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
men may acknowledge and own him for the only true God and may glorify him accordingly 2. Thy Kingdom come that is that his Kingly Power may be more and more manifested in the curbing and subduing of Satan and all his enemies that his Kingdom of Grace may be advanced and promoted by his word and Spirit that his Kingdom of Glory may be hastned Rev. 22.20 that the happiness of his people may be full and that Christ may resign up the Kingdom which he administers as Mediator to his Father and God may be all in all 3. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven that is that we and all his people on Earth may sincerely chearfully and constantly do and submit to his holy will as Angels and glorified Saints do in Heaven 4. Give us this day our daily-bread wherein we acknowledge God the Author and Giver of all our Mercies and that we receive all from his free bounty That we ought dayly to depend on his Fatherly care and Providence and not to be over anxious and solicitous for to morrow neither inordinately to desire superfluities but to crave and pray for such necessary and convenient things as are daily needful and requisite for the sustentation and comfort of our bodily life and that what the Lord is pleased to give us may be by him blessed to us 5. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors wherein we acknowledg that our sins are debts binding us over to punishment and that our selves cannot satisfie for them We pray that in Christ these debts may be freely and fully forgiven and pardoned We profess we ought and do through his grace assisting us forgive our debtors that is such as have done wrong to us and thereby not only made themselves debtors to God but unto us that we do fully and freely forgive their wrongs and injuries done unto us though we are not alwayes bound to forgive the damage See Exod. 22.1 14. and from thence we gather an argument to confirm our hope and perswade our selves that God will forgive us 6. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil wherein we acknowledge our proneness to evil and weakness to withstand temptation that God hath power over all corruptions tempters and temptations We pray to be preserved from temptations to sin or from being overcome by them and at last to be wholly delivered from them all 3. The Conclusion For thine is the Kingdom the Power and Glory for ever Amen Wherein we have 1. The Doxology acknowledging and ascribing to God the perpetuity of his Kingdom Power and Glory and encouraging our selves from thence to expect from him what we have prayed for 2. The sealing up the Prayer with Amen Wherein we summarily testify our fervent desire of obtaining these our Petitions and our Faith in God for the granting of them THE Second Part Containing a serious Disswasive from the reigning and customary Sins of these Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Vncleanness Discontent Covetousness Malice Idleness CHAP. I. Of Swearing THat I may proceed methodically and clearly in treating of this argument I shall confine my discourse to these seven heads 1. I shall shew what an Oath is 2. Shall shew the lawfulness of taking an Oath when duly called thereunto 3. Shall answer the objections usually framed from Matth. 5. 33. c. and Jam. 5.12 against the lawfulness of any swearing at all 4. Shall shew in what manner an Oath is to be taken 5. Shew the great sinfulness of rash customary and unnecessary swearing 6. Shall answer the vain pretences and excuses that customary Swearers use to make for themselves 7. Shall give some directions and means for the avoiding of this Sin 1. I shall shew what an Oath is Perkins in his Cases of Conscience Lib. 2. Chap. 13. sayes an Oath is a Religious and necessary confirmation of a thing doubtful by calling God to be a witness of the truth and a revenger of falshood Doctor Saunderson in his first Lecture of the obligation of a Oath § 2. sayes an Oath is a Religious act in which to confirm a thing doubtful God is called upon as a witness Others from Numb 30.2 define it to be a sacred bond by which a man binds his Soul to the speaking of that which is in it self true or to the doing of that which is in it self lawful unto which the living and true God is (a) Juramentum est contestatio Dei in re gravi tanquam veritatis testis mendacij vindicis called upon as a witness or arbitrator Judge and Avenger in case of falshood 2. Having shewed what an Oath is I come in the next place to prove the lawfulness of taking an Oath when duly called thereunto And this I shall indeavor to do by these four Arguments 1. That which is morall and injoyned in one of the precepts of the Decalogue or ten commandments binds all persons whatsoever and is a duty to be continued and practised as there is occasion as long as the world endures for the glory of God and the good of our Neighbour But to Swear by God when duly called thereunto is a moral duy and injoyned in the third Commandment therefore it is lawful to take an oath when duly called thereunto The minor will easily be proved by that commonly received Rule of interpreting the Commandments viz. that where in any Commandment vice is forbidden there the contrary vertue is enjoyned and commanded So that the taking Gods name in vain being forbidden in the third Commandment the holy and reverent use thereof is plainly enjoyned and such is an appeal to God as the Searcher of hearts and calling upon him to be a witness of our truth and sincerity and an avenger upon us in case of falshood 2. What God injoyns and connects with other duties that will ever be in force ought to be practised by all Christians but swearing by his name is such Ergò For the proof of the minor See Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and swear by his name See also Deut. 10.20 where the same thing is injoyned That which hath been the practice of the Godly without reproof before the Law under the Law and under the Gospel is lawful But swearing by the name of God upon serious and weighty occasions hath been the practice of all the Godly in all those times Ergò 1. Before the Law See instances hereof in Abraham Gen. 14.22 23. And Abraham said to the King of Sodom I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord the most high God the possessor of heaven and earth that I will not take any thing that is thine even from a thred to a shoo-latchet In Isaac Gen. 26.31 And they rose up betimes in the morning and sware one to another and Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace In Jacob Gen. 31.53 The God of Abraham and the God of
