes for in suffering thus without threatning and when he was reviled not reviling again he hath left us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. 23. Quest. Should not God's imposing so many and great secular hardships and sufferings on his own most dear Son make us have easier thoughts of these things than others have and reconcile us to Affliction Answ. In all Reason it should For it shews how inconsiderable worldly Goods and Glories are in Gods Eyes how temporal evils are allotted to the dearest persons how proper they are to Discipline and improve the most virtuous how they perfect Piety and what a step they are to Felicity and Glory Jesus himself tho' he were a Son yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5. 8. He was made perfect through suffering Heb. 2. 10. He ought to suffer and so enter into his Glory Luk. 24. 26. We see him for suffering death crowned with Glory and Honour Heb. 2. 9. And seeing Sufferings not only thus providentially allotted but also thus profitably undergone and highly recompenced in him the blessed Apostles and primitive Saints whose Ambition it was to be in all things his true followers did not repine and mourn but rejoyce and glory in them Quest. And since in dying for us he has shewed us such stupendious Love must not that mutually endear us and teach us if we would be his followers most tenderly to love one another Answ. Yes if God so loved us we ought also to love one another 1 Joh. 4. 11. Nay since hereby we perceive the love of God to us because he laid down his life for us we ought upon just occasion to lay down our lives for the Brethren 1 Joh. 3. 16. Quest. In the Creed you say dead and buried When Christ expired upon the Cross was his Body taken down and buried Answ. Yes it was laid in a Tomb and a great Stone roll'd before its mouth according to the Jewish Custom And for fear his Disciples should come by night and steal him away the Jewish Rulers when they had sealed the Stone got a Guard from the Governour to watch it Mat. 27. 64 66. Quest. What mean you by Christ's descent into Hell Answ. His abode in that state of Death and Separation or his Soul 's being in the place of Separate Souls till it was united again to his Body at his Resurrection as it is written Thou shalt not leave my Soul in Hell Acts 2. 27. which St. Peter there says was fulfilled in the Resurrection of Christ when he ceased to continue under the power of death and gloriously arose to triumph over it v. 30 31. Quest. Doth the word Hell sometimes signifie only the state of the Dead or the place of Souls departed Answ. Yes as David says of all men What man is he that
Justification Rom. 4. 25. and who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again Rom. 8. 34. Quest. Was his Resurrection necessary on any other Accounts Answ. Yes for 2. In virtue of his death he was to be our Mediator to intercede with God for us and our Saviour and Deliverer to protect and rescue us from our Spiritual Enemies And these great works suppose a live man and are not to be performed by a dead person And being thus necessary to discharge his continual care of us it must be equally so to support our Faith and Trust in him When men are dead we expect no service or succour from them And therefore were he still in the Grave we should not fix our Hope and Trust in or make our Addresses to him Quest. Was it necessary to shew him to be the Messiah and to prove his Religion Answ. Yes for he had appealed to it as a sign of his being a true Prophet Mat. 12 38 39 40. And therefore by the way of tryal which God prescribed the Jews viz. the accomplishment of predictions he had appear'd to be a false Prophet had he failed in it So that if Christ be not risen saith St. Paul your Faith is vain 1 Cor. 15. 14. Quest. In his Death and Resurrection methinks we have a plain and palpable instance of the immortality of Humane Souls and of a future Life beyond the Grave where God may reward or punish us Answ. So we have For his Soul manifestly did exist apart from his Body during the time of their Separation till on the third day it was reunited again So that mens Souls can subsist without as well as in their Bodies and when they depart hence go into another place where they are capable of being called to account for all they have done in this life On which account as well as others St. Paul might well say That God hath given assurance of a future Life and Judgment by raising Christ from the dead Acts 17. 31. And St. Peter That God hath begotten us to the hope of an Eternal Inheritance thro' the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. Quest. We read of several others that rose from the Dead as well as Christ had he any thing singular in his Resurrection above them Answ. Yes he raised himself by his own power but they were all raised by him he was not only the first that rose but as the First-Fruits and all the World besides rise as the ensuing Crop which depends upon him Destroy this Temple saith he and in three days I will raise it up Joh. 2. 19 21. I lay down my life and take it up again Joh. 10. 18. He is the first-born from the Dead Col. 1. 18. Rev. 1. 5. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his own order Christ the First-fruits afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming 1 Cor. 15. 22 23. Quest. But did not Lazarus rise before Christ John 11. 44. and Jairus's Daughter Luk. 8. 55. and the Widows Son of Nain Luk. 7. 12 14 15. and how then is he said to be the first of the Dead that returned Answ. They returned to die again but he was the first that rose to life everlasting He being raised dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6. 9. Quest. By his Resurrection Christ got Glory and Happiness to himself even that Joy for which St. Paul says he endured the Cross Heb. 12. 2. But did he thereby acquire any Power over us Answ. Yes his Death purchased and his Resurrection invested him with an absolute Power and Dominion over us For this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and Living Rom. 14. 9. And after his Resurrection saith he All Power is given to me both in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28. 18. Quest. If so his Resurrection lays an obligation upon us to obey him Answ. Yes like as he rose from the dead so must we rise to newness of life Rom. 6. 4. Quest How long stay'd he upon Earth after he was risen again Answ. For the space of forty days discoursing and speaking of the things concerning the Kingdom of God Acts 1. 3. Quest. Whither went he when he left it Answ. To Heaven whither he was taken up in a bright Cloud all the Apostles looking up after him till he was taken up out of their sight Acts 1. 3 9. And now he is there he sitteth at the right hand of God. Quest. What mean you by his sitting at the right hand of God Answ. His advancement to the heighth of Dignity and Authority in the presence of God. The Right-hand of a Prince is the place of peculiar Favour and of highest Honour and Respect as Solomon when he would do Honour to his Mother Bathsheba set her at his Right-hand 1 King. 2. 19. To be placed at hand by the priviledge of nearness gives opportunity for Conference and Address And to be placed at the Right-hand the Hand of use and business is to be in the way both of presenting all Offers and receiving of Returns whence it is a known mark of special Favour and Honour with all Potentates And so by Christ's sitting at God's Right-Hand is expressed his Soveraign Honour and Power in the presence of God. Or perhaps moreover his sitting in his humane shape on the Right-hand of that Bright Throne or Resplendant Glory which visibly accompanies and manifests some extraordinary presence of God as he appeared to Stephen in his Vision who saw the Glory of God and Jesus standing on the Right-hand of God that is I suppose at the Right-hand of that visible Glory wherewith God appeared Acts 7. 55. And this probably is what the Scripture means by his sitting at the Right-hand of Power Mat. 26. 64. and on the Right hand of Majesty Heb. 1. 3. That is on the Right-hand of such Glory or bright Appearance which is the usual Symbol of God's Power and Majesty which at other times is expressed by his sitting on the Right-hand of the Throne of God Heb. 12. 2. or on the Right-hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 8. 1. Quest. It was most just that he should be exalted thither in recompence of his meritorious sufferings as the Apostle notes Phil. 2. 8 9. and Heb. 12. 2. But is he gone thither to carry on any Designs for us Answ. Yes and those of the greatest importance For there in the highest manner and to the fullest effect he exercises all his Offices in our behalf Quest. I pray you explain the Designs he carries on for us there Answ. First The work of Intercession as our Priest. For he stands before God to mediate on our behalf and to obtain for us whatsoever God has promised or he has purchased or we stand in need of He is enter'd into
But as for Pastors and Teachers to govern the Church and ordain Successors and to minister the Word and Prayers and Sacraments they will be equally wanted in every Age and therefore the Holy Ghost has appointed them to continue always Go Baptise all Nations teaching them to observe all my Commandments And lo in such Teaching and Baptising I am with you always even to the end of the World Mat. 28. 19 20. And tho as I say some of the Offices mentioned by St. Paul were necessary only in the first Age yet others which are equally necessary to the edifying of the Church and the Work of the Ministry in every Age are to continue as he says tiâ— we all i. e. all Christians that are and aâ— that shall be come in the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God untâ— a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stâ—ture of the Fulness of Christ. So that the Church is to enjoy the Benefit of them to the Worlds end Eph. 4. 12 13. Quest. Since all that are at any time in these Offices die in one Age how are they to be continued in the next Answ. The Bishops or Governours are stilâ— to Ordain others to remedy their owâ— Mortality and supply the Necessities of the Church through all Times Thus Christ told his Apostles As my Father sent me viz with a Power of Commissioning you to succeed in this Ministry when I am gone sâ— send I you i. e. with Power of Ordaining others in like manner of Succession John 20. 