by his divine power raised and quickned his own body when it lay in the grave so he conveighs a spiritual life into all his members raising them from the death of sin and enabling them to walk in newnesse of life I live saith Paul Gal. 2.20 yet not I but Christ liveth in me And the life of Jesus is made manifest in our mortal bodies 2 Cor. 4.11 He that abideth in me and I in him saith our Saviour John 15.5 bringeth forth much fruit Beg therefore earnestly of the Lord that thou maiest be sanctified throughout in Spirit Soul and Body That thy Understanding Conscience and Will thy sensual affections and desires and thy whole outward man may be put into and kept in a good order and frame that the fear of God may dwell in thine heart continually and his Law be written in thy inward man Look to the bent and frame of thy heart that it be right towards God If thy heart be once ordered aright thou wilt look that thy outward conversation be ordered aright also Let it appear therefore thou art a living member of Christ by being a new Creature by unliving and undoing thy former sinful course Live not henceforth in any known sin but speedily forsake whatever thou knowest to be evil and displeasing unto God any kind of way Labour to testifie the sincerity of thy repentance and Faith by an holy life and an unblameable Conversation Set thy self in good earnest to walk religiously and holily before God righteously and uprightly before men and soberly and temperatly in the Government of thy self Let it be thy daily exercise with Paul to keep a good Canscience void of offence towards God and towards man Be careful of the duties both of the first and second Table And read often and carefully observe our Saviours Sermon in the Mount coâ—tained in the fifth sixth and seaventh Chapters of Matthew In summe beg a continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ that though thou art to wrestle not only against flesh and blood but against Principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses and against manifold temptations from the world yet notwithstanding through the aides of Grace the regenerate part in thee may overcome and that thou maist grow in Grace and be daily perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become new 1 Cor 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Eph. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts V. 23. And be renewed in the Spirit of your mind V. 24. And that ye put on that new man whiâ—h after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Rom. 6.5 For if we have been planted together in the likenesse of his death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection V. 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin V. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil 1 John 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walk even as he walked 1 John 3.3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Rom. 8.13 For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Eph. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man V. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love V. 18. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth V. 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God 1 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God I eb 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and body be preserved blamless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 5.17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to him be Glory both now and for ever Amen Gal. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Lasciviousness V. 20. Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies V. 21. Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God V. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith V. 23. Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law V. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blamelesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the world 2 Pet. 1.5 And besides this giving all diligence add to your Faith vertue and to vertue Knowledge V. 6. And to Knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience Godlinesse V. 7. And to Godliness Brotherly kindness and to Brotherly kindness Charity 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Pet. 1.14 As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance V. 15. But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Cor. 6 19 What know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own V. 20. For ye
affection any rebellious lust that rises up in thee Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Tit. 2.12 Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world Rom. 8.6 For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace V. 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others Prov. 25.28 He that hath no rule over his owne spirit is like a City that is broken down and without wals Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a City Eph. 4.26 Be ye angry and sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath V. 27. Neither give place to the devil V. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption V. 31. Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice V. 32. And be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren be not children in understanding howbeit in malice be ye children but in understanding be men Eccles 7 9. Be not hasly in thy spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fools 1 John 3.15 Whosoever hateth his Brother is a murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him 2 Cor. 12.20 For I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not lest there be debates envyings wraths strifes backbitings whisperings swellings tumults Jam. 4.5 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain the Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Jam. 1.20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Luke 9.55 But he turned and rebuked them and said ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another 1 Pet. 3.4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price Thirdly Watch over thy words Gods servants in all ages have seen a great deal of reason to resolve within themselves to take heed of offending with their tongues and to pray earnestly to the Lord that he would please to set a watch before their mouths and to keep the door of their lips 'T is a great part of Religion rightly to govern and bridle the tongue If any man seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue this mans religion is vain Jam. 1.26 And the transgression of the tongue is the rather to be watched against because of the natural pronenesse that is in us to offend in that kind We are exceedingly apt to fall into this sin partly because of that quick intercourse that is between the tongue and the heart so that we sin in an instant partly because speech is an Act we perform without labour and so we the more easily offend this way And lastly because the sins of the tongue are very pleasing and compliant with corrupt nature Therefore St James saith Jam. 3. v. 2. If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man i. e. Not only a beginner but one that is come to some ripenesse and growth in Christianity his care and watchfulnesse over his words argues him to be a sound sincere and upright Christian Oh how much reason have we to be seriously humbled for the errours and miscarriages of our tongues Divide the sins of man into two parts saies Nazianzen and one half of them are the sins of the tongue One reckons up twenty four sins of the tongue and yet possibly he hath not reckoned all 1. Taking Gods Name in vain in ordinary communication 2. Unlawful swearing 3. Lying 4. Cursing 5. Perjuâ—y 6. Blasphemy 7. Rash and unlawful vowes 8. Heartlesse and hypocritical praying 9. False accusing 10. Open railing reviling and reproaching 11. Secret defaming backbiting and whispering 12. Scoffing jeering scorning giving biting quips and girds 13. Ribaldry filthy speaking scurrulous jesting rotten communication 14. Menacing and threatning revenge 15. Deceiving and cheating 16. Proud boasting and self magnifying 17. Rash judging and censuring 18. Vain and idle tatling 19. Flattering and soothing in evil 20. Enticing and alluring to sin and wickedness 21. Seducing into errour 22. Murmuring and repining 23. Disclosing secrets contrary to promise To all which may be added 24. Sinful silence Of which more afterward Oh how vile are we if one member be guilty of so much sin Not without reason therefore hath St. James in his third Chap. v. 6. described an evil Tongue to be a fire a world of iniquity and set on fire of Hell i. e. from the Devil the Father of lies malice and virulency They that nourish an evil tongue nourish that which comes from Hell and which will carry them thither without serious and timely repentance The tongue can no man tame as he goes on v. 8. that is of himself without the concurrence of Divine Grace Pray therefore for this Grace that thou maist take heed to thy words that thou offend not with thy tongue And for the better regulating and governing of it observe these Directions 1. Begin at thy heart if thou wouldst rightly govern thy tongue Pray as David did Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh saith our Saviour Mat. 12.34 The disorders of the tongue usually proceed from the distempers of the heart Idlenesse of words from vanity of thoughts Rashnesse of speech from hastinesse of Spirit Boasting and proud brags from pride of heart Reviling and open reproaching from inward malice The foul stomack betraies it selfe in a stinking breath The naughtinesse of the heart vents it self by the tongue A heart stor'd with wisdom and grace will discover it self in savoury discourse 2. Let thy end and aim in speaking be to glorifie God and to do good to others That word is an idle word and utterly lost which tends to no good purpose Either speak somthing better than silence or
thee Psal 116.13 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me V. 13. I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. V. 14. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people CHAP. XX. Of the Four last things Death Judgement Hell Heaven I. Of Death ONE of the main businesses of our life should be to prepare for death In order hereunto observe these directions First Meditate often and seriously on thy death and dissolution even in time of thy health Joseph of Arimathea made his Sepulchre in his garden that in the midst of his delights he might think of death Often retire and take thy self alone and walk in the valley of the shadow of death Do not start from the thoughts of it Do by thy soul when thou findest it shy of such meditations as we do by our horses that are given to boggle and start when we ride them when they fly back and start at a thing in the way we do not yield to their fear and go back that will make them worse another time but we ride them up close to that they are afraid of and so in time break them of that ill quality So do thou bring up thy heart and inure it to look upon death and to handle that Serpent Consider death is making its approaches to thee and may be upon thee before thou art aware O therefore prepare for it that when it comes and attaches thee thou maist be found in such a gracious state with such a frame of Spirit and walking in such a holy way of life that thou maist bid it welcom and be able to say with blessed Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ The frequent meditation of death will be an excellent means 1. To quicken thy soul to a deep humiliation and repentance for thy past sins 2. To represse the eager and insatiable desire of riches and the love of this world 3. To antidote thee against sin for time to come 4. To make thee improve time and carefully to work out thy salvation Think often of death and it will keep worse company from thee Secondly Labour to take away from thy own death the power and strength thereof The Philistims seeing Sampson so exceeding strong laboured to know wherein his power and strength principally consisted and when they understood it to lie in the hair of his head they ceased not till it was cut Consider therefore wherein the strength of death lies The Spirit of God teacheth us that in 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sin The power and force and sting of every mans particular death lies in his own sins Death cannot hurt us but by the force of our own sins A man may safely handle a Serpent when the sting is out If death be disarmed of its sting and poyson it cannot hurt us It concerns us therefore to use effectual means that our sins may be removed and pardoned and to labour before we die to abolish the strength of death Now the way to do this is 1. To humble our souls unfeignedly before the Lord and to repent of all our sins 2. To fly to Christ and to close with him for pardon and Grace 3. In the strength of his Grace to amend our lives and to walk in the waies of holinesse The sting of death is taken away by Christ Jesus as to all real converts and true believers so that it cannot hurt them nay will be an advantage to them It will be only a dark and short passage to a glorious Palace to the blisseful mansions above So that they may triumph as Paul did O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Thanks be to God who giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. But now to all impenitent unpardoned sinners how deadly how incurable is the sting of death Death is death with a witnesse and Hell into the bargain to them that die in their sins No sight in the world more dreadful than to see a dying sinner with his Conscience newly awakened conflicting with death and sin and the Law and Gods Curse together O how sad how intollerably sad is it to see a man that hath gone on in a long carelesse obstinate course of sinning now at the point of death to have his eies first opened and to see himself on the brink of the dreadful pit unavoidably falling into the lake of fire and brimstone To such a person death brings its poysoned arrow and executes him with its venemous sting Thirdly Give all diligence in this life to lay hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6.12 That is to enter into the first degree of life eternal Eternal life may be look'd upon under three considerations As Initial as Partial as Perfectional 1. The eternal life initial is that which is obtained in this life and is an earnest of that which is to follow 'T is the life of Grace Of this our Saviour spake Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life And Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life 2. The Partial life eternal is that which belongeth though to the nobler yet but to a part of man namely to the Soul The happinesse which the Souls of Saints enjoy between the time of their death and the last day is the partial life eternal 3. The Perfectional life eternal is that which shall be conferred on the Saints immediatly after the blessed reunion of their souls and bodies and that gracious sentence pronounc'd come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world So that we see we must in this world enter into the first degree of eternal life if ever we intend to be partakers of the other two We must be raised from the death of sin to the life of grace We must as the Apostle speaks Col. 1.13 Be delivered from the power of darknesse and translated into the Kingdom of our blessed Saviour We must with Paul be able to say Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me i. e. By his Spirit guides and governs my will affections and all the powers both of my soul and body Whoever would be saved when he is dead must begin to be saved while he is living We must begin to live that blessed and eternal life before we die Fourthly Inure thy self to die to this world and the enjoyments of it every day more and more Paul tels us he died daily 1 Cor. 15.31 If we would learn to do so it would not be so hard to die when we come to it in good earnest Death is not so strong to him whose natural strength has been wasted with a long pining sicknesse as to
appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in the body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad V. 11. Knowing the terrours of the Lord we perswade men 2 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up V. 11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godlinesse V. 14. Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse 1 Cor. 15.25 For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet Mat. 19.28 And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 16.27 For the Son of man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Heb. 9.28 So Christ wâ—s once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation Mat. 25.31 When the son of man shall come in his Glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory V. 32. And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats V. 33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left V. 34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world V. 35. For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in V. 36. Naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me V. 41. Then shall he say also to them on the left hand depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 6. What was the End and Intent of Christs Coming into the world The chief End and Intent of his Coming into the world was to save Lost and undone sinners to procure their pardon and reconciliation with God by his Merits to Sanctifie their Natures by his Holy Spirit and to bring them to â—verlasting Life And to this end he appointed his Ministers to preach the Gospel unto the world and instituted the two Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper to signifie and keep in remembrance the great and inestimable benefits of his Death and Sufferings Luke 19.10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners Mat. 1.21 And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his Grace Jer. 33.6 In his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness 1 Cor. 15.3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation V. 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of our Faith even the salvation of our souls Rom. 5.19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit Heb. 7.23 And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death V. 24. But this man because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priest-hood V. 27. Who needeth not daily as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himself Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeem'd us from the curse of the Law being made a Curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins V. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled V. 22. In the body of his flesh through death to present you unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Col. 2.14 Blotting out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross V. 15. And having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it Heb. 10.11 And every Priest standeth daily ministring and offering often times the same sacrifices which can never take away sins V. 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God V. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified V. 18. Now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin V. 19. Having therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus V. 20. By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh V. 21. And having an high Priest over the house of God V. 22. Let us draw neer with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water To sanctifie their Natures 2 Thes 2.13 But we are bound to give thankes alwaies to God for you brethren beloved
