is an Ordinance of the New Testament of the Lord Jesus it is a part of Gospell spirituall and heavenly obedience whose use and end is First For the visible holding forth the death and resurrection It holds forth Christs death and resurrectiou of the Lord Jesus That Law-giver who hath given us tongues to speake of this mystery hath given us bodies to expresse it for what is our being overwhelmed with water but a lively representation of Christs being in the grave and our ascending out of the water what is it but a fit publication of Christs being raised from the dead Secondly It serves for the exercise of our obedience unto the â— exercises our obedience Lord Jesus If I be a King where is my honour saith Christ Arise why tarryest thou and be baptized is the Law gone forth from our High Priests lips to be faithfully observed of all believers Had we no ground but Gods command it is enough for us hereby may we manifest our obedience God hath not made our bodies in vaine but will be glorified in them For our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost Thirdly It serves for the exercise of our faith in the death of It exercises our faith Christ where we by faith see our selves dipped in the glorious mystery of his death Therefore are we said To be buried with him in Baptisme Some conceive that is onely meant spiritually but I say he speakes of the being baptized into his death by faith even in the visible Ordinance for in that may we by faith see Christ dead and our life hid in his death by faith in his death we see our selves dead to sinne it holds forth our justification by Christ the washing away of our sinnes in his death in his bloud So likewise it serves for the exercise of our faith in the resurrection of Christ for as we have beene baptized in his death so likewise by faith wee see the glory of Christs resurrection for as Christ died and rose from the dead so we who are buried visibly with him in Baptisme shall be raised by him even as certainly as we arise out of the water unto life eternall Fourthly We are likewise by Baptisme planted into the similitude We are planted by it into the likenesse of Christs death and resurrection of his death and resurrection for as Christ died and was surrounded with miseries so in this Ordinance by faith wee see our sufferings to be the dyings of Christ in us and as we suffer with him so are we planted into the likenesse of his resurrection Wee now by this see our selves planted into the similitude of his death whereby we dye to the world to sinne and vanity and likewise see our selves risen with Christ by faith unto the glory of God seeking the things that are above where Christ now fitteth at the right hand of God in the glory of the majesty on high We doe not onely by this hold forth Christs death and resurrection by acting faith in it that we shall receive virtue by it but see our selvs also planted into the same similitude of Christs sufferings and exaltations Fiftly It is a sweet and comfortable assurance of the resurrection It serves for the assurance of the resurrection of the body of our bodies from the grave We are buried with him and shall be raised from the grave by him as sure as our bodies are raised from the water shall our bodies be raised from the grave Sixtly By this they visibly demonstrate themselves to have put By this we visibly put on Christ on Christ Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as have beene baptized into Christ have put on Christ This putting on Christ is by faith by which we are the children of God but the visible demonstration of it is in Baptisme of water and by faith in this outward ordinance have we communion and fellowship with Christ having put him on as a garment to cover our nakednesse as an ornament to adorne our persons as a shield and buckler to secure us we are in this ordinance baptized into Christ under a two-fold consideration 1. In that we are baptized into the love life joy peace mystery and righteousnesse of Christ we by faith in that ordinance may see our selves encompassed about with a love and united to Christ For by one spirit are wee all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12. 13. We visibly demonstrate our selves by Baptisme to be of Christs sheepe as invisibly by the spirit we are dipped plunged or interested into that spirituall body whereof Christ is the head 2. In that by baptisme we visibly give up our names to Christ acknowledging him to be our Lord his will to be our law his law our life by this we acknowledge his soveraignty his excellency by this we resigne up our selves to him wearing his livery whereby he distinguishes his people in a speciall manner from the world Therefore saith Christ Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in or into the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost That is to say by Baptisme we are consecrated or set apart unto the Father Son and Spirit and are visibly baptized into the profession of Jesus of the mystery and spirit of Jesus This Paul explaines where hee saith He thankes God he baptized no more of the Corinths lest they should say he baptized them into his name that is lest they should have Idolized him attributed that to him which is proper to God lest they should say they were his Disciples or his members or call themselves by his name Lastly the end of this as all other Ordinances is to glorifie By this wee glorifie God God God will be glorified by thy hands in ministring to thy owne or the Saints necessities by thy foot in carrying thee forth to preach For how beautifull are the feet of him that bringeth glad tydings by thy spirit in believing by thy soule and body in being baptized for we are not our owne but are bought with a price that wee should glorifie God in soule body and spirit Chap. IV. Discourseth of the Administrator and proper subjects of Baptisme IF you call to minde what I have already declared concerning Who are the true administrators of the Ordinance of Baptisme the ministry to the world you will see who are true Administrators but to speake a little more fully of this they are twofold First Such who are immediately stirred up by God to preach the Gospell of Christ those having a power to baptize into or in the name of Christ of this sort were the eleven Disciples Marke ult Philip who preached and baptized Ananias who preached to Paul and baptized him Peter who preached to the Gentiles and baptized them Paul himselfe who preached and baptized divers Acts 16. Secondly Such as are sent forth by the Church of Christ they may preach the Gospell and administer this Ordinance thus was Barnabas sent from Jerusalem
A faithfull Servant to the weakest Member of our Lord Jesus John Vernon The Contents of the severall matters contained in this Booke Ch. 1. p. 3. OF the severall significations of the word Worship and what the true worship of God is pag. 3. Ch. 2. p. 5. Of Light and Love the principles of the worship of God which light discovers what may be knowne of God viz. that God is but cannot be defined p. 6. That he is incomprehensible immutable eternall wherein is shewed what time is and that God is Invisible p. 7. Of the soveraignty wisedome justice and mercy of the Lord p. 9. Of the relation God hath to his Creatures who is all in all yet but one God everliving and present in all places p. 10 11. Ch. 3. p. 11. Of the manifestation of God in the Creation which shewes the Godhead p. 12. That there is but one God p. 13. That he is Almighty p. 14 15. That he cannot be comprehended by the naturall or spirituall man p. 15 16 17. It declareth his wisedome and love wherein is shewed what it is to be created in Gods Image p. 17 18. Ch. 4. p. 19. Of God in Christ who is the anointed of the Lord wherein is shewed that the Father anointed him p. 19. That the humane nature with a description what it is is the subject anointed and that the Spirit is the Ointment p. 20. With a briefe description of what Father Son and Spirit are and whether three persons p. 21 22. Ch. 5. p. 22. Of the manifestation of God in Christ as a Priest wherein is showne what the Priesthood of Christ is and that the Lord Jesus is the Saints High Priest consecrated with an oath p. 23. And by the pouring on of oyle p. 24. Where also is shewed the ability he hath of mannaging the Priesthood being the first begotten the eldest brother being related to God and man having a great interest in them both all things concurring in him to the work he being without spot and blemish p. 25 26. Ch. 7. p. 26. Of the sacrifice of Christ exprest by five particulars 1. By Christ himself p. 26. 2ly By his bloud and what that bloud is with an answer to an objection concerning it p. 27. 3ly By the offering up of his body 4ly By making his soule an offering for sinne 5ly By laying downe his life p. 28. Ch. 8. p. 28. Sheweth 1. How often Christ suffered and whether he may now be said to dye in us p. 29. 2ly The place where Christ died which is at Jerusalem and what that Jerusalem is 3ly The time when he suffered p. 29. And how Christ is said to be a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world p. 30. Ch. 9. p. 31. Of the manner how Christ offered up himselfe viz. by the spirit and in the body of his flesh p. 31. Of the true nature of Christs sacrifice wherein is showne that it is a pure sacrifice p. 32. A free perfect spirituall and acceptable sacrifice p. 25. 43. Ch. 10. p. 34. Of the true subjects of Christs sacrifice who are onely his sheep and children beloved with an everlasting love who shall be saved p. 34 35. Wherein is handled universall redemption with an answ to 13. Object brought to stablish it wherein is shewed what Gospel it is that is to be preached to the world p. 37. That it is a dangerous thing to fall from profession of true Religion p. 39. Wherein likewise is declared what the fall of man the tree of knowledge of good and evill the tree of life and the serpent are p. 43. With 2. Arg. against universall redemption p. 43 44. That this sacrifice was offered to an angry God and what anger and fury in God is p. 44. Ch. 11. p. 44. Of the vertue of this sacrifice interposing mediating betweene God and man satisfying the Father p. 44 45. Wherein is shewed what it is for God not to see nor remember sin in his children p. 46. Ch. 12. p. 47. Of the pardon of sin and justification by the bloud of Christ by faith and by works with their unity p. 47 48. Wherein is an answer to these 2. Quest 1. Whether all sins to a believer are pardoned past present and to come p. 48 49 50 51. 2ly Whether a believer having received the spirit may feare againe p. 51 52. With 3. Arg. to prove all sins to a believer are pardoned at once p. 52. Ch. 13. p. 53. Of believers freedome from the law p. 53. Wherein is handled the law written in Adams heart the Covenant of workes the law of Moses and of Christ p. 53 54 55. Shewing severall dispensations thereof p. 55 56. With an answer to 2. Quest 1. Whether the law be a rule of life to a believer 2ly Whether God punishes his people for sinne wherein appeares the difference betweene punishing and chastising p. 56 57. Ch. 14. p. 58. Of the breaking downe the partition wall fulfilling all types and shadowes and obtaining of all happinesse for the Saints by Christs death p. 58 59. Ch. 15. p. 59. Of the dignity Christ hath attained to by dying of his resurrection ascension sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us p. 59 60 61. Ch. 16. Of the Propheticall office of Christ wherein is shewne 1. The matter he revealeth which is mans sinfulnesse mans happinesse all things to be believed and obedience to all his commands p. 61 62 63. 2ly The light discovering which is the spirit and what it is to be taught by God by Christ and by the spirit 3ly The rule of discovery wherein of the truth and authority of the Scriptures p. 64 65 66. 4ly The manner of discovery which is plainly p. 66. wherein is shewne what we may judge of those who delight to speake in a language above the capacity of those to whom they speake infallibly 5. The subsects to whom truth is discovered are either such as receive the truth in the love of it or to those that receive it only in the notion as Balaam and Judas p. 67. 68. Chap. 17. p. 68. Of the Kingly Office of Christ who is King by his inheritance by appointment of the Father by conquest excellently qualified of his Kingdome over the world of grace p. 69. of glory p. 70. Of Christs Lawes civill and spirituall p. 70. Of his officers wherein is the true Power and bounds of the Magistracy and whither he be a Church Officer p. 71. Of the resigning up the Kingdome to the Father p. 72. Whether it be yet p. 73. Of Christs enemies Satan sin and wicked men p. 73 74. Of Christs victories over our understandings wils and affections p. 74 75. Of the Doctrine of free will p. 75. Three reasons why all Christs enemies are not yet punished p. 76. Of Christs Soldiers which are Angels Saints the World the whole creation p. 77. Of his weapons viz. his death his Word his Spirit p. 77 78. Of his rewards
