onely pretend our selves to have faith but make sure it be as a justifying so a sanctifying faith for so a justifying faith ever is To rise in soul we must make sure that is to say from the death of sin to the life of grace Rev. 20.6 Rom. 8.11 5. And lastly we should earnestly endeayour to live as the children of the Resurrection Luke 20.36 as those that believe a glorious Resurrection heavenly harmlesly and fruitfully 1. Heavenly Philippians 3.20 21. 2. Harmlesly Acts 24.16 17. 3. Fruitfully 1 Cor. 15.58 Thus we have done with the second Member of this Principle as we reckon Of the day of judgement THe second Common-place being finished we come now to the third which we lay forth in this Doctrine Doct. 3. Immediately after the general Resurrection shall be the last Judgement Or thus It is a most certain truth that there shall be a day of judgement The Scriptures are very clear and abundant in proof of this point Begin we with that antient testimony alledged in the Apostle Jude Jude 14.15 See Dan. 7.9 10 Eccl. 12. v. last Matth. 12.36 Acts 17.31 Rom. 14.10 2 Cor. 5.10 The Reasons of the Point Reas 1. Gods Decree Heb. 9.27 As the Lord hath appointed the former so the latter Reas 2. The particular judgements the Lord inflicts in this life upon persons and places as the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah the drowning of the old world the plaguing of Aegypt and the desolation of Jerusalem did not all these typifie the general judgement Luke 17.26 c. Reas 3. The consciences of men and women even the least inlightned and awakened tremble at this great truth and so prove it Acts 24.25 Reas 4. The justice and goodness of God The justice of God requires that it should go absolutely ill with the wicked the goodness of God requires that it should go absolutely well with the godly but neither of these come to pass in this life and therefore there must be a day of judgement that both these may be effected Reas 5. The fifth and last Reason This is the end of the general Resurrection to wit the general Judgement Men and women must be raised again that they may be judged But here we meet with an objection Object May some man say The whole world consists of Believers and Unbelievers But as touching Believers it is said John 5.24 that they shall not come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in judicium to judgement Answ The meaning is not to the judgement of condemnation and so indeed the last translation renders it Object And then as touching Unbelievers so remaining it is said of them John 3.18 that they are condemned already Answ It is true so they are 1. In Gods Decree 2. In Gods word 3. In their own consciences But yet the manifestation and finishing of this judgement is reserved unto the last day But for the opening of so weighty a Doctrine we intend to answer the questions following 1. How this judgement is distinguished from other judicial proceedings 2. When the day of judgement shall be 3. Who shall be the Judge 4. And lastly What shal be the manner of proceeding at that day Quest 1. The first question is How this judgement is distinguished from other judicial proceedings Answ This we may let you see in divers Epithets given to this judgement as 1. It is called the last judgement so the Catechisme entitles it And so it is for after it there shall be no other the sentence passed then can never be reverst there can be no appeal from that Judge and judgement 2. It is called the general judgement God judgeth men and women in this world and that both in life and death He judgeth them whilst they are living by correcting his people for their scapes and infirmities by punishing the wicked for their transgressions and rebellions He judgeth every man and woman at death But then shall be a general judgement of all 2 Cor. 5.10 3. It is called a manifest and open judgement And so it shall be for the proceedings then shall be in the eye and view of all the world 4. It is called a sudden judgement And so it shall be in regard of the wicked Even as the flood came upon the Old World when they were wantonizing and deriding that preacher of righteousness 5. And lastly It is called an eternal judgement Not that the Judge shall sit for ever sifting matters and debating causes but it is so called from the effect for the issue will be this The eternal weal and happiness of the godly and the eternal woe and misery of the wicked Quest 2. The second question When the day of judgement shall be Answ In likelihood it is not far off if we compare some Texts and our times as Luke 18.8 Matth. 24.37 c. 2 Tim. 3.1 c. The truth of it is were but Rome ruinated and the Jew called what should hinder that great day And in how little time can the Lord effect these two great works But touching the precise day see Mat. 24.36 But why doth the Lord conceal this day Answ 1. That he might hereby bridle our curiosity Acts 1.7 2. That the wicked might not defer their repentance Psalm 95.7 8. 3. That the godly might be occasioned to continual watchfulness Mark 13.33 c. Quest 3. The third question Who shall be the Judge Answ God All the Persons in the Godhead Father Son and Holy Ghost All the three Persons shall judge as touching their consent and Authority but the particular execution of this judgment is committed to the Son it is he that shall execute this vengeance and as he is the Son of man John 5.22 27. 2 Tim. 4.1 Acts 10.42 and 17.31 Object 1. But the Apostles shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 Answ It is true the Apostles shall judge the twelve tribes but how to wit by their Faith and Doctrine the example whereof wil take away all excuse from the Israelites 2. They shal be as Justices on the Bench and consent to Christs judgements Object 2. The Saints shal judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 Answ It is true 1. As sitting with the Judge and approving of his sentence as the Apostles before 2. As they are Members of Christ the Judge and 3. As their example shall be alledged to condemn the wicked Quest 4. The 4th and last question What shal be the manner of proceeding at that day Answ That we may the better resolve this question we are to consider 1. The Preparation to this judgement 2. The judgement it self The Preparation is twofold 1. Of the Judge 2. Of them to be judged The Preparation of the Judge consists in four things 1. In the Commission he hath from his Father John 5.27 which then shal be manifested to all the world 2. In the cloathing of his Humane Nature with a wonderful Majesty and glory Matth. 25.31 Matth. 16.28 compared with Mat. 17.1 c. 3. In his
4.19 Let them that suffer according to the wil of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creator And so Job argues Job 10.3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse That thou shoul'dst despise the work of thine hand This argument indeed from such as obstinately go on in sin will be of little force as we may see Isa 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy in them and he that formed them will shew them no favour The potter when he sees the clay will by no means be brought to his mind he takes it and dashes it against the walls so will the Lord deal with the wicked who will by no means be brought to obey their Creator But for those that remember their Creator and truly fear him he will be found a faithfull Creator to them upon all occasions in their greatest wants inward and outward supplying them as shall be the best in their greatest dangers defending them as shall be for their greatest good But ye have not looked saith the Prophet Esay unto the maker thereof neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long agoe Isa 22.11 As though if the Jewes had had respect or recourse unto their Creator in the way of true humiliation and information as well as used the civill means which they were earnest in they should have been strong enough and too strong for the Persians their enemies see Psal 124.8 Vse 3. For Exhortation and that divers waies 1. To imitate God that we would not hoard up and keep to our selves what might be profitable to others The Lord although he made all things for his own glory yet his glory was not increased by any thing he made For to speak properly he being alwaies infinitely glorious his glory can neither be increased nor decreased But in the work of Creation he commnicated himself to Elect Angels and men for their good and happinesse so must we bring forth our talent inward and outward for the good and benefit of others Secondly To exhort us That we would seriously consider the work of Creation and in it to read God and his attributes There is not the least fly but in it we may read God and his Attributes the Lord could have made the world in a moment of time but takes six daies to the business and no question to move us to be the more serious and laborious in the reveiw of this work and wil not take it wel at our hand to have such a work as this slighted We must arise from the creature to the Creator The unreasonable creatures are matter of praise and we must therefore in our kind be instruments of praise Thirdly To exhort us to serve and obey God and that with chearfulnesse Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth Words of knowledg in Scripture imply affection and practise that is to say know fear love serve and obey thy Creator in the daies of thy youth thou wilt then be the fitter to serve and obey him in thy old age And so the Psalmist Psal 100.2 3. Serve the Lord with gladnesse it is he that made us and not we our selves We count him a Monster of men that is very undutiful unto his Parents but how much more may we account him a Monster that delights in rebellion against his Creator whose instruments only our Parents were to bring us into this world Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee Vse 4. For Inquisition Further to enquire into two Creatures the chief of the Creation to wit Angels and Men. Touching the Angels if you ask when they were created I answer Whithin the compass of the first six dayes in likelihood upon the first day when the third heaven was created That they were created within the compass of the six days see Gen. 1.31 and 2.1 The heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them 2. If you enquire into their nature Answ They are invisible and incorporeal Substances Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits 3. If you enquire into their number Answ They are very many Heb. 12.22 An innumerable company of Angels and so Dan. 7. 10. Thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him 4. If we enquire into their Properties Answ 1. They are Creatures of excellent knowledg and understanding 1 Cor. 13.1 Though I speak with the tongue of men and of Angels not that the Angels have tongues or use of speech but to note what grace and excellency of speech must needs be thought to be in them if it might be supposed that they should speak and hence it is they are said Rev. 4.6 to be full of eyes 2. They are Creatures wonderous holy I mean the Angels that fell are extremely wicked but were created holy That the Angels we speak of are holy Creatures see Matth. 25.31 and Luke 9.26 They having this stile given them Holy in both places 3. They are Creatures of great strength and might Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord yee his Angels that excel in strength And so 2 Thes 1.7 Mighty Angels 4. They are Creatures very expeditious and nimble and therefore described Ezek. 1.6 to have wings 5. They are Creatures Immortal Luke 20.36 Neither can they dye any more for they are equal unto the Angels yet but Creatures for all this and finite Lastly If you ask Why they were created Answ For these two ends especially 1. To celebrate the praises of God Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord yee his Angels and Isai 6.3 One cryed unto another and said Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory 2. To be instruments of good and safety unto Elect men and women Psal 34.7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Psal 91.11 He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in thy wayes and Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth for them who shall be heirs of salvation As this may greatly comfort and animate all true Believers why so it may restrain and pull in the wicked from offering the least wrong unto such Mat. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven They are Angels to take revenge upon you if you do them the least wrong which is evident by the Angel his standing with a drawn sword ready to destroy Balaam because he would be allured by worldly gain to go against Gods people Num. 22.22 c. Now we come to the other principal Creature to wit Man If you ask when he was created Answ Upon the sixth
expresly in that form of Baptism which our Saviour enjoynes Matth. 28.19 Go ye and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost And so 1 John 5.7 There are three that hear Record in Heaven the Father the Word that is to say the Son and the Holy Ghost And 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God to wit God the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Now that you may the better conceive of so great a Mysterie these questions following are to be answered 1. How the Divine Essence and the Persons in the Divine Essence do differ 2. What the Person of the Father is what the Person of the Son is and what the Person of the Holy Ghost is 3. How these three Persons are united 4. How they are distinguished 5. Why it is necessary the Church should be acquainted with this Doctrine And Lastly the Uses Quest 1. How the Divine Essence and the Persons in the Divine Essence do differ Answ The difference is not real but formal we must not conceive the Divine Essence to be one thing and the Persons to be another thing for that were not to make a Trinity but a Quaternity not to make three but four There is another and another in the Godhead but not another thing and another thing That there is another and another in the Godhead John 5.32 There is another that beareth witness of me saith our Saviour to wit the Father And John 14.16 17. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter even the Spirit of truth but not another thing and another thing for this were to divide the Godhead and to make three Gods the Godhead being undivided and there being but one God as 1 Cor. 8.4 There is none other God but one the Divine Essence is one and common to all the three Persons the Persons are three several Subsistences or manners of being in that one Essence It is true the Father is God the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God and all Eternal Omnipotent c But yet there are not three Gods three Eternals three Omnipotents because the Essence the whole Essence the Godhead the whole Godhead is in every one of the three Persons Colos 2.9 In him to wit in the Son dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily that is Personally in the Person of the Son which is true of the other two Persons And this is the Mysterie of Mysteries that the Essence or Godhead should be in every Person and yet not divided that the whole Essence or Godhead should be in every Person and yet not three Gods but one God Now we come to the second question Quest 2. What the Person of the Father is what the Person of the Son is and what the Person of the Holy Ghost is Answ The Father is the first person the Son is the second and the Holy Ghost is the third The Father is not the first person in regard of time or Dignity but in regard of Order all the persons being as Co-Essential so Co-Eternal and Co-Equal The Order of the persons observed there is no Priority or Posteriority no Superiority or Inferiority among them the Father is the person not begotten nor proceeding but from everlasting begetting the Son and sending forth the Holy Ghost The Son is the person not Created but begotten from everlasting of the Father and with the Father sending forth the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is the person not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding from the Father and the Sonne by an Eternal spiration Now here we must observe that the Essence doth not beget another Essence for every one of the persons hath the Essence from himself but one person doth beget another the person of the Father the person of the Sonne 2. That there is this difference betwixt the Sonne and the Holy Ghost The Sonne is begotten of the Father onely the Holy Ghost proceeds both from the Father and the Sonne 3. These phrases begetting begotten proceeding must in no case be understood in any carnal way but altogether in a Spiritual manner Quest 3. How these three persons are united Answ The union of the persons is that by which each one is in the rest and with the rest by reason of the unity of the Essence or Godhead as John 14.10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me saith our Saviour to Philip They are all one in nature that is Co-Essential and Con-Substantial as 1 John 5.7 There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one to wit in Nature and Essence That which we said before is true the Father is God the Sonne is God and the Holy Ghost is God yet there are not three Gods but one God onely because there is but one Divine Essence but one God and no more in Nature Quest 4. How the three persons are distinguished Answ Not Essentially for every one of them hath the whole Essence or Godhead and yet really And here observe The difference betwixt the Essence and the persons is but formal the difference betwixt the persons themselves is real as the Father is the Father and not the Son or the Holy Ghost The Son is the Son and not the Father nor the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost and not the Father nor the Son Now the persons of the Godhead are distinguished two wayes 1. By their External actions 2. By their Internal Their External actions are such as they work in and toward the creatures as in the work of Creation and Preservation c As touching any of these works or actions the Father worketh of himself by the Sonne and the Holy Ghost the Sonne from the Father by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son The Father is the Original or Fountain of actions effecting by the Son and the Holy Ghost the proper working of the Son is to execute actions from the Father by the Holy Ghost the proper working of the Holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son to finish actions And here observe the reason why in Scripture so many things are attributed and refered to the Father Because he is as the Original and Fountain of the other persons so likewise of their operations 2. The persons of the Godhead are distinguished by their Internal actions and these are such as they exercise one towards another As the incommunicable property of the Father is to beget the incommunicable property of the Son is to be begotten and the incommunicable property of the Holy Ghost is to proceed And thus in some measure we see into this great Mysterie the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity Quest 5 Why it is necessary the Church should be acquainted with this Doctrine Answ
and righteousness but a corrupt inclination in every faculty of soul and member of body Gen. 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth even from the very time he begins to conceive 4. By Actual transgression And thus we see how many wayes the natural man is a sinner We now come to the Application Vse 1. For Confutation To confute the Papists who affirme that the Virgin M. was without sin free from original sin and from sin all her life long but this were to make her equal to Christ as he was man and this is to cross the Apostles allegation There is none righteous no not one to wit by nature meer man or meer woman since Adams fall and that the V. M. was not exempted in this kind is evident by our Saviours reproving of her John 2.4 When she told him of a want of Wine at the Marriage-feast in Cana Woman what have I to do with thee my hour is not yet come Had she not been in fault he would not so have check'd her And further observe what she her self saith Luke 1.47 My spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour If she were free from sin what needed she a Saviour Vse 2. To reprove divers men and women The most will confess they are sinners and great sinners but with so little knowledge as when they became sinners or how or wherein or what sinne is they cannot tell As if a Debtor should acknowledge himself to be indebted to such a man and yet he cannot tell when wherein or how he became indebted to him were not this an ignorant acknowledgement And likewise with so little humility ' the most men and women will confess they are sinners but with so little sense and feeling with so little griefe and shame not considering how great an evil sinne is how odious it makes a man or a woman to God how it layes them open to Gods wrath here and hereafter The Leper we know in the time of the old Testament must be shut up must not converse with men but no Leper so odious to mans eye as sinne makes a man odious to God And no man indebted be it never so much is so in danger of an Arrest by man as the unhumbled sinner is in danger of Gods wrath to Arrest him every hour and to presse him down to the pit of Hell where his worme shall never dye and his fire never goes out Mark 9.44 Vse 3. To awaken the Natural man he being a sinner and a sinner so many wayes as we have heard Ephesians 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the Dead and Christ shall give thee light Would any man unlesse he were dead drunk lay himselfe downe to sleep on the top of the Mast the Ship being under-saile in the midst of the Sea Or will any man but a mad man wittingly and willingly lye sleeping in a house that is on fire over his head O that the Natural man would take notice of his wretched condition that so he might be dejected and cast down crying out of himselfe as the Leper in the Law Leviticus 13.45 Vnclean Vnclean Crying to God with the Publican Luke 18.13 Lord be merciful to me a sinner And with more words then so for we must know we have there but the abridgement of the Publicanes Prayer and crying to the Minister of God with them in the Acts Chapter 2d. Verse 37. Men and Brethren what shall we do Now that men and women would labour for a fight and sense of their Natural misery consider 1. Some Motives 2. Some Means Motive 1. Otherwise they can never confesse their sinnes heartily What is the reason men and women confesse their sinnes so generall and carelesly but because they have not a sight and sense of their natural misery Hosea 14.2 Take with you words and turne to the Lord to wit in the way of confession saith the Prophet to the Israelites But in the first Verse they must before consider how they had fallen by their iniquity how sinful they were Motive 2. Without sight and sense of misery men and women are not capable of true Comfort and Consolation Before true Consolation goes hearty humiliation Luke 5.31 They that are whole need not a Physitian but they that are sick 2 Corinthians Chapter 7. Verse 6. the Apostle Paul stiles the Lord the Comforter of the abject Motive 3. Observe the Promise made to the truly dejected Matthew 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Isaiah 37.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones We come to the Meanes to bring men and women to a sight and sence of their misery Means 1. To look themselves throughly in the glass of the Law Rom. 3.20 By the Law comes the knowledg of sin 2 By applying to themselves the curses which are without partiality threatned to every transgressor of the Law for every transgression as Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them 3. Consider of how pure eyes the Lord is how he hates iniquity and suffers no transgression to pass unpunished but doth either punish it in the party offending or hath already punished it in the Mediator Vse 4 To justifie the Lord in regard of the judgments he sends upon the world All men and women being corrupted with sin and so many wayes as we have heard no marvel then that the world is so plagued In the seventh of Genesis we read how the Lord destroyed the world by water but see the sixth Chapter from the first verse unto the fourteenth The world was exceedingly corrupted with sin We know what the Psalmist saith Psal 107.17 Fools by reason of their sins and because of their iniquities are afflicted And the Church Lament 5.16 17. Wo unto us that we have sinned for this our heart is faint and for these things our eyes wax dim Nay the very young Infant that is taken away by death the Lord is not unjust in that proceeding even the young Infant being a sinner three wayes at the least by Participation by Imputation and by natural Corruption When judgments are upon us we must not murmur and repine but consider as Solomon doth advise Eccles 7.14 In the day of adversity consider that is consider for what and then we shall justifie him from whom the affliction comes Vse 5. For comfort and consolation to all true Converts It is true they are sinners but the Lord sees no sin in them which he will impute unto them It is true they are sinners but not such as he that was blind speaks of John 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners for Prov. 15.8 The prayer of the upright
poor soul then of an earthly Kingdome to be bestowed upon thee 3. If thou thinkest those that have true Peace of conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost to be the happiest people under the sun 4. If thou tremble at the Word and honour the very feet of those Instruments that bring glad tydings of peace to such as thy self to wit to wounded consciences 5. If thou send up strong and uncessant cryes to God for the assurance of his favour in and through Christ 6. If thou dost pity and compassionate all such as have broken and bruised hearts Vse 3. To exhort all such as for the present have not contrite and humble spirits to labour and endeavour for that disposition Motives 1. The contrary disposition to wit hardness of heart and impenitency is a great sin and a grievous judgement A great sin Rom. 2.5 But thou after thy hard and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath A grievous judgement Exod. 9.12 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh See John 12.40 Now there be two kinds of hardness of heart 1. Sensible that which is perceived and felt and this may be in the godly as Isa 63.17 Oh Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and heardened our hearts from thy fear 2. Insensible that which is not perceived and felt and this indeed is a great sin and plague 2. The second Motive The sooner we labour after this disposition the more easily in likelyhood we shall attain unto it when a heart hath been long hardened with the deceitfulness of sin it will not easily become a contrite and humble heart and therefore Psalm 95.7.8 To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts So Joel 2.12 13. Besides it may be hereafter we shall not enjoy the like means this way we do for the present 3. Without this contrite and humble spirit according to the Doctrine we cannot partake of Christ and his benefits this is the Messenger that Christ ever sends before him unto those of years for we do not now speak of Infants and wo be unto us if we do not partake of Christ and his benefits it had been good for us we had never been born 4. Whosoever hath this contrite and humble spirit shall certainly partake of Christ and his benefits Now this may greatly induce us to labour for this disposition when the issue undoubtedly shall be so good and so happy Suppose this business be difficult and tedious why yet such an issue must needs put us on in it These are the Motives Now we proceed to the Means of a contrite and humble spirit Means 1. Prayer to God in the best manner we can it is he that must bruise our hard and stony hearts Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh to wit a contrite and humble heart 2. Because the Lord doth many times make use of afflictions and judgements for the bruising of mens hearts when he sends any great affliction upon us let us not stand out against him but joyn with him when he goes a bout to humble us let us labour to humble our selves as Saul afterwards called Paul Acts 9.6 trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do When the hand of God is upon us let us not stand murmuring and repining but fall to examination of our Spiritual estates and cases as the Wise-man adviseth us Eccles 7.14 In the day of adversity consider 3. Constant dependance upon the Ministry of the Word Jer. 23.29 Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the Rocks in pieces Now we are to know that the Law hath a stroke in this work and so the Gospel 1. The Law by revealing of sin and the woful consequents of it and so the Spirit of God co-operating there is caused a servile fear and trembling a kind of contrition and humiliation which the Apostle Rom. 8.15 cals the spirit of bondage causing fear when the Spirit of God puts an edge upon the Law puts a sword into the hand of the Law to prick and wound the heart and to restrain it in the wayes of sin for fear of punishment Many a man and woman hears the Law opened and the threatnings of it thundringly denounced but stir not are little moved but when once the Lord by his Spirit puts an edge upon the Law then the stoutest heart trembles and quakes Now that the Law may have a kindly work upon us 1. By the Law let us labour for a distinct knowledge of sin 2. Rightly to understand what the Curse is which the Law threatneth unto sin and sinners 3. Examine our selves how guilty we are of that which the Law threatens the Curse unto to wit sin 4. Finding our selves guilty to labour our hearts to a deep contrition and humiliation Now as we have heard before as the Law hath a stroke in this work why so the Gospel more and more melting the heart by discovering Christ whom the sinner hath pierced by his sins and by supporting the heart by a secret hope of mercy and possibility of help in and through Christ even as Jonah Chap. 2. verse 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple Or as the Prodigal Son Luke 15.17 18. And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my fathers house have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee c. Now after the Law hath humbled us and the Gospel conveyed this glimpse of hope into our hearts it must be nourished and cherished 1. By considering of the Lords Infinite and Almighty Power how he is able more and more to bruise our souls to make us more and more capable of Christ and so to bring Christ nearer unto us that we may partake of him and his benefits Luke 1.37 With God nothing shall be unpossible And Matth. 3.9 God is able of stones to raise up children unto Abraham 2. The freeness of Gods mercy must be considered of he requires nothing of thee to procure this mercy but shewes mercy because he will shew mercy Suppose thou hast never so many exceptions to thy self why yet thou belonging unto him and his mercy being a free mercy he will proceed with thee until he hath made thee capable of Christ and bestowed Christ upon thee and his benefits Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And Isaiah 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake 3. For supporting of this hope consider we of the riches of Gods mercy unto the proper objects of mercy Contrite and Humble men