Gospel heartily to repent of all their sins seriously to give up their souls unto him resting and relying on the Redemption and Ransome of his Blood for their Pardon and Reconciliation with God And taking him for their onely Lord Saviour and yielding themselves up in sincere obedience to him and to be guided and governed by his Grace and Holy Spirit they do depend on him alone for Justification Sanctification strength to persevere in the ways of Holinesse and at last to be brought to eternall Life And to as many as are thus drawn by the Holy Ghost savingly to repent of their sins and believe in Christ being truly united to him and made branches in him the true Vine and members of his mystical body the true Church whereof himself is the Head God hath promised pardon and Remission of all their sins to write his Law in their Hearts to subdue their Corruptions by his Grace that sin shall not have Dominion over them to bestow on them all such outward blessings as he in his infinite wisdome shall see good for them And when they die their souls shall be received into everlasting blisse and their bodies shall be raised again by the power of Christ at the last day and made partakers of the same Glory And this is Called the Covenant of Grace But such as go on in their sins refusing to accept of Christ for their Lord and Saviour Redeemer and Sanctifier and to give up themselves in sincere obedience to him when they die their Souls shall be adjudged to everlasting punishment and their bodies shall be raised again at the last day and made partakers with their Souls of Everlasting Torments Concerning effectual Calling Rom. 1.6 Among whom are ye also the Called of Jesus Christ Rom. 8.28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the Called according to his purpose V. 30. Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also Called and whom he Called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and Called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the Heavenly Calling Consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Jesus Eph. 1.18 The eyes of your understanding being inlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints V. 19. And what is the greatnesse of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Acts 16.14 And a certain woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the City of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul 1 Pet. 2.9 But ye are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous Light Eph. 4.1 I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called 1 Thes 2.12 That ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you to his Kingdome and Glory John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day V. 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh to me V. 65. And he said therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 5.25 Verily verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God and they that hear shall live 2 Thes 2.13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth V. 14. Whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ Ezek 36 16. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me saying V. 17. Son of man when the House of Israel dwelt in their owne Land they defiled it by their owne way and by their doings their way was before me as the uncleannesse of a removed woman V. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh V 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them Eph. 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who somtimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death V. 9. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his John 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit Acts 26.18 To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me Concerning believing the Gospel 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God V. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Eph. 1.16 Making mention of you in my prayers V. 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him V. 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the riches of the Glory of his inheritance V. 19. And what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power John 8.24 I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins for if ye beleeve not
heart of flesh V. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them Luke 22.20 Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying this Cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you Micha 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy V. 19. He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depths of the Sea Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Psal 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and a shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Rom. 8.28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose Concerning the state of men after death and the Resurrection of the body Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it Luke 23.43 And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Heb. 12.23 To the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God not made with hands eternal in the Heavens V. 6. Therefore we are alwaies confident knowing that whilest we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. V. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart â—nd to be with Christ which is far better Luke 16.22 And it came to passe that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome the rich man also died and was buried V. 23. And in Hell he lift up his eyes being in Torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome V. 24. And he Cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this Flame Acts 1.25 That he may take part of this Ministry and Apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his owne place Jude 6. And the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chaines under darknesse unto the Judgement of the great day V. 7. Even as Sodome and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and preached to the Spirits in prison 1 Cor. 15.42 So also is the Resurrection of the dead it is sowen it corruption it is raised in incorruption V. 43. It is sowen in dishonour it is raised in Glory it is sowen in weakness it is raised in power V. 44. It is sowen a natural body it is raised a spiritual body There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body V. 52. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed Job 19.26 And though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God V. 27. Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Acts 24.15 And have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust John 5.28 Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice V. 29. And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Mat. 25.21 His Lord said unto him well done thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithfull over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Heb 6.2 Of the doctrine of baptismes and of laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal Judgement Mat. 16.27 For the Son of man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Mat. 13.40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world V. 41. The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend and them which do iniquity V. 42. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth V. 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father who hath ears to hear let him hear 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing then all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness V. 14. Wherefore Beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse Mat. 10.28 And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Rev. 2.7 He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God V. 11. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death V. 17. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new Name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it 1 Cor. 2.9 But as it is written eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath
if they be brought home to God at last O what a cutting consideration must it needs be to old people to cast their eyes back upon a life spent in sin and dishonouring God and hurting the soules of others by their ill example O what a deal of sorrow would Manasses and Mary Magdalen have escaped if they had been converted in their younger years So if Paul had been betimes brought home to God he had not had all that trouble and grief of Spirit for persecuting the Church 2. Thou maist hereby come to some eminency of knowledge and Grace and Spiritual experience A young man that is a good husband betimes upon his trade we say is like to grow rich whereas one that has been prodigal in his younger time and a spend-thrist if he should in his elder years begin to be wise yet having lost so much time we are apt to think he will never do any great matter at it So they that give up their hearts to God betimes and consecrate their younger years to him O how rich in knowledge and Grace may they grow 3. Thy joyes and comforts will be the greater Thou art a hinderer of thy peace and comfort all the while thou art going on in the way of sin Thou art feeding on Onions when thou mightst have Manna Thou art feeding on husks with the Prodigal when thou mightest have the fatted calf What are all the noisom pleasures of sin to the peace of a good Conscience the enjoyment of God the delights and joyes of the Holy Ghost 4. The more service thou wilt do for God Suppose a man be call'd at the twelfth hour alas 't is little he can do for God before night An old man that was late converted ordered this to be written upon his Tomb-stone Here lies an old man of seven years old Suppose a man after many years spent in sin should at last be converted he had need of Methuselah's age to bewail his former miscarriages and to do service for God whom he hath so dishonoured Oh think what an honour it is to live to glorifie God and to do him service And canst thou begin too soon to honour him who deserves so infinitely well of thee 5. It will make not only thy life but thy death also comfortable When death comes thou wilt have this good evidence of thy sincerity that thou didst turn to God betimes in thy youth and in the flower and prime of thy daies Thou wilt not then be afraid to look God in the face nor dread him as an enemy but think delightfully of him as a long experienced friend and be willing to surrender thy soul unto him 'T is reported of Adrian that when he came to die he cried out O my soul whither art thou going thou art going where thou shalt never be jovial nor merry more O my soul whither art thou going Therefore do those things now which when thou comest to die thou wouldst wish thou hadst done and leave those things undone which thou supposest will not yield thee comfort in that hour 6. And lastly The sooner thou engagest thy heart to God and the more service thou dost him in this life the greater will be thy reward in Heaven Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting I come now to the second thing to answer the Objections that young persons may make why they should not turn to God so soon Obj. 1. We shall hereby lose our chief time of pleasure Sol. You shall exchange dirt for Gold and the draff of swine for the food of Angels your sinfull pleasures for the delights of the Holy Ghost and the joyes of a good Conscience Religion will abridge you of nothing but sin which is rank poison to your souls It will allow you recreations that are lawful expedient seasonable and moderate and which may fit you more to glorifie God in your general or particular Calling See the Rules set down in the foregoing Chap. under the fifth Direction to the Rich. Pag 490 Obj. 2. We do but as most young people do and as others have done before us Sol. If you sin with others you must expect to suffer with others They that are like Simeon and Levi brethren in iniquity must be brethren also in misery The old world sinn'd together and were drown'd together You must not live by examples but by precepts Look not at what others do but at what God commands Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Obj. 3. There needs not so much ado to get to Heaven Sol. Is it more ado than Gods Word requires read and judge Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness c. Eph. 5.15 See that ye walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise redeeming the time c. Phil. 2.12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling 1 Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear If the righteous hardly i. e. with much striving diligence and watchfulness attain salvation what will become of the negligent secure sinner Can any think of ever coming to Heaven which is a state of holinesse and purity whose hearts disrellish Holinesse and cannot away with it as too much strictness and more ado than needs Obj 4. We are young enough We intend to turn to God hereafter but not yet Sol. Concerning the danger of delaies see before pag. 510 In all likelihood there are many in Hell that thought of turning hereafter Obj. 5. We shall be flouted and jeer'd if we begin to be religious and precise so soon Sol. What are reproaches to the great things others have suffered for Christ What is the enduring a jeer to the enduring a burning for the sake of Christ 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you 2 Cor. 6.8 By honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as decievers and yet true Mat. 5.11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake V. 12. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Obj. 6. We shall shift as well as others Sol. So you may and yet make but a bad shift neither 'T is small comfort to have companions in Hell Dives did not think it would ease his torments to have his Brethren come to him Obj. 7. We see many that once seem'd forward in Religion do fall off some to open prophanenesse and some into errour and strange opinions Sol.
man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Of Heaven We have seen what will be the state of the damned We come now to speak of the blessedness of those that die in the Lord i. e. in the favour of God in a state of peace with him being members of Christs mystical body When they die their souls are carried by Angels to Christ and by him presented to God the Father as the fruit of his purchase So that they are presently blessed upon the departure of the soul out of the body but shall be more blessed at the general resurrection when soul and body being reunited the Judge shall set them at his right hand and pronounce upon them this gracious sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Matth 25.34 Which done they shall go away into life eternal as it is v. 46. The Glory and Blessednesse of this state we come now to enquire into and there are two things wherein it consists 1. In a total removal of all evils 2. In a confluence of all good necessary to the happinesse of the Creature First All evils are removed There are three great evils we labour under here 1. The evil of sin 2. Of temptation 3. Of affliction None of which shall trouble the Saints in Heaven 1. The evil of sin is there removed Sin is the great evil the children of God complain of with so much sadnesse in this world Here the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit but in Heaven there shall be no sinful lusts to war against the soul Paul shall not there complain of a law in his members rebelling against the law of his his mind Nor câ—y out Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. There shâ—ll be no blindness in the mind perversenesse in the will disorder in the affections no concupiscence in the members no rebellion in the flesh the old Adam is left in the grave never to rise more The dominion of sin the Saints are delivered from in this life but there the very being of it is removed Grace weakens sin Glory quite abolisheth it Into Heaven nothing enters that defiles There we shall be under anâ— happy impossibility of offending God 2. The evil of temptation The world is a place of snares a valley of temptations the devils circuit What abundance of temptations are we assaulted with here continually either from the Devil the world or our own corrupt Natures In Paradise there was a tempter but there is none in Heaven No Serpent can creep in there Here we had need pray continually Lord lead us not into temptation There we shall be fully delivered from it 3. The evil of affliction In Heaven there is an absolute freedom from all misery pain labour want or whatever else might afflict us All sorrow shall be done away as well as all sin Sorrow is the fruit of sin and when the mother is dead no more off-spring can be expected Whatsoever is painful and burdensom to Nature is a fruit of sin and a brand and mark of our rebellion against God Here we are subject to a number of necessities hunger thirst cold wants of several sorts In Heaven the children of God shall enjoy perfect freedom from whatsoever is troublesom Grief fear temptation sicknesse pain of body anguish of mind shall be heard of no more for ever When the Saints are once past death they are past the fear of all misery When their bodies are once lapt up in their winding-sheets they are past all tribulation Heaven is a happy ayre where none are sick There is no such thing as agues feavers gouts or the grinding paines of the Stone There is nothing to discompose the mind or afflict the body The Saints shall there be freed from the necessities of Nature such as eating drinking sleeping c. Meat is for the belly and the belly for meat but God shall destroy both it and them 1 Cor. 6.12 The use of meats and of the stomack and belly is there abolished Here we are almost continually in want of something or other but there we shall be above meat and drink and apparrel c. Here we have a mixture of pleasures and sorrows both good and evil are to be received from the hand of God in this life but there is fulnesse of joy for evermore I shall conclude this with that comfortable place Rev. 21.4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away Secondly A Second thing wherein the blessedness of Heaven consists is in a confluence of all good necessary to the happiness of the Creature The Saints in Heaven will be blessed 1. In their bodies 2. In their soules 3. In their Company 4. In an absolute security of enjoying all this blessedness for ever without any fear of losing it or being deprived of it I. They will be blessed in their bodies The bodies even of the best of the Saints are for the present vile bodies instruments of sin and subjects of diseases but the Lord Jesus Christ shall at the day of judgment raise these vile bodies and change them into the likenesse of his own glorious body Phil. 3.20 21. The bodies of the Saints are the members of Christ and no member of his shall remain in death They are the Temples of the holy Ghost and therefore if they be destroy'd they shall be raised again For if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in us as he doth in the Saints and by so dwelling makes their bodies Temples he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us Rom. 8.11 The Holy Ghost will not forsake his mansion and ancient habitation Therefore he raiseth it up and formeth it again into a compleat fashion like Christs glorious body The bodies of the Saints when dead and separated from their souls are not separated from Christ as we shewed before And therefore are said to be dead in Christ to sleep in Jesus as 't is 1 Thes 4.14 While dead they are united to Christ and by vertue of this Union Christ as their Head will raise them at the last day and at their resurrection they shall be changed as to their qualities though their substance shall not be altered The Ancient Christians when they rehearsed that Article of the Creed I believe the resurrection of the flesh were wont to adde even of this my flesh 'T is necessary the same flesh should be raised again For it cannot stand with Gods justice that one body should sin and another body be damned That he that sinned in one body should