whereby he gives out himselfe to be knowne after a sort for my eternall happinesse and the happinesse of all his people Chap. IV. Sheweth what we are to understand by God in Christ and what Christ is and what the Father Son and Spirit are GOD is in the Creation but dwels in the Lord Jesus Christ is God dwels in the Lord Christ Gods habitation for in him dwels the fulnesse of the God-Head bodily the fulnesse of Grace and Truth In the Creation he is a God over us in Christ a loving Father to us But seeing this is the great Mystery of Godlinesse viz God manifest in the flesh justified 1 Tim. 3. 16. in the spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleived on in the world and received up into glory Which mystery is hid from the eyes of the world and mans vaine imagination fancyes such vaine understanding of it I shall endeavour to speake more plainely and particularly of it and shall observe this order 1. To shew what we are to understand by God in Christ 2. How God in Christ unvailes himselfe to the sons of men That we may know what we are to understand by God in Christ these three things are to be considered and that from the word Christ which signifies one Anointed wherein consider 1. The Anointer 2. The Anointed 3. The Ointment it selfe wherewith he his anointed Of these in order 1. The Anointer giver dispenser or pourer forth of the ointment who is the Anointer 't is the Father is the Father God in all over all and above all for whom are all things and by whom are all things t is that infinite that incomprehensible majesty that eternall substance which I have already proved to be incomprehensible The Scriptures abound in this doctrine The spirit of the Lord God is upon me saith Christ he Isa 61. 1. hath anointed me God proclaimes it from heaven saying I have found my servant David which is the Lord Christ with my holy oile I have anointed him Againe singeth the sweet Psalmist of Israel in the Song that his heart endited or bubled or boyled forth concerning the King God thy God hath anointed thee This was prefigured shadowed pointed at and typed forth in the Law by Moses anointing Aaron This is the Fathers worke Secondly The subject Anointed is the humane nature in which The subject Anointed is the humane nature God was manifested for he was manifested in the flesh It was that particular body of Christ that the word dwelt in which was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and therefore saith the Scripture he hath Anointed his holy childe Jesus even Jesus of Nazareth the son of Mary of Acts 4. 27. a Virgin the Son of David the Son of Abraham the Son of Man who is called The man Christ Jesus It was that particular person who was the subject of this anointing Now the humane nature is nothing else but a fleshly body and humane soul united in one which humanity is proper to all men yet so that every man hath the whole humane nature in himself and so was this person this man Christ this humane nature consisting of body and spirit in one person was the Subject of the Anointing Thirdly The Ointment it self remains to be declared which is Theointment is the Spirit that holy Oyle with which our Jesus is Anointed which Ointment hath severall names in Scripture to declare its worth and nature It is the Spirit of God therefore saith Christ The Spirit of the Lord is upon Psal 98. 20. me he hath anointed me With my holy Oyle saith the Lord I have anointed him which is the Oyle of joy and gladnesse the holy Ghost and power Which Oyle is sweetly tipified forth to us by the holy Oyle mentioned by Moses whose composition consists of principall spices Ex. 30. 25. 30. as pure Mirrbe sweet Calamus sweet Cynnamon Cassia and Oyle olive wherein though misteriously yet very excellently is deciphered the very nature of the Sprtit of the Lord Jesus for the nature of that composition is such that it is of singuler vertue being soveraign for the brain comfortable for the heart and wholsome for the liver the three natural fountains and springs of the naturall bodies life purging from evil humors mollifying and softning the body enabling the body to performe its naturall vitall and animall faculties Which is abundantly yea superlatively true of the Spirit that gives to a Saint being wisdome understanding light life power love and increase to a Saint softning the hardest heart moistening and relenting the most flinty spirit purging and scouring away effectually all drossy cholerick passionate idle melancholy earthly and evill humors of sin and corruption fitting and enabling the soule to runne the waies of Gods commands preserving the soule from sins venome and poison keeping it from corruption or putrefaction And wheras none was permitted to make any after the likenesse of that composition It declares and proclaimes aloud the contrariety of the true Spirit to all pretences of it or counterfeitings of it which are the powers signes and lying wonders of the man of sinne which Christ through the brightnesse of his coming will destroy Thus briefly have I handled the three essential things to be considered in the true knowledge of God in Christ Now know this That neither of these three abstracted from the other is the Lords Christ t is the composition or conjunction of these three in one person that makes this Christ therefore is it said The word was with GOD and was GOD and yet was made flesh which leads us to the consideration of the various manifestations of God as they are one in Christ Jesus There are three that beare Record in heaven the Father Sonne and holy Ghost or Spirit and these three are one viz One God and one in the man Jesus Christ These three are not three Gods but one God is made manifest What the Father Son and Spirit are after three manner of wayes that is to say God the Father conceived his word in his owne minde which is his sonne eternally brought up with him his wisedome daily his delight it is his light whereby he knowes himselfe and brings forth every thing by himselfe For by his word that is to say himselfe in a way of activity or doing or wisedome made the worlds the word was in himselfe producing every thing below himselfe and the spirit is the mutuall kindnesse each of other which is actively eternall The spirit is sometimes taken for the power of God susteining all things producing all things sometimes for the influence of the Fathers love shed abroad in the heart and this is the Spirit of God the Comforter in the Gospell so that all these are one agree in one and what may be attributed to the one doth agree to the other So that these three are not three distinct substances or persons in the common and most knowne
what he hath done for us what wee shall enjoy by him what we have done against him and what we ought to returne to him I shall draw forth this to thy view in severall particulars As First Christ is a Prophet discovering to us our sinfulnesse and Mans sinfulnesse misery by nature our nakednesse and emptinesse our blindnesse and vanity for 't is he that convinces of sinne Alas Wee see not our wretched estate by sinne till Christ comes to us and shewes us the danger of it Secondly Christ discovers to his people their happinesse by Mans happinesse grace that though their sinnes are great the Fathers love is greater Poore man lies in a dark dungeon till Christ come with his light in a comfortlesse estate till his eternall state in love be ascertained him he it is that reveales to the soule the Gospell or good newes of salvation he comes to the soule and tels him his sinnes are forgiven him By the sight of this love the soule is taught the greatnesse of his sinne and the infinitenesse of his offence the riches of Gods grace is made to shine more clearly for he convinces the world of righteousnesse Thirdly This Prophet teaches the soules all things to be believed All things to be believed even the resurrection of the body and everlasting life yea the Fathers love to him from eternity yea this teaches him what God is and what Christ is and to believe what he reveales and what shall be hereafter for he convinces the world of judgement Lastly Because I must hasten He teaches the soule obedience to Obedience to all the commands of God observe all the commands of Christ the least as well as the greatest visible as well as invisible things to be done in earth as well as to be enjoyed in heaven he teaches how to behave our selves while strangers here as well as what we shall enjoy when we attaine to the City which we now seek which obedience consists in two things 1. Love to God Love to God is that which Christ preaches to every soule whom he loves and in teaching him to love God he teaches him to love God above all and in all and all things for his sake and to deny all things and account them as losse and dung in comparison of his God 2. Love to his Neighbour Love is the fulfilling of the whole Law but more of this as God gives further opportunity I proceed now to speake of the light discovering which is the The light discovering is the Spirit spirit of God in Christ Therefore saith the Lord Jesus When I goe away viz in the flesh I will send you the Spirit and be shall take of mine and shew it to you he will guide you into all truth Therefore saith the Psalmist Oh that thou wouldest send forth thy light and thy truth let them leade mee this Spirit is the Spirit the Comforter Christ saith I am the light and I will teach you And it is said Obj. That he reveales the mysteries of the Father how then say you 't is the Spirit In answer to this I desire you would consider these three Sol. things 1. That we are taught by God and therefore saith the Scripture Yee shall be all taught of God 2. That we are all taught by Christ therefore Christ saith I am the true light 3. We are taught by the Spirit therefore is it said Yee have an unction that teacheth you all things Now these three are not three severall distinct lights but one true light which Christs owne words sweetly hold forth saying All that the Father hath is mine and the Spirit shall take of mine and shew it unto you Which holds forth this truth that the Father teacheth by his Sonne For the fulnesse of the Father dwels in him and the Sonne now teacheth onely by his Spirit therefore the Spirit takes of Christ to give to them that are his children So that it remaines cleare there is but one true light namely the light of the Father and the Sonne made manifest by the Spirit The third thing I propounded is the rule of discovery and that The rule of discovery the Scriptures is the truth of God revealed in the Scriptures The Scriptures doe declare all that was that is and that shall be practised or enjoyed by any To the Law and to the Testimony was a sure guide or rule of old insomuch that if any spake not according to them it was because there was no light in them So likewise is it a sure rule now even the Law and Testimony given by the Lord Jesus the Son of God who hath spoken in the last daies his will to us Now the will of God which is our rule to walke by is the command of God the Law of God Where there is no Law there is nothing but disorder Christ hath given us a standing Law to walk by which is the Scriptures of truth The holy Scriptures which the Apostle affirmes Are able to make the man of God perfect unto salvation through faith in Jesus Many men now adaies are grown so wanton that they may sinne without controule deny the Scriptures to be the words or Law of God But to such soules let me say the Heathens will convince them of Atheisme for when they once come to deny that they deny likewise the worke of God written in the heart by the Creation But how can you prove the Scriptures to be the words of the Lord. Object Sol. Besides the Testimony they beare of themselves which some though carnally and sensually judge to be false I shall propound these few considerations to you First Whatever is written in the heart by nature is found plainly and fully described in the Scriptures By nature man knowes there is a God that this God is to be worshipped and that he ought to live righteously and his conscience flyes in his face being convicted of his sinne against God whereupon he is put upon a way of thinking how he may please God these things through his ignorance are but confusedly in him but looke to the Scriptures all these things are handled plainly and distinctly which is an undeniable argument except to them that are so scared that they can also deny there is a God that the Scriptures are the very words of God that thy heart in nature mindes thee God in his word plainly unfolds to thee Nay further I will appeale to any man and challenge the wisest subtilest most ingenuous man in the world to tell mee what is good or excellent to be followed or avoided which may not be clearly demonstrated from the Scripture Another reason which may serve to silence thy vaine thoughts is this that all men that write of God or the worship of God are forced to make recourse to these Scriptures to decide the controversies among them Doe not the greatest Heretiques seeme to father their blasphemies upon the Scripture which is a good Argument
her head her owne honour and glory must be covered without controversy when paul saith He permits not a woman to speake in the Church he forbids not all manner of speaking for then if the Church should demand any question of her she might not answer which certainly she may So that I say this speaking that she is debarred of is teaching as the brethren who are prophets may all doe one by one she must not so teach in the Church to dishonour her head But if God hath given greater gifts to them then to the brethren How women ought to improve their gifts I shall shew them how they ought to improve them viz. by taking a brother home to their houses as Priscilla did Apollos and there instructing him in the way of the Lord more perfectly or by teaching one another modesty sobriety meeknesse humility love and holinesse this I am sure is their duty therefore saith Paul to Titus The aged women must be teachers of good things teaching the young women to be sober to love their husbands to love their children to be discreet chast keepers at home good obedient to their husbands that the word of God be not blasphemed Tit. 2. 3 4 5. Thirdly The end of prophesy it serves for the Church for building up in faith knowledge feare and love for exhortation from sinne to righteousnesse for comfort in feares doubts terrours temptations the end of that as of all other Ordinances is to glorifie God and serve our spirituall generation Our City is built on Mount Sion compact within it selfe Fiftly The gift of being a helper in the Gospel of Christ Aquila Gift of helps ' what and Vrbane and many more were Pauls helpers in Christ this is a gift whereby Saints are made able to be helpfull either in accompanying of the ministers of the Gospel in preaching to the world or in any service of the church Sixtly Governments this is a speciall gift given to some persons Gift of Government what in the Church for the ordering its affairs in due order without confusion whereby they are able to know when the members in the church are confused and to rectifie them I say this gift is usefull in any church of Christ this gift is called ruling Roman 12. 8. wherein they are inabled to rule the church of God as a well disciplined family there are other gifts spoken of in the Scripture as faith charity prayer prayse and the like some of which I shall speak of by and by But there was in the Apostles dayes other gifts then these viz. tongues Obj. miracles heating interpretation and surely if there be a true church there must be the same gifts now That is a great mistake 't is not required that all these severall Sol. gifts should be in every particular church but these are gifts distributed as the Lord seeth good we have gifts differing according to the grace given us The Lord is the dispenser of gifts to every man severally as he will to one one thing to another another and though we say it is needlesse for every church to have all the gifts they had in the Corinths yet we are not without sufficient gifts for the being of a true church the manifestation of the Spirit being given to every one to profit withal in his own place and order there is a gift of wisdom of knowledge of discerning spirits of prophecy of helps of governments of charity of teaching included in knowledge wisdome and prophecy so that we will not murmure for what we have not but blesse God for what we have and pray for more to him who giveth liberally and upbraideth not Chap. XI Of the Ordinances Order Ministry and Communion of the Church THe Ordinances of this Church I shall now speak of having The Ordinances of the Church viz. Prayer spoken already of prophesie which is a gift and an Ordinance to be practised are these following First Prayer all things are to be sanctified by the Word of God and prayer this was practised in the Church with an audible voice Act. 4. 