man was made consisted chiefly in Knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse God made man righteous x Eccl. 7. 31. This all must know The second generall Mans fall Knowledge to bee examined concerning man is of mans fall This must be knowne that all men are Principle wholy corrupted with sin through Adams fall there is none righteous no not one y Rom. 2. 10. Every imagination of the thought of his heart evill a Gen. 6. 5 Now this came by the fall of Adam by one man sinne entred into the World b Rom. 5. 12. Adams sinne was the cause by it wee are all defiled and deprived of the glory of God And the Knowledge of this will make us First Take heede to the fountaines of all apostacy Secondly Looke unto our selves and make conscience even of lesser sins wee see what the eating of an apple did Thirdly To get our armour and make all the provision wee can against the Divell for hee it is that thirsteth after mans ruine Fourthly It will teach us humiliation for eternall shame lies upon our nature by this vile offence both in respect of our losse and the fearfull displeasure of God The End of the Third SERMON The Fourth SERMON 1 Corinthians 11. CHAP. 28. VERS Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that Bread and drinke of that Cup. WEE have heard what it is that every man must examine himselfe of that would come worthily to the Table of the Lord he must examine his Knowledge his Faith Repentance Obedience Love the Knowledge to bee examined was either First Generall or Secondly Speciall The generall Knowledge Concerning 1. God 2. Our selves 3. The Covenant of Grace Our Knowledge concerning God to bee examined was concerning First His essence Secondly His Workes Our Knowledge concerning our selves was concerning First Our first estate Innocency Secondly Our fall Thirdly The Curse of God due unto us by reason of the fall The two former of these we have finished it remaines that wee speake of the latter the Curse of God due by reason of it Gods Curse Now the Curse is threefold First Gods Curse in this life Secondly Gods Curse in the end of this life Thirdly Gods Curse for ever after this life is ended First what Gods Curse Gods Curse in this life is in this life Now this Curse is a Curse extending First To mans soule Secondly To mans body Thirdly to mans goods Fourthly To mans good name Soules Curse The Curse of God to mans Soule is madnesse blindnesse hardnesse a Deut. 28 65. Bodies Curse The Curse of God to the Body is weakenesse diseases aches paines b Deut. 28 21. 22 27. Curse to goods The Curse of God to the goods is losses and hinderances c Deut. 18. 16 17. Curse to good name The Curse to the good name it is discredit The second is what the Gods curse in the end of this life Curse is in the end of this life Which is nothing but death the separation of the Soule from the Body The last is Gods Curse due Gods Curse after this life is ended to man after this life is ended And this is eternall death in Hell where he shall alwayes bee dying and never dead seeke hee shall death as a benefit and never shall finde it This is fearefull and lamentable if we doe but examine our Knowledge concerning three things First the degrees of it Secondly The place of it Thirdly The continuance of it First the degrees of Gods The degrees of Gods curse in Hell Curse after this life is ended First the damned they have no communion with God nor participation in any of the blessings of God They shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power d 2 Thess 1. 9. Secondly They have Union with the Divell with whom they have an eternall fearfull fellowship He shall say to them on his left hand goe ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angells e Math 25. 41. Thirdly Their bodies shall suffer unexpressible torments which are expressed by their lying in fire and brimstone f Isa 30. 3. 16 Luc. 23 Fourthly They are inwardly affected with incredible horrour and torment of conscience arising from the sense of Gods anger for their sinnes g Rom. 2. 9. 10. The second is concerning The place of it the place where this shall be The place is fearefull a place that in Scripture hath divers names to intimate the horrour of it as Hell the great Pit bottomlesse gulfe prison darknesse utter darknesse and many other terrible titles h Mat. 22. 13. Thirdly concerning the Rev. 20. 1. The continuance of Gods curse in Hell continuance of it Know we must that the torments of the damned in Hell are everlasting the damned must goe into everlasting fire i Rev. 14. 11. The Knowledge of Gods Curse due to us will bring us First To a Knowledge of the danger wee are in by reason of sinne danger in life danger in death danger after death if wee did know this as we ought we would not be so angry when the Minister shewes the danger wee would not rage so when the curses are applyed to us wee would not bee like the Horse and Mule which have no understanding Secondly The Knowledge of this would bring us to righteous living these will draw us to repentance and seeing that we are so undone by the first Adam wee will hast to seeke release from this misery by the second Adam for there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ k Rom 8. 