saist He is that Almightie one and so he is for God saith to Abraham Gen. 17.1 I am God Almightie and Jeremy calles him Jer. 32.18 19. The great and mightie God great in Counsell and mightie in strength Almightie is one mightie to doe all or one that is all-sufficient for all things in himselfe and for us This Almightinesse or All-sufficiency stands in his skill in his will and in his power He is Almightie in skill to know all things Almightie in will to will all things that are good and Almightie in power to doe all things according to his will Were he not Almightie all these waies he could not be self-sufficiently blessed in himselfe neither could he be almightily sufficient for us Were he not Almightie in skill he could not almightily will according to an almightie knowledge Were he not Almightie in will he could not almightily doe according to an almightie knowledge and will Were he not Almightie in power were he never so Almightie in skill and will he could not be an all-sufficient worker for his own and our blessednesse But when these three things meet his knowing all things his willing all things good and doing all things according to his will nothing can lye between him and his own blessednesse nothing can hinder us from our blessednesse in him if we lye in his rode Vse The serious thought of this should my child humble direct and comfort thee It should humble thee under the mightie hand of God Power breeds feare and fear humilitie God made his power known to Job in the wind horse earth-quake and Leviathan Job 42.6 And then he abhorred himselfe and repented in dust and ashes Act. 12. As when the men of Tyrus and Sidon heard that Herod would wage warre with them they knowing that they were nourished with the Kings bread feared his power so when thou hearest of this Almightinesse thou must not so much feare them that kill the body Matth. 10. as feare him that is able to cast body and soule into hell if thou approach not to him with due obedience Againe thou must be directed from hence to labour to feele this Almightie power of God in thy body and soule for thy sanctification and salvation Paul prayes for the Ephesians Eph. 1.19 20. that they may know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward that beleeve according to the working of his mightie power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead And how is this Surely onely by feeling that as God raised up Christ so by their fellowship in and with them he doth raise up them from the death of sinne to the life of grace The good Lord grant that it may be thus with thee that as the power of that Almightie one did raise up the Lord Jesus so thou maist find thy selfe raised in and from him to such a new life as may appeare before God with acceptance Lastly thou maist have singular comfort also from this meditation in any adversitie that may come upon thee For this Almightie one can change thy vile body Phil. 3. and make it like unto his glorious body according to the mightie power by which he is able to subdue all things unto himself What though by affliction thy face be withered with weeping thy body crusted like a potsheard and burnt to ashes yet this Almightie one is able to raise thee up in the latter day Joh. 6. and to make those eyes of thine to see thy Redeemer Job 19. when thou shalt arise for thy selfe to the glory of Gods grace and thy everlasting comfort Next here thou tellest me how God hath manifested his Almightinesse God made all things By making and governing of all things That this Almightie God made all things doth appeare in Genesis Gen. 1. and 2.4 5. Esa 44.24 and God saith by Esay I am the Lord that maketh all things that doth stretch forth the heavens alone and spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe To make all things is to give all things their being God gives the heavens to be the earth to be and all creatures in heaven and earth their severall beings And doe but weigh that it cannot be otherwise For the world was neither made by chance nor by nature Not by chance For as thou maiest see an excellent order in every thing and chance is an enemy to order so maist thou discerne set purpose in every thing All creatures have every thing provided of purpose to perfect them An eye hath a colour an eare a sound a palate a tastable thing and a smell savours yea brute beasts have fodder and man hath heaven and earth of purpose for body and soul Neither is it made by nature For then as nothing could be done above nature the contrary whereof thou maist perceive in the very butter-flies painted wings and the little gnats trunk which can pierce and draw bloud thorough a tough horses skin so could nothing be done against nature but thou maist observe the contrary Josh 10. for the Sunne stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Ajalon in the daies of Joshuah and the Sun went ten degrees backward as was to be seene on the diall of Ahaz yea thou readest of an Eclipse of the Sun at the death of Christ when the Moon was at the full which was quite against nature If therefore the world was neither made by chance nor by nature thou mayst justly conclude that the Almightie God made all things Vse Therefore my deare child learn how to use and feare to abuse We must use all the creatures from God any of Gods creatures Thou must aske Gods leave to use any of them we hold all in God and from God and have no freedom to use them but as we have leave from him Godlesse people account every creature within their power their own and because they have a creatures right and a civill right by the laws and compacts of men they think they have an absolute right without dependance Therefore they never looke to God but say with Nabal shall I take my meat 1 Sam. 25. and my bread and my drinke which I have provided for my servants and give it unto strangers whom I know not from whence they come or whither they go But it must be otherwise with thee Thou hast the use of the Sun Moon and Stars heaven earth and all their furniture God made them all therefore thou must not dreame of an absolute right but humbly pray that thou mayst have libertie to use them under God without which thou canst have no sound comfort Besides We must not abuse any of the creatures thou must feare to abuse any of them because they are the good creatures of God Wilt thou dare to abuse the Kings stuffe or furniture of his house or those provisions which he hath made for his servants How then wilt thou dare
to abuse thy meat for gluttony thy drinke for drunkennesse thy apparell for pride or the Sunne to give thee light to worke the works of darknesse or the house and woods and shades to cover wicked practises If thou have right to any thing and lend it to another thou wouldst be loath it should be abused yea God made provision under the Law Exod. 22. that the lender should be no loser but that the thing lent should be made good Much more is it equall that if God lend thee the use of any of his creatures it should be made good to God when thou hast had the comfort of it Be sure therefore that thou do it and do it upon this ground that God made all things Secondly this Almightie God doth Governe all things also Jeremie saith God is the governour of all things Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps because it is God that governs him And Solomon saith that there is no wisdome nor understanding Prov. 21.30 31. nor counsell against the Lord the horse is prepared against the battell but safetie is of the Lord because man is not the Master of his own Issues but God is the highest Governour above him and above all the world As when we have a Journey to goe and get on horseback with a bridle we guide him onward and backward this way and that way till we have done our businesse Psal so God rides upon the heavens as upon a chariot He hath an hooke in the nosthrils 2 Chron. and a bridle in the mouthes of his creatures and as he saith to the Sea Here stay thy proud waves so he saith by the active word of his providence to all his creatures as that Centurion to his souldiers Goe Luk. 8. and it goes come and it comes doe this and it doth it and so he governs all the creatures to the Issue of his will When a man looks upon the horrible disorders in the world and sees Atheists blasphemous swearers prophaners of the Lords Day murtherers whoremongers theeves lyers to swarme in the world a man would thinke that God did not Govern all things But thy sense teacheth thee that if thou ride upon a lame horse to dispatch all thy busines though he halt which is from himself by leaping over hedge and ditch yet thou governest him till thy businesse is over which is from thee So though all the men in the world be lame in actions and all the creatures of the world doe groane under the vanitie of their sinnes yet doth God as it were ride about and governe all and will bring the wickedest at last either to repentance and to shame and just confusion for ever And thou canst not conceive other but that God must needs governe all things For otherwise the flint and steele of contradictions would so kindle the tinder of corruption that the whole world would have been long agoe in the flame of ruine yea the Church of God would have been devoured by her enemies The Church of God thou knowest Luk. 12. is but a little flock and her enemies like the army of the Aramites covering the earth and their hearts like those of the Edomites who cryed over Jerusalem Down with it down with it Psal 137. even to the ground What then can hold them but Gods bridle which restraines the Gates of Hell Matth. 