them for they know not what they do Eph. 3.14 For thâ—s cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in Him Joh. 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 Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 20.17 Jesus saith unto her Touch me not For I am not yet ascended to my Father Thirdly That Jesus Christ is God the Eternal Son of God and did prae-exist in the form or Essence of God having all the properties of the Deity before his Incarnation which was effected by voluntary actings of his own which could not be without a prae-existence in another Nature Let us consider the Divine Testimonies whereby this truth is confirmed and established Psal 45.6 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter This is applied unto Christ Heb. 1.8 But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever c. Psal 102.25 26 27. Of old thou hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end This is declared by the Apostle to be meant of the Son of God Heb. 1.10 And Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth And the Heavens are the works of thine hands c. Prov. 8. from the â—2 to the 31. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was When there were no depths I was brought forth When there were no Fountains abounding with Water Before the Mountains were setled before the Hills was I brought forth * He is called the only begotten Son of God Joh. 1.14 Angels and Adam were the Sons of God by Creation The Worshippers of the true God are called the Sons of God by profession Gen. 6 1. All true Believers are his Children by Adoption Joh. 1.12 But Christ is the Son of God by Nature by Eternal Generation Whilst as yet he had not made the Earth nor the Fields nor the highest part of the dust of the World When he prepared the Heavens I was there When he set a compass upon the face of the Depth When he established the Clouds above When he strengthened the Fountains of the Deep When he gave to the Sea his Decree that the Waters should not pass his Commandment When he appointed the Foundations of the Earth Then I was by him as one brought up with him And I was daily his delight rejoycing always before him Isai 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 Counsellour The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of peace Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely And this is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Joh. 1. v. 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 v. 14. And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth v. 18. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 3.13 And no man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven Act. 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood 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 Col. 1.15 Who is the Image of the invisible God the first born * As being from all Eternity begotten of the Father before any Creature was made or created and so Lord and Heir of all the Creatures as the First-born was among his Brethren Gen. 49.3 of every Creature v. 16. For by him were all things Created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him v. 17. And he is before all things and by him all things consist 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the Mystery of godliness God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory 1 Joh. 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 And thus much of the Divine Testimonies that prove that Christ is God The Socinians indeed acknowledge that Christ is God but they say he is not so by Nature but by Office They say He is not the most high Eternal God This therefore we shall labour to prove by several arguments First He had a Personal prae-existence unto the whole Creation And nothing can prae-exist * Quod ante omnem creaturam suisse dicitur simpliciter aeterrum est Gloss to all Creatures but in the Nature of God which is Eternal In the beginning the Word was God and so continues unto Eternity Joh. 1. â—â— In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Yet he was so God that he was distinct in something from God the Father by whom afterwards he was sent into the World The Word was with God and so distinct from him and was God and so one with him And he was so from the beginning before the Creation that he made all things even the World viz. All things in Heaven and Earth To which we may add our Saviours own Words Joh. 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with the glory I had
though many of his Ways and Providences are obscure and intricate God knows what is fittest for us and what is the fittest time to help us First We should labour to be wise that we may be like unto God To desire as Adam did any of that knowledge which God hath reserved to himself and is unnecessary for us is indeed not to be wise in our desires We ought to labour to know the Lord and his revealed will and the way to Eternal life and to endeavour to walk in it and this is true wisdom True Piety is the greatest wisdom and sin is the greatest folly There is not any Soul in Hell but was brought thither by its own sinful folly Therefore the Apostle exhorts us Eph. 5.15 That we walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Certainly to save a mans Soul is a work of the greatest wisdom and requires our best care and industry Secondly we should humbly beg wisdom of God We should seek to him as our principal Counsellor and Director in all our undertakings Jam. 1.5 If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Thirdly We should take heed of trusting in our own wisdom The way of man is not in himself Jer. 10.23 We should read the Scriptures much for they are able to make us wise unto salvation We should often consider what the wise man sayes Prov. 3.5 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Fourthly The Infinite wisdom of God should teach us to rest in all his Determinations and Dispensations Shall dust and ashes judge the Lord who is only wise We should learn to submit to his infinite wisdom as well as to his Holy will Fifthly The consideration of the infinite wisdom of God should encourage the People of God in their greatest straits and against all the cunning subtilty of their enemies They should labour faithfully to do their duties and then humbly rest in the infinite wisdom of God who knows better what is good for them than they know themselves II. God is infinitely Holy Holy He is many times stiled the Holy One of Israel and glorious in Holiness Exod. 15.11 Fearfull in praises that is who is to be praised with great fear and reverence Rev. 4.8 He is stiled Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come The consideration of Gods transcendent Purity and Holiness should teach us First To endeavour to imitate God in this perfection 1 Pet. 1.15 Be ye Holy says God for I am Holy Holiness should have an universal influence upon our whole man There should be Holiness in our thoughts Purity in our hearts Sincerity in our intentions Truth in our words Justice in our actions Sobriety Chastity Temperance Humility Modesty in all our outward manners and conversations Heb. 12.14 The Apostle advises us to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 'T is not said without peace for a man may follow after that and may not be able to obtain it But the Greek Article relates to holiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which no man shall see the Lord. Into the new Jerusalem nothing enters that defiles Rev. 21.27 Secondly We should look to it that we do not meerly act a part of holiness but do really endeavor to be so Nothing in the World is better than reall holiness nothing more detestable than the counterfeit of it As there is no face in Nature more comely and majestical than that of a man so none more ugly and ridiculous than that of an Ape which has some shew of it but falls so far short of it Simulata pietas duplex iniquitas Counterfeit Piety is double Iniquity Thirdly we should be very far from being ashamed of holiness which we see is the Image of God The Devil and his Instruments labour all they can to disparage holiness and by several nick-names and such artifices to keep People off from esteeming of it or endeavouring after it Sir Simon D' Ewes Primitive practice for preserving Truth 'T is an Observation of a Learned Author of our own that among the Turks Jews Indians Persians and the Papists themselves at this day the most Zealous and Holy in their several Religions are most esteemed and honoured But in the greatest part of the Protestant World the most knowing and tenacious of the Evangelical truth and the most strict and godly in their lives are hated nick-named disgraced and vilified Thus does the Devils malice and the corruption of man concur to bring dishonour and disesteem upon that which is a participation of the Divine Nature and makes a man most like unto God III. God is just Just Justice in God is that perfection of his Nature whereby he is just in himself and exerciseth justice towards all his Creatures Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Cen. 18.25 and Ezek. 18.29 Are not my ways equal saith the Lords Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways 2 Tim 4.8 Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day Gods Juâ—â—ice and Righteousness is Essential and Natural unto him and to likewise is his Mercy And these Two properties as they are Essential in God are not opposite one to another Indeed the effects of Justice and Mercy are sometimes oppâ—site but the Attributes themselves are not so When therefore we pray that God would not dâ—â—l with us according to his Juâ—tice but his Mercy we pray not against the Attribute of his Justice but the effects of it which are subject to the liberty of his will God is always just alike but the effects of his Justice may be more manifested at one time than at another When therefore 't is said James 2.13 Gods Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment and that he is slow to anger ready to forgive c. It must be so understood that He is more ready to manifest the effects of his Mercy than of his Justice Object But against Gods Justice some may be apt to Object this that it often goes ill with the Righteous in this World and the wicked proâ—per and how can that consist with Divine Justice To this many Answers may be given Answ First No man is perfectly Righteous here therefore no wonder if Gods own Children have the Rod sometimes upon their backs for their sins Secondly God may tenderly love his Children though he do afflict them Heb. 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Psal 119.57 I know O Lord that thy Judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me God sanctifies the afflictions of his People to their good Their afflictions are profitable unto them for
