now mention'd a most Excellent Grace in it self is often and that easily Transported into Cruelty as we see it was in St. Paul who out of a Zeal for the Law Beyond measure persecuted the Church of God and wasted it Gal. 1.13 Thus by changing the Nature of several Divine Graces and Vertues so that they become very great sins does Satan easily betray us into them â—ins thus â—aken are â—om Reâ—ed of And what is worse Sin thus mistaken for Vertue is hardly ever afterwards Repented of for whereas Sin when it appears barefac'd and in its own Colours and is known to be so is an ugly Monster and is no sooner Committed but it scares the Conscience into Grief Anguish and Repentance when it is thus mistaken for real and true Vertue it is not only securely and without the least Reluctancy and Remorse committed but is confidently Glorify'd in and the Sinner grows Proud of those Villanous Practices for which he ought to humble himself in Sackcloth and Ashes IV. â—y putting â—vices upon â—ertaking â—erities â—ater than 〈◊〉 can go â—o ' with â—esign that â—n they â—w weary â—eof they 〈◊〉 together with those their voluntary Severities throw all Religion aside as too Burdensom and not at all Practicable Fourthly It is a most destructive Policy of Satan To put New Beginners in the Spiritual Life upon greater Severities and Strictnesses in Religion than they are capable of on purpose that when they grow weary thereof and cannot go through with they may together with those their voluntary Severities throw all Religion aside as too burdensom and not at all practicable This we gather to be a Policy of Satan's from that Prudent Advice of St. Paul's 1 Cor. 7.5 which he gives to Marry'd People that Except it be with consent for a time that they might give themselves to Fasting and Prayer they should not prescribe to themselves too long Abstinences from one another lest Satan should Tempt them for their Incontinency so we Translate it but the Word in the Original signifies want of Ability to Contain or Abstain Which Inability or Weakness to go through any voluntary and under taken Piece of Discipline is an occasion of Temptation and will be an Advantage to the Tempter by which when he does at any time Attempt such a Person he may probably enough Overcome Which Inability or Weakness I say to go through any voluntary and undertaken Piece of Discipline as of long Fastings and Watchings at such set Hours of the Night or the Performance of certain Vows which some do lay upon themselves these tho' they may be serviceable to promote a spiritual Life if discreetly and advisedly undertaken by a Person and with a just Consideration had to his own Ability and Circumstances yet they are greater Severities than what many can go through with and when impos'd upon themselves by such they give occasion to Satan to Tempt 'em to throw off those voluntary Services together with all Religion as not Performable by Flesh and Blood or by any thing short of Angels Whereas indeed it is not the Substantials of Religion such as our Saviour prescrib'd whose Yoke is easy and whose Burden is light Matth. 11.30 that are so but those Accessories and Appendages to it which some do indiscreetly and without regard to their own Capacities and Circumstances lay upon themselves And here it may be useful to let you know what a Great Master in the spiritual Life observes Bona de Discretione Spirituum Cap. 6. The difference between God's Ordering and the Devil's Management of Men in these Matters concerning the difference between God's Ordering and the Devil's Management of Men in these matters God begins with us at low Degrees and gently leads us from an imperfect to a perfect State He has regard to Persons and their Age and imparts one degree of Wisdom to the Aged another to Youth one to Beginners another to the Perfect But the Devil on the contrary observes no Order but darts into our Souls unseasonable Heats and forthwith suggests Excesses in Devotion He perswades such immediately to undertake immoderate Fastings and Watchings and to mortify the Body by intolerable Penances And these Burdens because they lay upon themselves without measure they are not able to bear and then their Strength being broke and the Vigour of their Minds abated they do at length backslide into meer Indifferency and Looseness And yet to see the crooked Windings of this wily Serpent as much as he is for screwing Persons up to Excesses in Religion Fifthly Satan by Injecting of evil Thoughts into our Minds to disorder and disturb our Devotions is very Industrious to Vnhallow and Spoil those Services whereby we shall most really and immediately and directly Honour and Glorify our Maker and Benefit our own Souls V. By injecting of Evil Thoughts into our Minds at our Devotions to unhallow those Services whereby we do really and most immediately glorify God and benefit our own Souls The Devil being a Spirit can find an Entrance into our Spirits by ways which we are not sensible of And being Diving Worship is the chief of all our Services we pay to our Maker as being that wherein we do most immediately and directly of all others Glorify God and derive down Blessings upon our own Souls if rightly perform'd the Devil is therefore too too buisy about us when we are at our Devotions to unhallow and spoil ' em Thus we read Job 1.6 that when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord Satan came also amongst them And so likewise Zechar. 3.1 we find that when Joshua the High-Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his Right-hand to Resist him And the Best of Christians also who upon other Objects of far less Concern and at other times can fix their Minds steddily do often complain that sometimes in their Prayers they are strangely broken and the Intention of their Minds frequently taken off by odd Thoughts roving Fancies and far fetcht Imaginations This sure cannot happen but by the importunate Urgency of some malicious Spirit who is marvellously Industrious to let and hinder us in nothing more than in this most Glorious and Beneficial Service of our Prayers and Praises to Almighty God And thus he hinders the Efficacy of the Word And hence also in the Hearing of the Word does he either bring a Drowsiness upon the Hearers so that even at the very instant we the Ambassadors of Christ are Proclaiming to sinful Men those gracious Terms of Reconciliation sent to them by us from the infinite Majesty of Heaven They will even sleep all the time of its Delivery or he will endeavour to possess their Minds with such vain wandring and worldly Thoughts that the Seed sown for want of their Attention can never take Root in their Hearts And this not attending to and not considering what you are about and what you hear is expresly affirm'd
Ruine you will thereby bring upon your selves and Families why you must consider that in such Case our Saviour tells us that a Man must even Hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also or he cannot be his Disciple and that whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after him shall not be his Disciple Luk. 14.26 27. â—r Fourthâ— must â—reatnings 〈◊〉 Frowns â—ght us â—n it Nor Lastly must a Souldier of Jesus Christ be frighted out of the way of his Duty or Aw'd into any sinful or slavish Compliance by the Threats and Frowns of any Man living Shrink not from the Exercise of Religion and Uprightness because many about you and they perhaps Above or Richer than you are profane and lewd and utterly regardless of any thing that is Good and moreover do Discourage and Affront it For this if you should you will most certainly offend your Great Lord and Master the Lord of Heaven and Earth and who has call'd upon you not to fear a mortal Man no tho' he could Kill the Body but to be afraid of displeasing him rather who is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell Yea I say unto you fear him Luk. 12.4 And now Lastly I cannot call to Mind any other Temptations Lastly The evil Customs which have prevailed in the World are a powerful Temptation to Sin usual amongst wicked Men to Tempt others to Sin besides Some Evil Customs so rise amongst many That the Heathen Idolatries and those filthy Practices committed in 'em were so universally Complied with by all sorts of Men in the Pagan World was because they were Commended and Established by Publick Custom Many of their wisest Men and Philosophers had other Conceptions of God than to think it was fit to Change the Glory of God into the Similitude of an Ox that eateth Grass and thought also he ought to be Worshipt not by Fooleries and Impurities but with a chast Mind and a clean Heart And yet even those Men submitted to Common Custom and whatever they thought or spoke Privately amongst themselves they acted and spoke in Publick as the rest did And it was to the Prevalency of Custom that the Apostle imputed those Enormities of the Ephesians before their Conversion telling 'em that In time past they walked according to the Course of this World Eph. 2.2 And indeed so great is the Power of Evil Custom that it does still amongst Christians constrain Persons to do many ill Things even contrary to their Nature and Inclinations as well as Religion And when grown prevalent and common it does strangely take off the sence and fear of Hurt in the most Unchristian Practices Custom I say does still amongst Christians constrain Persons to do many ill Things even contrary to their Nature and Inclinations as well as Religion Hence among the Men of Honour as they would be thought shall many become even Self-murderers meerly in Compliance with Custom insomuch that those Persons who of all men Living have most reason to preserve their Lives having all their good Things they can ever expect in this World yet desperately spill one another's Blood in your cursed Duels It is no Inclination in these men I dare say to be so Prodigal of their dear Lives that makes 'em so desperately throw 'em away but meerly out of a Cowardly Fear they should be Branded with Disgrace for not complying with so common a Custom amongst Persons of their own Character So again among Persons of all Ranks you shall have men of no manner of Inclinations to Intemperate Drinking yet when they come to any Great Man's House where it is the barbarous and brutish Custom of Drinking Men hard Yet at such times they will not scruple to Exceed very far It is the Custom of the Place they 'll say and they were forc'd to it they could not help it And Custom also Custom takes off the Sence and Fear of Hurt in the most Vnchristian Practices when grown prevalent and common among Societies of Men will strangely take off the Sence and Fear of Hurt in the most Unchristian Practices Hence amongst Sea-men and Souldiers the most outragious Whoredoms and Adulteries and the most execrable Oaths and Curses are hardly accounted amongst the number of Sins And all the Arts of Cheating and Over-reaching nay of downright Lying and Swearing to the Soundness and Goodness of bad Commodities is little scrupled amongst some sort of Dealers the thing is grown so common And Custom it is which is so commonly Pleaded for the Omission of most necessary Duties as well as the Commission of most horrid Sins Hence do Multitudes make not the least scruple of Absenting their whole Lives from the Blessed Sacrament because it is so common amongst many to do so Thus powerful you see are the Evil Customs of the World so as almost to force Men whether they will or no to do many ill things and what is worse to seare their Consciences in the Commission of the worst Sins and in the Omission of the chiefest Duties A Christian â—ust couraâ—ously and â—gorously reâ—unce and â—ithstand the â—orce of all â—ful Customs â—hatsoever And now what must a Christian do in this Case Custom we know is a Second Nature and when it has been of a long Date Time out of Mind as the Phrase is it pleads Prescription and obtains the Force of a Law amongst Men. So that be a Custom never so contrary to Honesty Sobriety to common Sense and Reason or any the Laws of Christianity an old Custom must not be broken it is the Custom of the Place and must be kept up Such are the Sentiments of the Vulgar in this matter But you must resolve with all Courage and Stedfastness like true Souldiers of Jesus Christ to Renounce and Withstand the Force of all sinful Customs whatsoever and not to suffer your selves to be over-born thereby into any sinful Compliances When Christianity was first Preach'd amongst Men such barbarous and brutish Customs had of a long time prevail'd over the greatest Part of the Heathen World that many Practices which the meer Light of Nature would teach Men to Abandon as Sins and Wounds of Conscience Were as the Learned Dr. Hammond observes Embrac'd by whole Nations at once and continued in without any Check as innocent sinless Qualities Nature and Reason being so early engag'd and silenc'd by popular Custom and vicious Education that many knew it not to be a Sin to Steal or Rob if they were so Cunning as not to be taken others to Kill and Eat their Aged Parents conceiving that by this means they gave 'em a more Honourable Burial others to throw themselves murderously into the Flames to accompany their Dead Princes out of the World Many the like irrational Sins through some local Customs got the Reputation not only of sinless and lawful but of laudable also But all who Embrac'd Christianity as they
in their kind but the Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler and better Purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other The Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler Purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other and most study'd by every Christian And hence therefore does St. Paul when he comes at any time to speak of Divine Knowledge not only barely enjoyn the Attainment of it as of other Vertues but does moreover add Prayers and Supplications to God to endow 'em therewith and to increase 'em therein We do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the Knowledge of God Col. 1.9 10. And again I cease not says he making mention of you always in my Prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him Eph. 1.16 17. So that tho to be excellently well skill'd in any Art or Science whatsoever which terminates only in the Conveniencies of this Life be not only Lawful but Commendable yet it is a Profaneness fit to be Renounc'd by every Christian to prefer such to Divine Knowledge and to apply your Mind wholly to the attaining of such Skill to the Neglect of those Great and Important Truths the Knowledge of which is indispensably necessary to our Everlasting Happiness And therefore let your Profession and Calling be what it will you must make it your first Care and Study to know the Nature and Design of the Christian Religion The Necessary Points of Christian Knowledge how that it is a Body of the most Excellent Principles and Laws all of 'em tending wholly to render you Holy and Good Livers and then to make you to depend upon the Mediation of Christ with his Father for his Acceptance thereof to your Justification You must also next make it more your Study to understand throughly the Covenant of Grace than the Nature and Obligation of any Humane Covenants or Contracts whatsoever And since we must build our hopes upon the performance of particular Articles and as exactly as possible square our Lives according to each single Condition of the Covenant of Grace there can be nothing of more concernment to every Christian Lay as well as Clergy than throughly to understand both the Meaning and Importance of every Doctrine of Faith and the Nature and Extent of every Christian Duty And lastly Since a good End can never be obtain'd without the Knowledge and Use of due and proper means the Nature therefore and Use of Prayer and the Nature and End of Sacraments must be a most necessary part of Christian Knowledge So much must our Appetities after Knowledge in the most Excellent of Humane Arts and Science be Renounc'd in comparison of our Desires after a competent Measure of Divine Knowledge But Lastly above all we must Renounce that prevailing Appetite in such as are of most Depraved and Corrupt Minds viz. The setting up their own Imaginations and Fleshly Reasonings against those Spiritual Notions and those more Mysterious Articles of Faith which are delivered to us in the Scripture 3. When out of Pride Prejudice and Contradiction to all Sacred Truths we set up our own Carnal Imaginations and Fleshly Reasonings against those Spiritual Notions and those Mysterious Articles of our Faith which are deliver'd to us in Scripture In the more depraved Nature of some Men there is a great deal of Untowardness and Difficulty to submit to the Sacred Truths Revealed to us by Christ in the Gospel as to Matters of Faith or such Articles as are necessary to be believ'd One that is conceited of his own Wisdom strength of Parts or Improvement in Knowledge will not submit his Reason to entertain Notions which he cannot Comprehend and Penetrate The Carnal Mind which is Enmity against God Rom. 8.7 will disdain to have his Understanding baffl'd or puzzl'd with Sublime Mysteries of Faith he will quarrel at any thing too high for his Wit to reach or too Knotty for him to unloose How can these things be What Reason can there be for this I cannot see how this can be true This Point is not intelligible And perhaps he finds fault with the whole Body of the Scriptures either because some things are obscure to him or the Phrase is not queint and fine enough Thus the Carnal Mind treateth the Dictates of Faith and the Word of God But far be it from Christians thus to indulge their own Carnal Reasonings and Self-Conceits in opposition to what God has Reveal'd to us as necessary to be Believ'd by us For certainly the Infinite Wisdom both knows what is fittest to be taught and reveal'd to us and in what Manner and Method he had best to express himself Those that did thus proudly despise the Wisdom of God measuring it according to their own Talent of Wit and Understanding did at first and do to this Day most fatally miscarry for it is written 1 Cor. 1.19 I will destroy the Wisdom of the Wise and will bring to nothing the Vnderstanding of the Prudent But our Duty is to submit our Understandings to Almighty God to be Inlightn'd by his Infinite Wisdom Casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 There is a great deal of Vertue and Grace in an Obedient Understanding and therefore to the Disciples who were so dispos'd To them it was given as our Saviour tells us Matth. 13.11 To understand the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them who are not prepar'd with an humble Mind it is not given Nor is this an hard Imposition upon Mankind to oblige 'em to believe what is above our Reason to Comprehend It is sufficient that the Holy Scriptures which do deliver such Articles of Faith as necessary to be Believ'd are sufficiently witnessed to be Divine Revelations and that there is nothing contain'd in the Articles or Mysteries themselves which is contrary or contradictory to that Reason which God has given to Man But that there should be any thing in an Article of Faith which though it be above our Reason to Comprehend especially in this its State of weakness must yet be Believ'd will not seem hard if we consider that there are many Appearances even in Nature it self which no Man has been yet found who could give a tolerable account for and yet the truth of their being so and so cannot be call'd in question This Humour of opposing Reason to Revelation proceeds from mere Pride In short this Humour of opposing our own Fleshly Reasonings against those Divine Revelations which we cannot now
squeamishly Refuse â—he Objection â—rom Rom. 7 â—leared But that you may not make Shipwrack of a good Conscience by falling into the usual Mistakes about the sense of this place you are to know that St. Paul's design in this 7th to the Romans being to Represent the Ill Condition of the Jews as under the Law of Moses which only Enlightn'd their Minds so far as to Convince 'em of many things to be Sins which otherwise they could not have known to be such but gave no power to 'em to overcome those Lusts because the Jews could not bear such a Charge against themselves and their Law he does suppose himself in the case of a mere Jew and personating such a one does accordingly argue as from experience against the Converting power of the mere Law of Moses which was destitute of those Assistances afforded in the Gospel And this is a Scheme and Figure of Speech usual with this Apostle in many other places Thus for their sakes he did transfer in a Figure those things to himself which could not be personally spoken of him 1 Cor. 4.6 And nothing is more usual than the same way of speaking amongst Men especially in Reproofs and such cases as would be ill Resented to be downright charg'd withal but when we say We do so and so under this disguise it is usual with more Success and less Offence to Disparage and Correct very Ill Practices But that St. Paul should speak it of himself when he tells 'em That he saw another Law in his Members warring against the Law of his Mind and bringing him into Capiivity to the Law of Sin which was in his Members and that with the Mind he did serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin is contrary both to what he affirms elsewhere of himself and of those who are truly Regenerate For of himself he affirms Rom. 8.2 That the Law of the Spirit of Liâ—e had made him free from the Law of Sin and Death And Ver. 1. he says of those who are in Christ Jesus and to whom Condemnation does not belong and who are consequently Regenerate that they walk not after the Flesh We must Renounce the Flesh and all â—ts Sinful Lusts so as to have an Averâ—ion an Antiâ—athy in our hearts thereunto but after the Spirit And Gal. 5.24 it is said that they who are Christs have Crucify'd the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts In short therefore and to draw towards a Conclusion we must not content our selves in this great Work of Renouncing ALL the sinful Lusts of the Flesh that we have our Minds enlightned so as to know what we ought to do whilst our Affections and bodily Powers do remain Rebellious against the Dictates of our Minds and Consciences But we must have our whole Natures possess'd with an Aversion an Antipathy from the very Heart against all Sin and we must have both the Mind Will and Affections nay the very Lusts and Appetites fully bent against it And we must have on the contrary a hearty Love and Disposition to all Vertue wrought in all the same Faculties both of Soul and Body VVe must be Renewed in the Spirit of our Minds and put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.23 24. And when a Person is thus inwardly Chang'd throughout in all the Faculties and Powers of Soul and Body it is then only that he can be truly said to be a New Creature a New Man And this indeed This the hard Part. to become thus Renew'd in the Spirit of our Minds so as to have the Heart and Affections set against Sin and sinful Pleasures as well as the Mind Convinc'd of the Evil of 'em is the hard Work This is certain that it is not possible for any Man to work so great a Change in his Nature of himself but it is the Spirit of God that must Assist wonderfully in the doing of it And indeed That we may be said sincerely and throughly to Renounce the Flesh and ALL its sinful Lusts that Renovation of our Corrupted Nature wherein this Renuntiation does consist must be such as is wrought in us by the Spirit and Grace of God This I say because it is very possible for a Man to be Chang'd from some sensual Courses to an utter hatred thereof and yet remain in God's Eyes a Carnal and Vnregenerate Man and the reason is because his Change proceeds not from any Inward Vital Principle of Vertue but from some prudential Methods in the management of his Pleasures as some the most sensual Epicures that live shall become at length temperate and sober because their Constitutions will not bear a Debauch but as the Spirit of God had nothing to do in the Change so in their Hearts and Minds they remain still to be sensual And others again you shall meet who have a full Conviction in their Minds and Consciences through the preaching of the Word of the Evil of Sin and yet in their Affectiens they Love it and their Lusts and Appetites Rebelling against the Reason of their Mind will have it and their Wills do finally chuse it so that these Persons with the Mind do serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin as St. Paul in that much mistaken Chapter Rom. 7.25 does represent as was now shew'd you the Case of the Carnal Jew abiding only under the Conviction of the Law But where the Spirit of God works the Change that Person is Sanctify'd wholly and the whole Spirit and Soul and Body will be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.23 So that such a Person shall effectually Renounce the Flesh and All its sinful Lusts both of the Inward and of the Outward Man And accordingly as we will draw nigh to God and have him draw nigh to us we must cleanse our hands and purifie our hearts and not be double-minded James 4.8 We must through the help of his Grace Cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 We must be always I say in the perfecting of one degree after another our Holiness and that Image of God which we lost by our Fall for the subduing of All our Lusts must be the Work of Time and it is not of a sudden that we can get an intire Conquest over 'em ALL. But if in our Strivings against 'em we find our selves still more and more to get ground upon 'em we are in a hopeful Condition In a Word therefore Brethren we are Debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh for if ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if through the Spirit ye do Mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Rom. 12.13 14. The Reason of having enlarg'd so