1 Thirdly This will compel us to a carefull practice of duties especially of sixe First Of admiration to Admiration admire the exceeding riches of the tender kindnesse and mercy of God and the great love wherewith hee hath loved us that hath forgiven us so great a debt and freed us from such unspeakable confusion Secondly Of Looking Loooking upon the Lord JESVS who hath done all for us payd our debts and suffered the uttermost in our roomes who was wounded l Isa 53 3. 5. Thirdly Of warning that we are warned to sin Warning no more wee will bee watching that we be not deceived through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Pitying Fourthly Of pitying with all compassion to pity those with whom wee converse that yet live in sinne labouring to the uttermost of our power to draw them out of this fire Fiftly Of enduring and Enduring that of all sorts of afflictions knowing that the Lord if it pleased him might lay greater upon us Sixtly Of remembring Remembring of our miseries and to love the Lord alwayes and rejoyce in him Thus much for the knowledge concerning God and concerning our selves the last generall Knowledge to be examined is concerning the Covenant of Covenant of grace grace wherein God hath
promised to bee our God and we to be his people by which wee have deliverance from our former evill and the glad tidings of salvation through Jesus Christ Now for the second Knowledge to bee examined and that is the speciall Knowledge concerning the nature of the Lords Supper as our Knowledge First What it is Secondly why it is so called Thirdly The causes of it Fourthly The end of it First it concernes every man that comes to Gods Table The Lords Supper described that hee know what the Lords Supper is Namely a Sacrament of our spirituall nourishment and growth by faith in CHRIST to eternall life Secondly why it is called Wâ—y so called the Lords Supper as Because it was ordained Reas 1 by the Lord m 1 Cor. 11. 22. Because it was instituted in remembrance of the Reas 2 Lord this do saith he as yee doe it in remembrance of me n 1 Cor. 11. 25. Because in the primitive Reas 3 Church it was usually received on the day of the Lord o Acts â—0 7. The principall cause Thirdly we must know the causes of it as First The cause principall Secondly the cause instrumentall Thirdly The cause materiall The cause principall is God Because hee onely can Reas give grace and afoord meanes First Commanding to Minister and receive it Secondly Promising that whosoever receiveth and beleeveth shall be saved The Instrumentall cause Cause instrumentall Cause materiall of it is the Minister The Materiall cause twofold 1. The outward signe 2. The inward thing signified The outward signe The outward signe is twofold First The Elements of Bread and Wine Secondly The actions of the Minister and Receiver First the Elements of Bread and Wine And here is a question to be answered Quaes Why the Lord Jesus Why bread Christ did make choyse of Bread and Wine rather than any other elements to bee Signes of the Sacrament of his Body and Blood Resp For good Reasons the Analogy and proportion that is between them shewing the same And thus it holds First Bread is the principall supporter of mans life now as Bread is of naturall life so the Lord Jesus is of our spirituall bread in regard of the strength of it it is called The Staffe of Bread p Lev. 26. 26. Reason Because as the weake and wearied man is stayed up by the staffe so the weake body is strengthned by bread so saith the Psalmist he bringeth forth of the earth bread that strengthens mans heart q Psal 104. 15. S. Aug. upon which words Saint Augustine after his Allegoricall manner of exposition applies it unto Christ saying quem panem What Bread and answers Christum Christ Secondly Bread takes away corporall hunger and as bread takes away corporall hunger so the Lord Jesus takes away spirituall Thirdly Bread profiteth none but such as are hungry it doth no good unto them that are filled and glutted the Lord Jesus profiteth none but those who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Quaes Why Wine Why wine Resp First Wine is the sweetest liquor proceeding from the Vine the Lord Jesus the most sweetest liquor He is the true Vine his blood is sweete indeed r Ioh. 15. 1 7. Secondly Wine cheereth up the heart of man Å¿ Ps 104. 