33. Yea in Luke 17.34 35. I tell you saith he in that night there shall be two in one bed the one shall be taken and the other left Two men shall be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left So that at the day of judgement there will be a separation of the nearest and dearest relations that may be as between Husband and Wife yea Father and Child Oh! what a sad separation will that be when the Husband shall be separated from the Wife and the Wife from the Husband the Father from the Child and the Child from the Father You have often seen what a sorrowfull parting it is when the Wife buries her Husband and layeth him in the cold grave How she goeth home weeping and lamenting her sad loss though she hath hope of meeting him again in Gods Kingdom Oh but what an heavy parting and separation will there be when the one shall be set at the right hand of Christ the other at his left the one taken into Heaven and the other cast down into Hell Oh that all Husbands and Wives all Parents and Children all Masters and Servants would seriously think of this dreadfull separation and be thereby stirred up so to live together here in the fear of God that they may not be separated at the day of judgement when this sad and fearful separation shall be V. After this follows conviction of the wicked and a discovery of all their works Which is proper to go before giving of sentence For in all Courts of Justice there is no man condemned till he be convicted And therefore this Court of Christ being the most exactest Court for equity and justice we may well conclude that there will be no man condemned till he be convicted and his offences laid open before all And therefore at that day there will be 1. A conviction of the wicked and ungodly 2. A discovery of their sins to all the World Touching the conviction of the wicked two things are to be considered 1. The matter of their conviction or what they shall be convinced of 2. The means of their conviction or what they shall be convinced by I. The matter of their conviction shall be twofold they shall be convinced 1. Of their state That enquiry shall be made after this is evident Rom. 14.12 Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God that is what he is whether a sheep or a goat whether a believer or an unbeliever regenerate or unregenerate in Christ or out of Christ under the power of corrupt nature or sanctified by the grace of God Here in this world if carnal men make any enquiry after themselves at all it 's only after their outward wayes and actions not asking themselves What am I whose am I Am I of God or the Devil Am I in Christ or in my sins But for the most part enquiring only What have I done What life have I lived What course have I run 'T were well if there were more such enquiries as this now in this day Oh how seldome do we hear carnal men asking What have I done But in that day the great enquiry will be What art thou A Saint or a sinner A believer or unbeliever What charge hath been made upon thy nature Hath there been a work of grace wrought upon thee And as this will be the grand inquiry so this will be the great matter of conviction in that day Now men easily take themselves to be converts to be believers but then shall they be convinced of their mistakes and shall be made to acknowledge that they are still in their sins have rejected Christ and are strangers from the life of God 2. Of their actions as those that shall evidence what their state is All the wickedness of their lives shall be brought forth to light and made to stare them in the face and with such unquestionable evidence charged upon them that they shall stand speechless before their Judge not having a word to say to excuse and acquit themselves of this dreadful charge II. Touching the means of conviction know that this conviction will be by the opening of two books which we find mentioned in Scripture 1. The book of Gods Remembrance 2. The book of every mans Conscience The former we find mentioned Mal. 3.16 A book of Remembrance was written before God God hath a book of Remembrance as of the goods works and actions of the godly so of the evil works and actions of the wicked wherein their most secret abominations are registred and recorded Sinner all the wickednesses of thy life the secret villanies that thine heart hath been privy to which no eye of man ever saw or suspected all thy chamber sins all thy twilight sins all thy works of the night and of darkness yea secret and open which thou hast long since forgotten and buried out of thy sight all these are written and booked up before the Lord against that terrible day The latter book namely the book of Conscience we find mentioned Jer. 17.1 The Sin of Judah is written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the Tables of their hearts That is their sins are so fixed in their hearts and consciences that they cannot be forgotten but the memory of them all shall be revived And with the Apostle Their conscience also bearing witness and accusing them in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. In this book of conscience which God hath given to every man and woman as in Gods book so in this also are written all their thoughts words and actions yea their sinful omissions as well as their sinful commissions their secret impurities as well as their open impieties Now many mens consciences are as it were asleep so that though they are guilty of manifold sins and transgressions yet their consciences do not accuse them for the same but their iniquity is still marked and at that day every mans conscience shall be awakened bring forth its black roule even all his sins and so shall be as a thousand witnesses against him Then the Covetous Shop-keeper shall remember all his deceits in trading his false weights and measures his lying and dissembling Then shall the unclean person remember all his watchings for the twilight all his speculative wantonnesses and contemplative as well as practical uncleannesses Then shall the proud man remember all his phantastick fashions The malicious man all his envious wishes all his plots and stratagems to ensnare and mischief the godly Yea then shall every one read in this book the hell of his nature as well as the hideous abominations of this life then shall he see all his former sins which he had forgotten to be written in his conscience with indelible characters never to be blotted out That work of accusing which the conscience here doth in some men imperfectly it will at that
and manifesting his greatest power in their greatest impotency Yea though sometimes he seems to leave them in their distress yet he giveth such sufficient strength as they are thereby enabled to bear it and well to pass it through This is evident by the Apostles holy triumph in this case We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed The ground hereof is the assistance which God affordeth us and the strength which he communicateth to us IX All things shall work together for the good of the Regenerate And God will do them good by all in the latter end He will turn their losses into gain their crosses into comforts their sorrows into joy their cursing into blessings Those afflictive providences which seem to be most prejudicial unto them will in the issue prove most beneficial As we see in Ioseph The evil which his brethren intended against him turned to his good Their selling him as a slave to the Ishmaelites proved the means of his advancement How did Maâ—asses imprisonment work for his good For the text saith When he was in affliction he besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly and the Lord was entreated of him To know that nothing shall hurt a child of God is ground of exceeding great comfort and consolation But to be assured that all things even all cross-providences shall work together for his good is enough to fill the heart with joy Oh then how great is the happiness of every Regenerate person who may be assured that whatsoever befalleth him shall be for his good and doth work together for the best Certainly he may truly say Soul take thy spiritual ease for here is much spiritual good treasured up for thee X. A blessed death For so saith the Spirit Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord that is in the faith of Christ. Who are blessed both because then they rest from their labours from all their toyl and pains from all their griefs and sorrows As also because their works do follow them through free-grace in glorious rewards The souls of the Regenerate so soon as they are by death separated from the body go immediately into Heaven as is clear from that speech of our Saviour to the converted thief on the Cross This day thou shalt be with me in Paradice which place the Apostle expoundeth to be the third Heaven The word in the Original translated this day implyes that immediately after the breathing of his soul out of his body his soul should go to Heaven And thus it is with all the Regenerate unto whom death is like the red-Sea to the Israelites even a passage and thorow-fair into the Heavenly Canaan XI An happy Resurrection For at the sound of the last Trumpet all the Regenerate shall arise out of their graves like so many Iosephs out of Prison Whatsoever imperfections were before in their bodies as blindness lameness crookedness shall then be done away Though the body was sowen in corruption yet it shall be raised in incorruption not to be subject to any manner of aches pains diseases or imperfections Though it were sowen in weakness it shall be raised in power And though it was sowen in dishonour it shall be raised in glory Here it is many times deformed but then all deformities and defects shall be removed and the body made more glorious through the admirable beauty thereof Certainly if the Beauty of all the Men and Women in the World were concentred in one it would be far short of the Beauty of the Saints in Heaven whose bodies shall shine more gloriously than the Sun in the Firmament XII The last and highest priviledge of the Regenerate is That they shall have an Heavenly inheritance Fathers on earth use to provide inheritances for their Children And the Apostâ—e Peter Blesseth God who hath begotten us to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven The Regenerate in this life possâ—ss Heaven in Christ but hereafter they shall enjoy it in their own persons When they come to enjoy this heavenly inheritance they shall not only be freed from all evils both bodily and spiritual but likewise replenished with all good Their minds shall be inlightned their wills reformed their memories made blessed treasures their consciences purged their hearts purified their affections rectified their bodies glorified and all these perfectly There shall be a blessed communion of all the Saints together who shall enjoy the society of Angels and fellowship with Christ himself whose surpassing excellency they shall cleerly behold and partake of that glory wherewith he is arrayed What tongue can express what heart can conceive the excellency thereof If Peter Iames and Iohn seeing but some small glimpse of Christs glory and Majesty in his transfiguration were so ravished therewith that setting aside all worldly desires they wished only the continuance thereof Then how shall the Saints in Heaven be ravished with joy and comfort when they shall continually behold their Saviour Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father like a triumphant Conquerour having subdued his and his Churches enemies Thus have I shewed you some of the glorious priviledges of the Regenerate Oh happy day may that Man or Woman say as long as they live when God by his Spirit Regenerated them and made them new creatures Many keep their birth day as a day of rejoycing and feasting But they who know the day of their new-birth may well make that a day of rejoycing while they live in regard of the many glorious priviledges whereof they are thereby partakers CHAP. XVIII An Exhortation to bless God for the work of Regeneration And to walk worthy thereof II. A Second branch of the Use of Exhortation unto the Regenerate is To be thankfull unto God for this great mercy Admire the grace of God and bless his name for ever Art thou made alive Is the life of God begotten in thee And hast thou evidence of it O bless God whilest thou hast any being Let thine heart and mouth and life be filled with his Praises Take up the Psalmists words Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Wilt thou be thankfull unto God for thy natural birth And wilt not thou be thankfull to him for thy spiritual birth wilt thou bless him for that he hath made thee a reasonable creature And wilt thou not bless him for making thee a new-creature wilt thou bless him that thou art not a Toad And wilt thou not bless him that thou art not a Devil Is not Regeneration of all mercies the most necessary And wilt not thou be thankfull for that which is the one thing necessary If the Children of Israel praised God for their deliverance from the Aegyptian bondage how much more cause hast thou