21. Pursuant to this they Ordained Bishops in all Churches as St. Paul did Titus at Crete and Timothy at Ephesus And these in a constant Succession were to Ordain others as Paul bid Timothy give Commissions as he had been Commission'd himself or commit what he had heard of him to faithful Men who should be able to teach others also 2 Tim. 1. 14. and 2. 2. And with these in their Work of the Ministry God would be present and assistant in all after Times as he had been with the Apostles in the First Age. In thus Preaching and Baptizing lo I am with â—ou always even to the end of the World Mat. 28. 20. With you that is with your selves during your own Lives and your Successors in all after times which is the only way that in this Work he could be with them to the Worlds end who were all to die in that Age. Quest. Is the Holy Ghost the Author of these Offices Answ. Yes God hath set these Officers in the Church saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 12. 28. and Christ gave them as a Gift after he was ascended Eph. 4. 8 11. That is God gave them and Christ gave them by the Holy Ghost who now since Christ is gone to the Right-hand of God is come down to his Church as his Substitute from whom both the Authority and Ability of all these Officers is derived Feed the Flock saith the Apostle over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers Acts 20. 28. And when Christ ordain'd his Apostles giving them Power to send others as the Father gave him and to remit and retain Sins he breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 21 22 23. And accordingly to shew from whom these Powers are derived in Ordinations of these Officers whether Bishops or Priests the Power is to this day conferr'd by saying Receive thou the Holy Ghost Quest. What shall we think then of those who reject the Ministry and cast off all Church-Officers and Ordinances and yet pretend in all this to be guided by the Spirit Answ. You may be sure it is not by that Spirit which Christ sent down upon the Apostles and which indited the holy Scriptures For that Spirit gave these Offices as the most necessary and greatest Blessing to the Church Whereas this Spirit of theirs plucks up what he planted and endeavours to abolish and overthrow them Quest. From what you have said I perceive how infinitely we are obliged to the Holy Ghost for that care he has taken in Planting and Propagating Christ's Church and Religion both in the miraculous Gifts he bestowed upon his Church so amply in the First Age and in the Offices and Governments he has appointed to Feed and Rule it in all succeeding Ages But besides these extraordinary Gifts bestowed only on some for the Propagation and Establishment of Christ's Church and Religion you mention'd another sort of Gifts for the effecting this Great Work of our Salvation which the Holy Ghost bestows ordinarily on Persons of all Times and Places What Gifts are those Answ. All the inward Graces and vertuous Endowments which are necessary to the Salvation of all particular Persons such as the Apostle reckons up Gal. 5. The Fruits of the Spirit are Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance and such like v. 22 23. Particularly he excites Devotion and helps to raise in us holy Desires and Life and Quickness in our Prayers There says the Apostle the Spirit helps our Infirmities making Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God by inspiring them with such Desires and Groanings as cannot be uttered Rom. 8. 26 27. Quest. Is the Holy Ghost the Author of all these inward Graces in us and can we not have them without his Gift Answ. No for the Renewing of our Nature is ascribed to the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. And St. Paul calls all the recited Virtues Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. And no Man can come to me saith Christ i. e. believe on me and obey me except the Father which hath sent me draw him John 6. 44. All our Graces come from God and must be sought of him And because we are daily in want of them we are taught by our Lord himself to pray Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done Deliver us from Evil c. as constantly as we say Give us this Day our Daily Bread. Quest. If the Holy Spirit gives these then any Man that has them may know he has Grace and that the Holy Ghost dwells and acts in him Answ. Yes if he is affected and influenc'd not only by some few but by all of them For they are the Fruits of the Spirit as I noted and where we see the genuine Fruit we may make sure of the Principle that gives Birth to it as our Saviour said the Tree is known by its Fruit Luke 6. 43 44. Mat. 7. 16 20. And accordingly they are given as Marks of Grace and a sure Proof that Men belong to God in the Scriptures Hereby know we that we know him and that we are in him if we keep his Commandments 1 John 2. 3 5. We know that we have passed from Death unto Life because we love the Brethren 1 John 3. 14. He that doth Righteousness is righteous in this the Children of God are manifest 1 John 3. 7 10. Quest. But may
