has a Morn a Noon and a Night A Beginning Change and End. An End and a Return unto it's first Nothingness the first moment that God ceases to uphold it Angels and our Souls are of themselves Mortal 'T is only by divine Will Power and Sustentation that they are Immortal Heb. 1.3 But God is Je Ho Vah A Being that Shall be that Is and that Hath ever been Without Beginning Psal 90.2 Without Change Psal 102.27 Without End Psal 102.26 3. He is an Vndependent Being A Creature is a thing that cannot stand alone Material Mix'd and Spiritual Creatures all are weak all as unable to Sustain themselves as to Produce themselves But God is a Being that 's above Depending He came not into Being by any Help He continues not in Being by any He Depends on nothing that is He depends not Gen. 17.1 He is El Shaddai God All-sufficient So all that He can need nothing So all that He can support every thing 4. He is a Necessary Being A Creature is a thing that may or may not be That must be or must not be as its God pleaseth Rev. 4.11 But God is a Being that cannot but Be. One to which 't is eternally repugnant and impossible either never to have Been or to cease from Being One who only hath Being necessarily and Immortality necessarily 1 Tim. 6.16 One whose Being and Immortality never cost one act of his Will or Power Nor are capable of being made to cease 5. He is an All-perfect Being A Creature is a thing of Imperfection in every reference One that has more of Nothing than Thing say the Schools One whose Perfection such as 't is is three-fold Of Being of Working of Well-being Every Creature is Imperfect in all And after the day of Judgment will in all be but Finite Nor has any one Creature the Perfections that divine Goodness hath dispers'd among all But God is a Being of excellent Perfection and perfection in every Excellency Every one Conceivable by Men and Angels I and whatever is by both Unconceivable God is above the Blessing and Praise of both Neh. 9.5 He is Above all that He has Revealed Himself unto us to be And more than unto us finite things is Revealed or possible to be Revealed See Children your Larger Catechism See others Mr. Charnock of the Divine Attributes God's infinite Mind cannot conceive what He should be better or greater than He is And finite Minds must needs conclude He is infinitely above all that they can conceive 6. He is a Tri-une Being Or a Being that subsists in three distinct Persons Here is the Mystery of Mysteries The hardest to be Understood but easy as any to be Believed With such a Brightness 't is reveal'd in the blessed Gospel How necessary it is to be Believed is hence evident To wit that 1. This manner of Being is the Top-most glory of God. It is the best manner of Being that can be That without which 't is hard to think how God should be in Himself glorious infinitely or blessed infinitely His Creatures are and can be but finite And what can they speak infinite The Infinite glory of the divine Persons shines in their Relations one to the other I and their Blessedness consisteth in their Loving and being Loved of one another Dr. Cheynel of the Trin. ch 5th deserves good reading 2. The Doctrine of God's subsisting in or being Father Son and Spirit distinctly is most firmly connected with all the parts of our Christian Religion And so that if Ignorance or Unbelief of the glorious Trinity prevail on us our Christianity is lost And 't is another Gospel even a high Road to Sin and Hell that we betake us unto See Matth. 28.19 1 John 5.7 John 14.26 John 15.26 A Tree is one It s Root Trunk and Branch are three Have three Manners of Being the Root is of it self the Trunk is of the Root the Branches are from both Root and Trunk They give forth Fruit in a threefold manner the Root originally and firstly the Trunk continuedly and secondly the Branch compleatly and immediately Who cannot apply this God is one This one God is Father Son and Spirit three Persons The Father is of Himself The Son is of the Father The Holy Ghost is of the Father and Son. In the Communication of good they all work joyntly yet there are distinct Personal operations by which they make way for the glory of each oother Inchoation or Beginning of good is from the Father Dispensation is by the Son Consummation or compleating is by the Spirit I do not forget and I would have my Reader remember St. Hilarie's often quoted saying viz. All Comparisons though Helpful are yet disproportionable 'T is very true no Similitude can reach the thing but this and others like it may help our understandings 7. He is the All-working Being That Fore-ordains whatever cometh to pass and Effecteth whatever he Fore-ordains To wit in Works of Creation and Providence A Creature is a thing that cannot it self come that infinite space from Nothing into Being Cannot afterward uphold its Being Virtues Actions Cannot govern it self Acts 17.28 Cannot be undepending in respect of Working any more than in respect of Being But God is a Being All-working His Word speaks all into Being His Conserving influence goes to our Preservation His Assisting influence to our Operation This his Assisting influence or concurrence fore-goeth the Operation of Creatures Fore-goes it in Order though not in Time. It is Co-operation or Co-working with the Creature Without the Creature 's Operation God will not produce many Effects And without God's Co-operation the Creature cannot produce any God's Co-working is also Immediate With Immediateness of Virtue and Power without which there could be no Effect And with Immediateness of Presence too for God is every where He is called Hamakom the Place Lastly it is determining There can be but one absolute Determiner and Over-ruler of Operations And who is He but God And if by Him the Operations of Creatures were not absolutely