irrecoverably lost and are delivered into chains of darkness reserved for the judgment of the great day Man received Laws both moral and positive by which he was bound to perform perfect and perpetual obedience or else to suffer death yet man being tempted by the Devil fell and by one man sin entered into the world and by sin death and death passed over all men in that all men have sinned This was the just judgment of God who cursed the Serpent and the Devil punished man and woman yet promised them a Saviour the seed of the woman who should break the Serpents head and take away his kingdom and power over mankind This was the judgment of the supream Lord whereby many of the Angels continuing obedientin the day of their great trial were confirmed in an estate of holiness and bliss the apostate wretches were condemned to eternal death and so fell as never to rise again yet man had hope of recovery because God by his infinite mercy was willing to prevent his eternal ruine I believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life This Son who is our Redeemer is that word whereby all things in Heaven and Earth even the Principalities Powers Thrones and Dominions of Heaven were created who is the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person This word issued out of Eternity and in fulness of time was made flesh dwelt amongst men who saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Son of God full of Grace Truth So that he is truly God and truly Man in whom conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary we have One Person Two Natures eternally distinct and inseparably united He was conceived at Nazareth bornat Bethlehem saved in Egypt from bloody Herod and brought up in the place of his conception and his very birth was matter of joy and melody to the Angels of Heaven This Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ promised of old the seed of the Woman of Abraham of David according to the flesh and was anointed with the Holy Ghost above his fellows and was made King Priest and Prophet above all other Kings Priests and Prophets that he might govern us by his Power direct and teach us by his Wisdom and sanctifie us for ever by his own Sacrifice first offered for sinful men and then pleaded in Heaven 〈…〉 s all penitent Believers I believe that Jesus Christ the Word made flesh did humble himself very low took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient unto death the death of the Cross and both in life and death did manifest his Divine excellency and glorifie his heavenly Father In the day of his humiliation he did hunger thirst fast pray weep and took upon him the infirmities of man yet without sin and was mortal His conversation was holy and spotless and was so ordered that both in life and death he was a Mirrour of all heavenly Virtues His Doctrine whereby he revealed the Mysteries of Heavens Kingdom was pure and full of profoundest Wisdom and of sovereign power to save mens souls and his words such as never man spake and were confirm'd by signs and wonders and glorious miracles by which he declared himself to be the Son of the living God He by himself his Apostles and other assistants whom he had chosen and qualified for this work began to gather Disciples and lay the foundation of his everlasting Kingdom yet notwithstanding these so many Divine excellencies he suffers many indignities from his unworthy and ungrateful Brethren whom he loved above all other People in the world though he was a Son yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered For many did not believe in him many were offended with him The ambitious covetous corrupt hypocritical High-Priests Rulers Scribes Pharisees Sadduces being discovered unto the people and by him reproved for their sins and deserted by many of the people did envy him hate him persecute him revile him blaspheme him and designed his death which they often and many ways attempted and in the end prevailed In the last night of his mortal life on earth after the eating of the Passover the institution of the Sacrament of his blessed body and blood his consolatory speech unto his Disciples his heavenly prayer he enters into the fatal place and garden where his greatest sufferings began Then upon his serious consideration and lively apprehension of the bitter Cup he was to drink and the fearful passion and tempattion now at hand he falls into a grievous and extreme Agony wherein with earnest prayers tears and loud cries he desires his heavenly Father to spare him and to let the Cup pass from him yet so that he wholly resigns himself unto his will He desires his Disciples especially three of them to watch with him and to pray for an hour yet they fail him he falls upon the ground deprecates the Cup three several times sweats drops as it were of bloud and at length an Angel was sent from heaven to comfort the Lords of Angels so deeply was he humbled so greatly was he afflicted so much was he difcomforted while he prepares himself to encounter the powers of Hell and expiate the sin of man This woful fit was no sooner passed over but he is betrayed into the hands of sinners apprehended bound brought before the Council accused condemned as a plasphemer worthy of death and so the judg of Men and Angels was judged he is hoodwink't buffeted blasphemed spit upon and most fearfully aboused and being formerly betrayed by s and now with cursing swearing and forswearing denyed by S. Peter and forsaken of all his Disciples As for this he is brought before Pilate falsly charged with heinous crimes yet justified as having done nothing worthy of death The Judge is afraid to condem him willing to release him scourgeth him and at the importuniy of his bloudy enemies he at length condems him to the cruel cursed ignominious death of the Cross and delivers him to the Souldiers who deride him abuse him torment him and lead him to the place of execution There he is stripped crucified endures open shame cruel pains revilings bitter taunts from the High-Priests the People the Malefactors crucified with him and the Souldiers yet he reviles not again nor threatens but in respect of wrong received he is silent and dumb as the sheep before the shearer prays for his enemies provides for his disconsolate Mother comforts such as do bewail him and foretells their future misery In the height of his passion he cries out such was the extremity My God my God why hast thou forsaken me commends his Spirit into his Fathers hands and so dies This suffering and death was such as never any before it never any after it like unto it So much was signified at that time when the Heavens were darkned
MAGNA CHARTA Ecclesiae Universalis THE Grand Charter Issued out and Granted by JESUS CHRIST FOR THE Plantation of the Christian Faith In all NATIONS Registred and Enrolled Mat. 28. 18 19 20. Chosen for the subject of the ensuing Discourse By GEORGE LAWSON Rector of More in the County of Salop. The Second Edition Corrected LONDON Printed by T. M. for Jeremiah Lawson And are to be sold by Tho. Newborough at the Star in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1686. IMPRIMATUR Caroulus Alston R. P. D. Hen. Episc. Lond. Ã Sacris Martii 22. 1685 6 THE PREFACE THough it be no ways needful to usher in this little Treatise with a Preface or Epistle yet I will premise a few things concerning the occasion matter method use and end thereof When I considered the multitudes amongst us who profess their Faith in Christ own the name of Christian and seem to glory in that title and yet are ignorant not only of the original and ground of Christianity but of the very first Principles and Rudiments of Religion and also highly guilty of the breach of that Covenant whereby they solemnly in the sight of men and Angels bound themselves to be loyal and obedient unto Christ their Saviour I thought it might be a service acceptable to God and profitable unto the Church to mind them of their sin and give them some directions with an exhortation to amend betimes that so they may avert Gods judgments and escape the wrath to come therefore I took occasion to single out this Text compose this brief Treatise submit it to the judgment of the Church and upon approbation make it publick And first I bring the Reader into the sacred Arches where the Monuments of eternal saving truth are kept and shew him the very place where the grand Charter of our profession is enroled for we find it in the words of our blessed Saviour related by the Evangelist St. Mat. ch 28. v. 18 19 20. Where we have a commission issued out from Christ to his Apostles and Successors and the same grounded upon a far higher Patent whereby all power in heaven and earth is derived immediately from his heavenly Father and given unto him And seeing as Tertullian observes we receive our Christian Religion and Faith from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ and Christ from God it must needs be from heaven and here we should take special notice of and admire the excellent wisdom of Christ our Lord and Saviour as far above all the wisdom of men and Angels who could in so few words and in such excellent order contract so many high mysteries and matters of greatest weight and concernment for here ' in a very narrow compass we may find the Credenda all the Articles of our Faith and the Agenda all the commands of Christ Here we have the original Creed and perfect form of Confession which was the ground of all the ancient and Apostolical Creeds here we have the sum and substance of all that excellent Doctrine which is dispersed here and there through all the Books of Moses the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles Here we have the institution of sacred Orders for the dispensation of Word and Sacraments and the application of the benefits of Redemption Here we have the institution of Baptism with a certain form of words the Eucharist and Prayer as parts of Divine Worship are to be reckon'd amongst the commandments of Christ So that here is a Rule of Faith of Obedience of Worship and something of Discipline implied All these things I make clear then proceed to say something of that form of Confession we call The Apostles Creed and of the principal points of Scripture in order to the same teach the Reader how to refer the several parts and passages of Scripture unto the general heads of the Creed and reduce the matters of Faith into a form of a larger Confession This I conceived a ready way to understand the publick Catechism so much despised by many to improve our knowledge of the Word of God and of the particulars of that Faith which by our Baptism we are bound to hold and profess unto the end After this I go on to the Agenda the Commandments of Christ and shew how they are in several parts of Scripture contracted how all are performed