then that he swear great Lumps of Bloud Luk. 22.44 and well might he cry out in the great Bitterness of his Soul God having also withdrawn the Beams of his gracious Presence for a time Eli Eli c. Upon which Jeremiah prophetically complain'd that there was never any Sorrow either of Men or Martyrs like unto his Sorrow But because 't is impossible to recount the Number and express the Quality of those Torments which he suffer'd both in Body and Soul We will conclude this Point with that rapturous Petition inserted into the Litany of the Greek Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By thine unknown Sorrows and Tortures felt by thee but imperceptible to us have mercy upon us and save us O Lord our God Hitherto of the real Sacrifice which our faithful and most merciful High-priest offer'd up for our Sins and of the Means and Methods which he us'd both by his active and passive Obedience to perfect the great Work and Business of our Redemption We shall consider in the next Place the Benefits resulting from this great Propitiation and then deduce some Inferences from it by way of Application And 1 Christ our High-priest Benefits of this Propitiation by the infinite Merits of his Obedience and sufferings has purchas'd the Remission of our Sins the Sanctification of our Nature the Justification of our Persons and upon the tolerable and easie Conditions of Faith and Repentance we shall be restor'd to that Holiness and Freedom which we lost by the Fall and Defection of our first Parents But then we must be careful to perform the Conditions on our Part ere we can expect the Benefits of Christ's Mediatorship And if we seriously consider the sad Effects and mischievous Consequences of our original Apostacy we shall be more truly apprehensive of the Benefit and Necessity of a Redeemer and use all possible Endeavours to be Sharers in that Pardon and Peace which he has purchas'd for us as we 've seen at so dear a Price 2 By the infinite Merits of his Obedience and Sufferings he has raz'd out the Hand-writing and deliver'd us from the Curse and Condemnation of the Law We cannot be insensible of our manifold Transgressions both original and actual and that we have been guilty of the Breach of God's holy just and reasonable Commands in many thousand Instances both by Thought Word and Deed For all which 't is impossible that we should make our Atonement either by satisfying of Gods Justice for the Offences of our Lives past or by our perfect and unsinning Obedience to his Laws for the future And therefore 't would be but just with God to inflict the severest Punishments upon us and judge us according to those Laws which we have so wickedly and wilfully violated But our gracious God was pleas'd in great Mercy and Compassion to undone Sinners to send his own Son as we 've seen in the fulness of time Gal. 4. ◠to satisfie the Law for us and has thereby purchas'd Indemnity and Impunity for the Transgressors of it And we are hereby deliver'd not only from the burdensome Yoke of all the Mosaic Performances by nailing 'em to his Cross but he has so mitigated the Penalties and limited the Obligations of the moral Law that tho' we fail in our Duties and Obedience to it yet if we do not wilfully continue in a State of Impenitency but be truly sensible of and heartily sorrowful for the Offences of our Lives past if we exercise a true Faith in Christ our Redeemer and be watchful over our selves in the more pious and prudent Conduct of our Lives for the future Then I say upon our sincere Endeavours and hearty Compliance with these Conditions he will make up all our Defects and by his imputative Righteousness satisfie the Law for us For there 's now no Condemnation to those which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit 3 By the efficacious Merits of Christ's Obedience and Sufferings we are deliver'd from the Sting and Terrours of Death Now Death is the Stipend and Wages of Sin which is due to every Man since the Fall of the first Adam and he that labours the whole day diligently and painfully in his Calling has not a more just Title to his Wages then the wilful and impenitent Sinner hath to temporal and eternal Death But the second Adam has conquer'd the Grave pull'd out the Sting of Death and given us a certain Title to a blissful Immortality So that tho' the Dissolution of our Bodies may be above all terrible Things most dreadful to Flesh and Bloud yet thro' the Merits of Christ's Death 't will be sanctified and made easie to us And the worst Office that Death can do to a sincere Believer is only to send his Body to the Grave a Place of Ease and Silence and his Soul to eternal Bliss Besides all its Harbingers and Concomitants as Afflictions Infirmities Diseases c. will not only prove tolerable and easie for a good man to bear but will turn to Advantage and become Matter of our greatest Triumph and Exaltation 4 Christ our High-priest has conquer'd the Devil and all his infernal Powers by the wonderful Efficacy of his Obedience and Sufferings This politic potent and malicious Enemy was such from the beginning and all the Sons and Daughters of Adam must expect the same Measures from him to the end of the World He knows that Christ the Seed of the Woman shall pronounce and execute that dreadful Sentence against him and therefore so many of his Friends and Relatives as come within his Clutches shall smart for it But the Son of God and High-priest of our Profession tho' he has not absolutely destroy'd yet very much limited his Power and Authority Those idolatrous Religions which he so much gloried in heretofore are since his Coming crept into some private Corners of the World His Oracles are silenc't and he seldom possesses the Bodies of Men or appears in their Shapes as formerly But seeing he is not yet bound up in those Chains of Darkness which shall eternally confine him he will lose no Opportunity in setting all his Engins and Instruments on Work to entrap and ensnare poor Sinners that he may make us if possible as unhappy and miserable as himself But this is our Comfort and Happiness that tho' the Devil may now and then tempt us to Sin yet our blessed Lord's so exceeding tender of our Welfare that he will cither countermine his Stratagems if we be good Christians or furnish us with a Sufficiency of Grace and Power to resist and repel them We have indeed some Instances in Sacred History of those who 've been yielded a Prey to him for a time yet for that very End and Purpose that their Victories over him might become more illustrious And their Examples are left us on Record as in the Case of holy Job c. that they might be
by other Means and Methods For a few days before his Ascension into Heaven he gave Commissions to Matt. 28.19 20. and invested his Apostles and Disciples with Power and inspir'd them with Abilities to Preach this Doctrine of Salvation to and propagate it in the World And this was not the least Miracle in it that a few Persons of the lowest Extract slender Education and arm'd with no external Power the most of 'em being poor Mechanicks as Tent-makers Carpenters Fishermen and such like should be able to withstand all the Authority Wit Learning Policy and Eloquence of the greatest Monarchs Politicians and Philosophers on Earth and all the Devils and damned Spirits in Hell which were combin'd against them and in despight of Malice it self to establish a Religion which did so much check and control the Ambitions Interests Pleasures and Appetites of the greatest Princes and their Adherents and was so directly Opposite to the then Temper and Inclinations of Mankind that they must offer Violence to their dearest Lusts and deny themselves the sensual Enjoyment of their most ravishing and transporting Pleasures ere they could become Proselites to it And yet notwithstanding all these Obstacles the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord had wonderful Success in Establishing the Gospel triumphing over and trampling upon the greatest Oppositions and did defend it and its Excellent Author with the highest Manifestations of Zeal and Integrity tho' continual Reproaches and Contumelies Racks and Prisons Flames and Martyrdoms did await 'em in every place where they came For we 've a certain account from Ecclesiastical History that eleven of the twelve Apostles and many Thousands of the Primitive Christians suffer'd violent Deaths by the hands of those who persecuted them meerly for their Religion And what rational Motive could carry 'em through such an hazardous Imployment that Christians alone should seem so fond of sufferings that they forgot Humanity it self indured Torments and abode the Flames not only with Patience and Magnanimity but with joy For tho' this Christian Courage was lookt on by the most to be either the folly or Phrensie of a distemper'd Brain yet doubtless it could be no less than the absolute conviction of their Minds and Consciences of the Truth and certainty of the Doctrine which they deliver'd with a comfortable Prospect of those inconceivable Rewards which should await 'em in another World Thus Christianity has been always hitherto and shall be ever propagated by Arguments rather than Arms by submission and sufferings rather than force and Violence And has far beyond all humane conceit been attended with such wonderful Succcess and Prevalency without any kind of Power or Earthly Authority to back it and not so much as one Sword except that of St. Peter Matth. 27.52 53. for which our blessed Saviour severely reprov'd him has been drawn in the defence of it Insomuch that 't was impossible that any thing but Truth it self which has an Omnipotent and over-ruling force in it could by such weak and improbable Means and Methods have so soon subdu'd mankind to the Faith and obtain'd a Victory over the hearts of Men in so great a part of the World And thanks be to God our Religion has not only captivated a few of the Meaner sort but the greatest of all Ranks and degrees even Kings and Emperors have submitted to Christ's Scepter and many of 'em have become nursing Fathers of his Church The greatest Philosophers Orators Rhetoricians c. such were Justin Martyr Athenagoras Tertullian Origen Clemens Alexandrinus and many others who neither wanted Wit Learning Eloquence nor Authority to defend and maintain their Heathenish Principles and Opinions yet became Proselites to the Christian Faith and zealous Preachers and Defenders of it with their very Lives and Fortunes And to our great comfort and satisfaction our Religion rides on prosperously still to conquer Nations far remote and there have been few Ages since our Saviours Exhibition in the Flesh wherein the Boundaries of his Church have not been enlarg'd with new Productions 5 The Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion is evicted and confirm'd By the Miraculous Effusions of God's holy Spirit upon the Apostles c. by the Miraculous Effusions and gracious Influences of God's Holy and Blessed Spirit according to Christ's promise concerning it Not only on the Day of Pentecost but in many thousand instances besides to the wonder and astonishment of all Beholders And tho' the most of the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord were men of very obscure Fortunes mean Capacities as I hinted before and altogether unskil'd in humane Learning yet they were furnish'd in a moment with such an extraordinary measure of inspir'd Wisdom and Knowledge Acts 2.2 c. Acts 10.44 that the greatest Doctors among the the Jews and Philosophers among the Gentiles stood in a Maze at them were baffl'd and overcome by the Dint of their Arguments and afterwards became zealous Champions for the Defence and active Instruments in the Propagation of the Gospel All which