the Indecency of Living unsuitable to the Christian Name and Profession Nay Fourthly Look upon it ever as a most monstrous piece of Wickedness for Christian Men to live Antichristian Heathenish Lives but on the contrary ever look upon your selves as you are Christians bound even in Decency to Abstain from all Appearances of Evil 1 Thess 5.22 What shall you that have given up your Names to Christ and are in Covenant with God fight the Devil's Battels Know you not that your Bodies are the Members of Christ and shall you take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot God forbid 1 Cor. 6.15 Shall you that are Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven walk in Darkness Have you Renounced the Devil the World and the Flesh and you for all that yield your selves Slaves to the Devil the World and the Flesh You Believe the Gospel and all the Articles of your Christian Faith and shall any of you live as those that neither know nor fear God nor dread the Devil You have vowed Obedience to God and shall you trample under Foot all Laws Divine and Humane You have been dedicated to God and have given up your Names to him in your Baptism and shall you live as if you had been Listed in Satan's Service Nothing so contrary so contradictory as these things V. That to quite other Purposes we gave up our Names â—o be Chriâ—tians Alas Consider Fifthly That you have given up your Names unto Christ for other Reasons than that you should fight under the Devil's Banner and do the Works of the Flesh Namely That you might ever live to the Honour of God You have been call'd forth out of the World not that you should add by your own to the Iniquities of the Times but to nobler Purposes that you might re-establish the World now tottering and ready to sink under the weight of Wickedness that you might re-establish it I say by the Practice of all Christian Graces and Vertues And for that Reason it is you must consider that you Christians are called the Salt of the Earth Matth. 5.13 the Light of the World ver 14. A Candle put upon a Candlestick that it might give Light to all that are in the House ver 15. And therefore Let your Light so shine before Men that others may see your good Works and Glorify your Father which is in Heaven is the Inference the Command of Christ the great Captain of our Salvation ver 16. And moreover Sixthly Every Christian has commonly that in his particular Name VI. Most Chriâ—tian Names â—fford some â—xamples of Vertue which â—hould prompt Christians to an Imitation of those who were Eminent under those Names whereby he may be excited to some noble strain of Vertue It seldom happens that any one has a Name given him of which there has not been some One before him renown'd in History either in the Scripture or elsewhere for some noble Exploit of Vertue or other And now my young Disciple search the Scripture and other Histories who or what He or She was and wherein thy Name-sake did Excel in any Goodness and propose such a One for thy particular Example to whose Eminency in the like Vertue do thou all thou canst to arrive Do thou John bethink thy self often of that great Contempt of the World that One of thy Name viz. John the Baptist did shew and of that burning Love to God and Men which the other viz. the Apostle of that Name did express and let the One excite thee likewise to the like Contempt of the World and the other to the like Love of God and Men. A Peter should do well to call to Mind the ready Confession of Christ that the Apostle of that Name did make and the speediness and sorrowfulness of his Repentance after he had Sinn'd and let the Thoughts of him make thee ready to give Testimony to the Truth and Faith of Christ and put thee upon a speedy Repentance after every fall and backsliding into Sin Let every Anne call to Mind that Widow of her Name mentioned Luk 2.37 Who though a Widow of fourscore Years and four departed not from the Temple but served God with Fasting and Prayers night and day And let the Example of this devout and happy Woman of thy Name call thee Anne to the first beginning of Prayers Sacraments and Sermons Let every Mary bethink her-self of those Mary's Famous in the Gospel the One for her chast Virginity the Other for sitting so Attentive at JESUS's Feet to whom the Lord gave this honourable Testimony that she had Chose the better part and prefer'd her before her Sister Martha who disturb'd her-self too much with worldly Business Luk. 10.40 41. and from her Example learn not to entangle thy self too much with the Cares of this Life but chiefly to take care of Heavenly things and to apply thy self to Hearing and Devotion Lastly Let me give it in Charge to you that are Parents And therefore Parents are Advis'd to choose for their Children the Names of Persons Eminent for Vertue not Infamous for Vice not to give to your Children any other Names but what are of Note for their eminent and good Examples that they may have always before their Eyes whom they may Imitate in their Vertue Give them such Names as if not Signalized in Scripture are at least in other Histories for some Good they have done Or if you give them the Names of any of your Ancestors let it be of those whose Vertues have adorn'd not whose Vices have disgrace'd the Age they liv'd in Or of such who have left behind them a good Name to be Imitated nothing Ill to be Abominated by their Posterity for those only are worthy to have their Memory continued in the Names of their Posterity but these are fit to be Eternally forgot And thus my Christian Disciples having shew'd you the great the very great Obligation lying upon you even from your Christian Names to square your Lives according to the Christian Rules those Rules that you have taught you and shall hereafter with God's Assistance be explain'd to you in the Exposition I shall give you of your Catechism And from several Considerations having therefore urg'd you to live with all the Care you can according to that most holy Religion to which in your Baptism you have given up your Names and under your several Names have Listed your selves to maintain and cleave unto What then remains my Christian Disciples but that you apply your selves with the greatest Diligence in order to your living good Lives to understand throughly that Religion to which you have given up your Names There shall be nothing wanting I do assure you on my part for I design by God's assistance to Instruct you in all the Articles of the Covenant of Grace and which are each of them contain'd in your Church Catechism It lies on your parts to be teachable Disciples constantly to
in these Questions and Answers now read as the Text beginning First With what pertains to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace And in order to the Understanding hereof it may not be amiss to premise something concerning the more general Notion of such Covenants as are usually made betwixt Governours and their Subjects And such an One if it be perfect in all its Parts and fully exprest may be defin'd to be An Agreement between the Two Parties wherein there are Promises The Notion of a Covenant Rewards or profitable Considerations made over on one Part and certain Conditions to be perform'd on the other And wherein also there is an Obligation on the one side of undergoing some certain Penalties in case of not performing those Conditions consented unto by him and impos'd on him by the other A Covenant I say is a mutual Agreement between Two Parties It is a mutual Agreement for if it be not mutual and both Parties are not consenting to the Terms the One to the making good the Promises the Other to the performing the Conditions the Agreement is none at all or it is not Perfected nor is it Obliging on either side There may be indeed a Law given by one that is Superior in Power and Authority which the Inferior is bound to Obey whether he consent or no because he is plac'd by the Divine Ordinance under the Other 's Command and if he does refuse to Obey he may be justly Punisht but then such a Transaction is to be consider'd as the giving of a Law not as the making of a Covenant Nor is this a slight Difference for where a Superior has given a Law if the Inferior has also Covenanted and consented upon good Considerations and upon the Expectation of promis'd Rewards to obey that Law such a Covenant does withal lay a farther Obligation on the Party on whom the Conditions ly to be perform'd by vertue of his own Consent to do it so that in the Violation of his Duty in such a case he shall be accounted not barely Disobedient but a Covenant-breaker which is added as a more aggravated Sin Rom. 1.31 and therefore deserving a more severe Punishment As there are Conditions therein on our side so express Promises on the other It was farther added in the Definition That in a Covenant there are certain Promises Rewards and profitable Considerations made over on one Part on certain Conditions to be perform'd on the other And herein also with respect to these Promises there seems to be another main Difference betwixt the Imposing of the Law and the Making of a Covenant The Difference seems to be in this That in the Imposing of a Law the Law-giver does not necessarily oblige himself to confer any Benefits more than natural Equity does oblige him to and it is sufficient to the Validity of his Law to render it Obligatory if there be a Threatning of Punishments great enough to deter the Subject from the Violation of that Law But a Covenant does imply something more comfortable in the Notion of it and therein the Party covenanting tho' it be God himself does graciously Condescend to oblige and bind himself by express Promises and usually by some outward Solemnities as visible Signs and Seals to the performance of such Promises And here also is another very considerable Difference betwixt the Obligations of a Law and a Covenant that whereas on performance of Obedience to the Laws of a Superior the Subject upon such his Obedience can have only by vertue of the Law some general and faint Hopes of Benefit so far as is Equitable and as those who do well may expect to receive well But by vertue of a Covenant the Party promising has moreover given to the other a full assurance of certain Benefits to be made good to him insomuch that upon our Repentance and Confession of our Sins God will reckon himself in Justice and Faithfulness bound since the giving of the new Covenant to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Vnrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 So that in short A Covenant lays a greater Obligation than the meer imposing of a Law does upon both the Parties joyn'd in Covenant a greater Obligation I say upon the One to perform the Conditions upon the Other to make good the Promises And let this suffice to have remark'd upon the more general Notion and Nature of a Covenant A View of â—he Covenant â—f Grace But for our better understanding the distinct Nature and Notion of the Covenant of Grace in particular we must take our Rise from the very Creation and consider the several Dispensations of God by way of Covenant with Mankind And to begin with the Covenant made with Adam and in him with all Mankind the whole Proceeding stands thus God having made Man â—pright and â—n a capacity â—ever to have violated his Covenant did Engage him â—o a perfect â—xact and â—nsinning Oâ—edience God having made Man upright and given him a great measure of Light to direct him and of Strength to enable him to do as he should appoint proceeded then to make this very reasonable Covenant and Agreement with him He agreed to continue and increase that Light and Strength to him and to reward his acting according to it with immortal Life and Happiness provided he making use of his Understanding and Power would persevere to obey his Maker's commands which if he should not do in every particular Instance of Duty he threatned him with Death and eternal Misery But then leaving him to act according to that freedom of Will wherewith as a reasonable Creature he had endow'd him Man did â—iolate it Man did by his own voluntary Disobedience thro' the Cunning of Satan tempting him thereto transgress the Law given him by his Maker Gen. 2.17 and did thereby cast himself into a State of Sin and Misery under the Bondage of Satan without any power or possibility to recover himself out of that wretched Condition And thus he broke his Covenant with God Sinn'd against his Creatour and so forfeited all the Happiness convey'd to him therein both for himself and his Posterity And now was Man in a desperate and forlorn Condition His own Sin had made him liable to the severest Strokes of God's displeasure and the Divine Justice and Wisdom The Divine Justice Wisdom and Holiness requir'd satisfaction and Holiness would not permit the Almighty however his Goodness inclin'd him to Pity to let his Sin go unpunisht and to restore him to a capacity of Happiness without a valuable Satisfaction made to infinite Justice such as should shew the Divine hatred of and severity against Sin for the security of his Government in the World And yet no Creature in the Heavens above or in the Earth beneath was sufficient for so great an Undertaking as to satisfy for him For There is no Man can Redeem his Brother or pay God a Ransom for him for the
to be well Instructed in and to be consider'd by you None of you shall be able to perform a Bargain except you know what you have bargain'd and agreed to do No One can discharge a Bond except he knows distinctly what he is oblig'd to pay no more can any of you be able to perform the Covenant of Grace except you do well understand the Nature Terms and Conditions of it And indeed Little more of universal Concernment to be known but the Articles of this Covenant there is perhaps but little necessary to be known in Religion besides the Articles of this Covenant We may without Prejudice to our Salvation doubtless be ignorant of many Points that are Canvast with Heat enough in the Controversies of Men of all Perswasions but to know what inestimable Blessings God has Promis'd and Ensur'd to us and what we are to perform to make our selves Inheritours of those Blessings is what every Body who believes a future State and the Immortality of his Soul and that it is worth his while to study the Salvation of his Soul must think it necessary except he can imagine it safe to take his Journey to Heaven blindfold when he cannot think of getting but to his short Home here on Earth without his Eyes open A distinct and clear Understanding of the Nature Terms and Conditions and of all that pertains to the Covenant of Grace is without doubt of all things in the World the most necessary The Catechetical Method most useful to that Purpose And there is no Method of Instruction whereby it can be so distinctly and clearly known as the Catechetical way For not to say that Preaching now upon one Head and immediately after upon another without any dependance and coherence of the several parts of Christianity together is not so likely to give Persons a clear understanding of the whole Nature and Design of Christianity as may be requisite The Catechetical way by treating orderly on all the Parts of our most Holy Religion and by giving thereby a distinct View of their natural Connection with and Dependance one upon another has this Excellency in it no doubt that thereby Persons shall be better able to judge of the beautiful Contexture and admirable Contrivance of the whole and shall easily discern what End it is that Christianity aims at and how admirably every Part of it is fitted to carry on that great End It is without all doubt a most useful Method of Instruction and it would soon appear to be so in its happy Effects would all Persons but lay aside their unhappy Prejudices against it as if it were proper only for Children to be Hearers thereof Whereas indeed it is no ways unbecoming the Eldest and most Knowing Persons to hear the great and fundamental Doctrines of Religion explain'd and handled distinctly and clearly and separated from all unnecessary Mixtures But where all the Means and Methods of Instruction are little enough to give Men a sufficient Understanding in all that is necessary to Salvation instead of comparing 'em one with another we had better to make use of all and to Pray to God to give a Blessing to all his Ordinances that every one may be useful to the Edification and Salvation of every Christian which that they may all prove may God Almighty grant of his infinite Goodness thro' Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen THE Fifth Lecture Wherein I was made a Member of Christ THE Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Catechism do give you a general Account of all the Terms and Conditions of the Covenant of Grace both of the Priviledges made over to us by God and of the Conditions to be perform'd by us And these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ expressing the First of those invaluable Priviledges made over unto us in this Covenant on God's Part I shall therefore endeavour as well as I can to Explain and open to you what they do Import Christ is in Scripture often styl'd The Head of the Church as particularly Col. 1.8 And he is the Head of the Body the Church it is there said and we are also styl'd Members of this Body the Church Thus Eph. 5.30 We are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones so that to be a Member of Christ is to be a Member A Member of Christ is a Member of Christ's Church or Part of that Body of which he is the Head or to be a Member of Christ's Church And to make it appear to you how happy a Thing it is to be a Member of Christ's Church First I will shew you What kind of Body the Church of Christ is Secondly What it is to be a Member of it And then Thirdly What exceeding great and invaluable Priviledges do belong to a Member of Christ's Church And First let us see What kind of Body that is which is call'd the Church of Christ And tho' it does not belong to this Part of your Catechism to give you a full account of all that is Necessary to be known concerning Christ's Church which may more properly be refer'd to that Article of our Creed I believe the Holy Catholick Church However since the High Priviledge and Dignity of any Member as a Member cannot be sufficiently understood nor valued without knowing the Nature and Excellency of that Body of which it is a Member I do therefore think my self obliged in order to let you into a through Understanding of what is meant by A Member of Christ's Church and of the greatness of that Priviledge to speak something largely in this Place concerning the Nature and Constitution of the Church it self and I shall therefore Define it and also Explain and prove each Part of the Definition I shall give of it as follows â—â—nition â—â—ist's â—o The Church of Christ is the universal Society of Christians consisting both of Lawful Governours and Pastors and also of the People of God committed to their Charge and who are call'd forth out of the wicked World by the Preaching of the Gospel to a holy Profession and Calling Namely To Repentance from dead Works to the Knowledge Belief and Service of the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost and to the Enjoyment of those inestimable Priviledges of the Gospel viz. Most reasonable and excellent Laws to Conduct 'em to Heaven Divine Grace and Assistance to Enable 'em to Obey those Laws Pardon of Sins upon Repentance for the Violation of 'em and Eternal Life and Happiness upon sincere Obedience to ' em And who to the End of being Incorporated into one Society and of having God to be their God and they themselves his People have Enter'd into Covenant with him at Baptism and do often Renew the same in the Lord's Supper and are Incorporated thereby into one Body subdivided indeed into several particular Bodies
Jesus Acts 19.5 that is into the Belief that Jesus is the Christ or Mediatour between God and Man for this is the great Fundamental Doctrine of Christianity as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 3.11 assuring us that Other Foundation can no Man lay than that Jesus is the Christ And he that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ is the great Liar and an Anti-Christ 1 Joh. 2.22 But whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is Born of God 1 Joh. 5.1 that is is Adopted into the Christian Church and Family â—II â—njoy the â—ledges 〈◊〉 Gospel Fifthly And as Christians are a Society of Persons call'd out of the World to Repentance Faith and Gospel-Obedience so to the Enjoyment of those Inestimable Priviledges of the Gospel viz. 1. Most Reasonable and Excellent Laws given by a most Great and Gracious Governour to Conduct 'em to Heaven Laws writ in their Minds and in their Hearts Heb. 8.10 that is Laws which are for the most part the very Dictates of natural Reason 2. They are such as are Priviledg'd with having great Measures of Divine Grace and Assistance to enable 'em to Obey those Laws for whereas the Law was given by Moses Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 and is the Priviledge of the Church of Christ under the Gospel 3. They are such who have Assurance of Pardon of Sins upon their Repentance for the Transgression of those Laws for with Respect to those of the Christian Church God is pleas'd to say Heb. 8.12 I will be Merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more And lastly As to the Eternal Life and Happiness Christ does assure us Joh. 17.2 that The Father has given him Power over all Flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as are given him or are given him out of the world ver 6. that is that he has a Power of conferring the Rewards in Heaven to as many as come within the Pale of the Church if they do withal live in Obedience to its Laws and Constitutions Thus is the Church of Christ a Society of Men call'd forth of the World as to a most Holy Profession and Calling so to the Enjoyment of most singular Priviledges Church â—h who 〈◊〉 End of â—ncorpoâ—â—nto one 〈◊〉 and of â—g God 〈◊〉 their Sixthly And they are such Who to the End of being Incorporated into One Society and of having God to be their God and they themselves his People have Enter'd into Covenant with him It is the Royal Charter granted by the King to the Members of a Corporation or City whereby they have certain Priviledges granted them from the King and wherein they are Tied to discharge certain Duties to him and to One another that makes 'em of a confus'd Multitude to become a Corporation or regulated Society And those who stand out and will not accept of those Priviledges nor oblige themselves to their several Duties shall not be reputed of that Corporation nor receive any Advantages from it And so it is here with that Society which is call'd the Church of Christ It is the Covenant of Grace granted us by the King of Heaven wherein we have the most inestimable Priviledges those contain'd in the Gospel graciously Ensur'd unto us and most reasonable Duties both to God and Man required of us that do embody and join us into one Spiritual Society the Church and those who will not Enter into such a Covenant with God are Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and Strangers from the Covenantts of Promise having no hope and without God in the world Eph. 2.12 But those who have join'd themselves in Covenant with Him are No more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God ver 19. And as by being United in one Covenant Christians are Incorporated into one Society so by the same Means it comes to pass also that they have God to be their God peculiarly and they become his People Thus Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days that is in the time of the Gospel I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People It is the Nature of all Covenants to Unite the Parties Covenanting together and to give to each Party an Interest in the other I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 So that by having Enter'd into Covenant with God we are Entitled to his particular Protection and Care over us and we give to him thereby a new and stronger Claim to our Obedience Seventhly I. In Baptism And Christians are thus Enter'd into Covenant with God and thereby made Members of Christ's Church in their Baptism For as all the Members of a Corporation are not usually made Members of that Society without some certain Solemnities so it pleased God that no One should be Enter'd into Christ's Church and be made a Partaker of the Priviledges of it without that outward Rite of Baptism for so we find that when our Saviour sent his Apostles to Found and Build the Church they receiv'd as a Commission to call forth out of the World a Church by the Preaching of the Gospel So an Appointment to Incorporate all Men therein by Baptism Go and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 And hence 1 Cor. 12.13 it is said That we are all Baptiz'd into one Body or admitted by Baptism into one Church Eighthly And they are Appointed to Renew the same II. To Renew it at the Lord's Supper by Feasting often together at the Lord's Supper This was anciently and is still the usual Method of Uniting more closely together the Members of any Society or Corporation their Feasting often together at one common Table and for this Reason amongst others it is that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is Appointed in the Church of Christ So the 1 Cor. 10.17 it is said That we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all Partakers of that one Bread Ninthly And now upon all these foremention'd Accounts The Church one Body the Church of Christ is One Body Thus Eph. 4.4 5 6. There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are all called in one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all where you see that because all Christians are call'd out of the World into one Hope of their Calling or to the Enjoyment of the same Priviledges to one Faith or to Believe one God Father Son and Holy Ghost exprest here by one Spirit one Lord one God and Father of all and because Incorporated by one Baptism or by the Use of the same Sacraments that therefore they are one Body The Covenant of Grace that great
