Congregations So for the Convenience of Divine Worship and because all the Members of a City and the Parts adjoyning could not meet together in the same Place was each Bishop's See farther divided into particular Congregations and Assemblies under the Care of its respective Pastors Hence as to the Church of Corinth we gather that as it was but one Church in regard it had but one Bishop or Governour for St. Paul directs his Epistle thus Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 yet in that one Episcopal Church being there were several Congregations met together for the Worship of God we read 1 Cor. 14.34 of Churches in the Plural Number and this particular Order of the Apostle about the Decency of Divine Service in those particular Churches or Congregations Namely that Women should keep Silence in the Churches Thus true it is the Church which is but one Body is Subdivided into several particular Bodies or Churches both for the convenience of Discipline and Government and also for the convenience of Divine Worship But however those several particular Churches were Vnited into one Body by one Covenant But however Vnited by one Covenant into one Body for the Church of Corinth the Church of Ephesus Smyrna c. were are all called to the same Holy Profession and Calling to the same Faith in God and to the same Priviledges of Grace Pardon and Happiness as the whole Church and were admitted into that same Covenant by the same Sacraments as the whole Catholick Church was by which means They kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Eph. 4.3 And each of those particular Congregations also in the Church of Corinth for Instance were United also to the Church of God in that City by holding no other than the Doctrine Establish'd in that Church And by being United thereby to that particular Part of Christ's Church they were United also to the whole Body of Christ and made up but one Body For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ or the Christian Church for by one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.12 13. So that the Church of Christ you see tho' divided into many Branches or Members is but one Body in the whole because United in and by One and the same Covenant of Grace And also in the Eleventh Place As also by holding Communion with each other in hearing the Word in Common-Prayers Sacraments and in affording to each other mutual Assistances Because all the several particular Churches are to Hold Communion with each other Now as to that Communion which the Members of Christ's Church held with one another in the Apostle's Times and sure their's must be a Pattern of Church-Communion we are told Act. 2.42 that it consisted in this That They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine that is they continued constantly and also steddily without swerving aside by Separation in Hearing the Apostles Teach They continued also stedfastly in Breaking of Bread and in Prayers that is they Join'd constantly and frequently in the same Prayers and Sacraments And lastly They continued stedfastly in the same Fellowship by which is principally meant in the Original both here and in several other Places of the Scripture that Communication of charitable Assistances that all the Members did afford each other according to their several Wants and Necessities For whether any Sister-Church were under Persecutions or any particular Christians did labour with Want the other Members of the Body did Communicate to the Relief of either And the Apostle did also appoint that to be done in the Christian Assemblies when they met together to Communicate in Hearing Prayers and Sacraments ordering that The first day of the Week which was the Day of their Publick Assemblies every one should lay by him in store as God had prospered him to this Purpose 1 Cor. 16.2 So that if One Member suffered all the Members suffered with it and there was no Schism in the Body but the Members had the same care one of another 1 Cor. 12.25 26. In a word Such was the Communion which the Members of the Church held with each other in those Days which made it one Church that there was no such thing as any separate Meetings from those of the Apostles and their lawful Successors the Bishops and Pastors of the Flock set up under the Pretence of better Edification and for more pure Administrations of Ordinances No no sooner did any attempt to make such a Schism but he was accounted a Gangreen'd Member and cut off from the Body for so doing And so much was mutual Kindness and Charity to be the distinguishing Character of Christ's Church that our Saviour declar'd Joh. 13.35 That by this should all men know his Disciples that they had love one for another The Church Vnited into one Body under Jesus Christ its supreme Head And now Lastly It only remains to compleat this my Explication of Christ's Church to shew you That this whole Society of Men call'd forth out of the World to such Duties and Priviledges as has been spoke is to be United into one Body as has been declar'd under Jesus Christ its supreme Head Every Society of Men must have some supreme Head to keep it both in Being and Order and Christ is so much to all Intents and Purposes the Head of the Church that there is no respect in which any thing is the Head of the Body in which Christ is not in like manner the Head of the Church Christ a Political Head of the Church And First There is the Political Head in every Kingdom which is the Prince that gives Laws to his People and Heads and Protects them against their Enemies And such a Head is Christ in that Spiritual Kingdom the Church of God Whom the Father having Raised from the Dead did put all things under his Feet and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church which is his Body Eph. 1.20 21 22 23. And therefore pursuant to this Power which was Given him in Heaven and in Earth to give Laws to Mankind did he Commission his Disciples and send them forth into the World to Proclaim his Laws to 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 he had Commanded them assuring them withal that Lo he would be with them always even unto the End of the World Matth. 28.18 19 20. that is That he would be ever with 'em to Head and Protect 'em against their Adversaries Secondly There is also a
Leaning and Rolling themselves upon the Promises of Christ for Salvation But for any to expect to be Justify'd and Accepted by God without forsaking their evil Ways and without working out also their own Salvation with fear and trembling that is without being extreamly careful themselves to be Obedient to God's most Holy Laws is gross Hypocrisie and will miserably deceive us Hypocrisie is with vain Shews and Pretences to deceive our selves or others and to be only Hearers or Believers of the Word and not Doers is to deceive our selves St. James tells us 1. 22. And a greater than he even our Blessed Saviour himself hath assured us Mat. 7.21 That not everyone who saith unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of his Father which is in Heaven And as for the Pretence they have to live securely in unrepented Habits of Sin that the Grace and Mercy of Christ is more Magnify'd the greater Sinners they are I answer That the greater Sinners they have been the greater is the Mercy which Forgives 'em when they do repent according to that of the Apostle Rom. 5.20 21. Where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound that as Sin hath reigned unto Death even so might Grace reign through Jesus Christ our Lord. But to make the Magnifying of God's Grace a Reason for Security whilst Men continue in Sin this indeed was a false Conclusion that some in the First Times as well as now were apt to draw from St. Paul's Doctrine of Justification but which that Great Apostle rejected with the utmost Indignation and Abhorrence in the next Chapter v. 1 2. What shall we say then Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein No sure the Doctrine of Christianity tho' it lays aside the Original Law of Righteousness and the Law of Moses from being either of 'em a Rule of Righteousness in conforming to which we shall be Justify'd yet this Doctrine most strictly obliges us to a sincere Reformation from all former Sins and to a Newness of Life as the indispensible Condition of being Justify'd by God Nor is there the least occasion given us by this Doctrine to value our selves upon our own Righteous Performances when it is only of Grace that we are able to do any thing which is good and the Acceptance of the Good we do is owing to the Mediation of Christ who obtained such Gracious Terms and Conditions of Justification for us Which Considerations as I have already made appear do sufficiently shew that we are Justify'd freely by God's Grace in Christ and do exclude all Grounds and Occasion of Boasting A summary account of justifying Faith In a word and to conclude this whole Point the only Faith or Belief that will Justifie and Save us must be such a full Perswasion of the Truth of Christianity and all its Great Doctrines those I mean which are in a peculiar manner call'd the Articles of our Christian Faith it must be such a through Perswasion I say of those great and powerful Truths as will purifie us in Heart and Life and will effectually excite us to live up to the Rules of Christianity and make us sincerely and heartily to Obey God in all his most Holy and Righteous Laws And it must be such withal as will cause us to depend solely upon God's Mercies in Christ for the Acceptance of our imperfect Righteousness to our Justification And all those kinds of Faith call 'em what you will which are barren of unfruitful in Good Works or if they stir us up to encounter some Difficulties do not bear us up under all Temptations nor enable us to perform the more difficult Instances of Christian Duty and Obedience those which are most contrary to our Lusts and Interests as well as the more easie which are agreeable to our Profit or Pleasure The Faith that is not powerful enough to carry us through all Temptations is defective to the great Purposes of Justifying and Saving us The necessity of our often incalculating such a Faith And moreover I must acquaint you that the necessity of a working Faith to that end as it is the great Doctrine of Christianity so it ought to be throughly explain'd and often insisted upon by us Ministers of the Gospel for fear of People's Mistakes in this matter which will be most dangerous to their Souls And accordingly St. Paul lays a solemn Charge upon us Tit. 3.8 that we should in the same manner I have already done explain and inculcate the Doctrine of Faith unto you This is a faithful Saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have Believed in God might be careful to maintain Good Works for these things or these Doctrines are profitable unto Men. THE XXXI Lecture I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth I Have already shew'd you what it is to Believe that our Faith must be such as rectifies and renews our Corrupt Nature as moves us to the performance of the most difficult Instances of Christian Duty and such as after all causes us to relie solely upon the Mercies of God in Christ for the Acceptance of our imperfect Obedience to our Justification And now by the Divine Assistance I shall proceed to explain unto you all those sacred Truths contain'd in your Creed which are of such mighty Importance And there are not a few such powerful and practical Truths imply'd in this one Article I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth Towards the full Explication of which that it may effectually work a blessed Change both in our Hearts and Lives I will do these Things I. I will in some measure declare unto you the Nature and Infinite Perfections of that Divine Being which we call God I Believe in God II. I will prove to you that this Infinitely perfect Being out of his Infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness made the Heaven and the Earth and all Things both Visible and Invisible therein contain'd Maker of Heaven and Earth III. I will explain and prove that this same God who made the Heaven and the Earth does now exercise a most Wise Just and Good Providence over it and every thing therein contain'd which is the Importance of the Word Almighty in this Article as shall be shew'd hereafter IV. I might here demonstrate to you that there is but one God for so the Nicene Creed which is but a Paraphrase upon this does teach us I Believe in one God And Lastly that in the Vnity of the Godhead there is a Trinity of Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost I Believe in God the Father And the other two Persons are also mention'd in their proper place But because I would be as little guilty as possible in this Exposition of repeating hereafter what I have said before I shall referr the Doctrine of
