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
That requires works to be performed by our own strength and ability received at our creation whereby we were sufficiently inabled to do the things required of us But the Covenant of Grace requires works to be done by the assistance of the Spirit of Christ Phiâ— 4.13 I can do all things sayes the Apostle through Christ that strengthneth me Therefore the obedience of the Gospel is called the obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 as following Faith and springing from it Repentance and Faith are not so in mans power now as Obedience was under the Covenant of Works And secondly it doth not require works for the same end For the Covenant of Works requires works as the way and means of our standing right before God But the Covenant of Grace doth not require works as the matter of our Righteousness and Justification before God but that thereby we should glorify God in this World be fitted for Heaven and should evidence and testifie our renewed nature 2. In the Covenant of Works there was no Mediator But in the Covenant of Grace there is Therefore the one is called Foedus amicitiae the other Foedus misericordiae 3. One sin broke the Covenant of Works but in the Covenant of Grace there is pardon obtainable for multiplied transgressions Isa 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 4. The Covenant of Works gave unto man some occasion as it were to glory if he had stood But the Covenant of Grace cuts off from Man all pretence to glory in himself and engages him to give all the glory intirely unto God So saith the Apostle Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law of Works Nay But by the Law of Faith And 1 Cor. 1.31 The Apostle tells us Christ is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. So Eph. 2.9 By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of Works lest any man should boast Having thus shewed the agreement and difference between these two Covenants I come now to speak more particularly of the Covenant of Grace Concerning which let us observe these things 1. The Covenant of Grace was for substance one and the same in all ages of the Church though diversly administred before and after the coming of Christ From Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham from Abraham to Moses from Moses to David and so on from David to Christ and from Christ to the end of the World the Covenant of Grace hath been one and the same without change or alteration Yet it was administred in a different manner under the Old and New Testament and thence it had the denomination of Old and New Covenant Yet both did agree in many things As Of the old administration of the Covenant of Grace of the new 1. They both lead to one and the same Mediator by and through whom the blessings promised are to be expected Christ at his Resurrection raised up together with himself many of the Saints who died under the former Covenant as we read Mat. 27.52 Whereby he shewed that the benefit of his Mediation Death and Resurrection did belong to them under the old Covenant as well as to us under the new But some will perhaps say that Christ is called the Mediator of the New Testament Heb. 9.15 Answ He is so in respect of actual and personal confirmation of it by his own blood which was not done in the old Covenant But he was Mediator of the old Covenant as may appear by the types that did prefigure him and in respect of the vertue and efficacy of his blood which was to be shed which did take away the sins committed under the old Covenant as to them that truly believed in him Hereunto agrees that in Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever that is as to the vertue of his death 2. The same condition is required under both administrations namely Repentance and Faith in the Messiah 'T is true many of the Jews under the old Covenant sought Righteousness by the works of the Law and not by Faith in the Messiah but this was their error and sin It was not the true Doctrine of that Covenant 3. Under both there was the same Law and Rule of Life to walk by viz. the Moral Law Jam. 28. This Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Royal or a Kingly Law because it hath a Kingly and authoritative power over all Mankind 4. They both propound the same Salvation God would not have called himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob if they had not been saved Neither would the place of Rest haâ—e been called Abrahams bosome if Abraham himself had not had part in that place of Rest But some will object Heb. 8.8 9. Where 't is said the New Covenant is not as the Old I answer We must distinguish betwixt the substance of the Covenant and the manner of its dispensation In respect of the dispensation the new is not as the old though it be as to substance As Rebecca vailed and unvailed was the same woman and yet not the same The same in person not the same in habit and attire That which brought the blessing to Abraham was this that he believed on that seed which was to spring from him looking for Righteousness and Life by him So then the old Covenant spoken of in the old testament and the new which is now published in the Gospel are for substance one and the same without any essential difference between them But though they thus agreed yet in many things they differed As particularly 1. The old administration of the Covenant of Grace was more burthensome the new is more easie this the Apostle plainly intimates Acts 15.10 Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear And Gal. 4.3 Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the World There were required under the old Covenant Circumcision costly Sacrifices and Oblations tedious journeys to Jerusalem at the three solemn feasts restraint from many liberties which we enjoy under the new 2. The one was more dark the other is more clear Eternal life was not so clearly discovered in the old Testament as it is in the new 2 Tim. 1.10 Yea Christ himself and his offices and benefits were then but darkly revealed Hence the Gospel is called the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the World began Rom. 16.25 not that it was absolutely hid or kept secret but comparatively in respect of the more clear and plain discovery of it afforded to us in these dayes Hence that of our Saviour to
then every branch of the execution shall cease 1 Cor. 15.24 28. Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power and when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Son also himsef be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all But though the Mediatorship of Christ be then resigned and the Regal Office as a part of that Mediatorship yet Christ shall not cease to be King or loose any thing of that power and honour he had before but as the Nicene Creed has it His Kingdom shall have no end 4. Let us now consider what improvements we ought to make of this Article 1. If Christ be set down on the right hand of God let this mind us of our duty which is humble subjection and obedience to him 2. Let us encourage our selves if we belong to him to expect protection from him God hath given him to be head over all things to his Church And all power is given him both in heaven and earth 3. Let us remember his intercession Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Heb. 7.25 He is able to save them to the uttermost all that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Doth the guilt of sin sting and wound our Consciences Let us remember what an Advocate we have Are we in want of any mercy Let us remember what our Saviour himself sayes John 16 23. Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name he will give it you Whatever trouble we are in let us not be dismayed considering Christ is at Gods right hand Heb. 12.2 4. Let all those that oppose Christ and his Kingdom think seriously of this His enemies must be made his footstool SECT IX Of our Saviours coming to judge the World THe words of the Creed are these From thence He shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead From thence he shal come to judge the quick and the dead Concerning this Article we shall make these inquiries 1. How may we be assured there will be a day of Judgment 2. Who is to be the Judge at that great day 3. What will be the nature and manner of that Judgment 4. What will be the Consequents of it 1. How may we be assured there will be a day of Judgment The Scripture holds forth to us a twofold Judgment to come 1. Particular judgment which follows immediately upon every ones death Eccles 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it This is also held forth by that Historical Parable of Dives and Lazarus Luke 16.22 23. and Heb. 9.27 The Apostle tells us It is appointed unto man once to die and after this to Judgment * Unum sciâ—icet Nam ultimum judicium nihil aliud erit quam promulgatio solennis totalis executio sententiae semel in singulos cum moriuntur latae Jac. Capellus in loc 2. A General Judgement at the end of the World the certainty of which may appear to us from these Arguments 1. From the sence that even natural conscience seems to have of it Acts 24.25 and as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come Foelix trembled 2. From the Justice of God which requires it Here Barabbas a murderer is released and Christ is Crucified here Judgment is often perverted and the Righteous oppressed But there is a Judgment to come that will set all things streight 3. From the clear and manifest declaration of the will of God that it shall be so Eccles 12.14 God shall bring every work into Judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil And Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him up from the dead 4. From the representation made of it to some of Gods servants in Divine visions as 1. to Daniel Dan. 7.9 10. I beheld till the Antient of dayes did sit whose Garment was white as Snow thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him The Judgment was set and the books were opened and 2. to St. John Rev. 20.12 I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened And another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were Judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works 2. Let us inquire who is to be the Judge The Apostle assures us that this Jesus Christ will be the Judge Acts 10.42 He hath commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead John 5.22 27. For the Father Judgeth no man that is immediately by himself but hath committed all Judgement unto the Son and hath given him authority to execute Judgment also because he is the Son of man Now Christ is appointed the Judge 1. Because he is the Son of man * The authority of Judging is common to all the three Persons but the execution of this power is proper only to the Son The Father and the Holy-Ghost will Judge the World by Him who suffered so much for the sins of men and this as a reward of his humiliation 2. Because God intending to make a general and visible Judgement will have a visible Judge Rev. 1.7 Behold he cometh with Clouds and every eye shall see him that the Judicial proceedings may be in an outward and visible manner Christ indeed came not at first as a Judge but as a Redeemer John 3.17 but his second coming will be to Judge the World 2 Tim. 4.1 3. Let us inquire what will be the nature and manner of this Judgment And here 1. Let us consider the Preparations to it Scripture sets forth this by the Arch-Angels Trumpet by which all the World shall be as it were summoned to appear at Gods Tribunal 1 Thes 4.16 2. For the manner of it the Scripture represents it to us under the form of a judiciary process wherein 1. The Judge himself will appear exceeding glorious He will come with power and great glory even the glory of the Father Mat. 16.27 And when this his Glory shall be revealed then the Saints shall be glad with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4.13 2. His attendance will be very glorious Mat. 25.31 The Son oâ— man shall come in his â—lory and all the holy
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
cannot tempt further then God permits 2. His temptations tend to the increase of their graces Satans temptations increased Job's patience Paul by Satans buffeting was humbled 2 Cor. 12. 3. They tend to promote the fervency of their prayers 4. Their wisdom and watchfulness will hereby be the more quickned 5. The resisting of these temptations shall tend to the increase of their glory hereafter 7. Let us consider their punishment Present and Future Their present punishment may be considered first in respect of loss 1. Upon their sin they fell from the place of happiness and glory which before they enjoyed Rev. 12.8 Neither was their place found any more in Heaven Though that place in a mystical sence may speak of the overthrowing of Satan in this present World and casting him out of the Church yet here is a plain allusion to Satans first fall from Heaven as the ground of that expression and therefore it may serve as a proof in this matter Their place of innocency was Heaven they stood round about the Throne of God where the Angels do continually behold his face Their happiness was to enjoy God their duty to glorifie him From this place they are now driven into the lower parts of the World as a place more fit for sin and misery Sometimes they fly up and down in the Air therefore is Satan called the Prince of the Power of the Air Eph. 2.3 And exercises the power that God permits him in the Regions of the Air by raising Tempests c. Sometimes he compasseth the earth too and fro Job 1.7 And 2 Cor. 4.4 He is called the god of this World that is whom the World generally serves and who by the just Judgment of God hath got such a Dominion over Multitudes that they serve him as their God 1. Their present punishment may be considered in respect of sense They are kept in Chains That is 1. They are under guilt and horror of Conscience Cehennam suam secum portant They carry their Hell about them 2. They are under an utter despair of deliverance to them there remaineth nothing but a certain looking for judgment and fiery indignation 3. Their malice spight and power is curbed and bridled and held in by the Almighty power of God so that they cannot vent it as they would which is no small vexation to them And thus much of their present punishment both of loss and sense 2. Let us consider their future punishment which at the day of Judgment will be greater than now it is They are not yet in that Prison and Place of torment where they shall abide for ever under the wrath of God They are now entered into some degrees of Hellish torments but they are in expectation of greater And therefore they cryed out to our Saviour Matth. 8.31 Art thou come to torment us before our time There is a time coming when the wrath of God shall be increased upon them Hell is prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 Though for the present they are under Gods wrath yet they do not taste the dregs of it Therefore they besought our Saviour Luke 8.31 That he would not command them into the deep that is the place of full and perfect torment 8. I come now to shew what improvement we are to make of all that hath been said 1. Let us meditate with trembling on the fall of Angels If they fell how should we look to our standing If such excellent Creatures fell and fell do dreadfully how should we look to our selves 2. Let us observe the evil Nature of sin especially of Pride If Pride threw the Angels out of Heaven and laid the foundation of Hell we had need labour to maintain a great abhorrence in our hearts of that sin 3. We should often consider and it should deeply affect us that we lost our first estate as well as the Angels we lost our Original state of holiness and happiness as well as they As they fell soon so did we As they fell by Pride so did we 4. Let us meditate with astonishment on the wonderfull goodness of God who of his infinite mercy provided a Redeemer for us but none for them Let us admire the freeness of Gods love to the Children of men 5. Let us tremble at Gods Justice Angels Creatures of the highest excellency are not spared when they sin O admire at his patience that he hath yet spared thee 6. Remember the Devil and his Angels are in the World O how watchfull ought we to be and sensible of our continual danger from those evil Spirits 7. Let us remember that Spiritual Judgments are the most dreadfull The Devils are given up to an obstinacy in sinning Let us take heed of imitating them in their obstinacy and willfulness 8. Let us remember for our comfort that the Devil is in Chains He had not power over an Herd of Swine without leave Matth. 