Custody for us 'till the great day of Account Mat. 25.34 35 36 40. When the King shall say to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World And he assigns these Acts of Charity as the Motives and Reasons inducing him to advance 'em to this Honour and Happiness For I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me For verily I say unto you forasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me He interprets all those Acts of Bounty and Charity bestow'd on his poor members as done to himself 2 By Acts of Mercy and Charity we entail our Estates with a blessing upon our Posterity whereof they shall enjoy the Comfort and Benefit when we are dead The Widows Child was blest with the Fruits of his Mother's Charity to the Prophet 1 Kings 1â— 22. 2 Sam. 9.3 c. The Son of Jonathan was plentifully rewarded for his Father's Beneficence to David And 't was the Observation of that Kingly Prophet from a well grounded experience that he never saw the righteous that is the charitable Man forsaken Ps 37.25 nor his Seed begging their Bread All which might be further confirm'd if 't were necessary by innumerable Instances both ancient and modern And if Parents would be careful to put something into God's hands for their Children which they might do by relieving the Poor and Indigent for God acknowledges it as a Debt due from himself which he will certainly pay and with advantage whatever becomes of the rest of their Estates that part will be safe Thus by being merciful to others we shall obtain God's blessing for our Selves and our Children both in this and a future Life Therefore for the sake of our indigent Brethren for God's sake for Christ's sake and if not for theirs yet for our own and the Happiness of Ours let us be tender and affectionate charitable and compassionate to all Men of every Nation and Country Sect or Party whatsoever for the Command is indefinite if they be in Misery and Distress And all our Aims and Intentions of doing good to others should be sincere without any mixture of Pride Passion Interest Hypocrisie Ostentation or Vain-glory. What we give to the Poor must be without grudging murmuring or repining And Deeds of this nature must be done cheerfully freely and bountifully from the Conscience of our Duty to God and with a charitable Intention to do Good Since then this Duty of Charity and Mercy to the Poor is every way so beneficial to us and ours and can by no means be omitted without manifest Prejudice both to our present and future Concernments in this and another World And seeing we neither want Objects to relieve nor Opportunities of doing good for the Poor shall be alwayes with us let us therefore endeavour to make unto our selves Friends whilst we may of this Mammon of Vnrighteousness that when we are stript naked of all these temporal Enjoyments our merciful and gracious God may receive us into his everlasting Habitations Now if the Case stands thus with the Charitable and Merciful Christian which indeed it does as 't is fully and clearly represented for God is pleas'd with Mercy but inexorable to those that shut up the Bowels of Compassion against the Poor Then what shall become of those merciless cruel and uncharitable Men who have most wickedly spent their Estates in superfluous and intemperate Eating Drinking Gaming sumptuous Buildings costly Furniture of Houses gorgeous Apparel troublesome and vexatious Suits in Law Horses Dogs numerous Attendants and in many other Instances of Luxury and Debauchery which are every where obvious and God knows too common in this sinful Nation By which irreligious and wicked Extravagancies Charity to the Poor as well as Hospitality are dwindled into nothing and if the importunate Beggar does now and then squieze a Penny out of their Pockets to be freed from his Clamours yet they seldom give without some smart or scurrulous Reflections upon his Person and Condition whilst they can spend whole Lordships on their Luxury We have alas which is very sad too many deplorable Instances of Men of uncharitable Minds and unmerciful Dispositions that have ruin'd their Estates Honours Reputations Bodies Souls and all by intemperate Living who by a frugal and careful Management might have made themselves and ther Families whom they have utterly undone both happy here and for ever But there are another sort of griping Mammonists in the other extreme who have rais'd their own Fortunes by Fraud and Oppression upon the Ruines of other Mens But these Cormorants have little or no Enjoyment of what they have thus basely got and therefore it cannot be expected that they should be charitable to others Here and there one perhaps will dedicate some part of his ill begotten Estate to pious and charitable Uses to atone for those crimson and crying Sins which they have so wickedly and wilfully committed But as these specious Pretences to Piety and Virtue are no other then gross Hypocrisie Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Aug. and abominable in the sight of God so they 'l find that without Repentance and Restitution all these Projects will prove fruitless and stand 'em in no stead at the great Audit To conclude this Point Let all unmerciful Men consider that if they continue so their Doom is already determin'd for they shall all go away into everlasting Torments Matth. 25.41 Jam. 2. And there 's nothing but Judgement without Mercy to be expected by those that will shew no Mercy All their Prayers and Tears c. without Charity are to no purpose Pro. 21.13 For whoso stoppeth his Ear to the crie of the Poor he shall also crie himself and shall not be heard Thus much of that Instance of Duty which respects the Persons of our fellow Christians We proceed 2dly To that other Branch of it which concerns their Possessions which is Justice and Honesty Now Justice is a comprehensive Term and in its full latitude implies the Conformity of the whole Man to the whole Will of God Or 't is more Particular and restrain'd to the Persons of which already or the Possessions of our Neighbours And those are either their Wives Children and Servants as before or their Gold Silver Houses Lands and that which may be as dear to 'em as all the rest viz. their Credit and Reputations But I shall treat of this Virtue or Duty now under Consideration with respect 1 to the Estates and 2 the Reputations of our Christian Brotherhood And for the better understanding of this Point 1st Justice respecting the Estates of Others is either That
and every Name that is named both in this World and also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his Feet and gave him to be the Head over all Things to the Church This is he of whom St. John makes mention that he was clothed in a Garment dipt in Bloud Rev. 19.13 16. com Isa 63.2 3. the Ensign of his Victory and Triumph over all his and the Church's Enemies and his Name was called the Word of God and he has on his Vesture and on his Thigh a Name written KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS Many other Arguments and Authorities might be added from Scripture if 't were necessary to confirm and illustrate this Point Ioh. 1â— 37 But Pilate tho' a Heathen believ'd it upon his own single Testimony and may serve instead of many others as appeareth by the Inscription set over him on the Cross Ioh. 19.19 with the Sanction added what I have written I have written 2dly His Kingly Authority is asserted and confirm'd by the many strange and wonderful Miracles which he wrought For he manifested his Power on Earth in curing the Blind and the Lame and all manner of Diseases and in raising the dead Bodies of Lazarus and many others at his Resurrection He exerted it in the Sea when he asswaged its Storms and Tempests and walked on the Water without a Ship He gave a Testimony of it in the Air when he led Captivity captive drew Principalities after him and trampled upon them And lastly he exercis'd his Kingly Power in Hell in his Conquest over the Devil and all the infernal Furies Who in despight of all their Policy Power and Malice were forc't to confess that he was omnipotent Act. 19.15 and therefore they must submit to his Jurisdiction 3 We have the unanimous Consent of all pious and prudent Christians in all Ages who have cheerfully submitted themselves to the Sceptre of his Kingdom For they had their whole Dependance on his Power for their Safety on his Wisdom for their Guidance and Direction and on his infinite Merits and Mercy for their comfortable Living here and eternal Salvation hereafter But as Christ our King is invested with an absolute and unlimited Power and Authority so he has an unquestionable Right and Title to govern the whole World and all the Creatures in it And he holds this absolute Tenor of Empire and Soveraignty 1 By Inheritance Christ has an undoubted Right to this Office Mat. 2.2 1. By Inheritance This is clear from the Concessions of the Eastern Sages who came so far to see him and do him Homage And besides his Hereditary Power as the eternal Son of God he was of the Royal Race as Man St. Matthew derives his Pedigree from fourteen Kings successively and therefore his hereditary Title as Man to the Kingdom of Israel must needs be indisputable 2 He has an absolute and unquestionable Right to his Kingdom by Donation 2. By donation Mat. 28.18 Psal 8.7 Matth. 