suffered for our Salvation descended into Hell rose again the third day from the Dead And Ruffinus tells us that though the Oriental and Roman Creeds had not these words in them that Christ descended into Hell yet they had the sense of them in the word Buried By which it appears that the first intention of putting these words into the Creed was to express the burial of our Saviour and the descent of his body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 locus invisiâ—â—lis sic â—eddidit vâ—tus Iâ—enai interpâ—â—s into an invisible place namely the Grave The Aquileian Creed is the first that we read of that mentioned both his burial and descent into Hell But Ruffinus thinks they intended by both expressions one and the same thing though others by mistake as it seems did from the latter expression conclude that our Saviours Soul did actually and locally descend into Hell But we have shewed before what little ground there is for that opinion But there are some who by Christs descent into Hell will not allow should be meant his burial only for then say they there will be a tautology in the Creed which that in so short a symbol the composers of it would be guilty of is hard to imagine Others therefore to obviate that objection say by his descent into Hell is not to be understood his burial but his continuance under the power of death for some time though it was very short For death had no long dominion over him Rom. 6.9 This I acknowledg to be a true and safe sense But that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie a permansion or continuance for some time in the state of the dead does not to me appear However let every pious and judicious person follow his own Judgment herein especially seeing as the learned Vossius tells us The Fathers did not hold this descent of Christ into Hell for an Article of Faith Patres hoc dogma de descensu animae Christi non habuere pro capite sive ut nunc loqui solemus pro articulo fidei Vnde id videas prope in omnibus symbolis omitti ut in ipsius synodi Nicenae symbolo ubi profecto non praeteriissent si dogma hoc agnovissent Quippe eo nihil magis valuisset ad refellendum Arrium siquidem is negabat Christum habuisse animam ac Divinitatem ei pro anima fuisse aiebat Nec hujus meminit confessio fidei synodi Illyricae nec meminere Concilia duo Occumenica Constantinopolitanum Chalcedonense Sic ergo statuimus Orientales per descensum Christi ad inferos primitus intellexisse id quod Occidentales vocarunt Sepulturam Et errore quodam factum esse ut cum prius qui unum dicerent alterum praeterirent ambo postea caeperint conjungi Sane temporibus Ruffini id est circa annum quadringentesimum ipsa ecclesia Romana erat contenta meminisse solius sepulturae Aquileiensis vero Ecclesia habuit quidem utrumque in symbolo suo sed si ex Ruffini mente judicandum unum idemque ambobus significari arbitrabatur Ruffini verba in expositione symboli haec sunt Sciendum est quod in Ecclesiae Romanae symbolo non habetur additum descendit ad inferna sed neque Orientis in Ecclesiis habetur hic sermo Vis tamen verbi eadem videtur esse in eo quod sepultus est Errore etiam illa duo conjungi judicium est doctissimi Schindleri sic in Lexico suo scribentis in voce Sheol Sheol significat Sepulchrum Gen. 44.29 deducetis canos meos i. e. canitiem meam vel me canum ex senectute in Sheol id est in terram quatenus est mortuorum receptaculum 1 Reg. 2. v. 6. 9. Neque sinito canitiem ejus descendere cum pace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi Gehennam non possumus intelligere nec enim hec poena a Judice terreno infligitur sed plane sign atur Sepulchrum statusque mortuorum SECT VII Of our Saviours Resurrection The third day he rose again from the Dead OUr blessed Lord and Saviour as we have shewed was crucified put to death and buried We come now to shew that the third day after his burial He rose again from the Dead And here several particulars will fall under our consideration 1. We shall shew That it was prophesied of the Messias that he should rise from the dead 2. That Jesus our Lord did so rise as was foretold 3. We shall produce the proofs of his Resurrection 4. We shall shew the principal cause of his Resurrection 5. The time 6. The ends for which he arose I begin with the First namely that Christs Resurrection was prophesied of and foretold And this may appear from Acts 2.31 Where the Apostle shews us that David seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his Soul was not left in Hell neither did his flesh see corruption Christ himself did foretell it Mat. 17.22.23 The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men and they shall kill him and the third day he shall be raised again And John 2.19 Destroy this Temple viz. of my Body and in three days I will raise it up Christ had so plainly and so often foretold his Resurrection that the Chief Priests and Pharisees could say to Pilate Sir we remember that this Deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again And the Apostle Paul professes Acts 26.23 that he said no other things then what Moses and the Prophets did say should come viz. that Christ should suffer and that he should rise from the Dead And as Christs Resurrection was prophesied of so it was typified and prefigured 1. By Isaac Gen. 22. who was bound and laid on the Altar and as good as dead in his Fathers account yet Abraham received him from the dead again in a figure Heb. 11.19 that is in a figure of Christs Resurrection 2. By Jonas Matth. 12.40 as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth 2. Jesus Christ our Lord did so rise as was foretold The Lord of Life was buried on that day on which he was Crucified and his body was in the grave some part of that day and all the next day and some part of the day following And very early on the first day of the week he arose The Apostles to whom he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs gave witness of his Resurrection Acts 1.3 He being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God And our Saviour himself after his Resurrection said to his Apostles Luke 24.39 40. 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
with thee before the World was Secondly Let us consider this All the ways whereby we can come to know God are either by his Name or his Properties or his Works or the Divine worship given unto him Now all these belong to the Son He therefore is God or we cannot tell either who or what God is And First The proper Name of God viz. Jehovah is given to Him Jer. 23.6 This is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness And Rom. 9.5 He is called The most high God who is over all God blessed for evermore * A Title peculiar to the most high God Secondly Divine Properties are ascribed to him and such Divine excellencies as naturally and necessarily appertain to the Divine Nature Particularly these Four First Eternity Joh. 1.1 2. In the beginning was the Word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic Mos Hebraeis aeternitatem populariter exprimare Grot. In the beginning when the World began to be created then was He. And so Prov. 8.23 24. I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was when there was no depths I was brought forth The Essential Wisdom of the Father was from everlasting Col. 1.17 He was before all things viz. All things created And Revel 1.8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty That this place is meant of Christ may appear by comparing with it Chap. 2.6 22.13 of this Book Secondly Omnipresence Mat. 18.20 Where two or three are met together in my Name says our Saviour there am I in the midst of them viz. By my Eternal Spirit Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven And Mat. 28.20 And so I am with you always even to the end of the World Thirdly Omnipotency Philip. 3.8 'T is said of Christ that He shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his own glorious body according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto himself Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Heb. 1.10 And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands Fourthly Omniscience Joh. 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things says Peter And Joh. 2.25 'T is said of our Saviour that He needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man * De animis hominum certo judicare solius est Dei. Thirdly Divine actions or works are ascribed to him As 1. Creation Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him So that there must needs be granted unto Christ a prae-existence in his Divine Nature antecedent to his Incarnation 2. Providence Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the Word of his power And Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist He is not only before all Creatures and their Creator but together with the Father and the Holy Ghost their Up-holder powerfull Preserver and Governour Fourthly Divine Worship is given to him Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him The Angels themselves refused Divine Worship Rev. 19.10 See thou do it not says the Angel there that is See thou do not worship me I am thy fellow Creature Joh. 14.1 You believe in God says our Saviour believe also in me Now to be believed in and rested on is an honour or homage peculiar unto God alone Indeed the Socinians say that though Christ be not the most High God yet he ought to be worshipped with Divine and Religious worship But surely they do not well consider that only Divine and Essential excellencies are the formal Object of Divine and Religious worship and to give such a worship to one that is not God by Nature is plain Idolatry Where the Divine Nature is there is the true proper formal Object of Religious worship and where that is not it is Idolatry to ascribe it to or exercise it towards any other So that if the Word and Testimony of God be able to decide a difference among the Children of men I see not but that the Testimony given to the God-head of the Son are as clear and unquestionable as those which are given concerning the Deity of the Father And thus we have spoken to the Third thing viz. That Jesus Christ is God Fourthly It is delivered to us by Divine Revelation that the Holy Ghost is God This will plainly appear if we consider what is revealed to us concerning the Divine existence the Divine excellencies and the Divine Operations of this blessed Spirit Such things are ascribed to him in the Scriptures which do uncontrolably evidence him to be a voluntary Divine Agent an Eternal Divine existing substance a Person or intelligent subsistence the Author of Divine Operations and the Object of Divine and Religious worship There are some that hold he is a meer emanation of virtue or power from God and not a Person Others grant indeed his Personality and that he is a distinct self-subsisting Person but deny his Deity they deny him to be a participant of the Divine Nature A Created finite Spirit they will allow him to be and the chiefest of all Spirits that were created and the Head of all the good Angels But they will not allow him to be a Divine Person We shall therefore endeavour to prove from plain Testimonies of Scripture 1. That he is not a meer emanation of virtue or power from God but an intelligent subsistence or Person 2. A Divine Person 3. A Person distinct from the Father and the Son 4. A Person proceeding from the Father and the Son First It will appear he is a Person because he is endued with Personal properties and Personal actions such as are peculiar and proper to a person are Attributed to him As namely 1. To make intercession Rom. 8.26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities For we know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession for us v. 27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God 2. To come to men being sent to them Job 15.26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall teâ—tifie of me 3. Our Saviour says He shall receive of mine * That is communicate nothing to them bâ—â— what tâ—â—y râ—câ—iv d from him and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 which is a personal action 4. He is such an one against whom a sin may be committed and therefore surely he is a person Matth. 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