Gifts were bestow'd by the Spirit of God for their perfect Guidance and Instruction for their Support and Comfort in the great Temptations and Pressures which they underwent and to inable 'em to convince the obstinate and unbelieving Jews and Gentiles of their Legal and Heathenish Superstitions and to convert them from their Sins and Errors to the Belief and Practice of this Excellent Religigion of the holy and Eternal Jesus 6 Upon the first publishing and promulgation of the Gospel By silencing the Heathen Oracles at our Saviours coming into the World all the Heathen Oracles were silenc'd cleombrotus Demetrius c. as Plutarch relates tho' they had been formerly very zealous Champions for them yet at Christ's coming in the Flesh they neither could nor durst speak one Word in the defence of them Ablata est Pythii Vox haud revocabilis ulli Temporibus longis Eternim jam cessit Apollo Clavibus occlusus silet ergo ritè peractis Discedens Patriae redeas ad lumina sacris Porphyr Vt citatur Lib. 5. Cap. 8. Eus de Preparat Evangelicâ Vltima Cumaei venit jam Carminis aetas Magnus ab integro seclorum nascitur Ordo Virg. Eccl. Sybils Oracles then drew their last breath and in them all others On which the same Poet sweetly Jam redit Virgo redeunt Saturnia Regna Jam nova Progenies Coelo demittitur alto And the Devil himself who was the Father and Founder of all those illusive Dreams and false Prophesies received a deadly Blow so that not only Christ himself has obtain'd an absolute Victory over him But all sincere Christians of which more fully afterwards thro' the assistance of his Grace are more then Conquerors over him and all his Agents 7 The Christian Religion in the New Omnia quae Scriptae sunt ad unum Christum referuntur nec saepit vetâ—â— scripturae nisi Christus in ea intelligatur Aug. in Ps 51. Id. in
or External to perswade us to be or do otherwise And indeed 't is the greatest Honor we can do him Phil. 2.5 6 7 8 9. to endeavour to have the same mind in us which was in Christ Jesus and by all means possible to transcribe his Pattern who was the great Exemplar of Meekness and lowliness of heart Thus if we walk as we are oblig'd in his Steps 1 Pet. 2.21 and patiently bear as he did with Meekness and Humility those Injuries and Affronts which are usually the Portion and Pattimony of the best Christians in this School of Affliction If we account and esteem Honors Riches Pleasures Wit Beauty Strength and all the other enticing Allurements of this World as they are indeed in themselves Loss and Dung Phil. ◠8 Emptiness and Vanity compar'd with the Exellencies of Christ Jesus our Lord 〈◊〉 and do humbly acknowledge that God i◠Christ is the Proprietor and Dispenser 〈◊〉 'em If we be careful to manage the◠Subsidia prudently and discreetly to God Glory and the mutual Comfort and Benefit of our selves and others if we chearfully submit to God's unerring Will and Wisdom in disposing of us and our Concernments and patiently bear every cross Accident which may happen to us and Ours upon these Conditions I say we shall in some proportion resemble our blessed Saviour's innocent Life in Grace and Goodness here a temper of mind and Spiritmost acceptable to him and we need not doubt but upon these hearty Compliances he will accept of us and reward us when he comes again in his glorious Majesty hereafter 3 We must yield our unfeigned Assent to and sted factly Believe this great Mystery of our Saviour's Manhood that he was conceiv'd without Sin in the Womb and born of a pure and immaculate Virgin by the Operation and Influence of the Holy Spirit that he voluntarily assum'd our Nature and has by the Merits of his Active and Passive Obedience fully satisfied God's Infinite Justice for all our sins which as I hinted before could not be aton'd for by any other Means then by Suffering the severest Resentments of God's just Wrath and Vengeance in that Nature which had sinned against him But because the Guilt and Punishment of our Sins were a Burden too insupportable for Flesh and Blood therefore we must also believe that our frail Humanity was supported by his Omnipotent Divinity of which more fully in the next Chapter Let us therefore seriously apply this Point by the exercise of a true and lively Faith That as Christ was conceiv'd by the Operation of the Holy Spirit in the Womb of a Virgin and became Man for Us So we may conceive him Spiritually by a true and saving Faith and bring forth the Fruits of Evangelical Obedience in a holy vertuous and innocent Conversation 4. We should be always mindful to offer up upon the Altars of our Souls that reasonable Sacrifice and Service of Praise and Thanksgiving for the Incarnation of our Lord. Could ever Tidings be more welcome or any Report so grateful to mortal Ears as this was All the Inhabitants of Heaven were ravisht with joy breaking forth into Hymns of Praise and Congratulation for the Redemption of Mankind and how should we Christians most especially who inherit all the blessed Priviledges of the Gospel bear a part in that Heavenly Chorus praising the Lord incessantly for his Goodness and declaring the Wonders which he hath done for the Children of Men. Psal 107.8 15 c. To shut up this Point I 've been the more express in the handling of it not only because 't is the great Foundation on which our Christian Religion is built but because our restless Adversary the Devil and his wicked Agents and Emissaries have in all Ages us'd their utmost endeavours to corrupt and undermine it And tho' this Doctrine be an impregnable Fortress and Bulwark under which we may securely defend our selves and against which all the Powers of Hell shall never be able to prevail yet we are not ignorant of Satan's devices nor of his malicious Stratagems and mischievous Designs against us and our Religion And how active and successful he has been hitherto in his Temptations and Allurements is most notoriously evident For this great implacable Adversary has endeavour'd by all means possible to extinguish the Knowledge of Christ the Messiah of the World both before and since his coming in the Flesh And 1 Before his coming into the World How restless the Devil has been hitherto in his Endeavors to undermine destroy this Doctrine he us'd all imaginable Means to extirpate the whole Jewish Nation whence 't was prophesied the Messiah should descend He studied to ridicule and enervate all the Prophesies and Promises of Holy Scripture concerning him He made it his business to possess the World with gross Conceits and Apprehensions of Christ's Kingdom at his Coming And his Suggestions were so prevasent and successful that 't was generally expected that the Messiah should appear in great State and Grandeur that he would bestow Crowns and Scepters and the greatest Immunities and Priviledges upon his Subjects Which conceit doubtless our Saviour appearing in so mean and despicable a Condition was not the least cause of the Jewish Infidelity and did in a great measure obstruct their embracing of the Gospel It seems the very Apostles of Christ were tainted with this Prejudice by their being so inquisitive about the Restitution of the Kingdom again to Israel They expected doubtless to be Grandees in it as may be gather'd from that request of the Mother of the two Sons of Zeledee for whom she was so importunate with our Saviour Marth 20.21 that one of them might sit on his right hand and the other on his left in his temporal Kingdom for so the Words must be understood Thus far had Satan's Stratagems prevail'd to prejudice Mankind against the Messiah of the World Before his coming 2 When he was come from the Cradle to the Cross his whole Life was an entire Series of Sorrows and Persecutions How did the Devil inflame the Scribes and Pharisees with a fiery and impetuous zeal and eagerness not only to defend and maintain all the Laws and Constitutions Rites and Ceremonies which they receiv'd from Moses with their own erroneous Comments and heterodox Opinions concerning 'em But to oppose and stifle with all imaginable Vigour and Policy our excellent Religion as it were in the very Embryo ere it had got any considerable footing in the World And tho' this was beyond the reach of their Power and Malice God having decree'd to establish it by his own Omnipotent Arm yet he persecuted its excellent and innocent Author to Death by the severest Methods of Cruelty and Injustice And tho' the Devil receiv'd then a deadly blow yet he has not been wanting to his power ever since to persecute and ensnare his Members and he is restless still in his endeavours to prevail with
this Nation especially have been most signally happy in the enjoyment of public Peace and Plenty for several years Our Lot is cast in a good ground We have the Advantages of a fruitful and generous Soil which affords all things necessary and convenient for Food and Raiment for Physick and Delight We are blest with a temperate Air fruitful Seasons Conveniencies for Traffick yet secure and free from Invasion a well constituted Government a wise and merciful Prince whom God long preserve good Laws and duly administred for the Peace and Benefit of the Subject But then Secondly And our Souls We are far more transcendently happy in our precious and immortal Souls if we consider those admirable Facuities of Understanding Will Memory Affections c. and all their excellent Tempers and Dispositions which God Almighty has stampt with the Signature and Impressions of his own Divinity the love of Goodness and the knowledge of the Truth And tho' our Faculties were extremely obscur'd and deprav'd by our miserable Fall in Adam yet God has been wonderfully gracious to us in sending his dearly beloved Son into the World as we have seen at large before thereby repairing all our Defects and making up the Breach between God and us upon the gentle and easie Conditions of Faith and Repentance And to enforce all the saving Methods of Grace and Mercy he is pleas'd to vouchsafe unto us the bountiful Assistance of his holy Spirit by whose Operation and Influence we are preserv'd in a great Measure from Sin and Temptation and enabl'd to perform all our Duties to God's Glory and for the mutual Comfort and Benefit of our selves and others We have all the blessed Advantages of his holy Word and Sacraments and he has instituted and appointed an Order of Men to minister in Christ's stead and to be Ambassadors to solicite our Peace and reconcile us unto his Grace and Favour And besides all this we are certain if we be good Christians that we shall not only live comfortably here but our Souls thâ—ll be kept in safe Custody after Deaâ—â—â— that our Bodies united to our Souls and that God will bestow on us that glorious Kingdom which he has prepar'd and purchased for us where we shall perfectly enjoy all those never failing Pleasures without the least Allay or Discomposure which our Hearts can desire or hope for Thus the Divine Providence has made a wonderful Provision for our Souls and Bodies that we may live comfortably here and if we be not wanting to our selves be happy for ever And what could our gracious God have done more for his Vineyard then he has done for us Isai 1.4 Can any heart then be so callous and impenetrable as not to be influenc'd and affected with such admirable Endearments and Charms of Beauty Love and Mercy as these are How should we study therefore and endeavour as we are most strictly oblig'd in Duty and 〈◊〉 to please him in all things and conform the whole Man to his gracious and reasonable Commands How should we love him with the greatest fervency of Affection so as to desire above all things to enjoy him in all the Dispensations of his Grace and Glory Especially if we consider that there can be no Duty nor Vertue nor Grace