24. so Paul kneeled down prayed with the disciples Act. 20. 26. Now prayer is the pouring out of the soul to God by way of supplication for the supply of ourwants by Jesus Christ which prayer is or ought to be the continnall posture of Saints spirits according to that of Paul pray continually therefore we shall find the church continuing in prayer Acts. 2. 42. this is a speciall part of divine worship whereby we acknowledge Gods preheminency our relation subjection and obedience unto God I might here shew you the prevalency of the prayers of Saints with God had I time but I shal conclude this with these three things which I desire may alwayes accompany prayer First Faith beleeving that God is that he heares us and is gracious and mercifull and will answer Secondly Watchfulnesse watch unto prayer watch and pray watch over thy heart thy corruptions to suppresse and subdue them Thirdly Constancy continue in praying for he will in due time answer cast not away thy prayers but expect their returne loaden with blessings Secondly Praise Praise is that the Lord takes delight in and Praise yet hath in himself no addition of honour by it the true praise of God is the acknowledgement of the glory and excellency of the Lord 't is the declaration of the goodnesse of the Almighty this praise is to be in the mighty congregation I will give thee thanks saith David in the great congregation I will praise thee among much people Psalm 35. 18. 145. 1. Christ and the Saints both sing praises in the church together unto God the Father this true praising of God from the power of the Spirit did the Psalmes sung upon musicall instruments under the law point at the gift of singing Psalms is not a composition of Davids Psalms into Meter through Of finging Psalmes a naturall faculty which Psalms the Priest or the Clarke names and all the people must fing together this begets a confusion and is a meer tradition for such a practise hath no more bottom then Organs or Choristers or Singing men and women in the Church of the Gospel which surely we will not plead for now The melody of Psalmes is not in the ear but in the heart to the Lord. Eph. 5. 19. To sing Psalmes in the Gospel is a speciall gift given to some particular member in the church whereby he doth blesse praise or magnifie the Lord through the mighty operation of the Spirit Ep. 5. 18 19. which is to beperformed I say by one alone at one time to the edification one of another and therefore it is an Ordinance flowing from a cheerfull heart if any be merry let him sing Psalmes that is to say let him blesse God that all should sing together is denied by Paul who saith how is it brethren when yee come together every one of you hath a Psalme they
what 86 Flesh Christ died in the body of flesh 31 32 Not to know Christ after the flesh what 133 c. G GOd is 6 Almighty 14 Eternall 7 Everliving 11 Invisible 7 8 Immutable Incomprehensible 7 15 16 17. Gospell what it is 37 90 How to be preached 97 Government a gift in the Church what 161 H HAppinesse of man discovered by Christ 62 Hell what 84 Helps a gift in the Church what 161 Heretike what 161 Humane nature what 20 It is anointed ibid. I IErusalem Christ died there What it is and Where it is 29 Image of God wherein man was created What. 17 18 Indifferent things to be determined by the Church 154 Infants Whether subjects of Baptisme 115. to 120 Intercession of Christ What and its virtue 61 Judgment of Christ What. 83 Justice of God What. 9 Justification What its severall kindes 47 48 49 K KIng the Lord Christ is King 68 69 Kingly office of Christ What. 68 Kingdome Christ hath a Kingdome over the World 69 Of Grace ibid. Kingdome of Glory What. 70 Kingdome to be resigned up to the Father how and when 72 74 L LAw how we are freed from it and how yet under it 53 54 55 Whether it be a rule of life 56 Lawes of Christ What. 70 Lamb Christ a Lamb slain before the foundation of the world 30 31 Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ what meant by it 132 133 Light Love the principles of true worship of God 5 6 Love to God What. 87 Lords supper its nature use and continuance 164 165 M MAgistracy its nature place and power 71 72 Manifestation of God in Christ how 4 Mediator betweene God and-man is Christ 45 Members of Churches how to be received in 151. To be admonished 150 Reproved 143. Rebuked 153. And for sin may be cast out 154. Of their duty to the Church 156 157. Ministers of the Gospell who 91 92 93 How to know them 93 c. Miracles their proper end and use 94 95 96 O OBedience taught by Christ 63 Object against Baptisme answered 30 c. Object against Scripture answered 65 Offences private What. 15. 2 Offences publique What. ib. Ointment poured on Christ What. 20 Once Christ was offered but once 28 29 Ordinances to be used in the Church what 162 P PArdon of sin Vide in Justification Partition Wall broken down 58 Perfection Whether to be enjoyed in this life 81 82 Perish What meant by it 40 Person whether three in God 21 22 Place where Christ was offered 29 Power in things of God 87 123 to 127 Praise What. 87 162 Prayer What. ibid. Priesthood of Christ What. 23 Priest Christ is the Saints High Priest 23 to 26 Principles essentiall to divine Worship and what they are 5 6 Prophesy its nature use and end 158 159 c. Propheticall office of Christ What. 61 Propher Christ is the Saints Prophet ib. Psalmes singing a gift what it is 163 Punishment for sin What Whether Gods people be punished for sin 57 R REconciliation of God and man in Christ 46 Reject the Gospell What. 39 Relation God is related to the Creature 10 11 Remember sin no more how to be understood 45 46 Resurrection of Christ and its virtue 60 Resurrection of the body 79 80 Rewards of Christ What. 78 c. Right hand of God what Christ fits there and the virtue thereof to us 59 60 61 S SAcrifice Christ is the Saints sacrifice 26 27 28 The true nature of this sacrifice 32 33. For whom it was offered 33 34 To whom it was offered 44. The virtue of it 44 c. Saints cannot comprehend God 16 Ought to be joined to a particular Church 151 Satan What it is to be delivered to Satan 151 Scriptures their true glory and divine authority 64 64 66 Separation Christs Church is a separated people 145 c. Serpent What. 43 Sin laid on Christ 45 Sin how God seeth it not 45 46 Sinfulnesse of man discovered by Christ 62 Sinners as sinners the subjects of the Gospell 98 Speaking Christ speakes language easy to be understood 66 67 Son of God how to be understood 22 Spirit of God What Ib. It is the true light 63 T Taught of God Christ or spirit what 63 Time What it is 7 Time when Christ was offered 29 Tree of life what and why Adam might not eate thereof 43 Types under the law fulfilled in Christ 58 59 V Victory of Christ What. 74 visible Worship What. 89 Unbeliefe the condemnation What it is 41 42 W WEapons of Christ What. 77 Weeping of Christ over Ierusalem how to be understood 40 Wicked men why so long unpunished 76 Will Of free will 75. Wil of man Christs enemy 74 Women Whether they may speake in the Church 159 160. Their duty ib. Word of God What. 758 Word of Wisedom a gift in the Church What. 158 Word of Knowledg a gift in the Church What. 158 Works Saints are justified by Workes how 48 Worship What the word signifies 3 What the true Worship of God is ib. The Invisible Worship What. 45 c The Visible Worship What. 89 THE INVISIBLE WORSHIP OF GOD. The Introduction That all Nations in all ages have acknowledged a God and that he is to be worshipped but have not knowne nor worshipped him aright IT is worthy our consideration in the entrance into this following discourse to consider how all people in all ages enjoying but their senses do from the principles of nature acknowledge a God The very Heathens were ashamed to deny this Ransacke all ages and wherever you finde men inhabiting either in East West North or South and you shall finde them agree in this that there is a God and this God is to be worshipped The Athenians built an Altar with this Inscription To the unknowne God Acts 17. 23. All people have a kinde of Religion and serving of God with prayers sacrifices and the like therefore the Heathens chose their Priests and others to have a care of their Gods and the service of their Gods Men of Learning and Fooles acknowledge this The Schooles of the Academicks Stoicks and Peripateticks rung of this doctrine The barbarous Indies gainsay it not But notwithstanding the harmony in this via that there is a God that this God is to be worshipped is so great and wonderfull yet the discord concerning this God what he is and what is his true worship is as great and strange The Athenians acknowledged him to be but knew him not Man being unable to comprehend the incomprehensible being hath from time to time according to his vaine imagination fancyed a God or Gods to himselfe The Romanes had as many Gods as Townes what they received any good from they reverenced as their God Hence it came that they worshipped the Sunne Moone Starres and Fire yea even Dogges and Birds for their Gods The people of Lycaonia perceiving a miracle to be wrought by the Apostles presently lift up their voices
acceptation of the word viz a particular and individuall substance or being distinct from another In this sense I say there are not three persons in God for this is to make three Gods but because the Scriptures no where saith there are three persons I hope the word invented by mans wisedome shall not be imposed on any as a snare let us more look to things then words I say according to the Scriptures there are three that beare Record in Heaven the Father viz the infinite being the begetter of the Son and the Son viz the expresse image of God the reflection or likenesse of himselfe which is the word begotten of the Father and the spirit the mutuall kindnesse love and communication of the Father and the Son for God is love all agree in one in one man Christ Jesus the Father is in him the Word is in him for it was made flesh and dwelt among us and the Spirit is in him viz the eternall love of the Father the sweet and heavenly influences thereof it is given to him without measure So that God manifested in the flesh in a way of union is Christ for all that may be knowne or understood or enjoyed of God is in the Lord Jesus Nay further what ever God is to a Saint he is it in Christ Jesus for the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in him bodily that is to say God in his highest manifestation of himselfe in power grace and truth c. For he was full of grace and truth The sum of what I have said or can say in this particular which notwithstanding I must confesse comes infinitely short of the height of its glory is that the conjunction of Father Son and Spirit after a spiritual and wonderfull manner in the man Jesus Christ is the Lords Christ So that God in Christ is God the Father dwelling in and uniting the humane nature after a wonderfull and unspeakable manner to himselfe and therefore is Christ called God and Man and because of this union Christ sometimes speaks as he is man and so dies sometimes as the Word which is God in him and so he raiseth himself from the dead sometimes in a way of union and so he is the Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus Chap. V. Sheweth how God in Christ unvailes himself to the sonnes of men wherein is shewn that Christ is our Priest and the manner of his Consecration and fitnesse for his Office HAving shewed what we are to understand by God in Christ and what the Lords Christ is I am come now to shew that Christ was not anointed for himself only but that he might communicate of his fulnesse to others which appeares in these two considerations First in that Christ was designed by the Father or set apart or â—â—secrated to a glorious work Secondly in that Christ is made fit capable and able effectually to performe whatever worke was imposed on him which his being anointed holds forth to us Of these in order In Christ's designation to a worke there are two things to be observed 1. What the worke is that Christ is consecrated to 2. The manner of his consecration Concerning the worke it selfe it is a three-fold office or ministry viz a Priestly Propheticall and Kingly office wherein all the appearance of the love wisedome or power of God are clearly made manifest I shall speake of these in order Now the Priesthood of Christ is that order or office that Christ What the Priesthood of Christ is hath from his Father in a way of relation to God and Man offering up sacrifices to the Lord. Wherein are two things considerable First The Priest Secondly The Sacrifice be offers For he is not a Priest but in reference to his offering of Sacrifice The Priest is Jesus Christ even the man Christ whom I have already Christ is the Saints highest Priest discovered to be the anointed of the Father even this man that that an unchangable Priesthood who is the Son of God according to the divine nature and humane nature it is he that is our Heb. 9. 11. High Priest But now seeing no man takes this honour to himselfe but he that is called The manner of Christs consecration Heb. 5. 5. of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest but he did it that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee The Father anointed him as I have showne more at large before and now shall shew you the manner of his consecration Which was 1. With an oath saith the Psalmist The Lord hath sworne and will not Christ consecrated by an Oath repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck needs must we conclude the matter is of great concernment that is mannaged with so much solemnity That God should with an oath confirme it it hath much weight in it An oath amongst men puts an end of strife and seales up the matter in question Men in all ages as I have said before being convicted in their consciences that God is displeased and must be pacified have had their Priests to accomplish that service Nay the Lord appointed many Priests to offer Sacrifice to himself But now that he might make it appear that none of these were his eternal Priests that he might put all out of doubt and clearly reveal his own mind and the immutability of his counsell sweares by himselfe there being none greater then himselfe to sweare by that he had made established and consecrated the Lord Christ to be the everlasting Priest upon whom he had conferred his everlasting Priesthood The Priests of old were made without an oath but Christ with an oath by him that said unto him Thou art a Priest for ever As if God should have said Son its true there have beene many Priests that I have made but they are dying Priests and their Priesthood is but a shadow or type of thine which I commit to thee for thou art my well-beloved and shalt not dye of thy Priesthood there shall be no end for I have said yea I have sworne it and cannot lye The Priests of old were consecrated by the powring Oyle on their heads and the putting on of the holy garments so our High Priest Christ consecarted by the powring on of oile was set a part for this office by that holy Oyntment even the power and Spirit of the most high by the voice from the most excellent glory that gave this Record of him This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased The Lord Christ ministers in the Sanctuary with the oyle of joy gladnesse and acceptation powred on him with the garments of righteousnesse and salvation Aaron and his Sons had garments yea holy garments for glory and for beauty which garments were most exquisitely made for workmanship Exod. 28. 2. 3. wise-hearted men filled with wisedome by the Lord being onely