an ill Thing But then observe the force of Religious Principles Such a One will soon bethink himself what he has done his Conscience will quickly smite him and he will be immediately brought to Repentance through the Power of good Principles and his Fall will but make him more careful of his ways hereafter Nay It may sometimes happen that a very towardly Youth notwithstanding all the care of his Parents and Christ's Ministers to bring him up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord when got too soon from under the Eye of his Parents and wise Counsellors and falling into lewd Company with which this Age does too much abound may at first be a little Laught out of Countenance by them as is their wont for being too Precise Reserv'd and Melancholly and after that be drawn by degrees into one Compliance after another with them in their Ungodly Revels Nay and at length be so drencht in Sin as to deface the whole Image of God that was wrought upon his Soul so as to be even past all hopes of Recovery This is very rare but yet however too often whenever it is II. To Recover out of it when fal'n therein But even in this case Secondly The Power of those good Principles that were early Sown shall be wonderfully seen to the Glory of God and the Praise of good Education Let Diseases Distresses Poverty or any sore Affliction befal a lewd and sorry Liver as generally sooner or later it does either as the Fruit of their Sin or as a Chastisement from God to reclaim them If the Person afflicted has been One that was never Instructed in the fear of God he is never the better nor shall you hear so much as a good Expression from him nor any the least Signs of Amendment for why He knows not what he is to do nor where he is to begin nor does he distinctly know any good Reason wherefore he ought to Amend for Thanks to the Piety of his good Parents he never had any Principles of Good instill'd into him and therefore as all his Life-time he Liv'd like an Atheist so he now doeâ— Die like a Beast He was ignorantly brought up and he Dies ignorant and wicked both But if it shall happen that One who had receiv'd the Seed of good Principles within him be overtaken with some sore Affliction and God be so gracious to him as not to cut him off quickly in the midst of his Sins but affords him a leisurely Chastisement such a One shall begin to be serious and to bethink himself He will recal to Mind what he once knew of God and of his Duty to him Those good Principles that have long lain Buried under a Load of Sin will begin to stir within him He will water them sufficiently with Tears of Repentance and they will begin to work and revive within And when he is once come to himself so as to think seriously of Matters with the Prodigal Son he will soon resolve to Arise and go to his Father and to say unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee and am no more worthy to be call'd thy Son make me as One of thy hired Servants Luk. 15.18 19. The Seed of good and religious Principles sown in your Hearts by Catechetical Instruction may well be compared to Seed sown in the Ground by the Hand of the Husbandman The Husbandman's Seed may lie Buried in the Earth under many Clods so as to be in danger never to recover but if the Rains shall descend from Heaven so as to melt and dissolve that burden of Earth with which the Seed was overlaid it will then begin to work and revive if it was good Seed and may possibly bring forth a very fruitful Crop So here if you do but take care to have the Seed of good Principles sown in your Hearts and should ye afterwards almost extinguish all good Motions within you by laying on a continued Weight of Guilt and Sin and should God in Mercy hereafter not pour down the Fury of his Wrath so as immediately to Destroy you but Rain down upon you the gentle Showers of Fatherly Chastisements so as to melt you into Tears and bring you into a considering Temper the good Principles that lay long Buried may possibly begin to stir and to work in you a Repentance fruitful in good Works Nay Such is the Force of good Principles that even a serious Sermon or but the Discourse of a good Minister especially of him who first sowed them by his Instructions shall stir them up and put them a working to the Conversion and Reformation of a Sinner In a word Such is the Effect of good Principles that by the Grace of God they are the likeliest way to preserve you in Innocency and to prevent your falling into any deadly Sin and then you will be in a happy Condition you will then be of the Number of those happy Persons of whom our Saviour speaks that they need no Repentance Luk. 15.7 that is such a severe and sorrowful and painful Repentance as Backsliding Sinners and all Men of loose and wicked Lives must go through or be forced to Endure infinitely worse Or if you shall unhappily fall into any grievous Sin or a Course of Sin such may be the Force of pious Education or good Principles as by God's good Grace and Providence to recover you out of the Snares of the Devil These good Principles taught you in your Catechism may not perhaps at present be throughly understood by you no more than Children do the use of Letters nor School-boys the use of Grammar Rules at first but they will stick by you as One said and be remembred when you are more capable of Improving them insomuch that it will be uneasy to you if you take care to be well Principled in your Minority to be Wicked and Profane hereafter or if you should prove so which God forbid there will yet be some hopes of Reclaiming you because these things will some time or other revive and awaken your Consciences And this is the last of those good Uses and Ends to which Catechism serves viz. to Instil into you such good Principles as will either prevent your falling into Sin which is much the Happier for you or at least recover you out of it by Repentance and which I have therefore insisted on that I might perswade you to have a due Regard to so useful an Instruction as Catechizing is and to give a due Attendance to it And thus as last Lord's Day I shewed you that one good End to which Catechizing serves is to prepare you for that necessary Work your Confirmation that you may Publickly and with Understanding as those that know what they do profess before the Bishop That you will be Faithful to your Baptismal Covenant So Secondly I have to Day shewed you That it is for the same Reason requisite to prepare you for Receiving of the Blessed
some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ So that upon the whole Matter you see that the Church of Christ is a well-order'd Society of Men. And I do withal say that in the Constitution of Christ's Church it is requir'd that the Governours and Pastors thereof be Lawful Ones that is such as Christ has Commission'd to those Offices because if they usurp the sacred Offices of the Church without being lawfully Ordain'd to the same by the Successors of Christ and his Apostles there will be very great danger of a Nullity in all their Ministerial Acts and Offices You must all needs understand this That those who shall pretend to act in any Office by the King's Authority without a true Commission the King will be so far from reckoning himself oblig'd to Confirm what they shall pretend to do in his Name that he will punish the Presumption of such Officers and those that adhere to ' em And what reason have those to expect better Treatment from the King of Heaven who shall either take upon themselves the Ministry or receive an Ordination to it from those Hands who have no Power to confer it or shall Adhere to such Usurping Ministers To put the case as Favourably as possibly we can it does not appear that God is under any Promise or Engagement to hear the Prayers that such Ministers shall put for the People to convey the Graces of his Holy Spirit by the Sacraments they shall Administer or to Ratify the Pardon of those Penitents whom they shall Absolve whereas he has assured the Church with respect to his lawful Ministers that whatsoever of this Nature they shall do on Earth shall be Establish'd in Heaven Matth. 16.19 And we are farther told by St. Paul Heb. 5.4 That under the Old Law No man took the Honour of the Priesthood unto himself but those who were called of God as was Aaron And as to the Ministers of the Gospel St. Paul does sharply demand Rom. 10.15 How any shall Preach the Gospel except they be sent So that it does extreamly concern all Christian People that the Governours and Pastors of the Church be lawful Ones such as are Sent Ordain'd and Commission'd thereunto And now if you would be well satisfy'd who are certainly Sent An Episcopal Clergy undoubtedly such Ordain'd and Commission'd to Govern and Teach in the Church it is beyond all doubt that Bishops are lawful Governours in the Church of Christ and that those who are Ordain'd by their Hands have Commission to Preach the Gospel and Administer the Sacraments because they do undoubtedly derive their Power by an uninterrupted Succession from Christ and his Apostles for our Saviour when he sent forth his Disciples into the World to Preach the Gospel and to gather a Church he told 'em Mat. 28.20 He would be with them or stand by 'em in giving Authority and Success to their Ministry to the end of the world and yet for certain for 1500 Years he did Authorize no other than those Episcopally Ordain'd as the Histories of all Ages of the Church do testify so that it concerns you who have not that Necessity to plead for not Enjoying Bishops and an Episcopal Clergy as our Sister Churches Beyond-Sea think they have It concerns you I say as you would be secure of being within the Pale of a right Constituted Gospel-Church not to separate your selves from this wherein you are undoubtedly under a true Gospel Ministry But to proceed The Church is the universal Society of Christians taking in men of all Nations as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews Secondly The Church of Christ is the Vniversal Society of Christians The Christian Church is not now confin'd to one particular Place or Nation as the Jewish was but is Catholick and Universal spread over all the Face of the Earth and taking in all Nations of Men as well those who were Gentiles as those who were Jews For Christ is our Peace and hath made both One and hath broken down the middle Wall of Partition between us Eph. 2.14 The Synagogue of the Jews consisted of one Nation and the more solemn Parts of their publick Worship were confin'd to one Place as you will see Deut. 12.5 6. So that it was rightly said Joh. 4.20 Tho' the Woman of Samaria did Schismatically question it That Jerusalem was the place wherein men ought to worship For the Temple was the only place in which the Sacrifices could be Offer'd and wherein the Priests could perform their daily Ministration so that the Church under the Law was an Inclosure divided from all the World besides But our Saviour at the opening of the Christian Church assures the Woman who demanded of him Whether in that Mountain near to Samaria whereon they both stood or in Jerusalem were the place where men ought to worship he assures her The hour cometh when neither in that Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem they should worship the Father that is not there only nor any where in so carnal a manner Joh 4.20 21 22 23. But as St. Peter tells us now under the Gospel In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him Act. 10.35 And therefore our Saviour when he sent forth his Disciples into the World to Preach the Gospel and to gather a Church he commanded them Mar. 16.15 saying Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature From whence we find them in Revelations 5.9 Crying unto the Lamb Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us unto God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation So that whereas concerning the Jewish Church it was that God declar'd formerly Exod. 19.5 6. That in keeping his Covenant they should be a peculiar Treasure unto him above all People a Kingdom of Priests and a holy Nation Now under the Gospel it is declar'd 1 Pet. 2.9 with respect to Persons of all Nations who shall come within the Christian Church that they are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that they should shew forth the Praises of him who hath call'd them out of Darkness into his marvellous Light But then I say the Church of Christ tho' it takes in Persons of all Nations yet it is still to be a Holy Nation a peculiar People For tho' it be spread over all the World yet It consists of such who are called out of the World by the preaching of the Gospel to a holy Profession and Calling Thirdly It consists only of such who are Called forth out of the wicked World by the Preaching of the Gospel to a Holy Profession and Calling It is not either Jews or Gentiles whilst they continue such that are of the Church of Christ but it consists of those who are Call'd out from amongst both The Church is a selected People separated
of Living under a Government wholly made up of manifold Graces and Favours having a most Gracious God governing us by most Gracious and Reasonable Laws The Kingdom of Grace the Gospel State affording us a plentiful Measure of Divine Grace and Assistance to perform these Laws and proposing to us most Encouraging Rewards in Heaven to stir us up to a diligent Observance of ' em It is this happy State of Things under the Title of the Kingdom of Heaven whose near Approach John the Baptist foretold in the Wilderness saying Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand that is the Kingdom of the Messiah or the State of the Gospel whose Great Fundamental and Gracious Law is this that all Sinners must Repent 'em of all their former Sins and upon their Repentance they shall have most Eminent Mercies bestowed upon ' em And it was this State also concerning the undue Entertainment of which by the Scribes and Pharisees our Saviour complain'd Matth. 11.12 saying that From the days of John the Baptist even till then the Kingdom of Heaven suffered Violence so that the Violent took it by force that is the Publicans and Sinners and Gentiles who were look'd upon by the Jews as those who had no Right to the Messiah and so as violent Persons as Invaders and Intruders did croud into the Church at the Preaching of the Gospel whilst the Scribes and Pharisees ungratefully and proudly stood off So again Matth. 13.24 The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good Seed in his Field that is the State of the Gospel or the Success of our Saviour's Preaching in the World is so resembled And so likewise in several other Parables of the like Nature by the Kingdom of Heaven is to be understood the State of the Gospel here on Earth which sure does shew the exceeding great Dignity Worth and Excellency of the Gospel State far beyond any other Dispensation either Patriarchal or Mosaical which the World had ever receiv'd from Heaven before The reason why the Gospel State should be dignified with the Title of the Kingdom of Heaven And indeed upon a near View of the Nature and Design of the Gospel Dispensation we shall see sufficient reason why that State above any other should be so Honourably Entitled the Kingdom of Heaven And the reason is not only because the same God governs us and that by the same Laws of Eternal Unalterable Righteousness and Goodness as in Heaven but also because this Blessed Government of God over us by the Laws of the Gospel does directly tend to render us so exactly like the Blessed Saints those Inhabitants of Heaven viz. Because it so directly tends to render Men so exactly like the Blessed Saints the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven for where the Gospel of Christ does so far prevail upon Men as through the Grace of God to make them diligent and careful to Obey him according as they have Covenanted with him it does bring in such an excellent State of Things as makes a kind of Heaven here upon Earth for where the Gospel does so far prevail as to be sincerely Obey'd it causes that The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and Fatling together and a young Child shall lead them and it causes that they shall not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea as was long time since Prophecy'd Isa 11.6 7 8 9. concerning the State of the Gospel that is it files off the roughness and sweetens the cruel and savage Humours of Men so that instead of tearing and tormenting one another like Beasts and Devils it makes Men Gentle and Kind and good Natur'd like Angels like Gods to one another A State certainly which may very well deserve the glorious Title of the Kingdom of Heaven being so contrary to the Kingdom of Darkness and the State of Hell where there is nothing but Malice Rancour and Rage do reign among those unhappy Beings that do inhabit that Place And thus you see that in Scripture by the Kingdom of Heaven is sometimes meant the State of the Gospel the same God governing us therein and by the same everlasting Laws of Goodness as in Heaven and so as to render us of like Tempers and Dispositions with the Saints in Heaven A State so nearly resembling that of Heaven that the Condition of the meanest Christian now under the Gospel is for that reason prefer'd before that of the greatest of Prophets under the Law Verily I say unto you among them who are born of Women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven that is the Gospel State is greater than he Matth. 