of Christ as flesh reckoned to his Divinitie made an equal satisfaction to God's offended Majestie The influence and valor of the divine nature assisting the humane for the fulfilling of the merit for if the Suretie fail in any point his undertakeing is uneffectual The Mediator then beeing to mediate between God and Man must needs bee God 1. In respect of those evils hee was to expiate as sin and uncleanness 2. those enemies hee was to vanquish as Satan death and wrath 3. Those good things hee was too purchase eternal righteousness the image of God and glorie hereafter in the presence of God Vsn I. Let this teach us to adore the Mysterie of the Godhead of Christ that wee rest in no inferior object whatsoever the world can affoard us But remember hee is God blessed above all and hath merited by his glorious power a glorious deliverance for his Church from death to eternal life Vse II. This affoard's us a notable ground of understanding a real difference of the persons in Trinitie God the Father send 's God the Son into the world to save it by the power of God the holie Ghost conveying and sealeing his merit to the Soul of the Elect. Now except there bee admitted a real distinction of the persons in Trinitie how shall one and the same God for beeing bee the partie satisfying and satisfied Vse III. Of Exhortation to all that are loaden with their sin desireing eas to com to this second well-spring of salvation and to drink water of life freely from it that is believ it for themselvs Especially let this beat down self in us in the matter of our conversion What should wee bring to God for our Redemption can wee bring any light to the Sun or drop to the Ocean all fulness is his hee must do all for and in us before and in conversion Again let us lay hold on Jesus Christ who hath satisfied God and taken away wrath Let this give a beeing and bottom of truth to all the promises of God in our soul And let us draw neer with confidence to the God of promises and comfort our heavie heart in the view of the hainous circumstances of her sin makeing it out of measure sinful Bee not dismaid hee that is thy Suretie made not thy peace for small and som but all and the greatest so that thy thought must bee how to receiv this fulness not for the greatness of this sin III Branch The Personal Vnion Union of both Natures into one Person by the unconceiveable work of the Spirit it 's much that Soul and Bodie but much more that Flesh and the Word should bee really in one Person The person of the Word took the nature of flesh therein to subsist It is called Personal Union to distinguish it from other Unions in Christ and all other Unions whatsoever In Christ there is a well-spring of Unions but no personal Union in them The Union of Christs Godhead with the Father and the Spirit is Essential with his invisible Church Spiritual and Mystical with Water in Baptism and Bread and Wine in the Lord's Supper Sacramental In other Unions the things united are One either by bare notional apprehensions as things understood by the fancie or els One by compounding as when of three or four drugs is made one med'cine or els by mixture and confusion as when Water and Wine are made one substance or els by Divine institution as when man and wife are made one flesh none of these are personal Unions But Personal Vnion is such an one as whereby both natures so retain their distinct properties unconfounded that yet they remain indissolubly united in the person without the least seqaration no not at death in the grave Vse I. This teache's us to conceiv aright of the person of Christ wee must com to God in and by the flesh of the Son the second person The equal tearm and object must bee the personal Union i e. the Manhood must as truly bee praied unto and adored as the Godhead Vse II. It teache's us a difference between the subsisting of Christs flesh and all other subsistings wee subsist in the union of bodie and soul which two make one and the same person but the manhood of Christ is no person or subsistence by union of soul and bodie but by assumeing the nature of man into the person of the Son of God so that the flesh hath no subsisting at all save in the upholding power of the Godhead as the plant Misselto hath no root of its own to subsist in but subsist's in another tree Vse III. To encourage the soul that is afraid to draw neer to God for reconciliation and mercie in Christ becaus of the estrangement of it self from God by loss of image Lo the Lord is willing to unite himself unto thee poor soul in his Son by vertue of his union with thy fearful frail nature For by this union he hath purchased a spiritual union between himself and the sinful soul How singular an encouragemement then should this be to a poor soul to fasten on the promise when hee see 's it assisted by this all-sufficient merit issuing from the union of both natures both suffering and meriting Quest What is the Vnction of Christ Answ It is a consequent upon this personal union whereby the Godhead made the Manhood full of himself and of all gifts and graces of the spirit meet to enable him to his work of mediation and by name separated him from men to bee excellent as to bee the Prophet Priest and King of his Church Hee was Priest to satisfie and pray for Prophet to teach and King to rule and deliver his people I. Vnction of Priesthood The Uuction of Priesthood is the chief part of the Unction of Christ becaus by vertue of that office hee performed the great work of satisfaction Two things are to bee considered in this Annointing of Christ our Priest 1. The peculiarness 2. The furniture of gifts For the first although there were many things in the ordinarie Priesthood of Aaron which resembled Christ for the