with a love unto him again It is not sufficient to think and think often of sin and the misery it hath implunged as in but we must so think thereof as to work our hearts to an hatred of sin and a fear of that wrath of God it hath exposed us and made us lyable to and to a looking after Jesus Christ who alone can free us from the guilt of our sins and from the punishment due unto us for the same This is a work of so great concernment and advantage as none can truly apprehend but such as have made tryal therein David who was a man full of Holy and Heavenly affections was full of Heavenly meditation And from the experience of that abundant sweetness and comfort he found therein doth often in his book of Psalms commend it unto others and pronounceth that man blessed who meditates in the Law of God day and night Let thy soul full often soar aloft upon the wings of divine contemplation Let not any solitary season pass away without some spiritual meditation and conference with thy God Either take a sorrowfull survey of thy manifold sins which may draw from thee as hearty grief for the same so hearty ejaculations for the pardon and forgiveness of them Or take a view of Gods blessings and favours towards thee and let this inlarge and raise up thine heart in praises and thanksgivings unto him Or bath thy self in an admiring commemoration of the meritorious blood of the immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus which was abundantly shed for the washing of thy body and soul from the filthy spots and stains of sin Seriously think what he hath done and suffered for thee how he hath fullfilled the Law and undergone the punishment due to thy sins and now in Heaven maketh intercession for thee by presenting himself an allsufficient Sacrifice unto his Father for thy sins Oh think with thy self what thou must have suffered for thy sins if he had not suffered for them What thou hadst been if he had not redeemed thee even a bondslave of Satan and fire-brand of hell Especially let thy soul full often meditate on the glorious things which the Lord hath reserved in Heaven for such as here do sincerely serve him and obey the Gospel of Iesus Christ. Oh think with thy self what a blessed thing it will be to live in the vision and fruition of God himself in whose presence there is fullness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore As also what an happiness it will be to behold the glorious body of Iesus Christ shining there with such incomprehensible beauty as shall infinitely delight the eyes of the beholders and that to all Eternity without satiety for the longer the Saints behold Christ the more they will be ravished with joy and delight Ponder likewise as on the excellent qualities wherewith thy soul and body shall be adorned in Heaven so on the excellency of that place which is set forth in Scripture by Pearls and precious stones And the more to set off this glory and blessedness oft consider with thy self the deplorable state of the damned in hell who feel nothing for the present but wrath and vengeance and can expect nothing for the future but the fuller Vials of Gods indignation to be powred on them to all Eternity Such considerations as these will serve as notable helps to draw and keep thine heart Heaven-ward and to turn all the streams of thy desires and longings towards the God of glory But oh how many Christians are there who having an hope towards God and some confidence of their interest in things above do notwithstanding converse but very little with them Their thoughts are seldome on Heaven or Heavenly things that notwithstanding all their confidence they may well question whether their treasure be there Consider Reader As before the Lord whether this be not thine own case Thou canst not be ignorant that an heart estranged from Heaven hath little evidence that he hath any part or place therein And wilt thou yet perswade thy self that God is thine when thou carest no more for him Dost thou highly prize an Heavenly mind and account them the best and the happiest Christians that are much in Heaven and yet is it not grievous to thee to find that thou didst never in all thy life it may be or but very seldome fix thy thoughts thereon for a quarter of an hour together but hast many and many a time suffered the Devil to run away with thy thoughts and to detain them on this dunghill below Certainly it were better the Devil had power to run away with thine estate than with thy thoughts and to order their motions at his pleasure Oh the multitude of Worldly and covetous thoughts of wanton and unclean thoughts of proud and ambitious thoughts of wicked and prophane thoughts yea of blaspheamous and atheistical thoughts that lodge in the hearts of most of us and there Revel it day and night Oh the speculative filthiness and contemplative uncleanness that not only harbours but likewise find hearty wellcome and entertainment there Surely friend thou hadst best look to thy self and get thy heart cleared of these evill guests thy vile and vain thoughts drive away these birds of prey and then the thoughts of God will be more familiar and precious to thee That thou maist get up to this Heavenly-mindedness take these directions 1. Humble thy self unfeignedly for thy great strangeness to God and Heaven that thou hast so rarely set thine heart on things above And for the time to come let it be thy special care and endeavour to habituate thy self to Spiritual and Heavenly Meditations frequently to steep thy soul in Heavens delights 2. When thou findest thy mind and thoughts to be ridden by the Devil and carryed away from God lift up thine heart by earnest and fervent prayer unto him who is the Father of Spirits and hath power over Devils and begg of him that as by his permission he hath suffered the unclean Spirit to enter into thee so he would command him speedily to depart from thee that thy mind might be free for its proper work For he only can cast down imaginations and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 3. Work thy heart to a perfect detestation of all vain and wicked thoughts that thou maist be able to say with David I hate vain thoughts This will highten thy resolutions to a greater watchfulness against them for the time to come and to use thine utmost endeavour to drive them away so that though they may arise in thine heart yet they may not lodge there And know this for thy comfort that those vain and wicked thoughts which thou dost from thine heart hate and detest shall not be laid to thy charge at the great day of account 4. Above all things keep a watch over
sins subjects to yield a voluntary subjection of our selves unto the commands of sin Q. How may we know when corruption is mortified in us A. When it is not only restrained and kept from such ordinary breakings out into actual sins but the lusts and motions that issue from it are a grief to us yea we hate and detest them and groan under the burden of them we watch against them fight against them earnestly desiring to be delivered from them crying out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and corruption For the more profitable pressing this so necessary and difficult a duty I shall 1. Shew you some Motives and arguments to enforce the same 2. Some Means whereby it may be effected 3. The Manner how it ought to be performed The Reasons forcing this work of Mortification upon the Regenerate are these 1. After Regeneration there remaineth a body of sin and corruption in the best which if we endeavour not by the help of Gods Spirit to mortifie and subdue will gather strength and become mighty to the great hinderance of our duty and darkning all our comfort 2. Corruption doth not only remain in us as long as we live in this World but it is alwayes in continual work either stirring us up to evil or keeping us from that which is good or defiling our best actions In which respect saith the Apostle the flesh lusteth against the Spirit And from his own experience he cryeth out I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members so that I cannot do the good which I would but rather do the evil which I hate How doth it then concern us daily and hourly to fight and strive against these lusts which are continually working and warring in our members hindering and spoiling all our duties breaking our peace undermining all our hopes and comforts and seeking our lives we must either kill or be killed 3. By a conscionable performance of this duty we shall be freed from those hainous and scandalous sins into which other mens lusts do carry them Should corruption have its way and course without resistance in the best of us it would soon break forth into the most loathsome and disgracefull sins that are committed by the very worst of men as we see in David Solomon and others Is it not then needfull for us to keep down and withstand the first motions and risings of sin in our hearts before it break forth into such wicked and disgracefull acts which will blast our credit and reputation and bring a scandal upon our Religion and profession 4. Mortification of sin was one special end of Christs death who dyed to save his people from their sins not to save them in their sins but from their sins as from the guilt and punishment so from the power of them And indeed whom Christ delivers from the damnation of sin he first delivers also from the dominion of sin Whom he intends to save from hell he first saveth them from iniquity he saves their souls by killing their sins If thou findest any lust to remain unmortified in thee bearing rule in thine heart and sway in thy life thou hast just cause to question thy interest in Christ and his salvation They that are Christs have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts II. The Means whereby the work of Mortification may be effected by us are these I. When thou feelest corruption working in thee and stirring thee up to evil then call to mind and lay to heart the ensuing considerations 1. Consider the shortness of the pleasure of sin with the length of the punishment following thereupon without true and unfeined repentance The one for a moment the other everlasting The pleasure is but short but the punishment is for ever and ever The torments of the damned in hell are intensively most grievous in themselves but that which mainly and infinitely adds to the greatness of them is because they are eternal They are tormented day and night for ever and ever The Worm is alwayes gnawing and the fire