11.11 But tho' this be very frequently the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven in the New Testament and for that reason This is not the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Catechism I have took such particular Notice of it that so you may know how to understand that Metaphorical Expression in those many Scriptures where you will meet with it in that sence yet it is not the proper and immediate Meaning of the Word in Scripture nor is it so to be understood here in your Catechism But Secondly the Kingdom of Heaven does if not most frequently II. The Kingdom of Heaven signifies the Kingdom of Glory at least most properly signify in the Scripture the Kingdom of Glory and accordingly here in your Catechism it is solely to be understood of the glorious and happy State of Angels and Saints with God in Heaven For Instance In this sence it is to be understood Mat. 5.3 where the Kingdom of Heaven is promis'd as the Reward of the Poor in Spirit And so ver 20. where it is said that Except our Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees we shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that is into the State of Glory And in this sence only it can be understood Mat. 7.21 where our Saviour declares that Not every one that saith unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of the Father which is in Heaven that is not those who barely profess Christianity but those who sincerely Practice according to such a Belief and Profession shall be received into Glory The Profession alone will gain Admittance into the Visible Church here on Earth but nothing less than a Living up to it will give an Entrance into the Kingdom and State of Glory with God and his Holy Angels and Saints in the highest Heavens And a most Noble and Glorious State we may be sure this is This a most noble and glorious State as being dignify'd with so honourable and
serve whether the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell and those Gods were no other than Devils but as for me and my house said he we will serve the Lord. And the Result was That the people answered and said God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods God forbid The very thoughts of such a Thing when they came to consider it was Odious to them And if we did but consider the odious Nature of Sin we should not more Abhor the Devil himself than Abandon every Sin For why He that committeth Sin is of the Devil we are told 1 Joh. 3.8 Such a One is of the Devil's Party he is a sharer in the Devil's Rebellion against God and in his wicked Designs to destroy God's Authority And tho' he be not a Devil himself yet he is near a-kin to him and shall Partake with him as in his Rebellion so in his Punishment And who that considers this can stick Entirely to abandon and to abhor so foul a thing as Sin is But however whether People will consider it or no However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace so necessary it is that every Christian should absolutely and entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin that this if you do not do you will forfeit all your Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth to you in the Covenant of Grace and Purchas'd for you by the Blood of Christ If you do not utterly Renounce the Devil by having nothing to do with him in his foul Rebellion against God you will be accounted no Members of Christ's Church but of the Synagogue of Satan as the Apostatizing Gnosticks those great Enemies of God are call'd Rev. 2.9 and that for their Halting betwixt God and Satan And except you do also utterly Renounce his Works of Sin by abandoning every known Sin as that whereby the Divine Authority is thrown aside and his Power dis-own'd you will be so far from being the Children of God that you will be styl'd no better than Children of the Devil For whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin it is said 1 Joh. 3.9 that is does keep himself strictly from all deliberate Sin And in this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God as the same Apostle goes on ver 10. And who else is it think ye but he who Overcometh both the Devil and all his Works of Sin that shall ever Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Why he and none else shall Inherit so inestimable a Blessing we are assur'd Rev. 21.7 8. He that Overcometh shall Inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death So necessary upon these several Accounts it is that according as has been Explain'd you should Renounce that is Disclaim Abhor and Abandon the Devil and all his Works of Sin Which that you may all of you do God Almighty grant of his infinite Mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Tenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works I Have already shew'd you First who the Devil is and Secondly in Part what are his Works All Sin whatsoever I have shew'd you is a Work of the Devil but there are some particular Sins which being more directly level'd against God's Authority and expressing more of the natural Temper and Disposition of Satan and being more his own Practice than others do more particularly deserve the Title and Character of the Works of the Devil and what they are I have shew'd you Secondly And as Sin so his Tempting of us to Sin is another main and principal Work of the Devil And I have reserv'd this Subject of Satan's Temptations to be particularly handled in some set Discourses by themselves that so I might have more room to Expose 'em to you there being no subject in Practical Divinity of greater Consequence and Concernment to our Souls than to be throughly Informed in the Ways and Methods of Satan's Temptations Now to Tempt one in the general Notion of the Word To Tempt is to make a Tryal of a Person does barely signify to make Tryal of a Person either by Words or Signs by Promises or Threats whether or no he will do such a thing And the Tempting of a Person may be Morally Good or Evil according to the End for which such a Tryal is made If the Tryal be of a Person 's Vertue To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof only that Occasion may be afforded him to give an Experiment and Proof thereof that so if he do well he may be Rewarded if Ill that his Hypocrisy and the Corruption of his Heart may be discover'd and he himself Humbled with the Sight and Sense thereof to his Amendment There is nothing may hinder a Governour especially thus to Tempt any one and therefore to Tempt a Man to this End To Tempt a Person in order to prove his Vertue or discover his Corruption consistent w th the Justice Wisdom and Goodness of a Governour and thus God does Tempt Men. may very well consist with the Wisdom Justice and Goodness of God And accordingly we find in Scripture Two Eminent Instances of God's Tempting Persons to both these Purposes And First we find That God Tempted Abraham to try his Faith and to Reward him for it And he did it to as high a degree as was ever heard of bidding him to Take his Son his only Son Isaac whom he loved and to get him into the Land of Moriah and to offer him there for a Burnt Offering Gen. 22.12 The Tryal was severe enough but God did put Abraham upon it with no other design but that he might have occasion given him to exercise his Faith in God And by giving such a Noble Demonstration thereof as to Resign up his own Son to be Sacrificed at God's Command and with his own Hands too I. Thus he Tempted Abraham to try his Faith to Reward him for it he might thereby Testify both to God and Man how much he Trusted in his Maker and thereupon might obtain the Honour upon Earth to be accounted the Father of the Faithful among all Generations of Men and in Heaven to be the Highest in the Ranks of all Humane Inhabitants it being the Priviledge of the greatest Saints to be Lodg'd in Abraham's Bosom And to the same Gracious Purposes it is that he does Tempt his Faithful Servants when at any time he lets loose the Enemies of the Church upon 'em to persecute and destroy 'em It is
days upon the Land c. Deut. 32.46 47. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day for it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the Land wherein ye go The latter words are exegetical of the former Through this thing ye shall prolong your days is the interpretation of those it is your Life And it may be considered also whether this Particle in which if a Man do he shall even live in them may not determine the nature and kind of that Reward which was promised in the first Covenant as it was a present Reward a Reward which was received even while the Work was doing according to that Psal 19.11 In keeping them there is great reward And this is agreeable to what fell out in the event The Lord was with them to prosper them while they were with him but when they forsook him presently Troubles overtook them The pouring out of God's Fury on them to consume them in the Wilderness being put in Ezek. 20 13 21. as the direct contrary to those words which if a Man do he shall even live in them seems greatly to favour this Notion But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the Wilderness They walked not in my Statutes and they despised my Judgâ—ents which if a man do he shall even live in them Then I said I would â—â—ur out my fury upon them to consume them in the Wilderness And indeed one main difference between the two Covenants which I â—ould have here observed lies in this to wit the presentness of the Râ—ward promised in the first and the futurity of that promised in the seâ—ond St. Paul in his Allegorical description of the two Covenants Gaâ— 4.24 c. represents those that adhered to the first Covenant by the Children of the Bond-servant to whom Abraham gave Gifts in presâ—â—t and sent them away as in Gen. 25.5 and those that adhered to thâ— second by the Son of the free-woman Isaac who was Abraham's Heir â—o whom he gave the whole Inheritance at last And the Adoptioâ— of Sons as the Privilege of the New Covenant is opposed to the condition of Servants under the Old Gal. 4.7 And what are they adâ—pted to but to an Inheritance for the future For by Adoption they are made Heirs If a Son then an Heir of God through Christ An Heir of what of an Inheritance for the future an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and which fadeth not away reserved in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 And therefore they are said to wait for the Adoption to wit the redemption of their Bodies at the Resurrection Rom. 8.23 Sons and Heirs serve their Father with a free and ingenuous Spirit though they have but little for the present in confidence of what he will do for them â—ereafter in another World when they shall come to Age. But those under the Old Covenant were like Servants who serve with a servile Spirit because they do it with expectation of present pay The one walk by Faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen the other were influenced in their Obedience by the expectation of present Reward because that was it which the first Covenant promised to the observers of it These Promises now insisted on were promises of Reward to the observers of this first Covenant But besides these there was another sort of Promises exhibited in the first Covenant and they were Promises of Pardon in many cases when the Laws of that Covenant were broken There were as I have shewed Laws of Indemnity which made many of the breaches of the Laws of Duty pardonable upon certain conditions And such were all Sins of Ignorance and Inadvertency and some of those also which were committed wittingly But presumptuous Sins and such as carried in them a kind of contempt of the Law these were exempted from Pardon Heb. 10.28 He that despised Moses's Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses But for the other there were promises of pardon upon certain conditions which conditions were not always the same In some cases the offering of a Sin-offering or Trespass-offering was the condition In other cases that with confession of Sin was the condition And in some other cases Sacrificing Restitution and Satisfaction were the condition And afflicting of the Soul as well as the Sacrifice for Atonement oâ— the day of general Expiation was always a condition of forgiveness These things in the particularities of them you have in the 4 5 6 1â— and 23d Chapters of Levit. And then the condition of the Promisâ—s of Purgation of Legal Uncleannesses and the penal effects from theâ— was the observing the Rules prescribed for purifying the Uncleâ—n Now the forgiveness promised by these Laws of Indemnity did â—ot free the Conscience from all obligation to Eternal Punishment but â—nly freed the Person from suffering those temporal Evils which â—ere threatned in this Covenant against those which did not continâ—â— in all things written in the Book of it Neither Sacrifices nor â—egal Purifications Sanctified but unto the purifying of the flesh and to their temporal Concerns only Heb. 9.9 10 13. And here we may observe a five-fold difference in reference â—o Remission of Sin between the first Covenant and the Coveâ—ant of Grace 1. They differ in the nature of those Sacrifices by which Atonements were made and upon which Forgiveness was promised The Blood of the Sacrifice of the first Covenant was but the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the like Heb. 10.4 But the Blood of the Sacrifice of the second Covenant is the Blood of Christ the Eternal Son of God So that the nature of the Sacrifices of the two Covenants upon which the Promise of the pardon of Sins was granted doth differ as much as the Blood of Beasts and the Blood of the Son of God differ 2. Those two sorts of Sacrifices pertaining to two kinds of Covenants differ in the proportion of Efficacy and Virtue to accomplish their respective Ends and Effects There is a greater Richness of proportion in the Blood of Christ to free the Conscience from the guilt of Sin or obligation to Eternal Punishment than there was in the Blood of Beasts to free the delinquent Person from temporal Punishments This is plainly intimated in Heb. 9.13 14. For if the blood of Bulls and of Goats and the ashes of an Heiser sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God 3. They differ in the nature of the pardon promised in each of the Covenants respectively The Redemption granted in the first Covenant was but Temporal as the Covenant it self was it was but from Evils temporal But Christ Jesus by his Atonement hath obtained