Determined it would be very possible that He might be Frustrated and Disappointed of his Ends sometimes But there is nothing more impossible than that Be it Observed Though in the sense fore-said God Worketh all yet so so Worketh He that he Changes not the Nature of things Offers no violence to them Suffers them to act by and under him and that as Freely as though there were no Decree upon them or Hand over-ruling them See Mr. Norton's Orthod Evangelist Concerning God's Relations common unto all his Creatures let it be attended that follows in few words 1. He is the Supream Benefactor Creatures can be but the Bearers of his Benefits unto us And of but some of 'em and that but of the Out-parts of them too The Benefactor is God. All-good we ever Have had Have and Shall ever have God Contriveth Willeth Executeth He Begins all Carries on all Compleats all Freely without Necessity Graciously
the day of Death to the day of Judgment in the Honour put on at the day of Judgment in the complete Glory bestown after the day of general Judgment and for ever to endure Trial will best discover with how small pains and great Profit this Compendium may begotten And when gotten it is by Understanding and Memory I advise that that which follows in twelve particulars be studyed Namely three concerning GOD three concerning MAN three concerning CHRIST three concerning the APPLICATION of Christ that is saving unto us P. 1. There is one only God an Infinite Perfect and Spiritual Essence P. 2. This one God is Father Son and Spirit Distinguished into three manners of Subsistence after a way incomprehensible The Father eternally Begetting the Son Begotten the Holy Ghost Proceeding P. 3. This one God is the Maker Preserver Governour of all things by infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness P. 4. Man was made of such a Body and Soul that he was able to have attained for himself and his Posterity that eternal Life which was provided for his reward if he had stood obedient P. 5. Man thus made was Envyed and Tempted by the Devil and Yielded wilfully unto his temptation and brake the Law and Covenant of God and made himself and all his posterity cursed by God and envassalled to Sin and Satan and unable to escape the threatned Death P. 6. Man thus immiserated was Pitied by God. Who in prosecution of an eternal Counsel and Covenant of peace provided preached and offered a Saviour to him even Jesus Christ the righteous P. 7. Jesus Christ this Saviour is as to his Natures perfect God and perfect Man in one Person and as to his Offices he is both Prophet Priest and King in both his states of Humiliation and Exaltation P. 8. Jesus Christ's Humiliation in being made under the Law Obeying the Precepts and Suffering the Curse of it was deeper than was possible for any meer creature to undergo And his Exaltation in Rising from the Dead as He did Ascending up into Heaven and Having all Power in Heaven and Earth given unto Him was higher than any meer creature could possibly be exalted unto P. 9. Jesus Christ being so Exalted is Able to save to the uttermost and Willing to save Sinners the chiefest welcomes all that penitently come unto Him and mourns over all that obstinately keep away from Him. P. 10. Application of Christ that avails unto our Salvation by Him is twofold viz. such as is made by God and such as is made by our selves God applies Christ to us by his H. Spirit when by him he doth give us will and power to embrace him as offer'd in the Gospel We apply Christ unto our selves when by Faith in-worked in us we do embrace him as Prophet Priest and King Covenanting with Him as such for ever P. 11. Application of Christ so described is that which every Soul should seek pray and wait for in the use of all God's Means appointed Resting not quietly without some well-built Hopes that they have thro' grace attain'd it P. 12. Application of Christ so desirable no man may hope for out of the Means by God appointed but in the constant and diligent use of those Means no man need fear but he shall find it When Novices have gotten thus far they are more than a little advantaged to learn any of our Catechisms The Westminster Assemblies with blessed Mr. Lyes most useful Exposition or any other Yet for Reasons nameless let me say I would not have that or any other singly address'd to All Methods are imperfect saith our great Methodist But he sticks not to say What my heart thinks that the Creed Lord's Prayer Ten Commands and Doctrine of the Sacraments make the compleatest body of Truths that we can form The Rule of Faith is in the first the Rule of our Prayers in the second the Rule of our Practice in the third the great Encouragement and Engagement to Believe Pray and Live holily is set forth in the fourth I conclude therefore with such as small a Map of the World of Truths in these as some candid Hearers have not thought Vnuseful In number thirty seven Creed Truths twelve 1. There is a God that is three distinct Persons whose Revelations of himself are to be Credited his Promises to be Relied on his Demands from us Consented unto heartily and practically And the First Person of these three First in Order tho' not in Time of Being and Working is named the Father Father of All things by Creation of his Church by Adoption of his Christ by Generation in time as he was Man and by Generation eternal and inconceivable as He is God. Father Almighty as to Right to do whatever He pleaseth and as to Strength wherewith to do it And Maker of Heaven and Earth that is of all things Of the University of Beings 2. The Second Person of the Godhead is as to Office Jesus a Saviour from Sin by Price by Prayer and by Power As to his Authority He is Christ set apart by God Qualified and Commissioned to be a saving Prophet Priest and King. As to his