in Love give a more full explication of the moral Law which is to be understood Evangelically as including Repentance and Faith in Christ and then bring them into the form of a Vow that so we may have a more explicite knowledge of the last part of our promise made to God in Baptism be more sensible of our obligation and more careful of performance and obedience formerly urged upon most effectual reasons Amongst the Agenda I reckon the Sacraments and Prayer and after I have declared the nature end and use of the Sacraments from the Institution I single out that Prayer of Prayers the pattern of all our Devotions which is commonly called the Lords Prayer and having explained it in all the parts I reduce the particulars into a larger form of Prayer The former makes it clear how comprehensive and methodical it is as being a wonderful abridgment of all Scripture Prayers the latter teacheth us how to reduce all the parts of our publick Prayers unto the heads thereof and to enlarge upon them in our private Devotions Something 's in my Theopolitica are here repeated yet they are but few and are here improved handled there more largely here more briefly there in one manner here in another and for another use and immediate end Here I single out a certain Text and confine my self unto it and fit it to the capacity of the common sort and weaker Christians for whom it was principally intended I further conceived that many who will not meddle with a greater Volume may yet buy a lesser Book or Manual such as this is and read it through Now if after these and many other helps we continue ignorant or if not ignorant yet impenitent we shall render our selves highly guilty of Rebellion against Christ's Power of Disobedience to his Commands and of perfidious violation of the Covenant of God but if we diligently use the means and exercise the power God hath given us and pray continually for Grace there is comfort and hope of mercy for here we have a promise That Christ will be present with the Church unto the end and assist us with his blessed Spirit to whom with the Father and the Son be given all Glory Honour Praise and Thanks for ever and ever Amen Matthew 28. 18 19 20. And came and spake unto them saying All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you annd loe I am with you alway even unto the end of the
world Amen CHAP. I. Of Christ's Universal Power Section 1 THese are the words of our blessed Saviour which he spake unto his Apostles and Disciples when after his Resurrection he was ready to ascend into Heaven for they pre-suppose Man's Sin Christ's Suffering and his Resurrection Man by sin had made himself miserable and liable to temporal and eternal death yet God was willing to deliver him Sin and Satan cast him down yet God in his abundant mercy was pleased to raise him up again The way which his eternal Wisdom had contrived to effect this great deliverance was strange wonderful his only begotten Son even that word which was God and by which he made the world must be made flesh and assume the nature of man and in that nature must take upon him the form of a servant be obedient unto death the death of the Cross rise again and be advanced to the highest pitch of glory so that the means of mans salvation are the humiliation and exaltation of the Son of God By his humiliation and sacrifice of himself he expiates mans sin satisfies Divine Justice and merits all mercies and blessings necessary for the full and eternal happiness of man By his exaltation he makes his sufferings effectual and communicates the benefits he had merited for we read That he was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4. 25. To be delivered for our offences was his humiliation unto death for our sins to render them pardonable To be raised again for our justification was his exaltation for the obtaining of actual remission his humiliation begins his exaltation consummates our salvation For being advanced to the right hand of his Father he sends down the Holy Ghost reveals the Gospel causeth it to be preached to all Nations and by his Word and Spirit converts man and plants the heavenly vertue of Faith in his heart and upon Conversion and Faith makes intercession in Heaven and procures his actual pardon reconciliation with his God and in the end the enjoyment of eternal glory so that without his humiliation man is not savable and without his exaltation he is not actually saved And thus we must understand that of the same Apostle For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life Rom. 5. 10. where we must observe That the death of Christ is his humiliation his life is his exaltation 2. That reconciliation is ascribed to his death salvation to his life For the Death and Blood of Christ was the propitiation for our sins and the foundation of our reconciliation the life and exaltation of Christ by his Word and Spirit converting us and making intercession for us is the cause of actual salvation Sect. 2. As in the two former Chapters we may read of Christs suffering death and humiliation whereby he mirited incomparable mercies and blessings so in this we read of his resurrection and the manner how he will apply and communicate his blessings and that is by a commission and power received and a commission and power given for the subject of the words are a two-fold commission The first granted by God to Christ The second by Christ to his Apostles These agree in some things differ in others 1. They agree as commissions giving great power 2. As expressing an unspeakable love unto and a tender care of sinful man 3 As issuing from the supream and universal Lord. 4. As tending to the same end mans eternal salvation yet they differ in these things 1. The former commission is granted by God immediately to Christ the latter is granted from God by Christ unto the Apostles 2. The former is the cause of the latter the latter an effect of the former 3. By the former Christ receives an universal power in heaven and earth and by the latter the Apostles receive only a limited power on earth Sect. 3. I will not say much of the first commission expressed in these words Ver. 18. All power in heaven and earth is given unto me Wherein he signifies that he had large power and it was given him where we must consider 1. Power given 2. The party to whom it was given 3. The donor or the Donation of it from the Donour In the power we may observe 1. The nature and quality of it 2. The measure of it 1. For the nature and quality of it it is spiritual and divine for Christ said My kingdom is not of this world John 18. 36. That is it s no secular power like that of the Princes of the world it s far more excellent and above it in respect of the subjects the laws the judgments the end thereof The subjects besides Angels are men considered in a spiritual notion and as capable of an eternal estate The Laws also are spiritual and bind not only Angels but the immortal souls and consciences of men Such are the judgments which determine and accord not only temporal but eternal punishments and rewards The end in respect of all loyal and obedient subjects is eternal peace and felicity for God gave Christ power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as he had given him John 17. 2. 2. The measure of this power is extensive and intensive Extensive in respect of the territory which is very large even the whole world whereof there be two parts heaven and earth so that it extends to all places and all things and so is universal yet the principal subjects are Angels in heaven and men on earth both intellectual and immortal creatures Intensive for its all power one may have some power or all power on earth and none in heaven or some or all power in heaven and none on earth but this is all power in heaven all power on earth all power on both so that Christ is over all persons in all causes supream Governour without any created superiour without any competitour without any partner it s all in the highest degree invested and inherent in one This is concernig the power 2. The person invested with it is Christ For all power saith he is given to me it was not given to any Angel or Angels nor to any Monarch or Monarchs of the world but to Jesus of Nazareth a man nearer to God then any of the Princes of the earth or any Principalities and Powers of heaven one more beloved of God and who had done a greater service than any other for he had humbled himself at his Fathers command so low as to be a servant and a servant obedient unto the death of the Cross therefore he and none other was thus highly exalted and received a name above every name 3. The Donour was God the Father As none but Christ was capable none was worthy of this transcendent power according to that universal acknowledgment of Saints and Angels Rev. 5 10. The Lamb slain
the Earth did quake the Rocks did rend the Graves were opened the Veil of the Temple was rent in the midst from the top to the bottom to signifie that the great High-Priest having offered himself by the eternal Spirit without spot was entring with his own Blood into the Holy Place of Heaven to obtain eternal Redemption and the expiation of mans sin for ever The very frame of Heaven and Earth seem'd to be shaken in the time of this great suffering men were astonished women wept many beat their breasts the Centurion who had the charge of this execution was convinced that the party executed was the Son of God Our blessed Saviour suffered this death with unparallell'd patience meekness he laid down his life willingly in obedience to his heavenly Father and out of love and a longing desire of sinful mans salvation No man could take it from him till the hour was come and he was willing to part with it because he as a Priest and general head and representative of mankind offered his life unto his heavenly Father as supreme Judge as a ransom for sinful man therefore his death was the greatest Sacrifice and the highest piece of service and obedience that ever was performed and was so highly accepted of God that it made him propitious satisfied his Justice merited his favour to sinful man made his sin pardonable and his salvation possible upon fairest terms whil'st he was by his own blood entring the sacrary of heaven his side is pierced and out of the same issue water and blood His body is taken from the Cross decently interred in a new Sepulchre where never any man was laid before his soul abides for a time separate and under the power of death and his humiliation did continue till the Resurrection and by his burial he hallows the grave to all believers By this Humiliation thus finished the foundation of our eternal salvation is laid and a way prepared and opened for a passage into heavens Kingdom I believe that Jesus Christ who was thus humbled who suffered cruel pains and was