sin if it had not been for the Law of God Rom. 7.7 Nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Not to believe in Jesus Christ is a great sin it is a sin for which God will damn men at the day of Judgment Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned Now the Light of Nature doth not convince a man that it is a sin not to believe in Jesus Christ it is by the Scripture which holdeth forth the damnable nature of this sin of not believing in Jesus Christ John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God And by the help of the Spirit that we come to be convinced of the sin of not believing in Christ John 16.8 9. And when he that is the Spirit which is the Comforter spoken of in the former verse is come he will reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment of Sin because they believe not in me And as there are some sins of which natural Light doth not convince a man so those sins of which it doth convince a man it doth not convince with such clearness and power as the Law doth which stops a mans mouth and makes him fall down before God as as a lost undone Creature Rom. 3.19 20. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God By the Law is the knowledge of sin 3. There are several Points of the Christian Religion of great moment which that Light that is in natural men discovereth not neither can we know them any other ways but by the help of the Scriptures or by immediate Revelation from God As for instance To know and believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah is of such moment as that we can't be saved unless we believe him to be the Messiah John 8.24 I said therefore unto you That ye shall die in your sins for if ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins Now this knowledge Flesh and Blood Nature in its highest improvements cannot attain it must either be by Revelation from God Matth. 16.15 16 17. Whom say ye that I am And Simon Peter answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Or by the help of the Scriptures And therefore when Apollos would convince the Jews that Jesus was the Christ he did it by the Scriptures Acts 18.28 For he mightily convinced the Jews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ And this way the Apostle Paul took also he alledged those Scriptures that spoke of the Messiah and explained them and thereby proved to them that Jesus of Nazareth was Christ And Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ It is of great moment to know what that Righteousness is whereby a Sinner should come to be justified in the sight of God If a man be ignorant of this Righteousness he will seek to establish his own and will not submit to the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God The Light of Nature cannot find out this Righteousness it is no where revealed but in the Gospel Rom. 1.16 17. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek for therein is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The Just shall live by faith That there are Three Persons and yet but One God is plainly revealed in the Scriptures 1 John 5.7 There are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One But without the help of the Scriptures the Light of Nature can attain to but little or no knowledge of this great Mystery And as there are some Doctrines so also some Duties in the Christian Religion which the Light of Nature cannot discover As for instance Baptizing of persons with water in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost is an Ordinance of Jesus Christ which he would have continued and with which he will afford his presence to the end of the world Matth. 28 19 20. So also is eating Bread and drinking Wine in the Lords Supper and Ordinance of Christ to be continued in the Church till his coming to Judgment 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come But natural Light doth not teach a man that it is his duty to be baptized or to receive the Lords Supper It is from the Scriptures we learn that Baptism and the Lords Supper are Ordinances of Jesus Christ and that the use of these Ordinances is to be continued in the Church of Christ to the end of the World 4. The Light which we must attend unto and follow and by which we must order our Lives and Conversations is the Mind and Will of God revealed in the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts Observe here First That the Light to which the Apostle would have us take heed and saith they do well who take heed to it is the Word of Prophecy by the Word of Prophecy he understands the Scriptures which were written and delivered to us by the Prophets as is evident from the ensuing word Knowing this first that no Prophecy of the Scriptures c. Secondly It is our duty to take heed to the word of Prophecy as long as we live in this world Whereunto ye do well to take heed until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts By the Day-star is meant Jesus Christ Rev. 22.16 I am the bright and morning Star By the Day is not meant only or chiefly the day of Grace or the day of the Gospel for these days had already dawned upon those persons to whom the Apostle wrot this Epistle for he saith of them They knew and were established in the present truth vers 12. They were not only acquainted with the Doctrine of the Gospel