may renew our spirituall strength and come on in the course of Christianity And one thing we would adde even to those that carry themselves the most holily and watchfully betwixt Sacraments that seeing they gather and contract so much rubbish and soil in the intermission as they stand in great need to quicken and stir up their desire to the Sacrament and all other graces fitting worthy communicants that these I say would by extraordinary praier before they come to the Sacrament quicken and stir up the graces of Gods Spirit in themselves that so they may receive the more worthily And thus much now touching what we must do before we receive if so be we would receive to the encrease of our faith The second thing is what we must do in and about the act of receiving if so be we would receive worthily and to the encrease of our faith Answ Such as have prepared themselves as aforesaid First must labour to make sure to partake of all the publick ordinances before the administration of the Sacrament they must not come dropping in when the Minister is at praier or in his Sermon but should take all the ordinances before them 2. Betwixt the Ministers going out of the pulpit and his repairing to the Lords Table stir up thy self by considering that now thou art upon a great businesse to renew thy covenant with the Lord and the Lord with thee he to continue thy gracious faithfull and all-sufficient God in and through Christ for thy good every way And thou to continue his servant in better obedience then ever hitherto thou hast performed unto him and as the Lord intends fairly and faithfully towards thee so earnestly desire and resolve the like towards him 3. When the Minister doth addresse himself to the Celebration then seriously summon thy outward senses and inward affections to attend the whole businesse in hand Let nothing done at this sacred feast fall to the ground but employ thy outward senses upon the elements and upon the sacramentall acts of Minister and people and consider with thy self for the inciting and stirring up of thy faith that they are all signifying and sealing as before thou hast heard and so whilst thou art thus employed thou shalt not only receive the bread and wine of the Lord but the bread and wine which is the Lord as the one outwardly so the other inwardly Thus we have heard what must be done in and about the act of receiving Now we come to the third thing what must be done after we have received Answ 1. We must be willing to joyn with the congregation in praise and thanksgiving and so like wise in our liberality to the poor Matth. 26.30 Heb. 13.16 1 Cor. 16.1 2. 2. After we are departed the congregation we must labour to keep up our faith verily perswading our selves that the Lord will not fail a jot of his covenant renewed with us but as he hath said and sealed so he will work in us and for us It is Satans manner with some good communicants presently after they have received to stir up in them thoughts of unbelief as though their communicating were to no purpose but had been altogether in vain But in this case let them remember that the flesh of Christ is meat indeed and his blood drink indeed and that the Lord in the Sacrament doth not mock the prepared soul but intends fairly and in faithfulnesse 3. Sometime that day in secret take a survey and review of thy receiving what inward converse there was betwixt thee and the Lord in that businesse what secret signes and passages of love how thy affections were stirred and moved and how they continue Now in this survey and review if thou find there hath been little stirring and moving but rather deadnesse and dulnesse then thou hast just cause to suspect that there was some great want in thy preparation which if upon examination thou perceivest thou must greatly humble and judg thy self that so thou mayest not be judged of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.31 But if upon examination thou find that thou seriously endeavoredst to prepare thy self as did befit this sacred businesse although thou must be sensible of the affliction yet thou must not be too much dismaied but in the Lords means wait the Lords time for the fruit of the Sacrament remembring what the holy Ghost saith Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart Now on the contrary if in this survey and review thou dost find thou didst speed well at the Sacrament that thou hadst sweet converse with the Lord thy affections graciously stirred and moved and so continue Oh then thou hast great cause 1. To blesse and praise God 2. From this experience of his love to be confidently earnest with him that thou maiest daily find and feel the fruit of the Sacrament And 3. Upon this ground hast thou not cause to be forward to this feast another time nay at all times as thou seest a call And 4. and lastly hast thou not cause the more carefully to look to the covenant on thy part as thou hast vowed so to pay as thou hast promised new obedience better obedience so to endeavour the performance Psal 76.11 and 116.14 18. Eccles 5.4 5. And thus now we have answered the fourth question what must be done of us that in the use of this Sacrament our faith may be encreased We come to the Uses Vse 1 To inform us touching the great wrong the Popish teachers labour to do the people of God as concerning this ordinance by their altering adding detracting annihilating 1. By their altering they changing the nature of this ordinance turning this Sacrament into a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the living and the dead the Minister into a sacrificing Priest and the communion Table into an Altar 2. By adding a multitude and world of ceremonies to this ordinance of their own inventing and which have no footsteps in the word of God they so contrarying this businesse as though they were in hand with some masking shew or acting some stage play 3. By detracting they depriving the people of the wine as though they were unwilling they should have a full meal Nay 4. They altogether annihilating this ordinance by their cursed transubstantiation teaching upon the words of consecration that the elements cease to be in regard of their substance and that they are changed into the body and blood of Christ Thus and many other waies do the popish teachers go about to wrong Gods people in regard of this excellent ordinance a speciall means which the Lord hath appointed for the encrease and furtheranee of his peoples faith Vse 2 To reprove divers persons 1. All such as adventure to this Sacrament not being qualified with saving faith How can such persons expect an encrease of that which they are not at all possessed of nay what have such to do at the Lords Table The truth
advised by the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.29 c. A man abuseth the world when he looks upon worldly things as things that he shall enjoy alwayes 4. To reprove all such as cannot endure to think of death to be told of death You strike them into a melancholy fit when you put them in mind of their death those persons are far from imitating those Worthies in Scripture whom we read to have made their Sepulchres in their life time as Asa 2 Chron. 16.14 Nay in their Gardens the place of their solace and delight as Joseph of Aramathea John 19.41 Nay those persons come short of some of the Heathen we read of as Dâ—mocritus who was wont to walk among the graves that so he might the better meditate upon death And so it is reported of those Philosophers called Brachmanae that they were so much given to think upon death that they had their graves alwayes before their gates that both going out and coming in they might be put in mind of their latter end And so the antient Aegyptians in the midst of their mirth at their solemn seasts were wont to have the image of Death brought in and laid before them with these words Hoc intuens epulare Beholding this Image eat and drink that being a means they used to make them eat and drink more moderately And surely one special cause why the most are so unprepared for death is because they have no desire to think of it to be put in mind of it And thus now we have done with the use of reprehension Vse 2. For Information to inform us that although death be unavoidable why yet we must be so far from hastning our own death by neglecting the means of life or by laying violent hands upon our selves as we must use all good means for the preserving of our natural life and lengthening our dayes here upon earth and all this implyed in the sixth precept Not that we deny but that in some cases a man or a woman may desire death rather then life As 1. When they are thoroughly convinced and sufficiently resolved that the Lord shall have more glory by their dying then by their living No question this was one reason why Samson desired death he knowing that thereby he should slay more of Gods enemies then he had done in all his life time and hence it was that the holy Martyrs heretofore did so willingly dye nay did so joyfully desire death because they were perswaded that God should have so much glory by their death 2. In consideration that they cannot live here on earth but daily offend their good and gracious God to desire death in this case is not a loathing to live but a loathing to sin and so much is implyed in the Apostle Paul his exclamation Rom. 7.24 3. In consideration that they cannot live in this world but see and hear the Lord much dishonoured by the wicked this was that which did so vex the soul of righteous Lot 2 Pet. 2.8 And no question this was one special cause why Elijah desired death to wit the wickedness of the times he lived in And so Rebecka the wickedness of her Daughter in law Gen. 26.34 35.27.46 4. In consideration that until death they are absent from Christ do not so fully and perfectly enjoy him as they shall do after death 2 Cor. 5.6 7 8 Philip. 1.23 Nay so the whole Church is brought in Rev. 22.20 Now in the cases aforesaid it is lawful for a man or a woman to desire death rather then life not that they may neglect the means of life or hasten their own death this way or that way no nor impatiently wish death this was the fault of the old Israelites as Exod. 16.3 Nay Moses himself this way failed Numb 11.15 And did not Rachel Gen. 30.1 And so Jonah 4.1 2 3 8. And what more common in these times then for men and women when great calamity is upon them or imminent impatiently to wish death Thus much for this Use the Use of Information Vse 3. For Exhortation and it consists of divers parts or branches 1. To exhort every one of us seeing death is unavoidable cannot be avoided much to think and often to meditate and that seriously upon our own death and this being done of us it will be a good means to prevent much evil in our practice and much to put us on in the wayes of goodness To prevent much evil in our practice as 1. Dissoluteness or loosness of life Durst any man give himself liberty to be drunk if he seriously weighed he might be struck with death whiles he is drunk as Elah the King of Israel was 1 Kings 16.9 10. Or durst any man commit uncleanness if he could seriously think of this that God might strike him suddenly while he is in that filthy act as he did Zimri and Cosbi Numb 25.8 2. A frequent and serious meditation of our own death will be a good means to prevent our vigorous and cruel proceedings with others see Job 31.13 14. Matth. 24.48 49. Amos 6.3 3. This will be a good means to prevent our over-love and immoderate use of outward things To this purpose is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.29 If we do not see death stand at the end of all our earthly profits at the end of all our worldly pleasures we shall too eagarly pursue them and having obtained them shall too much solace our selves in them 4. This will be a good means to prevent the danger of death I mean to take away the sting and terror of it death being like unto the Basilisk if it see thee before thou seest it it will be thy death but if thou see it first thou wilt be the death of it And as the frequent and serious meditation of our own death will be a good means to prevent much evil in our practice so likewise it will be a good means much to further us in the wayes of goodness as 1. Hereby we shall be minded to be more painful and profitable in our places Eccles 9.10 and 2 Pet. 1.13 c. 2. Hereby we shall be made more meek and patient in all our sufferings and afflictions Phil. 4.5 James 5.7 8. This is that which will make quiet in all provocations This'is that which will comfort in all discouragements I shall shortly be sent for I shall shortly be called from hence then I shall be righted then I shall be cleared then I shall have rest 3. Hereby we shall be made more watchful the thing being so certain and the circumstances so uncertain as time place and manner See Mark 13.35 and Luke 21.34 4. And lastly this will be a good means to work in us a care to prepare for death A man that seriously concludes he must dye will not that man go about to set his house in order his heart in order all in order And thus now we have done with the first part or branch of this Use which hath
glass darkly but in the world to come we shal see him face to face this the Apostle John interprets 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall see God as he is that is know him perfectly as befits such Creatures and as such Creatures can comprehend Yet we are to know the Lord hath so far revealed himself in the Scriptures to the Elect as may suffice to their salvation and hath acquainted them Deut. 29.29 that what is revealed belongs to them nay hath commanded them John 5.39 To search the Scriptures and as for other ends so especially for this that they may know in some saving way what God is Now because the Catechism in the Exposition of it affords us a brief Description of God and because in the examination of it we find it to be borrowed and grounded upon the Scriptures we think it not amiss to open that Description unto you that so you may the better conceive of God as his Word reveals him And this is the Description God is a Spirit or spiritual Substance most Wise most Holy Eternal Infinite The Catechism describes God afterwards in a more large way setting him forth in his works of Creation and Preservation and so in the several subsistances or manners of being in the one Divine Essence But first for this Description God is a Spirit or Spiritual Substance First God is a Substance or Essence that is to say such a Substance or Essence as first hath his being from none but from himself 2. As is preserved and sustained of none but subsisteth by himself 3. As is the cause of all other Substances and Essences and upon this ground he is called Jehovah which is the proper and essential name of God As if one would say Being of himself and causing all other things to be that have being 2. A Spirit or a Spiritual Substance That God is a Spirit see Joh. 4 24. And why said to be a Spirit or a spiritual substance First Negatively because he is not Corporeal 2. By way of Similitude because there are divers perfections in Spiritual Substances which shadow forth the Divine nature Our souls and the Angels are Spirits too but observe the difference betwixt such Spirits and God our souls and the Angels are Spirits created and finite but God is a Spirit uncreated and incomprehensible 3. Most Wise Now well may the Catechism describe God to be most wise First Because he is essentially wise and Wisdome it self in comparison of him the wisest creature hath no wisdom at all and so we must understand that place and the like To the only wise God Jude 25. 