And that we gather one thing from another and that we Love Good and Hate Evil and Choose Refuse and Do accordingly Q. 5. What do you next know of your selves A. When we perceive that we See Feel c. and Think Love Hate c. we know that we have a Power of Soul to do all this for no one doth that which he is not made able to do Q. 6. And what do you next know of your self A. When I know what I Do and that I can do it I know next that I am a Substance endued with this Power for nothing hath no Power nor Act it can do nothing Q. 7. What know you next of your self A. I know that this Substance which Thinketh Understandeth and Willeth is an unseen Substance for neither I nor any mortal Man seeth it and that is it which is called a Spirit Q. 8. What next perceive you of your self A. I Perceive that in this one Substance there is a Threefold Power marvellously but One and yet Three as Named from the Objects and Effects that is 1. A Power of meer Growing motion common to Plants 2. A Power of Sense common to Beasts 3. And a Power of Understanding and Reason about things above Sense proper to a Man three Powers in one spiritual Substance Q. 9. What else do you find in your self A. I find that my spiritual Substance as Intellectual hath also a Threefold Power in one that is 1. Intellectual Life by which I move and act my faculties and execute my purposes 2. Understanding 3. And Will and that these are marvellously diverse and yet one Q. 10. What else find you by your self A. I find that this unseen Spirit is here United to a humane Body and is in Love with it and careth for it and is much limited by it in its Perceivings Willings and Workings and so that a Man is an Incorporate Understanding Spirit or a humane Soul and Body Q. 11. What else perceive you by your self A. I perceive that my higher Powers are given me to rule the lower my Reason to rule my Senses and Appetite my Soul to rule and use my Body as Man is made to rule the Beasts Q. 12. What know you of your self as related to others A. I see that I am a Member of the World of Mankind and that others are better than I and multitudes better than one and that the Welfare of Mankind depends much on their Duty to one another and therefore that I should Love all according to their worth and faithfully endeavour the good of all Q. 13. What else know you of your self A. I know that I made not my self and maintain not my self in Life and Safety and therefore that another made me and maintaineth me and I know that I must Die by the Separation of my Soul and Body Q. 14. And can we tell what then becomes of the Soul A. I am now to tell you but how much of it our Nature tells us the rest I shall tell you afterward we may know 1. That the Soul being a Substance in the Body will be a Substance out of it unless God should destroy it which we have no cause to think he will 2. That Life Understanding and Will being its very Nature it will be the same after Death and not a thing of some other kind 3. That the Soul being naturally Active and the World full of Objects it will not be a sleepy or unactive thing 4. That its Nature here being to mind its Interest in another Life by Hopes or Fears of what will follow God made not its Nature such in vain and therefore that Good or Evil in the Life that 's next will be the Lot of all CHAP. III. Of the Natural Knowledge of GOD and Heaven Qu. 1. YOu have told me how we know the things which we see and feel without us and within us But how can we know any things which we neither see nor feel but are quite above us A. By certain Effects and Signs which notifie them How little else did man differ from a Beast if he knew no more than he seeth and feeleth Besides what we know from others that have seen you see not now that the Sun will rise to morrow or that Man must die you see not Italy Spain France You see no mans Soul And yet we certainly know that such things are and will be Q. 2. How know you that there is any thing above us but what we see A. 1. We see such things done here on Earth which nothing doth or can do which is seen What thing that is seen can give all Men and Beasts their life and sense and safety and so marvellously form the bodies of all and govern all the matters of the World 2. We see that the spaces above us where Sun Moon and Stars are are so vast that all this Earth is not so much to them as one Inch is to all this Land And we see that the Regions above us excel in the glory of purity and splendor And when this dark spot of Earth hath so many millions of Men can we doubt whether those vast and glorious parts are better inhabited 3. And we find that the grossest things are the basest and the most invisible the most Powerful and Noble as our Souls are above our Bodies And therefore the most vast and Glorious Worlds above us must have the most invisible powerful noble inhabitants Q. 3. But how know you what those Spirits above us are A. 1. We partly know what they are by what they do with us on Earth 2. We know much what they are by the Knowledge of our selves If our Souls are Invisible Spirits essentiated by the Power of Life Understanding and Will the Spirits above us can be no less but either such or more excellent And he that made us must needs be more excellent than his work Q. 4. How know you who made us A. He that made all things must needs be our Maker that is GOD Q. 5. What mean you by God And what is He A. I mean The Eternal Infinite Glorious Spirit and Life most Perfect in Active Power Understanding and Will Of whom and by whom and to whom are all things being the Creator Governour and End of all This is that God whom All things do declare Q. 6. How know you that there is such a God A. By his works And I shall afterwards tell it you more fully by his Word Man did not make himself Beasts Birds Fishes Trees and Plants make not themselves The Earth and Water and Air made not themselves And if the Souls of men have a maker the Spirits next above them must have a Maker and so on till you come to a first Cause that was made by none There must be a first Cause and there can be but one Q. 7. Why may there not be many Gods or Spirits that were made by none but are Eternally of themselves A. Because
is the meaning of this Commandement A. It implieth a Command that we do all that duâ—… God which is due to him from reasonable Creaâ—ures made by him and freely Redeemed by him from sin and misery And it forbiddeth us to think â—hat there is any other God or to give to any other â—hat which properly belongs to him Q. 3. Doth not the Scripture call Idols and Magiâ—â—rates Gods A. Yes but only in an Equivocal improper Sence Idols are called Gods as so reputed falsly by Idolaters and Magistrates only as Mens Governours under God Q. 4. What are the Duties which we owe to God alone A. I. That our Understandings know believe and esteem him as God II. That our Wills loveâ— him and cleave to him as God III. That we Practically obey and serve him as God Q. 5. When doth the Understanding know believe and esteem him as God A. No Creature can know God with an adequate Comprehensive knowledge But we must in our measure know believe and esteem him to be the only Infinite Eternal self-sufficient Spirit Vital power Undestanding and Will or most perfect Life Light and Love Father Son and Holy Ghost of whom and through whom and to whom are all things Our absolute Owner Ruler and Father reconciled by Christ Our Maker our Redeemer and Sanctifier Q. 6. When doth Mans Will love and cleave to him as God A. When the Understanding believing him to be Best even Infinitely Good in himself and Best to all the World and Best to us we Love him as such though not yet in due perfection yet sincerely above all other things Q. 7. How can we Love God above all when we never saw him and can have no Idea or formal conception of him in our Minds A. Though he be invisible and we have no corporeal Idea of him nor no adequate or just formal Conception of him yet he is the most Noble Object of our Understanding and Love as the Sun is of our sight though we comprehend it noâ— We are not without such an Idea or conception of God as is better than all other knowledge and is the beginning of Eternal Life and is true in its kind though very imperfect Q. 8. How can you know him that is no Object of sense A. He is the Object of our Understanding We know in our selves what it is to Know and to Will though these acts are not the objects of sense unless you will call the very acts of knowing and willing an eminent internal sensation of themselves And by this we know what it is to have the Power of Understanding and Willing And so what it is to be an Invisible substance with such Power And as we have this true Idea or Conception of â— Soul so have we more easily of him who is more than a Soul to the whole World Q. 9. How doth the true Love of God work â—â—re in the Flesh A. As we here Know God so we Love him As we know him not in the manner as we do things sensible so we Love him not with that sort of sensible appetite as we do things sensible immediately But as we know him as revealed in the glass of his works natural and gracious and in his Word so we Love him as known by such Revelation Q. 10. Do not all men Love God who believe that there is a God when Nature teacheth men to Love Goodness as such and all that believe that there is a God believe that he is the Best of beings A. Wicked men know not truly the Goodness of God and so what God is indeed To know this proposition God is most Good is but to know words and a Logical general Notion As if a man should know and say that Light is Good who never had sight or Sweetness is good who never tasted it Every wicked man is predominantly a Lover of fleshly pleasure and therefore no Lover but a Hater of all the parts and acts of Divine Government and Holiness which are contrary to it and would deprive him of it So that there is somewhat of God that a wicked man doth love that is his Being his Work of Creation and bounty to the World and to him in those natural good things which he can value But he Loveth not but Hateth God as the Holy Governour of the World and him and the Enemy of his forbidden pleasure and desires Q. 11. What be the certain signs then of truâ— Love to God A. 1. A true Love to his Government and Laws and Holy Word and that as it is his and holy And this so effectual as that we unfeignedly desire to obey that word as the Rule of our Faith and Life and Hope and desire to fulfill his Commanding Will. 2. A true Love to the Actions which God commandeth though flesh will have some degree of backwardness 3. A true Love to those that are likest God in Wisdom Holiness and doing good And such a Love to them as is above the Love of Worldly Riches Honour and Pleasure so that it will enable us to do them good though by our suffering or loss in a lower matter when God calls as to it For if we see our Brother have need and shut up the bowels of Compassion so that we cannot find in our hearts to relieve his necessities by the loss of our unnecessary superfluities how dwelleth the Love of God in us 4. True Love to God doth Love it self It is a great sign of it when we so much love to Love God as that we are gladder when we feel it in us than for any worldly Vanity and when we take the Mutual Love of God and the Soul to be so good and joyful a State as that we truly desire it as our Felicity and best in Heaven to be â—erfectly Loved of God and perfectly to Love him and joyfully express it in his Everlasting praiâ—es To long to Love God as the best Condition for us is a sign that we truly Love â—im Q. 12. But must not all the affections be set on God as well as Love A. All the rest are but several wayes of Loving or Willing good and of Nilling or Hating and avoiding Evil. 1. It is Love that desireth after God and his Grace and Glory 2. It is Love that hopeth for him 3. It is Love that rejoiceth in him and is pleased when we and others please him and when his Love is poured out on the Sons of men and Truth Peace and Holiness prosper in the World 4. It is Love that maketh us sorrowful that we can please him no more nor more enjoy him and that maketh us grieved that we can no more know him love him and delight in him and that we have so much sin within us to displease him and hinder our communion of Love with him 5. And Love will make us fearful of displeasing him and losing the said Communion of Love 6. And it will make us most
