beleeving applying of Christs righteousnes to themselves is the justifying act of Faith And whereas the historicall saith of Devils and carnall men is only an assent unto the Word of God that it is true arising from carnal reason and arguments convincing the judgement without any affection to the truth or any relying on it On the contrary every act of beleeving any word or promise of God if it proceeds from a true Faith in the elect is not a naked assent ruled by humane and naturall reason but guided by Gods Spirit and joyned with a relying on God and his Word upon the Divine authority of the speaker and may be brought as an evidence of their salvation may in that respect be called a saving beliefe as we see at large Heb. 11. where beleeving that the worlds were framed by the Word of God And that God would bring a flood upon the world and destroy all except them that were in the Arke made by his appointment and that he would give the land of Canaan to the seed of Abraham the Israelites and after 400 yeares deliver them out of Aegypt and such like acts of beleeving proceeding from an holy spirituall Faith are declared to bee saving Faith Quest How doth actuall beleeving set a work all other graces and increase them more and more in the Elect regenerate and justified Answ. By the sense feeling and sweet fruition of Christ and his righteousnesse satisfaction and intercession it brings us to the sight and experimentall knowledge of the goodnesse bounty love and mercy of God to us in Christ And being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and hereby the holy Ghost sheddeth the love of God abroad in our hearts so that being inflamed with the love of God wee begin more and more to hate and abhorre our owne vile corruptions and sins which are offensive to his holy Majesty We are ashamed and confounded because we have by our sins so often provoked so gracious a God and mercifull Father wee grieve and mourne and sorrow with godly sorrow to repentance wee strive and wrastle against our lusts and by the assistance of the Spirit tame and subdue them so that sinne can no more reigne in our mortall bodies we contend to sollow hard after God to cleave to him in love and to bee still more more united to Christ in love and zealous affection of heart And in holinesse and newnesse of life we study and strive to be conformable to his image and in a word we are stirred up to use all care and endeavour that wee may abound in all good works and still forgetting those things which are behind may reach forth unto those things which are before and presse hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus In all which workes of saving grace as God moves us by his Spirit so we being moved enabled and made a free people do cooperate and work together with him till we come to the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ and be fitted to see God in glory Quest What outward meanes are to bee used whereby the Spirit of God may worke in the Elect and beget and increase Faith and beliefe with all other saving graces in them Answ. The chiefe outward meanes is the Word of God without which God doth not ordinarily shed his Spirit on them beget them again and by his Spirit work saving grace and the works of grace in them For they are borne again of incorruptible seed that is of the Spirit by the Word of God 1 Pet. 1. 23. and regeneration which is Gods shedding of the holy Ghost on them through Christ and the first saving worke even the ground worke of all other saving graces is not to be found where the Word is not Preached By the Word of Christ the holy Gospell only the Spirit speaks inwardly to mens hearts and leads them into all truth John 16. 13. By the Word preached hee begets Faith for Faith commeth by hearing and none can beleeve except heheare Rom. 10. 14 17. The Word is the whole and perfect rule of Faith and whatsoever the elect beleeve to salvation is conteined in the Word and there only to be learned John 3. 39. The threatenings of the Law are the meanes by which the Spirit discovers to beleevers the danger of sin and their own misery humbles them in their own eies and drives them out of themselves to Christ by repentance The precepts of the Law prescribe to them the right way in which they ought to walk and is a lamp to their feet and light to their steps Psa. 119 105. The Word of the Gospell is the Covenant of life and sets before them the goodnesse bounty love and mercy of God in Christ and by it the Spirit inflames them with the love of God with joy and delight in God and with zeale for his glory and stirres them up to imitate God in works of mercy love and charity and in all holinesse and sanctification till they be conformed to Christ and to serve honour and worship God And in a word the whole Scripture which is the sure infallible Word of God given by Divine inspiration is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction and for instruction in righteousnes that the man of God may bee perfect thorowly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3. 