general yet becaus there were many things verie different therefore the holie Ghost set's him forth by the type of Melchisedeck's Priesthood For as hee was without beginning and end in his storie so was Christ not as Aaron mortal mutable sinful Secondly the Furniture which this Unction filled the Lord JESUS our high-Priest withall and that without measure For as the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily so all the communicable gifts and excellencies thereof dwelt in him Eminent wisdom rightousness humilitie unblameablenes holiness separation from sinners and all other graces but as I take it one fruit of his Unction was his peculiar fitness to satisfie That holie free consent of his to the will of his Father to do and suffer and fulfil all righteousness I say this absolute and unstained Obedience to go thorow all difficulties meekly long-sufferingly cheerfully
amitie is blessed But all other is but dung to it Vse III. Let it bee an use of trial to us whether wee bee reconciled If wee are not wee are cursed If wee are then this Covenant hath drawn from us an Oath and Covenant with God again As the singular Amitie of David and Jonathan begate a Covenant and a renewing of it with an Oath of God Oh! such a soul will swear to keep God's righteous judgments and to walk in all well-pleasing This is the last mark of all as our Savior saith You are my Friends Joh. 15. 14. if you do whatsoever I command you Vse IV. Improov this benefit Seeing the Lord will have us his beloveds and crown us with such favors let us not decline them Do as favorites do with Princes they chuse favor above all boons becaus it is the fountain of all Vse V. Abhor all base roots of bitterness rising up to defile this Amitie and weaken it First abhor all enmitie of unbelief suspition of God distrust of his promises as if hee mean't nothing less This is the deepest villanie Never lin till thy large heart can better answer the Lord then Jehonadab answered Jehu's question Is thy heart as mine Yea doubtless Make use of all Ordinances especially the Supper of Christ the Symbole of this Amitie to seal it up to the Soul Secondly take heed of all falshood in thy Covenant with God If thou bee loos to him and yet expect's him to bee close with thee thou wilt bee deceived Hee will avenge the quarrel of it VI. Benefit Adoption Adam was the Son of God by Creätion Luke 3. ult By this fall hee lost it is becom a bastard strip't of his royalties birth-right and inheritance the dignitie of the first-born dominion and Lordship of the Creatures title to Paradise immortalitie Adoption is the enfranchisement of the soul into her former estate of Sonship again beeing freed from the spirit of bondage and flavish fear Gal. 4. 6. For as a man freely and without desert take's one that is not his own childe to becom his own changeing his name adopting him into his familie and setling that inheritance upon him which belonged to one descended from his Loins So doth the Lord here hee restore's the Sinner to his former livelihood Sonship Lordship and Coheirship with Christ the heir of all Wee shall understand this priveledg of Adoption the better if wee consider it in three things 1. What wee had lost in Adam 2. What wee recover and hold in Christ 3. What use wee should make of them both 1. What wee had and lost in Adam Although wee were no adopted sons in Adam for what needed it yet wee were sons by creätion As Adam Luke 3. is called the Son of God beeing inspired with the breath of God and framed in bodie according to his own image Wee bare the similitude of God about us in both even as a son resemble's the father Wee carried both in minde will affections senses bodie gesture autoritie and presence the glorie of our father about us were to God most accepted in our walking before him to the Creatures most honorable and awful as God's Deputies in the sight of the Angels most excellent and in our selvs most happie by the reflex and view of our own integritie of Sonship so that wee had whatsoever an earthlie vessel could contain Beeing thus heirs of all and sons of immortalitie planted in a Paradise of exquisite perfection even in the habitation of our glorie when wee were full of it wee prostituted our selvs willingly to transgress the bounds of children and sons and the law of our creätion so that wee must either bee better then sons and equall with God or els nothing and so by yeelding to the Divel wee fell to God ate the forbidden fruit tainted not our spirits onely and beeings but our blood also and became degenerate Bastards and slaves in our condition not haveing one dram in us of that son-like nature temper and integritie which wee had in stead of bearing the image of heaven wee bear the image of earth strip't of our honor and put down to the lowest form of baseness and made meer shadowes of what wee had been forfeited all our royalties not onely of inward content esteem peace and beholding of the face of God as children but also of outward title to the Earth and to Paradise dominion of creatures brotherhood with Angels and beeing thrust out of the Garden wee became drudges of the earth slaves to Satan and lived in continual fear of death and wrath onely haveing a poor hold and corner of the earth to confine us as prisoners and to hide our heads in 2. What wee recover and hold in CHRIST Hee beeing God by nature the eternal Word and also flesh by the power of the holy Ghost did by his bloodie satisfaction over-entreat our father pacified his justice and washed off our rebellion and guilt with the curs thereof from us that so wee might pass into the former priveledg of Sonship and whatever honor of grace appertained thereto and that by adoption For as a rich Prince haveing