said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all People For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. 3. They prevent danger to him from Herod Matth. 2.13 14. And the Angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream saying arise and take the young Child and his Mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there untill I bring thee word For Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him And he arose and took the young Child and his Mother by Night and departed into Egypt 4. They minister to him in his temptations Mark 1.13 And he was there in the Wilderness Forty days tempted of Satan and was with the wild Beasts and the Angels ministred unto him 5. They comfort him in his agony Luke 22.43 And there appeared an Angel from Heaven strengthening him 6. They open his Grave at his Resurrection Matth. 28.2 And behold there was a great Earth-quake for the Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sate upon it 7. They witness his Resurrection to them that looked for him Luke 24.5 6. And as they were afraid and bowed down their face to the Earth two men in shining Garments said unto them why seek ye the living among the dead He is not here but is risen remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee Vers 23. And when the Women found not his body they came saying that they also had seen a Vision of Angels which said that he was alive 8. They attend and attest his Ascension Acts. 1.10 11. And while they looked stedfastly towards Heaven as he went up behold Two men stood by them in white apparel which also said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven this same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven 9. They attend and magnifie him in Heaven Rev. 5.11 12. And I beheld and heard the voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders and the number of them was Ten Thousand times Ten Thousand and Thousands of Thousands saiyng with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing 1 Pet. 3.22 Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto him 10. They reveal what he will have done on Earth Rev. 1.1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his Servants things which must shortly come to pass and he sent and signified it by his Angels unto his servant John Rev. 22.16 I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches 11. They will attend him at the last judgment Mark 8 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinfull Generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Matth. 25.31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory 12. They will sever the wicked from among the just and execute Christ's righteous sentence on the ungodly Matth. 13.49.50 So shall it be at the end of the World The Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from the just and shall cast them into the Furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Thus much of their Ministery in reference to Christ Next follows III. Their Ministry in relation to the Saints and People of God Heb. 1.14 Are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation Matth. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven They are not only ministring Spirits but their Ministry extends to such things as are most needfull and usefull for the Saints 1. They are appointed Guardians and Protectors of the People of God The protection of holy â—ngels is invisible yet true and real Psal 34.7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Gen. 32.1.2 when Jacob journeyed 't is said the Angels of God met him An Army of Angels was his Convoy and therefore he called the place Mahanaim that is Two Hosts or Armies they appearing on either hand of him or before and behind him to secure and defend him The holy Angels do the People of God many more good Offices then they are aware of They help us against our Spiritual enemies as the Apostle tells us Eph. 6.12 For we wrestle not only against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities and Pâ—wers against the Rulers of the darkness of this World against Spiritual wickedness in high places Good Angels as 't is probable are more in number as well as stronger in power than the wicked and defend the People of God against many evils and direct them in difficult cases what to do Dan. 6.22 My God saith Daniel hath sent his Angel and hath shut the Lyons mouths that they have not hurt me â—en 24.7 The Lord God of Heaven who took me from my Fathers Hâ—use and from the Land â—f my Kindred and which spake â—nto me saying unto thy seed will I give this Land he shall send his Angel before thee and thou shalt take a Wife unto my Son from thence saith Abraham unto his servant Acts 16.9 A Vision appeared to Paul in the Right There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come over into Macedonia and help us Matth. 1.20 But while he thought on these things behold the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Joseph thou Son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost 2. 'T is probable they suggest Holy thoughts to us If the Devil can suggest filthy sinfull thoughts and incite the heart to wickedness surely good Angels can suggâ—st good thoughts and incite the heart to holiness Christ spake of Judas that Satan had put it into his heart to betray him John 13. And Peter said to Ananias Why hath Satan filled thy heart 〈◊〉 lye to the Holy Ghost The Nature of good Angels is as fit to deal with our Spirits as the Nature of evil Angels can be That of the Apostle seâ—ms to hint if not to prove this 2 Cor. 11.14 Where he tells the Corâ—â—thians that deceitful workâ—rs transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marveâ— for Satan himself is transformed into an Aâ—gel of light namely when he
men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men 5. His appearing in and under a visible sign argues his Personal existence This is related Matt. 3.16 And Jesus when he was Baptised went up strait way out of the water and lo the Heavens were opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him He took the form or shape of a Dove and nothing but a Person can assume a shape wherein to appear 6. He is placed in the same rank and order with other Divine Persons and is set forth as the proper Object of Divine and Religious Worship Matth. 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost 7. To him is ascribed Vnderstanding 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God Searching is a Personal action and undeniably argues him to be an understanding Agent 8. To him is ascribed Will Vnderstanding and Will are most eminently distinstuishing Characters of a Person 1 Cor. 12.11 But all these things worketh that one and the self same Spirit dividing to every one as he will 9. He is said to teach Luk. 12.12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say Joh. 14.26 But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you And those that pretend to be Teachers of others and neither seek nor regard his guidance or assistance had need consider what they do 10. He calls men to the Ministry Act. 13.2 3 4 And the Holy Ghost said Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Act. 20.28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his blood 11. He is spoken of as the Object of such actings and actions of men as none but a Person can be the Object of Thus he is said to be tempted or provoked Acts 5.9 Then Peter said unto her How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord He is said to be resisted Act. 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye He is said to be grieved Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption Compare this with Isa 63 10. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and he fought against them Now to be tempted provoked gresisted rieved though improperly spoken of God yet are such affections as a quality is not capable of And these expressions declare what effects they would produce in a Nature capable of such Affections And so much of the first particular the Holy Ghost is a Person Secondly He is not a Created but an Eternal Divine Person having one and the same Divine Nature with the Father and the Son and so is truly and properly God This I shall prove by these Arguments 1. He is expresly called God Act. 5 4 9. Then Peter said unto her Hâ—w is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lâ—rd You have nâ—â— lyed unto men but unto God 2. Divine Properties are attributed to him which none can be enduâ—d with to whom the Divine Nature belongs not and which â—viâ—◠〈◊〉 dâ—â—lâ—re him to be the most High God Such are first Eternity Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal â—pirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Secondly Immensity Psal 139.7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit Or whither shall I flee from thy presence Thirdly Praescience Act. 1.16 Men and Bâ—ethâ—eâ— This Scripture must needs be fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas which was guide to them that took Jesus Fourthly Omniscience 1 Cor. 2.10.11 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Thirdly Divine Works are ascribed to him and which are only proper to God Such as are Creation Job 33.4 The Spirit of God hath made me And the working of Miracles Matth. 12.28 If I by the Spirit of God cast out Devils then the Kingdom of God is come unto yâ—u And thus we have proved that the Holy Ghost is a Divine Pâ—rsâ—n 3. He is a Person distinct from the Father and the Son I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter saith our â—â—viour to his Disciples Joh. 14.16 Now the Person sending and the Person sent must need be distinct the one from the other And this same reason also proves the Son and the Holy Ghost to be two distinct Persons bâ—câ—use the Holy Ghost is also sent by the Son Joh. 15.26 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me Joh. 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto yâ—u but if I depart I will send him unto you 4. He is a Person prâ—ceeding from the Father and the Son The Father proceeded from none the Son from the Father the Holy Ghost from both First from the Father Joh. 15.26 The Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father Secondly From the Son For he is called the Spirit of the Son Gal. 4.6 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Rom. 8.9 Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he his none of his Thus we have proved that there is but one God and yet Three distinct Persons or Hypostases distinctly subsisting in the same Divine Essence or â—eing Now a Divine Person is nothing but the Divine Essence considered with an especial property and subsisting in an especial manner As in the Person of the Father there is the Divine Essence with its especial Properties of begetting the Son and subsisting in an especial manner as the Father And because this Person hath the whole Divine Nature all the Essential Properties of that Nature are in that Person The like may be said of the Persons of the Son and Holy Ghost Each Person having the understanding will and power of God becomes a distinct intelligent voluntary Omnipotent Agent
to the Jews But now is my Kingdom not from hence Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and jâ—y in the Holy Ghost In the Kingdom of Christ 1. The King is Spiritual the Lord from Heaven 2. The Subjects are Spiritual those that are regenerated 3. The Laws are Spiritual reaching the inward man 4. The Priviledges are Spiritual Justification Adoption Sanctification Glorification Now Christ's solemn inauguration into this His Kingly Office was at his Ascention into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of the Father Not but that he was a King by right before but he entred on the ful and publick execution of this his office when God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all Principalities and Powers Eph. 1.20 21. Then He whose name is the word of God had on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.13 16. Let us now consider what improvement we ought to make of this Article that Christ is a King 1. If Christ be a King we should daily pray that his Kingdâ—m may come that is His Kingdom of Grace into the hearts of men We should all earnestly desire and pray that he may reign in our hearts and the hearts of others by his holy Spirit 2. This may shew us the blessedness of those that are his Subjects They are under a powerful Protector 3. We should all examine our selves whether his Kingdom beset up in us or no. Christ is sometimes called the Head of the Church Eph. 1.22 23. Let us seriously consider whether we are guided and governed by him as the members of the body are by the Head and whether we do receive life and influence from him 4. If Christ be a King then we may assure our selves that he is able to defend his Church and subdue the enemies of it though they be never so strong or subtil 5. If Christ be a King then we should acknowledge his Soveraignty The Apostle tells us Phil. 2.10 11. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father To bow at the name of Jesus is to confess his Soveraignty to submit to his power and to humble our selves before him 6. If Christ be a King We should pray that the Kingdoms contrary to his Kingdom may be subverted viz. the Kingdom of Sin Satan and Anti-Christ And thus much of Christs three-fold Office We come now to speak of the third Title given him in the antient Creed which is His only Son Christ is the only Son of God Thus Nathanael the true Israelite makes his confession of him John 1.49 Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art King of Israel Thus Martha expresses her Faith concerning him John 11.27 I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World This was the famous confession of Peter John 6.69 His only Son We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16.16 And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And the Gospel of John was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God John 20.31 Now Christ is so the Son of God as no other is or was or ever can be He is his only Son his only begotten Son This I shall further explain by these particulars following 2 Our Saviour had a real being and existence before his conception here on Earth and distinct from that being which he assumed here John 8.58 Before Abraham was I am Yea he had a Being before the Flood 1 Pet. 3.18 19. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the Just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickned in the Spirit By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in prison who were disobedient in the days of Noah Yea he had a being before the World began for the World was made by him so the Apostle tells us Heb. 1.2 God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the Worlds Col. 1.17 He is before all things and by him all things consist 2. The being which he had before his conception was not a created being but the Divine Essence he was truly God John 17.5 And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was See more in the third Section of the first Chapter 3. The Divine Essence which he hath was eternally communicated to him from the Father who was always Father as well as always God And this is called his Eternal Generation And therefore he is called the only begotten Son of God John 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And thus he is distinguished from the Holy Ghost who proceeds from the Father and the Son and from the Adopted Sons of God being his Eternal Son by eternal and ineffable Emanation Joh. 7.29 I know him that sent me says Christ for I am from him Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Bâ—t some will possibly here object God the Father says of Christ Psal 2.7 Act. 13.30 33. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee To which we answer God speaks not there of Christs Generation but of the manifestation of it which was accomplished at the time of his Resurrection by which he was mightily declared to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 And though he was then declar'd to be so yet his Generation was Eternal The Grave is as the Womb of the Earth Christ when he was raised from the dead was as it were begotten to a new life and on this account God who now raised him is stiled his Father But some will further Object Christ is called The first Born of every Creature Col. 1.15 How can he then be the Eternal Son of God I answer he is call'd The first born of every Creature because he was begotten of God as the Son of his love antecedently to all other Emanations from him and before any thing was framed or created by him And thus much for the Explication of this Article Let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. This should shew us the excellency and dignity of the Person of the Messias and should assure us of the infinite value of his active and passive obedience As our offences are aggravated