continually burning therefore called unquenchable fire Oh what a folly must it then needs be yea and madness beyond admiration for the short fruition of these perishing pleasures and transient contentments here to implunge our selves into everlasting burnings Oh how terrible is the thought of eternity in those tormenting flames where the damned would think themselves happy if after they had endured them so many thousand years as there are Sands on the Sea-shore or Stars in the Firmament they might then be assured of enlargement But when all that time is past and innumerable millions of years and ages are run out they are as far from an end as at their first entrance Why wilt thou then purchase a little sensual delight at so dear a rate for a moments pleasure to incurr everlasting woe and misery O the fire of hell if thou wouldst send down thy thoughts thither would burn up thy Lusts which otherwise will be the fuel to burn thy soul. 2. Consider thy extream folly in gratifying thy sinfull Lusts thereby thou hast chosen and preferred thy fleshly pleasure thy carnal content before the glory of God the everlasting joyes of Heaven and the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Oh monstrous madness and unconceivable folly at which the Angels blush and Heaven and Earth cannot but stand amazed 3. Call to mind and consider some of the threatnings in Gods Word as against sin in general so against that particular Lust which thou findest most working and stirring in thee and unto which thou findest strongest inclinations in thy self First Call to mind and consider sâ—me of the threatnings against sin and sinners in general Upon the wicked saith the Psalmist God shall rain fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. And saith the Apostle Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil Secondly When thou findest any inclination in thy self to a particular sin as unto drunkenness seriously consider that of the Wise man who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath contentions c. they that tarry long at the Wine they that go to seek mixt Wine When thou findest any inclination or temptation unto uncleanness seriously weigh that of the Apostle Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate shall inherit the Kingdom of God And again Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge When thou findest any inclinations unto Covetousness call to mind that of the Prophet Isaiah Wo unto them that joyne house to house and lay field to field till there be no place and that of the Apostle The love of money is the root of all evil which while some have
without a gracious answer and then see if this be not his answer Son be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven be thou cleansed of all thy corruptions thy faith hath made thee whole Having shewed the Means whereby the work of Mortification may be effected I come now to shew the Manner how it ought to be performed 1. Our Mortification must be speedy Begin to day let the ax be presently laid to the root of these trees and whenever you feel the Devil at work blowing up the Coals of Lust be instantly in arms give not time to sin to get head upon thee resist it in its first motions and risings Delayes herein are very dangerous That Lust which at first may easily be overcome afterwards will hardly be kept under Why should we not be as wife for our souls as we are for our bodies who having fire cast into his bosome or house will not presently cast it out and quench it Woe to those fools who let alone these hellish fires and trifle so long till it hath gotten the mastery You whose Lusts are through your own neglects gotten up into a flame fear leâ—t it be too late to quench them fear lest these fires having been neglected so long should now burn to the bottom of Hell Vain wicked wanton thoughts are evil seeds sown in our hearts by our adversary the Devil which if they be let alone will insensibly grow up first into a blade then to an eare and so bring forth a dismal harvest of wickedness and wrath And therefore our wisest course must needs be so soon as they are sown speedily to weed and pull them up by the roots To which agreeth that of an ancient We must not suffer those fleshly vices to grow and increase but rather destroy them in their first beginnings 2. Our Mortification must be willing and voluntary not forced and constrained The Marriner in a storm casteth away his goods because he dares keep them no longer yet still his heart goeth after them And this is all the mortification of the most they will cast off their transgressions because they dare do no other Then only are we sincere in this work when our hearts are the first in all that opposition we make against our sins when we pray against them heartily when we watch and wrestle and strive and resist them with all our hearts when our very souls long to see the blood of our Lusts and if it were possible we might with safety yet our hatred against them would not suffer them to live They are like to do something to purpose against sin whose hearts do give the first charge upon them 3. Our Mortification must be universal extending it self to all our sinfull Lusts with a sincere purpose not to bear with our selves in any known sin For most certain it is that true mortification and an advised remaining in the practice of any known sin cannot possibly stand together Therefore the Prophet David to testifie the truth of his Mortification saith I have refrained my feet not from one or two but from every evil way he did not willingly bear with himself in the practice of any one sin well knowing every sin to be a transgression of the Law These two words Sin and transgressioâ— are convertible Whosoever committeth sin saith the beloved Disciple Iohn transgresseth the Law for sin is the transgression of the Law yea every sin and so makes us lyable to the wrath of God to all judgements and plagues here and to eternal damnation hereafter God will not spare that soul that will have any one of his sins spared to him He that would have one sin spared would have another and another if it served his turn He that would not have all of Christ would in truth have none of him And he that would not be rid of all sin has no sincere mind to be rid of any Christ will have all or nothing every duty must be done or as good you did none â—very sin must be left or as good you kept them all Canst thou let all sin go but this one even this must go too or thy life must go for it O friend set thy self against every sin great and small open and secret carnal and spiritual Set thy self against them heartily be willing to prosper and overcome and set upon them speedily let no iniquity live a day longer nor sleep a night more in quiet with thee only remembring to go forth against them in the strength of the Lord and then we shall quickly find thee to be one of Christs mortified ones who as thou art dead with Christ shalt certainly live with Christ and raign with Christ to all Eternity FINIS Josh. 24.15 As for Me and my House we will serve the Lord. CHAP. I. The Parts of the Text and Observation thence arising THe summ of these words is The good mans godly râ—solution to serve the Lord with his houshold In which we may observe these particulars 1. The person resolving viz Ioshua he it is who makes this resolution 2. The order of his resolution first himself will serve the Lord and then his house 3. The extent of his resolution viz. his whole house as for me and my house 4. The matter resolved on and this is to serve God Each of these might afford unto us a distinct point of Doctrine But I shall wave them all and insist upon one which as it comprehendeth the main scope of the words so it best suiteth with the scope of my intention in this discourse which is to press all Parents Masters and Governours of Families to a constant and conscionable performance of holy and religious duties in and with their Families The point of Doctrine is this Observ. It is a duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families to be carefull that not only themselves but also all under their charge even their whole houshold do faithfully serve the Lord. It is not sufficient for Governours of Families to be good Christians themselves but they ought to be Christian Governours Not enough to be themselves Religious but they must train up all under their charge in the knowledge and practice of Religion And the truth is good Christians they cannot be who are not Christian Governours He hath little Religion himself that doth not faithfully endeavour to propagate it in his Family Thus Ioshua as a Master of a Family undertaketh not only for himself but also for his whole houshold that he with them and they with him should serve the Lord. Yea and in all ages such as have been most eminent in grace have been most exact in their Family-duties instance Abraham the Father of the faâ—thfull of whom God himself giveth thiâ— testimony I know Abraham that he will command his Children and his houshold after him that they shall keep the way of the Lord c. And Iacob his Grand-child walking in the steps of his Father Abraham was
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone to all eternity Oh me-thinks the name of eternal judgement should if not fright him out of his wits yet awaken eyely unregenerate man out of his security and stir him up without further delay to abandon his wicked and ungodly course of life and to set upon the practice of all holy and religious duties and to labour therein to get the work of Regeneration wrought in his heart that he may become a new creature It may be thou hast a plentiful portion of this Worlds goods enjoying what thine heart can wish or desire But oh what will it profit thee to live plentifully and prosperously here and to be eternally miserable hereafter Thy former happiness will serve only to make thee more sensible of future miseries And therefore when thou art tempted to any unlawfull pleasure or profit reason thus with thy self Shall I for a short momentary pleasure that will soon have an end run the hazard of an eternal judgement that will never have an end shall I for a little profit here loose my soul to all Eternity What greater folly yea what greater madness can be imagined Thus much of the miseries of the Unregenerate in this life Come we now to shew their miseries at death CHAP. VIII Sheweth the miserable and dreadfull condition of the Vnregenerate at their death IF the life of an unregenerate man be so miserable as hath been shewed How dolefull think you will be his death surely his misery then will be much increased As will appear from the consideration of these particulars I. When death shall appear unto thee and tell thee it hath a message from the Lord who hath sent an habeas corpus for thy body Then comes in Conscience if a little awakened with her books of accounts her black and bitter roul and shews thee thy old reckonings and arrears setting before thee the follies of thy youth the sins of thy riper years and the iniquities of thy whole life Ah sinners thou who goest on impenitently in thy wicked and ungodly course of life consider with what a ghastly countenance thou wilt look upon that black and hellish Catalogue of all thy sins thy lyes and oaths thy railing and rotten speeches thy scoffings at Gods people thy goods ill gotten thy time ill spent thy profanation of Sabbaths thy speculative wantonness yea thy many actual filthinesses and uncleannesses thy pride worldliness and covetousness thy sensual revellings and jovial meetings Ah sinner sinner what horrour will then possess thy soul no heart of man can conceive nor tongue of men and angells can express Indeed many there are who upon their death-beds have little right or sense of their sins