If all Magistrates loved the People as themselves how would they use them If Bishops and Teachers loved others as themselves and were as loth to hurt them as to be hurt and to reproach them as to be reproached and to deliver them from Poverty Prison or Danger as to be safe themselves what do you think would be the consequent How few would study to make others odious or â—o ruine them how few would backbite them or â—ensoriously condemn them if they loved them as themselves If all this City and Kingdom loved each other as themselves what a foretast would it be of Heaven on Earth How delightfully should we all live together Every man would have the good of all others to rejoice in as his own And be as ready to relieve another as the right hand will the left We can too easily forgive our selves our faults and errours and so should bear with others Love is our Safety who is afraid of any one who he thinks loveth him as himself who is afraid that he should persecute imprison or destroy himself unless by ignorance or distraction Love is the delight of Life when it is mutual and is not disappointed what abundance of Fears and Cares and Passions and Law-suit's would it End It is the fulfilling of the preceptive part of the Law and as to the penal part there is no use for it where Love prevaileth To such saith Paul there is no Law They are not without it but above it so far as it worketh by fear 5. Love is the Preparation and Foretast of Glory Fear Care and Sorrow are distantly preparing works but it 's Ioyful Love which is the immediate Preparation and foretast There is no War no Persecution no Hatred Wrath or Strife in Heaven But perfect Love which is the uniting Grace wiâ—… there more nearly unite all Saints than we that aâ—… in a dividing world and body can now conceive or perfectly believe Q. 12. Is there any hope that Love should reign on Earth A. There is hope that all the Sound Believers should increase in Love and get more victory over Selfishness For they have all that Spirit of Love and obey Christs last and great Command and are taught of God to Love one another yea they dwell in Love and so in God and God in them and it will grow up to Perfection But I know of no hope that the Malignant Seed of Cain should cease the hating of them that are the Holy seed save as Grace converteth any of them to God Of any Common or universal Reign of Love I see no Prognosticks of it in Rulers in Teachers or any others in the World Prophesies are dark But my greatest hope is fetcht from the three first Petitions of the Lords Prayer which are not to be put up in Vain Q. 13. What should we do towards the increase of Love A. 1. Live so blamelesly that none may find just matter of hatred in you 2. Love others whether they Love you or not Love is the most powerful cause of Love 3. Do hurt to none but by necessary Justice or defence And do as much good as you can to all 4. Praise all that is good in men and mention not the Evil without necessity 5. Do all that you can to make men Holy and winne them to the Love of God And then they will Love each other by his Spirit and for his sake 6. Do all that you can to draw men from sinfull worldly Love For that Love of the World which is Enmity to God is also Enmity to the love of one another Further than you can draw men to center in Christ and in holy Love there is no hope of true Love to others 7. Patiently suffer wrongs rather than provoke men to hate you by unnecessary seeking your right or revenge Q. 14. Is all desire of another mans unlawfull A. All that is to his hurt loss and wrong You may desire another mans daughter to Wife by his Consent or his House Horse or Goods when he is willing to sell them But not else Q. 15. But what if in gaming betting or trading I desire to get from him though to his loss A. It is a covetous selfish sinfull desire You must desire to get nothing from him to his loss and hurt Q. 16. But what if he consent to run the hazard as in a Horsâ—-race a Game a Wager c It 's no wrong to a Consenter A. The very desire of hurtful drawing from him to your self is selfish sin If he consent to the hazard it is also his covetous desire to gain from you And his sin is no excuse for yours And you may be sure it was not the Loss that he consented to But if he do it as a Gift it 's another Case Q. 17. What be the worst sorts of Covetousness A. 1. When the Son wisheth his Fathers death for his Estate 2. When men that are Old and near the Grave still covet that which they are never like to need or use 3. When men that have abundance are never satisfied but desire more 4. When they will get it by Lying Extortion or other wicked means even by Perjury and Blood as Iezebel and Ahab got Naboths Vineyard 5. When Princes not content with their just Dominions invade other Mens and plague the World with unjust Warres Blood and Miseries to enlarge them Q. 18. How differ Charity and Iustice A. Charity Loveth all because there is somewhat in them lovely and doth them good without respect to their Right because we love them Justice respecteth men as in the same Governed Society under God or Man and so giveth every man his due Q. 19. Is it Love or Justice that saith Whatever you would that men should do to you do ye also to them A. It is both Justice saith Do right to all and wrong to none as you would have them do to you Charity saith Love and pity and relieve all to your power as you would have them Love Pity and Relieve you Q. 20. Hath this Law no exceptions A. It supposeth that your own Will for your selves be just and good If you would have another make you drunk or draw you to any sinfull or unclean Pleasure you may not therefore do so by them But do others such right and good as you may lawfully desire they should do to you Q. 21. What are those Foundations on which this Law is built A. 1. That as God hath made us Individual Persons so he is the free Distributer of his allowance to every Person and therefore we must be content with his allowance and not covet more 2. That God hath made us for Holiness and endless Happiness in Heaven And therefore we must not so Love this World as to covet fulness and desire more of it than God alloweth us 3. That God hath made every man a member of the humane World and every Christian a Member of
Countreys 2. It is a fundamental Pravity and disorder of Mans Will It is made to Love Good as Good and therefore to Love most the greatest good 3. Yea it blindly casteth down and trampleth on all Good in the World which is above self-interest For this prevailing Selfishness taketh a mans self for his ultimate end and all things else but as means to his own Interest God and Heaven and all Societies and all Virtue seem no further Good to him than they are for his own good and welfare And Selfishness so overcometh Reason in some as to make them dispute for this fundamental Errour as a Truth That there is nothing to be accounted Good by me but that which is Good to me as my interest or welfare And so that which is Good to others is not therefore Good to me 4. And thus it blasphemously deposeth God in the Mind of the sinner making him no further Good to us than as he is a means to our Good and so he is set quite below our selves As if he had not made us for Himself and to Love him as God for his own Goodness 5. I told you before of the First Commandement how this maketh every man his own Idol to be Loved above God 6. Yea that the Selfish would be the Idols of the World and have all men conformed to their Judgement Wills and Words 7. A Selfish man is an Enemy to the publick Peace of all Societies and of all true Unity and Concord For whereas Holy persons as such have all one Center Law and End even God and his Will the Selfish have as many Ends and Centers and Laws as they are persons So that while every one would have his own Interest Will and Lust to be the Common Rule and Center it is by the wonderful over-ruling Power of God that any order is kept up in the World and because when they cannot be all Kings they agree to make that use of Kings which they think will serve their Interest best 8. A Selfish man so far can be no true Friend For he loveth his Friend but as a Dog doth his Master for his own Ends. 9. A Selfish Person is so far untrusty and so false in Converse and all Relations For he chooseth and changeth and useth all as he thinks his own interest requireth If he be a Tradesman believe him no further than his interest binds him If he be a Minister he will be for that Doctrine and Practice which is for his Carnal Interest If he be a Ruler wo to his Inferiours And therefore it is the highest point in policy next Conscience and Common Obedience to God to contrive if possible so to twist the Interest of Princes and People that both may feel thaâ— they are inseparable and that they must live and thrive or dye together 10. In a word Inordinate Selfishness is the granâ— pravity of Nature and the Disease and Confusion oâ— all the World whatever Villanies Tyrannies Rebellions Heresies Persecutions or Wickedness yoâ—… read of in all History or hear of now on Earth â—… is but the effects of this adhering by inordinate self-love to self-interest And if Paul say of one branch of its effects The Love of Money is the root of all Evil we may well say it of this radical Comprehensive sin Q. 9. Alas who is it that is not selfish How Common is this sin Are there then any Saints on Earth Or any hope of a remedy A. I. It is so Common and so strong as that 1. All Christians should most Fear it and Watch and Pray and Strive against it 2. And all Preachers should more open the Evil of it than they do and live themselves as against it and above it 1. How much do most over-value their own dark Judgments and weak reasonings in comparison of others 2. How commonly do men measure the Wisdom or Folly Goodness or Badness of other men as they are for or against their selfish Interest Opinions Side or way 3. How impatient are men if self-will Reputation or Interest be Crost 4. How will they stretch Conscience in Words Deeds or Bargaining for gain 5. How soon will they fall out with Friends or Kindred if Money or Reputation come to a Controversie between them 6. How little feeling Pity have they for another in Sickness Poverty Prison or Grief if they be but well themselves 7. How ordinary doth Interest of Body Reputation Wealth corrupt and change mens Judgments in Religion So that Selfishness and Fleshly interest chooseth not only other Conditions and Actions of Life but also the Religion of most men yea of too many Teachers of Self-denyal 8. And if Godly people find this and lament it how weakly do they resist it and how little do they overcome it 9. And though every truly Godly man preferre the Interest of his Soul above that of his Body how few get above a Religion of Caring and Fearing for themselves to study more the Churches good and more than that to Live in the delightful Love of God as the Infinite Good 10. And of those that Love the Church of God how many narrow it to their sect or party and how few have an Universal impartial Love to all true Christians as such Q. 10. Where then are the Saints if this be so A. All this sin is predominant in ungodly men saving that common Grace so far overcometh it in some few that they can venture and lose their Estates and Lives for their special Friends and for their Countrey But in all true Christians it is but in a subdued degree They hate it more than they Love it They all Love God and his Church with a far higher Estimation than themselves though with less passion They would forsake Estate and Life rather than forsake Christ and a Holy Life They were not true Christians if they had not learnt to bear the Cross and Suffer They seek and hope foâ— that Life of perfect Love and Unity where Selfishness shall never more divide us Q. 11. What is it that maketh the Love of others so great a duty A. 1. It is but to Love God his Interest and Image in others No man hath seen God But rational Souls and specially Holy ones are his Image in which we must see and Love him And there is no higher duty than to Love God 2. Love maketh us meet and useful members in all Societies especially in the Church of God It maketh all to love the Common good above their own 3. It maketh all men use their utmost power for the good of all that need them 4. It overcometh Temptations to hurtfulness and division It teacheth men patiently to bear and forbear It is the greatest keeper of Peace and Concord As one Soul uniteth all parts of the Body one Spirit of Love uniteth all true Believers It is the Cement of Individuals the vital healing Balsom which doth more than Art to cure our Wounds
Silver Psal. 41. 9. 55. 13 14. Zech. 11 12 13 and a Potters Field be bought with them all his Persecution and abuse and Sufferings are foretold Isa. 50. 6. 53. Psa. 69. 21. 22. 18. 118. 22. Isa. 6. 9. even â—o the Circumstances of giving him Vinegar casting Lots for his Garments suffering as a Malefactor Yea the very time is foretold Dan. 9. 25 26. And that then the second Temple should be destroyed II. The second part of the Spirits Testimony or the certain proof of Christian Truth is The Inherent constitutive Proof or Testimony in the unimitable Excellency of the Person and Gospel of Christ which is the Image and superscription of God The Person of Christ was of such excellency of Wisdom Goodness and power apparent in his Doctrine Works and Patience all sinless and full of Holy Love to God and Man as is not consistent with being the Deceiver of the World His Gospel in the very Constitution of it hath the impress of God He that hath the Spirit of God will find that in the Gospel which is so suitable to the Divine Nature as will make it the easier to him to believe it Angels preached the Summ of it Luke 2. 