so do ye Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come He ordains that their Collections for the poor Saints and oblations should be on that day And St. John sayes Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Thus the observation of the seventh day of the week which the Jews kept did cease and was buried with our Saviour And the observation of that day on which the Son of God rose by the practice of the blessed Apostles was transmitted to the Church of God and so hath continued in all ages of the Church ever since As God spake by Moses to the Israelites Exodus 31.13 Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you viz. that you profess your selves to be my people in an especial manner So they that belong to the Church of Christ are known by observing the first day of the week on which he arose and by this mark among others are distinguished from such who own not Christ nor his Gospel 6. And lastly Let us consider the ends for which Christ arose And those were such as these 1. for our justification Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification 2. To assure us of our resurrection If Christs body had not been raised how could we have expected the Resurrection of our bodies The Resurrection of the members depends upon the Resurrection of the Head 2 Cor. 4.14 3. That he might be declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.4 by his Resurrection from the dead Therefore says the Apostle Acts 13.32.33 We declare unto you glad tidings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Christ was the Son of God before but then he appeared so to be against all contradiction For he arose by his own divine power which no meer man ever did or shall do 4. He rose again to encourage us firmly to believe in him as a most perfect Redeemer Our Surety is released and set free therefore Gods Justice is satisfied and so we are begotten unto a lively hope of eternal life by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1.3 5. By his Resurrection he hath shewed us how we ought to imitate him and to rise from the death of Sin to the life of Grace This the Apostle intimates to us Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Let us consider therefore and seriously examine our selves whether we be risen with Christ or no Are our affections set on things above Acts 3.2 Do we delight in the Ordinances of God They that have a spiritual life will delight in that food whereby that spiritual life is maintained Do we delight in communion with God and exercise our selves in frequent meditation and the believing views of the Glory of the other life Those who are risen with Christ seek the things that are above SECT VIII Of our Saviours Ascension and sitting on Gods right Hand He ascended into Heaven THe words of the Creed are these He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty In treating of this Article I shall first shew that the promised Messias was to ascend into Heaven 2. That our Jesus did really and truly ascend thither 3. I shall shew what Heaven it was he ascended into 4. The reasons of his Ascension 5. The time when he ascended 6. The place from whence he ascended I begin with the First namely that the promised Messias was to ascend into Heaven This was typified of him by the High Priests going once a year into the Holy of Holies Heb. 9.11 which was a type of Heaven The High Priest when he had slain the Sacrifice did with the blood thereof enter into the Holy of Holies So the Messias having offered up himself a Sacrifice to God for us with his own blood went into the Holy of Holies viz. into Heaven there to intercede for us by the virtue and merit of that blood And as this was typified so it was also prophesied of the Messias Psal 68.18 compared with Ephesians 4.8 Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received gifts for men He was to conquer Sin and Death and Hell and triumphing over them he was to ascend to the highest Heaven and thence to send the precious and glorious gifts of the Spirit unto the Sons of Men. And accordingly he himself did foretell his Ascension John 6.62 and John 20.17 2. This was not only foretold of the Messias but really performed by him He who was the Eternal Son of God and by his Divinity present in Heaven while here upon the Earth did by local translation of his humane nature really and truly ascend from this earth below into the Heavens above as is sufficiently testified by these following Scriptures Mark 16.19 Luke 24.50 51. Acts 1.9 10. Christs Ascension was visibly performed in the sight of his Apostles They saw him when he ascended the holy Angels there present bearing also Testimony unto it Acts 1.10 11. 3. Let us consider the place he ascended unto which was the Heaven of Heavens he passed through all the regions of the air through all the coelestial Orbs till he came to the Heaven of Heavens the most glorious presence of the Majesty of God He ascended far above all visible Heavens to the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 that he might fill all things that is fulfill all things prophesied of him 4. Let us consider the reasons why he ascended 1. Having finished the work of our Redemption it was meet he should return thither from whence he came John 16.28 John 17.4 5. 2. After his Humiliation his Exaltation was to follow The first step of which was his Resurrection and his Ascension another step of it 3. Christ by his Ascension manifested his victory over Sin Satan and Death 4. He Ascended to make intercession for us Rom. 8.34 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 9.24 5. That he might send down a more plentiful effusion of the gifts and graces of his Spirit And accordingly he tells his Apostles John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you John 7.38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy-Ghost was not yet
all must not be referred to the Oath it self but to the manner of the Oath that is we must not swear at all falsely rashly or in ordinary communication neither directly by the name of God nor by the creatures And to prevent this our Saviour adds Verse 37. Let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil As if he should have said what you have to affirm * Quod affirmatis vere affirmate quod negatis vere negate Rabbini dicunt Justorum etiam est etiam non eorum est non Ausonius ad Paulinum Cum multa loquaces Ambiguis sererent verbis contra onmia solum Est respondebat vel Non. affirm it simply without an Oath and what you have to deny deny it simply without an Oath * Christianos sui temporis repreâ—endit Tertullianus qui aut ignorantia aut consuetudinis vitio dicerent mehercule medius fidius quod post eum fecit Hieronymus for customary swearing by whatsoever it is that men swear cometh of Satan and the corruption of their own hearts A true and plain affirmation and negation in daily speech is sufficient and if you use any thing more you will be in danger of sinning and falling into the judgment * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heinsius verba Christi Mat. 5. verse 34. ad quae Jacobus sine dubio respicit conjuncta legit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Unde emergit sensus non quidem omninò non esse jurandum cum opus est sed nullum ex jâ—randi formulis tum usitatis usurpandum Heathenish Oaths also are not to be allowed except they will say they personate Heathens in the use of them as aedipol mehercule per Jovem immortalem Cursed be that elegancy that is joyned with Idolatry sayes the learned Downham and condemnation of God Further that our Saviour speaketh here only of private Oaths it is manifest in that the Jews did not in their publick oaths before the Magistrate swear by the creatures but by the name of God only And this may also be gathered out of the Text it self For he saith let your communication or ordinary speech one to another be yea yea nay nay 4. I come now to shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken The Prophet Jeremy instructs us fully as to this Chap. 4.2 Thou shalt swear saith he the Lord liveth in truth in judgement and in righteousness 1. In truth That is truly swearing nothing but the truth and not abusing the dreadful name of God to attest a falshood Zech. 5.4 God severely threatens him that sweareth falsly by his name 2. In judgment that is considerately well weighing what thou art to swear and by whom 3. In righteousness binding thy self to nothing but what is in it self just and right and having a full purpose to perform what thou by oath bindest thy self to and being careful to make it good accordingly Concerning the rites and forms of swearing I find these mentioned in the Scripture 1. Lifting up the hand to the most high God Thus Abraham swore Gen. 14.22 And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most h gh God c. And thus the Angel swore Rev. 10.5 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever 2. Putting the hand under the thigh Thus Abrahams servant swore Gen. 24.2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house that ruled over all that he had Put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh And I will make thee swear by the Lord God of Heaven and the God of the earth that thou shalt not take a wife for my Son of the daughters of the Canaanites And thus Jacob caused Joseph to swear Gen. 47.29 30 31. If now I have found grace in thy sight put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh and swear unto me And he sware unto him Our rite of swearing for the Commons of England is by putting the hand on the book of the Gospels and kissing it which is to be understood as I suppose only to signifie our believing in God and expecting help from him through Christ according to the Gospel as we speak the truth Dr. Ames lib. 2. Med. c. 10. sayes that solemnity which in some places is used of touching and kissing the book is plainly of the same kind and import with the elevation of the hand that is it signifies a mans consent to swear and to the oath it self * In Solomons time when they took an Oath they touched the Altar which Ceremony was also used among the Gentiles Whereby was signified that they called him to witness who was worshipped with Sacrifices offered upon those Altars But if any scruple this rite and form of swearing and had rather use that other of lifting up the hand to the most high I see no reason if it may stand with the laws of the Land but that they may be indulged therein this form of swearing being every way as binding as the other 5. I come now in the next place to shew the great evil and sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing This is a sin very rise and common in our Nation and one of those for which the Land mourns I shall therefore present several arguments and considerations which may sufficiently demonstrate the heinousness of it 1. Consider how Sacred and Venerable the name of our great God ought alwayes to be unto us Every thought and mention of it should be accompanied with reverence 'T is a duty strictly injoyned Deut. 28.58 Thou shalt fear the glorious and dreadful name of the Lord thy God How great a sin then is it to vilify prophane and make it common How high a provocation must it needs be to the Almighty for poor mortals familiarly to toss his dreadful name in their mouths upon every slight occasion and to make it the ordinary expletive or filling up of their speech and language Surely some of the more civilized Heathens were of better minds and used the names of their gods with more reverence But O the impiety of our times How prophanely and irreverently do some who call themselves Christians use the name of the great God whom the Angels in Heaven continually delight to laud and praise crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Heaven the whole earth is full of his glory Isa 6.3 2. Consider that the second and third Commandments of all the rest have several threatnings annexed to them to shew us how greatly God is provoked by Idolatry and taking his name in vain He threatens he will not hold such guiltless that is he will be so far from absolving or acquitting such transgressors that he will grievously punish them and they shall not escape his just Judgement
Servant 4. The humble Soul is filled with an high admiring and affectionate gratitude to God as the free giver of all the mercies it enjoys 'T is very thankful for temporals but much more for spirituals and owns all to the free bounty and goodness of God The humble Soul is a great admirer of free grace and highly prizes our Lord Jesus Christ and his great undertaking for the redemption of Mankind 5. The humble Soul is patient under afflictions and clears God of any hard dealing in his proceedings against him He charges not Good foolishly how sharp soever his afflictions be 6. The humble person is patient under the neglects and disrespects he meets with from men 'T is not for me saith the humble Soul to expect or look for respect and esteem in the World 'T is enough for me if among those few good men I am acquainted with I find a tolerable kind acceptance 7. An humble person doth carefully watch over his thoughts words and actions lest Pride or vain-glory should steal in upon him and especially he fears lest he should be puffed up on the account of those actions that meet with some applause and acceptance in the world A man should alwayes endeavour to do things that deserve honour and esteem but then he should not assume the glory of them to himself If he do any thing tending to the honour of God and the good of the world he is very glad of it and heartily thankful to God for inabling him to do it But he gives God intirely the glory of it 8. The humble Soul hath a charitable opinion of others which he is the more induced to upon consideration of his own weaknesses and manifold failings Where there is the greatest humility commonly there is the greatest charity but where there is the highest Pride there usually is the greatest censoriousness and uncharitableness 9. An humble person strictly animadverts upon and observes his failings and defects in the good duties he performs He takes notice of the deadness coldness formality and the degrees of vain-glory that are apt to creep in upon him in the performance of them and all these are matter of humiliation to him And thus much of the nature of humility and the particulars wherein it evidenceth it self 3. I come now in the next place to shew the fruits benefits and advantages of this eminent grace 1. The humble man obtains grace favour and a blessing from God He gives grace that is he manifests his grace and favour to the humble The humble man doth not usurp the glory due to his Creator nor intercept the Tribute which ought to be paid to God but payes it willingly to the right owner And God hath declared that those that honour him he will honour The favour of God is alwayes accompanied with bounty and beneficence But his Favour is not to be measured by his heaping tempâ—ral things on us but by his blessing us with Soul-mercies and spiritual blessings which have a reference to the life that is to come 2. The humble soul shall be sure of Gods direction Psal 25.9 He shall be guided first in the right way to Heaven which those that are wise in their own eyes many times miserably err from What did many of those that were knowing and learned among the Jews and Gentiles being full of their own wisdom and learning account of the Gospel That which was in it self the wisest and most profound contrivance that ever was in the world and most efficacious instrument of mans conversion and salvation seemed to these men of wisdom meer foolishness 2. But it was the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 to all those that were brought thereby to believe in our Lord Jesus 2. The humble person God will guide in his worldly affairs and business whereas