hearing 3. What we are to do after we have heard And oh that I might prevail with you to read these Directions often especially on Saturday-nights that so you might come prepared The great reason of the unprofitablenesse of preaching and that Sermons do no more good is because people come without preparation 3. Seeing that Heavenly duty of singing Psalms and lifting up the praises of the most High is now by some question'd as indeed what is not that tends to Gods Glory and mans good I purposely handle that subject and prove it to be a duty under the Gospel answer the Objections against it and give some Directions for the right performing of it 4. Forasmuch as Christians might exceedingly benefit one another by Religious conference thereby warming and enlivening one another and provoking one another to love and to good works In the next place I speak of that duty and set down some Rules concerning it Lastly Because without meditation 't is not to be expected the Word should do much good nor that the soul should ever thrive in Knowledge and Grace I shew the excellency and benefit thereof and give some Directions for the practise of it The Seventh Chapter treats of the danger of frequenting and unnecessarily conversing with bad company whereby many have been everlastingly undone A man that prayes to be delivered from temptations must not wilfully run himself into them And because 't is the duty of all true Christians both for their own peace sake and that they may adorn the Gospel of Christ to serve their generation in some honest and commendable way avoiding Idlenesse that great snare of the Devil In the eighth Chapter I discourse of diligence and conscientiousnesse in our particular places and callings And that the Name of God may not be blasphemed by the ill lives and practises of such as professe themselves Christians In the Ninth Chapter I treat of just and upright dealing in Trading and Commerce giving some Rules both to buyers and sellers and shew the necessity of making restitution of or satisfaction for ill gotten goods The Tenth Chapter contains the duties of Governours of Families which I desire all that are in that relation often to read over and seriously to meditate upon There is a great duty lies upon them and greater than they usually are aware of They may be exceeding instrumental of the salvation of those under their care if they discharge their duties as they ought But through their neglect of the Worship of God in their houses and their ill lives and examples they prove too often an occasion of the ruine of many in their Families And because very much of the life of Godlinesse consists in a faithful discharge of relative duties The Eleventh Chapter shews the duties of Husband and Wife The Twelfth of Mâ—sters and Servants The Thirteenth of Parents and Children The Fourteenth of such as are in office and of Inferiours The Fifteenth of People towards their Pastors and spiritual Guides O what an honour would it be to Christian Religion if all they that call themselves Christians would endeavour to walk uprightly and faithfully in their respective places And seeing it is a real kindnesse and an excellent expression of true Christian friendship to keep one another off from the pit of destruction and to help one another on towards Heaven In the Sixteenth Chapter I treat of that great and hard duty of Christian reproof and admonition which if it were prudently and faithfully discharged would by the blessing of God much abate sin in the world and exceedingly advance Piety The Seventeenth Chapter contains the duties of rich and poor Many duties belong to them both and both have great temptations therefore they had need be careful to discharge the one and avoid the other The Eighteenth Chapter speaks of the duties of Young and Old Ministers find by experience that the Word hath the greatest operation on those that are young who have not contracted such strong habits of sin nor so long resisted the Grace of God nor so much provoked him to give them up to their own hearts lusts as many ancient people have done who have liv'd a great while in an unconverted state under the light of the Gospel I have therefore shewed young persons the danger of delaies the advantages of turning to God betimes and answered the Objections that many are apt to make against it And because a Minister is also to have a care of the souls of the Ancient and to his utmost skill to endeavour their salvation I have laid down several awakening considerations for them to think upon I have shewed them the danger of vain presumptions and groundlesse hopes of Heaven I have set down some of those false grounds and sandy foundations whereon many ancient people build their hopes of happinesse that so they may be undeceived and may look better about them to secure their souls while there is time In the Nineteenth Chapter there are Directions given for the healthy and the sick To deal wisely and faithfully with sick persons in order to their souls welfare is one of the hardest pieces of the Ministerial work and requires much skill to perform it aright And seeing a Minister is not ever at hand to visit such sick persons as may need his help and many times they stand in need of much help and instruction I have drawn up such directions as I judged needful for them which they may mâ—ke use of when they cannot have the help and assistance of a Minister I have shewed how they should examine themselves And that they may not slubber over that great businesse but may come in some measure to discern the multitude of their sins and the manifold waies whereby they have offended God I have set down a Catalogue of the duties commanded and sinnes forbidden in the ten Commandments as also the sins against the Gospel That so people may not only in general say they are sinners and yet when they come and professe to humble their souls and to confesse their sins unto God can find few they are guilty of but may see themselves to be exceeding vile and sinful I know 't is very unpleasing to people to search their own Consciences and find themselves great sinners They had rather sit down with a false peace than arraign and terrifie themselves in this manner But who that is in his right wits would content himself with a shadow of repentance or a shadow of Faith without finding the substance and truth of these Graces in his soul when his everlasting welfare depends upon it Those Directions there mentioned may be of use also to all persons who desire at any time more solemnly to humble themselves before the Lord for the sins of their life past and more especially before the receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The Twentieth Chapter contains a discourse of the four last things Death Judgment Hell Heaven There I shew the necessity
to watchfulnesse ibid. Of Perseverance Pag. 289 Of mental ejaculatory prayer Pag. 293 Of reviewing at night and reflecting upon all the actions of the day past Pag. 296 Chap. 6. Of improving the opportunities and means of Grace Pag. 301 Of the observation of the Lords day ibid. Of hearing the Word How we are to prepare our selves before we hear how to behave our selves in time of hearing what to do after we have heard Pag. 319 Of singing Psalms Pag. 340 Of religious Conference Pag. 349 Of Meditation Pag. 354 Chap. 7. Of frequenting good company Pag. 358 Chap. 8. Of diligence and conscientiousnesse in our particular Callings Pag. 365 Chap. 9. Concerning just dealing in trafick trading and commerce Pag. 372 Directions to buyers Pag. 373 To Sellers Pag. 375 Motives to righteous dealing Pag. 377 Of restitution Pag. 378 Chap. 10. Of the duties of Governours of Families Pag. 382 Of Family-Prayer Pag. 387 Chap. 11. Of the duties of Husband and Wife Pag. 397 Chap. 12. Of the duties of Masters nnd Servants Pag. 415 Chap. 13. Of the duties of Parents and Children Pag. 428 Of Infant-Baptism ibid. Chap. 14. Of the duties of such as are in Office and the duties of Inferiours Pag. 448 Chap. 15. Of the duties of people towards their Pastours and Ministers Pag. 452 Chap. 16. Of Christian and Brotherly reproof Pag. 546 Chap. 17. Of the duties of the Rich and poor Of those that concern the rich Pag. 483 Of Recreations Pag. 490 Of Charity and relieving the poor Pag. 492 Directions concerning the exercise of charity Pag. 494 Of the duties that concern the poor Pag. 498 Their Temptations and dangers Pag. 504 Chap. 18. Of the duties of Young and Old Of those that concern the young Pag. 509 The danger of delaies Pag. 510 The advantages of turning to God betimes Pag. 513 Objections against it answered Pag. 515 Directions to the younger sort Pag. 519 Of the duties of the Ancient ibid. Serious considerations for the Ancient Pag. 524 The danger of ill-grounded hopes of Heaven Pag. 528 What those deceiving and sandy foundations are whereon many ancient people build their hopes of Heaven Pag. 529 Directions to the Ancient Pag. 534 Chap. 19. Directions to the healthy and to the sick The duties of those that are in health Pag. 539 Directions and counsel to the sick Pag. 541 How to examine themselves Pag. 543 Of the duties commanded and sins forbidden in the Law or ten Commandments Pag. 545 Of the sins against the Gospel Pag. 556 Further directions to the Sick Pag. 564 The Lessons to be learned in the School of affliction Pag. 567 What things are required of them whom God brings out of trouble and affliction Pag. 570 Chap. 20. Of the four last things Death Judgment Hell Heaven Pag. 577 1. Of Death ib. Directions how to prepare for death ib. Reasons why those that are Godly should not overmuch fear death Pag. 582 2. Of the last Judgment Pag. 587 Arguments to prove there will be a day of judgment Pag. 588 Who will be the Judge Pag. 591 The nature and manner of this judgment Pag. 594 A threefold Book that will then be opened Pag. 598 The consequents of this judgment Pag. 599 3. Of Hell Pag. 602 Of the duration of the persons of the damned ib. Of the duration of their pains Pag. 606 Of the dreadfulnesse of their pains and torments Pag. 608 Of Heaven Pag. 617 Of the resurrection of the body Pag. 622 Of the Glory of the body Pag. 625 Of the blessednesse of the soul Pag. 628 ERRATA THe Reader is desired to Correct these Errata's with his pen that the sense be not disturbed Page 17. line 15. of him is wanting after invisible things p. 20. the last Scripture viz. Gen 48.16 should have been left out as being spoken not of a created Angel but the Angel of the Covenant p. 43. l. 10. dele of God p. 71. l. 3. after offered read one l. 4. after sins r. for ever p. 101 l. 27. after Christ r. v. 8. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not c. p. 129 l. 1. the 47 v. of Mar. 9. is left out p. 132 l. 21. for not r. ever p. 137. l 21. for calender r. calendar p. 141. l. 18. dele three p. 144. l 27. for the r. thee p. 146. l. 45. for This is the soul r. Thus is the soul p. 165. l. 11. dele therefore p. 173. l. 8. dele Isa 48. 17. p. 180. l. 15. for my being r. any being p. 181. l. 4. for and four beasts r. and the four beasts p. 240. l. 13. for spirit r. spirits p. 246. l. 3. after unlawfull r. and customary l. 16. for scurrulous r. scurrilous p 253. l. 4. for persons whom r. persons to whom p. 263. l. 26. for watch r. walk p 301. l 13. for meditations r. meditation p. 209. l. 10. for the first of the r. the first day of the. p. 346. l. 20. for psams r. psalms p. 360. l. 6. for to kind r. to its kind p. 413. l. 29. for stretched r. stretcheth p. 439. l. 10. for that that they do it r. for that they do as one saies p. 482. l. 1. for beareth r. heareth p. 512. l. 19. for dost really r. dost not really p. 514. l. 15. for twelfth bour r. eleventh hour p. 525. l. 16. for pag. 510 r. page 511. p. 528. l. 18. for peâ—suming r. presuming p. 541. l. 9. for partie r. parties l. 13. for cna r. can p. 551. l. 1. for visiting r. of visiting p 567 l. 8. for corectest r. correctest p. 569. l. 23. for Oh r. O. p. 570. l. 6. for our r. your p. 581. l. ult for his r. this p. 589. l. 4. after conscience r. only p. 609. l. 17. dele or p. 627. l. 7. for or r. and. KNOWLEDGE PRACTICE OR A Discourse of things necessary to be Known Believed and Practised in order to Salvation TWo things are mainly necessary to Salvation Right Knowledge Right Practice The chief things to be Known and Believed are Concerning God Man The Mediator between God and Man Concerning God we are to Know three things 1. His Nature 2. His Properties or Attributes 3. His Workes Concerning Man three things 1. The happy Condition in which he was made 2. His Fall 3. The way of his Recovery by Christ Concerning the Mediator between God and Man seaven things 1. What manner of Person he was 2. How he came into the World 3. How he lived here 4. How he died 5. What became of him after his Death 6. What was the end and intent of his coming into the World 7. What they are effectually Called unto and through the assistance of the Spirit of God enabled to perform who shall receive Remission of sins by Christ CHAP. I. Concerning God COncerning God we are to know three things 1. His Nature 2. His Properties or Attributes 3. His Workes First His Nature That there is one Onely true God
who is a Spirit infinitely Glorious and being One in Nature is yet Three in Persons or Subsistences The Father The Son and The Holy Ghost These are Three and One after a wonderfull and mysterious manner The Father God The Son God And the Holy Ghost God and yet not three Gods but one God Secondly His Properties or Attributes God is Eternal or without any Beginning or End Omnipotent or Almighty Omnipresent or every where present Omniscient or All-knowing Infinitely Wise Holy Just Mercifull Thirdly His Works which are principally two 1. Creation 2. Providence I. Creation Concerning which we must know 1. That God made the world and all the Creatures therein both visible and invisible by his Almighty power and Created them all very good 2. The chief of his Creatures are Angels Men. 3. All the Angels were at first made holy and happy Spirits Some continued in their obedience to God and are still Angels of Light Others fell from God through Pride or some other sin and are become Devils of Darknes Concerning the Creation of Man see farther in the next Chapter II. Providence As God Created the World and all the Creatures therein by his Almighty Power So he upholds directs disposes and governs them all by his Providence Nothing so Casual but he disposes of it No Agent so free as to be exempted from his Controule No affliction or Evil of Punishment but he hath a hand in it But as for sin he neither is nor possibly can be the Author or Approver of it CHAP. II. Concerning Man COncerning Man we are to know and understand these three things 1. The happy Condition in which he was made 2. His Fall 3. The way of his Recovery by Christ 1. The Holy and happy estate in which God created man at first Namely after his own Image in Knowledge Holinesse and Righteousnesse with Dominion over the Creatures here below writing his Law on mans heart requiring perfect obedience from him and giving him power to perform it promising the continuance of him in that happy estate if he obeyed and threatning him with death if he disobeyed which is called the Covenant of works 2. The miserable Condition into which man threw himself by sin Our first Parents by the temptation of Sathan disobeyed God broke his righteous Law and Commandement and thereby cast themselves out of the Favour of God became the Slaves of Satan and liable to the curse of the Law and brought a great depravation of soul and body upon themselves And such as our first Parents were such must their posterity needs be For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean says Job Chap. 14.4 They having lost the Image of God themselves the holinesse and happinesse in which they were made could not conveigh it to their posterity So that the nature of man is now become corrupt prone to evil backward to good And this miserable condition is derived to us from Adam by our immediate Parents and as men come to be born in several Ages and generations so they actually participate of the sap that comes from the first root we being therefore all of us in so bad a Condition by nature and by custome and practice in sin having made our selves much worse and more abominable in the sight of God more guilty and liable to his wrath we are to know and consider that this woful state of sin and misery is by no means to be rested in But seeing we are fallen into so lamentable a condition we must speedily endeavour to get out of it And therefore let us remember that without Conversion there is no hope of Salvation Except a man be born again and made a new Creature he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God 3. The blessed way found out and appointed by God for mans Recovery out of this miserable state which is by the undertaking and mediation of his onely Son CHAP. III. Concerning the Mediator between God and Man COncerning the Mediator between God and man Christ Jesus We must know and understand these seaven things 1. What manner of person he was He was God and Man in the same person The Eternal Son of God The second Person in the Trinity took to himself our humane Nature a humane soul and body and united it after a wonderfull manner to his Godhead And so God and Man became one person 2. How he became man He was born about sixteen hundred and odd years ago of the Virgin Mary who was of the seed of Abraham and of the Family of David as was foretold in the Scriptures being Conceived in her by the Almighty power of the Holy Ghost without the help of man and without sin and was Called Jesus Christ 3. How he Lived He Lived about three and thirty years here upon Earth a most holy innocent sinless Life performing perfect obedience to the Law of God And as the great Prophet of God who was promised Deut. 18.15 Acts 3 22. he declared his Fathers will in his heavenly discourses and Sermons and wrought many miracles to confirm his doctrine and to prove himself the true Messias and the Eternal Son of God 4. How he Died Being betrayed by Judas forsaken by his Disciples scorned and rejected by the World through the malicious prosecution of the Jews and unjust sentence of Pilat he was Condemned to be Crucified and being tormented by his persecutors and having conflicted with the Terrors of Death and felt and born Gods wrath He endured the painful shameful and cursed death of the Crosse there as a Priest offering up himself a Sacrifice to God and a Ransome and Propitiation for our sins 5. What became of him after his Death He being buried rose again the third day and after Fourty days continuance on the earth in which time he frequently appeared to his Disciples and others teaching the things appertaining to the Kingdome of God he ascended into Heaven and is now in Glory with the Father where he intercedes for and presents the Merits of his Death and Sufferings in the behalf of all them that unfeignedly repent of their sins and do truly beleeve on him And being made King and Head of his Church and Lord of Angels and Men he shall come from Heaven again in great Glory to judge the quick and the dead at the Last day 6. What was the End and Intent of Christs Coming into the world The chief End and Intent of his Coming into the world was to save Lost and undone sinners to procure their pardon reconciliation with God by his Merits to Sanctifie their Natures by his Holy Spirit and to bring them to everlasting Life And to this end he appointed his Ministers to preach the Gospel unto the world and instituted the two Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper to signifie and keep in remembrance the great and inestimable benefits of his Death and Sufferings 7. What they are effectually Called unto and through the assistance of the