lost his son take's another childe not his own strip's him of his name familie cause's him to take his own name upon him and to becom his own and giv's him right to all hee hath and make's him his heir so doth the Lord take us poor lost bastards strip's us of our name and take's us into his stock arraie's us with his own robe sett's us at his own table cause 's us to forget our father's hous and all the baseness thereof restore's us to the right of Sons of the Almightie begot of his seed and spirit giv's us the libertie of sons the title to all his creatures with pureness without fear of ever beeing cast out any more till wee com to possess heaven with himself for ever 3. What Vse wee should make of them both Vse 1. It should teach us wisely to digest and carrie that disproportion of our condition below in the mean time Oh! what humbleness meekness mean opinion of our selvs self-denial to subject our selvs for a while to this state of conformitie to our elder brother should wee seek for What faith especially need wee firmly to cleav to the word of promise which assure's us that the Lord esteem's us as wee are Vse 11. This should scare ungodly men and make them tremble at their condition that they are bastards and no sons or daughters of the Almightie Men boast themselvs that they are the sons of men Anakim's like their Ancestors men of brave stomacks as proud and rebellious as their parents such as Gyant-like do fight again heaven and walk according to the sway of their lusts but to bee the Sons of God they regard not Oh! therefore howl and mourn all yee bastards for your degenerate condition Vse III. If the Lord shall indeed prick your hearts for this I speak
Mediator to stand between wrath and us not by arbitrement as in humane sequesterships but by paiment for us Lo therefore hee take's our person upon him becom's piacular that is first seazed with our sin by imputation that by his righteousness hee might deface it and fulfil the Law broken by us and secondly seazed with our curs that by his suffring death hee might quit us of the fear and punishment thereof His Suffering or Passion hath two parts the Sacrifice it self or Passion and the Conquest or Victorie ensuing it whereby hee gave the Passion a full power to becom or rather to bee declared satisfactory The Applying part is the act of his intercedeing Mediation here on earth and especially in heaven serveth to settle the merit of Redemption upon all the Elect in the due season thereof These are called well-springs of salvation Esay 12. 3. becaus they are so many grounds of justifying faith Their number is seaven 1. Incarnation 2. Divinitie 3. Personal union with anointing attending it 4. Actual obedience 5. Passive 6. Conquest 7. Applying all to the Elect. I Branch Incarnation By the power of the holy Ghost sanctifying the flesh of the Virgin the Lord Jesus beeing conceived in and born of the poor Virgin did submit himself to such unspeakable abasement as to take upon him the nature of man that in and by it hee might obey and suffer those things which the divine nature could not beee capable off Touching this point observ further three things 1. The realness of the flesh of the Lord Jesus hee took verie flesh of verie flesh and not as som Hereticks thought a similitude and shadow of it 2. The differences of his incarnnation I. In respect of his father hee was not ordinarily begotten by man but by the holie Ghost who fulfilled the work of a father 2. In regard of his mother a Virgin before and in and after his Incarnation Divines make the Four differences of Generation I. When man is made man without father or mother as Adam in his creätion 2. When man is made without a woman as Eve was 3. When man is made both by man and woman and so are all her posteritie made 4. The last when man is made without either man or woman and so was the flesh of Christ made Thirdly hee took our nature the seed of Adam and caused it to subsist in the second person of Godhead 3. Resolution of som doubts about it as I. Why was it necessarie that our Saviour Jesus should bee flesh That hee might thereby bee fitted and accommodated for the work of suffering The Godhead could not suffer the manhood could not merit infinitely the Godhead therefore must merit by a flesh that could suffer 2. Why must the flesh of a man and his nature bee taken to satisfie The flesh of a person could have reached onely to a personal satisfaction but the flesh of our nature might satisfie for natue it self and all persons contained under it 3. Why must the second person in Trinitie take flesh 1. becaus the word of creätion and first subsisting in creäted goodness must also bee the instrument of the uncreäted 2. It behooved that as Christ is the engraven form of his fathe'rs likeness and the brightness of his person therefore so hee should bee the instument to bring us to partake the same image after wee had lost it 3 It was fit that the righteous servant and naturural son of God should make us his servants and obedient children Vse 1. To confute Hereticks and Papists who destroy the realness and truth of the bodie of our satisfier by their Ubiquitie which destroye's the properties of the true bodie and so the bodie it self Vse 11. Of instruction teaching us to magnifie this mysterie of Godliness Jesus incarnate It 's a modell of the unspeakable justice love wisedom of God in one a far greater excellencie is in it then in the creation It was and is the song and wonderment of Angels it was then and still is that which bring 's glorie to God peace to the earth good will to men It caused Mary to exult and to magnifie God the Shepheards to report it the Wise-men to travail after it Herod and Jerusalem to tremble Simeon