we see in some measure according to the Scriptures what eternal Damnation is Now we come to prove the Point to wit that every one in the estate of corrupt nature is guilty of is subject to eternal Damnation John 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you saith our Saviour he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation holding forth thus much that all but the true believer must come into condemnation And so Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus hinting plainly thus much all living and dying out of Christ unregenerate must be damned And likewise 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous those that are in the estate of nature shall not inherit the kingdome of God And if such must not inherit heaven what must they do that go to hell And to the same purpose our Saviour John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him It is as much as if our Saviour should have said All living and dying in the estate of nature the wrath of God shall press them down to the pit of hell they shall be damned And Matth. 13.41 42. The Son of man shall send forth his Angels to wit at the last Judgment and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them that do iniquity to wit all the unregenerate and shall cast them into a furnace with fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and Socerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death that is to say whosoever they be that have sin unmortified in them as every one in the estate of nature hath shall be damned that is to say so living and so dying shall be damned Now we come to the Reasons of the Point Reas 1. The unregenerate person is a sinner and that divers wayes Rom. 6.23 Now the wages of sin is death to wit eternal Reason 2. The unregenerate person stands upon his owne bottome is under the curse and so is to satisfie Gods Justice in his own person living and dying in that estate hath no benefit by Christs Satisfaction and Intercession Galatians 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them that is Cursed is every one that keeps not the whole Law either by himself or by another to wit Christ It is true the Regenerate and such as are in Christ fulfil the Law in Christ Christs obedience passive and active being theirs by imputation and so freed from the Curse Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but the unregenerate are under the Curse the principal part whereof is eternal death and damnation The Curse doth not only contain all the miseries of this life inward and outward besides the separation both of soul and body by corporal death in the end but likewise eternal death and damnation in the world to come The soul when by corporal death it goes out of the body being pressed downe to hell by the wrath of God and at the day of Judgment when both are conjoyned both to be punished according to the particulars aforesaid Reas 3. The consciences of the unregenerate sometimes even in this world tell them no less then the Point comes unto witness Cain Abitophel and Judas When the Lord at any time even in this life is pleased to awaken and wound the consciences of the unregenerate the very flashes of hell fire doth appear in them Now we come to answer two Objections and so to the Uses Obj. 1. But may some men say If the bodies of the unregenerate shal be raised up at the last day and their souls and bodies again conjoined and both to continue for ever why is not their condition future rather called eternal life then eternal death Ans Because that life which is called theirs then is most miserable death and doth not deserve to be called life Ob. 2. But how can it stand with Gods justice to punish temporal offence with eternal punishment Answ 1. Because sin is an offence against an Infinite God and so doth deserve eternal punishment 2. Did the unregenerate person live eternally in this world he would sin eternally 3. The unregenerate damned in hell do not cease to sin I do not say they commit Murder Adultery and such like sins but continue in unbelief impenitency blasphemy c. Now to the Uses Vse 1. To reprove divers persons 1. Such as in their Conference and Discourse do use this imprecation That if this and that be not true which they affirm they wish they might be damned But do those persons consider what damnation is of which they speak so lightly 2. To reprove such as are offended at Gods Ministers for preaching of damnation Do not many of their people remain and continue unregenerate in the state of nature and doth not eternal damnation belong to such Why then should they not preach in this manner unto them for the awaking and rowzing of them up Must not a Minister deal faithfully with his people See what Balaam a false Prophet saith to a King Num. 24.13 If Balak would give me his house full of Silver and Gold I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of my own mind but what the Lord saith that will I speak If the Lord say in his Word that those that live and dye in the estate of nature must be damned how can the Minister if he would be found faithful either to his Master or people conceal it Joseph did not only tell the Butler the meaning of his dream but likewise the Baker the meaning of his Gen. 40.19 Yet within three dayes shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee shal hang thee on a tree and the birds shal eat thy flesh from off thee And the Butler afterwards relating this to Pharaoh upon occasion Gen. 41.13 And it came to pass saith he as he interpreted to us so it was me he restored to my Office and him that is to say the chief Baker he hanged And is not this that which the Apostle Paul cals upon Timothy for 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved unto God a work man that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Do not we rightly divide the word of truth when we preach salvation to the Regenerate and damnation to the Ungenerate 3. To reprove all such as neglect the means whereby they might be brought out of the estate of nature to which eternal damnation belongs No better means to prepare for this business then a
humane nature was made and for the guilt of Adams fall it did not belong unto him he not coming from Adam by natural generation but by a miraculous Conception Nay further in his Conception and Birth his humane nature was not only free from sin but withal inriched and filled with Grace and holiness and that in greater measure then all men and Angels as John 1.14 The Evangelist speaking of him and according to his humane nature saith he was full of Grace and in chap. 3. ver 34. God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him that is to say he gave it unto him in an abundant measure and yet the Holiness of Christ as man is not infinite but finite there being this difference betwixt his Righteousness as he is God and his righteousness as he is man His righteousness as he is God being infinite and uncreated his Righteousness as he is man being finite and created Thus we see even as Christ was man he was righteous in his Birth and Conception 2. As he was man he was righteous likewise in his Life and Conversation his whole course of life being conformable to the absolute Righteousness of the Law as 1 Pet. 2.22 Who did no sin speaking of Christ neither was guile found in his mouth And John 8.29 He that hath sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do always those things which please him The Point being thus maintained we come to answer two Questions 1. To what end was Christs Active obedience the Righteousness of his Humane Nature and the Righteousness of his Life 2. If perfect Righteousness and eternal life be merited by Christs Active obedience how comes it to pass that the Scriptures speak so little of this kind of obedience and so much of his Passive Quest 1. To what end was Christs Active obedience the Righteousness of his humane nature and the Righteousness of his life Ans The principal end next to Gods glory was to merit for the Elect perfect Righteousness and eternal Salvation As we must not conceive of Christs sufferings as the sufferings of a private man but as the sufferings of a publike person he being our Surety and pledge so we must conceive of the Righteousness of his humane nature and life his Active obedience it was not for himselfe but for us as Isai 9.6 Vnto us a child is born and Rom. 8.2 3 4. which place is to be understood of the perfect righteousness of Christs humane nature imputed to all true Believers he so meriting a cover for their corrupt nature and touching the righteousness of his life that he thereby further merited for the true Believer righteousness and eternal life do but see Rom. 5.6 As by one mans disobedience to wit Adams many were made sinners so by the obedience of one to wit Christ shall many be made righteous and so in ver 17. of the same Chapter If. by one mans offence death reigned by one to wit Adam much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness that is to say they who out of Gods abundant favour are justified by the righteousness aforesaid shall reign in life that is shall be saved And Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth and eternal life is a consequent of this perfect righteousness the Apostle here speaketh of We all owe the Lord a double debt 1. The debt of punishment for the breach of his Law 2. The death of obedience to wit the perfect fulfilling of the Law Now Christs Passive obedience doth discharge the former debt his Active obedience the latter by his Passive obedience he hath merited for us remission of sins and freedome from punishment and by his Active obedience he hath merited for us perfect Righteousnesse and eternal life There be other ends of Christs active obedience as the meriting for the Elect sanctifying Grace As Joh. 17.19 For their sake saith Christ I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified And then that he might be an example of Holiness as Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart Quest 2. The second Question is If perfect righteousness and eternal life be merited for the Elect by Christs Active obedience how comes it to pass that the Scriptures speaks so little of this kind of obedience and so much of his Passive Ans 1 Because his Passive obedience was most sensible and exposed to the eyes of all 2. Because the Ceremonial Types had especially their accomplishment in it 3. Because this was the chief and principal part of his obedience 4. The Passive implies the Active Now we come to the Uses of the Point Vse 1. To abase and greatly to humble us our natures and lives being â—o stained and defiled as nothing could be a cover unto them but the righteousness of the Son of God the righteousness of all men and Angels being insufficient this way to wit to hide the filthiness of our natures and lives from the eyes of Gods Justice Oh the cause we have to lament the impurity of our natures and lives when nothing could be a Remedy for us but the Son of God must assume our nature and here in the world work righteousness for us This consideration should not a little humble us but likewise work in us a great dislike and loathing of sin and of our selves for sin Vse 2 To inform us touching the goodness of God unto us We in Adams loynes having undone our selves and lost all righteousness that the Lord should provide us a Saviour not only to merit for us remission of sins and freedom from punishment by his Passive obedience but likewise perfect righteousness and eternal salvation by his Active so as let the Justice of God be objected any way to the true Believer he hath sufficient answer in his Pledge and Surety the Lord Jesus and hence it is that the Apostle saith Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one tht believeth If the Law and Justice of God require punishment for sin and disobedience the Believer hath the death and passion of Christ to interpose if the Law and Justice of God require perfect righteousness to be justified in Gods fight and to enter heaven the true Believer may have present recourse to the holy nature and life of Christ as his cover and righteousness so as whatsoever the true Believer should be should do should suffer Christ was did and suffered And may not this greatly comfort the true Believer that the Lord hath provided such a Saviour and further that his righteousness whereby he is justified in Gods sight and must enter heaven is not in his own keeping as his first righteousness in Adam was which was quickly lost but in the keeping of the Lord Jesus and so cannot be lost The Believer may lose this and that outward thing which for the present he enjoyed or
blind and naked Revel 3.17 The second signe is a dear love to God John 4.9 We love him because he first loved us that is because in Christ we first apprehend his love unto us when a man apprehends Gods love unto him in the Lord Jesus how he gave the Lord Jesus unto him to free him from misery and to make him eternally happy then he cannot but love the Lord again A man may receive all outward gifts from God and never love him but a man cannot receive this gift from God to wit be assured that God hath given him Christ and pardon of sinnes and eternall life in and through him but he must needs dearly love the Lord and study how to honour him and shew himself thankful unto him The third signe the apostle Paul laies us down Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Sinne doth not raigne as king in those that are united to Christ that they should obey it in the lusts thereof no their very sinful passions affections and desires are a great trouble and grief unto them as we may observe in the Apostle Pauls complaint Romans 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death The fourth Signe 2 Corinth 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Such as are united to Christ have a change wrought in them by the Spirit of God a change in their minds affections and conversations and hence are described Heb. 5.9 to be such as obey God The fifth Signe A special love to Christs members as they are his members 1 John 5.1 Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him and the 3d chapter the 14th verse We know that we have pussed from death to life because we love the brethren 6 The last sign we now commend unto you A hearty rejoycing to see the word of God prosper and prevaile Acts 11.18 When they heard these things to wit the believing Jewes they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life And Acts 15.3 And being brought on their way to wit Paul and Barnabas they passed through Phenice and Samaria declaring the canversion of the Gentiles and they caused great joy unto all the brethren As the people of God are to pray that the word of God may have free course and be glorified 2 Thess 3.1 that is may prevaile and prosper in that that God sent it for so they cannot but rejoice when they see the fruit of their prayers this way Vse 2. To awaken the presumptuous sinner dreaming of an absolute universal Redemption Ask such how they can go on in their sins and have any peace They answer They hope well because Christ died for all But did Christ intend that his death should be effectual to all There is no question but Christs obedience Passive and Active was of infinite merit but can any apply this merit but the penitent And do not those that truly apply it labour more and more to forsake their sins even those which they have formerly taken great delight in Do we think that Christ came into the world to be a Baud to our sins nay certainly he came into the world as to satisfie for sin so to slay sin As there is a world of the Elect so there is a world of the Reprobate and of whether company are they that go on in their sins and the truth of it is the peace such have is a false peace as Isai 48.22 There is no peace saith the Lord unto the wicked no true peace and notwithstanding the peace they have now the time will come when their consciences shall roar and fly in their faces and when they shall find that their fruitlesse faith was but presumption and that true of the world which the Apostle saith of Israel Romans 9.27 Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the see a remnant shall be saved and but a remnant Vse 3. For the support and comfort of all truly penitent such as see the great number and hainousnesse of their sins and the infinite wrath of God ready to seize upon them for the same let such contemplate the sufficiency of the satisfaction and remedy how the Lord Jesus hath accomplished all things needful for their salvation Do but see John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life See thou art not excepted excluded if thou dost believe suppose thy sins be never so many so grievous Isai 45.23 Rom. 3.22 23 Nay see Christs loving invitation to such as thou art Matt. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised Nay is it not the Lords command in plain termes that thou believe in his Son John 3.23 This is his Commandment that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ Take heed thou dost not to all thy former sins add disobedience to this command for surely rebellion in this kind will exceed all thy other sins as 1 John 5.10 11. He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son and this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son And Joh. 16.7 8 9. If I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and when he is come he will reprove the world of sin Of sin because they believe not on me And further John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him See Rom. 5.7 8. Scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us And Rom. 8.32 He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all or gave him for us all And will not we accept of this gift no more required of thee then to accept of this gift and wilt thou not Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 And so far now by occasion of the third Principle PRINC IV. Quest But how maiest thou be made partaker of Christ and his benefits Answ A man of a contrite and humble spirit by faith alone apprehending and applying Christ with
