Sabellians and Arrians do acknowledge to be the true God but this is spoken of Christ saith Saint Iohn chap. 12. 41. These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him But the Holy Ghost hath his share in this prophesie Acts â—8 25. therefore they who beleeve both â—estaments must concluâ—e that the Father Son and the Holy Ghost are one and the same God Finally the Personall actions and properties of these three declare them to be distinct persons therefore it is easie to conclude that Father Son and H. Ghost are three distinct persons and yet one and the same God That the Spirit is a person of the Godhead hath been proved in the fourth chapter of this Book That he is a distinct person from the Father and the Son is most clear by that which hath been said both in that chapter and in this and all those places might be heaped up which prove the personal appearance of the Spirit when he did assume the shape of a Dove and appeared as in Tongues of fire his teaching leading acting ruling comforting distributing of gifts and the like together with the several phrases of him in Scripture and frequent joyning him with the Father and Son as their equall in power and authority in bestowing all spiritual and eternall blessings do evince the same The notes of distinction Another even the Spirit These three c. The change of the gender in relative Articles which must necessarily be referred to the Spiâ—it is very considerable But I have said more then enough upon this point and therefore proceed to make the distinction of these three uncreated persons yet more evident V. These uncreated persons are sufficiently distinguished by their Order The Scripture doth most commonly place the Father first in order the Son second the Holy Ghost third when all three are named and by the inward and personall actions which have been mentioned it doth appear that this is the Naturall Order of these uncreated Persons for the Son cannot be placed in Order before the Father because he is naturally begotten of the Father the Holy Ghost cannot be placed in order before the Son because he doth naturally proceed from the Son this is the proper and natural order Basil the great in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complains that some in his time did place the Son in order before the Father and the Holy Ghost before the Son that they might gain some advantage by that device Basil tels them that he had received order from the Lord to Baptize in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and therefore was resolved to preserve that order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inviolable notwithstanding any devices or attempts for to prevent it When the Witnesses in Heaven are reckoned up in a businesse of the highest consequence they are reckoned in this very order 1 Iohn 5. 7. The Father the Word and the Spirit But it is confessed that sometimes it is most agreeable to the scope and purpose of the Holy Ghost to place the Son before the Father as appears 2 Cor. 13. 13. Gal. 1. 1. and hence it is likewise that the Holy Spirit is sometimes placed before the Son as Revel 1. 4 5. and sometimes before the Father and the Son 1 Cor. 12 4 5 6. But the natural order doth not overthrow either the equality or coeternity of the Persons nor doth that order of Enumeration which is pro instituto overthrow the natural order and both do sufficiently prove the distinction of the three uncreated Persons VI. The Divine Persons are sufficiently distinguished by their Personal Properties The property of the Father is to subsist of himself that is to receive subsistence or subsisting life from none but himself I shall not enter into that sad dispute whether this Personal Property be Absolute or Relative whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not import something as Positive and absolute as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is pleaded that the selfe subsistence of the Father is not his Fatherhood and that that rule is beyond dispute Habere subsistentiam à se non dicit respectum ad Aliud vel Alâ—um And therefore I humbly offer it to the consideration of the learned whether that self subsistence whereby the first person is dâ—stinguished from the Son and the Spirit be Absolute or Relative I will not take upon me to determine any thing in so deep a point or suffer my reason to wax wild and wanton in discoursing of so great a mystery and therfore though there be something hinted which may amount to a videtur quod sic in the behalf of the lesse common opinion in the 142 age of this book and it is clear that all three Persons are nothing else but the Godhead considered with all absolute and Relative perfection yet I conceive it safest to wave that point and conclude with that learned divine Nos fidelem ignorantiae professionem temerariae assertioni praeferendam judicamus Whether then this self-subsistence be Absolute or Relative it is enough for our present purpose to prove that the first Person of the Godhead is distinguished by his self-subsistence from the blessed Son and holy Spirit The self-subsistence of the Father is Incommunicable It is proper and peculiar to the first Person to have subsistence from none but himselfe and to be the first Personal Principle which gives subsistence to the other two coessentiall and coequall persons The Son receives subsistence from the Father the Spirit receives subsistence from the Father and the Son as hath been proved above and therefore this self-subsistence doth make a very remarkable and undeniable difference between the Father and the two other uncreated Persons Some learned men have from hence inferred that because the Father alone hath subsistence from himselfe therefore the Father alone is God of himself But the consequence is absurd for they do not distinguish between the Essence of God the peculiar subsistences in the Godhead The Essence of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is one and the same in all and every one of the uncreated Persons it is if I may so speak a self-essence and essence it selfe a self-Deity because every one of the Persons is truly properly essentially God God himselfe and therefore if the Essence of the Father be a self-Deity so is the Essence of the Son and Spirit The Divine Essence of the Son is not begotten caused produced any more then the Essence of the Father the subsistence of the Son is begotten but not caused the Divine Essence is communicated to the Son but it is not begotton by the Father for the Father doth communicate that selfe same Divine and entire Essence which is in himselfe by begetting the personal subsistence of the Son in the Unity of the Godhead from the dayes of eternity Christ is not God by grace but by nature and the Will of the Father did not precede and
the true God the blessed God the great God the mighty God We are redeemed with the bloud of Christ the bloud of God the bloud of Christ who is God The Covenant is to quicken and cure us 1. To quicken us for we were dead before the Medicine came and Christ and his Spirit raise us from death and give us a spirituall life 2. To cure us for when our Physitian hath restored us to life he can more easily restore us to health In the Covenant God promises to give us himself his Son and his Spirit The bond of the Faederal and mystical union on Gods part is the Spirit and on our part Faith which is wrought in us by the same Co-essentiall Spirit And Christ is the only Mediatour of this Covenant 1. We have but one Mediatour and surely of this Covenant 1 Tim. 25. 1 Cor. 8. 6. 2. This one Mediatour is God and man in one Person the Son of man Mat. 16. 13. the Son of God ver 17. Rom. 1. 3 4. Rom. 9. 5. Heb. 7. 3. Ioh. 8. 58. Acts 20. 28. 1 Ioh. 1. 1. Ephes. 4. 10. Joh. 3. 13. Ioh. 6. 62. Ioh. 1. 14. Phil. 2. 6. He for whom are all things and by whom are all things even he himself and not another person he also himself took part of the same flesh and bloud whereof we are partakers Heb. 2. 10 14. I hope by this time it is evident that the Covenant is made in Christ the natural and co-essentiall Son of God who is God and man in one Person and therefore we cannot close with them who will not close with this saving Truth for this is an Article of everlasting life Mat. 16. 16 17 18. Ioh. 17. 3. 1 Ioh. 5. 20. Ephes. 4. 13. I humbly intreat Mr. Fry to consider what hath been said that he may repent and retract his unhappy opinion namely That the word subsistence holds forth no more of Christ his being in the Godhead then may be affirmed of every Creature That whatsoever the head did partake of that did the members also And that according to his understanding of the word subsistence Mâ— Fry himself might be said to be God too as well as Iesus Christ p. 15 16. This is the unsavory breath of Mr Fry his blasphemous Bellows printed at Addle-hill in February 1648. If his confutation be as publike as he thought fit to make his blasphemous errour which he accounts but a molehill pag. 17. he may thank himself I might adde many other reasons but I must be briefe 4 I might argue from the very nature of Christian Communion which is a Christian and spiritual Communion with the Father in the Son by the Spirit but I have said enough of that already in this very Chapter and handled it practically and at large in the ninth Chapter of this Treatise 5. I might argue from the Sacraments of Communion and seales of that Covenant of grace which they who do deny the Trinity overthrow as hath been proved 1. In Baptisme we Christians are devoted and consecrated to the beliefe worship and service of God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost who are all three one and the same God the only true God blessed for ever and therefore they who do not beleeve and worship God the Son and God the holy Ghost as the same God with the Father do indeed renounce the Faith and Baptisme of Christians they take away the Adequate Object of Christian Faith and Evangelical Worship God promises to be a Father Saviour and a Comforter to us he seales his promise to us by Baptisme and fullfils his Promise by giving us his Son for our Saviour and his Spirit for our Sanctifier and Comforter for he shews himself to be a Father to us in Christ by sending the spirit of Regeneration and Adoption into our hearts We are regenerated by the spirit of God adopted into the Family of God married to the Son of God that we may be heires and coheires with Christ the King of Heaven and Lord of Glory and all this is to oblige and encourage us in the beliefe worship and service of Father Son and holy Ghost 2. In the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we Christians sanctifie the Name of Christ the natural Son of God and the name of the Co-essential Spirit the everlasting counsels of Gods Fatherly love the riches of his free grace all the treasures of the Covenant and Spirit of grace all the sufferings of our crucified Redeemer the Lord of glory are in this great Ordinance evidently set before the eye of our faith that by the grace of Christ assistance and fellowship of the holy Ghost we may have a more intimate Communion with God for this sweet Communion with the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ is by the Communion of the bloud of God Acts 20. 28. compared with 1 Cor. 10. 16. and of the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 13. 14 This is the grand Ordinance for the highest sweetest strongest Communion with the Father in the Son and by the spirit that can be attained to whilest we are cloathed with flesh The Gospel is appointed both for the begetting and encrease of grace this Ordinance is annexed to the Gospel that the Gospel and this Ordinance both together may by the power of Christ and his holy Spirit be effectual according to the Counsel of Gods will for bringing of lost Sinners into a saving communion nay a growing thriving communion with Father Son and holy Ghost that we may come to be enriched at last with the unsearchable riches of Christ and filled with all the fulness of God 1. When we see the Bread and Wine consecrated and set apart for this holy use we should consider the unspeakable love of God the Father setting his co-essential Son Jesus Christ apart in his secret and eternall Counsell for to be the Surety and Saviour of his chosen people This is the great mystery which the very Angels desire to look into and which will be the subject of all the praises and Hallelujahs both of Saints and Angels to all eternity in the highest heavens 2. When we see the bread broken and wine poured out we must remember the love of Christ whose body was broken and bloud shed for our sins 3. When the Bread and Wine is distributed and divided we should meditate upon the Application of Christ crucified to every one of our own soules in particular Now this speciall Application is made by the assistance and communion of the holy Ghost And therefore this mystery of the Co-essentiall Trinunity must be acknowledged by all who are admitted to this sacrament because this is the greatest confirmation of the great Bond of the highest Communion which we can have with Father Son and holy Ghost and with the most pretious Christians who are sound in faith and
THE DIVINE TRINUNITY OF THE Father Son and Holy Spirit OR The blessed Doctrine of the three Coessentiall Subsistents in the eternall Godhead without any confusion or division of the distinct Subsistences or multiplication of the most single and entire Godhead Acknowledged beleeved adored by Christians in opposition to Pagans Jewes Mahumetans blasphemous and Antichristian Hereticks who say they are Christians but are not Declared and Published for the edification and satisfaction of all such as worship the only true God Father Son and Holy Spirit all three as one and the self same God blessed for ever By FRANCIS CHEYNELL Minister of that Gospel which is revealed from heaven by Father Son and holy Spirit in the holy Scriptures of truth LONDON Printed by T. R. and E. M. for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the BALL in Pauls Church-yard 1650. Academiae OXONIENSI Electorum Senatui Reverendo D. D ri Reynoldes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Procancellario exoptatissimo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vitam cùm omni bonorum copiâ sospitem SOlem non vidit Reverendissimi qui luce solis solem non aspexit Quis Poetarum quis Sophistarum qui non omnino de Prophetarum fonte potaverit Nulla sine sapientiâ suscipienda est Religio nec ulla sine Religione sapientia probanda Varii sunt disciplinarum sapores ingeniorum gustus tota autem Christianorum salus in credendo colendo nec non obediendo consistit Doctrina nostra Christum auctorem laudat Christumque parat defensorem Noluit magnus olim Epiphanius ut Christiani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gestarent sed solo Christianorum nomine contenti satis gauderent Valete flosculi quicquid est facundiorum deliciarum nec medicamentis opus est nec lenociniis ut benevolentiam masculam virilem Academicam aucupemur Haud aliter de rebus Theologicis judico quà m de rebus Philosophicis judicabat Cicero Istiusmodi res dicerè ornate puerile est plane aurem perspicuè expedire posse docti intelligentis viri Deum testem laudo me illis nec conscribere nec vigilare qui in Theologicis conjecturas venari mallent quà m Scripturas amplecti Nostrûm enim est Theologiam antiquam penè antiquatam antiquitati Primitivae restituere Doctrinae capitibus vetustis gratam quandam novitatem obscuris lucem dubiis fidem vel quasi postliminio superaddere In quo quidem opere quantopere desudandum sit viri ut diffusissimae eruditionis ita sapientiae prope incomparabilis satis norunt Nec Argumentum majus esse potest nec Praelector minor quis enim ego qui tot clarissimis viris de Academiâ nostrâ imò de totâ literarum Republicâ optimè meritis succederem vel munus in hoc incomposito rerum statu infirmus obirem Eheu nec fictis lachrymis dolendum studiorum decus saeviente bello non mediocriter spretum jacuisse Nec inficias ivero in tam occupato vitae genere meditationes nostras satis acerbas nec dum ad gustum Academicum satis maturuisse certè tantarum dimensionum opus si non immensum non adeo tumultuariâ operâ deproperari debet ut officio simul deesse aliud quam hoc agens publico minus prodesse saltem prudentibus videar In cogitationem autem sensim deveni quantum mihi honoris Electorum Senatus immerenti habitum iverit quem dignati est is Râ—verendi ad functionem non tantum in Academiâ sed in Ecclesiâ Dei tam celebrem obeundam vocatione solenni honestare quibus antem rationibus hanc difficilem scribendi provinciam imò necessitatem deprecatus sim probè norunt quibus imbecillitas nostra satis not a est At at de pudore nostro bene subrustico unico tenuitatis meae praesidio amici hac ex parte nimiùm diligentes cogentibus amoris nec non prudentiae machinis tandem triumpharunt Omnibus itaque testatum volo quanti piorum doctorumque auctoritatem facio cùm adversùs judicium meum ultra posse meum cum bono Deo hac in re Reverendorum decretis amicorum monitis paruerim saltem si non satisfecerim Sed nihil uti spero Electores ornatissimi splendori nominis vestri bene magni detrahet benevolentia vestra vel tenuitas nostra non enim Sol eò minor est quòd loca lustret humilia res exiguas Ex laboribus enim nostris fructum non contemnendum ni fallor funiores percipient In capitibus quibusdam quae magna exercebant ingenia virisque gravissimis contumax facessebant negotium Textui certè lucem adferimus perquà m gratissimam In Translatoribus infidelibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exemplum dabo quaeso à vobis ut audiatis infaelicissimum De authoritate verborum quae 1 Iohan. 