Essence and Relation to God the Father He is His Only Son to wit by Eternal Natural Inconceivable generation As to His Supremacy and Honour He is our Lord to wit by Natural right as He is God and by Delegated right as he is the Lord to whom all Dominion is given upon a double consideration That is of the Price wherewith He bought it from God and of the Victory whereby He gain'd it all from Creatures 3. This Christ as Man was without humane Father Conceived that is Prepared by the H. Ghost who first extraordinarily sanctified a portion of the Virgin-Mother's Flesh and Blood and then Made thereof his sinless Body Born He was of that Virgin Mary according to the Prophecy Isa 7.14 Mary a Princess by Extraction from King David and Father Abraham tho' of condition poor and espoused to a mean Artificer Mary an holy creature and humble Yet never called Mother by our Saviour Himself nor ever made a Goddess by his Order 4. This Christ Suffered from God Men and Devils in Soul Body Rayment Name and Friends Vnder Pontius Pilate that is in the Time of his Presidency under Tiberius Caesar Was Crucified a manner of death by the Romans used and by God especially Cursed Dead Buried and Descended into Hell that is His Soul and Body were separated from each other tho' neither of them were separated from the Godhead at all His Body agreeably to Moses Law but contrary to the Roman was the same day Buried And for part of three days about thirty eight or forty hours it abode apart from his Soul. 5. The third day after his Death He rose again from the Dead By his Father's power Rom. 6.4 By his own power John 2.19 by the Holy Spirit 's power 1 Pet. 3.18 By the One power of all the Divine Persons Else He
could not have saved one Soul 1 Cor. 15.13 14. 6. This Christ forty days after his Resurrection Ascended into Heaven as Enoch and Elias his Types fore-shewed And this in the view of his Disciples * A Jury of Witnesses He sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty that is He becomes next to God in Dignity Power and Glory And under God doth Administer all things Sitting notes Security Rest and honourable Dominion 7. This Christ shall thence come to Judge the Quick and the Dead All alive at the Last day and all before that time Dead True God as God in that day is Judge Supreme Christ Mediator is Judge Delegate and Constitute that pronounceth Sentence And his very Saints are Judges by Assession and Approbation of his Sentence It must not be forgot that He judgeth every of us when we Die. Tho' not all of Vs together nor with Execution of all his Judgment upon our Souls and Bodies till the Last day 8. The third Person of the Godhead is named Holy and Ghost Ghost signifies Breath or Spirit This glorious Person bears this name with a specialty as being eternally and inconceivably Spirated or Breathed forth from the Father and Son. And is in like sort styled Holy as being by Office the Worker of all renewed Holiness in fallen Man. 9. This Father Son and Spirit have an Holy Catholick Church A Church or Christian Society called forth of the Heathen and Jewish world by God's Word and Spirit After mention of the holy Ghost the Church is mentioned in our Creed as a Work of the Holy Ghost Catholick 't is called or Universal because the New Testament Church consists of folk of all Nations And is not as the Jewish Church was confined unto one Nation It comprehends all the Christians of all Ages past present and future in the World which are indeed but one Body Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. Holy it 's said to be as having 1. Christ it 's Head Holy. 2. The blessed Spirit it 's Indweller Holy. 3. The Gospel it 's Rule Holy. 4. All that are truly of it are truly tho imperfectly Holy. 5. Their Ministers Office is Holy. 6. Their Worship as Gods Ordinance is Holy. 7. All Baptized members are Sacramentally Holy tho' not Spiritually Bound to the Gospel tho' they do not really Obey it 10. The Communion of Saints is the Effect of the Holy Spirits Sanctifying of them and the End of Church Relation Saints are people Separated from Unclean and Common conversation Carried by the virtue of infused grace unto the Fear Love and Service of God in Christ Communion supposeth such Union as is between the Members of the Body This said Communion consists 1. In their common holy Friendship with Father Son and Spirit 2. In their mutual Love of one another as themselves 3. In their Care and just Labour for each others welfare 4. In their joyning with one Heart and Soul in God's publick Worship by Christ ordained And The Saints of this Communion have the Forgiveness of their Sins God for the Satisfaction and Merit of Christ's Obedience and Intercession Pronounceth them Acquitted And actually Delivereth them from the Execution of their sin's deserts God may be said to Punish them for their sins but not to punish them with the punishment of their Sins 'T is for their good that God ever Chastens them 11. These Saints must also hereafter have the Resurrection of their Bodies And by consequence have Immortal Souls For otherwise of what use wou'd the Bodies be All Objections against this said Resurrection be vain Being it's so brightly reveal'd in Scripture Cavillers do not Know the Scriptures or the Power of God. 12. Life everlasting is the portion of these Saints foresaid By Life understand all good And by Everlastingness perfect Duration without Change or End. By consequence we may determine that Sinners dying in their sins shall have the contrary Everlasting Death All Evil without an End of any Seems it strange that the Reward of short and slender Obedience should be so Immense and Everlasting And the Punishment of finite Creatures sin in a few years committed should be of such Extremity and to all Eternity The Wonder vanishes if thou