of God's Promise until it hath produced that Repentance Regeneration Love and Obedience Which is a full and an undeniable proof of the necessity of such a consent of the Will as aforesaid to render Faith justifying and saving Now this Consent and resolution of the Will to Repent and Obey Christ and to forsake all for him is the Moral Change of the Soul and the New Life in its first beginning And so a Man's first effectual Belief is his whole Christian Life in its beginning And a Man's first Faith is perfected afterwards by Works Jam. 2.22 as a Child is perfected in his manly state as he grows up to manly actions or as the Seed is perfected when it grows to a full Ear. By this first Consent of the Will we restipulate and strike Covenant with God and not only so but we hereby begin also to keep and perform Covenant with him on our part When this Consent is first wrought in the Will then the Laws of the new Covenant are first put into the Mind and written in the Heart And by this we first begin to become savingly a People unto God to Believe in him to Love and Serve him as he by Covenant and Promise becomes a God unto us to make us Happy Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People 3. The other act of the Soul which I call the act of the Understanding and of the VVill conjunct is an Affiance in God through Christ a trusting in him or a relying on him for the fulfilling of his Promise of saving Benefits while we continue sincerely to Consent resolve and endeavour to perform the Condition on our part This is that or part of that which is called a Believing on God a Believing on Christ and a Trusting in him Noting the Souls dependence upon Christ for the saving Benefits which accrue to Men by his Mediation Office and Undertaking and on the Truth and Faithfulness Power VVisdom and Goodness of God to perform all that he hath promised them through his Son and upon the terms he hath promised and not otherwise For the Promise of saving Benefits being made but upon the Condition before-mentioned a true Believer or he that is Rational and Wise considers as well upon what terms the Benefits are promised as who hath promised them and what they are and expects the one no otherwise than as he sincerely resolves and endeavours to perform the other And therefore if any shall Rely on God and Christ for those Benefits in whom yet the qualifying Condition of the Promise of them is not found such a Reliance is but a groundless Presumption and not Faith or Affiance duly so called For such do not only rely on Christ for that for which they have no promise but for that which God hath expresly declared they shall have no share in whilst they remain destitute of that qualification which is the Condition upon which and not without it the promise of those Benefits is made These three acts of the Soul exercised on their Objects do make up that Faith which is justifying and saving And when justifying Faith in the compleat nature of it is spoken of in Scripture all these three acts of the Soul are to be understood and especially the two first though perhaps they are many times mentioned severally and apart Faith being described sometimes by one of them and sometimes by another As God himself is represented to us sometimes by one Attribute sometimes by another CHAP. II. Wherein the Defect lies of that Faith which is not saving BY what hath been discoursed touching the nature of that Faith which is saving it is easie to discern wherein the defect lies of that Faith which is not so And the defect lies chiefly in the Will in its not Consenting to perform the Condition of the Promise in Repenting and in receiving Christ as Lord to be governed by his Laws I will not deny but the defect in part may be in the Understanding when its Assent unto the Truth of Divine Revelation is so weak as that it can make but a too weak and faint impression upon the Will to procure its Consent unto the Condition of the Promise But then that defect in the Assent of the Understanding doth usually at least in great part proceed from the Will as I shall shew afterwards Now that the defect lies mainly in the Will 's not Consenting to the Condition of the Promise appears by this because unregenerate Men may assent unto the truth of God's Testimony and may trust that they shall be saved by Christ which contain the other two acts of the Soul but no Man truly consents to perform the Condition of the Promise but in doing so he is Regenerate in the first Act and Justified 1. Unregenerate Men may have the same Faith of Assent in the Understanding to a degree as the Regenerate may They may believe God to be the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and Jesus Christ to be his only Son and the rest of the Articles of the Creed and they may believe in great part that to be their Duty both towards God and Man which is so indeed and yet hold that Truth in unrighteousness which they do believe Rom. 1.18 Many of the chief Rulers believed on Christ who yet loved the Praise of Men more than the praise of God and durst not confess him Joh. 12.42 43. As also did many others when they saw his Maricles who yet were such as Christ had no mind to commit himself to Joh. 2.23 24. And Simon Magus believed wondering and being astonished at the signs which were done by Philip who yet remained in the bond of iniquity Acts 8. Such as are resembled by the stony Ground believed who yet loved their ease and worldly Interest more than Christ and those that St. James expostulates with Chap. 2. were thus far Believers also 2. Excepting the Consent of the Will to the Condition of the Promise Unregenerate Men may hope to be saved by Christ and rely on him for Salvation as well as the Regenerate Only for want of their performing the Condition of the Promise their hopes and confidence are groundless and will deceive them But otherwise Men that are but carnal and live in some known sin may and oftentimes do perswade themselves that they shall be saved by Christ Jesus because they believe that he died for Sinners and because they ask God forgiveness and perform some acts of Religion Our Saviour saith Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord open unto us Have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and done many wonderful works We have eaten and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets To whom he will say for all that Depart from
Good Matth. 5.45 was as it were a New Commandment to them Joh. 13.34 And yet such an unbounded Charity and Kindness as this is the great and necessary Duty of Christianity So that Judaism at the best and before that it was Corrupted by the false Interpretations put upon the Law by the Scribes and Pharisees was but an imperfect Draught of Religion begun by Moses but left to be finished by the more perfect Stroaks of our Saviour's Pencil afterwards who is therefore said to have Come not to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fill 'em up Matth. 5.17 Thus Imperfect at best was the Jewish Law But now consider Fourthly The whole Body of that Religion Christianity a most excellent Religion which Christ our supreme Head and Governour has given us and under whose Guidance we have the Happiness to be as we are the Members of Christ's Church and nothing can represent God in more Noble Characters and Glorious Perfections nothing can give a more Honourable and Rational Account of his Proceedings with Man both in his Creation and Redemption of him than it does And as his Laws are infinitely beyond what the Wisdom of any Humane Law-givers did ever yet contrive for the good Order of Man in this World and his real Happiness both in this and the World to come so no Motives nor Reasons can possibly be more Powerful than those which Christianity does give us to Obey those Laws It gives a most excellent Representation of God As to the Nature of God Christianity does plainly represent him as a Being that has no manner of Imperfection in his Nature but as One that is adorn'd with all the most glorious Attributes and highest Perfections possible It represents him to us so infinitely Wise Just and Holy and yet so wonderfully beyond all Comparison Good and Merciful and to add to all this so intimately Present to all we say or do so Omniscient in discerning the very Thoughts and Intents of our Hearts and withal so absolutely Powerful in doing whatsoever he pleases in Heaven and in Earth that Shall not this his Excellency make us afraid Job 13.11 It gives an Honourable account of his Proceedings with Mankind with reference both to his Creation and Redemption of us And then as to his Proceedings with Man both in his Creation and Redemption of him Christianity gives us the most plain and rational account thereof in the World It gives us to know how that God made man Upright and being so we were at perfect Agreement with him but that afterwards we fell by Transgression from him and must have suffered the Doom of Rebels for so doing It lets us then know That God taking Pity of us in this miserable Case sent his own Son to Preach Repentance and to offer Terms of Reconciliation to us And moreover because it was not consistent with God's Holiness nor with his Wisdom and Justice as Governour of the World to let Sin go unpunish't or to accept of a Sacrifice and Satisfaction less infinite in Value than he was in Majesty who was Offended that he therefore gave this his only Begotten Son also to Dye for us and accepted of his infinitely meritorious Sufferings here instead of our suffering Eternally hereafter and as a sufficient Satisfaction to his injur'd Justice which we in our own Persons could not pay without perishing Everlastingly Christianity does withal Reveal to us that this our High-Priest after having Offer'd himself for us here on Earth a Sacrifice for our Sins he is now gone into Heaven to Intercede with the Father in the merit thereof that it may be accepted to the Pardon of ' em And it also informs us that being ascended to his Father which is in Heaven in order fully to reconcile him to Man he has substituted his Holy Spirit here on Earth to perfect the Reconciliation and Conformity of our Natures to God by moving and moulding our Hearts to true Repentance and Faith in him This is in short that account which Christianity gives us both of our Creation and of our Redemption And so every way Rational it is in it self and so exceedingly agreeable to the wisest Methods of Government in the World that tho' it was beyond the reach of our Reasons before this whole Mystery of Redemption was reveal'd to us in the Gospel to think of such an extraordinary way for our Recovery out of a lost and undone Condition and of Reconciliation to God yet now since it is revealed all the reason of Mankind whose Vnderstandings the God of this world hath not blinded must own that there is no method of Proceeding in such a Case could be more worthy of the Holiness Justice Mercy and Wisdom of God nor so likely to work Repentance in Man not consequently more agreeable to the wise Governour of the World to take than this So agreeable to the best improved Reason of Mankind are the Doctrinal and even the most mysterious Parts of the Christian Religion that Religion which it is our Happiness as we are Members of Christ's Church to be under the direction of Nor can any thing be better contriv'd for the Happiness of Men Its Laws are excellently contrived for the good Order and Happiness of mankind with relation to themselves or others than what the Laws of our Saviour do directly tend to As to our selves they do so powerfully tend to mortify our Lusts and Appetites those Rebels to our own Reason to moderate our Passions and Affections which so violently rack and disturb our own Breasts and they are excellently fitted also to make us so Humble and Self-denying so Temperate and Sober so Chast and Pure as Men on Earth would appear to be Angels come from Heaven were the Laws of Christ universally followed And lastly as to Others such Justice and Uprightness such Charity and Kindness such Quiet and Peaceableness does Christianity incline men to upon which account the State of the Gospel is represented as that In which nothing should destroy nor hurt in the holy Mountain Isa 11.9 And let me also add such Prudent and Fatherly Care of Children Servants and Dependants do the Laws of Christ prescribe as would make a Heaven here upon Earth were they universally Obey'd I say were they universally Obey'd And yet to add to all this Excellency of Christ's Government and Laws over us already seen And are enforc'd by most powerful Principles Motives so powerfully is our Obedience to all these Laws Enforc'd by those mighty Principles and Motives of Christianity viz. The Articles of our Christian Faith I mean so very Perswasive and Forcible are the Motives which Christ does give us to the Practice of these Vertues beyond what was in any Reasons and Motives which the Philosophers or even Moses did give the Gentiles or the Jews to be in any degree Vertuous that this is another addition to our Advantage in having Christ for our Supreme Head and Law-giver and in