5. 7. extant non eadem sunt Doctorum judicia Hieronymus in Prologo in Epistolas Catholicas ad Graecorum Codicum fidem provocat Vterque Robertus Stephanus Pater filiusque manuscriptis quamplurimis optimae etiam fidei usi sunt tamen nullam lectionis varietatem in hoc versu 7 indicant Hieronymum graviter tonantem audiamus fulmen ausem Interpretes solos tangit Si Epistolae sicut ab iis digestae sunt ita quoque ab Interpretibus fideliter in Latinum verterentur eloquium neque ambiguitatem legentibus facerent nec sermonum sese varietas impugnaret illo praecipuè loco ubi de unitate Trinitatis in prima Johannis Epistolâ positum legimus in quà etiam ab infidelibus translatoribus multum erratum esse à fidei veritate comperimus trium tantummodo vocabula hoc est aquae sanguinis spiritus in ipsâ suâ editione ponentibus Patris Verbique ac Spiritus testimonium omittentibus in quo maximè fides Catholica roboratur Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti una divinitatis essentia comprobatur Britannus Codex hunc versum habet quanquam sine Articulis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pleraeque editiones Graecae ut Basiliensis Oecolampadii altera Brittiingeri Lipsensis Vogelii hu nc versum retinent Complutensis vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omittit pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corruptè legit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deinde Patrum Orthodoxorum testimonia adducimus qui partim ita legerunt partim etiam ita legendum asseruerunt Athanasius lib. 1. ad Theophilum Cyprianus de unitate Ecclesiae de simplicitate Praelatorum Hieronymus Athanasius Fulgentius c. vide Gomari Analysâ—inâ— Johan Bellarminum de Trinitate Stegman Photin D. Sal. Glassium de Consubstantialitate Christi c. D. Alting Loc. Com. part 2. pag. 340 341. explicat Catechet part 2. pag. 148. Inter tres Personas Coessentiales est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentialis proinde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Citavit etiam hunc locum Athanasius in disputatione cum Ario habitâ in concilio Nicaeno adversario nihil quicquaÌ„
5. 23. The great mystery of uniting the soule to Christ by Faith Eph. 5. 32. and making of it one Spirit with the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6. 17. is a main Fundamentall of the mystery of Godlinesse as shall be proved cleerly before I conclude this chapter III. God the Holy Ghost is the object of a Christians divine Faith The Holy-Ghost speaking in the Holy Scriptures doth teach us to beleeve not only in the Father and in the Son but in himself also It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth 1 Joh. 5. 6. There are three that bear witnesse in Heaven but here is speciall testimony given of the Spirit that we might be moved to beleeve the spirit who is to testifie the whole truth concerning the Father the Son and himself It is the Spirit saith he whose speciall office it is to bear witnesse and therefore there is this speciall testimony given of him that the Spirit is truth and then it follows that the Spirit is one with the Father and the Son one in nature one and the same God with them both These three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. and the witnesse of God must without controversie be received unlesse we will make God a Lyer as the Apostle reasons the point from the 9th verse to the 12th The Spirit is Truth the Spirit is God therefore the Spirit is the object of Divine faith he that tells a lye to the Holy Ghost tells a lye to God Acts 5. 3 4. He that then gives the lye to the Holy Ghost gives the lye to God The testimony of the Spirit is a Divine testimony 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. the demonstration of the Spirit a divine demonstration the power of the Holy Ghost a divine power Paul saith his Preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that our faith might not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God The wisdome power testimony of the Spirit are all of them divine the wisdome of the Spirit is infallible the power of the Spirit is irresistible and therefore our most divine faith is built and doth stand fast grounded and established upon the wisdome of the Spirit because the wisdome of the Spirit is the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. We read in the Prophets that all the children of God shall be taught of God Esay 54. 13. of all three persons for the Father teacheth Mat. 16. 17. Ioh. 5. 45. and the Son who came out of the bosome of his Father and yet remained in the bosome of his Father teacheth Heb. 1. 2. But the Father and the Son especially since the Ascension of Christ and the effusion of the Spirit do teach the children of God all his Elect by the holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle shewing how God doth teach his Elect after a more peculiar manner so that even babes in Christ those whom he calleth little children are preserved even in seducing times and led into all necessary truths notwithstanding all the diligence and subtilty of those many Antichrists who are industrious to deceive he saith they have an unction from the Holy one and know all things all things necessary to be knowne and beleeved for the obtaining the remission of sins c. ver 12. But more especially he shewes that the Spirit doth teach them to continue in the Son and in the Father ver 24. and therefore in the Doctrine concerning the Father and the Son as it is more expresly set downe in the 9th verse of the second Epistle of Iohn And then he shewes that the Spirit should abide constantly in them to give them cleer and certaine direction in all necessary points 1 Iohn 2. 27. But the annointing which yee have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him or it Ye shall abide in Christ and abide in the truth which hath been taught you by the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Spirit is cleare and certaine for saith he the spirit is truth and is no lye Here is the peculiar teaching of God the Spirit teacheth us to beleeve in himselfe aswell as in the Father and the Son And the Spirit was sent by the Father in the namâ— of the Son for this very purpose Moreover it is evident that the Spirit doth not only teach Babes in Christ but he taught even the Apostles of Christ. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things Joh. 14. 26. Nay the Holy Spirit did endite all the Holy Scriptures and inspire the Prophets Apostles and all the holy men of God in the writing of them The Scriptures were not written by the will of men but by the motion of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. where the motion of the Holy Ghost is opposed to the will of men to shew that the motion and will of the Holy Ghost is the motion and will of God Many other places and arguments might be superadded but for the better instruction of ordinary Readers I shall draw out my Arguments into ranke and file 1. The Spirit is God The testimony of the Spirit is the testimony of God 1 Cor. 2. 1. 4. The wisedome of the Spirit the wisedome of God and the power of the Spirit the power of God 1 Cor. 2 4 5. 13. The teaching of the Spirit is the teaching of God Ihe will of the Spirit is the will of God 2 Pet. 1. 21. 1 Cor. 12. 6. 11. 2. The Spirit is the Author of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. Revel 2. 29. 3. The Spirit is the Interpreter of the Scriptures and his interpretation is cleer certaine and infallible The Spirit discovers the hidden wisedome of God the wisedome of God in a mystery the deep things of God which could not have entred into the heart of man if the Spirit had not revealed them and therefore the deep things of God â— Cor. 2. 10. are called the things of the Spirit of God ver â—4 and things which are spiritually discerned and therefore they are such things as the Spirituall man by the help of the Spirit is able to perceive discerne receive and to say with truth and comfort Now I have the mind of Christ now I know the things that are freely given me of God because the Spirit hath revealed them to me Consider the discourse of the Apostle quite throughout the Second chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians and this point will be very cleer 4. The Spirit
Saviour saith God is a Spirit and from thence concludes that God is to be worshipped in Spirit and truth but in respect of the Divine Persons also We are to worship God as a Creator as the first of Causes last of Ends best of Beings to whom we owe our Being and our well-being but we must worship God the Father as God and look upon him as the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and as our Father reconciled to us in Christ this is that worship which becomes the Gospel and therefore we ought to worship God the Father considered after this Evangelicall manner that he may be glorifyed we moved and affected with those endearing expressions O God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and our Father in him Such expressions as these do beget in us 1. Holy boldnesse mixed with Reverence 2. Christian confidence our Father wil supply the wants of his children out of his rich treasure for he commands Heaven earth 3. Filial Love and cheerefull obedience which are even con-naturall to our new man upon due consideration of this sweet relation between God and us Ier. 3. 19. 4. A thankefull acknowledgement of Gods fatherly bounty even unto admiration Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God 1 Joh. 3. 1. Nay heyres of God Rom. 8. 17. What are we vile wretches wormes and no men yea by reason of our filthinesse Dogs and Devils that we should be adopted into the family of God married to the Sonne of God and made co-heyrs with the Lord of glory When the Spirit of a man is raised by such thankfull acknowledgements unto an Holy admiration then it is brought into a Gospel frame and by such high and sweet thoughts of Gods fatherly love and bounty fitted for filiall and Gospel-worship But it will be said that the whole Trinity is our Father and therefore all three persons are to be worshipped under that fatherly consideration and in that deare Relation To which I answer 1. That when the word Father is attributed unto God essentially though all creatures are excluded yet all the three Divine persons are included because they are co-equal they have one nature will and worship they are one and the same God and they are one Father also in opposition to Images Ier. 2. 27. To Saints Is. 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy name is from everlasting And in opposition to all creatures Mat. 23. 9. and in the Lords Prayer Father Son and Holy Ghost are all called upon as our Father 2. The word Father is sometimes taken personally and attributed to a single person of the God-head More frequently and more peculiarly to God the Father who is the first Principle of subsisting life even in respect of his own naturall and Co-essentiall Son as hath been proved at large in this Treatise and is to be reckoned first in order and finally in regard of our Adoption and the mysterious and divine Oeconomy and dispensation vouchsafed for the salvation of man and yet these peculiar notions do not exclude the other persons from being God as hath been proved above in the fourth chapter nor do they exclude them from being our Father in the common notion of Father in opposition to creatures and Idols nay all three persons have a Fatherly care of us and love to us and therefore Christ is called our Father Isa. 9. 6. Heb. 2. 13 14. And it is the proper office of the Holy Ghost to Regenerate us as it is of the Father to Adopt us but then the Father doth Adopt us in Christ who is a Father to us though a Son to God the Father and the holy Spirit is the Spirit of Regeneration and Adoption and therefore all three Co-essentiall persons are our Father 3. We may direct our Prayers to any one person as Steven directed his to the Lord Jesus Act. 7. 59. Lord Iesus receive my Spirit 4. We may direct our Prayers expressely unto two of the divine persons Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ direct our way unto you 1 Thes. 3. 11. 5. We may direct our Prayers unto all three as we do in the administration of Baptisme and in that Fundamentall Benediction 2 Cor. 13 14. 6. When we direct our prayers to one of the divine persons we exclude none because the Persons are in one another the Father is in the Son and they are all three coessentiall coequall They are one God and therefore are to be worshipped with that selfe same religious and divine Worship which is due to their single and undivided Godhead 7. When we direct our prayer to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the terme Father is taken in a peculiar notion not in the common notion and the Apostle directs his prayer after this peculiar manner Eph. 3. 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named God the Father looks upon us poore wormes as part of his Family nay as his deare children whilest we are here on earth as well as he looks upon his other children the glorious Saints who are made perfect in heaven Oh what a quickning consideration is this to bring us upon our knees at a Throne of grace before Christs Father and our Father that we may have a childs Portion and be prepared for that place which Christ is now preparing for us We are part of the Family numbred amongst those of the best ranke we are children and have the same Father that Christ and the Saints in heaven have Iohn 20. 17. Ephes. 3. 14. and therefore shall come to be Coheires with Christ and them Here is heavenly encouragement unto Gospell-worship and Gospell-conversation It is no wonder then if that Gospell-worship be frequently performed to God under this endearing consideration and in this sweet and comfortable relation The Apostle wishes us grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 1. 7. and in like manner 1 Cor. 1 3. 2 Cor. 1. 2. Observe that solemn forme of thanksgiving Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. Oh how willingly and cheerefully do we run to the God of all mercies and comfort in a time of temptation and affliction 2 Cor. 1. 4. For the Father discovers his bowels of mercy on purpose to invite us to him The Father himselfe loves you Iohn 16. 27. All spirituall glorious eternall blessings our Election Redemption Salvation are ascribed to this Father of all grace mercy comfort glory