unto the woman what is this that thou hast done And the woman said the Serpent beguiled me and I did eate V. 16. Unto the woman he said I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children and thy desire shal be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee V. 17. And unto Adam he said because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying thou shalt not eate of it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life V. 18. Thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eate the hearb of the field V. 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return 1 Tim. 2.13 For Adam was first formed then Eve V. 14. And Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression V. 15. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in Child-bearing if she continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety 2 Cor. 11.3 For I feare least by any meanes as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Gen. 5.3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty yeares and begat a Son in his own likeness after his Image and called his name Seth. Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evill continually Gen. 8.21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour and the Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth neither will I again smite any more every thing living as I have done Rom. 5.12 Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned V. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one Judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life V. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Job 15.14 What is man that he should be clean and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous V. 16. How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water Job 14.4 Who can bring a Clean thing out of an unclean Not one Rom. 3.9 What then are we better then they no in no wise for we have before proved both Jewes and Gentiles that they are all under sin V. 10. As it is written there is none righteous no not one V. 23. For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God 1 Cor. 15.22 For as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive Acts 26.18 To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me 2 Tim. 2.26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devill who are taken Captive by him at his will Rom. 8.6 For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace V. 7. Because the carnall mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be 1 Cor. 2.14 But the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Rom. 7.14 For we know that the Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sin V. 18. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I find not V. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members V. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Jer. 17.9 The Heart is deceitful above all things and Desperately wicked who can know it Jam. 4.5 Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vaine The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Eph. 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins V. 2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the Aire the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience V. 3. Among whom also we all had our Conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the Children of wrath even as others Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 5.17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Eph. 4.18 Having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart 1 John 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us V. 10. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us Jam. 3.2 For in many things we offend all if any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body Eccles 7.20 For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Hos 14.1 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Eph. 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts V. 23. And be renewed in the Spirit of your mind V. 24. And that ye put on the new man which after God is Created in righteousnesse and true holinesse 1 Cor. 15.49 And as we have born the Image of the earthly we shall also bear the Image of the heavenly John 3.3 Jesus answered and said unto him verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God V. 4. Nicodemus saith unto him
how can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers wombe and be born V. 5. Jesus answered verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God V. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit V. 7. Marvel not that I said unto thee ye must be born again Col. 1.21 And you that were somtimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled 1 John 3.4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law for sin is the transgression of the Law Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Jam. 1.14 But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed V. 15. Then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Rom. 6.23 For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 7.5 For when we were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Mat. 25.41 Then shall he say also to them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels 2 Thes 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power 3. The blessed way found out and appointed by God for mans Recovery out of this miserable state which is by the undertaking and mediation of his onely Son Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thine help Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death V. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord so then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin Gen. 3.15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus John 3.14 And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse even so must the son of man be lifted up V. 15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life V. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 1 John 4.14 And we have seen and do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree John 6.35 And Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth on me shall never thirst V. 51. I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Col. 1.20 And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven John 4.42 And said unto the woman now we beleeve not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Acts 13.38 Be it known unto you therefore men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sins John 1.29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world 1 John 5.11 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son V. 12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life John 1.17 For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ 1 John 2.2 And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world Heb 9.15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance CHAP. III. Concerning the Mediator between God and Man COncerning the Mediator between God and man Christ Jesus We must know and understand these seaven things 1. What manner of person he was He was God and Man in the same person The Eternal Son of God The second Person in the Trinity took to himself our humane Nature a humane soul and body and united it after a wonderfull manner to his Godhead And so God and Man became one person 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the mystery of Godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world received up into Glory Rom. 9 5. Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen John 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the world was Christ God Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnesse of his Gloâ—y and the expresse Image of his Person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever 1 John 5.20 And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and eternal life John 10.30 I and my Father are one John 8.58 Jesus said unto them verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am John 17.11 And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given mee that they may be one as we are John 17.12 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the son of perdition that
the Scripture might be fulfilled John 1.1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God V. 2. The same was in the beginning with God V. 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made 1 Cor. 15.47 The first man is of the earth earthy the second man is the Lord from Heaven Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily Christ Man Heb. 2.14 Forasmuch then as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil V. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham V. 17. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Isa 9.6 For unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Councellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Phil. 2.6 Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equall with God V. 7. But made himself of no reputation and to k upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men V. 8. And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse 1 John 4.3 And every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that Spirit of Anti-Christ whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world 2 John 7. For many deceivers are entred into the world who confess not that Jesus is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Anti-Christ John 5.27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Sonne of man John 1.14 And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the Onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the man Christ Jesus Mat. 16.13 When Jesus came into the Coasts of Cesarea Philippi he asked his Disciples saying whom do men say that I the Son of man am V. 14. And they said Some say that thou art John the Baptist some Elias and others Jeremias or one of the Prophets V. 16. He saith unto them but whom say ye that I am V. 15. And Simon Peter answered and said thou art Christ the Son of the living God V. 17. And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven 2. How he became man He was born about sixteen hundred and odd years ago of the Virgin Mary who was of the seed of Abraham and of the Family of David as was foretold in the Scriptures being Conceived in her by the Almighty power of the Holy Ghost without the help of man and without sin and was Called Jesus Christ Gal. 4.4 But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law V. 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Mat. 1.18 Now the Birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Ghost V. 20. But while he thought on these things behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph thou son of David Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost V. 22. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying V. 23. Behold a Virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a Son and they shall Call his Name Emmanuel which being interpreted is God with us Luke 1.26 And in the sixth moneth the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a City of Galilee named Nazareth V. 27. To a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the Virgins name was Mary V. 28. And the Angel came in unto her and said Hail thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among women V. 30. And the Angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favour with God V. 31. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son and shalt Call his name Jesus V. 32. He shall be great and be Called the Son of the Highest and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David V. 33. And he shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdome there shall be no end V. 34. Then said Mary unto the Angel how shall this be seeing I know not a man V. 35. And the Angel answered and said unto her the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Luke 2.7 And she brought forth her first born Son and wrapped him in swadling Clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the Inne V. 8. And there was in the same Countrey shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night V. 9. And Lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the Glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid V. 10. And the Angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people V. 11. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. V. 12. And this shall be a sign unto you ye shall find the babe wrapped in swadling Clothes lying in a manger V. 13. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly Host praising God and saying V. 14. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men V. 15. And it came to pass as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven the shepherds said one to another Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to passe which the Lord hath made known unto us V. 16. And they came with hast and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger Rom. 1.3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of
V. 68. Saying Prophecy unto us thou Christ who is he that smote thee Luke 22.65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him Mat. 27.1 When the morning was come all the chief Priests and Elders of the people took Councel against Jesus how to put him to death V. 2. And when they had bound him they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilat the Governour V. 17. Therefore when they were gathered together Pilate said unto them whom will ye that I release unto you Barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ V. 20. But the chief Priests and Elders perswaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus V. 22. Pilat saith unto them what shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ they all said unto him let him be crucified V. 23. And the Governour said why what evil hath he done but they cried out the more saying let him be crucified Luke 23.23 And they were instant with loud voices requiring that he might be crucified and the voices of them and of the cheif Priests prevailed Mat. 27.27 Then the Souldiers of the Governour took Jesus into the common Hall and gathered unto them the whole band of Souldiers V. 28. And they stripped him and put on him a Scarlet robe V. 29. And when they had platted a Crown of Thornes they put it upon his head and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him and said Hail King of the Jews V. 30. And they spit upon him and took the reed and smote him on the head Mark 15.15 And so Pilat willing to content the people released Barabbas unto them and delivered Jesus when he had scourged him to be crucified Luke 23.24 And Pilat gave sentence that it should be as they required V. 25. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into Prison whom they had desired but he delivered Jesus to their will Mat. 27.31 And after they had mocked him they took the robe off from him and led him away to crucifie him John 19.17 And he bearing his Crosse went forth into a place called the place of a skull which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha Luke 23.33 And when they were come to the place which is Called Calvary there they crucified him and the malefactors one on the right hand and the other on the left Mark 15.24 And when they had crucified him they parted his Garments casting Lots upon them what every man should take Mat. 27.46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli Eli Lamasabachthany that is to say My God My God why hast thou forsaken me John 19.30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar he said it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the Ghost Luke 23.46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost John 19.33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his legs V. 34. But one of the Souldiers with a speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out blood and water Isa 53.3 He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not V. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed V. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his daies and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand V. 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities 1 Pet. 2 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed Phil. 2.8 And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Acts 10.39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the Land of the Jews and in Jerusalem whom they slew and hanged on a tree Acts 2.36 Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Heb. 9.28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God 1 Cor. 15.3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Heb. 9.22 And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission V. 26. Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Heb. 10.12 But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God V. 19. Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus V. 20. By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh V. 26. If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins 1 Cor. 6.20 For ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit Eph. 5.2 And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins V. 20. And having made peace through the blood of his Crosse Eph. 1.17 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his Grace Col. 2.14 Blotting out the hand writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Crosse Rev. 13.8 And all