mystical Head and convey'd by those his Ordinances to Enable us to conform to his Religion and Obey those Laws And the first Great Priviledge I. A most excellent Body of Religion Laws and Ordinances which does peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's visible Church as they are the Members of such a Society Is a most reasonable and excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most profitable and edifying Institutions and Ordinances given and appointed us by him our supreme Head and Governour to Conduct us to Heaven We do enjoy I say thereby The Christian Religion and Laws far exceed the Pagan Mahometan or Jewish The Priviledge of a most reasonable and excellent Body of Religion and Laws far exceeding what any other People have ever enjoy'd to Conduct us to Heaven This is clearly to be seen Heb. 8.8 9 10 11. where God himself finding Fault with the Jewish Covenant and Laws as what could not make the Comers thereunto Perfect saith Behold the days come when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt for this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Minds and write them in their Hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest which remarkable Words spoke first by the Prophet Jeremy as a Prophecy of the most happy State of the Christian Church by reason of the most excellent Covenant and Laws that would be given it beyond what was the State of the Jewish do import that even the Jewish Covenant was not in it self Perfect and such as could not be better'd and improv'd tho' it had God for its Author and sure then those Superstitions which derive themselves from no better Authors than the Devil and wicked Impostors must be very bad but that the Christian Covenant and Laws have such an inward essential Goodness in them that a Man 's own Reason would prompt him to Approve 'em as Best and most Excellent there being none of its Doctrines but what are highly agreeable to the best Reason of Man and all its Precepts being no other than the Law written in every Man 's own Heart And indeed the Christian Religion whether we consider it as compar'd with the Pagan or Mahometan Superstition and Jewish Dispensation or in its own Nature it is a most singular Institution and Body of Laws and such as we ought to Esteem it our very great Happiness and Advantage above other Men that we are under the Government of ' em And First consider the whole Body of the Pagan Superstition The Pagan Superstition â—d to noâ— but to 〈◊〉 humane â—â—re and what else did it tend to but to debase Mankind infinitely below the Dignity of their Nature and to Defile 'em much more than the very Brutes The Gods which the Pagans worship were at best the most Vile and Infamous of Humane Race viz. An Adulterous Jupiter a Revengeful Juno a Drunken Bacchus a Wanton Venus a Thievish Mercury and a Cruel Mars not to mention how they Bowed themselves before and gave Divine Worship to the most poor and contemptible â—he Gods 〈◊〉 Pagans â—iped 〈◊〉 at best â—ost inâ—us Men 〈◊〉 Women senseless Creatures And when they Worship'd Adulterers and Whores and Thieves and Drunkards what can be expected but that the Rites whereby they serv'd 'em should be accompany'd with the vilest Practices such as were answerable to the Nature and Temper of such Deities Which was the occasion of those Words of St. Peter 1 Epist 4.3 telling those who had been lately Converted from Paganism to Christianity that The time past of their lives was sufficient to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles when they walked in Laciviousness Lusts Excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings and abominable Idolatries wherein is more than intimated that the Idolatries of the Heathens were usually accompany'd with such villanous Practices And indeed from the Pagan Authors themselves we know they were so â—y times 〈◊〉 worshipâ—â—he very â—ls themâ—s But it was not only the vilest of Men and Women but the Devils themselves whom the Pagans worship'd and whom they were wont to serve not only with abominable Idolatries accompany'd with most lewd Practices which however hateful to right Reason might be grateful to some sensual Spirits but they were forc'd to commit many times the greatest Violences possible to Humane Nature in their Worship to those barbarous and cruel Devils they Ador'd â—nd that 〈◊〉 lewd â—arous 〈◊〉 cruel 〈◊〉 Thus it was the manner of the Worshipers of Baal to cut themselves with Knives and Lancers till the Blood gushed out upon them 1 King 18.28 Nay They sacrificed their Sons and their Daughters unto Devils and shed innocent Blood even the blood of their Sons and of their Daughters whom they sacrificed unto the Idols of Canaan Psal 106.37 38. Which was a Barbarity so horrid to Humane Nature that they were forc'd to make use of loud Instruments at the time of Sacrifice to drown the Noise of the shrieking Infants And at this Day the Idol Vitsiputsi amongst the Indians is said to have many Thousands slain in one of his solemn Processions it being usual for his Worshipers to throw themselves under the Wheels of his Massy Charriot on purpose to be crush'd in Pieces by the Weight thereof going over ' em Such are the lewd and barbarous Rites of the Pagan Religion not to mention any thing of those intolerable slavish Fears which always possess Idolatrous and Superstitious Religionists who are always in dread lest they should ncense the angry and peevish Daemon by eâ—ery lâ—ttle Accident and are ever upon the Rack studying to please him by innumerable little insignificant Observances â—â—e Mahoâ—â—n Reliâ— is a vile â—â—sture Nor Secondly As to the Mahometan Religion is there any thing in it worthy of God whereby we should judge him to be its Author First it is a plain Imposture and Cheat pretending to be Reveal'd by God to his Prophet Mahomet after the Jewish and Christian Religion as a more perfect Institution than either whereas indeed look into the whole Matter and inward Frame thereof and we shall find nothing in it as One observes but a Mass of foolish Opinions odd Stories uncouth Ceremonies compounded chiefly of the Dregs of Christian Heresies together with some Ingredients of Judaism and Paganism confusedly jumbled or unskilfully mixt one with the other But as to that great Principle of it which promises in Paradise a Thousand Years satisfaction arising from sensual Pleasures and the
any Sin he is to be Suspended from Communion in that till he amends Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper So it is order'd in the Rubrick before the Communion Service that if any be an open and notorious Evil-Liver so that the Congregation be thereby Offended The Curate having Knowledge thereof shall Call him and Advertise him that in any-wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly Repented and Amended his former Naughty Life that the Congregation may thereby be saisfy'd which before were Offended And the same Order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth Malice and Hatred to reign not suffering them to be Partakers at the Lord's Table till he Knows them to be Reconciled But otherwise till a Member become Notorious and Scandalous for his Evil Principles or Practices he may claim the Right to be Admitted to the Lord's Supper for even Judas himself before he Betray'd our Saviour did Partake with him at the first Institution of the Supper as you will find Matth. 26.25 26. So that as to the Outward Institutions and Ordinances of Christ they are Priviledges you see that do belong to all the Members of Christ's Church to all such as have been Baptized and Profess themselves to be Christians And now Secondly If we compare but these Outward Priviledges of God's Holy Ordinances with what others do want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members of Christ's Church and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to I. Christian Ordinances are a singular Favour which Aliens and Vnbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy For alas The Infidel part of the World whether Jews Turks or Pagans have none of these Divine Ordinances amongst ' em They neither Know the Lord's Day nor Hold any Assemblies thereon for the Instruction in his Laws neither do they Profess Belief in nor Pray to the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost and they are utter Strangers to our Holy Mysteries And hence it comes to pass that those miserable People continue still in Blindness Ignorance and Barbarity remain perfect Slaves to Satan and their own Brutish Lusts and for the most part of 'em are degenerated into such Inhumanity Cruelty and Brutality that Tygers Wolves and Vipers the most Devouring and Venemous Creatures in the World are not so mischeivous to Mankind as that Part thereof who either know not or contemn God's Holy Ordinances are one to another So true it is what Solomon has Observ'd Prov. 29.18 that Where there is no Vision or no Word and Ordinances of Divine Revelation the People perish Which brings me Lastly To consider What excellent Priviledges they are in themselves II. They are excellent Advantages consider'd in themselves And that they are upon Two accounts First As being most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws Secondly As being exceedingly comfortable to those who Enjoy ' em I. â—onducing â—htowards 〈◊〉 Edificaâ— And First Divine Ordinances are most Excellent Priviledges as being most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws and in order to a Holy and Good Life For why In these Holy Ordinances we have all the Means both Outward and Inward afforded for our Conversion As to the Outward you have the very Scriptures themselves the Body of those Holy Laws publickly Proclaim'd and Read out to you the Scripture it self I say Which was given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. In these Holy Ordinances again you are not left to the Deceits and Whispers of a private Spirit but you have the Doctrine of the Church collected into a Form of sound Words and containing all that is necessary whether as to Faith or that Love which is in Christ Jesus or which is required in the Christian Religion 2 Tim. 1.13 You have this Collected I say partly by the Apostle's themselves and partly by others the wisest and best Divines out of the Holy Scriptures and propos'd to you as a Rule to walk by And moreover you have the Ministers of Christ constantly Applying both to your direction The Ministers of Christ I say who as his Ambassadors do Pray you in Christ's stead to be Reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Again In these Holy Ordinances you do not wrestle with God for his Mercies in the strength only of your own private Prayers but you have your Devotions mingled with the concurrent Prayers of all God's People and so by your joint Forces after an humble but powerful manner do Besiege Heaven for the joint and united Prayers of Christians have above all others the Promise of a Gracious Answer Matth. 18.20 Our Saviour assuring us there that Where Two or Three are gather'd together in his Name there he will be in the midst of them And lastly You receive herein from the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ that Food which is necessary to the Nourishment of the Soul as Meat is to the Strength of the Body the same Blessed Saviour of the World assuring us as you will see John 6.55 and the 63. compar'd together that His Flesh is Meat indeed and that his Blood is Drink indeed And then as to the Inward Means of performing God's Laws viz. The Grace and Assistance of his Holy Spirit this as it is absolutely necessary to enable our Weakness in this our faln State so it is no otherwise to be expected than in the Use and Ministry of Divine Ordinances as shall be presently seen In a word The outward Ordinances and Institutions of the Gospel together with the Holy Spirit accompanying them are the only ordinary Means of Conversion Some may pretend to be above Ordinances but Experience tells us that accordingly as Men do slight and neglect 'em accordingly do they decay in Grace and Vertue and when once they begin wholly to lay them aside they become perfectly Graceless and are given up to a Reprobate Mind as is daily seeni in such as make nothing of Profaning the Lord's Day and do totally lay aside Prayers and Sacraments â—ost comâ—ble to Souls of those who enjoy them Secondly And they are not more Profitable and Edifying than they are Comfortabler to the Spirits of all Pious Souls who Enjoy ' em Holy David was a most eminent Instance of this My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Psal 42.2 See what earnest Longings he had for the publick Service And I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord Psal 122.1 And Psal 65.4 he expresses his sense of this Matter thus Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to
the Epistles of St. Paul to declare that filial Relation towards God which the Members of Christ's Church are taken into and because the right understanding of the Nature and meaning of such Adoption will very much contribute to a right and through Explication of what is meant by a Child of God I will First Shew you the Nature and Meaning of Adoption both amongst the Jews and Gentiles amongst both which different People it was in use Secondly I will then shew you how we Christians especially such of us who are descended from the Gentiles are accordingly Adopted to be the Children of God And as to the First Adoption Adoption What a Thing so well known both amongst Jews and Gentiles was the Taking in of a Stranger upon the want or loss of natural Issue into the Relation of a Child and into the Rights and Priviledges of a Son by Nature The use of it amongst the Israelites the Priviledges it gave them As to the use of it amongst the Israelites we find Gen. 30. that Rachel upon the want of Issue by her Husband Jacob did Adopt and take as her own Sons those of her Maid Bilhah ver 5.8 And so likewise did Leah when she saw that she had left Bearing she Adopted and took also as her own Children the Sons of Zilpah And several other the like Instances may be found in Scripture as in Jacob's Adopting Ephraim and Manasseh the Sons of Joseph to be his Sons Gen. 48.5 In all which cases it appears that upon their Adoption or being took into that Relation of Sons to Jacob Rachel and Leah they were Instated into equal Priviledges with the true and genuine Issue of those Persons and were accounted amongst the Twelve Patriarchs of the Israelites equally with the rest And as to the like Custom of Adoption amongst the Gentiles The use of it amongst the Gentiles and the Rights it confer'd upon ' em you 'll see Act. 7.21 how that Moses when he was cast out Pharaoh's Daughter took him up and nourished him as her own Son that is Adopted him as such And by that Right of Adoption he would have Inherited the Crown of Pharaoh but that By Faith when he was come to Years he refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter esteeming the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt Heb. 11.24.26 Thus the Egyptians Adopted And how the same Custom did also prevail amongst both Greeks and Romans is a Thing well known to those who read their Authors but need not here be further mention'd the Scripture use of this Custom being what it does most concern you to know To hasten therefore Secondly I am now to shew you How We Christians especially such of us who are descended from the Gentiles are accordingly Adopted to be the Children of God How we Christians especially such who are descended from â—he Gentiles are accordâ—ng as has â—een spoke â—he Adopted Children of God I say how we Christians for to the Jews did once pertain the Adoption Rom. 9.4 and that whole Church and Nation were once His Children Deut. 14.1 To understand which you are to consider that the whole World who were the Sons of God by Creation having Revolted from God to serve strange Gods then did God choose Abraham and his Posterity to be a Holy Nation a peculiar People unto himself and to that purpose did Enter into Covenant with him and them and so Adopted them to be his Children instead of the rest of Mankind who had wholly forsaken him To the Israeâ—tes did once â—ertain the Adoption And hence it is said Rom. 9.4 that To the Israelites did once pertain the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the Promises Thus the Jews alone were once the Adopted Children of God And now the Question returns How we Christians especially such of us who are descended from the Gentiles are according as has been spoke â—ut that Coâ—nant by enâ—ring into â—hich they â—ere his Chilâ—â—en was only â—emporary Adopted to be the Children of God And you must know that the Covenant given to the Jews was but a Temporary Law to last only till they should be fit for and till the Son of God should descend from Heaven to Institute a better and more perfect One. Just as Children in their Minority are brought up under the Discipline of the Rod and Ferula and of certain outward Observances till such time as they shall be fit for a more Manly Government so Before that Faith 〈◊〉 last only 〈◊〉 the Pubâ—ation of the â—ospel or the Gospel came the Jews were kept under the the Law which was their School-master to bring them to Christ But after that Faith or the Gospel was come they were to be no longer under a School-master but were to be the Children of God by Faith in Jesus Christ â—fter which â—â—y and all â—ristians â—re to be â—ildren of â—d by faith Christ Gal. 3.23 24 25 26. that is after they were sometime Train'd up and exercis'd to Obedience by that severe Dispensation given by Moses God did design to prescribe 'em by his own Son he a more Reasonable Service namely That contain'd in the Gospel Ordering that That should thenceforward be the Rule of Obedience to all such as would be his Adopted Children And accordingly When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law that they might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4.4 5. that is when that time was come wherein God saw it fit to lay that lower Discipline the Law of Moses aside then God sent his own Son in Humane Flesh who submitted to and perform'd the whole Law himself to Redeem 'em out of that Slavery of Mosaical Performances and to receive them into the Participation of his Promises and to be his Children without those Legal Observances by Faith in Christ and Obedience to his Gospel But the Jews being still of a Childish Disposition and fond of their Chains as People long accustomed to Slavery commonly are would not forego their Legal Observances for the more Manly Religion and more reasonable Service of the Gospel of the Blessed Jesus And thus refusing Christ But the Jews adhering to their Law and refusing Christ and his Gospel in whom God had predestinated all to be his Sons the Apostles turned unto Gentiles Preaching Christ and Salvation to them and to as many as received him to them gave he Power to be the Sons of God in whom God did predestinate us all into the Adoption of Children by himself according to the good Pleasure of his Will Eph. 1.5 the Apostles by the appointment of God did thereupon turn to the Gentiles Acts 13.46 47. Preaching Christ and Salvation by him unto them and to as many as Receiv'd him to them gave he
of Heaven And indeed this Last does necessarily follow from the other For as St. Paul speaks Rom. 8.17 If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-Heirs with Christ This is the Perfection of all God's Promises and Favours vouchsafed in the Second Covenant It comes last and Crowns all the rest And it will be the certain Reward of all those that persevere to the end of their Lives in well-doing and in sicere Obedience notwithstanding all Temptations to the contrary to God's most Righteous Commands Be faithful unto Death says our Saviour and I will give thee a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 And that you may throughly understand the vast Greatness of this most extraordinary Priviledge made over to you by Covenant so as to be excited thereby to render your selves worthy to be Partakers thereof according to my usual Method I will Explain to you First What is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven Secondly What it Imports to be an Inheritour of it And then Lastly I will lay out before you the Vastness of our Priviledge in being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven And First I am to Explain unto you By the Kingdom of Heaven is meant in Scripture either First the Kingdom of Grace in this Life or Secondly the Kingdome of Glory in the Life to come what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven The Kingdom of Heaven is an Expression we do meet with above Thirty times in the New Testament and I think we may safely say That we are constantly to understand by it either First The Kingdom of Grace in this Life or Secondly The Kingdom of Glory in the Life to come By the Kingdom of Grace in this Life The Kingdom of Grace the Gospel State mean that Happy and Blessed State of us Christians now under the Gospel wherein we Enjoy the Happiness of Living under a Government wholly made up of manifold Graces and Favours having a most Gracious God governing us by most Gracious and Reasonable Laws affording us a plentiful Measure of Divine Grace and Assistance to perform these Laws and proposing to us most Encouraging Rewards in Heaven to stir us up to a diligent Observance of ' em It is this happy State of Things under the Title of the Kingdom of Heaven whose near approach John the Baptist foretold in the Wilderness saying Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand that is the Kingdom of the Messiah or the State of the Gospel whose Great Fundamental and Gracious Law is this that all Sinners must Repent 'em of all their former Sins and upon their Repentance they shall have most Eminent Mercies bestowed upon ' em And it was this State also concerning the undue Entertainment of which by the Scribes and Pharisees our Saviour complain'd Matth. 11.12 saying that From the days of John the Baptist even till then the Kingdom of Heaven suffered Violence so that the Violent took it by force that is the Publicans and Sinners and Gentiles who were look'd upon by the Jews as those who had no right to the Messiah and so as violent Persons as Invaders and Intruders did croud into the Church at the Preaching of the Gospel whilst the Scribes and Pharisees ungratefully and proudly stood off So again Matth. 13.24 The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a Man which sowed good Seed in his Field that is the State of the Gospel or the Success of our Saviour's Preaching in the World is so resembled And so likewise in several other Parables of the like Nature by the Kingdom of Heaven is to be understood the state of the Gospel here on Earth which sure does shew the exceeding great Dignity Worth and Excellency of the Gospel State far beyond any other Dispensation either Patriarchal or Mosaical which the World had ever Receiv'd from Heaven before â—he reason 〈◊〉 the Gosâ— State â—ld be digâ—'d with 〈◊〉 Title of 〈◊〉 Kingdom 〈◊〉 Heaven And indeed upon a near View of the Nature and Design of the Gospel Dispensation we shall see sufficient reason why that State above any other should be so honourably Entitled the Kingdom of Heaven And the reason is not only because the same God governs us and that by the same Laws of Eternal Unalterable Righteousness and Goodness as in Heaven but also because this Blessed Government of God over us by the Laws of the Gospel does directly tend to render us so exactly like the Blessed Saints Because 〈◊〉 directly â—s to renâ— Men so â—tly like 〈◊〉 Blessed â—ts the â—bitants â—he Kingâ— of Heaâ— those Inhabitants of Heaven for where the Gospel of Christ does so far prevail upon Men as through the Grace of God to make them diligent and careful to Obey him according as they have Covenanted with him it does bring in such an excellent State of Things as makes a kind of Heaven here upon Earth for where the Gospel does so far prevail as to be sincerely Obey'd it causes that The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lyon and Fatling together and a young Child shall lead them and it causes that they shall not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea as was long time since Prophecy'd Isa 11.6 7 8 9. concerning the State of the Gospel that is it files off the roughness and sweetens the cruel and savage Humours of Men so that instead of tearing and tormenting one another like Beasts and Devils it makes Men Gentle and Kind and good Natur'd like Angels like Gods to one another A State certainly which may very well deserve the glorious Title of the Kingdom of Heaven being so contrary to the Kingdom of Darkness and the State of Hell where there is nothing but Malice Rancour and Rage do reign among those unhappy Beings that do inhabit that Place And thus you see that in Scripture by the Kingdom of Heaven is sometimes meant the State of the Gospel the same God governing us therein and by the same everlasting Laws of Goodness as in Heaven and so as to render us of like Tempers and Dispositions with the Saints in Heaven A State so nearly resembling that of Heaven that the Condition of the meanest Christian now under the Gospel is for that reason prefer'd before that of the greatest of Prophets under the Law Verily I say unto you among them who are born of Women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven that is the Gospel State is greater than he Matth. 11.11 But tho' this be very frequently the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven in the New Testament and for that reason This is not the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Catechism I have took such particular Notice of it that so you may know how to
