mystical Head and convey'd by those his Ordinances to Enable us to conform to his Religion and Obey those Laws And the first Great Priviledge I. A most excellent Body of Religion Laws and Ordinances which does peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's visible Church as they are the Members of such a Society Is a most reasonable and excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most profitable and edifying Institutions and Ordinances given and appointed us by him our supreme Head and Governour to Conduct us to Heaven We do enjoy I say thereby The Christian Religion and Laws far exceed the Pagan Mahometan or Jewish The Priviledge of a most reasonable and excellent Body of Religion and Laws far exceeding what any other People have ever enjoy'd to Conduct us to Heaven This is clearly to be seen Heb. 8.8 9 10 11. where God himself finding Fault with the Jewish Covenant and Laws as what could not make the Comers thereunto Perfect saith Behold the days come when I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt for this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Minds and write them in their Hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest which remarkable Words spoke first by the Prophet Jeremy as a Prophecy of the most happy State of the Christian Church by reason of the most excellent Covenant and Laws that would be given it beyond what was the State of the Jewish do import that even the Jewish Covenant was not in it self Perfect and such as could not be better'd and improv'd tho' it had God for its Author and sure then those Superstitions which derive themselves from no better Authors than the Devil and wicked Impostors must be very bad but that the Christian Covenant and Laws have such an inward essential Goodness in them that a Man 's own Reason would prompt him to Approve 'em as Best and most Excellent there being none of its Doctrines but what are highly agreeable to the best Reason of Man and all its Precepts being no other than the Law written in every Man 's own Heart And indeed the Christian Religion whether we consider it as compar'd with the Pagan or Mahometan Superstition and Jewish Dispensation or in its own Nature it is a most singular Institution and Body of Laws and such as we ought to Esteem it our very great Happiness and Advantage above other Men that we are under the Government of ' em And First consider the whole Body of the Pagan Superstition The Pagan Superstition â—d to noâ— but to 〈◊〉 humane â—â—re and what else did it tend to but to debase Mankind infinitely below the Dignity of their Nature and to Defile 'em much more than the very Brutes The Gods which the Pagans worship were at best the most Vile and Infamous of Humane Race viz. An Adulterous Jupiter a Revengeful Juno a Drunken Bacchus a Wanton Venus a Thievish Mercury and a Cruel Mars not to mention how they Bowed themselves before and gave Divine Worship to the most poor and contemptible â—he Gods 〈◊〉 Pagans â—iped 〈◊〉 at best â—ost inâ—us Men 〈◊〉 Women senseless Creatures And when they Worship'd Adulterers and Whores and Thieves and Drunkards what can be expected but that the Rites whereby they serv'd 'em should be accompany'd with the vilest Practices such as were answerable to the Nature and Temper of such Deities Which was the occasion of those Words of St. Peter 1 Epist 4.3 telling those who had been lately Converted from Paganism to Christianity that The time past of their lives was sufficient to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles when they walked in Laciviousness Lusts Excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings and abominable Idolatries wherein is more than intimated that the Idolatries of the Heathens were usually accompany'd with such villanous Practices And indeed from the Pagan Authors themselves we know they were so â—y times 〈◊〉 worshipâ—â—he very â—ls themâ—s But it was not only the vilest of Men and Women but the Devils themselves whom the Pagans worship'd and whom they were wont to serve not only with abominable Idolatries accompany'd with most lewd Practices which however hateful to right Reason might be grateful to some sensual Spirits but they were forc'd to commit many times the greatest Violences possible to Humane Nature in their Worship to those barbarous and cruel Devils they Ador'd â—nd that 〈◊〉 lewd â—arous 〈◊〉 cruel 〈◊〉 Thus it was the manner of the Worshipers of Baal to cut themselves with Knives and Lancers till the Blood gushed out upon them 1 King 18.28 Nay They sacrificed their Sons and their Daughters unto Devils and shed innocent Blood even the blood of their Sons and of their Daughters whom they sacrificed unto the Idols of Canaan Psal 106.37 38. Which was a Barbarity so horrid to Humane Nature that they were forc'd to make use of loud Instruments at the time of Sacrifice to drown the Noise of the shrieking Infants And at this Day the Idol Vitsiputsi amongst the Indians is said to have many Thousands slain in one of his solemn Processions it being usual for his Worshipers to throw themselves under the Wheels of his Massy Charriot on purpose to be crush'd in Pieces by the Weight thereof going over ' em Such are the lewd and barbarous Rites of the Pagan Religion not to mention any thing of those intolerable slavish Fears which always possess Idolatrous and Superstitious Religionists who are always in dread lest they should ncense the angry and peevish Daemon by eâ—ery lâ—ttle Accident and are ever upon the Rack studying to please him by innumerable little insignificant Observances â—â—e Mahoâ—â—n Reliâ— is a vile â—â—sture Nor Secondly As to the Mahometan Religion is there any thing in it worthy of God whereby we should judge him to be its Author First it is a plain Imposture and Cheat pretending to be Reveal'd by God to his Prophet Mahomet after the Jewish and Christian Religion as a more perfect Institution than either whereas indeed look into the whole Matter and inward Frame thereof and we shall find nothing in it as One observes but a Mass of foolish Opinions odd Stories uncouth Ceremonies compounded chiefly of the Dregs of Christian Heresies together with some Ingredients of Judaism and Paganism confusedly jumbled or unskilfully mixt one with the other But as to that great Principle of it which promises in Paradise a Thousand Years satisfaction arising from sensual Pleasures and the
Receiving in or Shutting out of the Church To Receive into the Church is to Admit such as make a Profession of Christianity to Admit 'em I say by the Sacrament of Baptism to all the outward Acts of Communion To shut or cast out of the Church is by Excommunication to Exclude unworthy Persons from that Priviledge of Church-Communion to deny 'em the Liberty to Pray or Receive the Sacrament or perform any Religious Office in the Publick Assemblies of the Church And now accordingly has Christ appointed the Bishops and Governours of his Church to be as Shepherds to Oversee the Flock as you will find Act. 20.28 and has given 'em The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 16.19 that is Authority as to Admit into the Church by Baptism all who make a Profession of Christianity so to Expel out of it by Excommunication all those scabbed Members thereof who contrary to such their Holy Profession either by their pestilent Heresies or by their scandalous Ill Lives are Unworthy of it and in danger to Infect it If they Preach or any-wise propagate any pestilent Heresy contrary to the fundamental Truths of Christianity let their Persons be never so acceptable upon the account of some shining Vertues of Charity or their Doctrines never so Plausible as pretending to Reason they ought not to be spared Tho' we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be Accursed that is Excommunicated and cut off from Church-Communion Gal. 1.8 So far was this Blessed Apostle so Zealous for the Glory of his Saviour from sparing others that he would not have himself be suffer'd to continue in the Communion of the Church were it possible he should be guilty of propagating Heresy And so likewise is any Person guilty of a notorious and scandalous Ill Life Why then also are the Governours of Christ's Church commanded To put away from 'em that wicked person 1 Cor. 5.13 And all the Members of the mystical Body are so far bound to take notice of such an Excommunication as to disown and discard such a Person and to have no Society with him so 1 Corinthians 5.11 If any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one after Excommunication they were not to Eat In such Cases as these indeed an Evil Member becomes no Member and is to be to the rest as a Heathen Man and a Publican that is one that is out of the Church Matth. 18.17 â—ll he cuts â—elf off 〈◊〉 causless â—m and â—ation 〈◊〉 any of â—bund 〈◊〉 And so likewise is he who cuts himself off from that mystical Body the Church by a causless Schism and Separation from any of its sound Parts I say any of its sound Parts for wherever there is a true Church if there be nothing in its Doctrine nor Worship that is sinful every Person is bound to Continue stedfastly in the Doctrine Prayers and Sacraments and Fellowship of that Church as in the Apostle's times they did Act. 2.42 and to reject the Communion of all other Parties and Sects of Christians or otherwise he will cut off himself from the Church and will cease to be a real Member of it as the Finger ceases to be of the Body when it is cut off from the Arm. Thus in either of these cases indeed shall a Person dis-continue to be a Member of Christ's Church when either he is Cut off by the just Sentence of those Governours in the Church who have the Power of the Keys to Receive in or Shut out or when he Cuts himself off by a causless Separation and Schism from any of its sound Parts But otherwise all Persons who have Enter'd into Covenant with God and have been Admitted into it by Baptism are Members of Christ's Church as has been already sufficiently prov'd and need not again be repeated And so shall Partake of those exceeding great Priviledges which belong to the Members of it which what and how great they are I come next to declare unto you THE Sixth Lecture Wherein I was made a Member of Christ BY the Church of Christ as has been shew'd is meant a Visible Society of Men call'd forth of the World to the Knowledge Belief and Service of the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost and Professing the same in Opposition to the Service of Satan and all false Gods whatsoever and also to all those vicious and immoral Practices which did so notoriously accompany the Pagan Worship and indeed professing an utter Hatred to all Sin of any kind And it is a Society as has been shew'd you combin'd into one Covenant with God by outward Sacraments and holding Communion with each other under Jesus Christ its Head And a Member of Christ's Church you have also seen is every One who has been Enter'd into this visible Society of Holy Men and into this Covenant with God by Baptism and who holds a constant Communion without swerving aside into separate Assemblies with that Particular True and Orthodox Church whereof he is a Member and in whose Verge he lives Every such Person I have shew'd you is a Member of Christ's Church and will continue such except his Lawful Governours therein should cut him off by a just Excommunication or he should cut off himself by a sinful and unnecessary Separation And now having sufficiently made it appear in the former Discourse to this purpose First what kind of Body that is which is call'd the Church of Christ and also Secondly having shew'd you what it is to be a Member of it it will be now requisite that I should also Demonstrate to you in order to make you sufficiently sensible of which the Two former Points have been so largely treated of Thirdly what vast and invaluable Priviledges do accordingly belong to every Member of Christ's visible Church I say to Every Member of Christ's visible Church for it is not my Business here to Enlarge on the more peculiar Priviledges of those who are styl'd Members of the Invisible Church who are the sincere Part only of Christ's visible Church Those perhaps I may also declare in few words by the By. But the Priviledges which I am here concern'd to Treat upon and to Acquaint you with are such as belong to every Member of the Church I have been speaking of And these Priviledges The Priviledges of our being Members of Christs Church which do peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's Church as they are the Members of such a Body whereof he is the Head are these Two First a most reasonable and excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most profitable and edifying Institutions and Ordinances appointed by Him our supreme Head and Governour to conduct us to Heaven Secondly a sufficient measure of Divine Grace and Assistance deriv'd down upon us from Him our
to leave off having any Communication or Agreement with him and any Hand in his base and ungrateful Rebellion against God so to Renounce his Works of Sin was to Disclaim Abandon or Forsake all and every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil and in the real Meaning of it no less than a throwing off God's Authority and a dis-owning of his Power This I say was the first Meaning of the Words in the first Ages of the Church Nor are they to be Interpreted in a much different Sence at this Day For Satan has his Kingdom still in the World The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still Obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of that his Kingdom are Obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind The Barbarous Nations amongst the Pagans do directly serve him at this Day and it is many a Christian's Lot who is cast amongst 'em to be forced either to Join with 'em in such Impious Service or to suffer Death with Torments for refusing And even in the Christian Pale tho' his Power is much weaken'd here since the Coming of our Saviour to what it was before yet still as Christ has his Church so Satan has his Synagogue amongst us and too many there are within the Limits of Christendom who do openly and avowedly Obey no other than the Laws of his Kingdom All your Atheists and Deists who Blaspheme God and the Christian Religion and all your Profane Swearers and Cursers whom you shall hear every Hour in the Day to Dare God as it were by their horrid Oaths and Imprecations to Damn 'em that is to send 'em to the Devil and all those who Resort to Charmers and Conjurers and Fortune-tellers as many Thousands do in this Nation All these I say are the open and profest Subjects of Satan's Kingdom And how many Lewd and Riotous Livers are there amongst us who do little else but the Works of the Devil and Obey no other Laws but those of Sin So that as you will Renounce the Devil and all his Works in that Sence wherein the Church does at present understand the Words you are with all possible care to avoid being of the Number of such Men. And I know no more that need be said at present This Renunciation for the most Part the same with Repentance to explain the Importance of the words Renounce the Devil and all his Works except it be this That if we consider such a Renunciation as the Act of One who has been heretofore a Slave to Satan and a Servant to Sin then it signifies to Forsake and Abandon the Service of Sin and the Devil formerly Liv'd in and so being a Ceasing to do Evil and a Learning to do well is the same with Repentance But if it be the Act of One of those who may be said to need no Repentance of which sort are Infants who have never committed Actual Sin then to Renounce the Devil and all his Works does mean a firm Resolution never to side with him in his Rebellion against God and as carefully as he can to avoid the committing of any Sin as being that whereby God's Rightful Authority is cast off and the Devil 's Vsurpt Dominion submitted to And so much for the Meaning of Renouncing the Devil and all his Works The Devil â—nd all his â—orks of Sin â—ust be absoâ—utely and enâ—rely Renounâ—ed because And now Lastly it remains that I should shew you how that it is necessary we should Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works As to those other Enemies to our Souls the World and our own Flesh there is some Temper to be us'd being neither of 'em are Absolutely and in themselves Evil but only by accident when the World is too intensely Belov'd and our Flesh too much Indulg'd to the Prejudice and Hurt of the Soul and therefore there are some Degrees of Affection and Regard allow'd to both them But the Devil is the Evil One and he is by way of Eminence and Singularity styl'd the Wicked One in the Holy Scripture as Matth. 13.19 There is noâ—hing but Eâ—il proceeds â—rom Satan and 1 Joh. 2.13.19 So that there 's not the least Good and nothing but Evil proceeds from him and therefore no manner of Agreement is to be made with him What Concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 Nor are we to imagine we can divide our Service betwixt God and him We cannot serve God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 So that the Devil is Absolutely and Entirely to be Renounc'd by us And Sin â—hether we â—â—nsider it in 〈◊〉 original â—ause and â—ature 〈◊〉 in its sad â—ffects and â—onsequents 〈◊〉 the utmost â—vil And so likewise must his Works of Sin Sin as Sin is entirely Evil Consider it in its Original Cause and Nature and consider it in its Effects and Consequents and there is not a worse Evil in the World than Sin View it in its Original and first Cause and it is a Brat of the Devil 's the First-born of Hell And view it again in its Nature and it is a Choosing of quite other Ends than what the Wise and Good God has Appointed us and ordain'd us for and is a Going quite cross to those Laws and Rules which he has given us And then consider it next in its sad Effects and Consequents and there is no Evil in the World to be Compar'd to it It is a Sin says One which turn'd glorious Angels into hideous Devils and tumbl'd them down from Heaven to Hell It is Sin that fill'd the the World with Woes and Plagues brought Death and Diseases and a vast and endless Summ of Miseries into it It is Sin that torments and terrifies the Conscience that kindles Hell Flames Exposes the Soul to the eternal and direful Revenges of the great God And in a word Sin is so perfectly and only Evil that the worst of Things here were they free from the Contagion and Evil of Sin would be Excellent and Amiable So that Sin also is Absolutely and Entirely to be Renounc'd by us and there is no one Sin nothing in the least of Sin that may willingly be comply'd with â—herefore no â—ne Sin nor â—ny thing the â—ast of Sin â—ust willingâ—â— be comply'd â—ith I say No One Sin nor any the least of Sin for so Poisonous a thing it is in spoiling of every thing that is Good in Man that if we shall allow our selves but in One single Sin it will utterly spoil all our other Righteousness If a man keep the whole Law and yet offend in one Point he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And One such single Allowance will stop God's Ears against all our Prayers If I regard Iniquity in my
to Answer for And the Reason hereof is this The Actions of Great Men have some Force of a Precept with 'em Their Actiâ—ns have the â—orce of a Preâ—ept as well as â—f a Pattern which Inferiâ—rs are afraid â—o shew their â—islike of as well as of a Pattern For as One well observes Those who are much Ey'd cannot Sin singly both because Men of weaker Minds and less Consideration look upon them as the great Masters of Knowledge and Bravery and therefore strive to imitate and be like them And also because they have many Dependants that hope to receive something from them and to be some way Better'd by them and this they cannot hope to be except they Copy out their Examples and shew their Love and Honour or rather Flattery to them in Endeavouring what they can to be like them And therefore we do commonly see the Generality upon any Change are ready to take up with the Religion or Transcribe the Pattern and Ape the Actions and Vices of their Prince or other Governour and their Faults as well as Habits shall become the Fashion of the Country So that an Unholy Prince shall seldom have a Religious People a Debaucht Nobility and Gentry a Devout and Orderly Neighbourhood and Family a Wicked Father Pious Children or an Evil Master Good Servants But their Actions have the Force not only of a Pattern but also of a Rule and Law which Inferiors and Dependants are affraid to go against So that it is not to be wonder'd that the Devil should be more than ordinarily industrious to gain over to his Party such as are most Eminent for their Station and Quality One such tall Cedar sweeps away with him in his Fall all the lower Shrubs within the reach of its Branches But then it does infinitely concern Persons of Quality Great Men therefore 〈◊〉 must of all others Renounce the Temptations of Satan of all Men Living utterly to Renounce the Ways of Sin because their ill Examples are of such Bad and malignant Influence upon others And they should Renounce all the ways of Scandalous and Notorious ill Living as they are Influential upon others not only for the sake of other Men but also for their own dear sakes For alas If a Man 's own single Sins unrepented of will Plunge him into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone how Deep into the bottomless Pit must they sink who have besides their own Personal Transgressions the Sins of many others pressing 'em Downwards and loading 'em with all the Curses of Hell for the ill Example and other Motives to Wickedness which they gave ' em So that it concerns the Great Ones of all others to look to their Ways and vigourously to Renounce and Resist the Temptations of Satan to Sin and Wickedness Secondly II. Such as are most Eminent on the account of their Order viz. the Ministers of Religion The Devil is also wonderfully Industrious to Tempt into some scandalous Sin or wicked Course of Life or at least-wise to Invent and Propagate some scandalous Story against such as are Eminent on the account of their Order viz. The Ministers of Religion We of the Sacred Function are design'd in a more Eminent manner it must be confest to be the Light of the World to be Candles set not under a Bushel but on a Candlestick that we may give Light to all that are in the House So that if he can draw a thick Cloud of Ignorance over our Understandings and bring Immorality into our Practice what he may do with the rest of Mankind who are to be Guided by us he does Rationally enough Conclude He is doubly Enrag'd against such both because in the Nature and Design of their Office they are to destroy his Kingdom because the rest of the World do altogether Eye them for their Pattern Hence no Temptation left untried to withdraw such into some scandalous Enormity He is indeed doubly Enrag'd against us both because we are the Men who in the very Nature and Design of our Office are to Destroy his Kingdom and because the Rest of the World do altogether Eye us for their Pattern Insomuch that they are generally more Influenc'd by our Lives than by our Doctrine and are exceedingly Scandaliz'd so as to think they may Sin with Allowance and Excuse if we our selves shall happen in the least to miscarry For these Reasons there are no Wiles nor Artifices nor prevailing Temptations left untry'd whereby Satan does not Attempt to withdraw the Ministers of Religion into some scandalous and enormous Crimes so that when any of the Holy Order happen to be overtaken in a Fault it is not so much to be wonder'd at as having not only the same Natural Infirmities with other Men but far more furious Assaults made upon 'em to Overcome 'em That indeed there are so many shining Lights as this Church and Nation may justly Glory in having at this Day is because We are kept by the Power of God to Salvation 1 Pet. 1.15 But that a Minister of Religion should sometimes Fall as well others and that very foully too is not to be Admir'd at much less made a matter of Reproach to the whole Order as it commonly is since our Saviour himself told Peter Behold Satan hath a Desire to have you you above all Others that he may sift you as Wheat Luk. 22.31 And he did sift that great Apostle to the Purpose insomuch that he did wilfully Deny his Master Thrice And hence â—he more Inâ—ustrious a Minister is â—he more Inâ—ustrious is â—atan to Oâ—rcome him And indeed the more Eminently Industrious any Minister of Religion is found in the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom the more Industrious is Satan to Overcome him Hence without doubt it was that he singled out as St. Peter you see before so St. Paul sending his Messenger One of his Black Angels to Buffet him as you will see 2 Cor. 12.7 True it is God in his wise and good Providence did order that Temptation of Satan's to a good End and to the Advantage and Security of that Apostle For he Gave him a Thorn in the Flesh and permitted Satan's Messenger to Buffet him lest he should be Exalted above measure or to keep him Humble But Satan no doubt did intend thereby however his Designs were Over-rul'd by the Divine Providence as is most usual to Overthrow St. Paul because he was in Labours more abundant in Stripes above measure in Prisons more frequent 2 Cor. 11.23 that is more Industrious in Propagating the Gospel than others and came not a Whit Behind the very Chiefest of the Apostles ver 5. And in the â—â—ry way â—herein he is â—â—st serviceâ—le to the â—hurch of â—â—d Satan â—es endeaâ—ur to make â—n most â—ischievous And in the very way that such are most Serviceable to the Church of God Satan does so order it that they shall be Transported beyond the Bounds of Moderation and Sobriety
wherein for the most part the Vertue does lye into such Excesses as are Sinful Enormities Thus is any One Zealous in the Cause of God against Sin and Wickedness the wicked One will over-heat this Zeal into Censoriousness and Bitterness into Fierceness and Cruelty and very often into Faction and Schism Again does he find a Person more than ordinarily Mortify'd and Devout and Heavenly minded much given to Fasting and Prayer Then will he be buisy to let down into the Fancy of such a One As by turnâ—g his Zeal â—to Faction deluding Imaginations and will tempt him by the sweetness of those Incombs and Indwellings of the Spirit as he thinks 'em to lay aside the plain and easy Rule of God's Holy Word â—is Spirituâ— Mindedâ—s into Enâ—usiasm as a dead Letter and not Spiritual enough and to give himself up to the Guidance of the Impulses of a Spirit within him as if they were immediate Inspirations from God By which fond Pretensions of Men deluded by Satan infinite Prejudice is done to Christianity and occasion given to Profane Wits to deride real Prophecy as Cheat and Imposture of which we have lately seen a most sad Instance 〈◊〉 he cannot â—vail over â—n by real â—is-carriaâ— he will â—der him â—less by forâ—d Calumâ—s But if this subtle Adversary with all his Wiles and Artifices cannot prevail over the Man of God but that still he is Baffled in all his Attempts upon him then he sets his Agents Slanderers and Whisperers on work for that their Tongues are set on Fire of Hell the Scripture tells us Jam. 3.6 to Invent and Propagate Scandals concerning him And he does Inspire the Calumniator to raise those false and injurious Reports either purely by Inventing 'em without Ground and thus even our Blessed Saviour was accus'd as an Enemy to Caesar and a Sabbath-breaker or by mis-interpreting of an innocent Behaviour and Action as a scandalous Crime And thus again was the Son of God himself and John the Baptist Traduc'd and thus very frequently are the succeeding Ministers of Religion Injur'd to this Day The Son of Man came Eating and Drinking that is He Affected nothing singular nor differing from other Men in indifferent things and they say Behold a Man Gluttonous and a Wine-bibber a Friend of Publicans and Sinners Matth. 11.19 On the other side John came neither Eating nor Drinking used extraordinary Fastings above other Men and they say he hath a Devil ver 18. And so it also fares with the succeeding Ministers of Religion Is any One of a free cheerful and sociable Disposition and does not wholly abstain from appearing in Company Then he is a Drunkard Is he Frugal and not given to Profuse Living Then he is Covetous Is he Conscientious in maintaining the Dues of his Church and will not suffer 'em to be Lost or Invaded by the Sacriledge of Covetous Worldlings Then he is Litigious and given to Law he is Covetous and what not So exceeding Industrious are Satan and his Agents to Blacken the Reputation of the Ministers of True Religion I say of True Religion for you may always observe with what Industry the real Vices of those who are Ministers in Heresy and Schism are kept secret And the only Reason thereof is this to lessen the Authority of their Precepts and Example in the World that they should not do that Good that otherwise they might It does in Truth so exceedingly concern the Interest of Christianity It wonderfully concerns the Interest of Religion that the Reputation of its Ministers be kept unsully'd that the Reputation of its Ministers should be preserv'd unsully'd and so injurious to Religion it self are the Defamations of such Persons that St. Paul was careful to warn Timothy that against an Elder that is against a Minister He should not receive an Accusation under Two or Three Witnesses 1 Tim. 5.19 Tho' a single Evidence that was Credible was sufficient against any other Person But so much on the contrary it is to the Advancement of Satan's Kingdom Hence Satan and Satanical Men so Industrious to blast it and so Satanically are the greatest Part of the World dispos'd that a vilifying Story or a scandalous Report against them is more readily Invented more easily Heard and sooner Believ'd nay without any Ground at all surmis'd than against any other Person whatsoever But let me tell you that no good Christian that desires the Destruction of Satan's and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom in the World will be forward to hear much less to Believe and Propagate Defamations of the Clergy as knowing it is the Policy of Satan to put it into the Hearts of uncharitable Spirits to surmise and raise and aggravate little vilifying Stories of those in Holy Orders as of some Indiscretion committed This to make 'em cheap and more scandalous and false Reports of Debauchery and Immorality to render 'em Odious in the world and both on purpose to render their Labours and Endeavours useless and ineffectual to the Reformation and Amendment thereof And slanderous Reports lessen the Authority and Influence of the Clergy almost as much as real Sin In short Satan matters it not so much whether by real Sin or by slanderous Reports he lessens the Authority and Influence of the Clergy his Avow'd Enemies whose peculiar Business it is to destroy his Usurpt Dominion and to Propagate the Kingdom of God in the World By real Sins indeed he would rather choose if he could and does therefore mainly Endeavour to have the Clergy Blemisht but meerly by raising the Scandal be it as well False as True he gains his End according Machiavel his great Secretary's Maxim Fortiter accusare aliquid adherebit Throw Dirt upon a Man and the Stain will in some measure stick Such is the Censorious Humour of the World as to think there must be something in it when a Slander is broacht and so maliciously are wicked Men bent against the Ministers of Religion especially as greedily to swallow every thing that tends to lessen their Reputation In a word By both he gains his End which is to have Religion it self wounded through the sides of its Ministers And whether any of 'em shall really miscarry or be falsly Defam'd for so doing he knows the world upon either account will Abhor the Offerings of the Lord and even a meer Slander will be such a stumbling Block to many As to make the Lord's People to transgress â—t behoves the Clergy thereâ—ore so far to Renounce Resist the Devil's Tempâ—ations as to â—ake care not â—nly to be â—eally Blameâ—ess but also â—o Abstain from all Apâ—earance of Evil. And this being so since it is so much the Interest of the Devil's Kingdom to have us Ensnar'd by his Temptations for which reason he does therefore Ply us especially And since the Generality of the World are so Satanically dispos'd as easily to receive the worst Impressions of us it concerns us
