is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able 17. Consider the experiences of Gods faithful servants who have been so assaulted and how they have been delivered Scarce any of Gods Children but have been more or less assaulted at one time or other Let their experiences of Gods support and help be thy encouragement 18. Instantly repel the Devils temptations do not muse or think too much upon them Divert from them turn thy thoughts if thou canst possibly to something else 19. If the Devil still follow thee with his Temptations take the advice of some faithful friend or Minister to whom impart thy case keep not the Devils counsel If thy House be on fire call for help Climacus in Scala Paradisi makes mention of one who was tempted Twenty years together his mind being infested and turmoil'd with most grievous blasphemous thoughts who by revealing his condition at last to a faithful friend was suddainly delivered from them 20. If none of these ways will do then not in a proud manner but holily despise the Devil as Travellers use to do barking Dogs This is Gersons counsel who says he knew one suddainly cured thereby And adds this as the reason thereof spiritus quippe superbissimus non diu patitur se contemni For this proud Spirit the Devil will not long endure or suffer himself to be contemned Of Providence Of Providâ—nâ—e Having spoken of the first of Gods works viz. Creation I come now to the second viz. Providence concerning which I shall make these inquiries 1. What Providence is and wherein it consists 2. How it may appear there is such a Providence 3. What is the extent of this Providence 4. What are the Objections usually made against this Doctrine 5. What are the Vses and Practical improvements we should make hereof 1. For the First Providence is a work of God whereby he sustains governs and orders all the Creatures according to the good pleasure of his will to his own glory It consists in two things 1. Conservation 2. Gubernation 1. Conservation The Providence of God manifests it self in preserving the Creatures he hath made Col. 1.17 In him all things consist Heb. 1.3 He sustains all things by the word of his Power All the Creatures as they were made by God so they continually depend upon him for the supporting and continuing of their Being their Virtue and Activity Psal 39.6 Thou preservest Man and Beast Neh. 9.6 Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the Heaven of Heavens with all their Host and the Earth and all things that are therein the Sea and all that is therein and thou preservest all and the Host of Heaven worshippeth thee 2. Gubernation Gods Providence reaches all rules over all his Creatures Psal 22.28 The Kingdom is the Lords he is the Governour among the Nations Eph. 1.11 He worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will Lam. 3.37 Who is he that saith it cometh to pass and I the Lord command it not Joh. 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work * Una eum Patre continue operor etiam Sabbatis mundum portans regens miâ—acula faciens cum eo hoc ipsum saenitatis opus efficiens But Secondly How may it appear there is such a Providence Answ 1. From Scripture 2. From Reason 1. The Scripture clearly bears Testimony to it Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Isai 45.7 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Prov. 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good James 4.15 For that ye ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and do this and that Job 5.12 He disapppointed the Devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise 2. Reason plainly shews it There are several Arguments from Reason that may perswade us to the belief hereof 1. The Regular order and wise contrivance of all things in the World with their mutual reference and subserviency of one to another together with their exact fitness and commodious aptness for the several uses and purposes for which they were designed the beauty the elegance the regularity that appears in the several parts of the Universe the regular Motion of the Heavenly bodies the vicissitudes of day and night and of the Seasons of the Year Winter Spring Summer and Autumn the production of Minerals the growth of Plants the generation of Animals according to their sâ—veral species and kinds the gathering the Inhabitants of the Earth into several Nations under distinct Policies and Governments their mutual commerce for the supplying the necessities of each other with such things as their several Countries afford the giving to so many Millions of People a different face whereby the Husband knows his Wife the Father his Child the Master his Servant the Creditor his Dâ—btor the subject his Prince are so many Arguments to prove that there is an all-wise Providence that presides over and governs the World and to conceive otherwise must needs be extremely irrational 2. The Natural instincts that God hath put into unreasonable Creatures which direct and move them to do things very wise and rational for their own preservation is another argument of Providence Prov. 6.6 7 8. Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise which having no guide Overseer or Ruler provideth her meat in the Summer and gathereth her food in the Harvest Jer. 8.7 Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming 3. The suitable provision that God hath made for all his Creatures is another argument to prove a Providence He provideth food for all Aves sine Patrimonio vivunt Minut. Fael and conveyeth it to them in that quantity and Season which is fittest for them Psal 145.15 The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Matth. 6.26 Behold the Fowls of the Air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into Barns yet our Heavenly Father feedeth them Psal 147.9 He giveth to the Beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry 4. It cannot consist with the infinite wisdom and justice of God not to preside over and govern the World which he hath made To conceive this great ship of the World to be left without a Pilot to govern it and all things here below to be neglected and suffered to run at random without any wise Agent to superintend over them and to order and regulate them surely is very irrational 5. Gods manifest appearing sometimes in executing visible and remarkable punishments on bold and
Nature to us And First He hath revealed himself to be a pure simple immaterial invisible Being a Spirit of transcendent glory Joh. 4.24 not having any matter or corporcity nor being compounded as bodies are And therefore we should not Picture him to our Eye-sight nor represent him to our Fancies under any bodily shape or figure whatsoever but should raise our apprehensions to the highest and holyest to the purest and most Spiritual conceptions of him that we can possible frame We should labour to see this invisible God by the eye of Faith and observe his power and efficacy working in all his Creatures 'T is He that enlightens us by the Sun and warms us by the fire and makes our food to nourish us and his other Creatures to do us good The Schoolmen say There are Three ways of knowing God First Per viam eminentiae when we ascribe all possible perfections to him Secondly Per viam negationis when we remove from him all imperfections whatsoever Thirdly Per viam causationis when we see and acknowledge that all things that are made are made by him and receive their being and all their powers and perfections from him Secondly God is an infinite Being for whatsoever hath no cause of being can have no bounds or limits of being set to it For the reason why any Being is bounded limited and confin'd to such a measure and degree of Being only is because the Author of its existence communicated and bestowed only so much being power and efficacy upon it and no more He that made it set limits and bounds to it that hitherto its Essence should go and extend and no further All things that receive their Being as all things Created do can have no more of being life power or vertue than is given them by the Author of their Nature And as they received their Being from him so they received their limitation to this or that set kind of Being also The First Being therefore that hath nothing to give it Being hath nothing to give it limits and as it were to confine it to this or that kind form and degree of Being As therefore the First Being could not be the cause of existence to it self so neither could it limit confine or bound it self And there was nothing else without it that could set bounds or limits to it It remains therefore that it must needs be an Essence unbounded unlimited and so absolutely infinite and immense Infinite in Life and so Eternal Infinite in Wisdom and so Omniscient Infinite in Power and so Omnipotent and infinite in Goodness and all perfections That Being therefore that hath more Power Wisdom and Goodness than all the World beside that is the Being we call God That Being that hath communicated to all things else the Being Power Life Virtue and all such perfections as they have is the God whom we acknowledg adore and worship We come now to consider the Attributes of God more Particularly which are those glorious excellencies Of the Attributes of God and proprieties of his Divine Essence which declare and manifest his Nature to us and whereby we are inabled in some measure to conceive aright of him And these are of Two sorts Incommunicable Communicable First Incommunicable which are such Attributes as agree to God alone and cannot belong to any Creature Such as are His Eternity Omnipresence Omnipotence Omniscience Secondly Communicable which are such Attributes which though they be infinite perfections in God yet some resemblances of them are found in the Creatures Such are His Wisdom Holiness Justice Mercy and Faithfulness I begin with His incommunicable Attributes And God is Eternal I. God is an Eternal Being and none is Eternal but himself Psal 90.2 From everlasting to everlasting thou art God That which had no cause had no beginning and that which had no beginning is Eternal Time which is a duration that hath beginning and end is competible to man and other visible Creatures Aâ—viternity which is a duration that hath a beginning but no end is competible to good and evil Angels and to the Souls of men But Eternity which hath neither beginning nor end belongs only to God Isai 57.15 He is called The high and lâ—sty one who inhabiteth Eternity that is who alone is Eternal He speaks of Eternity as a House or Palace which a King inhabiteth or dwelleth in as his own peculiar Possession in which no other man has any right but himself And 2 Pet. 3.8 The Apostle says A Thousand years with him are but as one day and this is the first of his incommunicable Attributes He is Eternal Let us now consider what improvement we should make of this Attribute Gods Eternity should fill our Souls with admiring thoughts of him Who can think of Eternity without amazement Man is a Creature of few days and ere long shall be no more here Our Bodies are perishing but our Souls must last to Eternity Let us therefore mind things Eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 Whatever we neglect let us labour to secure to our selves Eternal happiness Zeuxiâ— that famous Painter said He did pingere aeternitati he drew his Pictures with such care that they might last if it were possible and be famous to Eternity Let us all so pray so read so live and do all that we do as those that desire to obtain a happy Eternity Nulla satis magna securitas ubi periclitatur aeternitas We can never be over carefull to secure our Eternal state in Bliss and happiness II. God is Omnipresent Omnipresent or every where present He is not confined or limited to any place Jer. 23.24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Do not I fill Heaven and Earth The sweet Singer of Israel Psal 139.7 8 9 10. Cryes out Whither shall I go from thy Spirit Or whither shall I free from thy presence If I ascend up to Heaven thou art there if I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the Wings of the Morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me if I say the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee Gods Omnipresence should imprint a constant awe of his Majesty upon our Souls We should always behave our selves as those that believed he stood by He is neither shut up in nor excluded out of any place nay he is beyond all place or space where any Creature is He is every where for his Essence is unbounded And further this should convince us that he is incomprehensible and that we cannot have a full adaequate and comprehensive knowledge of him (b) Non esset Deus magnus nisi esset major captu nostro Canst thou by searching
them for they know not what they do Eph. 3.14 For thâ—s cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in Him Joh. 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 20.17 Jesus saith unto her Touch me not For I am not yet ascended to my Father Thirdly That Jesus Christ is God the Eternal Son of God and did prae-exist in the form or Essence of God having all the properties of the Deity before his Incarnation which was effected by voluntary actings of his own which could not be without a prae-existence in another Nature Let us consider the Divine Testimonies whereby this truth is confirmed and established Psal 45.6 Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever The Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter This is applied unto Christ Heb. 1.8 But unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever c. Psal 102.25 26 27. Of old thou hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall wax old like a Garment as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end This is declared by the Apostle to be meant of the Son of God Heb. 1.10 And Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth And the Heavens are the works of thine hands c. Prov. 8. from the â—2 to the 31. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was When there were no depths I was brought forth When there were no Fountains abounding with Water Before the Mountains were setled before the Hills was I brought forth * He is called the only begotten Son of God Joh. 1.14 Angels and Adam were the Sons of God by Creation The Worshippers of the true God are called the Sons of God by profession Gen. 6 1. All true Believers are his Children by Adoption Joh. 1.12 But Christ is the Son of God by Nature by Eternal Generation Whilst as yet he had not made the Earth nor the Fields nor the highest part of the dust of the World When he prepared the Heavens I was there When he set a compass upon the face of the Depth When he established the Clouds above When he strengthened the Fountains of the Deep When he gave to the Sea his Decree that the Waters should not pass his Commandment When he appointed the Foundations of the Earth Then I was by him as one brought up with him And I was daily his delight rejoycing always before him Isai 9.6 For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulder And his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour The mighty God The everlasting Father The Prince of peace Jer. 23.5 6. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely And this is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Joh. 1. v. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God v. 2. The same was in the beginning with God v. 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made v. 14. And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth v. 18. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 3.13 And no man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven Act. 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Rom. 9.5 Whose are the Fathers and of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Col. 1.15 Who is the Image of the invisible God the first born * As being from all Eternity begotten of the Father before any Creature was made or created and so Lord and Heir of all the Creatures as the First-born was among his Brethren Gen. 49.3 of every Creature v. 16. For by him were all things Created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him v. 17. And he is before all things and by him all things consist 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the Mystery of godliness God was manifest in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World received up into Glory 1 Joh. 5.20 And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true And we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and Eternal life And thus much of the Divine Testimonies that prove that Christ is God The Socinians indeed acknowledge that Christ is God but they say he is not so by Nature but by Office They say He is not the most high Eternal God This therefore we shall labour to prove by several arguments First He had a Personal prae-existence unto the whole Creation And nothing can prae-exist * Quod ante omnem creaturam suisse dicitur simpliciter aeterrum est Gloss to all Creatures but in the Nature of God which is Eternal In the beginning the Word was God and so continues unto Eternity Joh. 1. â—â— In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God Yet he was so God that he was distinct in something from God the Father by whom afterwards he was sent into the World The Word was with God and so distinct from him and was God and so one with him And he was so from the beginning before the Creation that he made all things even the World viz. All things in Heaven and Earth To which we may add our Saviours own Words Joh. 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with the glory I had