to follow his pernicious Counsels The Arch-Rebel prevails and the whole Representative World of Men Adam and Eve Revolted from their God and took part with the Devil And tho' God condescending himself to propose Terms of Accommodation in a Saviour and Redeemer which was for to come recover'd a part of Mankind both before and after the Flood and afterwards selected the whole Nation of the Jews to be a peculiar People unto him set apart to serve him yet through the Instigation of Satan the greater part of Mankind were absolutely the Devil's Vassals And prevailed so far till God's Authority was almost utterly Banished from amongst Men. Which occasion'd the Son of God's coming into the World to recover Mankind serving him in abominable Idolatries Sorceries Witchcrafts and being Instigated by him to all manner of Villanies Vices and Sins whatsoever whereby the Laws of God could be transgress'd or his Authority utterly Banish'd as far as lay in their power from amongst the Sons of Men. And thus the Devil usurpt an Authority over almost the whole World for many Thousand Years till such time as our Saviour came amongst us to Preach Repentance and to recover us to the Knowledge and the Service of the One True God which was the occasion of his Coming So that you see the Devil is that Arch-Rebel who with his whole Legion of Infernal Spirits are continually mustering up all their Forces against the Authority of God and drawing wretched sinful Men into the Conspiracy and whose Quarrel is for no less than Dominion and Empire who shall be King God or Satan And thus you plainly see who the Devil is Secondly Let us enquire what are the Works of the Devil The works of the Devil in general are and from what hath been said his Works in general do appear First To be Sin And Secondly The tempting of us to Sin His first work was to Sin himself by transgressing God's Laws I. Sin and despising his Authority His next work was to Tempt and Inveigle us likewise into the same Violation and Contempt of the Divine Laws and Authority by committing of Sin And the first general Work of the Devil is Sin for so it is expresly affirm'd 1 Joh. 3.8 The Devil sinneth from the beginning and for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil that is Sin By Sin God's Authority is thrown off which is the Devil 's constant work By Sin the Laws of God are transgress'd his Authority thrown off his Government disown'd and his Power defy'd and as the Devil made himself what he is by thus sinning at first so this is his continual Practice his constant Work ever since And whosoever in imitation of him does likewise at any time Transgress or walk contrary to the Laws the Rules the Ways that God hath set especially if knowingly and wilful does thereby in like manner Whoever â—â—erefore does â—ilfully sin â—oes strike at â—od's Authoâ—ity as the Devil did throw off God's Authority disown his Power and defy his Government and so does do the Works of the Devil Which one Consideration should make you abominate even the least Sin but especially it should make you infinitely fearful of Sinning wilfully against your Maker Most People alas In these degenerate Times make but a Mock of Sin For which â—â—ason no Sin â—ught to be â—he subject of â—ny Man's Mirth and make it the subject of their Mirth and Laughter when committed by themselves or others for want of seriously considering this to be its Nature But the Commission of the least wilful Sin would be dreaded by you and frown'd upon in others if you would but consider how high it strikes even at God himself and whom it Advances to his right of Dominion over the World even the Devil Some Sins â—ore particuâ—arly the â—orks of the Devil But as there are some particular Sins which are more directly level'd against God's Authority and express more of the natural Temper and Disposition of Satan and are more his own Practice than others so of those we may say that they are more particularly and especially the Works of the Devil I. â—uch as are â—irectly leâ—el'd against â—od's Authoâ—ity viz. Iâ—olatry And first as to those which are more directly level'd against God's Authority and are therefore Sins of Satan's own Invention to draw us off from God of this sort we are to reckon Idolatry or the Worshiping of other Gods besides him the Only True God whether it be that of the Barbarous Nations who worshipt the Devil himself or whether that of the Gentiles in general and some Gentiliz'd Christians as the Papists who Worshiped the Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above besides or together with the Creator as that place Rom. 1.25 may indifferently be render'd The Idolatry of either Kind either the Worship of Devils Heroes or of Saints departed does more particularly bear upon it the Character of a Work of the Devil because it is more directâ—â— level'd against God's Authority giving his Honour to another And Sorcery â—harming â—itch-craft â—nd Conjurâ—ng as also â—esorting to â—uch as use â—hose unlawâ—ul Arts. Of the same sort is Sorcery and Charming and Witch-craft and Conjuring as also the Sin of those wretchedly wicked Persons who Resort to Conjurers and Charmers and Witches White or Black as some do foolishly distinguish them for both do deal with the Devil by unlawful Arts whoever I say do resort to any such Persons or such as are so reputed to enquire out their lost Goods or what shall be hereafter their Fortune or to receive Directions for Health or Thriving or if they use themselves any Spells and Charms to these or the like Purposes such do commit a principal Work of the Devil because they hold thereby a Commerce and Correspondence with Satan who is God's most bitter Enemy and do put their Faith and Confidence in him for Help making him viz. the Devil instead of God their Staff and Stay And lastly do commit that Sin which is the particular Invention of the Devil and is therefore often in the Holy Scriptures as for Instance Deut. 18. Detested as such an Abomination and Threaten'd with such heavy Penalties as must argue those who can use such unlawful Means for Health or for finding out lost Goods to be even utterly destitute of any Fear of God and such who wholly give themselves up to fear and serve only the Devil and I hope therefore as common as it is it will be Detested by you But the Divine Indignation is so fully Exprest against all the Sins of this Kind in this 18th of Deut. 10 11 12 13 14. that I must not forbear to give you the very Words themselves as those which are most likely to Deter you from such high Provocations There shall not be found amongst you any one that useth Divination or an Observer of Times or an Inchanter or a Witch
to leave off having any Communication or Agreement with him and any Hand in his base and ungrateful Rebellion against God so to Renounce his Works of Sin was to Disclaim Abandon or Forsake all and every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil and in the real Meaning of it no less than a throwing off God's Authority and a dis-owning of his Power This I say was the first Meaning of the Words in the first Ages of the Church Nor are they to be Interpreted in a much different Sence at this Day For Satan has his Kingdom still in the World The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still Obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of that his Kingdom are Obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind The Barbarous Nations amongst the Pagans do directly serve him at this Day and it is many a Christian's Lot who is cast amongst 'em to be forced either to Join with 'em in such Impious Service or to suffer Death with Torments for refusing And even in the Christian Pale tho' his Power is much weaken'd here since the Coming of our Saviour to what it was before yet still as Christ has his Church so Satan has his Synagogue amongst us and too many there are within the Limits of Christendom who do openly and avowedly Obey no other than the Laws of his Kingdom All your Atheists and Deists who Blaspheme God and the Christian Religion and all your Profane Swearers and Cursers whom you shall hear every Hour in the Day to Dare God as it were by their horrid Oaths and Imprecations to Damn 'em that is to send 'em to the Devil and all those who Resort to Charmers and Conjurers and Fortune-tellers as many Thousands do in this Nation All these I say are the open and profest Subjects of Satan's Kingdom And how many Lewd and Riotous Livers are there amongst us who do little else but the Works of the Devil and Obey no other Laws but those of Sin So that as you will Renounce the Devil and all his Works in that Sence wherein the Church does at present understand the Words you are with all possible care to avoid being of the Number of such Men. And I know no more that need be said at present This Renunciation for the most Part the same with Repentance to explain the Importance of the words Renounce the Devil and all his Works except it be this That if we consider such a Renunciation as the Act of One who has been heretofore a Slave to Satan and a Servant to Sin then it signifies to Forsake and Abandon the Service of Sin and the Devil formerly Liv'd in and so being a Ceasing to do Evil and a Learning to do well is the same with Repentance But if it be the Act of One of those who may be said to need no Repentance of which sort are Infants who have never committed Actual Sin then to Renounce the Devil and all his Works does mean a firm Resolution never to side with him in his Rebellion against God and as carefully as he can to avoid the committing of any Sin as being that whereby God's Rightful Authority is cast off and the Devil 's Vsurpt Dominion submitted to And so much for the Meaning of Renouncing the Devil and all his Works The Devil â—nd all his â—orks of Sin â—ust be absoâ—utely and enâ—rely Renounâ—ed because And now Lastly it remains that I should shew you how that it is necessary we should Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works As to those other Enemies to our Souls the World and our own Flesh there is some Temper to be us'd being neither of 'em are Absolutely and in themselves Evil but only by accident when the World is too intensely Belov'd and our Flesh too much Indulg'd to the Prejudice and Hurt of the Soul and therefore there are some Degrees of Affection and Regard allow'd to both them But the Devil is the Evil One and he is by way of Eminence and Singularity styl'd the Wicked One in the Holy Scripture as Matth. 13.19 There is noâ—hing but Eâ—il proceeds â—rom Satan and 1 Joh. 2.13.19 So that there 's not the least Good and nothing but Evil proceeds from him and therefore no manner of Agreement is to be made with him What Concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 Nor are we to imagine we can divide our Service betwixt God and him We cannot serve God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 So that the Devil is Absolutely and Entirely to be Renounc'd by us And Sin â—hether we â—â—nsider it in 〈◊〉 original â—ause and â—ature 〈◊〉 in its sad â—ffects and â—onsequents 〈◊〉 the utmost â—vil And so likewise must his Works of Sin Sin as Sin is entirely Evil Consider it in its Original Cause and Nature and consider it in its Effects and Consequents and there is not a worse Evil in the World than Sin View it in its Original and first Cause and it is a Brat of the Devil 's the First-born of Hell And view it again in its Nature and it is a Choosing of quite other Ends than what the Wise and Good God has Appointed us and ordain'd us for and is a Going quite cross to those Laws and Rules which he has given us And then consider it next in its sad Effects and Consequents and there is no Evil in the World to be Compar'd to it It is a Sin says One which turn'd glorious Angels into hideous Devils and tumbl'd them down from Heaven to Hell It is Sin that fill'd the the World with Woes and Plagues brought Death and Diseases and a vast and endless Summ of Miseries into it It is Sin that torments and terrifies the Conscience that kindles Hell Flames Exposes the Soul to the eternal and direful Revenges of the great God And in a word Sin is so perfectly and only Evil that the worst of Things here were they free from the Contagion and Evil of Sin would be Excellent and Amiable So that Sin also is Absolutely and Entirely to be Renounc'd by us and there is no one Sin nothing in the least of Sin that may willingly be comply'd with â—herefore no â—ne Sin nor â—ny thing the â—ast of Sin â—ust willingâ—â— be comply'd â—ith I say No One Sin nor any the least of Sin for so Poisonous a thing it is in spoiling of every thing that is Good in Man that if we shall allow our selves but in One single Sin it will utterly spoil all our other Righteousness If a man keep the whole Law and yet offend in one Point he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And One such single Allowance will stop God's Ears against all our Prayers If I regard Iniquity in my
will not fail of Bestowing the former so there is no reason in the World to fancy he will forbear to Inflict the latter It was not without the highest Reason and perhaps because nothing less than Eternal Punishments are sufficient to restrain Sinners from those Pleasures of Sin which are present that he did Threaten to Inflict such at first And when Laws so Reasonable in themselves and whose Obedience neither the Goodness of the Lawgiver in so bountifully Rewarding nor the fear of his Power in so terribly Punishing can secure are basely Transgrest and Trampled upon by base and ungrateful Rebels against the Majesty of Heaven what reason is there any Sinner should promise himself That God will not Punish the Trangression of 'em to as high a Degree as in his Word he has Threaten'd And for any Man therefore without any Ground at all but his own sond Wishes and Desires he might not be so Punisht to to Promise himself That God will after all forbear him is such a desperate Peice of Madness as can never enter into the Hearts of any but those whom Satan has Insatuated and Befool'd to their Ruine and Destruction Wherefore you must take care that you Abandon and utterly cast out of your Souls the very first Motions of such Thoughts looking upon 'em as no other than Suggestions from Satan whenever they enter into your Minds And in so doing you will Renounce as it highly Concerns you that First and most dangerous Temptation of Satan Secondly The next of these more general Policies of Satan II. By Corrupting the Vnderstanding and Reason of Man by putting him upon curious Enquiries after â—â—ess Matâ— and upon â—â—king a â—â—ul Expeâ—â—ent of the â—â—erences beâ—en Good 〈◊〉 Evil. whereby he did at first and does still endeavour to draw all Mankind to venture upon a Revolt from God was his corrupting the Reason and Vnderstanding of Man by putting him upon curious Enquiries into vain and unprofitable Things and by inciting him to make an Experiment what was in Sin in order as he pretended to enlarge his Knowledge But in reallity with a design to draw over his Soul a thick Cloud of Ignorance that so he might lead him blindfold into any Sin and Misery In the day ye shall eat thereof says the Serpent then your Eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil Gen. 3.5 that is to confine your Knowledge to the narrow subject of God's Laws and to study only to know how you may please your Maker is an Injury to that Noble Faculty your Understanding whereby you may be Equal with God himself if you please and therefore that nothing may escape your Knowledge that you may understand all that which is Good for Man try the Experiment of knowing Things forbidden as well as allow'd 〈◊〉 Mind of â—n natuâ—â— desirous â—ncreasing â—â—wledge And this indeed was a most exquisite and refin'd piece of Policy such as Hell it self could not invent a more effectual One to ruine Man withal and yet One whose Mischief was less discernible A hungry Stomach does not more eagerly crave Meat than the Mind of Man does naturally desire Knowledge which is Food to the Intellectual Part as Meat is to the Bodily And if it be Useful and Good it adds Nourishment and Strength and Vigour to the Inward Man as wholesome Diet does to the Outward â—xperimenâ— Knowâ—ge of Sin â—â—ds the â—â—son and â—â—fies the â—â—ce of spiâ—â—al things And now behold here the deep Policy of Satan that when the Reasonable Soul of Adam did hunger and thirst so eagerly after Knowledge and when possibly he thought it might make him able to steer his Way towards Happiness with greater certainty and safety if he should once Experimentally know Evil as well as Good as we commonly know a Way the better ever afterwards which we have once mist Satan by Tempting him to commit Evil instead of Enlightning his Mind did thereby quite extinguish the Candle of the Lord in the Soul of Man Divine Knowledge so that instead of discerning his Way to Heaven thenceforward he was not able so much as to guess at it For why Sin like Mud does strangely foul and defile the Soul It stirs up the Lusts and Appetites within a Man and these rising upwards do wonderfully cloud and muddy a Man's Reason Sin does even turn a Man Topsy-turvy It puts the Affections Lusts and Appetites uppermost and tumbles Reason and Judgment down and therefore Just as in a Vessel which has a Sediment in the Bottom but clear Liquor in the Top if you turn it up the Dregs mixing with the purer Part makes that which was clear as Chrystal before become very foul and muddy So in a Soul defil'd with Sin Reason can no longer see where the Way of its Happiness does lye The Truth of it is To spend too much of our Time and of our Thoughts in gaining the Knowledge of Things And even â—re Curiosiâ— after less â—ofitable â—ings takes 〈◊〉 from the â—â—owledge of â—â—d and our â—â—ves and 〈◊〉 Means of â—â—ppiness in themselves Lawful as in the Laws of our Country or in the Mysteries of Trade will too much take a Man off from Enquiring into and will hinder the Knowledge of God and of our selves and of the Means of being happy in Heaven which does infinitely more concern us Hence Not many wise Men after the Flesh not many Mighty not many Noble were called 1 Cor. 1.26 But if Men seek to Enlarge their Knowledge by Experimentally knowing of Sin and with Solomon Give their Heart as to know Wisdom so to know Madness and Folly they will not only soon perceive with him That it is but Vexation of Spirit but they will find it will extreamly stupify their Sense and Apprehension of spiritual Things And being frequently and habitually committed will cause in them such a Reprobate Mind as will disable 'em at length to know any difference between Good and Evil. And by this very Wile does he to this Day bring such an Ignorance in Religious Matters By these Means he brings that Ignorance in Divine Matters which reigns in most Mens Minds as does apparently reign in the Minds of some Men. Some he engages in nice Enquiries after a Thousand other things to draw 'em off from ever looking into their Bibles And as to Others by decoying 'em into one Sin after another he does at length improve their Knowledge of Evil to that degree that at last they come to know nothing of Good nay to have so little a sence of it such stupify'd Apprehensions concerning it as to Call Evil Good and Good Evil. And then having once blindfolded the Reason of Man with the Ignorance of Divine Things what Sin and Misery is there And being spiritually ignorant Men are easily led into whatever Sin and Misery That Satan does not most easily lead Men into For why Good and Useful Knowledge such as the
Tempting of us to Sin and then I shall have done this Point What it is and how we must Renounce this great Work of the Devil his Tempting of us to Sin The word Renounce I before told you is a Word that bears various Significations according to the Nature of the Thing to be Renounc'd by us And as the Devil being that Arch-Rebel against God whose Quarrel with him is for no less than Dominion and Empire over the World who shall be King thereof God or Satan and who with all his Legions of Infernal Spirits are continually mustering up all their Forces against the Authority of God and drawing wretched sinful Men into the Conspiracy As the Devil being such to Renounce the Devil as I have told you is to disclaim or leave off having any Hand with him in his base and ungrateful Rebellion against God And as to his works of Sin As by Sin God's Laws are Transgrest his Authority thrown off his Government disown'd and his Power defy'd So to Renounce his works of Sin must signify to disclaim or abandon every Sin as a thing most dishonourable and provoking to God because it implies a throwing off his Authority and a disowning his Power As this is to Renounce the Devil and all his works of Sin So as to that other great Work of his his Temptations of us â—he Tempâ—ons of the â—vil are 〈◊〉 only proâ—y Renounâ— when 〈◊〉 are Reâ—d by us those will properly be then only Renounc'd when they are Resisted by us a thing which we are Commanded to do Jam. 4.7 Resist the Devil as also 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom Resist stedfast in the Faith But how shall such weak and impotent Creatures as we are be able to Resist such a mighty Spirit or rather such a powerful Host of Spirits as the Devils are For are there not Multitudes of 'em surrounding of us as appears by one Man's having a whole Legion of 'em cast out of him And did not the great Fiend the Ring leader of 'em own to God that it was his Employment to Go to and fro in the Earth and to walk up and down in it Job 1.7 to find out such whom with the greatest Probability of Success he may assault and to see against what weak part of 'em either in Body or Mind he may most advantagiously raise his Batteries Nay and is it not said 1 Pet. 8.9 That as a roaring Lion he continually walks about the Earth seeking whom he may devour So that besides his Industry and Policy he does with the greatest Violence and Fury oftentimes set upon us These things consider'd Is it possible for us to Resist him or is it not then in vain for us to Endeavour it Or by what Means you will say shall we be able to do it But notwithstanding all the Multitude the Policy nor the Fury of Devils we need not be Dishearten'd for as we are Commanded in the fore-cited Place of St. Jam. 4 7. To Resist him So we have a Promise of being successful when we do â—hat they 〈◊〉 be sucâ—fully Reâ—d Resist the Devil and he will fly from you And you will be able effectually to Resist his Temptations these Three ways First By keeping your Selves always Sober Secondly By Watchfulness that you may not be Ensnared by them Thirdly By Prayer to God to Protect you from them I. 〈◊〉 must keep 〈◊〉 selves alâ—ys Sober First If you will effectually Resist Satan's Temptations you must preserve your selves always Sober or else you will be depriv'd of Reason and the Grace of God whereby alone you can Resist them Thus 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Be Sober because your Adversary the Devil as a Roaring Lion â—obriety I 〈◊〉 opposite to â—unkenness 〈◊〉 necessary â—eservative â—ainst Saâ—'s Tempâ—ions walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom Resist stedfast in the Faith And indeed Sobriety as it is contrary both to Drunkenness and Passion is a great and most necessary Preservative against Satan's Temptations Drunkenness is a thing does so Overwhelm all the Powers of the Soul that whilst a Person is in that Condition he has little sometimes no use of his Memory Understanding and Judgment so as to have any Thoughts of Good and Evil or to discern between what is Fit and Reasonable and what is Hurtful and Brutish And only the Lusts and Appetites of a Man are then awake ready to hurry him to whatsoever Extravagancies he shall be Tempted And do you think that the Devil who is so Cunning in Timing his Temptations will then be Idle and not strike in with the Season and at such an Opportunity present to the Wretch when depriv'd of Reason and Grace such Baits as shall be likeliest to take him Why this to be sure he will and hence we hear of so many brutish Extravagancies and sinful Frolicks so much Lewdness Swearing Robberies and Blood-shed acted and committed in Drunkenness Such great Reason there is that as you would preserve your selves from Sin so likewise must you preserve your selves Sober and Free from Drunkenness otherwise you will be Overtaken therewith And likewise Sober and Free from Passion II. As opposite to Passion in which case Persons are as much depriv'd of Reason as in the other and are hurry'd on to the like Commissions and the Devil will be alike ready both to Influence the Passion and to suggest Provocations if Sobriety does not strike in and moderate Hence is the Passionate and Violent Tongue said to be Set on Fire of Hell Secondly Watchfulness is another Means to Resist Temptations II. Watchful over those our weaknesses especially where Satan will be likeliest to Attempt us Thus again in order thereunto in the same Place of St. Peter 1 Ep. 5.8 9. it is said Be Sober be Vigilant He is Vigilant for his Part to do you Mischief and watches all Advantages to get you into his Power and Reach And it lies upon you to be as careful to Guard your selves against all his Batteries which he Plays against you He surrounds the Soul and views it on all sides And this great Enemy of Mankind says a Father does there lay his Snares of Deceit where there is the greatest Probability they will take us He knows to whom he may best apply the Heats of Lust before whom he may spread the Table of Gluttony and to whose View he may display the Enchantments of all sorts of Luxury He considers the Temper of Men's Minds and whom he can disorder with Grief and whom he may deceive with Joy whom he can oppress with Fear and whom he may seduce with Admiration and into whose Breast he can most easily Infuse the Poison of Envy He examines the Customs of Men he considers what are their Cares and he searches which are our prevailing Affections And by that he takes occasion to do us the greatest hurt to which he sees we are most violently addicted and about which he sees us most industriously Employ'd Like an Enemy