11 Catechism necessary First To the solemn Ratifying of our Covenant with God pag. 12 Secondly To the Receiving Benefit by the Episcopal Benediction Prayers and laying on of Hands pag. 13 LECT II. Catechizing requisite to prepare Persons to be worthy Communicants pag. 15 The want thereof the occasion of People's Ignorance concerning the Sacrament and consequently First of Receiving Unworthily Secondly of not Receiving at all pag. 16 Thirdly Catechizing is requisite to Persons being Edify'd by Preaching pag. 17 Fourthly Catechizing necessary to prevent being seduc'd into dangerous Errors pag. 18 Lastly Catechizing is exceedingly necessary First to preserve Youth from ever falling into an Ungodly way of living pag. 19 Secondly To recover out of it when fallen therein pag. 20 LECT III. The reason wherefore the Catechism begins with asking the Catechumen his Christian Name is to put him in mind of his Christian Profession The Force there is in a Christian Name to make a Man lead a Christian Life as under that Name having Listed himself First a Disciple of a most holy and excellent Religion pag. 24 Secondly a Servant of a most Holy and Just God Thirdly to fight against the World the Flesh and the Devil Fourthly as under that Name he professes to believe such Articles as are the most powerful Motives to deny all Ungodliness Fifthly to obey the most Righteous Laws Lastly as having under that Name received Promises of most powerful Assistances to do all this pag. 25 The bad Lives of Nominal Christians do an infinite Prejudice and Dishonour to Christianity It hinders the Conversion of Infidels It puts bitter Reproaches in the mouths of Atheists especially when Wickedness is committed under the guise of Religion Few Men will endure their worldly Calling to be put at naught and Reproacht pag. 26 An Exhortation therefore to Christians to stand upon the Dignity of their Christian Name and Profession First as that which is more considerable than Titles of Honour Secondly because of that near Alliance there is between the Christian Name and Profession Thirdly Because the primitive Christians did in vertue of the Christian Name resist the fiercest Temptations pag. 27 Fourthly because of the Indecency of living unsuitable to the Christian Name and Profession Fifthly That to quite other Purposes we gave up our Names to be Christians Sixthly most Christian Names afford some Examples of Vertue which should prompt Christians to an Imitation of those who were Eminent under those Names pag. 28 And therefore Parents are advis'd to choose for their Children the Names of Persons Eminent for Vertue not Infamous for Vice pag. 29 LECT IV. Our Catechism gives an entire Instruction in the Covenant of Grace both generally and particularly First Generally in the Three first Questions and Answers pag. 32 The Notion of a Covenant It is a mutual Agreement pag. 33 As there are Conditions therein on our side so express Promises on the other A View of the Covenant of Grace God having made Man upright and in a capacity never to have violated his Covenant did engage him to a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience Man did violate it pag. 34 The Divine Justice Wisdom and Holiness requir'd Satisfaction Man being himself uncapable to make it by less than suffering an everlasting Punishment The Son of God undertook First to satisfy for the Breach of the First Secondly to Cancel it and in its stead to make a Covenant of Grace consisting of Conditions performable in our fallen State Wherein Repentance Faith and a sincere Obedience is accepted instead of a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience pag. 35 It resembles Articles of Accommodation made thro' the Intercession of a Prince's Eldest Son betwixt him and his Rebellious Subjects pag. 36 Little more f universal Concernment to be known but the Articles of this Covenant The Catechetical Method most useful to that Purpose pag. 37 LECT V. A Member of Christ is a Member of Christ's Church pag. 39 A Definition of Christ's Church The Church of Christ a well-order'd Society wherein some are Governours some Governed pag. 40 An Episcopal Clergy undoubtedly such pag. 41 The Church is the universal Society of Christians taking in Men of all Nations as well of the Gentiles as of the Jews It consists of such who are call'd out of the World by the Preaching of the Gospel to a holy Profession and Calling pag. 42 First Repentance from Dead Works Secondly to the Knowledge Belief and Service of the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost pag. 43 Thirdly to enjoy the Priviledges of the Gospel The Church are such who to the End of being Incorporated into one Society and of having God to be their God and they themselves his People have Enter'd into Covenant with him pag. 44 First in Baptism Secondly to renew it at the Lord's Supper The Church one Body pag. 45 Subdivided into several particular Bodies and Churches First for the convenience of Government into Diocesan Churches Secondly for the convenience of Worship into particular Congregations pag. 46 But however United by one Covenant into one Body As also by holding Communion with each other in hearing the Word in Common-Prayers Sacraments and in affording to each other mutual Assistances pag. 47 The Church united into one Body under Jesus Christ its supreme Head Christ a Political Head of the Church Christ the Mystical Head of the Church pag. 48 The Church of Christ a Spiritual Kingdom But yet notwithstanding a visible Society pag. 49 What it is to be a Member of Christ's Church pag. 50 Every Baptized Person is a Member of the Visible Church And shall continue such till cut off by the just Sentence of those who have the power of the Keys to Receive in or shut out pag. 51 Or till he cuts himself off by a causless Schism and Separation from any of its sound Parts pag. 52 LECT VI. The Priviledges of our being Members of Christ's Church First a most excellent Body of Religion Laws and Ordinances The Christian Religion and Laws far exceed the Pagan Mahometan or Jewish The Pagan Superstition tended to nothing but to defile humane Nature pag. 55 The Gods the Pagans worshiped were at best the most Infamous Men and Women Many times they worshiped the very Devils themselves And that with lewd barbarous and cruel Rites The Mahometan Religion is a vile Imposture pag. 56 Its Principles tend to Lust and Cruelty Judaism was an imperfect and unfinished Draught of Religion Christianity a most excellent Religion pag. 57 It gives a most excellent Representation of God It gives an honourable account of his proceedings with Mankind with reference both to his Creation and Redemption of us pag. 58 Its Laws are excellently contrived for the good Order and Happiness of Mankind And are Enforc'd by most powerful Principles and Motives Another Branch of this first Part of a Christian's Priviledge are most edifying and comfortable Institutions and Ordinances pag. 59 First Publick Ordinances the Priviledge of every Member
A Course of Lectures UPON THE CHURCH CATECHISM IN Four VOLUMES VOL. I. Vpon the Preliminary Questions and Answers By a Divine of the Church of England OXFORD Printed by Leonard Litchfield Printer to the University for the AUTHOR 1696. TO THE Right Reverend Father in GOD WILLIAM LORD BISHOP of Coventry and Litchfield Lord Almoner to the KING My Lord HAving your Lordship's Commands for the Publication of these following Discourses I have reason to hope my Readers will prove candid and favourable in their Censures since they cannot but pay the greatest Deference to the Judgment of a Prelate whom all the Learned both at home and abroad do unanimously rank amongst the greatest Divines that this or former Ages can glory in But that I may not too much lessen that Esteem which the judicious part of Mankind at least do justly bear to your Lordship as the nicest Judge in Things of this Nature by proclaiming to the World that Encouragement you have given to a Work which no doubt will be found very defective I am apt to believe and am forward to own it that it might be more your Approbation of the Design than the Goodness of the Performance that has made your Lordship so exceedingly kind to it and its Author And indeed if ever there were a necessity of attempting any thing to promote Catechetical Instruction there is now too sad an Occasion for it Some Years since we thought it sufficiently hard upon us that we were put to the trouble of defending a Church so excellently Constituted as ours is by susteining those slight Skimishes made only upon its Outworks namely against its Rites and Ceremonies Solemnities I would rather call 'em so wisely order'd for the more grave and solemn Administration of Divine Worship and for the better Edification of the Souls of Men. But alas the Enemy has now enter'd through our Breaches into the very heart of our City as St. Austin calls the Church of God And as if there were an Vniversal Conspiracy made at this time against it All the Grand and Fundamental Articles both of Natural and Revealed Religion are now either most furiously storm'd by Atheists Deists and Socinians on the one hand or secretly and dangerously undermined by Enthusiasts and Antinomians on the other And if the next Generation should grow worse in its Principles and Morals than the present what Vengeance from Heaven even to the removing of our Candlestick may we not fear But especially what Indignation from God may not we of the Clergy dread should we suffer the Youth of our Nation to go abroad into the World without having first given 'em those Religious Impressions by good Principles as will guard 'em from the danger thereof and especially without having first prepossess'd the Minds of such with a deep Tincture of Divine Knowledge as are likely to be the Leading Men in their Countries and yet by a fatal mistake in Education are generally brought up in those Vndisciplin'd Societies amongst whom the Oracles of false and pretended Reason are more universally read and more highly applauded than the Lively Oracles of Divine Revelation I know how deeply sensible your Lordship is of the growing Infidelity and Heterodoxy of this Age and how much it is your Opinion that a constant Course of Catechising our Youth in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity is the only means that can effectually obviate and Cure those Great and prevailing Evils And if what I have here offered to the Publick may be at all serviceable to any of my Brethren in affording some useful Materials for their own Composures of this kind and in assisting any of 'em in their Method I have my End and shall therein in sone measure answer I presume your Lordship's Design who out of a pious Zeal to have this Work of Catechising universally set forwards by every Individual Minister in your Diocess would have the way so plain'd that we might all proceed therein without interruption And sure where the Authoritative Injunctions of so great a Father and Governor of our Church are join'd with such an unparalell'd Industry in the discharge of all the most Important and difficult Duties of the Episcopal Care it is impossible for us who are under the Influence of your Power and Example to be Remiss in that which is the very principal part of Ministerial Instruction incumbent upon us For if we no sooner saw your Lordship entring upon that Diocess to which you were Translated so Happily to us though so disadvantageously to your own Fortunes but we saw you apply your self with the utmost Vigour to the Business of it in Visiting not only your Clergy but Cathedral Schools and Hospitals If in your Lordship's primary Visitation we heard such a Learned Scriptural Proof of the JUS DIVINUM of the THREE DISTINCT ORDERS and what Evidence of that Nature is not to be expected from one so Mighty in the Holy Scriptures as cannot but silence all Adversaries and all the Learned of our Nation would be glad to see made publick If we also saw at the same time that Venerable Ordinance of Confirmation even amongst those vast Crowds that came to it and with so great a Fatigue to your self administer'd with a particular Application of the stipulatory part to every Individual Person that was duly attested to be sufficiently Qualified and with that Order Gravity and Solemnity which raised in all who were present that Value for it which is due to it If against every EMBER we see those wise Precautions used with Reference to the Candidates for Holy Orders as would effectually prevent the admission of Persons unworthy upon the account of any Immorality or will wholly lay the Guilt at the Doors of those who are backward to Inform their Church-Governors of the Miscarriages they know in order to their Correction and Remedy and yet are most apt to raise their Outcries against the Scandals of the Clergy And if also in the Probation of those who are permitted to stand Candidates there is constantly such a Treasury of Sacred Learning open'd to 'em in your Explications of Holy Writ as renders those Examinations one of the most learned and useful Theological Exercises that this Age does know and is alone sufficient to render those in a good measure Qualified with Scriptural Knowledge who come not thereto altogether prepar'd before-hand And indeed if agreeably to your Lordship 's so useful Examinations those who have the Happiness to be conversant with you in your Studies do always see you searching the Scriptures and do scarcely ever find you without the Holy Bible before you though one would think the sacred Page need be no more turn'd over by one who seems to have it wholly by heart already both in our own and all the Learned Languages If farther yet we have seen your Lordship by a Method equally worthy to be admired and imitated in so short time to have got such an exact Knowledge of a numerous Clergy
therefore to take down this proud and arrogant Presumption in us so natural to Man and so dishonourable to God together with his Design of making us Holy it was withal God's Intent by such a Dispensation of his Mercies as is given us in the Gospel to create in us such a Reliance and Dependance upon Christ for Salvation as to expect it not on the account of our own holy Performance but in the Vertue of his Mediation with the Father for us for so it is written 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. That to the end that no flesh may glory in God's presence Jesus Christ is by him made to us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption that so he that glorieth might glory in the Lord. And indeed it does exceedingly tend to the praise and glory of his Grace that he hath made us accepted in the Beloved as it is said in Eph. 1.6 This does eminently set forth the exceeding Lustre of his Mercy towards us in the Gospel that our Imperfect if sincere Obedience shall be accepted through the Mediation of Christ It does utterly exclude Boasting and all occasions of proud Reflections on our Parts as if so mean an Obedience as ours could deserve such infinite Rewards as are made over to us in the Gospel a Temper of Mind which as it is very apt to get Entertainment in our Souls so ought of all things to be supprest within us And thus I have given you a larger account of the Nature of the Christian Religion than otherwise I should have done that I might clear the way towards coming to the Knowledge of those Fundamental Principles thereof which I told you are the proper Matter of a Christian Catechism And now answerably hereunto The Nature of Fundamental Principles the fundamental Principles of our Religion must be such Doctrines as being well understood and throughly believ'd do most powerfully and forcibly perswade and move Men to be thus Religious as to tend to destroy the Power of Sin to mortify our Lusts and all wicked Inclinations within us to render us pious and devout towards God just and charitable and peaceable Neighbours and sober chast and orderly Livers in this World And which shall withal create in us such an humble Opinion of our own Unworthiness that when we have done all that we can to deny our selves and have proceeded never so far in our Zeal to good Works we shall nevertheless confessing that we are but unprofitable Servants depend wholly on Christ's Merits and Mediation and in the Virtue of his Satisfaction and Intercession alone expect Salvation And now such is the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace An Enumeration of Fundamental Principles particularly that part of it the Vow in Baptism wherein all do solemnly promise and vow Repentance Faith and Obedience engaging to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil Whosoever considers this sees what Obligations ly upon him to deny himself the sinful Pleasures of the World I. The general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace and to govern his whole Life and Conversation according to God's Commandments And whoever again understands the Constitution of this Covenant knows that it was obtain'd for him by the Mediation of Christ who is therefore Stiled The Mediatour of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 and therefore that on his Mediation he must depend for the having those infinite Blessings made good to him which are promised therein to his Obedience And such fundamental Principles also in a prime Sense are the Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith as the Belief of God II. The Articles of our Christian Faith and of his Providence that he is our Creatour Governour and will Reward every Man according to his Works The Belief that Jesus Christ came into the World Died and Suffered to Attone for its Sins and Preach'd the Gospel to Reform it The Belief that he gives his Spirit to sanctify us and that he will hereafter come in Person to Judge us In a word The Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith These are indeed the true Principles of our Religion for these are all of them as I shall hereafter shew so many very powerful Motives to reform our Lives to forsake our Sins and to follow Holiness as that without which we shall never see God And these do most of them influence us as to a good Life so humbly to rely upon God's Mercies through Christ for the acceptance of it III. â—e Laws of Ten Comâ—â—dments And such also are the Laws of the Ten Commandments which contain the great Instances of our Duty to God our Neighbour and our Selves and to which all others may probably be reduced These Ten Commandments may properly enough be stiled the Principles of Religion for as the Root is the Principle as it were out of which all the Branches Stem forth so out of these Commandments do all the Duties of a Christian grow forth like so many Branches so that whosoever shall well study and digest these Ten Summary Commands shall scarcely fail of growing up to be a Good Christian IV. 〈◊〉 Doctrine Prayer 〈◊〉 of the â—raments And if to these we add the Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments which are the necessary Means and appointed us by God of our procuring and conveying unto us his Assistance to enable us to mortify and forsake our Sins and to become Holy I do not know any other Principles that are Fundamentally necessary either to the promoting of a Good Life here or an Happy One hereafter at leastwise so far as to be the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Buisiness of a Catechist to inform you of them And indeed as these Doctrines are every One of them necessary to be Known Believ'd and Practic'd by every Christian that may have the Means of Knowing them and may be taught them being no other than the Covenant of Grace it self or those particular Articles contained in it and which are expresly Enjoined upon us by the Word of God to be Believ'd and Practic'd by us so our Church does account them the only Fundamental and Necessary Principles that are to be the Matter of a Christian Catechism There are it must be confest many other useful Truths contain'd in the Scriptures and those who having first laid the Foundation in these already mention'd would go on to Perfection should endeavour by Reading the Bible and other good Books and by Attending to the Preaching of the Word to gain the Knowledge of them But a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here Catechism â—ht not to crouded any thing â—e than â—at is pureâ—â—undamenâ— to a Good 〈◊〉 here and â—ppiness â—eafter and Happiness hereafter And if other Churches have fill'd their Catechisms either with many Unscriptural Tenets as the Church of Rome has hers or with any doubtful and nice Doctrines concerning
God's Election and Reprobation as many Others have done theirs they have no reason to brag of their Abundance It is the Glory of our Church that she Imposes no other Doctrines as necessary to be Learnt by her Children than those already mention'd which are plainly declared in Scripture to be Fundamental and Necessary Principles whereon we may securely build a Good Life and the certain Hopes of Eternal Happiness and which are so firm a Rock that the Religion and Hopes of Happiness founded upon it will not easily be destroy'd by the most violent and boistrous Temptations that the World the Flesh and the Devil shall Assault it withal thereby to Ruine it Thus have I Adventured in as few Words as the Difficulty of the Argument would give me leave to shew you the Nature of Fundamental Principles and to declare to you what Doctrines are to be accounted such so far at least as they are the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Buisiness of a Catechist to inform you of them I have done this Point when I have told you That a Catechism is A General Instruction only in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity A Catechism is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity As a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here and Happiness hereafter so even those Fundamental Truths it ought to deliver in as short and comprehensive a manner as possible for a Catechism is an Instruction that must be fitted to all even the weakest Capacities and therefore it ought to be such a Form of sound Words as all can retain And the more explicite and enlarged Knowledge of these things is to be sought for in the Expositions and Comments that are given of them in Catechetical Discourses of which Nature I design by God's Grace to Present you with some until I have gone through your Catechism In a word and to conclude this First Point Such were the Ancient and Apostolical Catechisms Such a General Instruction in the Fundamental and most Necessary Points of Religion as we have given you an account of was the Matter of which the Ancient Catechisms did mostly consist even in the time of the Apostles and such is the Catechism you are now Learning As to the ancient Catechizing in the Apostles times as it is plain from the Example of Theophilus Luk. 1.4 that the New Converts received their first Notions of Religion by Catechizing as was before observ'd So Rom. 6.17 we read of a Form of Doctrine that was delivered to them which the best Interpreters suppose to have been a Summary of Christian Doctrine or Body of Catechetical Points And what those Points were which they first taught them we have expresly laid down Heb. 6.1 2. from whence it appears that those First Principles of the Doctrine of Christ were for the most part the very same I have now mentioned viz. The Doctrines of Repentance Faith and of the Sacraments They are also called there the Foundation which being laid the Apostle tells them he will go on to perfect them by other Teaching And such a general Instruction also is the Catechism you are now Learning and which I am at present about to Expound to you And such is our Church Catechism You have therein indeed given you a Summary Doctrine of all the Fundamental and Necessary Articles of Christianity And the Seed of these Catechetical Points if they be but receiv'd into well-dispos'd Hearts will in time by God's Grace produce a plentiful Crop of saving Knowledge So that I may very safely Affirm it That whosoever of you shall learn to understand throughly his Church Catechism shall be sufficiently instructed to Salvation and whosoever shall live according to those Principles therein taught need no more to render him a good Christian in this World and an happy Saint in the World to come And so much for the First Point in my Description of a Catechism viz. The Matter of which a Catechism is to consist that it is a General Instruction in the Fundamental and Necessary Principles of the Christian Religion Secondly The next are the Persons that are to be Catechized The Persons that are to be Catechized are every Person and in the Definition I have given of a Catechism it is said to be An Instruction necessary to be Learnt of every Person It is very certain that whoever would be skilful in any Art or Science whatsoever he must endeavour first to understand the Principles of it This is every Day 's Experience He that would be a good Grammarian or Latin Scholar must first learn to understand his Grammar Rules you know it is impossible to read at all before you know your Letters or to read well till you can spell or distinguish between the Syllables In like manner He that would be a knowing and withal a stable Christian as it is every Body's infinite Concern to be both he must make it his Care and Business to become well instructed in the Principles those which we call the fundamental Points of the Christian Doctrine That the way to Perfection in the Christian as well as other Doctrines is to begin with the Principles of it appears from that of the Apostle Heb. 6.1 Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on to perfection Hereby you see that his Method in Teaching was first to begin with grounding in the Principles of the Christian Religion and then to proceed to higher things and the same Method the Apostle took in teaching of Religion the same must the Disciples be supposed to do in learning of it If the Apostle began with teaching of Principles the Disciples must begin with the learning of them And the Wisdom of laying first a Foundation of good Principles and building our Religion upon them and the Folly on the other side of not laying a good Foundation of such is sufficiently represented in that Parable of our Saviour Mat. 7.24 The wise Man he there tells us Built his house upon a Rock or a Foundation of good Principles and when the rain descended and flouds came and winds blew and beat upon that house it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock But the foolish man he built his house upon the Sand upon none at all or a very sorry Foundation and mark the Fate of that Man's Religion when the Flouds came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House it fell and great was the fall of it A Person well grounded in the Principles of Religion shall be able to bear the Shock of the fiercest Temptations But a Person of no Principles shall not be able to withstand the least The necessity 〈◊〉 every Perâ—ns being well â—ounded in â—eligious â—rinciples by â—atechetical â—struction This Parable does excellently well set forth the Necessity of being well grounded in Religious Principles which can only be done I