proud men who usually lean on their own understanding and disdain all counsel but what suiteth with their own wisdom very frequently miscarry Let us call our own experience to witness whether when in a deep sense of our own weakness and distrusting our own ability and wisdom to grapple with the difficulties we were to meet with we have humbly implored the divine directions and guidance and have committed our selves thereto I say let us consider whether we have not found God helping of us and casting our affairs better for us than we could have imagined or contrived our selves 3. An humble person is usually well thought of and spoken of by all that know him whereas a proud man is the mark of common obloquy If a man be proud almost every body is ready to pull him down Nay they that are proud themselves are ready enough to pull down others that are proud But the humble almost every body is willing to lift up 4. Not one dispensation of God will pass without doing us some good if we be humble Prosperity will better us and adversity will better us All winds will drive us on towards the haven of eternal happiness if we be truly humble 5. Humility keeps the soul in great tranquillity The passion of pride and haughtiness how it vexes and disquiets the minds of men but humility makes the Soul very submissive to the will of God shall not I submit sayes the humble soul to the will of my heavenly father whose will I pray daily may be fulfilled The cup that my heavenly Father giveth me to drink shall not I drink it What am I that I should not be crossed or reproached It is but what I deserve nay much less than I deserve by reason of my sins My present condition is not so troublesome or painful or uneasie but I deserve much more And shall not I be patient and content and submit to my Soveraign Lord to his wisdom as well as to his will who orders all things for the good of them that love and fear him And so much of the third particular the benefits and advantages of humility 4. I come now in the last place to prescribe some means for the attaining of it 1. Consider how highly God values and prizes this temper He dwells in the highest heavens and in the lowest hearts Isa 66.2 Isa 57.15 The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in his sight of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 And Mic. 6.18 sayes the Prophet He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requires of thee namely to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God God takes no pleasure in us till he hath brought us to this frame and temper * Descendendo coelum ascenditur Cassiodor Nothing makes us so precious in Gods sight as Humility We are most precious in Gods eyes when we are most vile in our own An humble and a contrite spirit is more valued by him than all burnt-offerings and sacrifices 2. Consider the various means that God uses to work this so necessary a grace in the hearts of his own people
such discourse as is very profitable and then they will not be only testifications of civility and respect from one friend to another but a great advantage and improvement to them many wayes 5. Immoderate and too long sports games and recreations Indeed some fiting recreation may be needfull to him who has wearied himself in honest labour He that mowes must sometimes whet his sythe and he that travails must sometimes bait And therefore recreations that are lawful moderate and seasonable and conduce to the refreshment of nature and fitting us more for our business are very allowable but too much and too long recreation is a most prodigal expence of time Nay there are some who labour hard and take great pains at their sports and recreations who are very idle in their due work And what a folly is this to be so active and labourious about their pleasures and to neglect their main business 6. Vain impertinent and ungoverned thoughts are a great consumption of time especially in melancholy persons But this also I touched before 7. Reading of vain and corrupting books such as Play-books c. is another great waster of precious time Surely we should not imploy our time in reading any books but such as tend to make us either wiser or better or more useful not in such as tend to the depraving and corrupting of our minds Such wasters therefore of precious time as these are should be carefully avoided by us And so much of the sixth Direction 7. Consider how exceeding comfortable the review of time well spent will be when you come to dye What a strong cordial is it to a departing soul when he can say with the blessed Apostle I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at his appearing 2 Tim. 3.7 8. Or with Hezekiah Esay 38.3 Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight 'T was once said by a holy man in this Nation that if any uncomfortable Passion could betide a Saint in Heaven it would be that he had spent his time no better nor had done God more service here And therefore the pious and renowned Vsher cryed out on his Death-bed Lord pardon my omissions But as the review of our time well spent and imployed will be exceeding comfortable to us at our dying hour so the contrary must needs be exceeding cutting O how do people wish then they had spent their time Which of these two accounts do you think will then be most comfortable Item so much of my time spent in Ale-houses Taverns in idle company in pleasures and pastimes in foolish mirth and jollity c. or so much of my time spent in fervent prayer to God and praising of him so much in hearing his word in meditation in self-examination in pious discourse c. 'T is hardly possible for voluptuous persons who have their minds filled with vanity pleasure to imagine what a different sense they will have of things when they come to dye from what they have now and how precious that time will then appear to them which they made so little account of before They will then begin to see their folly as they say Moles have their eyes opened just before they die And as Hagar sat down and wept when her water was spent Gen. 21.15 So these people will then weep and howl when their time is gone and can never be recalled And so much for the direction as to the manner how we should redeem time 6. I come now in the last place to shew who are the Persons that should especially be perswaded to the practice of this duty 1. Those that are young They should take heed of Satans grand delusion who will perswade them if he can that 't is too soon for them as yet to think of improving their time and if they should do so now they will lose their prime time of pleasure But I shall refer them to my directions to the young in my book of knowledge and practice for the answering such suggestions They should consider how many great advantages will accrue to them if they now improve their time well Hereby they will prevent many sins and sorrows hereby they will come to some eminency of knowledge grace and spiritual experience hereby they will do God more service in their lives and their joyes and comforts will be greater when they come to be old and their death will be more comfortable and their reward in Heaven much greater 2. Those who have lost much time before If a traveller hath loitered in the morning he had need spur up and ride hard in the remaining part of the day lest the night overtake him and so disable him from accomplishing his journey They that have lost much precious time in the former part of their life had need use double diligence in well improving of it afterwards 3. The sick and aged They ought to look upon their Sun as setting and their glass as almost run out And therefore if ever they will bestir themselves to secure to themselves a happy eternity they must do it now 4. Those that at present enjoy more then ordinary Spiritual helps and advantages for the good of their souls or such opportunities as they have not before met with As when God casts them into a good Family or vouchsafes to them the help of some faithful Minister or the example of some exemplary Christians whose help they had not before Those to whom God vouchsafes such advantages should especially be careful to improve them remembring that opportunity is the quintescence of time A man may have a great deal of time and yet but few opportunities to effect an important business and 't is the character of a wise man to make a right improvement of the opportunities vouch-safed to him 5. Those that are in any office of Magistracy or Ministry whereby they have an especial opportunity of doing good to many They should be very careful to improve this season for it will not alwayes last If therefore thou art a Magistrate consider thou hast now a great opportunity to encourage Piety Vertue and Honesty and to beat down Sin Vice and Wickedness Do what thou canst for God while thy Magistracy lasts If thou art a Minister Preach the word faithfully in season and out of season Exhort Reprove Rebuke with all long-suffering and patience strive to win as many souls to Christ as thou canst Thou knowest not how soon thy mouth may be stopped And I may make the like address to others also If thou art rich distribute and communicate to the poor whilst thou hast an estate possibly it may be taken from thee and then thou canst not do it If thou art a Parent or a Master of a Family do good to the souls of those under thy care while thou hast time Remember that both thy life and their lives are uncertain and thou knowest not how long thâ—u mayest have opportunity to do it 6. The Ignorant They that have been hitherto ignorant should consider they must get knowledge if they intend to be saved for without the knowledge of the main fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion how is it possible they should be good Christians or know what God requires of them in order to their Salvation 7. Those that have been lately recovered from any dangerous sickness They should remember that God has renewed the lease of their life which possibly both themselves and their friends thought expiring They should remember the resolutions and promises which they then made to God and possibly to others in their sickness It is said of the Mariners that were in the Ship out of which Jonah was cast that when the Sea ceased from raging and all was safe that the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a Sacrifice to the Lord and made vows Jonah 1.16 Observe they made vows after their deliverance Many make vows in their danger that are little careful to perform them when the danger is over But let all those that love their Souls be careful to perform the vows they made to God in their sicknesses and distresses And so much of this last particular namely the persons who ought especially to be perswaded to the practice of this duty FINIS
Nature to us And First He hath revealed himself to be a pure simple immaterial invisible Being a Spirit of transcendent glory Joh. 4.24 not having any matter or corporcity nor being compounded as bodies are And therefore we should not Picture him to our Eye-sight nor represent him to our Fancies under any bodily shape or figure whatsoever but should raise our apprehensions to the highest and holyest to the purest and most Spiritual conceptions of him that we can possible frame We should labour to see this invisible God by the eye of Faith and observe his power and efficacy working in all his Creatures 'T is He that enlightens us by the Sun and warms us by the fire and makes our food to nourish us and his other Creatures to do us good The Schoolmen say There are Three ways of knowing God First Per viam eminentiae when we ascribe all possible perfections to him Secondly Per viam negationis when we remove from him all imperfections whatsoever Thirdly Per viam causationis when we see and acknowledge that all things that are made are made by him and receive their being and all their powers and perfections from him Secondly God is an infinite Being for whatsoever hath no cause of being can have no bounds or limits of being set to it For the reason why any Being is bounded limited and confin'd to such a measure and degree of Being only is because the Author of its existence communicated and bestowed only so much being power and efficacy upon it and no more He that made it set limits and bounds to it that hitherto its Essence should go and extend and no further All things that receive their Being as all things Created do can have no more of being life power or vertue than is given them by the Author of their Nature And as they received their Being from him so they received their limitation to this or that set kind of Being also The First Being therefore that hath nothing to give it Being hath nothing to give it limits and as it were to confine it to this or that kind form and degree of Being As therefore the First Being could not be the cause of existence to it self so neither could it limit confine or bound it self And there was nothing else without it that could set bounds or limits to it It remains therefore that it must needs be an Essence unbounded unlimited and so absolutely infinite and immense Infinite in Life and so Eternal Infinite in Wisdom and so Omniscient Infinite in Power and so Omnipotent and infinite in Goodness and all perfections That Being therefore that hath more Power Wisdom and Goodness than all the World beside that is the Being we call God That Being that hath communicated to all things else the Being Power Life Virtue and all such perfections as they have is the God whom we acknowledg adore and worship We come now to consider the Attributes of God more Particularly which are those glorious excellencies Of the Attributes of God and proprieties of his Divine Essence which declare and manifest his Nature to us and whereby we are inabled in some measure to conceive aright of him And these are of Two sorts Incommunicable Communicable First Incommunicable which are such Attributes as agree to God alone and cannot belong to any Creature Such as are His Eternity Omnipresence Omnipotence Omniscience Secondly Communicable which are such Attributes which though they be infinite perfections in God yet some resemblances of them are found in the Creatures Such are His Wisdom Holiness Justice Mercy and Faithfulness I begin with His incommunicable Attributes And God is Eternal I. God is an Eternal Being and none is Eternal but himself Psal 90.2 From everlasting to everlasting thou art God That which had no cause had no beginning and that which had no beginning is Eternal Time which is a duration that hath beginning and end is competible to man and other visible Creatures Aâ—viternity which is a duration that hath a beginning but no end is competible to good and evil Angels and to the Souls of men But Eternity which hath neither beginning nor end belongs only to God Isai 57.15 He is called The high and lâ—sty one who inhabiteth Eternity that is who alone is Eternal He speaks of Eternity as a House or Palace which a King inhabiteth or dwelleth in as his own peculiar Possession in which no other man has any right but himself And 2 Pet. 3.8 The Apostle says A Thousand years with him are but as one day and this is the first of his incommunicable Attributes He is Eternal Let us now consider what improvement we should make of this Attribute Gods Eternity should fill our Souls with admiring thoughts of him Who can think of Eternity without amazement Man is a Creature of few days and ere long shall be no more here Our Bodies are perishing but our Souls must last to Eternity Let us therefore mind things Eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 Whatever we neglect let us labour to secure to our selves Eternal happiness Zeuxiâ— that famous Painter said He did pingere aeternitati he drew his Pictures with such care that they might last if it were possible and be famous to Eternity Let us all so pray so read so live and do all that we do as those that desire to obtain a happy Eternity Nulla satis magna securitas ubi periclitatur aeternitas We can never be over carefull to secure our Eternal state in Bliss and happiness II. God is Omnipresent Omnipresent or every where present He is not confined or limited to any place Jer. 23.24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Do not I fill Heaven and Earth The sweet Singer of Israel Psal 139.7 8 9 10. Cryes out Whither shall I go from thy Spirit Or whither shall I free from thy presence If I ascend up to Heaven thou art there if I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there if I take the Wings of the Morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me if I say the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me yea the darkness hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee Gods Omnipresence should imprint a constant awe of his Majesty upon our Souls We should always behave our selves as those that believed he stood by He is neither shut up in nor excluded out of any place nay he is beyond all place or space where any Creature is He is every where for his Essence is unbounded And further this should convince us that he is incomprehensible and that we cannot have a full adaequate and comprehensive knowledge of him (b) Non esset Deus magnus nisi esset major captu nostro Canst thou by searching