As to Riches these are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestowed upon us to good Ends and Purposes to the Relieving the Poor and Distressed to the Encouragement of Industry and in many other ways which the Laws of Piety and Charity do direct * And those who enjoy 'em have great Advantages of doing Good therewith to others Comfort and the Benefit of their own Souls And those therefore on whom God has bestowed Wealth have admirable Advantages put into their Hands to do Good therewith to the Comfort of others and to lay up to themselves Treasures of Reward in Heaven by their good Works Nevertheless it was no hard Censure our Saviour pass'd upon Riches in saying That a Rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 19.23 For both Scripture Nevertheless Riches are a mighty Temptation whether we conâ—â—er Men as â—etting Posâ—ssing or as â—arting with 〈◊〉 Losing of â—em and daily Experience tells us that Riches are a very great Temptation to manifold Sins and Offences against God and that whether we consider Men with respect to their Getting Possessing or their Parting with or Losing of them First Consider Men in the State of getting Riches and St. Paul tells us 1 Tim. 6.9 That they who would be Rich fall into a Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition And our own Experience also gives us to see I. In the over-â—â—ger Pursuit 〈◊〉 Richesmen 〈◊〉 run themâ—lves into â—any grievâ—â—s Sins how many horrid and black Crimes and into what miserable Snares so as never to be able to disentangle themselves out of 'em do Men run themselves into by an over-eager Pursuit of Riches A dividing betwixt God and Mammon is the lowest Degree of Sin that is occasion'd hereby which yet God will not endure as you will find Matth. 6.24 The Neglect of Religion and Contempt of Heavenly Things is the next And it is not seldom we see that Men to raise themselves Estates in this world will not stick at Oppressing the Poor at Cheating of Orphans and Widows at Corrupting of Witnesses and Juries and Forging of Evidences and to add Impiety to Injustice to get but a small Pittance of worldly Wealth they will Rob God in his Tythes and Offerings by Sacrilegiously detaining those Dues which were allotted both by the Laws of God and Man for the Maintenance of the Worship of God and his Ministers a Sin compar'd by St. Paul with Idolatry it self Rom. 2.22 As also into â—any miseraâ—le Snares so â—s to behardâ— ever able 〈◊〉 disent angle â—hemselves â—ut of ' em And then as to the Temptations and Snares into which Men by the unjust acquiring of Riches do often Entangle themselves it is indeed Terrible to consider how they do frequently thereby run themselves into such a Condition that like a wild Beast entangled in a Net they cannot get out For when once Riches are got by any methods of Wrong or Robbery there must be an entire Restitution of all that has been unjustly gain'd or ever the Man can be said to Repent or hope to Recover the Favour of God And yet this Restitution after many and repeated Acts of Injustice becomes almost Impossible to be done For why the Love of Money is so near to the Miser's Heart that he can sooner spill the Blood thereof than part with it And if that which he has Ill-got has not Thriven with him as seldom it does why then he has not where-withal to Restore to every Man his own without reducing Himself and Family to extream Beggary which how hard a thing it is to bring himself to and in Practice how seldom heard of I leave it to your own Observation to Inform your selves So that you see into what a miserable Temptation and Snare Men do Entangle themselves by grasping after unlawful Gain For as Restiâ—ution is necessary to Peace with God so it is â—xtreamly difficult to be willing or â—ble afterwards to make it They have it not in their Will or if in their Will not in their Power to make Restitution and yet without Restitution they can have no Peace with God and therefore such at length do usually fly for Refuge from their upbraiding Consciences if not into utter Atheism as is usual with other great Sinners At least-wise they 'll shelter themselves under some lewd Anti-nomian Principles which teach Men to rely upon Christ and to roll upon his Promises notwithstanding any Extortions Oppressions or other unrepented Sins they may be at the same time Guilty of for which Reason perhaps your Dealers and Men of Business are so apt to be found at the Feel of Fanatick Teachers Such Temptations to Sin are Men liable to in the Getting the Riches of this World Secondly And no less also are those subject to who do Possess them II. And no less Temptations are those subject to who do possess ' em Experience tells us that a great Estate is a very great Temptation to Idleness and Luxury to Pride and Insolence to Irreligion towards God and a Profane Idolatrous Trust in Riches And in a word to Commit the highest Offences towards God their Neighbour and Themselves I say to Idleness and Luxury the former whereof is the Rust of the Mind the latter is a Canker that devours and destroys the Body And how great a Temptation to Idleness and Luxury Riches are is eminently seen in the Case of the Rich Man in the Gospel Luk. 12.19 He had no sooner got his Barns and his Coffers full but he Sings a Requiem to his Soul Soul thou hast much Good laid up for many Years take thine Ease Eat Drink and be Merry And so likewise they are a strong Temptation to Pride and Insolence and that in Respect both to God and Man As to his Behaviour towards God how apt is the Rich Man in the midst of all his Successes to Sacrifice to his own Net and to Burn Incense to his own Drag as the Prophet words it Hab. 1.16 that is to Attribute all to his own Wit and Policy and Conduct exclusive of God's Providence And then as to his Carriage towards Men how often do Riches make those that have 'em to carry themselves with a most unreasonable Haughtiness and Disrespect towards Persons of lower Fortunes to look upon Men of little or no Estates as the Cattle only and Vermin of the World and to treat 'em as their Slaves and Vassals as if they were not Creatures of the same Kind with themselves and had not Souls as Precious in God's sight as their own And then as to Irreligion and Insolence towards God The impious Contempt of God and of all that is Sacred which Men in the midst of their Abundance do cast upon that Bountiful Benefactor who Gave 'em all things Richly to Enjoy cannot be more exactly describ'd than in the Case of the Israelites Deut. 32.13 14
fall short of them also if they Renounce and Refuse not with the utmost Detestation such Impiety And it is indeed so common a strain of Wickedness that I thought it very requisite to Advertise you of it and seriously to warn you against admitting it Secondly Every Man must renounce and refuse those Titles and Respects and Precedences which are not his due but belong to Persons above him II. Every Man must renounce and refuse those Titles and Respects and Precedences which are not his due but belong to Persons above him A Distinction of Titles and Respects is necessary to keep up Order and Distinction of Men and their Merits and it is a great Disorder and Confusion when Persons either Take or Receive such as do not belong to 'em So that one cannot know who is High in Rank or Reputation or who is Low in the World in respect of either This is what the Wise-man complains of Eccl. 10.5 6 7. as a great Evil and such as it concerns the Magistrate to restrain by Law There is an Evil which I have seen under the Sun as an Error which proceedeth from the Ruler Folly is set in great dignity and the Rich sit in low place I have seen Servants upon Horses and Princes walking as Servants upon the Earth Nay Lastly So far must any One be from Assuming any thing of this Nature above him that It becomes every Person out of Modesty Humility and good Manners to decline his due in this kind And must ever Renounce the Entitling and Placing of himself and leave it to others Lastly And must in Modesty Humility and good Manners decline his due in this kind and must renounce the Entitleing of himself and permit that to others This our Saviour prescribes Luk. 14.8 9 10 11. When thou art bid to a Wedding sit not down in the highest Room lest a more honourable than thou be bidden of him but sit down in the lowest Room that when he that bade thee cometh he may say unto thee Friend go up higher Then shalt thou have Worship in the presence of them who are at meat with thee And the reason of this Appointment of our Saviour's in so seemingly trivial a Case was not only to pull down our Ambition and Pride but to promote Courtesy and Civility and good Manners which are very considerable Vertues in Society and therefore to be sure of good account in Christianity But the Contrary to both these last Instances of Renouncing outward Respects and Honours is one of the great Vanities of the World which shall be more fully spoke to under another Head But yet I must not dismiss this without answering an Objection or Two It is usual amongst other Titles of Princes Objections against receiving Titles of Honour Respect and Precedency Answered to ascribe to 'em the Attributes of most Gracious most Religious most Excellent and the like which may seem to savour too much of that Flattery for admitting of which Herod was Punisht And the Absurdity seems to be the greater if those Princes happen to be Vicious and Ungodly But here it is to be consider'd that Princes and great Magistrates as they are in an Exalted Condition above the rest of Men so those Titles must be given 'em which shall raise and maintain a due Veneration towards them and their Office And even when the Persons Invested with those Dignities happen to be Cruel and Wicked yet such Titles as most Gracious most Religious are not un-befitting their Office tho' they may not so well suit their Personal Character and it is upon the account of that that they are given 'em As it was upon the Score of his Office that St. Paul styl'd Festus a Heathen Magistrate most Noble Act. 26.25 Next it is urged against Receiving Titles of Respect those words of our Saviour Be ye not called Masters for one is your Master even Christ Matth. 23.10 But in order to clear this you must consider that this is an Hebrew Idiom or manner of Expressing in which Calling and Being are all one as They shall call his name Emanuel signifies he shall be Emanuel or God with us So here Be ye not called Masters is a forbidding of Men to be Masters one to another And in what Sence is this to be understood Why amongst the Jews you must know those who took upon 'em to be Leaders and Teachers did challenge a blind Obedience from their Disciples and Followers and requir'd 'em to give up their Faith to be absolutely Sway'd by 'em But our Saviour would have no meer Man pretend to be so much a Master over Men's Faith as if he were Infallible in which Sence to be a Master was our Saviour's Right But otherwise the Title of Master as it signifies no more than a Humane Respect is no more to be refus'd than that of Father Which yet as amongst the Jews it was used to mean such a Principal of the School of the Prophets as no Man ought to contradict was also forbid Matth. 23.9 Lastly It is objected against Persons of Quality being Placed or Seated higher than others in Religious Assemblies from those words of St. James 2.2 3 4. If there come into your Assembly a man with a gold Ring in goodly Apparel and there come also a poor man in vile Raiment and ye have respect unto him that weareth the gay Clothing and say unto him Sit thou here in a good place and say to the poor Stand thou there or sit under my footstool Are ye not then partial in your selves and become Judges of evil thoughts But this Objection will be taken off and this difficult Place clear'd if you consider what is here meant by Assembly and upon what account Respect of Persons is forbid to be had to any one in them Now by Assembly is here to be understood a Court of Judicature where Law-suits are tryed for so not only the word translated Assembly does elsewhere as Matth. 10.17 signify but there are several Expressions in this place which do determine it here to this Sence as particularly when those that order'd the Rich to sit in a more Honourable Place and the Poor in a less Honourable are said to have a Footstool which did belong to Tribunals and to be Judges of evil Thoughts that is partial in their Judgments Men that thought more of the Persons than their Causes And the reason why that sort of Respect of Persons in their judicial Assemblies the Placing of the Man of Quality in a higher the Poorer in a lower Place which seems not to have been so material was notwithstanding forbid was because this would have been lookt upon according to the then Apprehensions of the Jews as a Token of Partiality in the Judge For as the Learned Hammond upon the Place does observe It was provided by a Canon of the Jews that when a Rich Man and a Poor have a Suit together before their Consistories either both must sit or
an Eternity of Woe and Misery His Mercy is sufficiently satisfied in laying no Tyrannical Impositions upon us as Satan and all false Gods have done upon their superstitious Votaries It is yet a farther Demonstration of his Mercy that our vertuous Performances tho' they are their own Reward here yet they shall be also abundantly Recompenced hereafter He does moreover let us see his Mercy in his long Forbearance of us notwithstanding that by our numberless Provocations we do Grieve his Holy Spirit But he has given us the greatest Discoveries of his Mercy beyond what could ever enter into the Hearts of Men to expect when he gave his own Son to be an Atonement and Expiation for our Sins that his Justice might not proceed against us and when he sent him to us with a Covenant of Grace as an Act of Pardon proposing to us not only a perfect Reconciliation with our offended God but infinite Rewards in Heaven if we would return to our due Obedience and Pay him no other but a reasonable Service I think this is sufficient for Mercy to do and if such immensurable Mercies will not win upon us it is time that as severe a Justice should then take place for we are to consider God as the supreme Governour of Men and Justice is as necessary an Attribute in Government as Mercy Nor is his Severity in Punishing the Sins of a short Life with an Eternity of Woe and Misery but what is agreeable to his Justice and Wisdom as supreme Governour of the World It is necessary in all Governments that the Laws thereof should be enforc'd with such Penalties as shall be sufficient to deter People from the Transgression of those Laws And therefore the Penalties being future it is necessary they should be vastly Great to Over-balance the Profits or Pleasures of Sin which are present It may seem hard indeed at first sight in Humane Governments that a Person for Clipping a Peice of Silver which bears the Image and Superscription of Caesar or for Stealing it from another should forfeit not only his Goods and Chattels but also his Life it self but yet since upon the Temptations of present Profit bad Men will adventure to commit such Facts and the Authority of Laws cannot otherwise be kept up nor Men's Rights and Properties preserv'd It is not thought by the Honest Part of Mankind Inconsistent with the Wisdom and Justice of Governours to inflict even such Punishments as extend to the loss of Life It is these alone are sufficient to Out-weigh the present Consideration of Profit to the Offender and effectually to move him to live in Obedience to Government and therefore these as great as they be are esteem'd but Just and Equal So here in the Government of God over us The Pleasures and Profits of Sin to compass which Men will Transgress the Laws of Heaven are but short true it is but yet being present and the Punishments Threaten'd to 'em being apprehended by most Sinners to be at a great distance they are therefore generally prevailing and Men for that Reason do venture to Transgress the Laws of God a Thing of worse Consequence than the Violation of Humane Ordinances and therefore it is no other than what can be expected from the Justice and Wisdom of the supreme Governour of the World to inflict such infinite and eternal Punishments In short Divine Vengeance as well as Humane must be such as will Over-balance the Reasons and Motives to Sin And the Pleasures and Profits of Sin being present and the Divine Punishments not taking place but in another World according to the Fundamental Rules and Reasons of Government they must be Infinite and Eternal and all little enough or otherwise they will not be sufficient to secure our Obedience to the Laws of Heaven So that there is no Strength in this Argument of Sinful Men against the Justice of Eternal Torments in the behalf of their Lusts whereby they would perswade you as well as themselves into a most dangerous Security and with-draw you from or slacken you in your Duty Secondly Nor are the Duties of our Religion hard Sayings which no Man can bear II. That the Duties of Religion are hard Sayings which no man can bear as they will likewise plead All the Duties enjoin'd us in the Gospel respect either God our Neighbour or our Selves Those to God as we find 'em laid down in pure and undefiled Christianity undefiled I say with the Inventions of Men are no superstitious senseless and uncouth Observances so much the matter of all other Worships besides the Christian but are all of 'em indeed a most reasonable Service Those which respect our Neighbour are no other than Acts of Justice Peace and Charity the contrary of which would destroy Humane Society or make us Beasts of Prey one to another And as to those Duties we owe to our selves why they are no other than that we should truly and justly Value our selves neither overmuch by Pride nor too little by letting base Lusts to reign over us or the inferiour Part of our Nature to Domineer it over our Reason and Understanding the Superiour and in all Equity the governing Part of us And what is there hard in all this that we should Quarrel with our Duty except we count it hard that God who has made us reasonable Creatures would not suffer us to Transform our selves into unreasonable Brutes Thirdly And this is a sufficient Answer also to that other Pleading of sinful Men That they are made of Flesh and Blood and therefore sure God will not require Men upon the Forfeiture of Salvation if they do not to Mortify the Flesh III. That they are made of Flesh and Blood and that therefore sure God will not require Men upon the Forfeiture of Salvation if they do not to mortify the Flesh For these Men who Plead thus ought to consider that they consist of Soul and Spirit as well as of Flesh and Blood and as the Soul is Superiour and the Governing Part within us So it is highly Reasonable it should have the Obedience of the Other And this is all the Mortification which Religion puts the Flesh to It would keep it in Subjection to the Dictates of right Reason and that is all And tho' this Mortification of the Flesh is to be exercis'd by Imposing some Severities sometimes upon the Body as by Fasting and Watching c. Yet this is no more to be complain'd of than that Refractory Children and Servants and Subjects must be sometimes kept up under Discipline as there shall be occasion Nay but Lastly say these Men God has set us in a World full of Temptations and abounding with sensual Delights and Pleasures and he therefore who has Plac'd us in it sure will not Command us upon Pain of Damnation to Overcome those strong Temptations and to Deny these Pleasures of the World Lastly that God has set us in a World full of Temptations and
turn'd upside down The Affections Lusts and Appetites do now Reign and Reason and Conscience are dragg'd after them in miserable Slavery And as to the Will of an Unregenerate Man the most that it can do is not without Reluctance and Regret to comply with the Temptations of the Senses like him in St. Paul I know that in me that is in my Flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for the Good that I would I do not but the Evil which I would not that I do Rom. 7.18 19. The best that can be suppos'd of the Unregenerate Man is this that after the Preaching of the Laws of God to him and a Divine Light has been let thereby into his Understanding he does approve in his own Mind of the Ways of God as most excellent Such was he in St. Paul Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward Man that is according to the Understanding or Superiour Faculty contrary to the carnal or bodily part of him such a one does approve of what the Laws of God do prescribe But then alas he must own that he sees another Law in his Members warring against the Law of his Mind and bringing him into Captivity to the Law of Sin which is in his Members v. 23. So that the State of an Unregenerate Man is a State of meer Confusion Disorder and Rebellion the Affections Lusts and Appetites rising up in Opposition to the Dictates of the Mind and Conscience And it is a State of meer Impotency and Weakness the Mind and Conscience being so far unable to govern the Affections Lusts and Appetites that these latter get the better of the day carry the Mind and Reason captive and force it slavishly to do what the Flesh requires to have done by it so exceedingly spoil'd and broken in the Unregenerate Nature is all that Excellent Frame and Constitution wherein Man was at first Created 2. And consequently then the Image of God wherein Man was at first Created must needs be miserably defaced 2. The Image of God wherein he was first Created defac'd in a State of Unregeneracy For why In that Excellent Perfection and Order which appear'd in the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature it was that those lively Strokes of the Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness were plainly visible But as a mishapen and monstrous Picture in which there is nothing of Regularity and good Feature cannot without Injury be said to Resemble some Excellent and Goodly Personage so neither can the defac'd and deform'd Nature of an Unregenerate Man be said to be made after the Likeness of God Some Faint and Remote Resemblances true it is do still remain under all those Defacements even as in the Ruines of a Stately Palace there may appear something of Admirable Architecture There is still remaining in the most Corrupt Nature True it is that part of the Image of God which consisted in those things which are Essential to Man as Man that is the Soul and all its Faculties of Understanding Will and Affections these do still remain the same for Substance as they were before But the Image of God as it consists in our Moral Perfections viz. in the Order and good Harmony of the several Faculties of Humane Nature with respect one to another and in that Perfection which did Originally belong to each single Faculty The Image of God I say in this respect is miserably defac'd in the Natural Man As to the good Harmony of the several Faculties and Powers of Humane Nature you have already seen how that is spoil'd And as to the Perfection which should be in every one of these several Faculties that in an Vnregenerate Man is very little Alas in his Understanding what is there now but Blindness and Darkness What in his Will but Stubborness and Perverseness What in his Affections but Violence and Disorder And what in his Lusts and Appetites but Sensuality and Irregularity So sadly is the whole Nature of the Unregenerate Man Corrupted so that little or nothing of the Image of God does now remain in him But Lastly Above all Man in his Unregenerate Nature is now miserably Alter'd from what he was in that all the Faculties and Powers of Soul and Body instead of Inclining towards and Centring upon God and Heavenly Things tend downwards towards the Creature Lastly the Tendency of all the Faculties both of Soul and Body are towards the Creature As to the Appetites and Desires in the Unregenerate they are in a manner wholly sensual and are hardly ever to be satisfy'd with what Gratifies the Senses The Affections also are wholly set upon Worldly Enjoyments and the Will does also preferr and chuse such far before Spiritual Consolations And what is more in the Unregenerate Man the very Mind and Conscience is defil'd Tit. 1.15 And they who are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh Rom. 8.5 do mind Earthly Things Phil. 3.14 Their whole Thoughts and Contrivances their Meditations and Purposes are wholly upon those poor and paltry Vanities of this World and are altogether taken up in making Provisions for the Flesh and their Hearts and Affections cling closely and solely to the Earth Hence it is said of such that they live after the Flesh Rom. 8.13 and that they walk after the Flesh 2 Pet. 2.10 they are so wholly Addicted to Fleshly and Worldly Things And thus you see what is meant by the Flesh And now it is time to consider in what sense and how far we must Renounce the Flesh And 1. The Flesh must be Renounc'd by our being Renew'd in the whole Frame and Constitution of our Nature after the Image of God To Renounce 〈◊〉 Flesh is be renewed 〈◊〉 the whole â—rame and â—â—nstitution 〈◊〉 our Nature â—â—ter the Iâ—age of God Thus we are commanded Eph. 4.22.23 24. to put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to be Renewed in the Spirit of our Minds and to put on that New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness So that the whole Corrupt Nature must be Restor'd as near as it can to its first Constitution and that Divine Likeness wherewith it was then stamp'd That is the Mind which is now covered with Darkness and Ignorance must be Enlightned with true and practical Knowledge Ye have put on the New Man which is Renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that Created him Col. 3.10 The Will which is now obstinately bent against the Ways of Righteousness must be made compliant with God's Will The Affections which are now set upon Worldly Things must be called off from these Earthly Vanities and fix'd upon Spiritual and Heavenly Objects And Lastly the Lusts and Appetites which in the State of Nature are continually Rebelling against the Mind must be Reduc'd to their Original