thou wouldest not Then said I Lo I come to doe thy Will O GOD. Christ is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World Who offered up Heb. 7. 28. 11. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 22. 2 Cor. 5. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 22. himself to God without spot for he is that true Lambe without blemish and without spot Herein our Jesus was a Priest transcending the Priests under the Law which had infirmity and the Sacrifices under the Law that were imperfect For the Lord Jesus was pure and spot-lesse yea perfectly pure in whose mouth was found no guile who knew no sinne There was a great necessity he should be such an offering without spot because God was and is a God of pure Eyes that cannot behold Iniquity that is to say tolerate it suffer it to go unpunished Now had Christ been a sinner he could not have taken away sinne This was the reason of the imperfection of the Priests of old which had they been perfect we had had no need of another Priest after the order of Melchisedeck Secondly It is a free Sacrifice Free-will offerings under the Christs death a free sacrifice Law were very acceptable with God Our Jesus offered up his owne body freely no man saith he takes my life from me I lay it down Lo I Heb. 10. 9. come to do thy will O God Thirdly It was as pure and free so a Perfect Sacrifice The Sacrifices Christs death A perfect Sacrifice under the Law were without blemish but not perfect therfore Jesus puts an end to them and offers up himself The offerings in the Law were to be perfect without blemish as touching their bodies they must not be blinde broken nor maimed or the like but this was a perfection shaddowing out the true perfection of the Lord Jesus who wanted nothing who had nothing superfluous but was a perfect Sacrifice there needed no other to compleat it Fourthly It was an Eternall Sacrifice It was offered in time Christs death an eternall Sacrifice but ordain'd before time and the influences of it reached Eternity a vertue sprang from it to al his generation that fell asleep before it was actually offered and now being offered it remaines in as full vertue as ever for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified And so he was a Lambe slaine before the foundation of the Heb. 10. 14. World being the same yesterday and to day and for ever even the same Jesus the same Saviour and deliverer the same High-priest that saved Paul saved Abraham and shall save all that shall be saved Fiftly It was a spiritual Sacrifice In the time of the Law the Christs death a spirituall Sacrifice Priests went alwaies into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God but into the second the High-priest only once every year not without blood which he offered for his errors and the sins of the people Which Tabernacle was a figure in that time Now the Sacrifices and Gifts that were offered in that Tabernacle stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnall ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation Heb. 9. 10. but our High-priest enters into the holyest of holies and there accomplisheth the service of God not with Meats and Drinks and carnall Ordinances or Jewish observations but with his blood offering a spirituall Sacrifice Christ came with reformation doing away that which was carnall that is to say of a fleshly legall not sinfull administration by his spirituall Sacrifice Even the offering up of himselfe in body and spirit The Just for the Vnjust Sixtly and lastly let us view its nature with its accepataion The Christs death an acceptable Sacrifice Sacrifice was offered up to a just and righteous God for an unjust and unrighteous people and the Lord accepted it so that the shadow is of the heavenly thing Even the burnt offerings under the Law was a sweet favour unto God holding forth the excellency of the savour that our better Sacrifice our substantiall offering was to God therefore it 's said Christ gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour He is that sweet perfume that ascends up to GOD in whom the Father is only wel-pleased who hath Isa 53. 11. seen the travell of his Sonnes soul and is satisfied This is a most acceptable sacrifice Chap. X. Manifesteth the true subjects for whom this Sacrifice was offered 7. HAving thus in mercy made manifest the nature of this Sacrifice and for as much as every sacrifice that is offered is for some body let us now enquire of the Persons who are the subjects of this Sacrifice which Christ declares to be his sheep I lay down my life for my Sheep Those Sheep are the Elect of God whom the Lord Joh. 10. 15. hath appointed a place for at his Right hand in the last day therefore saith Christ Other Sheep have I which are not of this fold them also I Ver. 16. must bring in and they shall hear my voice Again saith he I know my Sheep Christ makes it his work to Redeem a company of poor silly sheep from the wooles These sheep are those who are given by God to Christ Thine they were saith Christ that is to say thine by thy choce knowledge decree and purpose Thou gavest them me that is they being in the World a company of poor despised sinfull creatures thou committed'st John 17. 6. them to my charge to rescue them from the paw of the Lion and mouth of the Beare and to keep them in thy name that they may never depart from thee These are they Christ prayed for these only and not for the World that is to say those that were not given to him to bring over by the power of his own Septer to the obedience of the Gospel to the salvation of their souls and therefore you shall finde Christs prayer is not limited to the small number of his faithfull Apostles but hee likewise prayes for all that should believe in him for their sakes he sanctified himself that is to say he set himselfe apart and made it his worke to offer sacrifice and become a Redeemer So much the word sanctify clearly imports These were a certaine number that Christ knew and the Father loved as he loved Christ which in another place are called children as testifies the Spirit saying Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he likewise tooke part of the same that he might deliver his children Which children are those that are his peculiar Heb. 2. 14. generation Behold saith Christ I and the children which thou hast given me which children he cals his brethren saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren For this cause is the Lord Jesus called The Captaine of the salvation of many sonnes Because he sanctifieth-himselfe for them for he is a perfect Captaine
Christ tels him what he hath done for him saying to him Thy sins are pardoned my Son feare not then wrath horrour guilt and terrour fly away and the man is by faith that is to say by believing what Christ hath done at peace in his soule Faith I say is not the mans justification or righteousnesse but receives it for it is a free gift of God It is said we are justified by workes how then by the bloud and grace of Object James 2. 24. Christ To that I answer We may be truly said to be justified by works Answ namely as to be justified holds forth the declaration of it to others and so onely workes before men justify or as workes declare a man in some particular act to be a just man may a man be truly said to be righteous or justified in that particular just and righteous act So these three waies of being justified viz before God in our conscience and before others or in some particular act are all at unity being the effect of Christs death which was the sacrifice for sinne But yet methinkes I heare some ready to question Whether all sinnes to a believer are pardoned past present and to come Object If thou seriously considerest what I have already said it might Sol. All sins pardoned to a believe past present and to come be a sufficient answer to thy demand but if possible I shall desire to answer thee more fully We are to consider that before we were actually Christ Jesus died and when he died he bore our sinnes in his owne body the punishment that we deserved Christ suffered he is and was our trusty Advocate that pleaded our cause and satisfied the Law against which the sinne was so that condemnation is by a Law take away the Law the condemnation ceases Now Jesus triumphed over our sinnes and the Law as I shall shew more fully anon on the Crosse and made a shew of them openly So that they could never be able to returne upon us to condemne us and under this consideration I affirme all sinnes past present and to come were then pardoned by the bloud of the Crosse For as Christ at once died for all sinnes past present and to come so were they pardoned Which pardon was given to Christ for him to communicate to us Which leades us to the second consideration namely our guilt feare horrour and terrour and Christs love to us then for he having obtained our pardon as he obtained it he gives it to the soule a full compleate perfect pardon saying after this friendly manner Thou that hidest thy selfe in the staires and in the clifts of the rocke in a desolate and forlorne condition that waterest thy bed with teares and expectest nothing but wrath feare not though thy sinnes be as scarlet I have made them as white as snow And so commands Satan their Goalor to flye the Iron gates of their owne guilt to open and takes him by the hand and leades him into the Paradise of God by faith into his Fathers Kingdome which act of Christ upon mans spirit is mans Justification according to that in the Acts We preach remission of sinnes by Jesus Christ for every one that believeth is justified from all things marke the word from all things from which he could not be justified by the Law of Moses And in another place You hath he quickened who were dead in sinnes having forgiven you all trespasses Minde it the worke is done the Law cannot charge him so that if a Saint sinnes now as in truth wee doe For be that saith he hath no sinne is a lyar and deceiveth himselfe he may looke to his Advocate pleading satisfaction already given triumphantly singing There is now no condemnation or damnation to him that is in Christ with a sure confidence None can now legally thoug many may unjustly lay any thing to his charge for God justifies him he that was offended is satisfied Neither can any condemne him for t is Christ that died for him now in this sense likewise it is very sure all sinnes past present and to come are pardoned for this second is onely the declaration of the first Against what I have here written I know many object That the Obj. Servants of God in the Old Testament as David Daniel c. prayed for pardon of sinne and that Christ commanded his Disciples to pray for the pardon Matth. 6. 12. 1 John 1. 9. of their sinnes and that we are required to confesse our sinnes one to another and pray one for another and God himselfe saith If we doe confesse our sinnes he is faithfull to forgive them therefore they are not all pardoned at once if they were what need we pray for them As to the examples or precepts concerning praying for pardon Sol. of sinne I answer That it was a sutable act to that state and service that consisted in a legall dispensation they saw not so clearly the things we see they were continually to offer sacrifice for sinne and surely those that might offer sacrifice for sinne might pray for the pardon thereof So that their praying for pardon of sinne no more proves it our duty then their offering sacrifices makes it a duty to us so to doe As to that precept of Christ to his Disciples we are to minde that Christ intended not alwaies to confine his Disciples to that manner of praying but that forme was agreeable to that dispensation for the Kingdome of Heaven was not then come It was but at hand but now it is come and we may boldly goe to God As concerning the other Scriptures that say Confesse your sinnes one to another and If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull to forgive us If you consider what I have said before it might be sufficient These expressions onely speake of a forgivenesse and acquittall in a mans Conscience So though a soule may be in some doubt these are an encouragement for him not to hide his face and runne away in feare but boldly to acknowledge them upon the head of the Scape Goate the Lord Jesus and God is just and faithfull to forgive them that is to say to manifest the forgivenesse of them to thee for sinne is either chargeable before God or in the Conscience before God it is not therefore in Conscience onely and as it is chargeable such is the forgivenesse it many times fares with a Saint as with a man arrested with a Bond formerly cancelled the man hereupon is filled with feare beginning to call in question whether his surety hath cancelled it or no and so calls upon his surety for the producing his Bond that he may be assured he is freed from it by the Law though unjustly vexed for it Even so I say fares it many times with a Saint Jesus Christ hath told him the Law is satisfied his debt paid the bond cancelled the Devil assalts him sets his sins his debts in order before his eyes and
