the encrease of their Graces and so for the furtherance of their glory Thirdly They have good assurance that all things shall work together for their good Rom. 8.28 And therefore no cause to complain Fourthly Though godliness hath the promises of this life as well as of that to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yet those promises of Temporal blessings must be understood with this limitation viz. That they shall be made good to them so far forth as God shall see it good and convenient for his Children in this life and no further Fifthly The prosperity of wicked men in this World is many ways very hurtfull and extremely disadvantagious to them in reference to their Eternal condition Outward sufferings with Spiritual blessings are ordinarily the Lot of Gods Children here on Earth as outward prosperity with Spiritual calamity is very frequently the Lot of the ungodly The prosperity of fools destroys them saith Solomon Prov. 1.32 Sixthly There will be a day of Judgment wherein all things will be set right though here things oftentimes seem to be out of course Seventhly Eternity is long enough to punish the wicked and reward the Godly therefore let us not take our measures either of happiness or misery from the outward dispensations of this life The Consideration of this Attribute should make these impressions upon us First if God be just then this should make all impenitent sinners tremble Except men repent 't is not consistent with Gods justice they should be pardoned What great cause have ungodly impenitent sinners to tremble at the Justice of God which engages him to deal so severely with them and to punish them everlastingly as his Enemies O wretched sinner what aileth thee to make this just God thine enemy What folly What madness possesses thee that thou shouldst make a mock at sin and laugh at Hell and Damnation Shall not the Justice of God terrifie thee and keep thee off from those sinfull courses which expose thee to so certain a vengeance Secondly Gods Justice is a great consolation to the Righteous He will justifie them whom his Gospel justifies because he is just 1 John 1.9 If thou break off thy sins by repentance and apply thy self to Him for pardon in and through the merits of his Son He is just and therefore will make good his promise of pardon to thee Thirdly God being just let us bless his name for finding out a way whereby his Justice may be satisfied and so we poor sinners pardoned His Justice might have taken every one of us by the Throat and said Pay all thou owest and then what should we have done We could not have payed one Farthing of the Debt O let us for ever bless his Holy Name that he hath provided so good a surety for us who hath undertaken the payment of our Debt and to satisfie his justice in our behalf Fourthly Let us labour to imitate God in this Attribute of his Justice that is let us give to every one what of right is due to him Let us labour to give to God his due and to man his due Let us not rob God of his time allotted for his service Let us give him our Hearts and serve him with the best of our affections Let us give to man what is due to him not injuring any man wittingly and willingly And in case of wrong done let us labour to make satisfaction Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Remember that the sin is notre mitted except that which is taken away wrongfully be restored IV. God is Mercifull Mercifull He is called The Father of Mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Abundant in Mercy 1. Pet. 1.3 Rich in Mercy Eph. 2.4 And sayes the Psalmist Psal 145.8 9. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works All the Attributes of God are glorious yet he rejoyceth most in the manifestation of his mercy and goodness Exod. 33.18 19. When Moses desired the Lord to shew him his glory He said I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy Isai 63.7 I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed upon us and the great goodness toward the House of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses He delights not in the death of a sinner His mercy is so great to all that he will destroy none but for their wilfull sin The consideration of this Attribute should teach us these Lessons First Gods mercy should lead sinners to repentance It should shame them from their sins It should encourage them to repent as well as engage them to it O sinners remember we have to do with a mercifull God who hath not forbid any to come in but continueth to invite them who have often refused and will undoubtedly welcome and pardon all that will return and come in But mercy it self will have no mercy on the Impenitent Isai 27.11 It is a People of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Wo to all them against whom mercy it self shall rise up in Judgment There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared sayes the Psalmist Psal 130.4 Were there no hope of pardon Men would be as desperate as the Devils themselves But God is merciful He delighteth not in the death of a sinner Object But you will say how comes it to pass then that so many men are damned if God delights not in the death of a sinner Answ Divines tells us of voluntas Dei Antecedens Consequens that is the Antecedent and Consequent will of God By the former as a Law-giver He gives just and good Laws and wills that Men should obey them that they may be happy in so doing By the other if they will not obey as a just Judge he wills they should be punished So that their ruine is from themselves and not from God Secondly The Mercy of God should be the matter of our daily praises The meditation of God's Mercy should produce in us delightfull thoughts and should keep as it were a continual sweetness upon our hearts and cause us to study the most gratefull returns unto God They that live continually upon Mercy should be as it were turned into love and thankfullness It should become as it were their Nature and Constitution as the food men live upon will be seen in their Temperature health and strength O how unspeakable is the Mercy of God that provides so well for his Servants in this their Warfare and Pilgrimage through this World O
what sweet Meditations should we have of Gods Mercy Love thankfulness and praise should be our daily exercise Had we Davids heart what Songs of praise would the consideration of Gods Mercy teach us to indite How affectionately should we recount the Mercies of our youth and riper years Yea of every state and condition we have been in to the honour of our great Benefactor But especially if God hath touched our hearts with his saving grace if he hath effectually called us and inabled us to repent of our sins and believe in his Son O then how should we bow down our heads and adore his free grace as the cause thereof If we have received any grace tending to our own sanctification or the edification of others Let us say as Paul did 1 Cor. 15.20 By the grace of God I am that I am Thirdly The meditation of Gods goodness and mercy to us should possess us with a superlative love to God Most certainly the prevailing love of God is the surest evidence of true sanctification He that hath most love has most grace And if you truly love God you will be loath to offend him The love of God doth not reign in that soul where the love of the World or of the Flesh or Pleasure reigneth Fourthly The Mercy of God should teach us to imitate him in this Attribute We should labour to be mercifull as our Heavenly Father is mercifull that is as to the manner though we cannot reach to the measure The goodness of God should possess us with a desire to be conformed to his goodness in our measure Summae Religionis est imitari quem colis Now God is mercifull two ways especially in Giving Forgiving First In Giving O how does the Lord supply our wants daily Let us therefore shew mercy to those that want our help Secondly In Forgiving O what a vast number of debts does the Lord forgive us Gods mercy to us layes the greatest Obligation imaginable upon us to forgive others (c) A Christian may remember offences in cautelam though not in vindictam Matth. 