with thee before the World was Secondly Let us consider this All the ways whereby we can come to know God are either by his Name or his Properties or his Works or the Divine worship given unto him Now all these belong to the Son He therefore is God or we cannot tell either who or what God is And First The proper Name of God viz. Jehovah is given to Him Jer. 23.6 This is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness And Rom. 9.5 He is called The most high God who is over all God blessed for evermore * A Title peculiar to the most high God Secondly Divine Properties are ascribed to him and such Divine excellencies as naturally and necessarily appertain to the Divine Nature Particularly these Four First Eternity Joh. 1.1 2. In the beginning was the Word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic Mos Hebraeis aeternitatem populariter exprimare Grot. In the beginning when the World began to be created then was He. And so Prov. 8.23 24. I was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was when there was no depths I was brought forth The Essential Wisdom of the Father was from everlasting Col. 1.17 He was before all things viz. All things created And Revel 1.8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty That this place is meant of Christ may appear by comparing with it Chap. 2.6 22.13 of this Book Secondly Omnipresence Mat. 18.20 Where two or three are met together in my Name says our Saviour there am I in the midst of them viz. By my Eternal Spirit Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up to Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of man which is in Heaven And Mat. 28.20 And so I am with you always even to the end of the World Thirdly Omnipotency Philip. 3.8 'T is said of Christ that He shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his own glorious body according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto himself Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Heb. 1.10 And thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands Fourthly Omniscience Joh. 21.17 Lord thou knowest all things says Peter And Joh. 2.25 'T is said of our Saviour that He needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in man * De animis hominum certo judicare solius est Dei. Thirdly Divine actions or works are ascribed to him As 1. Creation Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him So that there must needs be granted unto Christ a prae-existence in his Divine Nature antecedent to his Incarnation 2. Providence Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the Word of his power And Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist He is not only before all Creatures and their Creator but together with the Father and the Holy Ghost their Up-holder powerfull Preserver and Governour Fourthly Divine Worship is given to him Heb. 1.6 Let all the Angels of God worship him The Angels themselves refused Divine Worship Rev. 19.10 See thou do it not says the Angel there that is See thou do not worship me I am thy fellow Creature Joh. 14.1 You believe in God says our Saviour believe also in me Now to be believed in and rested on is an honour or homage peculiar unto God alone Indeed the Socinians say that though Christ be not the most High God yet he ought to be worshipped with Divine and Religious worship But surely they do not well consider that only Divine and Essential excellencies are the formal Object of Divine and Religious worship and to give such a worship to one that is not God by Nature is plain Idolatry Where the Divine Nature is there is the true proper formal Object of Religious worship and where that is not it is Idolatry to ascribe it to or exercise it towards any other So that if the Word and Testimony of God be able to decide a difference among the Children of men I see not but that the Testimony given to the God-head of the Son are as clear and unquestionable as those which are given concerning the Deity of the Father And thus we have spoken to the Third thing viz. That Jesus Christ is God Fourthly It is delivered to us by Divine Revelation that the Holy Ghost is God This will plainly appear if we consider what is revealed to us concerning the Divine existence the Divine excellencies and the Divine Operations of this blessed Spirit Such things are ascribed to him in the Scriptures which do uncontrolably evidence him to be a voluntary Divine Agent an Eternal Divine existing substance a Person or intelligent subsistence the Author of Divine Operations and the Object of Divine and Religious worship There are some that hold he is a meer emanation of virtue or power from God and not a Person Others grant indeed his Personality and that he is a distinct self-subsisting Person but deny his Deity they deny him to be a participant of the Divine Nature A Created finite Spirit they will allow him to be and the chiefest of all Spirits that were created and the Head of all the good Angels But they will not allow him to be a Divine Person We shall therefore endeavour to prove from plain Testimonies of Scripture 1. That he is not a meer emanation of virtue or power from God but an intelligent subsistence or Person 2. A Divine Person 3. A Person distinct from the Father and the Son 4. A Person proceeding from the Father and the Son First It will appear he is a Person because he is endued with Personal properties and Personal actions such as are peculiar and proper to a person are Attributed to him As namely 1. To make intercession Rom. 8.26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities For we know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession for us v. 27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God 2. To come to men being sent to them Job 15.26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall teâ—tifie of me 3. Our Saviour says He shall receive of mine * That is communicate nothing to them bâ—â— what tâ—â—y râ—câ—iv d from him and shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 which is a personal action 4. He is such an one against whom a sin may be committed and therefore surely he is a person Matth. 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
had resolv'd to slay his Brother Jacob Gen. 27.4 Jacob wrastles that night with God in prayer Chap. 32. Vers 11 24 26 28. And Chap. 33. Vers 4. We find God had so changed the heart of Esau that instead of killing his Brother he most lovingly embraces him and fell upon his neck and kissed him 3. Sometimes he snares the wicked in the work of their own hands when they have designed mischief against his People Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the Judgment he executeth The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands The whole Book of Hester is a sufficient proof of this And we read Job 5.12 That he dissappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprizes Achitophel also is a remarkable instance of this whose counsel against David God turned in foolishness 4. Sometimes he makes the wicked against their own will to fulfill his will See what God says to the Assyrian Isai 10.5 6 7. O Assyrian the Rod of mine anger and the Staff in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an Hypocritical Nation and against the People of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the Spoil and to take the Prey and to tread them down like the mire of the Streets Howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off Nations not a few Josephs Brethren little thought when they so wretchedly sold him they had been advancing of him But this is the Chymistry of Divine Providence to bring good out of evil 5. He usually converts the outward evils that befall his People to their Spiritual good Paul had a sad Messenger of Satan sent to buffet him 2 Corinth 12.7 But this Messenger prov'd a means to prevent pride in him Wicked men are God Scullions as one calls them and imployed by him to scour his Children and to brighten their graces Physick though it be not good to the Palat yet it may be very good for the Patient David found it so when he cried out It is good for me that I have been afflicted before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Psal 119.67 68. And Isai 27.9 Sayes God By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin 6. And Lastly God very often qualifies the outward troubles of his People with inward comforts and consolations Though the outward man smart yet God can cause the Conscience to smile Though the outward estate be peeled yet he can chear the heart Those Saints in the 11 of Heb. took joyfully the spoiling of their goods remembring they had in Heaven a better and more induring substance Hear what the blessed Apostle says 2 Cor. 1.3 4 5 â—2 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort whereby we our selves are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom bâ—t by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the World and more abundantly tâ—â—â—â—-wards And that Gods Providencâ— is in so singular a manner watchfull over his Church and Pe ple may yet further appear if we consider these thiâ—â—s 1. They 〈…〉 in Covenant with him He hath taken thâ—m to hiâ—â—â—â—â—â—or hâ—â— pâ—â—ulâ—â—â— People he hath formed them for himself and 〈…〉 thâ—â—r God and that comprehends all blessings in it Jer. 〈…〉 And Ezek. 16.8 I entred into Covenant with thâ—â—e saith 〈…〉 â—â—d thou becamest mine 2. He hath pu◠〈◊〉 indearing relations towards them viz. Of a Father and of a Husband Jâ—r 31.9 I am a Father saith God to Israel Psal 103.13 As a Father puâ—â—th his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him And Isai 54.5 Thy Maker is thy Husband 3. He sets a high value upon them as may appear by the Titles he gives them He calls them his Jewels Mal. 3.17 And Zach. 2.8 The Apple of his eye and Psal 16.3 The Excellent of the Earth 4. He hath made many gracious promises to them Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And Psal 84.11 He hath promised to be a Sun and a Shield unto his People He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly And thus much of the Third particular I propounded to speak to viz. The extent of Divine Providence I come now to the Fourth viz. to consider 4. What are the Objections that are usually made against this Doctrine 1. Object Some think that to assert that the Providence of God reaches to all his Creatures is a diminution or aviling of his Majesty and Greatness Therefore Epicurus and some of the Ancients thought that God confined himself to the highest Heavens as to his Royal Palace that his Majesty was too Sublime and August to mind the actions of inferiour Creatures And Aristotle himself it sâ—ems was of this opinion that the Providence of God reached no further then the Orb of the Moon Answ For answer to this we need only say that those men spake like Heathens not knowing the Scriptures which teach us that the Providence of God is so particular that the very hairs of our heads are said to be numbred and that a Sparrow does not fall to the ground without Gods knowledg or permission Matth. 10.29 And certainly 't is no diminution to the infinite Majesty of God to govern those Creatures how small and inferiour soever which he in his infinite wisdom thought good to create and produce * Deo probrum non est â—i utissimâ— quâ—qâ—e seâ— ss multo minâ—s regere 2 Object Another Objection against Providence is this if the Providence of God governs the World Cur malis bene bonis male Why fares it many times so well with the wicked Why do they flourish like a green Bay-tree While those that are righteous and good men meet with hard measure and are miserably harassed and afflicted This matter we find debated by Job in Chap. 21.7 And in Chap. 24.27 The Psalmist also insists on it in Psal 37.73 And the Prophet Jerem. Chap. 12.1 Answ That this oftentimes so happens is plain and undeniable And the Providence Wisdom and Justice of God in this dispensation is many times a mystery and riddle to the Children of men But the difficulty is soon dissolved if we will but attentively consider these things which we spake something to before in answer to an Objection made against Gods Justice 1. None are perfectly righteous here Therefore even in the very best God may find something