delivered to death for our transgressions was raised for our justification and so to communicate the mercies merited by his death converts us and procures the actuall remission of all the sins of such as repent and believe in him and by his life saves such as he had reconciled by his death He that did rise was the very same who died upon the Cross and the same body and soul which were separated by Death were united again by Resurrection as man he was raised as God he raised himself he rose never to die again but to live for evermore The time was the third day according to the predictions and prefigurations of old and the decree of God's eternal wisdom God did not suffer his Holy One to see corruption The manner of this Resurrection was glorious God then shook the Earth sent from Heaven an Angel appearing in great glory who terrified the Guard rouls away the stone which closed up the Sepulchre and made way for Christs Disciples to come freely and see that he was not there The Graves were opened divers of the Saints raised and appear'd in the holy City Death was conquered and divers of his Captives rescued out of his hands This his Resurrection was made manifest by testimony of Angels and of divers others who saw him spake with him and were assured of it he appears unto many and that many times and especially to the eleven Apostles who saw him heard him did eat and drink with him touched him with their hands To these he unfolds the Mysteries of his Kingdom gives them commission to go into all Nations and commands them to stay at Jerusalem till they received the Holy Ghost according to the promise of his Father God by thus raising him did manifest that he had accepted his Sufferings and Death as a full propitiation of the sins of men and by saying Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee made him universal King and Priest fully consecrated for ever He rose as head and representative of mankind especially of his Church and became not only the pattern but the first fruits and cause of our Resurrection so that as in Adam dying all died so in Him rising we shall all be made alive first to newness of life then to eternal glory The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead shall raise us from the death of sin unto newness of life and raise our bodies to immortality forty days he stays on Earth to comfort his Disciples strengthen their Faith make evident his Resurrection and give orders for the administration of his future Kingdom then he ascends from Mount Olivet in a Cloud up into the Heaven of Heavens Men and Angels being witnesses according to a former Vision that one like the Son of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came unto the ancient of days and that the Angels brought him peace before him He ascended that he might fulfill all things send down the Holy Ghost enjoy full joy in his Fathers presence and pleasures at his right hand for ever make intercession for his Saints prepare eternal blessed mansions for them raise up their thoughts and affections to that heavenly estate he had merited and prepared for them that where he is our hearts might be also and that he might receive a place at his Fathers right hand so it was prophesied of old that when the Son of man was brought before the ancient of days there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People and Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroy'd For his Father said unto him Sit at my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool and gave him a name above all names and set him far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that which is to come He was solemnly invested with a supreme universal power above all men and Angels established in his Kingdom confirmed by Oath in his everlasting Priesthood sent down the holy Ghost the Gospel the rod of his power went out of Zion he reigned in the midst of his enemies and many thousands did willingly submit unto him and his people for number were like drops of dew which fall from the womb of the morning When all things are fulfilled all enemies subdued the number of his Saints finished he will come from Heaven to determine of the final estate of men and Angels and judg both quick and dead And then he will deliver up his Kingdom to the Father that God may be all in all I believe that the Holy Ghost which is One God with the Father and the Son and is the Spirit of the Father and the Son by whom all things in Heaven and
must be universal we must do whatsoever our Lord hath commanded us for though there may be an inequality of things commanded yet there is the same reason why we should obey one as well as another the least as well as the greatest and that is the will and command of our Saviour In this respect it 's said that he that offends in one offends in all because of the contempt of the will of the Lawgiver we must not pick and chuse to do what we please obey some and disobey other commands we must not expect from Christ any liberty indulgence toleration dispensation to transgress any of the least of Gods Laws 3. It must be constant and continued to the end for there are no days nor hours of intermission we must always be doing and we must not rest till we have finished our work that will not be till this mortal life is ended we must serve our God day and night whilst we have any being And as God did not rest till he finished his work of Creation so we must not expect our Sabbath till we have finished the work of our Salvation our obedience must be one line drawn out and continued from the first moment of our conversion to the last day of our dissolution 4. As we must be constant so we must be diligent zealous active watchful God loves not lazie servants and the work is great and difficult and we meet with many enemies much opposition and must wrestle with many difficulties which are the greater because of the Devil and the World without and the Relicks of corruption within us Therefore our Christian life is a race and a continual warfare therefore we must not only put on the complete armour of God but we must strive and fight and put forth all our power and never think of rest till we have obtained a final and ful victory And though we cannot reach yet we must aim at the perfection of Angels according to that prayer Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven that is by those immortal blessed spirits who never sinned but do his Commandments hearkning to the voice of his word 5. Yet we must know that of our selves we are frail weak and without Christ we can do nothing and can do all things through Christ who strengthneth us Christ must give us his Spirit and strengthen us within and by this Spirit support us and assist us without Therefore must continually pray that according to his promise he would put his Laws in our inward parts and write them in our hearts and to do this more and more according to his promise we must not presume upon our strength but always humbly depend upon him who worketh both the will and deed of his good pleasure If he but a little desert us and withdraw his hand how suddenly may David and St. Peter fall and sin grievously 6. Yet though we may transgress and sometimes fall grievously yet we must not despair nor be secure but presently renew our repentance return unto God muster up all our power and fight and work and strive again and this with the greater force and power And this is our comfort we are not under the Law of Works which requireth perfect perpetual obedience or else threatneth certain and unavoidable death and destruction but under Grace which ministreth power and when we fall upon our repentance promiseth pardon life ane Christ will plead our Cause procure our Peace From all this it doth appear that baptized Christians must not be Soliâ—idians much less Antomonians and Lawless we must be loyal and obedient and not live like base earthly worldlings but like Citizens of Heaven for upon this condition we are admitted Subjects of an heavenly Kingdom Thus we understand that our duty is to submit to Christ our Law-giver know his Laws remember them observe them all out of Faith Love Fear with all our hearts carefully constantly depending always upon our Saviour and renewing our repentance daily For this obedience must be universal perpetual sincere free and we must obey not only in doing good but suffering evil if we be put unto it Sect. 3. By this time we know what our duty is now follows the reasons why we should perform it And lest any man should be discourag'd with the difficulty of the work or think it impossible I must first prove that it may be done It was a famous question of old Whether it be possible by Grace to observe and fulfil all the Commandmentâ— of God And it hath been determined in the affirmative that by Grace it is possible for what cannot Grace do Paul saith I can do all things A Christian hath a kind of Omnipotency in things necessary to Salvation and may truly say That these things which are impossible with men are possible with God and if God be for us who can be against us It 's true that to deny our selves to subdue our native and deeply-rooted corruptions and our sins confirm'd by custom to bear the heavy burthen of the Cross and suffer reproaches and bitter afflictions and persecutions for Christ's sake to forsake all and hate Father Mother dearest relations and life it self to offer an Isaac to rejoyce in the midst of fiery trials are very difficult things and far above the power of nature and so indeed they are Yet there is a divine power in Faith whereby all this may be done and hath been through the assistance of Christ And therefore let none of us despair but let us be assured that whil'st Christ sits at the right hand of God and his holy Spirit abideth in the Church we shall be enabled to remove Mountains subdue Sin and conquer Satan the great enemy of our Salvation Christ did never intend to bind us to impossibilities what we cannot do of our selves he will enable us to do neither did he ever require that we should observe whatsoever he hath commanded us by our own strength but as he hath merited Grace and Power for us by his Death so he will give it us by his Resurrection and then such things as are grievous to flesh and blood shall be sweet and delightsom to sanctified souls This being possible let us consider the reasons 1. We not only by God's command but also by our promise so solemnly confirmed by Baptism are bound to observe these commandments A loyal Subject will obey his Sovereigns command and will remember his Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity and an honest man will be as good as his word and promise made unto man and shall not we obey our Saviour's Laws written and confirmed with his own blood shall we promise and promise unto him and not perform shall we not only be disobedient but perfidious too and violate ouâ— sacred bonds This will make our sins most heinous and our punishment most grievous O therefore let us remember our Baptism and solemn Vows and prove faithful unto God and