8.31 So Luke 22.31 He could not sift Peter till he had a Commission He could not touch Job's Estate or Skin till he had leave nay he could not deceive Ahab a wicked man till God said go 1 King 22.21 22. He is but Gods Executioner And therefore the Psalmist shewing how God punished the disobedient Israelites Psal 78.49 says He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger wrath and indignation and trouble by sending evil Angels among them 9. Let us take heed of being of the Devils faction or promoting his work and interest 10. Let us resist Satan as a Tempter here in this life As a Tormentor in the other life he cannot be resisted James 4.7 Resist the Devil and he will flee from thee 11. Let us daily seek help from God against Satans malice and power and humbly commit our selves to his especial protection 12. Seeing there are so many Devils and evil Spirits in the World this may be a mighty argument to assure us that there is a â—od a â—pirit of infinite goodness and power who restrains the malice of Satan and all his instruments else we could never be safe one moment 13. We should often meditate on the glorious Attributes of God His transcendent power his infinite wisdom and mercifulness For the deeper impressions are made upon our hearts by these Attributes the less we shall fear Satan They that know thy Name says the Plasmist Psal 9.10 That is thy Nature and Attributes will trust in thee 14. We should exercise faith on the merits and intercession of Christ for the quenching of the fiery Darts of Satan when ever he casts them into our Souls Eph. 6.16 Above all take the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery Darts of the Wicked One 15. Consider 't is the Devils sin not thine if he force evil thoughts upon thee which thou defiest and abhorrest 16. Meditate on the promises of God for thy support Rom. 16.20 The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly 1 Cor. 10.13 God
his Disciples Matth. 13.16 17. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for verily I say unto you that many Prophets and Righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them It was meet that the glory of a clearer discovery of eternal life should be reserved to Christ himself Now the veil is done away 3. A less forcible influence and efficacy accompanied the old administration than doth the new The spirit of Christ is now poured forth more abundantly since his Ascension and a more mighty operation of the Spirit accompanies the ministry of the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 4. A more servile spirit acted in those who were under the old Administration they being drawn generally more by the terrors of the Law than by the promises of Grace 5. In respect of extent they much differ For the old was revealed but to few in comparison viz. to the Jews and their Proselytes whereas the grace of the Gospel is held forth to all Nations 6. The old Covenant was to last but for a time viz. till the time of reformation Heb. 9.10 but the new is to last unto the end of the world and shall never wax old or wear away 7. They differ in respect of their Sacraments Circumcision and the Passeover which were the chief Sacraments under the old Administration were bloody Sacraments for Christs blood was then to be shed But under the new our Sacraments are unbloody for Christs blood is shed 8. They differ as to the manner of their ratification The old was ratified by the blood of the Levitical Sacrifices the new by the blood of the Son of God Having thus spoken of the Covenant of Grace in the general and of the old and new dispensation thereof in particular let us now consider what use we are to make of this Doctrine 1. Let us bless God for making this Covenant with faln Man Let us consider the freeness of it There was nothing in us but our misery to move him to it And he made no such Covenant with the Angels that fell 2. Let us consider the sureness of it God hath confirmed it 1. by his word and promise 2. by his oath 3. by his sea 'T is indeed called sometimes a Covenant and sometimes a Testament A Covenant with reference to God the Father who hath made this gracious Covenant with the children of men and in it hath promised many great priviledges and blessings unto them that perform the conditions therein required He promises in this Covenant 1. That He will be our God Heb. 8.10 And that is a very large and comprehensive promise 2. That He will forgive all our sins And therefore when God shewed mercy to his people of Israel He is said to have remembred his Covenant Exod. 2.24 And the Saints of old did use in their approaches to God to plead this Covenant and to ground their Faith and Hope on it Psal 74.20 Jer. 14.21 3. That He will renew and sanctify our natures and write his Law upon our hearts 4. That He will put his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 and so will preserve us by his grace and power from total and final Apostacy 5. That no outward thing that He sees good for us shall be wanting to us 6. That He will give us Eternal glory in the other life And as it is called a Covenant with reference to â—od so 't is called a Testament with reference to Christ who by his blood and death confirmed it and as a Testator bequeathed life and salvation to all penitent Believers He having all power and authâ—rity given him both in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 2. Let us bless God that we were born under the best dispensation of the Covenant of Grace 'T is an unvaluable mercy to be born under the new Covenant or Gospel dispensation This is called a bettter Covenant as being established on better promises Heb. 8.6 viz. more spiritual more clear and more extensive The old was a ministration of the letter 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8. It literally declared what was to be done but comparatively there was little spiritual ability afforded for the performing of the things injoyned I say comparatively the old had but a weak operation in respect of the new Not that the old had no Spiritual efficacy For many under it were eminent in Grace as Abraham Moses Josiah Hezekiah c. but the more plentiful effusion of the Spirit was reserved till Christs Ascension 3. As ever we expect to injoy the priviledges and benefits of the Covenant of Grace let us make conscience to perform the conditions therein required which are these 1. Repentance which is a Grace necessary to prepare us to receive Christ 2. Faith in Christ We cannot become the Children of God but by Faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 3. Obedience which is a grace necessary to inable us to walk answerably to this holy Covenant Deut. 10.12 13. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good CHAP. III. Of the Mediator between God and Man SECT I. Of the Titles of the Mediator I believe in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. JEsus Christ the only Son of God is the Mediator of the Covenant of Grace Concerning whom we shall inquire 1. What his Titles are by which he is called The Titles given him in the ancient Creed are four Jesus Christ the only Son of God our Lord of all which I shall speak in order 1. Jesus Jesus which signifies a Saviour God by an Angel gave him that name Matth. 1.21 He was designed by God the Father to perform for the Children of Men whatsoever is implied in his name Jesus denotes the work and business for which he came into the World The Angel told the Shepherds Luke 2.11 unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord so 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners and here let us consider how Jesus is a Saviour and why truly and properly so called This will more particularly appear if we consider the great evils he saves us from and the great benefits he hath purchased for us 1. He saves us from the guilt of sin By his exact Obedience to the Law and by his Sufferings and Passion he hath made satisfaction to the Justice of God for our sins He hath trod the Wine-press of his Fathers Wrath for us Rev. 19.15 He hath born our sins in his