and women such as mourn because they can mourn no more for their sins such as would fain look towards Christ whom nothing can satisfie but Christ see Isaiah 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Thus far by occasion of the first Member of the fourth Principle Now we come to the second Member thereof MEMBER II. By faith alone WHerein the Catechisme further acquaints us how we may be made partakers of Christ and his benefits The Doctrine is this Doct. That a man may partake of Christ and his benefits he must not onely have a contrite and humble spirit but he must likewise be qualified with faith But because we have already spoken of a contrite and humble spirit take the point in a more brief form as thus That a man may partake of Christ and his benefits he must have faith he must believe See John 3.14.15 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in in him should not perish but have eternal life And Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him should receive remission of sinnes And Chapter 13. the 38 and 39 verses Be it known unto you Men and Brethren that through this man is Preached unto you the forgiveness of sinnes and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the Law of Moses And so Paul and Silas to the Jailor Acts 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thâ—u shalt be saved Not that faith must be supposed to be in our own power John 3.16 But is the gift of God Romans 9.33 the Lord requiring no more in the Covenant of grace then he gives Now the Reasons of the Doctrine Reas 1. Faith is the condition of the new Covenant the Covenant of grace which is evident as in the places fore-cited so in other places as Mark 16.15 16. Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And John 29.31 These sayings are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that believing ye might have Life through his Name Reas 2. Faith is the onely Spirituall hand whereby we receive Christ and his benefits as John 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his Name No faith no receiving of Christ and then no benefit by him And it is not every faith that will do this but only that faith which by way of propriety is called the faith of Gods Elect Titus 1.2 none but the Elect having it and all the Elect being possessed of it in this life at one time or other Now for the further seeing into this Doctrine we enquire into the things following First The kinds and sorts of faith that so we may find out that faith which will serve the turne Secondly Wherein the Nature and Essence of that faith consisteth which will serve the turn 1. Touching the first there be four sorts of faith 1. Miraculous 2. Historical 3. Temporary 4 Justifying 1. A miraculous faith is when a man believes that some extraordinary thing shal be affected either by himself or others or that some extraordinary thing shal come to pass for which he hath some special promise or revelation Mat. 17.20 1 Cor. 13.2 Acts 14.9 Now the commendation of this faith is rather from the ground of it to wit the special promise or revelation then from the gift it self Of its own nature simply it comes short of receiving and applying Christ as is evident by this reason Because it may be in a Reprobate See Mat. 7.22 23. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Divels and in thy name done many wonderful works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity 2 The second kind of faith is an Historical faith and that is a bare assent and no more to the truth of the Scriptures a believing that the Scriptures are true without resting on them or affecting of them Now that this faith is too short to the purpose aforesaid is plain because it is to be found in the very divels themselves Jam. 2.19 The Divels believe and tremble The third kind of faith is a Temporary faith Now this kind of faith goes beyond the Historical in two degrees First In that with knowledge and assent is joined such a profession of the truth as carries a shew and form of Godliness as we may see in Simon Magus Act. 8.13 Then Simon himself believed also and when he was baptised he continued with Philip c. 2. A kind of rejoycing and glorying in that knowledg assent and profession as Mat. 13.20 21. He that receiveth the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while And John 5.35 our Saviour speaking to the Jews of John the Baptist He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light But this faith being not a well rooted faith at the length it vanisheth away and comes to nothing and therefore called a Temporary faith and being not well rooted it is too short likewise for the business aforesaid is not able in a found and kindly way to receive Christ 4. The fourth kind of faith is a Justifying faith so called because it apprehends that which doth justifie to wit Christ It is likewise called a Sanctifying faith because it purifieth the heart Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith and so a saving faith because the end of it is salvation 1 Peter 1.9 Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls Now this faith as it hath many effects beyond the other kinds of faith so likewise it comprehends them all as the Historical and Temporary why so the miraculous faith for he that hath Justifying faith if so be he had any extraordinary revelation or special promise made unto him hee could as well lay hold upon them as upon that Revelation and those Promises he doth lay hold upon And if you ask me what this justifying faith is I answer It is that grace of Gods Spirit whereby a man of a contrite and humble spirit is enabled to receive Christ and his benefits Not but that this faith hath other effects and a larger extent but yet this is a principal effect of it Thus we have found out the faith that will serve the turne We come now
his Benefits Many Inducements and Provocations might be thought of this way As First If we weigh the glory they give to God who do believe John 3.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true Rom. 4.20 The Apostle speaking of Abraham saith He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God 2. If we weigh the dishonour and injury they do to God who do not believe as 1 Joh. 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son and this is the Record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son 3 If we weigh that it is such a qualification as every man hath not 2 Thess 3.2 All men have not faith Nay such a qualification as but a few have Isai 53.1 Who hath believed our report 4 If we confider the cloud of examples this way to wit of Believers although but a few comparatively and what they obtained by faith Heb. 11.1 c. 5 If we consider that without this grace we cannot please God in any thing we do for so the Spirit of God acquaints us Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God 6 God commands us to believe 1 John 3.23 This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ And Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden this coming is the motion of the will to wit believing 7. If we weigh the inducement in the Doctrine otherwise we cannot partake of Christ and his benefits which if we do not wo be unto us Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Object But may some man say What need all this adoe is it so hard a thing to believe in Christ I thank God I never found it so Ans The Reason is because thy conscience was never throughly awakened with a distinet sight of thy sins and Gods Justice pursuing thee for the same thou thinking thou dost believe in Christ all this while and alas thy faith being nothing else but presumption but when thy conscience comes to be a wakened and to roar in thy face thou wilt find it the most difficult thing in all the world to look beyond the cloud of Justice to believe in Gods mercy and to rest on Christ for Justification and Salvation Thus far touching the second Member of the fourth Principle Now we come to the third Member of the same MEMBER III. Apprehending and applying Christ with all his Merits unto himself THis is done by faith and faith alone as it is in the former Member So then the Doctrine is this Doct. It is faith and faith alone that apprehends and applies Christ and all his merits unto a mans self See Ephes 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith as though the Apostle should say it is of the free favour of God giving Christ unto you that you are saved and the only Instrument that apprehends and applies Christ and all his merits unto salvation is faith And Rom. 5 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ As though faith and faith only were the Instrument to lay hold on Christ and his merits But take that place for all Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law faith being the only instrument that apprehends and applies Christ to Justification So also Joh. 3.36 Rom. 9.33 Acts 16.31 Reason The Ground or Reason is Because there is no other eye nor hand for this purpose but this not that this faith is alone but ever accompanied with love and other Graces as the eye in the head is not alone without other senses yet it only seeth and no other sense besides it Love indeed claspeth Christ and cleaveth unto him but it is for that which faith first discerneth to be in him Christ being first the object of our Faith and then the object of our Love and to speak properly faith is the eye and hand of the soul and love only the hand of faith for so the Apostle Paul speaks of these Graces Galat. 5.6 In Christ Jesus Circumcision availeth nothing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Now for the illustrating of this Doctrine we propound these Questions First Whether Faith or Love be the more excellent Grace Secondly Whether Justifying faith in the exercise of it be not of a larger extent then aforesaid do not as well embrace the whole word of God as apprehend and apply Christ and his merits Quest 1. Whether Faith or Love be the more excellent Grace Answ In some respects the Grace of Love is more excellent then the Grace of Faith First It is more conspicuous and visible Faith being secret and inward but yet by Love discovering it selfe Secondly It is more beneficial and commodious Faith being the hand whereby a man receives for himself but Love being the hand whereby a man reacheth out to others Thirdly It is of longer continuance 1 Corinth 13.8 Love never faileth And in this respect the Apostle prefers it to Faith and Hope ver 13. of the same Chapter Now abideth Faith Hope Love those three but the greatest of these is Love The exercise of Faith and Hope ceasing when Love shall be in the greatest exercise Now in other respects faith doth excel Love As first It justifies a man before God and so doth not Love I mean is the instrument that way but so is not Love 2. Faith if we speak in regard of exercise is the Cause and Love is the Effect now the Cause is more excellent then the Effect 3. What do we reach forth by Love which we have not received by Faith Quest 2. Now we come to the second Question Whether Justifying Faith do not as well believe the whole Word of God as apprehend and apply Christ and his Merits Whether the Office of it be only restrained to Justifying Answ Although Christ and his Merits be the principal Object of this Faith why yet the same faith which receiveth Christ and resteth on him and so justifies believes all the other promises made of God in Christ unto Believers whether they concern this life or the life to come nay believes the whole Word of God Acts 24.14 as the precepts threatnings c. This Faith not only yeilding a bare assent unto whatsoever is delivered in the Scriptures as concerning the truth of it but likewise moving and stirring the affections according to the nature of the matter believed whether Promises Precepts or threatnings Now we come to the Uses Vse 1. To inform us how excellently they are furnished unto whom the Lord hath vouchsafed this qualification it being the instrument and the only
of his flesh As he is one with our nature by Personal Vnion so to be one with him by Mystical Vnion To this purpose let us endeavor to acquaint our selves with his Birth his Life and Death with his Natures his Offices his Benefits what he was what he did what he suffered for Mankind so manifesting that we are acquainted with him united unto him by a holy life and conconversation one special end why he assumed our nature and came into the world as we may see Luke 1.75 and Titus 2.11 and so to the fifteenth verse Thus farre touching the second Member of the third Principle Now we come to the third Member of the third Principle MEMBER III. By his death upon the Cross JEsus Christ the Eternal Son of God being made man by his death upon the Cross Take it in the form of a Doctrine after this manner Doct. Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God being made man was Crucified to death The Scripture is abundant in proof this way as Mat. 27.35 44 50. Mark 15.24 25 27 37. Luke 23.33 46. John 19.15 16 17 18 and 30 verses This is that which the Apostle Peter doth charge upon the consciences of the Jewes Acts 2.22 23 and 36 verses Chap. 3.13 14 15 verses And so Chap. 4.10 Chap. 5.30 And so Stephen Acts 7.51 52. That we may the better conceive of this weighty point to wit Christs Passive obedience it shall be necessary to answer the questions following 1. Whether Christ suffered in both his Natures yea or no 2. What he suffered or the Passion it self 3. When his sufferings began and when they ended 4. The Causes of his passion 5. To what end he suffered Quest 1. Whether Christ suffered in both his Natures or no Answ There is no question but he suffered in the Humane nature both soul and body but the Divine nature is impassible cannot suffer and yet in a manner may be said to suffer not onely because the Person that was both God and man did suffer but also because the whole time of Christs humiliation the Majesty and glory of his Divine nature was somewhat laid down and hidden and so we understand the Apostle Phil. 2.7 Who made himself of no reputation speaking of Christ or as it is in the Original Who emptyed himself it being spoken in regard of his Divine nature the Majesty and glory of it being much hidden and obscured all the time he had upon him the form of a servant Quest 2. What Christ suffered or the Passion it self Answ The sufferings of Christ can never be expressed to the full so deeply did he drink off his Fathers wrath for our sins This the Evangelical Prophet denotes before hand Isaiah 52.14 and 53.3 Now his sufferings may be divided into the sufferings of his life and the sufferings of his death or near his death 1. Touching the sufferings of his life which were manifold As 1. He no sooner being conceived as man but suspected to be illegitimate or unlawfully begotten Mat. 1.19 and 20 verses 2. Being born in a Stable and laid in a Manger Luke 2.7 3. The pain of his Circumcision Luke 2.21 4. His flight into Aegypt Mat. 2.13 5. His being tempted of the Divel forty dayes and forty nights together in the Wilderness a place of great terror and in that time the Divel carrying up and down his body at his pleasure sometimes to a Pinacle of the Temple and sometimes to the top of an high Mountain Mat. 4.1 6. His Poverty he having not where to lay his head Luke 9.58 7. His going about from place to place with hunger thirst and weariness to Preach and work Miracles 8. The manifold contumelies and reproaches that were cast upon him by those that did oppose his Doctrine and Miracles as that he was a Deceiver was Mad had a Divel c. Thus we have given you a taste of the first sort of Christs sufferings to wit the sufferings of his life Now 2. We come to lay forth briefly the sufferings of his death or near his death and how grievous and dolorous his sufferings were in and about his death may appear 1. By his testifying and complaining how heavy he was even unto death Mat. 26.38 2. By the great drops or clods of water and blood which fell from his face Luke 22.44 3. By his sundry cryes to his Father that if it were possible the cup of death might pass from him 4. By those unworthy things he suffered at the hands of sinners as being betrayed by one of his own Disciples then taken as a Theef with swords and staves bound and carryed away and brought as a Malefactor before the Magistrate before whom although he was cleared yet must he be scourged stript of his own apparel clothed with scornful Kingly Robes a Crown of thorns put upon his head and a Reed put into his hand instead of a Scepter and so was he led away as a sheep to the slaughter and between two Theeves as the chief of all sinners crucified his joynts stretched and racked his hands and feet digged with nails his side pierced with a Spear and instead of drink he had Vineger tempered with Gall reached unto him the High Priests scoffed the Passengers wagged their heads the Soldiers mocked him nay one of the Theevs upon the Cross could with his last breath blaspheme him so many reproaches and contempts were done unto him as no Chronicle can remember the like ever done to any Malefactor 5. He was as one oppressed and forsaken of God which made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me he not onely suffering the first death but the pangs of the second death Thus we see a little what Christ suffered in his life and in his death Quest 3. Is When the sufferings of Christ began and when they ended Answ They began at his Birth or before as we have heard he no sooner being conceived but suspected to be illegitimate and continued until the giving up of the ghost then and not until then were his dolours and torments ended as himself witnesseth John 19.30 When Jesus had received the Vineger he said it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost which must he understood of his dolours and torments but not of his Humiliation which continued so long as he was captivated of death even unto his Resurrection Quest 4. What were the causes of his Passion Answ The principal causes of his Passion were 1. Gods Decree for the manifestation of his Justice and Mercy Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and fore-knowledge of God speaking unto the Jewes of Christ ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain 2. The great love of God the Father unto his Elect John 3. â—6 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And Romans 5.8 God commendeth his love
the seventh and last Member thereof MEMBER VII Accomplished all things needful for the salvation of Mankind ANd this take likewise in the form of a Doctrine and let the whole Principle be it Doct. Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God being made man by his death upon the Cross and by his righteousness that is to say by his obedience passive and active hath perfectly alone by himself accomplished all things needful for the salvation of mankind This Principle as you know consists of seven Members six of which we have already handled particularly and so the last onely remains to be spoken of Now for the opening of it take onely two questions 1. Whether mankind hath no benefit by Christs Exaltation because the Catechisme ascribes all to his Humiliation his obedience passive and active 2. How we must in this passage understand mankind Quest 1. The first question is Whether man kind hath no benefit by Christs Exaltation because the Catechisme ascribes all to his humiliation his obedience passive and active An. Although Christs exaltation be no part of his satisfaction he by his obedience passive and active having fully satisfied his Fathers justice in the behalf of mankind why yet mankind hath great benefit by his exaltation and the severall degrees of it as his resurrection ascension and his sitting at his fathers right hand his exaltation being an essentiall part of his mediation Quest 2. How we must in this passage understand mankind Answ Although Christs satisfaction be onely effectuall to the Elect according to these places of Scripture Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his poople from their sins and John 10.15 I lay down my life for the sheep And so Ephes 5.23 He being called the Saviour of the body his body to wit the Elect why yet it cannot be denied but that his satisfaction was sufficient for all mankind for the Whole posterity of Adam according to these places following John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sinne of the world and John 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever And the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world And so 1 John 4.14 We have seen and doe testifie that the Eather sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world and 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave himselfe a ransome for all Hence it is that Christ is to be offered to all unto whom the Gospel comes As Mark 16.15 And he said unto them to wit Christ unto his Apostles goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature that is make a tender of Christ to every creature every reasonable creature not only Jewes but Gentiles and hence it is that the Gospel commands every man and woman to repent and beleeve in Christ as Mark 1.15 Repent ye and beleeve the Gospel that is as though our Saviour should say beleeve that you shall be saved by my merits and hence is also the universall promise of salvation made to every one that shall beleeve in Christ as John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And the truth of it is there is no defect in the remedie but in regard of the merit of Christ every man and woman becomes saveable and yet we must not think that every particular man and woman shall be saved for this is directly contrary to many places of Scripture As do but see Matth. 25.46 our Saviour having laid forth what should be the manner of his proceeding at the last day These saith he shall goe away into everlasting punishment but Matth. 7.13 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate saith Christ for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Nay not every one that liveth in the visible Church shall be saved Matth. 20.16 Many be called to wit outwardly by the word but few chosen that is to say called effectually and so their elections manifested but Matth. 7.22 23. Many will say to me in that day to wit the day of judgment Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out divels and in thy name have done many wonderful works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity And the truth of it is there is a world of people unto whom Christ never intended to apply his merits effectually as we may observe by that passage in his prayer John 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world to wit the world of the reprobate and Luke 2.34 And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his Mother Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel observe the phrase Is set that is to say appointed of God by an unchangeable decree as to be the rising of some so to be the fall of others and so 1 Pet. 2.8 And a stone of stumbling speaking of Christ and a rock of offence though not a cause yet an occasion of their utter ruine and perdition And as we must not think that every particular man and woman shall be saved so likewise we must not think that every particular man and woman may be saved if they will And amongst other reasons this is one justifying faith is not in mans power it being a supernaturall gift and without it no man can have any saving benefit by Christ now that justifying faith is not in mans power see John 6.44 No man can come to me saith our Saviour except the Father which hath sent me draw him No man can come to me that is no man can beleeve in me except it be given him of my Father And further because we say that Christs satisfaction was sufficient for all mankind yet only effectual to the Elect we must not think any part of it to be superfluous because the merit of Christs satisfaction is not to be applyed by parts but the whole merit is to be applyed to each particular person that shall be saved We proceed to the Uses Vse 1 For Trial and Examination whether we be of that number that can assure our selves upon good grounds that Christ is our Saviour seeing his merits are only effectual unto some to wit the Elect. Signes this way First Have we been schooled by the Law Gal. 3.24 Hath the Law brought us to a sight and sense of our natural misery Til then we cannot hunger and thirst after Christ til then we are like to the Laodiceans who thought themselves rich and wanted nothing when indeed they were poor and miserable and wretched and