the Understanding and Reason and do carry the Will into Slavery to ' em I will take the whole Frame of this our depraved Nature in pieces that so viewing that Corruption which residing in every of the Faculties and Powers thereof renders all of 'em so many sinful Lusts of the Flesh we may be better able to Renounce each of those sinful and fleshly Lusts And First let us consider that Corruption which Resides in the Mind and renders it Fleshly and consequently the Motions even of the Intellectual part of our Nature no better than sinful Lusts of the Flesh The sinful Lusts of the Fleshly Mind what And our Understanding alas which should be full of Divine Knowledge such as may be a Lamp unto our Feet and a Light unto our Paths is in the Unregenerate Man full of Vanity Ignorance of and Prejudice against Divine Truths The Unregenerate Man neither understands nor seeks after God Rom. 3.11 He likes not to Retain God in his Knowledge or to consider any thing concerning him but is vain in his Imaginations having his foolish heart darkned Rom. 1.21 28. Nay the best Habits of the Mind in the Unregenerate Man are Corrupt having the Vnderstanding darkn'd being Alienated from the Life of God through the Ignorance that is in them Eph. 4.18 And hence it comes to pass that whereas the great and proper Appetite of the Mind is after Knowledge an Appetite which God hath put into the Soul of Man and so a thing Beautiful and Good This very desire of Knowledge becomes a sinful Lust of the Fleshly Mind in several Cases particularly in these following viz. when either we misplace our Desires of Knowledge upon wrong Objects or when we do immoderately study to be exquisitely skill'd in Humane tho' Lawful Arts and Sciences to the Neglect and Contempt of Divine Knowledge And Lastly when out of Pride Prejudice and contradiction to all sacred Truths we set up our own Fleshly Imaginations and Reasonings against the Spiritual Notions that are dictated to us And accordingly such our Appetites or Desires even of Knowledge it self must be Renounced as so many sinful Lusts of a Fleshly Mind And first we must Renounce the Desires of Knowing wrong Objects that is we must not Gratifie but Mortifie our Desires of Knowing such Things which are either Hurtful to be known 1 When we are curious to know Things which are either Hurtful to be Known or are not proper for Man to know Now as to this we are to consider that there is a certain Distemper of Mind called Curiosity which as it is of like Nature so it is of full as hurtful and Mischievous Effects to the Mind as that Distemper is to the Body which stirs up Persons to eat Chalk or Coals or Trash or whatever affords either none at all or a very ill Nourishment Such is the Curiosity of Knowing Evil which was the thing that ruin'd our first Parents and afterwards Solomon and since him many other Persons Such are they who have a great Desire to taste those Pleasures which are in Sin and by Tasting of 'em their Minds are defil'd and their Morals Corrupted and it is seldom that they do ever after return to have a right Judgment of Good or Evil. Thus hurtful is the Knowledge of some things so that it is much better to be Ignorant thereof than to know ' em Again there are others whose Curiosity gives 'em a strange Itch to know Hidden Things such as are not proper for Man to know Or not proper for Man to know as the Decrees of Predestination and the Counsels of God's Will which is the Ark that no Mortal Eye ought to look into And many are wonderfully Inquisitive to learn the Future Events of Kingdoms and States and of their own and others private Fortunes And therefore it is that they are so apt to give heed to every pretended Prophecy and thô few are so very wicked as to Consult Evil Spirits themselves by Magical Arts yet Multitudes will make no scruple to Resort to Fortune-tellers and Conjurers and those that do consult 'em or are reputed to do thô it be an Impiety so severely threatned Deut. 18.11 12. But all Curious Enquiries whatever into the Secrets of God's Providence are to be Renounc'd by us Christians as being the Gratifications only of a sinful Curiosity Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are Reveal'd unto us and our Children for ever that we may do all the words of his Law Deut. 29.29 â— When we do â—mmoderately â—tudy to be Exquisitely Skill'd in whatever Humane Arts and Sciences to the Neglect or Contempt of Divine Knowledge 2. We must Renounce that as a sinful Lust of the Fleshly Mind which improportionably to the true worth of things is more desirous to furnish it self with the Knowledge of what concerns only this Mortal Life than with the Knowledge of those Divine Truths which direct us to Life Everlasting Now this is Life Eternal or that Knowledge which leadeth and directs us to Life Eternal That we know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Joh. 17.3 But alas such is the Folly of the Carnally and Worldly wise that most Persons do neglect the Knowledge of God and the Christian Religion as if it were little worth when certainly in the end there is nothing will stand us in that stead as this sort of Knowledge Some there are whose whole search is for the Causes and Cures of Bodily Distempers and yet alas all is but Guess and Conjecture and an ordinary Malady not very seldom baffles the most Learned Physician and he sits down heavy in Disgrace and Disappointment But the Knowledge of God and Religion if duly apply'd never fails to Cure the Soul of all its Infirmities nor will it fail to fill the Mind with the Sweetest Comforts and Satisfactions Others you shall have who desire and care for nothing more than good Skill in the Laws of their Countrey whereby they may raise themselves good Estates in this World but alas such Knowledge can only serve a present Interest but by the Knowledge of our Christianity we may be able to provide our selves Bags that wax not old Eternal in the Heavens Some are wholly bent upon Merchandize and Trade but when the most Skilful Pilot shall split upon the Rocks or be foundred in the Sands he who has Heaven in his Eye may steer his Course without danger through the roughest Billows of Adverse Fortune And others there are who seem to aim at no higher Knowledge than how to Till their Land and feed their Cattle and when after all the Crop fails the most painful Husbandman he who knows the Laws of Christianity need not fear a joyful and a plentiful Harvest so excellent and useful is Divine Knowledge above all other Arts and Sciences Not that I would cast a Disparagement upon them they are the Gift of God and useful
in this State of Imperfection so fully Comprehend proceeds meerly from the Pride of those Men who disdaining to own the Decays of our Reason as well as of other the Powers of the Soul ever since the Fall which every Modest Man's Experience does make him too sensible of in a thousand Instances do over-value their Talent of Wit far beyond what they ought And this therefore being such a proud Luciferian Temper it ought to be Renounc'd as the most Impious of all the Sinful Lusts of the Fleshly Mind And let this suffice to be spoke concerning our Renouncing of the Sinful Lusts of that sort The Corrupt Will what and how to be Renounc'd 2. Let us next consider the WILL and the Innate Corruption which Residing in that Faculty renders it Fleshly and tending in all its Choices towards the Creature and so the proper Matter of the Christians Renuntiation And as to this Faculty we are to consider how that God gave to Man a Righteous Law which was to be the Rule of his Will and while it was conformable to this it was conformable to the Will of God and consequently beautiful and regular but instead thereof there is now a Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8.2 And this Law subdues the Law of the Mind and brings the Soul into Captivity to the Law of Sin Rom. 7.23 And the Will being thus Captivated is made Carnal and filled with Enmity against God and that Law which he once planted in us to be the Rule of our Will so that it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be whilst we remain unregenerate Rom. 8.7 But in its corrupt State being always Averse to the Directions of God's Laws and Right Reason it perversly chuses those things which please only the Senses and so becomes in the most proper and immediate Sense of the Word a Sinful and Fleshly Lust But as obstinately bent as the Corrupt Will is found to be against complying with the Laws of God which would guide our Souls upwards we must bring our selves to that Habit of Self-denial so as readily to submit our Wills to God's Laws to be Govern'd by 'em the reason is we are not our own and therefore our own depraved Wills ought not to bear Rule in us but we are God's Creatures and his Subjects and Servants and therefore his All-wise Will and Pleasure should be the Rule and Measure of and preside over all our Actions And this it must do in the most difficult Cases when his Laws seem most to thwart our Reason and his Dispensations seem most hard and severe Thus did Abraham the Father of the Faithful when God commanded him even to slay his only Son Isaac he readily obey'd he did not stand to dispute the case Gen. 22.10 And thus did Job in reference to the Dispensations of God's Providence when he was stript naked of his vast Possessions and even of his dear Children he even then blest God for it kissing as it were the Rod that stroke him The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord Job 1.21 III. The Affections in the Carnal Man do sadly degenerate into what may too properly be call'd the sinful Lusts of the Flesh 3. The Affections what and how to be Renounc'd Our Passions and Affections are indeed in themselves of singular use to the perfecting of our Natures They are the Wings of the Soul to carry it forth with eagerness in the pursuit of that which is good and with Aversation and Flight from that which is Evil. They are variously numbred up but the Master Affections are Love and Hatred which when they are rightly govern'd all the rest are so too but when they are misplac'd and out of order so in the same proportion are all the others And accordingly whereas then it is that our Love is rightly fix'd 1. When we place it upon a proper Object And 2. When we steer towards the Thing we Love with Desires proportionable to the Good that is in the Object that is When the best and greatest Things are pursu'd with our Chiefest Passions middle Things with a less and the lowest with the least So it is that so long as a Person remains Unregenerate he either first places his Love upon that which he should Hate which is the wrong Object as upon sinful Profits and Pleasures or secondly he loves Things of an Indifferent Nature such as are Earthly Things with an over Intense Affection beyond their true Worth and Value And so on the contrary as to Hatred the Carnal Mind hates that which he should love Viz. God and Vertue The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God nor is it Subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 Or else he hates some Things as the chiefest of all Evils viz. Sufferings and Afflictions when indeed they are of that Nature that upon due Consideration a Man shall be able to say That it is good for him that he has been Afflicted And accordingly when our Affections of either kind are either misplac'd upon wrong Objects or are disproportionate to the true worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly Affected in Moderate Degrees In either of these cases I say our Affections shall become Sinful Lusts of the Flesh and are necessary to be Renounced by us 1. As they are Misplac't upon wrong Objects And 1. Those Affections of Love and Hatred must be utterly Renounc'd which we shall find our selves to have misplac't upon wrong Objects that is instead of Loving we must utterly Hate and Abhor all Sin and Sinful Pleasures So the Psalmist Psal 97.10 Ye that Love the Lord hate Evil. Now Sin is the greatest Evil in the World as being most directly contrary to the Holy Nature and Will of God and it is the Cause of all the Evils which befal us and therefore to take pleasure in Sin is so perverse a thing that so long as any Person remains thus wickedly Dispos'd he is an Enemy of God and no better than a Child of the Devil 1 John 3.10 Thus must we not misplace our Love upon that greatest of all Evils which is Sin And so 2. Instead of Hating God and Vertue against whom the Carnal and Vnregenerate are at Enmity we must Entirely and Affectionately Love both which is so plain and palpable a Truth as needs neither proof nor Enlargement And thus we are to Renounce the Affections of Love and Hatred whenever they are misplac'd upon undue Objects 2. As they are Disproportionate to the Love Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly Affected in Moderate Degrees 2. And we must so far Renounce 'em as they are Disproportionate to the true Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or Evilly Affected in Moderate Degrees That is 1st We must not Love God
if you through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live for as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God and so Heirs of Eternal Life so necessary it is as ever we expect the Favour of God and future Happiness to subdue the Flesh and all its Lusts and Appetites its Passions and Affections all our fond and foolish Imaginations and false Prejudices and whatever else within us which savours of Carnality to the Power and Conduct of Right Reason enlightned by the Word and Spirit of God To this purâ—ose of keepâ—ng under our Fleshly Lusts â—t was that our Reason was given us And to this purpose it is that our Reason was given us That Excellent and Divine Faculty was not certainly bestowed upon us to such Vile and Base Purposes as to purveigh for a filthy Carcass which shall consume ere long in Stench and Rottenness but to nobler and better Purposes you may be sure viz. to Govern and Manage the Animal part of us our Flesh and to render it serviceable and useful to Reason and Religion The best Philosophers amongst the Heathens the Platonists do call the Mind that Divine part of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Charióteer and compare it to a Rider and the Body or Flesh and all its Troop of Affections or Passions of Lusts and Appetites they compare to so many rude and wild Horses that must be Manag'd and Tam'd and kept in goood order and render'd Serviceable and Useful to the Mind and Reason Now so it is as a well-order'd and Manag'd Horse may sometimes stumble and start aside tho his Rider keep a very strait Rein and a weary hand upon him So in this corrupt and depraved State of our Natures our Fleshly Lusts will sometimes at leastwise even in the most Regenerate have some small tendencies some Imperfect Velleities and Wouldings towards Evil Things But if we shall take due care to keep so watchful an Eye and wary an Hand over 'em as presently so soon as we perceive any Evil Motion and Tendency to curb and restrain it and not willingly nor wilfully to indulge any Evil Inclination we shall by the Gracious Acceptance and Favour of God be accounted good Managers of that hard Province the Renouncing or Subduing of our Fleshly Lusts If in the general course of our Lives we act like Men endowed with Reason and Grace we shall be pardon'd all our Unwilling and Unavoidable Infirmities III. And Lastly 3. To Renounce ALL the Sinful Lusts of the Flesh what I shall have done this point when I have shew'd you what is meant by Renouncing ALL the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and in what sense and how far we must Renounce 'em ALL. And by Renouncing ALL the Sinful Lusts of the Flesh can be understood no less than that we must Indulge no part nor Faculty of our Corrupt Nature in the Transgression of any of God's Commandments All Men are not alike Addicted to Sin but according as their Temper and Inclinations do differ accordingly are they more or less given some to one Vice some to another Thus some are Naturally High-minded and these disdaining to Think in the common Road or to submit their Judgments to commonly receiv'd Opinions are always starting new Notions and broaching New Heresies Some again will be Orthodox enough in their Opinions but being Persons of warm Constitutions and Sanguine Complexions they cannot help it they 'll say their being overcome by the Pleasures of Sense The whole Herd of Unregenerate Sinners are not made up of such as are all over wicked But some are more particularly in their own Nature addicted to be Covetous some to Revenge and others to Lust and the like And then when these their Natural Dispositions are strengthen'd as is usual by long Accustom'd Habits of Indulgence to some such Complexional Vices it becomes a very difficult Work utterly to Renounce such Sinful Lusts of the Flesh But however difficult it is There must be no one Fleshly Lust suffer'd to Reign in us there must be no Indulgence to any one Fleshly Lust nor must there be any Vitious Inclination suffer'd to Reign in us for the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men Rom. 1.18 And whosoever shall keep the whole Law says St. James and yet offend in one point that is shall allow himself in the Indulgence of any one Sinful Lust he is guilty of all James 2.10 shall be as surely punish'd as he who had liv'd in a breach of all And indeed our Business is particularly to set our selves in opposition to those Lusts Our business is particularly to oppose Lusts of Temper and Constitution which arise from our particular Temper and Constitution and to subdue them And also to break off those Habits whereby these Natural Inclinations and proneness to some particular Sins have grown strong upon us And this is that which is called Matth. 5.29 30. A Cutting off the Right Hand and a plucking out of the Right Eye whâ—ch Divorcing of our selves from our beloved Lusts because it is so difficult to go about and so few have the Courage to do it effectually it is therefore said That the Gate of Heaven is strait and that many of those who shall seek to enter in shall not be able Luke 13.24 Now this is hard Doctrine to the Carnal Man This because it is a hard Doctrine to the Carnal Man is much Evaded who is wedded to his Lusts and has no mind to part with ' em Such therefore are for finding out all the Evasions possible to shift off the necessity of such a sorrowful Separation as dreadful almost to 'em as that of Soul and Body And because they find St. Paul himself a Regenerate Person no doubt owning that he found a Law that when he would do good evil was present with him and that he delighted in the Law of God after the Inward Man but that he saw another Law in his Members warring against the Law of his Mind and bringing him into Captivity to the Law of Sin which was in his Members so that with the Mind he did serve the Law of God but with the Flesh the Law of Sin Rom. 7.21 22 23 25. Because I say they find even St. Paul expressing himself as they think as unable to Resist the Temptations of Fleshly Lusts and that all that he was able to do was in his Mind and Conscience to disapprove of that which the prevailing power of Lust within him forc'd him to commit They do therefore conclude that provided it be with Reluctance and some Counter-Strivings against their Lusts that they do yield thereto that they are in a Regenerate State however tho in the Issue they do comply therewith and consequently that it is not of such necessity to Renounce ALL but that the Inferior Appetites may be Indulg'd what the Mind and Reason do
for his Self-denial in refusing such Worldly Honours and Pleasures chose rather to be one of those mean Persecuted People the Children of Israel By Faith thousands of Blessed Saints before us endured tryals of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments they were Stoned they were Sawn asunder were Tempted were Slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and in Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in Desarts and in Mountains and in Dens and in Caves of the Earth Heb. 11.35 36 37 38. They were terrible Sufferings which the Servants of God in former times have been put to undergo but as dreadful as they were being supported with a firm belief that they should be infinitely recompenced for their Sufferings and Losses they thereupon cheerfully underwent the severest that the Wit or Malice of Men or Devils could invent or inflict upon ' em Such a powerful practical working Faith indeed was that for which the Holy Patriarchs and Saints were of Old renowned and are now rewarded in Heaven A Faith I say which excited them to the highest and hardest Acts of Obedience that it was possible for Men to perform And such a Powerful Practical Active and Working Principle is Faith whensoever the things Believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us And such an Operative and Practical Principle is Faith whenever the Things believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us Some things indeed as an Excellent Person does well observe are of such a Nature that the Belief or Knowledge of 'em goes no farther but rests in it self as the Knowledge or Belief of bare Speculative Truths that do not at all Concern us but some things again are of such a Nature as being once firmly and truly believed and known carry a Man out to action Thus for Example If you should hear another threaten'd that he should certainly be Kill'd if he stir out of his House to morrow it would not hinder you from going Abroad tho' you firmly believe the threatning because it is a truth in which you are not Concern'd But the Person so threatned if he does throughly believe the danger will certainly not stir out of his House that day because it is a Truth that he is very much Concerned in On the other side If you should hear of a Promise made to another Person of a Thousand Pound if he will be at the Pains to go but to such a place it will not make you go there because it is a Promise that you are not Concerned in but the other Person if he be certainly perswaded the Promise will be made good to him will certainly go to the appointed place because it is a Promise that he is Concerned in And so likewise as to the case in hand That a sure Promise of the Pardon of our Sins and Eternal Happiness is made over to us in the Second Covenant on condition we will forsake the Service of Satan and of Sin that we will Repent heartily Believe practically and Obey sincerely is a Truth that the Devils to their great grief are fully perswaded of for they believe and tremble St. James tells us But this Faith of theirs does not put them upon Repentance and Amendment because those gracious Promises do not Concern them and they have no Promise of Salvation tho' they should Repent and Amend But as to us whom they do Concern and to whom they are made if we are really perswaded that if we amend we shall be certainly Saved we shall immediately upon such perswasion seriously Repent of what has been done amiss heretofore and take care to Obey God for the future for every Man that hath this Hope in God purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 In short the Articles of our Christian Faith are every one of 'em so many Motives and those the most powerful ones in the World to stir us up to a diligent Reformation of our Hearts and Lives They are in themselves the most obliging Arguments to it and with respect to us they are the most Concerning and Important Truths that can be containing in the meaning of 'em either Threatnings to scare us out of Sin or Promises to allure us to Obedience Either such considerations as are apt to excite our fears when we are in a course of Impiety or are Grounds whereon we may build the vastest hopes in the Performance of our Duty And if any one does not live accordingly a Godly Righteous and a Sober Life I dare be bold to say it is owing to some spice of Infidelity lurking in his heart whereby he is not throughly perswaded of or does not actually consider these Truths But he that does throughly Believe and Consider them can hardly fail of being a good Liver Thus necessary you see it is that our Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith be such as does Influence us to good Works And then after all 2. It must be a Belief that causes us to betake our selves to Jesus Christ to Interceed with God the Father for their Gracious Acceptance 2. To Believe savingly we must apply our selves to Jesus Christ to interceed with God the Father for our Gracious Acceptance This I have formerly in the beginning of my Exposition insisted upon yet such is the growing Infidelity of the World with respect to this which is the most Essential part of Christian Faith that it would not be unseasonable should I again shew you that we must depend upon the Mediation of Christ with the Father for us that our imperfect Righteousness may be graciously accepted to our Justification This is that Act of Faith which is called in Scripture Believing in Christ and to such a Believing as this it is that our Justification is Attributed by St. Paul Gal. 2.16 Know this that a Man is not Justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have Believed in Jesus Christ that we might be Justify'd by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law for by the Works of the Law shall no flesh be Justify'd And as this Act of Faith the Relying upon God's Mercies in Christ does wonderfully exalt the Divine Justice and Mercy so it leaves no place to the Creature to Attribute any part of its Happiness to it self but does utterly exclude all occasions of Boasting God hath set forth Jesus Christ his Son to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Where is Boasting then it is excluded By what Law of Works nay but by the Law of Faith Rom. 2.25 27. So that it is not enough that we Believe punctually but it is moreover necessary that we rely also on God's Mercies in Christ that our imperfect Holiness may be accepted or otherwise even our Assent to all the