satisfaction made to a just God It contains reconciliation without which God cannot be conceived to remit It comprehendeth satisfaction without which God was resolved not to be reconciled Christ by his death hath reconciled God unto us who was before offended by our sins His death was ordained to be a propitiation for us and to render God propitious to us The punishment which Christ endured was a full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God He gave his life a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 Now a ransome is a price given to redeem such as are any way in captivity or any thing laid down by way of compensation to take off an obligation whereby he who was before bound becometh free Christ bought us and the price he paid for us was his own blood and that blood was a full and perfect satisfaction unto God And as the offence is augmented as we said before by the dignity of the person against whom the offence is committed so the value and dignity of that which is given by way of compensation is enhaunced according to the dignity of the person who makes that satisfaction If therefore we consider on our side the nature and obligation of sin and on Christs side the satisfaction made and reconciliation wrought we shall easily perceive how God forgiveth Sins and in what the remission of them consisteth Christ taking upon him the nature of man and offering himself a Sacrifice to God for mans sin giveth that unto God for and instead of the everlasting punishment due to man which is more valuable and acceptable unto God than that punishment could be and so maketh a sufficient compensation and satisfaction to God for the sins of man Which sacrifice God accepting releases the offence and becomes reconciled unto man He performing the conditions required of him and for the punishment which Christ endured taketh off mans obligation to eternal punishment And in this act of God consisteth the forgiveness of sins 7. Let us consider what is required of them who may expect this great priviledge and blessedness the remission of all our sins The things required of them are these 1. True Repentance Of which see Chap. 2. of the second part of Knowledge and Practice 2. Faith in Christ Of which see Chap. 3. of the same Treatise 3. Sincere obedience unto Christ Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him 4. A readiness and willingness to forgive others who have done us wrong Matth. 6.14 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mark 11.25 And when ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against against any that your Father also which is Heaven may forgive you your trespasses Having thus in brief explained the Doctrine of remission of sins it will possibly seem requisite that I should add a few things more for the fuller explanation of so great an Article which we are all so much concerned clearly and distinctly to understand In order hereunto I shall further consider these three things 1. What is meant in Scripture by Justification 2. What is the procuring cause thereof 3. How any come to be partakers thereof For the first Justification and remission of Sins in the Scripture are one and the same thing * See Acts 13.38 39. Matth. 26.28 Eph. 1.7 Acts 10.43 Rom. 5.19 In some texts of Scripture we are said to be justified by Christ In others that we obtain remission of Sins by Christ In others that we are made righteous by Christ By which expressions one and the same thing is intended For Justification is a discharging us from the guilt of all our sins and an acquitting us from the challenges of the Law and a constituting us righteous before God not qualitative by making us inherently righteous with such a perfect righteousness as is Gods Justice-proof for by such a righteousness no Son of fallen Adam can be justified as we shall shew afterwards but it is a constituting us righteous in the sight of God or a judicial absolving of us upon the account of satisfaction given and accepted on our behalf and though Justification principally consists in our pardon and the remission of our sins yet there are other blessings also springing from it For those whom God justifies he sanctifies whom he sanctifies here he will also glorifie hereafter 2. Let us consider the procuring cause of our pardon and justification The procuring cause of it is the Satisfaction made to Divine Justice by the active and passive obedience of Christ And that we may understand this the more clearly let us take into our consideration these particulars 1. The Law or Covenant of Works required of our first Parents perfect and sinless obedience upon pain of death But they transgressing fell under the curse and condemnation of the Law However it pleased God of his infinite mercy that the Law should not be immediately executed upon them And yet he did not abrogate it but only relax it as to the right of it by introducing another Covenant viz. the Covenant of grace 2. By this second Covenant or Covenant of Grace no Son of fallen Adam can be justified with the justification of an innocent person or as one perfectly and inherently righteous For such persons if they should be challenged are justified because they are found without fault or blame and their justification is nothing but a declaration of their righteousness and innocence But by this Covenant of grace we must be justified as sinners and offenders upon a satisfaction made to the justice of God for our sins For offenders can no other way be brought into the state of just men but upon a legal pardon and discharge And so we may be said to be justified when the compensation or satisfaction made for us is accepted and we thereupon are legally pardoned discharged 3. This Compensation or Satisfaction made to the justice of God in our behalf is made by the active and passive obedience of Christ and the whole of our justification is founded thereon I say the active as well as the passive obedience of Christ is here to be reckoned as concurring hereunto For though Christ when he had once assumed our nature and was made Man was bound to obey the Law yet in that he voluntarily came from Heaven and voluntarily took our nature and so voluntarily put himself under the obligation of the Law this consideration makes his active obedience also meritorious These two are therefore joyntly to be considered in this matter For Christ voluntarily took on him the office of a mediator He was not compelled to it Indeed when he was man he was obliged as a man A creatures homage was due from him when he had assumed our nature but it was his own free choice that brought him into that state and condition From
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