glorious a Title as the Kingdom of Heaven or else it would not be Dignify'd with so Honourable and Glorious a Title as the Kingdom of Heaven a Kingdom being the Top and Height of all Earthly Glories as Heaven is a Place which comprehends all future Excellencies To denote therefore that most exalted State of Bliss in Heaven it is that this State is call'd the Kingdom of Heaven And truly there is nothing in this World wherein we can imagine the greatest Glory and Happiness as a Kingdom a Crown a Throne a Marriage a Feast but are set forth as Emblems to represent to us the Joys and Glories of our future State And yet as if a Kingdom a Crown a Throne were infinitely too short to set forth the Joys and Glories of Heaven and those infinite Blessings Hence all those things in this world wherein we conceive the highest Glory and Happiness are us'd as Emblems to set off our future Glory that do await the Sons of God Saint John tells us It doth not yet appear what we shall be 1 Joh. 3.2 Beloved now we are the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be only this we know says he that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Nay and as if the highest Contentments and Satisfactions of this Life were but meer Nothings as to any thing in 'em whereby they may represent the Joys above St. Paul tells us 1 Cor. 2.9 That Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for those that love him Nay and tho' he was caught up to the Third Heaven into Paradise and so did both see and hear the Glories and Triumphant Joys of that Place All which things come short of expressing it yet the Things which he saw and heard were unspeakable he tells us which it is not possible for man to utter for so it may be render'd 2 Cor. 12.4 So that in short the Kingdom of Heaven does import a State of the most excessive Glory and Happiness that our Natures can be capable of receiving A State so unspeakably Honourable and Delightful that tho' the choicest Things of this World those Things that yield the vastest Contentments are made use of in Scripture to represent them to us yet they are but the meer shadows of the Glories and Joys in the Kingdom of Heaven and after all there is abundantly more than can be Exprest or Imagin'd by us And therefore this must suffice here for the Explication of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven the particular Character of whose Joys being what more properly belongs to that Article of your Creed The Life Everlasting shall there be given you And now An Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven What Secondly Let us next see what it is to be an Inheritour of it An Inheritour or Heir both in Scripture and in common Language does import something of Priviledge more than ordinary Thus Gen. 21.10 we find that Sarah would not endure that the Son of the Bond-woman should enjoy the Priviledge to be Heir with her Son And as to common Account every Body knows that an Heir has a considerable Priviledge above the rest of the Children and what it is I shall Define as follows An Heir is one who has a legal Right and Title to a Possession made over to him An Heir amongst Men is one that receives from Parents or Predecessors either by Nearness of Blood or by Adoption by Entail or by Will or whatever other Method of Conveyance a sure Right and Title to a Possession And here perhaps it might not be difficult to shew how that an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven is made such by something that bears a near Resemblance at leastwise to all these Ways and Methods whereby Men become Heirs to Temporal Possessions But not to insist upon any nice Comparison in these Matters it is sufficient to Ensure unto us the Benefits of Heirship even to the Kingdom of Heaven that those who are in Covenant with God are frequently in Scripture styl'd Heirs and particularly Heb. 1.14 Heirs of Salvation and that they are in like manner and to all Intents and Purposes as much Heirs Such who have Enter'd into the Covenant of Grace are in like manner as Children are Heirs for thus the Apostle argues If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 And if a Son then an Heir through Christ Gal. 4.7 So that we may safely say That as an Heir is One whose Estate is not precariously depending upon the meer Will and Pleasure of another but so setled and secur'd to him Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven as Children are Heirs as to give him a Legal Claim and Title thereto so long as he does not forfeit his Title by not performing the Condition on which his Title depends so an Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven is One who does not depend meerly upon the Vncovenanted Goodness of God for his hopes of Heaven and Happiness but he is One to whom God through Christ has vouchsafed to grant a Legal Claim and Title thereto by giving his solemn Promise and engaging his Truth for the Performance that he will infallibly bestow upon him the most unspeakable Joys of Heaven provided he swerves not from his Allegiance and Obedience to him but Renouncing all God's Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil will Believe in him and Obey him truly and faithfully all the days of his Life I do say and pray mark it That God through Christ It is through Christ alone not owing to the Merit of our Obedience that we are Intitled to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven has vouchsafed to grant us a Legal Claim and Title to this Inheritance for so it is said that we are Heirs through Christ Gal. 4.7 And far be it from any to imagine that there is any thing of Merit or Worth in our imperfect Obedience whereby of it self it should deserve such a precious Inheritance It would be an Arrogance and Presumption in the highest Saint that ever liv'd and such as would render him more liable to be Punisht for his Pride than rewarded for his Vertue should he pretend to Claim Heaven meerly upon the Score of his own Sanctity or should he pretend a Claim and Title to the Inheritance of Heaven at all otherwise than through Christ and because God has promis'd it However since God has been pleas'd to Ensure it to us by Covenant we may safely call it a Right which God who is Faithful in all his Promises and Just in all his Dealings will never debar us of except by our Disloyalty and Disobedience to him we forfeit all Right and Title to it Which brings me to my Third Proposal which was to lay before you the Vastness of our Priviledge in being
that we should Renounce c. And as I have already Explain'd to you the Importance of those vast Favours on God's Part so I will proceed now to do the same as to those Conditions on ours shewing you First What it is to Renounce the Devil and all his Works Whereof the First is to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Here is as much Matter as can possibly be crowded into so few Words A great Part of the Christian Life is discharged in what these Words do mean For our Christian Race is represented in Scripture to be for the most part a Warfare against several very powerful Enemies both without and within us And these Words do Instruct you both what those Enemies are and how we must War against them Wherefore if in the Explication of Words so very full of Meaning and of such vast Concernment to be understood by you I shall be forc'd to run out into some considerable Length you must have Patience and you must give good heed to what I shall Discourse upon them answerable to the Benefit may accrue to you from the through understanding thereof That which I shall do towards the Explication of them shall be this First I will shew you who the Devil is and what are his Works what is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works and how absolutely necessary it is we should do so Secondly I will also shew you what is meant by the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and how far you must Renounce the wicked World with its Pomps and Vanity Lastly I will in like manner open unto you what is to be understood by the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and how far we must Renounce them And First I am to shew you who the Devil is what are his Works what is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works and how absolutely necessary it is we should do so The Devil his Names and their importance Whereof First Let us enquire who the Devil is And in Scripture he is call'd by different Names whereof some do import his Rank and Place as Baalzebub signifying him to be a Prince of Devils and some his Wickedness and Enmity as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a Calumniator or a false Accuser Satan an Adversary from his Fury and Murderous Temper he is call'd a Roaring Lion and from his Craft and Lying Policies an Old and subtle Serpent and from both perhaps he is call'd the Dragon There are many Legions of 'em in Number but One supreme in Power and He it is who is Chief of all the Enemies both of God and Man that presents himself at the Head of all the rest He was once one of the highest Angels and is now that Arch-Rebel against God being that Arch-Rebel and Traitor against God He was once as may be gather'd from his Superiority to Michael the Arch-Angel who upon that account Durst not bring a railing Accusation against him Jude 8.9 The highest Angel the most glorious Spirit and the First be-like of all the Angelical Orders But not content with that vast Power and Glory that God had bestow'd on him but envying that God that gave it and affecting He with many Legions of inferior Angels whom he drew into the same Conspiracy is Banisht Heaven perhaps no less than a Sovereignty himself He with many Legions of the lower Order of Angels whom he drew into the same horrid and ungrateful Conspiracy Revolted from God and set himself to Oppose his Government But no sooner did this wicked Apostate frame so horrid a Design but the All-knowing and infinitely Powerful God of Heaven and Earth perceiving his Intentions immediately hurl'd him down and all his wicked Crew of ungrateful Conspirators from the Battlements of Heaven into those dark Mansions of Sorrow which we call Hell there to be Reserved in everlasting Chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day Jude 6. as the due Punishment of his so black and ungrateful a Treason against his Sovereign and Bountiful Creator But so far was this hardned Rebel against God from Repenting of his Villany even under the sad Experience of the woful Issue of it That he is eversince acted with the highest Spirit of Revenge against his God Being acted with a Spirit of Revenge against God he afterwards with-drew Mankind to join with him in his Rebellion and because he finds it in vain to attempt any thing immediately against God himself he studies and endeavours all he can ever since to wound him in his Authority and Honour For no sooner did the Almighty Create the lower World and place Man in the midst of it as of a Temple to set forth his Praises and to glorify his Creator's infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness in this so stupendious a Work of the Creation but this grand Enemy Attacks him with all the Subtilty and Policy of a Traytor tempting him to dis-believe his Maker's Goodness and kind Intentions towards him to cast off his Authority and dis-obey his Laws and rather to follow his pernicious Counsels The Arch-Rebel prevails and the whole Representative World of Men Adam and Eve Revolted from their God and took part with the Devil And tho' God condescending himself to propose Terms of Accommodation in a Saviour and Redeemer which was for to come recover'd a part of Mankind both before and after the Flood and afterwards selected the whole Nation of the Jews to be a peculiar People unto him set apart to serve him yet through the Instigation of Satan the greater part of Mankind were absolutely the Devil's Vassals And prevailed so far till God's Authority was almost utterly banisht from amongst men serving him in abominable Idolatries Sorceries Witchcrafts and giving themselves up to all manner of Villanies Vices and Sins whatsoever whereby the Laws of God could be transgress'd or his Authority utterly Banish'd as far as lay in their power from amongst the Sons of Men. And thus the Devil usurpt an Authority over almost the whole World for many Thousand Years till such time as our Saviour came amongst us to Preach Repentance Which occasion'd the Son of God's coming into the World to recover Mankind and to recover us to the Knowledge and the Service of the One True God which was the great Design of his Coming So that you see the Devil is that Arch-Rebel who with his whole Legion of Infernal Spirits are continually mustering up all their Forces against the Authority of God and drawing wretched sinful Men into the Conspiracy and whose Quarrel is for no less than Dominion and Empire who shall be King God or Satan And thus you plainly see who the Devil is Secondly Let us enquire what are the Works of the Devil The works of the Devil in general are and from what hath been said his Works in general do