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
though many of his Ways and Providences are obscure and intricate God knows what is fittest for us and what is the fittest time to help us First We should labour to be wise that we may be like unto God To desire as Adam did any of that knowledge which God hath reserved to himself and is unnecessary for us is indeed not to be wise in our desires We ought to labour to know the Lord and his revealed will and the way to Eternal life and to endeavour to walk in it and this is true wisdom True Piety is the greatest wisdom and sin is the greatest folly There is not any Soul in Hell but was brought thither by its own sinful folly Therefore the Apostle exhorts us Eph. 5.15 That we walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Certainly to save a mans Soul is a work of the greatest wisdom and requires our best care and industry Secondly we should humbly beg wisdom of God We should seek to him as our principal Counsellor and Director in all our undertakings Jam. 1.5 If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Thirdly We should take heed of trusting in our own wisdom The way of man is not in himself Jer. 10.23 We should read the Scriptures much for they are able to make us wise unto salvation We should often consider what the wise man sayes Prov. 3.5 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Fourthly The Infinite wisdom of God should teach us to rest in all his Determinations and Dispensations Shall dust and ashes judge the Lord who is only wise We should learn to submit to his infinite wisdom as well as to his Holy will Fifthly The consideration of the infinite wisdom of God should encourage the People of God in their greatest straits and against all the cunning subtilty of their enemies They should labour faithfully to do their duties and then humbly rest in the infinite wisdom of God who knows better what is good for them than they know themselves II. God is infinitely Holy Holy He is many times stiled the Holy One of Israel and glorious in Holiness Exod. 15.11 Fearfull in praises that is who is to be praised with great fear and reverence Rev. 4.8 He is stiled Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come The consideration of Gods transcendent Purity and Holiness should teach us First To endeavour to imitate God in this perfection 1 Pet. 1.15 Be ye Holy says God for I am Holy Holiness should have an universal influence upon our whole man There should be Holiness in our thoughts Purity in our hearts Sincerity in our intentions Truth in our words Justice in our actions Sobriety Chastity Temperance Humility Modesty in all our outward manners and conversations Heb. 12.14 The Apostle advises us to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 'T is not said without peace for a man may follow after that and may not be able to obtain it But the Greek Article relates to holiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which no man shall see the Lord. Into the new Jerusalem nothing enters that defiles Rev. 21.27 Secondly We should look to it that we do not meerly act a part of holiness but do really endeavor to be so Nothing in the World is better than reall holiness nothing more detestable than the counterfeit of it As there is no face in Nature more comely and majestical than that of a man so none more ugly and ridiculous than that of an Ape which has some shew of it but falls so far short of it Simulata pietas duplex iniquitas Counterfeit Piety is double Iniquity Thirdly we should be very far from being ashamed of holiness which we see is the Image of God The Devil and his Instruments labour all they can to disparage holiness and by several nick-names and such artifices to keep People off from esteeming of it or endeavouring after it Sir Simon D' Ewes Primitive practice for preserving Truth 'T is an Observation of a Learned Author of our own that among the Turks Jews Indians Persians and the Papists themselves at this day the most Zealous and Holy in their several Religions are most esteemed and honoured But in the greatest part of the Protestant World the most knowing and tenacious of the Evangelical truth and the most strict and godly in their lives are hated nick-named disgraced and vilified Thus does the Devils malice and the corruption of man concur to bring dishonour and disesteem upon that which is a participation of the Divine Nature and makes a man most like unto God III. God is just Just Justice in God is that perfection of his Nature whereby he is just in himself and exerciseth justice towards all his Creatures Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Cen. 18.25 and Ezek. 18.29 Are not my ways equal saith the Lords Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways 2 Tim 4.8 Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day Gods Juâ—â—ice and Righteousness is Essential and Natural unto him and to likewise is his Mercy And these Two properties as they are Essential in God are not opposite one to another Indeed the effects of Justice and Mercy are sometimes oppâ—site but the Attributes themselves are not so When therefore we pray that God would not dâ—â—l with us according to his Juâ—tice but his Mercy we pray not against the Attribute of his Justice but the effects of it which are subject to the liberty of his will God is always just alike but the effects of his Justice may be more manifested at one time than at another When therefore 't is said James 2.13 Gods Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment and that he is slow to anger ready to forgive c. It must be so understood that He is more ready to manifest the effects of his Mercy than of his Justice Object But against Gods Justice some may be apt to Object this that it often goes ill with the Righteous in this World and the wicked proâ—per and how can that consist with Divine Justice To this many Answers may be given Answ First No man is perfectly Righteous here therefore no wonder if Gods own Children have the Rod sometimes upon their backs for their sins Secondly God may tenderly love his Children though he do afflict them Heb. 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Psal 119.57 I know O Lord that thy Judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me God sanctifies the afflictions of his People to their good Their afflictions are profitable unto them for