Obedience Disobedience Punishments and Rewards of the obedience of the blessed Angels and their Confirmation in a state of holiness and bliss of the fall of the rest and the wrath of God upon them and their irrecoverable misery Sect. 5. The second general Head and Topick iâ— that of the Son who redeems us The particulars considerable under this Heaâ— are 1. The party Redeemed 2. The Redeemer 3. The work of Redemption 1. To that of the party redeemed which is man as sinful and guilty we may reduce such places as inform us of the first Laws both Moral and Positive which God gave man upon his creation of mans obedience and comfortable condition and his hope of future happiness of the fall and first sin of man of Satans temptation and temptation and sin in general what it is what the aggravations or attenuations thereof what the consequents especially shame fear guilt punishment of the derivation of sin and death unto all mankind from Adam the root and head of all his posterity and of the sad condition of man in respect of the first sin upon which an inevitable ruine had followed if God had not prevented it 2. The Redeemer and hither refer such places as speak how God decreed and promised a Redeemer and Saviour and all the Prophesies Predictions Types Shadows of him such as inform us of his person as he is the eternal Word and Son of God of his God-head Manhood united and the eternal distinction of both of his Offices Sacerdotal Prophetical Regal of his Conception Birth Life of his Doctrine Miracles holy life and excellent vertues and the whole history of the same as delivered by the Evangelists 3. His work of Redemption which hath two parts Humiliation Exaltation In his Humiliation we have his low estate suffering To that of his low estate may be reduced the Scriptures which speak of the poverty and meanness of his Birth as he was born in stable and laid in a manger of the poverty and mean condition of his Parents his Circumcision Presentation in the Temple his Infirmities as Hunger Thirst Weariniss and the like which were without sin and his mortality To that of his suffering refer the Texts concerning his Persecutions dangers from the Contempt malice envy jealousie of Herod first then of the Pharisees Scribes Priests Rulers of the Jews of his Agony Judas treachery Peters denial and principally such as represent unto us his death upon the Cross and his continuing under the power of death for a time and in these sufferings of his Pains Cries Tears Complaints and inward sorrows of his Meekness Patience Humility Charity Hope of glory Considence in his Father of his obedience to the great command to suffer so many indigninities such shame and curse that by his death he might make propitiation for the sin of man and such as speak of this death as a sacrifice propitiatory offered unto God as supreme Judge offended by our sins and that out of dearest love unto us and a longing desire to save us of the eternal vertue and efficacy of the sacrifice so highly accepted of God and the rare effects of the same both mediate and immediate of the prodigies which fell out in the time of his passion and at his death of the Prophesies fulfilled in this humilitation even to the casting lots upon his seamless Coat the piercing of his side and the not breaking of a bone His exaltation follows in his Resurrection Ascension Session at the right hand of God Coming to judgment To this Head of Resurrection may be reduced such Texts as spake of the Prodigies falling out near unto the same the distinct time the manner the manifestation of it the persons to whom the time where the places where he was manifested his abode upon earth for forty days his converse with his Disciples his instruction given his commission granted to the Apostles who saw him The use which is to be made of this Doctrine to that of his Ascension may be reduced such places as speak of the time when of the places from which and to which he ascended the persons both Men and Angels who beheld it of the end of this part of this exaltatioâ— which was to be confirmed in his everlasting Kingdom and Priesthood and to exercise his power which he received more solemnly upon his Resurrection and to receive fulness of joy in his Fathers presence and pleasures at his right hand for evermore to make intercession for such aâ— come to God by him and to prepare eternal mansions for his Saints and so be fully blessed for ever To that of his sitting at the right hand of God refer those places which speak oâ— the super-eminency of his power above all men and Angels and all creatures of his being the head of the Church the administrator general of Gods spiritual kingdom of the exercise of this power and the wonderful effects thereof in heaven and earth and his abode in the place of glory and the continuance of his reign untill all enemies be subdued To that of his coming to Judgment refer such Scriptures as speak of the place from whence he comes the manner of his coming in the glory of the Father in flaming fire with the attendance of all the holy Angels the burning of the world the Archangel sounding his Trumpet the Resurrection whereby death the last enemy is destroyed the parties to be judged their summons appearance discovery of all their works even the secrets of their hearts the sentence of him the universal Judge the execution of the same in eternal punishments and rewards the delivering of the Kingdom up unto his Father Sect. 6. The third and last Head is concerning the holy Ghost in which we must observe 1. The Holy Ghost himself Vocation Justification Glorification 2. The effects of this Holy Ghost in respect of the Churches To the first reduce such places as inform us of his Divine Nature Properties perfections and the Worship due unto him of his relation to the Father and the Son of his working with them and from them of his apparitions of his resting upon Christ of the several Names and Titles given him As for the effects and works of this Spirit we must know that he with the Father and the Son is the universal cause of all things for the Father and the Son doth all things by his Spirit yet the Creed takes notice in this place only of those works and operations which tend to the eternal salvation of man The first whereof is Vocation To this Head refer all Scriptures which speak of the condition of man to be called as being blind ignorant senseless perverse guilty not thinking of any danger not desiring not seeking any remedy yet redeemed and by Redemption made saveable For Redemption found man in no capacity of salvation vocation finds the foundation of his salvation laid To this Topick also bring such places as speak of preventing grace and the
Earth are effected was always in the Church to sanctifie the same and prepare it for eternal Glory and when Christ was set at the right hand of God came down upon the Apostles in the likeness of fiery cloven Tongues gave them power to speak in all Languages enlightned them gave them full and perfect knowledge of the Gospel endued them with all gifts and power requisite for the laying of the foundation of the Christian Religion the plantation of the Church in all Nations and did direct them in the dispensation of the Gospel that both by word and writing they might publish and declare it infallibly By this doctrine accompanied with the power of this Spirit and convey'd to the hearts of men both Jews and Gentiles were called converted sanctified and made up the body of the universal Church which is the number of all believers in all Nations a community of Saints Militant first on Earth and then Triumphant in Heaven These are the best society in the world have the greatest priviledges are the Children of God the Members of Christ the Temples of the Holy Ghost the Candidates of Heaven the Heroes of Eternal Glory baptized by one Spirit into one body and by Baptism admitted Subjects of an everlasting Kingdom Those tho' dispersed through several parts of the world and mixed with counterfeit Christians and profane persons are justified regenerated reconciled the adopted Sons of God have a title unto eternal Life the earnest of the Spirit and the first fruits of glory are guarded by Angels beloved of God enemies to Sin Satan and the World tempted often sometimes wounded and foiled yet sin reigns not in them and in the end they attain a full and final victory They suffer Persecution and bear the Cross with patience deny themselves are constant in the Covenant nothing can separate them from the love of God all things work together for their good they increase in heavenly Virtues abound in good works rejoyce in the hope of Glory watch and pray and with sighs and groans wait for the adoption which is the redemption of the body When they depart this world they commend their spirits into their Fathers hands who sends his Angels to receive them they are with Christ and secure of the resurrection unto eternal bliss rest from their labours and their works follow them when the number of these is finished Christ will come down from Heaven in the Glory of the Father with all the holy Angels and shall descend with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and the Trump of God Then all the dead shall rise the living shall be changed and made immortal all shall be summoned appear be judged the righteous shall be justified for ever receive the glorious reward of an everlasting Kingdom be admitted into God's presence behold his glory be filled with eternal joy and made fully and for ever happy such as know not God or obeyed not the Gospel being unbelievers and unrighteous shall be sentenced to everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels shall be cast out of God's presence imprisoned in Hell where the worm never dieth and the fire is never quenched and shall there be tormented in soul and body continually and of their extreme misery there shall be no end These things I believe to be most certainly true and as reveal'd from Heaven confirm'd by many signs and wonders and the rare effects of this Doctrine in the conversion and consolation of many souls This Faith of my heart I profess with my mouth and according to this belief and profession I rely for everlasting life upon God the Father who loved me and the Son who gave himself for me and the Holy Ghost who sanctifies and comforts me Sect. 8. After this enlargement I return again unto the Proposition That Christ commanded the Apostles to teach or disciple all Nations and thence infer some practical conclusions in a few words and so conclude this Chapter 1. If Apostles and so all