9.6 Ioh. 5.22 Ioh. 5.27 Mat. 16.27 and hence he derives his Power and Authority to rule and govern all things to forgive us all our Sins and to indemnifie us from the Punishment of them to pass Judgement upon Angels and Men not only in what concerns his Kingdom of Grace here but in determining their final Doom and Condition hereafter and in the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments to the faithful and disobedient 3 He has obtain'd an absolute Right to govern all the Creatures by Conquest For he has spoil'd all Principalities and Powers 3. By Conquest taken the Prey out of their Teeth and in despight of the Power and Policy of Devils and wicked Men the greatest Part of the known World have been reduc'd from their Heathenish and Idolatrous Superstitions in worshipping false Gods and have cheerfully and voluntarily submitted themselves to be govern'd by the just Laws and Constitutions of his Kingdom 4 He has a just claim to his Kingly Government by Purchase 4. By Purchase Rom. 2.23 c. For when by our Sin and Rebellion against God we had justly forfeited our Lives lost our Freedom contracted an universal Guilt and Stain and had not only depriv'd our selves of all the Hope and Possibility of any future Comfort and Happiness but were sentenc'd to Death and as condemn'd Slaves and Villains bound over to everlasting Torments When I say we were by our Sins plung'd into this desperate and damnable Condition 1 Tim. 2.6 Act. 20.28 2 Pet. 1.18 without the least prospect of Reprieve or Rescue Then it was that the eternal Son of God and our blessed Saviour purchased our Peace and Pardon by the Sacrifice of his dearest Life and has hereby restor'd all his faithful Votaries to the comfortable Enjoyment of God's Grace and Favour Hence 't is evident in all these several Respects that our Lord Jesus Christ is the most absolute King of Kings and Lord of Lords A King at whose feet all Prices and Emperors must cast down their Crowns and a Lord whose Authority supersedes the Power and Jurisdiction of all Earthly Princes and Monarchs They must all stoop to him all Nations shall do him service And thus much of the Original and Extent of our Saviour's Kingly Office We pass forward 2dly The Administration of Christ's Kingly Government To the Administration of his Government But for the better understanding of this Point we must consider the Government of Christ's Kingdom under a double Acceptation And 't is 1 Vniversal over all the Creatures which the School-men call the Kingdom of his Power Whereby he orders and disposes all things and rules all the Creatures visible and invisible within this vast frame of the Vniverse For he governeth the highest Heavens and appoints the holy Angels his ministring Spirits their several Offices and Imployments He rules the lower Orbs causing Day and Night Heat and Cold Summer and Winter He governs the Air the Winds and Seas Storms and Tempests raising and calming them again how and when and where he pleases He rules the Earth and all the Inhabitants thereof so that those things which seem casual and contingent to us are order'd and brought to pass by his determinate Councel and Providence He exerciseth his Power and Authority in Hell over-ruling those unruly Powers of Darkness keeping that disorderly Rout under a certain kind of Government well known to himself but inconceivable to us or to them who are rul'd by it So that from the glorious Angels to the crawling Worms from the highest Heavens to the lowest Hell all the Creatures are within the Sphere and Compass of his absolute and indeed unlimited Jurisdiction But 2 And more Particularly He exerciseth his Dominion over the Church his Body and every particular Member thereof His Kingdom is founded in the Souls and Consciences of all true Believers where he reigns by his Word and Spirit directing them in the Ways of Godliness by his Grace that
the happy Aspect and most benign Influences of Christ's most admirable Government let us renounce all other Powers and Interests whatsoever if they come in Competition with him and account of them as the most mischievous Enemies of our Peace and Safety for Christ will admit of no Rivals we cannot serve him and Belial Mat. 6.24 God and Mammon When we obey others it must be in Obedience and Subserviency to him When he commands all other Obligations are superseded which are either opposite to or interfere with the Laws of his Government Luk. 14 3â— He is absolute Lord and King over all and therefore must be obey'd and reverenc't by all Let us therefore cheerfully submit to the safe Conduct of his Heavenly Government be sincerely obedient to all his admirable Laws and Constitutions whatsoever That his Majesty Power and Wisdom may be for us and not against us rather for our Support and Comfort than our Confusion and Destruction Psal 2.11 12. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce unto him with reverence kiss the Son c. 2 Our Obedience and Subjection to the Laws and Constitutions of Christ's Kingdom may be further enforc't by considering the extreme Danger and Hazard those Rebels run upon who hold out any disloyal Fort or encourage their Lusts and Appetites to war against him For who can conceal his Sins from Christ's all-seeing Eye or withstand the irresistable Power of his Justice and Vengeance when he is angry Besides how inconsistent would it be for any Christian to dishonour him in his Practice whom he has so often acknowledg'd to be his Lord And how shall he be able to answer it to God and his own Conscience if he should deny him to whose Person and Government with repeated Vows in both Sacraments he has so often and solemnly promis'd Fealty and Subjection What a terrible sight then must it needs be to the Wicked to behold him whom they have so often pierced and crucified afresh by their almost infinite Transgressions sitting upon the Throne of eternal Majesty 1 Cor. 5.10 and to have their most irreconcilable Enemy their Judge But what infinite Terrour and Astonishment shall seize their desperate and distracted Spirits when that Judge who came into the World and was so extremely desirous to save 'em but they would not shall pronounce the dreadful Sentence Depart ye cursed c. And these mine Enemies that would not that I should reign over them Luk. 19.27 take them bring them hither and slay them before me But on the other hand 3 The Consideration of Christ's Power and Sovereignty over us will conduce much to the Interest and Satisfaction of all his obedient and loyal Subjects For we are so happy under the gracious Administration of this Government that all things are lawful to be done by us which are not mischievous and unprofitable to us All his Commands Counsels Administrations Chastisements c. are in some Respects beneficial to us either in the Life which now is 1 Tim. 4.8 or will be so in that which is to come And indeed the dutiful Subjects of Christ's Kingdom are the only free Men in the World Iam. 1 2â— Because they are the Masters of those turbulent and unruly Passions which confine the Wicked to a worse slavery than that of Egypt Besides 't is very considerable that the King whom we serve is no respecter of Persons Luk. 1.48 Iob. 24.19 but has an equal Regard to and Kindness for the meanest if they be holy and virtuous as the greatest of his Subjects We are all not only his Workmanship by Creation but the Purchase of his dearest Bloud by Redemption and therefore without any Note of Distinction he gives all true Believers indefenitely the Title and Character of Friends and Brethren 1 Ioh. 3.1 Why then should poor Men be dejected at the narrowness of their Fortune and the meanness of their Condition If they will but endeavour to be good Christians they are the Friends and Brethren of Christ which is the greatest Preferment and Dignity in the World All Crowns Sceptres Kingdoms Honours Estates costly Apparel numerous Attendants and the like are but trivial and sordid things compar'd with the Dignity and Immunities of this Relation for the Apostles did glory in this more then in all things besides Were willing to endure the greatest Fatigues and undergo the most painful Drudgeries that they might gain Christ And therefore whosoever is not prepar'd in his mind to quit all his Interest in this World rather then disobey or deny him shall be rejected as a Traytor and Rebel to his Kingly Office and Government But 4 If we do but cheerfully and obediently submit to his Authority and the gracious Conduct of his admirable Government we need not fear the want of any Good or the trouble of any Evil For he has not only a sufficiency of Power and Authority and therefore able 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Rev. 3.21 but of Mercy and Goodness and therefore willing to protect us and provide for us Nor have we cause to be afraid of any thing but God and what can there be in the World to disease and disturb us Christ as we have seen has obtain'd an absolute Conquest over Devils and wicked Men and tho' they should be too hard for us yet he 's too strong for them and we shall be more then Conquerers too if we believe in and obey him Act. 7.55 56. This was St. Stephen's Asylum in a Shower of Stones nor could any thing discourage him in the Conflict because he saw Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to deliver him out of his Enemies hands and receive him into Glory Are we afraid of Sufferings Here is a certain Remedy at hand believe in Christ and he will not only become our King to protect us but our Advocate to save and exalt us in due time Are we under a suspition of Want Our King 's the Proprietor of the whole Universe and the Dispenser of all good Things which pertain to Life and Godliness Are we afraid of any future Events All the Concernments of this World are dispos'd of and manag'd by his gracious and wise Providence and in his Book are all our Members written Let our Condition then be what it will if we be sincerely religious as all the Subjects of Christ's Kingdom are our Hopes may be buoy'd up with this assured Confidence Rom. 8 2â— that all things shall co-operate for our good And if Christ be for us we are safe tho' the whole Fraternity of Devils wicked Men should conspire against us The Close WE 've seen what excellent things the Son of God has done for us already and if we be not awanting to our selves we cannot fail of being eternally happy under the gracious Influences and Conduct of his admirable Government We lie under most pressing and infinite Obligations then to submit our selves entirely to the