find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection sayes Zophar Job 11.7 We may as well think to take up all the Waters of the Sea in a Spoon as with our narrow understanding fully to comprehend God Stop then thy bold enquiries O vain man And remember that thou art a finite worm and God is infinite Do not go about to measure God by thy narrow apprehension nor to Question much less deny that of God which thou canst not understand Do not suspect what his word reveals of him but suspect thy own muddy understanding that can conceive no better of so an incomprehensible Essence III. God is Omnipotent Omnipotent Mat. 19.26 With God all things are possible His Essence being infinite his power must needs be infinite also His Omnipotency consists in things simply and absolutely possible not in things that are not possible to be done God cannot make contradictions true he cannot lye he cannot deny himself for these things do not speak perfection but weakness Convenientius dicitur ea non posse fieri quam quod Deus ea non posset facere says Aquinas warily 'T is more convenient to say That these things cannot be done than that God cannot do them Now Gods Omnipotency should make these impressions on us First We should stand in fear and tremble at his Judgments Shall the Lyon roar and shall not the Beasts of the Field tremble Shall Omnipotency shake his Rod over us and shall not we humble our selves The dread of the Heavenly Majesty of his infinite greatness and power should be still upon us Indeed we should not be under a slavish fear of God that is void of love as men fear an Enemy but we should fear sinning against or displeasing so great a God The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom Prov. 16.6 By it men depart from evil Secondly We may see from hence what ground we have earnestly to seek unto him in all our difficulties and distresses The ground of all the Petitions in the Lords Prayer is this For thine is the Kingdom Power and Glory Let the Enemies of the Church be never so strong God is stronger than they He has promised that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church Mat. 16.18 Nothing encourages more to fervent Prayer than a due apprehension of Gods Omnipotence Thirdly This Attribute should imprint upon our hearts a strong and stedfast confidence in God Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will trust in thee O what an encouragement is it to the Saints that they have Omnipotence engaged for them O what a shame is it that ever we should distrust an Almighty God He can supply our greatest wants He can mitigate or remove our greatest pains He can deliver us from our greatest distresses Dan. 3.17 What will vain man have confidence in if he distrust Omnipotence Where can we be safe if not in the hands of the Almighty Mat. 8.26 Why fear ye says our Saviour to his Apostles O ye of little Faith Remember O Christian in thy lowest estate and in the Churches greatest dangers the Almighty is able to raise his Church or thee again even in a moment Take heed of saying in thy heart Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness Psal 78.19 Read and consider these Scriptures Prov. 29.25 The fear of man bringeth a snare but who-so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Psal 56.3 4. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee In God I have put my trust I will not fear what Flesh can do unto me Jer. 17.5 Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh Flesh his Arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Fourthly Gods Almightiness should possess us with a holy admiration of him and cause us in heart and voice to magnifie him O what a power is that which made the World of nothing which hangs the Earth in the Air and upholds it without any Foundation What a power is that which stretcheth out the Heavens as a Curtain and hath so bespangled with Stars that glorious Canopy What a power is that which at first placed and since maintaineth all things in their Order which causeth every part of Nature to do its Office which maketh the Sun and Moon constantly to keep their course Jer. 31.35 The Lord giveth the Sun for a light by day and the Ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night He divideth the Sea when the waves thereof do roar the Lord of Hosts is his Name Isa 4.22 It is he that sitteth upon the Circle of the Earth and the inhabitants there of are as Grashoppers it is he that stretcheth out the Heavens as a Curtain and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in Fifthly and lastly God's Almightiness should be a great comfort and support to all that have an interest in him Wo to those the Almighty is against but happy thrice happy are they that have the God of Israel for their refuge IV. Gods is Omniscient Omniscient Psal 147.5 His understanding is infinite 1 Chron. 28.9 The Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts 1 Sam. â—6 7 Man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the heart Jer. 17.10 I the Lord search the heart I try the reins to give every one according to his ways and the fruit of his doings And Chap. 20.12 He is said to see the reins and the heart Now if God be Omniscient how watchfully and carefully should we carry our selves in all places How should we fear to sin in secret against him whose eye is always upon us How sincere and upright should we be in all our duties How should this Motto be ever in our minds Cave Deus videt Take heed God sees If our Breasts were Crystal Glasses and men were able through them to see all the workings of our hearts how carefull should we be what thoughts we entertained Alas that we should be no more sensible that God always sees us He sees hearts as we see faces How many are afraid to commit a sin before men that are not afraid to sin before the all-seeing eye of God If God be Omniscient this should teach us to be sincere and upright and Conscientiously to endeavour both to avoid secret sins and to perform secret duties Mat. 6.6 When thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hâ—st shut the door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father whiâ—h seeth in secret shall reward thee openly And thus much of Gods incommunicable Attributes I come now to speak of his communicable Attributes which though they be infinite perfections in Him yet there are some resemblances of them found in the Creatures I. God is infinitely wise Iâ—finitely wise 1 Tim. 1.17 He is called the invisible and only wise God He administers the World and the affairs of it with infinite wisdom
suggests good for evil ends or evil for good ends 3. Good Angels comfort strengthen and support in times of distress and trouble Thus they ministred to our Saviour after Satan had fiercely assaulted him with Temptations Matth. 4.11 So like wise when he was in his agony Luke 22.43 There appeared an Angel unto him from Heaven strengthening of him And what they did for Christ the Head they do for his Members in measure and proportion and as far forth as God sees good for them 4. They convey the Souls of the departed Saints into Heaven Luke 16.22 And it came to pass that the Begger died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom And thus much of their Ministry in relation to the Saints There are many usefull instructions that arise from this Doctrine of good Angels 1. Hereby we may see the great priviledge of the Saints of God They have the Guardianship of the Holy Angels Whether every Saint of God every Heir of Heaven have a peculiar and proper Angel to attend him is much disputed and canvassed by the Schoolmen But there seems no ground in the Word of God to appropriate a single Angel to every single Saint 'T is surely a greater dignity and benefit that every one of the Faithfull have many Angels appointed by the Lord for his Guard whereof the proof is manifest from the 91 Psalm 11. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways and from 34 Psalm 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them As for that place Acts 12.15 Where they said concerning Peter It is his Angel the meaning of it probably is this they hearing the Maid persist in it that Peter was at the door they apprehending that very unlikely thought some Holy Angel had assum'd his shape and voice and stood at the door in his resemblance But this proves not that every Saint hath a peculiar Angel Guardian The Angels indefinitely have charge over Gods People as God is pleased to assign thâ—m their Province and to imploy them in that Ministry But yet they execute this Ministry as superiour Guides not as inferiour Attendants Properly they are not Servants to us but to God for us There is no ground for our worshâ—ppiâ—g of them thâ—y being our fellâ—w Creatures Rev. 19.10 I â—ell at his feet to worship him But he said See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant and of thy Brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus worship God 2. We may take notice of Gods wonderfull goodness in so graciously providing for his Saintâ— and Servants Lord what is man that thou art so mindfulâ— of him Therâ— is more in Holiness than the World doth see The Saints have Gods Power Christ Medâ—ation tâ—e Spirits conduct the Ministry of Angels all ingaged for their benefit 3. We may observe the great humility and condescention of these Holy Angels and their great love to mankind They rejoycâ—d when the World was made for man Job 38.7 They rejoyced at the coming of Christ for mans Redemption Luke 2.13 They rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner Luke 15.10 4. We should labour to imitate these Holy Angels in their readiness and willing obedience to Gods will If we would be like Angels hâ—reafter in glory and bliss let us labour to imitate them here in a chearfull service of God 5. Let us labour to secure our interest in Christ that so we may be under the Protection of these Holy Angels For they Minister only for the good of them who are Heirs of Salvation 6. Let us take heed of depriving our selves of their help and Ministry Pride Lust Vanity are offensive to them And so are all impurities and indecencies in Gods Worship as the Apostle intimates to us 1 Cor. 11.10 Let us therefore take heed lest by any of these ways we grieve or drive from us these blessed helpers and Assistants Of Evil Angels Of Evil Angels Having thus spoken concerning good Angels we come now to speak concerning the Angels that fell Concerning whom these things are to be inquired into 1. The Names and Titles by which they are set forth in the Scripture 2. Their sin 3. How they came to sin being created pure 4. The time when they sinned 5. The number of them that sinned 6. Their nature properties and employment 7. Their punishment Present and Future 8. What instructions their fall wickedness and misery do afford unto us 1. The Names and Titles by which they are set forth in the Scripture The general and comprehensive Name of evil Angels in the Scripture is Devil Diabolus wich signifies an accuser or slanderer He is called also the wicked One the old Serpent the Adversary the roaring Lyon the Abaddon Appollyon or destroyer the great Dragon a lyer and the Father of lyes a Murderer a Murderer from the beginning the god of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 The Prince of the power of the Air Eph. 2.2 The Angel of the bottomless Pit Satan Rev. 12.9 The Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 The Tempter Psal 78.49 And Eph. 6.12 We read of evil Angels that they are called Principalities Powers Rulers of the darkness of this World Spiritual wickedness in High places 2. Let us consider what was their sin The greatest evidence of the Nature of their sin we find in that place of the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.6 where he shews that a Person to be ordained should not be a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into Condemnation of the Devil that is be guilty of that sin viz. Pride which young men are so prone unto for which the Devil was Condemned and rejected of God Pride therefore seems to be as I may so speak the Original sin of those Apostate Angels But envy malice slandering c. are their actual sins Yet what kind of pride it was and how it discovered it self is not easie to determine Whether it was an affectation to be as high as God himself or a seeking to be higher than God had made them is not easie to be resolv'd Certain it is the Temptation they spred before our first Parents was ye shall be as Gods Or whether they refused the Work Office and Ministration God design'd them unto in reference to Men. Or whether it was too great a confidence and glorying in their own gifts and received excellencies or whether it was an affectation of Worship from men as we see they now delight in it or whether it was any other Rebellion against Gods Majesty and Empire 't is hard to determine Some learned men make it a compounded sin For as there were many sins in that sin by which Adam fell viz. Vnbelief Pride Ingratitude Disobedience so this first sin of the Angels might be compounded of many other sins though Pride were cheif in it Whatever their first sin was this is manifest they abode not in the truth They kept