18.23 Shall not we forgive an Hundred Pence who have had Ten Thousand Talents forgiven unto us Fifthly We should especially observe and take notice of the mercy of God so highly manifested in the design of our Redemption 1 Joh. 4.10 Here is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins Was there ever Mercy like this We have reason to cry out O the depth of the riches of the mercy of God! O Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him or the Son of man that thou thus visitest him with thy favour and mercy Sixthly Gods goodness and mercy should encourage our Souls to trust in him How many friends have some men with whom they dare trust their Estates or Lives because they are confident they truly love them And shall we not trust God who is love it self 1 John 4.16 I come now to the last of Gods communicable Attributes which I shall speak unto which is His faithfulness in keeping of his Covenant and Promises V. God is Faithful Faithful One letter of Gods glorious Name is abundant in truth or faithfulness The Scriptures abundantly bear Testimony unto this Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandements to a Thousand Generations Isai 49.7 The Lord who is faithfull Rom. 3.4 Let God be true that is owned and acknowledged for such though all mankind should be false and deceitful Now Gods Faithfulness is manifâ—sted Two ways In fulfilling his promises In accomplishing his Threatnings God cannot in any case fail of his word It is impossible for him to lie Heb. 6.18 Tit. 1.2 As God is light and in him there is no darkness 1 Joh. 1.5 So he is truth and in him there is no falshood The strength of Israel will not lye 1 Sam. 15.29 And Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should lye God hath promised to them that repent and believe in his Son that they shall be saved He hath promised to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11 9. And we have reason firmly to believe these promises As for Temporal things he hath not promised them to any of his Children absolutely but with a tacit condition if he in his infinite Wisdom see it good and expedient for them So that as to these we must humbly refer our selves to his infinite Wisdom 'T is true we are required to pray for these Temporal things in faith but not with an assured particular perswasion that God will give us the very particular things we ask but with a faith of dependance on God and submission to his Holy will When we act faith on the All-sufficiency and Power of God and humbly resign our selves to his Holy will we may be said to pray in faith I come now to the Lessons which we are to learn from the consideration of this Attribute First We should learn from hence that the commands of God are serious and his promises and threatnings will certainly be accomplished There is nothing of reason or sence can be spoken against an Holy life by any one who believes the veracity and faithfulness of God and the truth of his Word Hath God said and do you believe it that he will come in flaming Fire to take vengeance on all them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1.8 And can you continue in ignorance and disobedience Hath he said that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 And can you continue in unrighteousnâ—ss Hath he said Heb. 12.14 Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord and can you slight Holiness And mock at serious Piety If you believ'd God to be faithfull and his Word true how could these things be so Secondly Gods faithfulness is a great aggravation of the heinousness of the sin of unbelief He that believeth not God hath made him a lyer faith the Apostle 1 Joh. 5.10 And this is the rather to be heeded that we may stir up in our selves a diligent watchfulness against this sin which with many is accounted but a meer infirmity O what matter of humiliation doth our proneness to this sin namely to distrust God justly minister unto us Many men hardly trust the promises of God so much as they would the word of a mortal man whom they account honest and just Certainly Gods faithfulness and truth should teach us to hate every motion to unbelief Vnbelief is the very bane of all Religion so far as it prevails Let it be our great care therefore to extirpate all remainders of this sin of Infidelity out of our hearts Thirdly If God be faithful this should be a great encouragement to us to trust in him and
Resurrection of the just John 6.39 And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day verse 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day 1 Thes 4.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him Verse 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep verse 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ sholl rise first Let us now consider what improvement we should make of this doctrine 1. Let us take heed of erring about this doctrine Let us take heed of the leven of the Sadducees who said there was no resurrection Acts 23.8 There are two sorts of persons that exceedingly erre about this doctrine 1. Those that affirm that there is no other Resurrection but that which is Spiritual viz. that of the soul from the death of sin This was the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.17 18. They acknowledged no other Resurrection but the renovation of the mind which passes upon a man in this life Now this Spiritual Resurrection is limited only to true Believers but the Corporal belongs to all that are in the Graves of whom our Saviour says John 5.29 They shall all come forth some to life and some to damnation which cannot possibly be meant of the Spiritual Resurrection and therefore there is another besides that 2. Those that say the same numerical body that died shall not rise again but some new airy body not flesh and blood bones and sinews as ours are made up of But this is a great error For 1. If the same bodies do not arise then 't is not a Resurrection but a new Creation I acknowledge 't is not necessary they should arise with every parcel and particle of flesh they ever had or had when they dyed but they shall rise with so much of their bodies as shall make them the same numerical bodies that died As a man in the Wars if he lose an arm or a leg yet we say and say truly he is the same man still that he was before So the dead shall rise with so much of their bodies as shall when reunited to their souls make them the same persons they were before 2. Our Saviour sayes all that are in the Graves shall come forth that is surely the same bodies that lay there and not other bodies for them Rev. 20.13 'T is said the Sea shall render up its dead surely not new bodies but the old bodies that were buried there 3. The Bodies of true Believers as well as their Souls are united to Christ and thereby made the Temples of the Holy Ghost as the Apostle assures us 1 Cor. 6.19 And can you think Christ will lose any one of his members he assures us to the contrary John 6.39 r 40. 