16. that they cannot prevaile over them Resolve then therefore that God governes all things Vse Hence when thou findest any thing to worke together for thy good give the glory to God who governes all things and desire this Almightie one to shew himselfe a Governour by governing thee Thou art not able to governe thy thoughts words or actions without God In conscience of this David said Let the words of my mouth Psal 19. and the meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight and set a watch before my lips and Lord open thou my lips even so Psal 51. and much more mayst thou Therefore by how much lesse able thou art to governe thy selfe by so much more must thou pray to God every day to governe thy mind heart life will affections desires conscience and actions that thou mayst walke through the land of uprightnesse Esa 26. into a place of happinesse where there are fulnesse of pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore Psal 16. Thus my good child thou hast told me what God is Now tell me next 6. Q. Wherefore did God make thee A. To doe him service This is Gods truth For What doth the Lord thy God require of thee We are made to serve God Deut. 10.12 Joh. 22.5 but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and thy blessed Saviour saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Matt. 4.10 and him onely shalt thou serve If thou shouldst not be asked to what end thou wert made thou might'st live to wrong ends and might'st be ready to doe service where thou owest none Therefore do I put thy soul to this question When thou dost answer that thou art made to serve God thou must mean that thou art made to Do Gods worke or businesse When thou servest a Master thou doest thy Masters work when thou servest a Mistresse thou doest thy Mistresse's businesse so when thou servest God thou doest Gods work or businesse or what he requires at thy hand Christ saith Joh. 6. This is the work of God that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent Paul saith 1 Thess 4. This is the will of God or the work which he requires you to endeavour even your sanctification Therefore when thou livest or doest the acts of life this is thy work or service of God Thou by nature art too apt to think that thou art free-borne as they that said Our tongues are our own Psal 10. Psal 129. Rom. 1.1 Jam. 1.1 Jude 1. Pro. 16.4 who is Lord over us But David often professed himselfe to be Gods servant and so did Paul James Jude and so must thou For God hath created all things for himselfe and he hath committed unto thee a Talent to be imployed for his uses Matth. 25. and hath intrusted thee with a Stewardship whereof thou must give an account as a servant Luk. 19. Vse 1 Be thou therefore sure my Child so to carry thy selfe as one that may give a comfortable account If a Master should put his servant in trust with his whole estate and when he comes to give an account he sets down Item thus much to maintaine Idlenesse thus much for Whoring Drunkennesse Pride thus much for Profane exercises on the Lords day doe you think that this account would be taken No more will God
I beleeve in Christ I shall be saved Q. What is conveyed in the Sacrament A. Christ with all his benefits Q. How can the Sacrament convey CHRIST unto thee A. Sacramentally Q. How is that A. As a sign and seal Thus have I by Gods blessing brought thee from thy creation to thy fall from thy fall to thy curse from thy curse to thy deliverance by Christ from thy deliverance to the settlement of it upon thee by faith and from thence to the means working encreasing and confirming Now proceed and tell me 30. Q. How many Sacraments there are A. Two onely Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord Here thou tellest me the number The number of the Sacraments and what they are in particular 1 Cor. 10.2 2 3 4. and names of the Sacraments The number there are but two For thou findest but two ordained by Christ and where Paul speaks of purpose of them he names onely two under those that went before them yea two are aboundantly sufficient for their end one to signe and seal our engrafting into Christ that is Baptisme and another to signe and seal our growing in Christ that is the Supper of the Lord yea lastly the true nature and use of a Sacrament agrees onely to these two for onely these two are signes and seales of a thing signified and sealed having a word of commandement and a word of promise to all beleevers Act. 10. Matth. 28. Rom. 6. Their names are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Baptisme is a washing with water consecrated by the word and prayer by a Minister in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to signifie and seal our grafting into Christ The Lords Supper is bread Matth. 26.26 Luk. 22.19 20. 1 Cor. 11. and wine consecrated and broken by a Minister given received eaten and drunk by the Church to signifie and seal our growing in Christ Thus maist thou conceive these two Vse Therefore my childe see the wonderfull love of God to thee who would not onely have the fellowship of Christ bestowed upon thee but will signifie and seal it unto thee also Doest thou doubt of thy union with Christ Thou hast it by covenant in Gods promise thou hast it by application in the exercise of thy faith about saving Christ and thou hast it sacramentally by signe and seal in Baptisme Doest thou doubt that God wil not provide for thee a feast of fat things Esa 27. Luk. 15. and fined wines even that fattest Calf to nourish and feed thee to eternall life because thou hast been a wicked prodigal sinning against the covenant of Baptisme Do but thou condemn and alter thy course and renew thy covenant and then thou hast Gods promise for it in the covenant the settlement of it upon thee by faith and thy assurance of it in the Lords Supper To make it more plain tell me 31. Q. What benefit hast thou by baptisme A. A new estate in Christ and so the forgivenesse of my sins if I repenting do beleeve according to the Covenant in baptisme This is an excellent benefit indeed The benefit of Baptism if thou rightly understand it and do make use of it accordingly Thou hast a new estate in Christ Gal. 2â— 7. Rom. 6.3 4 5. for in baptisme thou doest put on Christ and art planted into his death and resurrection Thou hast the forgivenesse of thy sins for Peter saith be baptized for the remission of sinnes Act. 2.38 Act. 22.16 and Ananias said to Paul arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes yet know that thy baptisme doth not this as the bloud of Christ by way of expiation and attonement not as the Holy Ghost by an infinite power How in baptisme is the forgiveness of sins but onely as a Sacrament and that three wayes First by signification for as the water doth wash thy body Heb. 10.22 so Christ's bloud being sprinkled upon thy conscience by faith doth wash thee from thy sins Secondly by the receit of Beleevers As if a Prince made a Proclamation that he that can bring in the head of a traytour shall have a thousand pounds so soon as he hath this head he sees his thousand pound and is confident upon the word of the Prince so a beleever when he heares this proclamation of God Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ Act. 2.38 for the forgivenesse of sinnes when he sees and feels his repentance and hath notice of his baptisme he is confident for the forgiveness of his sins upon the word of God Thirdly by the Covenant of God God strikes a Covenant with his people upon this condition that if they beleeve they shall have their sinnes forgiven He gives his seal for it that certainly he will be as good as his word When the Christian sees his faith he builds upon this covenant and sayes surely God hath forgiven my sins Indeed it is the bloud of Christ that deserves thy forgivenesse the Father that pronounceth it and the Holy Ghost that effectually applies but Baptisme by Gods covenant doth signifie and seal it unto thee Use This