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
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
that the Assizes drew nigh at which he could not expect but to be condemned surely above all things in the world he would endeavor to get his pardon 3. Let us seek it as those who are not content to be put off with any thing else besides it And to encourage us hereunto let us consider 1. God is ready to pardon He hath sworn that he delights not in the death of a sinner 2. Christ died for this very purpose to redeem us and when he was on the earth he complained that people would not come to him and believe in him that by him they might have life 3. All means of grace afforded to us are intimations that God intends us mercy if we be not wanting to our selves 4. All good motions and stirrings of the Spirit of God in our hearts are significations of his good will towards us 5. And lastly As vile or viler sinners then we are have obtained pardon and why then should not we encourage our selves to seek after pardon while it may be obtained SECT V. Of the Resurrection of the Body The Resurrection of the Body THis is one of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6.2 'T is set before the Eternal Judgment which will adjudge men to their eternal state because 't is previous to it The Scripture speaks of a two-fold Resurrection 1. A Metaphorical Resurrection viz. that of the Soul out of the state of Sin and Spiritual Death Of this the Apostle speaks Ephes 2.1 Ye that were sometimes dead in Sins and Trespasses and Col. 2.13 You that were dead in your sins hath he quickned Grace Righteousness and Holiness is the Spiritual life of the Soul and where these are wanting there must needs be a spiritual death in sin Rom. 8.6 to be carnally minded is death but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness verse 10. that is the Soul is alive Spiritually when it is partaker of righteousness and grace Our Souls therefore must first rise from their state of death in sin to the new life of grace if we desire to have a part in the glorious Resurrection of the body to eternal life of of which I am to speak afterward and as the Apostle sayes Rom. 6.4 As Christ was raised from the dead so must we be raised from the death of sin that we may walk in newness of life 2. The Scripture speaks of a real Resurrection viz. of our bodies namely of the same body that died which shall be raised again and re-united to the same soul that at death departed from it This resurrection of the body is that which we profess to believe in this Article And to confirm our faith therein let us consider these two things 1. God can do it He can raise our bodies when dead to life again 2. He has declared he will do it 1. God can do it For he is Omnipotent Therefore saith our Saviour to the Sadducees who denied the Resurrection * Acts 26.8 Luke 18 27. Eph. 1 1â—.13 Ye do erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 And the Apostle Acts 26.8 reasons thus Why should it be thought a thing impossible that God should raise the dead He that could make this World out of nothing at first undoubtedly can raise up mans body again which though it have suffered many changes and transmutations yet is not turned into nothing Though the parts of mans body be dissolved yet they perish not The first dust out of which man was made was as far from being flesh as any ashes or dust now can be And God who is Omniscient knows how to distinguish the dust of one mans body from anothers And being Omnipotent can give to every body what belongs to it to make it the same numerical Body again This he can do according to the mighty working That Parable Ezekiel 37. Where by reviving dead bones is shewed that God would certainly restâ—re the pâ—ople of Israel out of captivity that Parable I say supposes the Resurrection of the Dead as a thing well known and certainly believed by that people whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 Abraham thought it possible Heb. 11.18 19. When he really intended to Sacrifice his Son Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Job not only thought it possible but firmly believed it and spake of it with assurance Job 19. verse 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth verse 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God verse 27. Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me Martha doubted not of it John 11.24 For speaking of her brother Lazarus then dead She said I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day And indeed there are many things in nature that seem to carry a resemblance of it When we go to sleep solemnly commending our selves to Gods pardoning mercy in Christ and to his gracious protection we do as it were lye down in our graves our sleep is a great resemblance of death and our rising in the morning of the Resurrection The Sun sets every night and disappears yet rises joyfully in the morning The Seed that we sow first dies before it be quickned 1 Cor. 15.56 The earth receiveth the bare seed and by corrupting it restoreth it in a better fashion than she took it in The Seed sâ—wn is so far from perishing that it rises up far more beautiful Whereas it was sown dry and hard it springs up fresh and green So why should it seem incredible that our bodies shall rise from corruption with far more excellent qualities than they had before God can raise them that is our first Argument 2. God hath declared that he will do it and that is abundantly sufficient to induce us to believe it Observe these Scriptures for the proof of it Dan. 12.2 And many * That is all shall arise and they will be many not a few For many is not opposed to all here but to few Romans 5.19 By the disobedience of one man many i. e. not a few were made sinners For all were made sinners of them that slept in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt John 5.28 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in which all that are in the Graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of damnation Acts 24.15 And I have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Luke 14.14 Thou shalt be recompenced at the
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