very Unsuitable Lives of us Christians that so Prejudices the Infidel Part of the World Pagans Turks and Jews against our most Holy Religion and hinders their Conversion It is the Cruelty and Covetousness of our Christian Merchants in the Indies that makes the poor Indians even Abhor our Religion and Scornfully to say That Gold not Jehovah is our God Thus Is the Name of God Blasphemed amongst the Gentiles through us Rom. 2.24 It is the Idolatry of the Church of Rome which makes Turks and Jews both of them mortal Haters of Idols to loath and despise the Christian Worship It puts bitter Reproaches in the Mouth of Atheists especially when Wickedness is commited under the disguise of Religion But not to Travel so far as the Indies or Turkey to find out how much our Living so unbecoming our most Holy Profession has scandaliz'd Persons so as to Abhor it Observe the Men of No Religion amongst our selves our Atheists and Libertines and what bitter Scoffs and Jeers may we daily hear them cast forth upon Religion it self when they see some that make great outward Professions there guilty of so much Hypocrisy Cheating Cruelty and Rebellion making their very Religion a Cloak for the carrying on the most wicked Things as if the least Religious the most honest Man And now if there were but the least spark of Love and Honour in our Hearts for God and our most Holy Religion this were enough to make us careful to lead innocent and inoffensive Lives if it were only that we might not dishonour God and Religion thereby and might not bring a Reproach upon our Christian Name Every Man that desires the Honour and Reputation of his Calling and Profession whatever it is will live answerable to his Character and not so as to be a Scandal to his Place Few Men will endure their worldly Calling to be put at naught and Reproacht And therefore as we seldom see a Person of so abject and mean a Spirit as to endure with Patience whatever Art or Profession he is of to be set at naught and spoke against so Men are generally with respect to the Credit of their worldly Professions careful to act with that Decency and Becomingness as shall advance the Reputation thereof Hence the Lawyer as he cannot ordinarily endure except he be a profligate Person his Profession of the Law nor the Physician his nor the Tradesman his to be run down Exposed and made Ridiculous so each of these will be as much as possible for maintaining in their several Dealings a Reputation of Fairness and Honesty as that alone which will raise and preserve an Esteem for them And how then comes it about that a Christian can endure to hear his Christian Profession reproach'd and scorn'd by reason of his scandalous Living Whence is it but from the greater Zeal Men generally have for the Honour of their worldly Callings and Professions than for the Honour of their Christian Religion Profession and Calling And now therefore Thirdly Let me Exhort you An Exhortation therefore to Christians to stand upon the Dignity of their Christian Name and Profession to stand upon the Dignity of your Christian Name and Profession by living such good Lives as may be an Honour not a Disgrace unto it Let me therefore Admonish you from this very Name wherewith you are Honoured to render your selves wholly conformable to those Christian Principles and Doctrines to which you have given up your Names to be governed by and which being taught you in your Catechism I shall by God's leave with all the Plainness and in the most Useful manner I can explain unto you And pray let me Entreat you my Dear Youth seriously and diligently to hearken to me your Spiritual Father that studies no less the Eternal Interest of your Souls and to make you Heirs of Heaven than your Natural Parents do your Temporal Interest to gather you Riches and to leave you Estates in this World You have been Ask'd and you have Answer'd to your Christian Name and you see with what Title you are dignify'd viz. with the Name of Christians And first Wonder not at what I say those Titles of Honour which we daily hear sounding in our Ears I. As that which is more considerable than Titles of Honour and which are so much admired and doted upon I mean the Titles of Emperours Kings Dukes Earls Lords ought to be accounted as very inconsiderable in respect of our Christian Title They are but Earthly Glories and will soon decay and vanish away but this is of a Divine Original which will never fade but will Ennoble you to all Eternity I beseech you therefore seriously consider this and let a due Honour and Regard to so worthy a Name continually Admonish every one of you that you never commit in your whole Lives any thing that does unbecome it I do also Secondly II. Because of that near Alliance there is between the Christian Name and Profession Entreat every One of you to consider the near Alliance there is betwixt your Christian Names and your Christian Profession insomuch that they both began and will both end together In your Baptism you put on both your Name and your Profession of Christianity together and if ever you should abjure your Religion which God forbid you must also therewith abjure your Christian Names so near are they linkt one with another And therefore let this ever admonish you to Adorn your selves with Christian Graces Temperance Chastity Charity Justice Piety and not to defile your selves with Heathenish Brutish Vices Drunkenness Uncleanness Cruelty Infidelity Thirdly III. Because the primitive Christians did in vertue of the Christian Name resist the fiercest Temptations And is it Examples of this good Use of your Christian Name that you want Why the Christians of Old took Courage from this very Name whereby they overcame all their Enemies both Bodily and Ghostly the World the Flesh and the Devil and encourag'd themselves thereby to the Discharge of their Christian Duties In the Vertue of this Name they extinguisht their Lusts they overcame Tyrants they put to flight the Devil Their Persecutors with Fire and Fagot and all manner of cruel Torments would have them forc'd them to Blaspheme Christ to sacrifice and burn Incense to Devils to worship Idols But they in the midst of Flames and Torments would answer with Smiles on their Faces We are Christians we cannot do these Things Forbear your Assemblies and Church-meetings would the Heathen Persecutors say We are Christians and must not therefore Forsake the Assembling our selves together would they answer Such great things did the Primitive Christians perform under the Power of the Christian Name And let your very Christian Names likewise my Christian Youth encourage you to all manner of Vertuous and Religious Practices in imitation of those Blessed Primitive Christians and to the Examples of those that shall come after you IV. Because of
is our Happiness as we are Members of Christ's Church to be under the Direction of Nor can any thing be better contrived for the Happiness of Men Its Laws aâ—â— excellently contrived for the good Order and Happiness of Mankind with relation to themselves or others than what the Laws of our Saviour do directly tend to As to our selves they do so powerfully tend to mortify our Lusts and Appetites those Rebels to our own Reason to moderate our Passions and Affections which so violently rack and disturb our own Breasts and they are excellently fitted also to make us so Humble and Self-denying so Temperate and Sober so Chast and Pure as Men on Earth would appear to be Angels come from Heaven were the Laws of Christ universally followed And lastly as to Others such Justice and Uprightness such Charity and Kindness such Quiet and Peaceableness does Christianity incline Men to upon which account the State of the Gospel is represented as that In which nothing should destroy nor hurt in the holy Mountain Isa 11.9 And let me also add such Prudent and Fatherly Care of Children Servants and Dependants do the Laws of Christ prescribe as would make a Heaven here upon Earth were they universally Obey'd I say were they universally Obey'd And yet to add to all this Excellency of Christ's Government and Laws over us already seen so Powerful is our Obedience to all these Laws Enforc'd by those mighty Principles and Motives of Christianity And are Enforc'd by most powerful Principles and Motives viz. The Articles of our Christian Faith I mean so very Perswasive and Forcible are the Motives which Christ does give us to the Practise of these Vertues beyond what was in any Reasons and Motives which the Philosophers or even Moses did give the Gentiles or the Jews to be in any degree Vertuous that this is another addition to our Advantage in having Christ for our Supreme Head and Law-giver and in being Members of Christ's Church In a word so Honourable to God so Perfective of our own Natures and so Beneficial to mankind are the Laws of Christ and so well is our Obedience secur'd to 'em by those Principles he has taught us that this very Thing does speak our exceeding Great Priviledge in being Members of Christ and under his Conduct and Government as our supreme Head and Law-giver But especially this Advantage will appear to be very Great if we consider How that together with those most excellent Laws that he has given us he has also appointed us most Edifying and comfortable Ordinances Another Branch of this first Part of a Christian's Priviledge are most Edifying and Comfortable Institutions and Ordinances to conduct us to Heaven Now by Divine Institutions and Ordinances I do mean those positive Appointments and Observations which he has given his Church and all the Members thereof for their Improvement in the Knowledge and Practice of his Holy Religion and Laws And that which our Great Law-giver has done of this Nature is this He has Ordain'd solemn and set Days viz. The Christian Sabbaths for his own Service He has Order'd that publick Assemblies of all Christians should be held upon those Days He has Authoriz'd and Commanded the Publication and Preaching of his Laws at those publick Assemblies He has appointed that Common Prayers Supplications and Thanksgivings for Divine Grace and Assistance to Enable us to perform these Laws then Preacht and for other Mercies should be jointly put up to him by all Christians on those solemn Days and publick Assemblies And lastly he has Enjoin'd therein the use of Sacraments as means of Conveying such Grace and Assistance and also as Oaths and Obligations upon us to be Obedient to those Laws All which are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Visible Church And if we compare 'em with what others want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members thereof and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to And consider'd in themselves they are most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws and in order to a Holy and Good Life I. â—lick Orâ—ances the â—viledge of â—ry Memâ— of Christ's â—rch First I say All these foremention'd Priviledges do belong to the Members of Christ's Church to such as have been Baptized and profess themselves to be Christians To understand which Rights and Priviledges the better you must know that as there are Two sorts of Members in the visible Church so there are Two kinds of Priviledges that belong to each sort as One rightly states this Matter each having those Priviledges which are proper and peculiar to 'em according to the relation they bear to the Head and their Fellow-members First There are Members only by Foederal or Covenant Holiness such are only Born of Water when by Baptism they are United to Christ and the Church and took upon them the Profession and Practice of the Christian Religion Now the Priviledges that do belong to these are of the same make with their Church-Membership Outward and consisting only in outward and publick Communion with the Church in Word and Ordinances Secondly There are Members by Real and Inherent Holiness such as are not only Born of Water but of the Spirit also when by the inward Operation of the Holy Ghost their Souls are Renew'd after the Image of God and made Partakers of a Divine Nature And the Priviledges that do belong to these are not only the foremention'd Ones but together with them others that are suitable to their more spiritual Relations Inward and such as consist in the special and particular Care and Protection of God and in the more plentiful Measures of his Grace and in the more sensible Comforts of his Holy Spirit according to that of our Saviour Mat. 25.29 Vnto every One that hath or Improveth those Talents of Grace he has received shall be given and he shall have abundance So that these latter and more peculiar Priviledges indeed do not belong to every Member of the visible Church but to those only who are sincere in their Profession of Christianity and who by their more than ordinary Piety are become Dear to God But then as to Outward Priviledges it is not only the Duty but it is the Priviledge which of Right belongs to Every Member of Christ's Church to Observe the Lord's Day to be Present in the Publick Assemblies to Join in the Common Prayers and even to Partake when of Age of the Lord's Supper So we find Acts 2.41 42. That the whole Three Thousand Souls who received the Word and were Baptized continued stedfastly in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers True it is such is that more than ordinary Regard that the Church of Christ has for the Lord's Supper that most solemn Ordinance in the Christian Religion that when any Member becomes Scandalous for
any Sin he is to be Suspended from Communion in that till he amends Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper So it is order'd in the Rubrick before the Communion Service that if any be an open and notorious Evil-Liver so that the Congregation be thereby Offended The Curate having Knowledge thereof shall Call him and Advertise him that in any-wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly Repented and Amended his former Naughty Life that the Congregation may thereby be saisfy'd which before were Offended And the same Order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth Malice and Hatred to reign not suffering them to be Partakers at the Lord's Table till he Knows them to be Reconciled But otherwise till a Member become Notorious and Scandalous for his Evil Principles or Practices he may claim the Right to be Admitted to the Lord's Supper for even Judas himself before he Betray'd our Saviour did Partake with him at the first Institution of the Supper as you will find Matth. 26.25 26. So that as to the Outward Institutions and Ordinances of Christ they are Priviledges you see that do belong to all the Members of Christ's Church to all such as have been Baptized and Profess themselves to be Christians And now Secondly If we compare but these Outward Priviledges of God's Holy Ordinances with what others do want of this Nature they are indeed most singular Favours vouchsafed only to such as are Members of Christ's Church and which Aliens and Strangers have no Right nor Admittance to I. Christian Ordinances are a singular Favour which Aliens and Vnbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy For alas The Infidel part of the World whether Jews Turks or Pagans have none of these Divine Ordinances amongst ' em They neither Know the Lord's Day nor Hold any Assemblies thereon for the Instruction in his Laws neither do they Profess Belief in nor Pray to the One True God Father Son and Holy Ghost and they are utter Strangers to our Holy Mysteries And hence it comes to pass that those miserable People continue still in Blindness Ignorance and Barbarity remain perfect Slaves to Satan and their own Brutish Lusts and for the most part of 'em are degenerated into such Inhumanity Cruelty and Brutality that Tygers Wolves and Vipers the most Devouring and Venemous Creatures in the World are not so mischeivous to Mankind as that Part thereof who either know not or contemn God's Holy Ordinances are one to another So true it is what Solomon has Observ'd Prov. 29.18 that Where there is no Vision or no Word and Ordinances of Divine Revelation the People perish Which brings me Lastly To consider What excellent Priviledges they are in themselves II. They are excellent Advantages consider'd in themselves And that they are upon Two accounts First As being most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws Secondly As being exceedingly comfortable to those who Enjoy ' em I. â—onducing â—htowards 〈◊〉 Edificaâ— And First Divine Ordinances are most Excellent Priviledges as being most admirable Advantages towards the Observation of God's most Holy Laws and in order to a Holy and Good Life For why In these Holy Ordinances we have all the Means both Outward and Inward afforded for our Conversion As to the Outward you have the very Scriptures themselves the Body of those Holy Laws publickly Proclaim'd and Read out to you the Scripture it self I say Which was given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. In these Holy Ordinances again you are not left to the Deceits and Whispers of a private Spirit but you have the Doctrine of the Church collected into a Form of sound Words and containing all that is necessary whether as to Faith or that Love which is in Christ Jesus or which is required in the Christian Religion 2 Tim. 1.13 You have this Collected I say partly by the Apostle's themselves and partly by others the wisest and best Divines out of the Holy Scriptures and propos'd to you as a Rule to walk by And moreover you have the Ministers of Christ constantly Applying both to your direction The Ministers of Christ I say who as his Ambassadors do Pray you in Christ's stead to be Reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Again In these Holy Ordinances you do not wrestle with God for his Mercies in the strength only of your own private Prayers but you have your Devotions mingled with the concurrent Prayers of all God's People and so by your joint Forces after an humble but powerful manner do Besiege Heaven for the joint and united Prayers of Christians have above all others the Promise of a Gracious Answer Matth. 18.20 Our Saviour assuring us there that Where Two or Three are gather'd together in his Name there he will be in the midst of them And lastly You receive herein from the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ that Food which is necessary to the Nourishment of the Soul as Meat is to the Strength of the Body the same Blessed Saviour of the World assuring us as you will see John 6.55 and the 63. compar'd together that His Flesh is Meat indeed and that his Blood is Drink indeed And then as to the Inward Means of performing God's Laws viz. The Grace and Assistance of his Holy Spirit this as it is absolutely necessary to enable our Weakness in this our faln State so it is no otherwise to be expected than in the Use and Ministry of Divine Ordinances as shall be presently seen In a word The outward Ordinances and Institutions of the Gospel together with the Holy Spirit accompanying them are the only ordinary Means of Conversion Some may pretend to be above Ordinances but Experience tells us that accordingly as Men do slight and neglect 'em accordingly do they decay in Grace and Vertue and when once they begin wholly to lay them aside they become perfectly Graceless and are given up to a Reprobate Mind as is daily seeni in such as make nothing of Profaning the Lord's Day and do totally lay aside Prayers and Sacraments â—ost comâ—ble to Souls of those who enjoy them Secondly And they are not more Profitable and Edifying than they are Comfortabler to the Spirits of all Pious Souls who Enjoy ' em Holy David was a most eminent Instance of this My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Psal 42.2 See what earnest Longings he had for the publick Service And I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord Psal 122.1 And Psal 65.4 he expresses his sense of this Matter thus Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to
approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts he shall be sasisfy'd in the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple Alas the inestimable Priviledges and Advantages of Divine Ordinances as the Benefit of the Heat and Light and all other common Mercies are never sufficiently valued till most wanted They are seldom sufficiently valued till most wanted In the abundance of 'em we slight 'em but when depriv'd of 'em we see we cannot live the spiritual Life without ' em This is most significantly Express'd Amos 8.11 12. Behold the days come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it You see here that the Famine of Bread is nothing in comparison with the Famine of the Word and Ordinances I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the words of the Lord which is a much sorer Famine for it is a Famine which will starve the Soul And when they are deprived of the Word and Ordinances then shall they wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East thâ—y shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it And accordingly we may always observe this Difference in Men's Esteem of those excellent Advantages In the outward Peace and Prosperity of the Church when the Church Doors are always open and Prayers and Sacraments constantly Administred then how many that live near the House of God shall seldom come at it and how will others Profanely pasâ— by it even in time of Divine Service And how do People when it is Plentiful loath this Heavenly Manna But when Persecution at any time arises and the Church Doors are shut up and Divine Ordinances are forbid upon Pain of Death how then shall you see those very same Persons go many Miles and with the utmost hazard of their Lives Assemble themselves together and take the greatest Comfort imaginable in Enjoying ' em This the Experience of all Ages does Confirm And God grant our present Neglect of his Holy Institutions and Ordinances may not provoke him to teach us also how to Value and Esteem the Priviledges and Advantages of 'em by depriving us thereof And thus I have at length shew'd you how that the First Great Priviledge which does peculiarly belong to all the Members of Christ's visible Church as they are the Members of such a Society is a most Reasonable and Excellent Body of Religion and Laws together with most Profitable and Edifying Institutions and Ordinances given and appointed us by Him our supreme Head and Governour to Conduct us to to Heaven And now it is time to proceed and to shew you how that Secondly The Second general Prâ—viledge bein to Members Christ's â—rch is a â—cient meaâ— of divine â—â—ce and â—stance â—ved from 〈◊〉 the Head and Convey'd by his Ordinances to Enable us to Conform our selves to his â—gion and to Obey his Laws We enjoy thereby a great Measure of Divine Grace and Assistance derived down from him our Head and Convey'd by those his Ordinances to Enable us to Conform to his Religion and to Obey his Laws The mystical Body of Christ is often compar'd in Scripture to the natural Body of Man and that as for many others so for this very good Reason that as in the natural Body every Part partakes of Life and Sense and Motion from the Head so do we by being Baptized Members of Christ of Grace and Help from him our Head From whom all the Body by Joints and Bands having Nourishment ministred Increaseth with the Increase of God Col. 2.19 〈◊〉 the same â—ns that â—â—st is Vâ—d to his â—â—bers is â—ce Conâ—d down 〈◊〉 him as â—â—d to â—â—e Memâ—â— Now it is easy to conceive how Christ as a Political Head should give Laws to his Spiritual Kingdom the Church and how as such he should Head and Protect it and every Member thereof against its Enemies But the difficulty with some is to conceive how as from a Mystical Head Divine Grace and Assistance should be Convey'd down from him to us his Members But it is but to consider what those Joints and Bands are which Unite us to Christ as our Head and we may then easily conceive how we shall have Nourishment ministred unto us till we Increase with the Increase of God For whatever are the means of Uniting us to him the same are the means also of Conveying the Influences of his Holy Spirit down upon us 〈◊〉 first Meâ—n of Vâ— betwixt â—ist and Members 〈◊〉 be each â—â—ber's Vâ— to the â—â—olick â—â—ch And the First great means of Uniting cach Member to Christ must be its Union to the Catholick Church the Body of Christ not Cutting himself off from it either by Renouncing his Covenant with God or by causlessly separating from the Communion of that Sound and Orthodox Part of the Church whereof he is an immediate Member and by not giving just Occasion to the Officers of Christ's spiritual Kingdom the Church to Excommunicate or Cut him off for so doing For it is Just with the Mystical Body the Church as it is with the natural Body of Man If a Leg or an Arm should be Cut off from the Body by a Man 's own Hand or by the King's Officers it cannot receive Nourishment from the Head and for lack thereof must soon Die And so in the Church of Christ a Heretick that for denying the Faith and Sacraments and a Schismatick who for breaking the Communion shall be Cut off from the Church cannot ordinarily expect to receive Supplies of Grace from Christ the mystical Head which by Keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace he might But it is not sufficient in order to its deriving Life from the Head that a Member be United to the Body only and to any of its Parts but it is moreover particularly necessary that it should be United also to those principal Parts of the Body where the Blood and Spirits are form'd and from whence they are Convey'd to every single Member And therefore II. Vnion to 〈◊〉 Lawful â—ernours 〈◊〉 Teachâ— of the â—â—ch A Second means of Uniting each Member to Christ the Head and so of Conveying spiritual Supplies of Grace down from him to such a Member is its Unity to those Lawful Governours and Teachers which Christ has Appointed in the Church by Joining with 'em in the same Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity and by holding Communion with 'em in the same Holy Worship of God The Lawful Governours and Teachers in the Church of Christ are the principal Parts in the Mystical Body as the Heart the Liver and