may be either comfortable or terrible to thee to consider It is terrible if thou keep not the condition of the covenant that is if thou repenting beleeve not Mat. 3.11 Thou must make thy Baptisme a baptisme of repentance to amendment of life Mar. 1.4 Mar. 16.16 and God will make it to be a baptisme for remission of sinnes Thou must beleeve and be baptized and then thou shalt be saved Thou shalt not be made partaker of these benefits without observing the condition Act. 2. Indeed God accounts thee a federall beleever when thou wast an infant and wast baptized as he accompted the Jewish children when they received the signe of circumcision as a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 But as it was accounted uncircumcision to them if they kept it not when they came to years of discretion because he is not a Jew which is one outwardly Rom. 2. neither is that circumcision which is litteral but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is not of the letter but of the spirit so thy baptisme shall be accounted nothing if with a penitent heart thou doest not when thou comest to years of discretion beleeve according to the covenant But if thou doest out of conscience bethink thy self of thy covenant get into this new estate wherein thou maist be baptized into Christs death and resurrection then what a sweet comfort to thee is it to see thy assurance of the forgivenesse of thy sins Be sure therefore that thou have faith working by charity to the author of faith by obedience to the word of faith by hearing and the houshold of faith by love and then thou maist look back with joy to thy baptisme and say surely my good God hath given me forgivenesse of sins For it is not laying
for ever and can help for ever These are thy reasons The confident expectation of Gods answer is in this word Amen By this thou sealest thy consent and doest signifie thy desire and confidence And thou must do it For it is but a toy for one man to say the prayer onely and another man to say Amen Amen is part of thy devotion and all both Ministers and people or all others that pray must say Amen Use Therefore my childe once more hear this word of exhortation Use all these reasons and this Amen so as thou maist pray with successe and confidence O my God am not I in thy Kingdom Art not thou the God of power Will it not end in thy glory which was also the end why thou madest me And do'st not thou only live for ever everlastingly to help me I cannot but depend upon thee and confidently say Amen So be it Now in this close let me see how thou hast profited by what I have opened to thee about prayer Q. Why is prayer a means to encrease faith A. Because God must do it and he will be sought Q. How doest thou know that thou prayest aright A. When my soul doth religiously move out of it self to God Q. To what end A. To draw my self into fellowship with him against sinne and for grace Q. Where doest thou learn the matter of prayer A. In that which Christ taught his Apostles Q. Tell me the enterance into it A. Our father which art in heaven Q. Why callest thou him Father in prayer A. Because it ensureth my faith Q. Why sayest thou Our A. Because in love I must pray for all that are in communion with me to life Q. Why sayest thou which art in heaven A. Because it might raise up my heart thither Q. What doest thou ayme at in prayer A. The hallowing of Gods name Q. How canst thou hallow it A. When I live like a creature of God not of Satan Q. What doest thou need to this end A. Grace in my heart Q. How shalt thou get it Q. By Gods Kingdom comming into me by faith Q. Is it enough to hallow Gods name if thou have grace in thy heart A. No I must act grace in my life by doing of Gods will Q. How must thou do it A. By faithfull and zealous doing of it as they that are in heaven Q. But to hallow Gods name doest thou not need the things of this life A. Yes therefore I beg daily things convenient for my nature and person Q. What must be removed from thee for the hallowing of Gods name A. My sinnes past and sinnes present and to come Q. What would'st thou have done against thy sinnes past and present A. I crave a discharge from them for the merits of Christ made mine by faith Q. What would'st thou have done to prevent sinne to come A. I would not be left to my self or to the power of the Devill and the world Q. Why would'st thou not be in such a state A. Lest I fall into the evill of sinne and the evill of punishment Q. What is the evill of sinne A. Out of an evill conscience to love sinne and to like it Q. What is the evill of punishment A. To be left in the hardnesse of my heart to the condemnation of hell Thus O my childe Prov. 31.2 the childe of my wombe and the childe of my desire I have as I have learned given thee to hear the instructions of a mother I have been an instrument to bring thee into the world of sinners wherein thou art too like me and thy father in that wherein thou art most unlike unto God oh that I might be a meanes also to bring thee into the world of saved ones In the bowels of a tender mother let me perswade thee in time Jer. 8.6 to smite thy hand upon thy thigh and say what have I done It is enough yea too 1 Pet. 4.3 4 too much that thou hast spent the time past of thy life after the lusts of the world walking in wantonnesse and in other abominable wickednesses Eccles 12.1 Now remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth and though when thou runnest not with others into the same excesse of riot thou be spoken of as an evill doer yet be not discouraged Esa 66.5 God will appear to such persons shame and thou shalt be comforted If thou wert of the world the world would love thee Joh. 15.19 but if thou be taken out of the world and keep faith 1 Tim. 2.19 Joh. 15.10 and a good conscience the love of the Father shall abide in thee and lead thee to everlasting life And because it cannot be thus with thee except God open thine eyes Act. 26.18 and turn thee from darknesse to light to receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ therefore I charge thee as thou wilt answer it to God in the dreadfull day of judgement that thou suck into thy soul this milk for babes It will plainly open unto thee thy Creation from God thy corruption by sinne thy cursednesse for sin and thy deliverance by Jesus Christ If thou be carefull feelingly to know these things together with Faith which is thy onely way to make Christ thine and canst but sensibly perceive the working and growth of it by the Gospell seals of it the Sacraments and prayer the work is done I will not say thou art a stranger to the Covenant of grace or that thou art not farre from the Kingdome but thou art a childe of the Kingdome and heir of life As therefore David said to Solomon up and be doing about the house of God so say I be diligent to learn and to feel this doctrine distill as the dew upon thy soul that thou maist passe from death to life Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepheard of the sheep thorough the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make thee perfect in every good work to do his will working in thee that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS 1 Secret Sinnes discovered 2 Christ exalted amongst men 3 The Soul secured OR THREE SERMONS The first preached at Andrewes Holborn at a publike Fast The two other preached upon severall occasions at the Covent-Garden near Martins in the Field in the Moneth of February 1645 6. By ROBERT ABBOT Preacher of Gods Word at Southwick in Hantshire PROV 28.13 He that covereth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy GEN. 48.19 I have waited for thy salvation O Lord. LONDON Printed by John Legate for Philemon Stephens dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the gilded Lyon 1646. The Texts and Summe of what is handled in the following TREATISES Psal 119.12 Who can understand his