but consider the greatness of the God who ordereth the Punishment and the Reward A great God doth all things great and like Himself His Rewards must be great and his Punishments great They would otherwise be a Reproach unto Him. Amen is here as much as to say I do verily Believe these things upon Divine Revelation tho' they exceed the reach of my Sense and my Reason Lords Prayer Truths eight 1. There is a God eternal unto whom we may and ought to Repair for the Supply of all our wants Even as a Child unto his Father For tho' He be in Heaven that is be of incomprehensible Perfection and cannot without a vast condescention regard and affect the best of creatures yet He is by Creation Father And by Redemption in Christ 'T is Sin for the worst of Sinners alive to say God redeemed not me He is the Father of penitent Believers by Regeneration and Adoption also Bare wants do not destroy men 'T is neglect of right Repair unto the Lord that is a Father a Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Father that can and doth undo the World. 2. Exaltation of God's Name and Subjection unto his Authority and Obedience unto his Will and Precept are the chief End of Man. For these He Made us And for these He Redeem'd us For these by his Word and Spirit He Calls us For these we live Yet unto all and each of these are all men insufficient For Will. Skill and Power unto these all men the best the worst and middle sort all are to Pray unto Him. I and in the very first place to Pray 3. Bread or the necessaries of this Life and Pardon of Sin and Preventive Grace restraining from Sin are the Means unto that foresaid End. To the Exaltation Subjection and Obedience aforesaid For other Ends only or chiefly they may not be desired or prayed for 'T is Self-Idolatry to desire one bit of Bread or the Pardon of one Sin or the repulse of one Temptation either singularly or principally for our own Ends. To wit that our Bodies may not suffer or our Souls and Bodies suffer or our Names and Estates suffer But for the formentioned Ends they must be Desired And more they must be Prayed for Begged with all humble Importunity We are infinitely unworthy of them Our Prayers deserve not God's bestowing them But our Prayer is the only way in which God warrants our expectation of them And in which He gives ground to expect them without doubting There is a kind of Omnipotency which Holy Prayer is honoured with by Free Grace 4. Conservation of our Beings is the first of our Personal wants Pardon of Sin is the second Deliverance from Temptation and Sin is the third Reader mark this
evil of all kinds The Holy Scripture testifieth that it did so and that not obscurely in the very Text forecited Plainly in others Gen. 6.5 Rom. 8.7 Faln Man is by some compared to a disorder'd Clock that strikes false every minute and has not one true motion before the Maker mend it Now can a Holy God delight in a Creature thus Qualified One disposed to no real good but to all evil and that continually If God ever Recall such unto Himself He will new Create them Make them quite other Creatures Instruments moved with New Springs Trees of other Roots The Old Qualities must away and all be New. The Evil Treasure must be took out tho' it be bound up in the heart a Good must be Laid in and be a-like seated Holy Qualities must be Infused Accordingly we find every where in the Scripture God denouncing Wrath against all men of unrenewed Natures Not Renewed that is and Regenerated in the Qualities of the same for the Nature it self abideth still the same in Converted as in Unconverted men John 3.5 And on the other hand God's Reconciled Servants are named such as have Put off the Old Man. Crucified the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts Mortified their Members which are upon Earth with much like All which phrases express their Parting with their inward Roots of Sin their Dispositions and their Inclinations unto evil They are likewise said to Put on the New Man. To be born again from Heaven To be men of another Heart and Spirit and New Creatures c. That is to be now of Dispositions quite contrary unto what they were before Inclined now to things that Please God as before unto things Offending Him. Now to Duty as before unto Folly. Feeling excuseth Words It need not be said how hard the parting from Old Qualities is Things glued together use not to come asunder without tearing Until an Heart be Rent there is no coming apart from its Lust But the Necessity of the separation is open to every Eye For Gratia non perdit Naturam God's hatred of sin is his very Nature and even Gospel Grace cannot destroy his Eternal Nature It implies the greatest of contradictions that He who is Holiness it fell should Cease to hate men of settled aversion from it And bent unto Ungodliness And it were blackest Blasphemy for any to conceit that Christ came to save us in our sinful Qualities and not from them A Wise man would therefore know his Qualities before he made his Judgment of his Condition toward God. Determining that as the Qualities are that be predominant and reign in him so is the Judgment of God on him That this latter is Absolving or Condemning according as the former be Holy or the contrary It is true contrary Qualities may possess together the same Heart In low degrees they may and do In high degrees they cannot Grace and Lust are both of 'em in every the best Soul. But they can no more Reign together than Water can Boil and Freeze together * A Lust Reigns when 't is Yielded unto Sin and Satan be Conquered as long as they are sincerely and industriously Resisted Grace doth Reign in the Soul while 't is in like manner Warred and Fought for by the Soul Rom. 7. The Apostle speaks of himself as Regenerated I doubt not So that my Enquiry must be What are those