2. Because his Wisdom or Understanding is an absolute simple and perfect understanding without composition By one act of understanding he distinctly and perfectly knoweth all things All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Hebr. 4.13 3 Because his Wisdom it Immutable He knoweth not one thing otherwise then another neither one thing more then another neither that heretofore which he knows not now nor that now which he knew not heretofore Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15.18 4 Because the Wisdom of God is eternal had no beginning neither hath any ending 5. Because the Wisdom of God is infinite He truly knowes every thing and the reason of every thing Zophar the Naamathite one of the friends of Job speaking of Gods wisdom saith It is as high as the height of heavex deeper then hell longer then the earth broader then the sea Job 11.8 9. And so the Apostle Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the wisdom and knowledg of God! 4 Most Holy See how the Angels cry on eto another Isai 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts and the same Prophet stiles God by way of excellency The Holy One in chap. 40. ver 25. He is holy in all his wayes to wit of Mercy Justice Truth c. And not holy as the Creature the Creature it self is one thing and the holiness of the Creature is another thing But God is holy by nature Holiness is of the very nature of God himself 5. Eternal That is neither had beginning nor shall have ending Psal 9.2 Even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternal c. God is not eternal as the Angels and souls of men and women for although they shall have no ending why yet they had a beginning and therefore they may more properly be termed everlasting or sempiternal then eternal Eternity looks both backward and forward Everlastingness or Sempiternity looks only forward unto that which is to come 6. And lastly Infinite That is such a one as whose Essence fills heaven and earth he being every where present totally and wholly Isaiah 66.1 Thus saith the Lord the heaven is my Throne the earth is my foot stool And Jer. 23.24 Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. Nay hear what Solomon saith 1 King 8.27 Behold the Heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee He is in all places at once and not only by his vertue and power but by his whole infinite Essence Not that he is mixed with the Creatures for that is contrary to his most perfect single nature nor that he is polluted with the filth and contagion of any Creature for that is contrary to his most perfect holy nature but in such a sort he is present as is Heavenly Spiritual and Incomprehensible Thus he is in all places yet circumscribed to none Object But if the Lord be essentially and wholly in every place why is he said to remove from one place to another as Gen. 11.7 Go too let us go down and there confound their language Answ These and such like phrases are spoken after the manner of men to our capacities Not that there is truly and properly any change of place in God And thus far touching this brief description of God The Catechism goes on further describing God by his works and several subsistences MEMBER III. This one God is Creator of all things Doct. THis one God or the one true God is Creator of all things For the better understanding of this Doctrine we are to resolve divers Questions As first more plainly Who created 2. What was created 3. Whereof 4. How 5. When 6. To what end Lastly the Uses Quest 1. The first Question Who Created An. God Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth to wit God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost for so Solomon speaking of the Creator doth speak in the plural number Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth The Father by the Son and by the Holy Ghost the Son from the Father and by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son All the three Persons jointly Created only they are distinguished in their manner of Creating as before And that
this is a work common to all the three Persons is plain by the holy Scriptures That God the Father did create see Act. 4.24 The Apostles thus pray Lord thou art God which hast made heaven and earth and the sea and all that therein is and in ver 27. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together Where we may observe that the Apostle stiles God the Father Creator of all things That God the Son did also create see Joh. 1.3 All things were made by him to wit by the Son And so Colos 1.16 By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth that is to say He from the Father did create or the Father by him and not by him as an instrument but as by another Person of the same Essence and Power with himself And that the Holy Ghost did create see Gen. 1.2 And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and so Job 26.13 By his Spirit he hath garnished the Heavens that is to say the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son The work of Creation proclaims a God but indeed doth not discover the mystery of the Trinity and yet it cannot be denied if we consult with the Scriptures but that this work of Creation was the work of the whole Trinity Quest 2. The second Question What was Created Answ The Catechisme answers all things that is to say all things but God himself For we must not conceive that any of the three persons in the Deity were created They being all eternall and coeternall Nay further we must not conceive that sin and misery were created they coming in as the cause and the effect by Satans malice and mans free will and to the purpose aforesaid observe we that distinction John 1.3 And without him that is the second person in Trinity was not any thing made that was made Now these exceptions allowed we answer with the Catechisme All things were created as the third heaven with the Angels the inhabitants of it That the third heaven was created see Heb. 11.10 For he looked that is to say Abraham for a city to wit the third heaven whose builder and maker is God That the Angels were created although Moses in his history of the creation doth not mention them for reasons best known to the Spirit of God who did direct him in the penning of the same yet that they were created see Psal 148.2 Praise ye him to wit God all his angels and the reason is given verse the 5. For he commanded and they were created And so Colos 1 16. By him were all things created visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers and by these we understand the Angels And so all things downward from the third heaven were created even to the bottom and center of the lowest earth as the skie which is called the second heaven with the Sun Moon and Stars which are therein The air likewise which is called the lowest heaven with the fouls of it The earth with the creatures thereon as trees plants beasts man and so the seas with the fishes therein That the particulars aforesaid were created peruse the first Chapter of Genesis Object 1. But were the great hils and mountaines created were they not occasioned by the flood in Noahs time Answ Some of them were created Gen. 7.19 20. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth and all the high hils that were under the whole heaven were covered fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail and the mountaines were covered Amos 4.13 Loe he that formeth the mountaines and created the wind speaking of God Object 2. But Toades and Snakes and such venemous things were not created Answ Yes they were created Job 26.13 His hand speaking of God hath formed the crooked Serpent Not created venemous and hurtfull but became so by mans sin The Lord made every creature good and so profitable to man and therefore what creatures are now become hurtfull to man it is mans sin that hath made them so Quest 3. Whereof or of what were all things made Answ Not of the essence of God nor of any former matter coeternall with God but of nothing Heb. 11.3 The things which are seen were not made of things that do appear that is they were made of nothing Object 3. But man was made of the dust of the earth and woman of man Ans The Lord made al things of nothing but some things mediately some things immediately or thus Creation is twofold 1. Simple 2. In respect Simple creation is a producing of things out of nothing and so the first matter was created 2. Creation in respect is a producing of things out of matter preexistent or out of the first matter Object But of nothing nothing is made saith the Philosopher Answ This is true of a naturall generation or working but not true of a divine Creation Quest 4. How did God create all things Answ Not by any labour or wearinesse but by his word and appointment Gen. 1.3 And God said Let there be light and there was light And so Psal 148.5 He commanded and they were created He needed not tools or other instruments neither used he the aid or help of any assistant but at his very beck and appointment all things were created Quest 5. When was the world created Ans It is betwixt five and six thousand years since the world was created If it be asked at what time of the year the most judicious answer in the spring time If in what space of time in the space of six daies Gen. 1.31 compared with Chap. 2. ver 1. and Exod. 20.11 Quest 6. To what end did God create the world Ans To the praise of his glory Prov. 16.4 He made all things for himself to wit for his own glory And Romans 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Now we come to the use of this Doctrine Vse 1. To confute the Atheistical person such as are unwilling to acknowledg the one true God all the creatures proclaiming this great truth nay the excellency of this work evidently demonstrating the infinite excellency of the Creator his infinite power wisdome goodnesse and truth And indeed by this work of Creation is the true God plainly distinguished from all false gods and idols whatsoever If we be asked how we know the true God from all false gods We answer by the work of Creation He alone being the maker of heaven and earth and all things therein as himself saith Isa 45.7 All the gods of the nations are idols but the Lord that is to say the true God made the heavens Vse 2. For the comfort and consolation of Gods people who suffer much in this world and many times for the truths saks 1 Pet.
as live idlely do not walk diligently in their callings Joh. 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work The Lord never ceaseth from his work of Providence 3. Reproof to all such as are discontented with their outward condition and estates and so calling Gods wise Providence in question contrary to the Apostle Phil. 4.11 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content And David Psal 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didest it 4. To reprove all such as neglect the lawful means Civil or Holy the Lord in his ordinary course working by means or if the means fail they distrust the Lord as though he that tyed us to means were himself tyed to means and could not work by little means against means above means 5. To reprove all such as lay their sins on God because nothing comes to pass but by his Providence but hearken to the Apostle James 1.13 Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evil neither tempteth he any man There is no sin in God neither doth he put sin into any mans heart It is true indeed the Lord could prevent sin and would if he could not gain himself glory out of it thou canst not do this or that wicked action without Gods Providence but thy sin as it is sin is of thy self and Satan thou sinning willingly and chearfully not endeavouring to serve Gods Providence but thy own vile affections 6. To reprove the evil speech of some as they that say this or that came to pass by meer chance as though any thing came to pass without a cause or without Gods Providence and so such as say this or that we will do not putting in Saint James's condition Jam. 4.15 If the Lord will not remembring that they and their actions are in Gods disposing and not in their own Vse 2. For the great comfort and consolation of all the godly It is true they have many enemies but the Lord hath them all in a string as he saith to Sennacherib King of Assyria 2 Kin. 19.27 28. I know thy abode and thy going out and thy coming in and thy rage against me because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into my ears therefore I will put my hook into thy nose and my bridle in thy lips and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest Nay the Devils themselves the Lord hath them in Chains they cannot go a link beyond his permission as is evident in the History of Job even as he saith unto the Sea Job 38.11 Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed And so in regard of any affliction no affliction can befal the godly but by the Providence of God and no affliction shall befal them but the Providence of God will turn it to their good insomuch as every true Believer may say with David Psal 16.8 The Lord is at my right hand I shall not be moved not moved to my hurt and as he saith Psal 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want and verse 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me And wondrous comfortable is that sentence 2 Chron. 16.9 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him And not a little may the godly man succour his faith by his former experience of Gods Providence Psal 56.13 Thou hast delivered my soul from death wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of the living And 1 Sam. 17.37 David said The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine And so Psal 46.1.2 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carryed into the midst of the Sea Vse 3. To exhort every one to serve Gods Providence in the use of all good means Civil and Holy because so the Lord works ordinarily To neglect ordinary means is to tempt God and great presumption as our Saviour replies to Satan when he would have had him cast himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple Matth. 4.7 It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God And yet we must take heed of trusting in the means for that is Idolatry the truth of it is it is Gods blessing that doth mainly effect a thing as Psal 127.1 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman waketh but in vain And therefore when the means fail us at any time our faith must not It was an evil saying of the Israelites Psal 78.19 Can God furnish a table in the Wilderness and therefore the Spirit of God saith of them putting forth such a question that they spake against God But it was a good saying of Abraham Gen. 22.8 God will provide and if you peruse verse 14. you shall perceive that this speech of his grew to a Proverb intimating thus much that in due time and place the Lord will supply the wants and necessities of all his people And thus far touching the description of God by his works of Creation and Preservation MEMBER V. One true God Creator and Governor of all things is distinguished into the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost THat there is a distinction of Persons and this distinction in the Divine Essence is evident if so be we look into the holy Scriptures Gen. 1.26 And God said Let us make man in our image where God the Father consults with his Son and holy Spirit The like phrase we have in Gen. 11.7 Let us go down and there confound their Language And Isa 63.9 10. The Angel of his presence saved them Of whose presence Of God the Fathers and who was this Angel but the Son the second Person in Trinity But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit to wit the Holy Ghost Haggai 2.5 7. According to the word that I convenanted with you when ye came out of Aegypt Who was it that did covenant with the Israelites to wit God the Father So My Spirit remaineth among you to wit the Holy Ghost And The desire of all Nations shall come to wit the Sonne But this Mysterie is more clearly revealed in the New Testament as when Christ was baptized Matthew 3.16 17. And he saw to wit John the Baptist the Spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting upon him to wit upon Christ And lo a voyce from Heaven that is to say from God the Father saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased But more