16. 17. Quest How must the Word of God bee used that it may be such an effectuall meanes of the Spirit to worke all these gracious effects in Gods elect people Answ. It must not only be read out of the Sacred Scriptures in which it is recorded by the Prophets and Apostles but also preached and expounded by godly able and learned Ministers who are called and sent of God Rom. 10. 15. For they are Gods watchmen who have a charge given to watch for mens soules Ezek. 3. 17. Heb. 13. 17. They are his Shepheards and Overseers to feed his flock with his Word the Bread of Life Act. 20. 28. Ezek. 34. 1 Pet. 5. 2. Ephes. 4. 11. And by delivering Gods message faithfuly they obteine this honour to themselves to bee called the Angels of the Lord Mal. 2. 7. and Gods Ambassadours 2 Cor. 5. 20. and to be spirituall Fathers under God who beget children to God in Christ by the Gospell 1 Cor. 4. 15. Quest What other meanes are to be used Answ None but such as God hath prescribed in his holy Word to wit the Sacraments which are seales annexed to the Word publike Prayers Invocation and Worship of God And also good education and private Prayers and instruction and often reading of Gods Word alone and in private Families Quest What is a Sacrament Answ. It is a religious action prescribed by God in which by using outward visible rites consecrated to be signes seales pledges and
THE KEY OF SAVING KNOWLEDGE Opening out of the holy Scriptures the right way and straight passage to Eternall life OR A Dialogue wherein the chiefe principles of Christian Religion are unfolded for the enabling of Christian people to understand the Word of God and to atteine to the true sense and meanâ—ng thereof Composed by GEO. WALKER B. of Div. and Pastor of S Iohn the Evangelists Church in LONDON LONDON Printed by THO. BADGER M.DC.XLI To his little flock the Inhabitants of the Parish of S. Iohn the Evangelist in Watlingstreet in London Georgâ— Walker their weake but wellwishing â—astor commendeth this small token of his unfeined love and hearty desire of their eternall happinesse in the fruition of God by their fellowship and communion with him in the Lord Iesus Christ BEloved in the Lord Christ seeing now I have spent one halfe of my dayes in Preaching to you and your predecessors the Gospell of Christ in expounding the sacred Scriptures in watching and labouring for the good of your soules to wit for the space of 29 yeares untill there is not one left alive of all those inhabitants who were masters of families at my first coming to this place and did all with one consent and voyce make choyce of me to be their Pastor I hold it high time for me to thinke of my departure from hence by putting off this earthly tabernacle and of leaving you as your predecessors who were my first flocke have left me their Pastor behind them to feed you a succeeding generation And least my labour and paines which I spent among them for the good of their soules should seeme to die with them and to bee buried in their graves I have thought good to renew the memory of them and to leave to the World some Monuments of that Doctrin I have Preached to them heretofore as also to you of latter times by Gods gracious assistance though in great weaknesse of body yet with a willing mind and with a courage never daunted with any menacings and threatenings of potent adversaries and malicious persecutors The principall heads and true platforme of which doctrine I have briefly comprised and compendiously set forth in this short Dialogue which containes in it the principles and foundations of Christian Religion and which I do here commend to you as a testimony of that unfeigned love which I beare to you and of my fervent desire of the salvation of your soules I have already published and have ready for the Presse divers larger Treatises wherein are conteined many particular doctrines which may be reduced to these principall heads and are there largely handled plainly opened and fully proved by Scriptures and the true use of them shewed in such manner as they have beene by my mouth publikly preached among you But this golden Key which is the quintessence of them all will open Heaven unto you if you can learn to use it aright It is made of divine metall even the Word of God revealed from Heaven which is more pure than the most refined gold It will teach you by a short and compendious way to know God not only in the unity of Essence in his essentiall attributes In the Trinity of persons and in his Works of Creation and actuall Providence overruling mans fall and disposing it and all the evils which entered in by it to his own glory and the good of his Elect but also in Iesus Christ in whom to know him the only true God is eternall life as our Saviour testifieth Iohn 12. 