15 the promises of the Lord Jesus cheere up the soule and revives it Thirdly Wine mundi fies cleanses the wounds of the body the blood of Christ cleanseth the soule Fourthly Wine takes away fearefulnesse and causeth boldnesse the blood of the Lord Jesus by faith assures us of Gods favour eases us of the Curse of the Law makes us constant in the confession of Christ This the Analogie and proportion is so that Wine The Cup no to be denied cannot without great wrong be denied unto the people the Papists doe it who like the false Mother would have the child divided the Lord is the true Mother and cannot indure it what man will indure in his ordinary refreshing to have the Cup taken from him the blood of Christ is the speciall price of our Redemption for we were not redeemed with corruptible things but the blood of the Son of God as a Lamb unspotted and undefiled Our blessed Lord saith t 1 Pet. 1. 18. drink yee all of this u 1 Corin. 11 25. they will not doe it and what is this but to damme up the Fountaine Christ hath set open for Judah and Jerusalem but herein they deale with Christ and his Church as in other matters they account the Scripture not the perfect rule of faith but patch it up with their Traditions they make Christ but halfe a Saviour I perswade my selfe if the people should deale with their Priests in their offerings accondingly it would either coole their devotion or work a reformation Now for the actions of the Minister The Ministers actions represent the actions of God and Receivers First The actions of the Minister these actions are foure and they represent the actions of God First the taking of the Bread and Wine into his hands signifies the pointing out of Christ by God for the office of Mediatorship Secondly The blessing and consecrating of these Elements to an holy use signifies the actuall sending of Christ and the holy anoynting of him and setting him apart for that worke Thirdly The breaking of the Bread and the effusion of the Wine signifies the breaking of Christs Body on the Crosse and the shedding of his Blood Fourthly The delivering of these outward Elements to the Receivers signifies Gods offering of Christ unto all that will receive him Secondly The actions of the Receiver these represent the actions of the The receivers actions represent the actions of the soule soule and inward man for as the outward man receives the outward Elements so the inward man receives Christ First The taking of Bread and Wine with the outward hands of the body signifies the taking of Christ with the inward hand of the soule Secondly The eating of the Bread and the drinking of the Wine signifies a peculiar applying of Christ unto our soules that even as Bread and Wine being digested in the stomacks of our bodies is conjoyned to the body and made a part and member of the body so Christ received and digested in the Will and Affections is united to us and we to him he becomes our Head and we his members and as the receiving of outward food doth strengthen the body and makes it fit for naturall actions so the receiving of Christ the spirituall food doth strengthen the inward man and makes it fit for spirituall duties Secondly Now there is the inward thing signified and this whole Christ with all his benefits The last thing wee must The end why it was instituted examine our Knowledge of is concerning the end of the Lords Supper and here the question to be propounded is Quaes Why the Lords Supper was instituted Resp For two ends
thus Prayers must be powred out with feare and VVith feare reverence our hearts must be raised from the dunghill of the Earth to the glorious throne of Heaven as the Prophet saith let our hearts be lifted up l Lamen 41. Our gestures must bee reverent and humble and kneeling is the fittest gesture Gesture must bee reverent With fervency in Prayer And they must bee delivered with fervency for the Prayer of the righteous avayleth much if it bee fervent Yea in Prayer we must be diligent S. Paul would have the Thessalonians to pray alwayes m 1 Thes 5. 17. Nay Indesinenter orare to pray without ceasing it is said of the primitive Church that they continued with one accord in Prayer One calleth Prayers Gods Grashoppers Gods Nightingales who praise him in the day and pray in the night and good men will pray always Pray alwayes with all manner of Prayers and supplications in the spirit n Eph. 6. 18. O stirre up thy heart that is dull rowze it up to God Prayer is a sacrifice to God Musick unto the Angels a banquet to the saints an helpe to them that pray a remedy for the penitent a weapon against the enemy Te orante fugit daemon When thou prayest the divell takes him to his heeles and is gone resist the divell by Prayer and he will flie froÌ„ you Wilt thou carry al things patiently be a man of Prayers Wilt thou roote up vices be inriched with virtues be a maÌ„ of Prayers Wilt thou overcome troubles be a man of Prayers Wilt thou know the subtilty of Satan and vanquish his temptations be a man of Prayers Wilt thou trample under feet thy corrupt and evill affections be a man of Prayers never knew a man of much praying a man of much sinne no not of the superstitious sort touching the grosse sinne of the VVorld Per preces charitas pascitur fides augetur spes corroboratur spiritus exhilaratur cor pacatur detegitur veritas vincitur tentatio renovantur sensus totus homo immutatur fit melior by Prayer Charity is fed Faith increased Hope strengthned the Spirit exhilarated the Heart pacified Verity discovered Temptation vanquished the Senses renewed and the whole man altered and bettered Looke to this to pray in the spirit pray from the Pray in the spirit heart not from the lippes from the soule not the mouth onely The Iewes prayed with their lippes but not with their hearts therefore God complaineth of them saying this people draw neere unto meâ— with their lipps but their hearts are farre from me o Isa 29. 