4. The Apostle tells us this corruptible this mortal shall put on incorruption and immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 Therefore the same bodies that are now mortal and must die shall be raised And indeed the Apostle plainly shews all along in that excellent discourse of the Resurrection that he intends that the same body that dyed should rise again 5. It seems most agreeable to the Justice of God that it should be so viz. that the same numerical body that was the souls instrument either in good or evil actions either in works of Righteousness or Sin should partake with the Soul also in its rewards or punishments shall they that beat down their bodies and bring them into subjection or suffer Martyrdom in their bodies for the cause of Christ be rewarded in other bodies than those that thus suffered Or shall that body and flesh of a wicked man which was so great an instrument of his soul in sinning against God and dishonouring of him and hurting others be dissolved into dust and shall another body be framed for that miserable soul to suffer with it those exquisite torments that the damned must suffer for ever Surely this cannot be Therefore it seems most agreeable to the Justice and Providence of God that every one should receive either reward or punishment in his own body which he had here in this life 6. Christ himsâ—lf did rise with his own body viz. with that body that had been crucified And others that had slept in their Graves did come forth thence at our Saviours Resurrection and surely they came forth with those very bodies that slept there and not with new bodies Matth. 27.52 53. * We have here the first fruits of the resurrection to confiâ—m our faith And so much of the first use 2. Let us labour to strengthen our Faith in the belief of this Article And in order hereunto let us consider 1. This Article was that which many faithful Christians were ready to suffer Martyrdom for and to seal with their own blood 1 Cor. 15.29 else what shall they do or what shall become of them that are baptized that is that suffer Martyrdom * For so the word to be Baptized signifies sometimes as Mark 38. and the praepos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies for Acts 9.16 See Apost hist page 182. for the dead namely for professing to believe the Resurrection of the dead And why stand we in jeopardy every hour viz. of the like Baptism for the same profession either from persâ—cuting Sadducees who allow no Resurrection or from the furious Jews who deny Christ to be risen 2. This Article is a great foundation of a Christians hope 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead For if in this life only we had hope we were of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 3. This Doctrine tends much to the illustrating the infinite wisdom power justice and mercy of God 4. It teaches us how much we owe to our Lord and Saviour who hath redeemed our bodies as well as our souls and will save our bodies as well as our souls 3. If there will be a Resurrection let us not bewail the death of our pious friends with too much sorrow or concernment Their bodies are but laid up for a glorious Resurrection 4. The consideration and belief of the Resurrection should strengthen us against the fear of our own death As God said to Jacob Gen. 46.3 4. Fear not to go down into Egypt for I will go with thee and bring thee
their Fathers were all servants in Egypt and as that night God delivered them c. And tells particularly of the wonders done in Egypt and the manner of their deliverance saying to this purpose This is the Passover which we celebrate because the Lord passed over the houses of our Fathers in Egypt therefore we are bound to give thanks to praise to laud and glorify him and sing Hallelujahs to him c. This kind of declaration or shewing forth the occasion of the Passover they called Haggadah Hence the Apostle may be supposed to have borrowed his phrase As oft as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye declare or set forth the Lords death 1 Cor. 11.26 This annunciation or shewing forth to their Children the Lords wonderful goodness and mercy to them we find commanded Exod. 12.26 27. And it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you what mean you by this service That ye shall say it is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses 6. Then he takes that part of the unlevened cake that was before reserved and blessing it and giving thanks for it as before he distributes to every one a piece of it to eat with the Paschal Lamb of which each person present was bound to eat as much as the quantity of an Olive at least The breaking of bread therefore at which our Saviour did institute the commemoration of his body seems to be this second breaking of bread viz. in time of Supper after which nothing more was to be eaten that night For 't is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were eating or towards the end of the Supper Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his Disciples saying take eat this is my body Mat. 26.26 7. All this done they drink up the third Cup called the Cup of blessing or thanksgiving after meat Paul calls it by this very name 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ c. And this third Cup which was after supper that is after they had done eating and was the conclusion of the Supper was the Cup which our Saviour applied to a new spiritual signification And having instituted it into an Eucharistical Cup bad them drink all of it So that now he ordaines bread to be a representation of his body henceforward in the same manner as the Paschal Lamb had been the representation of his body before and the cup to be the New Testament in his blood now as the blood of bullocks had been the Old Testament in his blood before Exod. 24.8 And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you c. After this they sang the Hallelujah or Hymn or Psalm of Praise according to Custom And accordingly our Saviour and his Apostles did sing a hymn after the Paschal Supper before they departed So that supposing these Rites to be then in use among the Jews as their own writers tell us it will from thence appear that the bread and wine which our Saviour distributed at his last Passover and appointed to signifie and represent his body and blood were rites within the compass of it and belonging to it only applied by him now to a new evangelical use and signification And he dealt no otherwise in this Sacrament than he did before in that other of Baptism which he seems to have founded upon the old rite in use among the Jews of purification by water So that our Saviour in instituting both Sacaments of the new Testament seems to have taken the old rites of the Jews and to have ordained and advanced them to a new evangelical use and mystical signification and so to have put as one sayes a new superscription upon the old metal There is one thing more that it will not be amiss here to take notice of viz. That from the Jewish custom of having a feast at the end of their Sacrifices the Christians of the Primitive Church instituted their Agapae or love feasts And they of the Church of Corinth did much imitate the Jewish Paschal rites in receiving of the Lords Supper For they had a Supper before in which they were not always very temperate as appears 1. Cor. 11. And at the conclusion of this Supper they had the bread and wine of the Lords Supper administred as the Jews at the end of their Paschal Supper had the unlevened bread and the Cup of blessing Having spoken thus much of the Passover and the rites belonging to it I now come to speak of the Lords Supper which succeeds it And here I shall treat 1. Of the Author of it 2. Of the time when it was instituted 3. Of the Nature of it 4. Of the ends for which it was instituted 1. Christ himself is the Author of it We have before shewn how Christ eating the Paschal Supper with his Disciples who were Jews took some of the Paschal cheer and provisions and made them the materials of this blessed Sacrament 'T is Christ who was the Author of it 'T is he who is the King and Soveraign of his Church 'T is he who appoints therein his Officers Laws and Ordinances He is the Mediator of the new Covenant and therefore appoints the tokens and seals of it Divine institution only makes a Sacrament the whole Church cannot do it 2. Let us consider the time in which it was instituted viz. in the same night in which he was betrayed by Judas 1 Cor. 11.23 Observe Christs great love to his Church He saw his death approaching yet he bestows now a great favour on mankind when he sees he shall receive the hardest measure from them O that the same mind were in us that was in Christ Jesus Judas had resolved beforehand to betray him and accordingly had agreed with the Chief-Priests and Council of the Jews yet with this wicked resolution he comes to eat the Passover with him Sins of purpose and resolution are most dangerous We should look not only on Judas's sin in betraying his Master but on his fixed intention and resolution to do it 'T is a dangerous thing to come to this Sacrament with an intent to go on in any known sin 3. Let us consider the nature of this Sacrament wherein three things are to be spoken to 1. The outward Ordinance or outward signs 2. The inward and Spiritual mysteries thereby signified 3. The Command for the observing this Ordinance 1. The outward Ordinance or Sacrament properly so called consists 1. Of certain Elements or materials viz. Bread and Wine 2. Of sundry Rites and Sacramental actions appertaining thereunto 1. Our Saviour took bread and gave thanks and so also the Cup. He blessed the Bread and the Wine severally as the Jews