all these glorious favours and benefits Let thy Soul rejoyce in God and call upon all within thee to praise his holy name 6. Pray earnestly that Christs Kingdom may be propagated and that many others may come to understand and partake of this great salvation purchased by our Lord and Saviour Pray that he may be more known believed on and faithfully obeyed all the world over And so much of the duties to be performed in time of receiving I come now to those required of thee after thou hast received For it is not enough that thou duly prepare thy self for this ordinance and carry thy self reverently at it but thou must labour to walk suitably unto it afterwards To that end observe these directions 1. When the Ordinance is done withdraw thy self to some secret place and there on thy knees bless the Lord for Jesus Christ and for the Covenant of Grace made in him and for adding the Sacraments as Seals of the Covenant to confirm thy faith And further for giving thee to be born in a land where the glorious light of the Gospel has shone so clearly for so many years and where thou hast such great helps and advantages for the eternal good of thy Soul 2. Labour to keep thy heart in the fervent love of God and Jesus Christ and with an holy delight and joy meditate often how much thou owest to God for sending his Son to be thy redeemer and how much thou owest to Christ for so willingly condescending to undertake this great work The Apostle tells us 1 Pet. 2.7 that to them that believe in him he is precious yea very precious in many respects 1. His name is precious 'T is as an ointment poured forth Matth. 1.21 His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins And 1 Thes 1. last 'T is Jesus who delivereth us from the wrath to come 2. His person is precious being God and Man in the same person What an high honour is it to be related to him 3. His Offices are precious He is Prophet Priest and King and he took on him all these offices for our benefit 4. His performances are precious both his active and passive obedience 5. His Life is precious which was so holy so humble so exemplary 6. His Death is precious being a propitiatory Sacrifice for our sins 7. His Resurrection is precious For God releasing him from the prison of the grave thereby declared he had received full satisfaction for the debt of our sins which he as our Surety undertook to discharge 8. His Ascension is precious For he ascended into Heaven as our fore-runner to prepare a place for us 9. His Intercession is precious For he ever liveth to make intercession for us 10. His authority and power is precious whereby he governs his Church and which he will farther exercise in raising our bodies from the Grave and in Judging the World at the last day and making our bodies if we be his members like his own glorious body 11. His Doctrince is precious 12. His Ordinances are precious 13. His â—nterest is precious to all that truly believe in him 3. Meditate on the priviledges promises and comforts of the Covenant of Grace sealed by the blood of thy dear Savior The priviledges are Justification Sanctification Adoption Glorification O how great are these priviledges The promises are such as these Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly And Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to them that love God The comforts are the consolations of the Spirit here and eternal comfort hereafter 4. Earnestly beg and humbly expect grace from Christ to enable thee to crucifie thy inward lusts and corruptions especially those thou findest thy heart most pestered with Having entertained Christ into thy Soul do not unhallow it again by suffering any evil lust to reign and rule therein 5. Labour to walk more watchfully Remember the Devil will now be very busie to tempt thee to sin after this ordinance as he did our Saviour presently after his Baptism He will if he can by some worldly diversion damp and cool those heavenly affections that were excited in thee in time of receiving 'T is a dangerous thing after an heat and warmth of heavenly affections to catch cold 6. Labour to strengthen thy purposes and resolutions of living more unto God Remember thou hast stronger obligations now upon thee to all Christian duties than before 7. Often meditate on the joys of Heaven and the eternal Supper of the Lamb and the blessed life which the Saints do live above Luke 14.15 Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God 8. Labour to live in charity with thy brethren to which thou art in an especial manner engaged by this Sacrament Do not cover the coals of contention under the ashes for a night or two and then blow them up again But consider if Christ hath so loved thee and forgiven thee so much thou oughtest to love thine enemies and heartily forgive them Remember what the Apostle saith Beloved if Christ so loved us we ought to love one another 1 John 4.11 Lastly When thou art tempted to sin remember thou hast been at a Sacrament and there hast renewed thy Covenant with Christ and thou must not be so base nor so false as willingly and deliberately to sin against him again And thus much of the duties to be performed before we come to receive and in the time of receiving and after we have received A Brief Exposition OF THE Lords Prayer OUR Saviour Matth. 6.9 c. taught his Disciples after what manner to Pray and gave them a breviary or pattern of Prayer which they might use in form as seems to be intimated Luke 11.2 or according to which they might order and regulate their other Prayers In this Plat-form there are three parts 1. The Preface Describing God to whom we are to pray 1. By his dear Relation to us Our Father therefore most ready to succour us and others with whom or for whom we pray 2. By his greatness and Majesty which art in Heaven that is who doth manifest himsâ—lf though he be every where present in Glory and Majesty in and from the highest Heavens and therefore most able to hear and help all his children and most justly to be reverenced loved and trusted in by them 2. The substance of the Prayer containing six Petitions The three first whereof have respect to Gods Glory the three latter to our selves and our particular good 1. Hallowed be thy Name wherein we Pray and Petition that Gods glorious Nature and Attributes viz. his infinite Power Wisdom Goodness Justice Truth Mercy c. which are discovered in his word and works and whereby he is made known as men are by their names may be displayed and more manifested to the world that all
gladly welcome what he doth afford Not grudging that thy lust hath bounds and stayes Continence hath its joies weigh both and so If rottenness have more let heaven go CHAP. VII Of Discontent IN treating of this Argument I shall speak to these six Particulars 1. I shall shew what Discontent is 2. The great sinfulness of it 3. The Folly of it 4. Shall shew what true Christian Contentment is and wherein the nature of it consists 5. Shall shew the amiableness and excellency of it 6. Shall give some directions and means for the attaining of it For the First Discontent is an unquiet frame of heart under our present condition and expresses it self in murmuring and repining thereat For commonly inward vexing and repining and outward complaining and murmuring go together 2. The great sinfulness of it may appear to us in these Particulars 1. 'T is a quarrelling the wisdom of God and a secret accusing and taxing his Providence * Non judicandum de providentia divina ante quintum actum as if he did not wisely order the Lots and Conditions of his People Holy Job under his great afflictions was far from this temper For though he suffered so deeply yet he charged not God with folly in that severe dispensation towards him But said the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord Job 1.21 22. 2. 'T is a quarrelling his Fatherly care over us as if he had not any love or affection to us or any regard of us 3. 'T is a quarrelling his Faithfulness as if he would not perform the many gracious promises he has made for our good 4. 'T is a secret accusing of his Justice as if he dealt hardly with us and punished us more than our sins deserved * Qui in poenis murmurat ferientis justitiam accusat 5. 