To look into the deâ—th of so great a Mysterie and cannot buâ— cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle did in another case O the unsearchableness O the depth of this Heavenly Oeconomy in matters of so high a Nature I believe more then I am able to understand the gift of Faith supplying the defects of my understanding as considered in this or that man which are not all absolutely against it We grant that nothing contrary to the reason of things must be admitted But reason as it is in this or that man may be very weak and imperfect and very short of a juâ—t and a full comprehension of the whole reason of things Therefore that is no fit measure to try this Divine Doctrine by Certainly it is the highest reason that in things of pâ—rely Divine Revelation we should captivate our understandings to the Authority of the Revelator Let us therefore earnestly pray unto God that it may be given unto us to know the Mysteries of his Kingdom The Apostle Peter knew Christ to be the Eternal Son of God which is a part of this Mystery of the Trinity and our Saviour tells him Matth. 16.16 17. That Flesh and Blood had not revealed it unto him but his Father A man ought not presently to desert his perswasion grounded upon Scripture because he cannot answer every Objection that the subtil Wit of man can make against it For though this or that private Person may not be able to Answer such Objections yet others more learned and knowing may easily do it and to them he ought to betake himself for satisfaction Thus I have shewed what is the Original Declaration or Revelation of this Doctrine of the Holy Trinity contained in the Scripture and how the same is explained by Pious and Learned men very sutably to that Revelation And it will not be amiss to give my Reader these two further directions First If at any he be attaqued by any adversary of this Divine doctrin I advise him in the first place to hold him strictly and peremtorily to the Original revelation and to put him to disprove if he can that God is one that the Father is God the Son God the Holy Ghâ—st God understanding by God the most High God Soveraign of all the World If he cannot do this as you may see by the Testimonies forecited he cannot with any shew of reason do then suffer him not to quarrel at the explanation and fall foully as their manner is upon the terms Trinity and Personality and such like expressions which though they be not literally aâ—d syllabically found in the Scriptures yet are agreeable to the Original Revelation of this Doctrine therein contained and fairly Expolitory thereof And having given this hint or admonition which I think very needfull at this time let me in the closing up of this Discourse advise all those that have any true desire to walk in the narrow path of Truth and Holiness which leads to everlasting bliss to labour in the first place judiciously to understand this Sacred Doctrine according to the Original Revelation thereof made in the Scriptures When this is done the explanation thereof as we have here delivered it will not seem harsh to them nor to contain any thing unsuitable to that Revelation And let me add this one word more that I fear the failing of so many mens profession as we have seen of late years has begun with their relinquishing this Foundation This has been the fatal miscarriage of those poor deluded Souls called Quakers and I am afraid of some others more learned than they If they could be brought to a right understanding of this Doctrine of the blessed Trinity as 't is in the Scripture revealed I suppose their other fond imaginations would quickly vanish and come to nothing SECT III. Of the Works of God I Have spoken of the Nature of God Maker of Heaven and Earth and his glorious Attributes and of the Trinity of Persons in the Vnity of the Divine Nature I come now to speak of his works Viz. Creation Providence And First of Creation The Apostle Heb. 11.3 Of Creation tells us that by Faith we understand that the Worlds namely the inferior middle and superior as the Jews were wont to distinguish them and all the Creatures in them were made and framed by the Word of God And certainly this goodly Fabrick of Heaven and Earth was not from Eternity as Aristotle that great Philosopher destitute of Scripture-light was inclin'd to believe but was created and made at that time when it seemed best to the infinite Wisdom of God And the special Motives as we may humbly conceive which inclined him to make it were a desire and purpose to express his infinite Power to declare his transcendent Wisdom and Goodness and to exercise his all-wise Providence all conducing to the manifestation of his own glory and praise Some Creatures he made immediately out of nothing as the terminus a quo by a proper Creation giving them a reall being which before they had not Other things he made out of some prae-existent matter which matter he had before made out of nothing by a mediate and improper kind of Creation As he made Adams body out of the dust of the earth * The remembrance of this should be an Antidote against Pride in all his Posterity Abraham Gen. 18.27 acknowledges himself but dust and ashes cum sis humillimus cur non es humillimus says Bernard and Eves of Adams Ribb When Solomon was to build a Magnificent Temple for God he needed many Materials * Ex nihilo nihil fit id est Physice a Creaturis Sod non vaâ—â—t regula si intelligatur iâ— Deo and many Workmen and they many Tools But God did not so He made all without any Coadjutor or any Instrument by the sole word of his command And when he looked upon every thing he had made behold all was very good Neh. 9.6 Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their Host the Earth and all things that are therein the Sea and all that is therein and thou preserved them all and the Host of Heaven worshippeth thee Colos 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created The chief of the Creatures God created were Angels and Men. All the Angels were at first made holy and happy Spirits Some of them continued in their obedience to God and are still Angels of light others of them fell from God by pride and disobedience and are become Devils of darkness First I shall speak of the good Angels
Of good Angels and then of the Angels that fell There are Four things the Scripture holds forth to us concerning good Angels 1. Their Number 2. Their Titles 3. Their Nature and Properties 4. Their Functions and Ministery First Their Number The Scripture teaches us that they are very many Dan. 7.10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him Thousand Thousands ministred unto him and Ten Thousand times Ten Thousands stood before him the Judgment was set and the Book was opened Rev. 5 11. And I beheld and heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders and the Number of them was Ten Thousand times Ten Thousand and Thousands of Thousands Matth. 26.53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and he shall presently send me more then Twelve Legions of Angels Heb. 12.22 But ye are now come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels Psal 68.17 The Chariots of God are Twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels 2 Kings 6.17 And Elisha prayed and the Lord opened the Eyes of the young man and he saw the Mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of Fire round about Elisha that is that a great multitude of Angels were sent from God to defend and protect the Prophet Secondly Their Titles Their general name is Angels or Messengers Sometimes they are called Cherubim and when they appeared in a visible shape or were pictured they had the resemblance of a young man in the excellency of his beauty vigor and strength and had Wings as we read Exod. 25.18 20. Sometimes they are called Seraphim importing their fervent Zeal in executing the will of God Sometimes Sons of God Job 38.7 When the morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy Sometimes Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers as we read Col. 1.16 And so much of their Titles Thirdly Their Natures and Properties 1. They are Spirits of great Knowledge and Wisdom 'T was said of David 2 Sam. 14.20 That he was wise according to the Wisdom of an Angel of God They are admirable in knowledge both natural experimental and revealed 2. Of spotless purity and integrity Our Saviour says Mark 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed â—f me and of my words in the adulterous and sinfull Generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels When they appear'd to the World their garb wherein they appear'd represented their innocency As at Christ's Sepulchre there appeared two Angels in white the one sitting at the Head the other at the Feet where the body of Jesus had lain Joh. 20.12 3. Of exceeding great power and strength Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength 4. Of great celerity and quickness of motion in which respect they are said to have wings Isai 6.2 Above it stood the Seraphims each one had six wings importing their chearfulness and readiness and celerity in the service of God Fourthly Their Function and Ministry which is of Three sorts 1. In reference to God 2. In reference to Christ 3. To the Saints and People of God I In reference to God 1. They attend his glorious presence They are his chief Servants and principal attendants the bright Courtiers of Heaven They are called the Host of Heaven 1 Kings 22.19 They are called the Chariots of God viz. Such as attend him for his service Psal 68.17 The Chariots of God are twenty Thousand even Thousands of Angels 2. They are especiall Instruments to praise and magnifie him Rev. 7.11 12. And all the Angels stoood round about the Throne and fell before the Throne on their faces and wâ—rshipped God saying Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen 3. They are Messengers to carry and reveal his mind and will By the glorious ministry and proclamation of Angels God delivered his Law on Mount Sinai Act. 7.53 Compared with Gal. 3.19 Christ the Head of Angels proclaimed his Law by the voice of an Angel as a Herald in presence of the King publishes his Proclamations And so on sundry other occasions God used to make known his will by Angels Dan. 9.21 Whiles I was speaking in prayer says Daniel the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the Vision at the beginning being caused to fly swiftly touched me about the time of the evening Oblation And Luk. 1.11 There appeared unto Zacharias an Angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense and said unto him I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God And am sent to speak unto thee and to shew thee these glad tidings And v. 26. in the Sixth Month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a City of Galilee name Nazareth to the Virgin Mary And Luke 2.9 10. An Angel was sent to the Shepherds keeping watch over their Flock by Night to bring the joyful tidings of the Birth of the Messias 4. They are Ministers to execute and perform what God will have done in the World Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commaâ—dments They bring Lot out of Sodom Gen. 19.1 They bring Israel out of Egypt Numb 20.16 They stop Balaams course Numb 22.22 They stop the Lyons Mouths Dan. 6.20 22. They execute the Judgments of God upon wicked men Thus we read how Two Angels destroyed Sodom and that an Angel defeated the Host of Sennacherib 2 Kings 19.35 And that an Angel smote bloody persecuting Herod Acts 12.33 And thus much of their Ministry in reference to God I come now to consider II. Their Ministry in reference to Christ 'T is said Joh. 1.51 That the Angels ascend and descend on the Son of man That place has relation to Gen. 28.12 Where Jacob dreamed of a Ladder set upon the earth whose to preached to Heaven and the Angels of the Lord ascended and descended on it by the Ladder Christ is meant who by his humane Nature touched the Earth and whose Divine Nature reached up to Heaven The Angels ascending and descending imported the continual service they are reâ—dy to perform unto him and that they are deputed thereunto of the Father as the Apostle proves Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth his first begotten into the World he saith Let all the Angels of God worship him But to dâ—scend to Particulars 1. They foretell his conception Luke 1.30 3â— And the Angel said unto her fear not Mâ—ry for thou hast found favour with God And shalt conceive in thy Womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus 2. They declare his Birth Luke 2.9 10 11. 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 And the Angel of the Lord
