10. 10. Psal. 22. 22. Christian Apology or profession of Christ in word is when with fear and meekness we are always ready to confess the truth of Christian Religion as often as need requireth and that in the presence of unbelievers that the name of God may be glorified 1 Pet. 3. 15 16. Act. 7. 1. to the end We are not bound to make this confession of our faith before unbelievers that are past all hope of repentance For holy things must not be given unto Dogs Matt. 7. 6. Profession of Christ in time of danger indeed is called Martyrdom Martyrdom is an undergoing of the punishment of death for the profession of Christ in the Doctrine of Faith and for Justice and for the salvation of the brethren For Justice John Baptist was beheaded of Herod Mark 6. 18. 27. 28. Christ laid down his life for us so ought we if need require for the brethren 1 John 3. 16. For maintaining the Doctrine of Faith Stephen was stoned Act. 7. 59. And yet this doth nothing let Christians the using of all holy security for the safety of their own lives For as Christ hath shewed in the Gospel It is lawfull for Christians in times of persecution if they finde themselves not sufficiently resolved and strengthened by the holy Spirit to stand to fly from place to place for the security of their lives Matt. 10. 23. Joh. 10. 39. This Christ did and advised his Disciples to do the like Upon such occasions as these Paul fled to Tarsus Act. 9. 30. And upon like occasions Eliah fled for his life from Jezabel 1 Kings 19. 3 4. Thus much for the profession of Christ which concerneth Christ himself The profession of Christ which concerneth his Members is either 1. Edification or 2. Alms. Edification is every particular duty of us towards our brethren which may further them in their growing up in Christ and Unite them more surely to him Rom. 14. 19. To edification belong these things 1. To give good example Matt. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 12. 2. To exhort Heb. 3. 13. Rom. 1. 12. 3. To comfort 1 Thes. 5. 14. and 4. 18. Jam. 5. 16 20. 4. To admonish Rom. 15. 14. 1 Thes. 5. 14. They do observe a holy manner of admonishing who do ever admonish in the spirit of meekness and so as if they themselves were guilty of the like infirmities and of such faults as they do certainly know by them whom they admonish out of Gods word Gal 6. 1. Matt. 7. 5. 2 Tim. 4. 2. Matt. 18. 15. Rom. 15. 14. Levit. 19. 17. Alms or relief is that whereby the rich out of their abundance ought freely largely and with open hands to supply the wants of the poor and that to the utmost of their ability and sometimes beyond it 2 Cor 8. 3. Acts 2. 44 45. In the days of the Apostles all those that were converted to the Faith by the powerfull operation of the holy Spirit esteemed no worldly thing they had their own but held all their worldly store Treasures and inheritances in common yea they sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every one had need So much for Edification Alms. The fourth degree of the Declaration of Gods love is Glorification Rom. 8. 30. Glorification is the perfect transforming of the Saints into the image of the Son of God Phil. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 15. 14 49. Psal. 17. 15. Glorification is begun in this life and exceedingly enlarged at the day of death and will be fully and throughly perfected at the general resurrection in the last day death of the faithfull is a sleep in Christ In this sleep the Soul is for a time severed from the body 1 Cor. 15 17. Act. 7. 60. The body lieth in the earth and seeth corruption and at length is raised to greater glory than at first it had 1 Cor. 15. 36. The Soul is severed from it that being fully sanctified it may immediatly upon its departure from the body be transported to Heaven Luke 13. 42. â—3 Rev. 14. 13. Remedies against death or the fear of it are these 1. If we consider that it is nothing else but a freeing of the faithfull from the Tyranny of the world flesh and Devil and a placing of them safe under the shadow of the wings of Christ 2. If we consider that death and the grave are sanctified to us through the death of Christ 3. If we do consider that Christ is gain unto us as well in death as in life Phil. 1. 21. 