and Anna to rejoice and all the Church of God to triumph and and shall wee hold our peace and want affections and admirations Again it should teach us to cast off all base carnal reasons and distrusts either touching our salvation or protection Hereafter judg not God by outward apparences in the fulness of 4000 yeers flesh came If the bodie of all promises bee com how shall the branches bee performed Hee that hath given us this deliverance what can hee denie us Vse 111. Let us learn whither to go when wee want any preferment in priveledges or any grace to to furnish our hearts or lives or to fill us for our places duties and callings or for use of odinances especially when wee are under streights and bitter enemies Let us bee perswaded that our flesh glorified in heaven bear 's such stroak with the Father that hee will hear him in all his requests yea let us remember that hee therefore took flesh and felt all our ailes and infirmities that hee might pitie us and bee afflicted with us in all our affictions and temptations as Esay 63. 9. and will not let us lie under any streights which hee can rid us off For hee count's ours his and our selvs his and will do for us in this as in all other things as for his own flesh Vse IV. To exhort us to sundrie duties 1 In the difficultie which wee finde in the life of our faith let us draw neer to the flesh of our Mediator for influence and succor oh how far off do promises seem to bee unto us Christ is our peace in guilt of conscience strength to sustein us with patience in our crosses libertie from all bondage sufficiencie to enable us to walk with God to crucifie corruption to persevere to attain the resurrection of the dead 2. Again it should encourage our faint timorous hearts so many as are loden with our burden to com to the flesh of this Mediator for eas For first in this flesh of Christ there is a general fitness in him to receiv every one whose nature hee beareth for in that nature each person is enclosed Secondly it should help our weakness in coming to God the father by coming by this flesh of the Lord Jesus Thirdly let us com and plead our part in the Lord Jesus for our portion of forgiveness and mercie Fourthly by faith com and draw waters from this well-spring of salvation II Branch the Divinitie of Christ The Lord Jesus our Mediator was true God also It was not onely the second Person and no other who took flesh but a Divinitie which enabled an Humanitie to obey and suffer that God's justtce might except against neither as insufficient The Acts and sufferings
desperate and refractorie sinners that they may com under God's chain but as are bound in it already must not bee oppressed more as if there were no succor for them no Balm in Gilead Vse II. Let such as are to receiv their counsel beware of beeing stout and obstinate by melancholie and sullenness Many people make their chains heavier then God make's them and will not suffer a thought of hope to enter through the anguish of bondage All such as becaus they cannot feel so strong comforts as they fancie therefore quarrel with God and reject such as hee offer 's them No let not God bee tempted by thy frowardness when hee seek's to trie thy humilitie Vse III. It 's exhortation to all poor troubled souls First to get and pray for readie and willing hearts to hear and see God's voice and steps for for eas and do not devour their own flesh Prov. 9. 12. Get Abraham's wisedom Gen. 22 13. who although Isaac had the knife at his throat yet had an ear to hear the Angel and an eie to see the Ram caught in the bush instead of his son Secondly although your hope bee small yet becaus your streight is great consider whether it bee not better to venture upon uncertain hope then upon assured wo 2 King 7. 4. Vse IV. Suffer not bondage to swallow you up in legall sorrow think not hell an heaven custom but as speedily as you can get out at this privie door blessing God for such a mitigation of miserie that in the discharge of the duties of your places you may attend upon the further work of God abhorring to think your selvs well becaus the Law hath you under bondage till the Gospel hath comforted you THE SECOND PART ARTIC I. That there is a deliverance ordained and granted to miserable Man out of this thraldom TItus 3. 4 5 6 c. But after that the kindeness and love of GOD our Savior toward Man appeared not by works of righteousness which hee had don but according to his mercie hee saved us through the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holie-Ghost which hee shed on us abundantly by JESUS CHRIST our Savior Here is a cleer view of a deliverance of a Sinner from this miserie together with the use of it to all that want it The scope is to oppose deliverance to miserie q d. Thus indeed it was by our deservings and God's justice but yet the Lord could not finde in his heart to let us lie in this woful and shiftless estate but when hee saw none to save himself saved us as a man seeing a perishing creature in a ditch and readie to despair for lack of present help himself stepped forth to help it out hee of dutie the Lord of meer goodness hee found out a way to set man on drie land out of the gulf of miserie so that the one was not so hideous as this is pretious and gracious So that First note that in this woful ruine of man there is a deliverance Eph. 2. 1. 1 Thes 1. vlt. Luke 1. 74. Esay 63. 