to the Jews But now is my Kingdom not from hence Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and jâ—y in the Holy Ghost In the Kingdom of Christ 1. The King is Spiritual the Lord from Heaven 2. The Subjects are Spiritual those that are regenerated 3. The Laws are Spiritual reaching the inward man 4. The Priviledges are Spiritual Justification Adoption Sanctification Glorification Now Christ's solemn inauguration into this His Kingly Office was at his Ascention into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of the Father Not but that he was a King by right before but he entred on the ful and publick execution of this his office when God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all Principalities and Powers Eph. 1.20 21. Then He whose name is the word of God had on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.13 16. Let us now consider what improvement we ought to make of this Article that Christ is a King 1. If Christ be a King we should daily pray that his Kingdâ—m may come that is His Kingdom of Grace into the hearts of men We should all earnestly desire and pray that he may reign in our hearts and the hearts of others by his holy Spirit 2. This may shew us the blessedness of those that are his Subjects They are under a powerful Protector 3. We should all examine our selves whether his Kingdom beset up in us or no. Christ is sometimes called the Head of the Church Eph. 1.22 23. Let us seriously consider whether we are guided and governed by him as the members of the body are by the Head and whether we do receive life and influence from him 4. If Christ be a King then we may assure our selves that he is able to defend his Church and subdue the enemies of it though they be never so strong or subtil 5. If Christ be a King then we should acknowledge his Soveraignty The Apostle tells us Phil. 2.10 11. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father To bow at the name of Jesus is to confess his Soveraignty to submit to his power and to humble our selves before him 6. If Christ be a King We should pray that the Kingdoms contrary to his Kingdom may be subverted viz. the Kingdom of Sin Satan and Anti-Christ And thus much of Christs three-fold Office We come now to speak of the third Title given him in the antient Creed which is His only Son Christ is the only Son of God Thus Nathanael the true Israelite makes his confession of him John 1.49 Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art King of Israel Thus Martha expresses her Faith concerning him John 11.27 I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World This was the famous confession of Peter John 6.69 His only Son We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16.16 And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And the Gospel of John was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God John 20.31 Now Christ is so the Son of God as no other is or was or ever can be He is his only Son his only begotten Son This I shall further explain by these particulars following 2 Our Saviour had a real being and existence before his conception here on Earth and distinct from that being which he assumed here John 8.58 Before Abraham was I am Yea he had a Being before the Flood 1 Pet. 3.18 19. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the Just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickned in the Spirit By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in prison who were disobedient in the days of Noah Yea he had a being before the World began for the World was made by him so the Apostle tells us Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist 2. The being which he had before his conception was not a created being but the Divine Essence he was truly God John 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was See more in the third Section of the first Chapter 3. The Divine Essence which he hath was eternally communicated to him from the Father who was always Father as well as always God And this is called his Eternal Generation And therefore he is called the only begotten Son of God John 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And thus he is distinguished from the Holy Ghost who proceeds from the Father and the Son and from the Adopted Sons of God being his Eternal Son by eternal and ineffable Emanation Joh. 7.29 I know him that sent me says Christ for I am from him Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Bâ—t some will possibly here object God the Father says of Christ Psal 2.7 Act. 13.30 33. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee To which we answer God speaks not there of Christs Generation but of the manifestation of it which was accomplished at the time of his Resurrection by which he was mightily declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 And though he was then declar'd to be so yet his Generation was Eternal The Grave is as the Womb of the Earth Christ when he was raised from the dead was as it were begotten to a new life and on this account God who now raised him is stiled his Father But some will further Object Christ is called The first Born of every Creature Col. 1.15 How can he then be the Eternal Son of God I answer he is call'd The first born of every Creature because he was begotten of God as the Son of his love antecedently to all other Emanations from him and before any thing was framed or created by him And thus much for the Explication of this Article Let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. This should shew us the excellency and dignity of the Person of the Messias and should assure us of the infinite value of his active and passive obedience As our offences are aggravated
by the consideration of the high dignity of the Person whom we have offended so the value of Reparation ariseth from the dignity of the Person satisfying And this satisfaction consisteth in the reparation of the honour which by our sin was cclipsed And all honour doth increase proportionably as the person yielding it is more honourable or worthy 2. This may shew us that the more worthy the Person of Christ was before he suffered the greater was his condescention in stooping to such great and unworthy sufferings for our sakes 3. This greatly magnifies the love of God in sending his only begotten Son into the world to die for Sinners This love of God is frequently extolled and admired by the Apostles Rom. 8.32 He that spared nâ—t his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things 1 John 4.9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins What an amazing thing is this love of the Father in sending his only begotten Son to be our Redeemer and what an amazing thing is this condescention of the only Son of God to dy for such worms as we are I come now tâ— Christs fourth Title Our Lord. Our Lord. After our Sav◠〈◊〉 Relation viz. of the only Son of God founded upon his eternal generation followeth his Dominion as the necessary consequence of his Son-ship because the only Son must of necessity be Heir and Lord of all in his Fathers house and all others which bear the name of Sons whether they be Angels or Men must be looked upon as his servants who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Acts 10.36 He is Lord of all Mat. 28.18 All power is given unto him both in Heaven and Earth Ephes 1.20 21 22. God hath set him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and hath put all things under his feet The word Lord signifies properly Dominion and implies a right of possession and power of disposing This premised let us consider how and in what respects Christ is Lord As there are two natures united in the person of Christ so there are two kinds of dominion belonging respectively to those natures One inherent in his Divinity the other bestowed on his humanity One by which he is Lord maker of all things The other by which he is made Lord of all things Christ as God hath a supreme universal dominion over the Worlp So Thomas acknowledges in those words John 20.28 My Lord and my God But Christ as Mediator has some kind of dominion or Lordship bestowed on him and given unto him And in this sense the Apostle says Acts 2.36 He was made both Lord and Christ And one branch of this his dominion was his power on earth to forgive sins Mat. 9.2 6. He said therefore to the sick of the Palsie thy sins are forgiven thee that they might know that the â—on of Man had power on earth to forgive sins And another is the right of Judicature or Judging the World committed to him Joh. 5.22 The Father hath committed all Judgment to the Son and hath given him authority to execute Judgment because he is the Son of Man He will Judge the World by that man whom he hath ordained Acts 17.31 But let us further consider by what right Christ is Lord. 1. By right of Creation Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made 2. By right of sustentation and preservation of the Creatures he hath made Col. 1.17 And he is before all things and by him all things consist Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the word of his power 3. By right of donation ordination and the appointment of God Acts 2.36 To him all power is given both in Heaven and Earth 4. By right of Redemption The ransomer of a bondslave was wont to be his Lord. When we were bond-slaves to Sin and Satan Christ paid our ransome No bondage so great as ours was no price so great as that which he paid therefore no service too great for us to pay unto him 5. By right of Covenant In our Baptism we bind our selves and Covenant to be his Thus we see by how many Titles Christ is Lord. If any shall further inquire how he exercises this his dominion I Answer In these particulars 1. In giving Laws to his Subjects and servants 2. In appointing Officers in his Church 3. In providing for and protecting his Family 4. In correcting his servants for their miscarriages 5. In rewarding them according to their Works and Services both here and hereafter The improvement we should make of this Doctrine is in short this We should seriously consider whether we do indeed take Christ for our Lord as well as for our Saviour Many do like Christs Saviourship well enough but do not like his Soveraignty They will not have him rule over them But let us often think by how many Titles Christ is our Lord by right of Creation Sustentation Redemption and Covenant that so we may stir up our hearts to own him as our Lord and humbly to submit to him and to pay him the Homage we owe unto him and heartily chearfully diligently and constantly to obey him even to our lives end SECT II. Of the Person of Christ WE come now to consider what manner of person our Saviour was He was God and Man in the same Person The Eternal Son of God the second person in the Trinity took to himself our humane nature a humane Soul and Body and united it after a wonderful manner to his God-head and so God and Man became one person This I shall labour to make out by these seven following particulars 1. Jesus Christ who was God before by the Divine nature which he had from Eternity was in the fulness of time made Man Gal. 4.4 2. He was made Man by assuming our humane nature unto himself and joyning it to his Divine nature 3. Although our humane nature was joyned with his Divine nature that is with the nature common to the Father Son and Holy Ghost yet was that Union made only in the Person of the Son Not the Father nor the Holy Ghost but it was the Son that was incarnate 4. The Divine nature did not assume an humane person but the Divine Person of the Son did assume our humane nature If Christ had only taken the Person of a man then there must have been two Persons in Christ a Person assuming and a Person assumed Yea then that only Person which Christ had assumed should have been advanced and saved by him He therefore assumed not an humane Person but he assumed the humane
spitting upon him blindfolding of him smiting and mocking him John 18.15 16 19. And from 20. to 24. Mat. 26. from 57. to 69. Mark 14. from 53. to 66. Luke 22. verse 54.63 64 65. 11. Peter having got into the High Priests Hall there denies him thrice but upon Jesus's looking upon him he goes out and bewailes it bitterly Mat. 26. from 69. to the end Mark 14. from 66. to the end Luke 22. from 54. to 63. John 18. from 15. to 19. and from 25. to 28. 12. Friday Friday Morning The Elders and Chief Priests met together in Council again and have Jesus brought before them They ask him again whether he were the Messias and the Son of God He tells them he was hereupon they judge him again a Blasphemer out of his own mouth and lead him away bound to Pilate Mat. 27.1 2. Mark 15.1 Luke 22. from 66. to the end 13. When they came to Pilates Palace they would not go in lest they should be defiled Pilate coming forth to them they accuse Jesus before him of three things 1. Of perverting the Nation 2. Of forbidding to pay Tribute to Caesar 3. Of saying that himself was Christ a King Our Saviour makes no reply to these apparently false accusations Pilate bids them judge him according to their own Law They reply they had not power to put any man to death Pilate hereupon examines him himself and asks him whether he were the King of the Jews Our Saviour answers he was a King but his Kingdom was not of this World That he came into the World to bear witness to the truth Pilate asks what is Truth yet would not stay for an answer but bringing Jesus out to the gate where the Jews stood he professeth he found no fault in him The Jews at this were more inraged saying that he stirred up the People through all Jewry even from Galilee to that place Pilate hearing that he belonged to Galilee sends him to Herod who was then in Jerusalem Our Saviour would not work any Miracle before him nor so much as vouchsafe him a word Hereupon Herod and his attendants abuse him and mock him and array him in a gorgeous Robe and so send him back to Pilate Upon this occasion both the Governors were made friends Mat. 27. from 11. to 15. Luke 23. from 1. to 13. Mark 15. from 2. to 6. John 18. from 28. to 39. 14. Being brought before Pilate again he calls the Jews and tells them that neither he nor Herod found any fault in him he would therefore to gratifie them chastise him and so release him Then it comes into his mind how he might release him without any chastisement at all He makes therefore a motion to them to have Christ given them in honour of their Feast and that they might be the more willing to it he matched him with Barabbas but they by the instigation of the Priests chose Barabbas though pressed three several times by Pilate to the contrary and cry out that Jesus should be crucified When Pilate saw that all this would not do he orders Jesus to be soundly scourged supposing that that lesser punishment would have pacified the rage of the Jews The Soldiers hereupon strip him scourge him put a Crown of Thorns upon his Head smite him and mock him Pilate now shews him to the people thus cruelly used they cry out Crucifie him Crucifie him for he made himself the Son of God When Pilate heard that he was more afraid not knowing how Divine a Person Christ might be therefore he examines him again concerning his original and parentage but our Saviour gave him not a word Pilate at this is offended that he would not speak to him who had such power over him Christ answers he could have no power over him except it were permitted to him of his Father This so wrought on Pilate that he now seeks more earnestly to release him but the Jews cried out if thou lettest this man go thou art not Caesars friend By that word he is vanquished He sits now upon another Tribunal in open view and has Jesus brought before him He says to the Jews behold your King They scornfully reject him saying they had no King but Caesar Whilst he is upon the Bench his Lady sends to him to have nothing to do with that just man He calls for water and washes his hands before them and declares he is innocent of the blood of this just person and bids them look to it They cry out his blood be upon us and upon our Children Then he released Barabbas and condemned Jesus to be Crucified Mat. 27. from 15. to 32. Mark 15. from 6. to 21. Luke 23. from 13. to 26. John 18.39 and 40. John 19. from 1. to 17. 15. Judas repenting brings back the money and casts it in the Temple and so goes and hangs himself With the Money a Potters field is bought as was foretold by the Prophet Zachary Mat 27. from 3. to 11. 16. They now lead forth our Saviour to Crucifie him Simon of Cyrene is forced to help him to bear his Cross Two Thieves are led forth to be Crucified with him A great many people follow him and several women lamenting him to whom he foretells the misery that should come on them and their Children When they were come to the place of execution they gave him a bitter portion of wine mingled with Myrrh which having tasted he refused to drink They strip him of his cloaths and lift him up on the Cross placing him between two Malefactors He prayes Father forgive them they know not what they do Pilate caused a superscription to be written in Hebrew Greek and Latine This is Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews Not long after he was fastned to the Cross a wonderful prodigious darkness began and continued till three in the afternoon The Souldiers divide his Garments and cast lots for his seamless Coat They that passed by reviled him The Chief Priest and Rulers mocked him saying he saved others himself he cannot save The Soldiers also did the same offâ—ring him vinegar One of the Thieves also cast the same in his Teeth but the other rebukes him for it and prayes unto Christ to remember him when he came into his Kingdom His Mother standing by the Cross is commended by him to Jehu's care about three of the Clock he cries out Eli Eli Lamasabacthani The Jews scoffingly say he calls for Elias to help him He then said he thirsted They that stood by gave him vinegar which having tasted he said it is finished then crying with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and bowing his head he gave up the Ghost The Centurion seeing these things glorified God saying certainly this was a Righteous man truly this was the Son of God Immediately upon his death four Prodigious things ensued 1. The rending of the Veil of the Temple 2. An Earthquake 3. The rending of the