4. If we consider that the pains of death are nothing to the comforts after death 5. That we shall see God in the brightness of his glory and Majesty and be received into the company of glorified Spirits in Heaven 6. That our Souls shall be clad with glorie instead of our bodies 2 Cor. 11. 5. 7. That we are by it free from all the power of the Serpent and of the sting of death 1 Cor. 15. 55. Heb. 2. 15. 8. If we do not so much think of our death as exactly and diligently consider our life For he that liveth well cannot die ill and he that liveth ill doth seldom die well 9. That the Angels of God are ready to carry our Souls into Heaven so soon as they do depart from our bodies And our Souls being by them brought into Heaven shall there magnify the name of God And shall there wait for and pray for the consummation of the Kingdom of glorie and for the full and perfect felicity of body Soul Rev. 5. 8 9. and 14. 2 3. and 6. 10. The estate of the Elect at the last judgement The manner of the last day is this 1. Immediatly before the coming of Christ the powers of heaven shall be shaken the Sun and Moon shall be darkened the Stars shall fall from Heaven Matth. 24. 29 30. Then the elect and faithfull seing this shall lift up their heads and rejoyce But at this sight the Reprobate shall fear and tremble Luke 21. 26 28. 2 Tim. 4. 8. 2. The Heavens being on fire shall suddenly pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth and the works therein shall be burned up 2 Pet. 3. 12 13. At the same time when all these things shall come to pass the sound of the last Trumpet shall be heard sounded by the Arch-Angel Matt. 44 31. 1 Thes. 4. 16. Then shall Christ the Lord come suddenly in the Clouds with power and glory and great train of Angels Matt. 24. 30. 1 Thes. 4. 17. 3. At the sound of this Trumpet all the dead shall rise And those that are found alive shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye which change shall be in stead of death 1 Cor. 15. 51 52 53. Then shall all the bodies of the elect and faithfull be glorified and made glorious like the body of Christ Then their bodies shall
infinitness of Gods Nature is either his Eternity or his exceeding greatness Gods Eternity is that by which he is without beginning and ending Ps. 90. 2. Rev. 1. 8. His exceeding greatness is that by which his incomprehensible Nature is every where present both within and without the World Ps 145. 3. 1 King 8. 27. Jer. 23. 24. Of the life of God By this it doth plainly appear 1. That God is one and indivisible and not many as Ephes. 4. 5. 1 Cor. 8. 4. 2. That God is the knower of the heart For nothing is hidden from that Nature which is within all things without all things which is included in nothing nor excluded from any thing as 1 King 8. 32. Psal. 139. 1. 2. The life of God is that by which the Devine in Nature is in perpetual action living and moving with it self Psal. 42. 2. 2 Heb. 3. 12. These three following Attributes do manifest the operation of the Divine Nature towards the Creatures 1. Gods wisdom 2. Gods will 3. Gods omnipotency The wisdom and knowledge of God is that by which God doth by one Eternal and immutable Act of understanding distinctly and perfectly know himself and all other things though infinite whether they have been or not Matth. 11. 27. Heb. 4. 13. Psal. 347 5. Gods wisdom is his foreknowledge and his Counsel Gods foreknowledge is that by which he most assuredly foreseeth things that are to come Act. 2. 23. Rom. 8. 29. Gods counsel is that by which he doth most rightly perceive the best reason of all things that are done Prov. 8. 14. So much of the wisdom of God The will of God is that by which he doth most freely and justly will all things with one Act Rom. 9. 18. Epb. 1. 5. Jam. 4. 15. In God there are two wills 1. A will whereby God determineth what shall be done concerning us or in us 2. A will whereby God determineth what shall be done off us The first of these wills is called Predestination And therefore it is that Predestination is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessing of God whereby they are delivered which are delivered The second of these wills is the Gospel Predestination determines who who and how many are to be saved and hereupon Christ saith I know whom I have choosed John 13. 