our souls resting upon him for pardon and justification and not onely hold forth our faith to the promise of pardon and forgiveness in and through Christ but extend it unto all the precious promises made of God in Christ Jesus unto Believers as we may have occasion whether they concern this life or the life to come be they general or particular absolute or conditional express or implicite This should be the wisdome of the Believer as to acquaint himself with the whole word of God and to be affected with it alwayes as it applyes it self unto him for this faith doth not onely extend it self to the promises but to the whole word of God as the Precepts Threatnings c. so especially to acquaint himself with the precious promises dispersed here and there in the Sacred Scriptures Then 2. To have them in memory by frequent mediation 3. Often to urge them upon God in Prayer And 4. Ever to rest upon them as he hath occasion This is to live by our faith and this is that which is ever injoyned us in holy writ to wit the act and exercise of our faith the habit of faith being the Covenant on Gods part and the act and exercise of faith the Covenant on our part not but that men and women must use all holy means for the habit and not that the habit can act without the effectual concurrence of Gods Spirit exciting and co-working Now touching this life of faith we will not think much for your better proceeding therein to give instance in some particular cases 1. As first Art thou at any time oppressed with the weight and burden of thy sins call to mind the promises of pardon and forgiveness made unto such a soul as Isaiah 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool And the 55 of the same Prophesie verse 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon And so Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest In the case aforesaid such promises as these must be reviewed meditated on urged upon God in Prayer and then rested on 2. The second instance Dost thou at any time find corruption strong and grace weak in thee call to mind the promises of Sanctification or of help these wayes as Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins that is not onely from the guilt but likewise from the power of sin And Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you And so Jer. 31.33 This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And Isaiah 44.2 I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thy Off-spring And so Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them These and such like Promises thou must review meditate on urge upon God in Prayer and rest on them 3. The third instance Dost thou doubt thy perseverance and holding out to the end see John 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst that is shall never after be altogether destitute of grace but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of water springing up into everlasting life And the fifth Chapter of the same Gospel verse 24. Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life And so the tenth Chapter verses 27 28 29. My sheep hear my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand These Promises and such like in the case aforesaid must be called to mind meditated on urged upon God in Prayer so rested on 4. The fourth instance Dost thou at any time fear the supply of Temporal things see Psal 34.10 The yong Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing And Ps 84.11 He will give grace and glory and no good thing wil he withhold from them that walk uprightly And so Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you And Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee These Promises and the like in the case aforesaid must be thought of urged upon God in Prayer and rested on The last instance I lay forth at this time The times being evil Dost thou fear greater afflictions to befal thee then thou shalt be enabled patiently to bear see Psal 91.10 There shall no evil befal thee And Rom. 8.28 We know that all things even afflictions themselves work together for good unto them that love God These places promise that no affliction hurtful shall befal thee nay that no affliction shall befal thee but for thy good And see further Psalm 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of them all This place and such places as this promise unto thee a good issue unto thy afflictions nay to answer thy fear See Isaiah 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee to wit supporting and sustaining thee And 1 Corinthians 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able These Promises and such like in the case aforesaid must be reviewed meditated on urged upon God in Prayer and then rested on And so in all other cases as thou mayest have occasion thou shalt find promises in holy Writ to fit thee acquaint thy self with them meditate on them urge them upon God in Prayer rest on them serve Gods Providence in the use of all lawful means sutable and often consider of Gods Attributes the props of faith as his Wisdome Power Mercy and Truth and this is to make use of faith to live by our faith And so farre touching the third Member of the fourth Principle Now we come to the fourth Memmer thereof MEMBER IV. Is justified before God IN which Member and the
Member following the Catechisme acquaints us with two special benefits that the true Believer receives by Christ to wit Justification and Sanctification Now as touching this Member we commend unto you this point of Doctrine Doct. Every man that apprehends and applyes Christ and his Merits unto himself by a kindly faith is justified before God Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus That is to say Every one laying hold on Christ by a true faith is a justified person And Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith that is by faith apprehending and applying Christ and his Merits for so onely faith justifies And the same Chap. verse 18. As by the offence of one to wit Adam judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one to wit Christ the free gift came upon all men that is to say all true Believers unto justification Compare this with Rom. 3.22 30. And so Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man to wit Christ is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified Now we come to the grounds or Reasons of the Doctrine Reas 1. Whatsoever the true Believer should be should do should suffer Christ was did and suffered for the true Believer as Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth that is Let the Law come upon the true Believer which way it will he may answer it in the compleat obedience of Christ Reas 2. The obedience of Christ which is the material cause of justification was the obedience of such a person as was not onely man but God and therefore sufficient and more then sufficient for the justifying of all true Believers Acts 20.28 Reas 3. This is the end of Christs obedience in Gods eternal Councel and appointment to wit the justifying of true Believers that all true Believers might be justified by it as Romans 3.25 Whom God hath sent forth or fore-ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Reas 4. So many as are true Believers have that instrument or hand which apprehends and applyes Christ and the Merit of his obediâ—nce unto themselves for justification for so faith onely justifies not as a quality or act but as an instrument or hand receiving Christ and his Merits But that we may the better see into a Doctrine of so great consequence we intend to answer the questions following 1. Wherein this justification consists 2. What it is being defined 3. The difference betwixt it and sanctification Quest 1. Wherein this justification consists Answ It consists 1. in remission of sins 2. In imputation of Righteousness as we may see Daniel 9.24 this benefit being spoken of there is mention made as of reconciliation for iniquity so of an everlasting Righteousness And Zachariah 3.4 Behold saith the Lord to Joshua I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will cloath thee with change of raiment And so 2 Corinthians 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be the Righteousness of God in him And however the Scriptures do sometimes seem to place justification in remission of sinnes Rev. 19.8 why yet the other part to wit imputation of Righteousness is alwayes implyed and to be understood Quest 2 What justification is and how to be defined Answ It is that gracious sentence of God whereby for Christs Merits he absolveth the true Believer from all his sinnes and the punishment due for them and whereby he accounteth him Righteous unto life eternal A little to open the definition First we say that justification is a sentencing or pronouncing of sentence and so the word usually signifies in Scripture it is a judicial term taken from the Bench of the Judge and signifies by way of sentence to pronounce a person Arraigned to be clear innocent and Righteous as Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth 2. We call it that gracious sentence of God because it was of Gods free favour to find out a remedy for poor sinners to give Christ the material and Meritorious Cause of justification to give faith whereby to apprehend and apply Christ and his Merits Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace We go on in the definition Whereby for Christs Merits that is to say for the Merit of his obedience Passive and Active the Lord doth not so shew mercy as to wrong his Justice and therefore it is said Isaiah 53.6 The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all He absolveth the true Believer from all his sinnes That is to say not onely past but to come in a manner to wit vertually sins past being pardoned in themselves sins to come in the Subject or Party sinning as John 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life It followeth And the punishment due for them The Cause being taken away the Effect must needs be removed as Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus to wit neither Eternal nor Temporal Now we come to the second part of justification And whereby he accounteth him righteous That is for the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto him according unto that style given Christ Jer. 23.6 The Lord our Righteousness Vnto life eternal This being annexed to wit life eternal unto the righteousness aforesaid Hence it is called Rom. 5.18 The justification of life Thus far touching the definition of justification Now we come to the third question Quest 3. What 's the difference betwixt justification and sanctification Answ Although it be true that justification and sanctification be alwayes inseparable the person justified being ever sanctified why yet there be these differences following betwixt them 1. The righteousness of sanctification is a righteousness inherent in our selves I mean a work wrought within us by the Spirit of God as Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you But the righteousness of justification is a righteousness without us inherent in Christ imputed to us as Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience to wit Adams many were made sinners so by the obedience of one to wit Christ shall many be made righteous It is true indeed this righteousness of justification is received by faith inherent in us 2. The righteousness of sanctification is not wrought in the same measure and degree in all true Believers A man may have grace and true grace and yet come far short of others in grace as is evident Mat. 13.23 He that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred some sixty some thirty And although this difference yet all good ground
not knowne to any man but themselves why should their consciences vex and terrifie them if there were not a God Object 1. But may some men say in whom the light of nature is almost extinguished I never saw God how can I then believe there is a God Answ Thou didst never see thy soul and dost thou believe therefore thou hast no soul Thou didst never see the wind yet surely thou believest there is such a thing such a creature Object 2. But if this be a Truth generally acknowledged How comes it to pass that the most men and women live as though there were no God Answ First by way of Concession or Grant Secondly By way of Solution 1. By way of Concession or Grant It is true the most do live as though there were no God so walk as denying the Presence Power and Justice of God 2. By way of Solution or Satisfaction Although men and women generally by the light of Nature do acknowledg a God yet through the corruption of nature they frame and fain him to themselves to be such a one as they please to wit without Attributes not present in all places not infinitely powerful and just As this is a Truth That by the light of nature we know and believe there is a God so likewise this is a Truth That since Adams fall by the corruption of nature in regard of the true God we are all Atheists Thus the Psalmist describing the natural man Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart There is no God The natural man confesseth there is a God but it is a God of his own framing without Attributes to wit an Idol which upon the matter is as much as to deny the true God Object 3. Although this be a Truth granted and plain why yet the Regenerate themselves have doubtings this way they sometimes doubt Whether there be a God or no. Answ And this comes to pass First by Satans suggestion who sometimes darts this thought maliciously into them even in their best Devotions Secondly this thought may be in them through the corruption of nature remaining they having a seed and some degrees of Atheism remaining in them so long as they are in this world Thirdly Want of through consideration may occasion doubting this way As when they observe themselves men and women of affliction and the wicked great in the world and highly exalted looking meerly upon this and no further may occasion them to question this great Truth but going on to the end and issue the doubt is presently removed considering what the wicked's exultation ends in and so considering what is the issue of the godly mans afflictions Vse 1. To expostulate with the wicked and unregenerate There is a God this thou sayest thou beleevest I say thou dost well but the divels do as much nay more â—hey beleeve and tremble Jam. 2.19 Examine thy self do not they exceed thee in this Thou believest there is a God but dost thou tremble at his Justice Power and Omnipresence Dost thou perswade thy self of his Omnipresence that he sees thy waies courses and proceedings in all places and at all times How comes it to passe then that thou willingly and willfully committest that sin in secret in his sight which thou wouldest be ashamed to commit in the eye and veiw of the world Observe now Thou beleevest there is a God but it is a god of thy own framing a god that sees not thy sinfull courses and proceedings And to this purpose take notice how the spirit of God brings in the wicked or naturall man speaking in his heart Job 22.13 14. And thou sayest how doth God know and is there knowledg in the most high Psal 73.11 Can he judg thorow the dark cloud thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not And Psal 94.7 They say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it Thus what the wicked mans thoughts are of God his actions declare And so in regard of Gods Justice if thou didst beleeve him to be a God of justice how durst thou go on obstinately in thy sins making a covenant with death and being at agreement with hell he having openly proclaimed in his word that he wil be revenged on al such malefactors The truth of it is although thou dost acknowledg a God why yet again thou deniest him by denying his justice as if he were a God all of mercy but such as thou shall one day find him to be a God of justice of infinite justice Deut. 29.19 20. Again in regard of Gods Power Thou beleevest there is a God but again deniest him in that thou dost not believe him to be a God of infinite power If thou dost beleeve him to be a God of infinite power why dost not thou rather tremble at his threatning then at the threatning of a mortal man Let an earthly Magistrate or Prince threaten and menace for the breach of his statutes and edicts presently men and women begin to tremble and to be afraid and know not which way to turn themselves but let the Lord the mighty God of heaven and earth threaten to bring this and that plague this and that judgment upon them for their sins and transgressions nay even to damn them to the pit of hell if they do not reform for all this they go on still in their sins and evill courses as though the Lord had not power to maintain his threatnings upon them Well thou that art a wicked and ungodly liver see thy condition to be a wofull condition there is just so much light in thee as to make thee inexcusable Thou beleevest there is a God but in life deniest his presence power and justice Thou art not an absolute Athiest in judgment but an Athiest in practice Wel it is as thou thinkest there is a God but thou shalt find him otherwise then thou thinkest to wit all-saving for he is infinitely just and powerfull Vse 2. For Direction Thou beleevest there is a God First more and more examine this great truth more and more ponder and perpend it untill thy heart be established in it and if God be God serve him if Baal be God follow him The meaning is if this principle be not true follow the waies of thy own heart live and walk according to thy own lust without any restraint but if it be true as it is undoubtedly then walk and live as throughly beleeving this principle Labour to please God to glorifie him and to have communion with him and know there is nothing doth so choak and suffocate this Principle as a wicked and profane life as Rom. 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness This is the first rule of Direction 2. Thou believing this Principle endeavor to nourish and maintain it To this purpose thou maiest help thy self by the Book of the Creatures as