13 The Prayer that commeth not from the heart and spirit it is a Key-cold Prayer it is frozen before it commeth halfe-way to Heaven David to note his earnestnes in Prayer said that he roared hee spake not but roared cried out p Psa 38. and indeed the Spirit of God is a crying Spirit not a cold Spirit Oh that all men knew this that all had learned that not all Prayers but spirituall Prayers are accepted of God but wee are ignorant and will bee ignorant still filthy and will be filthy still but let us amend this fault and learne at last to pray God hath promised us al good things under his Hand and Seale but yet with a condition so that we pray truely and aske them as we should The first Motive The last thing is the Motive unto Knowledge The excellency of it in it Motive 4. excellency of it selfe it is compared unto light the people that sate in darknesse have seene the light q â—sa 9. 2. The light it comes from the Sunne this light comes from the Sunne of righteousnesse the Lord Jesus Christ The second Motive The good it will doe unto It will doe good to us our selves O how comfortable will it be to know God to be good and gracious full of loving kindnesse abundant in goodnes and truth How wil it terrifie us to know that he is an angry God against sinne and sinners he that walkes without Knowledge he is in continuall danger As he that walkes in dangerous places without a light may loose his life so he that walks without this Knowledge may loose his soule The third Motive The good it inables us Wee will doe good to others to doe unto others VVee will strive to bring others to this knowledge of God also This makes us Physitians of our brethrens soules our brethrens pilats to guide them in the right way The fourth Motive The end of our beeing This is the end of our being for this end did GOD make us that wee might know him here and have eternall happinesse hereafter Thus much for the first generall Knowledge wee are to examine our selves of the second followes and that is concerning our selves Now this Knowledge to bee examined is threefold First Concerning our first estate of Innocency Secondly Our fall Thirdly The curse of God due unto us by reason of that estate First wee must examine our Knowledge concerning our first Estate of Innocency and here there are two Principles that we must examine our Knowledge of 1. Principle That the God of Heaven made man at the first after his own Image 2. Principle That this Image of God God made made man after his Image after which man was made consisted in Knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse It concernes us to examine our Knowledge concerning the first 1. That wee might admire the marvellous love of God unto man which appeares First In the time when The time when man was made he made man he made him last even when he had provided all things for him r Gen. 2. 7 The place man was put in Secondly In the place where God put him in paradise s Gen. 2. 8 Thirdly In the manner of making him First For his body hee did not say let it be but as it were framed all with his own Hands the man of the dust the woman of the Rib b. Secondly For his soule that was inspired he breathed the breath of life into him t Gen. 2 7 And observe wee may that in both he saith let us make man calling all the Trinity to the care and workmanship Secondly It concernes us to examine our Knowledge concerning this that so all of us might earnestly indeavour First To Know God Secondly To feare God Thirdly To resemble God Fourthly To praise the Workmanship of God for these were the end of mans Creation Thirdly this must be knowne that so we might have the more care of our immortall soules that God hath breathed into us It will not profit a man to win the whole Word and loose his owne soule u Math. 16 26. Lastly this Knowledge will teach us 1. Not to wrong man for hee is the Image of God w Gen. 9. 6. 2. To lament our fall The second Principle to bee examined is that this Image of God after which