suffered for our Salvation descended into Hell rose again the third day from the Dead And Ruffinus tells us that though the Oriental and Roman Creeds had not these words in them that Christ descended into Hell yet they had the sense of them in the word Buried By which it appears that the first intention of putting these words into the Creed was to express the burial of our Saviour and the descent of his body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 locus invisiâ—â—lis sic â—eddidit vâ—tus Iâ—enai interpâ—â—s into an invisible place namely the Grave The Aquileian Creed is the first that we read of that mentioned both his burial and descent into Hell But Ruffinus thinks they intended by both expressions one and the same thing though others by mistake as it seems did from the latter expression conclude that our Saviours Soul did actually and locally descend into Hell But we have shewed before what little ground there is for that opinion But there are some who by Christs descent into Hell will not allow should be meant his burial only for then say they there will be a tautology in the Creed which that in so short a symbol the composers of it would be guilty of is hard to imagine Others therefore to obviate that objection say by his descent into Hell is not to be understood his burial but his continuance under the power of death for some time though it was very short For death had no long dominion over him Rom. 6.9 This I acknowledg to be a true and safe sense But that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie a permansion or continuance for some time in the state of the dead does not to me appear However let every pious and judicious person follow his own Judgment herein especially seeing as the learned Vossius tells us The Fathers did not hold this descent of Christ into Hell for an Article of Faith Patres hoc dogma de descensu animae Christi non habuere pro capite sive ut nunc loqui solemus pro articulo fidei Vnde id videas prope in omnibus symbolis omitti ut in ipsius synodi Nicenae symbolo ubi profecto non praeteriissent si dogma hoc agnovissent Quippe eo nihil magis valuisset ad refellendum Arrium siquidem is negabat Christum habuisse animam ac Divinitatem ei pro anima fuisse aiebat Nec hujus meminit confessio fidei synodi Illyricae nec meminere Concilia duo Occumenica Constantinopolitanum Chalcedonense Sic ergo statuimus Orientales per descensum Christi ad inferos primitus intellexisse id quod Occidentales vocarunt Sepulturam Et errore quodam factum esse ut cum prius qui unum dicerent alterum praeterirent ambo postea caeperint conjungi Sane temporibus Ruffini id est circa annum quadringentesimum ipsa ecclesia Romana erat contenta meminisse solius sepulturae Aquileiensis vero Ecclesia habuit quidem utrumque in symbolo suo sed si ex Ruffini mente judicandum unum idemque ambobus significari arbitrabatur Ruffini verba in expositione symboli haec sunt Sciendum est quod in Ecclesiae Romanae symbolo non habetur additum descendit ad inferna sed neque Orientis in Ecclesiis habetur hic sermo Vis tamen verbi eadem videtur esse in eo quod sepultus est Errore etiam illa duo conjungi judicium est doctissimi Schindleri sic in Lexico suo scribentis in voce Sheol Sheol significat Sepulchrum Gen. 44.29 deducetis canos meos i. e. canitiem meam vel me canum ex senectute in Sheol id est in terram quatenus est mortuorum receptaculum 1 Reg. 2. v. 6. 9. Neque sinito canitiem ejus descendere cum pace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi Gehennam non possumus intelligere nec enim hec poena a Judice terreno infligitur sed plane sign atur Sepulchrum statusque mortuorum SECT VII Of our Saviours Resurrection The third day he rose again from the Dead OUr blessed Lord and Saviour as we have shewed was crucified put to death and buried We come now to shew that the third day after his burial He rose again from the Dead And here several particulars will fall under our consideration 1. We shall shew That it was prophesied of the Messias that he should rise from the dead 2. That Jesus our Lord did so rise as was foretold 3. We shall produce the proofs of his Resurrection 4. We shall shew the principal cause of his Resurrection 5. The time 6. The ends for which he arose I begin with the First namely that Christs Resurrection was prophesied of and foretold And this may appear from Acts 2.31 Where the Apostle shews us that David seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of Christ that his Soul was not left in Hell neither did his flesh see corruption Christ himself did foretell it Mat. 17.22.23 The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men and they shall kill him and the third day he shall be raised again And John 2.19 Destroy this Temple viz. of my Body and in three days I will raise it up Christ had so plainly and so often foretold his Resurrection that the Chief Priests and Pharisees could say to Pilate Sir we remember that this Deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again And the Apostle Paul professes Acts 26.23 that he said no other things then what Moses and the Prophets did say should come viz. that Christ should suffer and that he should rise from the Dead And as Christs Resurrection was prophesied of so it was typified and prefigured 1. By Isaac Gen. 22. who was bound and laid on the Altar and as good as dead in his Fathers account yet Abraham received him from the dead again in a figure Heb. 11.19 that is in a figure of Christs Resurrection 2. By Jonas Matth. 12.40 as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth 2. Jesus Christ our Lord did so rise as was foretold The Lord of Life was buried on that day on which he was Crucified and his body was in the grave some part of that day and all the next day and some part of the day following And very early on the first day of the week he arose The Apostles to whom he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs gave witness of his Resurrection Acts 1.3 He being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God And our Saviour himself after his Resurrection said to his Apostles Luke 24.39 40. Behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have
and when he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands and his feet 3. For a further proof of his Resurrection let us consider the manner of it and his several Appearings after it 1. Very early on the first day of the week with a great Earthquake our Lord arose and an Angel descending rolled away the stone and sate thereon The watchmen are frighted away 2. Mary Magdalen Joanna Mary the mother of James with others come to the Sepulchre with spices prepared to embalm him The Angel speaks to them not to be affraid but to come and see where Jesus had been laid but was now risen He bids them go tell his Disciples that in Galilee they should see him 3. The women go and tell the same to the Disciples but their words seemed to them as idle tales 4. Peter and John run to the Sepulchre and see the linnen cloaths in which Jesus was wrapped but his body was not there They return home wondring but Mary Magdalen still stayed there weeping and looking back she saw Jesus yet thought it had been the Gardner but upon his speaking to her she discerned that it was He. This was his first appearing after his Resurrection 1. Appearing She goes to imbrace his feet which he forbids but sends her to tell his Disciples whom he calls his Brethren which she accordingly does but they believe her not The other women run to the Sepulchre to try if they likewise could see him and being there told by the Angel that he was risen Christ meets them in the way and sayes All-Hail and sends them to his Brethren to tell them they should meet him in Galilee 2. Appearing This is his second appearing The affrighted watchmen who had fled into the City and had acquainted the Chief Priests with all that had hapned have money given them to say that his Disciples stole him away while we slept But how miserable a fiction was this For if they had stoln his body away which yet they did not could they have put life into it 3. Appearing And we see our Saviour is alive again His third appearing was to the Disciples that were going to Emaus His fourth was to Simon Peter 4. Appear His fifth appearing was to his Disciples met together Thomas being absent 5. Appear Here he shews them his pierced hands and side See these things morefully set down in the 8th Ch. of the 6th Book of my Harmony and eats a piece of a broiled fish and an honey-comb with them bids them tarry at Jerusalem till the gifts of the Holy Ghost should be poured forth upon them He gives them a new Commission and breaths on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost adding whose sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retain they are retained Thus he appeared five times on the day of his Resurrection His sixth appearing was to his Disciples on the eighth day after his Resurrection 6. Appâ—ar being the first day of the Week Thomas being present whom he condescends so far to satisfie that he cries out my Lord and my God 7. Appear His seventh appearing was to several of his Disciples at the Sea of Tyberias as they were fishing he helpeth them to a great draught of Fish having before caught nothing whereby they knew him Peter casts himself into the Sea to swim unto him The other Disciples come to him by boat He eats with them bread and fish He asks Peter thrice whether he loved him and commands him to feed his Sheep He foretelleth him of his future sufferings and reproves him for his Question concerning John 8. Appear His eighth appearing was on a Mountain in Galilee to above five hundred at once Where he gives commission to his Disciples to go and teach all Nations and baptize the Converted And promises that not only many shall be converted to the Faith but that miraculous gifts of the Holy-Ghost shall be conferred on them that believe as casting out Devils speaking with tongues c. and that he will be with them and their successors to the end of the World â— Appear His ninth appearing was to James His tenth and last was on the fortieth day after his Resurrection 10. Appear At which time having commanded them to wait at Jerusalem for the descending of the Holy Ghost upon them and answered their question whether he would restore the Kingdom to Israel at that time or no He led them forth to Mount Olivet and there lifting up his hands and blessing them he was carried up into Heaven a Cloud receiving him out of their sight Two Angels appearing to them assure them that he will so come to Judgment as they had seen him go to Heaven And thus much for our Saviours several appearings after his Resurrection Fourthly Let us consider how our Saviour arose The principal cause of his Resurrection was God himself For no other power then that which is Omnipotent can raise the dead as the Apostle intimates Acts 2.32 This Jesus hath God raised up Eph. 1.19 20. according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places This great work is attributed to the Father but not to him alone For to whomsoever that infinite power doth belong by which Christ was raised That Person must be acknowledged to have raised him The Son of God therefore being of the same essence and consequently of the same power with the Father and the same being true also of the Holy Ghost we must accordingly acknowledge that the Father Son and Holy Ghost raised up Christ from the dead John 2.19 21. Jesus said unto them destroy this Temple and in three-days I will raise it up he spake of the temple of his body So that not only God the Father raised the Son but also God the Son raised himself by the power of his Divinity which was never separated after his incarnation either from his Body or his Soul 5. Let us consider the time when he arose viz. on the third day from his passion This was foretold of the Messias not only that he should rise again but that he should arise the third day after his death it was typified by Jonas as we shewed before Our Saviour did rise properly on the third day after his death and he was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth synecdochically the whole time or space of three dayes being put for a part of it Our Saviour rose the first day of the Week and his Resurrection being so eminent a declaration that he had fully accomplished the work of our Redemption from thence the Sabbath was changed to that day Acts 20.7 And upon the first day of the Week when the Disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them 1 Cor. 16.1 As I have Ordained in the Churches of Galatia