Qualities that have the Throne in me That sway my Understanding my Affections and my Practick Powers The Sinful Qualities that bend all these unto evil are the Corruption of Nature and Original Sin. The Holy Ones that bend all these unto good are Grace and the very New Nature in us Whether of them do prevail in me is my great Question Commonly and I think justly we count four Properties of a Quality or Disposition 's Prevalency Namely its causing to act Readily and without much ado Pleasantly and without disgust Vniversally without exclusion of any proper Object And Constantly without intermissions Now if Original Sin carry me thus unto Actual Sin I am far from the Kingdom of God! If Grace thus carry me unto gracious actions the Kingdom of God is within me To be a little more particular Holy Qualities the Principal are three the Instrumental are eight The former are Evangelical Faith Hope and Love. The latter be Prudence Justice Temperance Courage Sincerity Humility Zeal and Constancy Methinks whether these or the contraries of these do as aforesaid act me should be of easie discovery Inward Feelings and outward Fruits one would think should not admit it into any doubt at all But I am aware Mixtures do obscure things And in whom are not Mixtures found Again Moles must not be expected to be as Visible as Mountains 'T is Greatness that makes conspicuous And where Grace's Victory is little which is next to none I must not wonder if it be as little discernable Nor dare I desire God to change the Nature of things for me Rather must I Labour to grow in Grace And that it may be more Visible blow up my spark to a flame Heaven and Hell are unexpressibly different states And I must believe that God will have them to be very differently Qualified Creatures whom He placeth in the one and other My Interest carries me i' th' first place to see I have the Principle and nextly that I have Proficience in Grace Without the Principle I have no Qualification for Heaven And without the Proficience I shall ever doubt the truth of my Principle A strict Eye unto both will I have before I conclude the name to Live to be my due C. 4. Of CONVERSATION A good Spirit brings into a good Covenant And according thereto infuseth good Qualities But doth He then leave them idle and dormant No He doth not All Being is for Action And the best Nature for the best Action Besides Man is a creature that cannot be out of Action Grace only carries him to act well Corruption to act ill but his very Nature 't is to act much Man Created did exercise his Powers and exert his holy Qualities most amiably no doubt Formed his behaviour towards God the Father the Son and the Spirit towards himself and the Angels above him and sublunary Creatures below him most congruously and harmoniously Faln Man's Conversation toward all is in the World seen what in the Bible 't is read What is said of his Thoughts which are his inward Converses may be said of his outward ones also They are evil only evil and continually Toward God Regardless toward Holy Angels and Spirits above as Mindless towards himself Idolatrous towards his Superiours Envious towards Inferiors Contemptuous towards Equals Jealous Renewed Man we read and we see it hath another Carriage toward all foresaid A Walk after the Spirit That is according to the will and motion of the Holy Spirit the worker of Grace and according to the gracious Quality and Nature of his in-working Hereof is a necessity
without Merit 2. He is the Supream Ruler Creatures have no Power or Authority but from Him and under Him and for Him His infinite Perfections make him most Fit to rule His Creation and Conservation of all things give Him infinite Right and Title to rule all To make Laws to Judge according to them to Execute Judgment so pass'd 3. He is the Absolute Proprietor and Owner Creatures are things that are not their Own or one another's any farther than under Himself God makes them so God is entirely his Own. And his Own be all the Works of his hands And without the shadow of a spot on his Justice He may do what He will with his Own Whether it be a Person Family Kingdom Church World. His Authority can no more be Disprov'd than his Power be Resisted if He set to Exalt or Debase or Destroy I and this without giving any account of his Matters Concerning God's Relations special and particular unto our selves be it considered 'T is of importance as great as true and as plain as 't is great that every Soul come as near as may be to a full and just Conclusion concerning these Con O my Friends Mr. Baxter of Self-knowledge I appeal to my Readers how needful it is that these six things be ever in our deepest and severest thoughts That every of us get able to say and keep saying concerning God. 1. He is my Quondam-Friend and Father even Immediate He that before Sin 's Entrance dearly Loved and was Beloved by me And that without a Mediator Sacrificing and Interceeding for me 'T is He that made me in his Likeness Natural an Intelligent and Immortal Being And in his Likeness Moral for Holiness Blessedness and Dominion over inferior Creatures 'T is He that entred Covenant with me in my first Parent A Covenant to sweeten his Government and to secure my Obedience A Covenant of Terms unexceptionable Yea and founded not only in his Will but in the very Nature of things themselves For it bound me but to be blessed that is to be Holy. And threatned no evil at all unless I first committed the worst of all that is Sin. A Covenant also sign'd and seal'd with Sacraments Such appear the Trees of Knowledge and Life to have been 2. He is next my angry and armed Enemy and in all appearance Vnreconcileable 'T is He that as soon as I sinned in Adam loathed me and my Soul also abhorred Him. He it is that then took away his H. Spirit from me and