our way to Heaven and Happiness * So long as we wear these Earthly Bodies about us we are permitted the Vse and Enjoyment of worldly Things provided in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable So long as we live in this World and are Parts of it our selves and carry these Bodies of Earthly Materials about us there is no doubt but it is necessary for us and we are permitted to be concern'd in it and we may without scruple gratify our selves with the Enjoyments of it provided it be in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable and that we suffer not our Hearts and Affections to be too much fixt upon it But in regard our Souls the principal Part of us by far are the Natives of Heaven and are only as Pilgrims and Tenants here Below to stay but for a short Time For As the Dust shall return to the Earth as it was so the Spirit shall return to God But being our Souls our principal part are soon to remove to Heaven we must chiefly set our Affections on things above and mainly endeavour to attain them who gave it Eccl. 12.7 we must therefore Set our Affections chiefly on things above on God the Society Interests and Enjoyments of that Ever-Blessed State making it our main Business to Possess to Attain and Enjoy them and not on things below the foolish Interests and Satisfactions of this perishing and transitory State here on Earth Col. 3.2 And so far as the world or any thing it inveigles our Hearts and Affections to fix upon it and seduces us to commit any Thing sinful and hinders to mind the Business of Religion and the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace our way to Happiness and everlasting Satisfaction it is to be Renounced Rejected and Overcome by us It is the Matter of a Christian's Warfare and the subject of his Victory And so far as this Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World 1 Joh. 5.4 and in this sence St. Paul Professes Gal. 6.14 that The world was Crucified unto him and he unto the world And thus you see in General in what sence and how far we are to Renounce the World But Secondly II. Concerning the World consider'd in its Particulars those Temptations result both from the Good and the Evils thereof For the more full and compleat Explication of this Point of Renouncing the world it being a Matter wherein it concerns you to receive the most distinct Directions I will farther consider the Particulars of which this World is made up and will also shew you in what sence and how far you are to Renounce each of ' em And here it is observable that when we come to take a nearer View of the world in its Particulars it does not then appear as it does in the General to have nothing in it but Good but to contain withal a great mixture of Evil and indeed to be in the present State thereof almost wholly made up of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit And both the Good and the Evil Things thereof do give us considerable Temptations to Sin Now the Good Things of this world are summ'd up under these Heads The Riches Honours and the Pleasures it affords The good things of this World Riches Honours Pleasures the Evils Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions And Things of a middle Nature are the different Callings Conditions and Cares of this World And its Evils on the contrary may be reduc'd to Poverty Disgrace and those Afflictions of all sorts which in innumerable ways do assail us And there are also some Things therein of a middle Nature as different Callings Conditions or States of Life and the Cares of this World which are the Appurtenances to it and afford great matter of Temptation and Tryal to us therein And in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce it with reference to each of these I will endeavour to shew you And First As to the Riches of this World These are not in themselves Hurtful I. As to Riches these are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestow'd upon us to good Ends and Purposes but Good and are bestowed by the Divine Providence upon those that have 'em to very excellent Purposes and Uses that they may do Good therewith and that not only in providing for their own Houshold but also by Stewarding them out to the Support and Advancement of Religion and Vertue to the Relieving the Poor and Distressed to the Encouragement of Industry and in many other ways which the Laws of Piety and Charity do direct * And those who enjoy 'em have great Advantages of doing Good therewith to others Comfort and the Benefit of their own Souls And those therefore on whom God has bestowed Wealth have admirable Advantages put into their Hands to do Good therewith to the Comfort of others and to lay up to themselves Treasures of Reward in Heaven by their good Works Nevertheless it was no hard Censure our Saviour pass'd upon Riches in saying That a Rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19.23 For both Scripture and daily Experience tells us Nevertheless Riches are a mighty Temptation whether we consider Men as Getting Possessing or as Parting with or Losing of them that Riches are a very great Temptation to manifold Sins and Offences against God and that whether we consider Men with respect to their Getting Possessing or their Parting with or Losing of them First Consider Men in the State of getting Riches and St. Paul tells us 1 Tim. 6.9 That they who would be Rich fall into a Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition And our own Experience also gives us to see how many horrid and black Crimes and into what miserable Snares so as never to be able to disentangle themselves out of 'em do Men run themselves into by an over-eager Pursuit of Riches I. In the over-eager Pursuit of Riches men do run themselves into many grievous Sins A dividing betwixt God and Mammon is the lowest Degree of Sin that is occasion'd hereby which yet God will not endure as you will find Matth. 6.24 The Neglect of Religion and Contempt of Heavenly Things is the next And it is not seldom we see that Men to raise themselves Estates in this world will not stick at Oppressing the Poor at Cheating of Orphans and Widows at Corrupting of Witnesses and Juries and Forging of Evidences and to add Impiety to Injustice to get but a small Pittance of worldly Wealth they will Rob God in his Tythes and Offerings by Sacrilegiously detaining those Dues which were allotted both by the Laws of God and Man for the Maintenance of the Worship of God and his Ministers a Sin compar'd by St. Paul with Idolatry it self Rom. 2.22 As also into many miserable Snares so as to be hardly ever able to disentangle
have it is capable of receiving as clear Notions of God and of Religion and of Vertue as any of us all And no doubt were it adorn'd therewith and so had the Image of God consisting in these Graces restor'd within it it would be as Precious and Dear to him and be receiv'd into those Mansions of Bliss from which those proud Tyrants over their Fellow-Creatures Liberty will certainly be Excluded if they continue to treat 'em with such Distance and Slavery Sure I am the Poor Lazarus is now in Abraham's Bosom when the Rich and Noble Dives who treated him not with that Respect and Kindness as he did his Dogs is scorching in the Flames of Hell All which consider'd it does become the highest in Birth and Quality to carry it with all due Humility and Courtesy to the lowest and to Renounce and Abandon those Thoughts of Honour and Quality which thrust away their Fellow-Servants to the same God so far off 'em tho' they may not have the Pretence of the Pharisee for so doing nor can say to 'em Come not near me I am Holier than thou But Thirdly Those Persons ought indeed even to renounce all Pretensions to Honour who have degenerated from those worthy Qualities which Ennobled their Ancestors Such ought even to Renounce all pretensions to Honour who have degenerated from those woâ—thy Qualities which Ennobled their Ancestors The true Nobility of those who are really of Birth or Quality was founded as I have told you in the Heroick and extraordinary Vertues of their Ancestors and therefore their Quality cannot be suppos'd to remain with 'em when those Vertues which gave Being to it are departed from ' em But so it is that none are half so apt to Pride themselves in their Families and to talk so much of their Pedigree as those who have the least of any true Worth remaining in 'em And sure it is a sign they have but little of their own who do so much value themselves upon others Deservings and seem to have nothing to Brag of but borrowed Titles We have Abraham to our Father was the constant Cry of the Jews when they had least of the Faith and Vertues of Abraham However as apt as such are to assume this Honour to themselves there is no reason in the World but what was purchas'd by the Merits of others should be forfeited by their ill Deserts and that Vice should lose what Vertue did gain This the Determination of our Saviour and his Apostles in their Case And this our Saviour and his Apostles did determine in the Case of those Jews Think not to say within your Hearts we have Abraham to our Father for I say unto you that God is able of these Stones to raise up Children to Abraham Matth. 3.9 that is by having degenerated from Abraham you have forfeited your Title to the Name and Honour of being Abraham's Children and the vile Gentiles as you account 'em shall be taken into that Dignity and Relation For he is the Father of all them that Believe tho' they be not of the Circumcision And accordingly in a true Estimation of Things all those and those only are Honourable who are Vertuous tho' they cannot derive their Pedigree from noble Ancestors The Honour of my House beginneth with me and the Honour of thine endeth with thee said a worthy Commander in Plutarch to a debaucht Wretch who upbraided him with the Meanness of his Parentage Lastly And such ought also even to Renounce all Pretensions to Honour amongst Christians at leastwise who despise Religion and its chiefest Vertues as Qualities beneath them Lastly and such ought to Renounce all Pretensions to Honour amongst Christians at least-wise who despise Religion and its chiefest Vertues as Qualities beneath ' em And yet those are the Persons who take themselves to be the only Men of Honour who can talk most Atheistically and Profanely whose Life and Conversation is made up of Lewdness and Debauchery and as to those grand distinguishing Graces of Christianity Humility Meekness and a patient Enduring of Injuries and Affronts who count them a meer Jest which Men of Quality and Honour it is impossible should submit to But be it so only let 'em withal consider that Not many mighty not many Noble were called but the base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things which are 1 Cor. 1.26.28 And what then signifies their Honour when God despises it But really it is not so that your profligate and lewd Livers be their Birth or Quality never so Great are Honour'd and Respected amongst Men for whilst they continue in a mean and vile Slavery to their basest Lusts they are not only in truth and reallity miserable and wretched Caitiffs But whatever they think of themselves they are indeed in the Eyes of others most Hateful and Contemptible True it is the greatest Part of Men and Pity it is that so many amongst Christians should still remain so Carnally-minded do look upon the Man who will not revenge an Affront to be mean Spirited and scarcely a Gentleman and the desperate Duellist is the more Honourable and Heroick in the Eye of the World Yet those who are throughly season'd with Religion and Wisdom's Dictates have other Thoughts and Apprehensions of such a One and count him the only Person of true Courage and of a great Soul who can despise the vain Opinions of the Croud in the Pursuit of real Vertue And above all the Meek and Forgiving Christian has this Honour that he has an easy Access to the Throne of God can come into his Presence with Confidence and Assurance whilst the other tho' the Greatest Man on Earth for Quality dares not Approach him without Trembling and Horrour And yet if vain Men will give the Honour here to those who are most Contemptible in the sight of God But if such are accounted Honourable by vain Men they are despicable in the Eyes both of God and of all Wise and Good Men. it is very unfit it should be so amongst Christians however let the Humble and Meek content himself with this That here on Earth he has the Approbation and Esteem of all Wise and Good Men and shall receive in Heaven from the unerring Judgment of God a Testimony before the whole Quire of Saints and Angels to his infinite and eternal Honour and Glory a Testimony I say which will far Exalt him above the Highest of Mortal Men who consider their own Quality more than God's Glory and prefer an empty Notion of Honour before the real and substantial Graces of God's Spirit The Summ how far Paternal Honour is to be Renounced In a word and to summ up what has been spoke to this Point Paternal Honour is indeed in it self Useful and Valuable as it puts before Men's Eyes the worthy Deeds of their Ancestors and as it inspires 'em to an
the Articles of our Christian Faith In order to the Explication of which Point 1. I will declare to you the General Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed 2. I will shew you What it is to BELIEVE those Articles or Christian Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And 3. I will shew you how we must Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith And First I am to declare to you something in General Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both concerning the Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed The whole Bible both Old and New Testament is the proper Object of a Christian's Faith and whatever we find therein Recorded or deliver'd down to us we are to believe as a Divine Certain and Infallible Truth because all things therein contain'd are the Word of Him who will not who cannot Lie who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will he deceive others As to the Old Testament and the Writings of the Prophets the Old Testament and the Jehosophat in a solemn Assembly of the whole People upon a solemn Fast-day 2 Chron. 