come into the Garison unespied If the Shepheard sleep the whole flock may be overgrown with flye-blowes so may thy soul with errours if conscience be drowsie and have the spirit of slumber Then cry as to Dumah Watch-man what was in the night It cannot be told because conscience slept Thus it comes to passe that we know not our errours It may be demonstrated and we may be assured that we know not our errours three ways First by our security How we may be assured that we know not our errours Jud. 18.10 If a man live carelesly as the children of Laish it is a signe he knows not of his enemies If a man come without care bemired into company it is a signe that he knowes not his foulnesse so nor we know our errours when we live as if we cared not to get to heaven or avoid hell or to purge away any impurity which is presented with us into the sight of God and man Secondly By our pride If a man do highly prize his own reall or seeming excellencies it is a certain signe that he knowes not his own wants If a man be proud of his knowledge he knowes not that what he knowes is not the thousand part of what he is ignorant of If a man be proud of his graces and begin to point at and contemne others who do not so shine certainly he knowes not that his sinnes out-weigh his graces if they were brought to the ballance of the Sanctuary Thirdly by our hard hearts The heart of Josiah melted when the Law shewed his errours and the heart of Paul was wounded and he died when the Law came and made his errours live before him Triplex circa praecordia ferrum But we have armour of proof about our hearts They do not melt dye nor are wounded with the sight of our errours therefore we know them not Use 1 Therefore I beseech you make good use of this point for information humiliation and exhortation First let it teach us not to dream of a fulfilling of the Law in this life of our selves If a man cannot know his errours surely he shall never finde his full obedience What is unknown of his errours will have such an influence upon his conscience that he will still suspect his obedience to be but a polluted clout Papists speak of a double fulfilling of the Law the first is the travellers fulfilling it 1 Viatorum 2 Comprehensorum which is while men are militant in this life this they say is to love God above all and our neighbours as our selves The second is the possessors fulfilling of it which is when men are in Glory this they say is to love God with all our heart minde will and strength But indeed we have but one rule of righteousnesse which should bee fulfilled with all our powers and when God saith Gal. 3. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them it is not spoken of glorified persons We speak of a three-fold fulfilling of the Law Inchoata Imputatae Personalis Inchoate and begun by equall and sincere obedience according to grace given Imputed by the satisfaction of our surety made ours for the Law is then fulfilled when the breach of it is satisfied And personall and perfect which Paul teacheth to be impossible because of the flesh And Rom 8.3 in truth it must needs be so for personall fulfilling cannot stand with corruption in nature and sinne in life Besides our love cannot be greater then our knowledge 2 Cor. 13. which is imperfect yea and ignorance of errours cannot stand with fulfulfilling Therefore be not you in your eyes better then you deserve think not of fulfilling the Law when you know not how many breaches you make against it Use 2 Secondly be humbled under the consideration of this point A man that knows enough to condemn him before a Judge yet he knowes not all walks weakly before a Judge he hath not the confidence of an innocent So when you know enough to cast you to the nether-most hell yet not all it ought to make you as Hezekiah to walk in the bitternesse of your soul all your life yet with due remembrance of the Lord Jesus to lift up your heads with confidence Use 3 Thirdly be exhorted to stirre up your willing mindes to look into your selves to finde those errours out Ob. I know you will say that if there be no understanding there is no hope We cannot hope after that which is impossible Sol. It is true De impossibilibus non est spes if it were impossible for you to know more errours in your selves then you know yet Hee that knowes not now may know by search and the rest will be wrapped up in a generall repentance and will finde a pardon of course There are three ways by which more may be known then now How we may know our errours the knowledge of God the knowledge of our selves and humility As to the knowledge of God you see when Job had got some sight of God more then before and had not onely heard by the hearing of the ear Job 42.5 6 but his eye had seen him he saw so many errours in himself that he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes Esa 6.1 And the Prophet Esay when he saw God upon the throne saw such errours in himself that he cried out wo is me I am undone Esa 6.5 because I am a man of unclean lips and dwell among such a people for my eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Such a sight will shew us such purity as we shall see nothing but errours in our selves Set this light before your souls and then you will cry out with Paul I was a blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 15. a persecuter injurious yea the chief of sinners You will see all your errours cleerly enough Gehenna sum domine You will say with that blessed Martyr I am hell Lord I am hell Oh take away my hell Hei mihi quid sum vas sterquilinii concha putredinis plenus foetore Facti sumus fugitivi a cordibus nostris Hei mihi quam contrarius sum egomet mihi ego in spiritu ego in carne and give me thy heaven and with Augustine Alas wretched man what am I A very close Stoole a shovell full of dung full of stink As to the knowledge of our selves the more we see our selves in our right lineaments and proportions the more we shall say when we are asked what we see more abominations yet The truth is that we are runagates from our own hearts Whatsoever we pretend we know not our selves as we ought to do But stand at this Bar and we shall be driven to word it as he of old Alas that I am how contrary am I to my self I in the flesh and I in the spirit Now errours
let the counsell of a poor friend be acceptable unto you so to live that ye be not swallowed up of sorrow so to live as ye be not devoured by peace As it was said of Saul and David of old so may it of prosperity and adversity that adversity hath slain 1000. but prosperity 10000. It is a glorious thing to be in prosperity and not to be worse It is a glorious thing also to be in adversity and to be better But to be bad in both is to make both a curse prosperity to be made a sweet Ladder from which to break our necks from when we think we are climbed up to heaven and adversity to be a sowr Ladder to let us down into hell here and to bring us at last to the burning Lake which torments for evermore The only way to help all this is both in prosperity and adversity to live in Christ If like the Eagles you make your Nest in this rock your faith shall be your victory Let prosperity come faith in Christ will say Cursed is he that doth not account one days fellowship with Jesus Christ above all the glistering vanities in this world I will not be flattered out of Christ Let adversity come faith in Christ will say Farewell mony farewell life farewell all things for Christ I will not be frighted from my Christ That you good Ladies may be helped to do so with all thanks for your loves I humbly present unto you both this little Catechism expounded There is none of you both but have in your families heard me open these grounds either to your children or servants Then you were pleased to approve them and now you will be pleased to love them more because they lye by you for daily use There will many faults be found with them as brevity plainnesse imperfection and the like but above all that they want the living voice and tender heart to set an edge upon them As to the first faults I confesse them and in truth I make this but as a fore-runner to a larger Catechism thorough the whole body of Divinity If God send me health life and leisure you may see that if this mean while be acceptable to the Church and it will more copiously handle all the grounds by way of explication observation and cases of conscience which are most obvious As to the last fault indeed it wants my voice but not my heart For when you are warming your own and your childrens hearts with it I will follow it with my prayers to make it successefull Could I do more I would do it Could I do lesse I would not As becomes him that hath been is and by Gods blessing will be to both of you worthy Ladies Your poor yet hearty friend to serve you and yours in Christ Jesus ROBERT ABROT Erratá Page Line for Read 78 15 life lift 79 9 blot out then  89 25 of in 110 3 doth teacheth 119 3 faith life 122 19 of by 122 23 wife house 122 24 work in work it in 124 5 where they whereby they 125 6 connexion conviction 159 17 The by the. 163 28 In obedience In sacrifice 186 1 must mayst 198 21 of both for both Epistle 19,20 Infants of Jews Believers 242 6 creatures Creatour A Mothers Catechisme for her Children MY good Child Gen. 3.16 I have brought thee forth into this world in great sorrow I have nourished thee either with my own breasts or as I thought by those that were better able I now desire not onely to see thee a member of the Church by profession but by the power of grace and because thou canst not be thus without the knowledge of God Joh. 17.2 Pet. 3.18 and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ from the tender bowels of a compassionate Mother I desire to inform thee in thy estate by Nature created by nature corrupted and nature restored that in these things which concern thy self thou mayst know God and thy selfe and grow out of fellowship with thy selfe into communion with God in Christ that thou mayst have life Tell me therefore 1. Q. Who made thee A. God the Father It is true Esa 44.2 For thus saith the Lord that made thee And to make thee is to Give thee a being that is a body and soul and all the parts faculties and powers of them This is of great use 1. To enquire who made thee and 2. To resolve that it was God 1. Thou must enquire after him that made thee We must enquire who made us Both that thou mayst know to whom to ascribe the glory of the work and to whom to goe to supply the defects of thy nature for he can best repaire that first made as also that thou mayst be acquainted to whom to goe to sustaine nature Nature hath taught every thing to goe to that for sustenance which brought it forth as the Lambe goes to the Ewe and the Chicken to the Hens body Vse Therefore thou mayst see what fooles we are by nature who are more apt to enquire after any thing then after our Maker Every trick of our Trades every devise to help us to live or live comfortably is attended with all diligence but we desire not to be acquainted with our Maker But I hope better things of thee and that which accompanies salvation Be thou provoked to enquire after this and not to sacrifice to thy own nets or to run to naturall means chiefly for supplies when thou art necessitated 2. Resolve that it was God that made thee Galen himselfe when God made us as a natural Anatomist he did consider the frame of Man said like an Atheist that he sung a song in the praise of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thou my child needest not to be beholding to his confession for thou must be made either of nature or of thy selfe or of thy Parents or of God But thou art not made of nature for it cannot give a good reason of every thing in thee They that have doted most upon nature could never give a prevailing reason of the strength of the nether jaw-bone which hath such weake supporters nor of the heat of the stomach which consumeth fit things put into it yet not those parts about it Nor art thou made of thy selfe For though the Maker know the parts of the thing made yet thou doest not know thine no not by anatomy neither canst thou command or refraine the pulse of thy wrist or the motion of thy heart Nor art thou made of thy parents for neither thy father that begat thee nor I thy mother that conceived thee knew what was begotten nor what was conceived and yet it is necessary that the cause should know the effect What then remaines but that thou shouldst acknowledge thy selfe to be of the generation of God Act. 17.28 Vse Remember this then and know that God doth know whatsoever is in thee even thy most secret thoughts
to keep the Lords day when it comes thou breakest that Commandement Thou seest many worldly men they bury themselves under the earth all the weeke and they have neither life nor leasure to come to the Congregation of Gods people on the Lords day or if they doe they sit like blocks upon benches and have more mind of the world then of the word of their pence then of their prayers So thou seest many a wanton boy and girle who would nothing but play all the weeke and when the Lords day comes they mind nothing else and so are disgraces to the Assemblies where they are These sinne against the Lords day before it comes and so mayst thou and heed it not Thou mayst also break it when it is gone by not answering the end of it The Prophet Esay Esa 2. speaking of these dayes saith That we shall encourage one another to goe up to the house of the Lord that he may teach us his wayes and we walke in his pathes This should be thy end now of keeping the Lords dayes But when God doth not teach thee his wayes and then thou dost not walke in his pathes notwithstanding all the teaching which shines about thee then thou breakest the Lords day when it is gone And thus thou now seest how thou breakest all the Commandements every day And never wonder at it seeing the Law exacts perfect obedience to justification but is weake to give it Rom. 8.3 because of the flesh Indeed the Gospel gives more strength so as by grace thou mayst keep it in desires purposes endevours with all sincerity and willingnesse for thy sanctification though not perfectly for thy justification but I enquire yet of thy naturall state and of that thy answer is given and opened by me Vse Therefore my child seriously think upon it that it may wound thy heart with the spirit of bondage so farre as to bring thee over to Jesus Christ Rom. 8. Most men are like Saul who when he saw Samuel after the destruction of Amalek said 1 Sam. 15. Blessed be thou of the Lord I have kept the commandements of God so they have kept them also they are neither whore nor thiefe they keep their Church and are good neighbours and some men say as Shadrach Dan. 3. Meshech and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar in another case We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter or to keep thy commandement so they care not to enquire into it or know whether they keep or breake them But as thou lovest thy soul let it not be so with thee As I have asked thee carefully so feele conscionably thy answer that thou breakest them that thou mayst lye down in shame and confusion in thy selfe that thou mayst be prepared for Jesus Christ Think that thou wert in Adam when he brake the whole Law of nature Thinke how prone thy nature is to all sinnes even the worst that ever were committed Thinke how thou sinnest daily against the whole body of Justice in many petty sinnes which makes thee groane and cry daily forgive us our trespasses Thinke that though there be but one Market day in seven for provision for thy soule yet thou sinnest against it before it comes and when it is gone as well as when it is and so barrest the blessing of it from thy soule And when thou seriously thinkest of these things between God and thy own soule thinke again what will become of thee if thou die in thy sinnes and come to answer before a just God who cannot endure to behold iniquitie It may be that if God blesse thy conscience may be rowzed to hearken further concerning thy estate and never give over hearkening and enquiring till thou have found a way into Jesus Christ If thou wilt know more tell me 20. Q. What punishment is appointed for them that breake Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction both of body and soule Remember how farre thou hast gone Of Gods curse upon sinners Thou wert made to serve God thou shouldst serve him according to his laws thou breakest all these laws and for this by nature thou doest lye under this curse of God of which thou here speakest Deut. 27.26 Deut. 28. Levit. 26. Moses speaks of this Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them and He shews the particulars of this curse upon body soule and state Gal. 3.10 Paul expounds it more clearly Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them And Christ speaks of the height of it Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels It is most miserable to be in such a case yet thou art in it by nature Eph. 2. as thou art born a child of wrath an heire of hell God curseth when he doth inflict punishment Men curse when they wish ill one to another as poxe plague gallows vengeance and confusion or hurt any way to body or soule These are kinds and formes of speech savouring of the belched-up froth of carnall and devillish hearts But God curseth when he inflicteth punishments Thou wouldst thinke it a great curse to have a father mother master or mistresse who should doe nothing but beat bruise and wound thee day and night In stead of feeding thee beat thee in stead of cloathing thee beat thee in stead of refreshing thee beat thee in stead of giving thee rest and sleep beat thee so is it a farre more miserable estate to lye day and night under Gods flayles of punishments The punishment which God inflicts is eternall destruction of body and soule To be destroyed in body is a fearefull punishment to be destroyed in soule is more fearefull to be destroyed in body and soule is more fearefull yet but to be destroyed in body and soule everlastingly is most fearfull it cannot be expressed it is endlesse easelesse and remedilesse What the destruction of body and soule is This destruction is double the destruction of sin and the destruction of misery By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of sinne when thou art not used to that end which God made thee for God made thee to serve him thou shouldst serve him by keeping the law thou breakest the law and hast this part of the curse the destruction of sinne If I had a piece of timber squared fawed and framed if I use it not to this end but let it lye and rot in the durt it is destroyed If thou hadst good apparell and shouldst not weare it but let it lye in the high way for horse and carriages to go over for swine to rent it is destroyed so it is with thee when the world flesh and devill abuseth thee and thou art not used to Gods end By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of misery when