that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb stain from the foundation of the world Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood 1 John 2.2 And he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world 5. What became of him after his Death He being buried rose again the third day and after Fourty days continuance on the earth in which time he frequently appeared to his Disciples and others teaching the things appertaining to the Kingdome of God he ascended into Heaven and is now in Glory with the Father where he intercedes for and presents the Merits of his Death and Sufferings in the behalf of all them that unfeignedly repent of their sins and do truly beleeve on him And being made King and Head of his Church and Lord of Angels and Men he shall come from Heaven again in great Glory to judge the quick and the dead at the Last day Buried Mark 15.42 And now when the even was come because it was the preparation that is the day before the Sabbath V. 43. Joseph of Arimathea Mat. 27.57 A rich man Mark 15.43 An honourable Counsellour Luke 23.50 A good man and a just V. 51. The same had not consented to the Counsel and deed of them who also himself waited for the Kingdome of God John 19.38 Being a Disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews Mark 15.43 Came and went in boldly unto Pilat and craved the body of Jesus V. 44. And Pilat marvailed if he were already dead and calling unto him the Centurion he asked him whether he had been any while dead V. 45. And when he knew it of the Centurion he gave the body to Joseph V. 46. And he brought fine linnen and took him down John 19.39 And there came also Nicodemus which at the first came to Jesus by night and brought a mixture of myrrhe and aloes about an hundred pound weight V. 40. Then took they the body of Jesus and wound it in linnen Clothes with the spices as the manner of the Jews is to bury V. 41. And in the place where he was crucified there was a Garden and in the Garden a new Sepulchre wherein was never man yet laid Mark 15.46 which was hewen out of a Rock John 19.42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews preparation day for the Sepulchre was nigh at hand Mat. 27.60 And rolled a great stone to the door of the Sepulchre and departed Mat. 12.40 For as Jonas was three daies and three nights in the whales belly so shall the Son of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth 1 Cor. 15.4 And that he was buried and that he rose again according to the Scriptures Rose again Mat. 17.22 And while they abode in Galilee Jesus said unto them the Son of man shall be betraied into the hands of men V. 23. And they shall kill him and the third day he shall be raised again and they were exceeding sorry John 2.19 Jesus answered and said unto them destroy this Temple and in three daies I will raise it up Rev. 1.5 And unto Jesus Christ who is the faithfull witnesse and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood V. 18. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Acts. 2.24 Whom God hath raised up having loosed the paines of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it Luke 24.39 Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have V. 40. And when he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands and his feet V. 46. And said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day Rom. 6.9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him Acts 13.32 And we declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers V. 33. God hath fulfilled the same unto their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalme thou art my son this day have I begotten thee V. 35. Wherefore he saith also in another Psalme thou shalt not suffer thine holy One to see corruptition V. 36. For David after he had served his owne generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his Fathers and saw Corruption V. 37. But he whom God raised again saw no Corruption Acts 4.33 And with great power gave the Apostles witnesse of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great Grace was upon them all 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Acts 26.22 Having therefore obtained help of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come V. 33. That Christ should come and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew Light unto the people and to the Gentiles John 20.24 But Thomas one of the Twelve called Didimus was not with them when Jesus came V. 25. The other Disciples therefore said unto him we have seen the Lord but he said unto them except I shall see in his hands the print of the Nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not beleeve V. 26. And after eight daies again his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said peace be unto you V. 27. Then saith he unto Thomas Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithlesse but beleeving V. 28. And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and My God Acts 1.3 To his Apostles also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them fourty daies and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God Rom. 1.4 And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holinesse by the Resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15.4 And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures V. 5. And that he was seen of
shall any man pluck them out of my hand V. 29. My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Jer. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 1 Cor. 10.12 Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Pet. 1.5 Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time V. 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your Souls 2 Tim. 2.19 Neverthelesse the Foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth V. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us V. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peril or sword Rom. 8.37 Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us V. 38. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come V. 39. Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Luke 22.32 But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren 2 Theâ— 3.3 But the Lord is faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from evil Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Concerning the members of Christ John 15.1 I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman V. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ. V. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 1.2 Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus Called to be Saints with all that in every place Call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours Rev. 7.9 After this I beheld and Lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and with Palmes in their hands Rom. 11.16 For if the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches Eph. 2.19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God Eph. 3.15 Of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named Eph. 4.12 For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ V. 13. Till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Mat. 16.18 And I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 23.8 But be not ye Called Rabbi for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are brethren V. 9. And call no man your Father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven V. 10. Neither be ye called Masters for one is your Master even Christ. Concerning the new Covenant Heb. 8.8 For finding fault with them he saith behold the days come saith the Lord when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah V. 9. Not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the Land of Egypt because they continued not in my Covenant and I regarded them not saith the Lord. V. 10 For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people V. 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse and their iniquities will I remember no more Mark 16.15 And he said unto them goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature V. 16. He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned Jer. 31.31 Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah V. 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more John 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Heb. 9.15 And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternall inheritance V. 16. For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator V. 17. For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength whilst the Testator liveth Heb. 12.24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel Ezek. 36 26 A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an
robs and deprives the soul of Gods Image consisting in knowledge righteousnesse and holinesse 4. It depraves disorders distempers the soul weakens the powers of it disables it for holy operations and brings a corrupt disposition into it 5. It defiles the soul and leaves such a blot and stain upon it that nothing but the blood of Christ can wash out 6. It enslaves the soul to the devil 7. It makes the soul like unto the devil Holinesse is Gods Nature Sin and wickednesse is the devils 'T was sin that at first turn'd Angels of light into devils of darknesse And if we could separate sin from them they would cease to be devils and clear up again into Angels of light II. The great danger of sin appears in that it brings such a guilt upon the soul as makes it liable to Gods wrath and curse and to punishments 1. Temporal Sickness pain vexation misery death which to the wicked are truly punishments and fruits of Gods vindicative justice and have their sting still in them 2. Spiritual 1. Losse of the favour of God and communion with him 2. The immediate strokes of his anger on the soul wounds of Conscience drops of his wrath horrour of mind despair 3. Hardnesse of heart a Spirit of slumber blindness of mind a reprobate sense to be given over to vile affections and to Sathan These are most fearful judgements 3. Eternal Such as concern the soules immortall condition after this life And they are either punishments of loss or pain 1. Of loss in being for ever banished from the presence of the Lord and the joyes of Heaven 2 Thes 2.9 being punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the Glory of his power 2. Of pain consisting in those exquisite and unconceivable torments which shall be inflicted on the dâ—mned set forth in Scripture by everlasting fire utter darknesse the worm that never dies the fire that is not quenched chains of darkness the blackness of darkness for ever the lake of fire and brimstone c. As therfore the nature of sin is out of measure sinful so the punishments are out of measure fearful III. The soules deep guiltinesse appears by considering 1. It s Original sin In which three things are to be noted 1. The guilt of Adams particular transgression in eating the forbidden fruit imputed to us He was the head and common Father of mankind and we were legally parties in that covenant which was at first made with him For God established his covenant with Adam principally in respect of his Nature and not so much in respect of his Person so that by consequence it must follow that all who are partakers of that Nature are bound by that Covenant And therefore we cannot but expect to be liable unto the guilt which followed upon the breach and violation of it Rom. 5.12 c. 2. A want of original righteousnesse Rom. 3.23 All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God that is of the glorious Image of God which was at first stamped upon man 3. A corrupt disposition in mans nature in place of original righteousnesse These two latter being the sad effects of Adams sin Now this depravednesse of nature this great aversenesse to good and pronenesse to evil is call'd the old man and the body of sin Rom. 6.6 The sin that dwelleth in us Rom. 7.17 The body of death Rom. 7.24 The flesh as opposite to the Spirit and Grace Rom. 7.18 25. The Law of the members Rom 7.23 Col. 3.5 A mans own lust Jam. 1.14 where 't is expresly distinguished from actual sin as being the procreant cause of it 2. It s Actual transgressions where are to be considered 1. Omissions of good and the duties required that might and ought to have been done 2. Commissions of evil Offending Against the Law even both Tables of it Against the Gospel 3. Doing that which was good in an evil manner slight and undue performance of holy duties 4. The aggravations of these sins in regard First Of the greatnesse of many of them Every one has some black daies in his Calender some more high and great offences whereof he hath been guilty and for which he is to be more deeply humbled Secondly The number of them if we consider 1. Wicked thoughts 2. Inordinate Affections 3. Sinful words 4. Evil actions Thirdly That many of them have been committed 1. Against mercies 2. Against judgments 3. Against promises and vowes of better obedience Secondly Contrition Godly sorrow brokenness of heart for sin To be sorry for what we have done amisse is something towards repentance but it is not the whole of it Gracious humiliation is a deep and hearty grieving for all our sins and that upon these Gospel Motives 1. Because we have by our sins highly displeased and offended our gracious God whom we had all the reason in the world to have studied to please The displeasure and offence of God is that which sets the soul a bleeding and mourning evangelically Consider therefore what is the Spring of thy sorrow If the punishment or shame of thy sins touch thee nearer than the offence of God 't is a sign thy sorrow is not right 2. Because our sins pierced our dear Lord and Saviour and put him to such grievous painful and shameful sufferings 3. Because by our sins we have brought a horrible defilement and stain on our souls 4. Because we have made our selves liable to the wrath and curse of God and deserve to be separated from the Lord and to be punished among devils and damned fiends for ever This in conjunction with the former is an Evangelical motive I confesse to weep and howl and grieve meerly for the wrath and punishment sin has brought upon the soul is such a sorrow as Judas had his share in and the damned in Hell exceed in it But this sorrow does not use to leave the soul in a better disposition for obedience in time to come as godly sorrow doth 2 Cor. 7.10 Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto life And take notice by the way this Godly sorrow is not a flower that growes in the Garden of nature A hard heart is Adams Legacy There may be a flexible nature where there is a hard heart that knowes not how to mourn and grieve for sin in a right manner Godly sorrow is voluntary The soul is active in it prayes for such a melting frame is thankful for it is best pleased when the heart is soft and tender and deeply affected for its sins and offences against God 'T is not so in worldly sorrow for in that we are meerly passive It comes upon us without sending for or being bidden welcome by us Thirdly Hating and Loathing sin The Spirit of sanctification works a secret antipathy an irreconcileable hatred in the soul against sin The true penitent hates sin as sin As David said Psal 119.128 I hate every false way True hatred is to the whole kind When
not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Selah V. 6. For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time that thou maist be found surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him Psal 17.1 Hear the Right O Lord attend unto my Cry give ear unto my Prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Psal 65.2 O thou that hearest Praiers unto thee shall all flesh come Mich. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his Heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Psal 145.18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth V. 19. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them Psal 50.15 And call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Dan 9.14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth for we obeyed not his voice Mat. 7.7 Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you V. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternall life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God V. 14. And this is the Confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us V. 15. And if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions we desired of him Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Eph. 6.18 Praying alwaies with all praier and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort therefore that first of all supplications praiers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men V. 2. For Kings and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godlinesse and Honesty Jam 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectual fervent praier of a righteous man availeth much Maâ— 5.44 But I say unto you love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you 2 Sam. 7.29 Therefore now let it please thee to blesse the House of thy Servant that it may continue for ever before thee for thou O Lord hast spoken it and with thy blessing let the House of thy servant be blessed for ever 1 John 5.16 If any man see his Brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto unto death there is a sin unto death I do not say he shall pray for it Gen. 18.27 And Abraham answered and said behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Luke 18.13 And the Publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eies unto Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner V. 14. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Job 22.27 Thou shalt make thy praier unto him and he shall hear thee aad thou shalt pay thy vowes 1 Sam. 1.15 And Hannah answered and said no my Lord I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 1 Cor. 14.15 What is it then I will pray with the Spirit and will pray with understanding also I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also Mark 11.24 Therefore I say unto you what things soever ye desire when ye pray beleeve that ye receive them and ye shall have them Jam. 1.6 But let him ask in Faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven with the wind and tossed Psal 145.18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth 1 Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Mat. 26.39 And he went a little farther and fell on his face and praied saying O my Father if it be possible let this Cup passe from me neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Acts 12.5 Peter therefore was kept in prison but praier was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him Mat. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Luke 11.2 And he said unto them when ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done as in Heaven so in earth Thanksgiving Col. 3.17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name Psal 67.2 That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all Nations V. 3. Let the People praise thee O God let all the People praise thee Psal 86.12 I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore V. 13. For great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell Psal 103.1 Blesse the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name V. 2. Blesse the Lord O my Soul and forget not all