common grace and common grace leaves them in the state of Nature under the power of sin and in the very suburbs of Hell wholly at the command of Sathan and if any man think otherwise let him take heed that very thought doth not naile him fast to that unregenerate and cursed estate for evermore Beleeve it Brethren that Historicall faith and Naturall wisdome do but excite some pang of self-love which makes us very solicitous how we may stop the mouth of our convinced conscience with some kind of ingenuous Civilities and outward formalities without any penitent acknowledgment of our sinfull and cursed estate any prudent esteeme of Christ whose bloud merit righteousness and grace ought to be prized above a world We never seeke Christ in earnest till he hath first sought us found us out and brought us home by his preventing quickening saving grace And when Christ dwels conquering and reigning in the soule the soule is not content with civilities and formalities with common grace or some low degree of speciall grace but it aimes at grace in perfection the heart is kindly broken by Faith and Love the soule is humble thankfull zealous mercifull diligent constant in serving Christ and Christians upon all occasions Civill and Formall men may by legall terrours be brought to some kind of Devotion they may by an Historicall saith be brought to some kind of admiration of the Gospel to many good wishes and velleities nay to a Reformation in many particulars but because they undervalue the love of the Father the grace of Christ the Communion of the Holy Ghost and consequently the power of godlinesse notwithstanding all their terrours wishes admiration reformation and hankerings after Christ and Heaven they perish in their unbelief because they never had any hungry and thirsty desires restlesse desires after Christ such as would not be satisfied without him wrought in their souls by the light of the Gospel power of the Spirit serious and seasonable offers of Christ. They never come to a deliberate choyce and thankfull acceptance of Christ to be their Saviour Husband Priest Prophet and King but did indeed choose rather to be Satans bondslaves then Christs spouse they would not make a prudent exchange of Satans fetters for Christs yoake and therefore are but dancing to hell with their fetters in the fairest path that they can possibly find to the chambers of death they could never be perswaded to be content with Christ alone as their al-sufficient portion and therefore refused to sell all for him and give up all to him but did upon mature deliberation and in coole blood reject Christ resist his Spirit refuse a pardon of sinne and Deed of Heaven purchased and sealed with the Heart-blood of God and this very consideration will sting the conscience and torment the soule of these everlasting Bedlams when they lie in chains of darknes cursing themselves to all eternity and blaspheming God for torturing of them in the angry flames of hellish brimstone But that this mystery may be yet more freely discovered take any man that is not guilty of the black and unpardonable sin of trampling on the blood of Christ and doing despight to the Spirit of grace and let him be one of the most desperate villains that ever served the devil and I dare encourage this wretch whom hell and Satan do even gape and groane for to go to Christ for preventing grace that the Holy Spirit may set home the curses of the Law and the more severe threatnings of the Gospel upon his obdurate heart in a saving way and beseech him to knock early at Heaven-gate the sooner the better because God gives Christ and his Spirit a Pardon and a Crown as Fathers give lands to their children only because they will give them he gives all Freely and Royally Christ hath gifts for the rebellious also God shews mercy and gives grace to them that do deserve neither grace nor mercy And if the spirit do open the eyes and heart of this man that the sense of his own devillish bruitishnesse may move him to enquire after God and Christ Prov. 30. 1 2 3. and gives him present support from falling under the weight of his own sin and Gods curse into despair after illumination conviction terrors before he come to hunger after Christ submit to him and close with him as an al-sufficient Saviour and an only Saviour This trembling soul may in the midst of cares and hopes and terrors be encouraged and enabled by a Spirit of Regeneration with all humility joy and thankfulnesse to accept of Christ and rest upon him for righteousnesse and life by a faith of Dependance Adherence Recumbence and to submit and melt with Evangelical repentance at a Throne of grace and when his heart is thus broken by faith and love which do cast out unbelief self-love and slavish fear which tends to despair this even now very black soule but now purified by the Spirit of Regeneration and revived by the Spirit of Adoption sprinkling the blood of Christ upon his conscience and shedding the love of God abroad in his heart will be encouraged to call God Father and Christ Saviour the Father will meet embrace adorn him wipe off his tears and filth and kisse that prodigal mouth which came from feeding with swine and kissing of harlots Christ will bid this soule welcome it shall be thrice welcome to this Co-essentiall Trinunity For God who brought his pardoning mercy preventing and effectuall grace to us when we looked not after him will surely bid us welcome when we come unto him with a prudent care a lively faith a Son-like reverence a penitent indignation against our sin and lusts melting affections and yearning bowels towards him and flaming zeale in his service and for his cause He who ran and called after us when we looked not after him will not reject us when we come unto him out of tender respect and hearty love to him and his service He that hath the Spirit shall have Son and Father also Let all churlish Nabals proud Pharises politick Gallios scoffing Ishmaels impenitent Formalists and unbeleeving Atheists consider what hath been said and look upon themselves as guilty of eternal death let them heare with wonder and amazement let them beleeve and tremble and let all the enemies of the grace of God Pelagians Papists c. know that all preparatives are wrought by the Word Spirit and that it is one great preparative to abhor the thought of all meritoriousness in all or any of those preparatives which make way for the infusion of faith for faith is the free gift of God and though there be many necessary preparatives to drive us to Christ yet there are no meritorious Qualifications in us to bribe God allure Christ or deserve grace The Spirit works when where and as he pleases and he who doth not prize the love of the Father the grace of Christ and Communion of the
much acquaintance do usually vent to the great dishonour of Christ and Christianity 2. That a meere man a very Creature is to be worshipped with divine Honour and therefore they are Idolators Master Fry must prove that he himselfe is to be worshipped with divine Honour also or else he cannot make good his proud assertions in his blasphemous Pamphlet or else he must say as David George did that Christ is not to be worshipped with divine Honour Now then the question is What respect is to be shewn or Communion ought to be held with blasphemous and Idolatrous Hereticks who are Seducers also and do zealously endeavour to poyson soules as it doth well become Apostatizing Renegadoes They who are acquainted with Ecclesiasticall Writers know what respect was shewne or Communion held with Arians and others who did deny the God-head of Christ though they did maintaine that Christ was to be worshipped with divine Honour I shall not tell long stories of Cerinthus Ebion Photinus Arius and their adherents but it is cleare and evident that the Arians were condemned because they were a pack of blasphemous and Idolatrous Hereticks Seducers Apostates upon the grounds which I shall presently relate and such as are above mentioned They did deny the divine nature of Christ and yet acknowledged that Divine worship was due unto him But I had rather produce proofs then tell-stories and therefore I shall give you the true grounds and reasons why they are rejected from Christian Communion and why even civill respect is denied to such who upon mature deliberation after more admotions then one deny the Godhead of Christ and the holy Ghost I shall begin with Christian Communion because that makes most for my purpose 1. These vaine men are rejected from Christian Communion for these reasons 1. Because they do not agree with Christians in the common unity of the Christian Faith for all who are come into the unity of the Faith are come into the knowledge of the Son of God Ephes. 4 13. And into the knowledge of the holy Ghost because these are the Baptismall Principles of the Doctrine of Christ. Acts 19. 2 3. Heb. 6. 1 2 4. Mat. 28. 19. Ioh. 14. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 1 4 12 13. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Eph. 4. 4 5 6. 2. They do not agree with Christians concerning the Adequate Object of Divine and Evangelicall Worship The Father Son and holy Ghost are the Adequate object of Divine and Evangelical worship of Divine Faith Hope Love 1. Iohn 5. 6 7. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Rev. 1. 4. 5. Mat. 28. 19. Ioh. 14 1 Ioh. 5. 23. Rom. 15. 30. 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. 1 Cor. 12. 6 8 11. They may well go joyn with Pagans Jews Mahumetans in worship who say that Christ is a meere man Mahomet did collect his Alcoran with great dexterity out of such common Principles as that he might take in Iews and Christians And Socinus he followed Mahomets inctructions he saith Arians and Calvinists may be both saved so they do but live morally Barlaeus saith that Jews may be very pious towards God in their Religion though they do deny and reject Jesus Christ as Videlius shews in his Book de Deo Synagogae And this as Barlaeus is pleased to call it is accounted the most accurate Divinity of the high flying Mercuries Beza in his Epistle to Petrus Statorius hath given our great wits a faire warning I have read of one Nuserus a Minister in the Palatinate who did first fall away to the Socinians and deny the Trinity and afterwards turned to the Turks and did solemnly profess himself to be a Mahumetan at Constantinople And the like is written by Authors of good credit concerning that Schole master who fell away to Judaisme and wrote Letters from Thessalonica that the reason why he went off from the Christian profession was because he could not digest the mystery of the Trinity We that are Christians worship the only true God Father Son and holy Ghost and therefore we must be true to our Religion and beware of such impostors who would seduce us to worship a meere man instead of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. My heart rises with just indignation against Mr Fryes blasphemous Pamphlet when I read there That according to his understanding of the word subsistence he may be said to be God too as well as Iesus Christ pag. 16. I know he will wrangle about the word subsistence but that word is found in Scripture and applyed unto the Father Heb. 1 3. and we read of the being or subsisting of the Son in the Forme that is the Nature of God he thought it not robbery to be equall with God Sure Master Fry ought to think it robbery to make himself equall with Christ in subsistence when Christ is equall to his Father and hath no humane but a divine subsistence only which doth uphold the humane nature which Christ hath assumed and all Christianity is built upon the divine subsistence of Christ God-man as hath been shewn and shall be yet more clearely manifested In like manner they that receive not the holy Ghost cannot be received by us whose happiness it is to beleeve adore obey the spirit as hath been shewn at large 3. They do not agree with Christians concerning the substance of the Gospel and Covenant of Grace Whatsoever we receive in point of Religion ought to be received upon the credit of all three Persons but more especially upon the Divine Testimony of the Spirit of Christ the holy and eternall Spirit sent down from heaven 1 Pet. 1. 11 12. 1 Corinth 2. 1 4 5 12. 13. They then who do reject the Spirit and deny his testimony to be divine because his nature as they blasphemously maintain is not divine do indeed reject both Testaments and therefore reject the whole Gospel and Covenant of Grace Moreover this Covenant is made by all three Persons for the Covenant doth containe the love of the Father the grace of Christ and the Communion of the holy Ghost The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ doth enter into Covenant to be our Father in the Lord Christ The Covenant is established upon the satisfaction and Righteousness of God-man and therefore they who deny the Godhead of Christ must rest upon their own righteousness and obedience for justification and salvation as the Socinians do and then Christ will profit them nothing because they overthrow the New Covenant and are fallen from Grace Gal. 5. 4 5. The Covenant is sealed with the bloud of Christ who is not only the Son of Mary but the natural Son of God This is the substance of the Gospel the same Person is God and man The Son of Mary is the true Messiah the Lord Christ the only Son of God equall to his Father the Head and Saviour of the Church