For Christ to be a memoriall of his death First end is in regard of Christ Second end is in regard of us First the end in regard of Christ is For to be a memoriall of his death w 1 Cor. 11. 25. Secondly the ends in respect of For us to be 1 Signe 2 Seale 3 Meanes us are three First To be a signe and that to represent Secondly To be a seale and that to confirme Thirdly To be a means and that to conveigh Jesus Christ unto us with all his benefits And thus much for the generall and speciall knowledge that every Receiver must examine himselfe of Now come wee to the second thing to be examined and that is faith for every man receiveth so much as he beleeveth he receiveth Gold is a precious thing and therefore men dig deep into the mine to find it and labour much in the fire to purifie and refine it saving Faith is a precious thing so Saint Peter calls it x 2 Pet. 1. 1. Faith must bee examined Therefore every Christian ought by examination to dig into their hearts to find it and by the Word as by fire to trie whether it bee a saving faith or no. This is that that puts life into us I the life of God for till then our cogitation is darkned and wee are strangers from the life of God hee that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already y Ioh. 3. 18 because he beleeveth not A Tree liveth not without moysture nor a Bird without aire nor a Fish without water nor a Salamander without fire so the soule liveth not without faith the just doth live by his faith a Hab. 2. This is the Spirit and Soule of the inward man wee have a name to live yet are we dead if wee want faith I live by faith in the Sonne of God saith the Apostle b Gal. 2. 20 Our care therefore must bee with Saint Paul that we be found having the righteousnesse of Christ by faith c Phil 3. 9. for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ d Rom. 8. 1. It concernes all men to know that untill they bee beleevers they belong not to God for as the Eagle refuseth her birds till they can mount and soare to the Sunne and as the Raven acknowledgeth not her young ones till they be black so God rejecteth mē and receiveth none till they beleeve none are the sonnes of God but the faithfull the rest are bastards I confesse there be degrees in Degrees in Faith Faith The first is a rudiment Deg. 1 or entrance which our blessed Saviour calleth Smoking flax e Mat. 12. 20. The second is a weake faith him that is weak in faith Deg. 2 saith S. Paul receive unto you f Rom. 14 1. The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assurance Deg. 3 of Faith such a Faith was in Abraham who above hope beleeved under hope g Rom. 4. 18. But no Faith is abominable and may easily be discerned from a weake Faith as a sick man may bee knowne from a dead so a weake Faith from no Faith Even a desire of Faith is a token of Faith for Gods Spirit worketh that but no Faith is accursed he that beleeveth not is condemned already A desire of Faith a token of Faith Faith is Gods Gate whereby God enters into our soule the light that found the lost groate the purifier of the heart the conqueror in the race the pole-starre for the Sayler the life of the soule and by Faith CHRIST dwells in our harts O helpe us Lord wee beleeve O helpe our unbeleefe hee must beleeve that comes to Gods Table and as is our Faith so is our blessing Now this Faith that brings a blessing the holy Ghost adorneth it with many Epithetes he calleth it First Rich Faith h 1 Pet. 1. Secondly Holy Faith i Jud. 20. Thirdly strong Faith k 1 Pet. 5. 8. Fourthly Saving Faith l 2 Eph. 8. Fiftly Pure Faith m Acts 15. 9. Sixtly Precious Faith n 1 Pet. 1. 7. So that if either we regard Riches Strength Holinesse Salvation Purity let us looke to Faith which hath all graces in it as Paradise had all fruites in it as lapis Jndicus hath all cures in it Let us see some reasons Reasons why Faith must bee examined why every receaver must examine his faith 1. Because without this tryall Rea. 1 any Faith may be taken for a saving Faith a false Faith for a true an historicall Faith for a justifying If every Faith were a saving Faith then were it sufficient unto salvation to have some for in having some we must be accounted to have the saving Faith But every Faith is not a saving Faith therefore it stands us in hand to examine How shall a man know whether his Faith bee a Quast saving Faith or no. A saving Faith may bee How to know a saving faith Resp thus known First A saving Faith will save those that have it they are kept through the power of God unto salvation o 2 Eph. 8. But every Faith will not save them that have it for if this could bee then the Divells would bee saved who beleeve and tremble p James 2 19 but S. Jude tells us that they are reserved in chaynes in darknesse q Jud 6. Secondly A saving faith never fayles those that have it I have prayed saith our blessed Saviour that thy Faith may never fayle thee r Lu. 22. 23. Now there is a temporary Faith in some who beleeve for a time and if temptation come they fall away and none that fall away finally can be saved because it is impossible that they should be renued againe by Repentance ſ Heb 6. 4. 5 6. Thirdly A saving Faith is a lively Faith it makes those that have it live the life of grace t Gal. 3. 