Nahor the God of their Father judge betwixt us And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac 2. Vnder the Law See instances hereof in the people of Israel Joshua 9.19 But all the Princes said unto all the Congregation we have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel c. In David Psal 119. verse 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments 1 Sam. 24.21 22. Swear now unto me by the Lord that thou wilt not cut off my Seed after me and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my Fathers house And David sware unto Saul and Saul went home c. 1 Kings 1. ver 13 28 29. 30. Go and get thee in unto David and say unto him didst not thou my Lord O King swear unto thine handmaid saying assuredly Solomon thy Son shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne c. In Elijah 1 Kings 17. verse 1 And Elijah the Tishbite said unto Ahab as the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand there shall not be rain c. In Micaiah 1 Kings 22.14 And Micaiah said as the Lord liveth what the Lord said unto me that will I speak 3. Under the Gospel See instances hereof in the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.18 But as God is true our word towards you was not yea and nay verse 23. I call God for a record upon my Soul c. 2 Cor. 12.19 We speak before God in Christ c. Gal. 1.20 Now these things which I write unto you behold before God I lye not In the Angel Rev. 10.5.6 And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever c. 4. That which is the most effectual way to end controversies between man and man in doubtful cases and is of so great use and benefit to humane society is not to be laid aside But such is an Oath Ergò The minor the Apostle confirmeth Heb. 6.16 For men verily swear by the greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife * 'T is true there is great d fference in the Oaths of men As is the person that sweareâ—h so is the Oath more or less credible The better and the more conscientious the man the more credible is his Oath There is no other way to end some controversies but by an appeal to God as a Judge and Avenger In the Old Testament in any doubtful case which could not otherwise be determined they were to accept the Oath of the Lord Exodus 22. verse 11 12. Seeing therefore by a lawful Oath God is glorified being appealed unto as the Supreme Judg of Heaven and Earth the Patron of truth and avenger of falshood seeing his Omniscience omnipresence truth justice and power is thereby acknowledged seeing it is the ordinance of God and a part of his worship by himself commanded and lastly seeing it is the most effectual way to end Controversies between man and man they that would have appealing to God in serious matters laid aside are injurious both to the honour of God and the good of man 3. I come now to answer the objections usually framed from Matth. 5.33 c. and James 5.12 against the lawfulness of any swearing at all The words of those two Texts are these Matth. 5. verse 33. Again ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths verse 34. but I say unto you swear not all neither by Heaven for it is Gods throne verse 35. nor by the Earth for it is his footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King verse 36. neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black verse 37. but let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil James 5.12 But above all things my brethren swear not neither by Heaven neither by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation Now for the clearer understanding of these two Scriptures these two things must be premised 1. We must take notice of that rule which is to be observed in the sound interpretation of any Text that is difficult viz. that no one Scripture ought to have any other sense put upon it than what will fairly agree with other Scriptures and firmly stand with the Analogy of faith 2. We must have a special regard to the condition and manners of the Jews at this time when these precepts were given The Nation of the Jews as it seems were now commonly guilty of these three things 1. Of frequent familiar and customary swearing in their ordinary communication which they made light of provided they did not swear falsly or forswear themselves 2. They used much to swear by the creatures 3. They made a great difference of Oaths made by the creatures esteeming some of them to be binding and others not Now the words of our Saviour and the Apostle James must be supposed to be directed against these enormities Which things being premised I come to consider the words themselves Matth. 5. verse 33. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths Our Saviour having before shewed the corrupt glosses and interpretations which the Pharisees made on the sixth and seventh Commandments he comes here to shew how they did the like on the third also The Pharisees it seems taught that if men did not forswear themselves they did fulfill the third Commandment though they did swear familiarly by God in their ordinary communicatication and sometimes by the Creatures Both these our Saviour condemns verse 34. But I say unto you swear not at all that is in your ordinary communication as is plain from verse 37. no not by God which upon solemn occasions is lawful as we have shewed before much less by the Creatures which is alwayes unlawful So that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a) Non juretis omninò scil temerè lâ—vâ—â—er Praeceptum enim de juramento sic intelligebant Pharisaei quod perjurium duntaxat in eo prohibeatur interim temeraria juramenta in vita communi permitte bant _____ Glassius _____ Particula omninò cum restrictione est accipienda nimirum de juramento temerario quomodo Exod. 20.10 dicitur nulla opera Sabbaro facienda esse i. e. profana Freid lib. 3. pag. 12. not at all must be understood with some limitation and restriction As when God forbids doing any work on the Sabbath day it is to be understood only of the servile works of our callings and not of works of necessity or mercy So the prohibition of Christ
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-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
