But does not the annexing of such a condition as this unto forgiveness lessen the grace and bounty of it Answer No in no wise For consider these things 1. The dispensing of pardon and forgiveness upon such a condition as faith in Christ which includes Gospel obedience is one of the most effectual means to introduce sanctity and holiness into the World For what more effectual way can there be to do it than to make it conditionally necessary to justification and salvation 2. Gods immutable holiness and justice is hereby made more illustrious and his solemn hatred and dislike of sin is more manifested For hereby 't is evident that God will save no man in his sins but from his sins Whom he justifies he will sanctify No mans sin is so forgiven that the least allowance is vouchsafed to it None but such as are sanctified can be accepted of him 3. Whatever is by the Gospel conditionally required of us is fully and freely given us Faith and every other grace is the gift of God We perform the condition required of us solely by the power of his grace freely given unto us And all the rewards of the Gospel are but the gracious remunerations of Gods own gifts and graces Free grace and divine bounty is the root that bears all And therefore the holiest men on earth have the greatest cause to be most humble For having received most they ought most to abase themselves 4. 'T is fit that all who shall be saved should be rationally satisfied of the excellency of that life the Gospel calls them unto For the precepts of the Gospel are framed and calculated for our advantage and benefit The commands of Christ are in no wise grievous to any man truly and rationally informed of his own interest The Gospel commands us to be sober righteous and godly and 't is rationally best for us so to be both in order to our own good and the good and benefit of others among whom we live And therefore 't is fit we should make a solemn choice of this life for our selves and seriously resolve as men of truth and fidelity to pursue it There ought to be sincerity of intention and endeavour in us to live this life though we do not arrive at perfection of action We should therefore examine what is the deliberate choice of our wills whether to be Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ as well as to be justified by his merits Christ will not judge of us by a suddain passionate choice but by our rational and advised choice And we must especially take heed of all degrees of insincerity and hypocrisie which of all sins under the Gospel does most dangerously border on a breach of the condition required Believe it those things that keep people usually from the good things of the Gospel are either a direct refusal of Christ or a sloathful carelesness unconcerned neglect of him or a prevailing falseness in the course of Gospel obedience I shall conclude all that I shall say upon this argument with these four particulars 1. Our Lord and Saviour did certainly perform all things that were required to be performed by him as our mediator 2. By reason of the high dignity of his person his obedience and sufferings are of more value and worth than the obedience and sufferings of all mankind would have been 3. These things being performed by him in our nature and wholly upon oâ—r account God accepts them for us though not as done by us and reckons all the benefits and advantages of them to us 4. If we desire to partake of the benefits of Christs active and passive obedience we must sincerly believe in him and take him for our Lord and Saviour and if our Faith be a true justifying Faith it will purify our hearts and reform our lives Having thus explained this Doctrine of the forgiveness of sins let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. Let us admire the infinite goodness of God that there is a possibility of pardon for the children of men who are naturally under wrath There is none for the Angels that fell 2. Let us often meditate upon and admire the way of it 1. No pardon to be obtained for man without a Mediator And where could fallen man have found a Mediator that would have undertaken his cause 2. No ordinary Mediator would suffice If all the holy Angels had joyned together it would have not been sufficient Only the eternal Son of God could effect it 3. Let us consider that Christ obtained our peace not by a bare mediation but by paying a price for us and making full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God by his obedience and sufferings 3. Let us often admire the benefits of it 1. It is not only a great mercy in it self but the foundation of all other mercies 'T is the Queen of mercies that hath a glorious train of other mercies attending it Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven whose iniquities are covered to whom the Lord imputeth not transgression None of the antient Philosophers ever gave such a definition of happiness 2. The sense of this mercy makes all afflictions more easie to be born What can hurt us if God be reconciled to us 3. Pardoning mercy brings healing with it unto the Soul Christ Sanctifies those by his Spirit whose pardon he procures by his Merits 4. It affords great comfort against death which is otherwise terrible of terribles 4. If pardoning mercy be so great a mercy let us often consider how vile and wretched those persons are who slight this mercy But who are they 1. All careless ones who neglect this great salvation and prefer the things of the World before it 2. All wicked and prophane ones who go on daily increasing