3. Here Gods eternall Counsell and Decree of Predestination is discovered Here you may learn the saving works of God in and by Christ God and man humbled in our nature What love God hath shewed in giving his Son for us and what Christ hath done and suffered for our Redemption Here you may see what saving works God works by his Spirit shed on his Elect through Christ as Regeneration Renovation effectuall calling Vnion with Christ Adoption Communion of his ransome for Redemption of his Righteousnesse for Iustification of his satisfaction for Remission of sins and Reconciliation And what Gods Spirit works in us and by us as Mortification Sanctification Faith Repentance and all holy graces and how and by what meanes he enables us to apply Christ and his benefits unto us and to enioy him and them for Salvation and also doth beget and increase grace in his Elect to wit by the Word preached and heard the Sacraments rightly administred and received faithfull and fervent Prayer and the like And how these worke in the Elect to eternall life and blessednesse and are abused by wicked reprobates to their owne everlasting damnation and destruction These things have I written to you Fathers and Masters that you may read them your selves and commend them to your children and families I commend them to you Young men that you may grow strong and may overcome the wicked one And I commend them to you litle children that you may learne to know his name and that your sins may be forgiven you for his names sake If after so much preaching teaching you be found ignorant unprofitable it is because the God of this World hath blinded your minds least the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto you This word will be to you the savour of death unto death and this booke shall witnesse for me against you that you are wilfully ignorant and a lost people But if as I hope and pray fervently and wish from my heart You do chearefully receive the love of this Truth then shall my Doctrine bee to you the savour of life unto life and wee shall both together I of my worke and labour in preaching and you of your reverence in hearing and faithfulnesse in obeying the Word Preached receive the reward of righteousnesse which Christ hath purchased for them that beleeve and obey the Gospell even the Crown of glorie which never fadeth This briefe summe of Christian Religion with other more large Treatises I have written in my bonds for the common benefit of you and others to testifie unto you that the many waters of troubles and persecutions which I suffer for the Truth sake which I have preached unto you cannot quench my love to you nor my desire of your salvation nor hinder mee from labouring for your good In all which I seeke not yours but you And as I have preached the Gospell freelie to you never seeking any of your temporall goods for my ministring of spirituall things plentifullie unto you but spending besides my spirits much substance over and above the revenues of my smal Benefice which from you I have received so I commend to you freely this and all other works and labours of my love which if you do lovinglie accept and use and imploy to your own advantage I shall thinke my work in some good measure rewarded and shall ever remaine a faithfull
Christ make intercession Answ. First by praying for his Elect and Faithfull whom the Father had given him out of the world this he did in the dayes of his humiliation Secondly by sitting at Gods right hand hee presents continually before God his perfect satisfaction and righteousnesse in the behalf of all his Faithfull members and with his Sacrifice and Intercession doth as it were perfume all their Prayers and make them acceptable in the sight of God Quest Doth not Christ as well make Intercession for all as hee dyed for all man-kind Answ. Though Christ dyed and fulfilled the Law for a common benefit to all man-kind and his ransome is sufficient to save all yet he never purposed to redeeme all men by his death For hee knew that many were already damned and past all hope of redemption before he dyed and that Iudas was a son of perdition and therefore hee did not purpose to give himselfe a ransome for them Besides he himself testifieth that hee did not pray for the world but only for his Elect given to him by his father out of the world Ioh. 17 9. Therefore he did much lesse dye with an intent purpose and desire to redeeme and save them Quest How doth Christ execute his Kingly office Answ. By ruling spiritually in his Church and giving his Spirit and all spirituall gifts to men by which they are fitted and furnished with severall gifts for severall offices and functions in that his mysticall body The distribution of all honors offices and dignities as of some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists others Pastors and Teachers is in his hand No man is capable of such honours and dignities nor fit for such offices but by his gifts and qualifications Whosoever thrusts himselfe into the office of a Bishop Elder Pastor or publike Preacher without such gifts and calling as hee hath in his Word prescribed hee is a thiefe and an usurper as our Saviour himselfe testifieth who is the onely doore by which men must enter into his sheep-fold Iohn 10. Hee ruleth also in the hearts of all Faithfull people by his Word and Spirit as by a Law and that Law is the rule of their life and of all their actions Hee also by his power defends his Church from all enemies and takes just revenge on their persecutors and oppressors for all power is given him in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. 