Ministers of the Gospel who take the charge of souls upon them be subject to Christ's power and bound by this command then it is their duty to teach to teach this Doctrine to teach all this Doctrine they must teach this and none other because it is the only converting saving comforting truth if they teach other it will be either unprofitable or which is worse pernicious though they teach this and yet conceal some part thereof and declare not the whole counsel of God though it may be good so far as they make use of it yet it will be insufficient and never reach the end for which it was revealed from Heaven for it 's the Gospel the whole Gospel that is the power of God unto Salvation yet it must not be taught confusedly but as it was delivered by our Saviour in a certain and exact method so it must in the same manner be dispensed by the Man of God who must not only be perspicuous that his Doctrine may be understood but also methodical that it may be remembred therefore if we will manifest our love to Christ be faithful to our trust pity poor Souls redeemeâ— by the precious blood of Christ make â— good account at the last receive a Crowâ— of Glory when the great Shepherd shalâ— appear and escape that fearful Woe anâ— Judgment which shall fall upon such as a 〈…〉 guilty of the blood of other men let â—â— teach teach this Doctrine and teach 〈…〉 thus and in this manner as Christ's Command requires and directs 2. If this be our duty then the people whom we teach are bound to receive this all this Doctrine and thus as it is taught and if ever they will be converted unto God comforted by the Spirit attain unto eternal life and not be adjudged to eternal Fire for Ignorance or Disobedience to the Gospel let them hear this Doctrine attentively learn the whole counsel of God lay it up in their hearts remember it obey it and make it the joy and delight of their hearts and the subject of their constant Meditations let them reject all other Doctrine which shall not be agreeable to this our Saviour's Creed 3. It 's a matter of perpetual Thanksgiving and it 's our Duty to acknowledge God's wonderful mercy in this respect and give all Glory and Praise unto his Name in that he hath so well provided for our Salvation For he hath not only sent his onely Son from Heaven to redeem us by his precious Blood raised him from the dead and given him all Power in Heaven and Earth but Christ having received this Power gives Commission and Command to the Apostles and their Sucâ—â—â—â—ors to teach all saving Truth hath contracted it in so few words reduced it unto so clear a method endued them with the knowledge of it bound them to teach it to all Nations in their own Language fit it for the meanest capacities raise up a continual supply of faithful Ministers to instruct
of Christ as before his Ascension or explicitly as after They must be made especially by us Christians in the name of Christ who by his blood hath satisfied Gods justice made him propitious the Throne of grace accessible hath merited all mercies promised to be our Advocate and to sollicite our cause in heaven and procure for us whatsoever we ask in his name They must also be made by the Spirit who alone doth sanctify us and qualifie our hearts for this duty and enables us to perform it so as that it may be effectual and when we know not how to pray as we ought he stirs up in us sighs and groans which cannot be uttered by which he makes intercession for us to the Father who not only understands these dark expressions but is much moved and affected with them So that a Christian effectual prayer is a presenting of our petitions to God the Father in the name of Christ by the Spirit And how powerful must that prayer be which is offered to the Father in the name of his Son by the power and grace of his Spirit A prayer may be made inwardly in the soul without any words of the Mouth and it may be â—o qualified as to prevail very much with God who principally looks at the heart It may be made outwardly and that without any understanding sense and inward affection and this is but a Carkase of prayer and not regarded of God though delivered in most excellent expressions and as it were in the language of Angels This outward prayer whether said or sung in Prose or Verse if made in publick or in company must be in a language and in terms more easily understood by the people with whom we pray that they may say Amen which they cannot if they understand not And though they understand yet if their hearts be not affected with the matter and rightly disposed towards God it s to no purpose For all outward prayer should be joyned with the inward and issue from an heart rightly disposed A prayer of a righteous man may sometimes be ineffectual because it s not made by him as righteous Sect. 2. These things concerning prayer in general observed I proceed unto the Lords prayer we find many particular prayers praises and thanksgivings in the Scripture and many forms both for publick and private devotion taken out of this blessed Book yet all these seem to be but so many branches of that excellent form which our Saviour taught his Disciples wherein he contracted the substance of all lawful prayers and that in an excellent method It was taught and prescribed in the days of his humiliation and was suitable unto their present light and condition For herein he gives no direction how to ask any thing in his name and the reason was he was not yet glorified nor made Advocate general in heaven nor possessed of his glorious Kingdom This may seem to be intimated in that petition Thy Kingdom come For then to him and so to them it was to come In it we may observe 1. The Entrance or Preface 2. The Body and Matter 3. The Conclusion In the entrance we may take notice of 1. The parties who must perform this duty 2. The parties for whom Prayer must be made 3. The party to whom Prayer must be made 4. The qualification of the Prayer it self 1. The parties who must perform this duty are persons living on Earth who have not lost their interest in God upon whom all and every one depends and our necessities are many and great and prayer is Ordained as a means whereby all things we need may be obtained and that more certainly because we have a Promise Besides its an universal Command and all Men are bound in that respect to pray and by prayer to worship and glorifie God For by it we acknowledge that God is the supreme Lord the fountain of all goodness the Father of Mercies willing freely to give us what we need and that we are miserable and indigent persons and that God is no ways bound to relieve us or supply our wants but only he promised to hear and help and this promise was freely made Some will not pray some cannot some can pray but not effectually yet all these are bound to pray and therefore their sin or misery must be very great 2. The persons for whom we must pray are our selves and all others who are capable of any benefit by our prayers For we are directed to say Our Father and in this word Our we include our selves and others too As we must love our Neighbour as our selves so we must pray for our Neighbour as for our selves And by Neighbour we must understand not only our Acquaintance and Friends but strangers and Enemies For we must pray for them which despitefully use us So Christ prayed for such as did Crucifie him saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do yet as we must love some more then others so we must pray more especially for some then others most of all for the Church and our persecuted Brethren For Christian charity in our prayers doth enlarge it self and abhors partiality and self-love 3. The person to whom we must pray is God and God is our Father in heaven Father is a word of power and pity Father in heaven is a term of supreme power and infinite pity And if all the power and pity of all Fathers even the best were united in one yet all were nothing to the pity and power of our God This Father loved us and gave his Son for us when we were Enemies and called us when we were dead in Sins and Trespasses greater love never was manifested to any creature and greater love to any creature there cannot be And how much must he love us when once we begin to love him as our God! What cannot a Father in heaven what will not a father in Christ do for his Children seeing in him meet in one power and pity might and mercy greatness and goodness which include all his perfections Thus we must conceive of God to whom we address our selves to whom we direct our prayers 4. The qualifications of prayers are many 1. One is faith whereby we believe that he is present in all places at all times hears all prayers knows all things and with what heart we pray that he is just holy wise of infinite goodness and unspeakable mercy in Christ who makes intercession for us in heaven that his power is Almighty and his dominion over all things is supreme 2. In respect of his infinite and eternal excellency and supreme dominion we must come into his presence with all humility and reverence adoring his eternal Majesty 3. As he is holy we must be holy and draw near with pure and upright hearts 4. As he is just we must petition for just things 5. As he is a father we must be obedient Children 6. As he is full of love so we must