that chuse to Act and Perform it Every Sin against Knowledge and Conscience is a wilful Sin when our own Heart rebukes and checks us at the time of Sinning telling us that God hath forbidden that which we are about to do notwithstanding which we presume to do it And as for them they are all of an heinous Guilt and of a crying Nature such Sins are a despising of God's Law and therefore are call'd Presumptuous Sins and are said to be acted through a Rebellious Pride and with an high Hand Numb 15.30 And those who have committed such are said Heb. 10.29 to have done despight to the Spirit of Grace because as well the Spirit of God as their own Reason have resisted 'em in the committing of such Sins which Resistance notwithstanding they have violently broke through And as to such Sins therefore they will make us the Children of Wrath and subject us to punishment as well now as under the Law as is evident from that place Heb. 10.28 29. now mentioned He that despised Moses's Law died without Mercy of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant an unholy Thing which they do who do wholly apostatize and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace which they do who do sin wilfully And this they will be accounted to do whether such Sins be Directly and Expresly Wilful and Chosen or only Indirectly so Some Sins are directly and expresly wilful and by Interpretation Sometimes Men eye and view the Sin they are about to commit before they chuse or act they pause and deliberate doubt and demurr about it they have a Conflict and Dispute in their own Minds whether they should commit or keep off from it And when notwithstanding this they commit it that Sin is then directly and expresly chosen and wilful and done in despight of the Spirit of Grace and is therefore of a very heinous and damning Nature But besides these there are other sinful Actions which are not chosen directly and expresly but only indirectly Some indirectly and interpretatively and by interpretation that is when Men expresly chuse such a state of Things as make some sinful Actions after that to be no longer a matter of free Choice but almost necessary and unavoidable Thus he that wilfully drinks 'till he is drunk and then in his Drink commits Murder and Uncleanness or any other mad Frolicks or sinful Extravagances without any deliberation or consideration at all shall nevertheless be judged to have wilfully committed those Sins because he did deliberately and wilfully fall into that Sin of Drunkenness which when he was in by depriving himself of his Reason made those or any other Sins unavoidable at that time So again he that watches not over but indulges and gives way to his Passions and in his Anger kills a Man and he that accustoms himself to a Sin so often that he knows not when he commits it as to swear in either of these cases also he shall be judged wilfully in God's account to have committed Murder and to have swore because any Man may chuse to indulge and humour his Passions or to accustom himself to that Sin which makes his falling into other Sins so unavoidable And lastly he that wilfully neglects the means of attaining to any Grace or Vertue will be judged wilfully to have omitted his Duty which in the use of due means he might have done acceptably Thus in either of these cases when Men fall into any Sin either by Drunkenness or by indulging and not watching over their Passions or by reason of having long accustomed themselves to such Sins or lastly by neglecting the Means of attaining to any Grace or Vertue In any of these cases he that commits a Sin his Sin will be accounted as indirectly and interpretatively chosen and voluntary because he did willingly do those things which brought and betray d him into such Sin or wilfully neglected those Means which would have preserved him from them And so his Sin will be condemned as a chosen and wilful Sin and a Transgression of God's Law and he punished as a wilfully disobedient Person So that the difference between the Law and the Gospel is not such as that wilful Sins shall be now unpunish'd But the difference is 1st that those who sincerely and entirely obey shall not be called to an account for unchosen and involuntary sins But here the difference is very great and comfortable and it is this That First Our unchosen and involuntary Sins which through the Weakness and Frailty of our Nature we cannot always avoid through the Mediation of Christ now under the Covenant of Grace those who sincerely and entirely Obey the Laws of the Gospel shall not be called to an account for such And such unchosen and involuntary Sins are those which we commit either through Ignorance because we did not understand our Duty or through Inconsideration because we did not think of it And unless our Ignorance and Inconsideration be themselves wilful we shall not be condemned for the Failings we have committed through either of ' em The first cause of an innocent and pardonable Involuntariness is Ignorance of our Duty The first cause of an innocent Involuntariness Ignorance of our Duty when we do what God forbids because we do not know that He has forbid it for such Failings as we ignorantly commit we shall not be condemned under the Covenant of Grace for Christ who is our High Priest as St. Paul assures us will have compassion on the Ignorant and them that are out of the Way Heb. 5.2 Provided it be not wilful True it is there are those that are wilfully ignorant for either they shut their Eyes and will not see their Duty or they are idle and careless and will not enquire after it So that if they do not know their Duty it is because they do not desire the Knowledge of it or will be at no pains for it they neither read the Word nor come to hear it nor to be Catechised and if they do come neither think nor consider afterwards upon what they have heard nor pray to God to make all those means of Knowledge effectual to their Salvation And in the neglect of these Means of Knowledge they make themselves wilfully ignorant and so their Ignorance will not be their Excuse but their condemning Sin because it was wilful and chosen But if you have an honest Heart desirous to be taught that you may know and do your Duty and use an honest Industry by Reading coming to be Catechised by constantly Hearing of the Word If thus you do all that lies upon you to be informed what you ought to do and yet afterwards if through Misunderstanding you fail then through the Grace of the Gospel and the Mediation of our Saviour what you have been wanting in will not be
imputed to your Condemnation Nor Secondly What you do unwillingly commit through Inconsideration 2d Inconsideration We sometimes do things we do not think nor consider the Evil of 'em when we commit 'em and so their Sinfulness being unseen is also unchosen and these Slips do so steal from us without our Consideration and thinking of 'em Inconsideration excuses 1. When through surprize several ways either first by surprize and a sudden Temptation And thus St. Paul upon an unexpected occasion was surprized into a sudden Anger and into an unadvised Irreverence towards the High Priest Acts 23.1 2 3. And the beginnings of a single Passion whether of Anger or Envy and the unadvised Slips of the Tongue generally enter this way Or secondly we venture upon several Actions without thinking of their sinfulness through our natural Weariness and the length and constancy of a Temptation Thus in times of Affliction or Sickness 2. When through natural weariness and the length and strength of a Temptation by the uneasiness of the Flesh and the hardness of Man's Condition a Person is sometimes tempted to fret and murmur and to be peevish and repining And so we find it was with Job who though a Man patient to a Proverb and one to whom by the Testimony of God Himself there was none Equal in the whole Earth a perfect and an upright Man one who feared God and eschewed Evil Job 1.8 Yet this Man I say of admirable Constancy and Patience was wearied out of his Watchfulness by a tedious trial of Afflictions and in that time of his Unadvisedness uttered many Things impatient with his Lips as appear from his whole History And lastly we sometimes inconsiderately and unadvisedly do an ill Thing by reason of the violent Discomposure and Disturbance of our thinking Powers when our Mind is so disturbed that on a sudden we cannot think what we do Lastly When by the violent discomposure of our Thinking Powers our Minds are so disturbed that we cannot think what we do as upon a sudden Grief Anger or Fear And thus Samuel who was a Person so dear to God that if he could be intreated by any Man he tells us it would be by him or Moses standing to intercede before him did yet in an instance that would have drawn him into the hazard of his Life dispute God's Command when he should have perform'd it and question where in Duty it became him to Obey for when God did bid him go and Anoint David King which Service was sure to draw upon him the implacable Hatred of Saul through the sudden force of that frightful Thought instead of Obeying he answers again saying How can I go for if Saul hear of it he will kill me 1 Sam. 16.1 2. So that as for those Slips which we do unwillingly commit through either of these Causes of Inconsideration they are a matter of God's Mercy and will be graciously born with and forgiven now under the Gospel and Covenant of Grace for all those Persons now mentioned as guilty of the like St. Paul Job and Samuel were in a state of Grace and the dear Children of God I say therefore they will be graciously born with and forgiven Provided first we never be guilty of 'em Ignorance and Inconsideration excuse not these Sins 1. Which we have time to understand and observe nor 2. Crying Sins nor 3. Those we do not endeavour against nor lastly Which we are not sorry for when we have understanding of and time to observe 'em nor secondly in any great and crying Sin as Murder Adultery c. for no Man can pretend he did unwittingly commit such things as a Man's Conscience will presently start at Provided thirdly we do endeavour and strive and watch against 'em And lastly after we find that we have fallen into 'em provided we be sorry and earnestly beg God's pardon for ' em Provided thus such Slips and Infirmities as we do commit unadvisedly and inconsiderately shall not be laid to our charge And thus you see that our unavoidable Infirmities and our unwilling Transgressions which through an unaffected Ignorance and an involuntary Inconsideration we do commit shall not be imputed to our Condemnation now under the Gospel or Covenant of Grace And this is the first great Difference between the First Covenant wherein the least Sin was Unpardonable and this Second Covenant or the Covenant of Grace wherein through the Mediation of CHRIST all our Unwilling Involuntary Infirmities shall be graciously pass'd by The Second great Difference is That even our wilful and more heinous Sins when by our Repentance we bewail and forsake 'em and take better care to avoid 'em for the future they also through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us The 2d Difference betwixt Legal and Evangelical Obedience That our wilful and more heinous nous Sins when Repented of through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us and not prejudice our being Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Among the Jews according to the strictness of Moses's Law the Punishment took place upon the first wilful breach He that despised Moses 's Law saith the Apostle if it were in an instance where the Law threatned death died without Mercy Heb. 10.28 A Man that had committed Adultery or Murder or any other Crime whereof Death was the establish'd Punishment was to the without Remedy for no Sacrifice would be accepted for him nor would the Law admit of any Favour or Dispensation But when Christ came into the World his Business was to abrogate all the Rigour of Moses's Law as well as that of the First Covenant and to preach an Universal Pardon upon Repentance Now under the Covenant of Grace God doth not cast us off upon the commission of every Sin but as he is heartily desirous that we should repent of it according to that of Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I do not delight in the death of a Sinner but rather that he return and live So when we repent he has oblig'd Himself by his Truth and Faithfulness to forgive it according to that of St. John Epist 1.9 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins This is the great Doctrine of the Gospel which is a Covenant of Remission of Sins upon our Repentance Remission of Sins upon Repentance the great Doctrine of the Gospel and therefore our Saviour when he began himself to preach it he said Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Matth. 4.17 And when he left the World he commanded his Disciples that they should declare to the World the Pardon of Sins upon their Repentance for so St. Luke tells us Ch. 24.47 that he gave 'em in charge That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preach'd in
his Name to all Nations Thus has God provided us of means which will most certainly restore us to his Favour He has not left us in a forsaken state but has prescribed us this Method of Repentance to recover us out of it and to be the great Instrument of our Pardon and Reconciliation And our Repentance through the Mediation of Christ will be accepted for our Pardon whatever our Sins have been whether known or unknown whether they have been wilful or involuntary Sins Repentance will be accepted to our pardon for our known or secret Sins whether wilfully or unwilly committed but now forgot though generally repented of 2. For our most known and wilful Sins if particularly repented of First Our unknown or secret Sins which whether wilfully or unwillingly we have committed but now we have forgot shall be forgiven us upon our hearty though general Prayer to God to forgive us such as was that of David O cleanse me from my secret Faults Psal 19.12 and upon our diligent care hereafter not knowingly and wilfully to transgress any of God's Laws And Secondly Our most unknown and wilful Sins even they shall also be forgiven us if for every particular Sin we know our selves to have committed we particularly repent of it by confessing it to God and by taking care to amend and forsake it for the future 'Till we are reclaimed indeed from our former Sins and are become God's dutiful Sons and faithful Servants for the present and for the future it is not consistent with the Honour of his Justice and Holiness with the Authority of his Laws and with the Wisdom of his Government to receive us into his Favour But as soon as ever we are conscientiously reform from our Sins he will be reconciled to us if we are heartily sorry for what has been past and amended for the future and in case of Injury and Wrong done to God or Man we undo as much as in us lies what has been done amiss by making amends and reparation for what we have injured either We cannot be said to repent of a Sin unless we undo And in case of Injury to Man if Restitution be made as much as in us lies what has been done amiss Therefore if any one has offended his Neighbour and given him just cause of Anger against him he that will truly repent and expect that God will hear his Prayers for his Pardon must go and acknowledge his Offence endeavour to appease his Neighbour and be reconciled to him for so our Saviour has ordered Matth 5.23 before he offer his Prayer to God And he that has injured his Neighbour either by taking away his good Name by Slander or his Goods by wrong Dealing must take off the Slander and restore what he has unjustly got and so did good Zacheus upon his Repentanee we find Luke 19.8 when he embraced the Gospel And so likewise towards the Reparation of God's Honour I must needs add as a necessary part of Repentance Of high Dishonour to God and Religion if that be not repaired by an eminent Repentance that he who has formerly liv'd a very notorious and scandalously ill Life to the great Dishonour of God and Religion must now towards the Reparation of God's Honour be as famous for his eminent and exemplary Piety that his Repentance may be accepted a private Sorrow for publick Scandals falling vastly short of undoing what has been done amiss in which consists the restitutive part of Repentance The necessity of this we have exemplified in the case of the Woman who washed our Saviour's Feet with her Tears and wiped them with the Hair of her Head Luke 7.44 She had formerly it seems been a very vile Woman but the reason why her Sins which were many were forgiven is said by our Saviour to have been because she loved much vers 47. And thus if we do repent our Sins shall not be imputed to us but through the Merits of Christ's Death and the Grace of the Gospel they shall be looked upon as if they had never been And thus I have shewed you that other great Difference betwixt that Obedience required now under the Covenant of Grace and the Obedience required by the First Covenant That whereas the Obedience required by the First was a Perfect Exact Vnsinning Obedience the never Offending at all Now not only our involuntary Sins and Infirmities but also our most voluntary and and wilful Transgressions when by Repentance we bewail and forsake 'em and take better care to avoid 'em for the future they also through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us and not prejudice our being Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And upon the whole I have now shewed you The sum of Evangelical Obedience as to all that Obedience required now under the Gospel to make us Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven that there is not required indeed a Perfect Exact Unsinning Obedience the never offending in any one part which was the indispensible Condition of the First Covenant but there must be a Sincere and Entire Obedience paid to all the Laws of the Gospel Sincere it must be by being a true and undissembled Service Obeying 'em not only because most for our Health and Interest as generally the Laws of Religion are but even where they are contrary to our Inclinations and Interest because God commands us And entire it must be by being the Obedience of the whole Man of our Understanding our Wills our Affections and our Actions to the whole Law of God and that at all times And this if we endeavour the best we can to do that our unwilling and involuntary Failings which through Ignorance and Frailty we commit shall upon our Prayers to God be forgiven us and that our wilful Transgressions when we repent of and forsake 'em through the Mediation of Christ and the Grace of the Gospel shall not be imputed to our Condemnation In a word That Obedience to speak also in the Words of the Learned Dr. Hammond The sum also thereof according to Dr. Hammond which is the Condition of the Second Covenant and of our being made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Negatively it is not a Perfect Exact Unsinning Obedience the never offending at all in any kind of Sin this is the Condition of the First Covenant Nor secondly is it never to have committed any deliberate Sin in the former course of our Lives Nor thirdly never to have gone on or continued in any habitual or customary Sin for the time past But it is positively the New Creature or Renewed Sincere Honest Faithful Obedience to the whole Gospel giving up the whole Heart unto Christ the performing of that which God enables us to perform and bewailing our Infirmities and Frailties and Sins both of the past and present Life and beseeching God's Pardon in Christ for all such and
sincerely labouring to mortifie every Sin and to perform an uniform Obedience to God and from every Fall rising again by Repentance And thus if we Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and Walk in the same all the Days of our Life we shall not fail to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And thus I have fully explained to you all the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace both on God's part and on ours both what it is to be a Member c. and which are the Mercies and Favours made over to us therein on God's part and what it is to Renounce the Devil c. which are the Conditions to be performed on ours My next Task must be and then I shall give you a full account of all that pertains to the Nature and Substance of the Covenant of Grace to shew you what a happy state of Salvation this is to be in such a gracious Covenant with GOD By whose Mediation we obtained it By whom and how we are called into it And lastly what infinite Thanks we owe to God for Calling us into this state of Salvation All which Points we have taught us in these Words And I thank God our heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour THE XXIV Lecture And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that He hath Called me to this State of Salvation through Iesus Christ our Saviour I Have already in order to a full Explication of all that pertains to the nature of the Covenant of Grace given you an account of the Terms and Conditions of it both on God's part and on ours as they are laid down and taught you in your Church-Catechism The Invaluable Priviledges on God's part made over to you therein as you are taught in your Catechism and I have explained 'em to you are first That you are therein made Members of Christ secondly Children of God and thirdly Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And those Conditions to be performed by us our part of the Covenant are That we should first Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That we should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That we should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Life And what each several Article in this your gracious Covenant doth mean and import I have hitherto according to the best of my Skill been explaining to you And now if there be any thing farther necessary to a full and compleat Explication of the Nature of this Covenant it must be this in the second place to shew you How that thereby you are restored to a state of Salvation Thirdly By whose Mediation you obtained so gracious a Covenant and are put thereby into a state of Salvation It was through Jesus Christ our Saviour Fourthly By whom and how we have been Called to this state of Salvation It was our Heavenly Father who hath called us to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And lastly What infinite reason you have heartily to thank Almighty God our Heavenly Father that he hath Called you to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath Called me to this State c. And as all these Points are fairly taught you in these Words of your Catechism so in commenting upon these I will by God's Assistance open and explain these several Points to you To proceed therefore in order to a more compleat understanding of the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace let us see Secondly How this Covenant whose Terms and Conditions I have been explaining to you does restore us to a state of Salvation That in the Covenant of Grace we are restored to a â—tate of Salvation Salvation does import a deliverance from Danger or Misery and a State of Salvation does import the being put into a Condition of Safety where one may be safe and secure from Danger and Misery if he please For our understanding therefore how this Covenant of Grace is a means of restoring us to a State of Salvation we must look back and consider how we brought our selves into a State of Danger and Misery before and how by the Covenant of Grace we are put again into a State of Safety and Security if we pelase And to this purpose we must know That God Almighty created Man at first in such a state of Perfection How we brought our selves into a state of Misery before with such an enlightned Mind such a regular Will to the Laws of right Reason and with such obedient Appetites and Affections that he might if he would have continued in perfect Innocency And now making him thus upright and capable to perform such an Obedience God did very reasonably make this Covenant with Man That he should perform a Perfect Exact Vnsinning Obedience and live for ever But upon the least Sin the eating of the Fruit of one Forbidden Tree he should surely die The Event of which Proceeding was that Man hearkning to the Suggestions of the Devil did thereby rebell against his Maker take part with Satan and so did forfeit all his Right and Hopes of Happiness which upon the faithful Performance of his Covenant he would have had was shut out of Paradise and condemned to death as you will see largely described in the third Chapter of Genesis Thus did Man by the breach of his Covenant with God bring himself into a state of Danger and extream Misery How by the Covenant of Grace we are put into a state of security if we please And now here it comes in for us to consider the Second Covenant as that which restores us to a state of Salvation Had the First remained uncancelled and in full force we must have all perished without remedy upon a double account It required an unsinning Obedience and we had sinned It allowed no place for Repentance after Sin and yet we had brought our selves into that State that except we should repent and our Repentance be accepted we must all undoubtedly have perished We were unavoidably therefore bound up by that First Covenant as the case then stood with us to Death and Misery and it was not possible for the Wit of Man to contrive any way to escape it And now when we were in this irrepairable State was God of his own Goodness graciously pleased to cancel the First Covenant blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to the Cross of Christ Col. 2.14 By which place is more immediately meant I must confess his concelling and making void as to any condemning Power in it the Covenant of Works made with the Israelites by the hand of Moses but not so