thou art subject to the miseries of this life and of the life to come The miseries of this life are all crosses to thy person comfort credit and state as sicknesses sorrows disgraces discomforts both within and without The miseries of the world to come are thy separation from the Lord and his Law the two principles of life for ever As when thy soul is separated from thy body a naturall death is made up so when thy person is separated from God and his word of comfort a spirituall death is made up which begins in this life and is continued for ever and ever Vse Oh my child feare and tremble under this burthen Thou art apt as all others to build up thy way to heaven with untempered morter saying to thy own soule that all is well when all is amisse This makes thee with an hard and impenitent heart to goe on in thy accursed courses But this doctrine of curses will teach thee that thou wert in danger before thou wast borne and ever since Thou mightst justly have been cast into hell before thou didst breath in this open world Thou hast all thy life been under the destruction of sinne and this hath enwrapped thee in the destruction of misery Thou feelest many paines and sicknesses which are but the light flashes of hell fire Thou art like a man condemned to a tormenting and dying death As if a man had a Caldron of boyling lead hang over his head and he starke naked under it First one drop falls upon his head another upon his shoulder another upon his arme another upon his hand another upon his backe another upon his belly another upon his legge upon his foot another which makes him start and shreeke but at the last the whole showre comes which makes him roare and tumble like a wild bull in a net So thou by this volley of curses art first nipt in one part then in another which makes thy joy to be interrupted and thy mirth many times turned into mourning But at last in death and Judgement comes an whole Sea of them which makes weeping howling and gnashing of teeth Weigh it seriously before it be too late It may be that God will leave a blessing behind to make thee search after a deliverance which is the next thing that comes to be skanned But first let me try thy profiting Thou toldest me that thou breakest all Gods commandements according to which thou shouldst serve him Tell me therefore Q. How many wayes doest thou breake them A. Three wayes Q. Which be they A. First in Adam secondly in the pronenesse of my nature thirdly in breaking one I breake them all Q. But the seventh part of time comes but once a weeke how canst thou break the commandement which concernes that every day A. I breake it before it comes and when it is gone Q. How before it comes A. By doing that upon the week day which makes me unfit to keep it when it comes Q. How when it is gone A. By not learning Gods wayes and not walking in his pathes Q. Art thou in danger of Gods curse A. Yes both in my body and in my soule Q. How doth God curse A. By inflicting of punishment Q. What punishment doth he inflict A. A destruction of my body and my soule Q. How doest thou know thy selfe to be destroyed A. When I am not used to that end that God made me for Q. What follows upon this A. A subjection to the miseries of this world and of the world to come Doe not forget how farre thou art gone God made thee thou art made to doe him service thou shouldst serve him as he commands thou breakest all his commands and therefore thou art under the curse and so a more miserable creature then a toade or any serpent if thou be not delivered Tell me then 21. Q. How shalt thou escape this curse A. Onely by Jesus Christ our Lord. Thou answerest rightly Christ is our deliverer from the curse Act. 4.12 for there is no name under heaven whereby thou canst be saved but onely the name of Jesus that is no authoritie power vertue or merit Gal. 3.13 It is he that hath redeemed thee from the curse of the law being made a curse for thee Col. 2.14 15. It is he that blotted out the hand-writing that was against thee and tooke it out of the way nayling it to his crosse and having spoyled principalities and powers made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himselfe on the crosse and therefore when Paul groveled under the burthen of his sinne he could find no rest for his soule but in the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 7.24 25. and thus must it be with thee therefore it behoves thee to know him If thou didst owe millions of pounds yea and satisfaction to the law by death and hadst but one friend in all the world that would and could undertake to discharge thee from all thou wouldst know him or else thou wert unworthy to have benefit by him So thou must know Christ in his names natures offices and uses by which thou hast saving good by him or else thou art unworthy of him And because this is signified in his names thou must throughly know the sense and vertue of them for thee He is called Jesus Matth. 1.21 because he saves his people from their sins He saves thee three wayes By Ransome by Rescue and by Mortification He saves thee by Ransome by laying down his life for thee Joh. 10.15 Thou shouldst have died the first and second death for ever and ever Christ died the first death and overcame the second for thee He saved thee by Rescue by delivering thee by strong hand When God was satisfied thy enemies the world the flesh and the devill would not let thee goe Luk. 1.71 74 75. Therefore Christ saved thee from thy enemies and from the hands of them that hate thee that thou being delivered from them mightst serve him without feare of them all the dayes of thy life in holinesse and righteousnesse before him He saveth thee by Mortification by killing of sinne of thee least thou be killed in sinne When thou art ransomed and delivered yet sinne sticks closer to thee then thy skinne Therefore to perfect thy salvation Christ strengthens thee with might by his spirit in the inner man Ephs 3.16 17. Rom. 8.13 and dwels in thy heart by faith that thou mayst mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit He is called Christ because he is anointed Psal 2.2 Col. 2.9 This anointing is his having the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily He was not onely made partaker of the divine nature as we are but he was full God and full man personally united Joh. 3.34 and so he received not the spirit by measure but was anointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Psal 45.7 The reasons why he was anointed were that
all thy debts are payed If any man were bound for thee and cast into prison and after enjoying the libertie of a free subject thou mayst conclude that all thy debts are payd so mayst thou rest thy soule that God is well pleased and satisfied with what his sonne hath done for thee when thou seest by miracles acts and many testimonies that he is risen from the dead Vse Therefore my deare child feed thy soule comfortably with these natures of thy blessed Saviour and with the uses he made of them for thy good He was man to performe lowly offices he was God to performe exalted offices of love Is he to dye an accursed death He is a man Rom. 8.3 in the similitude of sinfull flesh Psal 24. Is he to rise againe He is the King of Glory the Lord mighty in battell who knows how to vanquish the last enemy 1 Cor. 15. death as well as any that appeared before He that is thy suretie so able so willing will satisfie to the utmost farthing He that is thy Advocate so faithfull so wonderfull in counsell will not leave any of thy worke behind till he have brought thee a Certificate of thy full discharge When thou repentest and art ready to be swallowed up of sorrow let thy poore soule rest here and thou shalt have joy by beleeving and come with confidence and boldnesse to the throne of grace But it may be that the extent of this benefit may something damp thy spirit Therefore tell me 25. Q. Whether all men are saved by Christs death A. No onely they are saved which have a true faith Right thus doth the Scripture teach If all were saved it were happy for the children of darknesse and sons of Belial Hell should soone be emptie and heaven fuller then ever God meant it God should be