18. The Gospel which is the second will of God determines what kinde of ones they are that shall be saved and how they must be qualified Predestination which is the first will of God is Gods Decree it self The Gospel which is the second will of God is an outward means of the execution of this Decree of Predestination In the will of God there are three Actions * 1. An Action whereby God doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it 2. An Action whereby he doth wholely and absolutely nill a thing 3. A remiss Action which is as a mean between the two former Actions as when a thing is remissely or in part both willed and nilled God willeth good by approving it God willeth evil because it is good that there should be evil For this cause God doth voluntarily permit evil But as it is absolutely evil he wills it not But doth dissalowe and forsake it Act. 14. 16. Psal. 81. 12. The will of God in respect of divers objects is called diversly by divers names as by the Names of Love Hatred or of Grace Justice The love of God is that whereby he approveth first himself and then all his Creatures as they are good without their desert and doth take delight in them 1 Joh. 4. 16. Joh. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8. His hatred is that whereby he disliketh and detesteth his Creature offending for his fault 1 Cor. 10. 5. Psal. 5. 5. and 45. 7. Gods Grace is that whereby he freely declareth his favour to his Creatures Rom. 11. 6. Tit. 2. 11. The Grace of God is his goodness or his mercie Gods goodness is that by which he being also absolutely good doth freely exercise his liberality upon his creatures Matt. 19. 17. 5. 45. Gods mercie is that whereby he freely assisteth all his Creatures in their miseries Esai 30. 18. Lament. 3. 22. Exod. 33. 19. Gods justice is that by which he in all things willeth that which is just as Psal. 11. 7. and 5. 4. Gods justice is either in word or deed Gods justice in word is that truth by which he constantly and indeed willeth that which he sayeth or hath said Rom. 3. 4. Matth. 24. 35. This is the justice of God in keeping his promise 2 Tim. 4. 8. 1 John 4. 9. Gods justice indeed is that by which he disposeth or rewardeth Gods disposing justice is that by which he as a free Lord ordereth all things rightly in his Actions Psal. 145. 17. His rewarding justice is that by which he rendereth to his Creature according to his work 2 Thes. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 17. Jer. 51. 56. Again the justice of God is either his Gentlenes or his Anger Gods Gentlenes is that whereby he freely rewardeth the righteousness of his Creature 2 Thes. 1. 5. Matth. 10. 41. 42. Gods Anger is that by which he willeth the punishment of the Creature offending Rom. 1. 8. Joh. 3. 36. So much concerning the will of God Gods omnipotency is that whereby he is most able to perform every work Matth. 19. 26. Gods power is either absolute or Actual Gods absolute power is that by which he can do more than he either doth or will do Matth. 3. 9. Phil. 3. 21. Gods Actual power is that by which he causeth all things to be which he freely willeth Ps. 135. 6. Of the Glorie and blessedness of God Gods glorie and Majesty is the infinite excellencie of his most simple and most holy Divine Nature Heb. 1. 3. Nehem. 9. 5. In which we may see that God can onely know him self perfectly Joh 6. 46. 1 Tim. 6. 16. Exo. 33. 20. The manifestation of Gods glorie is either obscure as here on earth or apparent as in Heaven The obscure manifestation of Gods glorie is the Vision of Gods Majesty in this life by the eys of the minde through the help of things perceived by the outward senses as Isai 6. 1. Exod. 33. 22. 1 Cor. 13. 12. The apparent manifestation of God is the contemplation of him in Heaven face to face This concerning his glorie Gods blessedness is that by which God is in himself and off himself all sufficient Genes 17. 1. Collos. 2. 9. 1 Tim. 6. 15. Of the Persons of the God-head The Persons of the God-head are they which subsisting in one God-head are distinguisht by incommunicable properties 1 John 5. 7 Genes 19. 24. John 1. 1. The Persons are coequal and distinguisht not by degree but by order There is a Trinity of Persons but a Unity in Essence for the three Persons are but one infinite essence The