14. It is all but the fore-promised and prefigured Redemption of Man Historically delivered and the Doctrine Laws and Promises of saving Grace most fully promulgated It is the wonderful Revelation of the Power Wisdom and Goodness the Truth Justice and Holiness of God especially his Love to Man and of his marvellous design for the recovery Sanctifying and saving of Sinners and removing all the impediments of their Repentance and Salvation It is so wholly fitted to the Glorifying of God and the reparation of depraved Nature and the purifying and perfecting of Mans Soul to the guidance of Mens Lives in the wayes of true Wisdom Godliness Righteousness Soberness Mutual Love and Peace that Men may live profitably to others and live and die in the Sence of God's Love and in a safe and comfortable State that we may be sure so good a thing had a good Cause For had it been the device of Men they must have been very bad Men that would put Gods Name to it and tell so many Lies from Generation to Genration to deceive the World And it is not to be imagined that from Moses time to the writing of Iohn's Revelations there should arise a Succession of Men of such a strange self-contradicting Constitution as should be so good as to devise the the most Holy and Righteous and Self-denying Doctrines for the great good of Mankind and yet all of them so odiously wicked as to belye God and deceive Men and do all this good in so bad a manner with so bad a Heart And if any Blasphemer would Father it upon evil Spirits what a Contradiction would he speak As if Satan would promote the greatest good for the Honour of God and Benefit of Man while he is the greatest Hater of God and Man And as if he would devise a Doctrine to reproach himself and destroy his own Kingdom and bless Mankind and so were at once the best and the worst Indeed the Holy Scriptures do bear the very Image and Superscription of God in their Ends Matter and Manner and prove themselves to be his Word For God hath not given us external proofs that such a Book or Doctrine is his which is it self no better than humane Works and hath no intrinsick proof of its Divine Original But the intrinsick and extrinsick Evidences concurre What Book like the Sacred Scriptures hath taught the World the Knowledge of God the Creation of the World the End and Hope and Felicity of Man What the heavenly Glory is and how procured and how to be obtained and by whom How man became sinful and miserable And how he is recovered And what wonders of Love God hath shewn to Sinners to win their Hearts in Love to him What Book hath so taught Men to live by Faith and the hopes of Glory above all the Lusts of Sense and Flesh and to referr all things in this VVorld to Spiritual Holy and Heavenly Ends to Love others as our selves and to do good to all even to our Enemies to live in such Union and Communion and Peace as is caused by this Vital Grace of Love and not like a Heap of Sand that every spurn or blast of cross Interest will separate VVhat Book so teacheth Man to Love God above all and to pray to him praise him and absolutely obey him with constant pleasure and to trust him absolutely with Soul Body and Estate and cast all our care upon him and in a word to converse in Heaven while we are on Earth and to live as Saints that we may live as Angels Q. 14. But how few be there that do all this A. 1. I shall further answer that anon None do it in Perfection but all found Christians do it in Sincerity 2. But at present it is the perfection of the Doctrine of Christ and of the Sacred Scriptures that I am proving And it is not Mens breaking the Law that will prove that God made it not Q. 15. You have told me of the foregoing Testimony of the Spirit to Christ and the Gospel and of the Inherent Constitutive Testimony or Proof Is there any other A. Yes III. There is the Concomitant Testimony by the Works of Christ Nicodemus could say We know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no Man can do the Works that thou dost except God were with him Joh. 3. 2. He cleansed the Lepers with his word he cast out Devils he healed the Lame the Deaf the Blind yea that were born Blind he healed Palsies Feavers and all manner of sicknesses with a touch or a word he turned Water into Wine he fed twice many Thousands by Miracle he walkt on the Sea and made Peter do the same the Winds and Sea obeyed his Command he raised the Dead This course of Miracles were the most evident Testimony of God And he was brought into the World by Miracle Born of a Virgin Foretold and Named Iesus by an Angel Preached to Shepherds by Angels from Heaven a Star conducting the Eastern Wise-men to the place Iohn his foregoer named by an Angel and Zacharias struck dumb for not believing it Prophesied of by Anna and Simeon owned at his Baptism by the visible descent of the Spirit in the shape of a Dove and by a Voice of God from Heaven and the like again at his Transfiguration when Moses and Elias appeared with him and he did shine in Glory And at his Death the Earth trembled the Sun was obscured and the Air darkened and the Vail of the Temple rent But the fullest Evidence was Christs own Resurrection from the Dead his oft appearing to his Disciples after and conversing with them at times for Forty Dayes and giving them their Commission and promising them the Spirit and ascending
of Miracles IV. The consequent Testimony of the Spirit to and by the Apostles Miracles and Gifts But there is yet that behind which to us is of the greatest moment and that is V. The Sanctifying Testimony of the Holy Spirit in all true Christians in all Ages and Places oâ— the Earth Here you must remember 1. That the common experience of the World assureth us that Mans Nature is greatly vitiated inclined to known eviâ— for some inferiour good and averse to the greatest good by the prevalency of the lesser hardly brought to necessary knowledge and more hardly to the Love Delight and Practice of that which is certainly the best And that hence the World is kept in confusion and misery by Sin 2. Experience assureth us that there is no hope of any great Cure of this by the common helps of Nature and humane Reason For it is that Reason that is diseased and blinded and therefore unapt to cure it self as an Inâ—ant or Fool is to teach himself And as Philosophers are a small part of the World for few will be at the cost of getting such knowledge so they are wofully Dark themselves in the greatest things and of a Multitude of Sects contradicting one another and few of them have Hearts and Lives that are answerable to that which they teach others and the wisest confess that they must expect few Approvers much less Followers And every Man 's own experience tells him how hard it is to Inform the Iudgment about Holy things and to conform the Will to them and to Reform the life to a Holy and Heavenly State 3. The Multitude of Temptations makes this the more difficult and so doth the nature of a vicious habit and the privation of a good one the self-defending and propagating Nature of Sin and the experience of the World tells us how wicked the World is and how little the Labours of the wisest Philosophers Divines or Princes do to reform it and to make Man better And especially how hard it is to get a Heavenly mind and joy and conversation And all this being sure it is as sure that the Renovation of Souls is a great work well beseeming God 4. And it must be added that this is the most necessary work for us and the most excellent Paul tells us but what Reason tells us in that 1 Cor. 13. how much Holy Love which is the Divine Nature and real Sanctity excelleth all Knowledge Gifts and Miracles This is the Souls health and well-being No man can be miserable so far as he is Good and Holy And no Man can choose but be miserable that is not so Many shall lye in Hell that cast out Devils and wrought Miracles in Christ's Name but none that love God and are Holy Christ wrought Miracles but in order to work Holiness as St. Paul 1 Cor. 1. 14. tells them that strange Languages are below Edifying plainness His work as a Saviour is to destroy the works of the Devil Holiness is incomparably better than the Gift of working Miracles This being considered further think 1. That All true Christians are Saints Hypocrites have but the Name and Image No one soundly and practically believeth in Christ and consenteth to his Covenant but he is renewed by the Holy Ghost 2. Consider how great and excellent a Work this is to set a Mans Hope and Heart on Heaven to live by Faith on an unseen World to place our chiefest Love and Pleasure on God Holiness and Heaven to mortifie fleshly Lusts and be above the power of the Love of the World and Natural Life to love others as our selves in the measure that God appeareth in them to love our Enemies and to make it the work of our Lives to do the most good we can in the World to bring every true Believeâ— to this in all Ages and Countreys which neither Princes nor Perswafion alone can do this is above all Miracles And this is a standing Witness which every true Christian hath in himself 3. And note alâ—o that it is by the foresaid Gospel or sealed Word of Christ that all this is wroughâ— on all true Christians And the Divine effect proveth a Divine Cause God would never bless a Lie to be the greatest means of the Holiness Reformation and Happiness of the World And were not the Cause fitted to it it would never produce such Effects Q. 28. Is this it that is called The witness of the Spirit in us A. Besides all the foresaid Witnessings of the Spirit without us the Spirit within us 1. Causeth us to understand and believe the Scripture 2. Maketh it powerful to Sanctifie us 3. And therein giveth us a connaturality and special Love to it and sense of its inherent Divine Excellency which is writing it in our Hearts 4. And causeth us to live by it 5. And confuteth the Objections made against it 6. And causeth us to fetch our comfort from it in a Word Imprinteth the Image of it on us and this is the inward Witness Q. 29. But when we see so much Ignorance Wickedness Confusion and Cruelty Pride Lust and Worldliness among Christians and how they live in malicious tearing one another how can we know that their Goodness is any proof of the truth of Christianity A. I told you Hypocrites have but the Name and Picture and Art of Christianity If Custom Prosperity Laws or Carnal Interest bring the World into the visible Church and make Men say They believe when they do not is Christianity to be judged of by Dissemblers and Enemies Mark any that are serious Believers and you will find them all seriously Sober Just and Godly And though weak Believers have but weak Grace and many Failings they are sincerely though imperfectly such as I have described And though the Blind malignant Enemies can see no Excellency in a Saint he that hath either known Faith and Holiness in himself or hath but impartially observed Mankind will see that Christians indeed are quite another sort of Men than the Unbelievers and that Christ maketh Men such as he teacheth them to be and the Sanctifying Spirit is the sure Witness of Christ dwelling in all true Christians Rom. 8. 9. as Christ's Agent and Advocate witnessing that he is True and that we are his Interceding from Christ to us by communicating his Grace and in us toward Christ by Holy Love and Desires And is God's Name and Mark on us and our Pledge Earnest and First-Fruits of Life eternal and though we were in doubt of old Historical Proofs Yet I. The Old Testament fulfilled in the New II. The Divine Impress discernible on the Gospel III. And the most excellent Effect of Sanctification on all true Believers are Evidences of the truth of Christianity and the Scriptures which all true Christians have still at hand Q. 30. But there are things in the Scripture of exceeding difficulty to believe Especially that God should become Man A. 1. It
Objects enow on which to operate And is it not absurd to think that God will continue so noble a Nature in a state of idleness and continue all its essential Faculties in vain and never to be exercised As if he would continue the Sun without Light Heat or Motion What then is it a Sun for And why is it not annihilated The Soul cannot lose its Faculties of Vitality Intellection and Volition without losing its Essence and being turned into some other thing And why it cannot act out of a Body what Reason can be given If it could not yet that it taketh not hence with it a Body of those corporeal Spirits which it acted in or that it cannot as well have a Body of Light for its own Action as it can take a Body as Moses on the Mount to appear to Man is that which we have no reason to suspect 2. But Scripture puts all out of doubt by telling us that To die is gain and that it 's better to be with Christ and that Lazarus was comforted in Abraham's Bosom and the converted Thief was with Christ in Paradise and that the Souls under the Altar and in Heaven pray and praise God and that the Spirits of the Iust are there made perfect And this is not a state of sleep It is a World of Life and Light and Love that we are going to more active than this Earthy heavy World than Fire is more active than a Clod. And shall we suspect any sleepy unactivity there This is the dead and sleepy World And Heaven is the place of Life it self Q. 7. What is the Nature of that heavenly Everlasting Life A It is the perfect activity and perfect fruition of Divine communicated Glory by perfected Spirits and Spiritual Men in a perfect Glorious Society in a perfect Place or Region and this Everlasting Q. 8. Here are many things set together I pray you tell them me distinctly A. 1. Heaven is a perfect Glorious Place and Earth to it is a Dungeon The Sun which we see is a Glorious place in comparison of this 2. The whole Society of Angels and Saints will be Perfect and Glorious And our Joy and Glory will be as much in participation by Union and Communion with theirs as the Life and Health of the Eye or Hand is in and by union and communion with the Body we must not dream of any Glory to our selves but in a state of that union and communion with the Glorious Body of Christ. And Christ himself the Glorified Head is the chief part of this Society whose Glory we shall behold 3. Angels and Men are themselves there Perfect If our Being and Nature were not Perfect our Action and Fruition could not be Perfect 4. The Objects of all our Action are most Perfect It is the Blessed God and a Glorious Saviour and Society that we shall see and love and praise 5. All our Action will be pefect Our Sight and Knowledge our Love our Joy our Praise will be all perfect there 6. Our reception and fruition will all be perfect We shall be perfectly loved by God and one another and perfectly pleasing to him and each other and he will communicate to us and all the Society as much Glorious Life Light and Joyful Love as we are capable of receiving 7. And all this