his spirit 4. They are such who by the assistance of grace do labour to mortifie their inward lusts and to purifie their hearts from secret sins 5. They are such in whose hearts the interest of God prevailes above the interest of the World or of the Flesh 6. They are such who labour to be holy in all manner of conversation 1. To be religious towards God 2. Righteous towards men 3. Sober and temperate in the government of themselves 4. Diligent and faithful in the discharge of their relative duties 7. They are such as truly love all the people of God and such as are true members of Christs holy Catholick Church 8. They are such as labour to be sincere in all that they do 9. They are such as labour to be watchful over themselves viz. over their thoughts over their affections over their words over their actions and over their aims and ends 10. They are such as in their Judgments do approve the wayes of God as most eligible and most safe 11. They do consent to and own the Covenant they were entred into in their Baptism And these are the characters or marks of such as are Converted Now if any one on serious examination of himself do find that there is any seed or principle of true grace in him and that it is the sincere purpose of his heart to walk with God then he ought to encourage himself to come to this Ordinance which was instituted to strengthen the weak Christian And so much of the duties which are to be performed before you come to this holy Ordinance I come now to shew what are the duties required of you in the time of receiving Which are these 1. Carefully avoid distractions as much as possibly you can through the whole administration and gird up the loyns of yâ—ur mind and be intent upon the work you are about 2. Labour to quicken and excite and awaken in your souls these following graces 1. Awaken repentance and a bleeding sorrow in thy heart for all thy sins past and especially for those that sit heaviest upon thy conscience Say to thy soul in some such soliloquies as these O my soul that ever I should have been such a vile wretch that I should have so grievously offended my merciful and bountifull Creator O what a mercy is it that I am out of Hell God might have cut me down in my sins and cast me down into the Lake of fire and brimstone And has he hitherto spared me and does he now offer me a pardon sealed with the blood of his dear Son O the unsearchable riches of his free grace and mercy O my soul how should this melt thee into penitent tears How should this consideration make thee loath and hate every sin that thou hast ever been guilty of and make thee willing to renounce and forsake them all and to turn to God in sincere obedience 2. Awaken and excite a spiritual appetite in thy self Say to thy soul Happy yea thrice happy O my soul are they whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered blessed are they to whâ—m God will not impute their transgressions but will pardon them in and through his Son Yea happy are they whose justification is testified to their consciences by their Sanctification and by their sincere desire and endeavor to walk before God in all holy obedience O my soul that this may be my portion whatever God denies me else in this world Oh that this may be a day wherein I may have a clear manifestation of Gods pardoning mercy made to my Soul Oh that I may receive a plentiful effusion of the graces of the Spirit into my heart O that my lusts and corruptions may be mortified and subdued O that I may be enabled to do all my duties better than ever I have done O that I may be more watchful over mine heart and tongue and all my wayes than ever I have been O that my soul may depart much bettered much revived comforted and strengthned from this holy Ordinance 3. Awaken Faith Say to thy self O my Soul it is not a confident and groundless perswasion that Christ will save thee that is the faith now required of thee But thou must humbly cast thy self at Christs feet and seriously and deliberately own and acknowledge him for the only Saviour of mankind and humbly cast thy self on the free mercy of God and his merits and intercession for the obtaining the pardon of all thy sins and must consent to take him for thy Lord as well as thy Saviour and be willing he should rule in thee by his holy Spirit and govern thee by his Laws O my Soul willingly freely deliberately surrender thy self to him to be pardo ed in his blood to be sanctified by his spirit go to him trust in him for grace as well as pardon And though thou hast before given up thy self to him and by acts of Faith united thy self to him yet labour now to excite and put forth stronger acts of faith and affiance in him that thou maist be more firmly united unto him Say Lord I come to thee sweet Saviour I give my Soul here anew to thee Take it wash it in thy precious blood from the gâ—ilt of all my sins and sanctifie it by thy holy spirit Thou hast said whoever comes unto thee thou wilt in no wise cast out O receive me though an unworthy wretch O absolve me from the guilt of all my sins of every sort and kind O keep my poor Soul that I now commit unto thee unto eternal life There in no other name given under Heaven whereby I can be saved Therefore I do profess and declare that thy merits obedience and sufferings I do alone depend on and abide by for my reconciliation and peace with God and do now renew my Covenant that I was entred into in my Baptism resolving by thy grace to be for ever thine 4. Awaken excite and stir up thy heart in love to God and to Jesus Christ Say to thy self O my Soul how great is the love of God in sending his only Son to dye to save poor lost Sinners He did not thus for the Angels that fell O how great is the love of Christ who would stoop so low That the eternal Son of God should take our nature and be born of a poor Virgin that he should dye and suffer and endure so much for poor worms for enemies that he should sweat drops of blood in the Garden in his agony that he should have his precious body thus broken and his blood shed to redeem us Was there ever love like this O my Soul what hath been done by thee in return for all this love O my sweet Jesus thou art worthy of all love and service from me though mine heart is base and disingenuous and is not sufficiently affected with thy love Thou art infinitely lovely though my heart loves thee not as it ought to do Thou wast exceeding