neither do they think of judgement or eternity but drop into hell before they consider any thing But yet upon the approach of death commonly there is some terrour and trembling upon the consciences of carnal men and if ever any sin did formerly sting it will then especially Oh methinks a serious apprehension and sensible fore-thought of these things even at hand for ought any man knows should make the hardest heart to tremble and melt into tears of unfained sorrow II. The Devil will not be then wanting to aggravate thy sins and to set before thee the curses and the judgements due unto thee for the same thereby to drive thee to despair For when death layeth siege to the body then doth he most violently assault the soul. And the shorter he perceiveth his time to be the more eagerly doth he bestir himself And when through pain of body and perplexity of mind thou art least able to make resistance then will he most fiercely assault thee Whereas formerly his great design was to â—ull thee fast asleep in a presumptuous security by perswading thee that thy state and condition was as good as the best and thy salvation sure enough at thy death if he be not then also pursuing the same design if he can no longer hold thee under thy sleep it will be his great work to perswade thee that thy sins are greater than can be forgiven that there is no place for thee in Heaven and that it is impossible thou shouldst be saved He that hath made the way to Heaven so broad and the entrance so easie all thy life long will at thy death do his utmost to shut the door against thee III. Death puts an end to all thy Worldly comforts and contentmâ—nts which must all die with thee as to thy use and comfort It salutes thee with this sad word Thou hast received thy good things Now an end of thy Heaven and joy Particularly 1. Then thou must part with all thy carnal pleasures and delights which thou hast loved so dearly Yea then thou wilt find little comfort remaining of all thy former pleasures wherein thou tookest so much content and delight and for the enjoyment whereof thou dispensedst not only with the duties of thy calling but likewise with the duties of piety Yea it will be a very hell unto thee upon earth to consider what eternal torments thou art like to endure for those poor and perishing pleasures which thou enjoyedst here for a season Are these the things for which I dye Are these the price of my soul of my blood of my peace Ah sinner the remembrance of thy past pleasures will then possess thee with a double passion First with grief because thou art parting with them And then with dâ—tâ—station because they have brought upon thee such bitter sorrows and torments in hell with the Devils and damned to all eternity O the tayle of these Locusts whose fair faces have heretofore bewitched thee O the sting the sting that they carry in their tayles which is now all that remains to thee 2. Thou must part with thy nearest and dearest relations as thy dear Wife or dear Husband with thy beloved Children Death will separate thee from them all Ah sinners sad will it be to part with these here to live for ever with the Devils and damned in hell And how will it torment thee when you must part to remember to how little good purpose you lived together 3. Thou must part with thy wealth and riches carrying nothing away with thee of all thy enjoyments We brought nothing into the World and it is certain we can carry nothing out as the Apostle speaketh But as we came naked into the World so we shall go naked out of the World And therefore when rich men dye they are said to leave a good estate behind them And indeed they may well be said to leave it because they cannot carry it away with them Ah sinner I know it will be a death to thee to part with thy wealth which was thy life but to consider how thou hast damned thy soul for the getting thereof this will be an hell to thee 4. Thou must part with all the means and opportunities of grace Now thou enjoyest the ordinances of
the Sons of God Certainly that Christ should come out of Heaven to keep us out of hell that he should uncrown himself to Crown us must needs argue a wonderful willingness in him to have poor sinners saved 5. Christs Willingness appeareth by his rejecting of none who sincerely go unto him though never so weak and worthless in themselves Never did any sinner go to him but he accepted of him as himself expresseth All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that â—ometh unto me I will in no wise cast out but receive him to mercy Hath Christ promised this and will he not be as good as his Word Did he ever break his word with any poor soul though never so unworthy Did he ever cast away any who came unto him And is he not the same yesterday to day and for ever Go sinner fear not go upon the credit of this word which he hath spoken I will in no wise cast them out Though the Devil say go not though thy misgiving heart say go not he will not regard thee he will never look on such a vile wretch he will cast thee out yet since he hath said He will not go and thou shalt find mercy Thus have I by several demonstrations proved as God the Fathers willingness to save the worst of sinners So Christs readiness to embrace all poor sinners who will but come unto him for life and salvation Wherein I have the longer insisted because I know no better argument to prevail with sinners to turn from their sins unto God by true and unfeigned repentance and to close with Jesus Christ by a true and lively faith than a serious consideration as of Gods readiness to save the worst of sinners upon their turning unto him so of Christs Willingness to embrace all poor sinners who will come unto him and receive him as their Lord and Saviour I have read a story of a Gentle-woman who was condemned to dye for killing her own child whereupon divers Ministers came to visit her and perceiving her little affected with her sin and sad condition they laboured to set before her the hainousness of her sin and the dreadfulness of her condition without hearty and deep repentance All which little moved her seeming rather the more hardened in her sin But at last another Reverend Divine hearing of her obdurate hardness notwithstanding all that was said unto her went and preached to her the abundant riches of Gods mercy in Christ how ready he was to embrace with the arms of his free-grace every penitent sinner and how willing Christ was to receive all poor sinners who would go unto him and cast themselves into his arms how many and hainous soever their sins were and thereupon told her there was hope of mercy for her if she were heartily sorry for her sins and would adventure her soul upon Christ notwithstanding the greatness and hainousness of her sin What! mercy for me said she that is impossible c. Whereupon the Minister proceeded further to set forth the freeness of Gods grace and riches of his mercy to all penitent and believing sinners declaring unto her how God delighted in mercy and that where sin had abounded there his grace and mercy would much more abound or to that purpose And thereupon she presently fell a weeping wringing her hands and cryiâ—g for mercy and dyed very comfortably as it is related having had the mercy of God abundantly revealed to her before her death And truly sinner as it was my design so my hearts desire in sâ—tting forth Gods willingness to save the very worst of sinners upon their repentance and Christs readiness to embrace them with the arms of his mercy that it might have the same effect in thee as it had in the forementioned Gentle-woman And oh that the consideration thereof would melt thine heart into tears of unfeigned sorrow for thy sins past and stir thee up to turn from them unto God by hearty repentance and to close with Jesus Christ upon the terms of the Gospel Oh that I could prevail with thee as to give a bill of divorce to thy lusts and corruptions so to give up thy self unto Christ and to adventure thy soul upon him resting upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon of thy sins here and for eternal life and salvation hereafter If Christ be so willing to receive thee why shouldst not thou be willing to go unto him and that with confidence of acceptance Salvation is this day offered unto thee the golden Scepter is held out unto thee Oh stretch forth the hand of faith to lay hold and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ so shalt thou be happy to all Eternity For whosoever believeth in Iesus Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Thus much of the truths to be embraced in order to your Regeneration CHAP. XIV Sheweth the Duties to be Practised in order to your Regeneration HAving shewed you the truths to be embraced in order to your Regeneration I come now to the Duties on your part to be practised and performed I. From the consideration of the dreadfulness of thy condition so long as thou continuest in thine unregenerate estate and of the hope thou hast of a blessed change stir up in thy self an earnest longing restless desire after the new birth that thou maist in truth say O that I were Regenerate and born anew Oh that the Image of the Devil might be razed out and the Image of God imprinted in me O that a blessed change were wrought in my soul a change from nature to grace from darkness to light from the Kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Oh that I might become a new creature renewed throughout in all the faculties of my soul and all the parts of my body As Rachel cryed Give me Children or else I dye So do thou cry out and say Give me this new birth let me be born again by the spirit or else I shall dye not only the first but likewise the second death and be undone for ever And know for thy comfort if thou canst find any such longing desire in thy soul thou art not far from this new birth from the work of Regeneration in thy soul. For this longing desire after this new birth will put thee upon the use of all ordinances and means God hath sanctified for the attaining thereof II. Labour to get thine heart deeply and throughly affected with a sense of thy miserable condition by nature It is not sufficient to know thy condition to be sad and deplorable so long as thou continuest in thine unregenerate estate but thy care and endeavour must be to get thine heart throughly affected therewith If you look into the Scriptures you shall find this qualification required in the persons whom Christ came to save and whom he invites to come unto him Our blessed Saviour speaking to Zacheus saith The Son