'T is a carriage very unworthy of the hope and expectation of a Christian He that hath his Peace made with God in Christ and a title to an heavenly inheritance should endeavour from that consideration to calm and compose his soul under his greatest sufferings 6. 'T is unanswerable to the experience we have had of Gods former gracious dealing with us and helping of us out of straits and difficulties 7. 'T is a great gratification to Satan We cannot gratifie the Devil more who is a Male-contented Spirit than to murmur against our Creator To be of a discontented unquiet Spirit is to be like the Devil He is restless and unquiet always in opposition to God alwayes fretting at his dispensations 8. 'T is a betraying and exposing us to great temptations The Devil scarce ever has so great power over any as over those that are discontented Oh the direful things he draws such persons unto My heart even akes when I think of them and my hand is ready to tremble while I write of them Some of them he draws to make a formal Covenant with himself Others to do such things against themselves that even nature abhors So that all that love themselves should beg of God to keep them and should watch over themselves as to this particular sin For let them assure themselves that nothing betrayes us sooner into the Devils hands than disconâ—ent It is a stock he uses to graffe his temptations upon The Devil will desire no greater advantage against a soul than to find it in such a temper He is never more busie about any than such persons and usually makes dangerous use of the unquietness and repining of their spirits 9. 'T is such a temper as exceedingly unfits us for holy duties and for the service which otherwise we might do for God And so much of the sinfulness of Discontent 3. I come now in the third place to shew the folly of it 1. 'T is vain and bootless For as one of the Antients well said the miseries and evils we suffer and at which we are so apt to be vexed and troubled are either such as we can remedy or such as we cannot remedy If they be such as we cannot remedy then what a folly is it to vex and fret at them seeing it is impossible to help them Our Lesson then is Patience and Submission * Levius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas But if the evils we suffer be such as are remediable then let us not vex or fret at them but let us use all care and diligence to help our selves and to remedy them And this is good advice though given by a Heathen Philosopher 2. It takes away the comfort of what we enjoy If a man enjoyes a thousand mercies in which he ought to rejoyce and for which he ought to be thankfull yet if his mind be discontented they will all seem as nothing to him So that no one thing bereaves a man more of the comfort he might enjoy in his life than discontent 3. It makes our afflictions worse A discontented person is like a man in a feaver that by his tossing and tumbling more increases his heat Or like a Bird in the lime-twigs which the more it flutters the more it intangles it self 4. It provokes God oftentimes to send new and more afflictions upon us What did the Israelites get by mumuring in the Wilderness but a longer stay in the Wilderness Children that sob and are stomachful after whipping commonly get another another whipping for their pains 5. It makes a mans life very uneasie both to himself and his relations and to all that are about him No body cares to be near such persons as are alwayes murmuring and complaining And so much of this folly of Discontent 4. I come now in the fourth place to shew what Christian Contentment is and wherein the nature of it consists 'T is a sweet quiet gracious frame of Spirit freely submitting to Gods alwise and fatherly disposal of us in every condition There are some things that this gracious frame may consist with and some things that are opposite to it 1. It may consist with a due sensibleness of Gods hand in afflicting of us 'T is not a Stoical apathy or insensibility The Apostle gives us an excellent Rule taken out of the Proverbs of Solomon Prov. 3.11 how we should carry our selves under afflictions Heb. 12.5 My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Some bold and secure sinners are apt to despise and disregard the correcting hand of God the weaker sort of Christians are apt to sink in spirit and faint under their afflictions Now the Apostle advises us to steer between these two namely to be sensible of Gods hand when it is upon us and yet not to faint or despond under it 2. It may consist with an humble complaint to God or man We may groan under our Afflictions but we ought not to grumble 3. It may consist with seeking out for help and ease in a lawful way For that is our duty and
necessaries * Avaro deest tam quod habet quam quod non habet Haec est manifesta pâ—renesis ut locuples moriatis egen t is vivere fato neither decent apparel nor convenient food When they pinch their own bellies and the bellies of those they are to provide for Like the man described by Solomon Eccles 6.1 2. There is an evil which I have seen under the Sun and it is common among men A man to whom God hath given riches and wealth yet he hath not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it This is vanity and an evil disease And so likewise Eccles 4.8 There is one alone and there is not a second Yea he hath neither Child nor Brother yet there is no end of all his labour nor is his eye satisfied with riches Such men as one expresses it are like the Asse that carries Gold for others but it self feeds on thistles And so much of the Particulars wherein Covetousness expresses it self 3. I come now to consider the causes of Covetousness And they are such as these 1. False notions and apprehensions about riches and too high an esteem of the things of the World They think the happiness of man consists in having plenty and abundance And upon this conceit wealth so steals away their hearts that they make it their God They will tell you what Solomon sayes that money answereth all things Eccles 10.19 that is it will buy any thing that can be bought here and therefore they that have money in their purse have the world at their will But I shall tell them also what the Apostle sayes Godliness is profitable for all things which Money I am sure is not having the promises of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness makes men rich without riches rich in Faith and Holiness rich in this that God is reconciled to them in his Son and they have his favour shining upon them here and have a good title to Heaven hereafter I know the World is ready to say of a man that hath gotten wealth O such a man is made whereas except God give him grace with his riches he may thereby be marred He may be made indeed in one sense that is made more proud more imperious more irreligious more idle more luxurious than he was before but that is far from being any felicity to himself or any benefit to others The World has very little judgment in the true nature of good and evil That is truly good for a man which makes him better towards God and that is evil for him which makes him worse Indeed riches when honestly got are Gods blessings and so ought to be esteemed by us and we ought to be very thankful to God for them But by reason of the corruption of mans heart they are often to many men snares yea very dangerous snares Riches without grace usually hurt the Possessor I have seen riches reserved to the hurt of the owners thereof sayes Solomon Eccles 5.13 And not only to their hurt but to the hurt of many others round about them Many men had never been so great sinners nor had they dishonoured God nor hurt and corrupted others at so high a rate if they had not been so great and rich in this World Our Saviour therefore Mark 10.23 sayes How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God that is that have riches but not grace to