lovely and amiable even in thine humiliation in this World but O how glorious art thou now triumphing in heaven O how beneficial are thy merits how desirable are thy graces O let that fulness of grace that is poured forth without measure on thee flow down to us thy poor members O my Soul imagine now thou sawest thy sweetest Saviour nailed on the Cross his body torn with the nails and his side pierced with a Spear Canst thou chuse but love him who endured so much to redeem thee from eternal misery The Apostle Paul ravished with the love of Christ cryes out If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be anathema maranatha The penitent woman in the Gospel to whom much was forgiven loved much Luke 7.47 And shall it not be so with thee Now consider O my Soul Christ sayes if ye love me keep my commandments If thou love him love him in sincerity and delight to please him Love his person highly value his merits love his ordinances love his graces love his commands O my Soul canst thou upon all these considerations say with Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee 5. Excite in thy self love to all Christians to all the members of Christ Pray earnestly that the Lord would protect them and defend them that he would be pleased to perfect holiness more and more in their hearts and unite them more and more one to another in his truth and in the bond of love and make them more exemplary in a holy conversation and supply them with all needful outward mercies and conduct them safe to his heavenly Kingdom 6. Excite love in thy Soul to thy very enemies say to thy self O my Soul thou must forgive if thou expectest to be forgiven Thy dear Saviour requires this of thee Matth. 6.14 If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you Verse 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses If thou expectest to be forgiven so many thousand Talents thou must not take thy brother by the throat for an hundred pence Matth. 18.28 Thou must labour to be merciful as thine heavenly Father is merciful Readiness to forgive injuries and wrongs is a great sign of a gracious state but malice and revenge is a black mark and character Therefore O my Soul pray for thy very enemies this day Lord convince them of their sins give them hearts to repent of them turn their hearts from them draw them to thy Son that by him they may have pardon and life give them such a frame of spirit that thou maist bless them O that I may meet their souls in Heaven where we shall always love and agree together and never fall out more 7. Awake and excite in thy self spiritual joy and thankfulness Say with holy David bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Hath Christ redeemed thee from the curse of the Law being made a curse for thee Hath he redeemed thee and that not with silver and gold but with his own precious blood Hath he made thy peace with God through the blood of his Cross Hath he vanquished death and Satan for thee Through his blood shalt thou have an entrance into heaven and eternal glory Oh transcendent mercy Oh how great is this Salvation which Christ hath purchased for us On the heighth and depth and length and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus Be astonished Oh my Soul at this love and never be forgetful of it call upon the holy Angels to joyn with thee this day in blessing God for these great and glorious benefits and never be unmindful of so transcendent mercies And thus much of the graces we must especially labour to excite and exercise in the time of Receiving There are some other directions also that it will be needful thou shouldst observe at this time 1. Employ thine outward senses so as to stir up in thine heart Spiritual graces For the work of the Communicant lyes not so much between the body and the elements as the Soul and Christ 2. When thou seest the bread broken think of these four things 1. The great pain and anguish our Lord endured when his Body was broken on the Cross Canst thou see Christs body broken for thee and thy heart not break with deep contrition for thy sins 2. Consider the great love of our Lord in submitting to such grievous pains and such disgrace for our sake Think thou hearest him say behold my friends how my flesh is torn and wounded for your sakes Was there ever grief was there ever love like mine 3. Consider the vile and odious nature of sin which brought our Lord to such miseries and required such blood to expiate it 4. Consider what the redemption of every Soul that shall be saved did cost It cost more than all the men and Angels in the World could ever have paid for it 3. When thou takest the bread into thine hands and eatest of it then say Lord thou art the bread of life thou art the only redeemer of lost Souls I freely take thee for my Lord and Saviour I freely consent to the Covenant I was entred into in my Baptism Lord save me and sanctify me O interpose thy merits this day for my pardon and strengthen me by thy grace that I may be faithful to thee to the end and so may at last receive a crown of life Lord behold the Sacrifice of thy Son For the sake of his obedience and sufferings be pleased to be reconciled to me to pardon all my transgressions and by thy grace so to sanctify mine heart that no sin may have dominion over me Fill me with joy and peace in believing If I have found favour in thine eyes give me more and more of the graces of thy holy Spirit and cause me to grow in grace daily and make me fruitful in good works 4. When thou takest the cup into thy hand think again of the wonderful love of Christ that he should purchase us to himself with his own blood Oh the infinite value O the infinite worth of this blood This was the blood that only could make expiation and give God ful satisfaction for our offences One drop of this blood is worth a World This is the blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 that is whereby our Saviour ratified and confirmed the covenant which God made with fallen man which covenant shall never be altered O blessed Saviour wash my Soul in this thy precious blood from the guilt of all my sins and cleanse me from all mine iniquities and be to me all that which thou didst intend to be to those who shall be saved by thee By such prayers soliloquies and holy meditations thou should'st labour to Sanctifie thy heart when thou art about receiving this holy Sacrament 5. Joyn with all the rest of the Communicants in a hearty praysing God for
Servant 4. The humble Soul is filled with an high admiring and affectionate gratitude to God as the free giver of all the mercies it enjoys 'T is very thankful for temporals but much more for spirituals and owns all to the free bounty and goodness of God The humble Soul is a great admirer of free grace and highly prizes our Lord Jesus Christ and his great undertaking for the redemption of Mankind 5. The humble Soul is patient under afflictions and clears God of any hard dealing in his proceedings against him He charges not Good foolishly how sharp soever his afflictions be 6. The humble person is patient under the neglects and disrespects he meets with from men 'T is not for me saith the humble Soul to expect or look for respect and esteem in the World 'T is enough for me if among those few good men I am acquainted with I find a tolerable kind acceptance 7. An humble person doth carefully watch over his thoughts words and actions lest Pride or vain-glory should steal in upon him and especially he fears lest he should be puffed up on the account of those actions that meet with some applause and acceptance in the world A man should alwayes endeavour to do things that deserve honour and esteem but then he should not assume the glory of them to himself If he do any thing tending to the honour of God and the good of the world he is very glad of it and heartily thankful to God for inabling him to do it But he gives God intirely the glory of it 8. The humble Soul hath a charitable opinion of others which he is the more induced to upon consideration of his own weaknesses and manifold failings Where there is the greatest humility commonly there is the greatest charity but where there is the highest Pride there usually is the greatest censoriousness and uncharitableness 9. An humble person strictly animadverts upon and observes his failings and defects in the good duties he performs He takes notice of the deadness coldness formality and the degrees of vain-glory that are apt to creep in upon him in the performance of them and all