their guilt not minding to make peace with God 3. All that rest on any thing besides Christs righteousness and intercession for the procuring their pardon with God 5. Let us all examine our selves whether we have obtained this blessedness or no. Many content themselves with weak grounds on which they build their hopes of pardon 1. They are not so bad as others They think they are sinners yet guilty but of few sins in comparison of what others are guilty of I answer Possibly they may not be so bad as others yet they may be in a very bad condition for all that out of which if they do not get they will be everlastingly miserable 2. Others think well of them Be it so But we shall not stand or fall by mans Judgment 3. They live civilly so they may do and yet be unconverted and without true conversion and regeneration no salvation is to be expected 6. Seeing God is ready to forgive let us all endeavor to secure this blessedness to our selves 1. Let us seek it as earnestly as ever we sought any thing in the World 2. those that must shortly be arraigned If a guilty Malefactor knew
Seal of the new Testament or Covenant which is to be ratified and confirmed by my blood * Heb. 9.15.16 Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is now to be shed for many for the remission of sins that is this wine in the Cup is a sign or representation of my blood and a seal whereby the new Covenant is confirmed with all the promises of it For without shedding of blood there is no remission * Heb. 9.22 Gods Justice being no other way to be satisfied Now the Sacraments may be said to be Seals in two respects 1. They are absolute seals to the veracity and truth of Gods promises and Covenant 2. Conditional Seals in reference to us They Seal the remission of sins to all that perform the conditions required and to none else As the tree of life did not seal or confirm to Adam that he should have life except upon condition of his perfect obedience To them therefore that perform the conditions required they exhibit confer and passover the blessings promised in the Covenant of Grace 3. To be an objective means to stir up excite and increase Repentance Faith Love Hope Joy Thankfulness in believers by a lively representation of the evil of sin the infinite love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant of grace the greatness and sureness of the mercies promised 4. To be a badge and cognizance of the Church before the world and a token that we solemnly profess that we own a crucified Jesus for our Saviour and that 't is Christ and his death that we depend upon and abide by for the remission of all our sins and reconciliation with God 5. To be a means of our renewing our Covenant with God Covenants in the Scripture were wont to be made by eating and drinking together Isaac and Abimelech Jacob and Laban concluded their Covenants with a Feast * Gen. 6.30 and Gen. 31.44 46. Hereby we have an advantage of entring into a stricter engagement to God and renewing the Covenant we made with him in Baptism 6. To be a means of procuring and advancing unity and love among the Saints A feast carries in it the notion of love and good will But this is more a feast of love than any ordinary feast can be because 't is a remembrance of the greatest love that that ever was manifested viz. of that love which the Lord shewed in dying for us 'T is a Feast upon Christs Sacrifice And it should be a means not only of uniting believers more firmly to Christ their Head but of uniting and endearing them more one to another The ancient Christians did notably express this 1. By their Agapae or love-feast Jude verse 14. 2 Pet. 2.13 2. By their kiss of Charity Rom. 16.16 1 Cor. 16.30 3. By their collections for the poor made at these times 1 Cor. 16.1 Having thus spoken of the true and proper ends for which this Sacrament was instituted I come now to consider the mistaken ends for which it was not appointed 1. It was not appointed to turn bread and wine into the true and real body and blood of Christ For if sense be not to be believed concerning its own object and which tells all men that 't is still bread and wine how can we believe that Christ or any of his Apostles were ever in the World seeing they that saw them and conversed with them may on this ground for all that be deceived which were very irrational to imagine And the Apostle expresly calls it bread three times in three verses together and that after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this Bread and drink of that Cup. And he tells us that the use of this Sacrament is not to make the Lards Body corporally present but to shew the Lords death till he come that is to be a visible representation and commemoration of his death till he come to judgment Indeed Christ is really present in this Sacrament but not in the elements but to the Faith of the worthy receiver When they eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup in a due manner exercising a lively Faith in him for the remission of all their sins Christ is then present to their Faith neither is he any otherwise present in this Sacrament 2. This Sacrament was not appointed to Sacrifice Christ really again to the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead or to ease Souls in Purgatory to deliver them out of it For Christ having died once dieth no more but by once offering up himself hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified * Heb. 10.14 that is he hath made a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God and done all things needful to bring them to eternal life who are sanctified by his grace and brought to believe in him with a lively Faith 3. 