The thing petitioned for in these words 1. The will of God is sometimes his decree sometimes his command or law this will here intended is not his decree but his law the matter of the decree is something that God will do the matter of the command is something that man must do and the effect of this will once signified is the obligation of man unto obedience or upon disobedience unto punishment and by this will here is meant the Laws of God Redeemer in force under the Gospel And these Laws by some are reduced to repentance faith obedience to Gods Laws continued after our first faith and conversion and this according to the parts of the vow made in Baptism All well ordered Kingdoms have their laws which all such as will be admitted subjects or will receive protection and enjoy the priviledges of that Government must observe And so it is in the Kingdom of God Redeemer and these Laws are moral yet Evangelically understood or positive and ceremonial The moral are fundamental or superstructive The fundamental is that which requires subjection aad fealtv to the Soveraign Christ Jesus and submission to his power the superstructive are such Laws moral as are grounded upon this such are all the Commandments following the first And whereas some understand this will as well of the Executive will as the Legislative yet that 's not proper though true in some sense 2. To do this will doth presuppose that the Laws be published and that by the same the will of God be made known that none but such as are negligent or wilful may be ignorant This being presupposed 1. We must have a certain knowledge of the Will of our heavenly Father For if in every action of a man as he is a man and a rational creature knowledge be requisite and necessary much more in this obedience To do that which is commanded by God and not to know its Gods command is no obedience unto God 2. After this Will is once known there must be a free and full consent and stedfast resolution for to conform unto it and that not only because the commands of God are just and holy the doing them is pleasing unto him and beneficial unto man but for this very reason because we know them to be the commands of God 3. Because neither of these can be done except we renounce our own conceits imaginations lusts and corrupt inclinations of our own hearts therefore we must resign up our understandings to the wisdom and our own wills wholly to the Will of God 4. This doing doth not stay and rest in knowledge and good affection but must proceed to endeavours and if our power fail not to the doing prosecuting and finishing of the things commanded for our obedience should reach to the full measure of the command 5. This will is observed not only in doing good but in suffering evil and that with patience and thankfulness 6. We must submit unto the executive will of God and be content therewith even then when the works of Gods providence do cross us and seem to be contrary to his Laws For they may seem sometimes to be so though they never are so yet they may be above these Laws and beyond the reach of our understanding No man can do this will by nature except he be regenerate by grace And because our knowledge is imperfect at the first and our spiritual ability poor therefore we must improve them more and more 3. The manner how this will must be performed and the measure of our obedience is expressed by a pattern given us in heaven For we are taught to pray Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven This implies that God hath Subjects in Heaven 2. That these do his will more perfectly 3. That we must follow this Example and aim at that perfection These Subjects are not the Stars and Lights of Heaven as some do understand the words Though its true that these observe a constant regular Motion according to an order preferred in the Creation and never were Exorbitant or swerved from the rule since the beginning Only if God do command them to stand they stand or go back they go back or withhold their light they refuse to give it But these are not intelligible creatures or capable of Laws yet they may be witnesses against us confound us and make us for ever ashamed of our disobedience Therefore the words are meant of Angels which are Spirits Intellectual and most noble creatures and their proper place is Heaven and therefore styled in Scripture the Angels of Heaven Of these its written That they do Gods Commandments hearkning to the voice of his pleasure Psal. 103. 20. The perfection of their obedience is in this that they never sinned but always obeyed God from the first moment of their creation They did Gods will 1. Always and in all times 2. They did it in all things 3. They did it freely readily and with joy and delight 4. They did it in the highest degree of their perfection So that their obedience was constant universal free and perfect This example we must follow striving to attain their perfection though we cannot reach it and never rest till God hath fully sanctified us and made us perfectly Righteous and Holy as they are This pattern doth not exclude that of Sanits and Martyrs though it come short yet we have a more excellent and glorious example of Christ which is more perfect then that of theirs because they never denied themselves and bare the Cross as he did 4. In these words 1. We confess our ignorance errours blindness corruption inclination to sin aversness to good and our impotency which by nature is such that of our selves we can do nothing 2. We pray for Gods preventing regene rating co-operating assisting and consummating grace and that he would enlighten us inspire and sanctifie us so that we may clearly unsterstand and effectually do his will from our hearts aiming at his glory 3. That we would sanctifie us more and more that we may dayly improve our knowledge and Obedience 4. That he would strengthen and assist us continually that we may persevere in an universal obedience to the end This sanctifying grace we desire as merited by Christ to be given us by the Spirit according to his promise yet we do not expect it so from him as though he should do all things and we do nothing we must use the means he hath appointed exercise the power he hath given us hearken unto the Doctrine of the Gospel meditate in the same and continually pray for his assistance we must be diligent careful watchful continually depending upon him To this position we may and must refer all the prayers of Gods Saints recorded in Scripture wherein they seek of God knowledge understanding wisdom faith charity and all other heavenly vertues with the increase of them and Gods perpetual assistance and direction And though our perfection be
very little our imperfections many yet we must desire and endeavour to be perfectly obedient to the end 4. We pray Give us this day our daily Bread In the former part of this form of prayer we sought of God spiritual blessings and such as tended more immediately to Gods glory and our salvation And in this we sue for temporal mercies and the necessary comforts of this life whilst we are seeking a better and the order here observed by our Saviour doth teach us that we must prefer spiritual graces before temporal blessings and seek Gods Kingdom and his righteousness first which if we do we may more certainly expect our daily Bread according to his promise In the words we have 1. Bread 2. Our daily Bread 3. This day 4. Our petition for this to be given us 1. By bread is meant all necessary comforts of this life which are given us that we may more chearfully and freely without distraction serve our God seek his Kingdom and do his will Bread which is the staff of Life and hath great affinity with Mans Body is only namely to signifie that we must not seek unnecessary dainties rarities variety superfluity and abundance to expend them in maintaining our Pride pomp and pleasure These necessaries signified by bread are private or publick temporal Commodities Goods Blessings as health food raiment house lands cattle and other things whereby Man 's life is preserved and also good government peace seasonable and plentiful times safety quiet enjoyment of that we have and Gods blessing upon our labours 2. Our daily bread that is the bread of our indigency which we daily want so the Syriack our Bread for to morrow so the Arabick our Food of every day so the Ethiopick our Bread which is necessary for the day The meaning of all is that by daily bread is meant a competent portion of necessaries fit for the preservation of our lives so that we need not perish or be distracted with fear of want 3. This day that is the present time of our life and doth imply that our life is not long neither must we expect to live many daies and though we have not provision beforehand but from hand to mouth as the Proverb is yet we should be content and trust in God we must not perplex or distract our selves with thoughts of future times nor promise to our selves long life and torment our souls with needless and ineffectual cares as tho we had no faith no Father in heaven no Interest in him or think that he that feeds the Ravens who make no provision for time to come nor have any thing laid up in store will be so careless of us as to see his Children want bread 4. We in these words petition our heavenly Father to give us this bread This implies 1. That we have nothing not one morsel of bread but from our God 2. That he gives us this and all things necessary freely we do not deserve or buy it but beg it at his hands therefore 1. we seek it of him by prayer for our selves and others 2. That he would continue to provide for us still 3. That he would bless that which he gives and we possess unto us for if he give it not we have nothing if he continue it not it s easily took from us and tho we be as rich as Job yet we may be as poor as he was in a day have much this hour and have nothing the next and that our best and most wholsom food without his blessing can do us no good 4. We pray that God would deliver us from Diseases sickness famine nakedness sword oppression drought inundation unseasonable times and all such things as deprive us of our daily bread and because we never knew what want of bread is nor ever considered how much we depend for these things upon our God therefore we so little prize these earthly comforts and are unthankful for these mercies 5. We must with our prayers labour and use lawful means for the attaining of these things be provident frugal liberal charitable and expend as much as we can spare in pious uses and then that Father who will give us Eternal will surely give us Temporal blessings he that will give us an heavenly kingdom will give us earthly necessaries and he that hath given us Christ will with him give us all things 5. We pray for forgiveness of our sins in these words Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Here begins the deprecatory part of this prayer whereby we seek deliverance from evil and that which is contrary to our happiness This kind of prayer is sometimes joyned with weeping fasting complaints lamentations and confession of sins The first evil is that of sin past which remains in the guilt for to understand this petition we must consider 1. Trespasses 2. Our trespasses 3. The forgiveness of trespasses 4. The party forgiving 5. The party capable of forgiveness 1. By trespasses we must understand sin and disobedience to Gods Laws the word which in St. Matthew signifies debts is expounded in Luke by a word which signifies sins and all sins are debts or rather contract debts for first we owe unto God obedience and by the Law are bound to perform it but if we pay not this but prove disobedient we run into another debt and owe a punishment to God and by the same law are bound to suffer it for we are bound unto obedience by the precept and to punishment by the commination of the law When sin is once past the guilt thereof which is an obligation unto punishment remains The punishments which man deserves and God doth threaten are not only bodily and temporal but spiritual and eternal The reason and cause why sin doth render the sinner liable to the displeasure of God and to so many and fearful penalties not only of the loss of all those mercies God hath promised but of suffering of all those evils God doth threaten is because it is so base and vile and so unworthy and unbeseeming so noble a creature as man is by Gods creation that it must needs offend God pollute man and debaâ—e him very much its contrary to Gods justice and holiness and includes in it a contempt of Gods power and of his law which is a mirrour of wisdom and righteousness The sins of men are many and of different sorts there is sin original sin actual sin of omission sin of commission sin against the law of nature sin against the law of grace and a great inequality between these actual transgressions some less some more hainous and such as may be several wayes fearfully agravated and the more of will there is in any sin the more grievous it is 2. These sins and trespasses are said to be Ours so that we are chargeable with them and punishable for them For though the Devil may tempt us yet he cannot force us cannot necessitate us Though