these are matter of humiliation to him And thus much of the nature of humility and the particulars wherein it evidenceth it self 3. I come now in the next place to shew the fruits benefits and advantages of this eminent grace 1. The humble man obtains grace favour and a blessing from God He gives grace that is he manifests his grace and favour to the humble The humble man doth not usurp the glory due to his Creator nor intercept the Tribute which ought to be paid to God but payes it willingly to the right owner And God hath declared that those that honour him he will honour The favour of God is alwayes accompanied with bounty and beneficence But his Favour is not to be measured by his heaping tempâ—ral things on us but by his blessing us with soul-Soul-mercies and spiritual blessings which have a reference to the life that is to come 2. The humble soul shall be sure of Gods direction Psal 25.9 He shall be guided first in the right way to Heaven which those that are wise in their own eyes many times miserably err from What did many of those that were knowing and learned among the Jews and Gentiles being full of their own wisdom and learning account of the Gospel That which was in it self the wisest and most profound contrivance that ever was in the world and most efficacious instrument of mans conversion and salvation seemed to these men of wisdom meer foolishness 2. But it was the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 to all those that were brought thereby to believe in our Lord Jesus 2. The humble person God will guide in his worldly affairs and business whereas proud men who usually lean on their own understanding and disdain all counsel but what suiteth with their own wisdom very frequently miscarry Let us call our own experience to witness whether when in a deep sense of our own weakness and distrusting our own ability and wisdom to grapple with the difficulties we were to meet with we have humbly implored the divine directions and guidance and have committed our selves thereto I say let us consider whether we have not found God helping of us and casting our affairs better for us than we could have imagined or contrived our selves 3. An humble person is usually well thought of and spoken of by all that know him whereas a proud man is the mark of common obloquy If a man be proud almost every body is ready to pull him down Nay they that are proud themselves are ready enough to pull down others that are proud But the humble almost every body is willing to lift up 4. Not one dispensation of God will pass without doing us some good if we be humble Prosperity will better us and adversity will better us All winds will drive us on towards the haven of eternal happiness if we be truly humble 5. Humility keeps the soul in great tranquillity The passion of pride and haughtiness how it vexes and disquiets the minds of men but humility makes the Soul very submissive to the will of God shall not I submit sayes the humble soul to the will of my heavenly father whose will I pray daily may be fulfilled The cup that my heavenly Father giveth me to drink shall not I drink it What am I that I should not be crossed or reproached It is but what I deserve nay much less than I deserve by reason of my sins My present condition is not so troublesome or painful or uneasie but I deserve much more And shall not I be patient and content and submit to my Soveraign Lord to his wisdom as well as to his will who orders all things for the good of them that love and fear him And so much of the third particular the benefits and advantages of humility 4. I come now in the last place to prescribe some means for the attaining of it 1. Consider how highly God values and prizes this temper He dwells in the highest heavens and in the lowest hearts Isa 66.2 Isa 57.15 The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in his sight of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 And Mic. 6.18 sayes the Prophet He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requires of thee namely to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God God takes no pleasure in us till he hath brought us to this frame and temper * Descendendo coelum ascenditur Cassiodor Nothing makes us so precious in Gods sight as Humility We are most precious in Gods eyes when we are most vile in our own An humble and a contrite spirit is more valued by him than all burnt-offerings and sacrifices 2. Consider the various means that God uses to work this so necessary a grace in the hearts of his own people
A SUPPLEMENT TO Knowledge AND PRACTICE Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious Disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness By Samuel Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somerset-Shire Useful for the Instruction of private Families Quod de Scripturis authoritatem non habet pari facilitate rejicitur qua accipitur Hieron LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1679. To the INHABITANTS of NORTH-CADBURY in SOMERSETSHIRE My Loving Friends SOme years since when I stood in the Relation of a Pastor to you I wrote my Book of Knowledge and Practice aiming therein more especially at your benefit Which Treatise I hope through the Lords blessing hath been of some use to you I have since thought that it would not be a service unacceptable to you to add by way of Supplement a more full explication of the Main Principles of the Christian Faith and some Further Directions for regulating of your Practice and to send them unto you to supply my Personal absence God only knows whether I shall ever see your Faces again in this World Providence having fixed my Habitation at so great a distance from you However my hearts desire and prayer to God for you is that you may be saved and if this poor Book may in any measure contribute thereunto I shall heartily rejoyce The holy Apostles no doubt in writing their Epistles aimed at the Spiritual good of the Church in general yet we may well suppose that those particular Churches to whom their Epistles were directed read them with more especial regard and possibly reaped more signal benefits by them than others did So though I design these instructions for your Spiritual good and benefit of all those into whose hands they shall come Yet I hope they shall be more especially minded and regarded by you to whom they are particularly directed and in contemplation of whose necessities and with an aim at whose benefit they were particularly framed I know many of you are such of whom the Apostle speaks Heb. 5.12 Who have need that one teach you the first Principles of the Oracles of God and have need of milk and not of strong meat I should be glad to have you all rightly instructed in the main fundamentals of Christianity and that not for your sakes only but for my own that I may give up my account with joy and not with grief Heb. 13.17 But yet I must tell you that it is not enough to save any of you that you are of the true Religion except you be true to it and live agreeably thereunto God hath indeed made sufficient provision by the obedience and death of his Son to save Mankind But you must earnestly leg of God to inable you to do your part which is unfeignedly to repent of all your sins savingly to believe in Christ and to accept him for your Lord and Saviour and to deliver up your souls to him that you may be pardoned through the infinite merit of his active and passive obedience and sanctified by his Spirit and inabled by his grace to lead a holy and good life And as I earnestly desire you all to have an especial care of your own Souls so do I with some importunity intreat all that are Parents or Masters of Families among you that they would take great care to instruct their children and servants in the main Principles of the Christian Religion I have often thought that if ever real Piety and Christianity flourish in England more must he done by Parents and Masters in instructing those under their care than is now ordinarily done I hope this short Treatise may with the blessing of God something assist and help you in performing that part of your duty May the God of all grace lead you and guide you in ways of truth and holiness and inable you to live in love and peace one with another And though I should never see you again in this life yet may the Father of Mercies through his infinite goodness grant that I may meet your Souls in Heaven This is the earnest desire and prayer of him who was once your unworthy Pastor and is still your very loving and affectionate friend Wickham brook Novemb. 