the Brain are in the Natural For as in the Natural from these principal Parts are sent forth that Portion of Blood and Spirits which give Life and Strength to every single Member so from Christ's Ministers is Communicated to all the Members of the Mystical Body that Nourishment which maintains the spiritual Life in them All this may be fairly gather'd from Eph. 4.11 12 13. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ In which Words the Ministers of Christ's Church whether Extraordinary as Apostles and Evangelists or Ordinary as Pastors and Teachers are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Holding and Knitting together the Church and that from them each Member does immediately receive that Nourishment of sound Doctrine whereby he grows up to be a Perfect Man in the Knowledge and Practice of true Religion And indeed the Graces of the Holy Spirit are Convey'd by those Ordinances which they only have power to Administer which brings me Lastly To shew how III. The use of Christ's Institutions and Ordinances that next to the being United to the Church and its principal Parts the Ministers of Christ therein the great Bonds of Union to the Head and means of Conveying his Grace to the Members are the Sacraments and other Holy Offices and Ordinances appointed for that Purpose and of which the Ministers of Religion are the only Dispensers For just again as in the Body Natural there are Nerves that Branch from the Head through the Body conveying the Animal Spirits to every Member thereof so in the Mystical Body the Church there are the Ordinances of Sacraments Preaching Publick and Common Prayers and such like Holy Offices Administred by Persons set apart for that Purpose to be the Conveyances of those ordinary Supplies of his Holy Spirit which he thinks necessary to preserve that Member in Health and Vigour So that thus at length you see how that in keeping in Union with the mystical Body of Christ his Church and with its Lawful Governours and Teachers and in the use of Sacraments and other Divine Ordinances those Conduits and Conveyances of of his Holy Spirit to us we shall have spiritual Life and Strength and Vigour derived down to us from Christ our spiritual Head in like manner as in the natural Body of Man the Animal Life and Strength and Vigour is derived down to all the parts of the Body from the natural Head And this is a most singular Priviledge if compar'd with that little or nothing of this Nature which others who are not Members of Christ's Church do enjoy and also it will pear to be a most exceeding great Advantage if consider'd in it self And First If we compare our Happiness with Others I. Divine Grace a most singular Priviledge if compared we shall find it the peculiar Advantage of Christianity which no other Law nor Doctrine so much as pretends to that it not only clearly teacheth us and strongly perswadeth us to so excellent a Way of Life but provideth also Divine Help and Assistance to Enable us to Practice it If God would have Ordinarily 〈◊〉 what oâ— enjoy of Nature and in the way of a Constant Dispensation imparted so excellent a Gift to any to be sure it would have been to the Jewish Church but we are told Joh. 1.17 That the Law was given by Moses but that Grace came by Jesus Christ that is the Graces and Gifts of his Holy Spirit as well as other Mercies and Favours so that tho' Moses deliver'd Legal Precepts it is by Jesus Christ we shall have the Assistance whereby we shall be Enabled to attain unto Holiness And as to that Measure of Grace afforded to Holy Men under the Law whatsoever it were it was through him the Promised Messiah and in Vertue of that Covevenant of Grace Confirmed with Abraham before the Law but the more constant Influences of the Holy Spirit and the fuller Measures thereof are derived from him down upon us now under the Gospel And because of that more plentiful Measure of Grace and Spirit Communicated unto us from Christ under the Gospel does the Apostle call the Gospel the Ministration of the Spirit in Opposition to the Law which he styles the Ministration of Death 2 Cor. 3.8 9. And does therefore so assuredly promise himself Success in his Ministry ver 5 6. Such trust have we in Christ to Godward not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament or Covenant not of the Letter but of the Spirit where the Gospel is styl'd the Spirit as for other Reasons so for this in the Judgment of the Learned Dr. Hammond that Grace which is the Gift of the Spirit is now join'd to the Gospel which was not to the Law In a word and to speak in the Words of a Learned Author Other Laws for want of this are in effect Ministeries of Condemnation Racks of Conscience Parents of Guilt and of Regret Reading hard Lessons but not Asss isting to do after them Imposing heavy Burthens but not Enabling to bear them But our Law of the Gospel is not such it is not a dead Letter but hath a quickning Spirit accompanying it it not only soundeth through the Ear but stampeth it self upon the Heart of him that sincerely doth Embrace it it always carrieth with it a sure Guide to all Good and a safe Guard from all Evil. II. exceedâ—â—dvanâ—â—â—nsiderâ—◠〈◊〉 self And this Advantage as it is proper to our Religion So it is exceeding considerable in it self The Advantage is that every Member in Christ's Body in what Station soever he be shall have sufficient Supplies of Grace derived down from Christ our Head proportionable to his Necessities by those moans of Conveying it which Christ has appointed for that Purpose I say every Member in Christ's Body â—e Memâ—â— Christ Supplies â—tionaâ—â— their â—n in â—hurch in what Station soever he be For As we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Rom. 12.4 5. that is there are different Members in the Church of Christ some are to be Governours and Teachers of Others and accordingly must be Endow'd with a Spirit of Government and Gift of Teaching and others are of a more private Capacity in the Church of Christ whatever they may in other Respects and their Business is to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards God and Man and faithfully to discharge their Duties to God
their Neighbour and Themselves And whatever I say those several Duties are which arise from their several Stations in the Church they shall have a competent measure of Divine Grace Enabling them to discharge ' em They shall not have Gifts that are necessary to the Discharge of other's Offices but not of their own that is a private Christian call'd to no Office in the Church is not to expect nor ought to pretend to have received Gifts of Government and Teaching in a publick Ministerial way For God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 But every Member of the mystical Body by keeping himself United to the Head in such ways as has been shew'd shall have such Graces and Assistances derived down to him from Christ who is that Head as are necessary and proper for him And that too in such Measures and Proportions And also in such Measures as according to different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting as according to the different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting Thus in the first Plantation of the Gospel when the Work was so Extraordinary that there was need of Miracles to convince the Jews of the Insufficiency of Moses's Law and the Gentiles of the Falshood of the Pagan Superstition then did Christ bestow upon his Apostles divers Extraordinary Gifts viz. Of Miracles Prophecy discerning of Spirits divers kind of Tongues and the Interpretation of Tongues 1 Cor. 12.10 And as to all Christians in general as the Malice of Satan did then most violently rage against the Church Persecuting to the Death those who would not Renounce Christ and his Religion so all the Christians in those Times were very extraordinarily Strengthen'd no doubt to Resist such strong Temptations But now that the Church is Establish'd and the Truth of Christianity already Prov'd and Believ'd God does assist the Ministers of Religion only with the ordinary Graces of his Spirit in the discharge of their Ministry And as to Lay Christians therefore except it be when the Orthodox are call'd out in any Part of the World as sometimes they are to this Day to suffer for the Truth they receive no other than ordinary Assistances But this both Ministers and People are sure to do in the use of those Means that Christ has Appointed in his Church for that Purpose so very considerable on many accounts are the Priviledges that do belong to the Members of Christ's Church THE Seventh Lecture Wherein I was made a Child of God THE Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Church Catechism as I have already told you do give you a general Account of the whole Covenant of Grace And these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ being the First of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us in this Covenant on God's Part I have already explain'd and open'd to you what they do Import The next of those Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace is exprest in these Words Wherein I was made a Child of God in order to make you sensible of the Vastness of which Priviledge also First I will shew you what is meant in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God Secondly What an inestimable Priviledge accordingly it is to be a Child of God â—hat is â—â—t in the â—chism by â—hild of 〈◊〉 And first let us Enquire What is meant both in Scripture and here in your Catechism by a Child of God To understand which we must Enquire into the several meanings of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures and then in which of those Sences it is to be understood here in your Catechism when every Catechumen is taught to Answer that In his Baptism he was made a Child of God And as to the several Acceptations of this Phrase in the Holy Scriptures I. 〈◊〉 the Son â—od by an â—nal Geâ—â—ion First In the highest most natural and most proper meaning of the Word there is He who is the Son or Child of God by an Eternal Generation viz. Our Saviour Jesus Christ who being Begotten of God the Father from all Eternity in a peculiar inconceivable and inexpressible manner so as to be Co-equal Co-eternal with the Father himself is call'd the Onely Begotten Son of God Joh. 3.16 But then being he is in so peculiar and high a manner the Son of God as infinitely to exceed that wherein any one else whether Angels or Men can be call'd his Sons he cannot in any measure be meant here by a Child of God which signifies a Priviledge common to many as will be presently shew'd â—ot every â—by Temâ—â— Creaâ—â— which is â—ence too 〈◊〉 Secondly There are those who are the Sons of God by a Temporal Creation and such are Reasonable Creatures both Angels and Men both being call'd the Sons of God as you will see Job 1.6 and Luk. 3.38 And that both upon the account of the manner of their Production which was by the immediate Power of God and because of their Spiritual and Immortal Natures in which both do so immediately resemble God But this is an Acceptation too wide That which is meant here by a Child of God is a Priviledge which all Men in the World do not enjoy but is the Favour which is granted to a selected Body of Men who are separated from the rest of the World Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we shoould be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 Thirdly III. Nor such only who are Children of God by spiritual Regeneration which is a Sence too narrow There are those who are the Children of God by Spiritual Regeneration by being renew'd in the Spirit of their Minds and by being Created anew in Righteousness and true Holiness And these are such Who have put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and who have put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 23 24. They are such who are Born not only of Water but also of the Spirit that is who have not only been Baptized into the Christian Church but have been Sanctify'd by the Holy Spirit and have their whole Natures and Dispositions so altered for the Better that from Vicious and Ungodly they are chang'd to Vertuous and Holy Dispositions and Inclinations And such a vast Change wrought in our Natures by the Word and Spirit of God may very justly give those who Enjoy it the Title of the Children of God for if in the way of Natural Generation the Communicating of a Principle of Life and of suitable Operations does found the Relation and Title of a Father there is as good Reason why in Regeneration the deriving such Holy and Heavenly Dispositions and Powers from the Word and the Spirit of God to the Soul as give to a Man a
Divine Nature whereby he is a Partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself should Entitle God to be also a Father and such who are so Regenerated and Renew'd his Children And accordingly in the Holy Scripture we find that such a derivation of Strength and Grace from the Word and Spirit of God does Entitle those who are Renew'd thereby to be Children of God St. Paul not only attributing to the Ministry of the Word a Power of Begetting in Christ 1 Cor. 4.15 But withal expresly assuring us that As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 So that he is undoubtedly a Child of God whoever giving himself up to the Guidance of God's Word and Spirit is thereby Sanctify'd wholly in his own Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thes 5.23 so as to sudue and mortify every Lust and every naughty inordinate and worldly Desire And indeed every truly Regenerate Child of God does do so such a One does by the power of the Word and in the use and strength of that Grace that God does afford him subdue and mortify every Lust and every naughty inordinate and worldly Desire So we are expresly told 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is horn of God that is a sanctify'd Child of God does really hate Sin the very Temper and Bent of his Soul is against it and as to living in any gross and wilful Sin he cannot without much Reluctancy force himself to it his renew'd Nature is so much contrary thereto Such I say is every Regenerate Child of God and such indeed in a peculiar manner â—ch indeed in a peâ—ar manâ— and in 〈◊〉 highest â—e the â—ldren of â—l and in the highest and strictest sence of the Word that it can be apply'd to a meer Man is a Child of God But then all who are the Children of God either in the sence of Scripture or of your Catechism are not actually thus Regenerate As to the sence of Scripture it is plain as will presently appear that every One who bears the Relation of a Child to God is not Dutiful to his Father â—ut every â—â—d of God â—t actualâ— Regeneâ— either in sence of â—â—ture of your â—chism which is in Heaven no more than all Children are to their Natural Parents It is a monstrous Thing indeed that any Child should be Undutiful to so good and gracious a Father but it is too true that too many are so Hear O Heaven and give ear O Earth for I the Lord have spoken I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me Isa 1.2 And as to the meaning of a Child of God here in your Catechism it is also plain tht it is not only such as are Renew'd in the Spirit of their minds and do imitate God that are there to be understood for every One who is Catechized is requir'd to Answer that In his Baptism he was made a Child of God whereas many Catechumens are not actually as yet Renew'd and really Converted and by their own Fault many will never be so that a Child of God by spiritual Regeneration and a God-like Imitation expresses rather the Duty of every One what he ought to be than the Notion and Nature of a Priviledge which many may Enjoy who in the mean time are not over Dutiful So that a Child of God by spiritual Regeneration or a God-like Imitation is a meaning of the Word as much too narrow to be the sence of it here in your Catechism as a Child by Creation was too wide To proceed then Fourthâ—â— Child â—od as 〈◊〉 in the â—hism is one who by Verâ—â—f a Coâ—â—t Relaâ— Fourthly There are the Children of God by Vertue of a Covenant Relation and also by Adoption who are neither all the Sons of God by Creation nor yet on the other side such onely as are Renew'd in the Spirit of their Minds and do imitate God But they are all those who have been Baptiz'd into the Covenant of Grace and have been Incorporated into Christ's Church and who do profess the true Religion and themselves the Servants of the True God Thus before the Law Gen. 6.2 the whole House and Posterity of Seth are call'd the Sons of God as on the contrary the Posterity of Cain are call'd the Daughters of Men. They are there call'd the Sons of God because that in the Family of Seth â—was the â—â—n of a 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the Worship of the True God was continued and establish'd from which the Posterity of Cain had Revolted And so likewise under the Law the whole Body of the Children of Israel are call'd the Children of God Deut. 14.1 and that for this Reason â—der the 〈◊〉 as it follows ver 2. because they were a Holy people unto the Lord and the Lord had chosen them to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the Nations that were upon the Earth They were a Holy people unto the Lord not all of 'em by an inward and real Change in their Natures but by a Foederal Holiness and by reason of their separation from the rest of the Idolatrous and wicked World by a Holy Covenant Alas as to their inward Holiness this very Body of Men who were call'd the Children of God are said Deut. 32.5 to have Corrupted themselves and to have not the spot of Children but to be a very froward Generation Children in whom is no Faith ver 20. But their outward Relation to God continued notwithstanding and that whole Body of People being in Covenant with God were styl'd thereupon his Children And under the Gospel likewise Vnder the Gospel all that are Members of the Church and in Covenant with God are styl'd his Children Thus 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. you will find that with Relation to all those concerning whom God declar'd He would be their God and that they should be his People which are the express Terms of the Covenant betwixt God and all Christians as you will see Heb. 8.10 and with Relation to all those whom he commanded to Come out from among the Gentiles and to be separate and not to touch the unclean thing that is not to Partake in their Idolatry which is the very Description of the Members of Christ's Church I say with Relation to all these he declar'd he would be a Father unto 'em and that they should be his Sons and Daughters And such are called Sons by Adoption Also a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every One who is so by vertue of Adoption concerning whom it is said Gal. 4.4 5. When the fulness of time was come that God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Now this word Adoption is much used in
in the way of Duty so great which he may not overcome by the Strength thereof Whereas the best of the Moral Heathens had but uncertain Conjectures to ground their Expectations of future Happiness upon and their Hopes thereof being so Weak they presently yielded to the Assault of every great Temptation But besides whatever certainly an honest Pagan And whatever certainly an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Vncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fallvastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven that liv'd up to the Light of Nature and the Dictates of Right Reason if any of 'em can be suppos'd to have done so might have that the good God would reward his Vertue Yet having only the Equity and Vncovenanted goodness of God to depend upon he could promise himself no greater a Measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which considering the Imperfection of the best Actions of the best of Men whoever liv'd how short must that fall of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven * But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same But the Christian whom God has Covenanted withal and to whom he has condescended to Oblige himself to make sure a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 may without Presumption rely upon God's both Truth and Goodness to make good to him the same notwithstanding when he does all that he can consider'd in himself he is but an Vnprofitable Servant as the best are I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth says the Apostle and so may every good Christian say the same there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but to all them who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Such is the Christian's Priviledge above a Pagan in being made an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven in that it is his Inheritance he may assure himself of it tho' his imperfect Vertues consider'd in themselves could never Entitle him to such an Eternal and Exceeding weight of Glory In short It is Jesus Christ alone who hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by Embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And as he only has brought it to light that is made a clear Revelation of that Life and Immortal Happiness laid up for Righteous Men in Heaven which was not before so certainly Reveal'd so it is only through him and by Believing and Embracing and Coming into his Covenant the Gospel that Salvation must now be hop'd for by any for so we are also Assur'd Acts 4.12 and that there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men but Jesus only whereby we must be saved so that this Invaluable Priviledge this exceeding great Advantage of being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven is made over and certainly Ensur'd to such only who are in the Covenant of Grace and is the Third and Last of those Excellent Priviledges and Advantages contain'd and held forth therein But then the Kingdom of Heaven is the certain Inheritance of the sincere Christian who in the Exercise of Mercy Meekness Piety and all other Christian Vertues And to a sincere Chrstian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain which he has Covenanted with God to perform does faithfully discharge his Part of the Covenant as is most solemnly declar'd Matth. 25.31 32 33 34.46 with which I shall conclude this Point Says our Blessed Saviour there When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory And before him shall be gather'd all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand to his Charitable and Pious and Faithful Servants Come ye Blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World And as the Wicked shall go into everlasting Punishment so the Righteous into Life Eternal A summ of â—hose invaluâ—ble Priviâ—edges made â—ver to us â—n God's â—art in the Covenant of Grace And now to summ up those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace hereby we are made First Members of Christ that is are made Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head viz. The Church and so have together with a most excellent Body of Religion and Laws all necessary Grace and Assistance Convey'd and Communicated to us Members from Him the Head to Enliven Support and Enable us to go through all our Task of Religious Duties and Christian Performances requir'd at our hands The Second Priviledge is That we are also hereby made Children of God that is having Embrac'd Christianity and being Incorporated into the Church of Christ we are thereby Adopted and Chosen out of the rest of the World by God to enjoy this grand Priviledge of Sons to have Pardon granted us when with the Prodigal Son we return Home to him to our Offended but Gracious Father by Repentance And we shall find him not over-severe in respect of our lesser Failings and the unavoidable Infirmities of our Nature but shall always have him ready to hear our Prayers for Mercy both in respect of our greater and lesser Transgressions And Lastly The Third Priviledge you have been now told is this that to compleat All We are made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven that is have secur'd to us a Right and Title to the unspeakable Joys and Glories of Heaven A Priviledge which consider'd in it self is exceeding Great and as all the rest if compar'd with what Others enjoy is a very singular One These now are the inestimable Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace Priviledges which as they are of infinite Advantage to us so we shall never fail of obtaining 'em if we will but take care to perform the Conditions requir'd on our Parts and so First Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful lusts of the Flesh on Condition Secondly That we will Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Lives Which Conditions and what they
And especially you must beware of that sort of Lying whereby you will most nearly Resemble him and that is in Slandering and falsly Accusing of any One to the Ruine of his good Name Satan is particularly Stigmatized in Scripture for this sort of Lying and is therefore call'd The Accuser or Slanderer of the Brethren which accuseth them before God Day and Night Rev. 12.10 and it is observable that 1 Tim. 3.11 where Women are charged not to be Slanderers nor false Accusers the Word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be Devils which should be a Warning to them as they would dread so Black a Character to avoid Entertaining one another with Backbiting and speaking Evil of their Neighbours which yet I am afraid is the most usual Conversation when that Sex do meet together Indeed as the pernicious Lye utter'd for the Hurt or Disadvantage of our Neighbour is the most truly Diabolical So all sorts of Lying whatsoever renders such as are Notorious for it Contemptible and Vile amongst Men and Odious to God as does sufficiently appear by the Place and Company they are Rank'd with Rev. 22.15 Without that is Hell are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lye which should make you of all things in the World my Dear Youth to Beware of this Odious Hellish Sin of Lying and I do the more earnestly press you to Hate and Abhor it because Youth are most apt to be Addicted to it And so much for Sin consider'd as a Work of the Devil And now Secondly We should proceed to consider that other great Work of Satan his Tempting of us to Sin But this as it has been his great Employment ever since the Creation of Mankind and will be so as long as there are Men on Earth to be Tempted by him And as his Methods of Temptation are very many and very subtle and it does infinitely concern us Lest Satan should get an Advantage of us that we should not be Ignorant of his Devices For these Reasons I do think it may be profitable to you if I make that great Work of his his Tempting us to Sin the Subject of some particular Discourses by themselves in order to a more full and distinct State of that matter as indeed it is very requisite you should be throughly Inform'd if possible of the Temptations of Satan what they are And therefore leaving that Part for the present I shall proceed to finish this Lecture with shewing you Thirdly what it is to Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin To Renoâ—nce a Woâ—d of â—arious Importance according to the Renounced already spoken of and how necessary it is we should absolutely and entirely do so To Renounce is a Word that is apply'd in our Baptismal Vow to several things even all our Spiritual Enemies that would draw us into Sin The Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sâ—â—â—â—l Lusts of the Flesh they must all of them be Renounced by us And as the Word Renounce does carry in it a great deal of Meaning and is of various Significations according to the Nature of the things to be Renounced So what it does particularly signify with Reference to each of them will best be understood by considering its Importance as apply'd to every One of those things â—enounce â—evil in â—ence of Ancient â—ch was â—sclaime Vsurped â—nion â—ority oâ— Mankind And agreeably therefore to the Explication now given of the Devil To Renounce the Devil is no doubt to Disclaim his Usurpt Dominion and Authority or to leave off having any Communication or Agreement with him or having any Hand in his base and ungrateful Rebellion against God This was no doubt what the Primitive Church understood by Renouncing the Devil for they are Words of a very ancient Use in the Church of God The Devil at the first Rise of Christianity especially had obtain'd a Visible Kingdom and that a Universal Monarchy in a manner over the World Hence he is call'd The Prince of this World Joh. 14.30 He had also his Temples and his Altars and his Sacrifices The things which the Gentiles Sacrifice they Sacrifice unto Devils and not unto God 1 Cor. 10.20 As also many lewd and bloody Plays and pompous Processions were made in Honour of him and he was therefore in Effect The God of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 And now when any were Converted from Paganism to Christianity the Primitive Christians did expresly require from all that were Admitted into that Kingdom of God the Church of Christ a publick and open Renunciation or Abjuration of him or an utter Disowning and Abandoning the Devil's Authority and the Paying any Homage Service or Obedience to him by Worshiping of him or his wicked Angels or by going to those Plays and Processions Instituted in Honour of him Thus does Tertullian an ancient Father inform us in his Book De Corona wherein reciting the ancient Customs of the Church he tells us That just before any were Baptized into the Christian Religion they made a solemn Profession Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquanto prius in Ecclesia sub Antistitis manu contestamur nos Renuntiare Diabolo Pompae Angelis ejus Tertul. de Corona both at their Entrance into the Water as also a little before they had done when under the Bishop's Hands that they did Renounce the Devil his wicked Angels and Pomps that is those solemn Processions of the Heathen Gods and those Lewd and Cruel Plays us'd amongst the Pagans which were the Ceremonies of State as it were in Satan's Kingdom All subjection to the Devil and all usage of those Rights of his Kingdom they did utterly abandon and forsake And this was what was meant in the Primitive Times by Renouncing of the Devil Renounce 〈◊〉 Works of 〈◊〉 was in â—r Sence 〈◊〉 Abandon 〈◊〉 Forsake â—ry Sin as â—ng the proâ— Service â—he Devil And to Renounce his works of Sin must accordingly signify in their Sence to disclaim abandon or forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil and in the real Meaning of it no less than a throwing off God's Authority and a disowning his Power For if you will read over Rom. 1. you will find that People upon their forsaking of the True God to serve other Gods which were many of 'em at least no other than Devils did thereupon fall into all manner of Sin and Wickedness as you will see largely describ'd in that Chapter And if you will also look into the Sixth Chapter to the Romans ver 11. you will see that Christians by being Baptized Were to reckon themselves to be dead unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that in the Original and first meaning of the Words as to Renounce the Devil was to abjure and disclaim the Power and Dominion of Satan and
Heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 Nay so absolutely an Evil is Sin and so Absolutely and Entirely it is to be Renounc'd by us that the least Sinful Action is not to be committed in order to attain the greatest Good So little a Sin as an Officious Lie must not be told no not to save a Man's Life Nor a Pious Fraud nor a Holy Cheat committed to promote the Good of the Church and to Secure and Propagate what we take to be the True Religion For if the Truth of God hath more Abounded through my Lie unto his Glory why yet am I judged as a Sinner Whereas he who telleth such a Kind and Serviceable Lie will certainly be Judg'd as such and as it follows Whosoever shall say Let us do Evil that Good may come of it his Damnation is just Rom. 3.7 8. So that every Christian must Absolutely and Entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin And indeed it is but to consider And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both as well as know the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either of them and it is impossible any should not Absolutely and Entirely Renounce that is utterly Detest and Avoid and Beware of them As for the Devil why Even the Perversest of People the Israelites when it was solemnly put to their Reason and Consideration who to serve God or the Devil could not without the utmost Detestation think of the latter If it seems Evil unto you says Joshua to them Josh 24.15 16. to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve whether the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell and those Gods were no other than Devils but as for me and my house said he we will serve the Lord. And the Result was That the People answered and said God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods God forbid The very Thoughts of such a Thing when they came to Consider it was Odious to them And if we did but Consider the odious Nature of Sin we should not more Abhor the Devil himself than Abandon every Sin For why He that committeth Sin is of the Devil we are told 1 Joh. 3.8 Such a One is of the Devil's Party he is a Sharer in the Devil's Rebellion against God and in his wicked Designs to destroy God's Authority And tho' he be not a Devil himself yet he is near A-kin to him and shall Partake with him as in his Rebellion so in his Punishment And who that Considers this can stick Entirely to Abandon and to Abhor so foul a Thing as Sin is But however whether People will Consider it or no However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace so necessary it is that every Christian should absolutely and entirely Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin that this if you do not do you will forfeit all your Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth to you in the Covenant of Grace and Purchas'd for you by the Blood of Christ If you do not utterly Renounce the Devil by having nothing to do with him in his foul Rebellion against God you will be accounted no Members of Christ's Church but of the Synagogue of Satan as the Apostatizing Gnosticks those great Enemies of God are call'd Rev. 2.9 and that for their Halting betwixt God and Satan And except you do also utterly Renounce his Works of Sin by abandoning every known Sin as that whereby the Divine Authority is thrown aside and his Power disown'd you will be so far from being the Children of God that you will be styl'd no better than Children of the Devil For whosoever is Born of God doth not commit Sin it is said 1 Joh. 3.9 that is does keep himself strictly from all deliberate Sin And in this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God as the same Apostle goes on ver 10. And who else is it think ye but he who Overcometh both the Devil and all his Works of Sin that shall ever Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Why he and none else shall Inherit so inestimable a Blessing we are assur'd Rev. 21.7 8. He that Overcometh shall Inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the Lake that Burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death So necessary upon these several Accounts it is that according as has been Explain'd you should Renounce that is Disclaim Abhor and Abandon the Devil and all his Works of Sin Which that you may all of you do God Almighty grant of his infinite Mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Tenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works I Have already shew'd you First who the Devil is and Secondly in Part what are his Works All Sin whatsoever I have shew'd you is a Work of the Devil but there are some particular Sins which being more directly level'd against God's Authority and expressing more of the natural Temper and Disposition of Satan and being more his own Practice than others do more particularly deserve the Title and Character of the Works of the Devil and what they are I have shew'd you Secondly And as Sin so his Tempting of us to Sin is another main and principal Work of the Devil And I have reserv'd this Subject of Satan's Temptations to be particularly handled in some set Discourses by themselves that so I might have more room to Expose 'em to you there being no subject in Practical Divinity of greater Consequence and Concernment to our Souls than to be throughly Informed in the Ways and Methods of Satan's Temptations Now to Tempt one in the general Notion of the Word To Tempt is to make a Tryal of a Person does barely signify to make Tryal of a Person either by Words or Signs by Promises or Threats whether or no he will do such a thing And the Tempting of a Person may be Morally Good or Evil according to the End for which such a Tryal is made If the Tryal be of a Person 's Vertue To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof only that Occasion may be afforded him to give an Experiment and Proof thereof that so if he do well he may be Rewarded if Ill that his Hypocrisy and the Corruption of his Heart may be discovered and he himself Humbled with the Sight and Sence thereof to his Amendment There is nothing may
many Places of the Scripture particularly Matth. 4.3 and 1 Thes 3.5 he is styl'd the Tempter and from his unwearied Diligence in Tempting us he is said to be continually walking about seeking whom he may Devour He is here by way of Eminence call'd the Tempter because he is the Chief of all those Enemies of ours which would withdraw us into Sin He is the grand Engineer that puts the World and the Flesh on work that does Order and Appoint which way they shall Batter us and does Direct and Manage their several Temptations And now The vast concernment it is to us to know his Temptations as it does infinitely concern you to Know his Temptations and in what Ways and Methods he usually Tempts Men Lest Satan should get an Advantage over you So by the Help of God I will discover to you his manifold Policies and Wiles for tho' he be himself a Spirit and his ways also are not always visible to mortal Eyes yet through the Discoveries that God has made to us in his Holy Scripture we are not Ignorant of his Devices 2 Cor. 2.11 And I do think they may all of them in a manner be Reduc'd to these Four Heads First Such whereby he Attempted the whole Race of Mankind The several Heads of Satan's Temptations to draw it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him Secondly Such as he levels against the Church of Christ the true Servants of God either utterly to destroy it from off the Face of the Earth or at least-wise to Corrupt its Notions of God and Religion so that by our very Religion we might Dishonour him Thirdly Such whereby he Attempts to Overthrow Men of greater Eminency on the account of their Station Order or Piety upon whose Fall many Others are likely to Reâ—olt over to him And Lastly Such whereby he Applies himself to any Persons indâ—fferently to draw them into Sin All these his Methods of Temptation I shall consider severally and distinctly and shall discover 'em to you that you may avoid the Force of ' em And I shall confine my self mostly to such Discoveries as the Scripture does give us There being no other certain way of distinguishing Satan's Temptations from those which arise from other Principles but by Revelation only By what Methods he first Tempted our first Parents and still does continue to Tempt us And First Let us Consider his first and more general Temptations those whereby he Attempted the whole Race of Mankind to draw it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him No sooner did God Create Mankind but this Inveterate Enemy to the Divine Authority had the Boldness to Attempt the drawing off from their Allegiance the whole Race of Men to join with him in his wicked Rebellion against their Maker This he did in Corrupting our First Parents Knowing that if the Fountain were Poison'd all the Streams that Issue thence must needs run muddy and defiled as it accordingly happen'd For By that One Man Sin Enter'd into the World and Death by Sin and so Death passed upon all Men for that all have Sinned Rom. 5.12 And the Means whereby he Attempted the Universal Rebellion of Mankind were I. By insinuateing into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill Opinion of their Maker and Governour particularly with respect to his Justice and Mercy First By Insinuating into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill and mean Opinion of their Maker and Governour This is the Method of all great Traytors who Head a Party against their Prince either to create unreasonable Jealousies and Fears or undue Thoughts concerning him especially concerning the Proceedings of his Justice and Mercy in the Minds of his Subjects And this Policy as Satan does Inspire 'em with So he Practiced it himself to the Destruction of Mankind Yea and hath God said says he slily to the Woman Ye shall not Eat of every Tree of the Garden Gen. 3.1 This is a most cruel Piece of Tyranny and Oppression to lay before a Man Objects that are grateful and pleasing to his Appetites and Senses and then to forbid him the Use of ' em And what tho' you may Eat of all the Trees but One why not of every Tree Why should a Man's Appetites be restrain'd from any Thing that is delightful in this World But however you need not be afraid for tho' God does deal so hardly with you as to deny you those proper Enjoyments you might take yet it cannot be that he will destroy you for your Disobedience in so reasonable a case He will be more favourable to you in the End however he threatens you now What Of the Fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden hath God said ye shall not Eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye dye And the subtle Serpent said unto the Woman Ye shall not surely dye It cannot be but he must be more Favourable to you than so he may Threaten you to Frighten you But ye shall not surely dye But all such â—onceits of 〈◊〉 are to And by this very Method of Satan's Infusing by our Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy of his Justice as if he commanded us unreasonable Things and laid greivous Restraints upon our Lusts and Appetites And by Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy do Men generally Encourage themselves in Sin at this Day and by conceiving unduly of his Mercy as if notwithstanding the severity of his Threatnings he would in time Relent and like an Easy and Fickle-minded Man Reverse his own Judgment and Decrees against sinners By these ill Notions I say of God's Justice and Mercy do the general Part of Mankind to this Day Encourage themselves in sinning against their God and in Rebelling against his Authority This is One of the more General Policies of Satan whereby he did at first and does still endeavour to draw all Mankind to venture upon a Revolt from God But whatever Conceits of this Kind do at any time enter into your Hearts you are to Renounce and Abhor But all such Conceits of God are to be utterly renounc'd and cast out of our Thoughts as Diabolical Suggestions most destructive to our Souls and immediately to cast them out of your Thoughts as the undoubted Suggestions of Satan on purpose to take off your Fears and to lull your Souls into a most dangerous security in a Course of Sin No sure the Laws of God which he has given us you must consider are most Just and Reasonable in themselves and yet farther to Encourage us to Obey 'em in the most difficult Cases he has Propounded infinite Rewards in Heaven to those who shall persevere to the End in well-doing but on the contrary to discourage Disobedience he does Threaten as infinite and eternal Punishments in Hell to all licentious and wicked Living And as he
discover to you What Temptations Satan levels against the Church of Christ God recovers out of the Fallen Race of Mankind a Body of Men the Church to his service Listing 'em under Jesus Christ to Fight against Satan The Devil Enrag'd to have his Prey snatcht out of his Teeth continually Attacks it such as he Levels against the Church of Christ the True Servants of God either utterly to destroy them from off the face of the Earth or at least-wise so to corrupt the Notions of God and Religion that by their very Christianity they may dishonour him Soon after that Satan had seduc'd the whole Race of Mankind into a most unnatural and ungrateful Rebellion against their Maker did God of his infinite Compassion to the woful State of Man in slavery to so base a Tyrant as the Devil Appoint his own Son to be the Great Captain of our Salvation and gave him Power and Commission to List a Church Militant out of the rest of the World who being directed by his Word and assisted by his Holy Spirit should continually fight under his Banner and Conduct against this wicked Spirit the Devil and discharging their Parts well in this Warfare should in another World be eternally Rewarded with Honour by him But the Devil Enrag'd as a Bear bereav'd of her Whelps to have his Prey thus snatcht away out of his Teeth by One mightier than he sets himself with the greatest Vigour to ruine this Body of Men who are Arm'd by God on purpose to destroy his Kingdom and does therefore both with the Fury of a Roaring Lion and with the Cunning of a Subtle Serpent continually Attack it endeavouring all he can either utterly to Destroy the Church of Christ from off the Face of the Earth Or at least-wise so to corrupt its Notions of God and Religion that by Religion it self it might dishonour him And his first and chief Endeavours were His First and chief Endeavours are utterly to destroy it from 〈◊〉 the Face the Earth utterly to destroy the Church of Christ from off the Face of the Earth Towards the understanding of which we must know that God the Father gave Commission to his Son to raise this Church Militant immediately after the Fall of Man and the War between Satan and the Church was Proclaim'd in these Words This he Enâ—avour'd to 〈◊〉 in the Perâ—â— of Abel I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between her Seed and thy Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Gen. 3.15 And no sooner was this War Proclaim'd but this cruel Murderer the Devil for a Murderer he is said to have been from the Beginning thought to have cut it off at one Blow in the Person of Abel And when â—â—erwards â—â—cruited in â—â—e Family 〈◊〉 Seth yet 〈◊〉 Reduc'd it â—ain by the â—oody Poâ—â—rity of Cain Eight Perâ—â—s in the â—â—ys of Noah When after â—â—e Flood â—â—d chose â—raham 〈◊〉 Posterity be a special â—ople unto â—mself Saâ—â— endeaâ—ur'd utterâ—â— to have exâ—â—nguisht that â—â—ople by his â—â—rvant Phaâ—â—oh to slay whom he Instigated his own Brother Cain that Cursed Servant of Hell And tho' God in the Person and Family of Seth did recruit the Church of Christ yet the Posterity of Cain being a Barbarous and Bloody sort of Men did so far prevail and bear down all before 'em that the True Servants of God were reduc'd to the Number of Eight Persons and were drove into a very narrow Corner even into the Compass of the Ark. Thus he prevail'd over the Church of God so as almost to Extinguish it before the Flood Nor did his Fury burn less fiercely against it after For when God giving a Bill of Divorce to all the Nations of the Earth who had so Vilely plaid the Harlot in serving of Idols that is Devils did choose Abraham and his Posterity to be a Special People unto himself above all the People that were upon the face of the Earth Deut. 7.6 Tho' One would have thought that Satan might have been contented with such large spoils as all the Kingdoms of the World besides and that as he had little reason to Envy the Maker of all Things the faithful Allegiance of such a handful of Men as were the People of the Jews in comparison of the rest of the World So he would let God alone with ' em Yet so it was that from the first Infancy of the Jewish Church when by Pharaoh he endeavour'd utterly to have extinguisht that People causing all their Male-Children to be slain by the Order of that Bloody Tyrant till the time of our Saviour's coming into the Flesh we find it to have been his continual Exercise to stir up the Potentates of the Earth against it And in all â—riods till â—r Saviour's â—â—ning he â—â—r'd up the â—â—olatrous â—â—ations their â—eighbours â—â—ecially the â—our Monarâ—â—ies to harâ—â—ss them And there is hardly a Period of Time to be found but either he stir'd up the Neighbouring Nations especially the Four Monarchies of the World mention'd Dan. 2. to Molest Harrass and to Captivate 'em or Instigated their own Kings to Persecute and Destroy those that would remain the Worshipers of the One True God But above all did Satan then Exert his Malice soon after that our Saviour came amongst us and that Christianity began to take Footing in the World when as God's Goodness to Mankind did most wonderfully appear in this their Deliverance so did Satan's Envy and Fury burn so much the fiercer against both God and Man To his infinite sorrow he found himself dispossest of a great Part of Mankind â—ut soon afâ—â—r that Christ â—â—peared in â—â—e World â—â—d he most â—â—gorously â—cert his Maâ—â—ce against it over which he had born before so absolute a sway He saw his Altars thrown down his superstitious Mysteries derided his Magical Arts discover'd and the Kingdom of Light shining thro' his Kingdom of Darkness and Exposing it to the publick View and Scorn of the World and this was a Hell to him as bad as that to which he is to be for ever Chain'd and he call'd it a Tormenting of him before his time Matth. 8.29 No sooner therefore did God out of Pity to the whole Race of Man whom he beheld holden in miserable Bondage to Satan send his own Son To preach Deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the Blind to set at liberty them that are Bruised to preach the acceptable Year of the Lord as it is Luk. 4.18 19. No sooner was Satan aware of this but he endeavours to stifle the naked Infant of Christianity in the Cradle as it were So that for the first 300 Years we hear of nothing but of bloody Persecutions And for the first Three Hundred Years we hear of nothing but of bloody Slaughters of poor Innocent Christians who were hal'd to the Devil's Altars and were Tempted either to Blaspheme God and Christ and
to burn Incense to the Cursed Idol or were most miserably Tortur'd were tore Limb from Limb thrown into Flames of Fire expos'd to the Fury of wild Beasts and forc'd to undergo the most study'd Torments that the Devil and cruel Men could invent True it is The Bloody-minded Emperors of Rome The Emperors of Rome the Instruments but Satan the Instigator and the Governors of Provinces were the immediate Instruments of inflicting those Sufferings upon the poor Christians but the Devil it was that did Instigate and set them on work and accordingly throughout the Revelations we find the Warfare describ'd as betwixt the Saints and the Dragon which in the Language of that Author signifies the Devil so that he is to be lookt upon as Chief in the Temptation And elsewhere to this Day no sooner shall any Pious Persons And wheresoever any Attempt is made to Convert a Country from Paganism he does Instigate the Princes and People thereof to Persecute Destroy the Preachers of the Gospel who are Zealous to propagate Christianity enter into any Country in order to Convert it by Preaching the Gospel unto them but he immediately raises up his Militia against 'em and by Instigating the Princes and People of those Countries to Persecute and Destroy 'em he endeavours to beat 'em off from his Quarters Insomuch that scarcely any Church has been yet planted in any Part of the World but the Blood of Martyrs has been its Seed Such has been ever and is to this Day the Violence of Satan in Opposing and Hindring the Gospel from once Entring his Vsurpt Dominions Nor is he on the other side less Industrious in driving Christianity out of those Countries which it had once Possest and that he has done with such great Success that many Kingdoms And he is no less Industrious to drive Christianity out of those Countries whereof it had once possession And he has an Anti-Christian Party within the Bowels of Christendom most sadly weakening Christ's and most effectually promoteing the Interests of his own Kingdom which were once Christian are since Revolted either to Paganism or Idolatry again or to another Religion of Satan's Invention I mean Mahometism insomuch that if you divide the Earth into Thirty equal Parts Paganism does at this Day possess Nineteen Mahometism Six whilst the Christian's Share is but Five Parts as those who are best skill'd in Geography and History do Inform us And moreover as a Politick Prince will above all Endeavour to Bribe to his Interests a Party of Men within his Enemies Dominions the more effectually to Promote his own Kingdom and to Extend his Monarchy In like manner has Satan in all Ages of the Church had his Anti-Christ in the very Bowels of Christendom that is a Succession of Hereticks who Having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 under the Name and Profession of Christians do sadly weaken Christ's and most effectually Promote the Interests of Satan's Kingdom And who have spilt more Blood perhaps in Establishing their Heresies their Idolatries and Superstitions than was ever done by Heathen Rome and all the other Pagan Persecutions put together So much you see it is the Endeavour of Satan utterly to Destroy the Church of Christ from off the Face of the Earth And now â—hristians â—so far to â—ounce Saâ— with reâ— to those persecuteâ— Temptaâ—s as to â—it to the â—st Sufferâ—s which â—an and his â—ked Inâ—aments can â—lict raâ—r than deâ— Christ or 〈◊〉 Truths And now the Question is What it is And how far we are to Renounce the Devil with respect to these his persecuting Temptations and fiery Tryals And if it should be the good Pleasure of God for Ends best known to himself to let loose the Fury of the Dragon upon us as there is hardly any Age from the very Foundations of Christianity down to our present Times in which he has not and does not in some Part or other of the Church exercise the Faith and Patience of the Saints Why then our Part must be after the Example of those who have gone before us in the Fiery Tryal to submit to the forest Sufferings which Satan and his wicked Instruments can Inflict upon us rather than deny Christ or his Truths Millions I say of Martyrs and Confessors have gone before us in this way of Renouncing the Devil and his Persecuting Methods of Tempting And the time would fail me to tell what Tryals they had of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments how they were Stoned were Sawn asunder were Tempted were Slain with the Sword how they wander'd about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being Destitute Afflicted Tormented Heb. 11.36 37. And all this they suffer'd rather than they would Deny the Faith or in the least Comply with Idolatry or Heresy or with any Sin and Wickedness to which Satan and his Instruments would have forc'd ' em And so must we likewise we must all of us in the same manner utterly Renounce the Devil and Resist unto Blood his Tempting us to Heresy or Sin if call'd thereunto our Blessed Saviour having made it the indispensible Condition of all his Followers so to do Matth. 16.24 If any Man will come after me let him Deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me And indeed those are the Happy men who are Persecuted for their Adherence to Christ and true Religion against Satan and his wicked Inventions Blessed are they which are Persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5.10 There Persecution tends in the End both to their own greater Reward Great is their Reward in Heaven ver 12. And to the farther Increase and Propagation of Truth when the Devil has done his worst the True Church of Christ like the Palm-Tree being found to spread the wider for being Opprest And therefore II. When those â—ody Meâ—ods fail â—atan then â—â—es endeaâ—our so to corâ—pt Men's â—otions of â—od and Reâ—gion that 〈◊〉 their very â—hristianity â—â—ey may disâ—onour him Secondly When these Bloody Methods fail him and instead of extinguishing Christianity the Blood of the Martyrs proves the Seed of the Church then with all the Art and close Contrivance possible does he endeavour to Corrupt Men's Notions of God and Religion so that by their very Christianity they may Dishonour him The Dishonour of God and the Debasing his Authority amongst Men together with the Subjection of Man to himself and the Ruine of our Souls is the Thing he Aims at and provided he compasses this End he cares not by what Means it is whether by Force or by Fraud And accordingly he has his Titles given him in the Scripture from both where he is call'd a Lion from his Fury a Serpent from his Subtilty And indeed if by the former he Has Slain his Thousands by these He has Destroy'd his Ten Thousands So that of all his Methods to Ruine us it does infinitely
concern us That we be not Ignorant of these his Devices Now these Politick Methods of his These Politick Methods of his discover'd to us under the Parable of a malicious Enemy coming privately in the Night sowing Tares where the Husbandman had before sown good Seed whereby he Endeavours To Corrupt Men's Notions of God and Religion so that by their very Religion they may Dishonour him are discover'd to us in the Gospel under the Parable of some malicious Enemy who coming privately in the Night sows Tares where the Husbandmen had before sown good Seed The Parable runs thus Matth. 13.24 The Kingdom of Heaven is liken'd unto a Man which Sowed good Seed in his Field but while Men slept his Enemy came and sowed Tares among the Wheat and went his way But when the Blade was sprung up and brought forth Fruit then appeared the Tares also And in the 37 38 39 ver Our Saviour himself gives us this Explication of it He that soweth the good Seed is the Son of Man the Field is the World the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom that is the Ministers of Religion and their good Doctrine The Tares are the Children of the wicked One that is Hereticks and their Evil Principles The Enemy that sowed them is the Devil Like a skillful Husbandman he is choice about the Nature of the Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil the Fitness of the Season and the skillfulness of the Seeds-man From which Parable and Explication of our Saviour's we may observe That the most skilful Husbandman is not more curious about the Nature of his Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil and the Fitness of the Season and the Skilfulness of the Seeds-man than Satan is choice and considerate about the Nature of his Erroneous Doctrines the Preparation of Men's Minds to Receive 'em about the most proper and seasonable Times of dispersing 'em and the Capacity and Qualities of those his Agents whom he Imploys to sow them in the Souls of Men. And * First As to the Nature of the Seed he takes care his Heretical Opinions and Practices should bear some Resemblance of Divine Truth in order to conceal their Discovery First I do take it to be infinitely worth your while to consider That those Heretical Principles and Opinions which Satan does choose to Blend with Christianity Do generally bear some Resemblance of Divine Truths in order to conceal their Discovery So that as the Tares which the Enemy sowed were not Distinguishable till the Wheat grew up and bore Fruit So the Heretical and Impious Doctrines of Satan's infusing can scarcely be Known but by their Fruits to which way of Trying 'em our Saviour does therefore direct us And thus he does usually Gild over his Errors Thus especially he Gilds his Errours where the Light of the Gospel does most clearly shine as here I. When under the plausible Appearance of Advanceing God's Honour in some of his Attributes he renders him Odious and Despis'd in Others with the Resemblance of Divine Truth especially in those Churches and Countries where the Light of the Gospel does most clearly shine And I think I cannot do you better Service than to Instance in some of those pernicious Errors both in Faith and Practice of this Kind which do at present Infest this Church and Nation that so you may be Caution'd against the Entertainment of them And First It is usual with Satan here amongst us Vnder the plausible Appearance and Colour of Advancing God's Honour in some of his Attributes to render him Odious and Despised in other Thus for Instance By infusing into Men's Hearts a Belief that God has Created the far greatest Part of the World on purpose to manifest his Dominion and Power and Justice in Damning them afterwards for their Sins he Robs him of the Honour of being a Gracious Merciful and Good God to the utter abolishing of all Veneration towards him and Love of him Insomuch that the very Atheist who denies there is a God does not so much Affront him as even a sober Heathen thought as those who think so Dishonourably of him II. When under â—â—e Colour of â—dvancing â—ospel truths â—â—e propagates â—eresies wchâ—o undermine â—eligion and â—he Necessity â—f a holy Life Secondly Vnder the Colour of Setting up as the most precious Gospel Truths some Opinions that seem to have a great Resemblance of Truth he brings in such Heresies into the Church as do utterly undermine Religion and the necessity of a good Life Thus by his Teaching that Christ has so Paid the whole Debt for our Sins that the vilest Wretch that Lives need no more but be Perswaded that he is an Elected Person and that the Promises belong to him on the Assurance of his particular Election and that such a Faith as this will save him By Vertue of such an Opinion of Satan's infusing no doubt you shall too often find an Envious Malicious Viper a Covetous Worldling a Rebel and an Adulterer even before his Sins are Repented of talk of Recumbing and Leaning upon Christ and Roling upon the Promises as they are pleas'd to Express it with more Assurance than the best and holiest Livers and the faithfullest Servants of Christ III. When he teaâ—hes to prefer â—ome eminent Christian Duty or some Part of a Duâ—y or one Way of perâ—orming a Duty to the â—isparagement of anoâ—her Thirdly A most fatal and mischievous Delusion of Satan rise amongst us in this Nation at this Day is his Teaching Men to prefer some Eminent Christian Duty or One Part of a Duty or One way and manner of performing a Duty to the Disparagement of another Thus you shall often see some careless whether they come to Prayers or not so they can be but at the Sermon and others on the contrary say they care not whether they shall hear a Sermon in their Lives so they can have but Prayers But the most notorious Cheat he puts upon Men is his infusing into their Hearts to Prefer One Part of a Duty to the utter Contempt of the Other Thus because in the Worship of God in Prayers and Praises to perform this with an Hearty inward Devotion is principally required and we are commanded As to prefer Prayer to the neglect of Preaching or Sermons to the contempt of Prayer that since God is a Spirit Christians must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth Hence vast Numbers of Men do conclude that Outward Reverence by Kneeling lifting up the Eyes and the like is a meer Outward Ceremony not at all necessary under the Gospel insomuch that God is now most highly Dishonour'd even in our Publick Assemblies where we come to do him Honour by the shameful want of Reverence appearing in most People by Sitting at their very Prayers As also prayâ—ng in Spirit â—o the regard of Bodily Worship So true it is what One said That such a rude and slovenly Kind of