worketh faith to close with Jesus Christ. For untill thou beest truly humbled under a sense and apprehension of thy sins and misery it is not possible thou shouldst heartily desire Christ much less cordially embrace him as thy Saviour and redeemer Oh therefore labour in the use of all means God hath sanctified to get thine heart kindly humbled and broken for thy sins To this end 1. Look back into thy life and call to mind as many of thy sins as possibly thou canst the sins of thy youth as well as of thy riper years thy sins of omission as well as thy sins of commission yea the sins of thy holy services Especially call to mind the greatest and grossest of thy sins though they were committed long ago Thus did the Prodigal begin his humiliation and repentance by a serious examination of his former course of life calling to remembrance his departure from such a gracious Father his own wandrings in the wayes of wickedness in which he had lost himself and then as the text noteth He arose and came to his Father and with tears said unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son To acknowledge thy self in the general to be a sinner works but a formal kind of repentance and humiliation if any at all But if thou wouldst be truly humbled thou must descend to thy special and particular sins saying this evil have I done and that good have I left undone 2. Consider together with the number the hainousness of thy sins To this end call to mind the aggravating circumstances of them as how thou hast sinned against the motions of Gods Spirit the admonitions of his Ministers the checks of thine own conscience against the light of nature against the patience and long-suffering of God which should have led thee to repentance 3. Seriously consider the fearful threatnings against sin and sinners which are all judgements and plagues here and eternal death and condemnation hereafter and apply them to thy self reasoning thus If the least transgression of the Law deserveth the curse of God yea all judgements and plagues here and eternal condemnation hereafter then how many curses and plagues what and how great condemnation have I deserved who have committed sins innumerable for number and hainous in their quality And withall consider the truth and faithfulness of God in making good his threatnings as well as his promises 4. Beg this great Mercy of an humbled heart from God For it is he who must strike our stony hearts these hard Rocks of ours before they can yield any water of true repentance it is he who must pour out of the spirit of grace upon our hard hearts before we can pour out any penitent tears or lament as we ought for our sins It is he that must thaw our frozen hearts before they can dissolve into kindly sorrow To him therefore alone thou must go for this great work of humiliation And that thy prayers may be the more prevalent 1. Confess unto God the hardness of thine heart how it is grown to such an adamantine hardness that neither the thundrings nor threatnings of the Law nor the sweet showers the promises of the Gospel can make it relent or dissolve Confess unto God that Though thou hast broken his holy and righteous Laws ten thousand thousand times yet the consideration thereof hath not broken thine heart Oh this rock this rock when shall it be pierced Oh this hard heart I cannot break it I would melt I would mourn but cannot I can mourn for a lost friend for a lost estate but I cannot mourn for a lost soul. Oh what groanings and sighings and lamentations will afflictions press out of me but my sins my sins how little do they move me The pains of my body I can feel and roar under but O what a stock am I under the plague of my heart Lord smite this rock My plaints are before thee mine eyes are towards thee I cannot weep but I can cry for a broken heart Lord hear me 2. In thy Prayers plead that gracious promise of God to take away the stony hearts out of our flesh and to give us hearts of flesh Hath God promised and is there no hope in the promise Is there hope and wilt thou not lay hold on that hope plead with thy God upon his own word Is not this thy Word O Lord Hast not thou said thou wilt make this stone flesh will it ever be done if thou dost it not wilt not thou do what thou hast said Is it not thy will that I should believe thou wilt Oh perform thy word unto thy Servant wherein thou hast commanded me to put my trust 3. Be importunate in this request of thine unto God often renewing thy prayers and never give over till thou find thine hard heart brought into a mourning and melting frame Though God for a while seemeth deaf to thy prayers yet be not thou dumb many petitions he cannot deny IV. Resolve to give a present bill of divorce to all thy sinful lusts and pleasures utterly to renounce and forsake thine old sinful course of life and to set upon a new course to serve God in holiness and righteousness all the remaining part of thy life It s vain for thee to lament and bewail thy past sins if thou wilt not give over thy sinning trade For as the Apostle adviseth Thou must first put off the old man with his corrupt-lusts before thou put oâ— the new man Thou therefore who hast accustomed thy self to swearing and cursing to whoring and drinking to scoffing and railing against the people of God resolve to swear and curse no more to whore and drink no more to scoff and rail no more but cast them away with detestation avoiding the places and occasions of these sins For it is a vain thing to think thy self strong enough to abstain from any sin when thou canst not withdraw thy self from the occasions thereof Ah sinner if thou hast any regard to thy precious soul it will be thy wisdom speedily to resolve to leave thine old course of life and to turn over a new leaf Think not of peace with God whilest thou art at peace with sin Think not that thine old scores are crossed whilest thou art so freely scoring up a new Deceive not thy self thy divorce from sin and thy marriage with Christ must be both on the same day And count not thy self divorced till thou and thy sins be parted Resolve this day to have done with thy old wayes for ever At once give Christ his welcome and thy lusts their farewell There is no true humiliation for sin where there is not a resolution against it Say not thou art not humbled enough how little soever thy sorrow be if thou art sincerely resolved against iniquity And say not thou art humble enough how deep soever it hath been if there follow not this resolution
stirring thee up to any good duty omitted oh turn these motions into performances and presently fall upon the practice of those duties whether it be praying in thy closet or in thy Family or such like Doth the Spirit of God beam any light from the Word into thine understanding whereby thou art more throughly convinced of thy miserable condition by nature of the excellency of the new birth of the necessity thereof unto Salvation Labour to improve this light to the stirring up in thee an earnest longing desire after the work of Regeneration Hath the Spirit of God in a Sermon so convinced thee of some grofs scandalous sin or sins that thou art pricked at the heart and deeply humbled under the sense and apprehension of them oh content not thy self with some sudden pangs of affection but forthwith go into some secret place and there take the advantage of thy present relenting frame of heart for the more free and full confessing of thy sins unto God and ingaging thy self by a solemn covenant unto him to be more watchfull over thy self as against thy former lend and wicked courses so against the occasions leading thereunto Ah sinner it will be thy Wisdom carefully to observe and diligently to improve all the motions and stirrings of Gods Spirit in thy Soul and Conscience by seconding the work of this holy Spirit in thee Lose not the Wind and Tide the Wind may lye the Tide may turn and where art thou then 't will be hard Rowing against Wind or Tide Thou little thinkest what advantage such motions wisely improved may be to thy soul and what prejudice the slighting and neglecting of them may be unto thee for ought thou knowest thine eternal happiness or misery may depend upon the improving or slighting the same VIII Be much in the company of the godly walk with them who walk with God He that walketh with the wise shall be more wise he that walketh with the humble shall be more humble he that walketh with the holy shall learn holiness As there is no greater hinderance to the work of Christ than the society of the wicked So there is no greater furtherance to it than the society of those who fear God For there is none will be so ready to pitty and compassionate you to counsel and direct you in the way to Heaven as these none so ready to provoke and egg you on unto godliness to encourage and cheer you up when you do well and to reprove you when you do amiss as these none so ready to communicate their experiences to you O come say they and we will tell you what the Lord hath done for our souls So that in the company of the godly there is much good to be got they being like Lanthorns which disperse their light round about If thou beest much in their company thou shalt hear much of God much of Christ and much of Heaven they use to be talking much of the riches of that Countrey and the glory of that holy City whether they are travelling They will be opening to you the excellency of Jesus Christ the riches of his love the all-sufficiency of his Sacrifice his willingness to receive all poor sinners who will go unto him and adventure their souls upon him And who knoweth how much their discourse may warm thine heart and raise up thy desires after Christ. Agrippa was almost perswaded to be a Christian whilest he was talking with St. Paul And the Ennuch was not only almost but altogether perswaded whilest he was conversing with Philip. As therefore thou desirest to further the work of grace begun in thy soul be much in the company of those who are gracious who will be exceedingly helpfull to thee therein as by their prayers so by their counsel and good example For their lives tell thee what it is to walk in the Spirit what to mortifie the flesh and to live aboâ—e all the alluring vaâ—ities of the world Oh Christians encourage poor sinners to come among you let your discourses be practical Sermons let your wayes be living copies of that holy doctrine which you have received let your conversation be full of love life pitty compassion towards them be ready to teach counsel encourage and help them on after the Lord. Teach not sinners to say by the barrenness and unsavouriness of your lives there is no more of God to be gotten in the dwellings of the Righteous than in the tents of Wickedness Thus have I shewed you the Means on our part to be performed for the furthering the new birth and the work of Regeneration in your souls And now give me leave to propound one Question to you Are you resolved with the grace and assistance of God speedily to put your selves upon the practice of these Directions or no If you think these things more than necessary and are ready to say What need so much ado as if without so much hearing so much reading so much praying and the like there were no hope of Regeneration and Salvation you may then sit down and take your ease But know for certain that without a conscionable use of these Means you are like to fall short as of Regeneration here so of Salvation hereafter For where God hath appointed Means he doth not ordinarily work without them and therefore if you will not use Gods Means no wonder if you go without his grace Ah sinners I beseech you for the sake of your precious souls do not willfully refuse to be happy do not wittingly plunge your souls into everlasting miseries Be willing to be happy awaken your sleepy stir up your lazy hearts to be doing Heaven is not gotten with a wish everlasting glory is worthy your utmost pains and will not be gotten without it What say you after all that hath been said Are you willing to be converted to become new men and to take up a new course If you are not yet when will you Are you content to dye in your present state If you were now breathing out your last and just passing into another World would you not wish you had hearkened to counsel Though thou wilt live the life yet art thou content to dye the death of the obstinate and hardned Be not Brutes and mad men If Christ be best at death if holiness will be best at last if you know and believe that when you come to dye you shall wish you had made Christ sure then sure your standing out against Christ now your refusing grace now is the first-born of follies O be wise consider what 's before you Christ and the World holiness and sin life and death choose now for your selves and if you will be advised let your this dayes choice be the same which you are resolved shall be your dying choice If you would not choose to dye in your sins to dye Drunkards to dye adulterers to dye Scoffers to dye unbelievers live not out this day in such a dreadfull state CHAP.