Sometimes he visits them with afflictions sometimes with temptations * 2 Cor. 12.7 nay sometimes he suffers them to fall into sin and all to humble them Expedit superbo ut incidat in peccatum as he said of old And if God so much desires we should be humble shall not we comply with his will therein 3. Con. how our blessed Lord and Saviour recommended humility to the World 1. By his precepts Mat. 11.28 2. By his example John 13. He washed his Disciples feet And John 6.15 When they went about to make him a King he utterly refused it There is not any one vertue that he commandeth and commendeth more than humility nor any one vice that he sets himself more against than pride In his Beatitudes Matth. 5. Poverty of spirit hath the first promise and meekness and humility the third And if we look through his whole life we shall find there is not any one grace he did more signally exercise or by his example more commend to the imitation of Christians than Humility Let the same mind therefore be in us that was in Christ Jesus as the Apostle exhorts us Phil. 2.5 4. Earnestly pray to God to help thee in the humbling of thy heart pour out thy soul to the Lord in some such petitions as these Lord take from me I pray thee all vanity and foolish complacency in my own person or actions and help me to reflect all glâ—ry to thy self suffering nothing to adhere to mine own heart but a sence of my imperfections and thankfulness to thee for all thy free and undeserved mercies Lord keep me from sin folly and indecencies and then inable me to receive all lessenings and diminutions ro m men patiently and contentedly 5. Converse often with humble and afflicted persons that so thy heart may be affected with their condition and that thou mayest sympathize with them in their sorrows and sufferings 6. Consider what a great influence humility hath into many other graces Repentance Faith Love to God and man are much quickned and enlivened by humility None more truly penitent none more joyfully and thankfully repose and rely on the great satisfaction of Christ none have their hearts more inflamed with love to God and man than humble persons Lord what am I saith the humble Soul that ever thou shouldst place thy love on one so unworthy What am I or what is my fathers house that thou shouldst deal so bountifully with me 7. Meditate often on thy own failings and weaknesses and reflect on the worst things in thee that so thou mayest be abased and not only on the best to puff thee up The Pharisee in Luke 18. cried out I thank thee O Lord I am not as other men are an extortioner unjust an adulterer or as this Publican but the poor Publican cried out Lord be merciful to me a sinner 8. Meditate on thy own death and celebrate thy own Funeral in thy serious thoughts and meditations Methinks some serious thoughts of death and the grave should be able to pull down the pride and plumes of the vainest spirit CHAP. IV. Of Gluttony IN handling of this subject I shall proceed in this Method 1. I shall shew what Gluttony is 2. I shall inquire into the causes of it 3. Shall shew the great evil and danger of it 4. Shall propound some helps and remedies against it For the First I shall first shew in the general what gluttony is and then come to speak more particularly of it Gluttony may be thus described It is a voluntary excess in eating for the meer pleasing of the appetite or some other carnal end But here I must interpose three cautions 1. The same quantity may be an excess in one that is not in another A strong and labouring man may eat a great deal more than a student or a man of a sedentary life Therefore the excess is not to be estimated by the quantity eaten but by the condition of the person eating Ordinarily that is to be called and accounted excess when a man to please his appetite eateth more than is profitable and convenient for his health or to help him on in his duty And here that excellent rule of Aristotle is to be observed who maketh vertue to consist in the mean or measure and that distance from the extremes which the prudence of a prudent man determines * Virtus consistit in ea mediocritate quam vir prudens defini verit And so in this case the prudence of every particular man must determine for him what must be his measure as to eating 2. 'T is not all delight in meat or pleasing the appetite that is a sin but only that which is made a mans ultimate end and is not referred to an higher end When the delight it self is not directed to health and more alacrity in our duty towards God and in serving of him 3. A difference as to diet ought to be allowed to persons and to times 1. To persons Some persons may have better diet and more costly than others The same diet that is fit for one man is not fit for another A great man may have those sorts of meats which would be unfit ordinarily and too chargeable for a poor man 2. To times Times of Thanksgiving and rejoycing may be allowed a more liberal provision and large exceedings than is convenient at other times As we see our Saviour at a Wedding in Cana in Galilee turned water into wine that the guests on such a day of chearfulness and rejoycing might have a more plentiful provision Yet temperance is then also to be observed excess being never allowable but alwayes to be avoided Having thus spoken of Gluttony in the general I come now to shew more particularly wherein it consists 1. 'T is sometimes an excess in quantity when more is eaten than is meet and fit or than the stomach can well carry off or digest And so by imperfect concoction abundance of crudities and vitious humors are bred which prepare and dispose the body to sicknesses 2. Sometimes in quality when the meats that are eaten are too young or too delicate and costly and when there is too great a curiosity in dressing and saucing of them or when such meats are delighted in which are apt and proper to excite and pamper lust and wantonness or when they are such as are intended to revive the appetite after it is well satisfied and needs no more 3. Sometimes in the manner of eating As 1. When men eat too eagerly and with too much greediness and too voracious an appetite 2. When they eat too often and too soon before their former meal is digested not allowing nature sufficient time of concoction And so much of the nature of Gluttony 2. I come now to inquire into the causes of it There are several causes of it 1. An inordinate appetite and a mind too much set upon Flesh-pleasing They that are after the flesh do mind the the