exclude false gods but I say it doth also deny Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to be different Gods other gods from God the Father because they are one and the same God with the Father as is evident in those two places 1 Iohn 5. 7. 20. cited before Those learned men doe well to exclude false gods the Socinians do ill to exclude the Son and Spirit who are the same God with the Father onely doth exclude every false god but the Son and Spirit are as the Father is the onely true God blessed for ever The term onely doth not exclude any Divine person but it doth exclude all and every one of the creatures because every Divine person hath the same Divine nature but no creature is capable of the Divine nature unlesse we do understand it as 2 Pet. 1. 4. is to be understood of the image of God or having such an interest in the Divine Attributes that God will exercise and put forth his wisdome power and all for their everlasting good and be himself their all sufficient reward portion and objective happinesse And it is to be observed that the termes Only and True are both applied to the same part of the Proposition namely to the Praedicate alone 5. This is life eternall to know thee But the Text saith This is life eternall to know Iesus Christ also that is this is the way and meanes for the obtaining of eternall life and this is the beginning of eternal life to know believe love and obey Jesus Christ. But eternall life is perfected by knowing of God in heaven not by faith but by sight Now eternall life doth not consist in the knowledge belief or love of any meer creature and therefore the Godhead of Jesus Christ is proved out of this very Text which they urge who deny his Godhead to justifie their blasphemy in the denial of it 6. Eternall life doth consist in knowing of Jesus Christ whom God hath sent to be our Mediatour and this eternall life will be perfected in heaven when the mediation of Christ will have an end and therefore it is the knowing of and believing in this Mediatour as God satisfying for us which makes us happy for he doth perfect the work of Mediatour as God by his eternall Spirit that is his divine nature Heb. 9. 14. and by the bloud of God Act. 20. 28. By the sufferings of the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. for he obtained eternall redemption for us by vertue of his eternall spirit Heb. 9. 12. 14. 7. To know Jesus that is to know him as a Saviour as one that saves us from our sins is to know him as a God as one God with his Father as the true God the only God according to that which we read Isa. 43. 10 11 12 25. that ye may know and believe and understand that I am he I even I am Iehovah and beside me there is no Saviour And Isa. 45. 21 22 23 24 25. There is no God else beside me A just God a Saviour there is none beside me Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else to me every knee shall bow in Jehovah have I righteousnesse In Iehovah shall the seed of Israel be justified Compare this with Rom. 14. 10 11 and the Socinians may as safely conclude that theâ—e is no other God but Jesus Christ as they maâ— conclude that there is no God but God the Father from the 17. of Iohn But they and we ought to conclude from these and the other Scriptures mentioned before that Iesus Christ is not a different God from his Father but is one and the same God with him These exclusive and restrictive Terms One and Alone c. doe not then exclude any of those three who are one in nature and essence though they differ in their manner of subsistence for I cannot conclude from that â—ext 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is but one God the Father c. that the Father only is God no more then I can conclude from the words following in the very samâ— verse and one Lord Jesus Christ that Christ only is Lord and so exclude the Father from Lordship as the Socimans would exclude the Son from the Godhead 1 Tim 6. 14 15 16. is urged by some to prove that Jesus Christ only hath immortality but they dare not conclude from thence that God the Father is not immortall I read Mat 23. 10. One is your Master even Christ but I must not conclude that the Father is not our Master for the Father teaches Ioh. 6. 45. and the Holy Ghost was Doctor Master Teacher even to the Apostles themselves Ioh. 14. 26. Ioh 16. 13. If that Text 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. be meant as some conceive it is of God the Father yet I find the same Titles given to Jesus Christ Rev. 19. 16. and therefore I conclude That both are one and the same immortall God and King 1 â—im 1. 12 16 17. 1 Joh. 5. 20. I read 1 Cor. 12. 4. That the same God worketh all in all v. 11. that one and the self same Spirit worketh all but I dare not conclude from thence that the Spirit only is God and that the Father and the Sonne work nothing at all From these and many other such like expressions we may safely conclude 1. That these terms one and only are not alwayes universally exclusive in the Scripture sense if all circumstances be duly considered and the Scriptures rightly compared 1 Cor. 9. 6. I only and Barnabas The word only doth not exclude Barnabas but include him Barnabas was joyned with Paul but Jesus Christ is more nearly joyned with the Father Ioh 8. 9. Jesus was left alone but the woman was with him all that were for her condemnation are excluded 1 King 12. 20. There are two exclusive termes There was none followed the house of David but the Tribe of Iudah only and yet the Tribe of Benjamin adhered to David as you may read in the next verse But surely the Father Son and Holy Ghost are more closely united then the Tribe of Iudah was with the Tribe of Benjamin Deut. 1. 36. None should see the good Land save Caleb but Iosuah is joyned with him v. 38. and therefore he was not excluded You see here is some union or conjunction still between the persons that are included but there is the highest union nay unity between the Father Sonne and Spirit because these three are one in nature and that nature most simply single and singularly one 2. When the term Only or any the like term is applied to the Divine nature or to any Divine Title Attribute or Work the Father Son and Holy Ghost being one in nature cannot be divided or separated by that exclusive terme though there is a personal difference between them and a speciall order
as referred to the divine Essence which is common to all three Persons we say it is the same power But when we look upon power in a singular notion as it is communicated after a singular manner to this or that person we say this person is equall to that in power the Father equall to the Son the Spirit equall to both to note the distinction of the Persons and not the distinction of the Power because the self-same Almighty Power is communicated to the severall persons in a severall way Power is in the Father of and from himself that is not from any other Person the same power is communicated to the Son but it is communicated to him by eternal generation and to the Spirit by eternal procession the â—ame power then is communicated to different coequall persons in a different way as we shall more fully declare before we conclude this seventh chapter 3. The Uncreated Persons are sufficiently distinguished by their number The nature of God is the first Entity the first Unity and therefore it is uncapable of number because it is most singularly single and actually infinite It is not proper if we speak strictly to say that God is one in Number we should rather say that God is one and an only one Deus non est unus Numero sed unicus But the Persons of the Godhead are three in number the Scripture speaks expressely of three These three 1 Iohn 5. 7. If any man in Athanasius his time asked how many persons subsist in the Godhead they were wont to send him to Iordan Go say they to Iordan and there you may hear and see the blessed Trinity or if you will beleeve the holy Scriptures read the third chapter of Matthew the 16 and 17. verses for there 1. The Father speaks in a voice from Heaven and owns his only begotten Son saying This is my beloved Son c. 2. The Son went down into the water and was baptized 3. The Holy Ghost did visibly descend upon Jesus Christ. In the fourteenth of Iohn we have a plain Demonstration of this truth I saith the Son will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Iohn 14. 16 17. May we not safely conclude from hence that the Spirit is a distinct Person Another Person from the Father and the Son for the Text is cleare the Son will pray and the Father will give Another Comforter we know the Holy Ghost is not Another God he is the same God with the Father and the Son and therefore we must confesse that it is meant of Another Person he shall give you Another Comforter even the Spirit of truth verse 16 17. And againe in the 26. verse of the same Chapter But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth What can there be more expresse or cleare The Scripture teaches us to reckon right and we see the divine Persons are reckoned three in Number One Person is not another there are diverse Persons there are three Persons the number numbred the Persons numbred are named by their distinct and proper names the number numbring is expressely set down in sacred Records We are not more exact in any accounts then we are in reckoning of witnesses whose testimony is produced in a businesse of great consequence and high concernment Now in the great question about the Messiah witnesses are produced to assure us that Iesus Christ the Son of the Virgin and the only begotten Son of God is the true Messiah the only all-sufficient Saviour of his people from their sins And there are three Witnesses named and produced for the proof of this weighty point Now one Person that hath three names or two Persons and an Attribute of one or both Persons cannot passe for three Witnesses in any fair and reasonable account we are sure God reckons right and he reckons Father Son and Holy Ghost for three Witnesses and he doth not reckon these three and the Godhead for foure as they do who dream of a Quaternity because these three are one and the same God blessed for ever Let us then be exact in observing since the Holy Ghost is so exact in making of the account In the eighth of Iohn the Pharisees object that our Saviour did bear record of himself and did conclude from thence that therefore his record was not true Iohn 8. 13. Our Saviour answers in the next verse Though I beare record of my self yet my record is true for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me And it is written in your Law that the testimony of two men is true I am one that beare witnesse of my self and the Father that sent me beareth witnesse of me It is most clear and evident by this discourse that our blessed Lord did make a fair legall just account for he cites the Law concerning the validity of a testimony given in by two witnesses and then he reckons his Father for one witnesse and himself for another I am one saith he and my Father is Another I and my Father make two sufficient Witnesses in a just and legall account There is Another saith he that beareth witnesse of me and I know that the witnesse which he witnesseth of me is true Iohn 5 32. There is Another saith he he doth not meane another God for when he speaks of his power and Godhead he saith I and my Father are one Iohn 10. 30. Christ and his Father are one God but Christ and his Father are two distinct Persons for they are reckoned as two distinct witnesses and one Person must not be reckoned for two witnesses There is Another that bears witnesse Iohn 5. 32. and the Father himself v. 37. bears witnesse of me Well then Christ is one witness the Father is another and the Holy Ghost is a third witness 1 Iohn 5. 7. we see the Holy Ghost speaks as plainly in this point as we do when we teach a child to tell one two and three For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one If we peruse the Scriptures diligently as we ought we shall finde that these Witnesses are three Persons who are one and the same blessed God They are one in nature though three in subsistence to shew that these three Persons are not to be reckoned as three men are who have three distinct singular natures really divided and separated for these three glorious Persons subsist in one another and have one and the same single undivided and indivisible nature and they are three Witnesses three Persons truly distinct Iohn 1. 14 18. cap 5 3â— cap. 14 16. IV. The divine Persons are distinguished by their inward and personall actions The Father did from all Eternity communicate the living Essence of God to the Son in a
most wonderfull and glorious way Now it is cleare that the Father did not beget himselfe and therefore the Son is another Person truly distinct from the Father and yet equall to the Father because he is begotten in the Unity of the same Godhead and hath life in himselfe John 5. 26. the living Essence of God who is life it selfe being communicated to him by an eternall generation The unbegotten Father is clearly distinguished from the only begotten Son But I dare not say as some do that the Father is Active and the Son Passive in this eternall generation because this generation is eternall For nothing which is eternall can be truly said to be in a Passive Power to any thing much lesse can it be said to be in a Passive Power to be The Son hath life in himselfe is life it self hath life essentially and as he is the same Essence with the Father is of himselfe and hath all that is essentiall from that very Essence but that Essence is communicated to the Son by the Father and therefore the Son is said to receive all from the Father But then we must consider that the Son receives nothing from the Father as from an externall cause but as from an intrinsecall Principle rather the cause for the Son doth not depend upon the Father as an Effect upon its Cause And I call the Father an Intrinsecall Principle of the Sons Subsistence because the Father doth beget the Son of and in himself in the unity of the same Godhead their Divine Nature is one and the same and their Persons are Coequall and Coeternall because they are Coessentiall This is the very Mystery of Mysteries which corrupt and wanton Reason derides but prudent Faith admires and adores The Socinians tell us that they cannot beleeve that the Father did beget a Son of his owne substance because God is eternall and unchangeable the single essence of God is indivisible and being most singularly one is incommunicable part of the Divine Essence could not be communicated say they to the Son because the essence is impartible indivisible and the self same whole Essence cannot be communicated because it is most singularly one and therefore incommunicable Essentia quae est una Numero est incommunicabilis To this grand Objection I shall return a plain Answer out of pure Scripture and deliver it in certain Propositions or Conclusions that the Answer may be more direct cleare and satisfactory Conclusions concerning the eternal generation 1. The Father did beget his Son the Father himself bears witnesse to this truth and his witnesse is full and clear and true Jehovah hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Psal. 2. 7. Nay the Father declares this truth to men and Angels as a Practicall truth that they may direct and regulate their worship according to this Mystery The Apostle proves that Christ is more excellent then Angels because he hath a more excellent Name then they For unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son Hebr. 1. 4 5. Here 's a double proof of the point he hath a more excellent name because he is the Son of God in a peculiar sense and hath the divine nature communicated to him as shall be fully proved ere we conclude this point for the name of Son is not an empty Title he hath the divine nature of his Father in him Now that he is the Son of God is testifyed again and again saith the Apostle verse 5. And he begins the sixth verse thus And again c. You see how he doth inculcate this point how he beates upon it again and againe and the reason is because this truth is Fundamentall both of Faith and Worship as is most evident in the sixth verse of that chapter And again when he brings in the first-begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Hebr. 1. 6. You see this Mystery of the unbegotten Father and the only begotten Son is held forth to men and Angels in order to worship that their worship may be directed to Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God and to God the Father as the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. God declared this truth after a glorious manner from heaven that it might be more diligently considered And lo a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved Son Matth. 3. 17. when he was baptâ—zed and the like we read of when he was transfigured in the presence of the Disciples in the holy Mount And the Apostle doth take notice of these solemne declarations from heaven and layes them down as Fundamentals of the Christian Religion 2 Pet. 1. from the 16. verse to the twentieth All the glorious Miracles wrought by our Saviour Iohn 5. 36 and his resurrection from the Dead bear witnesse to this fundamental truth that Christ is the first begotten and the only begotten Son of the living God be pleased to compare Acts. 13. 32 33. with Romans 1. 4. and it will be evident that he was not made but onely declared to be the Son of God at the time of his Resurrection 2. The Father did beget his Son from all eternity before his works of old I saith the Son who is the wisdome of the Father was set up from everlasting when as the highest part of the dust of the earth was not made when he prepared the heavens I was there c. Prov. 8. from 21 verse to the 31. his goings forth were of old from the dayes of eternity Micah 5. 2. Iohn 1. 1. 2 3. he was with God he was God before the beginning he had glory with his Father before the world was Iohn 17. 5. Relata simul sunt 3. The Father did beget his Son in the unity of the Godhead the Scripture speaks expressely that Christ is the Proper or Naturall Son of God he spared not his own Son or his Proper Sonne Rom. 8. 32. God is the Father of Christ his own Father Iohn 5. 18. the Iewes did well understand the importance and force of that expression for say they in that he said God is his own Father he hath made himself equall with God and therefore that Phrase doth import that he is the Naturall and Coessentiall Son of God else he could not be Coequall with his Father Iohn 5 18. Philip. 2. 6. All those Texts which prove that Christ is God and that there is but one God do prove that Christ is the Naturall and Coessentiall Son of God God hath but one Coessentiall Son to whom he hath given to have life in himself Iohn 5. 26. because the Divine Nature which is life it self is communicated to the Son by this eternall and ineffable generation It is proper to living
