all my own righteousness hungring after the Lord Iesus Christ and his righteousness upon the bended knees of my soul come unto him and cast my self wholly upon him I choâ—se him for my only Advocate to plead my cause in the Court of Heaven to procure for me Pardon and Reconciliation that being justified by Faith I may have peace with God through my dear Lord Iesus Christ. Next repenting from the bottom of my heart of my sins grieving that I have such a sinfull Nature such a deceitfull heart that I have so adulterated my affections and gone a whoring from God to the Creatures that I have so indulged my flesh and satisfied its irregular desires that I have given ear to the Devil and complyed as I have done with his temptations I now renounce all allegiance and service to the World to the Flesh and to the Devil these enemies of the Lord and of my peace which warr against my Master and against my own soul covenanting and promising never to give away my heart any more from the Lord unto any person or thing in the World to refuse the World for my portion and chief happiness to deny my flesh its sinfull desires and demands to resist the Devil and his Temptations not to live and allow my self in any known sin and to make use of all the known means which the Lord hath prescribed for the crucifying of the World for the mortifying and utter extirpation of sin for the resisting and overcoming the Devil And being perswaded of the power and interest the subtilty and deceitfulness of these enemies and withall sensible of my own imprudence folly weakness and inconstancy I humbly and earnestly implore and beseech the highest Majesty who is infinite in wisdom power and goodness that he would give me counsel and discretion in the use and management of all means and helps that I may not neglect any nor through sloth and imprudence sâ—ffer a lesser duty to justle out a greater that he would give me courage strength and constancy in the maintaining my spiritual warfare against these my spiritual enemies unto my lifes end And if ever I should fall through unwatchfulness and weakness which the Lord grant I may never do I do promise in the strength of the Lord to arise again by Faith and Repentance And because of the Body of sin within me and remaining corruptions I shall be subject during my abode here unto daily failings and infirmities I do promise to pray watch and strive against them beseeching the Lord to strengthen me herein and grant that my sinfull infirmities may be lesse every day than other in the mean time looking upon those disallowed miscarriages contrary to the settled bent and resolution of my heart as insufficient to make my Covenant void Furthermore being convinced of the vanity emptiness and utter insufficiency of any or all the Creatures in the World to make me happy had I the most desireable enjoyment of them and having a discovery of the infinitely blessed God made unto me in his Works chiefly in his Word as being the chief good of man and withall a Promise in the Covenant of Grace that he will be our God yea our Father through Christ and that we shall be his people his Sons and Daughters I do here with deep veneration of Soul and chief estimation of minde choose the thrice Blessed Iehovah for my Portion and chief good beyond all persons and things in this World and do avouch him this day to be my God I humbly accept of the relation of a Servant and a Son or Daughter which he hath called me unto I put my self under his wing and commit my self to his care and Tuition and henceforth shall be bold through my dearest Lord to call him and look upon him to be my God and Father and humbly shall expect from him Protection and Provision in his way and work Correction Audience of Prayer and the fulfilling of all those Promises unto me which he hath made unto his Children Moreover being perswaded that none can come unto the Father but by the Son nor share in any spiritual priviledge but through Christs death and intercession and being perswaded of the infinite amiableness of Christs person the greatness of his love and affection unto the children of men as also of his infinite desireableness in regard of those offices and relations which he hath vouchsafed to take upon him and enter into for the good of his people I do avouch the Lord Iesus Christ to be my only Saviour and choose him in all his Offices and Relations I choose Christ to be my High-Priest to intercede and procure for me daily pardon access unto God acceptance of my person and service audience of my prayers and supply of all my wants I choose Christ to be my Prophet to teach me by his Word and Spirit the will of the Father I choose Christ to be my King to rule and govern me to command my whole man into the obedience of himself I choose Christ to be my Captain to go before me and to tread down my spiritual enemies under my feet I choose Christ to be my Friend and Brother to counsel and advise me to stand by me in all the difficulties