wonders and glorifie thy name for ever and give all glory praise and thanks to thee that so all Atheists Idolaters prophane persons Apostates and rebellious wretches may be convinced or confounded 2. That thy name be the more hallowed and we sinful wretches eternally saved let thy Kingdom come that Christ at thy right hand may powerfully and gloriously reign till all his enemies be made his footstool O let thy word and spirit so mightily prevail that all Nations may be converted submit themselves to Christ their Saviour thy Church enlarged from Sea to Sea and from the river to the worlds-end till the number of thy Saints be finished and made perfect and thou mayest rule in our hearts till sin and the power of Satan be wholly and forever destroyed Raise up a continual supply of faithful and godly Ministers and good Kings and Magistrates which may be Defenders of the Faith and nursing Fathers to thy Church and pour down the gifts of thy Spirit in great plenty upon all flesh break in peices the power of Satan and all persecuting enemies let death the last enemy be destroyed make all thy Saints immortal and bless them with eternal joy and peace that so they may sing an eternal Hallelujah to thy name in the heaven of heavens where there shall be no sin no sorrow no pain but fulness of joy in thy presence and pleasures for evermore at thy right hand 3. That we may enjoy the priviledges and attain the eternal felicity of thy Kingdom we desire that thy will may be done on earth as it in heaven we do confess that by nature we are blind and ignorant and have no power to do thy heavenly will All our spiritual knowledge wisdom and power of obedience is from thee our God and the good spirit of Christ. Seeing therefore this is our condition as born of Adam and brought up in a wicked world and Christ hath given himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculier people zealous of good works we beseech thee open our eyes and enlighten our understanding that we may more clearly know thy heavenly Laws and sanctifie our hearts more and more that we may constantly and freely with joy and delight observe all thy holy and blessed Laws O raise up our thoughts and affections that we may seek that glorious and eternal estate which thou hath prepared for those that love thee and so renew our hearts that we may be zealous of thy glory mortifie sin bring forth the fruits of thy spirit abound in good works give good example unto others make our calling an Election sure manifest that we are born from Heaven that so following the example of thy blessed Angels and aiming at their perfection may in the end be partakers of eternal bliss together with them 4. Whil'st in this vale of tears we seek thy Kingdom and endeavour to do thy holy will we have need of many earthly comforts as food and raiment and such things as without which we cannot live we therefore pray thee give us this day our daily bread we acknowledge that we have neither life nor health nor a morsel of bread nor any place where to lay our heads but from thee our heavenly father Be pleased therefore out of our fatherly goodness to give us good government peace safety seasonable times a comfortable and competent Estate and a quiet enjoyment of the same If we should ask for superfluities dainties and abundance to spend them for to maintain our pride and seusual pleasures we confess it were just with thee not to hearken unto us thou mights justly deny them but we are contented with food and rayment and other necessaries and seek them from thee that we may without distraction seek thy heavenly Kingdom O pity the sick the poor the weak the widow and the fatherless the stranger and such as are in want and oppressed feed the hungry cloath the naked deliver poor captives and relieve thy persecuted and distressed Saints These mercies thou hast promised in order to our eternal happiness whil'st we are in this vale of tears until we come to our abiding city where we shall have no need of these things And we seek these at thy hands with hope to receive them because thou hast promised them yet we are resolved that howsoever thou shalt deal with us we will submit unto thy will and be contented 5. O heavenly Father tho' we should do thy will always and from our heart in all things yet we have often sinned and done evil in thy sight made our selves guilty and liable to eternal death and have great need of thy mercy in Jesus Christ therefore we pray thee forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us We do confess that both in the state of Nature of Grace we often offend thee and transgress thy holy laws and besides the guilt of the first sin which lies heavy upon us and our inbred corruption we are guilty of many actual transgressions And these have been committed not only out of ignorance or infirmity or upon surprizal or violence of temptation but many of them against knowledg and some of them are very hainous and of a crimson die some are publick some private som open some secret neither is this all but we harden our hearts in them against the light of thy Gospel the dictates of thy Spirit thy patience and long-suffering against thy mercies and deliverances against thy chastisements and many gracious invitations against thy dearest love and the bitter sufferings of our Saviour And these are the more hainous because committed by us who have received so many mercies enjoyed for a long time so many powerful means of conversion and have vowed better things O how much hath thou done to convert us and we are not converted how miserable have we made our selves what fearful punishments have we deserved Oh take away these stony hearts of ours give us hearts of flesh and make us sensible of our sins that we may loath our selves and that our hearts may inwardly bleed because we have offended thee so good a God Remember thy tender mercies the bitter sufferings of our Saviour and thy gracious promises in him unto poor sinners Shall he dye on earth and plead his blood in heaven and we confess our sins and yet not obtain mercy O pity spare forgive turn away thy wrath cast us not out of thy presence take not thy holy Spirit from us deny us not the joy of thy salvation And this mercy we desire with the greater hope because we desire to forsake our sins put our sole and whole confidence in our blessed Saviour and are willing to forgive and be reconciled to such as trespass against our selves 6. O Lord thou knoweth our frailty the great danger of temptation which is such that though we be sanctified and sin past pardoned yet we may fall into sin again and so contract
new guilt therefore we humbly beseech thee Lead us not into temptation Satan is cruel subtle raging temptations many times very violent we live in a wicked world weich is full of snares there is no time or place of absalute safety O therefore strengthen our faith arm us with thy compleat armour from heaven support us assist us watch over us continually that we mast stand firm against all assaults of the enemy keep the faith and being watchful and humbly depending upon thee our God may obtain a final victory by the power of our blessed Saviour who hath overcome the world and triumphed over the powers and principalities of hell Desert us not at any time especially not in the day of fiery persecutions bloody conflicts and the hour of greatest trial Order all occurrences and events by thy wise providence in such a manner as that in greatest straits we may find a way to escape and tho' we cannot avoid always the evil of afflictions yet we may be delivered from the evil of sin Sanctifie all conditions both of prosperity and adversity unto us so that Satan by them may not gain any advantage against us Tread him shortly under our feet and put an end to all our troubles and hasten to give us eternal peace and safety Lord hearken unto these our prayers which we offer unto thee in the name of Jesus Christ to whom with thee and thy Spirit all praise glory honour and thanks be given now and for evermore Amen This Prayer may be contracted into four words yet retaining the principal matter or more enlarged in the several heads according to which if we consider the mercies pray'd for once received we may compose a form of thanksgiving and the same may be reduced to order so as to render thanks for blessings and deliverances which may be considered as publick of Church or State or private as of Congregations Families persons the blessings are either spiritual or temporal the deliverances are so too for they are from sin or guilt or from temptation or from the miseries of this life And here it is to be observed 1. That all the Prayers in Scriptuer may be reduced to the several heads of this form which tho' it contracts the matter of Prayer unto a few heads disposed in an excellent order yet leaves it indifferent whether we will begin our more general Prayers with Thanksgiving or Petition and in presenting our petitions whether we shall begin with supplication for blessings or with deprecations for deliverance from evil The principal thing is to pray to God alone with an upright heart in the name of Christ for such things as God hath promised that we may be accepted and heard CHAP. IX Of Christs promise to the Apostles Sect. 1. YOu heard before that there were two parts of the Commission granted by Christ unto his Apostles the first was a mandate to go to all Nations to disciple them to baptize them discipled to teach them baptized to observe all his Commandments the second a promise of which I will now speak in a few words and so conclude And we must observe 1. The reasons why Christ made this promise 2. The words of the promise partly exprssed here partly Mark 16. 