they should be blamelesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and a perverse nation among whom saies he ye shine as Lights in the world 'T is a high point of Grace not to be snared with the evils of our own times 4. Against all occasions and temptations thou foreseest are likely to endanger thy soul We that pray to God not to lead us into temptation must not run our selves into it A prudent man should therefore forethink and consider in the morning what temptations he is like to be encountred with that day that so he may if possible decline them or else set his guards the stronger against them A weak temptation that takes us unawares will prevail more than a stronger forseen A prudent man saith Solomon Prov. 22.3 foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the foolish go on still and are punished 'T is a point of true spiritual wisdom to foresee sin afar off in the occasions and temptations that lead to it and by avoiding the one to prevent the other 'T is easier and safer for the Fowl to passe by the snare while she is yet out than it is to wind her self out again when she is once in Watch and pray saies our Saviour to his Disciples Mat. 26.41 that ye enter not into temptation If ye do rashly enter the lists of temptation a thousand to one such is mans naturall weaknesse you will not come out without some foil 5. Against dishonouring God in the use of lawful things such as meat drink apparel lawful refreshments c. Remember that 't is in the use even of things indifferent that Satan most usually setteth his snares for Gods servants for here the snare is not so visible as in grosser sins and he prevaileth more often against those that be not grossely prophane and ungodly by the immoderate or undue use of things in themselves lawful than by drawing them to such things as are simply evil and unlawful The Devil knowes well that he that will do all he may do will soon be drawn to do somwhat he ought not to do 'T is dangerous to come near the borders and confines of sin Those that will go to the utmost extent of their Christian Liberty and venture themselves so near the brink do many times fall into the pit of sin All things saith the Apostle are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient 1 Cor. 6.12 and 10.23 All things i. e. not all things absolutely but all things in their own nature indifferent are lawful to me yet all such things are not alwaies expedient 'T is better for us many times to forbear many things we may do it will never be grief or offence of heart to us as was said to David in another case 1 Sam. 25.31 than be once overtaken in what we should not do 6. Watch against Errour As thou must be careful to keep thy heart from sinful lusts and thy life from being spotted and stained with sinful practises so thou must be vigilant also to keep thy judgment sound and thy mind from being tainted and fly-blown with Errour Thou must take heed of a corrupt judgment as well as a rotten heart and a wicked life 'T is a great judgment to be given up either to an erroneous mind or to vile affections Some there are that seem very strict in their lives and pretend as much tendernesse in matter of morality as Lot did of his guests Gen. 19. yet are very loose as to their judgments exposing them as he his Daughters to be defiled with any corrupt Doctrine that comes to their doors Julian the Apostate was a just temperate strict man but a bitter enemy to Christ Some that are sober in their lives are yet drunk with Errour But let such consider that as they say of fish they begin to stink at the head so a corrupt judgment is very frequently a beginner and introducer of a depraved conversation Men in this age are wanton and play with opinions but believe it 't is not of small moment what opinions we hold and whether we be sound in the Faith or no. Grace and Truth use to thrive together The way of truth is the way of life and errour tendeth to death The Apostle tels us of pernicious Doctrines and damnable Heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 that bring swift destruction Truth in the mind preserveth an awe of God in the heart But false Doctrines blind the mind harden the heart deprave the conversation destroy the Churches peace and provoke the Lord to have a controversie with a people where they are tolerated Rev. 2.14 15 20. And we should be the more watchful over our selves in this particular because Errours are so agreeable to corrupt Nature and Conscience does usually lesse regret a man for Errour than for unholinesse and many times also they sute a corrupt interest namely profit and worldly advantage and then people are in great danger to be caught by them To keep thee therefore from Errour take these few Directions 1. Labour to be well-grounded in the truth Let the foundation be laid sure else the building with every ruffling wind will be apt to totter Ungrounded Christians who never understood the true grounds of the Religion they have taken up and how it is built on the Scriptures when they meet with Arguments against it which they never heard of before and which they through their unskilfulness cannot answer they presently yield to errour and think because they cannot answer them therefore no body else can But if thou wouldst not be carried away with every wind of Doctrine Labour rightly to understand the true grounds of Christian Religion And to this end study the Scriptures with humility and be much in prayer that God would guide thee by his holy Spirit into all saving truth and keep thee from falling into errour And remember that what has been commonly received by the people of God and embraced and practised by the Saints in all ages is not lightly to be rejected and deserted Can any rational man think God would leave the generality of his people to errour and seduction of mind Consider with thy self therefore whether it be not safer to follow the footsteps of the flock of Christ than to be led away by pretenders to new light the Scripture having given so many cautions to beware of seduceâ—s 2 Pet. 3.17 18. 2. Rest not in a bare knowledge of the truth but reduce thy knowledge into practise Be sincere in the Religion thou professest and let the truths of God like leaven season thy mind will and affections and have a powerful influence on thy life When men are in love with Gospel-truths for the goodnesse sweetnesse and benefit they tast in them they will labour to hold them fast Those that have any experience in their own hearts of the comfort and efficacy of the Doctrines of Repentance Faith in Christ and daily watchfulness will not easily throw them
gates of Jerusalem on the evening of their Sabbath If any Merchants come any worldly thoughts or businesses let them stay without till the Sabbath be over The work of mens Callings is not only in their hands but in their minds and heads A Minister may have a great Congregation yet but a few hearers if their minds be stuft with the world before they come if they bring their trades their bargaines their plow their worldly businesse along with them As therefore we read of Abraham in Gen. 22.5 That when he went up to the Mount to offer Sacrifice he left his servants and the Asse in the valley behind him so should we our worldly cares and businesses when we go to worship God and to hear his Word 2. Consider and meditate on the great concernment and importance of the Word 'T is the ordinary means God hath appointed for the working that great work of conversion without which no salvation and for the edifying and building up those that are already savingly wrought upon Jam. 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth 1 Cor. 4.15 I have begotten you in Christ Jesus saith Paul through the Gospel Rom. 10 17. Faith cometh by hearing Indeed sin and consequently death came by hearing at the first by our first Parents listening to and believing a tempting Spirit But now Faith and consequently life comes by Hearing through the operation of the blessed Spirit of God in the Word Rom. 1.16 The Gospel 't is the power of God unto salvation Labour therefore to have an high value and esteem of the preaching of the Gospel God hath appointed his Ordinances not in Soveraignty only but in Mercy to us As our Saviour said of the Sabhath Mark 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath So may I say of all the Ordinances of God they were ordained for man for mans benefit and not man made for them And therefore the great benefit that with Gods blessing may be expected from them if we duly attend upon them should make us highly value them Indeed it is one of the devils stratagems in this age to urge the efficacy of the Spirit as a plea for the neglect of means Whereas Gods Spirit does usually work in and by the means and rarely if ever when the ordinary means are slighted 'T is true God himself is not tyed to means nor to any of his own Ordinances yet he ties us to make use of them when we may have them That soul cannot expect to be instructed by Gods Spirit who is a slighter and neglecter of Gods ordinary means Further consider the intent of the Word is not only to regenerate but to nourish increase and perfect the Graces of the Saints Eph. 4.11 12. Our knowledge is imperfect Those that know most may learn more We need new inforcements of duty Our affections are dull and need a new excitement None so wise so knowing a Christian but he may receive some benefit from a different handling of what he himself knew before Therefore seeing the preaching of the Word was ordained for so great and signal benefits to mankind 't is just with God that they that have slight thoughts of it should be barren under it 3. When thou art going to hear consider whither thou art going Thou art going to meet the great God of Heaven and Earth A God that is not to be dallied with Levit. 10.3 I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me When the people went to hear the Law Exod. 19.10 The Lord said to Moses Sanctifie the people and let them wash their clothes What does this speak to us that Christians should only wash their hands and faces and put on their best apparrel when they come to hear the Word No the Apostle James Jam. 1.21 tels us Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meeknesse the ingrafted Word that is able to save your souls If thou findest thy Spirit slight and wandring to fix it and make it serious think with thy self and imagine how it was with the Israelites going to receive the Law of God When the Mount was all on a flame of fire the trumpet sounding louder and louder the people trembling and sore afraid This is to beat the Devil with his own weapon for he often prevailes upon us by casting in sinful Imaginations Consider therefore how the Lord is present in an especial manner where his Word is preached Surely the Lord is in this place as Jacob said of Bethel Gen. 28.16 The apprehension of Gods presence in the assemblies of his people will preserve in thee an awful and reverent disposition of soul 4. Before thou goest fail not to poure forth earnest and fervent prayers unto the Lord and that in behalf 1. Of the Minister 2. Of thy self I. In behalf of the Minister that the Lord would teach him what he should teach the people and direct and enable him to declare the mind of God and to preach such truths as may tend to the benefit and salvation of thine and others soules Certainly if people did more seriously and more frequently pray for their Minister that the Lord would bless and prosper his labours and direct him to divide the Word aright to give to every one their portion to feed the people with knowledge and understanding he might expect a greater blessing and assistance in his studies and they more benefit by his endeavours How earnestly does Paul beg prayers Rom. 15 30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me v. 31. That my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the Saints And Eph 6.18 Praying alwaies with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit for all Saints v. 19. And for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel v. 20. That therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak Col. 4.3 Withal praying for us that God would open to us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds v. 4. That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak II. In behalf of thy self 1. That the Lord would fix thy mind and make it serious When the mind is serious truths are apt to make impression 2. That he would enlighten thy mind and open thy heart as he did the heart of Lydia Acts 16.14 that thou maist have a clear and right understanding of those truths that concern thy salvation 3. That he would give thee a heart to believe and embrace the truth in the love of it that truth may not only float in thy phantasie but sink down into thy heart Rom. 10.10 With the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse There is a Faith of the head and a Faith of
they must command them only lawful and reasonable things using their power and authority over them with equity and moderation and with a gentle hand In all things of moment they require of them let them consider the real good and benefit of their children and guide themselves by that and not meerly their own advantage or pleasure or the exercise of their own authority This is a Rule as one saies well whereof Parents may often have use but especially in the businesse of marrying their children wherein many Parents out of a covetous humour to bestow them wealthily have forc'd them to marry against their inclinations and where they could not love which is a horrible Tyranny and thereby have betrayed them to infinite mischiefs such as all the wealth in the world cannot repair There are two things therefore saies the same Author that Parents ought especially to consider in the matching of their children 1. That they may live Christianly and to that purpose to chuse a pious and vertuous person to link them with that may not be like to hinder but to further them on in the way to Heaven This ought principally and above all other things to be minded 2. That they may live comfortably and cheerfully in this world And to that end though a competency of estate may be necessary to be regarded yet surely abundance is not requisite and therefore that should not be too vehemently sought after That which much more tends to the happiness of that State is the mutual kindnesse and liking of the parties without which marriage is of all other the most uncomfortable condition therefore no Parent ought to force a child into it Eph. 6.4 And ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Col. 3.21 Fathers provoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged 2 Cor. 12.14 For the children ought not to lay up for the Parents but the Parents for the children 1 Tim. 5.8 But if any provide not for his own especially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse then an Infidell Deut. 6.7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up Prov. 19.18 Chasten thy son while there is hope and let not thy soul spare for his crying Prov. 13.24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes Prov. 29.17 Correct thy son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy soul Prov. 22.15 Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a child but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 10.1 A wise son maketh a glad father but a foolish son is the heavinesse of his mother Prov. 1.8 My son hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother Deut. 4.9 Onely take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the daies of thy life but teach them thy sons and thy Sons sons Duties of Children towards their Parents Children owe to their Parents these three duties especially 1. Reverence 2. Obedience 3. Thankfulnesse I. Reverence which they must expresse 1. By honouring them in their hearts bearing not only an awe and respect but a kindnesse and affection towards them loving their persons fearing to do any thing may justly provoke them and highly esteeming them as the instruments under God of their being Lev. 19.3 Ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father The Mother is placed first because children though they stand most in need of their Mothers in their younger years yet when they are grown up many times do most wickedly neglect and despise them But how cursed a thing it is to set light by Parents and even in our secretest thoughts to despise them God himself declares Deut. 27.16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his Father or his Mother and all the people shall say Amen 2. By speaking to them with due respect and regard and to others of them What a heinous sin then is mocking Parents Prov. 30.17 The eye that mocketh at his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the valley shall pick it out and the young Eagle shall eat it But there is a more horrid Crime than that which is cursing Parents Exod. 21.17 And he that curseth his Father or his Mother shall surely be put to death And to this Head we may refer that great and high offence that those wretched Children are guilty of who either through impatience of the Government or greedinesse of the possessions of their Parents do wish their deaths And let them not think to excuse themselves by saying they wish them in Heaven for that they do it not so much that they may have ease and rest at their journies end as because they must needs take death in the way But whoever does thus embrue his soul in bloudy wishes of his Parents death let him know there is one above that sees and observes that great wickedness And if long life be promised as a reward of honouring Parents 't is very agreeable to Divine Justice that untimely death be the punishment of the contrary And so they who so eagerly desire the death of their Parents take the direct course untimely to meet with their own 3. By giving them in their outward carriage all due respect and observance behaving themselves with humility towards them and giving them all those signs and expressions of civil honour which are to be paid by Inferiours to Superiours How contrary to this is that detestable sin of smiting Parents Exod. 21.15 And he that smiteth his Father or his Mother shall be surely put to death The punishment the Heathens inflicted on such unnatural children was to sew them in a sack with a dog cat viper and ape as emblems of unnaturalness and so drown'd them together So much doth the very Light of Nature abhor such monstrous undutifulness II. Obedience which they must manifest 1. By hearkning to their instructions and carefully laying up their precepts in their hearts especially those that concern the welfare of their Souls There is ordinarily such a pride and headinesse in youth that they are apt to slight the counsels and directions of their Elders and to look upon them as proceeding either from too much severity or from dotage when they are indeed the fruits of wisdom sobriety experience To such the counsell of Solomon is necessary Prov. 23.22 Hearken unto thy Father that begat thee and despise not thy Mother when she is old Many more Texts there are in that book to this purpose that shew how the wisest of men have thought it necessary that Children should carefully attend to the