and straights of my life I choose Christ to be my Husband and beloved humbly accepting of this near and sweet Relation which he calleth me unto I joyn and espouse my self unto the Lord Iesus and do promise to be for him only and with full purpose of heart to cleave unto him to love honour and serve him never to deny nor leave him whatever reproaches and distresses I may meet withall for his sake though Persecution should arise and that even unto death I do promise to own his Name and Cause and Truths and Wayes so long as I have breath in my Body But knowing that I am utterly insufficient to do any of these things in my own strength therefore upon the knees of my Soul I earnestly beseech that I may have strength for all these from himself alone Further because God my Father is invisible to the eye of sense and incomprehensible by the grasp of Reason and because my dearest Lord Iesus Christ who alone hath declared him in regard of his bodily presence is now in Heaven absent from his people and because whatever spiritual light or life grace comfort or spiritual communion with the Father and with his Son is vouchsafed unto the people of God it is by the Holy Spirit who is appointed by Office hereunto and graciously promised unto them in the Word Therefore I avouch and choose the Holy Ghost to be my Teacher and Guide to be my Sanctifier and Comforter to help my infirmities in duties to strengthen me with might in my inner man against sin and Satans Temptations to cleanse me from all filthiness of flesh and spirit to heal me of all my spiritual distempers to revive me under all my faintings to supply
set forth the Lord Jesus Christ in his Divinity and eternal abode with God in his Humanity with which he cloathed and vailed himself and abode for a while here amongst men in his Life so holy his Works so powerfull his Love so great his Death so painfull his Resurrection so soon his Ascension so wonderfull his Session and Intercession at the right hand of God and the Glory which he hath with the Father in Heaven however he had been vilified by some men when he was upon the Earth The Angel could have preached the Law with such Thunder and Lightning as should have made the Conscience of Cornelius to tremble even as the Israelites did when the Law was given by their ministration on Mount Sinai He could have shot the arrows of the Almighty so deep into his Spirit as no balm on earth should have been able to heal his wounds The Angel could have represented the God of Heaven in a more terrible way than man can do as Lord of an innumerable host of mighty Angels of which he was but one and as set in battel-array against Christless sinners and told Cornelius what dreadfull threatnings were denounced and what heavy Curses did belong unto such as had broken Gods Law and hereby could have put him into such terrors and consternation in reflection upon the least guilt as should have sunk him down to the very brink of the burning Lake in his own apprehension and forced him in the anguish of his spirit to cry out O what shall I do to be saved And then he could have represented the Lord Jesus Christ unto him as the only and an all-sufficient and most mercifull Saviour of Mankinde who had undertaken the Office of Mediatour and Advocate and was faithfull He could have described his beauty and excellency in such high expressions and invited Cornelius to come to Christ with such sweet words and pressing arguments as never proceeded out of the mouth of any man But the Angel had no commission to preach the Gospel to Cornelius only to speak to him from God that he would send men to Ioppa and call for Peter and he should preach the Gospel unto him And as it was in the beginning so it is still God doth not send Angels down from Heaven to preach Christ and Salvation by Christ unto the people but he sendeth Ministers men whom he qualifieth and commissioneth for the work The Reasons why God doth make use of Ministers to preach the Gospel rather than Angels may be chiefly these three 1. Because of our Infirmity 2. For the honour of the Ministry 3. That he might secure his own Glory Reas. 1. Because of our Infirmity We could not in this state of darkness weakness and sinfulness bear the preaching of Angels that are so holy and glorious Our eyes would be dazled our spirits would be amazed and hearts sink within us at the voice of Angels should they appear unto us in their glory Manoah thought he should dye when an Angel came to him and foretold him of a Son which should be born to him Iudg. 13. Zacharias was sore troubled at the appearance of an Angel with the like message Lâ—k 1. The Shepheards in the Field were exceedingly afraid when the Angel came to them to bring tidings of the birth of our Saviour Luk. 2. And Christs Disciples were no less afraid when the Angels brought news to them of his Resurrection And if holy men could not bear the appearance of Angels much less could the unholy and wicked whose guilt and defilement