or External to perswade us to be or do otherwise And indeed 't is the greatest Honor we can do him Phil. 2.5 6 7 8 9. to endeavour to have the same mind in us which was in Christ Jesus and by all means possible to transcribe his Pattern who was the great Exemplar of Meekness and lowliness of heart Thus if we walk as we are oblig'd in his Steps 1 Pet. 2.21 and patiently bear as he did with Meekness and Humility those Injuries and Affronts which are usually the Portion and Pattimony of the best Christians in this School of Affliction If we account and esteem Honors Riches Pleasures Wit Beauty Strength and all the other enticing Allurements of this World as they are indeed in themselves Loss and Dung Phil. ◠8 Emptiness and Vanity compar'd with the Exellencies of Christ Jesus our Lord 〈◊〉 and do humbly acknowledge that God i◠Christ is the Proprietor and Dispenser 〈◊〉 'em If we be careful to manage the◠Subsidia prudently and discreetly to God Glory and the mutual Comfort and Benefit of our selves and others if we chearfully submit to God's unerring Will and Wisdom in disposing of us and our Concernments and patiently bear every cross Accident which may happen to us and Ours upon these Conditions I say we shall in some proportion resemble our blessed Saviour's innocent Life in Grace and Goodness here a temper of mind and Spiritmost acceptable to him and we need not doubt but upon these hearty Compliances he will accept of us and reward us when he comes again in his glorious Majesty hereafter 3 We must yield our unfeigned Assent to and sted factly Believe this great Mystery of our Saviour's Manhood that he was conceiv'd without Sin in the Womb and born of a pure and immaculate Virgin by the Operation and Influence of the Holy Spirit that he voluntarily assum'd our Nature and has by the Merits of his Active and Passive Obedience fully satisfied God's Infinite Justice for all our sins which as I hinted before could not be aton'd for by any other Means then by Suffering the severest Resentments of God's just Wrath and Vengeance in that Nature which had sinned against him But because the Guilt and Punishment of our Sins were a Burden too insupportable for Flesh and Blood therefore we must also believe that our frail Humanity was supported by his Omnipotent Divinity of which more fully in the next Chapter Let us therefore seriously apply this Point by the exercise of a true and lively Faith That as Christ was conceiv'd by the Operation of the Holy Spirit in the Womb of a Virgin and became Man for Us So we may conceive him Spiritually by a true and saving Faith and bring forth the Fruits of Evangelical Obedience in a holy vertuous and innocent Conversation 4. We should be always mindful to offer up upon the Altars of our Souls that reasonable Sacrifice and Service of Praise and Thanksgiving for the Incarnation of our Lord. Could ever Tidings be more welcome or any Report so grateful to mortal Ears as this was All the Inhabitants of Heaven were ravisht with joy breaking forth into Hymns of Praise and Congratulation for the Redemption of Mankind and how should we Christians most especially who inherit all the blessed Priviledges of the Gospel bear a part in that Heavenly Chorus praising the Lord incessantly for his Goodness and declaring the Wonders which he hath done for the Children of Men. Psal 107.8 15 c. To shut up this Point I 've been the more express in the handling of it not only because 't is the great Foundation on which our Christian Religion is built but because our restless Adversary the Devil and his wicked Agents and Emissaries have in all Ages us'd their utmost endeavours to corrupt and undermine it And tho' this Doctrine be an impregnable Fortress and Bulwark under which we may securely defend our selves and against which all the Powers of Hell shall never be able to prevail yet we are not ignorant of Satan's devices nor of his malicious Stratagems and mischievous Designs against us and our Religion And how active and successful he has been hitherto in his Temptations and Allurements is most notoriously evident For this great implacable Adversary has endeavour'd by all means possible to extinguish the Knowledge of Christ the Messiah of the World both before and since his coming in the Flesh And 1 Before his coming into the World How restless the Devil has been hitherto in his Endeavors to undermine destroy this Doctrine he us'd all imaginable Means to extirpate the whole Jewish Nation whence 't was prophesied the Messiah should descend He studied to ridicule and enervate all the Prophesies and Promises of Holy Scripture concerning him He made it his business to possess the World with gross Conceits and Apprehensions of Christ's Kingdom at his Coming And his Suggestions were so prevasent and successful that 't was generally expected that the Messiah should appear in great State and Grandeur that he would bestow Crowns and Scepters and the greatest Immunities and Priviledges upon his Subjects Which conceit doubtless our Saviour appearing in so mean and despicable a Condition was not the least cause of the Jewish Infidelity and did in a great measure obstruct their embracing of the Gospel It seems the very Apostles of Christ were tainted with this Prejudice by their being so inquisitive about the Restitution of the Kingdom again to Israel They expected doubtless to be Grandees in it as may be gather'd from that request of the Mother of the two Sons of Zeledee for whom she was so importunate with our Saviour Marth 20.21 that one of them might sit on his right hand and the other on his left in his temporal Kingdom for so the Words must be understood Thus far had Satan's Stratagems prevail'd to prejudice Mankind against the Messiah of the World Before his coming 2 When he was come from the Cradle to the Cross his whole Life was an entire Series of Sorrows and Persecutions How did the Devil inflame the Scribes and Pharisees with a fiery and impetuous zeal and eagerness not only to defend and maintain all the Laws and Constitutions Rites and Ceremonies which they receiv'd from Moses with their own erroneous Comments and heterodox Opinions concerning 'em But to oppose and stifle with all imaginable Vigour and Policy our excellent Religion as it were in the very Embryo ere it had got any considerable footing in the World And tho' this was beyond the reach of their Power and Malice God having decree'd to establish it by his own Omnipotent Arm yet he persecuted its excellent and innocent Author to Death by the severest Methods of Cruelty and Injustice And tho' the Devil receiv'd then a deadly blow yet he has not been wanting to his power ever since to persecute and ensnare his Members and he is restless still in his endeavours to prevail with