18. and hee hath all judgment committed to him Iohn 5. 27. All the Saints fight under his Royall Standard against the Devill the World the Flesh Sinne and Antichrist being armed by him with the whole armour of God Eph. 6 11. He will treade down Satan under their feet Rom. 16. 20. and by the spirit of his lips will destroy the wicked one 2 Thes. 2. And by his iron rod break in pieces all his enemies like a Potters vessell Psal. 2. So that whatsoever can be required in a King for the well ordering and ruling of his Kingdome by judgement and righteousnesse for the mercifull relieving and he ping of them in their need For the powerfull defending of them from all dangers and for the execution of just revenge on their enemies all this is abundantly found in Christ as he is the Lord and King of his Church Quest You have well shewed that Christ both in respect of his Person and Offices is an all-sufficient Redeemer and Saviour and is able by the infinite worth of his Mediation to save all men Now then tell me why all men are not saved Answ. Though Christ his ransome and satisfaction is able to save and redeeme all that are partakers thereof even all mankind if they had grace to receive and apply him and all his merits by Faith Yet because none have spirituall communion with him but only they whom God hath chosen to eternall life in him and predestinated to be effectually called according to his purpose to the state of grace and to be made conformable to his image Therfore many who are not elect follow their own evil ways and have no will nor care to repent of their sins and beleeve in Christ but run wilfully into destruction and perish Quest Hath God then chosen from all eternity a certeine number only of man-kind to salvation in Christ Answ. Yea verily For the Scriptures plainly testifie First that God hath a certain number of particular persons whom hee hath from all eternity predestinated both to eternall life in Christ and also to the meanes which lead unto life to wit redemption effectuall calling adoption faith and the like Ephes. 1. 4. 5 11. Rom. 11. 5 7. Act. 13. 48. Secondly that the persons elected are they only who are called in time according to his purpose iustified made conformable to the image of his Son and at length glorified Rom. 8 28 29 30. Thirdly that they are chosen not for any work which God foresaw in them but meerely according to the good pleasure of his own Will Rom. 9. 11. 15. Eph. 1. 5. And fourthly that all they who continue in obstinacy and impenitency unto the end and are damned were of old ordeined to that damnation destructiō 1 Thes. 5. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 8. Jud. 4. Quest If God hath not ordeined men to Faith in Christ repentance and good works but hath willingly rejected them as he did Esau before he had done any evill and given them up to hardnesse and impenitency as he did Pharaoh Why is he angry with them for none can resist his Will Answ. It is too much presumption in men to dispute against God and to judge of his actions by their owne shallow reason For he is not to give account of any of his matters nor to answer for his doings Iob 33. 13. Rom. 9. 19. And yet it is reason that every absolute Lord should do what he list with his own that as the potter hath power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessell unto honour and another unto dishonor so God much more should have power over his creatures to ordaine and make some vessels of honor and leave others to follow their own evil ways which they have found out to themselves and are not lead into by him and so to perish seeing their evill and destruction by his over-ruling wisdome and power doth turne to the greater good of his Elect and makes the glory of his holinesse Iustice Power and Mercy shine forth more clearely to them Quest Doth the benefit of Christ the Mediator and Redeemer reach only to the Elect Answ. Though the saving vertue of Christ belongeth only to the elect yet there is a common benefit of Christ wherof reprobates are partakers which reacheth also to all the world For hee is said to preserve man and beasts that is to keep them in life and being Psal. 36 6. and to be the Saviour of all especially of them that beleeve 1 Tim. 4. 10. and to give himselfe a ransome for all