5. Secondly it is appointed by the LORD out of the uusearchable treasure of his wisedom And this appear's partly by his eternal purpose within himself and partly by that expression of himself to his Church and to his elect Both these the intention of his heart towards them and the declaration thereof to them in his word do shew that it was not the will of God that man sunk in the dungeon of wo should lie there still and perish but recover out of it and live and this hee would have no secret in his own bosom nor hidden from us but known and revealed The Lord from eternitie purposed with himself to exempt a number known to himself out of this destruction and out of his justice to pass by others as not bound to rescue them and leav them in their corruption still and this to manifest his infinite justice against sin The Covenant of Grace is the promulgation and publishing of this his purpose in and by his word i e. by his Son the eternal word of the Father And this Covenant reache's equally to Election and no further and the sum of it is that GOD will bee their God to pardon sanctifie protect and save them will not bee ashamed to bee so called by them nor of them to bee his own beloved but hold them in this everlasting Covenant of his till hee receive them to immediate fruition of himself There is another general Covenant of ordinary calling by the ofter of the Gospel and the common badg of Baptism which is made to all without exception who exclude not themselvs but differeth from the former and is much larger then Election This offer must bee universal 1. Because whom the Lord call's hee call's and cull's out of the universal world those who receiv it shew themselvs elect those who finally reject it perish by their own unbelief and shew themselvs to bee none of God's number 2. His Ministers beeing his ordinarie instruments cannot put difference between the elect and the not-elect therefore they are to publish it generally to all 3. If the Covenant should bee dispensed with restraint this might strengthen the rebellious in their cavilling against the decree and fasten the caus of their perdition upon God which is onely from themselvs Vse I. It should teach us to adore the wisedom of God in this manner of manifesting himself This Covenant was darkly before shadowed by ceremonies but in due time revealed clearly Vse II. Break off thy league with sin and embrace the Covenant of mercie the sure mercies of David Vse III. Thouh Redemption bee the undivided work of the whole Trinitie yet even in this there bee several and incommunicable works of everie person concurring The Son merit's and work 's out the way of redemption The holie-Ghost work 's the perswasion of it in the soul But God the Father is the first mover and ordainer of it as the wel-spring whence the purpose and also the manifestation thereof proceeded Beware then least wee either confound these three actions or yet exclude any of the persons from their own operations But let us adore them all The Spirit in the work of applying Christ and the Father in the work of giveing Christ and in that love of his from which both Christ and the satisfaction came Vse IV. Behold in the Father an infinite depth of love and mercie toward sunken man thus to repair him Here is love not that wee loved him first but hee loved us haveing nothing but odiousness in us even that hee might shew what was in his heart and what hee could do Therefore judg aright of this first love and secondly profit by the meditation of Judg of it to bee the very fulness of all in all to bee a length depth height and bredth neither to bee reached unto searched into comprehended or attained but onely by faith embraced and rested upon
quiet but is held on by peculiar tenderness to attend grace Alas there will bee a season of God's weariness and his spirit shall not strive with man Hee will have also a season of leaving thee to that contempt which despised the counsel of God for thy salvation Abhorring of light preferring darkness despising the Ministerie and Ordinances revolting from those insinuations of grace which once seemed precious I say these are spiritual wickednesses and far exceed moral evils Vse VII Let this bee a sweet preparative unto us to frame us to believ Entertain wee not any base cursed thoughts of God in the simplicitie of his offer Nourish all possible persuasion in the soul of his unfeigned meaning towards thee in this kinde thou canst honor him no better than to agree with him in his meaning well to thee There is no greater difficultie of faith then this seed of bondage in us to judg of God by our selvs Wee muse as wee use If wee have an enemie wee cannot forget his wrongs wee meet him not without indignation and therefore so wee think of God also to us and the rather becaus hee hath so much vantage over us But oh poor wretch jealousie aagainst his love Is it not rather oyl to the flame Pull down thy traitor's heart hate not him whom thou hast hurt put on an holie and childe-like opinion of him who when hee needed not yet purposed sent received this satisfaction for thee and therefore cannot lie in offering it to thee Say thus Lord thy sweet offer naked bosom cords of love passions of sick love somtime to allure somtime to contest command urge threaten and beseech turning thee into all forms of persuasion to win my soul all these convince mee of thy wel-meaning towards mee If my own enmitie to my enemie and the slander of Satan that thou enviest my good do assault mee never so much and my own traiterous heart conspire with them yet this thy gracious offer in thy Gospel shall bear down all Read Esay 55. 