acceptable to God unless it be founded in and flow from a Principle of Love Since then The sincerity of this Duty examin'd our Love to God is a Duty of so great Importance let us a little examine the Sincerity of it which may be understood by such Properties as these For if our Love be sincere we shall hate every thing that he hates and make it our chief Business and Delight to have a holy Entercourse with him in all the Duties and Offices of Religion and we shall study to avoid all those Sins and Temprations as the very Plague and Firebrands of Hell which shall at any time interrupt or hinder us in our Duty We shall be more zealous for God's Glory then our own Interest and be careful in all our Ways to do the Will and the Work of our Heavenly Father We shall be ready and dispos'd to forsake all things that are most dear to us in this World for his sake and the whole Bent and Tendency of our Lives will be a full Demonstration of the sincerity of our Affection to him A Mistake herein would prove of infinite Consequence to us which has caus'd me to be more express in the handling of this Point so that we are highly concern'd to be very inquilitive about the Nature and 〈◊〉 of our Love to God in Christ which to the natural and necessary Effect or a 〈◊〉 Faith and the very Source and Foundation of all Religion For if we have these worthy thoughts in our Minds concerning the Essence and Artributes of God and his Benefits to us which become the Perfection of the Divine Nature his Soveraignty over us and our Dependance upon him if we love him as the Author of all that Happiness which we enjoy and hope for then 3 We shall esteem and Honour him 2. By the 〈…〉 we 〈◊〉 to him for his Majesty and Mercy his Power and Goodness c. not only inwardly in our Hearts by conceiving always worthy Troughts of him in our Minds where all true Love is grounded 〈◊〉 also outwardly in our Demeanour and Carriage towords him in all our Words and Actionse viz. By acknowledging our whole Dependance upon him and Praying unto him for the supply of all our Temooral and Spiritual Wants by paying him the just Fribure of Thankfulness for his manifold 〈◊〉 and blessings bellow'd upon our Souis and Bodies in Hearing Reading and Meditating on his Word with a serious 〈◊〉 of Mind and fervency of Affection in receiving the holy Sacraments with a Disposition of Soul and a Posture of Body correspondent to those stupendous Mysteries in Sanctifying his Sabbaths and keeping with due Observance the Festivals of the Church in allowing a competent Maintainance a dutiful Respect and Obedience to all his Ministers and Viregerents in promoting holy Conferences with his Children and Servants for the mutual Edification and Comfort of one another And in a Word by being zealous in the whole Course of our Lives for the Enlargement of the Boundaries of his Kingdom of Grace and Righteousness as it becomes his dutiful and Obedient Children 4 This Temper of Mind will oblige us to depend upon him 3. By our Trust in Dependance upon him and to repose our whole Trust and Confidence in his All-sufficiency in general and in his Wisdom Power Goodness and Mercy in particular Always praying unto him earnestly and devoutly for the supply of all our Wants as before and depending entirely on him for protection in and deliverance from all Temptations Sin and Danger and humbly submitting our selves to the determination of his VVisdom and Providence for the disposing of us and our Concernments to his own Glory and our
Good In which holy Confidence we shall rest secure and safe and nothing shall be able to disturb or interrupt our Quiet And whatever our Condition be in this Life we shall enjoy a Heaven upon Earth in the Peace of a good Conscience which to an upright man is more precious than Rubies and much more valuable than all the Treasures of the East 5 Our pious Reflexions upon those infinite Expressions of Gods Love and Bounty 4. By our filial Fear of offending him c. should possess us with all awsul Regard to and Fear of offending Him And we have many powerful Inforcements to perswade us to a strict Performance of this Duty For the infinitely wise God observes all our Actions Psal 139.1 to 12. hears and considers all our Words and sees our very Thoughts and Inclinations they are all registred in his Book and will infallibly be brought to Account either to our Consolation or Condemnation at the day of Judgement But where the Fear of God is truly fixt 't is the Spring of all other Duties the Watch-port and Centinel of the Soul to keep out Temptations and in Scripture Language comprehends the whole Duty of Man Ecc. 12.13 This Duty is of that absolute Importance that the Christian who truly Fears God has no cause to be afraid of any thing besides For God can restrain the Power and Malice of Devils and wicked Men when and how he pleases and make our greatest Enemies to be at Peace with us Prov. 16 7 Those temporal Afflictions which the righteous suffer are but fatherly Chastisements for the tryal and improvement of their Graces or the Punishment of their Sins for a time that they may not perish for ever Hence it is that our blessed Saviour exhorts us not to Fear those that can kill the Body only for that 's the worst they can do since our Souls are out of their reach Mar. 10.28 But rather fear him that can kill both Soul and Body in Hell 'T is no matter then whether the World smile or frown on us For if we fear God as Sons out of a true Principle of Love and Obedience Rom. 8.1 Psal 25.23 it will exempt us from all other Fears our Souls shall dwell at ease and if God be with us who can be against us From all which it may be reasonably infer'd Heb. 10.31 on the contrary That 't is a dread ful thing to fall into the hands of the living God For who shall stand before the Lord when he is angry Psal 76. 7â— or be able to conflict with everlasting burnings What cause then have the Atheists and all impenitent Persons to be afraid especially if they consider that Vengeance does every where await them nor can they be secure one Moment from Destruction Those that will not repent of their Sins and reverence their heavenly Father as Sons shall be cast out of his Presence as Slaves and have their eternal Portion assign'd 'em with the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 Wherefore let the best of Men tremble at God's Judgements and flie from all Occasions and Temptations of Sinning For since to live and die in the least Sin unrepented of is damnable and if the righteous Man depart from his Righteousness Ezek. 3.20 all his former Piety and Vertue shall stand him in no stead but the heavy Wrath of God must fall on him for his wilful Apostacy and Disobedience What cause have we then to be watchful over our selves and serve the Lord with fear all the dayes of our Life that we may not be afraid of his Judgements at the hour of Death or in the great day of Account 6 And Lastly 8. By our sted fast Hope in him If God's Spirit witness with our Spirits that we have thus Repented of our former Sins and do sincerely resolve to abandon 'em for the future if we stedfastly believe all those necessary and saving Truths which God has been pleas'd to reveal to us by the Spirit of his Son and testifie the sincerity of our Faith by the genuine Fruits and Effects of it if our Love towards God be attended with those necessary and excellent Properties which I have mention'd if we Pray devoutly and humbly and patiently submit to God's wise and gracious Disposals if we be afraid to offend him and be willing to quit all our Interests in this World and die a thousand Deaths rather than wilfully transgress the least of his Commands we may undoubtedly upon these Conditions cheerfully and comfortably expect and hope for the happy Accomplishment of all the Promises of the Gospel to our endless Joy and unspeakable Felicity Yet here I must note to you that we must by no means depend upon the Efficacy of the Duties themselves tho' they should never be neglected but on the infinite Mercy of God in Christ for the comfortable success of all our pious Endeavours These are the Principal Duties of Piety we owe unto God which he indispensibly requires of all Christians and must be carefully and conscientiously perform'd by all those who expect and hope for the admirable Blessings and Priviledges of the Gospel And as these excellent Duties must by no Means be neglected So On the contrary The Opposite Sins most dangerous and damnable we are oblig'd under the severst Penalties of Hell and Damnation to avoid and abandon the Sins of Atheism Polytheism Blasphemy Idolatry prophane Swearing Lying Sacriledge Covetousness the neglect or contempt of God's Worship Word Sacraments Services Days groundless Presumption Distrust Dispair c. All which searlet Sins are highly dishonourable to God reflect a Scandal upon our excellent Religion will deprive those Miscreants of all the rational Pleasures of the Soul and without a sincere Repentance and Reformation of Life they 'l forfeit their Tittle to eternal Happiness And those Penalties which I mention'd before shall be their just Portion and Punishment in another World We pass forward to the 2d The Dities relating to our Selves Duty which our blessed Saviour has enjoyn'd and recommended for the Attainment of his Grace and Glory Namely that which has a peculiar reference to our Selves Which Duty consists in the prudent and virtuous Conduct of our Lives especially in the Affairs and Business of Religion And since this must needs highly concern us 't will admit of a serious and impartial Consideration Now Christian Prudence of which I shall give you an account in the first Place will be of necessary use and advantage to direct and further us in this Duty Prudence of general and necessary use for the Government of the whole Man This Virrue will teach us to govern our selves according to God's Word and the Dictates of sober Reason and prevail with us by degrees to conform all the Actions and Affections both of the outward and inward man to the Pattern of Christ that we may not only be morally virtuous John 1.16 but receive