to save for a Time he for Ever Therefore A Concurrence of all the three Offices in Christ that he might be every way sutably qualified for the Charge and Burden which he underwent he became Prophet Priest and King all which Offices were never confer'd on any but on Christ For 't is observ'd that Melchisedec was King and Priest but no Prophet David was King and Prophet but no Priest Samuel was Priest and Prophet but no King But there 's a Concurrence of all these three Offices in Christ and he was furnisht from Heaven with a sufficiency of Power Holiness Wisdom and Goodness to dispense them for the Comfort and Benefit of all that believe in and obey Him And to this End 't was necessary 1 That he should be a Prophet The absolute Necessity of Christs being a Prophet to cure that gross Ignorance which we deriv'd from the Loins of the first Adam to reveal and expound God's Mind and Will to us to teach us how to apply his Merits by the exercise of a true and lively Faith and to direct us how to walk more conformably to God's Will in doing our Duties and avoiding Sin for the future that so the Devil and our Lusts should not have the Rule and Dominion over us 2 It was necessary that he should be our Anointed Priest And Priest Altar and Sacrifice that he might propitiate and make Atonement for all our Offences free us from the Guilt and Punishment of them reconcile us to God's Grace and Favour and translate us from a state of Sin and Death to a State of Righteousness and eternal Life 3 But since this Peace and Happiness could not be obtain'd for us And Xing not applied to us but by an absolute and irresistable Power considering the many Enemies and Impediments we have to conflict with in our Christian Course therefore 't was necessary that he should be a King That having sufficiency of Power and Authority he might enable us to resist and overcome all those Difficulties and Oppositions which might hinder our Return from the Chaos of corrupt Nature to a state of Grace and Glory And to this End God has been pleas'd to raise him far above all Principalities and Powers that he might effectually apply the satisfaction which he made and the Ransom which he paid for the Salvation of Mankind Thus much of Christ's anointing in General by God's holy Spirit to those three great Offices which he receiv'd as the Head and conveyeth to his Members the Church By instructing us as a Prophet satisfying for us as a Priest and protecting and governing us as a King We pass on to Particulars CHAP. V. Of his Prophetical Office THere are several other Titles synonimous to his being a Prophet which are ascrib'd to our blessed Saviour in holy Scripture He is call'd the Pastor the Apostle of our Profession Rabbi Master a Teacher from God a Law-giver the Author and Finisher of our Faith a Minister of the Circumcision a Teacher of the Gentiles that he might be a Light to them as well as the Glory of his People Israel All which several Titles and Appellations do import that he was a Prophet sent from God to instruct his People and to guide them in the Way of Salvation And without all controversie Christ the Prophet this is he whom God the Father promis'd to send into the World whom the Prophet Isaiah tells us should be anointed to Preach the Gospel And being com'd into these lower Regions was confirm'd in this Office by an audible Voice from Heaven three times repeated as before with this peremptory Command annext to his Commission Hear ye him His Mission was also confirm'd by many notable Signs and Wonders by the Testimony of his Harbinger John the Baptist and many other infallible Proofs which would be needless to mention here But besides the Disposition and Temper of his Mind was every way sutable to his Office and Authority For his Wisdom and Discretion Purity and Holiness His Particular Qualifications Courage and Constancy Meekness and Patience Sweetness and Goodness Power and Majesty conspicuous in all his Discourses and Demeanour are so many unanswerable Topics to prove that our Lord Jesus Christ was anointed with the holy Spirit and with Power that he might be every way qualified for the due Administration of this high and extraordinary Office of a Prophet Which Office in the most strict sense denotes that the Person invested with it should be inspir'd with extraordinary Abilities to Prophesie of and foretel things to come And tho' our Anointed Saviour could not be deficient in this since his Wisdom and Knowledge are infinite yet his Prophetical Office is to be understood in a larger Acceptation and does import a Person endu'd with the extraordinary Gifts of Divine Wisdom and Authority to interpret God's Mind and Meaning and to reveal his whole Will to the Sons of Men so far as it may concern his own Glory and their present and eternal Welfare Thus we have seen how Christ our great Prophet is every way sutably dispos'd and qualified for the Management of this weighty Office We shall enquire in the next Place into the manner of its Administration The Admistration of this Office And for the better understanding of this Point We shall consider 1. What it is that God has been pleased to make known and communicate to us by the Spirit of his Son 2. What Returns of Duty and Obedience he expects from us For the 1st What God has been pleas'd to reveal to us by the Spirit of his Son Christ our great Prophet has by his Grace and Spirit reveal'd God's will to Mankind hereby declaring what he will have us believe and do that we may be happy here and for ever And to this end he has been graciously pleas'd to take away the Veil and has fully explain'd those Laws of Nature and Morality which were never understood before Mat. chapters 5.6 7. he has also corrected the Mistakes and supplied the Defects of all former Dispensations Concerning the Law which he was rectified and improv'd and added some excellent Principles and Precepts most conducing to the Interest and Satisfaction of Mankind which do far transcend all former Laws and Institutions whatsoever For in the Doctrine of the Gospel we have anexact Specimen of all those Truths which concern the Salvation of Christians wherein the Terms of our Reconciliation are fully and clearly exprest all the Doctrines Commands Counsels Conditions Covenants Threatnings Promises which respect the present and future Happiness and Misery of our Souls and Bodies are so throughly stated that he who runs may read And the excellent Design of this great Ambassie the Priviledges and Immunities of this Gospel Covenant are not limited to some few Kingdoms and Countries but extended to all Persons in all Ages thro' the most remote and distant Parts of the World The sound thereof is gone into
Justice which has a peculiar Reference to the Estates of other men is either 1 Commutative or 2 Distributive Justice Both which do necessarily imply a constant Will Desire and Endeavour to give to every One Superiors Equals Inferiors what by a just Right and Title becomes their due whether they be Friends or Enemies virtuous or vitious all Persons whatsoever are comprehended in it and have a right to it We begin 1 With Commutative Justice 1. Commutative which is wholly conversant in the ordinary Transaction of Business between Man and Man This obligeth all Men mutually to consult their own Neighbours Advantage in their Commerce and Conversation with them That fundamental Law of Nature which our blessed Lord has adapted into the Christian Religion of dealing with others bona fide as we desire to be dealt with our selves must be kept inviolable in our whole Intercourse with one another Every Mans Conscience should be a private Chancery and Court of Equity in his own Bosom And unless we make this Golden Rule the Standard to regulate our Affairs by all other acts of Piety c. are no better than painted Hypocrisie Mic. 6.11 and most abominable in the sight of God and all good Men. Those Gentlemen have been no great Friends to the Christian Religion who so eagerly dispute against Morality as they pretend for the advancement of free Grace As if both sides of this Contradiction could be true that a Man might be godly and dishonest at the same time and be a pure Disciple of the first whilst he 's an open Enemy to and transgressor of the Commandments of the second Table so that no man in their sense can be Evangelically righteous unless he be Morally unrighteous But if they would examine the whole Christian Doctrine impartially they may be satisfied if they please that an honest upright Carriage speaking Truth to our Neighbour the keeping of a Man's Word performing Oaths and Promises the acting sincerely and conscientiously in all our Dealings with other Men is a considerable part of that Religion which our blessed Saviour came to preach and propagate in the World But I would studiously avoid all Controversie and shall only desire them and all Christians to consider that this excellent Religion which we profess does oblige us to be candid and ingenuous to measure all our Words by our Meaning so that we neither pretend what 's false nor conceal what 's true but make Truth and Equity Justice and Honesty the Common Basis and Standard of all humane Transactions For to lye and swear and dissemble for the promoting of Mens Interests in this World are Stratagems which the Devil has always made use of to allure and entrap all inconsiderate and worldly-minded Men. And indeed 't is highly incongruous and most inconsistent with the Genius and Spirit of Christianity to dissemble and deny the Truth and every sincere Christian will abhor and abandon those Methods of maintaining his secular Interests by Lyes and Falshood Again this Justice does oblige us to perform all our Promises and Contracts which are neither unlawful nor impossible to be kept tho' to our greatest prejudice and unless these be faithfully observ'd as the Government we live under may be endanger'd So no Man can be safe either in his Person or Possessions Nor should we wilfully transgress any of those Laws of Justice and Sincerity nor make use of any Man's Necessity Ignorance Passion c. to enrich our Selves or advance our Estates in this World Thus I have given you a short Specimen of this positive part of Commutative Justice wherein we should be as tender of other Mens Interests as our own But our Obligations herein will more evidently appear if we consider the Negative part of this Duty which forbids all Entrenchment on other men's Rights in taking away their Cattle Money Houses Lands c. either by Fraud or Violence And this Injustice is either 1 of the Heart which is extended to all those several Objects mention'd before which we should not Covet nor desire and a Sin