will be perfect in duration being Everlasting Q. 9. O what manner of Persons should we be if all this were well believed Is it possible that they should truly believe all this who do not earnestly desire and seek it and live in joyful longing hope to be put into possession of it A. Whoever truly believeth it will prefer it before all Earthly treasure and pleasure and make it the chief End and Motive and Comfort of his Soul and Life and forsake all that stands against it rather than forsake his hopes of this But while our Faith Hope and Love are all imperfect and we dwell in Flesh where present and sensible things are still diverting and affecting us and we are so used to Sight and Sense that we look strangely towards that which is above them and out of their reach it is no wonder if we have imperfect desires and joy abated by diversions and by griefs and fears and if in this darkness unseen things seem strange to us and if a Soul united to a Body be loth to leave it and be uncloathed and have somewhat dark Thoughts of that state without it which it never tryed Q. 10. But when we cannot conceive how Souls act out of the Body how can the Thought of it be pleasant and satisfying to us A. 1. We that can conceive what it is to Live and Understand and Will to Love and Rejoice in the Body may understand what these acts are in themselves whether out of a Body or in a more glorious Body And we can know that nothing doth nothing and therefore that the Soul that doth these acts is a Noble substance and we find that it is invisible But of this I spake in the beginning 2. When we know in general all before mentioned that we shall be in that described Blessedness with Christ and the Heavenly Society we must implicitly trust Christ with all the rest who knoweth for us what we know not and stay till possession give us that clear distinct conception of the manner and all the circumstances which they that possess it not can no more have than we can conceive of the sweetness of a Meat or Drink which we never tasted of And we should long the more for that Possession which will give us that sweet Experience Q. 11. Is not God the only Glory and Ioy of the Blessed Why then do you tell us so much of Angels and Saints and the City of God A. God is all in all things of him and through him and to him are all things and the Glory of all is to him for ever But God made not any single Creature to be happy in him alone as separate from the rest but an Universe which hath its Union and comunion I told you as the Eye and Hand have no separated Life or Pleasure but only in Communion with the whole Body so neither shall we in Heaven God is infinitely above us and if you think of him alone without mediate Objects for the ascent and access of your Thoughts you may as well think to climb up without a Ladder We are not the Noblest Creatures next to God nor yet the most Innocent We have no access to him but by a Mediator And that Mediator worketh and conveyeth his Grace to us by other subordinate means He is the Saviour of his Body which is the fulness of him that filleth all If we think not of the Heavenly Ierusalem the glorious City of God the Heavenly Society and Joyful Chore that praise Iehovah and the Lamb and live together in perfect Knowledge Love and Concord in whose Communion only we have all our
with desire and hope As Heaven is the State and Place where God shineth to the understanding Creature in the greatest Glory and where he is best known so it is this heavenly Glory seen to us by Faith which is the most Glorious of all the Names or Notices of God to be hallowed by us Q. 19. What is the profaning of this Name of God A. The minding only of Earthly and Fleshly things and not believing considering or admiring the heavenly Glory Not loving and praising God for it nor desiring and seeking to enjoy it Q. 20. So much of God's Works which make him known Next tell us what you mean by the Words which you call his Name A. 1. All the Sacred Scripture as it maketh known God to us by History Precepts Promises or Penal Threats With all God's Instituted means of Worship 2. More specially the Descriptions of God by his Attributes 3. And most specially his Proper Name GOD Iehovah c. Q. 21. I 'le not ask you what his Attributes are because you have told us that before But how is this Name of God to be hallowed A. When the Soul is affected with that Admiration Reverence Love Trust and Submission to God which the meaning of these Names bespaeks And when the manner of our using them expresseth such affections Especially in publick Praises with the Churches Q. 22. How is this Name of God prophaned A. When it is used lightly falsly unreverently without the aforesaid Holy regard and affections Q. 23. III. What is that which you call God's Name imprinted on Mans Mind A. God made Man very good at first and that was in his own Image And so much of this is either left by the interposition of Grace in lapsed Nature or by common Grace restored to it as that all Men till utterly debauched would fain be accounted Good Pious Vertuous and Just and hate the imputation of Wickedness dishonesty and Badness And on the Regenerate the Divine Nature is so renewed as that their Inclination is towards God and HOLINESS TO THE LORD is written on all their Faculties And the Spirit of God moveth on the Soul to actuate all his Graces and to plead for God and our Redeemer and bring Him to our Remembrance to our Affections and to subject us wholly to his Will and Love And thus as the Law was written in Stone as to the Letter which is written only on tender fleshy Hearts as to the Spirit and Holy effect and disposition so the Name of God which is in the Bible in the Letter is by the same Spirit imprinted on Believers Hearts that is They have the Knowledge Faith Fear and Love of God Q. 24. How must we hallow this inward Name of God A. 1. By Reverencing and Loving God that is God's Image and Operations in us Not only God as glorified in Heaven but God as dwelling by Grace in Holy Souls must be remembred and reverenced by us 2. By living as in habitual Communion and Conversation with that God who dwelleth in us and who hath made us his Habitation by the Spirit 3. And by ready obeying the moving Operations of the Spirit for God And to contemn or resist these inward Ideas Inclinations and Motions is to prophane the Name of God Q. 25. But what is all this to the Sanctfying of God himself A. The Signs are but for him that is signified It is God himself that is to be admired Loved and Honoured as notified to us by these Signs or Name otherwise we make Idols of them In a Word God must be Esteemed Reverenced Loved Trusted and Delighted in Transcendently as God with affections proper to himself and this is to Sanctifie him by advancing him in our Heart in his Prerogative above all Creatures And all Creatures must be used respectively to this Holy End And specially those Ordinances and Names which are specially Separated to this use And nothing must be used as common and unclean especially in his Worship and Religious Acts. CHAP. XXVI Thy Kingdom come Qu. 1. WHy is this made the Second Petition A. To tell us that it must be the Second thing in our Desires We are to begin at that which is highest most excellent and ultimate in our Intentions and that is Gods Glory shining in all his Works and seen admired honoured and praised by Man which is the hallowing of his Name and the Holy Exalting him in our Thoughts Affections Words and Actions above all Creatures And we are next to desire that in which God's glory most eminently shineth And that is his Kingdom of Grace and Glory Q. 2. What is here meant by the Kingdom of God A. It is not that Kingdom which he hath over Angels and the innumerable glorious Spirits of the Heavenly Regions For these are much unknown to us and we know not that there is any Rebellion among them which needeth a Restoration But Man by Sin is fallen into Rebellion and under the Condemnation due to Rebels And by Christ the reconciling Mediator they are to be restored to their subjection to God and so to his Protection Blessing and Reward And because they are Sinners corrupt and guilty they cannot be Subjects as under the Primitive Law of Innocency And therefore God hath delivered them to the Mediator as his Vicegerent to be governed under a Law of healing Grace and so brought on to Perfect Glory So that the Kingdom of God now is his Reign over fallen Man by Christ the Mediator begun on Earth by Recovering Grace and perfected in heavenly Glory Q. 3. But the Scriptures sometimes speaks of the Kingdom of God as come already when Christ came or when he rose and ascended to his Glory and sometime as if it were yet to come at the great Resurrection Day A. In the first case the meaning is that the King of the Church is come and hath established his Law of Grace and Commissioned his Officers and sent forth his Spirit and so the Kingdom of healing Grace is come But in the second case the meaning is that all that Glorious Perfection which this Grace doth tend to which will be the Glory of the Church the Glory of Christ therein and the Glorification of Gods Love is yet to come Q. 4. What is it then which we here desire A. That God will enlarge and carry on the Kingdom of Grace in the World and bear down all that Rebells and hindereth it and particularly in our selves And that he would hasten the Kingdom of Glory Q. 5. Who is it then that is the King of this Kingdom A. GOD as the absolute Supream and Iesus Christ the Son of God and Man as the Supream Vicegerent and Administrator Q. 6. Who are the Subjects of this Kingdom A. There are three sorts of Subjects 1. Subjects only as to Obligation And so those without the Church are Rebellious obliged Subjects 2. Subjects by meer Profession And so all Baptized professing Christians
Law of Iesus Christ. 1. The Law of Nature is not abrogate though the terms of Life and Death are not the same as under the Law of Innocency 2. The Law of Moses to the Iews as such never bound all other Nations nor now bindeth us but is dead and done away 2 Cor. 3. 7 9 10 11. Rom. 2. 12. 14 15. 3. 19. 7. 1 2 3. Heb. 7. 12. 1 Cor. 9. 21. But seeing it was God that was the Author of that Law and by it expresly told the Iews what the Law of Nature is we are all bound still to take those two Tables to be God's own Transcript of his Law of Nature and so are by consequence bound by them still If God give a Law to some one Man as that which belongs to the Nature of all Men though it bind us not as a Law to that Man it binds as Gods exposition of the Law of Nature when notified to us 3. As the Law of Christ it binds all Christians Q. 2. How are the Ten Commandements the Law of Christ A. 1. Nature it self and lapsed Mankind is delivered up to Christ as Redeemer to be used in the Government of his Kingdom And so the Law of Nature is become his Law 2. It was Christ as God-Redeemer that gave the Law to Moses and as it is a Transcript of the Common Law of Nature he doth not revoke it but suppose it 3. Christ hath repeated and owned the Matter of it in the Gospel and made it his Command to his Disciples Q. 3. Is there nothing in the Ten Commandements proper to the Israelites A. Yes 1. The Preface Hear O Israel And that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage 2. The stating the Seventh Day for the Sabath and the strict Ceremonial Rest commanded as part of the Sanctifying of it Q. 4. How doth Christ and his Apostles contract all the Law into that of Love A. God who as Absolute Lord Owneth moveth and disposeth of all doth as Soveraign Ruler give us Laws and excute them and as Love and Benefactor giveth us all and is the most Amiable Object and End of all So that as to Love and Give is more than to Command so to be Loved is more than as a Commander to be Obeyed But ever includeth it though it be eminently in its Nature above it So that 1. Objectively Love to God our Selves and Others in that measure that it is exercised Wisely is Obedience Emenently and somewhat higher 2. And Love as the Principle in Man is the most powerful Cause of Obedience supposing the Reverence of Authority and the fear of punishment but is somewhat more Excellent than they A Parents Love to a Child makes him more constant and full in all that he can do for him than the Commands of a King alone would do In that measure that you Love God you will heartily and delightfully do all your duty to him and so far as you love Parents or Neighbours you will gladly promote their Honour Safety Chastity Estates Rights and all that 's theirs and hate all that is against their good And as Parents will feed their Children though no fear of punishment should move them so we shall be above the great necessity of the fear of punishment so far as God and Goodness is our delight Q. 5. How should one know the meaning and extent of the Commandements A. The words do plainly signifie the Sence And according to the reasonable use of Words Gods Laws being perfect must be thus expounded 1. The commanding of Duty includeth the forbidding of the contrary 2. Under General Commands and Prohibitions the kinds and particulars are included which the General word extendeth to 3. When one Particular sin is forbidden or duty Commanded all the Branches of it and all of the same kind and reason are Forbidden or Commanded 4. Where the End is commanded or forbidden it is implyed that so are the true Means as such 5. Every Commandement extendeth to the whole Man to our Bodyes and all the Members and to the Soul and all its Faculties respectively 6. Commands bind us not to be alwayes doing the thing Commanded Dutyes be not at all times duty But Prohibitions bind us at all times from every sin when it