the Dictates of sober Reason as the Rule and Standard to stear and manage our Affairs by For without this our best Endeavous even our religious Performances will prove either sinful or unprofitable There is always indeed some Tincture of Obliquity or Defect in every thing we do but if our Intentions be sincere in the Main God is pleas'd to pardon our Infirmities and Indiscretions and will interpret our Endeavours tho' imperfect according to the general Frame and Tendency of our Lives Yet nevertheless we are oblig'd by the Laws of our holy Profession to set our selves against all sin in general and every one in particular especially against those to which our Tempers are the most prone and incident and which we take the greatest Pleasure and Delight in These darling Lusts are the right Eyes which must be pluckt out Matt. 5.29 30. Heb. 12.1 and the right Hands which must he cut off These are the Sins which hang so fast on and cling about us and require the greatest Diligence and Watchfulness to overcome and subdue them But then we are not only oblig'd to be watchful over our most open and beloved but even over our most secret and private sins Job 24.15 Do not think when you commit them that no eye sees you For David's Sins were committed with all possible Privacy and there are many thousand such like Instances besides yet did they not escape the strict scrutiny of the divine Omniscience Prov. 15.3 The Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good nor can the most minute Sin which we commit in our most private Retirements unless repented of flie from Justice Therefore 't is dangerous to indulge any one Lust or continue in the least Sin with delight and approbation Ne Consideres igitur quod parva sune peecata sed quod magnus est Deus c. Aug. de Paenit vera falsae Cap. 8. For tho' they may appear inconsiderable in themselves yet 't is advisable to consider that he 's an infinite God against whom they are committed Besides Sins of the smallest size are always Incentives and Decoys to greater For prophane uncharitable and unclean Thoughts if indulg'd in our Bosoms proceed to Words Words to Deeds and in this Progress of Wickedness Men are train'd on by degrees from Sin to Sin and from one degree of sin to another till they be plung'd at last into the bottomless Inundation or Abysse of Eternal Misery and Torment That we may be wise then as Serpents and innocent as Doves Mat. 16. in the true sense and meaning of the Gospel we must be strictly watchful over our selves Studying always to avoid the tempting and cursed Society of Drunkards prophane Swearers unchast Men and Women c. Flie all Occasions of Sinning and reject every Temptation with Indignation and Scorn which may prove an Enemy to Virtue or a Friend to Vice Resist 'em in the very first Assault and the Conquest will be easie and certain Consider your past Faâ—lings implore the Assistances of God's Grace and Spirit to enable you in some measure to repair the former Defects of your Lives by a more steady watchfulness over your Selves and Ways for the Future The best and most certain Means to avoid greater Sins is to make Conscience of the less Christ died for our very Slips as the Original imports and therefore those sins cannot be accounted little or cheap for which the eternal Son of God paid so dear a Price as his own Bloud When the Work of Regeneration is wrought in you beware of relapsing consider the dangerous and mischievous Consequences of Apostasie keep close to your Duty Mark 13.37 and what I say unto you I say unto all Watch. 4thly Patience and Meekness And lastly There are two other Virtues yet behind namely Patience and Meekness Which conduce much to the Peace and Happiness of our Souls and are of special Use and Advantage in the whole Course of our Christian Conversation But since these two Sister Graces do always go hand in hand Therefore for brevity's sake I shall treat of them under this same Head of Discourse Now these Virtues do peculiarly consist in bearing and suffering meekly and patiently all the cross Accidents which may befall us in this Life not only without fainting and fretting but with such an evenness and composedness of Mind and Spirit as is most consonant to the mild and gentle yet gracious and magnanimous Temper and Spirit of Christianity Besides Meekness and Patience are perfective of Jam. 1.4 and the Complement of all the other Virtues of God's holy and blessed Spirit For if all be well within we are safe from all Troubles whatsoever By this Means we secure to our selves the comfortable Injoyment of what we have and if we bear and suffer Injuries meekly and patiently God will give us more strength and contrive a speedy and happy issue out of all our Troubles Therefore why should any Affliction in this World disswade us from our Duty or abate our Zeal and Courage in the doing of it For the Instruments of our Torture saith Tertullian are the Ensigns of our Honour and Happiness Tert. Apol. Cap. 5. p. 39. the Habit of our Victory and the embroidered Garments wherein we must ride to Heaven A state of Sufferings on a good Account is the most lively Transcript of his Doctrine and Example Matth. 11.29 who commands us to learn of him not because he is wise rich or honourable but he inforces the Obligation from the Pattern of his own Meekness and Humility To suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake in some degree has been always the Portion and Patrimony of Believers under the Oeconomy of the Gospel And we Christians know no other than this strait and narrow Way which must through much Tribulation lead us into the Kingdom of God Acts. 14.22 But then to ballance our present Miseries and Sufferings which are perfective of the Virtues under Consideration with our future Hopes and Expectations The Troubles which we suffer in this World are light and inconsiderable compar'd with the Torments of Hell and if we bear them patiently they 'l dispose us for a brighter Crown when these Clouds and Storms are blown over Let us but hold out a little longer till we come within the Fortifications of the new Hierusalem and there we shall have a total Exemption both from sinning and suffering Besides if we be considerable Proficients in these Virtues They 'l make our present Sufferings less burdensome and afflictive For we shall neither be timerous in Danger envious in Want impatient under Troubles angry and restless at Reproaches and Contempt nor malicious and revengeful under Injuries and Persecutions the truth whereof is as clear as the Sun Beams from the Experience of all sound Christians But to be angry and impatient at our Sufferings will but fret and torment us and make the Burden of them
we may have the stronger Gust and Relish of that Spiritual Food on which we should desire to live for ever And thus the Primitive Christians denied themselves the Delicacies of this World that their Souls being weaned from them they might be taught beforehand to live on the Delights of beatified Spirits and never desire to return again to their Bodies till they come to be glorified together in the happy Resurrection to the Life Eternal And here 't will be necessary to consider on the contrary The Mischiefs of this Sin that all manner of Excess in Drinking is extremely pernicious to and destructive of the Weal and Happiness of the Body both in this and a future Life For intemperate Drinking is the Fewel of all sensual and filthy Lusts it makes Men's Bodies sottish and unweildy and disposes them rather to Sleep and Idleness than a prudent Watchfulness and a religious Care over themselves In these extravagant Fits Jerem. 5.8 Rom. 13.13 't is no wonder to see Men like sed Horses neigh after their Neighbours Wives For St. Paul adds Chambering and Wantonness as the necessary Consequence and Effect of Rioting and Drunkenness And 't is notoriously evident that the most Drunkards Blaspheme Swear Lie Rail against and Back-bite their innocent Neighbours engage many times in irreconcilable Quarrels and do often kill one another so that in this Carrier of Drunkenness Men I should rather say Beasts seldom stop at any Sin which falls in their Way This is the most compendious Method for spending their Estates and ruining their Reputations and hereby they seldom fail of contracting an ill habit of Body and laying a sure Foundation for all lingering and mortal Diseases But that which is yet more fatal and mischievous an habitual Drunkenness doth so dull the Edge impair the strength and cloud the discerning Facultie of their Reafon and Judgement that 't is impossible for the customary Drunkard to practice any Virtue or Duty aright or resist the power and prevalence of any evil Appetite or Temptation Besides this sort of Extravagance is wholly inconsistent with the Gifts and Graces of God's holy and blessed Spirit and 't is utterly impossible saith St. Hierom that a Man should be filled with strong Drink and God's sanctifying spirit at the same time The Holy Ghost has always put them as Opposites in Scripture be not Drunk with Wine saith the Apostle wherein is excess Eph. 5.18 but be filled with the Spirit And how is it possible that any Man should serve these two arbitrary Masters whose Commands are so contradictory to each other To all which we might add the Consideration of those future and eternal Torments which must certainly be the Portion of intemperate and debaucht Persons in another World See and consider those apposite Texts of Scripture Luke 21.34 Gal. 5.21 c. Since then Temperance and Moderation in Eating and Drinking is a great Step to all other Virtues and seing the Consequences and Effects of this kind of Excess are so pernicious and destructive to the Souls and Bodies of Men both in this and another Life How are we oblig'd to keep our Appetites within the due bounds of Sobriety that we may enjoy the Benefits of the one and be exempted from the Inconveniencies and Mischiefs of the other And to this End I would advise my Reader to consider that short Rule of Pythagoras Above all things saith he be sure that you make your selves Masters of your Bellies And that you may do it to the purpose cut off all the unnecessary Supplies of Meats and Drinks and the Siege cannot last long Avoid and abandon the Conversation of debaucht and intemperate Persons Let neither their smooth Language nor their Scoffings and Railings against you allure or perswade you to a compliance with their inhumane and beastly Immoralities lest they perswade you to run with them to the same Excess of Riot 1 Pet. 4.4 These are the Devils Engines which he frequently sets on Work to precipitate inconsiderate Men from the Throne of Grace and Virtue And alas how many thousands have complain'd in their last Agonies that these Inchantments have decoy'd them into those Sins which they must eternally smart for Again it will be of great Use to consider how acute those Twinges of Conscience are which will rack and torment the Drunkard that has any Conscience at all of the Sin if he should outlive the extravagant Fit How must he who is so grievously perplext as the most Drunkards are with a yesternights Debauch be rackt and tormented if ever in a sober Mind with the dreadful apprehensions of those future and approaching Judgements How shall those bruitish Sensualists who have wallow'd in a Sea of delicate Liquors brook the peremptory refusal of a Cup of cold Water to cool their Tongues Luk. 16.24 Consider impartially those Woes denounced against this Sin by the Prophet Isa 5.11 12. And if neither the fear of God nor the Pleasures nor Advantages of this Virtue of Temperance can influence you into a compliance with it and perswade you to the practice of it yet let the consideration of those present and future Mischiefs oblige you to fly from the Wrath to come Matth. 3.7 and if all these Arguments will not awake you from your senseless Stupidity you must perish in your Sins and the Bloud be upon your own Heads 3dly The next Branch of Sobriety which concerns our Selves is the temperate and moderate Use of Apparel which is indispensably requir'd in both Sexes In the moderate Use of Apparel And if we consider the Ends for which Cloths are ordain'd I see no reason why Men and Women should be so curious and make use of so many strange Artifices to deck and beautifie their Bodies For 1 the Original Institution of Apparel after the Fall of Man was to cover their Nakedness and preserve them from the Violence and Extremity of Wind and Weather Which Consideration should rather humble us than by decking our Bodies imprudently and sinfully Act. 25.23 to glory in those things which are the Ensigns of our Shame and Sorrow 2 In the use of Apparel there must be a Distinction according to the Law of Nature and the Custom of all Nations between Men and Women That there be no design of Levity nor incentive to Lust in our Habiliments when we meet together 3 That both Men and Women should keep within their Faculties and Callings And tho' there be some difference allow'd between Persons of a higher and lower Rank yet there should be that Sobriety in the Habits of both that there be nothing of Novelty or Vanity or Superfluity which may tempt themselves or others to Lust or Pride or vain Glory Hence we may remarque that 't is most unbecoming Christians especially to use those disingenuous and unlawful Arts of Patching Painting and Perfuming their Bodies a vanity too much practic'd by those of the weaker Sex to the great scandal