God expects it from us But now the things opposite to it are 1. Inward fretting vexing and tumultuation of spirit and rising of the heart against the Almighty 2. Sinking of Spirit desponding and despairing of help 3. Outward murmuring complaining and repining 4. Sinful shifts to help our selves And so much of the nature of true Christian contentment 5. I come now to shew the amiableness and excellency of this frame of Spirit 1. True Christian contentment is not a single grace but a constellation a cluster of many graces particularly of Faith Patience Humility and self-denial As the perfumed oyl that was poured upon Aarons head was made up of several sweet ingredients so is this grace a compound of many other graces Where this is we may assure our selves there are many graces exercised 2. 'T is a frame and temper highly pleasing to God The Apostle tells us 1 Pet. 3.4 That a meek and a quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price There is hardly a higher commendation of any grace in the Scripture That must needs be very excellent which is by God himself so highly esteemed 3. 'T is a frame of Spirit that gives God his due They that are endued with it do acknowledge God as their Lord and owner They acknowledge his plenary dominion over them And 't is fit and comely that we who received our life and being from God should own his Soveraignty and dominion over us 4. 'T is a frame of Spirit that will be greatly rewarded For the more contented any man is the greater is his obedience to God and the greater his obedience the greater will be his reward Besides even in this world a placid quiet sedate frame of heart makes our life easie and delightful and so carries its reward along with it whereas a turbulent discontented frame of Spirit disorders and disquiets a man beyond all expression And so much of the amiableness of this sâ—â— 6. I come now to give some Directions for the attaining of it 1. Mortify Pride which is the seminary of many sins especially of this of repining Compare your sufferings and your sins together and see whether your sins be not far more than your sufferings Consider therefore not so much what you feel as what you deserve 2. Consider how many mercies and blessings you daily enjoy and stir up your self to be exceeding thankful for them Thankfulness and discontent cannot stand together Therefore when ever you find your self tempted to unquietness of mind think of your mercies and provoke and stir up your heart to be thankful to God for them and that will drive away your discontent 3. Consider wherein the happiness of man consists and labour to secure that happiness to your self Do not estimate the happiness of man by the opinion of worldly men who think those men only happy who are rich and enjoy the pleasures and delights of the world But remember that mans true happiness consists in reconciliation with God through Christ in conformity of our natures to him in living holily and righteously and being serviceable to God in our Generation according to our several capacities If it be thus with us we are happy what ever our condition be in this world People are much mistaken in the nature of good and evil and have not the true measures of it That is good to a man which makes him better and that is evil to him which makes him worse Now ordinarily ten to one receive more hurt by prosperity than by adversity 4. Look downward on those beneath you and not upward on those above you 'T is a very ill natured thing for any man to think himself miserable because he sees another to have higher enjoyments than himself There is scarce a greater folly and unhappiness incident to humane nature than a fond admiration of other mens enjoyments and a contempt of and discontent at our own Look not upward therefore on those above you but look downward and you will find the world to be like a great Hospital full of poor sick distracted diseased pained afflicted persons and how many thousands will you find with whom you would be loath to change conditions 'T was a good speech of one of the Ancients who said if all mens sufferings were put into one common bank men would choose rather to go away with their own share than take their dividend of the common calamities Nay consider how many of Gods own Children have suffered for worse things than any you have suffered He that has his understanding and all his senses intire has in that an over-ballance to most outward adversities Consider therefore how many mercies thou dost still enjoy Murmur not at what thou hast lost but be thankful for what thou hast left 5. Consider no affliction comes out of the dust It is the Lord that brings us and our afflictions together No warrant comes to arrest our bodies with pain but it comes under the hand and seal of heaven No Habeas-Corpus to remove any friend or relation of ours but it comes under the hand and seal of the great judge No affliction happens to us but it is reached out by the hand of God our Creator to whom we ow subjection as having received our being from him Let us look therefore beyond instruments for they are but the servitors to put the cup into our hands which our heavenly Father hath given us to drink 6. Let us consider what part God hath appointed every one of us to act in this World and let us labour to act that part well not troubling our selves about the parts that others are appointed to act The world is a great stage 'T is not so much material what part we are to act provided we act it well He that is appointed to act the part of a Servant and does it well is as much commended and rewarded as he that acted the part of a Master In the body of man the foot is of great use though not of so much as the head It must not therefore complain because it is not the head Let every one duly consider the place and station God hath put him in and the part and particular duty he requires of him and let him set himself with all faithfulness to perform it not murmuring at the part given to another 7. A great help to contentment is to enjoy the present thankfully and not to be over solicitous about the future Wouldst thou live contentedly Be not over thoughtful for to morrow but cast all thy cares on God who hath promised that he will never leave nor forsake those that are his Heb. 13.5 8. Interpret all Gods providences so as intended to draw thee nearer to him and none of them to drive thee away from him In very faithfulness hast thou afflicted me saith David Psal 119.75 Consider God has very gracious ends in afflicting his own people 1. Sanctified affliction is one of the most awakening calls to repentance