in their infancy are saved by the free Grace of God who worketh all things after the counsell of his own will Quest How doth the Word preached worke saving grace in men Answ. Not barely by it selfe nor by any divine vertue inherent in it but by the free grace of God and the inward operation of the Spirit working with it when and where and in whom he will For the Word preached doth not profit when it s notmingled with Faith in them that heare it Heb. 4. 2. as we see in the Iewes to whom Christ himselfe preached and yet they were not turned to God but the Word by him spoken through their infidelity turned to their hurt wrought to the hardening of them in their sins and left them without all excuse or any cloak for their wickednesse Iohn 15. 22. Quest What are those necessary works and saving graces which God by his Word and Spirit worketh in men to bring them to salvation in Christ Answ. They are works and graces which flow from Gods eternall election and are only wrought in the elect They are necessary because without them none can be saved and they are called saving works and graces because the persons in whom they are once wrought can never fall away and perish but shall certeinely persevere in them and be saved And they all may be brought under two heads The first are the works which God alone by his Word and Spirit worketh in his Elect. The second sort are the works which God so worketh that they also do cooperat with him and work together with his Spirit Quest Which are the works which God alone by his Spirit worketh in the Elect Answ. The first is regeneration from which all the rest do flow to wit renovation which is called renuing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Effectuall calling union with Christ adoption and Communion of all Christs benefits as of his ransome satisfaction righteousnesse and intercession for redemption remission of sins justification and perfect reconciliation Quest Which is the first saving grace Answ. The first which is the ground of al the rest is Regeneration Quest What is Regeneration Answ. It is that worke of God by which he sheds the Holy Ghost on his Elect through Iesus Christ of which Spirit given to dwell in them as his immortall seed they are borne again and become new creatures and spirituall members of Christ and children of God by a new birth and Generation Quest What is Renovation Answ. It is the work of God which he by his Spirit shed on them and dwelling in them doth work in them renuing them after the image of Christ and making them conformable to him both in his death by mortification and in his life by vivification Quest What is Mortification Answ. It is that work of Gods Spirit wherein hee deriveth the vertue of Christs death unto them and worketh in them such a sense of their misery sin and corruption and such a godly griefe sorrow contrition of heart loathing and abhorring of themselvs as doth tame their rebellious lusts and gives a deadly blow to the old man of sinfull corruption in them so that sinne can no more reigne in their mortall bodies but by grace they prevaile more and more over their corruption and do mortifie it continually Quest What is Vivification Answ. It is that worke of the Spirit by which he derives the vertue of Christs holy life unto them to quicken them and sanctifie them by inherit holines and to make them in the whole course of their life conformable to the holy and upright life of Christ Quest What gifts and graces are wrought in the Elect by Renovation Answ. The first which is as it were the root of the rest is Faith For as the Devill did first breath into Adam an unbeleefe and distrust of God and his truth so that hee beleeved not the Word and threatning of God but gave credit to Satans lyes and relyed on them and by his false beliefe Satan drew him on to a false opinion of God and a conceipt that God envyed his greater good whereupon hee began proudly to imagine that he might by eating of the forbidden tree become wise as God and did conceive enmity in his mind against God ambitious lusts and evill affections So God in renuing man doth first worke Faith in him which is the gift of beleeving in God and relying on his Word and Promises And by his Word beleeved he gives light of undeâ—standing and knowledge which drives out errors and false opinions and enables man to see his owne vilenesse and Gods goodnesse towards him whence ariseth the grace of humility and repentance also a sincere holy love of God feare and reverence of his Majesty joy rejoycing hope and delight in God and a will and desire to obey him in all things and in a word all Christian vertues by which a man becomes conformable to Christ Quest What is Effectuall Calling Answ. It is the work of the Spirit of Regeneration who by giving to the elect a new heart and spirit doth incline and enable them to follow the outward calling of the Word and to turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26. 