Chain and he cannot go one link thereof farther than he pleaseth 2 From siâ— Though the Regenerate are not freed from the in-being of sin which doth and will live in them so long as they live in this World yet are they freed both from the guilt of sin and from the power and dominion of sin 1. From the guilt of sin that is from that wrath and punishment which is due to sin so that none of our sins shall be able to condemn us For Christ as our Surety Saviour and Redeemer did bear all our sins in his body upon the tree and there offered up his life as an all sufficient Sacrifice and full satisfaction to Gods justice for the same So that God being fully satisfied by the death of Christ for our sins he will not nay he cannot in justice require satisfaction again from us Well therefore might the Apostle make this bold challenge who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect seeing Christ hath dyed and by his death fully satisfied Gods justice for their sins 2. From the power and dominion of sin which cometh to pass by the Spirit of Christ conveighed to them whereby their sins are in some measure mortified and subdued so that they do not rule nor raign in them as formerly Sin shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle and why because you are not under the Law but under grace In our unregenerate estate sin had not only possession of us but dominion over us so that we did yield a willing subjection unto the command of sin But since we are regenerated by the Spirit of God we are freed though not from the in-being yet from the dominion of sin So that though sin may tyrannize over us yet shall it not raign in us We shall not yield a free and willing obedience to the command thereof This is the great comfort of Gods Children that though sin be not removed yet it is subdued Though they oftentimes feel the workings and stirrings of corruption in them which make them to have many a sad heart and wet eye yet are they freed through Christ from the dominion of sin 3. The Regenerate are freed from the Law not only from the Ceremonial and Iudicial Law which were peculiar to the Jews and dyed with the decay of their Common-wealth but likewise from the Moral Law which concerns all men at all times in all places yet not as it is a rule of Obedience and Christian walking for so it still remains in force even to the Children of God even after their Regeneration But 1. As it was a Covenant of works or as the Covenant thereof was works We are not absolutely bound to such rigour and exactness as that required Indeed we ought to endeavor after the most perfect obedience and to be humbled for our defects and failings therein but not to despair because of them for all failings not allowed are pardoned Besides Christ our surety hath in all things fullfilled the Law and performed perfect obedience thereunto So that the strictness of the Law being fulfilled by our surety it s not expected that it should be performed by us in our own persons 2. We are freed from the Curse and condemnation of the Law Christ saith the Apostle hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us So that although we do not perform it in that exact manner and measure which it requireth yet our transgressions shall not be imputed to us to condemnation The Law may condemn the actions but not the persons of the Regenerate it hath nothing to do with them therefore the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus V. Provision of all needfull good things is another priviledge of the Regenerate who have a right to all good things through Christ and the possession of all things God seeth good for them It is observable that when God was with Israel in the Wilderness where nothing was to be had they lacked nothing It is naturally engrafted into all Parents to provide for their Children what then can they want who have God for their Father who as he is all-sufficient so a most loving Father to his Children whose love far surpasseth the love of natural Parents to their Children Art thou a Child of God by Regeneration then look up to thy Heavenly Father for a supply of all good things For can they that are evill know how to give good gifts to their Children saith our Saviour And shall not your Heavenly Father give to you the things whereof ye have need He feedeth the Fowls of the air and the Beasts of the Field and he that is carefull to provide for his Hawks and his Hounds will he suffer his Children to beg and starve who must one day be his heirs Be not then faithless but believe and say not What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithall shall we be cloathed For your Heavenly Father knoweth whereof ye have need and shall relieve you VI. Acceptance of their Services though full of weaknesses infirmities and imperfections Natural Parents are not more ready to accept of the weak Services performed by their Children than God is to take in good part the imperfect services of his Children How maimed and broken are our prayers many times yet coming from a broken heart they find acceptance with God Though he regardeth not the glorious works of hypocrites yet he graciously accepteth of the weak Services of his Children done in sincerity When we cannot pray with that affection and fervency as we desire yet if we set upon it with an honest and sincere heart doing it in obedience to the command of God with a desire to approve our selves unto him therein and grieving for our failings and imperfections God will overlook our failings and crown our weak endeavours with acceptance VII Protection from things hurtfull is another priviledge of the Regenerate They are here subject to manifold casualties and contingencies from which the Lord in mercy protects them keeping Watch and Ward for them Yea he is said to be a wall of fire round about his people A wall to defend them and of fire to consume those that rise up against them So that they shall not be afraid of evil tydings for their hearts are fixed trusting in the Lord. I deny not but the Children of God may be wronged oppressed spoiled of all they have and unjustly stain yet in all these shall they not be hurt for God will turn all to their good Note what David said of Shimei's cursing him The Lord will look on my affliction and requite good for his cursing this day On this ground the Hebrews took joyfully the spoyling of their goods VIII Support under all afflictions is another priviledge of the Regenerate For God is present with them in all their afflictions supporting their weakness with his might
thine heart according to that counsel of the Wise man Keep thine heart with all diligence As if he had said Above all keeping keep thine heart which is like a City lyable every moment both to outward assaults and inward commotions Not only Satan thine arch-enemy is ever watchfull for an opportunity to cast thereinto his fiery darts and sensual objects but there are also many rebellious stirrings within which spring from the fountain of original corruption over which thou must especially watch and dismiss them with loathing and detestation If vain and wanton thoughts be not stâ—fled in the conception what monstrous wickedness may they not bring forth How great a fire may these little sparks kindle 5. 〈◊〉 thy heart and affections more and more from worldly cares and pleasures which clog the soul that it cannot mount aloft As a Bird whose wings are Limed is not able to take her flight on high So the man whose heart is intangled with the cares of this life and the pleasures of sin will not be able to get above ground the wings of holy meditation will not raise it on high Yea such a carnal and earthly mind is altogether unfit for Heavenly meditation and very backward and unwilling to it What better reason can be given why many think so little of God his Word and Works or of any good thing but because their hearts are so full of the World and their affections set so much upon the same where their treasure is there will their hearts also be 6. Be often lifting up thine heart to Heaven in some spiritual ejaculations especially in the morning Such as find themselves subject to wind in their stomachs through emptiness use before they go forth to take a mornings draught And as great need is there for such as are subject to vain wanton worldly thoughts every morning to prepossess their hearts with the thoughts of God of his glorious Majesty his omnipresence and omniscience his purity justice and the like And not only mornings but throughout the day when ever thou findest vain or wicked thoughts to arise at any time within thee meet them presently with a Prayer lift up thine heart in some short ejaculatory request unto God for power and strength to keep down and suppress the same 7. Labour to spiritualize every outward occurrence by raising Heavenly meditations from the same There is not any creature thou beholdest or any thing that befalls thee but thou maist make some spiritual use and improvement thereof As the Bee sucks honey out of every flower so maist thou extract spiritual and holy thoughts from every thing thou seest and beholdest yea from all occurrences and emergencies which will be a special means to prevent the Devil and Lust and to keep out those vanities and wickednesses which otherwise would fill thine head and heart withall 8. Labour to get thine heart furnished with the knowledge of God and his word which will take up thine heart with better things and leave no room for these unclean birds As the emptiness of the stomach maketh it subject to windiness so it is the emptiness of our hearts that makes them so full of vain foolish thoughts A good man saith our Saviour out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things A good man having his heart furnished with a treasure of many precious truths bringeth forth good thoughts as well as good things When thou art walking or riding alone call to mind some spiritual subject or favoury truth whereon to meditate bring forth out of thy treasury and let thine heart be continually working upon those good things thou hast there laid up 9. So often as thou goest unto God in Prayer let one petition be for mortifying grace to conquer those sinfull Lusts and vile affections which are apt to steam up into thine head with answerable thoughts and that he would make thee more heavenly minded by working in thine heart better affections Nothing but the power of God can cure us of the vanity of our thoughts and make them such as may be acceptable unto him In regard that the best of Gods people do find a great backwardness and untowardness in themselves to the performance of this Heavenly duty I shall give you some Motives thereunto which if seriously weighed may through Gods blessing prove effectual to perswade you to be more spiritually minded I. May be taken from the possibility of the work Indeed the work is somewhat difficult yet is it possible it 's that you have power to do Though you have not that command of your affections you cannot love what you will or hate what you will or grieve when you will yet can you not think of what you will And by how much more able you are to it by so much the greater your sin is if you neglect it II. Consider the necessity of this duty The mind of man being active if it be not exercised on spiritual and holy things it will be on things earthly and carnal The truth is whosoever doth not accustome himself to fix his thoughts on God or his Word or some spiritual subject will be sure to find them taken up with things of less concernment yea of dangerous and sad consequence from which they will reap nothing but corruption and defilement By how much our minds stray from God and pitch upon other things the more will they grow into the form of the Devil They are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain III. Consider the manifold benefits which usually follow thereupon 1. God will be sure to mind them who mind him Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought on his name Not a thought of God but it is registred in his book of remembrance The more we look up unto God the more he will look down upon us for our good When thoughts of God are stirring in us God himself is not far off he will come and enter Oh how happy are those souls in whom God comes and takes up his habitation 2. A clearer apprehension of divine truths Though we hear often and read much yet if we digest not those truths we meet with by meditation we shall still continue in the dark Our knowledge at the best will be but weak and inefficacious Whereas by a frequent thinking of those truths which we hear or read we shall have a clearer apprehension of them and they will be concocted into better nourishment 3. An Heavenly conversation The mind being the fountain of actions such as the mind is such is the life and conversation If the mind be holy and Heavenly such will the life be But if the mind be carnal and unclean the conversation will be thereafter Wouldst thou have an Heavenly conversation then must thou be Heavenly minded Thoughts are the seed and