17 18. There were several reasons which moved Christ to add this promise For 1. as the death of Christ did trouble them much so did his departure he must go and leave them behind him he was their dearest Lord whom they loved he was their joy their solace their guide and their protector and to part with him went near their hearts All this Christ understood and therefore to comfort and revive their sinking spirit that so though he withdraw his bodily presence yet they may be encouraged to go on with the work he adds this promise because he would be present with them in another and more effectual way 2. The work was very difficult and seemed to be far above their power and they should be encountred with many fearful enemies from whom they should suffer very much the devil and the world would oppose them with all their strength lest therefore they should be terrified dejected and depsair he lets them know he will be with them not only to strengthen and assist them but to preserve them in the midst of greatest danger and deliver them out of all their troubles 3. They might doubt of the success of their labours and fear lest their doctrine seeming to be new and contrary to the received opinions both of Jew and Gentile would not be received he therefore promiseth so to be with them as that he would confirm it outwardly by glorious miracles and make it effectual by the Holy Ghost to the end Sect. 2. In the words which are Loe I am with you always unto the end of the world we may consider 1. The person to whom this promise is made 2. The person promising 3. The thing promised 1. The persons to whom this promise is made are first the Apostles for to whom the commission is granted to them the promise is made and these are easily known to be all such as Christ intended to trust with the dispensation of Word and Sacraments These were of two sorts 1. Extraordinary 2. Ordinary The extraordinary are the Apostles to whom the promise was made immediately and principally for their place was high and extraordinary their power great and of large extent their work very difficult their sufferings greivous their enemies many potent cruel these must lay the foundation and plant the Christian Church in all Nations confirm the doctrine of the Gospel preached by them with many signs wonders and gifts of the Holy Ghost they must be infallible in word and writing and leave their doctrine upon record to be a rule of doctrine faith and life unto the worlds end yet these must die and when they had finished rhe great work leave the world and the Church which they had planted must continue and must have her pastours and teachers who must dispence both Word and Sacraments in the generations following till time shall be no more Therefore the promise must be understood as made to all their lawful successors in the Ministry till the number of Gods Saints be made up for what can those do except Christ in their successive generations be with them how should they go through with the great work without him His presence thefore was necessary unto them also without this promise both made and performed unto them their Ministry cannot be successful and effectual for the conversion edification and salvation of the Church yet here we must observe that though Christ promise his extraordinary presence to the Apostles yet his ordinary presence will be sufficient for their successours Sect. 3. The person who made this promise was Christ otherwise the promise of Man or Angel had been to no purpose he that had all power in heaven and earth and had given the four fold mandate
did give the promise and he was only fit to do it for there can be no doubt either of his fidelity or power as he was able so he was resolved to make good what he had said and his word was his deed and will be so unto the end He and he alone could procure the Spirit and send him down from heaven the Angels were at his command all creatures at his beck and as he had begun so he was resolved to finish the work of mans salvation This his purpose he might have concealed or reserved to himself a liberty yet he was willing to promise and by a promise not only to signifie his mind that they might know it to their comfort but also to bind himself unto them And now he cannot go back This promise is a ground of unspeakable comfort and encouragement to all faithful Ministers and doth assure us the Church shall continue to this worlds end Sect. 4. The third thing to be considered is the thing promised and that is Christs certain presence with them to the worlds end where we have 1. His presence 2. The continuance 3. The certainty of it 1. His presence is signified in these words I am with you which implies that he will not be against them nor will he be absent from them for there are enemies who are against us and there are friends which are absent and far from us but Christ will not be an enemy or a Friend at distance 2. It 's Christ that will be present I will be with you and that 's more then if all men and Angels should be for us and ever present with us 3. This presence is not bodily for Christ was justly after this promise taken up into Heaven bodily and the Heavens must contain him till the restitution of all things 4. It s a spiritual presence and the same far more excellent than that of his body for though a body may at several Times be present in many places yet it cannot be present in more places than one at one time but Christ by his Spirit might be with them in all places at all times for he promised before his death and passion to send the Comforter which should comfort their hearts in his absence teach them and lead them into all truth and upon Penticost he sent down his Spirit upon the Apostles which hath continued and will continue in the Church for ever 5. This is not a bare or meer presence for so this Spirit is present in all places at all times neither is it a presence with some general power for so he is with all things to preserve them But it s a special presence with a special active power for spiritual ends to produce spiritual and supernatural effects It is a presence not only to comfort strengthen assist and deliver them but also a powerful presence to make their Ministrry effectual for the eternal Salvation of mens Souls This Holy Ghost discended and rested upon Christ when he was ready to preach the Gospel and execute publickly his Offices When he first sent these Apostles he gave them the gifts of this Spirit After his Resurrection he breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost commanded them to stay at Jerusalem and wait for this Spirit upon the day of Penâ—ecost as before this Spirit came upon them By this Spirit all the Members of the Church are sanctified the Ministers qualified the Word and Sacraments made effectual and sentence of the Church so valid and of such mighty force Take away this spirit you take away the life and soul of the Church the power of the Ministry the efficacy of Word and Sacraments and without it all the Preaching Praying and other works of the Ministry will not be able to convert or comfort one Soul It s said I will be with you that is with you mine Apostles and your Successors in the Ministry to assist and bless and guide you in the discharge of your trust and execution of your office Dispense you the Word and Sacraments by the faithful observance of my mandate endeavour to save poor Souls and in that work I am with you no ways else so that such as are most faithful and diligent are most certain of his gracious presence Here is no promise made unto any particular Church or Ministers more than to others here is no express mention or intimation of the Bishop or Church of Rome or Jerusalem or Antioch or Constantinople The promise is made to the Church in general and their Ministers especially to such as are most faithful in their place and office Sect. 5. This is the presence the continuance of this presence is the second thing observed and is expressed in two words 1. Always or every day 2. To the worlds end 1. Always signifies that there shall be no intermission or interruption of Christs presence and assistance He will not absent himself or neglect them or desert them for a day so that they shall never have any cause to complain or say where is my Saviour now whether is he gon why hath he forsaken me There may be sad and woful times wherein Christ may seem to hide his face and to have forgotten them for a certain time yet even then Christ is with them and his faithful Ministers though he doth not appear and instantly manifest himself He must be with them always or else he breaks his promise and that he will never do Let us therefore do our duty always and Christ will be always with us 2. He will be with us to the worlds end this may be a longer this may be a shorter time Some understand the last period and end of that present generation the destruction of Jerusalem and the death of the Apostles and the reason of this opinion may be because some take the promise to be personal and to be made only to the Apostles for their lives yet this is rather a conceit than any solid well grounded truth especially seeing the end of the world in other places signifies either a far longer time than the life of a mortal man on earth unto the consummation of the creatures and to all eternity So the person or the time of the final judgment when the world shall be no more but Christ shall raise the dead deliver up the Kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all for when the number of Gods Saints is finished there will be no need of Word or Sacraments or Ministers and then this promise is performed to the full But whilst these continue as they shall continue to the end Christ is bound and will certainly be with them that he may make his redemption effectual by them in the 〈…〉 sion and salvation of poor sinners 〈…〉 3. The certainty of this perp 〈…〉 seems to be implyed in the note of attention Loe and in the verb of the present tense for Christ doth not say I will be but I am with you for nothing is more certain than that which is present Besides some Copies have Amen added which is a strong confirmation of the promise But this certainly doth chiefly depend upon the power and fidelity of Christ who hath made the promise and hath kept it in all times unto this day And the particle Loe doth require as their so our special attention and serious consideration both of the person promising and the thing promised that they might be fully assured of performance to the utmost By vertue of this promise it is come to pass that in the midst of the tumults and confusions of the world and af ter the ruine of so many glorious kingdoms of so many potent Empires and of so many flourishing Churches of particular Nations yet an universal Church with Word Sacraments and Ministry do continue to this day and the gates of Hell could never yet prevail against it so that we may take up the Words of the Psalmist Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth the Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge for this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide unto death Amen FINIS