expresly contradictory to and forbidden in the tenth Commandment 2 There 's the Injustice of the Mouth As in using deceitful Words and false Pretences to cheat and over-reach one another in buying and selling or in perswading an Heir by false and flattering Speeches to quit his Interest in all or any part of his Estate or when a Widow is wrought on by Fraud or Force to transfer the Title of that Inheritance which of right belong'd to the Children of the first to those of her second Husband Or lastly when Schismatical and Seditious Persons by their smooth and deceitful Language do not only allure and perswade others to substract their Obedience from their lawful Superiors but do decoy them by degrees to joyn with 'em in all their vile and unwarrantable Practices of Faction and Rebellion 3 There 's the Injustice of the Hand which consists in taking away the Estates of other Men or any part of them by Fraud or Injustice or in detaining the just Wages of Labourers or Servants or in not restoring the Pledge upon the payment of the Money for which that was the Lender's Security or in defrauding the Prince of his Honour and Tribute or in corrupting the Justice of the Nation for Bribes or lastly when a man appropriates those things to himself which have been dedicated by his pious Ancestors to the service of God and the maintainance of his Ministers As in the detention of Tyths and Offerings or in the selling of Ecclesiastical Livings c. All which several kinds of Injustice are expresly contradictory to and forbidden by the Law of Nature the Law of Nations and the positive Laws of God both in the Old and New Testaments And whosoever offends in all or any of these Instances without Repentance and Restitution in most Cases and a thorow Reformation of Life seldom escape Punishment even in this World De male quaesitis vix gaudet tertius hares and do with their ill gotten Estates entail a Curse on their miserable Posterity of which we have seen many lamentable Instances in our Days But if they should hold whilst they live what they have basely got by their Deceit and Rapine God's Justice and Vengeance will certainly meet with them in the other World Know ye not saith the Apostle that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Adulterers who violate the Chastity of their Neighbours Wives and Daughters the greatest injustice that can be committed nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven For the wrath of God is reveal'd from Heaven against all unrighteousness of men Rom. 1.18 Thus all those several kinds of Injustice which I have given you an account of are censur'd and condemn'd by the just Laws of God and the infallible Decree of Heaven from whence there can be no appeal
Justification without Sanctification For he gave himself for us Tit. 2.14 not only to redeem us from all Iniquity but to purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good-works Heb. 14.14 16. Seeing then we have a great High-priest that is passed into the Heavens for us Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast and adorn our Profession by our strictest compliances with the Conditions and our uniform Obedience to all the reasonable Commands and Constitutions of the Gospel And therefore 2 We have sufficient Motives and Encouragements to perswade us to be vigorous and active in the prudent Conduct of our Lives in the ways of Religion if we look back to the Premisses But besides to enforce those Obligations we have a Friend and Favorite in Heaven who being sensible of our Infirmities is able and willing to present and recommend Mat. 21.2 Mat. 7.72 8. and if they be seasonably offer'd he will prevail for the comfortable Success of all our pious Endeavours And what can be more argumentative to perswade us to be faithful and diligent in our most devout Attendance on all the Duties of Religion then such a well grounded Assurance of the Success of our Performances and the Acceptance of our Persons before God 3 what returns of Love and Gratitude do such wonderful Instances of Mercy and Bounty require from us These are the last Overtures and Tenders of Grace and Mercy which shall ever be made to the Sons of Men and therefore to be embrac't with the highest Regard most endeared Expressions of Love Joy and Thankfulness But if we reject and trample upon Heb. 1.2 and 2.1 2 3 4. Heb. 10.26 27. or neglect and undervalue these glad Tidings of our Peace our other Sins will receive a mighty Aggravation and our Guilt will be hugely increased Insomuch that it had been comparatively well for us if we had been born in India amongst Pagans who never heard of Christ nor his Religion rather than in England where the Gospel has been publickly and purely preacht for many years And it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah at the Day of Judgement Mat. 10.15 then for the dissolute and debaucht Christian Thus we 've seen at large that when the whole World was involv'd in the sad Catastrophe of Adam's Sin and Guilt and laid under the dreadful Decree Condemnation to eternal Misery and Death And when all the legal Sacrifices could not satisfie for the least Offence nor procure a Minute's Reprieve from God's justly incensed Wrath and Vengeance 'T was in this great Strait that mercy interpos'd and God was pleas'd to provide a Sacrifice worthy of his own Acceptance A Sacrifice so pure and excellent in its own Nature and so precious in its Value as becomes every way satisfactory to God's Justice and a sufficient Ransom for the Sins of the whole World We 've seen likewise the highest Proposals of Grace and Mercy which could be offer'd to the Sons of Men in that the eternal Son of God is pleas'd to intercede so effectually for our Pardon and Peace and has put us into such a feasible Way of obtaining them that nothing but our wilful Stubbornness can make us miserable What remains now but that we proceed by the Assistance of God's Grace to the last Branch of Christ's Mediatorship In which we have the assured Confidence that he will preserve us in the Enjoyment of Peace protect us from all the Enemies of our Welfare and establish and confirm us in the Enjoyment of those temporal and spiritual Blessings which he has purchas'd and prepar'd for us CHAP. VIII Of Christ's Kingly Office THat Christ Jesus the righteous is invested with an absolute and irresistable Power to govern the whole World in General and his Church and People in Particular was the last thing I propounded to be discourst of in this Treatise Now that I may the better inform the Judgements and affect the Hearts of my Reader with the saving Knowledge of this necessary Point of Doctrine I shall for Methods sake offer these four things to your serious and impartial Consideration 1st We shall present you with some unquestionable Evidences of Christ's Kingly Power and Authority which has been fully manifested to the World and herein we shall consider from whence this Right of Government is deriv'd 2dly We shall treat distinctly of the Administration of this Government and enquire particularly how over whom and in what Instances he exerciseth his Dominion and Authority 3dly We shall give you a Specimen of the several Benefits resulting from his supreme Power and Jurisdiction which he does thus impartially administer for the Comfort and Happiness of his Subjects 4thly We shall consider what Influence this excellent Doctrine should have upon the Lives and Practices of all Christians Of all these severally and in Order And the 1st Imports that Christ is an absolute King and the supreme Monarch of all the Kingdoms of the World Testimonies of Christ's Kingly Power Ps 2.6 8. Which may be fully evidenc't 1 From Scripture Testimony The Psalmist is very express to this purpose I will set my King saith he upon my holy Hill of Sion and I will give him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession Consonant to which is that of the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah Isai 9.6 7. Vnto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given the Government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace of the encrease of his Government and Peace there shall be no end to sit upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with with Judgement and Righteousness from henceforth even for ever and ever Ps 45.7 6. Thy Throne O God saith the Kingly Prophet is for ever and ever the Sceptre of thy Kingdom is a Right Scepter thou hast loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy Fellows And so he goes on through the whole Psalm to exalt and magnifie the Grace and Majesty of Christ's Kingdom And that all the Prophesies concerning his Kingdom are to be thus interpreted is evident from the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles Zech. 9.9 comp Mat. 2.45 Tell the Daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh unto the meek c. which is the complement of that of the Prophet Zechariah with many other parallel Passages to the same purpose which would be needless to repeat But besides all the Works of Creation and Providence are ascribed to him as before and God the Father has given him all Rule and Authority Mat. 28.18 Phil. 2.8 1 Pet. 3.22 For which end he rais'd him from the Dead and set him at his own right hand far above all Principalities and Powers Heb. 2.9 Eph. 1 20 21.