oft-times ended in outward uncleanness and actual Adultery From the heart saith our Saviour proceed evil thoughts adulteries fornications c. Noting evil thoughts to be the cause of the uncleanness in the life In Athaliahs Massacre of the blood-royal young Ioash was hid in the bed-chamber there he was nurst and afterwards came to be King and ruled in the Throne Save any Lustfull thought nurse it in the bed-chamber of thy heart hide it there and it will in time come to be King and rule over thee So soon therefore as any lustful or exorbitant thoughts begin to arise in thine heart speedily reject the same quench the fire in the thatch crush the Cockatrice in the Egge stifle the first conception of sin Certainly as it is a dangerous neglect not to observe and embrace the first motions of Gods spirit in us so likewise not to take notice of the first thoughts and rising of sin in our hearts He who slights sinfull thoughts is in a fair way to sinfull actions They that are Christs saith the Apostle have Crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The very affections and lusts of the flesh must be Crucified if we would prevent the works of the flesh IV. Sir up in thy self an earnest desire to have thy lusts mortified and subdued The reason why no more is done against sin is because we are too well contented to let it alone when nothing but the death of sin will satisfie thee thou wilt then use thy Weapons when once thou desirest in earnest the destruction of thine iniquities there 's hope they will not be long liv'd For God hath promised to satisfie the desire of those that fear him he will hear their groanings and deliver them Come unto me saith Christ all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you case and rest Certainâ—y one special reason why many complain so much of the strength and prevalency of their corruptions is because they are not heartily willing to have them mortified and subdued They will indeed profess a willingness to part with their sins that they may be freed from the guilt of them and punishment due unto them but unwilling they are to part with the pleasure they find in them Thus Austin acknowledgeth of himself I prayed said he that my sins might be forgiven and mortified but yet I was afraid lâ—st my prayer should be heard and answered If therefore thou wouldst have thy sins mortified indeed stir up in thy self a willing mind thereunto V. Complain unto God of the prevalency of thy lusts and by prayer beg strength from him against the power of thâ—m From God it is that strength must be had it is his power alone that can support us against the power of sin And Prayer is the means of obtaining it This was the course that Paul took when he was troubled with that thorn in his flesh which expositors generally enterpret to be some strong motions and inclinations in him to some foul sin For this saith the text he besought the Lord thrice that is oftentimes And though he did not presently obtain a full deliverance yet did he receive strength sufficient to resist them so that he could not be overcome by them If we in like manner shall go unto God by prayer for his help laying open our condition and complaining to him thereof we shall for the present receive strength sufficient to resist and in Gods due time deliverance from our iniquities VI. Act faith in Christ for the mortifying thy sinfull lusts and corruptions To this end 1. Be sensible that thou art in thy sâ—â—f weak and unable to grapple with thy Lusts. Thou must despair of thine own strength ere thou wilt take hold on the strength of the Lord. Thou must be beaten out of thy self-confidence ere thou wilt go unto Christ. When thou seest thou art weak thou wilt turn to the strong hold 2. Bâ—lieve that Christ is able to succour and help thee In him doth all fullness dwell As he hath a fullness of grace in his heart so fullness of power in his hand whereby he is able to kill all thine enemies Sin is mighty but Christ is mightier The Devil is strong but Christ is stronger than he 3. Believe that Christ is as able so willing to subdue thine iniquities Thine enemies are his enemies and he will have their death if thou be a believer he hath undertaken for thee He is thy great High-Priest and thy Lord and King and hereupon not only by his mercifulness and kindness but by his office and interest he stands ingaged to pitty and relieve thee he will not be unfaithfull to his trust nor deaf to his own bowels which plead with him to save and help thee 4. By faith cast thy self upon Iesus Christ rest upon his power and goodness for his help and strength 'T is here in regard of Christs power as in regard of his promises As our resting and relying upon his promises in a time of danger and distress makes them our own So our resting and relying upon Christs power for help and support doth make it our own 5. By faith wait upon Christ in expectation of relief and succour against the working and stirring of thy corruptions Though relief come in but slowly from him yet wait for it because it will most surely come in the most seasonable time Hereby wilt thou ingage Christ to appear for thy help For as nothing doth more ingage the heart of a man to be helpfull to another than an expectation of help from him So certainly the raising up thine heart to an expectation of relief from Christ must needs be a great ingagement unto him to assist thee accordingly When Christ cured many of their bodily diseases and distempers while he lived upon the Earth we find their cure is still ascribed to their faith Now what was their faith They believed that Christ was both able and willing to cure them and thereupon with confidence went unto him for cure and so drew vertue from him accordingly This you may see in the poor Woman that had an issue of blood twelve years who came behind Christ and said If I may but touch the hem of his garment I shall be whole To whom Christ replyed Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole This is written as all other Scripture is for our learning to teach and instruct us what course to take for the curing of our spiritual maladies and diseases Hast thou any foul issue of Worldliness and Covetousness of pride or frowardness of passion or envy or the like running upon thee And wouldst thou be cured of them Do as that poor Woman did go unto Christ set thy faith at work on him believe his power and willingness let thy faith touch but the hem of his garment lay hold on him cast thy self on his blood and bowels wait at his door resolving not to return
of him that he would by his Spirit help thine infirmities teaching thee to pour out thy soul unto him in Prayer For it is he alone that can teach thee and endue thee with this Heavenly gift 2. Be constant in thy secret devotions which will be a special means to embolden thee to pray with thy Family For when thou findest that thou canst express thy self in any competent measure in secret thou wilt then the better adventure to Pray in private with thy Family And know this for thy comfort that if thou sincerely endeavourest to do what thou canst God will enable thee to do what thou shouldst 3. Rather than the apprehension of thine own insufficiency to pray should occasion a constant omission of the duty I would advise thee to use the help of a form of Prayer for a while till by Gods blessing thou hast attained some ability therein and boldness thereunto 2. Obj. Some against this duty object their multitude of business and little spare time for Family-prayer A. 1. The more and greater thy businesses are the more and greater need thou hast of Family-prayer for the obtaining Gods blessings thereon without which all thy pains and endeavours may signifie little yea prove succesless Assure thy self that the time spent in Prayer both in thy closet and with thy Family will prove no let but rather a great furtherance to thy business 2. Dost thou put off praying with thy Family for the multitude of business Know that therein thou art penny-wise and pound-foolish hazarding the loss of thy precious and immortal soul for the gaining of a little Worldly pelf which will be soon taken from thee or thou from it Oh that such Woâ—â—dâ—ngs would seriously consider that expression of our Saviour What shall it profit a man if hâ— shall gain the whoâ—e World and lose his own soul 3. Dost thou put off Family-prayer for the multitude of Worldly buâ—inesseâ— thereby to encrease thy wealth Know that that wealth is cursed which is thus gotten that substance which is the price of a Prayer may for ought thou knowest be the price of blood Well beware thou neglect not this great duty upon any pretence whatsoever Neither let it be performed after a cold formal and perfunctory manner but be very serious and fervent therein stirring up thy self to an active lively performance thereof which the Apostle intimateth where he saith Be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord and that for two reasons 1. Such Prayers only are acceptable and pleasing unto God these are the Sacrifices wherewith he is well-pleased 2. Such only have the promise of being heard And thereupon saith the Apostle St. Iames The effectual fervent Prayer of a rightâ—ous man availeth much The word in the Greek translated effectual properly signifieth a prayer excited or stirred up and so implyeth both the efficacy and influency of the Holy-Ghost and the vehemency of an earnest spirit and affection which is the only prevailing Prayer CHAP. VII Of Reading the Holy Scriptures in Families with quickning Motives thereunto II. ANother duty incumbent upon Parents and Masters of Families is frequently to read the Holy Scriptures or to cause them to be read in and with their Families Though this be a distinct exercise from the former of Prayer yet do they mutually help one another and therefore are fit to be joyned together We read how the Priest under the Law was daily to light the Lamps and to burn incense as the Lamp signified the Word of God so the incense signified Prayer And as the Lamp was daily to be lighted and the incense daily to be burned so are we thereby taught daily to joyn the Word and Prayer together for as the Apostle speaketh By the Word and Prayer every thing is sanctified Yea this duty of reading the Word we find given in command unto housholders under the Law for saith the Lord Ye shall lay up my words meaning the words of the Law in your heart and in your soul. And ye shall teach them your Children speaking of them when thou sitest in thine house when thou lyest down and when thou risest up which implyeth a diligent reading of the Word in their houses Yea the old people of the Iews were so diligent in teaching their Children the Word of God that Iosephus saith Every one of our people being asked concerning the Laws rehearseth them more easily than his own name In the New Testament we have the Apostles command for this duty for saith he Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly The Word is sometimes taken for Christ himself and so it is true that we should labour that the word Christ should dwell in us But by the Word of Christ is here meant the written Word of God which is here called the Word of Christ both because he is the author of it and because he is the chief subject of it And whereas the Apostle saith Let the Word of Christ dwell in you it is a Metaphor taken from such as dwell under one and the same roof with us and noteth two things 1. That we must get it into our hearts and houses as well as into our Churches 2. That by our frequent reading of it and causing it to be read in our houses it should be as familiar with us as one that dwells with us under the same roof For the better pressing of this duty upon the Consciences of Parents and Masters of Families I shall hint only two Motives to quicken you up thereunto 1. The knowledge of the Scriptures will be an excellent means to keep up your authority in your Families over your Children and Servants For therein they cannot but hear and understand it is their duty to be obedient to you in all things Your own commands and threatnings may perhaps cause them to serve you with eye-service as menpleasersâ— but to hear the commands and threatnings of God in his Word may cause them to serve you in singleness of heart So that if nothing else yet policy methinks should prevail with you to cause the Word of God to be read frequently in your houses 2. Some by reading the Scriptures others by hearing it read in the Family have been converted from the state of nature to the state of grace For faith may be wrought in us by hearing the Word read as well as hearing it Preached St. Austine reports of an Aegyptian Monk who living in a Christian-family where the Word of God was frequently read was thereby converted to the Christian faith And indeed there is a greater vertue in the holy Scriptures than in any other book for the working of conversion in the hearts of natural Men and Women Oh what an encouragement should this be unto Parents and Masters of Families to cause the holy Scriptures to be frequently read in their houses for what know they whether some under their charge may not thereby be converted And that