gave me up unto the bondage of the Law that I had broken To the Servitude of the Sin that I had committed To the Tyranny of Satan to whom I had hearkened To the Power of Death that I had deserved O the Wrath oh the Vengeance And alas what Hope appear'd to Men or to Angels of any Reconciliation Neither could imagine a Reconcilement to be Possible and much less think it Future or Coming 3. He is my Propitiated God reconcileable and inviting me to Reconciliation Come seize me O Wonder and Joy 'T is He that did not so for faln Angels but for faln Men gave his Co-essential Eternal Son for a Sin-offering An Offering satisfying for all Iniquity and meriting every Mercy And that so fully that now upon the account hereof I have Leave Commandment and Encouragement to Seek Pray and Wait for the best and all good things Without Money and without Price without any Quality or Work of my own Satisfying or Deserving I 't is He that by his Christ his Spirit and his Ministers doth even stoop to Intreat and Pray and Beseech me to be friends with Him 2 Cor. 5.20 'T is He that hath made it now the worst of sins that I am capable of sinning to Presume that I am a Reprobate and that there is no hope for my Recovery out of my Sin and Misery by his Grace in Christ unto All offered without Exception 4. He is as sure as I Repent and Believe my Reconciled God. He it is that Layeth aside all his Anger Loveth freely Pardons fully Accepts graciously my Soul saying All that I have is thine Luk. 15. and I will be thy God And all this in the first instant wherein I Mourn for and Turn from my Sin so as to Believe on his Son. That is to resign up my self to be Taught Saved and Ruled by Him. He it is that then turns from all his Judicial Wrath yea and when I Live up unto the Grace by me received turns from all his very Paternal or Fatherly Displeasure He it is that lessens his Love of Complacence in me and Assistance of me for none but Wilful and Presumptuous Sins Sparing me for sins of invincible infirmity and incursion as a Father doth the Son that desires to serve him 5. He as sure as He is my Reconciled is my Covenanted God also He never dealt with Man in other way than this most sweet one of Covenant Hallowed be his Name He did not And He it is that now hath as well bound Himself to be my God as me to be his Servant He it is that to my wondrous advantages hath thus Covenanted with me 1. He hath Covenanted with me Doubly First in my Parents promising me Mercy for their sakes Rom. 11.28 Promising them Mercy for me Exod. 20.6 Secondly in my Person He hath made a Covenant with me 2 Sam. 23.5 Ezek. 16.8 2. He Covenanted with me Sacramentally or Signedly and Sealedly For Sacraments are Signs and Seals on God's part Bonds and Badges on our parts as I have elsewhere shewn Rom. 4.11 1 Cor. 20.16 Bless his Name O my Soul He hath Visibly covenanted with thee in H. Baptism and at his H. Table and most Sensibly 3. He hath Covenanted with me as not Nakedly but with Signs and Seals so not Tardily but to my great benefit Early Early in my very Infancy Before I could Commit an Actual sin so setting forth my Original sin Before I could Desire Grace so shewing abroad the Freeness of his Grace So Early was I Baptized and encouraged and engaged to Obey the Gospel when I came to years of capacity that I cannot but see God's Kindness in forestalling Satan's Seducements And all days of my Life I will remember it as David doth Psal 22.10 Thou art my God that is my Covenant-God from my Mother's belly v. 9. Thou didst make me to Hope when I was on my Mother's breasts That is Thou didst even then by the Covenant then sign'd and seal'd unto me lay in grounds and motives for my Hope in Thee when I should come to years of understanding 4. He hath sign'd and seal'd Covenant with me Frequently I am no stranger at his Table His holy Bread many a time have I eaten Times numberless He hath cheared me therewith 6. He is my God Oppignorated or Engaged to me by Pawns and Pledges Promises are much Signs and Seals be wonderful Appendages to Divine Promises But behold here are also unexpressibly rich
Pawns superadded God is He that hath given me the highest and most solemn and sweetest Testifications of his Will to be for ever my God and Portion The Earnest of his Spirit with his blessed Graces and Consolations ensure all the good things of the Covenant They are such First-fruits as make the best security for the whole Harvest And these hath Grace made mine And now I beg Pardon in my Saviour's Blood for all the Defects of this Paper They whose Intreaties Letters and Messages have extorted it are both to Pardon and Accept it Let them with me ever remember this saying of the great Light of our Age The Sun may more easily be included in a spark of Fire than the infinite Perfections of God be comprehended in a finite Mind FINIS Q. 2. What are those Truths 〈◊〉 of the Knowledge appeareth 〈◊〉 indispensibly necessary unto our â—â—â—vation and in the first â—â—â—â—â—sirable ALL sober Christians do 〈…〉 some Truths there be 〈…〉 must needs Know or 〈…〉 ever Isa 27.11 Hos 〈…〉 oâ—er Truths there be which 〈…〉 unto our Comfort in our 〈…〉 our Vsefulness unto others 〈…〉 out our Salvation tho' the 〈…〉 them be not absolutely necessary working out the same It seems not the Mind of God 〈◊〉 us Know which the former sort of 〈◊〉 are in particular And how Many o◠〈◊〉 there be Nor can it be said th◠〈◊〉 Uncertainty about them is of disâ—â—â—â—â—tage unto us For what if we were 〈◊〉 so certain which they were Being 〈◊〉 capacity of getting Knowledge of 〈…〉 sort of Truths it would be inconsistent with both Reason and Grace to take up content with the Knowledge of the former only Sufficient it is for our Duty Safety and Comfort to Know what those Truths be which considering our Condition and Capacity