get the upper hand and lead us Captives to Condemnation 't is not imputable to any impotency in the Administration of Christ's Government but to our own Obstinacy and Cowardice We are not because we will not be happy We proceed 3dly The Benefits resulting from Christ's Kingly Government To the Benefits which flow from the Powerful Administration of Christ's Kingly Office Of which take this following Account Now it must be extremely happy for us Christians that we have such a King and live under the gracious Influences of that excellent Government which I have describ'd to you in several Particulars As 1 In respect of his Abilities For 't is said prophetically of our King I have laid help on one that is mighty Ps 89.18 and I will make him my first born higher then the Kings of the Earth Some indeed have a fit Capacity to dispose but want Power and Ability to put their just Laws in Execution for the Peace and Benefit of their Subjects Others have Power more then enough but want Wisdom and Discretion to contrive and manage the Affairs of Government But 't is said of our King Colos â— 19 that it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Fulness in the abstract both of Wisdom and Power that he might dispose and order the Concernments of his Government for the Peace and Benefit of his People Earthly Princes may make their Subjects great but they cannot make 'em good But such is the Power of our absolute and supreme Monarch that he makes his Dependents first good and then great he makes them gracious here and eternally glorious hereafter For when he ascended on high he led Captivity captive Eph. 4.8 and gave Gifts unto men and the Doors of those heavenly Treasuries are still open to his Votaries and Servants He distributes Grace in proportion to their modest Desires and Necessities his holy Spirit leads them into all Truth inspiring them with Love Peace Patience Perseverance Joy in the Holy Ghost and all other needful Graces which may qualifie 'em for Heaven and make them glorious and happy for ever 2 The Government of Christ's Kingdom is Monarchical the very best of all Constitutions in which there 's an absolute Concurrence of all Power Wisdom and Righteousness without any Corruption or Diminution For as Christ is the Power of God Psa 45.6.7 and the Wisdom of God so the Sceptre of his Kingdom is a right Sceptre a Sceptre of Equity and a Rod of Direction say some Translations And as he lays his Commands on his Subjects so which is peculiar to the Subjects of his Kingdom only he gives them Directions and furnishes them with Abilities to comply with and obey all his Commands and Institutions Besides this Monarchical Government of Christ has these special Priviledges to distinguish it from all others 1 'T is Vniversal For he is the Head of the whole Body he rules the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant us who are here and those who are gone to Heaven before us 2 'T is Spiritual he sets up his Throne in the Souls and Consciences of Believers and does there effectually conquer and subdue all his and their Enemies 3 'T is Perpetual which is the greatest Priviledge and best Property that a well constituted Government can be capable of For he ruleth by his Power for ever All earthly Governments have been and are subject to many Alterations and Revolutions Not only from one Person to another but from one kind of Government to another and 't is very uncertain how long we may continue either under this Person or Form of Government under which we live But the Politie of Christ's Kingdom as well as his Person are unchangable For 't is constituted and establish'd by such an unerring Wisdom that a better cannot be devis'd nor desir'd and 't is supported by such an invincible Power that all the Grandees on Earth and in Hell shall never be able to destroy nor dissolve it Luk. 1.32 Vpon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom shall he sit for ever to order and establish it with Judgement and Justice even for ever and ever 3 Christ our King has made an eminent Provision for the Weal and Safety of his Subjects For he gives them the Assistances of the holy Angels in Heaven and of his Ministers and Pastors on Earth By whose Ministeries and the concurrences of his Grace we are supplied with a sufficiency of Wisdom to make us Wise of Holiness to make us Good and Righteousness to make us Just He affords us a sure Protection liberal Maintenance and unspeakable Rewards for those little Tributes and Fealties of Service which we pay him In a word his loyal Subjects can want nothing which may be requisite for their Support and Convenience in this Life But if they should be at any time straitned by the want of these he will enrich them more abundantly with spiritual and eternal Blessings Let them but hold out a while with Patience and Perseverance in well doing and they shall have Kingdoms and Sceptres put into their Hands and Crowns set upon their Heads as Ensigns of their everlasting Triumph 5 and Lastly It may be added as a considerable Benefit and Priviledge of Christ's Kingdom that Satan's Power as before is dasht in pieces and we are safe under the defence and Protection of this mighty Monarch The other Enemies who oppose his Authority and do disease and trouble us are Atheists and Infidels without and Hereticks and Apostates within the Church and all these Adversaries have no small Advantage against us from that innate Corruption and Concupiscence in our own Bowels but all the hurt that Christ our King will suffer them to do us is only by some faint Encounters now and then to try and advance our Graces and prove our Integrity And tho' that last Enemy Death may be a present torture yet cannot deprive us of that Bliss which shall certainly be the Reward of all his Subjects in another World For these Oppositions will rather further than hinder us in our Journey and bring us perhaps sooner however with greater safety to the Haven and Happiness where we would be We go on to the 4th The Application of this Point and Last Particular Which is to make some practical Improvement of this Point by way of Application And 1 Seeing that Christ our King is advanc't to this high and honourable Office We are oblig'd both in Duty and Interest to pay that just tribute of Fear and Homage of Love and Obedience which is most deservedly due to so great and so good a Monarch And we are under the greatest Obligations to be most exact and uniform in our Services to him since the very Angels in Heaven and all other Creatures do not only acknowledge his Sovereignty over 'em but do in their several Capacities send up Acclamations of Blessing Praise unto him Therefore since we live under
all his Undertakings for the Advancement of the true Honour and Interest of the establisht Religion his Subjects Peace and his own Safety Give a plentiful Portion of thy Grace and Spirit to all the several Stewards and Dispensers of thy holy Mysteries whether they be Arch-Bishops Bishops or other subordinate Priests and Deacons but more particularly to him whom thou hast intrusted with the more immediate Care and Inspection over our Souls in this Parish Enable them to feed their Flocks with true Wisdom and Knowledge that after a plentiful Conversion of Sinners from the Errour of their Way they may shine like so many Stars in thy Kingdom and Glory for ever and ever And let the same holy Spirit we most humbly beseech thee sanctifie and direct all the King's Councellors Judges Magistrates and Ministers whatsoever that they may be all faithful and zealous in their several Stations and Callings for the Maintenance of thy true Religion the Encouragement and encrease of Piety and Justice and brotherly Love and Unity amonst us And now O Lord as we have pray'd unto thee for the supply of all temporal and spiritual Wants so we beseech thee to accept of the hearty Return of our most affectionate Praise and Thanksgiving for the abundance of thy Grace and Mercy vouchsafed to our Souls and Bodies We bless thee for our Creation Preservation and manifold Deliverances from Temptation Sin and Danger for all the comfortable Motions of thy holy Spirit and the blessed effects thereof in our Lives and Actions for our Health and Liberty Peace and Prosperity But above all let Heaven and Earth praise thee for thine infinite Love and Compassion to our miserable Nature in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and herein we praise thee more particularly for his Merits and Intercession his Doctrine and Example the benefit of Repentance and promise of Pardon for thine unwearied Patience and passionate Entreaties to save us from Sin and Ruin for all the blessed Opportunities of Grace and Mercy in this Life and the assured hope of a blessed Immortality in that which is to come Finally we beg the Assistance of thy good Providence which hath watcht over us and preserved us this Day to defend us this Night also Refresh our wearied Bodies with comfortable Rest and Sleep and keep our Souls and Bodies from the Violence and Malice of the Spirits of Darkness from all evil Accidents and illusive and filthy Dreams So that if thy good Providence bring us to the Enjoyment of another Day we may serve thee fathfully and sincerely both in the business of our Callings and Religion Take us not out of this World we pray thee till thou hast dispos'd and qualified us for the happy and eternal Enjoyment of a better and let thy merciful Kindness be our Support and Comfort in the whole remaining part of our Lives In confidence whereof we recommend our Selves Ours to thy gracious disposal in Christ Jesus in whose most holy Name and prevailing Words we beseech thee to hear us Our Father c. A Morning Prayer for a Private Person O Most merciful and gracious God the Fountain of all goodness and blessing of life and peace of plenty and pardon thou art greatly to be feared and had in reverence of all that draw unto thee Wherefore I humbly beg the assistance of thy Grace at this time to sanctifie and enliven my Devotions that I may pray with the Spirit and pray with the