'T is not appointed as a means to conveigh grace meerly by the work done or by the outward receiving of it only as charms are supposed to work neither are we to suppose that God will pardon or save any for their meer coming to this Ordinance though they strive not with their hearts to bring them to repentance faith in Christ sincere love to God and men and new obedience 4. 'T is not appointed as a means to wipe off the old score of sin that men may more freely and boldly encourage themselves to sin again as some ignorant people are apt to think but as a blessed means to mortifie sin in us and to engage us unto holiness And thus much concerning the first head I propounded to speak unto viz. The right informing the judgment and that concerning these four particulars 1. The author of this Sacrament 2. The time of its Institution 3. The nature of it 4. The ends for which it was appointed I come now to the second viz. to direct your practice and to shew you how you should receive it in a right manner In order to which you must know 1. There are some duties to be performed before you come to receive this holy Sacrament 2. Some duties in the time of receiving it 3. Some duties after There are two kinds of preparation necessary to a worthy receiver 1. The General which is that we look to it that we be in a state of grace for there are several graces that must be exercised in receiving this Sacrament and they that are not in a state of grace are utterly unfit for the present to approach this holy Table 2. The Particular which consists in a present actual fulness In order to the obtaining of this let me advise thee Reader to the
A SUPPLEMENT TO Knowledge AND PRACTICE Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious Disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness By Samuel Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somerset-Shire Useful for the Instruction of private Families Quod de Scripturis authoritatem non habet pari facilitate rejicitur qua accipitur Hieron LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1679. To the INHABITANTS of NORTH-CADBURY in SOMERSETSHIRE My Loving Friends SOme years since when I stood in the Relation of a Pastor to you I wrote my Book of Knowledge and Practice aiming therein more especially at your benefit Which Treatise I hope through the Lords blessing hath been of some use to you I have since thought that it would not be a service unacceptable to you to add by way of Supplement a more full explication of the Main Principles of the Christian Faith and some Further Directions for regulating of your Practice and to send them unto you to supply my Personal absence God only knows whether I shall ever see your Faces again in this World Providence having fixed my Habitation at so great a distance from you However my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved and if this poor Book may in any measure contribute thereunto I shall heartily rejoyce The holy Apostles no doubt in writing their Epistles aimed at the Spiritual good of the Church in general yet we may well suppose that those particular Churches to whom their Epistles were directed read them with more especial regard and possibly reaped more signal benefits by them than others did So though I design these instructions for your Spiritual good and benefit of all those into whose hands they shall come Yet I hope they shall be more especially minded and regarded by you to whom they are particularly directed and in contemplation of whose necessities and with an aim at whose benefit they were particularly framed I know many of you are such of whom the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 Who have need that one teach you the first Principles of the Oracles of God and have need of milk and not of strong meat I should be glad to have you all rightly instructed in the main fundamentals of Christianity and that not for your sakes only but for my own that I may give up my account with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 But yet I must tell you that it is not enough to save any of you that you are of the true Religion except you be true to it and live agreeably thereunto God hath indeed made sufficient provision by the obedience and death of his Son to save Mankind But you must earnestly leg of God to inable you to do your part which is unfeignedly to repent of all your sins savingly to believe in Christ and to accept him for your Lord and Saviour and to deliver up your souls to him that you may be pardoned through the infinite merit of his active and passive obedience and sanctified by his Spirit and inabled by his grace to lead a holy and good life And as I earnestly desire you all to have an especial care of your own Souls so do I with some importunity intreat all that are Parents or Masters of Families among you that they would take great care to instruct their children and servants in the main Principles of the Christian Religion I have often thought that if ever real Piety and Christianity flourish in England more must he done by Parents and Masters in instructing those under their care than is now ordinarily done I hope this short Treatise may with the blessing of God something assist and help you in performing that part of your duty May the God of all grace lead you and guide you in ways of truth and holiness and inable you to live in love and peace one with another And though I should never see you again in this life yet may the Father of Mercies through his infinite goodness grant that I may meet your Souls in Heaven This is the earnest desire and prayer of him who was once your unworthy Pastor and is still your very loving and affectionate friend Wickham brook Novemb. 