cannot tempt further then God permits 2. His temptations tend to the increase of their graces Satans temptations increased Job's patience Paul by Satans buffeting was humbled 2 Cor. 12. 3. They tend to promote the fervency of their prayers 4. Their wisdom and watchfulness will hereby be the more quickned 5. The resisting of these temptations shall tend to the increase of their glory hereafter 7. Let us consider their punishment Present and Future Their present punishment may be considered first in respect of loss 1. Upon their sin they fell from the place of happiness and glory which before they enjoyed Rev. 12.8 Neither was their place found any more in Heaven Though that place in a mystical sence may speak of the overthrowing of Satan in this present World and casting him out of the Church yet here is a plain allusion to Satans first fall from Heaven as the ground of that expression and therefore it may serve as a proof in this matter Their place of innocency was Heaven they stood round about the Throne of God where the Angels do continually behold his face Their happiness was to enjoy God their duty to glorifie him From this place they are now driven into the lower parts of the World as a place more fit for sin and misery Sometimes they fly up and down in the Air therefore is Satan called the Prince of the Power of the Air Eph. 2.3 And exercises the power that God permits him in the Regions of the Air by raising Tempests c. Sometimes he compasseth the earth too and fro Job 1.7 And 2 Cor. 4.4 He is called the god of this World that is whom the World generally serves and who by the just Judgment of God hath got such a Dominion over Multitudes that they serve him as their God 1. Their present punishment may be considered in respect of sense They are kept in Chains That is 1. They are under guilt and horror of Conscience Cehennam suam secum portant They carry their Hell about them 2. They are under an utter despair of deliverance to them there remaineth nothing but a certain looking for judgment and fiery indignation 3. Their malice spight and power is curbed and bridled and held in by the Almighty power of God so that they cannot vent it as they would which is no small vexation to them And thus much of their present punishment both of loss and sense 2. Let us consider their future punishment which at the day of Judgment will be greater than now it is They are not yet in that Prison and Place of torment where they shall abide for ever under the wrath of God They are now entered into some degrees of Hellish torments but they are in expectation of greater And therefore they cryed out to our Saviour Matth. 8.31 Art thou come to torment us before our time There is a time coming when the wrath of God shall be increased upon them Hell is prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 Though for the present they are under Gods wrath yet they do not taste the dregs of it Therefore they besought our Saviour Luke 8.31 That he would not command them into the deep that is the place of full and perfect torment 8. I come now to shew what improvement we are to make of all that hath been said 1. Let us meditate with trembling on the fall of Angels If they fell how should we look to our standing If such excellent Creatures fell and fell do dreadfully how should we look to our selves 2. Let us observe the evil Nature of sin especially of Pride If Pride threw the Angels out of Heaven and laid the foundation of Hell we had need labour to maintain a great abhorrence in our hearts of that sin 3. We should often consider and it should deeply affect us that we lost our first estate as well as the Angels we lost our Original state of holiness and happiness as well as they As they fell soon so did we As they fell by Pride so did we 4. Let us meditate with astonishment on the wonderfull goodness of God who of his infinite mercy provided a Redeemer for us but none for them Let us admire the freeness of Gods love to the Children of men 5. Let us tremble at Gods Justice Angels Creatures of the highest excellency are not spared when they sin O admire at his patience that he hath yet spared thee 6. Remember the Devil and his Angels are in the World O how watchfull ought we to be and sensible of our continual danger from those evil Spirits 7. Let us remember that Spiritual Judgments are the most dreadfull The Devils are given up to an obstinacy in sinning Let us take heed of imitating them in their obstinacy and willfulness 8. Let us remember for our comfort that the Devil is in Chains He had not power over an Herd of Swine without leave Matth. 8.31 So Luke 22.31 He could not sift Peter till he had a Commission He could not touch Job's Estate or Skin till he had leave nay he could not deceive Ahab a wicked man till God said go 1 King 22.21 22. He is but Gods Executioner And therefore the Psalmist shewing how God punished the disobedient Israelites Psal 78.49 says He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger wrath and indignation and trouble by sending evil Angels among them 9. Let us take heed of being of the Devils faction or promoting his work and interest 10. Let us resist Satan as a Tempter here in this life As a Tormentor in the other life he cannot be resisted James 4.7 Resist the Devil and he will flee from thee 11. Let us daily seek help from God against Satans malice and power and humbly commit our selves to his especial protection 12. Seeing there are so many Devils and evil Spirits in the World this may be a mighty argument to assure us that there is a â—od a â—pirit of infinite goodness and power who restrains the malice of Satan and all his instruments else we could never be safe one moment 13. We should often meditate on the glorious Attributes of God His transcendent power his infinite wisdom and mercifulness For the deeper impressions are made upon our hearts by these Attributes the less we shall fear Satan They that know thy Name says the Plasmist Psal 9.10 That is thy Nature and Attributes will trust in thee 14. We should exercise faith on the merits and intercession of Christ for the quenching of the fiery Darts of Satan when ever he casts them into our Souls Eph. 6.16 Above all take the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery Darts of the Wicked One 15. Consider 't is the Devils sin not thine if he force evil thoughts upon thee which thou defiest and abhorrest 16. Meditate on the promises of God for thy support Rom. 16.20 The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly 1 Cor. 10.13 God
is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able 17. Consider the experiences of Gods faithful servants who have been so assaulted and how they have been delivered Scarce any of Gods Children but have been more or less assaulted at one time or other Let their experiences of Gods support and help be thy encouragement 18. Instantly repel the Devils temptations do not muse or think too much upon them Divert from them turn thy thoughts if thou canst possibly to something else 19. If the Devil still follow thee with his Temptations take the advice of some faithful friend or Minister to whom impart thy case keep not the Devils counsel If thy House be on fire call for help Climacus in Scala Paradisi makes mention of one who was tempted Twenty years together his mind being infested and turmoil'd with most grievous blasphemous thoughts who by revealing his condition at last to a faithful friend was suddainly delivered from them 20. If none of these ways will do then not in a proud manner but holily despise the Devil as Travellers use to do barking Dogs This is Gersons counsel who says he knew one suddainly cured thereby And adds this as the reason thereof spiritus quippe superbissimus non diu patitur se contemni For this proud Spirit the Devil will not long endure or suffer himself to be contemned Of Providence Of Providâ—nâ—e Having spoken of the first of Gods works viz. Creation I come now to the second viz. Providence concerning which I shall make these inquiries 1. What Providence is and wherein it consists 2. How it may appear there is such a Providence 3. What is the extent of this Providence 4. What are the Objections usually made against this Doctrine 5. What are the Vses and Practical improvements we should make hereof 1. For the First Providence is a work of God whereby he sustains governs and orders all the Creatures according to the good pleasure of his will to his own glory It consists in two things 1. Conservation 2. Gubernation 1. Conservation The Providence of God manifests it self in preserving the Creatures he hath made Col. 1.17 In him all things consist Heb. 1.3 He sustains all things by the word of his Power All the Creatures as they were made by God so they continually depend upon him for the supporting and continuing of their Being their Virtue and Activity Psal 39.6 Thou preservest Man and Beast Neh. 9.6 Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their Host and the Earth and all things that are therein the Sea and all that is therein and thou preservest all and the Host of Heaven worshippeth thee 2. Gubernation Gods Providence reaches all rules over all his Creatures Psal 22.28 The Kingdom is the Lords he is the Governour among the Nations Eph. 1.11 He worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will Lam. 3.37 Who is he that saith it cometh to pass and I the Lord command it not Joh. 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work * Una eum Patre continue operor etiam Sabbatis mundum portans regens miâ—acula faciens cum eo hoc ipsum saenitatis opus efficiens But Secondly How may it appear there is such a Providence Answ 1. From Scripture 2. From Reason 1. The Scripture clearly bears Testimony to it Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Isai 45.7 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Prov. 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good James 4.15 For that ye ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this and that Job 5.12 He disapppointed the Devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise 2. Reason plainly shews it There are several Arguments from Reason that may perswade us to the belief hereof 1. The Regular order and wise contrivance of all things in the World with their mutual reference and subserviency of one to another together with their exact fitness and commodious aptness for the several uses and purposes for which they were designed the beauty the elegance the regularity that appears in the several parts of the Universe the regular Motion of the Heavenly bodies the vicissitudes of day and night and of the Seasons of the Year Winter Spring Summer and Autumn the production of Minerals the growth of Plants the generation of Animals according to their sâ—veral species and kinds the gathering the Inhabitants of the Earth into several Nations under distinct Policies and Governments their mutual commerce for the supplying the necessities of each other with such things as their several Countries afford the giving to so many Millions of People a different face whereby the Husband knows his Wife the Father his Child the Master his Servant the Creditor his Dâ—btor the subject his Prince are so many Arguments to prove that there is an all-wise Providence that presides over and governs the World and to conceive otherwise must needs be extremely irrational 2. The Natural instincts that God hath put into unreasonable Creatures which direct and move them to do things very wise and rational for their own preservation is another argument of Providence Prov. 6.6 7 8. Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise which having no guide Overseer or Ruler provideth her meat in the Summer and gathereth her food in the Harvest Jer. 8.7 Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming 3. The suitable provision that God hath made for all his Creatures is another argument to prove a Providence He provideth food for all Aves sine Patrimonio vivunt Minut. Fael and conveyeth it to them in that quantity and Season which is fittest for them Psal 145.15 The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Matth. 6.26 Behold the Fowls of the Air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into Barns yet our Heavenly Father feedeth them Psal 147.9 He giveth to the Beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry 4. It cannot consist with the infinite wisdom and justice of God not to preside over and govern the World which he hath made To conceive this great ship of the World to be left without a Pilot to govern it and all things here below to be neglected and suffered to run at random without any wise Agent to superintend over them and to order and regulate them surely is very irrational 5. Gods manifest appearing sometimes in executing visible and remarkable punishments on bold and