Christ the Father and the Son breath forth the subsistence of the Spirit with one and the same spirati on When Christ breathed upon his Disciples he said Receive ye the Holy Ghost to shew that he had power to dispose of the Spirit who did from all eternity breath forth the Spirit The Holy Ghost was breathed forth necessarily by both I say necessarily because eternally there was a double and eternall necessity of it both in respect of the persons breathing and the person breathed The spirit was not breathed forth as a creature but as a divine person a person of the Godhead he was breathed forth by Procession and subsists in the unity of the Godhead he proceeds from both and yet in both for one divine person cannot subsist out of another but all three subsist in the same undivided and infinite nature But the Socinians tell us that the Holy Ghost is nothing else but the power and vertue of God the Father To which we answer That the Spirit is the natural vertue of the Father no more then he is the naturall vertue of the Son or of himself for the vertue of God is the essence of God the Holy Ghost is his own essence and all three persons have one and the same essence The Holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father is called the Power of the Father Luke 1. 35. because the spirit works as he proceeds in order the Father works in the Son and by the Spirit But the Spirit who proceeds from the Father is distinguished from the Father the Spirit did not breath forth himself or proceed from himself The H. Ghost doth not speak of himself John 16. 13. but the Father speaks of himself because he is of himself he is begotten of none proceeds from none of the divine persons is sent by none of them The holy Ghost doth receive of Christ is sent by Christ therefore the Holy Ghost is not the Father but clearly distinguished from him Iohn 16. 14 15. Iohn 15. 26. Iohn 14. 16 17 Matth. 3. 16 17. Matth. 28. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 14. and in diverse other places The Father and the Spirit are personally distinguished but they are essentially one 1 Iohn 5. 7. they are one in Power Nature Will and yet are three Persons three Witnesses who deliver one and the same divine testimony The testimony of the Holy Ghost is as divine as the testimony of God the Father The Witnesse of God is greater verse 9. must refer to the Witnesse of the Father Word and Spirit verse 7. though the testimony of the Father be specially insisted on in the following words for all the three Witnesses in heaven give one and the same testimony and that testimony is divine The H. Ghost is the Spirit of God and the Spirit which is of God the Spirit of Elohim Gen. 1. 2. the Spirit of Jehovah Isa. 11. 2. the Spirit which is Jehovah and the God of Israel as hath been proved at large in the fourth chapter from the 31. page to the fortieth The distinction between the Father and the Spirit will be more evident when we come to treat of the personall properties The Socinians are so confounded in this point that they are forced to acknowledge that the Holy Ghost is no Accidentall vertue no finite substance no creature but the uncreated and substantiall vertue or power of God because whatsoever is in God is the substance of God as Eniedinus confesses And Smalcius acknowledges that it may be granted that the Holy Ghost is God because whatsoever is naturally in God may be called God But I shall prove that the Holy Ghost is not only God but a person of the Godhead distinct from the Father and the Son Jesus Christ is called the Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. and the Holy Ghost the Power of God Luke 1. 35 Luke 24 49. The Son is a distinct Person from the Father and the Holy Ghost is as the Ancients used to call him the Personall vertue or Power of the Father proceeding from the Father by whom he doth declare and put forth his power and therefore the Spirit is said to work and distrioute all gifts and graces as he will Father Son and Holy Ghost have one and the same Will and Power still we must bottome upon that truth These three are one 1 John 5. 7. That this Procession of the Holy Ghost is mysterious and for the manner of it unsearchable we do readily grant and therefore I shall not presume to define after what manner the Holy Ghost is breathed forth from the Father and the Son but we are sure that it cannot be any corporeall procession The Ancients did constantly distinguish between Procession and Generation but the eternall generation of Christ being spirituall the procession of the Spirit must needs be spirituall for the Spirit is not only Essentially a Spirit as the Father and God the Son are but he is Personally a Spirit The more perfect and spirituall this procession is the more evident it is that the Spirit was breathed forth in the unity of the Godhead They who say the Son doth proceed from the Father use that terme Proceed in a generall and very large signification but then they say that the Son did proceed by Generation the Spirit by Spiration thereby endeavouring to distinguish the manner of proceeding 2. They say the Son did proceed from the Father alone and therefore is aid to be sent by the Father only but the Holy Ghost did proceed from the Father and the Son both and therefore is said to be sent by the Son as well as the Father Luke 24. 49. Iohn 15. 26. Iohn 14. 26. Iohn 16. 14. but Christ is sent by the Father only because he is of the Father only and was not begotten of the Spirit and the Father is not sent by any because he is of himself hereby they endeavour to distinguish the Principle of these Divine processions 3. The Son did proceed as the second person the holy Ghost as the third person of the Godhead and hereby they endeavour to distinguish the order of these divine processions We know this divine procession is 1. Spirituall 2. Eternall because divine 3. Immutable this procession is not a change of the Spirit from not being to being or from an imperfect being to a more perfect being We know that procession cannot be a motion from one place to another for the Spirit is omnipresent fills all places and therefore cannot change its place 4. Necessary The Father and Son did from all eternity breath forth the Spirit in the unity of the Godhead not by any alienation of the Godhead from themselves but by an unspeakable communication of the same divine Nature to a third person of the Godhead And this communication is naturall and therefore necessary it is but not Involuntary the Father and Son did not breath forth the Spirit by any Coaction
and perseverance victory and triumph This is the life of God or that godly life to which the Ephesians were all strangers till they had learned the truth as it is in Iesus Ephes. 4. 20 21. And how come we to be quickned to this Godly life but by being begotten of the Father Iam. 1. 17 18. borne of the Spirit Ioh. 3. 6. and hearing the voice of the Son of God Ioh. 5. 25 26 When we have learnt of the Father and are drawne by the Spirit we come unto the Son who is the way the truth and the life Ioh. 6. 44 45. Ioh. 14. 6. And how is this Spirituall life maintained but by the Supply of the Spirit of Iesus Christ Philip. 1 19. Let us take the whole frame of a godly life to pieces and view every part and Spring and wheel and pin and then put it together againe and then we shall be able to judge what effectuall influence these three Coessentiall persons considered as one and the same God or as three distinct persons subsisting in the single God-head have into the Practicall Mystery of Godlinesse and Power of Religion The Doctrine of Godlinesse containes 1. Our Faith in God 2. Worship of God 3. Obedience to God 1. Our Faith in God I have spoken of this grand Mystery of Faith and shewn that it is necessary to be known and beleeved in the eight Chapter at large But I shall now treat of it in a more practicall way Adam in his Innocency was bound for to beleeve in the Father Son and Holy Ghost who are one Almighty God Creator Upholder and Governour of Heaven and Earth Self-sufficient and All-sufficient blessed in and of himselfe the only cause and adaequate object of the blessednesse of his creatures Adam was created by all three after the Image of all three for God said Let us make man in our Image after our likenesse Gen. 1. 26. and therefore we cannot conceive but that all three were revealed to Adam that he might know and beleeve in all three surely Adam was better Catechized then Jews Turkes and Pagans are in this great point and therefore did know beleeve and Worship all three There is no question but he entred into Covenant with all three and therefore beleeved in all three I cannot beleeve that two of the Divine Persons had no worship or service from Adam their creature before his fall And doubtlesse Adam knew whom he beleeved and whom he worshipped as his Almighty Creator and All-sufficient God Adam under the first Covenant was bound to beleeve in the second Person as God but not as God-man the Mediatour betwixt God and sin full man Adam did owe the right of subjection to all three from whom he received the Honour of Dominion The world was made for man man for the honour and glory of Father Son and Holy Ghost Adams originall righteousnesse did incline and enable him to beleeve in all three and surely Adam understood that severe rebuke which was given him presently after his fall Gen. 3. 22. And the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of us But because I will forbeare disputes I will not proceed further upon this Argument The Faith of Christians delights to exercise it selfe upon God the Father Son and holy Spirit God the Father is pleased to be our Tutor to condescend so far as to teach us and oportet discentem credere Schollers must beleeve their teachers It is written in the Prophets and they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learnt of the Father cometh unto me Ioh. 6. 45. We must beleeve the Record that God the Father gives of his Son 1 Ioh. 5. 10. When we look upon God as the father of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ look upon him as our God and Father in Christ these neer and deare relations do encourage us to beleeve him and beleeve in him to beleeve his truth to beleeve his love his fatherly tender bowels do perswade and even constraine us to fix our beleife and place our confidence in God the Father The heires of Promise have good encouragement to beleeve their Father who gives them all they have and hope for when he declares the immutability of his Counsell in a faithfull promise and confirmes it by an unchangeable Oath Heb. 6. 17 18. Surely the Father will not deceive his owne children of their Inheritance which he hath made over to them by promise and Oath this is the ground of all our hope and comfort we may safely cast Anchor here Heb. 6. 18. 19. In the Old Testament the Covenant runs in the names of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but in the New Testament it runs in the name of Christ there we read the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but here we read God our Father the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that is our God and Father in Christ and for Christ our Father because Christs Father Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ Ephes. 1. 2 3. We cannot but look up with Faith and confidence to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and our Father as the fountaine of all blessing the fountain of grace and peace and glory This deare Fatherly relation of God to Christ and in Christ to us is sometimes darkly intimated and but hinted and sometimes cleerly fully expressed to encourage our Faith The Disciples were very sad because they heard our Saviour speak of going to his Father go saith Christ to my brethren and say unto them Ioh. 20. 17. What should Mary say for their consolation was it enough to tell them my Lord is alive and calls you his brethren no that were too darke an intimation and therefore our Saviour gives her her message in words at length Go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God Joh. 20 17. here 's an Evangelical ground of faith hope and comfort in the time of the saddest distresse The great Argument used to encourage poor trembling beleevers to come to Christ when they have interrupted their fellowship with God the Father Christ and the Holy Comforter by any grievous wounding sinne is this If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous God is a Father both to us and our Advocate therefore renew the sense of your justification by faith at a Ihrone of Grace you see our faith is encouraged in the saddest tryals by this Argument The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ is the Father of mercyes and the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. the fountaine of grace and peace Rom 1. 7. Gal. 1. 3. Iesus Christ make it his oâ—â—inesse to perswade poor tempted soulâ—s to beleeve that