charges the Law upon him whereby the soul begins to fear againe and is ready to qestion whether Christ hath told him so as he did before believe and now he cries out for his pardon that the bond may be taken out of his way that he may be set at liberty through the manifestation of Christs love yea I say farther A man that hath obtained a pardon from his Prience may be attached for the same offence and now may desire in confidence that his surety in whose hands the pardon is to give it him that so he may be set at liberty let me tell you Satan many times assaults the soule and troubles it and then many a soul in faith asks his pardon or the benefit of his pardon that so he may be freed from Satans buffetings and thus in the Scripture it is frequent to aske the thing produceing a benifit for the effects sake as for instance we may desire to eate the flesh of Christ when wee meane the benefit that redounds to us from it so that the sum and substance of what I have said is First That sin is fully satisfied for by Christs death in the sight of God and shal never be charged upon a Saint which pardon is in the hands of Christ for him Secondly that sinne lieth in the conscience til believing and when the soul believes is forgivenesse given to him that is to say published made manifest and declared Thirdly That though he may be freed yet be in trouble or fear againe for according to the measure of his faith such is his assurance and consolation then he may pray for the pardon of sin that is to say the fuller assurance of it and may ask for pardon of sinne as it includes his right to be freed from trouble or wrath for them any more So that I say all sinnes are pardoned in the sense I have already declared past present and to come You say that a Saint after believing may fear againe which if it be true Object why doth the Apostle say we have not received the spirit of bondage againe to fear In Answer to this We must know Paul is not there going about Sol. to tel them that it is impossible for them to fear againe but his intent is there to hold forth the excellency of the Spirit it was not the spirit of bondage engendering to fear that they had received through the Gospel of Jesus but the Spirit of adoption whereby they could cry Abba Father and therefore the same Apostles demanded of the Galathians whether they received the Spirit by the preaching of the Law or by the hearing of faith commanding them to hold fast their liberty and not to be intangled with the yoake of bondage which is the spirit of feare in the Law which the Galathians were subject to not through the preaching of Christ but through the subtilty of deceivers preaching the Law And the truth is so farre as wee be subject to be in bondage to feare so farre wee runne to the Law there is no such thing produced by the Spirit of Christ Jesus To conclude this Chapter I shall lay down three prevailing arguments or Scripture reasons to prove that all sinnes past present and to come in the sense before explained are pardoned 1. If all a believers sinnes be not pardoned at once he may bee Arg. 1 truely in the state of wrath and condemnation after believing But I say believers are not at all truely in the state of wrath or condemnation Therefore all their sinnes are pardoned c. The first proposition is manifest if you do but consider what it is not to have sin pardoned it is to be in the state of wrath or condemnation for he is blessed whose sinnes are Covered or Pardoned The word of the Apostle proves the second saying There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus If all sinnes be not pardoned at once then some are not Covered Arg. 2 Which is evident if we consider that the covering of sin is the pardoning of sin Blessed is the man whose iniquities are covered If sin be alwaies covered it is buried and so incapable of rising up against us and so if not pardoned t is not covered But all their sinnes are alwaies Covered Which appeares in that when Christ died he carried them away in his own body in to a Land of Oblivion that God saith I will remember their sins no more Christ is our propitiation all our sinnes are blotted out rased covered buried nailed to the Crosse that they cannot hurt us If all the sins of a believer be not pardoned at once by the Lord Arg. 3 then may some be laid to his charge Which is evident of it selfe for the pardon is the acquittance or discharge from sin But none can be laid to their charge therefore saith Paul Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Nothing can charge a believer except it bee the Law I meane nothing can justly charge him Now the Law cannot doe it as I will shew you in the next Chapter Therefore I conclude All sinnes are pardoned at once in the sense before named Chap. XIII Sheweth the Vertue of Christs death freeing us from the Law FOr the fuller clearing of this I shall endeavour to make it appeare First from what Law we are freed Secondly In what manner or under what consideration we are freed 1. The Law we are freed from is the Law given to Adam or the Law given on Mount Sinai It is needfull for us to know those two dispensations the one by God to Adam and all the World the other to Moses and the Children of Israel to be one and the same substantiall Law which we may perceive in the Epistle to the Romanes where it is written For when the Gentiles which have not the Law viz. as it was given to Israel by Moses in that dispensation or ministration do by nature that is to say by that original instinct or principle that is in all their hearts by creation the things contained in the Law viz. of Moses these having not the Law viz. given them by Moses are a Law unto themselves that is to say they have it in their hearts Which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts This appeares yet more evident if we consider the punishment threatned by both was the same therefore is it said verse 15. Their conscience bearing witnesse and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another their owne hearts accusing them is a manifest proofe of wrath to be the fruit of sin and condemnation the portion of sinners therefore saith the Apostle By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin this death is explained to be judgement to condemnation If the Law and punishment be the same that of Adam and that of Moses to Object what purpose serves the Law by Moses is it not needlesse I Answer No verily though the substance
pointed at Secondly Of Terrour to the wicked and to them it is a sentence of eternall punishment Depart from mee yee cursed t is the terrour of the Lord to them perdition and destruction yea eternall fire t is hell kindled by the wrath of God If any one aske me what hell is I answer t is the eternall wrath What hell is of God kindled in body and soule an absence of all good a presence of all misery t is a fire that never goeth out t is a stringing worme that never dyeth t is a consuming consumption a dying death a consumption alwaies consuming and yet never ceases to consume a continuall dying that never dies t is the second death that endures for ever Lastly The time when this judgement shall be In this I shall propose these two things First That of that day and houre if Christ be worthy of beliefe The time when the judgment day is knowes no man no not the Angels in heaven no not the Son of man himselfe as he was the Son of man it comes as a theefe in the night unawares to the world Secondly T is not till the resurrection of the body therefore is it called The last day the dispensation of Christ untill the resurrection is called The last daies but the last day in respect of Christs judgement is onely appropriated to that judgement t is not till the time of sentence that shall be pronounced upon all men good and bad But say so me The day of judgement is come already for Christ judges Object now in the hearts of the Saints which is the true day of judgement To this I answer That the word Judgement admits of a various Sol. consideration it is taken either for discerning or pronouncing sentence or condemning and to speake plainly t is true Jesus Christ doth judge that is to say declare against sinne and pronounce condemnation as belonging to sinners which is while we are in the flesh but this is no where called the judgement of the last day but this judgement that I speake of is the execution of sentence of the righteous Judge for the absolving and rewarding his Saints and condemning and punishing the world Now this is not in this life in the naturall body Let me freely ask thee whether now the wicked be punished Whether they be condemned now Surely thou wilt not say they are in eternall fire and have all the torment they shall have now is the time of their jollity mirth and merriment the Saints are now in trouble and the wicked rejoyce but hearken man what the Lord saith He knoweth how to deliver the righteous to reserve the unjust to the day of condemnation They are now reserved till then the righteous who are the children of the resurrection are kept in their graves as in a sweet and quiet sleepe till the resurrection and then saith Christ to them Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world though not enjoyed till now but the wicked that sport out the time of this life must die for it is appointed for all men once to dye and they in death are kept in their graves as in a prison and are raised up not as a priviledge to them as some conceive for better were it for them never to rise againe to condemnation for after death comes judgement To whom Christ saith Goe yee cursed of my Father into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels who are likewise kept in chaines to the destruction of that day wherein all secrets of all hearts are judged which I am sure is not in this life Thus have I finished according to the grace given me of God the three-fold office of Christ who is a Kingly Priest and a Priestly King who is a Propheticall and Kingly Priest and a Priestly and Propheticall King as I may so say What may be attributed to any one office of Christ all concurre in it for in every worke of Christ all his offices have a joint operation Now in Christ is God seene in the most lively appearances of himselfe to the Saints Gods mercy and justice both reconciled in Christ his wisedome and power dwell in him his brightnesse and glory live in him In a word whatever the Lord is to a soule he is it Christ and it is richly fully and compleatly in him who of God is made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Chap. XVIII Sheweth wherein the Worship of God consists with the true power and manner of divine Worship as it consists onely in the Inward man HAving through the goodnesse of God finished my discourse The worship of God as in the inward man consists of the true knowledge of God without which nothing is performed well unto God I am now come to shew wherein the worship of that God consists which is in the subjection of the spirit unto God to the will of the Lord which consists in five particulars As 1. Faith By believing in God is God glorified therefore is it In Faith and what true faith is Rom. 4. 20. said We give glory to God in believing which faith is either a relying or dependance upon the Lord Jesus for salvation according to the will of God or a giving credit to the words of God So is faith the evidence of things not seene and the substance of things hoped for that is to say it layes hold on the substance hoped for and brings it nigh to the soule The effects of which faith are peace with God victory over the world and life eternall The duration of the life of faith glorifying God is till Christ come the second time without sin to salvation for he that shall come will come and will not tarry Now the just shall live by faith Now that is till Christ comes 2. In Prayer This is a part of spirituall worship which prayer In Prayer what true prayer is is a powring out the soule to God in the name and power of the Lord Jesus by the spirit for the supplying of our wants which prayers acknowledge our relation to God and Gods soveraignty over us The true prayer of the spirit is not a composed forme of mans invention but the breathing of the soule by the spirit after the good things of God this is to worship God when we seeke to him 3. In feare reverence and honour If I be Master saith God where In feare and reverence and what it is is my feare If I be a Father where is my honour Therefore must we serve the Lord with feare and rejoice before him with trembling The true fear of God is the reverent high and honourable thoughts and apprehensions a soule hath of God as his Lord Father and Creator wrought in him by the spirit Therefore we are commanded to Feare the Lord and his goodnesse Which feare is no slavish posture but a Son-like temper whereby