David saith Psal 19.1 The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work There is not the least Creature but thou mayest read God in it but especially be thou exercised in the book of the Scriptures in reading and hearing them they do the most plainly and evidently set forth God 3. If thou hast not a Justifying faith be earnest with the Lord for it because without this supernatural faith thou canst not believe this Principle savingly 4. Converse much with those that are godly They that converse with the worldly-minded shall observe them much to be ascribing the event of things to natural and second causes but the godly the event of things to God Then further The godly have an experimental knowledg of God and so speaking of God they many times speak emphatically and movingly much to the strengthning of the faith of others A Reverend Light in this age one Junius doth acknowledg that the first thing that turned him from his Atheism was his talking with a Countrey-man of his and his manner of expressing himself Vse 3. For Information 1. Is there a God why then the Scriptures are true because they declare that he is and what he is 2. Is there a God why then the soul is immortal for as the immortal soul is the image of God and so doth demonstrate a God so they that do most firmly believe there is a God do likewise firmly believe the immortality of the soul And upon that ground cast for it accordingly for the beautifying and well being of it 3. If there be a God why then there is a Heaven and a Hell a place of Bliss for the godly after this life and a place of Torment for the wicked otherwise God should not be just and then not God We read of a Pope that when he was on his death-bed said He should ere long be resolved of three things which all his life long he had doubted of 1. Whether there be a God or no 2. Whether the soul be immortal or no 3. Whether there be a heaven and a hell or no He being not satisfied of the first might well doubt of the two last And thus we have absolved the first Member of the first Principle MEMBER II. That there is but one God THat there is but one God the Scriptures are very evident this way Deuter. 6.4 Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. Deut. 32.39 See now that I even I am he and there is no God with me Psal 16.31 Who is God save the Lord save Jehovah And so Isai 44.6 I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God And Isai 45.5 I am the Lord and there is none else there is no God besides me Ephes 4.6 One God and Father of all And lastly 1 Corin. 8.4 5 6. We know that an Idol is nothing in the world that is nothing in nature subsisting or nothing in respect of the Divinity ascribed to it and that there is none other God but one that is to say properly and by nature For though there be that be called gods to wit improperly as there be Gods many and Lords many improperly so called But to us there is but one God that is to say the Church doth know and acknowledg but one God properly and by nature Magistrates are called gods because they are Gods Deputies or Vice-gerents upon earth as Psal 82.6 I have said yee are Gods Idols are called gods because some ignorant and fond people think them to be so Jer. 10.11 The Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth even they shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens Nay the Divel is called god The God of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 because of the willing subjection that the wicked yeild unto him not that any of these are gods by nature or properly but improperly Reas 1. There is but one only chief good and therefore but one God Reas 2. There is but one first cause of all things and therefore but one God Reas 3. To be more Infinites then one is impossible there is but one Infinite and therefore but one God R. 4. If there be more Gods then one why not three as well as two and why not five as wel as three and why not ten as well as five nay why not thirty thousand as it is observed by some of the Fathers the ancient Heathen had Vse 1. For Reprehension First to reprove the Papists Secondly the carnal Protestant 1. The Papists set up divers gods besides the true God As first The Pope They say he is to judg all but to be judged of none that he hath power to forgive sins and that properly that he hath power to make Lawes to bind consciences as well as Gods Lawes 2. The Virgin Mary they make her a goddess preferring her before Christ trusting in her for salvation and in their Prayers intreating her to command her Son by the might of a mother Nay 3. They make all the departed Saints gods by praying unto them as though they knew the secrets of mens hearts as though they were present every where which are things proper to God alone 2. Reproof to the carnal Protestant Such as principally affect the Creature or put their confidence in the Creature those set up to themselves more gods then one Some make worldly Riches their god and so the Covetous some carnal Pleasures and so the Voluptuous some earthly Honor and so the Ambitious some make this and that man their god and so trusting in him The truth is the most make the Divel theirgod by a willing subjection to his suggestions And thus the carnal Protestant although he seem to confess one God with his mouth why yet in affection and practiee he sets up more What a man loves most delights in most trusts in most that he makes his god whatsoever he professeth with his tongue but let those Idolaters know how the Apostle James stiles them Jam. 4.4 Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses that is to say Spiritual Adulterers and Adulteresses and how the Lord threatens by the generous and truly noble Prophet Isaiah 42.8 That he will not give his glory to another and therefore they giving that to the Creature which is due unto him let them be assured that he wil be revenged upon them Psal 16.4 Vse 2. For Inquisition or Inquiry Seeing there is a God and but one God it shall be very necessary to enquire concerning him to inform our selves what this one God is What God is strictly to enquire as a wise Logician saith he being primum ens is beyond Logick and therefore that we may define God perfectly we have need of Gods own Logick And the Reasons are 1. Because he is Incomprehensible 2. Because he is in great part unknown unto us while we are in the mortal body Whilst we are in this world as the Apostle tels us 1 Cor. 15.12 we see through a
is his delight It is true they have sin in them but sin hath not dominion over them It is true they are sinners but they are also Saints even in this world Psal 16.2 3. My goodness extends not to thee but to the Saints which are on the earth It is true any temporal judgment may befal them in this world but this is as true that nothing shall befal them but what shall work for their good therefore in a humble and thankful wonderment let them acknowledg the great things the Lord hath done for them as the Church coming out of captivity Psal 126.3 The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad and the Psalmist Psal 126.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me MEMBER II. Wholly corrupted with sin Doct. ALl men and women considered in the state of nature are wholly corrupted with sin For so we are to understand the Catechism to wit according unto this exposition Now the assertion is true in two respects 1. In regard of their natures 2. In regard of their lives Their natures are wholly corrupted with Original sin their lives with actual transgression 1 That the natures of the unregenerate are wholly corrupted with Original sin we will let you see what Original sin is and then prove the thing affirmed What Original sin is Original sin is so called first because it was from the beginning I mean as soon as ever the fall of Adam was Secondly Because it is one of the first things which is with the child in the Conception Thirdly Because it is the beginning of all actual sin Now Original sin is sometimes taken Largely sometimes Strictly When it is taken Largely it signifies the fall of Adam the guilt following and withal the corruption of nature When it is taken Strictly it signifies that corruption which taints and defiles the whole man every faculty of soul and member of body More plainly Original sin taken strictly contains 1 A want of all holy disposition in every faculty of soul and member of body 2. In stead and room thereof a corrupt disposition in every faculty of soul and member of body And thus now seeing what Original sin is we come to prove that the natures of the unregenerate are wholly corrupted with it To this purpose 1. Take notice of some general phrases which the Spirit of God useth touching Original sin as the natural man is tainted with it and defiled As sometimes it is called the Old man as Rom. 6.6 Colos 3.9 Sometimes it is called the Flesh Rom. 7.5 18. and so ver 25. Sometimes it is called the members as Colos 3.5 Sometimes it is called the Law of the members Rom. 7.23 Sometimes the Body of sin Rom. 6.6 and 7.24 And what do all these generall phrases imply and import but that the natures of the unregenerate are wholly corrupted with originall sin But in the second place that you may be the more throughly convinced in the point we wil anatomize and take man in peeces and let you see what the spirit of God saith of every severall part and peece to wit how that in every faculty of soul and member of body there is not only want of all holy disposition but likewise a corrupt and depraved disposition Now as concerning the soul we consider these faculties 1. The Mind 2. The Memory 3. The Conscience 4. The Will 5. The Affections 1. For the Mind that it is not only empty of all holy knowledg but depraved with a corrupt disposition Gen. 8.21 The imagination of mans heart that is to say of the natural mans mind is evil from his youth from that very time he begins first to conceive And the Apostle Paul doth not only affirm 1 Cor. 2 14. That the natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God But Titus 1.15 he saith the unbeleeving the naturall mind is de filed nay Rom. 8.7 That the carnall the natural mind is enmity against God and exhorting the Ephesians Ephes 4.23 Be renewed in the spirit of your mind intimates that that which is most inward in the naturall mind which is as it were the mind of the mind is corrupted 2. For the memory that it is not only deprived of all holy abilities but depraved with a corrupt disposition Gen 40.23 yet did not the chief Butler remember Joseph but forgate him Deut. 8.11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God which naturally as though Moses should say thou art prone unto The chief Preists and Pharisees said to Pilate Matth. 27.63 Sir we remember that that deceiver meaning Christ said whilst he was yet alive after three daies I will rise again They could remember what our Saviour had said whilst he was yet alive in that kind to their own corrupt ends the naturall memory is a corrupt memory 3. The natural conscience is not only destitute of holy testimonies but is likewise corrupted and defiled Titus 1 15. But even their mind and conscience is defiled the Apostle speaking of unbeleevers and those in the estate of nature 4. The naturall will is not only deprived of all freedome to good but likewise depraved with a corrupt disposition 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things that are of the Spirit of God Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you to wit by his Sanctifying grace both to will and to do of his good pleasure nay Jer. 18.12 say the Jews we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evill heart The naturall will is a corrupt will 5. The affections are not only deprived of all holy motion but exceeding corrupt and disordered Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts as though the affections naturally were corrupt and disordered and so the same Apostle terms them Rom. 7.5 The affections of sin or sinful affections and this the Apostle makes very evident in describing naturall men and women he stiles them haters of God Rom. 1.30 And thus we see by holy writ that every facultie of the unregenerate persons soul is corrupted and depraved with originall sin Now come we briefly to the members of his body and we shall observe them to be corrupted with originall sin First The eye 2 Pet. 2.14 Having eyes full of adultery the naturall eye is a filthy and an unclean eye Secondly The ear 2 Tim. 4.3 Having itching ears the naturall eare is an itching ear Thirdly The tongue Jam. 3.6 The tongue is a sire a world of iniquity The natural tongue is a corrupt tongue 4. The hand Isai 1.15 Your hands are full of bloud The natural hand is a cruel hand 5. The feet The Apostle describing men and women in the estate of nature Rom. 3.15 Their feet are swift to shed bloud saith he The natural feet are swift to mischief Those outward senses and members are not only deprived of all holy inclination
but prone to let in sin and to execute sin And thus now by Anatomizing and taking man in pieces we have it made evident that the natures of all the unregenerate are wholly corrupted with Original sin which indeed is the seed and spawn of all sin even of the sin against the Holy Ghost But here we must remember that the nature it self is good but the corruption of nature is evil These two in the natural man may be distinguished but cannot be separated the one is not the other but the one is not without the other Hence it is that Original sin is called the sin that doth so encompasse us or that hangs so fast on Heb. 12.1 Now we come to the second Member of the Assertion to manifest that the natural mans life is wholly corrupted with actual transgression And must it not needs be so when his nature is corrupted as aforesaid What can such a tree bring forth but even fruit sutable and that it is so do but see what the Apostle saith of himself and the Romanes when he and they were in the state of nature Rom. 7.5 For when we were in the flesh to wit in the state of nature the motions of sin or the affections of sin or sinful affections which were by the Law to wit stirred up by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death to wit actual transgressions And the same Apostle Rom. 3.12 describing of men and women in the estate of nature There is none that doth good no not one If there be no natural man that doth any good why then surely every natural man doth nothing but what is evil but the former is true in regard of good formally any thing which is acceptable to God and if the natural man doth any thing which is good materially it is not as he is a natural man but as he is helped and assisted by common Grace We should now come to lay forth the parts of actual transgression as sin of Omission and sin of Commission and the severall Distinctions and degrees but so we should be more prolix then we purposed in this Exposition and therefore we proceed to the Uses Vse 1. To confute the Papists who speak of a freedom in the natural will to good if it be but a little helped and assisted As though there were some power remaining in the natural will this way But this is just to oppose the judgment of Gods Spirit Phil. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure And Ephes 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses No more power in a natural will unto any thing that is acceptable unto God then in a dead man to stir and walk about And further can there be any more in the will then in the mind There is no holy knowledg in the natural mind but even the wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God and the spirit of the mind even the mind of the mind depraved and corrupted And can there then be any holy disposition in the natural will And thus the Apostle argues 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them The natural man is so far from having any holy disposition in his will as he hath none in his mind and if no holy disposition in his mind why then sure none in his will Vse 2. To reprove divers persons 1. Such as are forward to boast of their Birth Parentage and Pedigree A poor thing to boast of when their lives are wholly corrupted with actual transgression and their natures with Original corruption David considering of his Birth and Conception was humbled Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Lumps of sin to be lifted up because of a little civil difference not considering their natural pravity and vilenes 2. To reprove such as stand upon their natural wit and wisdom neglecting and despising the means of holy wisdom but let such see the little extent of their natural wisdom 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them for they are foolishness unto him 3. To reprove such as are so far from being humbled for their natural corruption as they lessen and excuse their actual transgressions by it Tell them of their Uncleanness of their Drunkenness of their Covetousness of their Impatience c. They presently answer and that carelesly It is their nature and they cannot help it or thus They are but flesh and blood and what would we have them to do And thus they bolster up Actual Transgression by Original Corruption and are humbled for neither where they should be much dejected for both Vse 3. Further to awaken the natural man He never did good in all his life I mean any thing acceptable to God suppose he be thirty forty threescore years old then what hath he done but sin All his actions Natural Civil Religious are sin as in regard of the evil ends propounded why so likewise in regard of the evil fountain they issued from And in this estate he cannot be saved John 3.3 Verily verily I say unto you saith our Saviour except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God And suppose as yet some natural people have not broken forth into such gross sins as some others have why yet the seeds of every sin remaine in them unmortified and may manifest themselves in their lives to night before to morrow for any thing they know or any power they have over them Vse 4. To direct every one of us that in the practice of repentance we would not only labour to mourn for Actual Transgressions but likewise for Original corruption even for our bad natures Although Repentance doth commonly begin at some great Actual sin why yet let every Actual sin lead us to mourn for Original sin it being not only the punishment of sin but sin it self and the cause of all actual sin This is a main difference betwixt the sincere and hypocritical The sincere person doth not only mourn for actual Transgressions but likewise for Original Corruptions as David Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me And so further he doth not only labour to prevent actual Transgression but likewise to suppress Original Corruption Even as Sarah will not have Ishmael be packing but his mother the Bond-woman likewise Or as Elisha healed the bitter waters by seasoning them at the Spring 2 King 2.21 The sincere man or woman doth not only strive to reform the action but likewise the affection of sinning MEMBER III. Through Adams fall c. D. IT is through Adams fall that all natural men and women are wholly corrupted with sin Do but see Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entered into the world that is to