Commandment is for you if ye will not hear if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my Name saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings Whether it be a word of Command or Promise or Threatning or an Example of Gods Judgments on sinners or of his blessing bestowed on his servants tell them That these Commandments O my Children the great God that made you and that will bring you to Judgment hath given to you if you obey them he will love you and bless you and give you all good things in this world and great blessings in the world to come But if you will not hearken to his Voice but cast his Law behind your backs he will send many heavy Judgments and great Plagues upon you in this world and if they do not lead you to repentance he will cast you both Body and Soul into Hell Fire And so for the Promises tell them These great and precious Promises shall be your portion if you will believe in Jesus Christ and live holy and godly lives Gal. 3.22 1 Tim. 4.8 Do the like by the Threatnings tell them That these will surely be executed on them if they live in those-sins against which such and such Judgments are threatned For GOD is faithful and able to perform his Word and is no Respecter of persons and there is no lying hid from his all-seeing Eye nor any possibility to escape out of His Hand VVhen you meet with Examples of Gods Judgments on impenitent sinners tell them Those Examples are recorded on purpose to keep them from falling into such sins 1 Cor. 10.5 6. and to lead them to Repentance Luk. 13.1 2 3. And that if they live in the same sins they must expect to meet with the same Judgments And so also the Examples of Gods mercies towards his servants tell them That if they will serve God the same mercies and blessings that God gave Abraham or David or any other of his servants he will give them But of these things I have spoken before more largely in the Third Chapter and it will be needless to repeat them again By what hath been said there it is evident that there is much more work lieth upon Parents besides teaching them to read the Scriptures as VVatching over them Reproof Correction c. SECT 22. Instructing Children while they are young makes eminent Saints Object 22 WE may teach our Children to know and remember the Scriptures but we can't teach them obedience that is Gods work and what good will it do them to know and remember the Word if they do not obey it And besides if they should whilst they are young walk in the ways of God they will forsake them when they grow old and be the worse for their instruction and make good the old Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil Answ 1. It is true that it is Gods work to teach our Children Obedience but we must use the means Shall the Ministers of the Gospel forbear preaching the word because the conversion of souls is Gods work not theirs 2. God doth ordinarily bless the Endeavours of Parents and Masters of Families when they are diligent and faithful in their work not only to the breeding of knowledge but also to the bringing of their Children and Servants to obey the Lord and walk in his ways Gen. 18.19 He will command his Children and Houshould after him and they SHALL keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment Here God promiseth that upon Abrahams commanding his Children and Houshold they should keep the way of the Lord. And what God promiseth to Abraham he promiseth and will peform unto all that walk in Abrahams steps If persons that have had Religious Education would consult their own experience they will find that generally God instils Principles of Grace into such as are converted by means of their Religious Education 3. That Proverb A young Saint and an old Devil was of Satans coining to deter persons from seeking and serving the Lord for it is contrary to the word of God for that saith Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it None prove such eminent Saints as they that begin to seek and serve the Lord whilst they are young I will give two or three instances hereof Josiah was a very humble tender-hearted Prince he wept at the hearing of Gods Law 2 Kings 23.18 19. He was very zealous in the Reformation of Religion and destroying Idolatry Chap. xxiii ver 1. to 25. There never was such a Passover kept either in the days of the Judges or of the Kings of Israel or Judah as Josiah kept 2 Kings 23.22 23. He excelled all the Kings that lived before him and all that came after him verse 25. And like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him And as he was thus eminent in Godliness so he continued constant to his dying day 2 Chron. 34.2 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of David his Father and declined neither to the right hand nor left And one reason why he proved so eminent and constant in the ways of God was this He began while he was young to seek after the Lord as is expressed in the following verse For in the eighth year of his Reign while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his Father Obadiah who feared the Lord from his youth 1 Kin. 18.12 I thy Servant fear the Lord from my youth attained unto a great measure of the fear of God verse 3. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly He kept his Integrity though he lived in Ahabs House who was such a wicked Prince that he did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord. He was a great shelter to the Lords Prophets when they were persecuted and some of them put to death by Jezabel he hid an hundred Prophets in a Cave and maintained them with Bread and VVater verse 4. David began to seek and trust in God while he was young Psal 71.5 Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my Trust from my youth And we know he proved a man after Gods own heart the instances of his exemplary piety are so many that it would be too long and so well known that it would be needless to mention them SECT 23. How to deal with Servants that hold Erronious Opinions Object 23 SOme of my Servants are tainted with Erronious Principles which I knew not of when I took them into my Family and I look upon it as labour in vain to instruct persons that are infected with Errors Answ I. It