fulnesse of Christ From whence I desire you to minde that these are said to be set in the Church 1 Cor. 12. 28. Which Church is not to be understood any particular and distinct visible society but that Church which makes up the compleate body of Christ viz. all Saints now the Apostles and Evangelists were set in them as the foundation of the building and the Prophets Pastours and Teachers to build upon the foundation But what are the markes of those true Ministers that wee may know Qu. them The onely true ground of a visible judging or discerning them Sol. is by their doctrine therefore John saith Believe not every spirit but try the spirits Hereby know yee the spirit of God Every spirit that confesseth How to know the true Ministers of the Gospell that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God that is to say by trying the doctrines brought unto you you shall be able to judge from whence the Preachers come Now to confesse Christ come in the flesh is to preach the Lord Christ the man Christ to be a King Priest and Prophet to have put an end to all ministrations before himselfe to have given lawes for his Saints to conforme to yea t is to know the mystery hid from ages therefore saith Christ Goe preach the Gospell he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved But further Though they may be true Ministers of the Gospell preaching the true Doctrine that thou mayst be able to judge them by their doctrine thou must be endued with the spirit whereby finding the operation of the word in thee thou canst say doubtlesse though he is not a Minister to others yet he is to me without this spirit we may be deluded and deceived therefore is it said when the Apostles preached The hand of the Lord was with them and many were converted therefore is it said There are many deceivers entred into the world but yee have an unction that teacheth you which unction is onely able truly to teach us But the Apostles of Christ and them that preached the Gospell did worke Object signes and miracles to confirme their doctrine so that if there be any true Ministers they are able to doe the like To this I answer T is true that the Apostles did worke miracles Sol. but if you observe it in their Commission they are not prescribed as any part of their office Looke Mathew Marke Luke the Of Miracles latter ends T is true I finde there this promise that those that should believe in their word should worke miracles which was accomplished when the word of God began to spread But however miracles were done by the Apostles and them that believed yet notwithstanding they were not essentiall unto preaching or believing for many believed to whom we finde no miracle exhibited as the Eunuch and Lydia whose heart God opened at Pauls preaching and many more might be named Now if miracles were essentiall to believing then if there be no miracles there is no believing and if no believing no salvation So that if miracles be not essentiall to believing neither are they to preaching the Gospell for they are as much promised to believers as to preachers Now miracles were wrought by many that did believe and so is that promise already fulfilled for it was not made to every believer for Paul saith Are all workers of miracles And so miracles in truth were for the silencing of the world and making the passage more free for the Disciples to travell up and downe and upon this account did Gamaliel perswade them to let the Apostles alone because a miracle was done by them and yet neither he nor they received the Gospell for notwithstanding their miracles they commanded them to preach no more in that name Neither did their miracles worke upon many that heard them but rather enraged them the more as in the case of Christs raising Lazarus is evident But further if miracles were so necessary to the preaching of the Gospell that the Gospell cannot be dispensed without them then I say why did John doe no miracle for he preached and yet did no miracle Neither doth it at all appeare that the Disciples that went abroad preaching the Gospell after their scattring ever did any miracle For the true nature of miracles were to usher in the Gospell of Christ or Christ in the Gospell to the world For miracles were never given to continue for indeed miracles are so from the rarity of them or their seldome appearance which if they should grow common would cease to be miracles and become as naturall Moses when he came to deliver Israel wrought many miracles but after the Kingdome of Israel was established we reade not of such use of miracles So Christ and the Apostles the first beginners of the Kingdome of heaven that is to say the first founders of this state of the Gospell did many miracles but afterwards we finde not the use of them so frequent and Paul indeed when he would make manifest his ministry to the Corinths he tels them not of his miracles but The proofe of Christ speaking in him he told them was mighty in them and so bids them Examine themselves whether they were in the faith 2 Cor. 13. 3 5. So that he wils them to consider what they believed and if they were in the truth they knew him to be sent from Christ to them but if they were not in the truth then it was no wonder if they were ignorant of Christs speaking in him for the naturall man discernes not the things of the spirit neither can he for they are spiritually discerned It is true miracles were not worked by all for all as Paul saith are not Object workers of miracles but notwithstanding miracles were wrought when they first planted the Churches and since that the Churches have apostatised and none have beene found holding the faith so that miracles are againe requisite for the beginning or planting of the Churches of Christ againe as at the first In answer to this I desire you to minde that miracles were Sol. wrought to confirme the truth of the Gospell at first which being once confirmed we are not again to expect new miracles but the truth we finde already written is a good ground for us to practise Josiah understood by the writings of Moses the will of God when there had beene a great apostacy of Gods people and without any new miracle sets himselfe about the worke of the Lord. Nehemiah and Ezra also after the Children of Israel were carried Captives Nehemiah â—8 14. they by the Booke of the Law finde that they must put away strange wives dwell in booths that the Aminonites and Moabites should not come into the Congregation of the Lord. Now they according to the good hand of God upon them without any miracles put in execution whatever they found commanded in the Law of Moses and set themselves to build the Temple offer Sacrifices
and to order the whole worship of God according to what they found written So that I say t is not miracles but a command of Christ or a good hand of Christ upon a soule discovering his duty to him that is the ground of the administration of Ordinances which is likewise evident in Peter who finding the Scripture that speakes of Judas saying Let his habitation be desolate and his Bishorick office or Acts 1. charge let another take And so finding their duty from the Scripture presently sets upon the matter to choose an Apostle in Judas his stead That I may end this Discourse we are to consider that we have the Apostles and the miracles that Jesus and the Apostles wrought with us that there needs no pleading for Apostles againe in the flesh nor miracles neither for by having the Apostles I meane their workes their writings their word their Gospell their spirit which is the whole counsell of God for us And so have we their miracles that is to say they are still before our eyes according to the saying of Christ They have Moses and the Prophets when they had onely their writings and not the bodies of either And according to that saying in John And many other signes truly did Jesus John 20. ult which are not written in this Booke But these are written that yee might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God Moses and the Prophets Christ and the Apostles are all in the Scriptures which Through faith in Christ Jesus are able to make us perfect to every good worke So that now for any to expect other miracles it argues they finde not nor feele the power of Christ in them by the Spirit who are likely to meet with miracles but indeed they are such as Anti-Christ shall worke to deceive the Nations who shall come and is come already with power signes and lying wonders But certainly seeing so many pretend to speake by the spirit and to be sent by Object the spirit and there is but one true proper preaching the word of truth and yet these crosse oppose and contradict each other how shall I know which to embrace there must be some miracle to confirme the truth from errour Truly to this I answer That miracles are no certaine signes of Sol. the true Gospell nor infallible grounds of judging of it for Anti-Christ shall worke miracles so that except we know whether the miracles be true or fained from Christ or Anti-Christ we should be never the nere So that I say againe First we can never tell which of them is in the truth except it be revealed to us by the spirit of truth which is onely able truly to judge of miracles and of the differences of things that in the midst of tenne thousand errours knowes how to single out the truth of Jesus being onely of its owne nature So that againe I desire thou mayst not seeke after a signe like a foolish and adulterous generation left while with Herod thou wouldst have Christ but with a desire to see some miracle from him thou fallest short of Christ and Christ worketh none at all before thee as indeed he for the most part if not alwaies refused to doe to them that demanded them of him But notwithstanding if thou shalt yet say surely none may preach except Apostles and them that are so sent as they were I shall onely say this to thee Thou mayst as well expect Christ to come againe in the flesh to call more Apostles to beare witnesse againe of his resurrection which surely would be a very darke practise and blinde expectation Therefore let us remaine with this confidence that those whom God by his spirit gives a message to and enables them to declare it for the gathering of the Saints into the fellowship of the Gospell are true approved Ministers of the Lord Jesus But if they be true Ministers of the Gospell why doe they not doe as the Apostles Object did viz. preach the Gospell to every creature I answer That every one of the Apostles did not preach the Sol. Gospell to every Creature but amongst them some were principally Apostles of the Circumcision while Paul was a Minister or an Apostle to the Gentiles But againe Some that preached the Gospell preached it but in some particular places as many brethren that went to some Cities specified in the 8. and 11. of the Acts. So that a man may be a Minister of the Gospell to the world though he never goeth out of his owne City or Country But some as Paul and others were to goe to severall Countryes who were furnished with the gift of tongues for that purpose which gift all that preached the Gospel had not neither is the gift of tongues needfull but for preaching to the persons of a strange language I am now come to the manner how it must be administred How the Gospell is to bee preached Infallibly which is 1. Infallibly Certainly Assuredly the Gospell they must preach must not be Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus they must preach the words of God the words of truth 2. In the name of God They must not goe forth in their own In the name of God authority but in Christs Therefore are they called Ambassadors of Christ 3. Plainly Not in the entising words of mans wisedome but in demonstration Plainly of spirit and power in words easy to be understood 4. And Lastly It must be preached fully The word of the Gospell Fully must be declared fully not onely for conversion but for building up in the things of God whoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved teaching them to observe all the commands of Christ To end this Chapter I shall speake a word or two to the subjects The subjects to whom wee must preach the Gospell to whom good newes is to be preached which are sinners as sinners enemies as enemies prisoners as prisoners he brings liberty for Captives righteousnesse for sinners which is the acceptable day of the Lord to sinners not that they may continue in sinne but that they may be made righteous To sinners both of Jews and Gentiles the Gospell of the Kingdome is to be preached among all nations for the obedience of faith Chap. II. Discourseth of Baptisme in foure particulars proving that Baptisme was commanded to be preached and practised that Saints were baptized Shewing the severall sorts of Baptisme spoken of in the Scriptures manifesting the Baptisme of water to be preached by the Disciples and practised by the Saints THE Gospell to be preached and the Preachers thereof being made manifest with the subjects to whom glad tydings are to be divulged for the obedience of faith In the next place I shall shew you that not onely glad tydings are to be preached to sinners but they being converted are to be informed of their duty Therefore saith Christ Teach them to observe all things which I have commanded
Arguments First Those persons are onely to be baptized whom Christ gave Arg. 1 Against infant Baptisme a Commission to his Disciples to baptize But Christ gave a Commission to his Disciples to baptize none but visible professors of the Gospell of Christ Ergo Onely professors of faith are to be baptized and so not children because they cannot professe faith The major or the former proposition is evident for if they baptized others then Christ commanded them they set up an Ordinance of their owne and were guilty of will-worship and taught for the Doctrines of God their owne traditions If any one shall deny this I desire he would shew me in the Scripture where the Lord Jesus hath declared his approbation of any mans setting up an Ordiance in his owne house which he himselfe enjoyned not with the reasons for such an assertion and we will fully consider of the matter The second proposition is likewise cleare if we consider the Commission given to his Disciples to baptize we shall see the persons expresly denominated to be believers as first that in Mathew where Christ saith Goe teach all Nations baptizing them From whence many though exceeding ignorantly lay a foundation for infant sprinkling concluding all nations are to be baptized and infants are a part of nations therefore to be baptized not knowing they may as well conclude all Heathens Infidels Barbarians Idolaters and the worst of men or any part of the Nations may be baptized by the same argument but the truth is these words are a cleare deniall of infant Baptisme for they are first commanded to teach the Nations and then baptize them that is to say them that are taught as it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be referred to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 included in the verb and that this may appeare to be the cleare minde of the spirit we will shew you it cannot be meant otherwise for if he meanes not them that are taught then they have a command to baptize unbelieuers which surely no man that pretends to know Christ dares to affirme But say some they are to baptize those that they teach which teaching is Object their outward declaration of the Word so that to whom they outwardly preach the word they may administer baptism To this I answer first This is not the true meaning of the word taught for the word signifies so to teach as to make Disciples they Sol. were to make Disciples as instruments in the hand of God as co-workers with the Lord and them they were to baptize and if it should bemeant to al to whom the Word was to be preached whethey believe or no this excludes Infants except we affirme we are to preach the Gospel to Infants of daies that are not capable of understanding our words which I think will never be-proved and as it excludes them it includes all unbelievers who hear the word and obey it not which is contrary to truth Again in that Scripture in Marke Goe preach the Gospel to every creature and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Faith is still put before Baptisme if any shall yet say Christ gives a Commission to Baptize any other then Believers let them set down where it was given and when and we will seriously weigh that Commission The second and last argument I shall at present propound though the first alone is sufficient against Infants Baptisme is this That which confounds the Church and the world making them both one is altogether unlawfull But Baptisme of Infants doth confound the Church and the world together therefore unlawfull The first is evident and so is the second if we consider that all men by naturall generation are but of this world naturall a naturall man begets a sonne in his own likenesse no man is born a Saint by virtue of his naturall birth the children of Believers and unbelievers are all in one state in respect of visible appearance But may some say that children of Believers are in the Covenant and so Object are not of the world therefore they may be Baptized If they are in the Covenant they are either in the Covenant of grace or some outward Covenant of Church Ordinances if any Sol. say they are in the covenant of grace I say they are all of them so or some of them so that all are not so consider what is said of Esau Ro. 9. and indeed election is no ground of Baptisme to be administred but profession but if you say they are in an outward Covenant I demand the proofe of such a Covenant in the Gospel but if any say there was an outward Covenant of Churchfellowship with Abrahams natural seed so now with the natural seed of all believers be not too hasty in your conclusions consider the Scripture there is now no Seed of Abraham according to the flesh who are the onely people of God but if we believe we are Abrahams children so that as Abrahams naturall seed enjoyed many jewish priviledges so now Abrahams spirituall seed enjoy spirituall priviledges Abraham was in a double capacity as a Father of many Nations in the flesh to whom pertained Circumcision the giving thelaw c. as a Father of the faithfull and so believers are only his seed But the promise is said to be unto them Acts 2. 