Christ's satisfaction as to make us neglect the Working out our own Salvation On the contrary the Socinian at the same time he pretends much for Morality and a Good Life denies the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ and that God the Father gave him to be an Attonement for the Sins of Mankind and in the Vertue of his precious Blood to Intercede in Heaven for our Reconciliation so that he wholly takes off our Faith or Dependance on Christ for Justification Thus may the most dangerous Errors now in the Church of Christ with a little Watchfulness and Care to examine the Tendency of them be discovered by you from whose Suggestions they proceed and that they are Tares of the Enemies that is the Devils sowing whilst the Husbandman was asleep But do you I beseech you carefully beware of such false Doctrines and deceitful Teachers both which are Satan's Temptations to draw you unwittingly to sin against and dishononr God And tho' his Agents seem never so Demure and appear never so Sanctify'd who do teach Men such Doctrines Beware of those Wolves who come to you in Sheeps cloathing you shall know them by their Fruits If they shall endeavour to instill into your Minds any undue Apprehensions of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost contrary to what you are taught out of the Scripture in the Doctrine of our Church or any pernicious Opinions that in their Nature and Tendency shall render an Holy Good Life unnecessary to our Justification assure your selves they are no Ministers of Christ but of Satan And are set on work by him to destroy God's Authority amongst Men and to set up his own Laws in their Hearts the Thing he aims at And so much for this Time THE Tvvelfth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE Point that we are now upon is to make as full a Discovery to you as here we can of that Great Work of the Devil his Tempting us to Sin A Work so eminently the Business and Employment of Satan and so Dangerous and Destructive to Mankind and also manag'd in such manifold and cunning Methods that it ought particularly to be consider'd by us The Devil says a Father has nothing else that he does but Tempt us to Sin He neither Eats nor Drinks nor Sleeps nor does he any thing else but Tempt Deceive and Subvert us This is his Meat this is his Honour this is his Joy In this he is Indefatigable and if he could have his Will he would never cease Tempting us but that he is restrain'd by the Power of God And now in order to the Countermining and Defeating this mischievous Work of his First Having shew'd you by what Temptations and Means he Overthrew the whole Race of Mankind and drew it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him And Secondly Having also laid before you such Temptations as he Levels against the Church of Christ the true Servants of God either utterly to destroy 'em or to Corrupt their Religion that by that they might Dishonour their Maker Thirdly I am now to shew you III. Satan's great Industry is to gain over to to his Party or to Tempt to some scandalous Enormity such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank their Order or their Piety in the Church That next to his Destroying and Perverting of whole Churches his great Industry is to gain over to his Party or to Tempt to some grievous and scandalous Enormity such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank or Quality their Order or their Piety in the Church of God And * First Such as are most Eminent for their Station or Quality First Such as are most Eminent for their Station or Quality Hence Elymas the Sorcerer that Child of the Devil apply'd himself so diligently to Sergius Paulus a Deputy and Great Man in his Country to turn him from the Faith Acts 13.7 8. And hence as in that long Catalogue of the Kings of Judah and Israel how few were there who were not Idolaters and highly Infamous for some high Abomination or other So since the World became Christian how many Kings of the Earth are there who have Committed Fornication that is Idolatry with the Whore of Babylon and liv'd Deliciously with her and how will both they and the Merchants of the Earth Weep and Mourn over her when her Calamities come upon her Rev. 18.9.11 It is Astonishing to consider how that so many of the Honourable and the Rich who of all Men living are Oblig'd to be Grateful to God for so many extraordinary Favours and Blessings which they Enjoy above other Men should yet carry it so insolently against their Great Benefactor lifting up their Heads above the Heavens as it were Trampling under Foot all Laws both Divine and Humane Such Men's â—ickedness â—ot altogether â—â—om the â—emptingness 〈◊〉 Riches but â—e Industry 〈◊〉 Satan to â—et over such â—â—ading Men â—o his Party Such Men's â—xamples if â—ad of maligâ—ant Influâ—nce because â—â—onspicuous and both in Word and Deed denying and disowning any Powers above ' em Why this is not altogether from the Temptingness of Greatness and Riches which it must be confest are alone a very considerable Temptation but also from Satan's more than ordinary Industry to gain over to his Party and Interest such Men above all others For why These are Generals and Great Officers as it were in the Church Militant and these therefore if they can be but Prevail'd upon to Revolt from God all the Herd of Mankind besides will in a manner follow of course There is indeed Satan does very well know it nothing that has a more malignant Influence upon the Lives and Manners of Men than the lewd and profligate Courses of those who are Eminent in Quality or Power Their Examples are doubtless of vast Importance As in this World they live in a Croud all their Life So they pass not into the Other without a Train of Followers at their Heels If their Examples are extraordinarily Good they bring many to Heaven along with 'em if they have been Vicious and Naughty whole Troops follow to Hell after them for Subjects Children Servants Dependants all take after their Lord and Master except it be very rarely So that those who abound either in Wealth or Honour And will â—ring upon 'em â—he Guilt not â—â—ly of their â—wn but of â—â—her Men's â—ins because 〈◊〉 and do therefore think they have a greater Priviledge to Sin than others because they have greater Temptations to it than other Men are miserably mistaken for as their Lives being publick and conspicuous lye more open to the Observation and Imitation of the World and therefore do cause more to Sin So they shall not have their own only but the Sins of others so far as they have Influenc'd 'em to Sin
therefore I shall bespeak such in the words of St. Peter 2 Epist 3.17 18. Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the Error of the Wicked fall from your own stedfastness but grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In a word and to summ up in short what has been spoke on this Point I have at length shew'd you that next to the Destroying and Perverting of whole Churches the Devil 's great Industry is to gain over to his Party or to Tempt to the Commission of some grievous Sin such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank or Quality their Order or their Piety in the Church of God And this being so since such are the great Mark of Satan it concerns those excellent Persons who are eminently Great or Good that they do especially and above all other Men absolutely and entirely and utterly Renounce and Resist all and every the Temptations of Satan so as not to yield to any of ' em Such are to look upon themselves as the great Commanders in the Church Militant who are to lead and to go before others in the Battles of the Lord against Sin and Satan but if any such should Cowardly Give back in the day of Battle and Temptation they put a stumbling Block and are an occasion to fall in their Brothers way Rom. 14.13 And what says our Saviour in such a Case Matth. 18.6 7. Whoso shall offend One of those little Ones which Believe in him that is discourage and drive from the Christian Practice by his scandalous Life any the meanest of his Disciples It were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his Neck and he were drowned in the Depth of the Sea Woe unto the world because of Offences he adds It must needs be that Offences come but Woe to that Man by whom the Offence cometh So much it concerns Persons Eminent in any Kind that they be Good as well as Great THE Thirteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh HAVING shew'd you Who the Devil is and What are his Works of Sin and how we must Absolutely Renounce both him and them And as to that other great Work of his his Tempting of us to Sin having shewed you First By what Methods he over-threw the whole Race of Mankind at first and Secondly how he does still Endeavour the Ruine of the Church of Christ and especially Thirdly of those who are most considerable for their Rank or Order or Piety therein I am now Lastly Lastly what Temptations Satan levels against all Persons indifferently consider'd in order to a more full Display of that great Work of the Devil his Tempting us to Sin to discover to you some of the more remarkable Temptations at leastwise whereby he applies himself to all Persons indifferently consider'd in the Church of Christ be they High or Low to draw them into sin In the former Attempts upon all Mankind upon the Church of God and upon those considerable and leading Persons therein whose Fall sweeps Multitudes along with 'em into Sin and Ruine Satan shew'd more of his Ambition and Pride as in setting up for a Dominion in direct Opposition to God's So in waging a War with the greatest Bodies of Men and the most considerable Leaders in the Church Militant But in these his latter Attempts upon particular Persons whereby that Spirit appears not content to Foil greater Numbers but moreover pursues his Victory to the picking up here and there every particular Stragler he expresses more of his Inveterate Malice in that he is so wholly bent upon Mischief and Destruction as to stick at no Pains and to leave no Methods untry'd whereby he may destroy every particular Soul amongst the the Sons of Men. And indeed the Devil's Temptations are the more dangerous The Devil's Temptations not easily known to be his nor always distinguishable from those of the World and the Flesh which are â—nag'd and â—ected by 〈◊〉 in that they are not easily known when they are his and cannot always be distinguisht from such as the World and our own Flesh do give us for which Reason at the motion of these two latter we do those things without Fear which if we knew the Devil had a Hand in we should tremble at the Thoughts of Committing And indeed it is but seldom the Devil does immediately by himself actuate any One to do Evil but generally he makes use of the World and our own Flesh as his immediate Instruments to move us to it Whilst he himself stands behind the Curtain managing and directing those our other Enemies to take their Advantages against us However so far as the Scripture does discover to us any Methods of Temptations to be his â—ome of the â—st considerâ—e of his â—thods of â—mpting us â—covered we may safely ascribe 'em unto him And some of the more considerable and dangerous of 'em I will lay before you As First The Devil does miserably delude People into his Power by letting 'em alone to be Obedient to God in some Particulars the better to detain 'em perfect Slaves to himself in others I. â—e permits 〈◊〉 not furâ—r some in â—artial Oâ—ience to â—d in some â—rticulars 〈◊〉 better to â—ain them â—fect Slaves himself in â—ers This is call'd a Dividing between God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 And indeed amongst the manifold Delusions of Satan there is not a more fatal and mischievous One to the Souls of Men than the Hypocrisy of a partial and Ununiform Obedience which the Devil does willingly enough allow us in I say The Devil does willingly enough allow Persons to be partially or in part Obedient for when this Cunning Deceiver cannot prevail on some to be meer Libertines to throw off all the Bonds and Ties of Religion to be as Outragious in Profaneness Impieties Villanies Whoredoms and all sort of Wickednesses as some of his Black Disciples are he is then willing to Compound the matter with such and so that they will be his a little he 'll contentedly allow 'em to be God's very much Knowing very well that if we hold out One disloyal Fort against God retain but One Rebel-Lust and give not up the whole Man unto Christ it will as certainly Condemn us tho' not to so great Degrees of Punishment as if we were wholly Devoted to Satan and gave our selves up to follow all our Brutish Lusts the word of God assuring us that Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and offend in Point is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And our Saviour declaring to us that he will not be serv'd by Halves nor endure the Devil to share with him in his Kingdom over us Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Luk. 16.13 Thus the Devil knows it is his Interest to allow
Men to be partially Obedient to God â—his a most â—al Deluâ—n when â—ne Sins onâ— of a scanâ—lous Name â—e exchangâ— for contraâ— Vertues â—t with the â—etention of â—pieties of 〈◊〉 higher Naâ—re And There is not a more fatal and mischievous Delusion of Satan than this is especially when the partially Obedient exchanges some Sins of a scandalous Name for their contrary Vertues but lives notwitstanding in other Impieties of a higher Nature I say when he changes some particular Sins only of a scandalous Name as his former Debaucht and Lewd Course of Life for a quite contrary One of Temperance and Chastity He now assures himself it was by the motion of God's Holy Spirit he is become a new Man as he thinks and that he is now infallibly safe Thus have I often known those of the Sect of Quakers who have formerly been loose and riotous Livers Triumph very much in their present State as certainly from God because they no sooner became of this way but they ceas'd to be Drunkards and Swearers and lewd Companions and the like Whereas alas The deluded Wretch has but Exchang'd some gross Sins of a more scandalous Name for other Impieties of a higher Nature For now instead of the former more Carnal Sins he has receiv'd into his Heart the more Spiritual and Devilish Ones of Pride and Haughtiness and Contempt of others being so far from in Honour preferring other Men that he will not give the least Honour to whom Honour is due He now decries the Inspir'd Writings of God as a dead Letter and Blasphemously entitles every foolish and deceitful Imagination of his own corrupt Heart to the motion of the Holy Spirit preferring the latter infinitely before the former Nay he now denies all the great Principles of Christianity the Divinity Sufferings and Satisfaction of Christ with the Resurrection of the Body as most of our present Quakers do and so is turn'd meer Deist at the best And now who that considers this can think otherwise but that the Vnclean Spirit went out of that Man only to return into the House from whence he went out and to take with himself seven other Spirits more wicked than himself that they entering in and dwelling there the last State of that Man might be worse than the first Matth. 12.43 44 45. This is certain Such the most Irreclaimable of all Sinners the most Irreclaimable of all Sinners are those who have exchang'd some ill Practices for others equally Wicked and for impious Principles for such do fix themselves in a full Perswasion that their present Way is of God seeing it is contrary to the former which was undoubtedly the Way of Satan Whereas in Truth both their former ill Practices and their present evil Temper and Principles are the Children of the same Father tho' unlike to one another in outward Features So fatal a Delusion it is of the Devil 's to allow Sinners in performing a kind of Partial Obedience to God nay to further 'em perhaps in the throwing off some sensual and grosly scandalous Courses that he may more securely detain 'em Servants and Slaves to himself in the less discernible sins of spiritual Wickedness Secondly Another usual Policy of the Devil 's II. By putting plausible Names upon the worst of Sins under that disguise he does cheat Persons into a good Opinion of 'em and then to commit ' em in corrupting of our Manners is to Put plausible Names upon the worst Sins and under that disguise to cheat Persons into a good Opinion of 'em and then to commit ' em And he had the Impudence to Tempt even our Saviour himself in this manner He would have had him to throw himself headlong from the Pinnacle of the Temple alledging that God would give his Angels charge concerning him and in their hands they should bear him up Matth. 4.6 And this no doubt he would have him believe was a Trusting in God And in like manner by a Satanical Device the Presumption of some that they are the Elect is call'd their Faith by which they shall be Justified Rioting and Drunkenness is call'd good Fellowship and to be easily withdrawn into it the Effects of good Nature Covetousness Griping and Extortion is term'd a providing for One's own which he that does not do is worse than an Infidel And on the contrary to be Prodigal and Profuse is to be Hospitable and Charitable Spite Malice and Revenge is call'd a Hating of of other Men's Sins And the most bitter and fierce Contentions nay the most cruel and bloody Persecutions a Zeal for God and true Religion and when that Temper is justly expos'd to Hatred and Abhorrence then a Lukewarmness and a meer Indifferency in matters of Religion whether Truth or Heresy prevails Gallio's caring for none of those things is styl'd the calm and sweet Temper and Spirit of the Gospel Thus does Sin pass in the World currantly under the mask of Vertue Sin in that disguise gets Reputation amongst Men. Vice appearing in its own Colours is so odious a thing that no One but must be ashamed to own it But being adorn'd by the Cunning of Satan with Titles of Respect and in the shews of Vertue it is lookt upon with no evil Eye but gets Approbation and Reputation amongst Men. But the Devil gets a Passport for several Sins into the World not only by giving 'em the Name of Vertues But III. 〈◊〉 changing 〈◊〉 Nature â—everal Diâ—e Graces 〈◊〉 that they â—enerate inâ—â—very great â—s Thirdly By changing the Nature of several divine Graces and Vertues so that they degenerate into very great Sins It being much the Devil's Policy to Transport Persons out of that Moderation wherein Vertue does for the most Part consist into that Excess which much resembles it but is really exceedingly sinful and hurtful to Men's Souls This we gather to be the Devil's Policy from 2 Cor. 2.11 where the Apostle advises the Corinthians to Forgive at the last that Incestuous Person amongst 'em whom they had deservedly Excommunicated and to receive him to the Communion of the Church being he had Humbled himself and Repented and that Mercy he would have 'em shew him lest Satan should get an Advantage over 'em For we are not ignorant of his Devices says he that is lest the too long continuance of the Punishments they inflicted upon the Penitent Offender might be made use of by Satan to the hurt and ruine of the Church by hightning their Zeal against Sin into an Irreconcilableness to the Sinner And indeed there are many Sins and Vertues so near in their Nature that the Passage from one to the other is hardly discernible insomuch that by the Art of Satan we easily slide from one to the other As Obstinacy in standing out against all Conviction concerning the Truth is easily mistaken for Constancy in the Faith and the Love of our selves for the Love of God But especially that Zeal for God's Glory
the very Image of God it is very reasonably requir'd of him That he should chiefly mind Heaven and Heavenly Things his near and chief Relations if I may so say which he is Everlastingly to enjoy and that he should not much concern himself with the Things of this world which he must shortly leave behind him and then all Relation betwixt 'em will cease But all the time of his Pilgrimage here Living and Conversing for the most part with the Things below he becomes sooner acquainted with them and they with him they have an easier Access to him than Heavenly Things and have therefore greater Opportunities to court his Affections and to win upon 'em So that in the End it too often falls out that St. Paul's Rule is liv'd Counter to and Men generally Set their Affections on things below and not on things above 〈◊〉 what manâ— it does â—ptivate us 〈◊〉 draw us â—m God The manner how the world Captivates and Enslaves and Draws the whole Man in Triumph after it is this It presents to the Senses Riches Honours and Pleasures and dazles 'em with their Glory and Beauty Men's outward Senses being so extreamly taken with these do easily bribe the Affections to love 'em above all other and cause 'em to Covet and Lust after ' em The Affections becoming hereby most eagerly desirous of 'em do put a false Biass upon the Judgment so that our Understanding and Reason usually becomes thereby so far Corrupted as to dictate to the Will that these outward and sensible good Things are the Objects which are above all others worthy of its Choice And thereupon the Will does immediately choose the present Objects of Sense the Riches Honours and Pleasures of this World prefering 'em far before spiritual Things And thus the whole Man Body and Soul is made a Slave to the world and neglects Heaven and minds not to perform the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace the way thither 〈◊〉 far thereâ—e as it enâ—ges our Afâ—tions too â—sely to it â—s to make 〈◊〉 Inordiâ—ely and â—egularly 〈◊〉 mind it â—d to neglect 〈◊〉 great Conâ—n the Buâ—ess of Reâ—ion it is to â—â—e Renounâ— and Reâ—â—ed by us So that upon the whole Matter the world is so far only our Enemy and to be Renounced and Overcome by us as it Engages our Affections too closely to it so as to make us Inordinately and Irregularly that is with an Affection to it or any Thing in it beyond its due Desert to mind it and too much to neglect our great Concern the Business of Religion and the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace our way to Heaven and Happiness * So long as we wear these Earthly Bodies about us we are permitted the Vse and Enjoyment of worldly Things provided in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable So long as we live in this World and are Parts of it our selves and carry these Bodies of Earthly Materials about us there is no doubt but it is necessary for us and we are permitted to be concern'd in it and we may without scruple gratify our selves with the Enjoyments of it provided it be in Things lawful and in degrees allowable and that we suffer not our Hearts and Affections to be too much fixt upon it But in regard our Souls the principal Part of us by far are the Natives of Heaven and are only as Pilgrims and Tenants here Below to stay but for a short Time For As the Dust shall return to the Earth as it was so the Spirit shall return to God â—t being our â—uls our â—ncipal â—rt are soon 〈◊〉 remove to â—eaven we â—â—st chiefly 〈◊〉 our â—fections on â—ings above â—d mainly â—â—eavour to â—ain them who gave it Eccl. 12.7 we must therefore Set our Affections chiefly on things above on God the Society Interests and Enjoyments of that Ever-blessed State making it our main Business to Possess to Attain and Enjoy them and not on things below the foolish Interests and Satisfactions of this perishing and transitory State here on Earth Col. 3.2 And so far as the world or any thing in it Inveigles our Hearts and Affections to fix upon it and seduces us to commit any Thing sinful and hinders to mind the Business of Religion and the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace our way to Happiness and everlasting Satisfaction it is to be Renounced Rejected and Overcome by us It is the Matter of a Christian's Warfare and the subject of his Victory And so far as this Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World 1 Joh. 5.4 and in this sence St. Paul Professes Gal. 6.14 that The world was Crucified unto him and he unto the world And thus you see in General in what sence and how far we are to Renounce the World But Secondly II. Concerning the World consider'd in its Particulars those Temptations result both from the Good and the Evils thereof For the more full and compleat Explication of this Point of Renouncing the world it being a Matter wherein it concerns you to receive the most distinct Directions I will farther consider the Particulars of which this World is made up and will also shew you in what sence and how far you are to Renounce each of ' em And here it is observable that when we come to take a nearer View of the world in its Particulars it does not then appear as it does in the General to have nothing in it but Good but to contain withal a great mixture of Evil and indeed to be in the present State thereof almost wholly made up of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit And both the Good and the Evil Things thereof do give us considerable Temptations to Sin Now the Good Things of this world are summ'd up under these Heads The Riches Honours and the Pleasures it affords The good things of this World Riches Honours Pleasures the Evils Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions And Things of a middle Nature are the different Callings Conditions and Cares of this World And its Evils on the contrary may be reduc'd to Poverty Disgrace and those Afflictions of all sorts which in innumerable ways do assail us And there are also some Things therein of a middle Nature as different Callings Conditions or States of Life and the Cares of this World which are the Appurtenances to it and afford great matter of Temptation and Tryal to us therein And in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce it with reference to each of these I will endeavour to shew you And First As to the Riches of this World These are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestowed by the Divine Providence upon those that have 'em to very excellent Purposes and Uses that they may do Good therewith and that not only in providing for their own Houshold but also by Stewarding them out to the Support and Advancement of Religion and Vertue I.