for which justly to correct them 2. God may love his Children with a great love even then when he does sorely afflict them 3. Though godliness have the promises of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yet this is to be understood with this limitation so far for thas to the infinite Wisdom of God seems fit and good and convenient for his People and no further 4. The prosperity of the wicked is but a seeming prosperity 'T is many times really hurtfull to them Eccles 5.13 I have seen Riches says Solomon reserved for the hurt of the owners thereof Yea not only for their own hurt but for the hurt of many others round about them 5. The outward calamities of the People of God through his sanctifying of them tend to the prosperity of their Souls to the increase of their graces and furtherance of their glory 'T is good for me says David Psal 119 71. that I have been afflicted 6. Eternity is long enough to punish the wicked who most prospered in their wickedness and to reward the righteous who suffered most deeply for their righteousness Having thus spoken of the Nature of Divine Providence and the extent of it and answered the Objections usually made against it let us now considâ—r what improvement we ought to make of this Doctrine 1. Let us all own and acknowledge and take notice of the Providence of God actually working in the World Let us not impute events to chance or fortune or fate but labour to see and take notice of an all-wise and Soveraign Providence over-ruling ordering and disposing of all things here below God is King and Lord of the World and does and will govern the Creatures he hath made 2. Let us earnestly beg Gods Providential care over us and humbly trust our selves and our concernments to his disposal Let us stir up and excite our selves to depend on his Providence from such considerations as these 1. There is no better way to obtain any good thing we desire than by an humble depending on God for it and referring our selves to his holy will no surer way to miss any good thing we desire than to be peremptory and inordinate in our desire of it 2. Why should we not depend on God now who took care of us in the Womb and when we hung on our Mothers Breasts and hath all our life hitherto taken care of us 3. How easily can God help us in our greatest difficulties 4. Why should we not depend on God for accessaries on whom we must depend for the main 3. It the Providence of God governs the World let us not disquiet our selves upon any of these accounts 1. Because we are at present under many and various afflictions For let us consider First all afflictions have their commission from him Job 5.6 Affliction comes not out of the dust 'T is God that brings us and our afflictions together Secondly He suits and proportions our afflictions He knows the strength of the Disease and what Physick is necessary to remove it Successive afflictions are his câ—urse of Physick to remove a stubborn malady Thirdly He sanctifies afflictions to his Children and betters them by them and so they tend to their great advantage 2. Let us not disquiet our selves in reference to our Posterity We are apt to be very thoughtfull what will become of our Children which we shall leave behind us But let us consider though we must go hence yet the Providence of God never dyes Gen. 48.21 Behold I die says Jacob to Joseph but God shall be with you and bring you again to the Land of your Fathers Let us commit our Children to the care of that gracious Providence which hath watched over us for our good all our days 3. Let us not disquiet our selves in reference to the Church of God Let us remember what our Saviour hath promised viz. That the gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church Matth. 16.18 4. Let us labour to get an interest in the Essential love and favour of this God who governs the World by his Providence if he be our reconciled Father in Christ we need not fear what Men or Devils can do unto us 5. Let us study the promises especially those that are made to assure us of Gods caring for us Such as Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose See also Psal 84.11 And Heb. 13.5 6. And lastly let us reflect upon our former experiences of Gods merciful care over us and his gracious ordering our affairs and concerns for us when we humbly trusted in him and thereby let us encourage our selves to trust in him with a Holy confidence for time to come CHAP. II. Of Man SECT I. Of the happy state wherein Man was created Maker of Heaven and Earth COncerning Man we are to consider Three things 1. The happy estate in which he was created 2. His fall 3. The way and means of his recovery 1. The happy estate in which he was created This I shall labour to clear in several Propositions 1. God made man at first after his own Image The Image of God in man consisted principally in these Three things 1. In the Nature of mans Soul which being a Spirit represents God who is a Spirit And this I may call his Natural Image 2. In the gracious qualities wherewith it was at first indued viz. Knowledge Holiness Righteousness which I may call his moral Image So that mans Original moral rectitude may be understood to consist in these particulars 1. In the perfect illumination of his mind whereby he understood the Will and Law of God and whatever concerned his duty 2. In the ready compliance of his heart and will therewith 3. In the obedient subordination of his sensitive Appetite and his inferiour faculties to the guidance of his inlightned mind and holy will And every part of this Original righteousness was con-natural and con-created with the Nature of man and a qualification which fitted and prepar'd him for communion with his Creator 3. In the Dominion God gave him over the Creatures here below Gen. 1.26 Psal 8.6 7 8. Thou madâ—st him to have Doâ—inion over the works of thy hands thou hâ—â—t put all things under his feet all Sheep and Oxen yeâ—â—â—d tâ—e Bâ—â—ts of the Fiâ—ld the Fowl â—f the Air and the fish of the Sea c. Further his bâ—dy was so exactly framed at first as to be a habitation for so excellent a Sâ—ul a fit instrument for its Opâ—â—ions and in it there were some traces of the Divine Majesty 〈◊〉 â—orth as a body is capable of representing the Soveâ—aign of the 〈◊〉 viz. In the Majesty and comeliness of mans face and 〈◊〉 â—â—â—nance Therefore God says He that sheds mans blood by man 〈…〉 blood be shed For in the Image of God created be him Geâ— 9. â— Having thus shewed how God
in Old time by the will of man But Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2. He taught himself in Person for the space of about Three years and a half John 12.49 For I have not spoken of myself but the Father which sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak Eph. 4.21 The Apostle tells the Ephesians they would not give themselves up to Licenciousness if so be they had been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that is had received the Divine truth as it was preached by Christ himself and is delivered in his Gospel John 15.15 All things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you John 8.26 I have many things to say and he that sent me is true and I speak to the Word those things which I have heard of him And Vers 28. Then said Jesus unto them when ye have lift up the Son of man then shall ye know that I am he and that I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I speak these things Here let us observe 1. The Matter he taught which in general was what he had heard and received of his Father John 7.16 My Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me Joh. 17.8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me In particular he taught both Law and Gospel The Law he vindicated from the corrupt glosses of the Pharisees who placed the observance of it in outward acts But he shews that the Law forbids not only outward acts but in-ward lusts also And besides the Law he preached also the Gospel as you may see Joh. 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day And John 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life 2. Let us observe also the places where he taught 1. In the Synagogues Mark 6.2 2. In the Temple Matth. 26.55 3. In the Cities and Villages Mark 6.6 Luke 8.1 4. By the Sea-side and out of a Ship Mark 4.1 Matth. 8.2 5. In Houses and Streets c. John 13. Chap. 14. Chap. 15. Chap. 16. Luke 13.26 6. On the Mount Matth. 5. Chap. 6. Chap. 7. 3. Let us observe the manner of his teaching which was frequently by Parables and Similitudes and he spake with Authority 4. Let us observe how he confirmed his Doctrine with sundry Miracles which were real plain open and visible to Multitudes of Spectators and Witnesses Matth. 11.4 5. 3. He taught also by his Apostles Evangelists and Ministers giving them extraordinary gifts and stirring up some of them to write Books by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit for the Churches use Eph. 4.11 12. 4. He now teaches outwardly by those Pastors and Teachers and Ministers of his word whom in all ages he raises up for that purpose And thus much of his outward Teaching As for his inward Teaching he performed that of Old and so does also now by his Holy Spirit 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who Prophesied of the grace that should come unto you Searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow John 16.13 14. Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will shew you things to come He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you It remains now that we consider what improvement we are to make of this Doctrine that Christ is a Prophet Let us learn these Lessons from it 1. If Christ be so great a Prophet and teaches now by his Ministers then they should be listned to as Dispensers of his Mysteries 1 Cor. 4.1 2. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God c. 2. We should pray to Christ that he would please to teach us inwardly by his holy Spirit * The Spirit teaches by inlightning the minde and inclining the heart and bowing the will to obey 3. We should labour to be humble For the humble he will teach 2. Christ was a Priest Christ was a Priest There are Two parts of his Priest-hood Oblation Intercession 1. Oblation We were all liable by reason of our sins to eternal punishment from which we could not be freed except our sins were remitted Now without shedding of blood there was no remission Heb. 9.22 It was therefore necessary that Christ should appear to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 2. When Jesus had offered up himself a Propitiatory Sacrifice for our sins He ascended up on high and entred into the Holy of Holies to make intercession for us Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession for us In the time of the Old Levitical Priest-hood the High-Priests Office had two Parts 1. Oblation to offer up Sacrifice 2. Presentation of it in the Holy of Holies with prayer and intercession unto God to accept it for the sins of the People See Levit. 16 from 11 to 17. Now in answer to this Type there are two distinct parts of Christs Priest-hood 1. The offering up himself a Sacrifice on the Cross for us Heb. 9.26 which answers to the killing of the Sacrifice without the Holy of Holies 2. He carried this his Blood virtually into the Holy of Holies namely into Heaven Heb. 9.12 where he appears and there also prays and intercedes for us in the virtue and merit of that Blood And the Type of those prayers was the Cloud of Incense made by the High Priest Both these parts of his Priesthood the Apostle mentions 1 Joh. 2.2 Where he calls Christ a Propitiation or a Propitiatory Sacrifice for our sins and an Advocate to the Father for us Christ therefore offered a Satisfactory Sacrifice to God for us on the Cross and now intercedes for us in Heaven The virtue of Christs Priest-hood began with the first sinner that was pardoned By him alone all that are pardoned are accepted and without him none ever were or will be accepted His blood was reputed by God as shed from the time that the first Promise of the Covenant of Grace was
and when he had thus spoken he shewed them his hands and his feet 3. For a further proof of his Resurrection let us consider the manner of it and his several Appearings after it 1. Very early on the first day of the week with a great Earthquake our Lord arose and an Angel descending rolled away the stone and sate thereon The watchmen are frighted away 2. Mary Magdalen Joanna Mary the mother of James with others come to the Sepulchre with spices prepared to embalm him The Angel speaks to them not to be affraid but to come and see where Jesus had been laid but was now risen He bids them go tell his Disciples that in Galilee they should see him 3. The women go and tell the same to the Disciples but their words seemed to them as idle tales 4. Peter and John run to the Sepulchre and see the linnen cloaths in which Jesus was wrapped but his body was not there They return home wondring but Mary Magdalen still stayed there weeping and looking back she saw Jesus yet thought it had been the Gardner but upon his speaking to her she discerned that it was He. This was his first appearing after his Resurrection 1. Appearing She goes to imbrace his feet which he forbids but sends her to tell his Disciples whom he calls his Brethren which she accordingly does but they believe her not The other women run to the Sepulchre to try if they likewise could see him and being there told by the Angel that he was risen Christ meets them in the way and sayes All-Hail and sends them to his Brethren to tell them they should meet him in Galilee 2. Appearing This is his second appearing The affrighted watchmen who had fled into the City and had acquainted the Chief Priests with all that had hapned have money given them to say that his Disciples stole him away while we slept But how miserable a fiction was this For if they had stoln his body away which yet they did not could they have put life into it 3. Appearing And we see our Saviour is alive again His third appearing was to the Disciples that were going to Emaus His fourth was to Simon Peter 4. Appear His fifth appearing was to his Disciples met together Thomas being absent 5. Appear Here he shews them his pierced hands and side See these things morefully set down in the 8th Ch. of the 6th Book of my Harmony and eats a piece of a broiled fish and an honey-comb with them bids them tarry at Jerusalem till the gifts of the Holy Ghost should be poured forth upon them He gives them a new Commission and breaths on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost adding whose sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retain they are retained Thus he appeared five times on the day of his Resurrection His sixth appearing was to his Disciples on the eighth day after his Resurrection 6. Appâ—ar being the first day of the Week Thomas being present whom he condescends so far to satisfie that he cries out my Lord and my God 7. Appear His seventh appearing was to several of his Disciples at the Sea of Tyberias as they were fishing he helpeth them to a great draught of Fish having before caught nothing whereby they knew him Peter casts himself into the Sea to swim unto him The other Disciples come to him by boat He eats with them bread and fish He asks Peter thrice whether he loved him and commands him to feed his Sheep He foretelleth him of his future sufferings and reproves him for his Question concerning John 8. Appear His eighth appearing was on a Mountain in Galilee to above five hundred at once Where he gives commission to his Disciples to go and teach all Nations and baptize the Converted And promises that not only many shall be converted to the Faith but that miraculous gifts of the Holy-Ghost shall be conferred on them that believe as casting out Devils speaking with tongues c. and that he will be with them and their successors to the end of the World â— Appear His ninth appearing was to James His tenth and last was on the fortieth day after his Resurrection 10. Appear At which time having commanded them to wait at Jerusalem for the descending of the Holy Ghost upon them and answered their question whether he would restore the Kingdom to Israel at that time or no He led them forth to Mount Olivet and there lifting up his hands and blessing them he was carried up into Heaven a Cloud receiving him out of their sight Two Angels appearing to them assure them that he will so come to Judgment as they had seen him go to Heaven And thus much for our Saviours several appearings after his Resurrection Fourthly Let us consider how our Saviour arose The principal cause of his Resurrection was God himself For no other power then that which is Omnipotent can raise the dead as the Apostle intimates Acts 2.32 This Jesus hath God raised up Eph. 1.19 20. according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places This great work is attributed to the Father but not to him alone For to whomsoever that infinite power doth belong by which Christ was raised That Person must be acknowledged to have raised him The Son of God therefore being of the same essence and consequently of the same power with the Father and the same being true also of the Holy Ghost we must accordingly acknowledge that the Father Son and Holy Ghost raised up Christ from the dead John 2.19 21. Jesus said unto them destroy this Temple and in three-days I will raise it up he spake of the temple of his body So that not only God the Father raised the Son but also God the Son raised himself by the power of his Divinity which was never separated after his incarnation either from his Body or his Soul 5. Let us consider the time when he arose viz. on the third day from his passion This was foretold of the Messias not only that he should rise again but that he should arise the third day after his death it was typified by Jonas as we shewed before Our Saviour did rise properly on the third day after his death and he was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth synecdochically the whole time or space of three dayes being put for a part of it Our Saviour rose the first day of the Week and his Resurrection being so eminent a declaration that he had fully accomplished the work of our Redemption from thence the Sabbath was changed to that day Acts 20.7 And upon the first day of the Week when the Disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them 1 Cor. 16.1 As I have Ordained in the Churches of Galatia