11. Saint James tells us of a dead Faith u James 2. 20 26. Why we must examine our Faith because els a man shall be in the number Reas 2 of those that have not a saving Faith neither ever shall have a saving Faith and yet shall presume that hath a saving Faith If that every man and woman that comes into the World should bee sure to have a saving Faith wrought in them before they died then were this examination needlesse because though they had it not at one time yet they might have it at another but this cannot be First The Apostle tells us that all men have not Faith w 2 Thess 3. 2. And no wonder for all men have not that that is inferiour to a saving Faith and more common then a saving Faith an historicall Faith or beliefe of the Gospell x 1 Cor. 1. 23. Secondly All men have not a saving Faith because very few have it so it is said when the Sonne of man
of the same promise Partakers of the same hope Now it is a shamefull thing and full of infamy and reproach to see the Branches of the same Vine Sheepe of the same Shepheard Children of the same Father to contend and strive one against another Beloved there is but little love where are those noble paire of lovers David and Ionathan who had but one soule Eusebius and Pamphilus Martyrs who had but one name Pilades and Orestes who had but one life the one being dead the other died also Ruth and Naomi who had but one grave Saint Basil and Saint Nazienzen of whom it is said anima una erat inclusa in duobus corporibus one soule was included in two bodies Marriage maketh two bodies one but love maketh two soules one yea many soules many bodies but one The Heathens were wont to say of the men of the Primitive Church ecce ut invic em se diligunt behold how they love one another they knew Christians by that badge but we may say ecce ut invicem se â—derunt behold how they hate one another not Christians but Wolves Lyons Leopards Divels nay worse for one Lyon eateth not another and the Divels strive not among themselves but maintaine their Kingdome Let Tygers and Beares and Leopards teare one another let Scythians Cannibals eat one another who know not God nor good humanity let them bee without naturall affections but let us love one another and let the Apostle his precept bee our practise bee of one minde one suffer with another love as brethren be pittifull be courteous not rendring evill for evill not rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that yee are thereunto called that yee should be heires of blessing a 1 Pet. 3. 8. 9. In no quality doe wee resemble God more than in this Love God the Father is Love God the Sonne is Love God the Holy Ghost is Love God the Father in love gave the Sonne God the Sonne in love gave himselfe God the holy Ghost in love applyeth all this to us Now good reason have Kind of love we to examine our love to man for there are divers kinds of love First The Atheists love Atheists love and this comes from profit or from pleasure which love men as the dog doth the bone but this love proceedeth not ex cordepuro a pure heart therefore it is a love condemned Secondly the Gamesters Gamesters love Drunkards love for to glosse play eate drinke game be no good workes therefore this is not to love Thirdly There is carnall Carnall love love and this is condemned for love in man may be a vice aswell as a grace it is a vice when it is set upon a wrong obiect or is disordered and that three wayes 1. When we love things unlawfull as sinne 2. When we love things lawfull but too much as the world 3. When love is turned into lust and so it is the mother of fornication adultery incest and such like Fourthly There is a Christian love Christian love wee must love one another in the Lord and for the Lord this love is the badge of Christs Disciples by this shall all men know that you are my Disciples indeed if yee love one another as I have loved you b Iohn 13. To this Saint Peter exhorteth above all things have fervent love among your selves for love shall cover a multitude of sinnes c 1 Pet. 4. non expiando non veniam promâ—rendo sed fraternè condonando non vindicando non diffamando not by purging or satisfying for sinne not by deserving pardon and binding God to forgive sinne but by brotherly forgiving trespasses not revenging our selves nor defaming others There is another love condemned the love of Schismaticall Heretiques and Schismaticall love in cathedra unitatis Deus posuit doctrinam veritatis in the chaire of unity God hath put the doctrine of verity they agree as the false Prophets did not in the Lord but against the Lord. Papists boast much of their Councell of Trident and how they agree in all meetings Alas a few Bishops of Italy conspired together but thirty eight Bishops in all not like the Councell of Nice where were three hundred and eighteene or of Arimine where were sixe hundred Bishops nor like the Councell of Constance where were foure Patriarks twenty nine Cardinalls two hundred threescore and ten Bishops forty seven Arch-bishops five hundred threescore and foure Abbots and Doctors at the deposing of Benedict the third But our love let it bee as it should bee Christian love let us love as brethren Our love must bee Christian. and then the God of love and peace shall bee with us and if enemies will not bee pacified recommend the cause to God till wee meete in heaven where all injury shall bee forgotten and in the meane while I beseech you as S. Paul did the Saints of Corinth I beseech you I say by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee all speake one thing and that there be no dissension among you but that yee bee knit together in one minde and in one judgment d 1 Cor. 1. 