burden insupportable some of them have called it the burden of Issacar that they cannot be permitted to live as they list or that they should be barred of any of Christs Ordinances or that any should controul them 17. When they are excessively hard and difficult to be pleased and are too ridged exacters of observance and respect from their inferiors 18. When they love others not according to their true worth but according to the measure of respect which they shew to them 19. Proud persons are usually most injurious both in words and actions towards weak adversaries 20. Proud persons are very resentful of any injuries either reall or supposed done to them and when they are wronged they look for great submission and satisfaction 21. Pride makes people exceeding loath to be beholding to others Some will almost starve rather than make their wants known 22. The Pride of the heart very often shews and manifests its self in the vanity of the garb and attire 23. Pride many times makes people to slight the Ministers and Messengers of God and to hear their teachers as Judges not as Learners 24. Pride very often makes those in place apt to domineer over their inferiours and to think of the dignity of their places more than of the duty they owe to God and the people in those places 25. Pride makes people spend profusely for their credit or reputations sake But when an object of Charity calls they are backward enough Their estates are more at the command of their credit than at the command of God or charity And so much of the second Particular namely what pride is and what are the signs and evidences of it I come now to the third viz. 3. To shew the great evil malignity and danger of it And this I shall represent to you in sundry particulars 1. Consider that Pride is a very ruining sin It undid Angels 1 Tim. 3.6 and our first Parents It overthrew the Tower of Babel drowned Pharaoh prostrated Goliah hanged Haman destroyed Senacharib made Nebuchadnezzar like a beast caused Herod to be eaten up with lice Prov. 15.25 God threatens that He will destroy the house of the Proud 2. 'T is a very disquieting sin 1. 'T is a great disquieter of a mans own Soul Every little thing casts a proud man into a passion It renders his life miserable and puts him in the power of any man to be his tormentor A small neglect or affront disorders a proud man even almost to distraction A remarkable instance hereof we have in Haman Esther 3.5 2. It is a great disquieter of others a great occasion of disquiet in private families and so likewise in Parishes it makes men very firebrands in the places where they live It makes them full of animosity against those that cross them in any thing and full of envy at those that are above them And so in Church and State none so troublesome as proud persons Look also upon the lamentable effects of it in the world O cursed Pride thou child of the Devil how dost thou set the whole world on fire what woful divisions contentions and mischiefs dost thou cause where thou prevailest 3. Pride usually blasts parts It blinds the mind and makes people over confident of their own conceits 'T is also very frequently the high-way to Apostacy Mark those that are proud in a Parish or family and if there come any infection of schism or heresie near them they are commonly the first that catch it 4. Pride commonly hates fraternal admonition and reproof and so keeps off the proper remedy and means of amendment and reformation 5. 'T is the mother of many other sins as of revenge oppression and hard and injurious dealing 6. 'T is a very extensive sin 'T is apt to shoot it self into our whole conversation yea which is saddest of all to creep into our best duties There is scarce a good action we do but this cursed flye will be apt to get into it and poyson it if we take not great care * Sâ—pâ—rbia maxime timâ—nda in recte actis Luth. and watch our hearts very strictly 7. 'T is a great impediment to conversion It obstructs saving illumination A proud person is hardly convinced of the greatness of his Sins Original sâ—n will scarce be acknowledged by him and he thinks but slightly and diminitively of his actual Sins such a person is hardly brought to see the necessity of conversion and his absolute need of a Saviour And so much of the great evil and danger of this Sin 4. I come now in the fourth place to give some remedies and directions against it 1. Enter into a serious consideration of thy own vileness * E Coelo descendit Nosce teipsum Consider the infirmities weaknesses and sicknesses of thy body but especially the great depravedness of thy Soul Want of due and serious consideration and descending into a mans self is the great cause of Pride Meditate on thy manifold sins and the deserts of them and meditate on thy weaknesses and miseries and then tell me whether thou hast any cause to be proud 2. Often meditate on the glorious nature and attributes of God on his infinite greatness holiness and purity and tha is one good means to abase thee and make thee to abhor thy self Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 3. Consider how d declares that he hates abhors and resists a proud person nd he must needs fall whom God sets himself against He resists the proud but his grace and favour is towards the lowly Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Prove 16.5 4. Look upon the great imperfection of thy graces and thy manifold failings even in thy best duties Ex ignorantia tui venit superbia Ignorance of thy self is the cause of thy Pride 5. Look upon our humble Saviour Nulla creatura humilior Deo sayes Laurentius excellently The most powerful sight in the world for the humbling of the soul is a Crucified Saviour What an example of humility hath he left us His whole life was a constant Lecture of Humility He condescended so low as to wash his Disciples feet John 13. Non ex officio sed ex amore in exemplum as one sayes upon the place 6. Look on the holy Angels how they humble themselves and condescend to minister for the good of the people of God who are so much their inferiors 7. Look upon the examples of the most eminent Saints and you will find they were eminent in this grace of humility See instances hereof in Abraham Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes In Jacob Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant for with my staff I passed