then every branch of the execution shall cease 1 Cor. 15.24 28. Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power and when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himsef be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all But though the Mediatorship of Christ be then resigned and the Regal Office as a part of that Mediatorship yet Christ shall not cease to be King or loose any thing of that power and honour he had before but as the Nicene Creed has it His Kingdom shall have no end 4. Let us now consider what improvements we ought to make of this Article 1. If Christ be set down on the right hand of God let this mind us of our duty which is humble subjection and obedience to him 2. Let us encourage our selves if we belong to him to expect protection from him God hath given him to be head over all things to his Church And all power is given him both in heaven and earth 3. Let us remember his intercession Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Heb. 7.25 He is able to save them to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Doth the guilt of sin sting and wound our Consciences Let us remember what an Advocate we have Are we in want of any mercy Let us remember what our Saviour himself sayes John 16 23. Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name he will give it you Whatever trouble we are in let us not be dismayed considering Christ is at Gods right hand Heb. 12.2 4. Let all those that oppose Christ and his Kingdom think seriously of this His enemies must be made his footstool SECT IX Of our Saviours coming to judge the World THe words of the Creed are these From thence He shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead From thence he shal come to judge the quick and the dead Concerning this Article we shall make these inquiries 1. How may we be assured there will be a day of Judgment 2. Who is to be the Judge at that great day 3. What will be the nature and manner of that Judgment 4. What will be the Consequents of it 1. How may we be assured there will be a day of Judgment The Scripture holds forth to us a twofold Judgment to come 1. Particular judgment which follows immediately upon every ones death Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it This is also held forth by that Historical Parable of Dives and Lazarus Luke 16.22 23. and Heb. 9.27 The Apostle tells us It is appointed unto man once to die and after this to Judgment * Unum sciâ—icet Nam ultimum judicium nihil aliud erit quam promulgatio solennis totalis executio sententiae semel in singulos cum moriuntur latae Jac. Capellus in loc 2. A General Judgement at the end of the World the certainty of which may appear to us from these Arguments 1. From the sence that even natural conscience seems to have of it Acts 24.25 and as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come Foelix trembled 2. From the Justice of God which requires it Here Barabbas a murderer is released and Christ is Crucified here Judgment is often perverted and the Righteous oppressed But there is a Judgment to come that will set all things streight 3. From the clear and manifest declaration of the will of God that it shall be so Eccles 12.14 God shall bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil And Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him up from the dead 4. From the representation made of it to some of Gods servants in Divine visions as 1. to Daniel Dan. 7.9 10. I beheld till the Antient of dayes did sit whose Garment was white as Snow thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him The Judgment was set and the books were opened and 2. to St. John Rev. 20.12 I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened And another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were Judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works 2. Let us inquire who is to be the Judge The Apostle assures us that this Jesus Christ will be the Judge Acts 10.42 He hath commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead John 5.22 27. For the Father Judgeth no man that is immediately by himself but hath committed all Judgement unto the Son and hath given him authority to execute Judgment also because he is the Son of man Now Christ is appointed the Judge 1. Because he is the Son of man * The authority of Judging is common to all the three Persons but the execution of this power is proper only to the Son The Father and the Holy-Ghost will Judge the World by Him who suffered so much for the sins of men and this as a reward of his humiliation 2. Because God intending to make a general and visible Judgement will have a visible Judge Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him that the Judicial proceedings may be in an outward and visible manner Christ indeed came not at first as a Judge but as a Redeemer John 3.17 but his second coming will be to Judge the World 2 Tim. 4.1 3. Let us inquire what will be the nature and manner of this Judgment And here 1. Let us consider the Preparations to it Scripture sets forth this by the Arch-Angels Trumpet by which all the World shall be as it were summoned to appear at Gods Tribunal 1 Thes 4.16 2. For the manner of it the Scripture represents it to us under the form of a judiciary process wherein 1. The Judge himself will appear exceeding glorious He will come with power and great glory even the glory of the Father Mat. 16.27 And when this his Glory shall be revealed then the Saints shall be glad with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4.13 2. His attendance will be very glorious Mat. 25.31 The Son oâ— man shall come in his â—lory and all the holy
Officers of the Church he doth qualifie and fit men with requisite gifts for their stated ordinary ministerial work which is to explain and apply the foresaid Scriptures and administer the Sacraments and guide and govern the Flock and doth assist them in a discharge of their Office 4. This same blessed Spirit is Christs advocate with men and does by the word illuminate their minds and sanctifie and renew their wills and draws them to Christ to rest on his great propitiation 5. This same holy Spirit also assisteth the Sanctified in the exercise of Grace given them as in the exercise of Repentance Faith Obedience and Selfdenial He also directs and governs their conversation inabling them to walk watchfully that they may not dishonour God nor their holy profession For if we live in the Spirit being quickned by his renovation we must also walk in the Spirit following his directions and if we walk in the Spirit we shall not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh And as many as are thus led by the Spirit they are the Children of God Gal. 5.25 6. He teacheth us to pray and guides us and directs us in our prayers and devotions Zach. 12.10 Rom. 8.26 27. and so is said to make intercession for us by teaching us how to pray and intercede for our selves For which intercession among other things he hath the name of a Paraclete given him by Christ Joh. 14.16 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive Advocati officium est Clienti suggerere utilia ad ea hortari eum animare atque confiâ—mare coram judice ejus causam agere pro eo intercedere 7. We are said to be sealed by this holy Spirit As a mans Seal does signifie the thing sealed to be his own so the Spirit of Holiness in us is God's Seal upon us signifying that we are His Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed unto the day of Redemption 8. This holy Spirit is the earnest or first fruits to us of eternal life The Spirit is given to us by God as the earnest of the glory which he will give us To whomsoever he giveth the Spirit of Faith Love Holiness he gives the earnest of eternal life 9. This Spirit doth also witness or evidence to true Converts that they are the Children of God and so is called the spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 16. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God And this he doth evidence to us several wayes 1. By shewing or manifesting to us the Grace which he hath given us 2. By shewing the certainty of the Promise made to all those who have such Grace 3. By helping us from those Graces and those Promises to conclude with confidence that we are the Children of God And then he comforts us and helps us to rejoyce in what we do or suffer for Christ in the hope of the glory that we shall be partakers of Thus much concerning the Doctrine of the Spirit we come now to consider the duties which we owe to him Which are these 1. We ought to obey and follow his blessed motions Yet here we must take heed that we do not mistake the Spirit of God and his motions and instead of them follow the motions of Satan or of our own Passions or Pride or fleshly wisdom By these marks the Spirit of God may be known 1. The Spirit of God infuses into us Heavenly wisdom to mind the securing our peace with God and our title to the Kingdom of Heaven in the 1. place 2. He is a Spirit of Love his motions are for love and doing good 3. He is a Spirit of Concord and moves Believers to unity and disswades them from divisions among themselves or to joyn in carnal confederacies with the wicked see 1 Cor. 12.25 Eph. 4.3 4 5. 4. He is a Spirit that teaches Humility and Self-denial making us little in our own eyes 5. He is a Spirit that teaches Meekness Patience and Forbearance not Boisterousness Contention Reviling or Revenge 6. He is a Spirit that teacheth zeal for God not a furious destroying zeal but a zeal against known sin and for known truth and known duty 7. He is a Spirit that teacheth mortification and crucifying of our lusts and subduing of sensuality 8. He is a Spirit that doth not contradict the Doctrine of Christ delivered in the holy Scripture but moveth us to endevour to conform our selves thereunto Isa 8.20 9. The motions of this blessed Spirit do alwayes tend to our good and to drive us to God and to obey his holy Will and Commandments and never to transgress any of his precepts 2. We must take heed of quenching the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 that is the gifts and graces of the Spirit in our selves but must labour to stir them up by prayer and the due exercise of them 3. We must take heed of grieving this blessed Spirit Eph. 4.30 Not that he can properly be grieved but he is said to be grieved when we do that which in it self is apt to grieve him if he were capable thereof and which provokes him to do that which grieved persons use to do namely to withdraw his gracious and comforting presence 4. We must not neglect the means the Spirit hath appointed us to use for our improvement in Sanctification We must attend upon him and expect him in his own ways and not in wayes wherein he useth not to go 5. We must do most when this blessed Spirit helps us most If he extraordinarily help us at any time in prayer we should not break off so soon as at other times 6. We must be very thankful for the assistances he is pleased at any time to afford us And above all if he hath convinced us of the evil and danger of our sins hath wrought in our hearts true Godly sorrow and contrition for them and a real hatred and loathing of them and hath drawn our hearts to Christ Jesus to seek pardon and reconciliation with God in and through his merits and Intercession and hath begun a work of Sanctification in us then we ought to admire and to be for ever thankful for the free and efficacious grace of this Holy Spirit SECT II. Of the Holy Catholick Church The Holy Catholick Church THat which we are bound to believe concerning the Holy Catholick Church is this viz. that Christ hath a Church upon the earth which for the latitude and extent thereof may be called Catholick and for the Piety of the Professors thereof may be called Holy In the treating of which I shall speak 1. Of the name 2. Of the nature of the Church 3. Of the distinctions of it 4. Of the notes of it 1. Of the name Church is a name not found in all the writings of the Old Testament in which the body
unto Holiness 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The end of Christs gathering them out of the World to be his people is that they may be holy and a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works Thus Moses speaking of the Congregation of Israel Deut. 7.6 Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God That is they were so by destination and engagement though many of them were not really soâ— 2. The Church may be called holy because it trains up people in the wayes of holiness and godliness 3. It may be called holy in respect though not of the greater yet of the better part of it whom God hath sanctified by the graces of his holy Spirit The other Attribute of the Church is Catholick Catholick as it is not in the Scriptures so was it not anciently in the Creed but inserted by the Fathers of the Constantinopolitan Council It signifies General or Vniversal Now the Church is called Catholick 1. In respect of place It being not now shut up in the narrow bounds of Judea but diffused through the World 2. In respect of persons All sorts of persons being promiscuously called to Faith in Christ Neither Jew nor Gentile neither bond nor free being excluded Gal. 3.28 3. In respect of times It comprehending all the Faithful that have been in all times and ages ever since the giving of the first promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head And to our Saviours dayes and since then to the age in which we live and is to contitinue from hence by a continual accession to the end of the world Nay it doth not only include that part of the Church is now militant on earth but that also which is triumphant in Heaven Both they with us and we with them make one body mystical whereof Christ is the Head And all together together with the antient Patriarches and other holy men of God which lived under the Law do make up that one glorious Church which is called in the Scriptures the general Assembly the Church of the first born whose names are written in the Heavens Heb. 12.23 Catholick then the Church may be called in regard of extent whether we consider time place or persons 4. In respect of Doctrine because it maintains the Catholick Doctrine quae semper quae ubique quae abomnibus credita est Adversus Haereses c. 3 as Lirinensis d sayes which hath allwayes and in all places by all sorts of real Christians been received as Orthodox Catholick in this sence is the same with Orthodox and a Catholick Christian the same with a true professor A private Christian may be called Catholick in this sense And thus the Fathers of the purest times made use of this word Catholick to distinguish themselves from Hereticks according to that famous saying of Pacianus Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus cognomen Christian saith he is my name and Catholick my sir-name By the one I am known from Infidels by the other from Hereticks And so long as the main body of Christians retained the form of wholsom words and kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace it served fitly for a distinctive mark to know an Orthodox Professor from an Heretical But when the main body of the Church was once torn in pieces and every leading faction would be thought the true Church of Christ they took to themselves the name of Catholicks also And thus our great Masters in the Church of Rome have appropriated to themselves the name of catholicks accounting all men Hereticks that differ from them and do not hold communion with them in their errors And then they defend themselves by the name of Catholicks from having dealt unjustly with their fellow Christians men every way more Orthodox than themselves But let them talk what they will the Church which is truly Catholick containeth within it all those Congregations which are truly the Churches of Christ And all persons whatsoever who are true Christians belong to it So that whosoever is not of the Catholick Church cannot be of the true Church out of which ordinarily there is no Salvation 3. I come now to the distinctions of the Church 1. The Church of Christ may be considered either as Militant or Triumphant The Church Militant is that company of Christians here on earth who are in warfare warring against Satan the World and the Flesh 2. The Church Triumphant are those Saints who having vanquished and overcome those adversaries do now reign and triumph in Heaven This distinction is founded upon Ephes 3.14 15. Where the Apostle sayes I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in heaven and earth is named The Family in Heaven is the Church Triumphant The Family on Earth the Church Militant of which the Apostle himself was one when he said 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith The Triumphant we may read of Rev. 7.9 After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kindreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands Having thus premised this distinction of the Church Militant and Triumphant I come now to speak particularly of the Church Militant 1. Then we must know that the Churcrh Militant here on earth consists partly of such as are truly of it partly of such as only in respect of their outward profession belong to it As the Holy Ghost speaks Rev. 2.9 of some who professed themselves Jews I know the Blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan so we may say of some who profess themselves Christians that they are very far from being such in truth and reality For prophane persons and hypocrites are rather in the Church than of it The Militant Church is either visible or invisible The visible Church is a visible company of people professing the Gospel whether they do it in truth and sincerity or no. It doth consist of good and bad It is compared to a net cast into the Sea which gathered of every kind c. Matth. 13.47 And to a field wherein were both wheat and tares Matth. 13.24 And to a great house wherein are vessels of several sorts some to honour some to dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 The invisible Church consists of such as truly are what they profess themselves to be It is called invisible because it is not visible to the eyes of men They can see the profession but whether it proceed from the heart or no they cannot see The Invisible Church therefore is hid in the visible and there is no more difference between them than between the whole and a part 3. The Church Militant is distinguished into Particular and Vniversal A particular