18. Quest What is the Vnion of the Elect with Christ Answ. It is not a making of their severall persons one undivided Essence and Substance with the person of Christ For that unity is only in God and in the three persons of the blessed Trinity Neither is it a making of them one person with Christ by such a personal union as is between his Godhead and Manhood and betweene the soule and body of every man Neither is it a bodily uniting of them with Christ by a bodily mixture and composition of the substance of their soules and bodyes with the substance of the soule and body of Christ as wine and water are mingled together For such an union makes the things united inseparable in place one from another so that wheresoever Christs body is there they must needs be and can be in no other proper place who are thus united Neither is this union only in heart and affection But this is a spirituall mysticall and substantiall union in which Christ sitting at Gods right hand above the Heavens and they dispersed over all the Earth are made one spirituall and mysticall body whereof Christ is the head and they members by meanes of the same Spirit dwelling and working in them after the same maner as he dwelleth and worketh in the humane nature of Christ from his first conception and framing in the wombe For by one Spirit they are all Baptized into one body whereof Christ is the head and being many members they make up one body even as all members in naturall body though they be many make up but one body because they all have but one soule and life the holy Spirit of which they are regenerate borne againe and made new creatures is
the sure spirituall band of union betweene Christ the head and them the members of the same mysticall body Quest What is Adoption Answ. It is a necessary consequent of the union of the Elect with Christ For Christ being the only begotten Son of God by eternall generation as hee is God and as hee is Man by personall union with God the Sonne and by a supernaturall and miraculous generation and so heire of all things Heb. 1. 2. It must necessarily follow that whosoever are in him one body with him and lead by his Spirit do thereby come under the account of children and heires of God and of coheires with Christ and so God the Father doth esteeme respect and accoumpt them the Spirit dwelling in them doth witnesse with their spirit that they are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Quest What is the Communion with Christ of all his benefits Answ. It is a consequent that is a grace necessarily following from union with Christ For whosoever are by one Spirit baptized into Christ and made one spirituall body with him as really and substantially as all members in a mans body are one naturall body with the head they must needs have such a spirituall communion of all Christs treasures vertues and endowents as is the naturall communion which all the members in a mans body have with the head Christs sufferings satisfaction for sin righteousnesse ransome and intercession are theirs and they have a right and interest in them and communion of them all And thus God justifies and makes them fundamentally righteous by Christs perfect righteousnesse frees them from the guilt of all their sins by his satisfactory sufferings and accepts them for his redeemed and reconciled ones through Christs intercession and makes them actually accepted in his beloved Christ Eph. 1. 6. Quest What are the works of saving grace which God so worketh in the Elect that they also being moved by his Spirit do cooperat and worke together with him Answ. They are the actions of the Elect regenerat exercising by the motion of the Spirit those spirituall gifts and Christian vertues which were given them by renovation or renuing of the holy Ghost Quest Which is the first of them Answ The first is actuall Faith or Beleeving in God and in Christ for as the gift of Faith is the first of all spirituall gifts which by the renuing of the holy Ghost is wrought in the elect regenerate So the worke of their Faith that is actuall beleeving is the first of all which by the motion of the Spirit they performe after they are quickned and raised up to live a spirituall life Quest Why is the work of their Faith the first before the acts of knowledge repentance love hope and the rest Answ. Because Faith possesseth the whole heart and soule of man and informeth after a sort all the powers and faculties thereof even the understanding will and affections It is the opening of the understanding to take notice of Gods goodnesse and of the truth of his Word It is the inclining of the will to give assent to the whole Word of God and all truth therein revealed and to acknowledge all Gods Truth Goodnesse and Mercy in Christ It is the rectifying of the affections and the plyablenesse of them to trust in God to rely on him to hope in his mercy to love feare and reverence him and to hate all offence of his holy