made the greatest tyrant in the world if he should require such repentance faith mortification Godly living of some and yet save all by Christs death who never touched any of Gods holy rules with their little finger Therefore certainly this salvation must be limited to them that beleeve Thus doth Christ Joh. 3.16.18.36 Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish and he that beleeveth on him is not condemned and he that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlasting life and Luke saith That at Antioch when Paul and Barnabas preached as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved This was the receit that Philip gave to the Eunuch Act. 13.48 Act. 8. Act. 16. and Paul and Silas gave to the keeper of the Prison and it must be thine For faith is the eye the foot the hand the mouth of thy soule yea it is all in all to give thee union with Christ for life and salvation It is the eye of thy soule therefore God saith by the Prophet Looke upon me and be ye saved Esa 45.22 O ye ends of the earth that is beleeve in me It is the foot of thy soule therefore Christ saith Joh. 6.35 He that comes to me shall never hunger that is he that beleeves in me It is the hand of thy soule therefore John saith Joh. 1.12 So many as received him to them he gave a free right to be the sons of God that is beleeved in him It is the mouth of the soule therefore Christ saith Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man Joh. 6.53 and drink his bloud ye have no life in you that is except ye beleeve in him Yea it is all in all for uniting thee to Christ therefore John saith 1 Joh. 3. Rom. 1. Heb. 10. Gal. 2.20 Joh. 14. He that hath the Sonne hath life and Paul saith By faith we live because it is that excellent Instrument which unites us to Christ who is both our way truth and life Vse Therefore my deare child be not beguiled with the deceitfulnesse of Satan as too many are who dreame of the saving of all Christians if they doe but professe to beleeve in Christ upon a generall knowledge of the grounds of Christianity No no thou must have faith and thou must have a true and a living faith if thou wouldest have thy salvation by Christ The faith that ordinary professors at large dreame of is an easie way to heaven They may swallow downe all their sins with greedinesse and goe thither at an houres warning It is but knowing and assenting to the truth of Christianity and saying upon presumptuous grounds that Christ died for them and they hope to be saved by him as well as the precisest of them all But thou wilt find it an harder worke to have a true faith of Gods elect For thou mayst find that when sinners are brought into the straits of death sometimes they can not beleeve and sometimes they dare not beleeve They can not beleeve for their lives as Francis Spira who cried out that he could no more beleeve then the Devill If a man will ever runne he will runne when he runs for his life and if a man will ever beleeve he will beleeve when he beleeves for his life But poore sinners when the sight of their owne unworthinesse and Satans temptations are let loose upon them can not beleeve for their lives Sometimes they dare not beleeve as wicked Christians who see they must lose all if they beleeve in Christ They must lose father mother wife children houses lands and all sublunary contentments if they beleeve in Christ As a man that hath gotten a great deale by greedy scraping ravening and holding dares not beleeve that Covetousnesse is Idolatry for then he shall be undone So dare not a professor at large beleeve in Christ Phil. 3. because he knows that he must account all things losse and dogs-meat for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified He must deny all his rotten grounds of confidence as I keep my Church I am neither whore nor thiefe I wrong no man I am a good neighbour I have a good heart to God-ward I have a good meaning though I doe not pray as others yet God knows my heart though I cannot say as others yet I know the way to heaven as well as the best I doe as I would be done unto and the like he must I say deny all these rotten grounds which he dare not doe for then he sees that he shall be a dunghill and hath nothing to please himselfe in Get thou therefore true faith even the faith not of the world but of the Gospel In this I 'le helpe thee as I can and therefore tell me 26. Q. What is this true faith of Gods elect A. It is the resting of the soule upon Christ for salvation Understand this well as thou lovest the life of thy soule What true Faith is Some will tell thee that it is an assenting to the truth of the Gospel It is not assenting to the truth Jam. 2. and in truth thou must agree to the
Job 21.14 Rom. 6. depart from me I desire not the knowledge of thy laws I will sinne that grace may abound 1 Cor. 15. let us â— at and drink for to morrow we shall die But let it not be so with thee Let thy soul move to God against sinne by confession and suits for pardon For grace by petitions and thankesgiving yea and for all other blessings that thou maist acknowledge him the fountain of them serve God with joyfulnes and gladnes of heart for the aboundance of all things Deu. 28.47 Use Thus maist thou my childe conceive what prayer is and therefore be sure that thine be such The wicked are ready to say Job 21.15 what is the Almighty that we should serve him Eph. 6.18 And what profit should we have if we should pray unto him But let thy soul alwayes move to God with all religion against sinne and for grace 1 Thes 5.17 If thy prayers be like the golden sockets of the holy lights boyling with speculations and not like the Bowles of the Altar full of the liquor of heavenly religion they will prove but like the Aegyptian flesh-pots reeking out the hot vapours of the onyons and garleek of thy own vain heart If they be fair words of uncharitable hearts they are like Ezekiahs bloudy pots Ezek. 24.6 that boyl with the scum of rust and lust But if they be the interpreters of a broken and bleeding soul moving to God they shall be Zacharies pots Zach. 14.20 and the bowles of the Altar sending up sweet incense which shall fill the whole heart with the savour as the house was filled with the odour of Maries oynment Joh. 12.3 The moving of thy feet to the assemblies of Gods people the moving of thy body by kneeling and beating thy breast and lifting up of hands and eyes to heaven the moving of thy tongue and lips will be nothing without this moving of thy heart and soul for fellowship with God in Christ Oh let thy heart move against sinne O Lord it hath oppressed me undertake for me My sinne in Adam my sinne of nature my sins of life in thought word and deed are before thee O pardon them for Christ his sake Let thy heart move for grace O Lord I want thy preventing grace thy assisting grace thy pardoning grace thy sanctifying grace thy sealing grace thy persevering grace Oh give them for Christ from Christ or else I die and perish Let thy heart move for all blessings O Lord I have nothing but under thee from thee Thou hast given me a naturall right to meat drink and apparel health peace and libertie Oh give me the right of a childe of an heir and accept my bodie and soul as holy living and acceptable sacrifices in Jesus Christ thy Sonne in whom thou art well pleased The God of heaven enlarge thy heart and give thee by his helping spirit Rom. 8.26 27. to vent thy soul with groanes and sighes that cannot be expressed These God that searcheth the heart and knowes the minde of the spirit will understand to thy eternall peace 37. Q. Where canst thou more fully learn the matter of prayer A. In that which is commonly called the Lords prayer The Lords prayer is the matter of prayer Thy blessed Saviour made many prayers which may bee called the Lords prayers but there is one which he hath set down as a doctrinall matter of prayer Matth. 6.9 when he saith after this manner pray ye and as a formall prayer when he saith Luk. 11.2 when ye pray say Our Father which is more peculiarly called the Lords prayer This is a brief comprehension of all confessions suits for or against of all intercessions and praises This hath the best authoritie in the world the wisedome of God the Son of God the onely beloved of God who is in the bosome of the Father and so of Gods nearest Court and nearest counsell This must give the graines of weight to all thy Petitions without which they will be found too light Vse Therefore my dear childe learn to pray from this thy blessed master Joh. 3.31 Christ that is from heaven is above all earthly masters will learn thee earthly prayers but he that is from heaven will learn thee heavenly Joh. 1. He is full of grace and truth for the perfections of thy understanding and of thy will He is the way wherein all thy prayers must walk to God Joh. 16.23 To aske in his name is to ask salvation and this is to ask himself which he cannot deny To ask in his name is to use his mediation and this is the right way to the throne of grace God the Father bears singular love to him Matth. 