given because that Jesus was not yet glorified 6. He ascended that he might prepare a place for his members John 14.2 In my Fathers house are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you Heb. 6.20 Whither the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus made an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck 5. We come to consider the time when he ascended viz. forty dayes after his Resurrection Acts 1.3 The reasons why he continued so long we may suppose to be these two 1. to confirm unto his Disciples his Resurrection and assure them of the truth of it and 2. To instruct them in the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God 6. Let us consider the place from whence he ascended viz. Bethany that part of Mount Oliveâ— which was near Bethany 7. Let us consider how he ascended viz. while he blessed his Disciples he was parted from them And while they beheld a Cloud received him out of their sight We come now to consider what improvement we ought to make of this Doctrine 1. Christs ascension confutes the Popish Doctrine of transubstantiation He is not really and corporally present in the Sacrament He is not there for he is ascended into Heaven 2. It makes for our consolation It may serve to encourage us to go to God in all our necessities seeing we have so powerful an advocate at Gods right hand 3. Seeing Christ is ascended it may assure us that if we be his members we shall ascend also The head being ascended the members must likewise in due time ascend John 17.24 Father I will that those also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me The Apostle speaks of the ascension of true Believers as a thing already effected by Christs ascension Eph. 2.6 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus that is having by that power by which he raised Christ from the grave quickned us and bestowed a new spiritual life upon us he hath also in assured hope raised us up from the dead in Christ our Head and hath set us with him in Heaven For He sitting there who is our Head we who are his members may at present not unfitly be said to fit there also in him and shall infallibly come thither in due time 4. It may take away the fear of death yea make it desirable to us if we be members of Christ seeing it will but carry us thither whither he is gone before to prepare a place for us Therefore the Apostle sayes Phil. 1.23 that though he was in a strait betwixt two whether he should desire to die or live considering the need the Philippians and others had of his Ministry yet as for himself he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better than to continue in this World Having thus spoken of Christs ascension to Heaven sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty it remaineth that I speak of the other part of the Article viz. his sitting on the right hand of God the Father Almighty Concerning this Article we shall shew these things 1. That the promised Messiah was to sit on the right hand of the Father 2. That our Messiah did after his ascension sit on the right hand of God 3. We shall shew the importance of this phrase 4. What improvement we are to make of this Article 1. The promised Messias was to sit on the right hand of the Father This was foretold Psal 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool That those words were spoken concerning the Messiah may appear from Mat. 22.44 and Acts 2.34 35. 2. Our Messias after his ascension did sit at the right hand of God Mark 16.19 He was received up into Heaven and sate on the right hand of God This was an honour never promised never given to any but the Messias Heb. 1.13 To which of the Angels said he at any time sit on my right hand The Angels indeed stand about the Throne of God but never any of them sate down on his right hand But our Saviour was so assured of this honour that before the Chief Priest and Elders when he saw his death contrived and his Cross prepared he expressed his assurance of it Luke 22.69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God And the Apostle Peter speaking of him after his Ascension 1 Pet. 3.22 sayes Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him 3. Let us inquire what is the importance of this phrase sitting at the right hand The intent of the Holy Ghost is not to shew what bodily posture Christ is in but what dignity he is in therefore in Scripture Christ is sometimes said to be at Gods right hand Rom. 8.34 1 Pet. 3.22 sometimes to sit on Gods right hand as Mark 16.19 sometimes to stand * Sedere judicantis est stare vero adjuvantis G egor at Gods right hand and thus he appeared to Stephen Acts 7.55 56. as ready to assist him as ready to plead for him as ready to receive him 'T is true God being a Spirit hath no material parts no right hand or left hand but he is pleased to condescend to our capacities and to speak to us after the manner of men among whom the right hand is the most honourable place Thus 1 Kings 2.19 Bathsheba was placed on Solomons right hand The right hand of God must therefore be taken here metaphorically not properly And so it signifies 1. The great honour given to Christ 2. The great Power and Dominion he hath obtained in Heaven It imports his Kingly Power and it was his solemn entry upon his Regal office as to the execution of that full dominion which was due unto him For worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Rev. 5.12 Therefore he said after his Resurrection all power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28.18 And the Apostle tells us Phil. 2.8 9. To him every knee shall bow that is that all should be subject to him The principal end of this Regal Office of Christ is the effectual Redemption and actual Salvation of all those whom God hath given him And whosoever or whatsoever opposeth their Salvation is by that opposition become his enemy And seeing the Promise of God cannot be evacuated our Saviour must exercise this his Regal Power at the right hand of God till all such enemies be subdued 1 Cor. 15.25 For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet And when the whole Office of the Mediator shall be compleated and fulfilled
unto Holiness 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The end of Christs gathering them out of the World to be his people is that they may be holy and a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works Thus Moses speaking of the Congregation of Israel Deut. 7.6 Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God That is they were so by destination and engagement though many of them were not really soâ— 2. The Church may be called holy because it trains up people in the wayes of holiness and godliness 3. It may be called holy in respect though not of the greater yet of the better part of it whom God hath sanctified by the graces of his holy Spirit The other Attribute of the Church is Catholick Catholick as it is not in the Scriptures so was it not anciently in the Creed but inserted by the Fathers of the Constantinopolitan Council It signifies General or Vniversal Now the Church is called Catholick 1. In respect of place It being not now shut up in the narrow bounds of Judea but diffused through the World 2. In respect of persons All sorts of persons being promiscuously called to Faith in Christ Neither Jew nor Gentile neither bond nor free being excluded Gal. 3.28 3. In respect of times It comprehending all the Faithful that have been in all times and ages ever since the giving of the first promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head And to our Saviours dayes and since then to the age in which we live and is to contitinue from hence by a continual accession to the end of the world Nay it doth not only include that part of the Church is now militant on earth but that also which is triumphant in Heaven Both they with us and we with them make one body mystical whereof Christ is the Head And all together together with the antient Patriarches and other holy men of God which lived under the Law do make up that one glorious Church which is called in the Scriptures the general Assembly the Church of the first born whose names are written in the Heavens Heb. 12.23 Catholick then the Church may be called in regard of extent whether we consider time place or persons 4. In respect of Doctrine because it maintains the Catholick Doctrine quae semper quae ubique quae abomnibus credita est Adversus Haereses c. 3 as Lirinensis d sayes which hath allwayes and in all places by all sorts of real Christians been received as Orthodox Catholick in this sence is the same with Orthodox and a Catholick Christian the same with a true professor A private Christian may be called Catholick in this sense And thus the Fathers of the purest times made use of this word Catholick to distinguish themselves from Hereticks according to that famous saying of Pacianus Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus cognomen Christian saith he is my name and Catholick my sir-name By the one I am known from Infidels by the other from Hereticks And so long as the main body of Christians retained the form of wholsom words and kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace it served fitly for a distinctive mark to know an Orthodox Professor from an Heretical But when the main body of the Church was once torn in pieces and every leading faction would be thought the true Church of Christ they took to themselves the name of Catholicks also And thus our great Masters in the Church of Rome have appropriated to themselves the name of catholicks accounting all men Hereticks that differ from them and do not hold communion with them in their errors And then they defend themselves by the name of Catholicks from having dealt unjustly with their fellow Christians men every way more Orthodox than themselves But let them talk what they will the Church which is truly Catholick containeth within it all those Congregations which are truly the Churches of Christ And all persons whatsoever who are true Christians belong to it So that whosoever is not of the Catholick Church cannot be of the true Church out of which ordinarily there is no Salvation 3. I come now to the distinctions of the Church 1. The Church of Christ may be considered either as Militant or Triumphant The Church Militant is that company of Christians here on earth who are in warfare warring against Satan the World and the Flesh 2. The Church Triumphant are those Saints who having vanquished and overcome those adversaries do now reign and triumph in Heaven This distinction is founded upon Ephes 3.14 15. Where the Apostle sayes I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in heaven and earth is named The Family in Heaven is the Church Triumphant The Family on Earth the Church Militant of which the Apostle himself was one when he said 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith The Triumphant we may read of Rev. 7.9 After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands Having thus premised this distinction of the Church Militant and Triumphant I come now to speak particularly of the Church Militant 1. Then we must know that the Churcrh Militant here on earth consists partly of such as are truly of it partly of such as only in respect of their outward profession belong to it As the Holy Ghost speaks Rev. 2.9 of some who professed themselves Jews I know the Blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan so we may say of some who profess themselves Christians that they are very far from being such in truth and reality For prophane persons and hypocrites are rather in the Church than of it The Militant Church is either visible or invisible The visible Church is a visible company of people professing the Gospel whether they do it in truth and sincerity or no. It doth consist of good and bad It is compared to a net cast into the Sea which gathered of every kind c. Matth. 13.47 And to a field wherein were both wheat and tares Matth. 13.24 And to a great house wherein are vessels of several sorts some to honour some to dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 The invisible Church consists of such as truly are what they profess themselves to be It is called invisible because it is not visible to the eyes of men They can see the profession but whether it proceed from the heart or no they cannot see The Invisible Church therefore is hid in the visible and there is no more difference between them than between the whole and a part 3. The Church Militant is distinguished into Particular and Vniversal A particular
of thy Father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now Christ told the Sadducees that God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22.32 God so stiling himself their God sheweth that their souls did still live though separated from their bodies and also that their bodies should be raised again and both souls and bodies being re-united should live for ever * Deus est Deus Abrahae sâ—il totius God is the God of the whole man and not a part only And thus much for the proof of this Article out of the old Testament But the new Testament doth more clearly assert this Doctrine life and immortality being in a more evident manner brought to light by the Gospel as the Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1.10 To give some few places of many that might be brought for the proof hereof Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into life eternal John 3.16 36. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Mark 10.30 But he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal 1 Thes 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens John 17.27 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Having thus shewed that everlasting life is plainly asserted both in the old and new Testament I come now to shew that there are three degrees of this everlasting life held forth to us in the Scriptures 1. There is a life eternal Initial which is the life of grace John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life that is hath it begun in him hath the earnest of it in his Soul 2. There is a Partial life eternal which is the life which belongeth to the Soul when it is separated from the body 'T is the happiness which the souls of the Righteous enjoy between the time of death and the day of Judgment The Scripture is abundant in asserting this kind of life eternal which the separated soul injoys in the other world Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Matth 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Luke 12.4 Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say fear him Heb. 12.23 To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect Luke 23.43 Our Saviour said to the penitent Thief To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23.46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost Acts 7.59 And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to he with Christ which is far better 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in Prison Rev. 6.9 10. And when he had opened the fifth Seal I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held And they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth 3. There is a life eternal Perfectional which shall be conferred on the Saints after the re-union of their Souls and Bodies Matth. 25.34 46. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Then shall the Righteous go into life eternal Now this perfectional life everlasting which will be the portion of the Saints at the last day is such a life as shall be free from all evil and full of all good 1. Free from the evil of sin The Souls of the Just shall then be made perfect 2. The evil of temptation There was a Tempter in Paradise there will be none in Heaven 3. The evil of affliction All tears shall be wiped from your eyes Rev. 7.17 2. This life shall be full of all good 1. Their Vnderstandings shall have a clear knowledge sight and vision of God 2. Their Wills shall be perfected and adorned with an absolute and indefective holiness 3. Their Affections shall be set right with an unalterable regularity 4. They shall injoy an uninterrupted communion with God 5. They shall be blessed in their company 6. And lastly They shall have this blessedness secured to them without fear of ever losing it or being deprived of it But though the Saints shall enjoy such an eternal life in bliss as we have before described yet it shall not be so with the wicked Eternal life in misery will be their portion They shall be tormented 1. With the pain of loss 2. With the pain of sense 3. With the worm of Conscience a tormenting reflection on their former folly 4. With despair of ever coming out of that woful misery which is the very Hell of Hell But of these things I have spoken more largely in the former Treatise pag. 130. It remaines therefore now that I shew what improvement we are to make of this Article and then I shall shut up this discourse 1. We may from hence learn how inexcusable they are who hazard and expose their souls and bodies to eternal torments for a short satisfaction of their bruitish lusts 2. We should consider that there is no concern we have in the World that should lie so near our hearts as the making our peace with God upon sure and safe grounds 3. From hence we may learn how highly we ought to prize the blood of Christ and his undertaking by which alone we can escape the wrath that is to come 4. It may shew us how we ought to pity those who are running on in a full carreer