1. In respect of Gods glory that so he may be discerned and distinguished from all false gods and Idols 2. In regard of our selves and that two wayes 1. Without this knowledge there is no salvation John 17.3 This is life Eternal that they might know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent That we may be saved we must know and believe God the Father to be our Father God the Son to be our Redeemer and God the Holy Ghost to be our Sanctifier and Comforter Answ 2 In regard of our selves This Doctrine directs us in worshiping the true God aright for Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped If we worship the Father without the Son and the Holy Ghost or if we worship the Son without the Father and the Holy Ghost or the Holy Ghost without the Father and the Sonne we worship nothing but an Idol Again If we worship the three persons not as one God but as three Gods then we make three Idols Now we come to the Uses of the point Vse 1. To reprove two sorts of people 1. Such as labour to fathom this Mysterie by Humane Reason it being a Mysterie propounded to our faith to believe not to our reason to dispute and thus many have erred and do erre in this Doctrine of so great consequence 2. To reprove such as do not labour with all diligence to understand this Mysterie as the Scripture reveals it Such as are altogether ignorant of this Mysterie what can their faith be what can their worship be what can their comfort be what can their lives be how can they upon good grounds expect salvation Although in this search and scrutiny we must be wise to sobriety yet to be altogether ignorant of this way is dangerous and damnable How can we be truly Pious if we do not think aright of God If in some measure we do not know the true God one in Essence three in Persons Vse 2. To inform us in regard of Divine worship We must worship the Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity without confounding the persons or dividing the Essence When I think of one saith a Father a three-fold light doth dazle me and when I discern three I am presently brought back to one It is true we may invocate to any of the three persons as Steven Acts 7.50 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit but in the ordinary Course pray we to the Father in the Name of the Son by the assistance of the Holy Ghost John 16.22 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you saith our Saviour And the Apostle Paul tels us Rom. 8.26 That the Spirit the Holy Ghost helps our infirmities in Prayer Vse 3. To exhort every one of us if we would more and more conceive of this Mysterie 1. To be much exercised in the Scriptures they being the onely Instrument to reveal it John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in tho bosome of the Father he hath declared him to wit in the Scriptures 2. Often to renew our Repentance the Lord reveals himself especially to such Psal 25.9 The meek will he guide in judgement and the meek will he teach his way And so v. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant 3. To be earnest with the Lord this way in Prayer and Supplication thus Moses Exodus 33.13 I pray thee if I have found grace in thy sight shew me now thy way that I may know thee And verse 18. I beseech thee shew me thy glory If we would have knowledge of this way our Saviour intimates from whom we must have it when Peter made that excellent confession of him Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God verse 17. replies our Saviour Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven And so Saint James Chapter â— verse 5. If any of you lack Wisdome let him ask of God that giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him And thus far touching the first Principle and the several Members of it PRINC II. Quest What Dost thou believe concerning man and concerning thine own self Answ All men are wholly corrupted with sin through Adams fall and so are become slaves of Satan and guilty of eternal damnation MEMB I. ALL men are corrupted with sin All men and women are sinners by nature for so we are to understand the Catechisme which after the description of God we endeavor and assay to delineate and lay forth the natural man Now that all men and women are corrupted with sin are sinners by nature Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one to wit by nature meer man and meer woman And so in v. 23. All have sinned And Gal. 3 22. The Scripture hath concluded all under sin as wel Jewes as Gentiles to be sinners by nature The Reasons of the Point Reas 1. The great disagreement and variance that is betwixt the natural man and the holy Law of God As the Law of God is ever discovering the natural mans misery beating him buffeting him and condemning him so the natural man cannot away with the Law of God opened and applyed nor with the Minister that doth the same but exclaims upon him as a severe censorious and uncharitable man Now this disagreement and variance betwixt the natural man and the Law of God doth plainly declare every natural man to be a sinner Reas 2. Observe the Natural man and of all Doctrines he cannot away with the Doctrine of the last judgement and this plainly manifests his guiltiness If Felix was not a sinner why did he tremble at this Doctrine Acts 24.25 Reas 3. The continual combate that is ever in the regenerate 'twixt the flesh Spirit Before we come to the Applic. of the point we will 1. Let you see briefly what sin is 2. How many wayes the natural man is a sinner 1. What sin is Ans The Apostle Joh. tels us 1 Joh. 3.4 Sin is the transgression of the Law It is any inconformity or repugnancy in the reasonable creature unto Gods revealed Will. The 2d question is How many wayes a natural man is a sinner Answ Four wayes 1. By Participation We were all in Adam's loynes when he sinned as Levi was in Abraham's loynes when Abraham paid Tithes to Melchizedek and so Levi that afterwards took Tithes paid Tith in Abraham as it is Heb. 7.9 2. By Imputation The guilt of Adam's fall is imputed unto all his Posterity as the convicted Traitor by mans law is not onely guilty of Treason himself but his whole Posterity and so the Apostle Rom. 5.18 By the offence of one to wit Adam judgement or guilt came upon all men to condemnation 3. By Natural corruption There being in every natural man not onely an absolute want of true holiness
say by Adam his eating of the forbidding fruit all men and women became sinners and not only by imputation but by propagation their natures wholly corrupted and depraved and ver 19 By the disobedience of one to wit Adam many that is to say all men and women descending of him were made sinners And 1 Cor. 15.22 In Adam all died but first finned because sinners by his fall Now for the opening of this Point we propound these questions 1. What Adams condition was before this Fall 2. The cause of his Fall 3. The fall it self 4. How his whole Posterity became wholly corrupted with sin by his fall Qu. 1. What Adams condition was before his fall Ans We are to know that Adam was created 1 Holy 2. Happy 1. Holy He did not only know God and his will perfectly as far as such a creature was capable but likewise there was in every faculty of his soul and member of his body a holy disposition a holy conformity unto God and his will And so we are to understand these places Gen. 1.26 27. And God said Let us make man in our image after our likeness So God created man in his own likeness or image in the image of God created he him And Colos 3.10 And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledg after the image of him that created him And so Ephes 4.24 And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness 2. Happy The Lord did create him happy as first Being placed in the Garden of Eden Gen. 2.8 A place of singular delight and pleasure and therefore called Paradise Our Saviour alluding to heaven by it Luke 23.43 saith he to the Thief upon the Cross To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise 2. In state of Innocency he had a blessed communion and fellowship with God Gen. 2.19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every foul of the air and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them This intimates that Adam before his fall had sweet converse and communion with God 3. A kind of happiness was put upon Adams body it being created beautiful and glorious Gen. 2.25 And they were both naked the man and his wife that is to say Adam and Eve and were not ashamed Not that any uncomly thing is spoken of them but in this passage the Spirit of God would set forth the beauty and comliness of their bodies every part and member being so beautiful as they had no cause to be ashamed It was sin that brought in deformity and shame 4. Although Adam had a peculiar Calling to walk in the Garden to dress and keep Gen. 2.15 yet he was able to execute it without any pain or weariness as is evident Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the ground that is with pain and weariness but intimating that before his fall it was not so Lastly He was made Lord and King over all the visible Creatures Gen. 1.28 saith the Lord to Adam Have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the foul of the air and over every living thing that moveth on the earth Thus we see what Adams condition was before his fall we come to the second Question Quest 2. What were the causes of Adams fall Answ 1. Adam himself was the principal cause of his own fall and that by the abuse of his own free will he was made mutably changeably good as we may perceive by the tenor of Gods Commandment in which he forbids him to eat of the tree of knowledg of good and evil Gen. 2.17 Of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye intimating his free will to eat or not eat of it he might have stood if he would or he might fall if he would It is true the Lord did not give him the gift of perseverance did not corroborate and confirm him with new grace neither was the Lord bound unto it Thus we see that Adams abuse of his own free will was the principal cause of his fall 2. The Divel and Eve were furthering causes of Adams fall First I say the Divel was a furthering cause of Adams fall and that by counselling and perswading He did not compel or enforce the will of Eve or of Adam for that he could not do but not long before having falne himself in hatred to God and envy to mankind he wondrous cunningly and craftily sets upon this mischief as is evident in the story Gen. 3.1 c. As first take we notice of the Instrument he makes choice of whereby to bring about this wicked Design he speaking in and by a Serpent and see we how the Spirit of God describes this Creature Gen. 3.1 Now the Serpent was more subtil then any beast of the field which the Lord God had made 2. That he begins with the woman the weaker Vessel And he said unto the woman that is to say the Divel by the Serpent Ye shall not surely dye 3. Observe how he begins by way of question as though he had been somewhat ignorant of the proceedings betwixt the Lord and our first Parents Yea hath God said Yee shall not eat of every tree of the garden and mark the ambiguity and subtilty of the question Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden Eve might understand this Question two wayes 1. As though the Serpent had asked her whether she and Adam might eat of none of the trees of the Garden or secondly Whether they might not eat of every one implying thus much that if they might not eat of every one the Lord dealt hardly and strictly with them and not liberally But Eve understands the latter way as appears in her answer ver 2 3. And the woman said unto the Serpent we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye dye But in this her answer gives the Divel great advantage for the threatning being certain and absolute she makes a peradventure of it Lest ye dye Now observe how the Divel snatcheth at this ver 4. And the Serpent said unto the Woman Ye shall not surely dye As if he should say then it is not certain you shall dye if you do eat of it it may be ye shall die it may be you shall not And now not giving her the least breathing-time or respite he comes upon her very impudently ver 5 For God doth know that in the day ye do eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened that is ye shall see that ye never saw And thus he accuseth God of envying and hindering their good
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
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
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
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
all his merits unto himself is justified before God and sanctified MEMB. I. A man of a contrite and humble spirit NOW we come to the fourth Principle which requireth of us how a man or a woman may be made partakers of Christ and his Benefits In the first place saith the Catechism they must have contrite and humble spirits A man of a contrite and humble spirit We commend the Point unto you in the form of a Doctrine thus Doct. That a man may be partaker of Christ and his Benefits he must have a contrite and humble spirit See Isai 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters to wit to Christ and he that hath no money that is sees nothing in himselfe to trust unto and so consequently is of a humble and contrite spirit And Jerem. 50.4 In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping they shall go and seek the Lord their God observe I pray you going and weeping shall seek the Lord their God as though that were the way and the onely way to find God in Christ to partake of Christ and his benefits And doth not our Saviour tell us this Matth 9.13 I am not come to call the righteous that is such as think themselves righteous but sinners to repentance to wit contrite and humble sinners to call them to a new life to partake of me and my benefits And Mat. 11.28 Come unto me saith he all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And hence it is that the Lord is described 2 Corinth 7.6 to be the Comforter of such as are cast down And this Doctrine the Apostle James informes us of Jam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble that is assures such of his favour and therefore ver 10. of the same Chapter Humble your selves saith he in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up And do but see that place for all 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 and to set at liberty them that are bruised Now we come to the Reasons Reas 1. Such and only such have an appetite to Christ hunger and thirst after him and his benefits Till we be sick of sin we can find no need of this Physician neither care much for him according to that Mat. 9.12 They that be whole need not a Physician but they that are sick When the fiery Serpent Numb 21.9 had bitten and stung an Israelite then he would run and make use of the Brazen Serpent but never till then Reas 2. Such and only such do prize Christ at his full value are willing to part with any thing to purchase him See what the Apostle Paul saith Philip. 3.8 9. He esteemed all things but dung in comparison of Christ and his Benefits but to make way for this observe the deep sense and feeling he had of his owne unworthinesse 1 Timoth. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom saith he I am chief Reas 3. Such and only such are made fit to receive Christ by faith and to make him their own Mark 1.15 Repent and believe the Gospel the unhumbled and unbroken-hearted sinner is altogether unfit to receive Christ and his benefits Reas 4. Such and only such truly rejoice and take comfort in Christ account him their chief Treasure and happiness Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ that is save in the Passion and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ But who was this that did thus rejoice in Christ and his Sufferings Surely it was one that had such a low opinion of himself as that Ephes 3.8 he stiles himself less then the least of all Saints But that you may further see into this weighty Doctrine we intend to answer the Questions following 1. What that contrition and humiliation is which truly and sufficiently prepares a man or a woman to be made partakers of Christ and his benefits 2. Whether every man and woman that hath this contrite and humble spirit shall certainly be made partakers of Christ and his benefits 3. Whether this contrition and humiliation be wrought in the like measure in all that are made partakers of Christ and his benefits Quest 1 What that contrition and humiliation is which truly and sufficiently prepares a man or a woman to be made partakers of Christ and his benefits Answ This contrition and humiliation contains the particulars following 1. A true and distinct sight of sin and not onely as punishment doth attend it but as it is vile and lothsome in its own nature as Ezek. 36.31 Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations 2. Unfained and sound sorrow and as for the consequent so for the cause as for punishment so for sin Acts 2.37 Now when they heard this they were pricked in the is hearts to wit that they were guilty of the death of the Lord of Life 3. A being weary of sin finding it a load and burden upon the conscience Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Our Saviour means here all that have contrite and humble spirits 4. Humble and hearty confession of sin as Luke 15.21 Father saith the Prodigal I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son Lu. 23.40 41. 5. Earnest suit to the God of heaven for mercy as the Publicane Luke 18.13 God be merciful to me a sinner And Saul afterwards called Paul Acts 9.11 Behold he prayeth surely the three dayes he was without sight he sent up many a loud cry to heaven for mercy 6. The sixth particular This Contrition and Humiliation contains a distaste and dislike of sin as Isaiah 30.22 Ye shall defile also the covering of the graven Images of silver and the ornament of thy molten Images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a mensturous cloth to wit in the day of thy repentance thou shalt say unto it get thee hence And Luke 19.8 Zacheus stood and said unto the Lord Behold Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I restore him four fold Thus we see now what Contrition and Humiliation is which truly and sufficiently prepares a man or a woman to be made partakers of Christ and his benefits But yet we must not think this preparatory work in the particulars aforesaid to be the same that is in the soul after
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
instrument that apprehends and applies Christ and his Merits Now we are to know that as there be very many who think they have this Grace of Faith and yet have it not why so there be some who have it and yet fear they have it not The latter of these we desire to encounter with by answering some of their Objections Obj. 1. We shall have some Christians to say That it is true indeed they make a profession of the Faith in a special manner and they dearly love Gods Word Gods Ministers and Gods People and earnestly desirous they are in every thing to please God but they do not know when or by whom they were converted and therefore they question whether they have the grace of true faith or no. Ans Although some of Gods people know and can remember the time and instrument this way why yet this is not required of all Gods people The Lord converting some even byone Sermon others by degrees and in a longer time as he best pleases May it not suffice to find this Faith by the effects of it but we must trouble our selves about unnecessary circumstances See what the man that was born blind saith in the like case Joh. 9.25 Object 2. But may some men say My faith is so little if any that I know not what to say I have many fears and doubtings Ans It is true that a great and strong faith is earnestly to be laboured for in the use of all good means 1. Because the stronger a mans faith is the more firme and close his union is with Christ 2. The clearer apprehension he hath of the pardon of his sins 3. The more boldly he goes to the Throne of Grace 4. The more patiently he endures afflictions 5. The more conscionably he walks in his particular Calling 6. The more manfully he fights with all his Spiritual enemies upon these grounds such as have but a weak and little faith must earnestly labour to have it stronger and greater but yet in the mean time these parties must not be too much discouraged First Because there may be many feares and doubtings where there is true faith Matth. 8.26 and 14.31 Secondly It is not the excellency and great measure of faith that justifies us but the Object of faith to wit Christ and his Merits Thirdly A weak faith if a true faith doth apprehend this object effectually and savingly as a little hand may hold a jewel of inestimable worth and a palsie hand a gift of great price He that did look upon the brasen serpent in the wildernesse but with one eye nay but with half an eye was as well and fully cured of the deadly sting of the fiery serpent as those which beheld it with both eyes 4. The strongest faith in this world is imperfect Abraham himselfe the father of the faithful had his doubtings as when he took Hagar and requested Sarah to say she was his Sister Object 3 I have but a little sense and feeling but a little assurance of Gods favour and of the pardon of my sins and therefore I suspect the truth of my faith Answ It is true indeed that this feeling and assurance is earnestly to be endeavored after by every godly person First Because it is a glimpse of heaven a kind of heaven upon earth Secondly Because it makes a mam nimble and chearfull in all manner of obedience active and passive as Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength and Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing that ye have in heaven a better and enduring substance But yet we are to know that this feeling assurance is rather an effect of justifying faith then justifying faith it self and that justifying faith may be and is in many in whom this assurance is not as is plain by divers examples Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Here was faith in David my God my God but where was his feeling when he saith why hast thou forsaken me and so Heman the Ezrahite Psal 88.14 Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me Here was but a little feeling a little assurance and yet faith to be found in this party as is plain in the first verse of the same Psalm O Lord God of my salvation I have cried day and night before thee And so Job 13.24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy and 16.9 He teareth me in his wrath who hateth me he gnasheth upon me with his teeth mine enemy sharpneth his eyes upon me What feeling was here but of Gods anger yet take notice of the faith that was in this man chap. 13. ver 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him The truth of it is there is a double certainty the certainty of adherence and the certainty of evidence the certainiy of adherence is the certainty of faith the certainty of evidence is the certainty of assurance Now there may be the former certainty adhering and cleaving to Christ by faith where there is not the latter the certainty of evidence and assurance Answ 2. Thou that art ready to conclude thou hast no faith because thou hast so little feeling of Gods favour do but for thy faith examine it by other effects of it as love to Gods Word Gods Ministers Gods People thy earnest desire to please God in all things and thou maiest find it which if thou dost thou mayest perceive Gods speciall love to thee in so excellent a qualification Object 4. But I have waited long in the use of holy means and yet have not attained to the blessing aforesaid and therefore I question whether I have a kindly faith or no. Answ First We must not appoint God the time when to bestow his blessings upon us but must stil wait his time in the use of means sutable to the blessings propounded Secondly we do ill to conclude upon this ground that we have no faith we should rather conclude hence that the Lord for the present sees not this blessing good for us I tell you every one of Gods people at every time cannot weild the sense of his favour and the feeling of his love but through corruption are apt to grow proud or carelesse in the use of the means Thirdly The longer we have waited and do wait the more plentful wil the consolation be when it comes Fourthly It may be the Lord makes us to wait for it to kindle our affections unto it and that we might the more prize it when we have it Fifthly It may be to correct our conceit that was in us before our regeneration in the daies of peace and securitie before our consciences were awakened we thinking it an easie thing to obtain the assurance of Gods favour and sins remission for so many a natural man thinks Sixthly Did not the Lord wait long upon us for our contrition and humiliation and will we murmur at him if we
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
is very willing to hearken to the Apostle Jude ver 23. injoyning him to hate even the garment spotted by the flâ—sh And to the Apostle Paul 1 Thes 5.22 abstain from all appearance of evill and would faine imitate David Psal 119.101 I have refrained my feet from every evill way that I may keep thy word It is not any known sin no not the least that he dare allow himself in the practice of These differences are betwixt the formallist and the holy person Now we come to lay down some direct signes and marks of sanctification 1. The first signe is A renewed knowledg that is to say a new light in the mind and understanding conceiving the things of the spirit of God Colos 3.10 And have put on the new man speaking of the holy Colossians which is renewed in knowledg as though all that were sanctified had a renewed knowledg This is a part of Gods covenant with his Elect Jer. 31.34 They shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. And hence it is that the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost And upon this ground it is that the sanctified are called the children of light 2 Thes 5.5 The unsanctified may have a great deal of literall and speculative knowledg but they have not a jot of spiritual and approving knowledg The second signe of one sanctified is a new quality in the will a readinesse to hear the voice of God in all things and to obey it John 8.47 He that is of God heareth Gods words yee therefore hear them not saith our Saviour to the rebellious Jewes because ye are not of God And Psal 27.8 saith David to God When thou saidst Seek yee my face my heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek The sanctified person hath a flexible heart to the word The third Signe new affections As especially love to God Psal 18.1 I will love thee oh Lord my strength saith David And Psal 116.1 I love the Lord. Thus we see sanctified persons described Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evill And this love to God the sanctified person manifests divers waies 1. By an earnest desire after such means as whereby he may have converse with God as praier reading and hearing of the word c. How was David addicted to the use of those means if we look into the book of the Psalms and so all the Worthies of God we read of in the Scriptures Oh how is the sanctified man or woman crossed if they be the least restrained of their liberties these ways and however the unregenerate part be backward to the duties aforesaid yet this they mourn for and do not in the ordinary course omit them 2. They manifest their love to God by a love to his children 1 John 5.1 Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him See David Psalm 16.2.3 My goodnesse extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight And Psal 119.63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts The more holy the more watchful the more they observe the image of God to shine upon any the more they love them Such as love not the Saints are not sanctified 3. They manifest their love to God by an endeavour of universal obedience John 14.15 If ye love me saith our Saviour keep my commandments And verse 21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is and he only that loveth me And therefore see what David saith Psal 119.5 Oh that my waies were directed to keep thy statutes The sanctified man out of his very love to God would fain keep his commandments Fourthly They manifest their love to God by a grief and heavinesse when the Lord is at any time absent from them in their own apprehensions Psal 28.1 Vnto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit And Psal 88.14 Lord why castest thou off my soul Why hidest thou thy face from me Thus we see the third signe and mark of sanctification a love to God and this love manifested as you have heard The fourth signe of sanctification A continual combat betwixt the flesh and the spirit Gal. 5.17 There may be a combat in the unsanctified and is divers times but that is between two several faculties the conscience and the will the conscience terrifying from sin the will pulling and haling unto it Now this is not a combat betwixt the flesh and the spirit but a combat betwixt the flesh fearing and the flesh desiring whereas the combat that is in the sanctified is in one and the same faculty As for example the will of the sanctified person drawing two waies at one and the same time the flesh one way and the spirit another I mean corruption one way and grace another corruption the unregenerate part drawing to sin grace the regenerate part at one and the same time pulling back And so on the contrary grace the regenerate part moving to good but at one and the same time the flesh corruption pulling back as Rom. 7.19 The good that I would I do not but the evill which I would not that I do And many like passages we have in this same chapter And so Galat. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would This is an evident mark of grace for there cannot be this combat but there must needs be sanctification Vse 3. For Exhortation And there be two branches of it First to exhort all such as are sanctified to endeavour a progresse a growth in grace for as we have heard although justification hath no degrees why yet sanctification hath And therefore such as have grace must ever be labouring further degrees Now to this purpose some Motives and Means Motive 1. Gods command 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Thessalonians were a very holy people and yet 1 Thes 4.10 the Apostle would have them to abound more and more Motive 2. This will be a demonstration to us that the grace we have is kindly and of the right stamp it being the nature of true grace ever to desire the encrease of it selfe See Matth. 13.31 32. The kingdome of heaven that is to say the kingdome of grace is like to a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field which indeed is the least of all seeds but when it is growen it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof And verse 33.