6. 1678. SAM CRADOCK The CONTENTS of the FIRST PART CHAP. I. Of God SECT 1. Of the Nature of God and his Divine Attributes page 1. SECT 2. Of the Trinity of persons in the unity of the Divine Essence page 18. SECT 3. Of the works of God page 31. 1. Creation where Of good Angels page 32. Of evil Angels page 40. 2. Particular page 48. CHAP. 2. Of Man Page 62 SECT 1. Of the happy State wherein Man was created and the Covenant of Works made with him in that State p. 62. SECT 2. Of his Fall and the consequents thereof p. 66 SECT 3. Of the Covenant of Grace made with Man immediately after his Fall which shews the only way of his recovery to be by Jesus Christ p. 73 CHAP. 3. Of Jesus Christ Page 80 SECT 1. Of his Titles which in the Creed are four 1. Jesus p. 80 2. Christ where of his three Offices Prophet p. 83 Priest p. 86 King p. 88 3. His only Son p. 91 4. Our Lord p. 93 SECT 2. Of his Natures Divine and Humane p. 95 SECT 3. Of his birth p. 96 SECT 4. Of his Life p. 100 Here a short and methodical History of our Saviours Life is exhibited and the particular Times in which he instituted Baptism and the Sacrament of his Supper are pointed at Vpon both which Sacraments there are distinct discourses added at the end SECT 5. Of his Death and Burial p. 137 SECT 6. Of that Article in the Creed He descended into Hell page 131 SECT 7. Of his Resurrection and ten several appearings after it in the space of forty dayes he continued on the earth p. 143 SECT 8. Of his Ascention and sitting on Gods right hand p. 149 SECT 9. Of his coming to judg the World p. 154 CHAP. 3. SECT 1. Of the Holy Ghost p. 162 SECT 2. Of the Catholick Church 166 SECT 3. Of Communion of Saints p. 175 SECT 4. Of forgiveness of sins p. 178 SECT 5. Of the Resurrection of the body p. 193 SECT 6. Of Life everlasting Of Baptism p. 200 Of the Lords Supper p. 205 Of the Lords Prayer p. 220 The second part contains a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkennness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice Idleness ERRATA IN page 267 after the eighth Direction add Ninthly Take heed of saying â—s
But does not the annexing of such a condition as this unto forgiveness lessen the grace and bounty of it Answer No in no wise For consider these things 1. The dispensing of pardon and forgiveness upon such a condition as faith in Christ which includes Gospel obedience is one of the most effectual means to introduce sanctity and holiness into the World For what more effectual way can there be to do it than to make it conditionally necessary to justification and salvation 2. Gods immutable holiness and justice is hereby made more illustrious and his solemn hatred and dislike of sin is more manifested For hereby 't is evident that God will save no man in his sins but from his sins Whom he justifies he will sanctify No mans sin is so forgiven that the least allowance is vouchsafed to it None but such as are sanctified can be accepted of him 3. Whatever is by the Gospel conditionally required of us is fully and freely given us Faith and every other grace is the gift of God We perform the condition required of us solely by the power of his grace freely given unto us And all the rewards of the Gospel are but the gracious remunerations of Gods own gifts and graces Free grace and divine bounty is the root that bears all And therefore the holiest men on earth have the greatest cause to be most humble For having received most they ought most to abase themselves 4. 'T is fit that all who shall be saved should be rationally satisfied of the excellency of that life the Gospel calls them unto For the precepts of the Gospel are framed and calculated for our advantage and benefit The commands of Christ are in no wise grievous to any man truly and rationally informed of his own interest The Gospel commands us to be sober righteous and godly and 't is rationally best for us so to be both in order to our own good and the good and benefit of others among whom we live And therefore 't is fit we should make a solemn choice of this life for our selves and seriously resolve as men of truth and fidelity to pursue it There ought to be sincerity of intention and endeavour in us to live this life though we do not arrive at perfection of action We should therefore examine what is the deliberate choice of our wills whether to be Sanctified by the Spirit of Christ as well as to be justified by his merits Christ will not judge of us by a suddain passionate choice but by our rational and advised choice And we must especially take heed of all degrees of insincerity and hypocrisie which of all sins under the Gospel does most dangerously border on a breach of the condition required Believe it those things that keep people usually from the good things of the Gospel are either a direct refusal of Christ or a sloathful carelesness unconcerned neglect of him or a prevailing falseness in the course of Gospel obedience I shall conclude all that I shall say upon this argument with these four particulars 1. Our Lord and Saviour did certainly perform all things that were required to be performed by him as our mediator 2. By reason of the high dignity of his person his obedience and sufferings are of more value and worth than the obedience and sufferings of all mankind would have been 3. These things being performed by him in our nature and wholly upon oâ—r account God accepts them for us though not as done by us and reckons all the benefits and advantages of them to us 4. If we desire to partake of the benefits of Christs active and passive obedience we must sincerly believe in him and take him for our Lord and Saviour and if our Faith be a true justifying Faith it will purify our hearts and reform our lives Having thus explained this Doctrine of the forgiveness of sins let us now consider what improvement we should make of it 1. Let us admire the infinite goodness of God that there is a possibility of pardon for the children of men who are naturally under wrath There is none for the Angels that fell 2. Let us often meditate upon and admire the way of it 1. No pardon to be obtained for man without a Mediator And where could fallen man have found a Mediator that would have undertaken his cause 2. No ordinary Mediator would suffice If all the holy Angels had joyned together it would have not been sufficient Only the eternal Son of God could effect it 3. Let us consider that Christ obtained our peace not by a bare mediation but by paying a price for us and making full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God by his obedience and sufferings 3. Let us often admire the benefits of it 1. It is not only a great mercy in it self but the foundation of all other mercies 'T is the Queen of mercies that hath a glorious train of other mercies attending it Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven whose iniquities are covered to whom the Lord imputeth not transgression None of the antient Philosophers ever gave such a definition of happiness 2. The sense of this mercy makes all afflictions more easie to be born What can hurt us if God be reconciled to us 3. Pardoning mercy brings healing with it unto the Soul Christ Sanctifies those by his Spirit whose pardon he procures by his Merits 4. It affords great comfort against death which is otherwise