Communion of the Persons or rather the Union of the Persons is that by which one of them is in the rest and with the rest by reason of the Unity of the God-head and therefore every each one doth possess Love and glorifie another and work the same thing Joh. 14. 10. and 1. 1. and 5. 19. Prov. 8. 22. 30. The Persons of the God-head are three Matth. 3. 16. 17. The Father is a Person without beginning from all Eternity begetting the Son Joh. 1. 3. 10. In the generation of the Son we must note these properties 1. That he that begetteth and he that is begotten are together and not one before another in time 2. He that begetteth doth communicate with him that is begotten not some one part of his essence but his whole essence so that this Communion is not a Communion but a Union 3. The Father begot the Son not out of himself but in himself The incommunicable property of the father is to be unbegotten to be a Father and to beget The Father is the beginning of Actions and beginneth every Action of himself And effecteth every Action by the Son and by the Holy spirit 1 Cor. 8. 6. Rom. 11. 36. The Son is the second Person begotten of the Father from all Eternity Joh. 1. 3. 10. 1 Joh. 1. 1. 2. The Son in regard of his essence is of and by himself * very God But in regard of his filiation and Sonship as he is a Person and the Son of the Father he is not of himself but from another for he is the Eternal Son of his Father And thus is he truely said to be very God of very God For this cause he is said to be sent from the Father Joh. 8. 42. And this sending taketh not away the equality of Essence and power but declareth the order of the Persons Joh. 5. 18. Phil. 2. 6. The property of the Son is to be begotten His proper manner of working is to execute actions from the Father by the Holy Ghost Joh. 5. 19. 1 Cor. 8. 6. The Holy Ghost is the third Person proceeding from the Father and the Son Joh. 15. 26. Rom. 8. 9. Job 16. 13 14. The incommunicable property of the Holy Ghost is to proceed The Holy Ghosts proper manner of working is to finish an action Effecting it as from the Father and the Son The second part of THEOLOGIE Of Gods works and his Decree THe works of God are all the World and all the things contained therein The end for which all things are created is the manifestation of the glorie of God Rom. 11. 36. The Decree of God is that by which God hath freely from all eternity determined all things Eph. 1. 11. 4. Matth. 10. 29. Rom. 9. 21. The execution of Gods Decree is that by which all things in their time are accomplisht according as he foreknew them and Decreed them The Decree of God is the first and principal working cause of all things and it is also in order and time before all other causes This first and principal cause doth not take away freedom of will in Election Nor the Nature and property of second causes but it bringeth them into a certain order and it directeth them to their determinate ends and hereupon the effects or events of things are either contingent or Necessary Even as the Nature of the second cause is And thus Christ according to his Fathers Decree died necessarily as Act. 17. 3. But yet willingly Joh. 10. 18. And if we respect the temperature of Christs body he might have prolonged his life and therefore in this regard he may be said to have died contingently Gods foreknowledge is conjoyned with his Decree and in regard of us it is before his Decree but not in regard of God The branches of the execution of Gods Decree are his Operation and his operative permission His operation is his effectual producing of all good things which either have being or moving or which are done Gods operative permission is that whereby he onely permitteth one and the same work to be done of others as it is evil but as it is good he doth effectually work it Gen. 56. 20. 45. 7. Isai 10. 5. 6. 7. God permitteth evil by a certain voluntary permission in that he forsaketh the second cause in working evil And he doth also forsake his creature either by detracting the grace it had Or by not bestowing that which it wanteth Rom. 1. 26. 2 Tim. 2. 25. 26. And in this we must not think God unjust for he is indebted to none Rom. 9. 15. It is in Gods pleasure to bestow how much grace and upon whom he will Matth. 10. 