20.20 Proclaimed unto them stood up and said Hear me O Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall you be Established believe his Prophets so shall ye Prosper And let the Declarations of God Recorded therein be of what Nature they will the Truth of them is by no means to be called in doubt If you will not Believe surely ye shall not be Established Isa 7.9 And so likewise as to the New Testament New Our Saviour upon his Entrance to preach the Gospel did in the first place require of all Men to Believe it Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and Believe the Gospel Mark 1.14 15. And when he was also leaving the World and Commission'd his Disciples to go into all the World and to preach the Gospel to every Creature He declar'd that he that Believeth shall be Saved but he that Believeth not shall be Damned Mark 16.15 16. So that both the Old and New Testament and every part and parcel of Scripture therein contain'd is firmly to be Believ'd as the Divine Certain and Infallible Truth of God And the reason thereof as to the Old Testament is Because Prophecy came not in Old time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 And we are also firmly to believe all the parts both of Old and New indifferently because all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 All the parts of it are the Dictates and Word of God himself and are more or less Useful to our Edification and Improvement in Divine Knowledge Faith and Practice And therefore all Ranks and Degrees of Men and of every Age Young as well as Old ought diligently to Study and firmly to Believe the Holy Scriptures The Bereans did so and they were accounted the more Honourable for so doing The Bereans were more Noble than those in Thessalonica in that they Received or Believed the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily Act. 17.11 And it is Recorded to the Immortal Honour of Timothy 2 Epist 3.15 that from a Child he had known the Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Some Truths Revealed in Scripture of greater Importance and Concernment to us than others Well but tho' all Scripture as being the Infallible Word of him who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will deceive others does Challenge the Belief of every Christian yet among the great multitude of Truths of various Kinds deliver'd in the Scriptures some are of far greater Importance and Concernment to us than others because they do more immediately and directly tend to give us due and worthy Apprehensions of God and to Instruct us in the only sure Method of Salvation by Jesus Christ There are some Principal Doctrines of Christianity which are in their own Nature apt to have a greater Influence upon our Lives and more powerfully to restrain us from a Course of Sin and to unite us to the Practice of Vertue and Holiness than others and when they have done this to send us to God the Father to seek for Acceptance meerly through Christ his Son And upon these and the like accounts therefore such Truths as these are more particularly necessary to be Believ'd by us in order to our Justification before God and to our Salvation in the other World And must therefore be distinctly Known and explicitely Believ'd and are therefore called the Articles of our Christian Faith being a Summary and Collection of such Doctrines out of the Holy Scriptures as are of a more Concerning Nature than the rest All those other Truths of what Nature soever contain'd in the Holy Scriptures are indeed necessary also to be Believ'd at least-wise Implicitely that is we are to be possest with a General Perswasion that they are all certainly true because God has Reveal'd them as such But these latter which we call the Articles of our Christian Faith must be positively and Explicitely Believ'd that is we must throughly understand 'em and be assuredly and distinctly perswaded of each single Truth contained in 'em as without which understanding and perswasion a Good and Christian Life will not be wrought in us nor a reliance on God's Merits in Christ for the acceptance thereof Created in our Souls Such for instance is the Belief that there is a God Some Instances of such Truths for this is the very first Principle of all Religion and must necessarily make us stand in awe and fear of offending him if we throughly believe and consider it Such is the Belief that he is our Father who Created us and all the World for this will make us love him who gave us our Being And such again is the Belief that he Exercises a just and wise Providence in the Government of the World for this will make us submit our selves to all his Dispensations as being the Appointments of One who knows better than our selves what is Best for us And to instance also in some which are the Truths purely of Reveal'd Religion Such is the Belief that the Son of God came down from Heaven to suffer Death for us to Redeem us from the Punishments of Hell for this as it shews us how Odious a thing Sin is when nothing less could satisfy God's Justice against it than the precious Blood of the Son of God and
should be dignify'd with the Title of the Kingdom of Heaven viz. Because it so directly tends to render Men so exactly like the Blessed Saints the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven 78 This is not the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Catechism Secondly the Kingdom of Heaven signifies the Kingdom of Glory This a most noble and glorious State as being dignify'd with so honourable and glorious a Title as the Kingdom of Heaven 79 Hence all those things in this World wherein we conceive the highest Glory and Happiness are used as Emblems to set off our future Glory All which things come short of expressing it An Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven what An Heir is one who has a legal Right and Title to a Possession made over to him Such who have entred into the Covenant of Grace are in like manner Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven as Children are Heirs 80 It is through Christ alone not owing to the Merit of our Obedience that we are Intitled to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven The vastness of a Christian's Priviledge in being made an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven First it is in it self a very great Priviledge to have the invaluable Possessions of Heaven so setled and ensur'd as to have a legal Claim and Title thereto made over to one 81 Secondly if compar'd with what others enjoy it is a singular Priviledge The best amongst the moral Heathens could have but faint Hopes built upon uncertain Conjectures of a future Happiness And their Hopes being faint they could not in the strength thereof overcome great Temptations But the Christian's Hopes are sure and stedfast being founded upon the express Promises and Covenant of the God of Truth And being such there is no Temptation so alluring nor Suffering so great which he may not overcome 82 And whatever Certainty an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Uncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fall vastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by Embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And to a sincere Christian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain 83 Asumm of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace 84 LECT IX Whereof the First is to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh 85 The Devil his Names and their Importance He was once one of the highest Angels and is now that Arch-Rebel againsts God He with many Legions of Inferiour Angels whom he drew into the same Conspiracy is Banisht Heaven 86 Being acted with a Spirit of Revenge against God he afterwards withdrew Mankind to join with him in his Rebellion And prevailed so far till God's Authority was almost utterly Banished from amongst Men. Which occasion'd the Son of God's coming into the World to recover Mankind The Works of the Devil in general are First Sin By Sin God's Authority is thrown off which is the Devil 's constant work 87 Whoever therefore does wilfully sin does strike at God's Authority For which Reason no Sin ought to be the Subject of any Man's Mirth Some Sins more particularly the works of the Devil First Such as are directly level'd against God's Authority viz. Idolatry Sorcery Charming Witch-craft and Conjuring as also Resorting to such as use those unlawful Arts. 88 Secondly Such as express more of the Devil's Temper than others viz. Pride Envy 89 Malice Thirdly Such as are more the Practice of Satan himself than other Sins viz. Murder Apostacy Lying and especially Calumniating and Evil-speaking 90 To Renounce a Word of various Importance according to the Renounced 91 To Renounce the Devil in the sence of the Ancient Church was to disclaim his Usurp'd Dominion and Authority over Mankind To Renounce his Works of Sin was in their sence to abandon and forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil 92 The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind This Renunciation for the most part the same with Repentance 93 The Devil and all his Works of Sin must be absolutely and entirely Renounced because There is nothing but Evil proceeds from Satan And Sin whether we consider it in its original Cause and Nature or in its sad Effects and Consequents is the utmost Evil. Therefore no one Sin nor any thing the least of Sin must willingly be comply'd with 94 And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace 95 LECT X. To Tempt is to make a tryal of a Person To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof To Tempt a Person in order to prove his Vertue or discover his Corruption consistent with the Justice Wisdom and Goodness of a Governour and thus God does Tempt Men. 97 First Thus he tempted Abraham to try his Faith and to reward him for it Secondly Hezekiah to discover his Hypocrisy and to humble him in the sight thereof These Temptations of God are therefore in no sence to be Renounced but to be Rejoyced in because for our Good 98 A Temptation to ensnare a Person into some Sin that so God's Anger may be kindled against him And the Person punished for this Transgression is wicked and malicious and so the Devil together with the World and the Flesh do tempt us The vast Concernment it is to us to know his Temptations The several Heads of Satan's Temptations 99 By what Methods he first tempted our first Parents and still does continue to tempt us First By insinuating into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill Opinion of their Maker and Governour particularly with respect to his Justice and Mercy 100 And by Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy do Men generally Encourage themselves in Sin at this Day But all such Conceits of God are to be utterly renounced and cast out of our Thoughts as Diabolical Suggestions most destructive to our Souls Secondly By Corrupting the Understanding and Reason of Man by putting him upon curious Enquiries after useless Matters and upon making a sinful Experiment of the differences
the best Expositors do understand the Words which the Apostle means by that Form of Doctrine that he delivered to the Romans Ch. 6.17 and which was the Form of sound Words that Timothy had heard of him 2 Tim. 1.13 The Reason of their making such an Abridgment And the reason of their making such an Abridgment of our Faith was no doubt to guard all true Believers against the Heresies and Errors of seducing Teachers Even in the very Times of the Apostles themselves did Satan and his Instruments begin to sow the Tares of corrupt Doctrines in the Field or Church of Christ and there could be no readier way to discover and distinguish their Pestilent Errors than for every Christian to have a Rule of Faith collected out of the Holy Scriptures ready at hand whereby to try those other Doctrines To which Form or Pattern of Sound Words as it is called 2 Tim. 1.13 if what they taught did not agree it was easie for the most unletter'd Christian to discover their Falshood which without a considerable degree of Skill and Knowledge in the Holy Writings could not otherwise have been done And hence also it is that the Creed is called Symbolum in most Christian Churches viz. because it is the Sign and Badge whereby to know a true and sound Christian a Watch-word to distinguish him from false Hereticks that creep in clandestinely to beguile unwary Souls and a Pass-port in all Christian Churches For all these things does the Word Symbolum mean and to all these Purposes was the Creed made use of in the Primitive Church For did any Stranger come among 'em they did immediately demand of him a Confession of his Faith which if he did deliver agreeable to this Form of sound Words they took it as a Sign of his being Orthodox and not an Heretick and it was a Passport to him whereby he might either remain amongst them or have Letters Commendatory from 'em to go in the Peace of God to other Churches of the Christians And well may our Creed be accounted the surest Test and Touchstone of all Sound and Orthodox Doctrine there being hardly any Heresie and deadly Error that has heretofore or shall hereafter arise in the Church which it does not oppose or obviate Nor any material Truth of Christian Religion that concerns either God or Our selves that it does not hold out to us as necessary to be believ'd as will soon appear to you if from this more general Account of it we do but proceed more nearly to view the Excellent Frame and Method thereof and the particular Articles of which it does consist And this I say if we do we shall see it does contain all the most material and weighty Truths that are necessary to be Believ'd concerning either God or Man and more we are not much concern'd to know First Concerning God A Scheme of the whole Creed we are instructed in the Knowledge 1. Of his Being and Attributes which we are taught in these Words I Believe in God for in the Notion of God are imply'd all those High Perfections which we call the Divine Attributes 2. Of the Three Persons in the one Godhead which we are taught to know and believe under these Three Names Father Son and Holy Ghost 3. And we are instructed in those Personal Works and Operations properly attributed to each Person in the Sacred Trinity This in the following Expressions and Articles of the Creed As to proceed in this General View and Dissection of it I. To God the Father does originally belong the Creation of the World and the Exercise of a wise Providence over it which we are taught to know and believe in these Words Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth II. To God the Son does belong the Redemption of the World that is the reducing from the Power and Dominion of Sin and Satan to the Obedience of the Father that part of the World which had revolted from him and so the Delivery and Salvation of it from cruel Slavery and woful Misery To accomplish which Redemption we are taught 1. In general That he was a Saviour or one that both procur'd for us Salvation and instructed us by revealing the Gospel in the only Way and Method of attaining it This in the Word Iesus And farther yet in the Word Christ to the end he might save us both from Sin and Satan that as a Mediator betwixt God and Man he was invested with the threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King And to enable him effectually to discharge this threefold Office that he was himself both God and Man God which is the Import of these Words The only Begotten Son of God an innocent and sinless Man the Import of these He was Conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary 2. In particular we are instructed in each single Act pertaining to these his Mediatorial Offices And indeed it speaks the excellent Structure of our Catechism as I before observed that it lets Instruction gradually into the Souls of its Disciples by giving first a general view of things and by descending afterwards to inform the tender Minds of young Beginners in the School of Christ more particularly and distinctly in each of those Christian Truths contain'd in the General Article And this proportion is also observable in the Form of the Creed where as short as is the Form of sound Words besides the Doctrine of our Saviour's Mediation and the Offices he underwent more obscurely coucht in the Words Jesus Christ in order to our more distinct Apprehension of what he has done for our Redemption from Sin and Satan and for our Reconciliation with the Father we have the Nature and Acts of those several Offices particularly taught us in the following Articles of the Creed Only 1. As to the Nature and Acts of his Prophetick Office they are not indeed so expresly and distinctly taught us as those of the other two namely His Priestly and Kingly are in the following Articles for the whole of that Office being discharg'd in revealing to us the Gospel as the only Way and Method of attaining Salvation and all the Doctrine concerning that being already couch'd in the Words I Believe in Iesus or I Believe that Jesus has reveal'd unto us the true way to Salvation there 's nothing needful to be farther express'd upon that Head But 2. As to our Saviour's Priestly Office there is not one Act which belongs to it that is not particularly and distinctly taught you in the succeeding Articles of your Belief His Priestly Office was to consist in giving a Satisfaction by way of Sacrifice and Attonement for our Offences and in going into Heaven the Holy of Holies to interceed with the Father in the Merit of that Sacrifice for the Forgiveness of our Sins And now 1. What belongs to his Sufferings by way of Sacrifice we are taught in these Words He Suffered under Pontius Pilate Was Crucified Dead and Buried