over this Jordan and now I am become two bands In David 1 Sam. 7.18 And David said who am I O Lord God and what is mine house that thou hast brought me hitherto 8. Look upon the Devils themselves that tempt you to be proud See what Pride hath brought them unto A proud man is the very image of the Devil Pride Malice Hatred and Lying are the Devils peculiar sins And can it be pleasing to you to be like unto him 9. Consider how God does usually leave proud persons to themselves at one time or other and suffer them to fall into some sin or miscarriage that so they may be abased and humbled One indiscreet action of a man left to himself may throw down the reputation that he has by great caution and circumspection been many years in raising and make him vile in the eyes of the world 10. Consid that those that are proud are usually near some dreadful fall or heavy judgment God himself hath made Pride a symptom or prognostick of it Luke 14.11 Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted and Chap. 1.51 He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts He hath put down the mighty from their seat and exalted them of low degree 11. Reason thy self into a loathing of this sin Ask thy self what art thou what hast thou what canst thou do that thou shouldst be proud 1. Is it thy birth thou art proud of If thy Parents were of great quality and of great virtue thou oughtest to look to it that thou imitate them in their worthy behaviour and vertuous life else thou wilt be a dishonour to them If they were great in this world and vitious thou hast no cause to boast of thy descent from them but to take heed of treading in their steps lest a curse be intailed upon thee from them Besides consider that personal merits render any man imcomparably more valuable than his relalation to very deserving Ancestors 2. Is it Riches The more thou hast the greater will be thy account Our Saviour tells us 't is hard for a rich man especially such an one as trusts in his riches to enter into the Kingdom of God Mark 10.23 24. Few rich men escape the snare Thy account and danger should rather make thee fear than thy riches lift thee up Or if thou hast riches 't is very uncertain whether thou wilt carry them to thy grave There are many accidents that may impoverish thee Or if thou dost carry them to thy grave thou canst carry them no farther but there must leave them and possibly either to a fool or a prodigal 'T is often seen the faster men gripe and think to hold their wealth the sooner they loose it like him that gripes Callice-sand in his fist the harder he gripes it the faster it slips away from him 3. Is it Power thou art proud of So great will be the account that men in power must give how they have improved that Talent whether for God or against him that the very thoughts of it may affright any considering man Thou hast need well consider how thou hast improved thy power whether for the interest of God and the good of the world or only to serve thy own or other mens lusts as too many do 4. Is it thy learning thou art proud of certainly the more learned thou art the more humble thou oughtest to be True knowledge discovers the folly and pernitious tendency of Pride and affords abundant matter for Humility The heaviest and most weighty heads of corn bow down themselves the empty ones perk up themselves Consider also how little thou knowest of what is knowable and of what thou mightest and oughtest to know Alass Thy learning is but a pitiful narrow thing in respect of the amplitude of things that are to be known 5. Is it Beauty or bodily strength thou art proud of Alass possibly a disease at this very moment is breeding in thee that will suddenly pull down thy strength and deface thy beauty And observe it who will that strength and beauty that raises Pride is commonly short lived For vain-glory commonly putteth great strength upon dangerous and perilous attempts and undertakings which usually do indanger and hurt it if not destroy it And that beauty which is set forth to be a temptation to lust and dishonesty is commonly the ruiner of its owner That beauty is best set off which is attended with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price If God hath given thee beauty let it stir up thy gratitude and not be a ground of pride to thee 6. Is it Wit or good natural parts that thou art proud of Alass how soon may a fever or apoplexy deprive thee of thy memory wit and understanding Besides observe it wit is never sooner foiled than by Pride Pride casteth a ridiculousness and a kind of blot upon the greatest parts Such an one hath good parts saith the common by-word but he knows it too well Pride also often times draws up into the brain such hot cholerick vapours and fumes as disorder and discompose it But humility and lowliness of mind is a great advantage for the improving of all our faculties It cools and qualifies the blood and spirits and keeps the whole man in a good frame and temper Besides those that are conceited of their wit do usually at one time or other run into some extravagancy renders them despicable and ridiculous 'T is ten to one but their Pride will carry them into some ridiculous action so that they will receive more reproach and censure for their pride than they received before applause for their parts 'T is far more desirable to be a wise man than a witty man When therefore thou art apt to swell with Pride at the reflexion upon thy parts think how many there are in the world more wise and learned and worthy than thy self * Cum superbia tentat cogita meâ—iores Bernard Think how many brave men there now are and formerly have been who have done more for God and for the good of the world than ever thou hast done 7. Is it Credit or applause or honour or esteem thou art proud of The wind is not more uncertain Thou thinkest thou hast honour thou deceivest thy self thou hast it not He hath it that gives it thee and he may detain it from thee when he pleaseth * Honor magis est in honorame quam in Honoraâ—o A mans credit is least in his own keeping of any thing 8. Is it fine cloaths thou art proud of All Pride is a very foolish thing but that which arises from such mean things is the most irrational of all Alass you must shortly change all your finery for grave-cloaths and that vile body of yours that now you endeavour with so much art and cost to deck and adorn must shortly be laid in the