6. 1678. SAM CRADOCK The CONTENTS of the FIRST PART CHAP. I. Of God SECT 1. Of the Nature of God and his Divine Attributes page 1. SECT 2. Of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Divine Essence page 18. SECT 3. Of the works of God page 31. 1. Creation where Of good Angels page 32. Of evil Angels page 40. 2. Particular page 48. CHAP. 2. Of Man Page 62 SECT 1. Of the happy State wherein Man was created and the Covenant of Works made with him in that State p. 62. SECT 2. Of his Fall and the consequents thereof p. 66 SECT 3. Of the Covenant of Grace made with Man immediately after his Fall which shews the only way of his recovery to be by Jesus Christ p. 73 CHAP. 3. Of Jesus Christ Page 80 SECT 1. Of his Titles which in the Creed are four 1. Jesus p. 80 2. Christ where of his three Offices Prophet p. 83 Priest p. 86 King p. 88 3. His only Son p. 91 4. Our Lord p. 93 SECT 2. Of his Natures Divine and Humane p. 95 SECT 3. Of his birth p. 96 SECT 4. Of his Life p. 100 Here a short and methodical History of our Saviours Life is exhibited and the particular Times in which he instituted Baptism and the Sacrament of his Supper are pointed at Vpon both which Sacraments there are distinct discourses added at the end SECT 5. Of his Death and Burial p. 137 SECT 6. Of that Article in the Creed He descended into Hell page 131 SECT 7. Of his Resurrection and ten several appearings after it in the space of forty dayes he continued on the earth p. 143 SECT 8. Of his Ascention and sitting on Gods right hand p. 149 SECT 9. Of his coming to judg the World p. 154 CHAP. 3. SECT 1. Of the Holy Ghost p. 162 SECT 2. Of the Catholick Church 166 SECT 3. Of Communion of Saints p. 175 SECT 4. Of forgiveness of sins p. 178 SECT 5. Of the Resurrection of the body p. 193 SECT 6. Of Life everlasting Of Baptism p. 200 Of the Lords Supper p. 205 Of the Lords Prayer p. 220 The second part contains a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkennness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness ERRATA IN page 267 after the eighth Direction add Ninthly Take heed of saying â—s
governing and over ruling their inclinations and actions and that both good and evil Under this head I shall first shew how the Providence of God is exercised upon the good inclinations and actions of men and Secondly How 't is exercised about sin and evil For the First of these observe these Rules 1. God assists and co-operates with men in the doing of all good * Aristotle doth in his Ethicks acknowlâ—dge that for a man to have a Soul virtuously inclin'd is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the gift of God Tuâ—ly in his Second Book De Natura deorum sayes Nemo vir magnus sine aliquo afflatu divino unquam suit And the Learned among Christians say Orsus bonae voluntatis sunt Deo Voluntas tum libera est quando per gratiam est liberata he works in him both to will and to do that which is good Phil. 2.13 'T is from God that men have any heart or will or power to do any thing pleasing in his sight But Gods co-operating with and assisting man in the doing of good is not in any thing more remarkable then in the coversion of a sinner He savingly inlightens the mind he freely bowes and inclines the will he circumcises the heart as we find Deut. 30.6 he gives a new heart as 't is Jer. 24.7 He takes away the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh he puts a new Spirit with them as 't is Ezek. 11.29 2. As to sin and evil God neither is nor possibly can be the Author or Approver of it Yet his Providence is exercised about it as may appear by these particulars 1. He permits sin Without his permission and sufferance it could not be in the World God is so good that he would never permit sin but that being Omnipotent he knows how to bring good out of it Now he may be said to permit sin in these respects First By way of Negation not giving grace to prevent it which he is not bound to do being a Debtor to no man or by not giving a People softning means or by denying his blessing on the means Deut. 29.4 Moses says of the hardned Israelites Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day God is said to harden says Austin when he saftens not and to blind when he enlightns not He doth it not by imparting evil or wickedness but by not imparting grace 2. By way of privation by withdrawing upon provocation the restraining grace before given Time was when Pharaoh had a restraint upon him and while that lasted there were no violent hands laid upon Moses or Aaron by whose ministry all the Plagues were brought upon him But this is no sooner withdrawn from him but his cruelty vents it self and Moses is threatned with death if he came again into his presence 3. By presenting Objects which mans corruption makes a bad use of Thus Psalm 78 from 27 to 31. The Israelities abused their Quails which God so mercifully gave them to the pampering of their lusts and so brought his wrath upon them 4. By delivering them up to Satan to be by him blinded and misled because they refused to be guided by the good Spirit and word of God Thus John 13.2 We read that the Devil put it into Judas his heart to betray his Lord and Master 5. By delivering them up to their own lusts