is indeed a sin 7. Every Command implyeth some reward or benefit to the Obedient and every sin of Omission or Commission is supposed to deserve punishment though it be not named 8. Every Command supposeth the thing Commanded to be no Natural impossibility as to see Spirits or into the Heart of the Earth to know that which is not intelligible c. But it doth not suppose us to be Morally or Holily disposed to keep it or to be able to change our Corrupt Natures without God's Grace 9. So every Command supposeth us to have that Natural freedom of Will which is a self-determining Power not necessitated or forced to sin by any But not to have a Will that is free from Vicious inclinations Nor from under God's disposing power 10. The breach of the same Laws may have several sorts of punishment By Parents by Masters by Magistrates by the Church On Body on Name on Soul in this Life by God and finally heavier punishment in the Life to come 11. The sins here forbidden are not unpardonable but by Christs Merits Sacrifice and Intercession are forgiven to all true penitent converted Believers CHAP. XXXIII Of the Preface to the Decalogue Qu. 1. VVHat are the Parts of the Decalogue A. I. The Constitution of the Kingdom of God over Men described And II. The Administration or Governing Laws of his Kingdom Q. 2. What words express the Constitution of God's Kingdom A. I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of bondage Q. 3. What is the Constitution here expressed A. 1. GOD the Soveraign 2. Man the Subject 3. The work of God which was the next Foundation or reason of the mutual Relation between God and Man as here intended Q. 4. What is included in the first part of God's Soveraignty A. 1. That there is a God and but One God in this special Sence 2. That the God of Israel is this One true God who maketh these Laws 3. That we must all obey him Q. 5. What is GOD what doth that word here mean A. This was largely opened in the beginning Briefly to be GOD is to be a Spirit Infinite in Being in Vital Power Knowledge and Goodness of whom as the efficient Cause and through whom as the Governour and to whom as the End are all things else related to us as our Creator and as our Absolute Owner Our Supream Ruler and our greatest Benefactor Friend and Father Q. 6. What words mention Man as the Subject of the Kingdom A. Hear O Israel and Thy God that brought Thee c. Q. 7. What
angry with our selves when we have most by sin displeased God and angry with others that offend him Q. 13. What is the Practical duty properly due from us to God A. To obey him in doing all that he commandeth us either in his holy Worship or for ourselves or for our Neighbour And this by an absolute universal Obedience in sincere desire and endeavour as to a Soveraign of greatest Authority and a Father of greatest Love whose Laws and Works are all most wise and just and good Q. 14. What if our Governours command or forbid us any thing must we not take our obeying them to be obeying God seeing they are his Officers whom we see but see not him A. Yes when they command us by the Authority given them of God But Gods universal Laws are before and above their Laws and their Power is all limited by God They have no Authority but what he giveth them and he giveth them none against his Laws And therefore if they command any thing which God forbiddeth or forbid what God commandeth you must obey God in not obeying them But this must never be made a pretence for disobedience to their true Authority Q. 15. II. What is the thing forbidden in the first Commandement A. I. To think that to be God which is not God as the Heathens do by the Sun II. To ascribe any part of that to Creatures which is essential and proper to God and so to make them half-gods Q. 16. How are men guilty of that A. I. When they think that any Creature hath that Infiniteness Eternity or Self-sufficiency that Power Knowledge or Goodness which is proper to God alone Or that any Creature hath that causality which is proper to God in making and maintaining or Governing the World or being the ultimate End Or that any Creature is to be more Honoured Loved or Obeyed than God or with any of that which is proper to God II. When the Will doth actually Love and Honour the Creature with any of that Love and Honour which is due to God as God and therefore to God alone III. When in their practice men labour to please serve or obey any Creature against God before God or equal with God or with any Service proper to God alone All this is Idolatry Q. 17. Which is the greatest and commonest Idol of the World A. Carnal-self By sin man is fallen from God to his Carnal-self to which he giveth that which is Gods proper due Q. 18. How doth this Selfishness appear and work as Idolatry A. 1. In that such men love their Carnal-self and Pleasure and Prosperity and the Riches that are the provision for the Flesh better than God I mean not only more sensibly but with a preferring choosing Love And that which as Best is most loved iâ— made a mans God The Images of Heathens werâ— not so much their Idols as Themselves For nonâ— of them loved their Images better than themselves nor than a Worldling loveth his Wealth Power anâ— Honour 2. In that such are their own chief ultimate Enâ— and preferr the Prosperity of carnal self before thâ— Glorifying of God in perfect Love and Praise in thâ— heavenly Society for ever And so did Idolaters bâ— their Images or other Idols 3. In that such had rather their own Will were done than God's and had rather God's will were brought to theirs than theirs to God's Their Wills are their Rule and End yea they would have God and Man and all the World fulfill their Wills even when they are against the Will of God SELF-WILL is the great Idol of the World All the stirre and striving and Warre and work of such is but to serve it 4. Selfish men do measure Good and Evil chiefly by carnal self Interest They take those for the best men that are most for them herein and those for the worst that are against their Interest in the World And their Love and Hatred is placed accordingly Let a man be never so wise and good they hate him if he be against their Interest 5. And as holy men live to God in the care and endeavour of their Lives so do selfish men to their carnal selves Their study labour and time is thus employed even to ruine the best that are but against their carnal Interest And if they be Princes or Great men in the World the Lives and Estates of thousands of the Innocent seem not to them too dear â— Sacrifice by bloody unlawful Warres or Persecutions to offer to this grand Idol SELF 6. And when it cometh to a parting choice as â—he Faithful will rather let go Liberty Honour Estate and Life than forsake God and the heavenly Glory so selfish men will let go their Innocency â—heir Saviour their God and all rather than part with the Interest of carnal Self 7. And in point of Honour they are more ambitious to be well thought and spoken of and praised themselves both living and dead than to have God and Truth and Goodness honouâ—ed And they can more easily bear one that dishonoureth God and Truth and Holiness yea and common Righteousness and Honesty than one that though justly dishonoureth them So that all the World may easily see that carnal SELF and specially SELF-WILL is the greatest Idol in the World Q. 19. But is not that a mans Idol which he Trusteth most and all men are so Conscious of their own Insufficiency that they cannot Trust themselves for their own preservation A. I say not that any selfish man is a perfect Idolater and giveth all God's properties to himself He must knâ—w whether he will or not that he is not Infinite Eternal Almighty Omniscient Self-sufficient He knoweth he must suffer and die But SELF hath more given it that is due only to God than any other Idol hath And though such men know their own insufficiency yet they have so little Trust in God that they Trust their own Wits and the Choice of their own Wills before the Wisdom and Choice of God and had far rather be at their own Wills and Choice if they could And indeed had rather that all things in the World were at their Will and Choice than at the Will and Choice of God And therefore they like not his Laws and Government but make their Wit Will and Lust the Governours of themselves and as many others as they can Q. 20. Is there not much selfishness in all By this you will make all men even the best to be Idolaters But a man cannot be saved that lâ—veth in Idolatry A. It is not every subdued degree of any fault that denominateth the man but that which is predominant in him every man hath some Unbelief some backwardness to God and Goodness some hypocrisie pride c. and yet every man is not to be called An Infidel an enemy to God and Goodness an hypocrite c. So every man hath some Idolatry and some
last man have the greatest guilt A. No because all guilt from Adam and from our nearer parents too is pardoned by Christ when we are baptized as sincere Believers or their seed But it 's true that we are so far more guilty as to have the more need of a Saviours grace 2. And Guilt is considerable either as more obligations to the same punishment or as obligation to more or greater punishment It 's true that impenitent persons who are the seed of a line of wicked Ancestors have more obligations to the same punishment but not obligation to greater punishment because as great as they were capable of was due before Q. 21. But many say that for nearer parents sins no punishments but temporal are due A. 1. If any at all are due it proveth an answerable guilt 2. To say that Adams sin deserveth our spiritual and eternal punishment and all other Parents sin only temporal is to speak without and against Scripture and the Nature of the Case The Case of the seed of the old World the Sodomites the Canaanites and the present Heathens speaks much more 3. It 's clear that nearer Parents sin is a cause that many of their Posterity are more sinful in Lust Pride Fornication Heresie Ignorance than others And Sin as well as Grace hath a tendency to perpetuity if not cured and remitted Q. 22. Why doth God name only the third and fourth Generation A. To shew us that though he will punish the sins of his Enemies on their Posterity who imitate their Parents yet he sets such bounds to the Execution of his Justice as that sinners shall not want encouragement to repent and hope for Mercy Q. 23. Who be they that be called here Haters of God A. All that have a predominant hatred to his Servants his Service and his holy Laws But the Text specially meaneth those Societies of Infidels Heathens and Malignants who are the professed enemies of his Church and Worship As I said before The outward symbols of Idolatry were the Professing signs by which his Churches Enemies were openly noted in the World as Baptism and the Lords Supper were the Badges of his Church and Servants Q. 24. What is the meaning and extent of the promise of Mercy to thousands of them that Love him and keep his Commandements A. 1. As to the Subject it must be noted that such a Belief in God as causeth men to Love him and keep his Commandements is the qualification of them that have the promise of Gods saving Mercy Faith working by Love and Obedience 2. The words signifie Gods wonderful Mercy and his delight to do good to those that are qualified to receive it 3. And they signifie that God will not only love and bless a Godly Offspring for their own sake but also for the sake of their godly Ancestors and while they succeed them in true Piety God will increase his Blessings on them 4. And though those forfeit all that prove ungodly when they come to age yet the Insant-seed of the Faithful while such are in Covenant with God on the account of their relation to those godly Parents who dedicate themselves and theirs to him Q. 25. How doth God perform this Promise when many godly Parents have wicked and miserable Children A. This Promise doth not say that God will keep all the Children of the faithful from sinning against him and casting away his Mercy and Salvation But if men be sincerely Godly and dedicate themselves and their Children to God and enter them into his Covenant and perform their own part promised by them God will accept them into his Family and pardon their Original Sin and give them the necessary helps for their personal Faith and Obedience when they come to the use of Reason And if the Children keep their Covenant according to â—heir capacity and do not violate it and reject his Grace God will accept and save them as actual obedient Believers Q. 26. Will he not do so also by the Children of Unbelievers A. If such at age see their Parents sin and forsake it and devote themselves to God he will accept them But as Infidels and wicked Hypocrites have no Promise of Gods acceptance of them and theirs so such do not dedicate themselves and their Children to God He that will devote his Child to God must do it as it were a part of himself and cannot do it sincerely if he first devote not himself to God Q. 27. But may not others do it for his Children A. In Infancy they are considered in the Covenant of Grace but as Infants that is Appurtenances to another As the Infidels Infants they have neither Capacity nor Promise But if any other adopt them and take them truly as their own I am in hope that God accepteth such so devoted to him CHAP. XXXVI Of the Third Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the words of the Third Commandement A. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketâ— his Name in vain Q. 2. What is it that is specially here forbidden A. Prophaneness that is The unholy using of Gods holy Name and holy things especially by Perjury or any other entitling him to falshood or to any of the sins of men as if he were the Author or approver of them Q. 3. What is meant by the Name of God A. Those words or other signs by which he is described denominated or otherwise notified to man which I opened so fully on the first Petition of the Lords Prayer that to avoid repetition I must referre you thereto Q. 4. What is meant by taking the Name of God in vain A. Using it Prophanely and specially falsely it is contrary to the Hallowing of Gods Name which is mentioned in the Lords Prayer In the Scripture 1. The Creature is called Vanity as being but a Shadow and untrusty thing and to use Gods Name and Holy things in a common manner as we use the Creatures is to Profane his Name and take it vainly 2. And Falshood and Lyes are usually called Vanity for Vanity is that Shadowyness which seemeth something and is nothing and so deceiveth men A Lye is that which deceiveth him that trusteth it so Idols are called Vanity and Lyes for their Falshood and deceit and all men are said to be Lyars that is Untrusty and deceitful Q. 5. What is an Oath A. I have said heretofore as others that it 's but an Appeal to God as the Witness of the Truth and the Avenger of a Lye but on further Thoughts I find that the common nature of an Oath is to Pawn some greater thing in attesting of the truth of our words or to take some grievous thing on our selves as a penalty if we Lye or to make some certain Truth a pledge of the truth of what we say And to Swear by our Faith or Truth or Honesty by the Temple the Altar the Fire