had resolv'd to slay his Brother Jacob Gen. 27.4 Jacob wrastles that night with God in prayer Chap. 32. Vers 11 24 26 28. And Chap. 33. Vers 4. We find God had so changed the heart of Esau that instead of killing his Brother he most lovingly embraces him and fell upon his neck and kissed him 3. Sometimes he snares the wicked in the work of their own hands when they have designed mischief against his People Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the Judgment he executeth The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands The whole Book of Hester is a sufficient proof of this And we read Job 5.12 That he dissappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprizes Achitophel also is a remarkable instance of this whose counsel against David God turned in foolishness 4. Sometimes he makes the wicked against their own will to fulfill his will See what God says to the Assyrian Isai 10.5 6 7. O Assyrian the Rod of mine anger and the Staff in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an Hypocritical Nation and against the People of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the Spoil and to take the Prey and to tread them down like the mire of the Streets Howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off Nations not a few Josephs Brethren little thought when they so wretchedly sold him they had been advancing of him But this is the Chymistry of Divine Providence to bring good out of evil 5. He usually converts the outward evils that befall his People to their Spiritual good Paul had a sad Messenger of Satan sent to buffet him 2 Corinth 12.7 But this Messenger prov'd a means to prevent pride in him Wicked men are God Scullions as one calls them and imployed by him to scour his Children and to brighten their graces Physick though it be not good to the Palat yet it may be very good for the Patient David found it so when he cried out It is good for me that I have been afflicted before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Psal 119.67 68. And Isai 27.9 Sayes God By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin 6. And Lastly God very often qualifies the outward troubles of his People with inward comforts and consolations Though the outward man smart yet God can cause the Conscience to smile Though the outward estate be peeled yet he can chear the heart Those Saints in the 11 of Heb. took joyfully the spoiling of their goods remembring they had in Heaven a better and more induring substance Hear what the blessed Apostle says 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5 â—2 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort whereby we our selves are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom bâ—t by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the World and more abundantly tâ—â—â—â—-wards And that Gods Providencâ— is in so singular a manner watchfull over his Church and Pe ple may yet further appear if we consider these thiâ—â—s 1. They 〈…〉 in Covenant with him He hath taken thâ—m to hiâ—â—â—â—â—â—or hâ—â— pâ—â—ulâ—â—â— People he hath formed them for himself and 〈…〉 thâ—â—r God and that comprehends all blessings in it Jer. 〈…〉 And Ezek. 16.8 I entred into Covenant with thâ—â—e saith 〈…〉 â—â—d thou becamest mine 2. He hath pu◠〈◊〉 indearing relations towards them viz. Of a Father and of a Husband Jâ—r 31.9 I am a Father saith God to Israel Psal 103.13 As a Father puâ—â—th his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him And Isai 54.5 Thy Maker is thy Husband 3. He sets a high value upon them as may appear by the Titles he gives them He calls them his Jewels Mal. 3.17 And Zach. 2.8 The Apple of his eye and Psal 16.3 The Excellent of the Earth 4. He hath made many gracious promises to them Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And Psal 84.11 He hath promised to be a Sun and a Shield unto his People He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly And thus much of the Third particular I propounded to speak to viz. The extent of Divine Providence I come now to the Fourth viz. to consider 4. What are the Objections that are usually made against this Doctrine 1. Object Some think that to assert that the Providence of God reaches to all his Creatures is a diminution or aviling of his Majesty and Greatness Therefore Epicurus and some of the Ancients thought that God confined himself to the highest Heavens as to his Royal Palace that his Majesty was too Sublime and August to mind the actions of inferiour Creatures And Aristotle himself it sâ—ems was of this opinion that the Providence of God reached no further then the Orb of the Moon Answ For answer to this we need only say that those men spake like Heathens not knowing the Scriptures which teach us that the Providence of God is so particular that the very hairs of our heads are said to be numbred and that a Sparrow does not fall to the ground without Gods knowledg or permission Matth. 10.29 And certainly 't is no diminution to the infinite Majesty of God to govern those Creatures how small and inferiour soever which he in his infinite wisdom thought good to create and produce * Deo probrum non est â—i utissimâ— quâ—qâ—e seâ— ss multo minâ—s regere 2 Object Another Objection against Providence is this if the Providence of God governs the World Cur malis bene bonis male Why fares it many times so well with the wicked Why do they flourish like a green Bay-tree While those that are righteous and good men meet with hard measure and are miserably harassed and afflicted This matter we find debated by Job in Chap. 21.7 And in Chap. 24.27 The Psalmist also insists on it in Psal 37.73 And the Prophet Jerem. Chap. 12.1 Answ That this oftentimes so happens is plain and undeniable And the Providence Wisdom and Justice of God in this dispensation is many times a mystery and riddle to the Children of men But the difficulty is soon dissolved if we will but attentively consider these things which we spake something to before in answer to an Objection made against Gods Justice 1. None are perfectly righteous here Therefore even in the very best God may find something
his Disciples Matth. 13.16 17. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I say unto you that many Prophets and Righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them It was meet that the glory of a clearer discovery of eternal life should be reserved to Christ himself Now the veil is done away 3. A less forcible influence and efficacy accompanied the old administration than doth the new The spirit of Christ is now poured forth more abundantly since his Ascension and a more mighty operation of the Spirit accompanies the ministry of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 4. A more servile spirit acted in those who were under the old Administration they being drawn generally more by the terrors of the Law than by the promises of Grace 5. In respect of extent they much differ For the old was revealed but to few in comparison viz. to the Jews and their Proselytes whereas the grace of the Gospel is held forth to all Nations 6. The old Covenant was to last but for a time viz. till the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 but the new is to last unto the end of the world and shall never wax old or wear away 7. They differ in respect of their Sacraments Circumcision and the Passeover which were the chief Sacraments under the old Administration were bloody Sacraments for Christs blood was then to be shed But under the new our Sacraments are unbloody for Christs blood is shed 8. They differ as to the manner of their ratification The old was ratified by the blood of the Levitical Sacrifices the new by the blood of the Son of God Having thus spoken of the Covenant of Grace in the general and of the old and new dispensation thereof in particular let us now consider what use we are to make of this Doctrine 1. Let us bless God for making this Covenant with faln Man Let us consider the freeness of it There was nothing in us but our misery to move him to it And he made no such Covenant with the Angels that fell 2. Let us consider the sureness of it God hath confirmed it 1. by his word and promise 2. by his oath 3. by his sea 'T is indeed called sometimes a Covenant and sometimes a Testament A Covenant with reference to God the Father who hath made this gracious Covenant with the children of men and in it hath promised many great priviledges and blessings unto them that perform the conditions therein required He promises in this Covenant 1. That He will be our God Heb. 8.10 And that is a very large and comprehensive promise 2. That He will forgive all our sins And therefore when God shewed mercy to his people of Israel He is said to have remembred his Covenant Exod. 2.24 And the Saints of old did use in their approaches to God to plead this Covenant and to ground their Faith and Hope on it Psal 74.20 Jer. 14.21 3. That He will renew and sanctify our natures and write his Law upon our hearts 4. That He will put his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 and so will preserve us by his grace and power from total and final Apostacy 5. That no outward thing that He sees good for us shall be wanting to us 6. That He will give us Eternal glory in the other life And as it is called a Covenant with reference to â—od so 't is called a Testament with reference to Christ who by his blood and death confirmed it and as a Testator bequeathed life and salvation to all penitent Believers He having all power and authâ—rity given him both in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 2. Let us bless God that we were born under the best dispensation of the Covenant of Grace 'T is an unvaluable mercy to be born under the new Covenant or Gospel dispensation This is called a bettter Covenant as being established on better promises Heb. 8.6 viz. more spiritual more clear and more extensive The old was a ministration of the letter 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8. It literally declared what was to be done but comparatively there was little spiritual ability afforded for the performing of the things injoyned I say comparatively the old had but a weak operation in respect of the new Not that the old had no Spiritual efficacy For many under it were eminent in Grace as Abraham Moses Josiah Hezekiah c. but the more plentiful effusion of the Spirit was reserved till Christs Ascension 3. As ever we expect to injoy the priviledges and benefits of the Covenant of Grace let us make conscience to perform the conditions therein required which are these 1. Repentance which is a Grace necessary to prepare us to receive Christ 2. Faith in Christ We cannot become the Children of God but by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 3. Obedience which is a grace necessary to inable us to walk answerably to this holy Covenant Deut. 10.12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good CHAP. III. Of the Mediator between God and Man SECT I. Of the Titles of the Mediator I believe in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. JEsus Christ the only Son of God is the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace Concerning whom we shall inquire 1. What his Titles are by which he is called The Titles given him in the ancient Creed are four Jesus Christ the only Son of God our Lord of all which I shall speak in order 1. Jesus Jesus which signifies a Saviour God by an Angel gave him that name Matth. 1.21 He was designed by God the Father to perform for the Children of Men whatsoever is implied in his name Jesus denotes the work and business for which he came into the World The Angel told the Shepherds Luke 2.11 unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord so 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners and here let us consider how Jesus is a Saviour and why truly and properly so called This will more particularly appear if we consider the great evils he saves us from and the great benefits he hath purchased for us 1. He saves us from the guilt of sin By his exact Obedience to the Law and by his Sufferings and Passion he hath made satisfaction to the Justice of God for our sins He hath trod the Wine-press of his Fathers Wrath for us Rev. 19.15 He hath born our sins in his