Psal 81.11.12 God sayes my People would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of mee So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels 6. By way of punishment One sin is very often the punishment of another Thus Pharaoh when he saw that the Rain and Hail and the Thunders were ceased he sinned yet more and hardned his heart he and his Servants Exod. 9.34 And Austin speaks very pertinently to this purpose Expedit superbo ut incidat in peccatum God often suffers a proud man to fall into a shamefull sin to punish his pride and to bring him to a sober sence of himself 2. God limits sin and sets bounds to it Psalm 76.10 Surely the wrath of men shall praise thee the remainder of wrath thou wilt restrain Thus Gen. 31.42 He with-held Laban from his wicked purpose of hurting Jacob. He that sets bounds to the Sea sets bounds also to the sins of men 3. He makes sin it self serve to his own glory and so over-rules it that he brings good out of it Thus the unnatural usage which Joseph received from his Brethren God ordered to his high advancement and his Family's preservation Thus the Jews malice in persecuting the Disciples and sending them out of Jerusalem by Gods over-ruling tended to the propagating and dispersing of the Gospel Having thus shewed the extent of the Divine Providence to the several Beings in the World it remains now that I speak something of his special Providence which he exercises in a more singular way over his Church and People Which will plainly appear if we consider these particulars 1. Sometimes he hinders and prevents evil intended against them And this he does sometimes by weak means sometimes by strange means and sometimes without means See a remarkable instance of this 2 Chron. 14. from 9. to the 14. An Army of a Thousand Thousand Aethiopians came out against Asa and Verse the 11th he cried unto the Lord saying Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with few we have no power help us O Lord our God for we trust in thee and in thy name we go against this multitude O Lord thou art our God let not man prevail against thee So the Lord smote the Aethiopians before Asa and before Judah and they were overthrown Thus also 2 Chron 20. When the Children of Moab Ammon and Mount Seir came against Jehâ—shaphat he proclaimed a Fast and cried unto the Lord. Vers 12. O our God we have no might against this great Company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Then upon Jahaziel came the Spirit of the Lord and he said unto the King and the People Be not afraid by reason of this great Multitude for the Battle is not yours but Gods To morrow go down against them you shall not need to fight in this Battle set your selves stand ye still and see the Salvation of the Lord. For the Lord will be with you And Jehoshaphat said unto the People believe in the Lord so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper This done the Lord immediately sent a Spirit of division or strife among their enemies whereby those Nations falling out among themselves destroyed one another and sheathed their Swords in one anothers bowels See also to this purpose the whole 124 Psalm 2. Sometimes he moderates and takes off the rage of Enemies and makes them of Enemies to become Friends Thus when Esau
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
that the Assizes drew nigh at which he could not expect but to be condemned surely above all things in the world he would endeavor to get his pardon 3. Let us seek it as those who are not content to be put off with any thing else besides it And to encourage us hereunto let us consider 1. God is ready to pardon He hath sworn that he delights not in the death of a sinner 2. Christ died for this very purpose to redeem us and when he was on the earth he complained that people would not come to him and believe in him that by him they might have life 3. All means of grace afforded to us are intimations that God intends us mercy if we be not wanting to our selves 4. All good motions and stirrings of the Spirit of God in our hearts are significations of his good will towards us 5. And lastly As vile or viler sinners then we are have obtained pardon and why then should not we encourage our selves to seek after pardon while it may be obtained SECT V. Of the Resurrection of the Body The Resurrection of the Body THis is one of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.2 'T is set before the Eternal Judgment which will adjudge men to their eternal state because 't is previous to it The Scripture speaks of a two-fold Resurrection 1. A Metaphorical Resurrection viz. that of the Soul out of the state of Sin and Spiritual Death Of this the Apostle speaks Ephes 2.1 Ye that were sometimes dead in Sins and Trespasses and Col. 2.13 You that were dead in your sins hath he quickned Grace Righteousness and Holiness is the Spiritual life of the Soul and where these are wanting there must needs be a spiritual death in sin Rom. 8.6 to be carnally minded is death but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness verse 10. that is the Soul is alive Spiritually when it is partaker of righteousness and grace Our Souls therefore must first rise from their state of death in sin to the new life of grace if we desire to have a part in the glorious Resurrection of the body to eternal life of of which I am to speak afterward and as the Apostle sayes Rom. 6.4 As Christ was raised from the dead so must we be raised from the death of sin that we may walk in newness of life 2. The Scripture