beginning it is said Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy And in the close it is added The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it that is sanctified it and set it apart to be wholly consecrated to him and to his worship and service That Parents and Masters of Families may the better discharge their duty herein observe these directions 1. Look that your Children and Servant go with you to the Ministry of the Word and let none be left behind without necessary and urgent occasion It being the ordinary means God hath sanctified for the reforming of their lives and the saving of their souls When Iacob went to Bethel to Worship he took his whole houshold with him When Elkaâ—ah went up to offer unto the Lord his Sacrifice all his house went with him In like manner do thou carry thy houshold with thee to the house of God 2. After the publick Ordinances be carefull to call together all under thy charge and let there be a repetition of the Sermons Preached either by thy self or some one of thy Family who can write best And then examine them one after another What they remember of the Sermons they have heard labouring to make them plain unto them and to apply them also Thus did our blessed Saviour with his beloved Disciples for after his Preaching when he was come home he said unto them Have ye understood all these things which ye have heard And Mark saith When they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Whereupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a Family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords dayes after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly much good will hereby redound as unto your selves so likewise unto all under your charge For 1. It will make them give better attention unto the Ministry of the Word when they know they shall be called to an account and examined what they have heard 2. It would much help and confirm as your selves so your Children and Servants in the understanding and believing of what hath been delivered publickly by the Minister if you would repeat and search the proofs of Scripture which were brought for the confirmation of the doctrine III. Another duâ—y to be performed in and with your Families for the better sanctification of the Lords day is singing of Psalms which as it was much practised by the Saints and people of God of old under the Law so is it both a lawfull and a meet thing to be used by Christians now under the Gospel and that as publickly in the Church so privately in the Family 1. We find it was an ancient custome of the people of God to sing Psalms in their Families according to that of the Psalmist the voice of rejoycing is in the Tabernacle of the righteous that is in the dwelling places and houses of good men 2. We have our Saviour herein for a pattern of whom it is recorded that after the eating of the Passeover which was in a private house he sung a Psalm with his Family IV. Another duty to be performed in and with your Family for the better â—anctification of the Lords day is Reading some part of the holy Scriptures whereof before Chap. VII As also some good Sermon or Treatise of practical truths V. Another duty is Family-prayer Whereof before Chap. VI. VI. Another is Catechising those under your charge whereof see Chap. VIII A conscionable performance of these will exceedingly help forward the sanctification of the Lords day and that without tediousness VII Another duty incumbent on Parents and Masters is godly conference Conferring before your Children and Servants about some good and profitable matter especially of the Sermons you have heard The counsel which the Apostle giveth concerning our words and discourses as it ought to be carefully observed and followed by us at all times so especially on the Lords day Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the use of ediâ—â—ing that is to the winning of them who are not converted or to the further building up of those who are already converted And the Prophet Isaiah forbiddeth the speaking our own words on the Sabbath day that is all discourses which are meerly Worldly and about earthly things more than charity and necessity requireth Under which prohibition of not speaking our own words is implyed a direction to speak the word of God or those things which tend to the honour of God and the spiritual good of others VIII That you may the better discharge your duty in looking to the sanctification of the Lords day Be sure you suffer none under your roof to spend any part thereof either in idleness or in sports and pastimes 1. Not iâ— idleness it being not a day of idleness but of spiritual action 2. Not in sports and pastimes especially such as tend to carnal and sensual delight For the Lord hath forbidden every man the following his own pleasure on his holy day And the truth is sports and pastimes are greater impediments to the worship and service of God than the ordinary works of our calling in that they do more subtilly steal away the heart from holy duties than those do Whereupon St. Austin thought it better to plow on the Lords day than to dance and sport Obj. Some Object and plead the hard labour their servants have undergone the week before and thence think they may be allowed a little recreation on the Lords day A. 1. The rest of the Lords day is the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their bodies who have been tired with labour the six dayes before And if they be spiritually minded the best and fittest recreation for the refreshing of their souls is singing of Psalms the perusing their spiritual evidences for Heaven the solacing themselves in the meditation of Christ of what he hath done and suffered for them holy conference and the like 2. If you think bodily recreations necessary for your servants health why do you not rather allow them some part of your own time on the week-dayes than to rob God of any part of his day which he hath wholly appropriated to the duties of his Worship and service Whereas the Lord might have reserved six dayes for himself and allowed but one unto us he hath dealt so bountifully and graciously with us as to reserve but one to himself and leave six for our business And shall we be so ungratefull as to encroach upon it and Sacrilegiously steal away some part of that small time which he hath reserved to himself for our Servants recreation CHAP. X. Of Exemplary lives in Parents and Masters of Families V. ANother duty incumbent on Parents and Masters of Families is To shew themselves patterns of piety and Godliness unto their Children and Servants by an holy
pains and endeavours I beseech thee to help me to labour in the work of the Lord and to crown my pains and endeavours with a blessing from Heaven Make me more spiritual in Worldly businesses and less wordly in spiritual businesses Be pleased to put good meditations into my mind and holy desires into my heart Let no corrupt communication proceed out of my mouth but such as may administer grace to the hearers Help me to redeem time let me not lose one day more set me presently to work out my salvation with fear and trembling let me choose the good part and make sure for eternity let me never venture my soul on false and deceitfull hopes but let me make sure Good Lord let me not be deceived and found an hypocrite at last but let me be sound in the faith that I may have rejoycing before thee in the great day Neither pray I for my self alone but for thy whole Church wheresoever dispersed or howsoever distressed upon the face of the whole earth In special I pray thee to bless this Land and Nation with all blessings both temporal and spiritual And herein our Soveraign Lord and King make him an instrument of bringing much glory to thy namâ— and much good to thy Church and people Bless him in his Relations Counsels and Forces Bless the Magistrates and Ministers with the whole people of this Land the afflicted members of Jesus Christ let thy mercies be suitable to their several needs and necessities Vouchsafe to every one of us grace to live in thy fear to dye in thy favour and to raign with thee Eternally in Heaven And now O Lord in the name of Jesus Christ I bless and praise thy glorious Majesty for all those manifold favours thou hast in a plentiful manner conferred on my soul and body for my preservation as from manifold dangers whereunto I was subject so from many sins wherinto the corruption of my flesh and the perswasion of the Devâ—l would have thrown me headlong Blessed be thy name for thy good providence over me through the whole course of my life thou hast been my God from my Mothers womb supplyed me with all needfull good things But above all blessed be thy name for that foundation of all other mercies thy dearly beloved Son for those great things he hath done and suffered for me and those many good things whereof in and through him I have hope or am made partaker Lord pardon the manifold weaknesses and imperfections which have accompanied this holy service in and through thy beloved Jesus Christ. To whom with thee and thy blessed Spirit I do from my heart render all praise and glory both now and evermore Amen FINIS THE PRINCIPLES OF Christian Religion Explained to the Capacity of the Meanest By T.G. Minister of the Gospel John 17.3 This is life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent LONDON Printed for Iohn Wright at the Globe in Little-Brittain 1668. THE PRINCIPLES OF Christian Religion EXPLAINED Quest. WHo is the Maker of all things Answ. God Gen. 1. 1. Col. 1.16 By him were all things Created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth Q. What is God A. God is a Spirit of infinite perfection God is said to be a Spirit 1. Negatively to intimate that he is not a body or material substance 2. Analogically Spirits being the most perfect and excellent of all created beings are the fittest to represent the incomprehensible God to our narrow conceptions God is said to be a Spirit of perfection or perfect spirit thereby to exclude all manner of imperfections and including all manner of perfections and excellencies In that he is a Spirit of infinite perfection thereby is implyed that there is no measure or bounds set to his perfection Whereby he is distinguished from the glorious Angels and the souls of the Saints in Heaven which though they are perfect spirits yet their perfection is limited Whereas Gods perfection is beyond all measure being infinite Q. How many Gods are there A. There is one only God 1 Cor. 8.4 There is none other God but one Q. How many Persons are there in the God-head A. Three the Father the Son and the holy-Ghost Though there be but one God in substance and essence yet there be three distinct Persons subsisting in that one God-head This appeareth from Christs own testimony in Matth. 28.19 Where he gives commission to his Apostles to teach all Nations and Baptize them in the name of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost See likewise 1 Ioh. 5.7 That God should be one in essence and three in persons is a Mysterie not to be comprehended yet ought to be believed being so plainly revealed in the Word Q. How is God farther set forth unto us in his Word A. 1. By his Properties 2. By his Works The Properties of God are certain excellencies attributed to him as when he is said to be Eternal Almighty Merciful just c. Q. What are the kinds of Gods Properties A. 1. Incommunicable 2. Communicable Incommunicable properties are such excellencies which are so proper to God alone as in no respect they can be attributed or communicated to any other As Eternity without beginning Immutability not subject to any change All-sufficient not only for himself but for all others Omnipotency able to do all things Ubiquity to be everywhere present These and such like are excellencies proper only to God and cannot be communicated to the Creature Communicable Properties are certain excellencies in God communicated also to creatures as Power Wisdom Holiness Iustice c. Thus Sampson was a strong man Solomon a wise man Noah a just man c. But yet there is a great difference between these communicable properties as they are in God and as they are in the creature 1. They are in God Originally he is the primary fountain of them all who hath what he hath in and from himself Thus all these Properties in God are his very Essence 2. They are all in God infinitely without any limits or bounds He is infinite in power wisdom holiness justice c. But in the Creature they are 1. By participation they receive all their excellencies from God What hast thou that thou didst not receive 1 Cor. 4.7 2. By Measure The Creature that hath the most and best excellencies hath but a stinted measure Eph. 4.7 Q. To what heads may the works of God be brought A. Creation and Providence Q. What is meant by Gods creating things A. A making them out of nothing To create is to give a being to things that never were and that out of nothing In this respect it is said Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth that is when there was nothing at all no not any matter out of which things might be made then God Created all things Which kind of making things out of nothing is proper to God