Vnderstanding also For I must confess O Lord to my great shame and sorrow that I am a most vile and sinful Creature less then the least of all thy Mercies and lyable to the severest of thy Judgements All the Powers and Faculties of my Soul and Members of my Body are polluted with the contagion and filthiness of Original Sin I am clothed with Iniquity as with a Garment and my Transgressions are gone over my head like a sore burden too heavy for me to bear I have sinned in every Circumstance in every Condition and Imployment of my whole Life not only in my youth and days of ignorance but in my more discerning and riper years Insomuch that there are few sins which I have not either actually committed or at least been inclined to to the great increase of my present Misery and future Condemnation * Here mention your partitular sins as Besides vile Creature that I am I have been so miserably intangled in the snares of Sin and Wickedness as to be hurried on either to the wilful neglect of the Duties of Religion †Here confess your particular Omissions of and Failings in Duty or those I perform are done with so much indifference and formality hypocrisie and distraction coldness and indevotion that even my Prayers and other religious Performances are not seldom turned into sin And to render all my Transgressions out of measure sinful the guilt of 'em has been hugely aggravated and encreast ‖ Here consider the circumstantial Aggravations as when how often where c. by the Commission of 'em from time to time against the clearest Convictions of thy Word and Spirit the Testimony and many checks of my own Conscience notwithstanding my many solemn Vows and Resolutions to the contrary Wherefore holy Father thou mightest justly enter into Judgment with me and if thou shouldest be extreme to mark what I 've done amiss I should not only be of all Men but of all Creatures the most miserable But with thee is mercy and forgivenness and because thy fatherly Compassions fail not therefore I am not consumed thou passest by the Transgressions of thy Servant and retainest not thine Anger for ever Let the abundant Merits of thy Son and my most merciful Redeemer make a full and satisfactory Atonement for the Sins and Offences of my whole Life and for his Righteousness sake deliver me I beseech thee from the Guilt and Stain and from the Power and Punishment of all my reigning Lusts which I have hitherto indulg'd and cling about me * Here mention the Sins to which you are most inclin'd and pray earnestly against them Enable me to subdue and overcome all those Follies Indiscretions the unreasonable Cares and unrelenting Affections that remisness and indisposednes in Duty †Here mention and pray against your several indispositions to Duty whereby I 've been so miserably led captive hitherto to the great dishonour of my holy Profession the Scandal of others and the extreme trouble and disquiet of my own sorrowful and afflicted Conscience Rescue me from those many alluring Temptations which are daily perplexing me in every Condition of life ‖ Here mention the Temptations which do oftnest aâ—â—ault you or give me a Sufficiency of spiritual Strength when they assault me to overcome them lest my Enemies prevail against me and lead me unawares into the Pit of Destruction and endless Perdition For this end I humbly beg the Aids of thy holy Spirit to purifie my
whole Nature and dispose me for the moderate use of all thy Creatures Inform my Judgement with the useful Knowledge of those Truths which are necessary to be believed and practic'd rectifie my Will and sanctifie my Affections that I may so love and fear trust and hope desire and delight in thee above all Things that all my Thoughts Words and Works may shew forth thy praise who hast call'd me from the dark Regions of Sin and Ignorance to the marvellous Light of thy pure and undefiled Religion Give me Grace to improve every Opportunity and Blessing thy good Providence has intrusted me with that when thy Messengers Death or Judgement shall put an end to all the tedious Cares and troublesome Concernments of this mortal Life I may be clothed upon with a glorious and blissful Immortality Bless thy holy Catholic Church but more especially the Churches of these Kingdoms Bless the King's Majesty the Royal Family the Clergy Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of this Realm Let all my Friends Relations and Benefactors particularly * As Father Mother Husband Wife Children c. the Family wherein I live c. receive the Benefit of my Prayers Bless them in their Bodies with the Comforts of Health and Peace Liberty and Safety and in their Souls with sound Judgements holy Affections and heavenly Dispositions that their Lives and Practices may be unblameable before thee in the sight of all men And now O Lord I beseech thee accept of the Tender of my most humble and hearty Thanks for those innumerable Blessings by which I live and am provided for Thou hast given me Food and Raiment Liberty and Friends †Here mention the temporal Blessings God's Bounty has bestow'd on thee and thine c. and by thy merciful Providence hast wonderfully preserved me yet alive amidst the innumerable Assaults of my bitter and malicious Enemies But chiefly O Lord I praise and magnifie thy holy Name with all my Soul and all my Strength for the miraculous Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ for the Revelation of thy Will the Satisfaction which he made and the Ransom which he paid not only for mine but the Sins of the whole World for the sanctification of my Nature by the Grace of his holy Spirit the admirable Comforts and Refreshments of his Body and Bloud the conquest over all his and mine Enemies for his powerful Intercession and the gracious acceptance of my Prayers and Person before God c. * Spiritual Mercies For which and all other temporal and spiritual Mercies my Soul shall magnifie the Lord and with the best Faculties I have I will bless and praise him for ever Finally O Lord I beseech thee preserve me in a perpetual Remembrance of those manifold and undeserved Favours thy Bounty has bestowed upon me and mine And as thou hast wonderfully preserv'd me hitherto and particularly from the dangers of the Night past so keep me this Day and for ever from all Sin and Mischief Let the Love of Christ be always in my heart and in my thoughts and as he is my hope so let him be for ever my rule and pattern to walk by That by by a sincere and faithful Discharge of the several Duties of my Calling and Religion both to God and Man I may enjoy a comfortable and prosperous well-Being in this Life and in the World to come Life everlasting To which the Lord of his infinite Mercies bring me and all his People thro' the Merits of Jesus Christ In whose Name and Words I continue to pray unto thee Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for a private Person OH eternal God! the Father of Men and Angels whose Glory is far above the Heavens and by whom the lower World is establisht in a Wonderful Order making the Day and Night to succeed each other Thou excellest the praises of all thy Creatures and hast no need of our Services neither can any thing be added to thy infinite Perfection yet in great Mercy thou hearest Prayer and thy Power and Goodness are abundantly manifested to the meanest of thy Servants who call upon thee in Faith and Sincerity In confidence whereof I most humbly implore the gracious Assistance of thy holy Spirit and be pleased to accept of such Prayer and Service as thy Bounty shall enable me to perform But the sense of my sinful Estate and Condition might justly make me afraid to speak of thy holy name since I have so wilfully and wickedly abused thy Goodness affronted thy Clemency resisted thy Power undervalued thy Wisdom trespassed upon thy Patience and stopt mine Ears against all the charitable tenders of Mercy and Salvation In somuch that thro' this senseless Stupidity and unreasonable Folly my heart is become proud and unmortified pievish and disobedient lustful and intemperate so wholly intangled in the snares of Sin Wickedness that I am utterly unable to resist or flie from 'em For I am daily prevailed with by my buitish Appetites and Passions to commit those Sins which thou hast forbidden * Here confess thy particular Sins committed as c. and to ommit those Duties which thou hast commanded †And the Duties omitted even contrary to the most convincing Attestations of rectified Reason and Religion For which beinous and innumerable Offences thou mightest justly long ere this have given me my portion in the horrours and sorrows of a sad miserable Eternity But thou delightest in Mercy and thy loving kindness has been abundantly manifested hitherto in sending thy Son and Spirit not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Come Lord Jesus and say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation and my Leprosie shall be healed Think upon thy Mercies holy Father consider thy Son's Bloud and Obedience and accept of my sincere Contrition and unfeigned Repentance for his Names sake Touch my frozen heart with the Finger of thy Omniporence dissolve it into those Tears which may so wash my polâ—ited Conscience that thy love may refresh me that thy presence may revive me and the Garments of heaviness will be turned into the white Robes of Praise and Exaltation Oh let me hear the joyful News of a merciful Pardon from thy gracious Lips that the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Stretch forth thy hand O Lord to save a poor miserable and sinful Creature from the power of Sin and Satan and the pain and peril of hell torments Keep me unspotted from the World that my Thoughts and Affections may not be drawn away from thee by the deceitful Pleasures unmanly Desires and unworthy Designs of this vain and transitory Life Support me under the many Temptations and Pressures which thy good Providence may order and appoint for the tryal and improvement of my Graces or the punishment of my Sins Teach and enable me to be truly watchful in all my Ways and so keep the door of my lips that I may not offend in Thought Word or Deed either