speaks of a real Resurrection viz. of our bodies namely of the same body that died which shall be raised again and re-united to the same soul that at death departed from it This resurrection of the body is that which we profess to believe in this Article And to confirm our faith therein let us consider these two things 1. God can do it He can raise our bodies when dead to life again 2. He has declared he will do it 1. God can do it For he is Omnipotent Therefore saith our Saviour to the Sadducees who denied the Resurrection * Acts 26.8 Luke 18 27. Eph. 1 1â—.13 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 And the Apostle Acts 26.8 reasons thus Why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise the dead He that could make this World out of nothing at first undoubtedly can raise up mans body again which though it have suffered many changes and transmutations yet is not turned into nothing Though the parts of mans body be dissolved yet they perish not The first dust out of which man was made was as far from being flesh as any ashes or dust now can be And God who is Omniscient knows how to distinguish the dust of one mans body from anothers And being Omnipotent can give to every body what belongs to it to make it the same numerical Body again This he can do according to the mighty working That Parable Ezekiel 37. Where by reviving dead bones is shewed that God would certainly restâ—re the pâ—ople of Israel out of captivity that Parable I say supposes the Resurrection of the Dead as a thing well known and certainly believed by that people whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 Abraham thought it possible Heb. 11.18 19. When he really intended to Sacrifice his Son Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Job not only thought it possible but firmly believed it and spake of it with assurance Job 19. verse 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God verse 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Martha doubted not of it John 11.24 For speaking of her brother Lazarus then dead She said I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day And indeed there are many things in nature that seem to carry a resemblance of it When we go to sleep solemnly commending our selves to Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and to his gracious protection we do as it were lye down in our graves our sleep is a great resemblance of death and our rising in the morning of the Resurrection The Sun sets every night and disappears yet rises joyfully in the morning The Seed that we sow first dies before it be quickned 1 Cor. 15.56 The earth receiveth the bare seed and by corrupting it restoreth it in a better fashion than she took it in The Seed sâ—wn is so far from perishing that it rises up far more beautiful Whereas it was sown dry and hard it springs up fresh and green So why should it seem incredible that our bodies shall rise from corruption with far more excellent qualities than they had before God can raise them that is our first Argument 2. God hath declared that he will do it and that is abundantly sufficient to induce us to believe it Observe these Scriptures for the proof of it Dan. 12.2 And many * That is all shall arise and they will be many not a few For many is not opposed to all here but to few Romans 5.19 By the disobedience of one man many i. e. not a few were made sinners For all were made sinners of them that slept in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt John 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Acts 24.15 And I have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Luke 14.14 Thou shalt be recompenced at the
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
burden insupportable some of them have called it the burden of Issacar that they cannot be permitted to live as they list or that they should be barred of any of Christs Ordinances or that any should controul them 17. When they are excessively hard and difficult to be pleased and are too ridged exacters of observance and respect from their inferiors 18. When they love others not according to their true worth but according to the measure of respect which they shew to them 19. Proud persons are usually most injurious both in words and actions towards weak adversaries 20. Proud persons are very resentful of any injuries either reall or supposed done to them and when they are wronged they look for great submission and satisfaction 21. Pride makes people exceeding loath to be beholding to others Some will almost starve rather than make their wants known 22. The Pride of the heart very often shews and manifests its self in the vanity of the garb and attire 23. Pride many times makes people to slight the Ministers and Messengers of God and to hear their teachers as Judges not as Learners 24. Pride very often makes those in place apt to domineer over their inferiours and to think of the dignity of their places more than of the duty they owe to God and the people in those places 25. Pride makes people spend profusely for their credit or reputations sake But when an object of Charity calls they are backward enough Their estates are more at the command of their credit than at the command of God or charity And so much of the second Particular namely what pride is and what are the signs and evidences of it I come now to the third viz. 3. To shew the great evil malignity and danger of it And this I shall represent to you in sundry particulars 1. Consider that Pride is a very ruining sin It undid Angels 1 Tim. 3.6 and our first Parents It overthrew the Tower of Babel drowned Pharaoh prostrated Goliah hanged Haman destroyed Senacharib made Nebuchadnezzar like a beast caused Herod to be eaten up with lice Prov. 15.25 God threatens that He will destroy the house of the Proud 2. 