15. That evil which God permitteth in respect of God is good whither it be as a punishment or as a chastisement because he can and doth produce good out of it Gods Decree as it concerneth man is called predestination Predestination is a Decree of God by which all men are ordained to an everlasting estate either of Salvation or Condemnation 1 Thess. 5. 9. The means of accomplishing Gods predestination was the Creation and the fall The Creation is the World and the inhabitants in the World The parts of the World are the Heaven and the Earth The Heavens are three fold 1. The Air 2. Sky 3. The invisible Heaven Heaven in a large acceptation is all that is above the Earth All which is distinguisht into three Heavens The first Heaven is the space betwixt the Earth and Starry Firmament The second Heaven containeth the Sun Moon Stars The third Heaven is the invisible Heaven this is the place in which the blessed do behold the Majesty and glorie of the Almighty The inhabitants of the World are Angels Men and all other Creatures In Angels there are these things to be considered 1. Their Nature they are spiritual and incorporeal essences Heb. 2. 16. and 1. 7. 2. Their qualities * First they are wise Secondly they are of great might 2 Thes. 1. 7. 2 Sam. 24. 17. 2 Kings 19. 35. Another quality of them is Thirdly that they are swift and of great agility Isa. 6. 6. Dan. 9. 21. 3. Their Number they are innumerable Dan. 7. 10. Hebr 12. 22 4. The place in which these good Angels are and that is in the highest Heaven for there they do ever attend upon God and have society with him Matth. 18. 10. Mark 12. 25. Psal. 68. 17. 5. Their orders or degrees which what they be no man can certainly say but there are Arch-Angels spoken of in Scripture 1 Thes. 4. 16. And Angels Matth. 18. 10. And Cherubims Seraphims Esai 6. 6. But it concerneth us not to search this neither may we curiously enquire after it 6. There office which is to magnify God and perform his Commandments Psal. 103. 20. 21. The Angels were created within the six days as appeareth Gen. 2. 1. The knowledge that the Angels have is either 1. Natural 2
in famin God doth quicken and revive those that fear him Psal. 33. 18 19. 2. That godliness is great gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. 3. That we are not to make our abode upon the earth but travelling through the world to Heaven and waiting here for the resurrection and inheritance of eternal life 4. That we are here servants of God and that he therefore will provide us conveniencies 5. That ambition and pride blindeth a mans minde and thus maketh his downfall greater An ambitious man feareth to be humbled least he should not be exalted 6. That pride and ambition brought ruin upon mankinde even in Paradise 7. That he robs God of his honour that taketh that glory to himself which is onely due to God Remedies against the desires of the flesh are these 1. If we consider that none can be Christs Disciples but those that live in a continual self denial Luke 9. 23. 2. That those that are of the spirit ought always to savour the things of the spirit Rom. 8. 15. 3. That those which walk after the flesh shall die Rom. 8. 13. 4. That even here for holiness and righteousness we ought to walk as Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven Phil. 3. 20. 5. That our bodies are the Temples of God 1 Cor. 3. 16. 6. That our Members are Members of Christ 1 Cor. 6. 15. 7. That we must not grieve the spirit of God which dwelleth in us 1 Cor. 6. 16. Rom. 8. 9. Eph. 4. 30. In these temptations by the flesh the fall is any offence through infirmity which a man by these temptations of Sathan is overtaken withall Gal 6. 1. In these falls Sathan will much aggravate and make greater the offence committed than it is And he will also terrifie the offendour with the judgements of God Matt. 27. 3 4 7. Here the remedy is To renew our repentance The beginning of this repentance is godly sorrow or sorrow towards Godward 2 Cor. 7. 9 11. The fruits of this repentance are seven 1. A purpose and endeavour to live according to the rule of Gods word 2. Confession of sins before God and an earnest entreaty of pardon for the offence at his hands Ps. 32. 5. 2 Sam. 12. 3. 