these Rev. 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the Water of Life freely Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come and buy wine and milk without money and without price Joh. 7.37 In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drink John 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out The understanding of Christs love how willing and ready he is to receive such as come to him will be a powerful means to draw their Souls to Christ Jer. 31.3 With loving kindness have I drawn thee Hos 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a man with the bands of love Fourthly Inform them what Jesus Christ expecteth from those that come to him and close with him if they would be owned by him for true Disciples and such as shall partake of his saving benefits As 1. They must abandon all their sins 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity 2. They must deny themselves and take up their Cross and follow Christ Mark 8.34 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Luke 14.27 Whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple 3. They must love and prefer Christ above all their Relations and whatsoever else is dear to them in the whole world Matth. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me 4. They must take his yoke upon them and submit to his Government and obey his Commands Matth. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest unto your Souls John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments John 15.14 Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you 5. They must continue believing in Christ and walking in his ways as long as they live John 8.31 Then said Jesus unto those Jews which believed on him If ye continue in my words then are ye my Disciples indeed Let them know also that the Lord Jesus doth not expect that they should do these things in their own strength but that if they look up unto him he will give them his holy Spirit to enable them to do all these things and whatsoever else he requireth of them Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Fifthly Fortifie them against the Offence and Scandal of the Cross of Christ that they may not revolt and depart from Christ after they have embraced him when they shall meet with troubles and persecutions for the Gospels sake as many are apt to do Matth. 13.21 Yet hath he not Root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended If you ask How shall we fortifie our Families against the offence of the Cross that when troubles arise for the Gospels sake they may not fall off from the ways of CHRIST I answer First Tell them at their entrance into Christianity what they must expect to meet withal if they will be Christians indeed Let them know they shall be hated in the world 2 Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Luke 21.12 Ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake and must look for Reproaches Confiscation of Goods Imprisonment and all sorts of persecution This was the means that Christ used to keep his Disciples from being offended at the troubles should come upon them He told them before hand what they must expect to meet with John 16.1 2. These things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service As it is with those that build an House or a Tower they should first sit down and consider what will be the cost and charges that they must be at in building Luke 14.28 29 30. Which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him saying This man began to build and was not able to finish So they who have a purpose to become Christians had need count what it may cost them to be Christians indeed they must count upon it that for ought they know it may cost them the loss of all things even of their Lives and see whether they are willing to become Christians on these terms lest after they are entred into the ways of Christ they should depart from them when they meet with persecutions for the Gospels sake and so become a reproach and and scandal to Religion 2. Inform them that unless they be willing and resolved to suffer the loss of all things for Christ when they are called to it they cannot be the Disciples of Christ Luke 14.33 Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple And if they go about to save their Lives when the Lord Jesus calleth them to lay them down they shall lose eternal Life Mark 8.35 Whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels the same shall save it Thirdly That they may not be discouraged from embracing the Lord Jesus and the Christian Religion because of those sufferings that they must expect to meet with in the profession and practise of the ways of Christ propose to them such considerations as may encourage them to embrace the Cross of Christ with chearfulness As 1. Whatsoever losses they sustain on the Account of Christ or his Gospel shall be made up to them with an hundred-fold advantage in this life and if not in the same kind yet in some other thing which is as good or better besides the recompence that they shall have in the world to come Mark 10.29 30. Verily I say unto you There is no man that hath left House or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands with persecution and in the world to come life everlasting 2. The sufferings of this present life will increase our glory in the world to