must here reâ—…ve and the Glory which we shall receive hereafter at Death and at the General Resurrection Aâ—… the great dutyes of Faith and Repentance of Obdience and Love to God and Man and renouncâ—… the Lusts of the flesh the world and the Devil whâ—… must be done by all that will be Glorified by aâ—… with Jesus Christ. This is the Catechism which Parents must teâ—… their Children Q. 20. Alas it will be a hard and long work â—… teach Children all this or Servants either that â—… at age A. All this is but the plain meaning of the Crâ—… and ten Commandements which the Church reâ—…reth all to learn And no more than in their Bâ—…tism the Parents should and the Godfathers do â—…lemnly Promise to see them taught It is these thiâ—… for which God hath given them life and time and â—…son and on which their present safety and comfâ—… and their Everlasting Life dependeth And will yâ—… set them seven years Apprentice to a Trade â—… set them Seven and Seven to Schools and Univâ—…sities and Innes of Court where study must be thâ—… daily business And will you think it too much teach them the sence of the Creeds Lords Prâ—…er and ten Commandements needful to far greâ—…er and better ends Q. 21. In what manner must Parents teach thâ—… Children A. 1. Very plainly by familiar talk 2. Geâ—…ly and Lovingly to win them and not discourâ—… them 3. Beginning with the History and the â—…ctrine which they are most capable to receive 4. Very frequently that it be not neglected or forgotten Deut. 6. 11. 5. Yet a little at a time that they be not overwhelmed 6. Praising them when they do well 7. Doing all with such holy reverence that they may perceive it is the Work of God and not a Common matter 8. Teaching them by an answerable Life Q. 22. What else besides Teaching is the Parents duty A. 3. To use all just means to make Religion pleasant to them and win their Hearts to Love it And therefore to tell them the Author the Excelâ—…ency the certainty and profit of it here and hereâ—…fter 4. To possess them with necessary Fear of God of Death of Hell and of Sin 5. To make â—… great difference between the good and the bad â—…ewarding good Children and Correcting the bad â—…isobedient and stubborn 6. To choose safe and â—…odly School-masters for them if they teach them â—…ot all themselves 7. To keep them out of ill Comâ—…ny and from Temptations especially to know â—…heir Vices and watch against all occasions of their â—… 8. To choose meet Trades or Callings for them â—…d faithful Masters ever preferring the welfare â—…f their Souls before their Bodies 9. To choose â—…eet Husbands or Wives for them if they are to â—…e marryed 10. To settle them under a faithful â—…astor in the real Communion of Saints And all this with constant serious diligence praying to God for his Grace and Blessing O how happy were the Church and World if Parents would faithfully do all this needful certain Duty and not perfidiously and cruelly break the Promise they made in Baptism and by negligence worldliness and ungodliness betray the Souls of their own Children to Sin and Satan The happiness or misery of Families Churches Cities Kingdoms and of the World lyeth most eminently on Parents hands Q. 23. What is the duty of Children to their Parents in special A. To Honour their Judgment and Authority to be Thankful to them for their Being Love and Education To Love them Dearly To learn of them willingly and diligently To obey them faithfully and to requite them as they are able and what is included in the General duty of Subjects opened before Q. 24. What if the Father be a Papist and thâ— Mother a Protestant and one commandeth the Chilâ— to read one book and go to one Church and the othâ—â— another which must be obeyed A. Either the Child is of age and understanding to try and Judge which of them is contrary to Godâ— Law or not If he be he must obey God first and therefore not obey any thing that is contrary tâ— his Law But if not then he is one that will not puâ— such questions nor do what he doth out of Conscience to God but perform meer humane Obediencâ— to man And if his Ignorance of Gods Law bâ— through his own negligence it will not excuse hâ— Sin if he mistake But if it be from natural incapacity he is ruled like a Bruit and no doubt the Father is the Chief Governour of the house â—â—d will and must be obeyed before the Mother when obedience to God doth not forbid it which this Child understandeth not Q. 25. What if Children be rebellious in wickedness as Drunkenness Stealing c. must the Parents cause them to be put to death as Moses Law Commanded or what must they do with them A. Moses Law had some special Severities and was peculiar to that Nation and is abrogate whether the Common good and safety require the death of such a Son or any the Supream Power is judge and not the Parents Nor is it meet though some think otherwise that Parents have the Power of putting to death their Children For the Common-wealth which is better than the Family is concerned in all the Subjects lives And experience proveth it that were this granted Whores Beggars and raging passionate Persons would be Common Murderers of their Children But if the Magistrate would appoint one house of Correction in every County for Children that will not be ruled by Parents where they may be kept â—n labour till they are humbled and subdued it would â—e an excellent work Q. 26. But what shall such sorrowfull Parents â—o A. First use all means by Wisdom Love and Paâ—ience while there is hope And next if they are â—ast their Correction send them to the House of â—orrection And lastly disinherit them or deny them â—l maintenance for their lust Q. 27. Is it a duty to disinherit an incorrigible wicked Son or to deny such filial maintenance and Portions A. Supposing it to be in the Fathers power it is a duty to leave them no more than will maintain their lives in temperance For all men are Gods Stewards and must be accountable for all that he doth trust them with And they ought not to give it to be the fewel of Lust and Sin when they have reason to believe that it will be so used That were to give Gods Mercies to the Devil to be turn'd against him Nor are Parents bound to give those Children the necessary maintenance for their lives and health or any thing at all who by obstinate rebellion utterly forfeit it Nature is not so strong a bond but that some sin may dissolve it and forfeit Life it self and therefore forfeit fatherly maintenance The rebellion and ingratitude of an incorrigible Child is far more hainous than a Neighbours injuries And though Moses Law and its rigors be ceased
the reason of it still remaineth as directive to us When thousands of good people want food and we cannot give all it 's a sin to prefer an incorrigible wicked Son before them Q. 28. But God may change them when the Parents are dead A. It is supposed that the Parents have tryed to the utmost of their Power And Parents cannot judge of what unlikelihoods God may bring to pass when they are dead If God change them God will provide for them If Parents have any hope they may leave somewhat in trusty hands to give them when they see them Changed If not such may work for themselves Q. 29. But what if a Son be not deboist but Civil But be of a Corrupt understanding inclined to ill Opinions and averse to serious Piety and like to use his Estate to the hurt of the Church or Common-wealth What shall Parents do by such A. The publick Interest is to be preferred before a Sons If Parents have good hopes that such a Son may do more good than harm with his Estate they must trust him as far as Reason requireth rather than to trust a Stranger But if they have reason to believe that he will do more harm than good with it they should settle it in trust to do all that good which he should do and not leave it to do hurt if it be in their Power Allowing him necessary maintenance Q. 30. Should not Parents leave all their Estates to their Children Or what proporion must they give them A. Nature makes Children so near their Parents that no doubt they must be specially careful of their Corporal and Spiritual welfare above others And the Israelites being tyed to keep their Possessions in their Families and Line were under an extraordinary obligation in this matter But to all Christians the Interest of God and the Common good is the Chief and to be preferred They that all Sold their possessions and laid down the Money at the Apostles feer did not scruple alienating them from their Heirs In this case Children are to be considered 1. As meer Receivers of their own due 2. Or as their Parents Trustees for doing good If they be like to prove faithful their Parents should rather trust them than others with their Estates to do good when they are gone But if not they should secure a due proportion for good Works And however all men should in their Life do all the good that regularly they can do For who can expect that his Son should do that good with his Estate which he had not a Heart to do himself And who would not rather secure a reward to himself than to his Son Q. 31. Do you disallow of the Common Course which is to give all that men can get to their Children save some small droppings now and then to the Poor A. I take it to be the effect of that SELFISHNESS which is the grand Enemy to the Love of God and Man A carnal Selfish man doth live to his Flesh and Carnal Self for which he gathers all that he can get And when he must needs dye and can no longer enjoy it he takes his Children to be as parts of himself and what they have he thinks he almost hath himself And so out of meer self-Self-love doth Love them and enrich them But a Holy person thinks all is Gods and that it is best used which is best improved to his Will and Kingdom But Alas what have Selfish carnal worldlings to account for When the best they can say of the use of Gods talents is that they pampered the flesh with as much as it craved and the rest they gave their Children to make them rich that their Flesh also might be pampered and their lust might want no fewel or provision nor their Souls want temptation Hundreds or Thousands given to Daughters and Lands purchased for their Sons and now and then a Farthing or a Penny given to the Poor And though the Hypocrites take on them to believe Christ that it 's harder for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God than for a Camel to go through a Needle 's eye yet they live as if nothing were the desire and business of their lives but to make their own and their Childrens Salvation by Riches thus next to impossible Q. 32. Is it well as is usual to give the eldest Son all the Inheritance A. Nature and Scripture tell us of some preeminence of the eldest This Birthright Iacob thought worth the buying of Esau Christ is called the First-born of every Creature because the first-born have the preeminence of Rule Wealth and Honour And the heavenly Society are called The general Assembly of the first-born whose Names are enrolled in Heaven Heb. 12. Because they are in Honour and Power above others But yet 1. The Younger also are Sons and must have their part And it pleased God to leave on record how oft he hath preferred the Younger Even an Abel before Cain a Seth before his Seniors a Sem before Iaphet and Cham Isaac before Ishmael Iacob before Esau David and Solomon before their Elder Brethren 2. But to the faithful though Nature be not disregarded yet Grace teacheth us what to prefer And Christ and his members are dearer to us than our Sons or natural members In cases where we must deny our selves for Christ and the publick good we may also deny our natural Kindred For they are not nearer to us than our selves And if an eldest Son be wicked or unprofitable a believing Parent should give him the less and more to a younger yea to a Stranger that will do more service to God and his Countrey and not prefer a fleshly difference and priviledge before a Spiritual and his Masters Service Q. 33. What is the Duty of Husbands to their Wives A. To love them as themselves and live with them in conjugal Chastity as Guides and Helpers and provide for them and the Family to endeavour to cure their infirmities and passions and patiently bear what is not cured to preserve their honour and authority over inferiours and help them in the education of their Children and comfort them in all their sufferings Q. 34. What is the duty of Wives to their Husbands A. To live with them in true Love and Conjugal Chastity and Fidelity to help them in the Education of Children and governing Servants and in worldly affairs To learn of them and obey them To provoke them to dutyes of Piety and Charity and to bear with their infirmities and Comfort and Help them in their Sufferings And both must live as the Heirs of Heaven in preparation for the Life to come Q. 35. What is the duty of Masters to their Servants A. To employ them suitably not unmercifully in profitable labour and not in sin or vanity To allow them their due wages and maintenance keeping them neither in hurtful Want nor in Idleness or sinful fulness To