3. An holy indignation against a mans a self for his offence 4 A fear not so much because of the punishment as least God should be highly displeased with the sin Ps. 130. 3. 5. A desire to be delivered from sin and to be fully renewed in life 6. A fervent zeal to love God and to embrace keep his Cammandments 7. A holy revenge which a man must take of himself for the taming subduing of his flesh least afterwards he should again fall into the same offence The second part of self-denial is The patient bearing of the Cross The Cross is nothing else but that measure of afflictions which every faithfull man by the will of God passeth under in his travelling through the World to Heaven Matth. 16. 24. Colos. 1. 24. No man is to seek affliction or to multiply his own troubles but when God layeth affliction upon a man he is to bear it willingly and patiently Colos. 1. 11. Luke 21. 19. Patience is thus strengthened 1. By the holy Ghost Phil. 4. 13. and 1. 29. 2. By holy Meditations As 1. That afflictions come not to a Faithfull man by chance but through the counsel and providence of God Gen. 4 5 4 5. 2 Sam. 16. 10. Psal. 119 71. The afflictions of the godly are inevitable Act. 14. 22. Matt. 7. 14. Joh 16. 33. 2 Tim. 3. 12. Secondly That though they be grievous yet they are good and profitable in that by them we are humbled for our sins before God and obtain peace and holiness of life 2 Cor. 1. 9. Isai 26. 16. Hos 5. 15. Psal. 78. 34. Jer. 31. 18. Heb. 2. 10. and 12. 11. Ps. 30. 5. Joh. 15. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 6. 2 Cor. 1. 4. Rom. 5 3. Afflictions in the godly are signs of their adoption Heb. 12. 6 7. It is a praise for the godly to do well and for it to suffer evil patiently at the hands of the wicked 1 Pet. 2. 20. They are a godly mans high-way to Heaven Jam. 1. 12. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Thirdly That God hath promised favour and mitigation of punishment his presence in them and deliverance from them 1 Cor. 10. 13. Phil. 1. 29. 2 Sam. 7. 14. Ps. 50. 15. and 121. 4. Isai 43. 2. Fourthly That in all our troubles and afflictions we do but take part in that which Christ our Lord hath suffered before us 1 Pet. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 4. 10. Colos. 1. 24. Fifthly That in all our afflictions we have Angels ministring for our defence and comfort Ps. 34. 7. 2 Kings 6. 16. The Prophet Elisha saw the Mountain full of Angels for his defence So much for the denial of our selves The second part of new obedience is the profession of Christ This profession doth concern either Christ himself or us his Members The profession of Christ which doth directly concern Christ from us is 1. Either continual or 2. In time of danger 1. Our continual profession which doth directly concern Christ is the calling upon the name of God this is a duty that is always required of us in the name of him our Mediatour 1 Cor. 1. 2. Act. 9. 14. Colos. 3. 17. Gods name is called upon 1. by prayer or 2. thanksgiving Phil. 4. 6. Prayer hath two parts 1. Petition 2. Assent Petition is an asking things necessary at the hands of God in the name of Christ according to the rule of Gods word 1 Joh. 5. 14. In every petition we must express a sense of our wants and a desire of the grace of God to supply those wants 1 Sam. 1. 10 15 17. Dan. 9. 4 20. Ps. 130. 1. and 143. 6. By assent we do believe and profess before God our belief that he in his due time will grant us our requests which we have made unto his Majesty 1 John 5. 14 15. Matth. 6. 1. Though the faithfull may discover many infirmities in their prayers yet they have a notable sense of Gods favour Psal. 6. 1 2 3 4. and 8. 9 and 16. 7. and 20. 5. and 3 5. 9 8 20. And especially when they do pray zealously Jam. 5. 16 And when they do pray often to the Lord Examples of infirmities discovered in prayer Zacharias feared when he prayed Luke 1. 13. Jonah was displeased and angry Jonah 4. 12. Thanksgiving is a calling upon Gods name by which we do with joy and gladness of heart praise God for his benefits Either received Ephes. 5. 20. or promised Psal. 36. 8 9. Collos. 3. 16 17. This for the continual profession of Christ 2. Our profession of Christ in time of danger is either 1. In word or 2. In deed Profession of Christ in word is called Christian Apology or the confession of Christ as Rom.