well call upon him for new miracles Nay the very preservation of the Scriptures in despight of Tyrants Heretiques and Divels is a convincing miracle In a word the Testimony of the Penmen is sealed 1. By the Oath of God 2. By the blood of Christ 3. By the testimony of the Spirit 4. By the Efficacy of the Spirit The Testimony and Efficacy of the Spirit is that sweet Subject which I am now more especially engaged to insist upon the Testimony of the Spirit to the heart and conscience of every true beleever in particular is a convincing Testimony But it will be said that this is such an Argument as none can take notice of and therefore altogether insufficient to perswade other men to beleeve to whom no such Testimony hath been vouchsafed 1. I answer This is an Argument indeed whereby I cannot convince others but this is an Argument which makes all other Arguments effectual to convince me 2. The Efficacy of the Spirit in the word upon the hearts of enemies is very considerable Their minds are inlightned their judgements convinced their consciences awakened terrifyed their hearts smitten because the very thoughts of their hearts are strangely unexpectedly discovered their souls embowelled and their marrow as it were melted in their bones by this almighty spirit speaking testifying working in with the word the very letter kils them the very savour confounds them though bold Athiests scoffe at the word and do in their Jovial fits blaspeme the spirit yet sometimes their hearts quake their joynts tremble even as Belshazzars did at the very sight of the hand-writing when they do but glance their eye upon some startling Text. Their consciences do often joyne with the word and spirit against themselvs against their wils for though they be self-willed yet they are after some soule-searching Admonition self-confounded and selfe-condemned men Tit. 3. 10 11. And though the malice of some men bee too strong for their wit reason and conscience yet it is not too strong for the spirit in the Word all the powers of Hel in them are over-powred by this good Spirit all the strong-holds of Sathan batterd and they themselves so confounded that they seeme to be even damned already they thinke themselves in Hell above-ground when they are stung and bitten they fall into the passion of the heart and are taken with such Hellish convulsion-sits that they do even foam at mouth and gnash with their teeth they are cut to the soule and tormented in their conscience they cry and howle and fight against the Spirit but all in vain for even they are out-witted and over-powred who are not converted by this stinging Efficacy of the Almighty Spirit What shall we say to these things If Idols have been overthrown Oracles silenced Divels convinced by the Majesty of the Spirit in the holy Scriptures and so over awed by the Spirit that they have been forced to confesse nay beleeve these truths at which they tremble then surely those bold theists are worse then devils who do not tremble at the Word because they do not beleeve the Spirit 3. Look upon a soule in its Agony and Pangs in its Throws and conflicts at its first conversion or in its After-throws upon some sadrelapse and observe how the wit is captivated reason conquered conscience confounded heart broken and will turned nay all the powers of corrupt nature overpowred and overturned by the word and spirit of God And then you must needs cry out O the divine Efficacy of Scripture which turns a Lyon into a Lamb a Goat into a sheep a man a Beast a Divel into a Saint and perswades Philosophers and Courtiers Emperours and souldiers Publicans and Harlots Mariners and Politicians to embrace a Religion and run a course clean contrary to the carnall and Divelish wisdome of their proud reason contrary to the stubborn resolutions of their perverse wils in a word contrary to their very nature education custome contrary to dictates of policy and reasons of state contrary to their passions lusts interests friends CoÌ„panions O victorious spirit What aileth what aileth thee O thou man of war and pride thou Secretary of nature Advocate of the Devil to hâ—ng the head and weep to resigne thy estate lay down thy Commission and thy Armes burn thy Conjuring-books and sacrifice thy dearest life in the maintenance of that truth which thou hast formerly contemned I must cry as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the power of the Word Behold the Efficacy of the Spirit in the word conquering and triumphing over the subtilty and obstinacy the pride and malignity of carnal men The promises of God are better then all the proffers of Sathan the divel shewes us the glory of the world the Scripture shewes us the vanity of the world and the conscience is convinced by the word and Spirit that the reversion of Heaven is infinitly better then the possessions of earth all the kingdomes of the world and glory of them are not worth one dayes Communion with Jesus Christ nay one dayes comfort from the Gospel and Spirit of Jesus Christ. Good reason have we then to beleeve the Spirit Angels admire and Divels tremble at the Majesty of the word Saints beleeve obey adore the Majesty of the Spirit speaking in the word of truth and life of grace and glory The Familists might learn by this sad discourse to beleeve the Spirit of God speaking in the word of God and not beleeve their own natural carnal phantastical spirits which contradict the word and spirit of God The Familists did learn of the Papists to call Orthodox Protestants Scripture men to scoffe at them as Scripture-wise and to say as Stapleton and divers others do that the most diligent conference of Scriptures is the ready way to the most damnable errours That the fountains of Greek and Hebrew are neither pure nor necessary and the like And yet Howlet in his Epistle to Queen Elizabeth did lay the sin of the Family of love to the charge of the Protestants But Dr. Raynolds our learned Champion in his conference with Hart doth vindicate the Protestants and make it evident that such as were godly and learned in the Scripture did detest Harry Nicolas that imp of Sathan and master of the Family of Love therfore they could not lay the Families sinto our charge as if we did foster that venemous vipers brood I keep to the Doctors own expressions that you may see how the zeal of that meek Moses was enflamed in this contest which did march into the field with Papists to strengthen their hands against Protestants The Anabaptists likewise might learn from hence to make the spirit speaking in the word the Judge of their pretended Revelations if they were not too conceited of their own inventions and apt to fall in love with the dreams of their own feaverish brain with their weak arguments but strong delusions The
the Holy Spirit as well as to the Father himself because all three are Co-essentiall Co-equall and Co-eternall When the seven Electours of the Empire met at Franckford about the election of Maximilian the second some of them being strict Protestants went out of the place of Worship when the Mass began because they would not be present at that Idolatrous service but came in again when they sang Come holy Ghost eternall God We being then convinced by clear Scriptures that Christ and the holy Spirit are one and the same God with the Father we must glorifie all three Persons as one God blessed for ever 1. We must not do any divine service to them who are not Gods by nature Gal. 4. 8. But the three divine Persons have the self-same divine nature and therefore the very same divine Worship and Service both for kind and degree is due to all three Co-essentiall Persons We must not conceive otherwise of God then he hath revealed himselfe in his Word For then we shall not worship the true God but a meere phantasticall Idoll of our own braine Ye worship ye know not what saith Christ of the Samaritans Ioh. 4. 22. the Samaritans served their own Gods who were not Gods by nature but false Gods 2 Kings 17. 29. 33. 2. Nor must we give Father Son and Holy Spirit the only true God any other kind of Worship then what is prescribed in his Word Israel is said to be without the true God when they were without the Law without a Priest to teach them how to Worship God according to his Law 2 Chron. 15. 3. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law The divine kind of worship prescribed both in Law and Gospell is spirituall Worship Mark 12 33. Heb. 12. 28. Psal. 51. 6 16. Deut. 6. 5. 1 Cor. 5. 8. 1 Chron 28. 9. Phil. 3. 3. Ioh. 4. 23 24. 3. The Worship of God is either Natural or instituted Worship The instituted Worship hath been changed for it was different before the Law under the Law and under the Gospell But the naturall worship and service of God is perpetuall and eternall it is to be continued in heaven both by Saints and Angels for evermore Naturall Worship is due to Jesus Christ and the holy Spirit because they have one and the self-same divine nature with God the Father Angels are called upon to give this Naturall Worship to Jesus Christ. And let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1 6. 4. Instituted Worship is subservient as I may so speak to this naturall worship for when we worship God with those meane helps and actions which he himself hath appointed and ordained we must worship him in spirit and truth All Ordinances of Christ are meanes of grace to beget knowledge faith hope love self-denyal gratitude humility sincerity reverence zeale and all other graces in the soule and to encrease them in us that we may exercise all these graces upon every opportunity and give God that Natural Spiritual Divine Honour which is due unto his singular Majesty infinite excellency independent perfection and eternall Godhead in knowing esteeming admiring beleeving loving obeying God that our soules may be delighted and satisfyed with God as the chiefest good as the Crown of all our joyes an All-sufficient portion of our soules for evermore This is the full scope of the first Table of the Law and this is the summe of the Gospel If the first Table of the Law did discover to us 1. The object of worship 2. The means of worship 3. The time of worship and did not also prescribe require enjoyn 4. The manner of worship we should be at a losse the Law would not be a perfect rule Our worship would not be agreeable to the nature and will of God God would be defrauded of his naturall spirituall divine worship and therefore when our Saviour doth deliver the full scope of all the foure first Commandements by reducing them to one Commandment he saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy mind this is the first and great Commandment Mat 22. 37 38. Deut. 6. 4 5. This Spirituall worship is taught us in every Commandement of the first Table if we look upon the inside and spirituall compasse of those Commandements discovered to us by Moses the Psalmes Prophets and the New-Testament 1. In the first Commandement we are not barely required for to take God for the object of our worship but to give him spiritual worship also because we are required in mind heart will affection and the effects of all these to take the true God Father Son and Holy Ghost God in Christ by the assistance of the Spirit to be our God to know esteem admire trust love reverence adore and serve him with hope humility self-deniall patience joy and thankefulness zeal◠and constancy This is the inside and spirituall compass of the first Commandement 2. In the second Commandement we are required to worship God purely according to his Will in every Ordinance without any carnall Imagination or affections The Papists will grant that we are by the use of Ordinances and as they dreame Images also to carry our hearts to God and Christ in obedience to the second Commandement The more learned Papists will confess that it is a sin against the first Commandement to terminate our worship in any Image because no Image is Iehovah But they worship Images Relativè though not Terminativè as visible helps to devotion to carry their hearts to God in worship and it is cleare that the Jews and Heathens of old intended no more and therefore there is as much to be said for Heathenish and Iewish as there is for Romish Idolatry This then is the great sin of the Antichristian Worshippers at Rome who endeavour to defend this Relative worship of Images that they conceive that the heart of man will be better carried to God and Christ by humane inventions such as Images Crucifixes Reliques c. then by divine Institutions and this sin is called an hatred of God in the second Commandement And in the very letter of this Commandement we are directed how to expresse our love to God namely by seeking of him and closing with him in his own Ordinances and institutions with an ingenuous contempt of humane inventions in divine worship and service and though legall Ordinances are not only changeable but actually changed and abolished yet there is something morall and unchangeable in this second Commandement which is attendance upon and observance of the Institutions and appointments of God It is an immutable Law that we should give God that worship which is due unto him expresse our saith in him and love to him by a spirituall use of such means
and Ordinances as he himself should from time to time appoint The due acknowledgement of Gods immensity and infinite Majesty in our attendance on the Instituted means of worship is clearly opposed to the Image-worship in the 40th Chapt of Isaiah and first Chapter to the Romans and therefore the inside and compass of this second Commandement is spirituall though the words of it are so comprehensive as to take in ceremoniall as well as Evangelicall worship For Reverend Divines have made it cleare that though the second Commandement be morall in regard of its substance and generall nature which containes the immutable Law above mentioned yet in regard of its particular application to those significant Ceremonies Sacrifices and Sacraments which God did appoint we say all Ceremoniall Institutions are referred unto and comprehended under the second morall Commandement of God See Mr. Shepheard in his excellent Treatise of the morality of the Sabbath pag. 24. 40 41. 3. The third Commandement prescribes a reverend use of all the Titles Properties Works and Ordinances of God with Spirituall understanding and affection with faith reverence love joy sincerity and thankfulnesse in thought word and life 4. In the fourth Commandement we are not only required to rest but to sanctifie a rest to Jehovah If then we find the Titles Properties Works of Jehovah given to Christ and his holy Spirit in the Old and New Testament we must conclude that Christ and his holy Spirit are to be worshipped in the same Ordinances with the same spirituall and divine worship which is due to God the Father The scope of Law and Gospell is to bring us unto God by the Mediation of Christ and assistance of the Spirit that we may rest upon Christ for justification walk and grow up in Christ in the progress of our sanctification for our everlasting satisfaction Our business therefore is to avoid those two dangerous Rocks upon which so many split and suffer shipwrack in this tempestuous age namely the Rock of neglecting duties in the course of our sanctification and the Rock of resting in Duties which overthrows our justification We must labour by all means appointed by God to gaine a spirituall Practicall experimentall knowledge of the love of Iesus Christ a knowledge which surpasses all intellectuall knowledge an affectionate knowledge which is felt in the heart but cannot be comprehended in the braine This is the right Evangelicall knowledge which prepares a man for spirituall and Evangelicall worship for heavenly Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost in all Gospell dispensations and Gospell-Conversation that he may come to be enriched with the unsearchable riches of Christ and filled with all the fulness of God For this Cause saith the Apostle and well he might I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ mark the strain it is purely Evangelicall that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit That Christ may dwell in your hearts Here are all the three co-essentiall Persons but how may this be obtained And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge to know it in my heart to beleeve it with my heart to feele it in my heart because the love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the holy Spirit But what shall I gaine by this Why the Apostle goes on That ye may be filled with all the fulness of God Ephes. 