the Devil doth for to destroy the Just. As Iezebel did Q. 15. How should good Rulers avoid it A. 1. By causing Teachers to open the danger of â—t to the People 2. Some old Canons made invaâ—id the Witness of all notorious wicked men How can he be trusted in an Oath that maketh no Conscience of Drunkenness Fornication Lying or other Sin Q. 16. How then are so few destroyed by false Witnesses A. It is the wonderful Providence of God declaring himself the Governour of the World that when there are so many thousand wicked men who all have a mortal hatred to the Godly and will daily Swear and Lie for nothing and any two of these might take away our Lives at pleasure there are yet so few this way cut off But God hath not left himself without witness in the World and hath revenged false Witness on many and made Conscience a terrible Accuser for this Crime Q. 17. What is the positive Duty of the ninth Commandement A. 1. To do Justice to all men in our places 2. To defend the Innocent to the utmost of ouâ— just Power If a Lawyer will not do it for the Love of Justice and Man without a Fee when he cannoâ— have it he breaketh this Commandement 3. To reprove Backbiters and tell them of their Sin 4. To give no Scandal but to live so blamelesly that Slanderers may not be believed 5. On all just occasions especially to defend the Reputation of the Gospel Godliness and Good men the Cause and Laws of God and not silently foâ— self saving to let Satan and his Agents make them Odious by Lies to the Seduction of the Peopleâ— Souls CHAP. XLIII Of the Tenth Commandement Qu. 1. WHat are the Words of the Tenth Commandement A. Thou shalt not Covet thy Neighbours House Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Man-Servant nor his Maid-Servant nor his â—x nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours Q. 2. What is forbidden here and what Commandâ—d A. 1. In summe the thing forbidden is SELFISHNESS and the thing Commanded is to LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR AS OUR SELVES Q. 3. Is not this implyed in the five foregoing Commandements A. Yes and so is our LOVE to GOD in all the Nine last But because there are many more particular Instances of Sin and Duty than can be distinctly named and remembred God thought it meet to make two General Fundamental Commandements which should contain them all which Christ calleth the first and second Commandement Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart c. And thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy Self The first is the Summary and root of all the duties of the other nine and specially of the second third and fourth The Other is the Summary of the second Table dutyes And it is placed last as being instead of all unnamed instances As the Captain leads the Souldiers and thâ— Lieutenant brings up the rear Q. 4. What mean you by the Sin of SELFISHNESS A. I mean that inordinate self-esteem self-love and self-seeking with the want of a due proportionable Love to others which engageth men against the good oâ— others and inclineth them to draw from others to themselves It is not an ordinate Love of our selves but a diseased self-love Q. 5. When is Self-Love Ordinate and when iâ— it Sinful A. That which is ordinate 1. Valueth not a maâ—â— Self blindly above his Worth 2. It employeth â— man in a due care of his own Holiness Duty anâ— Salvation 3. It regardeth our Selves but as littlâ— members of the common great body and therefore inclineth us to Love others as our selves without muâ—â— partial disproportion according to the divers degreeâ— of their amiableness and to Love publick good thâ— Church and World and much more God above oâ—… selves 4. It maketh us studious to do good to others and rejoyce in it as our own rather than to draw froâ— them to our selves c II. Sinful selfishness 1. Doth esteem and love anâ— seek self-interest above it's proper worth It is oveâ— deeply affected with all our own concerns 2. â—… hath a low disproportionable Love and regard others good 3. And when it groweth to full maâ—â—gnity it maketh men envy the prosperity of others â—nd covet that which is theirs and desire and reâ—oyce in their disgrace and hurt when they Stand against mens Selfish Wills and to endeavour to draw from others to our selves Selfishness is to the Soul like an Inflamation or Impostume to the Body which draweth the Blood and Spirits to it self from their â—â—ue and Common course till they corrupt the inâ—â—amed part Q. 6. What mean you by Loving others as ourselves A. Loving them as members of the same Body or Society the World or the Church as they are â—mpartially with a Love proportionable to their worth and such a careful practical forgiving Patient Love as we Love our selves Q. 7. But God hath made us Individual persons with so peculiar a self-Self-love that no man can possibly love another as himself A. 1. You must distinguish between sensitive Natural Love and Rational Love 2. And between Corrupt and Sanctified Nature 1. Natural Sensitive Love is stronger to ones Self that is more sensible of self-interest than to all the World I feel not anothers Pain or Pleasure in it self I hunger and thirst for my self A Mother hath that Natural Sensitive Love to her own Child like that of Bruits which she hath not for any other 2. Rational Love valueth and loveth and preferreth every thing according to the degree of its amiableness that is it 's Goodness 3. Rational Love destroyeth not Sensitive but it Moderateth and Ruleth it and Commandeth the Will and Practice to preferre and desire and seek and delight in higher things as Reason ruleth Appetite and the Rider the Horse and to deny and forsake all carnal or private Interests that stand against a greater good 4. Common Reason tells a man that it 's an unreasonable thing in him that would not dye to save a Kingdom Much more that when he is to love both himself and the Kingdom inseparably yet cannot Love a Kingdom yea or more excellent persons above himself But yet it is Sanctification that must Effectually overcome inordinate self-Love and clearly illuminate this Reason and make a man obey it 5. To conquer this Selfishness is the summe of all Mortification and the greatest Victory in this World And therefore it is here perfectly done by none but it 's done most where there is the greatest Love to God and to the Church and publick good and to our Neighbours Q. 8. What is the sinfulness and the hurt of Selfishness A. 1. It is a Fundamental Errour and Blindness in the Judgment We are so many Poor Worms and little things And if an Ant or Worm had Reason should it think it's Life or Ease or other interest more valuable than a Mans or than all the
the Church and no one to be self-sufficient or Independent as a World to himself And therefore all men must Love themselves but as Members of the Body and Love the Body or publick good above themselves and Love other Members as their place and the common Interest doth require 4. That we are not our own but his that did Create us and Redeem us And therefore must Love our selves and others as His and according to his Will and Interest and not as the selfish narrow Interest tempteth us 5. That the Faithful are made Spiritual by the sanctifying Spirit and therefore savour the things of the Spirit and referre all outward things thereto And therefore must not so over-value Provision for the Flesh as to Covet and draw from others for its pleasure So that 1. As the first Greatest Command engageth us wholly to God as our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier against that SELFISHNESS which is the Idol-Enemy to God including the Privation of our LOVE to him and against the Trinity of his Enemies the FLESH which would be first pleased the WORD which it would be pleased by â—nd the DEVIL who deceiveth and tempteth men by such Baits of Pleasure Even so this tenth which is the second summary Command engageth us to Love God in our Brethren and to Love them according to his Interest in them as Members of the same Society with an impartial Love against that SELFISHNESS which is the Enemy of imparâ—ial Love and Common good and against the Lusts of the FLESH which would be first pleased and the WORLD which is the Provision which it coveteth and the DEVIL who would by such worldly baits and FLESHLY Pleasure deceive Mankind into ungodliness sensuality maligâ—ity mutual enmity contention oppression persecution peâ—sidiousâ—ess and all iniquity and finally into endless misery in separation from the God of Love and the heavenly perfected united Society of LOVE And this is the true meaning of the tenth Commandement CHAP. XLIV Of the Sacred Ministry and Church and Worship Qu. 1. THough you have opened the Doctrine of the Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints before in Expounding the Creed because the Sacraments cannot be understood without the Ministry and Church will you first tell us what the Ministerial Office is A. The Sacred Ministry is an Office instituted by Christ in subordination to his Prophetical Office to Teach and to his Priestly Office to Intercede in Worship and to his Kingly Office to â—e Key-bearers of his Church to trie and judge of mens tiâ—â— to its Communion And this for the converting of the Infidel World the gathering of them into thâ— Christian Communion and the helping guiding and edifying them therein Q. 2. Are they Ministers in Office â—â— any but thâ— Church A. Yes their first work is upon the World tâ— make them Christians and gather them into thâ— Church by Teaching and Baptizing them Q. 3. Is not that the common work of Lay-meâ— that are no Officers A. Lay-men must do their best in their capacity â—nd station but 1. Officers do it as separated to â—his work as their Calling 2. And accordingly do â—t by a special Commission and Authority from Christ â— And are tryed chosen and dedicated thereto as â—pecially qualified Q. 4. What must Christs Ministers say and do for â—he Worlds Conversion A. Luk. 14. and Mat. 22. tell you They must â—ell men of the Marriage Feast the blessed Proviâ—â—on of Grace and Glory by Christ and by Eviâ—ence and Urgency compell them to come in More â—articularly 1. They must speak to sinners as from God and â—â— his Name with a Thus saith the Lord. They â—ust manifest their Commission or at least that â—â—e Message which they bring is his that men may â—now with whom they have to do and that he that â—espiseth despiseth not men but God 2. They must make known to Sinners their sinfull â—angerous and miserable State to convince them of â—â—e necessity of a Saviour As if they should say â—… He that hath no sin that is no Child of Adam â—â—t shall not die and come to Judgment that needs â—o Saviour Pardon and Deliverance Let him negâ—â—ct our Invitation But Sin and Misery are all mens â—ecessity 3. They are to tell men what God hath done for â—â—em by Christ what a Saviour he hath given us â—hat Christ hath done and suffered for us 4. They are to tell men what Grace and Glory is purchased for them and offered to them and what they may have in Christ and by him 5. They are to tell men how willing God is of mens Recovery so that he beseecheth them to be reconciled to him and Ministers are sent to entreat them to accept his Grace who refuseth none that refuse not him 6. They are to acquaint men with Gods Conditions Terms and Expectations Not that they givâ— him any satisfying or purchasing Price of their own but that they Accept his free gift according to iâ—â— proper nature and use and come to Christ thâ—â— they may have Life but that they come in time and come sincerely and resolvedly and believe anâ— penitently return to God for which he is ready tâ— assist them by his Grace 7. They must acquaint men with the methods â—â— the Tempter and the hinderances of their Faith anâ— Repentance and what opposition they must expecâ— from the Flesh the World and the Devil and hoâ— they must overcome them 8. They must acquaint men what great Assistaâ—ces and Encouragements they shall have from Chriâ—â— how good a Master how perfect a Saviour and Coâ—forter how sure a Word how sweet a Work hoâ— good and honourable Company and how many mâ—â—cies here and how sure and glorious a reward fâ—â— ever and that all this is put in the Ballance for thâ—â—â— choice against a deceitful transitory shadow 9. They must answer the carnal Objections of deceived Sinners and shew them clearly that all is Folly that is said against Christ and their Conversion 10. They must make men know how God will â—ake it if they unthankfully neglect or refuse his Grace and that this will leave them without remedy â—nd greatly adde to their Sin and Misery and that â—here is no more Sacrifice for sin but a fearful lookâ—ng for of Judgment from that God who to such â—s a consuming fire and that it will be easier for â—odom in the day of Judgment than for such Q. 5. In what manner must Christs Ministers preach â—ll this A. 1. With the greatest Gravity and Holy Reâ—erence because it is the Message of God 2. With the greatest Plainness because men are â—ull of understanding 3. With the clearest Proof and convincing Eviâ—ence to conquer Prejudice Darkness and Unbeâ—â—ef 4. With powerful winning Motives and urgent â—mportunity because of mens disaffection and aversâ—ess And O what powerful motives have we at â—and from Self-love from God from Christ from â—ecessity from Heaven and Hell 5. With Life and