lovely and amiable even in thine humiliation in this World but O how glorious art thou now triumphing in heaven O how beneficial are thy merits how desirable are thy graces O let that fulness of grace that is poured forth without measure on thee flow down to us thy poor members O my Soul imagine now thou sawest thy sweetest Saviour nailed on the Cross his body torn with the nails and his side pierced with a Spear Canst thou chuse but love him who endured so much to redeem thee from eternal misery The Apostle Paul ravished with the love of Christ cryes out If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be anathema maranatha The penitent woman in the Gospel to whom much was forgiven loved much Luke 7.47 And shall it not be so with thee Now consider O my Soul Christ sayes if ye love me keep my commandments If thou love him love him in sincerity and delight to please him Love his person highly value his merits love his ordinances love his graces love his commands O my Soul canst thou upon all these considerations say with Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee 5. Excite in thy self love to all Christians to all the members of Christ Pray earnestly that the Lord would protect them and defend them that he would be pleased to perfect holiness more and more in their hearts and unite them more and more one to another in his truth and in the bond of love and make them more exemplary in a holy conversation and supply them with all needful outward mercies and conduct them safe to his heavenly Kingdom 6. Excite love in thy Soul to thy very enemies say to thy self O my Soul thou must forgive if thou expectest to be forgiven Thy dear Saviour requires this of thee Matth. 6.14 If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you Verse 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses If thou expectest to be forgiven so many thousand Talents thou must not take thy brother by the throat for an hundred pence Matth. 18.28 Thou must labour to be merciful as thine heavenly Father is merciful Readiness to forgive injuries and wrongs is a great sign of a gracious state but malice and revenge is a black mark and character Therefore O my Soul pray for thy very enemies this day Lord convince them of their sins give them hearts to repent of them turn their hearts from them draw them to thy Son that by him they may have pardon and life give them such a frame of spirit that thou maist bless them O that I may meet their souls in Heaven where we shall always love and agree together and never fall out more 7. Awake and excite in thy self spiritual joy and thankfulness Say with holy David bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Hath Christ redeemed thee from the curse of the Law being made a curse for thee Hath he redeemed thee and that not with silver and gold but with his own precious blood Hath he made thy peace with God through the blood of his Cross Hath he vanquished death and Satan for thee Through his blood shalt thou have an entrance into heaven and eternal glory Oh transcendent mercy Oh how great is this Salvation which Christ hath purchased for us On the heighth and depth and length and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus Be astonished Oh my Soul at this love and never be forgetful of it call upon the holy Angels to joyn with thee this day in blessing God for these great and glorious benefits and never be unmindful of so transcendent mercies And thus much of the graces we must especially labour to excite and exercise in the time of Receiving There are some other directions also that it will be needful thou shouldst observe at this time 1. Employ thine outward senses so as to stir up in thine heart Spiritual graces For the work of the Communicant lyes not so much between the body and the elements as the Soul and Christ 2. When thou seest the bread broken think of these four things 1. The great pain and anguish our Lord endured when his Body was broken on the Cross Canst thou see Christs body broken for thee and thy heart not break with deep contrition for thy sins 2. Consider the great love of our Lord in submitting to such grievous pains and such disgrace for our sake Think thou hearest him say behold my friends how my flesh is torn and wounded for your sakes Was there ever grief was there ever love like mine 3. Consider the vile and odious nature of sin which brought our Lord to such miseries and required such blood to expiate it 4. Consider what the redemption of every Soul that shall be saved did cost It cost more than all the men and Angels in the World could ever have paid for it 3. When thou takest the bread into thine hands and eatest of it then say Lord thou art the bread of life thou art the only redeemer of lost Souls I freely take thee for my Lord and Saviour I freely consent to the Covenant I was entred into in my Baptism Lord save me and sanctify me O interpose thy merits this day for my pardon and strengthen me by thy grace that I may be faithful to thee to the end and so may at last receive a crown of life Lord behold the Sacrifice of thy Son For the sake of his obedience and sufferings be pleased to be reconciled to me to pardon all my transgressions and by thy grace so to sanctify mine heart that no sin may have dominion over me Fill me with joy and peace in believing If I have found favour in thine eyes give me more and more of the graces of thy holy Spirit and cause me to grow in grace daily and make me fruitful in good works 4. When thou takest the cup into thy hand think again of the wonderful love of Christ that he should purchase us to himself with his own blood Oh the infinite value O the infinite worth of this blood This was the blood that only could make expiation and give God ful satisfaction for our offences One drop of this blood is worth a World This is the blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 that is whereby our Saviour ratified and confirmed the covenant which God made with fallen man which covenant shall never be altered O blessed Saviour wash my Soul in this thy precious blood from the guilt of all my sins and cleanse me from all mine iniquities and be to me all that which thou didst intend to be to those who shall be saved by thee By such prayers soliloquies and holy meditations thou should'st labour to Sanctifie thy heart when thou art about receiving this holy Sacrament 5. Joyn with all the rest of the Communicants in a hearty praysing God for
men may acknowledge and own him for the only true God and may glorify him accordingly 2. Thy Kingdom come that is that his Kingly Power may be more and more manifested in the curbing and subduing of Satan and all his enemies that his Kingdom of Grace may be advanced and promoted by his word and Spirit that his Kingdom of Glory may be hastned Rev. 22.20 that the happiness of his people may be full and that Christ may resign up the Kingdom which he administers as Mediator to his Father and God may be all in all 3. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven that is that we and all his people on Earth may sincerely chearfully and constantly do and submit to his holy will as Angels and glorified Saints do in Heaven 4. Give us this day our daily-bread wherein we acknowledge God the Author and Giver of all our Mercies and that we receive all from his free bounty That we ought dayly to depend on his Fatherly care and Providence and not to be over anxious and solicitous for to morrow neither inordinately to desire superfluities but to crave and pray for such necessary and convenient things as are daily needful and requisite for the sustentation and comfort of our bodily life and that what the Lord is pleased to give us may be by him blessed to us 5. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors wherein we acknowledg that our sins are debts binding us over to punishment and that our selves cannot satisfie for them We pray that in Christ these debts may be freely and fully forgiven and pardoned We profess we ought and do through his grace assisting us forgive our debtors that is such as have done wrong to us and thereby not only made themselves debtors to God but unto us that we do fully and freely forgive their wrongs and injuries done unto us though we are not alwayes bound to forgive the damage See Exod. 22.1 14. and from thence we gather an argument to confirm our hope and perswade our selves that God will forgive us 6. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil wherein we acknowledge our proneness to evil and weakness to withstand temptation that God hath power over all corruptions tempters and temptations We pray to be preserved from temptations to sin or from being overcome by them and at last to be wholly delivered from them all 3. The Conclusion For thine is the Kingdom the Power and Glory for ever Amen Wherein we have 1. The Doxology acknowledging and ascribing to God the perpetuity of his Kingdom Power and Glory and encouraging our selves from thence to expect from him what we have prayed for 2. The sealing up the Prayer with Amen Wherein we summarily testify our fervent desire of obtaining these our Petitions and our Faith in God for the granting of them THE Second Part Containing a serious Disswasive from the reigning and customary Sins of these Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness Malice Idleness CHAP. I. Of Swearing THat I may proceed methodically and clearly in treating of this argument I shall confine my discourse to these seven heads 1. I shall shew what an Oath is 2. Shall shew the lawfulness of taking an Oath when duly called thereunto 3. Shall answer the objections usually framed from Matth. 5. 33. c. and Jam. 5.12 against the lawfulness of any swearing at all 4. Shall shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken 5. Shew the great sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing 6. Shall answer the vain pretences and excuses that customary Swearers use to make for themselves 7. Shall give some directions and means for the avoiding of this Sin 1. I shall shew what an Oath is Perkins in his Cases of Conscience Lib. 2. Chap. 13. sayes an Oath is a Religious and necessary confirmation of a thing doubtful by calling God to be a witness of the truth and a revenger of falshood Doctor Saunderson in his first Lecture of the obligation of a Oath § 2. sayes an Oath is a Religious act in which to confirm a thing doubtful God is called upon as a witness Others from Numb 30.2 define it to be a sacred bond by which a man binds his Soul to the speaking of that which is in it self true or to the doing of that which is in it self lawful unto which the living and true God is (a) Juramentum est contestatio Dei in re gravi tanquam veritatis testis mendacij vindicis called upon as a witness or arbitrator Judge and Avenger in case of falshood 2. Having shewed what an Oath is I come in the next place to prove the lawfulness of taking an Oath when duly called thereunto And this I shall indeavor to do by these four Arguments 1. That which is morall and injoyned in one of the precepts of the Decalogue or ten commandments binds all persons whatsoever and is a duty to be continued and practised as there is occasion as long as the world endures for the glory of God and the good of our Neighbour But to Swear by God when duly called thereunto is a moral duy and injoyned in the third Commandment therefore it is lawful to take an oath when duly called thereunto The minor will easily be proved by that commonly received Rule of interpreting the Commandments viz. that where in any Commandment vice is forbidden there the contrary vertue is enjoyned and commanded So that the taking Gods name in vain being forbidden in the third Commandment the holy and reverent use thereof is plainly enjoyned and such is an appeal to God as the Searcher of hearts and calling upon him to be a witness of our truth and sincerity and an avenger upon us in case of falshood 2. What God injoyns and connects with other duties that will ever be in force ought to be practised by all Christians but swearing by his name is such Ergò For the proof of the minor See Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and swear by his name See also Deut. 10.20 where the same thing is injoyned That which hath been the practice of the Godly without reproof before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel is lawful But swearing by the name of God upon serious and weighty occasions hath been the practice of all the Godly in all those times Ergò 1. Before the Law See instances hereof in Abraham Gen. 14.22 23. And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most high God the possessor of heaven and earth that I will not take any thing that is thine even from a thred to a shoo-latchet In Isaac Gen. 26.31 And they rose up betimes in the morning and sware one to another and Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace In Jacob Gen. 31.53 The God of Abraham and the God of