7. For my wayes are not as your waies nor my thoughts as your thoughts but as far above them as heaven above the earth Add this All the understanding of man cannot comprehend the love of this offer no more then the eie of a needle can the great Camel and shall I go about to lessen it Surely this should bee a great stay to my heart that God hath offered mee this grace and as base as I am what though it cannot enter into such a narrow brest as mine is that hee mean's as hee speak's yet if it bee the pleasure of a great God to give it as his offer import's shall I look at my baseness or at his greatness whom it were a dishonor unto to give mean things Oh Lord rather by this bountie open my narrow heart and make it large If the offer of a Minister of God bee precious who dare seal it upon earth to my poor soul shall not the offer of God himself the strength of Israel that cannot lie much more sway with mee Oh Lord captivate all my hatred of spirit and base treacherie against thee It 's reported of a certain Merchant of LONDON in the storie of England that hee made much of a poor Cobler that dwelt with him a cankred Papist and did as good as maintain him yet this Traitor went about to betray him to death This Merchant haveing escaped his hands yet out of his love used all means to bee friends with him again and used him as before all this would not do his heart was so villanous hee would shun the way of him and not look at him It fell so out at length that hee met him in such a narrow Lane as hee could not balk him but must needs talk with him The good Merchant take's him to him and told him hee was glad hee had met him and hee wondered what hee mean't so to decline from him What said hee do you think mee your enemie if I were could I not crush you with a word speaking Alas I am not offended with you for all your trecherie but forgive and forget it The words of this man so pierced the Cobler's heart that it brake instantly and hee falling down upon his knees and with bitter tears confessed his villanie and repented of it told him This love should for ever tie him unto him and so he continued This base Papist is the heart of every childe of old Adam this royal Merchant is the Lord this narrow lane is the streight of conscience beset with sin and curs this kinde behavior is this offer of Grace Let us not bee wors to it then a cankred Papist but break our hearts and melt into tears and with Saul to David say Where shall a man finde such love as to spare his enemie when hee had him in his hand and to bee content to cut off the lap of a garment when hee might have cut my throat Break my heart in the bosom of his love Vse VIII Wee learn hence to understand the Covenant of God a naked thing but filled with all the merit of an eternal Satisfier and with all the strength mercie justice and faithfulness of an unchangeable Promiser even the Lord fully satisfied and so concerning it beseech the Lord so to write it in thy soul God's offer is founded upon Christ and the well-pleasedness of the Father by him Why then there is no more anger in his heart Esay 27. 3. for if there were what should drie stubble do But now lo hee is reconciled hee cannot bee angrie with a poor Creature Hee hath taken order to satisfie justice by his Son to the end that hee might abolish the proceeding of Justice and cut off his own advantage and power to condemn For a time hee was angry for the iniquitie of thy sin but not for ever least flesh should fail before him Oh! let us well observ this That all in a promise and an offer is little enough to settle a poor soul against her fears And this will caus us to bee glad to cling to the word and say If I perish I perish ARTIC V. The LORD offer 's CHRIST to the Soul furnish't with all his benefits THe LORD offering Christ to the Soul doth not offer him nakedly and barely but furnish't with all the benefits of his satisfaction This is that which the Apostle in Ephes 1. 3. urgeth Blessed bee God who hath blessed us with all blessings in Heavenly places All these benefits are not of one sort for order's sake wee will help our conceit with a distinction Som of these benefits of Christ belong to the beeing or estate of a believer and contain the full right and title to Chist himself and are concurrent with our first engraffing with him and accompanie our first conversion Others are consequent upon this condition as royalties and priveledges following upon it whether inward graces or outward blessings according to the several promises
men together to have had one father to have lyen in one womb to have dwelt in one town to have fed at one board to have been brought up in one familie or nurserie are bands of fellowship how much more all these spiritual ties in one 2. As begetters and nourishers of Communion First as for the Word preached how many thousands did one Sermon of Peter gain to this Communion And it no less preserveth and holdeth the faithful therein For eieher it finde's them staggering in this Communion and then it restore's them or sad and heavie and then it encourage's and comfort 's them or ignorant and then it enlighten's them or unruly and then it admonishe's them or standing and then it establishe's them So that it doth all offices of communion Secondly so the censures duly administred and the like Thirdly so the sacrament of the Supper how active an instrument it is to reconcile them that bee at odds and unite them more who are brethren Fourthly Prayer what office is there which it hath not don the Church what was the means of converting Paul what delivered Peter out of Herod's prison c. Fifthly Fasting joined with it what good thing hath it not don a key to open the treasure of heaven and to bring upon the bodies and souls of the faithful plentie in famin victorie in war protection in dangers eas in distress III. In duties and service These are of two sorts Som concern the bodie viz. Charitie Som the soul viz. Holie example savorie instruction admonition reproof correction of errors exhortation and quickning to holiness comfort in heaviness sickness and distress and in each spiritual respect wherein member may bee usefull to member Vse I. Warp from