10. and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to love e Phil. 4. 8. thinke on these things and the God of Love and peace shall bee with you f 1 Thes 3. 12. and the Lord increase your love and make it abound more and more one toward another Christs Commandement is all love his Spouse is all loving and Iohn will preach nothing but love and wee must follow after love and above all have fervent love among our selves for that shall cover a multitude of sinnes Seeing therefore it is not all love that is commended it stands us in hand to examine our love for none receive worthily but such whose love is 1. Holy Loves properties 2. Just 3. True 4. Constant First the Receivers love Holy Love must be holy love It must be for God and not against God under God and not above God for he loves not God that loves not his neighbour with God whom he loves not for God and hee that loves his neighbour more than God is unworthy of God and makes his neighbour to be his God Secondly The Receivers Iust love love must be Iust Wee must not love one another in evil but in good and for good pacem cum hominibus bellum cum vitiis wee must have peace with men war with their vices we must love their persons but hate their manners if they be evill Thirdly The Receivers True love love must be true love Wee must not love in word and in tongue but in worke and in truth g 1 Ioh 3. 18. nemo potest veraciter esse amicus ho minis nisi primitus fuerit amicus ipsius veritatis S. Augustine no man can bee S. Aug. a true lover of man unlesse
examined 29. Generall speciall Knowledge 29. Knowledge concerning God 30. Knowledge concerning Gods nature 30. There is a God 31. God is glorious in nature 33. Jncorporeall 33. Eternall 33. Incomprehensible 34. Immutable 34. Omnipotent 34. Omniscient 35. The summe of the second Sermon THe necessity of this generall Knowledge 3â— The fruits of it 38. God is three in persons 40. One in essence 41. God to be loved alone and above all 42. No other to bee called upon but the Lord. 42. One mediator to be used to him 42. Our knowledge is to be examined concerning Gods Works 43. Gods Worke of Creation 43. The world had a beginning 43. God made it 46. All things had one principle 46. God onely can Create 48. The Creatures to be considered 48. God to be praised 48. All things were made of nothing 49. Gods Power is to be admired 49. God to bee trusted unto 49. All things were made by the Word of God 50. All things were made good 50. God made all things freely 52. All things were made successively 52 Knowledge must bee examined concerning the Providence of God 53. God knowes and takes notice of all things 54. God upholds governes and disposes of all things 55. Gods providence reacheth to all things even the smallest 56. Of all Creatures God takes most care of man 58. God provides great things for man 59. God provides temporall things 61. God provides spirituall 61. God a royall Bridegroome 62. A royall feast-maker 63. A royall generall 63. God provides comforts 63. God provides graces 63. 64. Cleansing 64. Hearing 64. Quickning 64. Directing 65. Protecting 65. Saving 65. God watcheth over us and ours 65. God preserves us from dangers 66. God preserves us in dangers 6. God preserves us by dangers 67. God orders and disposes of all things and all acts for mans good 67. Naturall things shall worke for mans good 68. Artificiall things 68. Necessary things 69. Contingent things 69. Realland imaginary 70. All acts shall be for mans good 70. It is God that doth whatsoever he will 72. Knowledge must be examined concerning our selves 73. Rule of Knowledge concerning God 74 The Rule is the Word of God 74. It s infallible 75. Vnchangeable 75. Vndoubted 75. The summe of the Third Sermon Meanes of knowledge 80. The word must be read and meditated on 81. We must reade wisely 85. Reade with reverence 85. Order is required in reading 85. Judgement requisite 86. Meanes of knowledge the word publickly preached 87. We must heare wisely 88. What must be done before hearing 88. Le ts must be removed and helps used 89. 90. 91. 