Fervency because of the unâ—peakable importance of the Matter and the deadâ—ess and hardness of mens Hearts 6. With Frequency in season and out of season because of mens aptness to lose what they have heard and received and their need still to be carried on 7. With Constancy to the end that grace may be preserved and increased by degrees 8. With seemly and decent Expressions because of captious Cavilling hearers and the Holiness of the work 9. With Concord with all the Church of Christ as preaching the same Faith and Hope 10. By the Example of Holy practice doing what we perswade them to do and excelling them in Love and Holiness and Patience and Victory over the Flesh and World and winning them not by Force but by Light and Love Q. 6. What is it that all this is to bring mâ—â— to A. 1. To make men understand and believe what God is to them what Christ is what Grace and Glory are as is aforesaid in the Christian Faith 2. To winne mens Hearts to the Love of these from the Love of sinful fleshly Pleasure and to fiâ— their Wills in a resolved Choice 3. To engage them in the obedient Practice oâ— what they Love and Choose and help them to overcome all Temptations to the contrary Q. 7. Why will God have all this and the rest whicâ— is for the Church to be an Office Work of chosen sepâ—rated consecrated Persons A. 1. It is certain that all men are not fit for iâ— Alas too few The Mysteries of Godliness are deeâ— and great The Chains of Sinners are strong and God useth to work according to the suitableness of means Great abilities are requisite to all this And God would not have his cause and work dishonoured by his Ministers unfitness Alas unfit men have been the Churches great Calamity and Reproach 2. God would have his work Effectually done and therefore by men that are wholly devoted to it Were they never so able if they have avocations and do it by the Halves dividing their Labours between it and the World this will not answer the Necessity and the End Even a Paul must do it publickly and from House to House night and day with Tears Act. 20. 20 28. It must be done in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Timothy must meditate on these things and give himself wholly to them 1 Tim. 4. 15. Paul was separated to the Gospel of God Rom. 1. And Ministers are Stewards of his Mysteries to give the Children their Meat in season 3. It is much for the Comfort of the Faithful to know that it is by Gods own ordained Officer that his Message of Invitation and his Sealed Covenant Pardon and Gift of Christ and Grace are delivered to them 4. The very being of an Ordered Church requireth a Guiding official part It is no Rules Society without a Ruler No School without a Teacher Men must know to whom to go for Instruction The Law was to be sought from the mouth of the Priest as the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 2. 7. Read Act. 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5. Eph. 4. 14 15 16. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. Luk. 12. 42 43. 5. The safety and preservation of the Truth requireth the Ministerial Office As the Laws of England would never be preserved without Lawyers and Jugdes by the common People so the Scriptures and the Faith Sacraments and Worship would never have been brought down to us as they are without a stated Ministry whose Interest Office and Work it is continually to use them See 1 Tim. 5. 20. Eph. 4. 14. Rom. 16. 16 17. 1 Tim. 3. 15. Heb. 13. 7 9 17. None have leisure to do this great work as it must be done but those that by Office are wholly separated thereto Will you leave it to Magistrates or to the People who if they were able have other work to do Deny the Office and you destroy the Church and Work Q. 8. How are men called and separated to the Sacred Ministry A. There are many things concurr thereto The first Ministers were called immediately by Christ himself and extraordinarily qualified But ever since all these things must concur 1. A Common Obligation on all men to do their best in their places to propagate the Gospel and Church and to save mens Souls is presupposed as a preparatory antecedent 2. There must he necessary qualifying Abilities 1. Natural Wit and Capacity 2. Acquired improvement and so much Knowledge as must be exercised in the Office 3. If Apt to Teach and Able signified no more than to Read what is prescribed by others a Child Fool or an Infidel were Apt and Able Ability for competent Utterance and Exercise 4. And to his Acceptance with God and his own Salvation saving Faith and Holiness is necessary If you would know the necessary degrees of ability it is so much without which the necessary acts of the Office cannot be done 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to Faithful men who shall be able to teach others also 3. The approving Judgment of other Senior Ministers is ordinarily necessary For men are not to be the only Judges themselves where the publick interest is concerned And the Investing Ordination of such is the orderly Solemnizing of their entrance and delivery of Christs Commission and is that to the General Office of the Ministry which Baptism is to Christianity and Solemn Matrimony to Marriage or Coronation to a King This is not done by the Election of the People It is not their Work to choose Ministers to the General Office or men to call the World 4. To make a man the Pastor of a particular Church or Flock the consent both of the Man and of the Flock is necessary and to the well being also the Consent of the Neighbour Pastors and to Peace and Liberty the Princes This is an Ordination or Relation which may be often renewed and changed but the Ordination to the General Office is to be but once To license a Physician and to choose him for my Physician are divers things And so it is here Q. 9. What Laws or Canons have Pastors power to make for the Church A. 1. None to the Universal Church for that hath no Ruler or Law-maker or Judge but Christ man being utterly uncapable of it 2. None which shall Cross the Laws of Christ in Nature or Scriptures 3. None which are of the same kind and use with Christs own universal Laws and no more needful to one Place or Age than to all For this will accuse Christ as if he had been defective in his own Legislation when more must be added of the same kind 4. Taking the Word Laws strictly Pastors as such have no Legislative power But taking it laxly for Mandates or Directions given by just Power such as a Parent or Tutor hath they may make such Laws as these 1.
Considerations and Prayers are necessary Q. 18. May one communicate who is uncertain of the sincerity of his Faith A. By Faith you mean either Objective or Active Faith 1. One that is so far uncertain that the Gospel is true and that there is a Life to come as that he dare not say I have no wavering or doubt of it may yet be a true Believer and may communicate if his perswasion be but so prevalent as to resolve him to consent to the Covenant of Grace and take God for his God and Christ for his Saviour and the Holy Ghost for his Sanctifier Gods Law for his Rule his Promise for his Security and Heaven for his Happiness and here to place his Hope and Trust forsaking all that stands against it A weak and doubting Faith may bring a man to Martyrdom and to Heaven if it bring him to trust Christ with Soul and Body in the way of Obedience to him 2. If by Faith you mean the Act of Believing and Consenting God hath made the Sincerity of our Faith necessary to our Salvation but not the Certainty that it is Sincere Every man must do his best to discern the Trust Consent and Choice of his own Heart And he that truly believeth and yet is not sure of it if he can say As far as I am able to know my own Heart by Trial I seriously think that I resolvedly consent to the Covenant of Grace and prefer Christ Holiness and Heaven before all this World and trust to Christ and his Promises for my Felicity ought to come to the Table of the Lord notwithstanding his uncertainty Q. 19. Whence is it that so many Christians are more terrified than comforted by the Lords Supper A. 1. Some of them by an excess of reverence to this above all other Ordinances of God which by degrees brought in the Papists Transubstantiation and Adoration And by a dread lest by unworthy Receiving they should eat and drink their own Damnation And so coming thither with a deeper sence of the danger than of the Benefit And mistaking their Imperfections for this Unworthy Receiving 2. And some come with two high expectations that God must suddenly give them Joy or all the grace that is signified by the Sacrament while they have not the Holy skill to fetch in Comfort by the exercise of their Faith And when they miss of what they expected they are cast down 3. And too many by wilful Sin or Negligence deal falsly with God and break their Covenant and renew their wounds of Conscience and deprive themselves of the Comforts of the Love of God and the Grace of Christ and the Communion of the Holy Spirit Q. 20. Is not the Lords Supper a Converting Ordinance which therefore should be used by the unbelievers or ungodly A. Many things may accidentally by Gods Grace convert a man which are not to be chosen and used to that End Plagues Sickness Death-approaching may convert men Falling into a hainous Sin hath affrighted some to leave their Sin But these are not means to be chosen for such Ends. And the Fear and Care of preparing for a Sacrament hath converted some when it was not the Receiving that did it It is so evident as not to need long proof that God never appointed the Lords Supper to be chosen and used by Infidels or Impenitent ungodly persons as a means to convert them 1. Because it is presupposed that they be baptized who communicate And I have proved that Baptism to the adult presupposed the Profession of Faith and Repentance And that it delivereth Pardon and Title to Salvation 2. Because Faith and Repentance and Covenant-consent renewed are also to be professed by all before they communicate 3. Because it was ever an Ordinance proper to the Church which consisteth of Professors of Faith and Holiness 4. And the Communicants are said to be One Bread and one Body and to Eat Christs Flesh and drink his Blood and Christ to dwell in them by Faith and to have Eternal Life hereby And as for them that say it is not saving Faith but some Commoner Preparatory sort which is necessarily to be professed in Baptism and the Lords Supper I have at large confuted them in a Treatise of Right to Sacraments and the reasons before and now named confute it I adde that their Opinion is destructive to true Christian Love For by them No one should be taken for a Child of God and in a state of Salvation for being baptized and Communicants and so not Loved as such And how Poor a Charity is it to love all Visible Church-members but as the Children of the Devil must be loved Q. 21. Must we Love all as true Christians who are baptized and communicate and profess Christianity A. Yes with these three exceptions 1. That it is not as a certain Truth that we must judge them sincere but as Probable 2. That there be divers degrees of Probability as there be of Profession Some we are almost sure are sincere And some we have more Fear than Hope of And we must measure our Love and Trust accordingly 3. If men by Word or Life Apostatize or plainly contradict and destroy their profession of Christianity thereby they nullisie our Obligation to take them for Christians But till men render their Profession incredible by Contrary Profession or Practice we are by the Rules of Christian and Humane Charity to take all Professed baptized Communicating Christians to be sincere but only in various degrees of probability Q. 22. How must the Lords Supper be improved after the receiving A. By a serious remembring with Joy and thankfulness how great Mercies we have received of God And with chearful Obedience what a Covenant we have made and what duty we have most solemnly promised And in how near a Relation and bond we are tyed to the whole Church of Christ and to all our fellow Christians And frequently to plead these great Receivings and Great Obligations to quicken our Faith and Hope and Joy and to overcome all Temptations to the World and Flesh to Unbelief Disobedience and Despair Q. 23. Some say that no man should be kept from the Sacrament or Excommunicated because it is the Food of their Souls c. A. 1. If none be kept from Baptism Heathens and Infidels and professed deriders of Christianity might be baptized to make a mock of Baptism We must make men Christs Disciples before we baptize them Mat. 28. 19. And then Baptism would be no Baptism nor the Ministry no Ministry the specifying End and Use being changed 2. Then the Church would be no Church but lie common with the World 3. And then Christ would be no King and Head and Husband of the Church that is no Christ. 4. If all may not be baptized all may not communicate for Baptism entereth them into a state of Communion Else the unbaptized and all Infidels might communicate 5. Some baptized persons turn