make a right use and improvement of them There are indeed great temptations in Poverty But I think we may truly say that if the temptations of Poverty have slain their thousands the temptations of riches have slain their ten thousands I know Solomon sayes no man can know love or hatred by these outward things Eccles 9.1 that is we cannot know Gods love or hatred to us by the meer outward dispensations either of riches or poverty prosperity or adversity but we may by the inward impressions that are made upon our hearts by those dispensations He to whom God giveth riches and withal an humble thankful charitable beneficent frame of heart to him they are given in mercy But he who hath riches and by them is made more proud insolent vain wanton intemperate oppressive injurious than he was before I think hath no great cause to imagine his riches are given him in mercy 2. Another cause of Covetousness is mans diffidence and distrust of Gods fatherly care and providence over them Ignorance of God and distrust of God usually go together They that know thy name will trust in thee saith the Psalmist Psal 9.10 For thou hast not forsaken them that seek thee They that know thy name that is thy nature and attributes they that know how infinitely wise gracious merciful faithful thou art will put their trust in thee but they that are ignorant of thee will not trust in thee but in their own wisdom and providence Men usually take it very ill when they see they are not trusted How much more may the great God of Heaven take it ill from us when he sees we dare not trust him It is an engagement upon the Almighty to speak with reverence to trust in him to depend on him and to cast our cares on him But it must needs be a great provocation to him to distrust him Therefore our Saviour in Mark 6. from 25. to the end charges his Disciples three several times to take no thought for their life what they should eat or drink or for their body what they should put on for about these things the Gentiles that knew not God nor acknowledged Providence inordinately carked and cared But those that professed themselves his Disciples should seek in the first place the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and for other things they should not be over anxious but believe that God in the use of lawfull and fair means would bestow them upon them as far forth as he saw to be good for them 3. Another cause of Covetousness is this men live by sense more than by Faith The Apostle tells us Heb. 11.2 that Faith is the evidence of things not seen that is it doth convincingly shew and demonstrate the reality of things not seen And 2 Cor. 4.18 He shews the different temper of the true Christian from the man of the World The true Christian chiefly minds the things unseen The men of the World mind chiefly the things seen The one minds things temporal the other things eternal Some persons have three eyes as one observes the eye of sense the eye of reason and the eye of faith Worldly men have the two former the eye of sense and reason but they want the eye of Faith They see what it is to have a good estate a good house a good stock to have pleasant accommodations for this life But for Heaven and the other life they never spake with any body that came from thence and they do not much give
over themselves and take heed of such liquors and such company that may endanger them If you know that less poison will kill you than another man you should be the more fearful of it and shun it with greater care and not with a fool-hardiness encourage your self to take it And so you should do in this case 6. Others will say that though they drink much yet they can bear it well away their heads are strong they seldom are drunk I would advise such persons seriously to consider of that place before-mentioned Isa 5.22 Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Let such strong-braind drunkards consider what the prudent Lord Burley said in his advice to his Son That to carry much drink is a commendation fitter for a Brewers horse than for a Gentleman 7. Some will say They shall be jeer'd and laugh'd at if they should be so precise as not to do as others do I would advise such persons to consider what the Apostle sayes 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye To be reproached for obedience to any of Christs commands is to be reproached for his name And shall the reproaches of vile and wicked men more terrifie us than the wrath and displeasure of God A good name indeed is highly to be valued But is that a good name to be commended and praised by drunkards and such leud livers A good name is to be well-reported of among wise and good men Therefore if you fear reproach fear drunkenness and avoid company-keeping which will make you hear ill among such as are wise and sober Remember what our Saviour saith Mark 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels I suppose there are none but would be glad to be owned by Christ at that day Therefore let us not be ashamed to own his wayes and to own our selves for his Disciples here And so much by way of answer to the vain pretences and excuses that people make for continuing in this sin 5. I come now in the last place to give some remedies and directions against this vice 1. If thou hast before been guilty of this sin humble thy soul to God by deep and serious repentance and flie to the blood of Christ for thy pardon True repentance for sins past is a good means to preserve us from them for the time to come 2. If thou findest company-keeping to be a strong temptation to thee earnestly beg grace of God to help thee to resist that temptation and to keep thee from delighting in such company among whom thy soul is in so much danger 3. Awaken thy reason and understanding to consider of the manifold evils of this sin Ask thy self whether the displeasure of God the brutifying thy self the blotting thy name the wasting of thy estate the destroying of thy health the corrupting of thy Family the damning of thy Soul are not things that ought to be considered of by thee Weigh in the ballance of reason how much the joyes of a good conscience and the favour of God out-weigh the sottish mirth of good-fellows 4. Shun the occasions of this vice and as much as thou canst keep off from the places and houses where such drinking companions use to meet Be not their companion in sin lest thou be their companion in hell Declare thy fixed resolution by the assistance of Grace of living soberly that so thy old companions may be discouraged from assaulting or tempting of thee at any time Never mind either the perswasions or reproaches of such vile and profligate persons 5. Send to thy former drinking companions and advise them to leave off those evil wayes Think with thy self how blessed a thing it is to convert a sinner from the error of his way and to save a soul from death and eternal misery Regard not their frowns or scorns or reproaches but labour to do them good even against their wills and thy reward will be with the Lord. 6. Think how much more joy and comfort there is in sobriety than there can be in drunkenness Consider with thy self whether sober and temperate persons do not live not only an honester and safer but a more comfortable and pleasing life than Drunkards do They have none of those sour belchings and vomitings none of that preternatural thirst and eager desire after drink that drunkards have Certainly drunkenness carrieth its own punishment with it and temperance its joy and comfort 7. Consider what a strange difference there is between a sober man and a drunkard Look upon a sober man how calm is his mind how wise are his words how regular and amiable is his conversation how is he reverenced and respected by all that are wise and scrious Then look upon a drunkard how ugly and ill favoured a creature is he and how unlike a man of reason and understanding O wholsome Temperance how much better art thou than