are not under the dominion of sin but of grace Whether they have put on the new man and have a new nature wrought in them which consists in knowledge righteousnesse and true holiness Whoever is in Christ is a new creature old things are past away 2 Cor. 5.17 And whoever has not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8.9 They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit V. 5. To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace V. 6. Let them consider therefore whether ever they found a powerful work of Grace upon their hearts whether the Spirit of Christ dwell in them whether his Law be written in their hearts whether his Glory be their end whether indeed they are alive unto God what strength they have for active and passive duties whether the Word be their delight whether they pray fervently delight in communion with God in his waies and Worship whether they obey him sincerely and walk humbly before him whether they bear afflictions patiently suffer reproaches joyfully Sixthly Whether they have for any considerable time made Religion the great businesse of their lives apprehending the chief happinesse of man to consist in reconciliation with God pardon of sin in a gracious frame of heart in communion with God and a faithful serving of him whether they have set their affections on things above have had their conversation in Heaven have pressed earnestly after the Glory of the other world have laid hold on eternal life have been treasuring up for eternity have improved their Talents for God have been serviceable to him in their generation If their Consciences upon a serious search can bear witnesse that through Grace it has been thus in some good measure with them then they have great reason to encourage their hearts in the Lord and to awaken all the powers of their soules to blesse his holy Name for working so gracious a frame of heart in them And let them still seek to the same fountain of Grace that he would please to perfect holinesse more and more in them till he bring them into the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediatour of the new Covenant Heb. 12.22 But if the case has not been thus in any considerable degree and measure with them but upon a serious search they find they have been ignorant and mistaken about or too negligent and carelesse of the great things that concern their salvation then let them bewail their sad condition and cry mightily to God to give them his holy Spirit to enlighten their minds to convince them throughly of their sins of the danger folly and pollution of them to give them a heart to repent in good earnest to bestow upon them a broken and a contrite Spirit to dissolve their stony hearts into that Godly sorrow which worketh repentance to salvation never to be repented of and which bringeth forth fruits meet for repentance to discover to them their great need of a Saviour to draw their soules effectually unto him that they may close with him sincerely and resolvedly for those ends and purposes for which he came into the world namely to procure our pardon by his Merits and to sanctifie our natures by his Grace and holy Spirit to mortifie our corruptions to deliver us from Satans power and to bring us back again unto God And for the better information of their minds in the things they should know and believe in order to their salvation and to direct their practise I must refer them to the three first Chapters of the first part of this Treatise and the second and third Chapters of the second part which I desire them heedfully to mind and ponder upon Besides these Directions already mentioned there are some others also very requisite for sick persons to mind and regard As I. They should settle their estates and worldly affairs if they have not already done it as in prudence they should in time of health so that their minds may be free and vacant for spiritual exercises and not disturbed with earthly cares and businesses And those that have estates let them not forget to be charitable and to dispose something to pious uses knowing that with such sacrifices offer'd in a right manner and to a right end God is well pleased II. If they remember any wrongs or acts of injustice they have done to their neighbours or those with whom they have had dealings let them make restitution or labour to give them satisfaction as they are able that the guilt of those sins remain not on their Consciences III. If they be at variance with any let them seek reconciliation and freely and heartily forgive those that have done them wrong remembring how much they stand in need of forgivenesse from God IV. Let them give good counsel to those about them and the friends that come to visit them and exhort them earnestly to mind the working out their salvation in time of health and not to set their hearts on this world on the pleasures or profits of it which will not avail them in the day of death Let them advise them now to live unto God now to lay a good foundation against the time to come The words of sick and dying persons use to be much heeded and remembred V. Let them in the intervals of sharper pains look over their life past and recollect Gods wonderful favours and blessings bestowed upon them to stir up their hearts to praise and magnifie his holy Name How many are there that if they would read over the history of their life past may find matter enough of praise and to provoke them to send up some such thankful ejaculations as these Blessed be the Lord in all my life time I never broke a bone never fell into the hands of robbers never into publick shame or noisom diseases I have not begg'd my bread God gave me a right shape of body the right use of my understanding careful and pious Parents good and bountiful friends a religious education delivered me in such and such a danger heard my prayers in such particular pressures of my spirit c. O what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me VI. Let them decline as much as they can the visits of vain and worldly persons who by their carnal and frothy discourses are like to disturb and hinder them in their preparations for death and those spiritual meditations and exercises they should be employ'd in Those that visit sick persons or attend about them should not talk to them as 't is too common of vain worldly needlesse businesses but of things that concern the welfare of their soules And to this Head I may
him who lies but a few daies sick and has strength of nature to make resistance That Christian whose love to his life and the contentments of it hath been for many years consuming and dying will more easily part with them than he whose love is stronger to them As the Reverend Mr. Gurnal excellently expresses it in his Christian Armour We should consider we are but pilgrims and strangers here Heaven is the proper countrey of holy Souls We should therefore be providing for our removal out of this strange countrey We should pack up and send our best things aforehand namely our love our hearts our delights our joyes before we set out our selves for those Heavenly mansions Fifthly Consider what great reasons there are that those that are truly Godly should not much fear death I confesse nothing can sweeten death and make it desirable to a Christian but only an interest in Christ Things that are in their own nature sour and sharp will ask much Sugar to make them sweet Death is one of those things that hath the most harsh and ungrateful tast to a creatures pallat that may be Believe it a man cannot think with any comfort of putting his head into another world if he hath no solid ground to hope Christ will own him there for his But if he have there are many reasons why he should not dread death 1. They that are truly godly shall die but once i. e. a natural death only The wicked die twice not only a natural but a spiritual death The natural death stands in the separation of the soul from the body The spiritual in the separation of soul and body from God Rev. 20 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power He that is born but once namely naturally shall die twice naturally and spiritually He that is born twice i. e. besides his natural birth hath been spiritually regenerated and born again shall die but once namely a natural death 2. Death is not a destruction or annihilation either of soul or body but only an alteration and change of the condition of them both and that for the better to all those that have an interest in Christ Such may say with Paul Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ to die is gain For 1. Though death separate soul and body yet it can separate neither of them from Christ. As in Christ's death his soul and body were separated each from other yet neither of them from the second Person in the Trinity in which both of them did subsist at that time in the personal Union so though when the Saints die soul and body be separated yet after this separation both remain united to Christ in the mystical Union because their bodies as well as their souls are part of the mystical body of Christ who is the Head and Saviour of the whole person consisting of soul and body And when Christ who is their life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in Glory Col. 3.3 4. We see then that though body and soul be sever'd each from other at death yet as to all those that die in the Lord neither of them are severed or disjoyned from Christ but the conjunction which is begun in this life remaines for ever Which must needs be matter of exceeding joy and comfort to them that by a lively Faith are united to him here 2. The body being resolved into dust is freed from all sicknesse and pains from all the miseries troubles and calamities of this life 3. It ceaseth to be either an active or a passive instrument of sin whereas in this life 't is both Sin and the temptations to it are the great grievances and burdens of the servants of God which they groan to be delivered from As sin therefore brought death into our bodies so death carries sin out of them 4. The bodies of the Saints shall be raised in a far greater glory at the general resurrection and be joyned again to their souls to live an everlasting life of glory and happinesse with them So that we may from hence conclude the body will be no loser by this change Neither will the soul for it will gain this threefold advantage thereby 1. It will change its place and be remov'd from a prison to a palace from a Tabernacle of clay to a Heavenly Mansion 2. Its qualities Here 't is infested with sinful and unruly passions and affections of all sorts which are a great annoyment to it But there it shall be freed from all these and made perfectly holy 3. It s company It leaves the company of sinners and gaines the company of Saints and Angels Yea shall have fellowship with the blessed Trinity in whose presence there is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Let all such therefore as have an interest in Christ look upon death not in the glass of the Law but of the Gospel Death in the Law is a curse and a downfal to the pit of destruction In the Gospel it is an entrance into Heaven Christ hath taken away the sting and mischief and destructive power of death He hath altered the property of it and in stead of being a door to Hell hath made it a gate to blisse and happinesse for all those that are his Let the truly Godly and serious Christian therefore not fix his mind so much on the pangs and torments of death as upon the blessed estate that is to be enjoyed after it and so fortifie his heart against the fear of it See the Reverend and Worthy Mr. Baxters considerations against the fear of death in the 4th Part of his Saints everlasting Rest Chap. 2. Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to die but after this the Judgment Job 30.23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living Job 17 14. I have said to corruption thou art my Father to the worm thou art my mother and my sister Jam. 4.14 For what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Isa 40.6 The voice said cry and he said what shall I cry All flesh is grasse and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field V. 7. The grass withereth the flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it Surely the people is grass Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Psal 39.4 Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my daies what it is that I may know how frail I am V. â— Behold thou hast made my daies as an hand breadth and mine age is as nothing before thee verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity Selah Job 14.2 He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a
shadow and continueth not Pâ—al 146.4 His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish Job 9.25 My daies are swifter than a post they flee away they see no good Eccles 12.5 Man goeth to his long home and the mourners go about the streets 2 Pet. 1.13 Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance V. 14. Knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me Psal 37 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Job 27.8 But what is the hope of the hypocrite though he have gained when God taketh away his soul II. Of Judgment It is mainly necessary in order to the practise of Godliness and ordering our conversation aright that we firmly believe and have frequent deep and serious meditations of the day of judgment In treating of which I shall enquire 1. How we may be assured there is a judgment to come 2. Who will be the Judge at that great Assizes 3. What will be the nature and manner of that judgment What the judicial proceedings at that day 4. What the Consequents of it For the first The Scripture seems to hold forth unto us a twofold judgment to come First Particular which followes immediatly after death Thus is that understood Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it i. e. to be judged by him as the Chaldee Paraphrast doth well explain it And that Historical Parable of Dives and Lazarus shews how immediately after they were dead the one went to Hell the other to Abrahams bosom That I say doth shew that every one particularly when he dieth is judged and receiveth either reward or punishment Secondly General at the end of the world The certainty of which may appear to us from these Arguments 1. From the voice of natural Conscience which is very sensible of it Foelix trembled when Paul preached of it Acts 24.25 And when he discoursed to the Athenians those great Lights of the Gentile world Acts. 17.31 That God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead found some who mocked when they heard of the resurrection of the dead but against the day of judgment none replied So true it is which the same Apostle elsewhere saies of the Gentiles who had but the light of Nature and so a natural Conscience that they shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Consciences also bearing witnesse and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another Rom. 2.15 2. From the Justice of God which requires it God being the Judge of the world as well as the Creator we may infallibly conclude he will judge the world in righteousnesse But as the affairs of this present life are ordered though they lie under the disposition of Providence yet they shew no sign of an universal Justice Oftentimes the wicked flourish and prosper while the righteous are afflicted and in misery In this life nothing more certain than that rewards are not correspondent to the vertues nor punishments proportionable to the sins of men If therefore there be a Judge of the world and that judge be just there is a judgment to come in another world and the effects thereof concern another life In that day there will be a revelation of the righteous judgment of God Rom. 2.5 God will then shew a perfect demonstration of his Justice and men shall discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Mal. 3.18 3. From the clear and manifest declaration of the will of God We have an expresse manifestation of Gods will and purpose concerning a judgment to come Eccles 12.14 For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Acts 17.30 But now God commandeth all men every where to repent V. 31. Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained No Doctrine more clear and fundamental in the Word of God than that of Eternal judgment Heb 6.2 Wherein the Judge will sentence to an eternall state 4. From a representation of it to the eies of some of Gods servants in Divine visions As to Daniel Chap. 7.9 I beheld till the Thrones were cast down and the Ancient of daies did sit whose garment was white as snow and the hair of his head like the pure wool his Throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels as burning fire V. 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him Thousand Thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him The judgment was set and the books were opened And likewise to St. John Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works The Throne therefore hath been already seen the Judge hath appeared sitting on it the Books have been already opened the dead small and great have been seen standing before him The representation of it to the eye in those Divine visions is a farther assurance of the certainty of it than if it had only been foretold and so represented to the ear We see then there will be a day of judgment 2. In the second place let us enquire who that Person is who shall be the Judge at that great Assizes who shall sit upon the Throne before whose Tribunal we shall all appear from whose mouth we may expect our sentence The judiciary power is the power of God The power and authority of judging is common to the three Persons being one and the same God but the execution of this judiciary power is committed particularly to the Son and so the Father and the Holy Ghost will actually judge the world no otherwise but by him He is ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead Acts 10.42 He will judge the world by that man whom he hath ordained c. Acts 17.31 The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son He hath given him authority to execute judgment John 5.22 27. There is therefore an original supream judiciary power and a judiciary power delegated derived given by commission Christ as God hath the first together with the Father and Holy Ghost Christ as man hath the second from the Father expresly from the Holy Ghost concomitantly John 5.27 All power is given him in