Church is a company professing the Faith in some particular place Thus we read of the seven Churches of Asia Rev. 1.7 that is Churches that were in seven Cities in Asia as appears verse 11. Yea we read of Churches in particular houses as in the house of Aquila and Priscilla Rom. 16.5 and in the hâ—use of Nymphas Col. 4.15 The universal Church is the whole company of Believers that profess Faith in Christ throughout the world All Christians as Christians who profess and hold the essentials of Christianity are the Catholick or universal Church And all Congregations consisting of lawful Pastors and Christian people associated for personal communion in the worship of God and holy living are particular true Churches though they may also much differ in degrees of purity This is the universal Church as upon earth Otherwise as I said before the universal Church comprehends both the Saints on Earth and the Saints in Heaven The Church of Rome most absurdly affects to be called the Catholick Church yea Roman Catholick Cathotholick imports the universal Church and Roman but a particular The Church of Rome was once indeed an eminent part yet but a part of the Catholick or Vniversal Church But now she is so degenerate and corrupt that she is termed Babylon Rev. 1.7 And the people of God are commanded to come out of her Rev. 18.4 And I heard another voice from Heaven saying come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Did the Church of Rome in the Apostles dayes worship Images Did it pray to Saints Did it pray for the Dead Did it perform its Divine Worship in an unknown tongue Did it withhold the Cup from the Laity Was this the Primitive practice of the Church of Rome I suppose the Romanists themselves will not assert it We can make it appear that we hold the same Faith that was of old delivered to the Saints and that we have not departed farther from the Church of Rome than they have departed from this Faith and the truth of Christianity Yet the Papists notwithstanding use to ask us where was your Religion before Luther To which we answer wherever there were any true and real Christians before Luther among them was our Church This is the Church we profess our selves of And surely there were many more more Christians at that time in the world then those that were in the Cummunion of the Church of Rome 'T is true Christianity that makes any to be Christians and members of the Catholick Church it is not every inferiour truth that doth so neither doth every error cast a man out of it That Church then which comprehended all the true Christians in the World is the Church we were of before Luther We do not confine the Catholick Church to any Sect or Party Protestants we hold are the soundest part of this Church but not the whole Church All within the Communion of the Church of Rome that are true Christians we allow to be of this Church And the same we say of the Greeks Armenians Ethiopians Abyssines or any other professing Christianity And though the Papists talk much of Antiquity if they will try whether their Doctrine or ours be the sounder we are willing to appeal to Antiquity Let the eldest way of Religion carry it We are of a Religion that is not less then sixteen hundred years old For we hold the Doctrine delivered by Christ and his Apostles which they have shamefully departed from But the Papists farther ask us If their Church be not the true Church what is become of our Fore-fathers who died in the Communion of their Church We answer They might live and die in the Communion of that Church and yet be free from many of the gross errors in it And God might graciously pass by their ignorance and weakness who had not so great a light as we have to shew them the error of the Romish Church We do therefore in Charity think that some of our Ancestors formerly and some of the Papists at this day who hold and believe the main Articles of the Christian Faith and do live good lives according to their knowledge may be saved but not by their Popery but by their Christianity And thus much of the distinctions of the Church 4. I come now in the last place to speak of the notes of the Church which are these three 1. True and sound Doctrine preached 2. Right administration of the Sacraments For as those are more or less purely administred so the Church is more or less pure 3. Obedience to Christ and his Doctrine Discipline indeed is necessary for the preservation of the Church in purity of Doctrine and Manners yet it belongs not to the very being but to the well being of it But here a question may arise How is the Church said not to erre Answ 1. The whole doth not erre though some particular Church may 2. The Church doth not erre universally though in some points of Doctrine it may which are not essential or fundamental to Salvation Let us now consider what improvement we are to make of this Article 1. This shews us the admirable priviledge of every truly regenerate sanctified person who is most certainly a member of the true Catholick Church All true Christians are Catholicks in a better sense than the Romanists use that word But whosoever is wicked and prophane let them talk they are for the Church c. 't is manifest they are not members of Christs Holy Catholick Church 2. All that are true members of the Catholick Church should keep close to the Catholick Rule of Faith and Life which is the will of God revealed in the holy Scriptures 3. They should labour for a Catholick Spirit and Catholick affections which may incline them 1. To love all Christians as Christians for Christs sake though they may differ from them in some particulars A true Catholick Spirit is for union among all the People of God 2. To compassionate all real Christians in their sufferings and afflictions Rom. 12.15 16. 3. To pray earnestly for the prosperity of the Catholick Church and to be solicitous and much concerned touching the welfare thereof And all true members of the Catholick Chhurch may comfort themselves with this consideration that they have a share in the paayers of this Catholick or Vniversal Church now Militant upon the Earth SECT III. Of the Communion of Saints the Communion of Saints COncerning this Article we shall inquire 1. Who may truly be called Saints and wherein the true nature of Saintship doth consist and how the Saints are distinguished from others 2. Who are those persons with whom these Saints have Communion For the first 1. By the tenure of the Gospel we shall find that those are truly and properly Saints who being called with an holy calling have not been disobedient to it but are indued with a holy faith uniting them to
up again So a dying Saint may say to his body fear not to go down into the grave into the dark and dismal vault my dear Redeemer will bring thee up again Death to the Righteous is but like the pulling down of an old ruinous house to build it again in a more excellent and glorious manner 5. If God can and will raise the dead it should strengthen our Faith in Gods power that he can raise us up out of any affliction into which we are at any time fallen and that he can raise up his own interest in the World or in any Nation though it be never so low See Rom. 4.17 21. What cannot that God do who quickneth the dead 6. It should teach us not to set too high a price or value upon our own lives when we are called to expose them for the cause of Christ or for our Countreys good Every faithful servant of Christ that so loses his bodily life takes the best course to have it restored to him with advantage And in this sense our Saviour sayes he that loseth his life shall save it that is shall not only recover it again at the Resurrection but shall over and above also be rewarded with eternal life in glory John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this World shall keep it unto life eternal If God therefore call thee to expose thy body to death for him fear not to do it He will raise it up again in a more glorious manner 'T is said of those Worthies Heb. 11.35 that were wracked and tormented for professing the truth that they refused to be delivered viz. to the prejudice of their Consciences expecting a better Resurrection than that now offered them viz. to be delivered or raised up from their present pains and sufferings They expected a Resurrection of their bodies to eternal glory 7. This should deterr us from sinning with our bodies which must be raised again and if we die in our sins must suffer with our souls everlasting punishment Let us take heed of imploying our bodies as instruments of sin Remember O sinner that wretched body of thine which thou hast so often debauched by drunkenness and polluted and defiled by uncleanness it must rise again to damnation except thou repent that tongue of thine with which thou hast so often lyed cheated scoffed at serious piety and dishonoured God by swearing cursing ribbaldry backbiting c. shall be tormented in that same flame that Dives was tormented in Luke 16. As Christ said of Judas it had been better for him he had never been born so we may say of some men It were better for them they might not rise again But as the Soul and Body sinned together so they must suffer together And as they inticed one another to sin so they must be together for ever miserable 8. And lastly Let us labour to be united unto Christ by a lively faith that he may raise us up as our Head He will raise the wicked as their Judge He is Lord both of dead and living and so hath right by that dominion to raise the dead Rom. 14.9 and will accordingly do it And some he will raise to suffer everlasting punishment and others to a glorious everlasting life And of such as these the Apostle speaks John 11.25 Whoso believeth on him shall never die that is eternally so as to suffer everlasting punishment It now only remains that I should answer three questions and then I shall shut up this discourse 1. Seeing men return to the earth at several ages the Infant at one age and the man at another it may be questioned whether they shall arise in the same age and disproportions of age and stature which they had whilst they lived Answer Augustine * Restat ergo ut quisque suâ—m habeat mensuram vel quam habuit in juventute vel quam haiturus esset si vixisset August de civ lib 22. c. 13. resolves it negatively and determines it thus That we shall all of us be raised in that proportion of strength which men attain to commonly at their best estate And this resolution of the case the Apostle doth seem to favour when he saith that though the body be sown in weakness in the weakness of old age or infancy yet it shall be raised in power All imperfections and deformities shall be taken away For neither is it likely that Infancy being imperfection and old age being corruption can stand with the estate of a glorified body Quest 2. How can there be a Resurrection seeing the Apostle tells us that flesh and blood shall not enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 Answ Our Bodies shall be fitted for that glorious state by the mutation of their qualities See Apost Hist pag. 183 and 184. Our bodies shall not enter into Heaven vile * The Apostle tells us the body shall be raised a Spiritual body that is a body endued with Spiritual qualities free from carnal desires and wholly subject to the Spirit as now they are but shall be changed As mens hearts are changed here by regeneration so their bodies shall be changed in the Resurrection changed in qualities not in substance As a corn of grain that is sown is raised in substance and kind the same but divers in qualities rising up with blade and ear and corn in it It doth not rise in just the same figure in which it was sown but with advantage So it will be in the Resurrection Quest 3. What shall become of them that shall be found alive at Christs coming Answ They shall not dye but shall be changed suddenly from a mortal into an immortal state See 1 Cor. 15.51 52. 1 Thes 4.15 17. SECT VI. Of Life everlasting And the life everlasting IN treating of this Article which the Nicene Creed calls the life of the World to come I shall first shew that both the old and new Testament bear witness to it and give us sufficient ground to believe it Dan. 12.2 Many of them that sleep in in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt God plainly shewed to those who lived under the old Testament that there is an everlasting life in the world to come by the examples of some whom he took and translated out of this world into the other without death intervening Enoch who lived before the giving of the Law and Elijah who lived after are both instances of this Gen. 5.24 Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him Heb. 11.5 By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him And so Elijah was carried up in a fiery Chariot and by a whirlwind into Heaven 2 Kings 2.11 After Abraham Isaac and Jacob were dead God stiled himself their God Exod. 3.6 Moreover he said I am the God