93. Reverence is required in the act of hearing 95 Attention required 96. Submission 96. Feare 97. Cheerefull alacrity 98. Conference a meanes of knowledge 101. Prayer a meanes 102. Prayer must be sent to God in the mediation of Christ 103. Pray with feare 103. Our gesture in prayer must be reverent 104. Prayer must be fervent 104. We must pray alwayes 104. Pray in the spirit 105. Motives to knowledge 108. The excellency of it 108. It doth good to us 109. It will make us doe good to others 110. It is the end of our being to know God 110. Knowledge must be examined concerning our state of innocency 111. God made man after his Jmage 111 What this consisted in 112 The time when man was made 112 The place man was put in 112 The manner of making him 112 The necessity of this knowledge 113 Mans fall 115 The summe of the Fourth Sermon KNowledge must bee examined concerning the Curse due to man by reason of his fall 121 What the Curse is in this life 121 What it is in the end of this life 123 What it is after this life is ended 123 What this knowledge will bring Christians unto 127 What the Lords Supper is 131 Why it is so called 131 The cause of it 132 The outward signe of it 133 Why he tooke bread 134 Why wine 135 The Cup not to be denied 137 The actions of the Minister represent the actions of God 138 The actions of the Receiver represent the actions of the soule and inward man 140 The inward thing signified 141 The end why it was instituted 141 Faith must bee examined 143 Degrees in faith 145 A desire of faith a token of faith 146 Reasons why faith must be examined 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155. Objections answered 155 156 157 The summe of the Fifth Sermon FAith described 162 God workes it 163 God works it of his meere good will 166 Gods end in working faith 166 What the knowledge of this will bring us unto 167 Meanes to get this faith 167 The Word a meanes 168 The Word read 168 The especiall meanes ordinary is preaching 169 The inward meanes the Spirit of God 171 How the Gospell works faith 172 Repentance must be examined 178 179 What it is 180 Repentance act 181 Repentance turnes wholly 182 Continually 183 Repentance time 184 True Repentance lookes at God 185 At man 186 At others 187 Aâ— sinne 188 What this knowledge workes 189 Motives to repent 192 Dangers of delay 193 The summe of the sixth Sermon DIfficulties 203 Doubts 204 Repentance tearmes 205 The object of Repentance all sin 206. 207. 208. 209 Not sufficient to abstaine from sinne outwardly 210 Not sufficient to lop and cut off some sinne 211 Reasons why Repentance sets it selfe against all sin 212 The penitent sinner sets himselfe against the sins of others 213 Sets against sin sincerely 214 True repentance turnes to all good 215 Repentance is the gift of God 217 God is the worker men the instruments 219 No man can repent when hee will 220 The glory of conversion must be ascribed to God 223 Meanes of grace not to be neglected 224 God must be served freely 227 The summe of the Seventh Sermon OBedience must bee examined 232 Obedience described 232 Obedience Rules 233 True obedience is universall 234 Man able to keep the Commandements 236 True obedience is cheerefull 237 Sincere 239 Inpreaching the heart must be looked to 241 Heare with the heart 242 Pray with it 242 Sing with it 242 Hypocrisie in the best 243 Hypocriticall obedience not regarded 244 Constrained sincerity nothing 246 True obedience is constant 247 Objections answered 248. 249 The godly performe good duties of conscience though not alway with the like cheerefulnesse 250 The godly goe on and persevere 251 The godly feare falling 252 The godly desire the continuance of meanes 252 Motives to obedience 253. 254. 255 Love must be examined 257 God commands Love 258 God loves us 258 Loves commodity 260 Love ingenders love 262 Love as strong as death 262 How God is to be loved 263 What it is to love God with the heart 263 God must be loved with all the heart 264 All owe this debt to God 263 Mans love to God cold and dead 263 Love stands in keeping the Commandements 264 An honourable thing to love God 266 Nothing can give rest to the soule out God 266 God is to be loved for himselfe 267 The summe of the Eighth Sermon REasons why love must be examined 274. 275 Kindes of Love 279. 280. 281 Our love must be Christian 283 Loves properties 287 Christ came to save sinners 309 Love is the fulfilling of the Law 291 Love is beneficiall 292 The estate of those that doe not love miserable 292 The selfe examiner must be a receiver 295 Often receiving no more then needs 298 Often receiving without profit a signe we are not good 300 To forbeare comming wil make men worse 301 It s one thing to have grace another thing to feele grace 301 Every man must with conscience submit to Gods Ordinance 301 No man was ever made better by not comming 301 It s a dangerous thing to limit God 301. 340 Imperfections must not hinder us 305 Feeling a want of grace with greife is grace 306 We Tempiation of Satan dangerous concerning the want of grace 307 Christ came to save sinners 309 The end of the Table