against the Laws of Piety Temperance or Charity Supply my outward wants with health safety and success in my honest Calling and lawful undertakings give me true Friends and other temporal Blessings so far as thou seest them needful and convenient for my Support and Comfort Guide me with thy Wisdom in the Way wherein I am to walk cloth me with thy Sons Righteousness and seal me with thy holy Spirit unto the Day of Redemption that I may not be cast out of thy gracious presence with Hypocrites and Vnbelievers And since thou hast been pleas'd to enrich my Soul with divine and excellent Faculties so enable me to imploy 'em entirely to thy Service that neither Death nor Judgement may overtake me unawares And seeing thy Mercy O Lord is over all thy Works I beseech thee to be gracious to all Mankind Bless the universal Church especially the Churches of these Kingdoms And herein I intreat thee for all temporal and spiritual Mercies for the guidance and safety of the King 's most excellent Majesty the royal Family and the whole Clergy of this Realm but particularly for the Guide and Pastor of our Souls in this Parish Bless all the Nobility Gentry and Commonality in their several Capacities and Callings Be favourable and gracious to all my Relations Friends and Benefactors and extend thy Mercy and Goodness to all even my most inveterate and malicious Enemies Be propitious to those who want the blessings and comforts which I enjoy strengthen the weak confirm the strong instruct the ignorant deliver the oppressed relieve the needy pity and support the Fatherless and Widow and bring us all by the Waters of Comfort in the Ways of Religion to thy Kingdom of rest Glory The holy Angels and Saints in heaven praise thee O Lord extol thy Power bless thy Goodness and are astonished at thy Wisdom the whole Earth is full of the Riches of thy Grace and Mercy But thou hast blest and oblig'd me more especially by all the endeared Expressions of love and bounty in my Creation Preservation and all the Mercies and Comforts of this Life but above all by the infinite Riches of thy Grace and Goodness in fending thy Son to purchase my Peace and Pardon at so dear a price as the expence of his own bloud And herein I thank thee with all my Soul for his miraculous Birth his most holy and innocent Life for his bitter Agony and Passion his Glorious Resurrection and Ascension and his sovereign Power and Authority over all the Creatures for the sprinkling of his Bloud and his Intercession with the Father for us and for the coming of the holy Ghost for all the blessed Opportunities of Grace and Salvation here and assured hope of eternal Glory hereafter And to all thy other Mercies and Blessings thou hast graciously added the Protection of me and mine in our Persons and Possessions this Day from all Casualties and ill Accidents from the power prevalence of our Enemies and from thine infinite Wrath and Vengeance which might have deservedly faln upon us In like manner I beseech thee preserve my Soul and Body from all the Malice and Violence of the Spirits of Darkness and suffer not any vain Thoughts or Dreams to disturb or ensnare me Bless sanctifie my Sleep that it may be temperate holy and safe and that I and all thine may be refreshed from time to time with wholesome and moderate Rest that both our Souls and Bodies may not only serve thee with a never failing Duty but that whether we wake or sleep live or die we may be thine in Christ Jesus Our Father c. FINIS
to Hell and become the Devil's Factors to plunge 'em into temporal Misery and eternal Condemnation These are certainly of the number of those unprofitable Servants who shall be bound hand and foot and suffer the ignominy and torture of those Pains which are easeless endless and remediless But as we are oblig'd to be extremely solicitous for the welfare of Mens Souls So 2 Their Bodies are as sutable Objects of our Charity and tenderest Compassions And to their Bodies And we are oblig'd by the Laws of our holy Profession to minister all things needful for the relief of their Wants who are not able to provide for Themselves For the Poor are the Treasuries and Ornaments of the Church and by being charitable to 'em they become as it were Bills of Exchange by which we make a wise and frugal Purchase in Heaven and transmit our Estates into the other World And it can be no matter of scruple to us whether we give Money or Money worth to those that want since all Christians are left to their own Prudence and Discretion to dispense their Charity and Beneficence as may seem to 'em most meet and convenient Now the particular Instances wherein we must express our Charity to the Bodies of our fellow Christians are such as these Namely the poor Widows and Orphans the Blind Lame Aged Impotent Sick and Diseas'd should never go from our Doors empty if we have wherewith to supply their Wants We must give them something for Food and something for Raiment and protect and defend if we be able their Persons Possessions from the Oppression and Injury of Merciless and unrighteous Men. More particularly yet our Religion obligeth us to recruite the Spoiled to redeem Captives and those that are in Bonds to entertain Strangers relieve the Sick and those that are in Prison and to be careful to bury the dead Bodies of our Brethren in honour and safety And thus we are bound in all those Instances which I have mention'd to be charitable to all Persons but especially to those who are unblameable in their Lives and according to their Abilities painful in their Callings modest in their Behaviour and to such most particularly who being really indigent are yet asham'd to beg To enforce this Duty God has plac'd the Safeguard of our Lives in the mutual Assistances of one another And then we rejoice most sutably for God's Mercies receiv'd when by our bounty others have cause to rejoice with us If we be not able to give much yet we must give what we can and where there 's a willing Mind and Disposition to do Good God has promised to accept it reward the Widows Mite Si nihil babes da Lachry mulam magnum enim est solatium afflicto Misericordia Naz. Or. 16 and a Cup of cold Water with the Comforts and Blessings both of this and a future life And tho' we cannot relieve the Distresses of our poor brethren by our Purses yet we may assist them with our Persons and in our Prayers which in many Instances may be comfortable and advantageous to them And to encourage us further herein Our Charity to Men is always rewarded with Mercy from God And this will be a certain Expedient if it be seasonably made use of to secure both our Persons and Possessions from injury and violence 1 Our Persons will be safe under the conduct of a wise and gracious Providence The wicked indeed may rage against and persecute the charitable and merciful Man but God will hold him in the hollow of his hand preserve him from violence under the shaddow of his Wings and he shall be safe under his feathers in the time of trouble Psa 51.1 Acts 10.4 God will hear his Prayers and grant his Desires and either give what he asks or something equivalent if not more advantagious Deal thy Bread then to the hungry Isa 58.7 8 9. c. and bring the Poor that are cast out to thy House when thou seest the naked cover him and hide not thy self from thine own Flesh then shall thy light break forth as the Morning thy Soul shall be enrich'd with all spiritual and heavenly blessings and thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go before thee the Glory of the Lord shall be thy Re-reward And as our Benevolence and Beneficence to others is a certain Expedient to preserve our Persons in peace and safety So 2 'T is of great use and importance 1 to improve and 2 to secure our Estates and Possessions to us and ours For the First The liberal Soul shall be made fat Pro. 11.24 and he that watereth shall be watered himself For he that hath pity on the Poor Pro. 19.17 lendeth to the Lord Deut. 15.10 Mat. 7.2 and that which he hath given will he pay him again and bless him in all that he putteth his hand unto The same Measure that we mete to others shall be measur'd to us again To the merciful Ps 18.25 God will shew himself merciful Psa 112.9 and the righteous that is the charitable Man shall be had in everlasting Remembrance Eccl. 11.1 Thus if we cast our Bread upon the Water without hopes of Retribution from those whom we relieve we shall find it after many days Luk. 12.33 This is to make to our selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness and to provide Bags which wax not old a treasure in heaven that sadeth not where no Thief approacheth neither Moth corrupteth Habet semâ— per unde dat qui habet pectus plenum Charitatis And doubtless the more we communicate to others out of a true Principle of Charity the more will God communicate to us For in St. Austin's opinion they shall never want Abilities nor Opportunities to give who are thus piously and charitably dispos'd And as our Charity and Bounty to the Poor is of singular Use and Advantage for the Improvement of our Estates and Possessions as has been noted from the experience of many charitable Persons even in our Memories So Secondly This will prove the best Expedient to increase and improve what we have got and to preserve them too 1 For the benefit of our Selves and 2 of our Posterity 1 Our diffusive Charity will be of great Use and Expediency to preserve and improve our Possessions for the Benefit and Comfort of our Selves No Extortioner no Tyrant no Oppressor shall be able to seize them out of our Hands The strongest Locks and Bolts Banks and Exchequers and the surest Mortgage in Lands may fail for Riches do often take to themselves wings and fly away but that Money Prov. 23.5 and those Goods which we give to the Poor are transmitted to and laid up in those Heavenly Treasuries Mat. 6.20 where neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt and where Thieves shall not break thorow and steal 'em God having promis'd that they shall be kept in safe