Prince of Peace came into these lower Regions to make up the Breach between God and Man he brake down the Partition Wall proclaim'd an universal Peace by his Doctrine and confirm'd it by the Example of his own Life and the peaceable and quiet Deportment and Demeanour of his Followers Hereby fulfilling that Prophesie of breaking Swords into Plough-shares c. And the whole Contexture and Design of our Christian Religion as is most evident from all the Particulars of it can be no other then to reconcile God and Man Jew and Gentile and to reduce the whole World into one Community Now to enforce the Practice of these Duties not only of public but private Peace 't will be of singular use and importance to consider the Force and Energy of these following Arguments For 1 We are Members of that mystical Body whereof Christ Jesus is the Head Eph. 3.15 Heb. 12.14 1 Thes 5.13 Eph. 4.3 Who commands us to be at peace with all men to practice Peace among our selves and to use out utmost endeavours to preserve the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace which if we be careful to do 2 Cor. 13.11 the God of Love and Peace will be with us 2 We are all Descendents from the same common Parents Adam and Eve â— and therefore it would be most unnatural to hate Eph. 4.6 rail against and quarrel iwth our own Flesh We have all the same God to our Father and since we are Brethren how should we love and be at Peace one with another Especially since nothing can be more pleasant in this World Ps 133.1 then for Brethren to live together in Vnity 3 We have all one blessed Lord our Redeemer who purchas'd us all at one and the same Price that we might be at Peace with God and amongst our Selves He has given us all one Gospel and one Faith which is perfected in us by one and the same Spirit Since then we are united in our Minds in believing the same Doctrine it would be highly incongruous to be divided in our Affections this would be to pull down with one hand what we are endeavouring to set up with the other 4 We are all Temples of the same holy Spirit the Sanctifier by whose powerful Operation and Influence if we stifle not his Gifts and Graces by our Sins he will unite us to Christ our Head and in the mutual Bonds of Love Peace and Vnity to one another 5 We have all one Calling to Piety and Holiness of Life and we have the same Hope of our Calling in Christ Jesus we all aspire to and hope for the same Happiness and upon the same Conditions why should we therefore differ on Earth since we do all expect to be united in the same Society in Heaven where there shall be an absolute End of all Feuds and Contentions 6 We are all of us united in one Body by Baptism and herein admitted to all the Priviledges thereof as Members of the same Christian Brotherhood If we separate therefore from the Body we unchurch our selves make void the Terms and cancel the Bonds of our Peace and Reconciliation 7 and Lastly we do all partake of the same Elements in the Sacrament of Christ's Holy Supper We mystically eat the same Body and drink the same Bloud of Christ And certainly this Pledge and Assurance of his eternal Love to us should be the most powerful Motive to perswade us to love one another By these and many other Arguments Examples Precepts and Counsels we are not only oblig'd to preserve and maintain Peace in our Christian Community but to avoid as we would do the most Pestilential Disease all Factious Schismatical and turbulent Behaviour in all Societies both Sacred and Civil whereof we are Members The Mischiefs of Factions and Seditions are innumerable nor can we preserve Peace and Unity but by mutual Forbearance and Condescention and indeed 't is impossible that there should be any such thing as Unanimity amongst fiery fierce and contentious Spirits Now for the better Establishment of this Peace which I 've recommended to you by such cogent and convincing Arguments which our greatest Adversaries by all their Malice and Sophistry shall never be able to elude It concerns all Persons in every Capacity both public and private to use their utmost endeavours to promote and maintain it And therefore 1 Those that move in the highest Sphere of Government Superiors have cause to consider how much they are oblig'd to study the Peace and Quiet of the whole Community And this cannot be accomplisht by any other Means then by the Punishment of those Offences which are inconsistent with the public Weal and Tranquility of the Government and by the Encouragement of those Persons who are tractable and submissive That both Superiors and Inferiors may lead peaceable Lives 1 Tim. 2.2 in all Godliness and Honesty 2 Those that move in a lower Orb Inferiors and live as we of this Nation do under the happy Influences of a peaceable Government both in Church and State should use their utmost Endeavours to propagate and preserve it And to this End all the Subjects of this Kingdom are oblig'd to behave themselves towards their lawful Governors with all Modesty Respect Deference and Submission both to their Persons and Offices paying them that Tribute which is due to them and submitting their Persons and Fortunes to be dispos'd of by their just and reasonable Commands The Contraries to these are usually attended either with Confusion or Tyranny and which of them soever prevails the Consequences must be mischievous Thus The whole Community of Christs aâ—s are concern'd in it all Persons of all Ranks and Conditions who are Christians indeed will study to be unanimous and compliant one with another for Peace and Righteousness sake they 'l be careful to do their own Business study the mutual Satisfaction and Delight of all they converse with and endeavour to practice all those Virtues which are most conducive to the Peace and Interest of Mankind for we must acknowledge that we are all concern'd in the Blessings and Comforts of public Peace and in the Miseries of War and Discord And therefore if we crumble and divide our selves into Sects and Parties we shall be less able to repel the force of our Adversaries defend our own Interests or assist one another Nor can it be expected if our Humours and Interests clash that we should enjoy Peace and the comfortable Fruits of it under the same Government But then since we must of Necessity converse with and live amongst those that are Enemies unto Peace our blessed Saviour exhorts us to endeavour to quel and overcome the unruly spirits of Men by bearing Reproaches suffering Injuries practicing Meekness Patience and Condescension curbing and restraining our extravagant and unruly Passions which being indulg'd will undoubtedly prove the Springs and Incentives of Confusion and Disorder And indeed if Christians did but
really believe what they outwardly profess they would not incur the Hazard of Hell fire which they certainly do to gratifie a domineering Passion or please a petulent Humour for a few Moments but would rather practice those things which make for Peace tho contrary to the Bent and Tendency of corrupt Nature that they might inherit the Comforts and Rewards of it And as we lie under these pressing Obligations to promote and maintain Peace in all those Instances I 've mention'd So On the Contrary The opposite Vices forbidden Our eternal Law-giver does every where in Scripture expressy forbid all manner of Discord Unpeaceableness Emulation Provoking of one another Pragmaticalness medling in other mens Matters Tale-bearing Censoriousness Back-biting Revenge Bitterness Wrath Anger Clamour Detraction Suits in Law for Trifles c. and he brands these and all the spurious Brood of them as the Bane and Plague of all Humane Societies and he commands us further to hate and avoid all those turbulent and uncharitable Practices as being most agreeable to the Tempers and Dispositions of those factious Fiends who were excluded Heaven for their Mutinies and Disorders and shall live eternally in Broyls and Variance with one another Let all Christians then of all Ranks and Conditions study and endeavour to promote and propagate public and private Peace in Church and State in their Neighbourhood in their Families and in their whole Intercourse and Conversation with one another By which Means they shall not only please God and Man and discharge a good Conscience by endeavouring what in them lies to preserve Peace and Unity with both but this divine and excellent Frame of Spirit will dispose and qualifie 'em for the Society of the holy Angels and Saints glorified who do all unanimously concur in the same common Interests and Affections of praising and adoring the God of Purity and Peace in a perfect and harmonious Uniformity and are as sincerely one as if they were animated with the same Soul and Spirit Thus it will evidently appear from the Premisses that Christ our great Prophet has not only rectified the Mistakes and repair'd the Defects of all former Dispensations but has in great mercy to our Souls made a perfect Discovery of the eternal Will of God in what concerns his own Glory and our Good He has told us plainly what he has done already what he will do for us and what returns of Gratitude he expects from us in this Life that we may be for ever happy in a better And to enforce these saving Methods of Grace and Mercy he vouchsafes unto us the Assistances of his holy Spirit to restrain us from Sin to encourage us in and enable us to perform the Duties of Religion He has been pleas'd likewise to institute an Order of Men and invested them with Power and Authority to minister in holy Things and to be Ambassadors in his steade and has furnisht them with Abilities to instruct and govern his People and to guide them in the Ways of Salvation And to obtain an honourable Respect and Deference to their Persons and Offices that they might discharge their Duties and manage the Business of their Callings with Comfort to themselves and Success to others He tells the World that he will interpret the Respect given 'em and the Injuries done to them as if they were done to himself and to encourage them in the pious Administration of the Offices of their holy Function he has promis'd to assist 'em with his Grace and Spirit here and to recompence their holy Performances with a Crown of eternal Glory hereafter Hence we may understand by the Premisses what a Miserable Estate and Condition we were in and should have continued so had he not appointed this new and living Way for our escape and rescue Therefore we are indispensibly oblig'd not only in Duty but Interest to believe and practice that Heavenly Doctrine which has so many admirable Sanctions and powerful Motives to recommend and enforce it And indeed unless our Lives be the real Transcript of Christ's holy Example and Institutions and sincerely correspondent to what we profess the Title of Christianity will prove an empty sound nor can we expect to be dignified by that whilst we dishonour him that gives it Let every Man therefore 2 Tim. 2.19 that names the Name of Christ and expects Salvation by his Merits depart from Iniquity otherwise he undermines what he should endeavour to propagate and uphold And it would be a difficult Task to perswade others to believe that Doctrine which our own Lives and Practices are a flat Contradiction to For our Religion does not consist in the specious Pretences or the formal Appearances of being holy and devout Matth 7 2â— 't is not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into God's Kingdom but he that doth the Will of our Father which is in Heaven The most profound Knowledge of all the Principles and Duties of Christianity abstracted from the real Belief and Practice of 'em will prove a Scourge to and highly