To prove any thing Sinless and Lawful then it is not necessary to produce a Law or Example for it since a Law commanding it would render it not barely Lawful but necessary but it is enough that there be no Law against it Answ. Very right for till a Law forbids a thing there is no sin in it Quest. What is a Wilful Sin Answ. A Sin against Knowledge or doing what we know to be displeasing to God. And this either when we are aware of the Evil at the Time we commit it or should have been so but that we have accustomed our selves to it which makes us sin without observing that we do so Quest. If a Man by custom brings himself to Swear or Lye or the like without thinking of it his Sin you say say is wilful for all he doth not bethink himself in committing it Answ. No doubt of it for he wilfully contracted this Custom and Habit which is so far from being an excuse for his Sin that it is one of the greatest aggravations of it The Habit of Sin is called the Law of sin Rom. 7. 23. and the Body of Death ver 24. Quest. What if a man has such a mind to a Sin that he will not see it but checks and stifles all Thoughts that would arise in his mind against it Nay perhaps endeavours to deceive himself and come to a Persuasion that there is no Fault or it may be some Praise in it Answ. He is a wilful Offender indeed because his own Will makes him ignorant as it did the Pharisees and other Jews who were wilfully Blind Mat. 13. 15. Quest. When is a wilful Sin against Conscience Answ. When 't is acted against the present checks of our own minds and under Fears and Relentings Quest. And when is a Sin against Conscience called Deliberate which I suppose is a higher pitch of Wilfulness Answ. When 't is committed after Fears and Debates and we consider'd and disputed with our selves for some time whether to do it or no before we ventur'd on it Quest. What is a sin of Ignorance Answ. When we do an Evil thing not knowing it to be a sin nor seeing its sinfulness Quest. Doth Ignorance excuse any Offences Answ. Yes when men are not ignorant through culpable Neglects nor blinded by wicked Lusts. For in this ease 't is said Christ can have compassion on the Ignorant and Erroneous Heb. 5. 2. But when they have no mind to see a Thing nor care to find it out that Ignorance is faulty because chargeable on their own wills Quest. What say you when their Judgments are resolv'd on the wrong side and they act under Erroneous Opinions Are they not excusable in any Actions so long as they only follow their Conscience Answ. No except their Conscience Errs so pitiably as to be reasonably qualified for excuse The Jews followed their Consciences when they crucified Christ Act. 3. 17. and 1 Cor. 2. 8. but yet God esteemed them wicked Murderers Act. 7. 52. Paul verily thought that he ought to Persecute the Church Act. 26. 9. But in that he declares he was the greatest of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 13 15. The times are coming saith our Lord that they who kill you will think therein they do God service Joh. 16. 2. But yet God would take vengeance on them for the Blood of these Righteous Persons Mat. 23. 35. 'T is no sufficient warranty in what a Man doth that he follows his Conscience except he take care to have a right Conscience or when 't is wrong it err only through misfortunes not out of a wilful Neglect a wicked Lust or an unteachable Temper Quest. What is a Sin of inadvertence Answ. When in the general we know a thing to be a sin but are not free at the time of acting it to consider and reflect upon its sinfulness This generally happens because we do the evil suddenly e're we can bethink our selves whence they are called sins of Surreption i. e. which steal upon us unawares and sins of Surprise And thus it falls out in the many sudden envious lustful repining or otherwise ill thoughts or Desires the beginnings of Anger the rash Words and Censures Good People are Guilty of All which till they can come to observe them if then they are careful to check and Repress them are pitiable inadvertences and surprises which because we are all apt daily to fall into more or less are call'd sins of Daily incursion Quest. What think you of sins of Passion when either mens own Consciences or other Friendly Monitors tell them they are doing ill but they go on notwithstanding because Passion is strong and Lust or Anger hurries them away being very high in them Answ. These are not perfectly wilful because when their Passions are at such height their Wills are captivated and have little Power over them for that time But they are punishable as wilful sins are because it is Mens voluntary Fault if they do not mortifie all such inordinate Passion and they that belong to Christ must not suffer Passion to arise so high that it can captivate and reign in them They that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections or Passsions and Lusts Gal. 5. 24. Quest. From what you have said I perceive what Sin is but what is meant by the Forgiveness of it Answ. A Release of the Punishment which is due to it For then God forgives a sin when he acquits Men of the Punishment of it And because this is a passing over sins as if they had never been and taking no notice of them it is called covering sins and not imputing them Rom. 4. 