of thy Father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now Christ told the Sadducees that God is not the God of the dead but of the living Matth. 22.32 God so stiling himself their God sheweth that their souls did still live though separated from their bodies and also that their bodies should be raised again and both souls and bodies being re-united should live for ever * Deus est Deus Abrahae sâ—il totius God is the God of the whole man and not a part only And thus much for the proof of this Article out of the old Testament But the new Testament doth more clearly assert this Doctrine life and immortality being in a more evident manner brought to light by the Gospel as the Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 1.10 To give some few places of many that might be brought for the proof hereof Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into life eternal John 3.16 36. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Mark 10.30 But he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal 1 Thes 4.17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall we ever be with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens John 17.27 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Having thus shewed that everlasting life is plainly asserted both in the old and new Testament I come now to shew that there are three degrees of this everlasting life held forth to us in the Scriptures 1. There is a life eternal Initial which is the life of grace John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life that is hath it begun in him hath the earnest of it in his Soul 2. There is a Partial life eternal which is the life which belongeth to the Soul when it is separated from the body 'T is the happiness which the souls of the Righteous enjoy between the time of death and the day of Judgment The Scripture is abundant in asserting this kind of life eternal which the separated soul injoys in the other world Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Matth 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell Luke 12.4 Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say fear him Heb. 12.23 To the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect Luke 23.43 Our Saviour said to the penitent Thief To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luke 23.46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commit my Spirit and having said thus he gave up the Ghost Acts 7.59 And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Phil. 1.23 For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to he with Christ which is far better 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and preached to the Spirits now in Prison Rev. 6.9 10. And when he had opened the fifth Seal I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the Testimony which they held And they cried with a loud voice saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth 3. There is a life eternal Perfectional which shall be conferred on the Saints after the re-union of their Souls and Bodies Matth. 25.34 46. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Then shall the Righteous go into life eternal Now this perfectional life everlasting which will be the portion of the Saints at the last day is such a life as shall be free from all evil and full of all good 1. Free from the evil of sin The Souls of the Just shall then be made perfect 2. The evil of temptation There was a Tempter in Paradise there will be none in Heaven 3. The evil of affliction All tears shall be wiped from your eyes Rev. 7.17 2. This life shall be full of all good 1. Their Vnderstandings shall have a clear knowledge sight and vision of God 2. Their Wills shall be perfected and adorned with an absolute and indefective holiness 3. Their Affections shall be set right with an unalterable regularity 4. They shall injoy an uninterrupted communion with God 5. They shall be blessed in their company 6. And lastly They shall have this blessedness secured to them without fear of ever losing it or being deprived of it But though the Saints shall enjoy such an eternal life in bliss as we have before described yet it shall not be so with the wicked Eternal life in misery will be their portion They shall be tormented 1. With the pain of loss 2. With the pain of sense 3. With the worm of Conscience a tormenting reflection on their former folly 4. With despair of ever coming out of that woful misery which is the very Hell of Hell But of these things I have spoken more largely in the former Treatise pag. 130. It remaines therefore now that I shew what improvement we are to make of this Article and then I shall shut up this discourse 1. We may from hence learn how inexcusable they are who hazard and expose their souls and bodies to eternal torments for a short satisfaction of their bruitish lusts 2. We should consider that there is no concern we have in the World that should lie so near our hearts as the making our peace with God upon sure and safe grounds 3. From hence we may learn how highly we ought to prize the blood of Christ and his undertaking by which alone we can escape the wrath that is to come 4. It may shew us how we ought to pity those who are running on in a full carreer
men may acknowledge and own him for the only true God and may glorify him accordingly 2. Thy Kingdom come that is that his Kingly Power may be more and more manifested in the curbing and subduing of Satan and all his enemies that his Kingdom of Grace may be advanced and promoted by his word and Spirit that his Kingdom of Glory may be hastned Rev. 22.20 that the happiness of his people may be full and that Christ may resign up the Kingdom which he administers as Mediator to his Father and God may be all in all 3. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven that is that we and all his people on Earth may sincerely chearfully and constantly do and submit to his holy will as Angels and glorified Saints do in Heaven 4. Give us this day our daily-bread wherein we acknowledge God the Author and Giver of all our Mercies and that we receive all from his free bounty That we ought dayly to depend on his Fatherly care and Providence and not to be over anxious and solicitous for to morrow neither inordinately to desire superfluities but to crave and pray for such necessary and convenient things as are daily needful and requisite for the sustentation and comfort of our bodily life and that what the Lord is pleased to give us may be by him blessed to us 5. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors wherein we acknowledg that our sins are debts binding us over to punishment and that our selves cannot satisfie for them We pray that in Christ these debts may be freely and fully forgiven and pardoned We profess we ought and do through his grace assisting us forgive our debtors that is such as have done wrong to us and thereby not only made themselves debtors to God but unto us that we do fully and freely forgive their wrongs and injuries done unto us though we are not alwayes bound to forgive the damage See Exod. 22.1 14. and from thence we gather an argument to confirm our hope and perswade our selves that God will forgive us 6. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil wherein we acknowledge our proneness to evil and weakness to withstand temptation that God hath power over all corruptions tempters and temptations We pray to be preserved from temptations to sin or from being overcome by them and at last to be wholly delivered from them all 3. The Conclusion For thine is the Kingdom the Power and Glory for ever Amen Wherein we have 1. The Doxology acknowledging and ascribing to God the perpetuity of his Kingdom Power and Glory and encouraging our selves from thence to expect from him what we have prayed for 2. The sealing up the Prayer with Amen Wherein we summarily testify our fervent desire of obtaining these our Petitions and our Faith in God for the granting of them THE Second Part Containing a serious Disswasive from the reigning and customary Sins of these Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness Malice Idleness CHAP. I. Of Swearing THat I may proceed methodically and clearly in treating of this argument I shall confine my discourse to these seven heads 1. I shall shew what an Oath is 2. Shall shew the lawfulness of taking an Oath when duly called thereunto 3. Shall answer the objections usually framed from Matth. 5. 33. c. and Jam. 5.12 against the lawfulness of any swearing at all 4. Shall shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken 5. Shew the great sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing 6. Shall answer the vain pretences and excuses that customary Swearers use to make for themselves 7. Shall give some directions and means for the avoiding of this Sin 1. I shall shew what an Oath is Perkins in his Cases of Conscience Lib. 2. Chap. 13. sayes an Oath is a Religious and necessary confirmation of a thing doubtful by calling God to be a witness of the truth and a revenger of falshood Doctor Saunderson in his first Lecture of the obligation of a Oath § 2. sayes an Oath is a Religious act in which to confirm a thing doubtful God is called upon as a witness Others from Numb 30.2 define it to be a sacred bond by which a man binds his Soul to the speaking of that which is in it self true or to the doing of that which is in it self lawful unto which the living and true God is (a) Juramentum est contestatio Dei in re gravi tanquam veritatis testis mendacij vindicis called upon as a witness or arbitrator Judge and Avenger in case of falshood 2. Having shewed what an Oath is I come in the next place to prove the lawfulness of taking an Oath when duly called thereunto And this I shall indeavor to do by these four Arguments 1. That which is morall and injoyned in one of the precepts of the Decalogue or ten commandments binds all persons whatsoever and is a duty to be continued and practised as there is occasion as long as the world endures for the glory of God and the good of our Neighbour But to Swear by God when duly called thereunto is a moral duy and injoyned in the third Commandment therefore it is lawful to take an oath when duly called thereunto The minor will easily be proved by that commonly received Rule of interpreting the Commandments viz. that where in any Commandment vice is forbidden there the contrary vertue is enjoyned and commanded So that the taking Gods name in vain being forbidden in the third Commandment the holy and reverent use thereof is plainly enjoyned and such is an appeal to God as the Searcher of hearts and calling upon him to be a witness of our truth and sincerity and an avenger upon us in case of falshood 2. What God injoyns and connects with other duties that will ever be in force ought to be practised by all Christians but swearing by his name is such Ergò For the proof of the minor See Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and swear by his name See also Deut. 10.20 where the same thing is injoyned That which hath been the practice of the Godly without reproof before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel is lawful But swearing by the name of God upon serious and weighty occasions hath been the practice of all the Godly in all those times Ergò 1. Before the Law See instances hereof in Abraham Gen. 14.22 23. And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most high God the possessor of heaven and earth that I will not take any thing that is thine even from a thred to a shoo-latchet In Isaac Gen. 26.31 And they rose up betimes in the morning and sware one to another and Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace In Jacob Gen. 31.53 The God of Abraham and the God of
should be rich or learned or healthful or have a great name in this World but 't is absolutely necessary to our happiness that we should break off our sins by true repentance that we should be converted that we should savingly close with Christ by Faith that we should be new creatures that we should live to the honour of God and good of the World If these things be found in us God hath given us the best portion and therefore we may well be contented though he give us not so large a portion of the things of this life Yea upon this account in a good cause we ought to take joyfully the spoiling of our goods or the loss of our estates remembring that God hath given us a better portion that cannot be taken from us 4. We should consider our Souls are Spirits and were made for higher things than meerly to grovel on the earth Our Souls are our best part and our greatest care should be to secure them If it go well with the soul it will go well with the body also But if the soul be lost and must suffer everlasting punishment 't were better we had been made Toads or Serpents than Men and rational creatures Certainly it argues the great depravation of mans Soul that it should take so much care for the body how it may be cloathed and fed and how it may injoy all the delights which are suitable to it and that it should take so little care of it self to secure unto it self eternal happiness In order therefore to the securing of our souls we should labour to possess our minds with right and sound principles such as these That the best part of man ought to have most care bestowed upon it That things of everlasting consequence ought to be sought before things of meer temporal concernment That things absolutely necessary ought to be sought in the first place That he is a wise man that takes due care to save his soul but he is a fool that to gain the World loses his Soul Such Principles as these laid deep in our minds may be a great means to preserve us from an eager and greedy pursuit of the things of the world 5. We should consider our time here is but short 1 Cor. 7.29 therefore we had not need act the part of children and only follow bubbles We have but a short winters-day of life to live If a man come to a great City and have a great deal of business to do and but a short day to do it in he had not need trifle but mind the business seriously for which he came thither Let us therefore mind our great business for which we came into the World let us look to the main whatever else be neglected 6. We should take heed of earthly-mindedness and pursuing the things of the World too eagerly lest that happen to us which sometimes happens to those that dig in the mines of the earth while they are eagerly digging and delving there the earth falls on them on a sudden and miserably buries them Let those that follow the World so hard with the wretched neglect of their souls and are loading themselves continually with thick clay take heed they be not at last crushed under it and perish by it 7. We should set before our eyes the examples of the most eminent Saints and servants of God in all ages They counted themselves but Pilgrims and strangers here Heb. 13.37 and yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy Scultetus observes that none of the Saints mentioned in the Scripture were spotted with this sin of Covetousness The Apostle tells us that Abraham sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country because he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God And the truth is they that have God for their Father Christ for their Redeemer the Holy Ghost for their guide and comforter the holy Angels for their Protectors the Promises of God for their present support and Heaven for their inheritance hereafter should have their hearts withdrawn from worldly things and should more mind and think of their Countrey that is above * Dum mala pungunt bona promissa ungunt 8. Those to whom God hath given riches in this World should consider that these are their particular duties 1. They should labour to get the spiritual riches of grace which they may carry with them into the other World 2. They should not over-value their riches nor esteem them too highly nor set their hearts upon them Psal 62.10 3. They should not put their trust or confidence in them 1 Tim. 6.17 4. They should not glory in them nor boast of them Jer. 9.23 5. They should not be tempted by their riches to scorn or despise the poor Jam. 2.6 6. They should not by reason of their wealth and power oppress the poor 7. They should honour the Lord with their substance Prov. 3.9 1. By promoting Piety and the service of God 2. By works of Charity * Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes Habeo quod dedi perdidi quod servavi and beneficence to the poor and so make to themselves friends of their riches Luke 16.9 Now riches are made friends when they are so used as they may be evidences and give testimony of our Piety Charity Justice and Mercifulness A poor mans hand whom we have relieved is a bill will be accepted in Heaven Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and he will pay him again 8. They should often and seriously meditate on the account they must give how they have used their wealth They should consider they are not absolute Lords of their estates but Gods stewards and to him they must give an account 9. They should be willing to let go whatever God shall call them to part with and that without regret or murmuring as if a piece of their heart were rent away with it And so much of the remedies and directions against Covetousness I shall now shut up this discourse with this one Caution that seeing Covetousness does especially consist in the inward desires of the heart which are best known to a mans self and which no man knows save the spirit of a man that is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 We should therefore be very wary and tender of charging Covetousness upon others We may more safely and securely judge our selves in this matter than we can others For we can better know the nature and qualification of our own desires than we can possibly of another mans Let us therefore take heed of evil surmizes and ungrounded suspicions of others Some persons are apt to surmize a man to be covetous upon such grounds as these 1. He will not be bound for a friend or relation though in never so great a strait I Answer I think no man ought to be bound for another any further than he finds himself able