3. 14 16 17 19. The great design of the Apostle was to be found in Christ having the righteousness which is of God through the faith of Christ without pleading his own righteousnesse which is of the Law for his justification And to have a Spirituall and Practicall knowledge of Christ grounded upon a deep and affectionate experience of the vertue of Christs Death and Resurrection in his own soule Phil. 3. 9 10. that he might be thereby encouraged and provoked to press forward in the course of Sanctification toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus v. 14. that his faith might act in all holy services Iustifying faith is the Principle of Evangelicall Worship and Gospell-conversation Grace be to you and peace from him which is which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits which are before his throne and from Iesus Christ who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Rev. 1. 4 5 6. The hearts of true beleevers are golden vials full of odours and incense faith and love sincerity and zeale selfe-denyall and thankfulnesse humility and godly reverence and the beliefe of their redemption by the blood of Christ moves them to acknowledge the divine power of their Redeemer and to give him divine worship The Angles Elders People all joyne even ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands in this acknowledgement Worthy is the Lamb that was slaine to receive â—â—wer and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing glory honour and power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever And the foure beasts said Amen And the foure and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liâ—eth for ever and ever Rev. 5. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. We must be brought to the knowledge and faith of the Son of God before ever we can be wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. Isa. 53. 11. Ioh. 3. 14 15. Gal. 2. 20. When once we come to beleeve the love of Christ then we love adore obey Father Son and holy Spirit after an Evangelical manner All the Fundamentall Articles of our faith have reference unto Christ as the Foundation because they are all such as concern his Father his Spirit his Incarnation Mediation or his Church and the benefits which the Church receives from him And in like manner all our worship is directed unto Father Son and Spirit as one God by the Mediation of Christ and assistance of thâ— Spirit Eph. 2. 18. 2 Cor. 13. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 5 1 Ioh. 1. 3 4. Ephes. 4. 15. It is our happiness our heaven upon earth to beleeve adore anâ— live to Father Son and holy Spirit by maintaining an holy Communion with all three aâ— one God and our God in the use of all Ordinances and Duties required of us This is the mystery of Godliness the Art of living unto God this is the Lesson which all Members of the Church universall must learne the foure beasts who joyne with Angels and Presbyters in adoring the Lamb are as
God the Father is our Father in a peculiar consideration pag. 328. and therefore I need not insist longer upon this Point since the Scriptures are cleare so cleare that even very Cavillers confess this truth Christ himself as man obeyed the Father Iohn 4. 34. 2. God the Son is to be obeyed This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare ye him Mat. 17. 5. Heare him beleeve him obey him the Godhead of Christ is the Formall reason of our Obedience but all his benefits are sweet encouragements to us to performe our duty Be obedient as children saith the Apostle and if ye call on the Father c. passe the time of your sojourning here in feare For as much as ye know ye were not redeemed but with the precious bloud of Christ. 1 Pet. 1. 14 17 18 19. Why do the Presbyters throw down their Crowns at the feet of Christ and fall down before the Lamb but to testifie their subjection and profess how ready they are to serve and obey Jesus Christ Rev. 4. 10 11. Rev. 5. 8. Christ is the Author of Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. The life of a Christian is a living unto Christ a life of faith love and obedience Gal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Phil. 1. 20 21. We are made new Creatures in Christ that we may performe new obedience to Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. He who serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Rom. 14. 18. We are under the Law to Christ. 1. Cor. 9. 21. All manner of obedience inward and outward is due unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Cursed is he that doth not prize and love Christ above all the Kingdoms of the World and glory of them above all the comforts of life and life it self 1 Cor. 16. 22. Luk. 14. 26 33. Mat. 13. 44 46. Phil. 3. 7 8 10. Col. 3. 23 24. Eph. 6. 6. 7. Eph. 5. 26 27. and Tit. 2. 14. compared together 3. God the holy Ghost is to be obeyed We are devoted to his service in Baptisme our bodies and soules are temples consecrated to his honour and service the Spirit doth conquer our carnall reason mortifie our corruptions and subdue our hearts unto the obedience of himself as well as to the obedience of the Father and the Lord Jesus We are debtors to the Spirit We are his Creatures The spirit of Elohim did forme and fashion the rude Mass out of which all things were made Gen. 1. 2. The renovation of all things by continued propagation is ascribed to the Spirit Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth Psal. 104. 30. Our soules are breathed into us by this Spirit of life Gen. 2. 7. Iob 33. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life The soule is enabled and adorned with all abilities by the Spirit that it may be qualified for all manner of service In respect of Counsell and Government Numb 11. 25. In respect of resolution and action Iudg. 14. 6. But that which is most endearing is that the Spirit is the Spirit of Conviction Regeneration Conversion Sanctification Edification and Consolation 1. Pet. 1. 2. 2 Thes. 2. 13. Gal. 5. 22. 1 Cor. 12. 8 9. The Spirit is the God of all comfort it is his speciall office to comfort mourners The Spirit fitted the man Christ to be our Mediatour as is most evident because 1. The Spirit formed the nature of man of the substance of the Virgin after an extraordinary manner Luk. 1. 35. compared with Gal. 4. 4. for the service of the Lord Christ. 2. He sanctified the humane Nature which Christ assumed after such a perfect manner that it was free from all sin in the very moment of conception Luke 1. 35. 3. He united this pure humane nature with the divine in the same Person the Person of the Son of God Luk. 1. 35. compared with Heb. 10. 5. a body hast thou fitted unto me by the holy Ghost Our Saviour was annointed with the Spirit above measure that he might be a fit head and Mediatour for us that we and his whole Church might receive of his fulnesse graces answerable to his graces Ioh. 1. 16. Ioh. 3. 34. Ioh. 1. 14. Isa. 61. 1. Psal. 45. 7. compared together Act. 10. 38. Luk. 2. 40 52. Mat. 3. 16 17. Ioh. 7. 39. If we consider how the Spirit hath manifested his divine power in garnishing heaven and earth Iob. 26. 13. in annointing Christ and Christians 1 Ioh. 2. 27. in ordering and regulating Church-affaires and enabling Ministers for all Church-service that the Elect might be gathered converted perefected saved by the efficacy of the Spirit in all Ministeriall Dispensations we shall see reason enough to acknowledge the divine power of the Spirit by all spirituall and heavenly obedience 1 Cor. 12. 4 5 6 8 9 11 13. Isa 6. 1. 9. Act 28 25. compared If we harden our hearts against the Precepts and Exhortations of the spirit speaking in the Word if we vexe grieve resist and quench the Spirit we are in a ready way to that black and unpardonable sin of doing despight to the Spirit of grace and therefore unlesse we meane to proceed to totall and finall disobedience it highly concerns us to obey the holy Spirit and answer the many cals and motions of the Spirit by sincere obedience that our effectuall Vocation may evidence our Election and the Spirit may seale us up unto the day of Redemption for the same spirit is the Spirit of Sanctification and Adoption the spirit of Revelation Mortification Vivification Consolation The Spirit quickens moves enables enclines perswades us to beleeve in Christ and to love one another to keep all the Commandements of God Now this spirit of faith love and obedience is the Spirit of Sanctification and if you find the spirit of sanctification in you be of good comfort though the spirit of Adoption seeme to withdraw yet he is certainly present nay is not idle or silent he speaks by his reall works and sweet fruits for the spirit of Sanctification is the spirit of Adoption it is one and the self-same spirit This is his Commandement That we should beleeve on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement And he that keepeth his Commandements dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Ioh. 3. 23 24. And hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Ioh. 4. 13. And therefore if there be a spirit of faith love and obedience in you rejoyce in it lift up your heart to God in thankfulness for it
God be thanked that ye who were the servants of sin have obeyed from the heart that for me of Doctrine which was delivered unto you by the holy spirit Rom. 6. 17. Be much in supplication and thanksgiving and the spirit of Supplication will be a spirit of Adoption an oile of gladnesse Heb. 1. 9. The spirit will teach you to cry Abba Father with comfort Gal 4. Rom 8. The spirit will fill your soules with all joy and peace in beleeving and in obeying the joy of the spirit shall be your strength the comforts of the Almighty even all the comforts of the Kingdom of God which consists in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost shall be all-sufficient to revive and support your dejected spirit All your fears and discomforts shall be dispelled your wants supplyed your wound soares infirmities healed and you at last filled with all the fulnesse of God Mal. 4. 2. Eph. 3. 19. Beleeve in the spirit obey the spirit and ye shall be sealed with the spirit Eph. 1 13. I beseech you by the tender mercies of God by the meekness and gentleness of Christ by the joy and for the love of the Spirit that you consider what hath been said that ye receive this wholesome Word as it is in truth the word of God the word of the Father Son and holy Ghost but testified after a more especiall and immediate manner by the Holy Ghost that it may worke effectually in all you who beleeve it 1 Thes. 2. 13. Even unto spirituall and sincere obedience to Father Son and Holy Ghost and that it may be so we must have a care to obey after the right manner for Amazia was too blame though he did that which was right in it self because he did it not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. Let us imitate our Saviour who did all as he was commanded Ioh. 14. 31. Let us have 1. High thoughts of the Majesty and greatnesse of God 2. Sweet thoughts of the rich grace and infinite goodnesse of God 3. An intire and an universall respect to all the commands and every work of God Ioh. 6. 28 29. Every work which God hath given us to do Ioh. 17. 4. and ordained for us to walk in Eph. 2. 10 For every command of God must have a divine authority over our consciences and hearts Psal. 119. 6. and then Christ will account us his friends Iohn 15 14. 4. A more especiall respect to the weightiest and greatest duties of Religion such as God hath more especially enjoyned for instance 1 The duties of inward worship and obedience Mat 22. 37 38. the most reserved and intimate duties of Religion 2. Duties of judgment mercy and fidelity towards all men Mat. 23. 23. Love to our enemies Mat. 5. 44. 45. 3. Duties of our particular callings and speciall relations publique duties and family duties especially such as are most private Mat. 6. 6. Zach 12. 12. 4. The great work of Faith which is the summe of both Testaments because all judicious and zealous love all sincere and uniforme obedience springs from faith Iohn 6. 29. This is the worke of God and unbeliefe is the work of the Devill faith purifies our heart by applying the bloud of Christ to our soules Heb. 9. 14. The weighty matters of Law and Gospel may be referred to those foure Heads above mentioned observe that excellent Scripture God hath chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and heires of that kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him Iam. 2. 5. Faith and love will make us constant in the performance of all the other weighty matters required of us both in Law and Gospell and we have proved at large that faith and love is due to all three Persons We must performe all our duties 1. As to a Father a divine Father as hath been proved 2. In the name of Christ. 3. In the strength of the spirit 4. At the command and for the glory of all three co-essentiall Persons for all things are of the Father by the Son and through the spirit 5. With a willing mind a perfect heart a good conscience and faith unfeigned 6. With all self-denyall diligence constancy 7. With an humble desire that we and our obedience may be accepted in and for Christ according to the tenour of the Covenant of grace Let us now put all together again and observe what a sweet harmony exact Symmetry and glorious uniformity there is in this whole mystery of Faith this mystery of the Co-essentiall Trinunity as reduced to practice by its effectuall influence into the mystery and power of godlinesse Beloved Christians I look upon my self as the least of Saints and greatest of Sinners unworthy to be accounted a Member but far more unworthy to be a Minister of Jesus Christ because I know more evill by my self then I know by any member of Christ but I thank God our Father Christ Iesus our lord and the co-essentiall Spirit the same God who worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12. 6. that I have obtained mercy and ability of all three for to be faithfull and to be counted faithfull by them all for they have all three in some measure enabled me for that they counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministry for I am a Minister of that Gospell which is revealed from heaven by Father Son and Holy Spirit and I am a Minister accordidg to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectuall working of his power unto me I say who am lesse then the least of all Saints in this grace given that I should preach the love of the Father the grace and unsearchable riches of Christ the sweet Communion peace and joy of the holy Ghost which is unspeakable and full of glory Be pleased then to take a view of the whole mystery of faith and godlinesse and observe how this Co-essentiall Trinunity of Father Son and holy Ghost who are one God blessed for ever is the adequate Object Author End of all Religion 1. Look upon the Grand Mystery of our Election unto Grace Peace and Glory and observe what practicall inferences may be drawn from thence to raise our hearts to admire beleeve love worship obey Father Son and holy Ghost Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ grace unto you and peace be multiplied Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. 1 Pet. 1 2 3 4. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the Truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ Now our Lord Iesus Christ himself and God even our Father c. 2 Thes. 2.