them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God intimating that being in the estate of nature they were the slaves of the Divel under his dominion and so Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness that is to say from the power of Satan as though he and the Collossians had been under Satans dominion so long as they were in the estate of nature And 2 Tim. 2.26 And that they may recover themselves speaking of the unregenerate out of the snare of the Divel who are taken captive by him at his will And do but see one place more Ephes 2.1 2. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience that is to say as the Master of the Shop in his Shop commanding and ruling therein The Truth of this Point may be maintained by divers Arguments Reas 1. Every man and so every woman is either Gods servant or the Divels slave but the unregenerate are not Gods servants It is true they owe God service and obedience but they have no mind no will unto it as our Saviour tells the Jewes Matth. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chicken under wings and ye would not And so the Apostle Rom. 6.20 When ye were the servants of sin ye were free from righteousness that is when ye were in the estate of nature there was not the least desire or motion in you to holy obedience And do but try those that are in the estate of nature even with the outward Service of God as Prayer reading of the Word hearing of Sermons conversing with the Godly sanctifying of the Sabbath O how irksome and burdensome are these things unto them you seem to kill them when you put these things upon them They cannot they will not hold to these Religious courses constantly they will find some way or other to shift themselves from those as they hold them intollerable burdens And thus we see the unregenerate are not Gods servants and therefore it followes that they are the Divels slaves Reas 2. Every one in the estate of corrupt nature is the servant of sin and so must needs be the slave of the Divel These two are subordinate the one to the other sin being the Divels baud or Broker preferring men and women to his service Now that every unregenerate person is the servant of sin do but see what our Saviour saith Joh. 8.34 Verily verily I say unto you whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin that is to say committeth sin as the unregenerate goes on in the practice of sin impenitently and so the Apostle Rom. 6.17 But God be thanked ye were the servants of sin meaning when they were in the estate of nature but when he writ this Epistle taking notice of a change wrought in them he thanketh God And so ver 20. When ye were the servants of sin which as though the Apostle should say you were when you were in the estate of nature Thus we see the unregenerate are the servants of sin and so consequently the slaves of the Divel Reas 5. The unregenerate although they owe no service to the Divel why yet they willingly and readily subject themselves unto him and obey him John 8.44 Ye are of your father the Divel and the lusts of your father ye will do saith our Saviour to the Jews And hence it is that he calls Satan the Prince of this world John 12.31 and 16.11 And so the Apostle Paul Ephes 6.12 The ruler of the darkness of this world to wit of the unregenerate And 2 Cor. 4.4 The god of this world And it is a wonder to behold and observe how chearfully the unregenerate serve the Divel yea many times when great difficulty nay visible danger is in the way If he command the Drunkard he riseth early in the morning to follow after drunkenness If he command the Adulterer he watcheth his opportunities although never so inconvenient unto the health of his body If he command the Covetous person he will accomplish his worldly project or else it shall cost him his life Who riseth so early as the Drunkard and sits up so late Who walks so many dark nights as the Adulterer Who endures so many Tempests as the Pirat Who adventures on so many dangers as Theeves and Robbers Thus we see the unregenerate are the Divels slaves because of their willing obedience and subjection to him Reas 4. That the unregenerate are the slaves of the Divel is evident by their reward in this life and the life to come In this life besides many outward judgements upon them divers times terrors of conscience and fear of hell fire as the unregenerate are described Heb. 2.15 to be such as through the fear of death that is to say death eternal are all their life time subject to bondage And in the life to come to condemnation Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death to wit eternal And so of Satan He will promise great matters to men and women but he is a Deluder and a Lyar. He told our first Parents obeying him they should become as gods but in their woful experience they found the clean contrary And so he suggested to our Saviour Matth. 4.8 9. that if he would fall down and worship him what he would do for him but had our Saviour trusted him he had been deceived The truth of it is he deceives all that trust him Witness his principal slaves Witches and Wizards unto whom he promiseth much Wealth and Riches but where is the Wealth of such when they dye Thus we see by the woful reward of the unregenerate in this life and the life to come that they are the slaves of the Divel Reas 5. That the unregenerate are the slaves of the Divel is plain because the Lord as the punishment of sin hath given them over unto his dominion and government even as he gave the rebellious Israelites often into the hands of cruel Tyrants We all in Adams loynes making choice of this Master rather chusing to obey Satan then God was it not just with the Lord to give us up unto his Regiment And so the Unregenerate continually delighting more in the service of Satan then in the service of God is it not just with God to leave them in his hands to be slaves to him whose service they so delight in It is true Satan hath no power but what Gods permits But how just is it with God to give up such unto his dominion as are Rebels to his Majesty Now for the further illustration of this point we come to answer some objections 2 To shew the greatnesse and
the other What an honourable service this is in comparison of the other and the great difference in the issue and end Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin and so of Satan is death eternal death but the gift of God to wit to his servants is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Vse 3. For Exhortation 1. To exhort Ministers that they would ply their business seeing all the Unregenerate are the slaves of the Divel O what Minister is there but hath most of his people unregenerate 2. To exhort Masters of Families to bring their children of understanding and likewise Servants to the Publike Means that so they may be vindicated from Satan 3. To exhort all the Unregenerate in the use of all good means to labour the new birth O the great Liberty the Regenerate have in this world besides the heavenly Reward in the world to come But the woful bondage of the Unregenerate and the woful payment that attends them in this world and in the world to come besides their living in the continual breach of that Vow which they made in Baptism they then vowing to serve the Lord and not the Divel MEMBER V. And guilty of eternal Damnation Doct. EVery one in the estate of corrupt nature is not only the slave of Satan but likewise subject to eternal Damnation Now in the handling of this Doctrine I observe the method following 1. To acquaint you in some measure what Damnation is 2. To prove the point by Scripture and Reasons 3. To answer some Objections 4. To make Appplication 1. To acquaint you in some measure what Damnation is I say in some measure because it cannot be expressed to the full nor conceived in its largest extent the wrath of God doth so appear in the same Damnation contains in it these Particulars 1. It is a separation from Gods comfortable presence Matth. 7.23 Depart from me ye that work iniquity Thus our Saviour tells us he will say unto all the Reprobates at the day of Judgment Depart from me And the Apostle Paul speaking of the Reprobate at the day of Judgement 2 Thess 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Now as touching the wofulness of this separation do but ask the godly man or woman the Lord being at any time absent from them in their apprehensions It is to be observed of Eli and his daughter in Law the perplexity they were in and amazement they were put unto when news was brought that the Ark was taken which was was but a sign of Gods presence 1 Sam. 4.17 and so to the end of the Chapter And what a cross was it to Absolom when he might not see Davids face 2 Sam. 14.32 and David but a man The misery of this separation is not to be conceived And one thing that shall aggravate this part of the Reprobates misery they shall see others enjoy what they have lost Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth saith our Saviour to the Jewes when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out This is the first Particular of Damnation to wit a separation from Gods comfortable presence The second Particular Damnation compriseth is Society with the Divel and his Angels This is the Sentence which our Saviour will pronounce upon the Reprobate at the day of Judgment Matth. 25.41 Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels In this world the wicked love not to converse with God in his Ordinances to associate themselves with the Saints and people of God and therefore in the world to come they shall have lamentable companions to wit the Divel and his Angels David complains of wicked and contentious neighbours Psal 120.5 c. Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar my soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace But what cause will the wicked have this way in hell O how will our hair start up if we think we see a Divel nay do but speak of a Divel and men and women bless themselves We read of some of the Heathen being Exiles they could not look back on their own Countrys without grief and tears but what will the wicked do in Hell being banished from God and Heaven and restrained to such company as the Divel and his Angels This is the second Particular of Damnation to wit society and fellowship with the Divel and his Angels The third Particular which Damnation compriseth or contains is intollerable and unconceivable torment both of soul and body O how shall the soul be tormented This our Saviour sets forth by a worm Mark 9.44 speaking of the Damned in hell Where their worm dyeth not A worm lying gnawing at the heart we know is great pain and shall the body be free from punishment in hell Nay the punishment that shall be inflicted upon it our Saviour sets forth by fire Mark 9.44 And the fire is not quenched and fire which is the most scalding and vehement Fire and brimstone as it is Rev. 21.8 Now who can abide to touch the fire so much as with his finger The fourth Particular Damnation compriseth is the universality of the torment It shall extend to every faculty of soul and member of body The Understanding shall discern Gods infinite wrath The Memory shall be fresh to call the sin that is past and the aggravations of it a hell shall be in the Conscience And all these implyed in the Worm fore-mentioned And so likewise in hell every member of the body shall be tormented as may be observed of the Rich man in hell mentioned Luke 16.24 And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame as though hee should say every member of my body being tormented but especially my tongue The fifth Particular or aggravation of Damnation is Eternity This separation from Gods comfortable presence must be perpetual This Society with the Divel and his Angels must be for ever This intollerable and unconceivable torment of soul and body must be eternal Every faculty of soul and member of body must be tormented and that for evermore It is as if a man were pressing to death and could wish that more weight might be laid upon him but cannot have his desire If those that go to hell were but to continue there as many thousand yeers as there are sands on the sea shoare or Stars in the Firmament there were some hope and comfort but alas when never so many yeers are expired the torments of the Damned are as fresh to begin again as though they had never been Their worm never dieth and their fire never goeth out Mark 9.44 And Matth. 25.46 These saith our Saviour speaking of the Reprobate shall go into everlasting punishment Thus
one Person and another Person two Natures and but one Person the second Person in Trinity assuming an humane Nature and both Natures making one Christ and Mediator Quest 4. How the two Natures in Christ remain distinguished Answ We must know that although the two natures in Christ be so really united as that they can never be separated asunder yet are they not confounded but remaine distinguished 1. In themselves 2. In their Properties 3 In their Actions 1. In Themselves As the Godhead of Christ remaines the Godhead and is not the manhood although the Son of God be also very man and so the manhood of Christ remains the manhood and is not the Godhead although the man Christ be also God 2. They remain distinguished in their Properties as the Godhead of Christ remains Incomprehensible and Infinite as it hath alwaies been and the manhood remains comprehensible and finite notwithstanding the uniting of it to the second Person in Trinity The Godhead becomes not finite by this Union nor the manhood Infinite 3. They remaine distinguished in their Actions as John chap. 10. ver 18. I have power to lay downe my life saith our Saviour and power to take it againe The laying down of his life was an action of his Man-hood the taking it again an action of his God-head Thus we see the two natures in Christ with their properties and actions distinguished and yet in regard of the union of the two natures we must take notice of the things following 1. That in Scriputre that is sometimes ascribed to whole Christ which is but proper to one of his natures 1 Cor. 15.3 Sometimes that ascribed to one of his natures which agreeth to whole Christ 1 Tim. 2.5 Sometimes that ascribed to one nature which is proper to the other Acts 20.28 and this Divines call the communication of properties 2. That notwithstanding the two natures in Christ remain distinguished as aforesaid yet they both concur in the work of Redemption 3. That by this union the humane nature is unspeakably and extraordinarily exalted to wit above all creatures even the Angels themselves and together with the God-head of Christ to be adored and worshiped Now we come to the fifth Question Quest 5. Why was it necessary the Redeemer of Mankind should be man Why was it necessary he should be God Why was it necessary he should be both God and man Answ It was necessary he should be man 1. That he might have something to offer for sin Heb. 8.3.2 That he might work perfect righteousness in our nature Matth. 3.15.3 That in our nature he might alwayes appear in Gods sight for us Heb. 9.24.4 That in our nature he might feel our infirmities and so by experience learn commiseration Heb. 2.17 18. 2. Why was it necessary the Redeemer of Mankind should be God Answ 1. That he might be able to sustain and undergo the infinite wrath of God due to our sins 2. That he might give merit to the doing and suffering of his Man-hood for no meer creature can merit of God 3. That he might give his Spirit to the Elect to sanctifie them the Spirit being God none but God could give him 4. That he might raise up himself from the dead and likewise all his Members at the last and great day 3. Why was it necessary that the Redeemer of Mankind should be both God and man Answ That he might be a fit and competent Mediator between God and man Vse 1. For the great comfort and consolation of all penitent and dejected sinners What the Son of God become our kinsman Emmanuel God with us a Redeemer of our own flesh What we that were estranged from God that had gone a Whoring from him by our sins he now to seek unto us by his Son to send his own Son to intreat us to be reconciled unto him surely this is an evident demonstration that the Lord intendeth good to the sons and daughters of men that he would not the death of the poor penitent sinner Never were the Attributes of God so illustrated as when the Son of God did assume our nature and as his other Attributes so especially his Mercy Do but see what the Angel saith unto the Shepherds Luke 2.13.11 Fear not for bâ—hold I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day iâ— the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Nay a multitude of Angels 13 and 14 verses And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly Host praysing God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men O therefore let the poor penitent sinner break forth with joy saying or singing with old Zachary Luke 1.68 69. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David O how narrow was the Church of God before the incarnation of the Son of God pin'd up within the Nation of the Jewes But now how hath she enlarged her borders Is he the Saviour of the Jewes onely and not of the Gentiles also How obscure the service of God before how clear now The Substance is come the types and shadowes are gone How costly and painful the service of God before but now how easie and light Vse 2. To exhort us and that divers wayes 1. To believe Gods promises that the Son of God should come into the world assume our nature was a blessing long promised as Gen. 3.15 He shall bruise thy head to wit God-man the Son of God assuming mans nature should bruise the Serpents head overcome Satan in the behalf of all the Elect. Now although there were divers thousand years betwixt the Promise and the performance why yet at length it was fulfilled as Gal. 4.4 When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman The Scriptures contain many precious Promises running upon the people of God the Lord will perform them all so his people will but rest on him by faith and by a lively hope wait their accomplishment 2. To exhort us seeing the Son of God did so abase himself as to take upon him our nature that we should learn humility of him we must not be highly conceited of our selves as to think we have had faith and good hearts to God ever since we were born as divers imagine but we must labour to see and feel our great misery in the first Adam being thoroughly convinced that there is not a good thought nor the least dram of saving faith in any man until he be Regenerate 3. To exhort us that we would meet the Son of God Is he come in our nature and will we not give him the meeting Is he become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and will not we labour to become bone of his bone and flesh
towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us And so 1 John 4.9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a Propitiation for our sins 3. The great love that was in Christ himself unto the Elect Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God saith the Apostle Paul who loved me and gave himself for me And Eph. 5.2 Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us And so verse 25. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it The instrumental Causes were Satan Judas the High Priests the Jewes in general Pilate and the Roman Souldiers But these Instruments neither to be commended nor excused in this business they having their own wicked and malicious ends Quest 5 Now we come to the fifth question To what end Christ suffered Answ The principal and next to Gods glory was to merit for the Elect remission of sins and freedome from punishment Coll. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins And Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law We must not conceive of Christs sufferings as the sufferings of a private man but as the sufferings of a publick person he being our Pledge and Surety as he is called Heb. 7.22 And whatsoever he suffered he suffered for us as Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences that is to say to death And 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ dyed for our sinnes And 1 Pet. 2.24 very comfortably Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree And hence it is that he is said to be made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 and a Curse for us Galatians 3.13 Here take we notice of the difference between the sufferings of Christ and the sufferings of Martyrs 1. Christs sufferings were an acursed punishment The sufferings of Martyrs are onely Chastisements or Tryals 2. Christs sufferings were Meritorious so are not the sufferings of Martyrs but a duty and debt There be other ends of Christs Passive obedience as the mortifying of sin in the Elect Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is Crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne And the giving of them an example of suffering patiently 1 Peter 2.21 Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Thus we have the five Questions answered Now we come to the Uses Vse 1. To inform us and that divers wayes 1. To let us see into the fierceness of Gods Wrath and wonderful Justice against sinne when nothing could expiate it but the death of his Sonne when nothing could satisfie for it but the blood of the Lord Jesus what think we then of those that make nothing of sinne do not account it to be of an horrible and accursed nature 2. See we here the great love of God the Father that rather then we should perish everlastingly his Sonne must undertake for us he must satisfie for us become sinne become a Curse for us dye the accursed death of the Cross for our sakes John 3.16 God so loved the world it cannot be expressed how much that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to dye for us In this God commendeth his love unto us as the Apostle Paul Romans 8. And in this he manifested his love unto us as the Apostle John saith 1 John 4.9 10. Herein is love indeed a miracle of love that God the Father should so love his enemies as to give his onely Sonne to dye for them Very moving is that phrase of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Sonne but delivered him up for us all as though he had loved us better then his own Son As the Lord saith of Abraham Gen. 22.12 when at his command he was ready to offer up his only son Isaac Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne thy onely sonne from me So may we say of God that we know that he loved us because he hath not withheld his Son his onely Son from us but hath given him to that accursed death for our sakes 3. See we here the great love of Christ himself unto his Church that rather then she should perish he would give himself to death even the accursed death of the Cross as Gal. 1.4 Who gave himself for our sinnes which phrase intimates unto us how willingly he laid down his life for our sake Now indeed had not his death been voluntary it could not have been satisfactory But that he laid down his life willingly for us is evident by many circumstances about his death as when Peter counselled him to spare himself see what he got for his labour Matthew 16.23 Get thee behind me Satan saith Christ unto him And when Judas was ready to betray him see what our Saviour saith unto him John 13.27 That thou dost do quickly And when Judas was gone out to get company to apprehend him he went to the place he had wont to be in so as Judas might readily find him nay he met them in the mid-way that came to take him and tells them he was the Party they sought for and when they fell to the ground upon his saying I am he he would not escape from them All these particulars you may observe in the eighteenth Chapter of John Verse first c. He could have been rescued by the Angels Matth. 26.53 but would not and when by his Adversaries he was provoked to have come down from the Cross Matthew 27.42 and could have done so he would not All these circumstances let us see how willingly he laid downe his life for our sakes according to that he saith Joh. 10.18 No man taketh my life from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again And doth not this much commend the love of Christ to us he so willingly laying down his life for us No marvel the Apostle Paul Ephes 3.19 cals this love of his a love passing knowledg Vse 2. For the great comfort and consolation of all true beleevers and that on severall cases 1. Doth their present infirmities or their ancient grievous sins stare them in the face Doth at any time the weight and butden of sin with the wrath of God due for the same oppresse them let them weigh and perpend the price of their redemption the great ransome was given for them to wit the precious blood of the Son of God as 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious bloud of Christ A ransome invaluable and
of infinite merit It being more the passion of Christ for a short time then if all men and Angels had suffered for ever Secondly Hath God the Father out of his infinite love given his Son to die for thee then do not thou doubt the supply of all necessaries inward and outward he that hath given the greater will also give the lesser Christ is more worth then ten thousand worlds and Christ is the sweet and pleasant fountain of all other good things It is for him and through him that we have any thing that is good see what the Apostle saith Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things The Lord that hath given thee Christ and him to die for thee will give thee an increase of grace will give thee to persevere in grace nay in the end will give thee eternal life Rom. 5.10 And in regard of outward things it is comfortable to hear what the Lord saith Psal 34.10 The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing And Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee For let God be true and every man a liar But this is an argument of arguments which the Apostle useth to perswade true beleevers touching their outward supply I mean Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Vse 3 To exhort and that divers waies First Is it so that the Sonne of God did humble himself so farre as to take upon him the forme of a Servant nay even to die the accursed death of the Crosse and For our sins and iniquities O then let us be exhorted to grieve and mourn for sin the proper and procuring cause of his sufferings How can we but lament that which procured Christs death Be troubled and vexed for that which caused the Son of God so much trouble and vexation There is nothing doth so demonstrate the horrible nature of sin 〈◊〉 the death of Christ for sin and there is nothing should move us more to grieve for sin then considering that our sins have pierced the Son of God and killed the Lord of life If this consideration will not move us nothing will See Zachar. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have peirced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first born 2. To exhort every one of us to hate and shun sin for the time to come Oh How can we love that how can we favour that which nailed the Son of God to the crosse Will not we labour to die to that for which the Son of God dyed O let us down with this body of sin as the Apostle hath it in 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it under subjection He beat down his corruption as it were with clubs for so the word he here useth in the Originall signifies as the Apostle Peter exhorts 1 Pet. 4. ver 1 2. Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God And is not this one speciall end why the Son of God gave himself to death for us to wit that we might become a holy people Gal. 1.4 Surely to go on in sin is horrible ingratitude to God and Christ nay the truth of it is we should be so affected to God who gave Christ and to Christ who gave himself to that accursed death of the Crosse for our sins as we should rather our selves admit of death even the most bitter and torturing death then admit of the least sin wittingly and willingly Thirdly Did God the Father so love us as to give us his Son nay the Son so love us as to give himself to death for our sakes why then upon a just occasion and call let us not think much to let our dearest blood goe for Gods sake for Christ sake Shall Christ the Sonne of God willingly dye for us and shall we not willingly lay down our lives for him and for his Truth upon a call that so we may glorifie him Joh. 21.19 And for his people upon a call that so we may manifest that his example swayes us as 1 John 3.16 Herby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brebren Thus far touching Christs Passive obedience and the third Member of the third Principle MEMBER IV. And by his righteousness WHerein we have implyed Christs Active obedience as in the former Member his Passive and this we deliver in the form of a Doctrine thus Doct. Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God although he was crucified to death as he was man yet was he a just and righteous man In the prosecution of this Point we are only to make good the latter part of the Doctrine to wit that Christ even as he was man was Just and Righteous To this purpose see 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us that is to say a sinner by imputation who knew no sin that is to say who was without sin And Heb. 4.15 We have not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin And hence it is that the Apostle Peter calls him A Lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.19 And that the Apostle Paul saith of him Rom. 10.4 He is the end of the Law that is to say the perfection of the Law whatsoever the Law could exact he not only suffered but likewise was and did Now we are to know that Christ as he was man was righteous two wayes 1. In his Birth and Conception 2. In his life and conversation 1. In his Birth and Conception Luke 1.35 And the Angel answered and said unto her to wit to Mary the mother of Christ The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God So Matth. 1.20 Joseph thou son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost And although Mary was a sinner yet the Holy Ghost knew well enough how to cleanse and purge from sin that part of her substance of which Christs
may lose his inward peace and comfort for a time but this righteousness of his is in a sure hand and cannot be lost And thus the true Believer is in better case then Adam in his innocency he might and did lose his Righteousnesse but the Believer cannot lose his it being not in his own keeping but in the keeping of the Lord Jesus Vse 3. To exhort and that divers wayes 1. That in the case of Justification we would altogether deny our selves go out of our selves Alas look we upon our natures and upon our lives and how impure are both and therefore David Psalm 143.2 humbly prayes Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified If we be justified at all it must be by the righteousness of another by a righteousness without us the righteousness of Christ imputed unto us as the Apostle tells us 2 Corinth 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him Secondly To exhort every man and woman that they would labour for a distinct knowledge of CHRIST seeing the Righteousnesse whereby we must be justified is onely in him as to know what hee suffered for us so likewise to know what hee was and did for us Thirdly To exhort every one of us that upon a sight and sense of our own defilement and impurity we would hunger and thirst after the Sanctifie of Christs humane nature and life I mean the merit of his Active obedience as our cover and righteousnesse in the sight of God These are they our Saviour pronounceth blessed Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse And take notice of the Apostle his earnest desire Phil. 39. And found in him speaking of Christ not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Let our faith be frequently employed as in putting our sins upon him so likewise in putting his righteousnesse upon our selves 4. To exhort every man and woman that profess themselves to be justified by the righteousnesse of Christ that they would manifest as much by a holy life Justification and Sanctification being alwaies inseparable 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 8.1.9 Gal. 5.24 MEMBER V. Hath perfectly ANd this also take in the forme of a Doctrine Doct. The Lord Jesus is a perfect Saviour See Heb. 7.25 He is able speaking of Christ to save them to the utermost that come unto God by him But this Member and Doctrine we shall not much insist upon and yet to demonstrate it in a word or two First He saves not only some of the Elect but all the Elect Secondly He saves not only their bodies but likewise their souls Thirdly He not only saves them from some of their sins but from all their sins be they never so many or so hainous Fourthly He saves them not only from some of the evill consequents of sin but from all the evill consequents of sin as the wrath of God the curse of the Law the venome of all outward crosses the tyranny of Satan the sting of death the power of the grave and the torments of hell Fifthly He not only saves the Elect privatively but positively he hath not only merited for them remission of sins and freedome from punishment but likewise perfect righteousnesse and eternal life as lately we have heard The Ground or reason is this Reas Not only his holinesse and puritie as he was man but likewise the excellencie of his person he being God as wel as man We come to the Uses Vse 1. To confute the Doctrine of the Papists which to Christs perfect satisfaction add humane satisfactions as we must satisfie Gods justice by our temporal punishment and we must partly merit salvation our selves or the merits of other men must be made over unto us that we may be saved but we are to know a fifth wheel helpeth nothing nay troubleth not a little and so it fareth with all additions of righteousnesse joyned with Christs in matter of Justification That which is absolutely perfect is marred by adding any thing unto it Vse 2 For comfort and consolation to every wounded and penitent soul Suppose thy sins have been many and grievous the Lord Jesus is a perfect Saviour his bloud is a sufficient medicine for the curing of thy wounded conscience his righteousnesse is a perfect cover to hide thee from Gods wrath and therefore although thou seest nothing in thy self but to damn thee why yet see sufficient in the Lord Jesus to save thee rest thy soul upon this perfect Saviour and his merits nay labour with the Virgin Mary to rejoyce in him Luke 1.47 My spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour And thus much touching the fifth Member of the third Principle MEMBER VI. Alone by himself WHich we commend unto you in the Doctrine following Doct. The Lord Jesus is the alone Saviour So the Prophet Isaiah foretels in his person Isay 63.3 I have troden the wine-presse alone and Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse Image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the majestie on high Most expresse is that in Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved And hence it is that old Simeon calls Christ Salvation it self Luke 2.30 Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Reas 1. There is none so able he being not only Man but God Reas 2. There is none so fit he being not only God but Man Yet when we affirme the Lord Jesus Christ to be the alone Saviour we do not exclude the Father and the Holy Ghost but the creature any other creature Vse 1 To inform us touching the folly and madnesse of the Papists who trust to other Saviours All the Angels in heaven and all whom at any time their Popes have canonized for Saints which are many thousands are made Saviours by them but especially the Virgin Mary whom they call the Queen of heaven and the mother of mercie these by their intercession must merit for them Thus they joyne other saviours to this alone Saviour and so make him but half a Saviour Jer. 2.12 13. Vse 2 Is the Lord Jesus the alone Saviour this cals upon us that we would labour more and more to be accquainted with him his natures his offices his merits his benefits and upon a sight and sense of our own great misery to trust unto him and rely on him only for Justification and Salvation Thus in rejecting all but Christ this way we shall honour Christ and further this is the only way of our own happinesse And so much touching the sixth Member of the third Principle Now we come to