would make them a thousand-fold more fearfull If an Angel should immediately descend from Heaven into this place and taking my room should preach unto this Auditory before me would not fearfull thoughts arise in the hearts and paleness get upon the checks of the best amongst you But what dread would there seize upon the spirits of such of you as are graceless and profane who are yet in your sins and have not made your peace with God How would you shrink and croud out faster than you crouded in as not being able to endure When Moses had been forty dayes upon the Mount with God and had seen only his back-parts yet his face did shine with such lustre by reflexion of the beams of Gods Majesty upon him that the children of Israel could not look upon his face without a Vail And if Angels who continually behold the face of God in Heaven should come down and appear and preach men would not be able to hear and bear Therefore God maketh use of Ministers to preach the Gospel men of like passions and infirmities with our selves for our infirmities sake Men who will not affrighten us with their glory whom we may look upon without dazling our eyes whom we may speak unto and converse with familiarly without dread and terrour As Elihu said of himself to Iob chap. 33.6 7. So it may be said of Ministers they are in Gods stead and yet formed out of clay and their terrour shall noâ— make us afraid Reas. 2. For the honour of the Ministery Jesus Christ himself the Son of God was a Minister when he was upon the Earth and his employment was to preach the Gospel and the highest spiritual honour that can be conferred upon any is to be Christs Embassadours Representatives and to succeed him in this office and work of the Ministery which honour he hath conferred upon some men rather than Angels I am not of their opinion who think that Gods people are exalted to a higher dignity than the Angels neither do I think the consequences to be right from Heb. 1 1â— on which this Notion is grounded Are they not all ministring spirits speaking of Angels sent forth to minister for them which shall be heirs of salvation It doth not follow because Angels do minister to the Saints therefore they are inferiour to the Saints for Jesus Christ himself did minister to them though he be their Lord and King when he washed his Disciples feet in which act he appeared so like a servant yet then he calleth himself their Lord and Master Ioh. 13.13 Ministring to others doth not imply inferiority unless it be such as doth withall imply dependency but rather the contrary our Saviour telleth his Disciples when he perceived them to be ambitious of greatness that whoever would be the greatest amongst them should be their Minister Math. 20.26 Indeed our humane Nature in Christ is exalted above Angels but in other respects we are inferiour to Angels The Angels are above us in regard of spirituality they are all spirit we are partly flesh and but partly spirit In regard of immortality they never dye we cannot escape death long In regard of purity they have not the least tincture of sin the most holy persons on earth are not without some remainders of defilement In regard of neerness unto God they dwell with God in Heaven and behold his face continually we are on earth and see
therefore the world hate and contend with his Disciples because he hath chosen them out of the world wicked men have an enmity in their hearts against Believers and will not be at Peace with them But Christ preached Peace with God Christ came from Heaven to bring this glad tydings to earth that the God of Heaven was willing to be at Peace with sinfull men It would not have been an easie thing to have made sinners believe especially if they had been convinced of sin how heinous it is in its own nature how highly it affronts and provokes the highest Majesty if they had been awakened with a sense of the dreadfulness of the punishment which God hath threatned and they had deserved for their sins that so great and holy a God should be willing to put up all affronts and forgive all iniquities and be at Peace with sinners yea that he should seek after it They might have questioned not only how this could be but also how any could have known it But to put all out of doubt Christ the eternal Son of God hath come forth from Heaven declaring what he hath heard of the Father and hath made known this that God is willing to be at peace with us Christ was sent from the King of Glory upon the Embassage of Peace and he preached Peace therefore unto men not unto all men for Isa. 57.21 There is no Peace to the wicked that is to such as are impenitent and senseless of their sins and go on still in their trespasses Christ threatned the wicked as severely as Iohn Baptist he tells the impenitent that they should perish Luk 13.3 and the unbelievers that they should die in their sins Ioh. 8.24 And he calls the hypocritical Pharisees who persevered in their opposition of him and his waies Serpents and Vipers that could not escape the damnation of Hell Matth. 