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
Spirit then to those Carpers and Cavillers 1 Tim. 4.8 Psal 34.10 and Matth. 6.33 Now that we may profit more and more profit by partaking of this Ordinance I will lay down some directions 1. Some things must be done before we come to hear 2. Some things in the act of hearing 3. Some things after we have heard 1. Some things must be done before we come to hear as 1. We must come in hatred of all sin That this must be laboured and endeavoured see Exek 14 1. unto the ninth verse And 1 Pet. 2.1.2 2. We must come with our hearts as empty of all worldly cares and thoughts as possibly we can attain unto Exod. 3.5 As Abraham when he went to sacrifice his son in the Mount left his Ass and his servants a good space behind him Gen. 22.5 So must we put away and abandon our worldly thoughts and cares when we come to hear the word labour all we can to come with empty and free hearts this way 3. We must come with humble hearts and hungry appetites to this Ordinance being sensible of our great need of it that we may be further builded up Psal 25.9 Luke 1.53 and 1 Pet. 2.2 4. We must come with a readiness and willingness to hear and learn every truth the Ministry of the word shall commend unto us as well one truth as another suppose never so cross to our humours Acts 10.33 And so Ministers are injoyned to teach as they have time and opportunity Matth. 28.20 Acts 20.27 5. We must come with a purpose and resolution to obey and practise so far as the Lord in his word shall reveal himself unto us Psal 119.33 34. John 7.17 6. We must come in faith and confidence of a blessing upon our hearing according as God hath promised Isaiah 55.3 and 57.19 Do we not know what the Lord hath said of his word Acts 20.32 James 1.21 Believe we this and expect we the truth of it in our hearing 7. Before we come be we earnest with the Lord by prayer for a blessing upon our hearing We must be earnest in prayer for our Teachers 1. That their lips may preserve knowledge 2. That they may be faithful in delivering the whole Councel of God unto us 3. That they may speak powerfully to our consciences all which we have comprized Col. 4.3.4 And then for ourselves that we may hear to edification Isaiah 48.17 Psalm 119.18 If we must pray before the receiving of our bodily food much more before the receiving the food of our souls 8. In coming to hear the word we must cast to come timely and not so foreslow the time as but to come to a piece of the Ordinance Nehemiah 8.1 Luke 5.1 2 3. and Acts 10.33 These things we have spoken of must be done before our hearing of the word in way of Preparation 2. In our hearing of the word some things must be laboured and endeavoured As 1. You must set your selves as in Gods presence while you are hearing of his word and this will be a good means to prevent sleeping talking reading gazing about and all other unreverent behaviour See Psalm 2.11 Especially whiles we are serving him in the duties of his immediate worship Thus Cornelius and his company Acts 10.33 2. In hearing of the word we must attend diligently to what we hear not suffering any part of that which is delivered to overslip as Revelations 2.7 Luke 9.44 and Acts 16.14 3. In hearing of the word we must labour to hear with understanding and judgement Matth. 15.10 1 Cor. 10.15 and 1 Thes 5.21 4. In hearing of the word we must labour to hear with affection and delight Acts 2.41 Mark 12.37 This kind of hearing will not a little help our memories nor a little encourage our Teachers Psal 119.16 That this kind of hearing doth greatly encourage the Teacher is evident by common experience 5. In hearing of the word we must apply to our selves Matth. 19.25 Matth. 26.22 This is that which the Lord calls upon us for Isaiah 55.2 Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good The best food cannot nourish us unless we take it and eat it neither the word if we do not apply it These things to be done in hearing of the word if so be we would profit by it Now we come to the things that must be done after the receiving of the word 1. We shall find this no little help unto us to confer one with another of the word we have heard as soon as we depart the Publick Assembly Gods people to repeat the Sermon one to another and to confer of it as they go home together one with another Psalm 119.272 Psalm 37.30 31. Luke 24.15 2. If so be we would profit by the word we must meditate and seriously think of that we have heard All the things the blessed Virgin heard of Christ see Luke 2.19 51. So the good man is described Psalm 1.2 And David himself Psalm 119.15 97. This is an excellent means to make the word our own and to grow by it 3. Such as are Domestick Governors if so be they would have those under them to profit by the word after the Publick exercise before they go to Family-Prayer in the evening let them examine their Family touching what they have heard that day in Publick confer with them of the word they have heard repeat it unto them Deut. 6.6 7. Thus our Saviour with his Family Mat. 13.51 Mark 4.34 4. Be we earnest with the Lord in Family and secret Prayer to write his word in our hearts and to give us a kindly digestion of it it being Prayer both before hearing and after that must sanctifie this Spiritual food unto us And in Prayer remember we to be earnest for the good every way of those faithful Instruments of whose pains we have partaked 1 Thes 5.25 Heb. 13.18 5. A fift thing after hearing if we doubt of any thing we have heard Let us in a reverent and humble manner repair to the Minister for satisfaction and resolution Mat. 13.38 and 19.10 Mark 7.17 6. Sixtly and lastly Let us presently set upon the practise of that we have heard this being the end of all our hearing Psalm 119.60 Deut. 5.1 James 1.22 c. And thus we have done with the first Member of the fifth Principle MEMBER II. As also by the Administration of the Sacraments NOw we come to the second Member of the fift Principle which acquaints us with another good means whereby faith is encreased to wit the Administration of the Sacraments in these words As also by the Administration of the Sacraments But before we come to speak of the Sacraments particularly we intend by way of introduction some questions of Sacraments in general As 1. In what they agree with the word and in what they differ from it 2. What Sacraments are 3. What are the ends of Sacraments 4. What are the parts of a Sacrament 5. The union of the
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
it by a constant dependance upon the ministry of the Word that so in time in due time they may safely and comfortably approach to the Lords Table Alas otherwise they will be so far from receiving good by this ordinance as they will eat and drink damnation to themselves The truth of it is this ordinance is not to be carelesly neglected by any of competent years and wit for you must not think the Sacrament to be a feast for children fools or the distracted and mad I say it must not be carelesly neglected Numb 9.13 by any of competent years and wit And yet notwithstanding none must approach unto it but such as are qualified with the grace of saving faith for if they do they partake unworthily in a high degree and so become guilty of the body and blood of Christ that is upon the matter joyn with Judas and the Jewes in the death of Christ approve of that horrible fact of theirs and so eat and drink damnation to themselves And it will not serve the turn for those destitute of the grace of faith to say they have received and often received heretofore they having the more to repent of and mourne for The second branch of this Use of ex hortation To exhort all true beleevers and that divers waies 1. That they would often present themselves at the Lords Table as often as possibly they can no just impediment lying in the way especially living in places where this ordinance is often celebrated Do but see 1 Cor. 11.26 Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here implies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as often as ye do it therefore do it often it being such a means not only to shew the Lords death one to another but likewise to shew it to our own faith for the encrease and strengthening of it and encrease and help on this grace and we encrease and help on all the other graces and come on in grace and corruption decaies 2. To exhort all true believers in coming to the Lords Table that they earnestly endeavour to come preparedly that so they may receive worthily that is to say acceptably to God and then no question it will prove a profitable receiving to their own souls Many true beleevers receive unworthily in some degree and fail much of the good they might receive by this ordinance for want of due preparation they are too slight in examination and for extraordinary praier to be performed sometime before the day of their receiving they are too backwward unto and too carelesse in 3. To exhort them in the act of receiving that they labour to discern the Lords body that is put a difference and distinguish betwixt the outward elements and common bread and wine although not in their substance why yet in their use and so seriously intend the whole businesse stirring up their inward affections by a serious employing of their outward senses that so Christ and his benefits may be received and welcomed into the armes of their enlarged and extended faith Many believers in the act of receiving fail much in spirituall consideration and so their affections are little moved and inflamed If 1. When the Minister sets apart the Elements thou wouldst consider that even so God the Father from all eternity did set apart Christ to be the Redeemer of mankind 2. When he consecrates the Elements by the Word and Prayer thou wouldst consider that even so in the fulness of time God sent his Son into the world to accomplish this work of Redemption 3. When thou seest the Minister to break the Bread and powr out the Wine thou wouldst meditate upon the accursed death of Christ and shedding of his bloud for all true Believers 4. When the Minister comes and gives the Bread and Wine unto thee if thou wouldst consider that even so God the Father reaches and gives his Son and all his merits unto thy faith 5. When thou takest and receivest the Elements at the Ministers hands thou wouldst stir up thy self to apprehend and receive Christ and his benefits by the hand of faith And then sixthly and lastly In eating and drinking the Elements thou wouldst earnestly endeavour more and more nearly to apply Christ and to feel thy Spiritual union with him Such consideration in the act of receiving would be the way not only to receive the Sign but at one and the same time the thing signified 4 To exhort all true Believers after they have received 1. To labour to keep up their faith assuring themselves the Lord is no deceiver but will be sure to make good his Covenant with them 2. As we have already heard sometime that day in secret take a review of thy receiving and after it proceed as thou hast been directed 3. Remember to make good thy Vows and to demonstrate both to thy self and others that thou hast got Spiritual strength by this Feast of growth thou walking more conscionably and comfortably in both Callings It s said of the fainting Egyptian 1 Sam. 30.11 12. when he had eaten and drunk that his spirit came again to him So if thou eat and drink in faith thy Spiritual life will be revived and thy strength increased And thus we have done with the second Member of the fifth Principle Now we come to the third and last Member MEMBER III. And Prayer THis Member acquaints us with another good outward meanes whereby faith is encreased to wit Prayer And hence we commend this Point of Doctrine unto you Doctr. Prayer is one good meanes for the encrease of faith See Luke 22.32 I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not So the father of the possessed child thought Mark 9.24 And the Apostles Luke 17.5 and Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost that is by the help and assistance of the Holy Ghost this being an excellent meanes to confirm and bring on faith Reason 1. This is a good means to encrease any grace of Gods Spirit in us and therefore a good means to encrease our faith That it is a good means to encrease any grace of God Spirit in us see Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it that is the Holy Spirit in a greater measure Reas 2. Hereby faith is exercised to wit by faithful Prayer and the more faith is exercised the more it growes and encreases Ephes 6.16 18. Psal 6.8 9. see we the former part of the same Psalm and we shall observe Davids faith to get up in Prayer So Psalm 62.2 6. R. 3 The Rule of Contraries This duty omitted and neglected faith goes out of exercise slackens and decayes Now we come to the Uses Vse 1 For Tryal and Examination 1 Do we use Prayer if we pray seldom or never let us not wonder if we be poor in the grace of faith Prayer being the key that opens all Gods Treasures Such as are strangers to Prayer cannot be throughly acquainted with faith 2. But do
we use to pray then in Prayer are we earnest after faith for an encrease of this grace Many in prayer are more for temporal things then Spiritual but this is to pray in a carnal manner And divers in prayer that beg spiritual Blessings and yet sue for them but in a carnal way not seeing any beauty and excellency in them neither finding any taste or rellish in them but only because they are convinced they cannot be saved without them So then the Question is Whether in Prayer we be more earnest for faith and the other Graces of Gods Spirit then for Temporal Blessings And then in suing for spiritual Blessings whether the beauty we see in them and rellish we find in them do much induce and move us to be earnest at the Throne of Grace for them 3. Do we use Prayer and in prayer are we earnest for faith in the manner aforesaid observe we then the fruit of our praying Psal 85.8 He will speak peace to his Saints to wit by stirring up and encreasing their faith Surely suing for faith as aforesaid we shall upon examination find an encrease of it And this is the great wheel in the Clock come on in this grace and come on in every sanctifying and saving grace Vse 2. For Inquisition Seeing Prayer is one good means to encrease faith to enquire into the Doctrine of Prayer As first What Prayer is and the parts of it 2. The necessity of prayer and the Motives to it 3. The Objections against Prayer and the Answers of them 4. The Qualifications of true and acceptable prayer First What prayer is and the parts of it Answ We are not now speaking of the requests and suits we make one to another in our civil converse here in the world which may be called civil prayer But of Religious Praier which we thus describe It is an opening of the desire of the heart or a pouring out of the foul to the Lord. 1. I say It is an opening of the desire of the heart or a pouring out of the soul See Psal 62.8 1 Sam. 1.15 2. I say It is a pouring out of the soul to the Lord he only being the object of religious praier it is he and he only that sees and knows the heart he and he only which is present in all places to hear the praiers of all his people he and he only which is Almighty to help Now the Parts of praier In Scripture we find divers divisions of prayer but in 1 Tim. 2.1 we have the parts of praier punctually laid down 1. Supplication 2. Precation or petition 3. Intercession 4. Thanksgiving By supplication we understand humble suit to the Lord for his favour and pardon of sin and in this part of praier we have the confession of sin implied By precation or petition the second part of praier we understand a begging of all other things needful for soul and body By Intercession the third part of praier we do not understand an entreating for others as divers interpretors doe for not only this part of praier but all the parts of praier are here injoyned to be performed as in the behalf of our selves why so in the behalf of others But we understand by it a contending with God for the prevention and removall of judgment By Thanksgiving the last part of praier we understand a rendring praise to God for his blessings and mercies Thus then we see that prayer consists of 4 parts Supplication Precation Intercession and Thanksgiving Now we come to the second thing concerning prayer to wit What necessity of it and the motives unto it I answer It is an excellent part of Gods worship Psal 95.6 where by bowing down and calling upon God is meant to worship him Hence the place of Gods worship by way of excellencie was called the house of prayer Isa 56.7 2. By the duty of prayer the Lord is much glorified for hereby all his attributes are acknowledged Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity confessed The puritie and holinesse of his Law subscribed unto His promises in the Gospel professed to be believed the accomplishment of them to be hoped for and expected and he blessed and praised for his mercies 3. Gods command The Lord commands us to pray Psal 105.4 1 Thes 5.17 4. The example of Christ and all the worthies mentioned in Scripture Luke 3.21 and 9.18 28 29. and 6 12. And so all Gods people mentioned in holy writ they all were adicted to prayer 5. The misery that attends those that neglect this duty Jerem. 