and this we may see in Hanani who is described Neh. 7.2 to fear God above many to wit that he did truly fear God And so in Job Chap. 1. verse 8. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth But the righteousness of justification is equally vouchsafed unto every true Believer without any difference at all every true Believer is as fully discharged from all his sins as any other is as perfectly righteous in the sight of God as any other see Rom. 3.22 Even the righteousness of God that is to say the righteousness of justification which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference So then all true Believers are not equally sanctified but equally justified 3. Another difference The righteousness of sanctification is wrought in us not all at once but by degrees hence it is compared Prov. 4.18 to the light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day And Ephes 4.16 to the body of a man which growes in stature and strength til it come to the full perfection But the righteousness of justification is done all at once it never groweth and increaseth at all but is as much at our first ingrafting into Christ our first ingrafting into Christ by faith as it is ever after as Romans 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus That is to say to true Believers after they do believe And Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith not a little or in part justified but justified this faith indeed whereby we do apprehend it our sense and assurance of it likewise is not perfected at once but groweth and increaseth 4. Another difference The righteousness of sanctification is never perfected in this life Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin But the righteousness of justification is absolutely perfect in this life Canticles 4.7 Thou art all fair my Love saith Christ to the Church in regard of her justification there is no spot in thee Though in respect of our sanctification we be not throughly cleansed from all our sinnes yet in respect of our justification we are according unto that 1 John 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sinne the Lord accounting of the true Believer as though there were no sinne in him and as though he were perfectly righteous And hence it is that Gods people do and may do more bear themselves and rest upon their justification then upon their sanctification Thus we see the difference or differences betwixt justification and sanctification and so we have resolved the third question But before we come to the Application we are to answer some objections Object 1. If this be a truth undeniable that all true Believers are justified persons for that is the effect of the Doctrine How comes it to pass then that they daily pray for remission of sinnes What need have they to do do so remission of sinnes being the chief part of justification Answ 1 First in general That they have need to do so is plain because our Saviour commands them this Matth. 6.11 12. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts that is to say our sinnes As our Saviour would have all true Believers daily to put up and renew the Petition for Temporal things why so likewise the Petition for sinnes remission Now were not this needful for them our Saviour would not have injoyned them it 2. More particularly divers Reasons may be given why it is necessary for true Believers daily to put up this suit 1. Hereby a sense of sinnes desert and of their own unworthinesse is nourished in them which is very behoofeful even for the best so long as they are in this vale of tears 2. They sinne daily and therefore must put up this request daily sinne being not every way actually pardoned until it be repented of and pardon of it intreated 3. A man may be a justified person and yet have little assurance of Gods favour and sinnes remission this is the way to gain assurance more and more assurance 4. Suppose a man have great assurance of Gods favour and sinnes remission why yet it is his duty to beg the continuance of Gods favour and that the pardon of his sinnes may be assured him with repentance We read of many of the Saints in holy Writ that prayed for that of which they were before assured and thus our Saviour himself although he was assured that none of his sheep should perish as in John Chapter 10. verse 28. I give unto them Eternal life and they shall never perish yet see how he prayeth for them in the 17th Chapter verse 11. Now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep through thine owne Name those whom thou hast given me Thus the first objection is answered Object 2. But if all true Believers be justified persons and justification doth not onely absolve from all sinne but likewise from all punishment How comes it to passe then that the Lord doth inflict so many punishments upon Believers Answ Although all the miseries and afflictions of this life be in their own nature punishments for sinne because they are all fruits of sinne sinne first bringing them into the world why yet are they not punishments to all men as is evident by the two Reasons following 1. God inflicteth no punishment upon any man but for sinne but there be many great judgements and afflictions that the Lord layes upon Believers wherein he hath no respect at all to their sinnes as to the cause of these judgements he not intending therein as a Judge in a vindicative manner to correct them for any sin and the truth of this we may see in some examples Job we know was a man that sometimes had many miseries and calamities upon him insomuch that his friends censured him guilty of some great sin or sins as the cause of these judgements But the Lord reproves them for this their censure as men not rightly understanding his servant Job neither the manner of his proceeding with his servants as we may see Job 42.7 The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath And what doth the Lord say unto Satan Job 2.3 Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to swallow him up without cause Why may you say Had not Job sin enough in him to deserve as much as he endured Yes no question Why then doth the Lord say that Satan moved him to
life is a continual conflict The flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Calat 5.17 They aime at perfection but have daily need to renew their Repentance Wee now come to the Uses Vse 1. To confute the opinion of divers men and women who will say they are justifyed and believe in Christ and yet they do not at all demonstrate the same by their Sanctification examine their lives and it is not the way of holiness they prosecute but the way of sin and disobedience In their way and course they do not turn to God but from him as the Lord complains of the obstinate Jewes Jerem. 32.33 They have turned unto me the back and not the face though I taught them rising up early and teaching them yet they have not hearkned to receive instruction It is swearing prophaning of the Sabbath uncleanness Drunkenness oppression defrauding they delight in and not the wayes of Gods Testimonies Nay divers are so far from holiness as that they cannot away with those that make a shew that way of all people they cannot brook the forward in Religion but oppose and persecute them all the wayes they can Yea how earnest against the Holy and Zealous even divers that are of civil conversation to give us light that there is a great difference betwixt common grace and sanctifying Well let the prophane person and also the meer Civilist know that he shall dye in his sin that dyeth not unto his sin and that so many as are unsanctified are unjustifyed According to that saying of our Saviour unto Peter John 13.8 If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Vse 2. For the great comfort and conso lation of all such as truly desire to fear God this being a truth that Justification and Sanctification are inseparable The case being so with the Godly in this world as that their Sanctification is imperfect the flesh ever lusting against the Spirit and sin ever present with them when they would do good Had they no other ground to fasten their Anchor of Hope upon but their Sanctification it could not hold them fast enough against the tempests of Satans temptations but seeing that Sanctification although imperfect is an evidence of another Righteousnesse which is perfect to wit Justification this may bear them up and support them The Apostle Paul finding his Sanctification to be imperfect the flesh to rebel against the spirit hee cryes out Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death But considering of his Justification he comforts himself and ver 25. breaks forth into the praises of God I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord Now then to make sure we are Sanctifyed persons and therefore Justifyed persons that we be not deceived in so weighty a matter it shall not be amiss to lay down some Marks and Signs of Sanctification But because Civility and Formality do not a little resemble Sanctity it may not be unfit in the first place to distinguish them by some notes of Difference and then afterwards to lay down the distinct Signes of Sanctification 1. The Formalist in the ordinary course cares more for the pleasing of man then for the pleasing of God is more for the praise of men then of God The Scribes and Pharisees were notable Formalists and see what our Saviour saith unto them and of them Vnto them Luke 16.15 Yee are they which Justifye your selves before men Of them Mat. 23.5 All their works they do to be seen of men Such also was Saul 2 Sam. 15.13 30. and Jehu see 2 Kin. 10.16 But such as are truly Sanctified are in their ordinary course more for the praise and pleasing of God then of men more for Gods approbation then mans Psal 44.20 21. If we have forgotten the name of our God say the people of God or stretched out our hands unto a strange God shall not God search this out for he knoweth the secrets of the heart And the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 2.17 We are not as many that corrupt the word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speake we in Christ And 1 Thessal 2.4 As we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so wee speak not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts 2. The formalist is only for an outward righteousness little regarding inward As we may see again in the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 23.25.27 28. Wee unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye make clean the â—uâ—side of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of extortion and excess Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye are like unto whited sepulchres which indeed appear beautifull outwardly but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleannesse Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of hypocrisie and iniquity But such as are truely sanctified do as well labour for pure hearts as clean hands grieve for evil thoughts and desires as well as for evil words and actions I do not say so much see Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God renew a right spirit within me And Psal 142.4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing and the place forecited Rom. 7.24 how the Apostle be wailes his original corruption O wretched man that I am Who shall deliver me from the body of this death 3 The formalist will seem to make conscience of greater sins as Murder Perjurie Adultery and the like but for lesser sins he makes no bones of them as wanton talking rash anger over-reaching a neighbour a shilling or two now and then in a bargain swearing by faith or troth in his usual talk and the like But the Sanctified person makes conscience of every thing he knowes to be sin from the greatest to the least 1 Sam. 24.5 Davids heart smote him because he had cut off the skirt of Sauls garment It was no great matter and yet his conscience smote him for it The truly godly person takes notice of what our Saviour saith Luke 16.10 He that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much that is he that favours himself in the least known injustice wil upon occasion commit the greatest injustice And likewise the person aforesaid regards what the Apostle James saith Chap. 1. ver 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widows in their affliction and keep himself unspotted of the world The true religion much fears the least spot of sin although every day he shew weaknesse and infirmitie and so have cause to renew that suite Mat. 6.12 Forgive us our trespasses why yet he subscribes to Solomon Eccles 10.1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour So doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdome and honour And he
Another parable spake he unto them The Kingdome of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened And so Psal 92.12 13 14. The righteous shall flourish like a Palme tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing Motive 3. If we do not grow we go back and a declining condition is very uncomfortable what with the dolours inward and the afflictions outward which attend such an estate These be the Motives Now the Means of growth that is to say some inward helps this way for as touching outward means the next Principle intreates Means 1. We must often by our faith apply Christ to Justification The more we apprehend Gods mercy in Christ unto us this way the more our hearts turn towards him in love and obedience 1 John 4.19 We love him because he first loved us And 2 Cor. 5.14 15. The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again The more clearly we apprehend Christ our Justifyer the more we find in him to be our Sanctifyer See Eph 3.16 17 18 19. Means 2 We must often by our faith have recourse to Gods Promises in this kind The Lord hath made many gracious Promises to further us in the way of Sanctification as Hos 14.4 I will heal their backslidings And Rom 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you And so Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings And ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall Jer. 32.39 40. And Mat. 25.29 Vnto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance Such Promises as these we must call to mind and be earnest with the Lord in Prayer to make them good unto us Branch 2. To exhort all such as are not sanctified to labor for Sanctification Motives Means Motive 1 No Sanctification no Salvation Heb. 12.14 Without holiness no man shall see the Lord And Mat. 5.20 Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall in no case enter into the kingdome of heaven and the Scribes and Pharisees were men very civil 2 By Sanctification we shall conforme to the holy God have his special image upon us which we had and lost in Adam Ephes 4.24 3 Sanctification is the end of our Election Redemption and Vocation The end of our Election Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy The end of our Redemption Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he should redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The end of our Vocation 1 Cor 1.2 Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints 4 Sanctification is not the least part of glory and eternal felicity 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory that is from one degree of grace to another even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 5 Where there is not Sanctification there can be no true faith and if no true faith why then no Justification nor Adoption These the Motives to Sanctification Now the Means or inward helps for as touching the outward means the next Principle acquaints Sanctification we know consists of Mortification and Vivification 1 Touching Mortification 1 Weigh and perpend that either sin must die or the sinner must die eternally Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh that is if sin be not mortified in you ye shall die that is to say eternally 2 Weigh and consider the great love of God in giving his Son to dye for sinners John 3.16 and wilt not thou shew love to him again by fighting against sin which he hates 3 Weigh and perpend the great love of Christ who willingly underwent that accursed death of the Cross for thy sins Now wilt thou nourish that which cost him his life Then as touching Vivification the other part of Sanctification weigh and perpend Christs Resurrection 1 The efficient cause of it to wit the Spirit of God And thus think with thy self If the same Spirit which raised up Christ from the dead dwell in me he shall raise up my soul from the death of sin to the life of grace as Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the Spirit that dwelleth in you and as their mortal bodies at the last day why so their souls in this world 2 Meditate upon the end of Christs Resurrection which was that death might no more have dominion over him but that he might for ever live to God which should be thy study and endeavour even to live to God in a life of holiness and Righteousnesse See Rom. 6.9 10 11. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him for in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 Meditate upon the consequents of Christs Resurrection to wit his Ascension into heaven and his sitting at the Fathers right hand So shouldst thou labour to have thy affections above and thy conversation in heaven Colos 3.1 2. If ye then he risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth And so the Apostle professeth of himselfe Philippians 3.20 Our Conversation is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ And thus much touching the fourth Principle PRINC V. Quest What are the ordinary or usual means for obtaining of faith Answ Faith cometh only by the preaching of the Word and increaseth daily by it as also by the administration of the Sacraments and Prayer MEMB. 1. Faith cometh only by the preaching of the Word and increaseth daily by it THE fifth Principle acquaints us with the ordinary outward Means whereby faith is obtained and encreased And first the Catechisme makes known unto us the ordinary outward Means whereby faith is obtained Faith cometh only by the preaching of the word And this passage of the first Member we commend to your consideration
And both these as durable as the Church to continue as long as a Church upon earth These questions of Sacraments in general being answered we shall come more clearly to speak of either Sacrament particularly But before that we intend some Application of what hath been delivered Vse 1. For Repnehension To reprove the Papists 1. For corrupting and adulterating the true Sacraments as Baptism with their Cream Spittle and divers other inventions And the Sacrament of the Supper they turning it into a Sacrifice Propitiatory for the quick and the dead 2. To reprove them for their false Coin they having devised five Sacraments of their own as Orders Marriagid Confirmation Vnction Penance And thus in the case of Sacraments they adde and adulterate a woful Religion they must needs erre much as touching the Covenant when they are so left to themselves in regard of the Seales Vse 2. For information 1. To inform us touching the great goodness and bounty of G d towards his Church and people not onely to afford them his Word but likewise his Sacraments all means for their Spiritual good all means for their being and wee being in grace 2. To inform us touching the necessity of faith If so be we would receive any good by Sacraments it being that and that onely which discerns and laies hold upon the thing signified It is not the eye and hand of the body that can see and apply Christ they can but extend to the sign that which is Spiritual must be Spiritually received Alas the wicked and unbelievers do but receive the outward Elements and to their further condemnations Vse 3. For examination In Sacraments as the Lord swears to us so we to him he to be our God for all good unto us and we unto him to be his dutiful and obedient people But how is the Covenant kept on our part Where is our living by faith our growing in mortification in self-denial Where is our courage for Gods truth our zeal for his glory our love to his Saints Try we try we how far we have broken our Covenant be we ashamed of it bewail we it and labour we amendment Alas the most they rest in the thing done in a bare formality little stir up themselves to make good their promise ratified by solemn oath nay are not earnest with the Lord to enable them this way Thus much touching Sacraments in general We come now to speak of the two Sacraments particularly And first of Baptism and going along with the Catechism in this form of Doctrine Doct. The Sacrament of Baptism is a good outward means for the increase of faith The Point is proved by these Scriptures Matth. 28.19 Mark 16.16 Acts 8.37 10.47 and Acts 18.8 Reas 1. Taken from the nature of Sacraments in general they are not onely signes but seales the Lords greatest means for the confirmation and increase of his peoples faith he in them as it were taking oath for their full security Heb. 6.17 18. So the Lord is pleased to condescend to our weakness and our belief as for the support and encrease of our faith he doth not onely afford us his Promise but Oath not onely his Covenant but Seales Reas 2. Taken from the Sacrament that Baptism succeeds to wit Circumcision Circumcision was a good outward means to confirm and encrease faith Rom. 4.11 and then can Baptism be of less use and efficacy Before we come to the use of the Doctrine we intend to answer divers questions concerning Baptism 1. What Baptism is 2. The ends of it 3. The parts of it 4. The necessity of it And 5. The efficacy of it Quest 1. What Baptism is Answ It is the first Sacrament of the Gospel whereby we are washed with water in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost to signifie and seal our ingrafting into Christ our communion with Christ our new obedience and admission into the visible Church Somewhat to open this description 1. We say It is the first Sacrament of the Gospel because it is to precede the Lords Supper The sons and daughters of men are first to be baptized before they approach or should be admitted to the Lords Supper that is no unbaptized person should adventure or ought to be admitted to the Lords Table 2. We say Whereby we are washed with water for so the word Baptism signifies a dipping in water or sprinkling with water 3. We say In the Name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost this being the very form of Baptism that must be observed And for the meaning of these words In the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost it is as much as to say as that the Party baptized is consecrated to the worship and service of the Trinity 4. We say To signifie and seal our ingrafting into Christ Gal. 3.27 5. To signifie and seal our communion with Christ That is to say to signifie and seal that we are made partakers of Christ and his benefits Acts 2.38 Rom. 6.3 6. To signifie and seal our new obedience Mat. 3.7 8. 1 Pet. 3.21 7. Lastly we say to signifie and seal our admission into the visible Church As this was one end of Circumcision so likewise it is of Baptism which succeeds Circumcision Thus Saul was admitted into the visible Church Acts 9.18 The Jailor and his Family Acts 16.33 Quest 2. What are the ends of Baptism Answ There be divers ends of Baptism 1. That this and that Party might be admitted Members of the visible Church John 4.1 as though Baptism were an outward mark of a Disciple and a means of admitting into the visible Church 2. That it might be a pledge unto us of our ingrafting into Christ the remission of our sinnes and Regeneration Galatians 3.27 Acts 22.16 and Titus 3.5 3. That it might be a testification of our duty towards God and a binding of us to perform obedience unto him and therefore Mark 1.4 it is called the Baptism of repentance or of amendment of life And Luke 3.7 8 12. 4. That so we might be put in mind of afflictions our supportation in them and deliverance out of them we being dipped in the water or sprinkled with water but not drowned afflictions as we may see Matth. 20.22 are sometimes termed by the name of Baptism 5. That it might signifie the unity of the Church and might be a means of the same 1 Cor. 12. â—3 Epheâ— 4.5 â—uest 3. What are the parts of Baptism Answ They are either outward or inward The outward is the sign and the word The sign is the element of Water and the Sacramental action on the Ministers part and on the Receivers part the Sacramentall action on the Ministers part is not only his washing of the Party with water but likewise his putting the Party into the water or towards the water his continuing the Party in the water or towards the water and his taking the Party out of the water