3.17 and and the efficacie of his merits are such as if they be presented in prayer they are powerfull and prevailing Revel 8.2 as the golden Altar before the throne on which are offred the prayers of all the Saints Wouldst thou have any grace learn of Christ to pray Wouldst thou forsake any sinne learn of Christ to pray Prayer is a most important dutie Dan. 6. Daniel chose it rather then to avoid Lions and David gave himself unto prayer Other duties are for certain seasons but this must must be continually in habit or act Luk. 18.1 Thou shalt finde thy self hardly drawn to prayer Easie businesses we are easily drawn unto because they are of quick dispatch but weightie businesses stick as the flaying of an Oxe at the head Thou must have many motives to draw thee to pray Christs command Christs promise Christs example and Christs doctrine This shews the weight of this dutie and how necessary it is to learn the matter of it from thy best Master Ob. Thou must think that every good Christian hath abilitie to pray and that therefore thou needest not learn Zach. 12.10 especially considering the promise I will powr out upon them the spirit of grace and supplication Sol. But understand that there is a double power and abilitie an inward power by which the heart moves and goes out of it self after God for all good This all good Christians have from the Spirit which they vent Rom. 8.26 by groanes and sighes which cannot bee expressed an outward power by which they are able distinctly to expresse the motions of their hearts about fit matter This they have not all neither hast thou Therefore must thou be willing to learn it from this blessed summe of Christ even all things to be hoped for I tell thee that it is much abused by three sorts of persons Ignorant persons who understand it not Impenitent persons who practise it not and carelesse and superstitious persons who minde it not in sence and power but rest in the emptie repetition of the words Be thou none of these know the words and sense of it use it as a penitent beleever and possesse the matter and contents of
the throne a Sea of glasse Apoc. 4. such is the world to the Christian troublesome as the sea and transitory as glasse His ship that is the Church which like Noahs Ark floats upon the floud and makes him cry out as the Disciples in that storm save Master we perish His Merchandise that is true and heavenly wisdome Pro. 3.14 whose Merchandise is better then silver and whose gain is better then gold His losses that is his houses and lands Mar. 10. Matth. 16. his father mother wife children life yea and his soul too if he do not watch and pray and then what will it profit him to win the whole world if hee lose his owne soul Secondly a Merchant lends upon adventure He commits what he hath to the mercy of the sea to the unsafety of a ship which staggers up and down like a drunken man and is subject to many a storm and leak and to be indangered by Pyrats So doth a Christian If he look for comfort he casts his burthen upon the Lord and he knowes not when he shall have it If he look for faith peace joy in the Holy Ghost he casts himself upon the meanes and confidently adventures upon the truth of God If he looks for better times he casts the Anchor of hope because he hath them not and looks for new heavens 2 Pet. 3. and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse If he do but a work of mercy Eccles 11. he casts his bread upon the waters hoping after many dayes he shall finde it but he knowes not when the return will come If he finde his expectation to be fruitlesse he sayes as Peter to Christ we have laboured all night and have taken nothing yet at thy command I le cast down the Net and at last findes the successe answerable Thirdly a Merchant fetcheth in the commodities of every Country to enrich himself and his country the gold of Ophir the gummes and spices of Arabia and whatsoever he findes gain and glory in So doth the Christian If any thing be heard of truly good and honest Phil. 4. and of good report he thinks upon these things to do them He knowes how to distinguish betwixt base and valuable commodities If he meet with the superstition of Spain the pride of France the lust of Italy the drunkennesse of Germany he hates them even to the garment spotted of the flesh but whatsoever he meets withall that may be an honour to God an ornament to the Gospel an edification to his neighbour a comfort to his own soul that he brings home to inrich himself and others with it Fourthly a Merchant fetcheth all he hath from far As it is said of the good housewife she is like a Merchants ship Prov. 31. she fetcheth her food from a farre She fetcheth it from the earth to the house from the house to the wheel from the wheel to lomb from the lomb to her houshold her own and her husbands back Thus doth she her husband good and not evill all the dayes of her life So doth the Christian He looks to the earth to the Sea under the earth to the ayr yea and to the Church to espie what may be serviceable to him and his but yet he goes further He dares not make use of any thing he hath or can have before he knocks at the gate of heaven He sees an open trade driven betwixt Christ and his Church and he will not have gold nor rayment Apoc. 3. nor eye-salve no nor a crust of bread before he have beg'd the comfortable use of them from the great owner of heaven Vse Therefore I beseech you Christians be perswaded that it is not so easie to be a true Christian as most men think it to be You know the conceits of too many What is it but to beleeve in Christ and what is this belief but to trust in Christ upon the rotten grounds of their own hearts Oh but a Merchants life is full of care full of fear full of depending prayers full of hazards and losses and so certainly is a Christians also They are deceived that think to stretch themselves upon beds of Ivory Am. 6.4 to drink wine in bowles to eat the calves of the stall to invent instruments of Musick like and then to go to heaven in a Sedan Coach or Chariot as Elias The Kingdom of heaven must suffer violence and the violent take it by force Thorough Sea Land and a thousand difficulties doth a Merchant passe and so must you Ob. But doth not Christ say my yoak is easie why then are we frighted with danger and difficulty Sol. It is true that in many respects Math. 11. the yoak of Christ is easie and his burthen light In comparison of the yoak of Moses exacting perfect righteousnesse to justification or else cursing This was insupportable Act. 15. neither we nor our fathers were able to bear it In comparison of the yoak of worldly Princes These have a double yoak in penall statutes and voluntary decrees and resolves We would account our selves most miserable if we should be galled with the easiest of them In comparison of Adams yoak exacting the perfecting of the law of nature Posse perseverare non actum perseverandi for which he had a power of perseverance though not the act of it Alas we cannot do it we have not this power we cannot bear In comparison of the excellent helps we have to bear it Christ puts into one hand that we may pay him with the other Thus he saith they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 Therefore in these respects the yoak of Christ is easie But in respect of the duties of the Gospel and our weak natures to perform them it is very hard Put your souls to repent and beleeve to deny your selves to take up Christ and beleeve not onely to beleeve but to suffer for Christ to strive unto bloud to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live holily righteously and soberly in this present world to beat down the body and bring it in subjection to mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit not to care for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it and to walk in simplicity and godly purenesse it is hard very hard therefore ye have cause to think of the life of the Merchant Yet this addes to the worth of the Gospel that this Christian Merchant trades in this Kingdome of heaven 3 What doth he trade for The commodity traded for is the Pearl Christ Pearles especially for that pearl of great price that godly pearl This represents Christ unto to you who is the Diamond heart and soul of the Gospel And in truth Christ is this pearl in five respects First in respect of rarenesse Pearls are not to be found in every ground nor Christ in every soul How many thousands are there where Christ dwels not It is as impossible not to see a