23.33 But Christ preached Peace to all that repented were troubled for their sins that mourned and turned that believed and yielded up themselves to the obedience of the Gospel He preached the Gospel to the poor to the bruised and broken that is such as were sensible of their sins and their need of a Saviour Luk. 4.18 And we Ministers have commission from the Lord to preach Peace to the children of men we are Ministers of the Gospel of Peace unto us is committed the Word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 Indeed we must sound the Trumpet of War from Heaven in the ears of secure sinners to awaken them but we are to hang out the white flag and to come with Olive branches of Peace from God to them that tremble at Gods Word and are humble for their sins Sinners are there any among you whose hearts the Lord hath touched and bruised for sin yea broken to shivers and melted and filled with grief and sorrow for a life of past-wickedness that have not only legal terrours but true Evangelical repentance I have a word of Peace to deliver to such of you from the Lord. God is willing to be at Peace with you through his Son There is an Advocate with the Father who is ready to make up the breach which sin hath made between God and your souls and God doth call you to lay hold on his strength that you may make Peace with him and he promiseth that you shall make peace with him Isa. 27.5 Thus concerning the word of Repentance and Peace which Peter tells Cornelius and them which were with him SECT VIII 3. PEter speaks to them of the Lord Jesus Christ by whom this Peace was purchased and the Word of Peace preached and that 1. Concerning his Vnction 2. Concerning his Life 3. Concerning his Miracles 4. Concerning his Death 5. Concerning his Resurrection 6. Concerning his Ordination to be the Iudge of the World 7. Concerning his Mission of them to preach 1. Peter speaks to them concerning the Vnction of Christ. He tells them that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power God poured forth his Spirit without measure upon Christ which qualified him for his offices and he gave him power and authority to execute them There is a Threefold Office which Christ was anointed unto 1. The Priestly Office 2. The Pâ—â—phetical Office 3. The Kingly Office 1. Christ was anointed to the Priestly Office who offered up sacrifice to God even a sin-offering and Peace-offering â—o make reconciliation for sin not the sacrifice of Bulls and Goats or Lambs or Rams which could never of themselves take away guilt but he through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God he offered the sacrifice of himself for a sweet-smelling savour and shed his own blood for the remission of sins by which blood having obtained eternal redemption for his people he entered into the Holy place not made with hands which was but figurative but into Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God to make intercession for them Christ is the great High priest not after the order of Aaron who were many and mortall and sinfull and their Priesthood changeable but he is a High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec hath an unchangeable Priesthood therefore is able to save all those to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession in their behalf Heb. 7.25 Moreover v. 26. he is holy harmless undefiled seperate from sinners and yet very tender and compassionate towards sinners being touched with the feeling of our Infirmities and knows how to pity them which are tempted he is mercifull and he is faithfull too in this Office which the Lord hath anointed him unto Having therefore such an High-Priest over the House of God sinners have encouragement to draw neer unto God with full assurance of acceptance through him Hebr. 10.21 22. 2. Christ was anointed to the Prophetical Office Christ is that Prophet whom the Lord promised to raise up to his people like unto Moses Deut. 18.15 but is far greater than Moses who came down from Heaven to preach the Gospel of salvation to lost sinners who revealed the counsels of the Father which were hid from ages and generations and kept secret untill his time from the foundations of the World who discovered the purposes of Gods Love and the promises of his Grace and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel Christ is the great Prophet anointed by the Father to teach his people by his Word and Spirit who opens the eyes of the understanding which naturally is dark and blinde and leads his people into all truth who of themselves would wander into errour without whose teachings there can be no saving light nor spiritual discerning and relish of Gospel Mysteries 3. Christ was anointed unto the Kingly Office Peter in his Sermon calls him Lord of all God hath given him a Name above every Name he hath exalted him above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion both in Heaven and