aggravate the Condemnation of the dissolute Christian Luk. 12.47 For he that knoweth his Master's Will and doth it not shall be beaten with many Stripes Our whole Lives then should be a Constellation of all those Gospel Graces which are recommended under this Head of Discourse And tho' there may be some mixture of Weakness and Imperfection and perhaps of Sin in all the Actions and Duties which we do yet if they be not impenitently liv'd and died in and if we use our utmost Endeavours to overcome and subdue 'em the imputative Righteousness of Christ our High-Priest will effectually interpose and accomplish our Peace and Pardon for all our Sins if we faithfully apply it CHAP. VII Of Christ's Priestly Office THat Christ Jesus the righteous might be sutably qualified for the great Work and Business of our Redemption 't was absolutely necessary as we 've seen that he should be a Prophet to dispense and accomplish that Part of his Mediatourship We shall proceed now according to our propounded Method to give you an account of the Importance of his Priestly Office Which does eminently consist in the offering up himself a real and perfect Sacrifice for the sins of the whole World and in his meritorious Intercession at God's right hand that the infinite Merits of that Sacrifice may be accepted and applied for the Comfort and Benefit of all sincere Christians that believe in and obey him Now by the Merits of this great Propitiation he has fully satisfied God's infinite Justice for Mans Delinquency and Disobedience obtain'd our Pardon and Peace with God deliver'd us from the Guilt Pollution and Punishment of all our sins and we are certain that upon some tolerable and easie Conditions he will vouchsafe unto us the powerful Assistances of his Grace and Spirit and enable us to comply with 'em to our comfort here and Salvation hereafter I shall endeavour to be very express
him to Herod who was then Tetrarch of Galilee another Province in Judea This was very acceptable to the Jews for Herod being a fierce and bloudy Man they suppos'd that Innocency it self would be as little Security to him as 't was to his Harbinger John the Baptist Being conven'd before Herod who had desir'd of a long Time to see him he was question'd about many things and answer'd all their Interrogatories for he expected no Justice there with a profound Silence Then Herod and the Soldiers set him at naught clad him in a gorgeous Coat and when they had expos'd him to all the Obloquy and Contempt they could invent he was remanded to Pilate This egregious Polititian is now put to all his Shifts for he was fully convinc'd in his Conscience of our Saviour's Innocency and the Injustice of their Proceedings against him He was afraid of the Jews Displeasure and yet desires to save the Life of the Prisoner and therefore he must endeavour to find out an Expedient if possible to satisfie their Importunities and indemnifie himself from the Guilt of innocent Bloud Now having fully consider'd these things and to extricate himself out of this Mass of Contradictions he makes use of this politic tho' severe Project For he commanded him first to be stript naked Hierom. and then to be whipt saith my Author by six merciless and cruel Ruffians who beat him with at least three hundred Stripes till there was scarce any Skin left on his Body and having thus inhumanely scourg'd him they platted a phantastical Crown of Thorns and put it on his Head 't was a Crown to deride him and made of Thorns on purpose to torment him For the Bloud gusht out where the Pricks went in and now stream'd as fast down his Face in the Palace as it did down his back and shoulders at the Pillar But yet for all this neither the piteous Sight of this miserably distressed Object nor Pilat's Shifts nor Arguments nor Importunities could prevail with these desperately wicked and malicious Sons of Belial still die he must nor could any Engines of Cruelty satisfie their Revenge till they saw him breath out his last They would by no means remit the Punishment nor commute for his Life Crucifie him crucifie him was their constant Cry He is guilty of Blasphemy against God and Sedition against the King and therefore he that goes about to save his Life is no Friend to Cesar And to enforce their Plea beyond all Contradiction they would take the Guilt on themselves if the Sentence were unjust and they and their Posterity would answer it at the Peril of the Prisoner's Vengeance if he should really prove what he pretended to be and his Bloud be upon them and their Children Pilate was no longer able to resist the Dint of their Arguments and hereupon resolv'd that he would rather crucifie a thousand Christs than disoblige one Cesar Now we come to the Catastrophe of his dismal and Bloudy Crucifixion The eternal Son of God and Saviour of the World O horrendum nefas was for our sakes sentenc'd to die an accursed shameful and painful Death upon the Cross And that cruel inhumane Method which these vile Wretches proceeded in against that meek and innocent Person was this viz. In his way to Calvary they took off his purple Garment put on him in Scorn before and cloathed him with his own Then they loaded him with a heavy Tree and forc'd him to undergo the Burden till he could bear it no longer and when they perceiv'd that he was ready to faint and fall under it they commanded one Simon a Cyrenian a Gentile to assist him in the bearing of it till he came to Golgotha the Place appointed for his Execution Which must needs be a stinking and dreadful Place where the Skuls of dead Men and the putrified and rotten Limbs of Malefactors were dismal to the Eye and nauseous to the Smell Here it was that the Cross being a tranverse Piece of Wood was erected and the Son of God the saddest Spectacle that ever mortal Eye beheld nail'd unto it Thus I have given my Reader a Specimen of the Manner tho' we cannot comprehend the Measure of our Saviour's Sufferings in his Life and at his Death All which he patiently underwent for our sakes by a submissive Condescension to his Father's Will and the satisfying of his Justice for our manifold Transgressions and therefore as those Pains and Pressures must needs be terrible and afflictive to him so they should be a Monument of the greatest Sorrow and Compunction to us Especially in these two Respects 1st Because for our sakes he underwent a shameful and accursed Death Gal. 3.13 which was ordain'd for Slaves and Malefactors only and unworthy of any free Man tho the greatest Criminal And now the People who before were the greatest Admiters of his Person Doctrine Example and Miracles were scandaliz'd at his infamous Death so that tho' the most of them could not look on him but with Pity yet also with Scorn and Contempt This Shame then and Scandal of the Cross must needs add to the Bitterness of the Cup and the Loathsomness of the Affliction And yet for all this he considering the Glory of God the happiness of all Mankind which was so eminently concern'd in his Death and that future Crown of rejoycing which he should shortly enter upon He I say upon all these Considerations patiently submitted to the Torment and cheerfully underwent the Ignominy of that accursed Death for us that we might recover that Life Liberty Honour and Happiness which we had forfeited and lost by our enormous Sins and Transgressions But 2dly As he suffer'd a most cursed and shameful so a most bitter and painful Death For his Limbs being stretched out like Cloath upon the Tenters and his Hands and Feet the very Centers where all the Sinews met being pierced through with massy Nails must needs make the Tortures more exquisite and cruel Besides he did hang there three long Hours and because he could not die of Hunger in that time the Bloud must distill Drop by Drop 'till it was all drain'd out of his Body And to render his Death still more bitter and painful he not only suffer'd by all these Engins of Cruelty in his Body but by a worse and more afflictive Agony in his Soul For as those sensible Tortures which he felt in his Body were most pungent to him because 't was of all other Bodies the most tender being form'd only out of the Substance of his Mother without any commixture of the Male Nature So his Soul being proportionably delicate and his Spirit more apprehensive the Impressions of Pain and Sorrow must be so much the more severe and intolerable Again he was to grapple with and undergo the Fierceness of God's Wrath Psa 76.7 and 18.7 15. and the heavy Burden of our Sins which must needs press him down with almost insupportable Anguish No wonder
us How should these Considerations then affect our Souls with a deep Compunction and a hearty Contrition for our by-past Offences And how should we hate and aband on even the very Appearances of all Sin and Wickedness for the future More especially if we consider that If God did so signalize the severe Rensentments of his Wrath in the Punishment of his own most dearly beloved Son what then shall be the Doom of the impenitent and contumacious Offender What dreadful Impressions should this great Exemplar of God's Justice and Vengeance make upon our Lives How should we study and endeavour to mortifie our Flesh â— Pet. 4.1 2. and crucifie our Lusts which have been the immediate Causes of all those barbarous Cruelties and merciless Persecutions which he suffer'd How should we renounce all the superficial and extravagant Fooleries of this World according to the Example of Christ and his Followers Col. 3.3 5. Rom. 6.5 6. And indeed unless we thus crucifie the old Man and become conformable to Christ in trampling upon all the sinful Delights of this vain and transitory Life we have no real Title to the Blessings and Priviledges of this great Propitiation For if we Sin wilfully under the Gospel we crucifie the Son of God afresh Heb. 6.6 and react that dreadful Tragedy which we lately heard of This would be to despise and reject all his charitable and merciful Endeavours for our Peace and Welfare and if we continue in any one wilful Act of Sin and Disobedience unrepented of 't will render all his bitter Sufferings for our sakes not only vain and fruitless but destructive and pernicious Let us therefore flie from all Sin as the most deadly Contagion and when by a thro' Mortification of our Lusts and Appetites we have made our Peace with God we should dread the Danger Shame and Scandal of returning with the Dog to the Vomit or with the Sow that is washed 2 Pet. 2.22 to her wallowing in the Mire 4 We are strictly oblig'd by the Laws of Gratitude Interest and Duty to conform our Lives so far as we are able to the Doctrine and Pattern of Christ And our Respect and Reverence to the eternal Son of God our faithful High-priest should be attested with a sincere Obedience to all his holy Institutions He submitted to his Fathers Will in bearing the heavy Yoke Phil. 2.8 and drinking the bitter Cup for our Sakes How should we then study to imitate his holy and innocent Life alwayes looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith c. Heb. 12.2 For our pious Conformity hereto will not only recommend us to the Regard and Admiration of future Ages but will effectually dispose and qualifie us for all the blessed Priviledges and Advantages of his Grace and Glory In a word the Life and Death of Christ are an Inforcement and Recommendation of Patience Mat. 11. Math. 5.10 and Perseverance in well doing and suffering for his sake to the Glory of God and the Interest of Religion We should devote our selves therefore intirely to his Service and become most active Instruments in the promoting of his Glory and then 't will be impossible that we should fail of the Comfort and Benefit of our holy and vertuous Endeavours 5 And lastly Christ's infinite Love