Majesty to sorrow for sin with godly sorrow to repentance to rejoyce and delight in the things of God and to bee zealous of good works and resolve to serve honour and obey God in a constant course of life This saving Faith sets a work all other graces and therefore all works of true godlinesse holinesse and righteousnesse performed by the Elect regenerate and sanctified are called fruits of Faith by which their Faith is openly shewed and made knowne as a tree by the fruits of it Quest Which is the proper work of true saving Faith Answ The proper work of it by which all other graces are set a work is a firme and stedfast beleeving with the whole heart of the Word of God and all things therein revealed which concerne their salvation by Christ that is both eternall life in the fruition of God and the way to it Quest What difference is there betweene this beleeving and that which is in Devils and in carnall hypocrites who beleeve these things or at least many of them at some times Answ. There is as great difference between them as between light and darknesse The beleeving of the Elect regenerat proceeds from a supernaturall cause and from a Divine and holyroot even the Spirit of God dwelling in them as Gods immortall seed and sanctifying them and therefore it is holy firme and stedfast and reacheth beyond all hope sense and reason But that of the Devils and carnall hypocrites proceeds from their own naturall reason convinced by sense experience and plaine arguments or by a common illumination of the Spirit shining from without into the hearts of hypocrites and temporary beleevers as we read of Simon Magus Act. 8. 13. and the hypocriticall Iews who beleeved in Christs name when they saw his miracles John 2. 23. And therefore their beleeving is carnall temporary and vanishing and goeth no further than sense and naturall reason do lead The beleeving of the Elect is the subsisting of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. That is they have the things which they beleeve as certainly as they beleeve that they have them and hope for them and their beleeving is a cleare evidence to them of their being in Christ and of their communion with him in grace and of their portion in Heaven which things are not seene with carnall eyes of sense or reason For the Spirit which works this beleefe hath united them to Christ and made Christ and all his benefits theirs already so that their beleeving is infallible and cannot deceive them But Devils carnall men and hypocrites cannot reach so far as to beleeve their own particular salvation in Christ or their having of things thereto belonging And if any of them do at any time Mich. 3. 11. it is but a false and vanishing beliefe In a word whosoever doth by a true saving Faith beleeve historically the Word of God and the truth therein conteined he hath withall an affiance in God and grace to beleeve by all other acts of Faith even to apply to himselfe all Gods promise by beleeving steadfastly that they belong to himself in particular For as the Spirit wch works this faith is the fountain of all grace and unites the beleevers to Christ makes him all his benefits theirs So this Faith necessarily produceth all acts of beleeving in them and makes them able by beleeving to apply to themselvs to enjoy all blessings which are to be found in Christ Quest What benefits do the Elect receive by
remembrance of him in the state of humiliation and of his infirmities obedience and sufferings which in that estate he did undergo in the forme of fraile flesh and bloud for us and to stirre us up so to apprehend him and feed on him by Faith For Christ did not redeeme us and pay our ransome by any thing which he did as God before his Incarnation nor by any thing which he doth as man exalted and glorified but as hee God and Man in the dayes of his flesh fulfilled the whole Law and suffered all punishments due to mans sin so hee paid our ransome brought in eternall righteousnesse and made full satisfaction to Gods Iustice and these are the things which together with himselfe are signified and sealed by Bread and Wine and are Spiritually given to and received by the Faithfull in this Sacrament Quest How can true Beleevers bee said to receive Christ and his benefits seeing they are already united to him and have Communion of them all and his satisfaction and righteousnesse is made theirs before in their regeneration when they were first effectually called and made fit to partake of this Sacrament Answ. The Spirit of God by this Sacrament rightly administred doth as by a sure pledge confirme and increase their Faith and set it a worke to lay hold on Christ and to apply him and his righteousnesse and satisfaction to themselvs more strongly and sensibly and by this meanes they are more feelingly united to him in love and affection and have a more sweet communion with him of all his benefits which doth like a plentifull feast refresh and feed their