25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Of condemnation upon the wicked v. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels We shall therefore here speak of the state of the wicked after the righteous Judge hath pronounced the sentence of condemnation upon them and shall shew how their bodies and souls being re-united shall be so continued in that life for ever to undergo the punishment due unto their sins Here three things are to be taken into consideration 1. The duration and continuance of their persons without ever dying or being destroyed or annihilated 2. The duration of their pains without ever being taken off 3. The dreadfulnesse of those infernal pains and torments I. The Scripture speaks expresly that the wicked after the day of judgment shall not be consumed or annihilated but remain alive in soul and body to endure the torments to be inflicted upon them by the Justice of God for all the sins committed by them while they were in the body The Word of God indeed speaks of the wicked as of such as shall be destroyed and perish and die But we must know that a man may be said to be destroyed and perish to be lost and dead who is rejected separated and disjoyn'd from God the fountain of glory and blessednesse And that person may still subsist and be what in his own nature he was before and live the life which doth consist in the vital union of his soul and body and so subsisting undergo the wrath of God for ever The same Scripture which saies the wicked shall be destroy'd and perish and die saies also that they shall be tormented with never-dying paines Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed shall the Judge say to the wicked at the last day into everlasting fire And least any should imagine that the fire shall be everlasting but not the torments at the 46 v. it followes and these shall go away into everlasting punishment Now if the fire be everlasting by which God punisheth the damned and the punishment inflicted be also everlasting then must the damned everlastingly subsist to endure that punishment Otherwise there will be a punishment inflicted and none endured which is a contradiction Indeed the eternity of that fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels is a sufficient demonstration of the eternity of such as suffer in it And as that fire is termed eternal so that eternity is described as absolute excluding all limits and determination The end of the burning of fire is by extinguishing and that fire which cannot be extinguished can never end But such is the fire which shall torment the damned For he whose fan is in his hand shall burn up the chaff with unquencheable fire Mark 3.12 Luke 3.17 And he hath told us plainly and thereby given us a fair warning Mat. 18.8 that it is better to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire Or as it is Mark 9.43 To go into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched And he hath farther explained himself by that unquestionable addition and undeniable description of the place of torments where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And that we may be yet farther assur'd that this fire shall never be extinguished wereâ—â— that the smoak of their torments ascendeth up for ever and ever Rev. 14.11 And that those who are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever Rev. â—0 â—0 If therefore the fire in which the damned are to be tormented be everlasting if so absolutely everlasting that it shall never be quenched if so certainty never to be quenched that the smoak thereof shall ascend for ever and ever if those that are to be cast into it shall be tormented for ever and ever all which the Scriptures expresly teach then shall the persons of the damned never be destroy'd or annihilated but shall subsist for ever and be coeternal to the tormenting flames When therefore the Scripture speaks that the wicked after the resurrection shall be punished with death and that a second death it cannot be so understood that they shall be no more nor in any sense be said to live or subsist For the enduring of this fire is that very death and they are therefore said to die the second death because they endure eternal torments He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death Rev. 2.11 It seemes they which shall die that death shall be hurt by it whereas if it were annihilation and so a conclusion of their torments it would be no way hurtful or injurious but highly beneficial to them But the living torments are the second death For Rev. 21.8 It was revealed to St. John that the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Now if to have a part in the lake be the second death if that part be a perpetual continuance and permansion in torment as is before proved then to say that the wicked shall die the second death is not a confutation of their eternal being in misery but an assertion of it because 't is the same thing delivered in other terms As is well observed by the Learned Mr. Pearson in his Exposition of the Creed Neither will the phrases of perdition and destruction infer an annihilation of the persons of the damned or an ending of their torments For eternity of destruction in the language of the Scripture signifies a perpetual perpession and duration in misery As in the 2 Thes 1.8 9. When Christ shall come to take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 't is said they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power Wherefore from what hath been said we may conclude that the damned shall continue both in soul and body under the wrath of God and the torments proceeding from it never to be quitted of them by annihilation Here they might have life but would not there they would have death but cannot II. As the damned shall alwaies be continued in life and being to endure the torments due to their sins so the Justice of God will never fail to inflict those torments upon them for their sins The favour of God is not to be obtained where there is no means left to obtain it but in the world to come there is no place for Faith nor vertue in Repentance As no person once received into the Heavenly mansions shâ—ll ever be cast into outer darkness so certainly none who are once cast into the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels shall ever enter
state of corruption to a state of Glory Would we enter into Glory let us labour to secure our state in Grace Grace and Glory do not differ specifically but gradually When a soul is brought into a state of saving Grace it is entred into a state of Glory For as God hath prepared Heaven for his children so he prepares his children for Heaven Grace is the Nursery of Glory As the plants of righteousness grow fit for Heaven they are removed to Heaven and shall be for ever with the Lord. O Lord prepare and fit my soul for this new Jerusalem into which no unclean thing can enter Give me true repentance for all my sins and wash away the guilt of them in the blood of thy dear Son my Lord and Saviour Sanctifie me throughout both in soul and body by thy Grace and holy Spirit and enable me to glorifie thee in this life that I may hereafter enter into thy Kingdom into that eternal state of Glory bliss and purity O let me not have my portion in this life but when thou sendest for me out of this world by death Lord receive my soul for thy free mercy and my Saviours merits sake into those Heavenly mansions where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures at thy right hand for evermore Amen John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world 1 Cor. 2.9 But as it is written eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Col. 1.12 Giving thankes unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Heb. 10.34 For ye took joyfully the spoyling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 12.22 But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels V. 23. To the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect 1 Thes 4.17 And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Heb. 6.19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the vail V. 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus made an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek Mat. 25.23 His Lord said unto him well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. 2 Cor. 12.4 How that he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter Luke 16.22 And it came to passe that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom Heb. 11.10 For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God 1 Pet. 1.4 To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you 1 Pet. 5.4 And when the chief Shephard shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away Glory be to God in the highest On earth peace Good will towards men FINIS BOOKS Printed for and are to be sold by JOHN ROTHWEL at the Fountain and Bear in Cheap-side A Mr. AInsworth Arrow against Idolatry in fol. 12 Dr. Ames Cases of conscience Engl. Marrow of Divinity 4 On Peter 4 D. Arrowsmith Tactica Sacra sive de milite spirituali pugnante Vincente Triumphante Annotations on the Bible by the Dutch Ministers fol. Assembly Confes Catechism large and small in 4 with Scriptures at large B M. Bradshaw Sin against the H. Ghost 12 M. Bridges Babylons downfal 4 M. Bohemus on 100 Scriptures opened 8 M. Broxolme on Perkins Six Principles 8 M. Bucklers Assize Sermon C M. Church Miscelanies of the Attributes of God The Creatures of God 4 Good mans Treasury 12 Of Ejaculations 12 His Golden Sayings 12 Pocket companion 12 M. Culverwells Light of nature 4 White stone alone 8 M. Clark Of Persecution and Lives of Ministers folio M. Cravens Catechisme 8 M. Cotton of singing of Psalmes 4 Catechising and Conference by the Ministers of the Isle of Wight D M. Dales Shepherdizing of Lambs 8 D. Drake De sanguine 4 M. Dyke of Epping His Right Receiving of Christ 8 Safety in case of danger 8 Select Sermons of Quenching the Spirit and Pardon of sin c. 8 F Mr Fenner of Affections 4 Of Conscience 4 Alarm for drousie Saints 4 Wilful Impenitency 4 Catechism On the Creed Lords Prayer Ten Commandments M. Ford of Baptism Catechising and first Fruits of Davids Government 8 His Catechise against the Anabaptists G Germany Lamentations Octavo Invasion Octavo Prodigies Octavo H M. Hughes Of Affliction the benefit of it 4 Funeral Sermon 4 Parliament Sermon 4 M. Hooks New-Englands Tears 4 New-Englands Sense 4 M. How of Universal Redemption 4 Pagan Preacher silenced 4 M. Haines Grammar 8 M. Hanmer Of Confirmation L M. Lockier Balm for bleeding England and Ireland 8 Communion of Church Militant Discovery of Sincerity 8 Olive Leafe 8 Parliament Sermon 4 Englands Wounds 4 Love Grace with its different degrees 8 Zealous Christian 4 Heavens Glory and Hels Terror 4 Effectual Calling 4 Combat between the Flesh and Spirit 4 Directory of a Christian 4 The Penitent Pardoned 4 The Dejected Souls Cure Administration of Angels 4 Gods Omni-presence The Sinners Legacy to their posterity 4 By Mr. Calamy By Mr. Whitaker By Mr. Ashe By Mr. Taylor Longland On the four last things Death Judgment Hell and Heaven 12 M M. Milton His Reason of Church-Government 4 Apology for Smectymnuus M. Mathers Catechism 8 Reply to M. Rutherford 4 P M. Pool His Answer to Biddles Denial of the H. Ghost to be God 12 His Vindication of the Ministry 4 A Pacification between the Lutheran and Reformed Churches 8 M. Perrot The Scripture Stability R Bp. Richardson his choice Observations on the Old Testament as a supplement to the large Annot. fol. M Robouroâ—gh against Goodwin about Justification 4 Mâ— Robinson Christ is all in all 4 M. Ruttons Sermon before the Lord Mayor S Smectymnuus redivivus first and second Parts about Episcopacy and Presbytery 4 M. Shepherd on the Sabbath with Cases of Conscience 8 Of Subjection to Christ 8 On the Parab of the 10 Virg. 4 D. Sibbs Miracle of Miracles 4 Glorious feast of the Gospel 4 His Glance of Heaven 12 Spiritual mans aim 12 His Charter of a Christian 12 Conference between Christ and Mary after his Resurrect 12 On 2. Epist Cor. Chap. 4. 4 D. Stoughtons Sermons in his younger years 4 His form of sound words with the righteous mans plea to true Happinesse 4 Heavenly conversation Two Sermons 12 D. Seaman of Ordination 4 His Solomons choice 4 Head of the Church 4 Glasse for the times 4 Mrs. Scots exemplary life and death drawn up by several Minist T Thaesaurus Poeticus 12 D. Tuckney Balm for Gilead 12 Death disarmed A Sermon at D Hills Funeral 12 None but Christ 12 M. Tutty Funeral Sermon V M. Venning Orthodox Parodoxes 8 New Command octavo Mysteries Revelat. octavo Milk and Honey Second Part. octavo Warning to Backslid octavo Way to Heaven 4 octavo Sermon on the 5th of November W Wise Virgin A Narrative of Gods dealing with a child of eleven years of age and her gracious speeches in time of her affliction Published by three Ministers 8 M. Whitlock and M Reinolds Funeral Sermon of Francis Pierpointe Esq
Spirit of God enabled to perform that shall receive Remission of sins by Christ They that shall be made partakers of that great and inestimable benefit the Remission of all their sins by Christ are effectually called and enabled by the assistance of his Grace unfeignedly to believe the Gospel heartily to repent of all their sins seriously to give up their souls unto him resting and relying on the Redemption and Ransome of his Blood for their Pardon and Reconciliation with God And taking him for their onely Lord Saviour and yielding themselves up in sincere obedience to him and to be guided and governed by his Grace and Holy Spirit they do depend on him alone for Justification Sanctification strength to persevere in the ways of Holinesse and at last to be brought to eternall Life And to as many as are thus drawn by the Holy Ghost savingly to repent of their sins and believe in Christ being truly united to him and made branches in him the true Vine and members of his mystical body the true Church whereof himself is the Head God hath promised pardon and Remission of all their sins to write his Law in their Hearts to subdue their Corruptions by his Grace that sin shall not have Dominion over them to bestow on them all such outward blessings as he in his infinite wisdome shall see good for them And when they die their souls shall be received into everlasting blisse and their bodies shall be raised again by the power of Christ at the last day and made partakers of the same Glory And this is Called the Covenant of Grace But such as go on in their sins refusing to accept of Christ for their Lord and Saviour Redeemer and Sanctifier and to give up themselves in sincere obedience to him when they die their Souls shall be adjudged to everlasting punishment and their bodies shall be raised again at the last day and made partakers with their Souls of Everlasting Torments RIGHT KNOVVLEDGE Or the chief things to be Known and Believed in order to Salvation They are reducible to these three Heads Concerning God Man The Mediator between God and Man CHAP. I. Concerning GOD. COncerning God we are to Know three things First His NATURE That there is One onely true God who is a Spirit infinitely glorious and being one in nature is yet three in Persons or Subsistences The Father The Son and the Holy Ghost These are three and one after a wonderful and mysterious manner The Father God the Son God and the Holy Ghost God And yet not three Gods but One God Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 10.4 The wicked through the pride of his Countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts 1 Cor. 15.34 Some have not the Knowledge of God I speak this to your shame Heb. 11.6 But without Faith it is impossible to please him For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Isaiah 44.6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God Isai 45.5 I am the Lord and there is none else There is no God besides me 1 Cor. 8.4 As concâ—rning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in Sacrifice to Idols we know that an Idol is nothing in the World and that there is none other God but One. V. 5. For though there be that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there be Gods many and Lords many V. 6. But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Deut. 4.35 Unto thee it was shewed that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God And there is none else besides him Deut. 6.4 Hear O Israel the Lord our God is One Lord. Jer. 10.10 But the Lord is the true God He is the living God and an everlasting King At his wrath the Earth shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his Indignation 1 Thes 1.9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entring in we had unto you And how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God Job 11.7 Canst thou by searching find out God canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection Joh. 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Luke 24.39 A Spirit hath not flesh and bones Rom. 1.23 And they changed the Glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like unto corruptible man and to birds and to four-footed beasts and Creeping things V. 25. And worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator who is blessed for ever Amen Concerning the Trinity Mat. 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 1 John 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are One. Mat. 3.16 And Jesus when he was baptized went straightway up out of the water and Lo the Heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him V. 17. And Lo a voice from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2 Cor. 13.14 The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen Concerning God the Father Luke 23.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ Eph 3.14 For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Concerning God the Son John 1.14 And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the Onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth V. 18. No man hath seen God at any time The Onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Heb. 1.2 He hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the world V. 3. Who being the brightnesse of his Glory and the express Image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sinnes sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high V. 8. But unto the Sonne he saith thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdome John 10.30 I and my Father are One. 1 John 2.22 Who