7 8. Quest. What are the Punishments due to Sin Answ. Death and Diseases and all the Miseries of this World. But especially the Eternal Torments of Hell Fire in the next Quest. The Eternal Pains of Hell must needs be acquitted when a Sinner is pardon'd For we can never think any sin pardon'd whilst the Sinner is eternally suffering for it But when the everlasting Punishments of the other Life are released are all the Temporal Inflictions in this Life struck off too Answ. No for Death is the Wages of sin and that still is all Mens Portion And when Men by their sins have greatly dishonoured God or given great Scandal unto others to manifest the justice of his Providence God oft-times here chastiseth them by present Judgments yea even after they have Repented and he has thereupon remitted to them all eternal Pains Thus when Nathan told Penitent David that God seeing his Repentance had put away his sin so that as to the last account he would be acquitted Yet because thereby he had given occasion to the Enemies of God to Blaspheme he should be punished here and the Child should die for it 2 Sam. 12. 13 14. And at Corinth several of those who on the score of their Repentance should not be condemned with the Wicked World at last Yet for their
Resurrection of a Body which had been crumbled into Dust seemed an incredible thing when it was preach'd at first When the Philosophers heard of a Resurrection some mocked Act. 17. 32. What can make it credible or fit to be Believed Answ. The Omnipotent Power of God when that is ingaged for it For no one can think it impossible for God to raise up a Body out of dust that at first made it out of dust yea that raised all things out of nothing Ye err saith our Saviour to the Sadduces about the Resurrection not knowing the Power of God Mat. 22. 29. And this Power he has given us a sensible proof of by raising up Christ. If Christ be preached that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no Resurrection of the Dead i. e. in regard his Rising is such an irrefragable instance and example of it 1 Cor. 15. 12. Quest. Shall the Bodies of the Saints be raised up by the Power of the Holy Ghost Answ. Yes he that now makes them his Temples by displaying in them his Holiness shall at last display in them his Omnipotence breathing into their scatter'd dust the Breath of Life as at first he breathed Life into all things If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he shall at last also quicken your mortal Bodies as he quickned his Rom. 8. 11. Quest. The Rising of the Saints will no doubt be very Glorious But what Perfections shall their Bodies receive at the Resurrection Answ. First Immortality Nothing after that shall ever be able to pain decay or annoy them they shall not be liable to suffer nor to dye any more This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. They cannot dye any more Luke 20. 36. Secondly Spirituality it is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15. 44. Whereby is not meant that it shall be a Spirit in Substance but that it shall have those Perfections of Spirits wherein they excel Bodies As 1. being above the gross Pleasures of Sense such as Eating Drinking and carnal Injoyments In the Resurrection they neither Marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels Mat. 22. 30. And Meats for the Belly and the Belly for Meats but God shall shortly destroy both it and them viz. in the Resurrection when men shall live without them 1 Cor. 6. 13. 2dly Vigor and Activity such as may answer and keep pace with the vehement Transports and quick Emotions of Glorified Souls and be capable to support their Joys bear their Raptures and express their Activities And 3dly Agility or Spriteliness in their motions moveing towards all Points upwards into the Air and Clouds as St. Paul notes of the Saints in their new Bodies as well as downwards And to Places at any distance with the quickness of Spirits whence they are able in a moment to appear or disappear as the Soul pleases as our Saviour's Body did after his Resurrestion and our raised Bodies must be like his being in this respect also equal to the Angels Luke 20. 36. Quest. Shall they receive any more Perfections Answ. Yes Thirdly not only a perfect Beauty instead of any Mishape or Deformity but also a marvellous Brightness or Glory It is sown in Dishonour but it is raised in Glory 1 Cor 15. 43. The Righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of the Father Mat. 13. 43. Christ shall change our vile Body that it may be like unto his Glorious Body Phil. 3. 21. And that was full of glittering Splendor Whilst he conversed with his Disciples after his Resurrection here on Earth he laid it aside because fleshly eyes were not able to behold it as appeared by its Striking Saul blind Acts 9. 3 9. But in Heaven he shines with a dazeling Lustre Thus he appeared from thence to Stephen Acts 7. 55. and to Paul who describes the light of his Presence to have been above the brightness of the Sun Acts 26. 13. And his head and his hairs were white like Wooll yea as white as Snow his Eyes as a Flame of Fire his Feet like fine Brass burning in a Furnace and his Countenance as the Sun shining in its strength in that Vision St. John had of him in the Revelations Rev. 1. 