we are concerned first of all to Acquaint us with And those which afterward our Interest obliges us above all others to get Informed of 'T is enough for us to Know what are the Essential and Integral Doctrines which made and enrich'd the Christians which are gone to Heaven before us and the right Knowledge of which will certainly make us Christians and Rich ones God hath revealed in his Word what these are And from his H. Word and agreeably unto it I assay to declare what they are With that plainness which weak Understandings and that compendiousness which infirm Memories do require at my hands Be it premised Sanctification is Salvation begun Salvation is Sanctification perfected Grace and Glory differ but in degree What is necessary to the one is so unto the other Now Sanctification is our Conformity unto God thro' Jesus Christ And this is made by Covenant By the Covenant of Grace and 〈◊〉 other which is called all our Salvation and all our Desire Those Truths therefore which do most directly lead unto the same and that acquaint us with it and shew us the use of it are of the greatest weight and importance and are to be attended unto in the first place It hath not been without some success that I have commended to be first learned before any Catechism it self these seven Articles A. 1. God the Father Son and Spirit created the World. He created Man Wise Holy Blessed and Honourable He Covenanted with the first Man and with his Posterity in him that if they Obey'd perfectly they should be for ever Happy if they Sinned they should Die. This is called the Covenant of Works A. 2. Adam the first Man and his Posterity in him brake that Covenant and thereby fell under God's wrath and curse and Sin and Satan's power Note this Breach of Covenant A. 3. God the Father did from eternity Covenant with his Son Jesus Christ for the Redemption of Sinners from Sin and Misery to wit by his being made Man and a Servant and a Curse and afterward an Intercessor for them This is named the Redemption-Covenant A. 4. In pursuance of this Redemption-Covenant when Man had sinned Christ the Saviour was Preached And in Him Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption offered with Repentance Faith in God thro' Him and New Obedience required This is called the Covenant of Grace A. 5. For our Encouragement to believe God's Promises made unto us in the Covenant of Grace and for our farther Engagement to fulfil the Demands from us in it God always pleased to order this Covenant to be solemnised by some outward Rites and Ceremonies of his own appointment And his Ceremonies appointed for these ends in the New-Testament-Church are Baptism and the Lord's Supper These are call'd therefore the Signs and Seals of the Covenant A. 6. Obedience unto the Gospel in the Faith of Christ and by the Help of the Holy Ghost is of necessity unto all that have inwardly consented unto the Covenant of Grace and that have had it outwardly solemnised betwixt God and them in Baptism and the Lord's Supper A. 7. Besides lesser Rewards in this life to those that Enter and Keep the Covenant of Graâ—◠〈…〉 on those that Enâ—◠〈…〉 hath set a day wherein 〈…〉 the Bodies of all men out of the 〈…〉 unite them to their Souls and â—o Eâ—â—â—nity will Reward the former and Punish the latter in Soul and Body In an Hour's time an attentive Mind of ordinary capacity will Ken these Articles If but happily opened by a skilful Teacher Yet contain they much more than multitudes of our people understand at forty and fifty years of age Be astonished oh Heavens I judge them the most apt for Explication and Inculcation on first Beginners whether Children or Grown People Being competently acquainted with this shortest Summary that which I would next commend followeth in these not many but orderly Positions P. 1. The Rule and the Object of saving Truth is most Considerable by enquirers after Truth P. 2. The Rule is the Old and New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ Penned by Moses and the Prophets the Evangelists and Apostles Whereof thâ— Authority and Sufficiency are certain P. 3. The Object is He whose name JAM Glorious above all Blessing and Praise for his Essence which is One Subsistence which is in Three distinct Persons Works which are inward and outward Of Essence and Subsistence see before p. P. 4. The Outward Works of God are of Creation and Providence One is God's giving first Being unto all things The other is his preserving and ordering them unto his own wise and holy End. P. 5. God's General Providence is over all things His Principal is over Men and Angels P. 6. God's Providence over Man respects man's fourfold Estate to wit of Innocence of Misery of Grace and of Glory P. 7. Of Grace toward man considerable are the Fountains Election and Redemption The Vessels God's Church and People The Degrees Vocation Justification Sanctification The Means Word Sacraments and Prayer P. 8. Of Glory conferred by God upon his Children observable are the four steps In Assurance of eternal Love obtain'd in the Heavenly Mansions possessed from