the Communion of all Popish prophane and excommunicate ones from this fellowship complie not with them turn from all inordinate malitious scandalous revolting and prophane ones true communion abhor's such Vse II. It 's Admonition to all of God's houshold to beware least any bitter root rise up in them to defile this communion When there were not above four or five in the Church how did Satan pollute them as Cain against Abel Ismael against Isaac Esau against Jacob to overthrow communion so doth hee still Again Let it admonish God's people also that if by any occasion Satan hath cast in any bone to divide them and to provoke them to wrath heart-burning distemper that they presently cast it out and repent least the breach grow greater And let the falling out of such bee the renewing of love Let them so much the more narrowly look to themselvs after to prevent the like that so they may nourish the communion of Saints in the bands of peace Vse III. Exhortation to couch in this building of communion to practice it to impart to each one his gift to the use of edifying the bodie let not this dead world cool grace in us ARTIC VII That every Soul make this deliverance his own in special Whosoever by the former part hath been convinced by that of his sin and been kindely pinched and prick't thereby by each of those Articles so let everie such soul be now also convinced of righteousness and believ himself to bee the partie to whom this deliverance of Christ belong's by each of these five Articles promised Quest What is it to believ this Answ To believ this is the Work of the Spirit of GOD by vertue of which a Soul under the condition of Faith doth cast it self and relie upon the offer of God for pardon of sin and for Eternal life The condition of Faith is such a qualification as God require's of one who may believ the promise of reconciliation to belong to him That which God aim'es at in offering mercie is the magnifying of his Attributes of Mercie Justice Wisdom and the rest which hee will have more to appear in man's Redemption then they could in Adam's Integritie Hee will have the eternall doors open themselvs as hee saith Psal 24. ult not that our own ends forgiveness and happiness but the King of glorie might enter in even as hee ordained our Lord JESUS not to obey and suffer for any ends of his own but meerly the Fathers to whom hee was subject as wee see in Rom. 15. 3. and therefore he would have him lose all glorie and emptie himself that hee might fulfill the ends of him that sent him The Lord usually proceed's by these step 's 1. Where the Lord will work kindely hee will so present the glorie of his grace to the soul in distress that whereas before it was under confused despair First it shall see a crevis of light and an hope a far off of a possible deliverance which hope shall melt and dissolv the heart into a spirit of mourning and breaking not so much for fear of hell as for the Lord himself See it in Jona 3. compare ver 9. with ver 6 7 8. when once hope began to spring up secretly who can tell whether God will repent him of his fierce anger that wee perish not Lo they melt into tears they fast put on sack-cloth on themselvs and their beasts and make a rufull spectacle So doth the soul here leav takeing thought for it self and take thought for the Lord saying O wofull man that I am whom the Lord should bee found of when I sought him not who had care of my happiness when I cared neither for him nor for my self 2. The Soul rest's not here but break 's out into desire that it might live to glorifie his grace and partake of it that it might magnifie it before all the world and give witness to it against all despisers of it 3. The Soul set's an high price upon this salvation and recount's the severals of it that it may see the unvaluableness of this pearl Matth. 12. 44. haveing spied the pearl withdrawe's it self hide 's it ponder's the worth of it viewe's the particulars of it as one would do of a purchase and by so museing of it set's the whole man a fire with it in the esteem and value thereof 4. It lastly emptie's the soul of herself Even as the Queen of Sheba beholding the glorie and wisdom of Solomon had no spirit left in her but was ashamed of her own silliness and as Peter Luk. 5. beholding the glorious power of Christ in bringing so many fishes into the net when hee could catch nothing was amazed so doth the Lord in this case Hee cause 's that loathness and resistance of that proud heart that savor's no grace or faith to quail and fail utterly take's away the corrupt self and self-love which is offended at his grace Especially it turn's away the soul from her own ends in seeking salvation shee dare's not now ascribe to her own duties hearings praiers affections preparations but cast's them into the sea that life may bee preserved Shee feel's the great ends of God's glorie to work all these in her but no way as