13 14 15 16. Quest. This will be a most happy Resurrection of the Just But what kind of Bodies shall the Wicked have shall theirs be immortal too Answ. Yes but to their cost and for no other end but that they may be immortally punished For when they always fry in Eternal Fire they shall never be consumed by it Quest. And shall their raised Bodies be sensible of Torment Answ. Yes far more than their Bodies are now and they shall always have the smartest and most terrible things in Nature to Torment them viz. Eternal Fire Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting Fire Mat. 25. 41. There they shall be tormented in the Flames and not have so much as a drop of Water to cool their parched Tongue Luke 16. 23 24. Quest. If it be thus extream violent it will soon consume them or as extremity of pain sometimes causes dictraction so over-power their Souls that they shall not be able to mind or attend to it Answ. No as their sense of pains shall be most exquisite and insensible so shall their Bodies be indissoluble and their sense insuperable As an Almighty Vengeance shall ever inflict the most tormenting strokes upon them so at the same time an Almighty Power shall continue their strength to bear and an exquisite sense or feeling to be most piercingly affected with them Quest. Must not this Belief of the Resurrection of the Body comfort us upon the death of Friends when we lay their Bodies in the Graves Answ. Yes because those Bodies are not perished but only faln asleep and shall be infinitely more perfect and glorious and full of strength when they awake out of it I would not have you ignorant Brethren concerning them that are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope For if we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again even so them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thess. 4. 13 14. Quest. And ought it not to arm us against the fear of our own death too Answ. Yes for since when our earthly House of this Tabernacle is dissolved we have a Building of God Eternal in the Heavens in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloath'd upon with our House which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Quest. What is the Twelfth and last Article of the Creed Answ. I Believe the Life Everlasting Quest. When good mens Souls leave their Bodies what becomes of them Answ. They are carried into a place of Bliss and Refreshment which Christ in his discourse to the Penitent Thief called Paradise and
by Disappointments nor made unfortunate by the Follies or Sufferings of those we dearly love is absolutely the most agreeable pleasant and satisfactory Employment in the World. And amidst all these Companions shall the Righteous be Perfect in this Love Answ. Yes most Perfect For God is Love and he that dwells in God dwells in Love 1 Joh. 4. 16. Quest. Will all that blessed Company entirely love us Answ. Yes as they do their own Souls they were full of Love while they lived here loving even their Enemies after Christ's Precept and Example but especially the servants of God in whom they discern'd his Image But in Heaven they shall love us in Perfection and be full Ripe and Compleat in this as they are in all other Graces Quest. And shall we entirely Love all them Answ. Yes they shall all be so absolute in all amiable excellencies and continually discover such a boundless Love for us and our Natures will be so wholly framed for Love and Kindness that we cannot chuse but love them and that with the greatest fervour and intenseness of Affection And this will be all Pleasure and no Pain because they are incapable of doing any thing that may either shame or disgust us God is all in all in them and therefore they can do nothing but what we who entirely love God and them may perfectly delight in Quest. If we shall have such entire Love for all the Saints in Bliss we shall as all true Friends do partake in all their Joys and all their Happiness will be ours Answ. It will be so for Love of Happy Persons multiplies Happiness as oft as it multiplies Objects Because when we entirely love them we esteem and are pleased with all their Happiness as with our own And this way every Saint will be as full as if they had a Monopoly of Bliss and draw all the Happiness of Heaven to themselves Quest. But amidst all these inward excellencies and happy Company and Blissful intercourse of kindness shall they live in Honour and be eminent in Place Answ. Yes as Kings and Princes They shall Sit on Thrones and wear Crowns and Scepters and be Sons of God and Brethren and Joint-heirs with Christ they shall inherit all things and not only have the Priviledge to stand about Christs Throne but what would surpass belief if Truth it self had not assured us of it sit down with him thereon To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne Rev. 3. 