Father 'T is another Covenant that Christ is Mediator of Heb. 8.6 If I am under this Covenant the least sin tho' I shed a Sea of bloody tears for it is as unpardonable as the very sin against the Holy Ghost Yea and my Service should I keep all the whole Law save in one point would be utterly contemned And all this justly too Because if under this Covenant I abide 't is of my Ignorance my Pride and Enmity unto God and Christ that I do abide so Rom. 10.3 I am Taught better in the Gospel the Righteousness of God is Revealed I am offered better the Gospel invites me from under the Law to Grace From the Covenant that works wrath to that which is all Salvation And my being under the deadly Covenant is by my own very Desire Gal. 4.21 The Fruits must shew it if I am under it And they are plainly these Bondage and Fear in ones spirit a Fear keeping out the Love of God and the very desire to Love Him. Outsideness in Religious Duties Care abundance about the outside of the Platter none or next to none about the purity of the inner man and the Intentions of the heart Vndependency on Jesus Christ in things pertaining unto God. For both Assistance by his Spirit and Acceptance thro' his Blood a fatal Undependency Servility souring and embittering all Duty Rendring Religion a task and burthen and all God's homage as arrant Brick and Bondage Do these grapes of Sodom cover my Tree The Axe of vengeance is then near my root If on the other hand I am not under the Law but Grace If with me God hath made the better Covenant what then the blessing of Abraham is come upon me Gal. 3.14 Reconciliation Justification Adoption are my own I am interested in all the Blessings of this best Covenant as well as bound unto all the Duties God is then my Reconciled God and Engaged by Promise to exert for my good all his Perfections I will be unto them a God Heb. 8.10 Joyntly All and distinctly Every of the three Divine Persons have thus Engaged So proves the form of Baptism into the name of All and Each of them as also the Communion which God's New-Covenant Servants do hold with All and Each Person Pardoning Grace and Purifying are expresly made over to me Heb. 12.8 10. So is the Crown of Glory 2 Tim. 4.8 So is Food and Rayment 1 Tim. 4.8 So are Blessings for my Children Gen. 17.7 I and I have this hyperbolically kind and sweetest Word of God to live on sc Luke 15.31 ALL THAT I HAVE IS THINE A word which if I once prove my interest in let them be poor and sad that can I cannot But still I remember they are Fruits that make known Roots And the fruits of Souls that have so much for the better changed Covenants are these They Remember their slavery It runs in their minds how the Covenant of Works since the Fall made them Vassals How they were Adam's Children as soon as their Souls Bodies were united in the womb And no sooner Adam's Children but under Adam's Covenant Nor sooner under his Covenant but under his Curse too They consider much their Translation out of it Their Eye and their Heart is upon the Father that said to Son and Spirit Come let us redeem Man Upon the Son that said Lo I come to do thy Will Upon the Glorious Spirit that said unto their most unwilling Souls once Kiss this Son Bid them yea and Made them willing Upon the sweet Change also that followed that willingness and actual Marriage-Union to Christ God no more looking on a poor Soul as the first but as the second Adam's Child No more Condemning however Chastising No more Abhorring his Services notwithstanding millions of unallowed and lamented Imperfections c. They joy in the Lord and rejoyce in the God of their Salvation Or Labour so to do and Lament that they cannot If no other they sing blessed Gataker's Song I Thirst for Thirstiness I weep for Tears Well-pleas'd I am to be Displeased thus The only thing I Fear is want of Fears Suspecting I am not suspitious I cannot chuse but Live because I Die And when I am not Dead how glad am I Yet when I am thus glad for sense of Pain And careful am lest Careless I should be Then do I grieve for being glad again And fear lest Carelesness take Care from me Amidst these restless thoughts this rest I find For those that Rest not here ther 's Rest behind Their highest ambition is to Rejoyce in Christ Jesus To Glory in Him. They Love God's Law and Trust his Son. They Love his Law and have respect to every Command and strive after Perfection and abound in all Duty But they Trust not in any works of their own Doing all they cry for Christ's Spirit for Strength Having done all they cry for Christ's Blood for making it Acceptable They still know themselves Servants unprofitable Is it thus with thee O my Soul then Return to thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee If thou wear any Phylactery let this be the Scripture All the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as keep his COVENANT Psal 25. C. 3. Of QUALITIES Look as where the Spirit is Changed the Covenant must needs be Changed so where the Covenant is Chang'd the Qualities of a Man must also be Changed These are mysterious things And by many names men go about to explain them But they are most if not only made known by their Effects Conceive we of them as the Springs Seeds and Roots of our Thoughts Words and Works And the things by which we are therefore denominated Holy or Sinful They be the Treasure that 's in a Soul. A Treasure for abundance and for belovedness Every man hath abundance of Moral Qualities and all are dear unto him precious in his Eyes And as this Treasure is good or evil our Saviour denominates the man good of evil Matth. 12.35 In our first Creation the concreated Qualities were surely good and entirely so God endued all our Natural Powers with all good and towardly Qualifications Qualities and Dispositions for prompt and constant Duty were inlaid in our Mind Will yea and Sensitive part Our several Powers and Faculties do depend much on each other for action The Practick upon the Affective Powers and they on the Intellectual ones or our Understanding Powers But all were made Vpright that is with springs of goodness in them apt to move as they ought towards each other within and toward Objects without Eccles 7.29 But the first Sin brake those Springs expelled those good Qualities introduced contrary ones In a Subject capable of two contraries as of Light and Darkness there will be one Man is capable of holy Qualities and sinful The Sin that drave out the first therefore could not but bring in the latter And set springs of evil in us apt to make motions