of it defend extenuate and maintain it 3. By the stream of it the violence and the irresistibleness of it for sin in the two former will soon amount to a torrent or stream of universalitie Thus wee see this piece of the dead world hath yet an objective life in it self II. By Errors of 1. Tradition 2. Scandal 3. Base-custom 4. Conceit 5. Cosenage 1. By tradition which is when sin prevail's by succession from man to man thus the errors of Poperie and old ones new minted pleading antiquitie 2. By Scandal when the world glad to rivet herself in evil delude's herself with the offences of hypocrites and by their scandals laie's blocks in men's waies that they might stumble at the truth 3. By Custom which deceiv's by prescription of long use 4. Conceit and opinion which is an error against goodness by prejudice See Act. ult Wee know that this sect is every where evil spoken of Thus wicked men to confirm themselvs in evil take up base trivial conceits and errors against the way servants and ordinances of Christ which beeing once given out proov irrevocable 5. By Cosenage whereby fals teachers schismaticks and hereticks blanch their conceipts wresting their wits to abuse the Scriptures to set fals colors on thir opinions Jezebel fast's to cover her murder The Defilements of the liveing World consist's in Words Deeds 1. In Words which are the open corrupt counsel of sinners or their secret insinuations Pro. 7. 18. Pro. 1. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2. In Deeds alll their wicked malicious and cruel intents threats and pursuits of the godlie to quash them and to uphold their own kingdom As those Scribes and Pharises had a Law to crucifie Christ though they made it for the nonce And Dan. 6. those enemies of his Vse I. Of Instruction to bee humbled to bee comforted and to long after a full redemption For the first it 's humiliation to the best of God's children for their self-love and for this miserie that lie's upon them At home begin's our woo in our bosoms are those evils of pride prophaneness hypocrisie and self-love which bane us and what they cannot do of themselvs they do by others setting the door open and letting in devil and world to rifle and rob us of all without which no enemie could hurt us 2. Let it comfort them for the present that it is no otherwise with them in their sorrow then that wise God their good father hath allotted them so that if they feel their burden they may cheer themselvs with this It 's their pilgrimage their way home their Baca their warefare the Lord will work them triumph out of these battels and combats Hee will purge and conform them to his dear Son by them 3. Wait for that with longing as Paul did Rom. 7. Who will deliver mee Here is my pilgrimage when shall I com to my father's hous How long Lord holy and true how long Vse II. Exhortation to resist all these woful enemies of our peace viz. I. Our own corruption which wee must resist three Waies 1. By a spiritual combat against before sin bee brought into act let this bee perpetually maintained the spirit lusteth against the flesh Gal 5. 17. 2. By watching continually to observ and prevent occasions offered when wee cannot foil inward motions Cut off her provision and starv sin The welcoming of objects is as casting oyl into the fire As Job for his Sons so do thou for thy self sacrifice daily for mercie of prevention remooving of vanities which might annoy thee 3. By wisdom after wee are fallen Not to bee kept in bondage by Satan in point of our recoverie out of our falls if wee bee slip't into any but speedily to gather up our selvs ere wee bee hardned Let thine heart smite thee and say I will do so no more Job 40. 4. and so lay hold upon thy promise repent and do thy former works bee zealous and amend II. Satan III. The World Against these put on the compleat armor appointed thee by the Lord in this case and keep it close to thee wear it and walk in it as the armor of a childe of Light as the harness of the militant Church and each member of Christ blessed by him to that purpose Bee armed wisely and constantly and watch to it with praier and the Lord shall bee with thy endeavors and teach thy hands to fight and prevail Take the whole armor of God Eph 6. But seeing our selvs are our greatest enemies and those lusts within us defile us most therefore observ these Counsels against them 1. Mark well thine own spirit and those secret lusts which bubble up in thee knowing that they tend to defile and harden thee and to blinde-fold thy judgment so that neither thou should'st retein any true fight much less sens of the mischief of them Weigh and beleev this thorowly Rest not in this that thou knowest this or that corruption by thy self or canst complain of it or can'st keep thy self from the open outrage of it except withall thou bee quickned up in thy spirit to abhor such scurf as hell and start at the motions of it at the first assaults A dead faint and still giveing way to any lust entring is the next way to make the heart a thorow-fair for it 2. If they bee such as cleav to thy spirit and do salute thee again after long intermission and seeming to bee cast out oppose strongly that mercie of God that hath forgiven thee even when thou delightest in them without check how much more when they return as intruders 3. Consider there is no sweet lust or strong object offered to thee but the Lord is in it to trie the love loyaltie and power of grace wch is in thee that thou maiest know all which is in thine heart Thus the Lord hath used his people whose lot it hath been to receiv much from God David was tried by the Lust of his eie by the object of Revenge to kill Saul in the cave Hezekiah by an object of pride of life those embassadors of the Emperor Say then now my soul the Lord is at work to trie and refine thee to make thee as gold to humble thee deeply if thou bee foiled as Hezekiah or to honor thee highly as Abraham Beware now thou stick to thy tackling and discover not thy self to bee as dross of no worth Here then distrust thine own armor as David did Saul's cleav to the Lord's Say thus If I now fail the Lord as Adam in the triall hee may justly suspect mee henceforth and let loos my lusts against mee Often Lord thou hast saved mee from beeing tempted thou canst also give mee strength in the trial lead mee not into temptation fail not thy servant and I shall not fail thee in the triall of these my sweet objects and lusts 4ly Get thee som bosom-friend to impart thine estateunto thy temptations and buffetings such an one Minister or other as