to the Jews But now is my Kingdom not from hence Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and jâ—y in the Holy Ghost In the Kingdom of Christ 1. The King is Spiritual the Lord from Heaven 2. The Subjects are Spiritual those that are regenerated 3. The Laws are Spiritual reaching the inward man 4. The Priviledges are Spiritual Justification Adoption Sanctification Glorification Now Christ's solemn inauguration into this His Kingly Office was at his Ascention into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of the Father Not but that he was a King by right before but he entred on the ful and publick execution of this his office when God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all Principalities and Powers Eph. 1.20 21. Then He whose name is the word of God had on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.13 16. Let us now consider what improvement we ought to make of this Article that Christ is a King 1. If Christ be a King we should daily pray that his Kingdâ—m may come that is His Kingdom of Grace into the hearts of men We should all earnestly desire and pray that he may reign in our hearts and the hearts of others by his holy Spirit 2. This may shew us the blessedness of those that are his Subjects They are under a powerful Protector 3. We should all examine our selves whether his Kingdom beset up in us or no. Christ is sometimes called the Head of the Church Eph. 1.22 23. Let us seriously consider whether we are guided and governed by him as the members of the body are by the Head and whether we do receive life and influence from him 4. If Christ be a King then we may assure our selves that he is able to defend his Church and subdue the enemies of it though they be never so strong or subtil 5. If Christ be a King then we should acknowledge his Soveraignty The Apostle tells us Phil. 2.10 11. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father To bow at the name of Jesus is to confess his Soveraignty to submit to his power and to humble our selves before him 6. If Christ be a King We should pray that the Kingdoms contrary to his Kingdom may be subverted viz. the Kingdom of Sin Satan and Anti-Christ And thus much of Christs three-fold Office We come now to speak of the third Title given him in the antient Creed which is His only Son Christ is the only Son of God Thus Nathanael the true Israelite makes his confession of him John 1.49 Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art King of Israel Thus Martha expresses her Faith concerning him John 11.27 I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World This was the famous confession of Peter John 6.69 His only Son We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16.16 And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And the Gospel of John was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God John 20.31 Now Christ is so the Son of God as no other is or was or ever can be He is his only Son his only begotten Son This I shall further explain by these particulars following 2 Our Saviour had a real being and existence before his conception here on Earth and distinct from that being which he assumed here John 8.58 Before Abraham was I am Yea he had a Being before the Flood 1 Pet. 3.18 19. 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 in the Spirit By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in prison who were disobedient in the days of Noah Yea he had a being before the World began for the World was made by him so the Apostle tells us Heb. 1.2 God 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 Worlds Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist 2. The being which he had before his conception was not a created being but the Divine Essence he was truly God 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 See more in the third Section of the first Chapter 3. The Divine Essence which he hath was eternally communicated to him from the Father who was always Father as well as always God And this is called his Eternal Generation And therefore he is called the only begotten Son of God John 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And thus he is distinguished from the Holy Ghost who proceeds from the Father and the Son and from the Adopted Sons of God being his Eternal Son by eternal and ineffable Emanation Joh. 7.29 I know him that sent me says Christ for I am from him Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Bâ—t some will possibly here object God the Father says of Christ Psal 2.7 Act. 13.30 33. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee To which we answer God speaks not there of Christs Generation but of the manifestation of it which was accomplished at the time of his Resurrection by which he was mightily declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 And though he was then declar'd to be so yet his Generation was Eternal The Grave is as the Womb of the Earth Christ when he was raised from the dead was as it were begotten to a new life and on this account God who now raised him is stiled his Father But some will further Object Christ is called The first Born of every Creature Col. 1.15 How can he then be the Eternal Son of God I answer he is call'd The first born of every Creature because he was begotten of God as the Son of his love antecedently to all other Emanations from him and before any thing was framed or created by him And thus much for the Explication of this Article Let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. This should shew us the excellency and dignity of the Person of the Messias and should assure us of the infinite value of his active and passive obedience As our offences are aggravated
by the consideration of the high dignity of the Person whom we have offended so the value of Reparation ariseth from the dignity of the Person satisfying And this satisfaction consisteth in the reparation of the honour which by our sin was cclipsed And all honour doth increase proportionably as the person yielding it is more honourable or worthy 2. This may shew us that the more worthy the Person of Christ was before he suffered the greater was his condescention in stooping to such great and unworthy sufferings for our sakes 3. This greatly magnifies the love of God in sending his only begotten Son into the world to die for Sinners This love of God is frequently extolled and admired by the Apostles Rom. 8.32 He that spared nâ—t his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things 1 John 4.9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins What an amazing thing is this love of the Father in sending his only begotten Son to be our Redeemer and what an amazing thing is this condescention of the only Son of God to dy for such worms as we are I come now tâ— Christs fourth Title Our Lord. Our Lord. After our Sav◠〈◊〉 Relation viz. of the only Son of God founded upon his eternal generation followeth his Dominion as the necessary consequence of his Son-ship because the only Son must of necessity be Heir and Lord of all in his Fathers house and all others which bear the name of Sons whether they be Angels or Men must be looked upon as his servants who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Acts 10.36 He is Lord of all Mat. 28.18 All power is given unto him both in Heaven and Earth Ephes 1.20 21 22. God hath set him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and hath put all things under his feet The word Lord signifies properly Dominion and implies a right of possession and power of disposing This premised let us consider how and in what respects Christ is Lord As there are two natures united in the person of Christ so there are two kinds of dominion belonging respectively to those natures One inherent in his Divinity the other bestowed on his humanity One by which he is Lord maker of all things The other by which he is made Lord of all things Christ as God hath a supreme universal dominion over the Worlp So Thomas acknowledges in those words John 20.28 My Lord and my God But Christ as Mediator has some kind of dominion or Lordship bestowed on him and given unto him And in this sense the Apostle says Acts 2.36 He was made both Lord and Christ And one branch of this his dominion was his power on earth to forgive sins Mat. 9.2 6. He said therefore to the sick of the Palsie thy sins are forgiven thee that they might know that the â—on of Man had power on earth to forgive sins And another is the right of Judicature or Judging the World committed to him Joh. 5.22 The Father hath committed all Judgment to the Son and hath given him authority to execute Judgment because he is the Son of Man He will Judge the World by that man whom he hath ordained Acts 17.31 But let us further consider by what right Christ is Lord. 1. By right of Creation Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made 2. By right of sustentation and preservation of the Creatures he hath made Col. 1.17 And he is before all things and by him all things consist Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the word of his power 3. By right of donation ordination and the appointment of God Acts 2.36 To him all power is given both in Heaven and Earth 4. By right of Redemption The ransomer of a bondslave was wont to be his Lord. When we were bond-slaves to Sin and Satan Christ paid our ransome No bondage so great as ours was no price so great as that which he paid therefore no service too great for us to pay unto him 5. By right of Covenant In our Baptism we bind our selves and Covenant to be his Thus we see by how many Titles Christ is Lord. If any shall further inquire how he exercises this his dominion I Answer In these particulars 1. In giving Laws to his Subjects and servants 2. In appointing Officers in his Church 3. In providing for and protecting his Family 4. In correcting his servants for their miscarriages 5. In rewarding them according to their Works and Services both here and hereafter The improvement we should make of this Doctrine is in short this We should seriously consider whether we do indeed take Christ for our Lord as well as for our Saviour Many do like Christs Saviourship well enough but do not like his Soveraignty They will not have him rule over them But let us often think by how many Titles Christ is our Lord by right of Creation Sustentation Redemption and Covenant that so we may stir up our hearts to own him as our Lord and humbly to submit to him and to pay him the Homage we owe unto him and heartily chearfully diligently and constantly to obey him even to our lives end SECT II. Of the Person of Christ WE come now to consider what manner of person our Saviour 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 wonderful manner to his God-head and so God and Man became one person This I shall labour to make out by these seven following particulars 1. Jesus Christ who was God before by the Divine nature which he had from Eternity was in the fulness of time made Man Gal. 4.4 2. He was made Man by assuming our humane nature unto himself and joyning it to his Divine nature 3. Although our humane nature was joyned with his Divine nature that is with the nature common to the Father Son and Holy Ghost yet was that Union made only in the Person of the Son Not the Father nor the Holy Ghost but it was the Son that was incarnate 4. The Divine nature did not assume an humane person but the Divine Person of the Son did assume our humane nature If Christ had only taken the Person of a man then there must have been two Persons in Christ a Person assuming and a Person assumed Yea then that only Person which Christ had assumed should have been advanced and saved by him He therefore assumed not an humane Person but he assumed the humane