deal concerning him and his Attributes even from the Consideration of those Perfections which we behold imprinted upon the Creatures for St. Paul testifies Rom. 1.20 That the invisible things of God from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead so that those who know him not are without excuse But much more can we Christians be able to know a great deal of him when our Reasonings from a Created Perfection are so much assisted by Divine Revelation declaring and deciphering God so clearly as it does both in his Nature and all his Attributes Now the Perfections which belong to the Creature may be reduc'd as a Learned Man observes to such as pertain to it as a Substance or as having Life as having Perception or Sense or as having Reason And to proceed therefore from our general Conceptions of God as a Being Infinite in all Perfection and Incomprehensible by us to the Contemplation of the Divine Nature and Perfections so far as we shall be able to gather what they are from what is legible in the Creature and especially in the Holy Scriptures 1. A Spirit I. If we consider God as a Substance since the more Fine and Spiritual any Substance is it is always accounted the more Perfect as the Animal Spirits in the Body are far exalted above the grosser Matter God therefore must not be conceiv'd to be of a Bodily Form and Composition the lower Form of Substances but to be of the highest of all viz. purely a SPIRIT And being also the Cause of the Spirits both of the Souls of Men and of the Angels of Heaven he must then be transcendently exalted in the Spiritual Nature above those most Glorious Beings the Holy Angels It is not easie nor is it necessary for us whose Faculties being Cloathed with Flesh can discern nothing but through the door of the Senses to form a True and Adequate Notion of a Spirit It is sufficient to conceive of God that he is absolutely Incorporeal without Figure or Parts which are the Accidents of Matter and therefore he is invisible to Mortal Eyes and accordingly is said by the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.15 16. To dwell in the Light which no Man can approach unto whom no Man hath seen nor can see It is necessary also to believe him infinitely more Spiritual in his Nature than the Souls of Men or than the Angels themselves are and therefore is he call'd the God of the Spirits of all Flesh Numb 16.22 The Father of Spirits or he who maketh his Angels Spirits Psal 104.4 For if he is the Cause of that Spiritual Nature which the Souls of Men and the Angels in Heaven do possess he as the Cause must have much more of that Perfection in him than he imparts unto others In a word the utmost that we can conceive of God as to this kind of Perfection is that he is a pure and Divine Mind as even the wisest amongst the Philosophers were wont to call him II. He is IMMENSE or OMNIPRESENT II. Immense or Omnipresent This is another of those Attributes or Divine Perfections which belong to God under the Notion of a Substance And a transcendent Attribute this is whereby he Infinitely excels all Created Beings As for bodily Substances they are Circumscribed and Limited by other Bodies touching and bounding 'em on all sides so that no two Bodies can be in the same place nor can the same Body be possibly in two places at the same time And as to those Spiritual and Immortal Substances the Souls of Men and the Angels of Heaven they are also Defin'd to certain Places so that when they are in one place they cannot be in another at one and the same Instant But as to the Divine Nature it is in one and the same Instant present in all places It is neither Included nor Circumscribed in any place nor Excluded from any but he is every where present in an Ineffable and an Inscrutable manner so that there can be nothing conceiv'd where God is not Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God afar off Do not I fill Heaven and Earth Jer. 23.23 24. To which purpose also that place Psal 139.7 8. does admirably set forth the Omnipresence of God whither shall I flee from thy Spirit or whither shall I go from thy Presence If I climb up into Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell thou art there also III. God is a Being OMNIPOTENT III. Omnipotent This is another Attribute which belongs to God and it pertains to him as he is a Living Substance For tho' many things Inanimate have their Virtues yet Power and Activity are the Properties and Result of Life And if the Angels which have received their Being from him do so excel in Strength that one of 'em slew an hundred fourscore and five thousand of the Camp of the Assyrians in one Night 2 Kings 19.35 how eminently great must that Power be which created those potent Spirits It is an Attribute which does fall in very properly to be considered after God's Immensity for where-ever God is present as he is every where he can do whatever he pleases and nothing can resist his Power concerning which the Scripture gives us the plainest Testimonies and the most astonishing Instances Thus Matth. 19.26 it is said that with God all things are possible And the Instances thereof are no less than that whole Frame of Nature which we behold even the Sun Moon and Stars and all the Host of Heaven concerning whom it is testify'd Gen. 1.2 and Ps 148.5 that God did but speak the Word and they were made that he Commanded and they were Created And sure then all things possible can be effected by the Power of God if he pleases I say all things possible Being able to effect all things possible or which have no repugnancy in themselves nor to the Nature of God for some things there are which it is a a Contradiction to the nature of the things themselves they should be done as that a Body whose Nature it is to be Circumcised and bounded in the place wherein it it is should be in different places at the same time And other things are repugnant to the perfect Nature of God to do as to Die to Deceive to do Injustice to damn an Innocent Person to all Eternity in respect of which it is said that it is impossible for God to Lie Heb. 6.18 And that he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 And he does whatsoever he pleases And whatsoever he pleases for this is the difference between God who is a voluntary Agent and other necessary Agents that whatever does Act necessarily does operate to the utmost of its Power as for Instance the Stone in descending falls as low as it can but a free Agent as God is Acts so far only as he Wills for he might
make a Thousand more Worlds than he has if he pleases and his Will is directed by his Wisdom in the Framing and Ordering of the World in which sence it is said Psal 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleaseth that did he in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and in all deep places And he worketh all things after the Counsel of his own Will Eph. 1.11 Thus is God Omnipotent so as to Act What and How he pleases IV. Eternal IV. God is ETERNAL This is also another Perfection of Life And it imports that the Living God had his Being from Infinite Ages backwards and will possess it to infinite and endless Ages to come that he neither had beginning of Days nor will have any end of Years so that as his Spiritual Nature is diffus'd thro' all Spaces and his Power can be Bounded or Restrain'd by no Force nor Impediment so this Immense and All-powerful Being has preceded all Time and will it self endure when Time that is the Revolution of Sun and Moon which do measure Time shall be no more And how is it to be imagin'd that a Being Immense and Allpowerful should not be eternal For what is it that could give to such a one his Existence since whatever is the Cause and Creator of another must be more powerful than that thing which he makes but what can be more powerful than that which is Omnipotent So that God must necessarily have Existed from all Eternity And supposing the forementioned Attributes he must as necessarily endure to infinite and eternal Ages to come For if he should cease to Be it must be by the Power of something out of his Reach or Mightier than himself which that it is impossible that any thing should be has been already shew'd No sure The Throne of God is established for ever he is from Everlasting Psal 93.2 This speaks his Eternity a parte ante his never having had any Beginning Thou art the same and thy Years shall have no End Psal 102.27 This speaks his Eternity also à parte post his continuance to be what he was before even to endless Ages to come Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hast formed the Earth and the World even from Everlasting to Everlasting thou art God Psal 90.2 which words do most magnificently bespeak both V. God is a Being INDEPENDENT and ALSVFFICIENT V. Independent and Alsufficient which is an Attribute of the sensible Nature that is He is a Being that depends on no other Cause either as to his Essence Subsistence or Operations but he Is Subsists and Acts of himself alone and enjoys in himself without any Accession from things without an Infinite and Immeasurable Felicity He is a Being that depends on no other Cause either as to his Essence Subsistence or Operations but he Is Subsists and Acts of himself alone That he Is and Subsists of himself alone is evident from what has been just now cited from Psal 90.2 before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hast formed the Earth and the World even from Everlasting to Everlasting thou art God for if he had his Being before the World and he gave that Being to it which it has he must himself Be and Subsist without it or any thing contained in it And he also Acts independently without the help or assistance of any other Cause in the Production of it having made the World out of Nothing and not out of any precedent Matter which was Coeternal with him For through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not Made of things which do Appear Heb. 11.3 And he enjoys in himself without any Accession from things without an Infinite and Immeasurable Felicity For why he possesses all Good himself and in himself and is himself the chiefest Good And being therefore infinitely happy in himself from all Eternity he could gain no Accession of Happiness by making us Happy O my God my Goodness extendeth not unto thee said the Psalmist Ps 16.2 No this cannot be For VI. God is IMMVTABLE VI. Immutable which is another Attribute of the sensible Nature that is God is not subject to any Change in his Nature and Attributes from what he was from all Eternity nor is be Fickle and Inconstant in his Decrees and Covenants He is not subject to any Change or Alteration in his Nature and Attributes In his Nature and Attributes He is not more or less Omnipotent Allsufficient Wise Good Just Holy and Happy Nor in any other of his Perfections does he suffer any Increase or Diminution There are different degrees of Perfection amongst the Creatures of God some are but of a days continuance some endure for many Years and the Souls of the Blessed after Judgment and the Angels of Heaven will remain unchang'd in their Natures to all Eternity But whereas the most perfect of God's Creatures are more or less sometime or other liable to undergo some Changes God in whom the Perfections of all the Creatures do center without the least mixture of that Imperfection adhering to any of 'em is and ever will be still the same so the Psalmist Thou Lord in the Beginning hast laid the Foundations of the Earth and the Heavens are the Work of thy Hands they shall perish but thou shalt endure they all shall wax Old as doth a Garment and as a Vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy Years shall not fail Psal 102.25 26 27. He is the same Yesterday and to Day and for ever Heb. 13.8 Nor is he subject to any Change or Alteration in his Decrees or Covenants with Mankind In his Decrees and Covenants This is indeed what the wisest Governours of this World are subject to for being Men they cannot foresee all those Difficulties which may alter their Measures But God as he did from all Eternity foresee what was fittest to be Decreed and Enacted with respect to all Ages so he did establish such Laws as were agreeable thereunto and Enacted a Covenant with Mankind the Covenant of Grace I mean whose Articles shall be the unalterable and everlasting Terms and Conditions of Life and Happiness and is therefore call'd his Everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 Nor does it at all argue Fickleness or Inconstancy in the Decrees and Purposes of God that he is sometimes said to Repent as Gen. 6.6 1 Sam. 15.11 Repentance indeed as it is found in Men argues unsteadiness for it arises from the consideration of having done amiss with a design to amend and it proceous either from Ignorance or Imprudence when a Person finds that Matters have not happen'd out as he imagin'd or from Impotence when he has begun a thing which he cannot finish or out of Inconstancy when a Man disapproves what he did formerly like well of And such is properly Repentance and therefore in this sence of