but Appendices to the fourth Commandement But even Jewish Holy daies and the most solemne services upon them did in their Primary and Principall Institution as Wallaeus himself doth acknowledge point at Christ and his benefits and the point is cleare by the Epistle to the Hebrewes and more especially by the ninth and tenth Chapters of that Epistle Heb. 9. 10 11 14. Heb. 10. 1 4 9 10. Luk. 4. 18 19. 1 Cor. 5. 7. The Sabbath was instituted before the Law was given on Mount Sinai but the fall of man defaced the whole work of the first Creation and therefore it is no wonder if Christ the Lord of the Sabbath require us to keep a Sabbath in remembrance of the new Creation by the work of Redemption which was actually finished by the Resurrection of our blessed Lord upon the first day of the week For Christ entred into his Estate of Rest in the day of his Resurrection though he did not enter into his place of rest in the third Heavens till the day of his Ascension and the place is but accidentall in respect of the State of rest and rest it self The Will of our Lord was the instituting cause the Rest of our Lord the moving cause When God rested from the work of Creation he was refreshed Exod. 31. 17. and when Christ rested from the work of Redemption he was refreshed and his Father took delight in the work of the new Creation which he could not take in the old Creation which was so defaced that he did repent of it Gen. 6. but God will never repent that he sent his Son to redeem or his Spirit to sanctifie his Elect but Father Son and Spirit will be refreshed and satisfied with all the sweet fruits of this new Creation and Renovation by the death resurrection and Spirit of the Lord Iesus Mat. 17. 5. Ioh. 19. 30 Isa 53 10 11. Rom. 4. 25. Rom. 8. 33 34. Rom. 11. 29. Heb 7. 21 22. The approved practice of the Primitive Christians declares the Doctrine of the Apostles and the Doctrine of the Apostles shews what was the Command of Christ the Lord of the Sabbath concerning the sanctification of the first day of the week which is therefore called the Lords day and the Christian Sabbath The Jewish Sabbath was the Holy day or Sabbath of Jehovah as Creatour and all three Co-essentiall persons did create us The Christian Sabbath is called the Lords-day since the Lord Christ hath been declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection Rom. 1. 4. and the Lord of all Rom. 14. 9. Mat. 28. 17 18. The Ministry and Sacraments under the new Testament are appointed by Christ and therefore used by vertue of the second Commandement though the outward worship be changed in like manner the Sabbath appointed by Christ must be observed by vertue of the fourth Commandement though the day be changed because this is the generall scope both of the second and fourth Commandements that we ought to observe all the Institutions of God from time to time We are then obliged both by Law Gospel to observe the Lords day we may with confidence expect a blessing upon our observation of it for he who sanctified the day did blesse it also that is annexe a blessing to the sanctification of it Read Peter Martyr upon the second of Genesis and the fourth Commandement when God rested from the works of Creation he appointed a Sabbath although he did not rest from works of Providence and in like manner Christ hath appointed a Sabbath upon his resting from the work of Redemption by price although he doth not rest from the work of Redemption by Power till all his Enemies be vanquished and his Elect saved These grounds being laid it is most evident that we are to keep a spirituall rest to Father Son and holy Ghost upon the Lords day We are not only to draw neare to the Ordinances but to God and Christ in them by the power of the holy Spirit because all spirituall Communion with God in Christ is maintained by the power of holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13 14. And our Communion with God upon the Lords day ought to be more immediate and eminent more spirituall and heavenly than at other times Christians do enjoy God not only in his Creatures providences and works of their callings according to the variety of their occasions but also in acts of Immediate worship and service even upon the week daies but we are to do God some more eminent service on the Lords day we should not content our selves with week-dayes-prayers and praises our holiness and communion should be extraordinary upon this solemne day and therefore 1. Eminent for the degree of it there should be a Sequestration of our minds and hearts from the world and a consecration of them to the blessed Trinity in the highest degree and after the most immediate manner in all exercises of Religion with admiration confidence love reverence delight and thankfulness that we may come as neare to God who comes down on purpose to meet us in his Ordinances with a full blessing as it is possible for Creatures that are cloathed with flesh We must abstaine not only from servile works but servile thoughts cares affections The Sacrifice was doubled on the Sabbath to shew that our holiness should be redoubled on that day Num. 28. 9. The Sabbath was called holiness Exod. 31. 15. and the Holy of Jehovah Isa. 58. 13. to shew that we should be exceeding Holy upon this Holy day We should be transported beyond flesh and the world and have our conversation in heaven that day for the day requires some transcendent holiness 2. Our Holiness and Communion should be Restorative for we contract much soile abate the vigour of our graces by converse with the world upon the week days and now there should be Restauratio deperditi We should sadly review our experiences and failings all the week and make up all our defects upon this acceptable day this season of Grace when God sits in state and scatters treasures of grace amongst hungry and thirsty Saints that are poor in Spirit and wait for spiritual Alms at a Throne of Grace 3. Constant Communion we should maintaine a continued and un-interrupted Communion with God in private as well as publike all the whole day together It is lawful for us on the week days to go about our worldly occasions after we have been at prayer but we find that when we have been well warmed by Family duties we are apt to catch cold againe presently when Company or worldly businesses break in upon us but we must keep our hearts in a Sabbaths days frame all the Lords day yea and at night also when our bodies are wearied in service we must not be weary of Service but our hearts must be panting and working after more of God and Christ and the holy Spirit 4.
Soule-satiating Communion we must take delight in our converse with God enjoyment of Christ and walking in the Spirit all the day We must enter into the rest of our beloved and take a sweet complacency in the fruition of God in the glimpse of his glory in the taste of his love in the kisses of his mouth in all the testimonies of his favor in all the love-tokens sent us from heaven The joy of the Lord must be our strength and in this strength we must go forth and mortifie our corruptious resist temptations and go about our worldly business all the next week with heavenly minds I cannot stand to speak directly and fully to the particular duties of the Sabbath or extraordinary duties of Evangelical fasting and Christian Feasting for all which there should be a serious preparation in all which there must be a prudent sequestration of our minds and hearts from the world that theremay be an intire consecration of them unto God and a sincere sanctification of all these times to Father Son and holy Ghost as it becomes the Sons of God the Members of Christ and Temples of the holy Ghost We should get oyle into our vessels dress and trim our Lamps that we may meet the Bridegroome of our soules in his appointed walkes in his own Ordinances and exercises I should say something likewise of our Penitentiall meltings before God Thus in briefe then when our conscience hath been wounded by the Spirit of bondage and is renewed by the Spirit of Regeneration it will in due time be pacified by the spirit of Adoption but even then the soule will melt into teares nay then it melts most kindly and laments most affectionately O I have sinned against the tender mercies of the bowels of God I have kicked my Father upon the Bowels I have made a sport and pastime of those sins which let out the heart bloud of my dear Saviour I have grieved vexed and even quenched the holy Spirit my sweetest Comforter I have sinned against all three and so trebled all my sins I feare I have saith the Soule in its agony even done despight to the Spirit of grace and trampled on the bloud of the Son of God but I have learnt to submit and beleeve to rejoyce and tremble to weep and waite for I waite upon a Father upon him whom my soule loves the spirit of faith and love hath taught me to come with a broken heart and a bleeding conscience to a Father to a Saviour to a Comforter I desire to keep the wound open by renewed Confessions and sprinkle the clensing bloud of Christ upon it by a lively faith Oh it is soveraign bloud and must be fiducially sprinkled by a speciall application and it is the spirit which makes this speciall application and administers reviving Cordials to broken hearts and fainting soules in their swowning fits When the most Ingenuous and refined sort of unregenerate men come to see that notwithstanding all their Civility and Formality they are in the gall of bitterness by reason of their impenitence and unbeliefe their opposition to the power of godliness their undervaluing of the mercies of God the love of Christ graces and comforts of the holy Spirit and feele these sins set home upon their hearts and consciences with stinging aggravations they are even fired out of their naturall estate and by the preventing grace of the Spirit made sensible of sin and hungry after grace and mercy The dreadfull impressions of Gods infinite Majesty and damning wrath make all the sensuall impressions of sin to be remembred with proportionable and self-condemning horrour But when the most glorious treasures of Gods sweetest mercies and richest grace folded up in his fatherly bowels are opened to these ingenuous men and the Spirit hath touched their hearts to lament after Christ then this ingenuous soule will cry out Oh what restless agonies what stinging wormes what unquenchable flouds of flaming brimstone how many Hells are there treasured up in one Hell for such a wretch as I am who have undervalued the riches of Gods mercy the love and merits of Christ the graces and comforts of the Spirit heaven and earth may be astonished men and Angels amazed at my prodigious madness in undervaluing Christ and Heaven In the midst of this agony and conflict prudent astonishment and spirituall horrour the holy Spirit urges invincible Arguments which are sweetly compulsive to perswade and constraine the soule to long for Christ. For when the Spirit hath made the threats both of Law and Gospel effectual to humble us he fils the soule with despaire of mercy if it continue in its former estate in the gall of impenitence and bond of unbeliefe but withall it doth assure the soule that there is plenteous redemption and eternall salvation treasured up in Christ for penitent beleevers Then the spirit opens the mystery of free Grace contained in a Covenant sealed with the Oath of God and bloud of Christ he reveales the eternity excellency sweetness freeness fulness infiniteness of Gods mercy and grace Christs love and merits as so many motives and encouragemets unto faith and repentance The Spirit sets a Pardon and a Crown before us acquaints us with the all-sufficient righteousnes and unsearchable riches of Christ and his own free and effectuall grace unspeakable comforts and glorious joyes and then convinces us that we want this grace to sanctifie us this Pardon and righteousnesse to justifie us this Crown and these joyes to enrich and satisfie us And upon this discovery the soule is encouraged to give credit to the holy Ghost to beleeve the love of the Father to depend upon Christs satisfaction and apply his righteousnes to prize the love of the Father the merit of Christ the grace and comforts of the Spirit above a World in a word to sell all for Christ and give up all to Christ resolving to be ruled by himself and his spirit for evermore Now the soule hath a new life put into it it hungers and thirsts for a more intimate Communion with Father Son and holy Ghost and this hungry soule sucks whilest the breast is open till it hath filled it self with substantiall nourishment reviving Cordials This devout soule becomes as Chrysostome styled Saint Paul an insatiable worshipper of Father Son and holy Ghost it desires to grow in grace to presse on towards perfection to have Father Son and holy Ghost to come sup with it dwell in it rule in it that it may be enriched with the unsearchable riches of Christ and filled with all the fulness of God This converted soule doth after these Penitentiall meltings Fiduciall breathings after Christ and obedientall closing with Father Son and holy Ghost differ as much from it self when it was most ingenuous before its conversion as an Angell doth from a Divell For the most ingenuous and refined sort of unregenerate men have nothing in them which is more excellent then