terrible of terribles 4. If pardoning mercy be so great a mercy let us often consider how vile and wretched those persons are who slight this mercy But who are they 1. All careless ones who neglect this great salvation and prefer the things of the World before it 2. All wicked and prophane ones who go on daily increasing their guilt not minding to make peace with God 3. All that rest on any thing besides Christs righteousness and intercession for the procuring their pardon with God 5. Let us all examine our selves whether we have obtained this blessedness or no. Many content themselves with weak grounds on which they build their hopes of pardon 1. They are not so bad as others They think they are sinners yet guilty but of few sins in comparison of what others are guilty of I answer Possibly they may not be so bad as others yet they may be in a very bad condition for all that out of which if they do not get they will be everlastingly miserable 2. Others think well of them Be it so But we shall not stand or fall by mans Judgment 3. They live civilly so they may do and yet be unconverted and without true conversion and regeneration no salvation is to be expected 6. Seeing God is ready to forgive let us all endeavor to secure this blessedness to our selves 1. Let us seek it as earnestly as ever we sought any thing in the World 2. those that must shortly be arraigned If a guilty Malefactor knew
dust Fine cloaths may make Children and young folks proud but wise and considering persons are not usually affected with such things Be cloathed with humility sayes the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.5 that is the best cloathing of all 9. Is it grace or goodness that thou art apt to be proud of This is a thing very irrational and absurd For predominant pride cannot consist with grace but is a great sign of a graceless state If thou hast grace so far as thou art proud of it thou dost abuse it contradict it and act against the very nature of it For Pride is to grace what a consumption is to health Be not high minded but fear sayes the Apostle Rom. 11.20 When you think you stand take heed lest you fall 1 Cor. 10.12 And thus much of the eleventh Direction namely that we should reason our selves into a loathing of this sin 12. Look on the humbling judgments of God that are abroad in the world and turn them all as so many Cannons against thy Pride Methinks every serious Christian should think it unreasonable and unsuitable in such a calamitous time as this is when God calls to humbling and abasing our selves and to sympathize with others that are in an afflicted condition now to lay it out in pride and vanity and garish garbes and attire more than formerly We have seen many humbling sights and felt many humbling strokes and have heard many dismal cries of our afflicted Brethren and shall we now be proud I know the world is at that pass that a Minister will be thought to do more wisely to save his breath than spend it upon so hopeless a design as to think by all his arguments to reform people in this particular The pride of the world is now too high to be born down by Sermons or the most earnest and serious exhortations Alas 'T is a monster that has not been conquered by War nor Plague nor Fire And do you think it will be born down by the breath of a poor Minister though exhorting never so seriously However we must do our duty and lift up our voice like a Trumpet and shew Israel their sins whether they will hear or whether they will forbear And if I can bring but one sinner who is concerned in this reproof to consider his wayes and to forsake his pride and vanity I shall not repent me of this pains 13. Consider how God in the contrivance of mans redemption designeth the humbling of all whom he intends to save For he hath ordained that no man shall be justified by a righteousness of his own performance but by the satisfaction merits and intercession of the Redeemer Therefore he prepareth men for the reception of this pardon by humbling them and making them vile and mean in thir own eyes 14. Read what Christ expects from them whom he intends to save and then you will see what a great measure of humility and self-denial is required of them Except ye become as little Children ye cannot enter into the Kindom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 15. Treasure up some Scripture precepts against Pride and have them alwayes ready in your minds such as these he that humbleth himself shall be exalted God resisteth the proud Pride goeth before a fall Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 16.5 A mans Pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Prov. 29.23 16. Earnestly beg of God to give you the grace of Humility Concerning which excellent grace that I may treat the more profitably I shall shew 1. The Counterfeits of it 2. Wherein the true nature of it consists 3. The great benefits and advantages of it 4. The means to attain it For the First The counterfeits of it There are four things that carry a shew of humility but are at a great distance from it 1. When men vilifie and discommend themselves or their own performances on purpose to draw others to praise them He that doth so cozens himself into Pride by a shew of Humility A man would be ashamed if he were told he used that mean stratagem to procure his own praise But so glorious a thing is humility that pride to hide its own shame does sometimes put on the vizor and semblance of it 2. When men effect to wear some unusual habit or some mean and sordid cloaths or to use some clownish unhandsome and uncivil behaviour which may make them taken notice of and observed by others This may look like Humility but is far from it There may be a russet Pride and a leathern Insolency 'T is not alwayes couched under silk and sattin Many times there is a very ugly pride under mean cloaths The Capuchins among the Papists go in poor cloaths with naked legs and Sandals Who hath required these things of them I think the Apostles rule is here to be observed whatsoever things are honest pure lovely and of good report and praise-worthy among men Phil. 4.8 These we should follow and not affect a vain signularity not warranted by the word of God 3. When they choose to converse for the most part with their inferiours that they may bear sway and be the chiefest among them this is no argument of Humility but rather of Pride 4. When men live basely meanly in no degree answerable or according to the estate and condition God hath put them into this is not humility but an argument of a covetous and sordid spirit And so much of the counterfeits of humility 2. I come now to shew wherein the true nature of Humility consists and in what particulars it evidenceth it self In the general True Humility is a lowly frame and temper of Soul arising from wise serious and deliberate consideration 'T is principally rooted in the mind and evidenceth it self in these Particulars 1. The Soul that is truly humble is deeply sensible of its manifold weaknesses wants and imperfections 'T is sensible of the darkness of its mind the depravedness of its will the disorder and irregularity of its affections * Humilitas est animi demissio orta ex vera status conditionis suae agnitionâ— Camer 2. 'T is very sensible of its great sinfulness and manifold transgressions against God O sayes such a Soul who have I in the whole course of my life too much neglected my Creator who gave me my life and being and in many things how grievously have I sinned against him And the wages of every sin being death how obnoxious and liable have I made my self to the wrath and curse of God What a mercy is it that I am out of Hell who have so many wayes broken the holy and righteous Law of God 3. As a consequent hereupon 't is very sensible of its great unworthiness of those mercies it enjoyes from God The humble soul sayes as good old Jacob did Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed to thy