'T is a very disquieting sin 1. 'T is a great disquieter of a mans own Soul Every little thing casts a proud man into a passion It renders his life miserable and puts him in the power of any man to be his tormentor A small neglect or affront disorders a proud man even almost to distraction A remarkable instance hereof we have in Haman Esther 3.5 2. It is a great disquieter of others a great occasion of disquiet in private families and so likewise in Parishes it makes men very firebrands in the places where they live It makes them full of animosity against those that cross them in any thing and full of envy at those that are above them And so in Church and State none so troublesome as proud persons Look also upon the lamentable effects of it in the world O cursed Pride thou child of the Devil how dost thou set the whole world on fire what woful divisions contentions and mischiefs dost thou cause where thou prevailest 3. Pride usually blasts parts It blinds the mind and makes people over confident of their own conceits 'T is also very frequently the high-way to Apostacy Mark those that are proud in a Parish or family and if there come any infection of schism or heresie near them they are commonly the first that catch it 4. Pride commonly hates fraternal admonition and reproof and so keeps off the proper remedy and means of amendment and reformation 5. 'T is the mother of many other sins as of revenge oppression and hard and injurious dealing 6. 'T is a very extensive sin 'T is apt to shoot it self into our whole conversation yea which is saddest of all to creep into our best duties There is scarce a good action we do but this cursed flye will be apt to get into it and poyson it if we take not great care * Sâ—pâ—rbia maxime timâ—nda in recte actis Luth. and watch our hearts very strictly 7. 'T is a great impediment to conversion It obstructs saving illumination A proud person is hardly convinced of the greatness of his Sins Original sâ—n will scarce be acknowledged by him and he thinks but slightly and diminitively of his actual Sins such a person is hardly brought to see the necessity of conversion and his absolute need of a Saviour And so much of the great evil and danger of this Sin 4. I come now in the fourth place to give some remedies and directions against it 1. Enter into a serious consideration of thy own vileness * E Coelo descendit Nosce teipsum Consider the infirmities weaknesses and sicknesses of thy body but especially the great depravedness of thy Soul Want of due and serious consideration and descending into a mans self is the great cause of Pride Meditate on thy manifold sins and the deserts of them and meditate on thy weaknesses and miseries and then tell me whether thou hast any cause to be proud 2. Often meditate on the glorious nature and attributes of God on his infinite greatness holiness and purity and tha is one good means to abase thee and make thee to abhor thy self Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 3. Consider how d declares that he hates abhors and resists a proud person nd he must needs fall whom God sets himself against He resists the proud but his grace and favour is towards the lowly Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Prove 16.5 4. Look upon the great imperfection of thy graces and thy manifold failings even in thy best duties Ex ignorantia tui venit superbia Ignorance of thy self is the cause of thy Pride 5. Look upon our humble Saviour Nulla creatura humilior Deo sayes Laurentius excellently The most powerful sight in the world for the humbling of the soul is a Crucified Saviour What an example of humility hath he left us His whole life was a constant Lecture of Humility He condescended so low as to wash his Disciples feet John 13. Non ex officio sed ex amore in exemplum as one sayes upon the place 6. Look on the holy Angels how they humble themselves and condescend to minister for the good of the people of God who are so much their inferiors 7. Look upon the examples of the most eminent Saints and you will find they were eminent in this grace of humility See instances hereof in Abraham Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes In Jacob Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant for with my staff I passed
his house as soon as his Son came to the Kingdom and though his own experience taught him to say more against this sin than is said by any other in the Old Testament yet it is a controversie among Divines whether ever he were perfectly recovered and at last saved or no. And is this an incouragement to any man to imitate him in this sin 3. They alledge that Our Saviour did not condemn the woman taken in adultery John 8. Answ Our Saviour asks the woman whether any man had condemned her according to the Law made in that case whereby he intimates that if the sentence of death had been lawfully passed upon her he would not have repealed it for he came not to violate the law but to fulfill it But our Saviour himself refused to condemn her because he came not into the world to execute the office of an earthly judge but of a mediator who was to procure the pardon of our sins through his merits and intercession He came not to condemn but to save and to give his life a ransom for many And therefore he would not execute the office of a Magistrate in adjudging her to death but of a Minister in calling her to repentance and amendment of her life And so much by way of answer to the excuses that such as are addicted to this sin do use to make for themselves 3. I come now in the last place to give some directions and to prescribe some remedies against it 1. Frequently pour forth thy soul in fervent and earnest prayer unto the Lord that he would please to keep thee from this sin and all tendencies to it When Paul prayed so earnestly to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan God answered my grace is sufficient for thee my strength shall be perfected in thy weakness 2 Cor. 12.8 9. 