stone rolled to the door of the Sepulchre Matth. 27.60 Thus the design of the Jews made his Grave with the wicked intending he should be buried with them who were crucified with him But the design of Heaven placed him with the rich in his death and caused a Councellor and a Ruler of the Jews to bury him So that we may interpret that place of Isaiah thus He was buried nigh to the wicked yet with the rich when he was dead Our Saviour notwithstanding the malice of the Jews being thus honourably buried The Chief Priests desired of Pilate that the Sepulchre might be made sure lest his Disciples should steal him away which was accordingly done the Stone being sealed with the publick Seal and then a watch was set upon the Sepulchre We come now to consider what improvement we are to make of this Article 1. Then seeing Christ did really die and was buried let us testifie our communion with him in his death by dying unto Sin 2. In his Burial by the burial of the old man 3. In his Resurrection by rising unto newness of life This the Apostle hints to us as our duty Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life SECT VI. Of that Article in the Creed Descended into Hell He descended into Hell AFter Christs Crucifixion Death and Burial the Creed subjoyns He descended into Hell In treating of which I must in the first place suggest this that this Article of Christs descent into Hell was not in the antient Creeds 'T is not found in the Rules of Faith delivered by Irenaeus lib. 1. c. 2. by Origen lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Tertullian Adversus Prax. cap. 2. 'T is not in those Creeds that were made by the Councils as explications of this Creed particularly not in the Nicene where the words are these He was Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures It was not in the Roman or any of the Oriental Creeds This being premised we come to consider this Article which cannot with any shew of reason be understood of Christs Divine nature which is every where present and cannot be said either to ascend or descend It must therefore be understood of his humane nature And here it will be needful to enquire whether it be to be understood of his Soul or of his Body If it be to be understood of his Soul it must be meant either Metaphorically or really Some understand it Metaphorically and so by Christs descent into Hell they understand those inexpressible sufferings of his Soul a See Calv. Instit lib. 2. c. 16. which of all his sufferings were the most grievous by which he felt the wrath of God in his Soul for our sins But these sufferings were all antecedent to his death he having suffered part of them in the Garden and part on the Cross and all before he commended his Spirit into the hands of his Father and said it is finished and gave up the ghost But the descent into Hell as it now standeth in the Creed seems to signifie something done after his death Besides the torments of the damned are surely such as these 1. Remorse of Conscience or the never-dying worm 2. A bitter sence of an utter rejection from the favour of God 3. Despair of ever being eased of that unsupportable misery Now certainly none of these could befall our Saviour He did not endure so much as for a moment any of the Hellish torments Therefore surely in this sense Christs Soul did not descend into Hell Others hold that Christs Soul did really and by a local motion descend into Hell This they pretend 1. To prove and that from three places of Scripture And 2. To assign the ends for which he did thus descend We shall examine both First They say that though these words are not formally expressed in the Scriptures that Christ descended into Hell yet they are contained virtually in them which they will prove 1. From Eph. 4.9 Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth by which they understand Hell For answer by the lower parts of the earth I humbly conceive is meant the earth it self which is the lowest part of the World as Heaven is the highest For before Christ could ascend unto Heaven it was necessary he should descend to the Earth by his incarnation but there was no necessity of his descending into Hell And further the Grave may be called one of the lower parts of the earth in opposition to the surface or upper part of it on which we live And this is all that seems to be meant in this place 2. They pretend to prove it from 1 Pet. 3.19 where 't is said that Christ being put to death in his humane nature was quickned or raised up again by the power of his Spirit or God-head by which he preached to the Spirits in Prison whence they infer that he descended into Hell to preach to the Spirits there in torments Answer From these words it appeareth 1. That Christ preached in the dayes of Noah by the same Spirit by the vertue and power of which he was raised from the dead But that Spirit was not his Soul but something of a greater power 2. those to whom he preached were disobedient all that time the long-suffering of God waited for their repentance and return while the Ark was preparing And 3. Their Souls or Spirits for their disobedience are now in Hell and for refusing of that mercy that was offered to them by the preaching of Christ 'T is true indeed this was not performed by an immediate act of the Son of God as if he had personally appeared on earth and actually preached to the old world but it was performed by the Ministry of Noah who was guided and inspired by his Spirit and accordingly is called a preacher of Righteousness 2 Pet. 2.5 The third place they alledge for the maintenance of their opinion is Acts 2.25 26 27 a place that relates to Psal 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell c. Therefore say they surely Christs Soul did locally descend into Hell I Answer Soul is sometimes taken properly only for the Soul or Spirit of a man sometimes improperly for the whole person as Acts 27.37 We were in the Ship two hundred threescore and sixteen Souls Sometimes the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nephesh which signifies a Soul doth also signifie a dead body as Levit. 19.28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead Levit. 21. v. 1. There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people Numb 6.6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no
up again So a dying Saint may say to his body fear not to go down into the grave into the dark and dismal vault my dear Redeemer will bring thee up again Death to the Righteous is but like the pulling down of an old ruinous house to build it again in a more excellent and glorious manner 5. If God can and will raise the dead it should strengthen our Faith in Gods power that he can raise us up out of any affliction into which we are at any time fallen and that he can raise up his own interest in the World or in any Nation though it be never so low See Rom. 4.17 21. What cannot that God do who quickneth the dead 6. It should teach us not to set too high a price or value upon our own lives when we are called to expose them for the cause of Christ or for our Countreys good Every faithful servant of Christ that so loses his bodily life takes the best course to have it restored to him with advantage And in this sense our Saviour sayes he that loseth his life shall save it that is shall not only recover it again at the Resurrection but shall over and above also be rewarded with eternal life in glory John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this World shall keep it unto life eternal If God therefore call thee to expose thy body to death for him fear not to do it He will raise it up again in a more glorious manner 'T is said of those Worthies Heb. 11.35 that were wracked and tormented for professing the truth that they refused to be delivered viz. to the prejudice of their Consciences expecting a better Resurrection than that now offered them viz. to be delivered or raised up from their present pains and sufferings They expected a Resurrection of their bodies to eternal glory 7. This should deterr us from sinning with our bodies which must be raised again and if we die in our sins must suffer with our souls everlasting punishment Let us take heed of imploying our bodies as instruments of sin Remember O sinner that wretched body of thine which thou hast so often debauched by drunkenness and polluted and defiled by uncleanness it must rise again to damnation except thou repent that tongue of thine with which thou hast so often lyed cheated scoffed at serious piety and dishonoured God by swearing cursing ribbaldry backbiting c. shall be tormented in that same flame that Dives was tormented in Luke 16. As Christ said of Judas it had been better for him he had never been born so we may say of some men It were better for them they might not rise again But as the Soul and Body sinned together so they must suffer together And as they inticed one another to sin so they must be together for ever miserable 8. And lastly Let us labour to be united unto Christ by a lively faith that he may raise us up as our Head He will raise the wicked as their Judge He is Lord both of dead and living and so hath right by that dominion to raise the dead Rom. 14.9 and will accordingly do it And some he will raise to suffer everlasting punishment and others to a glorious everlasting life And of such as these the Apostle speaks John 11.25 Whoso believeth on him shall never die that is eternally so as to suffer everlasting punishment It now only remains that I should answer three questions and then I shall shut up this discourse 1. Seeing men return to the earth at several ages the Infant at one age and the man at another it may be questioned whether they shall arise in the same age and disproportions of age and stature which they had whilst they lived Answer Augustine * Restat ergo ut quisque suâ—m habeat mensuram vel quam habuit in juventute vel quam haiturus esset si vixisset August de civ lib 22. c. 13. resolves it negatively and determines it thus That we shall all of us be raised in that proportion of strength which men attain to commonly at their best estate And this resolution of the case the Apostle doth seem to favour when he saith that though the body be sown in weakness in the weakness of old age or infancy yet it shall be raised in power All imperfections and deformities shall be taken away For neither is it likely that Infancy being imperfection and old age being corruption can stand with the estate of a glorified body Quest 2. How can there be a Resurrection seeing the Apostle tells us that flesh and blood shall not enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 Answ Our Bodies shall be fitted for that glorious state by the mutation of their qualities See Apost Hist pag. 183 and 184. Our bodies shall not enter into Heaven vile * The Apostle tells us the body shall be raised a Spiritual body that is a body endued with Spiritual qualities free from carnal desires and wholly subject to the Spirit as now they are but shall be changed As mens hearts are changed here by regeneration so their bodies shall be changed in the Resurrection changed in qualities not in substance As a corn of grain that is sown is raised in substance and kind the same but divers in qualities rising up with blade and ear and corn in it It doth not rise in just the same figure in which it was sown but with advantage So it will be in the Resurrection Quest 3. What shall become of them that shall be found alive at Christs coming Answ They shall not dye but shall be changed suddenly from a mortal into an immortal state See 1 Cor. 15.51 52. 1 Thes 4.15 17. SECT VI. Of Life everlasting And the life everlasting IN treating of this Article which the Nicene Creed calls the life of the World to come I shall first shew that both the old and new Testament bear witness to it and give us sufficient ground to believe it Dan. 12.2 Many of them that sleep in in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt God plainly shewed to those who lived under the old Testament that there is an everlasting life in the world to come by the examples of some whom he took and translated out of this world into the other without death intervening Enoch who lived before the giving of the Law and Elijah who lived after are both instances of this Gen. 5.24 Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him Heb. 11.5 By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him And so Elijah was carried up in a fiery Chariot and by a whirlwind into Heaven 2 Kings 2.11 After Abraham Isaac and Jacob were dead God stiled himself their God Exod. 3.6 Moreover he said I am the God