21. And besides this glory of their State and eminence in Place their Bodies as I observed shall be cloathed with the most Radiant Light and surpass even the Sun it self in Brightness Quest. In what place must they live to wear these Glories and Feast on all this immense Happiness Answ. In the Heaven of Heavens a Place scituate on High †far above all visible things unspeakably vast in extent and magnificent in structure and illustrious in Glory the Presence Chamber of the great God and King where he lives incircled with Lustre and Light inaccessible which no mortal Eye can approach unto for no Man as he told Moses can see my Face and live Exod. 33. 20. Here shall all Righteous Persons with their immortal Eyes ever see God and shine in his Glory and feast on all the forecited joys and fulness of Pleasure which is at his Right hand for evermore Psal. 16. 11. Quest. But if this happy enjoyment last long will they not grow weary of it in the end since humane Appetites are wont to love change and loath the best things if held constant to them Answ. No as the enjoyments are so is the desire and relish of them always the same The Goods are pure having no ungrateful mixtures to be discover'd and tasted by time and the Appetite and Relish perfect subject to no ebbs or flows no weariness or alterations So that we shall still desire as well as enjoy these pleasant things and find an inexpressible sweetness and satisfaction in them Quest. And to Crown all and render us secure in this Blessed State shall the happiness of it be no fading transitory Thing as all worldly pleasure is but everlasting Answ. Yes it will be always in its Spring and look fresh and flourish thro' Eternal Ages The Pleasures at God's Right Hand are for evermore Ps. 16. 11. the weight of Glory is Eternal 2 Cor. 4. 17. the Kingdom cannot be moved Heb. 12. 28. the Crown is incorruptible 1 Cor. 9. 25. that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5. 4. 'T is not a limited happiness held only for a term of years or Ages but an Eternal Life 1 John. 5. 11. Quest. This is such a perfection of Bliss as is enough to make all Righteous men impatient of living here and long to dye as St. Paul did thereby to be possess'd of it Answ. It is so indeed if it contain'd no more than I have described But when they come to enjoy it they will find infinitely more than I have said yea than any Tongue can express or heart imagine and apprehend For Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it enter'd into the heart of man to conceive the Things God has prepared for those that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. Quest. I perceive how Blissful the Eternal Life of the Righteous is But the Wicked too shall be raised to an Eternal State and what shall their Life be Answ. The most perfect misery both of Body and Soul whence in Scripture when by Life is meant not only the continuance in being but the happiness of it their state is call'd everlasting death 2 Thes. 1. 8 9. Rev. 2. 11. Quest. What sorrow and torment shall the Wicked for ever endure in their Souls Answ. The torment of all vexatious Passions being continually wracked with Envy Anger Fruitless Cares and Boundless Fears utter despair of all relief and yet extream desires of it And the Sting of Conscience which shall pierce them thro' with bitter remorse and gnaw perpetually like a Worm upon their Hearts and Vitals their Worm dieth not Mark 9. 44. Quest. Indeed all these mention'd Passions when at the heighth are so many Furies especially distracting and amazing Fears and Horrors And shall wretched Souls be wholly seized by these Answ. Yes as much as we may imagine they can possibly who are surrounded on every side with the most mischievous and spiteful Enemies and are left among them in the Dark which were it possible would magnify their Fears by fancy and make them infinite To express which utter uncomfortableness and insecurity they are said to be cast into utter Darkness Mat. 22. 13. and reserved unto Blackness of Darkness for ever 2 Pet. 2. 17. Quest. What is implyed in the Worm of Conscience Answ. Bitter and cutting remorse for their own wretched folly which has call'd down upon
them those intolerable miseries and utter and horrid despair of ever removing or abating them Quest. Is this Sting of Conscience so extreamly tormenting to mens Souls that it should be compared to a Worm preying upon their vitals Answ. Yes for they who feel it and such only can tell the smart of it think it more exquisite and insupportable than the pangs of death it self And therefore they run greedily after Death and seek by any means to make away themselves in hopes thereby to get quit of it The Spirit of a man will sustain all other his infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. And if 't is so intolerable here where they have only some beginnings and small fore-tastes of it what must it be when horror is at the heighth and despair and anguish is consummate and the rage of all infernal Spirits is let loose to represent at full the most formidable Phantasms and imprint Anguish and all sorts of Agonies and painful Horrors with the utmost activity of Furious and powerful Spirits as it will be in the next World. Quest. But whilst their forlorn Souls are racked with all these horrible pangs what shall become of their Bodies Answ. They shall Frye in Flames as I said and endure all the Torment which men can feel in the hottest Fire They shall be cast into a Furnace of Fire Mat. 13. 