2. Use fasting and abstinence and beating down the body This unclean Devil goes not out by any means so soon as by fasting and prayer A weak body indeed must be carefully supported but a wanton and unruly body must be carefully subdued * Antisthenes his wish to his enemies was hostium filiis coâ— ingat n delitiis vivere 'T is storied of a virtuous maid that to rid her self of an importunate Suitor she told him that if he had that affection for her which he pretended he should manifest it by joyning with her in a resolution she had made which was that for twenty dayes together she would eat nothing but bread and drink nothing but water The young man though very unwillingly yet to satisfie her undertook it But when he had observed it about ten dayes he found his body so mortified and enfeebled that he had no mind to marry and so his Mistress was delivered from her importunate Suitor This story applies it self And if any shall say that abstinence is an hard lesson let such consider that the suffering of hell fire and the wrath that is to come is a thousand times harder 3. Labour that the fear of God may rule in thy heart This was that which kept Joseph innocent Gen. 39.9 and preserved him from the inticements of his lewd Mistress how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God The fear of God in the heart is a great preservative against this sin 4. Reverence thy conscience and hearken to it and mark what it speaks to thee now lest hereafter it speak to thee in a more terrible manner hear it voluntarily now lest it force thee to hear it hereafter against thy will when it will be thy tormentor It is reported of a chast woman that being tempted by a fornicator she desired him first to hold his finger in the fire a litâ— bâ—while which when he refused she said why should I then burn in hell for you 5. Labour to cast out of thy mind all unclean thoughts and phansies Drive them out with abhorrence as our Saviour did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple Take heed of speculative wantonness Vnclean thoughts usually infect and corrupt the heart and stir up in it unclean lusts and inclinations and heart defilement makes way for corporal Remember what our Saviour sayes Matth. 5.24 Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart There are fornicators in heart and adulterers in heart as well as in outward act Therefore sayes Solomon keep thy self from the evil woman and lust not after her beauty in thy heart Prov 6.25 A great means to prevent uncleanness lyes in this to keep a holy government over our thoughts and to abhor and cast out lustful thoughts out of our minds with detestation 6. Keep a strict guard and watch over thy outward sences particularly thine eyes * Oculi sunt in amore duces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut est in veteri verbo and ears Job said he had made a Covenant with his eyes Job 31.1 that is he was carefull to keep his eyes from gazing upon and his mind from thinking upon a maid so as to lust after her Stop thy ears also against all filthy and unclean discourse For filthy tales and stories do strangely corrupt the Phansie and stick odiously in the memory Therefore if thou be so unhappy at any time as to fall into such company where such discourse is used and such tales are told shew thy dislike of them and be sure never to tell them again For such discourse is pestilential and infectious 7. Be diligent in thy particular calling and keep thy mind well imployed Otia si tollas periere cupidinis arcus Avoid idleness * Quaeritur Aegystus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Facito aliquid operis ut semper inveniat te diabolus occupatum Vitium libidinis facile ex otio nascitur Nam dâ—finitio amoris est animae vacantis passio Chrysost in Math. and you take away a great occasion to lust 'T is observed of David that when he was idle he fell into that dreaful sin of adultery A laborious diligent person hath his body subdued and his mind imployed and taken up with better things The rich and the idle are usually the persons that are most under this temptation 8. Keep modest and sober company where thou shalt neither see nor hear any thing unseemly Fornication and all uncleanness let it not be named among you as becometh Saints sayes the Apostle Ephes 5.3 Evil communication corrupts good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 The filthy talk and tales and stories and sonnets of some profane persons how exceedingly do they corrupt the minds of others Let dogs and crows feed on Carrion Rational men loath such rotten and abominable stuff True Chrians abhor all impure discourse and all immodest actions 9. Shun and avoid such things as may be occasions incentives and temptations to this sin Such as these 1. Lascivious dancings I say lascivious For