all must not be referred to the Oath it self but to the manner of the Oath that is we must not swear at all falsely rashly or in ordinary communication neither directly by the name of God nor by the creatures And to prevent this our Saviour adds Verse 37. Let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil As if he should have said what you have to affirm * Quod affirmatis vere affirmate quod negatis vere negate Rabbini dicunt Justorum etiam est etiam non eorum est non Ausonius ad Paulinum Cum multa loquaces Ambiguis sererent verbis contra onmia solum Est respondebat vel Non. affirm it simply without an Oath and what you have to deny deny it simply without an Oath * Christianos sui temporis repreâ—endit Tertullianus qui aut ignorantia aut consuetudinis vitio dicerent mehercule medius fidius quod post eum fecit Hieronymus for customary swearing by whatsoever it is that men swear cometh of Satan and the corruption of their own hearts A true and plain affirmation and negation in daily speech is sufficient and if you use any thing more you will be in danger of sinning and falling into the judgment * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heinsius verba Christi Mat. 5. verse 34. ad quae Jacobus sine dubio respicit conjuncta legit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Unde emergit sensus non quidem omninò non esse jurandum cum opus est sed nullum ex jâ—randi formulis tum usitatis usurpandum Heathenish Oaths also are not to be allowed except they will say they personate Heathens in the use of them as aedipol mehercule per Jovem immortalem Cursed be that elegancy that is joyned with Idolatry sayes the learned Downham and condemnation of God Further that our Saviour speaketh here only of private Oaths it is manifest in that the Jews did not in their publick oaths before the Magistrate swear by the creatures but by the name of God only And this may also be gathered out of the Text it self For he saith let your communication or ordinary speech one to another be yea yea nay nay 4. I come now to shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken The Prophet Jeremy instructs us fully as to this Chap. 4.2 Thou shalt swear saith he the Lord liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousness 1. In truth That is truly swearing nothing but the truth and not abusing the dreadful name of God to attest a falshood Zech. 5.4 God severely threatens him that sweareth falsly by his name 2. In judgment that is considerately well weighing what thou art to swear and by whom 3. In righteousness binding thy self to nothing but what is in it self just and right and having a full purpose to perform what thou by oath bindest thy self to and being careful to make it good accordingly Concerning the rites and forms of swearing I find these mentioned in the Scripture 1. Lifting up the hand to the most high God Thus Abraham swore Gen. 14.22 And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most h gh God c. And thus the Angel swore Rev. 10.5 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever 2. Putting the hand under the thigh Thus Abrahams servant swore Gen. 24.2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house that ruled over all that he had Put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh And I will make thee swear by the Lord God of Heaven and the God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife for my Son of the daughters of the Canaanites And thus Jacob caused Joseph to swear Gen. 47.29 30 31. If now I have found grace in thy sight put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh and swear unto me And he sware unto him Our rite of swearing for the Commons of England is by putting the hand on the book of the Gospels and kissing it which is to be understood as I suppose only to signifie our believing in God and expecting help from him through Christ according to the Gospel as we speak the truth Dr. Ames lib. 2. Med. c. 10. sayes that solemnity which in some places is used of touching and kissing the book is plainly of the same kind and import with the elevation of the hand that is it signifies a mans consent to swear and to the oath it self * In Solomons time when they took an Oath they touched the Altar which Ceremony was also used among the Gentiles Whereby was signified that they called him to witness who was worshipped with Sacrifices offered upon those Altars But if any scruple this rite and form of swearing and had rather use that other of lifting up the hand to the most high I see no reason if it may stand with the laws of the Land but that they may be indulged therein this form of swearing being every way as binding as the other 5. I come now in the next place to shew the great evil and sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing This is a sin very rise and common in our Nation and one of those for which the Land mourns I shall therefore present several arguments and considerations which may sufficiently demonstrate the heinousness of it 1. Consider how Sacred and Venerable the name of our great God ought alwayes to be unto us Every thought and mention of it should be accompanied with reverence 'T is a duty strictly injoyned Deut. 28.58 Thou shalt fear the glorious and dreadful name of the Lord thy God How great a sin then is it to vilify prophane and make it common How high a provocation must it needs be to the Almighty for poor mortals familiarly to toss his dreadful name in their mouths upon every slight occasion and to make it the ordinary expletive or filling up of their speech and language Surely some of the more civilized Heathens were of better minds and used the names of their gods with more reverence But O the impiety of our times How prophanely and irreverently do some who call themselves Christians use the name of the great God whom the Angels in Heaven continually delight to laud and praise crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Heaven the whole earth is full of his glory Isa 6.3 2. Consider that the second and third Commandments of all the rest have several threatnings annexed to them to shew us how greatly God is provoked by Idolatry and taking his name in vain He threatens he will not hold such guiltless that is he will be so far from absolving or acquitting such transgressors that he will grievously punish them and they shall not escape his just Judgement
of Oppression Extortion Cheating Lying Theft False-witness-bearing breach of Promise c. It occasions a great deal of trouble to the World by Quarrelling Contention Law-Sutes and the like He whose affections are inordinately set on money will not stick at the breach of any of Gods commandments There is scarce any sin so base and vile but he that is under the power of Covetousness will venture to commit it for gain and advantage * Avaritia Christum vendidit Therefore Davids prayer was Psal 119.36 Incline mine heart to thy testimonies and not to covetousness He might have said and not to lust or not to pride but it seems he looked on Covetousness as a Mother-sin which was like to produce many other sins wherever it prevailed 2. 'T is a very close sin 'T is a sin hardly discerned and so more hardly cured 'T is a secret subtil sin that hides it self under the cloak of frugality and good husbandry A man may be free from unlawful getting from deceit and injustice and yet be earthly-minded for all that If God should suffer a Professor to fall into drunkenness or uncleanness his conscience would be sure to flye in his face and severely talk with him But people that are Covetous and Earthly-minded hardly discern themselves to be so or think it no crime to be so though the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.10 reckons the Covetous among those that shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 3. 'T is a very insnaring sin They that will be rich sayes the Apostle that is that are resolved so to be either by hook or by crook fall into temptation and a snare 1 Tim. 6.9 Such persons will not stick at any thing that may promote their gain They will not care to make shipwrack of their consciences to gain the world And therefore Covetousness is many times the root of Apostacy Demâ—s hath forsaken me sayes the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.10 having embraced the present world Luke follows a suffering Paul but Demas through the love of the world forsakes him 4. 'T is a great dishonour to the Christian Profession What shall they that have Heaven set before them for a reward dote upon the earth Shall they that pretend to understand the surpassing excellency of the things above have their hearts and affections set on things below The Psalmist sayes Psal 135.15 The Idols of the Heathen are silver and gold 'T is a shame that silver and gold should be the Idols of Christians Therefore the Apostle writing to the converted Colossians Chap. 3. v. 1 2. tells them that if they be risen with Christ they must set their affections on things above and not on things on the earth 5. It much hinders profiting by the Woâ—d The Cares of this life choak the Word Matth. 13.23 There are many come to hear the word and sit before the Lord as his people whose hearts go after their Covetousness Ezek. 33.31 and so the word profits them not 6. It unfits a man to be a good Magistrate or a good Minister A Magistrate should be a man fearing God and hating Covetousness Exod. 18.21 A Gospel Minister should not be greedy of filthy lucre 1 Pet. 5.2 If either of them be under the power of Covetousness they are never like to discharge their duties faithfully 7. 'T is a very disquieting sin It disquiets the hearts of men and deprives them of inward peace They that covet after money pierce themselves through with many sorrows sayes the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.10 It creates also a great deal of trouble and disquiet to particular Families He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house sayes Solomon Prov. 15.27 A covetous Master of a Family will make his Children and Servants very slaves and drudges and will hardly allow them things necessary and Convenient 8. It exceedingly hinders a due preparation for death They that have their hearts over-charged with Covetousness and the cares of this life seldom take their latter end into due consideration How hardly sayes our Saviour shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God Math. 10.23 that is that have their hearts set on their riches and trust in them Corpulent birds seldom flye high Neither do they whose great care is to load themselves with thick Clay Heb. 2.5 6. mind Heaven or the things of the other life And so much of the evil of Covetousness 6. I come now to give some directions and to prescribe some remedies against it 1. Labour to understand wherein the true happiness of man consists Riches and wealth are not the distinguishing marks of the favour and love of God Men may have them and yet be of the number of them who have all their portion in this life Psal 17.14 God indeed does sometimes give riches to his own children that they may appear to be his blssiengs And to many of his own children he denies them that they may appear not to be his chief blessings The true happiness of man consists in reconciliation with God in conformity of his nature to him in having his Spirit dwelling in him and in being serviceable to him in his generation He that hath these is truly rich though he be poor in this World And he that wants these though he flow in riches and wealth yet I am not affraid to tell him he is for the present but a miserable man and in an unsafe condition 2. Consider the people of God ought to have a great confidence in Gods Fatherly care over them We are much pressed in Scripture to cast our care on God Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden on the Lord and he shall sustain thee 1 Pet. 5.7 Cast all your care on him for he careth for you Matth. 6.31 Take no thought for your life whaâ— you shall eat or what you shall drink or for your body what you shall put on but seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you What makes children and servants less solicitous and anxious less careful and covetous in their Parents and Masters house than when they are for themselves Why they depend on their Parents and Masters to provide for them and that sets them at ease as to that particular And should not we then depend on the care and providence of our heavenly Father Why should we not trust God for our bodies as well as for our souls considering the many gracious promises he has made to take care of us The Apostle uses this as a great argument against Covetousness and that we should be content with such things as we have because God hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 3. We should labour to moderate our affections to the things of this World Holy Agurs prayer was Prov. 30.8 Give me neither Poverty nor Riches but feed me with food convenient for me Our Saviour tells Martha Luke 10.42 that one thing is necessary 'T is not necessary we