to these following Nobility or Gentility Preeminence or Authority and Dignities and Promotions which are call'd Posts of Honour Also an High Esteem and Reputation amongst Judicious Wise and Good Men upon the account of a Person 's Wisdom and Vertue or some worthy and glorious Action perform'd by him Or the Vulgar Applause of the Croud of Men upon what they account Praise-worthy and Honourable And lastly the Outward Expressions of Respect either by Word or Deed usually given upon the account of any of these I shall consider all these Kinds of Honour apart and allowing to Persons who any-wise deserve Honour all that is consistent with Innocency I will shew in what Sence and how far they are to Renounce it as it Tempts 'em to Sin against God and to Trample under Foot his Authority and Laws I. â—obility or â—â—ntility And First as to Nobility or Gentility This is an Honour derived down upon Persons from their Fore-fathers who are suppos'd to have Ennobled their Names and Families by some excellent Atchievments in Peace or War either in Learning Arts or Arms or whatever worthy Performances whereby they have signally Benefited their Country â—he original â—ature of â—obility or â—â—ntility and who upon that account have been distinguisht by certain Badges and Titles of Honour from the Croud of Men whose Ancestors have not been so eminently Famous and Deserving And such Honour as this is highly agreeable both to Scripture and Reason In the Scriptures we do not only find the Princes of Israel Heads of the Houses of their Fathers who were the Princes of the Tribes and were over them Numb 7.2 but also that they bore several Coats of Arms for Distinction which what they were you may see Gen. 49. And in Reason there is as great a Necessity that there should be a Distinction of Members more or less Honourable in the Body Politick as in the Natural and therefore in both Vpon some Members we bestow more abundant Honour 1 Cor. 12.23 And indeed such a Distinction of Persons upon the account of their Merit or Desert of their Families does serve to raise the Emulation of Men to Atchieve some noble and worthy Enterprize and to shake off that Sloth which would otherwise Enfeeble their Activity And for this reason it is that God has Planted this Passion of Emulation in Persons Natures to rouze 'em up to Imitate the noble Vertues and great Examples of Others that they likewise might Transmit a Name worthy to be Imitated in future Generations Such is the Original and Nature of True Nobility and so Reasonable and Useful it is in it self The Abuses 〈◊〉 is subject 〈◊〉 and in â—hat Instanâ—â—s to be Reâ—ounced But as the best Things are liable to the worst Abuses so it fares with this sort of Honour And the Noble-man or Gentleman is apt to think himself Priviledg'd above others to trample under Foot all Laws both Divine and Humane and to reckon himself above Reproof or Punishment when he has done to despise and oppress the rest of Mankind as if they were but a lower Rank of Creatures and had not Souls as excellent in their Natures and as capable of Improvements as precious in God's sight and as much the Heirs of Heaven as his own Such are apt to fly at the greatest Distance from those worthy Vertues which Ennobled their Ancestors and indeed to despise Religion and its chiefest Vertues as Qualities beneath ' em I. A Gentleâ—an be he of what Rank â—r Quality soâ—ver must utâ—erly renounce â—ll that Honour which pretends to place him above the laws of God or Man and beyond Reproof or Punishment when he has Violated either But First A Nobleman or Gentleman be he of what Rank or Quality soever must utterly Renounce all that Honour which pretends to put him above the Laws of God or Man and beyond Reproof or Punishment when he has Violated either For so far is One of an Eminent Quality from being at liberty to be an Atheist or Libertine a Licentious and a lewd Liver a breaker of the Laws of his Country and a despiser of the Discipline and Orders of the Church and so far is he from being above Punishment or Reproof for such like Violations that he is bound above all other Men to be a strict and orderly Liver and upon his Failure is more open to Reproof and more liable to be severely Punisht Such a one is plac'd upon a higher Form than other Men and consequently his Deformities and Vices are more open to publick View and more easily discern'd and the Multitude which are always apt to observe the Faults of their Superiors will be sure to pass their usual Censure How unbecoming is this Man's Life to his Birth and Quality and how does he he disgrace himself and Family So Injurious is he to himself He is moreover by the Eminence of his Birth and Quality as A Light put not under a Bushel but on a Candlestick and so the World who are always apt to imitate the Manners of their Superiors seeing his bad Example will many of them Copy it out to their own Destruction so Mischievous is such a One amongst Men. And lastly he has receiv'd far greater Talents from God than other Men to employ to his Glory which he has abus'd to his Dishonour he is ungrateful towards God He has had the Examples of more noble Progenitors before his Eyes to raise his Emulation he has had the Advantages of a better Education to improve his Knowledge he has more Time and Leisure to pursue it more Riches to procure the Means of Attaining it he has more Authority to support Religion and the Church and he has a greater stock of Reputation amongst Men to Countenance both And having thus a greater share of Talents to employ to his Master's Honour proportionably a greater Measure of Improvement thereof to the Advancement of God's Glory and Religion amongst Men will be requir'd at his Hands For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required and to whom Men have committed much of him they will ask the more Luk. 12.48 Such a One is bound above others to be a strict and orderly Liver and upon his Failure is more open to Reproof and more liable to be severely Punisht And now does any Man think when he has so much Abus'd himself and Family when his Example has been so Mischievous and Infectious to Mankind and when he has turn'd all the Artillery which God has given him to fight against Sin and the Devil when he has Treacherously turn'd it upon God himself will his Honour bear him out in this Or does he think himself above the Reproof of God's Ministers here or the Punishment of an Incens'd Deity hereafter No He is the Man to whom Reproof does particularly belong and accordingly Herod the Tetrarch was reproved by John the Baptist for Herodias his Brother Philip's Wife and for the Evils which
Mechanicks and the lower Rank of Mankind but also that mixt Multitude or Herd of Men as well High as Low Rich as well as Poor all of what Rank or Degree soever who have little or no Principles of Religion or Vertue all whose Apprehensions of Divine and Religious Matters are mean and low and not lifted above the common Pitch and to those Heights and Improvements given us by true Philosophy and the Christian Doctrine Truly all such are accounted the Vulgar and shall be Herded amongst the Croud for me whether they be clad in Silks or Furs and fare Deliciously every day or whether they work at the Anvil or follow the Plow or beg at our Doors And by their Applauses I do mean that Vogue and Suffrage that Approbation and whatever other Expressions of good liking which they do commonly give to bad Actions and sinful Practices as Swearing Drinking Whoring Fighting Duelling and the like And these Applauses of theirs are as common and great a Temptation to most of those Sins which are committed as any thing whatsoever and must therefore be utterly Renounc'd This sort of Honour must be utterly and absolutely renounced Detested and Abhorr'd by us So that if ever it should so happen that you shall unhappily commit any of those scandalous Sins which God avert and any of those profane and unthinking Creatures who make a Mock a meer Jest of Sin shall Applaud you for the same instead of being pleas'd thereat you must take Shame to your self and let 'em know you are too much griev'd and troubled at your having committed such Folly and Madness to be pleas'd at their Recital and Plaudits given it No sure A Repentance consisting in Sorrow and Shame is what ought to follow Sin but to Glory in it and to receive Applauses for it is infinitely to Aggravate it And know this for certain that Except you Repent ye shall all likewise perish as many other Sinners triumphing like Mad-men in their Impieties have done before you Luk. 13.3 And now Lastly it only remains that I lay before you In what sence and how far you are bound to Renounce those outward Expressions and Significations of Respect either by Word or Deed which are usually given upon the account of any of the foremention'd Honours Lastly in what Sence and how far we must Renounce those outward Expressions of Respect either by Word or Deed which are usually given upon the account of any of the foremention'd Honours Hitherto we have consider'd Honour in its internal Parts only as Birth and Quality Authority and Dignity Reputation and Esteem either for good or bad Qualities and Performances and have shew'd you in what Sence either of these are to be Renounc'd And now I am to do the like as to that outward part of Honour whereby is exprest and signify'd to the Senses the Eyes and Ears of men the Respect which is born to Persons upon the account of any of the fore-mention'd Honours And as to these outward Significations of Honour they are made either by Word or by Deed. By Word and they are either Divine Expressions of our Veneration and Honour viz. Those Names and Attributes peculiarly belonging to God or Humane Ones as Titles of Honour when we call a Person Lord most Gracious most Excellent most Noble or the like or Titles of Respect as when we call a Person Father Master c. Also as to the outward Significations of Honour by Deed these are again either Divine as Adoration or Religious Worship Prostrating our selves on the Ground before God and such other Significations of our most excessive Self-abasement in respect of him and our infinite Distance from him or they are Humane such as may be also us'd to Men as bowing of the Body bending of the Knee baring of the Head c. All which are Lawful Innocent and Dutiful ways of expressing our Respects and are also necessary according as they are apply'd to Persons to whom by the Laws of God and right Reason they are due And now the Question will be In what Sence and how far any Person is bound to Renounce these Honours and Respects when conferr'd upon ' em And First No Created Being either Men or Angels must suffer those Respects to be given them whether by Word or Deed which are proper and peculiar to signify our sence of God's Majesty and Perfections I. No Created â—eing either Men or Anâ—els must sufâ—er those Reâ—â—ects to be â—iven them â—hether by â—ord or deed â—hich are â—roper and peâ—uliar to sigâ—ify our sence â—f God's Maâ—esty and Perâ—ections Thus you 'll see when Paul and Barnabas had miraculously Heal'd A Creeple at Lystra who had never walked the people would have done Sacrifice unto them as if they were Gods but those Good Men no sooner perceiv'd it but in the Abhorrence of the Blasphemy Rent their Garments and ran in upon them to restrain them crying out and saying Sirs Why do ye these things We also are Men of like Passions with your selves and preach unto you that you should turn from these Vanities to serve the living God Act. 14.14 15. And no doubt but as the Angel also refused the Worship which John offer'd him Rev. 22.9 So both the Blessed Saints and Angels above do now with the utmost Indignation Renounce that Divine Worship given 'em by their Superstitious Votaries the Papists Nor must any Humane Creature forbear to Renounce so as to express the utmost Detestation and Abhorrence thereof when any of the Divine Attributes and Perfections are ascribed to 'em by the Flattery of sinful Men for the want of which Renunciation Herod you 'll see Act. 12.21 22 23. was the most signally punisht by the Hand of God It happened that upon a set Day Herod arrayed in Royal Apparel sat upon his Throne and made an Oration unto the People And they gave a shout saying It is the voice of a God and not of a Man and immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the Glory and he was eaten up of Worms and gave up the Ghost that is because he disclaimed not that Blasphemous Flattery of the People God Executed that remarkable Vengeance upon him And this ought to be a Warning to those vain and inconsiderate Women who in the Courtships that are paid 'em and the Complements which are usually made 'em do suffer even Divine Attributes and Perfections to be ascribed to ' em Women therefore must with Detestation renounce those Blasphemous Complements wherein Divine Perfections are usually ascrib'd to them Nay and these they receive not only without rebuking those that presume to offer 'em but with all the Complacence and Satisfaction in ' em But surely this will be required not only at their Hands who do so Blasphemously Complement 'em but at theirs also who do patiently suffer God to be so much Blasphemed in their Praises and the same Vengeance which overtook Herod will not
also Believed on him yet because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they lov'd the Praise of Men more than the Praise of God Joh. 12.42 43. that is They Valued their Reputation with Men and their Places and Posts of Honour more than the Testimony of and Reputation with God himself But as the True Religion is here openly Profest amongst us and generally it receives no Disgrace heartily to Espouse it and to Live up to it but is indeed a matter of Disgrace to do the contrary except it be with some profligate Debauchees of our Age If it happen that you should Fall into their Company and Acquaintance which God preserve you from So the Temptations of this Nature which they will give you to cool you towards the serious Profession and Practice of Religion will be Consider'd hereafter when I come to speak of the wicked World and the Temptations which Arise from thence And thus I have consider'd and laid before you as the World in General and the Good Things thereof in Particular viz. Riches Honours and Pleasures So on the contrary the Opposite Evils of it Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions and have Discover'd to you the various Temptations each of 'em do give you and how you are to Renounce and Resist ' em And now it only remains Lastly That I do the like and consider also some Things therein of a middle Nature viz. The Callings Conditions of Life and the Cares of this World which are the Appurtenances of it and afford great matter of Temptation and Tryal to us therein And in what Sence and how far you are also to Renounce each of these I will endeavour to shew you And First Let us consider the Callings of the World I. The Callings of the world and how the Temptations they give are to be Renounced and what Temptations they give us in what Sence and how far we must Renounce and Resist them Now a Calling is some settled Course of Life wherein a Person employs himself in some Business such as Providence has fitted him with Abilities for and which he is Called and Appointed unto to employ himself therein to the Honour of God and to his own and the publick Good And there is no Man nor Woman if not utterly disabled in Body and Mind who ought not to be of some such Calling That is In the first place every Man ought in a settled Course of Life to betake himself to some Business Every Man is to betake himself to some Business Adam even in the State of Innocence was Enjoyn'd to Dress and keep the Garden or e're he could Freely eat of every Tree thereof Gen. 2.15 16. And since his Fall it is as well the Duty as it is the Curse of all his Posterity that In the sweat of our Brows we must eat of our Bread Gen. 3.19 So that every Child of Adam must now with great Industry and Application Employ himself in order to obtain the Necessaries or Conveniencies of this Life It was indeed from the very Beginning and even in Paradise it self our Duty to be Employ'd but it is now both our Duty and Punishment that we must Employ our selves even to the taking of Pains every Man in his proper Calling And that Calling which every Man is to employ his Time in must be such as Providence has fitted him with Abilities for It must be such as Providence has fitted him with Abilities for As God hath distributed to every Man as the Lord hath Called every one so let him walk 1 Cor. 7.17 God hath distributed to every Man some proper Gift or other and therefore every Man must Glorify God in some peculiar Calling or other And to whatsoever particular Calling any Man's peculiar Abilities do fit him to that he is to look upon himself as preparatively Call'd or Appointed by God And such he is preparatively Called and appointed to by God with due Abilities and lawful Authority in Church or State is to determine his Call God does not ordinarily himself Point out any Person by an express Designation as he Called Bazaleel and Aholiab by Name to do the Wâ—rk of the Tabernacle Exod. 31.2 But he distributes his Talents variously to all Persons on some he bestows the Gifts of Honours and Fortunes as to Magistrates and Gentlemen to some the Gifts of Good Parts and Learning as to Scholars of whatsoever Profession and to some Skill in Trade and in Arts as to Dealers and Artificers and to the Inferior and Poorer sort of Men he gives Health and Limbs and whatever sits 'em for Toil and Labour And to some he gives the whole Ten Talents to Trade withal to their Master's Use that is Authority Riches Learning Skill in Business and Strength of Body and Mind and accordingly of all he will require an Account how they have Employ'd their Talents For unto whom much is given of him shall much be required Luk. 12.48 And the unprofitable Servant shall be cast into outer darkness Matth. 25.30 Lastly whatever Calling any Person is appointed to by the Divine Providence he must Employ himself therein to the Glory of God and to his own and the Publick Good To whatsoâ—â—er Calling 〈◊〉 is appointâ— he must â—ploy himâ—f therein to â—od's Glory â—â—d his own â—â—d the pubâ—ck Good In the first place to the Glory of God for that is to be the main End of whatever we do 1 Cor. 10.31 and also to his own and his Families Good For he that provides not for his own especially for those of his own House he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 And also as every Man is a Member of the Body Politick he is bound to employ his Time and Parts and Pains for its Welfare for God requires that As every Man has received the Gift that accordingly they should Minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet. 4.10 And no Member of Church or State of what Rank or Quality soever he be but must Employ or Interest himself for the Publick Good For God hath so temper'd the Body or Humane Societies together that the Members should have the same care one of another and whether one Member suffers he would have all the Members suffer with it as in the Natural Body or one Member be Honoured he would have all the Members rejoice with it 1 Cor. 12.24 25 26. So that it is necessary you see that every Person should betake himself to some Calling or Business And now the Question will be What is to be Renounced with respect to the Callings of this World And First It behoves all Persons utterly to Renounce such Callings and Professions of Men in the World as are directly sinful and wicked I. All Persons â—ustrenounce â—uch Callings â—nd Professiâ—ns as are diâ—ectly sinful â—nd wicked Such are Bards Pimps
III. The State of Celibacy advantagious to Devotion in Times of Distress or the single Life and St. Paul speaking to those which are Unmarried tells 'em It is Good for them if they Abide so 1 Cor. 7.8 and that upon Two Accounts First at all Times because of the greater Freedom and Vacancy for Meditation and Divine Employments therein He that is Vnmarried careth for the Things of the Lord how he may please the Lord Secondly and more especially in Times of Persecution or the Approach of Sufferings coming upon the Church of God and because of the present or impendent Distress ver 26. But yet this State is the most subject to Unchast Desires and Lewd Practices if not powerfully restrain'd by rooted Principles of Vertue And therefore Even the State of Celibacy it self must be Renounc'd and Forsaken by those who cannot contain This must be renounced when Persons cannot Contain according to the Advice of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.9 They who cannot contain let them Marry for it is better to Marry than to Burn For alas when Persons Morals are once Corrupted in this Kind it is very rare that either Man or Woman returns to that just Abomination and Abhorrence which all Christians ought to have of the very Thoughts and Expressions of Uncleanness according to that of St. Paul But Fornication and all Vncleanness let it not be once Named amongst you as becometh Saints Neither Filthiness nor Foolish Talking nor Jestings which are not convenient Eph. 5.3 4. Lastly the Marry'd state has its Advantages The last State of Persons I shall here mention is that of the Married a State Ordain'd by God Matth. 19.4 and the more to be lik'd that besides the mutual Supports and Comforts afforded to each other therein many both Husbands and Wives do owe their Conversion to Christianity and from a wicked to a good Life to the prudent and discreet Instruction of one or other of the Married Couple 1 Cor. 7.16 Nevertheless there is Danger in this as well as in other States In Times of Distress they are apt to be Tempters to one another to sinful Compliances and at all times are Plung'd into worldly Cares and He that is Married careth for the Things that are of the World 1 Cor. 7.33 and that too often to the great Hindrance of Religion And therefore First All Solicitations from either Husband or Wife must be utterly Renounc'd I. All Solicitations from either of the married Couple must be renounced which would Perswadâ— to sinful Compliances in times of Distress when out of worldly Regards either He or She would disswade from a Conscientious Discharge of Duty and a Faithful Confession of any part of Christianity in which case we must even Hate Wife and Children c. Luk. 14.26 as has been already spoke Secondly And even in the Married State all those worldly Cares which choak up or disturb Religion must be utterly laid aside as will be fully shew'd you under the Next and Last of those Things pertaining to this World which afford great matter of Temptation to us viz. The Cares thereof Now as to the Cares of this World true it is we have many worldly Interests and Engagements to mind we have the Necessities both of our own Persons and of those who belong to us to serve II. And Engage too much in worldly Cares Nor is any thing prepar'd for us without Industry and Endeavour so that by the Necessity of our Condition we are every One of us more or less some in one way some in another engag'd in worldly Affairs Hence it is Lastly the Cares of this World the last of those Things pertaining to it in some measure necessary that some Care about the Things of this World is allow'd us nay and indeed we are commanded to continue in the Calling wherein God hath set us 1 Cor. 7.20 and we are warn'd that we be not slothful in Business Rom. 12.11 But the great Unhappiness and Sin of many in this difficult case is this That a moderate Concern for the Things of this World being Allowable they are apt to Overwhelm themselves in a multiplicity of Cares As also to let the Cares of this world to Alienate their Affections from God and Heavenly Things and to withdraw their Attention from him in those Divine Services they are bound to Pay him And few who are far engag'd in Temporal Designs and Cares know when to Retire from the world and to throw them off so as to give themselves a sufficient Time to prepare for a better Life But as necessary as worldly Cares are in most men's Circumstances yet First It becomes Christians to Renounce that Multiplicity of Cares I. It becomes Christians to renounce a multiplicity of Cares which distracts their Thoughts and shews 'em to have no other Aims but at this World And yet so it is that some Men fill their Heads with innumerable Projects and do so Overwhelm themselves with Variety of Business that they do scarcely allow themselves time to Eat and Sleep But to be in a perpetual Hurry after this World's Goods and to be so over-solicitous for our future Provision in it is an Argument of Men's Discontent with that Condition wherein Providence has plac'd 'em and of an anxious Fear they shall not be sufficiently Provided for by God's Blessing concurring with an honest Industry in their Affairs And is such a Care as however it might become Pagans who knew little of the Doctrine of God's Providence in this Life and of his Treasures of Bliss provided for us in another Yet is infinitely unbecoming Christians who are throughly Instructed in the Divine Providence and Care over us and his future Provisions for us and is therefore so strictly forbid us Matth. 6. from the 24th Verse to the End Secondly It behoves us Christians so far to Renounce any Worldly Care as it does Alienate our Affections from God and Heavenly Things II. Every worldly Care so far as it does alienate our Affections from God and Heavenly Things and withdraw our Attention from him in the Services we are bound to Pay him as is too often I say as is too often For hence it is that so many do neglect Holy Duties both Publick and Private and that they Perform either with so little Devotion Hence it is that many come so seldom to Church or when they do that they carry themselves in the Performance of Prayer Praises and at the Hearing of the Word with so much Coldness Laziness and want of Attention And hence also it is that at Home there is so seldom any Family-Prayers and Reading of the Scriptures and good Books And I wish That rising up early and sitting up late and eating the Bread of Carefulness may not hinder some from Paying any Devotion to God as much as Privately by themselves every Morning and Evening And yâ—t this is the least that can be imply'd in those Precepts of Luk.