to us in all those Instances which I have mention'd should be a powerful Motive and Argument to perswade us to be kind and charitable to Others 1 Joh. 4.11 Did the eternal Son of God set such an infinite value on our Souls as to lay down his Life for them How then should we love those lively Images of his for whom he has paid so dear a Ransom and do always bear the Signature and visible Characters of his Grace and Favour Has he done and suffer'd so many things for us and cannot we prevail with our selves Rom. 15.1 Eph. 5.2 1 Joh. 3.16 to dispense with a petty Neglect bear some small Injuries from and Infirmities in our Brethren for his sake who has pardon'd us a Debt of more than ten thousand Talents Let all these things be duely consider'd and applyed that we may behold our Lord by the Eye of Faith standing upon the Cross not only as a resolute Sufferer but a glorious Conqueror to the infinite and unspeakable Joy and Comfort of our Souls in this and their infinite eternal Happiness in another World I have done with the first Part of our Saviour's Priestly Office namely the Satisfaction which he made and the Ransom which he has paid for the Purchase of our Redemption here on Earth which brings me to the 2d Branch of it viz. his meritorious Intercession for us in Heaven Christ our High-priest intercedes for us in Heaven Jesus Christ our most merciful Lord and Saviour is now entred into the Heavens where he is executing and administring his Melchisedekian Office for the Interest and Benefit of his Church and People here on Earth most especially in these two remarkable Instances 1 By interceding for us 2 In Blessing of us And 1st Christ our faithful High-priest For the supply of all our Wants Intercedes powerfully with the Father for the supply of all our temporal and spiritual Wants that we may live comfortaby here and be glorified with him eternally hereafter And to this End he is now presenting the Merits of his Bloud and Obedience to his Father's Acceptance representing all the Wounds Marks of his Sufferings and pleading 'em in full Satisfaction For the pardon of our Sins Heb. 12.24 1 Pet. 1.2 for all the Sins and Offences which his Votaries have committed The Bloud of Christ supplicates in Heaven for Mercy and Compassion for us And the sprinkling of it now is as necessary for the Sanctification of Believers as the shedding it upon the Cross was for the Salvation of them For altho' one Drop of it might be sufficient to save ten thousand Worlds yet it becomes efficacious only to those on whom 't is sprinkled This is that precious Bloud which speaks better things to us then that of Abel and it has such a rinsing and cleansing Property in it For sanctisying Grace as to purifie the Souls and Bodies of those who truly believe and apply it from all the Contagion Filthiness both of the Flesh and of the Spirit This only can render our Persons and Performances Sacrifices and Services acceptable to God So that when he beholds the Wounds and Sufferings of Christ he will think nothing too dear for us More particularly That our Hearts may be truly affected with a real Sense of the Comforts and Benefits of his meritorious and powerful Intercession 't will be of necessary and important Use to consider these following Instances of it For 1 He offers up his own Prayers to God the Father for us He offers up his own Prayers to the Father for us and stands like Aaron being truly sensible of our Wants
heartily zealous for and extremely tender of our Welfare with the Censer of his own Merits in his Hand to stop the Plague and apply sovereign and saving Remedies to our wounded and languishing Spirits He prays most affectionatly and incessantly for the Pardon of our Sins for the pity and care of our Infirmities Rom. 8.33 34. 1 Joh. 2.1 Heb. 4.14 15 16. for the relief of all our Necessities for the defence of our Persons for victory over Temptations for the Sanctification of our whole Nature for our nearer Union with him and the Father Joh. 14.16 Joh. 17.1 2 9 15 17 20 24. even in this World and for our future Glorification with him in Heaven and that eternally And this is our great Comfort and Happiness that if we be good Christians his Prayers will be successful for us and he will be no less concern'd for his Votaries now then formerly for the Shepherd of Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep Ps 121.4 but is the same merciful Intercessor for his Servants yesterday this day and for ever And as he prays effectually for us So 2 He is graciously pleas'd to offer up all our Prayers and holy Performances to God the Father for us And presents our Prayers to him Tota congregatio Societasque sanctorum offertur Deo per sacerdotem magnum Aug. de Civit. Dei Lib. 10. and Intercedes powerfully for their Reward and Acceptance All our spiritual Sacrifices as Confessions Petitions Thanksgivings Intercessions voluntary Restraints Self-resignations all our seasonable Words and Actions our pious Thoughts and Inclinations our virtuous and gracious Dispositions our Passions and Sufferings are continually offer'd up with all Earnestness and Importunity for their Acceptance by our compassionate faithful High-priest at the Throne of God's heavenly Grace And to encourage us herein tho' we sometimes fail in our Duties to God or Man and are drawn into Sin unawares by Infirmity or Surprize yet he pities and prays for our Pardon 1 Joh. 2.1 2. and if we be humble and penitent his redundant Merits will atone for the Pardon of our manifold Defects And indeed if we consider the many Slips and Infirmities we are daily guilty of and the great Neglects even in our best Performances we 've need of such a High-priest to intercede continually to the Father for us But here we must remarque That Christ prayeth not for the World not for those who are wilfully disobedient impenitent Joh. 17.9 Rev. 6.10 1 Ioh. 5.6 or who live in an habitual Course of Sin and Wickedness But does rather deprecate the Father against those wretched Enemies of his Church and Religion And as this may be a Terrour to the wicked and dissolute so it may be the greatest Incouragement imaginable to the conscientious and upright Christian It must therefore nearly concern us to be very prudent and circumspect in all our Duties both to God and Man lest by our Disobedience and Unbelief we lose our Propriety and Interest in those merciful Intercessions and omnipotent Prayers whereby if we be faithful obedient 't is impossible we should miscarry 3 By his meritorious Intercession if we comply with the recited Conditions he procures us a free Access by the Spirit unto the Father that we may present our Petitions our Selves for all things we stand in need of if we ask them in his Name For 't is by Christ only Ioh. 16 2â— 24 26 26 Rev. 8.3 that we come with Boldness to the Throne of Grace and have Admission into the holiest of all And if our devout and earnest Prayers be sprinkled with his Bloud and perfum'd by the Grace of his Merits and Intercession we need not doubt of their Reward and Acceptance with the Father for the sake of his dear Son Wherefore all our Prayers Thanksgivings c. must be concluded according to the Church's Prescription which is grounded upon Apostolical Practice in his Name To whom be ascrib'd all Honour and Glory now and for ever Now as Christ our most merciful High-priest doth powerfully and effectually intercede for us for the Acceptance of our Services and disposes us by his Grace to pray successfully for our Selves So 2dly He blesseth us Ps 84.11 He does sanctifie and Bless us both in our Souls and Bodies with the Abundance of his Grace and Glory For he blesseth us in our many temporal and spiritual Deliverances from the Temptations and Tyranny of Devils and wicked Men. He blesseth us in turning away every one of us from our Iniquities Acts 3.26 in sanctifying our whole Nature by the lively Influence and Operation of his holy Spirit and by the wonderful Effusions of his exciting preventing and restraining Grace whereby he keeps us back from Sin and makes us holy here as before that we may be happy for ever 'T is very observable since our blessed Saviour's Exaltation that his true and faithful Converts are far more expert in the Knowledge of Divine Mysteries more religious and circumspect in their Words and Actions more seraphic and affectionate in their Devotions And those very Slips and Indiscretions they are guilty of do seldom escape without some Regret and Reluctancy and are therefore doubtless consistent with the Sincerity of their regenerate State And that he will bless us immeasurably after this Life is most certain and evident from holy Scripture But we cannot yet comprehend the Degrees of that Blessedness and therefore 't is rather our Duty to Hope and wait for it with Patience then by a wanton Curiosity to pry too eagerly into that boundless and inconceivable Mystery 1 John 3.2 1 Cor. 2.9 Hitherto of the Intercessory Part of our Saviour's Melchisedekian Office which he is now transacting in Heaven for us Let us now apply this Point in two or three Instances And 1 We have not an absolute Title to the Privileges of our Saviour's Mediation in Heaven for us The Application of this Point for all the Promises of the Gospel as we 've noted at large in this Treatise are Conditional If we believe we shall be saved if we die with him we shall also live with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12 13. if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him c. And so on the contrary if we deny him he will also deny us c. Therefore we are oblig'd by the Laws of that New Covenant which Christ's now mediating in Heaven for us to believe repent pray read and meditate on the holy Scriptures hear God's Word receive the holy Sacraments and endeavour to be sincere in all Duties both to God and Man And that general Term of Godliness whereby we are rendred capable of the Blessings of this and a future Life does eminently comprehend all these nor have we any real Title to the Benefits of Christ's Mediatorship in Heaven but by our sincere Endeavour to observe and comply with these tolerable and easie Conditions Besides there can be no