is they have no call unto it but in coming they partake unworthily in a high degree If such as are true believers may partake unworthily as is very evident in the example of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.17 c. How unworthily do they partake alas what do all such when they receive but exceedingly prophane this holy ordinance And that this is no little sin do but see 1 Cor. 11.27 that is guilty of the death of Christ Now it is a great sin to be guilty of the death of any man but to be guilty of the death of an innocent man of the death of the innocent Lamb of God of his death who was God as well as man how foul and horrible a crime is this If the death of Abel did lie so heavily upon the conscience of Cain Gen. 4.13 How should the death of the Son of God lie heavy upon their consciences that are guilty thereof And the Apostle tels us to receive unworthily as they must needs do in a high degree that have no measure of saving faith is to be guilty of the death of Christ His meaning is that all such as receive unworthily doe upon the matter consent unto the horrible fact of Judas and the Jewes in their crucifying of Christ But this is the misery that men and women will not beleeve the word of God but their own thoughts and conceits what they will say or at least think Are we not baptized persons Do we not profess the Gospel Do we not come to the Church And do we not come in our intents and meanings to receive good at the Lords Table And will you make us guilty of the same sin that Judas and the Jewes were in their crucifying of Christ and to consent to that bloodie and horrible fact of theirs I answer the Apostle affirms no lesse of all unworthy receivers And it is an undoubted truth which you have heard that all who are not qualified with some measure of saving faith receive unworthily in a high degree 1. Oh then first we see all persons grosly ignorant coming to the Lords Supper to be in a woful case there can be no saving faith in such this faith ever presupposing some measure of knowledg in the mysteries of religion Alas how many approach to this Sacrament and cannot tell what a Sacrament is what this Sacrament is what are the ends why this Sacrament was ordained neither how it should be received 2. See we all pâ—ophane persons coming to this Sacrament to be in a lamentable case I mean swearers drunkards whoremasters prophaners of the Sabbath c. It being plain that such have no measure of the grace aforesaid saving faith ever purifying the heart Act. 15.9 And if the heart be in some measure clean it will appear in the life 3. See we many others partaking at the Lords Table to be in a wofull case such as have some measure of knowledg and it may be are of civil conversation But they are inward opposers of sincere preaching and so of sincere professors they would either have no preaching at all or else especially approve of that which doth the most tickle the ear And so for professors of religion that are forward they have no mind no affection unto them think they are but half witted people factious and turbulent have no delight in their company Now such persons are far from the grace aforesaid And this one thing I would have you to take notice of many we have that are very forward after the Sacrament in their kind needs they must receive at Easter however and yet have no desire after the powerfull preaching of the Word care not much whether they ever hear a powerfull Sermon or no. That that we would give you to understand of such persons is this that their desire after the Sacrament is not a kindly desire and from Gods Spirit but a popish preposterous and corrupt desire Thus we have reproved the unregenerate and unbeleevers adventuring to the Lords Table and as you have seen their sin 1 Cor. 11.27 so you may the punishment attending them for the same ver 29. that is Judgment temporall eternall if they do not truly and seriously repent for it The second branch of this use of reproofe extends it self to divers who are qualified with some measure of saving faith First the Lords Supper being such an excellent means to encrease and confirme faith that they do no more frequent it when as they might often partake conscionably and comfortably no impediment being in the way but their ignorance sloth or this needlesse fear or that 1. Their ignorance not throughly receiving information what an excellent help this would be to their faith and other graces and how the Lord commands them to receive often 1 Cor. 11.6 As for other ends so to shâ—w forth Christs death untill his coming to judgment Or 2. Their sloth they being unwilling to set upon that preparation which is required of those that receive worthily as though this were so difficult a thing to those that use a daily examination and upon occasion inure themselves to courses of humiliation Or 3 This or that needlesse fear As haply because their faith is so little and therfore that they should not receive worthily Whereas this should greatly induce them to hasten to this feast of fulness for the strengthening and encrease of that they complain to be so little the Sacrament being the proper portion of such especially belonging unto those truely sensible of their wants If we look at the first celebration of this ordinance we shall upon examination find that our Saviour did administer to those that were far from perfection nay full of infirmities And thus we reprove divers true beleevers 1. for not coming oft enough to the Lords Supper no just impediment lying in their way 2. To reprove divers true believers who come and it may be frequently to the Sacrament but it is in a customary way a sleepy carelesse way do not reexamine their faith do not by extraordinary prayer so stir up their graces as befits them in the act of receiving do not earnestly labour spirituall consideration summon their outward senses and inward affections to attend the whole businesse in hand And after they have received little observe the fruit of their receiving Now such are to know that partaking in this manner at the Lords Table they partake unworthily in a degree And hence it comes to passe that they are so far from gaining spiritual strength by this ordinance as they occasion the Lord to bring divers temporall judgments upon them as we may see in the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.30 Oh therefore let all such know they have great cause to mourn for what is past and better to look to the matter for time to come And thus we have done with the use of reproof Vse 3 For Exhortation 1. To exhort all such as have not some measure of saving faith earnestly to labour after
Train which shal be thousand thousands of Saints and Angels and that in their splendor and beauty Dan. 7.9 10. Jude v. 14. Matth. 25.31 4. In the choyce of a place where to sit and the erecting of a glorious Throne whereon to sit Matth. 25.31 Rev. 20.11 Thus much touching the Preparation of the Judg. Now for them who are to be judged they must be prepared four wayes 1. By Citation or Summons 2. By Resurrection 3. By Collection 4. By Separation 1. By Citation or Summons which shal be a great shout from heaven John 5.28 Mat. 24.31 1 Thess 4.16 As Christ now useth the Ministry of man so then he wil use the Ministry of Angels 2. Upon this shal follow the Resurrection Every thing shal give up its dead Rev. 20.13 And such as are found alive shal be changed They shal not dye but be changed and not in regard of substance but in regard of quality 1 Cor. 15.51 c. 3. Upon this shal follow their Collection The raised and changed all both Elect and Reprobate shal be gathered by the Angels from the four Winds of heaven from every place under the sun and convented before the Judge Mat. 24.31 and 25.32 Lastly shal be the Separation betwixt the Elect and the Reprobate the Elect to go on Christs right hand and the Reprobate enforced to his left Matth. 25.32 33. Thus much for the Preparation to this judgment the preparing of the Judge and them to be judged Now we come to the judgment it self Wherein consider three things 1. By what Law man shal be tryed 2. By what Evidence 3. What the sentence shal be 1. Touching the first Such as never heard of Christ must be tryed by the Law of Nature those Notions being sufficient to make them inexcusable Rom. 2.14 15 16. Such as have lived in the visible Church shal be tryed by the written Law and the Gospel Rom. 2.12 Job 12 48. The absolution of the godly shal be principally according to the Gospel but confirmed by the Law the condemnation of the wicked shal be principally by the Law but shal be confirmed by the Gospel 2. Now we pass to the second By what Evidence Answ By the opening of three books 1. The book of Gods Remembrance 2. The book of Consience 3. The book of Life or Election Rev. 20.12 3. The third thing the Sentence what it shal be See the sentence that shal be passed upon the godly Matth. 25.34 And see the sentence that shal be passed upon the wicked Matthew 25.41 Thus we proceed to the Uses Vse 1 For Terrour to the wicked and ungodly such as go on in their sins impenitently as 2 Cor. 5.10 11. Rom. 2.4 5 6. and Eccles 11.9 It may be they are now in jollity but that day must come that they may be in absolute misery You have heard that the Judge must come and in what manner and that the whole world must be convented before him Alas the Parties we are now speaking of what wil they say at that day An accusing conscience within them Hell beneath them the good Angels and Saints on the one hand them ready to give approbation to the sentence passed upon them the Divels on the other hand attending to carry them away with them and they before an angry Judge ready to pass the irrevocable sentence upon them O how wil they be able to stand before this Judge Rev. 1.7 Belshazzar Dan. 5.5 6. did but see a mans Hand-writing on the Wall and how was he perplexed Felix did but hear the Doctrine of the last judgement preached and did not he tremble Acts 24.25 Nay see we the terrour of this day to the wicked Rev. 6.12 c. Alas a day wherein not onely their sinful actions and words must be brought to light but even their sinful thoughts and cogitations Eccles 12.14 1 Cor. 4.5 These things hast thou done these things hast thou spoke nay these things hast thou thought But wil ye see more plainly what shal become of particular Malefactors at that day as what shal become of Anti-Christ and his Abettors and followers 2 Thess 2.8 to the 13. Of all Apostates Heb. 10.26 27. Of all Persecutors Jude 15. Of all Hypocrites Psal 50.16 c. Of all censorious persons that censure others for the faults they themselves live in the willing practice of Rom. 2.1 2 3. Of all Covetous and Merciless persons James 5.1 c. and 2.13 Matth. 25.41 42. c. Of all Whoremongers and unclean persons Heb. 13.4 Eccles 11.9 Of all Lyars Rev. 21.8 and 22.15 Of all Gluttons and Drunkards Luke 21.34 1 Cor. 6.10 Lastly Wil you know what shal become of all them that do not obey the Gospel all ignorant persons and unbelievers 2 Thess 5.8 Object May the wicked man say It is a great while to the day of judgment Answ Surely no 1. See 1 Pet. 4.7 Jam. 5.8 2. The signs and fore-runners of the last judgment are the most of them accomplished already 3. Suppose it were a great while to that day yet the day of thy death which wil be the day of thy particular judgment cannot be very far off Things being so that we may draw to an end of this Use how much doth it concern such as go on in an evil way to break off their sins by Repentance as Psalm 50.22 Nay further let them consider the Lords command and upon this ground Acts 17.30 31. The times of this ignorance God winketh at that is regardeth not cared not what became of the multitude in those times but now commandeth all men every where to repent c. O! therefore be they earnest with the Lord to give them what he commands both old and young how should they labour Repentance in the use of all good means the Lord not only commanding it but so graciously promising to the Repentant Eph. 5.14 Proverbs 28.13 Isaiah 1.16 c. Vse 2. For the great comfort and consolation of all the godly In this world they are many times evil thought of but then wil be the day of their clearing they are now troubled with the remainders of sin and affliction hanging upon them as a consequent which causeth them many times to sow in tears but thē they shal reap in joy now is their fight but then will be the time of their Coronation Must it not needs be very comfortable to them to see him come their Judg who was judged for them their Saviour he who lived and dyed for them to see him coming as Judge of all the world what a comfortable sight and meeting wil that be Was it not a very comfortable meeting of Joseph and his Brethren when he discovered himself unto them And how comfortable is the meeting of man and wife truly loving having been long asunder Him their Christ whom they laboured so long and so often to have full familiarity with Him whom they have so often sought in his Ordinances and for whose absence they have
To observe the Superstitious the Prophane the Covetous what pains they take to go to hell rise up early sit up late and all to go to hell 3. Would it not much dulcifie often to meditate upon the end godliness tends unto to wit happiness everlasting happiness Rom. 2.7 10. Object 2. But such as are forward and zealous we observe them many times to be necessitated to be opposed and persecuted Answ 1. But thou dost not see into their inside the inward man the grace and comfort that lodgeth there 2 Cor. 4.16 Acts 5.41 Heb. 10.34 We read of a worthy Germane Philip Lansgrave of Hâ—ssâ— who being a long time Prisoner under Charles the fifth Emperor and being demanded what upheld him all tâ—aâ— time he answered that he felt the Divine consolations of the Mâ—â—tyâ—s And this is that indeed which Chr st pâ—â—miseth to the persons aforesaid even in this life Mark 10.29 30.2 Wil not a Kingdom an everlasting Kingdom make amends for all their outward necessities afflictions and persecutions see Mat. 5.10 11 12. See Moses Heb. 11.24 25. And the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 4.17 18. He opposeth glory to affliction heavy massy substantial glory to light affliction eternal glory to moment any affliction And therefore we faint not saith he whatsoever we suffer and thus our Saviour These two objections bâ—ing answered we go on to the other Members of the Exhortation Then 4. To exhort the godly not onely to grow in love one towards another but more and more to desire society one with another and the reason is this because the time is coming when they must live together and that for evermore Hence it is that the Apostle Peter exhorts godly Husbands to carry themselves lovingly towards their godly Wives 1 Peter 3.7.5 To exhort all the godly in any case to labour heavenly-mindedness to use the world as though they used it not feelingly to know and profess themselves to be Strangers and Pilgrims here and so they wil manifest that they wait for this Kingdom Heb. 11. from v. 13 to v. 17. To this our Saviour exhorts Matth 6.19 20. And so the Apostle Paul Col. 3.2.6 To exhort the godly that they earnestly strive with all patience to undergo afflictions and crosses when it shal please God to reach out unto them a cup of afflictions and bid them drink a draught of it to the bottom the meditation of this heavenly Kingdom must be as Sugar in their Pockets to sweeten the Cup withal See again Romans 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Heb. 11.26 I could be content saith Augustine to endure the torments of hell to gain this joy rather then to lose it Ignatius as some say Pauls Scholar being threatned as he went to Martyrdom with the cruelty of torments answered with courage Fire Gallows Beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body all the torments of the Divel together let them come upon me so I may enjoy the Lord Jesus and his Kingdome These six wayes from the Doctrine in hand we have exhorted the godly 2. Now we come to exhort the ungodly such as for the present are so to exhort them to consider of this Kingdom of this heavenly Kingdom the excellency of the place the evils which all the godly shal be freed from there and the good they shal enjoy there and wil they lose this Kingdom for a little labour come short of it for a base lust are the pleasures of sin for a season to be compared with the everlasting joyes of heaven nay to be compared with the inward consolations that the godly have in this world Psalm 4.7 1 Cor. 2.9 And wil they not take as much pains to go to heaven as they have done all this while to go to hell O yes say they we would fain make out for heaven take any pains for the Kingdom you are speaking of resemble we would the Merchant spoken of Matth. 13.45 Why then this you must do Holiness as you have heard is the way to Happiness Godliness to the Kingdom of Heaven You must labour to be godly Now godliness cannot be had without Christ therefore marry the Heir get the King and the Kingdom is thine too When Christ comes into a soul he comes attended with a train of graces But this is the business Thou wilt not make out for Christ until thou see and feel thy lost estate Why then that thou mayest be acquainted with Christ nay marry Christ that thou mayest be brought to a Legal contrition nay to an Evangelical contrition and so made fit to be espoused to Christ thou must in the outward means take the Kingdom of heaven by violence Mat. 11.12 constantly attend to the word of the Kingdom for so it is called Mat. 13.19 imitating them we read of Luke 51. See John 6.27 Rom. 1.16 and 10 14 Thus we have now done with the first Consequent of the last Judgment to wit Eternal happiness or salvation We should now proceed to the other to wit Eternal misiry or damnation but that we have spoken of in opening the last Member of the second Principle and threfore we refer the Reader thither Laus Deo