42. and have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second death Rev. 21. 8. Quest. This must needs cause excessive pain But shall they not have something to mitigate and make it easier Answ. No not so much as a drop of water to cool their Tongue when 't is parched and tormented in the Flame Luke 16. 24. Nor that poor relief of those who are extream weary and sore to shift sides or change their posture Bind him hand and foot that he cannot stir says our Lord when he Condemns the Sinner to this Lake of Fire Mat. 22. 13. Quest. And shall desperate shame and disgrace be added to all this Answ. Yes For they are all as vile and hateful to God and all good men yea and to themselves too as they can be made and it is purely their own wilful and wretched Folly and desperate wickedness which has brought them to it Quest. But will not God the hope and comfort of all that are in utter distress look upon them and shew them countenance in this wretched state Answ. No they shall never see his face nor receive the least glimpse of favour from his Countenance He will say to them depart from me ye Cursed Mat. 25. 41. And they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the Presence of the Lord 2 Thes. 1. 9. He will not look upon them but in wrath and fury and never think of them in mercy any more Quest. But when God deserts them shall they be quite forsaken or will they not be allowed some Company in this distress Answ. Yes but that shall be the Company of Devils and tormenting Spirits who thirst more after Blood than ever the most starved Appetite did after food and who have no other way to ease their own pains but by the satisfaction of augmenting theirs Go into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. Quest. But amidst all this horrid Crew that take such pleasure to despite them shall there be none to help them when they are unable to help themselves at least to pity and condole with them Answ No there are none but Partners in destruction who are all too full of their own miseries to attend theirs And all these in Nature are perfect Furies that have no love and tenderness for others For Hell is no place for pity and kindness since he that dwells in Love dwells in God as St. John says 1 Joh. 4. 16. So that there they shall have no Friend either to help or hearten or sympathize with them But all about them shall spitefully vex and reproach them and add more to their burden which is already heavier by far than they can bear Quest. But there is one thing still that in the extreamest Torments gives some ease and recruit of Spirits tho' it cannot give a full deliverance and that is Rest and Sleep And shall not miserable wretches have some rest from these Torments Answ. No for the smoke of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night Rev. 14. 11. Quest. But if this Torment be thus without all intermission and thus violent sure it will not last long but they will câ—â—â—e in good time to an end of it Answ. No it shall never end Their Bodies as I noted shall be made indissoluble and immortal only that their pains may be immortal Their worm dieth not and their Fire never shall be quenched Mark 9. 43 44. Quest. Good God! how intolerable and irremediable is this State will not every man that believes he shall unavoidably suffer all this for persisting wicked take any pains and endure any hardships in Religion and the amendment of his Life to prevent it Answ. Yes most certainly and this is the wise use we are to make of it Knowing the Terrors of the Lord in executing the Wicked after the last Judgment we perswade men to live well here without which there is no avoiding them 2 Cor. 5. 11. Quest. And since the happiness of the Righteous is so infinitely lasting and large must not the belief of that make us contemn all the short pleasures of Sin which would bereave us of it and think all the sufferings of Virtue nothing in comparison of the reward that doth attend it Answ. Yes for since the sufferings of this present Time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us neither Death nor Life nor Things present nor Things to come nor any other Creature â—â—all be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8. 18 38 39. FINIS Books lately Printed for Robert Kettlewell 1. THe Measures of Christian Obedidience By John Kettlewell Vicar of Coles-Hill in Warwickshire The second Edition In Quarto Price bound 8s 2. An Help and Exhortation to worthy Communicating By John Kettlewell Vicar of Coles-Hill in Warwickshire In Twelves Price bound 2s 6d 3. A Discourse Explaining the Nature of Edification By John Kettlewell Vicar of Coles-Hill in Warwickshire In Quarto Price 6d 4. A Funeral Sermon for the Right Honourable the Lady Frances Digby By John Kettlewell Vicar of Coles-Hill in Warwickshire In Quarto Price 6d 5. The Religious Loyalist Or A good Christian taught how to be a Faithful Servant both to God and the King. By John Kettlewell Vicar of Coles-Hill in Warwickshire 6. A Funeral Sermon for the Right Honourable Simon Lord Digby By John Kettlewell Minister of Coles-Hill in Warwickshire 7. A Journey into Greece by Sir George Wheeler in