10.25 Matth. 26.41 Ezek. 22.30 31. Dan. 9.13.14 6. This is a good means to easie our hearts This Hannah knew wel 1 Sam. 1 15. And Job Job 16.20 And so all practial Christians 7. Our continual and innumerable necessities inward and outward 8. The promise of supply and help Psal 50.15 and 91.15 Matth. 7.7 9. The dignitie of this duty hereby a mortal worm hath conference and converse with the greatest majesty 10. The power and efficacie of praier compare Gen. 32.11 and 33.4 And 2 Sam. 15.31 and 17.23 See Exod. 14.15 and 15.25 Matth. 17.21 Remember Hezekiahs and Isaiahs praier and so Esters and Mordecai's In the primitive Church Anno 175 the army of Christians was called the thundering legion because upon their praiers God scattered their enemies with thunder And the very heathen in those times could observe that the Christians were able to obtain any thing by prayer And what man or woman of religious observation in these our times but may speak of the efficacie and power of prayer Now we come to the third particular the objections against prayer Object 1 May some ignorant men and women say the Lord knows our wants before we pray and then to what purpose should we pray Answ We do not pray because the Lord knows not our wants But 1. Because it is his comand that we pray Phil. 4.6 2. That we may demonstrate our selves sensible of our wants which the Lord will have us to be Psal 34.18 3. Hereby we acknowledg the Lord to be the fountain of all good 4. This is the condition the Lord ties us unto if so be we would have him to impart his blessings unto us Prov. 2.3 5. Jer. 33.2 3. Matth. 7.7 Object 2 But the Lord in his eternall counsell hath decreed what blessings we shall have and what blessings we shall not have and his decree cannot be altered Answ All this is true but yet as the Lord hath decreed the end why so the means and in the ordinary course by the means works to the end The Lord had decreed to give the Gentiles to Christ but yet see what he saith unto him Psal 2.8 Ask of me c. And so he had decreed as he was pleased to make known the return of the Jewes out of the captivitie Yet see what he saith Ezek. 36.37 I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel Nay Daniel knowing the very time
Philip. 1.21 23. And thus now we have done with the Common-place implyed in the sixth Principle to wit Death NOw we come to the second Head or Common place to wit the general Resurrection and receive it in this Doctrine Doct. It is a most certain truth that there shall be a general Resurrection That all the dead shall rise again with their own bodies at the last day The Scriptures are very clear and evident in this point See Job 19.25 26 27. Isaiah 26.19 John 5.28 29. Acts 24.15 The Grounds and Reasons of the Doctrine And first we will lay you down Reasons why the bodies of the godly must be raised again at the last day and then why the bodies of the wicked must be then raised Reasons why the bodies of the godly must be raised again at the last day Reas 1. Because the Lord is their God is in Covenant with the godly in Covenant with the whole man not onely soul but body This is our Saviours Argument to the Sadduces who denied the Resurrection Mat. 22.31 32. As touching the Resurrection of the dead have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living Our Saviours meaning is this The God of Heaven speaking to Moses Exod. 3.9 of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who being in Covenant with God but all dead long before the Lord then spake unto Moses yet speaks of them as alive thereby intimating the Resurrection of their bodies that their dead bodies should be raised again at the last day and if their bodies why then the dead bodies of all that are in Covenant with God Reas 2 Christ himself hath undertaken this to wit to raise up the dead bodies of all his at the last day John 6.39 And is not this an easie thing with him he being not only man but God See Mat. 22.29 Phil. 3.20 21. Reas 3. Christ is risen therefore the dead bodies of all the godly shall rise again at the last day This is a true and sure consequence for 1. Christ rose again that he might raise them 2. Christ is their Head and they his Members seeing then Christ their Head is risen they also his Members doubtless shall rise for the glory of the head requires this that he have his members sutable and in like condition with himself 3. The same Spirit is in them which is in Christ raised he joyneth and uniteth them with Christ and worketh the same in them which he doth in Christ But he hath raised Christ therefore he will raise them Reas 4. To this end the bodies of the Elect were made that in them as Temples the Holy Ghost might dwell for ever therefore their bodies shall rise again at the last day and live for ever Reas 5. This great truth denied that the bodies of the godly shall be raised again at the last day overturns all Religion 1 Cor. 15.12 unto the nineteenth Thus you see the Reasons why the bodies of the godly must be raised again at the last day Now we come to lay you down the Reasons why the bodies of the wicked must be raised Reas 1. Because the Scripture delivers this in plain and express termes 3 Cor. 5.10 John 5.28 29. Acts 24.15 Reas 2. The threatnings and comminations that lie against the wicked Matth. 10.28 Mark 9.43 and so to verse 49. besides divers other places Reas 3. The Justice of God requires this The wicked do not onely sin in soul but in body therefore their bodies must be raised again at the last day that so they may be punished in both Thus you see that not only the dead bodies of the godly shall be raised again at the last day but also the dead bodies of the wicked Yet observe with a double difference 1. In regard of the efficient 2. In regard of the final cause The bodies of the godly shall rise by the power of Christ their Head the bodies of the wicked by the power of Christ their Judge The bodies of the godly shall rise to eternal glory the bodies of the wicked to eternal condemnation For the further opening of this Doctrine we intend 1. To answer some objections 2. In brief to lay before you the manner or method of the general Resurrection 3. And lastly the Uses First to answer some objections Object 1. From Eccles 3.19.20 Answ 1. Solomon doth not speak here in his own person but in the person of an Epicure or Atheist 2. Suppose Solomon do here deliver his own judgement he speaks nothing here of the estate after death but onely delivers thus much That as beasts dye so men dye the one as wel as the other Object 2. From 1 Cor. 15.50 Answ By flesh and blood here we are not to understand the body simply but as it is cloathed with sin and corruption and so indeed it shall not inherit the Kingdom of God but as it is immortal and glorious it shall Object 3. From 1 Cor. 15.44 So then it may seem our bodies at the last day shall rise Spiritual bodies and not consisting of flesh and blood Answ The Apostle doth explain himself verse 53. There shall not be a change in substance but in quality The bodies of the godly shall then be immortal incorruptible not needing means of corporal nourishment nor subject to infirmities but nimble strong and impassible void of all deformity and uncomliness of perfect stature glorious c. The bodies of the wicked then shall be immortal also and incorruptible but passible to endure the punishment inflicted upon them Object 4. That bodies resolved to dust and ashes should rise again is not this impossible Answ Luke 18.27 Gen. 18.14 Luke 1.37 The Almighty God that made all things of nothing is not he able to restore the body although turned to dust burnt to ashes or devoured by wild beasts The manner of the Resurrection The next thing we promised is to lay forth in brief the manner or method of the genâ—ral Resurrection 1. In the first place when the last day of the world is come Christ on a sudden in the same visible form he went to heaven will come in the Clouds with his Angels and the souls of his Saints departed Acts 1.11 Judges 14.15 2. The Trumpet of God shall then sound the voyce of the Arch-angel shall then be heard Christ shall command and call upon the dead to rise and come to judgement 1 Thess 4.16 John 5. 28 29. 3. Immediately presently upon this the souls of all the godly deceased shall enâ—er into their bodies and then their bodies rise to life eternal and so the souls of all the wicked deceased shall return into their bodies and then their bodies rise to eternal condemnation John 5.28 29. 4. Such as shall then be alive shall have a change on a sudden in stead of death and Resurrection 1 Cor.
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
wait long upon him in the use of means for comfort and consolation Object 5. But I cannot find my self to come on in grace in holy desires and affections but corruption to be more and more stirring in me and therefore I fear whether I have a true faith or no Answ First it may be thou dost not enjoy the means in a lively and constant way and it may be this thine own fault thou being too willing to live under an unprofitable ministry Secondly it may be thou dost not judge aright of thy own case There be times when the true Christian is not a competent judg of his own spiritual estate as when the humor of melancholly is big and boisterous in him or when his brain is crazie through some long or violent sicknesse or he is much overgone with trouble of conscience Thirdly Is it not the daily grief of thy soul that thou comest on no more in grace and that corruption is so lively in thee why then surely thou growest in the root although not in the blossome Fourthly To be sensible of corruption is a signe of a living soul which cannot be without a true faith Fifthly The more thou seest corruption the lesse it is because in seeing it thou hatest it it matters not so much what is in us as what good not what corruptions as how we stand affected to them Object 6. But I observe others to outstrip me who began profession long after I begun and therefore I suspect the truth of my faith Answ Fiâ—st take heed of envying the growth of others nay much rejoyce in it for the more grace any member attains unto thou rejoycing in it the better it is for thee Secondly If thou meanest by growth gifts as memory to carry away a Sermon ability to confer of the Points of Religion and to pray in a Methodical and enlarged way Thou art to know that natural parts and powers and so education doth much in all external exercises of Religion 3 To have a humble opinion of our selves and a high opinion of other Christians is good but yet we must take heed of wronging the work of Gods grace in our selves so highly thinking of others Graces as to conclude our selves to have none 4. If thou observe others indeed to outstrip thee beginning profession after thee take notice of them to be more diligent in the use of the Means thou that shouldst have been an example to them do not thou disdain they having got before thee now willingly to imitate them Object 7. I cannot pray at all sometimes and this makes me fear I have no faith Ans Thy case is such sometimes thou meanest as that thou canst not pray in an orderly and Methodical manner But 1. Is not this a trouble and grief unto thee Why then for all this thou mayest have a true faith 2. Is there not at such times an earnest desire in thee to pray and this manifested by sighs and groans Thou art to know this is a good sign of the Spirit of Adoption and further that the Lord can pick sense out of a confused prayer And for thy comfort weigh the places following Rom. 8.26 27. We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God And Psal 102.19 20. He hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary from Heaven did the Lord behold the earth to hear the groaning of the Prisoner And Psal 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble And so Psal 145.19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him Nay Psal 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speak and yet breathing out prayer as well he could see ver 1. of the same Psalm I cryed unto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave ear unto me And so Hezekiah Isai 38.14 Like a crane or a swallow so did I chatter but this chattering of his had a gracious effect as we may see in the verses following Object 8. But I am so troubled sometimes with hideous and blasphemous thoughts as I much suspect my faith as that there is no God that the Scriptures are false that all Religious courses are in vaine c. Ans Thou mayest not hence conclude thou hast no faith For 1. Suppose thou hast faith why yet thou hast an unregenerate part from whence these thoughts may come 2 It may be they come only from Satan and then further then thou consentest they are thy affliction but not thy sin 3 Was not our Saviour himself molested in this kind by Satan Matth. 4.1 c. 4 Dost not thou in grief of soul cry to God for pardon of these thoughts and help against them 5 I should rather take this to be an Argument of thy faith Satan seldom molesting his friends I mean natural men and women this way Object 9. But I have so many outward crosses and afflictions upon me and I am so impatient under them as I fear I have no faith Ans For the former part of the Objection it is scarce worth answering afflictions and crosses being the common lot of Believers in this vaile of tears as Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the Righteous And Heb. 12.8 If ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons Now for the latter part of the objection impatience under crosses that is much to be lamented and bewailed yet thou must not hence conclude that thou hast no faith because we read of divers Believers in holy writ who through humane frailty were impatient in time of great affliction as Job David Jeremiah These objections we thought fit to answer for the supporting of the poor Christian whose faith is so much assaulted and opposed it being the Divels great project as to keep men and women from faith so when they have it to keep them from the comfort of it Vse 2. To exhort every man and woman 1. Such as have not this grace to labour for it it being the Instrument and the onely Instrument that apprehends and applies Christ and all his Merits nay that Instrument without which we cannot make use of any promise made unto the Flect and get this grace and get every grace It is true Gods Spirit must work this grace in us if it be wrought yet we must use the means But of that in the next Principle where we have the means of faith laid down 2. To exhort all such as have even the least measure of this grace to make use of it Is it the Instrument whereby we apprehend and apply Christ and all his Merits unto our own souls Oh let us make use of it this way often in the use of holy means be applying him and bringing him near unto