soules strengthen them in all grace and this is as it were a new and fresh receiving of Christ and the benefits of his Life and Death more abundantly in greater measure than they had him before Quest You have well declared the efficacy of the Sacraments and how the Spirit worketh by them Now tell me what the other meanes are and first what is prayer and invocation both publike and private Answ. Prayer and Invocation if it bee publike is the speech of the whole Congregation and if it be private of one person or more directed to God in the Name of Iesus Christ wherein all needfull blessings and increase of grace are asked and desired in Faith and Hope that God will give them for Christ his sake in such a measure as he in his wisdome doth know to be fit for every one Quest How is grace thereby increased Answ. The Spirit of God by stirring our hearts to pray and by putting fit words in our mouths or in the mouths of them who are the mouth of the Congregation inflameth our affections exerciseth our Faith kindleth our desires and reviveth the sense and feeling of our wants And by directing us to pray to God in the Name of Iesus Christ he maketh us implicitely to acknowledge and confesse that God is the author of all blessings and giver of all grace and so maketh us to give to him in our prayers all the glory with all humble thankfulnesse And God who is gracious rich in mercy faithfull and true in his promises will accept our holy and humble desires and for Christs sake and his own truths sake grant our requests and give a supply of grace and an increase of blessings Quest How doth the publike worship of God increase grace Answ. The publike worship of God performed outwardly and frequently in the congregation of his people by holy preaching and reverent hearing of his Word prayses thankes singing of Psalmes and reverent gestures and behaviour according to Gods Word is a speciall meanes by the inward operation of the Spirit to kindle and increase devotion in the hearts of all his people It is their using of his talents and improving of his graces in them to his glory And God hath promised that as they get more gaine of grace Mat. 25. 29. so hee will still adde more unto them and will surely establish them give them the gift of perseverance and uphold them by his grace unto the end till they be received to glory and come to eternall life and blessednesse Quest Wherein doth the eternall life and blessednesse of the Elect consist Answ. In the eternall sight knowledge and fruition of God in his Heavenly glory Ephes. 5. 27. For when Christ hath fully purged and sanctified his Church and people and made them fit to see God then will he present them before his glorious Maiesty to dwell in his presence where is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. 11. Quest Where shall they enjoy this blessednes Answ. In the Heavens where a Kingdom is prepared for them Luk. 12. 32. and John 14. 2. an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which shall never fade away 1 Pet. 1. 4. which is farre above all that the eye hath seen or the eare heard or that ever entered into the heart of man 1 Cor. 2. 9. Quest When shall they come to possesse this blessed inheritance Answ. They have the earnest of it in this life in the state of grace even the Spirit of adoption by which they are sealed up to the day of full redemption and even here in this life they finde that sweetnesse and communion with God that though they see him not yet beleeving they rejoyce with joy unspeakeable and full of glory But when their soules are loosed out of the prison of the body then shall their spirit bee made perfect and they shall in that better part depart hence and be with Christ and reigne in glory untill the last great day of account the generall judgement At which time the Lord Iesus Christ shall descend from heaven bring them with him And he the Prince of Angels with the commanding voyce of the Archangell shall call all the Angels of God to attend him and to gather before him al his Elect from the foure winds from one end of Heaven to the other and by the power of his voyce and the sound of the trumpet of God shall raise up their dead bodies purged in the grave from all the degrees of corruption and brought up in a most glorious forme like unto his own glorious body Which bodies shall not be prevented by the Elect and Faithfull then alive on earth but shall bee first raised up and joyned with their glorified soules before those then living shall be changed and in a moment in the twinckling of an eye shall they all together be ready to meet the Lord in the ayre whither they shall be caught up and being set at his right hand shall receive this comfortable sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world and so they shall bee ever with the Lord and raigne with him in glory world without end 1 Thes. 4. 17. 2 Tim 2. 12. Rev. 22. 5. Quest But what shall become of all wicked