38. The promise is to you Object and to your children therefore if the promise be unto them why may not they have the Seale of the promise Consider in answer to this two things 1. Those to whom the promise is made are commanded first Sol. to repent and be baptized so that if the bare being in the promise without reference to faith was a sufficient ground for the Apostle to baptize them I see not to what purpose he exhorts them first to repent Secondly consider the restriction of the promise 't is even to as many as the Lord our God shall call which must be restrained only to them whether you take the promise to be meant of remission of sins for this is given to no man but upon believing or if you mean outward ordinances they are onely for the called baptisme Church fellowship breaking bread prayer all are for the called who are onely able to act faith in them But children were circumcised and Baptisme comes in the roome of Circumcision Object therefore may children be baptized This reasoning from Circumcision to Baptisme of Infants will not hold for if you say the ground of both is the same and say they were circumcised because in the Covenant and so children Sol. Baptized if by Covenant you mean the promise of eternall life that was not the ground of circumcising any for many were in that covenant that were never circumcised for in truth 't was not the Covenant but the command of God that was is the ground of submitting to any Ordinance but if you say the Covenant was an outward promise of
foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the Corner stone Now the Apostles and Prophets are the foundation of the whole building as in their daies so in our daies and now what have we to doe but to build on the same foundation Againe Consider what saith the Scripture Math. 16. 18. And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Now the Church of Christ were a company of Disciples baptized professing the doctrine of the Gospell as I shall shew more clearly afterwards Now against this Church the gates of hell should not prevaile because it was built upon a Rock Many thinke the meaning of that Rock to be Christ others judg it to be Peter but for my part I believe it to be meant of neither excluding the other but of both for Christ is the true foundation For no other foundation can any man lay then that which is already laid even the Lord Jesus Yet I say also Christ is not called a foundation but in reference to his doctrine given to Peter and the Apostles preached by them first who are also said to be the foundation they as instruments in Christs hand Christ as the fountaine and fulnesse that fils all in all so that however behold a Church built That the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it But may some say The gates of hell did prevaile against many Object Churches It is not said the gates of hell shall not prevaile against any Sol. Church in particular but against the Church that is to say the whole body of Christ in all ages And though wee cannot see a Church successively from the Apostles yet I shall prove there hath beene a Church in all ages Ephes 3. 21. Vnto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen Behold here a Church in all ages the Churches and so the Ordinances of the Churches were not to abide onely in the Apostles dayes but to the end of the world in all ages But yet to evince this more fully consider that the word preached by the Apostles is the onely word to be preached for faith and obedience in all generations therefore saith Christ Neither pray I for these onely but for them also which shall believe on me also through their word John 17. 20. The word of God preached by them and not their persons is expressed by Christ to be the ground of our faith that believe now to whom and to all that shall believe afterwards his prayer extends Againe saith Paul As we have said before so say I now againe If any man preach any other Gospell unto you then that we have preached and you have received though it be an Angell from heaven let him be accursed Galath 1. 8 9. Therefore is the Gospell called The everlasting Gospell Rev. 14. 6. Now the word that the Apostles preached is that which was given to them by Christ Goe preach the Gospell he that believeth and is baptized this is to be held forth as the word of God To the end of the world The time from Christ to the end of the world is The last daies wherein Christ himselfe hath spoken to us Heb. 1. 2. Who by this dispensation changed the old Priesthood and Law Heb. 7. 12. Now he did not destroy them as evill but changed them for the Priesthood of Aaron he established his own by death for the law of Ceremonies pointing out a Christ to come he established baptisme and breaking of bread to hold forth the establishment of his Priesthood in his death who is already come dead and risen againe Now as long as the Priesthood of Christ remaines so long must the Law remaine for there is no Priesthood without a Law The life of obedience is required till Christ coming therfore saith Christ Yee know not in what houre your Lord shall come therefore watchâ— But lest any should say the exhortation concernes not us Christ saith What I say unto you I say unto all Watch As Paul saith speaking of the judgments of God to Israel Now all these things hapned to them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10 11. So are they for our admonition and the Apostles doctrine our rule therefore he saith to Timothy And the things that thou hast heard of mee among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall be able to teach others also 2 Tim. 2. 2. Let those that thinke the commands of the Apostles onely concerne that generation consider this Scripture Yea Baptisme is so farre from being ceased that it is called One of the first principles of Religion Heb. 6. 2. Now surely if you take away that you may as well take away Religion also and how you may wave that without bringing in another Religion with other Principles I understand not But if any say yet all this satisfies not then I shall demand what ground have any to prove its removall out of the way for this is certaine no dispensation given by Christ was ever removed but by the bringing in of some other And Christ hath now given out his lawes and will give out no other but it is high time to hear what is said against it which I shall willingly doe Chap. VII Answereth severall Objections SOme say John baptized with water but Christ with the Holy Ghost and Object fire So that John saith I must decrease but he must encrease from whence they conclude that water Baptisme must decrease and He viz. Christ and his Baptisme of the spirit must encrease Iohn 3. 30. This objection is grounded upon a meere mistake conceiving Sol. the Baptisme of water to be onely Johns and not Christs So that when John saith I must decrease they can understand nothing to be meant but water Baptisme when it is not Johns intention but John shewes his glory his honour and ministry must give way to and be swallowed up in Christ and decreased in this respect that he must dye and cease but Christ encreases by his death through which he gives new institutions I have already shewed the difference and agreement of Christs and Johns Baptisme wherein I have proved the Baptisme of water to be the Baptisme of Christ But Christ saith to the woman of Samaria Woman believe me the houre cometh when you shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Jerusalem worship Object 2 the Father But the houre cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth which is an argument that Baptism of water is no part of the worship of God for that is outward and God will be worshipped in spirit Iohn 4. 22 23. In answer to this I desire you to minde that Christ doth not at Sol. all destroy the Baptisme of water but
Scripture is most strangely perverted from whence many soules take advantage to propagate their owne delusions That we may a little manifest the truth of this Scripture wee are to consider what it is to know Christ after the flesh if you say to know Christ after the flesh is to know him as dying at Jerusalem I say thus we are alwaies to know him neither doe we know him at all truly except we so know him and if you meane the knowledge of him in any Ordinance of the New Testament that is to know him according to the spirit But to know Christ after the flesh is to know him after a carnall manner in a way of distinction or outward priviledge by a fleshly relation for thus Paul once knew himselfe According to the flesh to be an Israelite circumcised the eight day and not a sinner of the Gentiles Thus did they know Christ to be of the natural seed of Abraham that went forth preaching peculiarly to the Jewes Who said Salvation is of the Jewes but now they knew him not after those fleshly distinctions for now there is neither Jew nor Gentile bond nor free Barbarian nor Scythian Male nor female but all are one in Christ Iesus therefore saith Paul verse 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away that is to say the priviledges the Iewes have by birth and that old administration therefore saith Paul We serve God not in the oldnesse of the letter but in the newnesse of the spirit not in a fleshly manner but spiritually so that this Scripture doth not in the least speak against baptisme or breaking of bread but against the fleshly priviledges that many Iewes boasted of which were done away in Christ But the Scripture saith If yee be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world why as though living in the world are yee subject to ordinances Object Touch not tast not handle not which all are to perish with the using after the commandements and doctrines of men which directly speakes against Ordinances how then can you plead for the ordinance of water Baptisme or any other outward Ordinance Col. 2. 21. If thou didst but consider what Ordinances he speakes against Sol. thou wouldest have spared this objection he forbids the rudiments of the world the doctrines and commands of men in the things of God these are not by Saints to be tasted touched nor handled for they perish in the using that is to say we reape no benefit by them but we suffer losse in the use of them but I hope no man will say we are not to touch the doctrines ordinances and commandements of Christ if they shall not onely Baptisme but faith and spirituall worship must not be touched for these are the doctrines of Christ and the same Apostle that forbids these earthly sinfull commands himselfe praises the Corinths For keeping the Ordinances he delivered to them 1 Cor. 11. 2. which he received of Christ It is true the Apostles did practise Baptisme of water but they did it Object only as an outward Ceremony of Johns baptisme which was not easily layd down and so they practised Circumcision That the Apostles and Disciples did practise baptisme I have already Sol. proved and not upon Johns but Christs accompt And I say again they did it as a command from Christ for if they had done it only as a Ceremony how comes it to passe Peter commands the Gentiles to be baptized who were ignorant of Iohns baptisme and how comes it in the Disciples Commission as I have more largely before proved it to be Again if it was only practised as a Ceremony I desire thou wouldest shew me where how or when this Ceremony ended surely 't was not by fire baptisme as is most evident from Acts. 10. Yea this is evident all Ceremonies that pointed at a Christ to come ceased in Christ but baptisme as I have before proved hath its institution from Christ as risen from the dead but for a more clear and distinct answer I say it is true that the Apostle did circumcise Timothy in the Gospel yet notwithstanding the ground or accompt whereupon he circumcised is farre different from the ground of the administration of baptisme for if you consider it you will finde that Paul did not circumcise Timothy but upon the desire of the Elders of Jerusalem for the satisfaction of the Jewes Paul being to goe to them that he might have the more advantage to gaine upon them did this for if you observe it Timothy's mother was a Jew and so of right he ought to be circumcised Paul had the greater care to doe it least they should have refused to admit him into their company But oh how far different was the administration of baptisme performed by virtue of Christs command as I have plainly proved before not to please any but in obedience to Christ Again this was only once and only to one that we read of practised For afterward when they would have Titus to be circumcised Paul would not give way to it no not at all when the Galathians pleaded for it he expresly told them if they were circumcised Christ should Profit them nothing Now doe I demand of thee to shew me where the Scripture saith that baptism was administred to please man or where you finde the Lord by the Scripture forbidding the use of it or disannulling the practise of it So that for any one to conclude baptism was used because it was a ceremony that ought but could not easily be laid down is but a bare affirmation which hath no colour of truth or proofe and if any one shall affirme it is so I pray him in love to give me the grounds and reasons from the Scriptures for such an assertion to which I here promise in the strength of the Lord to returne a further answer But some other object from Matth. 28. That the disciples are there commanded Object to baptize into the name not in the Name of the Father c. that is into the virtue of the Father or into the Father himself which is only true in the baptism of the spirit so that that baptism cannot be meant a baptism of water I have already proved that the Apostles did not by any act of Sol. theirs give the Spirit for they did only publish to the eare it was the Lord spake to the heart they baptized with water but Christ with the holy Ghost and fire it was the work of Paul to plant and Apollo to water but only of the Lord to give the blessing So that the true understanding of these words are that the disciples were commanded to preach the Lord Jesus and his name and to baptize them into that name that is to say to dip them into his profession to seperate them unto the Lord and therefore Paul saith were you baptized into the name of Paul that you so much boast your selves to be of