he may dispose and qualifie 'em for his Kingdom of glory Which Government over his Church is yet more particularly display'd and manifested in these two remarkable Instances 1 In the Guidance and Preservation of his and the Church's Friends 2 In the Confusion and Destruction of his and her Enemies And First He exercises his Power in and over his Church 1. In the Guidance and Protection of his Church Rom. 2.16 1 Cor. 4 5 in the Guidance and Protection of his loyal and obedient Subjects And tho he sits at the right Hand of his Father in Heaven yet he forgets not the Poor afflicted Members of his Church here on Earth He rules Mens Hearts and sets up his Empire there exciting 'em by his holy Spirit to be and to do good to avoid all things evil in themselves and of evil Report whereby they may escape all the Mischiefs both of Sin and Punishment He exercises his Power and Authority in making and repealing Laws and passes Judgement upon what 's expedient and lawful or unnecessary and unlawful as seems best to his uncontroulable yet unerring Wisdom Acts 17.31 He remits and retains Sins and has an absolute Power to execute Judgement upon all Creatures before whose impartial Tribunal we must all shortly appear to receive our final Doom when neither the Secrets of Men nor the Counsel of the Heart shall escape his Scrutiny 1 Cor. 3.13 15. He rules his people by his holy and just Laws and enables them by his Grace and Spirit to comply with and obey them He protects his Votaries from the Tyranny of their domineering Lusts and Passions and preserves 'em from the conquering Power and Prevalence of all Temptations He supports them under and comforts 'em in all the Pressures and Afflictions of this Life and at the last crowneth them with an absolute Conquest over all his and their Enemies Yet here we must note That his Church and People have their tristia as well as lucida Intervalla For by his Counsel and Providence the Tyrants of this World as the proud Assyrian c. become Ministers of his Justice Rods and Scourges to chastise his People and reduce 'em to Obedience And this is most signally remarkable from the Annals of the Church For there was never any Religion in the World so severely persecuted as the Christian nor did the Devil and wicked Men ever confederate so strongly against any Sect of religious Professors as they have done against those who professed the Doctrine of Christ And if all the Engins and Methods of Cruelty as Fire Faggot the Teeth of wild Beasts Racks Wheels Gibbets Grid-irons c. could have destroy'd all the Primitive Christians our Religion had long ere this been banisht out of the World But Christ has always hitherto and ever will interpose his Power and Goodness in the Rescue and Defence of his Church and People Psa 2.4 He that sits in Heaven will laugh his Enemies to scorn and protect his obedient Subjects so Mat. 16.18 that neither the Gates of Hell nor all the Atheists Apostates and Hereticks on Earth shall be able to prevail against 'em For he will ever bless the righteous and with his loving kindness will he compass them as with a Shield And whom Christ is thus pleas'd to rule and protect on them he bestoweth infinite Rewards For the Lord giveth Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 Thus Christ our King governs us here by the wisest and best Laws and protects and defends us from all our Enemies of all sorts And he will in his own good Time raise us from a mortal to an immortal State full of Glory and Blessedness But as he manifests and administers his Kingly Power in the safe Conduct and sure Defence of his loyal and loving Subjects So Secondly 2. In the Confusion and Destruction of his and her Enemies He administreth and dispenses it to the Confusion and Destruction of his and his Church's Enemies This is a most evident matter of Fact and we may be confirm'd in the Belief of it if we consider the Plagues of Egypt the Destruction of Pharaoh and Amalek the Subversion of the five Kings who were slain with Hailstones the blindness and Destruction of the Sodomites and the total Subversion of the Jews tho formerly so dear to him when they turn'd Rebels against him Besides we have an account of the most infamous Deaths of Herod Alexander Judas Simon Magus Julian the Apostate and many other notorious Idolaters and Heretics who being profest Enemies to his Religion and Government were most miserably destroy'd And tho' the Kings and Tyrants of the Earth be never so high and mighty yet Christ our King is greater and more powerful then they and his Dominion superiour to all the Princes of the World Rev. 1.5 and 17.14 For as he has hitherto and ever will infatuate the Counsels and baffle all the Plots and Hostilities of all his and our temporal Enemies so he will countermine and defeat all the Projects Stratagems and Conspiracies of the Devil Sin and Death our Spiritual Adversaries For he will reign till he hath put all the Enemies of his Kingdom under his Feet 1 Cor. 15.25 Yet here it must be consider'd The Enemies of Christ's Kingdom destroy'd by Degrees that the Temporal and Spiritual Enemies of Christ's Kingdom must not be destroy'd all at once but successively and by Degrees The Church of God is but now in her Progress to the highest State of Perfection and Christianity is yet in her Travel towards our heavenly Canaan in expectation only and not fully entred into its eternal Rest We read and do believe that many wonderful Works and Miracles were done by our blessed Saviour whilst he sojourn'd on Earth but he has accomplished far greater since his Departure For he is daily bringing more Sheep into his Fold and sending out more Labourers into his Vineyard to make the Harvest of the Gospel still more and more plenteous Our Religion ever since its first Plantation has been in its Pilgrimage travelling from one Country to another from Asia to Africa from Africa to Europe from Europe to America And he still leads Captivity captive and sooner or later he will conquer the whole World with the invisible Power of his Word and Spirit and all the Nations of the Earth shall submit by degrees to the Scepter and Authority of his Kingdom Psal 2.8 In a Word he will and does defend and protect us from the Power of Satan and Prevalence of our own Lusts unless we desire to become their voluntary Slaves and Vassals They may indeed now and then tempt us to Sin for the Probation and Improvement of our Graces but we are all free Agents and Christ has put us into a capacity if we please not only to resist but to conquer and subdue them And therefore if Sin and the Devil
Guidance and Protection of so great a Lord who bears to us the Bowels of a Man and the tenderest Compassions of a Brother We 've inforc't all these Obligations to Holiness of Life and newness of Obedience by our Vows and Covenant in Baptism we repeat them frequently in the Lord's Supper and do oblige our selves still more and more by our renewed Choices and Promises in every Duty of Religion And we have in all these and many other Instances devoted our Selves our Souls and Bodies entirely to his Service How should we then in Conformity with the Design of this Treatise make it the Scope and Aim of all our Desires and Endeavours to be where Christ our great Prophet Priest and King is And since he is gone to Heaven to prepare a Place for us Ioh. 14 3â— let us make it the Endeavour and Business of our whole Lives Phil. 3 2â— according to the Rules laid down in this Book to dispose and qualifie our selves for that Place By which means we may not only live comfortably here and solace our selves with the Peace of a good Conscience in doing the Duties of our Christian Calling But after this painful Life ended we shall have the most perfect Consummation of Grace in the possession of the Rewards of eternal Glory and Bliss Which God of his infinite Mercy grant unto us for our blessed Saviour's sake To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be ascrib'd by us and all the World Blessing and Glory and Honour and Power and Thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen A Morning Prayer for Families O Most Glorious and Eternal Lord God the Father of Mercies and the God of all Consolations thou art greatly to be fear'd in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all that draw nigh unto thee We thy unworthy Servants desire with all Humility to acknowledge our immediate Dependance upon thee for by thy Power we were made by thy Wisdom we are govern'd by thy Goodness we are provided for under thy Dominion we live and we owe unto thee all that we have in this World or hope for in the next And yet alas we have made very unsutable returns unto thy Bounty For we have violated all thy just reasonable Commands not only by our mistakes and indiscretions by our sudden secret and unobserved Sins but we have set at naught and trampled upon thy sovereign Power and Authority by our open voluntary deliberate and actual Transgressions to the dishonour of thy glorious Name the scandal of our holy Profession and the great encrease of our shame and sorrow Besides such is the ignorance of our Minds the stubborness of our Wills and the unruliness of our Affections that we have been either wholly negligent about or careless and trifling in the performance of those incomparably pleasant Duties of our holy and excellent Religion Whereby much of our precious Time has been wickedly mis-spent either in sinful Recreations or Idleness and Vanity And to increase and aggravate our Guilt and Punishment we have sinned against many Judgements and Mercies Vows and Resolutions the Light of thy holy Spirit and the many checks and convictions of our own Consciences by all which we have made and judged our selves unworthy of eternal Life Wherefore holy Father we might justly expect the severest Resentments of thy Wrath and Vengeance in the most due and deserved Punishment of all our Sins But thou art a God of Mercy and with thee is plenteous Redemption thy Promises are full in Christ Jesus to truly humble and penitent Sinners We come with boldness therefore to the Throne of thy heavenly Grace most humbly begging the Aids of thy holy Spirit that with a deep Sorrow and hearty Contrition we may stedfastly bewail all the Sins and Offences of our past-lives Increase our sorrow and detestation of 'em still more and more Remove far from us all Security and Presumption Impenitence and unbelief and all the sad Remains of Apostacy and Disobedience and if it be thy gracious Pleasure deliver us from temporal Punishments however from eternal Death But since there 's no hope of Mercy and Forgiveness whilst we continue in the Ways of Sin and Irreligion which lead to Hell and Damnation let the sense of our Vileness prevail with us to forsake and abandon all our Sins so that we may never return to them again with any consent delight or approbation Forgive we pray thee whatever we have done spoke or thought amiss bury all our Iniquities in the bottomless Ocean of thy own Mercy and Forgetfulness and our Saviour's Bloud and for the sake of his infinite Merits deliver us from the Guilt and Pollution the Dominion and Punishment of all our Offences Lift up our Hearts we pray thee above all the little and empty yet alluring Trifles of this vain and transitory World Affect our Souls with a true and lively sense of our Duty and Dependance upon thee Restore and renew in us that Health and Comfort Joy and Peace Freedom and Strength Knowledge and Integrity by the Righteousness of the second Adam which we forfeited and lost by the Fall and Disobedience of our first Parents Improve and cherish still more and more those holy Resolutions of Growth and Perseverance in all Wisdom and Goodness that neither Life nor Death good Report nor bad Report may obstruct our Obedience nor separate us from thy Love Conduct us safely thro' all the Changes and Varieties of this troublesome Life in Peace and safety and dispose and qualifie us with such a holy and innocent Frame and Temper of Mind and Spirit that we may live with and enjoy thee for ever Send forth thy Light and thy Truth and enlighten we beseech thee all the dark Corners of the Earth with the bright Beams of thy glorious Gospel Bless more especially all Estates and Conditions of Men in the Communion of thy holy Catholic Church But we intreat thee more particularly for the increase of true Wisdom and Godliness in the Churches of these Kingdoms We confess O Lord thou mightest justly remove thy Candlestick from us and give it to a People more deserving than we but as thou hast been pleas'd to magnifie thy Mercy hitherto in the wonderful Defence of our Persons Religion and Government notwithstanding the malicious Designs and wicked Contrivances of those fierce fiery and politic Spirits who have ill will at our Sion So continue we beseech thee the present Establishment in Church and State with a Blessing upon both to us and our Posterity for ever Remember not against us our manifold Provocations neither suffer the Plagues of Atheism and Apostacy Heresie and Schism Sedition and Rebellion to shake the Foundation or interrupt the Public Peace and Tranquility of this excellent Government But unite us all to thy Self in the Bonds of true Faith and Hope and in brotherly Love and Charity one to another To this End we intreat thee for the Health and