much upon this one Article of Renouncing the Devil c. And so I have at length done with this no less Important than Copious Subject the Renouncing of the Devil the World and the Flesh It may seem indeed as if I have been too long upon the Explication of one single Article of our Covenant viz. the Renouncing of the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and All the Sinful Lusts of the Flesh But if it be considered that half the Business of our Christian Religion is performed in Resisting the Enemies of our Salvation it will not be a Matter of blame that I have been so long upon this Point especially in Instructing of Youth about it who ought to be very well fore-arm'd in order to their coming off Conquerors The truth of it is this Renouncing of the World the Flesh and the Devil that is the Resisting and Overcoming of all their Numerous Host of Temptations is the Christian's Warfare and great Work For as the Holy Scriptures do in a multitude of Texts Represent our State as a State of Warfare Fight the good Fight of Faith lay hold on Eternal Life for hereunto ye have been called before many Witnesses 1 Tim. 6.12 That is we Listed our selves in this Warfare at our Baptism in the Presence of the Church of Christ As our State I say is a State of Warfare against all these Spiritual Enemies so it does infinitely concern all of us to know as far as is possible All their Arts and Stratagems to deceive us and this I hope will be a sufficient Apology that I have been so improportionably long to what I have and shall be upon other Heads in shewing you what it is and how far you must Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE XXII Lecture Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith HAving largely Explain'd the first Condition of Life and Happiness and shew'd you what I conceive is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh I come now to do the like as to the Second Condition upon which we are to expect to be Justify'd to have our Sins Pardon'd and eternal Life and Happiness conferr'd upon us and which we have also Covenanted with God to do and that is that we Believe all the Articles of our Christian Faith In order to the Explication of which Point 1. I will declare to you the General Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be believed 2. I will shew you What it is to BELIEVE those Articles or Christian Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And 3. I will shew you how we must Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith And that I am to declare to you something in general Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature concerning the Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed The whole Bible both Old and New Testament is the proper Object of a Christians Faith The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both and whatever we find therein Recorded or deliver'd down to us we are to believe as a Divine Certain and Infallible Truth because all things therein contain'd are the Word of him who will not who cannot Lie who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will he deceive others As to the Old Testament and the the Old Testament and the Writings of the Prophets Jehosophat in a Solemn Assembly of the whole People upon a Solemn Fast-day 2 Chron. 20.20 Proclaimed unto them stood up and said Hear me O Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall you be Established believe his Prophets so shall ye Prosper And let the Declarations of God Recorded therein be of what Nature they will the Truth of them is by no means to be called in doubt If you will not Believe surely ye shall not be Establish'd Isa 7.9 And so likewise as to the New Testament New Our Saviour upon his entrance to preach the Gospel did in the first place require of all Men to Believe it Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and Believe the Gospel Mark 1.14 15. And when he was also leaving the World and Commission'd his Disciples to go into all the World and to preach the Gospel to every Creature He declar'd that he that Believeth shall he Saved but he that Believeth not shall be Damn'd Mark 16.15 16. So that both the Old and New Testament and every part and parcel of Scripture therein contain'd is firmly to be Believ'd as the Divine Certain and Infallible Truth of God And the reason thereof as to the Old Testament is because Prophecy came not in Old time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 And we are also firmly to Believe all the parts both of Old and New indifferently because all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 All the parts of it are the Dictates and Word of God himself and are more or less Useful to our Edification and Improvement in Divine Knowledge Faith and Practice And therefore all Ranks and Degrees of Men and of every Age Young as well as Old ought diligently to Study and firmly to Believe the Holy Scriptures The Bereans did so and they were accounted the more Honourable for so doing The Bereans were more Noble than those in Thessalonica in that they Received or Believed the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily Act. 17.11 And it is Recorded to the Immortal Honour of Timothy 2 Ep. 3.15 that from a Child he had known the Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Well but tho' all Scripture as being the Infallible Word of him who neither can be deceived himself nor will deceive others does Challenge the Belief of every Christian yet among the great multitude of Truths of various Kinds deliver'd in the Scriptures some are of far greater Importance and Concernment to us than others Some Truths Revealed in Scripture of greater Importance and Concernment to us than others because they do more immediately and directly tend to give us due and worthy Apprehensions of God and to Instruct us in the only sure Method of Salvation by Jesus Christ There are some Principal Doctrines of Christianity which are in their own Nature apt to have a greater Influence
into Moses or Initiated into the Religion of Moses The Heathens were initiated into their Mysteries by Purgations or Washings in the Cloud and in the Sea And indeed the very Heathens likewise they were initiated into their Mysteries and Worship by some solemn Rites or other and that frequently by Purgations and Washings And now agreeably to both the Rite or Ceremony whereby our Saviour appointed that we should be Initiated into the Covenant of Grace or the Christian Religion was Baptism or Washing As our Blessed Saviour out of his Infinite Wisdom and Goodness did ordain That agreeably to our Humane Nature which is most sensibly touch'd with Outward Things the Covenant betwixt him and us should be transacted by Outward and Express Solemnities Our Saviour chose the latter as what would be acceptable to both Parties so he was not scrupulous of having it done by such Outward Rites as were more generally known and acceptable both to Jews and Gentiles Circumcision the Rite of Initiation into the Legal Covenant he would not adopt into the Covenant of Grace because it was detestable and had in abomination by the greatest part of the Heathen World but Baptism or Washing none could accept against it either Jews or Gentiles It was used by the Jews as well as Circumcision to initiate their Proselytes into Covenant as was before said and the Gentiles did as often use it in a Sacramental Manner when they were entred into any of the Heathen Mysteries of their Pagan Worship especially when on any extraordinary Occasion they professed their Innocency as appears from Pilate the Roman Governour 's so solemnly Washing his Hands when he would declare himself clear of shedding the Innocent Bloud of the Holy JESUS Especially as more significative of Christian Purity Mat. 17.24 And indeed as on the account of its agreeableness to all Parties so chiefly no doubt he chose it for the Sacrament of the Christian Religion on this last score viz. it s being so significative of the Cleanness from the Pollution of Sin of the Purity and Holiness that all Christians are to practise As Washing purges and cleanses the Body from Dirt and Filthiness so our Saviour chose the Washing of Regeneration as the Apostle calls Baptism Tit. 3.5 to be the Rite or Ceremony whereby all his Disciples should be initiated or entred into his Covenant or Religion to signifie that all his Disciples must be Pure and Holy not polluted with the Sins and Wickednesses of the World And this he has enjoined as indispensibly necessary to our initiation into the Covenant of Grace And so indispensible a Rite of our Initiation or Entrance into the Covenant of Grace did our Saviour make it that he did not only Command his Apostles and all the succeeding Ministers of his Church to the end of the World to Baptize those whom they did proselyte over to his Religion Go says he Matth. 28.19 and teach or disciple by Baptizing 'em all Nations and lo I am with you always to the end of the World But he excludes all others froâ— having any Interest in his Covenant of Grace which he vouchsafed unto us and from having any claim to the Promises of it who are not Entred into it by the Outward Rite and Solemnity or Ceremony of Baptism Thus he tells Nicodemus with a Verily verily that is with a solemn Asseveration which amounts almost to an Oath That Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God is here meant the Church of Christ which is a Society of Men in Covenant with God enjoying certain inestimable Privileges under Christ their Supream Head and is often in the New Testament called the Kingdom of God as Matth. 21.31 So that it is plain from hence that there is no admittance to the Privileges of the Gospel or New Covenant which are Grace Pardon and Happiness nor to the Enjoyment of those infinite Rewards in Heaven the chief of all the Mercies of the Covenant without being first entred into the Church by Baptism which is the Oatward Seal and Confirmation of those Mercies to us Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And agreeably to this Doctrine of his Lord and Master did the Great St. Peter hold Baptism so indispensibly necessary that he ordered even those Persons upon whom at his Preaching of the Word the Holy Ghost had fallen which one would have thought might render Baptism unnecessary yet he ordered even those to be Baptized withal as you may see Acts 10.46 47 48. Then answered Peter Can any Man forbid Water that these should not be Baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we And he commanded them Commanded whom why those on whom the Holy Ghost had fallen vers 44. and who had received the Holy Ghost as well as he vers 47. he commanded even those to be Baptized in the Name of the Lord. Thus is Baptism you see an Outward Rite or Ceremony of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace Secondly And thus our Saviour appointed us to be entred into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably as it were Sealed to betwixt God and us Baptism appointed the Rite of Admission into the Covenant of Grace for the better Confirmation and Assurance of its Terms the Promises on God's part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually and interchangeably Sealed to betwixt God and us As in this sacred Rite of Baptism there are two Parties concerned God who by his Minister or Ambassador and Agent as he is called 2 Cor. 5.20 does admit the Person Baptized to Covenant and does by him promise and engage to conferr upon him particular Blessings and Favours and the Party Baptized who presents himself or is presented by others and does solemnly engage to Renounce GOD's Enemies the Flesh the World and the Devil to Believe in God and to Obey him As there are Two Parties I say God and Man thus transacting a Covenant together so the Minister God's Agent his Receiving the Party and Baptizing him in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost is the Sealing to it on God's part who has promised to confirm in Heaven what they in his Name and by his Commission shall bind on Earth Matth. 16.19 And the Party presenting himself or being presented to Baptism and therein expresly vowing to perform the fore-mentioned Conditions and in token of that his being washed or sprinkled with Water is the putting to as it were his Seal to the Counterpart of the Covenant And farther as this mutual Covenanting and Sealing does give unto God besides his Right of Creation a farther Right by our own express Engagements to our Obedience
of Christ's Church pag. 60 Scandalous Members to be suspended from the Lord's Supper First Christian Ordinances are a singular Favour which Aliens and Unbelievers do not nor have any Right to enjoy Secondly they are excellent Advantages consider'd in themselves pag. 61 First as conducing much towards our Edification As most comfortable to the Souls of those who enjoy them pag. 62 They are seldom sufficiently valued till most wanted The Second general Priviledge belonging to the Members of Christ's Church is a sufficient measure of Divine Grace and Assistance derived from him the Head and convey'd by his Ordinances to enable us to conform our selves to his Religion and to obey his Laws pag. 63 By the same means that Christ is united to his Members is Grace conveyed down from him as Head to those Members The first Medium of Union betwixt Christ and his Members must be each Member's Union to the Catholick Church Secondly its Union to the Lawful Governours and Teachers of the Church pag. 64 Thirdly the use of Christ's Institutions and Ordinances First Divine Grace a most singular Priviledge if compar'd with what others enjoy of this Nature pag. 65 Secondly an exceeding Advantage consider'd in it self All the Members of Christ have Supplies proportionable to their Station in the Church pag. 66 And also in such Measures as according to different Times and Occasions in the Church are wanting pag. 67 LECT VII â—hat is meant in the Catechism by a Child of God First Not the Son of God by an Eternal Generation Secondly Not every Son by Temporal Creation which is a Sence too wide pag. 68 â—hirdly Nor such only who are Children of God by spiritual Regeneration which is a Sence too narrow pag. 69 â—uch indeed are in a peculiar manner and in the highest sence the Children of God But every Child of God is not actually Regenerate either in the sence of Scripture Or of your Catechism But Fourthly a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every one who is so by vertue of a Covenant Relation This was the Notion of a Child of God before the Law Under the Law pag. 70 Under the Gospel Also a Child of God as meant in the Catechism is every one who is so by vertue of Adoption Adoption what The use of it amongst the Israelites and the Priviledges it gave them The use of it amongst the Gentiles and the Rights it conferr'd upon them pag. 71 How we Christians especially such who are descended from the Gentiles are according as has been spoke the Adopted Children of God To the Israelites did once pertain the Adoption But that Covenant by entering into which they were his Children was only Temporary To last only till the Publication of the Gospel After which they and all Christians were to be Children of God by faith in Christ pag. 72 But the Jews adhering to their Law and refusing Christ and his Gospel in whom God had predestinated all to be his Sons the Apostles turned unto Gentiles preaching Christ and Salvation to them and to as many as received him to them gave he power to be the Sons of God What are the Priviledges which do belong to the Children of God as such In general such as an indulgent but wise Father may be supposed to allow his Children beyond Aliens and Strangers Particularly First Pardon of all Sins upon hearty Repentance pag. 73 Secondly by being his Children he will not be so severe as to mark what is done amiss as to Sins of Infirmity pag. 74 Thirdly to the Children of God is granted an easier access by Prayer to the Throne of Grace for pardon of Sins and other Mercies Lastly a Child of God is more surely instated in the Inheritance of Heaven than others pag. 75 The infinite reason we have to praise God for these Advantages pag. 76 LECT VIII By the Kingdom of Heaven is meant in Scripture either first the Kingdom of Grace in this Life or secondly the Kingdom of Glory in the Life to come The Kingdom of Grace the Gospel State pag. 77 The reason why the Gospel State should be dignifyed with the Title of the Kingdom of Heaven viz. Because it so directly tends to render Men so exactly like the Blessed Saints the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven pag. 78 This is not the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Catechism Secondly the Kingdom of Heaven signifies the Kingdom of Glory This a most noble and glorious State as being dignify'd with so honourable and glorious a Title as the Kingdom of Heaven pag. 79 Hence all those in this World wherein we conceive the highest Glory and Happiness are used as Emblems to set off our future Glory All which things come short of expressing it An Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven What An Heir is one who has a legal Right and Title to a Possession made over to him Such who have enter'd into the Covenant of Grace are in like manner Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven as Children are Heirs pag. 80 It is through Christ alone not owing to the Merit of our Obedience that we are Intitled to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven The Vastness of a Christian's Priviledge in being made an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven First it is in it self a very great Priviledge to have the invaluable possessions of Heaven so setled and ensur'd as to have a legal Claim and Title thereto made over to one pag. 81 Secondly if compared with what others enjoy it is a singular Priviledge The best amongst the moral Heathens could have but faint Hopes built upon uncertain Conjectures of a future Happiness And their Hopes being faint they could not in the Strength thereof overcome great Temptations But the Christian's Hopes are sure and stedfast being founded upon the express Promises and Covenant of the God of Truth And being such there is no Temptation so alluring nor Suffering so great which he may not overcome pag. 82 And whatever certainly an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Uncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fall vastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by Embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And to a sincere Christian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain pag. 83 A summ of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace pag. 84 LECT IX Whereof the First is to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh pag. 85 The Devil his Names and their Importance He was once one of the highest
Malice against it pag. 108 So that for the first 300 Years we hear of nothing but of bloody Persecutions The Emperors of Rome the Instruments but Satan the Instigator And wheresoever any Attempt is made to Convert a Country from Paganism he does instigate the Princes and People thereof to Persecute and Destroy the Preachers of the Gospel And he is no less Industrious to drive Christianity out of those Countries whereof it had once Possession And he has an Anti-Christian Party within the Bowels of Christendom most sadly weakening Christ's and most effectually promoting the Interest of his own Kingdom pag. 109 And now all Christians are so far to Renounce Satan with respect to those his persecuting Temptations as to submit to the sorest Sufferings which Satan and his wicked Instruments can inflict rather than deny Christ or his Truths Secondly When those bloody Methods fail Satan then does endeavour so to corrupt Mens Notions of God and Religion that by their very Christianity they may dishonour him pag. 110 This Politick Methods of his discover'd to us under the Parable of a malicious Enemy coming privately in the Night and sowing Tares where the Husbandman had before sowed good Seed Like a skilful Husbandman he is choice about the Nature of the Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil the Fitness of the Season and the Skilfulness of the Seeds-man First As to the Nature of the Seed he takes care his Heretical Opinions and Practices should bear some Resemblance of Divine Truth in order to conceal their Discovery Thus especially he Gilds his Errors where the Light of the Gospel does most clearly shine as here First When under the plausible Appearance of Advancing God's Honour in some of his Attributes he renders him odious and despis'd in Others pag. 111 Secondly When under the Colour of Advancing Gospel-Truths he propagates Heresies which do undermine Religion and the Necessity of a holy Life Thirdly When he teaches to prefer some eminent Christian Duty or some part of a Duty or one Way of performing a Duty to the Disparagement of another As to prefer Prayer to the neglect of Preaching or Sermons to the contempt of Prayer As also Praying in Spirit to the regard of Bodily Worship And Extemporary Prayer to the utter Contempt of Forms of Prayer pag. 112 By this latter Means Satan has utterly Defeated those excellent Helps we have in our Church and brought in a great Neglect of Publick Family and private Devotion pag. 113 Secondly As to the Temper and Preparation of the Soil in Churches where the Scriptures are Lockt up and Ignorance prevails he imposes the grossest Heresies as Articles of Faith Especially he introduces Idolatry and Superstition whereby he is most immediately and directly serv'd Thirdly As to the fitness of the Season he is dexterous in Accommodating his Counsels his Actions and his manner of Acting to such Seasons as are most proper to his Purpose of seducing Mankind pag. 114 Hence in dark and ignorant Ages nothing so common as the Apparitions of Saints as was Pretended to introduce the Belief of Purgatory Image-worship and the like Superstitions And in Learn'd and Philosophical Ages he is as shy in appearing lest she should destroy the prevailing Sadducism Fourthly As to the Skilfulness of the Seeds-man Satan is wonderfully Cunning in making choice of fit and proper Instruments and in furnishing those with the proper Arts of Deceiving and with suitable Qualities whom he employs to sow the Seed of corrupt Doctrine in the Souls of Men. pag. 115 Such as place all Religion in Morality shall be adorned with Humanity Such as turn it all into Mystery shall be Gifted with Canting pag. 116 And yet sometimes the Crooked Serpent by Men seeming Godly will propagate Principles extreamly Immoral The most difficult Part of a Christian's Warfare is to preserve One self untainted with Heretical Pravity colour'd over with the Varnish of Gospel-Truth But yet by Trying it by proper Rules it may be done viz. First By its Tendency to an ill Life Secondly By its taking off from our Dependance upon the Mediation of Christ for the Acceptance of a good One pag. 117 LECT XII Thirdly Satan's great Industry is to gain over to his Party or to Tempt to some scandalous Enormity such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank their Order or their Piety in the Church First Such as are most Eminent for their Station or Quality pag. 119 Such Men's Wickedness not altogether from the Temptingness of Riches but the Industry of Satan to get over such leading Men to his Party Such Men's Examples if bad of malignant Influence because Conspicuous And will bring upon 'em the Guilt not only of their own but of other Men's Sins because Their Actions have the force of a Precept as well as of a Pattern which Inferiors are afraid to shew their dislike of pag. 120 Great Men therefore must of all others Renounce the Temptations of Satan Secondly Such as are most Eminent on the account of their Order viz. the Ministers of Religion He is doubly Enrag'd against such both because in the Nature and Design of their Office they are to destroy his Kingdom and because the rest of the World do altogether Eye them for their Pattern Hence no Temptation left untried to withdraw such into some scandalous Enormity pag. 121 And hence the more Industrious a Minister is the more Industrious is Satan to overcome him And in the very way wherein he is most serviceable to the Church of God Satan does endeavour to make him most Mischievous As by turning his Zeal into Faction His spiritual Mindedness into Enthusiasm If he cannot prevail over him by real Miscarriages he will render him useless by forged Calumnies pag. 122 It wonderfully concerns the Interest of Religion that the Reputation of its Ministers be kept unsullied Hence Satan and Satanical Men so Industrious to blast it And slanderous Reports lessen the Authority and Influence of the Clergy almost as much as real Sin pag. 123 It behoves the Clergy therefore so far to Renounce and Resist the Devil's Temptations as to take care not only to be really Blameless but also to abstain from all appearance of Evil. Thirdly Such as are signal for their extraordinary Piety and Vertue Good Men the Devil knows will be scandaliz'd at such a One's Fall And the Atheistical will triumph therein And withal the lapst Person will be rendered almost incapable ever after of Converting others by his Example or Exhortations pag. 124 Against this Bulwark of Religion therefore the Devil draws up all his Artillery The Pride and Pains he takes in overcoming such a One represented in a Parable pag. 125 The more Exemplarily Pious therefore any Man is the more it concerns him to beware of the Devil and all his Temptations pag. 126 LECT XIII Lastly what Temptations Satan levels against all Persons indifferently consider'd The Devil's Temptations not easily known to be his nor
always distinguishable from those of the World and the Flesh which are manag'd and directed by him pag. 127 Some of the most considerable of his Methods of Tempting us discovered First He permits if not furthers some in a partial Obedience to God in some Particulars the better to detain them perfect Slaves to himself in others This a most fatal Delusion when some Sins only of a scandalous Name are exchanged for contrary Vertues but with the Retention of Impieties of a higher Nature pag. 128 Such the most Irreclaimable of all Sinners Secondly By putting plausible Names upon the worst of Sins under that disguise he does cheat Persons into a good Opinion of 'em and then to commit ' em Sin in that disguise gets Reputation amongst Men. pag. 129 Thirdly By changing the Nature of several Divine Graces so that they degenerate into very great Sins Sins thus mistaken are seldom Repented of Fourthly By putting Novices upon undertaking Severities greater than they can go thro' with on design that when they grow weary thereof they may together with those their voluntary Severities throw all Religion aside as too Burdensom and not at all Practicable pag. 130 The difference between God's Ordering and the Devil's Management of Men in these Matters Fifthly By injecting of evil Thoughts into our Minds at our Devotion to unhallow those Services whereby we do really and most immediately glorify God and benefit our own Souls pag. 131 And thus he hinders the Efficacy of the Word Sixthly The Devil observing the outward Wants and Necessities of Persons he accordingly Tempts them by the use of unlawful Means to remove those Evils Seventhly Knowing every particular Person 's inward Dispositions he accordingly presents such Objects to the Fancy as shall be likeliest to prevail over such a Man to commit some grievous Sin pag. 132 Eighthly Above all by Representing to the Fancies of Men the Conveniency of Riches the Glory of Honours and the Sweetness of Pleasures he does thereby Bribe 'em to Rebel against God and to Sin against their own Souls In his Representation of this World's Goods he shews only the fair Out-side to allure into Sin industriously concealing all that is Hurtful therein and would deter Men from it pag. 133 Ninthly Having prevail'd thereby upon Persons to commit some grievous Sin to obtain them he then lays the shame and disgrace of their Sins before 'em perswading 'em to commit another horrid Wickedness to hide from the Eyes of Men the shame of the former pag. 134 Tenthly Having once Engag'd a Person into many Sins he either lulls him in Security or drives him into Despair Lastly There are those whom God does in a great measure give up to the Delusions of Satan others whom he does wholly Abandon to the Power of the Devil First Such ill-dispos'd Minds as out of love to their Lusts seek after such Principles and Teachers as will make Sin easy to their Consciences are justly left to the Delusions of Satan Secondly Such as by a long Course of many damning Sins have laid wast the Conscience and have baffled all the Methods of God's Grace to Reclaim 'em these are sometimes even in this Life abandon'd by God to be acted by the Devil pag. 135 And lastly so are Witches Magicians and Conjurers who have Covenanted away both Body and Soul to the Devil on Condition he will be for some time at their Beck to execute their vile and malicious Purposes Upon the general View of the Works of the Devil both of Sin and Temptation it does appear his Drift is no less than to usurp God's Throne and to draw the whole Race of Mankind into the same Cursed Rebellion against the Majesty of Heaven with himself pag. 136 What it is and how we must Renounce this great Work of the Devil his Tempting of us to Sin pag. 137 The Temptations of the Devil are then only properly Renounced when they are Resisted by us That they may be successfully Resisted First We must keep our selves always Sober Sobriety First As opposite to Drunkenness a necessary Preservative against Satan's Temptations pag. 138 Secondly As opposite to Passion Secondly Watchful over those our Weaknesses especially where Satan will be likeliest to Attempt us And Thirdly we must be constant and fervent in Prayer to God to Protect us from them pag. 139 LECT XIV What is meant by the Pomps and Vanity of the wicked World and in what sence and how far we must Renounce the wicked World with its Pomps and Vanity Three things here to be Explain'd and accordingly Renounc'd 1. The World 2. The wicked World and 3. The Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World The World a great Enemy to God's Glory and our own Happiness pag. 141 It is to be consider'd both Generally and Particularly First By the World in general is meant that whole Frame of Nature which we behold and all that variety of Creatures which it contains and is given us by the Bounty and Goodness of God for our Use and Benefit The World in this sence is not in it self Evil but only accidentally by Man's Abuse of himself or it pag. 142 Consider'd in it self it is very Good and convenient to us And as it is not absolutely in it self Evil so neither is it entirely to be Renounced but being Good in it self it may in some measure be desir'd and enjoy'd by us Nevertheless through our own Corruption whereby we abuse the good Things of the World it becomes accidentally the occasion of most of our Sins and of our Estrangement from God our sovereign Good How the World becomes so pag. 143 In what manner it does Captivate us and draws us from God So far therefore as it engages our Affections too closely to it so as to make us Inordinately and Irregularly to mind it and to neglect our great Concern the Business of Religion it is to be Renounced and Rejected by us So long as we wear these Earthly Bodies about us we are permitted the Use and Enjoyment of worldly Things provided in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable But being our Souls our principal Part are soon to remove to Heaven we must chiefly set our Affections on things Above and mainly endeavour to attain ' em pag. 144 Secondly Concerning the World consider'd in its Particulars and those Temptations result both from the Good and the Evils thereof The good Things of this World Riches Honours and Pleasures the Evils Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions And Things of a middle Nature are the different Callings Conditions and Cares of this World First As to Riches these are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestowed upon us to good Ends and Purposes And those who enjoy 'em have great Advantages of doing Good therewith to others Comfort and the Benefit of their own Souls Nevertheless Riches are a mighty Temptation whether we consider Men as Getting Possessing or as Parting with or Losing of them pag. 145 First In the over-eager Pursuit