him whereby is cleerly demonstrated that to be baptized inthe name is into the profession of their union with Christ whereby they are visibly cloathed with Christ it is the sole act of the Father to wash their souls bodies with the Spirit of regeneration but the disciples may and did baptize or dip their bodies in water But they are commanded to baptize into the Name of Father Son and Spirit which was not that baptisme of water the Apostles practised for that is Object said to be only in the Name of the Lord Jesus therfore for you to baptize with water in the Name of Father Son and Spirit is contrary to the Apostles practise To this I say to baptize in the Name of Father Son and Spirit is to Baptize in the Name of the Lord Jesus and to Baptize in the Name of Sol. the Lord Jesus is to Baptize in the Name of the Father Son and Spirit for the Father and Spirit dwell in Christ and are not knowne without him therefore when Philip said unto Christ Shew us the Father Iesus answered and said have I beene so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip He that hath seene me hath seen the Father and how sayest thou shew us the Father I am in the Father and the Father in me Iohn 14. 8. 9. 10. Whereby is fully demonstrated that to doe any thing in the name of Christ is to doe it in the name of the Father and so it is also of the Spirit which dwels unmeasurably in the Lord Iesus therefore saith Christ Though I goe away I will come to you and I will send the Spirit the Comforter I tell you plainly Christ is not but as the Father and Spirit are in him So that no man can baptize into the name of the Lord Iesus but he doth it into the name of the Father Son Spirit but if you say the Apostles used not that form of words in baptism viz. I Baptize in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost I say also no man is bound to use them but ought to baptize it in that name expressing what he doth either in those or other words But Christ saith not Goe Baptize with water but only Baptize now for Object any one to say he meant with water is to adde a consequence of their own for Scripture and to speak that which Christ intends not Thou that thus objectest I pray thee tell me seriously whither Sol. thou thinkest thy objection hath any bottome if thou sayest it hath I likewise affirme for you to say he meanes the Spirit is by the same reason altogether groundlesse for he saith not be baptized with the Spirit but know thou this God hath given us understanding to know his Will by his Words surely when he saith baptize he would have us know what he meanes so that we must expresse with what or confesse our own ignorance I have already proved this Baptisme is the Baptisme of Water And I say again to Baptize properly signifies to dip in the water and where it is otherwise used as in affliction and the Spirit it is figuratively so used and not properly for in those there is a plunging or overwhelming the soule or body as there is of the body in water The Scriptures say Eph. 4. 5. There is but one Lord one Faith one Baptisme which Baptisme is a Baptisme of the Spirit therefore for you to say Object Christ hath a Baptisme of water is to make two Baptismes whereof one of them is of your own invention for to say Christ hath two Baptisms is to give the Scriptures the ly If we shall say there is two baptismes the word of truth will Sol. warrant us for Heb. 6. 2. We finde the doctrine of baptismes spoken of which surely are more then one for the word is in the plurall number and I have proved the baptism of water to be the Baptisme of Christ and for ought I can understand by any man to the contrary the Apostle meanes the baptisme of water in this Scripture for he mentions not the Spirit nor Water so that I might as well retort this objection and say there is but one Baptisme which is of Water therfore for any to say there is a Baptism of the Spirit they give this Scripture the ly which manner of argument be it far from me for the meaning of the Apostle there is to draw the Saints into unity from the consideration of the unity of truth There is one Faith saith he yet notwithstanding it is easily proved that there was then severall sorts of faith as of miracles which all had not of the Gospel which every Saint had yet one faith so one baptisme yet there was a baptisme of water of the the Spirit and of afflictions which in one respect are divers yet in another they are one that is to say in unity the one not destroying the other water Spirit and afflictions accompany Saints Spirit gives them a being in life water manifests this being afflictions are sent from the Father to exercise them in this being yea further the holy Ghost and fire and the Baptisme of Water are one as centring in one head the Lord Christ tending to unity viz. the advancement of the Gospel therefore though in a sense there are severall sorts of Baptisme yet all agree in one the Water the Spirit and blood the three Witnesses in earth agree in one yet further there is but one true baptisme of Water not several kinds of which I judge he here speaks so that from this Scripture we cannot prove the baptisme of Water not to have being more then we may prove the baptisme of the Spirit not to be But say others what say you to that of Paul he thanks God he had baptized Object none of them but few families and saith he was not sent to baptize but to preach the Gospell now if Christ had given a Commission to them so to doe Paul very ill observed it that baptized so few but certainly no such Commission was given for if there had how could Paul truly say I was not sent to baptize which surely will not easily be answered 1 Cor. 1. I doe confesse at the first sight this argument appears with much Sol. strength from which I fear many honest hearts take advantage to strengthen them in their apprehensions against this Ordinance but the Scripture being truly weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary this objection will be found light the truth whereof that it may appear consider the persons to whom Paul spake the ground of his speaking and the end of his speech First The Persons to whom he wrote were the Corinths therefore he saith I thank God I Baptized none of you from whence we may not conclude he baptised no others 2. The ground whereupon he wrote these Words was the carnall owning of themselves after men one saying he was of Paul another of Apollos those Persons who
according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part making increase thereof edifying it selfe in love Eph. 4. 16. Hence it is that Saints are said to live in Christ and Christ in them Fourthly Christs church is the mountain of the Lord Psal 2. 6. a mountain looking towards heaven ascending from the earth a mountain It is the mountain of the Lord. visible a city on a hill which cannot be hid Mat. 5. 14. Fifthly It is Gods vineyard I am the vine and yee are the branches It is Gods vineyard saith Christ as the branches are all upon one tree so Christ and his are members all of one body branches of that stock which is Christ Jesus who lops of all withered branches Iohn 15. 1 2. Sixtly It is Christs garden that Christ takes delights in to walke It is Christs garden in I am come into my garden saith Christ my sister my spouse he feedeth among the lillies he delights even in his church to gather his pleasant fruitsâ— 't is a walled garden in which is an everlasting fountain to water and refresh it 't is a garden well trimmed continually weeded wherein are all manner of fruits both new and old 't is an orchard of precious plants set by the water side I might further shew you 't is Gods tabernacle in this world moving from place to place till it attaines to its own countrey 't is Gods temple wherein his holinesse dwels 1 Cor. 3. 11. his presence is there the Arke of the Covenant the mercy-seat the incense of a sweet smelling savour unto God are there God is prayed to praised and admired there In the middest of my brethren saith Christ I will sing praise unto thee 't is Christs friend sister and spouse she is the Kings doughter all glorious within her beauty is excellent her relation is noble she is a Queen Psalm 45. 10. united to Christ the king of kings married unto him in everlasting bonds of loving kindnesse 't is a royall priesthood a holy nation a chosen generation born of God united under one king subject to one and the same lawes being a pure and undefiled people she is Christs love dove and undefiled one she is all faire she is but one Cant. 6. 't is a flock of sheep feeding together having one chief shepheard who separates them from the goates and keepes them from wolves who knows them by name 't is his sheepfold wherein all his sheepe are folded together not stragling up and down but in flocks together that follow the Lord Jesus knowing his voyce Chap. 10. 'T is a candlestick of pure gold to hold forth the true light of the Lord 't is a dove innocent and gentle feeding on the choysest food 't is the communion of Saints wherein Christ and Saints mutually communicate each to other Christ to them light life joy freedome and glory they to Christ praise honor reverence and songs of deliverance 't is a Communion wherein they communicate each to other of al those treasures the Father of Spirits hath communicated to them 't is a ship in this world tossed up and down yet safely arrives at the haven of everlasting glory through the guidance of their skilfull Pilot the Lord Jesus It is the Kingdome of priests a Kingdome of kings a kingdome from above the Kingdome of heaven whose head Iawes and inheritance are all heavenly Thus mayest thou see its nature to be spirituall pure peaceable mighty gracious and glorious being one with the Father and the Son and with each other visibly in the Father and the Son I might dwell longer here but I must passe forward The next thing I shall handle is the power of this Church The power of the Church which is very large consider what power a Kingdome family city or body hath for the well-ordering governing and increasing of its selfe this church hath the same I shall branch its power forth in severall particulars 1. In receiving of members 't is a houshold that can admit none to In receiving in members be of the family but such who are enrolled as houshold servants that this power is in them is evident for Paul went to Jerusalem and assayed to joyne himselfe to the disciples but they were all afraid of him Yet they were persons with whom he indeavoured to joyne himselfe which he had ignorantly done had not they a power to receive him Acts 9. 26. 27. Againe Phebe a servant of the Church of Cenchrea being to goe to the church of Rome Paul commends her to them desiring them to receive her in the Lord as becommeth Saints where note Paul commends her to the whole church to all the Saints there who were to receive her but that the church hath this power is evident for as I shall shew you presently they have power to cast out also now this receiving in of members ought to be discharged faithfully any person baptized desiring according to his duty to walk with any particular congregation except any should know by a visible demonstration that he was unworthy ought to be received But how ought the church to receive them that are members of another congregation Quest If a member of one congregation should have occasion to goe Answ to another they ought to be recommended from the Church or some particular brethren to them which is plaine in the case of Phebe's going to Rome Paul wrote a commendation to the Church at Rome desiring them to receive her Rom. 16. so in the case of divers others as when he sent Tichicus to the church of the Colossians he writes to them that he was a beloved brother a faithfull minister and fellow servant in the Lord. Colos 4. 7. 8. Quest But what if by a providence unknown to the Church or unexspected by him a member should be cast into another congregation having no such letter of recommendation may not the church receive him To this I say first if any member knowes him or her to be a brother or a sister his declaration or testimony is sufficient to the Church as is evident in the case of Pauls joyning with the Church at Jerusalem while he abode there it was upon Barna bas his testimony of him Acts 9. Secondly but if none knowes him the Church upon the profession of his faith and obedience to the commands of Christ and of his orderly walking may except they know any thing to the contrary receive him for the reason why the church at Jerusalem received not Paul was because they had heard what mischief he had done but here the church needs much wisdome and if they can I judge they would doe well to inquire of him if he be to remain among them lest he be one that should come in privily to In admonishing and reproving members sow tares amongst the wheate Thirdly The church hath power in admonishing and reprooving their members now admonition is twofold either in instructing of them or a