Nahor the God of their Father judge betwixt us And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac 2. Vnder the Law See instances hereof in the people of Israel Joshua 9.19 But all the Princes said unto all the Congregation we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel c. In David Psal 119. verse 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments 1 Sam. 24.21 22. Swear now unto me by the Lord that thou wilt not cut off my Seed after me and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my Fathers house And David sware unto Saul and Saul went home c. 1 Kings 1. ver 13 28 29. 30. Go and get thee in unto David and say unto him didst not thou my Lord O King swear unto thine handmaid saying assuredly Solomon thy Son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne c. In Elijah 1 Kings 17. verse 1 And Elijah the Tishbite said unto Ahab as the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand there shall not be rain c. In Micaiah 1 Kings 22.14 And Micaiah said as the Lord liveth what the Lord said unto me that will I speak 3. Under the Gospel See instances hereof in the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.18 But as God is true our word towards you was not yea and nay verse 23. I call God for a record upon my Soul c. 2 Cor. 12.19 We speak before God in Christ c. Gal. 1.20 Now these things which I write unto you behold before God I lye not In the Angel Rev. 10.5.6 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever c. 4. That which is the most effectual way to end controversies between man and man in doubtful cases and is of so great use and benefit to humane society is not to be laid aside But such is an Oath Ergò The minor the Apostle confirmeth Heb. 6.16 For men verily swear by the greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife * 'T is true there is great d fference in the Oaths of men As is the person that sweareâ—h so is the Oath more or less credible The better and the more conscientious the man the more credible is his Oath There is no other way to end some controversies but by an appeal to God as a Judge and Avenger In the Old Testament in any doubtful case which could not otherwise be determined they were to accept the Oath of the Lord Exodus 22. verse 11 12. Seeing therefore by a lawful Oath God is glorified being appealed unto as the Supreme Judg of Heaven and Earth the Patron of truth and avenger of falshood seeing his Omniscience omnipresence truth justice and power is thereby acknowledged seeing it is the ordinance of God and a part of his worship by himself commanded and lastly seeing it is the most effectual way to end Controversies between man and man they that would have appealing to God in serious matters laid aside are injurious both to the honour of God and the good of man 3. I come now to answer the objections usually framed from Matth. 5.33 c. and James 5.12 against the lawfulness of any swearing at all The words of those two Texts are these Matth. 5. verse 33. Again ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths verse 34. but I say unto you swear not all neither by Heaven for it is Gods throne verse 35. nor by the Earth for it is his footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King verse 36. neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black verse 37. but let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil James 5.12 But above all things my brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Now for the clearer understanding of these two Scriptures these two things must be premised 1. We must take notice of that rule which is to be observed in the sound interpretation of any Text that is difficult viz. that no one Scripture ought to have any other sense put upon it than what will fairly agree with other Scriptures and firmly stand with the Analogy of faith 2. We must have a special regard to the condition and manners of the Jews at this time when these precepts were given The Nation of the Jews as it seems were now commonly guilty of these three things 1. Of frequent familiar and customary swearing in their ordinary communication which they made light of provided they did not swear falsly or forswear themselves 2. They used much to swear by the creatures 3. They made a great difference of Oaths made by the creatures esteeming some of them to be binding and others not Now the words of our Saviour and the Apostle James must be supposed to be directed against these enormities Which things being premised I come to consider the words themselves Matth. 5. verse 33. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths Our Saviour having before shewed the corrupt glosses and interpretations which the Pharisees made on the sixth and seventh Commandments he comes here to shew how they did the like on the third also The Pharisees it seems taught that if men did not forswear themselves they did fulfill the third Commandment though they did swear familiarly by God in their ordinary communicatication and sometimes by the Creatures Both these our Saviour condemns verse 34. But I say unto you swear not at all that is in your ordinary communication as is plain from verse 37. no not by God which upon solemn occasions is lawful as we have shewed before much less by the Creatures which is alwayes unlawful So that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) Non juretis omninò scil temerè lâ—vâ—â—er Praeceptum enim de juramento sic intelligebant Pharisaei quod perjurium duntaxat in eo prohibeatur interim temeraria juramenta in vita communi permitte bant _____ Glassius _____ Particula omninò cum restrictione est accipienda nimirum de juramento temerario quomodo Exod. 20.10 dicitur nulla opera Sabbaro facienda esse i. e. profana Freid lib. 3. pag. 12. not at all must be understood with some limitation and restriction As when God forbids doing any work on the Sabbath day it is to be understood only of the servile works of our callings and not of works of necessity or mercy So the prohibition of Christ
all must not be referred to the Oath it self but to the manner of the Oath that is we must not swear at all falsely rashly or in ordinary communication neither directly by the name of God nor by the creatures And to prevent this our Saviour adds Verse 37. Let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil As if he should have said what you have to affirm * Quod affirmatis vere affirmate quod negatis vere negate Rabbini dicunt Justorum etiam est etiam non eorum est non Ausonius ad Paulinum Cum multa loquaces Ambiguis sererent verbis contra onmia solum Est respondebat vel Non. affirm it simply without an Oath and what you have to deny deny it simply without an Oath * Christianos sui temporis repreâ—endit Tertullianus qui aut ignorantia aut consuetudinis vitio dicerent mehercule medius fidius quod post eum fecit Hieronymus for customary swearing by whatsoever it is that men swear cometh of Satan and the corruption of their own hearts A true and plain affirmation and negation in daily speech is sufficient and if you use any thing more you will be in danger of sinning and falling into the judgment * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heinsius verba Christi Mat. 5. verse 34. ad quae Jacobus sine dubio respicit conjuncta legit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Unde emergit sensus non quidem omninò non esse jurandum cum opus est sed nullum ex jâ—randi formulis tum usitatis usurpandum Heathenish Oaths also are not to be allowed except they will say they personate Heathens in the use of them as aedipol mehercule per Jovem immortalem Cursed be that elegancy that is joyned with Idolatry sayes the learned Downham and condemnation of God Further that our Saviour speaketh here only of private Oaths it is manifest in that the Jews did not in their publick oaths before the Magistrate swear by the creatures but by the name of God only And this may also be gathered out of the Text it self For he saith let your communication or ordinary speech one to another be yea yea nay nay 4. I come now to shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken The Prophet Jeremy instructs us fully as to this Chap. 4.2 Thou shalt swear saith he the Lord liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousness 1. In truth That is truly swearing nothing but the truth and not abusing the dreadful name of God to attest a falshood Zech. 5.4 God severely threatens him that sweareth falsly by his name 2. In judgment that is considerately well weighing what thou art to swear and by whom 3. In righteousness binding thy self to nothing but what is in it self just and right and having a full purpose to perform what thou by oath bindest thy self to and being careful to make it good accordingly Concerning the rites and forms of swearing I find these mentioned in the Scripture 1. Lifting up the hand to the most high God Thus Abraham swore Gen. 14.22 And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most h gh God c. And thus the Angel swore Rev. 10.5 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever 2. Putting the hand under the thigh Thus Abrahams servant swore Gen. 24.2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house that ruled over all that he had Put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh And I will make thee swear by the Lord God of Heaven and the God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife for my Son of the daughters of the Canaanites And thus Jacob caused Joseph to swear Gen. 47.29 30 31. If now I have found grace in thy sight put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh and swear unto me And he sware unto him Our rite of swearing for the Commons of England is by putting the hand on the book of the Gospels and kissing it which is to be understood as I suppose only to signifie our believing in God and expecting help from him through Christ according to the Gospel as we speak the truth Dr. Ames lib. 2. Med. c. 10. sayes that solemnity which in some places is used of touching and kissing the book is plainly of the same kind and import with the elevation of the hand that is it signifies a mans consent to swear and to the oath it self * In Solomons time when they took an Oath they touched the Altar which Ceremony was also used among the Gentiles Whereby was signified that they called him to witness who was worshipped with Sacrifices offered upon those Altars But if any scruple this rite and form of swearing and had rather use that other of lifting up the hand to the most high I see no reason if it may stand with the laws of the Land but that they may be indulged therein this form of swearing being every way as binding as the other 5. I come now in the next place to shew the great evil and sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing This is a sin very rise and common in our Nation and one of those for which the Land mourns I shall therefore present several arguments and considerations which may sufficiently demonstrate the heinousness of it 1. Consider how Sacred and Venerable the name of our great God ought alwayes to be unto us Every thought and mention of it should be accompanied with reverence 'T is a duty strictly injoyned Deut. 28.58 Thou shalt fear the glorious and dreadful name of the Lord thy God How great a sin then is it to vilify prophane and make it common How high a provocation must it needs be to the Almighty for poor mortals familiarly to toss his dreadful name in their mouths upon every slight occasion and to make it the ordinary expletive or filling up of their speech and language Surely some of the more civilized Heathens were of better minds and used the names of their gods with more reverence But O the impiety of our times How prophanely and irreverently do some who call themselves Christians use the name of the great God whom the Angels in Heaven continually delight to laud and praise crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Heaven the whole earth is full of his glory Isa 6.3 2. Consider that the second and third Commandments of all the rest have several threatnings annexed to them to shew us how greatly God is provoked by Idolatry and taking his name in vain He threatens he will not hold such guiltless that is he will be so far from absolving or acquitting such transgressors that he will grievously punish them and they shall not escape his just Judgement
2. When Magistrates Parents or Masters do maintain the honour and decorum of their place and degree and do keep that distance from their inferiours which is needful for their good and that the inferiours may pay them that reverence and respect which is required of them This is not to be accounted Pride but the behaving a mans self worthily in his place 3. When a man does prefer the commands of God before the commands of men and is more fearful of offending God than incurring the displeasure of men this is not to be accounted Pride but a duty The Papists and possibly some others will call those persons proud and despisers of Government who will not obey them in all their usurpations And thus proud men call others proud who cannot crouch and yield to them in the exercise of their Pride 4. When a man hath a due and honest care to maintain and uphold his credit good name and reputation not meerly for it self but as it may make him more useful and serviceable to God in his generation This is not to be accounted Pride but a duty that Christian prudence requires of him 5. When a Minister or private Christian does plainly and seriously reprove an offending brother out of a true desire of his amendment and reformation This is not to be accounted Pride or Pragmaticalness but the discharge of an excellent Christian duty which is by so much the more excellent because it is so much neglected and is so hard to perform in a right manner And so much for the first particular 2. I come now to shew what Pride is and wherein the nature of it conâ—â—sts and what are the signs and evidences of it In the general Pride is an inordinate self-exalting and overvaluing of our selves * Suâ—erbia est appetitus inordinatus propriae excellentiae Superbus dictuâ— est quia super vult videri quam est and esteeming our selves to be wiser and better than indeed we are and an eager desire that others should so think of us so speak of us so treat us And this vanity of mind this inordinate self-esteem manifests it self in sundry Particulars 1. When men assume that glory and honour to themselves which ought to be reflected and ascribed entirely to God As Herod did when the people applauded him and cried The voice of a God and not of a man The Texts sayes Acts 12.20 c. The Angel of the Lord immediately smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten up of worms 2. When they are too highly conceited of their own wit wisdom care and contrivance and ascribe their successes unto that and so Sacrifice to their own net not owning or acknowledging the special favour and providence of God therein as they ought to do Deut. 8.13 14 17 18. When thy herds and thy flocks multiply and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied and all that thou hast is multiplied then beware lest thy heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt from the house of bondage And thou say in thine heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth c. 3. When they brag and boast and are conceited of their own knowledge worth parts and excellencies and their acceptance with others Thraso-like * Illud profecto mihi datum est ut sint grata quae facio omnia Thraso in Eunuch Pride often times puffs people up with a conceit of their great knowledge whereas alas how little do we know of what is knowable and of what we may and ought to know 4. When they contemn slight scorn and undervalue others and their performances crying up what they do themselves but despising and vilifying what is done by others 5. When they are apt to be very angry and cholerick at any thing that agrees not with their own humor and are impatient to be contradicted be their speech right or wrong Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath Prov. 21.24 6. When they are apt to be contentious and quarrelsom and that upon small matters Only by Pride cometh contention but with the well advised is wisdom Prov. 13.10 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife Prov. 28.25 7. When men are headdy self-willed head-strong and unperswadable though never so great reasons be offered them thinking themselves wiser than other men 8. When they affect singularity without reason and go in by-paths by themselves not ordinarily trodden by others that they may be the more taken notice of A sober traveller that rides in the ordinary road is not so much observed as he that jumps over hedge and ditch and rides in wayes untrodden by others Indeed good men in evil dayes are sometimes compelled to be singular as Lot was in Sodom but they do not affect it could they avoid it without sin 9. When they are censorious and uncharitable and love to carp and find fault with others They are not so quick-sighted to see their own failings as the failings of others 10. When they will not confess a fault nor retract an error though convinced of it but out of pride and height of Spirit justifie and defend it 11. When they think diminutively and slightly of great mercies and undervalue them because they see others injoy greater 12. When they are apt to be discontented to murmur and repine if they have not all they desire and if all things go not according to their wills 13. When they are apt to fret and be impatient under the afflictions God layes upon them not considering what greater punishments their sins deserve 14. When they envy the parts and gifts or the imployments and places or the credit and reputation of others thinking themselves diminished or lessened thereby 15. When they are more careful about the outside than the inside of their duties and are more solicitous how they are liked and approved by men after a duty than how they have approved their hearts and consciences to God in the duty 16. When they are impatient of reproof and of that discipline Christ hath appointed in his Church Our Saviour Mat. 18.15 hath appointed that an offending brother should be first dealt with by private admonition If that will not reform him then he is to be admonished by two or three If he do not amend upon that then he is to be admonished more publickly by the Church If he still continue obstinate and unreformed then the Church is to excommunicate him and the members of it are to shun him as a Heathen man or a Publican that seeing himself looked upon for the present as an incorrigible person he may be ashamed of his sin and folly Now proud persons of all others are most impatient of living under this discipline and are apt to think it a
gladly welcome what he doth afford Not grudging that thy lust hath bounds and stayes Continence hath its joies weigh both and so If rottenness have more let heaven go CHAP. VII Of Discontent IN treating of this Argument I shall speak to these six Particulars 1. I shall shew what Discontent is 2. The great sinfulness of it 3. The Folly of it 4. Shall shew what true Christian Contentment is and wherein the nature of it consists 5. Shall shew the amiableness and excellency of it 6. Shall give some directions and means for the attaining of it For the First Discontent is an unquiet frame of heart under our present condition and expresses it self in murmuring and repining thereat For commonly inward vexing and repining and outward complaining and murmuring go together 2. The great sinfulness of it may appear to us in these Particulars 1. 'T is a quarrelling the wisdom of God and a secret accusing and taxing his Providence * Non judicandum de providentia divina ante quintum actum as if he did not wisely order the Lots and Conditions of his People Holy Job under his great afflictions was far from this temper For though he suffered so deeply yet he charged not God with folly in that severe dispensation towards him But said the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord Job 1.21 22. 2. 'T is a quarrelling his Fatherly care over us as if he had not any love or affection to us or any regard of us 3. 'T is a quarrelling his Faithfulness as if he would not perform the many gracious promises he has made for our good 4. 'T is a secret accusing of his Justice as if he dealt hardly with us and punished us more than our sins deserved * Qui in poenis murmurat ferientis justitiam accusat 5. 'T is a carriage very unworthy of the hope and expectation of a Christian He that hath his Peace made with God in Christ and a title to an heavenly inheritance should endeavour from that consideration to calm and compose his soul under his greatest sufferings 6. 'T is unanswerable to the experience we have had of Gods former gracious dealing with us and helping of us out of straits and difficulties 7. 'T is a great gratification to Satan We cannot gratifie the Devil more who is a Male-contented Spirit than to murmur against our Creator To be of a discontented unquiet Spirit is to be like the Devil He is restless and unquiet always in opposition to God alwayes fretting at his dispensations 8. 'T is a betraying and exposing us to great temptations The Devil scarce ever has so great power over any as over those that are discontented Oh the direful things he draws such persons unto My heart even akes when I think of them and my hand is ready to tremble while I write of them Some of them he draws to make a formal Covenant with himself Others to do such things against themselves that even nature abhors So that all that love themselves should beg of God to keep them and should watch over themselves as to this particular sin For let them assure themselves that nothing betrayes us sooner into the Devils hands than disconâ—ent It is a stock he uses to graffe his temptations upon The Devil will desire no greater advantage against a soul than to find it in such a temper He is never more busie about any than such persons and usually makes dangerous use of the unquietness and repining of their spirits 9. 'T is such a temper as exceedingly unfits us for holy duties and for the service which otherwise we might do for God And so much of the sinfulness of Discontent 3. I come now in the third place to shew the folly of it 1. 'T is vain and bootless For as one of the Antients well said the miseries and evils we suffer and at which we are so apt to be vexed and troubled are either such as we can remedy or such as we cannot remedy If they be such as we cannot remedy then what a folly is it to vex and fret at them seeing it is impossible to help them Our Lesson then is Patience and Submission * Levius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas But if the evils we suffer be such as are remediable then let us not vex or fret at them but let us use all care and diligence to help our selves and to remedy them And this is good advice though given by a Heathen Philosopher 2. It takes away the comfort of what we enjoy If a man enjoyes a thousand mercies in which he ought to rejoyce and for which he ought to be thankfull yet if his mind be discontented they will all seem as nothing to him So that no one thing bereaves a man more of the comfort he might enjoy in his life than discontent 3. It makes our afflictions worse A discontented person is like a man in a feaver that by his tossing and tumbling more increases his heat Or like a Bird in the lime-twigs which the more it flutters the more it intangles it self 4. It provokes God oftentimes to send new and more afflictions upon us What did the Israelites get by mumuring in the Wilderness but a longer stay in the Wilderness Children that sob and are stomachful after whipping commonly get another another whipping for their pains 5. It makes a mans life very uneasie both to himself and his relations and to all that are about him No body cares to be near such persons as are alwayes murmuring and complaining And so much of this folly of Discontent 4. I come now in the fourth place to shew what Christian Contentment is and wherein the nature of it consists 'T is a sweet quiet gracious frame of Spirit freely submitting to Gods alwise and fatherly disposal of us in every condition There are some things that this gracious frame may consist with and some things that are opposite to it 1. It may consist with a due sensibleness of Gods hand in afflicting of us 'T is not a Stoical apathy or insensibility The Apostle gives us an excellent Rule taken out of the Proverbs of Solomon Prov. 3.11 how we should carry our selves under afflictions Heb. 12.5 My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Some bold and secure sinners are apt to despise and disregard the correcting hand of God the weaker sort of Christians are apt to sink in spirit and faint under their afflictions Now the Apostle advises us to steer between these two namely to be sensible of Gods hand when it is upon us and yet not to faint or despond under it 2. It may consist with an humble complaint to God or man We may groan under our Afflictions but we ought not to grumble 3. It may consist with seeking out for help and ease in a lawful way For that is our duty and
should be rich or learned or healthful or have a great name in this World but 't is absolutely necessary to our happiness that we should break off our sins by true repentance that we should be converted that we should savingly close with Christ by Faith that we should be new creatures that we should live to the honour of God and good of the World If these things be found in us God hath given us the best portion and therefore we may well be contented though he give us not so large a portion of the things of this life Yea upon this account in a good cause we ought to take joyfully the spoiling of our goods or the loss of our estates remembring that God hath given us a better portion that cannot be taken from us 4. We should consider our Souls are Spirits and were made for higher things than meerly to grovel on the earth Our Souls are our best part and our greatest care should be to secure them If it go well with the soul it will go well with the body also But if the soul be lost and must suffer everlasting punishment 't were better we had been made Toads or Serpents than Men and rational creatures Certainly it argues the great depravation of mans Soul that it should take so much care for the body how it may be cloathed and fed and how it may injoy all the delights which are suitable to it and that it should take so little care of it self to secure unto it self eternal happiness In order therefore to the securing of our souls we should labour to possess our minds with right and sound principles such as these That the best part of man ought to have most care bestowed upon it That things of everlasting consequence ought to be sought before things of meer temporal concernment That things absolutely necessary ought to be sought in the first place That he is a wise man that takes due care to save his soul but he is a fool that to gain the World loses his Soul Such Principles as these laid deep in our minds may be a great means to preserve us from an eager and greedy pursuit of the things of the world 5. We should consider our time here is but short 1 Cor. 7.29 therefore we had not need act the part of children and only follow bubbles We have but a short winters-day of life to live If a man come to a great City and have a great deal of business to do and but a short day to do it in he had not need trifle but mind the business seriously for which he came thither Let us therefore mind our great business for which we came into the World let us look to the main whatever else be neglected 6. We should take heed of earthly-mindedness and pursuing the things of the World too eagerly lest that happen to us which sometimes happens to those that dig in the mines of the earth while they are eagerly digging and delving there the earth falls on them on a sudden and miserably buries them Let those that follow the World so hard with the wretched neglect of their souls and are loading themselves continually with thick clay take heed they be not at last crushed under it and perish by it 7. We should set before our eyes the examples of the most eminent Saints and servants of God in all ages They counted themselves but Pilgrims and strangers here Heb. 13.37 and yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy Scultetus observes that none of the Saints mentioned in the Scripture were spotted with this sin of Covetousness The Apostle tells us that Abraham sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country because he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God And the truth is they that have God for their Father Christ for their Redeemer the Holy Ghost for their guide and comforter the holy Angels for their Protectors the Promises of God for their present support and Heaven for their inheritance hereafter should have their hearts withdrawn from worldly things and should more mind and think of their Countrey that is above * Dum mala pungunt bona promissa ungunt 8. Those to whom God hath given riches in this World should consider that these are their particular duties 1. They should labour to get the spiritual riches of grace which they may carry with them into the other World 2. They should not over-value their riches nor esteem them too highly nor set their hearts upon them Psal 62.10 3. They should not put their trust or confidence in them 1 Tim. 6.17 4. They should not glory in them nor boast of them Jer. 9.23 5. They should not be tempted by their riches to scorn or despise the poor Jam. 2.6 6. They should not by reason of their wealth and power oppress the poor 7. They should honour the Lord with their substance Prov. 3.9 1. By promoting Piety and the service of God 2. By works of Charity * Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes Habeo quod dedi perdidi quod servavi and beneficence to the poor and so make to themselves friends of their riches Luke 16.9 Now riches are made friends when they are so used as they may be evidences and give testimony of our Piety Charity Justice and Mercifulness A poor mans hand whom we have relieved is a bill will be accepted in Heaven Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and he will pay him again 8. They should often and seriously meditate on the account they must give how they have used their wealth They should consider they are not absolute Lords of their estates but Gods stewards and to him they must give an account 9. They should be willing to let go whatever God shall call them to part with and that without regret or murmuring as if a piece of their heart were rent away with it And so much of the remedies and directions against Covetousness I shall now shut up this discourse with this one Caution that seeing Covetousness does especially consist in the inward desires of the heart which are best known to a mans self and which no man knows save the spirit of a man that is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 We should therefore be very wary and tender of charging Covetousness upon others We may more safely and securely judge our selves in this matter than we can others For we can better know the nature and qualification of our own desires than we can possibly of another mans Let us therefore take heed of evil surmizes and ungrounded suspicions of others Some persons are apt to surmize a man to be covetous upon such grounds as these 1. He will not be bound for a friend or relation though in never so great a strait I Answer I think no man ought to be bound for another any further than he finds himself able