loathsom debauchery what a loveliness and beauty is there in sobriety how sweetly doth a sober man enjoy himself how is he honoured and esteemed by others whereas a drunkard is the mark of common obloquie and reproach 8. Think of that cup of trembling that shall be put into the hands of drunkards to drink hereafter Consider how drunkards for their full cups here must drink the Cup of Gods wrath unmixed in the other life and for their short pleasures here must loose the pleasures that are at Gods right hand for evermore Lastly Understand well thy own measure and let no man force thee to exceed it Think of that excellent advice of the learned and pious Mr. Herbert in his Church-Porch Drink not the third glass which thou canst not tame When once it is within thee but before May'st rule it as thou list and pour the shame Which it would pour on thee upon the floor It is most just to throw that on the ground Which would throw me there if I keep the round He that is drunken may his mother kill Big with his Sister he hath lost the reins Is outlaw'd by himself all kind of ill Did with his liquor slide into his veins The Drunkard forfeits man and doth devest All worldly right save what he hath by beast Shall I to please anothers wine-sprung mind Loose all mine own God hath given me a measure Short of his canne and body must I find A pain in that wherein he finds a pleasure Stay at the third glass if thou loose thy hold Then thou art modest and the wine grows bold If Reason move not Gallants quit the Room All in a Ship-wrack shift their several way Let not a common ruine thee intomb Be not a Beast in courtesie but stay Stay at the third cup or forgo the place Wine above all things
doth Gods stamp deface I shall conclude all with this earnest prayer to God that he would please of his infinite mercy timely to awaken the hearts of all those who are addicted to sin that by a speedy and serious repentance and forsaking of it they may escape that dreadful wrath which will be the portion of impenitent and unreformed Drunkards CHAP. VI. Of Uncleanness THE Nature of man is so vile and corrupt and so prone to this sin of Uncleanness that we had need use all care and caution lest while we are writing against it and endeavouring to beat it down we should any way stir it up and excite it In treating therefore of this Subject I shall proceed in this method 1. I shall shew the odiousness and heinousness of this sin and what great reasons we have to abhor it 2. Shall answer the vain excuses that men who are addicted to this sin do usually make for themselves 3. Shall give some directions and prescribe some remedies against it For the Fitst The Odiousness and heinousness of this sin may appear to us if we consider how strictly God hath forbidden it in his holy word and how severely he hath declared his displeasure against it And that man that is not awed by the declared will of his Creator I know not what will awe him 'T is in vain to think to convince a man of the evil and danger of any sin by other arguments whom the express word and declared will of God cannot convince I shall therefore set before you what God both in the old and new Testament declares concerning this sin and then leave every one to judge whether it be not our duty to abhor it and with all care and conscience to keep our selves from it Read therefore and well consider these following Scriptures Gen. 20.3 And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him behold thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken for she is a mans wife Gen. 26.10 And Abimelech said what is this thou hast done unto us one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us Gen. 38.24 And it came to pass about three moneths after that it was told Judah saying Tamar thy daughter in law hath plaid the Harlot and also behold she is with child by whoredom and Judah said bring her forth and let her be burnt * Observe these things hapned before the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Exod. 20.14 Thou shalt not commit adultery Lev. 18.20 Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbours wife to defile thy self with her V. 23. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thy self therewith neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto it is confusion V. 24. Defile not your selves in any of these things for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you V. 25. And the Land is defiled therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it and the Land it self vomiteth out her inhabitants Therefore commit not any of these abominations V. 28. That the Land spue not you out also when ye defile it as it spued out the Nations that were before you Lev. 20.10 And the man that committeth adultery with another mans wife the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death Deut. 22.22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband then they shall both of them die both the man that lay with the woman and the woman So shalt thou put away evil from Israel Verse 23. If a damsel that is a Virgin be betrothed to an husband and a man find her in the City and lie with her V. 24. Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of the City and ye shall stone them with stones that they die the damsel because she cried not out being in the City and the man because he hath humbled his neighbours wife So shalt thou put away evil from among you Job 24.15 The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twi-light saying no eye shall see me and disguises his face Prov. 2.16 When wisdom entreth into thine heart it shall preserve thee from the strange woman even from the stranger which flattereth with her words V. 17. Which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the Covenant of her God V. 18. For her house inclineth to death and her paths to the dead V. 19. None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life Prov. 5.3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honey comb and her mouth is smoother than oyl Ver. 4. But her end is bitter as worm-wood sharp as a two edged sword V. 5. Her feet go down to death her steps take hold on hell V. 8. â—emove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house V. 9. Lâ—st thou give thine honour unto others and thy years unto the cruel V. 11. And thou mourn at last when thy flesh and thy â—â—â—y are consumed V. 12. And say how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof V. 20. And why wilt thou my Son be ravished with a strange woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger Prov. 6.23 For the commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light V. 24. To keep thee from the evil woman from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman V. 25. Lust not after her beauty inthine heart neither let her take thee with her eye-lids V. 26. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life V. 27. Can a man take fire in his bosome and his cloaths not be burnt V. 28. Can one go upon hot coals and his feet not be burnt V. 29. So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent V. 32. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul V. 33. A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away Prov. 7 5. My Son keep my words that they may keep thee from the strange woman from the stranger which flattereth with her words V. 6. Fâ—â— at the window of my house I looked through my casement V. 7. And beheld among the simple ones a young man void of understanding V. 8. Passing through the streets neer her corner and he went the way to her house V. 9. In the twi-light in the evening in the black and dark night V. 10. And behold there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot and subtil of heart V. 11. She is loud and stubborn her feet abide not in her house V. 12. Now is she without now in the streets and lieth in wait at every corner V. 13. So she caught him and kissed him and