and Service so to us it gives even that which we could otherwise have no not the least Pretensions to even a Legal Right and Title to all the most inestimable Blessings and Favours of the Covenant It gives great Assurance of mutual Performances barely to be in Cavenant together It has been already more than once hinted and shall here be more fully declared how that it gives us mighty Assurance that the Mercies of God shall certainly be conferred on us that he has vouchsafed to engage Himself in Covenant to make 'em good unto us and that because this way of proceeding gives us even a Legal Right and Title to All the most inestimable Blessings and Favours of the Covenant For this we are to consider that 'till such time as God has condescended to engage so and so the utmost Services that we can pay him cannot give us sure and certain grounds to hope for or expect such invaluable Benefits to be conferred upon us Though we should never so heartily repent us of our Sins there is not that in Repentance alone that it should be sufficient of it self to satisfie the Justice of God and to salve that infinite Dishonour we have done him by our former Violations of his sacred Laws And though we should never so sincerely and faithfully Obey him for the future is it possible that such unprofitable Service as ours should merit and deserve of it self the unspeakable and unconceivable Joys of Heaven as a due Reward for such Obedient Service Pardon of our manifold Sins and Offences and eternal Joy and Happiness I say can never be expected meerly upon any Merit there is in our Repentance and Obedience nor at all 'till such time as he has graciously vouchsafed and freely condescended by Covenant to secure such Benefits unto us upon our serious Repentance and sincere Obedience But then when he has once condescended to ensure unto us by Covenant these unspeakable Benefits and we on the other side have also engaged our selves to the Performance of such Conditions then what our Repentance Faith and Obedience could not give us reason to expect or hope for meerly upon the account of their own desert shall however be ascertained to us by virtue of God's Covenant-Obligations which he has laid upon himself And Pardon and eternal Happiness shall be so far then the matter of our Hopes and Expectations that we shall have a Legal Claim and Title made over to us upon our Repentance Faith and Obedience to 'em insomuch that God will reckon himself as has been before said in Justice and Faithfulness bound both upon the account of Christ's Purchase and his own Covenanted Promises to forgive us our Sins as you may see 1 Joh. 1.9 and will then own us to have a Right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 We shall then I say have a Right and Title to the Blessings of the Covenant not by virtue of any Outward Merit and Desert in our Performances but by virtue of the Divine Promises and Engagements to those who having solemnly entred into Covenant with him do take care faithfully to perform the Conditions of it So that this alone gives us mighty Assurance of the Divine Mercies that we are entitled thereunto by his having Covenanted them unto us as well as he is the more entitled to our Repentance Faith and Obedience because we have Covenanted to perform ' em But yet the more firmly to entitle as God to our Obedience so us to his Mercies because we never take our selves to be so well ensured of the performance of Articles as when we have 'em solemnly sealed to by both Parties God did therefore in compliance with our own Ways and Methods graciously please to Seal to his part the Promises and required us to do the like to our part the Conditions that he might be the better secured of our Covenanted Performances and we of his promised Mercies And then since he has condescended to ensure unto us not only by meer Covenant but moreover to seal unto us these unspeakable Benefits and we on the other side have also sacramentally sealed to the Counter-part of the Covenant the Conditions of it what can there be further thought of to entitle God to our Obedience or us to his Mercies And let this suffice as to the Sacrament or Solemnity whereby we entred into the Covenant of Grace which was by Baptism Baptism as you have seen is an Outward Rite or Sacrament of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace instituted by Christ for the better Confirmation and Insurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually sealed to betwixt God and us For agreeably to our Frame and Nature as I have told you which consists of Bodily Senses as well as Spiritual Faculties God has given us besides those most rational Terms and Conditions of the Covenant Recorded in the Gospel being such Promises as are becoming the Wisdom and Goodness of God to make and such Conditions as are highly befitting us to perform besides these he has appointed to us those Outward and Express Solemnities we call the Sacraments to seal these Things betwixt us And because that Baptism is a Rite most significative in it self and would be most acceptable to all sorts of People Jews and Gentiles he was therefore pleased to Adopt that to be the Solemnity of our Entrance into and Sealing the Covenant with him And this Covenant you have seen he would have thus mutually Sealed to betwixt Him and us that the Obligations to Performance might be the stronger upon us both to discharge each his part of the Covenant And thus having spoke to the Sacrament or Solemnity whereby we enter into Covenant evpress'd in these Words In my Baptism the next thing to be shewed you is the great Obligation which lies upon us to perform this our Covenant with God THE XXVI Lecture Quest Dost thou then think that thou art bound to Believe and to Do as they have Promised for thee Answ Yes verily IN my Exposition of the Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Catechism having already given you a general account first of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace and secondly of the Sacrament whereby you did solemnly enter into it I shall now think my self happy if I can but convince you of the mighty Obligations that lie upon you accordingly to perform it And this the Words that I have now read do manifestly lead me to declare unto you for taking the Question and Answer both together they do plainly import this Doctrine viz. The vast Obligations lying upon us both from the Mercies of God and our Baptismal Vow to perform the Covenant of Grace The vast Obligations upon us from the Mercies of the Covenant especially from our Vow in Baptism faithfully and conscientiously to discharge their Covenant with God And what those several Obligations are
Angels and is now that Arch-Rebel against God He with many Legions of Inferior Angels whom he drew into the same Conspiracy is Banisht Heaven pag. 86 Being acted with a Spirit of Revenge against God he afterwards withdrew Mankind to join with him in his Rebellion And prevailed so far till God's Authority was almost utterly Banished from amongst Men. Which occasion'd the Son of God's coming into the World to recover Mankind The Works of the Devil in general are First Sin By Sin God's Authority is thrown off which is the Devil 's constant work pag. 87 Whoever therefore does wilfully sin does strike at God's Authority For which Reason no Sin ought to be the subject of any Man's Mirth Some Sins more particularly the works of the Devil First Such as are directly level'd against God's Authority viz. Idolatry Sorcery Charming Witch-craft and Conjuring as also Resorting to such as use those unlawful Arts. pag. 88 Secondly Such as express more of the Devil's Temper than others viz. Pride Envy pag. 89 Malice Thirdly Such as are more the Practice of Satan himself than other Sins viz. Murder Apostacy Lying and especially Calumniating and Evil-speaking pag. 90 To Renounce a Word of various Importance according to the Renounced pag. 91 To Renounce the Devil in the sence of the Ancient Church was to disclaim his Usurp'd Dominion and Authority over Mankind To Renounce his Works of Sin was in their sence to abandon and forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil pag. 92 The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind This Renunciation for the most part the same with Repentance pag. 93 The Devil and all his Works of Sin must be absolutely and entirely Renounced because There is nothing but Evil proceeds from Satan And Sin whether we consider it in its original Cause and Nature or in its sad Effects and Consequents is the utmost Evil. Therefore no one Sin nor any thing the least of Sin must willingly be comply'd with pag. 94 And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace pag. 95 LECT X. To Tempt is to make a tryal of a Person To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof To Tempt a Person in order to prove his Vertue or discover his Corruption consistent with the Justice Wisdom and Goodness of a Governour and thus God does Tempt Men. pag. 97 First Thus he tempted Abraham to try his Faith and to reward him for it Secondly Hezekiah to discover his Hypocrisy and to humble him in the sight thereof These Temptations of God are therefore in no sence to be Renounced but to be Rejoyced in because for our Good pag. 98 A Temptation to ensnare a Person into some Sin that so God's Anger may be kindled against him And the Person punished for this Transgression is wicked and malicious and so the Devil together with the World and the Flesh do tempt us The vast Concernment it is to us to know his Temptations The several Heads of Satan's Temptations pag. 99 By what Methods he first tempted our first Parents and still does continue to tempt us First By insinuating into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill Opinion of their Maker and Governour particularly with respect to his Justice and Mercy pag. 100 And by Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy do Men generally Encourage themselves in Sin at this Day But all such Conceits of God are to be utterly renounced and cast out of our Thoughts as Diabolical Suggestions most destructive to our Souls Secondly By Corrupting the Understanding and Reason of Man by putting him upon curious Enquiries after useless Matters and upon making a sinful Experiment of the differences between Good and Evil. pag. 101 The Mind of Man naturally desirous of encreasing Knowledge Experimental Knowledge of Sin clouds the Reason and stupifies the Sence of Spiritual things And even meer Curiosity after less Profitable things takes off from the Knowledge of God and our Selves and the Means of Happiness pag. 102 By these Means he brings that Ignorance in Divine Matters which reigns in most Men's Minds And being spiritually Ignorant Men are easily led into whatever Sin and Misery This therefore another Wile of Satan's which must be carefully avoided pag. 103 Thirdly By Bribing the Affections with something nearest our Hearts and rather than disoblige and lose which we will commit any thing that is Evil. And by whatever we most place our Affections upon does he still Inveigle us to do what is Forbidden And therefore our Saviour would have us bear that Indifferency of Affection towards our nearest Relations as to be able to Forsake them and their Interests rather than God Lastly By exciting their Lusts and Appetites after the forbidden Fruit by proposing the fairest Objects and most delicious Dainties to their Senses pag. 104 And by the same Methods does he prevail to this day upon the far greatest part of Mankind to Rebel against God For Man being made up very much of Sense so that nothing enters into the Soul but through the Doors of our Senses we are easily prevail'd upon by what gratifies our Senses Especially the Senses of Seeing and Tasting pag. 105 But our being taken only with Outward things is such an high Ingratitude to God who hath provided so much better for us and such an Abuse to our Souls which are capable of relishing higher Enjoyments as is not to be Endur'd pag. 106 LECT XI What Temptations Satan levels against the Church of Christ God recovers out of the fallen Race of Mankind a Body of Men the Church to his Service Listed 'em under Jesus Christ to Fight against Satan The Devil enrag'd to have his Prey snatcht out of his Teeth continually Attacks it His first and chief Endeavours are utterly to destroy it from off the Face of the Earth pag. 107 This he Endeavour'd to do in the Person of Abel And when afterwards Recruited in the Family of Seth yet he Reduc'd it again by the Bloody Posterity of Cain to Eight Persons in the Days of Noah When after the Flood God chose Abraham and his Posterity to be a special People unto himself Satan endeavour'd utterly to have Extinguisht that People by his Servant Pharaoh And in all Periods till our Saviour's coming he stir'd up the Idolatrous Nations their Neighbours especially the Four Monarchies to Harrass them But soon after that Christ appeared in the World did he most vigourously Exert his
â—feriour and bodily Powers viz. The Affections Lusts and Appeitites to be renounced as they â—ebel against right Reason pag. 239 Business of Religion vs to reduce Man as near as possible to his primitive State of Innocence â—nd Integrity To this purpose of keeping under our Fleshly Lusts it was that our Reason was â—ven us pag. 240 To renounce ALL the sinful Lusts of the Flesh what There must be no one Fleshly Lust suffered â—o reign in us Our business is particularly to oppose Lusts of Temper and Constitution This beâ—ause it is a hard Doctrine to the Carnal Man is much evaded pag. 241 Objection from Rom. 7. cleared We must renounce the Flesh and all its sinful Lusts so as to have an Aversion an Antipathy in our hearts thereunto This the hard Part. pag. 242 243 The reason of having enlarged so much upon this one Article of renouncing the Devil c. pag. 244 LECT XXII Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both the Old Testament and the New pag. 259 Some Instances of such Truths What it is to believe those Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness pag. 261 Our Belief thereof must be operative and practical Such was the Faith of Abraham and of all the Saints And such an operative and practical Principle is Faith whenever the Things believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us pag. 262 263 2. To believe savingly we must apply our selves to Jesus Christ to interceed with God the Father for our gracious Acceptance What to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith 1. To believe them All does import that we must assent to all and every one of those great Articles of Christian Doctrine contained in the Apostles Creed pag. 264 Such as tend to destroy a good Life and send us to other Mediators than Christ to interceed with the Father for its Acceptance no Articles of Christian Faith 2. To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith is to be fully perswaded of all and of every of those single Truths contained in each of those Articles pag. 265 A Heretick may be such by believing only of one of those Truths contained in the Article pag. 266 LECT XXIII 1. What it is to obey God's Holy Will and Commandments The Nature and Measures of Christian Obedience pag. 267 1. Our Obedience must be sincere by being a true and undissembled Service of God opposite to all Hypocrisie or a false and feigned pretence of obeying Him when in truth we serve our own selves does not forbid us all intending our own Advantage in the performance of his Commandments pag. 268 But 1st that Man's Obedience is insincere who together with his Intention of serving God joins another Intention of serving Sin 2dly When he designs some temporal Ends in the practice of Vertue as much or more than he intends God's Service 2. Evangelical Obedience must be entire viz. 1st The Obedience of the whole Man that is In the first place of the Mind and Vnderstanding Secondly of the Will Thirdly of the Affections pag. 269 270 This the distasteful part And therefore endeavoured to be shifted off pag. 271 2dly It must be an Obedience to the whole Law This endeavoured to be evaded by Excuses But in vain 3dly What it is to walk in the same all the Days of our Lives pag. 272 God will not endure a constant Revolution of Sin and Repentance pag. 273 The difference between Evangelical and a Legal Obedience This difference not so great but that our wilful and chosen Sins will put a Barr to our Salvation pag. 274 Some Sins are directly and expresly wilful Some indirectly and interpretatively pag. 275 But the difference is 1st that those who sincerely and entirely obey shall not be called to an account for unchosen and involuntary Sins The first cause of an innocent Involuntariness Ignorance of our Duty Provided it be not wilful 2d Inconsideration Inconsideration excuses 1. When through surprize pag. 276 2. When through natural weariness and the length and strength of a Temptation Lastly When by the violent discomposure of our Thinking Powers our Minds are so disturbed that we cannot think what we do Ignorance and Inconsideration excuse not those Sins 1. Which we have time to understand and observe nor 2. Crying Sins nor 3. Those we do not endeavour against nor lastly Which we are not sorry for pag. 277 The 2d Difference between Legal and Evangelical Obedience That our wilful and more heinous Sins when repented of through the Mediation of Christ according to the Terms he has obtained for us in the Covenant of Grace shall be forgiven us Remission of Sins upon Repentance the great Doctrine of the Gospel Repentance will be accepted to our pardon for our unknown or secret Sins whether wilfully or unwillingly committed but now forgot though generally repented of 2. For our most known and wilful Sins if particularly repented of pag. 278 And in case of Injury to Man if Restitution be made Of high Dishonour to God and Religion if that be repaired by an eminent Repentance The sum of Evangelical Obedience pag. 277 The sum also thereof according to Dr. Hammond pag. 278 LECT XXIV â—t in the Covenant of Grace we are restored to a state of Salvation How we brought our selves â—nto a state of Misery before How by the Covenant of Grace we are put into a state of security â—f we please pag. 280 â—t by the Mediation of Jesus Christ it was that we obtained such a gracious Covenant whereby â—e are restored to a state of Salvation pag. 281 〈◊〉 infinite Care of God the Father to call us into it pag. 283 〈◊〉 Ever-blessed Son of God no less intent upon this blessed Work How mightily he importuned us â—o come into this state of Salvation He has left a succession of Ministers behind him to do the â—ike This matter of Thankfulness whether we consider 1. The extraordinary Advantage of â—aving God in Covenant with us pag. 284 285 〈◊〉 2. Our singular Happiness therein above the fallen Angels or the rest of Mankind pag. 286 LECT XXV â—ptism what 1. An outward Rite of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn Admission of Persons into the Covenant of Grace pag. 288 〈◊〉 have some outward Rites and Solemnities in Religion agreeable to the Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature as being most apt to receive Impressions from sensible Things This especially requisite in the admission into Religious Societies and Covenants The Israelites were initiated both by Circumcision and Baptism pag. 289 â—e Heathens were initiated into their Mysteries by Purgations or Washings Our Saviour chose the latter as what would be acceptable to both Parties Especially as more significative of Christian Purity And this he has enjoined as indispensibly necessary to our initiation into the Covenant of Grace pag. 290 â—ptism appointed the Rite of Admission into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably Sealed to betwixt God and us pag. 291 〈◊〉 gives great Assurance of mutual Performances barely to be in Covenant together pag. 292 LECT XXVI â—he vast Obligations lying upon us both from the Mercies of God and our Baptismal Vow to perform the Covenant of Grace The Obligations thereunto first as Members of Christ's Church pag. 294 â—he Jews chose from amongst the Nations of the Earth to serve God pag. 295 â—hristians chose both from amongst Jews and Gentiles to a more peculiar Holiness pag. 296 〈◊〉 As Children of God Children are bound to the strictest Obedience to their Parents as owing to 'em their Being pag. 297 â—hildren of God as owing both Being and Well-being pag. 298 〈◊〉 As Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven Kingdom of Heaven not to be expected but by those who are faithful in their Covenant pag. 299 〈◊〉 As having promised and vowed in our Baptism accordingly to discharge our Covenant with God The matter of a Vow sometimes not a Duty 'till vowed pag. 300 â—ometimes antecedently incumbent upon us and such is the matter of our Baptismal Vow 'T is a provoking Sin to rob God of what has been once Vowed and Devoted to him tho of the former Nature Gods Anger observable upon such occasions pag. 301 â—Tis much more provoking to violate Vows to perform which we are antecedently obliged by the Law of Nature A Vow is much of the nature of an Oath and therefore to violate it is Perjury pag. 302 FINIS
Heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 Nay so absolutely an Evil is Sin and so Absolutely and Entirely it is to be Renounc'd by us that the least Sinful Action is not to be committed in order to attain the greatest Good So little a Sin as an Officious Lie must not be told no not to save a Man's Life Nor a Pious Fraud nor a Holy Cheat committed to promote the Good of the Church and to Secure and Propagate what we take to be the True Religion For if the Truth of God hath more Abounded through my Lie unto his Glory why yet am I judged as a Sinner Whereas he who telleth such a Kind and Serviceable Lie will certainly be Judg'd as such and as it follows Whosoever shall say Let us do Evil that Good may come of it his Damnation is just Rom. 3.7 8. So that every Christian must Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin And indeed it is but to consider And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both as well as know the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either of them and it is impossible any should not Absolutely and Entirely Renounce that is utterly Detest and Avoid and Beware of them As for the Devil why Even the Perversest of People the Israelites when it was solemnly put to their Reason and Consideration who to serve God or the Devil could not without the utmost Detestation think of the latter If it seems Evil unto you says Joshua to them Josh 24.15 16. to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve whether the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell and those Gods were no other than Devils but as for me and my house said he we will serve the Lord. And the Result was That the People answered and said God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods God forbid The very Thoughts of such a Thing when they came to Consider it was Odious to them And if we did but Consider the odious Nature of Sin we should not more Abhor the Devil himself than Abandon every Sin For why He that committeth Sin is of the Devil we are told 1 Joh. 3.8 Such a One is of the Devil's Party he is a Sharer in the Devil's Rebellion against God and in his wicked Designs to destroy God's Authority And tho' he be not a Devil himself yet he is near A-kin to him and shall Partake with him as in his Rebellion so in his Punishment And who that Considers this can stick Entirely to Abandon and to Abhor so foul a Thing as Sin is But however whether People will Consider it or no However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace so necessary it is that every Christian should absolutely and entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin that this if you do not do you will forfeit all your Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth to you in the Covenant of Grace and Purchas'd for you by the Blood of Christ If you do not utterly Renounce the Devil by having nothing to do with him in his foul Rebellion against God you will be accounted no Members of Christ's Church but of the Synagogue of Satan as the Apostatizing Gnosticks those great Enemies of God are call'd Rev. 2.9 and that for their Halting betwixt God and Satan And except you do also utterly Renounce his Works of Sin by abandoning every known Sin as that whereby the Divine Authority is thrown aside and his Power disown'd you will be so far from being the Children of God that you will be styl'd no better than Children of the Devil For whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin it is said 1 Joh. 3.9 that is does keep himself strictly from all deliberate Sin And in this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God as the same Apostle goes on ver 10. And who else is it think ye but he who Overcometh both the Devil and all his Works of Sin that shall ever Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Why he and none else shall Inherit so inestimable a Blessing we are assur'd Rev. 21.7 8. He that Overcometh shall Inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the Lake that Burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death So necessary upon these several Accounts it is that according as has been Explain'd you should Renounce that is Disclaim Abhor and Abandon the Devil and all his Works of Sin Which that you may all of you do God Almighty grant of his infinite Mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Tenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works I Have already shew'd you First who the Devil is and Secondly in Part what are his Works All Sin whatsoever I have shew'd you is a Work of the Devil but there are some particular Sins which being more directly level'd against God's Authority and expressing more of the natural Temper and Disposition of Satan and being more his own Practice than others do more particularly deserve the Title and Character of the Works of the Devil and what they are I have shew'd you Secondly And as Sin so his Tempting of us to Sin is another main and principal Work of the Devil And I have reserv'd this Subject of Satan's Temptations to be particularly handled in some set Discourses by themselves that so I might have more room to Expose 'em to you there being no subject in Practical Divinity of greater Consequence and Concernment to our Souls than to be throughly Informed in the Ways and Methods of Satan's Temptations Now to Tempt one in the general Notion of the Word To Tempt is to make a Tryal of a Person does barely signify to make Tryal of a Person either by Words or Signs by Promises or Threats whether or no he will do such a thing And the Tempting of a Person may be Morally Good or Evil according to the End for which such a Tryal is made If the Tryal be of a Person 's Vertue To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof only that Occasion may be afforded him to give an Experiment and Proof thereof that so if he do well he may be Rewarded if Ill that his Hypocrisy and the Corruption of his Heart may be discovered and he himself Humbled with the Sight and Sence thereof to his Amendment There is nothing may